-The Hindu Rajput women in Bikaner have found empowerment through home-based call centres dispensing tips on organic farming As a young girl, Vijay Laxmi was never allowed to visit her family farm in Bikaner. Rajput women, she was told, stay in purdah, their world restricted to their home and hearth. Even when Laxmi got married to Mahendra Singh of Jhajhar village in the neighbouring Jhunjhunu district, her life did not change much...

-The Hindu There is statistical data to show that the height of Indian children is correlated to their and their neighbourhood’s access to toilets You can learn a lot from measuring children’s height. How tall a child has grown by the time she is a few years old is one of the most important indicators of her well-being. This is not because height is important in itself, but because height reflects a...

-The Hindu In a move that could significantly alter the nature of professional journalism in the country, Press Council of India (PCI) chairman Justice Markandey Katju has set up a committee to determine the minimum qualification for a journalist. The move has drawn sharp reactions from media practitioners and experts. In a press note issued on Tuesday, Justice Katju stated that in contrast with other professions such as medicine, law and teaching,...

-The Times of India Delhi gang-rape prime accused Ram Singh on Monday committed suicide by hanging himself in Tihar Jail. The incident came to light around 5am. Ram Singh was found hanging inside jail number 3. He was rushed to the jail hospital but declared dead on arrival. The body was then sent for postmortem at Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) hospital. Ram Singh hung himself using his clothes probably his own shirt, Tihar...

-PTI Chief Justice of India Justice Altamas Kabir today said that the Delhi gangrape incident on December 13 was not 'unique', but one among many. "What happened on December 16 in Delhi was sad and bad and something extraordinary, but at the same time not unique. This was made into a kind of an iconic situation," Kabir said at an event organised by the Calcutta High Court here to mark International Women's...