-The Hindu     The circumstances surrounding the custodial death of a Dalit woman in Tamil Nadu in 2002 serve as a reminder of the difficulties in securing justice when the offenders are government functionaries This is a case of justice being awarded after a decade. Last month, the Ramanathapuram Sessions Court sentenced eight policemen to rigorous imprisonment, for up to 10 years, for the 2002 custodial killing of Karuppi, a poor Dalit woman,...

-PTI Women in India are more likely to get prenatal care when pregnant with male babies, according to a groundbreaking study that has implications for girls' health and survival in patriarchal societies. The study by Leah Lakdawala of Michigan State University and Prashant Bharadwaj of the University of California, San Diego, suggests sex discrimination begins in the womb in male-dominated societies such as India. "It paints a pretty dire picture of what's happening,"...

-The Business Standard Defying the Election Committee's suggestion last week, the state announced a two-phase election to be held in April The tug-of-war between the West Bengal government and State Election Commission over Panchayat poll schedule may head for a legal battle, with both sides showing no sign of compromise. After a three-hour long meeting at its office here, the state election commission today refused to accept government-announced panchayat poll dates and sent...

-The Hindu The Election Commission has given yet another significant opinion - it has rejected a petition seeking disqualification of 11 nominated members of the Maharashtra Legislative Council under Article 191 (1) (e) of the Constitution. "In our Constitution, ‘qualifications' and ‘disqualifications' are two different concepts and ‘lack of qualification' will not tantamount to ‘disqualification," it said. The Commission - Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath and Election Commissioners H.S. Brahma and S.N.A. Zaidi...

-The Times of India At his dhaba in south Delhi's Kidwai Nagar, Irfan has his cooks wash their hands before preparing dishes. Sweets are kept covered , he claims. As with most small eateries, Irfan's dhaba is not registered. Soon, outlets such as Irfan's may have to start complying with more stringent standards, with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) working on new norms on hygiene and cleanliness...