May 29 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)

One in five in India is obese: Study

Kounteya Sinha

London TNN





One in five men and women in India is overweight and obese. Five out of every 100 boys and girls in the country below the age of 20, too, are overweight and obese, according to the most comprehensive global study to date on obesity rates. The study will be made public on Thursday.The data confirms that worldwide there has been a startling increase in rates of obesity and overweight in both adults (28% increase) and children (up by 47%) in the past 33 years, with the number of overweight and obese people rising from 857 million in 1980 to 2.1 billion in 2013. The Global Burden of Disease Study 2013, to be published in the medical journal ‘The Lancet’, said over 50% of
the 671 million obese individuals in the world live in 10 countries -the US, China, India, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, Germany , Pakistan and Indonesia. The US accounted for 13% of obese people in 2013, with China and India jointly accounting for 15%.Around 62% of the world’s obese individuals live in developing countries. In highincome countries, some of the highest increases in adult obesity prevalence have been in the US (roughly a third of the adult population is obese), Australia (28% of men and 30% of women are obese) and the UK (around a quarter of the adult population is obese).
In the developed world, men have higher rates of obesity than women, while the opposite is true in developing countries.
The greatest gain in obesity occurred between 1992 and 2002, mainly among people aged between 20 and 40.
The prevalence of overweight and obesity in child
hood has increased remarkably in developed countries, from 17% in 1980 to 24% in 2013 in boys and from 16% to 23% in girls. Similarly, in developing countries, rates have risen from roughly 8% to 13% in both boys and girls over the three decades.Led by Professor Emmanuela Gakidou from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in the US, a team of international researchers performed a comprehensive search of the available data from surveys, reports and the scientific literature to track these trends in the prevalence ofobesity (BMI of 30kg/m² or higher) in 188 countries in all 21 regions of the world from 1980 to 2013.

May 29 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)

Internet to work faster on Moon than on Earth

Kounteya Sinha

London will soon TNN





The internet speed on the moon will soon be faster than that on earth. Scientists have found a way to get broadband speed of just under 20 megabits per second (mbps) on the Moon.A team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory working with Nasa recently demonstrated the data communication technology which makes it possible to receive large amounts of data and stream video and audio from the moon to earth and vice versa.
A download speed of 19.44mbps was achieved through a laser-powered communication uplink through RF signals, along with an upload speed of 622mbps ­ that is 4,800 times faster than the previous record.
This download speed is more than six times faster than the download speed achieved by the best radio system ever flown to the moon, and the Nasa's Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD) laser space terminal is half the weight and uses 25% less power than the radio system.
LLCD also demonstrated a data upload speed of 20 mbps on a laser beam transmitted from a ground station in New Mexico to the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer spacecraft in orbit; this speed is 5000 times faster than the upload speed of the best radio system flown to the moon.
“This will be the first time that we present both the implementation overview and how well it actually worked,“ said Mark Stevens of MIT Lincoln Laboratory . “The on-orbit performance was excellent and close to what we'd predicted, giving us confidence that we have a good understanding of the underlying physics,“ he added.

May 29 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)

What Irani is looking at: IITs in every state, review of DU's FYUP

Akshaya Mukul

New Delhi: TNN





HRD minister Smriti Irani has given a list of 60 priority areas to her officials and asked them to work in that direction. The list is a mix of progressive initiatives, the Sangh Parivar’s ideas on education and the Gujarat model on teachers’ training. During her meeting with senior officials, she asked each of them to come up with big ticket ideas.Irani wants her ministry to give an assessment of Delhi University’s four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP), look into the possibility of setting up IITs in all states as well as Yale-Pan IIT network and map the best education practices in the country. At the same time she wants ministry to see how Vedic studies can be given prominence. “How can we involve traditional vedic education? What about education for life in
stead of degrees?” she asked senior ministry officials.Also, instead of directly changing NCERT school textbooks, the ministry officials have been asked to compile complaints about “textbooks and curriculum” from parents. A minis
try official said, “National Curriculum Framework is changed every ten years. It is due now. First the NCF will be reviewed. Textbooks will be changed on the lines of new NCF.“ Irani wants ministry to take up teaching of mathematics and science in madarsas and ensure adequate steps to stop sexual abuse in schools.Among the priority areas, Irani wants a national association of parents so that their voice is heard in all aspects of education.
“Parents are the most important stakeholders but their voice is never heard.
It is a good initiative,” said one official.
The new minister also wants to evaluate the contribution of alumni network in the growth of an institution. She also wanted reforms in legal education but since the subject is handled by law ministry it is unlikely that HRD ministry will be able to do anything. “We can build a synergy,” a source said.
Irani has made it clear to officials that all ministry notes and papers should be precise with sub-heads like background, current status, challenges, stakeholders and possible solution.

May 28 2014 : The Economic Times (Delhi)

NEIGHBOURING NATION'S TASTE FOR KENYAN TEA HITS INDIAN EXPORTS India, Pak may need a Chai Pe Charcha

SUTANUKA GHOSAL

KOLKATA





Price is the key factor for Pakistan not buying first flush teas from India

Even as the bonhomie between Narendra Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif continues, Indian tea faces stiff competition from Kenya in Pakistan. The neighbouring nation is buying more tea from Kenya in the current season and going by this trend it will be difficult for India to achieve 50 million kg of tea exports to Pakistan by 2015.Price is the key factor for Pakistan for not buying first flush teas from India.
This year, Kenyan production has been on the higher side and the African nation has offloaded tea in the Pakistan market at a much cheaper price. AN Singh, chairman, Indian Tea Association, said that Kenya has sold teas to Pakistan at a price of $2 per kg. “In some cases, Kenya has offloaded tea at the sub $2 level. On the contrary, our tea is at a higher price. There is a price differential and Pakistan cannot afford to buy tea at a higher price.“
Pakistan generally buys south Indian teas, which are comparatively cheaper than the Assam and Dooars teas. “The first flush teas from South India were fetching ` . 160 ­ `. 165 per kg two months back. So Pakistan preferred Kenyan tea as prices were lower compared to Indian tea. Now prices of South Indian tea have dropped to ` . 130 ­ `. 135 per kg. Pakistan buyers are slowly picking up some teas from India now,“ said Gopal Poddar, director of tea broking firm Limtex Group.
But as things stand today, Pakistan is unlikely to buy teas from Assam and Dooars, which are priced higher. “From July, second flush teas will come to the market. If the production is good then prices will fall in the Indian market. Let us see whether Pakistan buys teas from India at that level or not,“ said Singh.
Tea industry veterans feel that in 201415, Indian tea exports to Pakistan will not be more than 15-16 million kg. “If trade relations improve between India and Pakistan following the talks between Modi and Sharif, then chances are there that tea exports from India may increase. Otherwise at best India's exports to Pakistan will be around 30 million kg by 2015,“ Singh added. India's total exports in FY 2014 has been around 218.12 million kg.
Exports to Bangladesh, the other neighbouring nation of India, is also set to take a hit as the nation has increased import duty on tea from 5% to 15%. In FY14, India's exports had increased to 10.61 million kg from 2.98 million kg in FY13.
Even Iran is not showing much interest in Indian orthodox teas this year. The ITA chairman said: “Last year Iran was hungry for Indian first flush teas. But this year that trend is missing. However, still enquiries are coming from the Iranian market. We are hoping that exports of orthodox teas to Iran will improve from July onwards.“

May 28 2014 : The Economic Times (Delhi)

MGNREGA may be Linked to Development

NEW DELHI OUR BUREAU





The rural job guarantee scheme, MGNREGA, is likely to undergo changes with the new rural development minister, Gopinathrao Munde, planning to link it to development of villages.“I like this scheme. This scheme is best for villages. Basically, people get employment,” said Munde, who took charge of the ministry on Tuesday.
He, however, said there are “problems”
in its implementation. “Proper management is a problem; proper disbursement of money is a problem. I think the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee) money should go to the development of villages and people should get employment.“The senior BJP leader also said that his priority would be proper implementation of the recently enacted Land Acquisition law and Narendra Modi's key electoral plank -that every household will be provided sanitation and drinking wa ter. MGNREGA is widely seen as a plank on which the UPA government returned to power in 2009.
The scheme entitles millions of rural workers enrolled under it to 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to a rural household.
Implementation of the scheme, which has an annual allocation of over .
`30,000 crore, has been hit due to delays and issues with release of funds.
There are also issues related to authenticity of beneficiaries enrolled under it

May 28 2014 : The Economic Times (Delhi)

6% of GDP to be Spent on Education: Irani

NEW DELHI OUR BUREAU





Taking charge as minister for human resource development, Smriti Irani, the youngest member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet, promised to increase public spending on education and review all legislations related to higher education reform that had lapsed with the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha.In keeping with the tone set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Irani stressed that consensus would be the by-word in policy formulation.
“On behalf of the ministry, we have undertaken a study of all the pending Bills in Parliament... all pros and cons of those legislation, and I will only say this instead of mak ing any specific statements right now, we are having ministerial meetings within our department to see what are the initiatives we need to undertake,“ Irani told reporters on Tuesday.
The minister said she was honoured to serve as HRD minister, a post once held by senior party leader Murli Manohar Joshi. “For me, it is not a position of authority but a position of service,“ Irani said. In an effort to assuage concerns over the BJP's approach to the education sector,and conscious of controversial decisions made by the previous NDA government on issues such as curriculum revision, Irani said, “Every decisionthat we reach upon is a decision which comes across through consensus, every per son, every thought process, every stakeholder shall be consulted.“In line with BJP'spoll promise, Irani said the government would increase spending on education to 6% of GDP, a promise that successive governments have failed to keep.

May 28 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)

DU keeps sports, ECA quota at 5%

Manash Pratim Gohain

New Delhi: TNN





Varsity Issues 2014-15 Guidelines For Two-Step Admissions, Sets Up Grievance Committee

Delhi University has issued guidelines for admission of students to the four-year undergraduate programme in sports category. Five percent seats are reserved in all colleges for those seeking admission in the combined category of sports and extracurricular activities (ECA) on supernumerary basis.According to the guidelines, these are two-step admissions--in the super cate gory and trial category .
Those who have participated in international sporting events fall in the super category and are eligible for direct admission. The rest need to take fitness tests to be followed by sports trials. There will be three tests--strength, endurance and speed.
Aspirants must apply in individual colleges. Colleges are being asked to notify their requirement of players of different sports in their prospectus.
“Admission will be based on sports trials which will have a maximum of 50 marks and sports certificates, also having a maximum of 50 marks. A minimum of 18 marks must be scored by the candidate in sports trials,“ joint dean of students' welfare Malay Neerav said.
Each college will have a sports admission committee in which the principal will be the chairperson and the teacher in charge of physical education the convener. The committee will also have a physical education teacher as member, one expert nominated by the college from the confidential list given by the DU sports council, one facul ty member nominated by the sport council, one regular bona fide sports student representative, one DU sports council representative and one vice-chancellor's nominee as observer.
Before the sports trials, candidates, other than those from the super category , need to qualify in a fitness trial. A candidate needs to qualify in two of them, except those from the field of archery , shooting and chess who need to qualify in one test. “A student needs to get the fitness certificate only once from any of the colleges,“ Neerav said. Only those who have achieved distinction in sports during the last three years in a competition recognized by Association of Indian Universities and Indian Olympic Association are eligible for the quota.
Lists of the finally selected candidates containing trial marks, certificate marks and other details as well as the course allotted are to be submitted along with a copy of qualifying Class XII marks to DU sport council at the earliest so that these may be displayed at the university website for seven days in order to ensure that grievances, if any , are taken cognizance of. A grievance committee for sports admission has also been constituted by the VC with the secretary, DU sports council, as its convener.