Women's Day coinciding with C'wlth Day an opportunity for women

New Delhi, Mar 8 (UNI) As the International Women's Day coincided with the Commonwealth Day today, it is an opportunity to further the Commonwealth's agenda on women's welfare, Dr Angeli Qwatra, Member of Medical and Health Services Committee for Commonwealth Games 2010 said today.

Calling it an opportunity for the women of India, Dr Qwatra said, ''Co-occuring of the two important days would help highlight the actions needed against practices derogatory to Indian Women and their status including gender inequality and discrimination.''

Dr Qwatra is a Safety and Rescue Management expert who is training more than 1500 individuals volunteering for Commonwealth Games 2010 on ''Disaster Management and Emergency Preparedness'' in and around Delhi.

''My mission is to empower all the women in our country with the basic life saving skills. A trained woman can be a saviour in case professional medical aid is unavailable,'' Dr Qwatra noted.

Referring to the significance of International Women's Day, she said, ''This day can be significant in highlighting the crucial role women can play in saving lives of others. This will promote the cause by creating a movement for safety preparedness.''

Dr Qwatra, who is also the chairperson of Philanthrope, an NGO that provides training on emergency aid measures to the masses, emphasised that the organisation gave priority to womenfolk as they happen to be the primary caretaker in the family who needed to be empowered to handle emergency situations.

''Out of our training database, about 60 per cent candidates have been women. Our focus remains more on safety related to daily life at home,'' she said.

Terming it as the biggest challenge Indian women are facing at present, Dr Qwatra asserted that even after being educated they ''are not prepared to handle the daily life emergencies which could make a difference between life and death of their
near and dear ones.''

The theme of the Commonwealth Day this year is ''Science, Technology and Society''. The public safety expert feels increased advancement has brought with it serious risks and challenges.

''We try to train people how to be prepared for handling victims of technology-related accidents and other man-made disasters like terrorist attacks,'' she said.

Dr Qwatra is an active member in implementing UNESCO projects on AIDS awareness in association with NACO, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

As the Chairperson of Institute of Technology Dissemination and Environmental and Social Development, she has worked in association with Mewat Development Agency, Haryana, for the health education and empowerment of women in the backward and underdeveloped Mewat region.

She has also been on the editorial board of the journal ''Indian Anthropologist'' since 1996 and has to her credit research on 'Tribal Naga Students in Delhi', 'Gadulia Lohars', 'Economic role of women in Pauri Garwal', 'Chipko Movement' and 'Values, Options and Constraints of Educated Urban Women'.

Demand for regulation on genetic modification of animals

New Delhi, Mar 5 (UNI) In an era of genetic engineering when animals are cloned to augment agribusiness, animal lovers are feeling an urgent need to regulate the application of biotechnology to farm animals.

Humane Society International (HSI), an animal welfare organisation, has written to the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) of Ministry of Environment and Forest, urging it to frame such regulations to protecting animal rights.

''The lack of regulatory or legal constraints on what can be done to farm animals in pursuit of increasing agricultural output, raises additional concerns about genetic engineering or cloning farm animals. The present regulations on the application of biotechnology to farm animals are inadequate,'' HSI's campaign manager in India, N G Jayasimha told UNI.

These experiments are done to propagate certain traits useful to agribusiness, such as meat yielding or feed conversion. ''These technologies have already been shown to have serious adverse impacts on animal welfare,'' he said.

Guidelines on the Regulation of Scientific Experiments on Animals issued by the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) do not cover experimentation on animals in agricultural production, the
letter stated.

Mr Jayasimha informed that HSI, based in Pune, is also in the process of drafting certain regulations in this regard which they would like to submit to the committee.
''Our endeavour will be to draft the regulations to comply with international humane standards and be effective in Indian conditions,'' he said.

The regulations would ensure that the breeding goals are redefined to reflect social concerns, he asserted hoping to have a proper regulatory mechanism having diverse representation.

According to statistics available, the country has no regulations for animal cloning currently. The Department of Biotechnology only regulates human stem cell research, and transgenic research, where traits of different species are mixed.

Reportedly, scientists of the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) say they are involved only in ''pure cloning'' for which they have been given the nod by the Agriculture Ministry. But they admit that transgenic research is the future,
though they will not start transgenic research without approval from the Department of Biotechnology.

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Union Budget 2010-11: Expectations in health, education sectors

New Delhi, Feb 18 (UNI) As Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is all set to table the Union Budget for the fiscal 2010-11 on February 26, various civil society organisations are keeping their fingers crossed while expecting high from it.

Taking view of problems like non-allocation and underutilisation of resources for various schemes under the Centre, the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA) and Oxfam India yesterday demanded increased allocation for flagship schemes in health and education from this year's budget besides effective
utilisation of the allocated resources.

''Our concern is where would common man, who form the heart of the budget, stand in the Union Budget 2010. There is a need for greater allocation for the health and education schemes besides better utilisation and accountability and commitment towards them for the uplift of SCs and STs,'' Oxfam India Chief Executive
Officer Nisha Agrawal said.

Underlining the facts revealed after a series of people's consultations held by the CBGA across the country with support from Oxfam India, Ms Agrawal noted that the UPA-led government had promised a hike in public spending on education to six per cent of the GDP.

''However, the overall public spending on education continues to remain at a low of 3.37 per cent of the GDP,'' she said.

She claimed that the Union Government has not been able to allocate even 50 per cent of the total outlays in several schemes like Mid Day Meal, Teacher Training Institutions and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan.

''Moreover, the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 has also not been notified yet,'' Ms Agrawal pointed out.

Analyst Praveen Jha of the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning of the Jawaharlal Nehru University was also present on the occasion.

He argued that the combined budgetary allocation for health stood at a meagre 1.04 per cent of the GDP for 2008-09, despite the fact that the UPA had made a commitment in the National Common Minimum Programme in 2004 that total public spending on health in the country would be raised to two to three per cent of the GDP.

''However, it stands at a meagre 1.04 per cent of the GDP for 2008-09 (Revised Estimates),'' Head of CBGA Yamini Mishra said.

''The government had promised upgradation of every district headquarters hospital and their strengthening to provide quality health facility, but nothing is visible even close to it,'' she added.

She further said the state of schemes for the uplift of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes was also not impressive.

It Happened That Night: A tale of love, falsity and murder

New Delhi, Feb 14 (UNI) Tales of love and deceit, choosing between love and career and the like are not eccentric, still every story is able to interest people with as much thrill and excitement.

Joining as a link to such stories is 'It Happened That Night', a tale that subtly touches the strings of human emotions which gets entangled in confusions over tempted professionalism and repercussions of pressure.

Written by first-time author Akash Verma, a management graduate currently working in a media company, the novel is an extensive piece of fictional writing.

Noted Irish writer Oscar Wilde had once said, ''There is always something ridiculous about the emotions of people whom one has ceased to love''. The author has tried to put forth an example of his understanding of the same.

Verma has used rich style of fiction to highlight the inherent attributes of satanic clashes of ego, work pressure, compromises, struggle with truth, grievances and not to forget, the side-effects of life of 21st century.

''The message that the book conveys is 'Speak up and create a change'. I have tried to focus on the psyche and mindset of Indian middle class that impacts the socio-economic and political dynamics of the country,'' he says.

Verma explains, ''Metros are the first one to diagnose and bear the brunt of this dangerous syndrome. Some visible scars are murders, rapes and arson in broad daylight. ''

The novel is a journey of a 28-yr-old modern Indian professional working in a Multi-national Company and is caught in between the maze of love, a high-end job and the witness to a cold-blooded murder of a colleague.

The story takes the reader to the year 2002 when Gujarat, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi who is a synonym for non-violence, along with the entire country, was pushed back into global obscurity due to grisly riots that spread across the land.

''Chandan Mathur, the protagonist, realises and decodes life in its various human forms in the city of Ahmedabad. As his life takes him to various harsh and pleasant phases of life, he tries to find an answer to if he should listen to his own conscience or succumb to somebody else's demand,'' the writer says.

Maiden 'Doha Debates' in India to discuss treatment given to Muslims

New Delhi, Feb 12 (UNI) Aiming to provide a free speech forum to Indian students to speak out their mind on how Muslims are treated in the country, the 'Doha Debates' are holding a session in the national capital on February 15.

This will be the first ever discussion held in Asia by the forum, that claims to champion free speech on controversial issues.

Spotlighting India's Muslim minority, the motion ''The House believes Muslims are not getting a fair deal in India'', will be debated at the St Stephen's College of the Delhi University by eminent Indian personalities from different fields.

''Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Sachin Pilot and distinguished journalist M J Akbar will be speaking against the motion while Seema Mustafa, who has authored a number of books on Indian politics, and civil rights
activist Teesta Setalvad will be debating for the motion,'' Debates' Chairman Tim Sebastian informed.

He informed that St Stephen's is the first Asian educational institution to invite the Debates, which is hosted and funded by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.

''In all our debates held till now, around 45 in number, students have formed two-third of the audience. In this one too, 300 students from different Indian universities are likely to participate,'' Mr Sebastian told UNI.

He added that 10 students from Doha, the capital city of the state of Qatar, would also be joining in.

On a question about his choice of topic, he said the subject had provoked considerable controversy within the country and a passionate debate was much needed for clarity.

''How does a democracy of the size of India deals with its Muslim minority and are their rights effectively safeguarded? Who is to blame if they under-perform? What lessons can the rest of the world draw from India's experience? Such questions are likely to be answered in the debate,'' Mr Sebastian noted.

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The Kashmir Images

Vijay Goel slams SRK; suggests him to concentrate on acting

New Delhi, Feb 12 (UNI) Unlike other BJP leaders, party's All India General Secretary Vijay Goel today criticised Shah Rukh Khan for getting involved in the ongoing controversy surrounding 'My Name Is Khan' and suggested that being an actor, Khan should concentrate on his acting.

''I feel that being a politician, if I am expected to not get involved in the matters of entertainment industry, same should be understood by other professionals also,'' Mr Goel said.

Speaking on the reason that had led to the Khan-Shiv Sena controversy, the BJP leader quipped, ''When he has so much love for the neighbouring country's players, why did not he take them in his IPL team.''

The actor is the co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), a team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) twenty20 cricket tournament which does not have any player from the Pakistan cricket team.

However, the former Union Minister did not shy away from giving his opinion on the movie that hit theatres across the country today and said, ''The name of the movie is also not appropriate according to Indian mindset.''

''There was no need to mention one's religion in the title of the movie,'' he asserted.

Recalling the incident at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey in August last year where the actor was allegedly detained by US immigration officials because his name came up on a computer alert list, Mr Goel again slammed the 'Bollywood Badshah'.

''It has now become a practice of every Muslim to level such criticism,'' he claimed.

The actor had gone to the US to promote ''My Name is Khan''.

Meanwhile, party's newly-elected president Nitin Gadkari today chose to play safe and kept mum on the issue and said, ''Whatever had to be said has already been said by our party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad and whatever he has said is the stand of the party.''

Mr Shankar had reportedly said yesterday his party did not approve of the threats by the Sena to stop the release of the Shahrukh Khan-starrer movie.

Release Rs 500 cr to MCD for facelift of Chandni Chowk: Goel

New Delhi, Feb 12 (UNI) Expressing concern over the deteriorating condition of Delhi's heritage area Chandni Chowk, former Union Minister Vijay Goel today demanded that the Delhi Government should release at least Rs 500 crore to Municipal Corporation of Delhi for immediate uplift of the area.

He added if the action would not be taken in a week's time, the BJP leader would sit on a dharna and take out demonstrations in the capital.

''It seems Chandni Chowk has now become 'Barbadi' Chowk. The Delhi Government should immediately release Rs 500 crore to the MCD so that the civic body can start work for its makeover,'' Mr Goel told mediapersons.

Putting forth the problems that the area has been facing since long and needed immediate attention of the government, the All India General Secretary of BJP said the condition of historic buildings, roads, sewerage system, traffic management, pavements and hanging wires, among others, was very poor.

''The condition of the Walled City is pathetic and the Chief Minister should realise what impact will it have on foreign tourists when they will visit the capital during Commonwealth Games,'' he said.

He asserted that while Rs 900 crore have been spent on uplift of Connaught Place, ''not a single penny has been spent to protect the 'havelis' of Shahjahanabad.''

The former MP, through media, also invited Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and area MP Kapil Sibal to visit Chandni Chowk along with him and face the reality.

Mr Goel also showed various photographs of the area that he had clicked recently to show its present state.