Uniform Civil Code

Uniform Civil Code refers to implementation and application of such laws, personal in nature applicable to all the citizens equally irrespective of their race, religion, caste and creed. Ever since prior to India receiving independence, across the nation, the implementation and formulation of uniform civil code has always been a matter of controversy. In India, it is a significant issue regarding secularism in politics and today also it continues to be a disruptive matter for the political parties, some conservative religious sects and groups and Muslim groups in defense of the customs of their religion. At present, personal laws of different communities are different and it is governed according to their religious scriptures and text.

During the British rule, the codification procedure of Uniform Civil Code was first started. This set of rules were mainly for the Muslim and Hindu citizens. The British refrained from interfering in the domestic sphere as they feared opposition from the leaders of the community. In 1941, formation of B N Rau Committee took place in order to codify the Hindu Law post a long period. In 1956, a bill was adopted as the Hindu Succession Act on recommendations of B N Rau Committee after India’s independence. Thus, the law related to unwilled or undevised succession among the Jains, Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs excluding the Muslims, Jews, Christians and Parsis as being distinct communities from Hindus, was codified and amended.

Uniform Civil Code is mainly concerned with the personal laws of all religions and communities. The laws personal in nature includes divorce, marriage, adoption, maintenance and inheritance. Under Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, the Indian states are expected to apply common laws and directive principles for all the citizens of India while formulating policies of the nation. On the other hand, Article 25-28 of the Constitution of India states religious freedom to all the citizens of India and allows the religious groups to keep up their own affairs.

The Uniform Civil Code is basically a set of three words i.e. Uniform, Civil and Code. Uniform refers to ‘same in all cases or not varying’, Civil refers to ‘associated with the people who live in the country’ and Code refers to ‘ a set of law or rules or a systematic law statement’. Thus, it can be inferred that the civil rules should not be different for all the people regardless of their religion. In Indian Context, Uniform Civil Code is the implementation of one such civil law that should be relevant to all the religious sects and communities in matters concerning marriage, maintenance allowance, divorce, adoption and inheritance. The Uniform Civil Code is mentioned under Article 44 of the Indian Constitution. The article states that, “the State shall endeavor to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India.” As stated under the Indian Constitution, the Uniform Civil Code’s appeal is accordant with the principles of fairness, equity, justice and human rights. In order to bring uniformity in the personal laws, the courts have held in their judgements that the government should shift towards a uniform civil code. The same has been observed in many cases, Shah Bano case being a popular one among these.

After the Shah Bano case in 1985, Uniform Civil Code emerged as an important topic of interest. The women’s right to life and dignity is adversely affected by the polygamy and triple talaq practices. These law sets were a matter of debate when there was question of making certain laws applicable to all the Indian citizens. The fundamental rights to practice any religion should not be curtailed by these laws. The debate was then shifted to the personal law of Muslims which is partially related to Sharia law which permits polygamy and divorce. The implementation of Uniform Civil Code was primarily opposed by the Indian Muslims and some conservative religious groups considering it as a threat to freedom of the religion.

KVIC’s “Charkha Kranti” Created a Buzz on Gandhian Values

 Khadi’s exponential growth, as mentioned by President in his address to the Parliament ahead of the Budget Session, is a result of the “Charkha Kranti” initiated by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) in the last 7 years. KVIC built several monumental Charkhas to propagate Gandhian thoughts and symbolism of Charkha in India and abroad which further popularized Khadi and played a key role in its massive growth. Khadi’s success was acknowledged by the President in his address to the Parliament on 31st January and by Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, a day before at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmadabad, while unveiling Mahatma Gandhi’s 100 sq meter wall mural on his 74th Martyr’s Day.

Interestingly, KVIC was formed in the year 1956 but it made no effort in the next 58 years; i.e. till 2014, to popularize Khadi, Charkha or any other symbol associated with Mahatma Gandhi. “Khadi” and “Gandhi” were only used for political gains. It was only after the year 2014, that concrete efforts were made by the Narendra Modi government to popularize Khadi and spread the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi and the symbolism of Charkha across the globe. Be it the birth anniversary or the martyrdom of Mahatma Gandhi, KVIC organized unique programs to celebrate Gandhian thoughts.

During the last 7 years, KVIC built monuments like world’s biggest wooden and steel charkhas, world’s smallest charkha on wrist watches, Gandhi ji’s world’s largest wall mural made of clay Kulhads, world’s largest national flag made of Khadi fabric, heritage Charkha museum and many more. Charkha, which was Gandhi ji’s tool in the fight against the British Rule, made its way to a foreign country, for the first time in 2017. Since then, Bapu’s Charkha has reached 60 countries of the world.

“It is with the inspiration of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi that concrete steps were taken to popularize Khadi and Charkha not only in India but across the world. This played a major role in increasing the production and sale of Khadi and, thereby, contributed to realizing Bapu’s dream of Gramoday. The Charkha Kranti also saw distribution of a record 55,000 advanced charkhas to the Khadi artisans across the country that provided them with self-employment,” Chairman KVIC, Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said.

1956 to 2014 – No significant activity/event

July 5, 2016 – World’s largest wooden Charkha installed at IGI Airport, New Delhi, by Shri Amit Shah, the then BJP President and  Member of Parliament.

October 18, 2016 – Biggest Ever Charkha distribution in Independent India at Ludhiana by  Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

May 21, 2017 – World’s largest Stainless Steel Charkha installed at Connaught Place, New Delhi by Shri Amit Shah, the then BJP President and  Member of Parliament.

May 21, 2017 – Heritage Charkha Museum Inaugurated at Connaught Place, New Delhi, by Shri Amit Shah, the then BJP President and Member of Parliament.

October 2, 2017 – A big wooden Charkha unveiled in Uganda, for the first time on foreign soil.

April 15, 2018 – Stainless Steel Charkha unveiled by former Agriculture Minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh at Motihari in Bihar to commemorate Champaran Satyagrah centenary celebrations.

June 7, 2018 – Pietermaritzburg station in South Africa sported a Khadi look and trains draped in Khadi fabric. This Railway Station is the place where Gandhi ji was thrown off a train for refusing to give up his seat in a first class, “whites-only” compartment, 125 years ago in 1893. It was the first such program sponsored by KVIC on foreign soil.

June 26, 2018 – Grand Stainless Steel Charkha installed at Sabarmati Riverfront, Ahmadabad. The Charkha was unveiled by Shri Amit Shah, the then BJP President and  Member of Parliament.

January 31, 2019 – World’s Largest Wall Mural of Mahatma Gandhi Made of terracotta Kulhads unveiled at NDMC building in New Delhi by Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu.

January 30, 2020 – World’s Smallest Charkha used in Unique Khadi Wrist Watches that were launched by the then  Minister of MSME, Shri Nitin Gadkari.

Charkha was sent to 60 countries during Khadi exhibitions in 2017 and 2018.

October 2, 2021 – World’s largest Monumental National Flag made of Khadi Fabric and weighing 1400 KG, unveiled in Leh by the  Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Shri RK Mathur.

30 January 2022 – A grand wall mural of Mahatma Gandhi made of clay Kulhads installed at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmadabad. This is India’s 2nd and Gujarat’s first wall mural of this kind that was unveiled by Minister of Home Affairs and Co-operation, Shri Amit Shah.

2014-15 to 2020-21 – 55,000 New Model Charkhas and 9000 modern looms distributed to Khadi artisans across the country to increase the production of Khadi.

 

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18th Convocation of Tezpur University, Assam

 The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the 18th Convocation of Tezpur University, Assam today through video conferencing. Governor of Assam Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and the Chief Minister of Assam Shri Sarbananda Sonowal were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said today is a moment to remember and cherish for a lifetime for over 1200 students. He believed that what the students learnt at Tezpur University will accelerate the progress of Assam and progress of the country. He said the sentiment contained in the university anthem which was written by Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika resonates with the great history of Tezpur. The Prime Minister quoted a few lines from the University Anthem

अग्निगड़र स्थापत्य, कलियाभोमोरार सेतु निर्माण,

ज्ञान ज्योतिर्मय,

सेहि स्थानते बिराजिसे तेजपुर विश्वविद्यालय”

That is, Tezpur University is situated in a place where there is an architecture like Agnigad, where there is a Kalia-Bhomora bridge, where there is a light of knowledge. He said eminent personalities like Bhupen Da, Jyoti Prasad Agarwala and Bishnu Prasad Rabha are identified with Tezpur.

Addressing the students, the Prime Minister said from now until the completion of 100 years of India’s independence, are also the golden years of your life. He urged them to spread the glory of Tezpur across India and all over the world, take Assam and North East to new heights of development. He asked the students to take full advantage of the possibilities created by the Government’s efforts at development of the North East especially in sectors like connectivity, education and health.

The Prime Minister remarked that Tezpur University is also known for its Innovation Center. These Grassroots innovations are giving momentum to Vocal for Local and are being used to solve local problems, opening new doors of development. He lauded the innovations of Tezpur University like low- cost technology to provide clean drinking water, pledge taken to convert Waste into Energy in every village, inexpensive and effective technology related to biogas and organic fertilizers, campaign to preserve the Biodiversity and Rich Heritage of North East, documentation the languages of the North East tribal society which are in danger of extinction, preservation of centuries-old wood-carved art at Batadrav Thana, Nagaon, digitization of Assam’s books and papers written during colonial times.

The Prime Minister cited Tezpur University Campus itself as the reason for motivation to do work on so many local needs. Here the hostels are named after mountains and rivers in this region. He said these are not just names, but also inspiration for life. He said in the journey of life, we have to face many

The  Prime  Minister  elaborated  on  the  concept  of  Aatmnirbhar  Abhiyan.  He  explained  while  this movement is about change in resources, physical infrastructure, technology and economic and strategic might, the biggest transformation is in the realm of instinct, action and reaction which is in sync with the mood of today’s youth.difficulties, many mountains and many rivers have to be crossed. He said to the students that with every mountaineering your expertise grows and your perspective is ready for new challenges. He said like several tributaries merge into one river and mix into the sea, we should also take knowledge from different people in life, learn and achieve our goal and move forward with that learning. He said when one proceeds with this approach, North East will be able to contribute to the development of the country.

The Prime Minister said today’s young India has a distinctive way of taking on challenges. He used the recent performance of the young Indian cricket team in Australia to illustrate his point. The Indian cricket team faced so many challenges. They suffered crushing defeat yet recovered equally fast and won the next match. The Players showed determination despite injuries. They took the challenge head on and looked for fresh solutions instead of getting frustrated by difficult conditions. There were inexperienced players but their morale was high and they grabbed the opportunity given to them. They overpowered a better team with their talent and temperament.

The Prime Minister stressed that this stellar performance of our players is important not just from the point of view of the sports field. Shri Modi listed important life lessons from the performance. First, we should have faith and confidence in our ability; second, a positive mindset begets positive results. Third and most important lesson, said the Prime Minister, is – if one is facing two options, one safe and the other is an option of a difficult victory, one must surely explore the option of victory. There is no harm in occasional failure and one should not refrain from taking the risks. We need to be proactive and fearless. If we overcome the fear of failure and unnecessary pressure, we will emerge fearless. This new India, confident and dedicated to goals, is evident not only in the cricket field, all of you are part of this picture, the Prime Minister told the Students.

This self-confidence and absence of fear in trading the uncharted path and young energy has strengthened the country in its fight against Corona. India overcame the initial apprehensions and showed that with resolve and resilience, resources are not far behind. India took fast, proactive decisions instead of compromising with the situation and effectively fought with the virus. Made in India solutions contained the spread and improved the health infrastructure. Our vaccine related research and production capability is giving India and many other countries of the world confidence of a security shield, said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister also listed digital infrastructure enabling direct benefit transfer, fintech digital inclusion, world’s largest banking inclusion, world’s largest toilet construction movement, largest movement of providing tap water in every household, world’s largest health insurance scheme and world’s largest vaccination drive as testimony to today’s India’s attitude, unafraid of experimentation for solution and not averse to undertake large-scale projects. These projects are benefitting Assam and the Northeast.

The Prime Minister talked of new technologies that are creating new possibilities. Talking about the possibility of future universities which might be fully virtual providing students and faculty to be part of any university of the world, the Prime Minister emphasized the need for a regulatory framework for such transformation. He pointed out that the new National Education Policy is a step in this direction. This policy encourages maximum use of technology, multi-disciplinary education and flexibility. NEP puts stress on preparing our education system for data and data-analytics. Data analysis will massively improve the processes from admissions to teaching and evaluation.

The Prime Minister called upon the students of Tezpur University to help in fulfilling these goals. He said that, after finishing their formal education, they not only work for their future but for the future of the country. He advised them to keep their ideals high which will protect them from the vicissitudes of life. He said the next 25-26 years are important for them as well as their country and expressed the hope that the students will take the country to new heights.

Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ congratulated the graduating students for successful completion of an important part of their lives and being eligible for jobs in various fields. He expressed happiness over the fact that many students among them were from foreign countries such as Zimbabwe, Ghana, Etopia, etc. and observed that it shows the principle of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” i.e “The world is one family”. He observed that the University has a mosaic culture and it is not surprising because the University itself is located at Tezpur, which is a cultural and historic place. He further added that cultural doyens like Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, Bishnuprasad Rabha, Natasurya Phani Sarma and Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s works are identified with Tezpur.

He hoped that the students would not only bring laurels to its own state but also play a crucial role in development of the nation. He said that in order to reform, transform and perform, the National Educational Policy (NEP) has been adopted, which will bring much needed qualitative change in the educational sector.  He said that NEP is focused on inclusive, impactful and innovative education and it will usher in a new era intellectual development in India.

A total of 1218 students received their degrees and diplomas in the Convocation out of which 371 were undergraduate, 725 postgraduate, 36 PG Diploma and 86 were Ph.D. Among the degree recipients, 46 toppers of various undergraduate and postgraduate programmes received Gold Medals. A Best Graduate and another Best Post Graduate of the year were also awarded Gold Medals in the Convocation.

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Farm Bill 2020

In India, agriculture is regarded as a dominant sector in the country. More than 70% of the population in India is involved in the agricultural activities either directly or indirectly. We are able to eat peacefully only due to the hard work of the farmers. Though the farmers work hard in the field day and night in order to feed the country yet they are compelled to live a life of indigence and starvation. Recently in 2020, new bills for the welfare and comfort of the farmers and the agricultural sector was introduced by the Central government. However, these bills were greatly opposed by the farmers and the government of the State. There were protests against the bills on roads and streets by the farmers across the nation. A resolution was also passed by the Punjab Assembly rejecting the ordinances of Central government on 28th August 2020.

A combination of three bills together constitute the Agriculture Bill 2020 or Farm Bill 2020. These three bills were recently passed by the Parliament. These bills are: Farmers Produce and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill 2020, Farmers Agreement (Empowerment and Protection) on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill 2020 and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2020. These bill make huge changes in the agricultural sector structurally. These bills also seemed to encourage corporate investments in the ecosystem of agriculture in order to make agriculture more benefitable to the farmers.

The Farm Bill 2020 contemplates an alternative possible way to the farmers to sell their produce in open market, providing them an opportunity to sell their products anywhere and to anyone and even get high price for it. In such areas of trade, neither agriculture produce market committee (APMC) fees nor tax by the government on transactions will be charged. The APMC would require to compete with these alternate platforms and now the farmers would have the choice to sell their produces of the farm. The farmers have the authority to sell their farm’s produce directly to the corporate or exporter purchasing in bulk from the farm. The current procurement of food grains based on minimum support price (MSP) is not obliterated by the Farm Bill 2020. The system of procurement based on MSP continues and the farmers can also sell their farm produces at Mandis on the existing MSP.

A number of schemes for the well being of the farmers as well as agricultural sector is launched every now and then by the government. The main aim behind introducing the Farm Bills was to boost the agriculture sector and double the income of farmers by 2022. It was believed that freeing the agriculture sector will consequently help in better pricing due to vast competition in the market. The corporate sector would be induced to invest in the ecosystem of agriculture as the farmers would have the choice to sell their crop products directly to the corporates and the exporters.

As the New Farm Bill 2020 provides great measures for the welfare of the farmers by giving them opportunity to sell their farm products in open market and also allowing them to fix the price according to themselves on mutual understanding of both the farmer and the corporates. Farmers are apprehensive of getting the MSP for their produce. However, the farmers do fear the domination on the agricultural sector with the power of money by the larger corporates and retailers, they also fear that the Mandies would become inessential like BSNL and MTNL future days and they also doubt that if in near future the trade shifts substantially to alternative platforms, the APMCs may become unavailable and have to shut down. No mechanism for fixation of price was prescribed under the Price Assurance Bill. The farmers were anxious about their exploitation as free hand was given to corporate houses. The Bill seemingly deregulated the movement, production, storage and distribution of essential food commodities such as edible oils, pulses, oil seeds, potatoes and onion which are removed from the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance.

Scope of Silk Industry in India

Silk – the queen of all fabrics is historically one of India’s most important industries. India produces a variety of silks called Mulberry, Tasar, Muga and Eri, based on the feeding habit of the cocoons.
The sericulture industry today employs over 700,000 farm families and is mostly concentrated in Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh and to some extent Assam and West Bengal. Karnataka accounts for more than 70 percent of the country’s total silk production.


Sericulture is one industry which is beneficial to the agriculturists. As in today 56 lakhs people are dependent on the sericulture industry, 5.6 million people out of which 4.7 million are agriculturists. The rest are reelers, weavers etc.

India is the second largest producer of silk, contributing to about 18 per cent to the world production. What is however, more noteworthy is the fact that India’s requirement of raw silk is much higher than its current production at present. Thus, there is considerable scope for stepping up production of raw silk in the country, overcome the persistent conflict of interest between exporters of silk products and producers of raw silk.


While sericulturists want imports of raw silk to be restricted to have better market for their produce, exporters want imports of cheaper raw silk so as to be able to export more silk products at competitive rates. India has all the four varieties of silk namely, mulberry, tassar, eri and muga. It is however, disheartening to note that we have not yet been able to fully exploit this advantage and make our presence felt on the international scene more prominently than at present. For this, one has to clearly understand the strengths and weaknesses of different segments of this sector.

The strength of this industry lies in its wide base, the sustaining market demand pull especially from the Indian handloom weaving sector, the infrastructure created by the national sericulture project and the research and training capabilities.

 

Silk is the most elegant textile in the world with unparalleled grandeur, natural sheen, and inherent affinity for dyes, high absorbance, light weight, soft touch and high durability and known as the “Queen of Textiles” the world over. On the other hand, it stands for livelihood opportunity for millions owing to high employment oriented, low capital intensive and remunerative nature of its production. The very nature of this industry with its rural based on-farm and off-farm activities and enormous employment generation potential has attracted the attention of the planners and policy makers to recognize the industry among one of the most appropriate avenues for socio-economic development of a largely agrarian economy like India.

 

Silk has been intermingled with the life and culture of the Indians. India has a rich and complex history in silk production and its silk trade which dates back to 15th century. Sericulture industry provides employment to approximately 8.7 million persons in rural and semi-urban areas in India. Of these, a sizeable number of workers belong to the economically weaker sections of society, including women. India’s traditional and culture bound domestic market and an amazing diversity of silk garments that reflect geographic specificity has helped the country to achieve a leading position in silk industry.

Silk production in India

India has the unique distinction of being the only country producing all the five known commercial silks, namely, mulberry, tropical tasar, oak tasar, eri and muga, of which muga with its golden yellow glitter is unique and prerogative of India. 

Mulberry sericulture is mainly practised in states such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Bodoland (Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri districts of Assam), West Bengal, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu who are the major silk producing states in the country. North East has the unique distinction of being the only region producing four varieties of silk viz., Mulberry, Oak Tasar, Muga and Eri. Overall NE region contributes 18% of India’s total silk production.

Title of Book

Scope of Silk Industry in India

Editor Name

Deobrat Kumar

ISBN no. 

978-81-951123-8-8

Imprint

IJR

Year

2022

Edition

First

Language

English

Genre

Education

Publisher

Edupedia Publications Pvt Ltd

Training and Skill Development by NGO

 With 50% of India’s population under the age of 25, India is poised to have the largest workforce by 2027. While the demographic dividend could be in favour of India, there are some stiff challenges that we are faced with.

“Individuals with combination of Skills, viz- broad-based education and training, basic and portable high-level skills, including teamwork, problem solving, information and communications technology (ICT) and communication and language skills are most employable and adaptable to changes in the world of work.”

– International Labour Organization

 

Acquiring life skills is of foremost importance when young people prepare for the job market. This is because:
  • At the entry-level, employees are expected to be able to understand, comprehend, communicate and problem-solve.
  • Opens array of sectors for young people to kick start their career rather than confining them to a sector or job.
  • These skills are essential to get better jobs and increase their chances for career progression.

 

To start with, Skill Development Team conducts student mobilisation activities in schools and colleges through presentations & posters and in villages & local communities through mobilisation vans, pamphlet distribution, community meetings, etc. The team further works with Village Pradhan, frontline workers (like ASHAs and AWWs) to mobilise prospective students. Minimum qualification required for undertaking these courses is higher secondary.

Improved training and skill development is critical for providing decent employment opportunities to the growing youth population and is necessary to sustain the high growth momentum.

The insufficient skills and illiteracy compel the poor section of the society to put more than extra physical efforts. This is how they fulfill their basic needs. Despite sweating hard, they manage to earn daily wages only. “Unfortunately, a few of them don’t get to work daily.”

To uproot this curse from the lives of poor people, NGO provide “Free of Cost” skills development programs for poor and needy people. These are specifically drafted to upskill the downtrodden people. These programs include Computer Hardware, Computer Training, Mobile Repairing, Sewing Training, Mehndi Design, Incense Stick etc.

Poverty is pronounced deprivation in a well- being and comprises many dimensions, including low incomes, and the inability to acquire the basic goods and services necessary for survival. Poverty alleviation implies the reduction or eradication of poverty level in any society, skill training in various programs leads to acquisition of competencies to generate wealth through applicable Programs with skills and competencies to become self-employed. Lack of skills and experience and Mismatch between supply and demand for labour may be adjusted by the entrepreneurial skills on how to find business ideas to encourage young people to start their own business.

Poverty means more than simply low income. It includes lack of voice in determining what goes on in one’s community, as well as vulnerable livelihoods. Food insecurity is often a reality of poverty. Skills development contributes to social and economic integration in poor people’s lives. Skills development can be considered as a public good.Lack of access to education and training maintains a low level of education and productive skills among the rural poor.

Skills Development Programs by Narayan Seva Sansthan gives according to your interest.

Skill development Programs have to be aligned to ensure better employment opportunities for the Poor People. In, the country the lack of relevant skills of the underprivileged youth group and a mismatch between supply and demand in the market leads to very poor employability and lower wages for them. Narayan Seva Sansthan has also taken various efforts at the national and regional level to promote health, education to unprivileged people. In this research it has been emphasized that necessary education, training and skill development programs are very necessary for disadvantaged group to have a better life. Invest in the skills and employability of workers contributes to the improvement of productivity and competitiveness. But a great number of destitute children are not getting the basic needs like education and skill development training which is leading them to poverty, insufficient nutrition and illiteracy. A complete strategy for Skills Training Programs Linked to Employment will need to be developed so that underprivileged group can have access for skills training leading to employment. Skills are vital for productivity and growth and are in fact at the core of improving people’s employment outcomes.

As we all know that in today’s generation Education is the most important key to success, this is a very general statement and all people are familiar to this. In, this pragmatic world survival and day to day income become impossible to huge number of educated communities.

Skills development for poor people be also essential to address the opportunities and challenges meeting new demands of changing economies and new technologies in the context of globalization.

Title of Book

Training and Skill Development by NGO

Editor Name

SUMIT SINGH CHANDEL

ISBN no. 

978-81-951123-0-2

Imprint

IJR

Year

2022

Edition

First

Language

English

Genre

Education

Publisher

Edupedia Publications Pvt Ltd

EXPANSION OF MSME SECTOR

 Promotion and development of enterprises is a State subject. The Central Government supplements the efforts of the State/UT Governments through various schemes, programmes and policy initiatives for promotion, development and enhancing the competitiveness of MSMEs and to increase employment opportunities in the country.         

            The Ministry of MSME implements various schemes and programmes for growth and development of MSME Sector in the country. These schemes and programmes inter-alia include Prime Minister’s Employment Generation programme (PMEGP), Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI), A Scheme for Promoting Innovation, Rural Industry & Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE), Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises, Micro and Small Enterprises Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP) etc. Benefits under these schemes are available to all eligible MSMEs throughout the country. Ministry of MSME has also been implementing a special scheme viz. ‘Promotion of MSMEs in North Eastern Region and Sikkim’ which focuses on improving the condition of MSME Sector in North Eastern States including Assam. The Scheme-wise Budget allocation of these schemes is given below:-

 

                                                                                 

 

 Budget Allocation (Rs. in crore)

S.No.

Name of the Scheme

2019-20

2020-21

 

2021-22

(As on 31.12.2021)

1

Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme

(PMEGP)

2,327.10

2,500.00

2,000.00

2

Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI)

125.00

464.85

170.00

3

A Scheme for Promoting Innovation, Rural Industry & Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE)

50.00

30.00

15.00

4

Credit Guarantee Scheme

597.00

100.00

0.04

5

Micro and Small Enterprises Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP)

227.90

390.69

156.60

participation of MGIEP in the Implementation of National Educational Policy -2020

 Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ chaired a meeting on participation of Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) in the implementation of National Educational Policy -2020. Secretary, Higher Education, Shri Amit Khare; Secretary, School Education & Literacy , Smt Anita Karwal; Director, UNESCO, New Delhi, Mr. Eric Falt ; Chairman, MGIEP, Prof. J.S. Rajput; Director, MGIEP, Dr. Anantha Duraiappah and senior officials of the Ministry attended the meeting.

Speaking on the National Education Policy 2020, Minister said the policy is in line with the SDGs of UNESCO. It will develop Indian citizens on the lines of a global citizen, and help spread the ideas of empathy, compassion and rational thinking among the citizens. Shri Pokhriyal said that both MGIEP and UNESCO will play a major role in the implementation of this New Education policy. He sought their suggestions and cooperation on implementation of New Education Policy 2020 to make India a global knowledge superpower.

Emphasizing that Government of India is fully committed to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, Shri Pokhriyal spoke about several initiatives such as NISHTHA- the world’s largest teacher training capacity building program, digital learning through DIKSHA, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan among others that have been taken to improve access, equity and quality of education.  

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PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission

PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission is regarded as the largest scheme to scale up the infrastructure of health in India. The aim of this initiative is to provide high quality, easily accessible and equitable health care facilities to the people in need. This mission was launched by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 25th October 2021. The main motto of introducing this scheme was to address the three major integral gaps in the public sector of India. These three gaps include extension of pandemic studying existing institutions of research, increasing the health facilities for effective treatment and detailed network of testing for disease’s diagnosis.

The PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission focuses on strengthening the critical network of healthcare from village to block, district, regional and national level in the upcoming five years. The major focus is in the aspect of formation of enhanced diagnostic facilities and increased health facilities for effective treatment. In order to carry out the purpose, 17,788 rural health and wellness centres and 11,024 health and wellness centres would be supported by the government and this would enable timely and effective treatment and would also provide means for early detection of diseases. These centres would facilitate medical advice and medicines free of cost. Under this mission, 35 thousand new beds related to critical care for serious illness are being added in 600 districts across the nation and in 125 districts, referral facilities will be provided.

Another aspect on which the scheme focuses is the strengthening of the network of testing for the disease’s diagnosis. In order to carry out this purpose, monitoring of disease and essential infrastructure would be developed for the diagnosis. Across the nation, in 730 districts, Integrated Public Health labs would be established and around three thousand blocks would be established in the Block Public Health Units. To further enhance the testing network in the country, 5 regional centres for control of disease, 20 metropolitan units and 15 biosafety labs would be established.

Third and the most significant aspect of the mission is the extension of institution of research that study pandemics. This aspect is against the backdrop pf the Covid-19 pandemic. The regional research platform of World Health Organization (WHO) would also help in this extension. Under this mission, the research labs and existing 80 viral diagnostic would be strengthened. 5 New labs of Biosafety level would also be put into operation. There would also be establishment of National Institute for one Health as well as new 4 National Institutes of Virology.

The PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission would also correct imbalance of medical college’s distribution in different regions and encourage to increase the availability of health professionals as well as make better use of the infrastructure of district hospitals. In order to carry out the purpose, across the nation around 157 new medical colleges are being set up.

A healthier India is aimed by the PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission. India can become healthy by the provision of reasonable health care to the overlooked segments of the nation. The measures under this scheme are a step towards addressing the long-pending need in the health care sector that aims to bridge several critical gaps in health infrastructure. Thus, this scheme would create an ecosystem for accessible and affordable infrastructure along with essential services from treatment to research of critical nature in every corner of the nation.

National Movement

By – Supriya

Indian aspirations to be an independent entity remained unfulfilled till the second half of the 20th century. National Movement was always subdued due to the lack of organised efforts against the well – organised masters. The real organised effort to achieve the political , social and economic liberty was felt only after the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885. The first reason for evolving a feeling of nationalism was the political unification of India. Before the advent of the British , the subcontinent presented a collage of selfish kingdoms under rival chiefs and rulers.The coming of the British brought western influence , which inspired western education. The liberal and radical ideas of Europe  influenced the Indian intelligentia and created a new educated middle class. The use of western education and English as a language for communication brought closer the population in various regions.Thus it helped in exchange of ideas and aspirations for liberty from the foreign rule. The initial Indian rebellion of 1857 sparked when soldiers serving in the British East India Company ‘ s British Indian Army and Indian kingdoms rebelled against the British hegemony. After the revolt was crushed, India developed a class of educated elites whose political organising sought Indians political rights and representation while largely remaining loyal to the British Empire. However, increasing public disenchantment with the British rule – owing to the suppression of civil liberties , political rights , and culture as well as alienation from issues troubling common Indians – led to an upsurge in revolutionary activities aimed at overthrowing the British authority. The revolt of 1857 was a major turning point in the history of modern India. The British abolished the British East India Company and replaced it with the direct rule under the British crown. A viceroy was appointed to represent the Crown. In proclaiming the new direct – rule policy to ” the Princes , Chiefs, and Peoples of India,” Queen Victoria promised equal treatment under the British law, but Indian mistrust of British rule became the legacy of the 1857 rebellion. The British embarked on a programme of reforms, trying to integrate Indian higher castes and rulers into the government. They stopped land grabs,decreed religious tolerance and admitted Indians into the civil service , albeit mainly as subordinates. However, they also increased the number of  British soldiers in relation to native ones and allowed only the British soldiers to handle artillery. Bahadur Shah was exiled to Rangoon, Burma where he died in 1862, finally bringing the Mughal dynasty to an end. In 1877, Queen Victoria took the title of Empress of India. The socio – religious movements brought forth by various social reformers all over the country inspired national consciousness to improve their social condition and invoked the spirit of patriotism in the Indian masses. The promotion of vernacular language and its use in the Indian and vernacular papers infused a feeling of nationalism in the people.
Inspired by a suggestion made by A.O Hume , a retired British civil servent, seventy – three Indian delegates met in Bombay in 1885 and founded the Indian National Congress. They were mostly upwardly mobile and successful western – educated provincial elites , engaged in professions such as law , teaching , and journalism. They had acquired political outlook from regional participation in various professions by securing nomination to various positions in legislative councils,universities and special commissions. The Indian Nationalism witnessed development but in phases. In the first phase ever since the evolution of Indian National Congress , a moderate movement with the will to co – operate for the grant of a better living conditions for the Indian people prevailed. They believed in the gradual realisation of their national goals. The first of a series of national movements was the Non – cooperation Movement (1920-1922). It was followed by the Civil Disobedience Movement, after a lull. Though the Congress was in the forefront of the freedom struggle but there were many other organisations and individuals who also played important roles. The struggle for Independence continued in the 1930s but the real momentum came with the Second World War. The Indian National Congress thought that after the war the British government in their war efforts. The Congress thought that after the war the British might leave India, but the real intentions of the British became clear soon after. The Congress under the leadership of Gandhi, began to prepare for the ‘ Quit India Movement ‘ in 1942. With the pace of developments all over the world ( after the Second World War) , the British came to realise that it was not possible to rule India any more and they decided to quit. After the First World War ,the revolutionary activities suffered major setbacks due to the arrest of prominent leaders. In 1920s, the revolutionary activists started to reorganize. Hindustan Socialist Republican Association was formed under the leadership of Chandrasekhar Azad. Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw a bomb inside the Central Legislative Assembly on April 8,1929 protesting against the Public Safety Bill and the Trade Disputes Bill. Following the trial (Central Assembly Bomb Case), Bhagat Singh , Sukhdev and Rajguru were hanged in 1931. The third phase of the Indian National Movement was dominated by the Gandhian ideology ; non- violence, Non Co – operation and Civil Disobedience movements, the Quit India Movement with the slogan of ‘ Do or Die’, all ultimately resulted in the freedom at the mid – night stroke on 15th August 1947.

THANKYOU!

Canada Day, A Day of significance

Canada day (157 years), on July 1, 1867, A federal statutory holiday, it celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation where the three separate colonies the official Union of provinces Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were united into a single Dominion within the British Empire called Canada. Until 1982, the Act served as Canada’s constitution, and July 1st was celebrated as Dominion Day. The British North America Act was repatriated from the British to the Canadian parliament under the conditions of the Canada Act of 1982, and Canada became a fully independent country. At the same time, the name of the national holiday was changed to Canada Day.

Canada Day showcases an important national milestone on the way to the country’s full independence. The day signifies the spirit of Canadian patriotism. And July 1st is also known as moving in day. It’s a tradition that goes a long way and has an interesting history. It begins as “a humanitarian” action by French colonial government on its New France colony (which is now Quebec), preventing the Feudal Lords from explaining the rural workers during winter. Shortly after, a 1750 law made it mandatory for all urban rentals to be one year, beginning May 1 and ending April 30. It was the birth of their Day of Change, but on a different date. In 1973, the Government of Quebec changed the Change Day to July 1.

Most communities in Canada host celebration organized for date, happening at public outdoor events with music, parades, thematic festivals, free concerts, displays of the flag, the singing of the national anthem, ‘O Canada’ and many fireworks and plenty of respect for the history of Canadian people. And you know what’s the best part? Everyone is welcome in the celebration. Multicultural and full of opportunity for foreigners, Canada is recognized for its diversity and for welcoming students from other countries.

Baltic States – Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia

Baltics, also known as the Baltic States is comprised of three countries including Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. The three countries are situated on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. In 1991 the regional governments of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia declared independence from the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics (USSR). Three countries have a collective population of just over 6 million. The three have been one of the better examples which have been progressing well after the breakup of the USSR. Many other former Soviet republics have been suffering the disarray of corruption and political instability. 

In 2002 Baltic countries applied for membership in the European Union (EU) and by May 2004 all the three countries joined the EU. They also gained membership in NATO by March 2004.

It’s truly astounding how the three countries have developed since 1991. None of them were independent since 1940. The three countries had large Russian minorities and many Soviet soldiers were still stationed there. There were no major national institutions and banking infrastructure with a crumbling economy. There was a growing homegrown national moment against the ruling government since the 1980s. The homegrown fronts won the republican parliamentary election against the ruling party in early 1990 and were allowed to govern but with limited power. The Russian president at that time, Boris Yeltsin had not contested their newly declared independence in 1991. The Baltic also witnessed no violence when the three governments had declared their independence.

The three nations also had almost no natural resources, unlike USSR which was resource-rich. They were still in a very vulnerable situation with a small population and no military of their own. Even though the countries were linguistically distinct with different languages, but people in all three countries had the united drive to strive for a better future. The three had implemented reforms with a shared vision. The governments of the three share many policies, ideas, and experiences. The Baltic States also valued their new independence with a lot of enthusiasm and didn’t take it for granted. The other ex- USSR countries often had to ask for assistance from Russian Federation and also formed new alliances with the Russian government. Baltic countries on the other hand tried to stay away from joining the post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States. In the subsequent years, all the three countries adopted radical economic policies and Estonia was the first mover and Latvia and Lithuania would follow suit. In 1994 Estonia introduced a flat income tax at just 24 percent and the other two also implemented the policies. Currently, Lithuania has a tax rate of just 15 percent which is one of the lowest. With early and fast deregulation and privatization, the Baltic countries were able to capture a large amount of foreign direct investment. Estonia also radically transformed its public sector with various digitalization implementations and less reliance on paperwork. Latvian and Lithuania’s transformation in this area was not as drastic but after some time both of them followed Estonia’s footsteps.  Transparency International ranks Estonia No. 17, Lithuania 37, and Latvia 42 out of 175 countries on its Corruption Perception Index for 2020. This is a commendable ranking considering they all the three are relatively new entrants to the EU and many other EU countries have lower ranks than the three.

The success can also be attributed to the generous support that the three countries received from the international community and funds granted by the EU, World Bank, and the IMF. In 2008 Baltic suffered from the global economic crisis. The three soon adopted the Euro as their currency to avoid any future liquidity freeze issues that they experienced at that time. The economies al the Baltic rebounded quickly and due to good monetary measures, the three have a very low public debt. Baltic governments have also made swift progress in the Education sector and the three have attained commendable rankings in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Estonia has done a very commendable task in this area with top 10 rankings in many assessments.         

In 2002 Baltic countries applied for membership in the European Union (EU) and by May 2004 all the three countries joined the EU. They also gained membership in NATO by March 2004.

It’s truly astounding how the three countries have developed since 1991. None of them were independent since 1940. The three countries had large Russian minorities and many Soviet soldiers were still stationed there. There were no major national institutions and banking infrastructure with a crumbling economy. There was a growing homegrown national moment against the ruling government since the 1980s. The homegrown fronts won the republican parliamentary election against the ruling party in early 1990 and were allowed to govern but with limited power. The Russian president at that time, Boris Yeltsin had not contested their newly declared independence in 1991. The Baltic also witnessed no violence when the three governments had declared their independence.

The three nations also had almost no natural resources, unlike USSR which was resource-rich. They were still in a very vulnerable situation with a small population and no military of their own. Even though the countries were linguistically distinct with different languages, but people in all three countries had the united drive to strive for a better future. The three had implemented reforms with a shared vision. The governments of the three share many policies, ideas, and experiences. The Baltic States also valued their new independence with a lot of enthusiasm and didn’t take it for granted. The other ex- USSR countries often had to ask for assistance from Russian Federation and also formed new alliances with the Russian government. Baltic countries on the other hand tried to stay away from joining the post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States. In the subsequent years, all the three countries adopted radical economic policies and Estonia was the first mover and Latvia and Lithuania would follow suit. In 1994 Estonia introduced a flat income tax at just 24 percent and the other two also implemented the policies. Currently, Lithuania has a tax rate of just 15 percent which is one of the lowest. With early and fast deregulation and privatization, the Baltic countries were able to capture a large amount of foreign direct investment. Estonia also radically transformed its public sector with various digitalization implementations and less reliance on paperwork. Latvian and Lithuania’s transformation in this area was not as drastic but after some time both of them followed Estonia’s footsteps.  Transparency International ranks Estonia No. 17, Lithuania 37, and Latvia 42 out of 175 countries on its Corruption Perception Index for 2020. This is a commendable ranking considering they all the three are a relatively new entrant to the EU and many other EU countries have lower ranks than the three.

The success can also be attributed to the generous support that the three countries received from the international community and funds granted by the EU, World Bank, and the IMF. In 2008 Baltic suffered from the global economic crisis. The three soon adopted the Euro as their currency to avoid any future liquidity freeze issues that they experienced at that time. The economies al the Baltic rebounded quickly and due to good monetary measures, the three have a very low public debt. Baltic governments have also made swift progress in the Education sector and the three have attained commendable rankings in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Estonia has done a very commendable task in this area with top 10 rankings in many assessments.     

Origin of Vedas

The Vedas are a large body of religious text originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. Vedas are considered as the earliest literary records of Sanskrit Literature, written by Rishi Vyasa. It is bealived to be the oldest book in hinduism. Vedas means knowledge.  It is a Sanskrit word from the root “Vid”, which means finding, knowing, acquiring, or understanding. The Vedas formed the earliest segment of Vedic literature. The Vedic literature had been evolved in the course of many centuries and was handed down from generation to generation by the word of mouth. The Vedas are the collection of hymns, prayers, charms, litanies, and sacrificial formulae. The ideas, teachings, and practices described in the Vedas formed the basis for the six major schools of Hindu philosophy – Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa, and Vedanta.

There are four Vedas: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda.and all of them together are attributed to as ‘Chaturveda

  • Rig Veda − It is the oldest Veda. It is a collection of hymns.
  • Samveda − it is a collection of songs, which are mostly taken from Rig Veda.
  • Yajurveda − It is a collection of sacrificial formulae.
  • Atharvanaveda − it is a collection of spells and charms.

The Rig Veda serves as the principal one and all three but the Arthaveda agree with one another in form, language, and content. Each Veda has been subclassified into four major text types or four portions.

  • The Samhitas, the most ancient layer of text in the Vedas, consisting of mantras, hymns, prayers, and benedictions which has in literary terms put together or joined the other three texts;
  • The Aranyakas which constitute the philosophy behind the ritual sacrifice,
  • The Brahmanas which in turn has the commentary on hymns of four Vedas and
  • The Upanishads, which consist of conversations between teachers and students which clarify the philosophical message of the Vedas.

Rigveda

The Rigveda Samhita is the oldest extant Indic text. It is a collection of 1,028 Vedic Sanskrithymns and 10,600 verses in all, organized into ten books. The hymns are dedicated to Rigvedic deities.  Two Sanskrit words Rig and Veda constituting it translates to ‘praise or shine’ and ‘knowledge’ respectively

Like the other three Vedas, the believers of the Hindu dharma regard the Rig Veda too as Apauruṣeya; meaning, not of a man or impersonal and also not belonging to a particular author. The hymns and the verses were written by the Rishis (Sages) and as the ardent believers of the Sanatana dharma claim the revered Lord himself taught the Vedic hymns to the sages, who then handed them down through generations by word of mouth.

The Mandalas of the Rig Veda which are ten in number and were composed by poets from different priestly groups over a period of several centuries is structured based on clear principles The Rigveda is structured based on clear principles. The Veda begins with a small book addressed to Agni, Indra, Soma and other gods, all arranged according to decreasing total number of hymns in each deity collection; for each deity series, the hymns progress from longer to shorter ones, but the number of hymns per book increases. Finally, the meter too is systematically arranged from jagati and tristubh to anustubh and gayatri as the text progresses.

Rigveda, in contemporary Hinduism, has been a reminder of the ancient cultural heritage and point of pride for Hindus, with some hymns still in use in major rites of passage ceremonies.  Musicians and dance groups celebrate the text as a mark of Hindu heritage, and these have remained popular among the Hindus for a long time. However, the contemporary Hindu beliefs are distant from the precepts in the ancient layer of Rigveda Samhitas.

Sama Veda

The Samaveda Samhita consists of 1549 stanzas, taken almost entirely (except for 75 mantras) from the Rigveda. While its earliest parts are believed to date from as early as the Rigvedic period, the existing compilation dates from the post-Rigvedic Mantra period of Vedic Sanskrit, between c. 1200 and 1000 BCE or “slightly later,” roughly contemporary with the Atharvaveda and the Yajurveda.

The Samaveda samhita has two major parts. The first part includes four melody collections and the second part three verse “books”. A melody in the song books corresponds to a verse in the arcika books. Just as in the Rigveda, the early sections of Samaveda typically begin with hymns to Agni and Indra but shift to the abstract. Their meters shift also in a descending order. The songs in the later sections of the Samaveda have the least deviation from the hymns derived from the Rigveda.

In the Samaveda, some of the Rigvedic verses are repeated. Including repetitions, there are a total of 1875 verses numbered in the Samaveda recension translated by Griffith. Two major recensions have survived, the Kauthuma/Ranayaniya and the Jaiminiya. Its purpose was liturgical, and they were the repertoire of the “singer” priests.

Yajurveda

Yajur Veda, of Sanskrit origin, is composed of Yajus and Veda; the two words translate to ‘prose mantras dedicated to religious reverence or veneration’ and knowledge respectively. Third of the fourth canonical texts of the Hindu dharma, this liturgical collection is famous as the ‘book of rituals’. Of the ancient Vedic text, it is a compilation of ritual offering formulas or the prose mantras to be chanted or muttered repeatedly by a priest while an individual performs the ascertained ritual actions before the sacrificial fire or the Yajna.

The earliest and most ancient layer of Yajurveda samhita includes about 1,875 verses, that are distinct yet borrow and build upon the foundation of verses in Rigveda. Unlike the Samaveda which is almost entirely based on Rigveda mantras and structured as songs, the Yajurveda samhitas are in prose and linguistically, they are different from earlier Vedic texts. The Yajur Veda has been the primary source of information about sacrifices during Vedic times and associated rituals.

The Yajurveda is broadly grouped into Krishna Yajurveda and Shukla Yajurveda, also referred to as the Black Yajurveda and the latter as the White. In reference to the verses of the Krishna Yajurveda being un-arranged, unclear, and disparate or dissimilar, the collection is too often referred to as Black Yajurveda. In contrast, the well-arranged and imparting a particular meaning, the Shukla Yajurveda is known as the White Yajurveda.

Yajurveda, in contemporary Hinduism, has been a reminder of the ancient cultural heritage and point of pride for Hindus. The text is a useful source of information about agriculture, economic, and social life during the Vedic era. The verse, translated from the Shukla Yajurveda, for example, lists the types of crops considered important in ancient India.

Atharvaveda

The Artharvaveda Samhita is the text ‘belonging to the Atharvan and Angirasa poets. It has about 760 hymns, and about 160 of the hymns are in common with the Rigveda. Most of the verses are metrical, but some sections are in prose. Two different versions of the text – the Paippalāda and the Śaunakīya – have survived into the modern times. The Atharvaveda was not considered as a Veda in the Vedic era, and was accepted as a Veda in late 1st millennium BCE. It was compiled last, probably around 900 BCE, although some of its material may go back to the time of the Rigveda, or earlier.

The Atharvaveda is sometimes called the “Veda of magical formulas”, an epithet declared to be incorrect by other scholars. The Samhita layer of the text likely represents a developing 2nd millennium BCE tradition of magico-religious rites to address superstitious anxiety, spells to remove maladies believed to be caused by demons, and herbs- and nature-derived potions as medicine. The text, states Kenneth Zysk, is one of oldest surviving record of the evolutionary practices in religious medicine and reveals the “earliest forms of folk healing of Indo-European antiquity”. Many books of the Atharvaveda Samhita are dedicated to rituals without magic, such as to philosophical speculations and to theosophy.

The Atharva veda has been a primary source for information about Vedic culture, the customs and beliefs, the aspirations and frustrations of everyday Vedic life, as well as those associated with kings and governance. The text also includes hymns dealing with the two major rituals of passage – marriage and cremation. The Atharva Veda also dedicates significant portion of the text asking the meaning of a ritual.

Section 309 IPC

The World Health Organisation defined suicidal act as “the injury with varying degree of lethal intent” and that suicide may be defined as “a suicidal act with fatal outcome”. Suicidal acts with non fatal outcome are called as “attempted suicide.” In recent times, attempted suicide has gained more importance than the suicide which is the successful act because for this there is no offender who can be brought within the purview of law. In India, attempt to suicide is made punishable under section 309[1] of Indian Penal Code, 1860. A lot of conflicting opinions have generated on retaining or deleting Section 309 of Indian Penal Code because of some differing judgments by the judiciary about whether right to life includes right to die within the meaning of article 21 of the Constitution of India.

One side is of the opinion that Article 21 of the Constitution of India is a provision guaranteeing protection of life and personal liberty and by no stretch of the imagination can extinction of life be read to be included in protection of life. By declaring an attempt to commit suicide a crime, the Indian Penal Code upholds the dignity of human life, because human life is as precious to the State as it is, to its holder and the State cannot turn a blind eye to a person in attempting to kill himself. Another set of people are of the opinion that the Section 309 of Indian Penal Code is cruel and irrational because it provides double punishment for a troubled individual whose deep unhappiness had caused him to try and end his life. It is cruel to inflict additional legal punishment on a person who has already suffered agony and ignominy in his failure to commit suicide.

Section 309 of the IPC was daunted with many controversies regarding its validity over the decades on the grounds of legality and morality. Finally, giving approval to the various Law Commission Reports and judgments of the Hon’ble High Courts and the Supreme Court, attempted suicide is de-criminalized (not punishable) after passage of The Medical Health Care Act, 2017.

 Section 309 of Indian Penal Code, 1860

Suicide has not been defined anywhere in the IPC. However briefly defined, ‘suicide’ is the human act of self-inflicted, self-intentioned cessation. It has been defined by various sociologists and psychologists in different ways. Suicide is killing oneself intentionally so as to extinguish one’s life and to leave this world. 

Suicide as such is no crime under the code. It is only attempt to commit suicide that is punishable under this section. If the person succeeds, there is no offender who could be brought within the purview of law. The section is based on the principle that the lives of men are not only valuable to them but also to the state which protects them.

Section 306

If any person commits suicide, whoever abets the commission of such suicide, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

S. 309 – Attempt to commit suicide: “Whoever attempts to commit suicide and does any act towards the commission of such offence shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine, or with both.”

Attempt must be intentional- The essence of suicide is an intentional self destruction of life.. Similarly, if a person because of family discord, destruction, loss of a near and dear relation or other cause of a like nature overcomes the instinct of self- preservation and decides to take his life, he should not be held guilty for attempt to suicide. In such a case, the unfortunate man deserves indulgence, sympathy and consolation instead of punishment. It is under very compelling adverse circumstances that a person resorts to taking the extreme step of attempting to commit suicide. Some of them are depressive illness, schizophrenic attitude, physical illness which is intolerable, poverty, unemployment, frustration, disappointment, dowry problems etc.

There are many ways in which suicide can be committed. The known methods are by drowning, hanging, poisoning, cutting throat, burning, shooting oneself, hunger strike etc. But it is difficult to generalize any and conceptualize particular theory because whenever we hear news about individuals committing suicide, we immediately come up with a conclusion that these people are depressed, dissatisfied, and unhappy with their lives. However, when popular and rich people commit suicide, we are left in confusion. Why would someone who is loved and idolized by many decide to kill himself? Depression may be the main culprit, but there are a lot of things to consider as well. These include overwhelming pain, grief, and stress; some use it as an escape for their failure and shortcomings like criminals who are about to be sentenced or caught. However, there are cases where suicide is an option that is mandatory or required. Thus, most people end up sacrificing themselves to save the lives of others in unbelievable circumstances. Heroes during the wartime generally belong to this category. 

The Indian constitution under Article 21 confers the right to Life as the fundamental right of every citizen. The Right to Life enriched in Article 21 have been liberally interpreted so as to mean something more than mere survival and mere animal existence. The Supreme Court has asserted that Article 21 is the heart of the fundamental Rights provided under part III of the constitution. The Supreme Court has clearly stated that in order to treat a right as a fundamental it is not mandatory that it should be expressly stated as a fundamental right. In India “The right to life” under Article 21 of the Constitution has received the widest possible interpretation under the able hands of the judiciary and rightly so. On the grounds as mentioned, Article 21 does not have a restrictive meaning and needs to be interpreted broadly. This affirms that if Article 21 confers on a person the right to live a dignified life, it should bestows the “Right to Die” also, but the inclusion of Right to die under Article 21 contradict the provision of Indian Penal Code under section 309. As according to section 309 of the I.P.C. “Whoever attempts to commit suicide and does any act towards the commission of such offense, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine, or with both”. This section is based on the principle that lives of men are not only valuable to them but also to the state which protects them.

Section 309, Indian Penal Code [“IPC”] criminalises an attempt to suicide by any person. However, Section 115, Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 [“MHA, 2017”] states that any person who attempts to commit suicide shall be presumed, unless proved otherwise, to have severe stress and therefore, shall not be punished under the IPC.Therefore, Section 115, MHA, 2017 imposes a rebuttable presumption that the person who commits suicide is suffering from severe stress and, therefore, shall not be punished under Section 309, IPC. The result of the abovementioned provision of the MHA, 2017 is that Section 309, IPC is otiose. However, if the presumption of severe stress is rebutted, then such a person may be punished under Section 309, IPC. The MHA, 2017 has made Section 309, IPC redundant unless the presumption of severe stress is rebutted. However, there has been widespread use of the provision regarding cases of “hunger strikes” and “fasts unto death”, and to coerce public authorities. Nonetheless, retaining the provision to serve this purpose under its current language has unnecessary implications.The costs of retaining the provision is that there are several instances of police charging persons under the provision due to a lack of legislative awareness. The retention of the provision also makes attempted suicide a medico-legal case and prevents effective treatment to the person who has attempted such suicide at the “golden hour” for providing effective treatment.Since there is a clear intention of the Legislature to make Section 309, IPC redundant, its practical unwanted implications shall be done away with by removing such provision from the statute book. However, there is a need for a provision to take action against those who either intend to coerce public authorities by threatening to commit suicide, or attempt suicide to evade public authorities altogether. Nonetheless, since the cost of retaining the provision in its current form creates an unnecessary burden, the recommendation along the lines of the 42nd Law Commission Report to add Section 506A, IPC seems to be valid even now.