SC says accessibility for disabled persons is a human and a fundamental right. File
| Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

The Supreme Court has confirmed that disabled persons’ right to access environments, services and opportunities is an essential human and fundamental right which has hardly been realised on the ground.

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, in a judgment on November 8, quoted that disability was a tragedy only if society failed to provide the differently abled with things essential to lead their lives.

The court recorded that while Delhi had 3,775 low floor wheelchair-accessible CNG buses for public transport, Tamil Nadu had only 1,917 such buses. In Mumbai, while newer facilities like Andheri Metro Station met accessibility standards, older buildings such as the Bombay Art Gallery did not offer even basic features like accessible restrooms for persons with disabilities.

The Supreme Court said the society does not even bother to enquire into the ‘right to relationships’ of persons with disabilities. “The emotional and relational challenges faced by PWDs, particularly regarding access to love, desire, and intimacy… Emotional needs, such as privacy and self-pleasure, are often overlooked, leaving disabled individuals, especially those living with families, without private spaces to express these needs,” said Chief Justice Chandrachud.

The judgment is based on a report submitted by the Centre for Disability Studies, NALSAR University of Law. The study assessed the situation on the ground and had recommended steps to ensure compliance with accessibility standards for PWDs.

The court found that aspects of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules prescribing accessibility standards were not even mandatory by nature, leading to their “dismal” compliance at the ground level. The judgment directed the government to issue fresh Rules with mandatory standards for accessibility within the next three months.

“Accessibility is not merely a convenience, but a fundamental requirement for enabling individuals, particularly those with disabilities, to exercise their rights fully and equally… Accessibility is an integral part of life equality, freedom, and human dignity… Accessibility was not a standalone right. It is an essential prerequisite for PWDs to exercise other rights meaningfully,” Chief Justice Chandrachud underscored.

The court said disability is not inherent in the person, but is created by external factors such as physical, organisational, and attitudinal barriers. It drew the government’s attention to the “social model of disability” concept, which holds that the focus must be on removing societal barriers rather than “fixing” individuals.

Chief Justice Chandrachud observed that the right to accessibility of persons with disabilities must be an inherent factor of societal consciousness instead of an afterthought.

The court asked the government to enable the creation of public and private spaces, services and products of an “universal design” which could be accessed by everyone, regardless of their ability, age, or status.

“Inclusion should be integrated into the design process from the very beginning, rather than as an afterthought… When introducing any new service, product, or feature – whether physical or functional – accessibility must be considered at the inception stage. It is far more efficient to integrate accessibility from the start than to make adjustments later,” Chief Justice Chandrachud pointed out.

Moscow summoned a Canadian diplomat to rebut Western claims that Russia orchestrated a campaign to mail explosive packages to addresses in NATO countries, including Canada.

After a series of fires at DHL depots in Britain and Germany this summer, Russia was accused of shipping explosive parcels via commercial airliners.a

Enumerators collecting details during the second phase of the comprehensive socio-economic, employment, political and caste survey in Hyderabad on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

Many residents in the city are apprehensive about the household survey being undertaken by the State government for the assessment of social, financial, education, employment, political and caste status of the population.

On the first day of the actual survey on November 9 (Saturday), which began after three days of door-to-door visits and affixing of stickers by officials, several people refused to share full details regarding their status on the said parameters.

For a few, the questions appeared too intrusive, while a few others expressed their anger towards the government for taking up a fresh survey. “It has become more like a referendum about the government rather than a caste census. Several people questioned the outcome of the ‘Praja Palana’ applications, to accept which a large scale drive was conducted soon after the Congress government came to power,” an official monitoring the census shared under the condition of anonymity.

A large number of households had applied for food security cards during Praja Palana programme, as no fresh applications had been entertained during the previous decade. With instructions issued to officials to accept the applications for the cards, it was largely assumed that a ration card drive would be conducted soon, which is yet to happen.

Video clips of enumerators lamenting how the people were venting their anger at them over non-fulfilment of promises by the Congress (pertaining to housing, gas cylinders and financial assistance to women) made rounds on social media platforms. Many felt that the census is reminiscent of a previous survey carried out by the BRS government, the data of which has not been shared till now.

“The Congress could have dug up the previous survey data and shared it in public domain. What is the point of a fresh survey when all these details had been already shared?” questioned N. Bhikshapathi, a resident of Seetaphalmandi.

A few others found the survey to be a breach of privacy, as it enquired about the specific caste, and also about property details, apart from the Aadhaar number.

“How could I be sure of the identity of the enumerators? They are not showing any identity proof nor any letter from the government authorising them to carry out the survey. At a time when scammers don’t spare an opportunity to beguile the innocent, I cannot take such risk. I will refuse to share details,” said P.Venkat, a resident of Sripuram Colony in Malakpet.

Even the veracity of the details shared may not be verified, several others felt.

Operations by the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) against lake encroachment, and the demolitions in the name of Musi river development had their own impact.

“The government should have taken up an extensive awareness campaign before initiating the survey. Many residents here associate the census with the demolition drives the government had done previously, hence are worried,” said Syed Bilal, a resident of Shankar Nagar in Chaderghat.

Meanwhile, a team of officials, including principal secretaries Sandeep Kumar Sultania and Burra Venkatesham; GHMC Additional Commissioner Sneha Shabarish; and Hyderabad Collector Anudeep Durishetty, visited Governor Jishnu Dev Varma and collected the details of his family members. Mr. Durishetty and Ms. Shabarish also visited Minister Ponnam Prabhakar’s residence and collected his details.

People walk amid the debris after a bomb blast at a railway station in Quetta, Pakistan, on November 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
Reuters

At least 27 people, including 14 security forces, were killed and 62 others injured on Saturday (November 9, 2024) in a suicide bombing at a railway station in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, officials said.

The explosion ripped through the railway station of the provincial capital Quetta as passengers gathered on the platform before the departure of the Jaffar Express, scheduled to depart for Peshawar at 9:00 a.m. There were around 100 people on the platform when the blast occurred.

“So far, we have received 27 bodies and at least 62 people are injured, with some in critical condition,” said Dr. Wasim Baig of the Quetta Trauma Centre.

Dr. Arbab Kamran Kasi, Managing Director of the Trauma Centre, warned that the death toll may increase since several wounded individuals, aged 20 to 50, remain in critical condition.

Quetta Division Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat said it was a suicide attack targeting security forces and civilians were also hit badly.

“There are around 14 members of the law enforcement agencies among the dead and dozens more among the wounded,” he said.

A woman walks amid the debris after a bomb blast at a railway station in Quetta, Pakistan November 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
Reuters

The suicide bomber had entered the station with luggage, Shafqaat said, adding that was difficult to stop a person coming with an intention to carry out a suicide attack.

Earlier, SSP Operations Muhammad Baloch had also said that initial findings point to a possible suicide bombing.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), an ethnic Baloch separatist group designated as a terrorist organisation, has claimed responsibility for the attack. The BLA alleges that the federal government exploits Balochistan’s resources while neglecting the province’s development. However, the federal government dismisses these allegations and claims that foreign powers are manipulating disgruntled elements to perpetrate sabotage.

“All bus stations, public spots have been put on high alert and gatherings discouraged,” Shafqaat said.

Balochistan Inspector General of Police (IG) Moazzam Ansari said early investigations suggest the terrorists “targeted personnel from the Army Infantry School”.

Rescue and law enforcement teams responded immediately, securing the area and transporting the injured and deceased to Civil Hospital Quetta, according to the provincial government spokesperson Shahid Rind.

An emergency was declared at the hospital where additional medical staff was summoned to deal with the injured.

The blast, which also damaged the platform’s roof, was heard far and wide in various areas of the city.

BLA has stepped up attacks in the restive Balochistan province in recent months. Saturday’s suicide bombing comes a week after a blast near a girl’s school and a hospital in Balochistan’s Mastung district killed eight people, including five children.

The terror group has also been targeting Chinese nationals working in the province and in Karachi. Last month a suicide bombing near the Karachi airport killed two Chinese engineers.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the attack, terming it as “a horrific act targeting innocent civilians”, and ordered an immediate investigation.

He said that terrorists are increasingly aiming civilians, labourers, women, and children, and vowed that those responsible would be pursued relentlessly.

Pakistan, particularly the Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, has seen a sharp uptick in terrorism-related incidents over the past year.

According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), the third quarter of the ongoing year witnessed a 90 per cent surge in violence in Pakistan, the Geo News reported.

With a total of 722 people being killed, including civilians, security personnel, and outlaws, while 615 others were wounded in as many as 328 incidents recorded during the period under review, 97% of these fatalities occurred in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

Over 92% of these incidents of terror attacks and security forces’ operations were recorded in the same provinces.

The total fatalities from three quarters of this year have now surpassed the total fatalities recorded for the entire 2023; the number of fatalities rose to at least 1534 in the first three quarters compared to 1523 in 2023, the report said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz walks after holding a press conference during an informal EU Summit in Budapest, Hungary, November 8, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

About two thirds of German voters want snap elections as soon as possible after this week’s collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s ruling coalition, a poll showed on Friday (November 8, 2024).

Europe’s biggest economy was hurled into political turmoil when Scholz’s three-party alliance imploded after months of infighting on Wednesday (November 6, 2024), the day Donald Trump won the United States presidential election.

Centre-left leader Mr. Scholz has vowed to cling on in a minority government for now, and to ask for a confidence vote in mid-January that is likely to lead to snap elections in March.

But the conservative opposition CDU and all other major parties have demanded Mr. Scholz immediately pave the way for new elections — a position shared by a majority of the electorate, according to a poll published Friday.

Some 65% of German voters are in favour of prompt new elections, while just 33% support Scholz’s timeline, according to the survey for public broadcaster ARD.

Germany’s motley coalition between the Social Democrats (SPD), the left-leaning Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) had become deeply unpopular in the run-up to the crash after months of bitter infighting.

Around 59% of respondents to the poll said they were happy about the end of the so-called “traffic light” coalition, named for the colours of the three parties.

The popular Bild daily on Friday (November 8, 2024) called for Mr. Scholz to “clear the way” for a new government.

“You, Mr Scholz, have tried and failed,” Bild editor Marion Horn wrote. “Let us voters reassign the mandate of power… as quickly as possible.”

Campaign mode

The crisis, centred on discord over economic and fiscal policy, came to a head when Scholz sacked his rebellious finance minister Christian Lindner from the FDP, ousting the smallest party from the coalition.

The move leaves the SPD and the Greens ruling in a precarious minority government at a time when Germany is facing multiple domestic and international crises.

Mr. Scholz is counting on the support of the conservative opposition CDU-CSU alliance to help pass a flurry of laws through parliament before Christmas.

Rohingya refugees gather near a fence during a government organized media tour, to a no-man’s land between Myanmar and Bangladesh, near Taungpyolatyar village, Maung Daw, northern Rakhine State, Myanmar. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Myanmar’s Rakhine state, home to the Rohingya minority and engulfed in conflict between government forces and a powerful ethnic group, could face an imminent acute famine, the United Nations development agency warned in a new report.

The U.N. Development Program said in the report issued on Thursday (November 7, 2024) that “a perfect storm is brewing” which has put western Rakhine “on the precipice of an unprecedented disaster.”

It pointed to a chain of interlinked developments including restrictions on goods from elsewhere in Myanmar and neighboring Bangladesh, the absence of income for residents, hyperinflation, significantly reduced food production, and a lack of essential services and social safety net.

As a result, UNDP said, “an already highly vulnerable population may be on the brink of collapse in the coming months.”

Buddhist-majority Myanmar has long considered the Rohingya Muslim minority to be “Bengalis” from Bangladesh even though their families have lived in the country for generations. Nearly all have been denied citizenship since 1982.

In August 2017, attacks by a Rohingya insurgent group on Myanmar security personnel triggered a brutal campaign by the military which drove at least 740,000 Rohingya to Bangladesh. The military is accused of mass rape, killings and burning thousands of homes.

Since Myanmar’s military seized power in 2021 from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, pro-democracy guerillas and ethnic minority armed forces have been attempting to oust the military from power.

Last November, the Arakan Army, which is seeking autonomy from Myanmar’s central government, began an offensive against the military in Rakhine and has gained control of more than half of its townships. The Arakan Army, which is the well-armed wing of the Rakhine ethnic minority movement, is also a member of the armed ethnic group alliance trying to topple the military.

The UNDP report said that based on data the agency collected in 2023 and 2024, “Rakhine’s economy has stopped functioning, with critical sectors such as trade, agriculture, and construction nearly at a standstill.”

With domestic and international markets no longer accessible because of blockades, UNDP said people’s incomes are collapsing because they can’t export goods, and that agricultural jobs are disappearing for the same reason.

In addition, it said, imports of cement have stopped, leading to “an exorbitant price increase” and shutting down the construction industry, a major employer.

The report, titled “Rakhine: A Famine in the Making,” said, “Rakhine could face acute famine imminently.”

“Predictions indicate that domestic food production will only cover 20% of its needs by March-April 2025,” UNDP said.

“Internal rice production is plummeting due to a lack of seeds, fertilizers, severe weather conditions, a steep rise in the number of internally displaced people who can longer engage in cultivation, and escalating conflict,” the U.N. agency said. “This, along with the near-total cessation of internal and external trade, will leave over 2 million people at risk of starvation.”

UNDP called for immediate action to allow goods and humanitarian aid into Rakhine, enable unimpeded access for aid workers and ensure their safety, and urgently provide financial resources to enable the agricultural sector to recover.

“Without urgent action, 95% of the population will regress into survival mode, left to fend for themselves amid a drastic reduction in domestic production, skyrocketing prices, widespread unemployment, and heightened insecurity,” UNDP warned.

“With trade routes closed and severe restrictions on aid, Rakhine risks becoming a fully isolated zone of deep human suffering,” the U.N. agency said.

Security personnel during an encounter with terrorists at Sagipora area of Sopore in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district on November 8, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

An unidentified terrorist was killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Sopore area of Jammu and Kashmir‘s Baramulla district on Saturday (November 9, 2024), officials said.

“Acting on a specific input regarding the presence of #terrorists in Rampora #Sopore area of #Baramulla, a joint anti-terrorist operation was launched by Police and security forces. During the search operation, an exchange of fire took place,” Kashmir Zone Police posted on X.

It said the details of the operation were awaited. However, a senior police officer on the condition of anonymity said one terrorist has been killed in the operation.

“The identity and group affiliation of the slain ultra is being ascertained,” he added.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with his supporters at a Congress election rally in Sanudur Assembly constituency on Saturday.
| Photo Credit:

A day after The Hindureported on the John Michael D’Cunha commission report, which recommended criminal prosecution of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and former Health Minister B. Sriramulu over alleged irregularities in the procurement of 3 lakh PPE kits from China in April 2020, at the height of the pandemic, a political slugfest broke out between the ruling and Opposition party leaders.

While Mr. Yediyurappa and Mr. Sriramulu termed the commission’s report “politically motivated”, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he would take a call on the issue after considering the opinion of the Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar looking into the commission report.

It led to heated debates, particularly in the campaign rallies in byelection-bound Sandur in Ballari district, from where Mr. Sriramulu hails, and where Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Yediyurappa were campaigning on Saturday.

‘Cong. scared of defeat’

Mr. Yediyurappa said, “There was no scam during my tenure as Chief Minister. Everything was done well within the legal framework. We will not be scared by such tactics and we are ready to face any inquiry. The report is politically motivated.” He said it only indicated that the Congress was “scared of defeat” in the byelections. Mr. Sriramulu said he worked hard for the people during tough times and the allegations were unfounded. JD(S) State president and Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy also said the commission’s recommendation was “politically motivated”.

BJP leaders B.S. Yediyurappa, G. Janardhana Reddy, and B. Sriramulu campaigning in Sanudur Assembly constituency on Saturday.
| Photo Credit:

Responding to this later in the day, the Chief Minister said, “These allegations are not made by us, but by a retired High Court judge who probed these allegations. Does Mr. Yediyurappa have any respect for the judiciary and the laws of the land?”

Multiple Congress Ministers joined in the attack. Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Priyank Kharge said the report only confirmed what many suspected, that “the BJP government in Karnataka profited during COVID while people lost their lives for the government’s apathy”. In a social media post, he also questioned why local suppliers were overlooked and kits imported from China. He questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi as to how a Chief Minister of a State got approvals for imports without the Central government’s consent.

Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dinesh Gundu Rao said the commission had recommended recovery of crores of money paid to companies for procuring equipment and medicines at higher prices than those prevailing in the market. He said a separate team of officials would be formed to look into these recommendations after the byelections.

In defence of BSY

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok alleged the Congress government in the State was indulging in “vendetta politics” and defended Mr. Yediyurappa. He said in this particular instance, it was not the Chief Minister who selected the suppliers. “Officials selected suppliers who could deliver PPE kits at the earliest. The Chief Minister has only gone with their advice in a time of emergency,” he said.  BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra said, “The D’Cunha report seems to be a report of assumptions and presumptions.”

‘More people died because of BJP’s corruption than of virus’

Mr. Siddaramaiah, campaigning in Sandur, told media persons that the D’Cunha report only vindicated their allegations during the pandemic. “We had said that the BJP government was busy making money out of people’s misery. The Hindu has reported some excerpts of it… I have not read the commission’s full report yet. But I can say this is only the tip of the iceberg,” he said.

“As per an estimate, the corruption was to the tune of ₹10,000 crore to ₹15,000 crore. Whatever might be the data given by the then government about the number of deaths during COVID-19, in our opinion, the number of deaths exceeded 50,000. Had the government taken preventive measures and given medicines, the number of deaths wouldn’t have been so much. More people died because of BJP’s corruption than of coronavirus,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.

Afghan women wait to receive food rations distributed by a humanitarian aid group, in Kabul, Afghanistan. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Women in Afghanistan are not forbidden from speaking to each other, the Taliban government’s Morality Ministry said on Saturday (November 9, 2024), denying recent media reports of a ban.

Afghan media based outside the country and international outlets have in recent weeks reported a ban on women hearing other women’s voices, based on an audio recording of the head of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV), Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, about rules of prayer.

PVPV spokesman Saiful Islam Khyber said the reports were “brainless” and “illogical”, in a voice recording confirmed by AFP.

“A woman can talk to another woman, women need to interact with one another in society, women do have their needs,” he said.

Also Read: How will the morality law hit Afghan women?

He added, however, that there were exceptions according to Islamic law, such as those described by Hanafi that women should use hand gestures instead of raising their voices to communicate with other women while praying.

Women in Afghanistan are barred from singing or reciting poetry aloud in public, according to a recent “vice and virtue” law detailing sweeping codes of behaviour, including that women’s voices should be “concealed” along with their bodies when outside their homes.

Women’s voices have also been banned from television and radio broadcasts in some provinces.

The law codified many rules the Taliban government has imposed based on their strict interpretation of Islamic law since they came to power in 2021, with women bearing the brunt of restrictions the United Nations has called “gender apartheid”.

The Taliban authorities have banned education after secondary school for girls and women, also barring them from various jobs as well as parks and other public places.

The Taliban government has said all Afghan citizens’ rights are guaranteed under Islamic law.

U.S. President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump. File
| Photo Credit: AP

U.S. President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump will meet on Wednesday (November 13, 2024) at the White House on Mr. Biden’s invitation, a White House spokesperson said on Saturday (November 9, 2024).

A statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump would meet in the Oval Office at 11 a.m. at the outgoing President’s invitation.

Mr. Trump will take office on January 20, 2025 after defeating current Vice-President Kamala Harris in the November 5 presidential election.

Such a postelection meeting is traditional between the outgoing President and the incoming President.

But Mr. Trump, a Republican, did not host Mr. Biden, a Democrat, for such a meeting after Mr. Trump lost the election in 2020.