-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Setting the stage for manufacturing of vehicle engines that can ply on 100% bio-diesel soon, the road transport ministry on Friday came out with draft notification for mass emission standards for such vehicles. These will be known as "B100" vehicles like that of BS-III or BS-IV. Bio-diesel is both renewable and less polluting in comparison to diesel. B100 vehicles have been plying in Brazil and cities...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Centre has proposed restoration of the provisions for "consent" and "social impact assessment" in the land acquisition bill, a climbdown aimed at wriggling out of the stalemate triggered by its bold attempt to liberalise the law resented by industry and which was seen to have slowed land acquisitions to a crawl. It is learnt the Centre would undo most of the contentious changes it brought...

-The Hindu The Attorney General’s argument questioning the right of Indians to privacy is wrong on two counts. But worse, it goes against the interests of the people on every count. The last ten days have spelt dark times for the right to privacy. On one hand, the DNA Profiling Bill, which may result in a database of sensitive personal data with little to prevent its misuse, is being tabled in Parliament....

-Business Standard Why the public-private partnership model in education doesn't get a show of hands from its naysayers   Jaipur   July 8, 1 pm: Around 500 school teachers were protesting outside the building of Shiksha Sankul, which houses the various educational departments in the state. They burnt effigies of the education minister, demanding the Vasundhara Raje-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government withdraw the order on increased man-days. The teaching fraternity wanted the government to revisit...

-The Hindu Too much of public discourse on farmer suicides could bring on unseemly haggling over the numbers. Activists and the media rightly question loopholes in the National Crime Records Bureau data, pointing out that several State governments often report no farm suicides, contrary to local media reportage. However, there is also much needless suspicion and conspiracy-theorising; the NCRB’s data are from police station-level First Information Reports, and FIRs are often...