Of late, there has been a debate on whether public programmes such as school education, scholarships, health-care delivery and access to microcredit can be targeted at beneficiaries based on religion; some consider this ‘unconstitutional' and argue that it amounts to discrimination. I highlight the constitutional provisions and argue that there is nothing in the Constitution which bars identification of beneficiaries based on religion. Religious identity is listed on a par...

-The Times of India   Different associations of private schools on Monday gave a call to all the private schools to observe one-day token strike on September 28 in protest against the state government's directive to them for compulsory registration latest by September 30 to ensure implementation of the provisions of Right To Education Act. The Bihar Public School and Children Welfare Association, Private Schools and Children Welfare Association and other associations...

In a significant move, prominent economists on Monday made a forceful plea to delink food entitlements from the “faulty” poverty measures put out by the Planning Commission. Asserting that under-nutrition was much more widespread in the country than income poverty “however defined,” the economists sought restoration of the universal Public Distribution System (PDS) “as the best way forward'' in combating hunger and poverty. “This is not only feasible within the available fiscal...

-PTI   In a bid to eradicate illiteracy in Bihar, the state government has decided to rope in 10.5 lakh class IX and X students to educate 1.2 crore adult illiterate people in Bihar. The plan will be executed under a five-month literacy campaign 'Sakshar Bharat Yojana' to be launched from November 11 next, according to an HRD official. Under the proposal, as many as 10.50 lakh class IX and X students will be...

-The Times of India   The Gujarat high court (HC) on Thursday asked the state government to specify what steps it has taken to implement the schemes that are introduced to make the public distribution system (PDS) effective. This status report is in connection with an order passed last year. In 2010, the HC had asked the state government to implement various schemes like Antyodaya Anna Yojana, Targeted Public Distribution System, Annapurna Scheme,...