-Outlook Out in our streets, disabled people feel the pain everyday The Gaping Holes     India yet to get a cohesive, standardised sign language     Barrier-free infrastructure yet to be implemented in public areas like bus stations, railway stations, schools, cinema halls     Lack of basic, inclusive civic facilities: no audio-enabled traffic signals, pavements with ramps, few disability-friendly toilets, negligible penalties     Poor functional entertainment accessibility, like no subtitling on local language TV channels     Reservation...

-The Economic Times A new book by Bibek Debroy on Gujarat looks at how this much-talked about state has performed in economic terms. The author argues history, luck and administrative clarity have been the determining factors. There has been a discernible pickup in Gujarat's growth performance since the 10th Plan (2002-07), the five-year Plans being natural periods for breaking up the timeline. It's tempting to argue that there is nothing exceptional in...

-The Times of India A three-day programme for a headcount of river dolphins in the Ganges river will be carried out October 5-7 in and around Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Wednesday. The programme is also aimed at spreading awareness about the endangered mammal. "My Ganga, My Dolphin" is a joint effort between World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-India and the Uttar Pradesh forest department under the aegis of HSBC Bank. The...

-Outlook A dolphin census will be carried out in all major rivers of Uttar Pradesh to estimate the population of the species. The census will be carried out for three days from October 5 by WWF India in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Forest department. The survey would be carried out in all major rivers in the state, including Ganga, Ken, Betwa, Yamuna, Chambal, Geruwa, Ghaghra and Son, covering a distance of approximately...

-IPS News RAYAGADA- The deafening din of the lunch gong is sweet music to the 200-odd tribal girls rushing down the stairway, clutching stainless steel plates and tumblers. Sikhsya Niketan (House of Education) in Chattikona administrative block of Rayagada district is a residential school meant exclusively for girls of the Dongria Kondh tribe in eastern Odisha state. The school is part of the federal government’s intensified efforts to take universal education to...