Think India Foundation

Slur of being single

A national consultation on rural single women threw up a host of issues requiring urgent intervention. The testimonies revealed that wherever single rural women raised their voices, they were likely to be labelled as witches, traitors, agents of social and cultural divisiveness.

Artists from Orissa during a press preview on the eve of 25th Surajkund Crafts Mela in Haryana last month. Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

A National Consultation on Agrarian Single Women recently focussed on issues of distress, access to livelihood and services. The consultation, a meeting ground of intellectuals, academicians, grassroots activists, rural single women, and widows, examined the larger issues of agrarian crisis and the unabated farmer suicides. In the micro context, they focussed on differential entitlements within the family coupled with institutional discrimination in terms of access to basic services, deliverables and schemes available to poor rural widows and single women. Read more

Source : thehindu.com

Identity of language

(How can I ever forget February 21 - a day smeared in the blood of my brothers?)

It's a day that evokes very strong emotions. Because, it was not just a movement for getting official recognition for Bangla from the erstwhile Central Government of Pakistan, it became an assertion of Bengali nationalist identity and set East and West Pakistan on a collision course that eventually led to the birth of Bangladesh. And the bhasha andolan (language movement) also inspired development and celebration of Bangla literature, arts and culture, thus having a major impact on Bengali society at large. February 21, which was recognized by Unesco as International Mother Language Day at its session in November, 1999, is a national holiday in Bangladesh where lakhs of people congregate at iconic Shahid Minar in Dhaka - and its replicas across the country - to pay respects to the martyrs of the movement who were killed in police firing in Dhaka on this day in 1952. Ekushey Padak, one of the highest civilian awards of Bangladesh, is given out on this day. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Roopkotha: The estranged and ignored kin

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, mothers used to tell children bedtime stories: of clashes and palace politics between Shuorani and Duorani, blood-curdling accounts of Rakshas picking up the smell of humans before devouring them, seven childless queens giving birth simultaneously after eating a magic root/herb given by a sadhu, talking birds -- Bangoma and Bangomi -- leading princes to treasures guarded by vicious demons, a cursed Konkaboti awaiting her saviour and so on.

A folk-themed painting by Abdus Shakoor Shah.

But gone are those days. Blonde, blue-eyed Cinderellas and Harry Potters have invaded that special place in the hearts of urban Bengali children. Kajolrekhas, Konkabotis and Dalimkumars are now just fond, fading memories of a generation that never bothered to introduce these tales to their successors. Trapped in some badly printed books, adorned with unimpressive illustration -- these stories now collect dust in someone's forsaken collection. Read more

Source : thedailystar.net

Children raise voice for civic awareness in Mysore

Mysore : B V Karanth Rangamandira at the Dasara Exhibition Grounds in the city was flooded with children on Saturday for ‘Mysuru habba.’

Students from almost 70 schools were present at Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness (CMCA), a joint initiative of CMCA India and Mysore City Corporation. Read more

Source : deccanherald.com

Urban Women Confront Old Attitudes Toward Education and Employment in India

BANGALORE, INDIA - Shelley Das, 32, is a well-educated and widely traveled woman who lives in Bangalore, a city in southern India. Dressed in neat business clothes, she has just finished another workday at a multinational corporation, where she holds a senior position. 

She says that she is part of a recent quantum leap in the evolution of the urban Indian woman. Read more

Source : trust.org

Gender disparity alarming in Orissa, say experts

BERHAMPUR: Despite the government's tall claims about women empowerment, the fairer sex is suffering from discrimination, illiteracy, poverty and exploitation in the state, several women activists and academicians observed here on Sunday.

"There is acute gender disparity in terms of literacy, access to health services, work forces and other human development indicators," said Asha Hans, a retired professor and former director of the School of Women's Studies, Utkal University, at a workshop on gender, culture and violence, organized by Shakti, the women's cell of Khallikote Autonomous College, here. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Declining sex ratio a cause of serious concern: CSWB

Shimla (PTI) : Concerted efforts should be made to arrest the declining female sex ratio, which reached abysmally low level in 2011, Prema Cariappa, Chairperson of Central Social Welfare Board today said. Talking to mediapersons, she said that sex ratio was quite good in some districts of Himachal like Lahaul and Spiti (1017) but situation was no better in Solan, Una, Sirmaur, Shimla and Kangra districts bordering Punjab and Haryana, notorious for female foeticide.

Criappa, a former Mayor of Bangalore, said she was travelling through the length and breadth of the country to create awakening against female foeticide and "Save the girl child" said that unfortunately, the menace of female foeticide was not among the poor and illiterate but the elite urban population was indulging more in it. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.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

Experts, youths exchange ideas in Kolkata

KOLKATA: 'Role of cultural institutions in shifting urban landscapes and shaping urban reality on an international level' This was the agenda for the joint podium discussion at the German Consulate General on Saturday. which saw an exchange of innovative ideas and approaches in tackling urban and cultural changes between the panelists. 

The conference, organized under the aegis of "Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities", witnessed an exchange of innovative ideas between the panelists. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

The blessing of two

KOLKATA: More and more parents are realizing the worth of the old slogan 'hum do, hamare do'. The 1970 campaign was meant to stem the population explosion, but it has come around to signify something entirely different four decades later - a break from the nuclear families' self-imposed norm of one child.

For two decades now, with the middle-class 'boom', most urban homes followed a structural and economic pattern - both partners worked and preferred to have a single child. This was a direct follow-up of the disintegration of the joint family, which meant staying away from even in-laws. With jobs to manage and a household to run, these double-income upscale families chose to limit kids to just one. But the pattern is changing now. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Nearly 50% fall in brides married below 18

NEW DELHI: The percentage of women getting married before the legal age of 18 has fallen by 46% between 2005 and 2009. 

However, nearly seven in 100 women are still getting married before they turn 18. Decline of incidents of under-aged brides have been almost similar in rural and urban India at around 45%. Nationally, the percentage of under-aged brides in 2009 varied from 0.4% in Jammu and Kashmir to 14.1% in Jharkhand. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Who's who to attend summit on changing Bihar

PATNA: Top honchos of various fields are expected to attend the three-day Global Summit on Changing Bihar, scheduled to open here on February 17.

To be inaugurated by Nepal PM Baburam Bhattarai, the summit will be spread over various sessions and workshops on themes like agriculture, health, industries, urban development, infrastructure, finance, tourism, education and socio-cultural renaissance. It is being organized by Bihar Foundation, Institute for Human Development (IHD) and Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI). Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.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

Countrys 1st Surf Festival kicks off

BHUBANESWAR: As many as 30 stand up paddle (SUP) boards would soon be provided to the different boatmen’s associations in the Chilika lagoon by the Government as flat water surfing is set to make its debut in the lake within a month. The Government is keen to promote SUP not only as a eco-tourism attraction but push the sport for better management of environment, Tourism and Culture Secretary Ashok Tripathy said on Tuesday as he set sail the first India Surf Festival, organised by the Surfing Yogis in association with Orissa tourism Department at Ramchandi here on Tuesday.

About 30 representatives from the boatmen’s associations under the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) will be trained on SUP during the festival for introducing it in their respective zones. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Return of the Swayamvara

This one will gladden the hearts of parents having daughters. The sex ratio in India is increasingly loaded against girls. Female foeticide resulting from the rich’s aversion to part with wealth is said to be the main contributing factor to the dwindling of the female population.

So, how does it constitute glad news? Because, dowry will be a thing of the past as boys scramble for a mate. How could 1,000 boys ask for dowry from 914 girls! Simple, isn’t it? Read more

Source : postnoon.com

Giving unwanted babies a home, better life in Bangalore

Bangalore : Unwanted children of poor parents, who cannot look after them, need not be abandoned. The Missing Children’s Bureau (MCB) of the department of women and child development will be setting up cradles to curb the number of children being abandoned at railway stations and dustbins.

According to an official with the MCB, “Parents who are unable to look after their newly born infants now do not have to dump them in dustbins or kill them. The aim of this project is that every child is looked after and does not have to grow up on the streets or be killed because his/her parents do not want them.” Read more

Source : dnaindia.com

Murder tales: Families turning dysfunctional?

Bedrooms have become dangerous arenas, of war, not love across urban India. 

The apex court will be looking into pillow covers and bed sheets. What is happening? asked Justice A.K. Ganguly, on January 6, while hearing an appeal from Arushi's parents, Rajesh and Nupur Talwar. He refused to examine bed linen, a piece of evidence in the murder of the teenager at the Talwars' Noida home in May 2008. His verdict was clear: the Arushi Talwar murder trial would begin on February 4 at a Ghaziabad court. The Talwars, who had been using the legal process to delay trial, had finally run out of options. Accused of killing their teenage daughter and the domestic help, they now face criminal proceedings to prove their innocence beyond all doubt. A lot more than bloodstained linen will now be under judicial scrutiny.

Across urban India, bedrooms have become dangerous arenas, of war, not love. The enemy is within, waiting to strike. In Bangalore, Kumar, a 27-year-old garment worker, hit his pregnant wife in a fit of anger for demanding new clothes on New Year. The blow killed her on January 4. In Delhi, Gaurav Arora, 22, shot his two teenage cousins on January 2, because they inherited a much larger share of ancestral property than him. In Chennai on January 7, a 56-year-old employee of a private company, Muthu Palaniappan, killed his wife with a crowbar for fighting neighbours over TV noise. He told them later: "I have solved the issue." Read more

Source : news.in.msn.com

Kolkata Book Fair to celebrate 200 yrs of Dickens

KOLKATA: The city never misses an opportunity to celebrate authors and legends. So, while we have our own Tagore and Swami Vivekananda whose sesquicentennials are being celebrated, here is yet another great whose 200th birth anniversary will also be observed with a lot of gusto. And what better time for this than the Kolkata Book Fair, because the author we are talking about is Charles Dickens.

The British Council is launching a year-long celebration of Dickens in India, starting with Kolkata. This is part of a worldwide initiative by British Council to celebrate 200 years of Britain's most popular novelist. The reason to start this in Kolkata is not only the book fair but also the fact that a literature festival - the Kolkata Literary Meet (KLM) - is making its debut in the fair this time. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Cultural centre for North East inaugurated

New Delhi : The Centre for North Eastern Culture in the National Capital was open to the people of North east and the general public today at a solemn inaugural function at the centre's campus lawn in Dwarka, West Delhi.

The inauguration was held in commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the Mizo Peace Accord, signed on 30th June 1986. The centre is a joint collaboration of the North East Council (NEC) and Cultural Resources and Training ( CCRT). Read more

Source : e-pao.net

Poser from Norway: Do Indians make bad parents?

The case of the official abduction of two Indian children from their parents in Norway – allegedly for poor parenting skills – and placement with foster care is indicative of the wide gulf in cultural perceptions between us and them on what is right or wrong in a given situation.

While one TV channel is running a shrill campaign on the theme of Norwegian cruelty which has forcibly separated two kids from their natural guardians – it is obviously playing to the domestic public opinion gallery – the more important issues are barely being discussed. Read more

Source : firstpost.com

‘Sharp fall in child sex ratio in many states’

New Delhi: Voicing concern, Union minister Krishna Tirath on Tuesday said child sex ratio has seen sharp fall in many states cutting across the rural-urban divide. 

"A disturbing fact is that in the last decade, as many as 27 States and Union Territories have experienced a fall in the child sex ratio," the Women and Child Development Minister said here. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

Old age homes full; elders struggle for space to stay in Pune

Pune : For three months now, 65-year old Indu Radke has been visiting the Nivara Old Age Home, Sadashiv Peth, every day to be admitted there, but without luck. A domestic worker at an upper middle-class household in Magarpatta area, Radke stayed and worked with the family. Things changed when the family moved to another city. Radke visited other old age homes, but there, too, she has faced disappointment. Currently staying with a friend, she does not know when her wait will end.

For many senior citizens like Radke, getting a place at city’s old age homes has become a daunting task. In the last five years, the waiting lists at these homes has have just grown longer. The city has close to 50 old age homes, mostly run by private organisations. Nivara Old Age Home, which has a capacity of 129, receives several applications daily, which are turned down due to lack of space. Read more

Source : expressindia.com

Live-in relationships still a taboo

Bollywood may have glamourised live-in relationships with Wake up Sid and Saalam Naamaste, and the apex court may have pronounced them "legal" nearly four years ago,but the fact that they are still not socially acceptable struck this week when city judge Surinder S.Rathi declared such relationships to be "immoral" and an "infamous product of Western culture". Living-in is just a fad,he said,visible only in urban areas.

Delhi-based Smita and Sumit faced many odds when they decided to move in together

He made these remarks after sentencing an Indian woman for killing her Nigerian live-in partner, arousing the ire of those who hoped that our society was finally getting over some of its bigoted and moralistic ideas. Read more

Source : indiatoday.intoday.in

It’s time for a Japanese fest

New Delhi : The coming three months will give the city a taste of everything Japanese. This timeline will be marked by theatre performances, art shows, and cultural exchanges between India and Japan, with artistes from both the countries performing together. 

Called - Passage to the next generation -the festival is being organised by The Japan Foundation to mark 60 years of diplomatic ties between India and Japan. “As the name of the project suggests, we are targeting the youth. We have young artists, curators and performers, who will be performing, with many making their debut as well,” says Supriya Suri, one of the festival’s organisers. Read more

Source : hindustantimes.com

Rural India beats cities in pre-natal sex determination tests

NEW DELHI: Did you think sex-selection was more prevalent in urban homes? Think Again. 

Census 2011 showed that India’s child-sex ratio had dipped to 914 girls as against 927 per 1,000 boys recorded in 2001 Census — the worst dip since 1947

An analysis of Census 2011 by the Union health ministry on the eve of the crucial meeting of the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act's (PC & PNDT Act) Central Supervisory Board (CSB) has shown that the hideous crime against a girl child has become more prevalent among families in rural India. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

'India requires gender-based teaching'

Jaipur : Overseas Indians attending the Pravasi Bharati Diwas (PBD) here Jan 7-9 feel that to become a developed country, India requires to fill the gaps mainly in the education sector.

"India requires gender-based teaching and it will help to utilize 50 percent of human resources meaningfully. This would also help in women empowerment," Anita Singh, an academician at the University of Toronto, told IANS. Read more

Source : twocircles.net

Global languages meet kicks off

VADODARA: The two-day Bhasha Vasudha, the global languages meet, that began here on Saturday promises to set the ball rolling for conservation of languages other than that which are widely spoken around the world.

The meet is being attended by at least 700 delegates from across the country and even abroad. At least 900 languages are being represented at the meet where volumes of the first People's Linguistic Survey of India (PLSI) done under the aegis of Bhasha Research and Publication Centre (BRPC) were released before their formal publication. Around 122 websites of various Indian languages were launched along with that of the PLSI. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

The snakes and ladders of life

Life is like a game of snakes and ladders. The economically disadvantaged sections of the population hover on the lower rows of a game board infested with snakes and hardly find ladders to take them to the upper rows. Meanwhile, the affluent monopolise the ladders. Even if these affluent, or relatively affluent, are swallowed by a snake or two, they soon find the ladders to take them back to the top.    

The snakes on a household’s game board are issues such as the loss of livelihood, debilitating illness, the death of the wage earner, suffocating debt, ever-rising costs of basic necessities, inadequate capacity to assert one’s legal rights (perhaps in relation to the ownership and possession of land and assets), and social disadvantages resulting from caste or tribe. The ladders, on the other hand, are enablers: premium education, the right set of vocational skills, proximity to economically developing centres, obtaining affordable housing, internet access, availability of medical facilities and financial services, and so on. Read more

Source : business-standard.com

The world in our hands

With the dominance of Europe and America ending, the face of the world is changing rapidly in the 21st century.

We are heading towards a tri-polar world, where large emerging nations such as India and China can play a decisive role in shaping the future world. In this regard, can our youth be catalysts of change, taking India to the next stage of development?

Indeed, the power of youth is invigorating, capable of propelling a revolution, transforming even a traditional society. In 2009, Wael Ghonim was a young Google executive I had known, in the business circle of Dubai. Now, as per Time magazine, Wael Ghonim is one of the top 100 influencing leaders of 2011. Rising like a phoenix, Wael led the recent Egyptian revolution demonstrating the indomitable combination of youth and social media. It was Wael’s Facebook page that drew the country’s youth to the centre-stage of the Egyptian revolution ushering in a new era of hope. Read more

Source : deccanherald.com

Dress code: Crime passes off as culture

BANGALORE: No woman dresses inappropriately. Every woman dresses the way she deems right. Dressing in an expression of individuality, what differentiates a Roma from a Radha. But that's not to say either of their dressing styles is wrong or right. Skinny jeans and a form-fitting tee might be the regular dress code of a young, urban teenager; a salwar kameez or a sari of her counterpart in a smaller town. Neither of these, by themselves, are an invitation for sexual harassment nor do they offer immunity from it. Sexual harassment is as common in smaller cities as in our bigger ones.

That a basic and simple right of self-expression is being exploited by authorities - police, politicians, educationists, self-appointed moral policemen -- to defend appalling behaviour by men is pathetic. In the hue and cry over the remarks made by the Andhra DGP and Karnataka'swomen and child welfare minister, what's forgotten is that law and order issues are being mixed up with moral ones. Instead of booking and taking stern action against those who pass lewd remarks against women, resort to verbal abuse, sexually harass and molest women, police invariably pass the buck by admonishing the women and pointing fingers at so-called 'inappropriate' clothing. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Ahead of polls, advisory panel pushes for Muslims' welfare

NEW DELHI: The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) has asked the government to focus on welfare of minorities in the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-13 to 2016-17), a recommendation that comes ahead of the assembly polls in five states in January-February.

The move follows the government's December 2011 move to approve a 4.5 percent sub-quota for minorities within the existing 27.5 percent quota for the other backward classes in central jobs and admission to central educational institutions. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com 

HC judge blames illiteracy for vice of child marriage

MYSORE: It has been six decades since India got independence, but an evil practice like child marriage still exists due to illiteracy, said Karnataka High Court Judge K L Manjunathhere in Gandethuru of H D Kote taluk on Saturday. 

Manjunath was addressing the villagers at a legal awareness program organized by District Legal Services Authority and the district administration to prevent child marriage in the area. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Women urge political parties to address gender gap

Mumbai : Fifty per cent reservation for women in the municipal corporations and zilla parishad elections is not enough. Political parties want to go a step ahead.

They will devote a section in their election manifestoes on problems faced by women in rural and urban areas. Read more

Source : dnaindia.com

Condom use low amongst India's unmarried youth -study

NEW DELHI (TrustLaw) - Only 7 percent of young women and 27 percent of young men in India who are having or have had pre-marital sex use condoms, according to a new study calling for better access to contraception for the country's youth.

A volunteer (C) distributes condoms to sex workers in Sonagachi, the biggest red light district in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata November 29, 2006. REUTERS/Jayanta Shaw

The study, "Condom Use Before Marriage and Its Correlates: Evidence from India," by the Population Council, interviewed 2,408 unmarried and married people between the ages of 15 and 24-years-old who were having or had had sex before marriage. Read more

Source : trust.org

J&K Govt to promote local writers: Minister

Jammu (PTI) : With Kashmiri poetess Naseem Shafaie set to receive this year's prestigious Sahitya Akademi award, the J-K government today said it will provide all possible support for the publication of literary works of the local writers.

 "The state government will make available adequate funds to promote and preserve art, culture and languages of the state. We will also help in upgrading the existing infrastructure for cultural activities," Minister for Tourism and Culture Nawang Rigzin Jora said. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

‘I am Mumbai’ Mirror campaign gives a voice to Mumbaikars

The campaign for the compact morninger, Mumbai Mirror, has been conceived by TapRoot India, and the four ads are based on actual stories from the daily reflecting the angst of the people

Now, people of Mumbai will wake up every morning to nothing but the truth with the tabloid morninger, Mumbai Mirror, the second largest read English daily in Mumbai from The Times of India Group, pledges to reach out to its readers with real voices daily. Read more

Source : bestmediainfo.com

Happily unmarried and living in at 50

New Delhi : Shekhar Malhotra had been living an extremely isolated, morbid life as a single for two years, but five days changed it all. Five eventful days when he walked, laughed, held hands and shared drinks and memories with a woman. Five days when the 68-year-old 'lived-in' with a woman.

A concept which till recently was perceived as a threat to the very institution of marriage, a popular culture that was thought to be the preserve of the frivolous and wavering few, a phrase that no one even dropped in the presence of family elders, forget remotely associating with it, the very same concept is today getting recognised as an option for single elderly people. Read more

Source : deccanherald.com

Tough city Mumbai still cares

In this overworked city of multitudes, Social and Cultural Values can sometimes take a backseat, as reflected in The Times Of India-IMRB Quality Of Life Survey, in which urbanites across eight mega-cities rated Mumbai poorly for its friendliness, respect for values and cultural heritage. But scratch our tough facade and you will find a city that can break into a smile, lend a helping hand in troubled times, and attract migrants in search of the elusive dream. A city that women still find safe. It is these positives that help Mumbai rank second for its Social and Cultural Values.

India's melting pot, Mumbai, is viewed by urban Indians as having falling respect for cultural heritage, values and friendliness, though it still manages to hang on to two of its hallmarks, cosmopolitanism and women friendliness. Urbanites taking The Times Of India-IMRB Quality Of Life survey perceived Mumbai as coming third after mega-cities like Ahmedabad and Hyderabad when it comes to Social and Cultural Values. TOI's final installment in the survey saw Ahmedabad and Hyderabad getting ratings of 3.2 on a scale of 1 to 5 in this category, while Mumbai, Kolkata and Pune tied for third place with 3.1. Delhi occupied the cellar for Social and Cultural Values with 2.6, while Chennai was just above the national capital with 2.9. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Marriage magic

Before you succumb to the magic of romance and the search for everlasting love, take care to choose the right partner

In the life of an Indian couple — and often for the whole family — marriage is the most important milestone, perhaps because it unites not only the bride and bridegroom in the marriage bond, but also their entire families and friends.Some traditional legends associated with marriage continue to influence the thinking of a large number of Indians even today. For instance, marriage is supposed to ‘steady’ and ‘sort out’ the life of a man who parties hard and is seen as a rake.  It is also a welcome hiatus for the parents of young women! However progressive they are, they feel that they have ‘done their duty of handing over their protected daughter to the right man’.

Somehow, a marriage is visualised as a panacea for all the problems of Indian youth. Read more

Source : deccanherald.com

ENT-BENGALI 2 LAST

"The Bengali film industry known for its rich past and "The Bengali film industry known for its rich past and contribution to the Indian film industry is on its revival path. We are seeing films with fresh storylines emerging commercially successful domestically," veteran filmmaker Goutam Ghose was quoted in the report. His film 'Moner Manush' is estimated to have garnered revenues of Rs One crore from theatricals alone last year.

"Today I am proud to say that the Bengali film industry has really come of age. Good quality films with proper marketing garners as much attention as any big blockbuster Hindi or a Hollywood release," said producer Mahendra Soni of Shree Venkatesh Films. Read more

Source ibnlive.in.com

Patna College to hold seminar on declining sex ratio

PATNA: Sri Arvind Mahila College principal Asha Singh on Wednesday said even as India's sex ratio is alarming (it has declined from 976 females for every 1,000 males in 1961 to 914 in 2011), very little is being done to improve the situation. The steady decline in the sex ratio suggests that marked improvement in the economy and literacy rates do not seem to have had any impact on this index, she said.

"In fact, the availability of new technology and its easy access to the urban, wealthy and educated have worsened the trend and harmed the status of women in Indian society. The major barrier to mainstreaming gender justice and scaling up effective interventions is gender inequality based on socio-cultural issues. The systematic discrimination of girls and women needs to be tackled if interventions have to work," Singh observed. She pleaded for a threadbare discussion on this sensitive issue. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

All for the environment

Chennai : What was it like to be in Japan for the first time? Some of the PSBB students chosen to visit the country as part of the Japan-SAARC programme relate their experiences

Nine students from the Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan (PSBB), Nungambakkam, visited Japan under the “Japan-SAARC High School Students Invitation Program 2011” from November 23 to December 2, 2011. Awarded by the Government of Japan exclusively to High School students, the aim was to provide them with an opportunity to interact and exchange views with the people there as well as the high schoolers from the SAARC countries. Read more

Source : thehindu.com

Commercial success, a diving force for writers today

Bangalore : I want to write a best-seller,” declared a 20-something wannabe author who called me up for ‘tips’ on how to get published. Having heard this many times in the past from several others, I was neither surprised nor amused but asked this best-seller aspirant, if she had a story in mind for the book which she dreams everyone in India would be buying. “Oh! That is incidental,” she mumbled nonchalantly, “I will just read what is selling currently and cull out something from them all.” Ok! Now, THIS certainly shocked me!

Welcome to the world of the authors of youngistan! Becoming an author has never been this easy in a world where blogs transform into books overnight. It is within everyone’s reach and the awe associated with being a writer has suddenly been stripped off. In the process story lines, themes, fleshing out realistic characters, research, reading classics and soaking in—everything can be given short shrift. What ultimately matters is how many copies sold, who launched your book and did the ubiquitous media cover the event! Read more

Source : dnaindia.com

Suffering silently

It is a shame that domestic violence still happens in our country. Be it rural or urban women, they are still facing domestic violence at the hands of their husbands or in - laws. No doubt in India, there are rules which come to the help of a woman, but only then when a woman invokes them. Usually women remain silent and as per studies, silence is maintained by a lady who is working just to save her and her family's respect.

The president of our country is a lady, the leader of the ruling party is a lady but alas! a lady is suffering in silence somewhere. If she wants to get justice, she has to break her silence and put the culprit or the culprits under law. Government has established a ' Women Cell' everywhere who listen to the woes of a helpless lady. There are many NGOs who are always ready to help a lady. Read more

Source : greaterkashmir.com

Here's why young Indian couples want to stay in joint families!

According to a Shaadi.com survey, more young Indians are looking to get married into joint families. We find out why young couples would give up their personal space to live with the in-laws.

Every evening, Simi Tripathi returns home from work, opens her refrigerator and sighs. Mostly, the refrigerator is empty. The few raw vegetables that have been bought a week ago, stare at her listlessly, killing whatever little desire there is left in her to cook a meal. Read more

Source : rediff.com

Domestic violence unabated in Assam: ASCW

GUWAHATI: Though it has been said that the condition of women in the state has improved over the last few years, incidents of domestic violence, both in urban and rural areas, have not come down.

The newly appointed chairman of the Assam State Commission for Women (ASCW), Mira Borah, on Sunday said, "I joined in September last and since then the commission has been receiving complaints of domestic violence regularly. Though it is difficult to distinguish them in terms of urban and rural, most of the cases are dowry and property related." Monideepa Borkotoki, a member of the ASCW, seconded her opinion. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Varanasi city rallies behind its differently abled

VARANASI: A series of activities will be held across the world on Saturday to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3). The city that has a population of over 80,000 persons with disabilities will also join the course.

In Varanasi the government runs a multipurpose school in Khusipur area for education and vocational training to physically as well as mentally challenged children. According to officials, there are provisions for the training in four trades including fitter, electrical, electronics and computer. Residential arrangements have been made for 50 persons. Another wing of the school 'Bachpan' imparts education to 20 visually challenged, 20 hearing impaired and 20 mentally retarded children. District disabled welfare officer SN Singh says there are about 100 organisations in the district working for such children and grown up people, but only seven registered organisations are aided by the government. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Special squads to curb abuse of child actors

While the city-based non-government organisations have voiced their skepticism about monitoring production houses for the implementation of the latest guidelines of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the state along with the labour department has set up a special task force (flying squad) to check for violations at shooting sites.

In a bid to to prevent mistreatment of television child actors by production houses, the new NCPCR guidelines for one make it mandatory for producers to restrict working hours for children. The guidelines were issued following years of rallying by NGO working on child rights who have been demanding harsher punitive steps against production houses that harass child performers at shoots. In fact, to save money, many production houses shoot content for two or three episodes in just one shift, forcing children to work long hours. Read more

Source : dnaindia.com

Viacom 18 Media targets India’s new young adult ,to launch action channel Sonic

Mumbai: Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Ltd. today announced the launch plans of its new channel in India – ‘SONIC’. Launching in December 2011, ‘SONIC’ aims to be the ‘Sci-fi platform for the Wi-Fi Generation’, who is attitudinally drawn towards thrills, action and edge-of-the-seat excitement. Fast-paced, the channel is exclusively conceived to bridge the gap between the kids and the youth channels. The channel will launch in India with multi-lingual feeds. The announcement was made by Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Executive Vice President & General Manager – SONIC and Nick India.

After COLORS, MTV, Nick and Vh1, ‘SONIC’ is Viacom18’s 5th channel in India and further strengthens its position in the Indian entertainment domain. Targeted at India’s new young adult, SONIC will offer the 10-17 year olds doses of Action, Adventure and Animation, 24x7. Animation has come of age in the west and is widely consumed by non-kids TG through television shows, movies and console gaming.  SONIC aims to deliver superlative action that can only be delivered through the alternative world of animation.  Live action shows and blockbuster films will complete SONIC’s content lineup.  Read more

Source : medianewsline.com

Maharashtra poor score for HIV tainted schoolchildren

Pune : In the past five years, 112 HIV-positive children have faced boycott in classrooms, opposition from parents of other children and refused promotion to the next class, besides other forms of discrimination in schools across Maharashtra.

The state holds the dubious distinction of having reported the maximum incidents of discrimination against these children between 2009 and 2010 in India. Read more

Source : dnaindia.com