India has said that China has no locus standi on Jammu and Kashmir and advised it not to comment on the internal affairs of other nations.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said this yesterday in response to a media query on Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s recent comment on Jammu and Kashmir.
The Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan is taking action to provide employment to migrant workers who have returned to their native villages of six states. These states are Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
By the sixth week itself, a total of about 17 crore man days employment has been provided and 13,240 crore rupees has been spent so far. A large number of structures have been created under the Abhiyan. These include 62,532 water conservation structures, 1.74 lakh rural houses, 14,872 cattle sheds, 8,963 farm ponds, and 2,222 Community Sanitary Complexes. A total of 564 Gram Panchayats have been provided internet connectivity, and 16,124 candidates have been provided skill training through Krishi Vigyan Kendras.
The Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan was launched to boost employment and livelihood opportunities for migrant workers returning to villages and similarly affected citizens in rural areas, in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.
In Gujarat, a major fire broke out in Ahmedabad’s COVID hospital in the wee hours today. According to police sources, at least eight COVID patients including three women died in the incident. Sources said that the fire started around 3:30 am in the ICU department of Shrey Hospital in Navrangpura area of Ahmedabad. Several fire tenders were rushed to the spot to control the fire. Many patients had been rescued by the police and fire department.
Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said that fire broke out in the ICU unit of the hospital. He said that the primary reason for the fire is likely to be short circuit. Government has ordered an inquiry into this incident by two senior IAS officers. Police and FSL experts have started investigations. Principal Health Secretary Dr. Jayanti Ravi and Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Mukesh Kumar rushed to the spot after the incident. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani expressed grief and sorrow over the death of patients in the fire incident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed sadness over the tragic hospital fire in Ahmedabad. In a tweet today, Mr. Modi expressed condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the early recovery of injured persons.
The Prime Minister announced that ex-gratia of 2 lakh rupees each would be given to the next of kin of those who have lost their lives. He said, 50 thousand rupees each would be given to those who got injured due to the hospital fire.
The Prime Minister spoke to Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani and Mayor of Ahmedabad Bijal Patel regarding the situation. Mr Modi said that the administration is providing all possible assistance to the affected.
With the IMD issuing a warning of extreme rainfall over the next 24 hours for Konkan and Central Maharashtra region, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has asked people to stay indoors and venture out only for essential work. Taking stock of the situation, the Chief Minister asked the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai to coordinate with the police and railway authorities, health machinery and the National Disaster Response Force to ensure that citizens do not face any hardship. Widespread rains coupled with gusty winds across Maharashtra and Mumbai in particular threw life out of gear yesterday.
Mumbai received the highest rainfall of the season within just 12 hours yesterday, besides the highest-ever wind speed. According to the IMD, 330 mm rainfall was recorded at Colaba observatory whereas 146 mm rainfall was recorded in Santacruz. Heavy rains damaged three cranes at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Container Terminal. JNPT spokesperson said that exact damage due to adverse weather and gusty winds is still being ascertained. However, no injuries have been reported. The heavy rains that have been lashing Navi Mumbai and adjoining areas have caused extensive damage to the DY Patil Stadium in Nerul. Twenty two passengers who were stranded at masjid railway station on the Central line have been rescued by the NDRF. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in the wake of heavy rains and has assured all possible help from the Centre.
The President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed Manoj Sinha as the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
The President accepted the resignation of Girish Chandra Murmu as Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mr Murmu, a 1985 batch Gujarat cadre IAS officer was appointed as the LG in October last year. Our correspondent quoting sources reports, Mr Murmu had sent his resignation to President Ram Nath Kovind.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar has congratulated Manoj Sinha for being appointed as the new Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said that more than 10 lakh 59 thousand people have benefited from Vande Bharat Mission.
In a tweet today, Mr. Puri said, more than 9 lakh 39 thousand stranded Indians have returned to India through various means and more than 1 lakh 20 thousand have flown out to various countries since 6th of May this year. He said three thousand 841 Indians have returned from various countries yesterday. Mr. Puri said, government is continuously making efforts to reach out to citizens with a helping hand under phase 5 of the mission.
The highest recoveries from coronavirus have been reported in the country within 24 hours. A total of 51 thousand 706 people affected with coronavirus have recovered in one day which is the highest figure since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic in India. This has resulted in further improvement in the recovery rate which has reached 67.19 per cent in the country.
The Health and Family Welfare Ministry yesterday said, a total of 12 lakh 82 thousand 215 people have recovered from coronavirus in the country so far. It said, there has been a 63.8 per cent increase in recovered cases in the last 14 days. The aggressive testing along with ramped up hospital infrastructure has ensured the increasing recovery rate which has improved from 63 per cent to 67 per cent in two weeks. The Ministry said, a total of 52 thousand 509 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the country in the past 24 hours taking the total number of cases to 19 lakh 8 thousand 254. Presently, the total number of active corona cases in the country is five lakh 86 thousand 244. In a single day, 857 deaths have been reported taking the nationwide toll to 39 thousand 795. The case fatality rate has further declined to 2.08 per cent in the country.
Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research said that a total of two crore 14 lakh 84 thousand 402 tests have been conducted in the country so far.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the Ram Temple in Ayodhya will become a modern symbol of India’s traditions. He said that Ram Mandir will symbolise the power of collective resolution of crores of people which will keep inspiring the future generations. The Prime Minister was addressing the gathering at Ram Janmbhumi in Ayodhya yesterday. He performed Bhoomi Poojan and laid the foundation stone of the grand Ram temple.
With yesterday’s ceremony the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya has started. The Prime Minister said that construction of the Ram temple marks a new chapter in India’s history.
Recounting the different Ramayans written in various languages, the Prime Minister noted that Shree Ram is the common thread of unity in diversity in the country. He said that Lord Ram is a symbol of strength and unity for all religions, irrespective of religion.
During his historic address at Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it is an emotional moment for the entire country. He said the construction of Ram Temple will also pave way for the development of Ayodhya and open up several opportunities across sectors which will change the economy of the region.
The Bhumi Poojan ceremony started at sharp 12.30 yesterday afternoon and culminated at 12.45 pm. Many saints, spiritual leaders and other leaders associated with the Ram Temple movement were present at the ceremony. Mahesh Bhagchandka and Pawan Singhal from the family of late Ashok Singhal, Former President of Vishwa Hindu Parishad were Mukhya Yajman in Bhumi Pujan function.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first Prime Minister to have Darshan at Ram Janmbhumi and Hanumangarhi temple of Ayodhya. After planting a sapling of Parijat tree, he took part in the Bhumi Poojan ceremony.
The Prime Minister also released postage stamps on the model of Ram Temple and on Ramayana encyclopedia. A wooden Kodand Ram Statue was presented as a souvenir to the Prime Minister by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, the day will remain etched in the memory of every Indian. Mr. Modi in a tweet said, it was a blessed day in Ayodhya. May the blessings of Bhagwan Shree Ram always be upon us. He prayed that India may scale new heights of progress and that every Indian would be healthy and prosperous.
Interpersonal skills basically refer to the communication skills. How we deal with others and the mode of our communication. But unlike other skills which can be acquired by the medium of training and experience, interpersonal skills are natural and inherent in a person. The moment we are born, we all start interacting accordingly, and with the growing year if we gain more experience, our interpersonal skill tends to be refined. People with good interaction skills connect with others easily, because they know when to say what, and this makes the communication pleasing and interesting. Interpersonal skills are natural talent possessed by an individual, not something that can be taught in a school.
When we consider an organization, recruiters will select a person who is blessed with excellent interpersonal skills because of his/her ability to project a positive attitude and seek a smart solution to the problems. But those with poor interpersonal skills will not be considered for the job openings. Management students need to have an excellent command with the interpersonal skills, right from the time when they crack the CAT and other such competitive exams till the interview, management course and finally the campus placements, they should be proper in such skills. This will provide a stepping stone to their career and interpersonal skills of course acts as a confidence booster, which will be really fruitful for them in the job sector.
Interpersonal skills are the behaviors and tactics a person uses to interact with others effectively. In the business world, the term refers to an employee’s ability to work well with others. Interpersonal skills range from communication and listening to attitude and deportment. Interpersonal skills are often referred to as social intelligence. They depend on reading the signals others send and interpreting them accurately in order to form a response.
Everyone has a personal style and an interpersonal style, but some are more successful than others. While interpersonal skills may be based in part on personality and instinct, they also can be developed.
Interpersonal skills can be developed but they cannot be learned solely from a textbook. They come naturally to some people, while others have to work at cultivating them.
In many organizations, employees with strong interpersonal skills are valued for their pleasant demeanor and positive, solution-oriented attitude. These employees are seen as team players, who work well with others to achieve a goal. In more human terms, everyone likes being around them, and that never hurts.
Interpersonal skills are strongly linked to a knowledge of social expectations and customs, whether learned or acquired. People with the strongest interpersonal skills adjust their tactics and communications on the fly depending on the reactions of others.
Interpersonal skills are highly valued in the business world. Job seekers should use every opportunity to show their interpersonal skills at interviews and on resumes.
Among the interpersonal skills often required in business are active listening—the ability to elicit and fully process information from a speaker. Negotiation is a skill that is prized in sales, marketing, law, and customer service. Other desirable interpersonal skills include public speaking, conflict management, team building, and collaboration.
Interpersonal skills are best honed by practice. Expressing appreciation for team members and support staff, displaying empathy, moderating disputes quickly, and controlling displays of temper are all good exercises. Active listening can be practiced by repeating back a speaker’s comment to make sure true communication is taking place. If all that isn’t enough, there are courses that teach these skills.
Strong interpersonal skills such as negotiating, problem-solving, and knowledge-sharing are the main requirements for many jobs. Other skills are seen as essential qualifications for all employees, including :
It’s difficult to imagine a company thriving if its employees do not have these interpersonal skills.
This is all based on human psychology and understanding of human behavior. A positive interpersonal skill makes an individual different from the crowd and the organization in which he/she works for, will have more credibility and productivity. Even during adverse situations, those with good interpersonal skills will react appropriately and control their feelings rather than getting overwhelmed by emotional outburst. It is all about the way we behave with people and how well we carry ourselves.
Interpersonal skills not only mean proper communication but one should also possess good listening ability, balanced attitude and demeanor. Yet there are several programmes and seminars organized on interpersonal skills training and development. In the business domain, interpersonal skills include leadership, strong reliable networking and team work. The other three skills can be only possible if one succeeds in the interpersonal skills. This goes without saying that, interpersonal skills are a prerequisite not only in professional front but in also in the personal. Effective skills will help the employees to overcome challenges in workplace.
Yet technical ability and intelligence is not all that one requires, interpersonal skills should not be taken for granted. It is required to communicate, counsel, motivate, negotiate and also to deal amicably with senior employees, subordinates and business delegates. Seeing the globalization and cut throat competition in the corporate sector, where things are uncertain, interpersonal skills is the need of the hour. Effective communication and emotional intelligence is an inborn talent and cannot be taught.
Empathy, good conduct, analytical skills, logic, good presentation skills, finding immediate solution to the problems are the excellent intra personal qualities. It becomes easy to infuse more talent and training to a sharp employee, but it becomes all the more difficult rather impossible to train a dull person who have poor interpersonal skills. If communication is required for an individual to be called a human being, good interpersonal skills is the lifeblood for any given company or organization.
In most of the cases it has been observed that a hard working employee gets less payment while the other employee in the same post gets more than him, even when the latter is not that technically advanced and skilled in his profession. Now this happens because the latter has good interpersonal and communicative skills and hence he steals the show. Technical expertise is requires but it should be inclusive of good interpersonal skills for a person and organization to be successful and thriving.
By Udbhav Bhargava
Introduction
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has secured the patent for its remarkable process of manufacturing artificial Moon Soil on Earth. ISRO procures patent for producing Moon Soil on Earth Gaining the patent was amongst the few essential things required to begin with producing Regolith on Earth. All the required procedures have been fulfilled to start with the process of creating and producing the lunar soil simulant. ISRO has also found all the necessary factors such as mineralogy, grain size distribution, bulk chemistry and geo-mechanical properties, as per the patent application.
Moon Surface
The surface of the Moon has two hemispheres with rather asymmetric properties. As a consequence the nature of the Lunar surface that we can see from the Earth is substantially different from the surface that is always hidden from the Earth. We may also divide these into two groups
Near Side and Far Side
The side of the Moon unseen from the Earth is called the far side. One of the first Lunar orbiters’ discoveries is that the far side has a very different look than the near side. The findings revealed that Moon’s surface contains 80 per cent of ‘Highlands’ which are the dangerous areas of craters, cavities and mountains on the moon’s surface.
India and Far Side
With Chandrayaan-2 mission, ISRO objective was to land on the lunar South Pole However, India lost contact with the Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan) just few Kms before the surface of the moon.
Story behind Patenting of Moon soil
More than a decade ago, the Indian Space Research Organization ( ISRO) developed a proto-Lunar Terrain Test Facility (LTTF) at its advanced satellite testing unit in Bengaluru as the 2008 Chandrayaan-1 orbiter mission was being prepared. This, it did by modifying a balloon testing laboratory, about 30-40 m high, long, and wide. Sending a moon lander was at the time a remote priority thought. Realizing the dream, however, the first challenge was equipping the LTTF and making it look and sound like being on the moon. For that, it needed lunar ‘soil’, almost all of its features and texture, lunar temperatures, low gravity and the same amount of sunlight as on the moon.
Options with ISRO
An choice for recreating the terrain was to import simulated lunar soil from the U.S. — at an exorbitant $150 per kg (the price then prevailing). The facility needed roughly 60-70 tons of soil. ISRO bought a small amount of simulated lunar soil from the United States but soon wanted to pursue their own solution at a lower cost. Geologists from different national agencies noticed that a few sites near Salem in Tamil Nadu had the rock that somewhat matches composition and features of lunar soil. Professional crushers broke down the rocks and soil to the micro grain sizes the ISRO-led team had been searching for.
Several other space organizations from a variety of countries have struggled to reproduce simulant lunar soil and its behavior on Earth. The difference between the lunar soil simulant from ISRO and the simulants from other agencies is that ISRO has successfully found a way to recreate highlands where others have produced moon soil that is typically found in flat Moon regions. ISRO Chief K. Sivan in his statement revealed that space agency’s this new creation would ensure successful soft landing of the Chandrayaan-3 rover through a sustainable stimulus for preparation.
By Udbhav Bhargava
On 3 July 2020, the government of Nagaland decided to outlaw the
1. Commercial import and dog trade
2. Market pertaining to dog meat and associated products
3. Animal meat sale (both cooked and uncooked)
Animal activist campaign
Over the years, animal-rights groups have complained against the selling and consumption of dog meat. Maneka Gandhi had made an appeal on June 30 through ‘People For Animals’ (the animal welfare organization she founded) highlighting the “unabated” killing and eating of dogs in Nagaland. Appeals were received, in form of emails and tweets in thousands, by the Nagaland Govt. Humane Society International and People for Animals, two NGOs that have long campaigned to end dog meat trade, particularly in Nagaland, welcomed the decision as a significant seminal moment in ending India’s illegal dog meat trade.
The Rule
The firm cited Food Health & Quality Regulation 2.5 (Food Products Requirements and Food Additives) Regulation 2011, FSSAI, which lists meat and meat products that are appropriate for consumption. The cabinet concluded that dog meat is not on the register, and therefore, considered unfit for human consumption.
Possible consequences on mainstream culture
A legal mind may question the constitutional validity of this practice, where just on the basis of species, a dog is considered an edible meat. Article 371A grants Nagaland a special right to allow Naga communities to follow and maintain their customary law and social practice. Arguments against meat ban Culture and social mores of every region are different. Beef is consumed in many parts of the country while cow slaughter is considered to be against the religious/cultural practice in most parts of India. Prevention of cow slaughter is a part of the Directive Principles of State Policy, i.e. Part-IV of the Indian Constitution, which means the state endeavors to eradicate cow slaughter. Pork (Pig meat) is an acceptable food item in some religions while taboo in some religions. At present different laws are applicable to matters relating to cow slaughter. Out of 29 Indian states, while 20 states prohibit cow slaughter, beef is legally and freely available in states like Bengal, Kerala, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Tripura.
Author’s opinion
In the conflict between the slaughter of animals and its prevention, where the former, the ‘right to eat anything’ is backed by ‘right to life and personal liberty’ under Article 21, the only question that remains unanswered is, why is one species of animal considered to be ‘meat’ and other as ‘companion’?
For the most part of history, gender inequality is a heavily debated topic of discussion because from time immemorial it is always the men who have been the dominating force in the society which are reflected in the benefits they receive.
Gender pay gap is the difference between wages and salaries of men and women. It is the median yearly pay of women working full-time and throughout the year compared to the remuneration of men in the same category. Other estimates are based on hourly or weekly earnings or specific to a group of women.
The term ” equal pay ” came into spotlight in the year 1963 when Former President John F Kennedy amended the 1938 Fair Labor standard act which was a part of his New frontier program. But this did not put an end to the gender pay gap which has been existing from the time women came into the workforce during the industrial revolution. Even until the year 2017, women earned only about 81.8% of what men were earning.
The gender pay gap has become a major topic of research with women playing a big role in labour force facing alarming pay iniquities. A survey conducted on a company’s database with responses from around 2000 working women drew a conclusion that about 68.5% of the respondents said that the management does not want to take any necessary steps to bridge this gap even if gender parity is a priority resulting in zero change. The article further said ” it’s not just ‘glass ceilings’, but also ‘glass floors’, ‘glass doors’ and ‘glass walls’ at the workplace”.
Factors resulting in gender pay gap :
Gender pay gap is one of the gold mine area of research in labour market because it has an immense impact on wages. Wages is the primary motive of any labour force and this wage is distributed unequally to the labourers based on their gender due to a number of factors . Factors that result in the gender pay gap include occupations segregation, direct pay discrimination and bias against working mothers. In addition, factors like disability, racial bias, age and access to education also affect the gap in gender pay.
Occupational segregation :
Occupational segregation is most often based on gender where, women in female-dominated occupations face two different marginalisation based on wage. Firstly the average wage of their jobs is lower than that in comparable male-dominated jobs, and secondly they earn less relative to men in the same jobs .Occupational segregation is evident within occupation differences in earnings rather than differences in occupation itself. To put an end to all occupational segregation caused by gender more than half of the women in the labour force will have to go in search of a different occupation. It is said that it will almost take would take 150 – 320 years for occupational segregation to reach the point of integration. Occupational segregation occurs majorly because of preconceived notions and assumptions on which gender is best suited for best role rather than considering the efficiency of the person. This has an effect on the economy because it limits the participation of the labour group due to which they inevitably adopt to sectors which correspond to their gender and also lowers the aggregate demand in the economy causing a fall in female wages and leading to the gap in gender. It was also found that UK attributes to about 17% of pay gap with occupational segregation by gender. The female dominated jobs include about 22 occupations which is compressed into seven groups which are Office and administrative assistance,Health care and care support, Cashiers,Food preparation, Early childhood care and education, Beauty and personal services, Maids and housekeeping cleaners who earn less than 15 dollars per hour which is less than what men earn in the same occupation and contributes to only about 93.5% of what men earn.
Bias against working mothers :
Bias against working mothers is a kind of discrimination women who are pregnant or who just delivered a baby encounter in their working space due to which they don’t get the pay they deserve. Working Mothers particularly face more discrimination and in account for most gender gap in wages in comparison to the non mothers. This status of being a parent had a toll only on the female applicants because motherhood is seen as culturally incompatible with being an ideal worker whereas fatherhood or the paternal wall bias does not exist because the man is looked as the package deal of being a good
father and a great employee and are expected to work even if they have a new born at home. An economic study proved that the difference in pay gap between mothers aged less than 35 and non mothers is greater than the gap between men and women. The various factors for this wage gap for working mothers included reduced investment in human capital, lesser effort and efficiency compared with non mothers. The “work effort ” hypothesis by Becker in the year 1985 concludes that it might be possible that mothers are less competent, committed and are less productive at work because they have spent all their effort and energy caring for their children. This discrimination can be based on three factors, which is skill, trait and behaviour. A research also said that this wage gap is likely to be prevalent either because working mothers are assumed to be less productive or because employers stereotype working mothers and discriminate them or sometimes the reason maybe the combination of the two.
Direct pay segregation
Direct pay segregation is when women are paid comparatively lesser than men and women for the same job. A survey in India came up with the finding that male members on company boards earned about 1.22 crores annually and the women board members earned only about 60 lakh annually which is two times lesser than what men boars members earn die the same job. This is because the society has a great influence on what roles each gender should posses and therefore puts a level of pay for each gender. Women are often considered inferior and less competent than their male counterparts therefore they are often paid lesser for the same work. This was believed to be because women had lesser human capital than men in terms of knowledge, skills and experience. A major example for this direct pay segregation is the pay gap between the women’s and men’s soccer team of the US. According to reports, the U.S. women’s soccer team are paid only $2 million for winning the FIFA Women’s World Cup while the men’s soccer team players are paid $35 million. This discrimination extends even towards the salary where women receive between $6,842 and $37,800, while the men receive up-to $50,000.
Age:
Age is one of the primary factors that widens this gap. Women are paid only about 90% of what men are paid on weekly basis which stays the same until around the age of 35 and then through retirement, women are paid 74–82 percent of what men are paid, depending on age. By the time workers reach 55–64 years old women are paid only 74 percent of what their male counterparts are paid. The gender gap is narrower when the working women are younger in age which includes women below their 35’s. This gap widens the most when they reach their forties reaching its widest point for women in their forties. The various reasons include that older women are found to have a have a lower level of education than the younger women who are already undergoing this wage gap and also because of their shorter span of time in their job tenure when compared to their counterparts.
Disability
Dsabled people experience low employment opportunities and even if they get an employment ,they receive less pay. The causes of the disability pay gap are complex. The rate of employment for people with disabilities was only 35% ,with 63% men and 57% women in the year 2014. Another factor for this gender pay gap is disability. It is measured by answering questions related to these six disabilities: hearing, vision, ambulatory(related to walking) , cognitive(understanding), self care and independent living. The bias on women with disabilities is more than that of men with disabilities, because they tend to paid lesser than men with disabilities even though both are are prone to disability. This disability does not just cater to physical disability but also mental and progressive illness. In the 2015 ACS report, it was found that disabled people made only 68% compared to what people without disabilities made. And among people with disabilities also women made only 69% compared to men.
Racism :
Racism in today’s world is a longstanding phenomenan which constitutes to double marginalisation in women because they face oppression because firstly they are women and secondly because they belong to a particular race. Though men who belong to a certain race also face this oppression, women are doubly taken advantage of. Most companies generally pay lesser to the women who are so called “black” or “discriminated “. A research stated that non-white people earn lesser than the whites which is associated with discrimination because they are believed to have poor command of the particular language or because they exhibit qualities which do not match with the culture they are put in. Therefore they become overqualified and underpaid for the job which results in the pay gap.
The above factors give way to gender pay gap to exist.
The gender wage gap is real problem affecting women all over the world. This gap should not just be considered as an evidence of gender inequality and discrimination but rather as a statistical artifact of failing to adjust for factors that could drive earnings differences between men and women.
Indian Constitution has provided several rights to the people to protect their fundamental rights, but unfortunately, most people are not aware of their rights. Below are some laws and the rights which not only protect people’s interests but also ease their daily life.
1. If your cylinder explodes you are entitled to Rs. 40 lakh cover!
Many of us are unaware that domestic LPG consumers are entitled to a cover of Rs. 40 lakh in case of loss of life or damage to property due to cylinder explosions.
2. Penalised for receiving gifts? Yes, they can be bribes.
It has become a tradition for companies to send gifts! As these gifts can be carefully veiled bribes, the law is a smart move by the government to avoid situations of bribery.
3. Only female officers can escort women to the police station
Not only do male officers have no right to escort a woman but she can refuse to go to the police station between 6 pm to 6 am. In case of a serious crime, a written permit from the magistrate is required for male officers to escort her.
4. The tax recovery officer can arrest and release you
In case of tax violations, the TRO has the right to arrest you, though a summon has to be sent. The tax commissioner only decides how long can you be in custody, but your release will be decided by the TRO. This has been mentioned in the Income-tax Act, 1961 .
5. No traffic violation laws for non-motorised vehicles
Though it has been clarified that a golf cart is not allowed on the road but there aren’t any penalties against non motor vehicles like a cycles or rickshaws, since they don’t fall under the Motor Vehicles Act.
6. Women can lodge complaints through emails
Guidelines issued by the Delhi Police entitle women to the privilege of registering a complaint via email or even through post if she can’t go to the police station.
7. Live-in relationships are not illegal
Though it is frowned upon in our country, but as long as both the adults are ready to stay together, live-in relationships are not illegal. Moreover, live-in relationships are considered to be ‘equal to marriage’ if certain conditions are met few of which are pooling of financial and domestic arrangements, entrusting the responsibility, sexual relationship, bearing children, socialization in public and intention, conduct of the parties, etc. This is done to protect women under the Domestic Violence Act. Also, children born out of live-in relationships have the right to inherit their parent’s property.
8. Political parties can solicit your vehicle during elections
During the time of elections, a political party can solicit your car or bike for campaigning purposes after deciding a settlement with you. Also, parties cannot offer free rides to and fro from poll booths.
9. If you have been fined once in the day you maybe excused after that
Riding around without a helmet can land you into trouble, but once you are fined for it, the chalaan slip can get you out of being fined for the same till midnight. Yes, but this is not an encouragement to do so. Be safe while driving.
10. You don’t have to pay the MRP, you can buy for less
MRP is the Maximum Retail Price. As consumers, you have the right to bargain for a price below that. However, a seller can not go beyond the MRP.
11. If you aren’t paid, file a complaint immediately
The Limitation Act states that if you aren’t paid by someone who is contracted to pay you, you need to file a complaint within 3 years. After that time period your suit most likely will be dismissed, so being lazy about this is not an option.
12. 3 months in jail for PDA! (Public Display of Affection)
PDA within its limits is allowed but any obscene activity is punishable by law for upto 3 months. Since the word obscene has not been defined, couples are often harassed by policemen.
13. Head constables have limited prosecution power
No head constable can fine you for any offence which has penalty more than 100.
14. A police officer is always on duty, literally
The 1861 Police Act clearly states that a police officers is always on duty. If he or she witnesses an act of crime or if an incident is brought to their knowledge they can’t say “I am not on duty” even if they aren’t in uniform. Of course, they are entitled to some rest because of the the hard work that they put in to their work.
15. The no sex divorce
As funny as it sounds, if a husband or a wife refuse sex post marriage, it can be deemed as ‘mental cruelty’ and is a viable reason for divorce.
‘If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich’, quoted John F. Kennedy years before an epidemic like Covid-19 could have even been forecasted.
Starting from the Plague, a bacteria led pandemic to the Spanish Flu caused by a virus in 1918, the world has seen an invisible enemy mongering fear among the people. Though the epidemics did not change the patterns in people’s reactions but it outbreaks have certainly taught us about social distancing and responsibility. The response to the current pandemic, Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID 19) has been no different. The current situation where the Government has been repeatedly asking people to be selfish about their loved ones and stay indoors is undoubtedly a decision in the public welfare as it stands as the only way to fight the issue. This infection with symptoms is frightening and can kill people in large numbers as evident in the developed countries but the epidemic is more threatening when thought of people it might affect without symptoms.
Looking back, the plague epidemic was certainly a major turning point in India’s public health system. The principles introduced were new then and vaccines developed turned the history of hospitalization in the country. But when it first came in Mumbai, there were only Social Service leagues and other voluntary organizations which did the work of supplying food and medicine to the needy. Thus, there was impression of hope and being taken care of even when the situation turned helpless.
The society is divided into sections and it is not unknown to anyone of the country. Even though the upper class can claim money not being important more than happiness, the lower class does not even know the meaning of happiness if there is no penny in the pocket. The lockdown period has pushed the lower class people, working under ‘no work, no pay’ policy to the extreme points of their lives so much that the deaths due to hunger can compete with the numbers of deaths due to the virus after a couple of months. The situation is similar to the Plague in a lot of ways, maybe it is time to change the principles and policies of the wage workers and mark it in the history once again.
Coronavirus pandemic is not a depression yet but it is a recession already. The country can easily fall back into a temporary economic crisis and technical point of actions can prevent permanent scars of depression. Compelling the payment of wages to the daily wage workers can be a measure that can instantly transform the social safety of the nation as once these workers lay off; there might be irreparable damages to the entire nation’s productive capacity.
The government has issued directions to the employers to pay wages on mere humanitarian grounds and, it is not only for the permanent workmen but for the contract workers as well. The Disaster Management Act, 2005 or the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 which specifically came into force after the epidemic in Mumbai does not guarantee any such direction to be in compliance with the statutory law. However, Central and State governments can take its measures accordingly and it is backed by the provisions.
Though it has taken time but the Government has come up with ideas to deal with the situation. The government has strictly advised to support the country by paying wages without any consequential deduction in wages for this period. The direction is issued particularly for the casual or contractual workers. On non-payment, the employees can drive down morally to combat their fight. On such kind of a scene, India, as a country, would lose even if it manages to fight the virus.
But the circular is only an ‘advisory’ and has not been issued under any law, ultimately making it not binding on any person. As dealt in the judgment of Narendra Kumar Maheshwari v Union of India that any policy does not take the place of law. Even the legislation under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 does not prohibit any employer from terminating employees or to vary their terms of service. But it does mention securing employees as it requires them to be paid salaries in the course of business. There also lies a major difference between the terms, employees and workmen as pointed out in Dhrangadhra Chemical works Limited v State of Saurashtra. The matter stands important since a workman is entitled to retrenchment as well as other benefits unlike the employers irrespective of whether temporary or permanent. It is important to note that ‘natural calamity’ is not particularly defined in the Act and can be claimed to fall under the ambit of it.
The migrants are stranded on roadways due to the current situation but hands of employers are tied as well and even though some might think but everyone cannot afford the same. Such a crisis is itself not compensated under loan forbearance.
In such a situation, the solution can be to adopt the idea of common law ‘lay off’ concept to pay 50% of wages so that their daily needs are at least met and also so that it can be done for a larger period to a bigger audience. The Government can also secure by adopting Canada’s plan to subsidize certain requirements and by giving them a privileged position by offering different schemes.
It is time that the country understands that we are all in this together. Without one section the other cannot sustain for long. Very evidently, when John F. Kennedy quoted, he might not have forecasted viruses or pandemics but he knew the world required to stand together for development.
Agro-climatic conditions mainly refer to soil types, rainfall, temperature and water availability which influence the type of vegetation. An agro ecological zone is the land unit carved out of agro-climatic zone superimposed on landform which acts as modifier to climate and length of growing period. The Planning Commission has categorized 15 agro-climatic zones in India, taking into account the physical attributes and socio-economic conditions prevailing in the regions.
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