-The Indian Express ASER’s findings highlight the dismal state of school education. Improving teacher training programmes could lead to better outcomes I remember Rukmini Banerji of Pratham telling us in 2005 that ASER the Annual Status of Education Report — will be a national survey that will hold up a mirror to the condition of education in India and shake us into urgent action. For nine years now, every January, ASER is...

-The Hindu Demand institution of murder charge against the Mumbai ACP Vasant Dhoble The street vendors of Delhi launched a nation-wide campaign against “police terror” on Sunday, demanding that the police be made accountable to the public. Under the umbrella of the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), they formed a human chain at Parliament Street to demand institution of murder charge against the Mumbai Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Vasant...

-Frontine Walmart’s disclosure that it spent huge amounts of money on lobbying in India and the allegation that it entered the retail sector through indirect means highlight the power of global capital in dictating the country’s policies. The world’s largest multi-brand retailer Walmart’s disclosure to the United States Senate that it had spent $25 million (Rs.135 crore) since 2008 on its various lobbying activities, which include enhancing access to the Indian...

-The Indian Express Twenty-two Naxal-affected districts will now be able to build critical public infrastructure even in forestland, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has decided. Following demands raised by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Planning Commission, the MoEF has decided to relax forest conservation rules to allow diversion of forestland for creation of essential infrastructure in 22 districts affected by Left Wing Extremism. Departments will be able to build...

-The Telegraph When survival is at stake, tweet. Khap panchayats, the extra-judicial village courts that face possible ban following allegations of encouraging “honour killings”, have decided to give themselves an image makeover. And the “best way” of doing that, they feel, is logging on to social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. “It is essential for us to spread information about what we do and who we are. The Internet is the best way...