-The Hindu Business Line New delhi: Social sector experts have sought wider coverage of social security benefits and increased allocation for the Right to Education, schemes for nutrition for children and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme. “There is a deficit of 9 lakh teachers. We have demanded allocation of at least 10 per cent of the national income to education and implementation of the Right to Education by the...

-The Hindu Business Line New delhi: Ahead of the Budget, eminent citizens across the country have written an open letter to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley requesting him to accord “highest priority” to the rural job guarantee scheme, MGNREGA, and allocate additional ₹5,000 crore to the Ministry of Rural Development. “Subsequent Budget estimations and allocations to the programme must be brought in line with inflation; be measured and maintained as a percentage of...

-Hindustan Times New delhi: Amid demands from women organisations and activists to make marital rape a criminal offence, the delhi high court on Monday asked the Centre to spell out its stand on the contentious issue. A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and justice Jayant Nath asked the Centre to respond to a petition seeking to declare Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as unconstitutional as it discriminates against...

-The Hindu While the delhi government’s spirit of experimentation is to be lauded, the right lessons need to be learnt from the odd-even trial. It is now amply clear that no credible data supports the delhi government’s claim that the odd-even trial has reduced pollution or improved air quality. In fact, the quality of air in the first week of January was worse compared to previous weeks. Data obtained from the National...

-The Times of India NEW delhi: Calling child rape cases "atrocious, inconceivable and cruel crimes", the Supreme Court on Monday favoured tougher punishment for offenders but said it was for Parliament to consider harsher measures, including chemical castration. Hearing Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association's plea seeking chemical castration of child rapists, a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and N V Ramana was unequivocal on harsher punishment but stopped short of issuing a...