After R-Day violence, farmers call off march to Parliament on February 1

Police book Tikait, many other farmer leaders

Farmers Protest: A day after the tractor parade to Delhi spiralled into chaos and violence, farmer unions on Wednesday cancelled their planned foot march to Parliament on February 1 when the Budget would be presented in the House. Farmers protesting the new farm laws would instead hold public meetings and a hunger strike on January 30, on Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary. The Delhi police, on the other hand, have booked farmer leader Rakesh Tikait and 36 others, and also detained around 200 people in connection with incidents of violence and vandalism in various parts of Delhi, including at Red Fort.

They have also filed 25 FIRs naming activists Yogendra Yadav, Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Chaduni, and others. FIRs were filed under various sections of the IPC, including 147, 148 (related to rioting), 307 (attempt to murder) and 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy). Two farmer unions — the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu) and the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee — have decided to withdraw from the ongoing agitation. During the tractor parade, a section of protestors broke through barriers, clashed with police personnel, overturned vehicles, and hoisted a religious flag on the ramparts of Red Fort…

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PSU bank employees go on two-day strike; services hit at many places

Employees of public sector banks went on two-day strike against the move to privatise public sector banks impacting normal banking operation across the country Employees of public sector banks (PSBs) on Thursday went on two-day strike against the move to privatise public sector banks impacting normal banking operation across the country. Many branches across different parts of the country were shut as the United Forum of Bank Union (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions including All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW) had given two day strike call. As a result, services such as deposits and withdrawal at branches, cheque clearance and loan approvals might be affected due to the strike. But ATMs are expected to function as usual. Public sector lenders, including State Bank of India, had informed customers that services in their branches might be affected due to ...

'When rape is inevitable, enjoy it...': Congress MLA in Karnataka Assembly

Senior Karnataka Congress leader KR Ramesh Kumar made a sexist and unsavoury comment on rape in the state Assembly Senior Karnataka Congress leader and former Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar on Thursday made a sexist and unsavoury comment on rape in the state Assembly. Speaking in the Assembly, Kumar said, “There is a saying that when rape is inevitable, lie down and enjoy it. That is exactly the position in which you are.” The senior Congress MLA’s remark was made when MLAs began to demand time from Speaker Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri to discuss farmers’ issues in the Assembly. When the Speaker asked how the Session would be conducted if the time was allotted to everyone. “Whatever you decide I will say yes. What I am thinking is that let us enjoy the situation. I can’t control or regulate the system, my concern is about the business of the house, it has also to be covered,” the Speaker told the members. To this, the Congress MLA Ramesh Kumar mad...

India has 9 of 10 most polluted cities, but few air quality monitors

Research shows that the number of air quality monitors in India per million people is lower than other highly populated countries. This prevents it from gauging the true extent of various pollutants With its size, population and aggravating air pollution, India needs 1,600 to 4,000 air quality monitors but has only 804 as of September 16, 2021, most of which are concentrated in urban areas, shows research. This, experts say, prevents India from knowing the true extent, scale and geographical spread of various pollutants, and limits the government’s ability for preventive public health measures. India has nine of the 10 most polluted cities in the world, but with 200 particulate matter (PM) 2.5 monitoring sites in operation during the 2010-2016 period, India’s air quality monitor density–about 0.14 monitors per million people–is below China (1.2), the United States of America (3.4), Japan (0.5) and Brazil (1.8), according to research from 2019. As a consequence, India does not acc...

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