True Grit: A special girl shows what strength of character is

Anuja Jaiswal

Agra:





Defies 80% Hearing Impairment To Shine In UPSC, 2nd Yr In A Row

Twenty-six-year-old Vaishali Sharma, an MBBS from Aligarh Muslim University, cannot hear much. But she has trained herself to lipread. Even though she suffers from 80% hearing impairment, it has not stopped her from realising her dreams.With 824 marks (out of 2,025) in last year's civil services examination, Vaishali ranked second in the physical disability category-3 but wasn't selected because examiners found her to be “temporarily unfit“ as she was overweight. Candidates need to pass a medical examination, where their BMI is also measured among other things.
Instead of tears, Vaishali decided to shed pounds and appeared in the exam again.This year, she has scored 969 marks (47%), topping the exam in the same category .
Of the 1,209 candidates who cleared UPSC this time, 44 are in the physically challenged category . Among these 44, 15 are hearing impaired, seven visually impaired and 22 suffer from locomotor disability and cerebral palsy .
Vaishali said she was heartbroken when she wasn't recruited despite losing some weight in 2016 and getting herself certified by the government's health department. Her family had wanted to move court to seek justice for her, but she was determined to prove her point “in another way“. “Though I was shocked by what had happened then, I never gave up and was sure that I would succeed again,“ she told TOI.
Vaishali said though she has been using hearing aids, it's not easy as these devices only amplify the sound and do not process the words. She also could not pursue her PG in clinical branches because of difficulty in using stethoscope and not responding to emergency phone calls.
She couldn't even attend coaching classes for her preparation for UPSC as she found understanding words in a group very difficult. “I spent long hours in the AMU li brary studying by myself.“
“I started lip reading and also observed people keenly to understand their body language and expressions,“ she said, adding that during interviews she focused on the interviewers' lips to understand what was being said. This year, she managed to score 170 marks out of 275 in the interview.
Vaishali, who had recently started working at a Mathura hospital as a junior resident, said she felt “low and frustrated“ in her childhood as she found herself “different“ from others. “ My family supported me. Whatever I have achieved today is due to their support.“
Vaishali's father is a former banker who took early retirement to focus on the career of his two daughters and a son, all of whom are medical practitioners.
Source: Times of India, 7-06-2017

Why CSIR and other science labs should be given more funds, not less

The cutting of funds to research labs, such as those under the CSIR, will make it harder for researchers to continue to work in the country

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is among the country’s largest research and development organisations. This year a letter from the director general has informed all of its 38 that they will have to generate their own funds to keep the labs running. This has been the trend since 2015, when as part of the Dehradun Declaration, the CSIR decided that about 50% of its budget would have to be raised from external sources. This, coupled with the 7th pay commission requirements, has left the CSIR with only Rs.360 crore instead of the usual Rs.1,400 crore annual budget for research labs this year. All indications are that this fund crunch is expected to continue in the years to come.

Higher science in India is already a very under nourished area. In many colleges and universities, even basic equipment and materials are hard to come by. The state of labs in premier universities for masters and doctoral scholars leaves much to be desired. At a time when countries such as China and South Korea are increasing the funding allocated to cutting edge research in science, India’s cutting the budget will make it that much harder to compete in an international stage. This puts additional pressure on CSIR-funded research labs to raise funding from the industry. The pressure to conduct research in only those areas which are profitable and can be sold to the industry will make it harder for scientists to focus on areas of fundamental research in core sciences that may or may not have profitable applications.

In attempting to make academic research more industry-friendly, the government and CSIR must not lose track of the ultimate aim of research which is to push the boundaries of human understanding and scientific knowledge. Fund cuts to higher education, be it in the sciences or in the liberal arts and humanities, will only make it harder for researchers to continue to work in the country. Many scholars will look to other countries with better funding to migrate to. In order to prevent such a brain drain, there needs to be more investment in research, not less. Countries such as China have special incentives for researchers who wish to return to their country to pursue research. India must also strive to provide a conducive environment for advanced research.

Source: Hindustan Times, 7-06-2017

UGC, AICTE to be history soon; govt to bring new higher education regulator

UGC and AICTE are soon going to be a thing of the past with the government planning to replace them with a single higher education regulator.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) are soon going to be a thing of the past with the government planning to replace them with a single higher education regulator.

The proposed Higher Education Empowerment Regulation Agency (HEERA) is aimed at eliminating overlaps in jurisdiction and remove irrelevant regulatory provisions.

The HRD ministry is working with Niti Aayog on the plan of bringing technical as well as non-technical institutions under the same umbrella.

According to sources, a detailed blueprint of the proposed regulator and its legislation is being worked upon.

“Both Niti Aayog and HRD ministry officials are working on the plan. It was felt that multiple regulatory bodies led to excessive and restrictive regulation and hence contributed to lack of institutional autonomy,” a source said.

However, the plan to have a single higher education regulator is not a new one but has been recommended by various committees set up by the government.

Source: Hindustan Times, 6-06-2017

Rentier state

A government that derives its revenues predominantly from the sale of valuable resources it owns to clients in other countries. The idea was first proposed by Iranian economist Hossein Mahdavy in 1970. Saudi Arabia’s government, which earns almost all revenue by selling its oil to the rest of the world, is a good example of a rentier state. Some social scientists have argued that rentier states are unlikely to be accountable to their citizens as they are not dependent on tax revenues for their survival. This can lead them to be more tyrannical than other governments.

Source: The Hindu, 6-06-2017

Amartya Sen: The President should be a voice for sanity and fairness

A strong President can inspire us to stand up for all sections of the people, says Amartya Sen

The President of India has an elevated standing as head of the Republic, and should be a voice for sanity and fairness, says Amartya Sen, Nobel laureate and economist. In the run-up to the presidential election, he answered questions via email on the role of the President in a secular and federal democracy. An enlightened President has many things to do, but being a ‘rubber stamp’ is not one of them, he says. Excerpts from the interview:

President Pranab Mukherjee’s term ends soon. Given that the President has only a formal, titular role, is it better to look for a candidate outside the realm of active politics? Is opening up the position for writers, artists, public intellectuals and so on more desirable?

The President of India has an enormously important role in the leadership of the country. This is not only because of the particularly assigned duties of the President in special circumstances, as in a political crisis of governance, but also because of the elevated standing of the head of the Republic in motivating and inspiring the secular democracy of India, guided by the Constitution.

While a number of statesmen and politicians have played that role with distinction, going back to Rajendra Prasad (the first President of India), leaders of thought from other walks of life — including Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Zakir Husain, and K.R. Narayanan (among others) — have also, by their prominent presence and stature, helped to lead India to remain faithful to itself — reminding the country of the vision of fairness that gave birth to democratic and secular India after its long and hard fight for independence.

At a time when sections of society are apprehensive about the secular credentials of the government at the Centre and there is criticism from abroad that religious freedom is under threat, what should be the role of the President in guiding the government and its policy? Should the President be activist by nature, or confine herself to the customary, constitutional role as a titular head of state?

There are indeed serious reasons for concerns and apprehensions right now, based on observing the violations of human rights and of traditional protections that are going on in the country. The targeted victims come typically from vulnerable sections of the society — from minority communities (particularly the poorer Muslims), Dalits and tribal people. The President has potentially a hugely important role in insisting on fair treatment of all the people in the country and the immediate stopping of what The New York Timeshas alarmingly described, in its widely-read lead editorial of the day, “vigilante justice in India.” The recognition that India’s image as a successful democratic country has dramatically declined across the world may be a minor concern (even though it does worry many Indians, and should have worried the Government of India as well), but the violations and wrongdoings themselves have reason to agitate all fair-minded people in India, whether they are themselves targeted or not. The President can be not only the face of India, but also a great voice for sanity and fairness.

What sort of candidate would you endorse? Will you prefer someone with an independent mind, someone who will not be a ‘rubber stamp’, or someone who will take a strict, constructionist view of the Constitution and abide by its letter?

Accountants need rubber stamps — a country does not. The President not only has to exercise his or her own judgment, and to recognise that within the provisions of the Indian Constitution, he or she has a much bigger role than simply rubber-stamping decisions taken by others. A President can be quite tough — and ultimately effective — in asking the government to reconsider its priorities, especially when rights and fair treatment of countrymen are threatened, and also — to take another area of serious transgressions — when education, science and freedom of thought are undermined. There were very illuminating — and quite long — discussions in the Constituent Assembly on why certain provisions and articulations were necessary to stop the continuation of old injustices and the avoidance of new inequities. That background is extremely important in interpreting not only the nastiness of what are increasingly becoming the new rules of governance in India, but also for the determination to pursue equity to which the Indian Constitution made such an important contribution. An enlightened and strong President will have many things to do — being a rubber stamp is not one of them.

Given that the electoral college for electing the President of India is drawn partly from the State Assemblies, the President’s office has a federal character. Doesn’t this place an onus on the President to defend the rights of States? In practice, Presidents are often asked to endorse decisions adverse to State governments: for instance, imposition of Article 356 and appointment of Governors without consulting Chief Ministers. What should the role of the President be in such situations?

You are absolutely right that the President of India has a natural role in ensuring India’s constitutional federalism. When dictates of the Centre run counter to the legitimate rights and the traditional spheres of the States, the President certainly has a protective role that cannot be obliterated by the commands of the Centre. It would be absurd for the President to be guided only by the orders of the Centre when the Centre is itself an interested party.

What qualities should a President have?

The election of a President involves practical politics, but there are issues that go well beyond that. In building our future, we have to be careful not to shed the strength we have got from our past. Rabindranath Tagore wanted us to fight for freedom for all, with reason and determination. Mahatma Gandhi taught India the importance of public protest whenever we face inequities and unfair treatment of vulnerable people (by the way, among the names suggested in the papers, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the Mahatma’s grandson, would be an excellent standard-bearer, given his knowledge, experience and wisdom). The President of India should fit into this broad, non-sectarian picture, inspired by the history of our fearless and shared movement for independence (a history that some leading politicians in India seem to have forgotten). Within his or her constitutional as well as evocative roles, a strong President can make a major contribution in inspiring us to stand up for fairness for all sections of the people. If we do not ask anything from our President except being a rubber stamp, we are very likely to get nothing more than a decorated rubber stamp.

Source: The Hindu, 6-06-2017

Why climate change impacts human health so much

Changes in climate can affect the breeding of mosquitoes, reduce the availability of food and drinking water, and lead to infectious disease outbreaks. we need good forecast systems to adapt and mitigate effects of climate change.

The impact of climate change on human health is a clear and present threat. Climate variables affect the quality of air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and even dictate where we can live or work. Increased frequency of severe weather events – searing heatwaves, heavy downpours, floods and droughts – cause death and displacement, damage to public infrastructure as well as reduce the availability of food and drinking water. They also lead to infectious disease outbreaks on one hand and limit access to healthcare on the other. Recognising its need, the Government of India has added ‘human health’ as a mission in the National Action Plan for Climate Change in order to combat the impact on public health.

Ecological factors impact vector behaviour

Mosquitoes are highly sensitive to temperature, humidity and rainfall. Environmental and landscape changes coupled with rise in temperature and humidity levels influence vector behaviour and disease transmission. A case in point is the Indira Gandhi Canal project in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan, which has altered the ecological profile of the region. As a result, the malaria vector Anopheles culicifacies and Plasmodium falciparum have now overrun the wet and water-logged canal command areas.

An Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study on tea gardens conducted across Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Sikkim found that as a result of deforestation, new irrigation channels, changes in crop pattern, use of pesticides and higher annual mean temperature, a new vector species, An. culicifacies has invaded the region and is gradually replacing An. minimus, a stream breeder, which thrived in the forested areas. This may have implications on vector control as An. Culicifacies is resistant to DDT, a commonly used insecticide. The low humidity and rise in temperature due to deforestation has limited the breeding of An. minimus and An. dirus, which favoured high humidity and low temperatures in forest areas.

Developing early warning systems and tracking outbreaks

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar have created a heat vulnerability map of India, identifying places that are likely to suffer the worst from a spell of high temperature. The index can guide appropriate action plans to protect local communities and has helped reduce deaths due to heat stroke in Ahmedabad this year.

Leveraging space technologies and parameters like sea surface temperature and normalised difference vegetation index will help devise early warning systems for disease outbreaks. El Nino (a warm ocean current phenomenon that results in less rainfall) can cause extreme weather events and impact human health. Malaria epidemics have been associated with excess rainfall in arid areas or where rivers are transformed into pools, conducive for mosquito breeding.

A prediction model of the impact of climate change on malaria has been designed by the National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR). An analysis of four vulnerable sectors, viz. the Himalayan region, north-east, Western Ghats and coastal region of India has shown that in a projected climate change scenario, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir are likely to witness opening up of new areas for malaria transmission and increase in period of transmission windows in north-eastern states.

A Centre of Excellence, funded by the Department of Science and Technology, has been set up at NIMR to study the impact of climate change on diseases such as Japanese encephalitis, chikungunya and dengue. An early warning system for Japanese encephalitis – JEWS – has been developed by ICMR’s Regional Medical Research Centre in Dibrugarh and the North Eastern Space Applications Centre, Shillong. JEWS employs technologies like Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System in conjunction with epidemiological risk factors to identify villages that may witness disease outbreak, 2-3 months in advance. Given its high precision rate, it is now being adopted in additional JE endemic areas of Assam.

Inclement weather conditions can have an immediate effect on morbidity and mortality. Managing these contingencies can put tremendous stress on the health system. To respond swiftly and effectively, health systems must be equipped to deal with emergencies arising from shifts in weather conditions. Forecast systems will give sufficient lead time to health authorities to strengthen their preparedness mechanisms and gear up well in time to deploy adequate control measures to deal with an impending disease outbreak. Solutions will come from technology and a better understanding of how people and organisations respond to crises. Research, of course, will need to show the way.

Soumya Swaminathan is secretary, Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and director general, Indian Council of Medical Research

The views expressed are personal

Source: Economic Times, 6-06-2017

Do Good Naturally

SWAMI CHINMAYANANDA





As a teenager, I always carried some cotton, antiseptic and a bandage in my pocket. After all, someone could get hurt. One day , I was in a bus. A fellow passenger got hurt. Here was my chance to become a hero, I thought excitedly . Out came my kit.I applied some antiseptic on her bruise and bandaged it.Another passenger looked at me and said, “Do you know, you have caused this bruise -indirectly .“ I was taken aback.He continued, “You waited for someone to fall and get hurt so that you could use your medical kit.“ My take on nishkaama karma, selfless action, had failed.
Krishna says that the path of selfless service can lead you to the ultimate Truth. But even the slightest motive spoils the selfless act. Ma Sarada, the Holy Mother, was a personification of nishkaama karma. Her spiritualism was in her motherliness. She was constantly engaged in motives-free service.And we all have this Universal Mother hidden within.
Take parenting. Today , it's a duty . Parents earn money; they buy gifts and other things for children. But that's not what parenting is about. Remember, a child can live without materialistic things but not without love. When love is absent in a parent-child relationship, children tend to become aggressive.A parent who fulfils all the desires of his child is called a good parent. No one is giving love, no one is getting love. It is a loveless state. It is important to bring up the compassion latent in our hearts -not just for family , but for all. Let love blossom.