DATABASE OF PEOPLE WITH ARMS LICENCE BY 2019

NEW DELHI: From April 2019, names of all arms licence holders - new or old - will be included in a national database and they will be issued a unique identification number (UIN), according to the home ministry. The move is aimed at keeping a tab on authorised private gun holders, many of whom are often found involved in crimes and celebratory firing leading to loss of lives. Every licensing and renewing authority will have to enter the data in the National Database of Arms Licenses system, which will generate a UIN, the ministry said in a notification.

7year jail for branding anyone a witch in Assam

GUWAHATI: In Assam, branding someone a witch will now attract a seven-year jail term. Three years after it was passed by the state assembly in 2015, the Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Bill is now an Act. A gazette notification to this effect was issued by the state government following the nod by President Ramnath Kovind on July 13. As per the new law, identifying and calling a person a witch will attract a jail term of up to seven years and up to ₹5 lakh fine. The victim, meanwhile, is entitled to compensation by the government.

Word ‘Asha’ dropped from condoms following protest

BHOPAL: The struggle of Asha workers for the last two years to get the words ‘Asha’ printed on condom packets deleted has finally yielded a result as new packets won’t have the word, officials of the health department confirmed. Accredited Social Health Activists workers had been protesting the National Rural Health Mission’s decision to print Asha on condom packets distributed as part of the programme to promote family planning.

Retired CJ may be in panel probing Manipur varsity row

NEW DELHI: The human resource development ministry is considering including a retired chief justice from Manipur to the fact-finding committee constituted by the Manipur University to probe charges against its vice-chancellor. This comes a day after chief minister N Biren Singh met HRD minister Prakash Javadekar. People familiar with the development said talks are also on to persuade vice-chancellor Adya Prasad Pandey to go on leave.

UGC asks universities to implement quota directive

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission on Monday asked all state, central and deemed-to-be universities to implement the Supreme Court’s directives on reservation in promotions for employees belonging to the