-PTI The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted bail to cartoonist Aseem Trivedi, who is facing a sedition case, saying if drawing cartoons was the only allegation against him, then his custody was not required. A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Nitin Jamdar directed Mr. Trivedi to be released on execution of a personal bail-bond of Rs. 5,000. The bail order was passed by the bench on a public...

-The Hindu High Court directs filing of affidavit on measures taken Admitting a public interest litigation petition, the Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the West Bengal government to file an affidavit within two weeks on the measures it has taken to prevent the outbreak of dengue in the State. The petition, filed by advocate Basabi Roy Chowdhury earlier this week, called for a proper policy for monitoring and controlling the disease and...

-Outlook Aiming at empowering economically backward women, two NGOs today joined hands to provide them with environment-friendly electric rickshaws that will help earn a living with dignity. Named 'Ummeed ki Rickshaw (rickshaw of hope)' by its organisers Ummeed and Cequin (Centre for Equality and Inclusion), the project was launched by Union New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah here. The programme, the organisers felt, will enable women to drive smart and earn a...

-The Hindustan Times It is a matter of great concern that a large number of Indians still rely on inefficient and unhealthy energy sources. Approximately 80% of Indians cook and heat their homes with biomass fuels —largely wood and animal waste. This has a tremendous negative impact on people's health and the environment. Experts estimate that about 3.5% of India's total disease burden can be attributed to indoor air pollution resulting...

-The Hindu Instead of rigid targeting, the government must build on the success of the public distribution system which is quietly becoming a significant means of social support In earlier writings, we have drawn attention to the quiet revival of the public distribution system (PDS) in many States during the last few years. Market prices of PDS commodities — mainly rice and wheat — have sharply increased, giving people a much greater...