Page 125 - Social Issues
Milano slammed for calling herself transgender
Actress Alyssa Milano has been slammed for calling herself transgender, disabled, an immigrant and a person of colour in a Twitter post.
This warrior struggles for tribal women to get a fair deal (March 8 is International Women's Day)
The fair sex is not getting a fair deal in tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh - but Rattan Manjari will have none of this.
UN chief warns of worldwide pushback against women's rights
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Monday of a worldwide pushback against women's rights, urging delegates at an annual gathering on the status of women to not give ground. Some 9,000 advocates are taking part in the 12-day Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) amid much nervousness about a rollback of gains made over several decades to promote gender equality. "Around the world, there is a pushback on women's rights," Guterres told the opening session of CSW at the General Assembly. "That pushback is deep, pervasive and relentless." Women running for political office and women human rights defenders are facing increased violence, while in some countries, the murders of women are going up. In the workplace, women are 26 percent less likely to be employed than men and fewer than one-third of managers are women, even though they are likely to be better educated, said Guterres, citing a recent International Labour Organisation study. "Even governments that are vocal ...
3,000 voters with disabilities to get ramps, vehicles in
Around 3,000 differently abled voters of Arunachal Pradesh will be provided with special vehicles to reach polling booths in hilly areas and ramps in plains. State Chief Electoral Officer Kaling Tayeng Monday said the Election Commission would build ramps in booths in the plains for voters with disabilities. In hilly and difficult areas, the authorities would arrange for special vehicles and other logistics if those voters make such a request, he said. These special vehicles would bring the differently abled voters from home to the polling stations and take them back. The CEO lamented that he does not have the exact number of voters with disabilities in the state. "Many of the physically challenged voters in the state did not like to register as disabled voters during enrolment. For this, we face difficulty in getting the record of the exact number of such voters," he told a press conference here. Arunachal Pradesh will go for simultaneous Parliamentary and Assembly ...
20-yr-old woman, cousin commit suicide in UP
A 20-year-old woman and her cousin, who were having an affair, allegedly committed suicide after their parents refused to accept their relationship, police said Monday. The incident took place in Jamuni Purva village of Uttar Pradesh's Banda district. Madhuri hanged herself from the ceiling of her room on Sunday and later in the day, Gyan Singh Yadav (22) also committed suicide, Banda ASP Lal Bharat Kumar Pal said. Madhuri and her cousin Yadav were having an affair but the woman's parents fixed her marriage to someone else, Pal said. Upset over this development, the two allegedly took the extreme step, he said. Prima facie it appears to be a case of suicide but police have not ruled out the possibility of honour killing, the officer added.
Candidates shall disclose criminal cases through
Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer L. Khiangte Monday said that it is mandatory for candidates filing nominations for the Lok Sabha elections in the state to disclose criminal cases against them through print/electronic media two days ahead of their nomination. An election office press statement quoting Khiangte said that two days ahead of filing nominations, the candidates should give details about cases/conviction, if any, details through print and electronic media. The details in the print should not be less than font size of 12, it said. He also said that political parties should also inform electoral officials about cases, if any, of their candidates. Among a total 2,19,81,479 eligible voters, there are 1,15,07,697 males and 1,04,73,475 females---service polling constitute 35,219 and 307 votes of other genders. Among the electorate, there are 13,125 total visually impaired voters, 11,629 total speech/hearing disabled voters, 45,563 locomotor disabled voters, 1,280 ...
Disabled voters in dire need to get transport facility on LS polling day: Delhi CEO
In keeping with the Election Commission's mission of 'leaving no voter behind', the Delhi CEO office will provide transport facility to differently-abled residents who, otherwise have no means to travel to polling booths, senior officials said on Monday. Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh told reporters that "persons with disability are marked in the electoral roll too". "In pursuit of the Election Commission's mission of 'leaving no voter behind' and with special focus on persons with disabilities, transport facility will be provided to differently-abled residents of the city who, otherwise have no means to travel to polling booths," he said. Asked if all the differently-abled persons would get that facility, he said, "No, only those in urgent need and people who have otherwise no means to travel will get that facility". Official said people who have rendered incapacitated and living alone would benefit from this provision. Singh said, at booths, assured minimum facilities .
Over 1.31 cr women,119 transgenders to vote in Apr 23 LS polls
Over 1.31 crore women and 119 transgenders will be among the total of 2.54 crore voters in Kerala who are expected to exercise their franchise in the April 23 Lok Sabha polls in the state. Malappuram district has got the maximum number of voters --30,47,923 and Wayanad the least --- 5,81,245, Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena told reporters here Monday. "The model code of conduct is already in place. The notification will be issued on March 28. The last date for submitting the nomination is April 4 and the last date to withdraw the same is on April 8," Meena said. He also said there are 24,970 polling booths in Kerala. "There are 1,22,97,403 male voters and 1,31,11,189 female voters. There are 119 transgender voters this time," Meena said. He said all officials on election duty had been properly trained on how to operate Electronic Voting Machines.
UN warns against stigmatising 'caliphate' children
Children raised in the Islamic State group's "caliphate" should not be treated as terrorists, the United Nations' Children Fund (UNICEF) warned Monday. The agency's Middle East director said the fate of children whose jihadist families recently fled IS's last bastion in northeastern Syria should not be ignored. "The message that these children are not wanted is growing stronger and stronger," Geert Cappelaere said at a press conference in Beirut. According to UNICEF, an estimated 3,000 foreign children are currently housed at the Al-Hol camp which has taken in most of the massive influx of people fleeing the scrap of the IS "caliphate" in recent weeks. They originate from at least 43 different countries, many of which have been reluctant to tackle the issue of their possible repatriation. There are even larger numbers of displaced Syrian and Iraqi children who are associated with IS and whose reintegration in society is a challenge that is getting scant attention. "This is a problem ..
Thane voters rise 10.53 pc since 2014 to 60.94 lakh: Collector
There has been a 10.53 per cent increase in the number of voters in Thane district since the Lok Sabha polls in 2014, Collector Rajesh Narvekar said Monday. The total number of people in the district eligible to vote for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls stood at 60,94,308 (60.94 lakh), including 33,22,965 (33.22 lakh) men, or about 54 per cent of the electorate, he said. The number of transgender voters in the district had increased from 32 in 2014 to 340 this time, the collector informed. The district's electorate included 3,883 persons with disabilities (PwD) and booths would have ramps and palanquins (litter) with volunteers to help such voters, he added. If required, transport would be arranged for such voters from their residence to the polling booth, Narvekar said. He added the figures of physically-disabled voters might increase as data related to them was being collected currently. The district has three Lok Sabha constituencies, namely Thane, Bhiwandi and Kalyan, and a
Manika Batra, Rishabh Pant roped in to encourage Delhi voters
Table Tennis player Manika Batra and cricketer Rishabh Pant have been roped in to encourage voters in the national capital to engage in the parliamentary exercise, Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh said on Monday.
Indians feel older earlier than Japanese, Swiss: Study
People living in India experience the health problems associated with ageing at an early stage than those living in Japan or Switzerland, according to a first-of-its-kind study published in The Lancet Public Health. Researchers at the University of Washington in the US and colleagues found that a 30-year gap separates countries with the highest and lowest ages at which people experience the health problems of a 65-year-old. They found 76-year-olds in Japan and Switzerland, and 46-year-olds in Papua New Guinea have the same level of age-related health problems as an "average" person aged 65. The analysis also found that people living in India experience the similar health problems well before they turn 60. "These disparate findings show that increased life expectancy at older ages can either be an opportunity or a threat to the overall welfare of populations, depending on the ageing-related health problems the population experiences regardless of chronological age," said Angela Y ...
HSG sets up 3rd Center of Excellence for training Persons with Disabilities
As part of the training program, these 100 trainees will be skilled in a variety of job roles suitable for Hospitality, IT/BPM and Retail industries. They will also be trained on soft skills, interview skills, communication skills, English language etc. Efforts have been made to ensure that the center is accessible not just in terms of barrier-free access but also uses assistive technologies and follows the principles of Universal design. The training will be conducted using the best assistive technologies and training methodologies.
Maha voter numbers swell by 65 lakh in five years
The number of voters in Maharashtra has gone up by over 65 lakh in the last five years, according to official figures. From 8,07,98,823 voters in the state at the time of 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the number has now gone up to 8,73,30,484, as per the electoral office data. This is a sharp rise of 65,31,661 voters. Of these increased 65,31,661 voters, 35,98,905 are women, 29,31,588 men and the rest are transgenders. "It is a good sign that transgenders are opening up and registering themselves as voters. It is a positive response to efforts of the Election Commission of India," state electoral officer Ashwani Kumar said on Sunday. Besides, there are 25,13,657 and 17,32,146 first time male and female voters, respectively. There are also 142 first time transgenders in the age group of 18 to 22 years, as per the data. Lok Sabha polls will be held in four phases in Maharashtra starting from the Vidarbha region on April 11. Maharashtra sends the second highest number of 48 MPs to ...
You feel old early in India than in Japan
If you live in India, you will begin to suffer the negative effects of ageing at an early age than if you live in Japan or Switzerland, says a first-of-its-kind scientific study.
Bengal's rehab scheme for sex workers benefits only 75 in 3 years
Only 75 sex workers have benefitted from the West Bengal Government's Muktir Alo ('light of freedom') scheme since its inception in 2016, an RTI query by a Kolkata advocate has revealed.
TMC leader questions 7 phase election schedule for West Bengal
Trinamool Congress leader and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim has questioned the lengthy schedule of the upcoming seven phase Lok Sabha polls stating that it will be arduous for those observing Ramzan in the states of Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Hakim said, "Election Commission is a constitutional body and we respect them. We don't want to say anything against them. But the 7-phase election will be tough for people in Bihar, UP and WB. It will be most difficult for those who will be observing Ramzan at that time."The Kolkata Mayor also lambasted BJP on the issue and said, "BJP doesn't want minorities to cast their votes.""Minority population in these three states is quite high. They will cast votes by observing 'roza'. EC should have kept this in mind. BJP wants minorities to not cast their votes. But we aren't worried. People are committed to BJP hatao-desh bachao", Hakim said.Ramzan, observed by Muslims as a month of fasting, will likely coincide ..
Election will be difficult for those observing Ramzan, BJP does not wants minorities to vote: Kolkata Mayor
Trinamool Congress leader and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim has said the lengthy schedule of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, will be arduous for those observing Ramzan in the states of Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. Ramzan, observed by Muslims as a month of fasting, will likely coincide with the seven-phase election schedule.The Kolkata Mayor also lambasted BJP on the issue and said, "BJP doesn't want minorities to cast their votes."Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Hakim said, "Election Commission is a constitutional body and we respect them. We don't want to say anything against them. But the 7-phase election will be tough for people in Bihar, UP and WB. It will be most difficult for those who will be observing Ramzan at that time.""Minority population in these three states is quite high. They will cast votes by observing 'roza'. EC should have kept this in mind. BJP wants minorities to not cast their votes. But we aren't worried. People are committed to BJP hatao-desh bachao", Hakim .
Politics is an instrument for socio-economic reform: Gadkari
Union minister Nitin Gadkari Sunday said politics was an instrument for socio-economic reforms, and stressed that values like honesty and transparency stand out in long run. Speaking at an interactive session here, the Nagpur MP said politics is a competitive field where one has to work according to expectations of the people. Responding to a query on the qualities required to make career in politics, the Highways and Road Transport Minister said, "I never selected politics as a career. From my starting days, I consider politics as an instrument of social and economic reform so that I can do something for the country, society and the poor. No qualities are required in politics". He said politics should be pursued with honesty. "I do not give false assurances and when I say I will do something, I do it, and if I cannot, I straightway say no," he said, adding that values like honesty, transparency, patience, quality and commitment works in the long term. During the ...
Four minor Manipuri girls rescued from traffickers
Four girls, aged below 5 years, have been rescued from traffickers by the social activists in Manipur. They were, probably, being taken to some Southeast Asian countries, officials said here on Sunday.
