Page 126 - Social Issues
NDA seeks people's blessings again, says Modi
With Lok Sabha poll schedule announced on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought a second term for the NDA, listing out his government's achievements in the last 5 years and recalling how Congress-led UPA was rejected by the voters in 2014.
IIM-C chief urges women to aim high and be what they want to
Women academicians and entrepreneurs have shared their experience at an interactive session organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Expert Committee for Women Development and Empowerment. Women entrepreneurs talked about their experiences in fighting perceptions in a male-dominated field, financial challenges and others during the discussion on Saturday. The programme, attended by Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM-C) Director Dr Anju Seth, also discussed ways which could be of help in understanding these problems. Drawing from her academic and professional experiences, Seth stressed on the need for family support for empowering women and instilling the idea in them from a young age that women can become whatever they want to be. Several young woman entrepreneurs met Seth and other women business leaders after the session. "Many women here are entrepreneurs, many have taken over their family businesses....and they have all done something which is ...
Age no bar for electors in Haryana
Age is just a number and if you have to exercise your franchise even at the ripe age of 100 plus, learn a few things from the determined lot of electors in Haryana.
Bullying bosses negatively impact employee performance, behaviour: Study
Employees bullied by their bosses are more likely to report unfairness and work stress, and consequently become less committed to their jobs or even retaliate, according to a study. The findings, published in the Journal of Management, highlight the consequences of abusive supervision, which is becoming increasingly common in workplaces, said Liu-Qin Yang, an associate professor at Portland State University in the US. Researchers reviewed 427 studies and quantitatively aggregated the results to better understand why and how bullying bosses can decrease "organisational citizenship behaviour" -- or the voluntary extras you do that aren't part of your job responsibilities -- and increase "counterproductive work behaviour." Examples of such behaviours include sabotage at work, coming into work late, taking longer-than-allowed breaks, doing tasks incorrectly or withholding effort, all of which can affect your team and coworkers. The researchers attribute the negative work behaviours to ...
Naveen Patnaik declares 33% quota for women in allocation of BJD Lok Sabha tickets
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday announced 33 per cent quota for women in the allocation of Lok Sabha tickets of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) party.Addressing the Women Self Help Group's (SHGs) Conclave under 'Mission Shakti', Patnaik said, "I would like to announce here at Kendrapara, the 'karma bhoomi' of legendary Biju Babu, that Odisha will send 33 per cent women to Parliament in the coming elections."He added, "The women of Odisha will lead the way in women empowerment in India. If India is to lead the world, if India is to be an advanced nation like America and China, then women empowerment is the only answer," he added.Patnaik also called upon national parties to be "true to their words and must follow what they are propagating for women empowerment".The Chief Minister also sanctioned Rs 1 crore for Mission Shakti Bhawan in Kendrapara.In November 2018, Patnaik had passed the proposal seeking implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state ...
Sikkim's developmental success story due to administrative decentralisation (Comment)
'I identify with the humble village huts; I identify with the sweat and blood of the oppressed,' said Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling. During the last 25 years our government, led by Chamling, has been successful in eradicating poverty from the state. When we talk of poverty, we speak not just of income and wealth, or the lack of material possessions. The definition is much wider, extended to non-material aspects of human well-being.
SC issues notice to Centre, Air India over plea regarding ease of travel for specially-abled passengers
The Supreme Court has sought a response from the central government and Air India within eight weeks over a petition seeking direction to frame appropriate policies to ensure people specially-abled individuals are able to use air transport facilities with dignity.A petition in this regard was filed by Kaushik Kumar Majumdar with 85 per cent orthopaedic disability, who alleged that in December 2017, he was retracted from boarding an Air India flight and received flak from the staff when he denied to remove batteries from his wheelchair.A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi had on Friday asked the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Ministry of Civil Aviation, Air India and all the state governments and Union Territories to respond to the petition within the stipulated time. Advocate Avneesh Arputham, who appeared on behalf of Majumdar, brought to the attention of the court that till date, no inquiry ...
Employees organisation demands implementation of Lavasa Committee report
A Jammu-based employees organisation on Sunday urged the Centre to implement the recommendations of the Ashok Lavasa Committee report ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls to benefit lakhs of lower class employees and pensioners. The high-level Lavasa panel submitted its report on allowances to 47 lakh government employees to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in April 2017. "The delay in accepting the recommendations of the Ashok Lavasa Committee report by the central government has left the employees concerned," president National Mazdoor Conference Subash Shastri said here. "We urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Finance minister to take a final decision in this regard before the announcement of the upcoming parliamentary elections," he said. He said the Lavasa Committee had proposed a minimum scale pension of lower class employees and pensioners to Rs 21,000. The committee was constituted in the wake of implementation of the seventh pay commission by the central government .
Air India pilot deplaned, deported from US on child porn charges
An Indian pilot of Air India was handcuffed in front of passengers and deplaned by US law enforcement authorities on allegations related to accessing and downloading child pornography, officials of the national carrier said on Sunday. The incident took place at San Francisco on Monday and the pilot was deplaned by the authorities soon after his plane landed from New Delhi, they added. "The US authorities seized his passport, cancelled his visa and deported him back to India," the Air India officials said on the condition of anonymity. "When the Delhi-San Francisco plane landed in the US on Monday, the pilot was handcuffed in front of the passengers and deplaned," they said. "The pilot was under the scanner of US law enforcement authorities such as the FBI for accessing and downloading child pornography," the officials added. The spokesperson of Air India did not respond to queries related to the matter. In the United States, images of child pornography are not protected under the ...
Andhra couple names newborn boy after Ratan Tata
A couple from Mailvaram town of Krishna district named their newborn 'Ratan Tata' as he was born in the medical centre run by the Tata Trust, which is known for its philanthropic services.The Tata Trust started free medical services across 265 villages in Vijayawada constituency under "Swasth Parivar" scheme, after Vijayawada Member of Parliament (MP) Kesineni Srinivas requested the Trust for its services in the constituency.Pushpalata, the mother of the child, availed the free medical facility under the scheme. As a token of gratitude, the couple named the child after Ratan Tata.Srinivas attended the naming ceremony and appreciated the couple's move.
HUA ministry asks CPWD to monitor PM-SYM scheme
The Union Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) ministry has asked the CPWD, the government's largest construction agency, to centrally monitor the implementation of the PM-SYM scheme, which provides pension to informal workers. The move comes after Labour Ministry Secretary Heeralal Samariya had written to HUA Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra, saying there were a large number of unorganised workers concerning with his ministry, and that prospective beneficiaries may be informed about the features of scheme. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has been asked to disseminate the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM) scheme at field level and also make the eligible construction workers aware of the enrolment process and benefits. "The implementation of the scheme among the construction workers may be effectively and periodically monitored centrally at the level of CPWD Headquarters for achieving maximum coverage and for enabling the workers to derive intended benefits from the ...
Illicit liquor factory busted in Bihar
Bihar police along with sleuths of excise department busted an illicit liquor factory functioning in Muzaffarpur city on Saturday.Manoj SSP told the media, "Four dogs were also taken along to sniff. We have seized a good amount of illicit liquor. More than 10 people were running this factory. Once we identify them an inquiry will be initiated against those involved."Last month, the police had arrested 24 people for producing and selling illicit liquor here. A total of 1,745 litres of alcohol was seized from them. A ban on the sale of liquor was imposed in the state of Bihar in April 2016.
Tunisia probes deaths of 11 newborns at maternity clinic
Tunisian authorities on Saturday launched multiple investigations into the sudden deaths of 11 newborn babies at a state maternity hospital in the capital. The health ministry was conducting medical and hygiene checks and probing the management of the hospital pharmacy after the babies died Thursday and Friday at the Rabta clinic, a spokesman told AFP. Prosecutors said they had opened a judicial inquiry into the deaths. The Tunisian pediatrics society wrote in a Facebook statement that "elements of the ongoing investigation" pointed to an infection caused by an intravenous feeding product. The association called on the authorities to "shed light" on the situation and recalled the "precarious conditions in which health professionals work". The health ministry said in a statement that "preventive measures and treatment have been taken to avoid other victims and to ensure the health status of other babies in the maternity ward". The independent Tunisian Forum of Economic and Social ...
Imran Khan has penchant for speaking on India's internal affairs: MEA
India on Saturday said Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has a "penchant" for issuing statements on the internal affairs of India and urged the neighbouring country to look inwards and try to fix many of its own problems.
Retired Major General faces court martial for producing wrong information
A retired major general is facing court martial after the Army found that he had produced wrong information to avail a higher disability pension, official sources said on Saturday. The officer was serving in the Military Training Directorate until he retired in August 2017. The disciplinary proceedings against the retired officer are being initiated under the provisions of the Army Act. The Army has mentioned four major charges against him in the court martial, including furnishing of wrong information that led to him receiving a high disability pension post-retirement, sources said. Officers, soldiers are entitled for an extra pension, which is non-taxable, if they meet with an injury during service. The officer had claimed that he had met with an accident in 2010, sources added.
In the age of cashless, Philadelphia mandates stores to accept cash payments
In the age of cashless shopping and digital payments, Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney thinks otherwise. The mayor has signed a new bill requiring stores to accept cash.The bill, effective from July 1, represents the first time a major US city is introducing a law mandating businesses to accept cash, Mashable reported. The bill seeks to address the concerns around discrimination and privacy.Philadelphia city councilman William Greenlee, who introduced the bill, said that most of the people who don't have credit tend to be lower income, minority or immigrants, and it is a form of discrimination by businesses against them when not accepting cash.On one hand, digital payment is a convenient method to pay for goods and services. On the other hand, there is an ever growing threat to security with the mounting data breaches and targeted ads leading to mindless purchases.
13-year-old girl commits suicide in Delhi
A 13-year-old girl allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan in west Delhi's Tilak Nagar on Saturday, police said. The police said they were informed about the suicide at 5.43 pm after which officials went to the spot. The girl, a Class 7 student, hanged herself from a ceiling fan when her family members were not home, a senior police officer said. No suicide note has been recovered yet, he said. After preliminary investigation, the police said the girl might have taken such step under school exam stress. The body has been sent for post-mortem, the police said.
JK guv launches 19 'Government to Citizen' online services
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Saturday launched 19 'Government to Citizen' online services of seven departments on the State Services Delivery Gateway here. The online mode of 'Government to Citizen' services is developed by the Jammu and Kashmir e-Governance Agency, Information Technology department in collaboration with CDAC Mumbai and will be available on www.jk.gov.in, an official spokesperson said. With the launch of these services, the total count of services which would now be available on the State Services Delivery Gateway (SSDG) is increased to 26. Secretary, IT Department, Saugat Biswas said the newly-launched services would benefit over seven lakh beneficiaries every year. The governor complimented JaKeGA of the IT Department and CDAC, Mumbai for developing online services for different departments, which would eventually help the citizens at large to avail various services. "The online mode will avoid unnecessary human intervention and will speed up the ..
Mizoram cabinet clears bill for benefit of bona fide citizens
The Mizoram cabinet has approved a bill, which seeks to ensure only "bona fide Indian citizens" living in the state receive the benefits of government schemes, an official said Sunday. The Mizoram Maintenance of Household Registration Bill, 2019 entails that a record of families, eligible for government schemes, will have to be maintained by the state. "If enacted, the legislation will safeguard the interests of the Indian citizens by identifying illegal immigrants," he said, adding that the the bill will be introduced in the Assembly during the interim Budget session, which is set to commence on Tuesday. The cabinet also noted on Friday that land settlement certificates were being issued to private parties, who are occupying plots in Aizawl that were originally alloted to the Assam Rifles, the official said. The Ministry of Home Affairs has recently directed the Assam Rifles to shift its battalion headquarters from the heart of Aizawl to Zokhawsang, 15km away. "The ...
UP govt adds 'acharya' prefix to Narendra Dev university
The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to add 'acharya' as a prefix to Narendra Dev University of Agriculture and Technology in Faizabad district. The university, established in 1975, is named after notable politician and educator Narendra Dev, who had served as the vice-chancellor of Lucknow University. A decision was taken at Friday's cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. "The UP government has decided to 'acharya' to Narendra Dev Krishi evam Praudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya, Faizabad. It has also decided to replace 'Faizabad' with Ayodhya," according to a statement issued late Friday night. The cabinet also gave approval to increase the honorarium of the cooks of mid-day meal in primary schools from the existing Rs 1,000 per month to Rs 1,500 per month. This will benefit as many as 4,05,353 cooks across the state. The cabinet cleared a proposal for construction of a library and a building in Garha Kola in memory of eminent Hindi poet Suryakant Tripathi Nirala. ...
