Parliament passes historic right to education bill

September 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) Wednesday said it could challenge the new right to education legislation in the court if the government failed to amend it in the next session of parliament. The CBCI says clause 21 of the education law leaves scope for political interference in running of minority-run educational institutions.

September 2nd, 2009 Brazil Senate passes speedy Internet divorce billBRASILIA, Brazil — The Brazilian Senate has approved a bill that would allow consensual divorces to be filed and resolved on the Internet. The Senate's official news agency says the bill would speed divorce proceedings, allowing couples to split without lawyers or having to wait in line in court.

August 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - In a historic step, the Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2008. The passing of the Bill allows children aged between 6 to 14 years to avail free and compulsory education as a fundamental right.

August 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Lok Sabha Tuesday passed what Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal termed "historic" legislation providing for free and compulsory education for all children in the 6-14 age-group. "This is the first time an effort has been made to universalise education in the country," the minister said, adding: "We have been talking about it for the last 16 years." He said it was high time "we gave every child a legal right" to education.

August 3rd, 2009 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).

July 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Sixteen years after the idea was mooted, a bill aiming to provide free and compulsory education to children in the age group of six to 14 was introduced in the Lok Sabha Friday. This was a matter of national importance for UPA (United Progressive Alliance government).

July 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Rajya Sabha Monday unanimously passed a legislative measure providing for necessary and compulsory education for children aged between 6 and 14 years. We are sitting on a great opportunity.

July 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The union cabinet Thursday gave its approval to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill that, among other things, envisages 25 percent reservation for weaker sections in private schools. An official in the human resource development ministry told IANS: "The bill was approved by the previous government, (and) was put up before the new cabinet today and was okayed." The government plans to present the bill in the month-long budget session of the parliament that began Thursday and is on top of the human resource development ministry's agenda for the next 100 days.

July 2nd, 2009 Texas Senate passes bill to keep agencies runningAUSTIN, Texas — In special session, the Texas Senate has passed a bill to keep key state agencies running — a matter shoved aside during partisan bickering in the regular session. The bill the Senate quickly passed after convening Wednesday morning extends the Department of Transportation, the Department of Insurance and three smaller agencies until Sept.

July 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Union Cabinet today approved providing free and compulsory education to children aged 6-14 by giving its nod to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill 2005. Earlier announcing the government's agenda for the education sector in the next 100 days, Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal had said that enactment of the Bill - also known as the Right to Education Bill - will be followed by the notification of the 86th Constitutional Amendment in the official gazette.

June 25th, 2009 House passes Homeland Security spending billWASHINGTON — Democrats who control the House have pushed through a $44 billion spending bill that awards the Homeland Security Department a 7 percent budget increase. The bill passed late Wednesday.

June 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - President Pratibha Patil Thursday announced that the Manmohan Singh government would focus on passing the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Bill pending before parliament, while it was committed to making every woman in the country literate in the next five years. "The focus (of the new government) will be on making quality education a right through the enactment of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Bill now under consideration of parliament," the president said.

June 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Disappointing many women politicians, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday maintained his party's opposition towards Women's Reservation Bill in its "present form". "The Bill is not acceptable to us in its present form," Yadav told reporters outside Parliament.

June 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal has said that the Central Government is keen to pass the Right to Education bill in the ensuing budget session of the parliament. Speaking at an Education Fair hosted by the country's apex forum of corporate sector, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) here on Sunday, Sibal expressed concern on the number of Indian student dropping out from schools.

May 5th, 2009 EU Parliament passes import ban on seal productsSTRASBOURG, France — The European Parliament has passed a bill that will impose an import ban on seal products, a move meant to force an end to Canada's annual seal hunt, which is the world's largest. The bill says commercial seal hunting, notably in Canada, is "inherently inhumane." It passed the EU assembly by 550 to 49 votes on Tuesday.