Privacy brouhahas, target advertising heebeejeebies--concerns about data collection might have you looking over your shoulder on the web, but your biggest online privacy threat could be closer than you think. Retrevo has released a new study that shows an uptick in digital snooping by significant others, spouses, and parents. Mom and dad (well, mostly mom) have the worst snooping tendencies with about 39 percent of parents admitting to taking a peek at their children’s online activity. For married couples, 37 percent fessed up to poking around on their spouse’s email or cell phone without their knowledge. Unmarried people in relationships had slightly less nosy tendencies with 33 percent admitting to digital snooping.

New Delhi, July 21: The Union Cabinet today approved the proposal for enhancing reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions from one-third to at least 50 per cent

Enhancement of reservation for women in Panchayats will facilitate more women to enter the public sphere and this will lead to further empowerment of women and also make Panchayats more inclusive institutions, thereby improving governance and public service delivery.

The addition of word ‘rural’ before word ‘population1 occurring in the 1st Proviso of Clause (2)(iii) of the Bill will reflect appropriate demographic representation of categories of population for whom reservation is made.

At present, out of the total elected representatives of Panchayats numbering approximately 28.18 lakh, 36.87 per cent are women, an official release said.

With the proposed Constitutional Amendment, the number of elected women representatives is expected to rise to more than 14 lakh. Having more elected women representatives would benefit the entire population of the States and UTs where Panchayati Raj is in existence.

Ministry of Panchayati Raj had moved a Bill for amendment to Article 243D of the Constitution on November 26,2009 after approval of the Cabinet for enhancing reservation for women in the total number of seats to be filled by direct election and seats and offices of chairpersons reserved for SCs and STs, to 50 per cent in all tiers of Panchayats.

The proposed official amendment, as indicated above, in the original Amendment Bill will be moved in the Lok Sabha at the earliest.

All States / UTs are parts thereof to which Part IX of the Constitution applies would be covered (Part IX does not apply to Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram, tribal areas of Assam and Tripura and hill areas of Manipur).