Dog lovers, NGOs to deposit money for moving court, amount to be used for creating infra: SC
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday asked "dog lovers" and NGOs, which moved against the order of permanent relocation of strays in Delhi-NCR, to deposit Rs 25,000 and Rs 2 lakh, respectively, within a week for being heard in the matter.
A three-judge special bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath said the money should be utilised for creating infrastructure and facilities for stray dogs under the aegis of the respective municipal bodies.
"Each individual dog lover and each NGO that have approached this court shall deposit a sum of Rs 25,000 and Rs two lakh respectively with the registry of this court within a period of seven days, failing which they shall not be allowed to appear in the matter any further," the bench, also comprising Justices Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria, said.
Many NGOs and individual persons moved the apex court seeking a stay of some of the directions passed on August 11 by a two-judge bench of the top court.
On Friday, the three-judge bench delivered its order in a suo motu case initiated on July 28 over a media report on stray dog bites leading to rabies, particularly among children, in the national capital.
The bench said desirous animal lovers shall be free to move application to the concerned municipal bodies for adoption of stray dogs upon which the identified canine shall be tagged and given in adoption to the applicant.
"It shall be the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the adopted stray dogs do not return to the streets," it said.
The bench modified the August 11 direction prohibiting release of stray dogs from dog shelters in Delhi-NCR, and said the picked up canines should be sterilised, vaccinated and released back in the same area.
The bench, however, said municipal authorities shall continue to comply with the direction asking them to start picking up and rounding stray dogs from all localities of Delhi, Ghaziabad, Noida, Faridabad and Gurugram.
The apex court said the August 11 direction prohibiting the release of picked up stray dogs shall be kept in abeyance for the time being.
Widespread protests were reported across the country following the apex court's August 11 order.
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Yenepoya University conducts autism awareness campaign in Mangaluru
Mangaluru: The Department of Occupational Therapy at Yenepoya (Deemed to be University) conducted a community-based Autism Awareness Campaign at Fiza Mall and Ullal Beach in the city.
The campaign was aimed at promoting awareness, inclusion, and early identification of autism, in line with the global theme, “Autism and Humanity – Every Life Has Value.”
The programme was led by Dr. Dhayanithi K and Dr. Ananya Jana as organising chairpersons, with Dr. Anas, Dr. Amanda S. Phillip, and Dr. Ansu V. David served as organising members.
Students of the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (BOT) programme participated in conducting the campaign.
The event included activities such as flash mobs, street plays, face painting, mehendi, and direct interaction with the public.
These activities focused on highlighting early signs of autism, the need for early intervention, and the importance of inclusion and acceptance of individuals with autism.
The campaign reached around 300 to 500 members of the public. It also provided students with practical exposure to community-based rehabilitation and public health education.
As part of the initiative, QR-based digital resources were introduced to help the public access reliable information on autism.
“Awareness is the first step towards inclusion, and early intervention can significantly improve outcomes,” the organising team said.
The department thanked the university for its support in organising the campaign. It also acknowledged the cooperation of the management of Fiza Mall and the Ullal Beach Police Department in facilitating the event.
