Dear Parents and Guardians, As MHRD seeks our opinion and we tried to convey our message loud and clear in the past. No school until a vaccine. It's time to share the same views again. We have around 9 lakhs signed petitions so far. And we want you all to share this petition again so that it reaches them. Doesn't matter if you have already signed it, please share this as much as possible in all the platforms. A child is a child, no different rules for middle or senior school children.Please don't ignore thinking that at the end of the day it's our call. Yes, that's true, we won't be sending our kids even if they open the schools. But we are equal stakeholders and schools should listen to us and as the Government asked for our opinion, we must tell them. Please keep fighting with us.     Opening of schools will be the worst decision by the Government. It's insane. It's like playing with fire when we ought to douse it with full force. The parents should fight against this stupidity with tooth n nail, not a single child to be sent to the schools for their own safety. Sign this petition. The current academic session should continue in e-learning mode. If the schools claim that they are doing a good job via virtual learning then why not continue it for the rest of the academic year. I am not sure who would send their kids to the school no matter what the school says in terms of measures they want to take like social distancing, sanitiser, etc. They are least bothered for the risk of the kids. Sad state of affairs!! Stand with us, as we raise our voices for the safety of our children. Sign and share this petition asking for no school for children. -VOICE OF THOUSANDS OF PARENTS

We want The Aravali Biodiversity Park and the efforts of over two decades of Reforestation be saved.  ABDP, was originally a stone quarry, spanning 380-acres, is located near the Delhi Gurgaon border and covers the land between MG Road to NH48. After the quarrying was declared illegal in the Aravali Region by the Honourable Supreme Court of India, The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram, in collaboration with an NGO "IAMGURGAON" facilitated the planting of more than 1,00,000 (One Lakh) Plants & Trees with the help of along 15,000 students, 20,000 private individuals and over 70 Corporates. This confluence of like-minded individuals and groups have worked together over the last 8 years to sustainably plan, create and tend to this young, urban forest. Today, this forest has over 400 native Aravali plant species, all introduced under appropriate ecological considerations of nativity. It attracts more than 180 bird species and is home to native animal species like the nilgai, civet cat, jungle cat, jackal, mongoose and hare making it a biodiversity hotspot in this region. In the highly polluted Gurgaon (now Gurugram) with very poor air quality, this is a massive carbon sink & microclimate stabilizer. In times of severe water crisis in Gurugram, with the groundwater depleting at 5m per year as the city pumps out 300% more groundwater than it recharges, the park serves to recharge over 320 million(32 crores) litres of water annually. ABDP is an open, green space which not only work as stress relieving and healing spaces for its citizens but also serves as a lifeline of the City. The GMDA proposal of liveability indices envisages 7 sqm of green cover per person, which translates to 3500 acres of green space today for its current permanent residing population of 20 lakhs. The Aravali BDP’s large green currently serves to meet about 11% of this total figure in a city starved of green space. A few days ago, the citizens of Gurugram were shocked to discover that the GMDA has proposed, and NHAI has endorsed the project for constructing a 6 lane highway cutting through the Aravali Biodiversity Park. As part of the Manesar-Gurgaon Road Connectivity Project, which will ruin the efforts of citizen and lakhs spent over a decade in reforestation.  The Road through the ABdP is in gross violation of our fundamental right to fresh air – apart from being highly suspect on several environmental, moral & civic grounds. The patch of the Road being planned is based on an obsolete survey Conducted by NHAI before full-fledged operation of NH-8 and before the new Fly-overs, Underpasses, etc. got operational. The Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary is already facing a disaster due to unconventional traffic movement in the region and an alarming fall in the number of Migratory Birds in the said region is being Observed over past 05 years.  Instead of the state taking cognisance of and celebrating and propagating this model, we find ourselves justifying the existence of, and defending against the destruction of - this very project. The Aravali Diversity Park becomes significant in the fact that it lies along one of last remaining “Aravali Ecosystem Corridors” on the erstwhile Ridge area of The National Capital Region. In response, We the citizens of Gurugram, We the ecologists, We the Running Groups, We the Cyclist Groups, We the Naturist, We the Flora, We the Fauna AND We the Children of this Polluted City                     who planted this young forest                     who spent their hard-earned resources                     who aided to Develop conserve, preserve the green blanket of our city. Request the support to “Save The Aravali Biodiversity Park” and we unanimously request the state of INDIA that the ABDP be declared a “Sacred Forest” to protect, conserve, and cherish – what they rightfully, consider sacrosanct and therefore sacred, to them. Team, Sumit Mehta, Advocate Rudra Law Firm #nahitoNHAI  #SaveAravaliBiodiversityPark #notonhai #letusbreatheclean Aravali Bio-Diversity Park Courtesy: Indira Unninayar,Supreme Court Lawyer Pradip KrishenEcologist Vijay DhasmanaEcologist Prerna BindraConservationist Chetan AgarwalEnvironmental Analyst Amit BhattUrban Transport specialist Vinita SinghDevelopment Sector Petitioner Mukta NaikUrban plannerCentre for Policy and Research Latika Thukraliamgurgaon Veena PadmanabhanCitizen activist

It felt like someone had stuffed burning tyres, a hundred unstubbed cigarettes and the contents of an open drain into my nose and down my throat. I thought I was going to die. It was early November. I remember waking up gagging like the rest of Delhi and parts of the National Capital Region. The stench was so foul that I could not only smell but taste it.I made the mistake of stepping out onto my balcony to get some fresh air but instead I inhaled toxic fumes. Within seconds the incessant coughing began, my eyes watered and a shooting headache gripped me.One didn’t even need to switch on the news to confirm what I instinctively knew: Delhi had turned into a gas chamber - with poisonous gases 70 times the permissible limit! And I was in the heart of it.While the better off amongst us followed doctors’ orders to stay indoors, wear masks and buy expensive indoor air purifiers, millions of others suffered a more miserable fate. I’m referring to the underprivileged, the homeless who can’t afford these luxuries, people who need to be on the move for work and infants, children and the elderly whose immune systems are weaker. #RightToBreatheMasks and purifiers are jugaad (quick-fixes). They don’t solve the problem. They delay doom. What we need are sustainable, long-term solutions. Our government - the people we elected to protect our well-being are the ones who - should be finding a way out. And fast. But instead what we saw playing out in the news was a blame game. One state blaming another. “Stop your farmers from burning rubble”. “No, you people need to curb vehicular pollution.” “Go regulate construction dust first”.Frankly, I don’t care who did what and why. Neither do the majority of citizens in North India who are suffering this blanket killer smog year after year. The time for finger-pointing is now long gone. It’s time for the 5 states most affected by toxic air in North India to work together like the 5 fingers on our hands. They are Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.This issue should be topmost for the leadership of all NCR states.Because toxic air harms everyone. It doesn’t distinguish between the lungs of ministers and common citizens, Punjabi farmers or Delhi car owners.I’ve started my petition asking the top political parties to  “Create a 5-state policy to tackle air pollution in NCR”  This, in addition to whatever emergency measures need to be taken to tackle the ongoing situation.Clean air matters much more to us citizens than votes do to politicians. So I hope the 5 states rise above the petty politics and work in sync.Sign and share my petition if you believe you have a right to clean air today. #MyRightToBreatheImage courtesy: https://epic.uchicago.in/

Schools have turned education into a business Private Schools are hiking their fees every year! From 15% to 25% and sometimes as high as 200%. No reasons given ,no consent taken. So where is all the money going? Clearly not where it matters the most as has been exposed by increasing incidents like the latest Ryan school tragedy. This Profiteering and commercialisation of education must stop. As a mother I have been struggled with the fee hikes myself. As a lawyer I have been fighting court cases on behalf of these aggrieved parents. The Supreme Court in 2004 had directed all state governments to enact a fee regulation act and constitute a fee regulation committee. Despite several such SC judgements only some states like Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Punjab, Gujarat Haryana and Rajasthan have enacted the act so far. However every state has a different fee regulation act. They have shortcomings which have come in the way of their proper implementation.  Education is the responsibility of both the Centre and the States. The Central government must act now because states have failed in trying to curb this growing racket. That’s why I started this petition asking the Education Minister, Prakash Javadekar, to introduce a law to regulate fee hikes across all private schools in India. The MHRD can intervene in two ways: 1. Make an amendment in RTE act and include provision for regulation of Fees. Appoint a committee at the central level (central free regulatory committee)and state level (State fee regulatory committee). The committee at the central level should be an appellate body. 2. Make a separate legislation with stringent provisions for fee regulation. Under this there can be a fee regulatory bodies both at the central, state and the district level. a. The state and district committees should be empowered to look into the accounts of the schools and trusts to check for any profiteering and commercial activities.b. The committee should be able to penalise any school found to be charging excess fees. The excess amount should be refunded to parents.c. For fee revision it must be mandatory for schools to submit their proposal and justify the hike. d. Schools should not be allowed to collect fees till their accounts have been verified by these committees. The verification should be displayed on the school notice board e. Parents should be able to approach these committees in case of fee disputes or complaints Government intervention is the need of the hour to ensure that education does not become a tool to siphon off money. School should be free to set their fee structure provided it is reasonable and not amounting to profiteering. I therefore request the HRD minister to step in and bring about the much needed reform and consider this proposal for enacting a central legislation or to amend RTE act.

Our drinking water will be poisoned if we don’t act now. The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) is planning to build TWO landfills on the banks of the Yamuna - one at Sonia Vihar (150 acres) and another one at Ghonda Gujran (50 acres), both in active floodplains. This is the most dangerous place to build a landfill. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has given a nod to the proposal, ignoring several laws such as the Water Act, 1974, The Environment Protection Act, 1986, the Waste Management Rules, 2016, The Ganga Authority Notification 2016, The NGT judgment dated January 13, 2015, in Maily se Nirmal Yamuna case, the DDA Act and The Zonal Plan for Zone O (river zone). Delhi Development Authority has finally allotted the land to EDMC too. Garbage, toxins & heavy metals will flow directly from this landfill into the Yamuna. These toxins will enter our drinking water creating a health crisis.   The Yamuna bank is an active floodplain which drains directly into the river. The area is also highly unstable with seismic activity. Any toxins stored on the banks will spill into the river and poison it. From the Yamuna, the toxins will enter Delhi’s groundwater and water supply, also the fact that the water table is high in these areas and therefore toxic leachate from the landfills is going to pollute the underground aquifers for all times. The water coming to our homes will become dangerous for us to use or consume. We need to make sure this landfill does not come up on the Yamuna banks. The landfill must be shifted to a safer site far away from our water supply. Once the Landfill is built the damage will be done. It will be a bureaucratic nightmare to implement safety measures or shut it down and reverse the damage. We must show the authorities right away that there is massive public opposition to building a landfill on the Yamuna banks.   We must unite now to protect the Yamuna, our water and our health.

At the age of seven, I was subjected to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Mumbai, in a most unhygienic and clandestine manner. The shock and trauma of that day are still with me. Like me, there are thousands of my Dawoodi Bohra sisters who have been subjected to genital cutting as children and even today thousands of Bohra girls are being subjected to this practice, since it has been ordained by the clergy of our community. A few months ago, women like me got together under the forum - ‘Speak out on FGM’ - to begin a conversation on this extremely secretive ritual which has caused physical and psychological damage to each of us in some way or the other. We the undersigned women, who have been subjected to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) also known as ‘Khatna’ belong to the Dawoodi Bohra community which has its major adherents in India. The practice of FGM is done surreptiously and in a clandestine manner to all the girl children in our community, without any consent whatsoever. The alleged reason for this tradition is to curb the sexual drive of women and control them. The Dawoodi Bohras are amongst the most educated in India, yet we are also the only Muslim community in India to practice FGM. The practice has nothing to do with religion and is more of a cultural practice. Most of us are too scared to speak out publicly. We fear ostracization, social boycott and exclusion of our families from the rest of the community by our religious clergy if we object to the continuation of this practice.    FGM has no health benefits, in fact it harms girls and women in many ways. It involves removing and damaging healthy and normal female genital tissue, and interferes with the natural functions of girls' and women's bodies. FGM is often done without anaesthesia, without medical supervision and sometimes the procedure goes horribly wrong. It often leads to pain, shock, tetanus, genital sores, excessive bleeding, etc. It also has long-lasting psychological impact on the victims, ranging from sexual disorders, fear of sexual intimacy, nightmares and post traumatic stress disorder. In December 2012, the UN General Assembly adopted a unanimous resolution on the elimination of FGM. Across the world FGM is being outlawed in many countries. Nigeria and Gambia recently made FGM illegal after women came together, campaigned and raised their voice. FGM is banned in over 20 countries in Africa itself. The World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies FGM as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. According to WHO, FGM reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. It is nearly always carried out on minors and is a violation of the rights of children. In Australia, three Dawoodi Bohras were held guilty of FGM recently by the Supreme Court of New Wales, Australia. The case was closely watched by the Dawoodi Bohra community in India. We urge the Government to pass a law banning this practice in India, such that anyone found involved in aiding, abetting and perpetrating this practice should be punished. Pressure of this law and fear of punishment will be the best way to put a stop to this cruel practice. I along with my Dawoodi Bohra sisters want to raise our voice against FGM in India and put an end to this. You can support us by signing this petition. Sign our petition and ask the government of India to act against Female Genital Mutilation! Masooma Ranalvi, Aarefa Johari, Insia Dariwala, Shabnum Poonawala, Nafisa Pardawala, Farida Ali, Tasneema Ranalvi, Hanan Adarkar, Shaheeda Kirtane, Tanvee Vasudevan, Ummul Ranalvi, Zainub Poonawala, Sana Vaidya, Zehra Patwa, Farzana Doctor, Fiza Jha, Zarine Hashim On Behalf of SPEAK OUT ON FGM

If this was the last toilet you had to use, would you?  For someone born with a kidney disorder, there is a constant fear of using a public toilet. Where will I find a safe, decent toilet? Will the facility be clean? Why is my mobility outside home restricted by a toilet?  This has been the story of my life for more than 25 years. Imagine the state of a basti or a jhuggi jhopri cluster, where the urban poor has to think twice before relieving- at all times of the day?  I work as an urban planner, and I understand the immense issues that are attached to the lack of facilities. Open defecation is not a local problem. It affects us all- via the air we breathe or even the water we drink. The lack of sanitation is responsible for the deaths of over 100,000 children in India annually (UNICEF). These numbers are shocking, to say the least.  “Over 9 crore toilets have been constructed across India,” said the Hon’ble President of India on January 31, 2019. While being Open Defecation Free falls under the Swachh Bharat Mission, and is a Sustainable Development Goal, have we in India really achieved this? As a Delhi resident, it shocked me to hear that the “usability of public toilets has increased by more than 400% in the last two years” (Deputy CM Manish Sisodia). This is such a contrast to what the ground reality is - 70% of public toilets in the city are not clean enough to be used (ActionAid).  Which is why I am asking the Delhi Government to conduct an audit on the usability of the toilets. Sign my petition. The reality on the ground? Inhabitants of jhuggi jhopri are defecating in open throughout the day or at least once a day, irrespective of the provision of facilities. Incidences of physical and sexual harassment are common. Children have lost limbs while crossing roads, railway lines, or drowned in drains.  Is open defecation a way of living for the poor? No! Is it their survival instinct? Definitely! While we are working towards creating an open defecation free India, is Delhi really setting a good precedent for the rest of India? We need an audit check! Join me in asking the Delhi government to: Audit check toilets of jhuggi jhopri clusters of Delhi for their USABILITY (not mere provision) before October 2, 2019 Identify the hotspots- a. jhuggi jhopri clusters where despite provision people are defecating in the openb. Clusters where facilities are still not provided  Identify the specific reasons for non-usage or limited usage On October 2, 2019, India was declared open defecation free. But, are we? NO!  Let us be a part of the change we want to see in the world! Sign and share this petition if #PublicHealthMatters to you! Let us build a #SwachhDelhi4All. Remember, if Delhi can do it, the entire nation WILL.  Picture credits: Mahak Agrawal

Join this campaign against exorbitant Fee Hike by Private schools.  Loot in the name of 7th pay commission. In the name of 7th pay commission, The parents have to pay arrears since January 2016 amounting to at least 25000 per child. It's an irony to see the exorbitant money collected from parents often take the shape of business establishments, instead of being used to better off the Teacher’s Salary. Each and every school is charging exorbitantly high fees and manipulate so much in books and stationery, uniform, transportation to make money from the helpless parents. Schools can hire top lawyers, so we parents have no other options but unite against the practice of buying judgments. Speak out against the nexus of Government officials and school management. Government officials are failed / or not willing to implement their own orders. The apathy of Political parties, as Parents are not a vote bank of any party. Every successive Govt’s callousness and deafness in controlling such mafia raj for education have failed miserably. Parents, Please join the campaign and make it louder and louder so that it reaches right to the top. Raise your voice and stop it now, else you will not be able to afford education in the next 2-3 years. Aprajita Gautam President - Delhi Parents Association उठो और अपने हक़ के लिए अवाज़ उठाओ HC scraps govt order capping pvt school fee  

Petition in other languages: Hindi , Italian, French Who is Shankar? In 1998, a 26 month-old male African elephant was presented as a diplomatic gift by Zimbabwe to India. He was named 'Shankar' after India’s 9th President Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma. Shankar, now over 26 years old, has lived his entire life in the Delhi zoo (National Zoological Park, NZP). Since 2001 when his sole companion Vambai passed away, Shankar has lived in solitary confinement.  Shankar's Physical and Mental Condition Shankar is chained for 17 hours of the day and does not have adequate space to move around when he is let out. Much like humans, elephants are social beings and suffer neurological distress when put in solitary confinement. Shankar constantly demonstrates stereotypical behaviour like swaying and head-bobbing, a key sign of distress (see video link). In fact, Shankar's aggressive behaviour has necessitated the zoo authorities to permanently close the viewing pathway since he could be a danger to visitors. In a response to our RTI in July 2021, the Delhi Zoo confirmed that not only has it made NO effort in the past, it has NO FUTURE PLANS to release Shankar to a sanctuary or any other location where he can have the companionship of other African elephants. This just fills us with sadness and despair for Shankar who is clearly in duress. If Shankar’s solitary captivity does not end immediately, he will meet the same fate as Vambai who died in the zoo. Our Demand We need the Delhi Zoo (NZP) to transfer Shankar to be released to a wildlife refuge or sanctuary where there are ample African elephants. The NZP director  has a unique opportunity to set an example to every other zoo in India and to the world so that not only Shankar but all other captive elephants can have a better future. Steps undertaken by YFA Letter sent to Delhi Zoo on October 4, 2021. Read here Letter sent to Prime Minister's Office on November 16, 2021. Read here Having received no response, we filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Delhi High Court that was heard on January 3, 2022. The Hon'ble High Court admitted our case and also directed the Respondents to consider our representation. Our court hearing took place on July 6, 2022 (read update). The court ordered Delhi Zoo, CZA and AWBI to conduct an inspection of Shankar and his living conditions by the next court hearing fixed for August 31, 2022. On August 31, 2022 the Delhi zoo was yet to file the inspection report in the court and hence the new court date of September 20, 2022 was set.  In the September 20, 2022 hearing, the CZA and AWBI had not added their inspection report on an affidavit hence the court gave them 2 weeks to do so and 2 weeks to us to file a response.  We really hope you will join hands with us to help Shankar earn his freedom and have a chance to live a normal elephant life with his own kind. Please sign our petition and share it widely. Thanks and regards Nikita Dhawan and Nandika Karunakaram (On Behalf of Youth For Animals) FOLLOW OUR SHANKAR CAMPAIGN PAGE HERE Reach us via- Website II Email  Follow us on social media to help amplify our voice Twitter II Facebook II Instagram II Linkedin II YouTube Hashtags for our campaign Main- #FreeShankarDelhiZoo Others- #FreeShankar #ShankarforSanctuary #Shankar #HaathiMereSaathi