Issue 262

22 19/07/2018 NEWS LITERATURE POLITICS FASHION ART & CULTURE KIDS RELIGION FILMS
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Plastic bags
consumption reduces
by 80% in Israel
Tel Aviv :
Israeli consumption of plastic
bags decreased by 80 per cent in 2017
than the year before, according to Israeli
Environment Ministry on Sunday.
The Ministry said sharp reduction was
attributed mainly to a law from 2016 that
put restrictions on big supermarkets chains,
Xinhua reported. The “plastic bag law” was
sponsored by the Environment Ministry in
order to reduce environmental pollution
from plastic. Supermarkets in Israel have
supplied customers with more than a billion
plastic bags per year for free before 2016.
Since the bill came into effect, the supermarkets
were forced to charge about $0.027
for one bag. Nowadays, the Ministry said, it
works on a new plan to continue the reduction
of plastic bags usage not only in supermarkets
but in all the stores in Israel.
Hyundai Motor
India to hike
GRAND i10 prices
New Delhi : Automobile major
Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) on Tuesday
said that it will hike the prices of its
"GRAND i10"
by up to 3 per
cent due to
increase in
input and material
costs.
According to
the company, the revised prices will be
implemented from August 2018.
SC issues guidelines to check lynching, mobocracy
Modi seeks opposition's cooperation in Parliament session
New Delhi : Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on Tuesday sought
cooperation of opposition parties for
smooth running of Parliament during
the monsoon session, saying the opposition
raising its issues also gives the
government an opportunity to get
feedback, reconsider its position and
move forward. Modi, who was speaking
at an all-party meeting here a day
before the start of the monsoon session,
said it is expectation and hope of
the people that Parliament should run
smoothly and there should be discussions.
Opposition parties raised their
issues at the meeting with Samajwadi
Party (SP) talking about a University
Grants Commission (UGC) notification
issued in March this year that
"will have an impact on the reservation
for weaker sections in teaching
jobs in universities".
SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav told
reporters later that the party will not
New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Tuesday
issued 22 guidelines for the central and state governments
to put an end to "horrendous acts" of vigilantism,
lynching and mobocracy and directed
them to work in tandem to take "preventive, remedial
and punitive measures". A three-member Bench
headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also suggested
that Parliament enact a law categorising lynching
and other forms of vigilantism as a distinct offence
and providing for adequate punishment. "A special
law would instill a sense of fear," the Bench
explained in its oral observations while hearing a
batch of petitions seeking the court's intervention to
reign in vigilante groups who have become active of
late across the country. Of the 22 guidelines listed in
the order, 12 dealt with preventive steps, nine with
remedial measures and one punitive action against
the police officers found wanting at any stage - prevention,
investigation and expeditious trial. The
departmental action "shall be taken to its logical
conclusion preferably within six months," it said.
The other members of the Bench were Justice
A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud.
The erring police officers may also be made to
face action, other than departmental, it said.
The apex court asked the state governments to
identify within three weeks the districts, sub-divisions
and villages where instances of lynching and
mob violence have been reported in the last five
years. Each district should have a nodal officer, at
least in the rank of SP, who will direct all the station
house officers in the identified areas to be "extra
cautious". The nodal officers should hold regular
meetings, at least once a month, with the "local
intelligence units" in the district along with all
SHOs to identify the existence of tendencies of vigilantism,
mob violence or lynching. Steps should be
taken to prohibit instances of dissemination of
offensive material through different social media
platforms or any other means for inciting such tendencies.
"The nodal officer shall also make efforts
allow Parliament to function if it does
not get a positive assurance from the
government on the issue.
He said the UGC notification,
which mentioned that the number of
reserved faculty posts across universities
shall be calculated departmentwise
and not based on the aggregate
vacant posts in a university, will drastically
affect recruitment of weaker
to eradicate hostile environment against any community."
"The Home Department must take the initiative
and work in coordination with the state governments
for sensitising the law enforcement agencies
and by involving all the stake holders to identify
the measures for prevention of mob violence and
lynching against any caste or community."
The court asked the Centre and state governments
to broadcast on radio, TV and other media
platforms, including the official websites of the
Home Department and the police, that lynching and
mob violence will invite serious consequence under
the law. The bench also suggested a compensation
scheme which must have a provision for interim
relief to the victims within 30 days of the incident.
The cases of lynching and mob violence shall be
specifically tried by designated/fast track courts in
each district, said the court, adding that such courts
shall hold trial on a day-to-day basis and the trial
shall preferably be concluded within six months.
The police should register FIRs against those
who disseminate irresponsible and explosive messages
and videos. The bench recommended formation
of special task force to gather intelligence about
those likely to commit such crimes or who are
involved in spreading hate speeches, provocative
statements and fake news.
sections.
He said the policy being followed
by the government will make it nearly
impossible for a scheduled tribe candidate
to avail benefits of reservation
in jobs in universities and make it very
difficult for candidates belonging to
the other backward classes and the
scheduled castes.
"The vacancies for central universities
that have been advertised do not
have a single reserve category post,"
he said. Parliamentary Affairs
Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters
that the meeting was held in a very
good atmosphere.
He said the Congress and other
opposition parties said that they will
cooperate fully in smooth functioning
of the House. Kumar said Modi, who
spoke in the end, told the leaders that
if they raise their issues in the Lok
Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, it will be
beneficial for the country.
"If the house runs, it is a win-win
situation for the ruling party, the
opposition and the people of the country.
When opposition will raise issues,
ask questions, discuss, it will provide
the government an opportunity to
reconsider (its position) and move
ahead," Kumar said citing Modi. He
said Modi told the leaders that every
effort should be made for smooth running
of Parliament.
Punjab GoM nod for new policy on
regularisation of illegal colonies
Chandigarh : Despite reservations
from some Ministers and legislators, a
draft policy framed by the Punjab government
for the regularisation of illegal
colonies was approved by a Group of
Ministers here on Tuesday with some
modifications.
"The policy was deliberated upon
minutely and after some modifications a
consensus on the same was reached,"
Housing and Urban Development
Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa
said after the meeting here. The meeting
was attended by Cabinet Ministers
Navjot Singh Sidhu, Sukhbinder Singh
Sarkaria, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Bharat
Bhushan Ashu, Sunder Sham Arora and
Vijay Inder Singla. Congress legislators,
senior officials of departments concerned
and colonisers also attended.
Bajwa told the media that the modified
draft would be sent to Chief
Minister Amarinder Singh this week for
his approval after which it would be
sent placed before the Cabinet for
approval. "Major relief has been given
to people and colonisers while modifying
the policy in view of the Chief
Minister's instructions
and promises made in
the Congress election
manifesto. Efforts
have been made to
consider the interests
of all stakeholders
while framing the new
policy," the Minister
said.
He said that priority
has been accorded
to implementation of
suggestions regarding
development of these
colonies as well as
securing the interests of their residents.
Colonisers and property dealers welcomed
the proposed policy and assured
that in future no coloniser would develop
an illegal colony, he said.
In the past couple of decades, a number
of illegal colonies without prior
approval from departments concerned
and not part of the urban planning have
sprung up across Punjab as authorities
looked the other way. People have built
houses in these illegal colonies and
demolishing these is practically impossible
for the state government.
The regularisation will help the residents
of these illegal colonies access
basic facilities like power, water and
sewerage connections and roads.
Sri Lankan medicines to be protected under
international intellectual property system
Colombo : Sri Lanka has announced that it is moving its centuries-old folk
medicine system for protection under the international intellectual property system.
On Saturday, Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishard Bathiudeen said
the government was working with the World Intellectual Property Organisation
(WIPO) for the last five years to introduce intellectual property support to Sri
Lanka’s traditional, indigenous medicine system, reports Xinhua news agency.
Sri Lanka’s very own indigenous medical practice is centuries old and coexists
with the country’s Ayurveda practice. “Ayurveda practice is a long-standing
tradition in Sri Lanka existing with our indigenous medicine system. Similar to
our local medicine system, it supports our wellness and medical tourism development
as well,” Bathiudeen said.