-Outlook Hyderabad: Union government is all set to provide loans to women self help groups (SHGs) at the rate of seven per cent from April 1 next year and at four per cent to the target group in 150 selected districts, Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh announced here today. "Loans will be extended to Self Help Groups at 7 per cent from April 1 while in another 150 districts, selected...

-The Times of India They listened to chief minister Sheila Dikshit in silence but couldn't hide their disbelief. Speaking on the occasion of the launch of Delhi government's cash-for-food programme, Annshree Yojana, on Saturday, Dikshit argued that Rs 600 - the cash subsidy - was adequate for buying the monthly "dal, roti and chawal" for a poor family of around five. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was on the stage at Thyagaraja...

-The Times of India LUCKNOW: Hundreds of tribals, mostly womentook out a protest march from the Charbagh railway station to the dharna sthal in front of state assembly demanding implementation of the Forest Rights Act 2006, which provides forest dwellers individual and community rights to hold and live on forest land and use its produce. The tribals, who had come to the city from across the state, said that the distribution...

-The Hindu The European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday conducted an hour-long debate over the persistence of human rights violations against Dalits in India. While acknowledging the efforts at various levels to eradicate caste discrimination, the Parliament however, expressed alarm at the continually large number of reported and unreported atrocities and widespread untouchability practices, such as manual scavenging. On its previous resolutions on the issue (February 2007 and April 2012), the Parliament noted...

-The Hindu United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday launched the Delhi government’s ambitious food security programme, ‘Dilli Annshree Yojana’, a direct benefit transfer system and described it as a first-of-its-kind food security scheme integrated with the UID Aadhar in the country. Ms. Gandhi asserted that the scheme, under which a monthly cash subsidy of Rs. 600 will be directly transferred to the bank account of the seniormost female member of...