-The Hindu When data is monetised, as the Economic Survey advocates, it becomes toxic and harms public interest Last year, I was denied information requested under the Right to Information Act (RTI) 2005. I had sought the names of agencies empanelled by the Unique Identification Authority of India for an “image makeover” and the expenditure on it. It was denied by invoking the exemption clauses of Sections 8(d) and 8(j), respectively, i.e....

-The Telegraph 'The existing system of the HRD minister chairing the panel for selecting IIT directors was a bad practice' New Delhi: A panel of educationists set up by the University Grants Commission has found flaws with the existing system of selecting academic heads of institutes of higher learning and called for a review, implying that politicians should not be part of the process. The recommendations came in a report the four-member committee,...

-The Times of India blog Last week, NDA Government succeeded in getting contentious amendments to RTI Act passed by Parliament. Social activist Aruna Roy, who was at the forefront of the movement to persuade Parliament to enact the original law, speaks to Anindo Dey about the development: * The Government said the RTI Act amendments set right the anomaly of the Information Commissions, which are statutory bodies, being treated on a par...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee expressed concern over unabated regularisation of unauthorised colonies in Delhi by the authorities in violation of law for political gains and pleaded the court to intervene to stop it to prevent a chaotic situation in the capital. It also accused the Land and Development Office (L&DO) for encouraging encroachment of public land. Referring to media reports, the committee said the Delhi...

-Livemint.com * Minimum wage is a contentious issue for both industries and workers’ groups, said an official * The economic survey had mentioned that a national mandatory minimum wage is a requirement New Delhi: India will not have a single mandatory minimum wage floor as talked earlier as the the union Labour ministry has stayed away from making it part of the wage code bill. Instead it has left this important provision open...