Mandated to monitor the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights is planning social monitoring of the historic law that guarantees elementary education to children in the age group of 6-14. This is the first time that the law separates the implementing agency from the monitoring one. The basic premise of social monitoring is public participation in...

Former Congress parliament member Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy Wednesday continued his 48-hour hunger strike, demanding the Andhra Pradesh government to come to the rescue of farmers who lost their crops in the recent unseasonal rains. For the second day, the son of late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy remained seated with his supporters on the huge dais on the bank of Krishna river. Thousands of farmers and his supporters have joined in the...

The Andhra Pradesh government has begun consultations with all political parties to find a solution to the farmers’ crisis, the issue on which former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has been continuing an indefinite hunger—strike for the last one week. An all party meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy began here, to resolve the crisis that erupted after farmers lost their crops in the recent rains. Mr....

The Andhra Pradesh government has begun consultations with all political parties to find a solution to the farmers’ crisis, the issue on which former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has been continuing an indefinite hunger—strike for the last one week. An all party meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy began here, to resolve the crisis that erupted after farmers lost their crops in the recent rains. Mr....

In the end, Gangula Tadangi succumbed to tuberculosis. The Kondh Adivasi’s life could have been saved if he had made it to the hospital on time. But he was in judicial custody at Koraput district jail in southern Odisha for allegedly “waging war against the Indian State”. During his last moments, Tadangi, 25, is said to have whispered something in Kondh. But nobody could make out anything because no one...