-The Hindu Although it has left some crucial questions unanswered, the Verma Committee report is a big step forward in the struggle for women’s rights The UPA government has perhaps got more than what it bargained for from the committee it set up, headed by the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice J.S. Verma, in the wake of the public outrage following the horrific Delhi gang rape. The government had...

-DNA 1. The equality of women, being integral to the Constitution, its denial is a sacrilege and a constitutional violation. Sustained constitutional violations mean that governance is not in accordance with the Constitution. A fortiori, all limbs of the State - the executive, the legislature as well as the judiciary -must respect women’s rights and must treat them in a non-discriminatory manner. 2. As a primary recommendation, all marriages in India (irrespective...

-The Business Standard Mr Chautala's sentence, ASER show focus on teaching needed The sentencing of former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, his son Ajay Chautala, and of three officials who served in the Haryana government under him in the early part of the last decade, to 10 years in jail is a landmark step. Mr Chautala has appealed the sentence, which is surprisingly stringent for a white-collar crime. But it...

-Frontine Walmart’s disclosure that it spent huge amounts of money on lobbying in India and the allegation that it entered the retail sector through indirect means highlight the power of global capital in dictating the country’s policies. The world’s largest multi-brand retailer Walmart’s disclosure to the United States Senate that it had spent $25 million (Rs.135 crore) since 2008 on its various lobbying activities, which include enhancing access to the Indian...

-Outlook The Election Commission has proposed putting up a ban on opinion polls in media but the issue needs to be discussed and deliberated upon before initiating any legislative measure, Law Minister Ashwani Kumar said today. In written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, he said, "A proposal of the Election Commission for putting ban on opinion polls during election has been received." Since this issue has a direct bearing on the...