Page 285 - Social Issues
Intellectual disability is linked to air pollution: Researchers
A team of researchers has linked intellectual disabilities among children to rising air pollution, stressing that exposure outdoor may impede cognitive development.
Trump grants new authority to troops to protect border personnel
US President Donald Trump has approved a memorandum that grants new authority to US troops on the Southwest border to protect Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel from migrants if they engage in violence, according to the Pentagon.
India, Australia exchange five MoUs
India and Australia exchanged five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in the presence of Foreign Minister of Australia Marine Payne and Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Anantkumar Hegde during President Ramnath Kovind's maiden visit to the island nation.The MoUs were exchanged by High Commissioner of India to Australia Ajay M. Gondane and High Commissioner of Australia to India Harinder Sidhu.Of five, one of the MoUs was signed by Indian and Australian envoys Gondane and Sidhu for cooperation in the field of disability sector. The MoU deals with the exchange of information regarding disability policy, delivery of services, cooperation in early identification and intervention to mitigate various disabilities including mental illness, community outreach, education, and training; exchange of information on promoting investment in the disability sector, capacity building for persons with disabilities.With the objective of facilitation of bilateral ...
Two girls end lives by jumping into well
Two girls allegedly committed suicide by jumping into a well in suburban Goregaon, police said on Wednesday. Both the deceased were 16-years-old, a senior official said. "The girls ended their lives by jumping into a well at Aarey Colony area in Goregaon on Tuesday night," he said. The girls were local residents, the official said adding that the motive behind their extreme step was not yet known.
1st transgender files nomination in poll-bound Telangana
In a first, a transgender woman is all set to contest the upcoming assembly polls in the state of Telangana.A 30-year-old transwoman, Chandramukhi, filed nomination from Hyderabad's Goshmahal constituency, where she would be head to head against Raja Singh, a sitting legislator from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Chandramukhi, while speaking to ANI, said: "Since a long time, transgender society is existing in India and Telangana. But the state has denied recognising transgenders. All the transgenders in the state are now expressing their happiness that at least one of them has taken a step and is going to contest polls.""I entered into politics to change policies and to be a more recognisable part of society, I have never taken any wrong steps against the society or people. Being an activist I have fought for the rights of the transgenders. I will also fight these elections with the Bahujan Left Front agenda. I am really happy that I am the first transgender to file nomination and ..
Devaswom Board ready for discussions with anybody to resolve Sabarimala issue
Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A Padmakumar on Wednesday said that the board is ready to hold discussions with anybody to resolve the Sabarimala Temple standoff.His statement comes two days after TDB moved the Supreme Court seeking an extension for implementation of its verdict which lifted the age-old ban on entry of women of menstruating age inside Kerala's Sabarimala Temple.In its petition, the board said that lack of necessary infrastructure to cater to the needs of visiting pilgrims and tourists, and the ongoing violence and protests against implementing the apex court's verdict necessitated an extension.The Sabarimala Temple is under the control of Devaswom Board, the TDB president said adding, "If there is any lack of facilities at Sabarimala, the Devaswom Board is responsible." Issues including law and order, however, come under the jurisdiction of the government, he said.The Temple reopened on Friday for the 64-day long Mandala-Magaravilaku annual pilgrimage season
Delhi's former minister booked for abusing woman scribe on live show
The Noida Police on Wednesday booked AAP legislator and former Delhi Law minister Somnath Bharti for insulting and outraging the modesty of a woman journalist during a live debate, an officer said.
Bru refugees to vote in Mizoram's Mamit district: Official
The Election Commission has decided to hold polling for Bru refugees in Mizoram's Mamit district, even as the leaders of the tribal community maintained that they fear for their safety in their home state. The place of voting for 11,232 Bru voters, who are residing in neighbouring Tripura, has been a bone of contention, leading to the replacement of the then chief electoral officer, S B Shashank, less than two weeks ahead of the election to the 40-member House. Shashank had been accused of facilitating voting by Bru voters in the relief camps of Tripura. "We have been informed by the Election Commission that the polling for the Brus must be arranged at Kanhmun village inside Mizoram territory. We have started our preparations for that," an official in the CEO office told PTI. Kanhmun is an interstate border village between Mizoram and Tripura. A written order to this effect is likely to be received by Mizoram CEO Ashish Kundra in a day or two, the official said. "In the last three ...
CPWD warns officials against participating in 'All India Protest Day'
The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has warned its officials against participating in 'All India Protest Day' on November 26, an official said Wednesday. According to a written communication of the Department of Personnel and Training on November 12, the National Movement for Old Pension Scheme (NMOPS) has decided to observe a 'Gherao of Parliament House' in order to demand withdrawal of the New Pension Scheme (NPS). In an office memorandum, the CPWD said, "All India Protest Day is being organised on on November 26...If participation of any employee comes to the notice of the authority, action will be initiated against the employee in accordance with the CCS (Conduct Rules). The CPWD is the government's largest construction agency and it looks after maintenance of central government buildings and erecting of fences on the country's international borders, among others. The agency also carries out projects in foreign countries under friendship programmes with India.
No changes to Haj Act, clarifies Naqvi
Union Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi clarified that no changes have been made in the Haj Act or the Haj policy by the government.Furthermore, Naqvi said that news reports suggesting that the Haj Act has been modified are "baseless"."There has been no change in the Haj Act and the Haj process or the Haj system and all the news regarding this is baseless. The Haj process remains the same as it is since last several years," he told ANI.
Sabarimala row: Kerala BJP leader K Surendran gets bail
Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) State General Secretary K Surendran, who was taken into custody for moving towards Sabarimala temple with a group of people, has been granted bail by a Thiruvalla Court here on Wednesday.The BJP leader and others accompanying him were arrested after he got into a scuffle with police at Nilakkal base camp on Saturday (November 17). He was taken into preventive custody for attempting to get through the area which has been put under Section 144.While granting the bail, the court said that the BJP leader cannot enter Ranni taluk in Pathanamthitta district for two months.Surendran and his party workers were detained to maintain law and order in the area while they were heading towards the Sabarimala temple.Kerala has witnessed a string of protests after the Supreme Court quashed restrictions imposed on the entry of women into Sabarimala.Over 3,505 protesters were arrested and at least 529 cases were filed in connection with the series of incidents inciting ...
Special kiosks at int'l airports in country to assist
Special kiosks will be set up at the departure points at all international airports in the country to assist emigrants who want to clear their last minute problems including about their employers abroad before boarding the flight, a top MEA official said here Wednesday. As a first step such kiosks--a last chance for the emigrants to clear doubts their employers and matters including their contract--would be first opened at Mumbai and New Delhi international airports, Dnyaneshwar M Mulay, Secretary, Consular, Passport and Visa (CPV division), in the External Affairs Ministry, told reporters here. "We have plans in the near future to open kiosks at international airports for providing guidance and consultations to the potential emigrants," he said. "If they have any last minute problems, last minute advise that they wanted to seek that will also be available to them right before their departure at the departure point," Mulay added. He said some times it was seen that ...
NGT swings into action on 'SOS' of Lakshadweep villagers on drinking water crisis
It is a story of an Indian island facing an alarming situation of depleting level of "very scarce" ground water with its villagers knocking on the doors of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for its urgent intervention to protect their land and future generations. The NGT, after perusing the 'SOS' letter written by the villagers of Dweep panchayat of Kavaratti in Union Territory of Lakshadweep, swung into action and directed the district collector there and Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) to submit their reports on the issues. A three-member bench of the NGT, headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore, also appointed advocate Sumeer Sodhi as an amicus curiae to assist it in the matter. In their reports, the authorities conceded that the fragile fresh water resources may be lost forever if immediate efforts to regulate their use and conserve rainwater are not taken. The Union Territory of Lakshadweep is spread across 32 square kilometer area in the Arabian Sea and consists of 10 ...
Muzaffarpur sex scandal: Court sends two Brajesh Thakur aides to five-day CBI custody
Two close aides of Brajesh Thakur, the prime accused in the Muzaffarpur shelter home case in which the girl inmates of the home were sexually abused, were remanded in a five-day CBI custody by a court here Wednesday. The special court hearing cases filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act passed the order, declining the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) request for a seven-day custody of Madhu and Ashwani Kumar -- who allegedly posed as a doctor -- and posted the matter to November 26 for further hearing. Madhu, who was grilled by the police Tuesday afternoon, was arrested Wednesday morning and made to undergo medical tests at the Sadar hospital, before being produced before the court, along with Ashwani, who was arrested the previous night. Madhu, who handled many businesses of Thakur, had told reporters Tuesday that she was not hiding but did not appear before the probe agency as she was never named as an accused nor was a warrant issued against .
Thailand launches e-visa on arrival for visitors
Thailand on Wednesday officially launched e-visa on arrival for visitors, which is the latest attempt of the kingdom to facilitate immigration process of foreign tourists.
Tribal migrants sheltered in Tripura to vote in Mizoram
The Election Commission would set up polling stations at Kanhmun, a village along the Mizoram-Tripura border, to facilitate voting by the tribal refugees, sheltered in Tripura for the past 21 years, official said here on Wednesday.
Corruption has peaked under Modi, says Manmohan Singh
Citing the controversial Rafale fighter jets deal, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday alleged that corruption has peaked under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said the country was passing through "extremely challenging times" with farmers suffering distress, youth facing acute joblessness and the common man suffering from rising prices and tax terrorism.
"13 Reasons Why" may up suicide risk among vulnerable teens: Study
A significant proportion of suicidal teens treated in a psychiatric emergency department said that watching the popular web-series "13 Reasons Why" had increased their suicide risk, a US study has found. The hit drama, which centres around a 17-year-old student who recorded cassettes that detail 13 reasons why she took her own life, is widely popular among teens. The show has raised concerns among mental health experts about its potentially negative impact on vulnerable youths. Researchers from University of Michigan in the US asked suicidal adolescents whether the show had contributed to suicide-related symptoms. The findings, published in the journal Psychiatric Services, add to the body of literature about how at-risk teens may be reacting to the programme. Of the 87 youths who participated in the survey between 2017 and 2018, half had watched at least one episode of the show, mostly teens ages 13 to 17. Among the 43 who had watched it, about half (21) said it heightened their ...
Ker govt plans mass 'Constitution Literacy' drive
: The state-run Kerala Literacy Mission is gearing up to organise a mass 'Constitution Literacy' drive to create basic awareness about the Indian Constitution among the general public. The Mission is envisaged to make over 50 lakh people part of the two-month-long initiative. The basic principles of the Constitution regarding fundamental rights, secularism, faith, gender equality and freedom of individuals will be the main focus of the programme, which will be formally launched on November 26. A 20-page handbook will be compiled with the support of experts for the unique endeavour. A state-level resource panel would be set up and expert training would be given for resource persons to take classes. Students of various continuing education courses under the Mission would also be made part of the initiative. A top official of the Mission said constitution literacy gatherings would be organised in all wards in the state. "Over 50 lakh people are expected to be part of the ...
SIT formed by government on 84 riots put balm on victims: BJP
Expressing "satisfaction" over a trial court judgement awarding death penalty to a convict and life imprisonment to another in a case pertaining to the 1984 killing of Sikhs, the BJP on Wednesday said the SIT formed by its government at the Centre was responsible for the convictions.
