-The Hindustan Times In an attempt that could help UPA 2 tide over the anti-incumbency factor and yield political dividends in 2014, the rural development ministry is proposing to cover 60 lakh additional below-poverty-line (BPL) people under its pension schemes. The proposals, including enhanced pension payouts, would cost the central exchequer an additional Rs. 9,500 crore. The recommendations of a committee under the ministry, if accepted, would add to the 260 lakh beneficiaries...

-Outlook Delhi may claim to be a world-class city but it lacks basic Disabled-friendly infrastructure, a study has found. The study, conducted in some of the city's busiest places like Connaught Place, Lodhi Road, Sarai Kale Khan and Nehru Place during past one month by an NGO, found that street infrastructure was missing, making it difficult for Disabled and elderly people to navigate. During the study, NGO Samarthyam sent a team of persons...

-Frontline There is growing violence against women and children in Haryana, aided by the apparent collusion between the State government and the upper-caste-dominated khap panchayats. THE road leading to Dabra village in Haryana’s Hisar district is not very difficult to locate. It was at Dabra, a mere 15 kilometres from the district headquarters, that a heinous crime was committed on September 9. It would have gone unnoticed had it not been accompanied...

-The Hindu The government has approved a Rs. 4,038 crore programme to tackle the Japanese encephalitis and acute encephalitis syndrome in 60 priority districts With thousands of young lives being lost and an equal number of children rendered Disabled for life, the government has prepared a comprehensive strategy to tackle Japanese encephalitis (JE) and acute encephalitis syndrome (AES). The dreaded disease has already spread to 17 States affecting 171 districts. With the Cabinet...

-The Hindu Delhi, Maharashtra and Rajasthan are taking steps to rewrite the unconstitutional law on beggary and decriminalise poverty According to the 1959 law on beggary, Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, anyone perceived as having “no visible means of subsistence” and “wandering about” can be branded a beggar and detained in certified institutions for a period of not less than one year and up to 10 years for second time offenders. For many...