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With barely three days to go for the current winter session of Parliament to conclude which has witnessed an aggressive opposition creating ruckus and disruptions so far, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday referred to the currency ban and its fallout and alleged that the opposition has not allowed Parliament to function in its aftermath. 
Speaking at a rally in Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh where assembly polls are scheduled to be held soon, he said: “”You must have noticed how parliament is not being allowed to function. Those rejected by the people are disrupting the proceedings of the parliament… We say we are ready for a debate but we are not being allowed to present our viewpoint. “”
He said the people must have noticed that his government was coming down heavily on corruption. “”Every day bundles of notes are being seized. Big people are being arrested. This is a government of the poor and works for the poor,”” he said.

The opposition — mainly led by the Congress —  which initially wanted Mr. Modi to answer queries in the debate on demonetisation, has changed its demand, saying that he must explain the sudden ban on high denomination currency of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000, which has created a huge cash crunch in the country.
Taking on the ruling Samajwadi Party in U.P. as well as Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Mr. Modi said despite their disagreement on every issue, “”this is the first time they are speaking in the same voice “”.

Poor visibility prevented the helicopter of Prime Minister Modi from landing in Bahraich where the BJP had organised the Parivartan rally. He addressed the gathering through mobile phone though his voice was cracking due to disturbance as he made the call sitting in the chopper but the people heard him patiently.This was the fifth Parivartan Rally of the Prime Minister in the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. He has already addressed rallies at Ghazipur, Agra, Kushinagar and Moradabad. PM Modi is scheduled to address one more Parivartan rally in Kanpur on December 19.”

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It was on November 8 when people listened to the `historic’ address of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the nation announcing the withdrawal of the Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes. Volumes of news print has been consumed by the never ending developments related to the announcement, the lines outside the ATMs and views from experts and people from all walks of life. 

A few states even witnessed election to the Lok Sabha as well as Assembly constituencies. We were no better in understanding the public perception of the move by the Prime Minister as they actually did not throw up any hints about the subject.

Amid all the frenzied activity all round, the Modi government is going about as if it is business as usual. It has not been impacted by either the disruption of both houses of Parliament or vituperative speeches by leaders of the opposition on public platforms.

On December 5, M. Venkaiah Naidu, Union Minister of Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, and Information and Broadcasting, wrote a longish article in The Hindu newspaper, asserting that the PM’s announcement was aimed at eliminating black money and corruption, apart from dealing with the counterfeit currency industry. It has also given a God-sent opportunity for the digital economy

India’s economic landscape, in terms of everyday transactions, has been transformed, so to say, in one fell swoop. The life of every Indian, from a corporate CEO to a cobbler, has changed like never before ever since Prime Minister Modi has announced the trailblazing decision banning old currency notes of Rs. 500 and Rs.1,000 denomination. 

“The November 8 announcement was basically aimed at eliminating the twin menaces of black money and corruption, apart from dealing a death blow to Pakistan’s terror-funding machine and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-sponsored counterfeit currency industry. It has also given a god-sent opportunity for providing a huge thrust to the digital economy and reap a bouquet of benefits that would accrue from such an all-encompassing transformation the country is going to witness in the days and months to come. The positive cascading effect would give a major fillip to our formal economy and help improve the country’s GDP in the long run”, Mr. Naidu asserted.

The Minister maintained that the PM took this timely and path-breaking decision to prevent the shadow economy from causing any further damage to the country.

According to him, it was not a sudden decision. “Mr. Modi took all the necessary precautions and alerted the nation about the likely stringent measures the government would be taking to unearth black money. Who should fear the consequences of such a historic decision? The answer is simple. Only those in possession of ill-gotten, unaccounted money in our country and those with sinister motives and evil designs across the border.”

The Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi is convinced that Mr. Modi has got himself involved in difficulties by scoring a “self goal”. The patience of public, if it enhances may lead to social anarchy. He claimed the terrorism of BJP has increased.

Mr. Singhvi, in a news conference in Hyderabad recently, alleged that some BJP leaders had prior knowledge of demonetisation and for the same reason they purchased properties, gold and other assets since the last six months and sought probe into the issue through a Joint Parliamentary Committee or a sitting judge of Supreme Court.

According to him, common people have been displaying utmost restraint while standing in long queues at banks and ATMs to withdraw their money. He asked the Centre to take immediate steps to end the inconvenience being caused to the general public. Else, he warned of serious consequences if people lose their patience. He accused Prime Minister Modi of imposing undeclared ‘Financial Emergency’.

Dr. Singhvi said India’s 90% economy was based on cash and more than 80% people were not aware of cashless or online transactions. The Congress leader asked as to why the Prime Minister was skipping participation in debate on demonetisation in the Parliament. He demanded that Narendra Modi give a reply to the problems being faced by the people by making a statement in the Parliament.

Contrast these two with this December 1 office memorandum of the Ministry of Finance (Department of Expenditure) on encouraging usage of Debit Cards among Government employees.

It is in all three paragraphs. It reads, “In the recent years advancements in banking technology, progress in mobile banking and innovative technologies to facilitate digital payments have enabled large number of small denomination transactions to be handled smoothly in electronic mode. The Government of India has taken policy decisions encouraging cashless/electronic transactions.

“In its endeavour on moving towards electronic payments, Central Government Ministries/Departments have been crediting the salary and other payments for the majority of its employees electronically, direct into the designated bank accounts of the employees. Given the progress made in banking technology, it is assumed that each employee would be in possession of a Debit/ATM card linked to his/her bank account. Ensuring and encouraging government employees to maximise the usage of Debit cards for personal related transactions instead of cash would go a long way serving with the employees serving as ‘ambassadors’ for the digital push and also motivate, encourage the general public in taking up the cause.

“All Ministries/Departments are requested to encourage their employees to make use of Debit Cards for personal related transactions instead of cash Ministries/Departments should liaise with their accredited banks and set up special camps to facilitate obtaining of and ensure that all its employees are in possession of Debit Cards. Ministries/Departments may also issue similar advisories to their attached/subordinate offices, PSI’s, Autonomous Bodies etc.

About the author: PCI Babai is a Delhi based practicing hack, a cynic to core.”

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51KzNYgphdL._SX313_BO1204203200_”” alt=””51KzNYgphdL._SX313_BO1,204,203,200_”” />The 94-year-old irrepressible Ram Jethmalani described at times as a maverick is acclaimed as the best legal brain in the country. He revels in controversy which has kept him in the spotlight and has vehemently opposed the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. Married to two women at the same time which was accepted stoicly by his daughter Rani’s mother Durga, the family was patriarchial hailing as he did from Sindh in Pakistan. 

Sindhis from this region married four or five times. At the same time he has refused to talk about some of his escapades and dalliances when he was 19. The author Susan Adelman, a paedriatic surgeon and her husband Martin Adelman have been friends of Ram and his family for more than four decades. He loves to shock. If asked for his views about God, he may answer “”God is a bumbling fool and a sadist. I am not even sure that he exists, but like a good lawyer, I give him the benefit of doubt””.  His critics complain Ram fights institutional corruption but he defends the rights of criminals. He is a lawyer who stands up against oppression, fights injustice and is a guardian of freedom.Despite being in peril, Ram “”waded in with 50 lawyers to intercept a bloody pogrom against Sikhs in Delhi after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination in October-November 1984. His creative questions and original arguments are a matter of legend often offered to the great amusement of the court. 

He is the most pro-Israel politician in Asia. He was a strong champion of Tel Aviv when the government would not allow an Israeli embassy in India. He has never been sectarian and lectures widely about the peaceful beginnings of Islam. He has argued a landmark case in which he contrasted Hindutva with Hinduism. He believes in astrology and wistfully remembers the gentle sufis of his childhood in Sindh. 
Ram has been variously called the Father of Social Justice in India and overcame great odds to establish reservations to help backward classes. Sindhis are a minority community in India and that is probably why he vehemently defends the rights of all minorities. Ram shot into prominence during the Emergency from 1975 to 1977 when he was chairman of the Bar Council of India and a powerful opponent of the Indira Gandhi regime.In Washington DC he spoke eloquently about the Emergency before a Congressional committee. He was first elected a member of Parliament on his return to this country immediately after the Emergency was lifted and elections called. Above all he is the grand master of the rules of evidence and cross examination. He was the first person to receive political asylum in America during the Emergency. He recalls being impressed with Muhammed Ali Jinnah arguing three cases in court even though he lost them. After Jinnah graduated from Law school he went to a Hindu lawyer in Karachi to interview for a position with him. The lawyer told him his qualifications were excellent; then they began to talk salary. Jinnah insisted on Rs 100 a month but the Hindu refused to go over Rs 75, so Jinnah returned to Bombay (now Mumbai) which obviously provided a wider platform. “”If the Hindu had not been a miser, there would not have been a Pakistan.”” In many ways Ram’s law practice began in 1948 and his career is also the story of India. His family first found that Ratna Shahani had entered his life in 1952. She was the first female lawyer that he had ever met. Her persona contrasted sharply with that of Durga. He married Ratna in Delhi because bigamy was illegal in Bombay. Critics disparage Ram as a smugglers’ lawyer. He simply told people “”when I see a man come into my office with his pockets bulging with smuggling money, I consider it my duty to relieve him of this wealth.”” Less than ten years after he arrived in Bombay his first case was registered in the Supreme Court in 1957. This was a refugee matter that tested the constitutionality of the Bombay Land Requisition Act. Many of the other cases involved smugglers apprehended under various customs acts particularly the Customs Act of 1962. One of his former junior Sri Jaisinghani said smugglers once constituted 90 per cent of Ram’s practice. After 1962 smuggling soared and along with it a massive black market. India was rife with schemes to covert black money to white. It seemed that everyone knew how the rich spent their black money and where to get the best exchange rates. Ram uses his arts of rhetoric, cross examination and sly innuendo. There is no secret to his techniques beyond their cleverness, clarity and originality. He has encyclopaedic knowledge of the law. Even judges are in awe. Lawyers have heard a judge ask Ram on several occasions to give the exact language of a statute. He teaches students that “”great milestones of the law have not been laid in cases of respectable people but with people who are disreputable.””  About Israel, he has always explained that the Sindhis are the Jews of India. He has been high critical of India’s posture against Israel especially during the Indira Gandhi government. Even though India extended formal recognition to Israel in 1950, Israel was not allowed to open an embassy in Delhi until 1992. His house was the de facto Israeli embassy in India.   Ram’s life in Parliament combined politics with his law practice. He hoped to be law minister but Prime Minister Morarji Desai gave that portfolio to Shanti Bhushan. It was Ram’s belief that he was not appointed law minister because Desai was a teetotaller and he drank Scotch. He loved to jibe that even if Desai drank his own urine in the morning, he preferred scotch at dinner time. When Desai promoted prohibition, Ram said “”I will keep drinking to keep my right to drink alive.”” On one occasion when Desai chided him to behave, he replied “”You stick to your pissky and I’ll stick to my whisky…””One of  the remarkable aspects of Ram’s career is how he moves easily among cases of criminal law, family law, contract law and constitutional law. It is widely believed he knows more law than any other lawyer in India. After Indira Gandhi’s assassination, Sikh revenge was seen as malevolent revenge and by defending them Ram was seen to be on the wrong side, the public even signalling their displeasure with demonstrations against him. BJP requested Ram to resign as party vice president and he did. This time the resignation was accepted and this was the most disastrous move in his career. Otherwise he would have become the Prime Minister. He was satisfied with sacrificing his own interests for a cause. He often acts first on his gut feeling, and uses his brilliance later to justify his actions.  After losing his parliament seat in 1985, Ram was in political wilderness. He returned to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka in 1988. He started a political party Bharat Mukti Morcha and disbanded it. He stoutly counters the criticism that he only defends reprehensible people. Even the lowest of society have the same right to constitutional protection as those in the higher strata. The job of a criminal lawyer is to defend criminals. “”Where some may see a criminal lawyer without morals, others may see a social reformer fighting for equal rights.”” He has told the media that his last remaining political aspiration is to get rid of India’s corrupt leadership and replace it with an honest government. His “”larger and final objective”” is to see the major democracies of the world — the US, Israel, India and Japan — unite to promote the ideals of democracy for all. He has given interviews observing “”Today I’m living in the departure lounge, waiting for my delayed flight to leave.”” A highly incisive and compelling biography of Ram Jethmalani always the rebel.

TR

(T R Ramachandran is a senior journalist and commentator.)
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With five billion more people set to join the virtual world, digital connectivity is set to expand further and very rapidly. With this, it will usher gains in productivity, health, education, quality of life, and economic productivity, among others. In this context, organisations today must be agile and adaptive to be able to easily connect, transfer and share knowledge, deal with big data sets and, finally, find innovative ways to engage with their communities to achieve desirable and sustainable socio-economic outcomes. 

While addressing the International Conference on Digital Libraries (ICDL) 2016, Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director-General TERI underscored the importance of national approaches to managing knowledge, especially through the adoption of new digital technologies in this digital era. 

He said: “The core objective of the International Conference on Digital Libraries (ICDL) 2016 conference is to discuss perspectives on how planning for smart cities and other important aspects of our emerging urban lives must factor in the increasingly crucial role played by sophisticated and appropriate ICT tools and software services to intelligently manage, analyse and predict,  how our smart future could look like. This will ensure how countries and their institutions plan and build entirely new ecosystems in areas such as public security, air quality and pollution, public health environmental sustainability, socioeconomic innovation, participatory governance, better public services, planning and collaborative decision-making.”

Ms Donna Scheeder, IFLA President & Deputy Chief Information Officer, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, USA, said, “It is important for an institution to lead the change technology than lead by external sources to gain business advantage. There is a need to bridge the digital knowledge gap across the globe. This can also help in achieving the goal of eradicating poverty.”

This year the conference is being attended by dignitaries from India and abroad. A total of 120 speakers from 22 countries will be participating in more than 30 sessions during the summit. The conference will witness a vibrant mix of academic papers, practitioner presentations, seminars, keynotes, discussions, workshops, and exhibitions by national and international conference delegates on a range of themes and subjects like innovation and knowledge management, social media and analytics, Big Data, analytics and artificial intelligence, new digital technologies like cloud computing and the Internet of Things, among others.

The journey of ICDL began in 2004 with financial and intellectual support from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The first conference was inaugurated by late Hon’ble Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the then President of India. Seeing overwhelming responses from all corners — government, librarians, and publishers – ICDL was repeated in 2006, 2010 and 2013.

The four-day conference is a part of TERI’s on-going efforts to create a better world for future generations through the adoption of new digital technologies. ICDL 2016 will not only create a roadmap for a smart future, but it will also try to tell us how to prepare ourselves for new challenges and opportunities in this transformative digital age.

The three strategic objectives of the conference, include predicting the future, preparing for the future and, finally, taking requisite actions to apply this knowledge to create, what is being called the ‘Smart Future’.  “

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India and Indonesia on Monday decided to strengthen their defence and maritime security relations and resolved to address the issue of terrorism.

The two sides condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations in the strongest terms, emphasizing zero tolerance for acts of terror.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the visiting Indonesian President Joko Widodo held delegation level talks in the national Capital and called upon all countries to implement the UNSC Resolution and other relevant resolutions.

They also called upon all countries to work towards eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, in disrupting terrorist networks and financing channels, and stopping cross-border terrorism. The two leaders during their talks agreed to build a strong economic and development partnership to strengthen the flow of trade, capital and people between the two countries.

In a statement, Mr Modi expressed confidence that Monday’s discussions and the agreements will help add new vigour to the strategic engagement.

Earlier the two countries signed three agreements in various areas including youth affairs and sports, fishing and standardization to enhance strategic partnership.

Prime Minister said, he and Mr Widodo also agreed to prioritize defense and security cooperation to ensure safety and security of sea lanes, disaster response and environmental protection.

Mr Modi said, the partnership between the two countries will also be increased for combating terrorism, organized crime, drugs and human trafficking.

The two countries agreed for an early implementation of India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement in Services and investment, and finalization of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Indonesian President said his visit will strengthen trade and economic relations between the two countries. To improve direct connectivity Indonesian airlines Garuda is commencing direct flights from Jakarta to Mumbai.

Later in a joint statement, both India and Indonesia emphasised the importance of pluralism, democracy, and rule of law as important values to achieve peaceful co-existence. They also agreed to have annual Summit meetings, including on the margins of multilateral events.

The two leaders recognized that access to reliable, clean and affordable energy is important for economic growth of both the countries. Recognizing the popularity and affect of films on the youth and in tourism promotion, the two sides agreed to finalize an agreement for cooperation in the film industry.

In the morning on Monday, Mr. Widodo was accorded ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. He arrived in New Delhi for a two-day visit to India on Sunday night. President Widodo is accompanied by a high level delegation including several cabinet ministers, senior officials and a 22 member business delegation.”

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With due apologies here is an amended famous quote from the commencement address to the Wellesley College, 1996 by Nora Ephron ( May 19, 1941 – June 26, 2012), an American journalist, essayist, playwright, screenwriter, novelist, producer, director, and blogger.

“Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady (litigant). I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women (litigants).””

On December 6 SN Sahu, a citizen learnt this at a very pecuniary cost after Justice Valmiki Mehta imposed an exemplary cost of Rs. 3 lakh for his sixth writ petition against Rajya Sabha Secretariat seeking cancellation of the appointments of two persons as Additional Secretaries of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.

This concept of filing a new writ petition essentially for getting earlier admitted writ petitions heard is an unheard concept and argument and needs to be put down with heavy hand, the Court said.

The Delhi High Court imposed the cost on the person who had filed successive writ petitions on the same issue, for getting earlier admitted writ petitions heard.

The court held that the present writ petition seeking relief in the nature of quo warrant is not maintainable because there is no pleading in the writ petition as to which statutory provision is violated in the appointments.

Noting the successive writ petitions were filed on the same facts and causes of action, the court observed:

“This concept of filing a new writ petition essentially for getting earlier admitted writ petitions heard is an unheard concept and argument and needs to be put down with heavy hands. Petitioner cannot expect that there is only one case of his in this court for being decided and this court does not have cases of hundreds and thousands of other petitioners who are silently waiting for their turn in queue for their cases to be heard on merits.”

Dismissing the writ petition, the court said, “This writ petition is dismissed with costs of Rs. 3 lakh noting that the petitioner has enough money for filing sequential judicial proceedings in this court”.

About the author: PCI Babai is a Delhi based practicing hack, a cynic to core.”

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The latest World Health Organization’s (WHO) World Malaria Report 2016 has said that children and pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa have greater access to effective malaria control but in many countries in the region, substantial gaps in programme coverage remain. The report says across the region, a steep increase in diagnostic testing for children and preventive treatment for pregnant women has been reported over the last five years. Among all populations at risk of malaria, the use of insecticide-treated nets has expanded rapidly.

Funding shortfalls and fragile health systems are undermining overall progress, jeopardizing the attainment of global targets. Scale-up in malaria control Sub-Saharan Africa carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden, the report says.

In 2015, the region was home to 90% of malaria cases and 92% of malaria deaths. Children under five are particularly vulnerable, accounting for an estimated 70% of all malaria deaths. Diagnostic testing enables health providers to rapidly detect malaria and prescribe life-saving treatment. New findings presented in the report show that, in 2015, approximately half (51%) of children with a fever seeking care at a public health facility in 22 African countries received a diagnostic test for malaria compared to 29% in 2010.

To protect women in areas of moderate and high malaria transmission in Africa, WHO recommends “intermittent preventive treatmentin pregnancy” (ITPp) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. The treatment, administered at each scheduled antenatal care visit after the first trimester, can prevent maternal and infant mortality, anaemia and the other adverse effects of malaria in pregnancy. According to available data, there was a five-fold increase in the percentage of women receiving the recommended three or more doses of this preventive treatment in 20 African countries. Coverage reached 31% in 2015, up from 6% in 2010. Insecticide-treated nets are the cornerstone of malaria prevention efforts in Africa. The report found that more than half (53%) of the population at risk in sub-Saharan Africa slept under a treated net in 2015 compared to 30% in 2010.

An unfinished agenda Malaria remains an acute public health problem, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the report, there were 212 million new cases of malaria and 429 000 deaths worldwide in 2015. There are still substantial gaps in the coverage of core malaria control tools. In 2015, an estimated 43% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa was not protected by treated nets or indoor spraying with insecticides, the primary methods of malaria vector control. In many countries, health systems are under-resourced and poorly accessible to those most at risk of malaria. In 2015, a large proportion (36%) of children with a fever were not taken to a health facility for care in 23 African countries.

 Ã¢Â€ÂœWe are definitely seeing progress,” notes Dr Pedro Alonso, Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme. “But the world is still struggling to achieve the high levels of programme coverage that are needed to beat this disease.” Global targets At the 2015 World Health Assembly, Member States adopted the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016-2030. The Strategy set ambitious targets for 2030 with milestones every five years to track progress. Eliminating malaria in at least 10 countries is a milestone for 2020. The report shows that prospects for reaching this target are bright: In 2015, 10 countries and territories reported fewer than 150 indigenous cases of malaria, and a further 9 countries reported between 150 and 1000 cases. Countries that have achieved at least 3 consecutive years of zero indigenous cases of malaria are eligible to apply for the WHO certification of malaria elimination.

In recent months, the WHO Director-General certified that Kyrgyzstan and Sri Lanka had eliminated malaria. But progress towards other key targets must be accelerated. The Strategy calls for a 40% reduction in malaria case incidence by the year 2020, compared to a 2015 baseline. According to the report, less than half (40) of the 91 countries and territories with malaria are on track to achieve this milestone. Progress has been particularly slow in countries with a high malaria burden. An urgent need for more funding sustained and sufficient funding for malaria control is a serious challenge. Despite a steep increase in global investment for malaria between 2000 and 2010, funding has since flat-lined. In 2015, malaria funding totalled US$ 2.9 billion, representing only 45% of the funding milestone for 2020 (US$6.4 billion). 

Governments of malaria-endemic countries provided about 32% of total malaria funding in 2015. The United States of America is the largest international malaria funder, accounting for about 35% of total funding in 2015, followed by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (16%). If global targets are to be met, funding from both domestic and international sources must increase substantially.”

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Rajya Sabha has passed The Right of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014 which will replace the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 when passed by Lok Sabha. The Bill was passed with amendments which seek to include disabilities caused by Parkinsons’s Disease and acid attack under the purview of the proposed law.

According to the 2011 Census, the number of disabled in India stands at 2.68 crore, or 2.21 per cent of the population. The Bill will bring a larger number of differently abled people under its purview as it recognises more disablities as compared to the 1995 Act. Apart from this, the Bill also complies with the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The legislation  has been pending in Rajya Sabha since 2014, and was piloted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on the recommendations of the Sudha Kaul Committee. 

The Bill covers 19 conditions, instead of seven disabilities specified in the Act. While the 1995 Act recognised 7 disabilities — blindness, low vision, leprosy-cured, hearing impairment, locomotor disability, mental retardation and mental illness, the 2014 Bill was expanded to cover 19 conditions– including cerebral palsy, haemophilia, multiple sclerosis, autism and thalassaemia among others. Apart from listing these disabilities, the Bill has also laid down provisions to allow the central government to notify any other condition as a disability.

The Bill also entitles individuals with at least 40 per cent of a disability to benefits like reservations in education and employment, preference in government schemes and others. While the 1995 law had 3 per cent reservation for the disabled in higher education institutions and government, the 2014 Bill raised the ceiling to 5 per cent, adding 1 per cent each for mental illnesses and multiple disabilities.

Several rights and entitlements — including disabled friendly access to all public buildings Ã¢Â€Â” are conferred on the disabled individuals. All establishments, private and government, have to ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with barrier-free access in buildings, transport systems and all kinds of public infrastructure, and are not discriminated against in matters of employment.

According to the Bill, the District courts may award two types of guardianship in the case of mentally ill person. While a limited guardian is to take joint decisions with the mentally ill person, the plenary guardian takes decisions on behalf of the mentally ill person, without consulting them.

While the 1995 Act has no penal provision, the 2014 Bill had made violation of any provision of the Act punishable with a jail term of up to 6 months, and/or a fine of Rs 10,000. Subsequent violations could attract a jail term of up to 2 years and/or a fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh.

Meanwhile, the disability groups have welcomed the passage of the Bill with the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled that they had undertaken a countrywide campaign ever since the Standing Committee had submitted its recommendations in May 2015.

“”We welcome the fact that some of the major concerns we had raised with regard to certain provisions contained in the Bill have been addressed through official amendments. One of the major amendments concern bringing private entities within the purview of the definition of “”establishment.”” Another glaring inadequacy in the Bill was the definition of “”discrimination””, which has now been passed as an official amendments. The definition with regard to communication has been changed ti include sign language as well as video and visual displays,’’ the Platform said in a statement.”

“Both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the main opposition party Congress continued their war of words over demonetisation. If the latest verbal duel between Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Congress leader P. Chidambaram, a former Finance and Home minister in UPA regime, is any indication, there is likelihood that both sides will remain adamant in their approach and the last three days of Parliament’s winter session are well heading towards a total washout. Mr. Jaitley hit out at the Congress on Tuesday, alleging that the party did not take a single step against corruption or black money in its 10 years of rule at the Centre when the Congress-led UPA government was in power. Talking to media, the Finance Minister said, corruption peaked during Congress regime. He said, it is not surprising that Congress is uncomfortable with NDA campaign against black money.

The Finance Minister said the government is now rapidly completing the demonetisation scheme, and substantial amounts of new currency will be injected in next three weeks. The Minister urged the Opposition to rise above slogans and join the campaign against black money, saying government is ready to debate this issue in Parliament.He said that high denomination notes, as percentage of total currency in circulation, increased from a mere 36 per cent to over 80 per cent during UPA regime. “”There are economic costs of dealing in cash, there are social costs of dealing in cash. These are the costs which system has to bear,”” he said. Demonetisation, he said, is part of the system overhaul by the NDA government. Ã¢Â€ÂœIt is our strategy that from high cash-dominated economy we should become a less cash economy where the amount of paper currency comes down,” he said. Cash will exist but there would be greater digital payments.
The provocation for Mr. Jaitley to respond came when earlier former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram termed the demonetisation move as the biggest scam of the year. He questioned how new notes of 2000 rupees were hoarded by several people despite cap on withdrawal.”

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Nearly two weeks after Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa died, her close confidant of past several decades Sasikala Natarajan is all set to take over as chief of the AIADMK party. 

The decision to appoint Sasikala as AIADMK General Secretary was taken after a wide cross section of the party expressed the desire for her to lead the party, seeing in her a look-alike image of Jayalalithaa “”Amma”” and also as one who was her conscience keeper despite several highs and lows. 

Once considered a rank outsider, Sasikala, fondly called Chinamma (Amma’s younger sister) is the right choice to step into Amma’s shoes. She will first be made the all powerful general secretary of the party before displacing incumbent chief minister O Paneerselvam. It is seen as a masterstroke of political manoeuvring.

Is this what Amma would have wanted following her death. That is anybody’s guess. The ministers and Amma’s legion of admirers have suddenly found in Sasikala or “”Chinamma or younger mother”” shades of Jayalalithaa. They believe she is the right choice to carry forward the legacy of Amma having run the AIADMK with an iron grip and taking all the decisions for no less than 27. 

No mean record this even though it appears to be a mere formality for the General Council of the AIADMK to formalise Sasikala’s status as the numero uno of the party which in turn ensures her elevation as chief ministership.

Given the cult status of Jayalalithaa in the AIADMK, there were questions initially about “”who after amma?”” The answer to that was hazy though an internal tussle for the leadership stakes was not entirely ruled out. For all practical intents and purposes the transition is expected to be a smooth affair as evidenced so far.

Certain sections of the party have suggested that the post of general secretary of the AIADMK held by Jayalalithaa should remain with the late Amma for all time to come. Deep down all AIADMK watchers have lingering doubts if Sasikala can ensure Amma’s vice like grip over the party. There is speculation that the general secretary’s post can be redesignated as “”Additional general secretary”” or what have you which again will be decided by the General Council of the party which is expected to meet soon.

AIADMK spokesperson C Ponnaiyan made it clear “”we will elect a person who takes care of the cadres and follows Amma’s footsteps.”” The party has made it clear that “”in terms of calibre Ms Natarajan fits that bill.”” 

With the political situation in Tamil Nadu undergoing some queer twists and turns, the Centre with the BJP in the vanguard is reportedly calling the shots in a determined bid to keep the AIADMK united. The lotus party’s strategists believe it has a great opportunity to enlarge its sphere of influence in the country’s south.  

Jayalalithaa was not only a shrewd politician but held sway over the masses. If she felt having an understanding with any party irrespective of the stature of the leader did not suit the interests of the southern state she just severed ties without batting an eyelid. 

A case in point is when BJP stalwart Atal Behari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister for the first time heading a 26-party disparate coalition, Jayalalithaa resolved to part ways in 1998 after being with them for 13 months as they failed to withdraw the corruption cases against her. 

The AIADMK is at the crossroads as never before hugely handicapped as it lacked a leader of Jayalalithaa’s eminence and charisma. The political vacuum in the AIADMK has virtually catapulted “”chinna Amma”” in replacing Amma. Saikala’s husband Natarajan has played his part in ensuring his wife becomes the chief minister. 

With Jayalalithaa securing a second consecutive term in office at Fort St George earlier this year in May, the DMK acknowledged “”Amma will never be forgotten in the state.”” The wily DMK patriarch and former chief minister M Karunanidhi and his aides are trying to induce defections of no less than twenty AIADMK MLAs so that the ruling party becomes a minority in the 234-member state assembly.

In a coup of sorts well past midnight on December fifth when Jayalalithaa was declared dead, Sasikala managed to secure the signature of all the 136 party MLAs on a blank sheet of paper. This paves the way for her becoming the general secretary of the AIADMK.

Being a personality based party thanks to former chief minister M G Ramachandran who broke away from the DMK and formed the AIADMK, it has deliberately ignored developing a second rung leadership. Appeal for votes during elections are made by the leader who is idolised by the party’s supporters. The AIADMK has four-and-a-half years remaining before completing its five year term in 2021. The die hard supporters of Amma insist there is no substitute or replacement for Jayalalithaa.

The Lotus party’s advantage stems from the AIADMK being rudderless. The Sasikala-Natarajan duo are hoping to cash in on the prevailing situation of flux. This has been bolstered with chief minister Paneerselvam and all the other ministers eating out of Sasikala’s hands.

The Lotus party’s presence in the Lok Sabha from the country’s south having a tally of 130 seats is dismal. The AIADMK’s combined strength in the two Houses of Parliament is an eye popping 50. It will be to the Centre’s advantage not to disturb the status quo in the AIADMK at least till the crucial election of the President is completed. The term of the incumbent Head of State Pranab Mukherjee ends in July next year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is keen that a ruling BJP stalwart is installed in Rashtrapati Bhawan for the first time. For this he needs to shore up the votes in the electoral college which elects the President. The BJP is nowhere in power in the south comprising Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana along with the lone union territory of Puducherry. 

The BJP is also handicapped because of being in a minority in the Rajya Sabha. What is of significance is that the saffron brigade needs to win big in the most crucial assembly elections in UP early next year. 

They appear to be on shaky ground for the moment because of the problems connected with the big ticket demonetisation on the night of eighth December. Sasikala is hoping to contest from Amma’s constituency of R K Nagar in the state capital. This will be her real test. The imponderables in this daring and brazen gambit can also dash Sasikala’s hopes. That is when the chances of all hell breaking lose and the AIADMK splitting cannot be ruled out. 

Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha M Thambi Durai has lost out to Sasikala in becoming the general secretary of the AIADMK. They want him to continue in the national capital because of his contacts with the central leadership. The prospects of his induction in Modi’s cabinet cannot be ruled out as it will send an unambiguous signal that the Centre will protect the interests of Tamil Nadu.

During her reign, Jayalalithaa preferred the dominant Gounder community members as ministers in her cabinet. They hail from western Tamil Nadu and have taken a march over the others like the Thevars, Nadars, Vanniyars and Dalits.

(T R Ramachandran is a senior journalist and commentator. Views are personal.)”