Page 391 - Social Issues
Need a commission for men, they are 'more vulnerable than women', says NGO
Does the country need a central body specifically for men on the lines of National Commission for Women? A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) working on the issues faced by aggrieved men says it's about time the country gets one. The founder of the World's Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting (CRISP), Kumar Jahgirdar, quoted NCRB figures to justify his demand that a national body for men should be formed. National Crime Records Bureau figures show that for every married women committing suicide, two married men are committing suicide due to domestic violence and mostly tortured by wife, he said. A lot of fathers are committing suicide because they are not able to meet their children, Jahgirdar said. "Men are more vulnerable than women," he asserts, and says the government should contemplate creating 'National Commission for Men', as the country observes the World Suicide Prevention Day this Monday. "This country is biased against men," he says, "more men commit suicide than women. .
'People's verdict' on homosexuality moved us: IITians who fought tooth & nail against section 377
Tanveen Kaur Randhawa was in her laboratory at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru when the Supreme Court pronounced its judgement striking down article 377, the colonial-era law that banned consensual gay sex. "I was overwhelmed, emotional, jubilant. It was a mix of emotions," Randhawa, an alumnus of IIT-Roorkee, said. She was one of the petitioners who fought tooth and nail against the law in the apex court. "The decision will give the community visibility and confidence," she told PTI over phone from Bengaluru. "For me," she said, "The judgement is empowering. It would give us the courage to come out and acknowledge our sexuality." However, the 25-year-old PhD student at the IISc-Bangalore acknowledged that achieving wider social acceptance to same sex relations is still "a very big challenge". "There is a need now to sensitise people, especially from rural parts of the country who still view homosexuality as a taboo and crime," Randhawa said. Another petitioner, Viral, an
3 women injured in clash in Muzaffarnagar
Three women were injured in a clash between two groups at the Niyazupura area here, police said on Sunday. The clash broke out over some dispute on Saturday evening, they said. The women are undergoing treatment at a hospital here. Police have registered a case and the matter is being investigated.
Russians vote as opposition calls pension protests
Russians head to the polls for regional elections Sunday in which Kremlin-loyal candidates are set to dominate, as a jailed opposition leader calls for protests over unpopular pension reforms. The Moscow mayoral election is the highest-profile of the votes, but serious opposition candidates have been kept off the ballot paper in favour of incumbent Sergei Sobyanin. As with the presidential election in March, which saw Vladimir Putin return to the Kremlin for a fourth term with ease, the focus has moved to turnout due to the lack of suspense over results. Authorities in the capital have organised festivals and food fairs at polling booths to drive up participation and lend legitimacy to Putin ally Sobyanin's next term as mayor. But opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is serving a month-long jail term over an earlier illegal protest, is trying to spoil the party with nationwide demonstrations against pension reforms. "For 18 years, Putin and his government have stolen from the budget .
HC orders TN govt to let disabled candidate join MBBS course
The Madras High Court has set aside a single judge order and directed the Tamil Nadu government to admit a differently-abled MBBS aspirant to the course without insisting that she write the NEET exam. A division bench, comprising Justices Huluvadi G Ramesh and K Kalyanasundaram, gave the directive while setting aside the order of a single judge in 2016. The single judge had rejected her appeal, taking into consideration an expert committee's report that she was not eligible because of 80 per cent disability. "We are of the view that the candidate who had applied for MBBS during 2016-17 was eligible and entitled to get admission. But due to the improper consideration of her case, she has already lost two years," the court said. Noting that during 2016-2017, passing the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) exam for pursuing medical course was not mandatory, the bench said that if her case was now rejected on that ground, it would be difficult for her to take the NEET for no ...
NITIE graduates attend convocation in traditional attire
The prestigious National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) here did away with the Western black gowns at its convocation Saturday, breaking away from the convention for the first time. The convocation ceremony of the centrally-funded institute was attended by over 400 students who accepted their degrees and diplomas wearing traditional kurta-payjama. The idea was to do away with "colonial" gowns and replace them with Indian ethnic wear to reflect the country's culture and ethnicity, NITIE chairman Sanjay G Dhande said. "We wanted to do away with the tradition of black gown at convocation which is being followed from the colonial era," he said. Established in 1963, NITIE was awarded Dr Arun Arora Best Educational Institute of India award at the World Education Congress in 2017.
Woman commits suicide at Chhatarpur metro station
A woman allegedly committed suicide on Delhi Metro's Yellow Line on Saturday disrupting services briefly on the stretch, the transporter said.
Grace missing from Indian politics: Deve Gowda
Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda Saturday said politics in the country was lacking grace today which needs to be addressed. At the inaugural ceremony of a joint convention by left parties here, Deve Gowda said that politics should revolve around issues of public interest. At present, he said, injustice with farmers is a big challenge while an environment of division on the basis of religion and caste is being made which needs to be stopped. "Commitment is needed in today's politics while grace is also missing. Politics should be based on public interest issues," he said. Leaders and workers of the JD(S), SP, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) MCPI(U) and RLD were present in the convention of the recently formed Rajasthan Loktantrik Morcha. Arjun Dan Detha, state president of the JD(S), said the parties have come together and will raise issues of farmers, unemployment among others in days to come.
Woman commits suicide by jumping in front of Metro train in Delhi: Police
A woman allegedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a Metro train at Chhatarpur station Saturday, according to police. The woman, who died on the spot, was yet to be identified, the police said, adding that she was believed to be in her 40s. The body will be sent for post-mortem once the deceased is identified, the police added. The incident, which took place at 4 pm, led to delay in operations of some trains on the Yellow Line of the network, Metro officials said.
Steel minister launches awareness campaign against social issues
Union Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh Saturday launched a campaign to increase awareness on various social issues like cleanliness and hygiene. The minister said that it was an apolitical initiative and anyone across the country can join the campaign named as 'Birender Singh Ke Sathi'. The aim of the campaign is to bring together "all like-minded people who want to work for the society", he explained. "l will also add my old and new colleagues to my team and seek suggestions to generate awareness regarding various issues like cleanliness, hygiene etc." His wife, Prem Lata Singh, launched a toll-free number where people can give a missed call to join the initiative. The aim is to make 2 lakh members in next 15 days and after achieving this target we aim 5 lakh members in the second phase. If a handful of people stand for society, l believe we can bring a change" he said.
Muzaffarnagar riots: Amnesty blames UP Government for plight of survivors (Lead correcting headline)
Amnesty International on Saturday castigated the Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh for doing little to ensure justice and rehabilitation for the survivors of the 2013 Muzaffarnagar communal violence.
'SC verdict decriminalising consensual gay sex beginning of a new challenge to end discrimination'
The Supreme Court judgement decriminalising consensual gay sex is not the end of the fight but the beginning of a new challenge to eradicate discrimination, various bodies have said, stressing the need for working on changing social norms that "ghettoise" individuals based on regressive perceptions of social acceptability and morality. Lauding the judgement, the Population Foundation of India (PFI) said it is a victory for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) individuals and those who have stood with them in a long and hard battle against an "archaic" provision of law, which infringes on an individual's bodily autonomy, sexual rights and identity. The judgement demonstrates the value of collective and persistent community activism, as with persons living with HIV/AIDS, who continue to collectively fight against stigmatisation worldwide to gain equal status on individual rights, it said. "The SC verdict is heartening for PFI as a ray of hope on ensuring freedom of ...
Muzaffarnagar riots: Amnesty balmes UP Governmnet for plight of survivors
Amnesty International on Saturday castigated the Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh for doing little to ensure justice and rehabilitation for the survivors of the 2013 Muzaffarnagar communal violence.
No Indians to be excluded from NRC: Rajnath
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday assured that no Indian national would be excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Addressing the Northeast Students' Festival here to welcome new students from the region to Delhi, Singh said the NRC was necessary to identify Indian citizens and weed out illegal immigrants. "I want to say that no genuine Indian will be excluded from the NRC," he said at the event organised by 'My Home India', an NGO founded by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sunil Deodhar. "It is absolutely necessary to know who are Indians and who are foreigners," said Singh as he asserted that the update of the NRC, a list of Assam's citizens, was carried out under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court. Deodhar was the BJP in-charge in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency Varanasi during 2014 Lok Sabha elections and a key architect of BJP's victory in last assembly elections in Tripura. The update of NRC, the massive Supreme Court-monitored
Yogendra Yadav detained for protesting against Salem-Chennai expressway
Swaraj India party president Yogendra Yadav was detained by police in Tiruvannamala on Saturday for protesting against the eight-lane Salem-Chennai expressway. He was taken to a nearby location along with other farmers who were protesting.After being detained, Yadav said "I came to ask farmers if they really want to give their lands. But within minutes, we were detained. They dragged me and others as well."Yadav said he was not allowed to visit the farmers on account of a law and order situation and "creating unrest in the area."Farmers have been protesting against the project which would connect Chennai and Salem.
Lynching not law and order problem but command-hate crime: Harsh Mander
Writer-activist Harsh Mander, who works with survivors of mass violence and hunger, has said that lynching is not a law and order problem but is a result of "bigotry" which is legitimised by top affiliates of a section of people.
Hundreds of artisans, culinary experts to take part in 'Hunar Haat': Naqvi
Hundreds of master artisans, craftsmen and culinary experts from various parts of the country will take part in the "Hunar Haat" in Allahabad, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Saturday. "Hunar Haat", organised by the Minority Affairs Ministry, begins Saturday, but will be formally inaugurated by Naqvi on Sunday at the North Central Zone Cultural Centre, Allahabad. It will continue till September 16. "'Hunar Haat' has become a credible and renowned brand where exquisite handicraft and handloom made by master artisans and various delicacies from across the country are available under one roof," Naqvi said in a Facebook post. Renowned names from the fields of art and music will perform in the event, the minister said.
Fans blame Ariana Grande for Mac Miller's death; singer disables Instagram comments section
Singer Ariana Grande has disabled comments on her Instagram account after she was blamed by many people for the death of ex boyfriend Mac Miller. Miller, 26, died of an apparent overdose at his San Fernando Valley home and was said to have been struggling in the months following his split from Grande, 25, according to TMZ. The two dated for two years before their break up in May. After their split, Grande started dating comedian Pete Davidson with whom she got engaged in June. Fans of Miller took to the comments section of Grande's Instagram to post abusive messages and blamed her Miller's death. Grande, who is yet to comment publicly on Miller's death, has since disabled the comments on her Instagram account. Many on Twitter defended Grande, saying that she should not be targeted for the rapper's death. A source told Entertainment Tonight that Grande is "devastated" and "very upset" by Miller's death. "Despite their split, Ariana had always been supportive of his sobriety," the ...
Ruling on gays: Is the BJP out of sync with modern realities? (Column: Political Circus)
More than the social impact of the Supreme Court's judgment on gay rights, what will be of concern to the ruling party at the Centre is its political fallout. Hence, the eloquent silence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the subject.
Release all detainees held arbitrarily, US urges Nicaragua
The US Department of State has demanded that the Nicaraguan government release "all persons arbitrarily detained".
