-The Hindu Lacking support for stringent provisions from parties,government comes up with consensus bill Under pressure from the Opposition, the Union Cabinet on Monday approved a diluted version of the bill dealing with sexual crimes against women. The new version will be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. This was just hours after the UPA failed to convince opposition leaders, primarily the BJP, the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Janata...

-The Hindustan Times An all-party meeting convened by the government on Monday failed to reach a consensus on the anti-rape Bill with leaders expressing reservations on the age of consent for sex and demanding safeguards against misuse of the proposed law. "Largely there is consensus on the intent and the content of the Bill, except that there are concerns about misuse and abuse of some of the provisions of the Bill," Parliamentary...

-The Indian Express The Samajwadi Party (SP) Thursday voiced its opposition to the revised Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013, teh so-called anti-rape bill which seeks to crack down on crimes against women. “SP will oppose the Bill. It is anti-women and will create anarchy in society in the name of providing safety for women,” said SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav. He said the SP, which provides outside support to the UPA...

-The Hindu SP, BSP unhappy with some provisions A Bill providing for tougher punishment for crimes against women, including rape, acid attack, stalking and voyeurism, was approved by the Union Cabinet on Thursday, after a Group of Ministers, constituted to prescribe safeguards, completed its examination of the draft law in a record two days. On March 18, The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013, will be discussed at an all-party meeting before it goes...

-The Indian Express Differences within the Cabinet over the proposed amendments to rape-related laws were resolved Wednesday when a Group of Ministers recommended that the phrase “sexual assault” be replaced with the word “rape” in all laws, age of consent for sex be retained at 16, and a provision that provides for punishment for filing false complaints be done away with. The recommendations of the GoM, headed by Finance minister P Chidambaram,...