Sulabh Swachh Bharat - (Issue 45) by Sulabh International Social Service Organisation

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RNI No. DELENG/2016/71561

Vol-1 | Issue-45 | October 23 - 29, 2017 | Price ` 5/-

Good News Weekly for Rising India good news

indian economy

According to Nandan Nilekani, with Aadhaar, the government was able to save $9 billion

thar

turning green

An ancient technology has led to the greening of a once perpetually water scarce region

voice over

Modi to lend voice

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to do something new, a voice-over in a film

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dr Pathak embodies the spirit of Gandhi, Ambedkar and Shastriâ&#x20AC;?: PREsident President Ram Nath Kovind says he feels honoured in bestowing Dr Bindeshwar Pathak with the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Public Administration, Academics and Administration, for his contribution in social reforms

02 Cover Story

October 23 - 29, 2017

“Dr Pathak embodies the spirit of Gandhi, Ambedkar and Shastri”: President

Young Suvarna meditating

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind presenting the 18th Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration, Academics and Management for the year 2017 to Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre

SSB BUREAU

“T

his award truly refreshes the memory of Lal Bahadur Shastri. Today, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak has received this award, but I feel that I have honoured myself by honouring him,” said President Ram Nath Kovind while handing over 18th Lal Bahadur Shastri Public

Quick Glance Dr Bindeshwar Pathak given Shastri National Award by the President The Award was given for social reforms initiated by him Dr Pathak was nominated by the PMO and Dr Karan Singh

Administration, Education and Management 2017 National Award to a social reformer, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak. The award was given to Dr Pathak for his distinguished and outstanding contribution in the field of social reform. The President said that he had heard about Dr Pathak but had never personally met him. Coincidentally, when I was the governor of Bihar, I met Dr Pathak many times. However, by chance, I even got to present many awards to Dr Pathak with my own hands. When Anil Shastri came to see me regarding the award nomination, I first asked him who was getting the award and when he called out Dr Pathak’s name, then I gladly accepted, because Dr Pathak fully deserves this award. “I only understood the pains of scavengers after I met with Dr Pathak.

President congratulating Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak

October 23 - 29, 2017

Cover Story

President Ram Nath Koving (Centre) with Dr. Pathak (Right) and Anil Shastri (Left)

President, Ram Nath Kovind, addressing at the 18th Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for excellence in public administration, academics and management – 2017

Audience in Award Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak

Dr Pathak has done a very commendable job of transforming the lives of the scavengers, which has affected me greatly. The Mayor of New York, Bill D Blasio declared Dr Pathak International Day to honour his contributions in bringing scavengers to the mainstream of society. It is a matter of pride for all of us. The Mayor of New York had said that if a person were to be inspired by Gandhi and Martin Luther and follow in their footsteps, that person would be Dr Pathak”, the President said. President Ramnath Kovind said that when Anil Shastri came to him for the award, He suggested that the award is given to Dr Pathak at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. This would be an honour for him and the Rashtrapati Bhawan. We all know that when Lal Bahadur Shastri took over the reins of our country, the country was facing a food grain crisis in response to which Shastri devised the slogan of “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan”. During this time, the country and the entire world realized the strength of Lal Bahadur Shastri’s leadership. Lal

benefited and have been uplifted. As a result, cleanliness has increased in the country, sickness has decreased, and the society is becoming healthy. If we put this into perspective, then Dr Pathak has been clearly walking on the path outlined by Mahatma Gandhi, Dr Ambedkar, and Lal Bahadur Shastri. Impressed by Dr Pathak’s work, I call them 3 in 1, because he adopted Gandhi’s cleanliness, worked like Ambedkar, brought social change and adopted Shastriji’s morality. I would read about these three in books but Dr Pathak has truly set an example for everyone by adopting those ideas in his words and actions. The President congratulated the Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute for organizing this award ceremony and also

Bahadur Shastri laid the foundation of the leader of the Green Revolution, along with effective leadership in the war. There are many such accounts related to the simplicity of Shastri’s life. It is a matter of happiness that his beloved kept his memory alive through a learning institution. Everyone knows that the country’s largest institute for education in the administrative area is named after Lal Bahadur Shastri in Mussoorie. The President said that if the award was given to Dr Pathak on behalf of the Government of India, then the country would be more honoured. Dr Pathak is one of the key people who has made critical changes in the country and society with their work. With the contribution of Dr Pathak, the people of in lowest sections of the country have

With Dr Pathak’s contribution, India has become cleaner, sickness has reduced, and the society is becoming healthy

congratulated Dr Pathak for his commendable contributions to society. According to the chairman of the board of governors of LBS Institute of Management, which gives the award, Dr Pathak’s name was forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and as well as known politician and erstwhile Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Karan Singh. On this occasion, Dr Pathak first thanked President Ram Nath Kovind. He said that I am grateful to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute. I feel honoured to receive this award. The honour of this award increased further when the President gave me this. Dr Pathak said that the President is a wonderfully simple and a great person full of great qualities, with a forever smiling face and merciful goodness towards all people with heart and welfare in mind. The nature of President is still the same as it was when he was an MP. The governor grew in stature after becoming President, but there was no change in his nature. I believe President Kovind is like Abraham Lincoln. Even

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October 23 - 29, 2017

The Mayor of New York said that if a person were to be inspired by Gandhi and Martin Luther and follow in their footsteps, that person would be Dr Pathak

Dr Pathak paying tribute to Lal Bahadur Shastri

Dr Pathak receiving the honour plaque

Dr Pathak addressing the audience after receiving the award

From L to R: G L Sharma, Shakti Sinha, Dr Pathak, & Anil Shastri

Lincoln didn’t have a change in attitude after being elected the president of the United States. Dr Pathak said that the person who this award is named after can’t be compared to anyone but Mahatma Gandhi in terms of honesty and integrity. Lal Bahadur Shastri has done many things for our country, which no one can compare to what is being done in today’s era. Dr Pathak expressed his gratitude to the honourable members of the jury and the Chairman of Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute, Anil Kumar for the prestigious award. Dr Pathak recalled his life struggles and remembered the late Shastri, who also had to face many

We remember Shastriji because he lived his life with honesty and simplicity. Shastriji contributed towards various national interests

difficulties in his childhood and how he lived for integrity and honesty. Dr Pathak said that this award is one of the best honours one can receive and is a tradition similar to what King Vikramaditya had. This award was given to scholars, poets and writers during the reign of King Vikramaditya. The Institute has done commendable work by keeping that tradition alive. Please tell the Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management to give this award to an Indian in each year to keep the memory of the late Prime Minister alive. This award is given to a person who has continuously contributed towards the development of the country in specific fields. A cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and a Plaque is given along with this award. “Honour given by the President is like a treasure to me”: Dr Pathak Dr Pathak was given the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award on Oct 10 by President Ramnath Kovind. He spoke to the attendees and discussed social change through peace and nonviolence. This award was one of the most precious moments of my life when the

President said that Dr Pathak is 3 people in 1 i.e. Gandhi, Dr Ambedkar and Lal Bahadur Shastri. If these three were combined, you would get Dr Pathak. I had never received such an honour in my life till now. I received many awards and honours in my life but never did I hear such words. This will be a treasure for a lifetime. The 17 people who have received this award before are the kind of people who had some kind of political power but I am the first person, who didn’t have any before the award and neither was there anything after. This is because I hadn’t held any official government post in my life. While addressing the management students of the institute, Dr Pathak said that the skill to manage life is important, and the institute where you are studying in the name of whom this institution is, how he managed his life. That’s a thing worth learning. Shastri was not only a skilled politician but also a follower of Gandhi. He adopted truth and integrity in his life. There are several important things that Gandhi preached but the most important were -- truth and nonviolence. When a person has integrity and honesty, they can’t lose in life. My mother used to say that you can go to

sleep on an empty stomach but never ever dishonest to anyone. Like Gandhi, Shastri and Ambedkar, I am also trying my best to follow truth and honesty. When God created the Universe, God didn’t make every environment equal. God balanced it with good and bad environments in the same creation. In the same way, God gave both good and bad qualities to human beings. God graced every human being with integrity as well as arrogance, greed, and other bad qualities. Now, how one manages these two qualities within is an art. One has to be cautious to restrain the negative qualities. God has made four kinds of humans, the first – saint, the one who has control over one’s desires and has the lowest consumption of natural resources. However, such people are rare. There are other priests who are also close to sainthood. The priests are Brahmacharya who spends their life serving the world. After that, there are-- common people, all of which are full of greed, ego, anger, lust, etc. But when one reduces it and helps people, when one is truly living, one becomes a human being. The fourth kind of people is those who constantly think about cheating, harming, and lying to others. These people have no other intentions. Therefore, such people are called “Haivan” which means demon. Everyone should strive to be a human being and if has the motivation, become a priest or even a saint. That’s even better! To become a human being one must live by controlling bad qualities within but one bears the fruits of this labour only after death. You remember Shastriji for this exact reason because he lived his life with honesty and simplicity. Shastriji contributed in many ways towards national interests and his most important slogan was ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’. Dr Pathak said that at first, he used to work in a school with an earning of Rs 5. He said “At that time, I had the idea that I shall quit my job and even though my parents were angry at my decision, I somehow managed to convince them. After this, I followed

Cover Story

The award ceremony attendees listening attentively to Dr Pathak’s address

Gandhi and started working with scavengers and working towards the elimination the practice. When I started work, I was only a graduate, I later completed my MA and PhD. Dr Bindeshwar Pathak recalled how he helped bring a social change by changing the lives of scavengers brothers and sisters. He invented the two-pit pour compost toilet which becomes an instrument for major changes in the country and society. Without the two-pit toilet, it would be impossible to end the practice of scavenging and untouchability. He said that his journey came in the form of Sulabh which would carry forward the message to the country and society. Dr Pathak said he helped the country get rid of the practice of manual scavenging brought the former scavenger brothers and sisters into the mainstream by helping develop their businesses. Dr Pathak said that all the work he accomplished was through peace and non-violence. He said that he is a follower of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi dedicated his entire life to social change through non-violence and peace. Sulabh is also walking on the path shown by Gandhiji. He recalled what Gandhi said, “Untouchability will not end the practice of manual scavenging ends”. I have made every effort to fulfil Mahatma Gandhi’s dream through Sulabh. “Influenced by Dr Pathak’s work”: Anil Shastri Anil Shastri, Chairman, Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management thanked Dr Pathak on the behalf of entire Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute

the recepients

Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial Award for Excellence in Public Administration, Academics and Management Over The Years

2017: Dr Bindeshwar Parhak, Founder Sulabh Sanitation and

Social Reform Movement

2016: Gopal Gandhi, Former Governor 2015: Dr Prannoy Roy, Journalist, Founder, NDTV 2014: A. S. Pillai, for his contribution in developing

BrahMos cruise missile

2013: Dr. Rajendra Achyut Badwe, Director, Tata Memorial

Centre and Professor &Head, Department of Surgical Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai

2012: Tessy Thomas, ISRO Scientist 2011: Prof. Yash Pal, Noted Scientist 2010: Aruna Roy, Social Worker, Founder, Mazdoor

Kisan Shakti Sangathan

2009: Sunil Bharti Mittal, Businesman, Chairman, Airtel 2008: Dr. E. Sreedharan, Former MD, Delhi Metro

Rail Corporation

2006: Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, Pioneer of Green Revolution 2005: Dr.Naresh Trehan, Noted cardiologist 2004: Dr. C.P. Srivastava, IAS, Diplomat 2003: Ela Ramesh Bhatt, Social Reformer, Founder, SEWA 2002: Dr. R.A. Mashelkar, Director, Council of Scientific &

Industrial Research (CSIR)

2001: N.R. Narayana Murthy, Former Chairman, Infosys 2000: Sam Pitroda, Former Scientific Advisor to Prime Minister 1999: Prof. C.K. Prahalad, Noted economist and

business strategist

of Management family. He said that only when the President himself speaks well of a person, he is taken seriously in society. He said that Dr Pathak receiving the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award by the President at Rashtrapati Bhawan increased our respect for him immensely. His talk touched me. At the same time, the President said that if the

award is given by the Indian government, then the respect for our country will increase. Anil Shastri said he had known of Dr Pathak but had never met him in person till the award ceremony. He said “I am quite impressed by Dr Pathak’s work. Dr Pathak has done a very unprecedented job for the society. With this, we should all learn and follow the path given shown by him.”

“Shastriji’s name is associated with good governance”: Shakti Sinha Shakti Sinha, Director of Nehru M e m o r i a l Museum and Library said that Lal Bahadur Shastri’s name is always associated with good governance. In 2017, we don’t know what the position of the country was back in 1964-65 and what were the challenges and situations. In 1965, the country’s economy was very bad. Simultaneously, the problem with Pakistan had increased at the border. Everyone doubted how the country would function ... at that time there was a need to remind all Indians that we are dependent on the farmers and soldiers of the country. Today people think Jai Jawan Jai Kisan is a simple sentence but put this slogan the proper context of the time and one can see how Lal Bahadur Shastri taught the public how to deal with their issues. Today, the politicians just tell stories and never actually give solutions to problems. Lal Bahadur Shastri will always be inspirational to us since he was the one who brought good governance in the country. At the same time, he said that the government cannot do all the tasks. We have to come forward for some tasks just like Dr Pathak has stepped up and done for the country and society. The Sulabh movement has shown the country a new path. If it was not for Sulabh then the situation would’ve been bad today. I congratulate Dr Pathak for this. “Dr Pathak has earned this award”: GL Sharma G L Sharma, Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, expressed his gratitude to all the guests and said “Dr Pathak has skilfully expressed the issues faced by everyone in our country and society. I support every word of Dr Pathak. We have not given the Lal Bahadur Shastri award to Dr Pathak but instead, he has earned this award. Nobody thinks about the work that Dr Pathak has done. We also agree with you that the caste system should change because this caste system was created by Brahmins. We should all follow the path shown by Dr Pathak. Everyone will have to contribute in their own way but teachers and students play a vital role in this.

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October 23 - 29, 2017

Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award

Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan

Shastri rose up the cadre to become the second Prime Minister of India. His leadership was exemplary. This is why Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial Trust has instituted the National Award for Excellence in Public Administration, Academics and Management ssb bureau

In 1919, he saw Gandhiji

al Bahadur Shastri, the second Prime Minister of India, is famous for coining the slogan Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan – which meant that armed forces guarding the borders of the country are as important as farmers, feeding the people. No wonder then that, he led India’s famous victory against Pakistan 1965 war. It was his decision to extend the war beyond Jammu and Kashmir which made Indian forces reach within breathing distance from capturing important Pakistani cities like Lahore and Sialkot. Pakistan had beat a hasty retreat from Chhamb and Akhnoor sectors of Jammu and Kashmir and plead for a truce. He was simplicity personified who had to lead the country after the departure of an iconic leader like Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. More, importantly, he took over when armed forces were demoralized after 1962 war against China. Shastri, a diminutive person, was born on 2nd October 1904 in a poor family in a rural area near Varanasi. He had been nicknamed ‘Nanhe’. He was the only son of Sharda Prasad Srivastava, a Primary School teacher and Ram Dulari Devi, a house-wife. Nanhe’s elder sister was Kailashpai and younger one was Sundari Devi. Their parents were very simple and honest persons. Due to Plague, Nanhe lost his father in 1906 and his upbringing was at his maternal uncle family. Shastri’s early education was at home. Maulvi Budan Khan taught him Urdu and other subjects. Shastri was fond of swimming. Once he crossed flooded Ganges by swimming as he had no money to pay to the boatman and also did not want to take help from his friends. He also refused to board another boat, which came to help him in crossing the Ganges. On May 16, 1928, at the age of 23, Lal Bahadur Shastri got married to Lalita Devi, who was then 17 years old. In dowry, Shastri accepted only a Charkha and a few yards of

Quick Glance Shastri had coined the slogan Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan This was to make country self reliant in foodgrains He led the country to victory over Pakistan in 1965 war

for the first time and appealed to all Indian kings and courts to come out and support the freedom movement

khadi from his in-laws. After marriage, the Shastri couple shifted to Allahabad and had six children – two elder daughters, Kusum and Suman; and four sons, Hari Krishna Shastri, Anil Shastri, Sunil Shastri, and Ashok Shastri. Quit India Movement Gandhi’s calls for ‘Quit India’ and ‘Do or Die’ thoroughly stirred the entire nation. Fearing arrest, Shastriji went underground and actively worked from ‘Anand Bhawan’. Later he shifted to Keshavdev Malviya’s residence and finally went to remote villages to continue the freedom struggle. Despite best efforts, Police could not arrest him and Shastriji broke the law at 5 pm on August 20th near Clock Tower, Chowk, Allahabad and was arrested by Police along with his mother and wife. Gandhi’s influence Shastri had great respect for Gandhiji. He had heard a lot about his struggle against

English for their misbehaviour with Africans and Indians. In 1919, he saw Gandhiji for the first time when Gandhiji visited BHU and appealed to all Indian Kings and Courts to come out and wholeheartedly support freedom movement. Being a student, Nanhe left everything and joined freedom movement. Patriotic teacher Nishkameshwar Prasad Misha and Beni Prasad left deep impressions on the psyche and personality of Lal Bahadur. On call of Gandhiji, Lal Bahadur participated in the freedom movement. Seeing his tender age, Police left Lal Bahadur after reprimanding and threatening him. Well-wishes and relations then advised Lal Bahadur to complete his study first and support his family. In 1930 Shastriji went jail for the first time for participating in ‘Salt Agitation’. He went jail for seven times and spent about nine years in Jail. Shastriji’s Political Career Shastriji started his political career as

Secretary, Allahabad Distt Congress Committee in 1929 and acted as General Secretary, UP Provincial Congress Committee (1935-37). In 1937 he was elected to UP Legislative Assembly and became Secretary, UP Parliamentary Board. In 1946, he became the Parliamentary Secretary to the Chief Minister and in 1948 was appointed as the Minister of Home (Police and Transport). He was called to Delhi and was entrusted with the responsibility of General Secretary, Congress Party and organized the party campaign for first general elections (1952). Since he did not contest the election, Pt. Nehru nominated him to Rajya Sabha and on May 13, 1952, gave him the twin charge of the Railways and Transport. During his tenure, the production capacity of Chitranjan Rail Engine Workshop was increased from 120 to 200 and in Perumboor Integral Coach Factory installed the first machine in January 1956. He introduced many changes for the comfort and safety of train passengers. However, owing to the moral responsibility of a train accident that took place near Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu same year, he resigned from his position. Member, UP Legislative Assembly During pre-Independence period, Shastriji and Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit won UP Legislative Assembly polls with a huge margin. He successfully handled the extremely tedious task of Land Reforms but resigned from the Assembly on the direction of Congress Working Committee, who was not given any assurance by British to make India independent after Second World War. in Central Governments In 1947, Shastriji joined Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant government in UP as Police

October 23 - 29, 2017

The End After a few hours of signing the Tashkent Declaration, on 11th January 1966 Shastriji left for heavenly abode in Tashkent, USSR and thus India lost one of its most beloved sons forever. Condolence messages poured from all world leaders and his mortals were consigned to frames on 13th January 1966, now known as ‘Vijay Ghat’, New Delhi. As a mark of respect to his selfless services to the nation, on 20th April 1966 posthumously he was conferred with ‘Bharat Ratna’, the Highest Civilian Award by the President of India, Dr S. Radhakrishnan.

indian economy aadhaar

and Transport Minister and introduced many reforms. Later he was interested in a responsibility of Home Minister in GB Pant Ministry UP. He joined as a Railway Minister ‘Pt. Nehru Cabinet’ in 1952 and owing to the responsibility of Ariyalur train accident, he tendered his resignation as Railway Minister. He was a role model for his colleagues and he resigned from his position taking moral responsibility of a train accident. He was then inducted as Commerce and Industry Minister. The Prime Minister After Pt. Nehru’s sudden death on 27th May 1964; on 9th June 1964 Shastriji took oath as the second Prime Minister of India and filled the void. During his short stint as Prime Minister, he refused PL 480 and worked hard to make India self-sufficient by overcoming food crisis. He himself ploughed his lawn to grow wheat and vegetables and with his family observed fast on every Monday to spread the message of self-sacrifice and self-respect among his countrymen. His charismatic call made agricultural scientists develop the hybrid and improved quality of seeds and the farmers lend their best in making country self-sufficient in foodgrains. This was a revolution across the country. Unfortunately, on September 1, 1965, Pakistan dragged India into a full-scale war. Under his leadership as a wartime Prime Minister, India came out victorious and handed a crushing defeat to Pakistan by destroying their invincible tanks and aircrafts; and did not buckle under China’s threat and steered India in war and diplomacy. After 22 days of fierce fighting, both the countries accepted a ceasefire to become effective from September 23, 1965. Soviet Premier, Alexie Kosygin, played an extremely crucial role in bringing both the nations at the negotiation table and sign the Tashkent Treaty of Friendship. On September 14, 1965, UNO requested both the countries for a ceasefire. Shastriji, the Angel of Peace, accepted the proposal and on January 2, 1966, left for Tashkent, USSR with his delegation. After detail discussions and consultations continued for eight days, finally Tashkent Agreement was signed between Shastriji and Pakistani President General Mohammad Ayub Khan in the presence of USSR Prime Minister Alexei Nikolayevich Kosygin.

Good News

Aadhaar Helped India Save $9 Bn According to Nandan Nilekani, with Aadhaar system’s unique numbers, the government was able to save $9 billion Quick Glance The Aadhaar project was launched in 2009 The project has over 500 million registered citizens as of now The infrastructure discourages frauds and fakes in transactions

IANS

he unique identity number given to over a billion Indians by the Aadhaar card had helped India save $9 billion in preventing misuse of its beneficiary welfare schemes, said its architect Nandan Nilekani. “By having a unique number, you eliminate fakes and duplicates from your beneficiary and employee lists. That alone has saved the government $9 billion,” said Nilekani at a World Bank panel discussion on ‘Digital Economy for Development’ here on Thursday. Nilekani, 62, co-founder and Chairman of Indian IT major Infosys, steered the world’s largest digital identity number project launched in 2009 by the then Congress-led UPA government and supported by the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “It has really been a bipartisan thing. I was given a mandate by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on how to give everyone in India a unique digital ID. We have 1.18 billion in the system we have built with an architecture that could enrol 1.5 million people a day at 35,000

stations across the country,” he said. As the first Chairman of the Unique Identity Development Authority of India (UIDAI), Nilekani guided the ambitious Aadhaar project for five years till mid-2014. “We also have half a billion (500 million) people who have connected their (Aadhaar) ID to their bank accounts. The government has transferred about $12 billion to their accounts electronically real time, which is the world’s largest cash transfer system in real-time, Nilekani said. Admitting that he was a great believer in digital economy for development, he said in the developing countries where there were no legacy systems, it was easier to build systems that could leapfrog. “The notion of what is digital

Saving the government

billions, the Aadhaar system proved its worth by curbing fund misuse and misrepresentation

infrastructure has to move. We think about it as providing communication and internet, which are basic. In the new world of the data economy, identity, authentication, frictionless payments and paperless transactions are important layers of the new digital economy,” he reiterated. Noting that India was the only country where a billion people do paperless, cashless transactions on their mobile phones using the Aadhaar infrastructure, Nilekani said lower transaction cost would lead to more inclusion. “The infrastructure India has created enables every individual to use one’s own data for his/her advancement in personal life, which is fundamental. A small merchant who couldn’t get a loan earlier can use his digital footprint to get it now. There’s an inversion happening about the way we think about data for personal advancement,” he said. On the Supreme Court’s ruling on the right to privacy, Nilekani said the apex court had recognised it as a fundamental right, but laid down a framework to circumscribe some of the privacies for achieving a state objective -- national security, prevention of crime, protection of revenue or for social welfare. “The Supreme Court, however, said every time you circumscribe some privacies, there has been a certain law, it needs to be reasonable. It’s a brilliantly drafted judgement,” he said. The panel discussion was held on the margins of the annual meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the US capital.

08 Bihar Poetry

October 23 - 29, 2017

patna poet’s mission

Maghi Poet’s Nails Mission

The double-delay in reaching a family programme due to tyre punctures got his goat. Now he writes poems all right, but also clears Patna’s streets of nails Pradeep Modak

day Shankar Sharma is a distinguished Maghi (local language of Magadh region), writer, and poet. He has translated Bhagavad Geeta and Durga Shaptashati in Maghi. He has authored several books including Sujani and Bhakt Shiromani Shabri. He has also translated Geetanjali and Meghdoot in Maghi. But the man, who once held the post of chairman of Bihar Rajya Maghi Akademi has developed a passion for nails collection from the roads of this historic city. Sharma could be seen on the roads of the city with a bicycle, a strong magnet-attached stick in his hand and a bag to keep his day’s collection in it. He moves ahead on the road with bicycle handle in one hand and the stick on the other. When his stick with the strong magnet piece attached to its head catches nails, nut bolts and other sharp edged iron pieces, he removes them from the magnet and puts it into the bag before marching forward. Picking nails from the street is a daily routine for this senior citizen in his late sixties, who resides in the Mandiri locality of the city. “I spend two to three hours daily to pick the nails from the roads, lanes and bye-lanes”, he said. On asked why he started picking nails from the roads, he narrated a story. “One day, I was going to attend “Shraddha Karma” (the rituals performed on the 12th day after the death of a person in Hindu religion) of my close relative in my village on

a motor cycle when my bike’s tyre got punctured. I got it repaired in a nearby kiosk and kicked off for the journey ahead. But unfortunately, it again got punctured after travelling some distance. It was quite annoying, as I was going late to reach my destination,” he said. “From that day I took a resolve that I will pick up the nails from the roads to make them fit for a relative hassle

free drive for the two wheelers and other vehicles,” he said. He said the nails on the road also invite accidents for bike riders, as at higher speeds, bikers lose control once the tyre is punctured. Sharma started picking nails from the year 2010 as a hobby and later it developed into a passion for him. “Initially, I collected nails from the road and buried them in the earth digging a small hole,” he said. “But after a year, I found my method of disposal was not wise enough. Now, I collect nails and when it becomes more than 10kg, I sell it in the market to earn some money”, he said. “With that money, I had purchased two steel almirahs and in one of them I put religious books and in the other, I have kept books on Maghi literature,” he said. “I also used this money for purchasing school books and copies which I donated to poor children,” he added. Sharma said he had a dream of establishing a library in his native village Poari (Harnaut) in Nalanda district of Bihar. “I believe a public library will do a lot of good for the entire village, as children, as well as youth, can spend the time to learn something new instead of wasting their valuable time in gossips,” he said.

I believe a public library will do a lot of good for the entire village, as the children, as well as youth, can go there to learn something new, instead of wasting time

Quick Glance He is a Maghi poet of very considerable renown in Bihar Yet, he has made a mission of clearing Patna streets of nails He sells them once he gets 10kgs, but buys books for children with that

Sharma, who is also known as Kavi Ji in his locality, said his daily routine is to write Hindi and Maghi poems and collect nails from the roads. He also extracts nails from the road side trees which are largely mounted by metal advertisement boards by people on the tree trunks. “These people are killing the roadside trees slowly and silently,” he remarked. Commenting on his earlier days when he started this work, he said he was rebuked by his family members and relatives umpteen numbers of times. “They said I had gone mad. ‘Have times gone so bad that Kaviji has to collect nails from the roads!’ ” my relatives chided. About his schedule for next day’s collection drive, he said he planned it a day before where to go the next day. “I decide it a day earlier on which road I have to carry out my job so that there should be no ifs and buts on my mission,” he said. On the object of his mission, he said: “We cannot leave each and every work for the government to do. We have to spare some time to do some fruitful work for the society and state.” “Every citizen should take some time off from their routine job and do something good for the society. This is the better way to build our nation save cribbing over one issue or the other”, he said. On the most annoying aspect of nails puncturing the vehicles, he said his heart broke down when he saw an ambulance falling prey to scattered and hidden nails on the road. “It gives me unbearable pain when I see a speeding ambulance carrying a patient screeching to a halt due to deflated tyre on the road. I can’t bear that,” he said. “This gives me the further strength to carry out my mission with great vigour and intensity,” he said. Kavi Ji has also earned several laurels for his outstanding contribution to Maghi literature. He was awarded Mohan Lal Mahto “Viyogi” prize on March 30 this year. The award given by Bihar Government’s Rajbhasha Department carries a cash award of Rs 50,000 and citation. Sharma got this award for writing Maghi Geeta in lucid Maghi language unfolding the secret of this holy book for the common people.

October 23 - 29, 2017

Router System

bengaluru Router System

App’t protection against gadgets addiction Bengaluru techies are introducing router systems that allow parents to monitor and control their kids’ access to the internet

Quick Glance

G Ulaganathan

n a scenario where the techy from Silicon Valley who had invented the “Like” button for Facebook giving up his hi-tech lifestyle, sans gadgets, or minimising them, when a child in south India has gone blind after using a smartphone for 24 hours, when several children in India committed suicide following Blue Whale, the tech scare has become more endemic than hard core drugs today. But here is some welcome news. Some tech firms in the Bengaluru are now coming up with innovative routers, apps, and devices that can help the parents and teachers keep an eye on the content being browsed. One such innovation has been introduced for the first time by NETGEAR — a kind of routers with parental controls for homes. How does the simple router control the content? Says Marthesh Nagendra, Country Manager, NETGEAR India & SAARC, “Routers play a role in the content control and it puts a lot of emphasis on security at home. Through this technology, parents can also monitor the content that is being browsed by their child outside of their homes too. We have used multiple things where security has become the key aspect. Confinement to home to stay with that addiction is one dangerous aspect. Children are eating Ajinomoto-stuffed food and sitting all day with the smartphones. This is adding to the obesity crisis in the cities in India today. “Kids, right from KG to high school, are addicted to their phones and it has led to their almost total confinement to home and neglect of any outdoor activity. In times like this, how can we tell them: don’t do this or do that? “We have a solution on how parents can now systematically control their child’s usage of internet. It is not curtailing of the freedom, it is for the safety and security of their child,” Marthesh adds.

Tech addiction has started spreading like an epidemic Tech firms are now coming up with innovative routers, apps, and devices Parents are given a key to log in and see what sites are being browsed

While parents are given a key to log in and see what sites are being browsed, even the Blue Whale Challenge can be tackled with this. Technologies like this can now help the parents battle this issue too. Marthesh says: “After Blue Whale became popular, there has been a great demand from parents who come to us and ask if something can be done through the Internet. We have installed the security features and parents can themselves control what their child is not supposed to see.” How does it work? “Both routers offer high-level WPA/ WPA2 security and secure connections. Upon detection, guest devices are automatically directed to access a separate Wi-Fi network so they do not have access to the home network or to the shared USB hard drive containing the host’s personal data,” he says. There are other techies who agree and say there are also a lot of free as well as commercial Apps that can control the content. Avinash Bharwani, Vice President, New Business, JETKING, says: “There are plenty of Apps both free

and commercial versions available to control the content and ensure safe browsing for kids/students. `Cyber Patrol’ is one of the better parental control apps. It is designed to block access to objectionable websites, and it provides activity logging and realtime activity monitoring. “K9 Web Protection” from Blue Coat Company, is a free utility that is designed to regulate the way your Internet connection can be used. It monitors and prevents the internet browsing activity and takes the screenshot of the browsing done by the user. So, enough tools and safeguards are there and a lot of work is being

“We want the media and the state government to take this up and educate the parents,” – A parent

done by many startups keeping the safety and future of children in mind, but there is not much awareness about these tools. “We want the media and the state government to take it up and educate the parents,” says Vatsala, a parent of two small children. “There is also need for including the subject of cyber threats in the school curriculum so that the children also understand what is good and what is bad,” she adds. Clinics in Bengaluru have taken up this challenge on a priority basis, and although no one is disclosing actual numbers of cases being reported tech-sick, the work has become brisk. It is in this context that these new protective gears are becoming more important and parents in the city are demanding to know where from they can access information about such solutions.

10 Sanitation

October 23 - 29, 2017

Quick Glance

kavango privacy

At 97, she gets a toilet, finally! Most of the villagers in Yuru have built toilets as part of a project being run by Unicef, the agriculture and health ministries IANS

lizabeth Ndara (97) never thought she would one day own a toilet. Ndara was born in Yuru a village about 38 kilometres from Rundu, the regional capital of Kavango West. In an interview with The Namibian, Ndara said she now has some dignity and privacy. Ndara’s son, whose homestead is next to hers, built her the toilet using reeds and an old beer crate as a pot. Most of the villagers in Yure have built toilets as part of a project being run by Unicef, the agriculture and health ministries. The project is being done under the Community-led Total Sanitation (CLTS) programme that has also been rolled out in the Ohangwena, Kavango East and West regions. The programme encourages communities to stop open defecation and build toilets for themselves. Ndara says this was the first time in

her life to have her own toilet. “The other toilet is at my son’s compound which is not far, but I cannot use it because in my tradition I cannot use the same toilet that my son and his wife are using. So I had to walk a distance to relieve myself. At first, it was not a problem, but

now that I am becoming old, it is becoming a problem. I am so happy that my son decided to build a toilet for me,” Ndara said. The newly appointed country representative of Unicef in Namibia, Rachel Odede, said sanitation and hygiene have for long been a

toilet rti impact

RTI & toilets for 20 tribal families After an application was filed seeking details of eligible beneficiaries, the administration was forced to construct the toilets IANS

s the Right to Information Act (RTI) enters its 13th year today, its impact can be felt in a remote corner, 30 km from Mumbai. Sunita Gimbhal and her family, along with 20 other families in Pendhripada, Akloli village in Thane district, now live with dignity, thanks to the toilets constructed next to their homes. Around the same time last year, they were struggling to keep ants from biting their legs as they conducted their bodily functions in the open. Most members of these families are labourers or engaged in self-help groups. These families dipped into their meagre savings and got a toilet constructed next to their homes in

November, but the inordinately long wait for the money to be reimbursed by the government, under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, put them under financial strain. An application was filed under RTI by an NGO seeking details of eligible beneficiaries under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

It was only after this that the local administration was forced to speed up the process and reimburse Rs 12,000 to each of these families from February onwards. “The gram sevak (a government officer) would not take things seriously when the villagers would plead their case,” says a project manager with PRASAD Chikitsa, an NGO that works for the benefit of children and communities in the region. “Only when we filed an RTI application, did he came over to meet me and even disbursed after a photograph was taken of the toilets. Most of the toilets were constructed by November last year, yet there was no help from the

Private toilets have long been a neglected issue in Namibia Now most people are building their own toilets with some innovation Ndara’s son built her a toilet using reeds and an old beer case

neglected topic. “We are not comfortable to talk about it. Sadly, as we remain quiet about it, families, particularly those in the poor areas of the country, have difficulty in maintaining good levels of domestic hygiene and sanitation,” Odede said. She further said that the CLTS programme is to change the behaviour of communities and make them appreciate how their current open defecation habits and patterns can affect their health. With the new understanding, she further said the communities would have the self-drive to construct a toilet.When Ndara was asked, she said she wished the programme was introduced earlier. “I am comfortable with my toilet and now I can visit the toilet anytime of the day because it is safe and private,” she smiled. Most of the villagers in Yure have built toilets as part of a project being run by Unicef, the agriculture and health ministries.

Quick Glance Till last year, the villagers suffered ant-bites when they defecated outside These families dipped into their meagre savings and got a toilet But there was long wait for money under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

government. We asked the sarpanch, gram sevak and also other members to come for a meeting in December. While the sarpanch came, the gram sevak and other members did not turn up. We gave her (the sarpanch) the list of people who have made toilets in December. But nothing moved.” “The reimbursement did not cover all the expenses incurred, but we managed to get something back,” says Viju Harvate, who spent around Rs 18,000 for a larger toilet. Harvate and her family would suffer stomach ailments because they could not go out to relieve themselves when they spotted an animal or snakes. Defecating in the open during the monsoons also exposed the villagers to many diseases.

October 23 - 29, 2017

Sanitation

Quick Glance

recycling toilet papers

Papering over potential power

Toilet paper is a potential source of free power, though we just junk it Though it is used little the East, western countries use it a lot In Europe, the average person flushes 14kg of WTP every year

Dutch researchers have struck upon an innovative and perhaps more literal interpretation – recycling waste toilet paper IANS

he idea of recycling waste materials as fuel is nothing new; biogas and the suchlike have been scientific avenues of exploration for decades now. However, Dutch researchers have struck upon an innovative and perhaps more literal interpretation – recycling waste toilet paper (WTP). As a necessary commodity that is used by millions of households all over the world, WTP could essentially be a free form of energy. What’s more, although the process could have high start-up costs, its operational costs and efficiency are comparable to existing forms of energy generation. Of course, not everyone uses toilet paper. In certain developing countries it’s not available, in other nations in the East it’s simply not part of the culture. However, in the Western countries which do use it, it’s used a lot. In Western Europe, for example, the average person flushes 14kg of WTP

down the drain every single year; in America, that figure rises even higher. Just imagine how much energy we could produce if the latent power inside WTP could be harnessed? Well, doing so might not be the most pleasant thought, but luckily a team of scientists over at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) have furthered the analysis of complex environmental matrices by doing so for us. In a paper published in the journal

Energy Technology, the team from UvA found that it was possible to turn this unsightly waste product into electricity through a two-stage process. Firstly, they subjected the WTP to gasification, turning its organic carbon matter into carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H). Then, these gases were converted directly into electricity through the use of high-temperature, solid-oxide fuel cells, resulting in clean energy ready for use. The ground-breaking study found that the overall efficiency of the technique could reach 57%, which is comparable to current methods of natural gas energy conversion. Taking the Dutch capital of Amsterdam as their example, they calculated that the 10,000 tonnes of WTP flushed down the toilet by residents of the capital could be enough to power 6,400 homes a year. Not bad for toilet paper! Because toilet paper is composed of 80% cellulose that is stripped directly from the bark of a tree, it’s essentially

toilet for women

The ‘Pink’ Toilet

Vikaspuri is the first neighbourhood in the posh South Delhi area to get what has been termed as the pink toilet IANS

outh Delhi Municipal Corporation has been showing ‘militant sanitarism’ if the term can be coined. It has not only constructed hundreds of public toilets but was the first to make restaurants and hotels in its jurisdiction to allow women and children to use their toilets free of cost. It had also linked petrol pump licenses to these providing clean toilet facilities. Now it has opened what is termed the ‘pink toilet. The first-of-its-kind facility, opened on the occasion of the International Day for the Girl Child, has vending machines for sanitary napkins, incinerator

facilities and feeding area for breastfeeding mothers. SDMC Mayor KamaljeetSehrawat, who has been at the forefront of an almost strident movement for sanitation said that the toilet has been opened at a place that witnesses a substantial footfall of women and girls. “The market adjoining PVR Vikaspuri is a major shopping centre where a large number of women come every day to buy items of day-to-day requirement. But they always face problems in accessing hygienic toilets with facilities for sanitary napkins and their safe disposal,” said Sehawat.

“The pink toilet was much needed at this place but it important that the users should keep the facility clean for the next user,” she said. The civic agency aims to open more such toilets in order to provide

a renewable fuel source. At present, it also represents one with a negative cost, since the transportation of WTP through the sewage system and its subsequent storage costs more than it would reuse it as a fuel source. However, the researchers did highlight that this cost could rise if it began to be viewed as a commodity rather than a waste product. And what about the cost of energy production? While initial start-up costs are high, they are expected to fall as the technology progresses and becomes more widespread. As for the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), that currently stands at around 15.3p/ kWh, which is comparable to the most advanced solar projects, such as the ones underway at Lufft and similar companies. Even more encouragingly, the scientists estimate that these costs could be brought down to 8.3p/kWh as competition increases. It’s early days, but the sky could be the limit for the humble toilet roll.

Quick Glance This has been built in a marketplace which women and children frequent The toilet is the first with incineration facility for napkins There is also feeding area, where suckling mothers can feed kids

a convenient safe place in markets flooded with visitors and customers. “We will start inviting applications from people desiring to open such facilities in their area. This will go a long way in instilling a sense of security among women and girls in using public toilets,” she said. The SDMC was the first civic agency among the three municipal corporations in the city to make the access to toilets in hotels and restaurants free for women and children in May. It had directed all the petrol pumps to offer similar facilities. This move has made more than 4,000 toilets accessible to the public.

12 Women Entrepreneurs

October 23 - 29, 2017

Dhamdhua village milk supplier

Rajvati: Minting Milk Money It was her vision of dairy farming that first saw the impoverished family lift its head above waters, and now it is the largest milk supplier in UP

Rajvati claimed that

she has a dream to make her dairy centre a fully mechanised one in two to three years

srawan shukla

he still cannot sign her name and uses the left thumb impression for processing official documents. But she is a village millionaire who owns and runs a dairy farm with 75 bovines – most of the cows – and is planning a fully mechanised farm soon. Eight times Gokul Award winner, Rajvati Yadav (48) had started the dairy business with one cow. Today she is the proud owner of over 75 cows and buffalos and has become the largest single milk producer and supplier in Uttar Pradesh. A resident of Dhamdhua village in Milkipur block, about 35 km from Faizabad headquarters, Rajvati was an ordinary village woman struggling for survival along with her husband Narendra Bahadur Yadav and three kids. “We had a little land of over an acre. Every year, we used to lose our investment in farming due to crop failure or natural calamities,” recalled her husband. But Rajvati would always keep her cool and encourage her husband not to lose faith in God and hard work. In 2005, when the Yadav family was going through difficult times, Rajvati suggested starting a dairy farmhouse. Initially, Yadav said ‘no’ to her proposal, since he had already lost two cows he owned earlier. “I had to give up to her when she offered to sell whatever little jewellery she had to buy a good breed cow,” said Yadav. Rajvati preferred cow over buffalo as cow milk and its products were much in demand and

sold at a high price. Moreover, cows require less care and eat whatever fodder is available. “I was amazed at her knowledge about dairy farming and management, which perhaps she learnt from her parents who owned a small dairy farmhouse. I took money from my savings and borrowed a little from my relatives to buy a cow,” said he. The day cow was brought home. Rajvati welcomed her like their daughter-in-law. She erected a small thatched shelter house for Radha, the new name for the cow. Rajvati would get up at 4 am in the morning, give a bath to Radha and feed her with her own hands. Personal care paid rich dividends and unlike other cows, Radha started producing almost double the milk. “My wife seems to have some magic touch. She would milk in such a manner that Radha’s udder won’t dry up till the bucket is full with milk,” says Yadav. The quality of milk was so good that the dairy centre bought the entire first day’s produce and gave good money too. “We started selling the milk on a daily basis and within a year, we had bought two more cows, in addition to Radha giving birth to a calf,” said Yadav. From 2005 onwards, Yadavs added two to six cows and buffalos every year to increase their milk production. They converted their one acre of land into a large cattle shed. By 2009, their milk production had gone up to over 100 litres a day. It was the year when she bagged the first Gokul award from the then Mayawati government. Once the Yadavs were financially

Quick Glance Rajvati’s family suffered crop failures almost every year She decided then to opt for dairy farming and bought a cow Today, she is the winner of state dairy farming award for the eighth time

Rajvati has received the state’s Gokul Award for a record eight times in a row

sound, Rajvati opened a dairy centre at their farmhouse to sell milk as well as some by-products. They got a very good response. Impressed by Rajvati’s success story, many women and men in the village started thronging their centres and take tips from Rajvati. Dhamdhua village comprises about 50 families and 40 among them have two to three cows and buffalos, but their milk production remained very low due to lack of knowledge about dairy farming. Rajvati would give tips to women how to take care of their bovines. “Regular check-ups, vaccinations and good quality fodder are key to success in dairy farming. Moreover, the owner should also think about by-products such as cow-dung cakes, Gomutra, ghee, butter, paneer, etc., to increase income,” said Rajvati, who still uses her thumb impression to sign any document. In less than a year, Rajvati created a white revolution in the village. Every household in the village now sells their milk to Rajvati’s centre which has tie ups with bigger centres to buy over their entire production. Since Rajvati has all equipment to keep a quality control, milk from her centre is sold like hot cake.

Since the entire business is cashdriven, women get money in their hand on a daily basis. “This has improved their life-style. Now their children go to schools and colleges and better future awaits their marriageable daughters,” claimed Rajvati. Both husband and wife have their work distribution. If Rajvati takes care of bovines and milk production, Narendra deals with the bigger dairy centres to ensure timely supply and maintaining ledger to keep the accounts of sale. Among the 75 bovines she owns, about 50 are cows. “It is easier to deal with cows than buffalos. Moreover, they produce more milk, fetch a higher price and consume less fodder,” claimed she. Recently, she was awarded the Gokul Award for a record eight times in a row. The Award is given by the Uttar Pradesh government to persons who have made a significant contribution to the dairy farming sector and milk production. The award carries a citation and Rs 1 lakh in cash. Every year, the Yadavs would buy cows or buffalos from the prize money, but this time Rajvati says: “I will buy a milking machine with the cash reward. Though I have employed a few workers now I get tired milking cows and buffalos.”

October 23 - 29, 2017

Farming

rajasthan farmimg

Thar: Turning a Green Leaf

Reviving an ancient technology and harnessing it to science has led to greening of a once perpetually water scarce region Anand Singh

ishan Lal Ahir, a farmer in Ummedpura village of this district in southern Rajasthan, is a happy man today as he can sow two crops a year instead of the one he used to due to water scarcity. The region has faced water problems for a long time. “The water level in our village used to fall below 50 feet. During summer months, most of the wells and the handpumps went dry and we remained dependent on the water tankers for our daily needs,” Ahir told this visiting IANS correspondent. Suresh Kumar, another farmer, said that due to lack of adequate water many of the villagers had sold their cattle as they could hardly get green fodder for them. “We used to grow only Kharif crop, but now we can produce Rabi crop too,” he added. How did a region notorious for this scarcity of water become self-sufficient? A combination of a scientific approach and ancient traditional practices has brought about a green cover in hundreds of villages across the region where life had become extremely difficult for farmers.

The change came about on the initiative taken by the state government under the Mukhyamantri Jal Swalamban Yojana (MJSA). Under the programme, UN consultant on the conservation of water, T Hanumantha Rao, and the Rajasthan River Basin and Water Resources Planning Authority came together to begin simple practices which brought about a sea change in drought-prone areas. The programme involved digging up trenches or pits about two feet deep, 10 to 15 feet long and one-and-a-half feet wide in the hillocks surrounding the villages. Additionally, several ponds were dug near the villages to conserve water. From the air, these hundreds of trenches look like a neat pattern of unlinked canals. But they have resulted in the water table rising to, in many places, a mere three feet under the surface. Rainwater, which used to flow

down from the hillocks into the villages used to wash away, leaving little for later use. But the trenches have ensured that water seeps into the ground in a controlled fashion and remains available throughout the year. Additionally, to bind the soil and conserve water, thousands of saplings of local trees have been planted around the trenches and ponds. From the time the programme started in January 2016, greenery has sprouted everywhere in hundreds of villages, bringing in its wake some prosperity. “There’s no water or fodder problem now due to the conservation works in the hillocks,” Rakesh Reddy, the MJSA member in the river basin authority, told IANS. He said that earlier, when officials approached farmers to give a portion of their barren land in the hillocks and plain ground for the percolation pits and ponds, they pelted

Earlier, officials asking for land for irrigation systems were pelted, but now people are offering them much-needed land

Quick Glance No water, no fodder, farmers had to sell off their cattle earlier An ancient technique of linked trenches now traps water Hundreds of villages are now green, and the cattle are back too

stones at them. “But now things have changed. After witnessing the revival of water-flow they approach us (to offer land),” he added. This 12th century AD, Kakatiya-era chain-link-tank system was also adopted in Telangana with success. Under the programme, almost 7,500 villages in the state had benefited in two phases, impacting lives of almost ten million people, according to the Chairman of the river basin authority, Sriram Vedire. Over 225,000 water conservation structures have been set up in 20 months since the beginning of the programme. “The state government has spent over Rs 3,000 crore in the first two phases of the scheme,” Vedire told IANS, adding that the government planned to cover 21,000 villages in four years of the programme.” Vedire said that the structures once built are not left alone to fall into disuse but a regular monitoring system has been put in place. “Geographic information system (GIS) technology was the backbone to properly implement the programme,” he said. Every trench or structure in the programme, he said, is geo-tagged, which allows detailed monitoring by officials throughout the year. According to an assessment, the programme has resulted in the additional collection of over 18,000 TCM (thousand cubic metres) of water in two phases. Vedire said that, on an average, the irrigated area in the district increased by 4.64 per cent for Rabi crops while 12.49 per cent increase was noticed in crops which are locally grown, like maize, green gram (moong) or peanuts. “Its effect is visible in the productivity as the agricultural output increased by 18 to 25 per cent,” he added. Farmers like Kishan Lal Ahir and Suresh Kumar can now hope to participate in the natural bounty, instead of thinking about how to eke out an existence in a bleak world.

14 Health

October 23 - 29, 2017

fruit vs juice

india medical tourism

India among fastest growing medical tourism destinations The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry is organizing a global health tourism summit to boost the prospects

More Fruity, Less Fruits The craze among Indian children for pulp fruit juice as against actual fruits is a dangerous trend IANS

nly 18 per cent of urban children in grade six to 10 in India eat fruits every day, show results of a survey, revealing poor eating habits of a vast majority of kids in the country. At 14 per cent, the proportion of children eating protein once a day is even lower showed the survey by Podar Education Group which runs over 100 schools spread across the country. The survey involved responses from 1,350 parents of children studying in grade six to 10 in India’s metro cities. The results showed that only 35 per cent of the children consume vegetables as part of every meal. “The World Health Organization (WHO) does say that childhood obesity is an ‘exploding nightmare’ in the developing world,” said Raghav Podar, Trustee, Podar Education Group, in a statement. A new study led by Imperial College London and WHO and published in the journal Lancet showed that the number of obese children and adolescents (aged five to 19 years) worldwide has risen tenfold in the past four decades. “Healthy childhoods are critical to the country, and require strong cohesive work between the parents and schools,” Podar said. The survey also found that 50 per cent of them consume junk food, sweets or other unhealthy food almost on daily basis. “This survey clearly indicates that teaching a child about good nutrition is not just about giving them a list of healthy foods that he or she can eat, but more about ‘how much’ and ‘when’ to eat,” child nutritionist Sripriya Venkiteswaran said.

IANS

stimating that medical tourism in the country can grow to become a $9 billion industry by 2020, a government official last week said India is among the “fastest growing medical tourism destinations in Asia”. “During the early days of medical tourism, the attention was always

given to developed countries,” said Rita Teaotia, Secretary, Ministry of Commerce. “It has now shifted to Asia, and India is among the fastest growing medical tourism destinations in Asia,” she said, addressing the third edition of Advantage Healthcare India 2017 summit, being held here by FICCI. Ayurveda, yoga and the wellness industry in India set it apart from other medical tourism destinations in the world, the official said. “Ayurveda has managed to catch the attention of many countries, especially European countries. The government will continue to focus on global acceptance of Ayurveda on the lines of Chinese medicine,” she said. Gaurav Gupta, Principal Secretary of Department of IT, Biotechnology and Tourism for Karnataka, said: “Karnataka, with direct connectivity to world capitals, and 56 medical colleges, and 19

migraine hormone therapy

Hormone therapy ‘safe’ for women with migraine The study “brought further clarity to its safe use, especially in younger women who are closer to the time of menopause IANS

ormone therapy may be safe to treat menopausal symptoms in women who suffer from migraines, a study has affirmed. A Migraine is a headache of varying intensity, often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. Hormones have often not been prescribed for migraine sufferers because of the association between exogenous oestrogen used and an increased risk of stroke in women who have migraines. This led to the recommendation that combined oral contraceptives (better known as birth control pills) should be used cautiously

or avoided entirely in women with a history of migraines, depending on whether or not the migraines were accompanied by an aura. However, the study “brought further clarity to its safe use, especially in younger women

Quick Glance According to a recent FICCI report, over 500,000 foreign patients seek treatment in India every year India can get into a $9 billion medical tourism industry as early as 2020 Ayurveda, yoga in India set it apart from other medical tourism destinations in the world

National Accreditation for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) accredited hospitals, is soon going to come out with a medical and wellness tourism policy.” India can be a $9 billionworth medical tourism destination by 2020, Gupta said. According to a recent FICCI report, over 500,000 foreign patients seek treatment in India every year.

Quick Glance This used to be discouraged among women with a migraine Cause: link between oestrogen used and an increased risk of stroke The new findings are likely to have major implications

(below 60) who are closer to the time of menopause (within 10 years of menopause),” said Peter F. Schnatz, from Thomas Jefferson University in the US.“Since migraines affect one in every four women and they are often advised to avoid hormone therapy, the new findings may have significant public health implications,” added Jelena Pavlovic, from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, while presenting the findings during the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. For the study, the team analysed data for 67,903 participants to examine the relationship between migraines and cardiovascular disease events and their interaction with hormone therapy use. It was discovered that women with migraines tend to drink and exercise less than those without migraines.

October 23 - 29, 2017

babies mother’s speech

Mamma-speak is different!

While speaking to their babies, mothers tend to shift the timbre of their voice in a rather specific way IANS

hile speaking to their babies, mothers tend to shift the timbre of their voice in a rather specific way, which could play an important role in baby’s language learning as well as engaging their emotion, researchers say. The special communicative mode, which mothers use when talking to their young infants, are known as “motherese” or “baby talk” somewhat musical form of speech which includes exaggerated pitch contours and short repetitive phrases. The findings showed that the tone of this baby talk is timbre unique quality of a sound usually used to distinguish people, animals, and instruments and is the same across different languages. “We found for the first time that mothers shift their vocal timbre when speaking to infants, and they do so in a highly consistent way across many diverse languages,” said Elise Piazza, a postdoctoral research associate at the

Princeton University in New Jersey, US. According to the researchers, the unique timbre tone could help babies learn to differentiate and direct their attention to their mother’s voice from the time they are born. It also plays an important role in language learning, engaging infants’ emotions and highlighting the structure in language, to help babies decode the puzzle of syllables and sentences.

Resilience behaviour

“I ain’t getting’ bullied”

Resilience buffers and protects children against internalising the harm intended through situations of adversities like bullying IANS

ver wondered why bullying has a serious effect on some kids, while others recover easily from the trauma? Researchers, led by one of Indian origin, found that the capacity to recover quickly depends on the characteristic trait of “resilience”. The study says that resilience buffers and protects the children against internalising the harm intended through situations of adversities like bullying both at home or school as well as online. “Resilience is a potent protective factor, both in preventing experience with bullying and mitigating its effect,” said Sameer Hinduja, Professor at the

Florida Atlantic University in Florida. “Resilient kids are those, who for a variety of reasons, are better able to withstand external pressures and setbacks and are less negatively impacted by their attitudes and actions

Quick Glance This is somewhat musical form of speech, including exaggerated pitch This ‘timbre’ of moms speaking to their children is different Study shows that this holds good across totally diverse languages

For the study, appearing in the journal Current Biology, the team analysed speech of English-speaking women whose voices were recorded while they played with or read to their seven to 12-month-old infants and while they spoke to an adult experimenter. Using an approach called machine learning, the researchers found that a computer could learn to differentiate baby talk from normal speech based on just one second of speech data. The researchers then also analysed another group of mothers who spoke nine different languages, including Spanish, Russian, Polish, Hungarian, German, French, Hebrew, Mandarin and Cantonese. The results showed that the timbre shift observed in Englishspeaking mothers was highly consistent across those languages from around the world.

Health

rheumatoid

New gel for rheumatoid pain

Current rheumatoid arthritis treatments are based on antiinflammatory drugs IANS

cientists have developed a new therapeutic gel to fight rheumatoid arthritis, that can be used to absorb extra fluids in swelling joints and release drugs. Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term disease that causes inflammation and deformity of the joints. In this autoimmune condition, the body’s immune system attacks the soft tissue of the joints, leading to an accumulation of synovial fluid. Excess of this fluid causes swelling and pain. Current rheumatoid arthritis treatments are based on antiinflammatory drugs that relieve pain and inflammation. However, the findings showed

Quick Glance Resilience is a potent protective factor as a matter of life skills Although resilience comes naturally, it needs to be nurtured properly Students with higher levels of resilience were bullied at school

than their less-equipped peers when facing this type of victimisation,” Hinduja added. Although the ability to be resilient comes naturally, it needs to be nurtured through social and environmental factors, as it enables kids to “bounce back” and successfully adapt to stressful situations, the researchers noted. The study, published in the journal Child Abuse and Neglect, stated that instead, of constantly seeking to protect and insulate children, parents should help bolster their selfconfidence, problem-solving ability, autonomy, and sense of purpose. The researcher studied over 1,204 youth between 12-17 years by a validated biopsychosocial 10-item resilience scale.

that the jelly-like material detects nitric oxide a gas with various physiological functions found in the immune cells of the inflamed joints. “Nitric oxide is like a doubleedged sword. It regulates inflammation and protects our body by killing external pathogens. However, when in excess, it is toxic and may cause rheumatoid arthritis,” said lead author KIM Won Jong from the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) at South Korea. Nitric oxide is a transient gas, which stays in circulation for less than 10 seconds, before binding to other molecules. It also causes other autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In the study, detailed in the journal Advanced Materials, the team developed a gel responsive to such fugitive molecules, using acrylamide as a base material.

October 23 - 29, 2017

Dr bindeshwar pathak Founder, Sulabh Sanitation and Social Reform Movement

VIEWPOINT

“My Experiments with mahatma’s truths” millennial mentors

youth in true decision making

There is no reason the elders will become redundant if the youth are brought into the boardroom

here is a worrisome trend that is emerging which is a perverse reversal of the massive demographic dividend that India enjoys. This shows that highly skilled senior persons in the private sector are being dumped and in their place, younger people with very little skills are being given jobs at far too low salaries. There is no insistence on quality. No one is bothered. Contrast this to what is happening globally. There is this breed called ‘millennial mentors’, young whiz kids who are now actually mentoring their CEOs, whether in Google or CISCO. They are highly tech-savvy and have a sense of the marketplace which is vastly ahead of their young heads and flummoxes their superiors. They are actually advising the CEOs on market expansion and product reorientation. The first signs of this were seen, and have been seen in Indian as well when seniors ask their juniors to help them better handle Twitter or Instagram. This sign is just enough to say that the youth have arrived. Indian industry still suffers a feudal mindset, where younger people are asked to shut up. But the really advanced markets of the West are harnessing this youth power, without the bosses feeling they will be considered redundant. This is the true harnessing of the demographic dividend, and the faster Indian industry gets into this the better!

Editor-in-Chief

Kumar Dilip Edited, Printed and Published by: Monika Jain on behalf of Sulabh Sanitation Mission Foundation, owned by Sulabh Sanitation Mission Foundation Printed at: The Indian Express Limited A - 8, Sector -7, NOIDA (UP) Published at: RZ - 83, Mahavir Enclave, Palam - Dabri Road, New Delhi - 110045 (India) Corporate Office: 819, Wave Silver Tower, Sector - 18, NOIDA (UP) Phone: +91-120-6500425 Email: editor@sulabhswachhbharat.com, ssbweekly@gmail.com

Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, PhD, DLitt, spoke of the depth of Mahatma Gandhi’s larger social philosophy that has wide ramifications for social evolution in India. He spoke on Social Change through Peace and Nonviolence at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management

andhi’s vision, as is well known, was deeper than just getting the British colonial rulers out of India. He wanted to emancipate the suffering humanity and create a non-violent, exploitation-free and inclusive society in which even the last person in the street has an effective saying. With such lifeenhancing ideas, Gandhi wanted to ensure that even the poorest get what they require for a good living. This made him champion the cause of suffering men and women, the marginalised and the untouchables, and fight for their betterment. Amidst his life of ceaseless sociopolitical engagement in the heady days of India’s freedom struggle, he found time to care for mundane issues like hygiene, cleanliness, environmental sanitation and even animal rights. Above all, Gandhi foresaw — and ran a consistent, impassioned campaign— against the growing menace of materialism and concomitant culture of greed and selfishness. Gandhi believed that adherence to his thoughts and execution of his proposals would create a new society free from the life-destroying ugliness of violence, exploitation, poverty, unemployment, and ecological imbalance. Gandhi’s dream of emancipating the untouchables and ensuring social and environmental sanitation is well known. Gandhi had said during India’s freedom struggle that sanitation was more important than political independence. He was deeply concerned about the rampant menace of open defecation, which caused life-threatening diseases and deaths as well as terribly inconvenienced people, especially women, who could not go out during daytime to relieve themselves. Gandhi was also keen to end human scavenging that required one human to manually clean excreta of other human. He said, “No one should clean and dispose of excreta of another. There must be some scientific method of human waste disposal.” Gandhi had a noble

Those brutalities shook me to the core.

I decided to devote my life to the cause of the so-called untouchables, disregarding the taunts and insults dream, but he did not have a way in the form of a technology to end the human scavenging and free the untouchables ordained to do such a demeaning job. It was this challenge that I accepted and dedicated my life to bring about social change through peace and non-violence, as Gandhi wanted. To illustrate this, I will have to give a brief account of my eventful life journey. As some of you may be aware, my social journey began when chance brought me to work as a volunteer of the Bihar Gandhi Centenary Celebration Committee in 1968–69. This Committee, as a mark of tribute to Gandhi, had formed a cell with the objective of freeing the Bhangis—a group of untouchables, now known as Valmikis—from their traditional occupation of cleaning up human excreta and

October 23 - 29, 2017 restoring their human rights and dignity. The Committee entrusted me to explore a better and hygienic scavenging system, preferably a safe and affordable toilet technology, and to find a way to bring the Valmikis in the social mainstream. The turning point came when I went to live in a slum of Valmikis in Bettiah town of Bihar for three months. The idea was to experience their life first-hand before attempting to liberate them. At that time India was far more uncouth and casteist than it is now. Two heart-rending incidents from those three months opened my eyes to the institutionalized cruelties of caste. The first incident concerned a Valmiki family I was staying with. I saw a newly-wed woman being forced by her husband and motherin-law to go out and clean the latrine. The second incident took place after a week or so. A bull charged towards a youngster in the marketplace; many people rushed to save him, and then someone shouted, ‘This boy is from the Bhangi colony!’ Suddenly the crowd dispersed. A friend of mine and I were passing by, and we both tried to save the boy. With some bricks lying on the road, we managed to scare off the rampaging bull. But the boy was grievously injured and died on the way to the hospital. Those brutalities shook me to the core. I decided to devote my life to the cause of the so-called untouchables, disregarding the taunts and insults that greeted me from all sides. At this point, two difficult questions stared me in the face: how to overcome the violence of caste through non-violent means; and, how to develop an effective and affordable toilet system, so that manual scavenging could be eliminated and the Valmikis freed. I soon realized that the social and sanitation issues are deeply interlinked. Fostering social change and innovating an appropriate toilet technology were quite essential for an effective solution to the social and sanitary problems. First, I invented, innovated and developed the technology of two-pit pourflush ecological-friendly compost toilet, popularly known as Sulabh Shauchalaya. This technology became the enabling tool to eradicate manual scavenging and ensure environmental sanitation, and we have been able to achieve much on both fronts. With our efforts over more than a million scavengers have been liberated and rehabilitated in the social mainstream, and 640 towns made scavenging-free. And, over the years, Sulabh has converted 1.5 million bucket toilets into Sulabh flush toilets, besides constructing and maintaining 8,500 public toilets (spread across the country on pay-and-use basis), which are used by 20 million people every day. Today, with 50,000 associate members, Sulabh is the largest NGO in the world in the sanitation sector. Alongside our sanitation work, we started schools and vocational centres to educate the untouchable women and children, thus enabling them to get alternative and better jobs. Equally noteworthy are our socioreligious initiatives to integrate them into

the social mainstream. Initiatives such as taking them to temples; the upper-caste people visiting the untouchables’ homes and vice versa; the inter-caste meeting and commensality; and a programme of social adaptation in which a high-status family adopts an untouchable family in order to break the caste barrier and helps educate and empower the adopted family in every possible way. All this would not have possible without learning from Gandhi and his life. The greatest lesson I learned from Gandhi is his nuanced understanding of India’s cultural fabric, his idealistic yet pragmatic approach to problems, and his ability to push radical ideas in a reformist mould which can take along all sections of society. I learned from Gandhi to value the tradition that enhances our humanity and shun the aspects of tradition that degrades and divides us. I learned from Gandhi the

that nobody would like to eat with the untouchables till they clean night soil. So I invented the technology of twopit pour-flush compost ecological toilet and popularized it in the name of Sulabh Shauchalaya. This technology has helped stop the practice of defecation in the open as well as the practice of manual cleaning and physical carrying of human faeces. For improving the living conditions of the scavengers, transforming their lives and changing their destiny, I have taken the following measures in two towns of Rajasthan—Alwar and Tonk. I took up a five-fold programme to restore their human rights and dignity and to bring them into the social mainstream. Firstly, I got them relieved from the work of cleaning human excreta by getting bucket toilets, cleaned by the scavengers, converted into Sulabh flush toilets. In this way, owners

Our work for the widows of Vrindavan, Varanasi

and Uttarakhand has brought a bright ray of hope in their benighted lives importance of keeping one’s doors and windows open while being firmly rooted in one’s soil, thus acquiring the ability to embrace the virtuous, irrespective of its origin — ancient or modern, Eastern or Western. Above all, I learned from Gandhi the art of desisting from ideological grandstanding and instead supporting everything that deepens our humanity. For these things and much more, I adore and follow Gandhi. What I am today and what I have been able to do for the society and environment would not have been possible without Gandhi. Through the use of non-violence, as enunciated by Gandhi, I have rescued the untouchables from untouchability and social discrimination. Technological invention and human compassion have helped to restore the human rights and dignity of the untouchables and bring them into the mainstream of society. The Mahatma himself has written

of the bucket toilets also became satisfied getting the flush toilets and raised no objections. Secondly, I set up an institute, ‘Nai Disha’, and started giving them an education because they were illiterate, unable to read and write. Education is the key to human development, we first taught them how to read and write and how to put their signatures to draw money from the banks. For three months we gave them stipend in cash because they were not literate, but after they learnt to read and write we gave them their stipend by cheque so that they could withdraw money from the bank. Thirdly, we gave them a vocational education in making food like papads, noodles, pickles and also trained in market-oriented trades like tailoring, embroidery, fashion designing, beautycare, etc. By being trained, now they earn their livelihood and do not face economic problems. The next step was to break the concept

Oped

of ‘twice born’ that separates the twice-born from the one who is not. I helped them to perform the rites, rituals and ceremonies of Brahmins and upper castes. Initially, there was resistance from the upper-caste people, especially the Brahmins, as they were ranged against the untouchables’ entry into the temples. But I was able to take the ‘untouchables’ to a temple in Alwar. After a long persuasion, the Brahmins relented and allowed the entry of the untouchables into the temple. Now the same upper-caste families offer them a cup of tea and later they invited the ‘untouchables’ to attend the marriages of their daughters and accepted gifts from them. This demonstrates a change in the mindset and social attitude of the people. We also helped the ex-untouchables to perform prayers, worship, and observe rites and rituals of the higher castes. We took them to Varanasi to take a dip in the sacred river Ganga and to offer prayers to Lord Shiva at the Vishwanath Temple. They received blessings of the Lord and after the darshan, and 200 Brahmin families along with their wives and children had meals with them. Some of the ‘untouchable’ scavengers also had the opportunity to walk on the ramp with the famous models of India and United States of America in New Delhi and as well as inside the UN building in New York. They also went to see the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of liberty, where they were so overwhelmed that they declared that they were no more ‘untouchables’. They have become financially independent, and now efforts are being made to help them start their own business through taking a loan from the banks and thus secure the future of the next generation. I have solved many problems of the society, and thus fulfilling the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi. In recent years, Sulabh has reached out to other suffering communities such as widows. Our healing and rehabilitation work for the widows of Vrindavan, Varanasi and Uttarakhand has brought a bright ray of hope in the benighted life of thousands of widows. Thus, our five-decade-old movement for liberating the scavenging untouchables and widows is unparalleled in modern history and presents an inspiring example of how human compassion and creativity can overcome the greatest of odds and pave the path for justice, peace and harmony in this strife-prone world. In other words, in order to actualize the Gandhian ideas of social change, we have to apply our mind and think how the society can accept the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. For this, I would like to stress that the fundamentals of Gandhi must be separated from the fads of Gandhi, and the people, especially the younger generation, should know and follow his true fundamentals, not his fads. If you want to change society, if you want to change the villages and cities, if you want to change your country and the world, I would suggest that you should follow the Gandhian principles the way I have done in my life and my work.

18 Photo Feature

October 23 - 29, 2017

The Power Show Air shows actually highlight the distance a country has traversed in improving its defence arsenal, and also, more critically, showcase its sustainable technological advances

Photos: Sipra Das

October 23 - 29, 2017

Photo Feature

There were, of course, the usual celebratory affairs such as the march past, meeting of high dignitaries, and the salam-e-shastra, or guard of honour for the air chief. But from parajumping to hand gliding and chopper glides, the Indian Air Force put its glamour on full show this year, as seen in the pictures

20 Science & Technology

October 23 - 29, 2017

prototype smog issue

Torrefaction: Straw burning remedy found

MIT and Indian scientists are closing in on a prototype of an ancient technology that could end NCR’s constant smog problem KS Jayaraman

joint effort is under way by Indian and US scientists to end the harmful practice of rice and wheat straw burning in Punjab and convert the crop residue into a product of value to benefit the farmers. About 35 million tonnes of rice straw are burned in Punjab and Haryana each season, with Punjab contributing 55 per cent. This extensive crop residue burning lasting for more than three weeks every year during October and November has been contributing to atmospheric pollution over the entire Indo-Gangetic plains with implications for global warming and the health of people in the adjacent National Capital Region. The Indo-US team expects to simultaneously address the farmers’ agony and environmentalists’ concern by introducing a century-old thermochemical process called “torrefaction.” This is a low-cost process that turns organic waste into “biochar”, a kind of charcoal from biomass. The process requires no external energy and consumes all the smoke-causing emissions from the agricultural residue. MIT scientists Ahmed Ghoniem, Alexander Slocum, and Kevin Kung have successfully built and validated a laboratory-scale torrefaction reactor and are currently working on scaling it up to a pre-commercial prototype capable of processing 20 kg of biowaste per hour. Once the prototype is validated at MIT, it will be tested in India using locally available feedstock such as rice straw, Chandra Prakash, a biotechnologist and one of the Indian promoters of this project, told this correspondent in an email. The joint project, which is supported by the Tata Trusts and the MIT Tata Center for Technology and

Quick Glance About 35 million tonnes of rice straw are burned in Punjab and Haryana The Indo-US team will deploy a century-old process This will not only reduce smog but give the farmers additional revenue

Design, seeks to specifically design the technology to be deployable in the Indian context. “This technology, therefore, has the potential to reduce the contribution of rice straw burning to smog formation in cities, at the same time turning the agricultural waste valuable as a solid fuel (as a charcoal or coal substitute) that can increase farmers’ income,” Prakash said, adding that the technology would eventually be deployed in Haryana too and would also be employed to check the scourge of farmers in the two states burning the residue of the wheat crop. The Punjab-based institutions involved in the joint venture are

Existing technologies to convert agricultural residue into useful products through incinerators, gasifiers, and anaerobic digesters are big-sized, centralised and complex to operate. The MIT prototype, being portable, can be effectively deployed in rural areas where a centralised processing unit is difficult and capital-intensive. “A mobile torrefaction reactor, similar to a harvester combine, can go from farm to farm rather than farmers carrying their straw to a centralised location,” Prakash said. He said that ideally, multiple lowcost locally-made torrefaction units could be deployed in a decentralised

the Centre of Innovative & Applied Bioprocessing (CIAB) under the central government’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT); Sangha Innovation Centre (SIC), a start-up of the Sangha group of companies that grow rice, potatoes and maize on 5,500 acres in the Jalandhar area and will soon have its research centre in CIAB’s Mohali premises; and the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). While MIT will conduct the research, design and prototype implementation, local support and expertise will come besides Prakash from Jaswant Raj Mathur, an agronomist at SIC; Sudesh Kumar, a biochemist and biotechnologist at CIAB; and Mahesh Kumar, an agriculture engineer at PAU.

manner and the biochar aggregated for marketing to run the operation in a profitable and sustainable mode without government subsidies. When this solution is widely scaled, it is expected to contribute to a reduction in urban smog by lowering emission sources in the rural agricultural areas. “In addition, this process is expected to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and so help India meet its low-carbon goals.” Among the beneficiaries are Punjab farmers who can potentially get Rs 6,000 additional income per acre. If all goes as planned, adoption of MIT’s innovation in torrefaction to prevent paddy straw residue burning in Punjab will become a reality “hopefully by the next crop season”, Prakash said.

weird Kronos

‘Sun’ that devoured its own planets Dubbed Kronos, the star is the clearest and most dramatic case yet of a Sun-like star consuming its own planets

IANS

stronomers have discovered that a Sun-like star lurking around 350 light-years away consumed the rocky equivalent of 15 Earths. Dubbed Kronos after the child-eating Titan of Greek mythology, the star is the clearest and most dramatic case yet of a Sun-like star consuming its own planets, said Semyeong Oh, an astrophysicist at Princeton University in New Jersey and lead author of the study. “Even if our Sun ate the entire inner solar system, it wouldn’t come close to the anomaly we see in this star,” study co-author David Hogg from the Flatiron Institute in New York added. Oh was analysing a catalogue of new star data collected by the European Space Agency’s Gaia spacecraft for pairs of stars with similar speeds and trajectories. Such duos are typically twin stars that formed close together from the same ingredients. The analysis ultimately led to the identification of Kronos and its lesser known brother Krios. Their official designations are HD 240430 and HD 240429, and they are both about 350 light years from Earth. The keys to the discovery were first confirming that the widely separated pair is, in fact, a binary pair, and secondly observing Kronos’ strikingly unusual chemical abundance pattern, Oh explained in a statement. Other co-moving star pairs have had different chemistries, Oh explained, but none as dramatic as Kronos and Krios. Most stars that are as metal-rich as Kronos “have all the other elements enhanced at a similar level,” she said, “whereas Kronos has volatile elements suppressed, which makes it really weird.

October 23 - 29, 2017

telescopes minimising distortions

Telescopes on Earth get better

Science & Technology

Quick Glance

spacewalk

This inexpensive technology delivers high photometric precision This is important for impending launch of Transiting Exoplanet “Defocusing” the telescope yielded higher photometric precision

The custom “beam-shaping” diffusers are capable of minimising distortions from the Earth’s atmosphere IANS

stronomers have designed a low-cost technology that allows telescopes on Earth to observe planets beyond our solar system with greater precision. With the new attachment, groundbased telescopes can produce measurements of light intensity that rival the highest quality photometric observations from space, according

to the study published online in the Astrophysical Journal. The custom “beam-shaping” diffusers carefully structured micro-optic devices that spread incoming light across an image are capable of minimising distortions from the Earth’s atmosphere that can reduce the precision of groundbased observations. “This inexpensive technology delivers high photometric precision in observations of exoplanets as they transit cross in front of the bright stars that they orbit,” said Gudmundur Stefansson, a graduate student at Pennsylvania State University, and lead author of the paper. “This technology is especially relevant considering the impending launch of NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) early in 2018. It is up to ground-based facilities to rapidly and reliably follow-up on candidate planets that are identified by TESS,” Stefansson added. Diffusers are small pieces of glass that can be easily adapted to mount onto

mars sand dunes

NASA probe: Sandy Mars?

a variety of telescopes. The research team tested the new diffuser technology “on-sky” on the Hale telescope at Palomar Observatory in California, the 0.6m telescope at Davey Lab Observatory at Penn State, and the ARC 3.5m Telescope at Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico. In all cases, images produced with a diffuser were consistently more stable than those using conventional methods they maintained a relatively consistent size, shape, and intensity, which is integral in achieving highly precise measurements. Using a focused telescope without a diffuser produced images that fluctuate in size and intensity. A common method of “defocusing” the telescope deliberately taking the image out of focus to spread out light yielded higher photometric precision than focused observations, but still created images that fluctuated in size and intensity, the researchers found.

Quick Glance The grains of sand have a hazardous existence, being blown here and there Wind-blown sand is lifted above the surface of each planet These repeated impacts tend to wear down the sand grains

The probe is for how the vast sand dunes on Mars, that get eroded over time, are replenished from time to time IANS

ASA’s Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter (MRO) has spotted one possible place where sand grains are being produced on Mars today. The fact that we see active sand dunes on Mars today requires that sand particles must be resupplied to replace the grains that are lost over time. The Martian region spotted by MRO exhibits dark material that is being eroded from dark layers in the bedrock of a semicircular depression near the boundary of the Southern Highlands and the Northern lowlands. Downslope lineations support the notion that these dark sediments are derived locally, and did not accumulate

here by coincidence because of the winds. The grains of sand that make up sand dunes on Earth and Mars have a hazardous existence because of the way that they travel. Wind-blown sand is lifted above the surface of each planet

before crashing onto the ground and bouncing in a sequence of repeated hops, a process called saltation. Sand grains can also roll along the ground as they are blown by the wind, and they are also jostled by other sand grains that are similarly flying across the surface. All of these repeated impacts tend to wear down the sand grains, smoothing them into a more spherical shape and breaking off small fragments that supply the vast dust deposits of Mars. This process (known as comminution) ultimately destroys sand grains and limits the length of time that the particles exist. The regions identified by MRO could be one source from where sand particles get their resupply to replace the grains that are lost over time.

A spacewalk to lubricate robotic arm

Two astronauts walked seven hours in space to lubricate a robotic arm and repair various faults IANS

wo astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have completed a spacewalk lasting about 6.5 hours to lubricate components of the new latching end effector they installed in the previous spacewalk on the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Expedition 53 Commander Randy Bresnik and Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei of NASA also replaced a faulty camera system during the spacewalk last Tuesday. The astronauts also completed a variety of additional tasks, including replacing a smudged lens cover and removing two handrails from outside the tranquillity module in preparation for a future wireless antenna installation, NASA scientists wrote in a blog post. This was the second of three spacewalks planned for October. This spacewalk was the fourth for Bresnik’s career and the second for Vande Hei. Bresnik and Flight Engineer Joe Acaba of NASA are scheduled to go for a third spacewalk to continue the lubrication of the new end effector and to replace another camera system on the Destiny Lab on October 18. The spacewalk will mark the third of Acaba’s career.

22 Environment

October 23 - 29, 2017

whale shark conservation

reptile rescue

Whale shark may get global protection Considered a delicacy in some countries like Taiwan, it is being overfished and is facing serious population threats

Cobra recovered from JNU The common cobra has been rescued several times from JNU, as the wooded campus offers a safe abode IANS

four feet cobra was rescued from the staff quarters of the Jawaharlal Nehru University ( JNU) on Thursday. The reptile was rescued by an animal welfare organisation Wildlife SOS, which had earlier this week rescued a Bluebull fawn with several dog bites from the JNU campus. “We spotted the cobra in the area several times in the past week. It had moved into the area behind the staff quarters, so we decided to keep a close eye on its movement till the wildlife team arrived,” said Manju Tripathi, a resident. One of the four venomous snake species found in India, the common cobra has been rescued several times from JNU as the campus, located in a green belt of the national capital, offers a safe abode to reptiles and animals like civet and Bluebull (Nilgai). Delhi is home to 13 species of snakes, of which only two -- the common cobra and common krait -are venomous. Cobra is the common name of various elapid snakes, most of which belonging to the genus Naja. All of the known cobras are venomous and many are capable of rearing upwards and producing a hood when threatened. All members of the genus Naja, the “true” cobras, rear and produce hoods. Earlier this month, a five-foot cobra was rescued from the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corp (DTTDC) office.

IANS

idespread overfishing is driving many shark species, including the world’s largest living fish, the whale shark, to extinction, warn biologists. Its global status needs to be upgraded for protection and conservation. India is among 121 nations that are home to this species with continuing global population declines. The major threats to it are fisheries catches, bycatch in nets and vessel strikes. Now, the Philippines, Israel and Sri Lanka have jointly submitted a proposal for the inclusion of the whale shark, found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, in Appendix I of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) for its conservation. The proposal has been listed on the agenda for the 12th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties, to which India is also one of the signatories, to be held in the Philippine capital Manila from October 23 to 28. The proposal demands the upgrading of the whale shark to a listing on Appendix I of the CMS as well as maintaining its existing Appendix II listing on account of its endangered conservation status and continuing population decline. This will help improve protection and encourage global actions to

address threats posed even by unsustainable tourism. It will also lead to increased attention to legislative protection in range states and heightened awareness of conservation requirements. The proposal says prior to the protection of the whale shark a highvalue catch in India in 2001 and in the Philippines in 1998, its meat was exported from these countries to Taiwan. Its meat from China was also thought to be illegally exported to Taiwan. India-born Shaili Johri, who is a Postdoctoral Fellow at San Diego State University in California, said unregulated fishing of the whale shark off the Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala coasts is driving them to extinction. “Whale sharks in India are found along the coast of south Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. While these sharks are protected in Gujarat, their poaching

Quick Glance India is among 121 nations that are home to this species of sharks The Philippines, Israel and Sri Lanka have demanded special protection Hunting, unintended netting, and pollution have been killing them

continues in other states in spite of their apparent protected status since 2001 by the Wildlife Act of India,” she told IANS. Hunting, unintended netting, ship strikes and pollution, mainly plastic and industrial waste, have been responsible for whale shark mortalities in India. A targeted and comprehensive monitoring programme of all the species of the sharks in India needs to be undertaken in order to determine their breeding grounds, preferred habitats and food sources and their migration routes so as to establish marine sanctuaries and alter shipping lanes or designate low-speed zones for the ships, she told IANS via email. “Without support from the fishing community, whale shark conservation in Gujarat is at risk of getting derailed,” she added. A 2016 reassessment of the species’ global conservation status for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species classified the whale shark as globally endangered due to an overall population size reduction of greater than or equal to 50 per cent. “We propose that the whale shark should be upgraded to a listing on Appendix I of CMS. The whale shark meets the criteria for an Appendix I listing due to the species’ clear migratory habit and their global endangered status on the IUCN Red List,” the proposal added.

October 23 - 29, 2017

China moves to curb dreaded winter pollution The government is targeting a drop of at least 15 per cent in the level of PM 2.5 particles in 28 cities

he Supreme Court ruled that there will be no sale of firecrackers in Delhi and National Capital Region during Diwali, as it restored a November 2016 order banning the sale and stocking of firecrackers there. China has swung into action to control air pollution ahead of the winter season when it gets worse and chokes millions in various cities of the country. The government has asked the smoke-belching steel and coal factories to cut down production. Some have been ordered to shut down. China is targeting a drop of at least 15 per cent in the level of PM 2.5 particles in 28 cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region as well as in Shandong and Shanxi provinces between October 2017 and March 2018, state media reported. China is spending hundreds of billions to tackle air pollution and has

shut polluting industries. In 2015, 1.1 million died from pollution. Beijing is the world’s most polluted city. The pollution worsens in winter when the coal-fired heating system is turned on. Smog-laden sky is a common sight in the megacity during the winter. In the last week

Gucci goes fur-free!

Gucci’s President and CEO Marco Bizzarri announced the fur-free policy last week during the 2017 Kering Talk IANS

n a game-changing move towards ending fur trade, global fashion house Gucci announced it will no longer use animal fur, beginning with its spring summer 2018 collection. The move has been welcomed by organisations like Humane Society International (HSI), The Humane Society of the United States (HSAS), and LAV-members of the Fur Free Alliance (FFA), a coalition of more than 40 animal protection organisations working together to end

of December in 2016, pollution rose to such a level that Beijingers and others living in the city fled to other provinces. According to the Global Times, 31 cities have pledged to restrict activity in factories. Three cities recently joined other regions in northern China in

Longevity

fashion saving animals

the fur trade. Gucci’s President and CEO Marco Bizzarri announced the fur-free policy last week during the 2017 Kering Talk at The London College of Fashion, said a statement. Its fur-free policy includes mink, coyote, racoon, dog, fox, rabbit, and karakul (otherwise known as Swakara, Persian lamb or astrakhan) and all others species specially bred or caught for fur. Kitty Block, President of HSI, said: “Gucci going fur-free is a huge gamechanger. For this Italian powerhouse

Quick Glance

china choking

IANS

Environment

to end the use of fur because of the cruelty involved will have a huge ripple effect throughout the world of fashion. A staggering one hundred million animals a year still suffer for the fur industry, but that can only be sustained for as long as designers continue to use fur. So we commend Gucci’s compassionate decision, and for helping to ensure that the future of fashion is fur-free.” Marco Bizzarri, Gucci’s President and CEO, said: “Being socially responsible is one of Gucci’s core values, and we will continue to strive

Government has asked the smokebelching factories to cut down Pollution worsens in winter when the heating system is turned on China is spending hundreds of billions to tackle air pollution

implementing measures to fight air pollution as the heaviest pollution season approaches. Shanxi, China’s top coal-producing region, vowed to cut PM 2.5 levels and sulphur dioxide by 40 per cent from October to March, Xinhua news agency reported. East China’s Shandong province requires the city of Linyi to shut down steel, iron, ferro-nickel and manganese iron production from November 15 this year to March 15, 2018. Xuzhou, in East China’s Jiangsu province, will also take anti-pollution measures. Experts said the move shows the government’s determination to fight air pollution this winter, as more residents grow increasingly concerned about health risks. Last Thursday, the city of Tangshan, in Hebei province, began enforcing the odd-and-even license plate scheme for automobiles, and local iron and steel plants began to limit production a month ahead of schedule, China National Radio reported.

Quick Glance Gucci is one of the top luxuries fashion brands that sold fur items 100 million fur animals died annually because of fashion Gucci joins companies like Armani, HUGO BOSS and Yoox Net-a-Porter

to do better for the environment and animals. With the help of HSUS and LAV, Gucci is excited to take this next step and hopes it will help inspire innovation and raise awareness, changing the luxury fashion industry for the better.” The HSUS and LAV will continue to support Gucci in identifying and reducing its impact on animals and the environment. The company joins many other leading fashion brands and retailers like Armani, HUGO BOSS, Yoox Neta-Porter, Stella McCartney and more in going fur-free, and will be part of the International Fur Free Retailer Program.

24 Mumbai Mirror

October 23 - 29, 2017

Quick Glance

mahim facelift

Mahim Chowpatty to get facelift Desai said that first, the repair of Mahim Fort is necessary. After that, regular cleaning of the seashore will be taken care of

Mumbai Bureau

umbai will now get another beautiful Chowpatty. Beautification of Mahim Chowpatty will be done after Girgaum, Juhu and

Versova. There was always a Mahim Chowpatty but it could not be maintained in such a way that it could compete with the other Chowpattys. State industries minister Subhash Desai said that in the cleanliness programme organised for this

Chowpatty, it will not only be kept clean but it will also be beautified so that it becomes a tourist attraction. Desai said that first, the repair of Mahim Fort is necessary. After that, regular cleaning of the seashore will be taken care of. The sanitation house will also be constructed for the local citizens. Campaigns will be organized for the general public with the help of tourism department to bring awareness about cleanliness. On this occasion, representatives of District Magistrate, Sampada Mehta, Corporators, School Students and Voluntary Organizations were also present. Thane Municipal Corporation will do strictness The Corporation has decided to take strict action against people who do not refrain from open defecation. Thane Municipal Corporation is now setting up thirty different teams of guards to monitor them. These guards will keep an eye on people who go out for open

awareness ODF

‘Lotta bandi’ campaign claims to be successful

People who used to go out in the open for defecation were made aware first and then the strict rules were applied to those who still did not fall in Mumbai Bureau

he Maharashtra government claims that the state has achieved 88 per cent success in stopping open defecation. This was possible because the government did not allow any shortage of funds in the making of toilets. People who used to go out in the open for defecation were made aware first and then the strict rules were applied. Although in some areas still people are not able to leave the habit of going out for the toilet but hopefully they will be able to overcome this habit in the next few months. On the success of controlling

defecation in the open, the central government has announced Maharashtra on the top and four awards have been awarded for this. The government has achieved this success

due to the construction of large toilets and providing funds to the common people. Fourteen thousand rupees are being given for the construction of toilets in the house. Thirteen districts

Mahim always had a chowpatty but it was never well maintained Now the area will not only be cleaned but also beautified The industries minister says Mahim has to become a tourist spot

defecation and will take punitive action on them. It is notable that Thane is counted as a clean city. In the cleanliness drive of the Government of India, the MNP took part and hoped that the city would become the most beautiful cities of Maharashtra. During the initial period, the solid waste department of the MNP administration did a survey; it found that nearly seven thousand families go for open defecation. The MNP has constructed about seven thousand individual and twelve hundred public toilets for them. Despite this, their habits did not change. After this, the Corporation has decided for strictness. The tracking teams will move around the city to keep an eye on them and take action against the people who will be found guilty. Balaji Haldar, chief of the Solid Waste Department, said that those found guilty will be fined as penalties.

Quick Glance Maharashtra says it has attained 88 per cent success on ODF front It has come up on the top of antiODF list with awards to boot 43 lakh toilets have been constructed at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore

and 384 cities have become free from open defecation. Forty-three lakh toilets were constructed for this. So far, the amount of three thousand crore has been spent on this. Several programs were taken up to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cleanliness campaign successful, which included the ‘Lotta bandi’ too. State’s Cleanliness Minister Babanrao Lonikar says that whatever target has been achieved so far, it is the result of public co-operation and administration. Still, areas, where the habit of going in the open with lotta exists, are being monitored strictly. Those who carry the lotta are seized for it and are being auctioned with the name Surrey Market.

October 23 - 29, 2017

Mumbai Mirror

voice film

Modi to lend voice in film Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to do something new, in the film industry Mumbai Bureau

arendra Modi, who influenced the entire country with his leadership and ideas, has achieved tremendous success in the world of power. But now after winning the hearts of everyone in political corridors, he is going to step into Bollywood. No! He will not act, but Modi will soon give his voice for the film being made on ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign. Often talking to the public through his show ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on the radio channel, Modi himself will do the voice over for the film. It is being said that Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, will be composing the music for the film. This film is being made to give a message of women education in society. The film will be directed by Ram Kumar Shendge. Apart from all this, ‘Anticorruption’ and ‘Crime Committee and Gravity Group’ will work together

navi mumbai e-toilet

Emphasis on e-toilet in Navi Mumbai Seeing the pathetic condition of pavements in the area, CIDCO took initiative in its own way and decided to clean the markets Mumbai Bureau

IDCO (City and Industrial Development Corporation) has taken a good initiative towards National Hygiene Campaign. They are making e-toilets in every nook and corner of the city, keeping in mind about the cleanliness of the city and needs of citizens. People shopping in the markets throughout the day or doing business on the footpaths used to urinate anywhere because of the absence of toilets. It became difficult to walk because of the grime. This also bred diseases. Seeing this condition CIDCO took initiative in its own way and decided to

clean the markets. Wherever e-toilet is being created, they will be operated with computers. Near toilet entrance, the sign of inserting the coin will be indicated. Stainless steel toilet door will open automatically once 2 rupees coin will be inserted. This will also reduce the consumption of water and protect the environment. If these

In some densely

populated areas including Kalamboli, lack of toilets is being felt

Quick Glance Modi will not act in any film but will lend his voice The film that is being made is Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Maharashtar CM’s wife will compose the music for the film

on this project. Talking about the cast of the film, names like Sunil Shetty, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Kiran Bedi, Amitabh Bachchan will be seen as celebrity guests. In the film, Bahubali actress Tamannaah Bhatia and Oscarnominated child artist Sunny Pawar from film ‘Lion’ will work with her. The film will be shown in the German and French Film Festival scheduled in January next year. The film will be dubbed in about 14 languages, after which it will be shown in schools in many countries.

Quick Glance CIDCO has taken a good initiative towards National Hygiene Campaign It has on its own decided to clean up the mess in marketplaces The e-toilets will be computeroperated and hassle free

toilets will get a good response then the process will get started to make it in every part of the city. At present, seven e-Toilets are being constructed at a cost of Rs. 50 lakhs in Kalamboli area which will be opened for the common people this month. CIDCO expects that this will be a great relief for the general public. However, though Panvel Municipal Corporation has been provided with the facility of public toilets in some densely populated areas including Kalamboli, lack of toilets is being felt. Under the social obligation, CIDCO decided to cooperate with the Panvel Municipal Corporation.

26 North East

October 23 - 29, 2017

guwahati tourism

Quick Glance

Beautifying the Brahmaputra riverfront This is the first of its kind initiative to develop 5.2 km stretch of the Brahmaputra riverfront

Raj Kashyap

he Brahmaputra riverfront from Raj Bhawan to Kamakhya will don a new look soon with the Guwahati Smart City Development Agency Limited (GSCDAL) mooting a major beautification initiative along the river in the city. The Agency office bearers made a presentation on the proposed beautification project to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in his conference room at Janata Bhawan

last week. This is the first of its kind initiative to develop 5.2 km stretch of the Brahmaputra riverfront covering 72.45 bigha of land in Guwahati in a comprehensive and sustainable manner. Taking stock of the progress of the project, Chief Minister Sonowal

asked the agency to prepare the detailed project reflecting the cultural heritage of the state in co-terminus with economic activities. “The Brahmaputra riverfront in Guwahati holds tremendous potential to boost tourism in the state. The beautification project should be aesthetically appealing and reflect the cultural heritage of Assam in its work,” Sonowal said adding that the project should be implemented in such a manner that the tourists feel the smartness of the city while having a peek at the rich tradition and culture of the state. Sonowal also asked the Agency to incorporate provisions for prayer and festival plaza, perennial water channel along the bank and jetties for sea planes to take off in the project. He further stressed that the beautification work should not disturb the normal course of the river.

The riverfront will have an esplanade for people to walk for recreational purpose with sitting provision, night illumination, facility for cycling and leisurely sightseeing

assam cancer care

The state government has announced the plan to set up a system that should be helpful for entire Northeast

he Assam government has tied up with Tata Trusts for setting up a unique, first-of-its-kind three-tier cancer care grid in the state with an investment of around Rs 1,400 crore. State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met Ratan Tata in Mumbai and discussed the plan. Soon after the meeting, Sarma tweeted, “I am extremely delighted to have met the legendary Sri Ratan Tata and members of Tata Trusts for what may become a rare philanthropy-government

The beautification project should be aesthetically appealing and reflect the cultural heritage Chief Minister Sonowal asked the agency to prepare the detailed project reflecting Assam’s cultural heritage

The proposed project is designed by Tata Consultancy Services in partnership with a Netherlands-based firm after thorough hydrological study of the river. Once implemented, the riverfront will have an esplanade for people to walk for recreational purpose with sitting provision, night illumination, facility for cycling, leisurely sightseeing and high-thrill rides by speedboats. Dr M Angamuthu, Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro) who is also the Managing Director of GSCDAL while apprising the Chief Minister about the development of the initiative informed that a master plan for the project has already been prepared and survey and a feasibility study has also been completed. Dr Angamuthu further said that the project is divided into five parts with components for landscape development and river bank protection. He also informed that implementation of the project would also not harm the interests of the vendors of Kacharighat and Ujan Bazar fish market as both the markets would be retained to reflect the traditional lifestyle.

Quick Glance

Three-tier cancer care grid ssb bureau

The Brahmaputra riverfront in Guwahati holds tremendous potential to boost tourism

collaboration on #cancer care & management. The government of Assam and Tata Trusts are working on setting up a unique, first-of-its-kind 3-level cancer care grid at state, capital and district levels which is likely to have investment of Re 1400 cr and proposed to be shared between Tata Trusts and state.” He said the project would also leverage various state and central government schemes. A South Asian Cancer Research Centre is also proposed to be set up to undertake research on identifying reasons and develop treatment protocols

State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma with Ratan Tata

with a focus on South Asia. Under the grid system, L1 or state level cancer care institute at Guwahati will have advanced tertiary care

L1 or state level cancer care institute at Guwahati will be set up first In L2, medical colleges will have chemo, radiation and surgical oncology In L3, hospitals will have daycare, chemotherapy and radiation facilities

facilities. In L2, medical colleges will have chemo, radiation and surgical oncology and in L3, district hospitals will have day care, chemotherapy and radiation facilities. “We are certain that the proposed centre at Guwahati would be able to cater to the needs of entire North East. After fruitful discussions with Sri Ratan Tata we expect a positive announcement from Tata Trusts shortly on this iconic collaboration,” Sarma said. Assam is among the states that have the highest per capita burden of cancer in India.

October 23 - 29, 2017

North East

assam education

Reforming Assam’s school education, the Gujarat way The school system in the state is being sought to be overhauled through direct involvement of the legislators and officials

Students with C

and D grade will be provided with remedial coaching by the school, which will be monitored by school management committee

ssb bureau

t is time for reckoning for teachers and pupils in government schools of Assam. From the Chief Minister to his cabinet colleagues, from legislators to top bureaucrats – all have donned the role of an inspector and are visiting schools to evaluate the quality of education being imparted and level of infrastructure in the institutions. The second phase of Gunotsav was kicked off on October 10. On last Thursday, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inspected an elementary school in Silchar, the headquarters of Cachar district. Ministers, MLAs, IAS and IPS officers are inspecting elementary schools to evaluate the level of learning of students and the quality of infrastructure. On Wednesday, while Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia visited an LP School at Boko in Kamrup district, DGP Mukesh Sahay visited Rampur ME School in Kamrup. They interacted with students to

ascertain the quality of education received. They also took stock of infrastructure and teaching aids available in the schools. Inspired by a similar initiative by Gujarat government, Gunotsav is a quality enhancement initiative of the State for bringing about improvement in learning levels of students at Elementary level. It aims to evaluate schools and students of schools in order to assess their performance and design strategies to bring about quality improvement in levels of learning as well as in the school environment. Assessment will be done on four core areas Academic achievement of children of Class-2 to 8 Co-scholastic activities, Availability and Utilization of School Infrastructure and other facilities and Community Participation. The whole State Govt machinery is being involved in the programme. The first phase of the programme was conducted from 4th to 7th April 2017 and eight districts - Barpeta, Chirang, Dibrugarh, Hailakandi, Kamrup-Metro, Lakhimpur, Morigaon and Karbi Anglong – were the be

covered. According to sources in Education Department, the second phase of Gunotsav will cover 18,787 elementary schools in 12 districts. After the first phase was conducted in February this year, schools that received ‘A’ grade were rewarded at a function recently. “Schools in the State are plagued by many problems that can’t be gauged properly by sitting in Dispur. It’s the administration that has to go to the schools to know exactly what problems they face and the quality of education they impart. When ministers and bureaucrats see the problems on the spot, they can gauge the situation right. Many facts come to light that help them do the needful to get things done in the desired manner,” State Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The teachers based on this assessment will provide appropriate intervention to improve learning levels of students. A special coaching package will be designed for remedial teaching by the teachers in the school itself, he added. Altogether 25 per cent of over 12,000 government schools evaluated qualitatively in Assam in first phase of ‘Gunotsav’ secured 74

Quick Glance The chief minister and his ministers are visiting schools everywhere in the state The inspections are meant to directly interact with students It has been inspired by a similar initiative by Gujarat government

per cent or more in terms of grading. A total of 12,286 schools in Barpeta, Chirang, Dibrugarh, Hailakandi, Kamrup Metro, Lakhimpur, Morigaon, and West Karbi Anglong was evaluated and 7,15,930 students appeared for the evaluation. In terms of overall grading, 777 or 6 per cent schools were graded as A+, 2,323 schools (19 per cent) as A, 3,106 schools (25 per cent) fell under B grade, 3,302 schools (27 per cent) were graded C and 2,778 schools (23 per cent) acquired D grade. On an average, for performance skills which included reading, writing and numeracy, about 43 per cent students from class 2 to 8 were graded as D (below 48 per cent). On an average about 17 per cent students of class 2 to 7 scored A+ (87 per cent & above) in performance skills. Remaining fell in other grades - A (74-86 per cent), B (61-73 per cent), and C (48-60 per cent). For upper primary students’ (class 6 to 8), on an average, about 4.6 per cent students of class 6 to 8 scored A+, about 55 per cent students graded D, about 10 per cent students graded A and B, and about 19 per cent students were graded C. Individual report cards were given to the students in complete confidentiality in parents’- teacher meetings within a week of the declaration of the results. Students with C and D grade will be provided with remedial coaching by the school, which will be monitored by school management committee and the attendance records of these students will be maintained for the remedial programme.

28 Off-Beat

October 23 - 29, 2017

UPPSC

Broccoli GUT

Magic Mushrooms May ‘Reset’ Depression Long considered unfit for medical use, Psilocybin mushrooms were found to effectively reset brain circuits associated with depression

Woman Clears UPPSC Honouring Father’s Wish Keeping her promise to her father, Anjum Saifi was able to qualify and be appointed as a civil judge

SSB Bureau

ust four years old when she saw her father’s body back in 1992. Her father died because he stood up against extortionists in a market where he ran a hardware shop. He even tried to get police protection. Her father was gunned down in broad daylight when he stood up against goons who were trying to extract money from a hawker. Anjum now only has faint memories of her father, but she always remembers how he would ask her to become a judge. Keeping her promise, this Muzaffarnagar girl was able to qualify and be appointed as a civil judge after clearing the exams as declared by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC). Managing to achieve this despite hardships, Anjum Saifi made her father’s last wish come true. The entire neighbourhood has been celebrating her UPPSC results. Anjum’s mother proud of her daughter said: “I wish he were here to see it happen.” An overwhelmed Hamida Begum added, “Today I am a content woman. The seed of values my husband had sown into my children has started yielding fruit.” “My father died fighting for what was right. He wanted to change things for the better, but the prevalent system did not allow him. My only aim has been to uphold his values and keep people’s faith in righteousness. Now God has given me the power to initiate that change,” said Anjum.

ssb bureau

psychoactive compound occuring naturally in “magic mushrooms” may help reduce symptoms of depression as well as “reset” brain activity in affected patients, a study has shown. The findings demonstrated that Psilocybin mushrooms, also known as psychedelic mushrooms, effectively reset the activity of key brain circuits known to play a role in depression. “We have shown for the first time clear changes in brain activity in depressed people treated with psilocybin after failing to respond to conventional treatments,” said Robin Carhart-Harris, Head of Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London. “Several of our patients described feeling “reset” after the treatment. Psilocybin may be giving these

individuals the temporary kick start they need to break out of their depressive states and these imaging results do tentatively support a reset analogy,” Carhart-Harris added. For the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, the team examined patients with treatment-

its only cricket! equal rights

Tendulkar’s message on Girl Child Day

Sachin Tendulkar voiced his opinions on Girl Child Day saying that girls should be given a fair platform in India IANS

amenting the discrimination that girls face in India and worldwide, cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar said that they should be given a fair platform and above everything else, “freedom”. “There should be a fair platform. We should not discriminate (between the two sexes),” Tendulkar said during a panel discussion organised here by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and Unicef on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child. “While sending our girls out, we are always afraid thinking she might make mistakes but we don’t feel so in case of boys. We insulate her and don’t give her the chance to use her brains and have her own experiences,” said Tendulkar, who is also the Unicef

resistant form of the disorder with two doses of psilocybin (10 mg and 25 mg). Following the treatment, patients reported a decrease in depressive symptoms, corresponding with improvements in mood and stress relief. Functional MRI imaging revealed reduced blood flow in areas of the brain, including the amygdala -- a small, almond-shaped region of the brain known to be involved in processing emotional responses, stress and fear. These benefits lasted up to five weeks after treatment, the researchers said. While the initial findings are encouraging, patients with depression should not attempt to self-medicate, as things may go awry if the extensive psychological component of the treatment is neglected, the researchers warned.

Quick Glance Sachin said that freedom of the girls was of utmost importance He said that girls needed a fair platform without discrimination He is also the UNICEF Goodwill ambassador

Goodwill ambassador. “We definitely need to protect them. We also need to provide what they want – opportunity, encouragement, guidance and above all, freedom.” The discussion on “The Role of Sports in the Empowerment of Girls” pointed out the decline of child marriages from 47 per cent to 27 per cent. To this, Tendulkar reacted saying it was not enough. “Child marriage and other social pressures hamper a child’s growth. I stand to SAY NO to Child Marriage and make a better world for our girls,” he said. As a kid, I decided to follow my dream of playing for India. This should be the case of every girl child in India and the world. Every girl child should chase her dreams. It is very important for parents to give them a platform. Their contribution is significant,” he said.

October 23 - 29, 2017

Being Human

personality complexities

Peel it and you will find it Everyone has different layers of their personality, their lives, their experiences that they don’t publicise to people Urooj Fatima

Quick Glance

ike an onion, humans have many layers to and from here the idea of comparing a human to an onion arises. Everyone has different layers of their personality, their lives, their experiences that they don’t publicise to people, whether it’s for the fact that they don’t want to or they just don’t have the opportunity to. Personally, I think that people can have different things within their layers; not everyone has experiences behind their emotions and personality, but some people do have experiences that change their lives. I think that this goes along hand in hand with stereotyping because most the time, your top layer (or two) is all that everyone sees, so people judging you based on these few characteristics that you have or mannerisms that you do isn’t really accurate just like stereotyping people based on their race or religion because, once again, that’s just one aspect of your huge life. Apart from people’s perception and judgment about you, the thing that is important is that what we show to others about our personality. It is about the layers we have. These layers make people approachable or unreachable, easy-going or difficult, transparent or sophisticated. Generally, people have three layers: Outer layer; a middle layer which is called main core; an inner core which is also called ‘Bottom of the Heart’. It can vary up to nine depending on the person. The first layer is usually the mask that people wear every day while they deal with the outside world. They hide who they actually are and only show the side which people want to see or it will not harm their personality. They are very careful and watch themselves so that they don’t show any of those behaviors that they would not want the world to know while communicating with the world. Therefore they hide or camouflage their emotional side. At first layer people are always put themselves in defensive mode and careful to protect themselves against any kind of physical (money), mental (power) or emotional (love) loss. The second layer is the one which people show to their families, friends or the one’s closet to them. They become slightly different at this layer then the

The layers that we have are what make us who we are We see the outer layer when it is really the inner layers that matter You have to peel away each layer to reveal another

Winning people’s trust and earning their hearts

are more important than winning their contracts or sundry business deals previous one when their mask is off. They are not too cautious about how they are seen and communicate with others. The sub layers of this mid layer are personality, your values, your vision and your perspective of life. People are here more open to talk about their real inner self. It is much easier to communicate at this layer. People are more friendly, more welcoming and open in building a longer relationship. They don’t hide their face behind the mask while communicating. They communicate as a person who they are in reality. They are not too cautious about how they are seen and communicate with others. You have your face that only your first connections know you. People are very different, so their middle cores are. They can be made of stone, metal, wood or glass. Sometimes

you need to crack, other times, you need to melt, or burn it. The third layer is the deep layer which only the people know and access themselves. Generally, people don’t show this layer to anyone including their family. They hide their feeling, emotions, desire, thoughts, wishes, fears nobody can reach. Here is the centre of being that makes you. This layer is the sources of lifetime relationships and strong trust to each other. It is also the layer where people hide their hearts, loves, disappointments, burdens. It is therefore called the bottom of the heart. People have the choice of bringing them out or keeping it to themselves. You have to conquer people’s heart to reach this layer; it usually takes minimum 4 months up to several years. This layer is open only from inside. There is another layer which is the

deepest and hidden that even people themselves don’t know or not aware of it. Some people with so-called 6th sense can reach or read this layer. This layer has a direct connection to the subconscious. Some people look like very difficult or others think in that way. In my opinion, there are no difficult people. There people who have more layers than others to be discovered, reached or conquered. The people with more layers seem to be unreachable, unreadable, and difficult to approach by other who has fewer layers. The more layers you have, the more emotional and fragile you are even though you don’t want to accept. The more layers you have, the more difficult, cool or cold you become or look like for others. The more layers you have the more interest, attention and love you need although you are not Who you really are as an individual is the best thing you can become. Finding happiness within ourselves is the best thing we can do. We need to show our layers, show who we really are. The layers that we have are what make us who we are. It shows what we have been through. It shows what feelings we have and hides what feelings we don’t want people to see with another layer. If we peel them back we will see everything about a person: the good, the bad, and the ugly. In our world, we see the outer layer when it is really the inner layers that matter the most. Maybe we need to go back and look at those layers to see where that happiness really is hiding. We need to realize that who we really are is who we really need to be. It’s where we will find happiness. We get so wrapped up in our layers it makes us afraid of our true feelings. We develop a new layer every time we don’t want to show what’s in the core, but the core is the most beautiful part. Now let me ask you, what are your layers?

30 Fashioning God

October 23 - 29, 2017

South 24 Parganas muslim devotion

Muslim ‘Hair Dressers’ of Hindu idols For generations, the Muslims in Parvatipur in South 24 Parganas have been fashioning the hairs for all Hindu gods, from Shiva to Kali and Durga

Quick Glance

Prasanta Paul

he state highway meanders into a mud-filled road as the cycle van paddles over puddles from the overnight rain. Little later, one comes across locks of hairs in lumps, knots and curls are hanging on bamboo poles. An area of braid choppers tucked away from the gaze of police? One is almost forced to wonder. Shortly though, one would be compelled to apologise to oneself for rushing to conclusions and hunt for an alibi to correct … Enter Parvatipur, about 70 km from Kolkata, a tiny dusty village in Domjur block of South 24 Parganas district. Emaciated rickety kids playing in the empty spaces on the poles will amply illustrate the below-poverty-line status of the village. But the poverty and the want have not prevented the poor villagers, the majority of them Muslims, from setting an example of living in communal harmony for decades. If hands of clay modellers shape the Goddess Parvati in Kumartuli, the fortress of idol makers in North Kolkata, hands of those from the minority community in Parvatipur shape the hairs deities in the Hindu pantheon wear. If the curly and lovely locks of Durga, Jagaddhatri, Kali, Saraswati, Lakshmi, et al, appeal to visitors in the decorated pandals across India, little do they know that behind the locks remains a tale of harmony, glaring poverty and deprivation notwithstanding. There is no feeling of untouchability, no feeling of hatred and no strain of communal tension among the villagers. The Hindus are, by default, minority though, in the village. For generations, Muslims in Parvatipur have been engaged in the trade, supplying hair for Hindu gods and goddesses. The Muslims eagerly await every Hindu occasion, may be as eagerly as the Hindus themselves! The village comprising roughly about 70 households, is traditionally called Sheikh pada (Sheikh locality) with names beginning with Sheikh.

This is a rare story of communal harmony coming from a dusty village in Bengal There is no feeling of untouchability, no feeling of hatred and no strain of communal tension The Muslim craftsmen await the Hindu festivals as much as the latter themselves

If one group was engaged in readying the packets for dispatch of the bales, others were spraying some chemicals on the hair to beautify them

One of them is Sheikh Rashid Ali, 65, engaged in boiling some `hair’ in a big haandi. The dye appears to be golden brown. Next to it is another haandi where the fire in the earthen vase is spent out and the dye there is just pitch black. “The one with golden brown is the colour of Shiva’s hair; and the other is of course that of Goddess Kali and Asura,” he explained. “We’ve to make Maa Kali’s hair most handsome, as it’s her hair that is key to her amazing adornment. We take pains to make it as beautiful as possible.” Isn’t it a bit odd for a Muslim to so painstakingly embellish a Hindu goddess? Rashid broke into a peal of laughter, attracting his neighbours into the courtyard. “Well, it may appear to be so to an outsider like you. Since it’s our trade for generations and we’ve been brought up with it, it has become part of our lives; we don’t differentiate so far as this bond is concerned. We may not worship Kali though.” As one moves from one hut to another, in every household, men,

women and children were found busy in preparing bales of hair. If one group was engaged in readying the packets for the dispatch of the bales, others were spraying some chemicals on the hair to make the bales further glossy. The nearest wholesale market is of course Kumartuli, where nearly 70 per cent of the total produce of Parvatipur is sold. The rest is sent to other big markets in Contai in East Midnapore district, Shantipur and Nabadwip in Nadia district, Katwa(Burdwan district) and Chandannagar in Hoogly district. “Every year, our peak season starts from July as the Hindu festivities start shortly after this. However, the biggest bane is the rains that coincide with this period,” said Sheikh Amjad Ali, a young man in his late 20s, whose family has been in this profession for the last 35 years. The process of making hair from raw jute fibre is extremely complicated and laborious too and most of the families engaged in the trade work as late as 12 in the night in order to get ready for next day. The jute sticks

having three qualities – low, medium and high are first dipped in water of the haandi with dye in it. After some time, the sticks are peeled off to secure the fibre. The better the fibre, the higher the price. After extrication, the fibres are hung on the bamboo poles to dry up and then, at least two persons are required to comb the bales properly to make them free from all the foreign particles and turn them silky dry and knot-free. After this, the bales are put through a second process of dyeing before being wrapped in raw jute sticks to trigger the curls that we often notice among the deities. The two ends of each bale are cut to generate a symmetry and the entire lock of hair is cut into four different sizes to suit the requirement of idols. One seven feet yarn of jute can yield a finished length of three feet. However, there is a difference between the hair for idols and false hair from which wigs are made for humans. The latter is made out of actual hair of humans and there are people who roam around the city and suburbs to collect tiny nuggets that women often throw out after combing their hair. “If there is no let up in rains, this entire process gets delayed and we burn the midnight oil, literally, to dry the yarns up,” Amjad said. After the hair is wound, they are put into packets of 36, 48 or 72 sticks. Three such packets make a set which sells anywhere between Rs 500 and Rs 700. “A labourer like me here earns anywhere between Rs 50 and 70 per day after working nearly 15 to 16 hours. Still, we work to make a living,” says Amjad.

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32 Unsung Hero

POSTAL REGISTRATION NO. DL(W)10/2240/2017-19

auto-rickshaw driver

Helping Leprosy patients Lead A Dignified Life

HERO

Hanmanth has been using his daily earnings from driving an auto-rickshaw to help leprosy patients in his colony

his auto driver has been treating leprosy patients for the last 20 years, setting aside eight hours of his day for his patients. His mother’s leprosy diagnosis changed Hanmanth’s life. “My mother had leprosy. When my father took her to the doctor, they asked us to not stay with her or eat with her. My parents came home crying. My father in fear of getting affected left me and my mother and went to another village. He never came back. My mother did not have the money, so she begged at the temple to feed me and my sister,” said

Hanmanth. “The people of the leprosy colony saw my mother crying and asked her to live with them. No one used to come to stay with these patients, who left their villages and settled here,” he added. He was inspired to help leprosy patients after his hanmanth (left) helping a Leprosy patient mother passed away. “Before my mother passed away, she asked me to help and serve the leprosy patients.” these patients. The colony people Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s asked me to work so I took a loan disease (HD), is a long-term and drove an auto rickshaw. I keep infection by the bacterium a part of the money I earn aside for Mycobacterium leprae or

Mycobacterium lepromatosis. This may result in a lack of ability to feel pain, thus loss of parts of extremities due to repeated injuries or infection due to unnoticed wounds. Weakness and poor eyesight may also be present. He uses his daily earnings to help leprosy patients by dressing their wounds and giving first aid. He also takes them to government offices to help them in getting benefits of schemes for leprosy patients. In 2002, Hanmanth opened the Mahatma Gandhi Leprosy Dispensary Centre in the colony to provide regular dressing to the leprosy patients. He even took basic training from a doctor at the Leprosy Treatment Centre. Hanmanth even opened the Mahatma Gandhi Leprosy Dispensary Centre in 2002 in his colony to provide regular dressing services to leprosy patients. He received basic training from a doctor at the treatment centre.

rs ak New New s smma kee rs

Esther Staubli

FIFA’s First Female Referee since 2001 Esther Staubli from Switzerland refereed the match between Japan and New Caledonia in the FIFA U-17 World Cup

w i t z erland ’ s Esther Staubli, who recently became the first female referee to officiate a match at the FIFA U-17 World Cup since Korean Im Eun Ju took control of a contest at Trinidad & Tobago in 2001, said she treated the Group E game between Japan and New Caledonia here as any other. “It was a match like any other one. Later on, maybe there will be more emotions, or I will realise it was something special, but before I really tried to prepare like it was a normal match and do my best… It was really nice that they liked me as a referee, and that they just looked at me like a normal referee,” Staubli said in a statement released by FIFA. “I think there is not a big difference in whether it was a male or female referee, it is just the performance that counts,” said Staubli, who is a school teacher. Along with six other

women’s referees, Staubli completed the list appointed for India 2017, an initiative which began in 2016 as part of the quest by the FIFA Referee Committee and the administrators and instructors within the department to improve the quality of officiating at FIFA events. The match ended 1-1 with New Caledonia registering their first point in a World Cup across age groups. “(Staubli) did a great job and we have nothing to criticise. I think it is good for football in general. She helped the teams to play well. All the players respected her, so there was no difference to a man. I hope this is not the last time we see this,” New Caledonia coach Dominique Wacalie had said after the tie. “Honestly speaking, I couldn’t really remember (Staubli’s) performance. And this is, of course, a good sign,” Japan coach Yoshiro Moriyama had added.

Law Student Appointed

Rudrali Patil

Rudrali won a moviemaking competition by the British High Commission on the rights of girl children

-year old Rudrali Patil’s dream came true when she received an invitation from the British High Commission to serve as its commissioner to India for a day. Donning a diplomat cap and a crisp black suit, Rudrali was appointed for a day. She addressed the media and talked about empowering girl children in rural India. She was chosen after winning in a video making competition on girls’ rights conducted by the British High Commission. High Commissioner Dominic Asquith mentored her. “The High Commissioner was a paternal figure to me. When I was following him throughout the day, every time he met anybody in the elevator or on the stair case he would follow up with the instruction he had given them. It is a really difficult task,” she said. While she was stressed the night before, she diligently prepared for her speech. She worked on her body language and facial expressions. “I kept thinking that everyone would be very serious here,” she said. But as the day drew to a close, Ms Rudrali said she enjoyed every bit of what she had expected to be a “stressful job”.

RNI No. DELENG/2016/71561, Joint Commissioner of Police (Licensing) Delhi No. F. 2 (S-45) Press/ 2016 Volume - 1, Issue - 45 Printed by Monika Jain, Published by Monika Jain on behalf of SULABH SANITATION MISSION FOUNDATION and Printed at The Indian Express Ltd., A-8, Sector-7, NOIDA (U.P.) and Published from RZ 83, Mahavir Enclave, Palam-Dabri Road, New Delhi – 110 045. Editor Monika Jain