According to The Guardian, doctors in the capital estimated more than 70 cases of rape during the attack on protestors during the sit-in for the Sudan crisis on June 3rd. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

According to UNICEF as of June 11th, at least 19 children have been killed and 43 injured since the attack on June 3rd.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

As of June 12th, the Central Committee of Doctors estimated the death toll at 118 people during the Sudan crisis.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

The Sudanese military-controlled health ministry has declared 859 injured. (The WHO report on June 14th was unable to verify these statistics.) <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

None of the above lists includes over 40 bodies that were found in the Nile.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

What to do to help<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

In a statement on Tuesday, UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore said that team was “gravely concerned” on the impact of the unrest of the country’s young people, “especially the reported use of excessive force against peaceful protestors.” UNICEF donations focus on disadvantaged children across the globe. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

- Tarini Ranadive<\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":null,"suggested_slug_url":null,"content_recommendation":null},{"id":"15","articles_title":"AES takes Bihar","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/Bihar-deaths-protest-1200x600.jpg","description":"

Bihar is currently facing an extreme healthcare crisis, which has seen the deaths of 126 children due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) with 418 more admitted at hospitals with complaints of the same. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

On Tuesday morning (17 days after the outbreak), the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar visited the Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in Muzaffarpur, where more than 300 children were admitted with complaints of AES since June 1st and close to 90 had died. He was greeted with protests from relatives and parents of the children who were holding up slogans such as "CM wapis jao". <\/p>\r\n\r\n

The Acute Encephalitis Syndrome outbreak came at a difficult time for the state, as more than 12,000 doctors from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) there went on strike for 24 hours from Monday to Tuesday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

What is Acute Encephalitis Syndrome?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    The WHO defines a case of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome as a person of any age, at any time of the year, who has an acute onset of fever and a change in mental status - with symptoms ranging from confusion, disorientation, paralysis, seizures, coma or the inability to talk. It is characterised by high fevers that alter consciousness and mostly affect children below the age of 15. Treatments include antiviral medication, as well as plenty of fluids and glucose. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    <\/strong>Acute Encephalitis Syndrome has taken the lives of over 2000 children in Muzaffarpur between 2000 to 2019. Most of the children affected came from the impoverished Mahadalit community which includes Musahars and scheduled castes. In comparison to the children affected in rural areas, in the past two decades, there have been barely 4 cases of AES in urban pockets.  <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    The cause of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome in Bihar has eluded researchers, but experts say a deadly cocktail of heatwave, malnourishment and binging on lychees on an empty stomach could be the cause. The state's problem has been aggravated due to an acute shortage of doctors, unavailability of key medicines, and lack of nursing staff and beds. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Malnourished children in villages spend most of their days eating litchis from nearby orchards, often skipping dinner or any meal, which leads to an alarming drop in their blood sugar levels. Litchis contain MCPG, which sever the body's ability to synthesise sugar and forces the body to metabolise fatty acids to boost glucose levels. This, in turn, leads to hypoglycaemia and brain fever. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

Who is accountable? <\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Given the limited resources that the state has allotted to healthcare, the inflow of patients at the time of outbreaks and epidemics makes the management of diseases worse, leading to higher casualties. The crisis has been amplified because the state's healthcare mechanisms have failed on several levels from making sure the children have basic nutrition, to providing satisfactory treatment at hospitals. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    The lax manner in which politicians are handling the outbreak of this epidemic has also been shameful and downright appalling. Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey was caught napping during a press meet on encephalitis on last Sunday, while Bihar's Health Minister Mangal Pandey drew widespread criticism for enquiring about an ongoing cricket match score at another event held for AES on the same day.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Ajay Nishad a Muzaffarpur parliamentarian was quoted attributing the viral outbreak to a deadly combination of four Gs that plague the state saying "encephalitis, as you know, is caused by garmi<\/em> (heat), gandhagi <\/em>(unhygienic conditions), garibi<\/em> (poverty) and gaon<\/em> (villages)."<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    The Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in Muzaffarpur in Muzaffarpur is a prime example of the "gandhagi<\/em>" that plagues hospitals in rural areas all over the country. There is garbage dumped all over the hospital and it has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes while over 300 kids are being treated within the premises. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Advocate Manohar Pratap filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court over the deaths of the children. He claimed that the deaths are a direct result of the negligence and inaction on the part of the respective state governments of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and the Union of India in handling the epidemic situation which arises each year due to the outbreak of AES.  <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to hear the writ petition, with a vacation bench of justices Deepak Gupta and Surya Kant agreeing to hear the plea on Monday, June 24th after the petitioner’s counsel sought an urgent listing of the matter.    <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Social activist Tamanna Hashmi also filed a complaint case against Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan and state health minister Mangal Pandey in a Muzaffarpur court on Monday, charging them with negligence that leads to the children's deaths. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    <\/p>\r\n\r\n

 Doctor's Strike and India's Health Care Crisis<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    This past week was characterised by a major crisis in hospitals and health care facilities all over the country. In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the AES outbreak has shed light on the inefficiency of our health care system. with the hospitals in the rural parts of these states characterised by unhygienic conditions, lack of infrastructure, lack of medicine and under-qualified doctors. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    To add to the problems in Bihar, the country-wide strike, called by Indian Medical Association (IMA) over the assault of 2 doctors in West Bengal was supported by the Bihar State Health Services Association paralysing the states healthcare facilities. Long queues of hapless patients were seen at PMCH in Patna, the largest hospital in the state while OPDs remained completely suspended, though the Bihar State Health Services Association ensured that critical patients and children were still treated. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday sent notices to the Union Health Ministry and the Government of Bihar seeking a detailed report on the steps taken to deal with this painful situation. Both the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan have come under heavy criticism, with no end to the crisis in sight.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

- Khrish Shahani<\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":null,"suggested_slug_url":null,"content_recommendation":null},{"id":"17","articles_title":"Mumbai Monsoons 2019","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/floodsjpeg.jpeg","description":"

The one season that Mumbaikars eagerly await - the mumbai monsoon - is beginning. After a heatwave that left everyone sweaty and sticky, the rains are a sight of relief for the city. The Mumbai monsoons are an experience, and if you’re lucky to be in the right place at the right time, it will most certainly take your breath away. But all this sounds too good to be true, especially if you’re a veteran Mumbaikar who’s familiar with the workings of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) during the mumbai monsoons.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Every year, just as we Mumbaikars prepare to embrace the mumbai monsoon showers, the BMC undertakes the mammoth task of preparing the city for them, and this year, with Mumbai undergoing a major overhaul due to the Mumbai Metro Construction and Coastal Road project, many Mumbaikars are rightfully questioning their preparations. After a delayed arrival of the mumbai monsoon this year, the slowest onset in 45 years, the financial capital has received 550mm of rainfall in two days, the highest over a two-day period in a decade.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

So has the BMC prepared our resilient city for the mumbai monsoon? Or will Mumbaikars going to suffer a season full of heavy traffic disruptions, potholes, sewage problems, floods and more? With the rains already making their way to the city, we have prepared a detailed account of the various issues that may flood our city over the next couple of months, and highlighted the solutions that the BMC has put in place to tackle them.   <\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

FLOODING <\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

Flooding is a chronic and recurrent problem in Mumbai, particularly when spells of intense rainfall coincide with high tide. The process of urbanisation, however, has played a major role in aggravating the problem as it has caused significant alterations to the hydrology, morphology, and ecology of the area. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

The city faces significant challenges due to an extremely limited supply of land, proliferation of slums due to non-availability of affordable housing, insufficient social and physical infrastructure and an increasingly degraded physical environment. Three different types of flooding are evident in Mumbai: localised flooding due to inadequate drainage, flooding due to overflows from the Mithi river and flooding due to a combination of high tides and high river flows. Frequent floods in the past decade have shed light on the urgent need for the BMC to enhance the internal competency to prepare, manage and eventually reduce the city's vulnerability to flood related disasters. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

The BMC issues an annual report highlighting Flood Preparation Guidelines which states that they have installed 60 automatic rain gauges at 60 locations, of which currently 54 transmit rainfall data to the Disaster Control Room at the Municipal Headquarters Office. As soon as rainfall exceeds 10mm in 15 minutes a warning is issued to the concerned wards. If rainfall exceeds 20mm in a 15-minute period they issue an alert signal to the localities in the catchments concerned. If this continues for over an hour, a "risk warning" is issued and rescue operations are required to commence immediately.  <\/p>\r\n\r\n

Also these 2019 Flood Preparation Guidelines, which can be found on the disaster management website are unfortunately identical to the 2018 version, despite a deceiving index that claims to include 2 more sections and 245 more pages that quite simply do not exist. When we called the disaster management hotline for a comment on the matter, there was no answer. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

The heavy rainfall that has occurred over the past two days has already fractured the city. Sion, Thane, Malad, Sakinaka, and Andheri have seen considerable flooding. 5 people have already died in Thane due to rain related accidents and 18 people died in Malad as a wall fell down on them. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has been said to be taking stock of the situation in Mumbai, from the disaster management control room in Mumbai.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The Indian Navy on request by the BMC, also deployed various teams to provide assistance to rain hit and stranded people in the Kurla area, with about 1000 people moved to safety with the help of the NDRF, fire brigades, the naval teams as well as local volunteers.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

(Area outside Sion police station) <\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

BMC chief Praveen Pardeshi issued a statement saying, “There is one thing -- climate change is happening. We never have rainfall in two days equal to a months lot, which means more intense rainfall, this is geographic phenomena.” <\/p>\r\n\r\n

In response to the flooding,during the mumbai monsoons, the BMC has also set up the ESF (Emergency Support Functions) that form the essentials of emergency management and helps with the coordination mechanisms among the various agencies. The various ESF's identified by the BMC range from Communication and Transport to Fire Fighting and Search & Rescue.  <\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

ROADS & TRAFFIC <\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

In addition to the major construction work in the city as part of the development of the coastal road project, the BMC had also marked 200-odd spots where pre mumbai monsoon work had to be completed. These spots are still witnessing either trenches, dug-up or non-concretised roads and footpaths and leftover loose soil, gravel and stones.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

In response to the concerns expressed by the citizens over possible flooding owing to coastal road work in South Mumbai, the BMC has set up control rooms at the construction sites. Upon calling the Disaster Management Control Room of the BMC (phone number: 108), an official said, “In order to ensure anti-flooding measures at all these sites, control rooms have been set up to attend to any complaints. The citizens can access these numbers in case of emergencies related to stormwater drains or any other work related to coastal road during the monsoon.” <\/p>\r\n\r\n

According to BMC officials, around 6 drains have been extended up to the new coastal road project boundary along with the contractors installation of dewatering pumps to drain out excess rainwater in order to avoid flooding. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

The BMC has also already warned regarding traffic gridlocks throughout the city with the closure of three bridges namely Delisle Bridge at Lower Parel, Lakshmi Baug Nullah bridge on Ghatkopar-Andheri Link road, Juhu Tara Road bridge, and the Sion-Dharavi pedestrian subway, due to their dilapidated conditions, in order to avoid a disaster like the collapse of the CST footbridge earlier this year. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

TREES & MANHOLES <\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

Trees and Manholes are notorious for taking lives and severely injuring people during the  monsoons. Praveen Pardeshi claimed that the BMC had removed a large number of risky trees before the mumbai monsoon, and the BMC’s civic gardens department had put up 10,00 posters with the note: "Warning. During heavy rain and winds tree may fall. Be aware." in areas prone to trees falling, but at least 3 tree fall deaths had already been reported by June 15th. One might wonder how a person under a falling tree is expected to have enough time to read this poster and then flee. That too if, the white paper the poster is printed on survives the water and wind it’s been subjected to in the rain. But we guess it’s the thought that counts right, BMC?<\/p>\r\n\r\n

<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

In regard to manholes, the BMC put up barriers around open drains and have added stormwater drains and a system to clear accumulated water on roads that have been repaired recently. However, roads that have not been repaired recently due to telephone lines, optical fibres, and water pipelines, still have broken manholes since the roads have not come up for renewal, a process that could take months unless residents of areas with manholes demand updates from their local corporators. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

RAILWAYS & AIR TRAVEL <\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

Tracks get submerged under water every mumbai monsoon, paralysing the local train movement and fracturing the ability of locals to commute. Every year during the mumbai monsoons the trains get delayed due to water logging, and this year has been no different, with the ongoing repairs and constructions in various areas making matters worse. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Praveen Pardeshi had assured that Metro and local trains would not come to a standstill this monsoon, but that was not the case. The central railway line has been flooded due to the heavy rainfall Mumbai has experienced over the last 48 hours and work is being done to pump the water out and resume transport as soon as possible. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

As many as 53 flights have been cancelled and another 55 have been diverted to nearby airports due to inclement weather and skidding of a Spicejet aircraft in Mumbai airport on July 1st. Efforts are underway to remove the Boeing 737 from the runway and restore operations as soon as possible. 
\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n

WHAT IS BEING DONE, WHAT COULD BE DONE, WHAT SHOULD BE DONE <\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

While the BMC tries to ensure the smooth functioning of the city during the mumbai monsoons, it is important that Mumbaikars remain alert and vigilant. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's Disaster Management Team has introduced a new application where Mumbaikars can report for any emergency support. Citizens can now register complaints to authorities using the Disaster Management (MCGM) App. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) has also released a similar "Mumbai Weather Live" app which provides real-time rain data to all citizens at the touch of a button. The app will update rain readings every 15 minutes after collating measurements from India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai; System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), and the BMC. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

The BMC has also rolled out hotline numbers for control centres related to the Coastal Road project and Mumbai Metro construction, so that Mumbaikars can report any water logging or flooding near those areas. All in all, we recommend you keep your phone charged, because it seems to be the only way to wade through these turbulent times.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Mr Pardeshi had said that the BMC planned to use the disaster management room proactively, instead of reactively- a promising idea, which seems to have fared poorly when put to test. But who do we blame, the BMC’s annual unpreparedness or like Mr Pardeshi says “climate change”?<\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

- Khrish Shahani<\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

SOURCES:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

https:\/\/www.deccanherald.com\/national\/west\/bmc-chief-blames-climate-change-for-monsoon-woes-744127.html<\/a> <\/p>\r\n\r\n

https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/india\/story\/mumbai-rains-550-mm-in-48-hours-was-too-much-to-handle-says-bmc-1560064-2019-07-02<\/a> <\/p>\r\n\r\n

https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/city\/mumbai\/rains-late-may-hit-mumbai-next-week\/articleshow\/69683623.cms<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

http:\/\/dm.mcgm.gov.in\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/reports\/Flood%20Preparedness%20Guidelines%202019\/Flood%20Preparedness%20Guidelines%202019.pdf<\/a>  <\/p>\r\n\r\n

https:\/\/www.asianage.com\/metros\/mumbai\/110619\/bmc-sets-up-3-disaster-mgmt-posts-for-coastal-rd-project.html<\/a> <\/p>\r\n\r\n

http:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/articleshow\/69392746.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/mumbai-news\/traffic-woes-may-get-way-worse-this-monsoon\/story-rmtXQRJ3i707lMQWxs4w2L.html<\/a> <\/p>\r\n\r\n

https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/india-news\/bmc-plans-2-hour-warning-for-spots-prone-to-flooding\/story-xbzd3dypTEEt5Rp1AFTDSI.html<\/a> <\/p>\r\n\r\n

https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/mumbai-news\/traffic-woes-in-mumbai-may-get-way-worse-during-the-rains\/story-50LI81AjqZgDLclzunzUzJ.html <\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/mumbai-news\/work-pending-city-has-200-spots-of-bother\/story-JWGpIhSasqYl6q9e3Qn6GO.html<\/a><\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":null,"suggested_slug_url":null,"content_recommendation":null},{"id":"19","articles_title":"73 Facts on our 73rd Independence Day","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/indian-flag---story-size_647_081515021254.jpg","description":"

As millions across the country come together to celebrate the 73rd birth of Independent India here are 73 interesting facts about the largest democracy in the world:<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\t
1. The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers.<\/li>\r\n\t
2. India’s Srinagar is home to the world’s only floating post office.<\/li>\r\n\t
3. India has the most number of post offices.<\/li>\r\n\t
4. The Tulsi Shyam hills of Ladakh, have an uphill road that is known to have an anti-gravitational force.<\/li>\r\n\t
5. The first rocket launched by India was so light that it was transported on a cycle.<\/li>\r\n\t
6. In 1980, India’s first satellite was carried via a bullock cart for its initial launch.<\/li>\r\n\t
7. The people of North Sentinel Island, India, are among the last people to remain virtually untouched by modern civilization.<\/li>\r\n\t
8. India has the longest constitution in the world.<\/li>\r\n\t
9. India has the second-largest network of roads, falling right behind the USA.<\/li>\r\n\t
10. The Bandra-Worli Sea Link in Mumbai has steel wires the total length of which are equivalent to the Earth’s circumference.<\/li>\r\n\t
11. At about 35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower, the arch-shaped Chenab bridge in Jammu & Kashmir is set to become the world’s tallest rail bridge. It stands at a height of 1,178 feet over the river Chenab.<\/li>\r\n\t
12. The road between the Chisumle and Demchok villages in Ladakh is the world’s highest motorable road at a height of over 19,300 feet.<\/li>\r\n\t
13. India’s Lifeline Express is the world’s first hospital train that has services such as surgeries and cancer treatment.<\/li>\r\n\t
14. According to the Gemological Institute of America, diamonds were first mined in India. For 1,000 years, starting in roughly the 4th century BC, India was the only source of diamonds.<\/li>\r\n\t
15. The Indian railway system is the largest employer in India and one of the largest employers in the world, with a staggering 1.3 million employees as of 2015.<\/li>\r\n\t
16. India has the second-largest newspaper market in the world, with daily newspapers reporting a combined circulation of over 240 million copies as of 2018.<\/li>\r\n\t
17. The number zero was invented by a Hindu astronomer and mathematician called Brahmagupta in 628.<\/li>\r\n\t
18. For years, English scientist Isaac Newton and German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz both claimed credit for inventing calculus, but it was actually invented in India 250 years before Newton.<\/li>\r\n\t
19. The Himalayan blue sheep is found only in India.<\/li>\r\n\t
20. Indian notes are made of cotton and cotton rag.<\/li>\r\n\t
21. Chandrayaan - 1 a mission by India’s space organization was the first to find evidence of water on the moon.<\/li>\r\n\t
22. The Siachen Glacier in Ladakh is the highest battlefield in the world at over 6,000 meters above sea level.<\/li>\r\n\t
23. The highest mountain in India is Kangchenjunga, standing at 8,598m (28,209 ft), which it shares with Nepal. Kangchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world.<\/li>\r\n\t
24. Lonar Lake in Maharashtra was formed by a plummeting meteor about 52,000 years ago.<\/li>\r\n\t
25. Switzerland celebrates Science day each year on 26th May in memory of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.<\/li>\r\n\t
26. The game Snakes and Ladders was invented in India.<\/li>\r\n\t
27. Chess was invented in India and was used by rulers to plan their battles.<\/li>\r\n\t
28. In 700 BC India was home to the world's first university- Takshila.<\/li>\r\n\t
29. India has never hosted the Olympic games.<\/li>\r\n\t
30. India is home to the largest number of vegetarians in the world.<\/li>\r\n\t
31. The Kumbh Mela which is held every 12 years is the world’s largest gathering of people with over 70 million attendees. A gathering so big that it can be seen from space.<\/li>\r\n\t
32. Mawsynram in Meghalaya gets about 11,873 millimetres of rainfall each year, making it the wettest habitable place on earth.<\/li>\r\n\t
33. Chail in Himachal Pradesh has the world’s highest cricket ground situated at 24144 meters above sea level.<\/li>\r\n\t
34. India has the second-largest army in the world after China, in terms of active military personnel.<\/li>\r\n\t
35. In a village called Banej, in the middle of Gir forest in Gujarat, there is a polling booth set up each election for just one voter, Mr. Mahant Bharatdas.<\/li>\r\n\t
36. The biggest air evacuation in the history of mankind was done by India when 1,70,000 Indians were airlifted from Kuwait during the Gulf War.<\/li>\r\n\t
37. Shampoo was a concept first developed in India.<\/li>\r\n\t
38. The Fibonacci numbers were first discovered and described by Indian mathematicians.<\/li>\r\n\t
39. India is the world's largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices; the country produces about 75 of the 109 varieties listed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and accounts for half of the global trading in spices.<\/li>\r\n\t
40. In 2017, a small village in the Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh, Madhopatti created history by producing the most number of IAS officers. The 75 households have given 47 officers to the Indian administration. The same village also holds the record for four siblings who have all cleared the exam.<\/li>\r\n\t
41. The game of kabaddi originated in India during prehistory.<\/li>\r\n\t
42. India’s Bollywood is the world’s largest film industry in terms of quantity of movies produced.<\/li>\r\n\t
43. Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala is the world’s richest temple.<\/li>\r\n\t
44. The art of navigation originated in India 6000 years ago. The word ‘navigation’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Navgatih’.<\/li>\r\n\t
45. The Samrat Yantra in Jaipur is the world’s largest sundial.<\/li>\r\n\t
46. Bhaskaracharya was the first person to calculate the amount of time the earth took to complete one rotation before the European astronomer, Smart. He calculated the time to be approximately 365.2588 days. The modern accepted measurement is 365.25636.<\/li>\r\n\t
47. An Indian named Sushruta is hailed as the father of surgery and invented operations like the Cataract.<\/li>\r\n\t
48. Martial Arts were invented in India by monks around 3000 years ago.<\/li>\r\n\t
49. After India defeated Germany in the 1936 Olympic hockey games, Hitler offered the captain Major Dhyan Chand German citizenship.<\/li>\r\n\t
50. India is the only country to have a spa dedicated just to elephants in Guruvayur.<\/li>\r\n\t
51. The Himalayan mountain range bordering the country has 9 out of the world’s 10 highest mountain peaks.<\/li>\r\n\t
52. The Indian Banyan tree is the national tree of India.<\/li>\r\n\t
53. His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, runs his government in exile from Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh<\/li>\r\n\t
54. India is the world’s largest tea producer, and tea (chai) is its most popular beverage in the country.<\/li>\r\n\t
55. India's Hindu calendar has 6 seasons: spring, summer, monsoon, autumn, winter and prevernal.<\/li>\r\n\t
56. An Indian man by the name of Benny Prasad holds the world record for being the fastest man ever to visit all 195 countries in the world.<\/li>\r\n\t
57. Shakuntla Devi was given the title of ‘Human-Computer after she demonstrated the calculation of two 13 digit numbers: 7,686,369,774,870 × 2,465,099,745,779 which were picked at random. She answered correctly within 28 seconds.<\/li>\r\n\t
58. India is the world’s largest producer of dried beans, such as kidney beans and chickpeas. It also leads the world in banana exports.<\/li>\r\n\t
59. Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature, has written the national anthem for India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.<\/li>\r\n\t
60. The atomic theory was invented in India by Acharya Kanad over 2600 years ago.<\/li>\r\n\t
61. Built in the 2nd century AD, the Kallanai Dam is one of the oldest dams in the world. It straddles the Kaveri river in Tamil Nadu, India, and is still in use today.<\/li>\r\n\t
62. The Statue of Unity in Gujarat standing at 182 meters is the world’s largest statue.<\/li>\r\n\t
63. Police officers in one district in Madhya Pradesh are given a slight pay upgrade for having a moustache because bosses believe it makes them command more respect.<\/li>\r\n\t
64. 22 of the top 30 most polluted cities in the world are in India.<\/li>\r\n\t
65. India buys gold more than any other country.<\/li>\r\n\t
66. A con man in India called Natwarlal repeatedly "sold" the Taj Mahal, the Indian parliament, the Red Fort and various other heritage sites. He was sentenced to 113 years but managed to escape prison 9 times. The last time, he was 84 years old.<\/li>\r\n\t
67. By successfully placing its spacecraft in orbit around Mars, India became the first country in the world to succeed in an interplanetary mission in the maiden attempt itself.<\/li>\r\n\t
68. When Dr Rajendra Prasad was appointed the President of India, he only took 50% of his salary, claiming he did not require more than that. Towards the end of his 12-year tenure, he only took 25% of his salary. The salary of the President was Rs 10,000 back then.<\/li>\r\n\t
69. India is expected to be the world's most populous country by 2050. With 1.6 billion people, it will almost equal the U.S. and China's population combined.<\/li>\r\n\t
70. In 1957 V.K Krishna Menonset the record for the world’s longest speech of 7 hours and 48 minutes, before the UN Security Council defending Kashmir.<\/li>\r\n\t
71. The largest funeral attendance in history was observed at the funeral of Tamil Nadu’s first Chief Minister C.N Annadurai.<\/li>\r\n\t
72. India is the only country to win all 3 Kabaddi World Cups.<\/li>\r\n\t
73. The Indian flag was designed by Pingali Venkayya.  <\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n

    <\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":"Facts about India","suggested_slug_url":"Facts-about-India","content_recommendation":"

    I would recommend you incorporate the keyword ‘Facts about India’ at least 8 times, in order to achieve a keyword density of 2%. Please also ensure the following criteria are
    \r\nmet<\/p>\r\n"},{"id":"18","articles_title":"One Nation, One Election","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/election-policy.jpg","description":"

    The idea of One Nation, One Election<\/em> (ONOE) means conducting the Lok Sabha, and all Vidhan Sabha (state assemblies) elections together, once in five years. This excludes elections of panchayats, state municipalities and by-elections. The initiative will need a constitutional amendment, which will require ratification by 50% of the states.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    PM Modi is one of the main proponents of the ONOE concept, but it is not a new one: India has followed ONOE in the past, with elections in the year 1952, 1957, 1962 and 1967 based on this concept. A Law Commission Report (1999) by Justice BP Jeevan Reddy first brought this concept to parliament, now considered in a discussion paper for NITI Aayog (2017) by Bibek Debroy and Kishore Desai.  <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    These results have indicated two things: first, a dominant party at the Centre can carry momentum to states, but it’s not easy to maintain it for a long period. And second, given individual state dynamics, it’s not easy for India to persist with simultaneous elections. Forcing elections into synchronicity is not just a technical matter of adjusting legislative terms, but it involves significantly curtailing the rights of the states. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

     <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Policy Paralysis<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    According to NITI Aayog- a policy think tank of the Government of India, “In the last 30 years, there has not been a single year without an election to either a State Assembly or Lok Sabha or both.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Due to the Model Code of Conduct, the government is barred from announcing any new project, development work or policy decision till the polls are over. Proponents of ONOE maintain that this lulls the state machinery to a standstill and brings about what is known as “policy paralysis”. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

     <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Cost of elections vs. Cost of democracy<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Holding simultaneous elections would not just ensure that the administrative machinery is allowed to engage in developmental activity, but also advantage the government treasury and save crores of rupees of taxpayers’ money, by reducing the burden on security forces required for elections. It is estimated that the ECI spent over Rs. 4,000 cr on the 2019 elections. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

     <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    As an ONOE supporter ex-CEC Qureishi notes, the scale of police forces will be staggering: “Unless there is the deployment of an adequate number of paramilitary forces, even simultaneous elections will have to be carried out over a period of 2-3 months which will defeat the purpose. Currently, an election sees deployment of about 800 company forces. The government will have to provide at least 3,000-3,500 companies  to ensure that the election is conducted within 30 days at least.” <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    There are also questions about the feasibility of simultaneous elections. The fact that polling is now electronic means that double the number of Electronic Voting Machines would be needed. Although the ECI in the 2019 elections has shown that logistical challenges can be figured out, the bigger problems raised by ONOE are conceptual and democratic challenges. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

     <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Federalism: The Ideology<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Recurrent elections may be good in a democracy as voters can ensure their voice is heard more frequently. Representatives are accountable and forced to interact with the voters more regularly during the term. Also, separate elections ensure that local and national issues don’t get mixed up because if combined, local issues that are of great importance are at risk of getting subsumed by bigger national ones. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    The underlying themes of national elections and state-level elections are different. While issues such as farmer crises, unemployment, and national security could play out big during Lok Sabha elections, assembly elections are usually won or lost on themes such as law and order, electricity, and deaths because of encephalitis or flooding.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    This principle is the core of federalism, which can be quite simply defined as a system of government in which several states form a unity but remain independent in internal affairs. India has a quasi-federal structure, and the Constitution establishes this when it calls India a “Union of States”, ONOE, therefore, can be seen as undermining the country’s federal system.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

     <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    The Legal Limitations<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Article 83(2) deals with the tenure of the Lok Sabha and says that it shall be for 5 years unless dissolved earlier. Article 172 says that tenure of State Assemblies shall be 5 years unless dissolved earlier. The responsibility of the legislature is outlined in Article 75(3) that states “In a federal parliamentary democracy, the council of ministers in the Central government and the state government shall be collectively responsible, respectively, to the House of the people and to the Legislative Assembly [Article 164 (2)]. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    However, the state assemblies can only be dissolved for specific reasons that are in accordance with Article 356 of the constitution, and dissolving the assembly for simultaneous elections would be a violation of the constitution. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    ONOE raises fundamental questions about governance: what would happen if the central government collapses in the middle of its tenure? Would elections be held in all the states again? Or would President’s Rule be imposed? Creating an amendment to the constitution for something of this magnitude would not only require many other situations and provisions to be taken into account but would also set an alarming precedent for more alterations to the constitution. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

     <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Is this the first time the idea is being tried?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    According to the paper prepared for NITI Aayog by Bibek Debroy and Kishore Desai, the concept is not new. After the adoption of the Constitution in 1950, polls to the Lok Sabha and all state assemblies were held simultaneously every five years between 1951 and 1967. However, as states were formed or reorganised, or assemblies were dissolved before their scheduled terms, that practice started being challenged.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Between 1952 and 1967, India was a largely unitary state with the Congress overwhelmingly strong at both national and state levels. It was the rise of regional parties and their success in state polls that lead to the politics that made simultaneous polls a non-efficient system. The Law Commission also recommended this idea in 1999 when the RSS-BJP gained prominence in elections, and leaders like LK Advani were vocal in their support for it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Source: Hindustan Times, August 2018<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    One of the first indications of simultaneous elections not working were noticed in Kerala in 1959 when the CPI-lead government, one of the first democratically elected communist governments in the world, was dismissed and President’s Rule was imposed. Special state elections were called in 1960 and the resulting government did not dissolve in 1962 when national elections were held. It continued till 1964 when President’s Rule was imposed again. This lasted till 1967, which put Kerala back in sync with national polls, but the intense politicking that emerged showed that centre-state differences were always going to make simultaneous polls hard to maintain. By then, other states were throwing up challenges to Congress rule and simultaneous polls were quietly abandoned. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    While comparing the Congress’ rule during the previous period of simultaneous elections to the BJP’s current reality, it is important to note the political contexts are very different and there are numerous dynamics involved. Yet, they have one thing in common: momentum. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Source: Hindustan Times, August 2018<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Source: Hindustan Times, August 2018<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    These graphs suggest that in the first three years (in states that saw simultaneous elections), the Congress had a near-perfect record at both the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha levels. But not in 1967, when simultaneous elections were held in 18\/27 states: it failed to win four states at the Lok Sabha and give at the Vidhan Sabha (Chart 2). Over these four years, its margin of victory, as represented by seat share kept reducing, and it fell more at the Vidhan Sabha level than at the Lok Sabha level (Chart 2 and 3). <\/p>\r\n\r\n

     <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Is there <\/strong>political<\/strong> consensus on the issue?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    The all-party meet called to discuss the proposal was skipped by the heads of several political parties including the Congress (INC), Trinamool Congress (TMC), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party (SP) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam (DMK), while Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) sent representatives to attend it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Congress has outright rejected the proposal calling it a design of the saffron party to bring “one face, one name and one ideology”. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    But other leaders such as Orissa CM and BJD leader Navin Patnaik have backed the idea.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

     <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    International Inspiration: From Coat-tails to Kurta-tails and beyond<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    According to the Economic Times Bureau, the real issue at hand is the consolidation of power at the centre, which in the USA is referred to as the ‘coat-tails effect’, wherein a strong national leader or party pulls along candidates at the state level. In President Obama’s campaign, his individual popularity pulled enough votes to give the Democratic Party a majority in the House of Representatives where they had an inherent disadvantage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Debroy and Desai note this argument, however, they have cited studies that show a coat-tails effect does not seem to exist: Odisha in 2014 saw the Biju Janata Dal win a majority over the national tide in favour of the BJP. They argue a strong and effective state government can buck the trend. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    The ET Bureau argues against this generalising claim and suggests instead a ‘kurta-tail effect’ of BJP’s enthusiasm for simultaneous polls — and why it’s not likely to be reciprocated by other parties. Many critics of the ONOE perceive it as a “devious way to do away with democracy and federalism,” some even going on to say that it’s deceptively unifying nature and catchy name are another one of PM Modi’s “policy of distraction”.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Will India remain a parliamentary democracy and respect its regional diversity should be a decision made by an independent institution comprising of acknowledged constitutional authorities. As Karan Thapar of India Today writes, “politicians, who could gain or lose, should not be involved.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n

     <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Sources:<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/india\/story\/one<\/a>-nation-one-election-perish-thought-1553953-2019-06-22<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/one-nation-one-election\/article28073916.ece<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    http:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/legal\/article-266-one-nation-one-election-the-law-and-the-politics.html<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/columns\/how-one-nation-one-election-could-alter-our-political-system\/story-P6j7JHLkSdiYpOdfuOKVVM.html<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/politics-and-nation\/simultaneous-national-and-state-elections-a-look-at-what-could-work-and-what-may-not\/articleshow\/60887160.cms?from=mdr<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/opinion\/columns\/across-the-aisle-one-nation-one-election-many-fears-bjp-narendra-modi-government-5806853\/<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    https:\/\/aamaadmiparty.org\/opinion-one-nation-one-election-will-kill-the-spirit-of-indias-constitution\/<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/india-news\/what-happened-when-simultaneous-elections-were-last-held-in-india\/story-e5fKaGmCyb9FUjqckUz2BJ.html<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/news-analysis\/story\/one-nation-one-election-an-rss-bjp-agenda-lingering-for-two-decades-1551812-2019-06-19<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    https:\/\/niti.gov.in\/writereaddata\/files\/document_publication\/Note%20on%20Simultaneous%20Elections.pdf<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    https:\/\/www.thehindubusinessline.com\/specials\/india-file\/synchronised-polls-are-a-smokescreen\/article28253860.ece<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/one-nation-one-election\/article28073916.ece<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

     <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    - Tarini Ranadive
    \r\n
    \r\n
    \r\n <\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":null,"suggested_slug_url":null,"content_recommendation":null},{"id":"20","articles_title":"J&K's Article 370 and Article 35(A) Revoked","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/article370_union_territories_660_080519015504.jpg","description":"

    The state of Jammu and Kashmir has been bifurcated into 2 Union Territories: Jammu & Kashmir with a legislature, and Ladakh without a legislature.
    \r\nThis was done through the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Bill, 2019 which was passed by the Rajya Sabha on August 5th, and the Lok Sabha on August 6th.
    \r\nArticle 370 which empowers Jammu and Kashmir with special status has been revoked, and so has Article 35(A) which deals with permanent residency. All other constitutional provisions have now been extended to the newly carved Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
    \r\nWhile the state of Jammu and Kashmir has been under President’s Rule since December 2018 because of a collapsed assembly: section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed, placing the valley’s prominent politicians under house arrest, banning public gathers and blacking out internet and mobile usage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

     <\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Houses of Parliament<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    Home Affairs Amit Shah introduced two bills and two resolutions regarding Jammu & Kashmir in Parliament:<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    \r\n\t
    1. \r\n\t

       Constitution (Application to Jammu & Kashmir) Order, 2019 {Ref. Article 370(1) of Constitution of India} – issued by President of India to supersede the 1954 order related to Article 370.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

    2. \r\n\t

       Resolution for Repeal of Article 370 of the Constitution of India {Ref. Article 370 (3)}<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

    3. \r\n\t

       Jammu & Kashmir (Reorganisation) Bill, 2019 {Ref. Article 3 of Constitution of India}<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

    4. \r\n\t

       Jammu & Kashmir Reservation (2nd Amendment) Bill, 2019<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n

       The Rajya Sabha on Monday adopted resolutions to scrap Article 370 and Article 35A in Jammu and Kashmir and passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Bill (2019)  through a voice vote, with 125 in favour, 61 against and 1 abstention. The Congress, Left parties, DMK, MDMK, SP and RJD voted against the Bill, while Trinamool Congress walked out. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

       The Upper House also passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Second Amendment) Bill, which seeks to extend the 10% quota to economically weaker sections in the state which has special constitutional provision. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

       On Tuesday, the Lok Sabha gave its green signal to the resolution to scrap Article 370 with 351 members voting in support of it, 72 against and 1 member abstained. They also passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019 by a voice vote where, 370 members voted in its favour and 70 voted against it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

        <\/p>\r\n\r\n

       What is Article 370?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

       \r\n\t
       • \r\n\t

         Under Part XXI of the Constitution of India, which deals with "Temporary, Transitional and Special provisions", the state of Jammu & Kashmir has been accorded Special Autonomous Status under Article 370.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

       • \r\n\t

         This means that the provisions of the Constitution which are applicable to other States are not applicable to J&K. Except in the areas of defence, foreign affairs, finance and communications, the Parliament needs the state government's concurrence for applying all other laws. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

       • \r\n\t

         Other Provisions of Article 370:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t

         \r\n\t\t
         • \r\n\t\t

           The State's residents live under a separate set of laws, including those related to citizenship, ownership of property, and fundamental rights, as compared to other Indians. As a result of this provision, Indian citizens from other States cannot purchase land or property in Jammu & Kashmir.<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t

         • \r\n\t\t

           Under Article 370, the Centre has no power to declare financial emergency under Article 360 in the state. It can declare an emergency in the state only in the case of war or external aggression. The union government can therefore not declare emergency on grounds of internal disturbance or imminent danger unless it is made at the request or with the concurrence of the state government. <\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n

            <\/p>\r\n\r\n

           Implications of Removing Article 370<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

           \r\n\t
           • \r\n\t

             The removal of this provision in the constitution ends special status for Kashmir, which was key to its accession to India in 1947.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n

             \r\n\t
             • \r\n\t

               J&K will have no separate flag or constitution.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

             • \r\n\t

               Indian Penal Code (IPC) will replace J&K’s separate Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) to deal with criminal cases.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

             • \r\n\t

               Article 365, under which the President’s rule can be imposed in any State, will also become applicable to both the UTs.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

             • \r\n\t

               People from other states will be able to purchase land and properties in the new UTs.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

             • \r\n\t

               The Right to Information (RTI) Act will become applicable to the new UTs.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

             • \r\n\t

               All children in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh will benefit from Right to Education.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

             • \r\n\t

               Minorities will be eligible for 16% reservation, whereas earlier there was no reservation for minorities such as Hindus and Sikhs.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

             • \r\n\t

               Panchayats will have the same rights as in other states. Earlier panchayats did not have any rights.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

             • \r\n\t

               Citizens of Jammu & Kashmir will have single citizenship of India, while earlier they had dual citizenship.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n

                <\/p>\r\n\r\n

               The legality of the repeal<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

               \r\n\t
               • \r\n\t

                 In October 2015, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir ruled that Article 370 cannot be "abrogated, repealed or even amended." It explained that the clause (3) of the Article conferred power to the State's Constituent Assembly to recommend to the President on the matter of the repeal of the Article. However, the ruling of any court can be superseded by passing a legislature to that effect, as long as the law in question is not a part of the basic structure of the constitution, which Article 370 is not. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

               • \r\n\t

                 Though the Indian Constitution clearly classifies Article 370 as a “temporary, transitional and special” provision, the Supreme Court in April 2018 ruled that despite Article 370’s classification as “temporary” it was vital to the constitution of J&K, not temporary, and therefore could not be abrogated. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\t

                 \r\n\t\t
                 • \r\n\t\t

                   Earlier, in 1969 the Supreme Court had set precedent on the matter by stating that “Article 370 has never ceased to be operative” and must be held as a permanent provision in the Constitution of India. <\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t

                 • \r\n\t\t

                   However, proponents of abrogation hold that since the Constitution of India calls it temporary and transitional, no grounds could make it permanent. <\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n

                    <\/p>\r\n\r\n

                   What is Article 35A- “Permanent Residents Law”? <\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

                   \r\n\t
                   • \r\n\t

                     This provision of the Constitution of India allows the State Assembly of Jammu & Kashmir to define who is and is not a “permanent resident” of the state, and additionally restrict the rights of any person not classified under “permanent resident” of the state. It gives the state legislators the exclusive power to determine as to which people in or outside the state will have special rights and privileges granted by the state such as property rights, eligibility for government jobs, any kind of scholarship, foreign investment, aid or other welfare grants, etc.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

                   • \r\n\t

                     This provision, inserted through a special Presidential Order in 1954, gives the state Assembly powers to determine the recipients of state grants, owners of state land and property, as well as permanent settlers in the region.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

                   • \r\n\t

                     Any changes made to the provision requires the consent of the state assembly. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n

                      <\/p>\r\n\r\n

                     Special status vs. Normal status<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

                     \r\n\t
                     • \r\n\t

                       The concept of a special category state was first introduced in 1969 when the 5th Finance Commission sought to provide certain disadvantaged states with preferential treatment in the form of central assistance and tax breaks. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

                     • \r\n\t

                       Initially only 3 states Assam, Nagaland and Jammu & Kashmir were granted special status but since then 8 more have been included, namely- Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

                     • \r\n\t

                       The rationale for special status is that certain states, because of inherent features, have a low resource base and cannot mobilize resources for development. Some of the features required for special status are: (i) hilly and difficult terrain; (ii) low population density or sizeable share of tribal population; (iii) strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries; (iv) economic and infrastructural backwardness; and (v) non-viable nature of state finances. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

                     • \r\n\t

                       The decision to grant special category status lies with the National Development Council, composed of the Prime Minister, Union Ministers, Chief Ministers and members of the Planning Commission, who guide and review the work of the Planning Commission. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

                     • \r\n\t

                       Now that the state of Jammu and Kashmir is no longer a state, since it has been divided into 2 Union Territories, it will lose its special status with the repeal of Article 370.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n

                        <\/p>\r\n\r\n

                       Union Territory vs. State<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

                       Currently, there are 29 states and 7 UT’s in India. However, after this bifurcation, there will be 28 states and 9 UT in the country: <\/p>\r\n\r\n

                       States:<\/p>\r\n\r\n

                       \r\n\t
                       • \r\n\t

                         The states of India are administrative units having their own government, legislation and elected chief ministers as head of the government. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

                       • \r\n\t

                         The Governors of States act as the representative of the President. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

                       • \r\n\t

                         States have a federal relationship with the central government<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n

                          <\/p>\r\n\r\n

                         Union Territories:<\/p>\r\n\r\n

                         \r\n\t
                         • \r\n\t

                           Union Territories are ruled directly by the Central Government. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

                         • \r\n\t

                           The President is the executive head of the Union Territory.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

                         • \r\n\t

                           A Lieutenant Governor (LG) is appointed by the Central government to represent the President and act as Administrator of the UT’s. J&K and Ladakh will have 2 separate LGs, and the Governor of J&K will become the LG of the new J&K UT.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

                         • \r\n\t

                           UT’s are generally smaller in size (geographically) than States. However, this does not apply to J&K and Ladakh which are considerably bigger than some of the smaller states in India. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

                         • \r\n\t

                           Union Territories of India: Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshwadeep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands (without legislature); Puducherry, Delhi (with legislature). <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t

                         • \r\n\t

                           While all UTs have representation in the Lok Sabha, they are not all represented in the Rajya Sabha. Currently, only two UTs (Delhi and Puducherry) have their own Legislative Assembly, which is represented in the Rajya Sabha. Jammu & Kashmir will be a UT with a legislature (like Puducherry), while Ladakh will be a UT without a legislature (like Chandigarh).  <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n

                            <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t

                           <\/td>\r\n\t\t\t	\r\n\t\t\t Old Structure<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t	\r\n\t\t\t New Structure<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\t
                           \r\n\t\t\t Tenure<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t	\r\n\t\t\t 6 years<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t	\r\n\t\t\t 5 years <\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\t
                           \r\n\t\t\t Strength of State Assembly<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t	\r\n\t\t\t 111 seats - 87 elected; 2 nominated<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t 24 seats for PoK left vacant<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t	\r\n\t\t\t 107 seats<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t 24 seats for PoK left vacant<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t Lieutenant Governor can nominate 2 women representatives if there is an inadequate female representation<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\t
                           \r\n\t\t\t Rajya Sabha<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t	\r\n\t\t\t 4 sitting members from J&K<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t	\r\n\t\t\t 4 sitting members from J&K<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t None from Ladakh<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\t
                           \r\n\t\t\t Lok Sabha<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t	\r\n\t\t\t 6 Lok Sabha seats<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t	\r\n\t\t\t 5 Lok Sabha seats for J&K<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t 1 Lok Sabha seat for Ladakh<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\t
                           \r\n\t\t\t High Court<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t	\r\n\t\t\t J&K and Ladakh will continue to have a common High Court<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Why a separate Ladakh: <\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t \r\n\t In his statement, Amit Shah said "The Ladakh Division of the State of Jammu and Kashmir has a large area but is sparsely populated with very difficult terrain. There has been a long-pending demand of the people of Ladakh to give it the status of a Union Territory to enable them to realise their aspirations. The Union Territory of Ladakh will be without Legislature."<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t The Bill further cited internal security and cross-border terrorism as the chief reason for carving out Ladakh as a separate union territory. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n References: <\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.business-standard.com\/article\/current-affairs\/jammu-kashmir-special-status-decoding-article-35a-and-article-370-119080500104_1.html<\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.businesstoday.in\/current\/economy-politics\/article-35-a-jk-unrest-jammu-and-kashmir-constitution-law\/story\/370244.html<\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/politics-and-nation\/article-370-why-is-kashmir-tense-about-it-what-can-india-do\/articleshow\/70508922.cms?from=mdr<\/p>\r\n\r\n http:\/\/devgan.in\/criminal_procedure_code\/index.php?q=144&a=2<\/p>\r\n\r\n Image source: BusinessToday.in<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":"Jammu and Kashmir Article 370","suggested_slug_url":"Jammu-and-Kashmir-Article-370","content_recommendation":" I would recommend you incorporate the keyword ‘Jammu and Kashmir Article 370’ \r\ninstead of J&K at least 8 times, in order to achieve a keyword density of 2%. Please also \r\nensure the following criteria are met<\/p>\r\n"},{"id":"34","articles_title":"Winning Back Our Voices: Solutions to Voter Suppression in India ","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/image-min.jpg","description":" Voter Suppression is any legal or extralegal measure or strategy whose purpose or practical effect is to reduce voting, or registering to vote, by discouraging or preventing members of a targeted racial group, political party, or religious community from exercising their right to vote, in order to influence the outcome of an election.[1]<\/a> It attempts to reduce the number of voters who might vote against a party or candidate, by either purging names of registered voters from electoral rolls or creating hurdles for new voters to register or registered voters to vote. Minorities are usually disproportionately affected by this phenomenon that occurs worldwide.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Why is this an Indian problem in need of immediate attention?<\/p>\r\n\r\n 1) Voter suppression is against the spirit of articles 324-329 (Part XV) of the Indian Constitution; article 324 mandates that the Election Commission ensure free and fair elections, while most significantly article 325 mandates that no eligible voter shall be deprived of his or her right to be on the ballot roll for their constituency. Articles 325 and 326 provide the basis for the Representation of People’s Act (1950). Both articles and the act also lay down the procedure for deletion of names from electoral rolls, and establish that no names can be deleted from the roll except in accordance to aforementioned procedures.<\/p>\r\n\r\n 2) Alienation from the electoral process takes away a vital instrument of empowerment from the most oppressed; the former ‘BIMARU’ states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar saw a churning of backward castes and classes post the Mandal Commission phase in the 1980s and after. Parties representatives of the OBCs and SCs managed to win the seats of power in these states with rampant caste discrimination and finally assert the true power of their communities. This process was made possible by the mobilization of a passionate electorate and their ability to cast their vote. This was the first and, in several aspects, the only way by which some of these communities could empower themselves. If they are disenfranchised from the electoral process, they lose the most vital instrument to their empowerment. <\/p>\r\n\r\n 3) It can swing the vote. Prannoy Roy and Dorab Sopariwala’s analysis of the 2019 Lok Sabha election in their book ‘The Verdict: Decoding India's Elections’ revealed approximately 21 million women to be missing from the electoral roll, which averages to 38,000 per constituency. Given that approximately one in five constituencies are won by margins smaller than this, it is possible for such an omission to swing the vote, especially considering that women are a vital votebank in several places, where they often vote independently from their families.<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\nSource: Table 1.2.14 Roy & Sopariwala (2019). ‘The Verdict: Decoding India's Elections’<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\nSource: Table 1.2.15 Roy & Sopariwala (2019). ‘The Verdict: Decoding India's Elections’<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\nSource: Table 1.2.16 Roy & Sopariwala (2019). ‘The Verdict: Decoding India's Elections’<\/p>\r\n\r\n In Uttar Pradesh, the average came to about 85,000 missing women per constituency. An Opinion Poll by the Hansa Research Group for NDTV revealed that in the 2014 election, male voters formed the bulk of the NDA votebank; if only the male electorate was counted, the NDA would’ve won 336 seats, whereas if only the female electorate was counted, the NDA would’ve been down to 265 seats. <\/p>\r\n\r\n 4) It discourages increased voter participation and encourages voter apathy. Voter suppression can result in targeted voters feeling "estranged or disaffected from the system or somehow left out of the political process."[2]<\/a> due to legal or logistical barriers or encountering registration problems, which cause feelings of indifference towards the electoral process. This discourages them to vote and leads to lower voter participation and thus turnout.<\/p>\r\n\r\n 5) Gaps in the system that cause voter suppression can be exploited by political parties for targeted disenfranchisement of hostile voters. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP in Karnataka alleged that upto 2 lakh voters were deleted from the electoral rolls in Bangalore in a deliberate attempt to dent its vote share.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n The Problems<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n India is the largest democracy in the world, that with 90 crore eligible voters in its last election, including 15 million first time voters (18-19) hold the world’s largest elections[3]<\/a>, it is thus crucial to understand what challenges lie in our path to eradicating voter suppression and making our democratic functioning as smooth and fair as possible.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n 1.         Misuse of Form 7<\/p>\r\n\r\n Form 7 is an application for voter deletion. A brief case study of a purge of the electoral roll that took place in Andhra Pradesh in March 2019 has revealed the possibility of its misemployment to indiscriminately delete voters.<\/p>\r\n\r\n YSRCP’s Jaganmohan Reddy claimed that the state’s electoral roll included upto 58 lakh bogus and duplicate voters, while the TDP hit back by stating that the YSRCP was attempting largescale deletion of TDP voters by use of form 7s. The YSRCP admitted that they did indeed submit Form 7’s, but only where in their opinion there were duplicate or double entries.<\/p>\r\n\r\n AP police registered over 45 FIRs across the state based on complaints made by the State Election Commission. The SEC admitted to the media that attempts had been made to delete voters en masse by sending Form 7 on their behalf without their permission. According to reports, the ECI received approximately 8 lakh forms, requesting deletion of voters.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Filing Form-7 online is a simple process needing only a voter card or EPIC numbers, that can be filed by anyone on behalf of the voter. Alarmingly, the EC does not inform or communicate to the voter at all that a request for voter deletion has been received in their name, and the only security feature of the online form is captcha.[4]<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n The EC’s primary roll in this process of deletion is that of verification, which requires the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), to whom the letter is addressed, to send a Booth Level Officer (BLO) to personally check if the voter in question is still residing at the address stated on the electoral roll. Based on the BLO’s feedback, the voter is then deleted or retained.[5]<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n As seen in the AP scenario, this can easily be exploited by political parties with vested interests, to use their own discretion to decide who the bogus voters are.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n 2.         Deduplication software<\/p>\r\n\r\n The National Electoral Roll Purification and Authentication Programme (NERPAP), was the ECI’s questionable attempt using software based on Aadhaar to flag duplicate voters’ names for deletion. The gaps and faults in NERPAP led to the programme being halted in 2015, but its consequences were felt in several subsequent elections -<\/p>\r\n\r\n In 2018, the Telangana Chief Election Officer apologized to the public for deleting names of over 30 lakh voters, several of whom were left wrongfully disenfranchised before the 2018 assembly elections. People complained that their names had been removed without proper verification.[6]<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n Karnataka deleted 13.8 lakh entries since May 2018, of which 5.05 lakh were in Bengaluru. Officials claimed that these were just fake and duplicate entries, and removing details of voters who have shifted or died, independent surveyors have argued that the proportion of deleted voters in some constituencies would be indicative of a “mass exodus” which wasn’t possible. The BJP cried foul about the deletions claiming they targeted BJP voters, especially in the Bengaluru South constituency.[7]<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n According to Al Jazeera similar mass deletion of names from voters’ lists has been reported from other states, such as Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi as well.[8]<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n 3.         Difficulty in registering and acquiring a voter ID<\/p>\r\n\r\n One of easiest ways of voter suppression is creating hurdles in voter registration. Indian citizens have frequently commented that the process of acquiring a voter ID is too cumbersome[9]<\/a>, and there is not enough public awareness about the processes and platforms available to aid them through it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n The Solutions<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n The last polling exercise in our country, cost an unprecedented Rs 50,000 crore, according to New Delhi-based Centre for Media Studies (CMS), which amounts to roughly $8 spent per voter in a country where about 60% of the population lives on around $3 a day.<\/p>\r\n\r\n These expenses are in vain if they cannot safeguard the right of each and every citizen of our country to exercise their fundamental and inalienable right to vote.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n 1.         Communication of receipt of Form 7<\/p>\r\n\r\n The misuse of Form 7 can easily be curtailed by implementing a system where the voter on whose behalf a Form 7 has been received by the ERO, is informed through text, email as well as post of such a submission.<\/p>\r\n\r\n This will allow voters to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed right to have “a reasonable opportunity of being heard in respect of the action proposed to be taken in relation to him” under Section 22 of the Representation of People Act, 1950.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n 2.         Accountability of BLOs & creation of an Audit Committee<\/p>\r\n\r\n The en masse deletions of voters in incidents such as Andhra Pradesh, suggest either rampant inefficiency or corruption in the Booth Level Officer’s tasked with verifying the accuracy of Form 7s. Such profound mistakes in the conduct of public representatives of the ECI is a blot on the Commission’s integrity, and should not go unpunished. This is the only manner in which voter rights will be safeguarded by officers that are meant to protect it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n A committee by the name of the “Election Integrity Commission” should be set up to create and enforce a rulebook with a clear set of penalties and repercussions for mischief or misconduct by its officers following thorough investigations. The committee should also conduct random checks and audits of people that have been deleted to create fear of accountability and oversight in junior officers. This committee set up by the Law Ministry, should have overseer representatives at the district-level and consist of members of the ECI, civil society, and representatives from all national parties.<\/p>\r\n\r\n A slightly similar model is already being worked on in Karnataka where a committee has been formed to look into the grievance redressal of “missing” voters.[10]<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n 3.         Automatic Voter Registration<\/p>\r\n\r\n Automatic Voter Registration is a policy popular in the United States of America, by which eligible voters are automatically registered to vote whenever they interact with government agencies such as the RTO, or other forms of identity cards such as Aadhar cards or ration cards. This makes it easy for voters to register onto the electoral roll, as eligible voters are registered by default, although they may request not to be registered.[11]<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n In rural parts of the country, linkages can also be made between registration cards of gas connection, employment schemes and other welfare “yojanas” with registration for voter cards to increase accessibility. This policy alongside the ECI’s current recommendation to register students in schools and colleges at age of 17 could increase the number of registered voters dramatically.[12]<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n The diverse and multicultural social fabric of our nation has stood strongly by the electoral process, and over the decades no coup, revolution, nor collapse has come close to destroying it. With that said, it would be foolish optimism to believe that the process itself is sound and without flaws. Voter suppression, be it due to faults in the system or orchestrated by parties with vested interests, is an alarming problem. Our vision of improving our democratic functioning by welcoming the opinions and recommendations of citizens in March this year, will no doubt champion reform further.<\/p>\r\n\r\n We strongly urge that while looking into issues of voter participation, voter turnout, and voter indifference, the problem of voter suppression also be given its due importance, to ensure that our great country’s elections are not just free and fair, but also the most accurate representation of all the people’s will.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n By Tannisha Avarrsekar & Siddhant Kesnur<\/p>\r\n\r\n Originally published at Horasis Insights: https:\/\/horasis.org\/winning-back-our-voices-solutions-to-voter-suppression-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n [1]<\/a> https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/voter-suppression<\/p>\r\n\r\n [2]<\/a> Glasberg; Shannon (2011). Political sociology: Oppression, resistance, and the state<\/em>. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press. p. 102.<\/p>\r\n\r\n [3]<\/a> https:\/\/www.businessinsider.in\/general-elections-2019-india-expects-over-15-million-first-time-voters-in-the-18-19-year-age-group\/articleshow\/68353207.cms<\/p>\r\n\r\n [4]<\/a> https:\/\/www.thenewsminute.com\/article\/are-names-ap-voters-being-deleted-indiscriminately-naidu-jagan-blame-each-other-97812<\/p>\r\n\r\n [5]<\/a> https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2019\/04\/09\/millions-of-voters-are-missing-in-india\/<\/p>\r\n\r\n [6]<\/a> https:\/\/www.thequint.com\/elections\/telangana-election-commission-deleted-voters-row<\/p>\r\n\r\n [7]<\/a> https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/elections\/lok-sabha-2019\/yet-again-missing-names-haunt-voters\/article26881628.ece<\/p>\r\n\r\n [8]<\/a> https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2019\/4\/30\/allegations-of-mass-voter-exclusion-cast-shadow-on-india-election<\/p>\r\n\r\n [9]<\/a> https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/india\/had-applied-for-new-voter-card-know-how-tedious-it-can-be\/articleshow\/67549790.cms<\/p>\r\n\r\n [10]<\/a> https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/elections\/lok-sabha-2019\/yet-again-missing-names-haunt-voters\/article26881628.ece<\/p>\r\n\r\n [11]<\/a> https:\/\/theorion.com\/85453\/opinion\/is-automatic-registration-the-solution-to-voter-suppression\/<\/p>\r\n\r\n [12]<\/a> https:\/\/factly.in\/the-eci-is-seeking-citizens-opinion-on-its-recommendations-to-improve-the-electoral-process\/<\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":"Voter Suppression","suggested_slug_url":"","content_recommendation":""},{"id":"21","articles_title":"Article 15 in The Constitution Of India (1949)","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/Article-15-of-the-Indian-Constitution.jpg","description":" Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth:<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t \r\n\t The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t No citizen shall, on the ground only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to -<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t \r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public entertainment; or<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t the use of wells, tanks, bathing ghats, roads and places of public resort maintained whole or partly out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the general public.<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any special provision for women and children.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t Nothing in this article or in clause (2) or Article 29 shall prevent the State from making any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t Nothing in this article or in sub-clause (g) of clause (1) of Article 19 shall prevent the State from making any special provision, by law, for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes in so far as such special provisions relate to their admission to educational institutions including private educational institutions, whether aided or unaided by the State, other than the minority educational institutions referred to in clause (1) of Article 30.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n Fundamental Rights are guaranteed to all persons by the constitution of India without any discrimination. These rights entitle an individual to live their life with dignity and prohibit discrimination. <\/p>\r\n\r\n Fundamental Rights are meant to promote the idea of democracy. Originally the constitution provided 7 Fundamental Rights but as of now, there are only 6 of them in force. Article 15 falls under the first of these 6 Fundamental Rights- the ’Right to Equality’, and is an extension of Article 14 which talks about the fact that every person should be equal before the law and should be treated equally by the law.<\/p>\r\n\r\n The world "discrimination" refers to make adverse distinctions with regard to or to distinguish unfavourable from others while the term "only" means that discrimination can be done on the basis of other grounds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n The Article also provides the State powers to create special provision for women, children, SEBC (Socially and Educationally Backward Classes), SC (Scheduled Castes) and ST (Scheduled Tribes) so that they can help uplift these sections of society which have been downtrodden in the past, and help realise the core principle behind Article 14 and 15, of equality and prohibition of discrimination.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Article 15(5) goes one step further and empowers the state to make a reservation in admission into educational institutions including private schools or colleges whether or not aided by the government.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Failure to comply with the provisions of the Act can make a company, a person, and a section of society or a group of people liable for punishment.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n - Khrish Shahani<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Image Source: Elections.in<\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":"Prohibit Discrimination","suggested_slug_url":"Prohibit-Discrimination","content_recommendation":" I would recommend you incorporate the keyword ‘Prohibit Discrimination’ at least 6 \r\ntimes, in order to achieve a keyword density of 2%. Please also ensure the following \r\ncriteria are met<\/p>\r\n"},{"id":"22","articles_title":"Karnataka Defection Crisis","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/Vidhana-Soudha-Bangalore-Bengaluru-Karnataka-Assembly-Copy-770x433.jpg","description":" Karnataka state government was in a momentous crisis after 13 ministers submitted their resignations to Assembly membership on Saturday, 6 July 2019. This included 10 Congress and 3 JD(S) MLA’s.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Two independents legislators, namely H Nagesh and R Shankar - who had been appointed MLA’s only a month ago - also resigned and came out in support of the BJP.<\/p>\r\n\r\n In an effort to salvage a Congress-JD(S) leadership, 30 ministers including all 21 of Congress and 9 of JD(S) quit the government, to pave the way for CM Kumaraswamy to reshuffle the cabinet by bringing back the rebel MLA’s. Congress leaders claim reshuffling will be done based on eligibility, social justice and regional balance.<\/p>\r\n\r\n All 15 rebel MLAs are being ferried to Goa from a plush Mumbai hotel where they have been closeted, sourced said. The MLAs are under threat of horse-trading, or party deflection.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Electoral Context<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n Only 13 months ago, the Karnataka state assembly comprising 224 seats was formed under a post-election coalition, after the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance emerged as the victors after securing the halfway mark of 113, and securing a majority of 118 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the main opposition in the state government.<\/p>\r\n\r\n The results were:<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t Congress-80<\/li>\r\n\t JD(S)-38 (including 1 from BSP)<\/li>\r\n\t BJP-104.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n All eyes are on the Speaker of the House, K.R. Ramesh Kumar, who also has a vote, and is yet to accept the resignations of the rebel MLAs. Kumar has stated he will consider the matter today, Tuesday, July 9, 2019.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n On the surface, the ruling coalition is facing a numbers issue.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t Congress-JD(S) coalition’s total strength currently is 116:\r\n\t \r\n\t\t Congress-78, JD(S)-37, BSP-1<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t With the support of the two independents, the BJP has 107 MLAs in the 224-member house, where the half-way mark is 113.<\/li>\r\n\t If the resignations of the 13 MLAs are accepted, the Congress-JD(S) coalition’s tally will be reduced to 103, thus losing the majority in the house.<\/li>\r\n\t Speaker of the House vote has not been accounted for.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Below the surface, the ruling coalition is revealing fractures and factions:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t Ex-MLA Rohan Baig, who was suspended last month for “anti-party activities” tweeted, “I’m hurt by the way Congress has treated me and suspended me as I spoke the bitter truth. The state leadership has failed, there is no accountability. I am not going to either Mumbai or Goa, I am in Bengaluru. I am going to resign from MLA post. They (BJP) are in touch with me.”<\/li>\r\n\t Baig also called Karnataka Congress leader Venugopal a “buffoon” and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundo Rao a “flop show”.<\/li>\r\n\t Congress troubleshooter DK Shivakumar headed for Mumbai last week to meet with the rebel MLA’s, however, sources in Mumbai said the legislators were being accompanied by President of Mumbai BJP Yuva Morcha Mohit Bhartiya. JD(S) is also allegedly accommodating their legislators in resorts in Bengaluru.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Congress Leadership’s Optimistic Front<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t CM Kumaraswamy said the situation is “unconstitutional, it is the work of the BJP high command. The government will survive.” He cut his trip to the US short to return home and deal with the situation.<\/li>\r\n\t Congress leader Venugopal tweeted, “I sincerely thank the ministers for their decision and their attitude to sacrifice their ministership for uniting the party and defeating anti-democratic attitude of the BJP to destabilize the government”.<\/li>\r\n\t “This is the sixth time the BJP has tried to destabilize the coalition government in the state. They are using money, power and central agencies to destabilize the government,” said Venugopal.<\/li>\r\n\t Ex-CM Siddaramaiah tweeted, “All ministers from #JDS have submitted their resignations just like the 21 ministers from #Congress. Cabinet reshuffle will happen soon.”<\/li>\r\n\t Protesting against the alleged horse-trading happening in Karnataka, Congress workers brought a horse outside the Mumbai hotel, transforming this soap-opera-esque drama into an Oscar-winning plotline.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Support for and from the BJP is pouring in during this time of uncertainty<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t Former CM and Karnataka BJP president BS Yeddyurappa said that he is expecting more MLAs to quit, denied any role in the crisis, and said the MLAs were “fed up of the coalition government”.<\/li>\r\n\t Independent rebel MLA Nagesh, who recently pledged his support to the BJP allegedly called Congress troubleshooter DK Shivakumar and said he had been “hijacked” by Mr. Yeddyurappa’s personal attendant and the BJP. By the time Shivakumar reached the airport, the flight had left.<\/li>\r\n\t Union Minister Rajnath Singh issued a denial of Centre involvement, claiming, “our party does not put pressure on any other party’s lawmaker or legislator. It is Rahul Gandhi who started the resignation spree.”<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n - Tarini Ranadive<\/p>\r\n\r\n References: <\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.ndtv.com\/karnataka-news\/congresss-breakfast-meet-as-karnataka-ruling-coalition-wobbles-10-facts-2065862<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/india\/congress-jds-ministers-in-karnataka-resign-to-enable-cabinet-reshuffle\/articleshow\/70129670.cms<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/india\/story\/karnataka-govt-political-crisis-congress-jds-bjp-1564960-2019-07-09<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/india-news\/karnataka-government-crisis-updates\/story-3mrQMlIAh28hOPvKAQtk4H.html<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.livemint.com\/politics\/news\/karnataka-govt-asks-ministers-to-step-down-to-make-way-for-rebels-1562576120448.html<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.news18.com\/news\/politics\/rebel-mlas-moved-from-mumbai-to-goa-one-threatens-to-join-bjp-as-kumaraswamy-govt-hangs-by-a-thread-2221361.html<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n Image Source: Moneycontrol.in<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":"Karnataka Crisis","suggested_slug_url":"Karnataka-Crisis","content_recommendation":" I would recommend you incorporate the keyword ‘Karnataka Crisis’ at least 7 times, in \r\norder to achieve a keyword density of 2%. Please also ensure the following criteria are \r\nmet<\/p>\r\n"},{"id":"23","articles_title":"Who is Kulbhushan Jadhav?","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/55565-ddypofnueg-1492170627.jpg","description":" \r\n\t Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav was born to a Mumbai Police officer in Sangli, Maharashtra on the 16th of April 1970.<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t His family has been involved in serving the government and police forces for up to three generations and his uncle is an ACP in Mumbai.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t He spent his childhood in the NM Joshi area in Central Mumbai, and his wife and two children currently reside in Powai.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t The Indian government recognizes him as a former naval officer and maintains that he took premature retirement from his duties for an unspecified reason.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Pakistan’s side of the story:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t \r\n\t Kulbhushan Jadhav was arrested in Pakistan’s insurgent southwestern province in Balochistan on March 3rd, 2016. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t Pakistan claims that he is a serving commander-ranked officer in the Indian Navy and was arrested during a counter-intelligence operation. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t On April 10th 2017, Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani Military Court on charges of “espionage, sabotage and terrorism”. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t Shortly after his arrest, Pakistan released a video of Jadhav confessing to having conducted and organized a campaign of attacks against Pakistani security forces and civilian targets as well as aiding armed groups. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t Balochistan is a strategically critical location for Pakistan as it has seen both sectarian and separatist violence in the past decade and is crucial to the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.                                                                                         <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t The Pakistani government allowed Jadhav’s mother and wife to visit him in December 2017 on humanitarian grounds. The two women met Jadhav from behind a glass screen in a specially constructed room and were accompanied by the Deputy High Commissioner of India, JP Singh.   <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n India’s side of the story:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t \r\n\t The Indian Government recognizes Kulbhushan Jadhav as a former naval officer but denies that he has any other links with the government. They maintain that he took premature retirement and was possibly abducted from Iran. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t They insist that Jadhav is a civilian and not a spy, further claiming that the Pakistani government's case is a farce and based on malicious propaganda. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t In response to the Pakistani government sentencing Jadhav to death, India approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on May 8, 2017.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t India alleged at the ICJ that Jadhav was an innocent who did not receive a fair trial and was denied consular access as required under the Vienna Convention. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t Furthermore, India dismissed Jadhav’s meeting with his family where he had admitted to being guilty as a tactical move by Pakistan, stating that Jadhav was held in a coercive atmosphere. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t India also accused Pakistan of intimidating Jadhav’s family, as his mother's shoes were removed and never returned and she was warned against any “mischievous intent”. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t The Indian Foreign Ministry also released a statement claiming that the details and circumstances surrounding the alleged confession video were dubious and shrouded and that the proceedings against Mr. Jadhav were not at all transparent. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n The Crisis: ICJ \/ World Court<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t \r\n\t After India approached the ICJ, public hearings from both the parties were presided over by the ICJ President Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t The court indicated to Pakistan that it must take all measures at its disposal to prevent the execution of Jadhav, pending final judgement of the ICJ. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t Over the course of the next year, the ICJ held another round of public hearings regarding the detention and the trial of Jadhav, in order to deliver an order by July 19th. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t On July 17th, the ICJ (now formally known as the World Court) ordered Pakistan to review the death penalty given to Jadhav.<\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t The 16-judge panel said Pakistan has to provide an effective review of the case and added that a “continued stay of execution” for Jadhav was needed for that to happen. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t The court dismissed Pakistan’s argument by 15 votes to 1 and found that they had breached Jadhav’s rights under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, by not allowing Indian diplomats to visit him in jail or assist him during his trial. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t While this may seem like a victory for India, the ICJ did not order the release and acquittal of Jadhav as India had hoped, and Pakistan's attorney general Anwar Mansoor Khan viewed this as a “clear win for Pakistan”. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t After the decision by the World Court, Pakistan has granted Jadhav counsellor access but the modalities are still to be worked out according to Pakistani laws. <\/p>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n     - Khrish Shahani <\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":null,"suggested_slug_url":null,"content_recommendation":null},{"id":"24","articles_title":"PM Modi's Speech about Article 370","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/Modi_speaking_cutout_AND_j_kmap_V02.png.jpeg","description":" Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the abrogation of Article 370 and 35(A) for the first time, during a televised address on Thursday, 8th August 2019.<\/p>\r\n\r\n PM Modi highlighted a few key points regarding the matter and discussed the future of Jammu & Kashmir as well as Ladakh. He spoke about his party’s vision, appealed to opposing political parties and gave an assurance of the peace for the people of Jammu & Kashmir. <\/p>\r\n\r\n Here are the key points of his speech:<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t \r\n\t Benefits of Article 370: <\/p>\r\n\r\n\t \r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t PM Modi began his speech by addressing the benefits of revoking Article 370<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t He presented all of Jammu and Kashmir’s problems as a product of Article 370, citing loss of lives and lifestyle of the people living there as causes of the same<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t He said that Article 370 was being used as a tool to spread terror and was a hurdle for the development of Kashmir<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t “Article 370 and 35(A) gave only separatism, nepotism and corruption to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t PM Modi stressed that a radical climate had become normalized in Jammu & Kashmir as the status quo, saying- “Some things are normalised to the extent that we accept them. We start believing that nothing will change. So was the case with Article 370. Because of this, the disadvantages that people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were facing had stopped being discussed.”<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t He urged fellow Indians to think of Jammu and Kashmir’s problems as their own<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t Tourism in the 2 Union Territories: <\/p>\r\n\r\n\t \r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh were earlier known to be the top tourist destinations in the country<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t For years filmmakers used this location as their preference to shoot films<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t PM Modi said he was confident that now even international films will be shot there, encouraging large amounts of tourism<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t He said “J&K and Ladakh have the potential to become the biggest tourist destination in the world. The reforms required for this are being done. I urge the Hindi, Telugu and Tamil film industry to come to J&K for shooting their projects."<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t Minorities in the state:  <\/p>\r\n\r\n\t \r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t Discussing the future of minorities he said “In other states, Dalits have a law to protect them from exploitation but not in Kashmir. For minorities in other states, there is a law but not in Kashmir. There is a minimum wage law for workers in other states but was only on paper in Jammu and Kashmir. There is reservation for SC\/ST in other states, but not in Kashmir.”<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t PM Modi emphasized that all of this would now be possible in the new UTs of J&K and Ladakh<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t Leadership and governance of the 2 Union Territories: <\/p>\r\n\r\n\t \r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t Since the Governor’s rule was implemented in J&K, state administration has been directly in touch with the Centre due to which the effects of good governance can be seen on the ground<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t The decision to keep Jammu and Kashmir directly under the central administration for a brief period was a planned decision<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t PM Modi also addressed electoral representation saying that- “For decades, lakhs of people in Jammu and Kashmir had the right to vote in Lok Sabha polls but they could neither vote nor contest in Assembly\/local polls. These are those who came to India after partition in 1947. Should injustice have continued with them?”<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t He assured the people that as development follows, J&K will not stay a Union Territory and will become a state with a Chief Minister and a proper functioning cabinet, saying- "J&K will not remain a UT forever. You will get the opportunity to elect your representatives soon. I want to tell the people of Jammu and Kashmir that your representatives will come from among you,"<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t However, regarding Ladakh, he said- “As Jammu and Kashmir will see more and more development. I do not think it will remain Union Territory for long. Ladakh will remain the UT."<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t Right to Education: <\/p>\r\n\r\n\t \r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t About women and children, he said that- “Children in other states have the right to education but those in Jammu and Kashmir remained away from. What is their mistake? Women in other states enjoy rights that women in this part of the country do not get. Safai karmachari Act is implemented in all parts of the country. However, in Kashmir, there is no such law”<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t He stressed that now with the abrogation of Article 370, women and children will have access to all the rights that they deserve.<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t Dynasty Politics:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t \r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t Commenting on past leadership of J&K, PM Modi stated that- “Decades of family-based politics has provided no guidance to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir. Now the youth will help rise Jammu and Kashmir to heights like never before. I would like to appeal to all young boys and girls to come out and take the reigns of the place in their hands,”<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t Plants and Herbal products: <\/p>\r\n\r\n\t \r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t PM Modi brought to the nation’s attention that there is a plant known as Solo, which is a boon to the people living in high altitudes that has vast healing properties<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t He urged people to start selling such plants and herbal products all over the region<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t Modi stated that these products will be identified and marketed to benefit the local farmers of the region<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t “Be it the colour of Kesar or the taste of kahwa, the sweetness of apple juices or the juiciness of khubani, be it the Kashmiri shawl or Ladakh’s organic product, all of this needs to be advertised all over the world.” He added.<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t Panchayats:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t \r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t Narendra Modi commended the Panchayats for the good job they were doing<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t He credited the elected Panch and Pradhan, for the speedy implementation of development projects<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t Respect for the opposition: <\/p>\r\n\r\n\t \r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t Referring to his opposition in both the centre and J&K’s regional parties PM Modi said- “There are some people who opposed to the government's move, I respect their opposition; it is essential in a democracy. The Centre is responding to them (opposition) and we are working to improve things. I urge them to act in the nation's interest and help the government and nation in creating a new environment in the region.”<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t Peaceful celebrations: <\/p>\r\n\r\n\t \r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t PM Modi assured the people of Kashmir, that those celebrating Eid will have no problem, stating that- "I urge the people of J&K and Ladakh to show their capability to the world. I assure the people of J&K that things will return to normalcy. I congratulate the people on the occasion of Eid. The government is trying to ensure that the people of J&K face no difficulties in celebrating Eid,"<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t He said he will ensure that anyone coming into the state to celebrate with their families will receive all the help they need.<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t \r\n\t Employment:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t \r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t Narendra Modi spelt out all the development plans he has in mind for the 2 Union Territories<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t He stated that all state government and police employees will soon get the benefits that other state employees get   <\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t \r\n\t\t He also said that- "The vacant posts in Jammu and Kashmir will be filled. This will benefit the youth of Jammu and Kashmir. Local youth will receive employment. State companies, as well as private companies, will be encouraged to create jobs for the local youths in the state."<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n - Arsh Malhotra and Tarini Ranadive<\/p>\r\n\r\n Image Source: Swarajyamag<\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":null,"suggested_slug_url":null,"content_recommendation":null},{"id":"25","articles_title":"PM Modi's Independence Day Speech","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/independence-day_53fb6d00-8183-11e7-b63c-9d281adafd5e.jpg","description":" In light of the sheer volume and magnitude of legislature and politics that the country has witnessed in the past few months, the Prime Minister’s annual Independence Day address from the Red Fort was eagerly awaited by many. There were many topics that his speech did cover, and many that he didn’t. Here is a summary of some of the key highlights:<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Article 370:<\/strong> PM Modi said special constitutional status for the state of Jammu and Kashmir had encouraged corruption and nepotism and created injust hurdles for the women, children and minority communities in Jammu & Kasmir. He cemented his stance by saying, “Today every Indian can proudly say, ‘One Nation, One Constitution’.” a phrase that was seen by many as a subtle hint towards a uniform civil code. Furthermore, he went on to stress that this decision was made for the “direct benefit of the people on the ground” and that they would be able to raise questions to the centre directly instead of raising their issues through the media. <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Triple Talaq:<\/strong> PM Modi acknowledged his decision to abolish the Muslim practice of instantaneous Triple Talaq, stating that the sword of triple talaq hung low on the female Muslim population and on equality in India. Adding to this, he questioned why having stood up against sati we shouldn’t raise our voices against Triple Talaq. <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Economy: <\/strong>PM Modi talked about his aim to turn India into a $5 trillion economy within the next 5 years. He highlighted the importance of every citizen in this initiative and said, “If every citizen starts contributing to the nation, we can achieve this. People say it is difficult but if it's not then why strive for it. In the last 70 years, we became a 2 trillion-dollar economy and only in the last 5 years, we added 1 trillion dollars. This gives me the confidence of becoming a 5 trillion-dollar economy."  He also spoke about the importance of wealth creation, calling it “essential” and went on to say that “Those who create wealth are India’s wealth and we respect them.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Water Crisis and Floods: <\/strong>PM Modi acknowledged the hardships that farmers around the country are going through due to floods, saying “Today, when we are marking Independence Day, many of our citizens are suffering due to floods in various parts of the country. We stand in solidarity with those who are affected by the floods,". Furthermore, he spoke about the new ministry of Jal Shakti that has been formed  and went on to introduce a new ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ to address the ongoing water crisis, saying “Today, from the ramparts of Red Fort, I announce that we will launch Jal Jeevan Mission to provide drinking water to all. The state governments will work with the Centre. Rs 3.5 lakh crore will be used for this mission." <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n New Defence Post:<\/strong> PM Modi created a new position of ‘Chief of Defence Staff’, similar to that of a Join Chief of Staff in Western military forces, “to further sharpen coordination between the forces”. Modi said. defense experts have long called for such a post, which was recommended by a government panel in 1999  after India came close to a war with Pakistan over Kashmir. <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Environment:<\/strong> PM Modi urged a halt to use of single-use plastics, suggesting a phase-out date of October 2nd, Gandhi Jayanti. He said “Can we free India from single-use plastic? The time for implementing such an idea has come. May teams be mobilized to work in this direction."<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Infrastructure:<\/strong> Modern Infrastructure is one of the visions that PM Modi highlighted in his speech, stating that it has to be set up to meet the needs of the 21stcentury. He announced that the government has decided to invest Rs. 100 lakh crores on the country’s infrastructure, and emphasized the importance of modern roads, railways, bridges, hospitals, saying that “People are no longer happy with plans of railway stations, they want Vande Bharat Express in their area.” <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Population: <\/strong>PM Modi talked about the increase in the population of the country, and urged the nation to understand the importance of birth control, saying “Population explosion in the country will create various problems for the coming generations. Those who follow the policy of small family also contribute to the development of the nation, it is also a form of patriotism. There is a need of social awareness in the country”.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Tourism:<\/strong> PM Modi spoke about creating 100 tourist destinations in the country, saying "Let us pledge to visit at least 15 tourist destinations before 2022,".<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Terrorism:<\/strong> Highlighting the recent terrorist threats to India, PM Modi said “Today, the entire world faces the threat of terrorism... the dark clouds of death can emerge anywhere, and at any time. This must be dealt with collectively, and India will certainly do her bit to ensure terrorism is dealt with head-on and is ended.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n This independence day speech was PM Modi’s 6th consecutive speech and was also his longest one. While he touched upon most of the important issues that our country faces today, he failed to recognize that India’s growth rate has fallen to 5.8% for the three months ended March 2019, its lowest in 17 quarters, while research group CMIE estimates the jobless rate rose to 7.51 percent in July from 5.66 percent a year earlier. <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n - Khrish Shahani <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Image Source: HindustanTimes<\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":null,"suggested_slug_url":null,"content_recommendation":null},{"id":"26","articles_title":"FM Nirmala Sitharaman's Speech: 23 August 2019","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/nirmala-sitharaman_46c637c8-daa5-11e9-aefb-e5600836c7fe.jpg","description":" In an effort to mitigate concerns over the ongoing economic slowdown in the country, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in a press conference on Friday, Aug 23rd announced a series of reforms in a range of sectors. <\/p>\r\n\r\n Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman acknowledged the distressed economy when she stated that the international demand for Indian products was weak, and global GDP may be revised downwards from the current estimate of 3.2%. She also stated that as a result of the US-China trade war and currency devaluation, global trade had developed into a “very volatile situation”.<\/p>\r\n\r\n FM Nirmala Sitharaman assured the “wealth creators” (for whom PM Modi voiced his respect in the Independence Day speech) that the Indian economy was growing faster than the global average and all other major economies. Most importantly, she reiterated that reforms were at the top of the government’s agenda and that such reforms would continue and the government hadn’t lost its momentum.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Moody's Investor Service<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t According to Business Today, this reform agenda came after Moody’s Investors Service on Friday cut India’s GDP growth forecast for 2018-19 calendar by 60 points to 6.2% from the previous estimation of 6.8%. For the 2019-20 calendar year, it reduced the estimate by a similar measure to 6.7%. <\/li>\r\n\t “While not heavily exposed to external pressures, India’s economy remains sluggish on account of a combination of factors, including weak hiring, financial distress among rural households, and tighter financing conditions due to stress among non-banking financial institutions,” Moody's Investor Service, 23 August 2019.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n RBI<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t Earlier this month, the RBI slashed its growth projection for 2019-20 to from 7% to 6.9%. It maintained that domestic economic activity remains weak, while global slowdown and trade tensions have intensified.<\/li>\r\n\t Moody’s observed that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been most active in cutting rates in support of growth, but persisting financial sector issues may hinder the effectiveness of a monetary stimulus.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n India Ratings and Research<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t Yesterday (Aug. 28), India Ratings and Research reduced its estimate for India’s economic growth in the financial year 2020. “GDP will grow at a six-year low of 6.7% in the current financial year due to weak consumer demand, uneven monsoon, and (a) slowdown in manufacturing growth,” the ratings agency said in a press release. Its earlier forecast was a GDP growth of 7.3% this fiscal.<\/li>\r\n\t “Private consumption, which has been the mainstay of aggregate demand, has come under pressure in urban as well as rural areas lately,” said Sunil Kumar Sinha, principal economist and director public finance, India Ratings and Research. “Reduced income growth of households has taken the sting out of urban consumption. Meanwhile, drought and near-drought conditions in three of the past five years coupled with a collapse in food prices have taken a heavy toll on rural consumption.”<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n Public Sector Banks<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t FM Nirmala Sitharaman announced an upfront capital infusion of Rs. 70,000 crores into public sector banks.<\/li>\r\n\t She said this move is expected to generate additional lending and improve liquidity in the financial system to the tune of Rs. 5 lakh crores<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI)<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t FM Nirmala Sitharaman announced a rollback of enhanced surcharge on foreign portfolio investors levied in the Budget.<\/li>\r\n\t “Surcharge on long and short term capital gains arising from the transfer of equity shares has been withdrawn,” she said. “The enhanced surcharge on FPI goes, in simple words… in other words, the pre-budget position is restored”.<\/li>\r\n\t Data showed FPIs had pulled out Rs. 23,000 crores from domestic equities in July and August, as the surcharge on higher tax-income groups proposed in the 2019-20 Budget, affected 40% of FPIs operating as trusts or Annual Operation Plans (AoP), making investing in Indian equities unattractive<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n Automobile Sector<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t To ease the building of auto inventories, the government will allow an additional 15% depreciation on vehicles acquired from now until March 2020.\r\n\t \r\n\t\t These Bharat Stage IV vehicles bought before 31st March 2020 will remain operational for their full period of registration.<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t Further, FM Nirmala Sitharaman also deferred the decision to hike the one-time registration fee on vehicles till June 2020.<\/li>\r\n\t The FM also lifted the ban on the purchase of vehicles by government departments, to allow an additional 15% depreciation, taking it to 30%, on vehicles acquired from now till March 2020.<\/li>\r\n\t Both electric vehicles (EVs) and Internal Combustion Vehicles (IVC) will continue to be registered.<\/li>\r\n\t FM Nirmala Sitharaman said the government’s focus will be on setting up infrastructure for the development of ancillaries\/components including batteries for exports.<\/li>\r\n\t Also, the government will soon come up with a scrapping policy for vehicles.\r\n\t \r\n\t\t Faced with a massive sales downturn, India’s automobile industry has been eagerly waiting on a scrappage policy to revive demand for the already hollowed sector.<\/li>\r\n\t\t Accordingly, the automobile industry’s representatives have sought an ‘End of Life’ policy from the Central government as a measure to arrest the falling sales.<\/li>\r\n\t\t The policy, if implemented, is expected to encourage customers to go in for new purchases which will be backed up by government incentives in lieu of their old vehicles<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n Loans<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t FM Nirmala Sitharaman said banks have decided to pass on RBI’s rate cut benefits to borrowers through reduction of the MCLR (Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate).<\/li>\r\n\t Further, banks will launch repo rate and external benchmark-linked loan products that will lead to reduced easy monthly installments for housing, vehicle and other retail loans<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n No Angel Tax<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t In a major relief to entrepreneurs and startups, FM Nirmala Sitharaman said that the 'angel tax' provision will be withdrawn for startups and their investors.<\/li>\r\n\t Angel tax has been a major issue among entrepreneurs and in startup culture. Although the government announced some measures earlier, startups were not satisfied and wanted a complete revocation of the tax liability<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n Tax Harassment<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t To ease liabilities and address the ongoing concerns of harassment by tax officials, FM Nirmala Sitharaman announced that all tax notices will be issued from a centralized system.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to get all their pending GST refunds within 30 days.<\/li>\r\n\t Further, all GST refunds of MSMEs will be paid within 60 days from the date of application.<\/li>\r\n\t FM Nirmala Sitharaman also said the decision on the recommendations of the RBI committee, chaired by UK Sinha- former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), regarding ease of credit, marketing, technology and delayed payments to MSMEs, will be taken within 30 days.<\/li>\r\n\t The government will also consider an amendment to the MSME Act to move towards a single definition.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n Corporate Social Responsibility<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t CSR rule violations will only be treated as a civil matter and not a criminal matter<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n - Tarini Ranadive<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Sources:<\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/economy\/policy\/six-key-takeaways-from-fm-nirmala-sitharamans-plan-to-revive-indian-economy\/articleshow\/70807039.cms?from=mdr<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.livemint.com\/news\/india\/key-takeaways-from-fm-s-friday-speech-on-growth-measures-for-indian-economy-1566569087497.html<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.businesstoday.in\/current\/economy-politics\/nirmala-sitharaman-press-meet-live-updates-fm-announce-stimulus-package-slowdown\/story\/374776.html<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.businesstoday.in\/current\/economy-politics\/nirmala-sitharaman-press-meet-live-updates-fm-announce-stimulus-package-slowdown\/story\/374776.html<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.thehindubusinessline.com\/economy\/govt-unveils-new-measures-to-boost-auto-sector-demand\/article29234267.ece<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.livemint.com\/politics\/policy\/moody-s-cuts-india-gdp-growth-forecast-to-6-2-for-2019-1566555402348.html<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/qz.com\/india\/1697773\/india-ratings-moodys-trim-gdp-forecasts-as-slowdown-bites\/<\/a> <\/p>\r\n\r\n Image Source: Hindustan Times<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":null,"suggested_slug_url":null,"content_recommendation":null},{"id":"27","articles_title":"The Ayodhya Dispute","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/banner_38.jpg","description":" The Ayodhya Dispute is a long-standing communal contention between Hindus and Muslims over a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya is regarded in Hindu mythology as the “Ram Janmabhoomi” (Lord Rama’s birthplace) and is thus considered sacred, however during Mughal Emperor Babur’s reign in the 1500s, the Babri Masjid was erected at the site igniting a century long dispute between Hindus and Muslims. <\/p>\r\n\r\n The dispute resulted in Hindu-Muslim communal riots that spread like wildfire across the country in 1992. The riots caused the government to seize control of the land until the courts reach a judgment, and have made Ayodhya an integral issue in almost every election since. <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Timeline of Events<\/p>\r\n\r\n 1528 - Mir Baqi, one of the generals of Mughal Emperor Babur, allegedly demolishes an existing temple of Rama and constructs a mosque at the site.<\/p>\r\n\r\n 1853 - The first recorded incidents of religious violence between Hindus and Muslims allegedly take place over a nearby mosque at Hanuman Garhi.<\/p>\r\n\r\n 1859 - The British colonial administration builds fences, separating the places of worship so that the inner court can be used by Muslims and the outer court can be used by Hindus.<\/p>\r\n\r\n 1885 - A resident of Ayodhya - Mahant Raghubir Das, files a plea at the Faizabad district court seeking permission to build a canopy over the Ram Chabootra (platform) outside the disputed site. This is the first-ever petition signed pertaining to the Ayodhya dispute. The court rejects the plea.<\/p>\r\n\r\n 1949 - New idols of Ram Lalla are placed under a central dome outside the main disputed area so that Hindus can file a plea to worship them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n 1950 - 1959 - 3 lawsuits are filed, 2 by Hindu individuals, which later get absorbed into 1 large suit by a Hindu group known as Nirmohi Akhara, seeking possession of the site and rights to worship idols at the site.  <\/p>\r\n\r\n 1981 - UP Sunni Central Waqf Board files a suit for possession of the site. There are 3 parties seeking possession of the site by this time- The Nirmohi Akhara (Hindu), Ram Leela (Hindu) and the Sunni Waqf Board. <\/p>\r\n\r\n 1984 - Vishwa Hindu Parishad Party (VHP), spearheaded by L.K. Advani, organizes a committee to “liberate” the alleged birthplace of Lord Rama and build a temple in the disputed location. <\/p>\r\n\r\n 1989 - Allahabad High Court orders maintenance of the status quo in respect to the disputed structure.  <\/p>\r\n\r\n 1991 - The BJP comes into power in Uttar Pradesh following which prominent BJP leaders like L.K. Advani instigate the Karsevaks (VHP supporters) to demolish the Masjid through powerful speeches and rallies.<\/p>\r\n\r\n 1992 - The Hindu Karsevaks, the Shiv Sena, and the BJP demolished the Babri Masjid leading to nationwide riots between Hindus and Muslims. Two FIRs are filed following the demolition of the Masjid- Crime no. 197 against the people responsible for the actual demolition of the Babri Masjid, and Crime no. 198 against L.K. Advani, Kalyan Singh, Murli Manohar Joshi and 13 other prominent members of the BJP for inciting riots by giving “communal” speeches before the demolition. The VHP was thereafter permanently banned. <\/p>\r\n\r\n 1993 - On April 3rd the Congress run central government passes a bill acquiring 67 acres of the disputed land until the dispute is resolved. The CBI files a composite charge sheet and accuses Advani and other leaders of the conspiracy. Moreover, in retaliation to the demolition of the Masjid, underworld don- Dawood Ibrahim carries out bomb blasts in Mumbai. <\/p>\r\n\r\n 1994 - As the government passes a bill acquiring the land of the disputed site, Ismail Faruqui files a case against the acquisition. In response to this case, the Supreme Court in a historic verdict says that the mosque is not integral to Islam and Muslims can offer prayer anywhere, in the open. <\/p>\r\n\r\n 2001- Special Judge S.K. Shukla drops the conspiracy charge against the 13 accused, including Mr. Advani and Kalyan Singh. <\/p>\r\n\r\n 2002 - The Allahabad High Court begins its hearings to determine who owns the disputed site. In February, the burning of a train in Godhra which was carrying Karsevaks returning from Ayodhya ignited the infamous Gujarat riots. <\/p>\r\n\r\n 2003 - The Supreme Court passes an order stating that no religious activity of any kind is allowed on the acquired land until the civil lawsuits are settled in the Allahabad High Court.  <\/p>\r\n\r\n 2010 - On 30th September, a three-member bench in the High Court of Allahabad, comprising of Justices S. U. Khan, Sudhir Agarwal and D. V. Sharma, rule that the disputed land should be split into three parts, with the site of the Ram Lalla idol going to the Ram Leela, the Sita Rasoi and Ram Chabootara going to Nirmohi Akhara, and the rest going to the Sunni Wakf Board. <\/p>\r\n\r\n 2011 - All three parties file appeals against splitting of the land three ways to the Allahabad High Court, following which The Supreme Court stays the High Court verdict on the Ayodhya land dispute.<\/p>\r\n\r\n 2014 -Mohammad Faroukh, the oldest litigant of Babri Masjid case passes away, he was one of the first seven litigants that defended the Muslims when the first cases were filed in 1950.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Recent Developments<\/p>\r\n\r\n In 2017, Chief Justice of India JS Khehar suggested an out of court settlement between the three different parties. The UP Shia Central Waqf Board said then that they were fine with a temple being built in Ayodhya, as long as a mosque could be built in Lucknow. However, this was not accepted. The year culminated with 32 civil rights activists from both sides filing a plea to the Supreme Court challenging the Allahabad High Court’s 2010 verdict. <\/p>\r\n\r\n Thus, the Supreme Court began the hearings for civil pleas in January 2018 and rejected all interim pleas by requesting them to intervene as parties in the case (As the court already began hearing civil pleas, they requested all interim pleas to be included in the current case). The Supreme Court-appointed a five-judge bench that consisted of India's most senior supreme court judges.<\/p>\r\n\r\n In March 2019, the Supreme Court ordered a court-monitored mediation that was chaired by Justice F M I Kalifulla, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravishankar and senior advocate Sriram Panchu. The mediation report was submitted in May but failed to come up with a solution that was acceptable to all parties. And hence the final trial for the case began on the 6th August 2019.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Politics of the Ayodhya Case<\/p>\r\n\r\n The rise of the BJP in the late 1980s is critical in understanding the politics that surround the Ayodhya case. The party which held only two seats in the 8th Lok Sabha, increased its tally to 119 in the 9th Lok Sabha with 19.9% of the vote share. This triumph was built on their unapologetic identity based on nationalism and exploitation of Hindu sentiments. In its own sentimental version of liberation theology, the BJP decided to liberate the birthplace of Ram from the dispute of the Babri Masjid. <\/p>\r\n\r\n L.K. Advani who was the leader of the party in 1990, spearheaded this movement by appealing to the Hindu Karsevaks. He engaged in a 10,000 km ratha yatra (chariot journey) from Gujarat to Ayodhya and called upon people to demonstrate “Ram Bhakti” (Ram Worship) and “Lok Shakti” (People Power). The slogan opted by the party during this journey was “Mandir wahi banayenge” and effectively culminated with 100,000 karsevaks storming the masjid in October 1990 in a failed attempt to demolish the site, due to the timely interference of the police.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Though after coming to power in Uttar Pradesh in 1991, the BJP government managed to provoke a Hindu-Muslim polarization, to the extent of a much more successful demolition attempt in 1992. By 1991, politicians of both communities realized that they could gather the masses in the name of religion. Though few Indian Muslims knew about the Babri Masjid until the 1990s, in the decade that followed, that mosque became a symbol of Muslim identity in India.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Abdullah Bukhari- the Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid along with Syed Shahabuddin ignited the fire from the Muslim side, by asking Indian Muslims to boycott India’s Republic Day celebrations and even burst firecrackers when Pakistans cricket team wins. Finally, when the mosque was demolished by the Karsevaks in 1992, the BJP was rightfully blamed for its inaction in preventing the catastrophe that hit the nation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n The then Prime Minister Narsimha Rao’s Congress government was criticized not just for its inaction, but also for dismissing the BJP state governments in Uttar Pradesh as well as Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan by declaring President’s Rule due to the breakdown of law and order in lights of the riots.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Before the dismissal of the BJP government in these states, the party had taken an apologetic stance, but after their state governments were dismissed they went on the offensive, ridiculing the central government for its lack of intel and authority. They blamed Rao for being confused and blamed the central government for being too flustered to react to the demolition of the mosque. <\/p>\r\n\r\n The decline of the Congress and the rise of the BJP thus began after the demolition, with a series of blasts in Mumbai and Calcutta further weakening the Congress’s position. The Congress lost the support of even its loyal Muslim voter base, due to their inability to rebuild the Babri mosque in a Hindu majority region. This led to the BJP coming to power in the center, and culminated with Attal Bihari Vajpayee, who had ironically participated in a rally with the Hindu Karsevaks, coming to power in 1998. As Prime Minister, Vajpayee was said to have a team that dealt with the Ayodhya issue, as he was directly involved as a catalyst in the demolition. <\/p>\r\n\r\n While all prominent leaders were absolved of all charges of conspiracy, the Supreme Court revived the charges of conspiracy in 2017. On May 30th, 2017, L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, and Vinay Katiyar were charged with criminal conspiracy in the Babri Masjid Demolition case. <\/p>\r\n\r\n The Ayodhya title suit hearings commenced before the Supreme Court on August 6th, 2019, with the five-judge panel hearing the arguments on behalf of the Hindu parties first followed by the Muslim parties. The trial began with the panel asking the Hindu parties to prove that Lord Ram was actually born in Ayodhya, to which they responded that the “unshakeable faith” of Hindus was enough proof. The trial has also been marred with controversy as Rajeev Dhavan, Sunni Waqf Board’s counsel has received death threats for representing Muslims in the trial.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Interestingly, while the Hindu’s and Muslim’s have staked their claim in court, the Supreme Court has also permitted a petition from a Buddhist lawyer named Maurya, who claims the site was a Buddhist shrine before the Masjid was built. Furthermore, this past week a man named KN Govindacharya petitioned for live streaming\/audio recording of the hearings, which is a matter which will be taken up by the court on September 16. As this long-standing dispute is about to reach its climax, it is clear that the Supreme Court decision, regardless of what it is, will have far-reaching consequences not just on history but also the future. <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n - Khrish Shahani <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Sources:<\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.business-standard.com\/article\/pti-stories\/<\/a>ayodhya-sc-to-hear-rajeev-dhavan-s-contempt-plea-against-ex-govt-official-for-threatening-him-119090200177_1.html<\/a>  <\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/india\/story\/ayodhya-case-supreme-court-1590249-2019-08-22<\/a> <\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/inscription-on-mosque-slab-spoke-of-vishnu-temple-supreme-court-told\/article29183709.ece<\/a> <\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/babri-masjid-demolition-case-special-judge-seeks-six-months-time-to-conclude-trial\/article28434622.ece<\/a> <\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/editorial\/strange-turn\/article26475340.ece<\/a> <\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/leaders-welcome-supreme-courts-decision-on-ram-janmabhoomi-babri-masjid-dispute\/article26470050.ece<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/gogoi-led-bench-to-hear-ayodhya-case-from-today\/article28827206.ece<\/a> <\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/ayodhya-land-dispute-supreme-court-to-consider-mediation-panels-report\/article28789395.ece<\/a> <\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/india\/ex-union-minister-krishna-tirath-rejoins-congress\/articleshow\/70952828.cms<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/ayodhya-hearing-shia-board-stakes-claim-over-1-3rd-land-share-says-ready-to-give-it-to-hindus-5952625\/<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.ndtv.com\/india-news\/present-relevant-arguments-top-court-to-muslim-parties-in-ayodhya-case-2094571<\/a> <\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.deccanherald.com\/national\/north-and-central\/ayodhya-case-sc-notice-to-prof-for-letter-to-counsel-758710.html<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.deccanherald.com\/national\/sc-grants-mediators-more-time-timeline-of-ayodhya-case-733089.html<\/a> <\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.thehindubusinessline.com\/news\/national\/ayodhya-case-sc-to-conduct-day-to-day-hearing-from-aug-6\/article28800483.ece<\/a> <\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.thehindubusinessline.com\/news\/national\/chronology-of-ayodhya-land-dispute-case\/article26471738.ece<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n Image Source: The TruePicture<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"1","focus_keyword":"","suggested_slug_url":"","content_recommendation":""},{"id":"28","articles_title":"World Democracy Day","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/74afd54a21092aa921fa6c7547b13fe8.jpg","description":" Democracy is a system of government in which citizens exercise power directly or elect a representative from among themselves to form a governing body, such as a parliament. It is also referred to as “rule by the people” or “rule of the majority”.<\/p>\r\n\r\n The term “democracy” first appeared in ancient Greek political and philosophical thought in the city-state of Athens during classical antiquity. The word originates from the Greek word demos meaning “common people” and kratos meaning “strength”. It was established in 508-507 BC in Athens led by Cleisthenes, who is known as the “father of Athenian democracy”. <\/p>\r\n\r\n Equality is fundamental to democracy, which is present in each individual’s right to vote. In this system of government, each individual’s vote has equal weight. Democracy requires that each individual be free to participate in the political economy’s self-government, thus, political freedom lies at the heart of the concept of democracy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Principles:<\/p>\r\n\r\n The United Nations reaffirmed at the 2005 World Summit that “democracy is a universal value based on the freely expressed will of people to determine their political, economic, social and cultural systems and their full participation in all aspects of their lives,” There is no fixed definition of the term democracy, there is scope for each country to operate democracy differently. Nevertheless, there are some essential facets of what is universally considered democratic in government:<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t Free, fair and frequent elections mean that all adult citizens can vote in elections and stand for office. The elections are fundamentally honest and transparent. Voters must not be stopped from voting and all votes must be accurately counted. Elections should be held often enough to enable people to exercise their control of the government. People must have alternate sources of information to make informed choices, therefore freedom of the press is an essential aspect of democratic government.<\/li>\r\n\t Constitutional government limits government power by authoritative fundamental laws embedded in the constitution, which is usually a written document. Constitutions define and limit official powers. No one is above the rule of law. <\/li>\r\n\t The central purpose of democracy is to protect fundamental rights that all individuals are entitled to. These rights include freedom of the press, freedom of individual expression, right to privacy, right to freedom of association in public and private life, political and religious freedom, etc. <\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Democracy in India:<\/p>\r\n\r\n India is the world’s largest democracy, with a population of over 1.37 billion in 2019, all endowed with a right to vote. On 15 August 1947 India became an independent country in which its citizens were given the right to vote and elect their leaders, irrespective of their caste, religion, gender or disability. The Constitution of India, which came into force on 26th January,1950 is the longest constitution of any independent nation and states that the country is sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic and republic. The constitution also endows citizens with 6 democratic rights:<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t Right to equality<\/li>\r\n\t Right to freedom<\/li>\r\n\t Right against exploitation<\/li>\r\n\t Right to Freedom of Religion<\/li>\r\n\t Cultural and Educational Rights<\/li>\r\n\t Right to constitutional remedies<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n \r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n - Tarini Ranadive<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Sources:<\/p>\r\n\r\n http:\/\/www.civiced.org\/pdfs\/books\/ElementsOfDemocracy\/Elements_Subsection3.pdf<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.un.org\/en\/sections\/issues-depth\/democracy\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.toppr.com\/guides\/civics\/what-is-democracy-why-democracy\/democracy\/<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":null,"suggested_slug_url":null,"content_recommendation":null},{"id":"29","articles_title":"Amazon Rainforest Fires","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/ECgLgvOXkAUYjfv.jpeg","description":" The Amazon rainforest is burning at a record rate. On Monday, Brazil’s largest state - the Amazonas - declared a state of emergency due to a rising number of fires in the region. So far this year, almost 73,000 fires have been detected by Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE), which marks an 83% increase from 2018 and the highest number on record since 2013, according to Reuters. <\/p>\r\n\r\n While the Amazon rainforest is typically wet and humid, July and August are the region’s driest months, which leads to an increase in fire activity. Typically, such activity peaks in early September and mostly stops by November, according to NASA. Many people use fire as a mechanism to clear land for farming or other purposes, and environmentalists say that humans are the root of the Amazon fires — not wind or heat.<\/p>\r\n\r\n While forests are usually meant to absorb carbon, not produce it, the fires in the Amazon have created a layer of smoke estimated to be 1.2 million square miles wide, which can be seen in NASA satellite images all the way from space. The effects of damage to the Amazon go far beyond Brazil and the neighbouring countries affected, as the “lungs of the planet” the Amazon rainforest generates more than 20% of the world’s oxygen and 10% of the world’s biodiversity.<\/p>\r\n\r\n The surge in the number of fires has coincided with the arrival of right-wing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who critics feel has emboldened farmers and ranchers use of fire to clear land to create pastures by removing penalties, therefore speeding up the rate of deforestation. Dismissing concerns about the number of fires in the Amazon, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s has said, “I used to be called Captain Chainsaw. Now I am Nero, setting the Amazon aflame.” He has justified the situation by stating that “its just the time of the year when farmers use fire to clear land.” Since taking power, Bolsonaro has mitigated what government agencies used to do to protect the rainforest, while his ministers have also made clear that their sympathies are with farmers and loggers rather than indigenous groups who live in the forest. <\/p>\r\n\r\n “On the question of burning in the Amazon, which in my opinion may have been initiated by NGOs because they lost money, what is the intention? To bring problems to Brazil,” the President told a steel industry congress in Brasilia. In addition to this, he has claimed that there aren’t enough resources to fight the fires, though the government is still investigating. Moreover, the director of the INPE- Ricardo Galvão, was fired on August 2nd after defending data that showed deforestation was 88% higher in June than it was a year ago, CNN reported.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Here is what you can do to help<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n 1) Donate to the following organisations<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t The Rainforest Action Network will protect an acre of the Amazonian rainforest. https:\/\/www.ran.org<\/li>\r\n\t \/Rainforest Trust buys land in the rainforest, and has since 1988, saved over 23 million acres. https:\/\/www.rainforesttrust.org\/<\/li>\r\n\t The World Wide Fund for Nature works to protect the species in the Amazon and around the world. They offer emergency relief where it’s needed, raise awareness, and advocate for stronger environmental protections in Brazil. https:\/\/www.wwf.org.uk\/where-we-work\/places\/amazon<\/li>\r\n\t Amazon Watch is an organization that protects the rainforests and defends indigenous people. It also partners with other environmental groups to campaign for human rights, corporate accountability, and preservation of the Amazon’s ecosystems. https:\/\/amazonwatch.org<\/li>\r\n\t Amazon Conservation Team partners with indigenous and local communities to protect tropical forests, fight climate change, and “strengthen traditional culture.” https:\/\/www.amazonteam.org\/<\/li>\r\n\t Amazon Conservation Association tells you exactly what your money is spent towards. You can help plant trees, sponsor education, protect habitats, buy a solar panel, preserve indigenous lands and more. https:\/\/www.amazonconservation.org<\/li>\r\n\t One Tree Planted works to stop deforestation around the world and in the Amazon Rainforest, it keeps you updated on the Peru Project and the impact your trees are having on the community. https:\/\/onetreeplanted.org<\/li>\r\n\t Ecosia.org is a search engine that plants a tree for every 45 searches.<\/li>\r\n\t The Rainforest Foundation US works on the ground to secure the land rights for indigenous communities. https:\/\/rainforestfoundation.org<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n 2) Sign the following petitions<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t A Brazilian lawyer in Rio Branco has accumulated over 77,000 of his 150,000 signature goal to mobilise an investigation in the Amazonian fires. Sign his Change.org petition now and help him reach his goal. http:\/\/chng.it\/jsYtnLGZjQ<\/li>\r\n\t Sign Greenpeace’s petition telling the Brazilian government to save the Amazon rainforest and protect the lands of indigenous and traditional communities.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n 3) Make the following changes<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t Reduce your own consumption of paper and wood.<\/li>\r\n\t Palm oil is in everything from bread to skincare products and is used by every major company including Colgate-Palmolive, Unilever, PepsiCo, L’Oreal, Kelloggs and more. Reducing your intake of these products can help make a small impact.<\/li>\r\n\t Double-check with the Rainforest Alliance to see whether items you’re buying are considered rainforest-safe. You can also purchase rainforest-safe products from the alliance’s site itself.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n - Tarini Ranadive<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Sources:<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/how-to\/the-amazon-rainforest-is-on-fire-what-we-know-so-far-and-how-you-can-help\/<\/li>\r\n\t https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2019\/aug\/21\/jair-bolsonaro-accuses-ngos-setting-fire-amazon-rainforest<\/li>\r\n\t https:\/\/www.businessinsider.in\/heres-what-you-can-do-to-help-the-burning-ravaged-amazon-rainforest\/articleshow\/70776706.cms<\/li>\r\n\t https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/how-to-help-the-amazon-rainforest-on-fire-in-brazil-donation-deforestation-volunteering\/ https:\/\/www.refinery29.com\/en-us\/2019\/08\/241249\/amazon-rainforest-fires-how-to-help-donate-organizations<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n Image Source:<\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":"","suggested_slug_url":"","content_recommendation":""},{"id":"30","articles_title":"Chinmayanand Accused of Rape","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/chinmayanand-759.jpg","description":"  A law student from Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh has accused former Union Minister and high ranking BJP leader Swami Chinmayanand of sexual harassment. Swami Chinmayanand was the Minister of State of Internal Affairs in the 3rd Vajpayee government; he was elected to the 13th Lok Sabha from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh in 1999 and was also elected to the 10th Lok Sabha from Badaun district, Uttar Pradesh before that in 1991. He is the Chairman of Swami Shukdevanand Post Graduate College and four other colleges in the district, which are run by his ashrams in Shahjahanpur and Haridwar. <\/p>\r\n\r\n     The accusations of sexual harassment surfaced against him on August 27th, when a video of the victim accusing him was put up on Facebook and subsequently went viral on social media. After the video was released the victim reportedly fled from UP as she was scared for her life. In the video, the victim claimed that Chinmayanand “has ruined lives of many girls” and that she had a mountain of evidence that would implicate him. She accused the Swami of luring her into staying in the hostel on the campus, where she was later recorded showering. The video was used by Chinmayanand to blackmail her, and subsequently assault her for a year. After seeing the circumstances surrounding the Unnao case, and the political power that the Swami possessed, the victim alleged that there was a threat to her and her family. The video ended with the woman pleading Prime Minister Modi and CM Yogi Adityanath to intervene. <\/p>\r\n\r\n This allegation against the Swami is not the first time he has been accused of rape, as in November 2011, a disciple of the ashram had accused him of abduction and rape. She had alleged that the sadhus of Chinmayanand’s Haridwar ashram had brainwashed her into becoming a sadhvi, after which she was asked to move to Shahjahanpur to study at SSPG and stay in the ashram there. She was quoted saying, “The Shahjahanpur ashram has only employees and a group of criminals. I was threatened, held captive and totally cut off from my family.” In 2018, the Yogi Adityanath government pressured the prosectution officer to withdraw the rape and abduction charges against Chinmayanand. The Shahjanpur administration wrote to the prosecution officer of the case, to withdraw the case against him without citing any official reasons. <\/p>\r\n\r\n The fact that the previous case was withdrawn the previous year, alongside the circumstances of the Unnao case, made the victim flee the state due to fear for her life, under CM Adityanath’s government, which had demonstrated significant bias and lack of action while dealing with crimes committed by party politicians.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Following search operations, the woman was found a week after the allegations surfaced, in Rajasthan. Subsequently, the police took her back to Shahjahanpur for questioning and interrogation. While the woman was fleeing from Uttar Pradesh, she managed to lodge a complaint at South District Delhi Police Station, saying that, “Delhi Police has registered this complaint at the Lodhi Road police station and has forwarded it to Shahjahanpur police, which is not registering the rape case.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n In order to avoid another situation like Unnao, the Supreme Court issued a directive for the formation of a Special Investigations Team (SIT) to investigate the case on September 3rd. The SIT, headed by Inspector General Naveen Arora has taken charge of the case and is looking into the details of the probe conducted by the Shahjahanpur police. The SIT interrogated the victim for 11 hours on 15th September during which time she gave the team a Pendrive containing 43 videos supporting her allegations, which were taken by her through a hidden camera in her glasses over the past year. The SIT also took the woman to Chinmayanand’s bedroom, to collect more evidence.  <\/p>\r\n\r\n The SIT went on to question Chinmayanand for around 7 hours on September 14th, after which he was brought back to his residence on the campus grounds. In response to the charges laid against him, his lead counsel Om Singh claimed the accusations were part of a conspiracy to blackmail the BJP leader. Speaking to news agency IANS, the lawyer claimed that Chinmayanand was being blackmailed and had been asked to pay Rs 5 crores. The lawyer said he believed the girl's video and the blackmail attempt were probably linked. <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n On September 20th a month after investigating the case, the SIT arrested Chinmayanand and sent him to jail on charges of “sexual intercourse not amounting to the offense of rape”. The law student who accused Chinmayanand, was also arrested the very next day by the SIT and charged with extortion. SIT chief Naveen Arora said that 3 of her friends were involved in helping her extort the Swami, and while there was proof against her friends, there was none against her. She was released on bail on September 23rd, but after further questioning by the SIT and discovery of new forensic evidence linking her to the extortion case, she was arrested again on September 25th and sent to 14-day judicial custody. <\/p>\r\n\r\n BJP has released an official statement claiming that Chinmayanand is no longer a member of the party and the Akhara Parishad is taking up his expulsion from their spiritual body as well. Chinmayanand has been kept in Lucknow hospital after he was diagnosed with diabetes and severe urinary problems. <\/p>\r\n\r\n While the BJP has been distancing themselves from Swami Chinmayanand, senior leaders of the Congress party organized a march from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow called the “Nyaya Yatra”, protesting against the injustice against the law student and demanding her release. Former Union Minister Jitin Prasada and district Congress leader Kaushal Mishra were placed under house arrest in order to prevent them from joining the protests, while Ajay Kumar Lallu and Dheeraj Gurjar were arrested and kept at Police Lines. Even the Samajwadi Party criticized the BJP for helping Swami Chinmayanand in every way possible.  <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n - Khrish Shahani<\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":"","suggested_slug_url":"","content_recommendation":"   <\/p>\r\n"},{"id":"31","articles_title":"Unnao Rape Case","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/86614-igycrzwljt-1564378831.jpg","description":" The infamous Unnao rape case refers to the brutal gangrape of a 17-year-old girl by Kuldeep Singh Senger, an ex BJP leader, and four-time MLA from Bangermau in the Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh. His brother Atul Singh, relative Shashi Singh, 3 policemen and 4 other men including an Awdesh Tiwari and Brajesh Yadav, were also charged for the heinous crime that was committed on 4th June, 2017. <\/p>\r\n\r\n     The horrific incident took place when Shashi Singh, a distant relative of the family lured the girl away to Kanpur on the pretext of a job. Shashi’s son, Shubham eloped with her and that is when the trouble began as Kuldeep asked them to get married but Shubham’s father disagreed. She was then taken to Kuldeep’s house, where the girl was allegedly gang-raped by Shashi Singh, Atul Singh and associates. <\/p>\r\n\r\n     While an FIR was filed after the attack, no action was taken against Kuldeep Singh, who was allowed to intimidate the victim's family and even filed false complaints against the victim's uncle. The victim penned an open letter to CM Yogi Adityanaths highlighting her duress, but it failed to provoke any action against Kuldeep.  <\/p>\r\n\r\n     On 3rd April, 2018, Atul Singh and his accomplices beat up the victim’s father mercilessly. Instead of arresting Atul Singh and the accomplices, the police arrested the victim's father on charges of possessing an unlicensed firearm. The victim and her family feared that he was being tortured in custody and on April 8th, desperate for action from the authorities, the victim tried to immolate herself outside CM Yogi Adityanath's house in Lucknow. The very next day, the father died in custody and his postmortem report listed internal bleeding, bruises and severe injuries that he had suffered while being held.<\/p>\r\n\r\n     These incidents gave the case national media coverage, and protests and candlelight marches took place in almost every major city. Yogi Adityanath’s government was finally forced to act, and the CM set up a special investigation team to look into the rape and the father's death. The case was later handed over to the CBI as it became a matter of national outrage, and on 13th April, 2018, nearly one whole year after the gangrape, Kuldeep, Atul, and their accomplices were arrested and charged. <\/p>\r\n\r\n     Even after his arrest, Kuldeep Singh constantly made threats to the victim’s family members. The victim's uncle was suddenly convicted for an attempt to murder case that was charged against him 19 years ago and was sentenced to 10 years in jail. Mohammad Younus, one of the key witnesses in the case of assault on her father, also died under strange circumstances on August 21st, with even autopsy reports being unable to find the exact cause of death. <\/p>\r\n\r\n     On 28th July, 2019, the victim, two of her aunts and her lawyer were traveling to meet her uncle in jail, when a truck with a greased out number plate rammed into their car. Both her aunts were killed instantly, while she and her lawyer survived despite being critical. 3 security personnel who were assigned to the victim were suspiciously not present with her during the time of the accident, and were subsequently suspended. The girl's uncle filed a case against Kuldeep for the accident, as Kuldeep had earlier called and threatened to kill them if they did not retract the case. The accident rocked the Parliament, with both the opposition and the National Commission for Women demanding action against the accused. <\/p>\r\n\r\n     The Supreme Court transferred 4 cases relating to the matter from Lucknow High Court to Delhi High Court, appointed Special Judge Dharmesh Sharma to preside over the hearings, and ordered the state government to pay the victim Rs. 25 lakhs as interim compensation. The victim and the lawyer were both airlifted from Lucknow to AIIMS in Delhi for their treatment and safety, and while the lawyer is still critical, the victim has been shifted to a normal ward and is able to speak again.  <\/p>\r\n\r\n     The trial which is currently going on has been taken up on a day to day basis. The CBI submitted before the Delhi High Court that the girl had indeed been assaulted by Kuldeep Singh and his associates when she was a minor. The court granted a special request for holding “in camera” proceedings at AIIMS in New Delhi on 11th September so that the court can hear the victim's statement. <\/p>\r\n\r\n     On Friday, the victim completed recording her testimony at the temporary court set up at the AIIMS hospital. She was deposed before district judge Dharmesh Sharma, and Kuldeep Singh Sengar and co accused Shashi Singh were also brought to the temporary court for the statement. The victim was brought to the hearing in a wheelchair and recorded a painful statement, following which she was cross examined by the accused and co accused's lawyers. Another lawyer who was present at the proceedings said, “the victim was in a lot of pain during the proceedings but she managed to complete her testimony”. This week the temporary court is scheduled to hear arguments pertaining to the custodial death of her father and the Arms Act case he was charged with.<\/p>\r\n\r\n     The Unnao rape case is unique as it highlights the blatant and astonishing disregard for law and authority; this sort of abuse of power has undermined the position of women in our society. While the circumstances of this particular case are extremely peculiar, cases of brutality against women in India is not uncommon. We hope that talking about these issues publicly will help improve the situation and bring justice to the victims of these heinous atrocities. <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n - Khrish Shahani<\/p>\r\n\r\n SOURCES <\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.ndtv.com\/india-news\/temporary-court-to-be-set-up-at-delhi-aiims-for-unnao-case-says-court-2097342<\/a> <\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/india\/story\/delhi-court-charges-accused-murder-unnao-rape-survivor-father-1597397-2019-09-10<\/a> <\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/india\/unnao-survivor-now-doing-well-but-her-lawyer-still-critical-say-doctors\/articleshow\/71030379.cms<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/india\/story\/unnao-case-sc-asks-delhi-hc-to-expeditiously-decide-on-special-judge-s-request-1596435-2019-09-06<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/india\/story\/unnao-rape-survivor-accident-out-of-danger-shifted-ward-aiims-1594016-2019-09-01<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/india-news\/unnao-rape-survivor-s-case-in-sc-what-she-s-been-through-since-june-2017\/story-oBtXooGF7I6HA1LoLuJLhP.html<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/www.firstpost.com\/india\/unnao-rape-case-delhi-court-records-statement-of-survivors-uncle-deposition-to-continue-on-2-september-7243941.html<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n https:\/\/frontline.thehindu.com\/the-nation\/article29132282.ece<\/a><\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":"","suggested_slug_url":"","content_recommendation":""},{"id":"32","articles_title":"The Loka - Cdr Rajeshwari Kori","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/Indian-navy-logo-PNG.png","description":" My late father was a Naval Police Officer. He was my inspiration.<\/p>\r\n\r\n A chance meeting with the Late Vice Admiral Manohar Awati, PVSM, Vr C while he was addressing students about what life was like in the armed forces in peace and war, fired my ambition and forged my choice of career. What was good for my father was good for me too. <\/p>\r\n\r\n Sex is a biological construction, whereas gender is a social construction. If you cover the sex of the child, you will see the child reflects all the feelings, expressions of a human being irrespective of gender. So a woman can perform all those duties which a man can perform, provided the opportunity and gender-sensitized authorities. I always wanted to do something different, something out of the ordinary, and something challenging in a male-dominated bastion. And so I cleared my Services Selection Board in January 1995, got commissioned in August 1995, and reported to my first appointment in July 1996, after a year’s training.<\/p>\r\n\r\n There were many instances of hardships. But the first instance was not being saluted initially. I worked out, that to command the respect of men of war, I needed to be competent. Competency gave me confidence, Confidence gave me knowledge, and knowledge gave me aspirations to think out of the box. <\/p>\r\n\r\n All my appointments have been special, but my fleet tanker appointment, which was a field posting and a novelty in those days, got me into the annals Indian Naval history and was the most fulfilling moment in my career. My job entailed ration allotment, management of pay, allowances, material, and the unit’s inventory, as well as providing administrative and infrastructural support for running the unit. I liked my job. <\/p>\r\n\r\n Now, as Deputy Controller of Civil Defence, a typical day in my life begins early in the morning, at around 4:30 am. I go for 20-25 km cycling or 6 km brisk walk, which is a must come rain or sunshine. I then prepare and coordinate family needs, go to the office, plan meetings, coordinate with various Disaster Management agencies, and conduct workshops on awareness programs from gram panchayat levels to district level offices and industries. <\/p>\r\n\r\n I endorse the views of Vijeta, the wife of Late IAF Pilot Ninad Mandavagane, who said “If you really want to do something, join the defense forces… If that’s not possible, keep your surroundings clean, don’t litter, don’t urinate in the open, and do not harass women. Stop spreading communal hatred. Small things go a long way.” <\/p>\r\n\r\n Through my current job as Deputy Controller of Civil Defence, I try to bring about such change. I am associated with NGO’s such as Stree Mukti Sanghthana run by Mrs. Jyoti Mhapsekar, supported by Padmashri Dr. SP Kale and Cdr Angsuman Ojha, a veteran who runs causes for disabled soldiers and rank veterans. I also support the Save the Sea campaign, run by Dr. Jyoti MJ Singh of the JyotiCare Foundation. <\/p>\r\n\r\n In my interaction with college, NSS Students, they ask me “Kitna milega?” meaning payment. I simply say, “Defence forces are a way of life.” And the life is tough but very fulfilling. One is responsible for the lives of so many men of war, it automatically takes you to another level of responsibility.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Cdr Rajeshwari Kori (Indian Navy Retired) \r\nDeputy Controller of Civil Defence<\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"1","focus_keyword":"Rajeshwari Kori, Indian Navy","suggested_slug_url":"lokatantra.in\/theloka\/rajeshwarikori","content_recommendation":""},{"id":"33","articles_title":"The Loka - Vidhi Bubna (Youth Ambassador for India - Bhutan relations)","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/IMG-0762.jpg","description":" The next in our 'The Loka' series is Vidhi Bubna, the Youth Ambassador for India - Bhutan relations. She’s also a journalist who covers India - China relations and geopolitical issues worldwide. She’s a contributor to several international publications.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n How would you describe your job?<\/p>\r\n\r\n As the Youth Ambassador of India and Bhutan, I work towards fostering youth relations between the two countries. I have created a magazine called "Explore Culture" which aims to get the youth more involved in diplomatic relations of the country with other nations. The magazine's current specific focus is on India and Bhutan relations. I believe that increasing youth participation in democracy and diplomacy increases their awareness about the nation and turns them into more responsible citizens and voters.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n When and how did you start your career?<\/p>\r\n\r\n I applied for the India Bhutan Ambassador program which is launched by Center for Escalation of Peace and Royal Institute for Governance and Strategic Studies. After I was selected for the program in Delhi, on the first day itself, we had an interaction with the Ambassador of Bhutan to India, V Namgyel. I was intrigued when I spoke to him because he was very humble. As someone who had never had any exposure to a career in foreign services before, I decided that it was my calling. Since then I have been involved in a variety of projects which are related to foreign services and relations in India.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Why did you decide to work in this area?<\/p>\r\n\r\n Coming from an Economics background, I often felt lost when I had to go vote because I was not politically aware. I barely knew anything about issues in India and the world. I realized that political knowledge is largely lacking in the youth in India, and I decided to create a platform that would initiate conversations on politics, business, economy, and culture in the nation at large. Moreover, I wanted to contribute to building India's international relations with its neighbors. I have always been a civil services aspirant and I hope to contribute to the sector sometime in the future.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Can you identify a fulfilling moment in your career?<\/p>\r\n\r\n The most fulfilling moment I had as the Founder of "Explore Culture" magazine was when I emailed the Ambassadors of Bhutan and India, Mrs. Ruchira Kamboj, and Mr. V Namgyel, to write a foreword for the magazine and they were delighted to do the same. I am really grateful to the Ambassadors for their encouragement to youth initiatives like the magazine. I felt delighted when the magazine's first edition was launched on Republic Day of India, 26th January 2020 and it received an amazing response from foreign ministry officials and the youth alike.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Can you identify the hardest moment in your career?<\/p>\r\n\r\n Being just 21, I have faced various challenges that have arisen during my career until now. I am certain there will be bigger challenges in the future. I would like to quote an IAS officer I appreciate immensely here, "It is not us who face the challenges, it is the challenges that face us". This makes me, even more, intrigued to keep going on in life and see what life has in store for me. I strongly believe that if one has the correct mindset, the word “hard” is just something one has to overcome mentally. Creative policy-making is shaping the India of today, during these unprecedented times, and I'm certain India will come out stronger.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n What are some of the goals that you would say you are working towards right now?<\/p>\r\n\r\n I want to not only improve India's relations with Bhutan but also with other neighboring countries like China. I exclusively cover India - China relations and recent developments on the border for defense-related publications in India. I am intrigued to learn more about geopolitics which plays an important role between India and its neighbors. I am working towards expanding "Explore Culture" magazine's initiative to involve youth from other neighboring countries of India and increasing collaboration between them. It is my long-term goal to contribute to India's foreign services with respect to India's neighboring countries specifically. I am also working closely with IAS officers in India to compile their biographies and publish a book.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n What are some of your dreams for our country? What do you think you do to work towards them?<\/p>\r\n\r\n I want India to rise as a diplomatic leader in Asia and lead conversations on equality, trade, and collaboration between other Asian countries. International relations are an important facet for India which has gained respect over the years because of inclusive policies like secularism and diversity. I want to lead conversations of India on topics of interest with its neighboring countries in the future. My experience as India - Bhutan Youth Ambassador has been enriching and I have learned more about the youth's opinion during my work as Editor in Chief of "Explore Culture". I want to see the youth growing into more responsible citizens who are capable of understanding politics and taking up leadership roles in the future. I am keen to contribute to giving the youth a platform to voice their opinions and "Explore Culture" is a magazine that aims to do that. I also am aware of political issues in the country and I stay up to date with current affairs from various news channels. I strongly believe that reading and understanding news is the first step towards becoming a more politically aware citizen. Being a contributor for various publications worldwide, I like to write about global issues and shape their solutions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n What would you say is your most significant contribution to the smooth running of our democracy?<\/p>\r\n\r\n I have contributed towards the smooth running of democracy in India by creating a more "woke" youth which is aware of its own culture, politics, business, economics, and issues, as well as aware of a strategic neighbor and their culture. This creates more empathy in the youth towards citizens of other countries and changes their approach from seeing people from other nations as "us vs. them" to "all of us". Hence, there is more unity among the youth, and they can work on future collaborations with more ease.<\/p>\r\n\r\n A democracy is said to be smooth running when the voters are more aware of who they cast their vote for. As someone who is increasing awareness among the youth to ensure that they make a responsible choice while voting, I feel like I am contributing to the democracy of India.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Anything else you’d like to share?<\/p>\r\n\r\n I want the youth to believe that nothing in this world is impossible. You have the power to do everything in life which you want if you are willing to struggle for it. I strongly believe that the youth has the power to shape the country and decision making more than it realizes.<\/p>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":"","suggested_slug_url":"","content_recommendation":""},{"id":"36","articles_title":"The Loka - Kanksshi Agarwal (Founder of the NETRI Foundation)","articles_images":"uploads\/articles_images\/WhatsApp_Image_2021-03-10_at_1.27_.57_PM_.jpeg","description":" The next in our 'The Loka' series is a passionate trailblazer and personal inspiration, the phenomenally qualified Kanksshi Agarwal- Founder of the NETRI Foundation (India's first incubator for women in politics), and Consultant on Curriculum Design and Research at the Centre for Policy Research. Prior to this, she worked as a Research Associate in the office of chairman of AICC Research Department after completing her term as a Legislative Assistant to a Member of Parliament (LAMP Fellow) Prof. Rajeev Gowda. She has been awarded multiple fellowships including the Citizen for Public Leadership Fellow 2019, Shenomics- Lead Like a Girl Fellow 2019, European Forum Alpbach Scholar 2020, WEDU Rising Star 2021, and the She Creates Change Fellow 2021. She is an engineer, and a gold medalist with an MSc in Urban Policy and Governance from TISS.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n How would you describe your job?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n NETRI Foundation is India’s first incubator for women in politics. We bridge 4 opportunity gaps that we identified while working in 4 districts of UP & MP where we oriented 250 women on the ground towards politics. These 4 gaps are 1) the knowledge gap 2) the resource gap 3) the motivation gap and 4) the behavioral gap. We provide training, capacity building, mentorship, and community to women who aspire to join politics in order to bridge these gaps.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n When and how did you start your career?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n I did not wait to be an adult to start my career. I remember being involved in small fundraisers during school itself and that taught me the importance of resources to build a value-chain around causes. As an adult, my first interaction with movements began in 2011, and I have not looked back since. In 2013, I co-founded AIESEC in Bhopal, went on to serve as the first President of the entity, and nurtured the organization for 3 years.<\/p>\r\n\r\n My lasting belief that any skill can be taught, came from my personal transformation from being a shy kid in class from a family where English was not the first language, to then picking it up well and getting into oration from a young age. This fascination with language- English, and Hindi, was a product of the environment nurtured by my grandparents, parents, and teachers. This belief that any skill can be taught, also aligned well with AISEC’s vision that leaders can be made.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Another factor that shaped my perspective was my experience and observance of gender. I was surrounded by working women in my family, and for me, that was the norm. Soon, however, I was met with criticism for being the daughter of a “working mother” when I went to a friend’s house. That was the first time, I realized that not all mothers go out of their homes to work, though they are still working women without the recognition. This helped me reflect harder and hold deep gratitude towards the 3 generations of women in my family who had parented me in feminist ways.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n How would you describe a typical day in your life?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n A typical day in my life involves answering mails for partnerships, designing modules, and outreach plans, reviewing the organization’s strategy documents, and planning ways to raise resources. I work on building content, curriculum, and engagement in speaking events for the cause of women in politics. I sit most nights to reflect on strategies and learnings.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n What are some of the goals that you would say you are working towards right now?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n Our goal is to increase women’s representation proportionately, adequately, and effectively across all levels of political leadership. At present, we are working to train and engage 5000 women in 5 years to enter politics as leaders in assemblies, urban local bodies, panchayats, and political aides. We are forming a community of women in politics. We don’t have 100 years to achieve this; we want to do it now.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Can you identify the hardest moment in your career?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n The hardest moment in my career is always the present. That essentially means that in the last 8 years, every new day is packed with new learnings and challenges and I hardly ever get to rest on my laurels. I believe in the work we do, and I know the hardest days are yet to come because we are challenging the entire power ecosystem by pushing for it to shift into the hands of intersectional women. We are on the path to upset a lot of those who wield that power with an intention to centralize it, as we work towards decentralizing power into the hands of the people - especially women - from the cross-section of society.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n What are some of your dreams for our country? What do you think you do to work towards them?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n I want our democracy to be truly representative of its people- not the democracy we have, which is just 50% representative because half the population (ie. women) are wholly under-represented, but the democracy we need, which is 100% representative. Our decision-making bodies should be run by people who can empathize and relate to the struggles, concerns, and aspirations of Indians. I believe that has not been achieved since our independence.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n Who has been the most influential person in your life?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n 3 generations of women in my family, especially my mother, have had the greatest influence on me. The works of feminists like Kamala Bhasin, Audre Lorde, Savitribai Phule, and Babasaheb have also inspired me greatly. I am a feminist not because I read literature, but because I have no other choice but to be a living, breathing, thriving, impactful feminist.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n What do you think is the most gratifying and most annoying part of your job?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n Seeing women choose politics after our program is the most gratifying. The most annoying is delays in processes, from which I am learning to be patient.<\/p>\r\n\r\n  <\/p>\r\n\r\n What is something that you think someone who wants to work in your field should know?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n Someone entering this field should know 3 things-<\/p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\t It is not easy and you need to be sure about exactly why you should do it before you start doing it.<\/li>\r\n\t Embrace sisterhood; it is the only way we are going to go far and break free of these shackles.<\/li>\r\n\t Politics is the biggest and most effective tool of social change. If you are in the development sector trying to bring about change, as a woman you should choose politics to exacerbate the impact. Why? Because if not you, who? When? I leave it up to you. And how? NETRI and I are here to help you with that.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n","articles_status":"0","focus_keyword":"Women in Politics","suggested_slug_url":"NETRI-Foundation","content_recommendation":""}]