Riding on the determination of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the draft law that will make access to food a constitutional right will be ready within 15 days, a minister said on Monday, even as police detained some members of the National Advisory Council (NAC). “We are in the process of finalizing the draft Bill,” said minister of state for food K.V. Thomas. “I have discussed it (the Right...

Pawar said the excess wheat is not to be opened for export until it is assessed how much grain will be needed for distribution under the National Food Security bill Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar Monday said the government will take a final view on lifting the export ban on wheat and non-basmati rice after assessing foodgrains requirement under the proposed National Food Security Act. Last month, Pawar had said that the government...

In its fourth meeting here, the joint draft panel on Lokpal Bill converged on half of the 40 points listed in the basic principles tabled by the civil society members, but postponed decision on contentious issues including bringing the Prime Minister and higher judiciary under the purview of the Lokpal/lokayukta.. Based on public consultations and hearings, the civil society members gave to the government, another list of “extra 31 basic principles”...

Sharp differences between Government representatives and civil society members in the Lokpal drafting committee came to the fore over basic issues such as the structural set-up of Lokpal, maximum punishment for corruption and graded punishment for culprits, during the fourth meeting of the panel here on Monday. However, Union Minister and panel member Kapil Sibal said that there was consensus on "almost half of the" 40 points brought to the table...

Activists against graft have often pointed out that even the threat of jail hardly serves as a deterrent for a corrupt person, as he can enjoy his ill-gotten gains after he completes his sentence. Now, that could be set to change. Assets amassed through corrupt means by a public servant will be frozen during investigation and liquidated on his being proved guilty, if the proposed Lokpal bill comes through. The drafting...