Monday, March 30, 2009

MCD may involve rag-pickers in door-to-door waste collection schem

Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is launching a pilot project to allot waste management, including door-to-door garbage collection, to a private agency. There are estimated to be 200,000 rag-pickers in Delhi.It is also said that about 60,00 of these rag-pickers are in the age group of 5-14 years of age. Various NGOs had raised concern that privatising waste management would encroach upon livelihood of these rag-pickers. Responding to these concerns MCD is contemplating of involving them into the project. Policy, till now, does not include or exclude rag-pickers. Care will be taken to include this aspect into the memorandum of understanding with the privet agency.

Nearly 8000 tonnes of garbage is generated every day in Delhi and is expected to go up to 20,000 tonnes by 2020. About 1000 tonnes of this is collected by rag-pickers. This is a saving of enarly Rs. 600,000 per day for MCD.

Friday, March 27, 2009

APJ Abdul Kalam chosen for international award for his outstnading social service

Former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam has been chosen for supposedly prestigious international award for his outstanding social service.
I have not mentioned the name of the award because I dont what it is and how prestigious it is. I am also not sure whether a former indian president and India as a whole should feel how much great about it. I am posting this simply because I myself did not know of Abdul Kalam's work in the area and would like to mention that work.

He had initiated a project to making state-of-the-art healthcare affordable to common man, bringing quality medical care to rural areas by linking doctors and technocrats, using spin-offs of defense technology to create state-of-the-art medical equipments, launching telemedicine projects connecting rural based hospitals with speciality hospitals.

Intra-party democracy

Political party PMK in Indian state of Tamilnadu has decided to withdraw from its current political alliance and to go with the party AIADMK. Though this a political decision like any other of any other party, there is a very very important differentiation in how it was arrived at. The decision was taken by secret ballot at the party's general body.

Amidst all the talk of India being the largest democracy in the world, we rarely see any democratic actions within political parties. Decisions are taken by high command or central leaderships and are asked to be seconded by voice vote or raising of hands. This clearly elicits who is where and forces voters to align with powers-that-are. We rarely see elections taking place for intra-party posts.

In contrast to such a scenario, the secret balloting within PMK party needs to be commended, lauded and encouraged. Congradulations and Thanx, PMK guys!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Founder of Sulabh Shouchaalaya named for 2009 Stockhom Water Prize

Dr Bindeshwar Pathak eastablished Sulabh (sulabh literally means easy) sanitation Movement in 1970s to change social attitudes towards traditional unsanitary practices in the country. Dr. Pathak is famous for his wide ranging work in the sanitation field to improve public health, advance social progress and improve human rights. He has been named the 2009 Stockholm Water Prize laureate. This is one of world's most prestigious prize and is given for outstanding achievements in water-related activities. Dr. Pathak has also waged an ongoing campaign against manual scavanging of human waste from traditional bucket latrines. He has been championing rights of the former scavengers and their families to economic opportunity, decent standard of living and social respect.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Nobel Laurets and Peace Committee stand up against visa denial to Dalai Lama

There is going to be World Soccer Cup Peace Conference in Johannesburg on 27th March. Nobel laureates, former president F W De Klerk, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela had sent invitation to Dalai Lama at the request of organisers of this peace conference. South Africa on 23rd March has said that it is not in the country's best interests to allow the Tibetan spiritual leader to visit the country. Former President Klerk and Archbishop Tutu has said that they will not attend the conference against this visa denial De Klerk has said that the decision to exclude Dalai Lama is irreconcilable on which our society is based, including the principles of openness and responsiveness, and the rights of freedom of expression and free political activity. Siting the same reason Norway Peace Prize Committee has refused to attend the conference.

It is commendable that world respected individuals and organisation has openly stood up against pressurisation of a oppressive regime of a country which is most influential next only to US.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Award for Doucmentary films by children

A set of four documentaries produced by children in India has won the Golden Cairo Award at the 19th Cairo Children Film Festival held in Egypt.

The package of four films was based on issues related to sexual harassment by teachers as well as how parents should behave. Chinh, a media trust, has been promoting production of documentary films among children in the country.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

ISRO finds new bacteria in stratosphere

ISRO scientists have discovered three new species of bacteria that are resistant to ultra-violate radiation. These bacteria do not match any found on earth. These were found in sample that ISRO collected when they sent a balloon into the stratosphere.

Traditional Surangas of Kerala

Surangas are traditional man-made horizontal caves for water. Kasargod district in Kerala, India is estimated to have 6000 surangs out of which majority are still used for drinking water and irrigation. Though no information is available about history of surngas, they resemble qanats of Iran. Though qanats are thousands of years old, surangs may not older than 1-2 hundred years.

One such suranga is the 250 mts long suranga at Sheni, 35 kms. from Kasargod. It has 7 opening vents which are used as wells. People in the locality are taking our about 10000 lts of water every day apart from water for irrigation. It is interesting to see these seven wells are perfectly aligned in suranga. Undoubtedly people of those times had special skills which have got lost in time.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

India to Observe 'Earth Hour' on 28th March

India will observe 'Earth Hour' by switching off all lights and electrical appliances for one hour on 28th March. India will join rest of the world from 8.30 to 9.30 pm on that day.Last year 'Earth Hour' was observed in 35 countries. This year India, espacially Delhi and Mumbai will also participate. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is getting support from governments and corporate houses. The campaign began 2 years ago with people of Sydney switching off lights for one hour.

Earth Hour is not a quantitative measure to save electricity but a powerful symbol for the fact that it is possible to take collective action against climate change.

Personally, I do not support any hours or days as I believe that a change can only be brought about by action, not by flashy words. There is a danger that a need to act can get dissolved in blinding publicity of such flashy occassions. But this time the organisers are aware of it and are open and realistic about their awareness. Hence I thought it might work positively in encouraging people towards action, that is nothing less than lifestyle change.

List of egistered doctors in Delhi on the net

Delhi Medical Council has uploaded the names of all registered doctors in the capital. It is reported that the list is available on www.delhimedicalcouncil.nic.in There are about 40,000 doctors in the lsit. It lists doctors by name, address and qualification. Doctors can be located by entering first name, last name, address or qualification

Sunday, March 8, 2009

India has 1.2 million elected women representatives

Number of elected women representatives in rural India is 1.2 million, the largest anywhere in the world. In 2003-04 the 73rd constitutional amendment reserved 1/3rd of all panchayat seats to women. AC Nielsen -ORG Marg had conducted astudy for Panchayati Raj ministry. These women representatives are emerging out of shadows of their male patrons. Some activists feel that the women repsresentatives are still away from being key decision makers or negotiators. Some face discrimination and harassment and it makes them difficult to exercise their powers. Some feel that for every frustrated female representative there are many who are agents of change.

Some figures and statistics:

>> Most states reserve 33% of all panchayat seats for women but some, like Bihar, allocate 50%

>> Nearly 26% of all representatives are from scheduled caste, 13% are from scheduled tribes.

>> Almost 19% of elected women are illiterate, only 48% are educated to middle or high-school level

>> 54% are above poverty line

>> work paricipation rate for women 25.7% for overall India

>> Sex ratio change from 1951 to 2001 is: 965 to 946 for rural India, 860 to 900 for urban India

>> Out of total women married around 2005-06, 44.5% married by 18 years of age (rural - 52.5%, urban - 28.1%)

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Ban on Cutting Chinar trees in Kashmir Valley

Kashmir's famed Chinar trees may get a new lease of life with the state governmnet imposing ban on its felling and lopping. The ban follows numerous complaints that reckless felling and lopping is going on in every nook and corner of the valley. Chinar, which is integral part of Kashmir' heritage, is fast disappearing. Permission for felling Chinar trees can only be granted if 5 new Chinar trees are planted for every tree to be cut. All requests pending execution or permission are to be suspended.

British couple undergoes voluntary euthanasia in Switzerland

I dont know if this can be classified as 'Good News', but I am putting it here because some deep ethical, moral and legal issues are involved. Though its a news of death, its a voluntary death.

80 years old Peter Duff and his 70 years old wife Penny were suffering from terminal cancer. They are believed to have ended their lives together at a clinic in Switzerland. Voluntary euthanasia is not legal in Britain but is legal is Switzerland. They are believed to have been helped to end their lives with overdose of barbiturates. In UK assisting suicide is punishable but Britain's Chief Justice had signaled that anyone 'helping; a terminally ill person to organise an assisted suicide abroad would not be prosecuted in the country.

Readers' comments on this news are most welcome

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Ward Sabhaa Act of Maharashtra

A noted activist in Right To Information (RTI) movemnet, Shri Arvind Kejariwal, recently said in Pune that the state government is coming out with an act to empower ward sabhaa on the lines ofgraam sabhaa. It would be better if this act is prepared by people's participation rather than formulated by the government. Maharashtra legislative assembly has passed an act empowering ward sabhaas in cities, on the lines of graam sabhaas in villages, to receive funds from JNURM. The act is pending before legislative council. It would be a better idea to prepare such an act through people's particiaption. All the schemes are designed and planned for people but are implemented without consideration to their views. This needs to change.

RTI Act is there in about 70 countries all over the world, but the indian act is best in terms of its spread and focus.

Government held accountable

Some time back there was an unfortunate incidence in Mumbai's muncipal hospital. A new born child was stolen from the hospital. Feeling that due efforts are not being done by police and municipal authorities the couple had pleaded to Mumbai High Court. Passing stringent remarks on the negligence by these two agencies, it also commented that actually the officers need to be sent for such an extreme negligence. The court directed government to pay Rupees 10 lakhs (1 million) to the couple as interim relief to the couple till the child is found out.

This may further an era of accountability in government functioning !

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Campaign to make women aware of protective laws

National Commission for Women has launched campaign to make women aware of laws enacted to prevent atrocities against them and for their general welfare. Its called 'Jago' programme. Another prime objective of the campaign would be to establish proper coordination between various organisations involved in the work

National Drama Festival

10-day national drama festival is starting on 1st March in Thiruvanathapuram. Plays from different states and dramas in english and japanese will be held in the festival organised by Information and Public Relations Department. A specialty fo this festival is prominence of women directors. Plays of Veenapani Chawla, Culekha Chaudhari, Neelam Mansingh, Mayakrishna Rao are some of the attractions. eminent directors like Habeen Tanwir, Kanhaiya Lal, Shanmukh Raja, Sankar Venkateswaran.

- More on this thread as I get more.