National
See if new notes can be issued to help visually impaired: HC
New Delhi, Dec 6 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday suggested to the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India to examine the issuance of new Rs 50 currency notes for the benefit of visually impaired persons.
The court told the central government and the RBI to reconsider the issue by getting views from visually impaired persons and experts and to submit its view on the matter at the January 31 hearing.
“Even we have found that it is difficult for the visually impaired persons to identify the currency denomination due to change in size of certain notes,” the court observed.
The authorities should be “inclusive to the needs of the visually impaired”, it added.
Public Interest Litigations were filed by three lawyers, a Company Secretary and NGO All India Confederation of Blind, who sought issuance of new Rs 50 notes with specific identification mark to help visually impaired persons identify them by feeling them with their hands.
“It is very difficult for the visually impaired to identify the new notes. This act of the respondents violates their constitutional right,” petitioner advocate Rohit Dandriyal told the court.
The petitioner said old Rs 50 notes had a square intaglio print that could be felt by hand and helped the visually impaired to identify the denomination, but the new notes had no such identification marks.
The RBI has kept a special feature in intaglio on all notes, except Rs 10 note. This feature is in different shapes for notes of various denominations. For Rs 20, it is a vertical rectangle, for old Rs 50 note, it is a square, and a triangle or circle for Rs 100 notes.
The new Rs 50 notes don’t have features helpful for the visually impaired, like other banknotes of Rs 2,000, Rs 500, Rs 200 and Rs 100, the petition said.
The High Court had earlier declined to stay the printing and circulation of the new Rs 50 notes, issued on August 18.
–IANS
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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.