Page 19 - Social Issues
In India, three out of every four working children denied right to education: NGO
Three out of every four working children in India are virtually denied of their right to education, said an NGO, adding that majority of them are engaged in agriculture and related industries. Going by the census 2011 data-sets released in 2016, a whopping 62.5 per cent of working children and adolescents below 18 years of age are engaged in agriculture and related industries. In absolute numbers, among 40.34 millions of working children and adolescents, 25.23 million work in agricultural sector. Among the total 40.34 million working children and adolescents within the age group of 5-19 years, only 9.9 million attend educational institutions, which means only 24.5 pc of the working children go to school, the CRY (Child Rights and You) stated after analysing the Census 2011 data on World Day Against Child Labour. "No matter how unbelievable it sounds, the majority of working children in India do not toil in factories and workshops, or work as domestic helps or street vendors in urban ..
World Sindhi Congress pays tribute to slain 'Sindhi heroes
World Sindhi Congress (WSC) and Sindhi Sangat United Kingdom (UK) - two organisations that have constantly been working for the rights and welfare of the community recently commemorated Sindhi Heroes day at Sheffield in the United Kingdom.Sindhis- one of the minority communities in Pakistan have been enduring state discrimination and barbarity for years. The leaders of the community who dared to speak against the state crimes have been subjected to atrocities of the highest degree including arbitrary arrests, incommunicado detentions, tortures and sometimes even brute murders.In order to pay tribute to those who have been detained indefinitely and killed, activists of this community have time and again held several events at various international platforms, celebrating Sindhi Heroes Day was an attempt in this direction.This event is organised every year to remember the men and women who worked, struggled and lost their lives for the betterment and emancipation of Sindhi people.The ...
Male victims of domestic abuse face barriers to get help: Study
Men who experience domestic violence and abuse face significant barriers in getting help and access to specialist support services, a recent study suggests.The results of the study were published in the journal 'BMJ Open'. The study looked at what stops men in abusive relationships from seeking help and how services could be improved to make help-seeking easier.The researchers analysed interview-based studies of men in heterosexual and same-sex relationships and organised their findings into a series of themes.Fear of not being believed or being accused as the perpetrator, embarrassment at talking about the abuse and feeling 'less of a man' was found to be key reasons why men did not seek help.Men also worried about the welfare of their partner, damaging their relationship or losing contact with their children if they opened up to someone outside their personal network of family and friends. Others lacked the confidence to seek help as a result of the abuse.The study also found that ..
Hotel staffer held for "abusive" comment on Chhattisgarh CM
A 34-year-old man was arrested for allegedly posting an "abusive" comment against Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel on social media, police said Wednesday. Lalit Yadav, a resident of Saragaon in Raipur district, was arrested Tuesday on charges of posting an "abusive and derogatory" comment against the Congress Chief Minister on his Facebook page, a senior police official said. A complaint about the post by Yadav, who works in a city hotel, was lodged by a Youth Congress worker, he said. Yadav's comment was in response to a Facebook post pertaining to a skywalk being constructed to facilitate movement of pedestrians between Jaistambh Chowk to Shastri Chowk areas in the state capital, the official said. He was booked under relevant sections of the Information Technology (IT) Act and produced in a local court which sent him in judicial custody, he said. Further investigation is underway, the official added. The construction of the skywalk started during the ...
Kamala Harris proposes executive orders on immigration
Democrat Kamala Harris says that if elected president, she will pursue a series of executive actions to make it easier for immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children to apply for green cards allowing them to live and work here legally. Among them, Harris says she would create a "parole in place" program during which they can apply to live in the country legally until they receive permission to stay. Harris also says she would direct her Homeland Security secretary to retroactively grant work authorization to these immigrants. The California Democrat also says she would immediately reinstate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, the Obama-era program that shields young immigrants from deportation and that President Donald Trump has sought to end.
NDA Government to bring bill to abolish Triple Talaq in Parliament session
Fresh from BJP's massive mandate in the elections, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 to replace the ordinance on Triple Talaq barring instant divorce amongst Muslims in the upcoming session of Parliament.Briefing media after the cabinet meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said, "A lot of decisions were taken by Cabinet today. A bill to abolish Triple Talaq will be brought during the upcoming session of parliament. Cognisance will be taken of the objections raised by Opposition on it."The minister termed it as a testimony of - Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, and Sabka Vishwas."It is the debt of humanity. It is about gender equality and gender justice. Earlier also, we tried two-three times but it did not get through in Rajya Sabha," he said.Javadekar also claimed that a lot of people supported the bill during the recently held General Elections."As you know that Talaq-E-Bidat is illegal in several ...
Will work with DMRC to implement free scheme for women at the earliest: Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) submitted a proposal regarding the implementation of the scheme making public transport free for women."I want to share some good news with the women of Delhi. The DMRC has submitted a concrete proposal on our scheme to make public transport free for women. Two options have been proposed by them for implementation of this scheme," Kejriwal told media here."One is a longer-term plan that will take one year to implement and will involve changing the DMRC's software, tokens and cards. However, the second option is a shorter term, stop-gap arrangement. As per this model, women shall be able to purchase tokens at ticket windows and automatic ticket vending machines (ATVMs) by simply sharing their destination. There will be a separate entry gate for women with this token, but their exit gates will remain common. The DMRC will not need to change their software," he added.Although the DMRC stated ...
Cabinet approves SEZ amendment bill to replace ordinance
The Cabinet Wednesday approved introduction of the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the ensuing session of Parliament. The bill will replace Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019, which was promulgated in March. The ordinance had paved the way for trusts to set up units in special economic zones (SEZs). "The Union Cabinet has approved to introduce a Bill, namely, the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2019, ... to replace the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019. The Bill will be introduced in ensuing session of Parliament," an official release said. After the amendment of sub-section (v) of section 2 of the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005, a trust or any entity notified by the central government will be eligible to be considered for grant of permission to set up a unit in SEZs, it added. The amendment also seeks to provide flexibility to the central government to include 'trusts' in the definition of a 'person', in a bid to ...
Namibia player Viljoen suspended for four matches
Namibia player Christoffel Viljoen was on Wednesday suspended for four matches after accepting that he was in breach of the ICCs Anti-Racism Code following two incidents that took place during a T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier match last month.
Cabinet approves bill against triple talaq
The government will bring a bill in the Parliament against triple talaq to make it an offence punishable with imprisonment of up to three years and fine.
Aadhaar Amendment Bill gets Cabinet approval, to be introduced in upcoming Parliament session
The Cabinet Wednesday cleared a Bill to allow voluntary use of Aadhaar as identity proof for opening bank accounts and procuring mobile phone connections. The Aadhaar Amendment Bill 2019 will be introduced in the ensuing session of Parliament, according to an official release. The Bill - which replaces the Aadhaar ordinance - seeks to give the effect to the changes in the Aadhaar Act such as giving a child an option to exit from the biometric ID programme on attaining 18 years of age. "The decision would enable UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) to have a more robust mechanism to serve the public interest and restrain the misuse of Aadhaar...Subsequent to this amendment, no individual shall be compelled to provide proof of possession of Aadhaar number or undergo authentication for the purpose of establishing his identity unless it is so provided by a law made by Parliament," the release added. The amendment provides for stiff penalties for violation of norms set for the .
ICC suspends Namibia cricketer for four matches
Namibia all-rounder Christoffel Viljoen has been suspended for four matches for making inappropriate comments during an ICC T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier match. Viljoen made the comments during the match against Uganda in Kampala on May 21 that were considered to be in Breach of the ICC's Anti-Racism Code, which resulted in him being charged with offences under 2.1.1. of the Code. The 31-year-old accepted the misconduct and has been handed four Suspension Points for each offence, which will run concurrently and result in him missing Namibia's next four matches. As per Article 7.3 of the Anti-Racism Code, Viljoen will also have to undergo an education programme to promote a better understanding and awareness of issues directly relevant to the offence that he has committed. The ICC will work with the Cricket Namibia to determine when and how this should take place.
CAIT asks govt not to ban e-cigarettes
Traders' body CAIT Wednesday asked the government not to ban e-cigarettes saying that a research report has shown these are less harmful than regular cigarettes. The CAIT in a letter to Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said the government should come out with appropriate regulations for sale and manufacture of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) or e-cigarettes instead of banning them. The health ministry has reportedly proposed to classify alternative smoking devices, including e-cigarettes, as "drugs" under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act in a bid to ban their manufacture, sale, distribution and import. According to official sources, the proposal has been approved by the Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), the government's top advisory body on technical matters related to medicines in the country. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) in its letter contended that prohibition on ENDS products would increase illicit trade, encourage counterfeit and spurious products and ...
Nothing new in Centre's minority outreach scheme: Maha Cong
The Congress in Maharashtra said Wednesday the Centre's minority outreach programme was an attempt by the BJP to wear the "mask of inclusiveness" and sought to know why Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has not yet reacted to the move. Addressing a press conference here, state Congress spokesman Sachin Sawant said previous governments, too, had taken several important decisions regarding welfare and upliftment of minorities and there was nothing new in the Modi government's initiative. Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had said Tuesday the Centre will provide several scholarships such as pre-matric, post-matric and merit-cum-means to 5 crore students from minority communities in the next five years. The outreach programme also includes modernisation of madrasas (Islamic schools). "The new decision is nothing but repackaging of the old schemes," Sawant added. He claimed Fadnavis had opposed the erstwhile Congress -NCP government's decision to modernise madrasas
Policemen attacked; workers of BJP, TMC clash in Birbhum
A police team was attacked allegedly by BJP workers on Wednesday when it was trying to lift a road blockade at a village in Birbhum district, a police officer said. The BJP workers put up the road blockade near a bus stand in Bandar village under Nanoor police station to protest against the arrest of two saffron party supporters following a skirmish in the area on Tuesday night. Eyewitnesses said when the police lathicharged to disperse the agitators, they too attacked the police team and four police personnel, including Officer-in-charge of Nanoor police station Manoj Singh, were injured. District Superintendent of Police Shyam Singh, however, said, "No policemen suffered injuries in the attack. So far five persons have been arrested." After the blockade was lifted, a clash broke out between the workers of the BJP and the Trinamool Congress. The two parties traded barbs over the clash. BJP district general secretary Kalosona Mondal said, "Our workers were peacefully ...
Nepali journalists firm on demanding scrapping of controversial media bill
Nepali journalists will intensify their agitation against a controversial bill targeting the media and demand its immediate withdrawal, a media organisation has announced. According to the fresh protest programme unveiled on Tuesday by the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), the media professionals will take part in whistle and lantern marches, organise a cartoon exhibition and collect signatures from prominent personalities from all walks of life against the Media Council Bill. The bill which aims at imposing a hefty fine of up to Rs 1 million on media outlets found guilty of damaging anyone's reputation has raised an alarm among journalists who say the government seeks to punish the press in the name of regulation. "It is clear that the Media Council Bill is aimed at controlling the media instead of regulating it. FNJ has decided to continue its stringent protest until the bill is withdrawn from Parliament," FNJ General Secretary Ramesh Bista said. He said that signatures of ...
Probe launched into 65 Rohingyas found on Thai island
Thai authorities have launched an investigation into how 65 Rohingya Muslims got stranded on an island in the Andaman Sea in the south of the country, officials said on Wednesday.
Vardhan for innovative ways to achieve target of zero diarrhoea deaths among children by 2022
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan Wednesday stressed on re-strategising and devising innovative interventions to achieve the target of zero diarrhoea deaths among children by 2022. Reviewing the status of reproductive, maternal, newborn, children, adolescent and nutrition (RMNCAH+N) interventions in the country, Vardhan said, "No child should ever die from diarrhoea. The government will make immediate and sustained efforts to prevent this by 2022." The minister suggested a convergence approach wherein all the resources merge for accelerated outcome supported by an aggressive awareness campaign to fulfil the prime minister's vision of a "New India" where children and pregnant women do not die of preventable diseases. "We have to work together for bringing all our energies in sync to realise this dream. Women are strong pillars of society and sustained development of the country can be achieved only if we take holistic care of our women and children," he said. "Through our policies ...
Govt to provide 100% funding to develop schools, hospitals on waqf properties: Naqvi
All waqf properties across India will be geo-tagged and digitised and the government will provide 100 per cent funding to develop educational institutions and hospitals on such properties for the welfare of society, Union minster Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Wednesday. Naqvi, while chairing the 80th meeting of the Central Waqf Council here, said there are around 5.77 lakh registered waqf properties across the country and their geo-tagging and digitalisation will ensure transparency and safety of records. The Centre has decided to start a programme on a war footing to utilise waqf properties across the country for educational empowerment and employment-oriented skill development of the needy, especially economically backward girls in those areas which were deprived of these facilities since Independence, the minority affairs minister said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has decided to provide 100 per cent funding to develop schools, colleges, ITIs, polytechnics, hospitals, ...
65 Rohingyas found stranded in southern Thailand
Around 65 ethnic Rohingya Muslim refugees were found stranded in southern Thailand, Thai officials said on Wednesday.An official told Dawn that the refugees, including 28 men, 31 women and five children, were stranded on Rawi Island in Tarutao National Park in Thailand's southern Satun province after their boat suffered engine trouble.Kanjanapan Kamhaeng, the chief of Tarutao National Marine Park, was also quoted as saying that the boat was found smashed onto a rocky shore. A preliminary check showed that the boat was carrying 65 Rohingya and several Thai and Myanmar citizens, he added.He also stated that the Thai navy took the group away to be processed by immigration officials.Meanwhile, Navy officer Commander Thanapong Sudrak told Dawn that Thai authorities are investigating whether the incident involved any case of human trafficking.Rohingyas, who belong to the Rakhine state in Myanmar, have been facing extreme persecution by authorities and majority Buddhists. It has further ...
