Junior Hockey World Cup: Indian women beat Australia 3-2
By IANS,
New Delhi : Monorama Devi converted a last minute penalty corner to give India a 3-2 win over Australia in their opening game of the Women's Junior World Cup Hockey in Boston.
Ritu Rani (45th) and Monika Badran (53rd minute) were the other scorers for India while Casey Eastham (31st) and Marnie Hudson (60th minute) were the scorers for Australia in Monday's match, according to information received here.
It was a tough game for India, who were eleventh in the last edition of the tournament, but they did well in the second half by pumping in all the three goals.
Newspaper by rural Indian women wins UN literacy award
By IANS,
United Nations : A newspaper produced entirely by women in rural India is among the four winners of this year's Literacy Prizes awarded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).
Khabar Lahariya, the fortnightly newspaper distributed to more than 20,000 readers in Uttar Pradesh, is entirely created and marketed by newly literate "low caste" women who are training as journalists in Chitrakoot and Banda districts.
Punjab to allow sisters to tie rakhis to prisoner brothers
By IANS,
Chandigarh: Extending a special gesture to women whose brothers are spending time in jails across the state, the Punjab government Monday announced that sisters will be allowed to tie rakhis to their imprisoned brothers Wednesday.
Jails Minister Hira Singh Gabria said that special instructions were being issued to jail officials all over the state to allow women to tie rakhis to their brothers who are lodged in jails across the state.
The Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan, which symbolises the bond of love between brothers and sisters, falls Aug 5.
Hundreds of women march in Delhi for reservation bill
By IANS,
New Delhi: Hundreds of women from many parts of the country Monday marched in the capital demanding that parliament pass the bill to reserve 33 percent of legislature seats for women.
The march to parliament was organised by the All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA).
The women marched from Ramlila Maidan holding banners and placards, and raising slogans asking, "President (Pratibha) Patil's speech promised Women's Reservation Bill in 100 days - Why the broken promise?"
The march reached Parliament Street where a mass meeting was held.
Women to get free bus ride in Delhi on Rakhi day
By IANS,
New Delhi : Women in the capital city can enjoy a free ride in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses Wednesday on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit announced Monday.
"Women in Delhi would be able to travel free in DTC buses on Raksha Bandhan day. The decision has been taken to ensure that women can easily reach their brothers' place," Dikshit told reporters.
She said women will be allowed to ride free in all ordinary DTC buses and the green low-floor buses till 5 p.m. Wednesday.
HIV woman returns to hospital after rape-accused arrested
By IANS,
Chandigarh : Almost two years after an HIV-positive woman was allegedly sexually abused by staff members of a leading hospital and the state AIDS control society, the victim has resumed treatment at the facility following the arrest of the two accused.
According to the police, accused James, a senior technician of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh and Nek Ram, a counsellor with Chandigarh AIDS Control Society were arrested Friday.
A case of rape has been registered against the accused.
Punjab Police asked to submit report on women cells’ working
By IANS,
Chandigarh : Acting on a complaint by a city-based NGO, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission Saturday sought a report from the state police chief about the functioning of women cells meant to deal with cases of dowry demands, domestic violence and matrimonial disputes.
The Global Human Rights Council (GHRC) had filed the complaint with the commission after its officials conducted a secret survey about the women cells of 13 districts of Punjab following hundreds of complaints from aggrieved families and individuals against their functioning.
Women gain more health benefits out of exercise
By IANS,
Washington : A long-term study of over 8,700 middle-aged men and women has shown that women experience greater health benefits than men as a result of exercise.
The analysis of this large Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study was carried out by Keri Monda and colleagues at North Carolina University (NCU).
4 girls held in Chhattisgarh for running sex racket
By IANS,
Raipur: Eight people, including four girls, were arrested here Friday for their alleged involvement in a sex racket, police said.
Acting on a tip off, a police team led by Additional Superintendent of Police, Shashimohan Singh, raided a house in Raipur's posh Devendra Nagar, and arrested eight people, including four girls, on charges of operating a sex racket.
Police said two girls belonged to Mumbai while two belonged to Mana locality on Raipur's outskirts.
They were operating a sex racket from a rented house. All the accused are in their early twenties, police said.
Life term for killing husband upheld
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Friday upheld the life sentence for a woman who had killed her husband in 1996 for marrying another girl.
Asra Bano had strangled her husband to death in July 1996 after she came to know that he had secretly married another girl.
According to the prosecution, Asra Bano had chopped off her husband Raju's private parts after killing him. She had then gone to the chamber of a public prosecutor in the Delhi High Court and confessed her crime.
Women’s panel to submit report on Amethi ‘atrocities’
By IANS,
Lucknow : The National Commission for Women (NCW) Friday said it will submit within a week a report on the police attack on women in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi town.
"I visited Amethi and met the women injured in the baton charge by police. I saw their medical reports," Neeva Konwar, a member of the NCW, told reporters in Lucknow after returning from Amethi.
The police allegedly broke into the houses of some residents of Amethi July 13 after they staged a noisy protest against the deteriorating power supply in the town.
Chhattisgarh cop held for setting woman on fire
By IANS,
Raipur : A member of the Chhattisgarh Armed Forces (CAF) has been arrested for setting a woman on fire after she refused to provide him liquor, police said Friday. The woman is battling for life.
The incident took place late Thursday in Surguja district, some 350 km from here. The woman is warded in a government hospital with 90 percent burn injuries.
The policeman, Ambuj Shukla, asked Sushila Paswan, a 38-year-old widow of Ramanujganj area, to get home-made liquor for him. He got upset when she refused.
Men against violence-5: Men also face violence but…
By Nasiruddin Haider Khan,
Dhaka : Do the men also face violence within domestic sphere? I come across this question from my friends. They alleged, activists do not want to see violence faced by men in the home. Sometimes, they cite examples of men in abusive relationships. I also wanted to share this question with activists. I was afraid that I will be blamed politically incorrect if I ask this question to anyone from the women’s movement. I thought I will be branded with certain ideological terminology. But during Dhaka Consultation, I gathered courage and raised this question.
24-year-old woman found dead
By IANS,
New Delhi: A 24-year-old woman was Thursday found dead under mysterious circumstances in her rented house in south Delhi, police said.
Veerpal Kaur alias Nikki was found dead in her rented fourth floor accommodation in Kalkaji area after police broke open the doors, locked from outside.
The body, reportedly found semi-nude, has been sent for an autopsy.
Police said Kaur hailed from Moga in Punjab and worked as assistant project manager in an IT company in Okhla.
Institute withdraws punishment after senior girls apologize for ragging
By IANS,
Lucknow: The Indian Institute of Information Technology Allahabad (IIIT - A) administration Thursday said it will soon withdraw the fine and punishment on 19 senior girl students after they apologized for ragging junior girls.
On Tuesday, 19 B. Tech final year girl students were fined for ragging newly admitted girls at the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Allahabad.
Besides a fine of Rs.50,000 each, the institute also withdrew the scholarship of the girls expelled from the hostel after the matter came to light.
Haryana village women to get exclusive meeting place
By IANS,
Chandigarh: Rural women in Haryana will get "women chaupals" - an exclusive common meeting place for them - in all villages across the state.
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said Thursday that the women chaupals, each costing Rs.300,000 and having a covered shed, would be constructed in all villages in a phased manner.
Nearly 100 model villages in the state have already got these women chaupals. The first phase of the project was started by the Haryana government in 2008-09.
Verdict in Buddha Garden rape case likely Friday
By IANS,
New Delhi: A city court is likely to pronounce its verdict Friday on the sensational Buddha Jayanti Park gang rape case of 2003 involving four members of the President's Bodyguards as the accused.
Additional Sessions Judge S.K. Sarvaria had reserved the order last week and is likely to pronounce it Friday.
According to the prosecution, the victim had gone with her friend Ashish to the park near the Rashtrapati Bhavan Oct 6, 2003 and was raped by Harpreet and Satendra while Kuldeep and Manish kept guard.
Women strip to prevent raids at illicit liquor dens
By IANS,
Lucknow : Officials conducting raids to recover spurious liquor in Uttar Pradesh had to leave the exercise midway when some women involved in the illegal business reportedly stripped off in front of them, officials said Thursday.
Acting on a tip-off that several illicit liquor manufacturing units were running in Devidas village of Muzaffarnagar district, a 25 member team of the excise department went there to conduct raids Wednesday evening. However, a group of women began stripping before them.
Men against violence-4: Men engagement is the need of women’s movement
This will add to women's movement
By Nasiruddin Haider Khan,
Woman found dead in Delhi
By IANS,
New Delhi: A 40-year-old woman was found dead with head injury marks in her southwest Delhi home Wednesday, police said.
Manju Chabra was found dead in her house in Dabri by her 20-year-old daughter around 11.30 a.m., a police officer said.
"The door of the house was found locked from outside. The woman was lying on the floor with injuries to her head. The victim's two daughters and son had left the house in the morning," the officer said.
Police suspect that her husband Nanakchand Chabra, who is absconding since the incident, is behind the murder.
Gayatri Devi: People’s princess who loved lilies and horses
By Madhusree Chatterjee,
New Delhi: The feisty princess Ayesha, daughter of the erstwhile maharaja of Cooch Behar, shot her first panther at the age of 13, stunning everyone. Six years later, the beautiful woman who came to be known as Maharani Gayatri Devi stunned her family again by falling in love with prince Sawai Man Singh of Jaipur.
She called him "Jai" and insisted on marrying him, never mind that he already had two wives and that her own family was against the match.
Number of rape cases rising in India
By IANS,
New Delhi: India has recorded a rise in the number of rape cases during the past five years with states like Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal accounting for a large number of them, parliament was informed Wednesday.
According to the data compiled by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), a total of 20,737 rape cases were registered in 2007 against 19,384 in 2006, while the figure was 18,359 in 2005 and 18,233 in 2004 against 15,847 in 2003.
The data tabled in parliament pointed out that the maximum number of cases were registered in Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.
Day-long workshop in Kerala to fight cyber crimes against women
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : The Kerala government will host a day-long workshop Aug 1 to find ways and means to tackle cyber crimes against women, state Social Welfare Minister P.K. Sreemathi said here Wednesday.
"Even though the police department does not maintain separate registers on cyber crimes against women, it is now common knowledge that women, especially school and college girls and young women, are falling prey to this crime," Sreemathi said.
Sudanese woman faces 40 lashes for wearing trousers
By DPA,
Nairobi : A woman Sudanese journalist and United Nations worker could face up to 40 lashes Wednesday for wearing trousers.
Lubna Ahmed Hussein, a columnist and public information officer at the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), was arrested in Khartoum along with 13 other women in early July.
Ten of the other women were given 10 lashes for breaching Islamic law, but Hussein demanded a lawyer and delayed her trial.
She has invited local and foreign journalists to view her flogging should she be convicted.
Men against violence-3 : Violence strike at one’s heart
By Nasiruddin Haider Khan,
Dhaka : Why we talk so passionately about gender based violence? Why do we put so much energy on it? The big question is WHY? WHY?? WHY??? Answer lies on the impact of violence. Is not so?
Pushing TRPs up for the girl child
By Anjali Singh, CNS,
Lucknow: She epitomises the plight of girl children in India to the neglected, rejected, abused and sold off like property, "Laali", the character that Ratan Rajput plays in the popular tele serial "Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi kijo", has become an instant hit with viewers all over . No prizes for guessing why.
Tribal women protestors in Lalgarh teargassed
By IANS,
Lalgarh (West Bengal): A Trinamool Congress team, including two junior central ministers, visited this trouble-torn belt Tuesday and demanded the withdrawal of the ongoing security operations before police staged a baton charge and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a group of agitating tribal women.
Congress walkout over Chhattisgarh girls’ trafficking
By IANS,
Raipur: The opposition Congress staged a walkout Tuesday in the Chhattisgarh assembly, accusing the state's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of doing little to prevent trafficking of thousands of youth, mainly girls, from poor families to metros.
The house witnessed a heated debate when the government replied in the assembly it was doing its best to trace out an estimated 7,000 people missing in the state for many years.
I am in race to become governor: Indian American woman
By Gurmukh Singh, IANS,
Toronto : Yet another Indian American, this time a woman born to Sikh parents from Amritsar, is in the race to become governor of a US state.
Nikki Randhawa Haley, 37, who is in the fray for the post of governor of South Carolina in the US, says she is in the race to win. If she gets elected, Nikki will be the first Indian American woman to become governor in the US, and the second Indian after Bobby Jindal of Louisiana state.
Two Orissa women injured in acid attack
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar: Two women in this Orissa capital were critically injured when a youth allegedly threw acid on them, police said.
"Two girls, Rashmirekha Behera, 23, and Kainath Ali, 21, suffered serious burn injuries following the attack. We have detained the person. We are trying to establish the motive behind attack," Deputy Commissioner of Police Amitendranath Sinha said.
The women were attacked while they were waiting for public transport near Imartidevi College here.
Woman’s in-laws arrested for causing forceful abortion
By IANS,
New Delhi: The in-laws of a 22-year-old woman were arrested here Monday after she accused them of drugging her and causing her to abort her over one month-old foetus, the police said.
Impreet Kaur, in her complaint to the Geeta Colony police station, alleged that her husband Rajdeep Singh, a property dealer, and in-laws, Gurdeep Singh and Devendra, took her to the house of her husband's sister two days ago.
At her sister-in-law's house she was allegedly given a sedative laced tea and after that the "foetus was removed". She had married Singh in December last year.
Court asks Kumble’s wife to mutually settle daughter’s issue
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday asked India's former Test cricket player Anil Kumble's wife Chethana to try to reach an out-of-court settlement with her former husband Kumar V. Jahgirdar on the issue of their daughter's custody.
A bench of Justice Tarun Chatterjee and Justice R.M. Lodha gave this advice to Chethana Kumble and her former husband Jahgirdar while hearing her lawsuit. Chethana challenged a Bangalore family court's decision to entertain his plea for the custody of their daughter, now living with her and Kumble.
Men against violence-1: Learn masculinity from Mahatma Gandhi?
By Nasiruddin Haider Khan,
Dhaka : "Women have raised their voices against gender-based violence. They have fought for policies and laws. But now it is high time that women's movement should engage men. There are enormous challenges to counter violence against women. Without involving men, it is not possible to prevent gender based violence."
Hillary Clinton hopes to see a woman president, but wouldn’t run again
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Onetime rival of President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton says she hoped there would a woman US president in her lifetime but doubts she herself would run for America's top job again.
It was a "daunting" challenge for a woman to run for president, Clinton now secretary of state in Obama's cabinet told NBC's "Meet the Press" programme Sunday.
"It will take the right woman who can make the case and win the votes and get elected. I am certainly hoping it will happen in my lifetime."
12-year-old girl found hanging from tree in West Bengal
By IANS,
Kolkata: A 12-year-old girl was Sunday found hanging by the neck in a bamboo grove near her residence in Nadia district of West Bengal, police said.
Police said the body of the girl, a class 6 student of a Muragacha Subodhoni High School, was found to be without clothes and suspended about six inches above the ground.
"This is an incident of murder. We can't say if the girl was sexually assaulted. That can only be said after the post-mortem examination report and other necessary forensic tests," Superintendent of Police (Nadia) H. Kusumakar said.
Nitish orders police transfers after stripping of woman in public
By IANS,
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Saturday reshuffled the state's top police brass following an alleged assault and stripping of a woman by a group of men here. The incident shocked the nation.
Fourteen Indian Police Service (IPS) officers including the inspector general of police and the deputy inspector general have been transferred.
Top police officers in Patna, including district and city police chiefs, have been removed and posted at different places.
Fourteen deputy superintendents of police have also been transferred.
Women’s groups urge centre to address grievances of rape victims
By IANS,
New Delhi : The National Commission for Women (NCW) along with its Delhi wing Saturday urged the central government to address the grievances of rape victims with sensitivity.
Several advocates, NGO workers and the members of the NCW and the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) held a seminar to discuss the guidelines approved by the Delhi High Court a few months back to tackle sexual offences with more sensitivity.
Girija Vyas, chairperson of NCW, pointed out that there is lack of sensitivity in the country towards sexually assaulted women and children.
BSF women step closer to creating history at the border
By Alkesh Sharma, IANS,
Hoshiarpur (Punjab) : As they thumped their feet into the ground for the final parade as trainees, they all knew that they are just a step away from their destination - of being the first women to be guarding India's international borders.
The Kharkan camp of the Border Security Force (BSF), 15 km from this Punjab town, saw history being made Saturday as 178 women recruits were inducted into the BSF fold after their impressive passing out parade here.
4 women allegedly slain by own family in possible `honour killing’
By DPA,
Montreal : Canadian authorities have charged an Afghan immigrant, his wife and their oldest son with four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of three Montreal sisters and an older female relative.
Zainab Shafia, 19, Sahar Shafia, 17, and Geeti Shafia, 13, all sisters, were found dead with Rona Amir Mohammed, 50, in a submerged car June 30 in the historic Rideau Canal near Kingston, Ontario.
From the beginning, investigators were baffled how the car managed to negotiate several obstacles to end up in the canal tail first, without leaving any skid marks.
Stripping of woman in public to be probed
By IANS,
Patna : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered state police chief D.N. Gautam to inquire into the alleged assault and stripping of a woman by a group of men here after the opposition and women's rights activists created an uproar over the incident.
Officials said the chief minister ordered Gautam to undertake the probe Thursday night although the police headquarters had already asked Inspector General (Patna zone) Sunil Kumar to look into the incident.
Push for women’s reservation bill, activists tell MPs
By IANS,
New Delhi : Civil society groups working for women's rights Thursday urged the MPs to keep the issue of the women's reservation bill alive in parliament and push for its speedy passage.
Ranjana Kumari, director of Women Power Connect, while welcoming the increase in women's numbers at 'panchayat' (village council) level, said the bill for 33 percent reservation for women in parliament must be passed and should be a priority for all parliamentarians.
The Indian Ulema and Muslim Women’s Education
By Maulvi Waris Mazhari,
(Translated from Urdu by Yoginder Sikand)
Saina gets a bye in World Badminton Championships first round
By IANS,
New Delhi: India's world No.6 Saina Nehwal got a bye in the women's singles first round of the World Badminton Championships in Hyderabad August 10-16.
For the sixth seed Saina it could be a smooth ride till the quarterfinals. In the third-round, she may face 10th seed Bulgarian Petya Nedelcheva and if she overcomes her, she may run into second seeded Lin Wang of China in the quarterfinals.
Gangubai ushered in women’s power in music: cultural fraternity
By IANS,
New Delhi/Bangalore : The cultural fraternity across the country mourned the death of legendary Hindustani classical singer Gangubai Hangal, saying her demise ended an era of women's power in traditional Indian music which had conventionally been a male bastion.
Gangubai was an exponent of the Kirana gharana.
Now women will guard the frontiers
By Jaideep Sarin, IANS,
Attari (Punjab) : They might not be taking on combat positions straightaway but women guards of the Border Security Force (BSF) will soon be deployed in Punjab villages along the 553-km fenced border between India and Pakistan.
BSF officials say nearly 180 young women recruits, aged between 18 and 22 years, will be deployed along the India-Pakistan border soon after they complete this week their physical training at the BSF's Kharkan camp, 10 km from Hoshiarpur town. Some recruits will be deployed on the India-Bangladesh border later.
Women bless Mamata Banerjee for first ladies’ train
By IANS,
Kolkata : A day after Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee flagged off the first ladies' special local train, hundreds of jubilant women showered their blessings upon the West Bengal leader and wished her well.
The first ladies' special train was flagged off Sunday and started plying from Howrah to Bandel station Monday. The train would run twice daily during peak hours from Monday to Saturday every week.
Exciting times to be a woman, Clinton tells students
By IANS,
New Delhi : These were exciting times and a better time in human history than any other to be a woman, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday and asserted that this was an opportunity and responsibility she "willingly" accepted.
Addressing a gathering of over 1,000 people, mostly students, at the Delhi University here, Clinton added that in the 21st century, women's woes were as important as any other.
Best time in history to be a woman: Clinton
By IANS,
New Delhi : Visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Monday said that the modern age is the best time to be a woman.
"It is exciting and if there is any better time in human history to be woman it is right now in the modern world. For me, this is a tremendous opportunity and responsibility that I willingly accept," Hillary told an audience of over 1,000 at the Delhi University Convention Hall in the Old Viceregal Lodge. The event was hosted by Delhi University Vice Chancellor Deepak Pental.
World Archery: Indian women get bronze
By IANS,
Kolkata: The cadet compound women's team gave India a bronze medal on the penultimate day of the 11th Youth World Archery Championship at Ogden (Utah) in the US Saturday.
The Indian troika of Prerna Bhagat, Nilam Kumari and Sairkonda Jayalakshmi downed Russian Federation 211 (28) - 211 (26) after the two combatants tied at the end of 24 arrows. In the three-arrow shoot off, India managed 28 points to Russia's 26.
Two other Indian teams, cadet recurve men and cadet compound men, lost to superior opponents, Italy and the US, 199-215 and 207-229, respectively.
59-year-old woman murdered in Delhi
By IANS,
New Delhi: A 59-year-old woman was killed and valuables from her west Delhi house looted in a broad daylight Sunday, police said.
Sumitra Gulati was at her house with only her five-year-old grandson Pranav when a robber impersonating as a cable TV operator came in. The woman was stabbed to death, and Rs.50,000 in cash and some jewellery were taken away.
"The neighbours told us that Pranav said a man had come to repair the cable TV. The boy went to the first floor and when he came down he saw his grandmother lying in room in a pool of her blood," a police officer added.
Woman burnt to death by in-laws for dowry, alleges family
By IANS,
New Delhi: A 28-year-old woman, married for seven years, was allegedly burnt to death Sunday by her in-laws in Delhi, police and her family said.
Deepika Bajaj, who has a six-year-old daughter, called police before dying and told them that she had been set on fire by her husband and in-laws, an official said.
"We received a call at around 8.30 in the morning when the deceased woman, Deepika Bajaj, called us before dying and told that she has been set on fire inside her home by her husband and in-laws," the police officer said.
Banerjee flags off ladies special train in West Bengal
By IANS,
Kolkata: Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday flagged off the first ladies special EMU train and 19 augmented 12-coach EMU services in Howrah division in West Bengal, in line with the commitment she made during her 2009-10 budget speech.
"This special ladies local train would ply between Howrah and Bandel station twice daily during the peak hours. It will help the women passengers of the Howrah division to travel comfortably during the office hours," Banerjee said during the flagging off ceremony.
Imprisoned Mumbai Haj House Imam’s daughter gets sponsor for her education
By Abdul Hameed, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: Qaumi Majlis-e-Shura (QMS) will now bear the education expenses of Nasreen Ghulam Yahya, daughter of arrested Mumbai Haj House Imam Ghulam Yahya.
The announcement to this effect was made by QMS general secretary Farid Khan in a function held yesterday to reward Urdu Medium SSC toppers. In the program Nasreen was given a cheque worth Rs 88,000 and Rs 2,000 in cash.
‘Nasreen has taken admission in a Maharashtra college. The 88,000 is meant for her 11th, 12th and CAT coaching classes in Mahesh Tutorial,’ told Farid Khan.
Small town girls log on to search for suitable boy
By Himanshu Dubey, IANS,
New Delhi: Nineteen-year-old Deeksha Batra wants a perfect partner. She has not left the "job" to her parents alone but has turned to matrimonial sites to look for the "perfect" man.
"Small town families are conservative; so they go for arranged marriages. But at times things go horribly wrong. I want to be sure and so I turned to matrimonial sites to find the perfect match," Batra said.
"Matrimonial sites are a better option any day," Batra, who lives in Faridabad, adjacent to the national capital, told IANS.
Divorce cases in courts: AIMPLB launches refresher program for Muslim lawyers
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board today launched a national program whereby Muslim lawyers taking up Muslim divorce and other related cases in the Supreme Court and High Courts will be briefed on the issues in the light of Quran and Hadith, so that they could help courts understand the letter and spirit of Shariat on such issues.
Impressed with Indian women, Clinton seeks more opportunities for them
By IANS,
Mumbai: "Impressed" with Indian women, US Secretary of State of Hillary Clinton Saturday said that while "enormous progress" has been achieved in their empowerment, much more needs to be done.
Addressing a press conference here on the first morning of her five-day visit to India, Clinton said: "I am very impressed with Indian women."
"I have been in touch with a number of organisations that are promoting economic opportunities and greater choices in the lives of women here in India. Enormous amount of progress has been made in this field," she added.
Pinki to smile again, to be given free education
By IANS,
Lucknow: Eight-year-old Pinki Sonkar, the protagonist of the "Smile Pinki" documentary that won an Oscar, has just got another reason to smile with the Lucknow Public Schools and Colleges (LPSC) authorities deciding to provide free education to her.
The LPSC made the announcement after a section of media reported that the little waif still washes utensils in her village in Mirzapur, in order to meet the expenses of her family.
Woman shot dead for marrying outside caste
By IANS,
Patna: An 18-year-old woman was shot dead by her uncle in Bihar's Kaimur district for marrying a man from a different caste, police said Saturday.
Nikki Kumari, 18, was shot dead Friday in Kudra in Kaimur district by her uncle Bhanu Pratap Singh for marrying a backward caste boy against the wishes of the family.
"It was like an honour killing," a police officer said.
Kumari, a resident of Dalmianagar in Rohtas district, married Dipak Yadav last month against the wishes of her parents and other relatives.
Blueline bus mows down woman doctor in Delhi
By IANS,
New Delhi: A 71-year-old woman doctor was crushed to death by a Blueline bus in the national capital Friday.
Rajeshwari Dewan, a resident of Safdarjung Enclave, was run over while she was crossing the road near Bhikaji Cama Place in south Delhi around 9 a.m., a police official said.
The woman, who was working with a charitable trust, died on the spot. The bus driver fled from the spot, the police said.
Chandigarh man gets death for sodomy, murder of 6-year-old
By IANS,
Chandigarh: A man, who sodomized and later murdered a six-year-old boy, was given the death sentence by a court here Friday.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Raj Rahul Garg had Tuesday held Pappu Paswan guilty in a case of sodomy and murder of the six-year-old boy.
The entire evidence in this case was completed in a single day during which statements of 12 witnesses were recorded and cross-examined.
The victim, who went missing Feb 13 this year, was last seen with Paswan, the witnesses told the court.
Mauritius hiring only women from Indian subcontinent
By IANS,
Dhaka : Mauritius is phasing out male workers and hiring only women from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, a newspaper report here said Friday, quoting a local labour recruiting agent.
The recruiting agent, who was not named, said the southern African island nation would not send back workers before their job contracts expire but it now has a policy of not hiring male workers from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.
Bangladesh has been concerned at reports from Mauritius that the latter will send back 6,000 workers, employed mainly in its garment industry.
‘70,000 drug addicts in Kashmir’
By Majid Kapra, Agence India Press
Srinagar: “There are about 70,000 drug addicts comprising 26 per cent women,” said a survey conducted by United Nations International Drug Control Programme.
The survey said the educational institutions had become the hub of such activities. “The drug paddlers run their operations by poisoning the thoughts of student community. It includes Ganja, Heroin, Cocaine, LSD, and injecting morphine and drinking alcohol,” the report added.
Women MPs, activists slam Joshi’s remarks against Mayawati
By IANS,
New Delhi : Women parliamentarians and activists Thursday slammed Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi's offensive remarks against Chief Minister Mayawati saying they were "inappropriate and uncalled for".
Congress MP Mohsina Kidwai described Joshi's remarks as "not appropriate", when asked to comment on it.
Space for women in Masjid, that is, room for women in Muslim community
By Najiya O., TwoCircles.net,
Virginity test of tribal women for state-sponsored marriage unacceptable: AIPWA
By TwoCircles.net News Desk
New Delhi: While strongly condemning the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh government’s move for virginity test as precondition for tribal women to avail the benefits of state mass wedding scheme, the All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA) has demanded the government to rollback the order and give compensation to the women who were subjected to humiliating virginity tests.
10 women drown, 20 missing in Maharashtra boat capsize
By IANS,
Nagpur : At least 10 women drowned and 20 were missing after two boats in which they were travelling overturned in the Waingangan River in eastern Maharashtra's Bhandara district, a police official said Saturday evening.
The incident occurred around 12 km from the Bhandara district headquarters, 840 km east of Mumbai.
According to Superintendent of Police Suresh Sagar, who is supervising the rescue operations, there were between 30-35 women in two boats which were tied together and were crossing the river Saturday evening.
Women’s College of Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Movement: Struggle for Women’s Education and establishment of Women’s College
By Afzal Usmani
Two arrested for tormenting Dalit woman
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Two men were arrested on charges of tonsuring a Dalit woman and parading her in an Orissa village for allegedly having an extra marital affair with her nephew, police said Saturday.
The incident took place in Kashimpur village in Bhadrak district, 150 km from here, July 5 but came to light after her husband lodged a police complaint Thursday when the woman attempted suicide.
Woman among 13 new ministers inducted in Kashmir
By IANS,
Srinagar : A woman politician who has survived at least five assassination attempts was among the 13 new ministers inducted in the Jammu and Kashmir government Saturday.
With this, the strength of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's six-month-old coalition has gone up to 23.
Governor N.N. Vohra administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers, who include seven from the National Conference, six from the Congress and one from junior coalition partner, the National Democratic Party.
Shabana addresses global summit on women’s abuse in Afghanistan
By Subhash K. Jha, IANS,
Mumbai : Ignoring her family's concern for her safety, Bollywood actress Shabana Azmi visited Afghanistan this week on an invitation by the UN to be the main speaker at a global summit to address the issue of violence against women.
Shabana left for Kabul Tuesday night although her family, including husband Javed Akhtar, expressed fear for her safety in the war ravaged country.
"Danger is fun," the actress said before departing.
Woman burnt alive by priest in Madhya Pradesh town
By IANS,
Bhopal : A woman was allegedly burnt alive by a priest after she resisted his advances in a village in Madhya Pradesh's Damoh district. The woman succumbed to her injuries in a hospital Friday evening, police said.
The woman, Vinita Patel (27), in her dying declaration to the police said, "The priest, Devki Prasad Tiwari, entered my house in a bid to outrage my modesty and when I protested, he doused me with kerosene and burnt me." The incident took place in village Piprodha Chakkar in Damoh, 280 km from here.
Book suspended officials as accused: Shopian probe report
By IANS,
Srinagar : The commission probing the rape and murder of two women in Shopian town in south Kashmir May 30 has recommended that the five officials suspended after the crime be booked as accused, Jammu and Kashmir Finance and Law Minister Abdul Rahim Rather said Friday.
Woman kidnapped in Kathmandu, trail leads to India
By IANS,
Kathmandu : Amid increasing incidents of lynchings triggered by suspicions of kidnapping, Nepal police Friday said they had rescued an abducted young woman who was being taken across the border to India.
Isha Bhattarai, from Jhapa district on the Indo-Nepal border and a second-year student in the Padma Kanya Campus, was abducted from a busy area of the capital Thursday while she was going to college, police said.
Muslim women in the slums: poorest of the poor
A study of the maternity care and births in Mumbai slums
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net,
A large number of Muslims of India live in poverty and they are the majority of the poorest of the poor living in slums. This is according to a study conducted in 2006 in Mumbai. The details of the study were published earlier this month.
Kashmiri women lift veil, eye career in the skies
By Agence India Press,
Srinagar: Far from the violence and unrest that have marred the capital of disputed Kashmir, a group of young women swap their burqas for smart suits and stilettos and dream of a career in the skies.
The inauguration of an international airport in Srinagar in February gave youngsters in Kashmir's main city an alternative to traditional careers in medicine and teaching, and the valley's first aviation academy is now grooming them for the skies.
Be alive to the purpose of life: Maharashtra HSE topper Nazima Almas Sayed
By Najiya O., TwoCircles.net,
“It feels great!” says Nazima Almas Sayed. And she has every reason to feel so – she bagged the first rank in the Maharashtra Higher Secondary Examination. Her achievements have not stopped there. She got second place in Vidharbha in the state Medical Entrance Exams, first in the state entrance for private colleges ASSOCET and second in the state Sevagram exams.
Nazima, a student of the Shivaji Science College of Nagpur, topped the HSE exams with 98.5% marks. Over 11.84 lakh students had attended the exam conducted in February-March.
Mary Kom calls for inclusion of women’s boxing in Olympics
By IANS,
New Delhi : Four-time world champion Mary Kom has called for the inclusion of women's boxing in the Olympic Games.
The Indian said she was hopeful that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at its executive board meeting scheduled August 13 would take the decision in favour of the sport.
"Boxing is my career and my life. I am just hopeful that the IOC gives us female boxers the perfect answer," Mary Kom was quoted as saying in International Boxing Association (AIBA) website Wednesday.
Jamaat Islami’s women wing protests Nicolas Sarkozy’s remark on hijab
By Abdul Hameed, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: As a part of the ongoing agitation against the French president Nicolas Sarkozy’s statement calling hijab a sign of ‘subservience’, the women wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind’s Maharashtra unit handed over a memorandum to the Consulate General of France in Mumbai and urged them to take it to President Sarkozy.
Women’s boxing team to compete in Russia
By IANS,
New Delhi : A five-member Indian women's boxing team will compete in the International boxing tournament at St Petersburg, Russia.
The team, also comprising two coaches, left New Delhi Tuesday for the three-day tournament starting Wednesday.
Team: Kalpana Choudhary (48 kg), Chhoto Loura (51), Sushma Kumari (54) Laxmi Padhya (75), N. Sangeeta Devi (81).
Chief Coach: B.C. Bhatt
Coach: Jaivir Singh
Budget gives boost to women, child development schemes
By IANS,
New Delhi : Schemes to improve female literacy, credit support and microfinance to rural women as well as children's heath and education have been given prime importance in the union budget announced Monday.
The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme - for providing health, nutrition and education services to children up to six years of age, pregnant women and nursing mothers - has been granted Rs.6,705 crore (Rs.67.05 billion) in the budget.
Goa BJP aims to woo minorities
By IANS,
Panaji : The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) latest membership drive in Goa will aim to increase the number of minorities and women in its ranks, a party spokesman said Monday.
Speaking to reporters at the launch of the state wide membership drive, former state BJP president Rajendra Arlekar said: "We would definitely like to see an increase in the percentage of minorities in the BJP ranks."
He, however, refused to divulge the exact number of registered minority members in the party rolls.
Patil first woman non-royal head of state invited by British Queen
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : Later this year, Indian President Pratibha Patil will become the first woman non-royal head of state to be hosted by Queen Elizabeth II in her 57-year reign as British monarch.
When 'commoner' Patil comes visiting Britain Oct 27-29, she will be only the fourth female head of state to be staying with the Queen on her invitation - all the other 94 have been men.
Clear rehab scheme for rape victims, women’s panel asks PM
By IANS,
New Delhi : The National Commission for Women (NCW) has urged the prime minister to implement a rehabilitation scheme for rape victims that would help rebuild their lives.
The commission has sent a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in this regard requesting him to clear the scheme as soon as possible.
"We met the prime minister over this scheme and have also sent him a detailed letter on why rehabilitation of rape victims was necessary," NCW Chairperson Girija Vyas told reporters here Saturday.
Women’s commission seeks nationwide debate on legalising gay sex
By IANS,
New Delhi : The National Commission for Women (NCW) Saturday called for a nationwide debate on the Delhi High Court's landmark ruling that decriminalised gay sex in the country.
"It is a very complex issue and needs to be studied in detail," NCW Chairperson Girija Vyas told reporters here.
"Before taking any decision, we need to have a nationwide debate on this. Even the government is in favour of a debate on this issue before taking any decision," Vyas said.
BSP leader, 2 aides booked for raping woman
By IANS,
Lucknow : A Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader and his two aides have been booked for allegedly raping a 25-year-old married woman in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly district, police said Saturday.
"BSP leader Sumer Singh, who is in charge of the party's affairs in the Nawabganj assembly constituency of Bareilly, along with two of his friends raped the woman after abducting her," police Inspector Veer Singh Nayak told IANS on phone.
A case was registered against them Friday on the complaint of the victim's husband.
From now, women commandos to be deployed on trains
By IANS,
New Delhi : Indian Railways will deploy women security personnel and increase their number in the proposed commando battalions, Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee said in the railways budget presented in parliament Friday.
The women Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel will be deployed to ensure security of women passengers, particularly on routes where a large number of them travel alone regularly, Banerjee said while presenting the budget.
Neela Satyanarayan is Maharashtra’s first woman election commissioner
By IANS,
Mumbai : Retired civil servant Neela Satyanarayan has been appointed the State Election Commissioner (SEC) of Maharashtra, official sources said here Thursday. She is the first woman in the state to hold the post.
Succeeding Nand Lal who retired recently as the SEC, she will take charge of her new assignment soon.
Satyanarayan retired as additional chief secretary from the state government three months ago.
Where are the women religious leaders?
By Vishnu Makhijani, IANS,
Astana : Whatever the third Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions held in Kazakhstan might have achieved, it did prove that when it comes to religious leadership, women are yet to break through the glass ceiling.
A list circulated by the organisers featured the names of 184 participants - and only 13 of them were women.
Violence against women and religion
By Asghar Ali Engineer,
Religion is believed to be divine. It is divine in more than one sense. Firstly it is divine in the sense that its teachings are motivated by purest of intentions; secondly it is divine as its teachings are transcendent as religion exhort us to transcend what is to, what it should be in society as well as in our personal conduct. But soon after birth of religion it gets mixed up with customs and traditions already existing in society on one hand, and, on the other, powerful interests, often very negation of its teachings, begin to control it.
Woman to woman: Pratibha Patil to visit Britain Oct 27-29
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : President Pratibha Patil will visit Britain Oct 27-29 in a state visit showcasing the close ties between India and Britain, officials said.
"This is a visit that will reinforce the point that our relations are excellent," said Indian High Commissioner Shiv Shankar Mukherjee after the government and the royal family announced the visit.
Indian woman foiled in bid to smufflr 18 kg ketamine to Malaysia
By P. Vijian, NNN-Bernama,
Chennai : An Indian businesswoman who tried to outwit Customs officials by trying to smuggle 18 kg of ketamine to Malaysia by concealing them inside a kitchen grinder has been nabbed at the Tiruchi Airport in this capital of southern Tamil Nadu state.
Air Customs at the airport detained the 45-year-old suspect from the Virudhunagar district in Tiruchi when she was preparing to board a flight to Malaysia on Saturday.
The contraband, worth nearly 400,000 Ringgit (about 113,000 USD), was found when Customs officials were scanning her luggage.
Bangladeshi woman whipped over 200 times, critical
By IANS,
Dhaka : A widow was whipped 202 times and a man 101 times following a fatwa by a religious leader for their alleged involvement in "anti-social activity" in a village in southeastern Bangladesh, prompting local protests and action by the police.
Piara Begum, a widow of 40, and Mamun Miah, 25, were whipped before hundreds of people at Khaiyar in Comilla district Saturday night.
The woman fell unconscious and was rushed to hospital. Doctors said she was critically injured and needed to be given intensive treatment.
Two bright kids of Azamgarh
By Salman Sultan, TwoCircles.net special correspondent
Azamgarh: Musaid Helal Khan son of Motasim Billah Khan passed his X Class through ICSE board examination securing over 94% marks. He stood first not only in his school Jyoti Niketan but perhaps the whole district of Azamgarh.
Indian women win hockey Champions Challenge II
By IANS,
Kazan (Russia) : Rani Rampal scored four goals as Indian women crushed Belgium 6-3 to win the inaugural Champions Challenge II hockey tournament here Saturday.
Rani, who emerged as the tournament's top scorer with eight goals, struck in the 17th, 38th, 44th and 54th minutes. Besides, Saba Anjum (20th min) and Thokchom Chanchan (49th min) scored a goal each. Skipper Valerie Vermeersch (40th, 52nd) and Boon Jill (55th) scored for Belgium.
Delhi records 3,900 incidents of domestic violence against women
By Kanu Sarda, IANS,
New Delhi : Three years after the pathbreaking Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act was introduced, the Indian capital has recorded a whopping 3,901 cases - possibly the highest in the country. However, relief under this law has not been swift, say lawyers and women.
States like Kerala (3,287 cases), Chattisgarh (2,921), Maharashtra (2,751), Punjab (2017), and Andhra Pradesh (1,625) also recorded too many incidents of domestic violence. This is as per court data available with some - though not all - states till February 2009.
Safe, comfy and chatting away – women’s empowerment at PCO booths
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Anjali Kher, 33, a small-time designer from Srinagar, keeps in touch with her family in the Kashmir Valley from the public telephone booth next to her home in Delhi.
"The booth remains open till midnight and I drop in almost every day after work to call my father and my brothers," Kher, who lives in Mayur Vihar, told IANS.
The public telephone - including the PCO (public call office) phone booths with STD facilities - in India has become a tool of empowerment for women in middle class India, particularly migrants.
A dropout herself, she sends village children to school
By Maitreyee Boruah, IANS,
Mysore : Her day begins on an unusual note. Kalasamma, head of a village council in Karnataka, goes from door to door to ensure that all the children there are going to school.
This is the routine that Kalasamma, 33, a school dropout herself, has been following for the last four years. Her Heggadapura village is located in Mysore district, about 150 km from Bangalore.
Wimbledon: Sania out of women’s doubles
By IANS,
London : Sania Mirza's run in Wimbledon women's doubles ended when she and Chia-Jung Chuang of Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) went down 2-6, 3-6 to Russia's Alla Kudryavtseva and Monica Niculescu of Romania in the second round here Saturday.
The 15th-seeded Indo-Taiwanese pair frittered away opportunities and could convert only one of their seven break points. They in return were broken four times in the 87-minute match.
Farah Pandith play leading role engaging Muslims: Clinton
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that as US special representative to Muslim communities Farah Pandith, a Kashmiri-origin woman, will "play a leading role" in US efforts to engage Muslims around the world.
"I am pleased to announce the appointment of Farah Pandith to serve as Special Representative to Muslim Communities," she said making a formal announcement about the creation of a new office responsible for US "efforts to engage with Muslims around the world on a people-to-people and organizational level".
Woman power pulls Orissa’s chariots of gods
By Byomakesh Biswal, IANS,
Baripada (Orissa) : It's a tug of equality. For women in the small town of Baripada that has come alive during the Jagannath rath yatra, pulling the chariot of goddess Subhadra is as much about empowerment as it is about tradition.
The Hindu chariot festival is observed in many parts of India, with mostly men doing the tugging, but in Baripada it is a unique affair because there women have the exclusive right of pulling the chariot of goddess Subhadra - the sister of Lord Jagannath - in an act considered sacred.
Delhi woman now tells court policemen did not rape her
By IANS,
New Delhi : A woman who had accused five police officials of raping her in a police station here Monday, admitted before a court Thursday that her allegation was false.
A 35-year-old woman had alleged a station-house officer (SHO) and four constables gangraped her inside the Inderpuri police station three days ago. On Thursday in a statement before a city magistrate she said that she leveled false allegations against the policemen as the SHO had tightened the screws against illegal activities in the area.
Self-help groups to arm women against economic slowdown: Tirath
By IANS,
New Delhi : India is strengthening its self-help groups to involve women in income generating work to arm them against the impact of economic meltdown, Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath said.
Addressing the plenary session of the third East Asia Gender Equality Ministerial Meeting at Seoul Thursday, Tirath said India is committed to uplift women in every sphere of life.
She said the government is making all efforts to protect women from the impact of economic slowdown on their health, nutritional level and economic sustainability.
Woman power pulls Orissa’s chariots of gods
By Byomakesh Biswal, IANS,
Baripada (Orissa) : It's a tug of equality. For women in the small town of Baripada that has come alive during the Jagannath rath yatra, pulling the chariot of goddess Subhadra is as much about empowerment as it is about tradition.
The Hindu chariot festival is observed in many parts of India, with mostly men doing the tugging, but in Baripada it is a unique affair because there women have the exclusive right of pulling the chariot of goddess Subhadra - the sister of Lord Jagannath - in an act considered sacred.
Woman fails to identify policemen she accused of rape
By IANS,
New Delhi : A woman, who has accused five policemen of raping her in a police station this week, failed to identify them when the police station staff was paraded before her Thursday, police said.
"She was called up for her help in identifying the accused policemen, but during the re-examination of her statement contradictions were found and these are being examined," Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said.
Indian Muslim woman to be the US representative to the Muslim world
By TwoCircles.net news desk,
New Delhi: A woman of Indian descent, Farah Pandith has been made special representatives of the United States to the Muslim world. A statement released by the US State Deparment said that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has made Ms. Pandith incharge of a special department created for outreach efforts in the Muslim world.
New Delhi: A woman of Indian descent, Farah Pandith has been made special representatives of the United States to the Muslim world. A statement released by the US State Deparment said that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has made Ms. Pandith incharge of a special department created for outreach efforts in the Muslim world.
‘Harassed for dowry’ woman jumps to death from Ghaziabad mall
By IANS,
Ghaziabad : A 23-year-old married woman jumped to death from the third floor of a mall on the Delhi-Ghaziabad border Wednesday afternoon, police said, suspecting it to be a "case of dowry-harassment" by her in-laws driving her to commit suicide.
Saraswati had gone to the East Delhi Mall (EDM) in Kaushambi Towers with her husband Dhirendra Kumar, a property dealer of Bhovapur locality in Ghaziabad.
Muslim women in India are in miserable condition: Uzma Naheed
By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net
Uzma Naheed comes from a family of the founders of Darul Uloom Deoband. She is a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and has been working for the upliftment of the Muslim women in India and abroad.
Though she comes from the religious establishment she is very critical of religious establishment for keep Muslims in intellectually and socially miserable condition.
The Veiled West
By M. Burhanuddin Qasmi
The Muslim women veil issue in France is gradually taking an ugly shape across the world. The ‘extra’ liberal people possessed with Western life style even in the East count banning ‘burqa’ as women ‘liberation’ from ‘the dark age’ in tune with French president Nicolas Sarkozy, yet majority of Muslims across the globe consider it as direct attack on one’s freedom of living and religious practicing. It is nothing less than forceful conversion of Muslim women to the Western civilization, some argue.
In death, Iranian woman gives voice to resistance
By DPA,
Washington/Tehran : In the four days since her murder on the streets of Tehran, Neda Agha Soltan has become the face of the anti-government movement in Iran.
The amateur video of Soltan collapsing on the street Saturday after being shot through the chest, her eyes hauntingly staring into the camera, has now been seen by millions across the world.
The 26-year-old philosophy student was believed to have stepped out of her car for fresh air on a street near demonstrations against the disputed June 12 presidential elections. Her music teacher was with her.
Burqa is Muslim woman’s choice: Indian Muslims react to Sarkozy
By IANS,
New Delhi : Many Indian Muslims Tuesday reacted sharply to French President Nicolas Sarkozy's burqa remarks saying wearing a veil was a matter of individual choice in Islam and not a sign of a woman's subservience as the French leader has said. India has the third largest Muslim population in the world after Indonesia and Pakistan.
Women legislators oppose banning jeans on campus
By IANS,
Lucknow : Taking up cudgels on behalf of students, women legislators in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur district have opposed a proposal drafted by several college principals, banning students from wearing jeans on campus.
Women legislators demanded that the proposal of the Uttar Pradesh Principals Association (UPPA) should not be implemented in any of the colleges in the state and said they would raise the issue even in the state assembly, if UPPA goes ahead with the proposal.
Assam girl still waits for justice
By TwoCircles.net news desk
New Delhi: Justice still hesitates to come near certain people. Ruksana Begum of Hailakandi district in Assam is one such unlucky girl, who has been waiting for justice to come her way for more than two years.
Ulema express concern over social curse of dowry
By RINA
New Delhi: Expressing grave concern over the evil practice of dowry, Deoband’s Sheikhul Hadees Maulana Talha ‘Peerr Ji’ said, “Numerous mishaps of dowry in Saharanpur during last few months have forced Ulema, Muftis and intellectuals to contemplate on the issue deeply.”
Sania overcomes Groenefeld to reach Wimbledon second round
By IANS
London: India's Sania Mirza made light of the second set loss to outlast German Anna-Lena Groenefeld 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 in the opening round at the Wimbledon tennis championships here Monday.
The 22-year-old Hyderabadi maintained her unbeaten record against the 52nd ranked German, beating her for the third successive time. She next plays 28th-seeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea, who beat compatriot Edina Gallovits 7-5, 6-1.
Sania looked good to wrap up the match in straight sets but a lapse in concentration saw her literally throw away the second set.
Cover-up of Kashmir rape, murder case ‘reprehensible’: CPI-M
By IANS
New Delhi: Demanding "most stringent punishment" to the guilty, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Sunday said the alleged "cover-up" attempts by the Jammu and Kashmir government in the rape and
murder of two women was "reprehensible".
The CPI-M central committee in a statement said: "The initial efforts of the local administration to cover-up the truth and to pass it off as an incident of drowning is extremely reprehensible."
Intermediate topper Talat Nazneen wants to become IAS officer
By Mudassir Rizwan, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: Talat Nazneen Zakia has secured first position in Intermediate examination 2009 in Bihar, and thus has become pride of not only for her family but her educationally backward community also – the community where more males are literate than females.
Tripura women set to play vital role in local bodies
By Sujit Chakraborty, IANS,
Agartala : Even as the nation debates the women's reservation bill, women in Tripura are getting ready to stand up and be counted in elections to local self-government bodies next month.
Political parties across the board are positive about nominating women candidates for the three-tier panchayat polls July 20.
Congress leader Ratan Lal Nath told IANS: "Yes, our party is already in the process of nominating more women now than in the previous panchayat election."
Social work through “Sangini”
By Salman Sultan, TwoCircles.net special correspondent
Azamgarh: Dr. Madhuri Singh is the daughter-in-law of a doctor couple. Both her in-laws, Dr. Rajdeo Singh and Mrs. (Dr.) K.R. Singh were doctors practicing in Azamgarh. Her husband, Dr. Kishore Singh, is a Pathologist and runs Singh Diagnostic Centre in Azamgarh city. Mrs. Madhuri is blessed by two children: elder son, has done M.Tech from USA and is working in Pittsburgh, USA; daughter is pursuing M.Sc in Counselling Psychology from Christ Church College, Bangalore.
News channels in India are in adolescent phase: Arfa Khanum
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
Television journalism is one of the most glamorous jobs of new India. Arfa Khanum Sherwani as principal correspondent and news anchor for NDTV India holds one of those glamorous jobs. Her home in New Delhi is an example of simplicity. She used to be in front of her camera, but this time she was the subject of the interview. I asked her about television journalism in India which is barely a decade old.
Akhilesh Yadav bats for 25 percent reservation for women
By IANS,
Lucknow : Adopting a softer stand on the women's reservation bill, Samajwadi Party MP and Uttar Pradesh state unit chief Akhilesh Yadav Sunday said his party could support the move if the reservation is brought down to 25 from 33 percent.
"The percentage should be decreased from 33 to 25. Then only can our party consider supporting the women's reservation bill in parliament," Yadav told reporters in Barabanki district, 40 km from here.
Anjuman-e-Islam felicitates Maharashtra topper Almas Sayed
Abdul Hameed, TwoCircles.net
Mumbai: The Allama Latifi Hall of Haji Saboo Siddiq College, Byculla, thronged with students, parents and teachers on Saturday. They have gathered there from different parts of Mumbai and its suburbs to felicitate Almas Sayed who stood first in all the nine higher secondary boards of Maharashtra.
Sania loses Birmingham tennis semifinal
By IANS
Birmingham: India's Sania Mirza blew a set advantage against Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova to go down 6-3, 0-6, 3-6 in the Aegon Classic tennis semifinal here Saturday.
Sania, who had beaten Rybarikova in their only meeting before, was appearing in only her second semifinal of the year. She had reached the Pattaya Open final in February.
The 22-year-old Hyderabadi, who played two matches Friday, recovered from a break down in the fourth game of the first set and then reeled off four games in a row for a 5-2 lead. She then comfortably served out the set in the ninth game.
Rag-picking girls’ date with prime minister Saturday
By IANS
New Delhi: It was a dream come true for 12-year-old Useeran Sheikh, a rag-picker, as she shook hands with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday, and requested abolition of child labour and quality education for all children in the country.
Sheikh with two other rag-picker children met the prime minister at his 7 Race Course Road residence in the capital.
"I liked it very much. This is the first time I am meeting the prime minister. I never thought this would ever happen to us," Sheikh said excitedly after leaving the Prime Ministers' House.
Woman, paramour held for husband’s murder
By IANS,
New Delhi: A married woman and her paramour allegedly killed her alcoholic husband after he caught them together in their north Delhi shanty four days ago, police said Friday, adding the duo have been arrested.
Kashmira and her paramour Amit allegedly stabbed an inebriated Mohinder Singh to death in their hut in Kishan Ganj area June 8. They hid the body in the house for over 30 hours and then threw it near a drain.
Girl pushed from Charminar by ‘boyfriend’ dies
By IANS,
Hyderabad: An 18-year-old girl who was injured after allegedly being pushed down from the historic Charminar by her 'boyfriend' died Friday, police said.
Police said Sameera, a resident of Talabkutta neighbourhood in the old city, succumbed to her injuries Friday at the government-run Osmania General Hospital.
Doctors said the girl had sustained head injuries and both her legs and a hand were fractured.
Meanwhile, police have arrested Arshad, who had escaped after allegedly pushing the girl down from the first floor of the monument Thursday evening.
Flavia Agnes on Muslim personal law
By Yoginder Sikand, TwoCircles.net
Flavia Agnes is a leading feminist scholar, women’s rights lawyer and social activist based in Mumbai. She has written and worked extensively on Muslim women’s issues, communalism and religion-based personal laws in India. In this interview with Yoginder Sikand, she talks about her work.
Q: Could you tell us something about your own background?
Teenager repeatedly raped by father, made pregnant twice
By IANS,
Lucknow: A 15-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh has accused her father of raping her for the last three years and making her pregnant twice, police said Thursday.
"The class 10 student, who is a resident of Mahadev Nagar in Aligarh district, alleged that her father forced her into an illicit relationship with him, threatening her with dire consequences," police inspector Udaiveer Malik told IANS over telephone from Aligarh.
Nand Kishore, who is absconding, is a lecturer at a college in the Sonbhadra district. A case has been registered against him, he added.
Raped Dalit woman struggles for justice in Orissa
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar: A month after a Dalit woman in Orissa was allegedly gang raped by four men, including a former leader of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the police have arrested only one of the accused. Opposition parties claim that a minister is shielding them and are demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A 24-year-old woman has accused politician Mahesh Agarwal and three other men of having raped her at Paikmal in Bargarh district, about 350 km from here, May 10.
Wife, separated for years, cannot sue husband for torture: Apex court
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has ruled that a woman, living separately from her husband for years without taking divorce, cannot accuse him of torturing her after years of separation.
A bench of Justice Mukundakam Sharma and Justice B.S. Chauhan gave the ruling while upholding the conviction and sentence of an Assam government official on charges of bigamy.
But the bench set aside the conviction for physical and mental torture allegations levelled by the estranged wife, who had been living separately for years.
Displaced Pakistani women suffer more due to customs, says report
By IANS,
Lahore : Displaced women in Pakistan are in dire need of medical help by female health professionals as their customs and traditions bar them from even talking to a stranger, a media report said Wednesday.
"At the Shaikh Shahzad and Shaikh Yaseen camps for displaced people, there are thousands of expectant women, and their deliveries are due in the coming months," said assistant professor Asima Karim, who recently spent about a week in Mardan, heading the first medical team comprising woman doctors and nurses from the University of Health Sciences.
Leading Deoband Ulema oppose Women’s Reservation Bill
By RINA,
Deoband: Some of the leading Ulema of Deoband have shown their opposition to 33 per cent Women’s Reservation Bill that has again gained momentum due to the elevation of Ms. Meira Kumar as the first woman speaker of Lok Sabha in the history of independent India.
This issue has ruffled many a feathers in not only in the political circles but also in the realms of religion. Many Ulema are from the world renowned Islamic seminary of Darul Uloom have opposed the bill.
Normal life resumes as Kashmir shutdown lifted
By IANS,
Srinagar: Life limped back to normal in the Kashmir Valley Tuesday after eight days of a shutdown and violent protests, even as fresh violence left at least 20 people injured during demonstrations over the alleged rape and murder of two women.
Educational institutions, business establishments, government offices and banks resumed their work after remaining closed for the last eight days.
Court asks doctors to decide on abortion for rape victim
By IANS,
Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court Tuesday ordered the setting up of a special committee of doctors to decide on terminating the pregnancy of a 19-year-old mentally challenged rape victim as she does not have a guardian.
Justice Surya Kant directed the Chandigarh administration to form a committee comprising senior doctors of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and an additional sessions judge, who will act as a member-cum-coordinator.
The committee will submit its report within 10 days of its constitution, the court said.
Paramours of married women beware!
By IANS,
New Delhi: Paramours of married woman beware! The Supreme Court has ruled that a man having an affair with a married woman and unwittingly driving her husband to end his life out of humiliation is liable to be held guilty of abetting the suicide.
A vacation bench of Justice Mukundakam Sharma and Justice B.S. Chauhan ruled thus while endorsing an Andhra Pradesh High Court ruling convicting and jailing Guntur resident Dammu Sreenu for three years.
Two more join opposition to women’s quota bill
By IANS,
New Delhi: After Sharad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav, another Yadav leader, Lalu Prasad, Tuesday added his opposition to the women's reservation bill, terming it as a conspiracy against regional parties to keep their leaders away from power.
Rebel Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh too termed the bill, which proposes to reserve 33 percent seats in parliament and the state legislatures for women, as a conspiracy against regional parties.
Muslim organizations welcome Women’s Reservation Bill, demand separate quota for SC, ST and Muslim...
By TwoCircles.net news desk,
Muslim organizations welcomed the resolve shown by the UPA government for the introduction of 33% reservation for women in Parliament and legislative houses but they demanded separate quota for SC, ST and backward classes, particularly Muslim women.
Ms.Parveen Abdi, founder Secretary General of All India Muslim Women’s Personal Law Board, appreciated the UPA chairperson and all those who have supported the move for the introduction of women’s reservation bill and termed the move as a historic leap in women empowerment.
Address female infanticide first, then women’s quota: Akali MP
By IANS,
New Delhi : It was her maiden speech in parliament and Speaker Meira Kumar didn't mind giving her an extra two minutes. Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur surprised many with her poise as well as passionate anger over female infanticide and the plight of farmers in Punjab.
"More than 2,000 female babies are killed everyday," the graceful Kaur informed Lok Sabha (lower house), asking members to address the shameful practice of killing of unborn female foetuses.
Women’s quota bill passage will invite agitation: Mulayam
By IANS,
New Delhi : Days after President Pratibha Patil declared the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in parliament as one of the top priorities of the government, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav Monday opposed the bill saying that its passage would invite an agitation.
Mulayam Singh, who argued for the provision of reservation for women from the backward classes and minorities in parliament, warned of an agitation if the bill was passed in its present form.
He further demanded convening of an all party meeting to seek opinion of various political parties.
Bear kills woman in Himachal Pradesh
By IANS,
Shimla: A bear mauled to death a woman in a Himachal Pradesh village, police said Sunday.
The victim, Devki Devi, 60, was grazing livestock when she was attacked by the bear near Nerwa village of Shimla district Saturday, police said.
Her body was recovered from the bushes by her family members.
Pugmarks from the spot showed that the woman was mauled by an adult bear, police added.
In the Chopal region, the sighting of the Asiatic black bear is common from May onwards when it comes out from hibernation.
Male power officials forced to wear bangles
By IANS,
Lucknow: Agitated over rampant power outages, Congress party workers led by a woman made electricity department officials in an Uttar Pradesh district wear bangles - a measure to shame men - police said Saturday.
"Nearly 50 Congress party workers, including its district president Tripti Awasthi, were booked today (Saturday) for making the government officials wear bangles to register their protest," Lakhimpur Kheri Superintendent of Police S.R.S. Aditya told IANS on telephone.
Sharad Yadav’s suicide threat on women reservation condemnable: AIPWA
By TwoCircles.net News Desk
New Delhi: The All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) has strongly condemned the ‘suicide’ threat by JD (U) President Sharad Yadav against the Women's Reservation Bill.
AIPWA Joint Secretary Kavita Krishnan said that “this was not the first time Sharad Yadav had given vent to his anti-woman sentiments. In the past he had made disparaging and abusive statements about educated women, calling them 'parkati' and the like.”
Women’s bill, disinvestment to top government agenda
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
Having succeeded beyond its expectations in the recent elections, the Congress seems to have decided to play some of the cards which it couldn't do in the last five years.
Thus, the emasculation of the Mandal brigade comprising parties of the backward castes has made it promise to bring the women's reservation bill within 100 days, and the elimination of the Left's earlier clout has encouraged it to opt for disinvestment of the public sector.
Hong Kong peeping Tom took over 1,000 sneak photos of women
By DPA,
Hong Kong : A Hong Kong peeping Tom, who was caught as he snapped a picture up the skirt of a woman on an escalator with his mobile phone, had more than 1,000 similar pictures, a court report said Thursday.
Police found 346 pictures taken up the skirts of women and more than 700 photos showing the backsides of women wearing mini-skirts and shorts.
Thirtynine-year-old Chan Yung who claimed to be a university professor, appeared in court Wednesday pleading guilty to committing an act to outrage public decency.
Nazima Sayyed topped Maharashtra State Board HSC Examination
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
Mumbai: Almas Nazima Sayyed, a student of Shivaji Science College of Nagpur, has topped the examination with 98.5 percent marks.The Maharashtra State Board for secondary and higher secondary education declared Higher Secondary Certificate Class XII (HSC Class XII) examination results on Thursday.
Over 11.84 lakh students from the state appeared for the examination. The exam was conducted between February 26 and March 21.
Muslim girls shine in Jharkhand Intermediate exams, Fauzia Maram is state topper
By Najiya O., TwoCircles.net,
“Choose subjects of your interest, and you can be successful”, says Fauzia Maram, the first rank holder in the Intermediate (Arts) Examinations in Jharkhand. “Once interest is of high importance in choosing the way one wants to study. Choosing one’s way should not be dependent upon the immense pressure from family or teachers. Then only can one excel.”
Women’s reservation leads government’s 100-day plan
By IANS,
New Delhi : President Pratibha Patil Thursday outlined the priorities of the new government for the next 100 days:
- Early passage of the Women's Reservation Bill providing for one-third reservation to women in state legislatures and in parliament.
- Constitutional amendment to provide 50 percent reservation for women in panchayats and urban local bodies.
- Concerted effort to increase representation of women in central government jobs.
Indian parliament elects its first woman speaker, Meira Kumar
By IANS,
New Delhi : History was made in India Wednesday when diplomat-turned-politician Meira Kumar, 64, became the first woman speaker of the Lok Sabha - the lower house of parliament - with MPs cutting across party lines supporting the election of the Dalit leader.
The newly elected members of the 15th Lok Sabha watched in rapt attention as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani, who were engaged in a bitter war of words until a month ago, together led Meira Kumar to the podium.
Centre to launch leadership training program for Muslim women
By Najia O., TwoCircles.net,
Kochi: The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs is set to roll out a program for skill development and leadership training to Muslim women exhibiting entrepreneurial skills. Cleared by the Congress-led UPA government in its first term, the program is among the top priorities of newly-appointed Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mr Salman Khurshid.