-The Hindu While there is reason to be proud of the progress in the production of wheat, rice, cereals and millets, the use of farmland for non-farm purposes is a cause for concern The year 2013 marks the 70th anniversary of the Bengal Famine which resulted in the death of an estimated 1.5 to 3 million children, women and men during 1942-43. A constellation of factors led to this mega-tragedy, such as...

-Economic and Political Weekly The government’s response to the protests led by the youth against the gang rape incident in New Delhi, in the form of an ordinance has not met the aspirations of the many protestors and the woman rights’ organisations. It can in fact be accused of being vindictive, having ignored the thoroughgoing recommendations of the government appointed justice Verma committee's report. Albeena Shakil (albeenashakil@gmail.com) is a women rights’ activist...

-The Times of India MUMBAI: India Inc has had to wait for nearly three years for the government to roll out the rules relating to the functioning of electoral trusts. The rules have been recently notified and come into effect from January 31, 2013. The 2009 Budget had introduced provisions relating to electoral trusts in the Income-tax Act. It provided for tax exemption to electoral trusts which distribute contributions to political parties,...

-Economic and Political Weekly The committee of inquiry headed by justice Verma is a landmark for the way in which it has inscribed into the very foundations of law, the equality and liberty of India’s women citizens. To uphold the constitutional guarantees afforded to women, it is essential that the rights given to working women in the Vishaka judgment (also delivered by justice Verma) are not elided or compromised, either by...

-NYDailyNews.com AHMEDABAD--Gujarat's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader C R Patil has become India's first member of parliament (MP) to obtain to an ISO certification 9001: 2008 for his office for excellent role in implementing government schemes for the public. Patil, who represents Navsari in south Gujarat in the Lok Sabha, received the prestigious certificate at a recent function in Surat from Sandeep Vig, regional director of Intertek Moody, a leading international provider...