-Economic and Political Weekly The government’s response to the protests led by the youth against the gang rape incident in New Delhi, in the form of an ordinance has not met the aspirations of the many protestors and the woman rights’ organisations. It can in fact be accused of being vindictive, having ignored the thoroughgoing recommendations of the government appointed justice Verma committee's report. Albeena Shakil (albeenashakil@gmail.com) is a women rights’ activist...

-Economic and Political Weekly The committee of inquiry headed by justice Verma is a landmark for the way in which it has inscribed into the very foundations of law, the equality and liberty of India’s women citizens. To uphold the constitutional guarantees afforded to women, it is essential that the rights given to working women in the Vishaka judgment (also delivered by justice Verma) are not elided or compromised, either by...

-First Post New Delhi: With the three-year Right to Education (RTE) deadline for unrecognised private schools to register with the government expiring in less than two months, the Delhi government has directed the schools to either apply for recognition by Friday (February 15) or risk penal action. (Read government notice here) As per the RTE Act, a school that does not have a certificate of recognition will not be allowed to function....

-Kashmir Times If psychologist Ashis Nandy had planned to ignite a potentially ugly controversy at the Jaipur Literary Festival, he couldn't have done better than by insinuating intimate links between corruption and Dalits, Adivasis and Other Backward Classes. After warning that he was about to make a "very undignified" and "almost vulgar" statement, "which will shock you", Nandy said: "It is a fact that most of the corrupt come from the...

-The Times of India PUNE: About 35% admissions under the reservation policy of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE) have been effected in the state so far. So far, 66,306 out of 2.25 lakh students from the economically and socially weaker sections have taken admissions in 8,500 private schools across the state under the RTE. The process began on January 1 with the distribution of forms. State director of primary education...