Investing first in the world’s most disadvantaged children and communities can save millions of lives and help spur progress towards achieving internationally agreed development targets, according to a new study by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The agency found that an equity-based approach, focusing on the needs of the most disadvantaged children, can be a cost-effective strategy to reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – eight targets that include slashing...

A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court will hear a batch of petitions filed by several private unaided and minority schools challenging the government's new Right to Education Act, 2009, which guarantees free and compulsory education for all children between 6 and 14 years of age in the country. Under this law, every child aged 6 to 14 shall have the right to free and compulsory education in a neighbourhood...

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has backed India's efforts to increase measles vaccination in the country through routine immunisation and anti-measles campaigns. In a statement issued here, UNICEF said it strongly supported the government's efforts in increasing measles vaccination campaigns. The statement assumes importance in the wake of four children dying reportedly after they were given measles vaccine during a routine immunisation drive at Mohanlal Ganj area of Lucknow. An enquiry...

Food grain entitlement programme to start in the 150 poorest districts in the first year The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) is yet to reconcile the government's assurance of a monthly provision of 25 kg of foodgrains for every family with its desire to enhance it to 35 kg. Nor has it been able to resolve the contentious question of dual pricing — Rs. 3 a kg for the poor...

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has issued show-cause notices to a former and an incumbent Public Information Officer (PIO) of the Delhi Government's Social Welfare Department observing that one of them appeared to have provided false information and the other had not supplied complete information within the stipulated 30 days to two RTI applicants seeking details on some officials booked in two corruption cases. The RTI applications were filed by two...