-The Telegraph The world lauds us as the largest democracy. Yet, how much of a democracy are we and where must we improve? Elections and their consequences: We have regular elections. They are supervised with increasing effectiveness as far as booth capturing, bogus voters and violence are concerned. The influence of money has not waned; if anything, it has increased. It is not as it used to be, for paying voters only....

-The Hindu With fresh evidence surfacing of his involvement in the Suryanelli gang rape case, P.J. Kurien should step down as Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson, the CPI(M) said on Sunday. In a statement here, the CPI(M) said if he did not step down, he should be removed from the post, in the background of the Supreme Court annulling the Kerala High Court order acquitting 35 accused persons and ordering re-examination of the...

-Tehelka Feminism cannot be a moving force if it is not grounded in the lived experiences of its patrons I HAVE always been conscious of the inequalities of gender and caste. A series of matriarchal, independent women in my family had been asserting and stretching their roles in society even before I was born. My great grandmother, Neelamma, set aside her caste prejudices to get her younger daughter — my grandmother...

-The Hindu Jaipur: On Thursday, several people in Jaipur celebrated the Valentine’s Day in a way it has never been done before, as they gathered in the heart of the city to pledge an end to Violence against women under the global “One Billion Rising” campaign. “I too, as a woman, have come to lend my voice and express solidarity to end Violence against women from the face of the earth,” Rajasthan...

-The Hindu Freedom of expression will continue to remain under siege unless all groups accept that people can have different opinions and beliefs in a free country “Our tradition teaches tolerance; our philosophy preaches tolerance; our Constitution practises tolerance; let us not dilute it.” These stirring sentiments were expressed by Justice Chinnappa Reddy in a Supreme Court judgment pronounced in August 1986 which invalidated expulsion from school of students belonging to Jehova’s...