The Chhattisgarh High Court on Thursday dismissed an application of rights activist and paediatrician Dr. Binayak Sen seeking bail and suspension of life term awarded to him. But the court will continue to hear his appeal against the life sentence handed down by a Raipur Additional District and Sessions Court. The court also dismissed a similar application of co-accused Kolkata businessman Pijush Guha. On December 24 last, the Raipur court convicted Dr....

Tensions run high within the Christian community in Thachur village, and the government has adopted a hands-off approach for now. THE wrinkles on S. Royappan's face are a result of advancing age, but the ridges and furrows in them tell a story of humiliation of this Dalit Christian, as also others like him. Royappan, 82, was a bonded labourer, or padiyaal, in Thachur village in Tamil Nadu's Kancheepuram district, but...

Rules out blanket ban on or approval of such studies ‘HPV vaccination should supplement cervical cancer screening programme' The three-member committee, set up to probe the alleged irregularities in conducting studies using human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine by PATH in India, has identified several deficiencies in the planning and implementation of the project leading “to a crisis requiring suspension of the study,” but has fallen short of fixing responsibility on any individual or...

Attacking the United Progressive Alliance government and the Environment Ministry for granting clearance to the Posco project in Orissa, the Communist Party of India on Thursday said the imposition of 60 conditions, notwithstanding, neither the environment nor forest clearance for it was in accordance with law. “The government enacts laws and frames policies that it claims will benefit the people, and then goes on to tear them to shreds in order...

A large number of villagers who have been opposing land acquisition for the proposed 12 million tonne capacity steel plant project of Posco-India Private Limited in Orissa are now in no mood to give up their struggle already in its sixth year. A day after Union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh granted conditional clearance to the company's steel-cum captive power plant and a captive minor port, hundreds of men and...