10 unnatural deaths occur in Indian jails every month

TIMES INSIGHT GROUP





The murder of an inmate in Tihar is no isolated incident, with official data showing that there were 115 “unnatural deaths“ in India's jails in 2013, the latest year for which data is available from the National Crime Records Bureau. That's about 10 unnatural deaths every month.At 5.9 unnatural deaths per 10,000 inmates, Delhi's jails clock more than twice the national rate of 2.8 per 10,000 inmates. Whether this has anything to do with Delhi jails having over twice as many inmates as they are supposed to hold, against a national average of 118% occupancy, is a moot question.
The NCRB's prison statistics in India 2013 shows that of the 115 deaths due to unnatural causes, more than half (70) were officially classified as suicides, 12 were attributed to “assault by outside elements“ and eight to murders by inmates.With one execution and one death due to firing, the causes of deaths of 23 “others“ have not been spelt out.
The highest rates of unnatural deaths (per thousand inmates) were in Jammu & Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Delhi and Rajasthan in that order. The lowest rates among bigger states were in undivided Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra and Jharkhand. The prison statistics also show that barring Chhattisgarh, a state severely affected by Maoist insurgency , Delhi had by far the most overcrowded jails in the country . Chhattisgarh had 15,840 inmates in its jails which had a capaci ty of just 6,070, thus recording an `occupancy rate' of 261%. Delhi's 13,552 inmates were stuffed into jails meant to hold 6,250 people, an occupancy rate of 217%.The national average occupancy rate was about 118%, which shows that while jails as a rule are overcrowded in India, Delhi's prisons are almost twice as congested as the average.

Indians spend more time battling ill-health, says study

A recent global report shows that Indians are spending more time battling ill-health as non-fatal diseases and injuries such as major depressive disorder, anaemia and low back pain have become more prevalent in recent years.

The study published recently in the medical journal, The Lancet, is the outcome of an analysis of 301 acute and chronic diseases and injuries in 188 countries.

The reports says that Years Lived with Disability (YLDs) makes up a major chunk of health problems that impair an individual's mobility, hearing or vision, or cause pain in some way or the other.

The study was conducted by an international group of researchers working on the Global Burden of Disease project and led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.

According to the study, in 2013, migraines, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and hearing loss were among the 10 leading causes of YLDs in India. Other leading causes included neck pain, diabetes and anxiety disorders.

Between 1990 and 2013, YLDs from diabetes increased by 109 per cent, and YLDs from other musculoskeletal disorders increased by 110 per cent. However, YLDs from anaemia decreased by 12 per cent, the report says.

Diabetes YLDs also increased for men in India during the same period, rising to 136 per cent. YLDs from COPD increased by 76 per cent.

“The health of Indians is increasingly threatened by depression, back pain and migraines,” said Vivekanand Jha, executive director, George Institute for Global Health, India, and the study's co-author.

“At the same time, diseases like iron-deficiency anaemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease are also costing Indians many years of healthy life. It is critical to understand which diseases and injuries are causing disability so that we can effectively allocate resources,” he added.

Worldwide scenario

Between 1990 and 2013, YLDs increased globally from 537.6 million in 1990 to 764.8 million in 2013 for both the sexes. Men and women around the world share the same leading causes of YLDs, with the exception of schizophrenia as a leading cause of YLDs for men and musculoskeletal as a leading cause of YLDs for women.

Musculoskeletal disorders, mental disorder, substance-related disorders, neurological disorders and chronic respiratory conditions were the main drivers of YLDs in 2013. The disease burden of both low back pain and depression have increased more than 50 per cent since 1990.  

The number of people who suffered from 10 or more ailments increased by 52 per cent globally. It is not just the elderly who are affected by YLDs. Although the impact of YLDs increases with age, of the 2.3 billion people who suffered from more than five ailments worldwide, 81 per cent were below 65 years.

Impact of war on health

In 2013, war and conflict were leading causes of YLDs in several countries like El Salvador, Guatemala, Lebanon, Peru and Syria. In three countries—Cambodia, Nicaragua and Rwanda—war was the top cause of YLDs. Other notable causes of YLDs in different regions included falls (Central Europe), asthma (a top-10 cause of YLDs in many Latin American countries) and opioid dependence (a top-five cause of YLDs in several West Asian countries).

“What ails you isn’t necessarily what kills you,” said IHME Director Christopher Murray. “As non-fatal illnesses and related ailments affect more people of all ages, countries must look closely at health policies and spendings to target these conditions.”

RICS SBE gives 100 per cent placement to students

RICS School of Built Environment (RICS SBE), Amity University, industry-led institution for real estate, construction & infrastructure, has placed100% of its first batch (2013-2015) of MBA students in top Indian real estate, construction, consulting firms and banks. The average salary offered to students was Rs. 6.7 lakh, with the highest offer of Rs.13 lakh.

MBA Real Estate & Urban Infrastructure and MBA in Construction project Management students pursued career opportunities of their choice within the real estate, construction & infrastructure domains. These programmes were well received by the industry as a provider of high-quality talent to the sector which is set to become 3rd largest by 2020 yet facing 80% shortage of qualified people.

The first placement season has reinforced RICS SBE’s strong standing of being truly industry led academic institution producing industry-ready professionals – much needed in the fast-growing real estate & construction sector.

About 70 top companies actively participated in the campus placement that begun in early December 2014.Top recruiters include KPMG, HDFC, DLF, TATA Housing, ShapoorjiPallonji, Leighton India, Mahindra Lifespaces, Akshaya Housing, JLL, CBRE, DTZ, Colliers, Cushman & Wakefield, Knight Frank, Liases Foras amongst others.

Prof K. T. Ravindran, Dean Emeritus, RICS School of Built Environment, Amity University said “These unique set of techno-managerial programs have a judicious fusion of academic rigor, real-life case studies and internships with top companies which prepare competent professionals with the right skills, thereby giving a good start to successful specialized careers.”

Sachin Sandhir, Global Managing Director – Emerging Business, RICS said “Placements this year are really a testimony to the strong goodwill and industry backing RICS enjoys as a global standard-setting body for real estate & construction. There continues to be a huge demand for specialized MBA graduates who have the right knowledge and skills required for this industry.”

Vedanta - Know Not You Know

SH VENKATRAMANI





The complexity of life bewilders us. Whether it be selecting and pursuing a career, deciding on a holiday destination or even the way you want to spend an evening, the plethora of options that stares you in the face is staggering. At some point, we are eager to run away from it all. To destress, we suddenly want to renounce all worldly desires and retire to a simple life.Which is why all philosophies and religions preach austerity . But is renouncing the desire for worldly possessions all that there is to simplicity? Should we aspire for intellectual joys that will sustain longer? To equate spirituality with saintly renunciation and religious penance is delusional. As you don the mantle of the spiritual seek er, you contin ue to be a pris oner of your ego, nurtur ing grandiose notions about yourself. True spiritual quest involves our going much further.
As the 13th-14th century German theologian-priest Master Eckhart explained, “Man ought to live as if he did not live, neither for self, nor for the truth, nor for God.'' He added, “A man ought to be empty of his own knowledge, as he was when he did not exist, and let God achieve what he will and man be unfettered.“ This is not being mired in ignorance. This is about not knowing that we know, not feeling any exultation in our knowledge. When we bask in the glory of our knowledge, we are trapped. The boundaries of the ego are the most formidable barriers to selfrealisation.

the speaking tree - Who Killed Young Achiever Sarvshreshth Gupta?

M Rajaque Rahman





The story of Sarvshreshth Gupta, a 22-year-old high flying investment banker from Delhi who was found dead in a parking lot in San Francisco, was splashed across the media recently . It is not only tragic but also a warning of what can happen to any youngster chasing a dream at the cost of everything else.Who killed Sarvshreshth? All evidence points to the culprit being stress. Predictably , it has kicked off a debate on how stressful working conditions are in the US financial sector.And this kind of work environment is spreading across the world.
That stress can kill is common knowledge, yet many tend to ignore it or brush it aside. And there are those who get addicted to it. Adrenalin junkies actually seek out stressful experiences as a source of motivation or fun.But when chronically exposed to a state of `fight or flight', stress takes its toll. An estimated three out of four visits to the doctor are stress related.Lissa Rankin, author of Mind Over Medicine, writes, “Our bodies know how to fix broken proteins, kill cancer cells, retard ageing, and fight infection. They even know how to heal ulcers, make skin lesions disappear and knit together broken bones! But here's the kicker: those natural self-repair mechanisms don't work if you're stressed!“ Above all, stress impacts the way we think, feel and behave, leading to a negative self-perpetuating cycle that is hard to escape. In the award-winning documentary Stress Portrait of a Killer, neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky reckons, “Stress is ...dangerous and humans can't seem to find their off-switch.“ When his stress was peaking, Sarvshreshth reportedly wrote to his father, “This job is not for me. There's too much work, and too little time. I want to come back home.“ I wish Sarvshreshth knew the other way of getting `home' and resting, without flying from San Francisco to Delhi.Meditation and other spiritual practices help you to do just that.
“As it's almost impossible to reduce the workload and increase the time, the only option we are left is to increase the energy level within us. When we have enough energy and enthusi asm, we are able to handle any challenge,“ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says.
With practise of yoga and meditation one can turn the body into a powerhouse by tapping the inner source of energy . It's now known that the amount of energy that one gets tation is much more than in in meditation is much more than in sleep. Twenty minutes of meditation can equal to eight hours of good sleep.This formula could have easily solved one of Sarvshreshth's problems that he was working 20 hours at a stretch and not getting enough sleep.
True to his name, Sarvshreshth has left behind the best lesson how not to become a victim of stress and die an immature death. Before he gave up, he reportedly contemplated quitting his job and rejuvenating himself. I again wish the outstanding education he received also taught him how to invest and divest in life! Indic spirituality offers plenty of ways of rejuvenating oneself without quitting the world! Like Sri Sri often says, “The body dropping you is death; and you dropping the body is meditation.“
It's time we all learn the art of dropping the world for a few minutes every day before it drops us. And its rejuvenating effect can only make us a better player in the world. Let us hope youngsters today learn how to overcome stress. Kill stress before stress kills you.
Post your comments at speakingtree.in

Only 9 Indian univs make it to Times Asia rankings 2015

Manash Gohain

New Delhi:





China Beats Japan, Heads Top-100 List

Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore upstaged Panjab University as India's number one university, while IISc and IIT,Bombay , were the two new entrants in the top 100 of the Times Higher Education University Asia Rankings 2015, released on Wednesday .However, there is cause for concern as this year only nine Indian universities made it to the top 100, down from 10, whereas IIT-Guwahati, IIT-Kanpur and Jadavpur University-which made it to the top 100 comfortably last year-have exited the rankings altogether this time. Meanwhile, China has overtaken Japan as the Asian power house in education, but Japan's University of Tokyo is still in the numero uno position.
IISc-Bangalore entered the table at 37th, one place ahead of last year's leader, Panjab University , whose rank fell from 32. Five IITs, led by IIT-Roorkee (joint 55th) formed the lion's share of the country's representation, although Aligarh Muslim University (90th) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (96th) too made it to the top 100.
Phil Baty , editor of The Times Higher Education Rankings, said, “It is cause for concern that India has lost ground in the league ta ble. Most of last year's representatives have fallen down the list. With India's major chunk of population under 25 years of age, it is more crucial than ever for India to invest in research and strengthen its academic links with other nations. “ The Asia rankings use 13 performance indicators to examine each university's strengths against its core missions of teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.Besides seeding its position to China, many of Japan's representatives have lost ground, with only 19 universities in the list, down from 20 last year and 22 in 2013.
China now has 21 representatives in the top 100, going past Japan for the first time, with three of its universities as new entrants. Last year China had 18 universities and 15 in 2013. Both Peking University (fourth) and Tsinghua University (fifth) have moved up a place.
Hong Kong University managed to retain its third place and had a strong presence from the Chinese special administrative region, with all six of its universities in the top 50. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology rose from ninth to seventh, while the Chinese University of Hong Kong stood at 13th.
“The world expects Asia to be the next global higher education superpower after Europe and North America.Times Higher Education data shows many of the continent's leading universities competing on equal terms with the best in the West,“ said Baty .

Convocation of TISS Guwahati heldStaff Reporter
 GUWAHATI, June 9 – The magnitude of the cultural diversity of the Northeast almost defies imagination. Perhaps there is no comparable geographical area in the world which is home to cultural diversity of such magnitude. The linguistic diversity of the region is an inalienable part of this cultural diversity. The diversity of cultures in the Northeast is of the enormous significance for the national life of India.
This was the observation made by noted scholar, chairman of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research and member of Rajya Sabha, Prof Mrinal Miri. He was delivering the convocation address at the 2nd convocation of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Guwahati at the Pragjyoti ITA Centre for Performing Arts at Machkhowa here today.
There may be, on a strict count, close to two hundred languages spoken in the Northeast. Many of these languages are on the UNESCO list of endangered languages, he said.
He observed that the concepts such as equality, decency, civilized, free, ugly, welfare, promiscuity, justice, etc., are generally used in abstraction from the density of contexts and their variety and thus very often end up with only a surface and frequently distorted. Therefore, dangerous assessments are done of a community’s life, etc., he said.
He maintained that he has the belief that this has happened with communities, particularly, tribal communities in the Northeast and that substantial part of the anxiety of the people of the region arises from this fact.
He reminded that the commitment to a nation faces a powerful challenge. He described the challenge as the challenge of developing respect for diversity. This challenge should be met with much ethical energy and sensibility, he maintained.
The TISS, Guwahati convocation was also attended by Additional Chief Secretary Rajiv Kumar Bora as the guest of honour, besides Dr S Parasuraman and it was chaired by chairman of the TISS governing board S Ramadorai.

Two students were awarded MPhil degree, 109 were awarded MA degrees in different specialisations and 59 were conferred BA degree in the convocation.