Body shaming, digital abuse punishable under Kerala's new anti-ragging law
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala govt is set to introduce the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging (Amendment) Bill, 2025, overhauling its two-decade-old anti-ragging legislation. This move comes in the wake of the death of J S Siddharthan — a student of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Pookode, Wayanad, at his hostel last February — which highlighted critical loopholes in the existing 1998 Act.
For the first time, the revised bill explicitly defines ragging to include body shaming, psychological harassment, and digital abuse, making them punishable under law. Harassment through internet or any other electronic mode will now be a cognisable offence. The amendment broadens scope of ragging to encompass a wide array of criminal acts, such as abetment, criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, and rioting.
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The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Bills related to abolition of child marriages, regulation of private ambulance, gig workers' welfare to be tabled in Monsoon Session
The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday approved the Karnataka Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2025, to criminalise the engagement of a child (betrothal), which was not punishable earlier. The Bill envisages stringent action against those involved in a child's betrothal and marriage. Under the law, all legislators, leaders, and elders involved in a child's engagement and marriage would be punished, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil told reporters after the Cabinet meeting on Thursday. Among other decisions, it was decided that the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Bill, 2025, would be brought in to regulate private ambulance service providers. The Bill will be tabled in the Monsoon Session of the legislature. The Bill also envisages registration of mobile health clinics run by private medical institutions. Gig workers' Bill The Karnataka Platform Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2025, will also tabled during the session. It would replace an Ordinance promulgated to create a welfare fund for platform-based gig workers and place obligations on aggregators. The government had taken the Ordinance route to implement the welfare provisions. The Cabinet cleared the Bill in April, 2025, but it took the Ordinance route since the State legislature was not in session. It emphasises the rights of gig workers, proposes a welfare fee of 1% to 5% of the payout to the worker during each transaction. All such fees received would go to the welfare fund for the workers. It is estimated that there are 2.3 lakh gig workers in Karnataka. It was decided to upgrade the Allipura Gram Panchayat as a town panchayat in Chickballapur district. The Sulekere tank in Maddur taluk in Mandya will be developed at a cost of ₹47.75 crore, Mr. Patil said. The Cabinet approved ₹52 crore for developing right and left bank canals of Madaga-Masur tank in Rattihalli taluk Haveri district. A sum of ₹74 crore was approved for implementing the scheme to lift water from Nagamangala Branch Canal near Muddanahally to fill 18 tanks in Hirisave hobli of Channarayapatna Taluk for drinking water purposes. The Cabinet approved ₹880.68 crore for the purchase of medicines and other medical requirements of public health hospitals/utilities in Karnataka. A total of 46 prisoners serving life sentence would be prematurely released from prisons in the State. The life convicts would be released on humanitarian grounds as a goodwill conduct, Mr. Patil said. For Sanketh Trust The Cabinet permitted Sanketh Trust, a non-profit trust established in 1992, to pay 10% of the annual contract value for the site measuring 1350.5 square meters. The trust administers Ranga Shankara, with Arundhathi Nag as its managing trustee.
The Print
an hour ago
- The Print
Congress MP's private member's bill on rehabilitation of Kashmir Pandits cleared for consideration by RS
Two days ago, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat wrote to Tankha that the President has recommended the consideration of the bill, clearing the decks for a discussion on it, before it is passed. To be sure, only 14 private members' bills have been passed and enacted into law so far, the last one being in 1970. Tankha, elected to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh, said the bill, introduced in the Upper House in February 2024, needed a recommendation from the President of India—under Article 117(3) of the Constitution—to be taken up for consideration as it carries financial implications. New Delhi: Congress MP Vivek Tankha's private member's bill, which among other things seeks the restoration of temples connected with Kashmiri Pandits who were driven out of the Valley in 1990, can now be taken up for consideration in the Rajya Sabha with it having cleared a Constitutional requirement. 'For the first time in Parliament, a private member bill titled 'Kashmiri Pandits (Recourse, Restitution, Rehabilitation and Resettlement) Bill, 2022' has been recommended by the Hon'ble President for consideration in the house, subject to time constraint. 'If discussed and approved, this can be a turning point in the fight for justice for Kashmiri Pandits. It's a big achievement as very few bills with financial implications get recommended by the Hon'ble President under clause (3) of Article 117 of the Constitution,' Tankha wrote on X Wednesday, attaching a screenshot of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat communique. The Kashmiri Pandits (Recourse, Restitution, Rehabilitation and Resettlement) Act, 2022 also envisages grant of minority status to Kashmiri Pandits and declaration of members of the community as victims of genocide. When contacted, Tankha told ThePrint that he had first introduced the Bill in 2022. 'With my term ending in 2022, the Bill also lapsed. I introduced a fresh Bill again in my second term,' he said. Upon its enactment into a law, the Bill also proposes the release of a white paper 'documenting all events in the Kashmir valley pertaining to the atrocities and plight of the Kashmiri Pandits starting from the year 1988 till the enactment of this Act.' For the first time in Parliament, a private member bill titled "Kashmiri Pandits (Recourse, Restitution, Rehabilitation and Resettlement) Bill, 2022" has been recommeded by the Hon'ble President for consideration in the house, subject to time constraint. .1/2 — Vivek Tankha (@VTankha) July 23, 2025 The bill has a separate section dealing with the restoration of temples and other heritage sites in the Valley. It says a committee comprising archaeologists, historians among others shall be authorised to appoint a Special Officer who will be armed with the power to seek documents from the government for 'conducting the survey of the religious sites' and 'shall have the same powers as are vested in a Civil Court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1973.' Under clause 3 of Article 11 of the Constitution, a proposed legislation that entails 'expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India shall not be passed by either House of Parliament unless the President has recommended to that House the consideration of the Bill.' 'In case the President withholds recommendation for introduction, the Bill cannot be introduced and if the recommendation is withheld under article 117(3) for consideration, the House cannot consider the Bill,' state the rules. A former Parliament official said that just because the bill now meets the Article 117(3) requirement does not guarantee that it will be taken up for discussion anytime soon as there is a draw of lots for that purpose. According to Parliament records, of over 2,000 private member's bills introduced since 1952, only 14 have become laws. These 14 bills include the Muslim Wakf Bill, 1952; The Hindu Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 1956; The Supreme Court (Enlargement of Criminal Appellate Jurisdiction) Bill 1970. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: Kashmiri Pandits are reviving old hometown temples. 'It's how we will return'
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Karnataka decides to levy 1% fire cess on newly constructed multi-storey buildings
The State Cabinet on Thursday decided to levy 1% fire cess to the property tax of newly constructed multi-storey buildings in Karnataka. The Chief Minister had announced in the 2024-25 Budget speech that 'according to the Karnataka Fire Force Act, 1964, to increase efficiency in the Fire and Emergency Department, 1% fire cess will be levied to the property tax of multi-storey buildings which will be newly constructed in the State.' The Karnataka Fire Force (Amendment) Bill, 2025, will be tabled in the Monsoon Session of the State legislature that would commence on August 11, to introduce the new fire cess. To enhance the efficiency of the Fire and Emergency Services Department, Section (15) of the Karnataka Fire Force Act, 1964, would be amended to levy 1% fire cess along with the property tax on multi-storey buildings which would be newly constructed in the State, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K, Patil told reporters.
