1. Std XII Book Drops ‘Ugly Women Pay More Dowry’ Para
A paragraph on dowry has been removed from the Maharashtra state board’s Std XII sociology textbook, months after the content led to a nationwide furore for listing ‘ugliness’ as one of the reasons for “more dowry”.
A chapter titled ‘Major Social Problems in India’ read: “If a girl is ugly and handicapped, then it becomes very difficult for her to get married. To marry such girls, bridegroom and his family demand more dowry. Parents of such girls become helpless and pay dowry as per the demands of the bridegroom as family. It leads to rise in the practice of dowry system.”
The chapter goes on to explain how ‘kulin’ marriage – a marriage between a man from a higher caste and a woman from a lower caste – can also result in a bigger dowry demand.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
2. Man Held For Molesting 8-yr-old Girl In Ghatkopar
A man has been arrested for allegedly molesting an eight-year-old girl in suburban Ghatkopar in Mumbai, a police official said on Monday. The incident took place yesterday when accused Manoj Kadam called the victim to his residence and allegedly molested her, a senior official of Pantnagar police station said.
"The incident took place when the victim's parents had gone out for some work. When they returned after some time and enquired about her whereabouts to her elder sister, the latter told them that Kadam had taken her to his residence when they were playing outside," the official said. The family then went to Kadam's house and when he opened the door after multiple knocks they found the victim in his room, he said.
(Source: Mid-Day)
3. Kandivli Double Murder: Kin Claim Minor Accused Has Pleaded Guilty
Has the juvenile in the 2015 double murder of artist Hema Upadhyay and her lawyer Haresh Bhambhani pleaded guilty? While Bhambani's brother Manish Hirani and his advocate claim that the minor pleaded guilty in the juvenile justice board on April 17 in the presence of his mother, the roznama shows otherwise. Roznama is the register of the daily proceedings of a court case. According to the roznama, the magistrate noted that witnesses be summoned for the trial to commence. Advocate Vinod Gangval appearing on behalf of Bhambani's family has sought time from the board and is moving the HC alleging discrepancy. Gangval said they received the court document recently.
The police have arrested five persons in the case—Vijay Rajbhar, Pradeep Rajbhar, Shivkumar Rajbhar and Chintan Upadhay, Hema's estranged husband, and the minor. Vidhyadar Rajbhar, owner of the fabrication workshop where the murder was executed, is absconding.
(Source: Times of India)
4. Paanwalla Turns Teacher, Offers Marketing Tips to Mumbai Management Students
What would it be like if you ever get to learn the nuances of marketing from a panwalla? The second year students of Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) at SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) had this out-of-the-box experience, when their marketing professor invited the owner of a pan shop in Andheri, to present a lecture on 'Sales and Distribution'.
According to the students, this unusual class, which was held last week, was a fulfilling experience.
Their marketing professor, Dr Renuka Kamath, who came up with the idea, said, "Learning becomes effective when it blends with relevant examples. Concept of sales and distribution can be taught through the book, but real-time experiences make it more relevant."
(Source: Mid-Day)
5. Patels From Mumbai First Couple to Ever File Papers For Presidential Polls
Mohammad Abdul Hamid Patel, 55, and Saira Bano, 52, from suburban Mumbai have become the first couple ever to have filed nominations to contest India’s presidential elections.
Neither Mohammad nor Saira has a realistic chance of, forget about winning, even remaining in the contest once the nominations are scrutinised on June 30 for the July 17 election, the result of which will be announced on July 20.
Rules state that 50 MPs or MLAs must propose a candidate’s name and 50 more must second the candidature. Neither Mohammad nor Saira are likely to manage this.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
6. Shah Rukh Khan: Every Day Is Eid For AbRam
Shah Rukh Khan may have made a tradition out of waving to fans from his balcony to mark Eid every year, but the father-of-three admitted that for his youngest son AbRam every day is Eid because his dad gifts him a toy every day.
However, the festival was not just for his youngest son, who wore a white kurta-pyjama like his dad, for the first time. SRK made sure to also spend time with his older kids Aryan and Suhana who were home for the holidays. “I’m planning to cook dinner for them and since I can only cook pasta, that’s the only dish on offer. I made it in the Italian style once but Suhana wasn’t impressed, saying it tasted ‘theek thaak’ so I will try harder this time,” he laughed.
This year called for a double celebration as Eid coincided with SRK completing 25 years in the industry. To mark the occasion, the annual Eid luncheon with media and fans was hosted at a Bandra five-star and not at the actor’s residence. The lavish spread featured keema pav, biryani, a live oriental counter and a lavish dessert spread of phirni, moong dal halwa, rasmalai and rabdi.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
7. Few Takers For Kaali-Peeli Driving Permits
A week after the Maharashtra government eased restrictions on the number of permits to be issued for taxis and autorickshaws in Mumbai, response from drivers of black-and-yellow cabs (kaali-peelis) has been poor. Officials and drivers say fears of low earnings owing to competition from aggregator taxi services is behind the falling number of permits.
Last week, the government allowed fresh permits to be issued for taxis and auto-rickshaws, to encourage use of public transport in the city. “The directive has met with poor response from kaali-peeli drivers. There has, however, been enthusiasm for autorickshaw permits, as auto drivers can still hope for a good remuneration,” a senior transport department official said.
(Source: Indian Express)
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