-The Hindu In the last three years, important entitlements for children have been undermined by the Centre The recent notification of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, making Aadhaar compulsory for midday meals in government schools, has attracted the criticism it deserves. This notification serves no clear purpose other than to force children to get enrolled under Aadhaar. The government, unfortunately, managed to create the impression that the notification had been retracted,...

-The Hindu Business Line Fails to ease distress caused by demonetisation’ New Delhi: Terming the Union Budget 2017-18, presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, as detrimental to the realisation of the welfare State, as enshrined in the Constitution, civil rights organisations said it “fails to respond to the present situation of distress and unemployment especially aggravated by demonetisation.” “The Budget seems to be perpetuating unemployment, hunger and malnutrition,” said a release by the...

-The Indian Express The scheme grants Rs 6,000 to pregnant and lactating women who go for institutional delivery and vaccinate their children. The much-talked about maternity benefit entitlement of Rs 6,000 per woman, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 31, 2016, has received a meagre allocation of Rs 2,700 crore. This is not even a quarter of the estimate drawn up by civil society groups that have been long demanding...

-The Indian Express Earlier this month, NHRC stepped in to question authorities over the rehabilitation of the 59 families, evicted for expansion of the international airport. New Delhi: Standing atop the roof of a temple, Satya Prakash, 49, pointed at the four-lane road leading up to Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal 3. “This road used to be a part of our village. There were houses stretching beyond the road,” he said. “It’s...

-IANS Mumbai: The National Human rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Maharashtra government to explain reports of sexual abuse and mystery deaths of over 500 tribal girls in state-run ashram schools, an official said on Tuesday. Taking cognisance of media reports, the NHRC has sent a notice to the state chief secretary seeking his detailed report in the serious matter within six weeks. The NHRC said that the media reports "are indicative of...