-The Telegraph New Delhi: The government is planning to set up a commission for the country's hundred million senior citizens who would finally have a forum they can call their own to voice complaints of abuse and negligence. The draft National Commission for Senior Citizens Bill, 2014 - which the social justice ministry has sent to several NGOs - gives the proposed panel powers to "investigate" all matters relating to safeguards provided...

-Down to Earth Going by current trends, the target for reducing infant mortality and improving other human development indices seem near impossible to achieve Less that 500 days are left for nations to achieve the targets set under the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); there are eight such goals which range from halving extreme poverty rates to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education. The countdown for the deadline...

-Down to Earth The fracas over India's refusal to meet the deadline on trade facilitation exposes rich nations' double standards NOTHING HAS exposed the double standards at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) than the current uproar over the implementation of two agreements at the global trade policing organisation. One, termed Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes, protects the food security concerns of millions of the poor and the livelihood of millions of...

-The Hindu   More and more parents in big cities are choosing schools that offer an alternative system of education over conventional institutions in the hope that children will grow into well-rounded personalities away from the rat race and uninhibited by the pressure to be in the top percentile For parents of today, finding a "good school" for their children is a quest that requires a lot of thought and effort. But in...

-The Hindu Kolkata: A controversy erupted here on Tuesday over a notice issued by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to the West Bengal Government citing a media report which claims that "nearly 1000 people have died due to malnutrition in three closed tea gardens in Jalpaiguri district and two in Alipurduar district". A press release issued by the NHRC on Monday stated that the Commission has "taken suo motu cognizance" and...