NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that lakhs of families have suffered pain due to the government‘s “incompetence and myopia” as the unplanned lockdown continues to haunt the country. The government had imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 24 last year to curb the spread of coronavirus. Gandhi has been attacking the government for the lockdown, saying the poor and migrants have suffered due to it. “The unplanned lockdown disaster continues to haunt the country,” he said on Twitter. “Condolences to the lakhs of families being punished with indescribable pain for GOI’s incompetence and myopia,” he added. Gandhi also cited a media report quoting a UNICEF study that due to COVID-19, India is likely to see the highest rise in child mortality and maternal deaths among the six most populous South Asian countries.
NEW DELHI: The government is serious about reducing road accidents as more people died from such mishaps in the last one year than from Covid-19 infection, road transport minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday. During the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Gadkari said the government is very much concerned about road accidents and will have to take all steps to reduce road accidents. “Our government is serious about reducing road accidents…1.5 lakh people died due to road accidents in the last one year which is more than 1.46 lakh deaths due to Covid-19,” he said. The minister further noted that most of those who died due to road accidents were people in the age group of 18-35. According to a recent World Bank report, India accounts for the highest number of road accidents globally, with 1.5 lakh people being killed and more than 4.5 lakh crippled annually in 4.5 lakh road accidents with losses amounting to 3.14 per cent of the GDP.
NEW DELHI: Faced with questions in Rajya Sabha over the rising number of sedition cases being filed by police, and the falling rate of conviction, the government said states were acting on their own and there was no political agenda behind it. It claimed no false case had been registered against those involved in protests against CAA and the new farm laws. Claiming that sedition law data was kept hidden during Congress’ tenure, the government informed the House that it has sought inputs from various quarters for criminal law reforms and has set up a committee for it. When asked if the sedition law would be amended, MoS (home) G Kishan Reddy said the government was going to take a “big step”. “The central government does not give any direction to any state government to arrest anyone. This act is there from the time of the Congress government. As far as conviction is concerned, judgments have not come in some cases,” the minister said. “During the current farmers’ agitation, different statements have been given, but the government has not intervened,” he said.
NEW DELHI: As many as 3.2 lakh overseas citizens of India (OCI) cards were issued per annum between 2015 and 2021 as compared to an average 1.7 lakh cards issued per year between 2005 and 2014. This, a home ministry official said, pointed to the growing popularity of the OCI card scheme with the Indian diaspora “in view of the OCI application process being made online and various relaxations offered over the years to extend the coverage and benefits of the scheme”. The government, through an executive order in 2019, had revised the OCI guidelines to require OCI cardholders to take special permission for undertaking activities like research, missionary work, Tablighi work, mountaineering and journalism and for visiting restricted, protected or prohibited areas while on a multiple entry, life-long visa, the changes were given statutory backing last week through a notification in the gazette. Prior to 2019, such permission was required only for research work. “These are not new restrictions and were in existence and in the public domain since 2019. The notification does not further restrict the pursuit of these activities. OCI cardholders can do all major activities without any permission from government authorities,” a home ministry official said. “This notification does not in any way take away the rights and privileges of an OCI cardholder as specified in various FEMA regulations,” he added. Stating that the government had facilitated foreigners eligible for or registered as OCI cardholder to a great extent, the official said these initiatives had led to the number of OCI cards issued doubling in the last six years.
NEW DELHI: Women are the backbone of the Indian agriculture sector and their contribution is pivotal in making the sector self-reliant, according to the government. Addressing a virtual event organised by Indian council of agricultural research (ICAR) to commemorate the International Women’s Day on Monday, two Union ministers of state for agriculture – Parshottam Rupala and Kailash Choudhary – spoke about women’s contribution in every sector including agriculture. Rupala highlighted the central government’s various schemes that are aimed at empowering women in every aspect of life, while Choudhary lauded women’s contribution in agriculture and farming sectors. Choudhary emphasized that “the role of women is pivotal in realising the aim of doubling farmers’ income,” a ICAR statement said. Stating that women are the backbone of Indian agriculture, ICAR director general Trilochan Mohapatra said women’s contributions are significant in helping the agricultural sector to prosper. The council is committed to build-up women leadership in the farming and agricultural sectors, he added. Madhya Pradesh MLA Archana Chitnis stressed on ensuring nutritional security and quality education to the women involved in agriculture.
NEW DELHI: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday took the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine. “Got my first dose of the vaccination against Covid-19 this morning,” Sitharaman tweeted. She also thanked sister Ramya PC for her “care and professionalism”. “Fortunate to be in India, where development and dissemination has been prompt and affordable,” she added. The government on Wednesday had announced that everyone above 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbidities will be able to get Covid-19 vaccine from March 1, for free at government facilities and for a charge at many private hospitals. Citizens can register and book an appointment for vaccination using the Co-WIN 2.0 portal or through the Aarogya Setu app. President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah, health minister Harsh Vardhan and law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad have also got vaccinated against Covid so far.
Alongside the new guidelines for OTT platforms over classification ratings and grievance redressals, the government of India has also launched new guidelines for social media platforms that include punishment for publishing offensive content, social media platforms having to publish a monthly compliance report, and the removal of offensive content within 24 hours, among other rules. The new set of guidelines for social media platforms come alongside the new framework launched for OTT platforms, which will require them to self-classify content, and follow a three-level grievance redressal mechanism.
The new guidelines for social media platforms require significant social media platforms (platforms having a user base over a certain threshold) will need to enable the identification of the first originator of the information for publishing offensive content. This person is liable for an imprisonment of > 5 years. Apart from this, prominent platforms also need to appoint a Chief Compliance Officer, a Nodal Contract Person, and a Resident Grievance Officer. They will also need to publish a monthly compliance report with details of complaints received and action taken. The prominent social media platforms are also required to take down all offensive content within 24 hours of receipt of a complaint. Others shall acknowledge within 24 hours and resolve the overall issue within 15 days.
Apart from this, the new guidelines pertain to OTT platforms, as previously reported. Here are a few key highlights for OTT platforms:
-OTT platforms now have to self-classify content into 5 age-based categories – U, 7+, 13+, 16+ and A which need to be displayed. Parental locks and age verification mechanisms to be applied as per the content rating.
-OTT content will be governed by a 3-level grievance redressal mechanism – (1) self regulation by platform, (2) self-regulatory body and (3) oversight mechanism formulated by Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
-News on OTT platforms will have to observe the guidelines set by Press Council of India and the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act to bring it in line with print and TV news.
