-The Hindu   In his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made two important announcements, both relating to education. One affirmed the government's intention to improve the quality of education at various levels and appoint an Education Commission to go into the issues. The other outlined a plan to universalise secondary education as a follow-up to the enactment of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE), 2009...

-AFP   Booker prize-winning author Arundhati Roy launched a scathing attack on Monday on the "aggressive nationalism" behind the anti-corruption drive led by hunger-striking campaigner Anna Hazare. In a column entitled "I'd rather not be Anna" published in The Hindu newspaper, the novelist, essayist and rights activist condemned both the style and substance of Hazare's campaign that has mobilised public opinion in India. In particular she questioned Hazare's use of the hunger strike and...

-The Telegraph   Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi today came out in support of movements against corruption, but said that the rule of law alone cannot check corruption even as the relay hunger strike by supporters of Anna Hazare entered its fifth day here. Admitting to corrupt practices in government offices, Gogoi said his government was taking action to check corruption, but the effort would be rendered futile if the public did not...

Leprosy is generally taken as almost a non-issue in the country now. But, the surprise is that there has been a spurt in leprosy cases this year. No one seems to be worrying aloud about it too much, except a strange old man from Japan who has made it his job to eradicate leprosy and empower leprosy-cured people in this country. Of course, he works on the same issue in...

Anyone who came in contact with Professor R.S. Sharma — students, teachers, ordinary men and women from different walks of life as this reporter did — could not have remained untouched by him. Gentle and with a sparkle in his eyes, he came out as strong, determined and always principled. Moreover, as a historian he was never locked up in the ivory tower of academia and did not shy away from...