-BBC Dalits are at the bottom of the Hindu caste system and despite laws to protect them, they still face widespread discrimination in India, writes Natalia Antelava. As the glass flew across the room and straight into the wall, a dozen or so men stopped drinking their tea. Dr Vinod Sonkar threw money on the counter - enough for the tea he drank and the glass he had smashed - and walked out. Dr...

-The Indian Express New CBSE proposals could restore the credibility of teachers as evaluators This year’s round of college admissions have seen cut-offs in Delhi University soaring to an incredible 99 per cent for several courses. This is not surprising, given the astronomical marks that many students have scored in their class 12 boards. But the clamour around results and admissions throws into sharp relief the structure and content of an examination...

Despite recent amendments made to the marriage laws in India, there still remain loopholes which ensure it remains a lopsided bargain for women. Will the recent amendment to the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, and the Special Marriage Act, 1954, protect women’s rights? Or will an easy divorce without adequate rights in matrimonial property and clear financial safeguards, leave an increasing number of women facing lengthy judicial processes for any tangible maintenance...

-The United Nations 20 June 2012 – World leaders, along with thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other groups have come together in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to take part in the UN Sustainable Development Conference (Rio+20).   In our Seven Issues, Seven Experts series, UN officials tell us more about the key issues being discussed at the conference and how we can contribute to make our...

-The Economic Times Imagine a rural family of five. Mom. Dad. Two kids. And Grandma. Assume too that they are below the poverty line. The day is coming when this family will have to give its biometrics out to myriad agencies.  You know that Nandan Nilekani's Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) or the Registrar General's National Population Register (NPR) has been collecting biometrics for a while now.  But a set of other...