WHY NOT CALL ALL-PARTY MEETING TO HEAR FREEBIES ISSUE : SC ASKS

CENTRE

In yet another hearing, the Supreme Court on Wednesday was packed with lawyers and
judges to discuss what can be done to regulate the promise of freebies. Turning to the Centre,
the court asked why it cannot call an all-party meeting to resolve the issue.

Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta replied that such a meeting would be counter-productive now
as various political parties (Congress, AAP, and DMK) have already approached the court.
They have done so to oppose regulating the distribution of freebies.

“There are some political parties who think it is their fundamental right to offer freebies and
have come to power by only offering freebies,” he said.

Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, while hearing this, said that an expert committee may not
be a one-stop solution to iron out the wrinkles.

“The biggest problem is who will head the committee? Ultimately, it is the political parties
that make promises and contest elections, not individuals. Things like freebies, which can
destroy the economy, have to be looked into. So, there needs to be a debate,” he said.

A three-judge Bench, led by Justice DY Chandrachud, is likely to hear this matter from now
on.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the petitioner, suggested that a retired judge of
the Supreme Court be made chairman of the expert committee proposed by the court to
examine the issue.

CJI Ramana, in a lighter vein, said, “A person who has retired or is going to retire has no
value in this country.”

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL),
suggested three things to define freebies. He said freebies that go against Fundamental Rights
are illegal, freebies that violate public policy are illegal and pre-poll freebies six months
before elections are illegal. “It is like bribing the voters,” he said.

Meanwhile, senior advocate Kapil Sibal pointed out that there was one fundamental problem
with the suggestion of political parties disclosing how they are going to pay for their
promises.

He said political parties don’t have access to the financial records of a state before getting
elected. He suggested that the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act 2003
should be implemented and if the deficit exceeded 3 per cent, the Finance Commission could
look into it.

He said the budget allocation to the state found guilty of exceeding the deficit could be
reduced from next year.

The solicitor-general said some political parties were rolling out promises to influence the
voters. “People can be lured. Can you promise the moon to get elected?” he asked.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for AAP, took objection to this
statement.
He said, “Not everyone can fool the public all the time. We had universal adult suffrage even
in 1947 when our literacy rate was around 12 per cent. It is wrong to think that our voters are
gullible,” he said.

On the other hand, senior advocate Arvind P Datar, who had appeared in the Subramaniam
Balaji vs. State of Tamil Nadu case, submitted that this 2013 decision required
reconsideration. It is because the case had set an “erroneous precedent” that an offer made in
an election manifesto cannot be a corrupt practice.
Female pilots no longer a rarity in India, making the country successful when it
comes to diversity in the airline industry

Nivedita Bhasin became the world’s youngest commercial airline captain in 1989, but the
Indian pilot still recalls her early years when other crew would urge her to rush into the
cockpit so passengers wouldn’t get nervous at the sight of a woman flying their plane.

Three decades after Bhasin’s career began, female pilots are no longer a rarity in India,
making the country a success story when it comes to diversity in the airline industry. India
has the highest percentage of female pilots globally, the International Society of Women
Airline Pilots estimates, with about 12.4% of all pilots women, compared with 5.5% in the
US, the world’s largest aviation market, and 4.7% in the UK. 

The statistics raise questions about how a nation, which placed 135th among 146 countries on
the World Economic Forum’s ranking of nations based on gender parity, was able to reverse
the trend in this particular industry. Some answers may offer lessons for other countries and
sectors striving

to get more women into their ranks. Businesses that are more diverse tend to perform better,
and some studies have even shown that female pilots have fewer safety incidents. Hiring
more women could help airlines address the staff shortages that are disrupting travel as the
world emerges from Covid-19 and demand rebounds.

Access for pilot training

Trailblazers like Bhasin say Indian women are being encouraged by a string of factors from
outreach programs to improved corporate policies and strong family support. Many Indian
women were drawn to flying through an air wing of the National Cadet Corps, formed in
1948, a kind of youth program where students are trained to operate microlight aircraft. To
make the expensive commercial pilot training more accessible to women, some state
governments are subsidizing it and companies such as Honda Motor Co. give full
scholarships for an 18-month course at an Indian flying school and help them get jobs. 

“India started recruiting women decades ago into STEM positions, including pilots,” said
Michele Halleran, a professor and director of diversity initiatives at Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University in Florida. “In the U.S., we have only started the demand for a
diversity movement in aviation because of our current drastic pilot and technician shortage.”

The Indian Air Force began recruiting women pilots for helicopters and transport aircraft
back in the 1990s. It wasn’t until this year that they were allowed to take up fighter roles.

ALSO READ: Indian Navy’s all-women crew create history

Airlines devise policies for female talent

Some airlines in India are devising policies to retain female talent. IndiGo, India’s largest
passenger airline, said it offers flexibility to women pilots and crew to continue working
safely, excluding flying duties, during pregnancy. It gives 26 weeks of paid maternity leave
that is required under law and also offers creches for childcare. Women pilots can opt for a
flexible contract with two weeks leave in a calendar month, until a child is 5 years old. 

Vistara offers pregnant pilots and cabin crew the option of temporary jobs on the ground or
administrative roles until they are ready to fly, according to a spokesperson. It also gives paid
maternity leave for six months and reimburses creche fees. 
Some carriers also assign a driver and guard to drop and pick up women flying late at night,
Hana Khan, a commercial pilot with an Indian airline, said. 

Prosaic explanation for success

Many female pilots in India have a more prosaic explanation for their successes: Family
support. India’s familial structure, where extended families often live together and
grandparents and aunts often help raise children or manage households, is particularly helpful
in an industry that demands long hours and regular travel away from home, pilots say. 

“It’s no secret we have the support of parents and it’s a norm to hire staff,” said Zoya
Agarwal, who got international media attention when she flew Air India’s first nonstop flight
from San Fransisco to Bengaluru with an all-women crew last year. “Women like me can fly
to San Fransisco for five days and not think about what’s happening at home. You have that
comfort.”

Benefits of hiring female talent

The absolute numbers of women pilots still tend to be higher in developed countries than in
India because airline markets in places like the US are much larger, with a bigger total staff
of both men and women.

Still, hiring more women can ease a persistent deficit of pilots and airport workers that is
forcing airlines to reduce and cancel flights, threatening to snarl the aggressive revival in
traffic. Boeing Co. estimates that the world will need more than 600,000 new pilots in the
next two decades. 

Some believe the benefits might extend even further, and may already be contributing to
India’s airline safety rankings, which exceed some developed nations. 

Studies on gender differences in accidents

The US had almost five times as many fatal air accidents as India since 1945, while the UK
has had 15 more deadly incidents, according to Aviation Safety Network. 

Some differences in statistics could be the outcome of the US being a larger aviation market
than India as more flights increase the probability of accidents. Even so, many pilots believe
that having a large percentage of women is at the very least helpful to safety. 

A study called Gender Differences In General Aviation Crashes, which assessed airplane and
helicopter crash data between 1983 and 1997, found crash rates for male pilots exceeded that
of women. Women operate aircraft “more safely” accounting for only 3% of accidents even
as they constituted 10% of all US army helicopter pilots, according to Women in Combat
Arms: A Study of the Global War on Terror, which compared the accident rates of men and
female pilots from 2002 to 2013. 

Bolstering diversity has the potential to make air travel safer because women often take a
more measured approach to risk and are therefore involved in fewer accidents than men, said
Halleran, the professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. 

Dedication of women in aviation industry

Kunjal Bhatt, chief flight instructor at Indian flight school Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran
Akademi, said she found women trainees particularly “meticulous” and showing greater
dedication to succeed because the stakes are higher for those who go against the social norms
to pursue this profession. 

Indian women who’ve succeeded in the airline industry are educating girls about aviation.
Harpreet A De Singh, who became the first woman to head an Indian airline when she took
charge of Alliance Air Aviation Ltd. in 2020, conducts outreach programs in schools to raise
awareness about jobs including pilots, technicians and air traffic controllers. 

“Over a period of time this consistent effort all over the country has led to large number of
women choosing a profession some didn’t even know it existed,” Singh said.  

Axel is the first Army dog to get a Mention in Dispatches

Axel, an Army dog, was posthumously honoured with a ‘Mention in Dispatches’ for showing
exemplary courage during several counter terrorism operations.

A Belgian Malinois breed, Axel is the first Army’s assault Dog to get a ‘Mention in
Dispatches’ by President Droupadi Murmu after getting a recommendation from the chiefs of
services to recognise distinguished and meritorious service in operational areas, said Army
officials. The Army stated that Axel’s award would be published in the Gazette of India.
Earlier in 2016, army dog Mansi was given mention in disptches award.

The two year old dog carrying the identity Number 74B7, was deployed for operation in
Wanigam Bala in Jammu and Kashmir as a critical force multiplier for an independent room
intervention task. On July 30, according to the citation, “the Army dog exhibited exemplary
training standards and resolute courage by rushing towards target building entrance exposing
himself to terrorist’s fire. He meticulously followed verbal commands and provided live-relay
of topography of target building and immediate surroundings. He sanitised the outside
veranda, first room and moved tactically the second room”.

On seeing a terrorist holding an AK-47 assault rifle, the canine warrior displayed absolute
strength and aggression, and jumped and attacked him, said the Army. The terrorist shot the
dog on his left shoulder from point blank range. Despite being wounded, the dog again tried
to attack but fell down and got killed in action due to excessive blood loss, the army stated.

“This valiant act revealed information about terrorist’s weapon, disclosed and pinpointed his
location ensuring effective fire by own troops and neutralisation of a dreaded terrorist without
any collateral damage,” read the citation.

His handler also got injured in the operation.

Axel was enrolled in the Army on June 26, 2020. Since December 2021, he had participated
in numerous counter-terrorism operations in J&K including in Operation Rakshak. World
over many armed forces, including the United States, use

the Belgian Malinois breed for special operations. The Indian Army too has trained these
dogs for carrying out surveillance of enclosed areas and jungles through head-mounted
cameras which helps troops to mount action.

The Malinois is one of four breeds of Belgian shepherd dogs. It owes its name to the city of
Malines, in northern Belgium, where it was originally bred.
25/08/2022

TO WHOM SO EVER IT MAY CONCERN

This is to certify that the consignments contains food material and the same is being sent to
our son Mr.N.A.Deepak.

This is not for sales and therefore, does not have any commercial value.

It is certified consignment does not contains any of the illegal of banned materials as per the
law of the country.

D.JAYASREE
Advocate
DURYODHANA’S JEALOUSY

Duryodhana attends the Rajasuya yaga performed by Yudhistara, and when he

sees the grandeur of the proceedings, he is so jealous, that his heart is full of
hatread and sorrow. He expresses his feelings to his uncle Sakuni, said Kidambi
Narayanan, in a discourse. Duryodhana says that he feels like a pond which has
dried up in the summer hear. All joy has dried up in his heart. He has seen
Sisupala being killed by Krishna. He has seen kings bringing precious gifts to
Yudhistara. All that wealth seems unattainable to Duryodhana.

He wonders why he should continue to live. He asks if he should die by

consuming poison. Or perhaps he should jump into a river. How can he obtain
as much wealth as his cousin? He feels without the grace of God, nothing will
happen. At the yaga, he had been so upset that he had wanted to kill
Yudhishthira. But Yudhishthira was unaffected by anything. He was like a lotus
leaf floating on water. He remained above emotional extremes.

Duryodhana, even in the midst of his angry outsbursts, makes one salient
point. He says only Fate will prevail in life. Duryodhana has seen the support
Yudhishthira had from kings and scholars. He feels he has no one on his side.
What then is the purpose of living, he asks his uncle. He also asks him to
convey to Dhritarashtra how miserable his son is. Sakuni says if Fate is kind to
the Pandavas now, it may not be so always. Sakuni counsels Duryodhana and
tells him that the pandavas had been given their share of the kingdom, and
they had expanded their territory. No one can be criticised for making an effort
to succeed. Why should Duryodhana be sorry that they have augmented their
wealth? Duryodhana also has many strengths, and he can use them to his
advantage, instead of constantly thinking about the Pandavas.
What are three qualities a HR head looks for in an applicant, so as to make sure
they will be successful at the workplace?

The answer to you question could be as long as a full list of active companies
Rohan! What the HR head or hiring manager seeks from an applicant is highly
contextual to the enterprise and the role in point. Factors such as enterprise’s
phase of growth, existing leadership style, and market dynamics of the role,
define the qualities managers look for in an applicant.

Often the hiring manager could also differ in expectations based on their
personal context. Hiring managers tend to use themselves as the quickest
frame of reference – how much of themselves they see in a candidate defines
the runway for a hiring decision.

From my experience, the top three commonly considered qualities are the 3Rs
– Relationship, relevance, and resilience. The ability to build, maintain and
enhance relationships are key to the success of any level of experience. While
the interview by itself could be too short an interaction for assessing the
relationship skills, the experience that the applicant creates for the manager in
that short window goes a long way.

An applicant’s natural drive for relevance and staying updated in his or her
field and function is a key quality for sustainable success. Applicants who are
seen making genuine investments and visible efforts towards their expansion
are considered assets to hire. The expression of relevance is one of productive
curiosity and confident articulation of being up to date and on top of
developments in their area of work.

Resilience is seemingly the hardest of the 3Rs to be assessed during an

interview. Experienced interviewers look for clues in the applicant’s past
decisions and reasoning for movements. Clues point to the applicant’s ability
to not just bounce back from difficult situations but also the time taken for
recovery. Resilience is an essential quality for success in the VUCA world of
work.

The 3Rs apart, the point to note is that parameters for success in the
worksplace are transient and they evolve with time and progress. An employee
who is agile enough to go with the flow of shifting expectations is well set on
the pathway to success.