Janata Online

The Special Investigative Team that probed the 2002 Godhra riots has indicted Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on many counts, but says there isn't enough substantiation to prosecute him.

Tehelka magazine has accessed the full SIT report, and says, "for the first time, there is damning official confirmation of many things victims and human rights groups have been accusing Modi of."

The SIT was set up on instructions from the Supreme Court. Many TV channels and newspapers had reported, on the basis of a partial reading of the report, said Modi had got a clean chit from the SIT. More...

At a time when price hike is pinching the common man, a Bill seeking to increase the salary and allowances of Members of Parliament is on the top priority list of the government in the Monsoon session of Parliament beginning Monday.

The controversial civil nuclear liability bill and judicial standards and accountability bill are prominent among other measures listed in the priority agenda but suspense continued over the Women's Reservation Bill, which has been approved by the Rajya Sabha.

The Communal Violence Bill, which is currently being deliberated by Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC), is also one of the priority items. Similar is the case of the Bill seeking to raise the reservation for women in urban local bodies from 33 to 50 per cent. More...

Three Maoists were arrested for attacks on security personnel in the forest areas of Chintalwada in Orissa. This arrest follows just a day after 8 Maoists were killed in the neighbouring state of West Bengal.

The rebels, identified as Budura Padiami, Irma Kabasi and Sarat Behera were involved in several attacks on security personnel including one at Mariwada, he said. They were also involved in an attack on a power house at Balimela and violence during the general elections last year, police said More...

The Bhopal Gas Tragedy verdict is out. It took 25 years to convict eight persons, with a possible jail sentence of a maximum of just two years.  In the judgement delivered by Chief Judicial Magistrate Mohan P Tiwari, pronounced the verdict in a packed court room convicting 85-year-old Mahindra, the non-executive former Chairman of UCIL, and seven others including Vijay Gokhle, the then Managing Director of UCIL, Kishore Kamdar, the then Vice President, J N Mukund, the then Works Manager, S P Choudhary, the then Production Manager, K V Shetty, the then Plant Superintendent and S I Quereshi, the then Production Assistant.

They were held guilty under Sections 304-A (causing death by negligence), 304-II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 336, 337 and 338 (gross negligence) of the Indian Penal Code. Former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan who just took over as the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) believes the verdict on the Bhopal gas tragedy has “come late“. More...

The country's spending on social programmes, aimed at helping the poor, is likely to increase hugely. Problem is, can India afford it? India has appointed several socialist intellectuals and activists to a powerful government policy advisory body, officials said on Monday, signalling the possibility of higher spending on costly social programmes.

The National Advisory Council (NAC) is headed by Sonia Gandhi, powerful chief of the ruling Congress party who is seen as more inclined toward favouring the predominantly rural poor to help boost the party ahead of some key state elections. More...

In a democracy, the call on who may succeed an incumbent remains pertinent at all times. There was the question of after Nehru, who? And so it has been with all leaders. Therefore, it's almost a necessity to ask the same of Manmohan Singh. On the face of it, the answer is not difficult.

Each political party is looking for leaders who are young, who are close to the average age of the country. Leaders who are evolving with the times, are credible and can carry the party with them. In this context, if there is anyone who can fill the shoes of Manmohan Singh after he goes, it is Rahul Gandhi. The AICC general secretary carries the burden of a great legacy, that of the Nehru-Gandhi family. More...