UNEMPLOYMENT INDUCED SUICIDES WENT UP BY 24% FROM 2016 TO 2019
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) records state that 2,851 people died by suicide due to unemployment in the country in 2019, the Union Minister of Labour and Employment Bhupender Yadav told Lok Sabha. Yadav was responding to a question by BSP MP Kunwar Danish Ali regarding the matter in Parliament. Suicide cases registered due to unemployment have increased by 24 per cent from 2016 to 2019. There were 2,298 suicide cases in 2016. Karnataka registered the maximum number of suicides due to unemployment (553) in 2019, followed by Maharashtra (452) and Tamil Nadu (251). Another data by NCRB, which was recently presented in Parliament, has also stated that over 24,000 children in the age bracket of 14-18 years died by suicide from 2017-19, with failure in examination being the reason in over 4,000 such cases. According to the data, 24,568 children, including 13,325 girls, aged 14-18 years, died by suicide from 2017 to 2019.
OVER 9 LAKH KIDS, MOST FROM UP, ACUTELY MALNOURISHED
More than 9.3 lakh severely acute malnourished (SAM) children between six months and six years have been identified in the country till November. Out of this number, Uttar Pradesh accounted for over 4 lakh such children, a report said on July 30. This data was shared by the women and child development ministry in response to a question in Rajya Sabha. WCD minister Smriti Irani said, “As per ICDS-RRS Portal (as on 30th November, 2020), 9,27,606 severely acute malnourished (SAM) children (6 months-6 years) have been identified in the country, out of which 3,98,359 are from the state of Uttar Pradesh. Under the Integrated Child Development Services, supplementary nutrition is provided to children including severely malnourished children in the age group of 6 months-6 years.”
EDITORS GUILD MOVES SC FOR SIT PROBE INTO SPYING ALLEGATIONS
The Editors Guild of India has approached the Supreme Court, seeking a probe by a Special Investigation Team into reports that the government used Israeli-made Pegasus spyware to monitor scores of journalists, activists and politicians, Live Law reported on August 3. In a writ petition, the Editors Guild has asked the Supreme Court to seek details from the government on the spyware contract and a list of people targeted. “Freedom of the press relies on non-interference by the government and its agencies in reporting of journalists, including their ability to securely and confidentially speaking with sources, investigate abuse of power and corruption, expose governmental incompetence, and speak with those in opposition to the government,” the petition said. The Editors Guild said Indian citizens have a right to know if the government was infringing the limits of its authority.
DELHI POLICE FILES FIR AGAINST DWARKA HAJ HOUSE PROTESTERS
The Delhi Police on August 6 registered an FIR against several people who were protesting against the construction of Haj House in Dwarka, for violating DDMA guidelines, officials said. A senior police official said a case under appropriate sections of the law has been registered and further investigation is underway. The Wire had reported on how the protests were orchestrated by Hindutva groups and were distinctly communal in nature. Delhi does not have a dedicated Haj house for the many pilgrims that leave from the city. The protest comes after the All Dwarka Residents’ Federation wrote to Lt Governor Anil Baijal, urging him to cancel the land allotted for construction of the Haj House.
FOOD CIVIL SUPPLIES INSPECTOR BOOKED FOR `20-CRORE FRAUD
Following the complaint of District Food and Civil Supplies Controller Rishi Raj Mehra, the Amritsar rural police have booked custodian inspector Jasdev Singh on the charge of fraud (420, IPC) and criminal breach of trust (409, IPC) and other relevant sections of the IPC. The physical verification continued for two days and the department found as many as 87,160 quintals of wheat worth Rs 20 crores missing. According to the complaint submitted to the police, the DFSC said as many as 1,45,787 bags of 50-kg wheat each belonging to Pungrain and 47,556 bags containing 30-kg wheat each (total 1,93,343 bags) were found bungled from eight godowns. Jasdev Singh mysteriously disappeared last week. He was the custodian of eight godowns located in Jandiala, Gehri Mandi and Dhire Kot villages. He allegedly took along the records pertaining to these godowns from his office.
MEN’S HOCKEY TEAM DEDICATES OLYMPIC MEDAL TO DOCTORS
The Indian men’s hockey team – the most successful in the history of the Olympics with eight gold medals – claimed the bronze medal with a 5-4 victory over Germany at the Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo on August 5. The team hadn’t medalled since Moscow 1980, when they won the last of their golds. “Today we have made 1.3 billion Indians proud by finishing on the podium,” said Singh. Goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh called the bronze medal “a rebirth.” “The last 15 months was so difficult for us also, because we were in Bangalore, we spent too much time there away from the family,” said the Indian men’s hockey captain Manpreet Singh. “We would like to dedicate this medal to doctors who have saved so many people’s lives there in India and everywhere in this world. So, we’d like to dedicate this medal to those warriors,” added Singh.
ADP MUMTAZ FIRST MUSLIM WOMAN MAGISTRATE IN KARNATAKA
Udupi’s Assistant Director of Prosecution (ADP) Mumtaz has been appointed district judge, making her the first Muslim woman in Karnataka to become a district magistrate. Mumtaz secured the first rank in the judicial exams held in Feb-March earlier this year. She is among the 12 among people who got selected to become district judges. Mumtaz completed her LLB degree from SDM Law College in Mangaluru before moving to Mysuru for master’s degree. She was selected as the assistant public prosecutor in the JMFC court of Bhatkal in 2010. Later, she was shifted to Udupi JMFC. In 2018, Mamtaz got promoted as ADP to the district SP office of Udupi.