Data Privacy Day: Empowering people to protect their privacy

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January 28, 2020

Privacy is one of the most urgent issues associated with the information technology and digital media. Data Privacy Day (DPD) that falls on 28^th January is an effort to empower people to protect their privacy, control their digital footprint and escalate the protection of privacy and data as everyone’s priority. It serves as a timely reminder for organisations about the importance of correctly handling and safeguarding individuals’ personal data. It is led by the National Cyber Security Alliance, a non-profit, public private partnership focused on cyber security education for all online citizens.

Internet banking frauds and ways to avoid them is undoubtedly a topic that has been done to death. And yet, people across the country continue to lose money in such frauds with an alarming frequency. Today, computer and internet has become very common and necessary for our daily life. Back in 1990, less than 1 lakh people were able access internet worldwide. Now around 2.5 million people are hooked up to surf the net around the globe.

The internet brings joy to our lives but at the same time it has some negative sides too. The cyber criminals are always in a search to find out the new ways to attack the possible internet victims. A new generation is growing up with computers and most important is that all the monetary transactions are moving on to the internet. So, it has become very important for us to be aware of the various cyber frauds being committed with the help of computers. The cyber frauds today are on rise and the latest and perhaps the most complicated problem in the cyber world. According to a survey, for every 500 cyber frauds, only 50 get reported to the police and just one out of this 50 is registered as an FIR.

Personal data is now considered as the “black gold” of tomorrow in particular because it enables companies to better address the market needs. There are many individuals who are generally unfamiliar about the risks related to the protection of their personal data and of their rights in this respect. It is well known fact that most of the citizens all over the world are unaware about their rights in relation to data protection while some people are breaching data protection laws unknowingly on a daily basis.

According to a report of the Internet and Mobile Association of India, India has around 400 million internet users. Data protection is a bigger part of our lives. But, often we ignore its importance. We come across data protection issues at work when browsing the internet when dealing with public authorities when we shop when we book tickets online and in many other circumstances. Whether data is stored on premise or with an external private or public cloud provider, organisations should assess and reassure both employees and customers that data is collected, processed, accessed, shared, stored, transferred and secured in accordance with all laws and regulations and that data is only being used in pre-agreed, legitimate and lawful ways.

There’s no doubt that Data Protection Day serves as a timely reminder for organisations about the importance of correctly handling and safeguarding individuals’ personal data.

Maintaining of data bases is not as much a difficult task as maintaining its integrity, so in this era, the most concerned debate is going on to innovate a perfect method of data protection. Raising awareness of and compliance with data protection and privacy across the organisation must not be seen as an exercise that can be satisfied once a year. It requires ongoing committed activity from everyone within the organisation from the top down/bottom up. It is the very big headache for the business houses, financial institutions and the governmental bodies so as to give adequate protection to their huge databases.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

#MaharajaOnSale : Government invites bids for 100 pc stake sale of Air India

By

Afternoon Voice

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January 27, 2020

As was presumed, the government has decided to sell its entire stake in Air India. The development comes after an initial attempt to sell a majority stake in the airline failed to draw a single bid in 2018. The airline is sitting on a debt pile of around Rs 58,000 crore besides huge accumulated losses running into thousands of crores. As on December 2019, Air India has a fleet of 125 aircraft and its domestic market share is 11.9 per cent. A successful sale of Air India is vital for government to meet its disinvestment target. Besides a huge financial burden Air India’s employee to aircraft ratio is also on the higher side. The airline which has 14,000 employees has ratio of 133 employees per aircraft.

Currently, the Government of India holds a 100 per cent stake in the airline and its subsidiary Air India Express. The government said that as part of the sale, the control of the carrier will remain with an Indian entity limiting the scope of any foreign bidder who is interested in the asset. In a document inviting expressions of interest, the government said that it would sell a 100 per cent stake in the carrier which operates both domestic and international routes. As the government is set to invite preliminary bids from selling 100 per cent stake Air India, all eyes are on the portion of airline debt to be taken off its books and qualification for suitors. According to industry sources, some of the potential bidders could be Tata Group, Indigo, Spicejet and few private equity firms.

The government has set March 17 as a deadline for potential buyers to submit their initial expressions of interest. Any bidder will need to agree to assume roughly $3.26 billion in debt along with other liabilities, according to the sale document. In 2018, the government had tried to sell 76 per cent stake in Air India and offload about $5.1 billion of its debt that potential buyers at the time viewed as too onerous. Air India has some of the most lucrative international and domestic landing and parking slots that are vital for airlines.

With Air India reeling under around Rs 80,000 crore worth of debt, the government has said that there is no option left with it but to privatise the carrier. In the past decade, Air India’s accumulated losses stood at about Rs 69,575.64 crore, aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri informed the Parliament in December. According to industry analysts there could be significant investor interest Air India given its wide domestic and international network, traffic rights, slots at key foreign airports such as London and Dubai, large fleet and technical manpower. With Air India reeling under around Rs 80,000 crore worth of debt, the government has said that there is no option left with it but to privatise the carrier.

Is there absence of law regarding Indian prisons system? – Part II

By

Vaidehi Taman

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January 27, 2020

Poor criminals, with no serious background and who are inside for petty crimes, often become victims in everyone’s hands. Most of the time, they try to commit suicide. According to my opinion, in a certain number of cases bullied criminals who die in brawls are framed as ‘committed suicide in guilt’ just to curtain the inefficient ineffective Indian Jail System.

Indian jails, in reality, are nothing short of a nightmare. In India, two types of prisoners are detained. First, those under trial prisoners whose cases are being investigated/tried and judgement are yet not pronounced. Moreover, they do not even get bail. Nearly two third of Indian prisoners are under trail in Indian jails who are languishing in jail for years. Some women spend 10 years, some with their infants till they become five years of age. Not only the mother, but also even a child goes through hell seeing mother’s jail term. When such children sent off the jail they tend to become criminals or low esteemed suppressed personalities. They see their mother been brutally harassed by authorities inside the jail. They come out with hate and revenge. There is a facility of education for these kids.

The second category is of convicts who are undergoing their pronounced sentences. Both have different daily routines. They are nearly one third of total inmates lodged in Indian jails. Convicts are in minority while under trials are in majority in Indian jails. Their daily routine is little bit more relaxed. Under trails have fixed hour of free life, but convicts have their own relaxation based on their work routine.

Coming back to Mumbai prison, every month, each of the more than 1,000 women at the Aadharwadi prison in Kalyan is given a bar of soap. They have to use this to wash all their clothes, utensils and themselves. Skin ailments are routine. Throughout the day, there are two toilets for all of them to share. Several women have had a series of urinary tract infections. At night, they crowd into a space meant for 150.

1,000 women jailed in a space meant for 150, each making do with one bar of soap to bath and to wash clothes for a whole month. Their children grow up knowing little about the outside world unable to recognise even cats and dogs. This is the world of women prisoners in the two jails that house them in and around Mumbai, one at Byculla and the other at Kalyan. It’s tragic, but true that women prisoners are ostracised much more by their kin than men.

There is a stigma attached to women in prison. They are not supposed to be ‘criminals’, so their families want nothing to do with them. While family members come to the aid of many male prisoners, with women they are reluctant. These female criminals have no one to care for them, neither jail authorities nor family members. No one comes forward to help them with, for instance, another bar of soap. No one offers medical aid or moral support. No one explains where their cases stand, what their legal options are.

Many of these women are facing trial for murdering their husbands or domestic disputes. Families find it difficult to reconcile with this and snap all ties with them. Sometimes NGOs step in and counsel the relatives. Some of them come around. And sometimes, as it happened with a mentally ill woman at the Kalyan prison in 2010, families don’t even know they are in jail and give them up for dead. It was only after extensive counselling that she was able to tell them her family’s address. Then, officials get in touch with them and they are reunited.

The absence of family is felt most when health problems strike. Those suffering from high blood pressure or diabetes require a regular supply of pills. This is possible if their family members buy it and give it to them. Those with no relatives are taken to the nearby JJ hospital only after their condition worsens from lack of medicine. A psychiatrist and a gynaecologist visit the prison once a week and there is a full-time doctor. These women are mentally disturbed and physically exhausted, they become aggressive haters towards each other.

In such an atmosphere, fights are common, and prison guards often have to intervene. Staff and teachers who sometimes visit also need to have tremendous patience. The job of looking into the problems of prisoners is the probation officers (PO) who are appointed by the department of women and child development. But there is a shortage of POs and they are often handed other responsibilities. So inmates are hardly a priority.

Traumatising prison conditions and practices often have damaging and long-term impact on the mental health of inmates especially women. Institutions of correction and custody are as fraught with gender and other biases as the world outside. The World Health Organisation suggests that one in nine of the total prison population of 9 million in the world suffers from some form of mental disorder or illness. The total capacity of women inmates was highest in Tamil Nadu (1,070) followed by Uttar Pradesh (420), West Bengal & Delhi (400 each), Rajasthan (350), Andhra Pradesh (308), Maharashtra (262), Punjab (150), Bihar (83), Kerala (72), Odisha (55) and Tripura (30), according to a NCRB data. There is a need to provide dignity and hygiene to women who serve long sentences inside as well as under trials. Let’s hope some change comes in this dark world.

Also Read: Is there absence of law regarding Indian prisons system? – Part I

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

2 men consuming drugs near Borivali railway tracks run over by a local train

By

Hema Singh

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January 27, 2020

On Sunday evening, two men who were allegedly consuming drugs at a place between the Borivali and Dahisar stations were run over by a local train. According to the police, the bodies of the two were found around 7:30 pm near the Dahisar river bridge that borders a sprawling slum cluster.

The deceased who have been identified as Chhotu Ramesh Chouhan (19) and Ishwar Shankar Rathod (22), were the residents of Ganpat Patil slums near the I C Colony in Borivali. Police said that the duo were dead before they could be admitted to a hospital.

During the investigation, it was revealed that the duo took cannabis and charas and would frequently visit that area to consume drugs as the location is away from the glare of the police. After heavy smoking, the duo dozed off on the tracks and did not respond to the horns of a coming train.

Though old, I am happy as I live on

By

Afternoon Voice

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January 27, 2020

As I have aged, I have become kinder to and less critical of myself. I have become my own friend. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world, too soon before they understood the great freedom that comes with ageing. Whose business is it if I choose to read, or play on the computer until 4 am. I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60s & 70s and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love, I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging tummy and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old. I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And eventually, we remember the important things. Sure, over the years, my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one or when a child suffers or even when somebody’s beloved pet is hit by a car?

I can say that I am a kind of sample who didn’t get love from my brother and sister in terms of love. Though I am the eldest, these younger lot of herd left me mid-way squandering all the money that my father left behind when he took off for his heavenly abode. My heart broke with a thud that I could hear for a long time. But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart that has never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived enough to have my hair turning grey and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into grooves on my face. So many have never laughed and too many have died before their hair could turn silver.As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don’t question myself anymore. I’ve even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being older. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day.

So, I still live on staring at the sky and hoping that God will one day bless me with bliss until I close my eyes.`

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Letters to the Editor: 27 January, 2020

By

Web Team

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January 27, 2020

1Uddhav Thackeray deserves sufficient time to prove himself

Uddhav Thackeray is heading a coalition government of three major parties and he became Chief Minister of Maharashtra after a long drawn battle to come to power. We need to give him sufficient time before scrutinizing his work minutely. He is a seasoned politician though he did not hold public office before becoming CM. He seems to be making the right noise as far as policy decisions are concerned and opposition too should support his decisions which they think are right and criticize if he strays the path.

His son Aaditya Thackeray who is a minister in his cabinet seems to be making the right moves and his decision to keep malls open 24×7 has truly given Mumbai an international status. Promoting tourism too is appreciable and I am sure the young crowd is impressed by his work. Coalition government works on common minimum programme and hope the State has a stable government as we can ill afford mid-term polls which costs a lot of money.

S.N.Kabra

2Church vandalized in Bengaluru

The church of St Francis of Assisi at Satellite Town in Kengeri, Bengaluru has been attacked last week by unknown miscreants. The alter has been vandalized and the tabernacle destroyed…Holy Communion has been strewn all around the place and trampled upon. We Christians condemn this dastardly and cowardly act of unscrupulous elements and urge upon the police and the authorities to arrest the culprits immediately.

Jubel D’Cruz

3Supreme Court desiring Parliament to rethink power of Speaker to disqualify MLAs

It refers to Supreme Court bench headed by Justice RF Nariman on January 21, 2000 desiring Parliament to rethink power of Speaker to disqualify MLAs, because of Speaker being a member of some political party. Evidently Speakers in state-assemblies at times have openly misused their power in favour of their political leanings.

Better is to reform system of electing Speaker (also Chief Minister and Deputy Speaker) and electing Chief Ministers. Speaker should be elected simultaneously with Chief Minister and Deputy Speaker by secret and compulsory vote through EVMs equipped with VVPAT on nominations signed by at least 34-percent members with abstaining members losing right to vote in the House though retaining membership. Such elected incumbents may be removed through same process but with compulsion to name alternate leader in the same motion. System will tend to bring comparatively unbiased person on post of Speaker, and will eliminate role of Speaker in biased proceedings in case of making and unmaking of Chief Ministers.

Madhu Agrawal

4Markandey Katju’s sharp comment against Supreme Court reinstating woman staffer

It refers to sharp comments of ex-judge of Supreme Court Markandey Katju on Supreme Court reinstating woman staffer having accused the then Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi of sexual misconduct. But the manner woman-staffer was reinstated soon after retirement of Ranjan Gogoi from the post of Chief Justice of India with even back wages paid to her after such serious allegations of sexual misconduct during her posting at residential office of the then Chief Justice of India require a renewed probe in whole affair but now by a non-judicial investigating agency like Intelligence Bureau to avoid conflict of interest, especially after suspicion created by sharp reaction of a former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju on complete episode. Other allegations by Katju can also be simultaneously probed.

This is necessary to save image of judiciary which has earlier been also in question on various occasions. A former Chief Justice of India was not considered fit for being chairperson of National Human Rights Commission by Union Home Ministry. A probe was initiated against another former Chief Justice of India in infamous NEET verdict which was put on website by an individual much before it was pronounced in the Court. Another former Chief Justice of India was forced to resign from post of a state Human Rights Commission when he was allegedly framed for some incident involving women after his retirement from Supreme Court.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal

5Panic-stricken migrants

Kodagu Superintendent of Police (SP) Suman Pennekar has courted controversy by creating an online registry of migrant workers and directing them to prove their identity, at a time when there are protests across the country against the proposed nation-wide National Register of Citizens (NRC), from which the central government itself has backed off, at least for now. Over 6,000 panic-stricken migrants from Assam and other states working in the district’s coffee plantations, resorts and construction industry were called in and subjected to an ‘identity verification drive’ at local police stations. This comes in the wake of allegations by Hindutva groups that ‘illegal Bangladeshis’ had come into the district. One local Bajrang Dal leader has gone on record as having raised the bogey of illegal immigrants after a group of Assamese workers refused to work in his coffee estate at the low wage he was offering. Most migrants were found to be in possession of valid documents. In any case, the SP does not have powers to extern from the district those who could not produce identification papers, unless it is proved that they are illegal immigrants.

A Abuzar Bajpatti

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Like Shaheen Bagh protest, Mumbai women come on streets against CAA, NRC

By

Hema Singh

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January 27, 2020

Hundreds of Mumbai women are protesting and raising slogans against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Population Register (NPR) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).

It’s been reported that women sat down on the Morland Road outside Arabia Hotel since late night on Sunday. It seems that they have drawn inspiration from New Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh protest which started from December 15 and thousands of people, including women and children, have been protesting since against the CAA and the NRC.

Despite the best efforts of the Mumbai police to convince people to cooperate, the women holding placards and raising slogans like “We stand against CAA, NRC and NPR; they tried to divide us, Respect my existence or expect my resistance.” Slogans hailing Hindu-Muslim unity and brotherhood were also raised.

Fatima a law student, addressing the protestors said, “You should love your country but it is not necessary that you also love your government. Chandrashekhar Azad has been detained; he is fighting for all of us. He gets detained wherever he goes…we are sitting here for people like Azad and for the women of Shaheen Bagh. We won’t move from here.”

One of the police officer said from among the protesters most of them are residents of Muslim-dominated areas like Madanpura, Jhoola Maidan, Apripada and Mumbai Central.

Shalini Sharma senior inspector of the Nagpada police station said that she had requested the protesters to take prior permission from the police. However they refused to move and continued to occupy the road. All this shows that the protesting women aren’t interested to budge.

Haryana: Heading towards a mid-term poll?

By

Web Team

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January 26, 2020

Just after the revolt of JJP MLA Ram Kumar Gautam, another MLA supporting the BJP government Balraj Kundu also sounded a bugle within three months of formation of BJP-JJP alliance government. Will the chain of resentment continue to increase its length or will the Controller –Generals of the alliance succeed in curbing the voice of indignation? Before a final note, let us discuss the background.

Sometimes, bad luck of one turns to good luck for the other. BJPs not gaining the majority win in the Haryana Assembly elections in October 2019 bestowed a sunny glowing day upon Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) in the murky political scenario. After winning all the 10 Lok Sabha seats in May, 2019 on the air wings of Modi, the over confident state BJP declared its target of 75 plus seats out of 90 in Haryana Vidhan Sabha. But it failed to read the ground report. When election results were announced, the BJP which was flying high in the sky on the gas filled balloons, dashed to the ground and got only 40 seats out of total 90 seats. The main opposition party Congress got 31 seats, the newly formed JJP secured 10 seats while the independents and others succeeded in getting 9 seats.

It has been noticed in different elections that in Haryana the voters don’t take on top priority the development through ‘Sabka Saath –Sabka Vikas’, rather they want “Mera Saath –Mera Vikas”. It is generally quoted that had they liked the general or public development works, the former Chief Minister late Chaudhary Bansi Lal would never have lost the elections.

Generally to get the elections and defections favourably the high side promises are made and if one sees the least chances to win then sometimes the political leaders bless everyone with a son. JJP did so and made 160 promises in its manifesto during elections, which require a huge fund to fulfill these. Some of these are high side promises which was not possible to implement due to the paucity of funds with the state and other restrictions. JJP knew this before-hand but it promised these just to bend the voters towards it. JJP had not even thought of it getting the power share so soon. Now their own promises have put BJP-JJP alliance government in a dilemma. Having made nearly 400 promises out of which 70 are common are being considered for their common minimum programme.

Some major promises of the JJP are-increase in the monthly old age pension from the existing Rs 2,000 to 5,100, lowering down of eligibility age for the old age pension from the present 60 years to 55 for women and 58 for males, to reserve 75 per cent of jobs for the local youth which constitute a sizeable chunk of nearly 1.83 crore voters of the state, to give a monthly assistance of Rs 11,000 per month to unemployed youth while student from rural areas to be given extra ten marks when they appear in competitive examinations in the state for the farmers, a bonus of 10 per cent or Rs 100 to be given over MSP, minimum wages to be fixed at Rs 16,000 and to waive loans taken by farmers from the cooperative banks.

Haryana Cooperation Minister, Dr. Banwari Lal , while announcing the last date of ‘One Time Settlement Scheme’ till January 31, 2020 for loanee members and farmers who have an account with cooperative banks to facilitate the members and farmers to take advantage of the scheme told that the total amount of short term loan of Harco Bank is about Rs 3,091 crore and there are about 6,99,804 beneficiaries out of which Rs 1136.36 crore has been recovered from 2,51,481 beneficiaries till 31 December 2019.

Ranjit Singh the Haryana Power and Jails minister while addressing media persons during the first bijli panchayat in Hisar on Sunday Jan 05,2020 divulged, “According to the data of rural domestic consumers, the total pending amount is Rs.2,900 crore, of which Rs. 95 crore is of farmers using tube wells. We are meeting the panchayat members of villages that are on the defaulters’ list and will ask them how they will pay the amount.”

During the assembly election campaign, Congress leader and former chief minister of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda had alleged that due to wrong policies of the BJP government, Haryana had become a debt ridden state . In a tweet on October 15,2019, Hooda alleged , “BJP government had emptied the state treasury coffers and burdened the government

To start with, the alliance government declared the implementation of its first promise of enhancement of old age and widow pension from present Rs. 2,000 per month to Rs. 2,250 by affecting an increase of just Rs. 250/ per month.

Now Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced an increase in all monthly social security pensions including the old age pension from Rs. 2,000 to Rs.2,250.

Since 2015, the state government has extended an increase of Rs 200 in these pensions every year. The old age pension which was Rs.1,000 in 2014 was increased in the last five years at the rate of Rs.200 every year giving a last slab of Rs. 2, 000 per month.

However, BJP’s power partner JJP had promised an ambitious increase in the monthly old age pension from the existing Rs 2,000 to Rs.5,100 ,whereas the BJP had promised to increase the old age pension to Rs .3,000 per month during the assembly election campaign.

Reacting over the pension enhancement , the former Chief Minister, Bhupinder Hooda said on January 6,2020 at Rohtak , “It is no achievement by the government as it has hiked only Rs.50 additionally .”

If we consider this increase of Rs. 250 per month as a routine yearly increase on the lines of previous yearly increases of Rs. 200 per year by BJP led government , then question arises, what the JJP did? Did JJP succeed in getting an increase of Rs. 50 only as its share? What about its promise of Rs. 5100 per month?

Commenting on the increase, Congress leader and three times Member Lok Sabha, Deepender Singh Hooda reacted on January,03,2020, “The BJP-JJP alliance government has given a lollypop to the public by just enhancing old age pension from Rs. 2000 to Rs. 2250 against a promise of Rs. 5100. The public will never forgive the alliance government for this betrayal. Is this the common minimum programme?”

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala took a dig at the BJP-JJP coalition government in Haryana and said their common minimum programme had become “common mess of parties”.

Indian National Lok Dal supreme operator and former leader of opposition in Haryana Assembly, Abhay Singh Chautala tells the pension increase as ‘A drop in ocean’ and questions JJP leaders, without naming them, “Where are the persons, who were claiming to extend Rs. 5100 per month pension to the old age citizens ?”

But still the JJP appreciating the step. Speaking to the media in Bhiwani on January 4, 2020, JJP supremo and Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala said, “We have increased the pension by Rs.250 just in a short span of 67 days, this will lay a burden of Rs. 1000 crore on the state exchequer .”

After the first meeting of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) Committee held in Chandigarh on November 28,2019, CMP Committee chairperson and senior cabinet minister Anil Vij said that many promises of both the parties –BJP and JJP are similar and implementation of many has already been started.

Will the alliance government run for the full five year term?

-By Jag Mohan Thaken

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AFTERNOON VOICE and AFTERNOON VOICE does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

Big blow to duty-free companies; Commerce Ministry to reduce Duty-Free Liquor Allowance

By

Afternoon Voice

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January 26, 2020

Commerce Ministry has decided to restrict the purchase of alcohol to one bottle from two bottle, Aviation authorities, especially the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has raised concern because liquor is one of the tourist attractions at airport and it also generates revenue. The reduction of alcohol allowance at duty free shops at Indian airports will directly impact the revenue. Association of Private Operators said that the government’s decision will lead to a loss of around Rs 650 crore revenues for airport operators. This is likely to lead to a steep hike in user charges for travelers. The proposal to restrict alcohol sale at duty free shops will further increase aeronautical charges at airport by at least Rs 200 crore annually. The Commerce Ministry had made the proposal to the Finance Ministry ahead of the union budget with an intention to reduce trade deficit.

With the implementation of this order, flyers can expect ticket rates on the rise. This is also because airports run primarily on non-aeronautical income such as duty-free shops, restaurants, cafes and so on. To object this limit private airport operators along with the AAI are going to approach the government to reconsider the proposal. This comes at a time when the Association of Private Airport Operators (APAO) recommended increasing the current alcohol allowance from two bottles to four.

The AAI mentioned that the reduced liquor allowance will mean an increase in landing and parking charges on airlines, which they will happily pass on to their customers. It’s clear that a loss of revenue doesn’t help anyone. Meanwhile, Commerce and Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said, “It’s not a question of large or small (quantities). As a nation, we are not encouraging the import of alcohol.” However, not everyone agrees with the Commerce Minister.

A CEO of a private airline said, “It will be a blow to duty-free companies and airports. Duty-free sales are an important component of non-aeronautical revenues for airports and 30 per cent of the non-aero revenue is used to cross subsidies aeronautical charges.” This move may also have a negative impact on upcoming investments, particularly from the likes of Adani Airports, which won contracts for six new airports recently. While several contractors have bid on airport projects across the country, they have also factored in revenue generated from duty free liquor sales. So this move by the Commerce Ministry may lead to the contractors changing their revenue model or reworking the plans altogether.

Is there absence of law regarding Indian prisons system? – Part I

By

Vaidehi Taman

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January 26, 2020

Sheena Bora murder case accused Indrani Mukerjea is battling with the violence in jail by its custodians, she narrated before a special CBI court. How can the male officials of the Byculla women’s prison cane women inmates and even threaten her against being a witness in the court, she said.

Life of a woman in a prison seems to be very hard and bad. A study on deaths behind bars reveals that on an average almost 1,000 prisoners die in custody every year and 90 per cent of them are under trials. Statistics also reveal that most under trial punishments are converted into death penalties. Also, the death of a prisoner is never considered a custodial death but rather shown as a case of natural death.

The overcrowded jails are the biggest threat where ‘high profile’ prisoners are given priority and different cells while commoners have to spend their term in overcrowded cells. Indrani, who has been booked for rioting in the women’s prison in Mumbai along with other inmates, was hit on the hand and legs after which she could barely walk. Her crime is yet to be proven. The judiciary has taken her in custody for trials. But the treatment these women are meted out in jail is not justified.

A 45-year-old woman prisoner Manju Govind Shette had died in jail at the hands of jail officials after which the inmates protested against jail authorities.

Indrani was produced in Court after she moved an application alleging that jail officials roughed her up. Recalling the events on the day of the protest, she alleged that the superintendent had ordered a lathi charge after turning the lights off in the jail. The special CBI court allowed Indrani Mukerjea to lodge a complaint against prison officials. Narrating the incident, Indrani told the Court that she was threatened and assaulted after she said that she would give a statement (in connection with the case) to a magistrate under the provisions of Section 164 CRPC which unlike a police statement is admissible in court.

Anyways this is not the plight of Mumbai or Maharashtra prisoners alone, almost everywhere in India they go through this hell. A few women who served prison terms have recorded torture and inhuman treatment within the prisons across other states too. In Tamil Nadu, prison female inmates were stripped naked and abused verbally and physically and not provided even basic facilities. The NHRC recorded 39 cases of rape from judicial and police custody from 2006 to 28 February 2010.

Citing the case of Maloti Kalandi, wife of Badal Kalandi who along with children was rescued from being trafficked was handed over to the Tamulpur police station, Baksa district of Assam for safe custody. Instead of providing safety, Sub-Inspector Sahidur Rahman summoned the victim to his official quarter and raped her. Similarly, two more prisoners, Munniammal who had been lodged in the Nilakottai sub-jail for robbery and M Muthulakshmi who had been arrested by the police for illicit brewing of liquor said they were never given anything but gruel in the prison. They also said that four to eight prisoners were crammed into a cell and they were forced to use a small corner as their toilet without even a curtain to provide them privacy.

A Tihar Jail’s woman prisoner facing trial in cases of cheating and forgery has accused the jail warden of torturing her with the help of HIV positive woman inmate for extorting money from her. She was beaten up for an hour in front of the deputy superintendent and the jail staff who remained mute spectators.

Ms. Saradha was brought to Special Prison for Women, Vellore, Tamil Nadu as a remand prisoner having been remanded by the Judicial Magistrate. She was undressed totally and dragged nude for quite some time till they reached the entrance of her cell and was put in solitary confinement and she was never given back her clothes and no official in the prison bothered about her. She was awarded 50,000/- as compensation by the Court. But no one ever bothered about her mental state or what happened to her after that. Her dignity was paid in rupees as recompense.

Soni Sori, a 38-year-old schedule tribe school teacher, warden and mother, was subjected to sexual violence while in custody in the Dantewada police station in Chhattisgarh under directions of the Superintendent of Police .She was repeatedly given electric shocks, her clothes were taken off. She was made to stand naked. The SP was watching her sitting on his chair. While looking at her body, he abused her in filthy language and humiliated her badly.

The horror doesn’t stop here. In a Nagpur prison, six napkins were given every month but this quantity was not sufficient. Earlier, the staff asked inmates to strip to show if they were menstruating. This practice was stopped after complaints. Sometimes the jailers used to put fingers in inmates private parts to make sure that they are menstruating. The criminal justice system has failed to protect the rights of women who are often victims of violence and discrimination.

Some 1,000 women were jailed in a space meant for 150, each making do with one bar of soap to bath and to wash clothes for a whole month. Their children grow up knowing little about the outside world, unable to recognise even cats and dogs.

According to the NCRB Crime Report, a total of 344 convicted women with their 382 children and 1,226 under-trial women with their 1,397 children were lodged in various prisons across India at the end of 2012.

There is high corruption inside the jails, and there are ways by which one can get the necessary things inside too (cigarette, alcohol, a girl for a night, good food etc) usually corporate criminals and politicians are the ones availing these facilities as prices are spiked like anything inside. The recent example is politician Sasikala. Whenever a high profile woman gets in prison, she is given all special privileges because she can afford to buy the authorities with common woman especially those who were caught in petty thefts for survival prison becomes one living hell. Any jail in India is a death trap.

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