India, as we know, is a land of diversity and culture which as per the mythological readings, places a high status on women by considering them as a reincarnation of a Goddess. They are also regarded as a savior of customs, traditions and beliefs which can be evidently seen in the case when a mother passes on moral education and learnings to the next generation. But, are we really abiding and upholding the value system imbibed in us by the scriptures that dictate major portions and events of our lives?

This dog-eat-dog world that we live in, is full of obstacles with a continuum of issues disturbing the peace of everyone and/or disrupting social order (Crowell, 2013). At such a point, discussions pertaining to deviance and crime arise. Society is predominantly known for its ever evolving and adapting nature alongside the passage of time. Owing to this dynamic nature, the values and beliefs held also go through a makeshift change from time to time. When people fail to adapt to these changes, the problem arises. Terms like deviance and crime are often considered to be highly subjective and vary from the viewpoint of one society to another.

Deviance can be explained as any behavior or act that departs from social norms. In other words, that which goes against the values, norms or beliefs held by the society in question; while crime, on the other hand, is any action which violates the law of the land (Siegel, 2006). Both, deviance and crime, to a considerable extent serve as a mirror of the society as it exemplifies the thought processes and frameworks in which that society is constructed (Coomber, Donnermeyer, McElrath, & Scott, 2014).

Every crime constitutes a victim as well as a perpetrator. We are often surrounded by instances where a female victim has been subjected to a ruthless male offender; which is also supported by statistical data records. However, it does not negate the fact that females too can commit crimes. It can be factually seen that serious offences like murder are usually committed by men, whereas minor crimes like substance abuse or cheating can be committed by both men and women, alike. The degree, intensity and extent of violence severely differs in men and women (epg pathshala, n.d.). There are various disciplines which have made a conscious effort to understand female criminality, better, namely: criminology, psychology and sociology among others.

Prominent criminologists namely, Cesare Lombroso and William Ferrero authored, “The Female Offender”, 1895, which gives a deep insight about female criminality, in general. As stated in the book, they suggested that women are more likely to display the characteristics of an occasional criminal (Bhosle, 2009). Lombroso viewed the born female criminal have the criminal qualities of men and the worst ones of women; however, in India, criminality amongst women is attempted to understand as a result of social and economic scarcity as opposed to, certain biological throwbacks (Mili & Cherian, 2015). Freda Adler, in her book, “The Rise of the New Female Criminals”, 1975, attempts to explain the involvement of women in crimes against property by emphasizing on the masculinity behavior of females. The masculinization theory did however, receive criticisms owing to their male-centrism ideology of understanding female criminality (Islam, Banarjee, & Khatun, 2014).

From a psychological perspective, female offenders are known to be devoid of emotional stability and more prone to insecurity, rejection and frustration. Unbearable living conditions, societal pressure, stress, family concerns, financial dependence, social status, etc. may compel women to subdue their inner most feelings and emotions, which may possibly be negatively channelized into unpredictable anger, which in certain cases may result in violence, too (Mili & Cherian, 2015). This can be theoretically backed up by the works of Meda-Chesney Lind in her book, “The Female Offender”, 1986 where she elaborately explains the marginalization theory. This theory states that the victimization or marginality (lower class position; low income; inadequate job; harassment by family) of a woman may provoke her to commit a crime in the modern society (Islam, Banarjee, & Khatun, 2014). Discussing psychological matters in India, is not well looked upon, aggravating the issue further.

Besides, a range of social factors may also influence our understanding of female criminality in India. Some of them being: inequality, poverty, lack of education, gender discrimination, strained relations with spouse or family, denial of basic needs of life or social oppression may also serve as motivating factors (Pattanaik & Mishra, 2001).

The supposed association between poverty and female criminality has been adequately emphasized in certain judicial judgements like: in the case of Shreerangyee v. State of Madras 1972, the accused was a hardworking but unfortunate woman who was deserted by her husband. She had five children and was unable to support them due to lack of adequate earning. Her financial position further worsened when her youngest child was diagnosed with a severe illness and the doctor demanded for money for the treatment. She tried to raise the funds, but in vain. Having exhausted all the legitimate means to earn a living, she, in exasperation, killed all her five children by drowning them and then herself jumped into the well. She was, however, rescued and convicted, under Section 302 IPC for killing her children. The Court in this case also ruled out poverty as an excuse for the murder of innocent children and attempt to suicide (Ghosh, n.d.).

Among the different types of crime committed by women, the one gaining tremendous amount of attention is that of false accusations, i.e. wrongly accusing a person to have committed a crime. If an individual is correctly accused of an offense, it serves them right to face the consequences that follow its path; however the flip side of it lies in cases where a person is falsely accused of a wrongdoing, that results in a huge toll on their reputation, putting them through a severe emotional turmoil and can also negatively impact their personal as well as professional lives.

This could be in the case of dowry, rape, molestation, casting couch, harassment, domestic violence or even cheating. This issue can be considered as an essential one to deal with, by criminologists as such women tend to take undue advantage of the law that strives to protect them, in totality. These nature of events have been noticed in more or less all sectors, be it household, corporate workplace, educational institutions or the media industry. A practical instance in support of the statements mentioned above, is in the form of Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. The section was introduced in the year 1983, with special regard to the increasing cruelty (use of verbal and/or physical abuse) towards married women on the hands of the husband and/or his family members and providing them with the requisite legal protection. However, over the years, with rising cases of this section being misused, the Supreme Court observed that it was being used as weapons rather than a shield by disgruntled wives. (Ray, 2018).

There are a number of cases that have circulated like wild fire featuring women who have falsely accused men on many grounds. One such case being that of Nisha Sharma and Munish Dalal in May, 2003 in Noida. Nisha had accused her to-be-groom and his family of demanding a sum of Rs. 12 lakh as dowry and a car; post which, Munish, his mother and paternal aunt were arrested, on the grounds of dowry harassment. They were unfortunately made to visit the Court for hearings, nearly 320 times and after a 10 year long ordeal, were finally acquitted from the false allegations made by the complainant (Vashishtha, 2012).

Such cases do being along with them a series of problems for the wrongly accused member or members of a family: loss of existing job, difficulty in finding a new one, immense stigma and labels attached, loss of respect within the community, psychological concerns: loss of appetite, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and in extreme cases also end their lives in the aftermath of these baseless accusations. The excessive misuse of the anti-dowry law to threaten the groom and his family, has compelled the Supreme Court to term such conduct as “legal terrorism”.

As of August 23, 2015, Jasleen Kaur, a student of St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi, accused a man, Sarvjeet Singh, for passing lewd comments and molesting her, while she was volunteering to control the traffic at a nearby signal. The former’s post on her Facebook handle, caused a lot of stir resulting in the arrest of Singh. Within no time, Kaur became popular and was praised by both the common masses as well as those in authority, for her courageous stand. Soon, the tables turned and on questioning, an eyewitness validated Sarvjeet’s innocence and testified against Jasleen for misbehaving and abusing the man (Surendran, 2016).

An infamous case that sadly did not reach the masses was that of a 22 year old Aman Baisla, based in Delhi, in October 2020. He committed suicide, as he was threatened with false allegation of rape. He posted a live video on Facebook and Instagram to explain how a girl had taken about 12.5 lakhs and when he asked to return, she threatened him of false rape charges and asked for more money instead. This shocking incident caused outrage among the public, however, no media aired this on any news channels.

As a criminologist, it is significant to consider all prospects and more importantly, acknowledge the contribution of social media in shaping society’s perception about a case. The most recent example being that on March 9, 2021 of the Zomato delivery man, named Kamaraj and a girl, named Hitesha Chandranee, who is a Bengaluru-based content creator and model.

Please read concluding on thedailyguardian.com

She resorted to Instagram and posted a video accusing the delivery in-charge of physical assault, insult and criminal intimidation. In a series of investigation, it was concluded she had falsely accused Kamaraj and an FIR was filed against her, under Section 355, 504 and 506 of the IPC (Jagran News Desk, 2021).

The media landscape, be it in the form of print, audio-visual, or even digital for that matter, is in a state of constant flux. Media is often regarded as the fourth pillar of democracy and can play a significant role in creating awareness of the laws and the consequences of filing fake cases against the innocent who is accused. They can considerably help in combating this menace by bringing to light, the cases of people involved in such acts, improve literacy among the masses, in this specific arena and in turn, open space for a stream like investigative journalism, to flourish, as well.

All in all, tackling cases of false accusations is undoubtedly the need of the hour which can be substantiated by the rising number of cases in India. This increasing hazard, which can harm society’s fabric and abuse of law for different purposes, needs to be regulated early. It becomes highly crucial to identify, rectify and moreover, spread awareness about this matter so as to not punish an innocent person. The idea that policy recommendations may be focused on inaccurate data does also present a challenge, since such data could contribute to needless or mistaken criminal justice changes (Rawat Rani & Maharshi, 2020). It is high time that we tackle this issue effectively, because in the course of these false claims, the genuine victims may have a hard time trying to seek justice.

References:

Bhosle, S. (2009). Female Crime in India and Theoretical Perspectives of Crime. Kalpaz Publications. Retrieved March 2021, from https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Female_Crime_in_India_and_Theoretical_Pe/v22H2izsiHUC?hl=en&gbpv=0

Coomber, R., Donnermeyer, J. F., McElrath, K., & Scott, J. (2014). Key Concepts in Crime and Society. SAGE Publications. Retrieved March 2021, from https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Key_Concepts_in_Crime_and_Society/6JXgBQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=key+concepts+in+crime+and+society&printsec=frontcover

Crowell, E. L. (2013, March). Sociological Theories of Deviance: Definitions and Theoretical Perspectives. Retrieved March 2021, from www.study.com: https://study.com/academy/lesson/sociological-theories-of-deviance-definitions-and-theoretical-perspectives.html

epg pathshala. (n.d.). Gender related crime. Retrieved March 2021, from www.epgp.inflibnet.ac.in: https://epgp.inflibnet.ac.in/Home/ViewSubject?catid=1608

Ghosh, P. (n.d.). Essay on ‘Criticism of Konger’s Theory’. Retrieved March 2021, from www.shareyouressays.com: https://www.shareyouressays.com/essays/essay-on-criticism-of-kongers-theory-1816-words/121488

Jagran News Desk. (2021, March). Zomato delivery boy Kamaraj files case against Hitesha Chandranee for false accusation. Retrieved March 2021, from www.english.jagran.com: https://english.jagran.com/india/zomato-delivery-boy-kamaraj-files-case-against-bengaluru-woman-hitesha-chandranee-for-false-accusation-10024516#:~:text=The%20alleged%20incident%20happened%20on,punching%20her%20on%20the%20nose.

Mili, P., & Cherian, N. S. (2015). Female Criminality in India: Prevalence, Causes and Preventive Measures. International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences, 12. Retrieved March 2021, from https://www.sascv.org/ijcjs/pdfs/milietalijcjs2015vol10issue1.pdf

Pattanaik, J. K., & Mishra, N. N. (2001, September). Social Change and Female Criminality in India. Retrieved March 2021, from www.researchgate.net: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258185546_Social_change_and_female_criminality_in_India

Rawat Rani, A., & Maharshi, D. A. (2020). A Study on Rising Amount of Fake Rape Cases in India. PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/ Egyptology. Retrieved March 2021, from https://www.archives.palarch.nl/index.php/jae/article/download/5923/5893

Siegel, L. J. (2006). Criminology- Theories, Patterns and Typologies (Ninth ed.). Thomson Wadsworth. Retrieved from https://books.google.co.in/books?id=umgEFec4U4YC&pg=PR1&dq=criminology+by+larry+j+siegel+ninth+edition&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjNjcX-hLTpAhXVxzgGHY4tCPMQ6AEIMDAB#v=onepage&q=criminology%20by%20larry%20j%20siegel%20ninth%20edition&f=false

Islam, M. J., Banarjee, S., & Khatun, N. (2014). Theories of Female Criminality: A Criminological Analysis. International Journal of Criminology and Sociological Theory. Retrieved March 2021, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334113027_Theories_of_Female_Criminality_A_criminological_analysis

Ray, K. A. (2018, October). Section 498A Of IPC: A Weapon Or A Shield? – Supreme Court Of India. Retrieved April 2021, from www.mondaq.com: https://www.mondaq.com/india/crime/743068/section-498a-of-ipc-a-weapon-or-a-shield-supreme-court-of-india

Surendran, V. (2016, November). Remember Jasleen Kaur case? Accused Sarvjeet Singh talks about how false complaints ruin men’s lives in India. Retrieved April 2021, from www.indiatoday.in: https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/jasleen-kaur-sarvjeet-singh-kundan-srivastava-false-accusation-354200-2016-11-27

In the Union Budget 2021-22, presented on 1 February 2020, the Finance Minister announced an outlay of Rs 1.97 lakh crore for the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes for 13 key sectors, to create national manufacturing champions and generate employment opportunities for the country’s youth. This means that minimum production in India as a result of PLI Schemes is expected to be over $ 500 billion in five years.

PLI Schemes are a cornerstone of the Government’s push for achieving an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. The objective is to make domestic manufacturing globally competitive and to create global Champions in manufacturing. The strategy behind scheme is to offer companies incentives on incremental sales from products manufactured in India, over the base year. They have been specifically designed to boost domestic manufacturing in sunrise and strategic sectors, curb cheaper imports and reduce import bills, improve cost competitiveness of domestically manufactured goods, and enhance domestic capacity and exports.

The first three PLI Schemes were approved earlier in March, 2020 and these were followed by another 10 New PLI Schemes in November, 2020. Of these, the previous three Schemes have been notified, and six of the ten New Schemes have also been approved by the Cabinet as below:

i. Electronic/Technology Products – MeitY (notified on 3 March 2021)

ii. Pharmaceuticals drugs – D/o Pharmaceuticals (notified on 3 March 2021)

iii. Telecom & Networking Products – D/o Telecommunications (notified on 24 Feb 2021)

iv. Food Products – Ministry of Food Processing Industries

v. White Goods (ACs & LED) – DPIIT

vi. High Efficiency Solar PV Modules – MNRE

Another four Schemes are in process of obtaining Cabinet approval as below:

i. Automobiles & Auto Components – D/o Heavy Industry

ii. Advance Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery – D/o Heavy Industry

iii. Textile Products: MMF segment and technical textiles – M/o Textiles

iv. Specialty Steel – M/o Steel

It is to be noted that of the previously notified 3 PLI Schemes, the update on their implementation is as below:

• MeitY: Mobile Manufacturing and Specified Electronic Components –

16 applications worth Rs. 35,541 crore under this scheme have been approved.

• D/o Pharmaceuticals : Critical Key Starting materials/Drug Intermediaries and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients – 47 applications with committed investment of Rs. 5,400 crore have finally been approved.

• D/o Pharmaceuticals: Manufacturing of Medical Devices – 14 applications are approved with committed investment of Rs. 873.93 crore

I. Status of Previously Notified PLI Schemes (3) is given below:

A. MeitY – Mobile Manufacturing and Specified Electronic Components

i. Major achievements in PLI being implemented: The scheme extends an incentive of 4% to 6% on incremental sales for a period of five years subsequent to the base year. The scheme was notified on 01.04.2020; last date for application was 31.07.2020 and the scheme commenced on 01.08.2020. The scheme has received a very encouraging response.16 applicationswere approved under the first round of the scheme (5 companies under Global Champions Category, 5 companies under Domestic Champions Category and 6 companies under the Electronic Components category) with an incentive outlay of Rs 36,440 crore. As per the Quarterly Review Reports for the quarter ending December 2020, in the first 5 months of scheme operation and despite challenging times, the applicant companies have produced goods worth Rs 35,000 crore and invested Rs 1,300 crore under the scheme. Additional employment generation during this period stands at around 22,000 jobs.

After the success of the First Round of PLI Scheme, the Second Round of PLI Scheme has been launched on 11.03.2021, which focuses on building a vibrant and robust electronic component manufacturing ecosystem. The last date for application was 31.03.2021. Under the Second Round, incentive of 5% to 3% shall be extended on incremental sales (over base year, i.e., 2019-20) of goods manufactured in India and covered under the target segment, to eligible companies, for a period of four years. Applications received under the Second Round of PLI Scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing are in the process of appraisal.

ii. Response of major industry leaders for products: The approved companies under the PLI Scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing include Samsung, Foxconn Hon Hai, Rising Star, Wistron and Pegatron. Out of these, 3 companies namely Foxconn Hon Hai, Wistron and Pegatron are contract manufacturers for Apple iPhones. Apple (37%) and Samsung (22%) together account for nearly 60% of global sales revenue of mobile phones and this scheme is expected to increase their manufacturing base manifold in the country. Indian companies including Lava, Bhagwati (Micromax), Padget Electronics, UTL Neolyncs and Optiemus Electronics were approved under the scheme. These companies are expected to expand their manufacturing operations in a significant manner and grow into national champion companies in mobile phone production.

iii. What kind of value addition will be brought in by the PLI- new types of industries, encouragement to MSMEs/ancillarisation, etc: The PLI Scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing also focuses on building a vibrant and robust electronic components manufacturing ecosystem. This step will further strengthen product manufacturing in India for multiple sectors such as IT Hardware, LED Products, Automotive, Medical Devices, Solar Cells, Energy Storage, etc. for which other PLI Schemes are going to be implemented.

iv. Expected outcomes in terms of increase in investment, production, exports and employment: Over the next five years, the Scheme is expected to lead to a total production of about INR 10.5 lakh crore. More than 60% of production is expected to be exported. The scheme is also expected to bring in additional investment of INR 11,000 crore. Value addition is expected to go up from 20-25% presently to 35-40% by 2025. The scheme will generate approximately 2 lakh direct employment opportunities in next 5 years along with creation of additional indirect employment of nearly 3 times the direct employment.

B. D/o Pharmaceuticals – Critical Key Starting Materials (KSMs)/ Drug Intermediates And Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)

i. Major achievements in PLI being implemented: With an objective to attain self-reliance and reduce import dependence in these critical Bulk Drugs – Key Starting Materials/ Drug Intermediates and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients in the country, the Department of Pharmaceuticals had launched a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for promotion of their domestic manufacturing by setting up greenfield plants with minimum domestic value addition in four different Target Segments (In Two Fermentation based  – at least  90% and in the Two Chemical Synthesis based – at least 70% ) totaling 41 products with a total outlay of Rs. 6,940 cr. for the period 2020-21 to 2029-30.

ii. Response of Industry Leaders: In the PLI Scheme for Bulk Drugs, the major successful players/ participants include M/s. Aurbindo Pharma Group, M/s. Hetero Group, M/s. Karnataka Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals Limited, M/s. Kinvan Pvt. Ltd, M/s. Natural Biogenex Private Limited, etc. These include global players with strong presence in advanced markets.

iii. Expected outcomes in terms of increase in investment, production, exports and employment: In total 215 applications have been received for the 36 products spread across the 4 Target Segments for the PLI schemes for Bulk Drugs from all over the country. Out of these, 47 applications have been approved by the Government, with a total Committed Investment of Rs. 5,366.35; Maximum Incentive proposed for disbursement: Rs. 6,000 crore and Expected Employment Generation of about 12140.

C. D/o Pharmaceuticals – Manufacturing Of Medical Devices

i. Major achievements in PLI being implemented: With an objective to boost domestic manufacturing, attract large investment in Medical Device Sector, the Department of Pharmaceuticals had launched a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Promotion of Domestic Manufacturing of Medical Devices to ensure a level playing field for the domestic manufacturers of medical devices with a total financial outlay of Rs.3,420 cr. for the period 2020-21 to 2027-28.

ii. Response of Industry Leaders: In the PLI Scheme for Medical Devices, the major successful players/ participants include M/s. Siemens Healthcare Private Limited, M/s. Wipro GE healthcare Private Limited, M/s BPL Medical Technologies Private limited, M/s Nipro India Corporation Private Limited, M/s. Sahajanand Medical Technologies Private Limited, M/s. Integris Health Private Limited, M/s. Poly Medicure Limited, etc.

iii. Expected outcomes in terms of increase in investment, production, exports and employment: In total 28 applications have been received spread across the 4 Target Segments for the PLI schemes for Medical Devices from all over the country. Out of these, 14 applications have been approved by the Government, with a total Committed Investment of Rs.873.93 crore; Maximum Incentive proposed for disbursement: Rs.1,694 crore and Expected Employment Generation of about 4212.

II. Status of recently approved PLI Schemes (6) is given below:

A. DPIIT – White Goods (ACs & LED)

i. Major achievements in PLI being implemented: The PLI Scheme for White Goods shall extend an incentive of 4% to 6% on incremental sales of goods manufactured in India for a period of five years to companies engaged in manufacturing of Air Conditioners and LED Lights. PLI Scheme is designed to create complete component ecosystem in India and make India an integral part of the global supply chains. The scheme will be instrumental in making manufacturing in India globally competitive by removing sectoral disabilities, creating economies of scale and ensuring efficiencies. The scheme is expected to attract global investments, generate large scale employment opportunities and enhance exports substantially. It will also lead to investments in innovation and research and development and upgradation of technology. The Scheme is expected to be instrumental in achieving growth rates that are much higher than existing ones for AC and LED industries, develop complete component eco-systems in India and create global champions manufacturing in India. A number of global and domestic companies, including a number of MSMEs are likely to benefit from the Scheme.

ii. Response of the major Industry leaders for products under PLI: The Scheme has been prepared in consultation with relevant stakeholders such as manufacturers of Air Conditioners and LED Lights Manufacturers and related Industry Associations and they are looking forward to the scheme being launched.

iii. How to undertake global reach: Promotion of the scheme overseas specifically targeted at identified global majors in relevant fields by Project Development Cell (PDC) of DPIIT, in coordination with Invest India. This would also include disseminating mailers to the Embassies of India in home countries of identified global majors in ACs and LED Lights industry. This would be followed by Workshops/ Webinars by CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, RAMA, CEAMA and ELCOMA for raising awareness about the scheme.

iv. Value addition bought in by the PLI: As per the Industry, the Value addition for AC Industry will increase from current level of 20-25% to 75% and for LED Lights Industry from 40% to 70-75%; This would also result in starting manufacturing of components or sub-assemblies which are not manufactured in India presently

v. Outcome of the Scheme: It is estimated that over the period of five years, the PLI Scheme will lead to: – incremental investment of Rs. 7,920 crore; incremental Production worth Rs. 1,68,000 crore; exports worth Rs 64,400 crore ; earn direct and indirect revenues of Rs 49,300 crore and ; create additional four lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities.

B.MNRE – High Efficiency Solar PV Modules

i. Major achievements in PLI being implemented by Department/Ministry: Presently, solar capacity addition in the country depends largely upon imported solar PV cells and modules as the domestic manufacturing industry has limited operational capacities of solar PV cells and modules. Major achievement of this PLI Scheme for High Efficiency Solar PV Modules is the likely reduction of import dependence in a strategic sector like electricity.

ii. Response of major industry leaders for products under PLI: Industry stakeholders, consulted at the preparation stage of this Scheme, have shown overwhelming response, and are willing to set-up large, vertically integrated manufacturing capacities which will help to achieve economies of scale, thereby becoming globally competitive.

iii. How to undertake global reach: In order to undertake global reach of this Scheme, MNRE will again interact with global industry leaders, write to various solar manufacturer’s associations, as well as requesting the various Indian embassies abroad to inform the potential investors in their respective countries.

iv. What kind of value addition will be brought in by the PLI – new types of industries, encouragement to MSMEs/ancillarisation etc.: Manufacturers will be incentivized for higher efficiencies of solar PV modules and also for sourcing their material from the domestic market. Thus, the PLI Scheme will help not only in setting up of domestic manufacturing capacities in upstream stages of solar PV manufacturing, like poly silicon and wafers which are presently absent in the country, but is likely to augment the entire solar PV manufacturing ecosystem, including boost toancillary units and MSMEs.

v. Expected outcomes in terms of increase in investment, production, exports and employment: The outcomes/ benefits expected from the scheme are – Additional 10,000 MW capacity of integrated solar PV manufacturing plants.; Direct investment of around 17,200 crore in setting up solar PV manufacturing projects; Direct employment of about 30,000 and Indirect employment of about 1,20,000 persons; Import substitution of around 17,500 crore every year; Demand of 17,500 crore over 5 years for ‘Balance of Materials’ such as, Solar Glass, EVA, Backsheet, Junction Box, Ribbon etc. will lead to development of new types of industries where MSMEs will play a major role; Provide impetus to Research & Development to achieve higher efficiency in solar PV modules.

C.MoFPI – Food Products

i. Major achievements in PLI being implemented by Department/Ministry: Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry was approved by the Cabinet on 31.3.2021 for implementation during 2021-22 to 2026-27 with an outlay of Rs 10,900 crore. The scheme is essentially meant for Indian companies and subsidiaries of MNCs operating in India with minimum sales of food products manufactured in India. The scheme will encourage investment in four food segments viz. Ready to Cook/ Ready to Eat (RTC/RTE) including millet based foods, Processed Fruits & Vegetables, Marine Products, Mozzarella Cheese. The objective of the scheme is to support creation of global food manufacturing champions; support Indian brands of value-added food products in the international markets; increase employment opportunities for off-farm jobs and ensuring remunerative prices of farm produce and higher income to farmers.

ii. Response of major industry leaders for products under PLI: The scheme has been well received by the Industry including Nestle, ITC, Britannia, Keventer Agro, and Amul.

iii. How to undertake global reach: Companies would be reached out through Indian Missions abroad. Industry Associations would be supporting to organise Webinar to attract potential investors to avail opportunities under PLIS.

iv. What kind of value addition will be brought in by the PLI – new types of industries, encouragement to MSMEs/ancillarisation etc.: As the incentive is based on sales, subject to minimum investment, higher value addition is inbuilt in the scheme. Further, product specific incentive is extended for value added Marine products viz. Canned, Battered & breaded, Pickles, Sausages etc. Role of contract Manufacturing has been recognized under the scheme and the scheme provides for Investment criteria to be met by the food majors and their contract manufacturers jointly. These products are extended 10% incentives for all the six years of scheme duration. Small and medium enterprises (SME), in the four segments will also be supported for manufacture innovative and organic products. This segment has been earmarked an outlay of Rs. 250 crore. The scheme envisages for holistic development of the sector.

v. Expected outcomes in terms of increase in investment, production, exports and employment: The outcomes/ benefits expected from the scheme are – Expansion of food processing capacity: Rs 33,494 crore; Exports: Rs 27,816 crore; Generation of employment: 2.5 lakh persons.

D. D/o TELECOM – Telecom & Networking Products (Notified)

➢ i. Major achievements in PLI being implemented by DoT: Department of Telecommunications has notified the PLI Scheme for Telecom and Networking products on 24th February 2021 with financial outlay of Rs. 12,195 Crores, over five years for Telecom and Networking Products. PLI Scheme in Telecom and Networking Products will make India a global hub of manufacturing telecom equipment including Core Transmission Equipment, 4G/5GNext Generation Radio Access Network and Wireless Equipment, Access & Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), Internet of Things (IoT) Access Devices, Other Wireless Equipment and Enterprise equipment like Switches, Routers etc.

The investor will be incentivized for incremental sales up to 20 times the committed investment enabling them to reach global scales and utilize their unused capacity and ramp up production. The core component of this Scheme is to offset the huge import of telecom equipment worth more than Rs. 50 thousand crores and reinforce it with “Made in India” products both for domestic markets and exports. The target is to Make India a preferred global manufacturing destination for telecom products and making India a net exporter of telecom and networking products.

➢ ii. Response of major industry leaders for products: Most of the world telecom industry leaders are keen to expand or set up manufacturing base in India and are positive with the kind of incentives proposed in the Scheme. The companies like Ericsson Sweden and Nokia Finland are keen to expand their existing operation in India for global supply chain. Global telecom companies like Samsung South Korea, Cisco USA, Ciena USA, and Engineering Manufacturing Services (EMS) companies like Jabil USA, Foxconn Taiwan, Sanmina USA& Flex USA have shown interest to set up manufacturing in India for Telecom & Networking Products for domestic as well as export markets. Indian manufacturers like VVDN Technologies Gurugram, Dixon Noida, HFCL, Coral Telecom& Sterlite have also shown interest in the Scheme.

➢ iii. How to undertake global reach: An extensive outreach program with the support of Invest India team for the Scheme is being planned, covering – One to one meeting with potential investors; Participation in global outreach events organized by industry associations; Webinars with Consultants & Embassy officials, Law firms/ banks/ / research organisations/ industry associations; Creation of collaterals/flyers for the scheme in different languages; Microsite for the scheme on Invest India website.; Separate interactive website for Applications as well as selected vendors for the entire Scheme interface; Support translation of scheme into multiple languages.

➢ iv. What kind of value addition will be brought in by the PLI- new types of industries, encouragement to MSMEs/ancillarisation etc.: The Scheme is investment linked which will enable the vendors to invest in backward integration thereby increasing the value addition in country. Global vendors will bring in their component suppliers and develop ancillaries. The scheme has a special category for MSME recognising the fact that MSMEs play an important role in the telecom manufacturing eco system. For MSMEs, one percent (1%) higher incentive is proposed in initial 3 years. Minimum Investment threshold for MSME has been kept at Rs. 10 crore.

Nowadays Internet frauds and scams have become one of the most key threats to everyone, where these frauds target and steal away victims’ important documents, money, important informations and passwords. These scammers show no mercy to their targets and scam them in a very professional way without letting the victim know that they are getting scammed or giving away all their important information to someone else.

This scammers are masterminds in there own unique way, they will always find new ways and techniques to scam people.

We all know how this Covid-19 pandemic has affected the world with people getting terminated from jobs, fresh graduates seeking to start their careers all at the same time are in a blind hunt for jobs where they are ready to accept any jobs as per their criteria without validating or giving a second thought on it.

Here’s where the aster minds take this pandemic as an opportunity for them and started their own way of scamming this job seekers through “Recruitment Process Fraudulent”. This online job scams are offering jobs for every field but are most likely to be happening through Fake Hospitality & Tourism jobs sector like hotels, restaurants, resorts, etc.

They are using

• Big brand names,

• Providing attractive salary,

• Imposeters of Visa Officers providing their fake contact details,

• Providing you bonus offers,

Thereafter they will ask for the visa fees and promise you that the cost will be refunded after the cost reports are submitted through mail. And that’s where you will get scammed if you fall into the trap and pay the visa fees. I will explain more about how it works.

Nowadays, people are becoming smarter and so are scammers. Sometimes, it’s very hard to find whether the job is a legitimate or a fake one. Hoping to find better opportunities some people end up losing their hard earned money and become a victim of “Identity Theft”. Where the scammers can do anything with your identity, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. We will go through every step to determine a job scam.

For most scammers, online job portals are a popular haunt to find prey. Here’s how they proceed:

1. Applicant profiles accessed from job recruitment sites.

2. Mass mailers sent to potential candidates.

3. Fraudsters pose as job consultants, set up fake websites, temporary ‘offices’.

4. Candidates are asked to deposit registration fees via wallet or bank transfers.

5. Online or telephonic interviews are conducted(May not apply in all the process)

6. Fake appointment letters are offered.

You’ve submitted your CV on a Job Portal and very soon an employer comes up saying, he/she is interested in your profile and wants to offer you a position. But where is the catch? They haven’t invited you to an interview and I have seen a company(fake employer) email saying that first, you have to fill and send the recruitment process documents and then you will get an offer letter, thereafter you will have to connect with the visa officer again and you have to pay for the visa. How does the employer know that you’ll clear all these stages? I just wonder. They will promise to refund the money back but to be honest, it never happens, once you are parted with your money then it’s gone. If you have to pay any amount to anyone before you get the job or after an interview then there is a red flag, beware it’s probably a scam. No employer wanted to get money from their perspective candidates and no legit job will ask you to pay money. Give some time in doing a search for the Job portal and find if it is legit or a fake.

Fake job rackets have become a booming industry, thanks to shrinking jobs in private as well as public sector and hordes of students passing out of low-quality professional colleges. According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, India’s unemployment rate in April 2019 shot up to 7.6%, the highest since October 2016, it increased more upto 9.6% in December 2020. Combined with easy accessibility of the Internet, this has come as a boon for job scammers, who are offering non-existent jobs to desperate youth. “Students fresh out of college, from one of the thousands of engineering colleges in small towns, are easily trapped. Their parents have invested on them and now want the kids to earn big money, especially through foreign jobs. If you take the example of India and the Philippines, 10 recent graduates 4 of them wanted to go overseas for their career. And most of the scams happen in getting an overseas job.

First, you always wanted to go abroad, second, a good salary, incentives and bonuses, third work-life balance and they are giving you the same, to dream (Yes I’m right, a dream). But, if you carefully read all of the mail’s and offer letter you will start finding it unrealistic, with tons of grammatical errors, promises, and more promises and if the job offer is too promising then it’s probably a scam. Little wonder then that embassies, companies and job portals have started putting up advisories on their websites to warn the applicants. Groups such as Tata Consultancy Services, Shell and Monster.com have also put up warnings on their sites. If you are also looking for jobs, here’s how to avoid being duped by scammers.

PHISHING & MAILING

This is probably the easiest way for racketeers to find victims en masse . “By posing as freelance job consultants, they scour multiple job portals like Monster, Naukri, TimesJobs and Shine to get access to their databases,”. They then send mass mailers and, even if they dupe 5% of job-seekers, they make a lot of money. The mails typically ask for a security deposit, interview fee or other charges, a prerequisite for scheduling an interview. While some fraudsters disappear as soon as they get the money, others go so far as to conduct a quick online or telephonic interview before allotting a fake appointment letter.

Email Scams( Jobs being Offered with Unprofessional Email)

“Hi, Adam we have found your CV on XYZ.com and we are glad to offer you a position in our company as a …” Wow, without applying for a job, even without giving an interview, you have been offered a position. What else do you want? The person who has sent you an email may be is from your dream company. But, stop!!!! Have you tried to read that email address? Is it a Gmail or a Yahoo or any of the free email account? Do you know every business organization has its personal email address with the same domain name as the company has? If you don’t know about a domain name, let me just give you a short example.

If the company name is Hilton and if you google about Hilton, then you can find the hotel website which is Hilton.com (this is domain name) and the people who are from the hotel they will have an email address associated with the domain name.

FACEBOOK JOB SCAM

Being one of the best social networking platforms, Facebook has too many scammers who are ripping innocent and desperate job seekers. I am not going to talk about Angel Priya (Even Zuckerberg was amazed that why didn’t he met any Angel Priya on his visit to India). There are hundreds of thousands of groups and pages about career, claiming local and international career opportunities. But they are just a waste of time.

LINKEDIN SCAMS

If you’re a regular LinkedIn user then you might have seen posts like ‘Hiring open positions’ creating a Hotel Professionals WhatsApp on the phone number or email address with no official domain. For someone, it might not be a scam, but for me, it’s a scam. How can you imagine that a group of random contact is going to help you? I am not saying this because I don’t want to build networks, Yes I definitely wanted that but, I have experienced being in those traps, So I would never recommend being in such a time waster thing. On doing some research on this fraud scams I found out some more information on some really big scams where targeted victims were students and freshly Graduates.

Hiring scams:- Ghaziabad scam – In June 2018, three men were arrested from Kavi Nagar in Ghaziabad for cheating hundreds of job seekers over two years. Amount: Rs 3.5 crore Hyderabad scam:- In June 2018, three men were held in Hyderabad for extracting Rs 2 lakh each from 60 unemployed youth in three months, Amount: Rs 1.2 crore. I hope this will give you an idea how much scam they have done with needy people. Avoid being scammed, Here is the checklist you should follow to check proof your job selection process. Go to authentic, official websites: Most companies advertise new job positions on their official websites. So, instead of replying to dubious mails, go to the career page of the company and apply directly on the site. In case of online job portals, make sure you are routing your resumes via the original sites, not responding to a link provided in a mail.

Post CVs with specific job positions: While posting your resume on job portals, make sure that the CV is written for the specific post you want. Also, any mail you get in response should offer you the particular post you have applied for. Vague, generic designations are an indication of a fake offer. Never pay for securing a job: No employer seeks any fee from a job-seeker at any stage of the hiring process. So beware of companies or individuals, who are seeking fees or charges for security deposit, registration or document verification. This can be through bank instruments or cash in an individual’s name, or through a bank transfer. Look for flaws in mail/letter: A good exercise to ward off scammers who approach you through mails is to scan the letter minutely . Beware if the mail is from a free e-mail address, not the company e-mail. Also check for the format of the letter, spelling mistakes, poor syntax or wrong spacing. Another indicator is the name and sign of the person sending you the mail, as well as the company address and contact details.

Validate mail by calling firms: If you have any doubts about the offer or appointment letter, call up the company on its registered landline number. Check if the person who has mailed you exists, and if the firm has a vacancy for the post or job you have applied for. Conduct proper research about the company before applying for the job. Be cautious about jobs that seem too good to be true: If you are being offered a 70-80% increment, or a remuneration that is not in line with the market trends, or with your rank and experience, it is most definitely a fake job. Another indicator is that you are being handed an offer letter without a formal interview. Ensure that you are called for a personal, face-to-face interview, preferably at the registered company address.

Whatever the way will be, these bogus agencies or people would like to get your money or your identity and after being successful maybe you can’t see or contact them later. Irrespective of their modus operandi, these agencies have the same motto to promise the candidate, get your confidential data and to get their hands on your cash. But does this mean you cannot find a genuine job or an internship.

Obviously, You Can!

Fake job rackets have become a booming industry, thanks to shrinking jobs in the private as well as public sector and hordes of students passing out of low-quality professional colleges. According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, India’s unemployment rate in April 2019 shot up to 7.6%, the highest since October 2016.

Importance of water conservation is gradually getting recognised by one and all. There is a realization that this aspect cannot be postponed anymore. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Government of India (GoI) launched ‘Catch the rain’ campaign to prioritize and speed up water conservation works.

When Mayur Dixit, a young IAS officer got posted as Chief Development Officer in Almora District in Uttarakhand, he could discern the need for working towards rejuvenation of river Kosi flowing in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. This river was the life line of Almora town and many adjoining towns and villages. This had also been the priority of the State Government but perhaps not taken up at the local level in the right earnest.

Even at this young age, Mayur realized that the plan will have to centre around being a people’s campaign rather than a government program. Hence, village representatives, SHG groups, schools, NGOs, armed forces and mahila and yuvak mangal dals were involved right from the beginning. GIS technology was to be used to ensure efficiency and proper monitoring. Funds were arranged using convergence from schemes like MGNREGA and CAMPA. The methodology adopted entailed extensive plantation of broad leaf trees and creating mechanical structures like infiltration trenches and holes, small ponds in the catchment area of river Kosi and its tributaries. It was evident that the river, not being a glacier fed river, could be recharged only by raising the ground water level in the catchment area thereby rejuvenating the streams and tributaries of river Kosi. Millions of plants have been planted, along with creating trenches and other structures in this process which commenced from January 2018. The process is still on. This effort of the District Administration has been recognized by Government of India. The District was recipient of National Water Award. It has also received Limca Book Record for planting maximum number of trees in one hour across 110 villages. The results of the water conservation efforts have started showing and river is now recorded an increase in water flow. GB Pant Institute of Environmental Studies, located near Almora has been tasked by GoI to monitor and provide scientific support to the District Administration. Future challenges are likely to continue. There would be challenges in sustaining the momentum and to get people’s support in maintaining water conservation related activities. However, in view of the visible benefits accruing to all, there is a likelihood of continued priority for water conservation related schemes to be implemented at village level. For the same reason, it is also felt that all the concerned departments will remain motivated towards the task.

After getting transferred to Udham Singh Nagar District as Chief Development Officer, Mayur discovered that rejuvenating water bodies appeared to be even more critical in this District. The District lies in terai region and is also known as wheat & rice bowl of state. Agriculture practices are water intensive as most of the irrigation is through tube-wells. This has led to steep depletion of the ground water table in recent years in the region. So, the district administration decided to recharge the groundwater table by identifying and rejuvenating village ponds across the district. More than 550 traditional ponds were identified using revenue records and joint teams of revenue, block, panchayati raj and other departments were made to remove encroachments from these water bodies. Alongside, development plans were made for these using MGNREGS and NRLM schemes. Ponds were cleaned, dug up before monsoons and then were handed over to SHG groups for fisheries, horticulture and other livelihood activities. Rain water now filled ponds which were once encroached. This has acted as a motivating factor for the team. Several challenges were faced during this campaign. Convincing farmers and villagers to give up encroached land for pond creation, excessive pollution and garbage dumping in village ponds, inadequate MNREGS labour rate and excessive supply of groundwater (due to numerous tube wells). The locals could not initially visualize the consequences of depletion of ground water level. This were indeed major challenges. Regular monitoring and coordination from district administration, creating employment opportunities for local SHGs and use of technology in demarcation & mapping helped overcoming these challenges.

Learning from his previous two experiences, when Mayur got posted as District Magistrate, Uttarkashi he adopted a similar approach here as well. Two major rivers of India, Ganga and Yamuna have their origins in the district. There are several high-altitude wetlands and lakes in the district that stored rainwater and recharge ground water table. However, on account of erratic rainfall, urbanisation and soil erosion, many of the streams which used to originate naturally in these mountains were either completely lost or their discharge had decreased substantially. Mayur initiated Mission Indravati in the District to rejuvenate Indravati river. This river is a major tributary of river Bhagirathi (Ganga) but has seen reduced discharge in recent years. Work has begun in 10 villages and higher reach forest areas from where the river originates. Construction of check dams, trenches, plantation and ponds is all planned using GIS methodology. Meetings have been conducted in all the villages and the implementation plan has been developed and planned with Gram Panchayats themselves. The target is to do maximum water conservation works before monsoons.

Mayur has demonstrated that a civil servant with vision, passion and meticulous planning can make-it-happen. Another remarkable feature of his style of functioning is taking all the stakeholders into confidence from the planning stage itself. That makes them partners in the decision-making process and makes execution of his ideas seamless. He is also making use of his learnings wherever he has got posted so far. What Mayur has achieved so early in his career is truly exemplary and inspiring. One hopes that he has left behind institutions that will sustain the effort that he has made.

Anil Swarup has served as the head of the Project Monitoring Group, which is currently under the Prime Minister’s Offic. He has also served as Secretary, Ministry of Coal and Secretary, Ministry of School Education.

When Mayur Dixit, a young IAS officer, got posted as Chief Development Officer in Almora district in Uttarakhand, he could discern the need for working towards rejuvenation of river Kosi flowing in Kumaon region of the state. This river was the lifeline of Almora town and many adjoining towns and villages. This had also been the priority of the state government but perhaps not taken up at the local level in the right earnest.

The second wave of coronavirus sweeping across the country has once again raised the question as to which one will you choose: Economic destruction or life? It is obvious that one will opt for life, “Jaan hain to jahan hain”. You will be able to fight back if you will remain safe and alive! However, the truth is that our economy does not have the strength to suffer yet another lockdown. The question then is what we need to do? How to save people’s lives?

Neither the Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray nor anyone else in the government is in favour of imposing a lockdown. Nobody supports a lockdown! But the question is what to do when people stop following the precautions to stave off the coronavirus? What is the option? In my opinion, the only option is to take a very strict action against those who do not wear masks and those who do not maintain a safe distance. Just collecting a fine will do nothing. Authorities have collected Rs 49 crore towards fine just from those who did not wear masks in Mumbai.

We assume that the air travellers are educated and responsible, but I see that though the air hostess keeps screaming at the top of her voice, appealing the fliers to wear a mask and shield saying it is compulsory, no one wears a mask. Everyone ignores the appeal of the air hostess. When the aeroplane lands, the air hostess appeals to the passengers to get down according to the seat number, but they literally scurry as if the plane will run away if they don’t rush out! Those who do not follow the Covid protocol during travel should be banned from travelling. Guidelines will have to be strictly enforced if the spread of coronavirus is to be checked. People will think twice before violating the Covid protocol when severe punishment would stare them in the face. It is then that people will wear masks and follow the safe distancing norms too. There is a very old saying – There is no love without fear!

But the question is why have people become so careless? It is indeed surprising when most people in society become careless! In fact, people see that nothing happens when lakhs of people gather in the election rallies and public meetings in various states, lakhs of people gather at the Kumbh Mela and thousands of spectators pack the Ahmedabad stadium to capacity during two matches with no observance of social distancing anywhere and nobody wearing a mask. Naturally they take coronavirus for granted! Prevalence of this kind of feeling is certainly very dangerous. Surprisingly, no one raised questions on such crowded events. In Ahmedabad, the stadium was packed to capacity during both the matches. When some spectators got infected with coronavirus, the third match was played without an audience. Why such carelessness? Why did the Election Commission not ban election rallies and public meetings? Why did the court not take suo motu cognisance? The question also is why no political party thought that rallies and meetings should be avoided during the ongoing run of pandemic. These parties could also make their point known to the public through the media! The irony is that on one hand there is a crowd of thousands and lakhs and on the other, the number of people attending the funeral procession and marriage ceremony has been restricted to 20 and 50 respectively. When people see these contradictions, endless questions pop up in their minds and they begin to question the guidelines. They wonder if the coronavirus infects people in the areas where rules are followed? It is then that people tend to become careless!

It goes without saying that until and unless the people mend their behaviour, the spread of coronavirus cannot be curbed. The government also has its limitations. There were only 8,000 beds in Maharashtra government hospitals before the corona pandemic broke out. Today its number has gone up to about 1.75 lakh, yet there are so many corona patients that they are finding it difficult to get beds. Today, even if the government increases the number of beds, the question is, from where will the doctors and paramedical staff come to attend to these patients? However, many people say that doctors and paramedical staff should be summoned to Maharashtra from other states.

We should not forget that even during the first wave, the incidence of coronavirus was very high and virulent in Maharashtra and the situation remains unaltered during the second wave as well. You may recall that a team of experts dispatched by the Centre had come to Maharashtra to find out why the coronavirus epidemic is wreaking havoc in Maharashtra only. The analysis of the past events revealed that the western part of the line dividing the country by a line, and especially Maharashtra, had been affected more by the epidemics in the past. It is obvious that we should be more vigilant.

We are witness to how corona pandemic has ruined everyone. The medical system has collapsed. Lakhs of people have lost their jobs. Businesses are ruined. The backbone of the private education system has been broken. When they don’t receive the fees, how can they pay the salary to the teachers? Now think what will happen if the lockdown is imposed again? Obviously all will be ruined! To put it in simple language, just before corona, our GDP was in a condition to grow at the rate of 7 per cent. Corona pushed it down to minus 23 per cent. That is, if we add 7 per cent growth to it, then our GDP has lost about 30 per cent in the last financial year. The economy can not stand more than this. So it is important that we take precautions so that the lockdown is not imposed again.

One thing I also want to tell the government is that the process of vaccination should be accelerated and every person above 18 years of age should get the vaccine immediately by removing the age restrictions. Since the Central government is handling the vaccination drive, it is its responsibility to ensure that there is no shortage of vaccines in any state. Especially the badly affected Maharashtra should get the vaccine as soon as possible. Once we have vaccinated 80 per cent of our population, herd immunity will set in. But keep in mind that even after that, social distancing and mask will remain our biggest weapons against corona. We have to learn to live with it. If you are negligent, the situation will get worse.

To conclude, I express my gratitude to the corona warriors, doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, police and frontline workers who left no stone unturned in performing their duties despite great risk to their lives. Show gratitude to them by putting on masks and following social distancing!

The author is the chairman, Editorial Board of Lokmat Media and former member of Rajya Sabha.

The second wave of coronavirus is wreaking havoc in many parts of the country, but people have not learnt any lesson and are still behaving carelessly. The irony is that there is a restriction of 20 people to attend the funeral processions and no more than 50 people can attend the weddings, but lakhs are gathering in the election meetings. Also, lakhs of people attended Kumbh Mela and two cricket matches were played in the jam-packed stadium in Ahmedabad. But there is no restriction whatsoever, on anyone!

The city of Mumbai is well known for its formation by 7 islands. It gradually developed to be an economic centre along with it an amalgamation of different private lands was taking place forming it to be the ‘national park’. This is how the journey of a booming port city and flora of the woodland came into the picture. The city of dreams, light and prosperity enticed humongous boom in the financial sector making Bombay city a very significant industrial spot since the times of British East India Company. Seeing, a pecuniary advantage and growing employment opportunities people from all over the nation commenced to reside at Mumbai to earn bread and butter. With the developing India a south-western city, namely; Bombay was multiplying by leaps and bounds. With the growing population government felt the need to bring in The Bombay Municipal act, 1950 thus this act tried to extend its limit of the area subject to the authority of the municipal corporation of the city of Bombay and other municipal authorities charged with carrying out the municipal Government of the City of Bombay. It also tried ensuring more suitable and efficient municipal Government of the City of Bombay and its suburbs. This new land would take into account the urban growth towards the north. Again in the year 1957 it extended and BMC became Municipal Corporation for greater Mumbai which also included area where Sanjay Gandhi Park is apparently located. It isn’t surprising to know that SGNP is facing tremendous burden ever since then with enlarging population and undefined boundaries of the land.

ENCROACHMENT

Several legislations empowered forest authorities to acquire lands from private owners, government owned companies, native and non-native inhabitants. And on the other hand the history evidently speaks about increasing tensions between city and park and prolonged apprehension among park authorities and inhabitants. Despite of the fact that these legislations were enforced in order to protect, preserve and safeguard natural resources but due to the parks idiosyncratic position it has given open access to various builders, slum lords, bureaucrats, and their political guarantor. At this juncture it becomes critical and pertinent to understand the term wrongful/ illegal encroachment in forest land. According to The Indian Forest Act, 1927; Forest-officer, if he has reasons to believe that the encroachment of Government Forest Land has been done, may evict the encroachment and may use all the powers conferred to him. Thus, in the case Kuwar Pal Singh and Others vs. State Of U.P. And Others on 3 February, 2010 Ulai Kheda, forest reserved land was illegally occupied by the farmers, therefore the forest department under the provisions of Indian Forest Act initiated legal proceedings for dispossession of illegal encroacher from the forest reserved land. Again in Supreme Court in writ petition No. 202 of 1995 T.N. Goda Vermin Vs. Union of India and others the occupation /encroachment in reserved forest land is illegal and against the Indian Forest Act. Thus, there are several cases that clearly states that such legislation are time and again purported by the courts. Thus an unholy nexus among several parties are repeatedly responsible for organised destruction of the park. Encroachments have been going on since the early 1970s, the rate of encroachment increased and peaked at the end of 1994 and is still being noticed in several other parts of the park.

THE LEGAL BATTLE

The very park of the city was falling apart a report commissioned by

The WWF stated in 1995 that:

“Today the Park is in shambles, with its south western border encroached by over 40,000 slum dwellers, the north western and the northern boundaries scoured and Pock marked by 19 stone quarries, its northern block devastated by plundering Woodcutters and poachers, the Yeour forests encroached by developers, goondas And other illegal builders from Thane and Mumbai, and the central hill slopes Ravaged by the expanding empires of tricksters and ‘dhongeebabas’ trying to build Concrete structures illegally by fleecing gullible visitors”

The SGNP authorities as well filed 66 cases between the years 1990 to 1995. It was under this pretext that Bombay Environmental Action Group filed a writ petition before the Bombay High Court against the conservator of forest and several other parties by invoking wildlife conservation act, 1972; Indian Forest Act, 1977; and Forest Conservation Act, 1980. The PIL sought the court to evict all kinds and forms of illegal encroachment along with demolition of illegal structures within a period of 6 months. The court ordered the government to stop all mining and quarrying activities in the park, remove all encroachments, and rescind all public facilities such as water and telephone lines given illegally to encroachers.  Thus, the PIL resulted into a strong legal momentum for SGNP by giving clear primacy to conservation over, slum dwellers right and development.

UNDERSTANDING AND REFLECTION OVER THE ISSUE

It is immensely necessary to analyse that the park is in the midst of the city with its verdurous green which is indeed a point of conservation for Mumbai. Also, it becomes very peculiar to understand the nexus between internal ecology of the park and contextual factors of the urban surrounding. This leads us to an inference where over and over again there are two debatable topics that emerge that are development vs. conservation and Brown vs. Green. In the recent Mumbai mirror article dated February 6, 2018 stated that seven or eight projects that are likely to come up in the next few years these infrastructure projects have been proposed to go through, over and under Sanjay Gandhi National Park, and have the potential to destroy city’s lungs in just a few decades. There are plans to build two tunnels under the park and a ropeway through the park – which explicitly stated aim of diverting traffic right through the core area of the park – plus a multi-modal corridor. Thus, it is observed that external pressure seems to play a huge role in the park management decision to implement a “protectionist conservation method” real estate developers or urban development institute like MMRDA that are interested in the land for remunerative purposes are not interested in the conservation of the park. Therefore, the park management are forced to continue using courts as well as walls to define boundaries to safeguard the park. It is indeed a dismaying fact that instead of collectively securing the land and support the management authorities’ people are falling short for urban amenities. Let’s us all not get entangled in the mirage of happiness in the concrete. People benefit from the park in myriad ways. Park is definitely an asset to the city, it supplies water to 12 million people, and it manufactures oxygen, reduces pollution, regulates temperature and has an entertainment value and over 1.2 million visitors every year. Let the growing financial capital of the country and economic system fail to take into account the cost of natural capital. Along with systematic strategy, a value based approach, judicial backing park management should consider public good strategy that delivers value to society it should aim at maximization of satisfaction of the citizens in all the possible ways. And lastly, majority of the people should perceive value of biodiversity, wildlife, nature in the midst of buzzing city. The goal should be to make citizens of Mumbai and India proud of its co-existence between the park and the city.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Statutes:

• The Bombay Municipal act (extension of limit), 1950; Bombay Act No. 7 of 1950

• The wildlife (protection) act, 1972; Act No. 53 OF 1972

• The forest (conservation) act, 1960, Central Act No. 69 of 1980

• Maharashtra private forest (acquisition) act, 1975, Act No. XXIX OF 1975

CASES

• Kuwar Pal Singh and Others v. State Of U.P. and Others WRIT-C No. – 20075 of 2009

• T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad vs Union Of India & Ors on 12 March, 1947 WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) No. 202 OF 1995

• The Bombay Environmental Action Group & ors V. AR. Bharti Deputy Conservator Of Forests & ors- writ petition number 305 of 1995.