Think India Foundation

Share of N-power in India is set to rise

MANGALORE: The current share of nuclear power in India is about 3%. But it has received major fillip in recent years and is poised to grow steadily. The key to capacity building in nuclear power sector critically depends on development of reliable nuclear power stations and an integrated system encompassing the complete fuel cycle, waste management and fissile fuel breeding, according to Srikumar Banerjee, chairman of Atomic Energy Commission ( AEC).

Delivering the convocation address at the 30th convocation of Mangalore University here on Thursday, he said India has already developed adequate core competence in all aspects of nuclear energy, and its roadmap for three-stage nuclear programme provides a blueprint for achieving sustainable energy security. The first stage utilises natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as moderator in indigenously-developed pressurized heavy-water reactors.The second stage of the programme is based on fast breeder reactors (FBRs) which are fuelled by plutonium obtained by reprocessing of spent fuel of thermal reactors. The prototype FBR of 500MWe is currently under construction at Kalpakkam. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

85 fortified police stations to come up in Maoist-hit areas of Bihar

PATNA: The Union home ministry has okayed construction of 85 anti-Naxalite police stations in Bihar. This is the largest number of such police stations okayed by the Centre for any state.

Giving this information to TOI on Thursday, DG Ashok Kumar Gupta -- who is also CMD of Bihar Police Building Construction Corporation(BPBCC) - said the Union home ministry had okayed construction of 400 anti-Naxalite police stations (fortified police stations) in nine Maoist-affected states. "We had sought 100 such police stations. The Centre has given approval for 85. With this, Bihar has got approval for the largest number of such police stations," Gupta said. Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra are among the other states which would have the anti-Naxalite police stations. Funds for setting up these police stations have also been allotted by the Centre, Gupta added. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Centre to adopt ‘true blue’ poor of Badals, not all

Chandigarh Food Security Bill: Punjab’s 66% population in, 34% out

With both the incumbent government and Opposition Congress promising to take the state’s populist blue card scheme of subsidised atta-dal to another level despite empty coffers, the upcoming Food Security Act may force a rethink.

While it will bring down Punjab’s subsidy burden by taking the tally of Centre’s poor up, it will benefit only those the ongoing economic census identifies as poor. So, many of the “undeserving” beneficiaries enjoying largesse of the Parkash Singh Badal government may have to depend on the new regime to adopt them as its own. Read more

Source : expressindia.com

Assam disaster squads ready- Battalions could be deployed by April

Guwahati : Assam finally has its own State Disaster Response Force on the lines of the elite National Disaster Response Force to tackle disaster situations.

NDRF personnel demonstrate a rescue operation. File picture

The state force will have two battalions, each comprising 140 personnel. The battalions are likely to be deployed in Guwahati and Barak Valley in April after its personnel receive specialised training on how to respond to emergency situations like fire, floods, earthquakes and landslides. Read more

Source : telegraphindia.com

Various bodies unite for Bangalore's solid growth

Bangalore : A bunch of senior civil and urban planners and representatives of various industries will participate in a meet organized by Global Initiative for Restructuring Environment and Management (GIREM) on Thursday, Feb 22 to assess whether master plans for Bangalore's growth are solid enough to cater to the exploding population of the city and discuss how all stakeholders can add value to these plans.

Moreover, the participants will assess the role of metro in easing commuting problems, security aspects and whether the large IT firms can share transportation services to lessen vehicle congestion on roads. Read more

Source : news.oneindia.in

Leprosy, TB-afflicted persons can now contest in Orissa local body election

BHUBANESWAR: Leprosy-affected and persons suffering from tuberculosis, who have been debarred from contesting election for the urban local bodies so far, will get an opportunity to fulfil their dreams. The State Cabinet on Tuesday gave assent to the Housing and Urban Development Department proposal for amendment of the Orissa Municipal Act, 1950, and Orissa Municipal Corporation Act, 2003, to enable people suffering from the two diseases to contest election.

The decision to amend the Act regulating election to the urban local bodies was taken on the recommendation of the Rajya Sabha petition committee. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Seeding a policy without the dirt on climate change

ICAR says knowledge of climate change impact in India is 'fragmentary'

Genetics mode: Researchers working with transgenic groundnut plants engineered for drought resistance at the glasshouse facility of the Genetic Transformation Lab at ICRISAT in Hyderabad. Photo: K. Gajendran

A recent international conference on climate change and sustainable agriculture in New Delhi brought forth the shocking realisation that there are no conclusive studies in India on the prospective impact of climate change on the agriculture sector including livestock and fisheries.

Much of the country's understanding comes from global data provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the World Meteorological Organisation and other world bodies. Read more

Source : thehindu.com

Border areas need to be developed: Antony

ITANAGAR – The Centre is aware of the challenges faced by the people living in the border areas and the government is according topmost priority to infrastructure development in these areas, said Union Defence Minister AK Antony while speaking during the silver jubilee celebrations of Arunachal Pradesh Staehood Day here today.

In his speech, Antony admitted that Arunachal Pradesh is a strategically important State with hilly terrains, which has been facing serious challenges from outside the country. Showering praise on the people of Arunachal for their patriotic spirit and love for the nation, the Defence Minister said, “Arunachal Pradesh is in the heart of the people of our country. In the path of development, peace and prosperity, the whole nation is with Arunachal Pradesh.” Read more

Source : assamtribune.com

Solar energy in India

India is yet to utilise its solar potential; at present, solar power (photovoltaic and concentrating solar thermal power) contributes a mere 0.4 per cent of the total power generation.

Not so long ago, nuclear power was destined to save a country from energy drought by providing cheap and abundant power for centuries to come. Great political capital was expended, contracts signed. But, despite claims of being near perfect safety, damage did occur. Under unprecedented public pressure after the Fukushima incident especially, state and national governments have started to swear off nuclear power, making way for other renewable sources such as wind energy and solar power. Read more

Source : evwind.es

Online learning has its ills

Yes, the influx of information and the volume of educational content that gets digitally archived daily are indeed overwhelming. But the sluggish pace of internet penetration and IT deployment means that the access to the same is disproportionately limited to urban centres of learning and the rest of India has miles to go before it can fully enjoy the benefits of a virtual classroom.  

Education system in India is largely supported by government machinery, and like most public sector endeavours it is powered by the individuals involved in it.

The advanced world is moving toward a free and secure online social learning network and virtual classrooms provide an easy way to connect and collaborate, offering a real-time platform to exchange ideas, share content, play and learn. Education system in India is largely supported by government machinery, and like most public sector endeavours it is powered by the individuals involved in it. If there is a willing soul around, it is effective but mostly that is not the case. The fact is that our education system has not been able to cope up with the changes. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Improve fiscal governance for service delivery

OneWorld South Asia 

In an exclusive opinion piece, Rajesh Tandon, President, Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) has appealed to the Union Government for improved and better implementation of policies and Centrally-sponsored schemes in its Budget 2012. He focuses on high inflation that is reducing the nutritional intake of the poor; improving the infrastructure of small and medium sized towns and cities; and problems faced by NGOs after amendments were made to Section 2(15) of the IT Act, 1961.

Persistently high inflation during the past year has caused severe hardships to many households which are living below or close to the poverty line. This issue was discussed in consultations last year. The pattern of food production is shifting in a manner that high nutrition, low cost food supply is stagnating or declining. The likely fall of production of pulses will further increase the risk of malnutrition in poor households. During the year, milk prices have increased nearly 50 per cent, further resulting in lower consumption of nutritional foods by poor households. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

Indian government should scrap energy subsidies & raise energy efficiency says RK Pachauri, TERI

According to reports, the International Energy Agency has projected the possibility of oil prices reaching $150 per barrel by 2035. Oil price projections are fraught with uncertainties and complexities, which defy conventional analysis. It is entirely possible that the IEA’s projections will turn out to be off the mark.

But, fundamental changes in the global oil market suggest growing pressure on supply as a result of production capacity lagging behind quantity demanded. Read more

Source : panchabuta.com

India short on protein diet

I understand every person requires 2,400 kilocalories per day to sustain himself. In that case, is 250 million tonnes foodgrains production enough to feed the entire 1.2 billion population?

It is an old debate that one requires 2,400 kilocalories. If you go by 2,400 to 2,500 kilocalories requirement, India has to be importing 100 million tonnes of foodgrains every year. But, the fact is the current foodgrains production is not being consumed. Read more

Source : mydigitalfc.com

Spotlight on modern agri strategies, findings

ALLAHABAD: The two day 14th Indian agricultural scientists and Farmer's Congress would be held in the city from January 18. Being organised under the joint-auspices of Bioved research institute of agriculture and technology and Vigyan Prasar, Department of Science and Technology (DST), the congress would discuss the topic of diversification in agriculture agripreneurship.

Detailing on the congress, the director of Bioved, Dr Brijesh K Dwivedi said that the congress intends to disperse the modern agricultural strategies and research findings among the farmers to enrich agriculture, the backbone of the country. The life, living and culture of the people of the country depend largely on agriculture. Now a days diversification of agriculture has become a key word for the policy makers and planners for strengthening the agricultural sector as a whole and members of farming community in-particular. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

In wasting children, a richer India sees "national shame"

(Reuters) - Crying as she is put on an electronic scale, two-year-old Rajini's naked shrivelled frame casts a dark shadow over a rising India, where millions of children have little to eat.

Severely malnourished two-year-old girl Rajni is weighed by health workers at the Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre of Shivpuri district,Madhya Pradesh 

The children are scrawny, listless and sick in this run-down nutrition clinic in Madhya Pradesh with its intermittent power supply. If they survive they will grow up shorter, weaker and less smart than their better-fed peers. Read more

Source : in.reuters.com

Alarm bells: Maoists ‘win’ 30 blocks in Orissa panchayat polls

In a quiet coup of sorts, Maoists have taken control of panchayats in about 30 blocks of Malkangiri and Koraput districts in the ongoing panchayat elections in Orissa. All their nominees have been elected unopposed after the Maoists warned local people against nominating any other candidate. Close to 2,500 members of these panchayats have also been elected unopposed. Sources said at least 32 heads of panchayats (sarpanches) have known Maoist links.

Security personnels (PTI)

Wary that this could undermine anti-Naxal efforts by helping them expand their base, an alarmed centre has asked the state government to step in. The main cause of worry is that panchayats have access to considerable funds under various social schemes including NREGS, besides what accrues from the devolution package. Read more

Source : indianexpress.com

Saranda camps: permission sought where none required

Ranchi : Jharkhand wants the Centre’s go-ahead for forest diversion to set up 17 CRPF camps in Saranda, even though forest clearance authority lies with the state and the move is only expected to delay the process of setting up security hubs in the saal reserve.

Sources said in a letter last week, the state sought the Union ministry of environment and forests’ permission for forest clearance and diversion for the camps. Read more

Source : telegraphindia.com

Govt may unveil food security bill in upcoming budget

New Delhi : The government is likely to account for the National Food Security Bill in the upcoming general budget for 2012-13, food minister KV Thomas told HT — a move that will set the ball rolling on the much-anticipated welfare legislation of the ruling coalition.

According to financial projections, India's expenses on food handouts will likely rise by 2.2%, much lower than analysts have projected, Thomas said. Read more

Source : hindustantimes.com

It will not stop at Rs 60,000 crore

How economically sustainable is food subsidy? The cost could even be double of what the government estimates

Food deprivation and malnutrition are completely unacceptable and everything has to be done to eliminate such an evil. The prevalence of malnutrition in a country like India is in itself a cause for serious concern since malnourished children may jeopardise India’s favourable demographic dividend (as per independent estimates, close to 60 per cent of India’s population is in the age group of 15-59 years). However, the question is whether we can afford to have a food subsidy bill (FSB) and if such an endeavour is economically sustainable. This paper tries to argue that the fiscal viability of the proposed FSB is not clear and the delivery outcomes could be highly compromised given the governance weaknesses and ineffective delivery mechanisms in place. Read more

Source : indianexpress.com

Changing climates of governance

Understanding real-world complexity and anticipating change are the key to global and local governance in the 21st century

The issue of global governance has acquired increasing salience in recent years. With the process of globalisation and the increasing interconnectedness of economies, issues that transcend national and regional boundaries have become progressively more important. These include non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, in particular, nuclear weapons; cyber-security and the security of space-based assets; international terrorism, whether state-sponsored or perpetrated by non-state actors; international drug trafficking; and maritime security.

Such cross-cutting issues can be economic and social. For example, climate change and energy security have a global dimension, where competitive action by states may result in adverse consequences for all stakeholders. There are public health challenges, such as Aids, avian flu pandemics, the eradication of polio or other epidemic diseases which have a global dimension. They share a common feature in that no state, however powerful, can tackle these challenges on its own. They require a common global platform, coordinated strategies and agreed preventive actions to safeguard both domestic and global interests. Domestic actions influence and, in turn, are influenced by global responses. Read more

Source : business-standard.com

The new terror weapon in India – ‘Sticky Bomb’

New Delhi: Indian investigators probing the bomb attack on an Israeli diplomat in Delhi have woken up to the use of ‘sticky bombs’ – a very unconventional weapon hence very dangerous. It has never been used in India and hence suggests the hand of a foreign agency. 

Known as ‘Obwah Lasica’ in the Arab world, the small and furtive sticky bomb has emerged as a device of choice for insurgent groups active in the Middle East. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

Valentine's Day: Fear stalks couples on day of love

BHUBANESWAR/SAMBALPUR/KENDRAPADA: Love is in the air. So is fear. Love-struck couples in Bhubaneswar and other urban areas in Odisha are jittery about celebrating Valentine's Day with their loved ones because of threats from Bajrang Dal supporters that they will inform the parents if they find any couple displaying affection in public. However, this diktat is not applicable to those couples who are decent.

"We do not mind couples going to parks, malls, theatres and gift shops. We will not interfere if they simply sit, chat and eat out," said Bajrang Dal's national convener, Subash Chouhan, adding, "but we will certainly act if couples get too intimate. They cannot kiss or hug in public places. Our activists will beat them up. Actually, the police should take action against such couples but unfortunately we do not see them doing anything." Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Maharashtra's emergency medical service plan still on paper

PUNE: The state government's emergency medical system plan is yet to find a competent bidder to set up 24X7 life-support ambulance services for comprehensive trauma care to tackle terror attacks, natural calamities and accidents.

Envisaged after the Mumbai serial blasts in 2006 and cleared by the state cabinet on October 15, 2008, the proposal to set up Maharashtra Emergency Medical Services (MEMS) has only gathered dust. The German Bakery blast on Febraury 13, 2010 in Pune that killed 17 and injured 65 also brought to fore the absence of a well-cordinated network of life-support ambulances. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Health insurance for unorganised sector too

New Delhi : The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana is set for a big expansion, with the Prime Minister’s Office clearing extension of the health insurance scheme meant for the poor to unorganised sector workers. The PMO has also directed the Labour Ministry to set up an autonomous body to oversee smooth implementation of the scheme.

Unorganised workers constitute more than 90 per cent of India’s labour force. RSBY expansion had been on the Congress’s manifesto. Read more

Source : indianexpress.com

JK seeks addl 16500 MT foodgrains under PDS

New Delhi : Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Qamar Ali Akhoon has strongly pleaded for additional 16500 MT foodgrains to the state on the “Central Issue Prices” to cover the entire population enumerated in the 2011 census.

The Minister was addressing a 2-days conference of Food Ministers and Food Secretaries of States the other day, an official statement today said. Read more

Source : greaterkashmir.com

E-pension scheme hits roadblock in Haryana

Haryana’s plans to become the first state in the country to electronically transfer pension across its 21 districts has hit a roadblock due to inadequate banking infrastructure. The Haryana government had earlier claimed that it was the first state in the country to have opened bank accounts for more than two million beneficiaries under the Social Security Schemes for electronic transfer of pension.

However, it seems to have faltered in the very first step of implementing this. After CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda recently reviewed the progress made under the scheme and noted with concern that the state consisted of “grossly inadequate infrastructure deployed by the banks and their appointed Business Correspondents Agents (BCAs)”, the state government halted progress on it until adequate banking infrastructure is created. It has now planned to allot fresh funds through the bank accounts after the proposed BCA centres are verified and notified by the department. Read more

Source : indianexpress.com

Logo of social security scheme for workers launched in Mangalore

MANGALORE : Deputy Commissioner N.S. Channappa Gowda released the logo of a social security scheme meant for workers in the unorganised sector here on Thursday.

N.S.Channappa Gowda, Deputy Comissioner, releases the logo for Social Security Programme for Unorganised wokers in Karnataka implemented jointly by labour department Government of Karnataka and GIZ of Germany by in Mangalore on Thursday 9th February 2012. Photo: R.Eswarraj

The logo of the Worker Facilitation Centres (WFC) set up under an agreement between the German Government and the Government of Karnataka was released on Thursday, but the scheme itself had been operating in Dakshina Kannada since last September. Read more

Source : thehindu.com

Bad news for vehicle thiefs of Indore : New number plates from April

Indore : Indore’s over 14 lakh vehicles will start having a slightly different look and their owners will have a greater sense of security about the vehicle from April this year. Reason: the new high security registration plate. Of course, this change will entail some expense to the vehicle owners but the authorities affirm this is money well spent. On one hand the new registration plate will make the vehicle more secure and, on the other hand, help police track vehicle lifters more expeditiously as well as efficiently. HSRPs are tamper-proof and meant to aid law enforcement agencies in tracing vehicles that are involved in crimes.

The state governments are, any way, left with no option but to implement the scheme. For, the Supreme Court has been closely monitoring its implementation. On February 8, the Supreme Court set a deadline of April 30 for implementation of High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) for motor vehicles with a warning that failure by state governments and Union Territories to comply with its order would invite contempt action. Madhya Pradesh government has agreed to implement the scheme by March 31. Read more

Source : daily.bhaskar.com

GPS, dedicated rail lines to update PDS: minister

Thomas said Kerala, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) had spoken against the Bill, adding that the parliamentary standing committee examining the draft Bill and the food ministry will discuss the issues

New Delhi: Special vehicles, dedicated rail lines, global positioning systems, new silos and biometric identification are a part of the revamp of the public distribution system (PDS), minister for consumer affairs and food and public distribution K.V. Thomas said on Thursday, a day after agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said the National Food Security Bill can’t be implemented given the dire state of the network. 

“Almost all the states have taken action to modernize the PDS system, either by computerization or Aadhaar and this has given results,” Thomas told reporters, referring to a two-day meeting of state food ministers that ended on Thursday. “States have also raised certain issues connected with the Food Security Bill.” Aadhaar refers to the government’s unique identity programme that’s aimed, among other things, at ensuring that benefits reach the right people. Read more

Source : livemint.com

TMC to confront govt on food bill

NEW DELHI, DHNS : After forcing the United Progressive Alliance government to defer opening up of the retail sector for foreign investments, Mamata Banerjee’s All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) -  a part of the ruling alliance - is now set to close ranks with Opposition parties against the National Food Security Bill (NFSB).

The West Bengal chief minister and her party have serious reservations on the NFSB, introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 22. The AITC is likely to gang up with the Janata Dal (United) and Jayalalitha’s AIADMK to oppose certain provisions of the Bill in Parliament. Read more

Source : deccanherald.com

Senior UPA ministers losing sleep over proposed Food Security Act

NEW DELHI : The programme to legally provide subsidised foodgrains to beneficiaries under the proposed National Food Security Act is an agenda over which senior ministers of the United Progressive Alliance government are losing sleep and finding it difficult to enforce within the existing public distribution system (PDS) full of loopholes.

Union Minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar. File photo

Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday said when he thinks of the subsidies to be provided he loses his sleep. The food subsidy bill — when the proposed Act comes into play — is expected to be over Rs. one lakh crore. The Act seeks to provide legal entitlement to subsidised foodgrains to 75 per cent rural and 50 per cent identified urban population. Read more

Source : thehindu.com

All those love contracts

Love me? Then stop smoking. Don't call your mother so many times. Swear you will lose ten pounds by the end of next year. Make love to me four times a week. Anyone who's been in a relationship is likely to have made one of these requests or some version of them anyway. 

With love: Madhulika's promised to gift her dog-crazy husband Mohit a puppy as soon as possible, despite being a little afraid of dogs herself

One of the assumptions we make when we are in love with someone is that they will do certain things to please us. Read more

Source : dailymail.co.uk

Caste census could be ready by July-end: Jairam

New Delhi: The socio-economic caste census, which will be used to identify beneficiaries of various social welfare schemes, including the proposed food law, could only be completed by July-end, according to Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh. 

Last month, Food Minister KV Thomas had written a letter to the Rural Development Minister seeking an updated status of SECC (socio-economic caste census) 2011, and also requested the ministries concerned to complete the survey soon to facilitate the implementation of the proposed food law. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

Entrepreneurship can solve poverty, says Narayana Murthy

Kochi : India can solve its poverty only through entrepreneurship, said Infosys founder and mentor N.R. Narayana Murthy here on Tuesday.

N.R. Narayana Murthy.

He was speaking at a function, organised by DC Books on the occasion of the release of the Malayalam translation of his book ‘Better India, Better World.’ Read more

Source : deccanchronicle.com

Ministry to hold meeting on reforms in PDS, food security bill from Feb 8-9

New Delhi : Ministry of consumer affairs, food & public distribution has convened a meeting of state food & agriculture ministers to discuss reforms in PDS. Improvement in Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), procurement of food grains and enhancement of storage capacity in view of proposed National Food Security Act are also on the agenda of the meeting. 

The two-day conference, to be held on February 8 and 9, 2012, in New Delhi, will be inaugurated by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and will be addressed by agriculture minister Sharad Pawar and consumer affairs, food & public distribution K V Thomas. Senior officials of various Central ministries, planning commission and UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) are also expected to participate. Read more

Source : fnbnews.com

Good living needs good housekeeping

India has a dynamic and rapidly evolving real estate industry catering to the housing needs of a growing urban population. The choices available to buyers today range from plotted developments to apartments to group housing complexes.

An increasing number of real estate developers have graduated from selling not just a home, but one with a lifestyle attached. Most projects are marketed that way, and most home buyers are attracted to the spin. Read more

Source : indianexpress.com

Home ministry plans school to train spies, cops

NEW DELHI: As part of the Centre's attempt to strengthen security infrastructure and equip personnel with sophisticated gear, the home ministry has approved several proposals for paramilitary forces, ranging from setting up a 'detective training school' to procuring huge numbers of high-tech 'radio sets'. It also plans to buy and wet-lease helicopters for internal security duties. 

A school to train spies - Central Detective Training School (CDTS) - will be set up in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh by the home ministry's Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D). "The ministry has already released Rs 2.18 crore to BPR&D for acquisition of 8.37 acres of land for establishment of the school," a senior official said. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Senior citizens' groups release agenda for polls in Nashik

NASHIK: Senior citizens have put forth their demand for safety and security across the city ahead of the municipal elections scheduled for February 16. The senior citizens' groups active in prabhag 40, 52 and 53 in the Nashik East division has demanded security and safety for the elders in the city and has asked for an old age home in every division.

"Life is very difficult for some of us pensioners. Some have to pay for staying in the house of our wards. In such cases, homes for the elderly will make their lives bea-rable to some extent," said P S Joshi, former officer with the State Bank of India (SBI) and a resident of Rajeev Nagar, prabhag 53. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

China, India lag in cyber-readiness

China and India are lagging behind in cyberdefense and the ability to defend themselves against emerging attacks.

According to a report by McAfee and the Belgium-based Security & Defense Agenda (SDA) released today, China had a low level of preparedness for cyberattacks with a rating of 3 out of 5 along with Italy, Poland and Russia. India received a lower rating of 2.5 out of 5 on its state of readiness, along with Brazil and Romania. Read more

Source : zdnetasia.com

Need to raise agri productivity before bringing food law: Pawar

NEW DELHI: Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Sunday said it would be difficult to implement the proposed food security bill without adequate funds to boost agricultural output.

Pawar, who was not fully aligned with the Congress on the food security legislation, argued that his grievance was that the total budgeted provision for entire agriculture ministry was Rs 20,000 crore and subsidy, as of today, was Rs 65,000 crore which might go up to Rs 1 lakh crore in the current year. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Karnataka going slow on law to enable senior citizens’ welfare

Bangalore : Although the Centre had passed the Senior Citizen Welfare Act, 2007, to ensure security for old people, the tribunals set up in the state have received only 50 cases since 2009.

“The implementation of the act is going slowly. The tribunals have received only about 50 cases since 2009,” said VA Machakanur, director, department for empowerment of differently-abled and senior citizens, government of Karnataka. Read more

Source : dnaindia.com

Illegal activities in Sec-43 slum pose security threat

Gurgaon : Apart from being an eyesore, slums in Huda Sector 43 have also turned into a hub of illegal activities, causing nuisance for the public. 

Residents of neighbourhood localities allege that slum dwellers are involved in illicit sale of liquor and drugs with police and officials of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) failing to take any action despite complaints. Read more

Source : hindustantimes.com

SPV for grain movement on cards

Food ministry plans special purpose vehicle with railways for smooth transportation dedicated corridors to be set up

New Delhi : As the government plans to enact a food security law from the next financial year, the food ministry and the railways are working on setting up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to finance faster movement of foodgrain from producing states to consuming ones.

The SPV will have equity contribution from both departments. It will work towards the establishment of dedicated corridors and procurement of trains and rakes for grain transportation. Read more

Source : business-standard.com

An organizational problem

Child malnutrition makes headlines but unless grass-roots practices are reordered, it’ll remain a persistent problem

With the release of new malnutrition statistics and the Food Security Bill gaining ground, I am tempted to ask the following question to all those working on the issue including the chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC):

“Have you ever spent a day at an anganwadi?”

Photo by Abhijit Bhatlekar/Mint.

Anganwadis, or crèches, are the backbone of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme initiated in 1975. ICDS targets infant children and pregnant mothers to tackle the problem of malnutrition, infant and maternal mortality and immunization. And yes, like any other mega social welfare scheme, millions of rupees are doled out every year for fortified grains, oil, fruit, etc., to be made available to poor young children and their mothers. Read more

Source : livemint.com

Some home truths

Urban homeless people lead hard lives with no shelter or social protection even while sustaining cities with their cheap labour. Inhabiting city footpaths, public parks, hume pipes, or the courtyards of shrines, they are invisible to the State, because they lack a formal address, and also even the elementary markers of citizenship of poor people in India, like ration cards and voters’ identity cards. We estimate that at least 1% of the population of cities is homeless, making the numbers of urban homeless persons at least around 3 million.

My colleagues and I studied for the Planning Commission the social, economic and nutritional situation of urban homeless people in four cities — Delhi, Chennai, Madurai and Patna. We found that life on the streets involves surviving continuously and precariously at the edge, in a physically brutalised and challenging environment. Elementary public services and healthy food are denied. The challenges of this bleak and often lonely existence are aggravated by a hostile State, which illegalises and even criminalises their self-help efforts for shelter and livelihoods. Read more

Source : hindustantimes.com

Dhanvijay assigns cops to protect parked Starbuses

NAGPUR: Considering the spate of attacks on Starbuses, police commissioner Ankush Dhanvijay has allotted four parking areas for the buses, where cops will be deployed to ensure security. He has also ordered the city police to immediately arrest protesters and their union leaders.

"The Starbuses have been purchased under JNNURM, so they are government property. Damage to a single bus leads to a loss of around Rs1 lakh and indirectly it is a great loss for the government. Hence, police personnel will be deployed for their security for a few days," said Dhanvijay. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

‘Enact law ensuring security of street vendors'

TIRUCHI : The Union government should enact a law ensuring security of street vendors in line with the Supreme Court judgement on the issue.

This was among the major demands put forward at a State level seminar on Problems and Solutions of Street Vendors jointly organised by the Centre for Women's Studies and Department of Social Work, Holy Cross College, Department of Women's Studies, Bharathidasan University and National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) here on Friday. Read more

Source : thehindu.com

Soon,Govt to serve up Food Security Act

Union Minister for Commerce, Industry & Textiles Anand Sharma said that the UPA Government is planning to implement the Right to Food Security Act after the tremendous response to the Right to Education and Right to Information, which have been “successfully implemented”.

Sharma said the industrial package for hill States of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir will be revised and likely to be introduced again next year. Read more

Source : dailypioneer.com

Home ministry to have limited say in investments

New Delhi : To whittle the veto power wielded by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) over investment proposals, the government will frame rules and guidelines and rewrite several laws in the next two months.

Top government sources confirmed that a subjective, anecdotal, case-by-case approach to a raft of investments that were stuck seeking mandatory ‘security clearance’ will be revisited. The process began with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board nixing the home ministry’s security concerns about a proposal by Verizon Communications — a telecom company headquartered in the US. The ministry had reservations about Verizon being allowed to set up shop in India, as the company shared data with US’ law enforcing agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and its India arm might as well be required to do so. Read more

Source : business-standard.com

Tech connectivity among varsities a must: Kalam

AHMEDABAD: The first convocation of Charotar University of Science and Technology (Charusat) was held in Changa where 160 students were awarded degrees on Wednesday.

Former President A P J Abdul Kalam in his address laid emphasis on research and said that the university will achieve great heights if the culture of research is imbibed in students by their teachers. He urged the students to focus on research and help achieve his vision 2020 targets which envisage a nation where the urban and rural divide has reduced to a thin line, where there is equitable distribution and adequate access to energy and quality water. "Technological connectivity among universities should be pursued on war footing using cost effective virtual classrooms," said Kalam. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com