Even as the President, Ramnath Kovind has promulgated the Ordinance awarding death penalty to those involved in the rape of a child below 12 years, Save the Children, a child rights organization has said death penalty may not be the answer.

The Ordinance provides for death penalty for rape of girls below the age of 12, life imprisonment for sexual offences on girls between 12 to 16 and the penalty has been increased from 7 year to 10 years for other cases.

“More efforts are needed to ensure that existing laws are implemented properly and justice is meted out quickly. Also, all of us need to ensure that all forms of abuse and harassment against children are reported to the authorities, which is not happening in the vast majority of cases. Counselling and psycho-social support is required for the victims,’’ says Bidisha Pillai from Save the Children.

On 15 May, Save the Children will release its report ‘WINGS 2018: World of India’s Girls – A study on the perception of girls’ safety in public spaces’ which delves into the fears associated with abuse and harassment.

The cases of rape reported in the last few months have jostled the entire country and the Government to take an immediate and effective measure. The States of Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have also initiated actions to enforce death penalty to stop child rapes. The intent is to be harsh to stop heinous crimes  like rape of children, a statement issued by the organization has said.

In 2012, the government came up with one of most progressive law (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012) to end sexual violence against children followed by Criminal  Amendment Act, 2013. However, there has been no reduction of violence against children. The delivery of justice for crimes reported against children needs to be expedited by placing more resources (human, budget and through the use of technology) and by making it survivor-centered, by strengthening the existing Integrated Child Protection Scheme and other support services. Presently, the massive backlog of redressal of rape cases, lack of rehabilitation support and psycho-social counselling to rape survivors — and their family members — is what needs immediate attention, the statement added.

Pained by the heinous crimes committed against children and violation of their rights, Save the Children wants prioritization for fast-track redressal of cases and speedy justice as a deterrent. Adequate provisions exist under both Indian Penal Code (IPC) and POCSO Act for crimes against children. Under POCSO Act, penetrative sexual assault on a child below 12 years constitutes aggravated penetrative sexual assault, a crime that is punishable with a fine and a minimum term of rigorous imprisonment for 10 years, which can be extended to life imprisonment. Similarly, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, brought in several new sexual offences under the IPC. For instance, under Section 376(2)(i), IPC, rape of a female under 16 years is considered an aggravated form of rape that is punishable with a fine and a minimum term of rigorous imprisonment for 10 years, which can be extended to life imprisonment. Save the Children believes that, after appropriate consultation and due procedure, children-centric Acts like POCSO and RTE should also be extended to Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, it said.

NEW DELHI : In the interest of students and public at large, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has released the list of 24 fake Universities. UGC has said that these 24 self-styled, unrecognized institutions functioning in contravention of the UGC Act have been declared as fake and are not entitled to confer any degrees.

State-wise List of fake Universities

Bihar

1. Maithili University / Vishwavidyalaya, Darbhanga, Bihar.

Delhi

1. Commercial University Ltd., Daryaganj, Delhi.
2. United Nations University, Delhi.
3. Vocational University, Delhi.
4. ADR-Centric Juridical University, ADR House, 8J, Gopala Tower, 25 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110 008.
5. Indian Institute of Science and Engineering, New Delhi.
6. Viswakarma Open University for Self-Employment, Rozgar Sewasadan, 672, Sanjay Enclave, Opp. GTK Depot, Delhi-110033.
7. Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya (Spiritual University), 351-352, Phase-I, Block-A, Vijay Vihar, Rithala, Rohini, Delhi-110085

Karnataka

1. Badaganvi Sarkar World Open University Education Society, Gokak, Belgaum, Karnataka.

Kerala

1. St. John’s University, Kishanattam, Kerala.

Maharashtra

1. Raja Arabic University, Nagpur, Maharashtra.

West Bengal

1. Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine, Kolkata.
2. Institute of Alternative Medicine and Research,8-A, Diamond Harbour Road, Builtech inn, 2nd Floor, Thakurpurkur, Kolkatta – 700063

Uttar Pradesh

1. Varanaseya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Varanasi (UP) Jagatpuri, Delhi.
2. Mahila Gram Vidyapith/Vishwavidyalaya, (Women’s University) Prayag, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.
3. Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith, Prayag, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.
4. National University of Electro Complex Homeopathy, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
5. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University (Open University), Achaltal, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.
6. Uttar Pradesh Vishwavidyalaya, Kosi Kalan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
7. Maharana Pratap Shiksha Niketan Vishwavidyalaya, Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh.
8. Indraprastha Shiksha Parishad, Institutional Area,Khoda,Makanpur,Noida Phase-II, Uttar Pradesh.

Odisha
 

1. Nababharat Shiksha Parishad, Anupoorna Bhawan, Plot No. 242, Pani Tanki Road,Shaktinagar, Rourkela-769014.
2. North Orissa University of Agriculture & Technology, Odisha.

Puducherry
 

1. Sree Bodhi Academy of Higher Education, No. 186, Thilaspet, Vazhuthavoor Road, Puducherry-605009

New Delhi : Eyes which help us to see marvels of outside world can also reveal secrets about our inner health. Doctors often examine eyes to look for signs of jaundice, hyperthyroidism, anemia and even high cholesterol. In an emerging field of medicine called iridology, practitioners use iris patterns, colors, tissue weakness, breakage and other characteristics for early diagnosis of underlying health conditions.

Now researchers are exploring the use of machine learning techniques where iris images of people are used to identify subtle changes in their iris as an effect of a particular health condition. Researchers from the Thapar University have applied a similar methodology for diagnosing diabetes. Piyush Samant and Dr. Ravinder Agarwal have described their work in their recent paper in journal Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine.

For this study, scientists captured and compared infrared images of eyes from a total of 338 individuals of whom 180 were type II diabetic and the rest were non-diabetic patients. In these iris images, the region that corresponds to the health of pancreas (causal gland for diabetes) was cropped and its features were analyzed computationally. Among features and patterns that emerged, scientists found that a combination of top 50 ranked features could accurately diagnose diabetes. The accuracy of this diagnostic method is 89.63% and its specificity and sensitivity is 0.9687 and 0.988 respectively.

“Diabetes is a chronic, progressive disease caused by increased levels of blood glucose and can lead to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. An early diagnosis of diabetes and pre-diabetes can help people can potentially prevent or delay serious complications” said Dr. Ravinder Agarwal.

Speaking to India Science Wire, he said: “We are thinking of developing a portable device that could detect diabetes non-invasively utilizing artificial intelligence which can be used by a non-medical practitioner effectively.”

As per the estimates of International Diabetes Federation (IDF), 381.8 million people are affected by diabetes and about 591.9 million people will be affected by this disease by the year 2030. A portable device that is not painful, cheap, infection-free, and accurate can help in the effective diagnosis of this disease specifically in rural areas where establishing a diagnostic laboratory is particularly expensive. (India Science Wire)

New Delhi: To further hone their skills in jungle warfare and counter insurgency, the Indian Army personnel will be holding a joint exercise “Harimau Shakti” with the Malaysian troops at different locations in Malaysia. 

  
“The two-week long exercise starting on April 30 with the Malaysian Army is the first one being held at such a large scale. Malaysia is the only country which has wiped out all the insurgencies,” Col Aman Anand, Indian Army Spokesperson said.  
  
The India-Malaysia military exercise used to be held at the Command level earlier. The first joint exercise was held in 2012 at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. 
  
Considering the fact that the Indian Army has long experience in tackling the insurgencies in the North East and the border state of Jammu and Kashmir, the joint exercise is expected to further sharpen the edge of Indian soldiers in anti terror and anti insurgency operations under tough circumstances and difficult terrain. 
  
The exercise will take place in two phases that include Cross training and Field training in areas like Selangor, Sungai Perdik, Hulu Langat which were among the most active areas for the Maoist insurgents.
  
Both the armies will use the M4 A1 carbine in the exercise, which is known for lightweight and accuracy.
  
The Unit chosen for participation into the exercise is 4th Grenadiers of Indian Army and 1st Royal Ranjer Regiment of Malaysian Army.
  
The 4th Grenadiers which was raised in 1788 and donned with number of accolades in its name, has extensive operational experience in counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir and has displayed exceptional professional acumen, dedication and supreme courage during various tenures in the valley, Col Anand said. 
  
90 soldiers of Indian Army and about 123 troops of Malaysian Army will participate in the exercise to be concluded on May 13. 
  
Both the armies will exchange their expertise like Indian soldiers will further learn how to survive in jungle warfare, involvement of technology in counter terrorism and counter insurgency from their Malaysian counterpart while the Malaysian troops would learn handling of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), operating of CoBs among other things. 
  
The Indian soldiers were trained in Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School in Mizoram’s Vairengte and Core Battle School in Jammu and Kashmir’s Sarol. 
  
The exercise is being conducted under the United Nation’s mandate to foster closer ties between two armies. 

Rahul Bhola, 29, is from Kanpur and works two jobs while he finishes his Masters in Mechatronics (Mechanical and Electronic Engineering) at Tallinn Technical University (TTU). He divides his time between ABB, a Swedish multinational company, and the university’s hub of innovation, the Mektory, where he is working on sending a Nanosatellite to outer space. “I found out about Estonia and TTU in 2015 at an education fair in New Delhi. I didn’t want a regular education and the university offered me something different,” Bhola told Hardnews. In 2016, he made his way to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, and fully immersed himself in the student life at the university, which offers him the freedom to find work along with the classes, “The course provides real-life experience and encourages us to work by ourselves,” he continued. After finishing his course, Rahul will be allowed to work for 9 months, and after those, he can apply for a (two year) five-year temporary resident permit.

Indians are coming from all regions – to be part of the digital moment that has transformed the country’s fortunes – to study all things digital from engineering, computer programming, cyber security, life sciences, semointics and game design. In the early 2000s, the Baltic Country underwent a miracle, reams and reams of newsprint have been devoted to Estonia becoming world’s first fully digital society – 99% of all government services are digitised and almost the entire country has easy access to the internet. To the extent, citizens can file their taxes in a matter of minutes through their phones and this ease also extends to doing business.

Estonia is hungering for business and through it talent. It is fast becoming one of the largest hubs for start-ups all over the world. It is after all home to some of the most successful companies in the world, one can find the likes of Skype, Transferwise, Pipedrive and Jobbatical in Tallinn. These companies are some of the most exciting places to work anywhere in the world, with their inclusive hiring practices and willingness to innovate are attracting talent from all over the world. Moreover, ‘Work in Estonia’ a government-led initiative is trying to attract talent from all over the world to come to the country to work permanently. Now, Estonia hopes to attract Information, Communication and Technology related talent from India, both as students and workers.

As the Estonian Ambassador to India Riho Kruuv says, “Estonia is an innovative digital society that offers excellent opportunities for study at world-class universities at affordable prices. We look forward to see Indian students come to Estonia for study and work for trend-setting companies.” 

Study in Estonia

Studying in Estonia is easily accessible and while the programmes are highly selective they are 150 English programmes across the 8 universities in the country. In total, there are six public and two private universities which provide education at costs which are far lower than other parts of Europe. Some of the best programmes such as Digital Learning Games have a fee of Euro 1250 a semester, which is as cheaper than some Indian private universities. In addition, most programmes in Estonia are ahead of the curve: all universities offer the unique opportunity to work alongside with their studies. Secondly all their programmes are tailored for the future of work, all programmes have a ‘digital component’ across disciplines from business administration programmes to design, social sciences; and all technical programmes go above and beyond just teaching the students applied skills giving students a holistic approach to education. All of these courses are concerned with the future of work moulding the next generation of management, coders, analysts, designers, cybersecurity workers, designers and entrepreneurs.

Recently, a horrific and gruesome incident happened in Kathua district of J&K whereby an eight-year old minor was raped, assaulted and killed by those who claim to be in so-called authoritative position. It was the clear example of anger and power assertive rape where perpetrators wanted to create fear in the Bakerwal community. However, it became more shocking when it started taking the shape of political vessel and religious blasphemy.

In such an orthodox and stereotyped society of ours, women has been prey of social turbulence in various forms like humiliation, harassment, torture both physical and mental, in the most egregious ways despite having stringent laws. After Nirbhaya incident, an attempt was made to enact harsher laws through Criminal Law (Amendment), 2013. Of course, the law-enforcing agencies have done a commendable job but in our country, the wave of trend is flowing in other direction because people are still entangled in the ‘web of patriarchy’. Patriarchal societies provide a strong background to felony’s coming under this category. Moreover, the spirit of toleration and lack of safety at public places have given rise to such incidents more frequently. 

A big lacuna that is imminent in our country is that in cases of sexual assault, we do not work on the principle of “Prevention is better than cure” rather we first wait for the things to happen and then react on it. It is only after witnessing some new form of sexual assault, we try to penalize it and here lies the potential dilemma which asks for rectification. In the light of growing incidents, public outrage, media covering and statements made by our so-called beloved politicians will have the least impact.

Moreover, enacting more and more laws is not going to be a successful step because without their implementation, they prefer themselves as ‘dead-cells’.

Nevertheless, the most agitating facet is that people are polarizing the incident by using the weapon of religion. This is of utmost concern because in long term, this propaganda can be as harmful as was Rwandian mass rape violence of women belonging to Tutsi group. Thus, it’s a high time to change the mentality, prevent dissemination of hate ideology and to wait for the justice to happen irrespective of the caste or religion of such perpetrators. With this hope, we need to stop objectifying the women, otherwise it would be too late to assure the safety and dignity of women.

(The author Megha Purohit is Advocate, M.P. High Court)

NEW DELHI : Under fire for gruesome rapes cases in Kathua, Unnao and other parts of the country, the Union Cabinet has approved an Ordinance to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to grant death penalty for the rape of children under the age of 12.

The Ordinance has been sent to the President for assent and will have to be approved by Parliament within the next six month.

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012 was formed to protect children from offences of sexual abuse, sexual harassment and pornography and to provide a child-friendly system for the trial of these offences. The Act received the President’s assent on June 19, 2012.

The amendments provides for death penalty or life imprisonment for gang-rape of a girl below the age of 12. In case of rape of a girl below the age of 12, the punishment will be- death penalty, life imprisonment or a minimum imprisonment of 20 years.

For rape of a girl below the age of 16, the punishment has been enhanced to 20 years as against the earlier 10 years. This will be extendable for rest of life while in case of rape of a woman, the minimum punishment has been provided to be 10 years (earlier 7 years) which is extendable to life imprisonment

Importantly, investigation of all cases of rape will have to be completed within 2 months while the trial of all rape cases will have to be completed in 2 months. A time limit of 6 months has also been provided for disposal of appeals in rape cases

There will be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gang rape of a girl under 16 years. Before deciding bail applications in case of rape of a girl under 16 years of age, the court has to give notice of 15 days to the public prosecutor and the representative of the victim.

To help the victim of rape, the present scheme of One Stop Centres for assistance to the victim will be extended to all districts in the country. Dedicated manpower will be provided for investigation of rape cases to speed up the investigation and special forensic labs will be set up in each State/UT exclusively for rape cases.

Special forensic kits will be provided to all Police Stations and hospitals for rape cases and new Fast Track Courts will be set up in consultation with States/UTs and High Courts.

National Crime Records Bureau will maintain a national database and profile of sex offenders which will be shared with states/UTs to better track, monitor, investigate and verification of antecedents.

However, Haq, child rights organisation has expressed deep anguish over the Ordinance to introduce death penalty for child rape as the best solution to the problem. It is, once again, a knee-jerk reaction that by-passes every other democratic and Constitutional process of law making, it has said.

China and India together were responsible for over half of the total global deaths attributable to air pollution, a new study has said. The study also finds that increasing exposure and a growing and aging population have meant that India now rivals China for among the highest air pollution health burdens in the world, with both countries facing some 1.1 million early deaths from outdoor air pollution in 2016.

China has made initial progress, beginning to achieve air pollution declines; in contrast, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India have experienced the steepest increases in air pollution levels since 2010. Seven billion people, more than 95% of the world’s population, live in areas of unhealthy air. Air pollution is the leading environmental cause of death worldwide according to the State of Global Air 2018, the annual report and interactive website published by the Health Effects Institute (HEI).

The report said long-term exposure to outdoor and indoor air pollution contributed to 6.1 million premature deaths from stroke, heart attack, lung cancer, and chronic lung disease. That makes air pollution the 4th highest cause of death among all health risks, exceeded only by high blood pressure, diet, and smoking.

For the first time this year’s report and website include worldwide estimates of exposure to and health burdens of burning of solid fuels in their homes; in 2016 a total of 2.5 billion people — one in three global citizens — were exposed to household air pollution from the use of solid fuels (for example, coal, wood, charcoal, dung, or other biomass) for cooking and heating. Most live in low- and middle-income countries in Asia and Africa, and face a double burden: exposure to both indoor and outdoor air pollution.

And household air pollution can be a major source of impact in outdoor air: with indoor pollution emitted to the outdoor air the largest cause of health impacts from among all sources in India, contributing to 1 in 4 air pollution-related deaths India, and nearly 1 in 5 such deaths in China.

“Air pollution takes a huge personal toll worldwide, making it difficult to breathe for those with respiratory disease, sending the young and old to hospital, missing school and work, and contributing to early death” said Bob O’Keefe, Vice President of HEI. “The trends we report show real progress in some parts of the world – but serious challenges remain to eliminate this avoidable affliction,” he added.

The State of Global Air 2018 annual report and accompanying interactive website are designed and implemented by the Health Effects Institute in cooperation with the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington and the University of British Columbia. IHME is an independent population health research center that coordinates the annual Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, a systematic scientific effort to quantify the magnitude of health loss from all major diseases, injuries, and risk factors in populations across the world.

One of the most sought after tourist destinations in India, Rajasthan is dotted with majestic palaces, captivating forts, museums and more that rightly makes it the most indispensable part of India.

However, there are things more colorful that await tourists. The State now presents a palette of entertainment with its ‘Night Tourism Projects’ with special focus on cultural activities in forts and museums. These activities make every visitor experience the true colors of the culture and history of Rajasthan.

Mr Hridesh Sharma, Director of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Rajasthan, says that museums are increasingly being used as cultural motifs in the destination-tourism projects.  More than just monuments and buildings, they also tell stories through their collections, exhibitions, events and narratives. “We have been organizing cultural programmes in these monuments to draw more crowds’’, he said.

On these lines, ‘Museum of Legacies’ has opened its door to visitors. With 5 primary galleries, the museum exclusively displays the rich cultural heritage of Rajasthan with a diverse collection that includes textiles, jewellery, stoneware and inlay work, painting, pottery and more. It is a very inclusive space that caters to locals and tourists alike. One can view the best of Rajasthani art and craft under one roof at the Museum of Legacies.

The magnificent 16^th century Amber Fort is enhanced with lights, fixtures, additional security and a café to provide a fulfilling experience to the visitors. Not only this, tourists visiting Amer and Nahargarh forts have an add-on adventure experience of riding a Segway scooter other than elephant rides. 

Further, the Vidyadhar Park of the city has been revamped with the facilities and attractions suitable for night tourism. The 350-year-old Vidyadhar garden attracts tourists with sparkling yellow and blue lights, water harvesting system, lush green garden, plantation near walls and beautiful fountains.

Mr. Sharma added that since the monuments started operating for night viewing, the segment has attracted footfalls of 12.2 lakh and revenues of Rs 12.2 crore, as against the total capital expenditure of Rs. 4.27 crores made on the installation of lighting fixtures. 

The Department of Archeology and Museums, in its endeavour to make the monuments and museums alive and vibrant, organises Kathak performances at Jaleb Chowk in Amber fort as well as in Albert Hall on Poornima.  

Performances are also made by school students at Albert Hall. To bring more and more visitors in Hawa Mahal, Rajasthani folk dance performance are held every weekend. 

Historical gates like Sanganeri gate, New gate, Ajmeri gate, Tripolia gate, Chandpole gate and Hawa Mahal have been taken up as part of the new exercise. Chaura Rasta, Tripolia Bazaar and Johri Bazaar, which are a must for tourists, have also been added to the night tourism plan.

NEW DELHI : Today, some Members of Parliament initiated proceedings for the removal of the current Chief Justice of India by submitting a notice to the Chairman of Rajya Sabha.  A judge may be removed from office through a motion adopted by Parliament on grounds of ‘proven misbehaviour or incapacity’.  While the Constitution does not use the word ‘impeachment’, it is colloquially used to refer to the proceedings under Article 124 (for the removal of a Supreme Court judge) and Article 218 (for the removal of a High Court judge).

The Constitution provides that a judge can be removed only by an order of the President, based on a motion passed by both Houses of Parliament.  The procedure for removal of judges is elaborated in the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968.  The Act sets out the following steps for removal from office:

• Under the Act, an impeachment motion may originate in either House of Parliament. To initiate proceedings: (i) at least 100 members of Lok Sabha may give a signed notice to the Speaker, or (ii) at least 50 members of Rajya Sabha may give a signed notice to the Chairman.  The Speaker or Chairman may consult individuals and examine relevant material related to the notice.  Based on this, he or she may decide to either admit the motion or refuse to admit it.
• If the motion is admitted, the Speaker or Chairman (who receives it) will constitute a three-member committee to investigate the complaint. It will comprise: (i) a Supreme Court judge; (ii) Chief Justice of a High Court; and (iii) a distinguished jurist.  The committee will frame charges based on which the investigation will be conducted.  A copy of the charges will be forwarded to the judge who can present a written defence.
• After concluding its investigation, the Committee will submit its report to the Speaker or Chairman, who will then lay the report before the relevant House of Parliament. If the report records a finding of misbehaviour or incapacity, the motion for removal will be taken up for consideration and debated.
• The motion for removal is required to be adopted by each House of Parliament by: (i) a majority of the total membership of that House; and (ii) a majority of at least two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting. If the motion is adopted by this majority, the motion will be sent to the other House for adoption.
• Once the motion is adopted in both Houses, it is sent to the President, who will issue an order for the removal of the judge.

(Source – PRS Legislative Research)