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Much before Assam child marriage arrests, a push for change from within | India News

Published

1 year ago

October 16, 2023

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School-going children and the elderly made up most of the audience gathered under the pink and green shamiana (marquee) pitched in the market in the small town of Kaki in Assam last week.

As two young men moved among the audience depositing black gram in their cupped hands as the afternoon’s refreshments, local leader Monwar Hussain spoke into a mic, “There are not many people who are not aware of the law against child marriage… As a society, everyone should be working on their own homes. Parents, don’t give your young daughters in marriage. Our little sisters, if you hear of a friend or classmate about to get forcefully married off, tell your teacher or quietly call 1098. If everybody and all students work together, we should be able to aim to end child marriage by 2026.”

This public meeting, organised by the All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) in an area where the population largely comprises Bengali-origin Muslims, was being held a week after 31 people from the district — Hojai — were arrested overnight in a police crackdown against child marriage. Thirteen of those arrested were men who had married underage girls and 18 were relatives booked for facilitating these marriages.

Tackling a difficult conversation

However, this was not the first wave of arrests related to child marriages in the area. Eight months ago, in February, a whopping 219 people were arrested from the district over the course of a few days in an unprecedented punitive crackdown against child marriage in the state.

Between these two rounds of arrests, while the state administration held some awareness meetings and appointed Gaon Panchayat secretaries as village-level Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs), the hard work of tackling conversations on the subject and working against the practice has largely been shouldered by people within the community in the area.

Assam Child Marriage At Ashinagar, a village in Hojai district, the topic of child marriage prevention is broached each time meetings are held by block-level officials in the village. (Express Photo)

At Islam Nagar, a village in Hojai district, Gaon Panchayat Secretary Shahabuddin said he had attended a meeting at the District Collector’s office a few months ago with other such secretaries. At the meeting, he said, they had been told that as CMPOs, they should check age certificates to issue no-objection certificates for marriages in their respective villages.

However, beyond attending that meeting, it is evident that nothing much has been implemented through this new role in the village. Shahabuddin says that no marriages have taken place in the village since then. Since no written order or notification was issued regarding the new responsibilities or duties, he said the Gaon Panchayat too has not taken any steps towards building awareness.

At Ashinagar, a village in the same district, Gaon Panchayat members said an awareness meeting had been held by block-level officials earlier this year. They said the topic of child marriage prevention is broached each time meetings are held by department on issues like public health or education in the village. But Gaon Panchayat members claimed they were not aware of any arrests in the village as part of the crackdown.

A dilemma and a decision

On the other hand, a designated ASHA worker for a village in the district said she knew of a family nearby who had a case of child marriage registered against them but “the husband escaped before the police arrived”.

The ASHA worker also knew that an underage girl married into the village had given birth at her maternal village 15 days ago, after which the police arrested members of the family.

At the village level, the ASHA worker is the person working most consistently to spread the message against child marriage and as a grassroots health worker, she also has her ears closest to the ground.

Before the February crackdown, the ASHA worker had attended a training session at a local hospital. Apart from spreading awareness against child marriage, ASHA workers were also instructed to make a significant change in the manner in which they collected data.

“Earlier, while maintaining our records on pregnant women, we would just ask their age and write whatever they told us. Now, we have been told to check their Aadhaar cards and write down their date of birth instead,” she said.

Assam Child Marriage Shahabuddin at the gram panchayat office in Islam Nagar, a village in Hojai district. (Express Photo)

The ASHA worker added, “Whatever I am doing for the day — whether I’m conducting a vaccination session or going from house to house checking on pregnant women — I always discourage families from marrying off girls who are too young.”

But this advocacy, she says, has resulted in suspicion and wariness from the village community towards her. Thanks to the crackdown on child marriages, the community assumes that she will use the information she collects on the job to point the police in their direction.

“Not just me, even other ASHA workers operating nearby have mentioned instances of being shooed away when we go for home visits. Many people are reluctant to come to us now,” she said.

So the ASHA worker has chosen to draw limits for herself. She spoke about a family from the village that went away for a few days and came back with a bride from a nearby district. When she heard about it and went to check, she discovered that the bride was underage. The ASHA worker said she told the family to take the girl back to her home, which they did for a while, but they brought her back again and she later got pregnant.

“I only found out (that she was back) after she was already pregnant. Technically, I’m supposed to report this to the authorities so that action can be taken against the family, but I made the call not to. Ultimately, I live in the village and have to live in this society. I can’t have them become hostile towards me. She is already pregnant and there was nothing to be done. I’d rather focus on stopping matters before they get to that stage,” she said.

According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-2020, 31.8 per cent of women in Assam aged between 20 and 24 years were married before the age of 18. In Hojai district, the number was 30.9 per cent. In the case of women aged between 15 and 19 years who were already mothers or pregnant at the time of the survey, the figure for Assam was 11.7 per cent. For Hojai, it was 15.6 per cent.

A punitive crackdown and a reformative campaign

In that, the ASHA worker is largely on the same page as activists of the AAMSU — which has members in every village and has been carrying out a movement against child marriage since 2017. While Assam government’s punitive anti-child marriage drive has largely been viewed as affecting the state’s Bengali Muslim community, the minority union’s campaigning has been a reformative one — to address the issue from within the community. So they have been holding frequent meetings, like the one held in Kaki last week, specifically underlining education — girls’ education in particular — as the ultimate solution. But they also claim to have intervened and stopped several child marriages from taking place.

Fakhrulin Islam, an AAMSU activist from Islam Nagar village, says he personally intervened and stopped two marriages: one in 2019, and the other, that of a Class 9 student, last December.

Technology News

Circle to Search: Share part of your screen!

Published

7 months ago

April 23, 2024

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According to recent reports, Circle to Search, a feature introduced with the Samsung Galaxy S24 series in January 2024, might soon undergo an upgrade. Initially allowing users to copy text from selected areas, it’s now rumored to include the capability to capture and share screenshots of specific screen sections.

This enhanced functionality, observed in the latest version of Circle to Search, enables users to not only copy text but also capture and share screen images. A video shared by a tipster on X showcased this update, revealing new options of Copy and Share upon selecting an area. Even adjustments to the selected region don’t remove these options, ensuring a seamless experience. Users can either copy the image to the clipboard for further editing or share it directly through various apps.

Previously, the visual lookup feature solely facilitated text copying. While Android devices offer a three-finger swipe-down gesture for quick screenshots, it captures the entire screen, necessitating subsequent cropping. This new functionality streamlines the process, allowing users to select and share specific screen sections in just two steps.

Interestingly, Google recently addressed concerns about accidental activations of Circle to Search in a podcast featuring its developers. They acknowledged the issue and assured users of an impending fix. This indicates ongoing efforts to refine the feature for a smoother user experience.

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Technology News

Discounted OnePlus Nord CE 3 price in India: Check it out!

Published

7 months ago

April 23, 2024

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The OnePlus Nord CE 3 has recently undergone another price reduction in India, marking a significant update for potential buyers. Initially introduced to the Indian market in June 2023, this smartphone received its first price adjustment in November of the same year. The base variant, featuring 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, was notably listed at a price Rs. 2,000 lower than its launch price, signaling OnePlus’s commitment to providing competitive pricing to its customers.

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset and ships with the Android 13-based operating system. It boasts a triple rear camera setup, enhancing its photography capabilities, and supports SuperVOOC charging, ensuring rapid replenishment of its battery. The inclusion of these features positions the Nord CE 3 as a compelling option for smartphone enthusiasts seeking a balance between performance, affordability, and innovation.

The recent unveiling of the OnePlus Nord CE 4 in India marks the continuation of OnePlus’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology to its users. Serving as the successor to the Nord CE 3, the Nord CE 4 is expected to build upon the strengths of its predecessor while introducing new enhancements and features to further elevate the user experience.

When considering the revised pricing of the OnePlus Nord CE 3, it’s evident that OnePlus aims to make its devices more accessible to a wider audience. The reduction in price, particularly on platforms like Amazon and the OnePlus India website, presents an opportunity for consumers to acquire a high-quality smartphone at a more affordable rate.

Let’s delve deeper into the specifications and features of the OnePlus Nord CE 3 to understand its capabilities and appeal to potential buyers.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Price in India (Revised)

The base variant of the OnePlus Nord CE 3, featuring 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, was initially launched in India at Rs. 26,999. Following its first price cut in November, the price was reduced to Rs. 24,999. Now, the same variant is available on Amazon at Rs. 22,990, representing a Rs. 2,009 reduction from its previous price. Furthermore, customers can benefit from an additional flat Rs. 2,000 instant discount on ICICI and HDFC Bank cards, bringing the effective price down to Rs. 20,990.

On the OnePlus India website, the 8GB + 128GB variant is priced at Rs. 22,999, marking a Rs. 2,000 decrease from the November price of Rs. 24,999. It is worth noting that this discount is exclusively applicable to the 128GB model, as the higher-end 256GB variant is currently listed as out of stock.

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Specifications and Features

Display:

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 boasts a 6.7-inch full-HD+ fluid AMOLED display with a resolution of 1,080 x 2,412 pixels. With a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, users can enjoy smooth and fluid visuals, enhancing their overall viewing experience.

Processor and Performance:

Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 782G SoC, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 delivers robust performance and efficient multitasking capabilities. With up to 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB of onboard storage, users can seamlessly navigate between apps and store their multimedia content with ease.

Operating System:

The smartphone ships with Android 13-based OxygenOS 13.1, providing users with a clean and intuitive user interface coupled with a plethora of customization options. OxygenOS is known for its smooth performance and timely software updates, ensuring that users stay up-to-date with the latest features and security patches.

Camera:

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 features a versatile camera setup, comprising a 50-megapixel primary sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS) and electronic image stabilization (EIS) support. Accompanying this primary sensor is an 8-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide-angle lens and a 2-megapixel macro shooter, allowing users to capture a wide range of subjects with stunning detail and clarity. On the front, the device houses a 16-megapixel sensor for high-quality selfies and video calls.

Battery and Charging:

Equipped with a robust 5,000mAh battery, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 offers ample battery life to power through a full day of usage. Additionally, the device supports 80W wired SuperVOOC charging, enabling users to quickly replenish the battery and minimize downtime.

Connectivity:

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 supports a comprehensive range of connectivity options, including 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, GPS, and USB Type-C. Whether it’s streaming multimedia content, browsing the web, or staying connected with friends and family, users can rely on the Nord CE 3 to deliver seamless connectivity and performance.

Security:

For enhanced security, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 features an in-display fingerprint sensor, allowing users to conveniently unlock their device with a simple touch. This biometric authentication method adds an extra layer of protection to safeguard sensitive data and personal information.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 offers a compelling combination of performance, affordability, and innovation, making it an attractive choice for smartphone enthusiasts in India. With its recent price reduction and competitive specifications, the Nord CE 3 presents a compelling value proposition for consumers seeking a high-quality smartphone experience without breaking the bank. As OnePlus continues to innovate and introduce new features with each iteration, the Nord CE 3 stands as a testament to the company’s commitment to delivering exceptional devices tailored to the needs of its users.

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Technology News

Namma Yatri launches cab service in Bengaluru

Published

7 months ago

April 13, 2024

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In its largest market, Bengaluru, ride-hailing company Namma Yatri has expanded its services to include cab-hailing, marking a significant shift from its previous focus on auto rickshaws. Namma Yatri, known for pioneering a daily subscription model as opposed to the commission-based model utilized by competitors like Ola and Uber, had initially concentrated on auto rickshaws in Bengaluru. However, it now features a distinct section on its app dedicated to booking cabs in the city. Additionally, Namma Yatri already provides cab rides in Kochi and Kolkata.

The decision to venture into cab services follows Namma Yatri’s separation from its former parent company, Justpay, and comes on the heels of a reported expansion plan announced on April 1st. The move also aligns with the broader trend observed in the industry, as both Ola and Uber have recently introduced subscription-based plans for auto-rickshaw drivers on their platforms. This strategic shift towards subscription-based models, akin to Namma Yatri’s approach, as well as that of Rapido, highlights a growing preference within the industry for alternative pricing structures beyond traditional booking fees or commissions.

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