-The Hindu With a high percentage of Muslims, Bihar’s Seemanchal region frames issues of representation and welfare In the ongoing general election, Seemanchal, a historically neglected and yet socially and politically significant region in Bihar, has once again registered a high voting percentage. Comprising four districts — Purnea, Katihar, Kishanganj and Araria — Seemanchal has a population of about 1 crore. It assumes sociopolitical significance owing to the large proportion of Muslims...

-The Hindu The exclusion of migrants from the electoral process reveals the caste- and class-driven nature of mainstream politics While political commentators have been busy analysing voter preferences in the general election 2019, one segment, namely migrants, continues to be overlooked. The Election Commission of India (EC), on February 21, clarified that NRI voters cannot cast votes online, and that an NRI who holds an Indian passport can vote in his/her hometown after...

-Newslaundry.com The election season seems to have skipped adivasis in the state that has recorded 19 deaths from starvation since 2017. On New Year’s Eve, Baghiya Birijiya lost her mother Budhni Birijiyan to hunger, cold, and extreme poverty in Latehar, one of India’s poorest districts. The family had so few means that they could not cremate the 80-year-old’s body for two days, until public pressure led the administration to intervene to provide...

-TheNewsMinute.com Out of the 506 students who have cleared the exam, 307 are from social welfare residential institutions and 199 from tribal welfare institutions. For the first time ever, 506 students belonging to the Telangana Tribal Welfare Residential Educational Institutions (TTWREIs) and Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions (TSWREIs) cracked the JEE Mains, 2019 and have qualified for JEE Advanced to be held this month. This comes as an achievement since it is...

-The Hindu Effective monitoring and implementation of programmes are required for the country to achieve its goal by 2022 In this election season, it is important to keep promises made not just to voters, but also those made to improve the lives of children, the future of the nation. Despite programme commitments since 1975, such as creating Integrated Child Development Services and national coverage of the mid-day meal scheme, India continues to...