Vedanta - Universal Intelligence

DHRUVA BHARGAVA





We're surrounded and immersed in a pure, invisible and formless Intelligence, which incessantly functions through us; however, its influence is imperceptible to our senses and mind as our senses grope for something gross having form, shape, size and colour and our minds cling to ideas, concepts and images to infer meaning.Nonetheless, these are the limited extension and assorted expressions of the same Intelligence that gets conditioned, transformed and modified into these. As an eye cannot see itself as an instrument that enables seeing, understanding Intelligence through senses and mind is futile as our sensory and cognitive perceptions both are the expressions of Intelligence.
As a creative source of all visible forms, Intelligence is the causeless cause of all creation. St ructure and the concealed order endow stability to form and are interdependent. Both work together on the principle of stabilitythrough-change and changethrough-stability .
Our vital life systems are so intelligently driven that even in deep sleep and waking state, the digestive, respiratory , circulatory and other systems function efficiently and effortlessly without our conscious participation. We are unable to reside peacefully in the embrace of all Intelligence due to the veil of ego that is an obstacle.
By letting go of ego, we simply allow the divine embrace of Intelligence that is the common denominator for our sense of `I' and innate order and forms. Realising this, we experience tremendous freedom, joy , abundance, fulfilment and unbounded love -that is bliss.

Jul 09 2015 : The Times of India (Delhi)

8 cases of child abuse every day 6,816

Himanshi Dhawan

New Delhi:





Eight cases of sex crimes against children have been registered every day in the last two years. About 6,816 police cases were registered from November, 2012 -when the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act (POCSO)--came into force up to March, 2015.The highest number of FIRs has been registered in Rajasthan followed by Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala according to data available with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).The number of convictions is only 166 that is 2.4% of the total cases registered while in 389 cases accused were acquitted.
There is a rising trend of crime against children. This is also borne out by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data that has recorded 33,052 Cases, 38,172 cases and 58,224 cases during 2011, 2012 and 2013 respectively . According to a study conducted by the WCD ministry in 2007, over half of the children surveyed reported having faced some form of sexual abuse, with their suffering exacerbated by the lack of specific legislation to provide remedies for these crimes.
While rape is considered a serious offence under the Indian Penal Code, the law was deficient in recognizing and punishing other sexual offences, such as sexual harassment, stalking, and child pornography , for which prosecutors had to rely on imprecise provisions such as “outraging the modesty of a woman“. Recognizing the problem, the government introduced POCSO to address rampant child sexual abuse through less ambiguous and more stringent legal provisions, championed the introduction of a specific law to address this offence.
For the full report, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com

400 students flunked Sociology examination

The mass failure in Sociology examination has created a spur in the University. MHRD Minister Smriti Irani has given assurance to students of enquiring the matter. Delhi University has said that the answer scripts of the concerned students are being re-evaluated on a priority basis.

“The Sociology department has been directed to assist the students on a priority basis and to ensure that the concerned processes of examining have been followed before the first declaration of results and during re-evaluation.”

The university has also send a letter to the principals of colleges to give information about the timetables for the classes of this paper along with the attendance registers of these students and the records that indicate whether classes were held regularly.

Irani has assured the students that the officials will look into the matter over the mass failure issue.It is to be noted that at least 410 students of Delhi University colleges had failed in sociology examination triggering protests by students.

The students alleged discrepancies in result, error in evaluation. 250 out of 260 students of Shivaji College failed the examination, 102 out of 129 (political Hons) students from Laxmi Bai college, 38 out of 50 at Janki Devi Memorial college and 20 out of 25 at Keshav Mahavidyalaya have also failed in the examination.

Vitamin C cuts the risk of early death

It helps build connective tissue and is a potent antioxidant

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables packed with vitamin C will substantially cut the rick of heart attacks and early death, says a study.

Researchers examined 100,000 Danish people’s intake of fruit and vegetables as well as their DNA.

“We can see that those with the highest intake of fruit and vegetables have a 15 per cent lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease and a 20 per cent lower risk of early death,” said Camilla Kobylecki, medical doctor at the department of clinical biochemistry at Herlev and Gentofte Hospital in Denmark.

Vitamin C helps build connective tissue and is also a potent antioxidant that protects cells and biological molecules from the damage which causes many diseases, including cardiovascular disease.

The human body is not able to produce vitamin C, which means that we must get the vitamin from our diet, said the study that appeared in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

“Eating a lot of fruit and vegetables is a natural way of increasing vitamin C blood levels. You can get vitamin C supplements but it is a good idea to get your vitamin C by eating a healthy diet,” added Boerge Nordestgaard from University of Copenhagen.

Keywords: Vitamin C, Heart attack

Guardians for good

Under the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, a child’s natural guardian, both of person and property, is first the father and then the mother. The law thus buttressed the patriarchal structure. With its recent judgment allowing unwed mothers to apply for sole guardianship of minor children, the Supreme Court has removed one more brick from this edifice. In this case, an educated and employed mother wanted to make her five-year-old the nominee for investments. The paperwork stipulated that she either provide the name of the father or get a guardianship certificate. When she approached the court, she was directed under Section 11 of the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 to disclose the name and whereabouts of the father, and when she refused to do so, her claim was rejected. The High Court upheld the order, with the reasoning that a natural father could have an interest in the child even if there is no marriage. The Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Vikramjit Sen has now given a seminal ruling that recognises, first that the interests of the child are supreme, and it is therefore imperative to name the mother as guardian; and second, that the woman has a fundamental right on grounds of privacy to not disclose the father’s identity. It notes that the mother has taken responsibility for the child, with the father, a married man, possibly even unaware of the existence of this son.

This ruling will have far-reaching implications for women in India, who have fought long for equal rights in the matter of guardianship. From school admission and bank account opening forms to investment papers, official documentation insists on the father’s name. In 1999, writer Githa Hariharan appealed to the Supreme Court when she could not make an investment in her son’s name as his guardian because of the stipulation that she include the father’s name, though the couple was separated and Ms. Hariharan was the child’s caretaker. The court then declared that both parents must be considered equally as natural guardians, and the word ‘after’ in the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act should not be construed as making the mother’s position secondary. However, most public and private institutions still insist on the father’s name or signature on forms. In many countries, the law gives both parents equal guardianship. The new ruling not only gives single mothers a strong legal standing but also protects the rights of children born out of wedlock. It is of special significance to children born to sex workers. It gives a fillip to single women who want to adopt. Though the Guardianship Act names the mother first as guardian in the case of an illegitimate child, unwed mothers face harassment on all fronts. This judgment will go a little further in safeguarding their rights.

Keywords: Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, child’s natural guardian, official documentation, Supreme Court, patriarchal structure, Guardians and Wards Act 1890, illegitimate child

UN report accolades Indian Primary education system 

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the Education for All Global Monitoring Report (EFR GMR), study reveals that India has made a progress in providing primary education to its children but has failed to achieve the progress in lower secondary education and has the largest number of drop outs.

According to the report, 124 million children and adolescents are now out of school while international aid to education continues to remain below 2010 levels.

The report highlighted that more than 16 million adolescents of lower secondary schools were not enrolled in schools in 2011. Other countries namely Mexico, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Niger, Pakistan, and the Syrian Arab Republic had more than 1 million children out of school.

The report has also mentioned about the financial resources that India provides to help children with disabilities to attend the mainstream schools and adapt school infrastructure. Teachers are also given training on inclusive education, with resource centres established to support clusters of schools.

India has seen a reorientation of external support from basic to secondary education in 2012 and 2013 respectively. According to the latest UNESCO statistics there were more than 0.5 million out of school children in primary section of nearly 19 countries. The report also highlighted that at least one million children were denied the right to education in India, Indonesia, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Phillipines, South Sudan, Sudan and Tanzania.

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Police Reformer Of India

Former Chief Justice of India Y.K. Sabharwal’s passing would be mourned, among others, by the country’s police fraternity. There are few people who really empathise with the police, understand its problems, and appreciate the need to improve its working conditions. Justice Sabharwal was one such person. He knew the police had to be insulated from extraneous pressures to be able to enforce the rule of law, and that without a professional police, the country could not have a stable democracy or achieve sustained economic progress.

The petition for police reforms had been filed in 1996. It got an initial push from Justice J.S. Verma, but after that, with the exception of Justice S.P. Bharucha, no other judge took significant interest in the matter. The case meandered for almost 10 years — until it was taken up by Justice Sabharwal. He decided to clinch the issue. In a historic judgment delivered on September 22, 2006, Justice Sabharwal recorded that “having regard to (i) the gravity of the problem; (ii) the urgent need for preservation and strengthening of rule of law; (iii) pendency of even this petition for last over 10 years; (iv) the fact that various commissions and committees have made recommendations on similar lines for introducing reforms in the police set-up in the country; and (v) total uncertainty as to when police reforms would be introduced, we think that there cannot be any further wait, and the stage has come for issue of appropriate directions for immediate compliance so as to be operative till such time a new model police act is prepared by the Central government and/ or the state governments pass the requisite legislation.”

The court’s directions included setting up three institutions: state security commissions to insulate the state police from extraneous pressures; police establishment boards to give autonomy to the department in personnel matters; and police complaints authorities to ensure better accountability of the force. The court also laid down a procedure for appointment of the DGP and gave him a fixed tenure of two years, mandated a two-year tenure for officers performing operational duties in the field, and gave directions for the separation of investigation from law and order in towns with a population of 10 lakh or more. The directions were to be implemented by December 31, 2006.

The judgment caused a huge flutter. The states never expected such far-reaching directions. They mobilised the best lawyers to stall the reforms. Justice Sabharwal, however, held his ground. He chided the state governments/ UTs and even the Centre for not making any submissions during the argument stage that the suggestions of …