-The Hindu Business Line Indian society is yet to acknowledge the existence of rape culture – a set of beliefs that condones aggression on women. Perhaps no other event in India has received more international attention in the recent past than the brutal gang rape in Delhi and its tragic aftermath. The issue is widely covered in the Western media; the latest addition is the channel interview of the rape victim’s male...

-The Hindu Beniwal’s claim of exclusive right to appoint Lokayukta is not in keeping with spirit of Constitution: Bench The Supreme Court has reiterated that the Governor is bound to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, unless he acts as persona designata i.e., eo nomine under a particular statute or acts in his own discretion under the exceptions provided for in the Constitution itself. Upholding the appointment of...

-Economic and Political Weekly The recent debate on the acceptability of foreign direct investment in the retail sector in India has been mostly political. It is necessary to look into the pros and cons of FDI in retail from a purely economic point of view. This article identifi es the safeguards that should be undertaken before allowing giant multinationals to function in the country. Abhirup Sarkar (abhirup@isical.ac.in) is with the Indian Statistical...

-Economic and Political Weekly We support cash transfers such as old-age pensions, widow pensions, maternity entitlements and scholarships. However, we oppose the government’s plan for accelerated mass conversion of welfare schemes to Unique Identification Authority (UID)-driven cash transfers. This plan could cause havoc and massive social exclusion. We demand the following: (1) No replacement of food with cash under the public distribution system (PDS). (2) Immediate enactment of a comprehensive National Food Security...

-Outlook India must adopt and enforce measures to ensure the dignified treatment and examination of sexual assault survivors and eliminate the use of 'finger tests' in rape cases, a leading rights body said today amid protests against the brutal rape of a 23-year-old Delhi girl. The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the December 16 incident should spur decisive action by the Indian government to combat sexual violence. "It is much harder,...