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Dear Reader,
The media in India has long been buffeted by opacity in ownership structures, pressure of revenues, and intimidation of journalists by the those in power. In an unprecedented move, the MediaNama reports, The Press Club of India (PCI) has put out the draft of a ‘Media Transparency And Accountability’ legislation calling for the establishment of a ‘National Media Council’ to address the concerns of the media in India.
The PCI is soliciting inputs from press associations, civil society groups, and digital rights advocates until the end of this month, and plans to present the draft bill and the public feedback to the government.
Three new criminal laws, seeking to overhaul the “colonial era” Indian Penal Code 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, and the Indian Evidence Act 1872, are slated to come into effect from 1st July. The quest to update and bring India’s criminal law and procedures in sync with contemporary times and values have been have been long longed-for. However, there has been anxiety that the legislations seek to expand the powers of the police and facilitate the use of draconian measures without the necessary guard rails.
RTI applications by Article 14 to the Union Home Ministry seeking information about the rationale and the vision behind the provisions of the legislation were stonewalled by the government on grounds, which experts have deemed, specious and “legally untenable”.
The Centre has time and again announced a slew of schemes for health, pensions, self-employment, agriculture, amongst others. They are largely aimed at providing a safety net for citizens at the bottom of the economic pyramid. However, The Reporter’s Collective finds that the schemes tend to lose steam as soon as media and public attention moves on.
A review of the budgetary allocations to 906 central sector schemes that the Union government listed in its budgets over five years finds that “651 of the 906 schemes”, or almost 72 per cent of the schemes, were underfunded. The review further concludes that for one in every five schemes, the government spent half or lower than what it had promised.
The tribals of India have their own indigenous art forms and culture. Pithora paintings created by the Rathwa, Bhil, and Bhilala communities in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are a prime example of this heritage. Main Bhi Bharat reports on this tribal art which is an interplay of ancient, indigenous, as well as later day influences.
For more such stories from the grantees this week, please read on.
Warmly,
Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF
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