New Delhi: A Delhi court Wednesday acquitted journalist Priya Ramani in M J Akbar’s criminal defamation case against her over the allegations of sexual harassment, saying a woman has the right to put grievances before any platform of her choice even after decades.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Pandey dismissed the complaint filed by Akbar saying that no charges were proved against her.

The court said it is shameful that crimes against women are taking place in a country where mega epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana were written about respecting them.

The glass ceiling will not prevent Indian women as a roadblock in advancement in society of equal opportunities, it said.

Ramani had made allegation of sexual misconduct against Akbar in the wake of #MeToo movement in 2018.

Akbar had filed the complaint against Ramani on October 15, 2018 for allegedly defaming him by accusing him of sexual misconduct decades ago.

He resigned as a Union minister on October 17, 2018.

He has denied all the allegations of sexual harassment against the women who came forward during #MeToo campaign against him.

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JAGUAR RACING WELCOMES MICRO FOCUS AS OFFICIAL TECHNICAL PARTNER TO ACCELERATE PERFORMANCE ON AND OFF TRACK

• Jaguar Racing welcomes Micro Focus as its official Digital Transformation, Business Resiliency and Analytics partner
• Micro Focus will provide Vertica advanced analytics and machine learning to deliver insights at Jaguar speed and security assessments to ensure cyber resiliency – delivering on a “High Tech, Low Drama” promise
• Jaguar Racing returns to electric racing on the 26 and 27 February 2021 on the streets of Diriyah for season seven of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship

India, February 17, 2021 – Jaguar Racing today announced that it has partnered with one of the world’s largest enterprise software providers, Micro Focus, ahead of the lights going green on season seven of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

Joining as the team’s official digital transformation, business resiliency and analytics partner, Micro Focus will provide support to Jaguar Racing’s push for more points, podiums and wins on the racetrack.

The UK-based software company helps more than 40,000 customers around the world achieve critical outcomes – accelerating delivery, simplifying transformation, strengthening resilience and analyzing in time to act – which are key elements of winning both in the boardroom and on the track.

Initially, Micro Focus will provide technology from its product group, Vertica, which will deliver high-performance advanced analytics and machine learning to ensure the Jaguar team performs at top speed for winning results.

Micro Focus will also conduct a cyber resilience assessment workshop to help the team identify any potential risks and gaps in their cyber security posture, and it plans to deliver tools and support to help accelerate the team’s software development.

Micro Focus is the latest partner announced by Jaguar Racing with a leading line-up that includes GKN Automotive, Dow, Viessmann, Castrol and Official Suppliers Alpinestars and DR1VA.

James Barclay, Jaguar Racing Team Director: “We are extremely pleased to be able to reveal Micro Focus – a world leading software provider – are joining Jaguar Racing for season seven of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. With their specialist software knowledge we are excited to work together and achieve great results on track. We are only days out from the lights going green on the first race of the championship and we are eager to achieve success together.”

Eric Varness, Chief Marketing Officer, Micro Focus: “Micro Focus joining forces with Jaguar Racing is a natural alignment of like-minded organisations that share a track record characterised by pragmatism, consistency, and innovation.  Our ‘High Tech, Low Drama’ approach to delivering results will provide a number of synergies, including speed, agility, and insights that will translate to even-better performance all around.  Our 40,000 customers around the globe are excited to learn more about our partnership when we welcome Jaguar Racing’s Team Director, James Barclay to our flagship customer event in March, Micro Focus Universe, as a keynote presenter.” 

Jaguar Racing will return to the streets of Diriyah on 26 and 27 February for the first two rounds of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

Anuradha S

   The body’s natural defense against predators and danger is stress. It causes the body to flood with hormones that are preparing to evade or confront danger in its systems. Stressors are called environmental variables that trigger this response. Noises, aggressive behaviour, a speeding car, frightening moments in movies, or even going out on a first date are examples. There may be increased blood pressure in a person with stress. According to the annual stress survey of the American Psychological Association in 2018, the most popular stressors were employment and money. The survey found that on a scale of 1 to 10, the average stress levels in the United States were 4.9. The APA found that work includes stressors.
   Two forms of stress are recognised by the National Institute of Mental Health: acute and chronic. The short-term and typically more common type of stress is acute stress. Repeated instances of acute stress may become dangerous over a prolonged period. Chronic stress may become part of the personality of an individual, rendering them vulnerable to the effects of stress. When stress becomes persistent, depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems may develop, such as PTSD. Three examples of types of stressor are defined by the NIMH: everyday stress, childcare, homework, or sudden financial obligations, disruptive changes such as family grieving or finding out about a job loss

ANTHONY MARY A.

The India women’s national football Federation and represents India in Women’s International football competitions. The Women’s team resumed playing on 7 Sep 2012 after nearly a year-long hiatus. Under the global jurisdiction of FIFA and governed in Asia by the AFC, the team is also part of the South Asian Football Federation. The team was one of the best teams in Asia in the mid 70s to early 80s ,when they became runners-up at 1979 and 1983 AFC women’s Asian Cup. Presently The Indian team has won all the SAFF Women’s Championship that they have participated in since 2010.

After 2009 sanction by FIFA, the AIFF started to put their minds in place to better the condition of the national team and women’s football, which led to commencing SAFF Women’s Championship and also including women’s football in the South Asian Games. Indian team earn massive success in SAFF competitions. Winning the SAFF Women’s Championship four times in row without losing a single game. Additionally they won two gold medals at South Asian Games.

On 17 December 2014, AIFF Secretary Kushal Das stated that the goal for women’s football from 2014 to 2017 was to increase the ranking of the India senior team to the top 40s and the top 8 in Asia, start a professional women’s league by 2015, and to qualify for both the U19 and U16 versions of the AFC championships.[10] which is now far from reality as India is 60th by FIFA World Rankings and 13th among the Asian countries and yet to qualify for AFC Women’s Asian Cup since 2003, FIFA Women’s World Cup and Olympic Games.

They participated in the qualifiers for the 2012 Olympics in March 2011. In their first match they beat rivals and group hosts Bangladesh 3–0. In the second round India Women played Uzbekistan where they tied the first match 1–1 but lost the second leg 1–5 and were officially knocked out. Again for Rio 2016 Olympics they participated in the AFC qualifiers, first match was a win defeating Sri Lanka with score 4–1 then shocking defeat from Myanmar with a score line 0–7 which led the way out from the qualifiers.

India participated for the second time at the Asian games in 2014, but the condition was not better than the previous participation, 16 years back in 1998. Though India defeated Maldives easily with 15–0 score, but a similar fate of Maldives was faced by them in the next two matches where they were defeated by both South Korea and Thailand with the same score of 0–10.

 Anthony Mary A.

Gandhi Bazaar was proposed by Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) nearly after two years. There seems to some tension established in one or the other way in the project. The Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) presents the blue print for Gandhi Bazaar. The Blue print of Gandhi Bazaar was presented before Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (B.B.M.P) Commissioner N.Manjunath Prasad, DULT head V.Manjula and Chikpete MLA UDAY B.Garudachar.

Almost the area around 700 meter stretch between Tagore Park Circle and Ramakrishna Ashram has been proposed to be pedestrianized. There was an announcement made that only cycles, electric vehicles will be allowed in the pedestrian area. DULT officials was directed by Mr.Prasad to elicit public opinion before finalizing the plan. Gandhi Bazaar  is a shopping hub where there are more street vendors lined up on the pavement selling fruits, vegetables, flowers and puja materials.

There is another proposal announced by the DULT, a multi-car parking facility has been planned next to the flower market at Gandhi Bazaar. This pedistrianisation proposed revived was to be  done, early last year. Then the commissioner B.H Anil Kumar had Inspected  the area long Mr. Garudachar and other project consultants. Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) presented 3 options ,Complete Pedistrianisation ,partial pedistrianisation and mix of both with adequate parking facilities. But the plan is stopped as of now due to the outbreak of covid-19.

By ANTHONY MARY A.

Waste management in India falls under the purview of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change ,With changing consumption patterns and rapid economic growth it is estimated that urban municipal solid waste generation will increase to 165 million tonnes in 2030.

Solid wastemanagement  is a major problem for many urban local bodies  in India, where urbanization, industrialization and economic growth have resulted in increased municipal solid waste generation per person. Effective SWM is a major challenge in cities with high population density.

Reduce, reuse, and recycle for development, waste management: PM Modi. NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that all stakeholders must adhere to the “golden principle” of the 3Rs — Reduce, Reuse and Recycle — which will significantly help in waste management and sustainable development.

There are eight major categories of waste management, and each of them can be divided into numerous sub-categories. The categories include source reduction and reuse, animal feeding, recycling, composting, fermentation, landfills, incineration, and land application.

Waste Management can be evidently witnessed only when the garbage is segregated in wet and dry waste. So the country becomes more pollution free and eco-friendly.

BY ANTHONY MARY A.

There is a slum which is situated in Hoodi. The slum is a highly populated urban residential area consisting mostly of closely packed, descript housing   units in a situation of deterioted or incompute infrastructures, inhabited primarily by impoverished persons. The people who are residing in the slum are migrant workers who have migrated from Andhra Pradesh. These   people came and settled here. Around 100 families are residing in this slum are not been sent to school. Only few are going to near   by Government schools.

The people who are living in this slum are leading a very simple lifestyle. They have temporary tents to live and go ahead with their routine. Basically the men of the family have cows with them so they take it to all the near places and ask for food, clothes and money. As and when they visit near  by places they get the cow decorated and then visit homes to ask food, clothes and money. Few people give rice, saree, and basic necessity items. Therefore through this work they would feed their families and look after them.

These people are very simple in appearance. Since they are staying in an congested environment they now and then would encounter snakes and harmful insects during nights. Especially for the small children and older people it’s a tough time to overcome these situations. And now that there is no proper electricity facility these people would buy  Rs.5  candle and use it in the night. This is the lifestyle of the people residing in the slum. And they really face lot of challenges in life.

CHANDIGARH: In a major rout for the opposition amid the farmers’ protest and just a year ahead of the Assembly polls in Punjab, the Congress won seven municipal corporations and was leading in other civic body polls, while the BJP, facing anger over the contentious Central farm laws, had a dismal show in its urban dominated segments.

The Congress won municipal corporations in Abohar, Bathinda, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Moga, Batala and Hoshiarpur.

The counting of votes for the Municipal Corporation in Mohali would take place on Thursday after repolling in two booths owing to reports of irregularities.

Besides the municipal corporations, polling for 109 municipal councils and municipal Panchayats was held on February 14. The counting of ballots are being held simultaneously.

Amid allegations of booth capturing and clashes, there was 71.39 per cent of the 39,15,280 electorate.

The main contest in the urban local bodies was among the Congress, the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is contesting the municipal polls for the first time, and the SAD.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) contested the polls for the first time in two decades without the Akalis, the oldest NDA ally that parted ways from it over the farm laws. Both faced the challenge of contesting independently after a long break.

Ahead of the Assembly elections slated early next year, state’s main opposition AAP was trying to strengthen its ground in these polls by projecting itself as an alternative to the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP amid the farmers’ agitation.

Political observers of AAP in these elections clearly indicated that urban voters have lost faith in the faction-ridden party in the state.

For the BJP, its rout was in its dominated Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Abohar segments.

Local issues of towns and cities and the respective wards dominated the campaigning.

A total of 9,222 candidates were in fray for 2,302 wards. Interestingly, 2,847 of them were Independents.

The Congress fielded 2,037 candidates, while there were 1,569 from SAD. The BJP, AAP and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had fielded 1,003, 1,606 and 160 candidates, respectively.

In an embarrassment for the Congress and the BJP, the wife of Congress MLA from Moga, Harjot Kamal, and the wife of BJP leader Tiksan Sood from Hoshiarpur lost the election from their respective seats.

Political observers say these polls just a year ahead of the Assembly elections are a ‘semi-final’ for the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government that is eyeing to repeat its victory against the backdrop of the farm laws that have generated a wave of anger against the BJP.

On the eve of ballot count, a confident Chief Minister Amarinder Singh termed the allegations of the BJP and AAP on rigging of civic polls as a typical case of crying foul in the face of their imminent defeat in the election.

“It’s a panic reaction to their inevitable wipeout in these polls,” said the Chief Minister, adding that the BJP and AAP, as well as SAD, are all set to be completely trounced in these municipal polls, whose results will be the precursor of worse to come for these parties that have totally lost the confidence and trust of the people.

“All these parties have worked together to ruin Punjab, with the black farm laws the latest in the long line of their anti-people and anti-Punjab actions,” Amarinder Singh added.