-NYDailyNews.com Recent deaths of battered baby girls in different parts of India have jolted the nation's conscience. The United Nations ranks India as the deadliest place for female children. A few days back, 3-month-old Afreen died of cardiac arrest in a southern Indian hospital. She bore signs of beatings and cigarette burns, allegedly abused by her father. The 25-year-old father was apparently upset at having a daughter instead of a son, his wife...

A government panel has recommended an income-linked cap on Marriage expenses as part of amendments to curb dowry harassment. “Introduction of ceilings in terms of percentage of income on gifts and Marriage expenditure needs to be considered. A limit should also be put on Marriage expenditure in terms of food,” the high-powered Planning Commission panel on women empowerment has said. The panel, made up of senior officials of the women and child...

-The Times of India Ahead of the panchayat elections next year Bengal's ruling party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has issued a draconian fiat to its cadres, exhorting them to socially boycott CPM party members. The state government's food and supplies minister Jyotipriya Mullick has asked Trinamool workers not to have any form of personal relations, including Marriage, with CPM members and sympathisers. Mullick's bizarre list of 'don'ts' include not mingling with...

The accredited social health activists (ASHAs) — the first port of call for health care under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) — will be entrusted with additional responsibilities, albeit with better monetary incentives, as the Mission Steering Group – the highest decision making body of the NRHM — has approved the proposal for involving them in activities such as spacing between births, promoting iodised salt and village sanitation. The ASHAs...

A woman who was forced into Marriage as a minor and suffered years of abuse before obtaining a divorce and qualifying for the Madhya Pradesh state civil service has petitioned Supreme Court that a law to discourage child Marriage is being used unfairly to deny her a job. Responding to Ratnarashi Pandey's plea, the Supre8me Court on Monday issued notice to the MP government on her challenging the validity of a...