To many Indians, the word “politician” invariably invokes familiar scenes of din and disruption in Parliament, if not the taint of corruption. Yet from time to time, a little-noticed — and perhaps rather quaint — parliamentary tradition tends to suggest that at least some of India’s MPs may have a place in their heart for issues concerning the ordinary citizen. Of the 79 private members’ bills listed today in the Lok Sabha’s...

-The Times of India JAIPUR: A day after TOI published a report, "Orphans in peril as RTE mandates parents' income, caste certificates," the Rajasthan government's social justice and empowerment department has written to the education department to soon clarify the issue of certificates mandated under RTE for orphaned children. The report had highlighted how orphans were being asked documents like parents' income certificate, caste certificate, age certificate etc. to get admission in...

-The Hindu “Hectic lobbying by private interests in education is responsible for Karnataka being a laggard among Indian States in implementing the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act,” said a senior government official on Thursday. Karnataka and Goa are the only States that are yet to notify rules that will enforce the legislation that guarantees education as a fundamental right to all children aged between six and...

-DNA While the Supreme Court of India's recent judgement to implement the Right to Education (RTE) Act has put private schools in a quandary, Gujarat government too is facing logistic, administrative and as social problems in execution of this Act. State education minister Ramanlal Vora on Wednesday spoke on these issues, elaborating that they are not only administrative but social too. A major hindrance in implementation of RTE Act is sharing of expenses...

As many as 30 per cent of adolescent girls in India (aged between 15-19 years) were married, and at least 22 per cent women aged 20 to 24 became mothers before attaining adulthood in India, says a UNICEF report. The report by UNICEF, based on a survey conducted in the period 2000-2010, says only five per cent of male adolescents were married when compared to girls. Released globally on Thursday, the report...