Page 422 - Social Issues
Govt directs collectors to ensure physical inspection of CCIs
The Odisha government today directed all district collectors to ensure physical inspection of all child care institutions (CCIs) and shelter homes for the safety of inmates. The state government also told the collectors to gather intelligence information about ongoing activities in CCIs and shelter homes. The direction was issued by Women and Child Development minister Prafulla Samal while reviewing the condition of CCIs and shelter homes in the state today. Samal had last week visited about four CCIs and shelter homes in Kandhamal district. "The collectors have also been asked to gather intelligence information about the ongoing activities in CCIs and shelter homes with help of district SPs," Samal said. The state government also asked the collectors to create awareness on Toll Free Women Help Line (181) and Child Line (1098), so that the inmates can use them during distress. The state government has been creating awareness among the NGOs, government officials and other .
Man commits suicide on church premises in Delhi
A 34-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself inside his one-room accommodation on a church compound in Khan Market here, the police said today. It is suspected that the deceased, identified as Reuben Rahul Anthony, was suffering from depression because of financial losses in business and an ongoing court case, they said. No suicide note was found on the spot. The incident happened on August 17. Anthony used to live with his wife and two children on the premises of the Church of Mother Vailankanni. On the day of the incident, his wife had taken her children to her mother's house in Khirki Extension. When she returned around 2.45 pm, she found her husband hanged, the police said. Anthony was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead. He was into the business of getting cars financed but in the past few months, was facing losses and was currently not earning much, they added. Anthony purchased two cars and was unable to pay instalment as he was not ...
SC asks govt to comply with verdict on drugs abuse
The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to take necessary steps to comply with its 2016 directions on the growing menace of drug abuse among children. While deciding a PIL filed by NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan of Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, the apex court had in December 2016 issued several guidelines and asked the Centre to formulate within six months a national action plan to curb rising substance abuse among schoolchildren. It had also ordered a national survey to gauge the extent of the menace. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud asked the Ministry of Women and Child Development to file a compliance report within four months. The Centre had sought four months time for conducting a national survey on the issue of drug abuse and rehabilitation among the children. The NGO has alleged that the Centre has failed to comply with the judgement which was delivered way back in December 2016. The apex court had in 2016 also asked the ...
EPFO payroll data: 47 lakh jobs created in 10 months till June
Retirement fund body EPFO's payroll data suggests that as many as 47.13 lakh jobs created during September 2017 to June this year. However, the retirement body lowered earlier estimate of new members enrolment by 12.38 per cent, from 44.74 lakh to 39.20 lakh member for September 2017-May 2018 period. According to the payroll data released by the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) for September-May, as many as 44.74 lakh new member were enrolled for its social security schemes to provide benefits, including provident fund, insurance and pension. According to the latest data uploaded today by the EPFO, the new members enrolment in June is the highest so far in the last 10 month at 7,93,308. In June, the maximum number of enrolment of 2,53,466 were recorded in the age bracket of 18 to 21 years followed by 2,05,177 in 22 to 25 age group. The data is provisional as updation of employees records is a continuous process and gets updated in subsequent months, the EPFO said in a ...
Persons suffering from leprosy should be brought to mainstream: SC
The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to consider framing law to stop discrimination against persons suffering from leprosy, saying they should be brought to the mainstream and their rehabilitation ensured. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra told the Centre to consider framing such a law which would repeal all state laws that discriminate against those affected by the disease. It also asked Attorney General K K Venugopal and senior advocate Raju Ramachandran to give suggestions in this regard. In response, Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for the Centre, told the bench that a legislation was underway and four months was required for the process to be completed. The bench listed the PIL filed by Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy (VCLP) for further hearing on September 10. The apex court had earlier asked the Centre, states and union territories to undertake a campaign to make people aware about the curability of leprosy so that those suffering from it do not .
Include all Indians in NRC list: Bengali refugees' body
The Joint Action Committee for Bengali Refugees (JACBR) on Monday demanded the inclusion of all Indians in the draft NCR in Assam and grant of citizenship rights to those who arrived in the country on or before December 31, 2014.
'300 Dalits facing social boycott embrace Buddhism'
Nearly 300 Dalits who allegedly faced a social boycott by people from other castes for over an year in village Bhatla in Haryana's Hisar district embraced Buddhism at a function organised in the village's Guru Ravidas temple. Rajat Kalsan, convenor of National Alliance of Dalit for Human Rights was the chief guest at the event while social activist Dinesh Khaper presided over the function. Buddhists from Yamunanagar and Ballabhgarh were present on the occasion to perform the rituals and complete the documentation of the conversion. Speaking on the occasion, Kalson alleged Dalits were being discriminated against at a large scale under the present government. He alleged the state government had failed to take appropriate steps to end the alleged discrimination faced by Dalits in Bhatla. Balwan Singh, president of Bhatla Dalit Sangharsh Samiti, said the Dalit community was facing a social boycott since July last year and police officials and members of the village's 'bhaichara samiti' ...
Pope condemns 'atrocities' of US clerical child abuse
Pope Francis today condemned the "atrocities" revealed by a far-reaching US report into clerical child sex abuse in the state of Pennsylvania issued last week. "In recent days, a report was made public which detailed the experiences of at least a thousand survivors... the abuse of power and of conscience at the hands of priests," the pope said in a letter made public by the Vatican. "Even though it can be said that most of these cases belong to the past, nonetheless as time goes on we have come to know the pain of many of the victims," he said. "We have realised that these wounds never disappear and that they require us forcefully to condemn these atrocities and join forces in uprooting this culture of death," he added. A devastating US grand jury report published last week decried a systematic cover-up by the Catholic Church. The grand jury said that more than 1,000 child victims were identifiable, but that the actual number was "in the thousands". The report is thought to be the ...
Anthem ties-up with Walmart for over-the-counter drugs
(Reuters) - Anthem Inc said on Monday it has partnered with Walmart Inc to launch a program in January 2019 that will allow its Medicare Advantage plan customers to purchase over-the-counter medications from the retailer's stores and website.
Those left out of NFSA will be included in state scheme: Patro
Odisha government has started the process to identify the people left out from the National Food Security Act (NFSA) so that they could be included in the state's own food security scheme. About 25 lakh people who have been left out from the NFSA will be covered under the state's food security scheme, Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare minister S N Patro said today. "The identification of the left-out beneficiaries is underway and the department will receive applications in this regard till September 4," Patro told reporters. Odisha government's own food security scheme will come into effect from October 2 this year. Stating that efforts are on to include about 25 lakh beneficiaries left out from the NFSA in the first phase, the minister said the scheme would later include all needy people like poor, old, disable, and others. He, however, said if the number of the application exceeds 25 lakh, arrangements would be made for their inclusion in the states food ...
Study on Army's restructuring to be complete by December
New Delhi [India], Aug 20 (ANI): The biggest ever organisational study to review and transform the Indian Army into a futuristic lethal war fighting machine is expected to be complete by December this year.This is the biggest exercise after the Independence to review personnel and the organisational structure and to explore whether the present practice is sustainable for Indian Army's future requirements.The ambit of the fleeting study broadly includes - 1) Reorganisation of the Indian Army; 2) Review of Army Headquarter; 3) Cadre review for officers (being done after the AV Singh Committee report, 2001); and 4) Review of terms of engagement. Each study is being conducted by a team of 25 members which is headed by senior Lieutenant Generals.It was felt that few branches have overlapping work which not only cause delay but also lead to duplication of work. The study on the duplicity in "Charter of Directorates" is looking at rationalising of work and see if work load can be distributed
Youth commits suicide in Delhi church
A 26-year-old youth committed suicide at the Vailankanni Church here, with his family claiming he was forced to take the step due to tension over borrowed money, police said on Monday.
Abuse victims' outcry more powerful: Pope Francis
Pope Francis on Monday released a letter addressing recent revelations of a decades-long clerical sexual abuse scandal in the US, in which he said that the outcry of victims was more powerful than all the measures meant to silence them.
RBI staff to go on mass leave on Sept 4, 5 over pension issues
The United Forum of Reserve Bank Officers and Employees today said its members will go on mass casual leave on September 4 and 5, pressing their long-pending demands over pension related issues. According to a press release, United Forum today held a silent demonstration near the RBI office here which witnessed the participation of various leaders. "To express deep resentment at the attitude of the officials of the Government of India, RBI staff members have waited too long and the limit of patience is crossing and are left with no alternative but to observe two consecutive days strike action ( Mass casual leave on September 4 and 5, 2018)," it said. The forum will also submit a memorandum to the respective regional directors of all RBI centres on August 27. The demands include updation of pension for contributory provident fund retainers and allow CPF/ additional provident fund for those recruited from 2012, among other demands.
Kerala floods: Bengal migrant worker appeals to Mamata for help
A migrant worker from West Bengal, stranded in the flood-ravaged Kerala, has made an appeal to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to rescue him and others like him.
Australia urged to free children from forced detention
Australian advocates and politicians are campaigning to free 119 children from forced detention on a Pacific Island, amid warnings that the health of several young refugees is quickly deteriorating.
Pope on sex abuse: "We showed no care for the little ones"
Pope Francis has issued a letter to Catholics around the world condemning the "crime" of priestly sexual abuse and cover-up and demanding accountability, in response to new revelations in the United States of decades of misconduct by the Catholic Church. Francis begged forgiveness for the pain suffered by victims and said lay Catholics must be involved in any effort to root out abuse and cover-up. He blasted the self-referential clerical culture that has been blamed for the abuse crisis, with church leaders more concerned for their reputation than the safety of children. Francis wrote: "We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them." The Vatican issued the letter Monday, ahead of Francis' trip this weekend to Ireland that is expected to be dominated by the abuse crisis.
Youth commits suicide in Delhi church, police say no suicide note found
A 26-year-old youth committed suicide in Vailankanni Church in south Delhi's Khan Market area, with his family claiming he was forced to take the step due to tension over some borrowed money, police said on Monday.
Jharkhand: Body of woman, 3 children found
The body of a woman and her three children were found in Giridih district on August 18.Police suspect that the woman Jubaida Khatoon (32) and her three sons --Mozmil (11), Mozsir (9) and Danish (7) -- allegedly committed suicide by jumping into a well over domestic violence.The incident took place in Nimadih village under Rajdhanwar police station.Speaking to ANI, Rajdhanwar police station in-charge Kamlesh Prasad said that "the bodies have been recovered and sent for post-mortem. An FIR has been registered against the husband of the deceased.""A case has been registered on the plea of the deceased's father who claimed that the woman was tortured by her in-laws since many years. Further investigations are underway in the matter." Prasad added.Following the incident, Jubaida's husband Manowar Ansari and other family members have been missing.Meanwhile, accusing the in-laws for the deaths, Jubaida's relative Alauddin alleged that she was tortured for last 15 years of her married ...
Prabhu reviews proposed agri export, industrial policies
Union Minister Suresh Prabhu today reviewed proposed agriculture export and new industrial policies and discussed strategies to boost outward shipments with top officials here. The Commerce and Industry Minister said the government was working on new initiatives to take India's exports to the next level. Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week said a new agriculture export policy will be unveiled soon to boost farm income as the government is on track to achieve the target of doubling farmers' income by 2022. "Held a meeting with the Commerce Secretary and senior officials of @dgftindia today. Discussed various export promotion strategies and reviewed the upcoming Agri Export policy and Industrial Policy. We are working on new initiatives to take India's export to the next level, Prabhu said in a tweet. The Commerce and Industry Ministry in March came out with a draft 'Agriculture Export Policy', aimed at doubling agricultural exports and integrate Indian farmers and farm products to ..
