-The Times of India In keeping with the public outrage over Nirbhaya's gang rape, the Justice J S Verma Committee has raised the bar of punishment for a wide range of existing and proposed sexual offences even as it rejected the demand for introducing death for rape. The report, released on Wednesday, has proposed codification of a stringent alternative to the life sentence, evolved through judicial activism in the last five years....

-The Indian Express The Delhi gangrape that set off waves of determined protest may now be on the way to bringing enduring change. The government-appointed committee, headed by Justice J.S. Verma, to consider ways in which women’s safety and freedoms were at risk, and how they could be strengthened, has submitted its report within a month. Now, it is up to the political class to assess and implement these suggestions with...

-Outlook The Social Justice Ministry has asked some of the key Central ministries to take necessary steps to safeguard the interests of senior citizens and ensure their financial, health and personal securities. The move comes following recommendations of the ministry's first 'National Conference on Ageing' in this regard. The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has forwarded its recommendations to Union ministries such as Home Affairs, Finance, Health and Rural Development to take steps...

-The Hindu Suha came to Delhi as an 18-year-old nanny-cum-domestic help to a middle class household in Janakpuri. The going seemed fine enough -- her employers paid her full wages, did not force her to do overtime and even gave her an occasional holiday. The dream run got murky with the neighbour’s 20-something-year-old son “discovering” Suha. He would use every opportunity to harass and molest the young girl. One dreadful day...

-The Hindu When a senior Delhi Police officer was recently asked to disclose the reasons for so many rape victims turning hostile, he silently pointed towards a bundle of papers lying on the side table delivered to him through dak. These were court documents pertaining to rape cases that had been recently disposed of and in almost all of them the judge had remarked that the prosecutrix had turned hostile and the...