News Analysis India

Tag: Nityanand Rai

  • 680 personnel killed themselves in CAPFs in last six years: MoS Home Nityanand Rai in Rajya Sabha

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A total of 680 personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) like the CRPF and the BSF have committed suicide in the last six years, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the number of personnel who have died due to accidents and encounters during the period — 2015 to 2020 — are 1,764 and 323, respectively.

    According to data provided by the CAPFs and the Assam Rifles, 680 personnel have committed suicides during the last six years, he said replying to a written question. Rai said domestic problems, illness and financial problems could be the contributory factors among others behind the suicides.

  • Citizenship under CAA only after issuance of rules; no more amendments proposed: Government

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Centre said on Wednesday that Indian citizenship to the eligible beneficiaries under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will be given only after rules under the legislation are notified. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai also said there is no proposal under consideration of the government for any further amendment of the Citizenship Act.

    “Eligible persons covered by the Citizenship Amendment Act may submit applications for grant of citizenship after appropriate rules are notified by the central government,” he said in a written reply to a query in Rajya Sabha.

    He was asked whether the government has received new applications for citizenship after the CAA 2019 was enacted. The CAA was notified on December 12, 2019 and came into force with effect from January 10, 2020, the minister said.

    “The Committees on Subordinate Legislation, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been requested to grant further extension of time up to January 9, 2022 to frame the rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019,” Rai said.

    The objective of the CAA is to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities like Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The government got an extension for the fifth time for framing these rules.

    According to the Manual on Parliamentary Work, the rules for any legislation should be framed within six months of presidential assent or an extension of the time must be sought. Those from the mentioned communities who had come to India till December 31, 2014, facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.

    After the CAA was passed by Parliament, widespread protests were witnessed in different parts of the country leading to the death of nearly 100 people in police firing and related violence.

  • No proposal to grant full statehood to Lakshadweep, Parliament told

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: There is no proposal for granting full statehood to the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, the government informed Parliament Wednesday.

    Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said this in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

    He was asked if the government has considered granting full statehood to Lakshadweep and what steps was it taking to increase the participation of the people of Lakshadweep in the democratic process.

    “No such proposal for full statehood for the Union Territory of Lakshadweep is under consideration,” the minister stated.

    Adequate institutional arrangements exist for the expression of the democratic aspirations of the people in thinly populated union territories such as Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, he said.

    “People residing in the UTs elect their Members of Parliament to the Lok Sabha,” Rai stated.

    He further added in his reply that the UTs of Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu also have “a robust two-tier panchayati raj system with village and district panchayat bodies, through which people’s participation in the democratic process is ensured”.

    In Lakshadweep, extensive delegation of powers and functions has been made to the local bodies, he said.

  • Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would be granted after normalcy is restored: Rajya Sabha told

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir would be granted statehood at an “appropriate” time after normalcy is restored there, the government told Parliament on Wednesday.

    Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai stated this in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

    He was replying to a question on whether the government had any proposal to “reinstate” the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir and whether some efforts have been made to end the year-long ban on different means of communication.

    “Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would be granted at an appropriate time after normalcy is restored in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

    “In view of the constitutional changes and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of the Jammu and Kashmir into Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union territory of Ladakh, in national interest and also in the interest of security of J&K, temporary restrictions on various communication channels like internet and mobile services were resorted to in Jammu and Kashmir,” the minister stated.

    Subsequently, the matter “was reviewed from time to time and restrictions imposed were gradually eased out in a phased manner and 4G internet data services were restored in the entire Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir from February 5, he said.

    The Centre had revoked the special status of the erstwhile state that was provided to it under Article 370 and bifurcated it into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in 2019.

  • ‘Install CCTV cameras in all police stations’, Ministry of Home Affairs tells states and UTs

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that it has issued a guideline to all States and Union Territories (UTs) for the installation of CCTV cameras in all police stations.

    Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai shared the inputs in Lok Sabha in a written reply, mentioning that the Supreme Court, in its order dated December 2 last year, gave detailed direction to States and the UTs and Union of India for installation of CCTV cameras in all police stations and offices of central investigation agencies.

    The Minister said that the apex court in its last hearing held on April 6 this year, had directed for the allocation of budget to the central agencies within one month from the date of order and for implementation of complete order within a period of six months from the date of allocation of budgets.

    Rai further said that the central investigation agencies requested on April 13 this year for the allocation of budget and installation of CCTV cameras in their offices within the timeframe given by the apex court. However, he mentioned that States and the UTs have already been impleaded in the case for filing status report on the installation of CCTV cameras in police stations, directly before the Supreme Court.

    As police is a state subject, the information regarding the number of police stations having CCTVs is not maintained at the level of Central government, clarified the Minister, adding “An advisory dated July 8 this year has been issued to state and UT governments for installation of CCTV cameras in all police stations.

    “Although ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects under the 7th Schedule to the Constitution of India, financial assistance for modernisation of State police forces is provided under the scheme of ‘Assistance to States for Modernisation of Police’. Under this scheme, States have been given the flexibility to formulate State Action Plan (SAPs) as per their strategic priorities and requirements.

    It may also be noted that in the light of the order dated December 2 last year of the Supreme Court, the state governments had also been advised to include their requirement of installing CCTV cameras in each and every police station in their proposals for the year 2021-22.

  • Illegal Rohingya migrants pose threat to national security: Modi government tells Lok Sabha

    Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai #39;s written reply came in response to a question by Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) member Ritesh Pandey.