Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing a boom in places of worship and prayer, although some academics say this does not necessarily mean the state’s population is turning more religious. Figures released yesterday by the directorate of census operations also suggest a rise in prosperity, with the state’s people living in better houses than before. The state has witnessed a 53 per cent increase in the number of religious places in a decade,...

Sitting and aspiring MCD councillors of Trilokpuri area got a lesson in RTEon Wednesday. At a public meeting organized by JOSH, locals flocked to meet them with lots of suggestions and many complaints about the lack of educational facilities in their east Delhi colony. All that the candidates could muster as a response was a slew of promises most of which were shrouded in ignorance about the provisions of the...

Poor utilization of funds and irregular disbursals have been cited as the reasons for India’s school education system failing to show desired improvement even as the government has more than doubled funds for education programmes in the past two years. The government has spent just 70% of the funds allocated for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (education for all) and Right to Education in 2010-11 compared with 78% in the year earlier, according...

-IANS Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Friday announced a hike of over 21 per cent in the budget allocation for providing free and compulsory education to children below 14 years.  "I proposed an increase in allocation by 21.7 per cent for RTE ( Right to Education) -Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to Rs.25,555 crore," Mukherjee said in parliament.  The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is implemented in partnership with state governments and covers nearly 192 million children across...

115 women will be attending seminar in Paris   Usha Chomar and Guddi Athwal would not have even dreamed of a foreign sojourn let alone speaking at an international forum in Paris on the issue of health problems that manual scavengers have had to face. Both Usha and Guddi have put their past behind them and are among the 115 manual scavengers of the Alwar District of Rajasthan who have since been rehabilitated....