Think India Foundation

Quadricycle to replace auto? Government to decide

New Delhi : Will cities like Delhi and Mumbai get quadricycles as an alternative to autorickshaws? The UPA government on Thursday formed a high-level group headed by road secretary Vijay Chhibber to take a call on the issue.

The Bajaj qaudricycle

The new category of vehicles is expected to replace autorickshaws as a faster and safer mode of intra-city public transport. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Japan can help India in waste water management

Tokyo (ANI): A growing population combined with a huge demand of water for development purposes, has put excessive stress on available water resources in India.

From 813 billion cubic metres in 2010 the demand of water is set to reach 1,093 billion cubic metres by 2025 in the country. Read more

Source : www.newstrackindia.com

Discom approves plan to shift wires underground

Gurgaon : The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitaran Nigam (DHBVN) on Monday finally approved a proposal to put wires underground along Sohna road.

The approval puts to rest residents’ concerns over safety as 11,000-volt cables run along the 5.5-km stretch at present. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Maoist expansion plan targets poor villages in northeast

New Delhi : Adhering to Mao Tse-Tung’s guerrilla warfare style of surrounding urban centres from the countryside, Communist Party of India (Maoist) has unleashed a long-term grand plan of expansion. Their target is the restive northeast where they plan to build their presence steadily in villages.

“The plan is five-pronged and is centred on building up support networks in the villages of Assam and Tripura as of now. Then it will move up to the block level, district level and then the urban centres,” Dr L Bishnoi, IGP, (Central Western Region), Assam Police told HT. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Bus fire blocks rush-hour Bypass

KOLKATA: A JNNURM bus suddenly caught fire just below the Chingrihata flyover on Wednesday morning, holding up rush-hour traffic on the crucial connector to the city.

A ghastly accident was narrowly averted because the bus was empty. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Rajkot BRTS inches closer to bag int'l transport award

RAJKOT: Rajkot Rajpath Ltd, a special purpose vehicle, which runs the bus rapid transit system (BRTS) on the 150-foot Ring Road in the city, has been selected as one of the semi-finalists for 2013 Transport Achievement Award.

The International Transport Forum's Transport Achievement Award will be awarded to an initiative, project, or service that through innovative pricing and funding arrangements addresses one or more of today's transport focal issues - quality infrastructure or service, congestion, safety, environmental protection, enhanced accessibility, sources said. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Indian Supreme Court gives green signal to Kudankulam plant

The court cautioned the Indian government and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd to find safe areas to dispose of the nuclear waste which the plant would be generating.

The court observed that nuclear energy is extremely important for the country's growth and a balance has to be struck between the right to life and sustainable development. Source: Press Photo

The Indian Supreme Court on Monday gave its much-awaited clearance for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant project (KNPP) in THE southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu being built with Russian help.  Today’s judgment has come on the 630th day of Protests over the alleged not-up-to-the-mark safety features of the plant.

However, the court, while disposing of a public suit which sought the court’s direction to halt the commissioning of the plant on safety concerns, attached a rider. The court cautioned the Indian government and the KNPP’s operator Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) to find safe areas to dispose of the nuclear waste which the plant would be generating. “Don’t commission the plant before final report on safety aspect is out,” the Supreme Court expressly directed in its judgment. Read more

Source : indrus.in

Allowing quadricycles

Bajaj innovation could help upgrade urban public transport

New Delhi : Car manufacturers are intensively lobbying against Bajaj Auto's attempts at securing approval to market what it calls the "quadricycle" by seeking to meet weaker emission and safety standards than those applicable to cars. They fear that if this is allowed, the upgraded four-wheel version of the currently ubiquitous three-wheeler will eat into the car market by offering a lower price. That is because lower standards will allow the use of cheaper technologies. Mindful of this, Bajaj Auto has from the beginning carefully refrained from describing its product as a car. The firm says it is proposing to essentially make an upgraded three-wheeler that will meet emission standards applicable to similar vehicles in Europe. But while in Europe these are usually used by the old or very young (below driving-licence age) and treated as recreational vehicles, in India Bajaj Auto seeks to launch the quadricycle not just on city roads but highways too, and aim at volume sales.

In the first place, the quadricycle is unlikely to pose any challenge to cars. The disappointing sales of Tata Motors' Nano should make it clear that the Indian consumer does not go for a car simply because it is cheap, even if it scores well technologically. The declining popularity of the Maruti 800, even when it was available in cities, further underlines this preference. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

National Campaign 'Humara Bachpan' Launched in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Every child has a right to live in a safer and healthier living condition so as the children living in urban poverty said Mr. Devi Prasad Mishra, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Odisha launching “Humara Bachpan” a national campaign on young children living in urban poverty, Shri Mishra assured the support of his department in building safe and healthy physical environment for children.

On this occasion Padmashri Jockin Arputham, a Magsaysay Awardee & President, International Slum Federation emphasised on a child friendly neighbourhood which could be guaranteed by providing access to housing and basic services to the urban poor with practical planning. Read more

Source : indiaeducationdiary.in

Memo to UN envoy airs agonies

Imphal : Leaders of civil society organisations, human right defenders, victim families and advocates interacted with UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women Rashida Manjoo and submitted memorandums.

The consultative meeting held today at Classic Hotel was participated by around 200 delegates during which the UN envoy was apprised about violence against women witnessed in North East India, particularly Manipur. Read more

Source : e-pao.net

'N-energy can enhance India's power output'

SURAT: Solar and wind power generation in the country would take a decade to reach a level of maturity. "As far as nuclear energy is concerned whose share in country's total electricity generation today is just 3.1 per cent, we are at a stage to produce 63,000 MW of energy by 2032 from the present 5,000 MW," said former director (technical), Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited's (NPCIL), SA Bhardwaj here on Sunday.

However, a fear factor that is associated with nuclear energy ever since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan would always remain. Of the NPCIL's 20 operational plants in the country, the possibility of radiation affecting human beings is zero. "There are enough safety parameters and hence there is no chance of Fukushima Daiichi disaster happening here. Accidents can occur, but we have the capacity to check their effects. If there is any source that can answer country's energy security concerns, then it is nuclear energy," he said at a seminar "Nuclear Energy and India's Energy Security". Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Expat professionals shift focus away from India: Survey

NEW DELHI: India's attractiveness among the expat professionals as a potential workplace has taken a major hit in the wake of recent cases of rape incidents and attacks on foreigners, a survey says.

Also, the hiring of expat professionals in India is expected to decline by 15-20 per cent this year, after a rise of 18 per cent in 2012.

The survey, conducted among 2,200 expat professionals, found that 72 per cent of the respondents who were keen to work in India in the first half of 2012 are now shifting their attention to countries like Philippines, Gulf/Middle East, Hong Kong and Singapore, among others. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Assocham survey on foreign tourist incorrect, says Chiranjeevi

New Delhi : There has been a growth of 2.3 per cent in foreign tourist arrivals in January-March this year over corresponding period last year, Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi has said, while rejecting an industry survey which said there was a decrease of 25 per cent due to safety issues. 

The conclusions of the quick random survey undertaken by Assocham Social Development Foundation are incorrect, Chiranjeevi said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

Rethinking Delhi in 2050 online

NEW DELHI: When a group of architects interviewed some children in Delhi, they found the youngsters didn't know that the city developed around the Yamuna. It made them wonder if, come 2050, the river will exist at all in the new generations' mindscapes. 

What else will change in the city? Will it be more unsafe to step out at night? Will the city choke on jams and noxious air? A team of architects and town planners launched a unique online project recently that aims to recreate Delhi in 2050 with inputs from citizens. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Road accidents claim 88 lives in three months in Nagpur

NAGPUR: Road mishaps in Nagpur claimed 88 lives in the first three months of this year. Compared to the previous year, there is considerable rise in the total number of accidents and injured persons in the city.

Sources in the traffic department said that during January-March 2013, 276 road mishaps were reported in the city. Of these, 84 were fatal and 106 serious. In the corresponding period in 2012, 77 fatal mishaps and 103 serious accidents were reported. Of the 88 persons died who died in road mishaps this year, 65 were men, 19 women and four children. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Enforce pillion rider helmet rule: Doctors

Mumbai : According to the Bombay Neuroscience Association, every year, India has been getting the rather unenviable distinction of having the highest number of cases of head injury in the world.

To bring down the number of deaths due to road accidents the active participation of the traffic police and civic body is a must, city doctors have said. Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

‘Road policing’ will go a long way: GRSP expert

VISAKHAPATNAM : Vizag among cities chosen by WHO for implementing road safety project

Police Commissioner B. Shivadhar Reddy having a word with GRSP Focal Point Srinivas, and Road Policing Specialist Des Myers, at the inaugural of the two-day workshp in Visakhapatnam on Monday. Photo: C. V. Subrahmanyam

Adopting a proactive approach and ‘road policing’ rather than being content with just ‘enforcement’ will go a long way in improving safety on the roads, said Road Policing Specialist Des Myers of Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP). Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

Delhi has only 10 inspectors for 30,000 lifts

NEW DELHI: At a time when the union urban development ministry is pushing for vertical growth, the Delhi government is unable to ensure safety of lifts installed in high-rises. It has just 10 lift inspectors to check around 30,000 licensed lifts, and not a single licence has ever been cancelled. 

The electrical inspectorate of the labour department is facing acute staff shortage. It has 18 personnel, including three deputy electrical inspectors and five assistant electrical inspectors. Of the 18 posts of electrical overseers or sub-inspectors, eight are vacant. "Licences are issued by deputy- and assistant-level inspectors. Renewal of licence and routine checks are done by sub-inspectors. But we are not able to routinely check lifts as we don't have sufficient staff," said a senior official with the labour department. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

More quakes could hit India: Experts

New Delhi : Tuesday’s 7.8 magnitude temblor near the Iran-Pakistan border could realign the region’s tectonic plates, potentially setting off follow-up earthquakes closer to India in the coming days and weeks, scientists have cautioned.

From Ahmedabad in Gujarat to Nongpoh in Meghalaya, India was on Tuesday shaken by a ring of earthquakes that scientists say were most likely unrelated, but could trigger aftershocks. The quakes have triggered fresh concerns over preparedness in the country’s burgeoning urban spreads. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Heed the tremors

On the 7.8 quake that struck Iran on Tuesday

 Photo: AP

A major earthquake struck Iran on Tuesday; the tremors from the 7.8 magnitude quake were felt across North India. For long, experts have warned that the subcontinent is particularly vulnerable due to a faultline that runs across the foothills of the Himalayas; the region prone to seismic hazards has been identified as the north and east of India.

Often, it is not so much the intensity of the earthquake that does the damage. Instead, it is on account of poor construction practices together with urban congestion. Read more

Source : www.livemint.com

BRT system best alternative to public transport: WRI

Mumbai : With rising traffic and the delays on roads, the bus rapid transit (BRT) system can be the best alternative as public transport to cut on accidents and bring down the total time spent on roads, according to Jamshyd Godrej, chairman of World Reso­urces Institute, India (WRI) a non-profit organisation working to improve the overall infrastructure of cities.

The BRT system costs just five per cent of the total cost per km taken by the rail metros. If the Ahmedabad BRT is taken as an example, the city has managed to move around half of the vehicular traffic to BRT. Read more

Source : www.mydigitalfc.com

Centre asks cities to do street light review

NAGPUR: The Union ministry of urban development (MoUD) has asked all the urban local bodies (ULBs) including Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to do a street light review and make necessary improvements. The decision was taken in view of observations made by Justice Verma committee appointed by central government for suggesting amendment to laws to combat crime against women.

However, it seems that with the gang rape case no longer on media's radar the state government is displaying its usual apathy in forwarding it to the ULBs in the state. Standing committee chairman Avinash Thakre and NMC electrical engineer Sanjay Jaiswal told TOI that they have not received the government resolution (GR). Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Delhi no 1 in resources but 'unsafe'

NEW DELHI: Delhi may be far from being the global city that the government tells us it is, but in a new survey on the state of city systems, the capital has done well on at least two parameters first in urban capacities and resources and second in urban planning and design. Eleven cities were in the reckoning in the survey conducted by Bangalore-based NGO Janaagraha.

In its first edition of 'Annual Survey of India's City-System', the NGO assessed the cities on four parameters urban planning and design; urban capacities and resources; empowered and legitimate political representation and transparency; and accountability and participation. These cities were compared with New York and London as the international benchmarks. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Accidents, road deaths not an underage thing

LUDHIANA: It is not the underage drivers who are responsible for most accidents in the city but the drivers in the age group of 25-34 years, reveal the data with the city traffic police. Drivers in the 25-34 age group had been involved in maximum number of accidents in 2012 against the common perception.

Assistant commissioner of police, traffic, Dhruman Nimbale said they had conducted a survey on the directions of the additional deputy inspector general of police, traffic, to collect the data related to accidents, accidental deaths and the cause of these accidents with other possible details. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Can growth tame Maoists?

Different states have different strategies to combat Maoism, which still produces violence in 80 of India's 620 districts. Chhattisgarh has used quasi-military force and created an anti-Maoist militia, Salwa Judum, which is widely criticised for violating human rights. Andhra Pradesh has deployed a specialised anti-Maoist force, the Greyhounds, combined with development programmes in areas earlier abandoned to the Maoists.

 

Nitish Kumar used reservations in panchayati rajinstitutions to give, for the first time, some political power to Dalits, tribals, women and backward candidates. This eroded — but did not end — the historical landowners’ stranglehold on power.

Bihar has taken another route. Maoists usually cluster in dense jungles for safety. Bihar lost most of its jungles to Jharkhand on partition, but its Maoists flourished in settled agricultural areas, battling private armies of landowners loosely called the Ranvir Sena. Read more 

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Delhi policewomen’s take: 9 to 5 safer bet at work

NEW DELHI: She was once a feisty 19-year old, a fresh school graduate who wanted to be a cop. Twenty-three years later, the head constable only wants a nine-to-five job which allows her to board the bus home before dusk. "Jab Delhi Police join kiya tha, toh bahaut craze tha. Ab bas job kar rahein hai." (I was highly motivated when I joined Delhi Police. Now it's just a job). 

Hers is not an aberration but the rule among the 3,700-odd policewomen in Delhi posted in various ranks from constable to inspector. Policewomen revealed they prefer postings in 'soft police wings' : armed police, security, VVIP duty. "Hours in these positions are flexible. You can take leave easily. Work ends early, and you get to plan your day," said a woman sub-inspector. Being sent to police stations and PCR is considered punishment, she explained. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Free treatment for accident victims on Gurgaon-Jaipur road

NEW DELHI: In the next couple of months, all victims of road accidents occurring on Gurgaon-Jaipur stretch of NH-8 would get free medical treatment, including hospitalization, for first 48 hours after any crash.

High number of road deaths and injuries on this stretch has prompted the Centre to zero in on this area, though earlier it had identified the corridor between Amritsar and Pathankot to launch the scheme. The 40-km stretch between Gurgaon and Rajasthan border on NH-8 had reported as many 260 accident deaths in 2011. In 2012 (till October), the Gurgaon portion of the highway had recorded 121 fatalities. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Soon, all food outlets across the country to get hygiene rating

NEW DELHI: At his dhaba in south Delhi's Kidwai Nagar, Irfan has his cooks wash their hands before preparing dishes. Sweets are kept covered , he claims. As with most small eateries, Irfan's dhaba is not registered. 

All food outlets, from small dhabas to five-star hotels , will be graded according to their level of food hygiene and cleanliness.

Soon, outlets such as Irfan's may have to start complying with more stringent standards, with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) working on new norms on hygiene and cleanliness at food outlets across the country. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

‘Model speed-breakers’ in Pimpri-Chinchwad to slow down vehicles safely

Months after it promised to set up speed-breakers that would be different from many of the huge ones that often cause accidents, even fatal ones, when drivers or two-wheeler encounter them without warning, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has finally come up with what officials describe as “model speed-breakers” in Vallabhanagar area of the industrial town.

In the last few days, it has set up two speed-breakers on the road that leads to D Y Patil School and YCM hospital. The speed-breakers are unusual. They are a combination of rumbling strips leading to a gradually sloping larger speed-bump. They stretch for 8 to 10 metre. The driver or rider would be slowed down by the rumblers by the time the bigger bump is reached and so it is crossed without difficulty or damaging the vehicle. “This is because the rumblers slow down the vehicle,” said PCMC executive engineer Makrand Nikam. He said the larger speedbreaker would be made more vehicle-friendly. Read more

Source : expressindia.indianexpress.com

This Holi, traffic violations will get you arrested in Delhi

New Delhi : This Holi, if you are caught violating traffic rules, you won’t get away with just a fine. The Delhi traffic police on Sunday said persons found violating these rules are liable to be arrested and their vehicles impounded.

200 checking teams will check drink driving on Holi

The Delhi Police issued an advisory for Holi celebrations announcing elaborate traffic arrangements to ensure safety of motorists on roads and check incidents of drink driving, over-speeding, dangerous driving, triple riding, driving/riding without helmet and other traffic offences. Read more

Source : expressindia.indianexpress.com

Urban planning holds the key to safer cities

An American tourist on a visit to the Netherlands once saw Queen Beatrix buying vegetables at a farmers' market , much like a commoner. Surprised that there was no police around, he asked a bystander: "Who protects her?" "Why, we all do," said the man waving his arms to include the others milling around the queen. The response said everything about public security in the Netherlands, where even the reigning monarch was free to move as she wished.

Compare that with the three tier high security cordon around an Indian politician. That a life so mediocre is worth protecting with public money is of course another matter, but the palpable threat that stalks the Indian streets is given enough daily reminders, by guards that mill around officials, policemen deployed when a foreign head of state is visiting, detective agencies advertising in the papers, and inconvenient road barricades. Everywhere are telling signs that movement in public place is risky and fought with danger. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Police seek more speed radars to arrest violators

ALLAHABAD: To check reckless driving on streets and highways, police have sought two more speed radar cameras from traffic police directorate.

Currently, the district traffic police have two radar cameras but they prove inadequate to cater to the need of the department. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Mumbai blasts started wave of targeted attacks on urban centres

NEW DELHI: The 1993 Mumbai serial blasts heralded a new era in urban terrorism, being the first coordinated, high-casualty strike to hit a bustling metropolis. Accounting for 257 deaths, the Mumbai underworld-triggered bombings is second only to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York in terms of casualties. 

Though terrorism has claimed far more lives in unstable regions across the world, urban centres have increasingly borne the brunt of terror strikes over the last two decades. Serial bombings shook Mumbai in 1993, and the city has been a prime target of terror since, getting hit again in the 7/11 train bombings and the 26/11 siege. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly appeals people for safe passage of tourist season

JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a unanimous resolution appealing to people of the state for "safe" passage of current tourism season and not harming tourists and tourism infrastructure.

 

President Pranab Mukherjee presents Best State / Union Territory : Comprehensive Development of Tourism (North East, J&K) award to Jammu & Kashmir, being received by Commissioner Secretary (J&K Govt.) Atal Dulloo, at the National Tourism Awards (2011-12) in New Delhi on March 18, 2013.

"Let the members of this House bring a unanimous resolution cutting across the party affiliations and appeal people for safe passage of tourism season... not to harm tourists, damage tourism infrastructure and transport carrying tourists and pass it with thumping of benches," state tourism minister Gulam Ahmed Mir told Assembly on March 18. Read more 

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Let’s reclaim Kolkata for her women

KOLKATA: Three out of every four women in Kolkata feel unsafe in the city. If there was any doubt that Kolkata's reputation as one of the safest in the country is taking a beating, a survey commissioned by TOI has brought out the truth in black and white - in stark numbers.

A third of the city's women believe Kolkata is as unsafe as Delhi and more than half of them feel the need to carry an article for self-defence. Two-thirds have experienced misbehaviour on the city's streets, but barely 11% lodged a complaint — an indication of their lack of trust in the police. Three-fourths said they felt unsafe after dark and close to a third feel unsafe even in public spaces. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Efforts to make Ahmedabad roads safer with 'Drive the Change' campaign

AHMEDABAD: Luxury car owners, dealers, safety experts and police officials gathered on one platform - to make city roads safer by preventing fatal accidents. The city traffic police officials started their 'Drive the Change', campaign with various clubs and NGOs in the city to engage youth in the mission. 

After recent incidents involving luxury cars, city police and organizations like Karnavati Club felt the need to engage car owners and spread the message of safety. More than 150 persons participated in the event and discussed issues of safety and security. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com 

336 CCTVs for a safer monorail ride in Mumbai

Mumbai : To make your journey on the monorail safer, the MMRDA has decided to install eight CCTV cameras in each rake for the Chembur to Jacob Circle project. 

There will be two cameras in each of the four coaches of every rake. These will be part of the 336 CCTV cameras that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will set up in various parts of the project, including stations and depots. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Yamaha training for female riders in Bangalore college

BANGALORE: In a bid to educate young women to adopt safe riding habits and encourage female riders who are anxious about riding, Yamaha Motor India conducted the Yamaha Female Riding Training Program (YFRT) in Maharani Women's Arts, Commerce and Management College, Sheshadri Road in Bangalore. Over 80 female students participated in this training program.

The company has developed the Yamaha Female Riding Training Program for female customers who have a concern to ride a scooter or want to obtain a riding license. The company plans to conduct the YFRT programme in various cities across India for women who feel the need to be trained on riding a 2-wheeler. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Schools live in fear of violent disturbances in North East India

Manipur (ANI) : The principal of a local school, Sanjeebam Memcha Chanu, said they were living under constant threat from militant groups in Manipur.

"Living under such a situation will have a negative impact on students who come here to attain knowledge," she added. Read more

Source : www.newstrackindia.com

Fire in ATC hits flight operations at Chennai airport

CHENNAI: Chennai airport was shut down for two and a half hours, five incoming flights - international services - were diverted and departures were suspended after a fire broke out in air traffic control tower at around 2.30 am. Nobody was injured. Departures were restored by 5 am while arrivals were yet to be received.

 

Air traffic controllers were evacuated and power was shut down after smoke billowed from air conditioning vents due to fire at UTS system room on the third floor of the building. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Anti-rape Bill deferred second time in six days, referred to group of ministers

NEW DELHI: Differences of opinion over the draft Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill - seeking to reintroduce the word 'rape' instead of 'sexual assault' in the anti-rape law and lower the age of consensual sex from 18 to 16 — forced the government to defer it again on Tuesday, second time in six days. 

 

Anti-rape bill deferred second time in six days, referred to GoM

The special cabinet, called to discuss the issue, referred the Bill to the empowered group of ministers (EGoM) to sort out differences within the government. It is learnt that the age of consent - lowering it from 18 to 16 - is the major hitch as the ministry of women and child development is not fully convinced of the proposal of the home ministry. Read more 

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Rural Indian women safer to urban ones: Alice Miller

New Delhi (IANS) : Women are safer in rural areas of India compared to those in metros, said Alice Miller, who paved the way for women to become fighter pilots in Israel's defense forces.

The former Israeli aeronautical engineer was speaking at the Israeli embassy here Monday to mark International Women's Day. Read more

Source : www.newstrackindia.com

'India can meet energy need through renewable resources'

Patiala : Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD), along with six local NGOs, on Sunday organised a seminar on 'Renewable energy sources and sustainable development' on the eve of anniversary of Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. IDPD general secretary said renewable energy resources could meet India's energy requirements, besides such resources were environment friendly and safe. 

"India has the potential of generating 5,000 trillion KW hours of electricity per year from Solar and 1,02,788 MW from wind. And our country will need only 3,128 trillion KW hour of electrical energy per year in the future," he said. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Good carma: Cabs for and by women

NEW DELHI: Satya Kashyap (38) loves driving but what keeps her on the road at night is not a need for speed but a sense of responsibility. Satya is a driver with a Gurgaon based women-only cab service, and she takes pride in being able to make other women feel safe. 

A LONG ROAD: The two women-only cab fleets in Delhi are still small but have a steady clientele

Despite the huge demand for women only cabs, such services are still a novelty. The two firms in the field work on a small scale. Sakha Cabs, for instance, started with just one cab and two drivers in 2010. Now, it has 10 drivers and eight cabs, and averages 15 fares a day. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Prohibitory orders in 7 km radius around Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant

TIRUNELVELI (TN): Prohibitory orders have been clamped in a seven km radius around the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant as anti-nuclear activists have threatened to picket it on Monday.

Administration has clamped prohibitory orders in a seven km radius around the Kundankulam Nuclear Power Plant to prevent protests by anti-nuclear activists.

Officials said a total of 4,000 policemen had been deployed around the plant and a close vigil would be kept on movement of persons. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Buses, autos refuse to shift gear

NEW DELHI: Days after the Nirbhaya rape in December, the Delhi government announced a slew of measures for the safety of women. From women's special buses by the DTC to home guards on night specials, mandatory GPS in auto rickshaws and PSV (public service vehicle) badges for drivers, the list was long and seemed to meet the expectations of women. The question is: have the measures made a difference?  

In September last year, the DTC introduced buses especially for women commuters , called Ladies Specials. These were supposed to offer a safe environment but in reality failed to provide an option as most women didn't know about them. It took the December incident for the government to start talking about the service. Today, there are 22 buses in the Ladies Special fleet, plying mostly along the Ring Road. Commuters, though, complain of poor frequency of the service. According to DTC officials, the 22 buses mostly ply in peak hours. Far-flung areas like Rohini, and Mehrauli are not covered. Read more 

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Design flaw grounds Chennai’s new terminal opening plan

CHENNAI: The new glass-and-steel domestic terminal at Chennai airport is a show piece—and it may remain just that for several months. A trial on Friday to check the readiness of the Rs 1,212-crore terminal found that it cannot be functional because of a faulty design that rendered a baggage ramp useless. Following this, the Airports Authority of India has decided to form a safety assessment review panel headed by the director general of civil aviation.

TOI on November 4, 2012 reported that a baggage ramp built into the basement was too steep for the tractors with trolleys to negotiate. Friday's trial - the third one so far - validated this. "The battery operated tractors kept skidding down the ramp and they had to make several attempts to climb the ramp from the basement onto the tarmac," an official who witnessed the trial told TOI. The more powerful diesel tractors cannot be used since the terminal is designated as a green building. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Coimbatore campuses fail to offer women respite

Sridevi Somaraj a post graduate student of a prominent city college feels that the city is no longer safe for women. "Most parts of the city are not safe for us to visit after 7 pm. Generally we can see men gawking at us almost anywhere in the city," she said.

When I think about how safe the city and its campuses are for women, I feel this conservative region must change in several aspects. Though all campuses have committees to resolve issues faced by women, a lot more needs to happen for our women to actually be safe and secure. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Our heads hang in shame over crimes against women: Sonia Gandhi

KHANPUR KALAN (HARYANA): Amid rising cases of crime against women, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday said "our heads hang in shame" due to recurring incidents of rapes and other violence against women.

Flagging concerns about female foeticide and crime against women, Gandhi exhorted women not to bow down to difficulties in future and face them with courage as the country needs them at all responsible positions. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

96% women feel unsafe after sunset in Delhi: Survey

NEW DELHI: Nine out of 10 women in the national capital feel that Delhi is unsafe or very unsafe for them. Two-thirds have experienced misbehaviour on the city's streets. Two-thirds work in offices where there is no mechanism to deal with sexual harassment. Close to half feel they were discriminated against during the division of parental property.

The brutal Delhi gang-rape case sparked off protests across the country forcing the govt to announce various safety measures for women. But a TOI survey reveals that 96% of women still feel unsafe in the national capital after sunset.

These are some of the findings of a survey commissioned by TOI on the public and private lives of Delhi's women. The survey clearly shows that while some things may be changing at home and at the workplace, the city still poses significant challenges to a woman. The survey interviewed women across age groups and included both the main city and its satellites. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com