Discriminatory mentality towards girl child should change: PM Modi

GANDHINAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said protecting girl child is everyone’s “social, national and human responsibility”, and urged women sarpanchs to play an important role in preventing female foeticides.

The Prime Minister also said discriminatory mentality towards a girl child needs to change. He was addressing a national convention of women sarpanchs on the occasion of International Woman’s Day here.

“A lot needs to be done in the country towards ‘beti bachao, beti padhao’ (save and educate girl child). At least in the villages where the sarpanch is a woman, we should have no cases of female foeticide. If a sarpanch decides to create awareness, she can achieve that,” he said.

“Against every 1,000 men, there are 800, 850, 900 women (in different states). If such an imbalance is created in society, how will it progress? It is society’s responsibility, and women sarpanch can possibly be more successful in changing the social mindset,” he said at Swachh Shakti 2017 pro- gramme held at Mahatma Mandir here.

“Women sarpanch can probably be more successful in protecting girl child and foetus. Women have proven their capability. They have turned divine whatever opportunity they have got. Therefore, ‘beti bachao’ is our social, national, human responsibility,” he said.

Modi said the discriminatory mentality towards daughters should change, as it impedes society’s progress.

“The discriminatory mentality has to be fought and changed with determination. Change is happening. Our daughters won Olympic gold medals and made us proud. In Board exams, only girls are seen on top of the list,” he said. NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to release funds for fencing India-bangladesh border to check cross-border influx of illegal Bangladesh nationals into Assam, saying the task has to be completed soon.

A bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R F Nariman perused the Centre’s status report on the progress made in the works relating to securing and fencing the international border and said the Madhukar Gupta committee would “oversee and supervise” it.

“Without going into the merits of the submissions, we are of the view that the task of border fencing and physical manning of the border (where fencing could not be done) has to undertaken and concluded,” the bench said.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) P S Patwalia, appearing for the Centre, said some tenders have been finalised and work orders issued to successful bidders to undertake the exercise of border fencing.

He also apprised the court that in some cases, the process of re-tendering have been initiated and effort was on to acquire land.

Assam government has sought Rs 2.96 crore for acquiring land to be used for creating infrastructure to secure the border, Patwalia said.

On the issue of releasing funds, the ASG said the Expenditure and Finance Committee would meet on March 10 to decide the issue, which would be attended by the Home Secretary also.

The apex court also made clear that the updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to identify original residents of Assam would continue under state coordinator Prateek Hajela, who said the task was tedious and taking time.

“We are making it very, very clear (to the state) that whatever manpower they (Hajela committee) want, has to be given. We want this work to be done quickly,” the bench said and posted the matter for further hearing on April 19.

It was hearing the pleas of Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha, Assam Public Works and All Assam Ahom Association filed in the aftermath of large-scale riots in 2012 and 2014 resulting in the death of a large number of persons.