Supreme Court didn't pronounce judgement on PM CARES transparency, disclosure practices: Chidambaram
New Delhi: Congress leader P Chidambaram said on Wednesday that the Supreme Court had delivered a verdict on the legality of the PM CARES, saying it did not pronounce a judgement on the fund's transparency, disclosure and management practices.
His comments come a day after the apex court had refused to direct the Centre to transfer the contributions made to the PM CARES Fund for battling the COVID-19 pandemic to the National Disaster Response Fund, saying both were entirely different funds with separate object and purpose.
"Supreme Court has delivered a judgement on the legality and legal accountability of PM-CARES FUND," Chidambaram tweeted. He said the judgement was final but would be contested for a long time in academic circles.
"There are other aspects of PM-CARES FUND on which the Supreme Court had no occasion to pronounce judgement. These are transparency, disclosure and management practices concerning the Fund," the former Union minister said in a series of tweets.
"Who are the donors who gave Rs 3076 crore in the first five days in March 2020? Do they include Chinese firms?" he asked. "What is the amount received since April 1, 2020 and who are the donors?"
The Congress leader sought to know the procedure to allocate money from the fund to various coronavirus-mitigating activities, raising several questions over its operation.
"Who are the recipients of money from the Fund since its inception? Are utilisation certificates (UC) demanded and received from the recipients?" he asked.
Chidambaram wondered who would answer these "vital questions" if the fund was beyond the ambit of the Right to Information.
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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.
