Page 284 - Social Issues
'Work-to-rule' protest by Rly workers from Dec 11
Railway workers will do no more than the minimum required by the rules of their contract from December 11 and refuse all overtime in a call for 'work-to-rule' to protest the Railway Ministry's refusal to meet their demands, a statement from the All India Railway Men's Federation said Thursday. The statement alleged that Railway Minister Piyush Goyal's negative comments on the demands of the union at its 70th annual meeting held from November 15-17 has led to this decision. Work-to-rule is an industrial action in which employees do no more than the minimum required by the rules of their contract. They follow all safety or other regulations which are prescribed in their manuals which may cause a slowdown or decrease in productivity, as they refuse to work during breaks or during unpaid extended hours and weekends. Such an action is considered less disruptive than a strike or lockout, and obeying the rules is less susceptible to disciplinary action. "This means that the workers will work
Hardik pushes for survey of Patels in Gujarat for reservation
Patidar quota stir spearhead Hardik Patel is pushing for a survey to establish "social and economic backwardness" of the community in Gujarat so that they qualify for reservation in jobs, days after Marathas were granted reservation in Maharashtra after a similar exercise. Patel led a delegation on Thursday to meet chairperson of the OBC Commission of Gujarat and demanded a survey of the Patidar (Patel) community by the panel. "We met chairman of OBC Commission Sugnaben Bhatt and handed an 11-page letter asking her to conduct a survey that the entire Patel community is socially and educationally backward," he told reporters after the meeting. "We have demanded that survey be started as soon as possible. It is mandatory to prove in a survey that a community is backward and after that only it (community) becomes eligible to receive reservation," he said. The move of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) led by Hardik Patel comes after Maharashtra's State Backward Class Commission ...
Industry sees proposed changes in insurance products consumer friendly, competitive
The proposed changes in various insurance products will be consumer-friendly and provide a flexibility to insurers in offering better services, industry experts say. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) in a draft guideline for insurance linked and non-linked products late last month has proposed changes in norms for various insurance products, including those related with payment to nominees in case of death of policy holders. The minimum death benefit has been made 7 times for regular premium products and 1.25 times for single premium products for all ages, Irdai has proposed in the draft exposure. "The current limit for life cover for 45 years and low is ten times the annual income and for those above 45 years is seven times their annual income; the proposal is to make it seven for everybody. "Though there is no clarity on the tax benefit yet but the new proposal will most likely be available under section 80C of the Income Tax Act, as only then it ...
DCW issues notices seeking information on illegal spa and massage centres operating in Delhi
The Delhi Commission for Women has issued notices to the MCD, the Delhi Police and the Labour Department seeking information on illegal spa and massage centres operating in the city. The DCW in a statement said that it issued the notices after receiving many complaints that prostitution rackets were operating in the garb of some of these centres. Through its notice, the commission has expressed its deep concern regarding the mushrooming of illegal spa and massage centres in Delhi, it said. It has sought detailed information on the existing spa and massage centre as well as the action taken by the departments concerned against the illegal ones. The commission has sought lists of all spa and massage centres operating in the city, copies of complaints received and details of action taken thereon against the spa/massage centre, centre having been shut down by the department as well as the inspections conducted in these centres by the departments. The commission has also sought copies of ..
More women not having children in England
Nearly one in five women in England and Wales were childless at the end of the childbearing years compared to 10 percent in women born around 1945, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a report on Thursday.
Handle minorities' issues effectively, Kejriwal tells panel
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday advised the Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) to raise the issues faced by the minorities more effectively and take steps to redress their grievances in a concerned manner.
Plea in SC seeks court-monitored probe into affairs of 14 shelter homes in Bihar
A petition was filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday seeking lodging of an FIR and court-monitored probe by an independent agency into the alleged physical and sexual abuse of inmates in 14 shelter homes in Bihar as highlighted in a report. The Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) report was submitted to the Bihar government and it has highlighted gross violations of human rights of inmates in 15 shelter homes in the state, including the Muzaffarpur shelter, whose affairs are now being investigated by the CBI. The plea filed by journalist Nivedita Jha through advocate Fauzia Shakil has sought "registration of FIR and independent investigations or court monitored probe into the affairs of these 14 (other) shelter homes in Bihar mentioned in the TISS report". It also sought direction to the authorities to look into the aspect of rehabilitation of the victims of alleged sexual and physical abuse in these 14 shelter homes and to pay compensation to them. The plea has alleged that the .
Facebook slammed for viral post auctioning teen as child bride
Human rights activists have slammed social networking giant Facebook for failing to remove a post in which a South Sudanese man auctioned his 17-year-old daughter to the highest bidder as a child bride, the media reported.
SC seeks Centre's reply on PIL for grant of quota in jobs to speech-disabled persons
The Supreme Court on Thursday sought the Centre's response on a petition seeking quota benefit in government employment for people with speech and language disability. 'Speech and language disability' refers to a permanent disability arising out of conditions such as laryngectomy or aphasia affecting one or more components of speech and language due to organic or neurological causes. A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justices K M Joseph and M R Shah issued notice to the Centre on the PIL filed by Reepal Kansal that said that though disabled persons falling in the category of 'speech and language disability" are getting the benefit of reservation in education, the same is not given to them in public employment. Lawyer Yadunandan Bansal, appearing for Kansal, said the Centre was unjustified in not granting reservation in employment to people with speech and language disabilities and it amounted to discrimination. The petition, filed through advocate Ashutosh Garg, said not ...
Slovakia, Indian trade body set up start-up hub in Chennai
: A start-up hub was inaugurated here Thursday by Slovakia in association with Indian Chamber of Commerce to strengthen the ecosystem of the Central European country and India. The hub is an interactive platform to facilitate learning, development and funding new businesses. "We are happy to collaborate with the Indian Chamber of Commerce...This Slovakian start-up hub will aim at bringing in new, unique and innovative ideas," Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Slovakia Republic to India Ivan Lancaric said after inaugurating the hub. "We are proud to support the 'Make in India' initiative by encouraging investments in India," he said. A two-day Slovakia Hub Innovation Summit was also inaugurated by Lancaric to enable stakeholders deliberate on economic, industrial, educational and social development. Besides, the summit offers opportunities for financial facilitation, guidance and assistance to entrepreneurs. President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, which ..
539 child care institutions closed down across India: WCD
As many as 539 child care institutions (CCIs) have been shut down by the Women and Child Development Ministry across the country for various irregularities after inspections were carried out in the wake of cases of sexual abuse surfacing in Bihar, a senior official has said. In Maharashtra, 377 CCIs were closed, the highest among all states and Union Territories, followed by Andhra Pradesh - 78, and Telangana - 32. In August, the ministry had directed the states to inspect all child care institutions in the aftermath of the alleged sexual abuse of 34 minor girls at a shelter home in Bihar. It had asked the collectors of respective areas to submit their reports in this regard. After the inspection, it was found that around 539 CCIs were not adhering to norms or were not registered, the senior WCD official said. "We had to shut those institutes which were not providing the desired standard of living to the children or violated the norms or those which were unregistered. "The children ...
2 girls commit suicide in Jharkhand
Two girls have committed suicide at different places in Jharkhand, police said on Thursday.
Cabinet gives nod for MoU signed for cooperation on youth matter with Tajkistan
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday gave its ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Agreement on co-operation on youth matters in the field of sports signed with Tajikstan. The MoU to promote co-operation on youth matters between the two countries was signed by Somnath Ghosh, Ambassador of India to Tajikistan, for Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India and Abdullozoda Ahtam Rustam, Chairman of the Committee for Youth and Sports Affairs for the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan on October 8 at Dushanbe. According to the PIB release, the agreement will facilitate exchange programmes in the field of Youth Affairs, which will help in promoting exchange of ideas, values and culture amongst Youth and in consolidating friendly relations between India and Tajikistan. "The benefits arising from such bilateral exchange programmes between both countries would be equally available to all youth irrespective of their ...
Woman commits suicide in West Bengal
A woman committed suicide in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district after being harassed for dowry, police said on Thursday.
French Rugby team to wear rainbow laces after homophobic attack on former player
The national rugby team of France will wear rainbow coloured shoe laces in their upcoming match against Fiji on November 24 as a supporting gesture to former Wales international player Gareth Thomas who recently faced a homophobic attack.Thomas, who declared himself a gay in 2009, had posted a video on his official Twitter handle saying that he was assaulted because of his sexuality.Coming out in support of the former player, vice-president of the French Rugby Federation Serge Simon not only asked the players to wear rainbow shoe laces in their next match but also assured Thomas that "all of French Rugby" is with him in the matter."Dear @gareththomas14, All of French Rugby is with you regarding the homophobic molestation you've been victim of. To show our support, the French rugby players will wear a rainbow shoe lace during the France - Fidji game on Saturday night. We're all in with you in this matter," Simon tweeted.Thanking the French rugby federation for the gesture, Thomas said .
539 child care institutes shut across country: WCD
The government has so far shut down 539 child care institutes (CCIs) across the country since August when shelter home rape cases surfaced, according to Women and Child Development Ministry (WCD).
Transatlantic slave trade showed what ungoverned, lawless globalisation can lead to: India
India has described the centuries-long transatlantic slave trade as one of the most tragic and inhumane chapters in recorded human history, saying it showed what an "ungoverned and lawless" globalisation can lead to. It has also said that transatlantic slave has destroyed millions of lives over generations and changed the socio-economic fabric of societies in Africa, South America and the Carribean. "The transatlantic slave trade lasting over 400-years, has undeniably been one of the most tragic and inhumane chapters in recorded human history," First Secretary in the Permanent Mission of India to the UN Paulomi Tripathi said Wednesday in the UN General Assembly on 'Commemoration of the Abolition of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.' She said transatlantic slave trade was the "manifestation of greed and immoral pursuit for profit, coupled with unbridled abuse of power exercised by mighty over the weak, that forced millions from their homes to toil in faraway ...
Plea challenges TN official's appointment over MNREGA
The Madras High Court has issued notice to the Tamil Nadu government authorities on a petition questioning the appointment of an official whose job function also covered overseeing social audit under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Justice R Mahadevan before whom a plea seeking a writ of quo warranto against S Annamalai Premkumar came up recently, issued notices to the Secretary of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, the Commissioner of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj among other authorities. He then posted the matter for further hearing to November 27. The petition challenged the official's appointment as Additional Director in the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj. According to the petitioners, as per the MNREGA Act 2005, an independent body should be appointed to insulate the process of social audit under the national job scheme. The state government, however, appointed Annamalai Premkumar as Additional Director in the .
Air pollution may up risk of intellectual disability in kids: Study
Exposure to outdoor air pollution may increase the risk of intellectual disability in children, a study conducted in the UK has found. The study, published in the Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, found that British children with intellectual disabilities were more likely than their peers to live in areas with high outdoor air pollution. "We know that people with intellectual disabilities in the UK have poorer health and die earlier than they should," said Eric Emerson from the University of Sydney in Australia. "This research adds another piece to the jigsaw of understanding why that is the case and what needs to be done about it," Emerson said. The findings come from an analysis of data extracted from the UK's Millennium Cohort Study, a nationally representative sample of over 18,000 children born between 2000 and 2002. Averaging across ages, children with intellectual disabilities were 33 per cent more likely to live in areas with high levels of diesel particulate ...
3 friends killed, 1 injured in suspected suicide pact in Rajasthan
Three friends died and another one was injured after they allegedly jumped before a moving train in a suspected suicide pact in Rajasthan's Alwar district, police said Thursday. Police sources said primary probe revealed that they were depressed due to unemployment but the exact reason for taking the extreme step was yet to be ascertained. Two friends of the youths told the police that the six of them were near railways tracks Tuesday evening when they decided to commit suicide. While Manoj (24), Satyanarayan Meena (22) and Rituraj Meena (17) died by jumping before the train, Abhishek Meena (22) was injured, the police said said. Rahul and Santosh did not take the step, they said. "There is more than one version about the incident and we are probing the matter. Anything concrete can be said only after the investigation is over," SP Alwar Rajendra Singh said. Another police official said the youths were depressed as they were unemployed. "One of the boys who did not jump said that he ..
