-The Times of India NEW DELHI: It has been a year since Nirbhaya shook the country's conscience with her courage in the face of the brutal gang-rape on the night of December 16. However, the government is yet to shake off its lethargy and has not spent a rupee from the much-touted Rs 1,000-crore Nirbhaya fund. The fund was announced by the Centre with much fanfare in the Union Budget earlier this...

November last when a young journalist was allegedly sexually assaulted by the editor of Tehelka, a magazine where she worked, an important report on gender bias of Indian laws was launched by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Titled 'The Law and Son Preference in India: A Reality Check' the report claims that most Indian laws -- be it prevention of dowry law, anti sexual assault law or inheritance law--...

-Outlook   The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights today sought the views of NGOs, working for child rights, on Women and Child Development Ministry's proposal to treat youngsters above 16 years of age guilty of heinous crimes on par with adult offenders. NCPCR chairperson Kushal Singh held a meeting with 40 NGOs which voiced their concern about the Ministry's seeking an amendment in the Juvenile Justice Act according to which youngsters...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Lawyers and activists have condemned the union government for defaulting on the deadline to frame rules to regulate acid attacks. With the Supreme Court granting the government a fresh four month extension on Tuesday, activists called for an end to systemic "lethargy" and "insensitivity" on crimes against women. Alok Dixit, who runs a campaign called Stop Acid Attacks, isn't optimistic about the extended deadline. "This isn't...

-The Times of India The outrage over the Delhi gang rape spurred the enactment of two laws relating to gender reforms. The one widening the definition of rape and enhancing penalties for a range of sexual crimes was largely based on the recommendations of the Justice J S Verma Committee, which had been appointed post Nirbhaya. But when it came to the other law, which deals with sexual harassment at the...