Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar appointed new NCW chairperson
New Delhi, Oct 19: Former head of Maharashtra State Commission for Woman Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar has been appointed the ninth chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW) succeeding Rekha Sharma, according to an official order.
The appointment made under Section 3 of the National Commission for Women Act, 1990, will be for a period of three years or until she reaches the age of 65, whichever comes first, a government notification issued on Saturday said.
Rahatkar's tenure will begin with immediate effect. The announcement will also be published in the Gazette of India.
Reacting to her appointment, Rahatkar said in a post on X, "I sincerely thank the Honorable Prime Minister @narendramodi, National President @JPNadda, and Union Home Minister @AmitShah for appointing me as the Chairperson of a constitutional and legislative body like the National Commission for Women (NCW)."
"I will faithfully carry out this very important responsibility. The goal is to steer towards women-led development by enhancing women's capacity, opportunities, and quality of life in various dimensions such as education, health, employment, and social participation," she added.
In addition to the appointment of Rahatkar, Archana Majumdar has been officially named a member of the NCW for a tenure of three years, as per a notification issued by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
The NCW, a statutory body, is empowered to work towards the advancement of women's rights. Its mandate includes reviewing the constitutional and legal safeguards provided for women.
According to a statement issued by the Women and Child Development Ministry, Rahatkar has demonstrated leadership skills across various political and social responsibilities.
During her tenure as the chairperson of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women from 2016 to 2021, she spearheaded initiatives like "Sakshama" (support for acid attack survivors), "Prajwala" (linking self-help groups to Central government schemes), and "Suhita" (a 24x7 helpline service for women).
She also worked on legal reforms focusing on issues like Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), anti-triple talaq cells, and anti-human trafficking units.
Rahatkar also introduced digital literacy programmes and launched a publication named "Saad" dedicated to women's issues.
As the mayor of Chatrapati Sambhajinagar from 2007 to 2010, Rahatkar implemented significant developmental projects related to healthcare and infrastructure.
She holds a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in history from the University of Pune.
Rahatkar also authored several books, including "Vidhilikhit" and "Aurangabad: Leading to Wide Roads".
Her contributions to women's empowerment have earned her several recognitions, including the National Law Award and the Savitribai Phule Award from a national literary council.
https://t.co/kEi0O3YXP4 pic.twitter.com/PhyzFpfdCC
— Vijaya Rahatkar (@VijayaRahatkar) October 19, 2024
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Allahabad HC sets aside maintenance order in favour of earning wife, says she didn't tell truth
Prayagraj (PTI): The Allahabad High Court has set aside a lower court order mandating a man to pay maintenance to his estranged wife, observing that she earns her living and did not reveal the true salary in her affidavit.
Justice Madan Pal Singh also allowed a criminal revision petition filed by the man, Ankit Saha.
"A perusal of the impugned judgment indicates that in the affidavit filed before the trial court, the opposite party herself admitted that she is a post-graduate and a web designer by qualification. She is working as a senior sales coordinator in a company and getting a salary of Rs 34,000 per month," the court said in the December 3 order.
"But in her cross-examination, she has admitted that she was earning Rs 36,000 per month. Such an amount for a wife who has no other liability cannot be said to be meagre; whereas the man has the responsibility of maintaining his aged parents and other social obligations," it observed.
The high court observed that the woman was not entitled to get any maintenance from her husband "as she is an earning lady and able to maintain herself".
The man's counsel argued in court that the estranged wife did not reveal the whole truth in the affidavit.
"She claimed herself to be an illiterate and unemployed woman. When the document filed by the man was shown to her before the trial court, she admitted her income during cross-examination. Thus, it is clear that she did not come before the trial court with clean hands," the counsel submitted.
The court, in its order, said, "Cases of those litigants who have no regard for the truth and those who indulge in suppressing material facts need to be thrown out of the court."
It impugned the lower court's February 17 judgment and order, passed by the principal judge of a family court in Gautam Buddh Nagar and allowed the criminal revision petition filed by the man.
