<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; color: #222222; line-height: 22px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">The Union Cabinet has approved a remission scheme for certain categories of prisoners, including women, transgenders and physically disabled, under which they will be set free on satisfying the given criteria. The remission is part of </span>commemoration<span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> of 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. </span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; color: #222222; line-height: 22px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br />''</span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; color: #222222; line-height: 22px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi yesterday. The scheme will cover those women and transgenders who have crossed the age of 55 years, and men over 60 years of age, given they have served 50 per cent of their total sentence. Prisoners with over 70 per cent disability and who have served 50 per cent of their sentence will also be covered under the scheme — irrespective of their age. Terminally ill prisoners will also be considered under the scheme. The scheme is, however, conditional and those convicted of murder, acts of terrorism, kidnapping for ransom, rape, dowry death and human trafficking will not be covered.</span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; color: #222222; line-height: 22px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 28px; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;"><br />''</span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; color: #222222; line-height: 22px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 28px; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;">The prisoners will be released in three phases, starting 2nd October this year.<br />''<br />''</span></p>''<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; color: #222222; line-height: 22px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 28px; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif;">The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs also approved the Uttar Pradesh government's proposal for setting up a new medical college at Deoria.</span></p>