The Buck Stops Here

As north India goes through another day of 'severe' air pollution, we take a step back and look at this environmental disaster not just from the prism of the political slanging match but also from a saner perspective. What can we do to deal with this apocalyptic situation now beyond knee-jerk solutions like a half-hearted odd-even scheme?

As north India goes through another day of 'severe' air pollution, we take a step back and look at this environmental disaster not just from the prism of the political slanging match but also from a saner perspective. What can we do to deal with this apocalyptic situation now beyond knee-jerk solutions like a half-hearted odd-even scheme?

The dates for the winter session of Parliament, which usually begins around the third week of November, ought to have been notified by now as at least 15 days notice has to be given to allow Parliamentarians to congregate in Delhi. The silence from the government so far seems to bear out what NDTV had reported almost a week ago - about how a hectic Gujarat campaign may lead to a cancelled or curtailed Parliament session. Has Gujarat's poll heat put Parliament's winter session in deep freeze? An angry Congress isn't pulling its punches saying the government is scared of being hauled over the coals on demonetisation and GST in Parliament. On The Buck Stops Here, we debate: should the work of Parliament be held to ransom to a state election?

The dates for the winter session of Parliament, which usually begins around the third week of November, ought to have been notified by now as at least 15 days notice has to be given to allow Parliamentarians to congregate in Delhi. The silence from the government so far seems to bear out what NDTV had reported almost a week ago - about how a hectic Gujarat campaign may lead to a cancelled or curtailed Parliament session. Has Gujarat's poll heat put Parliament's winter session in deep freeze? An angry Congress isn't pulling its punches saying the government is scared of being hauled over the coals on demonetisation and GST in Parliament. On The Buck Stops Here, we debate: should the work of Parliament be held to ransom to a state election?

When Pradyuman Thakur - a Class 2 child - was killed in September in his school toilet in a Gurgaon school, it sparked a national debate on safety in schools. But just two months later, the CBI today made the extraordinary claim that he was killed by a senior student of the same school. But perhaps the most shocking revelation by the CBI is that the the Class XI student did it to delay examinations and a parent-teacher meeting. There have been many instances of stress-induced suicides by school students, but was this is a stress-induced homicide? Is the Pradyuman case a flashpoint for our investigation agencies as well as our schools? We debate on The Buck Stops Here.

When Pradyuman Thakur - a Class 2 child - was killed in September in his school toilet in a Gurgaon school, it sparked a national debate on safety in schools. But just two months later, the CBI today made the extraordinary claim that he was killed by a senior student of the same school. But perhaps the most shocking revelation by the CBI is that the the Class XI student did it to delay examinations and a parent-teacher meeting. There have been many instances of stress-induced suicides by school students, but was this is a stress-induced homicide? Is the Pradyuman case a flashpoint for our investigation agencies as well as our schools? We debate on The Buck Stops Here.

Did Congress President Sonia Gandhi step in to shield Tehelka and its financier after its 2001 sting on corruption in defence deals? Jaya Jaitly, in her autobiography, has made public a letter that Sonia Gandhi wrote to then Finance Minister P Chidambaram asking him to ensure that Tehelka's financiers were not treated in an 'unfair and unjust' manner. The book also cites a letter that Tehelka's alleged financier Shankar Sharma of First Global, wrote to Sonia Gandhi asking for help in the face of 'continued harassment by government agencies'. The Justice Phukan Commission inquiring into Tehelka's dealings was scrapped just days later. Jaya Jaitly also claims that the Congress benefited from the Tehelka sting that exposed corruption during former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure. Ms Jaitly was forced to quit as Samata Party President in 2001 after Tehelka's 'Operation West End' sting, George Fernandes then Defence Minister resigned at the time as well.

Did Congress President Sonia Gandhi step in to shield Tehelka and its financier after its 2001 sting on corruption in defence deals? Jaya Jaitly, in her autobiography, has made public a letter that Sonia Gandhi wrote to then Finance Minister P Chidambaram asking him to ensure that Tehelka's financiers were not treated in an 'unfair and unjust' manner. The book also cites a letter that Tehelka's alleged financier Shankar Sharma of First Global, wrote to Sonia Gandhi asking for help in the face of 'continued harassment by government agencies'. The Justice Phukan Commission inquiring into Tehelka's dealings was scrapped just days later. Jaya Jaitly also claims that the Congress benefited from the Tehelka sting that exposed corruption during former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure. Ms Jaitly was forced to quit as Samata Party President in 2001 after Tehelka's 'Operation West End' sting, George Fernandes then Defence Minister resigned at the time as well.

The Rajasthan High Court has raised questions about a 22-year-old woman's conversion to Islam and her interfaith marriage before sending her to a government home for a week. It is a virtual re-run of the Hadiya case in Kerala that sparked a nationwide controversy. What's more the high court has put the state government on notice, asking why there is no law or procedure in Rajasthan that governs religious conversions, observing that people can't change their religions based on an affidavit. Do courts even have a role to play in such cases? Why should an adult woman not have the freedom to choose who she marries, or whether or not to convert? We debate on The Buck Stops Here.

The Rajasthan High Court has raised questions about a 22-year-old woman's conversion to Islam and her interfaith marriage before sending her to a government home for a week. It is a virtual re-run of the Hadiya case in Kerala that sparked a nationwide controversy. What's more the high court has put the state government on notice, asking why there is no law or procedure in Rajasthan that governs religious conversions, observing that people can't change their religions based on an affidavit. Do courts even have a role to play in such cases? Why should an adult woman not have the freedom to choose who she marries, or whether or not to convert? We debate on The Buck Stops Here.