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  • What is a halal certificate? And why is it required? 

    Halal Certificate
    Halal Certificate

    I decided to write an article on “Halal Certificate” after a small conversation with a Hindu right-wing supporter, who is using this “certificate issue” to spread hate. Please see the conversation first. 

    Right-wing supporter:

    A few days ago, I went to a friend’s place. The friend’s father does acupressure therapy and also recommends some Ayurvedic medicines so that health benefits can be taken in a natural way. At that time, he had a vendor of some Ayurvedic medicines sitting near him who was telling about his natural properties. I picked up a bottle of medicine and saw that ayurvedic medicine made in Haridwar had the stamp of “Halal” certification. I asked the seller what the “halal” stamp on Ayurvedic medicine meant, so saheb started doing it to the right and left. 

    Well, he did not answer the question but this question is serious because the “Halal” certificate has spread to today’s date from packaged food, medicines, beauty products, hospital housing projects, to halal tourism, halal banking, halal education, etc., apart from meat. It has to be remembered that the task of giving this certificate is done by institutions like Jamaat-e-Ulema Hind which do  not accept certificates like FSSAI, ISO, but in their own way, they set the standard according to Sharia law and are trying to create a mechanism that only provides employment for Muslims. Halal business is playing a game to create an economy parallel to the Indian economy in which 85 per cent of the products  will be Hindu society to buy, but from its creation to delivery, employment will be given to the Muslim. 

    A petition has also been filed in the Supreme Court today on this issue, demanding immediate termination of such certification.

    Whatever product you and I buy from today, you must check the seal of halal on it once, because according to a Buddhist monk from Myanmar, even if you are full of peace and compassion, you cannot sleep next to a mad dog. 

    thank you 🙏

    (The above part is translated from Hindi to English)

    Auther:

    I would like to point out that there is no connection between halal and ISO. It is used in processing and improving the management system. Halal refers to the type of food permitted in Islam. Alcohol is not allowed.  Hence, food that uses liquor cannot be certified as halal. Meat is prohibited in Hinduism, Jainism and Bodhism with some exceptions, but in Islam it is allowed, but not all the animals, and the process is defined. It is the same as putting a veg or non-veg label on a product. Halal means that the product is allowed for consumption by Muslims. But why does the company use this sign? The reason is to attract the Muslim customer as well as customers from Muslim countries. If you are concerned that Muslims are getting an advantage due to this Halal sign, then you are wrong.  This benefit only goes to the companies. If a Muslim cannot find a halal certificate on a product, what are their options? If there is any doubt that the product may contain ingredients that are haram in Islam, Muslims can only consume products manufactured by Muslims.

    Right-wing supporter:

    Why there is a need of such certificate ? Dnt muslims believe in FSSAI or others…halal certification is not limited to food items only, it is much more. You cn get even cloths which r being halal certified. 
    If muslims hv certain eating priorities due to their belief then at the same time others also hv theirs. Such certification is an imposition of one faith on others. Few ppl want everything should go as per their priorities and beleif. This must be stopped. Many democratic countries banned halal certification, why india shouldn’t.
    A petition filed in the Supreme Court has sought a complete ban on halal products and halal certification, claiming that fundamental rights of 85% citizens were being infringed for the sake of 15% population who use these products
    Do not take it otherwise but its fact and intellectual muslims must condemn this

    Auther:

    I already answered your question, “Why do we need such a certificate?” Again, you are mixing things that are different and have different objectives. Please learn about what the FSSAI’s goal is and what the Halal certificate’s goal is. An example will help you understand the concept. Assume a non-Muslim is selling meat. Muslims do not demand you to use a Halal Certificate. We Muslims just won’t eat that meat. Many Hindus won’t buy the meat either. Both are because of their religious beliefs. We’re not trying to force our wills on each other. However, we are both simply following our faith. But if the meat seller wants to grow his business and get more customers, he will tell the Muslim community that the meat he sells is prepared according to how Muslims believe it should be done. Halal certificate is the way to tell if someone is telling the truth.
    Islam guided humans in every aspect and area of life. You can read Islam to find out how. For example, in Islam, interest is forbidden, so if you sell the mutual fund, I won’t buy it. Because I have no idea what instrument you intend to invest my money. But if you could explain that among our different financial models, we have one in which the investments are made in accordance with Shariah compliance, Read the real article if you don’t know what Shariah Compliance means. So Muslims will invest in that plan as well.
    I’m not sure how it affects the fundamental rights of others. I believe you must comprehend the fundamental right. One of the fundamental rights is the freedom to practise one’s own religion and beliefs. So, it actually supports basic rights.
    Please don’t be offended. You need to know the truth so that you don’t accidentally spread hate.

    Right-wing supporter:

    Bottomline is there is no need of halal type thing. FSSAI and other govt bodies are potent enough to assess the quality of product. Hopefully this propaganda based thing will be neutralised soon.

    Halal Certificate
    Halal Certificate

    I understood from the above discussion that further discussion is useless and a waste of time. However, I decided to share the information about Halal Certificate. The article may become more informative if you provide the relevant information in the comment section.

    What is a Halal Certificate?

    The halal certificate is a document that certifies that products and services marketed to Muslims meet the requirements of Islamic law and are thus suitable for consumption in both Muslim-majority countries and Western countries with significant Muslim populations (France, Germany, United Kingdom, and Spain). Halal certification is a process that ensures the features and quality of products in accordance with the Islamic Council’s rules that allow the use of the term “Halal.” It is mostly used on meat and other food products like milk, canned food, and additives. For meat products, halal certifies that the animals were slaughtered in a single cut, thoroughly bled, and that their meat had not come into contact with meat from other animals, particularly pork. Halal-certified products are frequently labelled with a halal symbol or simply the letter M (as the letter K is used to identify kosher products for the Jewish population). (“What Is Halal Certificate? definition and meaning“)

    Who requires this certificate?

    Exporters, importers, distributors, traders and brokers, logistics professionals, forwarding agents, shipping lines, airlines, and international trucking firms can all benefit from the Halal Certificate. (“What Is a Halal Certificate? definition and meaning”)

    What is the benefit? 

    • Halal certification is required by Muslim importing countries and some non-Muslim importers.
    • HCA is audited on a regular basis by AQIS, DAWR, JAKIM, GAC (regulated by ESMA and GSO), SFDA (regulated by SASO), and DQS (regulated by JAS-ANZ).
    • HCA does not charge royalties on the processed products that it certifies. The certification fee is not based on the quantity, quality, or number of products.
    • Halal certification accounts for one dollar out of every three dollars earned from exports and directly employs over 400,000 non-Muslim Australians, both men and women.
    • As a quarter of the world’s population is Muslim, companies benefit from a larger market share as a result of halal certification.
    • The global halal market is expanding.
    • To be able to use the term “halal,” a product must be halal certified by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
    • Manufacturers seeking new niche markets in Australia and abroad are driving certification.
    • There are no changes or rituals required for Halal certification of processed foods. Only qualifying products are certified.
    • There are no changes or rituals required for Halal certification of processed foods. Only qualifying products are certified.
      ([CSL STYLE ERROR: reference with no printed form.])

    Works Cited

    “What Is a Halal Certificate? Definition and Meaning.” Dictionary of International Trade, www.globalnegotiator.com, https://www.globalnegotiator.com/international-trade/dictionary/halal-certificate/#:~:text=Halal%20certification%20is%20a%20process%20which%20ensures%20the,products%20such%20as%20milk%2C%20canned%20food%20and%20additives. Accessed 19 June 2022.

    admin. “CERTIFICATION.” Halal Certification Authority, halalauthority.org, https://halalauthority.org/certification/. Accessed 19 June 2022.

  • The Biggest ever Bank Loan Fraud

    After the bank fraud done by Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, a new Bank Scam has come into picture of Rs. 22842 crores. This bank loan fraud in India would be proved the biggest ever loan fraud if found to be true in investigation.

    The Accused of Bank Loan Fraud

    CBI declared ABG Shipyard Ltd. the primary accused and the Chairman of the company named Kamlesh Agarwal is the secondary defendant as he signed the loan agreement. Apart from them the director of the executive director and three other directors are defendant in this case. Their names are Santhanam Muthaswamy, Ashwini Kumar, Sushil Kumar Agarwal, Ravi Vimal Nevetia respectively. This list of defendants also includes an affiliate business ABG International Private Limited and unspecified governmental officers and non-government people.

    One of India’s key players in vessel construction, the ABG Shipyard Ltd. has shipyards company in Gujarat’s Surat and Dahej where it has the capacity to manufacture boats up to 18,000 dead weight tones (DWT) and 1,20,000 DWT.

    Bank loan Fraud
    ABG Shipyard Ltd.

    “Dead Weight tonnage (DWT): Dead weight tonnage (DWT) shows the capacity of a ship that how much weight a ship can carry. It includes the sum of the total of the weights of cargo, fuel, fresh water, ballast water, provisions, passengers, and crew”

    How did the Bank Loan Fraud do?

    As part of the 28-bank consortium, it was claimed that ABG Shipyard Ltd. had defrauded the branches of the erstwhile State Bank of Patiala, Commercial Finance Branch, New Delhi, and the erstwhile State Bank of Travancore. As per the CBI news declaration, the joint venture was led by ICICI Bank.

    As stated in the FIR, the accused company is charged of having outstanding loan with ICICI Bank of Rs 7,089 crore, State Bank of India (SBI) of Rs 2,925 crore, Punjab National Bank of Rs 1,243 crore, IDBI Bank of Rs 3,539 crore, Exim Bank of India of Rs 1,327 crore, Indian Overseas Bank of Rs 1,228 crore and various other banks and financial institutions.

    The Ernst and Young has exposed in their forensic audit that between 2012 and 2017, the defendants conspired and engaged in illegitimate acts, including the diversion of cash for purposes other than the ones for which the loan was given by the bank. The corporation allegedly gave large sums to numerous parties

    A large amount of funds was revealed to have been invested in the offshore subsidiary as well. Additionally, money from banks was allegedly used to purchase huge assets in the names of the people involved. In July 2016, the loan account was labeled a non-performing asset (NPA).

    “Consortium Bank: A consortium bank is a bank created by several banks to fund a project that is too huge for one bank to do alone. The purpose of creating a consortium bank is to leverage the assets of individual banks. All members in a consortium bank have equal ownership and no one bank has a controlling interest.“

    According to Ernst and Young’s forensic audit, the accused conspired and performed illegal acts such as money laundering, embezzlement, and unlawful breach of trust between 2012 and 2017. This is the largest instance of bank fraud ever investigated by the FBI’s Central Division (CBI). According to the report, money was being utilized for reasons other than those for which banks had authorized its release. In July 2016, the loan account was labeled a non-performing asset (NPA).

    Bank Loan Fraud

    How to Prevent Bank Loan Frauds?

    At the time when India is seeing a dip in its economy due to pandemic and various other reasons, this bank loan fraud of Rs. 22842 crores will hamper the economy more. India must curb these types of fraud by making a strong policy. Already Neerav Modi, Vijay Mallya and Mehul Chowkasi have done big scams in bank loans. And also, they succeed in fleeing away from the country. The country where farmers are committing suicide due to the burden of only small or medium loan amount, this type of huge bank loan fraud is a question mark before the government. The government must take it seriously and punish the accused severely.

  • The growth of e-RUPI could have a tremendous impact on reducing high cash flow in the economy

    The new e-RUPI solution, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, is a QR code or SMS-based e-voucher that directly arrives in a person’s mobile phone with the beneficiary’s information embedded within.

    A platform for accepting payments via the internet and without the need for an internet connection has been developed by the NPCI, the retail payment nodal agency, together with other government departments on the UPI platform.

    Under the current programme, government subsidies to the direct benefit transfers (DBT) are disbursed to people through Jan Dhan accounts. Once the DBT funds are added to the beneficiaries’ accounts, the beneficiaries withdraw the money. The government made a massive DBT transfer of Rs 2.96 lakh crore in 2020-21, which experts say is one of the reasons for the economy’s high cash levels.

    As far as the end-user beneficiaries are concerned, there is no need to withdraw cash to get vouchers, as the e-RUPI vouchers are available to them. If DBT is successful, we could see e-RUPI adoption for many other services and payments like DBT in rural and semi-urban areas.

    Stronger controls may be required to monitor any potential fraud, according to Bharat Panchal, chief risk officer of financial technology company FIS. Once such pre-paid instruments start moving from one hand to another, it would be extremely difficult to trace.

    “It would be effective to match the beneficiary’s details at the time of redemption to ensure that the true beneficiary is only utilising it and not someone else,” he recommends.

    In 2020-21, despite digitization initiatives in the payment space, the GDP will have already passed the 14 per cent mark in terms of cash flow. In contrast to the pre-demonetisation level of 12%, the cash to GDP ratio today is at 14.6%, which is substantially higher.

    Cash in the system as a percentage of GDP is an important indicator to look at when measuring the circulation currency.

    The weakest link in the digital payments chain is smaller towns and cities. Bank branches are located in remote locations in smaller cities, and the ATM network is also very limited. This forces individuals to withdraw cash in one transaction to cover their monthly expenses.

    Additionally, there are tax implications associated with the banking correspondent model, which serves as a link between bank branches and account holders. For example, a bank clerk who withdraws money from accounts exceeding Rs 20 lakh during the course of a financial year has to pay TDS at the rate of 2% on cash. Withdrawals of more than Rs 1 crore in a financial year will increase your TDS rate to 5%.

    As small-time traders and kirana store wallas, banking correspondents rarely file tax returns. This has caused the vast majority of banking representatives to restrict their business to amounts below Rs 20 lakh to avoid questions from bank employees.

  • Modi is expected to inaugurate the e-Rupi programme today. Here’s how it works, the benefits, and everything you need to know

    The digital payments system e-Rupi will be launched today by the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi. A video-conferencing system will be used to conduct the launch. The PMO says that the Prime Minister has been strongly in favour of digital initiatives, such e-Rupi, and that position has not changed.

    In partnership with the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, and the National Health Authority, the National Payments Corporation of India has created e-Rupi on the UPI platform.

    In order to ensure that the intended beneficiaries are able to access the benefits in a targeted and leak-proof way, the PMO announced numerous initiatives.

    E-RUPI? What is it?

    The E-Rupi is a digital currency and contactless payment instrument that utilises Internet and mobile technologies. e-voucher technology is either QR code-based or SMS string-based. When generated, this voucher will be delivered to the cellphone of the beneficiaries. You may use this voucher without using a card, digital payments app or the internet.

    This seamless payment method connects sponsors and beneficiaries while simultaneously distributing resources. It also ensures that the service provider is only paid when the transaction has been completed.

    E-RUPI benefits

    In that regard, it’s analogous to a prepaid service, in which the user provides money directly to the service provider, without the use of a middleman.

    Additionally, it can be used for providing services in schemes designed to supply medicines and nutritional support, as well as for TB eradication campaigns, diagnostics, and fertilisers under Mother and Child Welfare Programs, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, and similar other programmes.

    According to the statement, private companies can use these digital vouchers as part of their employee welfare and corporate social responsibility programmes.

  • Italy defeated COVID-19? A wrong viral rumor.

    Italy defeated COVID-19 and COVID-19 is bacteria not virous is viral on the net particularly on Facebook.

    A viral message in Hindi claims that “Italy has defeated coronavirus”. It says that the country performed autopsies on patients who died of COVID and found they had died of “5G electromagnetic radiation”. The wrong message is under circulation when the country is facing the tough time due the COVID-19 disease and it is extremely dangerous for a person with low immune capacity.

    However, it is true that there is several suspicion and rumor related to disease are present in the society and in many places, people found the unethical conduct of the doctor that increase the suspicion and finally support to spread these types of rumor. These types of rumor were also present in the last year.

    The rumor claims the followings

    Italy defeated COVID-19?
    1. COVID-19 is a bacterium, not a virus.
    2. There is a ‘World Health Law’ prohibiting autopsies on the patients who died of COVID-19
    3. The WHO ordered immediate incineration or burial of the deceased COVID-19 patients
    4. The WHO labelled the bodies of COVID-19 patients as highly polluted
    5. Italy became the first country to conduct an autopsy on COVID-19 patients
    6. The Italian Ministry of Health immediately changed COVID-19 treatment protocols in response to autopsies
    7. The ventilators and the ICU were never needed for COVID-19 patients
    8. Italy defeated COVID-19
    9. 5G amplified COVID-19

    In Reality, the above claims are false.

    However, an article published with a title “Postmortem Findings in Italian Patients With COVID-19: A Descriptive Full Autopsy Study of Cases With and Without Comorbidities” that claim certain findings that is totally different from the rumor mentioned above. The above article is published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, Volume 222, Issue 11, 1 December 2020.

    The abstract of the article is as follows

    Background

    Descriptions of the pathological features of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) caused by the novel zoonotic pathogen severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) emanate from tissue biopsies, case reports, and small postmortem studies restricted to the lung and specific organs. Whole-body autopsy studies of COVID-19 patients have been sparse.

    Methods

    To further define the pathology caused by SARS-CoV-2 across all body organs, we performed autopsies on 22 patients with COVID-19 (18 with comorbidities and 4 without comorbidities) who died at the National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani-IRCCS Hospital, Rome, Italy. Tissues from the lung, heart, liver, kidney, spleen, and bone marrow (but not the brain) were examined. Only lung tissues were subject to transmission electron microscopy.

    Results

    COVID-19 caused multisystem pathology. Pulmonary and cardiovascular involvement were dominant pathological features. Extrapulmonary manifestations included hepatic, kidney, splenic, and bone marrow involvement, and microvascular injury and thrombosis were also detected. These findings were similar in patients with or without preexisting medical comorbidities.

    Conclusions

    SARS-CoV-2 infection causes multisystem disease and significant pathology in most organs in patients with and without comorbidities.

    The above article is free, and you can download it here for full reference.

    However, it is true that the pandemic result in the reduction of the faith on the doctors and the hospital particularly the big hospital. This is a serious issue, and it must be addressed. And at the same time government should disclose the health threat of the 5G network.