-Live Mint Despite a directive, and later a final warning from the Supreme Court, some states are yet to notify core areas that include tiger breeding grounds The Supreme Court will on Wednesday assess whether state governments have complied with its order to notify core and buffer areas of tiger reserves in line with the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, after banning organized tourism in breeding grounds of the big cats...

-The Telegraph Ranchi: Jharkhand High Court today granted three weeks to the state government to resolve the deadlock over land for building campuses in Nagri for three national academic institutions that are presently working out of temporary accommodations in the state capital. A division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Tatia and Justice Jaya Roy, while hearing a petition filed by Bar Association seeking a law university in Jharkhand, allowed the state government...

-AFP GUWAHATI - About 25,000 villagers have fled their homes in northeast India during clashes between Bodo tribal groups and Muslim settlers in which 15 people have been killed, police said Monday.  Soldiers were also out in force in the restive state of Assam in an effort to quell further violence that has led to many villagers moving to nearby government shelters to avoid the fighting over land rights.  "Clashes that broke out...

-PTI Aiming to strengthen the functioning of Panchayati Raj institutions, Centre has advised state governments to videograph gram sabha proceedings,besides introducing a slew of schemes for improving their set up. "The scheme will start from 2012-13, that is the first year of 12th Five Year Plan. It will require the states to undertake reforms, devolve funds, strengthen state election commissions and finance commission and set up Mahila Sabhas," Union Minister for Panchayati...

-Kafila.org Almost a century ago, Katherine Mayo published a book titled ‘Mother India’ that criticized the Indian way of living, and Rudyard Kipling  spoke of the ‘White Man’s Burden’. These writings reflected the colonial perspective that what colonizers did was in the best interest of the colonized people. Consequently, most well-meaning citizens of colonial powers were alienated from the horrible plight of the colonized. Purpose well served – unopposed exploitation. Years later,...