An unprecedented economic growth during the last decade has also seen increasing malnutrition, hunger and starvation amongst certain sections of society. India ranks 66 in the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO’s) World Hunger Index of 88 countries (Inter-national Food Policy Research Institute). More than 200 million people in this country are denied the right to food. One-third of all underweight children (57 million) in the world due to lack of...

-The Telegraph   Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today put responsibilities of governance before demands for payback by a section of civil society that described as “fascist” the denial of permission to hold a protest in the heart of the city to push for demands voiced by Maoists. “There are many who had supported me before the elections and have turned away since then…. It does not matter to me,” Mamata said today in...

The return of peace and normalcy in Kashmir is a reality. And to ensure a durable and lasting peace, a humane approach to handle the law and order situation may be required. In a vibrant, democratic country, authoritarian ways of suppressing people’s voices prove to be counterproductive. It may be recalled that the law and order situation in Kashmir worsened in the aftermath of unfair and rigged assembly elections of 1987,...

-The Telegraph   Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is sticking to her position on Maoist sympathisers and seems to be in no hurry to break the ice with writer Mahasweta Devi, who yesterday called her government “fascist”. “Mamatadi is concerned about the attacks on our workers in Jungle Mahal and, as an administrator, she feels those responsible should be brought to book. Supporting their cause can’t be allowed,” said a Trinamul Congress source. The source...

-The Indian Express   "The late SR Sankaran, popularly known as the people's IAS officer was a versatile human being," said Aruna Roy. Delivering the first SR Sankaran memorial lecture on Sunday, the RTI Activist and member of National Advisory Council said, "None of us can emulate the work that he did," adding the civil service officer had battled for rights of the oppressed as long as he lived. Aruna Roy said people...