-The Hindu Close on the heels of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's announcement of 50 per cent reservation for women in cooperatives, the State Cabinet on Monday passed a proposal to that effect. As per the decision, 50 per cent of the seats in all cooperatives, primary agricultural cooperative societies will be reserved for women. From the quota, two seats each will be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes...

-The Telegraph Many Indians stand in solidarity with the protest launched by the academic community in the University of Pennsylvania against the decision to invite Narendra Modi, writes Prasenjit Bose S L. Rao's criticisms of the academics of the University of Pennsylvania, who had initiated a campaign against Wharton Business School's invitation to Narendra Modi, in his article, "The trip that never was" (March 18), are not only unwarranted but they also...

-The Hindu   SHO suspended for "negligence" on the basis of complainants' statements Patna: The family of whistle-blower Ram Thakur, an advocate who was shot dead in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district on Saturday, has alleged that the police was complicit in his murder. Based on the statements of the complainants, Shafir Alam, Station House Officer (SHO) of the Manihari police station, has been suspended for "negligence." The police have registered an FIR against six persons...

-The Indian Express   Lucknow: The Akhilesh Yadav government today launched the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Gramin Awas Yojna by distributing cheques of the first instalment of financial assistance promised to the rural poor for constructing pucca houses under the scheme. According to the scheme, the state government will provide Rs 1 lakh to rural poor who do not own a pucca house. The state government will give an additional Rs 15,000...

-The Indian Express Patna: In yet another attempt to consolidate his “caste-neutral” base among women, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced 35 per cent reservation for them in police jobs. Bihar Police is estimated to have 43,000 job vacancies, including of 25,000 constables, over the next five years. "Reserving 35 per cent seats for women will be another step towards women empowerment that started with the government giving 50 per cent reservation...