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Cannot ignore ‘fraction’ for calculating reservation: HC | Goa News – Times of India

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PANAJI: Finally, it was the wrong calculation of a mathematical ‘fraction’ by the government that culminated in the high court quashing the order for reservation of seats in five municipal councils.
“The expression used in the Constitution as well as in the Municipalities Act, being ‘not less than’ or ‘no less than’, makes it clear that even a fraction cannot be ignored because by ignoring the same, the reservation would be minimised to less than 1/3rd and if it is done so, it would amount to infraction of the constitutional mandate,” the high court said.

Senior counsel S S Kantak, who appeared for one of the petitioners, argued that the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968, makes it imperative to reserve not less than 1/3rd seats for women. He also said that reservation is to be done by rotation in different wards of the municipal council
In the Mapusa Municipal Council, out of 20 seats, a minimum of seven seats ought to have been reserved for women, but only six are reserved. In the case of Mormugao, where the municipal council comprises 25 seats, a minimum of nine seats ought to have been reserved for women, instead there are only eight, which translates to 32%, he added.
The lawyer said that the government has not adhered to any particular pattern or rational logic in applying reservation and rotation to reserved seats.
As per the mandate prescribed, 1/3rd of the 25 seats in Mormugao should have been reserved for women, which calculates to 8.33%.
To deal with this fraction, the stand taken by the government is that the rounding off would be done every three terms, by rotation. This was to avoid excessive reservation to women. This way, if no of seats reserved for women was short in 2015 and 2021, then in 2026 it would be adjusted by reserving one extra seat.
Advocate general Devidas Pangam said that if 1/3rd of the seats was a fraction, a higher rounding off would have a cascading effect. Therefore, he said that the fraction has been ignored in the Mormugao and Mapusa Municipal Council, which is within legal parameters.
“Keeping in mind the aforesaid philosophy in introducing reservation for women by the Constitution and subsequently in the state legislation, we are of the firm opinion that the course adopted by the respondent no.2 (government) violates the mandate of law,” the court said.
It said that the solution offered by the government “in taking forward the reservation and to be adjusted within the three terms, is also, according to us defeat of the very purpose”.
The court said that the fraction, even if it is created in calculating 1/3rd reservation, cannot be permitted to be rounded off towards the earlier denomination and the normal principle for rounding off, which is based on logic and common sense — if part is one half or more, its value shall be increased to one and if less than one half the value shall be ignored — cannot be made.

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Broke Swiggy guy walks 3 km to deliver food, Social media helps him find better job. Heartwarming story is viral

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Social media can be a wondrous place at times. While on most days, its ugly face is on display, on days like today, it sets examples of the power of kindness. In a social media post, a LinkedIn user shared how a delivery executive, in need of money and a better job, bagged one after the users on the platform came together to help the person out.

Priyanshi Chandel, Marketing Manager at tech company Flash, shared an incident about a Swiggy delivery agent who had come to deliver food at her residence. When she asked the late and out-of-breath delivery person, identified by her as Sahil Singh, about what happened, he told her that he had no transport and had to walk 3 km to deliver the order.

He also said that he was out of money and had nothing left to pay his landlord too. Singh told her that he was not looking for money from her but requested her to help him bag a job. He said that he had a degree in Electrical and Communication Engineering, and had worked with Byju’s and Ninjacart before. He had to move back to Jammu during the pandemic.

“I have not eaten for a week, just drinking water and tea to get by. I am not asking for anything, please if you can find me a job, I used to make 25k before, I am 30 years old, my parents are getting old and I can’t keep asking for money from them (sic),” Chandel quoted saying.

She also shared his marksheets and contact number for people to help. His details shared show that he is a 2018 BTech graduate from Mewar University, and completed his schooling from the Jammu and Kashmir state board.

After she shared the details, the comments section was filled with people who stepped up to help. While someone recharged his Yulu account so that he did not have to walk around to deliver food, someone offered a place to stay. Many offered to help him with his applications, while some offered jobs too.

Chandel, later on put an update on the post, and said that he received a job.

However, so far it is unclear what job he has received.

2023 has so far been a year of job losses, an eventual outcome of the pandemic and increased hiring by tech companies. For instance, the SSC MTS 2023 recruitment exam that took place in Uttar Pradesh in May saw over 55 lakh applications for Group D jobs. Numerous candidates who applied for positions such as peon, watchman, gardener had educational backgrounds like BTech, MBA, and Master’s degrees.

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Goa CM, NRI Commissioner writes to MoEF for help in safe return of Goans from Ukraine

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Panaji: Goa chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Thursday urged Union Minister for External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar to help in safe return of Goans who are in the Ukraine.

Sawant tweeted “we are concerned about the Goans in Ukraine who are considering to return to India in the light of ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis. I request Union Minister for External Affairs @DrSJaishankar ji for help in the safe return of Goans. I am keeping track of the situation.”

The chief minister’s tweet comes hours after Goa’s NRI Commissioner Narendra Sawaikar wrote to the Union External Affairs ministry seeking help in return of Goans who are in the Ukraine.

“Many Goans are currently residing in Ukraine due to various purposes including higher studies and due to the ongoing tension between Russia and Ukraine, I have started receiving requests for help and assistance from them to return back to India,” Sawaikar wrote.

The Commissioner further wrote in the letter that advisories have already been issued by the Ministery of External Affairs to Indians currently in Ukraine and our Indian Mission in Kyiy is currently handling the matter.

“Striking note of urgency, the Government of India has recently asked the family members of Embassy officials in Ukraine as well as students and citizens whose stay is not vital , to leave the Eastern European nation amid it’s raising tensions with Russia,” the letter reads.

Sawaikar wrote that the Goans in Ukraine are in touch with this office as they are anxious to temporarily return till the situation normalizes.

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Election Commission announces polling dates and counting days for Vidhan Sabha elections in 5 states

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On Saturday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates for the Vidhan Sabha elections in 5 States, namely, Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

While briefing the media, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra informed that the elections in the poll-bound States will commence from February 10, 2022, to March 7, 2022. Elections in the State of Uttar Pradesh will be conducted in 7 phases, followed by Manipur with 2 phases. Elections in Goa, Uttarkhand and Punjab will be conducted in a single phase.

According to the Election Commission of India, the votes will be counted on March 10, 2022. ECI informed that all physical campaigning will be ceased until January 15, 2022, in light of the rising cases of Coronavirus.

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