News Line
All the news from around the city
‘Letters inspired me to start NGO’
Oscar-winning sound engineer Resul Pookutty says he was inspired to start his own NGO as he was inundated with requests for financial help after he won the Academy Award for Slumdog Millionaire in 2009.
“Over the last one year, I received a huge number of letters from across the country, seeking financial help because many people thought that A.R. Rahman and I have won billions of rupees …
State not keen on traffic restraint scheme
The Maharashtra government is concentrating more on improving public transport rather than schemes to restrain private vehicles.
During a hearing on a PIL seeking implementation of the Traffic Restraint Scheme (TRS) proposed by V.M. Lall in 2000, additional government pleader S.K. Nair told the court that the government was working towards improving public transport by increasing the number of coaches on local trains from nine to 12. A division bench was hearing a PIL filed by …
PIL wants ban on astrology
Is astrology a science or an art of making money? Mumbai NGO Janhit Manch has started a debate on the issue in the Bombay high court.
A public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the manch and its convener Bhagwanji Raiyani, along with his associate Dattaram Kumkar, has questioned the validity of predictions by well-known astrologers, including Bejan Daruwalla, and unknown babas like Brahmarshi Shri Kumar Swami.
Taking note …
An awards night for women
The NGO Pearls Wave – Ek Leher, which uses the slogan Nari Shakti Ko Salam recently helf the Pearls Wave gala award night to salute and celebrate Indian women against violence.
The evening was meant to empower women to take a stand against violence and highlighted the efforts of the people working together to make a world free of violence and abuse.
Many celebrities also pledged their support to the ‘Women against Violence’ cause.
DNA
Abhinav Bindra chosen as Youth Ambassador
Ace shooter and Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra is now the Youth Ambassador for World Action Forum, a Khushii initiative.
Khushii has been actively working in the development sector for the last six years in both rural and urban India in various fields ranging from health, education, employability and holistic intervention programmes. As Kapil Dev, who chaired the meeting, put it, “Abhinav Bindra is an …
PM wants more dole for social schemes
The UPA government may come out with yet another common man’s Budget, at least where social sector spending is concerned.
Despite facing a steep fiscal deficit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is learnt to be pushing for greater allocation to the government’s flagship schemes such as Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, Sarva Shikhsha Abhiyan and Rural Health Mission. The objective of these schemes — numbering 15 in …
NGO to counsel young Muslims against drugs
Concerned over the growing number of Muslim youngsters in Mumbai being detained for their involvement in drug peddling, substance addiction and drug-related cases, an NGO is on a reformation drive. Movement for Human Welfare, the NGO conducting the drive, says its action programme is based on research on the social circumstances of youths staying in slums who are involved in such crimes.
Dr Azimmudin, the president of …
SC reduces NGO’s fine
After being slapped with the highest-ever cost of Rs 40 lakh for filing a frivolous public interest litigation, the Bhrastachar Nirmoolan Sangathana (BNS) got relief on Friday with the Supreme Court reducing the fine to Rs 25,000.
The Bombay High Court had slapped the penalty on the NGO as it felt the litigation was without merit and abused the process of law. The division bench of Justices JN Patel and BR Gavai said the collector could …
Primary school teachers demand salary hike
Primary teachers of aided and unaided private schools met last week to voice their grievances regarding inadequate salaries. An NGO called the Parent-Teacher Association United Forum plans to present the teachers’ case to the chief minister and stage protests, if necessary.
The 30 primary teachers, who represented the 12,000 teachers in the state, complained that they are yet to receive salaries in accordance to the Sixth Pay …
NGO strives to bridge communication gap
The wide and varied development sector has NGOs working in every nook and cranny of the country, often in isolation from each other. Attempting to bridge this gap is CSO Partners, and organisation that aims to bring together all non-governmental organisations, groups, communities, foundations or institutions.
“Lack of networking is the biggest problem faced by NGOs. Many of them are based in rural areas and hence don’t have the right kind of technology to remain well-connected,” …
Doorstep kids impress at rugby tournament
In another attempt to help the city’s slum children, Doorstep, an NGO that works for the education of the kids, also enrolled them in an inter-school rugby tournament, held last week at the Bombay Gymkhana.
Although the tournament was held only for schools from South Mumbai, an exception was made for Doorstep, which organised a motley team of kids from different slums across the city, who study …
PIL against illegal property sale
A PIL in the Bombay High Court has alleged that flats allotted to slumdwellers who were living inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park are being illegally sold. The slum dwellers who were evicted from the flats were given National Park flats under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority’s scheme in Chandivali in North Mumbai.
However, Janhit Manch, an NGO, has alleged in the petition that these flats are being sold off though the scheme bars sale or leasing of …