-Economic and Political Weekly   Mamata Banerjee cynically casts aspersions on a rape victim to further her political agenda. When rape becomes a political power game, every woman, not just a rape survivor, has reason to be afraid. What this suggests is that, for people in the political battlefield, the seriousness of this violent crime and the increasing incidence of rape in our towns and villages are of no concern. This has become...

-PTI A top UN official has condemned the murder of Indian journalist Chandrika Rai and asked the concerned authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to bring the perpetrators of the "shocking crime" to justice. Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, said authorities in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, where Rai had lived and worked, must ensure the murder is investigated. "I condemn the murder...

-The United Nations The head of the United Nations agency tasked with promoting and defending the freedom of the press today condemned the murder of a journalist in India and called on local authorities to undertake a thorough investigation into the killing. Freelance journalist Chandrika Rai, 43, was found dead last week along with his wife and two children in their home in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Mr. Rai regularly published articles...

India has just been taken off the World Health Organisation (WHO) list of polio-endemic countries. And if the success of not having a single new case over the past year is sustained for another two years, India will finally emerge as a polio-free country. The nation's public health administrators and international agencies deserve praise for this achievement. This is also perhaps just the right moment to recall the hands-on leadership role...

Foundation to be set up with a corpus fund of Rs. 500 crore   The Centre is in the process of setting up a foundation with a corpus fund of Rs. 500 crore to provide a livelihood to tribals in about 900 blocks, spread over 170 districts of nine States, to strengthen its anti-naxalite campaign. The latest proposal, evolved jointly by the Ministry of Rural Development and the Planning Commission, envisages a concerted...