-The Indian Express Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath has said that the Delhi Development Authority will build one lakh houses for the economically weaker sections (EWS) every year. He made this announcement at a meeting of the consultative committee attached to the Ministry of Urban Development. He said around 40 lakh people in Delhi live in unauthorised colonies and to prevent further growth of slum clusters, the government regularised 917 unauthorised colonies this...

-The Business Standard The recent judgment of the Delhi High Court upholding the right of unaided schools to apply screening procedure for nursery admissions to unreserved category of students has brought cheer to many schools, and disappointment to social activists. The schools and many parents are relieved that the cloud of uncertainty around the admission process has withered away at least for this academic year. However, the battle is far from...

-Outlook The Haryana government has decided to do away with the practice of verifying the Below Poverty Line cards for allotment of land or flats earmarked for economically weaker sections in licenced colonies. Announcing this here today, a spokesman of the Haryana Town and Country Planning Department said after the draw of lots, successful candidates would be asked to furnish an affidavit stating that in case his or her name did not...

-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...

-The Times of India MUMBAI: Is India witnessing a spurt in unnecessary hysterectomies? Data released by international charity organization Oxfam on February 6 says as much. The agency said that unnecessary hysterectomies were being performed in Indian private hospitals to economically exploit poor women as well as government-run insurance schemes. A right to information (RTI) request filed by one of Oxfam's local NGOs in the Dausa district of Rajasthan showed that 258...