-DNA Sex workers and women's rights activists have welcomed the government's move to differentiate ‘prostitution' from exploitation in the amended Section 370 of the Indian Penal Code. By inserting a new definition of exploitation, the Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2013 passed by Lok Sabha clarifies a position that till date conflated consensual adult sex work and sex trafficking: ‘Expression "exploitation" shall include any act of physical exploitation or any form of sexual...

-Frontline How far will the proposed women's bank help marginalised sections when women's SHGs get little support and find it hard even to open accounts in public sector banks? WHILE the recent announcement of a women's bank in the Union Budget has been touted as a progressive measure for the financial inclusion of women, no concrete measures have been forthcoming to make all existing public sector banks sensitive to the needs...

-The Times of India Amid talk of stimulating growth with sops to industry, the Centre has chided the private sector for performing abysmally on making the workforce inclusive by boosting dalit presence in its ranks. The industry in 2006 promised voluntary affirmative action to persuade the UPA-1 government to drop plans to enforce reservation in private sector through a legislation. Reviewing the updated results of affirmative action provided by the industry, Union social...

-The Times of India HYDERABAD: Contrary to popular perception, the age-old bride bazaar continues to flourish on the back of a well-oiled network of brokers in the poverty-stricken parts of the Old City, with Muslim women increasingly falling victims to the trade. Activists say that till date, thousands of young women have been married off to cash-rich foreign nationals and the lives of many more are at stake. Activists say that the...

-Deccan Herald Bangalore: The Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has recommended increasing the age for admission to schools under the RTE quota from the current six years to seven, and reducing the income ceiling to Rs one lakh from Rs 3.5 lakh. The suggestions were made during a workshop organised by the Commission in the City on Saturday. The workshop was organised in accordance with a February 12 High...