Varnapakitt-2019: Kerala to host India’s first-ever ‘trans art festival’

Agencies
September 20, 2019

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 20: Talented transgender members will soon get a platform to showcase their artistic and creative skills in Kerala, as the state government is gearing up to host an exclusive festival for the marginalised group next month.

The state Social Justice Department conceptualised the unique event as part of its various initiatives to support the TG community, make them part of the mainstream society and to promote their talents.

Titled "Varnapakitt-2019", the two-day event is considered to be the first such state-sponsored art festival to be organised exclusively for transgenders in the country.

According to authorities, the state-level festival is being organised as part of the transgender policy implemented by the government for the upliftment of the community.

The venue of the festival is expected to be the state capital and the official announcement of the dates are yet to come.

As part of the art festival, the Department also invited applications for cash awards from 10 transgenders who have proved their excellence in various social fields except cinema.

According to the Art Festival manual, released by the Department, any TG member aged 18 or above, who has the authentic identity card issued by the government, can take part in the festival.

Besides the performing art category including dance, music (both single and group), mono-act and mimicry, competitions will be held in story, poetry andessay writing, it said.

Transgender activist Sheethal Shyam hailed the government initiative and said it will be an exciting platform for the TGs to perform and show their talent to the world.

"It may be for the first time in the country that a state department is organising such an art festival for us.

There are several talented persons in our community who do not get a platform to perform and show their skills to the world because of the stigma attached to the gender," Sheethal, also an actor and dancer, told PTI.

Not just in the fields of art, there are several TGs who contribute and serve the society in different capacities but their services go unnoticed, the activist said.

"Many TGs are unsung heroes. Their services and talents go unnoticed. People are honoured in our state for fighting floods and came out of its hardships successfully.

But, our life is a fight everyday. But, no one recognises it," the activist said.

A member of the state Transgender Justice Board, Sheethal also said the art festival and the TG award are considered as a recognition to those who have fought several odds to express their gender.

Sharing her sentiments, Surya, another TG member, said the art festival and the TG award would be a motivation for their community members.

"It will help remove the stigma attached to the transgender community and motivate more people to come out revealing their gender," Surya told PTI.

Competitions are planned to be held in 20 categories and those who garner maximum points will be bestowed with 'Kalaratna' award, the festival manual said.

There won't be any separate competition for transman and transwoman, it added.

Kerala is the first state to unveil a 'Policy for Transgenders', in the country.

The government has introduced several innovative schemes ranging from 'transgender helpline', TG justice board and shelter homes.

As per the census conducted in Kerala during 2015-16, there are 1,187 third genders in the southern state.

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Agencies
March 15,2020

New Delhi, Mar 15: The new rules for debit and credit cards to increase security and reduce frauds kick in from Monday. In January, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had issued new rules to improve user convenience and increase the security of card transactions. These rules will help in curbing the misuse of debit and credit cards.

RBI has directed banks to allow only domestic card transactions at ATMs and PoS terminals in India at the time of issuance/reissuance of card. For international transactions, online transactions, card-not-present transactions and contactless transactions, customers will have to separately set up services on their card.

These rules will be applicable for new cards from March 16. Those with old cards can decide whether to disable any of these features.

As per the existing rules, these services used to come automatically with the card, but now it will start at the request of the customer.

Debit or credit card customers who have not yet done any online transaction, contactless transaction or international transaction with the card, then these services on the card will automatically stop from March 16.

The Reserve Bank has asked all banks to provide mobile banking, net banking option to enable limit and enable and disable service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If the customer makes any change in the status of the card, the bank will alert the customer through SMS/email and send the information.

Issuers shall provide to all cardholders facility to switch on/off and set/modify transaction limits (within the overall card limit, if any, set by the issuer) for all types of transactions -- domestic and international, at PoS/ATMs/online transactions/contactless transactions, etc.,

The provisions, however, are not mandatory for prepaid gift cards and those used at mass transit systems.

The latest instructions come in the wake of rising instances of cyber frauds and the huge increase in the use of cards.

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News Network
May 12,2020

New Delhi, May 12: With 3,604 more COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's tally of coronavirus cases reached 70,756, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday. 87 deaths were reported during the period.

As per the tally, 46,008 patients are active coronavirus cases while 22,454 patients have been cured/discharged and one patient has migrated.

With 87 deaths due to COVID-19 reported in the last 24 hours, the number of deaths has risen to 2,293.

As per the ministry, Maharashtra has the most number of coronavirus cases with 23,401 cases with 4,786 patients being cured/discharged while 868 deaths have been reported in the state.

Gujarat is second on the list with 8,541 cases that include 2,780 patients recovering from the disease and 513 fatalities.

Tamil Nadu's tally reached 8,002 cases, including 2,051 recoveries and 53 deaths.

While Delhi's tally stands at 7,233 cases with 2,129 patients recovered and 73 deaths.

Meanwhile; Mizoram (one case reported--now recovered), Goa (seven cases reported and all seven recovered), Manipur (Two cases reported and both patients recovered) and Arunachal Pradesh (one case reported--now recovered) have reported no new cases in the last 24 hours.

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News Network
January 6,2020

Dehradun, Jan 6: Universities are centres of learning and will not be allowed to become "addas" of politics, HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' has said.

The minister was replying to questions from reporters in Haldwani on Sunday about protests against the amended Citizenship Act across university campuses.

"Universities are centres of learning where the country's future is in the making. We cannot let them become addas of politics," Nishank said.

He accused the opposition parties of trying to turn the universities into hotbeds of politics.

The new legislation passed by Parliament aims to grant citizenship to persecuted religious minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who had taken refuge in India and there is nothing wrong in it, the Union Minister said

"When Pakistan was created, the population of religious minorities there stood at 22 per cent. Today it is a minuscule 3.7 per cent. Persecuted on the basis of their religion, they sought sanctuary in India. The CAA is meant only to grant them citizenship," he said.

Terming the law humanitarian, the minister said it was going to make no difference to the status of Muslims in India and wondered why the Congress was making such a hue and cry about it.

Nishank's press conference in Haldwani was part of the BJP's campaign to create awareness in favour of the amended Citizenship Act.

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