-Kafila.org This release was put out yesterday by the RIGHT TO FOOD CAMPAIGN On the second day of the “Right to Food dharna” convened by the Right to Food Campaign, hundreds of poor women from across the country braved the morning cold and rain to assemble at Jantar Mantar and voice their concerns,  including the demand for a universal PDS, universalization with quality of ICDS, universal maternity entitlements, universal pensions for single...

-The Times of India The Right to Education Act (RTE) mandates that every child has the fundamental right to free and compulsory elementary education in India. March 31, 2013, is the deadline set for full implementation of the Act. However, several challenges need to be overcome, especially to provide education for children in areas of conflict.  In the Indian context, three regions experience varying degrees of conflict - Maoist-affected areas, Jammu and...

-Tehelka While Delhi government says it will eliminate leakages in the supply chain of food distribution, activists say it will take away the rights of the poor who require food entitlements rather than cash When Chief Minister of Delhi Sheila Dikshit fumbled a bit in front of 5,000 people while delivering her speech at the launch of Annshree Yojna, the audience let out a collective gasp and began murmuring loudly. Dikshit had...

-The Times of India PUNE: Less than a fortnight ago, the state education department had stirred up a hornet's nest when it announced that kindergartens would now come under the purview of Right to Education Act, putting a spanner in their ongoing admission process. Much confusion prevailed followed by a flurry of clarifications from the government asking them to go ahead with their admission process as long as they kept 25...

-The Hindu Jaipur: Twenty-five years have passed since Rajasthan witnessed its last known case of sati; it has been 20 years since Bhanwri Devi of Bhateri was allegedly gang-raped for raising her voice against girl child marriages; and it took 15 years for a gang-rape victim in the J.C. Bose hostel rape case to get justice. With these “landmarks” serving as a background, the ‘One Billion Rising’ campaign was launched in Rajasthan...