-Express News Service   At a time parties are busy holding “yatras” to seek votes in the coming Assembly election, Gorakhpur doctor R N Singh began a “yatra” of a different kind in eastern UP on Monday to spread awareness about preventive measures against encephalitis and mobilise public opinion for making it an election issue. Dr Singh has been working for eradication of encephalitis — which kills hundreds of children every year -...

On November 11, 2011, a big campaign was launched to make citizens of India aware of the Right to Education Act. The campaign has the potential to engage citizens in demanding their rights. Hopefully, the effort will also push the government at different levels to prepare to provide the “rights” as envisaged by the law.   At the core of the law is a “guarantee” — a guarantee for quality, free and...

No error in High Court order in defamation case: Supreme Court In a setback to Times Now television channel, the Supreme Court on Monday declined to interfere with an interim order of the Bombay High Court that directed the Times Global Broadcasting Co. Ltd. to deposit Rs. 20 crore in cash and Rs. 80 crore as bank guarantee in the court in a defamation suit filed by the former Supreme Court...

Ensure full compliance with Right to Free Education Act Evoking the spirit of Children's Day, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has appealed to teachers to ensure full compliance with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. In a message to the “numerous officials in the Education Department, head teachers and teachers of all the 600 districts in the country,” NCPCR chairperson Shantha Sinha said:...

Wajahat Habibullah, chairperson, National Commission for Minorities, speaks to Kavita Chowdhury on reservation for Muslims, the RTI Act and the controversy over withdrawal of AFSPA in Kashmir. You had recently visited Rajasthan. In Bharatpur district’s Gopalgarh village, some members of the minority community, Mev Muslims, were killed and the state administration was accused of mishandling the matter. What is your view? A communal riot is an unpardonable crime. The state government has taken...