-The Indian Express Panchkula: Increasing number of youths indulging in unsafe sex has resulted in 13,500 HIV positive cases being reported in Haryana. According to official figures, among the total of 16,700 HIV positive cases reported in the state, over 13,500 cases have been contracted due to sexual transmission. HIV cases spread through blood transmission and use of infected needles have been significantly low, comprising only 10 per cent of the cases...

-The Indian Express The Parliamentary Standing Committee examining the National Food Security Bill is considering to recommend to the government to do away with the categorisation of “general” and “priority” (similar to the below poverty line) households in the legislation and provide uniform food guarantee to 75 per cent of the rural population and 50 per cent of the urban population. Keeping in mind the fiscal implications, the committee is likely to...

-Economic and Political Weekly Extensive reforms are required so that sexually assaulted women do not feel they are the "accused" when they submit themselves for medical examination and trial. Urgent reforms such as setting up humane rape crisis centres where women can directly approach women counsellors to tell their story, lodge a complaint, and get examinations done at one place are required to improve the situation. Amita Pitre (amita@oxfamindia.org) is with Oxfam...

-The Times of India SHIMLA: The exemplary courage shown by the Delhi gang rape victim has motivated a 15-year-old dalit girl from the remote village of Sirmaur district to stand up against the landlord who had been sexually exploiting her for last around five months. Lodging her complaint, the victim told the cops that bravery of the Delhi girl had prompted her to speak up. Police have arrested the accused. Sources said...

-The Times of India The death of Savita Halappanavar may have made Ireland the target of international criticism. A review of laws across the globe, however, indicates that the 'unusually restrictive' abortion law is not unique to the Catholic country. When it comes to termination of Pregnancy, the world doesn't seem to be fair. More than half of the countries for which information was available don't allow abortion even in the case...