-The Telegraph Rainfall over India has been 42 per cent below normal during the first 13 days of the 120-day monsoon season, with vast tracts of the peninsular region still waiting for rains, but scientists today predicted a fresh surge within the next three days. The India Meteorological Department said today it expects atmospheric conditions to “become favourable” for a further advance of the monsoon over parts of Bengal and Odisha over...

-The Times of India   Children, many between five and 10 years, were forced into oral sex and performing yoga in the nude at the Rohtak shelter home raided by a National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) team early May. An inmate was found to be HIV positive.  Such revelations are part of a report submitted on Wednesday by two members — advocate Anil Malhotra and Sudeepti Sharma — of a...

-The New York Times   New Delhi: Yasmeen Khan dons her burqa and steps out of her house in the Nizamuddin neighborhood of Delhi every evening to walk a short distance to a 10-foot-high stone wall. Behind the wall is paradise - a place where she can remove her burqa and hijab, enjoy cool fresh air in her hair, exercise and gossip with friends. Hundreds of women regularly visit the "Pardah Bagh," a...

-The Hindu Six of them ordered to appear on July 7 A court here has issued summons to six Delhi Police personnel who were charge-sheeted for the infamous midnight clampdown on Baba Ramdev's followers at Ramlila Maidan here on June 4 last year. Metropolitan Magistrate Anil Kumar summoned Sub-Inspector Sushil Kumar, Head Constable Vijender and Constables Ravi, Dinesh, Tejinder and Krishan. They have been charge-sheeted under Section 336 (endangering life and personal safety...

Revised draft water policy allows for subsidy to the poor and in non-commercial farming Public outcry against indiscriminate pricing of water and privatisation of water delivery services has forced the Centre to back off on both counts in its revised draft of the new national water policy, a copy of which is available with The Hindu . The revised draft, that incorporates suggestions from the public as well as state governments, allows...