Social jurist moves Delhi HC

Seeking 2 Years Pre-Primary classes in all schools

A camera view of a classroom : Courtesy photo

Social Jurist, A Civil Rights Group through Advocate Ashok Agarwal has today filed a PIL in Delhi High Court seeking directions against the Government of Delhi, and Local Bodies to start 2 years of Pre-Primary (Pre-primary & Pre-school) Classes in their formal schools from the academic year 2012-13 and no child of 3+ age in Pre-school and 4+ age in Pre-primary class is denied admission. The petition states that in terms of Section 11 of RTE Act, 2009, the respondents are obliged to start 2 years of Pre-Primary (Pre-primary & Pre-school) Classes in all their formal schools where children of 3+ in Pre-school. The PIL is likely to come up for hearing next week.
Ashok Agarwal, Advocate
M-09811101923
10 May 2012          

“Atharva Veda- Prithvi Sukta” released

The Vice President, Shri Mohd. Hamid Ansari releasing the book entitled “Atharva Veda- Prithvi Sukta”, a collection of poems, written by the Secretary, Rajya Sabha, Shri Naresh Chandra Joshi, in New Delhi on May 10, 2012. The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Shri Arun Jaitley and the Minister of State for Planning, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Ashwani Kumar are also seen.   {PIB photo}      10-May-2012

Meeting with PM

The Minister for Foreign Affairs & Minister for Law of the Republic of Singapore, Mr. K. Shanmugam calling on the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, in New Delhi on May 10, 2012. {PIB photo}10-May-2012

A letter from Barack Obama

Same-sex couples should be allowed to marry
Friend --
Today, I was asked a direct question and gave a direct answer:

I believe that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.

I hope you'll take a moment to watch the conversation, consider it, and weigh in yourself on behalf of marriage equality:

http://my.barackobama.com/Marriage

I've always believed that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally. I was reluctant to use the term marriage because of the very powerful traditions it evokes. And I thought civil union laws that conferred legal rights upon gay and lesbian couples were a solution.

But over the course of several years I've talked to friends and family about this. I've thought about members of my staff in long-term, committed, same-sex relationships who are raising kids together. Through our efforts to end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, I've gotten to know some of the gay and lesbian troops who are serving our country with honor and distinction.

What I've come to realize is that for loving, same-sex couples, the denial of marriage equality means that, in their eyes and the eyes of their children, they are still considered less than full citizens.

Even at my own dinner table, when I look at Sasha and Malia, who have friends whose parents are same-sex couples, I know it wouldn't dawn on them that their friends' parents should be treated differently.

So I decided it was time to affirm my personal belief that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.

I respect the beliefs of others, and the right of religious institutions to act in accordance with their own doctrines. But I believe that in the eyes of the law, all Americans should be treated equally. And where states enact same-sex marriage, no federal act should invalidate them.

If you agree, you can stand up with me here.

Thank you,

Barack

A letter from Barack Obama

National Workshop

The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests, Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan releasing the India’s Second National Communication to the UNFCCC, at the National Workshop on India’s National Communication – Future Challenges, organised by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, in New Delhi on May 09, 2012.  {PIB photo}  09-May-2012

09-May-2012

The School of Media and Cultural Studies invites you

Screening of a series of five final films
The film screenings by the Class of 2012 will be followed by an interaction and discussion with the filmmakers.
Date: May 8, 2012
Time: 10 am to 1 pm
Venue: Library Conference Hall, TISS Main Campus, Opp Deonar bus depot
ENTRY IS FREE AND OPEN TO ALL
The details of the films follow.
BREAKIN’ MUMBAI
2012, 33 Mins, Hindi with English Subtitles
A film by Aakriti Kohli, Sandeep Kr. Singh, Shweta Ghosh, Gin Khan Siam and Sumit Singh.
Gani, a 21-year old, has done many things for a living: bag-making, embroidery work and working at a call
centre.18-year old Aman studies in school. He loves eating mangoes and chenna-murgi. He sketches and
plays cricket. The two have very little in common, but there is one thing that binds them- Breaking, a dance form that started back in the 70s in the Bronx, New York. Since then, it has grown popular across countries and has moulded itself to fit into specific cultures.
This film looks at what it means to be a breaker in Mumbai, how breaking becomes a site of expression of
subaltern youth cultures and what it means to win and lose battles. Through the personal lives of Gani, Aman and their friends, the film tries to understand the dynamics of  breaking, and explores questions of space and the avenues for leisure in Mumbai.
NISWAN-E-MUMBRA
The Women of Mumbra
2012, 21 mins., Hindustani with English Subtitles
A film by Shazia Nigar, Sharib Ali and Ufaque Paikar

The riots of 1992-93 changed the spatial character of the city of Mumbai.While some Muslims left the city out of choice others were forced to leave in search of security. It was in this context that Mumbra, a Muslim ghetto, was established. Niswa-E-Mumbra is a film that explores the lives of Muslim women in Mumbra, through two central characters. Shireen Kamal Dehlvi is a journalist working with an Urdu daily. With her stories of struggle she brings to life what it means not just be Muslim but also a woman in contemporary times.

Kausar is an activist working with a women's organisation called Awaaz-E-Niswan. Through her working on women she throws light on the present infrastructural problems in Mumbra and the struggles they pose for women. The film dwells on questions which attempts to answer weather the life of a Muslim woman is any different from that of other women.
BHARATMATA KI JAI
The story of a single-screen theatre in Mumbai's mill country
2012, 28 minutes, Hindi, Marathi and English with English subtitles
A Film by Avadhoot Khanolkar, Amol Ranjan, Anurag Mazumdar, Arpita Chakraborthy and Shweta Radhakrishnan

At the heart of Mumbai’s mill country, Lalbaug-Parel, stands Bharatmata Cinema, one of the remaining single screen theatres that plays only Marathi films. The theatre is an iconic reminder of a colourful working class culture which is now on the decline in Mumbai. Through the narratives of Kapil Bhopatkar, the owner, and Baban, one of the oldest employees of the theatre, the film explores the history and development of Bharatmata as a space for articulating the cultural identity of Mumbai’s working class and ponders on its existence and survival. The characters, though from widely disparate socio-economic classes, come together in their passionate love for cinema and their celebration of the main character in the film, Bharatmata Cinema itself.
A HOME HERE
2012, 23 mins, English with subtitles
A Film by Vikram Buragohain, Kaikho Paphro, Joyashree Sarma, Daisy Leivon, Abhishek Yadav

From the echoing hills of the North east to a bustling city of Mumbai by the sea, the film is about the people who have made this journey in search of better life. But does the journey end here?

Amidst the changes and negotiations, the search for familiar faces and flavours of food lead them all to Kalina. In the film, a musician, an entrepreneur, a researcher, a homemaker and a martial art trainer, reflect on their lived experiences and the efforts to recreate their homes and maintain their identity in the city.
The film explores Kalina as a space and the elements of food and music which link them to their homeland and its memories.
TAMASHA- A RUSTIC DRAMA
30 min, Marathi with English subtitles
A Film By Devendra Ghorpade, Manoj Bhandare, Prakash Sao and Raju Hittalamani

This is a film on the performing artists of Tamasha and the changing facets of art form itself. Women have been an integral part of Tamasha contributing on and off stage. Their lives and struggles are a result of the interplay between social constructions, the changing location and form of Tamasha. Kanthabai Satarkar is a veteran Tamashgir. With her first performance at the age of nine, she grew as an artist to manage one of the biggest Tamasha troupes in Maharashtra. With over six decades of experience, her life bears witness to the journey of Tamasha and lives of those associated with it.

Manpreet Singh Badal announces party set-up

*Birdavinder appointed Chief Spokesman
*Bhagwant Mann will be YPP President

 Chandigarh: People’s Party of Punjab president  S. Manpreet Singh Badal has today announced his Party’s set-up. At the State level S.Birdavinder Singh Ex-Deputy Speaker Punjab  has been appointed Chief spokesman , Sh. Bhagwant Maan has been appointed President of the YPP ( Youth People’s Party)  while S. Yadwinder Singh Bhutter and S.Davinderjit Singh Dhose will be Vice-President of YPP.  Ex Senior additional advocate general Sh. S.S.Bhinder will head Legal Wing and Sh. Kuldeedp Singh Dhose will be President of the Kissan Wing.  Mrs. Ranjit Kaur Bhatti will head the Women Wing of the Party. In a press statement issued today by the Party’s Press Secretary S. Arunjot Singh Sodhi, Dr. Navjot Singh Dahiya has been made President of the Medico Wing and S. Nirmaljeet Singh Nimma, Ex-MLA is the head of SC/ST Wing. Sh. Sitar Bhatti will head Minorities’ Wing and Col. Surjeet Singh Firochechi will be President of Ex-Servicemen Wing. S. Amanpreet Singh Chhina will head NRI Wing and Sh. Vibhor Garg will be the President of the Parwassi Mazdoor Wing. Sh. Satpal Adampur, IRS (Retd.) will be the President of Retired Officers &Employees Wing of the Party.  
According to press statement S. Manmohan Singh Gumtala will be District president of Shri Amritsar Sahib , Kulwant Singh Lohgarh Barnala, Sukhdev Singh Chahal Bathinda, Pardeep Singh Sibiya Faridhkot, Jagmeet Singh Sahota ‘Bawa’ Fatehgarh Sahib,Sukhpreet Singh Randhawa Fazilka, Jai Jeet Singh Johal Ferozpur, Hardyal Singh Gajnipur Gurdaspur, Bhupinder Singh Pappu Azrram Hoshiarpur,Dr Navjot Singh Dahiya Jallandhar Urban, Baba Rajinder Singh Johal Jallandhar Rural,Kuldeep Singh Cheema Kapurthala, Er. Jagdeep Singh Jagraon Ludhiana Rural, Munish Gupta Ludhiana Urban, Dr Ranider Singh Bhana Moga,Jagjit Singh Honey Fattanwala Mukatsar, Dr Jaspal Singh Bhinder Pathankot, Avtar Singh Harpalpur Patiala Rural, Joga Singh Chaparr Patiala Urban, Balwant Singh Gill Ropar, Harmanjit Singh Dicky Sangrur and Vijaypal Chaudhary will be district president of Shri Tarn Taran Sahib.District presidents of Mohali , Mansa & SBS Nagar will be announced later. First meeting of all State and District presidents will be on 10th May at Chandigarh said Sodhi.