The Calcutta High Court upheld the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act on Wednesday, saying that it was within the powers of West Bengal’s legislators to impose such a law, rejecting the challenge by Tata Motors Ltd over the seizure of land that was meant for its Nano factory. Justice I.P. Mukerji said in the judgement, however, that the Hooghly “district officials have exceeded their powers in taking possession of the...

-The Hindu   An alleged Maoist activist was on Tuesday rearrested in Nagpur after being acquitted by the court of all charges against him, the counsels for the activist alleged on Wednesday. They alleged that he was being implicated in cases. They also said that they were manhandled by the police when they went to ask details about his arrest. “Arun Thomas Fereira was arrested in May 2007. Eight cases under UAPA (Unlawful...

The state's rice bowl is left empty An unviable minimum support price (MSP) for rice has forced farmers in Andhra Pradesh to leave their lands fallow. The movement is spreading to other states. “Farming never pays” is a familiar slogan among agriculturists across the world, and especially so in India. Nevertheless, many continue to cultivate their fields year after year, barely eking out an existence, toiling in the hope that the tide...

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against the June 26, 2010, Orissa High Court decision to refrain from acting on a PIL drawing attention to the multi-crore coal mining scam in the state. The PIL, filed by Cuttack-based lawyer and activist Nishikanta Mishra, had demanded a probe by an independent agency, such as the CBI, into the scam involving high-ranking bureaucrats and politicians in Orissa. The scam, the petition...

-The Times of India   Different associations of private schools on Monday gave a call to all the private schools to observe one-day token strike on September 28 in protest against the state government's directive to them for compulsory registration latest by September 30 to ensure implementation of the provisions of Right To Education Act. The Bihar Public School and Children Welfare Association, Private Schools and Children Welfare Association and other associations...