News Capsules
4th February 2022
Induction of Women Fighter Pilots into IAF made Permanent Scheme
The Defence Ministry has decided to make the Indian Air Force's trial plan for inducting female fighter pilots permanent. The move, according to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, demonstrates India's 'Nari Shakti' (women power) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dedication to women empowerment. The decision came months after the Supreme Court cleared the door for women to join the famed National Defence Academy (NDA), which had previously been a male-dominated institution, for recruitment into the three services. In 2018, Indian Air Force flying officer Avani Chaturvedi made history by becoming the first Indian woman to fly a fighter plane solo.
1st February 2022
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Women And Child Development Ministry Allocated ₹ 25,172 Crore in Budget
In 2022-23, the budget allocated to the Ministry of Women and Child Development was 25,172.28 crore, up 3% over the previous year's allocation of 24,435 crores. Recognizing the importance of 'Nari Shakti' as the harbinger of India's bright future and for women-led development during the 'Amrit Kaal,' Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said during presenting the Budget for 2022-23, that the government has comprehensively revamped the schemes of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. As a result, Mission Shakti, Mission Vatsalya, Saksham Anganwadi, and Poshan 2.0 were recently established to offer women and children integrated advantages.
1st February 2022
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Views sought on raising Women's Legal Age of Marriage
The parliamentary standing committee looking into the bill to raise the marriageable age of women from 18 to 21 years old has invited public and expert input on the contentious legislation. The committee will accept comments until February 6th, and formal discussions are likely to begin in mid-February. It is anticipated that the report will be submitted by the end of March. According to the bill, child marriage has not been eliminated from society, thereby necessitating legislative revisions. It further stated that men and women marry at different ages, putting women at a disadvantage in terms of higher education, skill sets, employment, psychological maturity, and other areas. Increase in women's marriageable age will lower maternal mortality rates and teen pregnancies, as well as enhance women's health.
27th January 2022
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POSH Act also applicable to Girl Students in Schools
Calcutta High Court in the case of Pawan Kumar Niroula v. Union of India held that the provisions of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal), 2013 (POSH Act) will also apply to girl students of school. The judgment defined the scope of Section 2(a) of the Act to include female students in the definition of ‘aggrieved woman’. The Court held that since the complaints levelled against the accused are of the nature of sexual harassment at workplace, the school authorities had the obligation of forming a formal committee for inquiry into the matter conforming with the requirements of Section 4 of the Act.
21st January 2022
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Women’s Right to Parents’ Property extended prior to 1956
In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court has granted women equal rights to parents’ property in cases of partition instituted prior to the codification of Hindu laws. Previously, in the case of Vineeta Sharma v. Rakesh Sharma & Ors. in August 2020, the Supreme Court had ruled that daughters will have equal rights of inheritance in the properties of fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers in cases where the death of the father happened intestate, in or after the enactment of Hindu Succession Act, 1956. However, the present judgment extends this right even in cases where the death of the father happened before 1956.
8th September 2021
Rising Complaints of Crimes Against Women: NCW
According to the National Commission of Women, there was a rise in the complaints of crimes against women over the first eight months of 2021 as compared to last year. The highest number of complaints were under the head "against Right to live with dignity". Meanwhile, over half of the complaints were from Uttar Pradesh. NCW chief Rekha Sharma stated that this rise is due to the awareness programs that the commission is regularly conducting due to which the public is now more aware about its work. Gender Disparity is one of the deep rooted cause of violence against women that put women at risk of several forms of violence. Crime against women cannot be resolved in the court of law alone. A holistic approach & changing the entire ecosystem is what is required.
27th August 2021
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Children’s Climate Risk Index: UNICEF
The recent report 'The Climate Crisis Is a Child Rights Crisis: Introducing the Children's Climate Risk Index' by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with Fridays for Future is the first comprehensive analysis of climate risk from a child's perspective. This report ranks ranks countries based on children’s exposure to climate and environmental shocks, such as Cyclones and Heatwaves, as well as their vulnerability to those shocks, based on their access to essential services. India is ranked 26th and it is stated that in India, children are at extremely high risk of the impacts of the climate crisis.
23rd August 2021
Chhatisgarh High Court's decision on Non-Criminalisation of Marital Rape
Chhattisgarh High Court in a recent case (Dilip Pandey & Ors. v. State of Chhattisgarh, CR.R. No. 177 of 2021) held that sexual intercourse by husband is not rape, even if by force, restarting the discussion about the criminalisation of marital rape. Deciding on a criminal revision petition, the High Court upheld charges against the applicant, the husband, under sections 498A and 377 but he was discharged under Section 376 stating that by the virtue of exception 2 to section 375, "Sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife who is above the age of 18, is not sexual assault." It is high time that marital rape is criminalised as recommended by the JS Verma committe in 2012. The UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women also recommended criminalisation of marital rape by the Indian Government.
12th February 2021
UN Report: Acute Malnutrition threatens half of children under 5 years in Yemen in 2021
UN published a report on 12th February estimating nearly 2.3 million children under 5 years of age face a risk suffering from acute malnutrition in the year 2021. Four UN agencies have made similar predictions. A total of 400,000 children from this age group are vulnerable to severe acute malnutrition and could not survive in the absence of urgent medical treatment. These figures are the highest in Yemen since escalation of conflict in 2015. Agencies such as Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have warned Yemen of increase in risk of acute malnutrition and severe acute malnutrition from 16 percent to 22 percent from 2020.
6th February 2021
UN Report: COVID-19 causes an increased risk of Female Genital Mutilation
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) had published its report in 2018 estimating that 68 million girls are at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation by the year 2030. However, recently UN published a report stating COVID-19 as a ‘shadow pandemic’ as it has disproportionately affected girls and women across the globe. This report was published on the occasion of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation on 6th February. It stated that the pandemic has disrupted all efforts towards elimination of harmful customs including, female genital mutilation leaving millions of girls and women vulnerable to gender-based violence.
30th December 2020
Argentina Legalises Abortion
In a historic decision by the senators in Argentina’s Congress, abortion has been legalised in the country upto the 14th week of pregnancy. In a marathon session the senators voted in favour of the bill with 38 in favour, 29 against and 1 abstention. Previously abortions were permitted only in cases of rape or when the mother’s health was at risk. The bill was passes despite opposition from the Catholic Church in Argentina, which holds a highly influential position in the country. The Pro-Choice activists believe this is a ‘revolutionary’ decision which came after the senators narrowly voted against the bill for past two years. The president, Alberto Fernández also welcomed the decision stating that allowing free and legal abortions upto 14th week of pregnancy is a matter of public health. Many activists believe this change will set precedent for other neighbouring countries to rewrite laws and allow broader reproductive rights.
2nd February 2021
Union Budget 2021: Lowest Child Rights Budget in a decade
Child Rights bodies across India have expressed disappointment over the budget allocation to child rights in the Union Budget 2021. Although union budget 2021-22 has seen witnessed a 14.49 percent increase from union budget 2020-21, the share of child rights has been reduced. NGOs expressed their disappointment stating that child right bodies are facing a paucity of financial resources in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic, and such budget allocation will have severe consequences. The share of child rights has reduced from 4.51 percent in 2011-12 BE to 2.46 percent in 2021-22 BE. There has been a reduction of 2.05 percentage points in the last decade. Further, total budget allocated to children has also observed a reduction of 0.70 percentage points from last year.
31st January 2021
SC stays Bombay HC POCSO decision, withdraws approval for appointment of permanent judge
This decision came after Justice PV Ganediwala acquitted a man accused of groping a 12-year old girl’s breast on the ground that there was no ‘skin-to-skin’ contact in a decision on 19th January 2021. She had also adjudged in a separate decision that unzipping trousers and holding hands of a 5-year old girl do not constitute ‘sexual assault’ as per the interpretation of POCSO Act. SC took suo moto cognizance of the issue on recommendation of Attorney General KK Venugopal and stayed the 19th January decision stating it sets a ‘dangerous precedent’. Additionally, on account of these two judgments, the collegium took an unprecedented decision by withdrawing approval for appointment of Justice Ganediwala as a permanent judge of Bombay HC and granted a one-year extension as an additional judge.