Jan 14 2015 : The Times of India (Delhi)

`Reconstruct UN to tackle new-age terror'

Subhabrata Guha

New Delhi:





The United Nations and its conflict management mechanism in the Security Council are ill-equipped with modern warfare and facing the new kind of enemy that the world has seen both in the Charlie Hebdo and Boko Haram massacres, said the head of the International Committee of Red Cross, the global body mandated to help victims of war.Yves Daccord, director general of ICRC, told TOI in an exclusive interview that the stranglehold of the Permanent Five on the Security Council made it difficult for the UN to play an effective role in the state vs terrorism war, which mostly involved non-state actors. Broadening the Security Council was necessary to make the world body more efficient, he said.
“Perhaps it's time to have a re-look at the Security Council, reconstruct the UN.It's also the time rethink about the veto rights of P5 because veto rights cannot be absolute anymore,“ he said.
He said the France and Nigeria massacres showed no one was immune anymore and governments cutting across their geographical barriers must come together to provide a solution. “India has an enormous potential and understanding of bringing communities togeth er. In this polarized world, India has lived with diversities and it's now time it should take the lead,“ he said.
He said face-to-face dialogue was the best way to deal with the hostile situations.“We have been working in Iraq since the last 30 years and managed to engage through our programs on food, water and sanitation.“
On the challenges in conflict zones, he said. “We have people being taken hostage by Islamic State. There are the state and the non-state actors who pursue their own agendas. Non-state actors have a tendency to change their be haviour when they get control. They become more pragmatic because they have to take care of people. And sometime they leave a room for humanitarian talks. And the state must govern by the basic principle of humanity .“
Not only non-state actors, humanitarian workers face pressure from governments.“We tell governments that you want to get into war, but don't forget the people, who have an enormous impact. In Syria, health and education systems have become non-existent,“ he said.
(For the full interview, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com)

Jan 14 2015 : The Times of India (Delhi)

Brain-dead man lends a `hand' to mishap victim

Sudha Nambudiri

Kochi





In the first instance of its kind in Kerala, and probably in the country itself, an accident victim got his forearm replaced by that of a brain-dead donor.When Binoy (24) was declared brain dead following a bike accident, his family conveyed their willingness to have his organs donated though they weren't quite prepared for the kind of request they were about to get.
Thodupuzha-resident Manu (30) was the beneficiary of a `hand transplant' operation which took over 16 hours by a team of doctors led by Dr Subramaniya Iyer, clinical professor and head of department of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences.
Though the number of people willing to donate major organs like heart, liver and kidneys in Kerala has been on the rise there exists an unacknowledged taboo about donating limbs. This `transplant' brings hope for hundreds of people with amputated limbs.
“Though we have been ready and waiting for the last few months for a donor, most families have been reluctant to do so. They are ready to donate any organ except the limbs,“ Dr Iyer said.
Prosthetic forearms were fixed to Binoy's body before it was handed over to his relatives. Binoy , a resident of Varapuzha, was on a ventilator for the past two days after being admitted with serious injuries following the bike accident.
According to doctors, it took about three hours for them to connect the different nerves, blood vessels and other tissues as part of the operation. “There are about 14 tendons and 8-10 blood vessels in the region,“ Dr Iyer said.
There are four people already waiting for a hand or arm transplant in the hospital itself.

Jan 14 2015 : The Times of India (Delhi)

Rural schools high on enrolment, but low on learning levels: Report

Akshaya Mukul

New Delhi





Pratham's 10th Annual Status of Education Report -the country's biggest private audit of elementary education in rural India -released Tuesday has a similar story as in previous years: rising enrolment, poor learning levels in reading, mathematics and English and growth in number of private schools.ASER also says improvement in school facilities -pupil teacher ratios, playgrounds, kitchen sheds, drinking water facilities, toilets -continues. HRD ministry is going to strongly dispute ASER's claims on falling learning outcomes since government's own report gives a different picture.
With Pratham gaining worldwide presence -from Pakistan to Africa -the ceremony , again like in the past, was a glittering event attended by industrialists, entrepreneurs and even chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian. Report for 2014 done after survey of 16,497 villages, 5.7 lakh children in over 3.4 lakh households across 577 districts says that for the sixth year in a row enrolment levels are 96% or higher for the age group of 6 to 14.
For the full report, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com

National Highways in Assam

The Government of India has declared six roads in the state of Assam as National Highways through a notification carried out by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. With this, Assam has now 3,600 kilometres of roads as National Highway with its total length increasing from 3,100kms to 3,600 kilometres. The 244 kilometre long Highway starts from its junction at NH 27 near Nelle (Amsoi Gate). It links Rajagaon, Doyangmukh, Umrangso, Khobak ending at NH 27 at Harangajao. It would provide an alternative road to Barak Valley. This highway has been declared as NH No. 627.

Similarly, the 85 kilometre long stretch starting from the junction at NH 27 near Howli links Barpeta, Hajo stopping at NH 27 near Jalukbari. This will be the new National Highway No. 427. A stretch of 52 kilometer starting from Manja linking Diphu and terminating near Lumding is now National Highway No.329. A 65 kilometer long road with its junction near Bilasipara will link Kokrajhar. It will halt at Garubhasa. It will be the new National Highway No. 117A.

The stretch of road starting at NH 27 near Nakhola connecting Jagiroad, Morigaon, Kaupati Rowta, Udalguri, Khoirabari and terminating at the border of India and Bhutan is now declared as National Highway No. 715A. This Highway will also have a bridge that will connect the two banks of river Brahmaputra. Presently, this Highway is 21 kilometre long and the remaining part is yet to be constructed. The 42 kilometre long Highway starting from NH 27 near Barama passing through Baksa, Subhankhata and ending at India Bhutan border is now the National Highway No.127E. All six highways will be constructed and maintained by the Central Government.

Almonds could reduce belly fat: study

Snacking on almonds instead of carbs could reduce belly fat and lower the risk of heart disease, a new study has claimed.

The study found that a daily snack of 1.5 ounces of almonds instead of a high-carbohydrate muffin, eaten as part of an overall healthy diet, improved a number of heart disease risk factors in study participants.

In addition to significantly improving LDL and total cholesterol, snacking on almonds instead of muffins also reduced central adiposity (belly fat), a well-established heart disease risk factor.

Reducing abdominal fat is particularly beneficial given its connection to metabolic syndrome and increased risk for heart disease.

The twelve-week, randomised, controlled clinical study, led by researchers at Penn State University, was conducted in 52 overweight, middle-aged adults who had high total and LDL cholesterol but were otherwise healthy.

Participants ate cholesterol-lowering diets that were identical except that one group was given a daily snack of 1.5 ounces (42g) of whole natural almonds, while the other group was given a banana muffin that provided the same number of calories.

Participants were provided all meals and snacks in amounts based on their calorie needs to maintain body weight, and followed each diet for six weeks.

The diet containing the almond snack, compared to the muffin snack, decreased total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol non-HDL-cholesterol and remnant lipoproteins.

In addition, the diet with the muffin snack reduced HDL (good) cholesterol more than the almond diet.

Despite no differences in body weight or total fat mass, the almond diet significantly reduced abdominal fat mass, waist circumference and leg fat mass compared to the diet with the muffin snack.

“Our research found that substituting almonds for a high-carbohydrate snack improved numerous heart health risk factors, including the new finding that eating almonds reduced belly fat,” said Claire Berryman, lead researcher of the study.

“Choosing almonds as a snack may be a simple way to help fight the onset of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases,” said Berryman.

The study joins nearly two decades of research showing that almonds can help maintain a healthy heart and healthy cholesterol levels, and provides new evidence showing that regularly eating almonds instead of a high-carbohydrate snack may have benefits on body composition.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Keywords: Almonds, belly fat, LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, healthy heart, heart disease, HDL cholesterol, adiposity

No room for choice

The recently released draft National Health Policy 2015 highlights the "challenge" of population stabilisation in six of the 11 States.

Following massive protests over the death of 13 women who underwent the sterilisation procedure of tubectomy in Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh last November, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has written to all States reminding them that every person should be counselled about the different family planning options available. The letter completely contradicts the Union government’s intent of achieving population stabilisation almost exclusively through sterilisation. In a letter sent in October 2014 to 11 high-focus States, the Ministry had noted that the 2020 family planning goals had “underlined the importance of sterilisation” surgeries in these States. Even the recently released draft National Health Policy 2015 highlights the “challenge” of population stabilisation in six of the 11 States. In order to achieve the annual targets, the government recently increased the compensation given to women/men, motivators (Accredited Social Health Activists) and doctors. If the revised incentive given to motivators is Rs.200 for tubectomy and Rs.300 for vasectomy, the amount is as high as Rs.1,000 for a “permanent limiting method” (tubectomy or vasectomy) in the case of couples after up to two children. The higher incentive earmarked for permanent limiting methods is another reason why more women will now end up on the operating table. The government recently added a new component — post-partum sterilisation done soon after or within seven days of delivery. This approach works to the government’s advantage as more women are opting for institutional delivery to avail of the cash incentive earmarked for it.

Given the government’s primary focus on permanent and irreversible family planning options, the question of counselling women on the different options and giving them full freedom to choose the best one, will at best remain on paper, and not in practice. Sterilisation is the most prevalent form of contraception in the country, constituting nearly 75 per cent of the total cases. The proportion of tubectomies to total sterilisations has been around 95 per cent since 2005; nearly 4.5 million tubectomies have been performed each year since 2000. With a high number of tubectomies conducted every year and in a camp-based approach, tubectomy-related deaths as a result of poor quality of care will be inevitable even when they are done in health-care facilities. Unfortunately, the camp-based approach is set to continue. The pressure to meet targets, the incentives given to motivators and doctors and the permanent nature of sterilisation would mean that the question of counselling men and women of the different options may remain on paper.

Keywords: Chhattisgarh deaths, female sterilisation, family planning, Bilaspur district, sterilisation camp, tubectomy

Policy distorts gender equity

In India, the right to vote is only a statutory right, but the act of voting is a constitutionally protected ‘freedom of expression’ under Article 19, as a fundamental right (PUCL, 2013).

The Supreme Court recently refused to hear a petition challenging the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2014 on procedural grounds, sending it back to the High Court. The controversial ordinance introduces a set of educational qualifications of secondary education in order to be able to contest panchayat elections. For the post of sarpanch, Class VIII is the minimum qualification, while posts in the zilla parishad require a Class X pass. The petition is currently being heard by the Rajasthan High Court. The ordinance was challenged by several non-governmental organisations and political parties including the Congress. The BJP, which had inexplicably taken the ordinance route in the State, welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court and hailed it as a “victory of truth”. The rationale of the law is to encourage education and literacy. The problem is not with the ends, but with the means. Although the ordinance may be constitutionally valid as the facts are analogous to the reasoning of the Supreme Court in Javed (2003), it is at the level of policy that the law is weak. In Javed, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of a provision that stipulated that no person who has more than two children could be elected as the sarpanch or panch of a panchayat. A similar reasoning may be applied in the case of this ordinance as well. The Javed judgment was criticised for its reasoning as also its consequences, such as instances where men gave their daughters up for adoption to be able to contest elections. Ironically, it is not difficult for those who are influential to obtain false Class X certificates either.

In India, the right to vote is only a statutory right, but the act of voting is a constitutionally protected ‘freedom of expression’ under Article 19, as a fundamental right (PUCL, 2013). The freedom to vote is inseparable from the freedom to contest in elections, and hence a policy of encouraging education cannot arguably prevail over fundamental rights. The law is a major setback to the constitutional mandate of ensuring gender equality in panchayati governance where the Rajasthan government has provided for 50 per cent reservation for women. In rural areas, the literacy rate of women is only 45.8 per cent — in tribal areas it is 25.22 per cent — as opposed to the corresponding male literacy rate of 76.16 per cent. The law therefore excludes the majority of potential women contestants. The educational qualification norms, on top of the existing massive inequality in literacy rates, will reduce women’s participation in politics. Lastly, several grassroots activists argue that panchayat governance requires ethical values and an understanding of local issues gained from experience, more than Class X certificates.

Keywords: Rajasthan government ordinance, educational qualifications, panchayat elections, Supreme Court