In a bid to put its electoral reforms agenda on the fast track and seize the initiative from social activist Anna Hazare and his team, the government will call an-all party meeting in mid-October on the subject. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has directed the law ministry to evolve a “political consensus at the earliest” on its proposal to keep the “election arena free from persons with criminal backgrounds”. The move...

“Synergy” and “mutual relationship” will be the key phrases as the CBI tells the Standing Committee of Parliament in a forthcoming presentation about its decision to come on board the Lokpal. In his presentation, CBI director A P Singh is expected to demand greater functional autonomy and treatment as an “equal partner”, not as a subordinate agency of the Lokpal. The agency is also expected to argue for its director — who...

The activists said houses of members of the Standing Committee who oppose the Jan Lokpal Bill would be gheraoed. Taking the Jan Lokpal agitation further, Team Anna will now undertake a referendum and yatras to ensure that the people are aware of their elected representatives' performance and their stand on the Jan Lokpal Bill. These steps will ensure that the people hold the MPs accountable, Team Anna's core committee members said at...

There are structural aspects to a problem as complex as corruption. These cannot be tackled through punishment alone. Just as our society tends to latch on to holy men for miracle cures, in recent weeks, the urban middle classes have placed great hopes on an anti-corruption movement led by a pious man in a Gandhi cap. (The other claim on leadership by a holy man in red robes did not...

Do agencies like the Ford Foundation push their own agenda through the NGOs they support? It’s often said, tongue in cheek, that India’s “shadow” government works out of the nondescript, low-slung buildings abutting the Lodhi Garden in Delhi. That’s partly hubris, but it also stems from being close to the centre of power. This rarefied zone houses powerful “cultural” institutions like the India International Centre, as well as a host...