They were poor. Some of them begged and picked rags on the streets of Bangalore, and some others worked as domestic helps. But their fate changed when the Association for Promoting Social Action (APSA), a Bangalore-based grass-root community development organisation, took notice of their plight and built a school and accommodation facilities for them. However, not all street children are lucky enough to be rescued from the pavements, and many of...

New Delhi : Unaided schools in the Capital can now heave a sigh of relief. The confusion following the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act in Delhi regarding screening at the time of admission has finally been cleared out. While the RTE Act does not allow screening of students at the time of admission, Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said that in...

Unaided schools in the Capital can now heave a sigh of relief. The confusion following the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act in Delhi regarding screening at the time of admission has finally been cleared out. While the RTE Act does not allow screening of students at the time of admission, Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said that in order to follow...

Civil society representatives from more than 70 countries wrapped up a United Nations forum today with an urgent call to action to improve the health of millions of men, women and children worldwide and step up efforts to achieve the globally agreed anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In a wide-ranging declaration adopted at the end of the three-day meeting in Melbourne, Australia, participants stressed that achieving...

Food grain entitlement programme to start in the 150 poorest districts in the first year The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) is yet to reconcile the government's assurance of a monthly provision of 25 kg of foodgrains for every family with its desire to enhance it to 35 kg. Nor has it been able to resolve the contentious question of dual pricing — Rs. 3 a kg for the poor...