-The Indian Express The Samajwadi Party (SP) Thursday voiced its opposition to the revised Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013, teh so-called anti-rape bill which seeks to crack down on crimes against women. “SP will oppose the Bill. It is anti-women and will create anarchy in society in the name of providing safety for women,” said SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav. He said the SP, which provides outside support to the UPA...

-The United Nations The rapid growth of developing countries is propelling millions out of poverty on an unprecedented scale and radically reshaping the global system, according to a flagship United Nations report launched today. “The rise of the South is unprecedented in its speed and scale,” says the Human Development Report 2013, which uses the term “South” to mean developing countries and “North” to mean developed nations. “Never in history have the...

-Outlook Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due next year, the UPA government has finalised a draft Bill for providing homes to the homeless in rural areas. The draft of the National Right to Homestead Bill, 2013, prepared by the Rural Development ministry, is almost ready for inter-ministerial consultation, official sources said today According to the eleventh plan document, an estimated 13 to 18 million families in rural India are landless, of which...

-The Hindu For millions of slum dweller in Delhi, there is finally some reassuring news in the form of amendments brought in by the Delhi Government in its slum policy. As per a notification issued on February 25, this year, lakhs of slum dwellers would be benefited by the liberalised norms on their identification and entitlement for rehabilitation. Stating that it was the pressure mounted by the slum dwellers themselves which made the...

-Live Mint Attempt to broad-base direct benefits transfer plan may help shore up the Congress’s standing among rural population The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government plans to include its flagship rural job guarantee programme in the second phase of its ambitious direct benefits transfer (DBT) plan, under which beneficiaries of social welfare programmes will receive money directly in their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts. The attempt to broad-base the cash transfer plan before several...