Now, prisoners in Kerala gear up to run fuel stations

Agencies

September 18, 2019

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 18: After their success in dishing out delicious and cost-effective food items, prisoners in Kerala are now gearing up to manage fuel stations, thanks to an innovative government initiative.

Drawing inspiration from their counterparts in Tamil Nadu and Punjab, the Prison Department is all set to open petrol pumps in the outer campuses of three central jails in the state, envisaged to be run by selected inmates.

The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is setting up the pumps in the land, identified by the prison department.

At least 15 convicted prisoners would be identified and given training to run each fuel station on a shift basis and they will be given wages for their work as per jail rules, authorities said.

A top prison official said the plan is to open the fuel stations by November-December this year.

"All necessary government clearances have been received for the initiative. The pumps will come up on the campuses of the central prisons in Poojappura here, Viyyur in Thrissur district and in Kannur," Prison DGP, Rishiraj Singh told PTI.

"The IOC will begin the construction works soon and the work is expected to be completed in the next one month.

We hope that the pumps can be opened by November-December", he said.

Singh said many states like Tamil Nadu already have petrol pumps under the Prisons department.

"They are making handsome revenue by running petrol pumps. Besides generating revenue, the project will also help prisoners engage in constructive activities," he said.

The DGP said the employees who would manage the petrol stations would be handpicked from among the convicted prisoners.

"Not just this project, but inmates are part of all our major initiatives like online food or in the running of prison cafeteria. Those who have knowledge in manning petrol pumps will be given preference. All those selected will be given training," he said.

Based on the nature of the work, the inmates are given wages of up to Rs 160-180a day in the state prisons and those deployed at the fuel stations would also be given remuneration as per the standards, he said.

Seeking to tap the hugely popular online food market, the Kerala Prison Department had recently begun offering biriyani prepared by inmates.

For this, they have tied up with Swiggy, the online food delivery player.

The Freedom Food Factory, an enterprise selling food, mainly chappathi and chicken curry combo, prepared by inmates at Kerala prisons, has been engaged in the business since 2011.

Comments

I think you are a Bhakth. Think about our PM, Home minister, entire ministry.All are criminals and thieves. One of the biggest thief (ambani) running fuel station.

If they are going to start then there will be suffiecient safety measures.

There is jail chapathi and biriyani. Did anybody die after eating foods prpared by prisoners??? There are safety measures

Good. Let some thieves steal petrol, and some other steal spare parts of the vehicles that come to fill fuel.

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Mangaluru: Terror techie Aditya Rao remanded to 10-day police custody

coastaldigest.com news network

January 23,2020

Mangaluru: The sixth Judicial Magistrate of First Class court here today remanded techie-turned-bomber Aditya Rao to 10-day police custody.

36-year-old Rao, the prime accused in planting improvised explosive device at Mangaluru International Airport, was handed over to Mangaluru police by their Bengaluru counterparts yesterday.

He was produced before the magistrate court amidst tight security. The police sought for 15-day custody for interrogating him.

Justice Kishore Kumar, the JMFC court judge inquired Rao if he was subjected to police torture and if he had any lawyer to represent him in the case. Rao is said to have replied in the negative for these questions, it is gathered.

The judge finally decided to send the accused to police custody for 10 days.

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In the name of ‘rationalising’ syllabus, CBSE removes lessons on democracy, secularism, demonetisation

Agencies

July 8,2020

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has rationalised by up to 30 per cent the syllabus for classes 9 to 12 for the academic year 2020-21 to reduce course load on students amid the COVID-19 crisis, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' announced on Tuesday.

The curriculum has been rationalised while retaining the core elements, the Human Resource Development said.

Among the chapters dropped after the rationalisation exercise are lessons on democracy and diversity, demonetisation, nationalism, secularism, India's relations with its neighbours and growth of local governments in India, among others.

"Looking at the extraordinary situation prevailing in the country and the world, CBSE was advised to revise the curriculum and reduce course load for the students of classes 9 to 12.

"To aid the decision, a few weeks back I also invited suggestions from all educationists on the reduction of syllabus for students and I am glad to share that we received more than 1.5K suggestions. Thank you, everyone, for the overwhelming response," Nishank tweeted.

"Considering the importance of learning achievement, it has been decided to rationalise syllabus up to 30 per cent by retaining the core concepts," he added.

The Union minister said the changes made in the syllabi have been finalised by the respective course committees with the approval of the curriculum committee and the Governing Body of the Board.

"The heads of schools and teachers have been advised by the board to ensure that the topics that have been reduced are also explained to the students to the extent required to connect different topics. However, the reduced syllabus will not be part of the topics for internal assessment and year-end board examination.

"Alternative academic calendar and inputs from the NCERT on transacting the curriculum using different strategies shall also be part of the teaching pedagogy in the affiliated schools," a senior official of the HRD ministry said.

For classes 1 to 8, the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) has already notified an alternative calendar and learning outcomes.

According to the updated curriculum, among the chapters deleted from class 10 syllabus are-- democracy and diversity, gender, religion and caste, popular struggles and movement, challenges to democracy

For class 11, the deleted portions included chapters on federalism, citizenship, nationalism, secularism, growth of local governments in India.

Similarly, class 12 students will not be required to study chapters on India's relations with its neighbours, changing nature of India's economic development, social movements in India and demonetisation, among others.

Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the central government announced a nationwide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

A nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which came into effect the next day. While the government has eased several restrictions, schools and colleges continue to remain closed.

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In Mangaluru pro-CAA rally Rajnath Singh rakes up Kashmiri Pundit issue

coastaldigest.com web desk

January 27,2020

Mangaluru, Jan 27: No power can now stop Kashmiri Pandits from going back to Kashmir, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday, forcefully defending the NDA government’s decision to reorganise Jammu and Kashmir and abrogating its special status under Article 370.

Addressing a massive pro-CAA, NRC rally organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party at Gold Finch city, Kuloor, on the outskirts of the city, the Defence minister also sent a strong message to Pakistan and said India will not let anyone live in peace if it is harmed.

"We will not touch anyone, but if someone bothers us, then we are not going to let them live in peace," he said.

Referring to the exodus of a large number of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the late 1990s at the height of militancy, Singh said no power now can stop them from returning to their homes.

On the Citizenship Amendment Act, the minister said it is not a law to hurt the sentiments of any religion but to give relief to victims of religious persecution.

Mahatma Gandhi had told Nehru to give citizenship to minorities like Hindus and Sikhs if they come to India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fulfilled that vision by bringing in the law, Singh said.

On several non-BJP states refusing to implement the CAA, the defence minister said it it is a central law and everyone should follow it.

Accusing the Congress of misleading people on the issue, he said the party should not forget its duty towards the nation just because it is in opposition.