News For Aspirants
Mission Parivar Vikas launched
“Mission Parivar Vikas will focus on 146 high fertility districts in 7 states with high TFR. Under this, specific targeted initiatives shall be taken for population stabilisation through better services delivery”. This was stated by Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare at a function organised by Jansankhya Sthirita Kosh (JSK) to mark the World Population Day ( 11 July 2017).
- Mission Parivar Vikas is a new initiative conceived by the Ministry with a strategic focus on improving access through provision of services, promotional schemes, commodity security, capacity building, enabling environment and intensive monitoring.
- The Health Minister also advised the officials to undertake half yearly review of the programme and correlate the achievements with time to gauge whether the programme is moving in the right direction or not.
- During the event, Shri J P Nadda introduced the new injectable in the public health system under the “Antara” program and launched a new software – Family Planning Logistics Management Information System (FP-LMIS) – designed to provide robust information on the demand and distribution of contraceptives to health facilities and ASHAs to strengthen supply chain management.
- As a part of the new communications campaign linked to the rollout, the Health Minister also launched a new consumer friendly website on family planning and a 52 week radio show for couples to discuss issues related to marriage and family planning, which will be aired across the country.
- He further highlighted the life cycle approach of the Ministry and stated that a continuum of care approach has been adopted by the Ministry with the articulation of ‘Strategic approach to Reproductive Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent health (RMNCH+A), bringing focus on all the life stages.
- Shri J P Nadda also gave away awards to the winners of the painting competition organised by Jansankhya Sthirita Kosh to create awareness regarding family stabilisation among young children.
News For Aspirants
SC extends stay on cattle sale notification
The Supreme Court on 11 July 2017 extended a stay, granted by Madras High Court on May 23 notification by the Centre that banned buying of animals from markets for slaughter, to the whole country. A bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and D Y Chandrachud passed its order after the Union Government represented by Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha submitted that the Centre was reconsidering the fresh rules in view of objections raised by various stake holders.
He also said the fresh rules even after the amendment could not be implemented without a window period of three months as markets were to be notified by the states only.
What- Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing a batch of PIL petitioners including Mohammed Abdul Faheem Qureshi, President of Hyderabad-based All India Jamiatul Quresh Action Committee, submitted that in view of the notification, people were afraid to sell their cattle.
- The court prima facie agreed to the plea, observing, livelihood of people cannot be subjected to uncertainties.
- The PILs had contended the rule unconstitutionally prohibited the sale of cattle for slaughter imposing absolute ban on the purchase of the animal and violated the fundamental rights of freedom of choice of food. The rule also deprived the persons from doing permissible trade of breeding and raring of animals.
- It was further contended the regulations framed by the Union government under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, tend to regulate live stock markets with an intention of preserving protecting and improving stocks, though the legislation on the fields was earmarked for the state legislature.
- It also pointed out that states of Karnataka, Kerala, Tripura and West Bengal had already said they would not implement the rules in “the wage of outrage against it for impacting the poor dalits and Muslims”.
- The complete ban of sale or purchase or resale of animals, would cast a huge economic burden on the farmers, cattle traders who find it difficult to feed their children today but would be required to feed the cattle as it is an offence under the Act of 1960 to starve an animal or failure to maintain it and would also give way for Cow Vigilantes to harass farmers and cattle traders under the blessing of the impugned regulations,” the petitioners apprehended.
- Besides, the regulation was contrary to Section 28 of the Act which permitted killing of animals for religious purposes.
- It also offended the right to freedom of religion and conscience and thus was arbitrary, inconsistent and outside the purview of parent act, the petitioner claimed.
