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Archives for December 2018

KCR takes oath as Telangana CM

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Image result for KCR takes oath as Telangana CM

 K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Thursday took oath as the Chief Minister of Telangana for a second term in a row.

Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan administered the oath of office and secrecy to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader at a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan.

Mohammed Mahmood Ali, a member of Telangana Legislative Council, also took oath as a Minister.

Ali, who was Deputy Chief Minister in the previous cabinet, is likely to retain the same post.

KCR, as he is popularly known, is likely to expand his cabinet next week. The TRS retained power by winning 88 seats in the 119-member Assembly.

IANS

Rohingya facing ‘lost generation’ of children out of school

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Ban on formal schooling, poor resources leave children of mostly Muslim minority without basic education, report warns.by Kate Mayberry7 hours ago

Over 700,000 Rohingya live in sprawling refugee camps in Bangladesh after fleeing a brutal crackdown by Myanmar forces last year [Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters]
Over 700,000 Rohingya live in sprawling refugee camps in Bangladesh after fleeing a brutal crackdown by Myanmar forces last year [Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters]

The Rohingya are facing a “lost generation” as children both in Myanmar and in the refugee camps of Bangladesh struggle to get an education, a new report has warned.

The Rohingya youth who remain in Myanmar’s Rakhine state have faced serious restrictions on access to schooling since the outbreak of violence there in 2012, with children often kept in separate facilities and unable to attend mainstream schools, the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) said on Thursday.

Older students are unable to attend university.

In Bangladesh, where more than 700,000 Rohingya now live in sprawling refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army crackdown last year, authorities have banned formal education, and even the construction of any structure that might seem like a permanent school building.

As a result, most young people only have the option of attending informal learning centres run by civil society groups.

“Now more than ever, we need educated Rohingya who can act as leaders for the community, but as long as education remains severely restricted this will be impossible,” Tun Khin, president of BROUK, said in a statement.

“We are facing the prospect of a lost generation.”

‘Learning centres’

The mostly Muslim Rohingya are one of the world’s most persecuted minorities, attacked and driven out of Rakhine in what United Nations investigators have said remains an”ongoing genocide”.

An international law firm hired by the US State Department said earlier this month it had found evidence of genocide in the August 2017 military crackdown that drove the Rohingya into Bangladesh, and urged a criminal investigation into the atrocities.

“Right now, Rohingya are not getting any kind of formalised education in the camps,” John Quinley, a human rights specialist with Fortify Rights in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar, where the refugee camps are located, told Al Jazeera. “This is a big concern for future generations of Rohingya. We are talking about lots of children who are unable to access education.”

Education in the 27 camps around Cox’s Bazar is provided by international and local NGOs as well as community-based organisations, and quality depends on who is running the centre.

The report, titled The Right to Education Denied for Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh, noted that what classrooms existed were often overcrowded and poorly resourced. Many of the learning centres were located in refugees’ own shelters, it said.

Years of discrimination in Rakhine itself, “an apartheid state” according to Fortify Rights’ Quinley, had made the recruitment of teachers a serious challenge.

BROUK said of the teachers who arrived initially in August last year, only 21 percent had education beyond the secondary level while the segregation in Rakhine meant that Rohingya teachers were not allowed to travel and were therefore unable to access government-run teacher training programmes.

‘Inescapable’ challenges

UNICEF, which has been heavily involved in the provision of education in the camps, admitted in an August report that there were “inescapable” challenges in addressing the issue.

“Without an agreed and approved curriculum, children were taught with a variety of materials,” the UN agency for children said. “So enthusiastic were the children to learn that classrooms were often over-crowded.”

BROUK said that while aid groups had made “heroic efforts” to respond to the crisis there had been little long-term planning in relation to education, while prioritising primary over secondary education had created a shortage of opportunities for teenagers.

By July 2018, approximately 1,200 learning centres were operating while almost 140,000 Rohingya children had been enrolled in non-formal education of some kind, according to UNICEF.

BROUK noted that more than 150,000 children remained excluded from any kind of education, particularly those between the ages of 15 and 18.

UNICEF said it was developing a Learning Competency Framework and Approach (LCFA) to address some of the problems faced by school-age Rohingya.

The LCFA aims to double the amount of contact time for each child from the current two hours of teaching a day, expand classes for older children and teach in the languages used by the Rohingya including English, Burmese and local dialects.

Community involvement

According to BROUK, any solution required the involvement of the community who had been “largely absent” from any decision-making on education.

“It is essential to both the access and acceptability of education that communities have the freedom to establish their own schools – with the curriculum and language of their choosing,” the group’s report said. “While politically unpopular – such permissions should acknowledge the reality and potentially protracted nature of the situation.”

BROUK urged authorities in Bangladesh to remove all barriers on Rohingya refugees access to education and reiterated its call for the Myanmar government to address the hurdles facing the minority in their homeland.

“The only long-term and viable solution to the crisis lies inside Myanmar,” the report said. “The Myanmar authorities must immediately remove all restrictions on the human rights of Rohingya (including on access to education and freedom of movement), and grant Rohingya citizenship under national law.”

A November plan to start the repatriation of Rohingya to Myanmar fell apart after the refugees refused to leave.

The repatriation, agreed at the government level without the input of the Rohingya themselves, has been postponed indefinitely.

Aljazeera

PUBG Addiction is Real and Bengaluru Schools are Warning Parents Against it

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PUBG has emerged as one of the most popular games in India but some young gamers have taken their obsession too far. 

Ever since the multiplayer game released on smartphones, PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds) has become a rage in the gaming community. There’s a cafe themed around the viral game in Jaipur. Even the members of the Indian cricket team are hooked on to it.

On Tuesday, Google released its annual list of Android’s best applications and games of 2018 and PUBG Mobile took home the award in the ‘Best game’, ‘Most Competitive Title’ and ‘Fan Favorite’ categories. With PUBG Mobile reaching 100 million downloads in September, it comes as no surprise that kids and adults are hooked onto the game for hours.


Such is the craze around the game that some schools in Bengaluru have begun to warn parents about the ill-effects of playing the game for hours at a stretch after cases of addiction were reported to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, media reports. 


According to the report, the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Private Schools Karnataka (KAMS) will also issue advisory to parents to keep a tab on the hours spent by their kids on the multiplayer game. 


“We will ask our member schools to write to parents about this. We have, in the past, had discussions with the education department on imposing restricts on the number of hours a child spends playing such games,” KAMS was quoted by media. 


The news comes only days after reports of kids addicted to another massively popular game, Fornite, came to light, and who are opting for videogame-rehab to stay off the game. 


PUBG is developed by Tencent Holdings Ltd. and is available in the free-to-play variant. The game was released back in March 2018. 

News Agencies

Injuries rule Ashwin, Rohit out of Perth Test

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P Star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and batsman Rohit Sharma were ruled out of the second cricket Test against Australia, starting at the WACA here on Friday.

Pacer Umesh Yadav, all-rounders Hanuma Vihari and Ravindra Jadeja were included in the 13-man squad.

“Ashwin has a left-sided abdominal strain. He is receiving treatment at the moment. He has been ruled out of the second Test,” a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) statement said.

“Rohit Sharma jarred his lower back while fielding in the first Test at Adelaide. He is undergoing treatment. He too is ruled out of the second Test,” it added.

The BCCI also said that teenage opener Prithvi Shaw was recovering well from his left ankle injury but still undergoing treatment.

Shaw too will be out of the second Test.

Squad: Virat Kohli (C), M Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav.

Delhi HC bans online medical sales across country

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The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, 12 December, imposed a ban on the online sale of medicines by e-pharmacists across India, T

The order was passed after a PIL was filed by Delhi-based dermatologist Zaheer Ahmed. The PIL said that lakhs of medicines were being sold online everyday without proper regulations.

The PIL also highlighted that online sale of medicines is not allowed under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Pharmacy Act, 1948.

According to the PIL, three years ago in 2015 the Drug Controller General of India had directed all state drug controllers to restrain online sale without prescription media reported.

The PIL also trained guns at the government saying it failed in its responsibility to protect public health which is its Constitutional obligation under Article 21.

The plea also said unregulated sale of medicines online will lead to substandard drugs being sold, some of which have psychotrphic substances that can be misused for criminal activities.

The order passed by Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice VK Rao directed the centre and the Delhi government to immediately implement it.

News Agencies

KCR’s Son Attacks Chandrababu Naidu’s Party

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The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) would be rendered irrelevant post the Lok Sabha elections next year, a key Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leader claimed on Wednesday.

KT Rama Rao, son of TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) and considered number two in the party, also claimed that the TRS would win 16 of the total of 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state next year.

“….some parties will be rendered irrelevant post April 2019 (after Lok Sabha elections),” he told reporters when asked about both the TDP, led by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and the TRS being “in touch” with the JD(S).

Mr Naidu had recently met JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda as part of his efforts to forge a broad anti-BJP front, while KCR had met him a few months ago to pursue his proposal to promote a non-BJP, non-Congress federal front.

“Today we have proven our worth in Telangana (by winning the Assembly elections) and I am very, very confident that we will also go back to Delhi again with 16 Members of Parliament from Telangana on TRS tickets,” Mr Rama Rao said.

“Therefore, how this situation will play out in Delhi tomorrow (in future), and how this number will become relevant in Delhi are something obviously to watch out for,” he said.

Speaking about TRS’s move on promoting a non-Congress, non-BJP front, he said: “We are not merely trying to usurp the hot seat in Delhi. We have not been trying to bring about a coalition of political parties with the agenda of assuming office in Delhi. The intent is change the narrative in Delhi”.

“The intent is to show the world that a non-Congress, non-BJP formation can also work, strong regional parties coming together, stronger and saner voices being heard, changing the narrative, can’t just be ‘Rafale vs Bofors vs surgical strikes vs mandir etc, etc’,” Mr Rama Rao said.

The common man of this country wants improvements in health, education, electricity and infrastructure, he said.

He noted that the TRS chief has been talking about how the nation has underutilised river waters and the potential of providing potable drinking water connections to each and every home.

“We have shown that in Telangana and we have delivered, and people have reposed faith in our administration. So this can be replicated, emulated at the national stage as well,” Mr Rama Rao added.

PTI

46 per cent dip in sex work cases in two years in Bengaluru

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Recent numbers from the City Crime Records Bureau show that 76 cases of sex work were registered this year, whereas 139 and 153 cases were registered in 2017 and 2016, respectively, making it the lowest in two years. While there is no blanket ban on prostitution, owning a brothel, soliciting in a public place or using the money earned by a prostitute is illegal.

BS Mohan Kumar, assistant commissioner of police (ACP), Central Crime Branch (Women and Narcotics), said number of police-registered cases has reduced either because workers are more aware of the legality or safety issues related to their work or clients have other choices. “It has become difficult to book cases against clients or women because there is no evidence against them,” he said.

Nisha Gulur, the treasurer of Karnataka Sex Workers’ Union and member of National Network of Sex Workers, believes cases are just not being registered at the station. “Authorities compare prostitution to trafficking, which is wrong,” he said. In response, additional commissioner of police (East) Seemant Kumar explained: “If the work involves just a sex worker and customer, then it is between them. But if there is a pimp involved,  we cannot register a case against her or the customer. We try to find out who the pimp is.” This is difficult, he said, since messages through WhatsApp are encrypted and police need a tip-off to take action.

Mukta is a sex worker from Dharwad, North Karnataka, who currently earns `10,000 a month. She said that Section 377 being repealed has also led to more acceptance towards sex work. She added police officials harass her. “They ask for bribes ranging from `1,500 and `2,000 or sexual favours.” Additional commissioner of police (West) BK Singh said: “There are three types of sex works – street-based, bar girls and internet-based. Street-based workers are the most vulnerable and face harassment from everyone, including the police. If we receive information about police harassment, we will take action,” he said. Seemant Kumar said police harassment has reduced as the personnel work with NGOs to ensure more acceptance towards them.

Meera (name changed), a sex worker said police now focussing on brothels and pimps.

News Agencies

Victims of Ambidant demand CBI probe

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The victims of Ambidant Marketing Pvt Ltd have demanded a CBI investigation as they have not only lost hopes on Central Crime Branch (CCB) but also alleged that the CCB has a nexus with the owners of the company.

Observing no progress in investigation and recovery of their money, the enraged investors on Wednesday held a press conference and said that CCB is not a competent agency to investigate the case as the money to the tune of Rs 900 crore has already been diverted to various companies, including those outside the country. “Apart from Bengaluru, Ambidant has branches in Ballari, Mysore and Dubai where the entire money has been diverted. We have given a list of companies to the CCB that Ambidant had transferred money/. But we don’t think CCB will recover our money,” Zaid Khan, an architect and investor-victim, said. 

Khan has filed a petition with DG&IGP Neelmani Raju alleging threat for his life for exposing the nexus between the CCB officials and the father-son duo Syed Ahmed Fareed and Syed Ahmed Afaq.

Khan told reporters that some unidentified people are following him and some of them had even come to his house to enquire about his errands.

Another victim investor Sulthan said the CCB officials do not treat Fareed like an accused in the case. “He (Fareed) is always seen at the CCB office socialising and going along with CCB sleuths for expensive lunches at luxury hotels,” said Sulthan asking if this is the way an accused should be treated and the money cheated by him recovered by the police.

“The CCB sleuths’ priority is filing objections for bail of Ali Khan, an aide of former minister Janardhana Reddy for Rs 18 crore, rather than objecting to bail of the prime accused Fareed and Afaq who are roaming freely,” Khan said adding “We heardthat CCB is giving him police protection as he believes the victims are stalking him.”

News Agencies

Leaders pay homage to Parliament attack victims

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 Leaders from across the political spectrum, including President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his predecessor Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, on Thursday remembered and paid homage to the victims of the 2001 Parliament attack.

They gathered in Parliament to pay floral tributes to the nine victims — six Delhi Police personnel, two Parliament Security Service personnel and a gardener, who lost their lives on the day.

“India gratefully remembers those martyred while defending Parliament from terrorists on this day in 2001. 

“Forces of hate and terror targeted what we cherish most — India’s democracy and democratic values. They did not succeed. And we will never let them succeed,” the President tweeted.

Saluting their valour, Modi said “their heroism inspires every Indian”.

On December 13, 2001, five terrorists infiltrated the Parliament House precincts and opened fire with automatic weapons. All five terrorists were killed in the counter-attack by security personnel.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, BJP President Amit Shah, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, CPI National Secretary D.Raja and members from various parties and states paid their tributes.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh also remembered the martyrs for “exemplary courage and supreme sacrifice”. “The nation will always remain indebted to their bravery and martyrdom,” he tweeted.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Union Ministers Arun Jaitley, Harsh Vardhan, Hardeep Singh Puri also took to Twitter to salute their courage.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted: “Let us cherish the ‘idea of India’ for which our freedom fighters laid down their lives. Our people and our great institutions must strive to remain ‘independent’, in the true sense of the word.”

IANS

Regional parties will take Indian politics by storm: Owaisi

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 AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi has predicted that the regional parties will take the Indian politics by storm, providing an alternative to both Congress and BJP.

Owaisi believes Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) President and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has the capability, political thinking, courage and secular outlook to provide such an alternative.

The Hyderabad MP was addressing a public meeting late on Wednesday night organised by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) to thank people for electing seven candidates of the party in the just-concluded Telangana Assembly elections.

Owaisi thanked all leading Muslim socio-religious organisations which supported MIM and TRS in the elections. The meeting continued till past midnight.

The MP said he would stand by the TRS chief in his efforts to play an important role in the national politics.

Owaisi said a Ping-Pong game between Congress and BJP was not good for the country, its secularism, federalism and diversity. “This is not in the interest of country’s minorities, Dalits and all secular-minded Hindu brethren,” he added.

He believes that the third force in the form of regional parties would enhance the bargaining power of the poor and the oppressed people.

Owaisi appealed to people to ensure that not a single Lok Sabha seat in Telangana is won by BJP and Congress in the next year’s elections.

Voicing his concern over falling polling percentage in Hyderabad, Owaisi appealed to people to make sure that everyone exercised his franchise even if the elections were to be held during holy month of Ramadan.

Referring to Congress party’s victory in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan Assembly elections, the AIMIM leader said it was a victory by default. Pointing out that BJP got nearly half of the seats in both the states, he said this was not enough to stop BJP from winning considerable number of Lok Sabha seats.

The MP said the AIMIM declared support to TRS as no communal riot occurred in Telangana during last four-and-half years and unlike states in the north, there was not a single incident of mob lynching or reign of terror in the state. He said the government took various initiatives for the educational upliftment of Muslims.

Owaisi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Congress President Rahul Gandhi and others came to Hyderabad and attacked AIMIM as they wanted to break the unity of Muslims.

Akbaruddin Owaisi, one of the seven AIMIM legislators re-elected to Assembly, urged people to strength AIMIM, which is the voice of the poor and the oppressed.

IANS

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