Day: March 6, 2021

Health Ministry along with NITI Aayog reviews COVID-19 situation of States, UTs with spike in Corona cases

Health Ministry along with NITI Aayog reviews COVID-19 situation of States, UTs  Health and Family Welfare Secretary Rajesh Bhushan and Member Health of NITI Aayog Dr. Vinod K. Paul interacted with Health Secretaries and officials of Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Chandigarh. 

During the interaction, ongoing public health measures and management strategies have been discussed. It was pointed out that Delhi, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Chandigarh pose concern as several districts are witnessing rising cases. States and Union Territories were asked to ramp up the testing, refocus on surveillance and stringent containment mechanism, accelerate vaccination and promotion of COVID Appropriate Behaviour. It has also been asked to collaborate with the private hospitals to open up vaccination time-table for a minimum of 15 days and maximum of 28 days at a time.

BJP releases first list of 56 candidates for West Bengal Assembly polls; Subhendu Adhikari to contest against Mamata Banerjee on Nandigram seat

Bharatiya Janata Party has pitted Subhendu Adhikari against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Nandigram seat in the ensuing State Assembly elections.

Mr Adhikari, who used to be the key aide of Ms Banerjee, joined the BJP few months back. Former cricketer Ashok Dinda will be the party candidate from Moyna while former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh will contest from Debra seat.

The Party today released the first list of 56 candidates for the State Assembly elections.

Announcing the names of the candidates in New Delhi, BJP General Secretary Arun Singh said that the party has left Baghmundi Assembly seat to its ally AJSU. The BJP has fielded Sudeep Mukherjee from Purulia, Tapan Bhuiya from Kharagpur and Shamita Dash from Medinipur Assembly Constituency. 

Objective of judicial system is not only to resolve disputes, but also to protect justice: Prez Kovind

In Madhya Pradesh, President Ram Nath Kovind has said that the objective of the judicial system is not merely to resolve disputes, but also to uphold justice. This could be implemented by removing obstacles like delay in the delivery of justice. He was speaking at the inauguration of the All India State Judicial Academies Directors’ Retreat at Jabalpur today during his two-day visit.

The President further said that to provide speedy delivery of justice, it is essential that besides extensive judicial training, there is need to introduce the use of technology in our judicial processes. Due to the increasing number of cases, it becomes necessary to understand the issues in correct perspectives and take accurate decisions in a short time. 

AIR correspondent reports, the President was happy to note that the use of technology in the judicial system has increased rapidly. More than 18 thousand courts have been computerized in the country and around 76 lakh cases were heard in virtual courts across the country during the lockdown period. For the first time in the country, the Judicial Academies of all the states have been coming on one platform and discussing for improvement in the judicial process. 

The Chief Justice of India Sharad Arvind Bobde also called it an exemplary initiative and emphasized the need for all-round development of his personality along with judicial education to the judges. President also performed the Narmada Aarti at Gwarighat on the banks of the river Narmada and attended a cultural programme organised in the Madhya Pradesh High Court premises. 

PM Modi chairs Valedictory Session of Combined Commanders’ Conference

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the Valedictory Session of the Combined Commanders’ Conference at the Statue of Unity in Kevadia, Gujarat today.

AIR correspondent reports that during the three-day conference, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the military commanders and a team of Secretary-level officers from the Ministry of Defence participated in deliberations. Official sources said, Jawans and Junior Commissioned Officers also participated in the conference for the first time. 

The Combined Commanders’ Conference, which is a premier brainstorming event of the military officials, is taking place after three years.

According to the sources, the scope of this year’s conference was expanded to make it a multi-layered, interactive, informal and informed event with the added participation of about 30 officers and soldiers of various ranks from the three services.

PV Sindhu storms into Women’s Singles final of Swiss Open 2021

In Badminton, Olympic Silver Medallist PV Sindhu has entered the Women’s Singles final of the Swiss Open tournament at Basel. She defeated fourth seed Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark 22-20, 21-10 in semi-final this evening.

In Men’s Singles semi-final, former Champion Kidambi Srikanth lost to top seed Viktor Axelsen of Denmark 13-21, 19-21.

In Men’s Doubles, World No 10 pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will face sixth seeded Danish pair of Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen in the semi-final today. The Indian pair progressed to the last four after defeating Malaysian combine of Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi. 

India beat England in final test to clinch series 3-1, Qualify for World Test C’ship final

In Cricket, India defeated England by an innings and 25 runs in the fourth and final test played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad this evening.

With this win, India clinched the four-match series 3-1 and sealed a place in the final of the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship. Rishabh Pant with his formidable innings of 101 runs and Washington Sundar who scored unbeaten 96 runs set up the huge win for the hosts after they bowled the visitors for 205 in their first innings. Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel picked up five-wicket hauls in the second innings to help India bundle England out for 135. Dan Lawrence put up a half-century for the visitors.

Earlier, India started day three at 294 for seven and Axar Patel along with Sundar continued to score freely in the first hour. The duo put on 106 runs for the eighth wicket before a mix-up in the middle ended Axar’s stay. He was run out on 43. India made 365 runs in their first innings. While Rishabh Pant was declared Player of the Match, Player of the series award went to Ravichandran Ashwin.

Final scores:
  England   –  205 & 135
  India  –  365

Both teams will now shift their focus to the shortest format of the game as they will play five Twenty20 Internationals at the same venue, starting from 12th of this month.

With a comprehensive 3-1 Test series win over England, Team India has reclaimed the top spot in the latest ICC Test Team Rankings. Virat Kohli and Company jumped to the first position with 122 rating, while New Zealand are at second with 118. 

Ease of Living Index 2020: Bengaluru Bags the First Position

The Ease of Living Index (EoLI) 2020 has been released by the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry. Bengaluru, The Silicon Valley of India, topped the Ease of Living Index 2020 in the million-plus population category, followed by Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Surat. Whereas Shimla has been adjudged the most liveable city with a population of less than a million, followed by Bhubaneshwar, Silvassa, Kakinada and Salem.

According to the Government, the Ease of Living Index is “a tool that evaluates the quality of life and impact of various initiatives for urban development.” Furthermore, a statement released by the ministry said,” It provides a comprehensive understanding of participating cities across India based on the quality of life, economic-ability of a city, and its sustainability and resilience.” Moreover, the parameters such as quality o life, economic ability, sustainability and citizen perception survey were used to measure the liveability of the cities.

Importance of Self Care

What is self-care? Self-care is a general term that describes everything you do deliberately for your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. As simple as it sounds, many of us pay little attention to self-care. This is why ‘deliberately’ is one of the most important words in the definition. You need to be conscious of your well-being before you can achieve true self-care. It starts from the simple acts like not checking emails at night when you know it affects your sleep and extends to more important decisions like going for a vacation or booking a massage when you feel you need one.

In a society in which people are expected to work long hours and pass on vacation days, there is an underlying belief that we must always be productive – which can ultimately take away from opportunities for self-care. But by taking some time out to engage in self-care, you may relieve the pressures of everyday life and reset yourself to get back to a healthy point where productivity is once again maximized. 

Overworking yourself may result in adverse consequences, which may include but are not limited to burnout, depression, anxiety, resentment and a whole host of other negative implications. Engaging in a self-care routine has been clinically proven to reduce or eliminate anxiety and depression, reduce stress, improve concentration, minimize frustration and anger, increase happiness, improve energy, and more. From a physical health perspective, self-care has been clinically proven to reduce heart disease, stroke and cancer. Spiritually, it may help keep us in tune with our higher power as well as realize our meaning in life.

Perhaps the single most common reason people give for not participating in self-care is due to a lack of time. While many of us have a lot going on, it’s imperative that we take time out every day for ourselves, even if minimally. Another great thing about self-care is that it does not have to cost a thing. And you can even accomplish it in the convenience of your own home. These perks are especially beneficial during the current COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing regulations.

Remember that self-care is all about you. What works for one person may not work for another, but that’s the beauty of a self-care routine. The catch, though, is that it must be done both intentionally and consistently to have maximum impact. Even if you only have 5-minute increments spread throughout the day to engage in self-care, that is certainly better than nothing. Over time, you may significantly enhance your overall health and wellbeing. Even if you are just beginning, there are results that may be realized almost immediately.

For all of us, though, there is continued work to be done. Life is dynamic, and so are our dimensions of wellness. During challenging times, we may rely on our strong points to help carry us through. When too many dimensions are compromised, we may find ourselves struggling and find it difficult to handle things we easily could have in the past.

Each of our self-care plans will look different, but here are some suggestions to consider among each of the eight domains.

  • Emotional – Talk to someone, reflect, journal, read, do something artistic, listen to music, work out, take a walk, watch something that suits the mood (or does the opposite and changes it), cry it out, hug someone, cuddle, laugh, take a nap.
  • Environmental – Take a walk somewhere nice, breathe in fresh air, enjoy the sun, enjoy the night sky, avoid littering, pick up litter, reduce waste, use reusable products, recycle, clean your house, redesign a room.
  • Financial – Develop a practical financial plan, open a savings account, start saving, try saving even more if you are already saving, invest, cut back on unnecessary purchases, consider where you can cut corners, avoid credit cards, ask for a raise.
  • Intellectual – Read, listen to audiobooks, watch documentaries, complete puzzles, be mindful of the world around you, become curious, try something new, tap into your creative/artistic side, take a class, complete a program, graduate.
  • Occupational – Learn a trade, get your degree, train for a promotion, accept the promotion, put together your resume, polish your resume, apply for your dream job, take on a task you enjoy, open your own business.
  • Physical – Work out daily, take a walk, eat healthy, get your annual checkup, see the dentist, take medications as prescribed, avoid drugs and alcohol, get 7-9 hours of sleep, see the physician when you do not feel well.
  • Social – Meet up with friends and family, keep in contact with old friends, volunteer, go out, have fun, engage in healthy social media use, exude positivity, utilize technology when distance is a factor, have a big laugh.
  • Spiritual – Meditate, pray, reflect, engage in yoga, visit a meaningful site, do right by others, be mindful, consider your higher purpose and meaning, look to your higher power for support, love one another, help those in need.
Self-Care is personal, and no general principle will always work. What motivates you and inspires you is different than the person next door. Look for the things that make you feel alive. Make dates with yourself and when you commit to working out or doing something for yourself, keep the commitment you make to yourself. We don’t back out on our friends, don’t back out on yourself. By being healthy about self-care, you will feel be better equipped to help others. Go live your best life.

No Unauthorized And Uncontrolled Slaughtering Of Cattle Including Cows

It is really a matter of grave concern that the dangerous, deplorable and despicable incidents of unauthorized and uncontrolled slaughtering of cattle including cows is taking a very heavy toll. It cannot be just glossed over that none other than the Calcutta High Court has also just recently taken a serious note of it. We had seen how just a short time back the Calcutta High Court had directed the Kolkata Municipal Corporation authorities to take action against people found slaughtering cattle including cows and/or exhibiting for sale flesh of slaughtered cattle and/or selling cattle meat. This itself is enough to speak for itself as to what is the ground situation.

No wonder, the Bench of Chief Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee of Calcutta High Court in a latest, learned, laudable and landmark judgment titled Rajyashree Chaudhuri vs The State Of West Bengal & Ors. in WPO/372/2019 in exercise of its original side of Constitutional writ jurisdiction further very rightly directed the Corporation to strictly enforce the measures mentioned by the Commissioner in his affidavit (filed before the Court) “so that there is no unauthorized or uncontrolled slaughtering of cattle including the cows”. Those who still dare to indulge in it must be booked and strictly punished according to the law. There can be no denying or disputing it!
No doubt, the Bench to start with very rightly mentions the purpose of the PIL that, “The grievance ventilated through this public interest litigation is that there is indiscriminate, uncontroll, unauthorised and large scale slaughtering of cattle including cows during the festival of Bakri-Id without adhering to the laws laid down by the legislature and the Courts including the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.”
In retrospect, the Bench recalls that, “By an order dated January 6, 2021, we had directed the Commissioner of Kolkata Municipal Corporation to file an affidavit delineating as to how the Corporation proposes to manage the situation and ensure that the provisions of the relevant laws including the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950 and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act, 1980 are implemented and the orders passed and guidelines laid down by this Court as also the Hon’ble Supreme Court are enforced.”
More significantly, the Bench then goes forth to state in the new para that, “Pursuant to such order, an affidavit has been filed today affirmed by the Commissioner on February 4, 2021. After adverting to the various provisions of law, at paragraph 12 of the affidavit, the deponent has stated as to what actions the Corporation is taking or will take to manage the situation. Paragraph 12 of the affidavit is set out hereunder: 
“12. It is stated that in view of the aforementioned provisions of the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950 and the KMC Act, 1980 as well as the aforementioned orders both of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and also of this Hon’ble Court, the Corporation proposes to manage the situation and to ensure the compliance of the provisions of the Act in the manner as follows :- 
(a) The KMC has already identified places/locations for slaughtering of animals on the occasion of Id-ul-Zoha and the such locations/places identified for slaughtering of animals in the KMC area shall be notified to all concerned through newspaper publication and official website of Kolkata Municipal Corporation in each year at least one month before the date of holding Id-ul-Zoha (vide section 482(2)(a) of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act, 1980.
(b) Since the KMC has 5 slaughter houses namely:
(i) Chitpur Slaughter House (for sheep and goat). 
(ii) Landsdowne Slaughter House (for sheep and goat).
(iii) Pig Slaughter House (for pig). 
(iv) Tangra Slaughter House (for sheep, goat, cow and bullock).
(v) Tangra Modern Abattoir (for buffalo).
No place other than the said Municipal Slaughter Houses shall be permitted to be used a slaughter house. This does not however restrict the slaughter of any animal on the occasion of any religious festival or ceremony, in any place to be specified by the Municipal Commissioner by Public or Special Notice, as may be imposed.
(c) No person is permitted and shall be permitted, without or otherwise than with conformity, with a license from the Municipal Commissioner to carry on the trade of a butcher, fishmonger, poulterer or importer of flesh.
(d) No person is permitted and shall be permitted to sell or expose for sale any flesh obtained from an animal unless the skinned carcass of the animal is stamped in a particular manner as a token of the fact that the animal has been slaughtered in a municipal or licensed slaughter house.
(e) The officers/employees concerned of the KMC exercise powers to inspect or examine any food or drug or any utensil or vessel used for preparing or storing any such food or drug. If on inspection or examined of any such food or drug any contravention of the provisions of the Act is detected, the persons found to have contravened the provision is prosecuted in accordance with law apart from seizure of the food/drugs etc.
(f) The KMC and its officials exercise the powers to inspect the places where unlawful slaughter of animals is suspected and the animal or carcass of such animal or such flesh are seized if contravention of the provisions is found.
(g) Slaughtering of animal is permitted and shall be permitted in Municipal slaughter houses only after the grant of certificate to the effect that the animal is fit slaughter.”
As a corollary, the Bench then very rightly goes on to state most crucially that, “We think that if the steps mentioned in the aforesaid paragraph are strictly enforced by the Corporation, the situation will be well under control and there will be no unauthorised slaughtering of cattle including cows, which is the grievance of the petitioner.” There can be no denying it!
Going ahead, the Bench then also makes it a point to state unequivocally in the next para that, “Accordingly, we direct the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to strictly enforce the measures mentioned by the Commissioner in the aforesaid affidavit so that there is no unauthorised or uncontrolled slaughtering of cattle including the cows. We make it clear that if it is brought to our notice that the measures are not being implemented in their true intent and spirit and there is unauthorised slaughtering of cattle including cows, the responsible officers of the Corporation may be exposed to due legal action including action under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code for dereliction of official duties.”
Finally, the Bench on a closing note then adds in the new and final para that, “Before parting, we reiterate that if the Corporation authorities find any person violating the laws of the land with regard to slaughtering cattle including cows and/or exhibiting for sale flesh of slaughtered cattle and/or selling cattle meat or acting in breach of any restriction imposed by the Corporation, then the Corporation authorities shall take immediate steps to bring such violators to book in accordance with law including, if necessary, by taking assistance of the police. WPO 372 of 2019 is disposed of.”
To sum it up, what the two Judge Division Bench of Chief Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee of Calcutta High Court have clearly, cogently, categorically and convincingly asserted on the steps to be taken for ensuring that measures are implemented in their true intent and spirit and to ensure that there is effective check of unauthorized slaughtering of cattle including cows must be implemented in totality. What the petitioner has stated in his PIL that indiscriminate, uncontrolled, unauthorized and large-scale slaughtering of cattle including cows during the festival of Bakri-Id without adhering to the laws laid down by the Legislature and the Courts including the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India must be checked promptly and effectively. It is the bounden duty of the responsible officers of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to ensure strict compliance of the rules including the cows because if they fail to ensure this then they would be held liable to due legal action including action under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code for dereliction of official duties. Very rightly so!
Sanjeev Sirohi