Page 24 - Social Issues
BJP to observe 'Black Day' across Bengal on Monday
In a bid to protest against the killing of their party men in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district a day ago, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will observe 'Black Day' across the state on Monday, a senior state BJP leader said on Sunday.
Irani meets Haryana CM, discusses women welfare issues
Union Minister Smriti Irani on Sunday held a meeting with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on the issues related to women welfare in the state.Khattar told the media, "After taking the charge as the Women and Child Development Minister, her first meeting today took place with the Haryana government. Officials of the department attended the meeting and the discussion related to women welfare."Irani appreciated the state's efforts in the field of women education and said, "Some key decisions were taken and directives issued regarding the welfare of women and children in Haryana."She said, "We will again meet the Chief Minister on issues of women safety and women education. Under the able leadership of Chief Minister Khattar, new records have been set by the Haryana government under the' Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao' initiative."Senior officials of the Women and Child Development Department, Haryana were also present during the meeting.
Payal Tadvi suicide case: NCST asks Mumbai Police officials to expedite probe
A National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) team has met top Mumbai Police officials and the management of the BYL Nair Hospital regarding the Payal Tadvi suicide case and demanded that the probe into the matter be expedited. The team, led by NCST chairman Nand Kumar Sai, also met Tadvi's family Saturday. "The NCST has demanded that the probe by the Crime Branch into the case be completed as soon as possible... Even the post-mortem report has not been released yet," Sai told PTI on Sunday. "It's not clear yet whether it's suicide or murder. The matter is under investigation. Let the post-mortem report come out," he added. Tadvi, 26, a second-year gynaecology student of TN Topiwala National Medical College, allegedly committed suicide in her hostel room on May 22. Her family alleged that three of her seniors at the BYL Nair Hospital, to which the medical college is attached, taunted and hurled casteist slurs at her as she belonged to a Scheduled Tribe. The accused have been ...
Ambuja Cement to spend Rs 125 cr on CSR this fiscal
Ambuja Cement Foundation plans to spend Rs 125 crore, including Rs 40 crore in Rajasthan, towards corporate social responsibility in the current fiscal. Ambuja Cement Foundation Director and CEO Pearl Tiwari said revival of traditional water resources, rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge, healthcare support, vocational training and skill development were some of the initiatives which have been undertaken by the foundation. "Our budget for CSR activities in the year 2019-20 is around Rs 125 crore. This includes the budget of Rs 40 crore for Rajasthan," Tiwari said here. She also informed that the annual increase in the CSR budget was around 10-15 per cent. Tiwari said that women empowerment, education, health, skill development were among other areas where the CSR budget will be spent.
Jenelle Evans shares family video amid custody battle
Jenelle Evans on Saturday posted a throwback family video on her YouTube page remembering some good old days.In the video she along with husband David Eason and children can be seen playing with their new pet chicks and chickens on their homestead farm, reported E-News. The couple is currently battling to regain custody of their children."We wanted to try out a wide variety and share our family experience with all of you!. The kids absolutely loved everything about raising these tiny chicks. While we tackle trying to figure out farm life, we learn a lot along the way. We love to share helpful information with all of you as we learn," she wrote.Last month, the actor was removed from the 'Teen Mom 2' television series and she faced a major court defeat when the judge ruled that they would temporarily lose custody of their daughter Ensley, 2, Jenelle's 4-year-old son Kaiser and David's daughter Maryssa, weeks after David intentionally shot and killed his wife's French bulldog.Jenelle's ..
Queer short film contest highlights LGBTQ issues
Taking pride in queer identities, breaking the stereotypes of gender binary, and accepting one's sexuality were some of the themes of winning entries at a queer film contest here. As part of the celebration of the ongoing Pride Month, Blued, a social networking application for the queer community, organised 'Blued Queer Flicks' where short movies on LGBTQ topics from independent filmmakers were invited. Five winning entries, from a total of 60, were screened at the Russian Centre of Science and Centre on Friday. From the journey of a transgender woman towards motherhood to the ordinary lives of middle-aged men who dream to abolish concrete societal boundaries, the films portrayed a mix of emotions, trials, and tribulations of the queer. Sumit Pawar for "Khwaaish" and Shruti Kulkarni for "Outcast by Birth" jointly took home the first prize for their respective short films. While "Khwaaish" showed the life of a middle-aged man's desire to find a same-sex companion in a city that refuses
Kerala govt joins issue with PM on Ayushman Bharat, says state member of scheme
Joining issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his appeal to it for joining Ayushman Bharat, the LDF government in Kerala has said the state is already a member of the Centre's health insurance scheme and the PM has "misunderstood" it. Asking the prime minister to correct himself, state Health Minister K K Shylaja said that in fact, the Kerala government had extended its coverage from 18.5 lakh families to 41 lakh families by integrating the other existing schemes under the title "Karunaya Arogya Surakha Scheme". Speaking at a BJP meeting in Guruvayur on Saturday, Modi urged the Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala to implement the flagship health insurance programme of the Centre. Reacting to it, Shylaja, in a statement here, said Kerala was already a member of the scheme. She pointed out that Modi had said it was unfortunate that Kerala did not join the scheme and therefore, many poor people of the state would not get its benefits. "The prime minister has misunderstood the ...
This Chennai man is father to 45-HIV positive children
Forty-Five HIV positive children abandoned by their families have found a home in the "Shelter Trust" run by Solomon Raj, popularly referred to as "Appa" (father) by them.Raj claims that good work gives him great satisfaction, especially when these children refer him as 'Appa".In the shelter home, the needy are provided with every facility ranging from education, medical care, training in crafts, arts, dance and working knowledge of computers etc.Many of them have been enrolled in Class XI and Class XII and seven of them even pursuing their graduation in various streams.Solomon said that he was inspired to help the HIV positive children as even after 8 years into his marriage he had no child and he wanted to adopt an HIV positive child who is in need."When we were planning to adopt a child, we had a biological child and the matter of adopting a child in need was put to rest for some time. However, it always made me feel guilty that I have not adopted an HIV positive child that I ...
Angelina Jolie seeks more international support for Venezuela
Hollywood star and special envoy for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Angelina Jolie on Saturday urged the international community to provide more support to Venezuela, from where the number of refugees and migrants has risen to over four million."The number of Venezuelan refugees and migrants has risen to over four million. Often those who have the least give the most. This is a life and death situation for millions of Venezuelans. But UNHCR has received only a fraction of the funds it needs, to do even the bare minimum to help them survive," said Jolie in a statement."The countries receiving them, like Colombia, are trying to manage an unmanageable situation with insufficient resources. But neither they nor humanitarian actors like UNHCR are getting the funds they need in order to keep the pace with the influx, and yet they still do everything they can," she added.The South American country has plunged into deep political crisis after opposition leader Juan ...
Factory owner booked for GST evasion in Jaipur
A factory owner was arrested and sent to judicial custody for GST evasion of Rs 21 crore here, officials said on Sunday. According to a government press release issued late saturday, Atul Chopra, who runs a textile factory in RIICO industrial area in Alwar's Bhiwadi was arrested on Friday. Chopra was Saturday produced before a magistrate in a civil court in Jaipur where he was sent to judicial custody till June 10, it said.
Goa govt taking all precautions against Nipah virus: Rane
Amid Nipah virus scare in Kerala, the Goa government is taking all precautions to counter it, state health minister Vishwajit Rane said on Sunday and urged people not to panic. Rane said he would hold a high-level meeting and ask the authorities concerned to ensure that the viral infection does not spread in the state. "Goa's health director will take all necessary steps in public interest and the health secretary will monitor it," he told reporters here. "I request people of Goa not to panic and consult a doctor if they notice any symptoms of the virus," he added. A case of Nipah was reported from Kerala's Ernakulum district on June 3 and the condition of the infected college student was reported to be stable. The virus claimed 17 lives in Kerala in May last year.
People want gay marriage to be legal in India: Study
After de-criminalising homosexuality in India, people feel it is time for gay marriage to be made legal in India, a study has pointed out.
FinMin, PMO to focus on key sectors to push for growth, jobs
Finance Ministry and PMO will be extrapolating suggestions and consultations from experts, industry and citizens on sectors and segments that are in need of urgent attention in the Budget to help the economy recover from a 17-quarter low 5.8 per cent growth, and 45-year high 6.1 per cent unemployment rate.
Health Ministry proposes to convert 75 district hospitals into medical colleges
The Health Ministry has proposed to convert 75 district hospitals into medical colleges in the third phase of a scheme which aims at boosting availability of human resource for the health sector. The proposal is a part of the centrally sponsored scheme for "establishment of new medical colleges by upgrading district or referral hospitals" preferably in underserved districts of the country. In the first phase, the government had approved converting 58 district hospitals into medical colleges while in the second phase, 24 hospitals were selected. Out of all these 39 hospitals have become functional while the remaining are still under construction. "The proposal to convert 75 district hospitals into medical colleges in the third phase of the scheme has been sent for approval to the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC), after which it will be sent to the Cabinet," a source said. In this regard, a cabinet note has already been drafted, the source said. The up-gradation of each of the 75 ...
Mental healthcare should be taught in school, says Taraji P. Henson
Stating that suicide rate has gone up even among children, actor Taraji P Henson has said that awareness about mental health should be imparted during school."The suicide rate has taken off. It amazes me that 5-year-olds are contemplating suicide. That's a word you shouldn't even understand at five years old," People quoted her as saying.She went on to say, "We don't talk about mental health, we don't deal with it."Expressing her wish to extend help to people and urging members of the Black Caucus to join her in spreading awareness on mental illness, she added, "I'm only one voice. I need help."Henson suggested that mental healthcare should be a part of the school curriculum, parents will then have to talk about the issue with their kids."If we can teach children about sex education and physical education, why not mental?" she asserted.Henson started the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation last year with an aim to eliminate the stigma around mental illness in the African-American ...
In historic first, G20 weighs ageing as global risk
Ballooning healthcare costs, labour shortages and financial services for the elderly: for the first time Sunday, the world's top policymakers are tackling economic issues relating to ageing and shrinking birthrates. G20 finance ministers and central bank chiefs meeting in Japan -- where a rapidly ageing population is a major domestic problem -- have been warned to address the issue before it is too late. "What we are saying is, 'If the issue of ageing starts to show its impact before you become wealthy, you really won't be able to take effective measures against it'," Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso, the meeting's host, told reporters late Saturday. The G20 is a mixed bag of countries at various stages of development and population profiles, ranging from rapidly-ageing Japan to Saudi Arabia, next year's G20 chair, which has a very young society. And host Japan is eager to share its experience, with Aso sounding the alarm that nations must be ready to act before population ageing ...
Jolie praises Colombia's response to Venezuelan refugee crisis
Hollywood actress and UNHCR envoy, Angelina Jolie has highlighted Colombia's humanitarian response to help Venezuelans who have fled the economic and political crisis affecting their country.
Minister: Mexico has 'dignity intact' after US tariff deal
Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard told a cheering crowd near the U.S. border on Saturday that his country emerged from high-stakes talks over U.S. tariffs with its "dignity intact." The rally in Tijuana, a short walk from the border, was originally scheduled as an act of solidarity in the face of President Donald Trump's threat to impose a 5per cent tariff on Mexico's exports if it did not stem the flow of Central American migrants crossing its territory toward the U.S. The tariff threat had brought opposition from within Trump's own party for the economic disruption it would have caused. But after Mexican and U.S. officials reached an accord late Friday that calls on Mexico to crackdown on migrants in exchange for Trump backing off his threat, officials here converted the rally into a celebration. Ebrard, who helped negotiate the deal in Washington D.C., said when he arrived back home and gave the president his report, he told Lpez Obrador: "There are no tariffs, Mr.
Mexico-US tariff deal: Questions, concerns for migration
As Washington and Mexico City both took victory laps Saturday over a deal that headed off threatened tariffs on Mexican imports, it remained to be seen how effective it may be and migration experts raised concerns over what it could mean for people fleeing poverty and violence in Central America. Other than a vague reiteration of a joint commitment to promote development, security and growth in Central America, the agreement focuses almost exclusively on enforcement and says little about the root causes driving the surge in migrants seen in recent months. "My sense is overall the Mexican government got out of this better than they thought. The agreement though leaves a lot of big question marks," said Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute. "It's good that the two sides reached an agreement which allows both of them to save face, but it's not clear how easy it is to implement." The deployment of 6,000 National Guard troops appears to be the key commitment in what ...
Vienna bids farewell to iconic Life Ball AIDS fundraiser
The Austrian capital of Vienna bade farewell to the iconic Life Ball AIDS charity fundraiser Saturday as its extravagant costumes and celebrity guests took over the city's town hall for the last time. Launched by former make-up artist Gery Keszler, among others, the ball has raised around 30 million euros (USD34 million) for anti-AIDS causes within Austria and abroad since its first edition in 1993, organisers say. Keszler announced last month that this year's edition of the ball would be the last due to a lack of funding. This year's ball began with a spectacular opening ceremony inspired by the worlds of magic and the circus, as well as the classic film The Wizard Of Oz. Austrian Eurovision winner and drag star Conchita Wurst was one of the "ringmasters" of the evening's festivities and kicked off the opening ceremony with a procession of acrobats, circus freaks, stilt-walkers and -- in a nod to Viennese ball tradition -- 200 "debutantes" of all ages. The ceremony paid homage to the