How to Make India Drought Resistant





There is a lot to do and much can be done

The Met has forecast a second-successive year of deficient rainfall, an event that last happened 28 years ago.Punjab and Haryana -the country's largest wheat-producing states -are predicted to get the lowest rainfall in 16 years. These are forward-looking numbers, and the reality could be more benign. But there is every reason for the government to gear itself up to avert large-scale rural distress. One of the major failures of successive regimes is to build an extensive, as well as efficient, system of irrigation. Much of what we have today is the legacy of decades past: open canal systems, built long ago, lose much water through evaporation and seepage due to poor maintenance. We can, and must, improve on this.Traditional models of storing water -and replenishing groundwater -like ponds, wells and even small lakes have to be rejuvenated. All land cannot be bought to develop malls and condos.Rice, wheat and coarse grains must be released from Food Corporation of India's hoards, at low cost. Drought-resistant seeds, already developed, need to be produced in large quantities and distributed cheap to farmers. Initiatives like kisan credit cards, crop insurance and so on have either failed or are yet to take off meaningfully , because we lack the institutional mechanism to activate them. However, preventing the farmer falling deeper into debt, with distress borrowings from the moneylender, is the foremost task before the government. The government will have an opportunity to put its Jan Dhan achievement to work and disburse credit to farmers.
Most states continue with the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act, which give monopsony powers to brokers and middlemen, and deprive farmers of a just market price. This has to be scrapped.Expanding the network of regulated warehouses, whose receipts are now negotiable instruments, will also help.Making the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme work as it is intended to will shield landless labourers from distress.

the speaking tree - Seeds: The Transcendent Stuff Of Life

Blu Greenberg





It was from a young boy that i learnt about the transcendent nature of seeds. I was working on a graduate school paper, the hypothesis of which was that Orthodox Jews believed in the existence of God in the universe. Of course, my respondents, 30 random members of my synagogue, affirmed this as an article of faith; but when came time for proof or certainty , there was plenty of equivocation. Only one person ­ the cantor of the synagogue whose heartfelt prayer had led the community for almost three dozen years ­ had no doubts whatsoever. God was his intimate father, present in his life every single day , all day.One evening, still curious about the other 29 religious souls, those who carefully observed the commandments, i returned home to find my 10-year-old son waiting for some conversation. I decided to test out the God questions on him. “Of course there is a God,“ JJ answered. He went on to offer his proof.“You see those cucumbers? Well, one tiny seed becomes a cucumber, and another tiny seed grows into a tomato, and another becomes a banana. Someone is making that happen. Someone is making the difference. That someone must be God.“
Without using those words, JJ was talking about the DNA of a seed ­ key to the universe in a speck of an object. What JJ was saying was that God's intelligence and power are encompassed in a single seed, a specially marked, carefully programmed unit, all the more remarkable because of its infinitesimal size.
Seeds are the transcendent stuff of life; our lives come from seeds. Seeds are what enabled life to be maintained from primitive times unto today: every human being ever born came from a seed; so too, all animal and plant life that sustained us as food, all that humans wore on their backs before synthetics, all aspects of shelter, all original tools of culture such as writing, music and art ­ indeed everything that we depended on to continue the generations.
Given the importance of seed, it is not unfair to say that in our everyday lives we tend to take for granted their power and importance. We discard seeds as garbage without a thought of the mysteries they hold; we pay more for watermelons and lemons engineered to be free of those “pesky“ things.
Judaism partially compen sates in acknowledging the masterminding ability of seeds in their end product, as my son did. Among my favourite aspects of Judaism are the blessings we recite during the course of each day, blessings over the wonders of nature ­ food, natural events such as thunder and lightning and great oceans, scenes of beauty , persons of great wisdom, change of seasons, and more.Interestingly , as regards the blessings over food, we are taught to recite not one global blessing for all food but differentiated formulations of thanks to God.
Before biting into an apple, we recite a blessing on this fruit that grows on a tree; we recite a different blessing on a cucumber that grows in the ground or a grape that comes from a vine or bread that comes from a wheat stalk in the earth. It is not the fullest recognition of the brilliance of seed, but it does heighten awareness that nature is an exquisitely designed, variegated entity that connects us to the Divine.
JJ's life was taken a dozen years ago, at age 36, in a bicycle accident.
I never think of seed without thinking of God, and of JJ. Seeds are the transcendent stuff of life, for so much about our lives comes from seeds. From `Sacred Seed', published by The Golden Sufi Centre.
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Urban forestry plan to combat climate change

The environment ministry will launch an urban forestry scheme on June 6 which will involve afforesting degraded forest lands in and around 200 cities. On the occasion of World Environment Day , environment minister Prakash Javadekar said the forestry scheme will act against climate change by creating a carbon sink and against air pollution in cities. The scheme will include a “smriti van“ service where any resident can plant a sapling in memory of his or her loved one by paying Rs 2000 to the state forest department.The ministry is also considering starting tree surveys in cities which can be conducted by residents and college or school students. A plan is being worked to create small nurseries of about 1000 to 2000 plants in government schools where there is some extra space.
The urban forestry scheme will be launched in Pune where a 70 ha degraded forest land is made available. About 4,000 saplings of native varieties will be planted in a phased manner. “Delhi has forests but there are several cities with only gardens. All 199 corporations have been asked to send us details of space availability,“ said Javadekar. TNN For the full report, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com





First-ever Post-Graduate course on Northeast to be introduced from next year: Dr Jitendra Singh 

New Delhi: As yet another new initiative to bring mainstream India closer to the North-East Region (NER), the first ever Post-Graduate Course in Northeastern Studies will be introduced from next year. The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said here today that meanwhile, starting from the forthcoming semester beginning August 2015, Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi will start an “Option Paper” in Northeastern Studies for students undertaking exam for Masters Degree in the University. 

Dr Jitendra Singh said this after a detailed briefing by Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia University, Prof Talat Ahmad and Director, Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research, Prof Sanjoy Hazarika. 

While complimenting the Jamia Millia authorities for this initiative, Dr Jitendra Singh said an institutionalized study and research on Northeast India will provide inputs for professionals and policy makers on key issues relating to the region and thus help create a bridge between the policy making desk and the realities on the ground. 

Dr Jitendra Singh said ever since he was given the charge of Ministry for Development of North Eastern Region, he noticed that everyone talked about bringing the NER closer to mainstream India but hardly anyone spoke of bringing mainstream India closer to the Northeast. The new initiative will, therefore, make up for this missing link in a big way, he added. 

Vice Chancellor, Prof Talat Ahmad informed that while the Optional Papers for the Northeastern Studies for Post-Graduate students will start from the current session, the University plans to start a full-fledged Master’s Degree in Northeastern Studies from the next session. He said, the curriculum of the course will be comprehensive and cover diverse aspects of Northeast India including history, geography, heritage and current affairs. 

Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships for Indian Citizens 2016-17

Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships for Indian Citizens 2016-17

FULBRIGHT-NEHRU FELLOWSHIPS FOR INDIAN CITIZENS 2016-17

ABOUT: USIEF offers a wide range of exchange opportunities to Indian citizens in three main categories:

• Student Awards to pursue a master's degree or attend a U.S. university as a visiting student researcher,
• Scholars and Teacher Awards for academics, teachers and professionals to teach or conduct research in the U.S., and
• Professional Development Programs for leadership and skill development.

In addition to providing opportunities for personal, academic and professional growth, Fulbright-Nehru and other exchanges promote mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and India.

Fulbright-Nehru and other fellowships have, over the years, helped bring the people of India and the United States closer through educational exchanges. USIEF has administered over 18,500 grants for Indians and U.S. citizens. USIEF alumni have demonstrated strong leadership in all walks of life, including agriculture, arts, business, education, environment, humanities and social sciences, media, public health, and science and technology.

Once you find a fellowship of interest, please visit the Current Fulbright Fellows page to learn about recent proposals that have been successful. We also encourage you to talk with Fulbright and other alumni about their experiences in the United States. USIEF staff can help you get in touch with people in your field who will be glad to answer questions. Most fellowships have a July 1, 2015 application deadline.

Screening experts and selection committees look for talented individuals whose projects are important to India and the U.S. and who have the ability to be good "cultural ambassadors". The ideal exchange fellow is one who both contributes important work in his/her field and encourages Indo-U.S. networking during and after the fellowship.

Click here for an e-brochure on 2016-2017 Fulbright Fellowships for Indian Citizens

Click here for a brochure on 2016-2017 Fellowships for Indian Citizens (Downloadable PDF Format

Indian Fulbrighters: Ambassadors of Change -- Click here to view a video where alumni share their Fulbright-Nehru experience 
Read tips from current Indian Fulbrighters on the application and selection process
Source: USIEF webpage (as on 02/06/2015).

Vedanta - Wonderful Balance

ISHAN CHAUDHURI





It came to the head of a man that all his stress had its source in worrying about two things: one, whether he would be able to keep the things he possessed, and, two, how to obtain the things he wanted.The man was also a pragmatic man. He knew that things outside his control -the well-being of loved ones, the condition of traffic, the price of things -were not worth fretting over. What he worried about was his ability to maintain his life as he wanted to live it.So, upon being told by friends and family that he should focus on matters spiritual in nature -fixing his thoughts on intangibles or contemplat ing the beauties of a skyline or a novel -he sought to try out this new regime.
After some initial resistance, he took ance, he took the non-material world like a duck takes to water. Everything was going fine until people started noticing that the man's surroundings were going to seed. He became increasingly dependent on others without even noticing it.
The same friends and family members who had advised him to take his mind off material things now counselled him, “It is the physical world that we all live in. You can't neglect it!“ The man, puzzled and feeling sorry for his wellwishers, came up with a solution: he started producing things inspired by the objects of spirit that moved him.These things he produced became his only objects of contemplation. And a wonderful balance was born.

STEP BY STEP - Modi Govt Releases Funds for TISS After 5% Cut

Anubhuti Vishnoi

New Delhi:





The human resource development ministry has finally decided to release funds to the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and seven other deemed universities financially dependent on it after introducing a 5% cut that is meant to progressively reduce government funding to 50%.The eight varsities will also be asked to ensure compliance with 12B rules of the University Grants Commission Act of 2015-16. 12B rules deal with the fitness of a university or college to receive government funding. The UGC has been asked to bring about compliance of these deemed varsities with 12B rules this year and the HRD ministry will review the same after six months to decide further course of action. Officials in the HRD ministry confirmed funds have been released to TISS and other affected deemed varsities and they would reach them this week.T h e g ove r n ment provides about `500 crore to the eight fully funded deemed varsities as of now.
As reported by ET first, TISS has been in the grip of a financia crunch after the HRD ministry and UGC framed a new policy for fund ing deemed universities and chose to withhold funds. TISS had to ge bank loans in March and April and dip into reserves -essentially funds generated through consul tancy work -to pay salaries and keep the institute running.
In a meeting held on May 27, the HRD ministry in consultation with the UGC, decided that while funds would be released to al eight deemed varsities, a 5% cu will be effected. However, govern ment-controlled Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskri Vi dyap e e t h i n N ew D e l h i Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth Tirupati, and Gandhigram Rura Institute, Dindigul, will be ex empted from the 5% cut.