-The Times of India NEW DELHI: If true, this is the 21st century avatar of the unspeakable practice of untouchability. If true, this will point out who Dalit students are, to the rest of the student community, furthering discrimination. Dalit students at the Lajpat Rai DAV College in Jagraon have alleged that authorities have instituted a separate biometric attendance system just for them, ANI reported on Tuesday. "A separate biometric for SC (Scheduled...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: India will be half a century late in achieving its universal education goals, according to a Unesco report released on Monday. This means the country will achieve universal primary education by 2050, universal lower secondary education in 2060 and universal upper secondary education in 2085. The 2030 deadline for achieving sustainable development goals will be possible only if India introduces fundamental changes in the education sector,...

-The Hindu NEW DELHI: A technical agency of the central government has ruled the consumption of genetically modified (GM) mustard "safe for human and animal health", adding that it "does not pose any threat" to biodiversity. The environment ministry posted the report on its website on Monday, asking for comments from the public before Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) takes the final decision on GM mustard. Comments can be submitted till October...

Access to land and its resources is important since it determines the extent of poverty and deprivation one faces. Historically tribal populations and other traditional forest dwellers did not enjoy any legal entitlement such as ownership rights or user rights of the forest lands where they had been living since ages, both communally and individually. The Forest Rights Act (FRA) is, thus, seen as a progressive legislation that attempted to...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Following huge public outrage over monster traffic jams in Gurgaon and Faridabad, the Haryana government said on Sunday it was considering setting up a 24x7 traffic management centre for the two cities. This will monitor traffic conditions and control vehicle flow. It will also coordinate with relevant departments. Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal said his government would implement a traffic management plan prepared by experts. This...