Supreme Court issues notice to Centre on plea to include rape laws in school curriculum
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Central government on a petition seeking to introduce rape laws and women's rights in the school syllabus. The petition also calls for moral education aimed at fostering awareness about sexual equality and ensuring the dignity of women and girls.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud issued the notice on a petition filed by senior advocate Aabad Harshad Ponda. The plea was motivated by the recent rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata.
Ponda argued that while certain states have introduced severe penalties for rape, including mandatory life imprisonment or death sentences, such measures alone may not suffice. He contended that awareness and education about the laws are crucial to addressing the issue at its root.
"The repeated occurrence of rapes in the country indicates a failure in governance and law enforcement," Ponda said. He emphasised the need to educate the public, particularly the uneducated and economically disadvantaged, about rape and the legal protections available.
The petition highlighted recent laws in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh mandating death sentences for rape and murder, while West Bengal has introduced similar legislation awaiting Presidential assent. Ponda expressed concern about the legality of such laws, citing past Supreme Court rulings that have struck down similar provisions. He referenced Mithu v State of Punjab (1983) and State of Punjab v Dalbir Singh (2012), where the Court ruled that mandatory death sentences violated constitutional principles.
The plea further called for schools and educational institutions, including government-aided ones, to incorporate sex education and penal laws related to rape, alongside promoting gender equality and respect for the rights of women and girls.
Ponda also stressed the importance of public awareness campaigns through media and social platforms to deter such crimes and educate the public about the legal consequences and available remedies.
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.
Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
