The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre and eight States for a direction to explain the steps taken to prevent honour killings at the national level and in the respective States. A vacation Bench comprising Justice R.M. Lodha and Justice A.K. Patnaik, after hearing counsel Ravi Kant, issued notice to Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh asking them to respond to the...

It is ironic that a farmer, who has to till his lands during monsoons is fighting to save his lands protesting in front of deputy commissioners office, said William DSouza, vice president, Krishi Bhoomi Samrakshana Samithi here on Sunday. He was addressing the media at the site of the relay indefinite fast, which commenced on Thursday, in support of farmer Gregory Patrao. His agricultural lands were acquired by the Karnataka...

Even as rural Haryana remains in the stranglehold of the defiant caste panchayats, honour killings continue in their most horrible form: On Sunday, the family members of a girl allegedly killed her and her teenaged lover and hanged them as exhibits in their house for the village to see their "fate." According to police, Monika (18) and her lover Rinku (19), both from Jat families, were brutally killed for honour...

On Tuesday, readers awoke to the Capital’s night of horror. A young girl, Asha, and her lover, Yogesh, were tortured to death by her family members inside her home, even as neighbours chose to shut out the victims’ screams. Those who tried to intervene were brushed off by family members claiming it was a ‘private matter’. This gruesome crime, committed in the name of ‘family honour’, raises three important questions. First,...

In a move that could benefit more than 62 lakh school teachers in government, municipal and private unaided schools, the Centre plans to provide them with life insurance and health insurance at highly subsidized rates. The HRD ministry has already held detailed discussions with LIC, with the public sector insurance giant coming up with an "indicative scheme" with two components. The first component on life insurance would be available for...