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Archives for November 2018

Survey says most people unaware of Good Samaritan Law

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 A majority of the population is still unaware of the Good Samaritan Law which provides legal protection to bystanders who come to the aid of road accident victims, a national survey revealed on Monday.

SaveLIFE, a non-profit organisation, said 84 per cent are still unaware about their new rights even after two years of the Supreme Court judgement bringing into force the Good Samaritan Law.

The survey also revealed that though there has been an increase in the general willingness to help the victims, from 26 per cent in 2013 to 88 per cent in 2018, “in terms of concrete actions, the willingness to help the victims is still low”.

“Out of the respondents willing to help, only 29 per cent were willing to escort the victim to a hospital, 28 per cent were willing to call an ambulance and only 12 per cent said they would call the police,” the report by SaveLIFE said.

The study was conducted by MDRA across 11 cities — Delhi, Jaipur, Kanpur, Varanasi, Ludhiana, Bengaluru Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Indore and Kolkata. The sample size included 3,667 respondents including from the police, hospital administration, medical practitioners and trial court lawyers.

The survey also found that in total violation of the Supreme Court judgement, none of the hospitals surveyed had displayed a good Samaritan charter at their entrance, enumerating the rights of the people who bring or accompany the injured to the hospital.

“State and Central governments, Transport Ministry and hospitals need to create awareness about the law. Hospitals should put stickers on their entrance and schools should teach children about the law,” said Ajai Chowdhry, a recipient of Padma Bhushan and the HCL founder.

The report revealed that 96 per cent of the surveyed medical professionals admitted to not having a Good Samaritan law committee in their hospitals and 64 per cent of the surveyed police personnel admitted that they still take personal details of the Good Samaritan.

Commenting on the research report, Piyush Tewari, Foundation of the Good Samaritan Law citizens and CEO, SaveLIFE Foundation said, “It is quite evident from the study that even two years after the institution of the Good Samaritan Law, citizens are unaware of their new rights. So, people are still hesitant to help. Moreover, implementation of the SC judgement, even at the official level, has been remarkably low.”

Tewari suggested that the need of the hour is for states to translate the SC judgment into a State Good Samaritan Law.

IANS

SC pulls up Karnataka police over Kalburgi murder probe

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  The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the Karnataka police for not doing anything to unearth the murder of the rationalist M.M. Kalburgi outside his home in Dharwad on August 30, 2015.

“What have you done so far? You are just fooling around,” said the bench of Justice Fali Nariman and Justice Navin Sinha asking the state police to spell out how much time it would require to complete the investigation.

The strong observation from the bench came in the course of hearing of a petition by Uma Mallinath Devi, the widow of Kalburgi, seeking an SIT probe into his murder.

The top court had on January 10 sought the Centre’s response on a plea for the SIT probe.

Uma Devi had requested that the SIT be headed by either a retired judge of the top court or of a High court.

The notice was also been issued to CBI, NIA, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa governments.

IANS

Very poor Delhi air on misty Tuesday morning

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New Delhi It was a misty morning here on Tuesday with the air quality dipping to very poor levels with haze, as the Met recorded the minimum temperature at 10.7 degree Celsius, a notch above average.

“The sky will remain partly cloudy, but there is no chance of any rainfall,” an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said adding that there was shallow fog at day break.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi continued to breathe ‘very poor’ air with the AQI (Air Quality Index) being at 358. The major air pollutants were PM 2.5 and PM 10.

The maximum temperature was likely to hover around 28 degrees Celsius and the humidity at 8.30 a.m. was 93 per cent.

Monday’s maximum temperature settled at 26.8 degrees, a notch above season’s average, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 10.5 degree Celsius, a notch below the season’s average.

[IANS]

Thousands bid emotional adieu to Kannada actor Ambareesh

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 Thousands of people, including celebrities and political leaders, bid an emotional farewell to iconic Kannada actor M.H. Ambareesh at a state funeral here on Monday.

Ambareesh, 66, popularly known as a ‘rebel star’, died on Saturday night following a cardiac arrest at a hospital.

Ambareesh’s only son Abhishek lit the funeral pyre after the state reserve police gave a gun salute and a police band sounded the bugle at the state-run Kanteerava Studio in the city’s northwest suburb.

The last rites were performed as per Vokkaliga tradition and about 250 kg of firewood, including sandalwood, was used for the pyre.

The funeral site of the former Lok Sabha member from Congress and ex-Union Minister in the Studio is located adjacent to the memorial of Kannada matinee idol Rajkumar, who passed away in April 2006.

The funeral was delayed by two hours as the flower-bedecked cortege, carrying the body in a glass casket, took more than three hours to reach the Studio from the Kanteerava Stadium in the city centre.

Though vehicular traffic was cleared for the funeral procession on the 15 km route and hundreds of police personnel were deployed en route, the cortege moved slowly as lakhs thronged the route for a final glimpse of the popular actor, draped in tricolour with the famous Mysuru ‘peta’ (headgear) crowning his head.

Sandalwood stars Srinath, Jai Jagadish, Shiva Rajkumar, Puneeth Rajkumar, Upendra and Jaggesh, Telugu actor Mohan Babu and multi-lingual actress Jaya Prada were among the many from film world who attended the funeral.

Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, many cabinet ministers, including D.K. Shivakumar and H.D. Revanna, Congress state President Dinesh Gundu Rao, BJP state unit president B.Y. Yeddyurappa and other political leaders and lawmakers were present at the funeral.

Ambareesh entered filmdom through the role of ‘Jaleel’ in veteran director Puttanna Kanagal’s “Naagarahaavu” in 1972 and has acted in over 200 films since then.

In MP, 24% candidates are crorepatis, 17% face criminal charges

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The percentage of crorepati (multi-millionaire) candidates in the ongoing Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls has gone up to 24 per cent from 19 per cent in the last elections, and the percentage of those with criminal cases has also risen by one percentile point to 17 per cent, shows an analysis.

The percentage of women candidates has also risen to 9 per cent from 7 per cent the last time, an analysis of affidavits of 2,716 candidates by the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) showed.

It could not analyse 183 candidates as their affidavits were either badly scanned or complete affidavits were not uploaded on the Election Commission of India (EC) website.

Out of the 2,716 candidates, 656 (24 per cent) are crorepatis. In 2013 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, out of 2,494 candidates, 472 (19 per cent) were crorepatis.

Out of the 2,716 candidates analysed, 464 (17 per cent) candidates have declared criminal cases registered against them. In 2013, out of the 2,494 candidates analysed, 407 (16 per cent) had declared criminal cases against them.

As many as 295 (11 per cent) candidates have declared serious criminal cases. Of these, 16 candidates have declared cases related to murder (IPC Section 302), while 24 candidates have declared cases related to attempt to murder (IPC Section 307).

Six candidates have declared cases related to kidnapping, such as kidnapping or abducting in order to murder (IPC Section 364) and kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person (IPC Section 365).

Also, 20 candidates have declared cases related to crime against women (IPC Section 498A), and assault or use of criminal force against woman with intent to outrage her modesty (IPC Section 354).

Among the major parties, 65 (30 per cent) out of the 220 candidates analysed from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 108 (48 per cent) out of 223 candidates analysed from the Congress, 43 (21 per cent) out of 206 candidates analysed are from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and 37 (17 per cent) out of 214 candidates analysed from BSP have declared criminal cases against them in their affidavits.

Among the major parties, 38 (17 per cent) from the BJP, 55 (25 per cent) from the Congress, 30 (15 per cent) from the AAP, and 22 (10 per cent) from the BSP have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

Out of the 2,716 candidates, 656 (24 per cent) are crorepatis. In 2013 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, out of 2,494 candidates, 472 (19 per cent) were crorepatis.

Among the major parties, 179 (81 per cent) from the BJP, 173 (78 per cent) from the Congress, 52 (24 per cent) out of 214 candidates analysed from the BSP, 38 (18 per cent) from the AAP and 17 (35 per cent) from the Samajwadi Party have declared assets worth over Rs 1 crore.

The average of assets per candidate contesting in this Assembly elections is Rs 1.73 crore.

Party wise, the average assets per candidate for 220 BJP candidates analysed is Rs 6.23 crore, for 223 Congress candidates is Rs 8.62 crore, 206 AAP candidates have average assets of Rs 67.72 lakh and 214 BSP candidates have average assets worth Rs 1.16 crore.

Seven candidates have declared zero assets. A total of 544 (20 per cent) candidates have not declared their PAN details.

This time, 235 (9 per cent) women candidates are contesting. In 2013, 180 (7 per cent) out of 2,494 candidates analysed were women, the ADR said.

Also, 1,365 (50 per cent) candidates have declared their educational qualification to be between 5th and 12th standard, while 1,095 (40 per cent) candidates have declared having an educational qualification of graduation or above.

As many as 155 (6 per cent) candidates have declared to be “just literate” and 54 (2 per cent) candidates are illiterate.

 

IANS

Modi insulting people who built this nation: Rahul

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 Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for alleging that India made little or no progress during decades of Congress rule, saying this was an insult to the people who built the nation.

“Modiji says India was a sleeping giant before he became Prime Minister. This is an insult to all the Indians who have built this nation,” Gandhi told an election rally here.

He said Modi earlier used to talk about creation of jobs and wiping out corruption but forgot all that the moment he became the Prime Minister.

“Modi used to say ‘don’t make me Prime Minister, make me country’s chowkidar’. Before becoming the Prime Minister he used to talk about jobs, just price for farmers… But the moment he became Prime Minister, he forgot all that.”

He said youths he spoke to in Rajasthan were jobless and farmers too complained of not getting right prices for their produce.

Gandhi railed against Modi over the issue of black money, dropping hints that Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley helped businessman Vijay Mallya to flee India after failing to pay back the huge loans he had taken from banks.

“He told you that this (demonetisation) was a fight against black money… What happened was that his elite friends turned black money worth billions into white. Mere months later, Nirav Modi ran away defaulting on Rs 35,000 crore. One man alone devoured a year’s budget for MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act),” he said.

“Before fleeing the country, Mallya meets Jaitley and Jaitley lets him flee. This is Modi’s ‘fight against black money’,” Gandhi added.

Rahul ‘won’t allow conspiracy to annihilate Constitution’

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 In a veiled attack on the BJP-RSS, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday asserted that he and his party will never allow to succeed those who are conspiring to annihilate Indias Constitution.

“The Constitution of India is the identity of both our struggle and existence. This is our philosophy and our pride. Its colour is in our colours,” tweeted Gandhi in Hindi on the occasion of Constitution Day.

“Those who are conspiring to annihilate it, let them be aware that neither they have the ability nor I and Congress party will ever allow them to do that,” added Gandhi who during his campaigns in the ongoing Assembly elections to five states has been accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party-Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh (BJP-RSS) of “attacking the Constitution”.

Constitution Day is celebrated every year on November 26 to mark adoption of the country’s Constitution. While the Constitution was adopted on November 26, 1949, it came into effect on January 26, 1950.

IANS

No homework for Classes 1, 2; cap on bag weight: Ministry

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 The Centre has asked the states and UTs to ensure that there is no homework for students of Classes 1 and 2 and the guidelines capping the weight of school bags for classes 1-10 are adhered to.

“The Ministry has instructed all states and Union Territories to formulate guidelines to regulate the teaching of subjects and weight of school bags in accordance with Government of India regulations,” read the circular sent out by the Education Secretary of Lakshadweep A. Hamza to school principals, on the basis of a directive by the Union HRD Ministry.

Schools would not ask the students to bring any additional books or materials that could increase their burden of weight, a HRD ministry official said. All the states and UT education departments have been directed on these lines.

The guidelines said school bags for students in Class 1 and 2 should not be above 1.5 kg.

The weight limits stipulated for Classes 3 to 5 (two to three kg), Classes 4 and 5 (four kg), Classes 8 and 9 (4.5 kg), and Class 10 (five kg).

It also directed that Classes 1 and 2 students should be taught only one language and Maths and Classes 3 and 4 only Language, Environmental Studies, and Maths.

The circular was issued just days back, he added.

IANS

RBI may transfer Rs 1 trillion of excess reserves to government

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The Reserve Bank has ‘more than adequate’ reserves and that it can transfer over Rs 1 trillion to the government after a specially constituted panel identifies the ‘excess capital’, says a report.

An RBI board meeting had last Monday decided to form a committee, which is likely to be announced later this week.

“We expect the proposed committee on the RBI’s economic capital framework (ECF) to identify Rs 1-3 trillion which is 0.5-1.6 per cent of GDP as excess capital,” analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a note Monday.

The brokerage report said as per its stress tests, the central bank can transfer Rs 1 trillion to the government if the transfer is limited to passing excess contingency reserve and can go up to Rs 3 trillion if the total capital is included.

Giving a break-up, the report said Rs 1.05 trillion can be transferred if the contingency reserve is capped at 3.5 percent of the RBI book. It further said this level will be 75 percent higher than the average of BRICS economies, excluding India.

Additional forms of transfers can include Rs 1.16 trillion from the contingency reserves if one restricts to yield rise of 4.5 percent as against 9 percent at present.

Limiting the appreciation cover in RBI’s currency and gold revaluation account to 25 percent (Rs 53.25 per US Dollar) will release about Rs 72,000 crore to the government, it said.

It also said capping the overall reserves at 20 percent of the RBI’s book as against 28.3 percent now and higher than 18 percent recommended by the Usha Thorat panel will be able to release Rs 3.11 trillion.

The statutes do not prohibit transfer of excess capital to the government, it said, pointing out that the RBI Act places no bar as long as government maintains Rs 5 crore of reserve funds under Sec 46 of the RBI Act.

While Section 47 enjoins the RBI to credit its annual surplus to the national exchequer, after provisions, it does not place any restrictions on further transfers, it added.

The RBI’s contingency reserves at 7 percent are higher than the BRICS (excluding India) average of 2 percent, it said, adding the revaluation reserves are also on the higher side relative to BRICS central banks.

As per a press statement after the nine-hour marathon board meeting, the government and RBI will be jointly deciding on the panel constitution and also its terms of reference.

Following widespread criticism from many quarters, finance minister Arun Jaitley had said over the weekend that government did not need any support from the RBI’s reserves for the next six months.

However, multiple reports had claimed that the government is eyeing the extra cash which will help it in the run-up to the elections.

This comes amidst falling GST collections and little borrowing window left for the government, as it has already used up close to 96 per cent of borrowings as of end October.

By taking the money from the RBI, the government will only increase its fiscal deficit, as it will have to issue bonds to the central bank.

The government for the second year in a row has pegged fiscal deficit at 3.3 per cent of GDP this fiscal year.

Many analysts are expecting government to overshoot this by at least 20-30 bps by March.

PTI

Rs 37 lakh looted in Gurugram

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 Three bike-borne men on Monday looted Rs 37 lakh from the cashier of a cocking gas agency here in an upscale residential area of Gurugram, police said.

The incident occurred in the South City Phase 1 around 12 noon. The gas agency belongs to BJP district spokesperson and local councillor Kuldeep Yadav’s family.

“Sushil Lathar, cashier of Urvashi Enterprises, was about to move in a Creta car towards a bank to deposit Rs 37 lakh in cash. Three men came on a bike and snatched the bag containing the amount after threatening to shoot him,” said a senior police officer.

“The cash could not be deposited in the bank the previous three days due to bank holidays. I sent my cashier to deposit the amount but the money was looted outside my house,” Mahender Singh Yadav, owner of the LPG agency, told the police.

Cashier Lathar said he may have seen two of the three miscreants earlier somewhere but could not recognise them.

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