Latest news with #Kaur


Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Ongoing drive rescuing child beggars also prioritises rehabilitation: Punjab minister
Chandigarh, Punjab Minister Baljit Kaur on Friday said that the ongoing drive to rescue child beggars in the state also focuses on their scientific identification, rehabilitation, and long-term integration into society. Ongoing drive rescuing child beggars also prioritises rehabilitation: Punjab minister The Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister informed that the project, launched nine months ago, has now been relaunched in an upgraded and intensified format as Jiwanjyot 2.0. "The revamped project includes social investigation reports, DNA testing, psychological counselling, and strict legal follow-up," she said here. In the last week alone, around 170 child beggars were rescued from various locations across the state. Kaur highlighted that 125 coordinated rescue raids were conducted in major cities, resulting in the rescue of these children. Among them, 80 children were identified and reunited with their parents after thorough verification and counselling to ensure they are not coerced back into begging. However, 88 children whose parents or guardians could not be traced were placed in secure, government-run childcare institutions where they would receive nutrition, education, emotional support, and medical assistance in accordance with the Juvenile Justice Act. Kaur also mentioned that 25 social investigation reports have been prepared to better understand the backgrounds, vulnerabilities, and needs of the rescued children. In the case of 16 children, their DNA identification is being undertaken. 13 samples have been collected and sent to authorised labs for parentage confirmation. Among the rescued children, 10 are from other states, and the minister assured that necessary coordination is underway to facilitate their safe repatriation in consultation with the relevant state governments. "Project Jiwanjot is not just about pulling children off the streets; it's about rebuilding their futures," Kaur stated, adding that many of these children have now been admitted to schools and linked with welfare schemes, and follow-up monitoring is underway. Issuing a stern warning to parents or guardians found forcing children into begging, Kaur asserted that such individuals will be declared "unfit guardians" under the law, and legal action will be initiated. She also reiterated the government's firm stance against organised gangs or traffickers exploiting minors, promising strict police action under relevant IPC provisions. To address the issue holistically, Kaur announced that the Punjab Government will soon establish Aasra Centres for adult beggars in major cities, including Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Mohali and Bathinda. These centres will provide shelter, counselling and skill training to ensure adult beggars are not forced to push children into street begging. Kaur appealed to the public to call the Child Helpline if they see a child begging anywhere in Punjab, noting that timely reporting can change a child's life. Recently, the state government directed all deputy commissioners to conduct DNA tests for children found begging alongside adults on the streets to verify their relationships and address the issue of child begging. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.


Hindustan Times
18 hours ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Hygiene, studies poor at Samrala school, head to get notice: DEO
District education officer (elementary) Ravinder Kaur on Thursday said she came across several shortcomings in both academic functioning and management at Government Primary School, Dr Ambedkar Nagar, Samrala, during her surprise inspection drive in Samrala and Machhiwara-2 blocks. District education officer (elementary) Ravinder Kaur interacting with students in Ludhiana on Thursday. (HT Photo) She summoned the centre (block) head teacher and block resource coordinator and issued directions to rectify the flaws without delay. She emphasised implementing activity-based learning under the 'Mission Samrath' initiative to uplift students, according to their learning levels. 'The Mission Samarth is clearly not being implemented effectively at the school. The overall hygiene on the premises was poor. During my interaction with the students, I posed a few questions but they were unable to respond. This points directly to a serious lapse in teaching standards. A formal notice will soon be issued to the school head teacher and the centre head teacher,' she stated. According to the DEO, her visit to the Government Primary School in Garhi Tarkhana (Machhiwara-2 block) painted a positive picture. She expressed satisfaction with the school's overall performance, appreciating both the academic level and administrative arrangements. DEO Kaur also reviewed the ongoing special admission campaign. Kaur further shared that a district-wide 'Beautiful Kitchen' mission is being run in government schools, for which clear guidelines have been issued to school heads. She urged schools in need of kitchen maintenance grants to send their requests through their respective block offices. 'Our priority is to provide children with a clean environment and nutritious food,' she said. She concluded by adding that teachers showing exceptional performance will be honoured at the district level, while those falling short of expectations will receive official notices.


Indian Express
2 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Chandigarh: PGI nurses's body calls off protest
The PGI Nurses' Welfare Association has announced the formal withdrawal of the ongoing protest following a positive and solution-oriented dialogue between the administration and the union. After extensive deliberation, some decisions have been mutually agreed upon. The officiating post of Deputy Nursing Superintendent (DNS) will be filled without further delay, and the MACP (Modified Assured Career Progression) for eligible nursing personnel will be processed and completed within three weeks. As per Manjeek Kaur, president of the association, a committee, including members of the nursing cadre, has been constituted to expedite the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) for Senior Nursing Officers (SNO). An additional policy-making committee has been formed to address and restructure the existing night duty system for better equity and welfare. 'I extend my sincere thanks to every member of our nursing cadre who stood by the association with strength, resolve, and discipline. As we have always maintained, we are open to dialogue. Being healthcare workers, we deeply understand that our work revolves around someone's life and loved ones. We do not choose to protest unless we are left with no other option. We hope the administration will now act with the sincerity this moment calls for,' said Kaur.


Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
169 child beggars rescued in Punjab in a week: Minister
Chandigarh, In a special operation, 20 child beggars were rescued across Punjab on Wednesday, taking the number of children saved in the last one week to 169, state Minister for Social Security and Women & Child Development Dr Baljit Kaur said. 169 child beggars rescued in Punjab in a week: Minister She said the state government continues to take strong steps to ensure child rights and protection. "As part of the Jiwanjyot 2.0 project, 20 child beggars were rescued in a special drive carried out across 15 districts in Punjab on Wednesday. With today's action, the total number of children rescued within last seven days has reached 169," Kaur said in a statement. Sharing more details, Kaur stated that the District Child Protection Units of the social security department conducted special drives at 29 locations across Barnala, Bathinda, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Mansa, Malerkotla, Moga, Patiala, and Rupnagar. Similar operations were also conducted in Sangrur, SAS Nagar , Sri Muktsar Sahib, and Tarn Taran districts. Due to strict enforcement of the campaign, several locations reported zero child beggars, which is an encouraging sign, she said. "Out of the 20 children rescued on Wednesday, nine whose identity could be verified were reunited with their families. Six were placed in designated child care institutions for rehabilitation," Kaur said. Documentation for the remaining five children is currently under verification, she added. "No FIRs were registered in today's cases, nor was there any immediate requirement for DNA testing. However, if required, DNA testing will be conducted based on the outcome of documentation verification," the minister said. She stated that the government is not only focused on eradicating child begging but is equally committed to providing quality education to the rescued children and integrating them to the mainstream. She further directed the DCPUs to take strict legal action against parents or guardians who ignore repeated warnings and force their children to beg. The Punjab government had recently directed all deputy commissioners to conduct DNA tests of child beggars and adults on the streets to establish their relationship. The move was intended to check child-trafficking and exploitation. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.


News18
2 days ago
- News18
169 child beggars rescued in Punjab in a week: Minister
Chandigarh, July 23 (PTI) In a special operation, 20 child beggars were rescued across Punjab on Wednesday, taking the number of children saved in the last one week to 169, state Minister for Social Security and Women & Child Development Dr Baljit Kaur said. She said the state government continues to take strong steps to ensure child rights and protection. 'As part of the Jiwanjyot 2.0 project, 20 child beggars were rescued in a special drive carried out across 15 districts in Punjab on Wednesday. With today's action, the total number of children rescued within last seven days has reached 169," Kaur said in a statement. Sharing more details, Kaur stated that the District Child Protection Units (DCPU) of the social security department conducted special drives at 29 locations across Barnala, Bathinda, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Mansa, Malerkotla, Moga, Patiala, and Rupnagar. Similar operations were also conducted in Sangrur, SAS Nagar (Mohali), Sri Muktsar Sahib, and Tarn Taran districts. Due to strict enforcement of the campaign, several locations reported zero child beggars, which is an encouraging sign, she said. 'Out of the 20 children rescued on Wednesday, nine whose identity could be verified were reunited with their families. Six were placed in designated child care institutions for rehabilitation," Kaur said. Documentation for the remaining five children is currently under verification, she added. 'No FIRs were registered in today's cases, nor was there any immediate requirement for DNA testing. However, if required, DNA testing will be conducted based on the outcome of documentation verification," the minister said. She stated that the government is not only focused on eradicating child begging but is equally committed to providing quality education to the rescued children and integrating them to the mainstream. She further directed the DCPUs to take strict legal action against parents or guardians who ignore repeated warnings and force their children to beg. The Punjab government had recently directed all deputy commissioners to conduct DNA tests of child beggars and adults on the streets to establish their relationship. The move was intended to check child-trafficking and exploitation. PTI CHS RUK RUK view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.