Former Karnataka Lokayukta on mining scam

"If no one appeals the Karnataka High Court judgment, the case will go uninvestigated, says former Karnataka Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde."

The Hindu : Opinion / Interview : 'I was given a sweeping mandate to inquire into all aspects of mining illegalities':  It is too early to say whether the 2011 report by former Karnataka Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde on illegal mining in Karnataka will have the huge impact on the way the industry operates in the State — and elsewhere in the country — the 26,000 page document is possibly the most exhaustive, carefully-researched investigation into corruption and its linkages with industry and politics that has been compiled in India.

A recent judgment by a division bench of the Karnataka High Court on a petition by former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa challenging the First Information Report filed against him by the Lokayukta police has been widely viewed as a setback to the legal fight against corruption.

Congress without Trinamool

"Mamata Banerjee will do anything to enhance her political image, even if this means humiliating her senior colleagues. By obtaining the resignation of Railway Minister, she is hoping to project herself as the sole champion of the poor, as someone who is able to push and prod the UPA into working for the greater common good. "

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Congress without Trinamool:  Each time, as she maximises her political mileage, the Congress ends up looking a clueless pivot of a rudderless government.

Stem cell science is already saving lives

 "Blood donated from healthy babies' umbilical cords is in focus."

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Stem cell science is already saving lives - The cells that are being collected from the placenta are magic cells, miraculous cells. They're the blueprint for all the different cells in the blood — so for someone whose own bone marrow isn't working properly, they can be a real lifeline.

Let good sense prevail

"After a Norwegian court placed two toddlers in permanent foster care, their parents' plight has generated indignation in India and led to high-level diplomacy between Oslo and New Delhi. The parents have alleged the children's removal stems from a deep cultural bias. The Child Welfare Service (CWS) in Norway has consistently denied this, saying the children were removed for far serious reasons related to their delayed development."

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Let good sense prevail:  The strains of negotiating a foreign culture and environment are evident — both for the Bhattacharyas and for the Norwegian authorities — but the fact that the family needed assistance is undeniable. On its part, the CWS is not without blame. It has shown cultural insensitivity and made serious mistakes in handling the case.

Nitish Kumar says Delhi will come to a halt if Biharis don't work for a day

Times View - Reinforcing 'us and them' attitudes
Counter View - Boosting the Bihar brand


Editorial

-The Times of India, March 20, 2012

How Trinamool Was Nailed

Trivedi's defiance exposes the crumbling legitimacy of Mamata's brand of politics

How Trinamool Was Nailed

"'Poriborton' was to be about healing and getting Bengal back on track. Either Mamata was joking when she made those promises, or her control over the party is weaker than assumed. The latter is more likely"

-The Times of India, March 20, 2012

The Odd Couple

Landlords and tenants - was there ever a more troubled relationship?

The Odd Couple

-The Times of India, March 20, 2012

Critical Point

Maoists have to come to the negotiating table

Critical Point

-The Times of India, March 20, 2012

Exit, With A Message

Trivedi showed reform can be pushed despite the odds

Exit, With A Message

-The Times of India, March 20, 2012

'Why should one's family name be a disadvantage to anyone?'

Q&A


Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi are only some of parliament's youthful members - at 29 years, Hamdullah Sayeed, MP from Lakshadweep, is the youngest representative from the 15th Lok Sabha. Speaking with Amin Ali, Sayeed discussed his move form studying law to fighting elections, developing one of India's farthest locations, ignoring jibes about youth or family legacy - and recent upheavals in neighbouring Maldives impacting his constituency:


Interview - Q&A

-The Times of India, March 19, 2012

Sarkari syncophancy

There are no stops for those who butter up superiors

Sarkari syncophancy

-The Times of India, March 19, 2012

There's Something About Sachin

The Tendulkar saga is about genius, dedication and an unquenchable love of the game

There's Something About Sachin

"There have been great cricketers before him and undoubtedly more will follow, but Tendulkar stands alone both as driving force and glue in the contemporary game, especially in India"

-The Times of India, March 19, 2012 

Cease and Desist

Retrospective change in tax laws lowers confidence

Cease and Desist

-The Times of India, March 19, 2012

Bite The Bullet

Reducing the subsidy bill will have multiple benefits

Bite The Bullet

-The Times of India, March 19, 2012

Muddy questions about Mullaperiyar dam

A purely technical matter has turned into an emotional and political issue between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The entire fight is centred on whether the water level in the Mullaperiyar reservoir should be raised by two meters.

The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : Muddy questions about Mullaperiyar dam: "The silt building up in the reservoir cannot be ignored for any decision on the dispute."


In any dam, silting - a natural hydrological and sedimentological process by which sediments flowing from the upstream catchment area in the river water get deposited in the reservoir -  reduces the life of a reservoir as well as its storing capacity. The cumulative accumulation of silt in the reservoir is not dangerous to the stability of the dam as it does not exert any dynamic pressure on the body of the dam.

With the passage of time, due to siltation, the storing capacity and consequentially the availability of water will  continue to decrease and the demand to raise the water level would crop up again.  If any decision is taken ignoring the silting of the reservoir, that decision is certainly not going to solve the Mullaperiyar problem.