From RTI to dam safety, highly contested Bills to be tabled in Parliament’s monsoon session
A slew of crucial Bills are likely to be tabled in the session, which will have only 18 working days
Political parties come under RTI Act, says Central Information Commission
Terms political parties public authorities as they are substantially funded by Central government
Amicus curiae flags sudden discharge from dams, lack of forecasting for Kerala floods
All 79 Kerala dams were geared up for power generation, irrigation; not controlling flood: report
Sailesh Nayak Committee report on coastal zone regulations released 18 months after submission
The report recommends several relaxations in a previous notification, aimed at boosting tourism and real estate
Punjab rushes to grant sand mining approvals
Clears environment management plans for 63 sites; mining officials cite shortage of construction material for show of haste
Time to reveal
Cabinet clears policy that makes it mandatory for departments to share data; civil society sceptical
Accountability is oxygen to civic life : How India could have managed COVID-19 better
Lessons from Right to Information and other welfare laws could have led to more transparent and smooth relief plans
Futile deadlines: Afforestation drive in 5 states along Ganga is over with just 22% of target being met
Experts have questioned as to whether the Ganga catchment area is really available for afforestation
Panna’s poaching nexus exposed
Staff of the tiger reserve worked hand in glove with poachers, while the state government kept its eyes tightly shut
Ready for only tourists
Uttarakhand government has carried out rehabilitation projects only in tourist circles and ignored other areas that were hit by floods last year
Protocol to protect RTI activists in the works
If a single panchayat-level activist can expose corruption worth Rs 25 lakh, then each needs protection for effective implementation of …
Maya of Indian Science
Lies, denial and outright fraud have become the hallmark of Indian agricultural research because there is no accountability
Jan Dhan Yojana: the fineprint Modi did not disclose
Kin of accident victim denied insurance amount for not using RuPay debit card and carrying out at least one financial transaction
Centre confirms three pentavalent vaccine deaths
Union health ministry says 17 other deaths of infants reported in Haryana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu were not linked to five-in-one vaccine
Get your own vaccine
Down To Earth filed an RTI application to find out the reason of vaccine shortage in India. The response revealed how a plan to promote private …
Exclusive: Did a minister cite a non-existent study in her Parliament reply
Renuka Singh Saruta had attributed a study to IIT-Delhi on COVID-19 in tribal areas; but the institution does not have it
Lawyer cum RTI activist who exposed MGNREGA scam in Bihar shot dead
Police accused of not providing protection to victim Ram Kumar Thakur and helping village mukhiya, the prime accused in the murder
LIC’s unhealthy choice
Life Insurance Corporation invested more than Rs 3,500 crore last year in the tobacco industry
SC extends endosulfan ban
Pesticide makers claim inbreeding, not endosulfan, causing health problems in Kasaragod
Victims of vaccination
Vaccine trials in a Madhya Pradesh government hospital are making children sick. Culprit: harmful chemicals in high amounts
Environment ministry’s desperate attempts to suppress expert panel report on Western Ghats
Defies Information Commission’s order and obtains stay from Delhi High Court to keep the report out of public domain
Our daily dose of antibiotics
As dairy farmers inject antibiotics in their livestock, chances are high that these are passed on to humans through milk, finds Delhi-based non-…
RTI activists’ murders: Jairam Ramesh demands prompt action, compensation to families
Rural development minister’s letter to Nitish Kumar includes four suggestions for better implementation of social welfare schemes
Home ministry delayed Plachimada bill
RTI response reveals why bill meant to secure compensation from Coca-Cola has not received president’s assent till now
Critiquing globalisation
In Churning the Earth, The Making of Global India, environmentalist Ashish Kothari and economist Aseem Shrivastava put India's much-hyped growth …