A retired judge of the Supreme Court and former chief justice of Bombay high court, Justice MB Shah, will be the vice-chairman of the Special Investigations Team (SIT) constituted to monitor the probe into black money stashed abroad. The SIT will be chaired by former Supreme Court judge, Justice BP Jeevan Reddy. A direction to this effect was issued by the Apex court, on Monday. A bench of the Supreme Court...

The latest Supreme Court order appointing two former justices to superintend the special investigation team (SIT) on black money is a serious indictment of government. It reflects a widespread sentiment about the laws of government motion: government is a body that will not move unless compelled by an external force. A shameless government is provoking a thousand saviours to step in and save the country. The Supreme Court is, rightly,...

The impasse over land acquisition for the Posco project cast a shadow on Rath Yatra festivities in Dhinkia gram panchayat area in Jagatsinghpur district on Sunday. The number of villagers thronging the annual car festival at the Jagannath temple at Gadakujang had reduced drastically, pointing to the uncertainty prevailing among the people in the area. "The residents of Dhinkia, Gobindapur, Patana, Trilochanpur and other villages are now oscillating between despair...

The mid-term appraisal of the rural development programmes during the ongoing 11th Five-Year Plan points out several holes in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in Uttar Pradesh. This not only reaffirms the public perception of poor performance of UP, but also sets aside the defence put up against scathing criticism of her government by chief minister Mayawati time and again. The development has come...

Women’s stepping out of their homes to work is often seen as a symbol of empowerment. But what if girls and young women are first lured to work in factories on the false promise of decent wage, comfortable accommodation and payment of a lump sum amount at the end of 3 years contract, and then made to toil for pittance and their labour rights are violated? A report titled: Captured...