-The Times of India NAGPUR: The rural police, under a project to empower women and initiate village-based community service, have adopted a policy to reach out to young girls through various means. Roping in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the rural police plan to place complaint boxes in 426 girls' school in the district and set up a mobile library. In the backdrop of the shocking gang rape and dacoity at Kuhi last month,...

-The Hindu Gandhi’s country must set an example by abolishing capital punishment, says Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer The President has dismissed the mercy petitions of four of Veerappan’s associates who had been sentenced to death. They should not hang. I appeal to the authorities to remove the death sentence from the statute book. Every state execution amounts to nothing but murder. The people of India must rise against such grave crimes by the...

-The Guardian The government's decision to allow major infrastructure projects to go ahead without obtaining consent for forest clearance paves the way for the violation of village land rights, say rights groups Land and tribal rights in India have been dealt a new blow after the government announced last week that major infrastructure projects will be exempt from obtaining consent for forest clearance from tribal communities living in the forest, a decision...

-The Times of India LUCKNOW: The incessant rains in the past two days and the ensuing flash flood forced the Corbett National Park evacuate tourists on Saturday and close down the park for 24 hours. The park was reopened on Sunday afternoon. The park authorities said that the streams that ran down the park's length and breadth were so strong that even the tourist vehicles would have flown away. "That's why we...

-PTI In a bid to ensure free and fair elections and curb the use of money power, the Election Commission has disqualified as many as 2,171 candidates for failing to furnish details of expenditure incurred while contesting Parliamentary and Assembly polls. These candidates will face the bar for three years from the date of disqualification by the Commission, with the maximum being up to January 2016. The move is part of the poll...