Page 820 - Social Issues
TMC takes out rally to protest against proposed FRDI bill
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) today took out a rally at Jadavpur in the southern part of the city to protest against the proposed FRDI Bill. People will lose their lifelong deposits if this bill is passed, TMC MP and the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, said. "We had opposed anti-people policies like demonetisation and GST. We will oppose FRDI too. There is no difference between BJP leaders and chit fund owner Sudipta Sen. He robbed public of their savings through chit funds and the BJP leaders will loot the common people in name of FRDI bill," he said. The Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill proposes to create a framework for overseeing financial institutions such as banks, insurance companies, non-banking financial services (NBFC) companies and stock exchanges in case of insolvency. Terming the BJP as the "Bharatiya Janjal (garbage) Party", the Lok Sabha MP said the TMC is not afraid of vendetta politics pursued by saffron
Pakistan court orders intelligence agencies to find missing activist
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday ordered the intelligence agencies to look for missing activist Raza Mehmood Khan and present him in court as soon as possible after the police stated that they were unable to find the activist.
Top economists write to FM on delay in roll-out of maternity
Top economists of the country have written to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on the delay in the roll-out of the maternity benefit scheme announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year. In a televised address to the nation on New Year's Eve, Modi had announced pan-India expansion of the maternity benefit programme which was being implemented on a pilot-basis across 56 districts. "On 31 December 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally announced that maternity benefits would be provided very soon. One year later, however, the new scheme framed for this purpose (Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana) is yet to be operationalised," according to the letter on December 20. The letter is signed by 60 economists, including Jean Dreze, Jayati Ghosh, Kirit Parikh and Sukhadeo Thorat. In May, the Union Cabinet approved the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana for pregnant women and lactating mothers. Under the scheme, a woman would receive Rs 5,000 in three installments upon ...
Rohingya Muslims sneaking into Manipur: CM
Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh told the state assembly on Friday that Rohingya Muslims have started sneaking into the state which has a common border with Myanmar.
Weinstein's ex-wife demands upfront payment of $5mn child support
Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein owes his former wife Eve Chilton $5 million in child support. She wants him to pay the amount now in case his current legal troubles leave him financially insolvent.
'Rice pulling' fraudsters gang busted, four arrested
The police have arrested a gang of four persons for duping people into buying objects like bowls, pots, and coins, claiming they would attract rice by virtue of having supernatural powers.The police also seized an amount of Rs 34,19,000, an Innova car, three rice pulling bowls and eight cell phones from the possession of those arrested.The gang was apprehended by the commissioner's task force, Hyderabad and North Zone task force."This gang would catch hold of innocent people and manipulate them to purchase the rice pulling bowl. The accused Vema Anjaneyulu, Md Fazaluddin, T Bablu and S Babu Rao maintained an office on the fourth floor of Surya Towers in Secunderabad," the police informed.A victim, G Vishnumurthy, a car driver, lodged a complaint earlier this month in Bowenpally under section 420 and 406 of IPC.The accused lured the victim by promising that they will get Rs 2 to 3 crore if he invested Rs 20 lakh. The victim got convinced and further roped his friends to invest money in
Rohini ashram sexual assault: Delhi HC to continue hearing
The Delhi High Court on Friday will continue to hear the case of alleged sexual assault of women and minor girls in the residential facility of an ashram cum meditation centre in Rohini area of Delhi.Yesterday the High Court asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the case.The high court transferred the case to probe agency in view of its serious nature.A court-appointed committee informed the court that they recovered around 40 mobile phones, 12 memory cards and a few letters, all of which have been sealed now.The court was hearing a plea filed by an NGO, Foundation of Social Empowerment, alleging that the girls living in the premises of the educational institution were not allowed to leave the area or meet their respective families.Taking note of this, the High Court had asked the police, Delhi government and Delhi Commission for Women, to visit the place and assess the situation.Family of one of the victims had alleged that they have not been allowed to meet her ...
US court rejects Trump's bid to stop transgender military enlistment
A federal appeals court in Virginia has ruled against the Trump administration's efforts to delay accepting transgender recruits into the military.The order is just the latest in several legal battles against Trump's ban on trans troops.In a two-paragraph order, the three-judge panel of the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that it is denying the administration's request to delay the Jan. 1 deadline, without further explanation, reported the Hill.The United States Defense Department has allowed the military to begin accepting transgender recruits starting January 1 next year, following a federal court ruling in the matter.Trump made an announcement about the ban on Twitter in July and followed through with a memo in August.Four lawsuits were filed against the ban, and so far, judges in three of them have said the ban cannot take effect while the cases work their way through the courts. The judge in the fourth has not yet ruled, the report said.Outlining how the ...
Bengal to set up OBC advisory Council
The West Bengal government will set up an Other Backward Class (OBC) Advisory Council to monitor their social, cultural, educational and economic development, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced here on Thursday.
UP to withdraw 20,000 'political cases'
The Uttar Pradesh government will withdraw 20,000 political cases slapped on various people for reasons like staging a demonstration and holding sit-ins, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced on Thursday.
Over 10k citizenship cases of Pak Hindu migrants pending: Raj
Over 10,000 applications of migrants from Pakistan's Hindu community seeking long- term visas (LTV) are pending, the Rajasthan High Court was informed today. Taking serious note of the deficiencies and disposal of the applications, the high court ordered removal of all deficiencies in the LTV applications within two weeks from the date of the order and submit a report in the court before the next hearing on January 19. The court, which, on December 14, asked the state government to file a report on pending citizenship cases of the Pakistani Hindu migrants, also directed the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) to upload the notification on the concerned web-portal. The FRRO was also asked to hold camps at appropriate places and remove all the deficiencies in the forms in the presence of the applicants, amicus curiae and the divisional- level committee constituted by the state. Out of the pending applications, 2,716 applications have already been forwarded to ..
Delhi govt not in favour of e-way bill mechanism: Sisodia
The Delhi government was unlikely to implement the e-way bill mechanism under the Goods and Services Tax as Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia today said the AAP dispensation was not in favour of the new system. Addressing representatives of GST Support Market Committees, Sisodia said the e-way bill system violates the 'one nation, one tax' concept, for which the GST was envisioned. "In the GST Council meeting, we have said the Delhi government is not in support of e-way bill. It is in violation of the 'one nation, one tax' concept," he said. He said that if traders in the city say they may face problem due to e-way bill, the Delhi government will not implement it. According to officials, the e-way bill system, which is scheduled to be launched in the country from February 1, is for intra-state movement of the commodities under the GST. They said it will be applicable to the goods worth above Rs 50,000 and are bound for sale beyond 10 km. This system will give powers to
Child marriage cases drop to 27%: Minister
The percentage of girls married before legal age has gone down from 47.4 per cent in 2005-06 to 26.8 per cent in 2014-15, a Minister said on Thursday quoting the National Family Health Survey.
UAE committed to assisting refugees
Geneva, Dec 21 (IANS/WAM) The United Arab Emirates humanitarian role and its assistance to refugees from various parts of the world was hailed at an international panel debate at the UN headquarters here.
NHRC asks Odisha to give detailed report on farmer suicides
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Odisha government for a detailed report on suicides by farmers in Bargarh district and steps taken for the relief and rehabilitation of the affected families, the rights body said today. In a notice to the state government, it asked for the report to be submitted within four weeks. The NHRC had taken suo-motu cognisance of a media report that 12 farmers had committed suicide within 50 days in the district. The most recent case was that of a farmer who took his life on December 15, 2017, because of crop loss and a loan burden, a statement issued by the watchdog said. The Commission, while expressing serious concern over the incidents of farmer suicides in Odisha, observed that the grave situation amounted to a violation of the right to life of the victims. It called for immediate measures by the state government. "Accordingly, it has issued a notice to the chief secretary, Government of Odisha, calling for a ...
NHRC seeks report over Odisha farmer suicides
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday sought a report from the Odisha government over the deaths of 12 farmers, who allegedly committed suicide in last 50 days in the state's Bargarh district.
2015-50 period of window of demographic oppurtunity : Kakodkar
Noted nuclear scientist Prof Anil Kakodkar today said the time between 2015 and 2050 is a period of demographic window of opportunity for India, which is the most favourably placed in this respect among all countries of the world. Kakodkar, who is the former chairman of Atomic Energy Commission, who was adressing the 15th convocation of Tezpur University, said the US National Intelligence Council's recent report 'Global Trend: Alternative Worlds' identified the period between 2015 and 2050 as demographic window of opportunity for India. "We have the most favourably placed demography among all countries of the world. Our ability to positively leverage our demographic dividend to the fullest extent possible would clearly require us to make very rapid progress towards addressing the twin challenge of excellence and access in our education system," he said. Human kind has bigger challenges to deal with today than any time before, Kakodkar, who was also the former director .
Bill to provide for death penalty for spurious liquor trade
A bill was today introduced in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly with a stringent provision of death penalty and life imprisonment for those dealing in illicit or spurious liquor. If passed, then UP will be the third state after Delhi and Gujarat to have an Act under which bootleggers may be sent to the gallows, if consumption of spurious liquor leads to a loss of life. The UP Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2017, piloted by the state's Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna, will repeal the ordinance brought by the government in September in this regard. The bill has the provision of death penalty, life sentence and a fine to the tune of Rs 10 lakhs and not less than Rs five lakh in case of death due to consumption of spurious liquor. It also provides for rigorous imprisonment up to ten years and not less than six years in case of disability caused by consumption of spurious liquor and fine to the tune of Rs five lakhs and not less than Rs three lakh. In September, the state ..
'Govt criminalising triple talaq to instil fear among Muslims'
The government intends to "fuel fear" in the Muslim community by criminalising pronouncement of instant triple talaq, women's rights activists said today, a day before a draft bill to criminalise the practice is likely to be tabled in Parliament. In a press conference held today by Bebaak Collective, an intervener in support of the triple talaq plea by Shayara Bano in Supreme Court, activists and lawyers also questioned why the government was bringing a bill without consulting the civil society and various stakeholders. According to the draft law, pronouncing instant triple talaq will be considered illegal and void and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband. It would be a non- bailable, cognisable offence. "At a time there have been incidents of violence against the Muslim community and no redressal available to them, this bill will give legal power to target the Muslims," said Sadhna Saxena from the Saheli Trust. "The law is intended to fuel fear of the
Introduction of bills on Triple Talaq, backward classes panel next week
A bill on making Triple Talaq a punishable offence and another one to give constitutional status to the backward classes panel is set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha next week, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said on Thursday.
