Payments bank
The government owns 100% of the IPPB, which had been set up under the aegis of the department of posts, and would offer products and services though multiple channels such as counter services, micro ATMs, mobile banking app, messages and interactive voice response services.
The IPPB services would be available at 650 branches and 3,250 access points from Saturday but would be quickly scaled to all 1.55 lakh post offices by December 2018. Of these, 1.30 lakh access points would be located in rural areas, taking it to vast untapped market. The IPPB also had permission to link around 17-crore postal savings bank (PSB) accounts with its own set up. “without any compromise on their right to equality”. Religious freedom and equality are both fundamental rights defined in Part III of the Constitution.
In a 2016 verdict, the Supreme Court struck down instant triple talaq, the Muslim practice of divorce, precisely on the ground that it violated women’s right to equality.
“Most countries are now moving towards recognition of difference, and the mere existence of difference does not imply discrimination, but is indicative of a robust democracy,” the commission said.
The commission urged that the legislature should first consider guaranteeing equality within communities, between men and women, rather than equality between communities.
“I am glad the law commission has endorsed my position. I have consistently been arguing that we cannot go for a uniform civil code at one go and the reforms should be piecemeal,” said Faizan Mustafa, vice-chancellor of NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad.
“We need to reform Hindu laws, Muslim laws, Christian laws and Parsi laws etc. Otherwise, there will be a lot of debate and the issue will be hijacked by fanatics of all religions”. Mustafa said “uniformity” in itself was not a “value” and what is needed is more just and gendersensitive laws. Sarnobat (25m women’s pistol) becoming the first Indians to best the rest in their disciplines, and it can be said India has arrived as a sporting nation in Asia.
It has got everyone, from Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to Sachin Tendulkar to India’s 13th president, Pranab Mukherjee, tweeting in praise.
“Proud of our athletes, sportspersons, coaches and supporting crew,” said Union sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. “Their will to fight and win reflects the attitude of millions of young Indians. A young nation is claiming its rightful place. We have created a system that has started delivering. We are now working to strengthen and refine it. Sportspersons are getting an enabling environment and our greatest joy is that they are making full use of it. As the Prime Minister says ‘Khelo aur Khilo’.”
Speaking about Panghal, former India boxing coach and Dronacharya award winner GS Sandhu, said: “He has shown potential. But we need to mould him for Olympics where the level of competition is different from continental bouts.” That is what Kuntal Roy, also a Dronacharya who mentored heptathletes Soma Biswas and Sushmita Singha Roy to medals in Asia, said about Burman, 21, after pointing out that the girl from Jalpaiguri in north Bengal has reached the elite level in the sport. For perspective, consider this: Burman finished first with 6,026 points; this would have placed her at 23rd in Rio.
India’s performance in Guangzhou was the precursor to its best medal haul in the Olympics two years later. So there is reason to look forward to the 2020 Olympics. “This generation is very bright and the basic difference is due to government supports, the TOP scheme of the government and a few NGOs who have come up with good packages for elite athletes. Schemes like Khelo India have helped,” said Anjali Bhagwat, former world No 1 shooter.
That a number of our gold medalists are young — flagbearer Chopra will be 21 in December, Dutee Chand, who took on the international athletics federation and won before breezing to the 100m and 200m silver, is 22, Phogat is 24, we have a group of young shooters who win international medals regularly and badminton stars who are among the world’s best — gives us hope that they will go faster, higher and stronger.