The finance ministry has proposed to decriminalise a host of minor offences, including those relating to cheque bounce and repayment of loans, in as many as 19 legislations to help businesses tide over the crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The 19 legislations include Negotiable Instruments Act (cheque bounce), SARFAESI Act (repayment of bank loans), LIC Act, PFRDA Act, RBI Act, NHB Act, Banking Regulation Act and Chit Funds Act.
The information and broadcasting ministry has issued a stern advisory to all TV channels against telecasting programmes promoting superstitions, occult practices and blind belief, warning that punitive action will be taken in case of any violations. The advisory comes in the wake of the civil society and many media critics expressing concern over a flood of such programmes of late -- especially on Hindi and regional language channels -- to garner TRPs.
'Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society'.
Police personnel on Tuesday staged a protest outside the police headquarters, days after a clash broke out between police and lawyers at Tis Hazari Court premises.
'If prices of everyday consumption don't come down, employment doesn't pick up, 2020 will not be a happy year for anyone but the super rich,' notes Sherna Gandhy.
Roy accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of telling a "lie" at his Ramlila Ground rally in New Delhi on Sunday that his government never said anything about the NRC process and that there are no detention camps in the country.
Finance Minister pegs 2011-12 growth at 8.6 per cent, expects inflation to fall to 6-7 per cent by end of the financial year.
Srinagar, which is no stranger to angry protests, on Saturday witnessed a demonstration with a difference as civil society activists took to the streets to protest the growing menace of stray dogs in the city.
'You cannot implement such a huge exercise, which is bound to cause misery to millions, without studying every aspect of its consequences, economic and social,' notes Sherna Gandhy.
'It's waging an offensive with no seeming precedent.' 'The fact that it's now entering cities, as opposed to remaining massed around their perimeters, is a game changer.'
One of the suspects Arsalan, a friend of prime suspect Mohammad Hassan who married the Sikh girl, has been arrested.
FIFA has admitted that it would be using the next World Cup to display FIFA's zero-tolerance policy against any form of discrimination, in view of receiving widespread criticism of its lackluster efforts in Brazil during the World Cup held earlier this year.
Various civil society groups on Wednesday gathered in support of the arrested IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt, and alleged that the Narendra Modi government was trying to create atmosphere of fear by suppressing those who speak the truth.
Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh has advised veteran social activist Anna Hazare, who turned 74 today, to refrain from going on frequent fasts due to his old age even as he sharpened his attack on Baba Ramdev.
Hany Babu Musaliyarveettil Tharayil, 54, a resident of Gautam Buddha Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, is an associate professor in the Department of English
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das and Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg are also expected to attend the meetings.
The 114 veterans wrote that issues like vigilantism and "targeting of Muslims and Dalits" have "compelled" them to pen the letter
The records of the debate are expected to be sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee examining the Lokpal Bill
Aruna Roy, prominent member of civil society, chairman of the National Campaign for People's Right to Information, and an alternative voice in the ongoing debate on the Lokpal Bill, speaks to Rediff.com
The second part of lawyer and brain behind the Anna Hazare campaign, Prashant Bhushan's interview to rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
Over the past few months, the overall interest in chess is reported to have doubled, with more players than ever coming together to participate in chess events that are being increasingly held through online platforms
Pakistan's telecom regulator on Tuesday postponed the implementation of a directive to block nearly 1,700 "offensive" words from SMS messages, saying the matter would be sorted out after discussions with the civil society. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority's move to filter over 1,100 English words and terms and 586 Urdu words and phrases from text messages had been met with outrage and ridicule by consumers and rights activists.
Activist Anna Hazare claims that 85 per cent people in Telecom and Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal's constituency in Chandni Chowk, Delhi, support the draft Lokpal Bill drawn up by 'civil society' activists.
Civil society groups in insurgency-hit Manipur have been carrying on with their campaign for withdrawal of 'draconian' 1958 Armed Forces Special Powers Act, alleging that security forces operating in the state often resort to excesses taking advantage of the Act in force.
'I don't believe that it beholds democracies like us who claim to be the largest democracy in the world, to have such a thin skin about the possibility of foreign commentary.'
Off late there has been a lot of talk regarding the necessity to have a judicial accountability bill. Even when the Lokpal Bill was being debated, the inclusion of judges into Lokpal's ambit was strongly opposed by the government despite members of the civil society urging the government to make such an inclusion.
Professor Niraj Verma, operational head of the first India Chair in Democracy and Civil Society in the US, in conversation with Aziz Haniffa
They are also upset with the Delhi government for not standing with the victims and the Centre for delayed deployment of security forces.
The Assam government is not considering the appeal from some civil society pro-peace groups to grant general amnesty to the members and the leaders of the pro-talks faction of United Liberation Front of Assam.
An NGO, seeking removal of former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan as the National Human Rights Commission chairman for his alleged misconduct, on Monday told the Supreme Court that a key document of the Centre on probe into disproportionate assets against him and his kins has gone "missing" from the apex court files.
In the third and final part of the interview with rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa, Subhash Gatade, author of Godse's Children -- Hindutva Terror In India, says that we should be wary of the majoritarian mindset which dominates what is known as civil society of our country.
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Monday demanded the registration of a case of sedition against leading Supreme Court lawyer and Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan. Ramdev said, "What Bhushan said in reference to Kashmir was highly seditious and cannot be condoned." According to him, "The language used by Bhushan does not behove a prominent member of civil society that was taking up a huge social cause, therefore there was every reason to restrain him".
Asserting that violence can't be the solution to get rid of the rampant corruption prevailing in the country, veteran social activist Anna Hazare's key aide Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that he has been receiving messages about his office being attacked, and termed the whole episode to be a conspiracy against civil society activists.
The Congress on Monday hit back at L K Advani for describing it as a 'fiefdom' of a single family, saying his views reflect "his frustration from unfulfilled desires".
It is unlikely Brigadier Raja Rizwan was working for RA&W, notes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the world needs sustainable development.
Right to Information activist Arvind Kejriwal has been in the forefront of the massively publicised movement to demand a Lokpal Bill. A close associate of Gandhian Anna Hazare, Kejriwal has staunchly defended the movement and rebuffed many allegations made against civil society activists by the ruling Congress party. He has also taken on senior Congress leaders like Digvijaya Singh and Pranab Mukherjee who had taken pot shots at Hazare's movement.
Anna Hazare-led activists on Monday reacted sharply Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for accusing the civil society of trying to undermine democracy and said his statement betrayed a "distorted understanding of democracy and arrogance of power".
Under pressure from civil society to take concrete action on black money, the government said on Monday it has enough tools to deal with transactions arising from non-cooperative jurisdictions and would take action as and when necessary.
Participate in the All India Essay Competition and win a chance to earn $ 1000 or apply for degree in homeopathy at NIH, Kolkata.
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