1. You've made a joke of our orders, NGT slams govts
The National Green Tribunal on Monday slammed state governments for making a joke of its orders on diesel vehicles ban and the Central Pollution Control Board for submitting "half-baked" data.
The green court directed 11 states to provide information on their most polluted cities and vehicle density in major cities by Tuesday, barring which bailable warrants will be issued against chief secretaries. The tribunal will also hear the plea against the diesel vehicles ban in several states in the country, as per a report in the Hindustan Times.
"Every day you (states) say we want to seek instructions. We want a clear stand on ambient air quality, human population and vehicle density. If the states fail to produce the data by tomorrow, we will issue bailable warrants against the chief secretaries of all states. You have made a joke of our orders. Be prepared to face consequences now," NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar said.
2. India leads world in 'slavery'
India has the largest population of modern slaves in the world with more than 18 million people trapped as bonded labourers, forced beggars, sex workers and child soldiers, a global survey report said on Monday.
The survey said an estimated 45.8 million people are living in modern slavery globally and 58% of them are concentrated in India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan. The Gallup survey was conducted across 15 states and covered nearly 80% of India’s population, the foundation said.
According to the Hindustan Times, the report coincided with the Centre unveiling a draft bill that envisages punishment for gangs involved in human trafficking and scrutiny of placement agencies, many of which are accused of forcing children into bonded labour and prostitution.
3. Days after transfer, IAS officer told to explain 'anti-Modi' post on Facebook
The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh on Monday asked IAS officer Ajay Singh Gangwar to explain a purported Facebook post calling for a people's revolution (jan kranti) against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This comes days after Gangwar was transferred following his Facebook post in which he praised Jawaharlal Nehru.
The notice sent today is silent on this post.
The one-line notice has sought his explanation within seven days on a purported Facebook post dated January 23, 2015, which referred to an opinion piece in the editorial page of Jansatta. The piece, written by a contributor, was critical of Modi’s Make in India, the Indian Express reported.
4. Soon, neighbourhood postman to deliver 'Gangajal' at your doorstep
The Modi government will soon deliver holy 'Gangajal' at your doorstep, using the neighbourhood postman. The idea is to "address the cultural under-pinnings of India", as Cabinet Minster Ravi Shankar Prasad put it, and aims at using the vast postal network to transport the holy water across the length and breadth of the country .
"We do have the wherewithal to undertake this kind of an initiative. Work on this will begin soon and we intend to provide Ganga water from Haridwar and Rishikesh," Prasad said, as he spoke about the new initiatives being planned by the Modi government.
According to a report in the Times of India, apart from being the minister for telecom and IT, Prasad also holds charge for the postal department. "There is a huge market in the country for Gangajal."
5. Some orders senseless, unscientific, says Parrikar
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said that some of the directives of the judiciary were "senseless" and "without any scientific basis". He followed this with a reference to the Supreme Court ban on diesel vehicles with an engine capacity of 2000cc and above in the Capital.
"Senseless directions are being given without any scientific basis. Some people who do not understand science have begun interpreting it," he said at a public function in Panaji.
According to the Indian Express, Parrikar, who inaugurated a Solid Waste Management Facility in Saligao-Calangute plateau, said garbage and sewage treatment is a "major scam area".
6. Govt plans to have tobacco warnings in school books
In an attempt to discourage tobacco consumption among youngsters, the Health Ministry is planning to introduce anti-tobacco pictorial warnings as part of essential reading for school students. The ministry is in talks with the HRD ministry to deliberate on the proposal, a senior official said.
Estimates show around 6,000 youngsters start tobacco product consumption every day. "The idea is to catch them young and create awareness at an early stage so as to prevent them from picking up such habit," the official said.
The health ministry's proposal includes introduction of anti-tobacco literature in various forms such as pictorial warnings, posters, cartoons, comic strips, a chapter detailing health hazards from tobacco use etc, the Times of India reported.
7. Ajit's move towards SP may spell trouble for Yadav clan
If Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh's moves to align or merge his party with Mulayam Singh's Samajwadi Party have stirred the hornet's nest within Uttar Pradesh's ruling family, the reasons are understandable.
While Mulayam's cousin Ram Gopal Yadav has said that an alliance with a "leader who had lost political credibility" would not be a wise thing, the party chief's brother, Shivpal Yadav, hinted that talks with Singh were part of efforts to bring followers of Ram Manohar Lohia, Mahatma Gandhi and Chaudhary Charan Singh on the same platform to fight the BJP.
Having done business across ideological platforms in past years, Singh has come to be regarded as a slippery customer of sorts. Until recently, he had been confabulating with JDU president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar for a possible merger of their parties. Subsequently, he opened up channels of communication with the BJP. The RLD leader's recent political hop-skip and jump has bordered on the incredible, as per a report in the Hindustan Times.
8. No teachers or roads, protest only option for these students
Every morning, Ranjit Singh and Marfa Kousar of Lodhra village, both Class XII Science students, trek nearly 6 kms through hilly terrain to reach Government Higher Secondary School in Basantgarh. On the way, they cross an area prone to falling stones and a fast-flowing Ujh river using a wooden log put across by villagers. When they reach two hours later, the only class that is held is English, taught by Principal VK Koul.
The school doesn't have a teacher for any of the science subjects or for math. It doesn't have a laboratory or a library either, so the previous batch of Class XII science students walked nearly 30 km up and down to Government Higher Secondary School, Basantgarh, all of September for practical classes, before their annual exams in November (the school shuts down for winter), as per a report in the Indian Express.
Only one of the 102 Class XII students from the school who took the exams in 2015 passed, while the pass percentage in Class X was 67 per cent.
9. Mumbai sanctuary gets lazy leopards to exercise
In an age where humans are fast turning couch potatoes, can leopards in captivity be far behind?
The Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai charted out a fitness regimen for its resident big cats after many among them were found to be falling prey to lifestyle illnesses — just like their human counterparts in urban areas. What’s more, the leopards have also been put on a green diet of leafy vegetables, and given medicine balls to play with.
The result: The animals haven’t been falling sick, and even their weight has remained in check.
Officials at the park say they have ensured the feline predators follow the diet and exercise mantra. Accompanying beef on their new menu is an assortment of plants – including shrubs, palatable grass and medicinal plants such as lemongrass, spear grass, basil, dhub, bhama and durva — that help with digestion, the Hindustan Times reported.
10. Now, discoms will pay you if they fail to fix outages in time
Delhi's power regulator, DERC, on Monday made consumers entitled to compensation from distribution companies for outages beyond a stipulated time and for other disruptions in supply that aren't fixed within the period spelled out by it. Penalties can go up to Rs 100 per hour. As per DERC's notification, the Delhi Electricity Supply Code and Performance Standard regulations will become effective immediately.
Last week, the Delhi government had directed DERC, under section 108 of the Electricity Act, to finalise penalties in the regulations within a week. The move followed frequent power cuts earlier this month in the midst of an intense heatwave.The discoms had attributed the blackouts to local faults. Complaint receiving centre to ensure these are resolved within a stipulated time, the Times of India reported.first published:May 31, 2016, 09:11 ISTlast updated:May 31, 2016, 09:11 IST
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Here are some important reports from the biggest newspapers of India:
1. You've made a joke of our orders, NGT slams govts
The National Green Tribunal on Monday slammed state governments for making a joke of its orders on diesel vehicles ban and the Central Pollution Control Board for submitting "half-baked" data.
The green court directed 11 states to provide information on their most polluted cities and vehicle density in major cities by Tuesday, barring which bailable warrants will be issued against chief secretaries. The tribunal will also hear the plea against the diesel vehicles ban in several states in the country, as per a report in the Hindustan Times.
"Every day you (states) say we want to seek instructions. We want a clear stand on ambient air quality, human population and vehicle density. If the states fail to produce the data by tomorrow, we will issue bailable warrants against the chief secretaries of all states. You have made a joke of our orders. Be prepared to face consequences now," NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar said.
2. India leads world in 'slavery'
India has the largest population of modern slaves in the world with more than 18 million people trapped as bonded labourers, forced beggars, sex workers and child soldiers, a global survey report said on Monday.
The survey said an estimated 45.8 million people are living in modern slavery globally and 58% of them are concentrated in India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan. The Gallup survey was conducted across 15 states and covered nearly 80% of India’s population, the foundation said.
According to the Hindustan Times, the report coincided with the Centre unveiling a draft bill that envisages punishment for gangs involved in human trafficking and scrutiny of placement agencies, many of which are accused of forcing children into bonded labour and prostitution.
3. Days after transfer, IAS officer told to explain 'anti-Modi' post on Facebook
The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh on Monday asked IAS officer Ajay Singh Gangwar to explain a purported Facebook post calling for a people's revolution (jan kranti) against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This comes days after Gangwar was transferred following his Facebook post in which he praised Jawaharlal Nehru.
The notice sent today is silent on this post.
The one-line notice has sought his explanation within seven days on a purported Facebook post dated January 23, 2015, which referred to an opinion piece in the editorial page of Jansatta. The piece, written by a contributor, was critical of Modi’s Make in India, the Indian Express reported.
4. Soon, neighbourhood postman to deliver 'Gangajal' at your doorstep
The Modi government will soon deliver holy 'Gangajal' at your doorstep, using the neighbourhood postman. The idea is to "address the cultural under-pinnings of India", as Cabinet Minster Ravi Shankar Prasad put it, and aims at using the vast postal network to transport the holy water across the length and breadth of the country .
"We do have the wherewithal to undertake this kind of an initiative. Work on this will begin soon and we intend to provide Ganga water from Haridwar and Rishikesh," Prasad said, as he spoke about the new initiatives being planned by the Modi government.
According to a report in the Times of India, apart from being the minister for telecom and IT, Prasad also holds charge for the postal department. "There is a huge market in the country for Gangajal."
5. Some orders senseless, unscientific, says Parrikar
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said that some of the directives of the judiciary were "senseless" and "without any scientific basis". He followed this with a reference to the Supreme Court ban on diesel vehicles with an engine capacity of 2000cc and above in the Capital.
"Senseless directions are being given without any scientific basis. Some people who do not understand science have begun interpreting it," he said at a public function in Panaji.
According to the Indian Express, Parrikar, who inaugurated a Solid Waste Management Facility in Saligao-Calangute plateau, said garbage and sewage treatment is a "major scam area".
6. Govt plans to have tobacco warnings in school books
In an attempt to discourage tobacco consumption among youngsters, the Health Ministry is planning to introduce anti-tobacco pictorial warnings as part of essential reading for school students. The ministry is in talks with the HRD ministry to deliberate on the proposal, a senior official said.
Estimates show around 6,000 youngsters start tobacco product consumption every day. "The idea is to catch them young and create awareness at an early stage so as to prevent them from picking up such habit," the official said.
The health ministry's proposal includes introduction of anti-tobacco literature in various forms such as pictorial warnings, posters, cartoons, comic strips, a chapter detailing health hazards from tobacco use etc, the Times of India reported.
7. Ajit's move towards SP may spell trouble for Yadav clan
If Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh's moves to align or merge his party with Mulayam Singh's Samajwadi Party have stirred the hornet's nest within Uttar Pradesh's ruling family, the reasons are understandable.
While Mulayam's cousin Ram Gopal Yadav has said that an alliance with a "leader who had lost political credibility" would not be a wise thing, the party chief's brother, Shivpal Yadav, hinted that talks with Singh were part of efforts to bring followers of Ram Manohar Lohia, Mahatma Gandhi and Chaudhary Charan Singh on the same platform to fight the BJP.
Having done business across ideological platforms in past years, Singh has come to be regarded as a slippery customer of sorts. Until recently, he had been confabulating with JDU president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar for a possible merger of their parties. Subsequently, he opened up channels of communication with the BJP. The RLD leader's recent political hop-skip and jump has bordered on the incredible, as per a report in the Hindustan Times.
8. No teachers or roads, protest only option for these students
Every morning, Ranjit Singh and Marfa Kousar of Lodhra village, both Class XII Science students, trek nearly 6 kms through hilly terrain to reach Government Higher Secondary School in Basantgarh. On the way, they cross an area prone to falling stones and a fast-flowing Ujh river using a wooden log put across by villagers. When they reach two hours later, the only class that is held is English, taught by Principal VK Koul.
The school doesn't have a teacher for any of the science subjects or for math. It doesn't have a laboratory or a library either, so the previous batch of Class XII science students walked nearly 30 km up and down to Government Higher Secondary School, Basantgarh, all of September for practical classes, before their annual exams in November (the school shuts down for winter), as per a report in the Indian Express.
Only one of the 102 Class XII students from the school who took the exams in 2015 passed, while the pass percentage in Class X was 67 per cent.
9. Mumbai sanctuary gets lazy leopards to exercise
In an age where humans are fast turning couch potatoes, can leopards in captivity be far behind?
The Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai charted out a fitness regimen for its resident big cats after many among them were found to be falling prey to lifestyle illnesses — just like their human counterparts in urban areas. What’s more, the leopards have also been put on a green diet of leafy vegetables, and given medicine balls to play with.
The result: The animals haven’t been falling sick, and even their weight has remained in check.
Officials at the park say they have ensured the feline predators follow the diet and exercise mantra. Accompanying beef on their new menu is an assortment of plants – including shrubs, palatable grass and medicinal plants such as lemongrass, spear grass, basil, dhub, bhama and durva — that help with digestion, the Hindustan Times reported.
10. Now, discoms will pay you if they fail to fix outages in time
Delhi's power regulator, DERC, on Monday made consumers entitled to compensation from distribution companies for outages beyond a stipulated time and for other disruptions in supply that aren't fixed within the period spelled out by it. Penalties can go up to Rs 100 per hour. As per DERC's notification, the Delhi Electricity Supply Code and Performance Standard regulations will become effective immediately.
Last week, the Delhi government had directed DERC, under section 108 of the Electricity Act, to finalise penalties in the regulations within a week. The move followed frequent power cuts earlier this month in the midst of an intense heatwave.The discoms had attributed the blackouts to local faults. Complaint receiving centre to ensure these are resolved within a stipulated time, the Times of India reported.
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