The Pension Parishad is holding a dharna in Delhi for the rights of elderly since 26 November. It has demanded that a Universal and Non Contributory Old Age Pension System should be established with a minimum dignified amount of monthly pension not less than 50% of minimum wage or Rs 2000/- per month, whichever is higher. Despite several rounds of talk held between the campaign leaders and the Government in...

-The Times of India The outrage over the Delhi gang rape spurred the enactment of two laws relating to gender reforms. The one widening the definition of rape and enhancing penalties for a range of sexual crimes was largely based on the recommendations of the Justice J S Verma Committee, which had been appointed post Nirbhaya. But when it came to the other law, which deals with sexual harassment at the...

-Economic and Political Weekly The Prohibition of employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013 does not give the same rights to those who manually clean drains and septic tanks in urban areas. This is also manual labour and involves the use of hands in cleaning excreta. Workers have to enter manholes to physically clean blockages. Government bodies have brazenly ignored court orders on mechanisation and bans on manual cleaning...

-Down to Earth 'Kaam Mango Abhiyan' aims to popularise the ambitious flagship programme of the UPA government In the view of the declining demand of work under the ambitious Mahatma Gandhi National Rural employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Union Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has launched a campaign "Kaam Mango Abhiyan", which literally means "ask for work". Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh launched the awareness campaign last week. To begin with, the focus will...

-Outlook Civil Society activists and members of the networks of People Living with HIV gathered here today demanding tabling of the HIV/AIDS Bill during the Winter Session of Parliament beginning December 5. The Bill, which aims to protect the rights of people infected and affected by HIV along with providing free and complete HIV related treatment to them, was finalised by the Health Ministry way back in 2006. "HIV positive people face stigma...