-The Hindu Chennai: The Tamil Nadu experiment of engaging thousands of differently abled persons under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has prompted the Union government to replicate the model in the rest of the country. “We have incorporated the TN model in our national guidelines,” according to Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh. What has impressed the Centre is not only the extent of engaging the differently-abled but...

-The Hindu NCPCR member visited area for investigation following reports from NGOs The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has detected large-scale child labour at brick kilns in Bhilwara district of Rajasthan and expressed surprise over the district administration’s indifference to the issue. Of the 300 brick kilns functioning in Bhilwara, only 45 are registered with the district administration. NCPCR member and Working Committee on Child Labour in Mines chairman Yogesh...

-Outlook While great awareness has been raised about sexual violence against women in India, much less is known about the problem of sexual abuse of children' Summary The rape and murder of a student in New Delhi on December 16, 2012, followed by large public protests, has led to a great deal of soul searching about the problem of sexual violence in India. Politicians, lawyers, women’s rights activists, and an independent government...

-Outlook Hyderabad: Union Ministry of Women and Child Development today announced setting up of dedicated centres catering to women victims of violence across 100 districts in the country. "The 'One Stop Crisis Centre for Women' (OSCCW), aimed at helping the women victims of domestic and other forms of violence, to be located at hospitals, will have a senior doctor as coordinator and comprise a counsellor, police officer, lawyer, on-duty doctor and support...

-Outlook Most of the child victims of sexual assault in India face humiliation while undergoing medical tests apart from police who often do not believe their account, according to a Human Rights Watch report. The 82-page report, 'Breaking the Silence: Child Sexual Abuse in India', released today found government's responses were falling short in protecting children from sexual abuse and treating the victims. It asked the government to improve protection for children from...