Information about the Issue The residents of sixty hutments and owners of ten small-scale diaries at Asita East, Delhi were evicted from their homes and places of work by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) through a demolition drive carried out on 10th September, 2020. The DDA deemed these establishments as Read more…
What is the issue?
As per a senior government official, there are 750 slum clusters in Delhi, of which around 52 prominent ones are located close to railway tracks. The Supreme Court, on 31st August 2020, passed an Order in connection with the piling up of the waste along the railway tracks, wherein the Court has ordered for the removal of 48000 clusters that are located along the 70 km route length of the track. The Northern Railway, alongside the Government of Delhi, has started the work of identifying the slums along railway tracks and the ones lying within 15 meters of the tracks will be removed. (more…)
Human trafficking has plagued society for ages. It is the usage of force and exploitation of individuals for purposes such as slavery, sex work, and other illegal activities translating into an infringement on an individual’s human rights, with women and children being those at the highest risk of being victims of trafficking. Every country that acts as an origin, intermediary, or final place of the process is considered as one that harbors this socio-economic evil. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has stressed the importance of legislation as a means to curb the practice of human trafficking. It has stated the need for member countries to implement domestic laws. It also recommends that these laws be flexible in nature and comprehensive in definition to aid their efficiency. (more…)
According to the 2011 Census, India has 5.6 crore inter-state migrants, which is 33% less than the number that was observed in the previous census conducted in 2001. This population is mainly employed by the unorganised/informal sector and plays a significant role in the accelerated growth story of India’s urban infrastructure. The current policies have not been successful in equipping the migrant labour workforce with crucial amenities like housing in the cities they have migrated to, which added to their quandary during the COVID pandemic. Provision for habitation for the migrant workforce has only now been brought to the forefront for discussion, which reflects the failure of the government and detachment from the transformative constitutionalism mechanism. (more…)
Migrant workers continue to face endless issues choosing to work in different States and cities, especially since they are mostly employed by the unorganized sector. Migrating from their hometown to an urban area in search for better opportunities puts them in a vulnerable position where they are forced to fend for themselves in less than substandard working conditions and subject to being exploited for very little money. Many migrant workers who engage in seasonal work are often trapped in debt or bondage. In order to ensure decent livelihood and standard of living of such a huge chunk of the population, the need to have a sturdy legislation upholding their rights is of utmost importance for the overall development of the economy. (more…)
By Anushka Gutte, Research Associate, Policy
In late December, 2019, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission of China reported a number of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, Hubei province. Surfaced in the Chinese seafood and poultry, it was soon identified to be the novel corona virus. As of this writing, the corona virus outbreak has caused over 4 million cases and over 200,000 deaths worldwide. India reported its first case in Kerala on 30th January, 2020, a student from Wuhan. Since then India has reported over 70,000 COVID-19 cases. Over the last three months, India has taken multiple actions in terms of investments in healthcare, vaccine research, testing to deal with the ensuing pandemic. However, these are inadequate at social fronts, especially in a country like India where issues of social inequality are of utmost importance. (more…)
By Shivangi Pandey, Research Associate, Human Rights and Social Justice Policies
According to the National Crime Records Bureau’s data collected in 2018, 109 children are sexually abused everyday. The Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill 2019, (POCSO Bill 2019) which amended the 2012 Act brought out by the government has been an effort to curb sexual crimes against children. The amendment has made punishments more stringent, an effort to make the investigation and judicial proceedings child-friendly with new clauses in place. Though the above seem like progressive steps forward, it is argued that these provisions only drive attention away from the abysmally poor form of implementation and low rate of conviction. (more…)
By Khushi Pamnani, Research Associate, Human Rights and Social Justice Policies
The UN defines manual scavenging as the practice of manually cleaning, carrying, disposing or handling in any manner, human excreta from dry latrines and sewers. Upon collection of the excreta in containers like thin boards, baskets, and buckets, manual scavengers are then responsible to carry them on their heads to locations that are several kilometers away from the latrines. The demand for manual scavenging still persists due to a lack of functional and sanitary sewage systems.
The Index (HDI) is relevant as it shows the impact of policies – economic and social – on the lives of citizens, illustrates potential lacunae in policy implementation and formulation by highlighting the real effects of public policies through statistical analysis and emphasises the need for economic growth that leads to social development. (more…)
By Tanu Singh, Ramjas College, New Delhi.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah put forward a Bill on 9 July 2019, proposing amendments in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. On 24 July the Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha cleared the Bill with 147 voting in favour and 42 against. UAPA, implemented in 1967, is an Act ‘to provide for the more effective prevention of certain unlawful activities of individuals and associations and for matters connected therewith’. It assigns absolute power to the Central Government, by way of which, if the Centre deems an activity as unlawful then it may, by way of an Official Gazette, declare it so. (more…)