Page 35 - NIS English 16-31 May 2023

Cover Story Sankalp years
Shakti of

ARTICLE 370 ABROGATED FROM
JAMMU-KASHMIR AND LADAKH ONE RANK ONE PENSION
THE DREAM OF ONE
One Rank One Pension (OROP), was a nearly
COUNTRY, ONE LAW, AND
4-decade-old demand of the Indian Armed
ONE SYMBOL CAME TRUE
Forces. According to it retired soldiers of the
same rank, who have retired after serving
n Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherji's resolution of "One country,
the same period of service, will receive
one constitution, one head, one symbol" has been
the same pension.
fulfilled after 72 years of independence.
n After freedom from Article-370 and 35A, Jammu-Kashmir n In the year 2014, when the government headed by Prime
and Ladakh, which are called heaven on earth, are also
Minister Narendra Modi took charge, after which on
matching step by step with the rest of the country in
November 7, 2015, the order of One Rank, One Pension
development.
was issued. Its benefits were given to all the Armed
Forces personnel and their families who retired before
n The decision to remove Article 370, which gave separate
July 1, 2014. Rs 10,795 crore was paid as arrears.
status to Jammu and Kashmir, was taken on 5 August
2019 and the Modi government ended the gap of 6 n 25.13 lakh is the number of pensioners now after the new
decades in 6 years. arrangement of the letter issued on January 4, 2023.
n With this, the real integration of Jammu and Kashmir has n 1,38,205 crore rupees have been budgeted for defense
taken place.
pension to meet the requirements of One Rank, One
Pension.
n Now Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh moved towards
socio-economic empowerment and local people got n The pension will be reset every five years.
democratic rights.

END OF THE EVIL PRACTICE OF RIVER LINKING PROJECT
TRIPLE TALAQ

n The date of 30 July 2019 has been recorded as an The present government started work on the
important milestone in the parliamentary history of India. decades-old scheme of interlinking rivers as soon
This law, which came into existence after the passage as it assumed power. A 'Special Committee on
of the historic triple talaq bill, has achieved such a
Interlinking of Rivers' was constituted in September
breakthrough in the direction of justice and respect for
2014 and a Special Task Force on Interlinking of
Muslim women, which was awaited for decades.
Rivers in April 2015. As a result of this, now the work
n In these few years, there has been a reduction of 80-85 on the first river-linking project is going on fast.
percent in the case of triple talaq.
n Muslim women have got the right to live with self- n 30 interlinks have been identified as part of the National
respect. Perspective Plan.
n In the words of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, “Prime n Work started on the first river-linking project under the
Minister Narendra Modi's name will definitely be placed Ken-Betwa Link Project. Rs 44,605 crore will be spent
in history in the class of social reformers like Raja on this. About Rs 8000 crore has been spent so far in
Rammohan Roy and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar after phase one and phase two. The project is targeted to be
the triple talaq law is enacted. The triple talaq law will completed by March 2030.
prove to be a revolutionary step in the direction of
n
promoting the interests and rights of Muslim women and Detailed Project Report of 7 links, Feasibility report of 9,
a new era will begin for them. and Pre-feasibility report of one have been completed.

New India Samachar May 16-31, 2023 33