National
SC reserves verdict on plea to criminalise sex in child marriage
New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict on a plea challenging the provision of the Indian Penal Code that exempts a person from being charged with rape for having sex with his wife in child marriage — even if she is below the age of 18 years but above 15 years.
The bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta reserved the order as the central government told the court that despite the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006, by and large the child marriage was an “inescapable factum” in the Indian society, though the practice was on the wane.
Despite the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, being implemented with full force, senior counsel Rana Mukherjee told the court that the government had tried to strike a balance between the law prohibiting child marriage and the social reality of the prevailing practice.
Appearing for the Centre, Mukherjee told the court that even though the marriage between the age of 15 and 18 years is deprecated, it would not fall foul of Sections 375 and 376 that carved out exemption, leaving out the husband of a minor wife from being charged with rape.
As the senior counsel urged the court to leave it to Parliament as to when and how the legal sanctity of child marriages would go, the court wondered when that time would come and added that more than 70 years have passed since India became independent.
The petitioner NGO Independent Thought has described the exception under Section 375 of the IPC as being discriminatory and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution that guarantees equality before law.
The NGO has contended that the said exception was also not in consonance with other statues, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.
–IANS
pk/nir/vt
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.