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Child Welfare Continues to
be Neglected
(March 12, 2007)
Despite children forming
one-third of India's
population and continued
independent reports on
their neglected state,
programs that hope to
prevent and protect their
rights received a paltry
allocation of Rs. 90 crore
(USD 20 million).<More>
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WB, Orissa, Assam Most
Hungry
(March 05, 2007)
A recent survey of
household consumer
expenditure in India by
the National Sample Survey
Organisation (NSSO) for
the period July 2004-June
2005 found that West
Bengal, Orissa, and Assam
have the most households
without enough food.<More>
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Congress Party Loses State
Elections
(February 27, 2007)
Main coalition partner of
the United Progressive
Alliance (UPA) governing
the federal government,
the Congress Party, lost
several key states
including economically
rich Punjab and militarily
rich Uttarakhand.<More>
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EU Monitors Say 4000 Dead
in Lanka
(February 26, 2007)
European Union cease-fire
monitors project that
nearly 4,000 people have
been killed in the past 15
months in Sri Lanka and
called on the government
and rebels to adhere to
the cease-fire and avoid
unnecessary killing.<More>
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Myanmar Arrests Protestors
(February 26, 2007)
Protestors demanding
better health care,
education, and economic
conditions were arrested
on the outskirts of Yangon
and state-run media warned
that other protests that
break the law will trigger
a crackdown.<More>
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UN Peacekeepers for Chad
(February 19, 2007)
Oxfam and Human Rights
Watch called on urgent
action by the United
Nations to consider
dispatching peacekeepers
to Chad to prevent a
spillover of Darfur crisis
and furthering the
humanitarian tragedy.<More>
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Fake Encounters for
Personal Gain
(February 05 , 2007)
Elements of the Indian
army and paramilitary
cooperated with rogue
police officers to
perpetrate several
cold-blooded murders of
innocent civilians in
Kashmir and faking them
as counter-insurgency
encounters for personal
recognition and awards.<More>
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SC Allows TV Evidence
(January 30 , 2007)
In a significant move,
the Supreme Court (SC)
has ruled that it will
allow television
interviews by accused
“shall be considered at
the appropriate state in
the trial†and thereby
affecting ongoing trials.<More>
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Political Color to
Religion through Sachar
Report
(January 30 , 2007)
With elections coming up
in Uttar Pradesh, the
United Progressive
Alliance (UPA)
government is reportedly
reading democratic
statistics to execute
minority welfare schemes
even as Muslims accuse
the Sachar Report of
ignoring their women.<More>
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UN Lauds Role of Women in
Governance
(January 29, 2007)
A UN report noted the
increasing participation of
women in politics and
governance in India and lauded
government policies for
reserving up to a third of
seats for women in local-level
administration to promote
gender equality and
empowerment.<More>
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SC Stays Sidhu Conviction
(January 23, 2007)
In a surprising verdict, the
Supreme Court (SC) stayed a
High Court verdict convicting
Navjot Singh Sidhu of
third-degree murder of an old
man in a fit of road rage and
allowing him to contest in the
by-election for the Amritsar
constituency.<More>
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ICDS Needs Overhaul
(January 18, 2007)
Concern over poor
implementation of Integrated
Child Development Services
(ICDS) has prompted Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh to
write to all States and Union
Territories asking them to set
up a process of dealing with
child development.<More>
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SC Upholds MP Expulsion
(January 17, 2007)
The Supreme Court (SC)
upheld the Parliament’s
controversial expulsion
of 11 Members of
Parliament (MPs) caught
in a media sting over
the cash for query
scandal and said that
the expulsion was in
accordance to law. The
Constitutional bench
voted 4-1 upholding the
expulsion but the
dissenting judge said
that the MPs should have
been tried under the
Prevention of Corruption
Act.<More>
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NHRC Orders Compensation
for STF Victims
(January 17, 2007)
In a landmark verdict,
the National Human
Rights Commission (NHRC)
found the Special Task
Force (STF) charged to
capture now-dead
criminal Veerappan
guilty of perpetrating
atrocities on civilians
and order an interim
compensation of Rs. 2.8
crore. <More>
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Longest Rock Art Chain
(January 08, 2007)
The Rock Arts Society of India (RASI) has claimed that
Madhya Pradesh hosts the world’s longest rock art chain
near Mandsaur district near Malwa for 12 kilometers (kms)
with most of its petroglyphs intact.<More>
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Child Trafficking Lacks Focus
(December 28, 2006)
Campaign Against Child Trafficking (CACT), an umbrella
organization of various groups working on the issue of
child rights protested against the Karnataka
government’s lack of focus to stem trafficking in women
and children.<More>
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Indian Art in Beijing
(December 28, 2006)
For the first time and marking an end to India-China friendship year, India
is showcasing 100 ancient antiquities of Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain art dated
from the 3rd Century BC to 18th Century AD in China and one of the largest
show showcasing of heritage outside India.<More>
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NCW Rejects Adultery Proposal
(December 26, 2006)
The National Commission on Women (NCW) citing social disempowered position
of women, has reportedly recommended that a woman, even if she is involved
in an illicit relationship, cannot be punished for adultery and be treated
as the victim under law. It has asked the government not to amend Section
497 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).<More>
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Massive Aid for J&K
(December 26, 2006)
The Prime Minister's Special task force on Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has
proposed a Rs 8,302-crore (USD 1.8 billion) aid package to develop that
state and proposed another Rs. 200 crore (USD 43.47 million) to develop a
satellite business city satellite business city..<More>
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SC Criticizes Domestic
Violence Bill
(December 25, 2006)
The Supreme Court severely
criticized the Protection of
Women from Domestic Violence
Act for “clumsy†drafting of
definition of terminology that
could easily be exploited by
some to appropriate property
of a husband and his family.<More>
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Tighter Child Marriage Laws
(December 20, 2006)
Minister for Women and Children said the new Prohibition of Child Marriage
Bill 2006 has tighter regulations that would heap jail terms and fines on
priests, police, and local leaders if they willfully permit child marriages.<More>
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India Lost 10 Million Girls
(December 15, 2006)
A senior Indian official acknowledged a “national crisis†of parents in
richer states choosing boys over girls using technology to identify and
abort female fetuses resulting in the loss of 10 million girls in the last
20 years.<More>
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Armed Forces Act Amendment
(December 07, 2006)
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visiting Manipur said that his government will
amend the Armed Forces Act withdrawing extraordinary provisions such as
shoot-to-kill thus complying with demands made by many politicians of the
North East (NE).<More>
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Siddhu Guilty of “Culpable Homicideâ€
(December 05, 2006)
Former cricketer and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP)
Navjot Singh Sidhu was found guilty by the Punjab and Haryana High Court for
his role in a road-rage incident resulting in the death of a middle-aged man
in 1988.<More>
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Federal Minister Convicted
(November 29, 2006)
Finding him guilty of conspiracy to kidnap and murder of a private secretary
was allegedly demanded a cut in a large bribe transaction, a lower Delhi
court convicted Federal Minister for Coal and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)
supremo Shibu Soren.<More>
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Japan Loan for Buddhist
Circuit
(November 23, 2006)
Japan and Singapore have
offered the Bihar State
Government loan of Rs. 5.8
billion (USD 126 million) to
develop the cultural Buddhist
circuit
Nalanda-Bodhgaya-Rajgir as an
international tourist
destination.<More>
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ASI to Reconstruct 843 Year Old Temple
(November 21, 2006)
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is planning to start reconstruction
of a 1000 pillared hall of a Kakatiya temple dedicated to Shiva build in
1163 A.D. by King Rudra Deva as its foundation was sinking.<More>
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Pakistan Changes Hudood Ordinances
(November 17, 2006)
After years of global and national criticism over laws governing rape,
Pakistan ’s National Assembly adopted the Women’s Protection Bill 2006 even
as religious fundamentalists allege that the change will make the Islamic
nation a “free sex zone.â€<More>
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Judiciary Accountability Law
(November 13, 2006)
The Federal Cabinet approved in principle to introduce a Judges (Inquiry)
Bill 2006 aimed at making High Court (HC) and Supreme Court (SC) judges
accountable for actions inconsistent with their position including
corruption charges and incapacitation.<More>
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Govt Survey Finds 41% OBC
(November 07, 2006)
The Government’s premier
statistical body found that
India has 41.1% population
belonging to the Other
Backward Classes (OBC) and not
52% as asserted by the
Government wanting to create a
vote-bank by granting them
reservation in premier
educational institutions.<More>
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Marginal Press Freedom Improvement
(October 30, 2006)
The Paris-based “Reporters Without Borders†rated Indian press freedom
marginally higher to 105 (from 106) in a list of 168 nations and most South
Asian nations to pathetically low numbers while North Korea and Eritrea
rated the worst.<More>
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J&K Autonomy Working Group DoA?
(October 27, 2006)
The Hindu reported that the
Jammu &
Kashmir (J&K) Autonomy Working group promised by Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh 5 months ago may be dead on arrival (DoA) because of a lack of
suitable leadership to lead the group and procedural issues.<More>
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SC Creamy Layer Definition
(October 25, 2006)
Introduced first in 1992 by
the Supreme Court (SC), the
creamy layer concept was
defined as those who were
children of the elite of the
Other Backward Classes (OBC)
and has now been extended to
cover those who are in the
Scheduled Castes and Tribes
too.<More>
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SC Verdicts Cuts Up Political Plans
(October 23, 2006)
In far-reaching verdicts, the Supreme Court (SC) asked the Government for
“compelling reasons†for including particular castes that are entitled for
reservations and “quantifiable†data to retain those castes in the list has
created churn in the caste-politics.<More>
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Justice Vs Judiciary Vs Legislation
(October 18, 2006)
Conviction of rapists, murderers, and terrorists 10 years late and
politically-motivated illegal cover-up commission, quota plans, and clemency
for some facing death row raise numerous questions and concerns on the
Indian democracy.<More>
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UN Wants to Stop Violence against Women
(October 12, 2006)
A study sponsored by the UN Secretary General concluded that it has found
“compelling evidence that violence against women (VAW) is severe and
pervasive throughout the world†but there is no “knowledge base to inform
police and strategy development.â€<More>
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Child Labor Law Becomes Active
(October 10, 2006)
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cajoled, threatened, and entreated the nation
to “stop employing children as workers and actively encourage them to join
schools†and that “Firm action will be taken against those violating the
law.â€<More>
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Quota Panel Report
(October 09, 2006)
The Oversight Committee submitted their proposals to the Federal Government
proposing that the contentious 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC)
be reviewed in another 5 years and again after a decade to determine the
relevance of the policy.<More>
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Judiciary vs Legislature Judgment Reserved
(October 03, 2006)
The Supreme Court (SC) has reserved its verdict on cash-for-query (CFQ) case
and the subsequent judgment will essentially define the scope of the
judiciary over Legislature or over the Executive.<More>
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SC Allows Haj Subsidy for This
Year
(September 28, 2006)
While allowing the Government
to continue with its Haj plans
for lakhs of Muslim pilgrims
this year, the Supreme Court
(SC) questioned the
Government’s continued
“largesse†to one community
while denying others of
similar facilities.<More>
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Child Labor Targets Missed, Enforcement Tightened
(September 22, 2006)
Karnataka,
home to India’s Silicon Valley, has said that it will most likely miss child
labor targets but has promised that the
new federal law aiming to curtail this inhuman
practice will be enforced strictly and more vigor<More>
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Congress Expels Natwar’s Son
(September, 07 2006)
In a major blow to Natwar Singh’s hopes of rescue by the Gandhi family, the
Congress Party expelled Natwar’s son Jagat Singh even as Jagat’s friend’s
petition in the Supreme Court (SC) for absolution from Justice RS Pathak
Inquiry commission’s indictment.<More>
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Disappearances on Rise in South Asia
(September, 06 2006)
As nations of South Asia fight terrorism, Amnesty International (AI) says
that “enforced disappearances†of people is growing and while “new patternsâ€
are emerging from Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.<More>
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Left Assault on EC
(August
31, 2006)
Bruised from stricter
enforcement of electoral
norms by the Election
Commission in the recently
concluded elections in
West Bengal (WB), the
Communist Party of India
(Marxist) have launched
a campaign aimed at culling
the EC’s authority and
control.<More>
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SC Panel to Examine
Extra-Constitutional
Legislation
(August
31, 2006)
The
Supreme Court (SC) said
that a 9-judge panel will
examine extra-constitutional
legislation through
legislation under the Ninth
Schedule of the Constitution
which makes these laws
beyond judicial scrutiny and
convenient politically
motivated policies.<More>
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‘Cash-for-query’ MPs
Pardoned? (August
23, 2006)
Rendering its ire over
corruption a sham, the
Parliament is planning
to pardon the 11
Members of Parliament
(MP) suspended for
taking cash to asking
questions in the
Parliament.
<More>
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SC Demands Identity of
Person Withholding Pay (August
23, 2006)
The Supreme Court (SC)
rebuked the Federal
Government in harshest
terms over the
non-payment of salaries
to doctors who went on
strike over the
reservation quota issue
and demand that the
name of the individual
stopping the payment be
disclosed.
<More>
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Afghan Widows Prefer
Suicide (August
22, 2006)
A recent survey by the
United Nations
Development Fund for
Women (UNIFEM) found
that 50,000 Afghan
windows in Kabul prefer
suicide to overcome the
hardships they continue
to face.
<More>
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Use Arbitration
Mechanism to Limit RTI
Disclosure
(August
21, 2006)
Capitulating to
pressure from
non-government groups
that had political
support from communist
allies and opposition
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),
the Federal Government
has placed on hold its
plan to amend the Right
to Information Act (RTI).
<More>
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SC Stays TN Temple
Ordinance (August
17, 2006)
The Supreme Court
(SC) has stayed a
politically motivated
ordinance by the
Tamil Nadu (TN)
Government
that would allow it to
appoint priests in
temples without
discrimination of
caste, creed, custom,
or usage.
<More>
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RTI Amendments Face
Opposition (August
17, 2006)
The opposition to
proposed controversial
amendments to The Right
to Information (RTI)
Act seems to have
gained momentum with
most political parties
supporting efforts by
political rights
activists to stop
dilution of the Act.<More>
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The Hindu’s Dubious
Survey Analysis (August
14, 2006)
Left-leaning national
and well-respected
newspaper The Hindu,
published a survey it
conducted on national
perception of
Government performance
with dubious analysis
slanted to favor Sonia
Gandhi and
anti-National
Democratic Alliance (NDA).
<More>
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Women Judges to Try
Rape (August 09, 2006)
A new legislation has
been cleared by the
Federal Cabinet that
provides for rape
victims to be tried by
women judges, witnesses
provided a protection
program, and victims’
right to appeal against
acquittal of the
accused, and acceptance
of video as evidence.
<More>
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