The serological survey in Delhi will begin today and it will be carried out jointly by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Delhi Government. Training of all the concerned survey teams was completed on Thursday.
AIR correspondent reports that this survey will be conducted in all the districts of Delhi to understand the proportion of population exposed to corona infection.
Two age categorizations have been set to conduct the survey, one is for below 18 years of age group and another for above 18 years.
Depending upon the level of sero-prevalence of infection, appropriate public health interventions can be planned and implemented for prevention and control of the disease.
As per the Indian Council of Medical Research, periodic sero-surveys are useful to guide the policy makers to conduct surveys in high risk areas or vulnerable population who have been infected in the past and has now recovered.
The survey will involve collection of blood samples from randomly selected individuals. Blood samples will be collected for detecting IgG antibodies and it would be conducted using an IgG ELISA kit
Author: Eduindex News
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Recovery rate of Covid-19 patients improves to over 58%; Exceeds active cases by more than 96,000
Government has said that the recovered cases of COVID-19 has exceeded the active cases by more than 96 thousand. Health Ministry said, the graded, pre-emptive and pro-active steps taken by the Centre along with the States and Union territories for prevention, containment and management of COVID-19 are showing encouraging results.
During the last 24 hours, a total of 13 thousand 940 COVID-19 patients have been cured, taking the cumulative figure to two lakh 85 thousand 636.
The Ministry said, the recovery rate of COVID-19 patients has reached 58.24 per cent. Presently, there are over one lakh 89 thousand active cases and all are under active medical supervision.
The Ministry said, ICMR has inducted 11 new labs in the last 24 hours. India now has one thousand 16 diagnostic labs dedicated to COVID-19. This includes 737 in the government sector and 279 private labs.
The numbers of samples tested every day continues to steadily grow. During the past 24 hours, over two lakh 15 thousand tests have been conducted in the labs. The total number of samples tested is over 77 lakh.
India warns China against attempts to alter status quo along LAC
India has warned China that trying to alter the status quo on the ground by resorting to force will damage the peace that existed on the border areas. In an interview to a news agency, India’s ambassador to China Vikram Misri said that Chinese attempt to alter status quo can also have “ripples and repercussions” in the broader bilateral relationship. He said that actions taken by the Chinese forces on the ground have damaged “considerable trust” in the bilateral relationship and demanded that Beijing stop its activities in eastern Ladakh.
Mr Misri said, it is entirely the responsibility of the Chinese side to take a careful view of the relations and to decide which direction the ties should move. He said, maintenance of peace and tranquillity on the border is essential for progress in the rest of bilateral relationship between India and China.
Indian envoy said Chinese side needs to stop creating obstruction and hindrances in the normal patrolling patterns of the Indian troops. He also rubbished China’s claim of sovereignty over Galwan Valley in Ladakh as “completely untenable”, and asserted that these kinds of exaggerated claims are not going to help the situation.
PM says Atma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Abhiyan to provide employment opportunities to migrant workers, promote local entrepreneurship
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that Aatma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Abhiyan will providing employment opportunities to migrant workers and promote local entrepreneurship. Mr Modi yesterday inaugurated Aatma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Abhiyan through video conferencing.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Modi said that UP will benefit immensely from clusters of industries being created to promote such local products across the country under the AatmaNirbhar Rojgar Abhiyan.
Prime Minister said that everyone will be able to surpass the difficulties owing to the COVID-19 Pandemic. He stressed that until a vaccine is found, maintaining Do Gaj ki Doori, covering the face with the mask are the best precautions.
PM expressed satisfaction in the manner in which Uttar Pradesh has turned the disaster into an opportunity, the way people were engaged during this pandemic. He said that other states will also get to learn a lot from ‘AatmaNirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Abhiyan’ and will be inspired by it.
The PM lauded the courage and wisdom shown by Uttar Pradesh, when Corona is in such a major crisis in the world. He said that the way the state succeeded and the way it handled the situation is unprecedented and is praiseworthy.
Mr Modi praised the contribution of doctors, parameds, sanitation staff, police, ASHAs, Anganwadi workers, banks and post offices, transport services and workers in UP.
The Prime Minister lauded the Government of UP making efforts to bring back the migrant labour belonging to the state, by facilitating hundreds of Shramik Express Trains.
He said that more than 30 lakh migrant labor from all over the country returned to their villages in UP in the last few weeks.
The Prime Minister said that the Chief Minister of UP understood the seriousness of the situation and his government worked on a war footing in view of this situation.
The Prime Minister praised the UP government for their unprecedented work in ensuring that the poor don’t go hungry. He said the UP Government acted very promptly in providing free rations to the poor and the migrant labor under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.
This was provided for those even without ration cards. He said that in addition to this, about 5 thousand crore rupees were also directly transferred to the Jan Dhan account of 75 Lakh poor women of Uttar Pradesh.
GTU to conduct Examination for final year students, here’s how it will be conducted…!
GTU – Gujarat Technological University to conduct online as well as offline exams on 2nd of July. V.C. of GTU Navin Seth and V.C. of MS University Parimal Vyas raised an issue about exams and said that:
“All private universities are conducting examinations and if state universities do not conduct exams, the students enrolled with them are going to face serious repercussions for the same – in terms of not being able to go for higher study, or even bag a job. “Their competence in the time to come will be challenged.”
So, the GTU has decided to conduct examination for final year candidates.
“Allow universities to frame examination guidelines as per their requirement and local dynamics. The new proposed guidelines may create further issues, so the framework of new guidelines regarding cancellation of examination must incorporate the flexibility of giving autonomy to individual universities for taking the decision regarding the date, mode of examination and other related guidelines in line with the set norms of UGC,” – the V.C. said.
GTU also plans to conducts for those who have fear and lives in containment zone via online mode as well as off in the month of September-October.
We have students from 32 states. To bring uniformity in exam patterns for Gujarat, out of state and of India students, we decided to conduct online exams for all. I raised only one point and asked All India University members that they should convey to UGC that universities should be given autonomy to decide and conduct exams. No mandatory guidelines for all universities should be set for blanket implementation,” Vyas said
The online mode of exam will be conducted with high safety in hand on hand with varasity, and planned to conduct exams of around 1600+ students with 1 supervisor for each 15 student and the computers will be completely checked there will be no copy-paste option available as well as browsing on the internet will also be disabled for an additional security each and every 1600+ students movement will be recorded, computers will be properly sanitized before and after use.
The offline exams will be conducted for those who are willing to go for offline mode. There will only 15 students on each class and 1 supervisor for each 15 students proper distance will be allotted between each student and proper sanitation procedure will be followed up.
The timings of the online mode is 2.5 hours where as for offline mode is 2 hours with the reduced question. For different typing speed of each student differs additional half hour time is allotted for students of online mode of examination.
June 26 observed as International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
Today is International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. In 1987, the United Nations General Assembly decided to observe 26th June as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking as an expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse.
The theme for this year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is “Better Knowledge for Better Care”. The theme emphasizes the need to improve the understanding of the world drug problem and how in turn, better knowledge will foster greater international cooperation for countering its impact on health, governance and security.
Supported each year by individuals, communities and various organizations all over the world, this global observance aims to raise awareness of the major problem that illicit drugs represent to society.
Around 269 million people used drugs worldwide in 2018, which is 30 per cent more than in 2009, while over 35 million people suffer from drug use disorders, according to the latest World Drug Report.
12 Ways to Stop Undermining Your Self Esteem
It is easy to lose track of your worth after you have spent significant time in an unhealthy work environment. If you were given too little, you may view yourself as lacking and believe you are inadequate. If you were starved for the recognition you may become hard on yourself and insecure in conflictual situations because you fear being seen as wrong and being fired.
Conversely, if you were given too much you may have become dependent upon other people to fill you up and make you feel happy and successful, perhaps becoming angry or abusive when the world doesn’t shift on its axis to give you what you want when you want it. When you have never been held responsible for sustaining your own success or well-being you remain emotionally immature and demanding.
1. Change your inner dialogue.
To increase your self-esteem improve the way you talk to yourself. Stop the inner dialogue that you are not good enough or that you must repeatedly prove your worth. That causes you to be inauthentic and to over-function.
Conversely, if you only feel good enough when people are bending over backward to placate your needs you will suffer from the disappointment of unmet and unrealistic expectations. That will cause you to become angry, demanding and to feel empty.
2. Find balance.
If you are not getting your important needs met because you put yourself second to meeting the needs of others, start putting your needs first. When you put yourself first you give yourself the sense of importance you so desperately seek to feel from others.
If, on the other hand, you expect others to put you first and do everything for you, you will never develop the all-important empathy necessary for sustaining healthy connections. Find the balance of what you need to do for yourself and what you can realistically expect from others.
3. Know your worth.
If your worth is dependent upon pleasing others you will come up empty. Nothing you do for others will be enough to make you feel valued and appreciated in the way you desire. Knowing your worth has to come from within. Your worth is determined by the treatment you accept or expect for yourself, not by how much of yourself you give away.
Conversely, cannot gain the skill of developing your own self-worth if you expect others to constantly soothe you, build you up and make you feel like you are a success. Measuring your worth by how important others make you feel makes your sense of self to dependent on other people.
To know your worth take charge of yourself and see how it feels to experience your own power.
4. Create your own success and happiness.
Neither success or happiness are givens. They are creations. If happiness is not developed from within, you will naturally start looking for happiness from outside sources. This makes you needy. Your expectations, driven by insecurity, will drain others or push them away.
Trust that you deserve success and happiness. Figure out how to self-soothe and make yourself happy. When you enjoy your own achievements and success your sense of worth will attract new opportunities and the recognition you deserve from your bosses and coworkers.
5. Be proud.
Do things you are proud of. Take care to dress nice. Be nice, be calm, be loving and have boundaries. Work hard, achieve all you can, be clean and be kind. Kindness will take you further in life than any other human characteristic.
Walk tall. There is so much about you that is good, regardless of what you have been told. Choose to believe in who you are and be proud of that. Do not compare yourself to others. Like the snowflake, you are not repeatable.
6. Work hard.
Happiness is a byproduct of achieving and having a purpose. Hard work trumps genius, so let go of the idea you have to have a stellar IQ to be successful. The hard workers in life, void of entitlement, are the people who succeed at the highest levels.
There is nothing that can make you feel better about yourself then being committed in life, to your life, and to yourself through hard work. With hard work, success is a guarantee. Success naturally brings us self-love, self-respect, self-esteem, recognition and happiness.
7. Exercise.
Exercise is good all around. First, it is the best anti-anxiety and anti-depressive agent around. It promotes positive mood and it also helps you feel good about your physique. Nothing can lower self-esteem more quickly than not liking what you look like.
Commit to exercising a minimum of three times per week, and do what you can to get outdoors. When you get outside, it yanks you out of the daily grind and you are reminded of how beautiful this earth is, how beautiful life is and how much you have to be thankful for.
A little fresh air is enough to cleanse your spirit of negativity.
8. Eat healthy.
What you feed your stomach you feed your brain. The digestive system is the most similar in neurochemistry to the brain, which is why your stomach is considered your second brain. To feel good and be happy, eat healthy.
Supply your brain with the nutrients that stimulate health and positive mood. Eat lots of greens and drink a lot of water. Eat low-fat proteins to fuel your body for positive mood, productivity and sustainable energy.
9. Choose healthy connections.
It only takes one toxic person to destroy your entire sense of self. Choose people, companies or bosses that treat you with dignity and respect. Refuse to participate in relationships where you have to constantly prove your worth to keep their interest. Conversely, to have healthy a self-esteem avoid being that person who demands others to constantly bend to your needs for you to feel alive and worthy.
10. Depend on yourself.
Do not allow others to do for you what you can do for yourself. There is no path to a healthy self-esteem through being lazy or entitled. Learn to take care of your own needs, learn to be responsible for your own success. Support your life in all the ways you can.
Take control and become a whole person you can admire, depend upon and trust.
11. Let others be themselves.
If you are needy, insecure, entitled or demanding you become controlling. When you are controlling you compromise the freedoms of the important people in your life through fear, abandonment or engulfment. When you love yourself, you will not need to make demands because you will already have your needs taken care of. This makes you easier to work with and for.
People will respond to you the most when you give them the freedom to be themselves.
12. Be happy for others.
People with healthy self-esteem seldom feel jealousy or envy because they are satisfied in their own lives, careers and relationships. They are satisfied with who they are as people. Be happy for other people and their happiness. This shift will fundamentally change your life and only serve to bring happiness your way.
Trust there is enough love, money, happiness and success for everyone. When you see there is no such thing as lack, other people’s success or happiness will no longer be a threat to you and your view of yourself. Your self-worth is YOUR business.
PM Modi launches ‘Atma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Yojana’ for migrant workers
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic is going on and since there is no Vaccine for Coronavirus we only have one medicine for this deadly virus and that is Mask and ‘do gaz ki doori’ or social distancing. Launching the unique and path-breaking initiative scheme of Atma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Yojana through video conferencing Prime Minister said that ATMANIRBHAR ABHIYAN is going to benefit Uttar Pradesh the most.
The Atma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Yojana is focused on generating employment for those migrant workers of the state who recently returned from other states. Under the campaign around one crore 25 lakh people will be provided employment in the state in different schemes.
On this occasion the Prime Minister praised the UP government and particularly the leadership of Yogi Adityanath for handling the migrant workers issues perfectly. PM said that the Yogi Government has done a wonderful job and worked on war footing using all resources to contain the spread of Corona. Even Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath decided not to attend the last rites of his father and decided to work for the people of the state.
Mr. Modi said that Uttar Pradesh has shown exemplary success in controlling the spread of Corona and this success becomes more important when we compare it with 4 major countries of Europe whose total population is close to UPs population and while those countries have more than one lakh deaths, but in Uttar Pradesh the number is only 6 hundred. The UP government has therefore saved more than 80 thousand lives if we compare it with the casualties in 4 countries of Europe.
PM said that the ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT campaign will generate approximately 35 lakh new jobs in the agriculture sector.
AIR correspondent reports, the Prime Minister especially mentioned the efforts of the state government in dealing with the epidemic and termed it historic. He said that the state government made arrangements of one lakh beds, constituted more than 60 thousand health teams, provided food and ration to the needy and stated various schemes for ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT.
On this occasion PM interacted with members of Self Help Groups and beneficiaries of different central and state government schemes. Under the Atma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Yojana a Loan amount of 5900 crores will be distributed to 2.40 Lakh units.
More than 1 lakh new units will also get 3226 crore rupees as loan amount. The campaign is launched in 31 districts of the state. These districts have more than 25,000 returnee migrant workers.
Sole Testimony of Victim of Sexual Abuse, If Found Reliable, is Sufficient
In a fresh, firm and favourable ruling for victims of sexual abuse and delivered just recently on June 15, 2020, the Uttarakhand High Court has in a latest, landmark and extremely laudable judgment titled Bhuwan Chandra Pandey Vs Union of India and others in Writ Petition (S/B) No. 153 of 2013 held in no uncertain terms that the sole testimony of the victim of sexual abuse is sufficient to hold the perpetrator guilty of misconduct in a departmental enquiry. There is no reason why the sole testimony of sexual abuse not be sufficient to hold the perpetrator guilty of misconduct in a departmental enquiry. There are so many notable rulings of Supreme Court and High Courts also which have held the perpetrator accountable even in such cases of sole testimony of sexual abuse!
To start with, this noteworthy judgment authored by Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court – Ramesh Ranganathan for himself and Justice RC Khulbe sets the ball rolling by first and foremost posing a series of thought provoking questions in para 1 which goes as: “Is the sole testimony of the victim of sexual abuse, sufficient to hold the perpetrator guilty of misconduct in a departmental enquiry? Is the punishment of dismissal from service, imposed on the perpetrator as a consequence thereof, grossly disproportionate warranting interference by this Court in the exercise of its power of judicial review? These questions, among several others, arise for consideration in this writ petition.”
While elaborating further, it is then stated in para 2 that, “The extra-ordinary jurisdiction of this Court, under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, has been involved by the petitioner seeking a writ of certiorari to quash the order of punishment of dismissal dated 10.05.2012, the appellate order, the order directing initiation of a de-novo enquiry, and the fresh charge sheet, declaring the same as illegal, dehors the rules and unconstitutional; to issue a writ of mandamus commanding the respondents to treat the petitioner as continuing in service, and reinstate him with all consequential benefits including promotion, upgradation of pay, revised pay scales and arrears of salary, as he would have been entitled to, if the impugned orders had not been passed; for a writ of mandamus to consider the petitioner’s claim for payment of damages on account of the tortuous act of the respondents; and to quantify the damages to be recovered from the erring officers, and persons who were instrumental and responsible for the same.”
While dwelling on the facts of the case, it is then stated clearly in para 3 that, “Facts, to the limited extent necessary, are that, for the para medic course (the duration of which was for a period of three months), the petitioner was nominated, for the three day period 16.08.1998 to 18.08.1998, as a guest instructor for an outdoor exercise with trainees, for conducting a half day theory class, a half night march exercise at the S.S.B. Academy Gwaldum, and to impart them training on military topics such as night navigation and map reading. On 18.08.1998 the trainees, including two lady members of the 94 medic course, were imparted training on theoretical subjects. The half night training exercise included a night march. However, because of heavy rains in that area, it was decided by the petitioner’s superior officers not to permit both the lady trainees to march in the wet and muddy hilly areas to prevent any casualty occurring thereby. In the affidavit, filed in support of the writ petition, the petitioner states that it was decided to give minimum or grace marks for the night march training to the two lady trainees as they did not participate in the night march.”
In continuation of the above, it is then stated more relevantly in para 4 that, “After completion of the night training exercise, the petitioner, along with several other members including the two lady trainees, sat in the cabin of a truck which was coming back to Gwaldum station. It is in the cabin of the truck that the petitioner is said to have molested one of the lady trainees, and to have sexually harassed her.”
While elaborating further on what is stated above, it is then stated in para 5 that, “While this unsavory incident is said to have taken place in the cabin of the truck at around 11 p.m. on 18.08.1998, the victim trainee (hereinafter referred to as the “complainant”) lodged a complaint on 19.08.1998 to the DIG F.A. Gwaldum alleging sexual harassment by the petitioner during the return journey on 18.08.1998. Thereafter the petitioner was informed, by memorandum dated 08.10.1999, that it was proposed to take action against him under Rule 16 of the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965 (for short the “1965 Rules”). A statement of imputations of misconduct/misbehavior, on which action was proposed to be taken, was issued giving the petitioner an opportunity to submit his representation thereto. Rule 16 of the 1965 Rules prescribes the procedure for imposing the minor penalties as specified under Rule 11. The inquiry committee, constituted thereafter, submitted its report on 21.09.2001 holding the petitioner guilty of the charges. The disciplinary authority agreed with the findings of the Inquiry Committee. Though minor penalty proceedings, under Rule 16 of the 1965 Rules, had been initiated against him by memorandum dated 08.10.1999, the petitioner, on being held guilty of the charges, was imposed, by proceedings dated 12.09.2003, the major penalty of dismissal from service.”
Importantly, it is then laid bare in para 106 that, “In the present case the Disciplinary Authority imposed, on the petitioner, the punishment of dismissal from service after concurring with the findings and conclusions of the Inquiry Committee that both Charges 1 and 2 were proved. The first charge, as noted hereinabove, related to sexual abuse and molestation by a superior paramilitary officer over his subordinate lady trainee. In the Paramilitary Forces, where the need to maintain discipline is of a very high order, such acts of a superior officer, in taking advantage of the vulnerability of a subordinate lady trainee and in indulging in such heinous acts of molestation and sexual abuse, justified the deterrent punishment of dismissal from service being imposed on him. Under no circumstances, be it in the Paramilitary Forces or elsewhere, can such acts either be condoned or a lenient view be taken thereof. The second charge, as held established is that the petitioner, after having indulged in such heinous acts, as also his father who was a high ranked official, in the cadre of Deputy Inspector General in the Sashastra Seema Bal, had sought to pressurize the complainant to withdraw the complaint.”
More importantly, while justifying the punishment imposed on the petitioner, it is then held in para 107 that, “The deponent of the counter-affidavit, filed in the present Writ Petition, is the Commandant, SSB, Gwaldam. It is not for him to sit in judgment over the decision of the President of India in imposing the punishment of dismissal from service on the petitioner for the charges held established. His concession, that the punishment is not proportionate, is therefore of no consequence. Even otherwise, we are satisfied that the punishment, imposed on the petitioner of dismissal from service, is commensurate to the charges held established. The contention urged on behalf of the petitioner, that the punishment of dismissal from service is shockingly disproportionate, therefore necessitated rejection.”
Most importantly, it is very rightly observed in para 43 that, “As the sole testimony of a prosecutrix, in a criminal case involving sexual harassment and molestation, would suffice if it is otherwise reliable, there is no justifiable reason not to accept the sole testimony of a victim, of sexual harassment and molestation, in a departmental inquiry as the enquiry held by a domestic Tribunal is not unlike a Criminal Court, governed by the strict and technical rules of the Evidence Act. (Murlidhar Jena AIR 1963 SC 404). A disciplinary proceeding is not a criminal trial. The standard of proof required is that of preponderance of probabilities, and not proof beyond reasonable doubt. If the inference was one which a reasonable person would draw, from the proved facts of the case, the High Court cannot sit as a court of appeal over a decision based on it. (Sardar Bahadur (1972) 4 SCC 618). If the enquiry has been properly held, the question of adequacy or reliability of the evidence cannot be canvassed before the High Court. The only question is whether the proved facts of the case would warrant such an inference. (Sardar Bahadur (1972) 4 SCC 618; and S Sree Rama Rao AIR 1963 SC 1723). If the disciplinary inquiry has been conducted fairly without bias or predilection, in accordance with the relevant disciplinary rules and the Constitutional provisions, the order passed by such authority cannot be interfered with merely on the ground that it was based on evidence which would be insufficient for conviction of the delinquent on the same charge at a criminal trial. (Nand Kishore Prasad v. The State of Bihar and others AIR 1978 SC 1277).”
Equally significant if not more is what is then stated in para 44 that, “Strict and sophisticated rules of evidence, under the Indian Evidence Act, are not applicable in a domestic enquiry. (State of Haryana vs. Rattan Singh (1977) 2 SCC 491; J.D. Jain v. Management of State Bank of India & Others (1982) 1 SCC 143). Sufficiency of evidence, in proof of the finding by a domestic tribunal is beyond scrutiny. (Rattan Singh). In a departmental enquiry, guilt need not be established beyond reasonable doubt. Proof of misconduct is sufficient. (J.D. Jain). All material, which are logically probative for a prudent mind, are permissible. There is no allergy even to hearsay evidence provided it has reasonable nexus and credibility. (Rattan Singh).”
No less significant is what is then stated in para 45 that, “In the present case, the testimony of the complainant gives graphic and shocking details of acts of sexual molestation perpetrated by the petitioner on her. This evidence is also corroborated in part by the testimony of others. The Enquiry Committee has held that, before this incident, the petitioner and the complainant were not even personally acquainted with each other, and the petitioner’s claim, of the complainant having been instituted for extraneous considerations, was not tenable. In such circumstances, we see no reason why the Enquiry Committee should be faulted for largely relying on the testimony of the complainant. The contentions urged on behalf of the petitioner under this head, necessitate rejection.”
Finally, the key point of the last para 113 is that, “For the reasons stated hereinabove, we see no reason to interfere either with the inquiry proceedings or with the order of punishment of dismissal from service imposed on the petitioner.”
On a concluding note, this extremely laudable and latest judgment by a two Judge Bench of the Uttarakhand High Court including the Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan himself is a strong and stern warning to all men who dare to indulge in sexual harassment that if you dare to indulge in it then be ready to face the dire consequences. Even the sole testimony of sexual abuse, if found reliable, is sufficient to hold the perpetrator guilty of misconduct in departmental enquiry! Such men who dare to commit such heinous crimes must expect no reprieve from the courts anymore!
Sanjeev Sirohi, Advocate,
s/o Col BPS Sirohi,
A 82, Defence Enclave,
Sardhana Road, Kankerkhera,
Meerut – 250001, Uttar Pradesh.
Bar On Certain Matters To Be Entertained As PIL
In a latest, landmark and extremely laudable judgment titled Soni Beniwal Vs State of Uttarakhand and others in Writ Petition (PIL) No. 191 of 2019, the Uttarakhand High Court has just recently on June 18, 2020 held in no uncertain terms that even if there is a bar on certain matters to be taken as PIL, there is always discretion available with the Court to do so in exercise of its inherent powers. Moreover, the Chief Justice-led Bench has also stated explicitly that even persons who are debarred under the High Court rules can be entertained to file public interest petitions where allegations of misappropriation of public funds by a government-aided college, receiving funds both from the State Government and the University Grants Commission, are involved. Very rightly so!
To start with, this noteworthy judgment authored by Uttarakhand Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan for himself and Justice Ramesh Chandra Khulbe after hearing the lawyers from both sides in considerable detail sets the ball rolling by observing first and foremost in para 2 that, “The petitioner has invoked the jurisdiction of this Court seeking a writ of mandamus directing the State of Uttarakhand to proceed further with the investigation on the FIR dated 28.03.2017; a mandamus directing the State of Uttarakhand to recover the excess amount, as pointed out in the Audit conducted by the Auditors of the Comptroller and Auditor General as well as the State of Uttarakhand, from the personal account of the sixth respondent, who was then the acting Principal of the College, as also the fifth respondent, who was the Secretary of the M.K.P. Society; and a mandamus directing the Director General of Police to constitute a Special Investigation Team to investigate into the gambit of corrupt practices currently underway in the respondent-College, as outlined in the Audit Reports; and to probe the reasons why no action was taken in the F.I.R. lodged in the year 2017.”
While elaborating further, it is then mentioned in para 3 that, “We had, by our order dated 02.01.2020, granted time to the learned Standing Counsel, appearing on behalf of the State Government, to ascertain whether or not a Final Report, after further investigation was caused under Section 173(8) Cr.P.C, had been filed before the Magistrate till date. Subsequently, by our order dated 20.03.2020, while taking the counter affidavit filed on behalf of respondents 1 and 4 on record, we noted the request of Mr. C.S. Rawat, learned Additional Chief Standing Counsel, for the matter to be taken up on 25.03.2020 to enable him to ascertain what action the Government intends to take pursuant to its admission, in the counter affidavit, that respondents 5 and 6 had indulged in grave and serious irregularities, including mis-appropriation of public funds.”
What is then brought out in para 4 is that a counter-affidavit has now been filed on behalf of the fifth respondent raising objections both to the maintainability of the Writ Petition, as also on merits. Now coming to para 6, it states that, “The counter-affidavit, thereafter, states that the inquiry team had indicated that the prescribed procedure was violated in purchase of items/equipment from the UGC grant; at the relevant time, the sixth respondent was the Principal and the fifth respondent was the Secretary, who were equally responsible; a letter was addressed to the Registrar, Firms, Societies and Chits, Uttarakhand by the Additional Chief Secretary, Higher Education regarding irregularities in purchase of items/instruments from UGC funds; and, as per the findings in the Inquiry Report, respondents 5 and 6 were equally responsible for violation of the Rules and norms.”
More crucially, it is then stated in simple and straight language in para 8 that, “The afore-extracted findings of the Inquiry Report are not from the affidavit filed in support of the Writ Petition, but from the counter-affidavit filed on behalf of the State Government. The subject College, of which the sixth respondent is the in-charge Principal and the fifth respondent is the Secretary, is a State Government aided institution and receives funds both from the State Government and the University Grants Commission. The serious allegations, made in the counter-affidavit filed on behalf of the State Government, would necessitate an inquiry being caused and action taken in the larger public interest of ensuring that public funds are not mis-utilized. As the cause is in the public interest, it matters little who has brought these facts to the notice of the Court. Allegations regarding personal animosity between the petitioner and the fifth respondent, or that the Writ Petition was filed at the behest of others inimically disposed towards the fifth respondent, need not detain us, as this Court can examine these allegations, non-suiting the petitioner and entertaining the Writ Petition suo-motu.”
To put things in perspective, it is then made clear in para 10 that, “What Rule 3(4)(c) of the 2010 Rules prohibits is for a Writ Petition to be entertained, in the PIL jurisdiction of the High Court, where it relates to individual disputes in the arena of criminal jurisdiction. The present case relates to mis-utilization of public funds by those incharge of a Government aided institution, and does not relate to individual disputes in the arena of criminal jurisdiction. Further the jurisdiction which the High Court exercises, under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, is a part of the basic structure of the Constitution (L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India : AIR 1997 SC 1225). As the power of judicial review is part of the basic structure, this power cannot be curtailed or negated even by an amendment to the Constitution, much less by legislation – plenary or subordinate.”
Be it noted, it is then brought out aptly in para 11 that, “The High Court of Uttarakhand P.I.L. Rules, 2010 have been made to guide the High Court in entertaining Writ Petitions in its Public Interest Litigation jurisdiction. That does not curtail or negate its jurisdiction to entertain cases where it is satisfied that larger public interest would be adversely affected if it fails to intervene. As the afore-extracted allegations are serious, and cannot be brushed aside, we are satisfied that an inquiry should be caused into these allegations, and action taken pursuant thereto in accordance with law.”
Most crucially, it is then held in no uncertain terms in para 12 that, “In the present case, the allegations relate to misappropriation and mis-utilization of public funds. As this Court can even treat letters addressed to it, or newspaper reports, as Writ Petitions filed in public interest, we see no reason not to cause an inquiry into these serious allegations merely because a criminal investigation has been caused in the matter, and a Final Report is said to have been filed by the Investigating Officer.”
Equally significant is what is then made amply clear by the Bench in its clarification in para 12 that, “Even if the Uttarakhand Audit Act, 2012 does not apply to the Society of which the fifth respondent is the Secretary, misutilization of public funds would undoubtedly, require an inquiry to be caused, and action taken pursuant thereto in accordance with law. Accepting the submission of Mr Neeraj Garg, learned counsel for the fifth respondent, that, in the absence of a specific provision either in the Uttarakhand Audit Act, 2012 or elsewhere, no inquiry can be caused, would enable persons, in charge of establishments which receive public funds, to misappropriate such funds and yet claim immunity from inquiry, and action being taken pursuant thereto.”
To sum up, the Uttarakhand High Court has made it amply clear in this leading case that even if there is a bar on certain matters to be taken as PIL, there is always discretion that is available with the Court to do so in exercise of its inherent powers. It is entirely up to the Court to exercise its power of discretion in exercise of its inherent powers hinging on the merits of the case! There can certainly be no ever denying or disputing it!
Sanjeev Sirohi, Advocate,
s/o Col BPS Sirohi,
A 82, Defence Enclave,
Sardhana Road, Kankerkhera,
Meerut – 250001, Uttar Pradesh.
Space Race vs Space Rage : What is the Reality of World’s Space Exploration Program ???????
Unbeknownst to a world still reeling from the atomic catastrophe of Hiroshima, and under the crafty guise of a “peaceful nuclear explosion”, India detonated it’s first Weapon of Mass Destruction at the infamous Pokhran test range in 1974, carving for itself an irrevocable position in a community of toffee-nosed, nuclear-armed governments. The diplomatic furore that followed this tectonic shift would resound in the international nuclear coterie for decades to come, and incense totalitarian American administrations committed to crippling India’s self-defence programmes. Even the most imperious sanctions and underhanded espionage, however, could not muffle a nation of determined democracy, that tested it’s most triumphant space-technology yesterday – The GSLV Mk-III.
On June 5th, 2017, after more than 200 tests in 2 years, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched into orbit a three-tonne payload on a home-grown rocket of the class developed by only 5 others – Russia, China, Japan, the European Space Agency, and the United States. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III (GSLV Mk-III) weighs 640 tonnes – as much as 200 fully grown elephants – and carries upto 10 tonnes to be delivered into orbit. It is a 140 foot-tall, three-stage, game-changing Launch Vehicle with a cryogenic engine, developed almost entirely using Indian components, and capable at long last of sending manned crews into space.
The Command Centre and Launchpad at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, witnessed a turning point in the global space-race yesterday with the success of India’s GSLV Mk-III, placing the country at the heart of a space-industry valued at nearly $350 billion. Dependent on foreign agencies to launch satellites over 2,300 kilograms, India was confined to under 1 percent of this burgeoning market. Today, India has made “quantum leaps” in the words of P. V. Krishnan, Director of the ISRO Propulsion Complex, and is well on the way to launching Chandrayaan-II, slated for next year, and Aditya-I, a satellite mission designed to study the sun.
This jumbo-jet of the rocket-world, however, has a dramatic history riddled with international outrage and sabotage spanning nearly three decades. Beginning at the height of the Soviet era, India’s space and nuclear programmes have been the subject of gory eco-political power-plays between the two superpowers of our time – Russia and the United States. Yet, against all odds, and the express actions and sanctions of the US Government, Indian scientists designed by themselves a heavy-weight carrier of not only 10-tonne satellites, but also national pride and international glory.
After the successful Smiling Buddha nuclear tests at Pokhran, ISRO made enormous strides in space technology with the aid of it’s Russian counterparts, leading up to a $120 million contract in 1991 with the Soviet Space Agency Glavkosmos for seven cryogenic rocket engines, along with a complete transfer of technology. Cryogenic engines use super-cooled liquid fuels to produce massive amounts of thrust in order to lift heavy payloads into space, and the Russians were offering a secret engine, the RD-56 or KVD-1 – originally designed by the Isayev Design Bureau as part of the Soviet manned moon-landing programme of 1964 – with unparalleled thrust and capabilities that NASA could not match for years. Apprehensive of competition in the highly-lucrative commercial space industry, the US descended into a dirty game of geopolitical sanctions and espionage to disable this agreement.
Invoking the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the United States stalled the engine supply by sanctioning both ISRO and Glavkosmos. The American administration claimed that the issue was not India importing engine components from Russia, but that India was importing engines at all. The idea being that if India were forced to make those developments on their own instead of simply buying engines and the technology driving them, it would slow India’s rocket program and keep them from becoming a potential military threat.
The two-faced Americans, however, continued to import engines from Russia, simultaneously strong-arming India to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty. India refused on the grounds that all signatories – except members of the UN Security Council – are required to unilaterally destroy their nuclear weapons, and could not afford to oblige given that the country is neighboured by two nuclear armed states, both of whom are hostile. Crippled but not killed, ISRO began the formidable task of developing indigenously a cryogenic rocket.
America views launch vehicles as weapons and components of ballistic missiles, as opposed to a commercial service. That is why it is acceptable when European nations, America, or other such countries purchase engines from each other, because they are allies and have advanced propulsion capabilities of their own, but a less developed, non-allied nation buying the same engines is not. This is, however, a remarkably flawed perspective.
In fact, there are no ballistic missiles in the world that use cryogenic engines. Because it takes several critical hours to fuel up a cryogenic rocket, such an engine could never be used in a ballistic missile. The fear mongering about using or selling these engines, then, is an outright farce and strawman fallacy.
Unblushing and wholly devoid of shame, the Machiavellian Americans turned around to sell banned WMD technologies to Pakistan, disobeying both US as well as international non-proliferation protocols. When US aid to Pakistan tapered off after the withdrawal of the Soviet Union from Afghanistan, the unscrupulous and impoverished Pakistani military responded in 1987 by selling it’s nuclear hardware and know-how for cash, pitching south Asia into three near-nuclear conflagrations, and enabling the nuclear weapons programmes of Iran, Libya and North Korea, which might never have got off the ground were it not for the duplicitous Americans. This hypocritical subterfuge is detailed in the account of CIA Agent and Pakistan-specialist Rich Barlow, reported by the Guardian almost a decade ago.
In defiance of ruthless international oppression and embargo, ISRO advanced swiftly and surely to counter America’s tyrannical throttling of the industry and reserve a seat at the space-table. Earlier this year, the triumphant ISRO launched a record 104 satellites on a single rocket. And now, having spurned the Non-Proliferation Treaty, this historic moment is an open-handed smack in the face of US monopoly.
India has overcome cumbrous obstacles and staunch opposition to design and launch it’s own cryogenic rocket. The GSLV Mk-III is a true testament to the ingenuity of an intrepid democracy. Resolute is the country we live in today.
Reference – divyanshspacetech.wordpress.com
INFORMAL ORGANIZATION
Informal organization refers to relationships between individuals in the organization based on interest, personal attitudes, emotions, prejudices, likes, dislikes, physical location, the similarity of work et. The informal organization comes into existence because of the limitations of the formal structure and it represents a natural grouping of people in working situations and the birth of small groups in an organization is a natural phenomenon. The informal group may overlap because an individual may be a member of more than one informal group. Informal groups come into being to support and supplement the formal organization. The formal and informal organization are inextricably interlinked. As Joseph L. Massie said, “Informal organization has been defined as any human interactions that occur spontaneously and naturally over long periods of time”.
CHARACTERISTICS OF INFORMAL ORGANIZATION
The main characteristics of informal organization are:
- It has no place in the formal chart.
- It is definite and has no structure.
- It is a network of personal and social relations.
- It has its own rules and traditions.
- It provides for social satisfaction to its members.
- An informal organization arises spontaneously.
- It is an integral part of a total organization and management cannot eliminate it.
- It is based on personal attitudes, emotions likes and dislikes etc.
ADVANTAGES OF INFORMAL ORGANIZATION
The informal organization is a psycho-social system and the main advantages of an informal organization are:
- Informal organization evolve short cuts and eliminate various individuals and departments.
- Informal organizations help in solving work problems of members.
- Informal groups recognise talented workers as their leaders.
- A manager can build better relations with his subordinates through informal contacts.
- Informal groups do not allow managers to cross the limits of authority.
- Informal groups often fill up the communication gaps which might arise in the organization.
- The informal organization may fill in gaps, if any, in the abilities of managers.
- Informal groups develop certain norms of behaviour which differentiate between good and bad conduct and between legitimate and illegitimate activities.
LIMITATIONS OF INFORMAL ORGANIZATION
Informal groups have negative aspects too. They may create problems for the organization as mentioned below:
- Informal groups generally tend to resist change and change requires new skills but informal groups want to maintain the status quo and this creates obstructions in implementing new ideas and thus organization’s growth.
- An informal leader may turn out to be a troublemaker for the organisation and to increase his influence, he may work against the policies of management, and try to manipulate the behaviour of his followers.
- Every member of an informal group is also a member of the formal organization and sometimes role conflict may arise because the ideas, expectations and requirements of both the organizations may be opposite to each other.
- An informal group exerts strong pressure on its members for conformity and the members may become so loyal to their group that following the group norms may become a part of their life.
- Informal communications may give rise to rumours which may create conflict and misunderstanding among the people and rumours may prove dangerous for the organization.
The cat families… part 2
this is the continuation article of part 1
26.Maine Coon cat:
Maine coon cat, North America’s only native breed of the longhaired house cat . Though its origins are unknown, it had been first shown in Boston in 1878. Maines is large, muscular, and heavy-boned; they’ll are named for his or her raccoon-like tail. Excellent mousers, they’re known for his or her gentleness, intelligence, and type disposition, and are especially good with children and dogs. Most are brown tabbies.
27.Manx:
Manx, breed of the tailless house cat of unknown origin but presumed by tradition to possess come from the Isle of Man. Noted for being affectionate, loyal, and courageous, the Manx is distinguished both by its taillessness and by its characteristic hopping gait. it’s compactly built, with a rounded head; large, round eyes; and little , wide-set ears. The rump is additionally rounded and, because the hind legs are considerably longer than the forelegs, is distinctly above the shoulders. The Manx could also be born with a tail but ideally should be totally tailless with a hollow at the top of the backbone where the basis of the tail should be. The double coat could also be any solid, variegated, or tabby color.
28.marbled cat:
Marbled cat rare Southeast Asian cat, Felidae , often mentioned as a miniature version of the unrelated clouded leopard. The marbled cat is about the dimensions of a domestic cat; it measures roughly 45–60 cm long, excluding a tail of roughly an equivalent length. The coat is long, soft, and pale brown to brownish-gray, with large, dark-edged blotches on the body and smaller dark spots on the legs and tail. The marbled cat is nocturnal and lives in jungles, and should prey on small animals and birds.
29.margay:
Margay also called tiger cat or tigrillo, alittle cat that ranges from South through Central America and, rarely, into the acute southern us . Little is understood about the habits of the margay. It lives in forests and presumably is nocturnal, feeding on small prey like birds, frogs, and insects. it’s largely arboreal and has specially adapted claws and feet that enable it to scamper up tree trunks and along branches with ease. The margay resembles the related ocelot but features a longer tail and fuller face, emphasized by large, dark eyes and rounded ears. The male attains a maximum length of about 1.1 meters, including a tail about 46 cm long, and weighs up to about 16 kg. the feminine is usually smaller and features a relatively long tail. Coloration varies from pale gray to chocolate with dark markings like spots, stripes, bands, and black-edged blotches. When hand-reared from a kitten, the margay reportedly is definitely tamed; as an adult, however, it’s going to become unpredictable.
30.ocelot:
the spotted cat of the New World found in lowland areas from Texas southward to northern Argentina. The short, smooth fur is patterned with elongated, black-edged spots that are arranged in chainlike bands. The cat’s upper parts vary in color from light or tawny yellow to gray. There are small black spots on the top , two black stripes on each cheek, and 4 or five black stripes along the neck. The ocelot’s underparts are whitish, spotted with black, and therefore the tail is marked on the side with dark bars or blotches.
31.Pallas’s cat:
Pallas’s cat also called Steppe Cat, or Manul, small, long-haired cat native to deserts and rocky, mountainous regions from Tibet to Siberia. it had been named for the naturalist Peter Simon Pallas. The Pallas’s cat may be a soft-furred animal about the dimensions of a domestic cat and is pale silvery gray or brown in color. the top of its tail is ringed and tipped with black, and a few individuals have vague, dark markings on the body. The fur of the underparts is about twice as long as that of the upperparts and possibly represents an adaptation to the cat’s habitual lying and crouching on the cold ground.
32.pampas cat:
Pampas cat small cat, Felidae , native to South America. it’s about 60 cm long, including the 30-centimeter tail. The coat is long-haired and grayish with brown markings which in some individuals could also be indistinct. Little is understood about the habits of the pampas cat. it’s reported to measure in thick shrubbery and to hunt birds and little animals in the dark .
33.puma:
Puma also called cougar , cougar, panther, or catamount, large brownish New World cat comparable in size to the jaguar—the only other large cat of the occident . The puma, a member of the Felidae , has the widest distribution of any New World mammal, with a variety extending from southeastern Alaska to southern Argentina and Chile. Pumas sleep in a spread of habitats, including desert scrub, chaparral, swamps, and forests, but they avoid agricultural areas, flatlands, and other habitats lacking a canopy . Six subspecies of Puma concolor are recognized by most classifications.
34.Rex cat:
Rex cat, curly-coated breed of house cat that features a dense, soft coat lacking any projecting guard hairs, or outer coat. Except on the top , legs, and paws, the coat forms fairly deep waves, or crimps. The eyebrows and whiskers of the Rex cat are crinkled, the eyes are almond-shaped, and therefore the ears are large and high set. The adult Rex cat is slender and typically has long legs, an extended neck and head, and an extended , tapering tail. Show cats could also be any of the colours or patterns that are accepted for domestic cats.
35.tiger:
Tiger’s largest member of the cat family, rivaled only by the lion in strength and ferocity. The tiger is endangered throughout its range, which stretches from the Russian Far East through parts of North Korea , China, India, and Southeast Asia to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The Siberian, or Amur, the tiger is that the largest, measuring up to 4 meters in total length and weighing up to 300 kg. The Indian, or Bengal, the tiger is that the most numerous and accounts for about half the entire tiger population. Males are larger than females and should attain a shoulder height of about 1 meter and a length of about 2.2 meters, excluding a tail of about 1 metre; weight is 160–230 kg, and tigers from the south are smaller than those of the north.
36.tigon:
Tigon, offspring of a tiger and a lioness. The tigon, or tiglon, may be a zoo-bred hybrid, as is that the liger, the merchandise of the reverse mating of a lion with a tigress.
Railways produced around two lakh PPE gowns, over 7 lakh masks during lockdown
Railways has produced around two lakh Personal Protective Equipment, PPE gowns and over seven lakh masks during the lockdown period. Railways Ministry said, Railway is geared up to meet the challenge of providing protection to its front line medical workers and other operational staff persons, from the COVID 19 pandemic.
The Ministry said, Railway workshops took up the challenge and manufactured PPE coveralls, sanitizer and masks. Raw material for manufacturing of these items was also procured by the field units. PPE coverall target for the month of June and July are fixed as 1.5 lakhs each.
Ministry of Railways has designated 50 Railway Hospitals as COVID Dedicated Hospitals and COVID Dedicated Health Centers. Facilities at these hospitals were upgraded through procurement of medical equipments and other items to meet the challenge of COVID Pandemic.
The Ministry said, more than five thousand Railway coaches have already been converted to isolation coaches to serve as the Covid Care Centers to augment the capacity of health infrastructure in the country. 960 coaches have so far been placed in service at several locations based on the requests received from the States.
All regular train services to remain cancelled till August 12; All 230 special trains to continue to operate
Railways has decided to cancel all the regular time-tabled passenger services including Mail/Express, passenger and suburban Service up to 12th August this year.
However, Special Rajdhani which started from 12th May and Special Mail Express service which started from 1st June will continue to operate. All the tickets booked for regular time table trains, for the journey date from 1st July to 12th August will be cancelled and full refund will be given to the passengers.
Earlier, the Railways had said that all the tickets booked upto 30th June will be cancelled and full refund will be provided.
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