The government on Thursday said it did not propose any amendments to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act that would dilute the Act's provisions. “There are some practical difficulties in the implementation of the Act that need to be addressed,” a senior official of the Human Resource Development Ministry said. “We are working out a reasonable way to address these issues to take the social agenda forward without...

The proposals on the food security law, tentatively agreed upon by the National Advisory Council yesterday, were opposed by right to food campaigners who insisted their concerns should be taken on board before the bill was put into shape. Some of the campaigners, such as Nikhil Dey and Kavita Srivastava, were closely associated with council members Jean Dreze, Aruna Roy and Harsh Mander when they had worked together on the...

The proposed food security law is expected to kick in by next April for a year in one-fourth — or 200 — of the country’s poorest districts or blocks, depending on whichever is administratively tenable. The proposal — agreed upon by the National Advisory Council (NAC) — is tactically aimed at pleasing food and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar as well as others in the government, Planning Commission and the advisory panel...

Madhya Pradesh, Democratic Republic of Congo show near identical poverty level India ranks 63rd in the new poverty index, after Togo, before Haiti Quarter of the world lives on $1.25 a day or less: World Bank estimate New U.N. index builds up fuller picture of poor lives; Madhya Pradesh ‘comparable to Congo.' There are more poor people in eight states of India than in the 26 countries of sub-Saharan Africa, a study reveals...

In what could end up diluting the Right to Education Act, the government is considering a crucial amendment whereby schools will not be required to admit all applicants and can screen and select most of the students who will gain entry. The "admission-as-an entitlement" provision will be LIMited to only the poor children in the neighbourhood and seats for them will be pegged at 25%. Put simply, schools will continue...