-The Indian Express The first nine months of the new BJP government has only underscored its anti-poor, anti-rural image. The substantive and substantial changes in rural development have been restrictive in nature. The new government has worked to undermine the legal and financial framework of MGNREGA, substantially weakened the provisions of the land acquisition act through an ordinance and, through year-end budget cuts, they have undermined almost every social sector programme, reportedly...

-The Hindu None of our Teacher Education programmes has ever seriously tried to achieve a clear and convincing enough understanding of what one tries to achieve through education. It always has been a rhetoric of larger aims and working for myopically understood parental and market aspirations All curricula are situated in contexts and are simultaneously guided by ideals. Therefore, an understanding of and a balance between the two is essential. We have succeeded...

-The Hindu Business Line Move to make the Act more industry-friendly New Delhi: With elections in Jharkhand and Jammu & Kashmir almost over, the Government is likely to consider an ordinance to bring changes in the Land Acquisition Act. Government sources said amendments are likely to include toning down the consent process and removing the mandatory preparation of Social Impact Assessment Study, besides expansion of the exemption list in the existing Act. This...

-The Hindustan Times Sagar (Madhya Pradesh): Habla, a small, nondescript village in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district is changing, moving away from the pains of a dark past. More than 20 young boys and girls from the village - over 240km from capital city Bhopal - are now pursuing different degrees in Sagar University. More than 40 others travel to neighbouring Naryawli village to attend a higher secondary school. For these boys...

-The Indian Express Although the prevalence of sexual violence in India is the lowest in the world (8.5 per cent in 2013), it affects 27.5 million women in the country. Rapes reported to the police as sexual violence surged from 39 per day to 93 per day in 2013. In Uttar Pradesh alone, five rapes occurred in 36 hours. Even these are underestimations, for two reasons. One is the exclusion of...