Month: July 2023

‘Childline to be transferred to states to ensure quick help to kids in distress’: Smriti Irani

Manish Kumar

Union minister Smriti Irani said the Childline will be handed over to states so that the distress call gets connected to local police stations and the issue is resolved quickly.  Childline 1098 is a 24-hour-a-day emergency phone service for children in need of aid and assistance.   CHILDLINE India Foundation (CIF) is the nodal agency of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development for setting up, managing, and monitoring the CHILDLINE 1098 service all over the country.  CHILDLINE aims to reach out to every child in need and ensure…

Ex-Italian PM Leaves Over ₹ 900 Crore To 33-Year-Old Girlfriend in His Will

Manish Kumar

Mr. Berlusconi, dominated Italian public life for decades as a billionaire media mogul, businessman, and prime minister.  Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who died last month, has left ₹ 900 Crores in his will to his 33-year-old girlfriend Marta Fascina.  Marta Fascina, a Forza Italia deputy, began a relationship with Mr. Berlusconi in March 2020.  The larger-than-life character, was Italy’s longest-serving premier but was also plagued by scandal.  Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who died last month, has left 100 million Euros (Rs 9,05,86,54,868) to his 33-year-old girlfriend Marta Fascina…

Biden looks to deepen relationships with Britain’s King Charles and Prime Minister

Manish Kumar

Climate change and the Ukraine crisis are likely at the top of the agenda.  Biden to have a fifth meeting with Sunak in as many months. It will mark Biden’s first visit to Downing Street as president.  Biden hopes to deepen his personal relationship with King Charles.  Russia, Ukraine, and the United States have not signed on to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans the production, stockpiling, use, and transfer of weapons.  Britain was a signatory to the convention that discourages their use and said it would keep doing…

Odisha CM under house arrest: claims BJP MP targeting 5T secretary VK Pandian

Manish Kumar

Bhubaneswar BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi indirectly hit out at the BJD-led government over the frequent visits to different parts of the State by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s private secretary VK Pandian.  She said she suspected the CM was kept under house arrest by a group of people belonging to the BJD.  “The Chief Minister is ill. And he has been under house arrest.” She said.  On the other hand, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) lost no time to hit back at the BJP, by saying “Despite knowing everything, Aparajita madam…

Namami Gange’s Webinar Series ‘Igniting Young Minds: Rejuvenating Rivers’ Goes Global

Manish Kumar

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has taken the webinar series ‘Igniting Young Minds: Rejuvenating Rivers’ global. The 13th edition of the webinar series, now titled, ‘Igniting Young Minds: A Global Campaign’ was virtually organised on 8th July 2023 in collaboration with APAC News Network, with the objective of invoking participation from ‘Young Water Sustainers to Build Tomorrow’s Global Sustainability Leaders’. The theme of the webinar was Water Conservation. In this special session, the urgent need for rainwater conservation, collaboration with universities, and community engagement to ensure sustainable water management and river…

Urban 20 (U20) Mayoral Summit concludes with handover of the Communiqué to G20 Leaders

Manish Kumar

The two-day Urban 20 Mayoral Summit, hosted by the chair city Ahmedabad, in Gandhinagar from 7-8 July, concluded with the handover of the Communiqué from the Mayors to G20 leaders. The Communique was officially endorsed by 105 cities across the world, the highest ever number of endorsements received to date for any U20 Communiqué, and more than twice the number of endorsements for any previous communiqués. The Communiqué has been drafted as an action agenda for the six priorities identified collectively by U20 cities. These priorities include encouraging environmentally responsible…

Inaugural session of third G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) meeting of Culture organized in Hampi, Karnataka today

Manish Kumar

The inaugural session of the third G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) meeting was organised today in Hampi, Karnataka. Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs & Coal and Mines, Shri Pralhad Joshi addressed the session. Addressing the participants, he said “We have progressed from identifying and deliberating the four priorities to seeking consensus on the action-oriented recommendations that would be a significant step in placing culture at the heart of policymaking.” The 4 priority areas are: Protection and Restitution of Cultural Property; Harnessing Living Heritage for a Sustainable Future; Promotion of Cultural and Creative…

15 marriages, 4 children- man arrested after a decade for cheating women via matrimonial websites

Manish Kumar

Bengaluru resident marries at least 15 women by posing as a doctor, or engineer; arrested after nearly a decade.  Mysuru police arrested Mahesh Nayak, 35, for cheating women via matrimonial websites since 2014. He is believed to have at least 4 children from the marriages.  Most of Nayak’s wives are financially independent professionals and they refrained from filing complaints due to embarrassment and fearing social stigma.  Nayak’s father had also filed an attempt-to-murder case against him. Mysuru city police arrested a man who cheated on women he met on matrimonial…

BJP-led Centre is not serious about UCC, Sachin Pilot attacks BJP; dubs it as ‘googly’

Manish Kumar

Sachin Pilot said the BJP-led Centre has bowled the UCC issue as a “googly” to divert attention from the real issues concerning people.  Pilot alleged that there is nothing on a UCC in the standing committees or Parliament and the talks are just based on a ‘rhetorical political speech’.  Amid an ongoing debate on the implementation of UCC, Ghulam Nabi Azad said it is not as easy as abrogation of Article 370.  It is to both divide Muslims and Hindus again and to consolidate the latter’s vote for the all-important…

Focus of programme was on Amendments in the Juvenile Justice Act, Rules

Manish Kumar

The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), Government of India organised the second one day Regional Symposium on Child Protection, Child Safety and Child Welfare on 09.07.2023 at Bhopal today. There were three participating states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. The Symposium was attended by over 1500 representatives from Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs), Members of Village Child Protection Committee (VCPC) and Anganwadi Workers. The programme is part of a series of regional symposiums to be held across the country to raise awareness and outreach…