India's Maoists have spread north-east, gaining a foothold in the strategically located states bordering China and Burma, officials and analysts say. The Maoists are filling the void created by dwindling ethnic insurgent groups like the Ulfa, an Institute for Conflict Management (ICM) report says. One key Assam official told the BBC that boys thought to have gone south for jobs had instead joined the rebels. The Maoists have become squeezed in their traditional...
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Special courts mooted to try cases of damage to public property by J Venkatesan
Supreme Court displeased with Centre's failure to suggest measures The Supreme Court has indicated that it may ask the Central government to set up special courts to try cases of damage done to public property in agitations. A Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and S.J. Mukhopadhaya on Tuesday expressed displeasure at the Centre for not coming out with suggestions to prevent damage to public property and said special courts would be directed...
More »AP Impact: Right-to-know laws often ignored by Martha Mendoza
CHANDRAWAL, India—Satbir Sharma's wife is dead. His family lives in fear. His father's left leg is shattered, leaving him on crutches for life. Sharma's only hope lies in a new law that gives him the right to know what is happening in the investigation of his wife's death. Most of all, he wants to know what will happen to the village mayor, now in jail on murder charges. He talks quietly, under...
More »Trooper teacher in Saranda class by Kumud Jenamani
Blackboard 2002: A for attack; B for bomb; C for cops… Blackboard 2012: A for apple; B for ball; C for cat… Jamshedpur, Nov. 20: More than 500 students in some 15 primary and middle schools in forest villages of a reclaimed Saranda in West Singhbhum are looking forward to a paradigm shift in their ABCs of academic life, courtesy the CRPF. The central paramilitary force has taken up the daunting task of...
More »Lokpal panel may scrap need for sanctions to prosecute MPs, bureaucrats by Himanshi Dhawan
Prior sanction for prosecution of public servants like bureaucrats and MPs in a criminal case will not be required if the strong consensus within the parliamentary committee examining the Lokpal bill is reflected in the panel's recommendations. At present, presiding officers of the two Houses of Parliament are required to give their assent for prosecution of MPs while the government is the relevant authority for civil servants. But the proposed Lokpal's...
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