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xtruss · 5 years ago

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ARGUMENT

India’s Muslims Are Terrified of Being Deported

Many Indians lack the documents needed to prove citizenship—and Muslims are in the firing line.

— BY Puja Changoiwala | Foreign Policy | February 21, 2020

demonstrator holds a placard during a protest organized by various Muslim organizations and opposition parties against India's new citizenship law in Chennai on Feb. 19.

Firoza Bano, 50, sat worried in her home in the northern Indian city of Jaipur. Born in the north Indian state of Rajasthan in 1970, she has barely traveled outside the state—but now she faces the possibility of being kicked out of her home country. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed all-India National Register of Citizens (NRC) will require Bano to prove she’s Indian. If she’s unable to produce the requisite documents, she might lose her citizenship and be declared an infiltrator. At best, she might spend months in one of the detention centers being built across the country to house the newly created refugees—at worst, she could be deported to a country she’s never known or be left stateless.

“My mother gave birth to me at home. My birth was never registered, so how do I produce a certificate?” Bano said. “Nor do I have land ownership or tenancy records dating back five decades. Although we’re law-abiding citizens, having lived peacefully in India all our lives, we might be thrown out of the country.”

Last December, India passed the CAA, which provides a route to citizenship to members of six religious minority communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan—but not for Muslims. Coupled with the NRC, a supposedly definitive list of Indian citizens, the provision is facing criticism for being anti-Muslim and unconstitutional. A similar list in Assam has already been used to single out Indian-born Muslims for potential deportation. And while members of other faiths now have the shield of the CAA as a route back into Indian citizenship if they’re branded as illegal by the NRC process, Muslims have no such respite.

That’s a big problem. Even today, 38 percent of Indian children under the age of 5 do not have birth certificates.Even today, 38 percent of Indian children under the age of 5 do not have birth certificates. Other documents can substitute, but they’re also often lacking—especially for older people. The reasons for this are varied—lack of awareness, inaccessible registration centers, and no immediate requirement for these certificates to access social services. Government data shows that 6.8 million births were not registered in India in 2015-2016, and the situation is worse for older residents, who were born when home births were more prevalent in the country.

There’s a gulf between government rhetoric on the NRC and what critics believe—but the record of an increasingly hard-right Hindu nationalist government under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) makes the government’s word seem dubious at best. There has been a systematic scapegoating of Muslims under BJP rule. Human Rights Watch published a report in 2019, observing that the party uses “communal rhetoric” to spur “a violent vigilante campaign,” whereby radical cow protection groups lynched 44 people to death, 36 of them Muslims, between May 2015 and December 2018. Prior to its landslide win in the 2019 elections, the BJP also used religious polarization as a campaigning tool, making promises such as the expedited construction of a temple in place of a demolished mosque in Ayodhya.

After the CAA bill was signed into law, widespread protests erupted across the country, killing 25 people so far and leaving thousands in police detention. The government has downplayed the NRC, stating that it has no plans of conducting the NRC exercise across the country on religious lines.

That comes despite regular rhetoric from the BJP on supposed infiltrators from Muslim countries. In the state of West Bengal, for instance, BJP chief Dilip Ghosh recently stated that the center was committed to “throwing out” 10 million Bangladeshi Muslim “infiltrators” from the state and that those opposing the move were “anti-Hindu, anti-Bengali and anti-India.”

Addressing a huge election rally in New Delhi on Dec. 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the CAA/NRC had nothing to do with Indian Muslims and that “no Indian Muslims will be sent to any detention centers.” The speech was accused of being a “combination of falsehoods and half-truths.” Critics have called the CAA/NRC the “greatest act of social poisoning by a government in independent India,” aimed at making the country a Hindu state and turning a large number of Muslims into stateless subjects.

Zakia Soman, a co-founder of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), a nationwide rights organization for Muslims, said the “diabolical” developments have led to great apprehension in the Muslim community, which makes up 14.2 percent of the Indian population. Many Muslims have approached BMMA to understand and prepare for the repercussions. The organization has launched posters raising awareness and community meetings in 15 states across the country.

“Since CAA is so discriminatory, it has given way to fear that even if people have their documents in place, they will be left out of NRC. Ordinary people think, and not without substance, that this is an attempt to rob them of their citizenship,” Soman said.

Rais Shaikh, a member of the legislative assembly in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, said the CAA-NRC combination has created panic across the community. “I have had 75-year-old men and women approaching me, asking for help with documents,” he said. “At least 500 people visit my office every day, expressing similar concerns. Most of them are now running around to ready their documents, approaching lawyers and agents. They’re scared of being stripped of their citizenship.”

The northeastern state of Assam is the only Indian state to have an NRC, first prepared in 1951 and updated in 2019. Assam’s 33 million residents had to substantiate their citizenship through documents, proving that they came to India before neighboring Bangladesh became an independent country in 1971. The final list, published in August 2019, left 1.9 million applications out. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom subsequently alleged that the Assam NRC was a tool to “target religious minorities and … to render Muslims stateless.” The detention centers have already been constructed there.

“Even Today, 38 Percent of Indian Childern Under the Age of Five Do Not Have Birth Certificate!”

With Assam as the precedent, the Muslim community fears persecution. Maulana Khalid Rasheed, the head of the Islamic Centre of India in the northern Indian city of Lucknow, started a helpline two weeks ago to quell fears and create awareness among the community. He receives at least 150 calls daily from Muslims worried about their expulsion from the country due to an absence of documents and legacy data.

“Through the helpline, we inform them about the documents they will need to prove their citizenship. During the Assam NRC, many were excluded owing to deficiencies in documents like spelling errors. We tell them to ensure their papers are free of similar mistakes,” Rasheed said. “Everyone is scared, especially the poor.”

Nishat Hussain, the founder of the National Muslim Women Welfare Society in Jaipur, said many Muslims are apprehensive of the future and have joined protest marches to oppose the controversial CAA/NRC. She said many Muslims do have the basic, essential documents, such as passports and Aadhar cards, which have unique 12-digit identification numbers for Indian citizens. However, these might not be enough.

“In Assam, many were left out of the NRC despite having these documents,” Hussain said. “They want decades-old documents, which are impossible to find.”

To help Muslims, the Karnataka State Board of Auqaf, a statutory body in southwestern India, has recently issued a circular to mosques, citing a need to prepare family profiles of all Muslims residing in their jurisdiction. It also calls on mosques to maintain registers with important documents of all Muslims, including birth and education certificates, voter ID cards, and ration cards, among others.

The circular notes: “Controversies are reported regarding the inclusion and exclusion of names in the NRC. Recent survey conducted by various NGOs reveal that larger section of citizens of the minority community are deprived of the right to vote due to non-enrolment/updation in electoral rolls of various constituencies. Substantial number of citizens do not have the basic documents to prove their domicile in the locality.”

A.B. Ibrahim, the then-administrator of the board, said it is necessary for mosques to maintain a register of documents as the data of citizens in government offices can be misplaced or destroyed due to natural calamities and unforeseen incidents. “Many lost their documents during the Karnataka floods in August 2019,” he said.

For the Muslim citizens on the front line of the issue, however, no preparation seems enough. Naseem Qureshi, a 24-year-old woman from Rajasthan, said she’s afraid she’ll lose her loved ones to the CAA/NRC exercise. “My parents tell me that we have our papers in place, but many of my close friends and relatives don’t. What if they throw them out of the country?” Qureshi said. “They’re looking to split families.”

Puja Changoiwala is an award-winning Indian journalist and author. She writes about the intersections of gender, crime, social justice, development, and human rights in India. Twitter: @cpuja

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iasshikshalove · 5 years ago

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Daily Current Affairs 24th March 2020

Today’s Important Topic’s For UPSC Preparation

1. ‘CURFEW-LIKE’ RESTRICTIONS ENFORCED ACROSS STATE.

2. LOK SABHA PASSES FINANCE BILL WITHOUT DEBATE.

3. HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE IS RECOMMENDED FOR VERY SPECIAL CASES.

4. CENTRE AMENDS LAW TO ENABLE EXCISE DUTY INCREASE ON FUEL.

5. RBI ADVANCES SECOND TRANCHE OF OMO.

‘CURFEW-LIKE’ RESTRICTIONS ENFORCED ACROSS STATE

Scaling up the precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Karnataka government on Monday enforced “curfew-like” restrictions across the State from Tuesday and will be in force till March 31.

All public and private transport including Uber, Ola and autos will be off the road, while only essential services will be available across the State.

The government, which had initially announced restrictions only in nine districts that had reported COVID-19 cases, later revised the order to cover the entire State.

The government has enforced this under Epidemic Disease Act, 1981, making more stringent the guidelines put in place earlier.

Only services and activities related to health, medicine, agriculture, and grocery would be allowed to operate in these districts.

Similarly, industries would be asked to ensure that only 50% of their workforce were deployed for work.

Government and private offices would be classified as “essential” and “non-essential” services depending upon the nature of operation and only those in the essential sector would be allowed to operate.

Tests:

The government had decided to strictly quarantine and test all those who had come in contact with the COVID-19 patients.

It had been decided to test at least 200 people for a population of 10 lakh.

To facilitate this, licences would be granted to more number of government and private labs, he said. While a testing lab was already set up in Kalaburagi, a similar facility was about to commence in Ballari, Belagavi, Mangaluru, and Hubballi and at NIMHANS in Bengaluru.

The government would obtain the services of police in keeping a vigil on the C-category international travellers who have been home quarantined.

The family members of such persons would also be quarantined and the police would be instructed to paste notices on their houses and also inform locals about it.

A vigilance team comprising senior IAS officers had been formed to monitor the situation.

Special hospitals will be identified for handling the COVID-19 cases while more “fever clinics” would be set up for conducting tests.

Free food at Indira Canteens:

With the poor and the daily wage workers being worst hit by the lockdown and the resultant job losses, the State government on Monday announced that free food would be served at Indira canteens all through the day.

No public festivities:

This Ugadi on Wednesday will be without the usual fanfare with a ban on public celebration or religious rituals to stem the spread of COVID-19.

LOK SABHA PASSES FINANCE BILL WITHOUT DEBATEFinance Bill:

A Finance Bill is a Bill that, as the name suggests, concerns the country’s finances — it could be about taxes, government expenditures, government borrowings, revenues, etc. Since the Union Budget deals with these things, it is passed as a Finance Bill.

Rule 219 of the Rules of Procedure of Lok Sabhastates: ‘Finance Bill’ means the Bill ordinarily introduced in each year to give effect to the financial proposals of the Government of India for the following financial year and includes a Bill to give effect to supplementary financial proposals for any period.

It is introduced in Lok Sabha after the presentation of the annual Budget is passed by the House. It is also certified as a Money Bill.

The Constitution defines financial legislation into two categories: Money Bills and Financial Bills.

Money Bills–Article 110

Financial Bills (I)– Article 117 (1)

Financial Bills (II)– Article 117 (3)

All Money bills are Financial bills but all Financial bills are not Money bills.

Difference between a Money Bill and the Finance Bill:

A Money Bill has to be introduced in the Lok Sabha as per Section 110 of the Constitution.

Then, it is transmitted to the Rajya Sabha for its recommendations.

The Rajya Sabha has to return the Bill with recommendations in 14 days.

However, the Lok Sabha can reject all or some of the recommendations.

In the case of a Finance Bill, Article 117 of the Constitution categorically lays down that a Bill pertaining to sub-clauses (a) to (f) of clause (1) shall not be introduced or moved except with the President’s recommendation.

Also, a Bill that makes such provisions shall not be introduced in the Rajya Sabha.

Who decides the Bill is a Finance Bill?

The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is authorised to decide whether the Bill is a Money Bill or not.

Also, the Speaker’s decision shall be deemed to be final.

Why finance bill is needed?

The Union Budget proposes many tax changes for the upcoming financial year, even if not all of those proposed changes find a mention in the Finance Minister’s Budget speech.

These proposed changes pertain to several existing laws dealing with various taxes in the country.

The Finance Bill seeks to insert amendments into all those laws concerned, without having to bring out a separate amendment law for each of those Acts.

For instance, a Union Budget’s proposed tax changes may require amending the various sections of the Income Tax law, Stamp Act, Money Laundering law, etc.

The Finance Bill overrides and makes changes in the existing laws wherever required.

What changes can be made via Finance Bill?

The most awaited changes in the tax proposals in the Union Budget usually pertain to personal income tax.

In addition, there might be changes in the rules, procedures, deadlines for filing tax returns or the payment of tax itself.

Since the introduction of GST, there is no amendment to indirect taxes in the Union Budget, since that is under the purview of the GST Council.

What are the different types of Bills?

There are four types of Bills, namely

(i) Constitution Amendment Bills;

(ii) Money Bills;

(iii) Financial Bills; and

(iv) Ordinary Bills.

Constitution Amendment Bills:

These are Bills which seek to amend the Constitution.

A Constitution Amendment Bill must be passed by both Houses of Parliament.

It would require a simple majority of the total membership of that House, and a two thirds majority of all members present and voting.

Further, if the Bill relates to matters like the election of the President and Governor, executive and legislative powers of the centre and states, the judiciary, etc., it must be ratified by at least half of the state legislatures.

Article 368:

Article 368 of Part XX deals with the power of Parliament to amend the Constitution and the procedure thereof. It keeps a check on the arbitrary power of the Parliament of India.

Money Bills:

A Bill is said to be a Money Bill if it onlycontains provisions related to taxation, borrowing of money by the government, expenditure from or receipt to the Consolidated Fund of India.

A Money Bill may only be introduced in Lok Sabha, on the recommendation of the President.

It must be passed in Lok Sabha by a simple majority of all members present and voting.

Following this, it may be sent to the Rajya Sabha for its recommendations, which Lok Sabha may reject if it chooses to.

If such recommendations are not given within 14 days, it will deemed to be passed by Parliament.

Financial Bills:

A Financial Bill may only be introduced in Lok Sabha, on the recommendation of the President.

The Bill must be passed by both Houses of Parliament, after the President has recommended that it be taken up for consideration in each House.

Ordinary Bills:

All other Bills are called ordinary bills.

An Ordinary Bill may be introduced in either House of Parliament.

It must be passed by both Houses by a simple majority of all members present and voting.

Why in News?

The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Monday after the passage of the Finance Bill, 2020 without any debate due to the situation arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The House was scheduled to adjourn on April 3.

Adjournment:

Adjournment terminates the sitting of the House which meets again at the time appointed for the next sitting.

The postponement may be for a specified time such as hours, days or weeks.

If the meeting is terminated without any definite time/ date fixed for next meeting, it is called Adjournment sine die.

Adjournment sine die:

Adjournment sine die means “without assigning a day for a further meeting or hearing“.

To adjourn an assembly sine die is to adjourn it for an indefinite period.

HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE IS RECOMMENDED FOR VERY SPECIAL CASESHydroxychloroquine:

Hydroxychloroquine is in a class of drugs called antimalarials.

It is used to prevent and treat acute attacks of malaria.

It is also used to treat discoid or systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis in patients whose symptoms have not improved with other treatments.

Chloroquine:

Chloroquine is used to treat malaria, as well as in chemoprophylaxis, which is the administering of drugs to prevent the development of disease.

Since 2006, it has not been recommended for use in severe malaria because of problems with resistance, particularly in the Oceania region, according to the World Health Organization.

WHO includes it on its list of “essential medicines,” meaning it should be kept affordable and accessible at all times.

According to the Swiss-registered organization, Medicines for Malaria Venture, chloroquine is a derivative of quinine, which French chemists in 1820 isolated from the bark of the cinchona tree found in South America, employing it as a treatment for fevers.

Hydroxychloroquine is what’s known as an analog of chloroquine, meaning the two have similar structures but different chemical and biological properties.

The formeris considered the less toxic derivative, according to studies.

Why in News?

US President Donald Trump had said a hydroxychloroquine-azithromycin combination could be a “game changer” in the fight against COVID-19.

The Lancet Global Health explored its therapeutic and prophylactic properties.

“Notably, the drug shows antiviral activity in vitro against coronaviruses, and specifically, SARS-CoV-2 [the virus that causes COVID-2].

Pharmacological modelling based on observed drug concentrations and in vitro drug testing suggest that prophylaxis with hydroxychloroquine at approved doses could prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and ameliorate viral shedding.”

It also mentioned clinical trials currently under way in China on whether the drug can be used for treatment.

Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have in vitro activity against SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and other coronaviruses, with hydroxychloroquine having higher potency against SARS-CoV-2.

What has India recommended?

The National Taskforce for COVID-19 has recommended hydroxychloroquine for prophylaxis in case of asymptomatic healthcare workers involved in the care of suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 and asymptomatic household contacts of laboratory confirmed cases.

CENTRE AMMENDS LAW TO ENABLE EXCISE DUTY INCREASE ON FUELWhat is Excise Duty:

Excise duty is basically a production tax.

Tax on the production stage for most of the commodities is made by the centre in the form of union excise duties (UED).

It is imposed on manufactured items in India that are meant for domestic consumption.

The UED is not payable on the goods exported from India.

Manufacturers have to pay excise duties to the centre and tax is imposed and collected on a value addition base.

In other words, the UED is implemented as a VAT and it is called as CENVAT (Central Value Added Tax) from 1999

The Central Government levies excise duty under the Central Excise Act, 1944 and the Central Excise Tariff Act, 1985.

The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) is responsible for collecting excise duty.

What is state excise duty?

Excise duty on production few items including that on liquor is imposed by state governments.

Excise duty on alcohol, alcoholic preparations, and narcotic substances is collected by the State Government and is called “State Excise” duty.

For most of the states, excise duty is the second largest tax revenue after sales taxes (state VAT).

Reforms:

#ias #UPSC #iasexam #upscexam #current affairs #dailycurrentaffairs #weeklycurrentaffairs #monthly current affairs

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todaybharatnews · 5 years ago

Link

via Today Bharat nbsp; Emigration loopholes mean people donrsquo;t get covered under Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY) a mandatory insurance cover for all migrating workers. Thirty-eight-year-old Kokeni Posanna of Jaina Village of Jagtial District in Telangana, went to the United Arab Emirates in 2018 to work as a cleaner. He was an agricultural labourer in debt, and a job in Dubai appeared as a way out of the debt and poverty back home. For the next one year and ten months, Posanna cleaned swimming pools and worked at landscaping gardens. His earnings were inconsistent; mostly, the salary never came on time, and on some months, it never came. The highest he could manage to send home to his wife and two children was a sum of Rs 16,000 during a month of his stay. Posanna was brought back to India this year in January with his right side paralysed. The long hours working under the desert sun took its toll on him. ldquo;He got a fever once, and had to resume duty before he could recover. He had no insurance nor access to a hospital, and his health got worse,rdquo; says Ganaga Jala, his wife. The migrant worker had gone to the UAE on a tourist visa and was working with a Dubai based firm illegally. He had no access to healthcare in the UAE nor was he protected under Indiarsquo;s mandatory insurance scheme for migrant workers, Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY). Officials with the Ministry of External Affairs say unlisted companies hire such workers on tourist visas through recruiting agents, to save money. There are thousands like Posanna across the country who have been unable to avail PBBY as they are recruited by agents who send them abroad on tourist visas, and not legal employment visas. The workers thus work illegally and are not insured. The agents also donrsquo;t switch them from tourist visas to a proper work visa, and the Government of India (GoI) either remains in the dark, or ignores the issue wilfully. The PoErsquo;s roleMigrants like Posanna who do not have a formal education require an emigration clearance to move abroad for work. The emigration clearance is given by the Protector of Emigrants (PoE) office that handles the emigrant system. They are also tasked with issuing the licences for recruiting agents. In the year 2019, among the five southern states, recruiting agents from Tamil Nadu sent 27,230 persons through the emigrant system. Kerala stands second with 18,577 persons, while agents in Andhra Pradesh sent 14,971 persons, Telangana sent 13,186 persons and Karnataka 5,198 persons. Those who go abroad on a tourist visa for work are not counted, said an official with the PoE office in Hyderabad. As of February 4, 2020, the GoI has given licences to 1,451 recruiting agents across the country. However, 25% of these firms have not shown any record of their monthly returns to the Ministry of External Affairs in the last one year. Under the Immigration Act, they are supposed to submit periodical reports. Many Indians going to the Gulf donrsquo;t get recorded in Indiarsquo;s emigrant system. Agents send them on tourist visas and promise that they would be given an employment visa within a few months of their visit. Many like Kokeni Posanna never end up getting employment visas, and continue to work on extended tourist visas. Many others whose employers do manage to get them an employment visa prefer to not fly to India and back for stamping the visa. Many migrant workers on tourist visa go up the UAE-Oman border town of Hatta, make an exit to Oman and re-enter UAE with a fresh employment visa. Others go to the island of Kiev and re-stamp visas on their passports. ldquo;The stamping on passport is done by the UAE, that data is not shared with the Indian government. There are thousands who are missing out on the insurance safety net like this,rdquo; adds Bheem. In 2019, the Indian government came up with the Draft Emigration Bill meant to provide a regulatory system to govern overseas employment of Indian nationals. The Bill hoped to make it mandatory for both ECR (Emigration Check Required) and ECNR (Emigration Certificate Not Required) category of Indians travelling abroad to register with the emigrant system. At present, ECR is required for those who do not have a Class 10 certificate; those who have studied beyond Class 10 that do not require an emigration clearance and are thus classified under ECNR category. "But there was resistance from those in the ECR category,rdquo; says Rejimon Kuttappan, a journalist who writes on migrant rights. There are some 18 countries where ECR is presently required, including six Gulf countries where a majority of the job seekers flock to. "But in a state like Kerala, almost everyone will have a Class 10 certificate and thus will be categorised under ECNR and so it's not mandatory for them to go through the emigration system. The Bill trying to make it mandatory came up in the last Parliament session, but lapsed," he explains. If people under both ECR and ECNR categories are made to register with the emigration system, it gives clarity to the GoI on how many Indians are actually going abroad for work. Rejimon says that companies based in the Gulf hire people through visitor visas as they can pay these workers less, violate labour norms by not paying for life or medical insurance, gratuity or even provide a human resource department to register grievances. ldquo;These days, even engineers are going on driver visas and continue to work at sites. If they meet with an accident, the police ask why a person on a driver visa is working as an engineer. The engineer then gets into trouble and the Indian embassy can't do much. Even skilled workers are taking up short projects in the Gulf, but this is being done at great personal risk," says Rejimon. The trend continues as it's easier to get a visit visa than an employment visa. ldquo;To get a proper employment visa, the Gulf based company has to stand in queue at their Immigration ministry and make a deposit with the government for each employee being hired, they don't want to do that," he adds. ldquo;There is an understanding between two countries when someone seeks employment,rdquo; says an official with the External Affairs Ministry. ldquo;There are preconditions that companies listed with the Government of India have to meet, such as people will be paid salaries above a fixed rate, there are rules about working hours and medical insurance, to name a few. These are not restrictions, but they are rules put in place to ensure the safety of the migrant. However, this increases the cost for the companies, and therefore many prefer to go through recruiting agents and hire workers on a tourist visa and donrsquo;t provide them with anything,rdquo; the officer says, adding that itrsquo;s not mandatory for companies to hire Indians only through the emigrant system. Agents flouting rules Information sourced through Right to Information from the Ministry of External Affairs reveals that the number of firms not showing returns have also gone up annually. Out of 1,451 registered recruiting agents, as many as 416 firms have not shown records in 2019. ldquo;These firms are doing business but not on record, itrsquo;s off the record. How else are they still paying office rent, bills and staff salary and renewing licenses worth lakhs?rdquo; asks Bheem Reddy, President of Emigration Welfare Forum. Recruiting agents have to pay Rs 25,000 for a registration certificate valid for five years to the PoE and provide a bank deposit guarantee of Rs 50 lakh. MoE officials are aware that registered recruiting agents subvert the emigrant system, but only go after unregistered recruiting agents, say activists. According to the emigrant website, the PoE in Telangana has recorded only 15 unregistered agents operating in the state with Tamil Nadu recording 22, Andhra Pradesh 14, Kerala 24, and Karnataka 13 unregistered recruiting agents. But what about registered recruiting agents like the one who got Posanna recruited on a tourist visa to Dubai? The agent is known to the family and was someone the family trusted. The agent who has since passed away, used to report to another agent who had ties to other similar agencies functioning out of Hyderabad, says Ganaga. Bheem alleges that these registered recruiting agents are working as sub-agents for big agents in Mumbai, Hyderabad and their business is recorded in the licences of big players. ldquo;The small agents sitting in a rural area cannot deal with foreign employers, but they keep a licence so as to not attract trouble from the police. All the recruiting is done purely based on commissions,rdquo; alleges Bheem. He points to the Immigration Act under which no agent can appoint sub-agents. ldquo;No middlemen are allowed, even if they are licence holders,rdquo; he adds. A porous yogajaHad Posanna gone through the emigration system, he could have availed the PBBY scheme, a mandatory insurance scheme for those who have an emigration check for overseas employment. The scheme was launched in 2003 and last amended in 2017, it provides an insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh in case of accidental death or permanent disability with very low premiums. The scheme also has global medical insurance coverage of up to Rs 1 lakh (up to Rs 50,000 per hospitalisation) irrespective of employer and location. The scheme also has a repatriation cover for medically unfit or premature termination, with a one-way economy class air ticket or reimbursement. Even legal expenses on litigation apart from other benefits are part of the scheme. Medical insurance under PBBY is provided only to those who find employment through the emigrant system. Between April 2014 to December 2018 medical insurance companies under the PBBY have settled just 812 claims in tune of Rs 63.3 crore whereas the insurance firms have collected Rs 80 crore as premium. Indian migrant workers like Posanna when opting for a tourist visa become ineligible for medical benefits under the scheme. The recruiting agents do not inform them of the benefits either. The PoE office in Hyderabad says they provide advice only to those who approach their office. Posanna was made aware of PBBY only after he returned back to India spending for his own flight ticket which would otherwise have been free under PBBY. He managed to meet initial expenses while at UAE with help from fellow migrant workers. However, upon coming back, his hospital bills touched Rs 1 lakh in just four days. The PBBY scheme would have covered that as well. The family, however, managed, thanks to the Telangana governmentrsquo;s Arogya Shree health insurance scheme for below poverty line families. The family today is in a worse state than before Posanna left for Dubai for work and now struggles to make ends meet.

#IFTTT #Today Bharat

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inkariasacademyworld · 5 years ago

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Road Safety

Road Accidents in India

Pedestrians, cyclists and two-wheeler occupants are the most vulnerable road users. Nearly 133 two-wheeler occupants and nearly 10 cyclists killed were killed daily in road accident in 2017.

In 2017, approx. 1.47 lakh people died in road deaths which is equivalent to the population of many small cities in India.

Why road safety remains a challenging task?

Pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users as they have lesser protection in case of road accidents. Adding to this motorist have little respect for the rights of pedestrians.

Designated footpaths are routinely encroached by parked vehicles and shops especially in urban area, force the pedestrians to walk on roads.

There is a lack of motivation for road safety implementation measures among enforcement agencies. Additionally, low number of prosecutions of lawbreakers on roads further increase the problems.

Government steps for road safety

Draft National Action Plan aimed at halving number of road accident deaths by 2020.

Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Sadak Yojana launched with initial funding of about Rs 2,000 crore which will eliminate dangerous spot form highways.

Recently government made it mandatory for two-wheeler from April 2019 onward to have Anti-Break lock System in order to improves control over the vehicle at the event of emergency braking.

Government had signed the Brasilia declaration in 2015, committing to reduce road accident and fatality by half.

Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017

Provisions for Non-Motorised Transport and pedestrian bicycle infrastructure.

It Sets up a National Road Safety Board that will advise the government on road design and motor vehicle safety.

It adds new provisions that allow the Centre to recall vehicles that pose a danger to users.

It has the provision of protection of Good Samaritan.

There is a lack of helping hand approach among people at the time of accidents. This is due to consequential legal hearing and repeated appearances in the police station for investigation.

It has pointed out that road infrastructure in India suffers from poor design quality, poor visibility and it overlooks road engineering which is inalienable part of road safety.

Road Safety is a State Subject, this make difficult to meet the global road safety standards for instance World Health Organisation (WHO), recommended countries to have a national urban maximum speed limit of 50 km/hour. Some states like Uttar Pradesh fall below this bracket with a 40 km/hour limit while those in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra can go up to 65 km/hour.

Suggestions to improve road safety Pedestrian

o There is a dire need to segregate pedestrian road users from other vehicles to reduce conflict.

o Safe system approach of World Health Organisation recognised that people role in road safety cannot be

Impact of Road Accidents

Economics Cost: Planning Commission of India, stated that over 3% of India’s GDP is lost to road accidents annually, and this amounted to 3.8 lakh crore rupees in 2014.

Social Cost: Loss of family member, especially earning member leads to poverty and social distress. Moreover, disabilities occurred in accident leads of loss of human productivity coupled with stigma.

Administrative cost: Traffic management, enforcement of law, resource costs (clearance of damage property), and insurance administration. eliminated completely by penalisation methods, rather the policy approach should be shifted towards education and awareness for all the strata of society.

Road

The various study highlighted that instead of expending or widening the roads, application of scientific methods such as construction of central barriers, road-side crash barriers can effectively minimise road accidents/fatality.

Road Safety Action Plan mooted by Asian Development Bank stressed the need of optimal mobility of traffic, promotion of traffic circulation, building the rush-hour lanes, and self-explained roads.

Vehicles

Voluntary fleet modernisation programme is need of hour. Despite of its initial aim of reducing pollution, it will facilitate the minimisation of road accident due to lack of safety measures in old vehicles.

Additionally, launching Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Programme on line of star labelling, can effectively minimise the accidents.

Government

Recently, Karnataka Good Samaritan and Medical Professional (Protection and Regulation during Emergency Situations) Bill, 2016, has been assented by The President, similar law should be enacted by other states. This legislation would give both legal and financial protection to good Samaritans and ensure immediate medical assistance for victims within the 'golden hour'.

Providing more teeth to the traffic police infrastructure by hiring more personnel, installing cameras, and prosecuting lawbreakers can tame the menace of aggressive driving.

Adopting Vision Zero approach in road safety governance. The Vision Zero approach pegs human life and health above all other transportation challenges.

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wionews · 7 years ago

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Should govt fix prices of medical services in private clinics?

Doing business in India might have become easier, however, the practice of medicine is set to become a whole lot more difficult in the state of Karnataka. The proposed Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Bill, 2017 (Bill) has caused much uproar in the past few months and rightly so. The Bill not only fails to achieve its intended goals but also creates new problems.

There are a few positive aspects of the Bill like acceptance of online applications for the registration of private medical establishments and requiring that the final bills do not exceed the quoted estimates.

Charges to be fixed by the State

What is problematic, however, is that the medical establishment is not at liberty to set its own prices for medical treatment. Instead, the amendments proposed would allow the government to fix charges for medical services provided by private medical establishments. This is an extraordinary measure which would amount to excessive government intervention and also set a dangerous precedent.

Bangalore is one of the top destinations for medical tourism in India because of the quality healthcare available. Government intervention in pricing is bound to bring down the quality as private medical establishments, like any other private service providers or businesses are for-profit establishments.

It is high time that the government focuses on rooting out corruption in public healthcare establishments which is rampant all over India.

If the ultimate aim is to provide quality healthcare at affordable costs to citizens, then the focus of reforms should be on government medical hospitals which have the responsibility of providing healthcare to all citizens. On the contrary, the government has rejected the Justice Vikramjit Sen committee’s recommendation that the new rules should apply to both government and private medical establishments. It is high time that the government focuses on rooting out corruption in public healthcare establishments which is rampant all over India.

Redressal forum

If the aim is to protect citizens from malpractice, both civil and criminal remedies already exist. Instead of improving awareness regarding these existing remedies, the government, through the Bill creates a new redressal forum known as the District or Metropolitan Grievance Redressal Committee which yields both investigative and quasi-judicial powers. Creating such a forum, despite the existence of other forums including consumer forums is inefficient.

Besides, cases regarding medical practice require special expertise and any judicial or quasi-judicial body would require time to hone its experience in the area. Interestingly, the composition of this forum consists of the CEO of the Zila Panchayat, superintendent of police of the district, a representative of a private medical establishment in the district, the district surgeon, public prosecutor and ‘women representatives’ nominated by the government.

While a member with judicial experience is conspicuously absent from the members listed, it is even more curious that for some members of the committee the only qualification required is being women.

Doctors’ strike

Although the Indian Medical Association of Karnataka is right to oppose the Bill before it is enacted, it should caution against calling for strikes and shutdown of all private medical establishments since ultimately patients would suffer the consequences.

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competitiveguide · 8 years ago

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Current Affairs Headlines of 1st February 2017

→ Abul Hossain of Siliguri won Kolkata Marathon. → American President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to temporarily ban visas for refugees belonging to seven Muslim-majority countries namely as Trump Bans 7 nations from Entering US on Security Issues Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. → Attendance of Delhi university student to be tracked through app. → Bill on H-1B Visa reform got introduced in US House of Representatives. → Cash withdrawal limits from ATMs to be withdrawn from February 1 - RBI. → Centre clarifies Beti Bachao Beti Padhao has no provision for individual cash transfer component. → Chad‘s Moussa Faki Mahamat appointed as a new chairperson of AU Commission. → Dushyant Chautala has been appointed as the president of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI).. → Economic Survey projects GDP to grow at 6.75 to 7.5% during next financial year. → Film producer and Wimbledon tennis player, Ashok Amritraj has been appointed the United Nations in India Goodwill Ambassador for the Sustainable Development Goals. → Invitation by India for South Asian Speakers‘ Summit declined by Pakistan. → Karnataka Govt Approves Amending Laws to Lift Ban on Kambala & Bullock Cart Race. → Madhya Pradesh signs MoU with MakeMyTrip to promote homestays. → NDRF greeted by PM Narendra Modi on its 12th Raising Day. → New software to be used by Delhi police to predict crime hotspots. → Pilot services starts by India Post Payments Bank with interest rate up to 5.5%. → RBI lifts ATM withdrawal limits from Feb 1, 2017. → SC appoints new members for administrating BCCI. More Current Affairs Headlines of 1st February 2017 : http://ift.tt/2jUqDrp

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vijayanands · 8 years ago

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DISCLAIMER : From what I have read so far, I am still on the fence about Jallikattu, because I have some very different first hand experience with the way the bulls were treated in my home town. My stand on this, is still evolving. BUT ... That said, if so many people are coming together and with emotions vested, asking for something - the point of a democratic country, is one where there is way made for that. HOWEVER, I think that the way things are going, is going to end up in a not-so-good end result for all parties involved. Here is my two cents (feel free to suggest in case I am off) on how we should go about this. Yes I said we, because I am committed to democracy whether I believe in the cause (yet) or not. So a bit of backdrop: The case about Jallikattu went before the supreme court and the verdict was pronounced in 2011. Fact : It took years where the case was argued for and against. There was an appeal in 2014. The brutal honest reality: As much as it is heartwarming to see so many youth come out and protest, unfortunately this is not the process to get a supreme court verdict repealed - or the ban lifted. if so, what should be done? 1. Keep the Protests going : Understand that this might take sometime. So someone needs to organize and co-ordinate this across the state, so that we have staying power. Remember how long it took for Anna Hazare when the Lokpal Bill was requested for? It started in April 2011, then followed up with another in June. This will have to be done over months. So gear up. Don't burn out - there are lots of people who are counting on that. Burning out and going home, or worse, someone losing patience and to start a revolt - cause then the police and batons are easy to bring out. There are other politics at play here too, so don't give in, to that. How long? Read the rest. 2. This is the time to go back the Jallikattu organizers - who seem to be the folks who have been doing this for the longest, and setup a website so that everyone is aware of what the next steps are. One needs to go through the supreme court verdict, and also the transcript of the entire proceedings, and as of now the verdict is underpinned under the Prevention of Cruelty act. Now if you want to reverse the ban, either you have to argue that the act does not apply (unfortunately video evidence states otherwise), or the change the act to allow for an excemption. Both of these take very long time - bear that in mind. By long time, I mean, a few months. 3. Two teams. There has to be one team of lawyers working with the Jallikattu organizers to find an argument for why the verdict was not a fair one. But it seems like in 2014 there was already an appeal and the case was lost. So, the only way you can go about it, is to move the underpinning of the PCA Act and amend it. 4. Running a petition called #AmendPCA is not going to make any difference. This is where we need to identify our MPs in TN, and find those who have a voice (this is why we need to elect people who can talk - and not are super awesome in falling in feet). Whether you like it or not, Subramanian Swamy is an MP. If you dont like him, then the key is to identify someone else who can. 5. The MP has to then find enough support to take up the case of amending PCA. The case has to be built. But I strongly believe, in the interest of the country (we strategically need to give up the stance that this is a tamil issue) and the need to preserve species of cattle that give Type A2 milk is a national dependence issue. You need MPs, across the board - from across the states to line up and defend this argument. Call it the "Guarantee of Native Breeds Amendment" and have to put it forward in the assembly and get the bill passed. Goes back to 6th grade Civics class. 6. For (5) to move forward, there political leaders have to believe there is enough will behind it, and hence (1) has to keep going. And if there are other states that will benefit from this, then we must bring them all together and make this a national level protest. 7. Once the amendment passes through, that perhaps certain activities that incentivize / encourage the prevention of native breeds going extinct, You have a shot to file a secondary appeal with the supreme court to lift the ban. 8. I would strongly suggest that the jallikattu organizers put together a plan and propose a working committee on a state level across the country, and for TN monitored in TN, with guidelines of what they will do to ensure that the animals are not tortured beyond what is acceptable and the rules of self-governance to ensure that they will be kept. 9. If all these can be done, we will infact, solve all of our issues. Then the key is to work with the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries to figure out how to setup goshalas, and to do a transition of our mass production and consumption of milk from A1 to A2, using our native breeds. Summary: 1. Keep the protests going. But Be Prepared for it to run for months. (which means the protest site of Marina beach will need to be cleared for Jan 26th celebrations). Identify a site on the Marina Beach itself, but away from the Flag pole so that they dont find a reason to deploy resources to disperse the protestors. 2. Work with Jallikattu organizers, to disseminate information on what is happening and the next steps on the filing of appeal front. 3. Either setup a group, or enable a group that will look at the overall issue of preservation of Native Breeds (there are lots of NGOs working on that) and unite them under a common umbrella across states - bring people from AP, Karnataka, Kerala and other states where this is an issue under the same umbrella. Identify MPs from each of these states and give them a common and standard talking points to represent the case in the Parliament. 4. Prepare and put forward the amendment to Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (and while you are at it, increase the fine for people throwing dogs from rooftops to something more than Rs. 50). The intent is not to overlook animal cruelty, but make an exception and make a clear case when a sport has a larger good. Prepare and pass a bill to solidify a case for a bill that makes saving of Native Breeds a priority - in the national interest so that we have ecological independence. 5. File for a Re-appeal, stating that the new bill makes provisions. 6. While doing all, this, stay away from personal attacks, and keep your calm. Remember Gandhi. You have to be the annoying thing, that simply won't go away but wont give a reason to take police action against either :) At all times, respect and keep the law. 7. If we all work together and are patient, 2018 Would see Jallikattu, but not just that, but also ensure the safety of native breeds for years to come. And isn't that the real task? #WeWILLJALLIKATTU #JALLIKATTUBAN #DEMOCRACY If this makes sense, please share. My selfish outcome, is that we as people, would become more democratic in how we self-govern our country. If this issue which has become a major issue is how we learn how to do this, that would make me extremely happy. Resources: ========= 1. The Supreme Court Verdict (http://ift.tt/1T4qSXy) 2. if you dont have the patience - the excerpt, highlighted version - http://ift.tt/2iWqCm9 3. Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act - http://ift.tt/2jPrXK2 4. Biological Diversity Act http://ift.tt/2iWm9Qx 5. Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairies and Fisheries http://dahd.nic.in

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