Latest news with #Aparajita
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Guv returns Aparajita bill to assembly, cites concerns over BNS amendments
Kolkata: Bengal governor C V Ananda Bose has returned the Aparajita bill to the assembly citing serious objections raised by the Centre regarding proposed changes to BNS, according to a high-ranking Raj Bhavan source. The Centre found that the Aparajita Women and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, passed in Sept 2024, contained "excessively harsh and disproportionate" punishment provisions for rape under multiple BNS sections, sources said. A major point of contention is an amendment to Section 64 of BNS. The bill suggests increasing the punishment for rape from the current minimum of 10 years to either imprisonment for the remainder of the convict's natural life or capital punishment. The MHA reportedly deemed this escalation as unduly harsh and inconsistent with principles of proportionality. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Another controversial change involves the removal of BNS Section 65, which prescribes stricter penalties for sexual assault of minors. Union govt officials believe scrapping this clause weakens protections for vulnerable groups and risks diluting the intent behind age-based classifications in rape laws. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pune: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo Bengal govt on Friday said it had received no official communication from Centre nor the governor's office about these observations. Earlier, bills similar to Aparajita, like Andhra Pradesh Disha Bill, 2019, and Maharashtra Shakti Bill, 2020 — which had a mandatory death penalty for all rape and gang-rape cases — were passed unanimously by state legislatures but did not get assent from the President. Strongly objecting to the development, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: "The returning of the Aparajita bill is unfortunate, deplorable and condemnable. CM Mamata Banerjee proposed it keeping in mind women's safety and dignity and proposed harsher penalties for crimes against it... CM Banerjee will surely address the issue and concerns raised by Raj Bhavan and respond appropriately. However, this incident has proved that BJP is unwilling to impose maximum punishment in these cases, as their members are implicated in molestations and rapes. We reiterate that this is a model bill that should have been passed."
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Governor C V Ananda Bose returns Bengal rape bill after Centre flags concerns
West Bengal governor C V Ananda Bose (Pic credit: ANI) KOLKATA: West Bengal governor C V Ananda Bose has returned the Aparajita bill to the Assembly for reconsideration, citing serious objections raised by the Centre regarding proposed changes to Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), according to a high-ranking Raj Bhavan source. The Centre found that the Aparajita Women and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, passed in Sept 2024, contains changes in penal provisions for rape under multiple BNS sections, proposing "excessively harsh and disproportionate" punishments, sources said. A major point of contention is an amendment to BNS section 64. The state bill increases the punishment for rape from the current minimum of 10 years to either imprisonment for the remainder of the convict's natural life or capital punishment. The ministry of home affairs (MHA) reportedly deemed this as unduly harsh and inconsistent with principles of proportionality. Another change that MHA has objected to involves the removal of BNS section 65, which prescribes stricter penalties for sexual assault of minors. According to sources, Union govt believe scrapping this clause weakens protections for the vulnerable groups and risks diluting the intent behind age-based classifications in rape laws. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brain tumor has left my son feeling miserable; please help! Donate For Health Donate Now Undo However, the clause that the Centre found most problematic is the one under section 66, making the death penalty mandatory in rape cases where the victim either dies or is left in a vegetative state. The MHA raised constitutional concerns, arguing that removing judicial discretion in sentencing violated established legal norms and Supreme Court rulings, sources said. State govt, however, said it had received no official communication either from the Centre nor the governor's office about these observations. Earlier, bills similar to Aparajita, like Andhra Pradesh Disha Bill, 2019, and Maharashtra Shakti Bill, 2020 - which had mandatory death penalty for all rape and gang-rape cases - were passed unanimously by state legislatures, but did not get President's assent. Trinamool Congress indicated the party would make it a political issue. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: "The returning of the Aparajita bill is unfortunate, deplorable and condemnable... This has proved that BJP is unwilling to impose maximum punishment in these cases, as their members are implicated in molestations and rapes."
NDTV
5 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Governor Returns Aparajita Bill To Bengal Government, Trinamool May Protest
Kolkata: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has sent back the Aparajita Women and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024 to the state government. As the Mamata Banerjee government faced public heat over the RG Hospital rape and murder case last year, the state had passed the an anti-rape bill in the assembly to enhance punishment, ensure speedy probe and rapid dispensation of justice for sexual assault cases. The bill was tabled by the chief minister less than a month after a junior doctor was allegedly raped and murdered inside the seminar hall of RG Kar College and Hospital, run by the West Bengal government. This bill was referred to the President by the governor but has now been returned to the state. The reasons cited are while the bill proposes increase in punishment for rape from a minimum 10 years to life imprisonment for the remainder of one's life or death, the proposed punishment is "disproportionate and excessively harsh." The other proposal of the bill deleting Section 65, which distinguishes between rape of women under 16 years and 12 years was also turned down. The objection stated was,"Removal of this classification violates the principle of proportionality, as the same punishment for different degrees of offence is legally inappropriate." The proposed bill also made the death penalty mandatory in cases where the victim dies or is left in a persistent vegetative state. However, that too was objected as mandatory death penalty violates the Supreme Court's precedent (especially Mithu vs Punjab, 1983), which ruled that judicial discretion in sentencing is essential. When questioned about women safety and security in the state since the RG Kar case and the recent Kasba Law College student rape incident, ministers and Trinamool Congress leaders said they would raise the Aparajita anti-rape bill. With the bill now being returned, Trinamool state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said this would be met with protests. "Why did the Centre return the Aparajita Bill to the state? Did they object, labeling the death penalty for rape and murder as an excessively cruel punishment?" he said. "Details are being sought. If this is true, there will be strong protests. Mamata Banerjee has the strictest stance on women's safety. On the other hand, the BJP's mentality has now become clear," Mr Ghosh said.
India Today
6 days ago
- Health
- India Today
Parenting doesn't need to feel chaotic. ‘Rhythmic Parenting' offers a gentler path
There's no sugarcoating it -- parenting today feels like a race. From screens to schools to sugar-laced foods, kids are bombarded. Meanwhile, parents are left wondering why tantrums, sleep issues and backchat are becoming so what if the problem isn't the kids, but the rhythm?That's what Saloni Azuchi and Aparajita Sadhu unpack in Rhythmic Parenting, a book that pushes back on the chaos of modern child-rearing. Speaking to India Today's Sneha Mordani on Booked, the authors broke down some of their boldest and most practical IS MORE THAN ROUTINE 'Rhythm is not just about a timetable. It's about flow,' Saloni routine, which can feel mechanical, rhythm gives breathing space. A child's day should gently alternate between what the authors call 'in-breath' (taking things in, like school or screen time) and 'out-breath' (rest, play, naps).'The most intense in-breath for a child is screen time,' says Saloni. This is why they recommend zero screen time for children under ISN'T OPTIONAL, IT'S BRAIN WORKIf your child struggles to wake up in the morning, parents need to understand that they aren't being difficult, it's biology.'They're not just being difficult,' Aparajita says. 'The body is not ready for the next day.''Sleep is when children grow, not just physically but mentally. Even school learning gets processed better after sleep. 'Please take them to sleep no later than 7 pm,' they out the full Booked episode here: DECISION-MAKING? LEAVE IT TILL 21It may sound harsh, but letting children make constant choices -- even about clothes or meals -- might be harming them.'Judgement and decision-making doesn't even start developing until puberty,' says a 4-year-old what they want for breakfast may sound empowering, but it often causes anxiety and distraction. Let them play be free in the true sense when they're developmentally ISN'T PUNISHMENTChores are where children can thrive. From folding laundry to sweeping floors, even toddlers can be involved -- not as helpers but as participants.'They love to do it because it requires them to move,' Aparajita points out. Motor skills, confidence, focus -- all of it improves. All it takes is some space and PUSHING WRITING BEFORE THEY'RE READYPreschools often expect kids to write before their hands are even physically developed.'The wrist of a six-year-old is not ready to write,' says Aparajita. Instead of rushing academics, they say, focus on movement, chores, play and will come -- and come well -- if we wait till the body is ready.- Ends
Time of India
28-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Rooted in nature, this security guard is fierce guardian of trees
1 2 3 Rajkot: Whenever the monsoon arrives in full bloom, the lone room of a modest one-bedroom flat in Balsar village, some six km from Rajkot, comes alive with activity. Seven-year-old Nidhi and her five-year-old brother Dev sit cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by a sea of envelopes, diligently packing seeds of various plant species. Their father, Rajesh Baraiya, carefully matches each seed type to the correct address before the packets are dispatched across the country. Welcome to Gujarat's most heartfelt seed bank — not housed in a plush office, but silently thriving in a humble home, bare of sofas, décor, or any modern frills. Baraiya is no trader of seeds, but a security guard in a private company, whose passion has turned him into a diligent guardian of fast-depleting tree species. Despite working in a 12-hour shift and earning a humble salary, this 35-year-old's dedication is as deep-rooted as the trees he has helped nurture. Since 2019, he has been running the Vande Vasundhara Seed Bank, distributing rare and native plant seeds to thousands across India. His only charge? Courier fees. Baraiya started expressing his emotions for trees through poems, but he felt words were not enough to save them from extinction. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Haz tu Kia tuyo. Kia Undo In June 2019, he turned his poetry into action, starting with a few packets in the informal seed bank. Today, it's a collection of over 200 varieties — custard apple, bamboo, butterfly pea (Aparajita), Nepali pepper (Timru), cannonball tree (Kailaspati), black datura, haritaki, and more — many of them vanishing from India's soil but surviving in Rajesh's care. Rajesh has unflinching support of his wife, Dani, who dries fruits and pods. During rains— the peak planting season — orders pour in. In the first 25 days of June alone, Baraiya sent out 1,080 seed packets. His target for the season: 4,000. Among the recipients are 550 schools and colleges in Gujarat — none charged for shipping. With some help from social media and conventional word-of-mouth, he shares his number online and calls start flooding in from Jammu to Kerala. Now, Others send back seeds of their own harvest in gratitude, helping the cycle continue. Hasmukh Patel, a farmer near Kalawad in Jamnagar, said, "Three years back, he was searching for seeds of Leptadenia reticulata ,a rare medicinal plant known as Jivanti Dodi. I found Baraiya and received the seeds, grew the plant successfully. I now donate seeds back to the bank. On weekends, while others rest, Baraiya sets off on long journeys into forests and far-off villages, searching for rare species, pods, or even just a single viable seed. Sometimes, he brings back medicinal plants people request. Every journey adds another layer to this living archive of India's flora.
