-The Times of India   State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) members on Friday sought an explanation from the principal of Carmel Convent School, BHEL for an alleged violation of Right to Education (RTE). The action comes a day after parents of standard V students complained that a teacher subjected them to mental torture. The SCPCR directed the school principal to "create awareness" among primary class teachers. On Thursday due to...

-The Hindu   Has addressed issues of sex selection, infant-maternal mortality, child health A Dalit woman sarpanch elected to an unreserved seat in Bikaner district of Rajasthan has successfully brought gender issues to the mainstream development discourse with the help of a Jaipur-based advocacy group. She has addressed the crucial subjects of sex selection, infant and maternal mortality and reproductive and child health by focusing on gender fostering. Tara Devi, elected as Sarpanch of...

-IANS   Breaking the stereotypes associated with madrassas, a 50-year-old Islamic seminary here teaches subjects like personality development and home science, runs an elaborate teacher training programme, has a higher girl enrolment ratio and has students who are no less active on social networking websites than their counterparts in the metros. Welcome to Jamiatul Falah, a madrassa in Bilariyaganj town of Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh's district that has kept pace with modern education. The...

The 25 per cent admission quota for children from poor families in Right to Education Act (RTE) has thr­own up an avoidable headache for budget private schools in underprivileged areas. Managements of such sch­o­ols say the regulation is not required as far as they are conc­erned. Budget private schools are low-cost private schools providing education to children from slums and rural areas. “We welcome the RTE Act; I think it should have happened...

The approach paper for the 12th Five-Year Plan with focus on faster, sustained and inclusive growth is candid and forward-looking. On poverty reduction, the document notes, without comment, the annual trend decline of 0.8% accelerating to 1% during 2004-05 to 2009-10, against a promised target of 2% in the 11th Plan. It emphasises that India will easily meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of halving poverty by 2015, over 25...