In an attempt to encourage banks to allow overdrafting (read loan or credit) for beneficiaries of the financial inclusion plan, prime minister Narendra Modi on August 15 is said to unveil a credit guarantee fund to compensate the banks in case of
The resignation of deputy national security adviser (NSA) Nehchal Sandhu on July 31 is seen as a precursor to a major change in the government’s approach towards higher echelons of bureaucracy. The 1973-batch IPS officer, who retired earlier
In what is seen as a big victory for the Narendra Modi government, the Rajya Sabha on Thursday (August 14) passed the national judicial appointments commission bill, 2014. The bill, along with a constitutional amendment bill, was passed in Lok Sab
In an age when books, or other works of art, are banned/pulped/not published for fear of either a social castigation or fatwa or violence or some or the other form of jihad and/or either or all, it takes the judiciary, despite all its flaws, to re
Prime minister Narendra Modi is like Jawaharlal Nehru who also had an authoritarian streak in him. Nehru had controlled the government and t
Pesticides considered ‘highly’ and ‘moderately’ hazardous by the World Health Organisation have been found in leading national and international tea brands, says a recent Greenpeace report “Trouble Brewing”.
Riots are a by-product of politics. The eruption of communal clashes all over Uttar Pradesh in recent times is a manifestation of a cynical politics which has taken hold of the country’s most populous state. Slight sparks have
The reform proposal, seeking statutory powers to the public enterprises selection board (PESB) is under serious consideration by the government, says Rajiv Rai, secretary at the board. The PESB functions as the selection body for appointing PSU
The union cabinet’s approval of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2014 has opened a can of worms. While many say the move would act as a strong deterrent, given that several recent cases of rape, including the Dece
Making his first official address to the BJP cadre after taking over as the BJP president, Amit Shah on Saturday said that it was due to the Gujarat model that BJP was able to gain the trust of the people across India. Shah said his appoin
In Indian parliament, you are either angry or you are absent. On Friday (August 8), some members of parliament were angry over some of their colleagues being regularly absent. Two of those colleagues got special mention from fellow
Activists and NGOs working on child rights have raised questions on the union cabinet approving an amendment bill on Wednesday that propose
When BJP released its IT vision document in 2009, one of the least discussed aspects of the document was a statement that the party would change “right to information” into “duty to inform.” To my mind, that was a very perc
Notwithstanding opposition from child rights activists, the union cabinet on Wednesday approved an amendment bill that proposes Juvenile Justice Board can decide if a minor above 16 years of age should be tried in a regular court or sent to correc
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies fought the 2014 Lok Sabha elections on the plank of good governance and development. The country gave the party an overwhelming mandate and people believed in the vision and Narendra Modi’s pro
For some time now, higher(est) judiciary in India has been groping for a toehold to tide over unsavoury controversies it has found itself involved in. Back to back accusations have been flung at its face that significantly mars its holy cow image.
The terms of the chiefs of top 100 public sector units (PSUs) will be based on their record of showing profits instead of just expanding their turnover, according to a plan drafted by the government. The prime minister’s office has instructe
Genetically modified (GM) food crops and products will finally make their way out from labs to the fields of India, something quite unthinkable in November 2013. This is just the beginning, by all indications. While GM soybean and canola oil may s
A nondescript colony in north-west Delhi is quietly experimenting with privatised water supply while the jury is still out on privatisation of essential services. Savda Ghevra, which started off as a resettlement colony to ta
The trajectory of Mansoor Khan’s life has defied a predictable journey. Best known for his Bollywood blockbusters and for directing the debut movie of his cousin Aamir Khan, Mansoor today is preoccupied with his cheese farm in Coonoor and wr
