Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana completes 5 years; govt urges farming community to take advantage of scheme

The Centre has urged the farming community to take advantage of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), which has completed 5 years yesterday, in order to become “self-reliant farmers”. In a statement, the Union agriculture ministry said claims worth 90,000 crore rupees have so far been disbursed to farmers since the launch of the scheme on 13th January 2016.
 
The Central Government’s flagship crop insurance scheme – the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) has successfully completed 5 years of its operation.
 
The government took a historic step towards strengthening risk coverage of crops for farmers and approved the scheme on 13th January, 2016. The scheme was conceived as a milestone initiative to provide a comprehensive risk solution at the lowest uniform premium across the country for farmers. In the scheme, premium cost over and above the farmer share is equally subsidized by the Centre and States. Ministry of Agriculture has said that the average sum insured per hectare has increased from 15 thousnad 100 during the pre-PMFBY Schemes to 40 thousand 700 under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
 
The Ministry said, as an end to end risk mitigation mechanism for farmers, the scheme extends coverage for the entire cropping cycle from pre-sowing to post-harvest including coverage for losses arising out of prevented sowing and mid-season adversities. Individual farm level losses arising out of localized calamities and post-harvest losses are also covered due to perils such as inundation, cloudburst and natural fire. It also said that integration of land records with the PMFBY portal, Crop Insurance mobile-app for easy enrollment and usage of technology such as satellite imagery and machine learning to assess crop losses are some of the key features of the scheme. The scheme makes it easier for the farmer to report crop loss within 72 hours of occurrence of any event through the Crop Insurance App, CSC Centre or the nearest agriculture officer.
 
With an aim to  constantly bring about improvements, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana was made voluntary for all farmers, post its revamp in February 2020. Besides, the States have also been provided flexibility to rationalize the sum insured so that adequate benefit can be availed by the farmers. The Scheme covers over 5.5 crore farmers’ applications year on year and till date, claims worth 90 thousand crore rupees have already been paid out under the Scheme. Aadhar seeding has helped in speedy claim settlement directly into the farmer accounts. Even during COVID-19 lock down period nearly 70 lakh farmers benefitted and claims worth  over  8 thousand 741 crore rupees were transferred to the beneficiaries. The government has urged the farmers to take advantage of the scheme by associating themselves to become self-sufficient in times of crisis and support the creation of an Aatmanirbhar Kisan.

Online Short Film Competition being organised on MyGoV open forum to create patriotic mood

As a part of the Republic Day Celebrations-2021, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting along with National Film Development Corporation, NFDC is organizing and hosting an Online Short Film Competition on MyGoV open forum to create a patriotic mood surrounding this years’ Republic Day. The theme for the entries will be ‘Emergence of a New India with a can do, will do attitude’.
 
People can upload their films on online streaming sites like Youtube or Vimeo only and paste the link to the film in the comment box as their entry. Films uploaded through Google drive or wetransfer links will not be accepted. Storyboards, s as Word or PDF documents or pictures will not be accepted as entries.
 
The selected top entries will be awarded cash prizes. First Prize is one lakh rupees, Second Prize is 50 thousand rupees and Third Prize is 25 thousand rupees.
 
Submission of the entries for Short Film Contest has commenced on 8th of January and it will continue till 20th of this month.

PM Modi urges youth to contribute selflessly & constructively in politics

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the New National Education Policy focuses on development of better individuals and from better individuals to a better country. Addressing the valedictory function of the Second National Youth Parliament Festival yesterday through video conferencing, Mr Modi said, this policy gives priority to our youth’s understanding, their decisions and beliefs.

The Prime Minister said, the new National Education Policy is a step towards nation-building and the Government is building an eco-system which will give better opportunities to the youth. Mr Modi said that our youth should come forward and write the destiny of our country. He exhorted the Youth to contribute selflessly and constructively in politics. 

The Prime Minister has lauded the winners and final panelists of the second National Youth Parliament Festival. Mr Modi said, as he  was hearing them speak, a thought came to him and he decided that he will tweet their presentations from his twitter handle, not just of the  three winners but, if recorded material is available, he  will tweet the speeches of all those who were on the final panel. Later, he tweeted the speeches of the winners and final panelists of the second National Youth Parliament Festival from his twitter handle. 

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

What Is Coronavirus (COVID-19)?

At the end of 2019, a new type of coronavirus began making people sick with flu-like symptoms. The illness is called coronavirus disease-19 — COVID-19, for short. The virus spreads easily and has affected people all over the world.

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19)?

COVID-19 can cause a fever ,cough, and trouble breathing. Some people might have:

  • symptoms of a cold such as a sore throat, congestion, or a runny nose
  • chills
  • muscle pain
  • headache
  • a loss of taste or smell
  • nausea or vomiting
  • diarrhea
  • tiredness

The virus can be more serious in some people. And some people have no symptoms at all.

Some kids are having symptoms caused by inflammation  throughout the body, sometimes several weeks after they were infected with the virus. This is called multilevel inflammatory (MIS-C). Doctors are trying to find out how these symptoms are related to coronavirus infection.

Symptoms seen in kids have included:

  • fever
  • belly pain
  • vomiting  or diarrhea
  • a rash
  • neck pain
  • red eyes
  • red, cracked lips
  • swollen hands or feet

How Does Coronavirus (COVID-19) Spread?

People can catch coronavirus from others who are infected even if they don’t have any symptoms. This happens when an infected person breathes, talks, sneezes, or coughs, sending tiny droplets into the air. These can land in the nose, mouth, or eyes of someone nearby, or be breathed in. Some of the tiniest droplets, called aerosols, can linger in the air for minutes to hours and travel on air currents. But it seems that the risk of spread is highest when people are less than 6 feet apart.

People also might get infected if they touch an infected droplet on a surface and then touch their own nose, mouth, or eyes.

Experts are looking at whether the virus can spread through stool (poop).

Is Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dangerous to Children?

Experts are still learning about COVID-19. Far fewer cases have been reported in children. Usually, the virus seems to cause a milder infection in children than in adults or older people.

But in some cases of the inflammatory syndrome called MIS-C, kids developed more serious symptoms, sometimes several weeks after being infected with the virus. Most kids with MIS-C get better after they get special care in the hospital, sometimes in the ICU (intensive care unit).

Call your doctor if your child has symptoms of COVID-19 or MIS-C, or just isn’t feeling well. Tell the doctor if your child has been near someone with COVID-19, or lived in or traveled to an area where lots of people have the coronavirus.

Get care right away if your child:

  • has trouble breathing
  • has severe belly pain
  • has pain or pressure in the chest
  • is confused or not making sense
  • is having trouble staying awake
  • looks bluish in the lips or face

These symptoms can be warning signs of serious illness.

How Is Coronavirus (COVID-19) Treated?

Doctors and researchers are working on medicines and a vaccine for coronavirus. Most people with the illness, including children, get better with rest, fluids, and fever-reducing medicine. Some people get very ill and need treatment in the hospital.

How Can I Protect Myself From Coronavirus (COVID-19)?

To protect yourself and your family:

  • Avoid large crowds and busy places.
  • Stay atleast 6 feet away  from people you don’t live with. COVID-19 can spread before a person has symptoms and even when someone has no symptoms.
  • When you go out, adults and kids over 2 years old should wear a mask or cloth face covering to help slow the spread of the virus. To see how to put on and remove masks, clean them , or make your own cloth mask, check the CDC’s guide.
  • Wash your hands  well and often. Wash for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Teach your kids to do the same.
  • Try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.
  • Use a household cleaner or wipe to clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that people touch a lot (like doorknobs, cellphones, and counters).
  • Keep informed about the spread of coronavirus in your community. You can find this on your local department of health website.
  • Follow recommendations from your local health authority, especially if many people have coronavirus in your area.
  • Make sure your children have all their vaccinations. Protect them against illnesses like measles and the flu . Kids who have another infection may have a harder time getting better if they do get COVID-19.

KOCHI WATER METRO PROJECT; FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE COUNTRY NEARS COMPLETION

Kochi, the bustling commercial port city of Kerala is witnessing a massive infrastructural and transportational facelift with enormous investment and technological upgrade. The inland water transport system which once served as the backbone of Kochi connecting its Islands and eyots, faced a severe decline in the past decade as people started depending more on land transportation facilities. The increase in the number of private vehicles on road demanded a return back to water transport as it is more energy and cost efficient. The Kochi Water Metro Project is introduced as an alternative public transport system to reduce the traffic congestion in the city with minimal pollution, providing the population along the city’s shores easy access to the commercial centres.

The Project aims at developing 15 identified water routes that connect 10 islands benefitting over 1,00,000 people by improving their livelihoods. This socially inclusive water transport system is expected to cover a total span of 78 km with a fleet of 78 fast, electrically propelled hybrid ferries plying to 38 jetties. Specially designed environment-friendly and energy-efficient boats equipped with advanced technology will be commissioned for the project. The boat services will start from major jetties between every 10 to 20 minutes; navigational buoys and night navigational assistance will also be ensured. The terminals are designed to have state-of-the-art facilities including automated fare collection and turnstile system for passenger counting. Pontoons(floating jetties) that adapt during high tide and low tide are built to facilitate easy boarding and deboarding for physically challenged personals.

In addition to the ferry services, the project integrates the waterway system with the city’s other public transport system and also intends the development of areas around the waterways through commercial property development along with tourism initiatives. As the project aims to be environment friendly,  the management of waterweed and floating waste will also be taken care of.

The construction activities of the water metro under the supervision of KMRL (Kochi Metro Rail Limited) is progressing at a fast pace and the project is expected to be completed very soon. Almost 50 per cent of piling works of the high court boat jetty have been completed along with the construction of floating pontoons and other civil constructions. “Construction work on terminals at Vyttila and Kakkanad is in the final stage. Work is also progressing at Eloor, Cheranalloor, South Chittoor, Bolgatty, High Court, Vypeen, Mulavukad North, Paliyamthuruth and Kadamakkudy. Cochin Shipyard is expected to deliver the first boat soon,” a KMRL spokesperson said.

With the construction of the jetties at Kakkanad and Vyttila entering the final stage, the first ferry service under the water metro project is expected to be kick-started in this route in the upcoming months. The Cochin Shipyard has been delegated with the manufacturing of the specially designed ferries with different passenger capacities for the project. The water metro project is assumed to be completed within an expenditure limit of Rs.747 crore, excluding the land cost. Once the water metro project is completed, Kochi will become the first city in the country to have an integrated road, metro rail and water transport system under one roof.

Indian Navy to coordinate largest coastal defence exercise Sea Vigil-21

Indian Navy will coordinate second edition of largest coastal defence exercise Sea Vigil-21 starting today. The inaugural edition of the exercise was conducted in January 2019. The two-day biennial pan-India coastal defence exercise, will be undertaken along the entire 7,516-kilometre long coastline. The exercise will also include Exclusive Economic Zone of the country and will involve all the 13 coastal States and Union Territories along with other maritime stakeholders. It will also include the fishing and coastal communities. The entire coastal security set up was reorganised after the 26/11 Terror attack at Mumbai which was launched via the sea route.

The scale and conceptual expanse of the exercise is unprecedented in terms of the geographical extent, the number of stakeholders involved. The exercise is a build up towards the major Theatre-level exercise TROPEX [Theatre-level Readiness Operational Exercise] which Indian Navy conducts every two years. SEA VIGIL and TROPEX together will cover the entire spectrum of maritime security challenges, including transition from peace to conflict. Assets of the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, Customs and other maritime agencies will participate in SEA VIGIL. The exercise is also being facilitated by the Ministries of Defence, Home Affairs, Shipping, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Fisheries, Customs, State Governments and other agencies of Centre and State.

AIR correspondent reports, the Exercise SEA VIGIL-21 will provide a realistic assessment of our strengths and weaknesses and thus will help in further strengthening maritime and national security.

Centre advises states to enhance surveillance for avian influenza in view of more confirmed cases from various states

Talking about the prevailing situation of Bird Flu in different parts of the country, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, the government has formalized a roadmap, which needs to be followed at an earliest. He said, District Magistrates will also have a major role to play to check the spread of the disease. Mr Modi said, those states, where no case of Bird Flu has been reported, should be on a constant vigil.

Union Government has said that Avian Influenza has so far been confirmed in 10 states of the country. The ten states include Kerala, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Briefing reporters in New Delhi, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Giriraj Singh said that even after writing to the states three times, they did not taken proactive measures to contain the spread of the disease. He said, if the states had taken timely action, the spread of Avian Influenza could have been contained.

Country’s COVID-19 recovery rate reaches 96.49 per cent

The country’s COVID-19 recovery rate has reached to 96.49 per cent. More than 18 thousand COVID patients recovered during the last 24 hours. The total number of recoveries has gone up to over one crore one lakh. Health Ministry said, the COVID-19 recovery rate of India is amongst highest in the world. The actual caseload currently comprises only 2.07 per cent of the total positive cases. Presently, the total number of active cases in the country is around two lakh 16 thousand.
 
During the past 24 hours, 12 thousand 584 new cases were reported taking the total number of positive cases in the country to over one crore four lakh. The Ministry said, currently, India’s Case Fatality Rate is at 1.44 per cent, which is one of the lowest globally. During the last 24 hours, 167 deaths were reported taking the toll to one lakh 51 thousand 327.
 
According to Indian Council of Medical Research, more than eight lakh 97 thousand tests were conducted during the last 24 hours. The total number of samples tested so far has reached 18 crore 26 lakh.

New National Education Policy gives priority to our youth’s understanding, their decisions & beliefs: PM MOdi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the New National Education Policy focuses on development of better individuals and from better individuals to a better country. He said, this policy gives priority to our youth’s understanding, their decisions and beliefs. Addressing the valedictory function of the Second National Youth Parliament Festival today through video conferencing, Mr Modi said, the new National Education Policy is a step towards nation-building and the Government is building an eco-system which will give better opportunities to the youth.
 
Speaking about Swami Vivekananda, Mr Modi said, Swami Ji always stressed equally on physical and mental strength and spoke about muscles of iron and nerves of steel. He said, inspired from the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, government is specially focusing on the mental and physical fitness of Indian youth.
 
The Prime Minister said, it was Swami ji who said that the fearless, frank, clean-hearted, courageous and aspirational youth is the foundation on which the future of the nation is built. He believed so much on youth and on the youth power.
 
Mr Modi said, time passed, the country became independent, but we still see Swamiji’s influence today. What Swami ji spoke about spirituality, nationalism and nation building, his thoughts about serving people and serving the world flow within people with the same intensity.
 
The Prime Minister said, Swami Vivekananda has given us another precious gift and it is a gift to build individuals, to build institutions. He said, people come under the influence of Swami ji and build institutions. He said, people then come out from these institutions, follow Swami ji’s path and add new people too.
 
The Prime Minister said, our freedom fighters were influenced by Swami Vivekananda and his works have always been effective in instilling nationalism in the youth.
 
Mr Modi said, earlier there was a perception in the country that if a young man turned to politics, people used to say that the child is getting spoiled. He said, people believed that everything can change but politics cannot. The Prime Minister said, but today honest people are also getting a chance in politics. Honesty and performance is becoming the first mandatory condition of today’s politics.
 
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju also addressed on the occasion.
 
Three national winners of the Festival also expressed their views during the event.

Why SC Silent On Worst Discrimination In Judiciary?

Let me begin with a disclaimer: I am neither a member nor supporter of BJP or any other political party nor a member of any of BJP’s affiliated organizations like the RSS or VHP or any other organization. I stay miles and miles away from politics of any kind. It just doesn’t suit me and I very strongly feel that I can never be a good politician as it is just not my cup of tea!

Having said this, let me now come straight to the key point. The Chief Justice of India – Sharad Arvind Bobde who is a product not of any High Court but of a High Court Bench at Nagpur in Maharashtra which has the unique distinction of having the maximum Benches of High Court in India at four along with Assam and who while hearing the petition on farm bill laws minced no words to tell the Attorney General KK Venugopal that, “We are extremely disappointed at the way government is handling all this (farmer’s protests). We don’t know what consultative process you followed before the laws. Many states are up in rebellion.” Without taking any sides and without going into the merit of the farm laws, we humbly submit to what the CJI says but it must be asked: Why has no CJI ever taken any note of the worst discrimination happening right under the nose of judiciary till now?
Why every CJI from 1947 till 2000 very strongly believed that there was nothing wrong in the people of hilly areas (erstwhile part of UP) from now Uttarakhand travelling thousands of kilometers all the way to Allahabad to get justice and it was in the “supreme interest of people” that the best decision to create a single Bench of High Court was taken by the then PM late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru at Lucknow which is just about 200 km away from Allahabad where High Court itself is located and even though was nearer from Lucknow but again to protect the interest of the people of hilly areas who face such a tough life would be served better if the litigants from there would be required to travel all the way to Allahabad? Can on earth there be anything more ridiculous decision than this?
Anyway, as time progressed, the people of hilly areas and those from West UP unitedly started agitating for more separate High Court Benches as even from 26 districts of West UP, Allahabad is more than 700 km away on an average and even Lucknow is just about 500 km away yet they too were attached with Allahabad in “supreme interest of justice”! Can on earth there be anything more ridiculous decision than this? Let us think?
Yes, there is one more decision which is even more ridiculous and senseless than what is mentioned above! The daughter of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and former PM late Mrs Indira Gandhi who then was PM initially took the “extremely brilliant, blunt and bold decision” to set up a high powered Committee more High Court Benches headed by a former Supreme Court Judge – Justice Jaswant Singh to examine this most burning issue in detail and suggest where all Benches are needed in India in mid seventies and he brilliantly, boldly and bluntly recommended that 3 more High Court Benches should be created in Uttar Pradesh at Agra, Dehradun and Nainital and one in Maharashtra at Aurangabad, one at Jalpaiguri in Tamil Nadu and one at Madurai in Tamil Nadu! Just think what happened next?
No prizes for guessing the answer as we all know now that Centre most shamelessly, most senselessly and most stupidly decided not to create even a single High Court Bench anywhere in any hook and corner of UP but decided to create a Bench for Aurangabad in Maharashtra which already had Benches at Panaji, Nagpur and so also at other places as was recommended for other States! As if this was not enough, we saw once again one more High Court Bench was created at Kolhapur in 2018 due to which the lawyers of West UP even went on token strike in protest as it was felt strongly that this is the “worst discrimination” that has ever happened with them as the more than 9 crore people of West UP have to travel more than 700 km on an average all the way to Allahabad to get justice! Is Maharashtra “some special state” from where the incumbent CJI Sharad Arvind Bobde hails that it has been given High Court Benches time and again but UP has been left in the cold inspite of being the strongest contender as can be glimpsed from the “landmark, learned and laudable recommendations of Justice Jaswant Singh Commission? 
No wonder that Maharashtra tops in the latest justice index ranking among States and UP figures at bottom with maximum pending cases which is more than ten states put together! It is this step-motherly and most disgraceful treatment accorded by Centre to UP which is most hurting and is biggest violation of Article 14 which talks about right to equality. It is because of this stupidity that the people of 26 districts of West UP are compelled to travel more than 700 km all the way to Allahabad to get justice and attend court hearings many times without reservation whole night to reach Allahabad which is even far away from Lucknow which is still just about 500 km away from West UP!
Bluntly put: Is this is what Article 14 which talks about right to equality stands for? What sort of equality is this? Is Centre not making an open mockery of Article 14 of Indian Constitution? Why is it going unnoticed since such a long time? Why even Supreme Court has never intervened on it? Why Supreme Court feels that the people of West UP, Bundelkhand and other needy areas should only hope that Centre does something which is just not ready to budge! Why Supreme Court itself is not ready to do anything on this? Most despicable!
It must also be asked: Are the people of West UP not entitled to get “speedy justice”, “justice at doorsteps” and “cheap justice” just like the people of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam etc? Why is it that the high court and benches of 8 states are closer to West UP as compared to Allahabad? Why even Lahore High Court in Pakistan is closer to West UP as compared to Allahabad High Court? Still should a high court bench not be created here?
Needless to say, Centre must clarify its stand and not maintain a conspicuous and deafening silence on it! Former Attorney General Soli J Sorabjee had clearly said in 2001 while he was Attorney General that, “Centre is fully empowered to create a bench in any of the districts in West UP without any recommendation from the Chief Justice or anyone else in this regard.” Former Supreme Court Bar Association Chairman Krishnamani had also said that, “Only by the creation of a high court bench in West UP will the people living here get real justice.”CJI Ranjan Gogoi while disposing of a petition on this filed by a lady advocate KL Chitra in 2018 had appreciated the dire need for a bench in West UP but also had said that it is for Centre to decide on it!
One hopes fervently that CJI Sharad Arvind Bobde will do something concrete on it before retiring in April 2021! He himself being a “bright gem” of a high court bench should certainly go into it deep and set up benches not just in West UP but also in other needy places in different states as was rightly recommended by 230th report of Law Commission of India also so that more talent comes to the horizon from the biggest populated state of India and we see that the “poorest of poor” people get “justice at doorsteps” and they are not compelled to travel a long way to get justice as it is they who have to spend more and suffer innumerable hassles! He must act as Centre has failed to act in last more than 74 years especially in case of UP and Bihar which inspite of being lawless states have just one bench and no bench respectively!
It is most shocking that peaceful states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam, Madhya Pradesh among others have more high court benches but the most lawless states like UP have either just one or no bench at all as we see in Bihar! This what I find most disturbing and also most atrocious! This must be set right at the earliest!
Let’s hope fervently that CJI Sharad Arvind Bobde before retiring will act courageously on this score and do what none of his predecessors has ever dared to do and tended to play safe by always leaving the ball in Centre’s court which in turn has done just nothing at all even though the incumbent Law Minister of India Ravi Shankar Prasad is from Bihar and the PM Narendra Modi himself is from UP representing Varanasi! But so far he is not at all agitated on this! Is he not aware of the “law and order” situation in UP and Bihar? 
It would be worth recalling that the former Chief Justice of UP – Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale who himself hails from Maharashtra while in office had candidly and courageously lambasted that “women in Maharashtra are safe even at night and can go anywhere alone” and this even I had seen myself while doing LLB from Symbiosis Law College in Pune but in UP he said that “women are not safe even with their family and that too in broad daylight on national highway while hearing a case on woman being beaten and molested and gang-raped and what not in Bulandshahr which is again in West UP”! Still Centre is not ready to create a bench!
As if this is not enough, the lawyers of West UP have been on strike for nearly 40 years every Saturday from May 1981 till now! Not just this, the lawyers of West UP have even gone on 6 months strike as we saw in 2001 and 3 to 4 months strike as happened in 2014-15 and many times on Wednesday and Saturday and many times for weeks! Why Centre is so adamant? Even Kapil Sibal as Union Law Minister had recommended High Court Bench at Meerut as was disclosed by former UPA Union Minister RPN Singh just like Sampoornanand who was the then UP CM had recommended in 1955 in Meerut apart from many others and former PM late Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Opposition leader had raised it in Parliament in 1986 still we see no bench anywhere not just in Meerut or in West UP or in Bundelkhand but in any hook and corner of UP except the one at Lucknow created in 1948!
No doubt, the clogged arteries of our legal system can only be declogged by creating more high court benches in big states as recommended by 230th report of Law Commission of India! It may well be argued that it is well nigh impossible to implement “justice at doorsteps” and “speedy justice” and “justice for all” as enshrined in various Articles in our Constitution without creating more high court benches in big states like UP! Centre must pay heed to what Dr BR Ambedkar had said that, “However good a Constitution may be, if those who are implementing it are not good, it will prove to be bad. However bad a Constitution may be, if those implementing it are good, it will prove to be good.”
“Let justice be done though heaven falls” goes a well known adage and it deserves to be implemented in UP by creating more benches so that the more than 9 crore people of West UP are not compelled to travel all the way to Allahabad to get justice! Centre must honestly introspect and ask itself: Why a state like UP which tops the state list of maximum pending cases has just one bench and that too so near to Allahabad and nowhere else due to which people of West UP of 26 districts are compelled to travel whole night time and again to attend court hearings and same holds true for other far away places like Bundelkhand and Purvanchal? Why another lawless state like Bihar has not even a single high court bench? This alone explains why even filmmakers crack mocking songs like “Mein Aayi hun UP, Bihar lootene” and never hear anyone saying that, “Mein Aayi hun Maharashtra, Karnataka or Assam lootene”! High time that Centre acts decisively in this regard instead of passing the buck to the Chief Minister or Chief Justice or Full Bench of Allahabad High Court as we have seen in past because it is the litigants of more than 26 districts of West UP who will benefit and so will the people of other far away places of UP and Bihar! This utter neglect of West UP in particular and UP in general and so also Bihar must be given a full stop now!
But Centre it seems is determined to do just nothing on this score. What is worst is that even the incumbent CJI Sharad Arvind Bobde seems not keen as he has not taken any initiative on this score! Still it is always better to hope than to despair! It is most shocking to see that just recently on 31 December 2020, a two Judge Bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court comprising of Justice Vinod Chatterji Koul and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey in Abdul Qayoom Chalkoo v. Union Territory of JK & Ors in [LPA No. 123/2020 CM No. 4168/2020] while underlining the difficulties faced by the litigants of the Kashmir region in pursuing their cases before the Central Administrative Tribunal, Jammu Bench hoped that difficulties in the process of establishment of the Bench of the CAT at Srinagar are removed “as expeditiously as possible”. What is the distance between Jammu and Srinagar? It is just 266 km by road and 151 km by flight!
Just imagine this that the people of 26 districts of West UP have to travel more than 700 km on an average all the way to Allahabad to attend hearings at high Court as there is no High Court Bench in any of the 26 districts of West UP but still no one feels sorry for them just like we saw in the above case! Why no Judges of Allahabad High Court have ever similarly as we see above in case of Jammu and Kashmir ever ordered the creation of benches in West UP? Why even Supreme Court Judges said nothing on it? Why even the incumbent CJI Sharad Arvind Bobde who is a brilliant gem of a High Court Bench of Nagpur again in Maharashtra keeps a conspicuous silence on it? He can certainly take suo motu cognizance of it but will he? That only he himself can answer or will answer before he retires in April this year!
It is most shocking that UP which is among the largest States, has maximum population – more than 23 crore, maximum districts – 75, maximum constituencies – 80, maximum MPs – 80, maximum MLAs in Vidhan Sabha – 404, maximum MLAs in State Legislative Council at 100, maximum PM including Narendra Modi who represents Varanasi as an MP, maximum pending cases – more than 10 lakh and here too West UP accounts for more than half of pending cases as noted by Justice Jaswant Commission about 57%, maximum Judges both in High Court – 160 and also in lower courts, maximum vacancies of Judges about 60, maximum members in UP Bar Council more than 1 lakh and which is also the largest Bar Council in the world yet the former Chairman of UP Bar Council – Darvesh Yadav who was the first woman to get appointed to this post was murdered cold blooded right in court premises in Agra which is again in West UP on June 12, 2019 by pumping bullets on her head and stomach, maximum poverty, maximum villages more than one lakh the exact number being 107040, maximum gram panchayats at 74626, maximum fake encounters killings, maximum custody killings, maximum dowry cases, maximum bride burning cases, maximum cases of human rights violations, maximum robberies, maximum dacoities, maximum undertrials, maximum cases of crime, loot, arson and riots and here too West UP tops with Saharanpur riots, Meerut riots, Muzaffarnagar riots tarnishing our international reputation to the extent that former UN Secretary General Ban ki Moon termed UP as “crime and rape capital” of India and what not yet Centre till now end of 2020 from 1948 when a bench was created in Lucknow which is so close to Allahabad is not prepared to create even a single bench for not just West UP but for the entire UP? Area of West UP is 98,933 square km and accounts for 33.61 percent of total area of UP and has 26 districts yet no bench but Lucknow with just 62,363 square km and 8 districts has a bench! 
Most baffling that why even BJP is emulating Congress on this key issue since last 6 years now and 6 years earlier in former PM late Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s term as PM even though he had himself raised the demand for a high court bench very strongly in Parliament in 1986? If Lucknow is capital then so is Bhopal of Madhya Pradesh but it has high court at Jabalpur and two benches at Gwalior and Indore, Trivandrum of Kerala but High Court is in Ernakulam, Bhubaneshwar of Odisha but High Court is in Cuttack, Raipur of Chhattisgarh but High Court is in Bilaspur, Dehradun of Uttarakhand but High Court is in Nainital, Dispur of Assam but High Court is in Gauhati etc still why they have neither high court nor bench? 
How long will Centre ignore that only Karnataka and Maharashtra have gained from the recommendations of 230th Law Commission recommendations when 2 more Benches were created at Dharwad and Gulbarga for just 4 and 8 districts even though the pending cases of Karnataka are just less than 2 lakh and that of UP are more than 10 lkahs and that of West UP alone are more than 5 lakhs as Justice Jaswant Commission testified that West UP accounts for 57% of the total pending cases of UP still West UP most astoundingly has no Bench and UP has just one Bench? How long will Centre ignore that Karnataka has just 6 crore population and still it has High Court at Bangalore and 3 High Court Benches at Hubli, Dharwad and Gulbarga but West UP has population of more than 9 crores still it has not even a single Bench leave alone having High Court as was recommended by former UP CM Mayawati by making it a separate state? How long will Centre ignore that the High Courts and Benches of 8 states are nearer to West UP as compared to Allahabad High Court and even Lahore High Court in Pakistan is nearer to West UP than Allahabad? How long will Centre ignore that Allahabad High Court is the biggest Court in whole of Asia with maximum Judges at 160 and also among the lodest High Courts which completed its 150 years on March 17, 2016 yet has just one bench only? 
Truth be told, Rajnath Singh who is Union Defence Minister and also former CM of UP while addressing a public gathering in Patiyali constituency of Kasarganj district is on record stating that in February 2017 that UP reported 7673 riots, 4660 murder, 4096 robberies and 260 dacoities in just one year alone and has pledged his unstinted support for a high court bench in West UP still why not a single created till now?
It is most shameful and most disgraceful that Allahabad High Court has the dubious distinction of accounting for 14,207, or 98% of a total of 14,484 appeals that are pending adjudication for more than 30 years as was noted by a Bench of Apex Court comprising of Justices LN Rao and S Ravindra Bhat and yet no Prime Minister starting from Jawaharlal Nehru to present Narendra Modi has ever dared to create one more Bench apart from the one at Lucknow created in 1948 which is so close to Allahabad! What a pity that an anguished Supreme Court said that, “These facts pose a challenge to the judicial system, inasmuch as the right to speedy trial would also include the right to speedy disposal of appeals of those convicted. If such appeals are not taken up for hearing within a reasonable time, the right of appeal itself would be illusory, inasmuch as incarcerated convicts (who are denied bail) would have undergone a major part, if not whole of the period, of their sentences!”
It is most shameful and most disgraceful that Allahabad High Court has the dubious distinction of accounting for 14,207, or 98% of a total of 14,484 appeals that are pending adjudication for more than 30 years as was noted by a Bench of Apex Court comprising of Justices LN Rao and S Ravindra Bhat and yet no Prime Minister starting from Jawaharlal Nehru to present Narendra Modi has ever dared to create one more Bench apart from the one at Lucknow created in 1948 which is so close to Allahabad! What a pity that an anguished Supreme Court said that, “These facts pose a challenge to the judicial system, inasmuch as the right to speedy trial would also include the right to speedy disposal of appeals of those convicted. If such appeals are not taken up for hearing within a reasonable time, the right of appeal itself would be illusory, inasmuch as incarcerated convicts (who are denied bail) would have undergone a major part, if not whole of the period, of their sentences!”
To be sure, Justices Rao and Bhat also noted that over 33,000 appeals were pending in these 10 High Courts for a period between 20 to 30 years, and again Allahabad High Court had the lion’s share accounting for nearly 20,000 of them. The appeals waiting their turn to be heard for the last 10 to 20 years numbered at 2,35,914 of which 88,732 were in Allahabad High Court! These are all facts and not concocted stories!
Needless to say, this alone explains why Nani Palkivala one of the most brilliant jurist this earth has produced once famously said that, “While it is true that justice should be blind, in our country it is also lame. It barely manages to hobble along. The law may or may not be an ass but in India, it is a snail; it moves at a pace which would be regarded as unduly slow in a community of snails.” Why then should all such steps not be taken to put our judicial system back on rails and not allow it to be in ventilator as most unfortunately we have shamelessly allowed in last 74 years and this holds true most for UP and here too West UP which accounts for more than half of pending cases and still has not even a single bench? Why can’t more high court benches be created in UP so that cases are expedited in different benches as was recommended by the 230th report of Law Commission of India as UP has maximum pending cases in India but which till now has been implemented only in peaceful states like Karnataka and Maharashtra which is most shocking? 
Will this CJI ever dare to act on this or will he follow his predecessors and say nothing on this worst injustice with UP and Bihar? Let’s hope he dares to summon his courage just like he has shown now most recently due to which farmer leaders are eulogizing him most passionately! Also, why is it that so many vacancies in judiciary keep lying vacant right from lower courts to high courts even though we rarely see vacant posts in Apex Court? It certainly deserves prompt and proper judicial intervention by CJI Sharad Arvind Bobde! No delay!
Sanjeev Sirohi, Advocate,
s/o Col BPS Sirohi,
A 82, Defence Enclave,
Sardhana Road, Kankerkhera,
Meerut – 250001, Uttar Pradesh

IFFI announces its line-up for OTT platform; Bangladesh to be focus country this year

51st International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has announced a line-up of programmes that will be showcased on the OTT platform.  The festival will be held in Goa from 16th to 24th January. Taking into account the Corona pandemic, IFFI is holding its first ever hybrid film festival.
 
This year, IFFI will organize a few of its events on the OTT platform for its audience. It includes Retrospective films like Live Flesh, Bad Education and Volver of Spanish Filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar and the Square and Force Majeure of Swedish Film Director Ruben Östlund. Besides, the festival will have Master classes and In-conversation Sessions at OTT Platform.
 
Bangladesh will be this edition’s Country in Focus. The Country in Focus is a special segment that recognizes the cinematic excellence and contributions of the country. This section at the 51st IFFI will showcase four films – Jibondhuli by Tanvir Mokammel, Meghmallar by Zahidur Rahim Anjan, Under Construction by Rubaiyat Hossain and Sincerely Yours, Dhaka by 11 individual directors, including Nuhash Humayun, Syed Ahmed Shawki, Rahat Rahman Joy, MD Robiul Alam, and Golam Kibria Farooki, Mir Mukarram Hossain, Tanvir Ahsan, Mahmudul Islam, Abdullah Al Noor, Krishnendu Chattopadhyay and Syed Saleh Ahmed Sobhan.