-The Business Standard Politics means sugarcane gets Maharashtra's scarce water The drought in a large part of Maharashtra, said to be the worst since 1972, may have been triggered by poor rainfall in the last monsoon season - but it has been compounded by mismanagement of the available water. Nearly one-third of the state's population living in the 15 drought-hit districts in and around the Marathwada region is facing a severe scarcity...

-The Hindu   Despite apparent similarities, the reports of two centrally appointed committees are split on the relationship between knowledge, skills and social needs Two major reports with overlapping concerns were submitted to the central government during the last decade. They were drafted by committees appointed by two different offices of the same government. One was chaired by Yash Pal, and the other by Sam Pitroda. The titles of the two committees indicated...

-The Hindustan Times Women hold up half the sky. But evidence suggests that more than half the sky is crushing women, particularly poor women. These days, women struggling to retain their lives and Livelihoods against POSCO's proposed plant, in Jagathsingpur, Orissa, are experiencing this first hand. They get beaten and threatened, their demands ignored. In Govindpur village, the tension is palpable, as the confrontation has been violent for some time now. So angry are...

-The Telegraph Sualkuchi: The sound of wood striking wood was missing, as was the sight of intricate and colourful patterns on silk taking shape on the loom. This silk town, around 35km from Guwahati and on the North Bank of the Brahmaputa, seemed to have lost its raison d'etre - producing silk products of fame - after the invasion of similar products bearing the name of another town on the bank of...

-The Telegraph Manju Cherva (26), a tribal woman of Binua village, West Singhbhum district, is a school dropout. If you ask Manju to spot her block - Manoharpur - on Jharkhand's map, she'll fumble. But she's among 21 women who are making sure that Binua's children can map their ambition and shine in life by getting to study after sunset. Binua is one of India's 18,000-odd villages that live without electricity in...