-The Hindu The Supreme Court on Tuesday suggested that State governments and political parties be made accountable for the damage caused to public property during violent agitations. “The State governments can be asked to first pay for the damage caused to property and then recover it from the sponsors of such agitations, while the political parties initiating or sponsoring such violent stirs could be de-recognised,” observed a Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi...

-Outlook Aamir Khan not only deviously censored any discussion of Ambedkar and Reservation, but seemed content to use the 1920s language of high-caste reformers This Sunday morning I received a call from a friend who alerted me to the tenth episode of Aamir Khan-anchored Satyamev Jayate since the focus was on caste and untouchability. I mumbled something about his spoiling my Sunday, but tuned in nevertheless. It began with Kaushal Panwar narrating...

-The Telegraph Jharkhand High Court today ruled out return of land acquired by the state government in Nagri way back in 1957-58, even as it reproached public representatives for “blowing the issue out of proportion and misguiding the poor and illiterate”. The court also asked the government to translate all earlier court orders into Hindi and regional languages for circulation among the villagers so that they understood the issue better. “Land acquired cannot...

-The Times of India Bihar witnessed the highest number of caste-based crimes in the country in 2011, data released by the National Crime Records Bureau said.  NCRB figures also showed that there was a spurt in crimes under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the entire country with 2011 witnessing 11,342 cases — an increase of 7.9% over the previous year.  With 3,024 cases under SC/ST Act, Bihar accounted for...

-The Hindu Facing flak for the alleged killing of villagers last month in an encounter between the Central Reserve Police Force and Maoists in Chhattisgarh, the Union government on Friday asked all security forces deployed in the left-wing extremism affected States not to engage Naxalites if they are found to be using innocent people as human shields. The government is planning a major shift in its rehabilitation policy for Maoists whereby these...