The United Nations marked World Teachers’ Day today with top officials calling on governments to make up a projected deficit of over 10 million teachers by 2015 and stressing the crucial role teachers play in recovery from natural disasters and conflict. “Without sufficient numbers of well-trained and professionally motivated teachers, we risk falling short of the promise made 10 years ago at the World Education Forum to the world’s children and...

Media persons from all over the country have a great opportunity to Witness the dance of democracy in Jaipur beginning Gandhi Jayanti. A peaceful ‘dharna’ organized by grassroots organizations like the MKSS and RTI Manch, among others, is already attracting some of India’s top writers, editors, development thinkers and civil society activists, besides thousands of common people from all across Rajasthan. The movement will continue indefinitely from October 2 onwards...

Eminent writer and social activist Arundhati Roy on Saturday alleged India is Witnessing a war within itself since independence and is actually a poor super power. "Since the country gained independence there have been wars against tribals, dalits and others in several parts of the country leading to violation of human rights," she said. "Now people are struggling for human rights more than justice," Roy told a conference "Attack on Life,...

Accusing the NDA government of Bihar of being 'anti-farmer', opposition RJD today alleged that the state had Witnessed a negative agriculture growth rate during its term. Contrary to the agriculture growth rate of 7.74% during the Rabri Devi regime between 2001 to 2005, the farm sector's output nosedived to register a negative growth rate when the NDA goverment took over in November 2006, RJD national spokesperson Md Iliyas Hussain told reporters...

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today pledged Rs 300 crore to farmers to make Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) President Balbir Singh Rajewal accept a glass of juice to end his five-day hunger strike in Mohali. Addressing a joint press conference along with Rajewal, the Chief Minister said the Rs 300 crore would compensate farmers for the diesel used by them to grow paddy last year in near-drought conditions. The Rs...