-IndiaSpend.com Data demonstrate that discrimination against the SCs and STs in education, employment and Property Ownership continues despite affirmative action policies. Earlier this week, when upper-caste villagers in the western UP district of Firozabad tried to prevent the funeral of a Dalit paramilitary soldier killed in a terrorist ambush, it was the latest manifestation of widespread discrimination against the 305 million Indians belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Upper-caste villagers refused to...

-Business Standard Hopes titling of land to create confidence among land owners Mumbai: Maharashtra is in the midst of formulating a land title Bill, to minimise property disputes. This comes in the wake of the legislative Assembly in Rajasthan passing (last week) a legislation with the same aim, on urban land. The city of Pune will see a pilot project. The city is also among the 20 selected by the Centre for...

-FirstPost.com Giant agricultural corporations are seriously impacting the right to food of women, especially in developing countries like India by increasingly suing farmers for breaching patent laws, a UN expert said. “These big companies are suing farmers because the farmers are using (patented seeds) without the permission (from agricultural corporations) or (are not) buying the particular seeds. This is a very serious issue and millions of dollars the corporations are taking from...

-The Hindu Women continue to face discrimination in terms of owning assets like land and payment of wages, accessing credit, technology, market and irrigation facilities Hyderabad: Such is the gender bias that even when her spouse commits suicide forced by agrarian crisis, the woman farmer is left to fend for herself. Even as they keep breaking the proverbial glass ceiling to move up the corporate ladder and make a mark virtually in every...

-Down to Earth Patents on seeds by corporations leave farmers unable to save or share seeds Agricultural corporations may be impacting the right to food of women by taking legal action against farmers for breaching patent laws, as per a new UN study. “Big companies are suing farmers because they are using patented seeds without the permission. This is a very serious issue and millions of dollars the corporations are taking from...