Wildlife Expert Panel Red-Flags Western Ghat Rail Project Despite Aggressive Push by Karnataka  Ayaskant Das | 11 Feb 2023

The Standing Committee of NBWL has rejected the Hubbali-Ankola rail project through Western Ghats in its present form but has also queried if it can be developed as a double-lined corridor. My latest report for Newsclick https://www.newsclick.in/wildlife-expert-panel-red-flags-western-ghat-rail-project-despite-aggressive-push-karnataka...

In a meeting – the minutes of which were published on January 27 – NBWL members stated that the Railways has taken only its own concerns into consideration in the design of the environment mitigation plan of the project.. activists have raised concerns over the fact that during the aforementioned meeting, deliberations were held amongst NBWL members to consider if at all the project could be developed as a double-lined corridor. “ … the mitigation measures proposed in the project are not sufficient which have been proposed based on railway’s convenience and not by considering the wildlife movement. Therefore, the project proposal is not acceptable in the present form and the proposal requires a lot of modifications,” states the minutes of the Standing Committee’s meeting.

In Human Interest https://forceindia.net/guest-column/in-human-interest-feb-2023/
Democracy is threatened when refugees are targeted by right wing political agenda
Nandita Haksar

The government of India has stopped giving residential permits to even those refugees recognised by the UNHCR, a majority of these refugees do not have residential permits or long-term visas. As a result, they cannot apply for Aadhaar cards, which means they cannot open a bank account. Many of those who received financial support from friends abroad now cannot receive any money. They cannot get their children admitted to schools or get work. ..

The stand of the government of India is that there are no refugees in India, only illegal migrants. The fear psychosis has been fuelled by the media, which says that India is being infiltrated by foreigners and that the refugees are a security threat to the country. Some Security Council resolutions on terrorism make express reference to refugees and talk about the need for states to ensure the asylum process does not accommodate terrorists...

In India the issue of migrants has taken centre stage with the controversies surrounding the National Register for Citizens and amendments to the Citizenship Act in 2019. In those controversies the issue of refugee protection got lost in the debates around illegal migration. It is also true that this legal distinction between the refugee and the migrant is not always clear. But that is not an argument to abolish the category of refugees, rather there is a need to rethink these definitions.

The National Human Rights Commission is at present engaged in drafting a law to protect refugees in India and Shashi Tharoor has introduced a private members bill in Parliament on the subject. It is essential that the refugee protection law passed in India protects all refugees irrespective of their religion or community.

When refugees become targets of right-wing political agenda there is a danger to democracy and democratic values. Refugee protection is rooted in the idea of human solidarity and it is central to human civilisation.

https://youtu.be/sRYfhx3-b1E?t=126  , Arun Shourie, who is also a former editor of the Indian Express and a highly regarded and prolific author, says that the recent comments made by the Law Minister, about judges and the Supreme Court collegium, and by the Vice President, about the primacy and supremacy of parliament over the constitution, do not simply reflect the difference of opinion over how judges are chosen but constitute “a concerted attack on the judiciary” which is “deliberate and well-thought through”. Mr. Shourie says this is not just an attack on judges but an attempt “to denigrate” the Supreme Court, a fundamental and critical part of our constitution. He says the aim is to lower the image and standing of the Supreme Court in the eyes of the Indian people.

https://youtu.be/sRYfhx3-b1E?t=404 Judges v/s elected officials. Judges dont get swayed by public opinion and the constitution makes them unelected..  Executive trying to dismiss and undervalue judges as being unelected!

Fellowship' of social workers, lawyers helps poor undertrials navigate legal maze, get bail https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/fellowship-of-social-workers-lawyers-helps-poor-undertrials-navigate-legal-maze-get-bail/articleshow/97851565.cms
MOHUA DAS / TNN / Updated: Feb 13, 2023 

The legal fellows helped file legal aid applications at the earliest, assisted panel advocates during court hearings, and coordinated with prison, legal and civic authorities for bail compliance and release following a favourable order.  "It's surprising that we created institutions like National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and Legal Aid Clinics but they're unable to cater to these needs. It's a problem of governance," said Supreme Court judge PS Narasimha at the launch of a report last month of 9,570 undertrials across eight state prisons that the initiative had reached out to between 2018 to 2021.

The report revealed that only 7.91% of the undertrials had utilised the legal aid services they were entitled to between 2016 and 2019 while 20% seeking help were females. "That's high given that women comprise 4% of the prison population. This shows they're more vulnerable and in need of social support," said Raghavan adding that 15% of undertrials were below 20 years age and "should be taken out of the system before their criminalisation takes place" while 22% had no source of income which he felt was telling of "the level of marginalisation of undertrials."

https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/uapa-tribunal-to-review-centres-5-year-ban-on-pfi-and-its-affiliates-from-feb-15

how the bbc is reporting the ‘survey’

BBC India offices searched by income tax officials
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-64634711 

https://www.india.com/news/india/breaking-income-tax-raid-at-bbcs-delhi-office-5897195/amp/

The recent raids are part of a series of attacks on the media by government agencies in recent times, especially against those sections of the media that the government perceives as hostile to it," the PCI said in a statement

https://www.ptinews.com//news/north/press-club-of-india-condemns-it-surveys-at-bbc-offices/513904.html The recent raids are part of a series of attacks on the media by government agencies in recent times, especially against those sections of the media that the government perceives as hostile to it," the PCI said in a statement

Kenneth Roth: Is the fight for human rights being lost?  https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct32mq Stephen Sackur speaks to Kenneth Roth, who spent three decades leading the campaign group Human Rights Watch. Why is the fight for human rights being lost in so many places?

Govt Vs Opposition After BBC's Offices In Delhi & Mumbai Raided By IT | Modi Documentary Fallout? Income Tax Department conducted survey operations at the offices of the BBC in Delhi and Mumbai on Tuesday. The searches were reportedly related to allegations of International Taxation and Transfer Pricing irregularities.

Mahua Moitra on BBC Office IT Raid: महुआ का Modi Government पर तीखा तंज, Adani को फिर लपेटा https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZYrU_EQk64  टीएमसी सांसद महुआ मोइत्रा (TMC MP Mahua Moitra) ने इसे अप्रत्याशित बताया है. महुआ मोइत्रा ने कहा कि बीबीसी के दिल्ली स्थित दफ्तर पर इनकम टैक्स के छापे की ख़बर मिली है यह अप्रत्याशित है.

https://youtu.be/p-iLc5GsQ_M?t=17 BBC IT Raid ! Amit Shah React On Hindenburg Report ! Adani Stock Fall

BBC के दफ़्तर में आयकर का 'सर्वे' या रेड? | BBC Offices 'Surveyed' or Raided? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-d7slV_nQg

तीन दिनों बाद BBC दफ्तरों पर खत्म हुआ Income tax का survey | Ground Report newslaundry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds90QQtrZnQ

Who was Fatima Sheikh and Why we should remember her! https://www.facebook.com/peoples.union.for.civil.liberties/videos/700858338308030/ Arvind Narain  

On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Fatima Sheikh, a social reformer and an educator who was a close associate of Savitribai Phule, PUCL Karnataka has released a report titled ‘Closing the Gates to Education:Violations of Rights of Muslim Women Students in Karnataka’s Educational Institutions’.
This report documents the impact of the de facto imposed ban on the hijab, and foregrounds the testimonies of Muslim women students across the state, who experienced harassment, humiliation and isolation when the sudden ban was imposed.
The report also provides a legal framework to understand the Karnataka High Court’s verdict through the lens of the Constitution, and draws from the Supreme Court split verdict to elaborate on the violation of the rights of Muslim students.
 the entire report:   Closing the Gates to Education: Violations of Rights of Muslim women students
January 9, 2023 by PUCL Karnataka  http://puclkarnataka.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/PUCL-K_Closing-the-Gates-to-Education_Feb42023.pdf  
Executive Summary (Eng, http://puclkarnataka.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Eng-Executive_Summary_PUCL.pdf

How India is battling deadly rain storms as climate change bites https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00341-5  08 February 2023 Gayathri Vaidyanathan
South Asian weather is becoming increasingly difficult to forecast as monsoons grow more erratic — and global warming is raising the risks posed by violent rain storms.

https://youtu.be/YMSB9f06G5A?t=51 Editorial with Sujit Nair: Feb 10, 2023  As many as 10,655 micro, small and medium enterprises closed down in the financial year 2022-23 – the highest in the last four years. This data also misses one year of the month, since the year is still ongoing – so the actual number may be even higher.

In 2021-22 that number was 6,222, which in 2020-21 it was far lower at 175 and in 2019-20 it was 400. In this episode of the Editorial our Managing Editor Mr Sujit Nair shares his take on the matter.