Data from the first phase of the census 2011 on House Listing and Housing Census revealed that some 27 million households constituting 11 per cent of the countries total number of households are headed by females. Kerala has the most at 23 percent.

The proportion of male-headed households has declined by 0.6 percent compared to 2001.

The figures show that there are some 49 lakh single-member female households in the country with 75 percent living in rural areas.

Around 45 percent of female-headed families live in one-room premises and 45 percent of these homes have a TV compared to 47.5 percent in male headed homes.

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According to the Kerala Finance Minister K M Mani there has been a staggering rise of over Rs.17,000 crore in NRI deposits in the state's banks in the past year.

Speaking at an event in the UAE Mani said 1 in 10 Keralites are abroad and the much-talked about Kerala model of growth was made possible by the Kerala diaspora. The state government deeply values the yeoman services of the Kerala diaspora and will look up to them in high esteem.

The government is working on schemes for the diaspora as well as those who returned for good. A health scheme is on the drawing board. Strong laws are being instituted to make sure that land and properties owned by the diaspora do not come under duress as has been the case recently.

Per the latest statistics on the Kerala diaspora, the UAE leads with the largest number, 8.83 lakhs.

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According to a recent research report conducted by Ericsson, of the 69 million children under age 18, residing in urban cities, 30 million have a personal handset and 11 million share it with one of their family members, while 28 million have no access. The research has branded them Generation Z, born between 1994 and 2004.

The research says the time spent by Generation Z on mobile phones rivals that spent watching television and is expected to surpass it in the near future. In cities such as Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai, Gen Z children access the internet via their phones or smartphones to update status on Facebook, tweet and stream videos.

The research findings suggest the Gen Z market segment is brand loyal, with specific requirements like service, support and internet speeds. Communication patterns of this segment are expected to be a major deciding factor in the future offerings of telecom service providers and handset manufacturers.

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Speaking at an event organised by the Federation of AP Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Association, the former chief vigilance commissioner Pratyush Sinha said "Corruption is socially acceptable in India and millions of Indian families bribe public servants for access to basic services".

Detailing his comment Sinha said while 30% of all Indians were totally corrupt, 50% are borderline cases, with just around 20% being honest.

He did say there was some social stigma attached to the qualification which is now gone, replaced by greater social acceptance of the corrupt.

Sinha also revealed that the global anti-graft body has put India 84th on its corruption perception index with a 3.4 point rating in a best possible score of 10.

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According to recent crime data, 14 children go missing in New Delhi every day, at least six of whom are victims of human trafficking.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) says around 1.2 million children are victims of child trafficking across the world every year.

India’s mega cities such as Delhi and Mumbai are a particular target for criminal gangs that police say traffick children in much the same way they sell drugs.

In August this year, the country’s top court ordered the federal and state governments to provide data on 50,000 missing children after a petition blamed them for failing to solve the trafficking of children by organised gangs.

Police officials said they have rescued hundreds of children from factories and busted large-scale child prostitution rackets but they accept they are sometimes overwhelmed by the scale of the challenge.

The country’s federal detectives admitted last year that there were 815 gangs comprising more than 5,000 members involved in the kidnapping of children for prostitution and begging across India.

In 2006, body parts of 17 children stuffed in plastic bags were found by the police in Nithari, a suburb near New Delhi, a horrifying case that shocked the nation and triggered a raging debate on the safety of children in India.

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