Regarding rights in the modern era, every Indian woman needs to be aware of a few legal rights. There are plenty of laws protecting women in India. For the protection and advancement of women, our constitution grants them exclusive rights.
Indian women rights history:
During the early Vedic era, women and men were treated equally in all aspects of their lives. Women may have received an education during the early Vedic era, according to the writings of ancient Indian grammarians like Patanjali and Katyayana. In a practise known as swayamvar or a live-in relationship known as Gandharva marriage, Rigvedic verses imply that women married at an advanced age and were likely free to choose their own husbands.
The modern laws to look in today’s world are:
Right to maintenance
As long as she doesn’t remarry, a married woman is entitled to get maintenance from her ex-husband, which includes the necessities of life like food, clothing, shelter, and access to healthcare. Except when the wife is living in adultery or refuses to live with her husband without a good reason, Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, requires the husband to support his divorced wife.
Right to equal pay
Our laws are now gender-neutral. Equal remuneration for equal work is due to both men and women. The same is provided for by the Equal Remuneration Act. It guarantees equal pay for equal work for both male and female employees. There won’t be any gender discrimination in the context of hiring practises or working conditions.
Right to dignity and decency
Women’s rights include decency and dignity. Anyone who tries to harm her modestly is regarded as a sinner, and the law very good mandates punishment for such behaviour. Each and every woman has the right to live in dignity, free from intimidation, compulsion, violence, and prejudice. The criminal code outlines the penalties for offences against women such as sexual harassment (Section 354), assault with the intent to strip her naked or violate her sense of modesty (Section 354), voyeurism (Section 354), stalking (354D), etc.
Rights at workplace
You have a right to have a female restroom where you work. At places, with more than 30 female workers, providing facilities for care and feeding of children is mandatory. Further, the Supreme Court and the Govt. had put in to ensure the safety of women at workplaces. The Hon’ble Supreme Court in Vaisakha v. State of Rajasthan, had laid down exclusive guidelines for protection of women from Sexual Harassment at workplace, following which, the Govt. in 2013, has enacted an exclusive legislation- The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (PREVENTION, PROHIBITION and REDRESSAL) Act, 2013 for that end. So, if any person at your workplace, asks you for sexual favours, or makes sexually coloured remarks and whistles looking at you or sings obscene songs looking at you, touches you inappropriately, or shows pornography, then all that will constitute Sexual Harassment and you may complain to the Internal complaints committee which is required to be constituted by the employer at each office or branch with 10 or more employees. The District Officer is also required to constitute a Local Complaints Committee at each district, and if required at the block level. Apart from this, IPC also, penalizes Sexual Harassment under 354A by providing an imprisonment of 1-3 years.
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Right of private defence/ self-defence
It is a right of defence. When defending your body or the body of another person from the attacker, you run the risk of causing serious harm, severe harm, or even death. However, you can only kill the attacker without drawing liability or punishment if certain conditions are met. For example, if you believe the attacker is about to rape, kill, or kidnap you, lock you in a room, or throw or attempt to throw acid at you, you can kill that person and the law will protect you.
Indian gold futures hit a record high on Friday, tracking gains in overseas market, but the price rise dampened demand in the world’s second biggest consumer of the precious metal, dealers said.
Local gold futures rose to 56,245 rupees ($691.45) per 10 grams, surpassing the previous record of 56,191 rupees hit in August 2020.
Fears of recession and rising interest rates led to a fall in stock prices in the developed world. At the same time, the fall of cryptocurrencies prompted investors to move toward safe haven. That spurred the demand for gold.
Indian gold futures hit a record high on Friday, tracking gains in overseas market, but the price rise dampened demand in the world’s second biggest consumer of the precious metal, dealers said.
Local gold futures rose to 56,245 rupees ($691.45) per 10 grams, surpassing the previous record of 56,191 rupees hit in August 2020.
Fears of recession and rising interest rates led to a fall in stock prices in the developed world. At the same time, the fall of cryptocurrencies prompted investors to move toward safe haven. That spurred the demand for gold.
On Day 4 of the Start-up India Innovation Week 2023, several events were successfully conducted to boost the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the country.
Startup India with the support of Zone Startups today organized a MAARG Mentorship Masterclass for Mentors mentoring the startups in their entrepreneurial journey. MAARG (Mentorship, Advisory, Assistance, Resilience, and Growth), the National Mentorship Platform is a one stop platform to facilitate mentorship for startups across diverse sectors, functions, stages, geographies, and domains. The objective of the workshop was to equip the attendees with effective ways of mentoring startups, by enhancing their capacities and knowledge. More information on MAARG Portal can be accessed at https://maarg.startupindia.gov.in/
Startup India also organised the webinar on – “Decoding the Seed: Understanding Seed Funding Mechanism” with speakers from various prominent incubators in the country.
Kerala Startup Mission hosted KTIZ Innovation Day and a workshop for startup founders and ecosystem players to mark the occasion of National Startup Day.
Atal Incubation Centre – Pondicherry Engineering College Foundation (AIC) organised a one-day event, Puduvai Startup Sprint, a unique initiative to promote an innovative, and supportive ecosystem through pro-active initiatives. The event included knowledge sharing sessions on Startups and Team Building.
UASB Agri Innovation Center, Bengaluru, organised a series of workshops surrounding the theme ‘Role of Startups in Sustainable Agriculture’. The event included informative sessions on ‘Organic Farming for Agri Startups’, ‘Agroforestry Dependent Integrated Farming for Sustainable Income of Farmers’, and ‘Innovation in Agriculture by Startup’.
International Institute of Information Technology-Hyderabad Foundation organised ‘Mentor Cafe’, an offline event in collaboration with Startup India. The event included a ‘One-on-One Discussion forum between Industry Experts and Startups on Overall Strategy’ for budding and aspiring entrepreneurs.
AIC Raise Business Incubator Pvt Ltd in Coimbatore, organised a three-day event, ‘Startup Odyssey. A knowledge sharing Webinar was hosted on ‘How and When to Approach to Investors’, with special focus on inspiring and educating young innovators and students.
Marathwada Accelerator for Growth and Incubation Council in Aurangabad, Maharashtrain association with GIZ & Govt ITI has taken a unique initiative for fostering the spirit of Skills based Entrepreneurship amongst the ITI Students. Session on My Skill, My Business was conducted to create awareness & develop the much-needed mindset for establishing an enterprise.
India hosted a special virtual Summit – “Voice of Global South Summit” under the theme “Unity of Voice, Unity of Purpose” on 12-13 January 2023. The Summit encompassed inaugural and concluding sessions at Head of State / Government level, and hosted by the Prime Minister, and8 Ministerial sessions hosted by respective Cabinet Ministers of India.
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal, hosted the Commerce and Trade Ministers’ Session, today, on the theme – ‘Developing Synergies in the South: Trade, Technology, Tourism, Resources’. Hon’ble Ministers from 13 countries, namely, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Haiti, Malaysia, Myanmar, South Sudan, Timor Leste, and Zimbabwe, participated in the Session.
Delivering his opening remarks, the Minister called upon countries of Global South to forge new partnerships and mechanisms so that the voice of the Global South is reflected on the decision-making table. The Minister said the objective of the Summit is to pay attention to the issues pertaining to the Global South and those issues before key global forums like G20, the UN and other multilateral settings. Touching upon the theme of the Session, Shri Goyal said these are the key pillars for development of the countries of the South.
Highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on global trade and particularly on developing countries, he stressed upon the need to work together to build resilient supply chains. He also emphasised upon the need for de-politicization of the global supply of essential medicines. He said, “At the WTO Ministerial Conference held in Geneva in June 2022, India, South Africa, and other developing countries worked together to obtain the TRIPS waiver decision providing equitable and affordable access to vaccines. We shall redouble our efforts at the WTO to get the TRIPS waiver extended to COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics.”
Shri Goyal highlighted that the countries of the Global South are now contributing more than half of the world’s economic growth with South-South trade touching $5.3 trillion in 2021. In this regard, he urged for enhanced trade linkages for the mutual benefit of all our countries.
Mentioning that India is providing unilateral duty-free market access to the least-developed countries (LDCs) since 2008 through the duty-free tariff preference (DFTP) scheme of India, he said that India is also open to enter into Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) with interested countries in the South.
Calling Connectivity as a defining factor for success in the developing world, Shri Goyal spoke of India’s National Logistic policy (NLP) and the PM-Gati Shakti as the steps in this direction. He said countries of the Global South can work together to exchange best practices in models of connectivity that we employ in our countries.
Shri Goyal said southern countries are also helping to drive world investment. Indian companies are also investing abroad in a big way, including in the Southern countries. Financial cooperation between developing countries is also enabling developing countries to engage more in the global policy debates and shape the international agenda.
Emphasising on the use of technology for development, Shri Goyal shared India’s experience that an inclusive digital architecture can bring about socio-economic transformation. He cited examples of UPI which has transformed India’s Digital Payment Landscape, CoWIN platform which played a key role in the success of India’s COVID-19 vaccination programme.
On tourism, Shri Goyal noted developing countries are now fast emerging from the impact of covid, and the tourism sector has picked up in the last one year. He called for working together with the countries of the Global south to promote tourism. Shri Goyal noted that many countries of the South have huge deposits of these resources and emphasised that we should work closely to use such resources for the benefit of the South.
Shri Goyal concluded by stating that India is ready to share its development experience with the global South, and are eager to learn from other fellow countries and bring forth the matters of our common concern for further discussion and cooperation towards our joint sustainable and inclusive growth.
As directed by the Coal Ministry, coal/lignite PSUs are taking several steps for conservation and efficient use of mine water by supplying the same in its command areas for community usages such as drinking and irrigation. Mine water discharged from the operational mines as well as water available in abandoned mine voids of Coal/Lignite PSUs are benefitting approximately 18 lakh people living in about 900 villages in the proximity of coal mining areas.
During the current fiscal, coal/lignite PSUs planned to supply around 4000 LKL of mine water for community use of which 2788 LKL has been supplied till December 2022. From this 881LKL has been used for domestic purposes including drinking. The beneficiaries of mine water are mainly tribal people and those living in remote areas. This endeavour is in line with the Government’s Jal Shakti Abhiyan of water conservation effort.
In 2022-23, Coal India Ltd. (CIL) has already surpassed its annual plantation target of 1510 hectares by expanding its green cover to 1600 hectares ending December of FY’23. CIL has planted over 31 lakh saplings in the current fiscal till December, 2022.
Greening initiatives inside mine lease area during the last five years in 4392 hectares has created a carbon sink potential of 2.2 LT/year. Coal/Lignite PSUs have covered around 2230 Ha land under plantation in the current fiscal till December 2022 and around 360 Ha under grassing. Use of new techniques like seed ball plantation, seed casting through drones and Miyawaki plantation in its various mines are in place. Mined out areas, overburden dumps and other disturbed areas are concurrently reclaimed as soon as they get delinked from the active mining zones. These afforestation activities and green belt development works are also creating carbon sinks. The dense tree coverage also helps to control air pollution, arrests the suspended dust particles emitted during mining operations.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi flagged off the World’s Longest River Cruise-MV Ganga Vilas and inaugurated the Tent City at Varanasi via video conferencing today. He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for several other inland waterways projects worth more than Rs. 1000 crores during the event. In line with the Prime Minister’s endeavour to boost river cruise tourism, the huge untapped potential of river cruises will get unlocked with the launch of this service and it will herald a new age of river cruise tourism for India.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister hailed Lord Mahadev and greeted everyone on the auspicious occasion of Lohri. The Prime Minister emphasised charity, faith, tapasya and faith in our festivals and the role of rivers in them. This makes the projects related to river waterways all the more significant, he said. He pointed out that the longest river cruise from Kashi to Dibrugarh is being flagged off today which will bring to the fore, places of tourism in North India on the world tourism map. He said other projects being dedicated today in Varanasi, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Assam worth 1000 crore will give a push to the tourism and employment potential in eastern India.
Underlining the central role of river Ganga in the life of every Indian, the Prime Minister lamented that the area around the banks lagged behind in development in the post-independence period thereby leading to a massive exodus of population from this area. The Prime Minister elaborated on a twin approach to address this unfortunate situation. On the one hand, the campaign to clean Ganga was undertaken through Namami Gange and ‘Arth Ganga’ was taken up on the other. In ‘Arth Ganga’ steps have been taken to create an environment of economic dynamism in the states from where Ganga passes.
Directly addressing the tourists from foreign countries who are traveling on the maiden journey of the cruise, the Prime Minister said, “Today India has everything and a lot beyond your imagination.” He further added that India can only be experienced from the heart as the nation has welcomed everyone with open hearts irrespective of region or religion, creed or country and welcomed tourists from all parts of the world.
Throwing light on the experience of the river cruise, the Prime Minister informed that it has something special for everyone. He added that those seeking spirituality will cover destinations like Kashi, Bodh Gaya, Vikramshila, Patna Sahib and Majuli, tourists looking out for a multinational cruise experience will get the opportunity to via Dhaka in Bangladesh, and those wanting to witness the natural diversity of India will cross through Sundarbans and the forests of Assam. Observing that the cruise will pass through 25 different river streams, the Prime Minister said that this cruise has significant importance for those who have a keen interest in understanding the river systems of India. He also mentioned that it is a golden opportunity for those who want to explore the myriad culinary and cuisines of India. “One can witness the extraordinary amalgamation of the heritage of India and its modernity on this cruise”, the Prime Minister remarked as he shed light on the new era of cruise tourism where new employment opportunities will be created for the youth of the country. “Not just foreign tourists but Indians who traveled to different nations for such an experience can head towards North India now”, the Prime Minister said. He also informed that similar experiences are being readied in other inland waterways of the country to give a boost to cruise tourism while keeping in mind the budget as well as the luxury experience.
The Prime Minister also mentioned that India is entering into a robust phase of tourism as with a growing global profile, curiosity about India is also increasing. That is why, said the Prime Minister, in the last 8 years various steps were taken to expand the tourism sector in the country. Places of faith were developed on priority and Kashi is a live example of such efforts. With improved facilities and the rejuvenation of Kashi Vishvanath Dham, Kashi has seen a huge increase in the number of visiting devotees. This has given a massive boost to the local economy. The New Tent City, infused with modernity, spirituality and faith, will provide a novel experience to the tourists.
The Prime Minister said that today’s event is a reflection of the policies, decisions and direction taken after 2014 in the country. “This decade of the 21st century is a decade of infrastructure transformation in India. India is witnessing a level of infrastructure which was unimaginable a few years ago.” He said from Social infrastructure like houses, toilets, hospitals, electricity, water, cooking gas, educational institutes to digital infrastructure to physical connectivity infrastructure like railways, waterways, airways and roads, all these are strong indicators of the rapid growth of India. In all the fields India is seeing the best and biggest, he pointed out.
The Prime Minister underlined the low usage of river waterways in India before 2014 despite the rich history in this mode of transport in the country. Post 2014, India is harnessing this ancient strength to the cause of modern India. There is a new law and detailed action plan for developing waterways in big rivers of the country. The Prime Minister informed that in 2014 only 5 national waterways were there in the country, now there are 111 national waterways in the country and about two dozen are in operation already. Similarly, there has been a 3 times increase in cargo transportation via river waterways from 30 lakh metric tonnes 8 years ago.
Coming back to the theme of development of eastern India, the Prime Minister said that today’s events will help in making eastern India a growth engine for Developed India. This connects Haldia multimodal terminal with Varanasi and is also connected with India Bangladesh protocol route and Northeast. This also connects Kolkata port and Bangladesh. This will facilitate business from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal to Bangladesh.
Emphasising the need for training of the staff and skilled workforce, the Prime Minister informed that a Skill Development Center has been set up in Guwahati and a new facility is also being constructed in Guwahati for the repairing of ships. “Be it a cruise ship or a cargo ship, they not only give a boost to transport and tourism, but the entire industry associated with their service also creates new opportunities”, the Prime Minister said.
Referring to a study conducted, the Prime Minister informed that waterways are not just beneficial to the environment but also help in saving money. He said that the cost of operating waterways is two and a half times lesser than that of roadways, and one-third lesser when compared to railways. The Prime Minister also touched upon the National Logistics Policy and said that India has the potential to develop a waterway network of thousands of kilometres. He also emphasised that India has more than 125 rivers and river streams which can be developed to transport goods and ferry people while also giving impetus to further expanding port-led development. He emphasised the need to build a modern multi-modal network of waterways and informed about the partnerships with Bangladesh and other countries which have strengthened the water connectivity in the Northeast.
Concluding the address, the Prime Minister remarked on the continuous development process of developing waterways in India and said, “Strong connectivity is essential for building a developed India.” The Prime Minister expressed the belief that the river of India will give new heights to water power and trade and tourism of the country and wished a pleasant journey to all the cruise passengers.
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Yogi Adiyanath, Chief Minister of Assam, Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister of Port Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal among others were present on the occasion.
Background
MV Ganga Vilas
MV Ganga Vilas will begin its journey from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and travel around 3,200 km in 51 days to reach Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh, sailing across 27 river systems in India and Bangladesh. MV Ganga Vilas has three decks, 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists, with all the luxury amenities. The maiden voyage has 32 tourists from Switzerland signing up for the entire length of the journey.
The MV Ganga Vilas cruise is curated to bring out the best of the country to be showcased to the world. The 51 days cruise is planned with visits to 50 tourist spots including World Heritage Sites, National Parks, River Ghats, and major cities like Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Guwahati in Assam. The journey will give the tourists an opportunity to embark upon an experiential voyage and indulge in the art, culture, history, and spirituality of India and Bangladesh.
In line with PM’s endeavour to boost river cruise tourism, the huge untapped potential of river cruises will get unlocked with the launch of this service and it will herald a new age of river cruise tourism for India.
Tent City at Varanasi
Tent City has been conceptualised on the banks of the River Ganga to tap the potential of tourism in the region. The project has been developed opposite to city ghats which will provide accommodation facilities and cater to the increased tourist influx in Varanasi, especially since the inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath Dham. It has been developed by Varanasi Development Authority in PPP mode. The tourists will reach the Tent City by boats from different Ghats situated in the vicinity. The tent city will be operational from October to June every year and will be dismantled for three months due to the rise in river water level in the rainy season.
Inland Waterway projects
Prime Minister will inaugurate Haldia Multi-Modal Terminal in West Bengal. Developed under Jal Marg Vikas Project, Haldia Multi-Modal Terminal has a cargo handling capacity of around over 3 Million Metric Tonne Per Annum (MMTPA) and the berths are designed to handle vessels up to around 3000 Deadweight tonnage (DWT).
The Prime Minister also inaugurated four floating community jetties at Saidpur, Chochakpur, Zamania in Ghazipur district and at Kanspur in Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh. Besides, the Prime Minister laid foundation stones for the five Community Jetties at Digha, Nakta Diyara, Barh, Panapur in Patna district and Hasanpur in Samastipur district in Bihar. More than 60 community jetties are being constructed along the river Ganga across the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal to boost the economic activities and improve the livelihoods of local communities in the region. The community jetties would play a key role in improving the livelihoods of people by providing simple logistics solutions for small farmers, fishery units, unorganised farm-producing units, horticulturists, florists and artisans focussing on economic activities in and around the hinterland of river Ganga.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Maritime Skill Development Centre for North East at Guwahati. It will help hone the rich talent pool in the North Eastern region and will provide for better employment opportunities in the burgeoning logistics industry.
In addition to these, the Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for a ship repair facility and an elevated road at Pandu Terminal in Guwahati. The Ship Repair facility at the Pandu Terminal will save a lot of valuable time as it takes more than a month for a ship to be transported to the Kolkata Repair facility and back. Moreover, it will also result in huge savings in terms of money as the transportation cost of the ship will also be saved. The dedicated road connecting the Pandu Terminal to NH 27 will enable 24-hour connectivity.
I welcome you to the Voice of Global South Summit.
Over the past 2-days, this Summit has seen the participation of more than 120 developing countries – the largest-ever virtual gathering of the Global South.
I am privileged to have your company in this concluding session.
Excellencies,
The last 3 years have been difficult, especially for us developing nations.
The challenges of the COVID pandemic, rising prices of fuel, fertilizer and foodgrains, and increasing geo-political tensions have impacted our development efforts.
However, the start of a new year is a time for fresh hope. So let me first extend my good wishes to all of you for a happy, healthy, peaceful, secure and successful 2023.
Excellencies,
We all appreciate the principle of globalisation. India’s philosophy has always seen the world as one family.
However, developing countries desire a globalization that does not create Climate Crisis or Debt Crisis.
We want a globalisation that does not lead to unequal distribution of vaccines or over-concentrated global supply chains.
We want a globalisation that brings prosperity and well-being to humanity as a whole. In short, we want a ‘human-centric globalisation’.
Excellencies,
We developing countries are also concerned about the increasing fragmentation of the international landscape.
These geopolitical tensions distract us from focusing on our development priorities.
They cause sharp swings in international prices of food, fuel, fertilizers and other commodities.
To address this geopolitical fragmentation, we urgently need a fundamental reform of the major international organisations, including the United Nations Security Council and the Bretton Woods institutions.
These reforms should focus on giving voice to the concerns of the developing world, and reflect the realities of the 21st Century.
India’s G20 Presidency will attempt to voice the views of the Global South on these important issues.
Excellencies,
In its development partnerships, India’s approach has been consultative, outcome oriented, demand driven, people-centric, and respectful of the sovereignty of partner countries.
I firmly believe that countries of the Global South have a lot to learn from each other’s development experiences.
I am happy to announce that India will establish a “Global-South Center of Excellence”.
This institution will undertake research on development solutions or best-practices of any of our countries, which can be scaled and implemented in other members of the Global South.
As an example, the digital public goods developed by India in fields like electronic-payments, health, education, or e-governance, can be useful for many other developing countries.
India has also made great strides in areas like space technology and nuclear energy. We will launch a ‘Global-South Science & Technology initiative’ to share our expertise with other developing nations.
During the COVID pandemic, India’s ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative supplied made-in-India vaccines to over a 100 nations.
I would now like to announce a new ‘Aarogya Maitri’ project. Under this project, India will provide essential medical supplies to any developing country affected by natural disasters or humanitarian crisis.
Excellencies,
For synergising our diplomatic voice, I propose a ‘Global-South Young Diplomats Forum’, to connect youthful officers of our foreign ministries.
India will also institute ‘Global-South Scholarships’ for students from developing countries to pursue higher education in India.
Excellencies,
The theme of today’s session is inspired by the ancient wisdom of India.
A prayer from the Rig Veda – the oldest text known to humanity – says:
संगच्छध्वं संवदध्वं सं वो मनांसि जानताम्
which means: Let us come together, speak together, and may our minds be in harmony.
Or in other words, ‘Unity of Voice, Unity of Purpose’.
In this spirit, I look forward to listening to your views and suggestions.
Eduindex News 
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