-Economic and Political Weekly Extensive reforms are required so that sexually assaulted women do not feel they are the "accused" when they submit themselves for medical examination and trial. Urgent reforms such as setting up humane rape crisis centres where women can directly approach women counsellors to tell their story, lodge a complaint, and get examinations done at one place are required to improve the situation. Amita Pitre (amita@oxfamindia.org) is with Oxfam...

-The Times of India The Nirbhaya case may have prompted the judiciary to put hearings related to crimes against women on the fast track, but anRTI reply has laid bare just how challenging the problem of pendency is in the Delhi high court. A litigant who filed a civil suit in 1972 is still waiting for its outcome; two criminal appeals filed in 1976 are pending ; bail pleas are waiting...

-The Hindu While Gujarat’s GDP growth in the last two decades has been notable, it is not reflected in employment, wages, health or education There is a widespread belief that Gujarat is a shining star on the Indian growth horizon and that all other States would do a great service to Indian masses by emulating the model of development that Gujarat embarked upon under the stewardship of Narendra Modi. A recent study,...

-The Hindu Over 260 houses torched, police arrest 90 persons Three colonies of Dalits (of the Adi-Dravida community) near Naikkankottai in Dharmapuri district of western Tamil Nadu remained benumbed on Thursday by the fury unleashed on them by a rampaging mob of caste Hindus on Wednesday. As many as 268 dwellings – huts, tiled-roof and one or two-room concrete houses–were torched by the mob after a caste Hindu man, Nagarajan, committed suicide over...

-The Times of India Even as Red menace continues to be a major internal security challenge affecting almost one-third of total districts in the country, West Bengal — parts of which was once a hotbed of Maoist activities — has shown a remarkable improvement with none of its naxal-affected district reporting any Casualty in the first seven months this year. Bihar comes next, reporting significant improvement in terms of reduced incidents and...