This writer is of the opinion that the Aam Aadmi Party’s victory in Delhi was because of freebies. Kejriwal understands people’s psychology—everyone loves things coming for free and politicians are cleverly making people “muftkhor”, with taxpayers’ money.
Kejriwal began giving free ride to women in DTC buses, free medicines and healthcare to people below poverty line, free treatment to road accident victims in both public and private hospitals and free electricity up to 200 units. All this directly affected both the poor and the middle-class. In gratitude, they, especially women, voted AAP back to power.
A well-organised, cadre-based BJP failed to touch the people’s heart. They banked upon only on criticising the “Shaheen Bagh gang” protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act and how Kejriwal and the Congress were speaking “the language of Pakistan”. Results show that even BJP supporters did not buy this propaganda. Many people were not even aware of Shaheen Bagh. Well, the BJP had no weapon to counter AAP’s freebies fete.
Re 1 note illogical
The Ministry of Finance issued a Gazette Notification, GSR 95(E) on 7 February regarding the issuing of yet another new one-rupee note, even though the earlier one issued on 6 March 2015, with several re-prints, have hardly been in actual circulation, and its packs of 100 are mostly available (not in banks) at heavy premium multiple times face-value of the pack.
The one-rupee note was discontinued about a quarter-century ago because of the high printing cost and low shelf life as coins had become popular. Later, Rs 2 and Rs 5 notes were also discontinued. The one-rupee note is issued evidently because of the craze among successive Finance Secretaries to print these with their signatures. While all currency notes above Re 1 are issued by the Reserve Bank of India Governor and carry his signature, this note carries the signature of the Union Finance Secretary.
Right to Information activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal told The Sunday Guardian that guidelines should be changed so that the one-rupee note may also bear the signature of the RBI Governor.“The Re 1 note should not be issued at all as its printing cost is higher than its face-value and its life.”
Adolescents and Social Media
Sometimes personal tragedies shatter people’s lives. But there are many who overcome the loss and move on with determination to do good for society. Dr U.N.B. Rao, retired senior Delhi Police IPS officer, is one such example.
Rao, after leaving the force years ago, put himself in the field of social and economic empowerment of young people (10 to 24 years). It was an unfortunate tragedy that had changed his and his wife Chaya’s lives. Their only son, Urivi Vikram (20), was killed when his scooter was knocked down by a school bus in Delhi in December 1990. In 1991, in his memory, they set up the Urivi Vikram Charitable Trust (UVCT), a national level NGO. The UVCT was the first organisation that advocated for a national policy for young adults in 1999.
Two years ago, their grandson, Achintya Tejas (19) (daughter’s son) was killed in a road accident in the Bahamas. “We were again shattered but soon spirituality and our life-mission helped us to get back on track.” On Wednesday, the husband-wife team organised a consultative meet on “Adolescents and Social Media” at the UVCT in Dwarka. The meet also marked the inauguration of the Achintya Tejas Conference Hall.
The chief guest, former Delhi Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna, expressed concern about adolescents becoming victims of social media’s negative parameters and lamented the loss of moral values and reading habits in children and youth.
Delhi Police’s cyber security cell, CYPAD, educated the audience about the extent of cybercrime and how to take preventive steps. Social media experts, school principals, NGOs and councillors talked about the magnitude of social media addiction.
But Rao said that the choice to prohibit social media use did not appear to be a possibility. “There must be a balance between the digital and non-digital worlds and adolescents should be educated on right media use, making them aware of the consequences of leaving digital footprints especially for future employment.”
Imported toys’ story
Toy retailers are upset over the proposed 200% hike in import duty on toys from the next fiscal. In Mumbai, they have formed a United Toys Association (UTA) and appealed to the government to reduce the hike on import duty. They say the increase will adversely affect over one lakh retailers across India. High duty will make toys unaffordable, resulting in the closure of businesses.
India imports 85% toys, out of which 75% are from China. UTA vice-president Abdullah Sharif told The Sunday Guardian that “in the last two years, we have seen an increase of import duty on toys by about 500%. The government’s intent is to promote Make in India. But domestic toy manufacturers do not have the capacity to increase production. The quality and variety of international toys is superior to those manufactured in India.”
Man Mohan can be contacted at rovingeditor@gmail.com