SC to hear plea against ban on cattle sale for slaughter today New Delhi, June 14 (IANS): The Supreme Court will hear on Thursday a plea challenging the Central government notification prohibiting sale and purchase of cattle at animal markets for slaughter on the grounds that it violates the right to free trade. Petitioner Mohammed Abdul Faheem Qureshi, who moved the top court on June 7, has also challenged the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Care and Maintenance of Case Property Animals) Rules, 2017 which provides for the seizures, recovery of the cost of transportation, maintenance and treatment of seized animals. The vacation bench of Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice Deepak Gupta had on June 7 directed the listing of the matter on June 15 after counsel Sanobar Ali Qureshi, appearing for the Hyderabad-based petitioner had mentioned the matter urging for an early hearing. Faheem Qureshi, himself a lawyer, has contended that the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Animals (Care and Maintenance of Case Property Animals) Rules, 2017, which bans sale of cattle for slaughter and other Rules Arestricts cattle trade respectively are arbitrary, illegal, and unconstitutional. He has contended that the rules violated his constitutional rights to practise any profession or to carry on any occupation, protection of life and personal liberty, freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion and protection of interests of minorities. The petitioner has challenged different stipulations of two notifications that came on May 23. Majority of employees for unethical behaviour: Survey Mumbai, June 14 (IANS): Indian employees are increasingly justifying unethical behaviour at workplace with a majority believing the management would ignore it to accomplish revenue targets, an Ernst & Young survey said on Wednesday. "Inconsistency and ambiguity in encouraging high ethical standards and insufficient understanding of compliance programmes have increasingly led employees to justify unethical behaviour at the workplace," said EY's Asia-Pacific (APAC) Fraud Survey. The survey highlighted that ethical leadership has emerged worrisome in India and China alike, with 57 per cent stating that senior management tends to overlook dubious actions of employees to attain corporate targets. As many as 58 per cent of Indian respondents said they are willing to work for firms involved in a major bribery or fraud case, while 60 per cent said organisations are reporting financial performance better than what is. Justifying fraud, corruption and unethical behaviour, 78 per cent of respondents said bribery and corrupt practices occur widely while 31 per cent said they would offer cash payments to win or retain business. Seventy one per cent expressed their unwillingness to use whistle-blowing hotlines with 25 per cent saying there is insufficient protection for whistle-blowers while 15 per cent believe their report will not be treated confidentially. Also, seven per cent said they are afraid that reporting will have a negative impact on their careers, the survey noted. The survey was carried out between November 2016 and February 2017.
