Page 93 - Social Issues
NCLAT tells IL& FS to release pension/PF money first
Courts have finally come to the rescue of lakhs of investors who face the prospect of losing their entire retirement savings parked in the toxic IL&FS bonds by their respective pension and provident fund (PF) trusts.
Finance Ministry responds to EC's letter on use of illicit money
The Department of Revenue (DoR) has responded to the Election Commission's (EC) earlier letter on the use of illicit money at the time of elections, Finance Ministry sources said on Monday.Sources said the DoR urged the EC to advice its field officers involved in the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) to take immediate enforcement action at their end under the election and appropriate laws about the use of illicit money in electoral processes.The DoR also urged the EC to pass on the information confidentially to the Income Tax department for taking necessary action, sources added.On Sunday, the EC had written a letter to the Revenue Secretary, directing the official to ensure impartial conduct of enforcement actions.In its letter, the EC had advised that all enforcement actions during the election period should be "neutral, impartial and non-discriminatory."The poll body had also stated that in case of suspected use of illicit money for electoral purposes, the Chief ...
Here's how Dantewada jail inmates are enhancing employability
A unique initiative by District Jail administration here is making inmates not only literate but also tech-savvy, thus increasing their employability.The initiative, which started in 2016, has also won several accolades and awards.Sharing details of the same, Gowardhan Singh Sori, Jail Superintendent, said, "We started this initiative in Dantewada Jail in 2016. Over half of prisoners were illiterate at that time and we decided to make them literate and aware.""Initially as more than half of inmates were illiterate; it took us eight months to educate them. However now when the literacy level has gone up, it is easier to teach the new inmates who are illiterate and they also get basic literacy in four to five days only," he said.He also said that with time, volunteers have been appointed in all barracks, who hold classes there itself and new inmates are registered and literacy program starts for them from day one in the prison.Speaking further about digital literacy, Sori highlighted ...
Enforcement actions always irrespective of political affiliation: Revenue Dept to EC
The Revenue Department on Monday told the Election Commission that its enforcement actions are always neutral', impartial' and non-discriminatory' irrespective of political affiliation and urged the poll panel to share "specific information" with the I-T department about illicit money in electoral process, sources said. The Election Commission in its letter to Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey on Sunday had strongly advised that any action by its enforcement agencies during the election time should be "neutral" and "non-discriminatory" and officials of the poll panel should be kept in the loop about such actions. In its response, sources said, Pandey wrote to the poll panel saying, We understand the words neutral', impartial' and non-discriminatory' mean that we must act as and when information is available against anyone, irrespective of political affiliation. This is precisely the practice that the department follows and will continue to do so. The Revenue Department, in its ...
When all Yadavs can be called relatives, then why cannot the same be applied for all Modis: Akhilesh
When all Yadavs can be called relatives, then why cannot all Modis be called relatives, former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav asked Monday, referring to the same last name shared by economic offender Nirav Modi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing a public meeting, in favour of 'mahagathbandhan' candidate Suresh Bansal, at the Ramlila Ground Kavi Nagar here, the Samajwadi Party president said, "If a police officer can stop me at the Lucknow airport while I was going to a studentss union function, then how could liquor trader (Vijay Mallya) and Mehul Choksi (fugitive diamantaire) leave the country," Yadav said. The BJP government has not fulfilled promises made in 2014 and is not disclosing data on employment, farmer suicides, and businesses hit by GST and demonetisation, Yadav said. He alleged UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had only painted road dividers and offices but no development work was taken up. "The six-lane elevated road which was constructed on a single pillar is .
NPP reiterates opposition to citizenship bill
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Monday reiterated the ruling National People's Party's (NPP) strong opposition to the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
Salvador police strike blow agasint MS-13 gang
Salvadoran police said Monday they had struck a "heavy blow" against the Central American country's violent MS-13 gang, arresting 117 members for a raft of crimes from murder to extortion. US President Donald Trump has frequently pointed to the gang to justify his immigration policy, labelling it a danger to Americans and claiming many Salvadoran migrants to the US are gang members. Announcing the arrests, El Salvador's top police official Howard Cotto said those arrested came from 11 separate MS-13 cells operating against businesses in downtown San Salvador. Cotto said a complicating factor for El Salvador's anti-gang operations was that members of the feared gang operating in the capital lived elsewhere. "They come from outside the capital to commit crimes," he said, claiming police "have managed to strike a heavy blow." The charges against them include 16 homicides and extortion. Trump has repeatedly threatened to pull US aid from El Salvador amid claims the government is not doing
Rohingya arrive in Malaysia, more believed at sea
Forty-one Rohingya were found in northern Malaysia Monday, police said, the second group of the Muslim minority to arrive in the country within weeks, while about 200 more are feared trapped at sea. Many Rohingya have been seeking in recent weeks to leave by sea from Bangladesh -- where they live in squalid refugee camps after fleeing their mostly Buddhist homeland Myanmar -- before the monsoon season starts in earnest. Security forces have prevented hundreds from departing for Malaysia with people smugglers on fishing boats. But last month 34 Rohingya arrived in the northern Malaysian state of Perlis, the first group believed to have landed in the country in almost year. On Monday police detained 41 Rohingya men -- aged 14 to 30 -- who arrived by sea in the same area the last boatload landed, and are hunting for another six believed to have come ashore, local police chief Noor Mushar Mohamad told AFP. About 200 more are thought to be trapped at sea in Thai waters, said the police ...
Major concern is widening gap between urban & rural population
India's major concern today is the widening gap between urban and rural population and between agriculture and industry which needs to be bridged, said managing director of Gujrat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Limited (AMUL), R S Sodhi on Monday. "The widening gap between urban and rural population, between those who work in factories and those who work in the field, between agriculture and industry, between cities and villages is todays major concern," he said. Sodhi was addressing the third convocation of the Indian Institute of Management, Sambalpur (IIM-S). Stating that India had a GDP of about USD 20 billion and population of around 360 million in 1947, he said 75 per cent of them depended on agriculture. Agriculture accounted for about 70 per cent of the GDP. In 2018, the respective figures were: GDP of USD 2.9 trillion, a population of 1.35 billion, with about 58 per cent of the population depending on agriculture for their livelihood, Sodhi ...
BJP goofs on women's safety in manifesto
In a major goof-up, the BJP manifesto reads that the party's government has made strict provisions "for transferring the laws in order to commit crimes" against women, instead of checking crimes against women under its chapter on Women Empowerment.
HC seeks Centre's reply on Johnson & Johnson plea on compensation for faulty hip implants
The Delhi High Court Monday sought a response of the Centre on a plea by Johnson and Johnson challenging the orders by which it was directed to pay compensation to patients who received faulty hip implants made by the company. Justice Vibhu Bakhru issued notice to the Centre on the petition and orally asked authorities not to take any steps against the firm till the next date of hearing. The company also informed the court that it was willing to pay Rs 25 lakh as compensation to the patients who were affected by its hip implants. Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, appearing for the company, contended that the Centre has no jurisdiction under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act to fix and enforce the compensation. The court asked the Centre, represented through central government standing counsel B S Shukla and Amit Mahajan, to seek instructions on the plea and the company's offer of Rs 25 lakh compensation and listed the matter for further hearing on May 2. The company has challenged the March 8 .
SC takes note of PIL seeking action against parties for caste, religion-based remarks
The Supreme Court Monday took note of a PIL seeking direction to the Election Commission to take "strict action" against political parties if their spokespersons make remarks based on castes and religions in the media in the run up to general elections. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna issued notice to the EC on the plea filed an NRI Yoga teacher based in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Referring to communal and caste-based election speeches and remarks of political leaders, Harpreet Mansukhani said he has filed the plea to "maintain secular environment in the forthcoming Lok Sabha Election, 2019". In the plea, he has sought various reliefs including a direction to the poll panel "to take strict actions against the political parties if their spokesperson or representative deliver speeches and make remark in media pertaining to the religion or caste. "The 'undesirable development' of appeals to religion, race, caste, ...
Mamata calls Modi "fascist, dacoit", BJP says people will give
With the election campaign getting more and more churlish by the day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday asserted her state will play a major role in dislodging the "fascist, liar and dacoit" prime minister and forming the next government. The BJP promptly hit back, claiming it reflected her "frustration" and that the people will give a "befitting" reply to her in the elections. She also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be "thrown out of power and politics" and his mouth sealed with a surgical adhesive tape for "telling lies". Banerjee mocked Modi over films and television serials based on his life, saying he thought he was a "bigger public figure than Mahatma Gandhi and B R Ambekdar". "Bengal will play the lead role in throwing out this fascist government and forming the next government. The chai wala-turned chowkidar is arrogant, a fascist and a liar, who needs to be dislodged immediately," Banerjee told a public meeting at Coochbehar in north ...
Polls no special attraction for Telangana's 'joginis'
Elections bring hope and promise of a new start for most people. However, for over 2,000 'joginis' in northern Telangana, the exercise holds little meaning as the ancient religious practice that forced them into flesh trade as young girls has failed to find a mention in successive poll campaigns. The practice, also known as the Devadasi system, is prevalent especially among the Dalit community in parts of south India even after a law prohibiting it was passed almost four decades ago. As part of this practice, parents marry their daughters to temple deities and the girls are forced to work as sex workers after they attain puberty. Despite being ignored by the politicians, the 'joginis' cannot afford to ignore the polls as they fear losing their ration cards. "Elections come and go but nothing has changed in my life. Still, I vote every year for fear of losing subsidised ration," Puram Ananda, a 30-year-old 'jogini', told PTI. Recalling her plight, Ananda, who lives in a Dalit colony in
SC refuses urgent listing of plea against HC order asking Centre to ban TikTok app
The Supreme Court Monday refused urgent listing of a plea challenging the recent Madras High Court order directing the Centre to ban the 'TikTok' app over concerns about access to pornographic content through it. A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna said the plea will come up for hearing in due course of time. Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for Chinese company ByteDance, said that there are over billion download of the app and the Madurai bench of Madras High Court has passed an ex-parte order. "No urgent listing. The matter will come up in due course of time," the bench said. The Madurai bench of Madras High Court on April 3, had directed the Centre to ban mobile application 'TikTok' as it voiced concern over the "pornographic and inappropriate contents" being made available through such apps. It directed the media not to telecast video clips made with TikTok. The app allows users to create short videos and then share them. It had .
37 Rohingyas found on beach in Malaysia
Thirty-seven Rohingya Muslims were discovered on the Kuala Perlis beach in Malaysia on Monday, authorities said, sparking fears of a fresh exodus of the minority community in Myanmar.
Defeat 'national calamity' Modi, safeguard nation: Pawar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a "national calamity" who needs to be defeated in the April May Lok Sabha polls to safeguard the nation, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said here Monday. Pawar said Modi should not talk about the ability of the opposition to lead the country nor about unity in the Pawar household. He said the UPA, of which his party was a part, had run the country well for a decade from 2004 under then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "We can run the country well. Modi need not worry about our ability," he said. Pawar also attacked the PM for the latter's personal diatribe against him at a rally in Wardha. Modi had said Pawar had lost grip on the Nationalist Congress Party which was wracked by a "family feud". "Pawar's grip on the party is loosening. The situation is that Pawar saheb's nephew (Ajit Pawar) is trying to take control of the party. Because of this, the NCP faced problems in ticket distribution," the PM had claimed at the rally. "I am happy in my home. ...
BJP manifesto vision document: Himachal CM
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Monday described the BJP manifesto as a vision document that "envisages a new and developed India and fulfils the sentiments of 130 crore people".
AAP slams BJP for false promises in manifesto
The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for issuing a fresh set of 'jumlas' in its 43-page manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
BJP pledges to legislate bill to prohibit and eliminate triple talaq, nikah halala
The BJP on Monday pledged to legislate a bill to prohibit and eliminate practices like triple talaq and nikah halala and promised in its manifesto to give 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament and state assemblies through a constitutional amendment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday released the manifesto, titled 'Sankalpit Bharat, Sashakt Bharat' (Determined India, Empowered India), in the presence of BJP chief Amit Shah and other top leaders, including Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley. In the manifesto, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asserted it has determinedly taken substantive measures to ensure overall development of women and promote gender equality. "Continuing our work, we will legislate a bill to prohibit and eliminate practices such as triple talaq and nikah halala," the party said in the manifesto. The Narendra Modi government had introduced a bill to make practice of instant triple talaq by Muslim men a criminal offence. It, however, was ..