-The Times of India LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh may be blaming it on political conspiracy for the "selective focus" on crimes in Uttar Pradesh but here are cold statistics - the latest data from National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) reveals that total number of crime incidents have risen to 21 lakh in 2013 from 18 lakh in 2012, when the party came to power. Crime against women escalated...

-The Hindu     Move to overcome problems faced due to a huge gap in demand and supply Srikakulam (Andhra Pradesh): The State government decided to supply solar pump-sets on subsidised prices to overcome the power crisis being faced by farmers due to a huge gap in demand and supply. The Union government has allocated 1,000 pump-sets to both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The residuary State of AP would get around 6,00 sets each costing...

-The Times of India   PATIALA: Dalits in Punjab are being used as proxy bidders by upper caste peasants to corner thousands of acres of agricultural village land that should ideally be rented out only to scheduled caste members. This practice has been exposed by the Punjab State Scheduled caste Commission in its report on the boycott of dalits in Baupur village by upper caste members. The state government gives out agricultural...

-Economic and Political Weekly   Based on a revisit to two villages of Haryana after a gap of 20 years (1988-89 and 2008-09), this paper provides a historical overview of the process of development and change in a micro setting. Locating the process of social and economic transformation witnessed in the two villages after the green revolution and later after the introduction of large-scale industrial projects in the area, the paper tries...

India has witnessed many fiery debates on poverty estimates. Equally contentious has been the issue of inequality. Now a new report on exclusion offers a fresh perspective on poverty, inequality and social justice. (See below a summary of the report) Based on data and knowledge resources available in the public domain, India Exclusion Report 2013-14 highlights the systematic discrimination faced by women, Scheduled castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Muslims, persons with...