-The Hindu   Activists claim their colleague was brutally raped and murdered Women's groups staged angry protests on National Highway 28 in Muzaffarpur district after a Dalit woman activist was found dead at Mandai village. According to Rinku Devi of the Janwadi Mahila SAMiti - a group that the victim was a member of - the woman was raped and murdered. "The activist was raped and murdered in a brutal fashion. According to the family,...

-The Hindustan Times Rohtak: Tension gripped Madina village of this district after three motorcycle-borne youth shot dead two members of the Dalit community on Saturday evening. The deceased were identified as Sudhir, 10, and Vikram,22. According to police sources, Sudhir, Vikram and another member of the community, Sandeep, 23, were returning from a field to their dwellings when the assailants opened fire on them. The 10-year-old boy died on the spot, while...

-The Hindu   Success stories from the right to education law give no joy when assessments show that children are ill-versed in the 3Rs and classrooms remain discriminatory Three years ago today, India, for the first time in history, made a promise to its children. With the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education coming into effect on April 1, 2010, every child was guaranteed the fundamental right to eight years of...

-The Telegraph Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will not know Pushpa Tudu. Neither will state election commissioner Mira Pande. Such an assertion can be made because Pushpa Tudu does not want her real name to be published - a wish that tells the human story behind the stand-off between the Bengal government and the state election commission. Early last week, Pushpa Tudu (name changed), a probable CPM gram panchayat candidate, was addressing a small...

-The Hindu Business Line Kolkata: The West Bengal State Election Commission on Monday moved the High Court seeking a stay on the notification issued by the State Government regarding panchayat polls (rural polls). The petition was filed before Justice Biswanath SAMaddar. The matter is expected to come up for hearing tomorrow. The Panchayat Department of the State Government had last month (in March) issued a notification to conduct panchayat polls in two phases...