Top Stories
President Cautions Govt on Ordinance Route to Reforms, Tells Opposition to Not Disrupt Parliament
President Pranab Mukherjee had a message for both the government and opposition on Monday: he cautioned the government that ordinances should only be used for “exigencies and under compelling circumstances”; he also told the opposition that it should not disrupt parliament as that paralyses policy-making. read more
Delhi Turns into Fortress for Obama’s Visit
A seven-layer security ring is planned during the Republic Day parade with the chief guest being U.S. President Barack Obama. The capital has already turned into a fortress, with a key road sealed off a week in advance. The U.S. president arrives on January 25 to attend the parade in Delhi and to visit Agra and Varanasi. read more
E-Voting for NRIs by March
Indian passport holders living abroad will soon be able to cast their vote without having to fly back to India during elections. The Supreme Court has directed the government to enable e-ballot voting and proxy voting by Non Resident Indians (NRIs) within eight weeks. read more
Striking Coal Unions are Holding India to Ransom
The unions of Coal India are on a five-day strike to protest the government's move to allow private companies to mine and sell coal for the first time in 42 years. Yet by threatening to prolong their strike that began on Tuesday, the workers are hampering government efforts to reform the industry and ease the power crisis. read more
Special Police Units to Tackle Crimes Against Women
The home ministry has proposed setting up 150 special police teams across the country to probe crimes against women and ensure victims get justice. Reports of crimes against women increased by 26.7 percent to 309,546 in 2013 compared to the previous year, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. read more
Govt to Check Toilet Usage With Tablets
The government is launching a nationwide online programme to check whether people are using the new toilets built under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cleanliness drive. From February, officials will use mobile phones, tablets and iPads to report on whether toilets are being used in rural India, with results uploaded onto a website in real time. read more
Reform 08: Land Acquisition Rules Eased via Ordinance
The government followed up its insurance reform last week with another ordinance to ease land acquisition rules in sectors like power, housing and defence. The aim is to kick-start hundreds of billions of dollars in stalled projects, but investments are unlikely to flow in till the changes are confirmed by parliament in February. read more
India Adds Another Level to Tsunami Defences
With the 10th anniversary of the 2004 tsunami disaster commemorated on Friday, India has not only an effective warning system in place to prevent a repeat of the tragedy, but it is also capable of providing advisories to the 25 countries around the Indian Ocean. The country built and operationalized its warning system in 2007, and is now adding another layer of detection that would reportedly ensure an almost certain warning of any tsunami in the region. read more
Reform 07: Govt Bypasses Rajya Sabha for Insurance Reform via Ordinance
With opposition parties stalling the Rajya Sabha in the session that ended on Tuesday, the government has gone ahead with its reform of the insurance industry using the ordinance route instead. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet has approved a measure to raise the cap on FDI in insurance from 26 per cent to 49 per cent. read more
Govt Cuts Health Budget by 20%
The NDA government has ordered a surprise cut of nearly 20% in its current healthcare budget, according to sources in the health ministry. India’s public spending on health is already among the lowest in the world. With this reduction, key disease control initiatives would be at risk. read more
SpiceJet Heads Down Kingfisher’s Flightpath
The aviation industry is witnessing the slow collapse of SpiceJet as it runs out of money to pay its operating costs. On Wednesday, the airline was refused fuel by oil companies, and all its flights were grounded till 4pm, leading to thousands of passengers being stranding at airports across the country. The government, by trying to force state-owned companies to throw good money after bad at SpiceJet, can only delay the inevitable. The rot goes much deeper. read more
Supreme Court Rules in Favour of Generic Drugs, Rejects Bayer’s Appeal
In a ruling that is being cheered by both activists and Indian pharma companies, the Supreme Court rejected German drugmaker Bayer’s last-ditch attempt to block the sale of a cheap generic version of its cancer drug Nexavar in the country. This decision is likely to encourage more Indian companies to come forward with generic medicines. read more
Uber Grounded in Delhi After Rape Allegation
Uber has been banned from operating in Delhi after one of its drivers allegedly raped a female passenger on Friday night. Shockingly, the company had employed the driver even though he was arrested in 2011 on allegations of sexual assault. With the company failing to conduct a background check on the driver and the driver seemingly easily circumventing its vaunted GPS tracking system, many in India were left wondering where the layers of security that Uber promised actually were. read more
India has 13 of the 20 Most Polluted Cities in the World
Delhi is the world’s most polluted city, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report. But what should make the government sit up and take notice is that 13 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are also Indian. read more
Vehicles Over 15 Years Old Banned from Delhi Roads
More than 2.9 million vehicles are expected to go off the capital’s roads following a landmark NGT order banning vehicles older than 15 years. With Delhi being ranked the world’s worst polluted city by the World Health Organization, the NGT had on November 26 barred all such vehicles – private cars, bikes, commercial vehicles, buses and trucks – from plying in the capital. read more
Govt to Slash Red Tape for Businesses By April
By April 2015, starting a new business in India would no longer require multiple trips to different government offices. According to the Economic Times, the government is planning an online approval system for more than 200 permits required for industries from central and state government departments. read more