-The Hindu Though they are Scheduled Tribes (STs) in northern Andhra Pradesh, just across the Sileru river in southern odisha, the Konda Reddi community is not recognised as tribal. Warning that Maoists are taking advantage of their grievances, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has recommended that their claims - which he feels are genuine - be examined soon. In a letter to Union Tribal Affairs Minister V. Kishore Chandra Deo on Monday,...

-The Telegraph Many Indians stand in solidarity with the protest launched by the academic community in the University of Pennsylvania against the decision to invite Narendra Modi, writes Prasenjit Bose S L. Rao's criticisms of the academics of the University of Pennsylvania, who had initiated a campaign against Wharton Business School's invitation to Narendra Modi, in his article, "The trip that never was" (March 18), are not only unwarranted but they also...

-The Business Standard Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi professor and development economist Reetika Khera tells Sreelatha Menon that the food Bill may not be a leap ahead, but it is certainly a step forward * The food Bill is a guarantee for lifelong dependence on government doles. As an economist, can one defend such a policy? The food Bill should be seen as an investment. "Labour" is India's most important asset. In that sense,...

-New Indian Express The Milita Dalit Mahamancha, a federation of pro-dalit organisations in the State, on Thursday demanded strict implementation of laws to stop growing atrocities against dalit, tribals and women in the State. The members of Mahamancha took out a rally demanding that violation of human rights in the Posco area should be stopped and police prevented from going there. Criticising the State Government for ignoring the rights of dalits and tribals,...

-The Times of India   Nearly one in every six urban Indian residents lives in a slum, newly released Census data shows. The new numbers are significantly lower than the slum growth that had been projected for India. "Our own projections were that the all-India slum population would be 27.5% by 2011, so the new data comes as a pleasant surprise," Arun Kumar Misra, secretary in the ministry of housing and urban poverty...