-Deccan Herald Complaints of discriminatory practices flood the task force The recently formed Right to Education (RTE) task force has received a barrage of complaints related to discriminatory practices by schools in the State. The task force was formed by the Karnataka Child Rights Observatory (KCRO) to redress grievances of parents and children admitted under RTE Act. The letters and calls received from parents and students so far have been an eye-opener for the task...

-The Hindu Activists brand them illegal Bangladeshi migrants Ninety-eight migrant labourers were dragged out of a train and assaulted, allegedly by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members, at Mandya in Karnataka late on Wednesday night. The activists terrorised the labourers hailing from West Bengal, Orissa, Rajasthan, Bihar and other States for nearly two hours before dragging them out, claiming they were “illegal Bangladeshis.” The labourers were heading to Mangalore on the Yeshwantpur-Kannur Express. Scores of...

-The Hindu An anthology of independent evaluations of MGNREGA shows that it has provided income security, improved health, narrowed the gender gap and created useful assets   In the midst of the debates that prevail in this country over the feasibility of the world’s largest public works programme, the MGNREGA Sameeksha — an anthology of independent research studies and analysis on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, from 2006-2012 — is...

-The Hindu No adverse short- or long-term health effects from emissions, government tells Parliament The Union government has told Parliament that the exposure limit of radio frequency fields (base station emissions) will be brought down to one-tenth of the existing level from September 1. This was to have been implemented from April 1. However, on an examination of the impact of the revised Electric and Magnetic Field (EMF) exposure limit on area coverage...

-The Hindu The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines of April 1998 say epidemiological studies on workers exposed to Electric and Magnetic Field (EMF) and the public have shown no major health effects associated with typical exposure environments. The studies have yielded no convincing evidence that typical exposure levels lead to adverse reproductive outcomes or an increased cancer risk. In India, the GSM services are being operated in 900 MHz and...