-The Hindu   The Supreme Court's judgment upholding the validity of Article 21A and the Right to Education Act has gutted the operative provisions of the law While free and compulsory education for all children below the age of 14 has been a constitutional imperative for the government for the last 64 years, it is a matter of fact (and shame) that successive governments have not achieved this yet. The most concerted effort...

-The Hindustan Times   Minority-run schools cannot be forced to implement the Right to Education Act, 2009, that mandates 25% reservation for economically disadvantaged children in all schools, the Supreme Court ruled. A five-judge constitution bench headed by CJI RM Lodha clarified that a 2010 judgement, which held that the RTE Act, 2009 was applicable to Aided minority schools was "not correct". "In our view, if the 2009 Act is made applicable to minority...

-DNA   Farming is considered a patriotic enterprise, and nearly half of India's labour force is engaged in agriculture and allied activities. Almost everyone believes that in the election season, political parties should pledge to Aid this patriotic endeavor to feed the nation. But, farming is a risky profession, and agricultural products form only 14% of India's total produce. After the economic reforms, the growth in agricultural GDP has averaged only 3.4%. Even...

-The Indian Express   Mortality rate is declining but not enough to meet Millennium Development Goal. India accounts for the maximum number of maternal deaths in the world - 17 per cent or nearly 50,000 of the 2.89 lakh women who died as a result of complications due to pregnancy or childbearing in 2013. Nigeria is second with nearly 40,000, stated the UN report on maternal deaths released on Tuesday. In contrast, China -...

-The Times of India   HAZARIBAG: Bikram Kumar Das, deputy general manager, Nabard in Ranchi sAid unless banks provide loans to women self help groups formed in 18 of the 24 districts in the state, the purpose to make them self reliant will be defeated. Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, he sAid despite Nabard providing funds through NGOs, banks are not sanctioning loans to the self help groups. Although these women's...