-The Times of India The education department on Thursday slapped a show-cause notice to Sofia Senior Secondary Girls' School for violating norms under the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The show-cause notice was served after the department investigated complaints of a parent who said many girls studying below Class VIII were not promoted to the next class. The department found the complaints to be true but the school said saying parents of...

After 3 talaqs, woman becomes illegal for husband   Darul Uloom Deoband has ruled that talaq (divorce) given in a state of drunkenness is valid. A fatwa to this effect was issued by Darul Ifta (Fatwa Department) of the Islamic seminary on March 13. The ruling was issued on a question from a concerned brother on February 21, 2012. He wanted to know from Darul Ifta about the fate of his sister's marriage...

-The Telegraph Assam has witnessed one abduction almost every two days this year. Despite militancy being on the decline, there has been no let-up in abductions in the state. Assam forest minister Rakibul Hussain today told the Assembly that 56 abduction cases have been registered in the state since January, which works out to 86 days till today. Replying on behalf of chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who holds the home portfolio, Hussain said between...

The proposed amendments to marriage laws lack the detail to guarantee women their full due   The cabinet’s decision to clear a bill providing for amendment to marriage laws has evoked mixed reactions within women’s organisations. While the introduction of the notion of matrimonial property within Indian family laws is a welcome move, the manner in which it is being done seems hasty and without due consideration of its implementability. There is...

-The Telegraph The Centre today told the Supreme Court that no prosecution could be launched against armed forces fighting “counter-insurgency” and sought four months to decide whether to grant sanction to prosecute officers over a 12-year-old alleged fake encounter in Kashmir. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, invoked in “disturbed areas”, specifically mandates prior sanction before any prosecution can begin, the government told the court while replying to a notice on the...