-The Hindu While India celebrates its near victory over polio, another dreaded disease, leprosy, that was overpowered in 2005 continues to haunt the government. Those affected by the disease continue to face social stigma and discrimination. In addition to the 12,305 child cases detected during the past year, 16 States and Union Territories have also shown an increase in the number of cases. Though in 2005 leprosy was eliminated (having less than 1...

-The Hindu India’s polio triumph is a rare milestone in its uninspiring public health record. The story so far only strengthens the case for a vastly augmented routine immunisation programme to combat disease. India has been celebrating its near-victory over polio for the past two years, but it often hogs the headlines for unacceptably high mortality and morbidity due to other communicable diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, dengue and filaria. The government now...

-Outlook Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government today announced a series of welfare measures, including proposing new engineering colleges and drinking water projects, totally a cost of over Rs 1,000 crore. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa announced combined drinking water projects for Cuddalore and Puthukottai districts based on Kollidam river at a cost of over Rs 575 crore. Similar projects were also announced for Theni, Dindigul, Tirunelveli, Kancheepuram and Chennai districts at an overall cost of over Rs...

-The Hindu Madurai: Even as a campaign is on in Tamil Nadu that inter-caste marriages were mainly the result of dalits “luring” girls from other castes, here is a case in which a Vanniyar boy married a girl belonging to the Kongu Vellalar caste being separated on the basis of caste hierarchy. Unfortunately, the girl, who was pregnant, was forcibly made to undergo abortion by her parents, who lodged a complaint that...

-The Hindu Panel for declaring western districts as ‘child right violation zone’ A public hearing on child rights violations in western districts here has identified caste-based discrimination in classrooms as a major reason for rise in the number of school dropouts in six western districts of the State, especially Salem. Dropout among girls, it is found out, has led to the high rate of child marriages. A shocking 13 per cent of children,...