Page 12 - Social Issues

Punjab tightens noose around drug trafficking

To combat the menace of drug trafficking in Punjab, the Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) held meetings with state officials on Tuesday.During the meetings, the officers deliberated upon the current extent of drug menace in Punjab and the ways to counter the same. Besides, collaboration in training, operations, enforcement and other areas were discussed and modalities were also agreed upon.In addition, significant deployment of NCB's officers has been made in the state to effectively counter the drug trafficking problem.The officers have been given a task to specially target the trafficking in opioids (opium, heroin, poppy husk) and cannabis apart from checking diversion and abuse of pharmaceutical drugs especially Tramadol. They have also been instructed to target large Drug Trafficking Operatives (DTOs) and take action for seizures/forfeitures of their properties.The Director General of the NCB held meetings with the Director General of Punjab Police, Additional ...

Nearly 50% of Japan's singles have no dating prospects: Survey

Nearly 50 per cent of singles in Japan who wish to get married are unable to find a suitable partner, with 61.4 per cent of the group stating they are not doing anything to change the situation, a government survey revealed on Tuesday.

Indian-American population grew by 38 percent between 2010-2017: report

The population of Indian-origin people in America grew by 38 per cent in seven years between 2010 and 2017, a South Asian advocacy group has said in its latest demographic report. In 2017, the population of Indian-Americans with multiple ethnicities was recorded as 44,02,363, up 38.3 per cent from 31,83,063 in 2010, the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) said in its snapshot. There are at least 630,000 Indians who are undocumented, a 72 per cent increase since 2010, it said. The increase in illegal Indian-Americans can be attributed to Indian immigrants overstaying visas, it said. Nearly 250,000 Indians overstayed their visa in 2016 therefore becoming undocumented, it said. In general, the population of American residents tracing their roots to South Asia grew by 40 per cent. In real terms, it increased from 3.5 million in 2010 to 5.4 million in 2017, SAALT said. The Nepali community grew by 206.6 per cent since 2010, followed by Indian (38 per cent), Bhutanese (38 per ...

CPWD to reconstruct Women Police Training Centre in Myanmar

The CPWD, the prime construction agency of the Indian government, will reconstruct the Women Police Training Centre in Myanmar's Yamethin at a cost of Rs 280 crore, an official aware of the matter has said. According to the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), a team of engineers recently visited Yamethin for site inspection. The official said the agency had prepared a detailed project report (DPR), which had been submitted to the Centre. The existing building of the Women Police Training Centre in Yamethin was built long ago, he added. "The CPWD will reconstruct the Women Police Training Centre with all modern facilities. The project will be executed at a cost of Rs 280 crore. It is expected to be completed in 36 months," the official said. The new building will have the capacity to simultaneously impart training to five batches of 200 women personnel each, he added. "The project will be executed in two phases. The DPR has been submitted to the Ministry of External Affairs," the ..

Maha govt panel to probe hysterectomy cases in Beed: Minister

A committee headed by Maharashtra health department's principal secretary will conduct a probe into several cases of hysterectomies that have come to light in Beed district, state health minister Eknath Shinde said on Tuesday. Raising the issue in the state Legislative Council, Shiv Sena member Neelam Gorhe said some women engaged in sugarcane cutting work in Beed got their wombs removed to avoid hindrance in work and fines due to menstruation. Responding to her, Shinde said in the House that around 4,605 women underwent womb removal surgeries in Beed district in last three years. "A committee headed by Beed district's civil surgeon found that 99 private hospitals carried out 4,605 womb removal surgeries from 2016-17 to 2018-19," he said. He said a sizable number of women who underwent hysterectomy were not engaged in sugarcane cutting work. The minister also pointed out that the percentage of natural deliveries was higher than the cesarean ones in the district. He said .

Trump threatens to begin deporting undocumented immigrants

US President Donald Trump has said that immigration enforcement authorities would begin deporting millions of undocumented migrants from the country in the coming week.

V-Mart Retail opens two new store

In Bihar and Madhya Pradesh

Trump says US to begin removing 'millions' of illegal migrants

The United States will start removing "millions" of illegal migrants next week, President Donald Trump said Monday, adding that Guatemala is preparing to sign a safe third country deal. "Next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States. They will be removed as fast as they come in," Trump said on Twitter, referring to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. He added that "Guatemala is getting ready to sign a Safe-Third Agreement," an apparent reference to a pact in which migrants entering Guatemalan territory would have to apply for refugee status there, not in the United States. The US is facing a surge in migrant arrivals from Guatemala and other impoverished Central American countries which are plagued by gang violence. The numbers have overwhelmed the ability of US authorities to temporarily shelter and process them. Trump has called it "an invasion," and has made the fight against ...

Indian-American population up by 38% in 7 yrs, 630,000 undocumented: Report

The increase in illegal Indian-Americans can be attributed to Indian immigrants overstaying visas, the report said

Death of Indian girl reflects 'tragic culmination' of a 'broken' immigration system: advocacy group

The death of six-year-old Gurupreet Kaur, a victim of human smuggling, near the remote and deserted US-Mexico border due to heat stroke is reflective of the "tragic culmination" of America's "broken" immigration system, according to a Sikh advocacy group. The girl, who was a month shy of turning 7, was found by the US Border Patrol officials 27 kilometres west of Lukeville, Arizona on Wednesday, when temperature reached a high of 42 degrees Celsius. Kaur's mother left her with a woman and her child and went in search of water. The deceased was travelling with four other persons, including her mother, and dropped near the border by human smugglers who ordered the group to cross in the dangerous and austere location. This story reflects the tragic culmination of a broken immigration system, immigration policies that deny basic human dignity and human rights particularly for asylum seekers and the unfortunate practice of individuals moving the most vulnerable for profit, Kiran Kaur Gill,

2 Cong leaders arrested for trying to set up Ambedkar's statue in Hyderabad

Congress leaders V Hanumantha Rao and Harsha Kumar on Tuesday were arrested when they were allegedly trying to install a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar at Punjagutta centre here.The duo was arrested in the early morning hours of Tuesday and taken into custody by the Panjagutta Police.Police said it had seized the statue and also the lorry in which the statue was brought in.

India's population explosion: To surpass China's, be 10 times US' by 2050

The Earth will be home to some 9.7 billion people in 2050 and by 2100 the number will increase to 11 billion. India's population will surpass China's by 2027, and despite being one-third the size of the US will hold a population 10 times higher than America, the UN has announced.

KTR helps 39 Indians stranded in Saudi Arabia to return home

As many as 39 Indian workers from Telangana stuck in Saudi Arabia were able to return home due to the intervention by TRS Working president KT Rama Rao."About 60 daily wage labourers went to Saudi Arabia last year to work in a construction company. Most of them belonging to Karimnagar, Nirmal, Nizamabad and Adilabad districts. The company, which hired these labourers had not been paying salaries to them for the past six months and were made to live in terrible condition, without proper food," a statement said Rao's office said.When Rao was approached for help over Twitter, he immediately requested the Indian Embassy Riyadh to help the victims stranded in Saudi Arabia.TRS working president also requested Chief Secretary SK Joshi to come up with a proper solution to address the problems of the labourers."The Indian Embassy swiftly responded to KTR's request and helped the victims return to India. The Embassy had arranged for temporary exit visas and also the flight tickets for the ...

India will overtake China as world's most populous country in just 8 years: UN report

India will overtake China to become the world's most populous country in just eight years, according to a United Nations report.In the world' populated country by the century ends. Meanwhile, the Chinese population will decrease by 31.4 million, or around 2.2 per cent, between 2019 and 2050.The report titled 'The World Population Prospects 2019: Highlights' estimated that the world's population is expected to increase by two million by 2050, from 7.7 billion today to 9.7 billion.Moreover, Indian along with eight other countries will constitute half of the population.The nine countries expected to show the biggest increase are India, Nigeria and Pakistan, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Indonesia, Egypt and the United States of America. In all, the population of sub-Saharan Africa is expected to practically double by 2050, the report said.The report has mentioned that the growth in population will come despite the slowing of the global fertility ...

Mexico's crackdown on migrants sends some heading south

Mexico's efforts to slow Central American migration across its territory showed some bite Monday as some people turned around to head south in the face of increased enforcement, while government officials said they would target human smuggling rings. One government official announced Monday that the 6,000 National Guard members who officials had repeatedly said would be sent to the southern border will actually be distributed across the northern border and other areas as well, while another suggested measures were showing results. A senior Mexican official, who requested anonymity to discuss negotiations with the US, said that three weeks ago about 4,200 migrants were arriving at the US border daily and that now that number has dropped to about 2,600 per day. The official warned it was too early to draw conclusions from such a small window, but that Mexico was optimistic its measures would work. On the Suchiate river that forms part of Mexico's southern border with Guatemala, usually .

Turkey: 12 dead, 31 rescued after migrant boat sinks

A boat carrying migrants to Greece sank off the Turkish coast on Monday, leaving at least 12 migrants dead, Turkey's coast guard said. The coast guard said 31 other migrants were rescued after the boat capsized in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of Bodrum. The region is close to the Greek island of Kos. The 12 bodies were found inside the wreck of the boat at a depth of 32 meters (105 feet), the coast guard said in a statement. It said the search-and-rescue operation involving two coast guard boats, a helicopter and a team of divers, is continuing. It was not immediately clear why the boat sank. There was no immediate information on the migrants' nationalities. Although the number of people heading to the Greek islands from the Turkish coast has decreased since the height of the refugee crisis in 2015, hundreds continue to make the crossing each week. In Spain, the maritime rescue service said it rescued 292 migrants Monday who were attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe ...

India to overtake China as world's most populous nation by 2027: UN

India is projected to overtake China as the world's most populous country around 2027, a UN report said on Monday.

Pakistan's top court halts execution of mentally ill inmate

A rights group says Pakistan's Supreme Court has halted the execution of a mentally ill prisoner. In a statement, the Justice Project Pakistan said Monday's court order halting the execution of Ghulam Abbas, 36, was announced by the Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa. The development came a day after the group said Abbas was being treated with strong anti-psychotic drugs by prison authorities and that the man had a family history of mental illness. Abbas was sentenced to death in 2006 for fatally stabbing a neighbor in 2004. He was scheduled to be hung Tuesday at a jail the city of Rawalpindi. Pakistan is a signatory to international conventions that bar the execution of mentally ill prisoners.

Cong slams Centre, Bihar govt over death of children in Bihar

The Congress Monday hit out at the Centre and the Bihar government over the deaths of 103 children in the state due to suspected Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), saying better preparedness could have saved lives. Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also posted a video on Twitter in which Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey is heard at a meeting asking for the score of the India versus Pakistan World Cup cricket match on Sunday. "Bihar's Health Minister Mangal Pandey seems more worried about cricket score than the death of children due to Encephalitis," Surjewala tweeted and tagged the video. Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said the central and state governments should do everything possible to control the situation. "It is unfortunate that in 2019, in the 21st century, so many children have died. There are some shortcomings on the part of the government and administration because they know that in the summers encephalitis hits Bihar so the health department should ...

UK petition urges Sajid Javid to grant visas to blind Indian musicians

Hundreds have signed an online petition addressed to UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid urging him to grant visitor visas to two blind musicians from India, who were due to perform in Scotland as part of a UK-India cultural exchange programme. Prem Bhagavan Nagaraju, 25, and Jyothi Kalaiselvi, 19, were scheduled to travel to the UK with a group of people from the disability organisation Devasitham Charitable Foundation (DCF) based in Chennai. However, the organisers say that while their non-disabled colleagues who were supporting them on the trip were granted entry, their own visa application was declined by the UK Home Office. "The Home Office refused the visa applications of these two young disabled people due to their economic and family circumstances, stating that it is 'not satisfied that you have sufficient ties in India that will act as an incentive for you to leave the UK at the end of your trip'," reads the petition, started by Ninian Perry, Creative Director of Paragon Music, the