Page 16 - Social Issues
Rajnath forms committee to work on modalities of revising pension under OROP
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has constituted a committee to work out the modalities and methodology of the implementation of next revision of pension under One Rank One Pension (OROP), the Ministry said in a statement on Friday."Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the working of DESW including the welfare schemes being extended to the ex-servicemen, widows and dependents. A committee was also constituted today to work out the modalities and methodology of the implementation of the next revision of pension under OROP," the statement said.All three services will have their representation in the committee which will give its report within a month.According to the statement, the Defence Minister was briefed by various officials."In a free-flowing interaction, Minister expressed his general satisfaction but also gave certain directions to the department and sought a response in a time-bound manner," the statement said.OROP was implemented by the NDA government during its first term.
Premature migrant baby found at Texas Border Patrol facility
The teenage girl with pigtail braids was hunched over in a wheelchair and holding a bunched sweatshirt when an immigrant advocate met her at a crowded Border Patrol facility in Texas. She opened the sweatshirt and the advocate gasped. It was a tiny baby, born premature and held in detention instead of where the advocate believes the baby should have been at a hospital neonatal unit. "You look at this baby and there is no question that this baby should be in a tube with a heart monitor," said Hope Frye, a volunteer with an immigrant advocacy group who travels the country visiting immigration facilities with children to make sure the facilities comply with federal guidelines. Frye and other advocates said the case highlights the poor conditions immigrants are held in after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border as the government deals with an unprecedented number of families and children arriving daily. The mother, a 17-year-old from Guatemala, had an emergency cesarean section in Mexico in ..
All 33 faculty members including Director of Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine resign
All the 33 faculty members including the Director of Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine resigned on Friday citing "inordinate delay" in handling of the situation arising out of agitation in protest against the "brutal attack" on a junior doctor of NRS Medical College on June 10."In view of the inordinate delay in appropriately handling the situation by the concerned authority, all the faculty members of this institute expressed their desire to tender resignation from their respective posts with immediate effect," Director of the tropical medicine institute P Pundu said in a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Family Welfare in West Bengal.Earlier, 119 doctors in North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, Darjeeling, resigned over "violence" against doctors in the state.The protests erupted on June 10 after a junior doctor was assaulted in NRS College. Since then, the protests have spiraled throughout the country with doctors from several states taking to streets .
Man kills 3 minor daughters, self after wife's death
Three months after the death of his wife, a 35-year-old man allegedly lynched his three minor daughters and then committed suicide at a village in Odisha's Keonjhar district Friday, police said. Bodies of the girls - aged around 9 years, 7 years and 5 years - were found lying in a pool of blood at the house of Durga Sidhu in Ulibasa village. Sidhu, a tribal man, committed suicide by hanging himself from a wooden beam in the house, Inspector In-Charge of Anandpur police station, Gagan Bihari Biswal said. His mother found the bodies. She told the police that Sidhu's wife had died around three months ago and he was under stress since then. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination, Biswal said.
Celebrities join docs in Kolkata rally demanding dialogue
Expressing solidarity with the protesting doctors of West Bengal, a number of film personalities, singers, painters, civil right activists and common people on Friday participated in a 2-kilometre march here alongside medicos of various hospitals.
View should not be imposed on Muslims without wide consultations: JD(U) on triple talaq bill
BJP ally Janata Dal (United) Friday opposed the triple talaq bill, which is likely to be tabled by the Narendra Modi government in the upcoming Parliament session, and said any view should not be imposed on Muslims without wide consultations. "Janata Dal(U) reiterates its previous stand on Uniform Civil Code. Ours is a nation based on a delicate balance in respect of laws and governing principles for different religions and ethnic groups. We must not impose any view without obtaining substantive consultations," its spokesperson K C Tyagi said in a statement. Though the statement did not address the triple talaq bill directly, JD(U) sources said the proposed legislation is at the centre of their stand on Uniform Civil Code as the BJP has often projected its strong push for criminalising instant divorce among Muslims as a step toward uniform civil laws among people of different faiths. The Bihar party, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, had opposed the bill even during the first term ..
Delhi: Task force set up for women's safety in public transport
The Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC), which advises the Delhi government on key policy issues, has constituted a task force to ensure safety and improve quality of commuting for women travellers in public transport in the national capital."The taskforce will conduct both off and on the ground reviewing and monitoring of all existing schemes for women's safety in Delhi, and propose new plans for strengthening women's safety in the capital" said Jasmine Shah, Vice Chairperson, DDC.This comes two days after Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal chaired the ninth meeting of the 'Task Force on Women Safety Issues' at Raj Niwas on Wednesday.The DDC task force, constituted with the approval of Transport Minister of Delhi Kailash Gahlot, has been entrusted with the task of evaluating and monitoring of various initiatives taken by the government in the direction of women safety, including installation of CCTV and panic buttons in buses, and strengthening the Delhi Government's ...
IMA calls for withdrawal of all non-emergency services on June 17
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Friday called for a nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency services including OPD on June 17 to protest against the assault on a Junior Resident Doctor in Kolkata and sought a central law for ensuring protection to doctors against violence in hospitals."Since no resolution is coming across after all the solidarity shown by the medical fraternity, IMA calls for the withdrawal of all non-emergency services including OPDs on Monday, June 17 across the nation in all healthcare institutions and all the medical colleges," Dr R V Ashokan, Secretary General of IMA told a press conference here.He said they have called the entire medical fraternity (even Private Hospitals) to join the protest on Monday."This is for resolution of the crisis in West Bengal, ensuring security in hospitals and for enacting a Central Law," he added.This comes after resident doctors in West Bengal went on strike to protest against the assault on a Junior Doctor of NRS college .
Karnataka doctor studying in Rohtak commits suicide, department head booked
A 30-year-old doctor hailing from Karnataka, who was pursuing his MD course from PGIMS, Rohtak in Haryana, allegedly committed suicide in the hostel of the hospital's campus, police said Friday. Onkar, who hailed from Dharwad in Karnataka, allegedly hung himself from the ceiling of his hostel on Thursday night, Rohtak Police Station SHO Inspector Kailash Chander said. Chander said Onkar was pursuing his MD (doctor of medicine) course in paediatrics and took the extreme step allegedly due to harassment he faced from the department head. "Although he did not leave any suicide note, Onkar's colleagues and family members alleged that his head of department used to harass him. Allegations have also been levelled that she did not grant him leave to attend his sister's wedding, which was due to be solemnised after a few days," the SHO said. "We have booked the accused doctor under Section 306 IPC which pertains to abetment to suicide. No arrest has been made so far and further investigations
Spending two hours a week in nature may boost health
Who does not like to spend time in nature? But the number of hours you spend in nature may be significant to how it benefits your well-being. A recent study has claimed that spending at least two hours a week in nature may boost health and well-being.The study published in the journal 'Scientific Reports' found that people who spend at least 120 minutes in nature a week are significantly more likely to report good health and higher psychological wellbeing than those who don't visit nature at all during an average week. However, no such benefits were found for people who visited natural settings such as town parks, woodlands, country parks and beaches for less than 120 minutes a week.Dr Mat White, who led the study, said, "It's well known that getting outdoors in nature can be good for people's health and wellbeing but until now we've not been able to say how much is enough.""Majority of nature visits in this research took place within just two miles of home so even visiting local ...
Delhi doctors on token strike, demand security
In solidarity with the striking doctors of West Bengal, doctors of several hospitals of Delhi, including the AIIMS, went on a token strike affecting health services in the capital.
Social sector seeks fiscal sops in Budget
The social sector has sought several proactive steps from the Finance Minister including promoting social entrepreneurship amongst the young population, fiscal incentives for recycling of waste water and rainwater harvesting and increased budgetary allocation towards nutrition of infants, among its suggestions to the Finance Ministry to be considered for the upcoming Budget.
MoS Kishan Reddy receives threat calls
Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy has received threatening phone calls from unknown persons, the Hyderabad Police said on Friday
Police foil media protest on Bukhari's death anniversary
Police on Friday foiled a protest by local journalists in the Jammu and Kashmir capital Srinagar on the first death anniversary of noted Kashmiri editor Shujaat Bukhari.
Those living in Bengal will have to learn to speak in Bengali: Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday insisted that those living in West Bengal will have to learn to speak in Bengali. The TMC supremo also reiterated that outsiders instigated the doctors' agitation in the state and accused the BJP of targeting the Bengalis and the minorities. "Outsiders are instigating the doctors. I had rightly said that they were involved in yesterday's protest. I had seen some outsiders raising slogans (at SSKM hospital)," she said, while addressing a rally here. Alleging that EVMs in the recently held Lok Sabha elections were "programmed", Banerjee also said that ballot papers should be brought back for conducting polls. "Just because they (BJP) won a few seats by programming the EVMs, it doesn't mean that they can beat up Bengalis and minorities. We will not tolerate this," the chief minister said. "The police will take action against the hooligans. If someone is living in Bengal, he or she has to learn Bengali," she added.
South Korean court tells cheating husband he must stay married
A cheating husband cannot divorce his wife despite having a years-long affair, a South Korean court ruled Friday, insisting only the injured party in a marriage could initiate a legal separation. Movie director Hong Sang-soo, 58, a Cannes film festival regular, filed for divorce in 2016, shortly after his relationship with actress Kim Min-hee became public. But Hong's wife, whom he wed in 1985, refused to play along -- leading to a drawn-out legal battle that has lasted for years. Seoul Family Court on Friday dismissed Hong's petition, and awarded costs against him. South Korea remains a conservative society, where until 2015, anyone indulging in extramarital sex risked a two-year prison sentence. Even since decriminalisation, public disapproval of affairs remains strong. Despite her successes on the silver screen, 37-year-old Kim -- who won best actress at Germany's pretigious Berlinale in 2017 -- has struggled to inspire warmth among the South Korean public. Her portrayal of an ...
ED files money laundering case in alleged K'taka ponzi scheme
The Enforcement Directorate has filed a case of money laundering in an alleged ponzi scheme in Karnataka, involving the IMA Jewels, which left thousands of gullible investors in the lurch, officials said on Friday. The agency's zonal office in Bangalore has filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), equivalent to an FIR, and has pressed criminal charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the officials said. The ED has taken cognisance of the complaint registered by the Karnataka police and the subsequent creation of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the alleged fraud, the officials said. The agency is now gathering documents in the case and will soon summon few people, they said. As many as 26,000 complaints have been been filed by the investors with the police against the 'I Monetary Advisory (IMA) jewels' store after an audio clip surfaced with a person named Mohammed Mansoor Khan, alleged to be its founder and managing director, heard saying he
Constable kills himself in Chhattisgarh
A police constable allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison while on duty in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district, police said Friday. Constable Ajay Gupta (26) allegedly consumed pesticide at Gharghoda police station, a local police official said. His colleagues took him to a local community health centre where he was declared dead. Gupta hailed from Charmar village in the same area and was posted at Gharghoda for the last four months. No suicide note was recovered from the spot. Further probe was on.
Kim Kardashian attends White House event on hiring former prisoners
Known for her work towards bettering the US criminal justice system, reality star Kim Kardashian West on Thursday spoke at 'Second Chance Hiring & Re-entry' event at the White House.'Second Chance Hiring & Re-entry' endeavours to help create opportunities for people after serving their sentence."It really is such an honor to be here today," West began as she addressed the gathering. She said that the support provided by president Donald Trump to the programme is 'magic'."Proud to partner on this initiative with @Lyft, a company with a history of taking bold action to do what's right for our community. Thank you for providing rideshare credits to formally incarcerated people when they come home," she said in a tweet."My whole journey with criminal justice reform started about a year ago when I came to see the president after speaking to Ivanka and Jared who really fought for me to get here and I pled the case of Alice Johnson who the president granted clemency to," West ...
Submit audited statements quickly, Bedi tells govt depts, PSUs
Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi Friday asked all government departments and public sector undertakings (PSUs) here getting financial support from the government to submit their duly audited statements without delay. In her whatsapp message to mediapersons, she said the Chief Minister V Narayanasamy holding the finance portfolio on Thursday took up a pre-budget exercise by holding meetings with the officials. "In the interest of financial system and welfare of the regular government employees, all government departments and PSUsand government-sponsored societies having government staff and getting loans or grants from the government should submit their audited statements without delay," she said. The objective of this requirement was to ensure that besides salaries the government staff should get pension, gratuity, provident fund and leave encashment on their retirement. "It has been seen that several retired personnel suffer for want of timely release of ...
