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Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
HC dismisses plea against Ramayana, Veda workshops in basic schools of U.P.
: The Allahabad high court has dismissed a public interest litigation challenging the letter issued by the director, International Ramayana and Vedic Research Institute, Ayodhya, regarding the organising of summer Ramayana and Veda workshops in basic schools of Uttar Pradesh. With this order, these workshops proposed in the basic schools of the state can now be held. A division bench of Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra gave this verdict while dismissing the PIL filed by Dr Chaturanan Ojha. The director, International Ramayana and Vedic Research Institute, Ayodhya had issued a letter on May 5, 2025 requesting all the basic shiksha adhikaris (BSA) of the state that Summer Ramayana and Veda Abhiruchi Workshops are proposed to be organised by the International Ramayana and Vedic Research Institute, Ayodhya in all 75 districts of the state. The court, while dismissing the petition, observed, 'The petitioner, without disclosing his credentials except for as noticed hereinbefore, claiming himself to be a socially conscious citizen and an academic, has failed to comply with the requirements of the Allahabad High Court Rules pertaining to filing of the public interest litigation, which requires several declarations.' 'The petitioner has nowhere indicated as to how and in what manner, he came in possession of the said documents, being a resident of district Deoria as the communication has been issued by the District Basic Education Officer, Maharajganj, a different district. The petitioner apparently has attempted to suppress his credentials,' the bench added.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Time of India
It's no monkey business: HC seeks answers from govts on simian crisis
Ghaziabad: A college student from Sanjay Nagar got multiple stitches after she was attacked by a monkey earlier this year. Another woman, a Raj Nagar resident, spent over Rs 1 lakh to repair the electrical wiring after a group of monkeys raided her house when she went to meet her son in the US last Dec. Man-monkey conflicts are many and frequent in Delhi-NCR. In 2014, New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) had to hire 40 men in ape suits to drive away monkeys from the parliament complex—a decision that inspired an OTT series 'Mamla Legal Hai'. But 11 years later, nothing has changed, except for the simian population. On May 6, Allahabad high court issued notices to Animal Welfare Board of India, ministry of environment, forest and climate change, UP govt and others on the rising population of monkeys, increasing man-monkey conflict , hunger and loss of food to monkeys, their starvation and cruel/inhuman conditions the monkeys are living in. The court directed the central and state govts to explain by July 10 what are the steps in place to deal with monkey menace and what action plan is proposed in that regard. The division bench comprising chief justice Arun Bhansali and justice Kshitij Shailendra also issued notices to the UP state animal welfare board, Ghaziabad district magistrate, GMC, nagar palika parishads of Loni, Modinagar, Muradnagar, Khoda Makanpur, society for prevention of cruelty to animals and Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) in the matter. It was hearing a PIL filed by BTech student Prajakta Singhal and social worker Vineet Sharma, both from Ghaziabad, seeking directions for preparing an urgent action plan, infirmaries, veterinary care centres, transport and rescue vans, provisions of food and setting up a 24X7 grievance helpline portal to tackle money menace. It also sought a direction to the govt agencies to capture and relocate monkeys to forests or forest-like setup in Ghaziabad. Sharma said monkey attacks increase during summer when there is a dearth of food and water in the habitats where they usually live. "People can't go for walks in parks, and children cannot play in school playgrounds out of fear of being attacked by monkeys," Sharma said. The petitioners said repeated appeals to the local municipal bodies and animal welfare board went unheard, prompting them to seek judicial intervention. Appearing for the petitioners, counsel Akash Vashishtha said there was an urgent need to acknowledge the issue as a problem, and only then could certain SOPs be framed. "Through the petition, we extended suggestions about what needs to be done for the welfare of monkeys who are forced to raid human habitations in the absence of food and water," he said. Anirban Roy, a research scholar at Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), who studied man-animal conflict, said that two main reasons contribute to the exploding population of monkeys. "On one hand, they are rarely hunted in the wild because even apex predators are not avid climbers. On the other hand, when they venture into human settlements, instead of being driven away, they are fed and revered for socio-religious sentiments," he said. Another problem is the absence of census and population figures, which makes it difficult for local authorities to come up with any plan. Roy explains that since monkeys are not on the IUCN list of endangered species, there is no mechanism for their census over the years.
Hindustan Times
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Allahabad HC issues notices to Centre, state on PIL over monkey menace
The Allahabad high court on Tuesday issued notices to the animal welfare board of India, ministry of environment, forest and climate change, the Uttar Pradesh government, and others in response to a PIL highlighting the rising monkey population, increasing man-monkey conflict, and the starvation and inhumane conditions faced by monkeys. Allahabad HC (File) The court also directed the Centre, the UP government and local municipal bodies to inform it about any action plans implemented or proposed to address the issue. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra also issued notices to the UP state animal welfare board, district magistrate of Ghaziabad, Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam, Nagar Palika Parishads of Loni, Modi Nagar, Murad Nagar, Khoda Makanpur, the society for prevention of cruelty to animals and the Ghaziabad development authority (GDA). The court asked these authorities to respond by July 10, detailing the steps taken and future strategies to control the monkey menace. The PIL was filed by Vineet Sharma, a BJP leader and social worker and Prajakta Singhal, a BTech student—both residents of Ghaziabad. They expressed concern over the growing human-monkey conflict and the suffering of monkeys due to lack of food and shelter across several districts of the state. The petition seeks directions for the preparation of an urgent action plan, establishment of infirmaries and veterinary care centres, provision of rescue vans, relocation of monkeys to forest areas, arrangement of adequate food supplies, and the setting up of a 24x7 grievance redressal helpline. Appearing for the petitioners, counsels Akash Vashishtha and Pawan Kumar Tiwari informed the court that the issue had reached a critical level, affecting every section of society—especially the elderly, women and school children. Schools were reportedly struggling to ensure student safety. 'The animal welfare board of India, as the apex advisory and expert body under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, is mandated to devise an action plan. However, it currently has no strategy in place despite the gravity of the situation,' submitted Vashishtha. He further argued that municipalities, under the Municipal Corporation and Municipalities Acts, are also legally obligated to manage animal-related nuisances, confine dangerous animals, and ensure public safety. 'This petition seeks a balance between the rights under Article 21 (Right to Life and Personal Liberty) and the rights of animals, particularly their right to food,' Vashishtha added.
