Monday, January 16, 2023
India’s road deaths are not accidents — they are a public health crisis
It’s time to stop labelling the thousands of deadly incidents that happen on India’s roads as “accidents.” Across India, the National Crime Records Bureau reported over four lakh road “accident” cases in 2021, with 1.6 lakh fatalities — up by four per cent from 2017. Despite the fact that each of these casualties leaves a human tragedy in its wake, society remains numb and unresponsive. The fact that road deaths are routinely labelled “accidents” contributes to public inaction against this preventable killer. It carries with it the connotation that they are unavoidable and an accepted cost of travel, wherein “accidents just happen”. But they do not “just happen”.
Fortunately, in December and September of 2022, the Maharashtra Highway Police and the Delhi Traffic Police both proved that change is possible and broke away from this practice. In its report, the Delhi Traffic Police noted that an “accident” is “an event that happens by chance or that is without apparent or deliberate cause,” and as such, they will retire the word going forward when discussing road crashes. This change reflects a commitment to treat crashes not as inevitable but as preventable — thanks to evidence-based public health interventions, such as road redesign with all users in mind. Evidence from places with sterling road safety records shows that road deaths can be prevented by strong government action. This includes a comprehensive approach to road safety, including prioritising accessibility over mobility, and walking, cycling, and smart urban planning (such as public transport, crosswalks, and bike lanes) over high-speed driving and car dependency. In other words, low-cost, low-tech interventions can be adopted in every city and state, as long as there’s political will. By framing road crashes as “accidents,” people perceive crashes with less urgency and support for crucial interventions that can prevent crashes. Rightly using the term “crash”, is a commendable step by the Delhi Traffic Police, and it is hoped that others — spanning government agencies, media outlets, and the general public — will similarly follow suit.
In fact, this shift has happened before. We hear of “car accidents,” but when was the last time one heard of a “plane accident”? The term “plane accident” in the aviation industry is a misnomer but it wasn’t always so. The term was discarded in the first half of the 20th century as governments pressured the industry to improve safety. Investigators now work to determine the root causes of any aircraft crash, or even a near miss, and put in place more stringent safeguards to ensure that future events are prevented. Preventative actions such as safe infrastructure, professional management by highly trained and skilled staff, maintenance of all equipment, and strictly followed standard operating procedures all contribute toward making air travel the world’s safest form of transport per kilometre.
We need to adopt a similar approach to road travel. For example, thoughtful urban planning and safe road designs that encourage low speeds can reduce crashes. Communities that are walkable and bikeable, and less car-dependent have fewer deaths on the road. These are low-cost and straightforward interventions, and they can save lives today. Every road crash is preventable. Evidence-based interventions can radically decrease crash fatalities, and the language used to describe crashes is critical in building public demand and political will for these changes.
Written by Sudeep Lakhtakia , Grant Ennis
Lakhtakia is a retired Indian Police Service officer and currently Senior Road Safety Advisor-India, Vital Strategies.
Source: Indian Express, 16/01/23
This Quote Means: ‘Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached’ by Swami Vivekananda
The message and teachings of Swami Vivekananda, who was one of the most well-known spiritual leaders of India, outlive him. Through his speeches and lectures, Vivekananda worked to disseminate his religious ideas. He preached ‘neo-Vedanta’, an interpretation of Hinduism through a Western lens, and believed in combining spirituality with material progress.
Quotes such as “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached” have become a source of inspiration for many. That the National Youth Day is celebrated every year on January 12 to commemorate his birth anniversary seems appropriate, as throughout his work he underlined the importance of youth in India. He saw in them the power to lead society towards the path of spiritual growth. The words of famous personalities have become essential topics in the Essay paper of UPSC CSE. Also, quotes have become relevant in the Ethics paper (GS 4), as the syllabus mentions ‘Contribution of Thinkers and Philosophers’. Quotes by Swami Vivekananda have been asked previously in the UPSC exam. This one, aimed at the youth, is of value not only for the Essay section but also for the Ethics questions and case studies on themes of youth and philosophy. We look at the meaning and context of one of his most famous quotes, “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached,” which Swami Vivekananda took from the Katha Upanishad. It soon became a clarion call for galvanizing youth to be cognizant of the supreme power within, thus ‘Arise,’ and once conscious of the God within, to hold on to the belief and see the world through this divine self-consciousness, to become ‘Awake.’
Full quote:
Swami Vivekananda used the quote in numerous speeches within and outside the subcontinent. The following is an excerpt from his speech in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu:
“Without respect of caste or birth, weakness or strength, hear and learn that behind the strong and the weak, behind the high and the low, behind everyone, there is that Infinite Soul, assuring the infinite possibility and the infinite capacity of all to become great and good. Let us proclaim to every soul: उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत — Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached. Arise, awake! Awake from this hypnotism of weakness. None is really weak; the soul is infinite, omnipotent, and omniscient. Stand up, assert yourself, proclaim the God within you, do not deny Him! Too much of inactivity, too much of weakness, too much of hypnotism has been and is upon our race.”
Meaning of the quote
The quote reflects the basis of Swami Vivekanada’s philosophy, which says human beings have infinite power and strength within themselves. Vivekananda, in his speeches and work, reiterated and exhorted the youth to “take one idea” and make that one idea their life. “Think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success,” he proclaimed. Strength and fearlessness were the two keywords he used to urge the youth to imbibe in their lives to achieve their true potential.
The phrase can be expressed through the following markers of his philosophy:
Fearlessness
Swami Vivekananda appealed to the youth to follow the religion of fearlessness, for that is the only way to achieve any goal. He decried inactivity and ‘hypnotism’ of weakness, which he believed are the biggest deterrent to achieving anything. “Arise, awake ! Awake from this hypnotism of weakness,” he urged.
Balance of mind
To remain focused on any goal, Swami Vivekananda claimed that patience, perseverance, and purity are required. He categorically articulated that it is the calm, forgiving, equable and well-balanced mind that does the greatest amount of work.
Swami Vivekananda also stressed the importance of concentration to achieve one’s goals. “The world is ready to give up its secrets if we only know how to knock, how to give it the necessary blow and that can be done through concentration of the powers of the mind. The strength and the force of the blow come through concentration,” he said. The more focused a human mind is, the more power is brought to bear on one point; that is the secret to achieving what one has set out for.
Divinity
To highlight the importance of work, he even said that through work even God can be attained. He called on the youth to wake up from their slumber and be awake to the divinity within themselves, which can lead to their success in every sphere of their lives.
He said that when the sleeping soul is roused to self-conscious activity, power, glory as well as goodness and purity will naturally follow. “So work, says the Vedanta, putting God in everything, and knowing Him to be in everything. Work incessantly, holding life as something deified, as God Himself. Thus knowing, we must work—this is the only way, there is no other.”
Other prominent quotes by Swami Vivekananda
- “Freedom can never be reached by the weak. Throw away all weakness. Tell your body that it is strong, tell your mind that it is strong, and have unbounded faith and hope in yourself.”
- “I stand for truth. Truth will never ally itself with falsehood. Even if all the world should be against me, Truth must prevail in the end.”
- “Ours not to reason why, ours but to do and die. Be of good cheer and believe that we are selected by the Lord to do great things, and we will do them.”
Source: Indian Express, 15/01/23
Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Quote of the Day January 11, 2023
“When you choose your friends, don't be short-changed by choosing personality over character.”
W. Somerset Maugham
“जब आप अपने मित्रों का चयन करते हैं तो चरित्र के स्थान पर व्यक्तित्व को न चुनें।”
डब्ल्यू सोमरसेट मोघम
Current Affairs-January 1, 2023.
INDIA
- Assam merges 4 districts and redraws boundaries ahead of Election Commission’s (EC) delimitation deadline.
- New integrated Food Security Scheme to be rolled out from January 1, 2023.
- India assumes the chairmanship of the plenary of the Wassenaar Arrangement.
- Government spent Rs 13,000 crore on cleaning Ganga since 2014.
- 50 of India’s 3,693 centrally protected monuments are missing, according to the Ministry of Culture.
- Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issues cyber alert for G20 Summit, shared a list of cyber attackers targeted G20 Summits with all ministries and departments.
- Defence Ministry starts process for the procurement of 100 more K9-Vajra tracked self-propelled howitzers.
ECONOMY
- Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has elevated Ajay Kumar Srivastava as MD and CEO.
- Centre signs pact with Institute of Veterinary Biological Products (IVBP) for commercial production of ‘Lumpi-ProVac’, a vaccine for lumpy skin disease in cattle.
- Transport consultancy and engineering firm RITES inks pact with Kerala’s KIIFCON for consultancy projects.
WORLD
- Former Pope Benedict XVI, passed away aged 95. In 2013, he became the first pontiff to resign in 600 years.
- International convention of Theosophical Society commences at headquarters in Chennai.
- India abstains from voting on UN resolution on Israel
SPORTS
- Magnus Carlsen wins all three world chess championship titles for the third time in his career
Current Affairs- January 2, 2023.
INDIA
- International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023 begins with Activities by Central Ministries, State Governments and Indian Embassies.
- India has asked Pakistan to release and repatriate 631 Indian fishermen and two civilian prisoners.
- India will sign a “Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement” (MMPA) with Austria.
- Anil Kumar Lahoti takes over charge of new Chairman & CEO of Railway Board
- Uttar Pradesh panel on OBC quota to submit first report in 3 months.
- Supreme Court to pronounce its verdict today on pleas against Demonetization
- Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh briefs media about ‘2023 Science Vision’ at New Delhi
- Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Amazon collaborate for future engineer program.
ECONOMY
- Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das launched central bank’s medium-term strategy framework titled ‘Utkarsh 2.0’ .
- India’s Gross GST collection in December goes up by 15 per cent to nearly Rs 1.5 lakh crore
- CMIE Report: Unemployment rate rises to 8.3% in Dec., highest in 16 months.
- India’s forex reserves dropped by USD 691 million to USD 562.808 billion: RBI Data.
WORLD
- Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office for a third term as President of Brazil
- Croatia switched to the Euro and entered Europe’s borderless zone
- Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal inaugurates Pokhara Regional International Airport
- SpaceX launches 54 upgraded Starlink internet satellites; nails rocket landing at sea in 60th flight of the year.
SPORTS
- Yuki Bhambri and Ramkumar Ramanathan enter 2nd round in Men’s Singles event at Maharashtra Open tennis
- BCCI has re-introduced Yo-Yo test and Dexa scan results as criteria for selection of players.
Current Affairs-January 3, 2023.
INDIA
- Guyana’s President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, US-based businessman Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, and DSB Group CEO Piyush Gupta are among 21 recipients of the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award.
- Supreme Court will launch a project providing free access to official law reports of its verdicts to law students, lawyers and the general public.
- DPIIT floats draft quality control orders (QCO) for 16 light-engineering industry products, including air coolers, bicycles and bottled water dispensers.
- No rhinos were poached in the state of Assam in 2022, the first time since 2000.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the 108th Indian Science Congress (ISC).
- Centre constitutes Committee to discuss measures to protect Ladakh’s unique culture, language and employment.
- Supreme Court upholds Centre’s 2016 decision to demonetise currency notes of 500 and 1000 rupee denominations.
ECONOMY
- International Monetary Fund (IMF) Chief Georgieva warns of ‘Tough Year’ for World Economy.
- RBI announced that SBI, ICICI and HDFC Bank continue to be Systemically Important.
- UPI Payments Touch Record High of ₹12.82 lakh crore in December.
- Google challenges CCI ruling in Android case before National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).
- DPIIT Lists 20 Restrictive norms of Ministries that violate ‘Make in India’ Plan.
- India’s manufacturing output rises to 13 month high in December.
WORLD
- Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been sworn in as the 39th president of Brazil.
- Canada bans most Foreigners from buying Homes, to make more homes available to locals facing a housing crunch.
- South Korea and US are planning joint exercises involving American nuclear assets.
- Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan announces parallel government with full Cabinet.
SPORTS
- World No. 2 Rafael Nadal faced a second-straight defeat at the United Cup.
- Vaidehi Chaudhari wins ITF women’s tournament singles in Gwalior after beating top seed Ksenia Laskutova.
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