Money will be earmarked for the social sector - especially rural districts that house three-fifths of voters
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that the government was committed to ensuring that all children irrespective of gender and social category have access to education and fund constraints would not be allowed to hamper implementation of the the Right to Education Act. Addressing the nation as the Right to Education Act went into force today, he said "the government is committed to ensuring that all children irrespective of gender and social category, have access to education.
On April 2, World Autism Day, Ajit Narayanan explains how Avaz has transformed the lives of many autistic children across the world.
After months of anticipation (and 31,000 submissions from the British public), the Britain's Duchess of Cambridge's final selection of images for Hold Still is available to view on the National Portrait Gallery's website. Designed to "capture and document the spirit, the mood, the hopes, the fears and the feelings of the nation" during lockdown, the project brings together 100 moving amateur shots of everything from at-home haircuts to make-shift classrooms; exhausted NHS staffers on duty to dedicated postmen in superhero costumes; pensioners FaceTiming with their grandchildren to mothers cradling their newborn babies. Below, see 22 remarkable images from Hold Still - then head to the The National Portrait Gallery website for the full exhibition.
We all want the same things for our children. We want them to grow up to love and be loved, to follow their dreams, to find success. Mostly, though, we want them to be happy. But just how much control do we have over our children's happiness? A must read from Lachmi Deb Roy's Are You Overparenting? Why Doing Everything Possible Harms Your Child.
Bhubaneswar-based Akshaya Rautaray and Satabdi Mishra are on a mission to promote reading.
Challenge yourself to use the new words you have learned while listening and reading, in your conversations, suggests language expert Aditi Mehta.
Describing his maiden experience of overseeing the organisation of a Test match as an "interesting experience", high court-appointed observer Justice Mukul Mudgal said it feels like a 'daughter's marriage'.
The wrong of victimising, targeting and persecuting homosexuals on the basis of archaic and prejudiced ideas has gone for long. Time we set it right, says Mohd Asim.
'We will be hoisting the tiranga, but this kind of celebration is uncalled for when the farmers in this country are dying by suicides, their families are ravaged by poverty and farmers are not enjoying any freedom.'
'This brush with mortality has made Baba more domesticated than before. He wants to spend every waking minute with his twins and wife.'
Many or sometimes all the teachers are pulled into administrative and other non-teaching duties, says Anjuli Bhargava.
Some believe she should no longer be the face of the struggle to free Myanmar from the new military dictatorship, observes Prakash Bhandari.
Kavitha Kuruganti has been fighting for decades to ensure farmers are respected and get their due from the Indian nation. In order to ensure they don't struggle for a living, she works to ensure sustainable farm livelihoods and farmers' rights.
Surjewala said the digital platform will air eight hours of live programming from April 24, but will not be on the Satellite or OTT.
From climate change protests to democratic uprisings against biased and violent authorities, it is clear that 2019 was a pivotal year for citizens all over the world. Free-to-use mobile app Agora launched its first #Photojournalism photo competition to give photographers a way to shed light on specific issues. The competition gathered more than 12,321 submissions from amateur and professional photographers all over the world. 'Young guns,' a striking picture of a group of Filipino children playing with dumpsite toy guns collected the most votes in the app, awarding its author @renebernal with a $1,000 cash prize. Take a look at the winners' striking work.
Jim Sarb and Ishwak Singh are a force to reckon with and deliver a soaring tribute to the two pillars of India's science world in Rocket Boys, applauds Sukanya Verma.
Participating in an online session, a panel of Hindu-American women, from different walks of life, expressed their strong views in favour of President Trump.
In this weekly self-help series, mental health and life coach Anu Krishna tells you how to take control of your life.
She was kidnapped by child traffickers when she was 14. Today, this 17 year old wants to become a lawyer so that she can help the survivors of such henious acts.
'Mr Kejriwal has played it cool in distancing himself from Delhi's hotspots, adroitly pandering to the BJP's Hindu vote.' 'He neither visited the scene of JNU violence nor has he dropped by at Shaheen Bagh,' notes Sunil Sethi.
'We know there will be an end to this epidemic temporarily.' 'We probably should get a couple of years break before it comes again.'
'You will not have a vaccine for everyone initially.'
In a major boost to education sector, the Union Cabinet has cleared the long-pending Right to Education Bill, which promises free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14.
In emerging nations such as China and India, where a college education was a rarity just a generation ago, tens of thousands of students graduate each year from universities that are on par with the best in the world, says the Microsoft chairman.
Communications between the USTR and the world's most powerful pharmaceutical and trade lobbying groups reveal that many raised concerns about India's push to exempt Covid vaccines from intellectual property.
We asked you to share pics and stories of your furry companions. Sukumar Seal wrote to us sharing his pet dog Sam's story.
Jyoti Punwani pays tribute to Syed Feroze Ashraf, the eternal do-gooder who changed the lives of many children.
The Congress leader said a 'storm' was brewing on the economic front that will cause damage and hurt many.
The superstar received the World Economic Forum's prestigious Crystal Award in Davos.
Hindu festivals are now becoming occasions when anti-Muslim hatred is expressed freely through slogans and songs that are full of abuse against Muslims or calls to either kill them or humiliate them, observes Apoorvanand.
'How do we define what is correct for our children? Morality has transformed beyond recognition from the time we were growing up,' Irrfan tells Subhash K Jha.
'Removing Biplab Deb and replacing him with Manik Saha is a fruitless exercise that the BJP national leadership has indulged in.' 'It is foolish to think that people will forget what these two have done to the state and its people in the last four years.'
'What I'm really worried about is that the day this lockdown ends, we will all rush to work and we'll kill the lovely environment we are seeing now.'
The changes in the labour law also provide for stricter punishment for employers for violation.
The mythical creature of the sea are now quite real. Women are turning to mermaiding for an emotional lift and for fitness! Reuters photographer Pilar Olivares plunges into the lifestyle.
We have our own problems for sure and they are not trivial, but for now, our economy is in not too bad a shape, our politics is as personality-driven and authoritarian as that of most countries in the world. We must make the best of what we have and not be excessively unhappy looking at the grass on the other side of the septic tank which may not be greener after all!, observes Shreekant Sambrani.
The ex-PM urged the people to elect a government that upholds the Constitution of India and the principles of democracy and brings about inclusive growth for all.
