Building Rural Sikkim
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (NREGA) aims to provide 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household demanding it. Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, was always concerned about rural India's poverty and living conditions. His pet phrase was, "India lives in villages".
Similarly, "Sikkim also lives in villages".
It was in fitness of things that the popular flagship programme National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) was renamed after Mahatma Gandhi. In a commemorative function at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on 2nd October, 2009, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said that the government move to rename the NREGA is only a "humble tribute" to the Father of the Nation on his 140th birth anniversary.
The greatest strength of democracy is that, under this programme, the people are the masters of the destiny and also of their own developmental works. This is the principle of "Swaraj" or "self rule" that Mahatma Gandhi had always cherished. MGNREGA is currently in its 4th year of implementation in Sikkim. This Scheme has been universalized and is operational in all the 163 Gram Panchayats of the State. The Scheme has been able to put money in the hands of the poorest of the poor on a scale that is unprecedented.
During the last financial year (2008-09), 52,000 (of the total 80,000) rural households (mostly women) participated in this program. The program attracted not only the 19,235 rural poor but also the 32,765 APL families. Wage payment to the tune of Rs.25 crore was released to them, creating a multiplier effect and stimulating the rural economy.
MGNREGA was able to dignify labour work in the villages, and provide purchasing power among the rural household. When these poor households spend this additional money, they create a demand for commodities. The production of these commodities, in turn, creates demand for capital raw materials and workers. This demand stimulating process is called the multiplier. The plan of action this year is to shift the emphasis to those activities that enhance “rural household incomes”. If implemented in true sense by focusing on strengthening rural livelihood, this is an historic opportunity to transform rural Sikkim sustainably like never before.
In order to ensure transparency, the wage payment was routed through 42,000 newly opened bank and post office accounts. The muster rolls were also read out in the Gram Sabha in Social Audits conducted by reputed NGOs in all the villages. A grievance redressal mechanism has also been established along with transparent material purchase norms and a toll free helpline 7979 is operational. The works to be taken up in the village are proposed by the Gram Sabha, estimate is done by the Block office, technical sanctions are given at the District level and financial sanctions by the Zilla Panchayat. No contractors or middle men are permitted and 100% implementation of works is by the Gram Panchayat.
The MGNREGA, a wage employment guarantee programme, has received an unparalleled public response and more than 40,000 rural households are currently participating in this programme. This translates to a wage payment of Rs 40 lakh daily to rural Sikkim. Recently Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India has approved an 83% hike in central release for MGNREGS-Sikkim for 2009-10 based on a very positive, independent performance evaluation by IIM-Shillong. The total budget for the State is to the tune of Rs 75 crore and the Central share of Rs 54 crore has already been released in 15 installments.
Sikkim is the only state in the country where 100% implementation of MGNREGA is being done by Gram Panchayats. The average outlay for a GPU is about Rs 40 lakh annually. MGNREGS has helped in strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions by bringing real democracy to the grassroots, and facilitated the transformation from Contractor Raj to Panchayati Raj.
Also development of critical springs under the banner of "Dhara Vikas" (Spring-shed Development) under MGNREGA has also been initiated. Development of the springshed will be taken up with soil moisture conservation works like digging staggered trenches and pits along contours, gully plugging, bunding of terraces and making them inward sloping, de-silting of existing, dried up ponds and lakes. Vegetative measures will include plantation of low water demanding and shallow-rooted grass/shrubs/trees. Currently MGNREGA-Dhara Vikas works on a pilot basis are underway to revive 3 springs in the South and East districts.
In order to improve the technical management of this programme, additional technical manpower on contractual basis have been recently appointed. Amongst the new initiatives, Village Service Centers (Gram Seva Kendra) at the GPUs level which will function as a MGNREGA Village Office will soon be created. The budget for each of these centers will be Rs 10 lakh each, and the work will be started from April, 2010
. They will be developed as an extension of the existing Gram Prashashan Kendras or will be located in the immediate vicinity. An SMS based, micro-monitoring system will also soon be put in place which will enable the progress at the Gram Panchayat Ward level to be recorded on a weekly basis. This will enable near real time progress reporting at the micro level and corrective action can be taken much faster.
SOURCE:SIKKIM REPORTER
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Jogging can improve memory: Study
According to scientists at Cambridge University, regular jogging leads to growth of new cells in the area of the brain which in turn boosts the memory.
Running regularly not just helps one shed those extra weight, it also does wonders for the mind, claims a new study.
According to scientists at Cambridge University, regular jogging leads to growth of new cells in the area of the brain which in turn boosts the memory.
Timothy Bussey, a behavioural neuroscientist and the lead researcher, said their study on mice showed that aerobic exercise triggers the growth of grey matter (known as neurogenesis).
It may be linked to increased blood flow or higher levels of hormones that are released while exercising, the scientists said.
For their study, they examined two groups of mice, one which had unlimited access to a running wheel while the other did not.
“After a few days left alone, they put both groups of mice through a series of memory tests on a computer screen. It displayed two identical squares side by side, and if they nudged the one on the left with their nose they received a sugar pellet reward, while the one on the right yielded nothing,” the Daily Mail reported.
The mice who had been running were almost twice as successful as those in the control group at picking the correct square, it said.
Bussey said: “At this stage of the experiment, the two memories the mice are forming of the squares are very similar.
It is when they have to distinguish between the two that these new brain cells really make a difference.”
“We know exercise can be good for healthy brain function, but this work provides us with a mechanism for the effect,” added Bussey.
The scientists, who examined brain tissues taken from the rodents, found that the running mice had grown fresh gray matter during the experiment.
Tissue samples from the dentate gyrus part of the brain, one of the few regions of the adult brain which can grow new cells, showed on average 6,000 new brain cells had been created.
Previous studies on people with depression have found their symptoms can improve if they exercise regularly. It is also thought exercise might also reduce stress, which inhibits new brain cells through a hormone called cortisol.
Some anti-depressant drugs work by encouraging the growth of new brain cells.
According to scientists at Cambridge University, regular jogging leads to growth of new cells in the area of the brain which in turn boosts the memory.
Running regularly not just helps one shed those extra weight, it also does wonders for the mind, claims a new study.
According to scientists at Cambridge University, regular jogging leads to growth of new cells in the area of the brain which in turn boosts the memory.
Timothy Bussey, a behavioural neuroscientist and the lead researcher, said their study on mice showed that aerobic exercise triggers the growth of grey matter (known as neurogenesis).
It may be linked to increased blood flow or higher levels of hormones that are released while exercising, the scientists said.
For their study, they examined two groups of mice, one which had unlimited access to a running wheel while the other did not.
“After a few days left alone, they put both groups of mice through a series of memory tests on a computer screen. It displayed two identical squares side by side, and if they nudged the one on the left with their nose they received a sugar pellet reward, while the one on the right yielded nothing,” the Daily Mail reported.
The mice who had been running were almost twice as successful as those in the control group at picking the correct square, it said.
Bussey said: “At this stage of the experiment, the two memories the mice are forming of the squares are very similar.
It is when they have to distinguish between the two that these new brain cells really make a difference.”
“We know exercise can be good for healthy brain function, but this work provides us with a mechanism for the effect,” added Bussey.
The scientists, who examined brain tissues taken from the rodents, found that the running mice had grown fresh gray matter during the experiment.
Tissue samples from the dentate gyrus part of the brain, one of the few regions of the adult brain which can grow new cells, showed on average 6,000 new brain cells had been created.
Previous studies on people with depression have found their symptoms can improve if they exercise regularly. It is also thought exercise might also reduce stress, which inhibits new brain cells through a hormone called cortisol.
Some anti-depressant drugs work by encouraging the growth of new brain cells.
Pharmacy College to come up at Sajong
GANGTOK, January 22: The State Health and Family Welfare Department has identified the existing site of the Leprosy Hospital at Sajong in Rumtek for construction of a Pharmacy College.
An IPR release informs that the site measuring approximately 1.056 acres along with infrastructure had been utilized till 2003 as a leprosy hospital under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme.
However, with the State achieving the Government of India target of a prevalence of less that 1/10000 leprosy cases and the new guidelines from the Centre to do away with hospitals specifically meant only for leprosy patients the Hospital along with existing infrastructure was handed over to the parent department in 2003-04.
The establishment of the Pharmacy College at the proposed site, the release added would ensure optimal utilization of the land available.
GANGTOK, January 22: The State Health and Family Welfare Department has identified the existing site of the Leprosy Hospital at Sajong in Rumtek for construction of a Pharmacy College.
An IPR release informs that the site measuring approximately 1.056 acres along with infrastructure had been utilized till 2003 as a leprosy hospital under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme.
However, with the State achieving the Government of India target of a prevalence of less that 1/10000 leprosy cases and the new guidelines from the Centre to do away with hospitals specifically meant only for leprosy patients the Hospital along with existing infrastructure was handed over to the parent department in 2003-04.
The establishment of the Pharmacy College at the proposed site, the release added would ensure optimal utilization of the land available.
RAILWAYS TO REACH BHUSUK-GANGTOK
SIKKIM: Railway lines to be laid only after survey approved by Railway Boards
GANGTOK, January 22: The joint inspection survey for the railway link with regard to finalisation of stations and terminal stations in the State was conducted today at Rangpo in East Sikkim, where representatives from the Northeast Frontier Railways, Army and State Government officials were present.
During the meet, it was discussed that the new locational survey showing the stretch of rail route to about 44.39 km starting from Sevoke to Rangpo has been completed and that the report for the same have been put forward to the Railway Board for sanctioning.
Railway lines would be laid only after this survey is approved by the Railway Boards.
As per the survey of 44.39 km stretch, 32 km would fall under tunnel. “The tunnel proposed is about 14 and out of which it is learnt that 3 - 4 tunnels would consist of more than 4 km in length,” the officials said.
In regard to second phase of connectivity for a stretch of 69 km connecting Rangpo to Bhusuk, the preliminary engineering traffic (PET) survey has also been completed. Here, the survey team has proposed two more stations – one near Saramsa
Garden/Chota Singtam and the other at just beyond Bhusuk Junior High School
area. Further it is learnt that the train ferrying state would have stoppages at Rangpo main junction, Singtam, Nimtar, Chota Singtam/Saramsa station and Bhusuk.
Speaking to SIKKIM EXPRESS, the officer in charge, BRO said, “We see no problem in regard to Sikkim with railway line coming here but since we are working on double laning and connectivity of railway from Sevok to Rangpo is near to National Highway 31-A, this need to be clarified by the railway authorities.
In the second phase, the inspecting team will be working with nodal departments especially in areas where the rail route passes through forest land and private holdings.
Members from Northeast Frontier, Lieutenant Colonel, 17th Mountain Division, Sidharth Malik, Major Chetan Kumar, OC, BRO, 87 RCC, State Mines and Geology secretary KK Pradhan , Managing Director, Sikkim Mining Corporation BN Sharma, Divisional Forest Officer, East (Territorial) BB Gurung, Revenue Officer from District Collectorate Office GP Sharma, State Land Revenue Joint Secretary BR Subba, State Power Chief Engineer, G Targain, State Transport Chief Engineer (Mechanical division) BK Singh and State Transport Additional Chief Engineer UK Pradhan were present in the joint meeting.
GANGTOK, January 22: The joint inspection survey for the railway link with regard to finalisation of stations and terminal stations in the State was conducted today at Rangpo in East Sikkim, where representatives from the Northeast Frontier Railways, Army and State Government officials were present.
During the meet, it was discussed that the new locational survey showing the stretch of rail route to about 44.39 km starting from Sevoke to Rangpo has been completed and that the report for the same have been put forward to the Railway Board for sanctioning.
Railway lines would be laid only after this survey is approved by the Railway Boards.
As per the survey of 44.39 km stretch, 32 km would fall under tunnel. “The tunnel proposed is about 14 and out of which it is learnt that 3 - 4 tunnels would consist of more than 4 km in length,” the officials said.
In regard to second phase of connectivity for a stretch of 69 km connecting Rangpo to Bhusuk, the preliminary engineering traffic (PET) survey has also been completed. Here, the survey team has proposed two more stations – one near Saramsa
Garden/Chota Singtam and the other at just beyond Bhusuk Junior High School
area. Further it is learnt that the train ferrying state would have stoppages at Rangpo main junction, Singtam, Nimtar, Chota Singtam/Saramsa station and Bhusuk.
Speaking to SIKKIM EXPRESS, the officer in charge, BRO said, “We see no problem in regard to Sikkim with railway line coming here but since we are working on double laning and connectivity of railway from Sevok to Rangpo is near to National Highway 31-A, this need to be clarified by the railway authorities.
In the second phase, the inspecting team will be working with nodal departments especially in areas where the rail route passes through forest land and private holdings.
Members from Northeast Frontier, Lieutenant Colonel, 17th Mountain Division, Sidharth Malik, Major Chetan Kumar, OC, BRO, 87 RCC, State Mines and Geology secretary KK Pradhan , Managing Director, Sikkim Mining Corporation BN Sharma, Divisional Forest Officer, East (Territorial) BB Gurung, Revenue Officer from District Collectorate Office GP Sharma, State Land Revenue Joint Secretary BR Subba, State Power Chief Engineer, G Targain, State Transport Chief Engineer (Mechanical division) BK Singh and State Transport Additional Chief Engineer UK Pradhan were present in the joint meeting.
INDIA:“Scheme of Assistance to Training Institutions” to train 500 million persons by 2022
23.1.2010 19:2 IST
The Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises has been implementing a plan scheme of "Assistance to Training Institutions", commonly known as the EDI scheme since 1993-94.
Under the scheme assistance is provided to existing and new training Institutions for establishment of Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) and strengthening of their training infrastructure on a matching basis, not exceeding 50 percent of the project cost or Rs. 150 lakh whichever is less (90 percent or Rs. 270 lakh of the project cost whichever is less, for State level EDIs in Union Territories of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands) excluding cost of land and working capital.
The balance 50 percent of the matching contribution (10 percent for State level EDIs in Union Territories of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands) should come from the concerned Institute, State/UT Government, public funded institution(s), NGOs/Trusts/ Banks/Companies/Societies/Voluntary organizations etc.
Now a new component of training has been added under the EDI scheme. It is proposed to train 2,11,500 persons at a cost of Rs 95.74 crore i.e. @ Rs 4500 per person during remaining period of XI Plan. This has been done to achieve the Target set by the Prime Minister to train 500 million persons by 2022. It is also proposed to train 1000 trainers at a cost of Rs 1.80 crore i.e. @ Rs 18000 per trainer. 50% persons to be trained would be in rural areas.
Assistance would be provided under the scheme to following Training Institutions, for conducting Entrepreneurship Development Programmes (EDPs) and Entrepreneurship cum Skill Development Programmes (ESDPs) and Training of Trainers (ToTs) programmes in the areas of Entrepreneurship and/or Skill Development.
(a) National level EDIs (including branches),
(b) Training Institutions established by Partner Institutions (PIs) of national level EDIs,
(c) Training/Incubation centres of NSIC,
(d) Training cum Incubation Centres (TICs) set up by Franchisees of NSIC
Skill Development (SDP) training would normally be of 100 to 300 hours (1 to 3 months). Entrepreneurship Development (EDP) training would be of 72 hours (2 weeks) and Trainer’s Training for 300 hours.
Maximum training assistance (per trainee per hour) would be limited to following rates:-
Particulars
Maximum assistance per trainee per hour (Rs)
SC/ST/Physically Handicapped (PH) /North Eastern Region (including Sikkim), Union Territories of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshdeep Islands (NER+)
District Head Quarter (HQ)
60/-
Urban areas other than District HQ
50/-
Rural areas
40/-
Others
District HQ
50/-
Urban areas other than District HQ
40/-
Rural areas
30/-
RTS/VN
23.1.2010 19:2 IST
The Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises has been implementing a plan scheme of "Assistance to Training Institutions", commonly known as the EDI scheme since 1993-94.
Under the scheme assistance is provided to existing and new training Institutions for establishment of Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) and strengthening of their training infrastructure on a matching basis, not exceeding 50 percent of the project cost or Rs. 150 lakh whichever is less (90 percent or Rs. 270 lakh of the project cost whichever is less, for State level EDIs in Union Territories of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands) excluding cost of land and working capital.
The balance 50 percent of the matching contribution (10 percent for State level EDIs in Union Territories of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands) should come from the concerned Institute, State/UT Government, public funded institution(s), NGOs/Trusts/ Banks/Companies/Societies/Voluntary organizations etc.
Now a new component of training has been added under the EDI scheme. It is proposed to train 2,11,500 persons at a cost of Rs 95.74 crore i.e. @ Rs 4500 per person during remaining period of XI Plan. This has been done to achieve the Target set by the Prime Minister to train 500 million persons by 2022. It is also proposed to train 1000 trainers at a cost of Rs 1.80 crore i.e. @ Rs 18000 per trainer. 50% persons to be trained would be in rural areas.
Assistance would be provided under the scheme to following Training Institutions, for conducting Entrepreneurship Development Programmes (EDPs) and Entrepreneurship cum Skill Development Programmes (ESDPs) and Training of Trainers (ToTs) programmes in the areas of Entrepreneurship and/or Skill Development.
(a) National level EDIs (including branches),
(b) Training Institutions established by Partner Institutions (PIs) of national level EDIs,
(c) Training/Incubation centres of NSIC,
(d) Training cum Incubation Centres (TICs) set up by Franchisees of NSIC
Skill Development (SDP) training would normally be of 100 to 300 hours (1 to 3 months). Entrepreneurship Development (EDP) training would be of 72 hours (2 weeks) and Trainer’s Training for 300 hours.
Maximum training assistance (per trainee per hour) would be limited to following rates:-
Particulars
Maximum assistance per trainee per hour (Rs)
SC/ST/Physically Handicapped (PH) /North Eastern Region (including Sikkim), Union Territories of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshdeep Islands (NER+)
District Head Quarter (HQ)
60/-
Urban areas other than District HQ
50/-
Rural areas
40/-
Others
District HQ
50/-
Urban areas other than District HQ
40/-
Rural areas
30/-
RTS/VN
‘Elementary Education in India: progress report towards UEE
23.1.2010 20:39 IST
Shri Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, released, here today, the ‘DISE Flash Statistics-2008-09’ which is a progress report towards Universalisation of Elementary Education in India.
This report has been prepared by the National University of Educational Planning and Administration(NEUPA). NUEPA has created a comprehensive database on elementary education in India known as District Information System for Education (DISE). The project covers both primary and upper primary schools/sections of all the districts of the country. The MIS Units are now operational both at the district and state levels and are providing vital information for policy formulation and preparation of district elementary education plans. DISE has drastically reduced the time-lag in the availability of educational statistics which is now down from 7-8 years to less than a year at the national level and only a few months at the district and state levels.
To further improve the quality of data, it has now been made mandatory for all the states to check the data on five percent random sample basis through an independent agency each year. States are advised to initiate corrective measures in the light of the findings of sample checking of data.
DISE 2008-09: School-Based Indicators
With the improved coverage, the number of schools/sections imparting elementary education dealt with under DISE increased many-fold. From 8,53,601 schools in 2002-03, their number has increased to 11,96,663 schools in 2006-07 and further to 12,50,775 schools in 2007-08. In the current year, 2008-09, as many as 12,85,576 schools imparting elementary education across 633 districts of the country are covered under DISE.
Of the total schools, about 87.30 percent schools are located in the rural areas. During the same period, the number of primary schools increased from 6,01,866 to 8,09,108. Category-wise distribution of schools reveals that majority of the schools (62.94 percent) are independent primary schools. The increase in the number of schools is also reflected in the ratio of primary to upper primary schools/sections which clearly shows the impact of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan under which a large number of schools have been opened in the recent past. This ratio for the year 2008-09 is one upper primary school/section for every set of 2.27 primary schools/sections compared to 2.45 in 2006-07 and 2.42 schools/sections in 2007-08. Most of the states have the ratio equivalent to almost two, all of which suggests that by and large schooling facilities have been created and are available across the country. Despite significant improvement in the ratio, there are a few states, such as Arunachal Pradesh (4.16) and West Bengal (5.48), where the ratio still needs to be improved significantly.
72,886 and 1,77,034 schools covered in 2008-09 were respectively being managed by the Private Aided and Private Unaided managements. DISE data also suggests that majority of the private schools are un-aided schools (70.84 percent). The percentage of government and government aided schools is as high as 86.19 which show that about ninety out of every hundred schools imparting elementary education in the country are funded by the Government.
DISE 2008-09: Facility Indicators
Like number of schools, instructional rooms and ratio of primary to upper primary sections/schools, facilities in schools have also improved significantly which is true for physical, ancillary and teaching-learning facilities. Availability of basic facilities in schools not only attracts more children to schools but also help in improving retention rate.
The preliminary analysis of a select few indicators suggests significant improvement in all facility indicators. As of 30th September 2008, as many as 1,26,335 primary and 48,994 upper primary schools/sections have been opened under the Government managements since the inception of SSA. 2,22,534 schools have been opened which is about 17.32 percent of the total schools in 2008-09 in the country and more than 90 percent of these new schools have school buildingS. Jharkhand has opened as many as 16,102 primary schools/sections which is the highest among all the States and UTs of the country. On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh opened the highest number of Upper Primary schools/sections (21,042 schools/sections). Opening of new schools is also reflected in the ratio of Primary to Upper Primary schools/sections which stood at 2.27 in 2008-09 compared to 2.42 Primary schools/sections per Upper Primary school/section.The improvement in average number of classrooms is also reflected in the improvement in student-classroom ratio which has improved to 33 students per classroom in 2008-09 from 35 students in the previous year.
About 88 percent of the 1.29 million schools that impart elementary education in the country now have drinking water facility in school. All the schools in Chandigarh, Daman and Diu, Delhi, Lakshadweep, and Tamil Nadu have been provided with the drinking water facility in the school.
About 67 percent schools in the country now have access to common toilets in 2008-09 compared to only 62.67 percent in the previous year all which suggests that the facility was extended to a large number of additional schools during the intermediary years i.e. 2007-08 to 2008-09. More than 50 percent of total 1.29 million schools now have girl’s toilet compared to 50.55 percent in the previous year i.e. 2007-08.
14 percent schools have computer in schools with percentage of such schools as high as 85.88 percent in Chandigarh, 85.84 percent in Delhi, 79.93 percent in Kerala and 89.74 percent in Lakshadweep compared to only 0.68 percent in Bihar and 3.59 percent such schools in Uttar Pradesh. On the other hand, it has been observed that 40.39 percent schools in 2008-09 have ramp in school and 43.33 percent Government and Aided schools, a kitchen-shed in the school premises.
DISE 2008-09: Enrolment-Based Indicators
With the increased coverage of schools under DISE, enrolment both at the primary and upper primary level of education has also increased significantly. The enrolment increased from 101.16 million in 2002-03 to 131.85 million in 2006-07 and further to 134.38 million in 2008-09. The GER at primary level, based on the DISE data is estimated to be 115.31 percent, corresponding to 98.59 percent NER. A few states are near achieving the goal of universal primary enrolment. Over a period of time, enrolment in upper primary classes has also shown consistent increase. From a low of 37.72 million in 2004-05, it has increased to 53.35 million in 2008-09 (GER 73.74 percent).
Gender Parity Index (GPI) and percentage of girls’ enrolment in primary and upper primary classes reveal that there is consistent improvement both in GPI and girls’ share in enrolment. The average of 633 districts in 2008-09 indicates a GPI of 0.94 in primary classes and 0.91 in case of upper primary classes.
At the primary level, the share of SC and ST enrolment with respect to total enrolment works out to 19.94 and 11.68 percent respectively. Notably, at all levels, government schools are the main providers of educational needs of both SC and ST children. The share of OBC enrolment in the elementary classes is 42.26 percent.
One of the essential requirements to achieve UEE is to retain students in the education system. The apparent survival rate (to Grade V) improved to 76 percent in 2008-09. This is also reflected in retention rate at primary level which is estimated to be 75 percent.
With improvement in the number of schools, facilities in schools and enrolment, the dropout rate for cohort 2007-08 indicates an average rate of 8.02 percent in primary grades. One of the other important indicators that are essential to achieve UEE is high transition from primary level to upper primary level of education. It has improved to 82.84 percent in 2008-09 from 81.13 percent in 2007-08.
Learner’s achievement is considered as one of the important indicators of quality of education. Examination results at the terminal grades is a proxy indicator of learner’s achievement. About 50 percent boys and 51 percent girls passed Grade IV/V with a score of 60 percent and above, compared to 43 percent boys and 44 percent girls scoring 60 percent and above marks in Grade VII/VIII; the same has shown imrovement over the previous year.
DISE 2008-09: MUSLIM Enrolment
The analysis of data suggests improvement in participation of Muslim Minority children in elementary education programmes. The data which has been received from 1.29 million recognised schools imparting elementary education from across 633 districts spread over 35 States and Union Territories of the country reveals a total enrolment of 14.83 million Muslim children in Primary classes in 2008-09 which is 11.03 percent of total 134.38 million enrolment (Total) in Primary (I to V) classes. During the pervious year, the same was 10.49 percent and in 2006-07, it was 9.39 percent. Of the total Muslim enrolment in Primary classes, the percentage of Muslim girls is 48.93 which is quite similar to the share of girls in overall Primary enrolment (48.38 percent). The highest percentage of Muslim enrolment is observed in Lakshadweep UT (99.73 percent) which is because of the fact that the percentage of Muslim population to total population in the UT in 2001 was as high as 95.47 percent.
Like enrolment in Primary classes, percentage of Muslim enrolment in Upper Primary classes has also improved to 9.13 percent in 2008-09 from 8.54 percent in 2007-08 and 7.52 percent in 2006-07. Of the total 53.35 million enrolment in Upper Primary classes in the country in 2008-09, Muslim enrolment is 4.87 million and the percentage of Muslim girls to total Muslim enrolment in Upper Primary classes is 50.03 percent which is above the national average of 47.58 percent girls enrolment in Upper Primary classes.
The data also reveals a share of 10.49 percent (Muslim enrolment) in Elementary classes (I to VIII) of which 49.20 percent are the Muslim girls (to total Muslim enrolment).
The enrolment data for the year 2008-09 also reveals that there are certain pockets in the country which has got high percentage of Muslim enrolment. There are about 87,690 schools which has got more than 25 percent Muslim enrolment (to total enrolment in elementary classes) which is 6.84 percent of the total schools that impart elementary education in the country. Similarly, 62,534 (4.88 percent) schools have above 50 percent Muslim enrolment as compared to 48,946 schools (3.82 percent) having 75 percent and above and 41,300 schools (3.22 percent) even having a share of 90 and above Muslim enrolment to total enrolment.
Because of the high percent share of Muslim population to total population in the state, 12 districts of Jammu and Kashmir have got above 90 percent Muslim enrolment in 2008-09 in Primary classes which is also true for enrolment in Upper Primary classes. On the other hand, 25 districts in the country have more than 50 percent Muslim enrolment in Primary classes in 2008-09 compared to 20 such districts in case of Upper Primary enrolment. 15 districts of Jammu and Kashmir, 1 district each from Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Lakshadweep and Kerala and 5 districts of Assam have more than 50 percent Muslim enrolment in Primary classes.
DISE 2008-09: Teacher-Related Indicators
Availability of teachers in schools is an important variable for quality education. The total number of teachers in 2008-09 suggests that about 5.79 million teachers are engaged in teaching in schools imparting elementary education in the country. The data also shows appointment of a large number of teachers across the country consequent to the SSA interventions. The all-India average reveals that, on an average, there were 4.5 teachers in a school in 2008-09 that imparts elementary education compared to an average of 3.0 teachers per primary school.
All schools together had 43.46 percent female teachers. Urban areas had higher percentage of female teachers than the rural areas; this is true for all school types. Increase in the number of teachers is also reflected in the pupil-teacher ratio which has shown consistent improvement. PTR, both at primary and upper primary levels, is quite comfortable (primary, 34:1 and upper primary, 31:1). There are about 538 thousand para-teachers, constituting 9.39 percent of the total number of teachers. About 54 percent para-teachers are Graduates and above. DISE data reveals that government is the main employer of both Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes teachers. The share of SC and ST teachers together in government schools is as high as 80 percent.
*****
MV/
23.1.2010 20:39 IST
Shri Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, released, here today, the ‘DISE Flash Statistics-2008-09’ which is a progress report towards Universalisation of Elementary Education in India.
This report has been prepared by the National University of Educational Planning and Administration(NEUPA). NUEPA has created a comprehensive database on elementary education in India known as District Information System for Education (DISE). The project covers both primary and upper primary schools/sections of all the districts of the country. The MIS Units are now operational both at the district and state levels and are providing vital information for policy formulation and preparation of district elementary education plans. DISE has drastically reduced the time-lag in the availability of educational statistics which is now down from 7-8 years to less than a year at the national level and only a few months at the district and state levels.
To further improve the quality of data, it has now been made mandatory for all the states to check the data on five percent random sample basis through an independent agency each year. States are advised to initiate corrective measures in the light of the findings of sample checking of data.
DISE 2008-09: School-Based Indicators
With the improved coverage, the number of schools/sections imparting elementary education dealt with under DISE increased many-fold. From 8,53,601 schools in 2002-03, their number has increased to 11,96,663 schools in 2006-07 and further to 12,50,775 schools in 2007-08. In the current year, 2008-09, as many as 12,85,576 schools imparting elementary education across 633 districts of the country are covered under DISE.
Of the total schools, about 87.30 percent schools are located in the rural areas. During the same period, the number of primary schools increased from 6,01,866 to 8,09,108. Category-wise distribution of schools reveals that majority of the schools (62.94 percent) are independent primary schools. The increase in the number of schools is also reflected in the ratio of primary to upper primary schools/sections which clearly shows the impact of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan under which a large number of schools have been opened in the recent past. This ratio for the year 2008-09 is one upper primary school/section for every set of 2.27 primary schools/sections compared to 2.45 in 2006-07 and 2.42 schools/sections in 2007-08. Most of the states have the ratio equivalent to almost two, all of which suggests that by and large schooling facilities have been created and are available across the country. Despite significant improvement in the ratio, there are a few states, such as Arunachal Pradesh (4.16) and West Bengal (5.48), where the ratio still needs to be improved significantly.
72,886 and 1,77,034 schools covered in 2008-09 were respectively being managed by the Private Aided and Private Unaided managements. DISE data also suggests that majority of the private schools are un-aided schools (70.84 percent). The percentage of government and government aided schools is as high as 86.19 which show that about ninety out of every hundred schools imparting elementary education in the country are funded by the Government.
DISE 2008-09: Facility Indicators
Like number of schools, instructional rooms and ratio of primary to upper primary sections/schools, facilities in schools have also improved significantly which is true for physical, ancillary and teaching-learning facilities. Availability of basic facilities in schools not only attracts more children to schools but also help in improving retention rate.
The preliminary analysis of a select few indicators suggests significant improvement in all facility indicators. As of 30th September 2008, as many as 1,26,335 primary and 48,994 upper primary schools/sections have been opened under the Government managements since the inception of SSA. 2,22,534 schools have been opened which is about 17.32 percent of the total schools in 2008-09 in the country and more than 90 percent of these new schools have school buildingS. Jharkhand has opened as many as 16,102 primary schools/sections which is the highest among all the States and UTs of the country. On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh opened the highest number of Upper Primary schools/sections (21,042 schools/sections). Opening of new schools is also reflected in the ratio of Primary to Upper Primary schools/sections which stood at 2.27 in 2008-09 compared to 2.42 Primary schools/sections per Upper Primary school/section.The improvement in average number of classrooms is also reflected in the improvement in student-classroom ratio which has improved to 33 students per classroom in 2008-09 from 35 students in the previous year.
About 88 percent of the 1.29 million schools that impart elementary education in the country now have drinking water facility in school. All the schools in Chandigarh, Daman and Diu, Delhi, Lakshadweep, and Tamil Nadu have been provided with the drinking water facility in the school.
About 67 percent schools in the country now have access to common toilets in 2008-09 compared to only 62.67 percent in the previous year all which suggests that the facility was extended to a large number of additional schools during the intermediary years i.e. 2007-08 to 2008-09. More than 50 percent of total 1.29 million schools now have girl’s toilet compared to 50.55 percent in the previous year i.e. 2007-08.
14 percent schools have computer in schools with percentage of such schools as high as 85.88 percent in Chandigarh, 85.84 percent in Delhi, 79.93 percent in Kerala and 89.74 percent in Lakshadweep compared to only 0.68 percent in Bihar and 3.59 percent such schools in Uttar Pradesh. On the other hand, it has been observed that 40.39 percent schools in 2008-09 have ramp in school and 43.33 percent Government and Aided schools, a kitchen-shed in the school premises.
DISE 2008-09: Enrolment-Based Indicators
With the increased coverage of schools under DISE, enrolment both at the primary and upper primary level of education has also increased significantly. The enrolment increased from 101.16 million in 2002-03 to 131.85 million in 2006-07 and further to 134.38 million in 2008-09. The GER at primary level, based on the DISE data is estimated to be 115.31 percent, corresponding to 98.59 percent NER. A few states are near achieving the goal of universal primary enrolment. Over a period of time, enrolment in upper primary classes has also shown consistent increase. From a low of 37.72 million in 2004-05, it has increased to 53.35 million in 2008-09 (GER 73.74 percent).
Gender Parity Index (GPI) and percentage of girls’ enrolment in primary and upper primary classes reveal that there is consistent improvement both in GPI and girls’ share in enrolment. The average of 633 districts in 2008-09 indicates a GPI of 0.94 in primary classes and 0.91 in case of upper primary classes.
At the primary level, the share of SC and ST enrolment with respect to total enrolment works out to 19.94 and 11.68 percent respectively. Notably, at all levels, government schools are the main providers of educational needs of both SC and ST children. The share of OBC enrolment in the elementary classes is 42.26 percent.
One of the essential requirements to achieve UEE is to retain students in the education system. The apparent survival rate (to Grade V) improved to 76 percent in 2008-09. This is also reflected in retention rate at primary level which is estimated to be 75 percent.
With improvement in the number of schools, facilities in schools and enrolment, the dropout rate for cohort 2007-08 indicates an average rate of 8.02 percent in primary grades. One of the other important indicators that are essential to achieve UEE is high transition from primary level to upper primary level of education. It has improved to 82.84 percent in 2008-09 from 81.13 percent in 2007-08.
Learner’s achievement is considered as one of the important indicators of quality of education. Examination results at the terminal grades is a proxy indicator of learner’s achievement. About 50 percent boys and 51 percent girls passed Grade IV/V with a score of 60 percent and above, compared to 43 percent boys and 44 percent girls scoring 60 percent and above marks in Grade VII/VIII; the same has shown imrovement over the previous year.
DISE 2008-09: MUSLIM Enrolment
The analysis of data suggests improvement in participation of Muslim Minority children in elementary education programmes. The data which has been received from 1.29 million recognised schools imparting elementary education from across 633 districts spread over 35 States and Union Territories of the country reveals a total enrolment of 14.83 million Muslim children in Primary classes in 2008-09 which is 11.03 percent of total 134.38 million enrolment (Total) in Primary (I to V) classes. During the pervious year, the same was 10.49 percent and in 2006-07, it was 9.39 percent. Of the total Muslim enrolment in Primary classes, the percentage of Muslim girls is 48.93 which is quite similar to the share of girls in overall Primary enrolment (48.38 percent). The highest percentage of Muslim enrolment is observed in Lakshadweep UT (99.73 percent) which is because of the fact that the percentage of Muslim population to total population in the UT in 2001 was as high as 95.47 percent.
Like enrolment in Primary classes, percentage of Muslim enrolment in Upper Primary classes has also improved to 9.13 percent in 2008-09 from 8.54 percent in 2007-08 and 7.52 percent in 2006-07. Of the total 53.35 million enrolment in Upper Primary classes in the country in 2008-09, Muslim enrolment is 4.87 million and the percentage of Muslim girls to total Muslim enrolment in Upper Primary classes is 50.03 percent which is above the national average of 47.58 percent girls enrolment in Upper Primary classes.
The data also reveals a share of 10.49 percent (Muslim enrolment) in Elementary classes (I to VIII) of which 49.20 percent are the Muslim girls (to total Muslim enrolment).
The enrolment data for the year 2008-09 also reveals that there are certain pockets in the country which has got high percentage of Muslim enrolment. There are about 87,690 schools which has got more than 25 percent Muslim enrolment (to total enrolment in elementary classes) which is 6.84 percent of the total schools that impart elementary education in the country. Similarly, 62,534 (4.88 percent) schools have above 50 percent Muslim enrolment as compared to 48,946 schools (3.82 percent) having 75 percent and above and 41,300 schools (3.22 percent) even having a share of 90 and above Muslim enrolment to total enrolment.
Because of the high percent share of Muslim population to total population in the state, 12 districts of Jammu and Kashmir have got above 90 percent Muslim enrolment in 2008-09 in Primary classes which is also true for enrolment in Upper Primary classes. On the other hand, 25 districts in the country have more than 50 percent Muslim enrolment in Primary classes in 2008-09 compared to 20 such districts in case of Upper Primary enrolment. 15 districts of Jammu and Kashmir, 1 district each from Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Lakshadweep and Kerala and 5 districts of Assam have more than 50 percent Muslim enrolment in Primary classes.
DISE 2008-09: Teacher-Related Indicators
Availability of teachers in schools is an important variable for quality education. The total number of teachers in 2008-09 suggests that about 5.79 million teachers are engaged in teaching in schools imparting elementary education in the country. The data also shows appointment of a large number of teachers across the country consequent to the SSA interventions. The all-India average reveals that, on an average, there were 4.5 teachers in a school in 2008-09 that imparts elementary education compared to an average of 3.0 teachers per primary school.
All schools together had 43.46 percent female teachers. Urban areas had higher percentage of female teachers than the rural areas; this is true for all school types. Increase in the number of teachers is also reflected in the pupil-teacher ratio which has shown consistent improvement. PTR, both at primary and upper primary levels, is quite comfortable (primary, 34:1 and upper primary, 31:1). There are about 538 thousand para-teachers, constituting 9.39 percent of the total number of teachers. About 54 percent para-teachers are Graduates and above. DISE data reveals that government is the main employer of both Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes teachers. The share of SC and ST teachers together in government schools is as high as 80 percent.
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MV/
Internet running out of addresses
The Internet is running out of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, used by computers to communicate.
The Amsterdam-based Number Resource Organization (NRO), official representative of the five regional registries that oversee the allocation of all Internet number resources, announced on Tuesday that less than 10 per cent of available IPv4 addresses remained unallocated. (V4 IP addresses consist of four sets of numbers separated by colons, which serve as a unique identification for computers on networks.)
The remaining small pool of the existing IP addresses marks a critical moment in IPv4address exhaustion, ultimately impacting the future network operations of all businesses and organisations around the globe.
The Internet is running out of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, used by computers to communicate.
The Amsterdam-based Number Resource Organization (NRO), official representative of the five regional registries that oversee the allocation of all Internet number resources, announced on Tuesday that less than 10 per cent of available IPv4 addresses remained unallocated. (V4 IP addresses consist of four sets of numbers separated by colons, which serve as a unique identification for computers on networks.)
The remaining small pool of the existing IP addresses marks a critical moment in IPv4address exhaustion, ultimately impacting the future network operations of all businesses and organisations around the globe.
The longest elevated national highway in India Inaugurated
INDIA: Kamal Nath inaugurates Ten-Laned Mixed Corridor to Electronic City, Bangalore
22.1.2010 20:5 IST
The Ten Laned Mixed Corridor to Electronic City, Bangalore on NH7 was inaugurated by Shri Kamal Nath, Minister for Road Transport and Highways in Bangalore today.
Inaugurating the 9.985 km elevated highway, the longest elevated national highway in the country, Shri Nath said the highway will set the benchmark and standard for such projects in future for the country. Terming this as first step towards solving the infrastructure crisis of Bangalore, he said “which city can be more deserving than Bangalore for such a project as the “intellectual city” has brought India on the IT map of the world.”
He announced that the State would get Rs.18000 crores of road project in the next four years which will help in reducing the infrastructure deficit in the State. Addressing the media persons later on the sidelines of the event the Minister announced that the Government of India will be signing an MoU with the Government of Malaysia in February this year for greater cooperation in the road sector.
Commissioned in 2006, the total cost of the project is Rs.450 crore. With a negative grant of Rs.16 crore, the project has been completed by Bangalore Elevated Toll Way Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle initiated by a consortium of three construction companies on BOT (Toll) basis. The concession period is 20 years.
22.1.2010 20:5 IST
The Ten Laned Mixed Corridor to Electronic City, Bangalore on NH7 was inaugurated by Shri Kamal Nath, Minister for Road Transport and Highways in Bangalore today.
Inaugurating the 9.985 km elevated highway, the longest elevated national highway in the country, Shri Nath said the highway will set the benchmark and standard for such projects in future for the country. Terming this as first step towards solving the infrastructure crisis of Bangalore, he said “which city can be more deserving than Bangalore for such a project as the “intellectual city” has brought India on the IT map of the world.”
He announced that the State would get Rs.18000 crores of road project in the next four years which will help in reducing the infrastructure deficit in the State. Addressing the media persons later on the sidelines of the event the Minister announced that the Government of India will be signing an MoU with the Government of Malaysia in February this year for greater cooperation in the road sector.
Commissioned in 2006, the total cost of the project is Rs.450 crore. With a negative grant of Rs.16 crore, the project has been completed by Bangalore Elevated Toll Way Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle initiated by a consortium of three construction companies on BOT (Toll) basis. The concession period is 20 years.
Rs 98 lakh scholarship to tribal students in Sikkim
Gangtok, Jan 22 Sikkim government has announced scholarships worth Rs 98 lakh to 4615students belonging to the scheduled tribes in 2009-10.
A total of 1714 tribal students will be given Rs 29.36 lakh in post-matriculation scholarships this year, an official release said today.
Gangtok, Jan 22 Sikkim government has announced scholarships worth Rs 98 lakh to 4615students belonging to the scheduled tribes in 2009-10.
A total of 1714 tribal students will be given Rs 29.36 lakh in post-matriculation scholarships this year, an official release said today.
Delhi men, women most empowered in the country: Study
SIKKIM IMPROVES ITS INDEX.
New Delhi, Jan 22
Economically, politically and in decision making, the national capital's men and women are the most empowered across the country, a report that was released by the ministry of women and child development said Friday.
According to the study, Delhi had the highest score on the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) in the country. It made an improvement and moved from the third rank of 0.479 in 1996 to 0.564 in 2006.
GEM is an index which measures the ability of women and men to participate actively in economic and political life and their command over economic resources. It focuses on opportunities and captures gender inequality in three areas - political participation and decision making power, economic participation and decision making power and power over economic resources.
The report, titled 'Gendering Human Development Indices: Recasting the Gender Development Index and Gender Empowerment Measure for India', said that the aggregate GEM for India was 0.416 in 1996 and 0.497 in 2006 - thus indicating an overall improvement.
Thirteen states have improved their gender empowerment index over the years. Among them are Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Sikkim, Andaman and Nicobar islands, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand.
Amongst the poor scorers who have had a fall in their rankings in the decade between 1996 and 2006 were Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Chandigarh.
Nagaland had the lowest rank in both 1996 and 2006, with a GEM score of 0.165 and 0.289 respectively.
The report is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and was prepared by the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA).-----------------
SIKKIM IMPROVES ITS INDEX.
New Delhi, Jan 22
Economically, politically and in decision making, the national capital's men and women are the most empowered across the country, a report that was released by the ministry of women and child development said Friday.
According to the study, Delhi had the highest score on the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) in the country. It made an improvement and moved from the third rank of 0.479 in 1996 to 0.564 in 2006.
GEM is an index which measures the ability of women and men to participate actively in economic and political life and their command over economic resources. It focuses on opportunities and captures gender inequality in three areas - political participation and decision making power, economic participation and decision making power and power over economic resources.
The report, titled 'Gendering Human Development Indices: Recasting the Gender Development Index and Gender Empowerment Measure for India', said that the aggregate GEM for India was 0.416 in 1996 and 0.497 in 2006 - thus indicating an overall improvement.
Thirteen states have improved their gender empowerment index over the years. Among them are Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Sikkim, Andaman and Nicobar islands, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand.
Amongst the poor scorers who have had a fall in their rankings in the decade between 1996 and 2006 were Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Chandigarh.
Nagaland had the lowest rank in both 1996 and 2006, with a GEM score of 0.165 and 0.289 respectively.
The report is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and was prepared by the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA).-----------------
Friday, January 22, 2010
REALITY AGAIN MAKES CRAZY RISE IN INDIA
It is a fact that we are not When one looks around these days, it appears as if its 2007-2008 all over again. Business activity has picked up. Stock markets are booming and confidence is once again returning. Shockingly, it seems like the gut wrenching crisis that we have had recently never happened. Is it any surprise then that real estate price in India is going back to those heady levels of 2007-08 all over again? As a leading business daily put it aptly, "Welcome back to the era of crazy rise in home prices." There has been a 30% rise in home prices in the last six months with a lot of pent up demand coming into the market around the Diwali season. What is more, most NRIs, who now wield a sizeable clout in big cities like Mumbai and Delhi, have invested in Mumbai this time around than Dubai, further adding to the overall demand.
It should be noted that there is no dearth of demand for good residential projects in the country. The market is significantly underpenetrated. Thus, whenever there is a correction to the tune of 25%-30% and prices become more affordable, buyers queue up to buy. Furthermore, seeing strong demand, real estate speculators and investors jump in and hence, push up prices even further.
What is needed is a strong surge in supply which can only be possible through a structural reform in the industry. Until that happens, a decent house is likely to be out of bounds for an average middle class Indian, especially in the big cities.
It is a fact that we are not When one looks around these days, it appears as if its 2007-2008 all over again. Business activity has picked up. Stock markets are booming and confidence is once again returning. Shockingly, it seems like the gut wrenching crisis that we have had recently never happened. Is it any surprise then that real estate price in India is going back to those heady levels of 2007-08 all over again? As a leading business daily put it aptly, "Welcome back to the era of crazy rise in home prices." There has been a 30% rise in home prices in the last six months with a lot of pent up demand coming into the market around the Diwali season. What is more, most NRIs, who now wield a sizeable clout in big cities like Mumbai and Delhi, have invested in Mumbai this time around than Dubai, further adding to the overall demand.
It should be noted that there is no dearth of demand for good residential projects in the country. The market is significantly underpenetrated. Thus, whenever there is a correction to the tune of 25%-30% and prices become more affordable, buyers queue up to buy. Furthermore, seeing strong demand, real estate speculators and investors jump in and hence, push up prices even further.
What is needed is a strong surge in supply which can only be possible through a structural reform in the industry. Until that happens, a decent house is likely to be out of bounds for an average middle class Indian, especially in the big cities.
Dissection practice in labs could end
CRUELTY TO ANIMALS TO END
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has set up an expert committee to suggest an alternative module after the ministry insisted that such practices be stopped in view of the cruelty inflicted on animals and insects.
“We have set up a committee under Prof H A Ranganath, chairman of National Accreditation and Assessment Council. The committee will look into an alternative module for experiments in science labs,” UGC Secretary R K Chauhan said.
He said animal rights activist and BJP MP Maneka Gandhi had earlier raised the issue before the UGC and suggested the names of a few experts who should be consulted on the matter.
“Those experts will now put their views before the Ranganath committee,” he said.
Cockroaches, frogs and earthworms are some of the common animals and insects used for dissection during zoology experiments in colleges and universities.
The committee is expected to submit its report by next month. The UGC will then issue guidelines to the colleges and universities for implementation.
The committee will look into the possibility of conducting the lab experiments in a virtual world. It can be done in computers without using animals, experts feel.
The other members of the committee are S Balasubramaniam, Director of DRDO Centre for Life Sciences at Bharathiar University in Coimbatore, Sunil Chhumber of AIIMS, Roop Lal, Department of Zoology of Delhi University, and a nominee of Director General of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
CRUELTY TO ANIMALS TO END
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has set up an expert committee to suggest an alternative module after the ministry insisted that such practices be stopped in view of the cruelty inflicted on animals and insects.
“We have set up a committee under Prof H A Ranganath, chairman of National Accreditation and Assessment Council. The committee will look into an alternative module for experiments in science labs,” UGC Secretary R K Chauhan said.
He said animal rights activist and BJP MP Maneka Gandhi had earlier raised the issue before the UGC and suggested the names of a few experts who should be consulted on the matter.
“Those experts will now put their views before the Ranganath committee,” he said.
Cockroaches, frogs and earthworms are some of the common animals and insects used for dissection during zoology experiments in colleges and universities.
The committee is expected to submit its report by next month. The UGC will then issue guidelines to the colleges and universities for implementation.
The committee will look into the possibility of conducting the lab experiments in a virtual world. It can be done in computers without using animals, experts feel.
The other members of the committee are S Balasubramaniam, Director of DRDO Centre for Life Sciences at Bharathiar University in Coimbatore, Sunil Chhumber of AIIMS, Roop Lal, Department of Zoology of Delhi University, and a nominee of Director General of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
TO FIGHT BIO TERRORISM- LLAMAS CAN BE OF GREAT HELP: Scientists
Llamas are usually found in South America. Biologists have found that protein derived from these animals can detect the most deadly naturally occuring toxins.
Now, llamas can play an important role in the fight against terror, as scientists have developed a way to use the animal’s proteins that can detect botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) - the deadliest naturally occurring toxins that have potential to be used as bioweapons.
Scientists at Foundation for Biomedical Research (SFBR) in Texas claimed to have developed the BoNT-detecting substances or the antibodies - proteins made by the body to fight diseases - found in llamas.
The llama antibodies, called single domain antibodies (sdAb) or “nanobodies,” are molecularly flexible, unlike conventional antibodies, ScienceDaily reported.
“As such, sdAb may allow biosensors to be regenerable and used over and over without loss of activity. Also, for some types of BoNT, conventional antibodies are not generally available and we are filling this biosecurity gap,” said Andrew Hayhurst, lead researcher and a virologist at the SFBR.
“Since some sdAb have been shown to have inhibitory activity and can block toxin function, they may play a role as part of a future anti-botulism treatment,” Mr. Hayhurst wrote in his research paper, published in the journal PLoS ONE.
BoNTs, which are about 100 billion times more toxic than cyanide, directly hit the nervous system, resulting in paralysis that can be so severe as to require life support on a mechanical ventilator for weeks to months.
BoNTs are the only toxins in the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) ‘category A’ list of potential bioterror threats alongside anthrax, Ebola virus and other infectious agents.
Countermeasures such as vaccines and therapeutics to prevent and treat botulism are extremely limited, and thus, the ability to detect these toxins in the environment is critically important, the researchers said.
In the study, a llama was immunized with harmless versions of seven types of BoNT, blood taken to provide antibody producing cells.
Using bioengineering techniques, the antibody genes were cloned and the resulting antibodies were tested for their ability to detect BoNT in a selection of drinks, including milk.
Mr. Hayhurst and his team are continuing to study the molecular interactions of the llama antibodies to find out why they are so specific and why some of them inhibit toxins.
“We not only aim to use the antibodies in BoNT detection tests, but also to understand how they bind and inhibit these fascinating molecules,” Mr. Hayhurst said.
“We are also striving to improve our test by making it more sensitive that one day it may be able to detect much smaller amount of toxins found in patients’ blood.”
Llamas are usually found in South America. Biologists have found that protein derived from these animals can detect the most deadly naturally occuring toxins.
Now, llamas can play an important role in the fight against terror, as scientists have developed a way to use the animal’s proteins that can detect botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) - the deadliest naturally occurring toxins that have potential to be used as bioweapons.
Scientists at Foundation for Biomedical Research (SFBR) in Texas claimed to have developed the BoNT-detecting substances or the antibodies - proteins made by the body to fight diseases - found in llamas.
The llama antibodies, called single domain antibodies (sdAb) or “nanobodies,” are molecularly flexible, unlike conventional antibodies, ScienceDaily reported.
“As such, sdAb may allow biosensors to be regenerable and used over and over without loss of activity. Also, for some types of BoNT, conventional antibodies are not generally available and we are filling this biosecurity gap,” said Andrew Hayhurst, lead researcher and a virologist at the SFBR.
“Since some sdAb have been shown to have inhibitory activity and can block toxin function, they may play a role as part of a future anti-botulism treatment,” Mr. Hayhurst wrote in his research paper, published in the journal PLoS ONE.
BoNTs, which are about 100 billion times more toxic than cyanide, directly hit the nervous system, resulting in paralysis that can be so severe as to require life support on a mechanical ventilator for weeks to months.
BoNTs are the only toxins in the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) ‘category A’ list of potential bioterror threats alongside anthrax, Ebola virus and other infectious agents.
Countermeasures such as vaccines and therapeutics to prevent and treat botulism are extremely limited, and thus, the ability to detect these toxins in the environment is critically important, the researchers said.
In the study, a llama was immunized with harmless versions of seven types of BoNT, blood taken to provide antibody producing cells.
Using bioengineering techniques, the antibody genes were cloned and the resulting antibodies were tested for their ability to detect BoNT in a selection of drinks, including milk.
Mr. Hayhurst and his team are continuing to study the molecular interactions of the llama antibodies to find out why they are so specific and why some of them inhibit toxins.
“We not only aim to use the antibodies in BoNT detection tests, but also to understand how they bind and inhibit these fascinating molecules,” Mr. Hayhurst said.
“We are also striving to improve our test by making it more sensitive that one day it may be able to detect much smaller amount of toxins found in patients’ blood.”
NEXT ARMY CHIEF OF INDIA: Lieutenant General VK Singh
22.1.2010 13:3 IST
Lt Gen VK Singh, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC, presently GOC-in-C, Eastern Command has been appointed the next Chief of the Army Staff in the rank of General with effect from the afternoon of March 31, 2010. The present COAS General Deepak Kapoor, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC retires from service on march 31, 2010.
Lt General VK Singh was commissioned into the Rajput Regiment on June 14, 1970. During his long and distinguished career spanning nearly 40 years, he has serviced in a variety of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments. He participated in the 1971 operations and IPKF operations. He is presently serving as the Eastern Army Commander. Prior to that, he commanded a Corps in the Western sector.
Besides being an ‘Honours Graduate’ of the US Army Infantry School, Georgia, USA, Lt Gen Singh studied at the Defence Services Staff College, the Army War College and the US Army War College, Carlisle.
He is recipient of PVSM, AVSM and YSM awards. He is also one of the Honorary ADCs of the President of India.
Lt General Singh is married to Mrs Bharati and the couple has two daughters. The elder daughter is married to an Army Officer while the younger one is working in the corporate sector.
22.1.2010 13:3 IST
Lt Gen VK Singh, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC, presently GOC-in-C, Eastern Command has been appointed the next Chief of the Army Staff in the rank of General with effect from the afternoon of March 31, 2010. The present COAS General Deepak Kapoor, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC retires from service on march 31, 2010.
Lt General VK Singh was commissioned into the Rajput Regiment on June 14, 1970. During his long and distinguished career spanning nearly 40 years, he has serviced in a variety of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments. He participated in the 1971 operations and IPKF operations. He is presently serving as the Eastern Army Commander. Prior to that, he commanded a Corps in the Western sector.
Besides being an ‘Honours Graduate’ of the US Army Infantry School, Georgia, USA, Lt Gen Singh studied at the Defence Services Staff College, the Army War College and the US Army War College, Carlisle.
He is recipient of PVSM, AVSM and YSM awards. He is also one of the Honorary ADCs of the President of India.
Lt General Singh is married to Mrs Bharati and the couple has two daughters. The elder daughter is married to an Army Officer while the younger one is working in the corporate sector.
INDIA: Ecological sensitive zone for purpose of ambient air quality standards
22.1.2010
Backgrounder
There is a procedure to declare Ecological Sensitive Zone for the purpose of ambient air quality standards. The guidelines for declaring sensitive areas have been recommended by Peer and Core group of Central Pollution Control Board (NPCB).They are as follows:
1) 10kms all around the periphery of health resorts that are notified by State Pollution Control Boards in consultation with department of public health of the concerned state.
2) 10kms all around the periphery of biosphere reserves sanctuaries and national parks that are notified by Ministry of Environment and Forest or concerned states.
3) 5 kms all around the periphery of an archaeological monument declared to be of national importance or otherwise that are notified by Archaeological Survey of India (A.S.I.) in consultation with State Pollution Control Boards.
4) Areas which are delicate or sensitive to air pollution in terms of important agricultural/ horticultural corps grown in that area and accordingly notified by state Pollution Control Boards in consolation with department of agriculture/horticulture of concerned State
5) 5kms all around the periphery of centre s of tourism and /or pilgrim due to their religious, historical, scenic or other attractions, that are notified by department of tourism of the concerned state in consolation with State Pollution Control Boards.
There are eight Ecologically Sensitive Areas of the Country. They are Dhanu Taluka (Maharashtra), Aravali range (Gurgaon of Haryana & Alwar of Rajasthan ), Murad-Janjira Area (Maharashtra), Doon Valley (Uttarakhand ), Numaligarh ( Assam), Mathern (Maharashtra), Taj-Trapezium Zone (Uttar Pradesh & Rajasthan) and Mount Abu (Rajasthan ).
KP
22.1.2010
Backgrounder
There is a procedure to declare Ecological Sensitive Zone for the purpose of ambient air quality standards. The guidelines for declaring sensitive areas have been recommended by Peer and Core group of Central Pollution Control Board (NPCB).They are as follows:
1) 10kms all around the periphery of health resorts that are notified by State Pollution Control Boards in consultation with department of public health of the concerned state.
2) 10kms all around the periphery of biosphere reserves sanctuaries and national parks that are notified by Ministry of Environment and Forest or concerned states.
3) 5 kms all around the periphery of an archaeological monument declared to be of national importance or otherwise that are notified by Archaeological Survey of India (A.S.I.) in consultation with State Pollution Control Boards.
4) Areas which are delicate or sensitive to air pollution in terms of important agricultural/ horticultural corps grown in that area and accordingly notified by state Pollution Control Boards in consolation with department of agriculture/horticulture of concerned State
5) 5kms all around the periphery of centre s of tourism and /or pilgrim due to their religious, historical, scenic or other attractions, that are notified by department of tourism of the concerned state in consolation with State Pollution Control Boards.
There are eight Ecologically Sensitive Areas of the Country. They are Dhanu Taluka (Maharashtra), Aravali range (Gurgaon of Haryana & Alwar of Rajasthan ), Murad-Janjira Area (Maharashtra), Doon Valley (Uttarakhand ), Numaligarh ( Assam), Mathern (Maharashtra), Taj-Trapezium Zone (Uttar Pradesh & Rajasthan) and Mount Abu (Rajasthan ).
KP
“My Vision is that each and every student in Gujarat is employable.”
CM-Gujrat
Gujarat Knowledge Society is instituted by Government of Gujarat to bridge the gap between requirements of education system and industries. GKS aims to prepare the youth for new knowledge based economy and society to stimulate creation of world class knowledge resources by developing new competencies in skills.
visit:gksgujarat.org
CM-Gujrat
Gujarat Knowledge Society is instituted by Government of Gujarat to bridge the gap between requirements of education system and industries. GKS aims to prepare the youth for new knowledge based economy and society to stimulate creation of world class knowledge resources by developing new competencies in skills.
visit:gksgujarat.org
Our crimes against our children
BY Praveen Swami
In December last, Indians watched in outrage as S.P.S. Rathore, former Haryana Director-General of Police, smirked at the end of court proceedings which saw him receive a six-month prison sentence for sexually abusing a teenager 19 years ago.
Not far from the Chandigarh courtroom where Rathore was convicted, a panchayat in Rohtak gathered to discuss the fate of a seven-year-old girl who had been sexually abused by a retired schoolteacher. The panchayat ordered that the hair of the perpetrator, Sushil Kumar, be shaved off — but asked the victim’s family not to inform the police. It was only three weeks later, after Kumar’s sons threatened the family, that the matter was reported to the police. The child’s story was buried in inside pages of local newspapers; the police say evidentiary issues render it unlikely the perpetrator will ever be punished.
Kumar is not the only paedophile who has not received national attention. Few know the story of a two-year-old raped by a construction contractor in Bangalore, a 10-year-old girl from Valsad raped by her uncle or the Latur teenager raped by three young men in her village and hanged from a jamun tree. Part of the reason Rathore’s appalling crime drew attention was that it fitted neatly with tropes of villainy familiar from pop-culture: among them, uniformed criminals immune from the law and powerful politicians who guarantee them impunity.
But the truth India has shied away from these past weeks is this: Rathore’s crime was, by the standards of our society, utterly ordinary. For the most part, India’s children live in a nightmare; a dystopia founded on our collective complicity and silence. By the Government of India’s account, more than two-thirds of Indian children experience beatings in their homes, schools, workplace and government institutions — beatings which, if conducted in prison cells, would count as torture. Every second child in India, the government says, also faces one or more forms of sexual abuse.
Yet, no government has found the time or energy to enact a law against the abuse of children — leaving the authorities, when they can bestir themselves to deliver justice, to respond using legalisation intended to prevent prostitution, beggary, trafficking and rape. There is no institutional machinery to investigate schools, homes and children’s workplace for sexual and physical abuse. There are no police officers trained in the special skills needed to deal with child abuse. Barring a handful of organisations and individuals working to address the needs of abused children, there is no resource which victims and their families can turn to for help.
Terrifying facts
In 2007, the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development released the thoughtful —and terrifying — Study on Child Abuse in India. More than 12,000 children were polled to arrive at an empirical picture of the scale of beatings and sexual crimes that Indian children endure. Fifty-three per cent of the children said they had encountered “one or more forms of sexual abuse;” 68.99 per cent said they had suffered physical abuse, including beatings. More than a fifth reported severe sexual abuse, including assault, having been compelled to fondle adults’ private parts, exhibit themselves or be photographed nude. Well over half of those reporting severe sexual abuse were boys, the study found.
Popular wisdom holds that sexual abuse takes place when children are in environments outside the supposedly safe confines of their homes and schools. That, the study found, was simply not true. Fifty-three per cent of children not going to school said they had been sexually abused in their family environment. Just under half said they had encountered sexual abuse at their schools. These figures, interestingly, were about the same as children in institutional care who said they had been sexually abused — 47.08 per cent. Most vulnerable were children in workplaces, 61.31 per cent of whom had been sexually abused.
Boys in all but four of 13 States — Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa — were found to be more at risk of sexual abuse than girls. In Delhi, a staggering 65.6 per cent of the boys reported that they had been sexually abused.
Most at risk of serious sexual abuse, the study found, were children between 11 and 18 — although the group between six and 10 also reported significant levels of assault. Analysed by age group, the study states, sexual abuse was reported by “63.64 per cent child respondents in the age group of 15-18 years, 52.43 per cent in the age group of 13-14 years and 42.06 per cent in the age group of 5-12 years.” Assam, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh were found to have the highest levels of sexual abuse, with Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Goa recording the lowest.
We know, from separate studies, that the use of children in prostitution is also widespread. In their 2005 study, Trafficking in Women and Children in India, S. Sen and P.M. Nair estimated that there are up to half-a-million girl children from across the South Asian region working as prostitutes in India.
Elsewhere in the world, the existence of well-functioning justice mechanisms — and an open public debate on child sexual abuse — seems to have helped contain the problem to at least some extent. In the United Kingdom, a 2000 study by the National Study for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children found that about 16 per cent of children experienced sexual abuse before the age of 16. In the United States, one in four girls and one in six boys reported similar experiences. Horrific as these figures are, they are still well below the levels the Government of India’s study suggests are prevalent in our country.
Victims of violence
Depressingly, sexual abuse is only part of a wider gamut of violence. Sixty-nine per cent of the children polled reported having been physically abused — a term the authors of the Study defined as behaviour manifesting itself in kicking, slapping or corporal punishment at homes, schools, institutions and workplaces. In all the 13 States covered by the study, the incidence of physical abuse directed at children was above 50 per cent — a sign of just how widespread and legitimate the use of force is considered across the country. More than 80 per cent of children in Assam, Mizoram, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh reported physical abuse.
Most of the victims of physical abuse, the Study found, were very young children. Forty-eight per cent of the respondents who reported physical abuse were between five and 12 years old, while 26.29 per cent were 13 or 14. Older children, aged between 15 and 18, seemed to be targeted less for violence; just over a quarter reported encountering abuse. Boys reported encountering violence more often than girls in all States except Gujarat and Kerala. “In all age groups, an overwhelming majority of children (65.01%) reported being beaten at school, which means that two out of three children are victims of corporal punishment.”
The findings of the Study, its authors noted, were broadly corroborated by several other independent studies. Maulana Azad Medical College researcher Deepti Pagare found that over three-fourths of children in Delhi’s Child Observation Home had reported being subjected to physical abuse. Signs of abuse were found on the bodies of about half the children studied by Dr. Pagare. Fathers made up over half the reported perpetrators, and Dr. Pagare found a significant association between physical abuse of children and domestic violence in homes as well as substance abuse. Save the Children and Tulir, in a 2006 study conducted in West Bengal, found that almost three-quarters of child domestic workers had been physically abused. In 41.5 per cent of cases, the perpetrator was a member of the employers’ family.
What needs to be done? For one, India’s criminal justice system simply doesn’t have either the legal instruments or police infrastructure to deal with crimes against children. Despite calls from campaigners and child-rights groups, India is yet to pass a specific law on child sexual abuse — a legislative failure that makes prosecution in many situations almost impossible. Early this year, Punjab and Haryana High Court judges Mukul Mudgal and Jasbir Singh announced that they intended considering guidelines for the prosecution of child abuse cases. However, thoroughgoing criminal justice reforms will be needed for such efforts to yield results. Just 0.034 per cent of the Plan expenditure in 2006-2007 — an appalling figure — was committed to child protection.
In 1974, the National Policy for Children declared children a “supreme national asset.” No country in which two-thirds of children report beatings, and half experience sexual abuse, can make that claim with honesty. We must rip away the shrouds of silence that conceal the sheer pervasiveness of child abuse in our society. Our silence and inaction against the paedophiles in our homes, schools and neighbourhoods make us complicit in the horrific crimes being perpetrated against our children.
SOURCE: tHE hINDU
BY Praveen Swami
In December last, Indians watched in outrage as S.P.S. Rathore, former Haryana Director-General of Police, smirked at the end of court proceedings which saw him receive a six-month prison sentence for sexually abusing a teenager 19 years ago.
Not far from the Chandigarh courtroom where Rathore was convicted, a panchayat in Rohtak gathered to discuss the fate of a seven-year-old girl who had been sexually abused by a retired schoolteacher. The panchayat ordered that the hair of the perpetrator, Sushil Kumar, be shaved off — but asked the victim’s family not to inform the police. It was only three weeks later, after Kumar’s sons threatened the family, that the matter was reported to the police. The child’s story was buried in inside pages of local newspapers; the police say evidentiary issues render it unlikely the perpetrator will ever be punished.
Kumar is not the only paedophile who has not received national attention. Few know the story of a two-year-old raped by a construction contractor in Bangalore, a 10-year-old girl from Valsad raped by her uncle or the Latur teenager raped by three young men in her village and hanged from a jamun tree. Part of the reason Rathore’s appalling crime drew attention was that it fitted neatly with tropes of villainy familiar from pop-culture: among them, uniformed criminals immune from the law and powerful politicians who guarantee them impunity.
But the truth India has shied away from these past weeks is this: Rathore’s crime was, by the standards of our society, utterly ordinary. For the most part, India’s children live in a nightmare; a dystopia founded on our collective complicity and silence. By the Government of India’s account, more than two-thirds of Indian children experience beatings in their homes, schools, workplace and government institutions — beatings which, if conducted in prison cells, would count as torture. Every second child in India, the government says, also faces one or more forms of sexual abuse.
Yet, no government has found the time or energy to enact a law against the abuse of children — leaving the authorities, when they can bestir themselves to deliver justice, to respond using legalisation intended to prevent prostitution, beggary, trafficking and rape. There is no institutional machinery to investigate schools, homes and children’s workplace for sexual and physical abuse. There are no police officers trained in the special skills needed to deal with child abuse. Barring a handful of organisations and individuals working to address the needs of abused children, there is no resource which victims and their families can turn to for help.
Terrifying facts
In 2007, the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development released the thoughtful —and terrifying — Study on Child Abuse in India. More than 12,000 children were polled to arrive at an empirical picture of the scale of beatings and sexual crimes that Indian children endure. Fifty-three per cent of the children said they had encountered “one or more forms of sexual abuse;” 68.99 per cent said they had suffered physical abuse, including beatings. More than a fifth reported severe sexual abuse, including assault, having been compelled to fondle adults’ private parts, exhibit themselves or be photographed nude. Well over half of those reporting severe sexual abuse were boys, the study found.
Popular wisdom holds that sexual abuse takes place when children are in environments outside the supposedly safe confines of their homes and schools. That, the study found, was simply not true. Fifty-three per cent of children not going to school said they had been sexually abused in their family environment. Just under half said they had encountered sexual abuse at their schools. These figures, interestingly, were about the same as children in institutional care who said they had been sexually abused — 47.08 per cent. Most vulnerable were children in workplaces, 61.31 per cent of whom had been sexually abused.
Boys in all but four of 13 States — Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa — were found to be more at risk of sexual abuse than girls. In Delhi, a staggering 65.6 per cent of the boys reported that they had been sexually abused.
Most at risk of serious sexual abuse, the study found, were children between 11 and 18 — although the group between six and 10 also reported significant levels of assault. Analysed by age group, the study states, sexual abuse was reported by “63.64 per cent child respondents in the age group of 15-18 years, 52.43 per cent in the age group of 13-14 years and 42.06 per cent in the age group of 5-12 years.” Assam, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh were found to have the highest levels of sexual abuse, with Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Goa recording the lowest.
We know, from separate studies, that the use of children in prostitution is also widespread. In their 2005 study, Trafficking in Women and Children in India, S. Sen and P.M. Nair estimated that there are up to half-a-million girl children from across the South Asian region working as prostitutes in India.
Elsewhere in the world, the existence of well-functioning justice mechanisms — and an open public debate on child sexual abuse — seems to have helped contain the problem to at least some extent. In the United Kingdom, a 2000 study by the National Study for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children found that about 16 per cent of children experienced sexual abuse before the age of 16. In the United States, one in four girls and one in six boys reported similar experiences. Horrific as these figures are, they are still well below the levels the Government of India’s study suggests are prevalent in our country.
Victims of violence
Depressingly, sexual abuse is only part of a wider gamut of violence. Sixty-nine per cent of the children polled reported having been physically abused — a term the authors of the Study defined as behaviour manifesting itself in kicking, slapping or corporal punishment at homes, schools, institutions and workplaces. In all the 13 States covered by the study, the incidence of physical abuse directed at children was above 50 per cent — a sign of just how widespread and legitimate the use of force is considered across the country. More than 80 per cent of children in Assam, Mizoram, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh reported physical abuse.
Most of the victims of physical abuse, the Study found, were very young children. Forty-eight per cent of the respondents who reported physical abuse were between five and 12 years old, while 26.29 per cent were 13 or 14. Older children, aged between 15 and 18, seemed to be targeted less for violence; just over a quarter reported encountering abuse. Boys reported encountering violence more often than girls in all States except Gujarat and Kerala. “In all age groups, an overwhelming majority of children (65.01%) reported being beaten at school, which means that two out of three children are victims of corporal punishment.”
The findings of the Study, its authors noted, were broadly corroborated by several other independent studies. Maulana Azad Medical College researcher Deepti Pagare found that over three-fourths of children in Delhi’s Child Observation Home had reported being subjected to physical abuse. Signs of abuse were found on the bodies of about half the children studied by Dr. Pagare. Fathers made up over half the reported perpetrators, and Dr. Pagare found a significant association between physical abuse of children and domestic violence in homes as well as substance abuse. Save the Children and Tulir, in a 2006 study conducted in West Bengal, found that almost three-quarters of child domestic workers had been physically abused. In 41.5 per cent of cases, the perpetrator was a member of the employers’ family.
What needs to be done? For one, India’s criminal justice system simply doesn’t have either the legal instruments or police infrastructure to deal with crimes against children. Despite calls from campaigners and child-rights groups, India is yet to pass a specific law on child sexual abuse — a legislative failure that makes prosecution in many situations almost impossible. Early this year, Punjab and Haryana High Court judges Mukul Mudgal and Jasbir Singh announced that they intended considering guidelines for the prosecution of child abuse cases. However, thoroughgoing criminal justice reforms will be needed for such efforts to yield results. Just 0.034 per cent of the Plan expenditure in 2006-2007 — an appalling figure — was committed to child protection.
In 1974, the National Policy for Children declared children a “supreme national asset.” No country in which two-thirds of children report beatings, and half experience sexual abuse, can make that claim with honesty. We must rip away the shrouds of silence that conceal the sheer pervasiveness of child abuse in our society. Our silence and inaction against the paedophiles in our homes, schools and neighbourhoods make us complicit in the horrific crimes being perpetrated against our children.
SOURCE: tHE hINDU
CONGRATS ! SAROJA AND UMESH- you have made Sikkim proud.
SAROJA AND UMESH MADE SIKKIM PROUD
Two students of Sikkim University are among 100 who have been invited to witness the Republic Day parade from the Prime Minister’s box.
The government selects 100 meritorious students from across the country to witness the Republic Day parade from the Prime Minister’s box at Rajpath every year.
According to Sangeeta Rasaily, a programme executive of the university, it is a moment of great prestige and recognition for the institution. “Two of our students have been selected to witness the parade from the Prime Minister’s box,” she said. The duo were selected out of the 10 names recommended by the varsity, a central university set up in July 2007, and sent to the Prime Minister’s Office.
One of the students, Saroja Pradhan, was the topper in MEd from Harkamaya College of Education in 2008-09, scoring 75.88 per cent, Rasaily said. She has recently been deputed as a lecturer in the Government BEd College at Soreng.
The other student Umesh Pradhan of Damber Sing College in 2008-09 was also a topper with 71 per cent marks. He has completed his graduation in library sciences. Umesh is currently working as a library assistant at Surendra Institution of Engineering and Management.
Rasaily said both of them were excited about the prospect of sitting with the Prime Minister during India’s grandest parade. “They are also happy that they are the first students from Sikkim to be honoured with the selection.”
Both the students were the first batch to complete their degrees under the new syllabus introduced by the varsity.
They were also the first batch of students who were introduced to the semester system. “We feel that the system has been a boon in disguise for them as it helped them to be more focused. This also allows more interaction between the teachers and the taught,” Rasaily quoted them as saying
Two students of Sikkim University are among 100 who have been invited to witness the Republic Day parade from the Prime Minister’s box.
The government selects 100 meritorious students from across the country to witness the Republic Day parade from the Prime Minister’s box at Rajpath every year.
According to Sangeeta Rasaily, a programme executive of the university, it is a moment of great prestige and recognition for the institution. “Two of our students have been selected to witness the parade from the Prime Minister’s box,” she said. The duo were selected out of the 10 names recommended by the varsity, a central university set up in July 2007, and sent to the Prime Minister’s Office.
One of the students, Saroja Pradhan, was the topper in MEd from Harkamaya College of Education in 2008-09, scoring 75.88 per cent, Rasaily said. She has recently been deputed as a lecturer in the Government BEd College at Soreng.
The other student Umesh Pradhan of Damber Sing College in 2008-09 was also a topper with 71 per cent marks. He has completed his graduation in library sciences. Umesh is currently working as a library assistant at Surendra Institution of Engineering and Management.
Rasaily said both of them were excited about the prospect of sitting with the Prime Minister during India’s grandest parade. “They are also happy that they are the first students from Sikkim to be honoured with the selection.”
Both the students were the first batch to complete their degrees under the new syllabus introduced by the varsity.
They were also the first batch of students who were introduced to the semester system. “We feel that the system has been a boon in disguise for them as it helped them to be more focused. This also allows more interaction between the teachers and the taught,” Rasaily quoted them as saying
CLIMATE CHANGE:Raina demands apology for Pachauri’s ‘voodoo science’ comment
V.K. Raina, the former Deputy Director-General of the Geological Survey of India -- whose research document on the Himalayan glaciers debunked the claims of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that these glaciers would disappear by 2035 -- is not satisfied by the regret expressed by the United Nations agency.
“I want a personal apology from the IPCC chairperson R.K. Pachauri who had described my research as voodoo science,” Mr. Raina told The Hindu over phone from Panchkula. “Forget IPCC, Dr. Pachauri has not even expressed regret over what he said after my report -- Himalayan Glaciers: a state-of-art review of glacial studies, glacial retreat and climate change -- was released in November last year.”
With over 100 scientific papers and three books to his credit, Mr. Raina said he had not read the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC that made the prediction on melting of the Himalayan glaciers, but read the contents only from what was published in newspapers and magazine.
“But all along I knew that this was not based on facts. During my 50 years of research and several expeditions to the region, I never found anything as sensational as was predicted in the IPCC, but no one heard me then.”
It was only after he was asked by the Minister of Environment and Forests to come out with a report that a global debate was initiated on the issue
V.K. Raina, the former Deputy Director-General of the Geological Survey of India -- whose research document on the Himalayan glaciers debunked the claims of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that these glaciers would disappear by 2035 -- is not satisfied by the regret expressed by the United Nations agency.
“I want a personal apology from the IPCC chairperson R.K. Pachauri who had described my research as voodoo science,” Mr. Raina told The Hindu over phone from Panchkula. “Forget IPCC, Dr. Pachauri has not even expressed regret over what he said after my report -- Himalayan Glaciers: a state-of-art review of glacial studies, glacial retreat and climate change -- was released in November last year.”
With over 100 scientific papers and three books to his credit, Mr. Raina said he had not read the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC that made the prediction on melting of the Himalayan glaciers, but read the contents only from what was published in newspapers and magazine.
“But all along I knew that this was not based on facts. During my 50 years of research and several expeditions to the region, I never found anything as sensational as was predicted in the IPCC, but no one heard me then.”
It was only after he was asked by the Minister of Environment and Forests to come out with a report that a global debate was initiated on the issue
Nearly 2 lakh farm suicides since 1997
P. Sainath
There were at least 16,196 farmers’ suicides in India in 2008, bringing the total since 1997 to 199,132, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
The share of the Big 5 States or ‘suicide belt’ in 2008 — Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh — remained very high at 10,797, or 66.6 per cent of the total farm suicides in the country. This was marginally higher than it was in 2007 (66.2 per cent). Maharashtra remains the worst State in the nation for farm suicides with a total of 3802. (This is just 40 short of the combined total of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.) The all-India total of 16,196 represents a fall of 436 from 2007. But the broad trends of the past decade reflect no significant change. The national average for farm suicides since 2003 stays at roughly one every 30 minutes.
Within the Big 5, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh recorded higher numbers. The increase of 604 in these three States somewhat offset the dip in Maharashtra (436) and Karnataka (398). But a fall in suicide numbers in other States (for example, a decline of 412 in Kerala and 343 in West Bengal) means that the Big 5 marginally increased their two-thirds share of total farm suicides in 2008.
The NCRB data now cover all States for 12 years from 1997. In the first six years (1997-2002), the Big 5 witnessed 55,769 farmers’ suicides. From 2003 to 2008, they totalled 67,054, a rise of nearly 1900 a year on average.
Maharashtra has logged 41,404 farm suicides from 1997 (over a fifth of the national total) and 44,468 from 1995, the year when this State began recording farm data. No other State comes close. During 1997-2002, Maharashtra saw, on average, eight farmers kill themselves daily. The corresponding figure rose to 11 during 2003-2008. The rise was from an average of 2,833 farm suicides a year in the first period to an average of 4,067 in the next period.
Professor K. Nagaraj, an economist who has worked at the Madras Institute of Development Studies, says of the NCRB data: “There is hardly any decline in the suicide belt, though individual States may show variations across 12 years. If this is the state for 2008, the year of the Rs. 70,000 crore loan waiver and multiple farm packages, then 2009, a drought year, could show very disturbing figures. The underlying agrarian problems seem as acute as ever.”
P. Sainath
There were at least 16,196 farmers’ suicides in India in 2008, bringing the total since 1997 to 199,132, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
The share of the Big 5 States or ‘suicide belt’ in 2008 — Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh — remained very high at 10,797, or 66.6 per cent of the total farm suicides in the country. This was marginally higher than it was in 2007 (66.2 per cent). Maharashtra remains the worst State in the nation for farm suicides with a total of 3802. (This is just 40 short of the combined total of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.) The all-India total of 16,196 represents a fall of 436 from 2007. But the broad trends of the past decade reflect no significant change. The national average for farm suicides since 2003 stays at roughly one every 30 minutes.
Within the Big 5, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh recorded higher numbers. The increase of 604 in these three States somewhat offset the dip in Maharashtra (436) and Karnataka (398). But a fall in suicide numbers in other States (for example, a decline of 412 in Kerala and 343 in West Bengal) means that the Big 5 marginally increased their two-thirds share of total farm suicides in 2008.
The NCRB data now cover all States for 12 years from 1997. In the first six years (1997-2002), the Big 5 witnessed 55,769 farmers’ suicides. From 2003 to 2008, they totalled 67,054, a rise of nearly 1900 a year on average.
Maharashtra has logged 41,404 farm suicides from 1997 (over a fifth of the national total) and 44,468 from 1995, the year when this State began recording farm data. No other State comes close. During 1997-2002, Maharashtra saw, on average, eight farmers kill themselves daily. The corresponding figure rose to 11 during 2003-2008. The rise was from an average of 2,833 farm suicides a year in the first period to an average of 4,067 in the next period.
Professor K. Nagaraj, an economist who has worked at the Madras Institute of Development Studies, says of the NCRB data: “There is hardly any decline in the suicide belt, though individual States may show variations across 12 years. If this is the state for 2008, the year of the Rs. 70,000 crore loan waiver and multiple farm packages, then 2009, a drought year, could show very disturbing figures. The underlying agrarian problems seem as acute as ever.”
Kashmir to fully tap hydro power
Jammu, Jan 21 Keeping Jammu and Kashmir’s immense hydro energy potential in mind, the state is drawing up a comprehensive plan to put in place a three-track hydro power generation strategy and rope in investors in the field.
The decision was taken Thursday at a meeting of senior government officials with the Himalayan Power Producers Association here Thursday.
“We have to take faster steps to make good use of the available water resources and fill up the gap between demand and generation in the power sector,” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said at a meeting.
He said, “Jammu and Kashmir, with the highest hydro energy potential, should not lag behind in meeting the electricity requirement”.
The draft power policy will be placed on the internet in the public domain to receive suggestions, comments and views from experts and the general public in order to make the document comprehensive, holistic and befitting, a statement said.
Under the three-tier power development programme, the power projects will be constructed in public-private partnership, inviting investment from outside and by the state government itself in the public sector.
The state has embarked upon gigantic programmes to double its power production in the next five years and add nearly 3,000 MW to the system in the same period. Currently, the state is generating 1,800 MW.
Omar welcomed the proposal of Himalayan Power Producers Association for constructing small hydro projects in the state. He said the government would provide all facilities to the producers in this regard and asked them to liaison with local players and come up with proposals for small power projects.
The president, HPPA, Arun Sharma said the association has successfully launched projects in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand,
Sikkim,
the northeast states, Nepal and Bhutan. “We want to extend our technical expertise and help to Jammu and Kashmir in the power energy sector,” Sharma said.
Jammu, Jan 21 Keeping Jammu and Kashmir’s immense hydro energy potential in mind, the state is drawing up a comprehensive plan to put in place a three-track hydro power generation strategy and rope in investors in the field.
The decision was taken Thursday at a meeting of senior government officials with the Himalayan Power Producers Association here Thursday.
“We have to take faster steps to make good use of the available water resources and fill up the gap between demand and generation in the power sector,” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said at a meeting.
He said, “Jammu and Kashmir, with the highest hydro energy potential, should not lag behind in meeting the electricity requirement”.
The draft power policy will be placed on the internet in the public domain to receive suggestions, comments and views from experts and the general public in order to make the document comprehensive, holistic and befitting, a statement said.
Under the three-tier power development programme, the power projects will be constructed in public-private partnership, inviting investment from outside and by the state government itself in the public sector.
The state has embarked upon gigantic programmes to double its power production in the next five years and add nearly 3,000 MW to the system in the same period. Currently, the state is generating 1,800 MW.
Omar welcomed the proposal of Himalayan Power Producers Association for constructing small hydro projects in the state. He said the government would provide all facilities to the producers in this regard and asked them to liaison with local players and come up with proposals for small power projects.
The president, HPPA, Arun Sharma said the association has successfully launched projects in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand,
Sikkim,
the northeast states, Nepal and Bhutan. “We want to extend our technical expertise and help to Jammu and Kashmir in the power energy sector,” Sharma said.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Creating a Pension Fund
I am 59 years old and wish to retire in February, 2010. I want to create a pension fund and also seek regular tax-free returns from my investments in mutual funds. I own a house and don’t have to worry about any liabilities.
H. Rao Yadavalli
Your retirement is virtually round the corner. You have not left too much time for maneuvering your investments. Therefore, at this point in time, utmost priority must be given to sourcing a regular income for you, which should be backed up by safeguarding your capital.
Regular income
You can invest in Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS). The investment limit for this is Rs 15 lakh and it will give you an interest of 9 per cent per annum. While the remaining amount (Rs 2.92 lakh) can be kept in a FDs. Your annual interest from SCSS will be Rs 1.35 lakh, which will translate into a monthly income of Rs 11,250.
The investments under SCSS will fetch you a tax deduction under 80C, but the interest income will be taxed as per your tax slab. But if do not have any other source of income, the total income will be tax free. That is because, for senior citizens, total income up to Rs 2.40 lakh is tax exempt from this year onwards.
Tax free, but…
If you want a totally tax free income, then invest in equity, as it provides exactly that - in equity dividends, as well as capital gains, after one year are tax free. But the problem here is that returns from equity are highly volatile and high on risk. You may not be able to get regular income and capital safety, which is very important for you.
Mix-&-Match
The other option that is open is that you retain your Rs 6.50 lakh in FDs and also the investment of Rs 11.42 lakh in equities and mutual funds. You may withdraw a maximum of Rs 1.80 lakh annually from your FDs investments — it will provide a monthly income of Rs 15,000 to meet your most essential or necessary expenses. However, you must replenish your FDs, in one-or-two years. This money can be sourced from your gains that would be booked from your equity investments.
Portfolio Observations: Clutter Problem
Diversification is good but too much of it will only add to unnecessary paper work and management issue. Currently, you are invested in 17 funds. But having around seven to eight funds will provide you more than enough diversification.
New Fund Investments
There are two 5-star funds (rated by Value Research), four 4-star funds, and five 3-star funds in your portfolio. However, you have also invested in four other funds that are not rated at all. Since that signifies taking risk, which is to be avoided by you, so, always invest in funds which have a performance record that can be tracked.
Thematic Funds
An investor can have a small exposure to thematic funds and its good to see that you have restricted that up to 10 per cent of your portfolio and that too in infrastructure theme (which is pretty broad theme than other sector funds). But you have exposure to three funds in this space (Reliance Infrastructure, DSPBR T.IG.E.R. and SBI Infrastructure Fund Series I). This is unnecessary repetition. If you want to take exposure to a single theme, one should be sufficient.
Close-end Fund Investment
You have invested in one close-end fund — SBI Infrastructure Fund Series 1. As one can only invest in a closed-end fund during an NFO, so one cannot evaluate their performance before investing and they generally have a high exit load on redemptions made before maturity.
Lump-sum Investments
You have made lump-sum investments in mutual funds. That is akin to trying to time the markets. One should not try to do that. Always make investments in a systematic manner. Investments through systematic investments plans (SIPs) are ideal as they give you the benefit of rupee cost averaging.
Stock Situation
You have invested directly in stocks and they account for around half of your combined investment in stocks and mutual funds. One should invest in stocks directly only if one has the time and expertise to review investments.
Unhinged Allocations
Since you have invested in a large number of funds and also in stocks separately, your portfolio is exposed to 287 stocks. Out of these your top 15 holdings account for 60 per cent of your portfolio while the rest have less than one per cent exposure each.
Emergency Fund
You should also make an allocation to emergency funds to meet unforeseen expenditure requirements. You should also get health insurance, if you don't have any.
ref:value research
I am 59 years old and wish to retire in February, 2010. I want to create a pension fund and also seek regular tax-free returns from my investments in mutual funds. I own a house and don’t have to worry about any liabilities.
H. Rao Yadavalli
Your retirement is virtually round the corner. You have not left too much time for maneuvering your investments. Therefore, at this point in time, utmost priority must be given to sourcing a regular income for you, which should be backed up by safeguarding your capital.
Regular income
You can invest in Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS). The investment limit for this is Rs 15 lakh and it will give you an interest of 9 per cent per annum. While the remaining amount (Rs 2.92 lakh) can be kept in a FDs. Your annual interest from SCSS will be Rs 1.35 lakh, which will translate into a monthly income of Rs 11,250.
The investments under SCSS will fetch you a tax deduction under 80C, but the interest income will be taxed as per your tax slab. But if do not have any other source of income, the total income will be tax free. That is because, for senior citizens, total income up to Rs 2.40 lakh is tax exempt from this year onwards.
Tax free, but…
If you want a totally tax free income, then invest in equity, as it provides exactly that - in equity dividends, as well as capital gains, after one year are tax free. But the problem here is that returns from equity are highly volatile and high on risk. You may not be able to get regular income and capital safety, which is very important for you.
Mix-&-Match
The other option that is open is that you retain your Rs 6.50 lakh in FDs and also the investment of Rs 11.42 lakh in equities and mutual funds. You may withdraw a maximum of Rs 1.80 lakh annually from your FDs investments — it will provide a monthly income of Rs 15,000 to meet your most essential or necessary expenses. However, you must replenish your FDs, in one-or-two years. This money can be sourced from your gains that would be booked from your equity investments.
Portfolio Observations: Clutter Problem
Diversification is good but too much of it will only add to unnecessary paper work and management issue. Currently, you are invested in 17 funds. But having around seven to eight funds will provide you more than enough diversification.
New Fund Investments
There are two 5-star funds (rated by Value Research), four 4-star funds, and five 3-star funds in your portfolio. However, you have also invested in four other funds that are not rated at all. Since that signifies taking risk, which is to be avoided by you, so, always invest in funds which have a performance record that can be tracked.
Thematic Funds
An investor can have a small exposure to thematic funds and its good to see that you have restricted that up to 10 per cent of your portfolio and that too in infrastructure theme (which is pretty broad theme than other sector funds). But you have exposure to three funds in this space (Reliance Infrastructure, DSPBR T.IG.E.R. and SBI Infrastructure Fund Series I). This is unnecessary repetition. If you want to take exposure to a single theme, one should be sufficient.
Close-end Fund Investment
You have invested in one close-end fund — SBI Infrastructure Fund Series 1. As one can only invest in a closed-end fund during an NFO, so one cannot evaluate their performance before investing and they generally have a high exit load on redemptions made before maturity.
Lump-sum Investments
You have made lump-sum investments in mutual funds. That is akin to trying to time the markets. One should not try to do that. Always make investments in a systematic manner. Investments through systematic investments plans (SIPs) are ideal as they give you the benefit of rupee cost averaging.
Stock Situation
You have invested directly in stocks and they account for around half of your combined investment in stocks and mutual funds. One should invest in stocks directly only if one has the time and expertise to review investments.
Unhinged Allocations
Since you have invested in a large number of funds and also in stocks separately, your portfolio is exposed to 287 stocks. Out of these your top 15 holdings account for 60 per cent of your portfolio while the rest have less than one per cent exposure each.
Emergency Fund
You should also make an allocation to emergency funds to meet unforeseen expenditure requirements. You should also get health insurance, if you don't have any.
ref:value research
RAMDEV BABA CRIES AGAINST bT BRINJAL, BUT GOVT MAY ALLOW IT
Countering Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar’s statement on introducing Bt brinjal in the market, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Thursday said the Centre has every right to take the final decision when public safety is concerned.
Mr. Ramesh was responding to Mr. Pawar’s statement on Wednesday that the expert committee’s (Genetically Engineering Approval Committee) decision on the introduction of Bt brinjal will be final and the Centre does not have any say in the issue.
Differing with Mr. Pawar, the Environment Minister said the “expert panel may well be a statuary body but when critical issues of human safety are involved, the government has every right and in fact, has basic responsibility to take the final decision based on the panel’s suggestions.”
In a letter to Mr. Pawar written on Thursday, Mr. Ramesh said he was holding public consultations across the country before taking a final decision in the matter “since Bt brinjal will be the first genetically modified food crop and ...I am well aware of the concerns that have been raised on this issue.”
Mr. Ramesh also brought to the notice of Mr. Pawar his letters to chief ministers of six important brinjal cultivating states including West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Maharashtra. “In addition I have sought feedback from over 50 top scientists both in India and from abroad,” he said.
Countering Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar’s statement on introducing Bt brinjal in the market, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Thursday said the Centre has every right to take the final decision when public safety is concerned.
Mr. Ramesh was responding to Mr. Pawar’s statement on Wednesday that the expert committee’s (Genetically Engineering Approval Committee) decision on the introduction of Bt brinjal will be final and the Centre does not have any say in the issue.
Differing with Mr. Pawar, the Environment Minister said the “expert panel may well be a statuary body but when critical issues of human safety are involved, the government has every right and in fact, has basic responsibility to take the final decision based on the panel’s suggestions.”
In a letter to Mr. Pawar written on Thursday, Mr. Ramesh said he was holding public consultations across the country before taking a final decision in the matter “since Bt brinjal will be the first genetically modified food crop and ...I am well aware of the concerns that have been raised on this issue.”
Mr. Ramesh also brought to the notice of Mr. Pawar his letters to chief ministers of six important brinjal cultivating states including West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Maharashtra. “In addition I have sought feedback from over 50 top scientists both in India and from abroad,” he said.
Shivshankar Menon is new National Security Adviser
21 Jan 2010:
The government on Thursday issued orders appointing Shiv Shankar Menon as the next National Security Adviser.
The NSA's post was created in 1998 to oversee the management of national security, both in the immediate term and long term. Brajesh Mishra was the first NSA till 2004, and was succeeded by J.N. Dixit, who died in harness in January 2005.
One of the executive functions of the NSA is to serve as chairman of the executive council of the Nuclear Command Authority.
In recent years, the NSA has emerged as the Prime Minister's chief negotiator in strategic talks with the big powers.
21 Jan 2010:
The government on Thursday issued orders appointing Shiv Shankar Menon as the next National Security Adviser.
The NSA's post was created in 1998 to oversee the management of national security, both in the immediate term and long term. Brajesh Mishra was the first NSA till 2004, and was succeeded by J.N. Dixit, who died in harness in January 2005.
One of the executive functions of the NSA is to serve as chairman of the executive council of the Nuclear Command Authority.
In recent years, the NSA has emerged as the Prime Minister's chief negotiator in strategic talks with the big powers.
Time is ripe for e-governance’
Speakers from the industry advocated the use of e-governance tools to ensure “good governance” at the summit on ‘E-governance and digitisation of government’, organised by the Manufacturers’ Association of Information Technology, the industry body representing the interests of hardware manufacturers, in Bangalore on Thursday.
Karnataka Governor H.R. Bhardwaj traced the origin of application of IT in governance to the introduction of IT in the legal system in the mid-1980s.
Anurag Srivastava, Vice-President, Wipro Consulting Services, said the prevailing environment “is just right” because while the “motive for transformation is very high within the government, industry shows a willingness to change its business practices in order to address the needs of e-governance”. Mr. Srivastava said e-governance could be an “enabling tool for social inclusion and ensure actual benefits to people”.
S. Sadagopan, Founder Director, Indian Institute of Information Technology, said IT’s significance in the future would be “its invisibility in e-governance”. “Governance should be available everywhere in an unobtrusive way,” he said. “E-governance is not about adding more computers,” he added. He pointed out that India has the largest number of e-governance projects in the world.
M.N. Vidyashankar, Principal secretary, e-Governance Department, said the average annual spend by the Government in each district of the country was about Rs. 950 crore. E-governance practices would help in ensuring governments become “leaner, faster and more agile”.
S.R. Rao, Additional Secretary, Department of Information Technology, Government of India, said e-governance would promote “socio-economic inclusion, digital inclusion in a knowledge society and financial inclusion.”
Mr. Bhardwaj said he “is upset” about the incomplete flyovers, the poor road connectivity and traffic congestion in Bangalore.
Speakers from the industry advocated the use of e-governance tools to ensure “good governance” at the summit on ‘E-governance and digitisation of government’, organised by the Manufacturers’ Association of Information Technology, the industry body representing the interests of hardware manufacturers, in Bangalore on Thursday.
Karnataka Governor H.R. Bhardwaj traced the origin of application of IT in governance to the introduction of IT in the legal system in the mid-1980s.
Anurag Srivastava, Vice-President, Wipro Consulting Services, said the prevailing environment “is just right” because while the “motive for transformation is very high within the government, industry shows a willingness to change its business practices in order to address the needs of e-governance”. Mr. Srivastava said e-governance could be an “enabling tool for social inclusion and ensure actual benefits to people”.
S. Sadagopan, Founder Director, Indian Institute of Information Technology, said IT’s significance in the future would be “its invisibility in e-governance”. “Governance should be available everywhere in an unobtrusive way,” he said. “E-governance is not about adding more computers,” he added. He pointed out that India has the largest number of e-governance projects in the world.
M.N. Vidyashankar, Principal secretary, e-Governance Department, said the average annual spend by the Government in each district of the country was about Rs. 950 crore. E-governance practices would help in ensuring governments become “leaner, faster and more agile”.
S.R. Rao, Additional Secretary, Department of Information Technology, Government of India, said e-governance would promote “socio-economic inclusion, digital inclusion in a knowledge society and financial inclusion.”
Mr. Bhardwaj said he “is upset” about the incomplete flyovers, the poor road connectivity and traffic congestion in Bangalore.
INDIA:Safeguarding Indian Small and Medium Scale Enterprises from Chinese goods
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21.1.2010 11:43 IST
Trade defence measures are available to the domestic industry to counter unfair trade practices followed by exporters of goods from other countries.
In case a product is imported into the country at less than its normal value, and it causes injury to the domestic industry, the domestic industry can make an application to Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied duties (DGAD) in the Department of Commerce for imposition of anti-dumping duty.
Similarly, an application for imposition of safeguard duty can be made by the domestic industry to the Directorate General of Safeguards under the Ministry of Finance, in case there is serious injury/market disruption, or threat of series injury/threat of market disruption to the domestic industry, as a consequence of increased imports of an article into India.
During 2008-09 and 2009-10 (up to November 2009) anti-dumping duty was imposed in 22 cases (final duty in 12 cases and provisional duty in 10 cases) and final Safeguard duty was imposed in 4 cases.
Under Section 3 (2) of Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992, the Central Government has an inherent power to impose restrictions on import of goods.
The Customs Tariff Act, 1975 presently includes provisions for providing relief to the domestic producers against injury caused to them by imports, in accordance with the Agreement on Anti-Dumping (i.e. the Agreement on the implementation of Article VI of GATT, 1995), the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, and the Agreement on Safeguards. These provisions are aimed at offsetting the adverse effects of ‘dumped’ imports, ‘subsidized’ imports or ‘increased’ imports.
Imports from China during the last 3 years is given in the table below:
Year Imports (Rs. crore)
2006-07 : 79,008
2007-08 : 1,09,116
2008-09 : 1,47,605
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Editorial:
Besides the official import of Rs.1,47,605 crores, we have rampant smuggling thru Nepal and Bangladesh borders which itself is equal to what we import.
Then, their is under invoicing which again amounts to Rs.50,000 crores. So in reality, the import from China must be above Rs.3,50,000 crores. So in such circumstances, domestic small industries are bound to die creating heavy unemployment for the self employed.
Difficult days are on anvil for the Indian Entrepreurs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21.1.2010 11:43 IST
Trade defence measures are available to the domestic industry to counter unfair trade practices followed by exporters of goods from other countries.
In case a product is imported into the country at less than its normal value, and it causes injury to the domestic industry, the domestic industry can make an application to Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied duties (DGAD) in the Department of Commerce for imposition of anti-dumping duty.
Similarly, an application for imposition of safeguard duty can be made by the domestic industry to the Directorate General of Safeguards under the Ministry of Finance, in case there is serious injury/market disruption, or threat of series injury/threat of market disruption to the domestic industry, as a consequence of increased imports of an article into India.
During 2008-09 and 2009-10 (up to November 2009) anti-dumping duty was imposed in 22 cases (final duty in 12 cases and provisional duty in 10 cases) and final Safeguard duty was imposed in 4 cases.
Under Section 3 (2) of Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992, the Central Government has an inherent power to impose restrictions on import of goods.
The Customs Tariff Act, 1975 presently includes provisions for providing relief to the domestic producers against injury caused to them by imports, in accordance with the Agreement on Anti-Dumping (i.e. the Agreement on the implementation of Article VI of GATT, 1995), the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, and the Agreement on Safeguards. These provisions are aimed at offsetting the adverse effects of ‘dumped’ imports, ‘subsidized’ imports or ‘increased’ imports.
Imports from China during the last 3 years is given in the table below:
Year Imports (Rs. crore)
2006-07 : 79,008
2007-08 : 1,09,116
2008-09 : 1,47,605
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Editorial:
Besides the official import of Rs.1,47,605 crores, we have rampant smuggling thru Nepal and Bangladesh borders which itself is equal to what we import.
Then, their is under invoicing which again amounts to Rs.50,000 crores. So in reality, the import from China must be above Rs.3,50,000 crores. So in such circumstances, domestic small industries are bound to die creating heavy unemployment for the self employed.
Difficult days are on anvil for the Indian Entrepreurs.
INDIA:Scheme of 374 Model Colleges in Districts having Gross Enrolment Ratio for higher education less than the national GER
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21 Jan 2010 14:4 IST
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today approved the introduction of a new Scheme to provide central assistance for setting up of a model degree college in each of the identified 374 educationally backward districts where Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for higher education is less than the national GER.
Point-wise details:
(a) The Central Government shall provide assistance to the extent of one third of the capital cost for establishment of each college, limited to Rs.2.67 crore. For Special Category States, the Central share shall be 50% of the capital cost limited to Rs.4 crore for each college.
(b) The land shall be provided free of cost by the State Governments. The balance amount of the capital cost, and the recurring cost of running these new colleges shall be met by the concerned State Governments.
(c) During the remaining period of the 11th Five Year Plan, assistance shall be provided for establishing 200 model colleges in identified districts, with priority being given to special category states and districts having concentration of weaker sections and minorities as well as other districts in Schedule V and Schedule VI areas.
(d) The Scheme will have prospective effect and will be applicable to those colleges where admissions commence after 21.01.2010.
(e) A clear Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed with each State Government before any release of funds is made.
(f) The Scheme shall be implemented both through the University Grants commission (which can release funds to the concerned affiliating university for establishment of the college as its constituent college) and also alternatively by way of direct release of funds by the Ministry of Human Resource Development to the concerned State Government, which may like to set up the college either as an affiliated or a constituent college.
The total funds requirements will be Rs.2992 crore (for 374 colleges @ Rs.8 crore per college), and the Central share shall be about Rs.1079 crore. During the remaining period by the XI Plan it is proposed to provide Central assistance for 200 colleges for which the financial requirement (central share) shall be limited to about Rs.615.13 crore.
Assuming that the average number of students in a college is 500, the total number of students who would be enrolled in the 374 colleges, shall be about 1.87 lakh.
This is a new Scheme meant exclusively for students in educationally backward districts, aspiring for higher education. The Scheme shall help in increasing the GER in educationally backward districts.
The Scheme will be publicized among the State Governments immediately for inviting proposals from the States. All the identified 374 higher educationally backward districts in the country where the GER is less than the national GER shall be covered.
BACKGROUND:
In his Independence Speech on 15th August 2007, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India had announced, inter alia, that “We will also ensure that adequate numbers of colleges are set up across the country, especially in districts where enrolment levels are low. We will help States set up colleges in 370 such districts”. The XI Five Year Plan document as approved by the National Development Council envisages, among other things, that 370 new Degree Colleges will be established in Districts with low Gross Enrolment Ratio based on careful selection.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
editorial: States Like Sikkim can see if it can get benefit under the above scheme.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21 Jan 2010 14:4 IST
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today approved the introduction of a new Scheme to provide central assistance for setting up of a model degree college in each of the identified 374 educationally backward districts where Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for higher education is less than the national GER.
Point-wise details:
(a) The Central Government shall provide assistance to the extent of one third of the capital cost for establishment of each college, limited to Rs.2.67 crore. For Special Category States, the Central share shall be 50% of the capital cost limited to Rs.4 crore for each college.
(b) The land shall be provided free of cost by the State Governments. The balance amount of the capital cost, and the recurring cost of running these new colleges shall be met by the concerned State Governments.
(c) During the remaining period of the 11th Five Year Plan, assistance shall be provided for establishing 200 model colleges in identified districts, with priority being given to special category states and districts having concentration of weaker sections and minorities as well as other districts in Schedule V and Schedule VI areas.
(d) The Scheme will have prospective effect and will be applicable to those colleges where admissions commence after 21.01.2010.
(e) A clear Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed with each State Government before any release of funds is made.
(f) The Scheme shall be implemented both through the University Grants commission (which can release funds to the concerned affiliating university for establishment of the college as its constituent college) and also alternatively by way of direct release of funds by the Ministry of Human Resource Development to the concerned State Government, which may like to set up the college either as an affiliated or a constituent college.
The total funds requirements will be Rs.2992 crore (for 374 colleges @ Rs.8 crore per college), and the Central share shall be about Rs.1079 crore. During the remaining period by the XI Plan it is proposed to provide Central assistance for 200 colleges for which the financial requirement (central share) shall be limited to about Rs.615.13 crore.
Assuming that the average number of students in a college is 500, the total number of students who would be enrolled in the 374 colleges, shall be about 1.87 lakh.
This is a new Scheme meant exclusively for students in educationally backward districts, aspiring for higher education. The Scheme shall help in increasing the GER in educationally backward districts.
The Scheme will be publicized among the State Governments immediately for inviting proposals from the States. All the identified 374 higher educationally backward districts in the country where the GER is less than the national GER shall be covered.
BACKGROUND:
In his Independence Speech on 15th August 2007, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India had announced, inter alia, that “We will also ensure that adequate numbers of colleges are set up across the country, especially in districts where enrolment levels are low. We will help States set up colleges in 370 such districts”. The XI Five Year Plan document as approved by the National Development Council envisages, among other things, that 370 new Degree Colleges will be established in Districts with low Gross Enrolment Ratio based on careful selection.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
editorial: States Like Sikkim can see if it can get benefit under the above scheme.
RAIL LINK TO SIKKIM
Final location survey of Sikkim railway link completed
Joint inspection on Jan 22
GANGTOK, January 20: The final location survey of the railway link being taken up in Sikkim under the North East Frontier Railways has been completed.
As per the information received from the executive engineer (construction), NEFR, NJP, the complete survey of 52.7 km stretch from Sevoke to Rangpo has been submitted to the railway board by the survey company.
The report submitted would provide the exact root of the railway lines to be connecting Sikkim, it was informed.
It was also informed that the joint survey would finalize the sites for construction of railway stations in the State.
The survey team will also be inspecting the terminal station at Chota Singtam, Bhusuk, the additional chief engineer said.
Final location survey of Sikkim railway link completed
Joint inspection on Jan 22
GANGTOK, January 20: The final location survey of the railway link being taken up in Sikkim under the North East Frontier Railways has been completed.
As per the information received from the executive engineer (construction), NEFR, NJP, the complete survey of 52.7 km stretch from Sevoke to Rangpo has been submitted to the railway board by the survey company.
The report submitted would provide the exact root of the railway lines to be connecting Sikkim, it was informed.
It was also informed that the joint survey would finalize the sites for construction of railway stations in the State.
The survey team will also be inspecting the terminal station at Chota Singtam, Bhusuk, the additional chief engineer said.
India:CCP reviews prices of essential commodities
21.JAN 2010 15:0 IST
CCP Decision
The Cabinet Committee on Prices (CCP) today reviewed the prices of essential commodities. The major areas of concern identified are prices of pulses, sugar, potatoes and onions.
After detailed discussions, the CCP took the following decision:
An ad-hoc allocation of 10kgs per family per month over and above the existing allocation of foodgrains i.e. wheat/rice will be made for two months i.e. January and February, 2010 to cover all accepted card holders. It will be available to accepted numbers of cardholders under AAY, BPL and APL category. The total additional allocation for the country will be 10.64 lakh tones of rice and 25.43 lakh tones of wheat. State Governments will be allowed to lift this quantity by March 2010. This allocation will be at MSP of Rs.10.80 per kg for wheat and Rs.15.37 per kg for rice.
***********
21.JAN 2010 15:0 IST
CCP Decision
The Cabinet Committee on Prices (CCP) today reviewed the prices of essential commodities. The major areas of concern identified are prices of pulses, sugar, potatoes and onions.
After detailed discussions, the CCP took the following decision:
An ad-hoc allocation of 10kgs per family per month over and above the existing allocation of foodgrains i.e. wheat/rice will be made for two months i.e. January and February, 2010 to cover all accepted card holders. It will be available to accepted numbers of cardholders under AAY, BPL and APL category. The total additional allocation for the country will be 10.64 lakh tones of rice and 25.43 lakh tones of wheat. State Governments will be allowed to lift this quantity by March 2010. This allocation will be at MSP of Rs.10.80 per kg for wheat and Rs.15.37 per kg for rice.
***********
INDIA PLANS TO SET UP National Knowledge Network (NKN)
SIKKIM SHOULD ASK FOR ONE POINT OF PRESENCE
21.1.2010 14:21 IST
The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure has accorded in principle approval for the establishment of the National Knowledge Network (NKN) to be implemented by the NIC.
BACKGROUND:
One of the important recommendations of the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) is to inter-connect all knowledge institutions trough high speed data communication network. This would encourage sharing of knowledge, specialized resources and collaborative research.
The Government’s decision to set up such a National Knowledge Network was announced in 2008-09. An initial amount of Rs.100 crore was allocated to the Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communications and IT for the establishing the NKC. A High Level Committee (HLC) was also set up to coordinate and monitor the establishment of the NKN.
Implementation strategy and targets :
The architecture of the NKN will be scalable and the network will consist of an ultra-high speed Core (multiples of 10Gbps and upwards). The Core shall be complemented with a distribution layer at appropriate speeds. The participating institutions can connect to the NKN at speeds of 1 Gbps or to the distribution layer through a last mile connectivity bandwidth.
The NKN will provide nation-wide ultra high-speed backbone/data-network highway. Various other networks in the country can take advantage of this ultra high-speed backbone, with national and international reach to create independent and closed user groups.
The NKN will have about 25 core Point of Presence (PoPs) and 600 secondary PoPs. It will connect around 1500 Institutions. The physical infrastructure (setting up of core network) is expected to be completed in a span of 24 months.
Major impact :
NKN will enable scientists, researches and students from diverse spheres across the country to work together for advancing human development in critical and emerging areas.
NKN will catalyze knowledge sharing and knowledge transfer between stakeholders seamlessly – that too across the nation and globally.
NKN is expected to encourage a larger section of research and educational institutions to create intellectual property.
NKN would enable use of specialized applications, which allow sharing of high performance computing facilities, e-libraries, virtual classrooms and very large databases.
Health, Education, Grid Computing, Agriculture and e-Governance are the main applications identified for implementation and delivery on NKN. Applications such as Countrywide Classrooms will address the issue of faculty shortage and ensure quality education delivery across the country. The crux of the success of the Knowledge Network is related to the education related applications, databases and delivery of services to the users on demand.
Current status of Initial Phase:
In the initial phase a core Backbone consisting of 15 Points of Presence (PoPs) have been established with 2.5 Gbps capacity. Around 40 institutions of higher learning and advanced research have already been connected to the network and 6 virtual classrooms setup.
AD/LV
SIKKIM SHOULD ASK FOR ONE POINT OF PRESENCE
21.1.2010 14:21 IST
The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure has accorded in principle approval for the establishment of the National Knowledge Network (NKN) to be implemented by the NIC.
BACKGROUND:
One of the important recommendations of the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) is to inter-connect all knowledge institutions trough high speed data communication network. This would encourage sharing of knowledge, specialized resources and collaborative research.
The Government’s decision to set up such a National Knowledge Network was announced in 2008-09. An initial amount of Rs.100 crore was allocated to the Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communications and IT for the establishing the NKC. A High Level Committee (HLC) was also set up to coordinate and monitor the establishment of the NKN.
Implementation strategy and targets :
The architecture of the NKN will be scalable and the network will consist of an ultra-high speed Core (multiples of 10Gbps and upwards). The Core shall be complemented with a distribution layer at appropriate speeds. The participating institutions can connect to the NKN at speeds of 1 Gbps or to the distribution layer through a last mile connectivity bandwidth.
The NKN will provide nation-wide ultra high-speed backbone/data-network highway. Various other networks in the country can take advantage of this ultra high-speed backbone, with national and international reach to create independent and closed user groups.
The NKN will have about 25 core Point of Presence (PoPs) and 600 secondary PoPs. It will connect around 1500 Institutions. The physical infrastructure (setting up of core network) is expected to be completed in a span of 24 months.
Major impact :
NKN will enable scientists, researches and students from diverse spheres across the country to work together for advancing human development in critical and emerging areas.
NKN will catalyze knowledge sharing and knowledge transfer between stakeholders seamlessly – that too across the nation and globally.
NKN is expected to encourage a larger section of research and educational institutions to create intellectual property.
NKN would enable use of specialized applications, which allow sharing of high performance computing facilities, e-libraries, virtual classrooms and very large databases.
Health, Education, Grid Computing, Agriculture and e-Governance are the main applications identified for implementation and delivery on NKN. Applications such as Countrywide Classrooms will address the issue of faculty shortage and ensure quality education delivery across the country. The crux of the success of the Knowledge Network is related to the education related applications, databases and delivery of services to the users on demand.
Current status of Initial Phase:
In the initial phase a core Backbone consisting of 15 Points of Presence (PoPs) have been established with 2.5 Gbps capacity. Around 40 institutions of higher learning and advanced research have already been connected to the network and 6 virtual classrooms setup.
AD/LV
Feet hold key to human hand evolution
The scietists have proved that changes in the hand and foot are similar developments, and changes in one would have side-effects manifesting in the other
One reason fingers and toes may be so strongly correlated, scientists feel, is that they share a similar genetic and developmental ‘blueprint’. "So, if you have a long big toe, you tend to have a long thumb," they say
The evolution of the human hand was a side-effect of changes in the shape of our feet, Canadian scientists have claimed. With this, scientists at the University of Calgary may have solved the mystery of how human hands became nimble enough to make and manipulate stone tools.
The study, published in the journal Evolution, found that changes in our hands and fingers were a side-effect of changes in the shape of our feet. “This shows that the capacity to stand and walk on two feet is intrinsically linked to the emergence of stone tool technology,” they said.
Lead author Campbell Rolian added: “This goes back to Darwin’s The Descent of Man. Darwin was among the first to consider the relationship between stone tool technology and bipedalism. His idea was that they were separate events and they happened sequentially — that bipedalism freed the hand to evolve for other purposes.” He added, “What we showed was that the changes in the hand and foot are similar developments... and changes in one would have side-effects manifesting in the other.”
The scientists used a mathematical model to simulate the changes, the BBC reported. Mr. Rolian and his colleagues took measurements from the hands and feet of humans and chimpanzees to find out how they would have evolved.
The researchers’ measurements showed a strong correlation between similar parts of the hand and foot. “So, if you have a long big toe, you tend to have a long thumb,” Mr. Rolian explained. “One reason fingers and toes may be so strongly correlated is that they share a similar genetic and developmental ‘blueprint’, and small changes to this blueprint can affect the hand and foot in parallel,” he said.
With this anatomical data, the researchers were able to create their mathematical simulation of evolutionary change. “We used mathematical model to simulate the evolutionary pressures on the hands and feet,” Mr. Rolian said that essentially adjusted the shape of hands or feet, recreating single, small evolutionary changes to see what effect they had.
They found that changes in the feet caused parallel changes in the hands, especially in the relative proportions of the fingers and toes. These parallel changes or side-effects, said Mr. Rolian, may have been an important evolutionary stem that allowed human ancestors, including Neanderthals, to develop the dexterity for stone tool technology.
“I am not personally convinced that the foot and hand of chimpanzees are a good model [of human ancestors’ hands and feet] — the foot of the lowland gorilla may be more interesting in this respect,” Robin Crompton, professor of anatomy at U.K.’s Liverpool University said.
The scietists have proved that changes in the hand and foot are similar developments, and changes in one would have side-effects manifesting in the other
One reason fingers and toes may be so strongly correlated, scientists feel, is that they share a similar genetic and developmental ‘blueprint’. "So, if you have a long big toe, you tend to have a long thumb," they say
The evolution of the human hand was a side-effect of changes in the shape of our feet, Canadian scientists have claimed. With this, scientists at the University of Calgary may have solved the mystery of how human hands became nimble enough to make and manipulate stone tools.
The study, published in the journal Evolution, found that changes in our hands and fingers were a side-effect of changes in the shape of our feet. “This shows that the capacity to stand and walk on two feet is intrinsically linked to the emergence of stone tool technology,” they said.
Lead author Campbell Rolian added: “This goes back to Darwin’s The Descent of Man. Darwin was among the first to consider the relationship between stone tool technology and bipedalism. His idea was that they were separate events and they happened sequentially — that bipedalism freed the hand to evolve for other purposes.” He added, “What we showed was that the changes in the hand and foot are similar developments... and changes in one would have side-effects manifesting in the other.”
The scientists used a mathematical model to simulate the changes, the BBC reported. Mr. Rolian and his colleagues took measurements from the hands and feet of humans and chimpanzees to find out how they would have evolved.
The researchers’ measurements showed a strong correlation between similar parts of the hand and foot. “So, if you have a long big toe, you tend to have a long thumb,” Mr. Rolian explained. “One reason fingers and toes may be so strongly correlated is that they share a similar genetic and developmental ‘blueprint’, and small changes to this blueprint can affect the hand and foot in parallel,” he said.
With this anatomical data, the researchers were able to create their mathematical simulation of evolutionary change. “We used mathematical model to simulate the evolutionary pressures on the hands and feet,” Mr. Rolian said that essentially adjusted the shape of hands or feet, recreating single, small evolutionary changes to see what effect they had.
They found that changes in the feet caused parallel changes in the hands, especially in the relative proportions of the fingers and toes. These parallel changes or side-effects, said Mr. Rolian, may have been an important evolutionary stem that allowed human ancestors, including Neanderthals, to develop the dexterity for stone tool technology.
“I am not personally convinced that the foot and hand of chimpanzees are a good model [of human ancestors’ hands and feet] — the foot of the lowland gorilla may be more interesting in this respect,” Robin Crompton, professor of anatomy at U.K.’s Liverpool University said.
Funds for climate change missions in Union Budget:Shyam Saran
India’s eight ambitious missions to address climate change may get funds in the Union Budget that will be presented in Parliament next month.
“The ministries implementing the missions will be provided the necessary budget for it. We are tying up funds domestically,” Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Climate Change Shyam Saran said when asked whether there would be any allocation for the eight missions in the Union Budget.
He said each of the missions would be discussed at the Planning Commission and will be incorporated in the Plan.
“Government has taken a decision on implementing it. Of course, they will provide funds,” Mr. Saran said.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh launched the National Solar Mission that aims to generate 20,000 MW solar power by 2022 recently. The mission is one of the eight announced as India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
Besides solar mission, India plans to deal with global warming through achieving enhanced energy efficiency, promoting a sustainable habitat, efficient use of water, sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem, increasing forest cover, adapting to sustainable agriculture, and developing strategic knowledge on climate change.
India’s eight ambitious missions to address climate change may get funds in the Union Budget that will be presented in Parliament next month.
“The ministries implementing the missions will be provided the necessary budget for it. We are tying up funds domestically,” Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Climate Change Shyam Saran said when asked whether there would be any allocation for the eight missions in the Union Budget.
He said each of the missions would be discussed at the Planning Commission and will be incorporated in the Plan.
“Government has taken a decision on implementing it. Of course, they will provide funds,” Mr. Saran said.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh launched the National Solar Mission that aims to generate 20,000 MW solar power by 2022 recently. The mission is one of the eight announced as India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
Besides solar mission, India plans to deal with global warming through achieving enhanced energy efficiency, promoting a sustainable habitat, efficient use of water, sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem, increasing forest cover, adapting to sustainable agriculture, and developing strategic knowledge on climate change.
The Introduction from
Wisdom of Wolves
by Twyman Towery
The attitude of the wolf can be summed up simply: it is a constant visualization of success. The collective wisdom of wolves has been progressively programmed into their genetic makeup throughout the centuries. Wolves have mastered the technique of focusing their energies toward the activities that will lead to the accomplishment of their goals.
Wolves do not aimlessly run around their intended victims, yipping and yapping. They have a strategic plan and execute it through constant communication. When the moment of truth arrives, each understands his role and understands exactly what the pack expects of him.
The wolf does not depend on luck. The cohesion, teamwork and training of the pack determines whether the pack lives or dies.
There is a silly maxim in some organizations that everyone, to be a valuable member, must aspire to be the leader. This is personified by the misguided CEO who says he only hires people who say they want to take his job. Evidently, this is supposed to ensure that the person has ambition, courage, spunk, honesty, drive - whatever. In reality, it is simply a contrived situation, with the interviewee jumping through the boss's hoops. It sends warnings of competition and one-upmanship throughout the organization rather than signals of cooperation, teamwork and loyalty.
Everyone does not strive to be the leader in the wolf pack. Some are consummate hunters or caregivers or jokesters, but each seems to gravitate to the role he does best. This is not to say there are not challenges to authority, position and status - there are. But each wolf's role begins emerging from playtime as a pup and refines itself through the rest of its years. The wolf's attitude is always based upon the question, "What is best for the pack?" This is in marked contrast to us humans, who will often sabotage our organizations, families or businesses, if we do not get what we want.
Wolves are seldom truly threatened by other animals. By constantly engaging their senses and skills, they are practically unassailable. They are masters of planning for the moment of opportunity to present itself, and when it does, they are ready to act.
Because of training, preparation, planning, communication and a preference for action, the wolf's expectation is always to be victorious. While in actuality this is true only 10 percent of the time or less, the wolf's attitude is always that success will come-and it does.
Wisdom of Wolves
by Twyman Towery
The attitude of the wolf can be summed up simply: it is a constant visualization of success. The collective wisdom of wolves has been progressively programmed into their genetic makeup throughout the centuries. Wolves have mastered the technique of focusing their energies toward the activities that will lead to the accomplishment of their goals.
Wolves do not aimlessly run around their intended victims, yipping and yapping. They have a strategic plan and execute it through constant communication. When the moment of truth arrives, each understands his role and understands exactly what the pack expects of him.
The wolf does not depend on luck. The cohesion, teamwork and training of the pack determines whether the pack lives or dies.
There is a silly maxim in some organizations that everyone, to be a valuable member, must aspire to be the leader. This is personified by the misguided CEO who says he only hires people who say they want to take his job. Evidently, this is supposed to ensure that the person has ambition, courage, spunk, honesty, drive - whatever. In reality, it is simply a contrived situation, with the interviewee jumping through the boss's hoops. It sends warnings of competition and one-upmanship throughout the organization rather than signals of cooperation, teamwork and loyalty.
Everyone does not strive to be the leader in the wolf pack. Some are consummate hunters or caregivers or jokesters, but each seems to gravitate to the role he does best. This is not to say there are not challenges to authority, position and status - there are. But each wolf's role begins emerging from playtime as a pup and refines itself through the rest of its years. The wolf's attitude is always based upon the question, "What is best for the pack?" This is in marked contrast to us humans, who will often sabotage our organizations, families or businesses, if we do not get what we want.
Wolves are seldom truly threatened by other animals. By constantly engaging their senses and skills, they are practically unassailable. They are masters of planning for the moment of opportunity to present itself, and when it does, they are ready to act.
Because of training, preparation, planning, communication and a preference for action, the wolf's expectation is always to be victorious. While in actuality this is true only 10 percent of the time or less, the wolf's attitude is always that success will come-and it does.
Ten States including Sikkim selected for setting up Forest Academies for training in scientific and technological developments in Forestry.
New Delhi, 20January2010:
The Government has a comprehensive policy for training to the forest personnel in latest scientific and technological developments in the field of Forestry. The total project is of Rs.225.00 Crore with a time span of five years and three months..
Recently a project has been implemented with financial assistance from Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA). The project is titled “Capacity Development for Forest Management & Training of Personnel” and envisages infrastructure improvements as well as improvements of course curriculum and training methodologies in the training institutions for the frontline forestry personnel in the various states.
The Government has received proposals from States for setting up of forest academies for this purpose. Ten states have been selected for the implementation of the project which are Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal. There are three buffer states namely Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, in the eventuality of non implementation of the project in the original ten states. The participating states have been requested to furnish their consent for implementation of the project. (PIB)
New Delhi, 20January2010:
The Government has a comprehensive policy for training to the forest personnel in latest scientific and technological developments in the field of Forestry. The total project is of Rs.225.00 Crore with a time span of five years and three months..
Recently a project has been implemented with financial assistance from Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA). The project is titled “Capacity Development for Forest Management & Training of Personnel” and envisages infrastructure improvements as well as improvements of course curriculum and training methodologies in the training institutions for the frontline forestry personnel in the various states.
The Government has received proposals from States for setting up of forest academies for this purpose. Ten states have been selected for the implementation of the project which are Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal. There are three buffer states namely Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, in the eventuality of non implementation of the project in the original ten states. The participating states have been requested to furnish their consent for implementation of the project. (PIB)
OBTAIN PAN ELSE FACE HIGHER TDS
TDS at a higher rate on all transactions not having PAN
New Delhi, 20 Jan : A new provision relating to tax deduction at source (TDS) under the Income Tax Act 1961 will become applicable with effect from 1st April 2010. Tax at higher of the prescribed rate or 20% will be deducted on all transactions liable to TDS, where the Permanent Account Number (PAN) of the deductee is not available.
The law will also apply to all non-residents in respect of payments / remittances liable to TDS. As per the new provisions, certificate for deduction at lower rate or no deduction shall not be given by the assessing officer under section 197, or declaration by deductee under section 197A for non-deduction of TDS on payments shall not be valid, unless the application bears PAN of the applicant / deductee.
All deductors are liable to deduct tax at the higher rate in all transactions not having PAN of the deductees on or after 1st April 2010. In order that there is no dispute regarding quoting / non-quoting of PAN or accuracy thereof, the law requires all deductees and dedutors to quote PAN of deductees in all correspondences, bills, vouchers and other documents sent to each other.
All deductors are, therefore, advised to intimate their deductees to obtain and furnish their PAN so as to avoid TDS at a higher rate. All deductees, including non-residents having transactions in India liable to TDS, are advised to obtain PAN by 31st March 2010 and communicate the same to their deductors before tax is actually deducted on transactions after that date.
The procedure for obtaining PAN is simple, inexpensive and quick. Application for PAN can be filed in Form 49A to National Securities Depository Ltd. (NSDL) or Unit Trust of India Investor Services Ltd. (UTIISL) or their intermediaries. Non-residents can apply through the local embassy / consulate of India.
Applications can also be filed, paid for or tracked online through the Internet on the following web-sites:-
http://incometaxindia.gov.in/
https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/index.jsp
http://www.tin-nsdl.com/
http://www.utitsl.co.in/
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has issued Notification No.94/2009 relating to taxation of perquisites / profits in lieu of salary and Circular No.1/2010 for the guidance of tax dedutors for salaries. These documents are available on the department’s web site at http://incometaxindia.gov.in/
(PIB)
New Delhi, 20 Jan : A new provision relating to tax deduction at source (TDS) under the Income Tax Act 1961 will become applicable with effect from 1st April 2010. Tax at higher of the prescribed rate or 20% will be deducted on all transactions liable to TDS, where the Permanent Account Number (PAN) of the deductee is not available.
The law will also apply to all non-residents in respect of payments / remittances liable to TDS. As per the new provisions, certificate for deduction at lower rate or no deduction shall not be given by the assessing officer under section 197, or declaration by deductee under section 197A for non-deduction of TDS on payments shall not be valid, unless the application bears PAN of the applicant / deductee.
All deductors are liable to deduct tax at the higher rate in all transactions not having PAN of the deductees on or after 1st April 2010. In order that there is no dispute regarding quoting / non-quoting of PAN or accuracy thereof, the law requires all deductees and dedutors to quote PAN of deductees in all correspondences, bills, vouchers and other documents sent to each other.
All deductors are, therefore, advised to intimate their deductees to obtain and furnish their PAN so as to avoid TDS at a higher rate. All deductees, including non-residents having transactions in India liable to TDS, are advised to obtain PAN by 31st March 2010 and communicate the same to their deductors before tax is actually deducted on transactions after that date.
The procedure for obtaining PAN is simple, inexpensive and quick. Application for PAN can be filed in Form 49A to National Securities Depository Ltd. (NSDL) or Unit Trust of India Investor Services Ltd. (UTIISL) or their intermediaries. Non-residents can apply through the local embassy / consulate of India.
Applications can also be filed, paid for or tracked online through the Internet on the following web-sites:-
http://incometaxindia.gov.in/
https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/index.jsp
http://www.tin-nsdl.com/
http://www.utitsl.co.in/
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has issued Notification No.94/2009 relating to taxation of perquisites / profits in lieu of salary and Circular No.1/2010 for the guidance of tax dedutors for salaries. These documents are available on the department’s web site at http://incometaxindia.gov.in/
(PIB)
Severe cold, fog hit normal life in parts of north India
Severe cold and fog on Wednesday badly hit normal life in parts of Punjab, Haryana Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh where severe chill claimed 23 more lives while poor visibility affected the schedules of 60 domestic and international flights and over 50 trains.
As many as 480 cold-related deaths have been reported so far, with Uttar Pradesh alone accounting for 451 casualties.
There was no respite from biting cold conditions for the people of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh where dense fog threw normal life out of gear. Air and rail traffic remained the worst hit.
While no flight could operate in Chandigarh due to poor visibility, several trains in the region ran late due to fog.
Vehicular traffic on many state and national highways was also affected as visibility dropped considerably.
Amritsar registered a low of 0.6 deg C, three degrees below normal, while Patiala experienced a cold night at 5.4 deg C. Ludhiana settled at 5.7 deg C. Chandigarh recorded a low of 5.5 deg C. In Haryana, Ambala experienced 4.2 deg C.
In Rajasthan, Mount Abu was the coldest place with a low of 1 deg C on Tuesday night, though other places in the state had relatively warmer days.
The sky remained cloudy in most parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir recorded minus 14 deg C while Kargil had a minimum of minus 10 deg C. Srinagar had a low of minus 2.2 deg C while winter capital Jammu recorded 4.2 deg C.
Severe cold and fog on Wednesday badly hit normal life in parts of Punjab, Haryana Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh where severe chill claimed 23 more lives while poor visibility affected the schedules of 60 domestic and international flights and over 50 trains.
As many as 480 cold-related deaths have been reported so far, with Uttar Pradesh alone accounting for 451 casualties.
There was no respite from biting cold conditions for the people of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh where dense fog threw normal life out of gear. Air and rail traffic remained the worst hit.
While no flight could operate in Chandigarh due to poor visibility, several trains in the region ran late due to fog.
Vehicular traffic on many state and national highways was also affected as visibility dropped considerably.
Amritsar registered a low of 0.6 deg C, three degrees below normal, while Patiala experienced a cold night at 5.4 deg C. Ludhiana settled at 5.7 deg C. Chandigarh recorded a low of 5.5 deg C. In Haryana, Ambala experienced 4.2 deg C.
In Rajasthan, Mount Abu was the coldest place with a low of 1 deg C on Tuesday night, though other places in the state had relatively warmer days.
The sky remained cloudy in most parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir recorded minus 14 deg C while Kargil had a minimum of minus 10 deg C. Srinagar had a low of minus 2.2 deg C while winter capital Jammu recorded 4.2 deg C.
Treating fibroids
BY GITA ARJUN
Tammy has been seeing her gynaecologist annually for the past five years. She has a large fibroid. Her gynaecologist has reassured her that no treatment is required since she has no symptoms. Tulsi, on the other hand, wants to have a child and has been investigated for the last two years to figure out why she has not conceived. She has a fibroid growing into the uterine cavity. She has been advised to have the fibroid removed.
The treatment options for uterine fibroids are varied. To decide what is best for a particular woman, certain questions need to be answered.
· What are the symptoms and how do they affect the quality of your life?
· Do you plan to have children in the future?
· Are there risks associated with the treatment chosen?
· What are the costs involved?
There are various situations that may be present in women with fibroids. Each scenario requires a different approach.
For women with no bothersome symptoms and who are not planning to become pregnant
These women can be watched expectantly. No intervention is required. Depending on the size of the fibroid, these women can see their gynaecologist every 6-12 months. As long as a woman is reassured that the large size of the fibroid is not going to interfere with her health, she will more often that not, choose to watch and wait.
For women with heavy bleeding but who are not planning a pregnancy
In these women, there are several options. Oral contraceptive pills may be used to control the flow as well as provide contraception. Women, who have fibroids and a normal size uterine cavity, may get relief from heavy bleeding by using a progestin-releasing intra-uterine device (IUD). The hormone in the IUD thins the uterine lining. The menstrual flow will progressively decrease and within 6 months there will be negligible bleeding during the periods. One scientific study showed that by 3-6 months, 85 per cent of women returned to normal bleeding.
For women with heavy bleeding but who are interested in future fertility
In these women, there are several options depending on the position of the fibroid.
Tranexamic acid tablets taken during menstruation may help control the bleeding. In case the fibroid is distorting the uterine cavity, a myomectomy may be done to remove the fibroid alone.
What is a myomectomy?
A myomectomy is a surgery where the fibroid or fibroids are removed and the uterus is preserved. This allows the woman to go ahead with a pregnancy in the future. It is also done in younger women who want to continue to have periods and are not emotionally prepared to undergo a hysterectomy.
There are three types of myomectomy. The more conventional method is to surgically open the abdomen and remove the fibroid. The next method is laparoscopic myomectomy. In this case, a thin, lighted scope is introduced through a small opening in the abdomen and special surgical instruments are used to excise the fibroid. The third method is called hysteroscopic myomectomy. Submucous fibroids can often be removed with a hysteroscope, which is a telescope placed through the cervix and into the uterus. A hysteroscopic myomectomy does not require any cuts to be made since the instrument is introduced through the cervix. Only fibroids less than 5 cm in size can be removed by hysteroscopy.
Are there medications to shrink fibroids?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions. Unfortunately, there are no medications currently available that either prevent the formation of fibroids or permanently shrink them once they occur.
Medicines are sometimes used to shrink the fibroid so that it can be removed with greater ease, either laparoscopically or through the hysteroscope. The effect is however temporary. Leuperolide injection is an expensive medication that needs to be given every month for 3 months, to cause a 35 per cent decrease in the size of the fibroid. It acts by suppressing the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Due to this, women may face severe menopause-like symptoms. Unfortunately, once the effect of the medication wears off, the fibroids will grow back to their original size.
Fibroids are benign tumours of the uterus and up to 75 per cent of them do not require any treatment. Fibroids do not automatically mean a hysterectomy!
The author is an obstetrician and gynaecologist practising in Chennai and has written the book 'Passport to a Healthy Pregnancy'.
BY GITA ARJUN
Tammy has been seeing her gynaecologist annually for the past five years. She has a large fibroid. Her gynaecologist has reassured her that no treatment is required since she has no symptoms. Tulsi, on the other hand, wants to have a child and has been investigated for the last two years to figure out why she has not conceived. She has a fibroid growing into the uterine cavity. She has been advised to have the fibroid removed.
The treatment options for uterine fibroids are varied. To decide what is best for a particular woman, certain questions need to be answered.
· What are the symptoms and how do they affect the quality of your life?
· Do you plan to have children in the future?
· Are there risks associated with the treatment chosen?
· What are the costs involved?
There are various situations that may be present in women with fibroids. Each scenario requires a different approach.
For women with no bothersome symptoms and who are not planning to become pregnant
These women can be watched expectantly. No intervention is required. Depending on the size of the fibroid, these women can see their gynaecologist every 6-12 months. As long as a woman is reassured that the large size of the fibroid is not going to interfere with her health, she will more often that not, choose to watch and wait.
For women with heavy bleeding but who are not planning a pregnancy
In these women, there are several options. Oral contraceptive pills may be used to control the flow as well as provide contraception. Women, who have fibroids and a normal size uterine cavity, may get relief from heavy bleeding by using a progestin-releasing intra-uterine device (IUD). The hormone in the IUD thins the uterine lining. The menstrual flow will progressively decrease and within 6 months there will be negligible bleeding during the periods. One scientific study showed that by 3-6 months, 85 per cent of women returned to normal bleeding.
For women with heavy bleeding but who are interested in future fertility
In these women, there are several options depending on the position of the fibroid.
Tranexamic acid tablets taken during menstruation may help control the bleeding. In case the fibroid is distorting the uterine cavity, a myomectomy may be done to remove the fibroid alone.
What is a myomectomy?
A myomectomy is a surgery where the fibroid or fibroids are removed and the uterus is preserved. This allows the woman to go ahead with a pregnancy in the future. It is also done in younger women who want to continue to have periods and are not emotionally prepared to undergo a hysterectomy.
There are three types of myomectomy. The more conventional method is to surgically open the abdomen and remove the fibroid. The next method is laparoscopic myomectomy. In this case, a thin, lighted scope is introduced through a small opening in the abdomen and special surgical instruments are used to excise the fibroid. The third method is called hysteroscopic myomectomy. Submucous fibroids can often be removed with a hysteroscope, which is a telescope placed through the cervix and into the uterus. A hysteroscopic myomectomy does not require any cuts to be made since the instrument is introduced through the cervix. Only fibroids less than 5 cm in size can be removed by hysteroscopy.
Are there medications to shrink fibroids?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions. Unfortunately, there are no medications currently available that either prevent the formation of fibroids or permanently shrink them once they occur.
Medicines are sometimes used to shrink the fibroid so that it can be removed with greater ease, either laparoscopically or through the hysteroscope. The effect is however temporary. Leuperolide injection is an expensive medication that needs to be given every month for 3 months, to cause a 35 per cent decrease in the size of the fibroid. It acts by suppressing the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Due to this, women may face severe menopause-like symptoms. Unfortunately, once the effect of the medication wears off, the fibroids will grow back to their original size.
Fibroids are benign tumours of the uterus and up to 75 per cent of them do not require any treatment. Fibroids do not automatically mean a hysterectomy!
The author is an obstetrician and gynaecologist practising in Chennai and has written the book 'Passport to a Healthy Pregnancy'.
GJM to block roads again from tomorrow
FROM PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
Jan 20 (PTI) Gorkha Janmukti Morcha would block roads and take out rallies from tomorrow in Darjeeling and other areas in an apparent bid to mount pressure on the Centre for political level talks on its demand for a separate Gorkhaland state.
“At the tripartite talks on Gorkhaland in Darjeeling on December 21 the GJM sought the next round of talks at the political level in 45 days. This elapses on February seven,” GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri told PTI from Darjeeling over phone.
The road blockades and rallies at Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Mirik, Siliguri and Dooars would continue till February seven, he said.
Road blockades he said, would be held every day between 10 am and noon. “No vehicle will be allowed during this time.
FROM PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
Jan 20 (PTI) Gorkha Janmukti Morcha would block roads and take out rallies from tomorrow in Darjeeling and other areas in an apparent bid to mount pressure on the Centre for political level talks on its demand for a separate Gorkhaland state.
“At the tripartite talks on Gorkhaland in Darjeeling on December 21 the GJM sought the next round of talks at the political level in 45 days. This elapses on February seven,” GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri told PTI from Darjeeling over phone.
The road blockades and rallies at Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Mirik, Siliguri and Dooars would continue till February seven, he said.
Road blockades he said, would be held every day between 10 am and noon. “No vehicle will be allowed during this time.
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