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Sibal deplores British-era origin of criminal laws, says it quelled dissent

Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday deprecated the practice of arresting persons on the ground of suspicion, saying he had problems with the British-era origin of criminal procedures which was used to "quell dissent". Sibal was speaking at a seminar organised by NGO 'Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms- (CJAR)'. "When we adopted the Constitution of India, it was based on the 1935 (Government of India) Act. When we adopted the criminal laws, that was the same (British-era) Indian Penal Code (IPC), the same Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). When the British had this provision that you can arrest anybody on the basis of suspicion," the senior advocate said. He said the British adopted the rule of arresting anyone based on suspicion to quell dissent and many atrocities were committed based on the provision. "I have a problem with this provision. How does it pass the test of constitutionality? You cannot be deprived of your life and liberty, save in

CBI searches premises of Harsh Mander's NGO for financial irregularities

The CBI has registered a case of alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act against an NGO established by writer and human rights activist Harsh Mander and conducted searches at its premises on Friday, officials said. Mander, a former member of the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council during the erstwhile UPA government, is the founder of the NGO Aman Biradari. The FIR has been registered against Aman Biradari for alleged violation of various provisions of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act following a complaint by the Union Home Ministry.

NGOs working for elderly asks govt for more inclusive measures in Budget

From adding all older persons in the Ayushman Bharat scheme to online counseling services, the NGOs working for the elderly have asked the government for more inclusive measures in the upcoming Budget. The Union Budget will be presented on February 1. Ahead of the Budget, the HelpAge India and the Agewell Foundation have asked for a more inclusive Budget that keeps in mind the welfare of the elderly. The Agewell Foundation outlined its expectations for the upcoming Budget. The foundation, with its vast network of over 87,500 volunteers, put forward a detailed list of recommendations, emphasising the need for a holistic approach to support the elderly. The proposed measures included monthly Nutri Kits for elderly individuals from the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, dedicated healthcare facilities at the local level and online counseling services to address various issues faced by older persons. The foundation also urged a revision of the monthly Old Age Pension to account for .

Assam's 'Super 30' to get trained by Army for recruitment as officers

Over 30 students from across Assam, selected through a rigorous process, will start preparing from Monday to join the armed forces as officers under an initiative led by the Indian Army, officials said. This will be the second such program to be rolled out in the state, with another started late last year, they said. The 'Super 30' program to motivate youths from the state to enroll as officers in the armed forces is supported by the state government and undertaken in collaboration with NGO National Integrity and Educational Development Organisation (NIEDO), defence spokesperson Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said. While the first program was started in Dibrugarh in November last year, the second one will begin in Tamulpur on Monday. "There is a sizeable presence of youths from Assam in the lower ranks but officer-level personnel are very few. This program has been conceptualised by the Eastern Command of the Indian Army to motivate and enable talented students to join the armed forces as .

FCRA registered NGOs to give details of assets created using foreign funds

NGOs registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act (FCRA) will now have to provide details of moveable and immovable assets created by them using foreign funds. The need for mandatory declaration of assets by the NGOs by the end of every financial year (March 31) came after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday issued a gazette notification modifying the rules that govern the NGOs which receive foreign funding. According to the law, all NGOs receiving foreign contributions have to be registered under the FCRA. The MHA made the changes in the Foreign Contribution Regulation Rules, 2010, by inserting two clauses -- (ba) details of movable assets created out of foreign contribution (as on March 31 of financial year) and (bb) details of immovable assets created out of foreign contribution (as on March 31 of financial year) -- in Form FC-4. Form FC-4 is filled by NGOs and associations granted FCRA licences for filing their annual returns. The MHA also decided to exte

Govt signs MoU with NGO to create awareness against substance abuse

The Indian government continues its commitment to tackling the issue of substance use disorder in the country, recognizing the significant social and health implications it carries

NGOs urge govt not to join trade pillar of Indo-Pacific Economic Framework

As many as 32 civil society organisations and NGOs on Friday urged the government not to join in the talks of the trade pillar of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) for Prosperity, stating that it can impact India's policy space to develop critical economic sectors. They also claimed that India has joined IPEF talks without due consideration and parliamentary scrutiny in terms of IPEF's implications for India's economic and development policy space. In a letter to the commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal, these organisations said that the US has strategically pitched the IPEF as 'not the usual' trade agreement as it does not include market access commitments such as import duty cuts. "This strategy has misled the Indian government into believing that the IPEF will only involve cooperation and no commitment to open up imports. On the contrary, the IPEF is actually more intrusive than Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) as it targets national policies and regulations across .

NGOs of Delhi, K'taka, received major chunks of foreign contributions: Govt

NGOs based in Delhi received the highest amount of foreign funds, followed by those based in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu out of the over Rs 55,600 crore contribution sent to India from abroad in the last three years, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said as per the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010, every Non-governmental organisation which receives foreign contributions has to submit an annual return along with the income and expenditure statement, receipt and payment account and balance sheet for every financial year. Rai said during 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22, a total of Rs 55,645.08 crore was received by Indian NGOs as foreign contributions. Among these, Delhi has received Rs 14,062.77 crore in the said three financial years, Karnataka received Rs 7,241.32 crore, Maharashtra received Rs 5,606.01 crore and Tamil Nadu received Rs 6,804.07 crore, he said in response to a written question. All NGOs in the ...

MHA recommends CBI inquiry against Harsh Mander's NGO for FCRA 'violation'

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has recommended a CBI inquiry against Aman Biradari, an NGO established by writer and human rights activist Harsh Mander, for alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, officials said on Monday. Mander, who was a member of the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council during the previous UPA government, has established Aman Biradari -- "a people's campaign for a secular, peaceful, just and humane world". A CBI inquiry has been recommended against Aman Biradari for violation of various provisions of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, they said. All NGOs receiving foreign funding has to mandatorily register with the Home Ministry under the FCRA.

Centre suspends FCRA licence of think tank CPR amid I-T searches

According to the report, officials said that CPR's licence was revoked recently over non-compliance with FCRA norms.

World NGO Day 2023: Theme, quotes, history, significance, celebration

February 27 is marked as World NGO Day, celebrated to recognise and honour the objective of contributing to society and these organisations

Indian-American NGO sends over 200 relief material boxes to Turkiye, Syria

Indian-American non-profit organisation Sewa International Houston's AmeriCorps team dispatched over 200 boxes of relief material for the victims of the devastating earthquake in Turkiye and Syria, which killed over 46,000 people. They organised a donation drive over the weekend to gather essentials for those impacted by the 7.8 magnitude quake, which hit Tukriye and Syria on February 6. People from different communities all over Houston came together to donate hundreds of items which filled over 200 boxes. Sewa AmeriCorps partnered with the National Association of Christian Churches (NACC) for the delivery of these goods to both Turkiye and Syria. Former president of Sewa International, Manju Gupta, came to donate items in the drive and said, This is amazing work. It needed a lot of planning, hard work, and dedication to get this done. Kudos to the Sewa International and AmeriCorps team. Sewa International also started a Facebook fundraising campaign for earthquake victims, which

Indian NGO shares initiatives on road safety, environment at ECOSOC forum

An India-based NGO shared initiatives undertaken by it like reflective stickers for bicycles, a Helmet Bank' and a Children Challan Book' for road safety and environment conservation at an annual forum of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) here. The ECOSOC meeting highlighted the need for revitalised partnerships" to recover stronger from the pandemic and achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Patiala Foundation CEO Ravee Singh Ahluwalia participated in the Economic and Social Council Annual Partnership Forum 2023 this week where NGOs accredited with the UN body, agencies and stakeholders gathered at the UN headquarters here and highlighted the need for concerted efforts to combat challenges arising from the pandemic, Ukraine conflict and other crises. Punjab-based Patiala Foundation was accorded ECOSOC Special Consultative Status in 2018 and works in the field of protection and regeneration of livelihood, heritage conservation, road safety and environment ...

Indians' trust increases in govt and business, dips in media, NGOs: Survey

India is also among 11 countries where trust in government has increased

Richest 1% of Indians now own 13 times more wealth than bottom half: Oxfam

The burden of tax, especially indirect, falls more on the poor half

FCRA registration of 1,811 NGOs cancelled in three years, says govt

The FCRA registration of 1,811 NGOs were cancelled by the government between 2019-21 for alleged violation of law, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. According to the law, any NGO which intends to receive foreign funding must register itself under the FCRA. "During the last three years i.e. 2019 to 2021, the FCRA registration certificates of 1,811 associations have been cancelled under section 14 of The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA, 2010) due to violation of provisions of the FCRA, 2010," he said in a written reply to a question. Rai said whenever any inputs pertaining to use of foreign contribution to spread terror activities are received by the ministry, appropriate action under the FCRA, 2010 and other extant laws and rules is taken.

Special Swachhta Campaign 2.0: Centre removes 900 obsolete rules

The assessment of the Campaign 2.0 will be done from November 15 to November 30

Patagonia's Yvon Chouinard gives everything away to fight climate change

All the profits of the $3 billion company, Patagonia, will now go towards fighting climate change and protecting land across the world

India loses $118 bn annually in GNI due to childhood blindness: Report

India loses an estimated USD 118 billion annually in cumulative gross national income (GNI) due to childhood blindness, according to a report published by Orbis India. The report titled Cost-Benefit Analysis of Investing in Child Eye Health' is based on 2020 estimates and reflects the economic losses incurred by India due to lost productive years as a result of childhood blindness spanning over a period of 35 years, and rising to USD 158 billion for 40 working years, a statement by the NGO said. Launched at the 16th edition of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight INDIA' national conference held recently in West Bengal, it highlighted that there was increase of direct GNI loss due to blindness from Rs 496 billion in 1997 to Rs 768 billion in 2020 and an increase of 35 per cent in the economic productivity of blind people to USD 835 million in 2020 compared to 1997 estimates. Besides, it also stated that 35 per cent of blindness in children and 82.3 per cent of blindness in adults is ...

How Pashtepada's smart school inspired 50,000 schools in Maharastra

Digital classrooms are now far more common and advanced than they used to be a few years ago