“Free healthcare for pregnant women, infants”-The money for the scheme would be provided through the NRHM-26/5/11

“Free healthcare for pregnant women, infants”

Aarti Dhar

Toll-free number may be called for transport at time of labour

In a bid to improve the maternal and infant mortality in the country, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has decided to provide free nutritious food, treatment, and transportation to all pregnant women who go to government facilities for delivery. Free healthcare services will also be provided to the newborns, as and when required.

To be launched on June 1 from Mewat, Haryana, the scheme will be applicable for all women from the sub-centre to the district hospital levels which are covered under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). Expenses for diagnostics, any surgical interventions, and nutritious food will be provided up to seven days, if need be.

The Centre would undertake the costs involved in transporting pregnant women to and from medical centres, including dropping her back home, said Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

As of now, transportation facility is provided only for taking pregnant women to the health care facility during emergency or for delivery. States have been asked to ensure provision of free services to pregnant women as well as to sick infants in government health institutions. This would include, Mr. Azad said, the provision of free drugs, free consumables and diagnostics, free diet during stay and free transport.

There would be a toll-free number for every State which could be called for transport.

The money for the scheme would be provided through the NRHM and its implementation would also be monitored through the NRHM mechanism.

Also expressing concern over the selective abortion of girls, the Minister said the re-constituted Central Supervisory Board (CSB) was scheduled to meet on June 4 and all the States had been asked to give a report on the steps taken, in the past two years, under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994, to prevent female foeticide. Describing as alarming the skewed sex ratio in the country, Mr. Azad said figures that had come up in the latest Census report would also be discussed during the meeting.

Highlighting the achievements of his Ministry in the past two years, Mr. Azad said the government had for the first time in three decades started talking of population stabilisation openly by promoting family planning.

Keywords: pregnant women healthcare

भागलपुरनिगमके पाइप से नहीं निकल रहा -करीब एक सौ घंटे से निगम के पाइपों से पानी नहीं मिल रहा है।

निगम के पाइप से नहीं निकल रहा पानी

May 24, 11:41

• Twitter
• Delicious
• Facebook

भागलपुर, कार्यालय संवाददाता : बिजली संकट का असर सबसे अधिक पेयजल आपूर्ति पर हुआ है। निगम के जनता नलों पर पानी के लिए सुबह से लंबी कतारें लगी हुई हैं। करीब एक सौ घंटे से निगम के पाइपों से पानी नहीं मिल रहा है। सभी मोहल्लों में पानी के लिए हाहाकार मचा हुआ है। लोगों को गला तर करने के लिए भी पानी नहीं मिल रहा है। नगर निगम वैकल्पिक इंतजाम करने में विफल हो गया है। पिछले शनिवार से नगर निगम द्वारा संचालित वाटर व‌र्क्स और बोरिंगों से पानी नहीं निकल रहा है। निगम के जल स्त्रोत पर निर्भर रहने वाले लोगों का बुरा हाल है। स्नान करना तो दूर खाना बनाने के लिए भी भटकना पड़ रहा है। बरारी वाटर व‌र्क्स अपनी क्षमता का दस प्रतिशत भी पेयजलापूर्ति नहीं कर पा रहा है।

क्या कहते हैं जलकल अधीक्षक

जलकल अधीक्षक हरेराम चौधरी कहते हैं कि जब तक लगातार चार घंटे बिजली नहीं मिलेगी तब तक पानी का स्टॉक तैयार नहीं होगा। अभी एक-एक घंटा के अंतराल पर बिजली मिलने से काम नहीं हो पा रहा है। उनके मुताबिक यह स्थिति पिछले तीन दिनों से बनी है। हालांकि जलकल अधीक्षक यह दावा करते हैं कि कम से कम 10 लाख गैलन की आपूर्ति की गई है। श्री चौधरी कहते हैं कि 18 घंटे बिजली मिलने से वे 70 लाख गैलन पानी की आपूर्ति करने में सक्षम हैं।

टैंकर से व्यवस्था

निगम के तातारपुर स्थित गोदाम से शहर के कुछ स्थानों पर टैंकर से जलापूर्ति की गई है। गोदाम प्रभारी महेश प्रसाद साह कहते हैं कि महापौर के निर्देश पर छात्रावासों सहित कुछ मोहल्लों में टैंकर को भेजा गया। यहां जरनेटर चलाकर टैंकरों को भरा गया है।

The Incredible Change in Bihar - An article from Forbes India Posted on 24 May, 2011 by admin in Vihara

The Incredible Change in Bihar - An article from Forbes India

Posted on 24 May, 2011 by admin in Vihara

Nitish Kumar cracks the whip on corrupt babus - government officials:

Bihar was once considered the most corrupt state in the country. When Nitish Kumar took over as chief minister and made noises about cleaning up the system, not many took him seriously. But during his first term, he locked up more than 55,000 criminals to make Bihar almost crime-free. In his second stint, Kumar is aiming for a systemic overhaul. It’s a remarkable case study of a state, once known to be the worst-governed in the country, showing the way to more advanced states on innovative means to tackle corruption.

It’s not easy to crack the whip on Bihar’s bureaucracy as the babus have been masters for several decades now. However, Kumar seems to be relentless in making the government servants accountable. He has also lent his support to Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption crusade. Hazare had praised Kumar for the steps taken to make governance transparent, which has improved the quality of life in rural areas. It’s history in the making and that’s why we did the story.

WHERE THE STORY STANDS: Nitish Kumar’s attempts at reining in corruption have made a tremendous impact on the state’s administration. In 2009, special courts were set up to try corruption cases. Now, the state has made it compulsory for government servants to declare their assets. In March, the state government warned more than 70,000 officials that their salaries would be withheld till they submitted their declaration forms. More than 85 percent of over 4.5 lakh government officials, including Indian Administrative Service and Indian Police Service officers in Bihar, have submitted details of their assets. Kumar and his ministers have also put up their declaration forms on the state’s Web site. There is now palpable fear among government officers as they know that the government is in a proactive mode to tackle corruption. “It’s very clear that the administration means business and so the officers know that the pressure on the anti-corruption front would be relentless. One after the other, people are giving details of their assets,” says a government officer.

Read more: http://business.in.com/article/special/a-look-back-the-incredible-change...

Up to 12 million girls aborted in India over last 30 years:study-Aborting girls on rise among educated and rich-May 24, 2011

Up to 12 million girls aborted in India over last 30 years:study...(ITS A SAD STATE MUST BE CHECKED,I HAVE WRITTEN ARTICLE ON IT FEW YEARS BACK...VT)

HONG KONG | Tue May 24, 2011 6:34am EDT

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Up to 12 million girls were aborted over the last three decades in India by parents that tended to be richer and more educated, a large study in India found, and researchers warned that the figure could rise with falling fertility rates.

The missing daughters occurred mostly in families which already had a first born daughter. Although the preference for boys runs across Indian society, the abortions were more likely to be carried out by educated parents who were aware of ultrasound technology and who could afford abortions.

"The number of girls being aborted is increasing and may have reached 12 million with the lower estimate of 4 million over the last three decades," said lead author Professor Prabhat Jha at the Center for Global Health Research in Toronto, Canada.

"The logic is families are saying if Nature gives us a first boy, then we don't do anything. But if Nature gives a first girl then perhaps we would consider ultrasound testing and selective abortion for the subsequent children," he told Reuters in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

Jha said the preference for boys in Indian society remains firmly in place and the reason why abortions of female fetuses were occurring more among richer and educated parents was because they could afford to do so.

"The preference for boys doesn't differ between rich and poor, it is similar. But the means to ensure a boy is greater among the educated and the rich," Jha said.

ABORTION OF GIRLS MAY INCREASE WITH LOWER FERTILITY

Jha and his colleagues, who published their study in The Lancet, said abortion of girls in India was different from the situation in China, where a one-child policy results in even abortions of the first girl.

"In India, we don't see that yet and there is no required one-child policy. But the concern is that if urban women decide they only want one child, then this practice may spread from second or third child to the first, so this is a future risk that we have identified," Jha said.

Jha's team analyzed data from three national health surveys conducted over different time periods from 1992 to 2006, where over 300,000 mothers between the ages of 15 to 49 were interviewed for their birth history.

The researchers also analyzed data of three cohorts of children born from 1990 to 2005.

They found the sex ratio for the second child in homes where the first born was a girl fell to 836 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2005, from 906 to every 1,000 boys in 1990.

"There were 4 million to 12 million selective abortions from 1980 to 2010 and just in the last decade, about 3 to 6 million, so the problem is increasing," Jha said.

India enacted a law in 1996 to prevent the use of scanning for prenatal sex determination and selective abortion of girls but Jha said it was very difficult to enforce because of a huge unregulated private medical practice.

"Until the government brings health reforms in place and brings doctors into a publicly financed accountable system, it's difficult to go that route," he said.

(Reporting by Tan Ee Lyn; Editing by Miral Fahmy)

Sania Mirza counted among women who shake Pak- # The Hindu/ Sania a great 'shaker' in Pakistan-26/5/11

Sania Mirza counted among women who shake Pak

ISLAMABAD: Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza, who married Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik last year, has been included in a list of 100 women who shake Pakistan ".

Mirza, who chose to live in Dubai after her high-profile and controversial marriage to Malik, finds a mention in the list alongside former federal minister Sherry Rehman , women's rights champion Mukhtaran Mai, and Um-e Hassan, the wife of hardline Lal Masjid cleric.

The list compiled by Newsweek Pakistan magazine describes Mirza as a "tennis pro (who) has been welcomed by Pakistanis as their own".

Many Pakistanis have expressed surprise at Mirza being included in the list.

"One conflicting lady is Sania Mirza whom I think cannot and should not be included in this list unless she becomes a Pakistani citizen," posted a Pakistani housewife who blogs by the same name.

"How did Sania Mirza make it to that list. Last I saw her she was winning games for India. Don't mean to be harsh or anything but isn't this thread about proud Pakistani women?" wrote a reader on the defence.pk website.

A "Karachi feminist" pooh-poohed the list, saying "it fits the paradigm of how westerners write about Pakistan.

"If it's not going to be the terror militant suicide angle, then it should be about defiance, spirit, resilience - their art, their bold and talented women, their unique industries," the author posted on her blog lurkinginambush.blogspot.com.

Are our politicians world class, Jairam asked-May 25, 2011

Are our politicians world class, Jairam asked

Before Jairam Ramesh talks about IIT/IIM faculty being world-class, he should comment if our politicians are worldclass - Chetan Bhagat/

(Good to ask such questions to introspect own team/community/group first and do self introspections also....!!...If one can expose them,then try to motivated them as well!!!....VT)

Neha Pushkarna, TNN | May 25, 2011, 03.20am IST

DELHI: Environment minister Jairam Ramesh's pitiless trashing of the quality of teachers at IITs has stirred a hornet's nest. While the faculty are understandably loath to criticism of their teaching standards, many agree that their research output leaves a lot to be desired. They have their reasons, though — pressures of undergraduate teaching; low salaries and not enough support of industry.

Jairam, an alumnus of IIT, Bombay, had recently said there was hardly any worthwhile research from the IITs. "The faculty is not world class. It's the students who are world class," he had said.

A former dean in IIT, Delhi gave his perspective. "There are two kinds of research: academic and applied. As an institute of technology, we need to focus more on research in collaboration with industry. We are lacking there. That's because our funding comes from the government, not industry. Faculty in world-class institutes works closely with industry on R&D," he said, wishing to remain anonymous.

Many faculty members complain that a bulk of their time is spent on teaching undergraduates instead of research. "We take tutorials, grade students, and do a lot of administrative work," said a professor with the textile department.

However, a bristling Anil Gupta of IIM-A said the minister knows little about the intellectual capabilities of IITs. "Brilliant students have common sense and they know where they will find good faculties. If the best faculties are in private institutes as the minister said, then the students would head there," he said.

Dr A S Venkatesh of IIT, Kanpur agreed: "What competence does the minister have to talk about IIT teachers? The faculty won't improve unless government stops interference. We'd like to do away with BTech programmes to focus on research."

A mechanical engineering in IIT, Delhi, disappointed with his teachers, said, "Our teachers are good but not world class. They do not motivate us and easily give up on students who do not perform well. We can't have an informal equation with them. They don't care what we become once we leave IIT."

But other IIT alumni backed Jairam's remarks on the quality of teachers in IITs saying only government can turn things around by providing better working conditions and salaries.

"Even fresh IIT graduates get more money than their teachers. They earn much less than a joint secretary in the government. I think teaching is the last option for many. The government raised the number of OBC students and opened new IITs. But what investment have they made in getting good teachers?" said Y P S Suri and IIT Kharagpur alumni.

IIT Kharagpur does research worth more than Rs 150 crore annually. "It's because of the government and industrial projects that we attract, that we are able to earn. I object to the minister's remark," said A K Majumdar,deputy director of IIT, Kharagpur.

Ali Contractor, dean (Alumni and corporate relations) at IIT, Bombay, said, "We're proud of our alumnus and they are entitled to their views. We welcome Jairam Ramesh's comments and feel it should be debated. We are not holy cows who can't be criticized, but then as a young 51 year-old institute we have also made it to US top ranking institutes."

He added, "Our students are very good. But when you get down to it, faculty play a very important role. We may not be world class, but we are not doing badly either. I will turn to a mathematical analogy of normal distribution to describe this situation. We have a normal distribution of faculty just like all our alumnus. Our average is higher than the national average."

Dhoni setting an example for other skippersWhat distinguishes him from the others is his readiness to take on responsibilities when going was tough-

Dhoni setting an example for other skippers(GOOD WISHES)
Sunil Gavaskar | 2011-05-23
Now Playing IPL - Youtube Ads by Google Catch Highlights, Past Matches, and Super Sixes On YouTube Now! YouTube.com
Three teams in the playoffs have never won the IPL and they will go flat out to try and upset the defending champions Chennai Super Kings and stop them from winning another title. The skipper of the Chennai Super Kings is one who knows what winning is all about. Under him the Super Kings have not only won the IPL but the Champions League too and then his most recent win has been the World Cup so he is indeed a winning captain and will be brimming with confidence. What distinguishes him from the others is his readiness to take on responsibility especially when the going is tough. malinga getting carried away seeing bouncers.....!!! So when the team needs a push in the scoring rate, he will be the one to walk out ahead of someone who has been in good form but may not have his range of shots and the daring to play them that the skipper posseses. His example of showing no emotions is being followed by the other skippers in the IPL though some of them fail to control themselves like Dhoni does. Still it is a good sign for it will mean that youngsters who are nervous about playing such a pressure-filled tournament can make mistakes and won't be bawled out by their captains on the field. The skippers are under immense pressure too since they are invariably the highest paid in their teams and so are expected to work miracles whenever the team is in trouble. The new eliminator system for this year's tournament gives teams finishing in the top two another crack at getting into the finals. The only hitch is that the winner of the second semi-finals will have to play the finals the next day and if there's been a bit of a niggle for a key player then there is no time for him to be treated and so he may well have to play with that little injury. Didn't we see that in last year's finals when Tendulkar had that nasty split in the webbing but still played and in fact stopped some fierce shots with that injured hand. The Mumbai Indians would have breathed a sigh of relief once the Kings XI Punjab could not raise themselves for one big final effort and this reprieve may well work in their favour. However they have to sort out their batting line-up since they seem to be wasting some players by having them too low down the order. Hodge is one of the world's unluckiest cricketers If there is a team that is determined to win, it is the Kolkata Knight Riders. Their skipper Gambhir is so charged up with the possibility that he is taking no chances and doing it all himself. He has a good bowling variety at his disposal which has made the task of defending small totals better than earlier. The fourth team in the playoffs is a team that is having such a good time off the field that it is being reflected on the field too. There is perhaps no happier team in the IPL than the Royal Challengers of Bangalore and that joy is also being conveyed to their followers. It is going to be close alright and just the kind of finish that the IPL wanted. Professional Management Group