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Indian Express
13 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Dear Supreme Court, we owe street dogs dignity, not exile
Written by Meghna Bal When I was a little girl, my earliest and deepest camaraderie was with dogs. Not just our dogs at home, most of whom were rescued from the street as puppies, but the canines dotting my colony. Most were eager for a pat here or a scratch there, and some were timid but eventually came around. In nearly four decades of going up to dogs on the street, I've never had a bad experience, that is, been bitten (or even growled at). I cannot say the same for my experiences with humans, but that is another story. I am, then, shocked and disgusted by the recent order of Justices Pardiwala and Mahadevan, asking the NCR municipal authorities to willfully disregard existing law and pick up all stray dogs from the streets of New Delhi. In this context, I wish to bring the following to the attention of the Supreme Court. First, stray dogs do not become more territorial and aggressive when they are fed. A study by researchers at the Dog Lab of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata found that humans played a significant role in dog behaviour. Kindness to strays may result in significantly less conflict with humans. Ergo, where people fed dogs and were generally beneficent towards them, the dogs were more approachable because they did not see humans as a threat. Further research by the Dog Lab indicates that strays are not aggressive or unfriendly animals. In 1,941 dog sightings, the researchers found extremely low levels of aggressiveness among strays, both towards humans and other animals. Second, it is well-established that humans in our country have a largely symbiotic relationship with the stray animals on our streets. They keep rat populations in check, and mitigate criminal activity by staying vigilant through the night. They also serve as quotidian companions for the loneliest of us, those who have no one to turn to. If all stray dogs are picked up, and rat populations in the city mushroom, and we see a rise in cases of bubonic plague, who will be answerable? Third, rabies is not only caused by stray dogs. It can be caused by monkeys, cats, rats, squirrels, and cattle. The high incidence of rabies deaths is possibly because of the limited availability of rabies immunoglobulin (RIG), which one study found was only available in 20 per cent of healthcare centres surveyed. RIG is a necessary treatment for more severe animal bites. If you go to a private hospital, a rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin, if available, will cost at least Rs 30,000, if not more. If you want to get it from a government hospital, there are fixed timings to get it on any given day, which means that if you get bitten after these timings, too bad for you. Rabies deaths are a failure of policy and governance. And by putting the blame on the shoulders of dogs, the SC is absolving the state of neglecting its citizens. Fourth, studies have found that children are more prone to dog bites than adults, but this is not because dogs are insidious creatures looking to prey on the young of other species. It is a lot more complicated. Dogs can be in pain or have an illness, which may make them more aggressive. According to a research paper titled 'Pet dog bites in children: management and prevention', smaller children have a greater tendency to move their faces closer to novel objects, which can trigger reactions from dogs. Researchers also note that children tend to be less inhibited around animals than adults. The responsibility lies with parents to supervise and manage interactions between children and animals, and indeed all other beings. Human beings present the greatest danger to our children in the city, with more than a lakh cases of crimes against children being registered in 2022. Yet, we do not see any suo motu cases being taken in such matters? Why? Fifth, a major reason for the failure of the animal birth control (ABC) in Delhi is the unwillingness of the MCD and NDMC to pay organisations that have been carrying out sterilisations for them. I know of NGOs that were owed multiple crores by the municipal authorities for the sterilisations that they carried out, yet the authorities have not paid them. Most did not speak out because of fear of administrative retribution. Instead, they drop out of the ABC programmes altogether. The law is meant to protect the vulnerable. And there is no creature more deserving of that protection than one who has given us loyalty without ever asking for anything in return. We owe them not exile, but dignity. And we owe ourselves the kind of society that measures its greatness not by how it treats the powerful, but by how it treats those who have no power at all. To the Supreme Court: Please set aside the order and direct the NCR authorities to do their jobs by implementing a sterilisation and vaccination program. The writer is Director of the Esya Centre, a New Delhi-based tech policy think tank. Views are personal
India.com
43 minutes ago
- India.com
Donald Trump makes Big statement amid market turmoil, says No tariff to be imposed on..., US President now plans to...
New Delhi: In a major development, US President Donald Trump has clarified that there will be no tariffs imposed on gold. For the past few days, there had been rumors that President Trump had planned to impose heavy tariffs on gold. President Donald Trump has announced heavy tariffs on several countries, including India. Last week, a White House official had said that the Trump administration would soon introduce a new policy that would clarify whether import duty would be imposed on gold or not. Amid the turmoil in the bullion market, gold prices had been witnessing a sharp surge. However, after Donald Trump's statement, a decline in gold prices is being observed. On Friday, gold prices had reached a record high. Gold Prices: Snapping a five-day rally, gold prices retreated from record high levels and ended Rs 900 lower at Rs 1,02,520 per 10 grams in the national capital on Monday as stockists turned to selling amid easing geopolitical tensions. According to the All India Sarafa Association, the precious metal of 99.9 per cent purity had climbed Rs 800 to hit a record peak of Rs 1,03,420 per 10 grams on Friday. Gold of 99.5 per cent purity, which also reached the peak of Rs 1,03,000 per 10 grams in the preceding session, declined Rs 900 to Rs 1,02,100 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes) on Monday. In the five sessions until Friday, the yellow metal prices increased by Rs 5,800 per 10 grams. 'Gold resumes trading on a weaker note as the upbeat market mood diminishes demand for traditional safe-haven assets. 'Additionally, a de-escalation in geopolitical tensions, as President Donald Trump agreed to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, later this week to discuss peace efforts surrounding the Russia-Ukraine conflict,' Saumil Gandhi, Senior Analyst – Commodities at HDFC Securities, said.
Hans India
43 minutes ago
- Hans India
NPS Vatsalya Scheme: 1.3 lakh minors enrolled for early retirement, says Govt
New Delhi: A total of 1.3 lakh minors have been enrolled for early retirement under the NPS Vatsalya Scheme, the Union government informed the Parliament. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said that 130 thousand minor subscribers are registered under the NPS Vatsalya Scheme from September last year till August 3. The NPS Vatsalya Yojana, also known as the National Pension System Vatsalya, is a retirement savings scheme designed for minor children in India. 'NPS-Vatsalya promotes inter-generational equity and financial security by encouraging early savings for children as well as promoting a culture and habit of retirement planning across generations,' Chaudhary said. Under the old tax regime, an income tax deduction under Section 80CCD (1B) up to Rs 50,000 has been extended towards NPS-Vatsalya contribution made by the parent or guardian with effect from April 1. The scheme is implemented through Points of Presence (PoPs), which include the bank branches and non-bank entities, under the regulation of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). These PoPs operate across India, in all geographies, thereby ensuring extensive coverage and accessibility, the Minister said. He added that the NPS-Vatsalya account can also be opened through an online platform extended by the NPS Trust, further enhancing reach and convenience. NPS-Vatsalya Scheme, a contributory pension scheme for minors, was launched on September 18, 2024, to create a fully pensioned society. The scheme is designed for parents/guardians to contribute a minimum of Rs 1,000 per annum with no ceiling on maximum contribution, for their minor subscriber. On attaining the age of majority, the account of the subscriber can be seamlessly converted into an NPS account. According to a June survey report by Grant Thornton Bharat, younger Indians, notably those aged 25 years or below, now prefer early retirement. Among this group, 43 per cent desire to retire between 45 and 55 years. More than half (55 per cent) of respondents expect a monthly pension exceeding Rs 1 lakh. However, only 11 per cent believe their current investments are sufficient to meet these expectations, revealed the survey.
