Maneka urges CMs to appoint more officers for domestic violence cases
New Delhi, July 13 : Union Minister Maneka Gandhi on Friday called upon all Chief Ministers to appoint adequate number of Protection Officers (POs) with independent charge to ensure effective implementation of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA), 2005.
The Women and Child Development Minister has written a letter to the Chief Ministers in this regard, so as to provide immediate protection and relief to the women facing violence within families, according to an official statement.
"It has come to my notice that in most states, officers of other departments are given this responsibility as an additional charge. Considering the practical situation of how feasible it is for a woman to come out of her home to register a complaint, it is important that we appoint more POs," the Minister said in the statement.
She also insists on making public details of the officers deputed for the duty, so that they can be easily accessed by the aggrieved women and has also requested that a separate budget be allocated for the smooth functioning of POs, providing support to survivors, capacity building for staff and for generating awareness.
Gandhi has further mentioned that for the convenience of women, Form IV of the Act, which enumerates the rights of the women, be translated into local languages.
"Every woman has the right to lead a life free from violence. I urge you to personally initiate action to prevent violence against women and ensure protection of the rights of women through effective implementation of the Act," Gandhi added.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
