Water Distribution

Location: Nashik, India

One hot sunny afternoon Mr. Punjabi had his car broke down in the middle of the road. He was exhausted by the time he pushed towards side of the road. A policeman on duty saw him and bought him a bottle of water. Mr. Punjabi realised later that there would be many who would thirsty for water but can not afford buy bottled water.

He was one person who did not stop at empathy and symapthy. He went ahead and bought a three wheeler vehicle which can carry a water tank in it. He also employed two people. Now every hot afternoon his tempo crawls through the city offering drinking water free for anybody who wants it. As soon as the tank gets emptied its filled up again and distribution restarts.

Funds for Ganga River Cleaning

Govt of India has allocated nearly Rs1400 crores (INR 14 billion) by clearing projects in states. The money will be spent by the states on projects that include development of sewer networks, sewage treatment plants and sewage pumping stations, electric crematoria, community toilets, development of river-fronts, resuscitation of canals, and public campaigns.

In December 2009, the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) created the empowered steering committee with the environment and forests secretary as chair to sanction projects. The committee includes members representing other Union ministries, Central Pollution Control Board, Central Water Commission and the states concerned.

The first meeting of NGRBA In OCtober, 2009 was chaired by the Prime Minister himself. With this seriousness we hope that the allocation of funds gets converted into results on ground

Show of love, where hate was expected

India does it again. Indian diversity evident in full brightness! Godhra in Gujarat, the very place of cause of one of the worst Hindu-Muslim riots in the history, post-partition. This very place recently wonderful mixing of the two religions so commonly seen all over India. The same two religions which fight each other as arch enemies also love each other as siblings.
This year the Muslim festival of Eid-E-Milad and Hindu festival of Holi were one after the other. Hindus and Muslims in Godhra greeted each other on those occassions. At Dakor near Godhra, Muslim organizations had open centres to distribute water and drinks to devotees in the Shri Krushna procession.

The very day also marked the eighth anniversary of the ghastly Godhra rail-carnage. Muslims had organised a social marriage ceremony. Many Hindus not only attended the function but also participated as parents of girls known to them. They did this for nearly 34 girls. Gifts worth nearly hundred thousand rupees were also distributed by Hindu brothern.

Thank you folks, you have blessed the country by your act !

Personal Day-care for son

Shubha Mudgal was ecently speaking at a funtion in Pune. She recalled her memories when she used to go to Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki for singing tutions. Her son was quite young then and at times it would be painful to leave a crying son home and learn music. Mrs. Vidya Abhisheki sensed her state and asked her to get her son along. Till music tution was going on Vidya Abhisheki would play with Subha's son. Its only because of this understanding and love by Mrs Vidya Abhisheki that Shubha Mudgal could take her music lessons.

In today's era of formalitities and 'whats in it for me?' etc , it might be a hearty and worthy act to emulate

Award for couple working for AIDS affected children in rural India

Mr Santosh Pawar and Ms Ujjwalaa Pawar, a couple working in Sangmner (north of Pune), Maharashtra, India, has received award for their social work. These two are founders of an NGO named as Self-Motivated Social Developement. In 1999, they have started a hostel near Sangamner for AIDS affected children.

This award is being confered annually for last 9 years to persons doing work in the field of AIDS prevention and support to AIDS affected people.

Tatas learn to innovate and democratise it too . . . oh really !

A water filetr commerically selling at Rs1000/- is not all by accident. There is a culture being developed and nurtured. See the link :


http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/tatas-learn-to-innovate/384997/

DO you agree?

Girl drop-out rates drops in Bihar, India

Fortunately, not the entire ASER report is gloom and doom. One of the brighter moments in it is the fact that in Bihar, the state considered a basket case on most counts, the dropout rate for girls in the 11-14 age group has reduced from 17.6 per cent in 2006 to 6 per cent in 2009. So Bihar must be doing something right. In fact, one of the striking sights in Bihar today is of girls on bicycles, given by the government if they clear Standard VIII, going to the nearest high school.

The desire to ensure that children get a good education runs deep in most Indian families. Parents will sacrifice and save to invest in their children's future. Even poor families, including the homeless with no secure shelter, find a way of sending their children to school. The increase in the enrolment rate in India - 96 per cent of children between the ages of 6-14 are enrolled in school, government and private - is proof of that.

What urgently needs to be tackled is the quality of education, basic facilities like toilets and running water, and transport, particularly for girls. Even this will not suffice unless there is a notable change in the status accorded teachers who ultimately decide whether and what children learn. Instead of the inordinate amount of attention that continues to be paid to institutes of higher learning, or private institutions that promise to prepare rich children for studies abroad, something much more simple and basic can and needs to be done to educate India and Indians