Why is the ruling party unable to pass 3 very important bills? The National Advisory Council draws its exalted status from the fact that UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi heads it. But its inability to get its way on three new Bills indicates that its influence is waning. A couple of weeks ago, the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) cleared the drafts of two significant Bills — the Food Security Bill and...

-Press Trust of India   Altogether 1,807 farmers have submitted applications for return of their land acquired for the Tata Motors Nano project here. The plea for return of land has been made under the new Singur land Rehabilitation and Development Act enacted by the West Bengal government. "Among them, 76 submitted application forms today and three yesterday," sources in the Block Land and Land Revenue office said. On the discrepancy in the notices...

-The Telegraph   Tata Motors today sought Calcutta High Court’s permission to move an ex-parte petition to make amendments to its earlier plea as it had been filed in “great hurry”. The original petition of the Tatas had challenged the constitutional validity of the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act, 2011, through which the government has taken back the land acquired for the Nano project in Singur. A Tata Motors spokesperson said in...

There is something for Posco finally to cheer about as work at its proposed site for Rs 52 ,000-crore steel project in Orissa's Jagatsinghpur district resumed on Tuesday after remaining stalled since June 26. "Work in Gadakujanga and Nuagaon areas is going on today," Jagatsinghpur district collector N C Jena said. Felling of trees and clearing of forest area and acquired betel-vine farms were continuing in Gadakujanga and Nuagaon areas,...

The latest Supreme Court order appointing two former justices to superintend the special investigation team (SIT) on black money is a serious indictment of government. It reflects a widespread sentiment about the laws of government motion: government is a body that will not move unless compelled by an external force. A shameless government is provoking a thousand saviours to step in and save the country. The Supreme Court is, rightly,...