-The Hindu The comprehensive reforms suggested by Justice Verma and his colleagues will protect the right to dignity, autonomy and freedom of victims of sexual assault and rape Starting with Tarabai Shinde’s spirited defence of the honour of her sister countrywomen in 1882, women’s movements in India have been marked by persistent and protracted struggles. But despite this rich and varied history, we have in recent weeks found ourselves shocked at the...

-The Business Standard Mr Chautala's sentence, ASER show focus on Teaching needed The sentencing of former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, his son Ajay Chautala, and of three officials who served in the Haryana government under him in the early part of the last decade, to 10 years in jail is a landmark step. Mr Chautala has appealed the sentence, which is surprisingly stringent for a white-collar crime. But it...

-The Hindu A fifth of all primary schools had no drinking water facility in the period surveyed There was an increase of 26.77 per cent in the total number of schools in the country between 2002 and 2009, according to a national survey. The maximum growth rate was witnessed in upper primary schools (49.15 per cent) followed by higher secondary schools (46.80 per cent), secondary by 28.95 and primary by 16.68 per...

-The Indian Express Pratham's Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) tells us every year that Teaching-learning at our primary schools is quite a disappointment. This time, however, it is shocking. ASER 2012 reveals the ‘path breaking’ Right to Education Act may have worked to further bring down learning levels by several notches. Aimed at ensuring free and compulsory education for all aged between 6 and 14, the RTE in its zeal to...

-DNA Many have forgotten the bad news that was delivered about a year back when three reports – the international PISA report, the Wipro-EI Quality Education Study and ASER 2011 – painted a sad picture of the learning scenario in India. The first report ranked our Class 10 children 73rd in the world out of 74 countries. The second said that students in our top private schools were learning more poorly...