Census data on Muslim family size can help counter myths

n an ideal world, Indians should not be quibbling about the details of people following various religions. But the times are such that some numbers are useful in getting a better understanding of the country to dispel propaganda, lies and half-truths. Details of the 2011 Census revealed last week showed that India’s average household size was 4.45 members, down from 4.67 a decade ago.

The size of an average Muslim household fell to 5.15 from 5.61 over the previous decade. Notably the reduction was sharper at 11.1% for Muslim households headed by men while for families headed by women it was 4.47%. The average size of Hindu families declined by 5 % over the decade. Such data should help us counter myths being propagated to create perceptions that fan social tensions.

The old slogan, “Small families are happy families” should ring better in a developing country that has seen a population explosion. The fact that the average size of a Muslim household is shrinking faster than that of the Hindu counterpart indicates that both communities are headed in the right direction and are increasingly on comparable ground.

The data signals that perceived threats to communities based on demographic bogeys are unwarranted. Last year, BJP member of parliament Sakshi Maharaj said every Hindu woman must produce at least four children to “protect” the community. Such statements fan tensions in far-flung areas, while actually, the attempt should be to not only shrink the size of the average family but also challenge outmoded notions of women being treated as child-bearing machines.

Given that Muslim personal law allows polygamy, casual banter and malicious propaganda by Right-wing hardliners have sometimes raised concerns about the growth of the nation’s Muslim population.

Census data for 2011 showed last year that Hindus made up 79.8% of the population, down 0.7 percentage points over the decade, while Muslims were 14.2% of the country, up 0.8 percentage points. Last week’s data puts the issue in a clearer context because absolute numbers are not everything. Over time, a better balance seems to be emerging.

Source: Hindustan Times, 24-05-2016

Enlighten Yourself

ANDREW COHEN





Is Enlightenment a personal matter? No, when you think about Enlightenment, it is important that you include other people in that idea. Transcendence will be yours when you begin to accept responsibility for the condition of the whole human race. When you give yourself up in unconditional surrender, automatically you rise up beyond the limited perspective. You come upon an infinitely greater perspective in which all questions disappear.The by-product of Enlightenment is that you cease to suffer the way you suffered in the past. If you feel disturbed by all the conflict and suffering that you see in the world but are unwilling to come to the end of conflict within yourself, then you can be sure that you are not serious.
And what is the reason for all spiritual experiences? Evolution. The true value of profound spiritual experience lies in the discovery of fundamental trust. Full realisation is the evolutionary leap to which all spiritual experiences ultimately lead. In deep spiritual experience, a human being realises a profound trust is found, so that you can liberate yourself from tendencies towards aggression and permanently destroy the illusion of separation that those tendencies arise from.
The result of this discovery is a level of integrity that is deep and profound and that manifests consistently at all levels of human expression. If the evolutionary leap is to take place, then the final outcome of true spiritual experience must result in this kind of purity .

Acquisition Of Power & Gaining Of Wisdom

Neema Mazumdar





Many today associate spirituality with acquiring extra powers or mobilising a cleansing energy which could solve our problems. Hence they conclude that a spiritually evolved person will acquire extraordinary powers. But there is a difference between acquiring powers and becoming spiritually evolved.Hindu tradition does recognise that through specific practices one can acquire extraordinary powers. But these may not necessarily be spiritual in nature. Many examples are given to show extra powers can be meaningless, become a curse or be responsible for one's destruction if one abuses them.
The first story is about a person who did great penance for 12 years and acquired the power to walk on water. He wanted to show off his power to a boatman crossing the river and told him, “You need a boat to cross whereas I can just walk across the river.“ The boatman asked, “How long did it take for you to acquire this power of walking on water?“ The person proudly said “12 years of hard work“. The boatman replied, “Why did you waste 12 years of your life trying to acquire this skill when you can easily cross the river in a boat?“ The second story is about a king who was greedy for wealth. He managed to acquire the power whereby whatever he touched would become gold. Initially he was thrilled that when he touched his table, chair and other objects, they turned golden. But when he sat down to eat and the food turned to gold, he was in distress. When he embraced his daughter, she became gold. Now the king begged for the boon to be reversed.
Finally , the story about Hiranyakashyapu. Through penance, he gained a boon that he could not be killed by man or animal, neither inside nor outside the house, not during the day or at night. Now he thought he was invincible and so he abused his extraordinary powers. Finally , Lord Vishnu in the form of Narasimha, half-man and half-lion, neither man nor animal, at the threshold of the house that was neither inside nor outside, killed him at dusk, between day and night.
Do these examples mean that acquiring additional power is necessarily bad? No. One can become more intuitive, one's prayers begin to get answered, and one can actually use it for common benefit. Power has to be put in perspective. The Bhagwad Gita enables you to see that every individual has some sphere of influence, and some can acquire more power than others through practice. However, these powers are nothing in comparison to the all-powerful Ishwara that governs the universe since time immemorial, generating cycles of creation and destruction, making everything the way it is. No one who claims to have powers can stop day, a tsunami or other natural calamities such as cyclones and hurricanes, that follow the laws of nature. That means, the objective position to have towards power is that one can have it, use it for common benefit, but that cannot be the measure of one's spiritual progress.
Spirituality is not about gaining powers; it is about making a deliberate attempt to expose oneself to wisdom that enables one to see things in the right perspective. Evolving spiritually includes gaining mastery over one's emotions, making appropriate choices of action, responding to challenging situations with equanimity and dwelling on the deeper meaning of life.Just like any higher learning such as mathematics, physics and economics, gaining wisdom requires deliberate effort and perseverance.

UGC amends norms to give more say to deemed univs

New Delhi TIMES NEWS NETWORK





The University Grants Commission (UGC) has made major amendments in the regulations for deemed universities, taking away the element of subjectivity and adding new features that will reduce government interference. Most of the deemed universities (88 of 123) are privately managed while only 35 are government controlled.To set up deemed university under de novo (new areas of learning), promoters will have to give a Letter of Intent. Be it private or government, a deemed university will have to be set up within three years.Earlier, deeemed status could be acquired only after setting up the institution.
At the same time, subjectivity has been taken away by specifying as to how many departments and number of teachers will be required to get the status. Also, instead of making it mandatory to only fulfil land requirement, builtup area has been specified. A deemed university will need 40% open area and 60% builtup area that give floor space of 10sq.m per student.

Source: Times of India, 25-05-2016

The Urban Fellows Programme (UFP)

[A Full-time 9 month Fellowship starting in August 2016 till May, 2017]

BY/AT: The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS, Bangalore (INDIA)

ABOUT: The UFP is a fully-funded, nine-month, full-time, inter-disciplinary programme for recent graduates and young professionals from varied educational backgrounds or practice domains. Through the UFP, Fellows will:

• Gain cutting-edge knowledge and perspectives in core urban sectors
• Gain professional skills to enable rapid career development across private, public and community-based organisations
• Engage with global, national and local thought leaders, entrepreneurs and change makers from diverse fields of urban practice
• Network with national and international urban practitioners and experts
• Access experiential learning that is linked to professional practice and is tailored to the aspirations of young professionals
• Learn from a diverse and experienced faculty who bring together theory and practice
• Develop a comparative perspective on urban development across cities in India
• Apply new learning immediately within the course and through an internship

IMPORTANT DATES: The UFP 2016-17 will award 35 fully-funded Fellowships on a competitive basis. Candidates are strongly encouraged to apply within the first deadline. It is estimated that the UFP 2016-17 class will be nearly entirely filled in the first round. A second round will be held for limited remaining seats, if any.

We have received an overwhelming response to the Urban Fellows Programme, with more than 1300 candidates starting applications. We strongly encourage everyone interested in applying to the Programme to submit your application by Tuesday, 10th May 2016 (Tuesday 11:59 pm, IST).

The timeline for the admissions procedure is as follows:
10th May 2016 (Tuesday 11:59 pm, IST): First round of applications close
12th- 13th May 2016 (Thursday- Friday): Shortlisted candidates will be contacted to set up interview times and dates. Interviews will be in person or via Skype (phone interviews will be conducted only in exceptional circumstances)
14th May- 18th May 2016 (Saturday- Wednesday): Interviews will be conducted
23rd May 2016 (Monday): Selected and wait listed candidates will be informed
Second Deadline: 30 May 2016
2nd – 5th June 2016 (Thursday – Sunday): Interviews for second round of admissions
10 June 2016 (Friday): Second admission decisions

FEES and COSTS: The UFP is a fully funded programme. All fellowships include tuition and accommodation. Applicants with significant financial need may also apply for an additional living stipend.

All admitted Fellows will be asked to submit a Rs 20,000 deposit to secure their admission. This will be refunded upon successful completion of the Fellowship. Applicants in financial need may request a waiver of the deposit to be considered on a case by case basis.
The Urban Fellows Programme is supported by the H. T. Parekh Foundation.

CONTACT: ufp.info@iihs.ac.in
IIHS Bangalore City CampusNo. 197/36, 2nd Main Road, Sadashivanagar, Bangalore 560 080. India
Tel: +91 80 6760 6666; Fax: +91 80 2361 6814.

Source: http://iihs.co.in

Farmer suicides in Marathwada cross 400 mark in 4 months; toll reaches 1,548 - 

92 more than 2015, Govt taskforce says crisis too big, will take time to turn things around.

The farmer suicides, which have remained unstoppable for past few years in eight districts of Marathwada, have crossed the staggering 400-mark in just over four month period in 2016. Compared to 2015, as many as 92 more farmers have embraced deaths in the first four and half months of 2016, highlighting the failure of the government schemes launched in August to curb the spate of suicides. A special taskforce appointed by the Devendra Fadnavis government on Tuesday conceded that the agrarian crisis was too “substantial” and results of the government efforts to put brakes on suicides will take time to show up. 

In 2015, the collective figure of suicides in all eight districts of Marathwada stood at 1,130 – three suicides every day and throughout the year. In past 16 months, 1,548 distressed farmers have been reported dead in the Marathwada region which is witnessing fourth successive years of drought with wells, rivers and dams having gone dry. In 2015, Beed, from where Rural Development Minister Pankaja Munde hails, had witnessed nearly 300 farmer suicides. In 2016, in just over four months, it is again on top with 75 suicides. In Aurangabad where Shiv Sena and MIM raise decibel levels on every other issue stands second with 64 suicides. Nanded, from where MPCC president Ashok Chavan comes from, is at third spot with 62 suicides. Other districts where farmer suicides have become common includes Latur 55, Osmanabad 54, Jalna 43, Parbhani 39 and Hingoli 26, according to officials at the Aurangabad divisional commissionerate which monitors the farmer suicides. In 2015, from January to April, as many as 278 had ended their lives. In the same period in 2016, 370 – 92 more than 2015. Till May 7, in 2016, 392 farmers were reported dead. In 2015, the figure of suicides stood at 300 in the same period. “It is true that compared to last year, this year’s figure of farmer suicides is on the much higher side,” said Jitendra Papalkar, Aurangabad Deputy Commissioner (revenue). Osmanabad which was picked by the state government’s “zero-suicide district” reflects what, official sources, say the failure of government’s so-called efforts to put brakes on the farmer suicide saga. It has reported 54 suicides since January. Officials have been citing two main reasons for farmer suicides: crop failure and mounting debts. Conceding that government efforts have not yielded results so far, Kishore Tiwari, who heads the state government-appointed Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swavlamban Mission, said the agrarian crisis in Marathwada was so “substantial” that it will take time before the turn around happens. “We have launched a number of schemes to halt the suicides of farmers in Marathwada and other parts of the state. Among the plans includes Food Security Act, critical illness, waiver of fees, counselling for farmers as also vigorous implementation of crop insurance. Since farmer suicides are growing, it is clear that our effort will take time to yield results,” he said. Tiwari said the government has aggressively launched the crop cultivation campaign in Marathwada. “Under this, we are urging farmers to go for food crop likes pulses, jowar, maize instead of water guzzling crops like sugarcane,” he said. “One acre of sugarcane crop guzzles water of 100 acre of cotton crop. This difference is stark. Therefore, in places like Latur, Beed and Osmanabad which have been hit hard by water shortage, it will be in their own interest if farmers shun sugarcane crop and instead prefer food crops,” he said. The government, said Tiwari, is even providing seeds for free and imparting teaching on cultivation methods. Clarifying that government was not against sugarcane crop, Tiwari said,”Where ever there is ample amount of water like in Western Maharashtra, sugarcane remains the favourite crop. But in drought-hit areas, the crop pattern should change in favour of crops that consume less water,” he said.

Tiwari said in drought-hit areas where farmer shun sugarcane crop, the taskforce will urge the government to provide compensation to sugar factories. “But all this needed concerted efforts, especially on the part of local politicians, who should come together and take a united decision vis-a-vis changing cultivation pattern,” he said. State Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “While the state government is claiming that it had launched a number schemes to halt farmers suicides, the figures tell a completely different story. All this means that the plans are only on paper and at ground zero, nothing is reaching the farmers. How can the government sitting in Ivory Towers know what is happening in faraway in Marathwada? This government is busy with paperwork and not doing any ground work,” he said. 

Source: Indian Express, 24-05-2016

Now, an app to find the closest blood bank

Bengaluru-based engineer’s Ausodhyatmika gives details of all registered banks

Moved by the plight of people who frantically search for blood donors and blood banks during medical emergencies, a Bengaluru-based software engineer has developed a mobile app that provides details of these facilities situated close by, from any location in the country.

Access on Google Maps

Krishna Kant Tiwari has designed Android appAusodhyatmika (available for free in Google Play) that lists the details of all registered blood banks of the country and their location, with contacts that can be accessed through Google Maps.

All blood banks located within a 100 km radius, with their distance, can be checked.

Blood banks beyond this limit can also be located using the advanced search option.

The app offers an option for any donor to enrol his/her name on the list of prospective donors to help people who are in need of a blood group, which is not available in any blood bank.

“Mobile phone users could easily find donors’ contact number and also can track them using the in-built GPS system,” said Mr. Tiwari.

The app also has a list of ambulances and names of all the registered hospitals of the country, their contact numbers and their addresses.

The app provides details of other healthcare entities such as clinics, nursing homes, pathology labs, diagnostics, pharmacies, and veterinary hospitals that are registered with the Government of India.

Database of medicines

Besides this, the app also has the database of over one lakh medicines and their combinations.

Mr. Tiwari said that in order to prevent any misuse, the app has an option called ‘Report Abuse’, using which, any user can report wrongful use of the app.

Keywords: Blood bank app, Ausodhyatmika

Source: The Hindu, 24-05-2016