-The Hindu Sudha Sundararaman, General Secretary of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), writes: I am writing this on behalf of the women’s organisations which held a Press conference on Tuesday at the Indian Women’s Press Club in New Delhi in which representatives of seven women’s organisations were present, and two more were signatories to the statement. Those present were: AIDMAM (Asha Kowtal, Deepika Shokeen); AIDWA (Sudha Sundararaman, Kirti Singh, Jagmati Sangwan);...

-Reporters without Borders Access the 2013 World Press Freedom Index here. After the “Arab springs” and other protest movements that prompted many rises and falls in last year’s index, the 2013 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index marks a return to a more usual configuration. The ranking of most countries is no longer attributable to dramatic political developments. This year’s index is a better reflection of the attitudes and intentions of...

-The Times of India PANAJI: The Goa Olympic Association (GOA) will collect funds from its affiliates to fund a campaign that will keep state associations out of the Right to Information (RTI) Act ambit. The Goa Table Tennis Association sought funds from the GOA during its general body meeting on Thursday to file a court case and then bring it to its logical conclusion. "The table tennis association will file the legal application...

-The Indian Express A committee set up by the Ministry of Environment and Forests has suggested new parameters to declare pristine forested areas as ‘inviolate’ and thus out of bounds for mining or other harmful non-forest activities. The panel, headed by former environment secretary T Chatterjee, has recommended that national parks and wildlife sanctuaries; areas within a kilometre of protected areas; compact patches of very dense forests; last remnants of forest types...

-The Telegraph Jaipur, Jan. 27: An FIR against social scientist Ashis Nandy for alleged defamatory remarks on Dalits and tribals has brought to the fore a growing trend of “thought terrorism” that treats nuanced opinion as heresy liable to be crushed with a heavy hand. The remarks by Nandy, a widely respected sociologist known for his nuanced positions and reluctance to play to the gallery just to be part of “acceptable voices”,...