Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), the apex authority for approval of large-scale field trials and commercialisation of GM crops, has decided to hold “dialogue” with state governments to iron out irritants being faced in the grant of no objection certificates (NOC) for GM crops’ trials. The development comes after the Centre’s Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation and GM seed industry association petitioned the GEAC regarding the delay or denial of NOC...
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The law of life
-The Hindu The Supreme Court last week ruled as unconstitutional the mandatory imposition of the death penalty under the Arms Act in view of the absence of judicial review. The verdict is a reiteration of current jurisprudence that for criminal offences, life imprisonment is the rule and death sentence the exception. The impugned section 27 (3) of the Arms Act stipulates capital punishment for offences that may result in the loss...
More »Prashant Bhushan, Senior Advocate and member of Team Anna interviewed by V Venkatesan
PRASHANT BHUSHAN, a member of Team Anna and a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court, has been a vociferous critic of the government's Lokpal Bill at every stage. He answers, in an interview to Frontline, questions raised by Members of Parliament during the recent debate on the Lokpal Bill in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha and enunciates the challenges ahead of the movement for an effective Lokpal. Excerpts: The government's...
More »SC: Why has LN Mishra murder trial dragged for 37 years? by Dhananjay Mahapatra
The Supreme Court on Thursday wanted to know why trial in the murder of then railway minister L N Mishra, who wielded considerable political clout being close to then PM Indira Gandhi, in a bomb attack in Samastipur on January 2, 1975 was dragging in the lower court even after 37 years. A 27-year-old advocate, who was arrested in the case and chargesheeted, is now a frail 64 year-old and has...
More »Jail, Bail and the Poor
-EPW Despite curative measures and judgments, undertrials who are poor continue to rot in jails. The public debate over bail to the 2G spectrum accused and the controversy over the parole granted to murder convict Manu Sharma has unfortunately sidestepped a much more pressing concern – the plight of poor undertrial prisoners who have spent years inside jail without being convicted of any offence. A series of Supreme Court judgments over the...
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