Karnataka extends paid menstrual leave to govt employees
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka government has extended one day of paid menstrual leave per month to employees in the government sector as well.
The government had last month issued an order mandating one day of paid menstrual leave per month to women aged 18-52, working in permanent, contractual and outsourced jobs.
It is applicable to women working in all industries and establishments registered under the Factories Act, 1948; Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961; Plantation Workers Act, 1951; Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966; and Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961, it had said.
Now, on December 2, the government has ordered the granting of one day of menstrual leave every month to female government employees of the state with immediate effect.
Women government employees between the age group 18 and 52, who undergo menstruation, are eligible to avail this leave.
The authority competent to grant casual leave may grant menstrual leave, and no medical certificate is required to avail this leave, the order said.
This leave should be entered separately in the leave/attendance book, and the menstrual leave should not be combined with any other leave, it added.
The Bangalore Hotels Association (BHA) had recently approached the Karnataka High Court challenging the state government's directive in November making menstrual leave compulsory for women employees across various sectors.
The association has questioned the very basis of the order, highlighting that the state itself has not extended such leave to women working in government departments.
It termed the order discriminatory, pointing out that the state, despite being one of the largest employers of women, has not implemented a similar provision for its own workforce.
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Bill to regulate deepfakes tabled in Lok Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): A Private Member's Bill seeking a clear legal framework for regulation of deepfakes has been introduced in the Lok Sabha.
The Regulation of Deepfake Bill, introduced by Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde in the House on Friday, aims to protect citizens by mandating prior consent from individuals depicted in deepfake content.
"Misuse of deepfakes for harassment, deception and misinformation has escalated, creating an urgent need for regulatory safeguards," Shinde said.
The Bill also lists penalties for offenders creating or disseminating deepfake content with malicious intent.
"With advancements in artificial intelligence and deep learning, deepfake technology has emerged as a significant tool for media manipulation. While the technology has potential applications in education, entertainment and creative fields, it also poses severe risks when misused, threatening individual privacy, national security and public trust," Shinde said in the statement of objects and reasons in the Bill.
The proposed Bill seeks to establish a clear legal framework to govern the creation, distribution and application of deepfakes in India, said Shinde, a three-term Lok Sabha member from Kalyan.
The Bill also seeks to establish the Deepfake Task Force, a dedicated body to combat national security implications and evaluate the influence of deepfakes on privacy, civic participation, and potential election interference.
The task force will collaborate with academic and private sector institutions to develop technologies that detect manipulated content, thereby promoting credibility in digital media.
The Bill also proposes to establish a fund to support public and private sector initiatives in the detection and deterrence of advanced image manipulation.
A Private Member's Bill is a procedure of Parliament that enables lawmakers, who are not ministers, to draw attention to issues that might not be represented in Government Bills or to highlight the issues and gaps in the existing legal framework that require legislative intervention.
