-The Hindu Hyderabad: A high number of people from the SC or ST communities filing cases under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act are forced to flee their homes for fear of pressure from the accused. An indication of the same is the frequent need of revalidating the relief cheques issued in favour of the complainants. This was revealed by Ranga Reddy district Collector A.Vani Prasad at a meeting of...

-The Times of India LUCKNOW: The 'schemes of the rural development department, riding on crores, will go for a proper audit now. The government is willing to bring the schemes under the lens, and if the need be, to also write to the centre to let the social audit directorate set up for monitoring the implementation of MGNREGA, expand its role in assessing the performance of schemes like IAY and PMGSY...

-The Times of India MUMBAI: Is India witnessing a spurt in unnecessary hysterectomies? Data released by international charity organization Oxfam on February 6 says as much. The agency said that unnecessary hysterectomies were being performed in Indian private hospitals to economically exploit poor women as well as government-run insurance schemes. A right to information (RTI) request filed by one of Oxfam's local NGOs in the Dausa district of Rajasthan showed that 258...

-The Times of India CHENNAI: Chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday declared that all districts of Tamil Nadu, except Chennai, were drought-hit. After a disastrous monsoon and with Karnataka proving intractable on release of Cauvery water, experts said the CM's statement appeared calculated to buttress the state's case in court for immediate relief. But Jayalalithaa injected the declaration with a sense of urgency, saying finance minister O Paneerselvam would lead a high-level team...

-Live Mint Proposal aimed at beefing up security, besides making sure development reaches neglected parts of India A day after the government pledged the partial decontrol of sugar in the next fortnight, the Union cabinet on Thursday approved a set of significant measures aimed at tackling Maoist insurgency and asserting its strategic hold over an area claimed by neighbouring China.   The measures approved involve upgrading rural road connectivity with special emphasis on...