-The Times of India The government is redrafting the anti-rape law following serious concerns raised by Cabinet members that the proposed legislation was loosely-worded and open to misuse, and did not account for new social realities of a growing women workforce and inadequacies of law enforcing agencies. The criminal law amendment bill was urgently referred to a group of ministers after objections were raised at Tuesday morning's Cabinet meeting over the formulation...

-The Times of India Nine Maoists, including rocket launcher Sadula Ramakrishna, who were granted the status of 'political prisoners' by a lower court in Kolkata, may soon be stripped of their privileges as the West Bengal government is set to challenge the order in the Supreme Court. Last week, the apex court stayed a Calcutta High Court order giving political prisoner status to Maoist leader Telugu Dipak, People's Committee against Police Atrocities...

-The Indian Express Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath has said that the Delhi Development Authority will build one lakh houses for the economically weaker sections (EWS) every year. He made this announcement at a meeting of the consultative committee Attached to the Ministry of Urban Development. He said around 40 lakh people in Delhi live in unauthorised colonies and to prevent further growth of slum clusters, the government regularised 917 unauthorised colonies this...

-The Indian Express They are denied entry to temples, given restricted access to water, made to work for a pittance. Now that Orissa's Dalits are asserting themselves against traditions, many are facing ostracism or violent Attacks. Debabrata Mohanty reports Until a month before Naveen Patnaik became Orissa's chief minister in March 2000, Dalit labourer Ganapati Naik, now 42, had been living a happy if impoverished life with his bride and parents in...

-The Times of India PM Manmohan Singh described Italy's provocative decision to not send back the two marines accused of killing Kerala fishermen as unacceptable, and the government lodged a "strong protest" with the Italian ambassador and asked for the duo's return. With government coming under Attack from the opposition for alleged collusion with Italy, Singh was said to have told a group of Left MPs from Kerala that what Italy did...