-The United Nations Although global food prices have recently stabilized, they are expected to remain volatile over the next few years, the head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today, as a ministerial meeting on global food prices kicked off in Rome. FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva told the meeting, which coincided with the opening of the Committee on World Food Security, that this year's session was...

-PTI NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Centre and all State Governments to provide three per cent job reservation to disabled persons in all their departments, companies and institutions. A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam also clarified that the principle of not exceeding more than 50 per cent reservation would not be applicable while granting quota for disabled persons. The apex court directed the authorities to compile the...

-The Hindu The Supreme Court's latest order on Aadhaar card seems to have little bearing on the ongoing enrolment in the National Population Register (NPR). The reason is simple: it has no link with entitlements. The Supreme Court's latest order on Aadhaar card seems to have little bearing on the ongoing enrolment in the National Population Register (NPR). The reason is simple: it has no link with entitlements. Also, it is business as-usual...

-The Hindu More needs to be done to enforce the law banning manual scavenging. This monsoon, India's Parliament passed a law of enormous social significance prohibiting and punishing manual scavenging, which remains the most degrading form of untouchability and caste discrimination in the country. This is not the first time this practice was outlawed: untouchability and forced labour were forbidden in the Constitution itself and, in 1993, a law was first passed...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: UPA is going to town for having delivered on its promise of food security. But, come December and this promise would fall flat as many government schools are likely to go without midday meal (MDM). The reason: the food ministry's new missive to the HRD ministry that like other food schemes, MDM would also have to make pre-payment before lifting foodgrains from Food Corporation of India...