The Jan Lokpal is being vested with sweeping powers, which are susceptible to misuse. The centralised strucTure of the Lokpal will be ill-suited for sorting out governance deficit. People will be confined to being complainants and applicants. There is need to make the Jan Lokpal people-centric FOR many who quite rightly guessed that the Lokpal Bill drafted by the government would be a non-starter, the alternative merited automatic support. However, little...

Around 20 people were arrested on Thursday for allegedly trying to obstruct the process of land acquisition for the Rs 52,000 crore Posco steel plant near Paradip. Activists of United Action Committee (UAC), who earlier backed the mega project, were taken into custody as they blocked the entry route to Gada Kujanga opposing land acquisition work, resumed after nine months on Wednesday, police said. "About 20 people were arrested after effort to persuade...

When it comes to increasing wealth, legislative experience, it Turns out, beats the best investment planning hollow. An analysis of the assets of re-contesting legislators certainly suggests that – with the growth in their assets being more than what investing in gold, mutual funds or fixed deposits would yield. According to analysis of affidavits done by the Association for Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch, the percentage rise in assets of...

The environment ministry’s decision to give priority to construction projects with green building ratings may help Lavasa, among others. Lavasa, the ambitious hill city project of HCC Chairman and Managing Director Ajit Gulabchand, has been stuck for long over green hurdles. Though the ministry’s initiative is meant to incentivise companies for integrating green norms into their building plans, experts said the move may give some advantage to projects like Lavasa. According to...

-The Times of India   After Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh faced agitating students at Tata Institute of Social Sciences protesting against the clearance to the Jaitapur nuclear power plant, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India has promised to make a presentation to the faculty and students at the Mumbai campus. NPCIL has also set up a committee under the head of the Bombay NaTural History Society to study the marine ecology...