Supreme Court

A Supreme Court committee, constituted to ensure that differently-abled persons have equal access to the apex court, has released two questionnaires to seek feedback from lawyers, activists, and litigants on the matter.
The Committee on Accessibility, formed under the chairmanship of Supreme Court judge Justice S Ravindra Bhat, has released the questionnaires, which are available on the apex court's website, to gather "valuable feedback" to enable it to identify areas that need improvement, said a top court official on Wednesday.
"The Committee is working with a specific mandate to examine accessibility aspects related to the Supreme Court of India, and these questionnaires are a step in achieving that goal. The questionnaires are intended to gather feedback on all aspects of accessibility," the official said.
Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud had constituted the committee in December last year.
According to the court official, while the first questionnaire aims to gather inpu

P&G launches programme for employees who are caregivers to disable children

FMCG major Procter & Gamble India on Tuesday announced the launch of 'Lead With Care' programme to support its employees who are caregivers to children with disabilities and special needs.
This programme will enable employees to avail early preventive care and treatment for children impacted by specific neurodevelopmental, cognitive, behavioural, or physical impairments, said a statement from the company which owns brands such as Ariel, Vicks and Head & Shoulders.
"The programme includes medical coverage across diagnosis, doctor consultations, treatment, cost of medicines and devices, and builds on top of the existing medical support the company extends to all its employees and their families, including employees of the LGBTQ+ community," it said.
Additionally, the company will facilitate specialised and trained day-care support via certified partners and shall provide an employee assistance programme (EAP) available 24x7 to all employees and their families to navigate this ...

Maharashtra Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced the setting up of a separate Divyang department for the welfare of differently-abled people with a fund allocation of Rs 1,143 crore.
Maharashtra is the first state to have such a department, Shinde said on Saturday addressing an event in Mumbai to mark the International Day of Disabled Persons.
"The government has created 2,063 posts for the new department which will formulate policies for the welfare of the disabled by taking into consideration views of the stakeholders," he said.
The decision to set up the Divyang department was approved by the state cabinet on November 29.
The sections looking into issues of Divyang (differently-abled) people under the Social Justice and Special Assistance department will be clubbed to form the new Divyang Welfare Department, the government had said.
Welfare activities of Divyang people like education, training, and rehabilitation were so far taken care of by the state social justice ...

Antonio Guterres

Innovation and technology can be powerful tools for building an accessible and equitable world for all, including persons with disabilities, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said

girl, girl child, education

The socially and economically disadvantaged groups and children with disabilities were worst impacted as compared to more advantaged counterparts: Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy's report

Provide free wheelchair, human assistance to differently abled at railway stations: HC

The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Railways to make all possible endeavours to ensure  free of charge human assistance and wheelchair are provided to differently abled people at its stations.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma sought a fresh status report from the authorities with regard to an earlier order on reserving some lower berths for the differently abled as well as giving free assistance to them, and said such facilities should at least be provided at the busy stations.
The order was passed on a PIL initiated by the high court in 2017 after a visually-impaired man missed his M.Phil entrance exam as he could not board a reserved compartment since it was locked from inside
The respondent shall also make all possible endeavours to ensure that free of charge human assistance and wheelchair is provided to differently abled persons, said the bench, also comprising Justice Subramonium Prasad.
Noting that these facilities are being provided by the Delhi Me

Blind Cricket Association

India loses an estimated USD 118 billion annually in cumulative gross national income (GNI) due to childhood blindness, according to a report published by Orbis India.
The report titled Cost-Benefit Analysis of Investing in Child Eye Health' is based on 2020 estimates and reflects the economic losses incurred by India due to lost productive years as a result of childhood blindness spanning over a period of 35 years, and rising to USD 158 billion for 40 working years, a statement by the NGO said.
Launched at the 16th edition of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight  INDIA' national conference held recently in West Bengal, it highlighted that there was increase of direct GNI loss due to blindness from Rs 496 billion in 1997 to Rs 768 billion in 2020 and an increase of 35 per cent in the economic productivity of blind people to USD 835 million in 2020 compared to 1997 estimates.
Besides, it also stated that 35 per cent of blindness in children and 82.3 per cent of blindness in adults is ...

Cafe Arpan

Few schools are equipped to cater to children with ASD, spawning a set of educators called 'shadow teachers'. Some parents are even home-schooling to keep their wards career ready

indigo, airlines, aviation, flights, air craft

The apex child rights body in the country, NCPCR, asked the Jharkhand police on Monday to lodge an FIR against IndiGo for barring a specially-abled child from boarding a flight at the Ranchi airport.

indigo

IndiGo CEO on Monday offered his regrets on the incident that happened at the Ranchi airport on Saturday wherein a specially-abled child was barred from boarding his flight to Hyderabad

Photo: Kanishka Gupta

Haryana Education Minister Kanwar Pal on Tuesday said that special schools will be opened for physically challenged children in the state.
"Separate special schools will be opened for specially-abled children in Haryana. Besides, studies in these schools will also provide suitable employment opportunities to these children," he was quoted as saying in an official statement here.
The statement said that Pal is currently on a visit to Kerala.
"During his visit to Kerala, the education minister came to know about the efforts being made for the specially-abled children in special schools being run for these children there," the Haryana government statement said.
Pal said that the Haryana government is considering opening special schools for these children in the state now. For this, help of NGOs will also be taken by the state government, he said.
He said that efforts will also be made to make them efficient in various tasks, along with studies, which will also provide employment ...

India among 6 to get grant of $25 mn for school programme: Special Olympics

India will be among six countries to benefit from a $25 mn grant commissioned by the UAE under the Unified Champion School worldwide programme with an aim to empower intellectually disabled children

Parenting

It is very important for us to approach this in an age appropriate way

savings, investment, tax, insurance, policy, Mutual fund, MF

It can be relied upon to manage your estate on the child's behalf after your lifetime

Delhi-based Bravo Foundation provides ailing children with medical assistance to help them lead a normal life

RBI imposes penalty on SBI, Indian Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank

The scheme will offer an annual interest subsidy of between 3-6.5% on up to 0.9 million rupees of the loan amount

home loan, loan interest

Das asserted that directors in UCBs, who are elected to their positions, must possess expertise in diverse banking functions, including risk management and information technology

Shaktikanta Das

In Feb 2018, the MoD established two defence industrial corridors to serve as engines of economic development and growth of defence industrial base in the country

An exhibit of Su 30 MK-I fighter aircraft at the Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) pavillion during the 12th edition of DefExpo, in Gandhinagar on Tuesday

Defence Expo 2022

Weak demand, global slowdown add to their woes

Crude oil

Admitting for the first time, a top United States diplomat has confirmed that there was shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners that had prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's offensive allegation about Indian agents' involvement in the killing of a Khalistani extremist on Canadian soil, according to a media report on Saturday.
There was shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners that informed Trudeau's public allegation of a potential link between the government of India and the murder of a Canadian citizen, CTV News Channel, Canada's 24-hour all-news network, reported quoting the US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen.
Five Eyes' network is an intelligence alliance consisting of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. It is both surveillance-based and signals intelligence (SIGINT).
Trudeau had on September 18 made an explosive allegation of the potential involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh .

Canada

Textile and clothing sectors must have a holistic approach with a long-term vision to seize the opportunity in the global market, industry officials said on Saturday.
Textiles and clothing industries are the second largest employment provider after agriculture generating Rs 30,000 crore as Goods and Services Tax revenue and USD 44 billion foreign exchange earnings, officials of Southern India Mills' Association said.
The industries have been facing challenges in the recent past mainly due to structural issues on the raw material front, high cost of production, scale of operation among others, SIMA Chairman S K Sundararaman said.
The Association would strive to address structural issues and enhance global competitiveness, he said.
According to association officials, the NDA government has been giving major thrust for enhancing the global competitiveness of the textiles and clothing industry and addressed several issues.
"However, the policy pitfalls in certain areas and delay in ..

exports

Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Saturday said the role of lawyers has evolved to address myriad global legal challenges in an era characterised by ever-increasing globalisation.
He said rapid technological advancement has created "complex legal issues", with lawyers leading the way in navigating this landscape. While the judiciary definitely bears the responsibility of administering justice and upholding the rule of law, lawyers play an equally vital role, he stressed.
"In an era characterised by ever-increasing globalisation, the role of lawyers has evolved to address myriad global legal challenges," the CJI said while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Bar Council of India's (BCI) 'International Lawyers Conference 2023' here.
He said lawyers ensure that clients and governments adapt to technological changes while upholding legal rights and regulations, covering areas like cybersecurity, data privacy and intellectual property.
"Lawyers also bear significant ...

Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud

The Indian Embassy in Nepal on Saturday said the India-Nepal development partnership has gathered further momentum

India exports automobiles and parts worth $600-700 million to the Himalayan country every year

India Nepal

Inspire Films Ltd, a television content company, will launch an initial public offering (IPO) to raise Rs 21.22 crore.
The IPO, which will open for subscription during September 25-27, comprises 35.98 lakh shares for Rs 59 a piece with a face value of Rs 10 each, said a statement from the company.
A total of 10.24 lakh shares will be allotted to anchor investors and 6.82 lakh shares are reserved for Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs). While 5.14 lakh shares are reserved for high net-worth individuals (HNIs), 11.98 lakh shares are meant for retail investors and 1.80 lakh shares for market makers.
"Following the IPO, the company's shares will be listed on the NSE Emerge platform on October 9, 2023," it added.
The proceeds of the IPO will help Inspire Films to cater to the company's working capital requirements, and general corporate purposes facilitating strategic growth and development and covering the expenses.
"With our IPO we will be able to expand our business further and cr

International credit agency Moody's Investors Service has made sweeping assertions against Aadhaar without citing any evidence, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) said on Monday.
The UIDAI issued a strong rebuttal to Moody's Investors Service which claimed that the Aadhaar system often results in service denials and the reliability of biometric technologies, especially for manual labourers, in hot and humid climates is questionable.
"A certain investor service has, without citing any evidence or basis, made sweeping assertions against Aadhaar, the most trusted digital ID in the world. Over the last decade, over a billion Indians have expressed their trust in Aadhaar by using it to authenticate themselves over 100 billion times," the UIDAI said in a statement.
The unique id Aadhaar's custodian said that the report in question does not cite either primary or secondary data or research in support of the opinions presented in it.
"The investor service did not make any

Adhaar, UIDAI

The Nijjar murder is fast unfolding into treacherous scenarios that could have tragic consequences for both nations. No one stands to gain from the ongoing face-off

India Canada

India's rage is misplaced and hardly serves to endear the country to those appalled by the idea that it may have had a Canadian citizen killed

The leaders of both countries should encourage bilateral trade and people-to-people exchanges that can help build bridges

Canada has updated travel advisory for its citizens in India asking them to "stay vigilant and exercise caution" in the context of recent developments as there are calls for protests and some "negative sentiment" towards Canada on social media.
Tensions flared between India and Canada following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's explosive allegations of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, on his country's soil on June 18 in British Columbia. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.
India angrily rejected the allegations as "absurd" and "motivated" and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case.
"In the context of recent developments in Canada and in India, there are calls for protests and some negative sentiment towards Canada on social media. Please remain vigilant and exercise caution," the Canadian government said in an

The BJP faces a challenging time ahead and the party should gear up to oppose many people, its Tamil Nadu unit chief K Annamalai said and expressed his resolve to overcome all hurdles to usher in a 'political change.'
As president of the party, he said he is prepared to take on individuals and he wanted the cadres to be prepared to take on those who oppose them and eventually win and ensure a regime change.
In a veiled reference to the AIADMK, which walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance on Monday, Annamalai addressing party workers during his 'En Mann, En Makkal' (My land, My people) padayatra at Pollachi late on Monday night, he said "we have seen the need for a political change. This is a challenging time. We need to oppose many."
He said he is determined to overcome the challenges.
"If I don't do certain things, then I will lose the trust you have placed on me...we need to face challenges, overcome hurdles, take a stance to oppose some individuals," he added. In

K Annamalai, Tamil Nadu BJP, (Photo: twitter)

Air India and Singapore Airlines will ensure minimum capacity on various domestic and international routes, including Delhi-Sydney and Delhi-Paris, as part of commitments made to fair trade regulator CCI to address possible competition concerns arising out of the Vistara merger.
Competition Commission of India (CCI), on September 1, approved the proposed merger of Vistara with Air India under a deal wherein Singapore Airlines will also acquire a 25.1 per cent stake in Air India.
Certain competition concerns due to the proposed merger were raised by the watchdog and to address them, the airlines have given certain commitments with respect to the merger.
As per the commitments, Air India has voluntarily offered to maintain "minimum capacity/ supply level" on certain overlapping O&D (Origin & Destination) domestic and overseas routes.
They are Bhubaneshwar-Delhi, Bengaluru-Guwahati, Cochin-Delhi, Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram, Amritsar-Delhi, Bhubaneshwar-Mumbai and Bengaluru-Delhi in

For comparison, the privatisation of Air India will result in an HHI score for the Indian aviation industry increasing by nearly 730 points from 2,775 to 3,503.

Aviation Sector, Aviation Industry

A day after the BJP announced its second list of candidates for the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls, the Congress on Tuesday said no matter who it fields, the people of the state have decided to oust those who had formed the government through the back door.
The opposition party said that with the announcement of the list, it seems results have been declared even before the polls.
The BJP on Monday released its second list of 39 candidates for the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls. It fielded Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Prahlad Singh Patel and Phaggan Singh Kulaste and four other party MPs for the elections.
Besides the ministers, the MPs fielded are Rakesh Singh, Ganesh Singh, Riti Pathak and Uday Pratap Singh -- all from Lok Sabha.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks in rallies in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on Monday.
He said the Congress

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera

The appointment of Scherer, 61, heralds broad continuity inside the main commercial arm, which competes with Boeing and makes up about 70% of the company's revenues

New Airbus A321XLR Photo credit: dreamstime.com

Drug major Cipla on Tuesday said it has introduced drone-powered deliveries of critical medicines for hospitals and pharmacies in Himachal Pradesh in partnership with Sky Air Mobility.
The Mumbai-based firm aims to deliver medicines for cardiac, respiratory and other essential chronic therapies as part of the initiative.
The use of drones will support on-time deliveries of the company's medicines to chemists and clinics in remote areas while minimising risks such as delays, temperature excursions affecting cold chain products, and roadside accidents, Cipla said in a statement.
"As we accelerate our digital agenda across all functions, implementing drone-powered distribution enhances our supply chain resilience, strengthens connects with channel partners, helps us stay future ready and maintain reliable, prompt delivery of our trusted high-quality drugs to stockists and patients in the region," Cipla Global Supply Chain Head Swapn Malpani said.
The drug firm said it also aims to sca

Cipla introduces drone-powered critical medicine delivery in Himachal Pradesh

Disabled children

SC committee seeks inputs on ensuring access to differently-abled

P&G launches programme for employees who are caregivers to disable children

Maharashtra first state with Divyang department: CM Eknath Shinde

Innovation empowers inclusive world for persons with disabilities: UN chief

For 19 months in pandemic, 43% children had no access to education: Study

Free wheelchair, assistance to differently abled at railway stations: HC

India loses $118 bn annually in GNI due to childhood blindness: Report

Education & jobs for autistics: Laws exist but is there enough compassion?

Specially abled child barred from boarding IndiGo flight, NCPCR seeks FIR

Indigo CEO offers regret after specially- abled child is barred from flight

Haryana to open schools for children with disability: Education minister

India among 6 to get grant of $25 mn for school programme: Special Olympics

Empower, engage, motivate: Parenting in the times of Covid-19 pandemic

Don't delay setting up a trust for a special child for their secure future

Touching lives: This NGO provides prosthetics to specially abled children