-Kafila.org The village of Majure, in Chitradurga district, Karnataka, is once again in the news. It made the national headlines in 1998 when dalits in the village lodged a police complaint against members of the dominant Vokkaliga and Lingayat castes for an attack on their hamlet. As a consequence, several people were put behind bars. This time round, however, no formal complaint was lodged. Not that things have improved (rather, one could...

-The Indian Express Learning from the success of Greyhounds, a special police unit in Andhra Pradesh, the Centre has approved funds to raise specialised forces in four Naxal-hit states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orissa. The special units will be trained in guerilla warfare and will be assisted by other Central forces during operations against the rebels. The four states will get funds to create and upgrade infrastructure, weaponry and equipment. The proposed...

-Down to Earth Participation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes in the scheme has halved in five years The Centre’s flagship rural employment guarantee scheme seems to be losing appeal for its target groups. An analysis of the monitoring report of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) by Down To Earth (DTE) shows participation of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the scheme has more than halved in last...

-The Indian Express At a recent seminar organised to review the progress made by Muslims since the 2006 Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee report was tabled, speakers debated on whether or not there’s been any positive change on the ground level. Three members of the panel — Justice Sachar, economist Abusaleh Shariff and academician T K Oomen — discussed with experts and politicians what had changed for Muslims in the last six years. Defending...

-Down to Earth Becomes 17th state in country to impose ban on them The Andhra Pradesh Government on January 9 banned manufacture, storage, sale, transport and distribution of gutkha, paan masala and similar chewable products that contain tobacco and nicotine. The ban has come into force with immediate effect. With this, Andhra Pradesh becomes the 17th state in India to ban tobacco products (see box). Civil society organisations and anti-tobacco activists have long...