Notwithstanding Rahul Gandhi's reported assurances to the AIMPLB to keep madrassasoutside the purview of the RTE Act, there is an urgent need to formalise madrassa education. Almost 90% of underprivileged Muslim children attend madrassas. However, devoid of a modern curriculum, madrassas are unable to equip these students for the contemporary job market. This in turn limits their economic opportunities. By bringing madrassas under the provisions of the RTE Act, the Islamic seminaries...

-The Indian Express   The All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Muslim clerics have sent several delegations to the Human Resource Development ministry and even threatened to start an agitation if madrasas are not kept out of the Right to education Act’s provisions. That apart, a delegation of Congress leaders, led by Digvijaya Singh, today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to exempt minority education from the ambit of the Right to...

Some Dalit businessmen plan to launch a Rs 500 crore venture capital fund — India’s first community-focused fund. The Central government’s new procurement policy will open business opportunities worth Rs 7,000 crore for Dalit and s (ST) entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs are now gearing up to tap this opportunity by launching their own venture capital fund and increasing their production capacities. The proposed Rs 500 crore venture capital fund will be the country’s...

Justice B H Marlapalle, one of the most outspoken and distinguished judges of the Bombay high court, has set a new benchmark not only for members of the judiciary but even for high-ranking bureaucrats. A day after retirement, he vacated his official quarters and surrendered his vehicle too.  As per the norms, a judge can retain his official accommodation and vehicle for three months after retirement. During his career spanning over...

-The Hindu   Calcutta University has decided to make available answer scripts to students under the Right to Information Act, university officials said on Monday. “We have decided to give photo copies of answer scripts to students under the Act. Each student will have to pay Rs. 500 for getting his duplicate copy of answer scripts…,” Controller of Examinations Onkar Sadhan Adhikari said. The decision of the university, which had earlier declined requests...