-The Hindu The Andhra Pradesh Assembly did itself proud by passing a Bill aimed at bringing the State’s disadvantaged sections on a par with the rest of society in economic, educational and human development terms in the next 10 years. The Andhra Pradesh Assembly did itself proud by passing a Bill aimed at bringing the State’s disadvantaged sections on a par with the rest of society in economic, educational and human development...

-The Hindu In the latest move on its social welfare agenda, the government may expand its pension scheme, widening the net for widows, single and divorced women, disabled people, Dalits and tribal senior citizens, as well as increasing the amount paid to older people. The Rural Development Ministry, which is proposing the expansion, estimates the additional cost at more than Rs. 18,000 crore per year. The Ministry has just accepted the recommendations made...

-Frontline Members of denotified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes, treated as criminal tribes by the colonial rulers, have no place to call their own and no land, no rights, and no support from the government.  Emaciated, eyes sunken deep into sockets, skin hanging loose, almost gasping for breath, Indro Devi and Sarvnath, a couple in their eighties, lie on polythene sheets in an 8×10 square-foot tent made of rags, by a stinking nullah...

-The Hindu The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood & Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2012, was presented in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister of Urban Housing & Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja on Thursday. The Bill, which seeks to protect the rights of vendors and regulate their activity in public areas, has provisions for setting up vending zones where street vendors can sell their products without fear of being fined and...

-Outlook The bill providing 50 per cent reservation for women in urban local bodies in Odisha was passed by the state assembly today. Opposition Congress and BJP raised a din and did not participate in the proceedings in the passage of the bill. The house had debated the Odisha Right to Public Service Bill, 2012 last night but there was no discussion on two other bills - The Odisha Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill,...