-DNA Sex workers and women's rights activists have welcomed the government's move to differentiate ‘prostitution' from exploitation in the amended Section 370 of the Indian Penal Code. By inserting a new definition of exploitation, the Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2013 passed by Lok Sabha clarifies a position that till date conflated consensual adult sex work and sex trafficking: ‘Expression "exploitation" shall include any act of physical exploitation or any form of sexual...

-The Times of India The government has provided a back-door entry for contractors and the food industry to corner the lucrative ICDS food supply budget through the National Food Security Bill - a move that had seen controversy earlier too but could now become part of the law if passed by Parliament. In a footnote to one of the three schedules of the bill, the government has provided that children between 6...

-The Hindu The teacher felt that the children would be comfortable outside in the summer' Hassan: For the last few days, 20 children of the anganwadi at Khaji Mohalla in Alur town have been sitting under a tree and learning their lessons. Even their food, supplied by the Department of Women and Child Development, is being given to them there. The reason: the anganwadi is located inside a rented building that has an...

-The Business Standard Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi professor and Development economist Reetika Khera tells Sreelatha Menon that the food Bill may not be a leap ahead, but it is certainly a step forward * The food Bill is a guarantee for lifelong dependence on government doles. As an economist, can one defend such a policy? The food Bill should be seen as an investment. "Labour" is India's most important asset. In that sense,...

-The Times of India LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh has made women from poor rural background direct beneficiaries ofLohiaGrameenAwasYojana and has allotted Rs520 crore for the scheme to provide shelter to homeless rural populace of the state, which would be launched today. War widows need not even confirm to the income criteria to be beneficiaries under the scheme. People who are not yet on the list of BPL survey...