The Silent Express

1.7 lakh Crore package of the Government of India to financially protect the most vulnerable during this emergency. Background: The Indian Government has announced a Rs 1.7 Lakh Crore package to help tide over the COVID-19 pandemic that has forced the entire nation into an unprecedented lock-down. It will provide free food and cash transfers to support the poorest Indians, the category which is most vulnerable in the ongoing crisis. By now, it must be clear to every sensible citizen that the lock-down couldn’t have been avoided. The  lock-down  or quarantine also creates  some breathing space  to convince people of the seriousness of the situation and build positive public opinion, carry out disinfection of all buildings, vehicles and surfaces, and allows hospitals to prepare themselves for the next phase of operations. But on the other hand, it has led to a lot of hardships and uncertainty for people who belong to the unorganized sectors and pe...

A scene from the Bengali classic movie Ashoni Sonket by the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray. “I have no idea what to prefer-see my children suffer from hunger pangs or allow each of us to be infected with the coronavirus.” I had no idea how to respond to Mukund. Those were the last words that came out before his voice got choked enough to cut our current telephonic conversation short (we did speak later again though). I could hardly find any words to console him. Mukund is a street vendor who goes from house to house, selling vegetables and fruits in Ahmedabad. I have known him since my posting in this city, about five years ago. I called him up today to inquire about how he and his family would be doing in these tough situations and what I heard was not only heart-breaking but also worrisome. The spread of coronavirus and the ensuing lock-down which as we all can realize now, is just a necessary evil under the present scenario, has robbed the man of its da...

The coronavirus menace is not only threatening the lives of people but is also having a disastrous effect on the economy of the World in general and India in particular. The situation is so dire that there is a chance that Government may be forced to declare a nationwide financial emergency. Read on to get an overview of the matter. What is it? A financial emergency can be declared under Article 360 of the Constitution of India. Article 360 states that if the President is satisfied that a situation has arisen whereby the financial stability or the credit of India or any part thereof is threatened, the President may declare a state of financial emergency. What happens during a Financial Emergency During the period such Proclamation is in operation, the executive authority of the Union extends to the giving of directions to any State to observe such canons of financial propriety as may be specified in the directions, any such directions may also include: It has provi...

While people are rejoicing the hanging of four convicts of the brutal Nirbhaya rape and murder case one of the convicts, and arguably the most heinous among those men, is leading a normal and a peaceful life somewhere in the southern parts of India. Just read on to see how he made (and is possibly, still making) a mockery of the Indian legal system. History and Controversy It has been more than seven years now. A 23-year-old medical student was cruelly gang-raped in a moving bus in Delhi by six men. All of them were later convicted for the brutal assault. While four of them were hanged at 5:30 am on 20 th March, 2020 at Delhi’s Tihar Jail, one of them (accused Ram Singh) committed suicide in jail (even before his conviction) and another was a juvenile. The teenager was tried by the Juvenile Justice Board as per the extant rules of the time.   He was sent to a rehabilitation home for a mere three years in North Delhi’s Manju ka Tila. It is ironic that while the rep...

As the fear and spread of coronavirus continues to escalate it can be noticed that certain rumors and unverified pseudo-scientific facts have been making the rounds to worsen the situation. The following article will jot down the important and expert-recommended steps and measures that are to be scrupulously followed to fight the spread of the disease. People are advised to not pay heed to any unnecessary and unverified fact that keep surfacing now and then.   1. How to detect and prevent   You can help stop COVID-19 by knowing the signs and symptoms: Ø   Fever Ø   Cough Ø   Shortness of breath 2. When to seek medical advice Seek medical advice immediately if you develop the symptoms above and/or You have had exposure to a person known to have COVID-19 or live in or have recently travelled from an area with on-going spread of COVID-19. Also remember to call ahead before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room. Tell them about ...

The United Kingdom (UK) has devised this novel strategy to counter the prospective damage from the novel coronavirus disease that has been declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). Let us take a look at the plan of action and check out if it indeed is an effective technique under the practical scenario.   What is meant by Herd Immunity? As we know, our bodies have an inbuilt dynamic immune system which is capable of fighting and defending against diseases. When we recover from a particular disease the body retains an "immunological memory" of the disease which in turn allows the immune system to fight off the same ailment in future.  This is roughly how the vaccines work-they create the immunological memory without us having to "actually" contract the particular disease in the real sense. Now the problem with a new disease, like COVID-19, we don't have such immune memory to counter the disease and no known vaccine can al...

“ Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning “– Bill Gates When and What? Consumer Rights Day is observed on 15th March every year.  The definition of Consumer right is: ‘The right to have information about the quality, potency, quantity, purity, price and standard of goods or services’, as it may be the case, but the consumer is to be protected against any unfair practices of trade.” Awareness about these rights is very essential for the consumers to prevent exploitation of any kind. World Consumer Rights Day is an annual occasion for celebration and solidarity within the international consumer movement. Participants observe the day by promoting the basic rights of all consumers, demanding that those rights are respected and protected, and protesting about the market abuses and social injustices which undermine them. Origin The origin of the day dates back to 15th march, 1962 when former US President John F. Kenn...