We are living in the 21st century, an era where men and women are now given equal rights and liberties in the world. However, even after so much effort by social reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy in the early 19th century, India is still orthodox when it comes to giving equal rights to women as against men.

No education for girls: If the female literacy rate is low in a country then the growth of the country is sluggish because when a woman is not educated, it impacts every member of the family. Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar have the lowest female literacy rate. According to 2011 census, Arunachal Pradesh (66.95 per cent) is placed second-lowest in literacy in the country, just above Bihar, which recorded the least literacy of 63.82 per cent.

Domestic violence: Violence against women is highly prevalent in India; almost 70 per cent of women are victims of domestic violence. According to National Family Health Survey, one in three married adolescent girls has experienced physical violence from their husbands. The survey of more than 83,000 women aged 15-49 showed that 34% had suffered physical violence—ranging from slapping, punching and twisting of the arm to severe assaults such as burning, choking or attacks with weapons. Besides this, nearly 15% have experienced emotional and 9% sexual violence. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) says a total of 244,270 incidents of crimes against women were reported in the country in 2012, compared with 228,650 in 2011, an increase of 6.4%.

Female infanticide: The deliberate killing of a new born female child is called female infanticide. The patriarchal nature of our society has caused this evil to continue since centuries. According to a report published in India Today, nearly 2500 cases of female foeticide or female infanticide take place in the state of Rajasthan every day. It is a horrific state for women to live, veil is still a tradition for women there and female infants are buried in graves. Midwives say girls are being disposed of ruthlessly.

Even the doctors are also involved in this horrendous crime. Women and the Right to Life and to be Born According to be centre port by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) up to 50 million girls and women are missing from India’s population as a result of systematic gender discrimination in India.

In most countries in the world, there are approximately 105 female births for every 100 males. In India, there are less than 93 women for every 100 men in the population. The accepted reason for such a disparity is the practice of female infanticide in India, prompted by the existence of a dowry system which requires them to pay out a great deal of money when a female child is married.

 For a poor family, the birth of a girl child can signal the beginning of financial ruin and extreme hardship However this anti-female bias is by no means limited to poor families. Much of the discrimination is to do with cultural beliefs and social norms. These norms themselves must be challenged if this practice is to stop. Prostitution is the exchange of sexual services for money.

While in some countries like Germany, prostitution is legal; in India owning a brothel is a crime. Child prostitution is a major problem in India involving around 1.2 million children. In Rajasthan, the Bedia trials’’ stance for girls is different from the rest of India because girls are a lifeline for the community as there is this century’s old tradition of forcing daughters into prostitution when they attain adulthood.

The small village houses approximately 59 families in which girls who have attained puberty, are forced into sex trade. The tradition roots back to the time of Zamindari system, when Bedias were dancers in the courts. They used to perform for feudal landlords. Dowry The most deep rooted evil of the society, girls are murdered due to their families not being able to give dowry to the bridegroom’s family. Evil practices like the demand and acceptance of dowry is widespread in Rajasthan state.

The practice of payment of dowry is more rampant within the middleclass society. Even highly educated women from prestigious institutions are married off to strangers against their will. Odisha tops the chart in dowry deaths, with latest statistics issued by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shows that Odisha reported as many as 1,487 cases under Dowry Prevention Act accounting for 16.5 per cent of the total cases recorded in the country during 2012.

In India women have a prominent place in society. They are treated with respect and considered as equal partners of men. Most women are talented and they make the best use of their talents. There are poets, scholars and even warriors among women. Even during the time of Ramayana and Mahabharata there were women of wisdom, bravery and virtue.

But in the medieval period women were considered to be slaves of men and were deprived of respect and honour. They were expected to live within the four walls of the house, doing household chores and looking after their children. Education and other opportunities were just not meant for them.

Today the Scene has changed. The status and condition of women has improved. However, it cannot be emphatically said that women are at par with men in all spheres of life. Since ours is a male dominated society, women are forced to be dependent on men. Women work both inside and outside the house. They might augment the income of the family: but in most cases, their purse strings are controlled by their husbands. All major descision in the family are taken by the man without consulting the woman.

This situation should and must change. Women can play a part in bringing gender equality In our society. Woman can play role in gender sensitization, as a mother, as a wife, as a sister, as a daughter or as a teacher.

At home, as a mother she should give equal opportunity while bringing up the girl child and boy child. A girl child should be given those errands that are said to be the boy’s job. Errands such as going to shop, buying household items and dealing with money should also be given to girls. There should be nothing like ‘a boy’s job or girl’s job’. Just as girl learn to deal with matters relating to money, I boys should also be taught to cook, clean etc. This will be helpful to mothers and will help them [boys and girls] in the future.

Man and woman at the two wheels of steel carriage. The life of one Is not complete without the other. Neither man nor woman can be true to what they are if either of them leads an isolated life. Man and woman contribute equally to each other’s development.

India is celebrating seventy years of Independence, but still the female of our country are not independent and not living truly free. Women are live under realm of darkness and fear. It is indeed a cloudy reality of India.

What is Marital Rape? Marital Rape is defined as unwanted sexual intercourse between by a man and his wife (one’s spouse without the spouse’s consent). The lack of consent is the essential element and it is obtained force, threat of force, or physical violence, or when she is unable to give consent. Marital rape could be by the use of force only, a battering rape or a sadistic rape. It is a non-consensual act of violent perversion by a spouse against his spouses where she is physically and sexually abused. It is also known as spousal rape.

LAWS : It is an important case to be a concern, while on the one side our country is celebrating some glorious decisions in the legal arena from the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India like landmark judgments in the matter of ‘Adhaar Card Case’ , ‘Triple Talaq’ and ‘Ayodhya disputes’ creating new cornerstones for the judiciary; while on the other side to the general disappointment, the Central Government has given its view against criminalizing marital rape, saying doing so would ‘destabilize the institution of marriage’.

Approximations have quoted that every 7-8 hours; a young married woman is burnt or beaten to death, or driven to suicide from emotional abuse by her husband. The UN Population Fund states that more than 2/3rds of married women in India, aged between 16 to 48 have been beaten, raped or forced to provide sex. In 2005, 6789 cases were recorded of women murdered by their husbands or their husbands’ families. However, indeed the increasing number of cases of spousal rape in our country, spousal rape is not defined in any statue/ laws.

It is to be noted that while ‘Rape'” is defined under section 375 of the Indian Penal Code, there is no definition of ‘Marital Rape’ till now and there is no reorganization of marital rape under the ambit of Indian Law. It is disheartening that such a sensitive issue like marital rape is being dismissed by the highest courts of India by giving the view that “You are espousing a personal cause and not a public cause…This is an individual case.” In the running days, a survey indicates that between 12 and 16% of married women are raped by their husbands and the incidents of marital rape soars to 1/3rd to ½ among clinical samples of battered women.

Sexual assault by one’s spouse accounts for approximately 28% of rapes committed. Women who became prime targets for marital rape are those who attempt to flee. Criminal charges of sexual assault may be activating by other acts. Marital rape is not an offence in India. Despite amendments, law commissions and new legislations, one of the most humiliating and acts is tiring not an offence in India.

Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code defines “Rape” A man is said to commit “rape” if he is against her will and the situations falling under any of the following seven illustrations: First— He should be against her will. Second — the man should be without her consent. Third — the man with her consent, when her consent has been obtained by putting her or any person in whom she is interested, in fear of death or of hurt. Fourth — the man with her consent, when the man knows that he is not her husband and that her consent is given because she believes that he is another man to whom she is or believes herself to be lawfully married. Fifth — It should be in her consent when, at the time of giving such consent, by reason of unsoundness of mind or intoxication or the administration by him personally or through another of any stupefying or unwholesome substance, she is unable to understand the nature and consequences of that to which she gives consent. Sixth — it can be with or without her consent, when she is under the age of adult. Seventh — when she is unable to communicate consent.

Violation of Article 14 of the Indian Constitution Article 14 of the Indian Constitution defines that India provides for equality before the law or equal protection of the laws within the territory of India. “The State cannot not deny with any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the boundary of our country.”

Therefore, the Constitution gives assurance of equality to all, Indian criminal law disfavour against female victims who have been raped by their own spouse. At the time the Indian Penal Code was drafted in the 1860s, a married woman was not considered an independent legal entity. Rather, the woman was considered to be the chattel of her spouse. As an output, she did not constitute many of the rights now guaranteed to her as an independent legal entity, including the right to file a complaint against another under her own identity.

Violation of Article 21 Marital Rape is also a violation of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. Article 21 defines that “Protection of life and personal liberty No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.

The Article forbids the deprivation of the above rights except according to a procedure established by law” The Supreme Court has interpreted this clause in various judgments to extend beyond the purely literal guarantee to life and liberty. Instead, it has held that the rights enshrined in Article 21 include the rights to health, privacy, dignity, safe living conditions, and safe environment, among others. The above conclusions clearly reflect that Section 375 of the IPC is an infringement of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. It is time that Indian jurisprudence understands the inhumane nature of this provision of law and strikes it down.

Conclusion

Marital rape is not fully criminalized in our country. It certainly is an authentic type of wrongdoing against ladies and deserving of government’s consideration. Women who are raped by their husband are more inclined to various attacks and frequently endure long haul physical and enthusiastic issues. In this specific circumstance, marital rape is significantly more horrendous for a lady since she needs to remain with her aggressor ordinary.

As the results of marital rape are truly high, there is obviously a dire requirement for criminalization of the offense of marital rape. Positive legitimate change for ladies by and large is going on in India, yet additionally steps are fundamental so that both lawful and social change happens, which would finish in criminalizing marital rape and changing the attitude about ladies in marriage.

There are many loopholes in Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, as the Act does not straightforwardly talk against marital rape. On the brighter side sanctioning of a particular enactment against abusive behaviour at home has opened the entryway for an enactment criminalizing marital rape.

Introduction:

It is a broad concept, which includes not only the sale of consumers products on the internet and the supply on online services, but also data flows that enable global value chains, services that enable smart manufacturing and myriad other platforms and applications.

Digital Trade:

Digital trade refers to the trade of goods and services using the internet including the transmission of information and data across borders.

It also involves digitally enabled but physically delivered trade in goals and services.

Example: Purchasing medicines through an online marketing, or booking a stay in a hotel. Impact of digitalisation on trade.

The new technologies and business models are changing how services are produced and supplied, blurring already grey distinctions between goods and services and modes of delivery and introducing new combinations of goods and services.

Digitalisation causes improve in scale, scope and as well as speed of trade. Smaller firms have to deal with so much of difficulties in accordance with the sale, purchase margin and benefit. Digitalisation enables firms to use new and innovative digital tools to overcome barriers to growth, helping facilitate payments, enabling collaboration, avoiding investments in fixed assets through the use of cloud-based services, and using alternative funding mechanisms such as crowd funding. The sale of goods is not only internally within the country but also across the borders.

Rapid technological developments also facilitate the rise of services in international cross-border trade. Information and communication technology services have formed the backbone of digital trade, providing the necessary network infrastructure and underpinning the digitisation of other type of services.

Why trade war matters to India:

India is not the epicentre of the trade war but nonetheless we do see some impact. It’s less vulnerable but not immune to what’s happening globally.

For instance, if you are to look at US and China share is relatively small as compared to its East Asian Partners. But on the other hand, though India makes about 2 per cent of globally trade still it tracks the global trends quite closely.

Besides China and its other trading partners US has also undertaken Substantive action against India.

•US withdrew India from the GSP mechanism (measured impact) and raised tariffs on steel/aluminium, amongst others.

•India retaliated with counter-tariffs on 16 products (e.g. apples and almonds); US-India in WTO dispute and been negotiating India on the outcome.

•Seeking to reduce India’s sizeable services surplus and tighten labour mobility, particularly on software and off sharing business.

•Besides the impact the trade war is having on the goods, we also see pass-through to the financial markets particularly on the moments of the CNY and it is beginning to matter a lot not only to the regional currencies but also India. To establish the linkage between the INR and the CNY, it has been studied as per to 2015, 2016 the influence of the CNY on INR was relatively small or negligible. But as the years have gone by in the past 3 to 4 years that linkage has grown more strongly.

Trade diversion opportunities:

•Trade diversion from China for goods count for the US.

•FPI and FDI diversion.

•Refocus on export potential by investing in infrastructure, human capital and tax incentives, both for manufactured goods and agricultural products.

•India’s possible inclusion into the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (and by extension, the regional supply chain).

•Geostrategic opportunity in deepen relationship with the US (on immigration, education, and security, in particular).

To substantially benefit from this situation of digital trade war, India requires a strategic approach to convert this opportunity into a major gain.

India needs to focus on becoming a new powerhouse as a global hub for exports, with a major positive impact on competitiveness and job creation.

China’s merchandise exports are almost the same as India’s GDP. EVEN a 10% shift from Chinese export to Indian export would imply over 75% increase in India exports.

For this, India needs to develop strategy and vision for itself and the world to make this reality. Its recent tepid export performance suggests that investment from large global companies is the transformative path for India, provided certain key points kept in mind.

Facts to be considered before the digital trademark:

Negative impact of trade war:

1. India is only one among the alternative countries being considered by major international companies as an investment destination.

E.g. Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Thailand, Vietnam all has relatively easier access to large markets.

• India as the largest domestic market, but the focus of most large firms with major international brands and global presence is on exports and maintaining their global value chains.

• India aspirations to double its export and create job depend on its success to link up effectively with GVCS. As the seventh largest global economy and twentieth largest good exporter, India is not yet a significant presence in GVCS.

• To establish domestic capacity for export hubs and GVCS, strong presence ‘lead firms’ that manage the GVCS become essential.

• To compete with other nation to attract major investment away from china, India needs to emphasise and improve implementations of support policies, with a new flagship programme. It is noteworthy that even china, in these difficult times, is increasing its incentives and project support to attract additional investment.

Even with a trade war, U.S investment in china during January 2019 reportedly doubled, foreign capital china’s hi-tech industry increasing by 41%.

Positive impact of the trade war:

1. The trade war will make India self-dependent.

• At first, the export of many items from India was not possible, but now after tariff hike, India has the edge.

• Though India has been competitive in many products, but there has been lack of production unit. This is an opportunity to expand the production to meet the global requirement, it bee helpful in boosting up India’s infrastructure.

• India has 6-35% concession on duty under Asia Pacific Agreement making Indian exports more desirable.

Conclusion:

Considering the positive and negative impact of the digital trade war, it is not a totally win-win situation for India. But it alternatively gives an opportunity to seize the growing market.

About Binge Drinking:

               Alcohol is part of our society. People consume it to celebrate, socialize, relax, and enhance the enjoyment of meals. Binge Drinking is the practice of consuming large quantities of alcohol in a single session, usually defined as five or more drinks at one time for a man, or four or more drinks at one time for a woman. Nearly 90% of adults in the United States report that they drank alcohol at some point  in their lifetime.

When you think of binge drinking, young adults, particularly college students, may spring to mind. But older people, in particular adults 65 or older, binge drink as well. A person who drinks excessively in their youth is also at high risk of continuing the behaviour into adulthood and developing an alcohol use disorder.

Why do People Binge Drink ?

Sometimes it’s because of social pressure, or because they want to feel less anxious or awkward in a social setting. Young people may feel pressured to binge drinking at seasonal events, such as prom or a sporting event. But people also binge drink alone, because they want to hide the behavior from loved ones.

 Why do Teens Binge Drink ?

Liquor stores, bars, and alcoholic beverage companies make drinking seem attractive and fun. It’s easy for a high school student to get caught up in a social scene with lots of peer pressure. Inevitably, one of the biggest areas of peer pressure is drinking. Other reasons : 1. They’re curious – they want to know what it’s like to drink alcohol. 2. They believe that it will make them feel good, not realizing it could just as easily make them sick and hung-over. 3. They make look at alcohol as a way to reduce stress, even though it can end up creating more stress. 4. They want to feel older.

Binge Drinking in India :

Alcohol is banned in some parts of India such as Manipur and Gujarat, but it is legally consumed in the majority of states. There are believed to be 62.5 million people in India who at least occasionally drink alcohol. Unlike many western countries the consumption of alcohol in India is witnessing a dramatic rise- for instance, between 1970 and 1995 there was a 106.7% increase in the per captia (this means per individual in the population) consumption.

International brewers and distillers of alcoholic beverages are keen to become popular in India, because it is potentially offers the third largest market for their product globally. India has also become one of the largest producers of alcohol-it produces 65% of alcoholic beverages in South-East Asia. Most urban areas have witnessed an explosion in the number of bars and nightclubs that have opened in recent years.An average Indian drinks 5.7 litres of alcohol a year and states earn over Rs.2 trillion.

In fact the most dangerous pattern of drinking is binge drinking where the individual consumes an excessive amount in a short period of time. The individual might only drink once or twice a week but they can still suffer from negative consequences such as:

• If the person’s blood alcohol concentration rises too fast it can lead to alcohol poisoning. This state of inebriation can be potentially fatal.

• Binge drinkers can cause damage to almost every organ in their body- it can also lead to fatty liver which is the first stage in alcoholic liver disease.

 • This pattern of drinking puts the individual at risk of developing alcoholism. Once the individual reaches this stage it can mean that alcohol completely takes over their life.

 • It can lead to blackouts- this is where people have no memory of their actions for a period of time.

 • Some people react badly to intoxication. They can become aggressive and do things they later regret.

• Hangovers can mean that the individual is unable to fulfill their responsibilities the next day after binge drinking.

 • It can trigger symptoms of depression.

Drinking Culture In India :

India is a vast sub-continent and the drinking habits vary greatly between the different states. It is therefore impossible to describe a single drinking culture for the whole of India. Those who live in the south western state of Kerala are the heaviest drinkers. Other areas of the continent where people tend to drink relatively heavily include Haryana and Punjab.

 In some parts of India there is hardly any drinking culture to speak of- in some of these places alcohol is banned completely. In recent years there has been a noticeable rise in the number of urban males who claim to use alcohol as a means to relax. It still tends to be the poor and those who live in rural areas that are the highest consumers of alcohol. It is believed that as little as little as 5% of alcohol consumers are female- although this figure is higher in some states.

Drinking Statistics for India :

Indians prefer hard liquors and distilled spirits over beers- 80% of consumption involves these stronger beverages. It is suggested that 20% of the population has at least tried alcohol. In the past two decades the number of people who have consumed alcohol has moved from 1 in 300 to 1 in 20. The Lancet reported that more than half of those who consume alcohol in India would fall into the category of hazardous drinking. Another concern is the increasing tendency to engage in binge drinking where people deliberately become intoxicated.

Alcohol Abuse in India :

India once had a reputation as having a culture that promoted abstinence towards drugs like alcohol. Things have changed and there is now serious problems arising due to alcohol abuse- some would say that there were always problems associated with alcohol use in India but in the past it was less reported.

The implications for this rise in alcohol related problems include:

 • An increasing number of people are becoming

 • Domestic and sexual abuse is often associated with alcohol abuse.

 • This type of behavior can be damaging to communities.

• Those individuals who engage in this type of behavior can begin to fail in their ability to meet family, social, and work commitments.

 • Families can suffer financially as a result of this type of substance abuse.

• Business and the economy suffer because of lost productivity with people coming to work still suffering from the effects of alcohol.

 • Drink driving is responsible for many road deaths.

Underage Drinking in India :

Underage drinking is becoming a problem in India. Different states will have different age limits for alcohol consumption- the age limit in those states where it is legal to drink range from 18 to 27 years old. It is common for people to begin drinking before the legal age limit.

The problems of underage drinking include:

• For those young people who are still in adolescence, it can interfere with their normal development if they consume alcohol. This type of behavior can particularly interfere with crucial mental development that occurs at this age.

 • Underage drinking is closely related to teen suicide.

 • It encourages sexual promiscuity.

 • Those people who drink at an early age are far more likely to develop alcoholism.

• It can mean that these young people perform badly at school or college. This means that their opportunities in the future will be limited.

• Even those who are young can develop alcoholism and all the physical and mental problems that come with this.

• There are many teenagers who use alcohol as a stepping stone to harder drugs.

Impact of Alcoholism on Society :

The real-world impact of alcohol abuse reaches far beyond the financial costs. When a loved one has a problem with alcohol, it can affect their marriage and their extended family. There’s also the larger impact on the community, schools, the workplace, the health care system and on society as a whole.

How Alcoholism Affects Society :

Approximately 14 million people in the United States meet the criteria for severe alcohol use disorders and alcohol is involved in more than 88,000 deaths per year. But it’s not necessarily people who have alcohol addiction having the biggest impact on these fingers. It’s estimated that more than 75 percent of the cost of excessive alcohol consumption in the U.S. is due to binge drinking, and most binge drinkers are not alcohol- dependent.

Healthcare Costs of Alcohol Abuse : Alcohol consumption is a risk factor in numerous chronic diseases and conditions, and alcohol plays a significant role in certain cancers, psychiatric conditions, and numerous cardiovascular and digestive diseases. Additionally, alcohol consumption can increase the risk of diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. An estimated $28 billion is spent each year on alcohol- related health care.

Alcohol- Related Aggression and Violence :

Along with unintentional injury, alcohol plays a significant role in intentional injuries as a result of aggression and violence, Alcohol has been linked to physical violence by a variety of research studies. On top of the healthcare cost of alcohol-related intentional violence in the United States, the estimated annual cost to the criminal justice system is another estimated $25billion.

Effects of Alcoholism on the Family :

The social impact of alcohol abuse is a separate issue from the financial costs involved, and that impact begins in the home, extends into the community, and often affects society as whole, much like the financial impact does. Research on the effects of alcohol abuse on families shows that alcohol abuse and addiction plays a role in intimate partner violence, causes families financial problems, impairs decision-making skills, and plays a role in child neglect and abuse.

As with the financial costs of alcohol abuse, studies have found occasional binge drinking can affect families also. One study revealed that “spousal violence is more likely not only when a partner is an infrequent drinker who occasionally drinks heavily.”

Effects of Alcohol Abuse on Children :

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is one of the most common direct consequences of parental alcohol use in the United States, caused by alcohol consumption by the mother during pregnancy. Children who grow up in a home with a loved one dealing with alcohol addiction may be affected as well; they are at significant to develop alcohol use disorders themselves. Growing up in a home where at least one parent has a severe alcohol use disorder can increase a child’s chances of developing psychological and emotional problems.

Short And Long-Term Effects of Binge Drinking :

Binge Drinking is a dangerous habit that can cause both short-term and long-term physical and emotional effects on a person. The more a person participates in binge drinking , the more severe these effects will be. Bing Drinking is an epidemic that has become increasingly popular in the United States , especially on college campuses. Struggling with alcohol abuse or addiction- which can often result in regular binge drinking – is difficult to cope with and overcome on one’s own. Luckily, Addiction Campuses offers a number of programs to help individuals get and stay sober and reclaim their lives and health.

Short-Term Effects of Binge Drinking :

Binge Drinking can have a number of dangerous and even deadly short-terms effects. This is true for both individuals who regularly participate in binge drinking and for those who binge drink only once or twice. In fact, an estimated half of all alcohol- related deaths are due to “acute” intoxication, or intoxication that happens in a short period of time.

A few of the many short-term effects of binge drinking include:

• acute inflammation of the liver, stomach, and pancreas • high blood pressure

 • irregular heartbeat

 • sudden death due to heart failure

 • dehydration

 • low levels of electrolytes like sodium and potassium

• inhibition of the gag reflex, which can result in infection and inflammation in the lungs

 • increased risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

 • dangerously low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) • blackouts

• increased risk of injury or death.

 Additionally, binge drinking can result in alcohol poisoning, which can be deadly if not treated properly and immediately.

 Depression of the gag reflex can also result if someone has passed out and chokes on his or her vomit. What’s more, binge drinking can also have effects that impact a person’s social and professional life as well. For example, a person who binge drinks may miss work or school due to a hangover or illness, which could eventually lead to poor performance and work- or school-related consequences.

Long-Term Effects of Binge Drinking :

In addition to short-terms effects, binge drinking can have significant long-term effects as well. The more a person participates in binge drinking, the more likely he or she is to experience long-term damage.

Long-Term Effects of Binge Drinking may include :

• suppressed immune system, which can make it difficult to recover from illness or injury

• anemia

• malnutrition as a result of the body’s inability to absorb vitamins and nutrients

• reduced fertility

• alcohol dependence and addiction

 • mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression

• increased risk of stroke

• osteoporosis as a result of inadequate absorption of calcium • chronic high blood pressure

 • alcohol-related liver disease

• nerve damage

• seizures

• increased risk of various types of cancer

Conclusion :

Alcohol is not an ordinary commodity. While it carries connotations of pleasure and sociability in the minds of many, harmful consequences of its use are diverse and widespread. From a global perspective, in order to reduce the harm caused by alcohol, policies need to take into account specific situations in different societies. Average volumes consumed and patterns of drinking are two dimensions of alcohol consumption that need to be considered in efforts to reduce the burden of alcohol-related problems. Avoiding the combination of drinking and driving is an example of measures that can reduce the health burden of alcohol. Worldwide, alcohol takes an enormous toll on lives and communities, especially in developing countries and its contribution to the overall burden of disease is expected to increase in the future. Particularly worrying trends are the increases in the average amount of alcohol consumed per person in countries such as China and India and the more harmful and risky drinking patterns among young people. It is up to both governments and concerned citizens to encourage debate and formulate effective public health policies that minimize the harm caused by alcohol.

. The term “media” is plural of medium, referring to communication channels through which we disseminate news, music, movies, education, promotional messages and other data. News, magazines, television, radio, billboards, telephone, the internet, and fax are ways through which communicate in society. Communication is the most important factor in our lives. Media takes up the role of fulfilling this factor and giving a platform to various individuals and organizations. Media is generally defined as means of mass communication, which includes broadcasting, publishing and the internet regarded collectively.

Media plays a vital role as in enables the citizens to be aware about what is happening in the country and other important factors they need to know. Media has created a platform for the common man to express his opinions and reach to the diplomats in higher positions which are usually not easily reachable. Today it has become one of the major instruments of social change. It is the duty of the media to report cautiously and fairly.

Media rights means with respect to each credit party and its subsidiaries, all licensing rights (as licensor and licensee), manufacturing rights, production rights, and distribution rights and all rights, title and interest of such persons in registered patents, trademarks, service marks, copy rights.

 Other media rights include: right to broadcast, transmit, display, film and photograph the competition as well as recordings thereof (or any part thereof) in any form in all media now known or hereafter and the right to exploit such rights by means whatsoever. Freedom of media is indeed an integral part of freedom of expression which is part of fundamental rights of the Constitution of India.

Media tends to bring transparency and sometimes it is not good for people’s reputation. Freedom of press is a fundamental right that government itself can not violate but still it’s the most violated right. There has been constant press freedom violation including abuses by political leaders, threats, from criminal groups, police violence or threats by corrupt local officials making journalism one of the most dangerous professions to practice in India.

There have been prominent journalists like Sauri Lankesh, Narendra who have paid the ultimate price for uncovering the truths and more than sixty-four journalists have been killed on duty. Uttar Pradesh holds the distinguished place with the highest number of journalists killed since year 2000 and the duty lies with the government to make effective laws and provisions for the protection of the media.

The risk factor in the profession of journalism is rapidly increasing the face of violence and intimidation for practicing their fundamental rights. The ranges of danger they are getting include kidnapping, murder, online harassment, cyber bullying, forced detention and torture and defamation among others. There is a need for effective laws for protection of media.

 The freedom under Article 19(1) (a) is not only cribbed, cabinet and confined to newspapers and periodicals but also includes pamphlets, leaflets, handbills, circulars and every sort of publication which affords a vehicle of information and opinion. Although the freedom of press is guaranteed as a fundamental right, it is necessary for us to deal with various laws governing the different areas of media so as to appreciate the vast of media laws.

The various Acts that have been taken into consideration when dealing with the regulations imposed upon the print media are: The Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, the Act regulates printing presses and newspapers and makes registration with an appointed authority compulsory for all printing.

The enactment provides against the printing and publication of incitement to crime and other objectionable matters. More over the protection of rights of media are internationally recognized. Evidently, the existence of the International Declaration on the protection of journalists. The International Declaration on the protection of journalists is based on thorough research and analysis of existing international mechanisms in the area of journalists and media organizations to ensure maximum safety.

Freedom of Press and the Freedom of Expression can be regarded as the very basis of a democratic form of government. Every business enterprise is involved in the laws of the nation, state and community in which it operates. Newspaper publishers find themselves more hemmed in by legal restrictions than any other businesses do regardless of the fact that freedom of press is protected by the India Constitution.

The Constitution of India confers the fundamental right of freedom of the press. Article 105(2) provides certain restrictions on the publications of the proceedings in parliament.  The Supreme Court held that, the publication by a newspaper of certain parts of the speech of members in the House, which were ordered to be expunged by the speaker constituted a breach of privilege.

What are the challenges faced by the Media in practicing their duty? Authoritarian rule in many developing countries, democracy is formally established by political elites and authoritarian rulers control power beyond the influence of the majority of people. So instead of more democracy there is less, instead of more participation there is more exclusion, instead of the rule of law, there is insecurity, impunity and lack of accountability.

The media is given freedom of speech and press however the limitations given by the country suppress them and hinders them from exercising their rights to the fullest. The limitations imposed also make the work with fear for being found on the wrong side of the law.

Media organizations are not welcomed because they will always question authoritarian rule. Media rights are under pressure Media suffer from obstruction of freedom of press, freedom of expression and to access information. Media regulations become tougher and journalists who are not in line with mainstream elites become more and more endangered and face possible censorship and intimidation the worst being arbitrary arrest and torture.

Because of the above mentioned challenges faced by the media it shows there is need for protection of reporters, editors and journalists. This need of crafting laws for protection of media becomes an important task for media support organizations and the close monitoring of the development of media freedom becomes more relevant.

CONCLUSION

Media plays an important role in our lives as it enables us to communicate at different level. In a national level the journalists, editors and other are the people who are in control of media. However they face so many challenges, with some even life threatening. Hence there is need for laws protecting the rights of the media. In most if not all the countries freedom of press and speech is guaranteed however political elites limit the media from exercising their rights fully.

In the last six years, the Government has taken many important decisions on Defence.

Ending a four decade long wait of veterans, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government announced the ‘One Rank One Pension’ scheme for ex-servicemen. Government’s guideline that women should be considered for command roles and that all women officers are entitled to permanent commission is a major boost to empower women.

In a major boost to the armed forces, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) yesterday approved the procurement of defence equipment for an approximate cost of  over 8 thousand 7 hundred 22 crore rupees , including 106 basic trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The step will strengthen the armed forces by relying on indigenous capability to take forward the initiative on Atma Nirbhar Bharat.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s recent  announcement of a negative import list of 101 defence items as a major step towards self-reliant India is in line with this thinking of making the country self-reliant in defence production.

Speaking to AIR News, Director of Society for Policy Studies, Commodore Uday Bhaskar said, the recent announcement by the Ministry of Defence regarding the new policy about enforcing an embargo on 101 inventory is a significant policy decision.

Government is giving emphasis on positioning India among the top countries of the world in Defence and Aerospace sectors, from design to production, with the active participation of the public and private sector fulfilling the twin objectives of self-reliance and exports. 

Israel has given state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence-based technologies and high-end equipment to AIIMS, Delhi as part of Israel-India cooperation to fight the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Israeli Ambassador to India Dr Ron Malka formally handed over the high-end equipment and technology solutions to Director of AIIMS, Dr Randeep Guleria in the presence of Chief Guest Sanjay Bhattacharya, Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs yesterday.

It also includes a 12-hour disinfection product called CPD that stays active to protect the surface against new attacks of contamination, a non-invasive remote patient monitoring system which aids as a preliminary screening tool of respiratory indicators of suspected COVID-19 patients and recovering patients and AI-based software for Ultrasound use and designed especially for fighting COVID-19.

Dr Guleria said India-Israel relations are strong. Earlier, India helped Israel with medicines and safety gear. Now Israel has sent equipment including robotic teleconsultation and telemonitoring equipment.

Lok Sabha has started a beginner-level course in French for the officials and staff of the Lok Sabha Secretariat at the Parliament House. As many as 57 officials registered for the course.

Inaugurating the course, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said, knowledge of language is extremely relevant in today’s interconnected world and is a necessary skill for success in different fields. Observing that language brings people together and helps improve their efficiency and skill, he said the languages enrich us and bring people together.

Birla appreciated the initiative undertaken by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE). He said that PRIDE must remain committed learning and research. He added that in the near future, courses in German, Spanish, Russian and other important world languages would also be organised.

The festival of Janmashtami, which marks the birth of Lord Krishna, is being celebrated in different parts of the country today. At Mathura and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh, Janmashtami will be celebrated with all the rituals but the devotees will not be allowed entry to the temples due to CoronaVirus. However, arrangements have been made to live stream the puja for devotees.

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have greeted people on the occasion.

In a message, President said, Lord Shri Krishna inspires us to establish a society that is just, sensitive and compassionate. Mr Kovind said, Lord Krishna’s message of Karmayoga is a call to focus on our responsibilities rather than caring for rewards. This spirit has been evident in the working of all our corona warriors who act at the forefront of our fight against Corona, he said.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has greeted people on the occasion of Janmashtami.  In a tweet Mr Naidu said, the tales of the young Krishna’s mischiefs and his heroic acts have captivated our collective imagination since time immemorial.

He said,  the eternal message of performing our duties sincerely without attachment to results, elaborated by Lord Krishna in the Bhagwad Gita has been a source of inspiration for the entire humanity. He said, Janmashtami, which is usually celebrated across the country with great fervor and gaiety, would have to be celebrated in a modest manner this year due to Covid-19.

On this auspicious day, the Vice President called upon everyone to perform our duties faithfully and to seek the path of righteousness. He hoped that the festival would bring peace, harmony and prosperity to everyone.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said Best wishes on the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami.

Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has unearthed money-laundering worth over 1,000 crore rupees involving Chinese and Indian nationals. The Income Tax Department has conducted searches on premises of Chinese entities, their close confederates and a couple of bank employees.

CBDT said, based on the credible information that few Chinese individuals and their Indian associates were involved in money laundering and hawala transactions through a series of shell entities, a search action was mounted. Search action revealed that at the behest of Chinese individuals, more than 40 bank accounts were created in various dummy entities, entering into credits of more than one thousand crore rupees over the period.

A subsidiary of Chinese company and its related concerns have taken over 100 crore rupees bogus advances from shell entities for opening businesses of retail showrooms in India. Incriminating documents in respect of hawala transactions and laundering of money with active involvement of bank employees and Chartered accountants has been found as a result of search action. 

In a landmark judgment, Supreme Court has ruled that daughters will have inheritance rights equal to those of sons from properties of fathers and grandfathers right from the codification of the law in 1956.

A bench of Justices Arun Mishra, S Abdul Nazeer and MR Shah cleared the confusion arising from the apex court’s conflicting interpretations of the amended Section 6 of Hindu Succession Act, which came into force from September 9, 2005. The bench said whether the father is alive or not, daughters born before September 9, 2005, too can claim equal right in inheritance.

The apex court said, daughters cannot be deprived of their right to equality conferred by Section 6 of the Act. The apex court was answering a reference based on conflicting decisions given by past verdicts of the top court.

Although the amendment was applicable to Hindu daughters as coparceners who died after coming of the act, there was no clarity on whether it will have retrospective effect.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has launched ICAR’s data recovery centre – Krishi Megh. The move is aimed at protecting  the precious data of the government’s premier research body Indian Council of Agricultural Research. It has been set up at National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) in Hyderabad.

Currently, the main data centre of the ICAR is at the Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute (IASRI) in the national capital. Krishi Megh has been set up under the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP), funded by both the government and World Bank.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Tomar said NAARM, Hyderabad has been chosen as it lies in a different seismic zone with regard to the Data Centre at ICAR-IASRI in New Delhi. He said Hyderabad is also suitable as skilled IT manpower is available along with other suitable climatic conditions such as low humidity level which is controllable in the data center environment.

Mr Tomar said, the data recovery centre at NAARM is synchronised with the data centre at IASRI. He said it has been built to mitigate the risk, enhance the quality, availability and accessibility of e-governance, research, extension and education in the field of agriculture in India. Mr Tomar emphasised the need to save and preserve the important research-based data in a prompt digitised form to enable its access anywhere in any corner of the country and the world.

The Minister said Krishi Megh is a step forward towards digital agriculture of ‘New India’, as has been envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Tomar also said NAHEP was designed for strengthening the national agricultural education system in India with the overall objective to provide more relevant and high-quality education to the agricultural university students that is in tune with the New Education Policy 2020. He also launched the KVC ALUNET (Krishi Vishwavidyalaya Chhatr Alumni Network) and Online Accreditation System for Higher Agricultural Educational Institutions.

Ministers of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala and Kailash Choudhary, ICAR Director General Trilochan Mohapatra and ICAR Deputy Director General (Agricultural Education) R C Agrawal were among those present at the launch.