-The Telegraph Bihar and Jharkhand are among eight states that are holding up moves to update national legislation on rights of people with disabilities, prompting an angry Union minister to slap them with an April 12 deadline for sending feedback on the draft bill. Minister for social justice and empowerment Kumari Selja has, therefore, written to the Governor of Jharkhand, Syed Ahmed - it is under President's Rule and chief ministers of...

-The Economic Times PATNA: Reserving 33% seats for women in Parliament and state legislatures may remain a dream for Congress president Sonia Gandhi but chief minister Nitish Kumar has not only done that in panchayat bodies of Bihar but is set to take the concept to other areas. Women's support for JD(U) had swelled in elections following the reservations, as the fair sex exhibited approval for the progressive legislation. Encouraged by 'lady...

-PTI PATNA: CAG has ticked off Nitish Kumar government for lacking objective planning for utilisation of funds drawn on Abstract Contingency(AC) bills. The Bihar government had withdrawn Rs 16,033.01 crore on AC bills between 2009-12 of which the plan head drawals accounted for Rs 12,332.64 crore which indicated that object level planning was absent as items of expenditure were known while drawing the amount, CAG said in its report on state finances...

-The Hindu Close on the heels of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's announcement of 50 per cent reservation for women in cooperatives, the State Cabinet on Monday passed a proposal to that effect. As per the decision, 50 per cent of the seats in all cooperatives, primary agricultural cooperative societies will be reserved for women. From the quota, two seats each will be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes...

-The Indian Express Patna: In yet another attempt to consolidate his “caste-neutral” base among women, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced 35 per cent reservation for them in police jobs. Bihar Police is estimated to have 43,000 job vacancies, including of 25,000 constables, over the next five years. "Reserving 35 per cent seats for women will be another step towards women empowerment that started with the government giving 50 per cent reservation...