When asked about the Covid-19 epidemic, Donald Trump said that if Biden were in his place, there would have been more deaths in America. In response, Biden said that Trump had no plans to fight the epidemic. There are more than seven million cases of coronavirus infection in America and nearly two lakh people have died due to the disease so far. The two leaders targeted each other on issues ranging from masks to vaccines and physical distancing. When Biden accused Trump of not taking seriousness about wearing masks, Trump mocked Biden by saying, “Biden stays at 200 feet and still comes wearing a big mask.” Host Chris Wallace asked why he was crowding election rallies during the Trump epidemic. In response, Trump said, “Even if Biden could gather so much crowd, he would have done the same.” Biden said to Trump, “You inject bleach into your arm, maybe it will cure the corona.” In response, Trump said, “I said this in tanz and you know that.” Trump said that if Biden had been in his place, two million people would have died from Covid-19 in America. At the same time, Biden said that everyone knows that Trump is a liar. President Donald Trump appears to be trailing in a hasty poll conducted after the first presidential debate of the US presidential election. In a CBS News poll, 48 percent said Biden won the debate, while 41 percent said Donald Trump was ahead of the debate. In this survey, 8 out of 10 people who watched the debate said that the entire debate was negative. 69 percent of the people expressed their displeasure over the question of feeling good or bad after watching the presidential debate.
This reaction of the audience came at a time when the tension between the two leaders was evident during the debate. During the debate, both the leaders cut each other’s talk in the middle and started speaking. At one point, when Biden erupted, he said, “Will you shut up?”
‘Trump you worst president ever’ Biden said that what Trump has been saying here so far is all white lies. I have not come here to tell their lies. Everybody knows that Trump is a liar. ‘ Biden and Trump both targeted each other’s family. Biden fiercely attacked Trump during the debate about the corona virus. Biden said that he was the same person who was claiming that the Coronavirus would be destroyed by Easter. He said that a large number of people were killed by the coronavirus and if smart and fast steps were not taken, more people would die now. The Democrat leader told Trump that you were the worst president ever. Trump also retaliated on this charge. Trump told Biden that you did not want us to close our doors to China in view of Corona because you thought it was terrible. On the question of not wearing a mask, Trump said that I wear a mask when I feel the need. I don’t wear a mask like Biden. Whenever you see them, they stay in the mask. He will continue to speak from 200 meters away but will be wearing a mask. Trump said that if Biden had been president, at least two million people would have been killed in America.
We all know how nirbhaya was gang raped in Delhi, the culprits were recently hanged. And now within no time the nirbhaya culprits were hanged, there is a gang rape again in Delhi. Manisha valmiki, the victim, 19 years old girl died on 29 September 2020.
The incident took place on September 14. she was working in a field along with her mother and brother, plucking grass. Her brother returned home with a bundle of grass while she remained in the field with her mother.
The mother and daughter were at some distance in the field. The mother realised after some time that the victim was missing. She went looking for her and found her in an unconscious state.There were four to five people who attacked her from behind, gagged her with her dupatta and dragged her to a bajra field where they gangraped her. The family believes the attack was planned; the same men had beaten up members of the family earlier.
The victim was earlier admitted to the JN Medical College and Hospital in Aligarh. The doctors at the hospital had termed her condition “critical”.
The victim had her tongue cut and She had three of her neck bones broken indicating an attempt to make her silent by the attackers. The family has said that they requested the police to shift her to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi as her condition was extremely critical. But the police shifted her to the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, the family complained. The family said the victim had difficulty in breathing due to broken bones and needed oxygen from the beginning. But the police responded to her health condition after a delay of four-five days, the family has alleged. Victim’s brother said “They had raped her. The police did not help us initially… they did not take quick action. They acted only after four-five days,” he said, accusing the police of reacting only after public outrage.
The police initially registered an attempted murder case but added rape charges only after the woman’s formal statement.
Police have denied the charge, saying they were pro-active in responding to the incident of crime. They cite the arrest of accused, namely Sandip Ramu, Lavkush and Ravi for the crime as evidence of their swift action.
The 19-year-old died in the hospital on 29th September 2020. Her family blamed the police inaction and lack of support.
The Bhim Army supporters blocked roads in Uttar Pradesh for hours. A local political outfit, Azad Samaj Party, held a demonstration in Aligarh alleging dilly-dallying on part of the administration in making the arrests and shifting the victim to a better healthcare facility in New Delhi. CM Adityanath’s predecessor and the SP president Akhilesh Yadav said the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has become “insensitive” leaving no hope for the people. Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, the BSP chief, demanded that the case be heard by a fast track court. She also sought “all possible support” to the victim’s family.
Some hashtags in social media, some bundhs some RIP messages don’t do justice for the girl. The only way to make justice for the girl is hanging those culprits.
Today there might be no person who doesn’t know Sonu Sood. Sonu sood is a famous Indian actor. He is not only a reel hero but also a real hero, who started helping people reach their native places during pandemic, helping graduates get job who lost their job in pandemic. He arranged flights for some lakhs of Indians who are in foreign countries and couldn’t reach their homes due to lockdown. Starting from helping people reach their homes in pandemic, his heart started to provide scholarships for higher education pursuing students, in the name of “Prof. Saroj Scholarships”. His heart didn’t set boundaries for helping. Irrespective of the state, irrespective of the caste and religion, irrespective of how big the problem is, He expanded his efforts to help needy people.
There came some comments and lot of people claimed sonu sood that he is fraud and all these news of helping others are only for fame. For this, Sonu sood gave a strong reply. He said ” I have data base of 7,03,246 people, phone numbers, addresses and aadhar numbers of the people whom I helped.” We rarely find such real life heroes. One shouldn’t claim others who are helping others. We should just stay calm if we can’t help, let others help.
Besides helping migrants reach back to their homes, he has also been providing free education and medical facilities to young children and has been creating free employment opportunities to the needy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the lockdown, Sonu Sood even launched a toll-free helpline number so that he can help those who needed assistance during the coronavirus crisis. He also reached out to a couple of members of the film fraternity who asked for financial help on social media.
UNDP announced a special humanitarian award to Sonu sood for extending a helping hand and sending lakhs of migrants, stranded students across geographies abroad, back to their homes. This award shuts all the mouths of people who claimed sonu sood with false statements.
A statement by UNDP on the award given to Sonu Sood read: “The ‘Special Humanitarian Action Award’ given to Mr Sonu Sood was conferred on him by the Department of Planning of the Government of Punjab, with the support of the Sustainable Development Goals Coordination Centre. The awardees were selected based on the recommendation of an independent jury. UNDP was not involved in the selection nor in the conferring of the award to Mr Sonu Sood. We congratulate Mr Sood on receiving this award and appreciate his humanitarian efforts to help people in these challenging times.”
The award was presented to the actor at a virtual ceremony on Monday evening.The 47-year-old actor also offered his hotel in Mumbai for medical professionals to stay in and arranged safe shelters for several people in Mumbai before cyclone Nisarga hit Maharashtra coast in July.
Other celebrities who have been honoured with Humanitarian Award by different UN bodies are Priyanka Chopra, Leonardo DiCaprio, Angelina Jolie, David Beckham, Emma Watson, Liam Neeson, Cate Blanchett, Antonio Banderas and Nicole Kidman.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, and Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State (I/C) for Labour & Employment, jointly released Safe Workplace Guidelines for Industry & Establishment to combat Covid-19 in here today. Dr. V. K. Paul, Member, NITI Aayog, under whose constant guidance these guidelines have been prepared, also joined the release as Guest of Honour.
Shri Heera Lal Samariya, Secretary, Labour & Employment, Ms. Anuradha Prasad, Director General, ESIC, Smt. Aarti Ahuja, Additional Secretary, MoH&FW and Prof. (Dr.) Sunil Kumar, DGHS and ESI Corporation Members also graced the occasion. The Office bearers of Industry/Establishment Associations, Trade Unions and representatives of State Governments joined the release online across the country.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister lauded the importance of the guidelines and informed about the steps undertaken by Govt. of India in combating Covid-19 pandemic. He emphasized upon the need of maintaining the social distancing at workplaces and to follow the safety guidelines issued by MoH&FW time to time. He appreciated the efforts undertaken by ESIC in fighting Covid-19 and for providing quality Covid-19 care to general public in ESIC Hospitals across India. He urged industries and establishments to adhere to the safety guidelines issued and to make necessary modifications/changes at workplaces and process accordingly to maintain continuity in business activities with keeping workforce safe.
During his address, Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar hailed the recently passed three Labour Codes. He said that with passage of these bills now more workers will get the benefits of social security. He further said that these bills will also ensure the ease of doing business. He informed that ESIC has been working continuously since its inception to provide social security to its Insured Persons, who are low income workers and now its reach is going to increase many folds from its present approximately 12 Crore beneficiaries base with passage of Social Security Code, as the ESI Scheme will be implemented in the entire country as against the Notified Districts of the country, at present. Shri Gangwar informed that ESIC has taken number of measures to provide financial relief and health protection to Insured Workers as well general public during the covid pandemic. He intimated that the rate of unemployment relief payable under Atal Bimit Kalyna Yojna has been doubled from 25% to 50% of average wages with relaxation in qualifying criteria for job loss during 24.3.2020 to 31.12.2020. Earlier, ESIC has allowed employers to defer payment of contribution for the month of March & April to 15th of May 2020 without levy of any penalty.
Further ESIC is actively contributing in the treatment of Covid-19. A total of 23 ESIC Hospitals with around 3597 beds across India functioned as COVID-19 Dedicated Hospitals to exclusively provide COVID medical services to the general public of the area. Further, a total of 555 ICU/HDU Beds with 213 Ventilators have also been made available in these Hospitals. The Minister also informed about operationalization of Covid Hospital at ESIC Hospital, Bihta having facility of 500 beds and 125 ICU beds. ESIC Medical College & Hospitals at Faridabad (Haryana), Sanath Nagar, Hyderabad (Telangana), Gulbarga (Karnataka), K.K.Nagar (Chennai), Rajaji Nagar (Bangaluru) and ESIC PGIMSR, Basaidarapur (Delhi) have started ICMR approved in-house Covid-19 lab test service. Convalescent Plasma Therapy treatment is being provided at ESIC Medical College Faridabad (Haryana) and Sanath Nagar, Hyderabad (Telangana).
Dr. V.K Paul, Member, NITI Aayog informed that workplace guidelines for industrial workers are of great significance in curbing the spread of COVID-19 disease to industrial workforce of our country. This is playing a critical role in ensuring that production and economy of the country is not deterred by the pandemic. At the same time, the industrial workers and their families should remain safe and free of fear. These guidelines are very timely and should be disseminated and embraced widely.
About Safe workplace guidelines for Industry & Establishment to combat Covid-19;
The guidelines have been prepared as a comprehensive planning guidance for employers and workers to use it to help identify risk levels of Covid-19 at individual workplace settings in their premises and to determine appropriate control measures. These guidelines are in the form of a booklet which consolidates all important measures into a ready reckoner of action points to make the workplace safe Based on the bulwark of infection control measures like respiratory hygiene, frequent hand washing, social distancing and frequent sanitization of the workplace. It details the structural and administrative measures and HR policies that can be used to control the spread of Covid-19 at the workplace. Guidance for the assessment, categorization and mitigation of risk related to varied work related exposures to Covid-19 and contingency plan has also been provided in the guidelines. Isolation and management of sickness at the workplace has been dealt with in detail. Dos and don’ts for social behavior have also been listed for all the stakeholders in the safety guidelines.
Shri Gangwar urged the business community and workforce to follow the guidelines to stop the spread of Covid-19 pandemic and maintain the continuity of the business activities.
ESI Scheme in India;
The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation is a pioneer Social Security organization providing comprehensive social security benefits like reasonable Medical Care and a range of Cash Benefits in times of need such as employment injury, sickness, death etc. It is covering about 3.49 Crores of family units of workers and providing matchless cash benefits and reasonable medical care to its 13.56 crore beneficiaries. Today, its infrastructure has increased many folds with 1520 Dispensaries (including mobile dispensaries)/307 ISM Units and 159 ESI Hospitals, 793 Branch/Pay Offices and 64 Regional & Sub-Regional Offices. The ESI Scheme today stands implemented in 566 districts in 34 states and Union Territories of the country.
The Vice President, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu today emphasised the importance of a healthy body and healthy mind saying “we have to follow the concepts of “Dinacharya” – daily regimes and “Ritucharya” – seasonal regimes to maintain a healthy life.
Inaugurating through a video conference the 14th Edition of FICCI HEAL on the theme “Post COVID Healthcare World–The New Beginning”, the Vice President said the pandemic has taught us the overriding importance of staying healthy, both physically and mentally, the Vice President said and added that fitness coupled with balanced diet was essential to stave off illnesses.
Pointing out that sedentary lifestyle was one of the main culprits behind the growing incidence of non-communicable diseases in the country, he urged people to make any form of physical activity like spot jogging/running/brisk walking/ aerobics and stretching part of their daily routine to remain fit.
He also called upon the doctors and media to create awareness and educate people to stay healthy and fit.
Shri Naidu said Yoga and meditation should become part of daily timetable along with sports in schools and colleges once normalcy returns.
Referring to the event’s theme which talked of new beginning in post-COVID Healthcare World, the Vice President said the new beginning should also be about going back to old habits. “Our ancestors have prescribed us nutrition rich food. We should avoid fast-food and mindless eating”, he added.
Calling upon people to adapt to the culture of the new normal and take all the prescribed precautions seriously to fight COVID-19 pandemic, he said that it was highly critical for the people to act responsibly and support the multifarious efforts of the government and health professionals to break the transmission of the dreaded virus. “We simply cannot allow complacency to set in and lower our guard,” he added.
Maintaining that the nation can not remain in lockdown forever, he referred to the Prime Minister’s statement that life is important but livelihood is also equally important.
Expressing the hope that there would be good news on the vaccine front in the near future, Shri Naidu urged people to wear masks, maintain social distancing and frequently wash hands.
Condemning the instances of stigma and discrimination against frontline warriors and COVID-19 patients, the Vice President said such behaviour was unacceptable and must be nipped in the bud. “It is important that we do not discriminate against anyone who is COVID positive or anyone who has come in contact with a COVID patient. We have to promote empathetic attitude and positive messaging around COVID-19,” he added.
Speaking on the universal psychosocial impact caused by the pandemic, he said, “The psychosocial aspects of older people, their caregivers, psychiatric patients and marginalised communities need special attention.”
Stressing the need to collectively move ahead with renewed determination to defeat the virus, Shri Naidu said “Not only do we need to find ways to eliminate the virus, but we must also have to be prepared to meet post-COVID challenges and be well-equipped to face any future pandemics”.
Stating that in future people would invariably compare the life before, during and after the corona, he stressed the need to prepare the public to face any such challenge in future.
The Vice President called for making good quality healthcare accessible and affordable for all. He urged the private sector to come forward and expand its footprint through Public-Private Partnership and set up modern healthcare facilities in the rural areas, particularly in the remote and inaccessible places.
He said there was a need to capitalize on the core competence of each stakeholder in our country. “We must draw on the best from the world to strengthen our healthcare delivery system”, he added.
He urged the private sector to take full advantage of Atmanirbhar Abhiyan in order to give a fillip to the manufacturing of various medical devices, including hi-tech and advanced equipment.
The Vice President acknowledged the role of FICCI members in supporting the government in the fight against pandemic and for sharing best practices and solutions to combat it. He also expressed happiness on the development telemedicine platform ‘SWASTH’ for consulting doctors on COVID treatment.
The Vice President also released FICCI BCG report titled, “Leapfrogging to a Digital healthcare System: Reimagining Healthcare for every Indian”.
Dr Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI, Dr Alok Roy, Chairman, FICCI Health Services Committee, Dr Harsh Mahajan, Co-Chair, FICCI Health Services Committee and others were present.
Following is the full text of the speech –
“Dear sisters and brothers,
At the outset, let me compliment the FICCI for holding this timely event on the theme—‘Post Covid Healthcare– The New Beginning’.
Today, the world is in the grip of an unprecedented pandemic with the healthcare infrastructure stretched to its limits in most countries. At this juncture, the immediate concern of all governments and health authorities is to contain the spread of the contagious virus, save lives and support efforts for vaccine development. Let us hope that there will be good news on the vaccine front in the near future.
The pandemic has caused massive adverse impact on the healthcare systems and the economies of the nations. With the disease being highly contagious and no cure till now, social distancing, wearing masks, frequent washing of hands and lockdowns have become inevitable to prevent its spread. Undoubtedly, all sections of the society had to face significant hardship in view of the disruption to their normal routine.
But, we all need to collectively move ahead with renewed determination to defeat the virus. Not only do we need to find ways to eliminate the virus, but we also have to be prepared to meet post-Covid challenges and be well-equipped to face any future pandemics.
Dear sisters and Brothers
It is highly critical for the people to act responsibly and support the multifarious efforts of the government and health professionals to break the transmission of the dreaded virus. They must adapt to the culture of new normal and take all the prescribed precautions seriously.
From the initial lockdown to gradual easing of various restrictions, the government took several measures to prevent the spread of infection and mitigate the hardship caused to the people.The gradual and phased reopening is helping the individuals, communities and systems to cope with the pandemic and simultaneously help revive the economy.
However, we all must continue to be vigilant till normalcy returns. We simply cannot allow complacency to set in and lower our guard.
Steps were taken by the government to create additional health infrastructure, enhance human resource and indigenous production of critical medical consumables and devices such as PPEs, N-95 masks and ventilators. I am glad that DRDO and some of the private industries rose to the occasion in meeting the requirement.
For appropriate management of COVID-19 cases, Government of India has advised State governments to setup a three-tier arrangement of health facilities exclusively for COVID.
Dear sisters and brothers,
We have to bear in mind that COVID-19, unfortunately, has also caused universal psychosocial impact and led to depression and psychiatric conditions among some people. The psychosocial aspects of older people, their caregivers, psychiatric patients and marginalized communities need special attention.
There have been deplorable instances of stigma and discrimination against frontline warriors and COVID-19 patients. Such behaviour is totally unacceptable and must be nipped in the bud.
It is important that we do not discriminate against anyone who is COVID positive or anyone who has come in contact with a COVID patient. We have to promote empathetic attitude and positive messaging around COVID-19.
I would like to specially compliment healthcare workersacross the continuum- from practitioners, doctors under training, nurses to senior health experts and support staff- for their selfless service and devotion in combating the spread of the virus and saving lives.
I am happy to know that FICCI membershave not only been sharing best practices and solutions to combat the pandemic but have been supporting the government in a number of ways including augmenting healthcare facilities.
I would also like to acknowledge the role of many private hospitals for offering their facilities, manpower and equipment in the treatment of COVID and non-COVID patients at this crucial hour.
Dear sisters and brothers,
The current pandemic while creating new challenges has also created opportunities to transform our healthcare delivery system. These include newer care delivery models with greater focus on preventive and primary care, use of advanced technologies, rise of point of care and home-based care, structural changes in healthcare facilities for preparedness of infectious diseases, boost to indigenous manufacturing as well as R&D in products and treatment for better health outcomes.
We have to make good quality healthcare accessible and affordable. We must capitalize on the core competence of each stakeholder in our country. We must draw on the best from the world to strengthen our healthcare delivery system.
I would like the private sector to come forward and expand its footprint through Public-Private Partnership and set up modern healthcare facilities in the rural areas, particularly in the remote and inaccessible places.
Private players have added to the capacity and capability of the health care sector in the country. I am sure they would continue to play a vital role in augmenting the infrastructure and skills.
There have to be collaborative efforts from the industry as well as the civil society organizations in supporting the government’s initiatives.
The world’s largest Universal Health Coverage program- the Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), is now being expanded to the ‘missing middle’ population of the country. This would ensure that a much larger section of the uncovered population- comprising informal sector workers, self-employed, professionals, employees in MSMEs and others– are provided health coverage.
The COVID pandemic has highlighted the need for India to become self-reliant in this sector. With the expansion of healthcare infrastructure through public and private hospitals, the demand for pharmaceutical products, medical devices and equipment, including instruments, consumables and disposables, will increase in the coming years.
I urge the private sector to take full advantage of Atmanirbhar Abhiyan and give a fillip to manufacturing of various medical devices, including hi-tech and advanced equipment.
Dear Sisters and brothers,
At the risk of repetition, I would like to stress upon the most important lesson which pandemic taught. This pandemic has taught us the overriding importance of staying healthy, both physically and mentally. Fitness coupled with balanced diet is essential to stave off illnesses. Remaining healthy is the need of the hour. This would enable us to keep diseases at bay while discharging our duties effectively.
We all are very well aware that sedentary lifestyle is one of the main culprits behind the growing incidence of non-communicable diseases in the country. Any form of physical activity like spot jogging/running/brisk walking/ aerobics and stretching can become part of our daily routine to remain fit.
In fact, I suggest Yoga and meditation should become part of daily timetable along with sports in schools and colleges once normalcy returns.
Apart from having a fitness routine, it is essential to have a healthy and balanced diet. Rapid urbanization and modern lifestyle have drastically altered the eating habits of the people. It is high time to take control and mend our dietary habits. We should not eat for palate alone. Let’s remember that we are what we eat and food is for nourishment. Let us replace mindless eating with having nutritious and protein-rich food. A silver lining of this pandemic is the fact that more and more people are resorting to freshly cooked home-made organic food.
We have to follow the concepts of “Dinacharya” – daily regimes and “Ritucharya” – seasonal regimes to maintain healthy life.
We all know Health is Wealth. Investing time and energy on a daily basis for fitness will surely enable us to reap its benefits. This helps us to enjoy and savor finer aspects of life for a long, long time. Therefore, I once again urge everyone to give priority to health and adopt a fitness routine.
Dear sisters and brothers,
I commend the efforts made by our industry members in the wake of the pandemic. I once again urge all of you to join hands with the government to come up with successful and viable PPP models in the health sector.
I am also glad that various stakeholders in the private sector, including FICCI, have converged to develop a telemedicine platform called SWASTH for consulting doctors on COVID treatment.
We need to scale up and propagate such projects and expand healthcare facilities across the country to reach the unreached and achieve our vision of ‘Healthcare for All’.
I am happy that FICCI, through the HEAL platform, is extending the right stimulus to the industry through exchange of innovative ideas for best practices. I am sure that these interactions would help us to deal with the current crisis more effectively and lead to new solutions for providing affordable, accessible, quality healthcare in the country.
In order to further improve the ease of doing business, NHAI has agreed to most of the suggestions made by industry body,theConsulting Engineers Association of India (CEAI).
NHAI reports that CEAI had submitted suggestions pertaining to areas that include Omnibus Bank Guarantee, Performance Parameters of Consultants, Approval of DPR, Value Engineering, Technical Capacity Provisions, Evaluation of Bids etc. After having detailed deliberation with the industry body, NHAI agreed with most of the suggestions made by them. Suggestions which were outside the purview of NHAI have been sent to the related authorities for consideration. Further, NHAI assured the body that all good suggestions facilitating smooth working with the Consultants shall be positively considered in the future as well.
Some of the key suggestions accepted by NHAI are highlighted as below:
Suggestions regarding Omnibus Bank Guarantee system has been accepted by NHAI and guidelines have been issued on the matter.
Suggestionsregardinguse of innovative technology / material has been accepted. NHAI has asked the Consultants to propose new technologies while preparing DPRs and wasteful expenditure items should be avoided.NHAI also assured that the approval process of various stages of DPR shall be expedited.
NHAI has reiterated its commitment to ensure timely payments to the Consultants.
Under Technical Capacity Provisions, cap on the number of projects awarded to a Consultant will be linked to the Consultant’s performance and its rating on the Vendor Performance Evaluation System.
NHAI has further reported that it is committed to improve ease of doing business and facilitate better working relationship with all its stakeholders.
The stand taken and the statements made by Amnesty International are unfortunate, exaggerated and far from the truth.
The facts of the matter are as follows:
Amnesty International had received permission under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) only once and that too twenty years ago (19.12.2000). Since then Amnesty International, despite its repeated applications, has been denied FCRA approval by successive governments since as per law it is not eligible to get such an approval.
However, in order to circumvent the FCRA regulations, Amnesty UK remitted large amounts of money to four entities registered in India, by classifying it as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). A significant amount of foreign money was also remitted to Amnesty (India) without MHA’s approval under FCRA. This mala fide rerouting of money was in contravention of extant legal provisions.
Owing to these illegal practices of Amnesty, the previous government had also rejected the repeated applications of Amnesty to receive funds from overseas. This had led Amnesty to suspend its India operations once during that period as well. This bipartisan and purely legal approach towards Amnesty, under different governments, makes it clear that the entire fault lies in the dubious processes adopted by Amnesty to secure funds for its operations.
All the glossy statements about humanitarian work and speaking truth to power are nothing but a ploy to divert attention from their activities which were in clear contravention of laid down Indian laws. Such statements are also an attempt to extraneously influence the course of investigations by multiple agencies into the irregularities and illegalities carried out over the last few years.
Amnesty is free to continue humanitarian work in India, as is being done by many other organizations. However, India, by settled law, does not allow interference in domestic political debates by entities funded by foreign donations. This law applies equally to all and it shall apply to Amnesty International as well.
India has a rich and pluralistic democratic culture with a free press, independent judiciary and tradition of vibrant domestic debate. The people of India have placed unprecedented trust in the current government. Amnesty’s failure to comply with local regulations does not entitle them to make comments on the democratic and plural character of India.
NHPC Limited, India’s premier hydropower utility and a Scheduled ‘A’ Mini Ratna Enterprise of the Government of India has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 29.09.2020with Ministry of Power, Government of India for the year 2020-21. The MOU was signed by Shri SanjivNandanSahai, Secretary, Ministry of Power, Government of India and Shri A.K.Singh, CMD, NHPC in the presence of senior officers from MOP and NHPC.
In the signed MOU for NHPC, generation target under Excellent rating has been set as 27500 MUs as against last year target of 26000MUs. Excellent Targets for Revenue from Operations (Net) has been kept asRs. 8900 crore, Operating Profit as a percentage of Revenue from Operations (Net) has been kept as 38.00% and PAT/ Average Net Worth has been kept as 10.50 %.
Further, Capex target to ensure optimum utilization of budget, targets regarding Trade Receivables, Reduction in claims against the company not acknowledged as debt over previous year on overall basis and Percentage of Procurement of goods and service through GeM portal to total procurement of goods and services during the previous year etc. have been included in the MOU.
In addition, milestones in respect of restoration of Unit #1 & Unit #2 of Chamera-II Power Station and Assets Monetization parameters have also been included in the MOU.
NHPC Limited, hosted its 44th Annual General Meeting (AGM) through video conferencing from its Corporate Office, Faridabad on 29th September 2020. The management of the company recommended a dividend of Rs.1.50 per equity share for the year 2019-20, which is inclusive of interim dividend of Rs.1.18 per equity share paid in March, 2020. Shri A.K. Singh, CMD, NHPC addressed the shareholders at the AGM wherein members of NHPC Board and Company Secretary, NHPC were also present. CMDhighlighted key achievements made by NHPC despite the challenges posed due to COVID-19 pandemic. Shri Singh informed that the Company had earned a total revenue of Rs. 9,771.59 crore, revenue from operations (net) of Rs. 8,735.41 crore and Net Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs. 3,007.17 crore during the FY 2019-20.
Shri A.K. Singh, CMD, NHPC along with Shri Ratish Kumar, Director (Projects), Shri N.K. Jain, Director (Personnel), Shri M.K. Mittal, Director (Finance), Shri Y.K. Chaubey, Director (Technical), Shri R.P. Goyal, Chief General Manager (Finance) and Shri Vijay Gupta, Company Secretary, NHPC at the 44th Annual General Meeting of NHPC held through video conferencing on 29th September 2020
Shri Singh also said that NHPC had achieved its highest ever annual generation of 26,121 Million Units (MUs) surpassing the previous highest generation of 24,193 MUs during financial year 2018-19. Shri A.K. Singh further informed about the successful acquisition of LancoTeesta Hydro Power Limited as a wholly owned subsidiary company for the implementation of TeestaVI HE Project(500 MW) in Sikkim through Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP). Similarly, the company has been declared as successful resolution applicant by the Committee of Creditors of Jal Power Corporation Limited, a company implementing Rangit Stage-IV HE Project (120 MW) in Sikkim. The shareholders were also informed about the receipt of stage-II forest clearance for Dibang Multipurpose Project (2800 MW).
Shri Singh also informed about MoUs signed with Green Energy Development Corporation of Odisha Limited (GEDCOL) to form a Joint Venture Company (JVC) to plan & develop techno-commercially feasible floating solar power projects of 500 MW in the state of Odisha and with Hydroelectricity Investment and Development Company Limited (HIDCL), a company owned by Govt. of Nepal for joint cooperation to develop hydropower projects in Nepal. He went on to add that the company is having 2,800 MW installed capacity under construction and hydroelectric projects having 5,945 MW installed capacity are under clearance or approval stage.
Other important pointsduring the address of Shri A.K. Singh, CMD included efforts to augment growth in solar and wind power. Company has envisaged floating solar projects of 500 MW each in Odisha and Telangana and 50 MW in Kerala under Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Parks (UMREPPs) Scheme of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India. Company has received in-principle approval from MNRE for enhancement of Solar Park capacity (from 100 MW to 140 MW) in Odisha, which envisages development of two projects of 40 MW and 100 MW. Possibilities are also being explored for development of other utility scale solar projects in different States/UTs such as Telangana (293 MW), Tamil Nadu (2 X 25 MW) and Leh (50 MW).
NHPC has issued Letter of Award (LOA) to solar power developers for Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) grid connected photovoltaic projects aggregating to 2,000 MW. NHPC is also undertaking various other projects with installed capacity of 2,258 MW through subsidiaries and joint ventures. He said that by the end of the current decade NHPC will have installed capacity of 20000 MW including JVs and Subsidiaries.Various queries of members regarding performance of the Company were also addressed at the AGM.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI)approved demerger of the Textiles Business of GHCL Ltd. (“GHCL”)into its wholly owned subsidiary GHCL Textiles Limited (“GHCL Textiles”)under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.
GHCL is a public limited company incorporated in India and is stated to be engaged in the business of (i) manufacture and sale of inorganic chemicals including but not limited to Soda Ash (Dense grade and Light grade), Sodium Bicarbonate, Industrial Salt and Consumer Products (‘Chemical Business’) and (ii) manufacture and sale of textiles including but not limited to yarn manufacturing along with weaving, processing, cutting and sewing of home textiles products (‘Textiles Business’).
GHCL Textiles is a Public Limited Company incorporated in India. Presently, GHCL Textiles Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of GHCL. It is a newly incorporated company and has not initiated any business activity.
Pursuant to the proposed demerger, GHCL will retain its chemicals and consumer products business and GHCL Textiles will have the demerged Textiles business.
To leverage the many socioeconomic and environmental benefits of natural farming for boosting farmers’ welfare, consumer health, food security and nutrition, NITI Aayog has organized a two-day (29–30 September) national-level consultation with relevant stakeholders.
Addressing the conference, Union Minster of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar stressed that natural farming has been practised in India over the centuries, and lauded NITI Aayog’s efforts to spearhead the implementation of natural farming across the country. He mentioned that the Union Agriculture Ministry has allocated a budget to promote the practice. Proposals on natural farming by Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Chhattisgarh have also been considered and approvals accorded for their implementation.
Governor of Gujarat Acharya Devvrat said that in the next five years, 12 lakh hectares will be brought under natural farming in the state. He mentioned that approximately 1.20 lakh farmers in Gujarat adopted natural farming during the ongoing kharif season and another 5.50 lakh were interested in the practice. The governor enumerated on the many benefits of the practice—the input cost in natural farming tends to be ‘zero’; the requirement of irrigation is reduced to 60–70%, with an increase in organic carbon level from 0.5 to 0.9. The marketing of such produce faces no constraints, where the unit price of premium quality wheat can be marketed at Rs 4000 per quintal instead of the conventional rate of Rs1900.
Applauding the efforts of the Agriculture Ministry to publicize the beneficial aspects of natural farming, NITI Aayog VC Dr Raijv Kumar mentioned that currently the acceptance and adoption of the practice is still in a transitionary stage. However, India looks forward to the implementation of natural farming as a jan andolan, keeping pace with the science to back it, to emerge as a net agri-exporter. NITI Aayog Member (Agriculture) Prof. Ramesh Chand mentioned that the issues related to the creation of a new policy environment, product identity, value chain and marketing would be taken care of as a future course of action. Emphasizing on the importance of agriculture in economic development, NITI Aayog CEO Shri Amitabh Kant said there was a need to build a common understanding and workable strategies to push natural farming to maintain continuity in the food supply system.
The two-day consultation has four technical sessions—natural farming (national and global perspectives); natural farming for pan-India adoption and success stories; natural farming (adoption and impact evaluation); and natural farming (farmers’ organization, experiences, and challenges)—headed by NITI Aayog Member (Agriculture) Prof. Ramesh Chand; Acharya Devvrat; and Kaadsiddeshwar Swami Ji, Kaneri Math, Kolhapur.
The consultation hopes to deliver a systematic approach for the adoption and implementation of natural farming at the farm level; identify an extension-cum-training programme to be undertaken by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research through Krishi Vigyan Kendras, State agriculture departments, the private sector, cooperatives and NGOs; and develop a document on success stories/best practices, with the scientific background required to manage crop health and production.
Central and state government officials, scientists and experts from agriculture universities and institutions, trusts and NGOs associated with natural farming, and representatives from international organizations and farmers’ associations are part of the consultation.
Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare today participated in the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) ‘Accountability Breakfast’ through Video Conference. The event was co-hosted by the White Ribbon Alliance (WRA) and Every Woman Every Child (EWEC). A recurrent theme this year was the effort to protect hard earned gains in the field of Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health from the COVID pandemic.
Speaking on the impact of COVID-19 in the area of maternal and child health, Dr. Harsh Vardhan observed, “The maximum impact has been felt by women, children and adolescents and this called for urgent action.” He mentioned that at the national level, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had issued guidance to the States to ensure that women, children and adolescents continue to get all the healthcare services and that he had personally taken this up with the health ministers of all the States; “We are in a constant dialogue to ensure that these services are made available to women, children and adolescents remain in focus despite the health systems being under severe strain due to COVID epidemic.” The Minister spoke of the government’s stated policy of no denial for essential services, like-Reproductive Maternal Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH), Tuberculosis, chemotherapy, dialysis and healthcare of the elderly, irrespective of the COVID status, the free testing and treatment for COVID across government health facilities and the inclusion of COVID in the medical conditions covered under the Ayushman Bharat – PM JAY insurance package provided by the government, which caters to almost 500 million people from the weakest socio-economic strata. He expressed satisfaction that these steps have helped in reducing reduce Out-of-Pocket-Expenditure of those affected
Dr. Harsh Vardhan while addressing a question on a women’s choice during maternal care reckoned that maternity care goes much beyond healthcare services for the mothers but sets into motion a lived reality of the woman who depends on a responsive system to cater to her needs of not only services but also dignity, privacy, confidentiality, choice and respect for her as well as her baby; “It is not just about a provider or a client, it’s about human dignity”. Elaborating on the idea, he said “From instilling a behavioral change to help more women deliver in hospitals to entitlement for absolutely free services, we have come a long way now in providing quality care throughout pregnancy and childbirth with interventions like LaQshya and midwifery care.”
He further informed that last year, he had himself started “Safe Motherhood Assurance (SUMAN)” initiative that brings all these services under one umbrella. “We are now following a zero tolerance approach for service denial to pregnant women and their newborn babies and have also strengthened our system for client feedback, grievance redressal and greater accountability and transparency. The idea is to have a fully responsive and accountable health system that will not only result in a positive birthing experience but also help end preventable maternal and newborn deaths,” he added.
The Minister detailed the Government’s plans to expand the notion of safe motherhood beyond mere prevention of mortality, “Women must be empowered to decide for themselves and therefore we have been trying to utilize multiple contact points throughout the antenatal and childbirth period to help women make informed decisions around safe motherhood practices, choice of birth companion, identifying referral transport and post-partum contraception.” He mentioned that India is transitioning “towards a phase of moderate levels of maternal mortality and analyses have shown that many of the maternal deaths occur due to delay in timely provision of comprehensive obstetric care” which could have been prevented. He also added that he believed that with better quality of public healthcare facilities, regular caesarean section audits, adherence to SOPs in the labour room through structured interventions, India will be able to effectively address this issue. Another important step towards universalization of skilled birth care, the Minister outlined, “is making available adequate number of nurse practitioners in India” He said that the Ministry has already prepared a detailed roadmap with an aim to provide midwifery services throughout the country.
The Minister impressed upon the idea to protect primary health care workers from the pandemic, “We have taken actions to create a safer work environment for our COVID warriors through uninterrupted supply of essential logistics, personal protective gear and also made provision of life insurance cover for the people dedicated to COVID and healthcare services. We have also been carrying out a spirited campaign to celebrate the Corona warriors and address stigma and discrimination that has come to be associated with this disease. I would say that this is not a single department’s effort, it is actually a whole of government approach that is helping us deliver to the last mile.”
Committing India to the PMNCH Call to Action, he reminded everyone present that India was one of the countries that was instrumental in shaping this PMNCH Call to Action. “We reiterate our commitment to the women, children and adolescents of India and we will continuously direct our efforts towards improving their health and well-being.” He urged the wider PMNCH community to state and commit their support and resources towards this Call to Action and greater good: “Let’s ensure health for all and that no one is left behind.”
While recoveries have crossed 51 lakhs in India, which is the highest in the world; ICMR’s second sero-prevalence report has found that a considerable population is still vulnerable to SARS-COV-2 virus.This apart, more than 7 crore 30 lakh tests have been conducted so far, out of which 77.8 lakh tests were done in the last week. This has been briefed by Union Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Rajesh Bhushan in a media briefing on latest updates, preparedness and actions taken on COVID-19, at the New Media Centre in New Delhi today.
The Health Secretary further stated that India still has one of the lowest cases (4453) as well as deaths (70) per million in the world. In the last seven days, India has recorded 425 new cases per million population. This apart, by the efforts of ICMR as well as private sector, India has crossed the mark of 50,000 tests per million population. Today (September 29, 2020) itself, 52,978 tests per million population have been done. Month-wise analysis also shows rapid increase of testing with 2.97 crore tests done in this month itself. Similarly, week-wise analysis shows that on an average 11,12,037 daily tests have been conducted in the week ending today (September 23-29, 2020). “India has achieved a capability of conducting 15 lakh tests per day. The number of tests done depends on various factors including the intensity of infection spread in an area. Hence, on a day-on-day basis, number of tests may increase or decrease”, stated the Health Secretary. Another analysis of a national trend shows, new recoveries have exceeded new cases in recent days. Further, an analysis of data since Septembe 15, 2020 shows a continuous and sustained decrease in the percentage of active cases and rise in percentage of recovered cases. As on date, there are only 15.4% active cases, while 83.01% are recovered cases. In Maharashtra, a decline in the number of average daily new cases has been observed in the week ending today. Stating these data, the Health Secretary reiterated the importance of social distancing and wearing a mask.
While briefing about the findings of ICMR Second Sero-survey for SARS-CoV-2 Infection, DG, ICMR Prof. (Dr.) Balaram Bhargava informed, there were 26–32 infections per reported case by August 2020. This apart, risk in urban slums is twice than that in non-slum areas and four times than the risk in rural setting. DG, ICMR further said, there still exists a considerable section of susceptible people who are yet unexposed to SARS-Cov-2. Lockdown, containment and behavior change at population level have effectively checked potential spread of SARS-Cov-2, he added.
The study further shows, one in 15 individuals aged 10 years or below were estimated to be exposed to SARS-CoV-2 by August 2020. Stating these, DG, ICMR concluded saying that non-pharmacological interventions like physical distancing, use of face mask/cover, hand hygiene, cough etiquette are still essential. This apart, people-centric & risk focused interventions in urban slums, urban non-slums and rural settings are to be developed & implemented. The DG, ICMR further called for inventive containment strategies to be implemented by the States in the light of the upcoming festivities, winter season and mass gathering.
Dr. V.K. Paul, Member (Health) in NITI Aayog said, labourers, who are running the country’s economy, are at higher risk of exposure. In this context, he stressed upon following ‘Safe Workplace Guidelines for Industrial Establishment’ issued jointly by the Ministry of Labour & Employment and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to help protect the labour-force from infection. Stating that pneumonia and similar diseases become more common in the winter months and that a second peak is coming in the world, he reiterated the need for social vaccine in the form of COVID Appropriate Behaviours, social distancing and wearing a mask in the upcoming festive season and winter months.
In reply to a media query, Health Secretary stated, six domestic companies in India are producing Remdesivir. While earlier the price of this drug was Rs. 5500/- when there was only one manufacturer, it has come down to Rs.2800/- now.
In reply to another query, Health Secretary stated, National Expert Committee on Vaccine Administration has recommended an amount to be spent for vaccine administration on the basis of population prioritization and staggered immunization programmes based on it and that the Government has the provision for incurring that expenditure.
There’s nothing simple about teaching kids about sex. In these times of precocious pre-teens, pregnancy among teenagers, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), children and adolescents need much more than a one-time chat about the birds and the bees. Pregnancy prevention and safe sex really should be ongoing, age-appropriate topics.
Ideally, children will get all of the information they need at home from their parents, but school should also be an important source of information. Research has shown time and time again that abstinence-only education doesn’t work.The research has shown it time and time again: Abstinence-only education doesn’t affect the rates at which teenagers decide to have sex.Given that the primary purpose of abstinence-only education is to do exactly that, it is clear that it doesn’t work.One of the biggest problems with abstinence-only education is that it denies teenagers the chance to learn about acceptable options other than abstinence. Given that no form of sex education has been shown to effectively convince teenagers not to have sex, this is a significant problem.
Presumably, parents and educators want adolescents to be as healthy and happy as possible. One would hope that would be true even if those adolescents aren’t managing to conform to the standards of behavior that adults would consider ideal.Part of staying healthy is seeking appropriate health care. As boys age, many of them stop going for preventative health care.8 This limits the opportunities they have to be screened for, among other things, STDs.One of the biggest risk factors for not seeking care is holding traditional views about masculinity.9 It’s important that young men learn early that taking care of their health is one of the most “manly” things they can do.Comprehensive sex education doesn’t encourage kids to have sex. Just like abstinence-only programs, good comprehensive programs teach students that abstinence is the only surefire way to prevent pregnancy and STDs
The difference is that these programs also give students realistic and factual information about the safety of various sexual practices, and how to improve the odds. Nothing about comprehensive sex education prevents parents from teaching their kids their standards for moral behavior.11 If anything, having them learn the facts at school frees parents to focus on explaining their own personal religious beliefs and behavioral expectations. The more kids know, the more likely they are to say “No.” Teenagers aren’t stupid. When a teacher tells them that only abstinence can protect them from the dangers of STDs and pregnancy, they know they’re being lied to. At the very least, they know they’re being misled.
Giving adolescents an accurate picture of the risks of different types of sexual behavior can help them make informed decisions about
The most effective sex education programs tend to be the ones that try to steer teens away from specific activities that are particularly high risk. What do teenagers do when they haven’t been given accurate information about sexual risks? They have oral sex, or even anal sex, instead of vaginal intercourse.12 In particular, many teenagers don’t see oral sex as incompatible with abstinence. That’s true even though oral sex can transmit several STDs.
Abstinence-only education sometimes encourages students to abstain from sex without ever telling them what sex is. In contrast, when comprehensive sex education is taught in schools, it may encourage teens to make more informed decisions before participating in alternative sexual behaviors.
Without enough information, those are behaviors that teens may falsely assume are safe.
Sexual assault on women is a common phenomenon in our country. Under sexual assault comes; molestation, eve-teasing, child sex abuse, rape, marital rape, domestic violence.
Of all these crimes, Rape is the most violent crime which is committed against women. According to Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code, Rape means an unlawful intercourse done by a man with a woman without her valid consent.
Rape outrages a woman’s modesty. After a rape incident, a woman lives a pathetic life which includes fear, depression, guilt complex, suicidal action and social stigma. In recent times, Rape incidents have increased manifold. According to statistics, two women are raped in the country every hour. If further statistics are to be believed, every 10 hours a girl of age 1-10 is being raped in India.It appears that the rapists are not scared of laws. Also, cases are being reported where minors and elderly women are being raped. The recent incident which shook the nation was the gang rape of a 23 year old para-medical student in a moving bus on the streets of Delhi. The cruelty which was shown towards the girl by the rapists filled every Indian with wrath. So much so was the anger, that thousands of people poured into the streets to demand justice for the young lady.
The protests compelled our leaders to sit up and think and now amendments of the laws concerned with sexual assault on women our underway. Every day the newspaper reports of rape incidents. In majority of rape cases the accused is known to the victim. The accused may be a friend, a relative, neighbor. Some cases are a rude shock to humanity like that of a five year innocent girl being raped by her neighbor. Not only he raped her, but damaged her internal organs beyond cure. Some cases have come into light wherein teachers have raped their students. The important question which arises when we talk of rapes is what causes rape. Why rape cases are increasing at an alarming rate? First and the foremost cause of increasing rape cases is the lack of public safety. Women are not safe outside their homes and why only outside they are not safe even inside their homes.
A number of cases have been reported wherein the guilty has committed the crime in the very house of the victim. Rapes are being done in moving vehicles also which raise a question on the effectiveness of the traffic system of our country. Another important reason is the dearth of police officials and female police officers in particular. According to the Times of India, there is 1 officer for every 200 citizens.
Studies show that rape victims are more likely to report sex crimes if female police officers are available. Lack of female police further aggravates the problem.
Another very important reason is a sluggish court system of India and few convictions. India’s court system is painfully slow and for rapes that do get reported, the conviction rate is not more than 26%.
As the accused is not convicted, others think that they can go around freely and rape whosoever they like. Stigmatizing the victim and encouraging the victim to compromise gives a further impetus to this horrendous crime.
In many rural areas, the victim is pressurized to drop charges against the guilty. Not only this they are encouraged to marry their rapist by telling them that nobody will marry them now and it will bring shame to her family.
In recent times, prominent leaders and experts have blamed women’s clothing as responsible for increasing rape cases which is totally wrong. No clothing is an invitation to rape The dire need of today is to curb this violent crime. The most important step to be taken in this direction is the strengthening of laws dealing with sexual assaults.
Death penalty should be imposed on a rape accused.
A woman’s squad should be formed in every district which would exclusively deal with problems of women.
Fast track courts must be established so that justice is given as early as possible.
Some NGO should start Rape Crisis Centre where victim can approach by calling a toll-free number or physically visiting the local centres. Such centre should play a vital role in supporting rape victims to cope up with the psychological trauma and also guide them to obtain legal remedy. Women are wonderful daughters, sisters, wives, and mothers. They should be loved, cared, respected and should be protected
Eduindex News 
You must be logged in to post a comment.