The Union Minister for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, awarded Shri Vinod Kumar Yadav, Chairman, Railway Board with Eminent Engineers Award.

The award was presented at the special event to mark the 52nd Engineers’ Day organised by the Institution of Engineers in New Delhi today.

The award was for his outstanding contributions in the field of engineering. The theme of 52nd Engineers’ Day was “Engineering for change”.

What is uniform civil code? A generic set of governing laws for every citizen without taking into consideration the religion.

What the constitution says? Article 44 of the Constitution says that there should be a Uniform Civil Code. According to this article, “The State shall endeavor to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India”. Since the Directive Principles are only guidelines, it is not mandatory to use them.

India needs a Uniform Civil Code for the following reasons: A secular republic needs a common law for all citizens rather than differentiated rules based on religious practices.

Another reason why a uniform civil code is needed is gender justice. The rights of women are usually limited under religious law, be it Hindu or Muslim. The practice of triple talaq is a classic example.

Many practices governed by religious tradition are at odds with the fundamental rights guaranteed in the Indian Constitution. Courts have also often said in their judgements that the government should move towards a uniform civil code including the judgement in the Shah Bano case.

Why is UCC is not desirable at this point? Secularism cannot contradict the plurality prevalent in the country. Besides, cultural diversity cannot be compromised to the extent that our urge for uniformity itself becomes a reason for threat to the territorial integrity of the nation.

The term ‘secularism’ has meaning only if it assures the expression of any form of difference. This diversity, both religious and regional, should not get subsumed under the louder voice of the majority. At the same time, discriminatory practices within a religion should not hide behind the cloak of that faith to gain legitimacy.

What is needed now? Need of the hour is the codification of all personal laws so that prejudices and stereotypes in every one of them would come to light and can be tested on the anvil of fundamental rights of the Constitution. By codification of different personal laws, one can arrive at certain universal principles that prioritise equity rather than imposition of a Uniform Code, which would discourage many from using the law altogether, given that matters of marriage and divorce can also be settled extra-judicially.

What is it? It is the first-ever public information portal launched in Rajasthan. Aim: To provide information about government authorities and departments suo motu to the public in the true spirit of the Right To Information Act.

Significance: The portal would ensure compliance with Section 4(2) of the RTI Act mandating the public authorities to disclose information in the public domain, so that the people need not file applications under the law to obtain information

What are CRS? Community Radios are small (low power) FM radio stations with a coverage area of around 10-15 Km radius, depending on the geography of the area.

CRS play a significant role in dissemination of agriculture related information, government schemes for people’s welfare, weather forecast etc. Today, there are more than 180 community radio stations across India, broadcasting in languages like Bundelkhandi, Garhwali, Awadhi and Santhali — tongues that typically find little or no space on television.

Challenges to the Community Radio: Lack of journalistic and technical skills and thus a consistent demand for training.

Community Radio derives its strength and popularity from community participation. In practise participation is harder than it seems, because it is labour intensive, requires the right attitude, skills and mobile equipment. Without proper management skills, as well as some knowledge of financial management and income generation, it is very hard for Community Radio to survive without donor funding.

Community Radio is by definition relatively small and often situated in locations where basic services, like a constant supply of electricity, are lacking. Due to these conditions equipment suffers and needs to be vigorously maintained and/or regularly replaced. Absence of a clear regulatory framework in which Community Radio operates.

Eligibility to apply for a Community Radio Station: As per the 2006 policy of the Government, an organisation desirous of operating a Community Radio Station (CRS) must be able to satisfy and adhere to the following principles:

It should be explicitly constituted as a ‘non-profit’ organisation and should have a proven record of at least three years of service to the local community. The Community Radio Station should serve a specific well-defined local community.

The ownership and management structure should be such that it reflects the community which it serves. It should only broadcast programmes that cater to the educational, developmental, social and cultural needs of the community. The organization must be a Legal Entity. it should be registered (under the registration of Societies Act or any other such act relevant to the purpose).

Regarding the content, the two important provisions made are as follows: At least 50% of content shall be generated with the participation of the local community, for which the station has been set up. Programmes should preferably be in the local language and dialect(s).

The CRS license thus given by the government entitled them to operate a 100-watt (Effective Radiated Power) radio station, with a coverage area of approximately a 12-km radius. A maximum antenna height of 30 meters is allowed.