The controversial issue of Muslim girls wearing 'hijab' in educational institutions, which had hit national headlines last year with a government pre-university college in Udupi banning it inside classrooms, does not appear to be a serious campaign issue for the May 10 elections to the Karnataka assembly.
'The government should immediately enact an Act to make caste discrimination a criminal offence and lay down a procedure similar to that of the Anti-Ragging Act.' 'Ragging has nearly been eliminated because it is treated as a criminal offence.' 'Similar procedure should be used in case of caste discrimination.'
Medical seats for under-graduates and post-graduates remaining vacant in the NEET era, together with the Centre 'freezing' the number of medical colleges and seats in (Dravidian) Tamil Nadu and the launch of the PM's 'Vishwakarma Scheme' for the nation's craftsmen, are all seen as a bid to further reverse the state's progressive socio-economic agenda of and its achievements of the past hundred-plus years, argues N Sathiya Moorthy.
DMK blamed the Centre and state government for 'not taking appropriate, timely steps' to ensure conduct of the event and announced a state-wide stir.
Congress on Thursday took to the streets demanding the sacking of Union Minister Giriraj Singh for his controversial remarks against Sonia Gandhi.
'It's a matter of great pride that no student of Army Goodwill Schools has ever joined terrorism.'
State information and public relations minister Dr RK Ranjan said combing operations have been launched in all districts, particularly in vulnerable areas.
Bimola Thounaojam, the mother of an 18-year-old youth, has been trying frantically trying to work out how to get her son admitted to a college outside Manipur without having to go through the usual net-based admission procedure.
Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi read out the Preamble to the Constitution of India as part of the 'Satyagraha of Unity' protest.
Forgot the major events that shaped the news last week? Here's a quick recap of the incidents of the previous week.
Voicing "dissatisfaction" over remarks by Modi on Friday at a university in Lucknow, the Joint Action Council spearheading the stir asked if the prime minister would now take action against his ministers.
In Kerala, the use of black ranges from such convenience to strictures by community and religion to fashion and personal choice. One would have to be really insecure or too fond of the well settled life to see black solely as a badge of protest, points out Shyam G Menon.
Kanhaiya Kumar was shown black flags at a function here by two unidentified persons who were roughed up by his supporters before being detained by the police for questioning.
In its poll manifesto for May 10 assembly polls in Karnataka, the Congress said it is committed to take firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations such as the Bajrang Dal and the Popular Front of India (PFI) "spreading hatred" among communities on grounds of caste and religion.
In a row over the re-naming of Ujjayanta Palace, the home of erstwhile Royal family of Tripura, the Left Front government has apparently given in to the massive public protests orchestrated by Tripura Students' Federation.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Monday joined youth from the Northeast agitating to bring to book those involved in the killing of Nido Tania, a student from Arunachal Pradesh, and promised "very strict action" apart from setting up of a committee to look into the treatment meted out to people from the region.
Over 1,300 people signed the open letter within 48 hours, which was submitted to the Prime Minister's Office on Monday.
In yet another case of violence against people from the Northeast, a 29-year-old Manipuri youth was allegedly beaten to death by a group of five to six men in South Delhi's Kotla Mubarakpur area in the wee hours of the day.
A 17-year old youth was killed in violent clashes between protestors and security forces that erupted in Srinagar's old city areas after the Friday prayers.A senior police officer said Tufail Ahmad Mattoo, a class 12 student died while he was being shifted to hospital.
The government's assurance came amid reports of Meiteis fleeing the state following an 'advisory' by an ex-militant's association of Mizoram asking them to leave due to tension triggered by the viral video of two women being paraded naked by a mob in Manipur.
Violence broke out on Sunday near Kallakurichi as protesters demanding justice over the death of a girl student went on a rampage setting fire to vehicles and indulged in stone pelting, in which police personnel also became the target.
A girl who appeared for NEET and aspired to pursue medical education died by suicide at a village in Ariyalur District, the second such death within two days in Tamil Nadu, with the incident seeing a repeat of the main opposition AIADMK hitting out at the DMK regime, while chief minister M K Stalin on Tuesday vowed to continue the legal fight to remove the test.
Some important simple truths about the issue may be more helpful than high sounding debates, asserts Mohammad Sajjad.
Kerala Minister Saji Cheriyan on Wednesday announced his resignation amidst mounting criticism from various quarters, including the Opposition, over his controversial remarks against the Constitution recently.
The development comes days ahead of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state to inaugurate various projects.
'They (students) were born in a borderless world, a world of the internet and a deep-seated belief that they could live and work anywhere they wished.'
Students sought "unconditional" revocation of suspension of four Dalit students and action against those responsible for the alleged suicide of research scholar Rohith Vemula.
'I am helpless and there is no one to help me.' 'I have been on this platform since Saturday.'
The raids, taking place mainly in South India, was termed by the NIA as the 'largest ever' investigation process 'till date'.
'Modigate is snowballing into a huge thing with the electorate. The BJP is in for huge punishment by the electorate.'
'Are we supposed to look the other way as Islamists go on a rampage against Hindus and the Hasina government pay lip service to secularism?' A revealing excerpt from Avishek Biswas and Deep Halder's book, Being Hindu In Bangladesh: The Untold Story.
The CM thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his support to Jallikattu, an emotive issue which triggered mass protests across the state.
The government has displayed a tin ear in its responses to the JNU protests by using the sedition law -- and by encouraging lawyers who wear their political affiliations on their sleeves to display utter contempt for the Constitution. The Modi Sarkar has over three years of its term to run. But it may well have already sown the seeds of defeat,' says Devangshu Datta.
An unofficial and brutal justice system exists parallel to the official one, and it executes many times more of the accused than the official one executes convicts, points out Aakar Patel.
'Meiteis started feeling insecure stating that the illegal immigrant population is growing in the valley, and that the majority community would become a minority.'
A Telangana sympathiser, who set himself on fire four days ago protesting the arrest of Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, succumbed to his burn injuries in a hospital in Hyderabad.
Two custodial deaths in the last 10 days in Meghalaya's Garo Hills have triggered a wave of public protests in the northeast. Human rights bodies have demanded an immediate judicial inquiry into the incidents.
Compelling voices from the youth caught on both sides of the Kashmiri conflict.
Kapil Mishra had been invited because he was an "anti-corruption crusader", one 'IIT B for Bharat' organiser said. But in his half hour-long speech, Mishra didn't mention corruption. His entire focus was on the long "battle" Hindus had fought for their identity.
