-Mainstream Weekly Dr Binayak Sen, an internationally renowned medical practitioner and social activist (a leading figure in the People’s Union for Civil Liberties), was incarcerated in Chhattisgarh and held in detention in Raipur having been branded as a Maoist for his activities in defence of poor tribals in the State. He is now out on bail. The following is the text of the Arvind Narayan Das Memorial Lecture he delivered in...

-The Hindu Chairperson of panel for STs unhappy with State’s performance Chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes Rameshwar Oraon is displeased over the tardy implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, by the State governments. In an exclusive interview with The Hindu here on Thursday, Mr. Oraon said the objective of the Forest Rights Act was to facilitate welfare of the tribal...

-The Indian Express Saying that the government was playing with its order, the Supreme Court Friday expressed its disapproval of the Centre’s decision to not auction the entire 2G spectrum cancelled by the court in February this year and asked for an explanation of its position. “We can tell you clearly that you are not implementing our order but prima facie playing with our order. You were required to put spectrum of...

-The Times of India In a recent election rally, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi advised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, one of the country's top economists, to follow the Gujarat model of development , to cure the country of its ills. "Mr Prime Minister, if you try to follow the path of Gujarat state, the condition of the country will be transformed." Modi, who is projecting himself as the champion of economic...

-Frontline After the year-long Jansamvad Yatra and Jansatyagraha, the Ekta Parishad has a written commitment from the Rural Development Ministry to advance land reforms.  Celebration and caution. These sentiments dominated the deliberations of senior activists of the Ekta Parishad as they gathered at Delhi’s Gandhi Peace Foundation office on October 18, one week after the organisation and the Union government had signed a 10-point agreement to advance land reforms. The agreement had...