Page 5 - Social Issues
Looking forward for cooperation of Centre, says Odisha CM ahead of state's budget session
Ahead of the state's budget session, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday said the state government is looking forward for the cooperation of the Central government.Patnaik today attended a meeting with Biju Janta Dal (BJD) MLAs here on the forthcoming budget session of the state.Speaking to media after the meeting, the Odisha Chief Minister said, "During this budget session we are open to discussions on all matters, we look forward to the cooperation of the Central government and we will follow up on all promises made to the people."The first session of the 16th Odisha Legislative Assembly will take place on June 25 and the state government will present the annual budget on June 28.
Fresh bill to allow proxy voting to NRIs
The Union cabinet will take a call Monday to introduce a fresh bill in Parliament to extend the facility of proxy voting to overseas Indians. A similar bill had lapsed following the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha last month. Sources in the government said Sunday that the union cabinet will consider introducing the bill in parliament. The bill proposes that overseas Indians, who are entitled to vote in India, can appoint a proxy voter to cast the ballot on their behalf. As of now, overseas Indians are free to cast their votes in constituencies they are registered. The Bill seeks to give them the option of proxy voting, which is as of now available to service personnel only. According to estimates of the Ministry of External Affairs, there are about 3.10 crore NRIs living in different countries across the world. An expert committee of the Election Commission, working on the issue, had in 2015 forwarded the legal framework to the Law Ministry to amend the electoral laws to allow the ..
MP: Police official commits suicide by hanging self at home
A police officer allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his home here on Sunday.The deceased police official Bhagirath Baghail was sub-inspector and in charge of Jhaknawada Police station.Speaking to media, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Jhabua, Vijay Dabar said, "Sub-Inspector of Jhaknawada Police station Bhagirath Baghail committed suicide today inside his home in a room. He hanged himself using a stole."The suicide must have occurred in the morning between 6 am to 12 noon. A suicide note has been recovered in which Baghail wrote that he has no problem with anyone and request that after his death his son should be given a job."The ASP further said, "He wrote that he was tensed because he could not repay his home loan. He also wrote that he was tensed as he was unable to operate the computer system.""The initial investigation revealed that it is a case of suicide, however, a further probe is underway to rule out any foul play," he added.
Junior doctor commits suicide in BHU
A medical student of the Banaras Hindu University committed suicide on Sunday by hanging herself from the ceiling of her hostel room on the campus here, police said. The deceased has been identified as Manisha Kumari, a native of Jamui in Bihar and junior doctor of the ophthalmology department of the Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, they added. A two-page suicide note was found inside her hostel room in which she mentioned that she was frustrated with her tuberculosis ailment, SHO of Lanka police station Bharat Bhusan said. Her parents have been informed about the incident and the body has been sent for an autopsy, Bhusan said, adding that further probe into the matter was on.
'Register case against Muncipality chairperson for suicide of
The opposition UDF Sunday demanded that the LDF government register a case against the chairperson of a local muncipality for allegedly refusing to grant a businessman the ownership certificate for his new auditorium, leading to his suicide. Leader of the opposition in the Kerala assembly, Ramesh Chennithala, who visited the family of the businessman at Anthoor in the district and offered them all support, also demanded that municipality chaiperson K P Shyamala be removed from the post. "In this matter, a case must be registered against the municipal chairperson under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code. The Left party and the government should remove the chairperson from the post," Chennithala told reporters. Section 306 of IPC deals with the abetment of suicide. The 49-year-old Nigeria-returned businessman Sajan Parayil, who had spent about Rs 16 crore for the auditorium, hanged himself at his home on June 18 after the Anthoor municipality refused to grant him the ...
Lebanon slams Trump administration's Mideast peace plan
Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said Sunday that the country will not be "tempted" by money into giving up Palestinian rights, criticising the Trump administration's USD50 billion investment proposal that comes as part of its recently unveiled Middle East peace plan. Berri said in a statement carried by the state-run National News Agency that although Lebanon is currently dealing with an economic crisis, it would be a mistake to think that billions of dollars could convince the government to abandon Palestinians' rights as refugees. The 10-year plan calls for projects worth USD6.3 billion for Palestinians in Lebanon, as well as USD27.5 billion in the West Bank and Gaza, USD9.1 billion in Egypt and USD7.4 billion in Jordan. The large sums for Jordan and Lebanon, countries with substantial Palestinian refugee populations, were an apparent attempt to have them absorbed into these nations, rather than allow them to maintain their refugee status and the hope that they could ...
Appeal UP govt to help Lalita's family: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
Congress's Priyanka Gandhi Vadra appealed Uttar Pradesh government to help Lalita who is suffering from aplastic anaemia and whose family had written to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath seeking help."Lalita's family should get all possible help for her treatment. It's very shameful if someone pleads for euthanasia because they cannot afford the treatment due to lack of money. I appeal Uttar Pradesh government to immediately help the grieved family," tweeted Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday sanctioned a grant of Rs 30 lakh for the treatment of Lalita. Her father had written to him seeking help for her treatment."I want the government to help my daughter in getting the treatment. I have sold my land. My house is mortgaged. I have spent Rs 7 lakh on her treatment already. If she cannot be cured, I wished to die," said her father Sumer Singh.Aplastic anaemia is a condition that occurs when the body stops producing enough new blood cells. ...
Cigarette consumption high in low-and-middle-income countries
Cigarette consumption has increased in low-and-middle-income countries, say recent studies, which have been published in the 'British Medical Journal' (BMJ).These studies question the widely held belief that the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has been the most successful health treaty ever created.The research also puts the spotlight on the urgent need not only for investment in tobacco control practices but also an evaluation of the effectiveness of this international law and reporting practices."The policies promoted by this treaty -- plain packaging, smoke-free areas, tobacco taxes -- have been monolithically proven to be effective," said Steven Hoffman, the lead author of the study."What this study shows is that it's probably not enough at the global level to recognise these policies as important or to formally adopt them. We need countries to implement them to make sure they're affecting people's lives around the world," Hoffman added.In the first study, ...
Saudi launches special residency scheme to boost revenue
Saudi Arabia on Sunday launched a new special residency scheme aimed at luring wealthy expats as the petro-state seeks to boost non-oil revenue. The scheme offers a permanent residency for 800,000 riyals (USD 213,000) and a one-year but renewable residency costing 100,000 riyals (USD 27,000), according to the online portal for registrations. The scheme will allow expats to do business without a Saudi sponsor, buy property and sponsor visas for relatives, the website said. Analysts say the programme will largely benefit wealthy Arabs who have lived in Saudi Arabia for years without permanent residency or multinational companies seeking to do long-term business in the kingdom. The move appears aimed at boosting non-oil revenue as the kingdom seeks to diversify its economy. It was approved by the Saudi cabinet last month, but the portal began accepting applications on Sunday. Saudi Arabia is currently home to some 10 million overseas workers, many of whom are subjected to what labour ...
81 ex-prisoners in T'gana secure jobs in various companies
As many as 81 released prisoners from across Telangana have been placed in various jobs including, marketing executive and technicians with salaries ranging from Rs 10,000 to 30,000, through the efforts of state Prisons department. They were part of 129 released prisoners who attended the 'Job Mela-2019' organised by the department Saturday, in which eight companies took part. The others landed jobs as drivers, house-keeping, data entry operators, electricians, helpers and others, a prisons official said. They were recruited with salaries ranging between Rs 10,000 and Rs 30,000 depending on their skills, he said. After the formation of Telangana state in June 2014, the Telangana Prisons department has been implementing innovative schemes and programmes for transforming the lives of inmates such as 'Mahaparivarthan', 'Unnati', Vidhyadanam, skill development, loans to inmates, employment to inmates and After care services, he said. Though, the department has been ...
Chhattisgarh: 3 Divyang accuse Panchayat Secretary of not giving pension money; DM orders probe
Three visually impaired residents of Nagra village of Balrampur have alleged that they were not receiving their 'Divyaang pension' on time and accused Panchayat Secretary Mannauyar Hafni of committing irregularities."We don't have a house under the Awas Yojana. We are also not receiving the disability pension regularly. I don't even have a disability certificate," said Bifan Manjhi, one of the victims.The district administration has not been able to get their bank accounts opened, which is mandatory for the disbursal benefits under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme.Usha Singh, another victim of administrative apathy, said: "I am not receiving any help from the government. There is no toilet in the washroom which I can access. I only get a pension once in five months. The Panchayat Secretary misbehaves with me when I ask him about the pension."However, District Collector Sanjeev Kumar Jha said: "This is not fair. Pensions should be disbursed timely. I have asked for a report ...
Pakistani brides being abandoned by UK-based families: Report
Hundreds of Pakistani brides brought into the UK to provide families for British Pakistani men are being abandoned back in Pakistan, with many separated from their young children, according to a UK media report. The women come to the UK after arranged marriages in Pakistan and often raise children before their husbands or in-laws tire of them or decide they are no longer of use, The Sunday Times' reported. The women are reportedly tricked into returning to Pakistan for a holiday or to see a sick relative. They are then abruptly divorced and discarded thousands of miles from their children, who grow up being told their mother is dead, mentally ill or chose to desert them. According to research collated from law firms and charities, the newspaper estimates that at least 1,000 cases of Pakistani wives have been abandoned since 2002. The UK Home Office routinely blocks mothers who try to re-enter the country, it found. Most came to the country on a spousal visa, which their husbands can ..
RJD student wing protests against Bihar government over encephalitis deaths
After death toll due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) reached 125 in Bihar on Sunday, members of Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) students wing carried out a protest march against the state government.Amid slogans of "Nitish Kumar Murdabad" and "Mangal Pandey Isteefa Do", the protesting members demanded the immediate resignation of the state's Health Minister, Mangal Pandey.Holding posters and shouting slogans, they marched to Raj Bhavan in the state capital.Blaming NDA government in Bihar, a student representative said, "The condition of public health care has gone extremely bad in Bihar and Nitish-Modi government is majorly responsible for this.""We want Mangal Pandey to take due responsibility of the deaths of children and step down from the post of Health Minister", he further added.The protesters also demanded that a high-level committee be formed and families of all deceased get compensation."If a high-level committee is not formed and no compensation is given to families, we ...
Hinduism as a social category was invented by colonial rulers: Book
Hinduism came into existence after British colonisers "invented" this as a social category for their own "convenience and simplification", claims a new book. The book, "The Truth About Us: The Politics of Information from Manu to Modi", makes an argument that Hinduism was "made up" in India by the colonial rulers at a time when information was scarce and the coloniser's power over it was absolute. "What is now widely accepted as 'Hinduism' was, in fact, an ideology (or more accurately, a theory or fantasy) that is better called 'Brahmanism', which existed largely in textual (not real) form and enunciated the interests of a small, Sanskrit-educated elite," reads the book. Sanjoy Chakravorty, the author of the book, explains it further when he writes that the invention was done by first "elevating selected and convenient Brahmanvadi Sanskrit texts like the Manusmriti to canonical status, and later through the census and its categories". As per the religious data on Census 2011, Hindus ..
BJP's Manoj Tiwari says he received death threat, lodges police complaint
Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari on Sunday said that he has received a death threat through a text message from an anonymous person.The threat read as "I am under extreme compulsion to kill you."The BJP leader claimed that the unidentified person in his threat also said that he would "kill the Prime Minister if needed."After receiving the threat message, Tiwari lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police.He told ANI, "This is true that I received a text, it is not a rumour. We have taken this matter seriously because the threat message has also mentioned killing our Prime Minister. We have complained to the police and they will now look into the matter. A while ago, my house was attacked, some people entered my residence looking for me.
Sena's women workers remove mannequins from Mumbai streets
Activists of the Shiv Sena's women's wing removed illegal mannequins from some streets and shops in Mumbai. The action came after the Shiv Sena-ruled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation recently asked garment shop owners not to put up mannequins displaying lingerie without the civic body's permission. Around 30 women workers from the Sena's local unit on Saturday marched to some streets in Vile Parle area here and removed such mannequins hanging from trees and placed outside shops. They also asked the shop owners to remove such mannequin busts put up inside their outlets. The Sena workers claimed that such a display of lingerie makes women feel embarrassed. "It could also attract unnecessary attention of children walking on streets," Rajani Mestri, a Sena worker from Vile Parle area, said. The name of a shop is sufficient for any person to know what kind of garments it sells and there is no need to display lingerie openly, another party worker said. The Sena local unit ...
Uighur activist to attend G20 Summit in Japan despite protest by China
Rebiya Kadeer, a prominent Uighur political activist, will join world leaders at the annual G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, later this month despite protest by China, the Japan Times reported on Sunday.United States-based Kadeer, who has been issued a visa by Tokyo despite repeated calls from Beijing to not to do so, plans to protest against alleged human rights violations by the Chinese government, the newspaper said.Kadeer's stay also is expected to coincide with that of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who will be attending the Summit.Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), the far-western province of China, is home to around 10 million Muslim-majority Uighurs.Beijing has been criticised for setting up of detention camps in Xinjiang and alleged oppressive treatment of the ethnic group, which the Chinese government has described as "education training centres" to help stamp out "extremism" and provide people new skills.Kadeer, a former president of the World Uighur Congress and current ..
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi calls International Religious Freedom report 'prejudiced'
India's Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Saturday rejected as "prejudiced" the US State Department's report on International Religious Freedom 2018 criticising the BJP government."Religious freedom is in India's DNA and we don't need a certificate from anyone. This report is far from ground realities and prejudiced," Naqvi told ANI.He said religious freedom in India is strong and it is the only country in the world where people from every religion and faith live in a harmonious atmosphere."People from every religion, faith and culture live here with religious fervor," he said.The annual report, released by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday, said that mob attacks, led by violent extremist Hindu groups against the minority communities, particularly Muslims, continued in India in 2018.It alleged that some senior officials of the ruling BJP made inflammatory speeches against the minority communities.The report said that India's Central and State governments as ...
Internal committee probes alleged sexual assault of Uzbek woman by customs officials
An Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of the customs department is looking into the alleged sexual assault of a Uzbek woman by two customs officials posted at the Delhi airport. The two officials have been suspended by customs authorities. The panel, constituted to probe such matters under the provisions of The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, has started its work, officials said Sunday. The committee, that need to be mandatorily set up in an government organisation which has more than 10 workers for receiving complaints of sexual harassment, will look into charges of assault against two Superintendent of customs and come out with its findings, they said. The panel is headed by a senior-most woman employee at a work place and comprises at least two members from amongst employees preferably committed to the cause of women or who have had experience in social work or have legal knowledge and one member from amongst ...
Upset over divorce, UP man ends his life
A 30-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan at his residence in Khalapar locality here, a year after his divorce, police said on Sunday. The man, Shehzad, was living at his relatives' house and took the extreme step on Saturday, they said. When the relatives received no response after knocking at the door of Shehzad's room, they informed the police. A police team broke open the door and found his body hanging from the ceiling, they said. He was divorced from his wife a year ago and was probably under stress due to which he committed suicide, police said.
