A heavy regulatory burden had kept many providers from offering the diabetes prevention service.
from Health Care https://ift.tt/2ME6Uuh
via IFTTT
Body 2:
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Premiums for popular Obamacare plans to drop 4 percent
This marks the second straight year that the so-called benchmark premium has dropped.
from Health Care https://ift.tt/2o6pt0M
via IFTTT
from Health Care https://ift.tt/2o6pt0M
via IFTTT
Win for environmentalists: Karnataka HC halts Mysuru-Kodagu rail line
The opposition to the rail line has been showcased in multiple protests held in Kodagu in recent times.
In a big win for environmentalists in Kodagu and conservationists from all over Karnataka, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday asked the Indian Railways to seek environment related clearances before commissioning two rail projects in Kodagu. The HC on Monday gave these directions as it was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Colonel Muthanna, president of the Coorg Wildlife Society and others. Disposing of the case, the High Court said the Railways cannot proceed since forest and wildlife clearances have not been obtained. Moreover, the Indian Railways have been asked to notify the petitioner when they apply for the clearances. The South Western Railways in February had sanctioned construction of an 87 km railway line between Belagola in Mysuru and Kushalnagar the largest town in Kodagu in February to the dismay of environmentalists and many locals. Another proposed rail line which was planned to cut through the forests were the Mysuru and Thalassery line. Speaking to TNM, Colonel Muthanna said, “Till now the Forest Department had been saying that the Railways have not approached them at all. Now that we are party to the case, if the Railways want to review the project or ask permission from the Environmental Ministry, they have to keep us informed.” He added, “Technically since it’s a buffer zone in a Tiger Reserve, they can’t get these clearances.” The Coorg Wildlife Society and others had approached the court stating destruction of the fragile Western Ghat ecosystem due to rampant commercialisation and unsustainable development, has already made Kodagu vulnerable to environmental catastrophes like last year’s floods. They stated that construction of the rail line will not only clear forests and alter the topography but also increase commercialisation and tourist activity. Read; New Mysuru-Kodagu rail line sanctioned despite opposition from environmentalists Opposition to railways or large scale infrastructure projects is not new in Kodagu and a series of protests have been held since June, 2017. There were continued protests by greens across Karnataka against the rail projects under the banner ‘Save Kodagu, Save Cauvery’. Activists feared further deterioration of the ecosystem would mean Cauvery which originates from the district will change its course which will impact a major part of south India which depends on its waters Joseph Hoover, a noted conservationist and a former member of the State Wildlife Board in a statement said, “Kodagu has suffered numerous landslides due to excessive rains and flooding in 2018 and 2019. Scientists had blamed unscientific development activities (constructions, resorts and linear projects) for the ecological disaster.” He alleged that Mysore-Kodagu BJP Member of Parliament Pratap Simha had gone back on his word as he had reportedly spoken against the rail line before being elected but later changed his stance. Hoover added, “If he insists on developing Kodagu district, Simha should build multi speciality hospitals and sports infrastructure. Kodagu can do without a railway line.” Read: This K’taka district doesn’t want a rail link, and has good reasons for it
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2pHa2Nb
via IFTTT
Bengaluru collective to work directly with animal rearers for online meat deliveries
The Karnataka State Sheep and Goat Farmers’ Co-operative Society says unlike existing companies, it will deliver fresh meat opposed to frozen produce.
Soon, you can order fresh lamb and goat meat and get it delivered at your doorstep in Bengaluru, as a farmer cooperative is soon launching an app aimed to incentivise farmers. The app ‘Dial for Mutton’ is set to launch in early November by The Karnataka State Sheep and Goat Farmers’ Co-operative Society, which started its base in the neighbouring Kolar district. In the pilot period over the first month, this service will only be available for the northern part of the city, says the co-operative society president Lokesh Gowda. Areas that will be serviceable will be Shivajinagar, Vasanth Nagar, RT Nagar, Yehalankha, Hebbal and Yeshwantpur, to name a few. There are already some apps and online merchants that offer home delivery of various types of meat, fish and poultry in the city, but Lokesh claims their service will be different as they will deliver “fresh” meat as opposed to “frozen” meat delivered by existing players. Lokesh Gowda, who had set up the cooperative society more than a decade ago, said, “We don’t want to necessarily compete with other players but we want to cut out the middleman problem. Today, while farmers are still grazing the sheep barefoot, middlemen are driving fancy cars. With this app, we will ensure that the sheep rearers get their due and people also do not pay anything extra.” “Customers will be paying the existing market rates that they pay now to their neighbourhood meat shops. But I am sure by this animal rearer’s income will be doubled as our service will be a field to fork model. We will give better value both to farmers and customers,” he added. He claimed that unlike existing players, he will source his supply on a day-to-day basis. “There is no need to worry about quality or freshness as we won’t store any meat and the animal slaughter will happen only once the order is confirmed.” When asked about his supply pool, Lokesh said that he has more than 500 animal rearers in the outskirts and within Bengaluru. And after the feedback from the pilot, he will think of expanding the service across the state. The cooperative currently has 1,500 individual farmers and have tie-ups with other taluk level similar societies across the state.
Body 2:
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2J9uRri
via IFTTT
'Buffaloes not suited for racing’: PETA India files fresh report in SC against Kambala
PETA India observed races held in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada, and collected photographic and videographic evidence from these races.
Photograph by Sampat Shetty
Animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India filed a fresh investigation report alleging that animals used in the traditional buffalo racing sport Kambala are not ‘anatomically or physiologically suited for racing.’ PETA India submitted its latest report in the Supreme Court after watching four Kambala events in Karnataka, as part of its petition seeking to overturn the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Second Amendment) Act, 2017. The act allows Kambala races to be held in the state. PETA observed races held in Baradi Beedu in Udupi and in Moodabidri, Mangaluru, and Thiruvail in Dakshina Kannada. These races were held between December 2018 and February 2019. Officials of PETA India collected photographic and videographic evidence from these races. PETA India has In its report, PETA India claimed, "Reluctant, scared buffalo bulls were whacked repeatedly with bare hands, slapped in the face, kicked, poked and hit with wooden sticks, dragged to the starting point by groups of five or six people, and shouted at." The report also added that buffaloes were hit with bare hands and uncoated sticks during the races despite the organisers claiming that wooden sticks covered with foam or fibre will be used. PETA also submitted pictures showing wounds suffered by buffaloes from the beatings and claimed that they were camouflaged by a black substance. Photograph of a buffallo in a race in Mangaluru "Cruelty is inherent in Kambala events, as buffalo bulls aren't anatomically or physiologically suited for racing and no amount of regulation can change this scientific fact," PETA India CEO Manilal Valliyate said. Kambala is a slush-track buffalo race held in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts between November and March. The races involve pairs of buffaloes tied to a plough, which run on parallel slush tracks, with a farmer controlling them while balancing on the plough. For many years, PETA India has opposed Kambala by saying that buffaloes are treated cruelly during races. It was outlawed based on the Supreme Court judgement that made Jallikattu, a bull-taming sport in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, illegal in 2014 but Kambala races continued to occur sparingly since there was no clear law banning Kambala specifically. Organisers of the sport were keen to point out that Kambala involved buffalo racing and that it was different from bull-taming. The sport was eventually banned in November 2016 by the Karnataka High Court after a public interest litigation was filed by PETA India. This led to protests in Moodabidri in January 2017 when Kambala enthusiasts turned up with their buffaloes to oppose the ban in Moodabidri, a place popular for Kambala races. The protesting buffalo owners were keen to emphasise the hoary tradition and strong love for animals as the reasons for keeping the traditional sport alive. Read: Thousands turn out in Moodbidri along with prized buffaloes, as Kambala protests gather steam The ban was lifted in July 2017 after the President gave assent to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance of 2017, which excludes Kambala from the list of activities considered as practices involving animal cruelty. Kambala races were held from November 2018 to March 2019 with organisers promising steps to ensure that animals are not mistreated. In September 2018, PETA India filed a fresh petition in the Supreme Court seeking a ban on Kambala. With the start of the Kambala season approaching, organisers of the sport are waiting to see if the sport will be allowed to go ahead this year.
Body 2:
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2pLk93e
via IFTTT
NCRB data on caste violence in south India reveals alarmingly low conviction rates
NCRB data shows, for example, that of the 9,588 cases that went to trial in Karnataka, there were convictions only in 25 cases, a conviction rate of only 0.26%.
The year 2017 witnessed several instances of caste-based violence in south India. In Andhra Pradesh’s Jaerripothulapalem village, a Dalit woman was allegedly dragged on the streets and had her clothes torn off, after she objected to the digging of a pit. A woman in Karnataka’s Bijapur district was set ablaze by her family members for marrying a Dalit man. A 21-year-old Dalit man was murdered in Tamil Nadu allegedly by three caste Hindu men, ostensibly for breaking a plastic tap in their field. Several cases of brutal caste-related violence have also been reported in the years that followed. Despite the growing caste-based violence, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for the year 2017 released on Tuesday shows that conviction rates are very low. Alarmingly, Andhra Pradesh stands fifth in the country in the total number of registered cases of atrocities against Dalit and Adivasi communities in India with 2,310 reported incidents. The highest number of caste-based crimes have been reported in Uttar Pradesh, followed by Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Of the reported incidents in the five southern states, 14.9% of the total number of cases were from Bengaluru, 5.6% from Hyderabad, 1.5% from Kochi, 1% from Chennai and 0.1% from Coimbatore. Conviction rates Of the five southern states, Karnataka recorded the highest number of cases of atrocities against Dalits and Adivasis that went to trial in 2017. NCRB figures also show that the conviction rates in such cases are abysmally low. Of the 9,588 cases that went to trial in Karnataka, there were convictions only in 25 cases. This means that convictions occurred only in 0.26% of the cases that went to trial. Kerala recorded 0.51% convictions in cases of atrocities against Dalits and Adivasis that went to trial in 2017. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana recorded convictions in 1.09%, 1.94% and 1.57% of the cases that went to trial in 2017. Karnataka has the lowest conviction rate in cases of atrocities against Dalits among the five southern states at 3.6%. The conviction rate in Tamil Nadu stands at 12.5%, while it is 8.1% in Telangana, 5.5% in Andhra Pradesh and 5.9% in Kerala. The conviction rate for cases of atrocities against Adivasis too is abysmal in four of the five southern states in India. Andhra Pradesh has the lowest conviction rate among the five states at 1.4% followed by Karnataka with a 3% conviction rate. Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have conviction rates of 4.8%, 6.5% and 33.3% respectively in cases of atrocities against Adivasis. Pending investigations The number of cases of SC/ST atrocities pending investigation, according to NCRB figures, is appalling. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have 5,158, 3,342, 3,281, 2,034 and 1,756 such cases pending investigation. Speaking to TNM, retired IPS officer K Annamalai, says that the primary reason for the huge number of cases pending investigation is the lack of hard evidence. “In most of these cases, a closure report is filed, the eyewitnesses turn hostile or there is intimidation from the accused persons. With no evidence to file chargesheets, it becomes difficult," he says. One of the major hurdles for low convictions, he says, is that the witnesses turn hostile. In Karnataka, just 10 days ago, DG and IG Neelamani Raju issued a circular stating that all eyewitness testimonies must be videotaped by the police during questioning. “Videotaping of eyewitness testimonies was not done in the past. Even during trials, in the cases where eyewitnesses testify, they will be persons from the same Dalit community. The defense counsel will argue that it is vested interest. The problem here is that it becomes difficult to prove intent. Conviction in atrocity cases happen mostly when the crime is grievous, where there are physical injuries, else intent is hard to prove,” Annamalai adds.
Body 2:
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/31zcrqb
via IFTTT
Bengaluru recorded highest number of cyber-crime cases, reveals latest NCRB data
The NCRB data for 2017 shows that Bengaluru accounted for nearly 38% of the cyber-crime cases registered in the country.
Image for representation
The latest data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) showed that 2,743 cyber crime cases were registered in Bengaluru in 2017, the highest among cities across the country. Bengaluru accounted for nearly 38% of the cyber crime cases registered in the country. The number of cases registered in the city was more than twice the number of cases registered in Mumbai (1362), which is the second highest in the country. Jaipur (685) registered the third highest number of cases of cyber-crime. A total of 2,657 cases or nearly 97% of the cases registered in Bengaluru, were computer-related offences. This included 2,178 cases of identity theft, 22 cases of violation of privacy, and 78 cases of publishing or transmitting material containing sexually explicit acts. Karnataka registered the third highest number of cyber-crime cases (3,174) in the country behind Uttar Pradesh (4,971) and Maharashtra (3,604). More than 86% of the cases in Karnataka were registered in Bengaluru alone. Another alarming statistic is the low rate of solving cyber-crime cases. In 2017, there were 3,703 cyber-crime cases for investigation in Bengaluru. This included the 2,743 cases registered in 2017 and 940 pending cases from previous years. At the end of the year, 2,262 cases were still pending investigation. This accounts for more than 61% of the cases which were pending at the start of the same year. TNM had earlier reported that out of 8,495 cyber-crime cases registered in Karnataka since 2014, 7,516 were from Bengaluru. In these cases, there were only 36 convictions with five of them being cases registered in Bengaluru. There were four convictions in 2014 and one in 2018. Read: Why conviction rate for cyber crime cases in Karnataka is abysmally low Cyber-crime police officials cited cost of investigating cyber crime cases and lack of geographical boundaries as reasons for the lack of convictions in Bengaluru. Police officials also cited a lack of knowledge about technology and cyber-crimes as one of the reasons.
Body 2:
from Karnataka https://ift.tt/35X5umg
via IFTTT
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)