The Daily
BSERVER An IIJNM Publication
Friday, 7 April, 2017
Journos welcome Maharashtra Bill drafted for their protection The Daily Observer Team @observethis16 The Maharashtra cabinet has embarked on a landmark bill to ensure the safety of working journalists and public servants in light of increasing reports of criminal attacks on journalists. After tabling the draft Journalists Protection Act bill on Thursday, the Maharashtra government discussed and cleared the proposed legislation during cabinet proceedings on Friday. “This is a good step towards protecting journalists,” S M Deshmukh, president of Patrakar Halla Virodhi Kruti Samiti (Committee against attacks on journalists), said. The Journalists Protection Bill would amend sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code by increasing the jail term for the offences to five years from the present term of three years. The bill also plans to make attacks on journalists, who are seen as public servants, non-bailable. Cabinet discussion on the bill comes only a day after Aparna Kalra, 45, a freelance journalist, was brutally beaten with metal objects by unknown assailants. She is recovering from her injuries at the Fortis Hospital in Delhi. Robbery has been ruled out by the police. While the motive of the crime has still not been identified, journalists throughout the country have decried the attack as an attack on press freedom. Sudhir Suryawanshi, a Navi
Mumbai-based political journal- Protection Draft Bill. I hope it’ll ist, was thrashed by who he thinks protect us from criminal-minded were “political goons” on March 30 people,” he added. at Khargar, MumThe U.S.-based bai where he had Committee to gone with a friend Protect Journalfor some personal ists reports that 40 work. Five suspects journalists have have been arrested been killed in Inby the police. dia since 1992. Half of the jour“There hasn’t nalists attacked been any progress reported on politiin my case. They cal issues. have arrested five There has not suspects but the been a single main culprit is still conviction in on the loose. I think any of those they were politi-Himanshu Kakkar, cases, which has cal goons,” SuryAsst. Editor Outlook prompted press awanshi told The Business freedom organiDaily Observer. “I zations around the am hopeful about world to list India the new Journalists
“I am not sure
whether this bill would do any good because the problem does not lie with the law, it lies with the police
”
Special court to handle child abuse cases from June Ayushee Chaudhary ayushee.c@iijnm.org A special children’s court will be set up inside the premises of Bengaluru’s city civil court complex, Justice Ashok B Hinchigeri, chairman of the Karnataka High Court Juvenile justice Committee said. “The special court should begin functioning post the mid-summer break in June”, he added. The initiative has been taken in light of a rise in the number of child abuse cases in Bengaluru. The court room will be decorated in a way so
that children who were victimised can find themselves at ease and in comfort while attending court proceedings. Karnataka comes fourth among all states in registering such cases, according to the Crime in India report released by the National Crime Records Bureau in August 2016. In 2015, some 1,073 cases were registered in the state under POCSO Act while Bengaluru recorded 273 cases. In 2016, 280 POCSO cases were reported in Bengaluru. In February this year, Karnataka became the seventh state in the country, and only the second
in South India, to have a court set up specifically to deal with issues concerning children. Last year, Telangana became the first south-Indian state to have children friendly courts, following Goa and Delhi. “The room will have a separate entry for the victim so the child may avoid facing the accused. The environment of this room would not be anything like the regular courtroom with a high bench; instead the child will be sitting closely to the judge, in an open room ambience,” Kushi Kushalappa, head, Policy and Community Integration.
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among the worst for impunity for attackers of journalists. Statistics showing crimes committed against journalists suggest a decline in press freedom in India. It may be mentioned that, that the Journalists protection bill is being tabled a month before UNESCO hosts World Press Freedom Day on May 3 in Jakarta. The theme of the event is the protection of journalists and the fight against impunity for attackers and murderers of journalists. A spokesperson from the Rural Media Network in Pakistan said, “Terrorism, religious extremism, sectarian violence and alarming security situation are main problems for journalists.” “There is no comprehensive system to act when a rural journalist is attacked, kidnapped or tortured. No
one aware is aware of any hot line. Rural journalists have no contact with the journalist bodies active in big cities,” he added. Himanshu Kakkar, assistant editor, Outlook Business, Delhi, said the bill may not change the scenario much. “I am not sure whether this bill would do any good because the problem does not lie with the law, it lies with the police,” he said. “Our ruling party is extremely totalitarian and views journalists as enemies of power and then tags them as anti-national and seculars. Vernacular journalists are the most affected because those cases are not covered by anyone in the media,” Kakkar said. World Press Freedom Day 3 May 2017 en.unesco.org/wpfd
WORLD HEALTH DAY SPECIAL In the light of World Health Day, page 3 of our newspaper has a special coverage. There is a story based on World Health Organization’s (WHO) this year’s theme- Depression and then there is a story which concerns all the residents of Bengaluru right now- Swine Flu. We hope this edition gets you up to date on the health issues which affects the world at large. And as the saying goes, “Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live in.” THE SHIFTING NEEDS Karnataka might be declared a drought hit zone in upcoming months. Researchers have already started finding solutions to the problem. We have a story on the future of Karnataka’s agricultural economy. How are people of the state planning to cope up with these changing climatic conditions? What are the alternatives? Why are farmers unaware? Read the full story on page 4.
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Friday, 7 April, 2017
Metro
The Weekly Observer
Toys in court Bengaluru doctor performs rare intestine transplant for Children Prabhakar Thakur Continued from pg 1
A special children’s court will be set up inside the premises of Bengaluru’s city civil court complex, Justice Ashok B Hinchigeri, chairman of the Karnataka High Court Juvenile justice Committee said. “The special court should begin functioning post the mid-summer break in June”, he added. The initiative has been taken in light of a rise in the number of child abuse cases in Bengaluru. The court room will be decorated in a way so that children who were victimised can find themselves at ease and in comfort while attending court proceedings. Karnataka comes fourth among all states in registering such cases, according to the Crime in India report released by the National Crime Records Bureau in August 2016. In 2015, some 1,073 cases were registered in the state under POCSO Act while Bengaluru recorded 273 cases. In 2016, 280 POCSO cases were reported in Bengaluru. In February this year, Karnataka became the seventh state in the country, and only the second in South India, to have a court set up specifically to deal with issues concerning children. Last year, Telangana became the first south-Indian state to have children friendly courts, following Goa and Delhi.
prabhakar.t@iijnm.org
VenkateshNayak, 40, a factory worker from Davangere, was diagnosed with Acute Mesenteric Ischemia (AMI) at a hospital in Udupi, in July last year. Nayak became the first patient in the state to have got his intestines transplanted in March this year at Apollo Hospital in Bengaluru. Usually, this kind of transplant involves creating a stoma, through which a bag has to be attached to enable excretion. But Nayak’s operation didn’t involve creating a stoma. Acute Mesenteric Ischemia is a rare genetic condition in which intestines of the patient get decayed. There is a lack of supply of oxygen rich blood to the intestines due to clots and as a result, the cells of intestines start to die and decay. By the time he was diagnosed, most tissues of his intestines had already started decaying. Consequently, they had to be removed in order to stop infection from spreading. “I am grateful to Dr Mahesh Gopashetty and the hospital for performing this procedure,” said Nayak. Before the transplant, Nayakhad to be kept on Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) which involved bypassing the digestive system and dripping nutrient directly into a vein. However, this procedure costs
Venkatesh and his family burst into tears while he was talking about his recovery. Courtesy: Prabhakar Thakur Rs 4000-5000 daily and a total of Rs 20 lakh.Milaap, a Bengaluru based Non Governmental Organisation, was one of few which helped organise funds for Nayak’s transplant. Sayanti, a member of Milaap, said, “We came to know about the condition his through the doctors. We used internet, especially social media, to spread the message. The people
who could relate to our cause gave us donations. We managed to raise nearly Rs 21 lakhs.” Besides helping patients, Milaap is also involved with rural development, women empowerment etc. “I am just a factory worker and I did not have enough money for the treatment. I thank all the NGOs which raised funds for me,” said Nayak.
Despite RBI assurance, merchants still refiuse to take Rs 10 coins Arunava Banarjee arunava.b@iijnm.org “To be or not to be,” that is a question the Rs 10 coin is riddled with in and around Bengaluru. “To take or not take,” is what shopkeepers and people think every time it makes an appearance. In spite of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) publishing a legal notice on November 21 last year clearly stating that all rumours of Rs 10 being banned were false and no duplicate coins were being exchanged in the market, many people in and around Bengaluru are still unwilling to accept the Rs 10 coins. The issue: the rumour has grown to heightened proportions with people now believing that there are two Rs. 10 coins in circulation and that one of them is fake. “There are no duplicate coins in the market,” says Alpana Killawalla, chief general manager in the department of communication at RBI. “Two types of Rs 10 coins
were minted. One came out without the rupee symbol and the other had the rupee symbol. “Both the coins are original and can be legally used,” says Killawalla. “However, due to a misunderstanding, people are of the view that fake Rs 10 coins are in circulation in the market.” Likith MG, a grocery store owner from Kumbalgodu, says he believes
that coins without the rupee symbol are fake. “I accept the Rs 10 coins. But then at the end of the day I have to go and get them exchanged in a bank because nobody is willing to accept it as change,” says MG. “Getting 200 Rs 10 coins changed in the bank is also difficult. This is because customers are scared they may get a fake coin.” Killawalla: “We had clearly stat-
ed in our November 21 notice that no fake coins are in circulation. We had also stated that the RBI’s decision to ban Rs 10 coins was nothing more than a rumour being spread.” And yet, it persists. Another Bangalore-based supermarket owner, Tejavur, said that he has stopped accepting Rs 10 coins. “It becomes very difficult to get them exchanged. Nobody is willing to take Rs 10 coins. In the end we have to go and exchange the entire lot of coins in the bank,” he said. Raghavendra, who resides in HSR Layout, said that he was aware of the RBI notification but as it has become difficult to use or get the Rs 10 coin exchanged he has stopped accepting and using it. Killawalla informed that people have the right to approach the police in case shops refuse to accept Rs 10 coins from them as the RBI’s notice can be treated as a legal tender. About the circulation of duplicate coins, she shunned it off as a rumour and said the entire confusion is due to a misunderstanding.
National Bangladesh PM visits India for bilateral talksPrime Minister Narenda Modi on Friday welcomed Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India for her first bilateral visit to India in her current term as PM. Hasina is in India for four days, during which at least 25 bilateral agreements, including some in key areas of civil nuclear cooperation and defence will be signed between India and Bangladesh. “The upcoming visit is expected to further expand the cordial and cooperative relationship between India and Bangladesh and build on the strong ties of friendship and trust between the two leaders,” a joint statement issued by the two countries said. (India Today) Neerja wins best Hindi film at NFAsThe much-awaited winners’ list of the 64th National Film Awards was announced Friday morning. Sonam Kapoor-starrer “Neerja,” directed by Ram Madhvani, was named Best Hindi Feature Film. Akshay Kumar bagged the Best Actor award for his act in “Rustom,” while Ajay Devgndirected “Shivaay” won the award for Best VFX. Over 300 films vied for the honours this year. Filmmaker Priyadarshan was the chairperson of the jury in feature films category, while nationally acclaimed cinematographer and writer Raju Misra was the chairperson in non-feature category. (Times of India) For the full list, go to our webpage at www. dailyobserver.org India signs $2 billion missile deal with Israeli companyIsrael signed a $2 billion USD contract with India on Friday to supply the sub-continent with advanced medium-range surface-to-air missile systems, according to Israel Aerospace Industries said. The company said it would also supply additional long-range air and missile defence systems for India’s first locally-produced aircraft carrier.
Friday, 7 April, 2017
Health
Swine ‘flu’ back into the city Swine flu or H1N1 type A influenza is transmitted from people and NOT from pigs or swines People who are at high-risk include very young children, pregnant women, diabetics, people with heart conditions and those whose immune systems may be weak.
In case of Swine flu the patient needs to be hospitalized, isolated and put on a ventilator in severe cases.
Swine flu can only be diagnosed in labs. This test is done in a specialized laboratory and is not done by many doctors’ offices or hospital laboratories.
Swine flu can also spread through inanimate objects like the mobile phone, laptop etc. which we end up frequently using. So, it’s better to avoid using others’ belongings.
Increase your immunity by eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat and exercise regularly
3 dead, 344 H1N1 infected in Bengaluru Konica Kamra konica.k@iijnm.org The health department of Karnataka has issued an alert on H1N1 influenza. Some 344 cases of H1N1 – swine flu – were reported between Jan. 1 and Feb. 23 from 1,328 samples sent for testing, and World Health Organisation (WHO) data shows that between September 2016 and February 2017, the flu virus was widespread in the city. Three deaths have been reported, and officials are concerned there could be a repeat of 2015 when 3,565 cases of swine flu were reported with 94 of them resulting in death. Several meetingshave been held
by health officials at district hospitals and they have advised their teams to be vigilant where the swine flu positive cases are increasing. “The situation seems to be worse than last year, but people should not panic if he or she has got swine flu because it is curable and the city is equipped with the treatment facility. The best way to avert an outbreak is to get an influenza magazine,” said Dr. Mala Prakash, senior consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology at Apollo Hospital on Bannerghatta Road. “Clinical symptoms of swine influenza include fever and upper respiratory symptoms such as cough, running nose, and sore throat. A headache, body ache, shortness of breath,
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Depression: Can we talk? Aishwatrya Iyer aishwarya.i@iijnm.org
A few things you should know
The first 54 days of 2017 have seen thrice as many H1N1 (swine flu) cases reported across Karnataka, than the total number of cases registered throughout 2016
The Weekly Observer
severe vomiting, fatigue, diarrhoea and vomiting too are observed,” Dr. Swaroop Rao, General Physician at Manipal Specialty Hospital said. “Like the regular flu, swine flu can lead to more serious problems including pneumonia, a lung infection, and other breathing problems. And it can make an illness like diabetes or asthma worse,” he adds. Dr Prashant Rai, from Manipal Hospital, says that the hospital has taken around 65 cases this year who were tested positive but cured eventually. Some ways to prevent this flu is to wash hands with sops and water, using a mouth cover, avoiding contact with infected person as much as possible.
Three days ago, a college student in Mumbai committed suicide at Taj Lands End in Bandra, stating drug addiction and mental stress as a reason for his action. Before the incident, he recorded himself in a video and posted it social media. This act itself comes as no surprise as a study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) reveals that there is a suicide committed every 40 seconds; to add to that suicides are the second leading cause of death amongst 18-to-25-year-olds. Over five crore Indians suffer from depression and anxiety disorders, a report titled “Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders — Global Health Estimates,” released by WHO in February states. Pharmaceutical market research firm AIOCD Pharmasofttech AWACS states that anti-depressant sales in India has increased by over 30 percent from Rs. 760 crore in 2013 to Rs. 1,093 crore in 2016. The WHO declared on Friday that it is leading a one-year global campaign in depression beginning with World Health Day, whose theme yesterday was: “Depression: Can We Talk?” So let’s talk about depression. Some 78 percent of suicides worldwide occurred in low and middle-income countries. Women are the most susceptible to depression and the numbers increased by 18 percent from 2005 to 2015. For some dealing with depression, it translates into physical illness. For instance, some teens use self-hurting methods like cutting their skin (so as to divert the mental pain into physical ones). India has only 3,500 psychiatrists for a population of 1.2 billion i.e one psychiatrist for every 3,43,000 people, a study by Basic Needs Foundation, an international NGO for mental health charity states. The Observer asked experts to share some quick tips on how to tackle and identify depression. Amali Naik, secretary for Grameen Abhudaya Seva Samiti, which cures depression through art, said: “We need to sensitise the issue in the society.” Anita Gracias, a senior psychologist, suggests: “Schools should teach coping skills, problem-solving methods which will improve self-esteem and confidence in individuals at a very young age.” Sharath N, who conducts seminars for the awareness of mental health, points out certain behaviour patterns in people to identify whether they feel suicidal or not. “If a person you know or your friend don’t seem to be coping with problems they have, performing poor at work place while their nature is exactly the opposite, and if you can recognise changes in their eating, sleeping and drinking habits, then never leave the person alone.”
What do you think if you think you are depressed •Talk to someone you trust about your feelings. Most people feel better after talking to someone who cares about them. •Seek professional help. Your local health-care worker or doctor is a good place to start. •Keep up with activities that you used to enjoy when you were well. •Stay connected. Keep in contact with family and friends. •Exercise regularly, even if it’s just a short walk. •Stick to regular eating and sleeping habits. •Avoid or restrict alcohol intake and refrain from using illicit drugs; they can worsen depression. •If you feel suicidal, contact someone for help immediately. Source: World Health Organization
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Metro
Friday, 7 April, 2017
The Weekly Observer
Millet: the elixir for farmers in drought hit state crops. Any climate-smart agricultural strategy will include millets,” said Gowda. However, the minister admitted that cultivation of
Azmia Riaz azmia.r@iijnm.org
BENGALURU:As a run up to the ‘National Trade Fair-Organics and Millets’ organised by the state department of agriculture in association with theAgricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), ‘The Green Path Organic State’ organised a workshop on ‘health and wellness through organics and millets’ in Malleshwaram today.The event was inaugurated by Shri Krishna Byre Gowda, Minister of Agriculture. Last month, T B Jayachandra, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister had said that as many as 98 taluks in 26 districts of the state will be declared drought-hit following the failure of the southwest monsoon. Sixteen districts have received deficit rainfall and farmers have not been able to commence the kharif sowing operation in these places. Ten out of 16 affected districts are in North Karnataka. Yadgir, Gadag, Kalaburagi, Raichur and Vijayapura are the worst-affected districts. Water level in all the 13 important reservoirs, including Krishnarajasagar and Almatti, is low. “Millets are naturally drought resistant
“Any climate-
smart agricultural strategy will include millets.” - Byre Gowda, Karnataka Agriculture Minister millets has decreased significantly in recent years. “The market pull for millets is limited. We need to push the market. Farmers need a reliable market to invest resources into something. So unless there is demand, production alone will not help anyone.” “Millets are one of the healthiest crops available”, explained Dr.UshaRavindra, associate professor at the Department of Food
Security and Nutrition, in her address to the audience. “If we were able to spread awareness about the potential of this crop, people would start cultivating it,” she added. However, fact remains that very few farmers understand the value of millets in the absence of public demand and understanding about them. H.R. Jayaram, the founder of The Green Path Organic State and a farmer himself is one of the few exceptions. Later, when he moved to Bengaluru, he realised the value of farm culture and the need to protect crops like millets. He established the organisation in an attempt to convey this knowledge to others. “Many small farmers do not cultivate millets because it requires a lot of manual labour. In this age of machines and pesticides, people can no longer put much physical work. Here, we do it with passion,” said Jayaram. Today, many organisations, along with the government are striving to spread awareness about millets. “The millet will resurface as a primary crop” he assures. Millets are better than rice and wheat because they are gluton free and help people who are glutose intolerant or have low fibre in their bodies. They also help people with obesity, diabetes and gastroenteritis, said
With buns Smart solution for potholes and bunnies
ArunKaulige, who runs a millet store in the city. In 2014, Karnataka government introduced theSavayavaBhagya scheme, which was the first step to promote organic agriculture in the state, as per Karnataka State Policy on Organic Farming (2004). The scheme has benefited more than 15 villages across the state. “We continue to add more aspects to the scheme every year. Earlier, we provided only production -based incentives. Since the last two or three years, we’ve begun to focus on market awareness and other such elements,” said Gowda. “Our government has put in 180 crores into the industry in the past four years” he adds. There are a lot of advantages of cultivating millets- they do not need chemical fertilizers or pesticides, millets are rich in fibre and micro nutrients, they don’t rot easily and grow nicely so farmers with this crop are able to ensure that their land never remains fallow, and millets are secure grains and the seeds can be stored for 2-3 years without worry of spoilage. “Awareness about millets is increasing and more farmers are getting into this crop, but there is still a need for governmental support,” said Kaulige.
Meet The Observer Team
Sonal Agarwal sonal.a@iijnm.org It’s that time of the year again when Christians celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection. For others, Easter is associated with the beginning of spring season and fertility. People throughout the world celebrate this day as the beginning of a new phase in their lives. Officially, Easter is 40 days long period. It ends with another festival of Whitsun or Pentecost. The Holy week begins from this Monday, April 10, and Easter is celebrated on April 16. Many restaurants arrange special treats with fun filled activities for this special day. Among the traditional treats on this occasion are the Hot Cross Buns, and, of course, everyone’s favourite- the Easter Eggs!!! Also, edible bunnies have now become a buzz in stores. In India, the festival is celebrated with great zeal in all states. In Goa, elaborate arrangements are made for Easter. One can witness the decorated streets, carnivals and plays in Goa.
Aarohi Pathak
Abhishek Mitra
Ahana Chaterjee
Aneesh Srinivasan
Arunava Banerjee
Ayushee Chaudhary
Azmia Riaz
Mitali Goyal
Unisys eighth Konica Kamra konica.k@iijnm.org Adhvan, a group of students from NitteMeenaskshi Institute of Technology, presented a unique concepta crowd-sourcing based Android application for Structural Health Monitoring and Data Analytics of Roads using cloud computing, today. They came third in the eighth annual cloud 20/20 Technical Project and also received Rs, 1,00,000 for their innovation. India has a total of about two million kilometers of roads out of which nearly one million are poorly constructed. This project proposes a crowd-sourcing based mobile app for the detection of potholes, road humps and roads that are under repair. The app then transfers this information through GPS location
to the cloud. The data can be processed based on sliding window and periodically this information can be sent to the user. Unisys is a global information technology company that specializes in providing industry-focused solution integrated with leadingedge security to clients in the government, financial services and commercial markets. “The module is integrated with the cab services like Ola and Uber for easy updates,” said VinaydeepKaur, leader of the Adhvan group. “Google Maps will also be integrated, to make this prototype easy accessible,” he added. In a hi-tech city like Bangalore, this project will give an edge to solve the grassroot problems of Bangalore, said RavikumarSreedharan, Managing Director, Unisys India and Global Delivery Network.
Bhakti Tambe Bibin Raj PB
Chhavi Nagpal
Editor
Divya Renganathan
Konica Kamra
Mrigakshi Dixit
Pallabi Sutar
Prabhakar Thakur
Rishiraj Bhagawati
Sandra Branger
Sonal Agarwal
Supriya Dedgaonkar
Yogita Chainani