IN RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT By the time this issue reaches you, I will have relinquished the positions of Director of Common Cause and editor of this journal. I am, therefore, taking the liberty of striking a personal note in my last leader. I crave the indulgence of the readers of this journal for this departure from the established norm of devoting the lead article to an issue of topical interest. I have had the good fortune to enjoy the confidence and unstinting support of the members of... Read More

The vast majority of India’s labour force of nearly four hundred eighty million is employed in the informal sector, which is characterised by insecurity of employment, poor working conditions and absence of social security. This is where the self-employed, such as small farmers and entrepreneurs, artisans, street vendors and rickshaw pullers, are clubbed together with wage workers in farms, unorganized enterprises and households. The formal, organized sector, which includes the state and i... Read More

The vast majority of India’s labour force of nearly four hundred eighty million is employed in the informal sector, which is characterised by insecurity of employment, poor working conditions and absence of social security. This is where the self-employed, such as small farmers and entrepreneurs, artisans, street vendors and rickshaw pullers, are clubbed together with wage workers in farms, unorganized enterprises and households. The formal, organized sector, which includes the state and i... Read More

April 8, 2012 Shri Govind Narain, who served with great distinction as President of Common Cause for long, breathed his last peacefully at his residence in Chhattarpur in South Delhi on April 3, 2012 at the age of 95 years. He had refused to be admitted in a hospital. Shri Govind Narain was formally elected as President of Common Cause on December 7, 1990. He had been chairing the meetings of the Governing Council since January 1988 during the illness of Shri S. Ranganathan, the first Pres... Read More

Dear friends, Indian society prides on its culture of respect and care for the elderly. Unlike many other parts of the world where the old are left to lead a lonely life, Indian family values comprise of many generations of a family staying together and taking care of both the old as well as the children. This ideal Indian family though is increasingly under threat – from poverty, from migration, and from the lack of financial security for the elderly. Farm, Forest, Water, Artisanal, an... Read More

Since judicial standards and accountability constitute a core concern of Common Cause, we filed a PIL in the Supreme Court on January 20, 2012 praying for the commencement of the statutory process of removal of Shri K. G. Balakrishnan, former Chief Justice of India, from the high office of Chairman, National Human Rights Commission, on grounds of misconduct, including amassing of benami properties by his relatives and associates. During the hearing of the matter on March 12, 2012, the Attor... Read More

In our issue of January – March 2010, we had informed our readers about the PIL filed by the Society in the High Court of Delhi on the post-retirement activities of Supreme Court judges that violate the spirit of Article 127(4) of the Constitution, which prohibits retired Supreme Court judges from acting or pleading in any court or before any authority. The petition sought the prohibition of the prevalent practice of retired Supreme Court judges tendering legal opinions, which were produce... Read More

-A law to protect citizens or foreign suppliers? In our July- September 2011 issue, we had informed our readers about the enactment of a new law by the Union government to fix liability for nuclear damage and to lay down procedures to compensate victims of nuclear disasters. We had also apprised them that it had met with ‘vigorous opposition’ at the Bill stage from a wide spectrum of citizens’ groups as it was perceived that the law sought to indemnify suppliers but fix low ... 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 henceforth be 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. New Ass... Read More

A man who smelled like beer sat down on a subway seat next to a priest. The man’s tie was stained, his face was plastered with red lipstick, and a half bottle of gin was sticking out of his torn coat pocket. He opened his newspaper and began to read. After a few minutes the man turned to the priest and asked, ‘Say, Father, what causes arthritis?’ ‘My son, it’s caused by loose living, being with cheap, wicked women, too much alcohol and a contempt for the her... Read More