There are currently 9,477 women serving in the Indian Armed Forces. Of these, 6,993 are officers of the Medical Corps, Dental Corps and Nursing Services in the Army, while 100 are serving in other ranks. Of the three services, the Navy has the least number of women officers at 748, while the Air Force has 1,636 women officers.
Minister of State for Defense Ajay Bhatt told Parliament in a written reply that women cadets have started training for the Army in the NDA in the July 2022 batch. Women are exempted for induction in the rank of colonel (selection grade). Women have started being included from 2019 under Junior Commission (JCO) and other ranks as well. In the Navy also, women are being sent on deployment on ships, overseas work, diplomatic appointments without any gender discrimination.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization has served show cause notices to 31 firms selling medicines online. Complaints were received against all of them for violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. In response to a written question, Minister of State for Health Dr. Bharti Praveen Pawar said that whenever a complaint related to the quality of drugs is received, the matter is taken up with the State Licensing Authority. Apart from this, some offenses under the Drugs and Cosmetics (Amendment) Act, 2008 have been kept in the cognizable and non-bailable category to prevent the manufacture and sale of spurious and adulterated drugs.
Disagreement on allowing pharmacists to write prescriptions
The government on Friday said that the National Medical Commission (NMC) has not agreed to the proposal of the Pharmacy Council of India to allow pharmacists to write prescriptions. Minister of State for Health Bharti Praveen Pawar gave this information in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
45 kg urea bag will be available for Rs 242 only
The central government will continue to give subsidy on all fertilizers including urea. A bag of 45 kg urea will be sold in the country only at the maximum retail price of Rs 242. However, neem coating and tax will be levied separately on this. Union Minister of State for Fertilizers Bhagwant Khuba said in a written reply that neither any study has been done nor there is any such proposal to see the impact of reduction in fertilizer subsidy on farmers. Apart from this, the government has allocated 42,000 crores for subsidy on Phosphate and Potassic (P&K) in 2022-23.
13,525 posts vacant in Delhi Police
According to a parliamentary committee, 13,525 posts are vacant in the Delhi Police. This is about 14 per cent of the total sanctioned strength of 94,254. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, headed by BJP MP Brij Lal, said the recruitment process is underway to fill 3,861 posts. The committee has recommended that the recruitment process should be completed within a stipulated time frame.
Dowry, rape cases increased in the last three years
There has been an increase in complaints of dowry, rape and attempt to rape in the National Commission for Women in the last three years, the government told the Lok Sabha. Giving statistics in response to a question in the Lok Sabha, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said, 357 dowry complaints were received in the year 2022, 341 in 2021 and 330 in 2020. The NCW received 1,710 complaints of rape and attempt to rape in 2022, 1,681 in 2021 and 1,236 in 2020.
