Power surcharge on farmers waived off: Adityanath
Lucknow, April 26: Surcharge on power for farmers has been waived off with immediate effect, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced on Thursday evening.
Spending the night at a village in Amroha under the Bharatiya Janata Party's Gram Swarajya outreach to villagers, he urged the farmers to cooperate with the state government and in turn get the best from it.
Also announcing the one-time settlement scheme for farmers, the Chief Minister also detailed various schemes of the Central and state BJP governments aimed at benefitting the villages and farmers.
Adding that mass marriages will be conducted by the state government across the state, he also said that the state government was working on an action plan under which closed factories, projects and industries would be revived so that they can usher in development and create employment.
At a point, during his address, some youths carrying placards demanded that Urdu teachers be regularized. While police and officials got jitters at this sudden protest, the Chief Minister himself handled the matter, assuring the youth that he was here to address their problems only and hence there was no need to protest. The youth then withdrew their protest.
Pointing out the commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to develop villages, Adityanath said that since his government was taken over, many works had been initiated in this direction.
Underlining how he had given free hand to police to bring criminals to justice and to ensure safety and security to the people, he said that the rule of law had been established in the state and that all-round prosperity would soon be seen by the people.
The Chief Minister also assured the youth present in the gathering that the state government would soon enroll 1.62 lakh people in the police and 1.32 lakh teachers will also be recruited. He announced that the crackdown on graft and corrupt officials will continue and added that properties and assets of such corrupt officials and government employees will be confiscated.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
SC refuses to entertain PIL seeking menstrual leave policy across country
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a PIL seeking a nationwide policy providing paid menstrual leave for women students and workers, observing no one would give them jobs in such a scenario and that such a provision would unintentionally reinforce gender stereotypes.
The top court, however, asked the Centre and competent authorities to consider the representation of the PIL petitioner and examine the possibility of framing a policy on menstrual leave after consulting all relevant stakeholders.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that while the intent behind the petition might be welfare-oriented, the practical reality of the job market could lead to "counter-productive" outcomes for women.
ALSO READ: 'NATO air defences intercept third ballistic missile over Turkiye since start of Iran war'
"These pleas are made to create fear, to call women inferior, that menstruation is something bad happening to them... this is an affirmative right... but think about the employer who needs to give paid leave," the bench observed.
Senior advocate MR Shamsad, appearing for the petitioner, said the Karnataka government has formulated a policy to allow menstrual leave and some private organisations are also providing this facility.
"Voluntarily they are giving, then it is excellent. That is a very good thing. But the moment you introduce it as a compulsory condition in law, you do not know the damage it will do to the career of women. Nobody will give them responsibilities, even in judicial services, a normal trial will not be assigned to them," the CJI said.
During the hearing, the bench highlighted the risk of "unintended consequences", suggesting that a mandatory leave policy might discourage private employers from hiring women.
"The moment you introduce it as a compulsory condition in law, you do not know the damage it will do to the career of women," CJI Kant remarked.
"Nobody will give them responsibilities... This can be harmful to their growth," the bench added.
Justice Bagchi echoed these concerns from a business perspective, noting that affirmative action is constitutionally recognised but must be balanced against market realities.
"Look at the practical reality in the job market. The more unattractive the human resource, the less is the possibility of assumption in the market. Will any employer be happy with the competing claims of other genders," Justice Bagchi asked.
The bench was hearing a PIL filed by Shailendra Mani Tripathi.
At the outset, the bench raised the issue of locus of the PIL petitioner and pointed out that no woman herself has approached the court.
It was the third petition filed by Tripathi on the same issue.
The first petition was dealt by the bench in 2023 and it allowed the petitioner to give a representation before the Union Ministry of Women and Children.
The petitioner approached the court in 2024 again on the ground that the Centre did not respond to his representation. The PIL was disposed of in July 2024 again with the direction to the government to take a decision.
"These petitions are deeply rooted, designed PILs. You are not a bona fide petitioner. This is basically only to create a type of impression in young women that you still have some natural issues and you are not at par with male persons and you cannot work like them during a particular time," the bench observed initially.
Shamshad replied that while Odisha has a policy since 1992, Karnataka recently allowed such a leave policy, and Kerala allowed relaxation in schools.
He added that many private organisations are voluntarily allowing period leave.
"The petitioner has made a representation to the authority. It seems to us that whatever was required to be done at the end of the petitioner, he has done for the welfare of young women. It is not necessary for the petitioner to approach the court time and again and seek a positive mandamus.
"We direct that the competent authority shall consider the representation directed to be considered by this court by order dated February 24, 2023, and July 8, 2024, for modelling a policy in consultation with all," the bench ordered.
