Up to Rs 5 lakh fine, 7-yr jail term for attacking Covid-19 health workers

The move comes in the wake of reports of assaults on healthcare workers at some places in the country, including in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved an ordinance imposing stringent penalties, including a maximum jail term of seven years and a fine up to Rs 5 lakh, on those found guilty of attacking or harassing health workers treating persons infected with the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). It makes violent offences cognisable and non-bailable. The move comes in the wake of reports of assaults on healthcare workers at some places in the country, including in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.

The ordinance amends the Epidemic Diseases Act (EDA), 1897. Under the new rules, a person can be imprisoned for a period of three months to five years and asked to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters after a meeting of the Union Cabinet here on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: Covid-19 crisis: Mamata Banerjee lashes out at govt over testing kits

In case of grave injuries to health workers, the guilty will be sent to jail for a term that could range between six months and seven years, and will be asked to pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. In case properties of health workers, including their ambulances, are damaged, the attackers will have to pay twice the market price of such assets. According to the proposed amendments, investigation against the accused will have to be conducted within 30 days and a final decision taken within a year…Read More

AAP sweeps Delhi: BJP crawls to single-digit; Congress draws a blank

The BJP, despite its successes in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, has struggled at the Assembly level

Delhi Elections 2020: The incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has secured a massive win in the Delhi Assembly polls, attributing its success to “politics of work” against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) “politics of hate”. Polling for Delhi’s 70 Assembly seats was held on Saturday after a fractious election campaign. The BJP’s defeat in Delhi comes on the heels of it losing in Jharkhand, failing to form the government in Maharashtra, and being forced into a coalition in Haryana after the party fell short of the majority mark.

AAP’s win on Tuesday is being seen as a verdict at a time when nationwide protests are being held against the amended citizenship law, including at the capital’s Shaheen Bagh. The BJP had made Shaheen Bagh the focus of its election campaign, appealing to residents of Delhi to vote out “terrorists”. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who only last month quit as BJP president and was succeeded by J P Nadda, had put his personal prestige at stake by leading the election campaign for the party, addressing several public meetings and also going door to door to contact voters.

During the campaign, AAP, and its leaders including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia, had tried to sidestep the contentious issue of the new citizenship law. They had instead focused on governance issues, particularly related to better schools and health facilities such as ‘mohalla’ clinics, delivery of subsidised power, water supply and free public transport for women…

Delhi election result: Okhla to New Delhi, 10 key seats to watch out for

As voters announce their verdict, here are 10 important constituency contests to keep an eye on

Delhi election result: Counting of votes for Delhi Assembly election is underway and the verdict will be known today. Arvind Kejriwal’s incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is eyeing a third consecutive term in power in Delhi. All the exit polls have been unanimous in predicting that Arvind Kejriwal will return as the Delhi chief minister for a third time and the AAP will romp home to victory, at the very least by a two-thirds majority. The AAP’s tally will fall somewhere between 44 and 68 in the Assembly of 70 members, according to pollsters. Prominent candidates in the fray include CM Arvind Kejriwal (New Delhi), his deputy Manish Sisodia (Patparganj), Atishi (Kalkaji) and Raghav Chadha (Rajendar Nagar) of the AAP; four former mayors — Azad Singh, Yogender Chandolia, Ravinder Gupta and Khushi Ram — of the BJP; and Shivani Chopra, daughter of Delhi Congress president Subhash Chopra.

As voters announce their verdict, here are 10 constituency contests to keep an eye on

1. New Delhi constituency

The New Delhi Assembly constituency is currently held by Arvind Kejriwal of the AAP. Kejriwal had got 64.14 per cent of the votes in the 2015 Delhi Assembly election. The New Delhi Assembly constituency, home to bureaucrats and traders, has over 144,000 voters, and comprises areas like President Estate, Connaught Place, Pandara Park, Gold Link, Central Secretariat, Janpath, Gole MArket, Sarojini Nagar, Kidwai Nagar, Bhagwan Das Lake, Lodhi Estate, Bharti Nagar, Jor Bagh and Laxmi Bai Nagar. In the 2013 Assembly elections, Kejriwal trounced three-time Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. In the 2015 Assembly polls, Kejriwal emerged stronger against the Congress and the BJP. He defeated Kiran Walia (Congress) and Nupur Sharma (BJP) and got 64.14 per cent of the votes.

In the 2020 Delhi Assembly election, the key candidates in the New Delhi constituency are Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Sunil Yadav of BJP and Romesh Sabharwal of Congress. According to pollsters, New Delhi is projected to go to AAP.

Delhi election highlights: EC imposes 24-hour ban on BJP MP Parvesh Verma

Delhi election LIVE updates: BJP, the AAP and the Congress launching a no-holds-barred attack on rivals on issues like anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh and performance of the Kejriwal govt on Monday

Delhi Elections: Campaigning for the Delhi Assembly elections has intensified with the date of polling inching closer. Today, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed a public rally in east Delhi’s Kondli. Rahul launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over rising unemployment, and claimed that the Prime Minister will not be able to step out from his house in the next six months due to his “false promises of employment”.

Addressing a rally, Gandhi said it was Congress‘s 15-year tenure, from 1998 to 2013, in the national capital that gave the city its modern infrastructure such as the metro service. Priyanka Gandhi, general secretary of the All India Congress Committee, held a public meeting at Hauz Qazi area of the national capital. She accused BJP and AAP governments at the centre and state levels, respectively, of spending huge fortunes on advertisements but not working on the issues that impacted people…

PM spent Rs 5,200 cr on ads for Delhi election: Priyanka

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spent Rs 5,200 crore on advertisements in the lead up to the election. AAP has spent Rs 611 crore on advertisements. They will not tell the public the real issues – why unemployment level has been rising, why BJP is on a privatising spree, how BJP has killed small and medium businesses with demonetisation and implementation of GST”, said Priyanka Gandhi..

Salary hike for 758,000 teachers as govt extends 7th Pay Commission award

Govt has also announced two new skill schemes; wants to send 300,000 youth for training in Japan

economy today: The central government cleared the pay commission recommendation for revision in salaries for teachers and academic staff.

There is some good news for as many as 758,000 teachers and other academic staff at 106 institutions under the Union government and 329 universities funded by various state governments. The central government has cleared the 7th Pay Commission recommendation to revise their salaries. The revised pay will be implemented with effect from January 1, 2016.

Teachers in 119 centrally funded institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) will also benefit.

"The annual Central financial liability on account of this measure would be about Rs 9,800 crore. The implementation will enhance teachers' pay in the range of Rs 10,400 and Rs. 49,800 as against the extant entry pay...(higher by) 22 per cent to 28 per cent," said the ministry of human resource development.....(Read more)