Page 410 - Social Issues
Dabholkar case: CBI plea for Kalaskar's custody rejected
Mumbai [Maharahstra], Aug 29 (ANI): A Mumbai sessions court on Wednesday rejected an application by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in which the agency had sought custody of accused Sharad Kalaskar in Narendra Dabholkar murder case.The application was rejected by the court on the ground that the CBI has applied for remand after the accused was already remanded to Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) custody till September 3.The CBI wanted to confront Kalaskar with another accused of Dabholkar murder case, Sachin Andure, who was arrested from Aurangabad after a tipoff by ATS. Andure has already been sent in the CBI's custody till August 30 by the Pune CBI court.Rejecting the CBI's plea, the court said that the same accused was sent to ATS custody in a terror conspiracy case on Tuesday and the court cannot remand this accused from ATS to CBI according to CrPC 367.According to the CBI application, the investigating agency had sought Kalaskar's custody after obtaining a production warrant ...
Civil rights workers condemn crackdown on Left-wing activists
A day after five prominent Left-wing activists were arrested in police raids in several states, civil rights defenders claimed today that the country was under "undeclared emergency". A rally was organised from College Street to Esplanade area in Kolkata, where people from various backgrounds participated to condemn the arrest and demand the immediate release of the activists. Civil rights activist Sujato Bhadra said the democracy in India was going through one of its "darkest phases". "Indira Gandhi had at least declared the emergency officially. But the (Narendra) Modi government has imposed undeclared emergency," Bhadra said. The National Human Rights Commission said it appears that the standard operating procedure was not followed during the arrest of Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Sudha Bharadwaj and Gautam Navlakha. This, it added, amounts violation of their human rights.
UAPA being misused to terrorise people into silence: Teltumbde
Civil rights activist Anand Teltumbde, whose house was raided along with those of several other Left-wing activists over suspected Maoist links, today said the government was "misusing" the draconian UAPA law to terrorise people into "silence" by targeting select intellectuals and activists. The Maharashtra Police had yesterday raided the homes of prominent Left-wing activists in several states and arrested at least five of them as part of a probe into the violence between Dalits and upper caste Peshwas at Koregaon-Bhima village near Pune after an 'Elgar Parishad' conclave on December 31 last year. Urging the judiciary to take note of the "monumental harassment and torture" of innocent people like him were undergoing, Teltumbde in a statement, described the circumstances in which the raid was conducted at his residence in Goa. Teltumbde, senior professor and Chair, Big Data Analytics at the Goa Institute of Management, said he came to know of the raids after his house on the campus ...
'Need to have uniform legal marriage age for both genders'
The legal age for marriage should be the same for both genders, a member of National Human Rights Commission said today. Speakers at the 'National Conference on Child Marriage', which was organised by NHRC in collaboration with South Asia Initiative to End Violence against Children (SAIEVAC), stressed on the need for stringent laws to end the menace of underage marriage. Speaking at the two-day conference, NHRC member Jyotika Kalra said a law needs to be instituted to make the legal age for marriage uniform, which is in line with the expressions made at the highest levels, including the Supreme Court and Law Commission of India. "It (legal age for marriage) should not be 21 years for boys and 18 years for girls as there is no scientific data to support this difference. This inconsistency is impacting children and their marriages," she explained. Kalra said registration of marriages should be made compulsory. The Supreme Court as well as the Law Commission have already pointed this ...
Arrest of activists amount to human rights violation: NHRC
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday served a notice on the Maharashtra government demanding a report on the arrests of five civil rights activists in a nationwide swoop by the Pune police on Tuesday.
Bhima Koregaon violence: Protest staged over Varavara Rao's arrest
Activists and academics staged a protest on Wednesday at Hyderabad's Ambedkar statue demanding the release of activist Varavara Rao, who was arrested by the Pune police in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence.Following the protest, the Hyderabad police detained all the activists and professors and shifted them to Goshamahal Police Ground.Speaking to ANI, Civil Liberties Committee state president Prof Laxman said, "This is an illegal arrest. We were staging a short protest that we were planning. They have not allowed us to protest for at least five minutes. After Varavara Rao's arrest yesterday, in sympathy and solidarity to him, we staged this protest. I'm very disappointed with it."On Tuesday, raids were carried out by the Pune Police in Mumbai, Ranchi, Hyderabad, Faridabad, Delhi, and Thane, with informed sources telling ANI that Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Gautam Navlakha, Varnan Gonsalves and Sudha Bhardwaj were the five activists arrested in connection with the ...
Patna HC again pulls up CBI in Muzaffarpur case
The Patna High Court on Wednesday again pulled up the CBI for giving an unsatisfactory explanation for the transfer of a CBI officer probing the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case.
Centre approves additional 2 % DA for Central Govt employees
The Centre on Wednesday approved to release an additional installment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners with effect from July 01 representing an increase of two per cent over the existing rate of seven per cent of the basic pay/Pension, to compensate for price rise.The Union Cabinet meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief would be Rs.6112.20 crore per annum and Rs.4074.80 crore in the financial year 2018-19 (for a period of 08 months from July 2018 to February 2019).This will benefit about 48.41 lakh central government employees and 62.03 lakh pensioners.This increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.
Arrest of Left-wing activists based on proof of their 'Naxal links': Maharashtra govt
The Maharashtra government today defended the arrest of five Left-wing activists in multi-state raids yesterday saying the action was based on "proof" about their "links with the Naxal movement". Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Deepak Kesarkar said all procedures were followed before conducting the raids against the activists. Pune Police yesterday raided homes of some prominent Left-wing activists in several states and arrested five of them -- poet Varavara Rao in Hyderabad, activists Vernon Gonzalves and Arun Ferreira in Mumbai, trade unionist and lawyer Sudha Bhardwaj in Faridabad and Chhattisgarh and civil liberties activist Gautam Navalakha in Delhi. The raids were carried out as part of a probe into the Elgar Parishad event held in Pune on December 31 last year, which had allegedly triggered violence between Dalits and upper caste groups at Koregaon Bhima village in the district. "It is due to their links with naxal movements that they have been arrested. If there was no .
Activists' arrests: NHRC slaps notice on Maharashtra government
Taking suo moto cognizance, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday served a notice on the Maharashtra government demanding a report on the arrests of five civil rights activists in a nationwide swoop by the Pune police on Tuesday.
Oppn leaders, intellectuals slam arrest of activists
The arrest of prominent Left-wing activists was condemned by several opposition leaders and people from different walks of life today, with some of them terming it as a "manifestation of autocracy". The Maharashtra Police had yesterday raided the homes of prominent Left-wing activists in several states and arrested at least five of them as part of a probe into the violence between Dalits and upper caste Peshwas at Koregaon-Bhima village near Pune after an event called Elgar Parishad, or conclave, on December 31 last year. Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, in a tweet today, said he has no sympathy whatsoever for Maoism, but freedom of thought, belief and expression were fundamental rights in any democracy. "To arrest activists who have neither committed nor facilitated violence is to betray our democracy. This is not the India that Gandhiji fought to free," he said. Former finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said he condemns the arrests of human rights ...
Cabinet Approves Additional 2% Increase In Dearness Allowance
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modihas approved to release an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners w.e.f. 01.07.2018 representing an increase of 2% over the existing rate of 7% of the Basic Pay/Pension, to compensate for price rise.
Putin proposes softer pension reforms, says women to retire at 60
Russian President Vladmir Putin today proposed a series of measures to soften controversial pension reforms, in an apparent attempt to stem a fall in his approval ratings. In a rare televised address, Putin suggested raising the state pension age by five years to 60 years for women, instead of the proposed eight years, among other proposals. At the same time he said tough measures were needed, citing "serious demographic problems.
Bhima Koregaon violence: Tharoor backs detained activists
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday came out in support of the activists who were arrested during the raids conducted in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence, arguing that freedom of thought, belief, and expression are fundamental rights in any democracy."I have no sympathy whatsoever for Maoism but freedom of thought, belief and expression are fundamental rights in any democracy. To arrest activists who have neither committed nor facilitated violence is to betray our democracy. This is not the India that Gandhiji fought to free," he tweeted.Raids were carried out by the Pune Police in Mumbai, Ranchi, Hyderabad, Faridabad, Delhi, and Thane, with informed sources telling ANI that Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Gautam Navlakha, Varnon Gonsalves and Sudha Bhardwaj were the five activists arrested in connection with the violence which broke out in January.Following the arrests, Congress president Rahul Gandhi took a dig at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and questioned .
Myanmar rejects UN accusations of genocide
Myanmar on Wednesday rejected a UN report that said there was evidence of genocide in the military operation carried out by the Myanmar government against the Muslim Rohingya minority.
Cabinet raises DA by 2% for central government employees
The Union cabinet on Wednesday approved the release of an additional two per cent dearness allowance (DA) for 48 lakh central government employees and 62 lakh pensioners with retrospective effect from July.
Putin to speak on pension reform in rare TV address
Russian President Vladimir Putin will deliver today a rare televised address on controversial pension reforms, with some expecting him to soften the measures to stem the fall in his approval ratings. The government is planning to gradually raise the state pension age by five years to 65 for men and by eight years 63 for women, in the first such hike in nearly 90 years as the economy struggles amid Western sanctions. The proposed move -- already approved by parliament's lower house in a first reading last month -- has led to a rare of outburst of public anger, with tens of thousands rallying across Russia in recent weeks. Putin has sought to distance himself from the controversial reforms and said at a government meeting on Tuesday that any decision concerning the measures should be "just". "I ask you not to forget that all our decisions will concern the fate of millions of people and should be just," he told top officials in the Siberian city of Omsk. At the same time, the Russian ...
NHRC says SOP not followed in arrests of activists, issues notices to Maha govt and DGP
The NHRC today issued notices to the Maharashtra government and the state's police chief, saying standard operating procedure was not "properly followed" in the arrests of five activists and this amounted to a violation of their human rights. The Maharashtra chief secretary and the director general of police have been asked to submit a 'factual report' in the matter within four weeks. A senior official of the National Human Rights Commission said the notices were sent after the rights panel took cognisance of the reports of arrests in multiple cities yesterday. On the basis of the media reports, the Commission has observed that it appears that the standard operating procedure in connection with these arrests has not been properly followed by the police authorities, which may amount to violation of their human rights, an official said. Pune Police yesterday raided the homes of prominent Left-wing activists in several states and arrested five of them -- poet Varavara Rao in Hyderabad, .
Brazil to deploy armed forces to tackle immigration crisis
Brazilian President Michel Temer has announced deployment of armed forces in the border state of Roraima to restore order disrupted by an immigration crisis.
No economist praised demonetisation globally: Chidambaram
Criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the demonetisation drive in 2016, former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Tuesday said that the move was not even a single economist across the world.While addressing a National Students' Union of India (NSUI) event here, Chidambaram said, "Show me one economist anywhere in the world who stood up and said demonetisation was a good thing. Not one. On the day PM announced demonetisation, Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian was in Kerala. He was not in Delhi. He was not event consult. He didn't know that demonetisation is taking place. If CEA doesn't know, what kind of an economy is this?"On November 8, 2016, the BJP-led Centre had invalidated Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 banknotes, claiming it was a crackdown on the shadow economy and use of illicit and counterfeit cash to fund illegal activities and terrorism. The move was criticised by several Opposition parties.Earlier this month, a recent study by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) ...
