The six interlocutors appointed by the West Bengal government more than four months ago to explore the possibility of talks with the Maoists informed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday of their decision to pull out of the exercise. “We have expressed our desire to be relieved of the responsibilities assigned to us by the State government,” a key interlocutor told The Hindu here. The decision conveyed in a letter comes on...

Private school admissions may soon see a sweeping change if the government has its way after notifying rules under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act. While the government plans to ensure 25% reservation for underprivileged children by assigning officials to closely monitor the admission process in all schools, including unaided private institutions, a proposal to impose a firstcome-first-served rule may do away with preferential admissions...

Those living in the ravines of Dholpur love two things the most - their moustaches and arms. Grown up amidst the fear of bandits, people residing in this region say that keeping various arms at home was a 'compulsion' earlier but gradually it has become a 'status symbol' for them. Moving ahead, some of them have no hesitation in gifting arms varying from rifles to pistols to their would be...

Here in Delhi, you can buy a litre of petrol for a little less than Rs 69. A cylinder of cooking gas costsRs 405. But there's one state capital where petrol costs Rs 200 a litre and gas a staggeringRs 2,000 a cylinder. That city is Imphal, the capital of our easternmost state, Manipur. Since August 1, the state has been hostage to a withering siege: a blockage of two...

Two Maoists were killed and two security personnel of the 10th Naga Battalion seriously injured in an encounter that began shortly after two Trinamool Congress supporters were shot dead by a group of left wing extremists at Ghatbera in the Balarampur area of West Bengal's Purulia district on Monday evening. The gun-battle continued through the night till early on Tuesday. The exchange of fire occurred when the security forces ambushed the Maoist...