-The Economic Times After kicking up a row by saying that there are more temples in India than toilets, Union Cabinet minister Jairam Ramesh has now set March 2013 as the target date to ensure that all schools have proper working toilets for girls and boys. Ramesh even reached out to human resource development minister Kapil Sibal, requesting him for a dedicated operation and maintenance fund of roughly Rs 12,000 for every...

-The Times of India In an important reversal of stand, the Centre has admitted that the Right to Education Act doesn't allow home schooling.  Admitting that the earlier stand was incorrect, the Centre last week urged Delhi high court to permit it to file a fresh affidavit clarifying its stand in respect of home schooling vis-a-vis the RTE Act.  The U-turn by the Centre came on a petition filed by a student who...

-Outlook Out in our streets, disabled people feel the pain everyday The Gaping Holes     India yet to get a cohesive, standardised sign language     Barrier-free infrastructure yet to be implemented in public areas like bus stations, railway stations, schools, cinema halls     Lack of basic, inclusive civic facilities: no audio-enabled traffic signals, pavements with ramps, few disability-friendly toilets, negligible penalties     Poor functional entertainment accessibility, like no subtitling on local language TV channels     Reservation...

-The Hindu The conviction rate for every kind of crime is in free fall, engendering a breakdown of law that no republic can survive Even criminals, back in 1953, seemed to be soaking in the warm, hope-filled glow that suffused the newly free India. From a peak of 654,019 in 1949, the number of crimes had declined year-on-year to 601,964. Murderers and dacoits; house-breakers and robbers — all were showing declining enthusiasm...

-The Pioneer A school shapes the future of a child. But according to a latest research, there is a need for 60 lakh qualified teachers in India. Sangeeta Yadav speaks with some experts to bring you a solution to this glaring problem  A degree does not qualify someone to become a teacher.  A teacher has to be a life long learner, researcher, pedagogy, must understand assessments and must be able to motivate...