Page 175 - Social Issues
Pondy CM dubs union budget as 'poll-oriented'
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy Saturday termed the union budget 2019-20 as "poll-oriented" and a "gimmick". Talking to reporters here, he said, "an interim budget has been presented by an interim Finance Minister (Piyush Goyal) and all the sops announced in the budget are poll oriented and a gimmick." As the Lok Sabha elections are round the corner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Finance Minister have come out with subsidies for ryots, he added. Claiming that it was a clear attempt to woo farmers months ahead of the general polls, the Chief Minister said, Puducherry government had been extending such support to farmers since the last ten years at the rate of Rs 4,000 per crop season. Wondering how the Centre would find sources to meet its commitments made in the budget presented in the Parliament Friday, Narayanasamy said, "The Finance Minister has not clarified as to where the resources would be available for the government." The Prime Minister had not .
Modi blasts Mamata over violence on her home turf
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a blistering attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of orchestrating violence against BJP workers, claiming she had become jittery due to people's love for his party. Taking his battle for the Lok Sabha elections to Banerjee's turf, Modi also accused his political rivals of misleading the distressed farming community through farm loan waivers. The prime minister also made a strong pitch for the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that seeks to accord Indian citizenship to non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who fled their countries due to religious persecution. Addressing a well-attended event of the Scheduled Caste Matua community, where his speech was welcomed with loud cheers, Modi said, "Now I can understand why Didi (Banerjee) and her party are indulging in violence...killing innocent people. She has become jittery because of your love for us." Calling yesterday's ...
Massive drug administration campaign in UP from Feb 10
The Uttar Pradesh government will run a mass drug administration campaign from February 10 to 14 in 29 districts of the state to combat tropical, parasitic disease filariasis. Secretary medical and health V Hekali Jhimomi said albendazole will be given to the people free of cost, along with some medicines. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, is a painful, disfiguring disease. In communities where filariasis is transmitted, all ages are affected. While the infection may be acquired during childhood its visible manifestations may occur later in life, causing temporary or permanent disability. Jhimomi said the campaign will be carried out in Chitrakoot, Banda, Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Bareily, Shahjahanpur, Barabanki, Sonbhadra, Bhadohi, Mau, Azamgarh, Ballia, Basti, Siddharthnagar, Santkabirnagar, Deoria, Kushinagar, Jalaun, Pilibhit, Jaunpur, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Ambedkarnagar, Amethi, Gonda, Bahraich, Shrawasti, Ayodhya .
Centre betrayed Andhra even in its last budget: Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday slammed the Centre for betraying the state even in its last budget.
Rally held in solidarity with Jussie Smollett
Members of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer) and Black communities gathered at a rally here to express solidarity with "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, days after he was the victim of a hate crime in Chicago.
'Sex Education' renewed for season 2
Comedy series "Sex Education" starring Gillian Anderson and Asa Butterfield has been renewed for season two on streaming website Netflix.
Mohajirs, Pashtuns, Baloch team meet US Congressman, raise human rights violations in Pakistan
A delegation of Mohajirs and representatives of Pashtun, Baloch and Hazara communities held a detailed meeting with US Congressman Rob Wittman here on Friday (local time) to brief him about the human rights violations and discrimination being faced by their communities in Pakistan.The group was led by the Voice of Karachi and South Asia Minorities Alliance Foundation Chairman Nadeem Nusrat. He particularly pointed out the "devastating economic and social impact of the highly discriminatory quota system" in urban Sindh that has forced the majority urban population out of government jobs and admissions in public educational institutions since the 1970s."You could find people of Lahore and Rawalpindi and other cities in their local police. But you'd find it hard to find the citizens of Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas in their cities' local police and other law enforcement agencies," Nadeem Nusrat told the US lawmaker."Persistent and organized rigging in the census and electoral ...
Hong Kong court denies male status to 3 transgender men
Hong Kong's High Court refused to allow three transgender men to be recognised as males on their official identity cards because they have not undergone full sex-change operations. The ruling Friday was seen as a blow to the fledgling LGBT movement in the semiautonomous Chinese city of 7.4 million people, which is preparing to host the 2022 Gay Games. The three, identified as Henry Tse, Q and R, are shown on their ID cards as having been born female, but are undergoing hormone therapy. A full sex change would require the removal of female sexual organs, making them sterile. Appearing in court, Tse unfurled a banner that read, "Forced Sterilization is cruel and inhumane. Recognize our Rights NOW!" In his ruling, Judge Thomas Au wrote that "the change of gender entry stated in the ID card does not only concern the private right of the transgender person but also the wider public interest." Like many Asian societies, Hong Kong has become more open about gender issues, although the legal .
US Governor apologises for racist yearbook photo
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has apologised after his 1984 medical yearbook page emerged, showing a photo featuring men in racist costumes.
US top court facing litmus test on abortion
Already tilted to the right by President Donald Trump's nominations, the US Supreme Court is facing a test case on abortion rights, one of the most polarising issues in an already divided nation. A clinic and two doctors offering abortions in Louisiana have appealed to the Supreme Court to block a law restricting access to abortion that is due to come into force next week in the conservative southern state. The law, approved in 2014, would require doctors offering abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of where they operate. Louisiana argues that the risks of complications arising during an abortion procedure mean that patients may need to be transferred to a nearby hospital where doctors could step in. That argument was endorsed by a state appeals court and the law will come into effect on Monday unless challenged by the Supreme Court. A similar law limiting abortion access in Texas was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2016. But since Trump came to ...
Jaitley rejects claims on joblessness as 'economic absurdity'
Rejecting claims about high unemployment in India as "disinformation", Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday said it would be "economic absurdity" to believe that jobs are not being created at a time when the country is witnessing high economic growth.Jaitley, who could not present the interim Budget because of his indisposition, also defended the budgetary provision of Rs 6000 for each marginal farmer which has been mocked by the Opposition as meagre amount, saying it is meant to be an "additional support" to the agriculturists.In an interview to ANI here, he underlined that the Narendra Modi government had efficiently maintained the fiscal discipline as the fiscal deficit and Current Account Deficit (CAD) have been contained and inflation has been reduced drastically while GDP kept growing."Our fiscal deficit, we inherited about, 4.5-4.6 percent, which is now down to 3.4 %, we had targeted 3.3 % but because of the last minute adjustments in farm sector, we had to make 0.1 % ...
GM meets with lawmakers over racism allegations at Ohio plant
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senior General Motors Co executives met this week with Ohio's two senators and other lawmakers on Capitol Hill after African American employees sued the automaker accusing it of allowing a racially hostile work atmosphere.
Claims on joblessness economic absurdity: Jaitley
Rejecting claims about high unemployment in India as "disinformation", Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday said it would be "economic absurdity" to believe that jobs are not being created at a time when the country is witnessing high economic growth.Jaitley, who could not present the interim Budget because of his indisposition, also defended the budgetary provision of Rs 6000 for each marginal farmer which has been mocked by the Opposition as meagre amount, saying it is meant to be an "additional support" to the agriculturists.In an interview to ANI here, he underlined that the Narendra Modi government had efficiently maintained the fiscal discipline as the fiscal deficit and Current Account Deficit (CAD) have been contained and inflation has been reduced drastically while GDP kept growing."Our fiscal deficit, we inherited about, 4.5-4.6 percent, which is now down to 3.4 %, we had targeted 3.3 % but because of the last minute adjustments in farm sector, we had to make 0.1 % ...
Death toll hits 58 after Djbouti migrant boat tragedy
The number of people who died when two migrant boats foundered after setting sail from Djibouti to Yemen has risen to 58, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Friday. The overloaded boats went down on Tuesday about half an hour after setting sail from Djibouti's northeastern coastline. Speaking to AFP, Lalini Veerassamy, IOM's chief of mission in the tiny Horn of Africa nation, said the number of people known to have died in the tragedy had risen to 58, up from 52 a day earlier. It was the latest incident to occur on the risky sea crossing, often taken by African migrants seeking to work in the Middle East. Only around 15 people were pulled to safety, most of them Ethiopians. It was not immediately clear how many people were affected but the IOM said it believed one of the two boats was carrying up to 130 people. Most of those on board were believed to be Ethiopians. On Wednesday, an AFP journalist saw bodies in the water and others strewn across the beach at ...
WCD ministry sees 20% increase in budget, maternity, ICDS schemes given priority
In the 2019-20 Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) has been allocated with Rs 29,165 crore, an increase by Rs 4,856 crore which is almost 20 per cent higher than the previous year.
Budget 2019: Government announces pension scheme targeting 100 million unorganised workers
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) - The government on Friday announced a pension scheme targeting at least 100 million workers in the unorganized sector, such as drivers, maids and cobblers, in a bid to woo a critical voter group that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking to sway ahead of a general election due by May.
Bengal Inc gives Budget thumps-up, but disappointed over no corporate relief
Hailing the interim budget proposals by Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal as "courageous" , Bengal industrialists on Friday said it would provide a growth stimulus through consumption boost, but at the same time, they were disappointed with absence of any rebate in corporate tax.
Boko Haram killed 'at least 60' in NE Nigeria: Amnesty
Boko Haram Islamists killed at least 60 civilians in an attack on the remote town of Rann in northeast Nigeria earlier this week, Amnesty International said on Friday. The human rights group's Nigeria director Osai Ojigho said "at least 60 people" were killed while satellite imagery showed "mass burning" of structures used by displaced people.
Interim Budget to raise consumption, domestic manufacturing: India Inc
India Inc. has welcomed the announcements made in the Interim Budget on Friday and called it forward looking, primarily due to the enhancement of income tax rebate, measures to boost rural economy and the SME sector.
NHRC notice to MP govt over alleged sexual exploitation of girls at shelter-home
The NHRC has sent a notice to the Madhya Pradesh government over reports that girls at a shelter-home in Ratlam were allegedly sexually exploited, assaulted and manhandled. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in a statement, said it is "painful" to know that persons, who are supposed to protect the girl inmates, are accused of subjecting them to indignity in their custody. "The NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report alleging that girls at a shelter-home, Kundan Kuteer Balika Grah at Jaora town in Ratlam district, were being sexually exploited, assaulted and manhandled," the commission said. Five inmates of the shelter-home had escaped on January 24 by breaking the window of the toilet and were later traced in Mandsaur. Police have held three persons, including a couple, in this connection, it said. Reportedly, efforts are being made to arrest the current head of the shelter-home, who is also an accused in the case. The commission has issued a notice to the ...
