-DNA   Contrary to the government claims that the human rights violators are punished according to law, an RTI query by a rights group has revealed that the Centre has declined sanction for prosecution in 26 cases under Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) while permission is awaited in 16 cases. In a reply to an application under Right to Information Act by Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), the state home...

IT IS one of the inspirational legends of Indian journalism that James Hickey, founder and editor of the Bengal Gazette — this country’s first newspaper, with its first edition going back to January 1780 — was a fearless seeker of the truth, taken to court and imprisoned by Warren Hastings, then governor-general. Reality is a little different. Hickey’s paper was often a gossipy, yellow rag. It thought nothing of publishing scurrilous...

-The Times of India   Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday endorsed the concerns of his ministerial colleagues over Right To Information (RTI), saying the transparency enabler should not adversely affect deliberations in the government and deter honest officials from expressing their views on file. While hailing RTI's extensive use and underlining his government's intent to strengthen the law, the PM said there was a need to strike a fine balance between the...

Any new system for the socio-economic progress of Dalits and other vulnerable sections must not lose sight of Special Component Plan goals. THE Planning Commission's “Approach to the 12th Five Year Plan” deals with the Scheduled Castes (S.C.s) briefly in a portion of Chapter 11 titled “Social and Regional Equity”. It, however, significantly mentions the need to devise a new system that can overcome the difficulties experienced with regard to the...

With only a few States having sent in their comments on the Food Ministry's draft National Food Security Bill, 2011, till the closing date on Friday, the Centre is planning to extend the date by a month or two, official sources said. Despite Minister of State for Food and Consumer Affairs K.V. Thomas having written to all States and Union Territories last week to send in their comments, not even his...