Page 151 - Social Issues
NCW writes to Delhi Police in harassment case of journalist Barkha Dutt
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has written to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik asking him to initiate speedy investigation in the harassment faced by journalist Barkha Dutt on social media.
Why are foreigners lodged in Assam's detention centre for indefinite period, asks SC
The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Assam government to explain indefinite detention of foreigners in detention centres in the state and to find out ways to set them free.A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said, "You (Assam) may justify detention centre, idea was to keep them for a minimum time. They are humans."The bench said it will examine conditions in detention centres and the long period for which foreigners are detained in these detention centres."One issue highlighted (in the petition) is the poor living conditions in detention centres. You (Assam) have to ensure minimum living conditions. You cannot have inhuman conditions in detention centres," observed the apex court.The court was hearing a PIL filed by activist Harsh Mander seeking direction to the authorities to ensure humane treatment of those detained in the detention centres in Assam.The top court also slammed the Assam government for not being able to act in its efforts to identify and deport illegal ...
Illegal immigrants could not be detained again, SC observes
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said illegal immigrants in Assam who have already undergone the sentence for illegal stay could not be detained again and asked the Centre and the Assam government to create a mechanism for their repatriation.
O.P. Chautala moves Delhi HC for release
Former Haryana Chief Minister O.P. Chautala on Tuesday moved the Delhi High Court for his release from Tihar Jail under the special remission granted to males above 60 years.
SC expresses concern over illegal migrants lodged in detention centres in Assam for long
The Supreme Court Tuesday expressed concern over thousands of illegal migrants being kept in detention centres for years in Assam without being repatriated or deported to their countries of origin. "Don't you think some explanation is called from state government as to why these people are detained for such a long period? Many of them have been detained for last 9-10 years. What is the justification," a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. Mehta, who was appearing for the Assam government, said there was a need for evolving a mechanism for repatriating them and it should be done expeditiously. The solicitor general explained the nitty gritty involved in dealing with the illegal migrants whose verification were done to determine their nationality before deporting them from the detention centres. However, the bench also comprising justices L Nageswara Rao and Sanjiv Khanna raised several issues connected with the detention centre and said that
IT Dept conducts search at offices and facilities of Divis Laboratories
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Scribe bodies complain to Rajnath about trolling of journalists
A number of journalists' bodies on Tuesday wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh complaining about trolling of some journalists on the social media in the wake of the Pulwama incident and sought action against the trolls.
NCW asks Delhi Police to initiate probe into alleged harassment of Barkha Dutt on twitter
The National Commission For Women (NCW) Tuesday asked Delhi Police commissioner Amulya Patnaik to initiate "speedy investigation" into the alleged harassment of journalist Barkha Dutt on social media. In the letter to the police chief, the commission said it has come across media reports about Dutt's allegation that she had received threat calls and had been harassed on social media after she offered to help Kashmiris who were being targeted. Dutt had also tweeted to Delhi Police apprising them of the matter, the letter said. "It is requested to initiate speedy investigation in the matter and take action as per the law," the letter added. Dutt tweeted thanking the commission for taking up the matter with the Delhi Police. "Thank you #NCW and Rekha Sharma for raising this with Delhi Police. I await the response of @DelhiPolice - I have filed my formal complaint with them yesterday," she posted on the micro-blogging site. "I had close to 1000 abusive messages and calls in a coordinated .
Identify those who use caste discrimination in self-interest: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday invoked poet-saint Guru Ravidas on his birth anniversary, urging people to end caste discrimination and identify those who promote it in their "self interest". Modi addressed two meetings and launched development projects worth Rs 3,000 crore during the visit to Varanasi, the second in a month to his Lok Sabha constituency ahead of the parliamentary elections. He hit out indirectly at Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav for mocking the high-speed Vande Bharat train from Varanasi to Delhi after it developed a snag, saying they had insulted the engineers involved in the project. Laying the foundation stone for the Ravidas Janmasthali area development project here, Modi said caste discrimination is an impediment in achieving social harmony. "Guruji had said that there should be no discrimination on the basis of caste. Till caste discrimination is there, people cannot connect with each other, social harmony is ..
938 people detained in 6 detention centres in Assam, 823 declared foreigners, Centre tells SC
The Centre Tuesday told the Supreme Court that 938 people are detained in six detention centres in Assam and 823 of them have been declared as foreigners by tribunals. The Centre was responding to the January 28 queries of the apex court which had asked the Centre and the state to provide details of functional detention centres in Assam and the foreigners detained in them during the last 10 years. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi was told by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that both the Centre and the state have filed their affidavits providing details sought by the apex court. The Centre said over 27,000 foreigners have been pushed back at border points while attempting to enter India illegally. Solicitor General told the bench, also comprising Justices L N Rao and Sanjiv Khanna, that the Centre has allotted Rs 47 crore and Assam has provided land for building a new detention centre with various facilities, keeping in mind issues covering human rights. He said the new ...
Centre should take people's opinion into account before making decisions: Irom Sharmila
Manipur human rights activist Irom Chanu Sharmila has criticized the NDA government, accusing it of disregarding people's sentiments when making policy decisions. Democracy exists in the country "only in name" under the current dispensation, she said, urging people to vote for bringing about a change in the country. Lambasting the "all-controlling" government at the Centre, Sharmila, who had observed a 16-year-long hunger strike seeking repulsion of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Manipur, said, "Democratic leaders are servants of people, not controllers. They need to respect people's opinions before making policy decisions." Describing the provisions of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill as "complicated", she said the Centre should have taken the popular sentiment into consideration before introducing the legislation in the lower house. "They (Modi government) are trying to control everything based on their beliefs and system. There is a long history of suffering and ...
Caste discrimination impedes social harmony, identify those who promote it for self-interest: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday invoked Sant Ravidas, a mystic poet of the Bhakti Movement, on his birth anniversary to urge people to end caste discrimination and identify those who promote it for "self interest". Modi said caste discrimination is an impediment in achieving social harmony. "Guruji (Sant Ravidas) had said that there should be no discrimination on the basis of caste. Till caste discrimination is there, people cannot connect with each other, social harmony is not possible and equality cannot be ensured," the prime minister said. "Identify those who for their self-interest, create caste discrimination and promote it," he asked people, without taking any names. The prime minister was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of Ravidas Janmasthali area development project in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency. Sant Ravidas belonged to the Bhakti Movement of the 15th and 16th century. Born in Varanasi, his hyms and poems often revolved around his ..
AIADMK clinches Lok Sabha poll deal with PMK
The ruling AIADMK Tuesday announced a poll alliance with the Pattali Makkal Katchi and allotted seven Lok Sabha seats to it for the forthcoming Parliamentary elections. Announcing the deal in the presence of Chief Minister K Palaniswami, AIADMK coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said it has also been decided that the PMK will be allocated a Rajya Sabha seat. Under the deal, The PMK will be supporting the AIADMK in the bypolls expected to 21 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu, he said. A formal agreement in this regard was signed between the leadership of the two parties in a city hotel. PMK founder leader S Ramadoss described the coalition as "an alliance for people's welfare, a mega coalition and a victorious alliance." "To retrieve the rights of Tamil Nadu people, we have made a 10-point charter of demands," Ramadoss said. The demands include declaring the Cauvery delta districts as a protected farm region, a caste wise census be held in Tamil ...
Indian-American couple found dead in apparent murder-suicide
An Indian-American couple was found dead in their home in an apparent murder-suicide at an affluent suburb in the US state of Texas, police said. Police officers were called to the house in Sugar Land on Monday around 6 am. They found the bodies of Sreenivas Nakirekanti, 51, and his wife, 46-year-old Shanti Nakirekanti at the scene. They said Shanti was found with a gunshot wound to her head in the driveway of the home on Pendergrass and Sheffield Court. Sreenivas was found in the bedroom with a gunshot wound to the chest and a small handgun nearby, police said. Police said a preliminary investigation indicates Sreenivas shot and killed Shanti and then turned the gun on himself. According to the authorities a 16-year-old girl was asleep in the home at the time of the shooting. She answered the door for police when they arrived and told them her dad was not coming out of the bedroom. She was not injured. The daughter is now in the care and custody of friends, Sugar Land city spokesman .
US airlines to add more gender options
US airlines will add more gender options for passengers who don't identify as "male" or "female", the media reported on Tuesday.
Kerala CM: Kasargod murders unfortunate, will take strong action against guilty
Describing the murder of two youth Congress workers in Kerala as "extremely unfortunate," Chief Minister Pinrayi Vijayan has said strict action will be taken against those found guilty.The chief minister said in a statement on Facebook on Monday that the state's DGP has been instructed to arrest all the accused as early as possible.Two persons were taken into custody on Monday in connection with an incident where two Youth Congress workers- Kripesh and Sarath Lal- were hacked to death in Peria in Kasargod on Sunday.According to the Deputy Director of Kerala Police Information Centre, a special team has been formed under Kasaragod police chief A Sreenivasan to investigate the case with Kasaragod district crime branch Dy SP M Pradeep Kumar as chief investigator.Kerala DGP Lokesh Behera has contacted Karnataka police for their help in conducting the probe and Karnataka police have offered all support. On Monday, as a mark of protest against the murder of two of its workers, the Youth ...
Bihar Assembly passes resolution seeking caste-based census in 2021
The Bihar Assembly on Monday passed a resolution recommending to the Centre to conduct caste-based census in 2021, when the next head counting exercise would be held in the country. The caste-based census was required to remove the present cap of 50 per cent on reservation and increase the quota for reserved categories of SCs, STs and OBCs on the basis of the increase in their population, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had said in the House last week. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shrawan Kumar moved the proposal in the assembly amid din by Rashtriya Janata Dal members who demanded Nitish Kumar's resignation in the wake of an order passed by the special POCSO court at Muzaffarpur last week. Shrawan Kumar read out the proposal for the caste-based census in 2021, an issue that has been raised on several occasions by the chief minister. The resolution was passed five days after Nitish Kumar stressed the need for a caste-based census on February 13, while replying to a discussion on the ...
Meghalaya Home Minister, NESO hit out at Amit Shah over Citizenship Bill
A day after Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah said that the Citizenship bill will be passed if his party returns to power, Meghalaya Home Minister James Sangma on Monday reiterated National People's Party's (NPP) opposition to the contentious legislation.
LIC launches Micro Bachat plan
Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) Monday launched a new micro insurance plan 'Micro Bachat'. It is a regular premium, non-linked, participating endowment micro insurance plan, which offers a combination of protection and savings, LIC said in a statement. For the first time, a micro insurance plan has been launched providing coverage up to Rs 2 lakh, it said. This plan provides financial support for the family in case of unfortunate death of the policyholder during the policy term and a lumpsum amount at the time of maturity for the surviving policyholders, it said. This plan is available for standard healthy lives only in the age group of 18-55 years without undergoing any medical examination, it added.
Gujarat Govt forms Transgender Welfare Board
The Gujarat government has formed a special board for the transgender community, an official release said Monday. The 'Transgender Welfare Bord' has been constituted by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment to provide social security to the community, it said. After the Supreme Court recognised transgenders as a third gender in 2014, the UnionMinistry of Social Justice and Empowerment had constituted an expert committee to examine various issues of the community, the release said. Based on the committee's findings, the apex court had asked state governments to constitute welfare boards for the the transgender community, it added. The new board will have the state social justice and empowerment minister as its chairman. It will have 16 other members, including two transgender-women representatives, two male transgenders, two from the eunuch community and two representatives of NGOs. The rest of the members will be government officials. It will work for uplift ...