Far from being dead and gone, slavery exists in many forms and is flourishing. A disturbing report on modern slavery compiles facts and figures and documents data about new forms of slavery all over the world. Even more disturbing is the fact that India figures in very high on slavery index. It says that almost 61% of those living in modern slavery are in 5 countries: India, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan...

-PTI Washington: Six out of ten men in India have acted violently against their wives or partners at some point of time, with those facing economic distress more likely to perpetrate violence, says a new study highlighting prevalence of intimate partner abuse released on Monday. The study titled Masculinity, Intimate Partner Violence and Son Preference in India by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Washington-based International Centre for Research on Women...

-Press Information Bureau/ Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has expressed grief over the national loss in valuable human resources which is owed to the rising tendency of young people to commit suicide when facing seemingly unconquerable adversity. Inaugurating a mass contact programme in Thrissur, Kerala, today to conscientise the general public about the increasing rate of suicides, Dr Harsh Vardhan said, "The mounting incidence of...

-Economic and Political Weekly   Through a two-way process comprising text analysis of the policy framework of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan programme and analysis of empirical data collected through interaction with policy implementers, teachers, students, experts, etc, this article puts forth the argument that urban education system has failed partly because of the inability of the implementers to plan, manage and facilitate the programme. Monika Banerjee (banerjie77@gmail.com) is with the Zakir Husain Centre...

-The Times of India BANGALORE: Lakshmi (name changed) was 13 when she was dressed up as a bride. Someone paid her Rs 8,000 and her father Rs 25,000. And he goaded her to marry a 70-year-old man. The child's daze turned into a nightmare when the seven-time husband raped her that night. Thankfully, the child was rescued from her home in Raichur district's Lingsugur taluk by a team of social workers affiliated...