Features – Page 10 – Manipur News

Overall Development of the Minorities during the 11th Plan

K.K.Pant
Deputy Director (Media & Communication), PIB, New Delhi.
The Plan fund allocation and utilization by the Ministry of Minority Affairs have significantly gone up during the 11th Five Year Plan : the allocation for the Ministry has increased from Rs. 500 crore allocated in 2007-8 to Rs. 3,135 crore in 2012-13. The Union Budget of 2012-13 has ensured continuation of important minority welfare schemes of the 11th Five Year Plan. Various schemes have been implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs and other Ministries/Departments under the Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for overall development of the minorities during the 11th Plan Period with special focus on education, employment & health which include:
i) Education
Ø Under the Scholarship schemes, the Ministry of Minority Affairs has awarded Scholarships/
fellowships to 1.42 crore minority students at an expenditure of Rs. 2730.20 crore.
Ø The following educational infrastructure have been created in Minority concentration Districts under Sarvashiksha Abhiyan implemented by Department of School Education & Literacy:
· 12,598 Primary Schools, 7016 Upper Primary Schools and 12,8043 Additional Class Rooms constructed.
· 14,453 New Primary Schools and 10,438 Upper Primary Schools opened.
· 85,805 teachers sanctioned.
· 449 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas sanctioned.
Ø Under the Scheme of Providing Quality Education to Madrasas (SPQEM) implemented by Department of School Education & Literacy Rs. 397.61 crore released covering 33,787 Madrasas and for assisting more than 26,558 teachers.
Ø Under the Scheme of Infrastructure Development of Minority Institutions implemented by Department of School Education & Literacy Rs.76.14 crore released for covering 405 Institutions and assisting more than 71,688 teachers.
Ø Under Multi-sectoral Development Programme of Ministry of Minority Affairs, 696 school buildings, 13,825 additional class rooms in schools/madarsas, 332 hostels for boys and girls were sanctioned for the identified 90 Minority Concentration Districts.
ii) Employment
Ø Recruitment of Minorities in Central Government Ministries/Departments, Public Sector Banks and Financial Institutions and PSUs has increased from 8.23% in 2007-08 to 10.33% (as per information received from Deptt. of Personnel & Training) in 2010-11.
Ø 9,90,010 Swarozgaries assisted under Aajeevika Scheme (formerly SGSY).
Ø 75,585 Urban Poor assisted to set up Individual Micro Enterprises and Skill training imparted to 1,61,753 Urban Poors under Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana.
Ø Priority Sector Lending to Minorities has increased from 10.60% of the total PSL in 2007-08 to 14.83% in December, 2011.
Ø Rs.120.16 crore released for upgradation of 60 identified ITIs into Centre of Excellence in districts having substantial Minority population.
Ø Loans and Micro Finance amounting to Rs. 977.24 crore disbursed to 4,67,909 minority persons under Term Loan and Micro Finance Schemes by the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC).
Ø Under Multi-sectoral Development Programme, 71 ITIs and 31 polytechnics have been sanctioned for the identified 90 Minority Concentration Districts.
iii) Health
Ø 55,149 Anganwadi Centres operationalised in CD Blocks having substantial minority population.
Ø Under Multi-sectoral Development Programme, 2624 health centres and 27,797 anganwadi centres have been sanctioned for the identified 90 Minority Concentration Districts.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs has taken steps to give wide publicity of the welfare schemes for the minority communities to generate awareness for these schemes through the print and electronic media. Uploading of the data on minority welfare schemes implemented by various Ministries and State Governments/UTs Administrations has been made mandatory. Activity wise time-lines have been laid down and communicated to the States/UTs under the Scholarship Schemes. Online Scholarship
Management System (OSMS) has been developed and launched for the on-line application for the Merit-cum-Means Scholarship scheme which is being extended for the Post-Matric Scholarship scheme also. Regular review meetings with the officials of the State government are held to expedite the implementation of the programmes. In addition, the officials of the Ministry visit States/UTs to review and inspect the implementation of projects under various schemes/ programmes.

MDM helps in Reducing Anaemia

Vinod Shankar Bairwa Media & Communication Officer, PIB, New Delhi.
India because of inadequate iron, folate intake and due to low vegetable and flesh food consumption. Majority of Indians over 50% of men, 60 % of women are anaemic. Anaemia begins in childhood, worsens during adolescence in girls and gets aggravated during pregnancy. Over 3/4th of pregnant women are anaemic. Prevalence of anaemia in children is high because of poor iron stores, low iron content of breast milk and complementary foods. There is thus an intergenerational self perpetuating vicious cycle of anaemia.
Level of Anaemia
Mild (10.0-10.9 g/dl)
Moderate (7.0-9.9 g/dl)
Severe (<7.0 g/dl)
Any anaemia (<11.0 g/dl)
Effects of Anaemia on School Children
Anaemia is associated with increased susceptibility to infections, reduction in work capacity and poor concentration. Anaemia in young children is a serious concern because it can result in impaired cognitive performance, behavioural and motor development, coordination, language development, and scholastic achievement, as well as increased morbidity from infectious diseases. One of the most vulnerable groups are children od age 6-23 months and school going children.
Adequate Quantities of Micro Nutrients Supply in MDM National Programme of Mid Day Meal in Schools (MDMS) is a flagship programme of the Government aiming at enhancing enrolment, retention and attendance and simultaneously improving nutritional levels among children studying in Government, Local Body and Government-aided primary and upper primary schools and the Centres run under Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS)/Alternative & Innovative Education (AIE) and National Children Labour Project (NCLP) schools of all areas across the country.

The National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE) was launched as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on 15th August 1995, initially in 2408 blocks in the country. By the year 1997-98 the NP-NSPE was introduced in all blocks of the country. It was extended in 2002 to cover children studying in centres running under the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) and Alternative & Innovative Education (AIE) Scheme and Madarsas/Maktab. The scheme has been further extended to Upper Primary Schools in 2006-07. Since, 2009-10 the scheme covers children studying in National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Schools. MDM is also served in drought-affected areas during summer vacation also.
Under the Scheme cooked mid day meal with 450 calories and 12 grams of protein is provided to every child at Primary level and 750 calories and 20 grams of protein at Upper Primary level. This energy and protein requirement for a primary child comes from cooking 100 gms of rice/flour, 20 gms pulses and 50 gms vegetables and for an upper primary child comes from 150 gms of rice/flour, 30 gms of pulses and 75 gms To address hunger in schools by serving hot cooked meal, with the following objectives.
Food norm with effect from 1-12-2009
S. No.
Items
Quantity per day/Child
Primary
Upper Primary
1
Foodgrains
100 gms
150 gms
2
Pulses
20 gms
30 gms
3
Vegetables (leafy also)
50 gms
75 gms
4
Oil & fat
5 gms
7.5 gms
5
Salt & condiments
As per need
As per need
Protein Content (in gms)
It is well accepted that vegetables are a vital part of a balanced diet. They are good sources of a range of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and dietary fibre and they play an important role in preventing and controlling a micronutrient deficiencies, including deficiencies in vitamin A, B (folate), C and E.
Vegetables owing to their high natural vitamin C content, can also alleviate iron deficiency by boosting the absorption of non-haem iron food sources in plant foods, provided such vegetables are low in fibre.
Yellow/orange fruits and vegetables, (e.g. carrots, pumpkin, papaya and ripe mangoes) and dark-green leafy vegetables, including indigenous vegetables, are rich in provitamin A carotenoids, which human body can convert into the active form of vitamin A provided there is adequate fat in the diet. As per MDM Guidelines Green leafy vegetables should be added in the Mid day meal menu so that the children should get the nutritional benefits and one portion of the iron of the day can be fulfilled.
Mid Day Meal also envisages supply of adequate quantities of micro nutrients such as Iron, Folic Acid, Zinc and other appropriate supplementation depending on common deficiencies found in the local areas to the target beneficiary group through convergence with the School Health Programme of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, regular health check ups and weekly distribution of iron and folic acid tablets (to prevent iron deficiency Anemia).
(PIB Features.)

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GSPA – Triumph of Multilateralism, Economic Integration

Dilip Ghosh
The signing of Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement, GSPA with Turkmenistan on the 23 May, 2012 marks a major step towards India’s energy security. It will turn the dream of bringing natural gas from the Galkynysh field, better known by its previous name, South lolotan field in Turkmenistan into a reality. The gas will come via Herat and Kandahar in Afghanistan and Multan and Quetta in Pakistan to Fazilka in India through the 1700 km long Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India, TAPI pipeline when it is complete by 2018. The pipeline will carry 90 million metric standard cubit metres, mmscm of gas per day. Of this, Afghanistan will get 14 mmscm and Pakistan and India each 38 mmscm of gas. Daniel Stein, Energy Advisor at the US Department of State said in a presentation in March this year that the pipeline alone will cost about 10 to 12 billion dollars. Besides, the development of the gas field will cost another 10 billion dollars.
The deal was signed between the Indian public sector company, Gas Authority of India and Turkmenistan’s national oil company, Turkmengaz. India’s Petroleum Minister, Mr. Jaipal Reddy was there at Awaza in Turkmenistan to witness the signing of the agreement. Later, addressing the 3rd Turkmenistan Gas Congress there, he said, “For India the signing of the GSPA is no ordinary event. While the GSPA could be construed by some as a mere contractual document, for India this particular GSPA is a triumph of multilateralism, regional cooperation and economic integration”. Mr. Reddy congratulated the petroleum ministers of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan for their vision for making a project of this magnitude happen and expressed hope that the TAPI Gas Pipeline will transform the politics of this region and increase its economic integration. He said, hopefully, the spin-off benefits of this pipeline will encourage these four countries to emphasise trade and investment issues and enable them to build trust and confidence among themselves as neighbours and partners in progress.
India joined the TAPI project on 24th April 2008 when Pakistan, India and Afghanistan signed a framework agreement to buy natural gas from Turkmenistan. This was followed by the signing of the intergovernmental agreement on the pipeline which was signed on 11th December 2010 in the Turkmenistan capital, Ashgabat. Then protracted negotiations on transit fee with Afghanistan by both India and Pakistan continued till the 16th May this year when the upper House of the Afghan Parliament, Meshrano Jirga cleared the transit fee proposal. The Jirga fixed the transit fee for allowing the gas to flow over the Afghan territory at 50 cents per million British thermal units, mmBtu. The next day the Indian Government gave its go ahead to the Gas Authority of India, GAIL to sign the deal with its Afghan and Pakistani counterparts. It was decided that the transportation charges for the gas will be fixed after a consortium is formed to look after the maintenance of the pipeline. Besides negotiations on transit fee, discussions on the construction of the pipeline which involves great security challenges also took a long time.
All the four countries involved in the TAPI project will stand to hugely benefit once the pipeline is complete. The pipeline will help India and Pakistan diversify their gas supply. India will benefit as the delivered price of gas on the Indian border works out to $10-12 per mmBtu as compared to $16 per mmBtu rate of gas imported in ships in its liquid form, LNG. Turkmenistan will benefit as it wants to triple annual gas exports to 180 billion cubic metres by 2030, looking beyond its traditional partner Russia to wider export markets. Afghanistan apart from getting 14 mmscm gas per day, will get 18 million dollars per year as transit fee. In return it will provide security to 735 km stretch of the pipeline running over its land.
Though the GSPA was signed among the four countries yesterday, the idea of bringing gas out of Turkmenistan is very old. The GSPA has been signed for 30 years and South lolotan field is the second largest in the world, but India’s search for energy sources has not ended. India which aims to become the world’s second largest economy by 2050, must keep its growth engine running. Besides tapping domestic thermal, hydro and nuclear energy sources, the country will continue to import oil and gas from other countries to achieve its 12th Five Year Plan target of 76,000 mega watt of power generation. (PIB Features.)

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/gspa-triumph-of-multilateralism-economic-integration/

Indian Agriculture Prepares itself for a new Phase

Prabeer Kumar Basu
Secretary, Agriculture & Cooperation, Government of India.
Indian agriculture is on a long-term growth path. Not only is it growing steadily, it has become more diverse and resilient as compared to the past. This despite many challenges such as high dependence on monsoon rains, pressure on cultivable land and water resources, and climate change.
As per the latest crop production data available, India produced a record 252.56 million tonnes of foodgrains in 2011-12. Many major food crops such as rice, wheat and urad have seen record levels of production. Among non-food crops, cotton production too has crossed the earlier record. The production of fruits and vegetables also has seen significant rise in production.
While this rise in production of various crops has been helped by a favourable monsoon, it would not have been possible without the many new initiatives taken by the Central Government, the support given by State Governments to agriculture, and positive response from the farming community.Focused Approach Pays During the last five years, the Central Government has initiated a number of new schemes with focus on crops and areas with potential for high productivity. The approach has been to harness the unutilized potential by encouraging best practices, distributing quality inputs, bridging gaps and – no less important – constantly monitoring implementation.
One of the major focused interventions for increasing the production of rice, wheat and pulses in a time-bound manner is the National Food Security Mission (NFSM). This mega scheme is in operation in 480 districts in 18 states. The targets for enhanced production of rice by 10 million tonnes, wheat by 8 million tonnes and pulses by 2 million tonnes by 2012 with NFSM interventions have already been achieved.
An area focused scheme, Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India, was started two years back to give a boost to foodgrain production in the eastern parts of the country, which remained untouched by the Green Revolution of ‘60s and ‘70s. This scheme is in operation in Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Eastern Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The production figures of the last two seasons from this area show that the scheme is helping in fast rise in production of crops, especially rice.
Since pulses are a very important source of protein and India has to import a large part of its pulses requirement, a series of steps have been taken in the recent years to promote production of these crops.
While pulses have been integral to the NFSM scheme, a new programme of Integrated Development of 60,000 Pulses Village in Rainfed Areas is being implemented in 11 major pulses growing States, specifically to promote pulses production in rainfed area. So as to intensify the effort, villages have been selected and locally suitable practices are promoted in these villages.
New crop specific initiatives include setting up of a National Mission to promote saffron cultivation in Jammu & Kashmir and a National Bamboo Mission in 27 States. Specific programmes are in operation to promote vegetable cultivation near cities, oilpalm, other oilseeds, maize, millets and fodder crops.
Encouraging States to Invest in Agriculture
A Rs. 25,000 crore scheme, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), was launched five years ago to incentivizing States to invest more in agriculture. The structure of the scheme is such that States have complete flexibility in use of funds for any activity that supports farming and allied activities. States are also given awards for their achievements. Planning for RKVY projects starts at district level to cater to local needs. This single scheme has resulted in significant rise in investments coming from States towards agriculture, and it will have a long term impact towards invigorating the entire agriculture sector.
In the last five years, States have used RKVY funds and supplemented these with their own funds for projects in areas ranging from land reclamation, micro-irrigation, organic farming, mechanization, creation of storage facilities and seed farms to dairy development and fisheries.
Rising Investment in Agriculture
The growth of Indian agriculture remained stagnant after the green revolution mainly due to low level of investment. The trend, however, has reversed in the last few years, especially after launch of RKVY and government’s high focus on food security. The Gross Capital Formation (GCF) – a measure of investment – in agriculture sector has risen from about Rs. 76,000 crore in 2004-05 to over Rs. 142,000 crore in 2010-11. While GCF was 13.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in agriculture in 2004-05, it is over 20% now. State Plan expenditure on agriculture has grown substantially since the launch of RKVY.
States were allocating about 4.9% of their plan funds to agriculture five years back; in 2010-11 they allocated 6.04% to agriculture.
Farmers Must Get Their Due
So that farmers get remunerative prices for their produce, the Government announces Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of major crops and makes provisions for procurement of the produce at MSP through various agencies. The MSP of major foodgrains, especially pulses, have been raised substantially in the last few years. The rise has been more pronounced in the case of pulses and millets – the protein crops.
Ensuring remunerative prices for major foodgrains is also one of the major planks of the strategy for growing enough foodgrains to meet India’s demand and generating surplus. This is perhaps one factor that has contributed in a major way to the record production of a large number of crops in the recent years.
Credit: A Key Input
Farming operations require funds starting from preparing the field for cultivation until the harvest is sold in the market. The farmer also needs money for other operations, purchase of machinery, dairying, animal husbandry and many more activities. Availability of credit, and in right quantity, therefore, is a very critical requirement for various farming operations.
The Government is striving to reach credit in adequate quantity and at low interest to farmers when they need it. There is special emphasis on bringing all farmers, especially small farmers, under institutional credit so that they are not fleeced by moneylenders. The thrust given to institutional credit has resulted in the growth of farm credit from about Rs. 85,000 crore seven years back to above Rs. 5 lakh crore this year. The Government has been paying subsidy (interest subvention) on farm loans to make them affordable. Because of this, farm loans are available at 7% per year and crop loans up to Rs. 3 lakh at 4% per year.
Horticulture and Food Processing : The Sunrise Sectors
For fast growth in horticulture, a National Horticulture Mission has been established. Another similar Mission is in operation to look into the special needs of hilly States with regard to horticulture.
These schemes have been giving support to States and individual farmers for a large number of horticulture related activities starting from providing quality planting material to storage, marketing and processing.
The Government is giving incentives to entrepreneurs, farmers and state agencies to create storage and marketing facilities for grains as well as the highly perishable horticultural produce.
For encouraging the food processing sector, Mega Food Parks are being set up throughout the country so that industries get all services at one place.
These and many other initiatives taken in the recent years are bolstering the intrinsic strength of Indian
agriculture and making it more productive. These will help it not only face the challenges of deficient monsoon, climate change etc but also keep it on the path of sustainable growth. (PIB Features.)

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/indian-agriculture-prepares-itself-for-a-new-phase/

Celebrating Biodiversity

Dr. Balakrishna Pisupati
Chairman, National Biodiversity Authority.
22 May 2012 is International Day of Biological Diversity.
Diversity of life (biodiversity) underpins the very existence and survival of human beings on this Planet. Even though, United Nations proclaimed May 22nd as the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB), every day is critical to increase the understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.
The rich biodiversity is the base for good health, food security, economic growth, livelihoods security and moderating the climate conditions. The annual contribution of biodiversity to the world is estimated as US$ 33 trillion per year. However, this precious natural asset is fast diminishing.
The theme for 2012 International Day for Biological Diversity is Marine Biodiversity. Coastal and marine biodiversity form the basis of survival for billions of people around the world today. The ocean covers 71% of the surface area of the globe, and constitutes over 90% of the habitable space. Coastlines are supporting fragile ecosystems – mangroves, coral reefs, sea-grass and seaweeds. But the diversity of life in these areas is poorly understood and under-valued resulting in over-exploitation. Some of the marine species are disappearing and others are on the threat of extinction. The economic and market potential of marine biodiversity is still not properly understood while prospects of marine diversity has increased manifold. The number of patents being taken on products and processes based on marine life is increasing by leaps and bounds every year.
India has a coastline of about 7,500 km, of which about 5,400 km belong to Peninsular India and the remaining to the Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands. With less than 0.25% of the world’s coastline, India accommodates approximately 11% of the global population, who live in low elevation coastal areas. Fishing is a major livelihood options for millions of coastal communities. India’s coastal zone is endowed with coral reefs, mangroves, sea-grasses/weeds, salt marshes, sand dunes, estuaries and lagoons.
In India, all the three major reef types (atoll, fringing, and barrier) occur in most diverse, extensive and least disturbed reef areas. There are four major reef regions in India on all sides of its coastline. The Gulf of Kutch in the Northwest, Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar in the Southeast, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on the East and Lakshadweep archipelago in the West. Mangroves cover 4827 square km with about 57% of it along east coast, 23% along the west coast and the remaining 20% in Andaman and Nicobar Island. Fourteen species of sea-grasses with 6 genera are known in the Indian seas. All the above mentioned ecosystems are shelter for unique marine and terrestrial wildlife.
The economic potential of coral reefs is estimated to be $1,250 million/hectare/year. These are researched figures by economists. Consider that we realize a mere 10 per cent of this potential for the local people.
Even though humanity has repeatedly benefited from the marine and coastal ecosystems, our land and ocean based activities have made critical impacts on marine ecosystem. Indiscriminate discharge of wastes by coastal cities and industries and over-extraction of fish and other marine products are the major challenges.
Hence land-based activities, which have an adverse impact on coastal and marine ecosystems, need to be controlled. Further, since marine resources are generally renewable, its extraction should be restricted within its regeneration capacity. Promotion of Marine Protected Areas/Reserves is important for conserving and managing coastal and marine biodiversity. India has many Marine Protected Areas/Reserves and it need to be extend further.
A special and high level focus on marine and costal biodiversity by the Environment Ministers from around the World during the forthcoming eleventh meeting of Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 11) is expected to identify concerted efforts to not only protect marine and coastal biodiversity but also realize the economic potential of this natural treasure trove that provides livelihoods, protects us from climate change and ensures our food and nutritional securities are intact as well as enhanced with suitable interventions. (PIB Features).

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/celebrating-biodiversity/

Celebrating Biodiversity

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Transforming Rural India through Financial Inclusion

Sapna Media & Communications Officer, PIB Chandigarh. Swabhimaan” is a path-breaking initiative by the Union Government and the Indian Banks’ Association to bridge economic gap between rural and urban India. This campaign is a big step towards socio-economic equality by bringing the underprivileged segments of Indian population into the formal banking fold for the first […]

Sapna

Media & Communications Officer, PIB Chandigarh.
Swabhimaan” is a path-breaking initiative by the Union Government and the Indian Banks’ Association to bridge economic gap between rural and urban India. This campaign is a big step towards socio-economic equality by bringing the underprivileged segments of Indian population into the formal banking fold for the first time. The vision for this programme is social application of modern technology.
‘Swabhimaan’ – a financial security programme was launched by the Central Government to ensure banking facilities in habitation with a population in excess of 2000 by March 2012. This nationwide programme on financial inclusion, was launched in February, 2011 with its focus on bringing the deprived sections of the society in the banking network to ensure that the benefits of economic growth reach everyone at all levels.
In a big nation like India, providing banking facilities across the length and breadth of the country, especially in rural areas, has always been a great challenge for the successive governments since Independence. Even though nationalisation gave a big boost to expansion of banks in rural areas with Public Sector Banks becoming important instruments for advancement of rural banking and changing lives of rural populace.
The key idea is that there is need for village level presence – a customer-facing channel that is close to the customer preferably at a walking distance of not more than three to four kilometers. For this, it is important to have entities which are good at delivering outreach while operating in very difficult remote conditions. Besides giving access to banking, it also enables government subsidies and social security benefits to be directly credited to the accounts of the beneficiaries, enabling them to draw the money from the bank saathi or business correspondents in their village itself.
This initiative enables small and marginal farmers to obtain credit at lower rates from banks and other financial institutions. This would insulate them from exploitation of the money lenders. Government’s emphasis on bankers is to take up this task with a sense of responsibility and understanding and exercise courtesy and respect, especially to small borrowers.
The initiative is also important to protect the customers, especially the most vulnerable ones, from harsh financial practices and prevent them from being overburdened by debt. All in all, the end objective should be to empower people to achieve their own goals through enhancing their financial capabilities.
“This campaign ensures to provide the following services to the Rural India:
Promises to bring basic banking services to unbanked villages with a population of 2000 and above.
The movement facilitates opening of banks accounts, provide need-based credit and remittance facilities besides helping in promoting financial literacy in rural India.
The programme is aimed at increasing the demand for credit among the millions of small and marginal farmers and rural artisans who will benefit by having access to banking facilities.
This financial inclusion campaign aims at providing branchless banking services through the use of technology.
Banks provide basic services like deposits, withdrawals and remittances using the services of Business
Correspondents (BCs) also known as Bank Saathi.
The initiative also enables Government subsidies and social security benefits to now be directly credited to the accounts of the beneficiaries so that they could draw the money from the Business Correspondents (BCs) in their village itself.
The Government hopes that the benefits of micro insurance and micro pension products reach the masses through this banking linkage.
This programme now makes it possible for the large number of migrant workers in urban areas to remit money to their relatives in distant villages quickly and safely.
The facilities provided through banking outlets will enhance social security by facilitating the availability

of allied services in course of time like micro insurance, access to mutual funds, pensions, etc.
Banking facilities like Savings Bank, recurring Deposits, Fixed deposits, Remittances, Overdraft facility, Kisan Credit Card (KCCs), General Credit Cards (GCC) and collection of cheques will be provided.
The Banks are also working together with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for enrolment, opening bank accounts and also to facilitate transfer of government subsidies and other payments.
The Government had provided Rs 500 million to banks for this initiative in the last fiscal year.
During his Budget speech this year, the Union Finance Minister, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has proposed to extend the ‘Swabhimaan’ campaign to habitations with population of more than 1000 in North Eastern and hilly States and to other habitations which have crossed population of 2000 as per Census 2011. As a next step, Ultra Small Branches are being set up at these habitations, where Business Correspondents would deal with cash transactions. Union Finance Minister also informed that 70,000 habitations have been covered so far under the ‘Swabhimaan’ campaign out of 73,000 identified habitations till March 2012.
The Swabhimaan movement is “significant beginning” for transforming of rural India through financial inclusion.

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Disabled Get Social Justice

Deepak Razdan
India has 2.2 crore persons with various types of disabilities as per Census 2001. The Government has taken several steps, including legislative measures, to integrate them fully with society. They are seen in all walks of life, discharging not only their normal responsibilities, but trying to do better than others. The Government is constantly undertaking initiatives which include the comprehensive Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, a draft of which is under consideration for introduction in Parliament.
Among the States with large populations of persons with disabilities, Uttar Pradesh tops with 34.53 lakh, Bihar and West Bengal have over 18 lakh each, Tamil Nadu over 16 lakh, Maharashtra over 15 lakh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan over 14 lakh each. According to 2001 Census, 49 per cent of the persons with disabilities in the country are literate and 34 per cent are employed. Over one crore persons have visual disability, 12.61 lakh hearing and over 61 lakh have locomotor disability in the country. According to the NSSO Survey of 2002, 75 per cent of persons with disabilities live in rural areas.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment which has the charge of looking after the welfare of the disadvantaged and marginalized sections of the society, including persons with disabilities, oversees a vast network of schemes for the empowerment and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. The Government plans to consolidate them into a composite Centrally-sponsored national programme called National Programme for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in the 12th Plan (2012-2017), for their better administration. The trend is towards greater financial allocations and better monitoring.
In 2011-2012, the Disability Division of the Ministry was allocated Rs 480 crores. The schemes in operation aim to promote physical, psychological, social, educational and economic rehabilitation and development of the beneficiaries to enhance their quality of life and to enable them to lead their life with dignity.
Although the 12th Plan is yet to be ready, the Planning Commission has made allocations for some new schemes during the first year (2012-2013) of the Plan. These include Rs 33 crores for post-matric scholarships for students and Rs 12 crores for Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship Scheme for persons with disabilities (PwDs) for MPhil and PhD courses.
The Government announced the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities in 2006, recognizing them as valuable human source for the country who can lead a better quality of life if they have an effective access to rehabilitation measures. A Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities has been appointed in the Ministry to receive and act upon complaints of violations of rules and orders notified for the welfare of the beneficiaries. Seven national institutes have been established to work in the field of disabilities.
These institutes are engaged in human resource development in different field of disability, providing rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities and undertaking research and development. During the last financial year, Rs 34 crore were released to these institutes against the budgeted outlay of Rs 60 crores for the year.
Under the scheme of Assistance to the Disabled for Purchase or Fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP), approximately two lakh persons with disabilities are provided assistive devices every year. An allocation of Rs 100 crores was made for the scheme in 2011-2012 to help 2.80 lakh persons but only about Rs 28 crores was released till December, 2011, although a total expenditure during the year is now expected to be Rs 76 crores. The ADIP scheme is being revised during 2012-2013 to raise the income ceiling and ceiling of the assistive devices. Under the Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS), Rs 31.27 crores was sanctioned till December last year against the allocation of Rs 120 crores. The total expenditure is likely to cross Rs 86 crores.
The DDRS helps voluntary organizations to run special schools for children with hearing, visual and mental disability and vocational rehabilitation centres for persons with disabilities and for manpower development in the field of mental retardation and cerebral palsy.
The target of beneficiaries during the year was 2.50 lakh.
To facilitate creation of infrastructure at district level, the Central Government is encouraging the States in setting up of District Disability Rehabilitation Centres (DDRCs) since the ninth Plan. A hundred DDRCs were proposed to be set up in the last two years. A total of 215 DDRCs are functioning in the country at present. Twenty-one were set up in 2010-11 and Rs 1.20 crore were released in 2011-12 to set up six more in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar.
In 2009-10, the Government launched the Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS), replacing the earlier Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC) scheme. While inclusive education for disabled children at elementary level is being provided under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), this scheme provides 100 per cent Central assistance for inclusive education of disabled children studying in Classes IX-XII in mainstream government, local body and government-aided schools.
The objective is to facilitate continuation of education of children with special needs up to higher secondary level. The scheme provides for personal requirements of the children in the form of assistive devices, helpers, transport, hostel, learning material, and scholarship for the girl child up to Rs 3000 per disabled child per annum. In addition, assistance is also provided for salary of special teachers, capacity building of teachers, making schools barrier free, establishment of resource rooms, and awareness and orientation. A budget of Rs 100 crore was allocated for this scheme during 2011-12 and over 1.30 lakh disabled children were proposed to be covered in the year.
According to HRD Ministry, 35 per cent of children with disabilities remained out of school.On World Autism Day, the Government reiterated its commitment to help development of people with autism in the country. India has about 10 million people with autism in the country. There was need to create awareness on the brain disorder and the Government would support all awareness campaigns. The Government has stressed the need to remove the myths about autism like it was the result of bad parenting or “emotionally dysfunctional mothers.” The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the vehicle for the Right To Education, ensures support to children with autism, through resource teachers and teacher-aides.
In many States, students with autism get a one on one support with care-giver or aide in the classroom. The Rajya Sabha passed in the Budget Session a Bill to amend the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 to extend its benefits to children with cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism and multiple disabilities. The children having these severe disabilities will have the option to receive education at home. There is some criticism of this provision as it is felt that it will keep the special needs children away from their peers and out of the mainstream education.
In a major step, the Government has given an “in-principle approval” for creating a separate Department of Disability Affairs. Informing Parliament, the Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Shri Mukul Wasnik, said the new Department would be within the Ministry and the proposal to amend the necessary rules is under process. He said a need was felt to create a separate department under a Secretary-rank officer to address the issues of people with disability more effectively. At present, the issues related to empowerment of disabled people in the country are looked after by a division in the Ministry.
To ensure persons with disabilities travel by air with dignity and ease, the Government has constituted a Committee on the ‘Rights of Passengers with Disabilities and Reduced Mobility’.
There are Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) on “Carriage of passenger by air with disability and/or with reduced mobility” issued by the DGCA which are to be strictly adhered to by the airlines. The CAR is available on the DGCA website. Violation of the provisions of the CAR is punishable under the Schedule VI of the Aircraft Rules,1937. The Committee will look into the need for modifying the CAR in view of improved guidelines adopted in other countries and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities(UNCRPD).
The Committee’s terms including examining the inconvenience faced by persons with disabilities right from the stage of booking of tickets; arrival at the airport; checking-in, issues related to location and design of facilities like toilets, wheel chairs, check-in counters, security checking, boarding, seating in aircraft, disembarking and collection of luggage.
Needless to say, the persons with disabilities require similar facilities at railway stations and inter-city bus terminals. The Railway Board has prepared a plan to enable differently abled people to book rail tickets online at the concessional rates they are entitled to. It is proposed to issue identity cards with specific numbers to each person, which will be built into the computerised passenger reservation system (PRS) across the country.
To make life easier for the differently abled, the Social Justice Ministry is encouraging development of suitable technologies. The Ministry has made its own website accessible to persons with disabilities and is giving incentives to other Government organisations to follow its example. An Online Braille Library has been established at Dehradun in January this year. Its books can be accessed in real time from any location in the country.
On helping the persons with disability get their rightful share in employment, Section 33 of the Persons with Disability (Equal Opportunity, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 provides for a three per cent reservation in government employment, including one per cent each for disabled persons suffering from (i) blindness or low vision; (ii) hearing impairment and (iii) loco motor disability or cerebral palsy. A special recruitment drive was initiated recently to fill up backlog vacancies for posts reserved for persons with disabilities. As per information from 69 Ministries and Departments, there were 11134 persons with disabilities in employment under the Central Government on the 1st January, 2008.
There are no directions to the private sector to create jobs for disabled persons. However, a new Scheme of Incentives to the Private Sector for Employment of Physically Challenged Persons has been launched from 1st April, 2008. Under this Scheme, the Government provides the employer’s contribution for Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees State Insurance (ESI) for three years, for physically challenged employees employed in the private sector on or after 1st April, 2008, with a monthly salary up to Rs. 25,000.
In spite of the increasing awareness about the welfare of the disadvantaged population, the 2012-13 plan allocation for the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry is Rs 5915 crores, which is just 1.512 per cent of the total plan allocation of Rs 3,91,027 crores for all Ministries and Departments of the Government of India. This year’s allocation of Rs 5915 crores is against the allocation of Rs 5375 crores, and the likely actual expenditure of Rs 5006 crores, during 2011-12.
Looking at the Ministry’s various responsibilities, the Planning Commission’s Working Group on empowerment of persons with disabilities has recommended an allocation of Rs one lakh crore as plan expenditure for the welfare of these persons during the 12th Plan, out of which Rs 24000 crores is be incurred through the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry, and the remaining Rs 76000 crores through other Ministries.
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2011, the proposed law that is to replace the existing Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, is a comprehensively drafted piece of legislation that will remove the existing gaps and take care of nearly all the possible situations and circumstances in which the beneficiary population may require legal and social cover to lead a normal life. India has ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) and undertaken the obligation to ensure and promote the full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all Persons with Disabilities without discrimination of any kind on the basis of disability. While the existing Act provided for an impairment-based exhaustive definition of disability, the UN Convention recognized that disability was an evolving concept. People with impairments, not expressly mentioned in the Act, were often denied the rights and entitlements recognized in the Act. The 1995 Act, among other provisions, required appropriate governments and local authorities to make public buildings and their campuses accessible to persons with disabilities. The facilities to be created include ramps, toilets for wheel-chair users, Braille signages, new elevators, auditory signals in existing elevators, and tactile tiles.
Accessibility for persons with disabilities was also one of the core provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which came into force in May, 2008. Expanding the scope and definition of physical impairments, the 2011 Bill recognizes the equality of persons with disabilities and prohibits direct or indirect discrimination on the basis of disability.
The draft law seeks to guarantee equality and non-discrimination to all persons with disabilities, and to recognize legal capacity of all persons with disabilities and make provision for support where required to exercise such legal capacity.
The Constitution of India includes persons with disabilities generically within the universal categories of person and citizen; it does not even mention disability specifically. Therefore the draft Bill attempts to lay down procedures by which the civil-political rights guaranteed in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Constitution of India can be realized for persons with disabilities. The rights guaranteed by the Constitution need adaptation to be of value for persons with disabilities. (PIB Features.)

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/disabled-get-social-justice/

Agromet Advisory Services – Farmers Empowerment

Kalpana Palkhiwala
Growing uncertainties of weather and climate pose a major threat to food security of the country and thus warrant for farmers empowerment of informed decision in agricultural risk management. Besides the possible impacts of climate change also pose major challenges in agriculture sector in the country. The combination of long-term changes and the greater frequency of extreme weather events are also likely to have adverse impacts on the food production in the coming decades. India Meteorological Department has taken major initiative to implement innovative and state of art technologies which are essential to address the above mentioned issues of weather and climate on Indian agriculture and also to realize the present day needs of the farmers of the country and also to meet the demands of the poorer section of the country. India Meteorological Department (IMD) started Integrated Agro-Meteorological Advisory Service (IAAS) in the country for the benefits of farmers. Agro-meteorological service rendered by IMD, Ministry of Earth Sciences is an innovative step to contribute to weather information based crop/livestock management strategies and operations dedicated to enhancing crop production by providing real time crop and location specific agromet services with outreach to village level. This indeed has a potential to change the face of India in terms of food security and poverty alleviation.
The IAAS provides a very special kind of inputs to the farmer as advisory bulletin. It has made a tremendous difference to the agriculture production by taking the advantage of benevolent weather and minimizes the adverse impact of malevolent weather. IMD launched the scheme IAAS in the country in collaboration with different organisations/institutes/stakeholders from 1st April 2007 for weather wise farm management. Under IAAS, a mechanism was developed to integrate weather forecast, climatic and agro-meteorological information to prepare agro-advisories which contribute significantly to enhance farm productivity and trying to solve the food security in India.
Structure of IAAS
This project is implemented through five tier structure to set up different components of the service spectrum. It includes meteorological (weather observing & forecasting), agricultural (identifying weather sensitive stress & preparing suitable advisory using weather forecast), extension (two way communication with user) and information dissemination (Media, Information Technology, Telecom) agencies.
Weather Forecast –Seven Parametres
From 1 June, 2008 quantitative district level weather forecast up to 5 days is issued. The product comprises of quantitative forecasts for 7 weather parameters viz., rainfall, maximum and minimum temperatures, wind speed and direction, relative humidity and cloudiness. In addition, weekly cumulative rainfall forecast is also provided. IMD, New Delhi generates these products using Multi Model Ensemble technique based on forecast products available from number models of India and other countries.
The products were disseminated to Regional Meteorological Centres and Meteorological Centres of IMD located in different states.
These products after value addition using synoptic interpretation of model output are communicated to 130 Agro Met Field Units (AMFUs) co-located with State Agriculture Universities (SAUs), institutes of Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) etc., for preparation of district level agro-met advisories twice a week i.e. Tuesday and Friday.
AAS Bulletins at Different Level

The Agromet Advisory Bulletins are issued at district, state and national levels. The district level bulletins are issued by AMFUs and include crop specific advisories including field crops, horticultural crops and livestock. The State Level bulletin jointly prepared by State Meteorological Centre of IMD and AMFUs is a composite of district bulletins helping to identify the distressed districts of the state as well as plan the supply of appropriate farm inputs such as seeds, irrigation water, fertilizer, pesticides etc. It forms a significant input to the State level weekly Crop Weather Watch Group (CWWG) meeting and used by state government line function departments viz: Fertilizer industry, Pesticide industry, Irrigation Department, Seed Corporation, Transport and other organizations which provide inputs in agriculture. National Agromet Advisory Bulletins are prepared by National Agromet Advisory Service Centre, Division of Agriculture Meteorology, IMD, Pune, using inputs from various states. This bulletin helps identify stress on various crops for different regions of the country and suitably incorporate advisories.
Ministry of Agriculture is prime user of these bulletins, as important decisions are taken in weekly Crop Weather Watch Group meetings steered by Ministry of Agriculture at national level. The bulletins are also used by a large number of other agencies including fertilizer, pesticide industries. At present bulletins are being issued twice in a week i.e., Tuesday and Friday and reach 23 state and 560 district level centres.
District-specific medium-term forecast information and advisories help to maximize output and avert crop damage or loss. It also helps growers anticipate and plan for pesticide applications, irrigation scheduling, disease and pest outbreaks and many more weather related agriculture-specific operations. Such operations include cultivar selection, their dates of sowing/planting, dates of intercultural operations, dates of harvesting and also performing post harvest operations. Agromet advisories help increase profits by consistently delivering actionable weather information, analysis and decision support for farming situations such as: to manage pests through forecast of relative humidity, temperature and wind; manage irrigation through rainfall & temperature forecasts; protect crop from thermal stress through forecasting of extreme temperature etc.
A typical Agromet Advisory Bulletin enables farmers to reap benefits of benevolent weather and minimize or mitigate the impacts of adverse weather are:
District specific weather forecast, in quantitative terms, for next 5 days for weather parameters like rainfall, cloud, maximum/minimum temperature, wind speed/direction and relative humidity, including forewarning of hazardous weather events (cyclone, hailstorm, heat/cold waves, drought and flood etc) likely to cause stress on standing crop and suggestions to protect the crop from them.
Weather forecast based information on soil moisture status and guidance for application of irrigation, fertilizer and herbicides etc.
Advisories on dates of sowing/planting and suitability of carrying out intercultural operations covering the entire crop spectrum from pre-sowing to post harvest to guide farmer in his day–to-day cultural operations.
Weather forecast based forewarning system for major pests and diseases of principal crops and advises on plant protection measures.
Propagation of techniques for manipulation of crop’s microclimate e.g. shading, mulching, other surface modification, shelter belt, frost protection etc. to protect crops under stressed conditions.
Reducing contribution of agricultural production system to global warming and environment degradation through judicious management of land, water and farm inputs, particularly pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers.
Advisory for livestock on health, shelter and nutrition.
The support on above is rendered through preparing district specific agrometeorological advisory bulletins which are tailored to meet the farmers’ need and are made relevant to his decision making processes. The suggested advisories generally alter actions in a way that improves outcomes as it contains advice on farm management actions aiming to take advantage of good weather and mitigate the stress on crop/livestock. The bulletins are encoded in a format and language which is easy to comprehend by the farmer. The agrometeorologists first interpret the immediate past weather and the forecast for next 5 days and translate it into layman’s terms so that the farmers can understand it. They use state-of-art technology such as crop weather models, climatic risk management tools, GIS generated agromet products etc., for framing the advisory bulletins. Also, interaction between the AMFUs and farmers to identify the weather sensitive decisions is promoted under the service through participatory approach. This step fosters a relationship between the IMD, AMFUs, farmers and other stakeholders so that they can identify or diagnose the gaps in weather information and services available from the IMD. (PIB Feature.)

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/agromet-advisory-services-farmers-empowerment/

North East and the Cultural Dimensions of Discrimination

Archana Prasad
THE murder of Richard Loitam and the suicide of Dana Sangma have once again highlighted the social discrimination and profiling faced by residents of North Eastern origins in mega cities. The significance of the public outcry following these deaths has been exemplified in the light of the fact that more and more youths from North East are migrating to metropolitan cities in what they call the ‘Indian mainland’. A study of 2011 projected that 5,00,000 people were set to migrate from the North Eastern region for employment and education in the next five years. It also noted that the spate of this migration had increased in the first decade of the twenty first century and 78.16 per cent of those surveyed were migrating for educational purposes. Further, 86 per cent of those migrating to mega cities were facing some sort of discrimination on the basis of social profiling of the North Eastern communities. This context needs to be borne in mind while discussing the problems faced by North Eastern people outside their own region.
NATION AND NE
The historical discrimination of the North Eastern region and its people takes place at two different levels. First there is the discrimination against the region as a whole and this is reflected in the inadequate development of basic infrastructure development as well as the lack of educational and employment opportunities. Therefore the democratic movement has been demanding that such regional discrimination be addressed through a strategy for socially just and balanced development of North Eastern region through the intervention of the central government. It is also hoped that such development will stop the large scale migration from the region. However the problem of the North Eastern region and its relationship with the rest of India is only partly addressed by the problem of uneven economic development.
The second level of discrimination not addressed by this view concerns the way in which people of North Eastern origin are dealt with in the places where they migrate. Historically, the roots of this discrimination lie not only in the processes of uneven economic development but also in the way in which dominant ‘mainstream’ Indian society perceives the region. At the advent of Independence, the partition of the country placed the region in a unique geographical position. The region was politically cut off from East Bengal with which it was integrated socially and economically in the pre-partition period. The seemingly insurmountable difficulties of communication and geographical location were further translated into a social and cultural distance which articulated itself in uniquely political terms. Movements for separate states and autonomy reflected that the founders of the Indian nation had not incorporated the aspirations of the people of the region within the larger framework of nationhood. Images of the North East as projected in school textbooks and in popular culture also normalised the perception that the people of the region as unique and different. For example who can forget the stark scene from the popular film Chak De India where a Manipur player is welcomed into the hockey training camp saying “You are our guest.
Welcome to the training camp”. The player’s reply is obvious “How can one be a guest in one’s own country.
This perception of North Eastern people as ‘foreigners’ is perhaps a result of larger processes that have resulted in the resistance of North Eastern communities to imposition of dominant cultural values of mainstream caste Hindu ruling classes. This situation is in stark contrast to the acceptance of the tribal people of Central and Eastern India whose dominant classes have largely accepted the superiority of dominant culture of caste Hindu societies. The integration of these tribal people as subordinates within the larger system is in sharp contrast to the tribal aristocracy of the North East which has been asserting both its cultural and its legitimate right to the natural resources of the region. Thus the reproduction of the images of the North Eastern cultures as foreign and outside the realm of the mainstream society is part of a larger process to deny the North Eastern people their due place within the power structures of the larger Indian nation.
FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION
Given this fact, racial and other forms of discrimination against people of North Eastern origin are seen both in everyday life and the insensitivity of state level institutions. A survey done by the North Eastern Helpline in January and February recorded that 58.33 per cent of the cases of discrimination were crimes against women. According to the recorded cases of the Delhi Police, approximately two-thirds of the crimes against women were targeted against women from the North Eastern region. In other cases it is commonplace to find that North Eastern students find it difficult to find rooms on rent in comparison with students from other places. This has prompted institutions like Delhi University to designate one whole hostel for girls from the North Eastern region. While the initiative to provide space to girls from the region is welcome, one wonders whether such a separate hostel will serve the purpose of forging a spirit of living together and cultural tolerance within the larger student community.
At the same time the indifference and insensitivity of the state administration towards cases of discrimination is glaringly evident. In 2007 the Delhi Police came out with a set of guidelines for people from the North East. These guidelines prescribed dress codes and behaviour rules to North Eastern communities. Though the resultant outrage forced the authorities to withdraw the guidelines they reflected the conservative mindset of the law enforcement agency. Refusal to file FIRs in cases of discrimination is common in at least half of the cases of discrimination. It is therefore not surprising that the home minister is able to state in parliament that only seven cases of discrimination have been recorded in this year. This gross underestimation of the problem arises from the fact that there was no FIR in at least 63 per ent of the cases of discrimination, despite the victim approaching the police. Reluctance of law enforcing agencies is also seen from the fact that they themselves regard the people of North Eastern region as foreigners. This was reflected in the parliamentary debate in Rajya Sabha when a member from Assam reported that the Delhi Police was asking students and servicemen from the region for their passports and not identity cards or driving licenses during road checking. In this context it is not surprising that a maximum number of cases of discrimination are against people of Nagaland and Manipur: two states that are perceived as both rebellious and remote. Thus the home minister’s claim of zero tolerance of crime against people from the region seem hollow in the wake of the fact that the agencies responsible for dealing with cases of discrimination are themselves guilty of following social practices that target these communities.
In order to combat the problem of social profiling and discrimination, it is not only necessary to fight for the legitimate rights of the North Eastern region, but also have a larger movement to ensure the forging of a democratic and inclusive national culture. The assertion of dominant cultural values that subordinate the rights of ethnic minorities and the carriers of this culture should be combated at every level. While the democratic movement has been at the forefront of fighting for the legitimate economic and political rights of the North Eastern region, it needs to redouble its efforts to bring about a cultural and social movement that will challenge the deep rooted intolerance of culturally different people from this region. In meeting this challenge, the hegemonic role of education, films and media has to be recognised since they have acted as a tool of ruling classes’ embodying conservative cultural values. Hence the progressive movements must initiate a militant campaign to combat such hegemonic influences. This will be the first step towards forging a truly composite and inclusive national culture.

Over Two Crore Women Beneficiaries Registered with MCTS

Varun Bhardwaj, Assistant Director, PIB, New Delhi.
Motherhood is a divine feeling, a wonderful experience, but it brings with itself tremendous responsibilities which call for proper care for both mother and the child. For a healthy mother and child, it must be ensured that required medical care is provided to pregnant woman and full immunization course is administered to the child. It is with this spirit in the mind that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS) in December 2009. The focus in MCTS is on the Beneficiary Based Monitoring of the delivery of services to ensure that all pregnant women and all new born receive ‘full’ maternal and child health services. The MCTS utilizes Information Technology and seeks to capture details of every pregnancy in the country in a centralised data base. It is a generic system which aims to provide information of different health services received at the individual level, by monitoring all service deliveries that an individual benefits from.
MCTS Coverage
The MCTS database primarily comprises of
· All new Pregnancies detected/ registered from 1st December, 2009 at the first point of contact of the pregnant mother with the health facility/health provider.
· All Births occurring from 1st December, 2009.
Unique Identification Number
The record of each mother and child is tracked through a 16 digit unique identification number. The 16 digit unique number contains state code, district code, Block PHC/CHC Code, Health Sub-Centre Code, Pregnant Woman code, child code and the serial number given to each mother/child.
Advantages
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare endeavoured to have a central data repository for quick reference of validated data for all pregnancies and births in India. Such a Central Database seeks to facilitate grassroots level health functionaries like ANM, ASHA, Anganwadi workers etc. in performance of their duties by enabling more effective transformation and utilization of information. It is envisaged to implement a Beneficiary Centred Approach so as to ensure delivery of maternal and child health services from conception till 42 days after delivery in the case of pregnant women and up to five years of age in the case of children so as to ensure that all pregnant women and all new born receive full maternal and immunization services.
Further, MCTS would enable roll-out of targeted health programs and schemes, for controlling of external cost and time spill-over and ensure tracking of full immunisation course for all children. It shall also lead to validation of information collected from each block/district/state at the central level, for figuring out authenticated situation at respective functional levels.
Furthermore, efficient need-based planning of allocation and management of health resources can be done at ground-level. For example a fair idea about drug stock and inventory can be made once number of pregnancies have been recorded at a particular level. Thus, it leads to improved supply chain management of vaccines and drugs .Also, MCTS can provide vital clues for making improvements in the system for better service delivery. The bottlenecks at the implementation level which hinder effective implementation of Government initiatives can be known and provide valuable inputs for public policy implementation. Not only this, MCTS is expected to facilitate qualitative improvement in the delivery of services to pregnant women and children of the country and thus facilitates an accelerated reduction in maternal, infant and child mortality.
Architecture of MCTS
The operationalization of the MCTS is achieved by clear cut role allocation at different levels viz. village level, Sub Centre level, PHC level, CHC level, District level, State Level and the National Level.
Village Level
Identification of pregnant women and new born is done at the Village level. The Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has been given the responsibility of informing the Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) about the details of the pregnant women and new born in the village every month.
Sub Centre Level
The delivery of maternal and child health services according to the agreed service delivery protocol is done at the sub centre level. At the Sub Centre level the ANM is responsible for Contacting all pregnant women reported by ASHA and preparation of the Pregnant Woman Card( One copy to be retained by the ANM and the other given to the pregnant woman).Services are delivered according to the agreed service delivery schedule and the ANM updates the Maternal Health Card.The ANM Contacts parents of all new born and prepares the Child Health Card.
The above data is entered into a Central Database at Primary Health Centre /Community Health Centre where internet facility is available. This registers pregnant women and the details of services due (example ANC or antenatal care) to the woman along with the dates are captured in the database. The name and contact details of associated ASHA worker/ANM are also entered into the database .In fact, two distinct fields in the data base viz. Services administered and Services overdue help in monitoring and tracking service delivery at field level.
Primary Health Centre (PHC)
The Medical Officer at PHC is responsible for organizing training of ASHAs in the identification of pregnant women and children below five years of age; organizing fortnightly/monthly meeting to review the records maintained by ANM with a view to improve the quality of the record; visiting all villages in the PHC at least once in a month to supervise the activities of ASHA and to provide her necessary support; on the spot verification of the data entered in MCTS using a standard sample design.
Finally, the Medical Officer also identifies gaps in the context of providing ‘full’ maternal and child health services to all pregnant women and all new born recorded in MCTS.
Community Health Centre (CHC)
The Block Program Manager at the CHC is responsible uploading the data on pregnant women and new born in the MCTS software and generating reports related to the implementation of MCTS at the PHC level within the CHC. He is also responsible for tabulation and analysis of the verification data available through the cross checking of the records entered in the MCTS system.
District Level
MCTS performance review is done at the district level to fill up the gaps in the health care delivery institutions within the district in the context of delivering ‘full’ services to all pregnant women and all new born.
State Level
Monthly reports of the implementation of MCTS for all districts within the state are generated and state level monthly meetings are organized to review the implementation of MCTS at the district level and identify and address bottlenecks and constraints in implementing MCTS.
National Level
MCTS cell is responsible for monitoring and analysis of the progress of MCTS in terms of data entry status, identification of low reporting States/districts and identification of districts/facilities not reporting.
The Quality of data reporting is known through data of performance of state and district indicators and cross analysis of data and services provided. This helps in identification of abnormalities and and discrepancies in MCTS data.
Also National level meetings are organized to review the implementation of MCTS at the state/UT level and to identify and address the bottlenecks and constraints in implementing MCTS. Besides, the MCTS Cell also prepares Quarterly Research Note using the data available through MCTS.
Thus, the states can take action at their own end to ensure that services reach those for whom they are meant. This is possible since the contact details of all beneficiaries to whom services are overdue along with the associated ANM/ASHA are available at the click of a mouse. As on 1 May, 2012, a total of 2,07,55,732 women have been registered with the Mother and Child Tracking System.
The Central Government on its part regularly intimates Mission Directors of NRHM in states on the progress made and gaps which remain in provision of services to beneficiaries. In addition, a call centre has been established in the Ministry of H&FW to directly contact pregnant women and parents of the new born registered under the system to verify the services that they have received. A Toll-Free facility which provides information to beneficiaries registered with the MCTS server has also been started. At present the data of MCTS is available only through private login to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and various State Governments. Although, a full fledged MCTS portal is expected to be launched so that the data is available in Public Domain. In a nut shell, MCTS not only facilitates closer monitoring and regular check-ups of pregnant women and reduces avoidable complications but aids strategic decision-making and need based allocation of resources also. (PIB Features).

Red Cross – A Ray of Hope

S. Sivakumar
Red Cross Day falls on 8th of May. Back in 1963 the American President John F Kennedy reminded the world of this selfless movement and exhorted men and women to become part of this movement.
“Today as the Red Cross embarks upon its second century of service, each of us has an opportunity and an obligation to become a part of this humanitarian tradition. For only through our help is this important work made possible.” : President John F. Kennedy on the 100th anniversary of the Red Cross Movement, 1963.Polio and Malaria – Joint Exercises
Let us recall the significant contribution of Indian Red Cross towards the Global Polio Eradication Programme in India. The country reached a major milestone in the history of polio eradication on 13 January, 2012, where we witnessed a 12-month period in which no case of polio was recorded. Indian Red Cross volunteers and staff played a noteworthy role in the dissemination of information to the general public, about the importance of preventing, controlling and eliminating the virus that causes paralysis, muscular atrophy and permanent deformity among children, on account of polio. The Indian Red Cross has also implemented Polio Programmes in the States of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh where Polio had high prevalence.
April 25, is observed as the World Malaria Day, the theme being “Sustain Gains, Save Lives: Invest in Malaria”. The Indian Red Cross supported by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in 2010-11 had implemented the Malaria Prevention and Control Programme in the two high malaria prevalence states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The objectives were the distribution of 40,000 LLIN (Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets) in two states and supplemented government efforts and by dissemination of knowledge about malaria and raising awareness especially at the community level. Among other activities, the volunteers made visits to households, engaged in interactive sessions with the community members about health and hygiene, stressed on early detection signs and symptoms, cautioned on protective measures to be taken and thus educated the community imparting adequate knowledge regarding this killer disease. The Governors of the States of Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands congratulated and lauded the efforts and achievements of the Indian Red Cross Society.
The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad speaking on an earlier World Red Cross remembrance day, said volunteers were the backbone and spirit of the Red Cross Movement. He was a great votary of voluntary blood donation and has had an opportunity to notice firsthand, the yeomen service rendered by volunteers in the wake of cloud burst tragedy at Leh that had occurred in August, 2010. People of Leh still cherish the two sanitation units set up by Red Cross volunteers.
Blood Storage Units – Upgradation
Regarding the upgraded Indian Red Cross Model Blood Bank, Dr. S.P. Agarwal, Secretary General, said that the Society collects 85% blood from voluntary donors and aims to achieve 100% voluntary blood soon. He added, the latest equipments such as automatic Elisa & serology processor, cold-room to store 2000 units of whole blood at 4 degree Celsius, storage of 5000 units of frozen plasma at -40 degree Celsius, equipments for component separation, transfusion transmitted infectious markers are being added. He added with hope that with the procurement of a mobile blood collection van, the society would help in achieving the target of 100% voluntary blood donation.
Functioning in Indian States
Indian Red Cross Society’s, Nellore District Branch (Andhra Pradesh) renders service to the community through Health activities and Medical Camps. It has an active Vaccination Centre and a Blood Bank,is involved with a Spastics Centre,has undertaken a Cancer Project,runs an Aids clinic, educates men on Disaster Relief and provides opportunity for youth by giving them a chance of joining Junior Red Cross/Youth Red Cross. It also has a Pinakini Gandhi Ashram which stands second only to Gandhiji’s Ashram at Sabarmathi at the National Level.
The Kottayam (Kerala) Red Cross Branch has been involved in multifarious welfare activities in the areas of health and social welfare. Red Cross Nursing and Employment Scheme (RCNES) is a project aimed at catering to the needs of the nuclear family in modern times, Red Cross Nursing Training Course is given every month for selected men and women. Supplying of free medicines to poor patients as per the prescription of doctors from all over the district is another noble act of this Centre. A well furnished service counter is functional at the Medical College, Kottayam. The Kottayam Red Cross Branch maintains a directory of willing blood donors. They have also conducted numerous eye donation awareness camps all over the district
Junior Red Cross (JRC) is active in Tamil Nadu. A two day JRC training camp was organized at Melakottaiyur where 172 Juniors and 32 Counsellors from 54 schools participated. Sessions were covered on History of Red Cross, Eye donation, Personality Development and culminated with Cultural activities by Juniors. Officers from Educational Districts like chief Educational Officer & District Educational Officer also participated in this two day camp. A three day Training camp for JRC students was conducted from 1.3.2012 to 3.3.2012 at Usilampatti involving 205 Juniors and 20 counsellors from 23 schools in which sessions were covered on history of Red Cross, Global Warming , Aids Awareness, First Aid & Road Safety.
History of Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
Young Swiss businessman Henri Dunant was the pioneer of the “Red Cross” activity. He was appalled by the condition of the wounded soldiers he happened to see in the battlefield of Solferino in Italy in 1859, during the Franco-Austrian war. He arranged relief services with the help of the local community immediately. What had occupied his thoughts, the aftermath of that war, became a book – A Souvenir of Solferino written in French, published in 1962 and became a passionate appeal against the inhumanity of war. Even today it is one of the most vivid and moving accounts of war, ever written. It suggested that a neutral organization be established to aid the wounded soldiers in times of war. Just a year after the release of this book, an international conference was convened in Geneva to consider the suggestions of Henry Dunant and thus the Red Cross Movement was born. International Red Cross Movement was established by Geneva Convention Act of 1864. The name and the emblem of the movement are derived from the reversal of the Swiss national flag, to honor the country in which Red Cross was founded.
Indian Red Cross Society
During the First World War – 1914 – India had no organization for relief services to the affected soldiers, except a branch of the St. John’s Ambulance Association and a Joint Committee of the British Red Cross. A bill to constitute the Indian Red Cross Society, independent of the British Red Cross, was passed on 17th March 1920 and became an Act in 1920. On 7th June 1920 , fifty members were formally nominated to constitute the Indian Red Cross Society and the first Managing Body was elected from among them. Tamil Nadu Branch has partnership with the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies through the National Headquarters and individuals and philanthropists in supporting its activities. In fact, the Indian Red Cross Society is auxiliary to the Government.
The Task Ahead
One word would suffice, participation. In fact, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi has a comprehensive Post-Graduate Diploma Course in Disaster Preparedness and Rehabilitation, under the aegis of the Red Cross Society which seeks to provide opportunities to obtain specialized qualification which has recognition on a global perspective and also provide a platform to professionals to build up capacity for training. One could become a member of this Society by visiting the url http://www.indianredcross.org/membership.htm.The words of John F Kennedy still keeps ringing in one’s ears and has its relevance even today.
The Red Cross often steps in when nobody else can, performs onerous tasks and plays a unique role based on its international standing. And for this reason it gives us, the entire humanity, a ray of hope.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/red-cross-a-ray-of-hope/

P Chidambaram on NCTC

The Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram addressed the Chief Ministers’ Meeting on National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in New Delhi . Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh chaired the meeting. Following is the text of Home Minister’s opening remarks:
“I welcome you to this meeting of the Chief Ministers to discuss an important subject. We met a little over two weeks ago and I deeply appreciate that the Chief Ministers have been able to find the time to meet once again. I thank the Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers for their gracious presence. I also thank my colleagues in the Central Government for kindly accepting our invitation.
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was passed by Parliament in 1967. No one has questioned the validity of the Act. After the horrific attacks in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, there was an universal demand for strengthening the laws dealing with terrorism. Since Parliament was in session, it was decided to act without loss of time. All political parties joined together and unanimously passed two legislations: Act 34 of 2008 which is the National Investigation Agency Act and Act 35 of 2008 to amend the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
In amending the UA(P)A, Parliament was mindful of its obligations not only to the people of India but to the international community as well. The preamble to the UA(P)A was amended and a reference was made to Resolution 1373 and other Resolutions of the Security Council requiring all Member States to take measures against terrorists and terrorist organisations and to the Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism (Implementation of Security Council Resolutions) Order, 2007.
A ‘terrorist act’ was defined more comprehensively. ‘Court’ was defined to include ‘Special Court’. New offences were added under Chapter IV. In Chapter VII, new sections 43A to 43F were inserted. A Schedule was added listing the 32 terrorist organisations as well as the organisations listed in the Order of 2007. With respect, I submit each one of these amendments was made after careful consideration, wide consultations and reasoned debate in Parliament.
In a note circulated earlier – and included in the agenda notes circulated for this meeting at pages 3-7 – we have dealt with the genesis, objectives, structure and powers of the National Counter Terrorism Centre. The note draws attention to section 2(e) of UA(P)A that provided for a ‘Designated Authority’. When section 43A was drafted, it was based on section 2(e) that was already part of the Act. The decision to vest certain powers in the Designated Authority was a conscious decision taken by Parliament. At the same time, Parliament took care to limit the exercise of powers under section 43A to cases where an offence under UA(P)A had been committed or there was a design to commit such an offence. Further limitations were placed through sections 43B and 43C. In fact, section 43B is a clear acknowledgement of the exclusive power of the State Government to register a case and deal with the arrested person or the seized article.
Although the Amendment Act was brought into force on 31.12.2008, it was only in December, 2009 that I was able to draw the outline of a new security architecture. We took note of the experience of other countries. In the US, the NCTC has the mandate to conduct CT operations involving all elements of national power. There are also the FBI and the Secret Service with nationwide jurisdiction. In Germany, there is the GTAZ (Joint Counter Terrorism Centre) and the GIZ (Joint Internet Surveillance Centre). In the Indian context, the National Counter Terrorism Centre, that will be an important pillar of the new security architecture, is based on the following premises:
1. That, under the Constitution of India, countering terrorism is a shared responsibility of the Central Government and the State Governments;
2. That terrorists do not recognise boundaries between countries or boundaries between States belonging to a country;
3. That many terrorist organisations have foot prints in several countries and have the capacity to commit terrorist acts across borders or boundaries;
4. That human resources alone are not sufficient to counter terrorism; technology is the key weapon in this conflict.
5. That we have obligations to the international community under the Resolutions of the Security Council.
6. That given India’s 7516 km coastline, 15,106 km of international borders with seven countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Bangladesh and Myanmar) and a number of international gateways, State Anti-Terrorist Forces would have to necessarily work with a number of agencies of the Central Government, especially when there are threats in the domain of sea, air and space.
I would like to take this opportunity to highlight a new dimension to terrorist threats. Hitherto, we confronted terrorist threats only in the physical space. Now, there are terrorist threats in the cyber space, which is the fifth domain after land, sea, air and space. Much of our critical infrastructure lies in cyber space. Cyber crimes such as hacking, financial fraud, data theft, espionage etc. would, in certain circumstances, amount to terrorist acts. Our counter terrorism (CT) capacity must be able to meet the threats in cyber space. Since there are no boundaries in cyber space, how will the Central Government and the State Governments share the responsibility to face the threats in cyber space?
When we last met, I had shared with you the good news that, in 2011 and until March, 2012, 21 terror modules had been neutralised, and that one half of the cases had been cracked through the joint efforts of the Central Agencies and the State Police concerned. Today, I wish to share with you the other side of the picture. There are cases where, despite inputs regarding the presence of terrorists, the security agencies concerned did not act either due to lack of capacity or lack of a timely decision. Most of these cases concerned so-called ‘jihadi’ terrorists and cadres of CPI (Maoist). What should the Central Government do in such cases?
Two days ago, Central agencies received specific inputs on an imminent terrorist attack. Several States were notified and specific targets were identified. Suppose it was a Central agency alone which had the opportunity to interdict the movement of the suspected terrorists, and if action had to be taken within hours or minutes, should the Central agency have the power and the duty to act immediately or not?
Ladies and Gentlemen, I have tried to place before you – and the people of this country – the rationale behind the NCTC and a Designated Authority. I am sure you would have noticed that the power to name a Designated Authority under section 2(e) is concurrent. Hence, we would welcome it if your State Government also designates its Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) as the Designated Authority of your State.
I would now draw your kind attention to paragraph 6.1 of the Order notifying the NCTC.
That paragraph is the key to understand how the NCTC will discharge its responsibilities. Paragraph 6.1 stipulates that “The Standing Council shall ensure that NCTC is the single and effective point of control and coordination of all counter terrorism measures.” Following the usual practice when a new body is created, we have circulated two Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs). One deals with the functions and powers of the Standing Council and the other deals with the Operations Division of the NCTC.
I sincerely hope that the two SoPs would address all the concerns raised by some Chief Ministers in their letters to the Prime Minister and the issues flagged by the Directors General of Police at the meeting convened by the Home Secretary on March 12, 2012.
In closing, I wish to assure you and the people of India that counter terrorism is a shared responsibility. That is what the Constitution says, that is the practical and prudent way forward. As State Governments build more capacity and inter-State cooperation becomes more effective, I suppose the Central Government can – and will – step back. Meanwhile, we have to work together. Working together – State Governments and the Central Government working together, the Opposition and the Treasury working together, civil society organisations and Government institutions working together – I am confident we can make the country more safe and more secure.
I look forward to an illuminating discussion and I seek your support to establish the NCTC.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/p-chidambaram-on-nctc/

PM’s address for National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) Meeting

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh addressed the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) meeting in Delhi. Following is the text of Prime Minister’s address:
“I welcome you to this very important meeting on the very important issue of operationalising the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).
As all of you know, we had initially intended to discuss this issue in the Chief Ministers` Conference on Internal Security held on 16th April, 2012. But in view of the importance of the matter and concerns raised by some Chief Ministers, we have decided to have a meeting exclusively on this important subject. It’s my sincere hope that as a result of your deliberations today, we will make further progress in improving our counter-terrorism architecture and our operational and institutional capabilities to deal with this menace. I also hope that today`s discussions will take place in a spirit of harmony and cooperation, which are essential in tackling the challenge of terrorism.
I would like to reiterate what I have said before. It is not our Government`s intention in any way to affect the distribution of powers between the States and the Union that our Constitution provides. The establishment of the NCTC is not a State versus Centre issue. The primary purpose behind setting up the NCTC is to coordinate counter-terrorism efforts throughout this vast country, as the Intelligence Bureau has been doing so far. The NCTC should be a vehicle of our combined efforts to reach the shared goal of curbing terrorism and eradicating militancy.
Terrorism is today one of the most potent threats to our national security. There can be no disagreement on putting in place an effective counter terrorism regime with efficient mechanisms and response systems both at the national level and at the State level. Neither the states nor the Centre can fulfill this task alone. The closest cooperation and coordination is therefore necessary to meet the threats that emanate from within and outside our borders.
I believe that it is the responsibility of the Centre to give form and shape to a cohesive national approach and strategy based on information gathered globally and from all the states of our Union. On their part, the states should use their expertise, knowledge and machinery to secure their own territories and work in coordination with the Centre and other States.
Since 26/11, we have diligently strengthened our counter terrorism capabilities both in the States and at the Centre. I believe that today the State and Central Police and intelligence agencies are working in harmony and in close coordination. These efforts have resulted in several noteworthy successes. The State Police forces have achieved some excellent results in the recent past. On the whole there is broad agreement on the strategy and measures that we must adopt to counter terrorism in all its multifarious dimensions in India, including cross-border terrorism, Left Wing Extremism, terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, insurgency in the North-East and religion based terrorism. However, much remains to be done.
Our government remains committed to working with the State governments and providing them all possible help in combating terrorism. We have been providing financial assistance to the States and helping them train State police and intelligence agencies. We are also implementing schemes on border management and on coastal security, and the scheme for modernization of state police forces. Our government will continue and strengthen these efforts.
The antecedents of the NCTC lie in the recommendations by a Group of Ministers and by the Administrative Reforms Commission, commencing from the lessons learnt in Kargil. It is our belief that the NCTC, in its design and its operational aspects, will supplement the counter-terrorism capabilities of the States and not supplant them. The NCTC mechanism will give each state agency an ability to see the bigger picture of terrorist threats and thus would enhance their counter terrorism capability and access to resources to tackle them.
But for the NCTC to function smoothly and effectively, it is very important that we have a fairly broad consensus on its powers and its functions. We would like the State governments to be with us in this important initiative, which we believe would strengthen our counter-terrorism efforts. We remain open to the suggestions of Chief Ministers. We would like to benefit from their vast knowledge, wisdom and experience.
In preparation for our discussions, the Ministry of Home Affairs has circulated drafts for the Standard Operating Procedures for the Standing Council and for the exercise of operational powers under section 43 A of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Both drafts reflect the detailed provisions for Centre-State coordination in both the organizational set-up of NCTC and in its proposed powers and functions.
With these words, I wish you success in your deliberations and I look forward to an open discussion today. May today`s deliberations enable us to continue working together to put in place even more effective counter-terrorism architecture in our country.

Perception Study on North East expose glaring knowledge gap

In a first of its kind survey about the perception of North East India amongst the people in rest of the country conducted by the North East India Image Managers (NEIim), a voluntary group of communication professionals, it was found that as high as 52% of the respondents have a negative perception about this region of India. Their immediate recall of ?North East India? is that of ?a region riddled with insurgency and most unsafe place in the country or most underdeveloped region with hardly any modern infrastructure and poor connectivity with the rest of the country or people with mongoloid features and weird food habit and an alien culture.
Key Highlights
52% respondents have a highly negative perception about North East India 76% have no idea about any peace talks going on between govt. and any militant group of NE91% have no knowledge about Northeast Industrial Policy 70% respondents won?t believe it if one states the fact that 3 of NE states have higher PCI than national average30% of professionals will never go and work in NE even if that best suits their career interest 75% respondents don’t know that the current UPA govt. has ministers hailing from Northeast42.7% advocates changes in the educational curriculum to provide more information about NE56.3% wants government to run mass awareness drive nationwide to educate people on NE
Another shocking revelation of the study is that 87% of the respondents could not name all the states of North East India. As many as 76% of the respondents had no idea about any peace talks that may be going on between any insurgent groups of North East India and Union Government of India. The findings of the survey indicate that due to the negative imagery that people have about the region even if they are given the best of the job offer and it suits their career interests best 30% of them will never go and work in Northeast while 52% are not sure if it?s a good idea to go and work there. Even if 71% of the respondents agree that the place is full of natural beauty, as many as 30% of them may not go on a vacation to Northeast. ?This testifies the fact that the picture has not really changed over the years. The stories of progress and peace from Northeast have not reached the people in the rest of the country yet. said NEIIM.
While 70% of the respondents can?t believe the fact that three North East Indian states have per capita income more than India’s national per capita income, as high as 91% did not know anything about Central Government?s Northeast Industrial Policy which gives special incentives for investments made in the region. 75% of the respondents don’t know whether the current UPA government has any minister representing any constituency of North East India. 56% of the respondents don?t know that there is an IIT, are Central Universities and a IIM in Northeast. NEIIM said,
This speaks about the failure of the governments both at centre as well as in the states to actually create awareness in the country. There is definite need to create communication programmes which break the myths about the region create a positive mindset among common people. The study, interim findings of which were released by NEIiM today, goes on to probe as how such a hiatus of knowledge was created and how to bridge it, 56.3% respondents said that the government should run special awareness campaigns using various media tools at national level to educate people about North East India. A sizeable 42.7% also advocated for changes in the curriculum in schools and colleges so that the children may know more about north east India.
Releasing the interim findings of the survey, NEIiM said about the methodology of the survey, We identified the target audience very selectively and we specifically targeted people who are from media, communication, advertising, public relations, human resources, finance and marketing and whose media consumption is considerably higher than any average person. We did an online survey using special online survey tools for most of our respondents and while for the rest traditional offline medium was used.
In total, data from over 400 working professionals based in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore and not hailing from Northeastern part of the country were captured during the course of the survey. These people work in the communication and service industry and keep a close tab on daily updates in the country.

Now, post the results, we were astonished by the fact that if the majority of our respondents did not know about North East region of India, how any common can man of India would know about them.
When the study further probed as to why they failed to have much information on North East India, a startling 61% said that they do not see much of north east India on national media. The perceived notion that people from north east India don?t mingle with others stand challenged as 51.6% of the respondents said that they started knowing whatever little about the culture and people of north east from their interaction with colleagues or friends from North East India. Almost 61% also believed that North East India provides a good platform for multi national and national corporations to invest. A whopping 89.7 % confirmed that the Union government should give special attention to North East India than what is being given now.
What is heart warming and interesting is that 93% of the respondents expressed that their desire to know more about Northeast India. 56% of the respondents feel that Government should run special awareness campaigns using various media vehicles at national level to educate people about Northeast while 43% suggest that school/college curriculum should include more information pertaining to history, geography, culture and economy of Northeast India.
The report throws up shocking revelations of lack of knowledge about a particular region and also a desire to learn and understand. The North East India Image Managers (NEIim) is working on the final draft of the report based on the findings which will also incorporate suggestions on facing the current situation which will be submitted to Ministry of Development of North Eastern region (DONER) as well as other important and concerned authorities for further action.
About NEIim: Northeast India Image Managers (NEIim) (http://www.facebook.com/groups/neimagemanagers/) is a group of PR/ Media / Brand Management/ Communications professionals hailing from Northeastern region of India and working in metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore etc. The group is aimed at discussing and finding out actionable issues pertaining to development and promotion of the image of Northeast India, which in the long run is expected to fill up the information and knowledge gap which has been existing leading to confusion about the people, society, economy and geography of Northeast amongst the rest of India.

World Press Freedom Day

M.V.S. Prasad, Joint Director, PIB, Chennai.
Dr K. Parameswaran, Assistant Director, PIB, Madurai.
The World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) was jointly established in 1991 by UNESCO and the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI), against the framework of a conference held in Windhoek, Namibia. This conference emphasized the idea that press freedom should be understood as necessitating pluralism and independence for the mass media at large. Since then, the World Press Freedom Day has been celebrated every year on May 3rd.
May 3rd was proclaimed World Press Freedom Day by the UN General Assembly also. This happened in 1993, following a recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO’s General Conference.
The day serves to inform citizens about various kinds of violations of press freedom – a grim reminder that publications are censored, fined, suspended and closed down, while journalists, editors and publishers are harassed and attacked. It is also the apt occasion to encourage and develop initiatives in favour of press freedom, and to assess the state of press freedom worldwide.
In more practical terms, freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and various forms of published material in printed as well as allied forms like photographs, videos etc. While such freedom mostly implies the absence of interference from an overreaching state, its preservation may be sought through constitutional as well as other legal provisions.
The Idea of Press Freedom.
Media freedom entails the right of any person to enjoy freedom of opinion and expression on a public basis. This includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers, as stated in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ICT (like text messaging) and social media have enabled the diffusion of vital information to reach the widest number of people in the shortest span of time. Equally importantly, the phenomenon of social media has also enabled protesters to self-organize, and thus engaged the global youth in the fight to be able to freely express themselves and the aspirations of their wider communities.
At the same time, it has to be noted that media freedom is extremely fragile. It is also important to recognize that it is not yet within the reach of everyone. While the enabling environment for true media freedom is improving, the harsh reality is that many in the world still do not have access to basic communication technology. Furthermore, as more reporting is transmitted online, more and more online journalists including bloggers are being harassed and attacked. UNESCO has even dedicated a webpage, UNESCO Remembers Assassinated Journalists.
States and governments too have a responsibility to ensure that national laws on freedom of expression are in accordance with internationally accepted principles as laid out in the Windhoek Declaration (adopted at Windhoek, Namibia) and UNESCO’s Media Development Indicators, which are both documents that they have endorsed.
Hindrances to Press Freedom
Media freedom is hindered mainly by two factors. One is a lack of any organized information system; the other is the lack of basic skills and literacy to access, understand and evaluate information. Many sections of the society not only lack access to express themselves publicly, but they are also deprived of ways of getting information that could educate and empower them. This lack of access has become a persistent paradox against the back ground of increasing spread of the World Wide Web and the consequent ease in accessing information.
According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), more than 60 percent of the world’s households still do not own a computer and no more than 35 percent of the world population consider themselves as “internet users” with the vast majority of those surveyed belonging to the “developing countries”. (This statistics is taken from a global study sponsored by the UNESCO).
Considering that the right to free speech and press freedom are deeply interconnected with the right to access information, it is a priority to bridge the digital divide both between and within countries. In fact, the participants at the recent 7th UNESCO Youth Forum underlined that democratizing access to ICTs is an urgent challenge. Universal access to information must be pursued especially in remote areas such as rural, remote and insular areas.
The Indian Context
In India, the constitution, while not mentioning the word “press”, provides for “the right to freedom of speech and expression” (Article 19(1) a). However this right is subject to restrictions under sub clause (2), whereby this freedom can be restricted for reasons of “soverignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, preserving decency, preserving morality, in relation to contempt, court, defamation, or incitement to an offense”.
For a proper functioning of democracy it is essential that citizens are kept informed about news from various parts of the country and even abroad, because only then can they form rational opinions. A citizen surely cannot be expected personally to gather news to enable him or her to form such opinions. Hence, the media play an important role in a democracy and serve as an agency of the people to gather news for them. It is for this reason that freedom of the press has been emphasized in all democratic countries, while it was not permitted in feudal or totalitarian regimes.
In developing countries like India, the media have a great responsibility to fight backward ideas such as casteism and communalism, and help the people in their struggle against poverty and other social evils.
“Since a large section of the people is backward and ignorant, it is all the more necessary that modern ideas are brought to them and their backwardness removed so that they become part of enlightened India. The media have a great responsibility in this respect”. (Justice Markandey Katju, Justice, Supreme Court).
Right to Information Act
It is against the background of the quality of access to information that has received world wide concern that the Right to Information Act 2005 passed by the Parliament acquires great significance. The act mandates timely response to citizen requests for government information.
Under the provisions of the Act, any citizen may request information from a “public authority” (a body of Government or “instrumentality of State”) which is required to reply expeditiously or within thirty days. The Act also requires every public authority to computerize their records for wide dissemination and to pro-actively publish certain categories of information so that the citizens need minimum recourse to request for information formally. This law was passed by Parliament on 15 June, 2005 and came fully into force on 13 October, 2005.
In short, the act empowers every citizen to ask any questions from the government or seek any information, take copies of any governmental documents, inspect any governmental documents, inspect any work undertaken by the government and take samples of materials of any governmental work.
Right to Information is a fundamental human right, crucial to human development, and a prerequisite for the realization of other human rights.
The experiences of the past seven years since the act has been in place shows that RTI has become a friend in need, making life easier and honorable for common people and empowers them to request and access public services successfully. (PIB Feature.)

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/world-press-freedom-day/

Improving the Justice Delivery System in the Country

K. K. Pant
Improving the Justice Delivery System in the Countrymaking it affordable and accessible to the common man all across the country. Increasing access by reducing delays and arrears in the system has also been the constant endeavor of the Union Government.
These initiatives of the Union Government inter-alia include measures for strengthening the judicial system, reviewing the strength of the judges from time to time and setting up of part time/special courts, improving infrastructure in the courts and increasing use of ICT for court management as well as for providing citizen-centric services at all levels starting from Supreme Court/ High Courts to the district and subordinate courts. Some of the initiatives are as follows:
The disposal of cases has been accelerated by undertaking special drives, the recent one being from 1st July, 2011 to 31st December, 2011. Of late, the Government has set up a National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms which will be addressing the issues of delays and arrears in the judicial system as well enforcing better accountability at all levels through a variety of methods which will include setting and monitoring of performance standard, enhancement of capacity through training at various levels etc.
Fast Track Courts were constituted as per the recommendations of the 11th Finance Commission. For these courts a provision of Rs. 502.90 crore was made for 2000-05. This scheme was extended later till 2010-11. As per the reports received, 1192 fast track courts were functional in the country as on 31.3.2011. Nearly 33 lakh cases were disposed of by the fast track courts over a period of 11 years of central assistance from 2000-01 to 2010-11.
The 13th Finance Commission has recommended a grant of Rs.5,000 crore for the states over a period of 5 years between 2010-2015. The amount will be provided as a grant to the States for various initiatives such as:
(i) Increasing the number of court working hours using the existing infrastructure by holding morning / evening / shift courts;
(ii) Enhancing support to Lok Adalats to reduce the pressure on regular courts;
(iii) Providing additional funds to State Legal Services Authorities to enable them to enhance legal aid to the marginalized and empower them to access justice;
(iv)Promoting the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism to resolve part of the disputes outside the court system;
(v)Enhancing capacity of judicial officers and public prosecutors through training programmes;
(vi) Supporting creation or strengthening of a judicial academy in each State to facilitate such training;
(vii) Creation of the post of Court Managers in every judicial district and High Courts to assist the judiciary in their administrative functions; and
(viii) Maintenance of heritage court buildings.
An amount of Rs. 1,353.623 crore has already been released to the States on this account.
Under the central sector scheme of Computerization of the District and Subordinate Courts (e-Courts Project) in the country and for up-gradation of the ICT infrastructure of the Supreme Court and the High Courts, a total of 9,914 courts (out of 14,229 courts) have been computerized in the country as on 31.03.2012. Remaining courts will be computerized by 31.3.2014. In the second phase, digitization, library management, e-filing and establishment of data warehouse are expected to be added to the ongoing computerization and citizen-centric services.
The Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008 has been enacted for establishment of Gram Nyayalayas at the grassroots level for providing access to justice to citizens at their doorstep. The Central Government is providing assistance to States towards non-recurring expenses for setting up of Gram Nyayalayas subject to a ceiling of Rs. 18.00 lakh per Gram Nyayalaya. The Central Government also provides assistance towards recurring expenses for running these Gram Nyayatayas subject to a ceiling of Rs. 3.20 lakh per Gram Nyayaiaya per year for the first three years. As per the information received from the State Governments a total of 153 Gram Nyayalayas have already been notified so far. Out of these, 151 Gram Nyayalayas have already started functioning. An amount of Rs. 25.39 crore has been released to the State Governments for establishment of Gram Nyayalayas during last three years.
A Centrally Sponsored Scheme for development of infrastructure facilities for the judiciary is being implemented since 1993-94 under which central assistance for construction of court buildings and residential quarters for judicial officers is released to augment the resources of the State Governments.
The expenditure on the scheme is shared by the Centre and the State Governments on 75:25 basis, except for States in North East Region, which is on 90:10 basis. An expenditure of Rs. 1,841 crore has been incurred on this scheme up to 31.03.2012. For legal empowerment of the marginalized people in India an externally aided Project ‘Access to Justice for Marginalized People in India’ is being implemented in the selected 7 States, with the support of UNDP.
These 7 States are: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The interventions under the Project are focused on strengthening access to justice for the poor, particularly women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and minorities. The Project seeks, on the one hand, to improve the institutional capacities of key justice service providers to enable them to effectively serve the poor and disadvantaged. On the other hand, it aims to directly empower the poor and disadvantaged men and women to seek and demand justice services.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/improving-the-justice-delivery-system-in-the-country/

Small step towards dignity of labour

Sarita Brara
Raghunath Lohar, an aeronautical student was walking past a construction site when he saw woman carrying bricks on her head lose her balance. A heavy brick fell on her foot and broke her toes. He felt bad for the woman but more than that this incident raised several questions in his mind. What for is he an engineer if he cannot devise an implement that could help lessen the burden of these people. He started thinking of ways on how this could be done. Then he saw an advertisement from the National Innovation Council which called for proposals on models that could reduce the drudgery of the workers. This gave him an incentive to start working on what he had been thinking ever since he saw the woman labourer break her toes. Finally he was able to design a vessel desk. Bricks and other material could be put in this vessel and the light desk to carry it was so designed that it distributed the burden on the two shoulders instead of the whole weight falling on the head. Also there was no question of losing the balance with this implement. He sent the design to National Innovation Council. His model was selected for the award which carried a cash prize of 50,000 rupees. The vessel desk can be used by both men and women.
Raghunath has also designed different kinds of attachments to go with the model for use separately by farmers or other workers to reduce their drudgery. Also the model suits the Indian conditions. Raghunath says that it cost him between 700 to 800 rupees to make this model. He feels that the model can be improved upon and produced on a large scale for use by construction workers.
We often see women young and old carrying loads of bricks and other construction material on their heads or men carrying huge sacks of food grains and other stuff or these people breaking stones at construction sites in severe weather conditions risking all kinds of injuries. Also we see men with bare bodies getting into manholes to clean sewers without any safe guards or proper implements. While science and technology in our country has advanced by leaps and bounds very little thought has gone into manufacturing simple and low cost implements that could reduce the risks of injury, pain and physical burden and drudgery of the working class.
These questions had bothered him says Sam Pitroda, the Chairman of the National Innovation Council.
Mr. Pitroda says that attention has for too long been focused on the problems of the rich and there was a need for Indian model of inclusive innovation that focused on the poor and the common man.
The Council therefore decided to make a beginning by the launch of ‘The Challenge’ last year seeking innovative ideas in the areas of design improvement of work implements, new equipment, techniques for different kind of workers to reduce their drudgery. The challenge was not only to work on implements, processes, and models that could improve work conditions, but these innovations should not lead to labour displacement.
More than 450 proposals and designs of models were received this year. Six of them were selected for the first ever innovation awards of this kind. Among the six winning innovations was a low cost cycle for the physically challenged. Although in the developed countries, the physically challenged are not dependent on others because they have different kinds of aids that help them in coping with their day to day life. In our country unfortunately even simple gadgets have either not been devised or made available to the physically challenged to make their life less dependent on others.
The proposal came from three young men from Chennai. The Cycle is for the disabled without hands.
What motivated them to work on this model?
Once when the three young men Mahesh PV, Ajith T Alex and Anand Ganesh were travelling they saw a one-handed person getting into the bus with great difficulty. That time they took the decision that some transportation facility has to be made for reducing the difficulty of a handless person. Then during a brain-storming session they decided to start working on a cycle that could be driven by people who lost their arms and hands. This cycle is not only cost effective but eco-friendly as well.
The three young men are now continuing their talks with the government for further expansion to reach the needy and reducing their difficulty and dependence on others.
Their challenge now is to work on a cycle that could be driven by a physically challenged person who does not have either hands or feet.
Manjunath’s display Unit for small Hawkers and Street Vendors was also selected for the award.
Manjunath was already working on Street vendors in his Master’s thesis Projects. So he could use the case study of his thesis the Post Your Ideas Program by National innovation council.
This model is for Direct and semi-processing retail products. There are some limitations like the size of the products but it is transformable furniture and can be moved quickly and easily. It’s handy and can be moved from one place to another without any difficulty. The material used to make the product can be recyclable plastic. The idea behind his model is also to save the space which is shrinking with increasing population
Jitendra Das, former Asst Engineer with KMC Kolkata says that all his life he had been seeing the workers getting into manholes and cleans sewerages and that is why he created the model of a picking
Grab for sanitation workers without exposing hands.
The ideas generated by this first innovation challenge says the Council is just a starting point to involve the wider community to solve the problem of the bottom of the pyramid. What the chairman the National Innovation council wants is a legislation focused on dignity of labour. He says that to start with at least at the construction sites of projects that are funded by the government, the workers should be provided with facilities like portable toilets and implements like wheel barrow.
The council has taken the first step to provide dignity to labour by the launch of the innovative challenge for implements to reduce the drudgery of the workers, the onus is now on the polity of the country to ensure through laws that every worker in the country gets at least minimum basic amenities and are given the dignity they truly deserve. (PIB Feature.)
May 1st is International Labour Day.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/small-step-towards-dignity-of-labour/

Industries where Employing Child Labour is banned

The Union Labour & Employment Minister Shri Mallikarjun Kharge has informed the Rajya Sabha that the Government of India has banned employment of children below 14 years for dhabas and domestic work. As per 2001 census, the total number of working children between the age group 5-14 years in the country was 1.26 crore out of which 12 lakh children were working in hazardous occupations and processes including domestic workers, Dhabas/Restaurants etc. However, as per NSSO survey 2009-10, the working children are estimated at 49.84 lakh which shows declining trend. The details of the industries where employment of children as per the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 is prohibited is at Annexure-I.
States/UT Governments are appropriate Government for implementation of the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 in the areas comes under their jurisdiction. Under Section 3 of the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986, prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 years in 18 Occupations and 65 Processes. Any person who employs a child in any occupation or process where employment of children is prohibited under the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, is liable for punishment with imprisonment for term which shall not be less than 3 months but which may extend to one year or with fine ranging from Rs.10,000/- to Rs.20,000/-.
ST/-
ANNEXURE-I
List of Occupations & Processes prohibited under the Act.
Part A
Occupations (Non Industrial Activity)
Any occupation concerned with: –
(1) Transport of passengers, goods or mails by railways;
(2) Cinder picking, clearing of an ash pit or building operation in the railway premises;
(3) Work in a catering establishment at a railway station, involving the movement of a vendor or any other employee of the establishment from the one platform to another or in to or out of a moving train;
(4) Work relating to the construction of a railway station or with any other work where such work is done in close proximity to or between the railway lines;
(5) A port authority within the limits of any port;
(6) Work relating to selling of crackers and fireworks in shops with temporary licenses;
(7) Abattoirs/Slaughter House;
(8) Automobile workshops and garages;
(9) Foundries;
(10) Handling of toxic or inflammable substances or explosives;

(11) Handloom and power loom industry;
(12) Mines (underground and under water) and collieries;
(13) Plastic units and fibreglass workshops;
(14) Domestic workers or servants;
(15) Dhabas (roadside eateries), restaurants, hotels, motels, tea shops, resorts, spas or other recreational centers; and
(16) Diving.
(17) Caring of elephant.
(18) Working in the circus.
Part B
Processes (Industrial Activity)
(1) Beedi-making.
(2) Carpet-weaving including preparatory and incidental process thereof”;
(3) Cement manufacture, including bagging of cement.
(4) Cloth printing, dyeing and weaving including processes preparatory and incidental thereto:
(5) Manufacture of matches, explosives and fire-works.
(6) Mica-cutting and splitting.
7) Shellac manufacture.
(8) Soap manufacture.
(9) Tanning.
(10) Wool-cleaning.
(11) Building and construction industry including processing and polishing of granite stones”
(12) Manufacture of slate pencils (including packing).
(13) Manufacture of products from agate.
(14) Manufacturing processes using toxic metals and substances such as lead, mercury, manganese, chromium, cadmium, benzene, pesticides and asbestos.
(15) “Hazardous processes” as defined in Sec. 2 (cb) and ‘dangerous operation’ as notice in rules made under section 87 of the Factories Act, 1948 (63 of 1948)
(16) Printing as defined in Section 2(k) (iv) of the Factories Act, 1948 (63 of 1948)
(17) Cashew and cashewnut descaling and processing.
(18) Soldering processes in electronic industries.
(19) Aggarbatti’ manufacturing.
(20) Automobile repairs and maintenance including processes incidental thereto namely, welding, lathe work, dent beating and painting.
(21) Brick kilns and Roof tiles units.
(22) Cotton ginning and processing and production of hosiery goods.
(23) Detergent manufacturing.
(24) Fabrication workshops (ferrous and non ferrous)
(25) Gem cutting and polishing.
(26) Handling of chromite and manganese ores.
(27) Jute textile manufacture and coir making.
(28) Lime Kilns and Manufacture of Lime.
(29) Lock Making.
(30) Manufacturing processes having exposure to lead such as primary and secondary smelting, welding and cutting of lead-painted metal constructions, welding of galvanized or zinc silicate,polyvinyl chloride, mixing (by hand) of crystal glass mass, sanding or scraping of lead paint, burning of lead in enamelling workshops, lead mining, plumbing, cable making, wiring patenting, lead casting, type founding in printing shops. Store typesetting, assembling of cars, shot making and lead glass blowing.
(31) Manufacture of cement pipes, cement products and other related work.
(32) Manufacture of glass, glass ware including bangles, florescent tubes, bulbs and other similar glass products.
(33)Manufacture of dyes and dye stuff.
(34) Manufacturing or handling of pesticides and insecticides.
(35) Manufacturing or processing and handling of corrosive and toxic substances, metal cleaning and photo engraving and soldering processes in electronic industry.
(36) Manufacturing of burning coal and coal briquettes.
(37) Manufacturing of sports goods involving exposure to synthetic materials, chemicals and leather.
(38) Moulding and processing of fiberglass and plastic.
(39) Oil expelling and refinery.
(40) Paper making.
(41) Potteries and ceramic industry.
(42) Polishing, moulding, cutting, welding and manufacturing of brass goods in all forms.
(43) Processes in agriculture where tractors, threshing and harvesting machines are used and chaff cutting.
(44) Saw mill – all processes.
(45) Sericulture processing.
(46) Skinning, dyeing and processes for manufacturing of leather and leather products.
(47) Stone breaking and stone crushing.
(48) Tobacco processing including manufacturing of tobacco, tobacco paste and handling of tobacco in any form.
(49) Tyre making, repairing, re-treading and graphite beneficiation.
(50) Utensils making, polishing and metal buffing.
(51) ‘Zari’ making (all processes)’.
(52) Electroplating;
(53) Graphite powdering and incidental processing;
(54) Grinding or glazing of metals;
(55) Diamond cutting and polishing;
(56) Extraction of slate from mines;
(57) Rag picking and scavenging;
(58) Processes involving exposure to excessive heat (e.g. working near furnace) and cold;
(59) Mechanised fishing;
(60) Food Processing;
(61) Beverage Industry;
(62) Timber handling and loading;
(63) Mechanical Lumbering;
(64) Warehousing;
(65) Processes involving exposure to free silica such as slate, pencil industry, stone grinding, slate stone mining, stone quarries, and agate industry.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/industries-where-employing-child-labour-is-banned/

‘Solar’ India

M.V.S. Prasad
Joint Director, PIB, Chennai.
World’s production and use of energy over the past two decades have shown striking changes. Use of electricity has risen phenomenally resulting in a remarkable difference in the pattern of energy consumption. The initial options that we had for switching fuel resource presented larger challenges in terms of global warming coupled with almost dwindling fossil fuel resources.
When we look at the world’s energy resources, oil, natural gas and coal seem to be still riding the crest and the contribution of renewable seems marginal at this juncture.
Solar energy seems to enjoy a better edge over the others at this juncture due to vigorous pursuit to transform it into an attractive and economic option. Power consumption in India has been increasing fast due to population growth and economic development. India has tremendous energy needs and faces an uphill task in meeting these requirements through traditional means of power generation.
The Indian economy faces increasing challenges because energy supply is struggling to keep pace with demand, and there are energy shortages of 10-13% daily almost everywhere in the country. Because India has so many black-outs, many factories and households use emergency generators and inverters as back-ups. This back-up power could be supplied by solar energy.
Solar has the potential to transform the Indian economy in the same way as the Information Technology (IT). India is in a unique position to introduce clean energy solutions on an enormous scale to provide affordable energy for everyone – especially the poor. From an energy security perspective, solar is the most secure of all sources, since it is abundantly available. Theoretically, a small fraction of the total incident solar energy (if captured effectively) can meet the entire country’s power requirements. It is also clear that given the large proportion of poor and energy un-served population in the country, every effort needs to be made to exploit the relatively abundant sources of energy available to the country. The National Solar Mission has targeted to deploy 20 million solar lighting systems for rural areas by 2022.
India is blessed with about an estimated 5000 TWh of solar radiation. This vast resource can be tapped to meet the growing energy demand. Even if a tenth of this potential is utilised, it could solve the country’s power problems. India could lead the world by embracing solar power, if favourable policies and business models are evolved and implemented nationwide.India should take full advantage of this golden opportunity because solar energy has particular relevance in remote and rural areas, where around 289 million people live without access to electricity. Solar energy is the most cost-effective option for India to reduce energy poverty without having to extend national grid services to provide power for individual homes and buildings. Solar energy to power computers to assist learning in schools and hostels, Management Information System (MIS) to assist better management of forests, powering milk chilling plants, empowering women Self Help Groups (SHGs) involved in tussar silk reeling, cold chain management for Primary Health Centres (PHCs) are some examples of new areas, being tried successfully in the country.
A State/UT wise list of grid solar power projects commissioned so far is as follows:
S.No.
State / UT
Capacity (kWp)
Andhra Pradesh 100
Arunanchal Pradesh 25
Gujarat 5000
Karnataka 6000
Kerala 25
Madhya Pradesh 100
Maharashtra 1000
Punjab 2325
Rajasthan 4950
Tamil Nadu 5050
Uttar Pradesh 375
Uttarakhand 50
West Bengal 1150
Andaman & Nicobar 100
Delhi 2142
Lakshadweep 750
Puducherry 25
Others 790
Total 29957
Launching the National Action Plan on Climate Change on June 30, 2008, the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said “our vision is to make India’s economic development energy-efficient. Over a period of time, we must pioneer a graduated shift from economic activity based on fossil fuels to one based on non-fossil fuels and from reliance on non-renewable and depleting sources of energy to renewable sources of energy. In this strategy, the sun occupies centre-stage, as it should, being literally the original source of all energy. We will pool our scientific, technical and managerial talents, with sufficient financial resources, to develop solar energy as a source of abundant energy to power our economy and to transform the lives of our people. Our success in this endeavour will change the face of India. It would also enable India to help change the destinies of people around the world.”Support
The National Solar Mission is a major initiative of the Government of India and State Governments to promote ecologically sustainable growth while addressing India’s energy security challenge. It will also constitute a major contribution by India to the global effort to meet the challenges of climate change.
The National Action Plan on Climate Change also points out: “India is a tropical country, where sunshine is available for longer hours per day and in great intensity. Solar energy, therefore, has great potential as future energy source. It also has the advantage of permitting the decentralized distribution of energy, thereby empowering people at the grassroots level”.
Solar is currently high on absolute costs compared to other sources of power such as coal. The objective of the Solar Mission is to create conditions, through rapid scale-up of capacity and technological innovation to drive down costs towards grid parity. The Mission has set an ambitious target to create an enabling policy framework for the deployment of 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022 and to ramp up capacity of grid-connected solar power generation to 1000 MW. The Solar Mission has set a target of 1000 MW by 2017, which may appear small, but its reach will add up to bringing changes in millions of households .For the first phase,a target has been fixed to set up 1,100 MW of grid connected solar power plants by March, 2013.
Asia’s first and largest Solar Park has been set up at Charanka in Gujarat. The 3000 acre state of the art park has generation capacity of 500 MW with training facilities as well. Incidentally, Gujarat has taken the lead in solar power generation and has been contributing 2/3rds of total 900 MW solar power generated in the country. The state government is also working on a solar energy policy, which is likely to be launched soon.
India is endowed with vast solar energy potential. About 5,000 trillion kWh per year energy is incident over India’s land area with most parts receiving 4-7 kWh per sq. m per day. Hence both technology routes for conversion of solar radiation into heat and electricity, namely, solar thermal and solar photovoltaic, can effectively be harnessed providing huge scalability for solar in India.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) industry has demonstrated unprecedented growth over the recent past, with increased demand for solar power attracting more and more players into the market. The price of solar panels has come down considerably. This has made solar technology more competitive. The Government may consider favourable tax structures as well as provide financial resources for community solar farms as part of the energy development programmes.
Solar irradiance, economic installation costs, Government support and financing conditions in all probability, are likely to drive the growth of the solar photo-voltaic technology. The falling generation cost is another encouraging factor for the technology to emerge as the largest and most stable demand segment. Power cannot be produced at night or cloudy days is history as concentrated solar power plants and Nano-antennas are being developed to capture residual heat to overcome this limitation. Remote communities could eventually make their own solar cells using waste vegetation, thanks to a design developed by researchers in Switzerland and the United States. The technology is inspired by photosynthesis Most of the solar installations are supported by incentives. However, until the efficiency of solar cell improves and the cost of generation competes with that of conventional energy, solar energy can only have a limited role.
Solar energy is a win-win for India and the environment, and India should make it a mainstream component of its energy diversification. There is really no better economical choice for the country.
Renewable energy is also an attractive investment opportunity because it will provide long-term economic growth for the country. A favourable renewable energy policy could create millions of jobs.
As American economist and author Jeremy Rifkin rightly said, India can usher in a third industrial revolution by properly utilising its renewable energy resources. In fact, progress on renewable energy front could determine the future road map for human sustainability.
Solar Energy has the potential to re-energise India’s economy by creating millions of new jobs, achieve energy independence, reduce the trade deficit and propel the nation forward as a ‘green nation’. In short, solar power offers too many benefits for India to ignore or delay its development. (PIB Feature.)

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/solar-india/