It would not have been easy for our founding fathers to adhere to the idea of a pluralist, secular state while India was being dismembered on the basis of religion. In the wake of the Partition, the bloodiest of communal conflicts, the trauma of the largest displacement of populations in history and the unrelenting aggression of a theocratic Pakistan were not able to shake their faith in the concept of a nation where people of different creeds, castes and cultures are able to live in harmony and... Read More

It would not have been easy for our founding fathers to adhere to the idea of a pluralist, secular state while India was being dismembered on the basis of religion. In the wake of the Partition, the bloodiest of communal conflicts, the trauma of the largest displacement of populations in history and the unrelenting aggression of a theocratic Pakistan were not able to shake their faith in the concept of a nation where people of different creeds, castes and cultures are able to live in harmony a... Read More

Corruption may have become a non-issue in politics, but the common man, who has to bear the brunt of its pervasive ramifications in his daily life, still entertains the hope that some day, someone will muster the courage to launch an all out offensive against corruption and stem the rot that is eating into the vitals of the nation. The problem is too big to be tackled by any single individual or institution; only a coalition of committed individuals and institutions can possibly make a tangible ... Read More

The very idea of India, a nation of unmatched diversity where people of different creeds, castes and origins live in harmony, is under attack today. The twin menaces of fundamentalism and terrorism have exacerbated the tensions between the majority and the minority communities and there has been an alarming rise in the incidents of sectarian violence. In this context, it has become imperative that each one of us should spare no effort to attenuate the prevailing tensions and ameliorate the relat... Read More

Readers would recall that way back in 1999, Common Cause had challenged the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme in the Supreme Court through Writ Petition No. 4040/1999. This petition has been clubbed with Writ Petition No. 376/2003 filed by Lok Sevak Sangh and other petitions challenging the scheme. The matter now stands referred to the Constitutional Bench of the Apex Court. Since Both Common Cause and Lok Sevah Sangh are being represented by Mr. Prashant Bhushan , a common writ... Read More

Readers will recall that Common Cause had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court in 1995 seeking directions to the Union of India to declare the time-frame for introducing in the Parliament a legislation for the establishment of the institution of Lok Pal to check and control corruption in public offices. The Supreme Court was also urged to direct the organisations of the Comptroller & Auditor General of India (C&AG), the hiefigilanceCommissioner and the Central Bureau of Investigati... Read More

It is hardly surprising that within a few months of securing coveted Universal Access Service Licences (UASL) for 2 G services, two of the lucky allottees have already made windfall profits by offloading a part of their stakes to international telecom companies. Significantly, both these licencees are primarily in the real estate business. It is obvious that they were attracted to the field of telecommunications because of the possibility of making quick windfall gains. The main attraction of... Read More

*Sunita Narain Jambudwip is a tiny dot in the Bay of Bengal. A few years ago, it hit headlines when wildlife activists dragged fishermen, who used the landmass to dry their fish, to the Supreme Court. A case was filed regarding ‘encroachment’ of this island, partly covered by mangroves. The apex court’s central empowered committee (CEC), which advises it in all forest matters, got into the act. Its report to the court was clear: fish drying was a non-forest activity, so disa... Read More

Under the Rules & Regulations of COMMON CAUSE as amended by the Governing Council on March 8, 2007, The membership of the Society is open to individuals, irrespective of caste, creed or community. Organisations, which were members of the Society as on March 8, 2007, shall continue as Honorary members without voting rights.   The membership fee for new Individual members (with voting rights) is Rs.500 for one year and Rs.2,500 for life... Read More