-The Hindu     They say Supreme Court-appointed panel's recommendations reasonable Even as the final report of the Supreme Court-appointed Technical Expert Committee (TEC) on open field trials of genetically modified crops is awaited, 51 independent international scientists with expertise in genetic engineering and biosafety protocols have approved the panel's Interim Report. The report has called for a 10-year moratorium on open field trials of Bt food crops until adequate regulatory mechanisms and safety...

-IANS   An anti-tobacco group on Thursday expressed shock over West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's joke asking people to smoke more, so more revenue could be garnered to compensate investors of the collapsed Saradha financial scam. "This is a great discouragement for those working in the area of public health," said Bhavna Mukhopadhyay, executive director, Voluntary Health Association of India. Mukhopadhyay said the West Bengal chief minister announced a 10% tax hike...

-The Hindu Waking up to the vulnerability of children in various institutions - schools, children's homes, households and other establishments dealing with minors -- the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) on Tuesday released a set of draft guidelines for prevention of child abuse. Confident that these draft guidelines, which have been now opened for comments, would be notified by next month, DCPCR chairman Arun Mathur said: "The aim is...

-The Hindu Business Line While violence against women continues unabated in India, our crime investigation and justice systems offer no comfort. The Capital has erupted once again over the gruesome kidnapping and rape of a five-year-old girl child. This time, the protests are more political with the presence of volunteers from organisations such as the Aam Aadmi Party, the ABVP, etc. But matters have come to such a head vis-à-vis the gender...

-PTI The Supreme Court today agreed to constitute a committee headed by an eminent jurist to finalise the draft rules for dealing with sexual harassment complaints of women, including lady lawyers, working at the apex court. A bench, headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir, said the name of the chairman of the Committee, which will also go into various other issues raised in the report prepared on its order, would be decided...