The United Nations began laying the groundwork today for a global “Social Protection floor” that would guarantee food security, health services for all and old-age pensions, with a senior official stressing that all that is lacking is the political will for an initiative needing minimum investment. “Social security is a human right. We’ve forgotten that for a very long time, but roughly only 20 per cent of the global population has...

At least 10 RTI applicants have been killed over the past two years, with many others facing threats in their bid to expose corruption On a Republic Day when India celebrated 61 years of justice, equality and liberty, Amar Nath Pandey says he encountered the darkest moment of his life. In late evening on 26 January, a lone assailant leaped from the folds of darkness in the street outside his house in...

Maharashtra government would soon set up special courts in every division for speedy trial of atrocity cases keeping in view the huge pendency, which has jumped to over 5,000 and the low conviction rate. A decision in this regard was taken yesterday by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan in the backdrop of Union social justice and empowerment minister Mukul Wasnik's visit to the state last week, to review the implementation of the...

Expressing concern over the "menace" of corruption in the wake of a series of scams, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday said it demeans and dents India's image. "Corruption strikes at the roots of good governance. It is an impediment to faster growth. It dilutes, if not negates, our efforts at social inclusion. It dents our international image and it demeans us before our own people," Manmohan Singh said, addressing the second...

Violence against Dalits is the outcome of thousands of years of subjugation due to the existence of the caste system. But the situation of Dalit women becomes more vulnerable due to the intersectionality of caste with gender. The oppression against Dalit women becomes multiple and is manifested through extreme forms of atrocities committed against them by non-Dalits and violence by the Dalits. After the framing of the Indian constitution, very few laws...