Tuesday 31 October 2017

FOOD REPORT

1. World Organic Conference, Nov 9- 11, 2017: Invite for IFOAM OWC17 Seeds Pre-conference (Program and Seed Festival brochure attached in the mail) https://owc.ifoam.bio/2017


2. International Permaculture Convergence, Nov 25 to Dec 2, hosted by Aranya Agriculture Alternatives  http://ipcindia2017.org/


3. A brief report with photographs by Ashish on the food sangam (अशीष द्वारा खाद्य संगम की एक छोटी  रिपोर्ट और तस्वीरें) 


4. FACT-FINDING REPORT ON PESTICIDE POISONINGS IN YAVATMAL DISTRICT, MAHARASHTRA


5. "Indian organic movement needs aggressive and long-term government support to ensure nation-wide adoption of organic farming practices" by Ananya Tewari and Amit Khurana


6. "Violating laws governing food safety in India, the central government has over the last five years allowed more than 15 million tonnes of genetically modified soyabean and canola oils to be imported into the country for human consumption"


7. Who will feed us? The Industrial Food Chain vs. The Peasant Food Web  http://www.etcgroup.org/sites/www.etcgroup.org/files/files/etc-whowillfeedus-english-webshare.pdf
 

8. The Journal of peasant studies- Reformulation, fortification, and functionalisation: Big food corporations' nutritional engineering and marketing strategies. (Attached file)


9. Introducing GFFA youtube channel : 
- Collection By Akansha. Source: GFFA Newsletter

Monday 30 October 2017

Water storage level of 91 major reservoirs of the country continues to be at 70% of their capacity

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Water Resources
27-October-2017 11:25 IST



Water storage level of 91 major reservoirs of the country
continues to be at 70% of their capacity
           The water storage available in 91 major reservoirs of the country for the week ending on October 26, 2017 was 109.878 BCM which is 70% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. This percentage was at 70 for the week ending on October 18, 2017. The level of water storage in the week ending on October 26, 2017 was 96% of the storage of corresponding period of last year and 95% of storage of average of last ten years.  

The total storage capacity of these 91 reservoirs is 157.799 BCM which is about 62% of the total storage capacity of 253.388 BCM which is estimated to have been created in the country. 37 Reservoirs out of these 91 have hydropower benefit with installed capacity of more than 60 MW.

REGION WISE STORAGE STATUS:-
             
NORTHERN REGION
The northern region includes States of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan. There are 6 reservoirs under CWC monitoring having total live storage capacity of 18.01 BCM. The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 13.56 BCM which is 75% of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 70% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 76% of live storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is better than the corresponding period of last year but is less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

EASTERN REGION
The Eastern region includes States of Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Tripura. There are 15 reservoirs under CWC monitoring having total live storage capacity of 18.83 BCM. The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 14.94 BCM which is 79% of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 85% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 76% of live storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the corresponding period of last year but is better than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

WESTERN REGION
The Western region includes States of Gujarat and Maharashtra. There are 27 reservoirs under CWC monitoring having total live storage capacity of 27.07 BCM. The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 20.74 BCM which is 77% of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 85% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 78% of live storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the storage of last year and is also less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

CENTRAL REGION
The Central region includes States of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. There are 12 reservoirs under CWC monitoring having total live storage capacity of 42.30 BCM. The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 26.49 BCM which is 63% of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 90% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 71% of live storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is less than the storage of last year and is also less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

SOUTHERN REGION
The Southern region includes States of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, AP&TG(2combined projects in both states) Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. There are 31 reservoirs under CWC monitoring having total live storage capacity of 51.59 BCM. The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 34.15 BCM which is 66% of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 50% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 69% of live storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, storage during current year is better than the corresponding period of last year but is less than the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period.

           States having better storage than last year for corresponding period are Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Tripura, Uttarakhand, AP&TG (Two combined projects in both states), Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. States having lesser storage than last year for corresponding period are Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana.

Samir/Sudhir/IA/JK
SOURCE : PIB 
LINK: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=171976

Friday 27 October 2017

समानता का एक नया उदाहरण : KERAL-TEMPLE

समानता का एक नया उदाहरण

हाल ही में ट्रावनकोर देवास्वम मंदिर की नियुक्ति समिति ने अपने पुजारियों के रूप में 36 गैर-ब्राह्मणों का चुनाव किया है। इनमें से छः तो दलित श्रेणी के हैं। भारत के लिए और विशेषकर दक्षिण भारत के मंदिरों के लिए यह एक अभूतपूर्व कदम है। केरल के धार्मिक स्थानों पर जातिगत भेदभाव का एक लंबा इतिहास रहा है। ऐसा नहीं है कि वहाँ गैर-ब्राह्मणों को पुजारियों के रूप में स्थान नहीं दिया जाता है। परन्तु ये पुजारी अधिकतर छोटे मंदिरों या निजी पूजा स्थलों पर नियुक्त किए जाते हैं। दरअसल, ट्रावनकोर देवास्वम की नियुक्ति प्रक्रिया संस्थागत रूप से की जाती है। पुजारी पद के अभ्यार्थियों को एक परीक्षा पास करनी होती है। यह परीक्षा सभी जातियों के लोगों के लिए होती है। इस परीक्षा में अन्य संस्थानों की तरह ही आरक्षण नियम लागू किए गए हैं।
केरल का देवास्वम बोर्ड राज्य सरकार के सभी मंदिरों का प्रबंधक है। चूंकि यहाँ पुजारियों का वेतन सार्वजनिक निधि से दिया जाता है, इसलिए इस बार चुनाव में आरक्षण को स्थान दिया गया है। अब देखना यह है कि इन चयनित गैर-ब्राह्मण व दलित पुजारियों को सबरीमाला जैसे बड़े एवं प्रसिद्ध मंदिरों में भी पुजारी की तरह काम करने दिया जाता है या नहीं? इन मंदिरों की परंपरा एवं लेखों में गैर-ब्राह्मणों को पुजारी पद से दूर रखे जाने की बात कही गई है। अतः यह आवश्यक नहीं कि सरकारी या न्यायिक हस्तक्षेप इस प्रकार की जातिगत भेदभाव की परंपरा को तोड़ने में सफलता प्राप्त कर ले।
गैर-ब्राह्मण पुजारियों को स्वीकार्य बनाने के लिए ट्रावनकोर देवास्वम को अपने श्रद्धालुओं का भी मन बदलना होगा, क्योंकि अभी तक संवैधानिक समानता के अधिकार के आगे रुढ़िवादियों की ही विजय हुई है। उन्होंने न्यायालय के उस आदेश को चुनौती दी है,, जिसमें पुजारियों के चयन के लिए योग्यता को आधार माना गया है। अब ट्रावनकोर देवास्वम ने न्यायालय के योग्यता वाले आदेश से एक कदम आगे बढ़कर आनुपातिक प्रतिनिधित्व को अपनाकर एक नया उदाहरण प्रस्तुत कर दिया है। पूरा देश उसके इस फैसले के परिणामों की एक तरह से प्रतीक्षा कर रहा है।

‘द इंडियन एक्सप्रेस’ में प्रकाशित संपादकीय पर आधारित।

जंगल की बड़ी माँ- केरल की एक आदिवासी महिला जो लगभग ५०० औषधियों के नुस्ख़ों को अपनी स्मरण-शक्ति में संजोये है - Health and tribal & traditional knowledge

जंगल की बड़ी माँ- केरल की एक आदिवासी महिला जो लगभग ५०० औषधियों के नुस्ख़ों को अपनी स्मरण-शक्ति में संजोये है (in Hindi)


By अनुवाद- शीबा डेसोर, लेखक- हरिता जॉन on Oct. 27, 2017 in Health and Hygiene

विकल्प संगम के लिये विशेष अनुवाद

वे तिरुवनंतपुरममें कल्लार के जंगलों के बीच एक आदिवासी गाँव में ताड़ के पत्तों की छत वाली एक छोटी सी कुटिया में रहते हैं। 
75 वर्ष की उम्र की लक्ष्मी कुट्टी एक ऐसी आदिवासी महिला हैं जो विष उतारने वाली वैद्या होने के साथ साथ केरल फ़ोक्लॉर अकादमी  में शिक्षिका और एक कवयित्री भी हैं। 
उनकी छोटी सी कुटिया के आसपास विभिन्न जड़ी बूटियाँ लगी हुई हैं। दूर दूर से सैकड़ों लोग लक्ष्मी कुट्टी से वन औषधियों द्वारा विष उतरवाने के लिए पहुँचते हैं। लेकिन उनकी उपचार की विधि औषधियों तक सीमित नहीं है। वे रोगी के साथ घंटों तक प्यार और विनम्रता के साथ बातें करते हैं, जिसका इलाज में अपना योगदान होता है।
उन्हें यह सारा ज्ञान अपनी माँ से मिला जो गाँव में एक प्रसाविका (दाई) का काम करती थी। क्यूँकि लक्ष्मी कुट्टी  और उनकी माँ दोनों ने ही कभी इस ज्ञान को लिखित में नहीं उतारा, केरल वन विभाग ने उनके ज्ञान पर आधारित एक किताब संकलित करने  का निर्णय लिया है। 
“अपनी स्मरण शक्ति से ही मैं ५०० औषधियाँ तैयार कर सकती हूँ। आज तक उन्हें भूली नहीं हूँ। लेकिन यहाँ उपचार के लिए आने वाले लोगों में से अधिकतर लोग सांप या कीड़ों-मकोड़ों द्वारा काटे जाने पर यहाँ आते हैं,” उन्होंने कहा।  




वे बताते हैं कि उनका यह सपना है के एक दिन उनकी यह कुटिया एक छोटा सा अस्पताल बने जहाँ लोग लम्बे समय की चिकित्सा के लिए आएँ। 
बहुत से लोग उन्हें प्यार से वनमुतशीबुलाते हैं (जिसका मलयालम में अर्थ है- जंगल की बड़ी माँ) लेकिन उनका योगदान इस भूमिका तक सीमित नहीं है। उन्होंने दक्षिण भारत की कयी संस्थाओं में प्राकृतिक चिकित्सा के बारे में भाषण दिए हैं। 
“मैंने जंगल से बाहर कई क्षेत्रों में यात्रा की है। बहुत से लोगों से मिली हूँ। लेकिन यही मेरा घर है। यही मेरा धरोहर है।”
जंगल से बाहर वालों का ध्यान १९९५ में आकर्षित किया जब उन्हें केरल सरकार की तरफ़ से नेचुरोपेथि के लिए नाटु वैद्या रत्न पुरस्कार से सम्मानित किया गया। “उससे पहले मुझसे मिलने सिर्फ़ वही लोग आते थे जिन्हें  मेरे बारे में मेरे पिछले मरीज़ों ने बताया हो। १९९५ से पहले भी मुझे मिलने दूर दूर से लोग आते थे लेकिन पुरस्कार मिलने के बाद संख्या काफ़ी बढ़ गयी”, उन्होंने याद करते हुए बताया। उस समय से अब तक उन्हें कई पुरस्कारों से सम्मानित किया गया है। हाल ही में उन्हें  भारतीय जैव विविधता कोंग्रेस द्वारा २०१६ में सम्मानित किया गया है।



यह उनकी दृढ़ता ही थी जिसने उन्हें १९५० के दशक में अपने इलाक़े से स्कूल जाने वाली एकमात्र आदिवासी लड़की बनाया। “ मैं अभी भी यह सोच कर हैरान होती हूँ कि मैं कैसे यह कर पाई। मैंने यह हट पकड़ ली थी कि स्कूल तो जाना ही है। आख़िरकार पिताजी को मेरी बात माननी पड़ी”, उन्होंने हँसते हुए बताया। अपने गाँव के दो और लड़कों के साथ लक्ष्मी कुट्टी हर रोज़ दस किलोमीटर चल कर स्कूल जाती थी। लेकिन वे आठवीं कक्षा तक ही पढ़ पाईं क्यूँकि उस विद्यालय में आगे की शिक्षा का प्रबंध नहीं था। 
उनमें से एक लड़का उनका चचेरा भाई मथन कानिथा। उन दोनों के बीच एक गहरी दोस्ती बनी, जिसने बाद में शादी का रूप लिया। "मेरे हर निर्णय और सफलता में उसने मेरा साथ दिया। वह कहता था कि मैं एक मज़बूत महिला हूँ और उसके बिना भी अपने हर लक्ष्य को पा सकती हूँ।  सोलह साल की उम्र में मेरी  शादी से लेकर पिछले साल अपने देहांत तक वह एक सर्वोत्तम साथी था," उन्होंने याद करते हुए बताया। 




ताकि उनके बच्चों को उन चुनौतियों से गुज़रना न पड़े जिनका सामना उन्हें ख़ुद करना पड़ा था, पति- पत्नी ने अपने बच्चों को अच्छी स्कूली शिक्षा प्रदान की। "यह मेरी ज़िद्द थी के मेरे बच्चे पढ़ें। मेरे गाँव में शिक्षा पाना आसान नहीं है। मैं शिक्षा को बहुमूल्य समझती हूँ।"
लेकिन लक्ष्मी कुट्टी के परिवार को एक त्रासदी का सामना करना पड़ा। "मेरे जीवन में सबसे शोकपूर्ण घटना मेरे बड़े बेटे की मृत्यु थी। उसे एक जंगली हाथी ने मार डाला था।" उन्होंने अपने छोटे पुत्र को भी एक दुर्घटना में खोया। उनका एक और बेटा है जो रेल्वे में प्रमुख टिकट जाँच-अधिकारी का काम करता है। 




लेकिन प्राकृतिक चिकित्सा से परे, लक्ष्मी कुट्टी अपनी व्यंग्य भरी कविताओं और लेखन के लिए भी जानी जाती है। उन्होंने आदिवासी संस्कृति और जंगल के वर्णन जैसे अलग अलग विषयों पर कई लेख लिखे हैं जिन्हें डी. सी.  बुक्स द्वारा प्रकाशित किया गया है। उनकी कविताएँ एक ताल पर सुनाई जा सकती हैं। "इनकी शब्दावली सरल है, जिसे कोई भी गा सकता है। मैंने इन्हें आदिवासी भाषा में नहीं लिखा है”, उन्होंने मुस्कराते हुए बताया। 
अपनी तमाम उपलब्धियों के बावजूद वे आग्रह करतीं हैं, "बाहर की दुनिया ने मुझे कई सम्मान दिए, पुरस्कार दिए, किताबें प्रकाशित कीं। लेकिन मैं यहीं रहना चाहती हूँ। जंगल में रहने के लिए हिम्मत चाहिए।”

सम्पादन: आना आइज़क 
तस्वीरें: स्रिकेश रवींद्रन नायर


Source: Vikalap Sangam Website.


Beyond MSP (Economy); Infrastructure sector, Infrastructure projects need .. -Niti Ayog; GST is creating-Modi.

Beyond MSP

Link: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/editorial/minimum-support-price-india-incentives-farmers-marketing/article9926424.ece?utm_source=email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Newsletter

Price incentives for farmers should be followed up by better marketing infrastructure
The Centre, while announcing the minimum support prices for the oncoming rabi season, has stuck to its policy of announcing moderate increases in the case of cereals, while promoting a shift towards pulses and oilseeds. MSP increases have moderated after 2013, after double-digit spurts that were the norm in the preceding four years. Hence, the rise in the case of wheat amounts to 6.4 per cent or ₹110 a quintal to ₹1,735, against a rise of ₹100 a quintal last year, while the increase with respect to gram (chana) is 10 per cent, or by ₹400 a quintal to ₹4,400; in the case of safflower, the hike is 10.8 per cent or ₹400 a quintal on last year’s MSP of ₹3,700 a quintal. This consistent emphasis on pulses has translated into improvements in acreage and output. MSP for most categories of pulses has been generously raised at 8-10 per cent levels in the last two years. This led to 158 lakh hectares being brought under rabi pulses in 2016-17, against 142 lakh hectares in the previous year. Of this, gram (chana), the principal rabi pulses crop, accounted for an acreage of 98 lakh hectares in 2016-17, against 89 lakh hectares in the previous year, an increase of about 10 per cent. The sharp increase in both acreage and output in the kharif and rabi seasons of 2016-17 led to a record foodgrain output of 275 million tonnes, which included a record pulses output of nearly 23 million tonnes.
While MSP can work as a means to effect both output increase and a change in cropping patterns, it cannot work wonders in isolation. The total acreage in 2016-17 was almost the same as in 2013-14, a normal monsoon year. The two intervening years were ones of poor monsoon. The total acreage in kharif 2017 was almost flat in relation to 2016, while the area under kharif pulses was down by about 3 per cent. A push towards pulses self-sufficiency will require attaining a production level of well over 25 million tonnes.
MSP has evoked sharp reactions owing to the magnitude of the rise — farmers’ organisations claim it does not cover costs — and the tendency of the market price to fall below it. Economic Survey 2016-17 has suggested a shift towards controlling input prices and moving away from MSP in the case of most of the 23 crops by substituting it with direct benefit transfers. While trying to streamline subsidy deliveries, it should also be kept in mind that the need for farmers to live in dignity and security should not be overlooked. MSP must be supplemented with better marketing infrastructure to make it meaningful. The NITI Aayog’s suggestion of price deficiency payment is fraught with implementation issues, such as traders misusing the scheme. Hence, a multi-pronged approach of improving marketing infrastructure — creating at last five times the number of mandis (estimated at 7,700) — is a way to make price signals work better.
(This article was published on October 26, 2017) 

Infrastructure sector hails stimulus push

V Rishi Kumar

Link:http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/infrastructure-sector-hails-stimulus-push/article9926450.ece?utm_source=email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Newsletter

The ₹7,00,000-crore stimulus push announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is being hailed by various players in the infrastructure sector, as it will not only boost the economy but also pave the way for the creation of jobs.
Infrastructure players and rating agencies have given a thumbs up to the move. Inputs from various players show that this is extremely positive, which will boost the growth of the infrastructure sector, revive economic growth, while also playing a role in the logistics sector down the line.
R Venkataraman, Senior Director with Alvarez & Marsal, said: “The capital stimulus package for banks would definitely help in the revival of infrastructure projects, especially in the roads sector, where fundamental issues have been identified and solutions thought through.”
“New projects will definitely take off and many projects stranded for last-mile funding are also likely to see a revival. The results should be visible as early as next fiscal. The banks would need to bring in more rigor in project appraisal, and will also need to act swiftly to avoid delays and cost overruns as seen in the past,” said Venkataraman.
M Goutham Reddy, Director of Ramky Infrastructure, said: “The government is trying to catch up with the down trend in the economy by announcing the stimulus package. Having taken five major decisions – demonetisation, GST, RERA, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and the Benami Act in less than 12 months – it is now focussing on economic growth with this package.”
To boost growth
These decisions have had profound impact on the economy in the near-term and these measures will play a role in accelerating growth, said Reddy.
“However, it will take about four-five months for this to take final shape. This means its benefits would be felt during the 2019 financial year. The recapitalisation of banks, encouragement to EPC road contracts, will boost the construction sector and the economy, which has shown signs of some correction lately,” said Reddy. Vivek Kulkarni, Founder, Managing Director of ratings agency, Brickwork Ratings, said: “This is one of the biggest developments aimed at boosting the infrastructure and the economy, creating jobs and reviving the buzz in the banking sector.”
“The move is positive not only for the banking sector, which will be able to provide additional liquidity into the systems, but also to the infrastructure sector, which is poised for growth. They will also have new avenues to invest from the funds they have garnered after demonetisation. This will help in boosting the economic growth and possibly take it past the 8 per cent mark,” he said.
T Adibabu, Chief Operating Officer, Finance, Lanco Infratech Limited, said: “This announcement opens up a lot of business for the infrastructure sector, which is still passing through tough times. The acceleration of the sector may take some time as NHAI would have to finalise projects and award contracts.”
“Most companies still do not have many workable contracts and those who have do not have adequate funds as banks have been treading cautiously on lending. This means, the Top Tier I infra companies will be in focus initially. Thereafter, when these companies find it tough to handle the flow of projects, other players will come into play as Tier II and III contractors. That is when there will be rapid growth through EPC contracts,” said Adibabu.
Shubham Jain, Vice-President, Head, Corporate Ratings, ICRA, said: “The government’s target of developing 83,000 km, which includes 24,800 km of Bharatmala, is a major development for the country’s EPC players. This will be good for EPC players as the funding is by the government, and companies would only need working capital, which the banks are comfortable lending.”
(This article was published on October 26, 2017) 

Infrastructure projects need more pvt sector investments: Niti Aayog CEO

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/infrastructure-projects-need-more-pvt-sector-investments-niti-aayog-ceo/article9925307.ece?utm_source=email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Newsletter
Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has pitched for channelling insurance and pension funds for financing infrastructure projects as also for a complete re-examination of the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme.
He said that the country's infrastructure sector has been hit due to under-investment for a long time.


VGF is a one-time grant to public-private-partnerships (PPPs) in the infrastructure sector to fill the funding gap for making projects commercially viable.


 Kant said that in the last three years, the government has put in lots of resources in building infrastructure like roads and airports, almost making up for private sector investment in such projects.
“You can do it for a short run but not for long run. The challenge is to bring private sector investments back in the infrastructure sector,” he noted.


 The Niti Aayog CEO also stressed that India needs strong bids and concession evaluation mechanism of PPP infrastructure projects.
“If you do a well structured infrastructure project, then definitely you will get response from private sector players,” Kant said.
He also said if India wants wants to grow at 9-10 per cent, then it must develop its infrastructure because countries like South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan grew on the back of good infrastructure.

(This article was published on October 26, 2017)  

GST is creating a new business culture: Modi


‘Poor and middle-class consumers will be the biggest long-term beneficiaries’

 The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is creating a new business culture in the country, and in the long term, its biggest beneficiaries will be consumers,” Prime Minister Modi said here on Wednesday, adding that “increased competition due to the GST will lead to moderation in prices, and will directly benefit poor and middle class consumers.”
The Prime Minister was speaking after inaugurating a two-day international conference on consumer protection hosted by the Consumer Affairs Department and UNCTAD.
Highlighting the steps taken by his government to protect consumer interests, Modi said the use of technology in the past three years had set in motion a “new ecosystem for grievance redressal”.
The manner in which this government has used social media in a positive way to protect consumer interest is unprecedented and has never been witnessed in this country before, he said.
DBT gains
Citing the example of the direct benefits transfer scheme in the public distribution system, the Prime Minister said with use of technology the government had been able to prevent ₹57,000 crore from going into the wrong hands. Invoking Kautilya (who wrote Arthashastra and served the Mauryan Empire) and the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Vedas, Modi said thousands of years ago, the rules of consumer protection had been laid out, as even the scriptures mentioned how people indulging in fraudulent trade should be dealt with.

“It is mentioned in Atharvaveda that nobody should be involved in malpractices of quality and measurement,” Modi said.
He said: “You will be amazed to know that about 2,500 years ago, during the time of Kautilya, there were guidelines on how to regulate trade and protect consumer interest..... If we draw a parallel with the era of Kautilya, we can say that the system can today be defined by posts, such as the Director of Trade and Superintendent of Standards.”
New Act on cards
The Prime Minister said consumer empowerment would be the focus of the new Consumer Protection Act being formulated by the government, which would redress grievances in the shortest possible time and make more stringent norms for curbing misleading advertisements.

“Protection of consumer interests is a priority of the government. This is also reflected in our resolution of New India. Moving beyond consumer protection, New India will have best consumer practices and consumer prosperity,” Modi said, adding that a Central Consumer Protection Authority would also be set up with executive powers.

(This article was published on October 26, 2017) 
Link: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/consumers-will-be-biggest-beneficiary-of-gst-modi/article9924848.ece?utm_source=email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Newsletter

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Thursday 26 October 2017

BIMSTEC Forum provides an ideal platform for fostering of Traditional Medicine : PIB


Press Information Bureau
Government of India
AYUSH
25-October-2017 18:03 IST

BIMSTEC Forum provides an ideal platform for fostering of Traditional Medicine
Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India hosted   First Meeting of BIMSTEC Task Force on Traditional Medicine on 24-25 October, 2017 at Parvasi Bhartiya Kendra, New Delhi.
            The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an International Organisation involving a group of countries in the South Asia and South East Asia namely, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. India being a major stake holder in the field of Traditional Medicine plays an important role in influencing the policies and strategies related to the Traditional Medicine in the BIMSTEC Forum
            Delegations from the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, the Kingdom of Bhutan, the Republic of India, and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Kingdom of Thailand along with the BIMSTEC Secretariat participated in the Meeting.
            The Meeting was inaugurated on 24 October 2017 by Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH. While welcoming the delegates from the BIMSTEC Member States, Secretary AYUSH  referred  to the rich heritage of Traditional systems of Medicine in the BIMSTEC Member States. He emphasised that the BIMSTEC Forum provides an ideal platform for fostering collaborations among the Member States in the area of Traditional Medicine. He highlighted the recent developments in the International Cooperation activities of the Ministry. He hoped that the deliberations during the Meeting would bring fruitful outcomes in strengthening the cooperation amongst the BIMSTEC Member States in areas of Traditional Medicine.
            Sh. Pramod Kumar Pathak, Joint Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH and Head of Delegation of India was elected Chairman of the Meeting and  Dr. Yi Yi Myint, Head of Delegation of Myanmar was elected  Vice-Chair. All the Delegations made Country Presentations on the status and best practices of Traditional Medicine in their respective country. The Meeting discussed the following important agenda :-

            (a)        Implementation of Strategies of BIMSTEC Task Force on Traditional Medicines (BITFM)
            (b)        Priority Areas for technical and research collaboration among the Member  States on Traditional Medicine
            (c)        Regional strategy on the protection of Genetic Resource associated with    Traditional Medicine Knowledge and Intellectual Property Rights and develop a work plan
            (d)       Human Resource Development and Capacity Building among the BIMSTEC Member States
            (e)        New Initiative, proposals and programmes for cooperation on Traditional Medicine among the BIMSTEC Task Force on Traditional Medicine.

            The Meeting also acknowledged that in accordance with the ToR of the Task Force, the BTFTM Meetings shall be held on rotational basis among the BIMSTEC Member States..

The Meeting considered and adopted the draft Report of the First Meeting of the Task Force for submission to the Fourth Meeting of the BNNCCTM to be held in Bangladesh. The Meeting conveyed its deep appreciation to the Government of the Republic of India for the warm hospitality extended to the participants and for the excellent arrangement made for the Meeting.


SK
Source:  http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=171936

All-women forest rights information centre opens in Nayagarh district in Odisha

All-women forest rights information centre opens in Nayagarh district in Odisha

By Express News Service  |   Published: 26th October 2017 02:19 AM  |  
Last Updated: 26th October 2017 10:01 AM  |   A+A-   |  
BHUBANESWAR: 

A forest rights information centre was opened at Kaptapally village under Nuagaon block of Nayagarh district on Tuesday. The centre will serve as an important resource hub for the long struggle of forest dwelling community to gain recognition of rights over their customary forests under the Forest Rights Act.

The centre will be run by a group of women who spearheaded innovative community forest management practices in the area by conserving and protecting a large area of very dense forest.
The community forest management group has a long history of democratic forest protection and management. Several villages in the area wrestled back control from the Forest Department to set up Community Forest Management following grave degradation of forests in the 1980s. They harnessed their traditional knowledge on forest and plant species to enhance the forest cover, bring streams back to life and rebuild the natural habitat of elephants.

With a stick in hand, the women used to stand guard over the forests at night against timber thieves. For them, recognition of their forest rights would be not only their reward for conserving the forest, but also an insurance plan for the forest against degradation.
Though they had claimed their rights in 2015 but are yet to gain formal recognition. Similarly, there are 24 villages in Ranpur block where same protection process is going on for the last 40 years and they still striving to get recognition.
Lok Sabha MP Pratyusha Rajeswari Singh and Collector Arindam Dakua were present among others at the inauguration ceremony. The Collector assured that the Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights will be recognised soon and all recognised Individual Forest Rights (IFR) titles will be demarcated.

Tuesday 24 October 2017

Tribes tell their own stories of celestial bodies

Tribes tell their own stories of celestial bodies

THE HINDU LINK HERE


 Research finds that Gond, Korku, Kolam and Banjara myths show an alternative view of the stars and the universe

Astronomy has benefited from amateur efforts, including myths that seek to explain astronomical phenomena. That is true for tribal lore too, researchers have found.
A study of tribal people settled around central India has revealed a rich mythology. Researchers led by Mayank Vahia, Professor, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, carried out the largest study of its kind (ongoing, since 2014) to collect and document tribal myths, with the participation of over a thousand people from the Gond, Kolam, Korku, Banjara and Cholainaikkan tribes. Participants identified images of the night sky and narrated stories that were documented.
“Modern education is forcing us to learn only one narrative. However, there are parallel traditions, perceptions and narratives of our relationship with nature,” says Mr. Vahia.
The stories have a lasting appeal beyond the rational. A popular example is the Hindu myth of Rahu and Ketu, asuras or demons who devour the sun and the moon, causing eclipses, which continues to fascinate many though eclipses are well-understood. The researchers found that the tribal view of constellations and myths of the origin of the universe is quite different from what Babylonian or Hindu stargazers perceived. For instance, the Gond look at the Southern Cross (Crux) and see a mahua tree.

Gond village.  

 The Korkus have an interesting myth on the Centaurus constellation. Some prominent stars in Centaurus are the Menkent, the fourth brightest star in the constellation, and the Hadar, which is actually a three-star system and the second brightest object in it. In the Korku myth, one of them, Pechla (the tribal name for Menkent) did not pay his bride’s family any dowry. So his wife Charkhaya (the star Hadar) ate betel leaves, which stained her mouth red, and she then spat it on Pechla, some juice staining her cheeks as well. The myth underlines the importance of not defaulting on the bridal gift. The Korku also identify the stars with earthly counterparts. For instance, they identify Pechla with the red-vented bulbul and Charkhaya with the red-whiskered bulbul.

Korku creation myth

The Korku believe that Badadeo (a Korku god, thought to be the equivalent of Shiva) sent out a crow to bring back some soil. While it was returning, some soil fell from the crow’s beak and became the earth. Out of this, Badadeo created men and women. To guard them, Gangudevi, his wife and a great goddess herself, created dogs.
But having given them life, there was a dilemma — the men and women, being all siblings, could not intermarry. So Badadeo called up a huge storm and everyone hid behind objects like rock, river, tree, crops and waited for it to pass. There were twelve-and-a-half such objects, the half-object corresponding to transgenders. When the storm subsided, their identities changed and Badadeo gave each person a name based on where they had taken shelter from the storm; the people who had hidden behind different objects could intermarry.
Tribal communities have been very closely knit, to the point of marrying only within their own tribes but also exchanging ideas, even myths, strictly within their own clan. So much so that if there were settlements of different tribes across a road, each would have a different mythology, Dr. Vahia and co-workers found.
The Saptarshi Mandal or the Big Dipper — this mainly has seven stars, four at the corners of an imaginary polygon and three bright spots trailing a distance away along a curve — is an asterism, or subset, of the larger constellation Ursa Major or Big Bear.
The Saptarshi Mandal is close to the Pole Star and rises in the north. It is visible today for most of the year in the night sky when viewed from, say, Nagpur, the vantage point of the people the researchers spoke with, and this asterism would set and rise regularly. But about 3,000 years ago, these stars would not set below the horizon. In other words, the Saptarshi used to be circumpolar. There is an interesting myth about the setting of Saptarshi, which can be interpreted as an ancient memory of the Gond.

Thieves and a cot

The Gond call the four stars forming the polygon, Katul, or cot, and they see the trailing spots as thieves trying to steal the cot. They envisage an old lady on the cot who must not go to sleep, as thieves would then steal the cot.
Dr. Vahia has an interesting interpretation of this story. He thinks that that the implication of the belief that the “lady must not go to sleep” is that the constellation should not set. He, therefore, feels that the story suggests a reference to observations over 3,000 years ago.

Mayank Vahia, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research  

 The Korku tribe, on the other hand, talk explicitly of the setting of the Saptarshi. In their story too, the polygon represents a bed. But instead of the old woman, the workers sleeping on the bed must wake up early and start work.
According to the Korku, the cot is not a proper rectangle because the thieves are tugging at it.
The researchers have published a part of their findings in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage. Their further work has been accepted for publication by Current Science.

 

Monday 16 October 2017

साईकिल का सम्मान

साईकिल का सम्मान :
(Holland in world & Manipur in India)


Viral picture: Netherlands or Holland prime minister rides bicycle to meet the King

Image result for Netherlands prime minister rides bicycle

Mark Rutte, who has led Netherlands since 2010, rode on his bicycle to the palace of the King of Netherlands for a meeting on Saturday.
A photo showed him locking his bicycle upon arrival at the palace with palace guards manning the entrance already adorned with red carpet.


साइकिल से नामांकन भरने पहुंचीं 'आयरन लेडी' ईरोम शर्मिला


16 साल तक भूख हड़ताल पर रहने वाली आयरन लेडी के नाम से मशहूर इरोम शर्मिला ने मणिपुर विधानसभा चुनावों के लिए अपना पर्चा दाखिल किया। आयरन लेडी साइकिल से 20 किलोमीटर का सफर तय कर अपना नामांकन दाखिल करने पहुंची। इरोम शर्मिला थाउबल से सूबे के सीएम ओमकार आइबोबी के खिलाफ चुनाव लड़ रही हैं।

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संघीय चरित्र को नष्ट करने का प्रस्ताव

Date:15-10-17

संघीय चरित्र को नष्ट करने का प्रस्ताव

राजकिशोर

प्रधानमंत्री नरेन्द्र मोदी चाहते हैं कि देश भर में लोक सभा और सभी राज्यों की विधान सभाओं के चुनाव एक साथ कराए जाएं। चुनाव आयोग ने भी घोषणा कर दी है कि वह अगले साल ऐसा कराने में सक्षम है। चुनाव आयोग ने अपनी ओर से यह घोषणा क्यों की, यह पता नहीं है। निश्चय ही सरकार की ओर से उसे यह पता लगाने के लिए नहीं कहा गया होगा। सरकार ने ऐसा कहा है, तो यह एक बेकार की कवायद है क्योंकि लोक सभा और विधान सभाओं के चुनाव एक साथ कराया जाना सिर्फ सरकार और आयोग के बीच का मामला नहीं है। स्वयं चुनाव आयोग ने ही स्पष्ट कर दिया है कि जब तक सभी राजनैतिक दल इसके लिए सहमत नहीं हो जाते, ऐसा नहीं किया जा सकता। जहां तक विभिन्न राजनैतिक दलों के सहमत हो जाने का प्रश्न है, यह संभव दिखाई नहीं देता। केंद्र के साथ-साथ सभी राज्यों में भाजपा की सरकार होती तो शायद इसे संभव किया जा सकता था, हालांकि तब भी गंभीर संवैधानिक बाधाएं रहतीं।
इस समय भाजपा बढ़त पर है। यह कब तक टिकेगी, पता नहीं। लेकिन यह मान पाना कठिन है कि कभी वह समय आएगा जबकि देश भर में भाजपा की ही सरकारें हैं। 2019 के लोक सभा चुनाव में मोदी की जीत सौ प्रतिशत पक्की है, यह दावा भी अब कोई नहीं करता। भाजपा के भीतर भी संदेह पैदा होने लगा है, क्योंकि मोदी से जनता का मोहभंग शुरू हो गया है। ऐसी स्थिति में लगता है कि मोदी का समानांतर चुनाव का सपना सपना ही बना रहेगा। समानांतर चुनाव के पीछे एक ही तर्क हो सकता है कि इससे चुनाव पर होने वाला भारी-भरकम चुनाव खर्च बहुत कम हो जाएगा। लेकिन मैं नहीं समझता कि सिर्फ चुनाव खर्च में बचत करने के लिए समानांतर चुनाव का विचार देश के सामने पेश किया गया है। इरादा यह होता तो चुनाव खर्च में कमी लाने के और उपाय भी हैं, जिन्हें आजमाया जा सकता है। फिलहाल स्थिति यह है कि चुनाव खर्च की अधिकतम सीमा सिर्फ उम्मीदवारों के लिए है, राजनैतिक दलों के लिए नहीं। दल चाहे जितना पैसा चुनाव में झोंक सकते हैं। निश्चय ही यह लोकतंत्र विरोधी स्वतंत्रता है। राजनैतिक दलों पर भी अंकुश लगाया जा सकता है कि वे लोक सभा और विधान सभा की एक-एक सीट के लिए चुनाव प्रचार में एक सीमा से अधिक खर्च नहीं कर सकते। उनके खातों की ऑडिटिंग अनिवार्य कर देने से भी उनके अनाप-शनाप खर्च पर कुछ अंकुश लग सकता है। अभी स्थिति यह है कि जिस दल के पास जितना ज्यादा पैसा है, वह चुनाव प्रचार में उतना ही ज्यादा खर्च कर सकता है। यह पूंजीवाद की चुनाव पण्राली है, जिसमें बड़ी मछली छोटी मछली का फर्क बराबर बना रहता है। इससे विभिन्न राजनैतिक दल वैध या अवैध तरीकों से ज्यादा से ज्यादा पैसा बनाने के जुगाड़ में लगे रहते हैं, जिससे राजनीति निश्चित रूप से दूषित होती है। लेकिन लोकतंत्र का उद्देश्य इस विषमता को पाटना है, न कि और चौड़ा करना। इसका सब से अच्छा तरीका यही है कि चुनाव का सारा खर्च सरकार उठाए। फायदा यह होगा कि जो मतदाताओं को प्रभावित करने के लिए जितना ज्यादा पैसा खर्च कर सकता है, उसके जीतने की संभावना उतनी ज्यादा होगी, यह विसंगति तो मिट ही जाएगी।
जब मोदी प्रधानमंत्री बने थे, तब इसकी हलकी-फुलकी र्चचा शुरू भी हुई थी। लेकिन पता नहीं क्यों इस महत्त्वपूर्ण प्रस्ताव को स्थगित कर दिया गया। इसलिए समानांतर चुनाव की कामना के पीछे कुछ और योजना होनी चाहिए। इस मामले में दो संभावनाएं दिखाई पड़ती हैं। एक यह कि सरकार भारत की संघीय पण्राली को कमजोर कर देश का ढांचा एकात्मक शासन वाली बनाना चाहती है। लोक सभा और विधान सभाओं के चुनाव अलग-अलग होते हैं, इसलिए भारत का संघात्मक ढांचा अपने आप स्पष्ट हो जाता है। वस्तुत: भाजपाई दिमाग संघवाद-विकेंद्रीकरण में विास नहीं करता। भारत को राज्यों का संघ (यूनियन ऑफ स्टेट्स, जैसा कि भारत के संविधान में बताया गया है) नहीं मानता। इसे सिर्फ एक इकाई के रूप में देखता है, जिसमें केंद्र का राज्य देश भर में चले। दूसरी संभावना राष्ट्रीय नायक की कल्पना से जुड़ी हुई है। वैसे तो कैबिनेट पण्राली अब कहीं रही नहीं, जिसमें मंत्रालय स्वायत्त होते हैं, जहां-जहां भी संसदीय जनतंत्र है, प्रधानमंत्री एक तरह से राष्ट्रपति की तरह काम करता है। सब से ज्यादा शक्तिशाली होता है, और मंत्रिमंडल तथा पूरी सरकार उसके इशारों पर नाचते हैं। लेकिन देश भर में चुनाव एक साथ होंगे, तब प्रधानमंत्री पद का उम्मीदवार अगर बहुत मजबूत हुआ, तो वह सभी चुनावों को एक साथ प्रभावित कर सकता है। इसका नतीजा निकलेगा कि केंद्र में जिसकी सरकार बनेगी, अधिकांश राज्यों में भी उसी की सरकार बनेगी। कहने की जरूरत नहीं कि यह एकछत्र शासन को अप्रत्यक्ष निमंतण्रहै। इससे नायक पूजा की संस्कृति और मजबूत होगी, जो हमारे यहां पहले से ही कम नहीं है। सो, समानांतर चुनाव का विरोध लोकतांत्रिक राजनीति के हक में है। शुक्र है कि फिलहाल तो यह खामखयाली ही है। पर यह बुरा समय है। आज की कौन-सी खामखयाली कल यथार्थ होने के लिए व्याकुल होने लगे, कौन कह सकता है!

अमीरों पर टैक्स कम करने से दुनियाभर में फैलेगी अव्यवस्था


Date:16-10-17


अमीरों पर टैक्स कम करने से दुनियाभर में फैलेगी अव्यवस्था

एना स्वान्सन और जिम टेन्कर्सले 

अंतरराष्ट्रीय मुद्रा कोष (आईएमएफ) का मुख्यालय वाशिंगटन में है और अगले कुछ ही दिन में उसकी बैठक होने वाली है। इस बैठक के पहले आईएमएफ ने सख्त लहजे में चेतावनी दी है कि अमीरों पर कम टैक्स लगाने का प्रस्ताव न रखा जाए। अगर ऐसा हुआ तो दुनियाभर में अव्यवस्था फैलेगी और उस स्थिति को संभालना मुश्किल हो जाएगा।आईएमएफ की चेतावनी खासतौर पर विकसित देशों को लेकर थी, जिसमें अमेरिका प्रमुख रूप से शामिल है। अमेरिका में ट्रम्प प्रशासन और रिपब्लिकन सांसद ऐसे प्रस्ताव पर काम कर रहे हैं, जिसमें अमीरों से कम टैक्स लेने के प्रावधान शामिल हैं। जबकि आलोचकों का कहना है कि इससे आय की असमानता दूर करने में दिक्कतें आएंगी, जो इन दिनों कई देशों में समस्या के तौर पर उभर रही है।अमेरिका में रिपब्लिकन सांसदों के प्रस्ताव के अनुसार निम्न से मध्यम आय वालों के लिए टैक्स की दरें समान होंगी, जबकि अधिक आय अर्जित करने वालों को निम्त दरों पर टैक्स चुकाना होगा। इसका मतलब जो गरीब और गरीब होता जाएगा और अमीर संपत्ति बनाते जाएगा। आईएमएफ ने कहा कि यह परेशानी बढ़ाने वाली प्रवृत्ति साबित होगी और इससे अमेरिका समेत दुनिया के कई देशों में असमानता को बढ़ावा मिलेगा।आईएमएफ की रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि सरकारों को दुनिया की बेहतर होती आर्थिक स्थिति का लाभ उठाना चाहिए। घाटा कम करने के उपाय करने के उपाय के साथ-साथ टैक्स प्रणाली की खामियां दूर करने के कदम उठाए जा सकते हैं। इसके अतिरिक्त सरकारों को चाहिए कि वे शिक्षा एवं गरीबों के स्वास्थ्य पर ज्यादा राशि खर्च करें। सरकारें मिलकर वैश्विक अर्थव्यवस्था की मुश्किलें टाल सकती हैं।


आईएमएफ की रिपोर्ट में कई देशों की आर्थिक नीतियों का उल्लेख है। उसमें बताया गया है कि कैसे सरकारों ने योजनाओं के भी हिस्से कर दिए हैं। उसमें अमीर वर्ग को गरीब से ज्यादा फायदा मिलता है, जिससे असमानता बढ़ती है। कुछ अर्थशास्त्री मानते हैं कि असमानता कुछ मायनों में अर्थव्यवस्था के लिए फायदेमंद भी होती है। उससे लोगों को प्रयास करने एवं कुछ नया करने का प्रोत्साहन मिलता है। लेकिन इसमें किसी भी देश की ग्रोथ प्रभावित नहीं होनी चाहिए। हालांकि, शोध बताते हैं कि कई देशों में ऐसा बिल्कुल नहीं हुआ। वास्तविकता यह है कि असमानता के कारण ग्रोथ को सबसे ज्यादा नुकसान पहुंचा। उदाहरण के तौर पर जो लोग समृद्ध परिवारों से नहीं थे, वे अर्थव्यवस्था में कोई योगदान नहीं दे पाए।पिछले तीन दशकों में अमेरिका, चीन और भारत जैसे देशों को ही देखें, वहां अमीर वर्ग की आय तो रॉकेट की गति से बढ़ी, लेकिन निम्न एवं मध्यम वर्ग की स्थिति नहीं सुधरी। इस कारण असमानता भी तेजी से बढ़ी। कुछ विशेषज्ञ इसमें टेक्नोलॉजी को दोष देते हैं, कि रोबोट कम प्रतिभाशाली लोगों के जॉब छीन रहे हैं। ऐसा नहीं है। वैश्वीकरण के इस दौर में कंपनियां कम लागत वाले श्रम की ओर जा रही हैं। श्रम संगठनों की घटती संख्या या उनकी निष्क्रियता के चलते भी कर्मचारी अपनी बात नहीं रख पाते हैं।

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Slow poison: 80% of New Delhi’s tap water has plastic toxins

Slow poison: 80% of New Delhi’s tap water has plastic toxins

NEW DELHI: More than 80% of New Delhi's tap water is contaminated by plastic microfibres, new research has shown. This is the third highest contamination rate in the world after the US (New York and Washington DC) and Beirut, Lebanon. These findings are part of a study conducted after testing 150 samples of tap water collected by news website Orb Media from five continents.

Though many in Delhi's well-off circles do not use tap water for drinking, large swathes of the capital's population have no access to safe drinking water.

Research found the US had the highest contamination at 94%. Plastic fibres were found in samples taken from various sites, including the Congress buildings and Trump Tower in New York. Beirut was marginally behind at 93% followed by India at 82%. European nations, including UK, Germany and France, had the lowest contamination rate of 72%.

These microscopic fragments enter the water system in several ways, from synthetic fibre clothing, tyre dust and microbeads. Most of these are believed to originate from clothes, upholstery and carpets. Washing machines and dryers add to the problem. According to a Guardian report, a UK study found that each cycle of a washing machine could release more than 700,000 microscopic plastic particles.

Scientists suspect plastic can leach toxins once inside the human body. Sherri Ann Mason, an expert on plastic pollution at the State University of New York in Freedonia, who supervised Orb's study, said: ``We have enough data from looking at wildlife and the impact that it's having on wildlife to be concerned. If it's impacting them, then how do we think it's not going to somehow impact us?"

Commenting on the extent of pollution, Mason told TOI that the findings had surprised her. "Study after study has indicated the contamination of every compartment of our environment. As plastic is so prominent in the world's water in general, I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised to find it in our drinking or tap water, but I thought with our filtration methods the particles would be removed." 

About 300 million tons of plastic is produced annually in the world. While scientists have focused their attention on oceans and rivers, studying plastic pollution's impact on marine life, seabirds and the human food chain, the effect of microplastic's presence in the human body has still not been researched enough. 

The latest study shows that both developed and developing economies appear to be battling with the problem. Mason said, ``I expected that developed nations would show less contamination than developing, but it was quite the opposite. I really think this is simply owing to the prominence of plastic pollution within the environment. As plastic is a ubiquitous contaminant we can't expect to be able to filter ourselves out of this problem.'' 

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/slow-poison-tap-water-in-80-of-your-city-has-plastic-toxins/articleshow/61094839.cms


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80% of India’s surface water may be polluted, report by international body says


NEW DELHI: Even as India is making headlines with its rising air pollution levels, the water in the country may not be any better. An alarming 80% of India's surface water is polluted, a latest assessment by WaterAid, an international organization working for water sanitation and hygiene, shows.

The report, based on latest data from the ministry of urban development (2013), census 2011 and Central Pollution Control Board, estimates that 75-80% of water pollution by volume is from domestic sewerage, while untreated sewerage flowing into water bodies including rivers have almost doubled in recent years.

This in turn is leading to increasing burden of vector borne diseases, cholera, dysentery, jaundice and diarrhea etc. Water pollution is found to be a major cause for poor nutritional standards and development in children also.

Between 1991 and 2008, the latest period for which data is available, flow of untreated sewerage has doubled from around 12,000 million litres per day to 24,000 million litres per day in Class I and II towns.

The database defines Class I towns as those with a population of more than 1 lakh, whereas towns with population ranging between 50,000 to 1 lakh are classified as Class II.

The report, titled 'Urban WASH: An Assessment on Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) Policies and Programmes at the National and State Level', is likely to be released next week.

According to the report, inadequate sanitation facilities, poor septage management and a near absence of sanitation and waste water policy framework are primary reasons responsible for the groundwater and surface water pollution in the country.



Experts say there are glaring gaps not just in treatment of sewerage water but also in case of water treatment itself, used in supply of drinking water as well as for kitchen use etc.

"Though there are standards, the enforcement is very low. Even the amount of water, which is treated, is also not treated completely or as per standards. And there is no civic agency accountable or punishable for that because we do not have stringent laws," says Puneet Srivastava, manager policy- Urban WASH & Climate Change at WaterAid India.

Findings of the report show nearly 17 million urban households, accounting for over 20% of total 79 million urban households, lack adequate sanitation.

"Among those with access to improved sanitation facilities, a vast majority relies on on-site sanitation systems, such as septic tanks and pit latrines. Today, these septic tanks and pit latrines have become a major contributor to groundwater and surface water pollution in many cities in the country," the report said.

However, the report acknowledges that India has of late started focusing on the problem of septage management, which is one of the most immediately implementable solutions to address urban waste water.

But there is an urgent need to focus on infrastructure as well as enforcement, says Srivastava.


"Most of the sewerage treatment plants are performing under their capacity as these utilities do not have enough money to run full capacity," says Srivastava pointing at dearth of human resource, improper management etc.


Estimates show there were 269 sewage treatment plants across the country, with 211 in Class I cities, 31 in Class II towns, and 27 in other smaller towns.


"At the policy level, sanitation was not prioritized until the early 1990s and became an important policy concern only around 2008. It was not until the inception of the National Urban Sanitation Policy (NUSP) in 2008, that urban sanitation was allotted focused attention at the national level," the report said. 

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/pollution/80-of-Indias-surface-water-may-be-polluted-report-by-international-body-says/articleshow/47848532.cms

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Drinking water from sewage becomes reality


Highlights

  1. An a Bengaluru-based scientist has invented the 'Boom Tube Resonator'
  2. It recovers water fit for drinking and gives high-value fertilizer as a byproduct
  3. It uses no chemicals or micro-organisms
BENGALURU: Recycling is so yesterday. With the drinking water crisis becoming more acute, the world is looking at recovering used water. An invention by a Bengaluru-based scientist has seen his campus recover 10,000 litres of water from sewage every day and use it for drinking too.

Dr Rajah Vijay Kumar's invention - the Boom Tube Resonator - recovers water fit for drinking and gives high-value fertilizer as a byproduct. It uses no chemicals or micro-organisms.


Kumar's team has received queries from Doha and Oman to recover 3 lakh litres per day, and from Malaysia to salvage 10 lakh litres. "Singapore is interested in a large-scale project," he told TOI.


Recovering water from sewage wasn't a possibility until recently. Facing one of the worst drinking water crises, India may need to consider this for a better future. The country's groundwater table is depleting and surface water undrinkable.


India consumes 693 billion cubic metres of water a year and it's pegged to increase to 942 billion cubic metres by 2025 and 1,422 billion cubic metres by 2050. Water is rarely considered for reuse; segregation of sewage into clean water is uncommon. India discharges 38,400 million cubic metres of sewage annually, enough for the country if recovered. "We have excess water today," Kumar said as he sipped the recovered water. "It meets the drinking water standard (ISI 505)," he added.


Water turns sewage when mixed with excreta, urine, soaps or detergents. Some of these dissolve, the rest remain suspended. Very fine particles in sewage remain in motion due to electrostatic charge (often negative), which causes them to repel each other. Once their charge is neutralized, the particles collide and combine together.High-intensity wave : The Boom Tube Resonator applies this principle. It uses high-intensity shortwave to neutralize the fine particles present in sewage.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Drinking-water-from-sewage-becomes-reality/articleshow/53645052.cms

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Tuesday 10 October 2017

India needs to create greater economic opportunities for all & Other related News

Date:10-10-17

India needs to create greater economic opportunities for all

Maitreesh Ghatak
Thomas Piketty’s 2014 book, Capital in the 21st Century, which documents the rise of sharp income inequality in the developed world since the 1970s, became an unlikely bestseller for an academic book dense with facts and figures. In a recent article with Lucas Chantel, Piketty has turned his gaze on India (‘Indian Income Inequality, 1922-2014: From British Raj to Billionaire Raj?’, goo.gl/gbPEde).Combining income-tax data with household surveys and national accounts, Piketty and Chantel track income inequality from 1922, when the income tax was introduced by the British colonial government, to 2014.
Leaving aside measurement issues, their key finding is that the share of the very rich in the national income, after falling steadily since the late 1930s to the late 1970s, started rising from the early 1980s and has steadily increased since then to reach a historical high in 2014, the latest year covered by their study. And, the share of the bottom half, as well as of those in the middle of the distribution, show the opposite pattern over the same time-period.Thus, the authors conclude that top income shares were lower relative to the middle class and the poor in the 1950s to the 1970s due to “strong market regulations and high fiscal progressivity”, but this trend went the opposite way with the adoption of “pro-business policies” during the Rajiv Gandhi era, and continued with economic liberalisation. The authors do note their unwillingness to step into the old debate about the effect of reforms on poverty and inequality. But the way they frame their findings lends itself to the interpretation that low growth and government controls are good as they keep inequality down.Well, they do. They also keep average income levels down and more people below the poverty level.

Kuznets Curve

It was Simon Kuznets, who won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1971, who first pointed out that economic growth leads to an increase in inequality at first, and then a decrease — the phenomenon being subsequently termed the ‘Kuznets curve’. In the early stages of development, those who are richer are better poised to take advantage of the new opportunities while an excess of supply of unskilled labour keeps average wages down.Eventually, however, capital accumulation leads to an increase in demand for labour that pushes up wages. Also, the increasing role of human capital in production pushes up the returns from acquiring skills. All of this leads to an eventual decrease in inequality.
The part of Chantel and Piketty’s article that has received less attention, in fact, demonstrates this clearly: for the period when inequality was falling, the growth rate of average income was low, and the subsequent rise in inequality has been accompanied by high growth rates. However, the growth rates of the richest have been much higher than the growth rates of those in the middle, and certainly of those in the bottom half, and that explains the trend of inequality. It also demonstrates clearly the validity of the basic logic of Kuznets.

Bridge The Divide

It also highlights the importance of distinguishing between undesirable versus natural inequality. The former emerges because the rich are given more opportunities than the poor while the latter arises even when everyone is given good opportunities, due to differences in skill, effort, and enterprise.
Under the former, we have a class society where one’s background governs one’s opportunities while in the latter people have a reasonable chance of doing well independent of their origins. Cross-sectional inequality can arise in a system that creates more opportunities and, therefore, winners and losers. While the intergenerational persistence of inequality occurs due to unequal distribution of opportunities.The focus of modern progressive policies should, therefore, be to create greater equality of opportunity, and not to restrict opportunities to equalise outcomes. Growth is not the enemy. Anytime someone criticises the increase in inequality that followed economic reforms, one should remember that 45% of the population was below the poverty line in the early ’90s. That percentage has gone down by almost half since, which means more than 100 million have moved above the poverty line. But before one gets a chance to get complacent, consider this fact: if instead of the income level that defines the poverty line, we take twice that value, even with three decades of relatively high growth, nearly 80% of the population is still below this threshold, which is striking given how stringently the poverty line is defined.
So yes, India has a major inequality problem, in terms of the distribution of gains of growth, reflecting differential opportunities. To tackle this, it needs a much greater investment in health and education, and much more of a conscious effort to create greater economic opportunities to help children from poor families experience upward mobility.It also needs a much more conscious effort to bring the rich under the tax net. And, in particular, inheritance taxes, which go after the main source of inequality of opportunity —wealth.
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Date:10-10-17

संस्थाओं को सुदृढ़ करने का वक्त

डॉ. भरत झुनझुनवाला
अर्थशास्त्रियों में इस बात को लेकर सहमति बन रही है कि आर्थिक विकास की असल कंुजी देश की संस्थाओं में निहित है। सस्ते श्रम से आर्थिक विकास हासिल होना जरूरी नहीं है। जापान में श्रम महंगा है, फिर भी आर्थिक विकास में वह देश आगे है। आवश्यक नहीं कि प्राकृतिक संसाधनों जैसे कोयले अथवा तेल के जरिए भी विकास हासिल हो ही जाए। सिंगापुर में प्राकृतिक संसाधन शून्यप्राय हैं, फिर भी उस देश की प्रति व्यक्ति आय अमेरिका से भी अधिक है। तकनीकों से भी आर्थिक विकास जरूरी नहीं है। चीन के पास तकनीकें न्यून थीं, परंतु उनका आयात करके वह कहीं आगे निकल गया है। भारतीय मूल के वैज्ञानिक विदेशों मे जाकर नामी संस्थाओं के प्रमुख बन जाते हैैं और नोबेल पुरस्कार भी हासिल कर लेते हैं, क्योंकि वहां संस्थाओं में जवाबदेही और स्वतंत्रता, दोनों हैं।शासकीय संस्थाओं में सबसे अधिक महत्वपूर्ण नेताओं की विश्वसनीयता है। वर्ल्ड इकोनॉमिक फोरम यानी विश्व आर्थिक मंच के अनुसार उत्तरी यूरोप के नार्डिक देशों के आर्थिक विकास का प्रमुख कारण वहां के नेताओं और अधिकारियों की ईमानदारी है। प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी के नेतृत्व में आज हमारे देश में शीर्ष स्तर पर विकास की यह प्रमुख शर्त पूरी हो रही है। विश्व आर्थिक मंच ने यह भी कहा है कि नेता और जनता के परस्पर सहयोग से आर्थिक विकास हासिल होता है, जैसे परिवार में बड़े और छोटे के बीच सामंजस्य हो तो परिवार आगे बढ़ता है।
देश की जनता को आज प्रधानमंत्री मोदी पर विश्वास है। हालांकि अर्थव्यवस्था में सुस्ती के कारण तमाम लोगों की जीविका प्रभावित हो रही है, परंतु उन्हें भरोसा है कि आने वाले वक्त में सब अच्छा हो जाएगा। जनता का अपने नेता में यह विश्वास सुखद है। इस क्रम में सरकार को जनता पर भी भरोसा करना चाहिए। किसी छोटे उद्यमी ने कहा कि हम टैक्स भी देते हैं और बेईमान भी कहलाते हैं, जबकि भ्रष्ट सरकारी कर्मियों को ईमानदार माना जाता है। इंदिरा गांधी ने बैंकों एवं कोयला कंपनियों का राष्ट्रीयकरण करके और शीर्ष उद्यमियों को जेल भेजकर एक नकारात्मक माहौल बनाया था, जिससे अर्थव्यवस्था दबाव में आई थी। नकारात्मक माहौल में उद्यमी की ऊर्जा का प्रस्फुटन नहीं हो सकता। नोटबंदी का आधार यह था कि जनता नंबर दो की कमाई को तिजोरी मे रखे हुए है। जीएसटी में खरीद एवं बिक्री का विस्तृत ब्योरा रिटर्न में मांगने का उद्देश्य है कि चोर को पकड़ा जा सके। जीएसटी की नजर में हर व्यापारी संदिग्ध है। हर शहर में रात में चोर घूमते हैं, लेकिन यदि पुलिस रात में अस्पताल जाने वाले के साथ चोर जैसा व्यवहार करे तो जनता दुबक जाएगी। सरकार को चाहिए कि हर नागरिक को ईमानदार समझे। जिन चुनिंदा लोगों पर शक हो, केवल उन लोगों से खरीद-बिक्री का ब्योरा मांगा जाए। जिस प्रकार देश की जनता को नरेंद्र मोदी पर विश्वास है, उसी प्रकार यदि प्रधानमंत्री जनता और संस्थाओं पर विश्वास करेंगे तो हमारा देश तेजी से आगे बढ़ेगा।दूसरी प्रमुख संस्था न्याय तंत्र है। अपने देश में न्याय तंत्र बीमार हो चला है। निचले स्तर की अदालतों में भ्रष्टाचार व्याप्त है। यद्यपि युवा जजों के आने से नई लहर आई है, लेकिन पेशकार और वकीलों की मिलीभगत से वादी परेशान रहता है। मैंने किसी किरायेदार के विरुद्ध मामला दाखिल किया था। दो वर्षों तक किरायेदार कोर्ट में हाजिर नहीं हुआ। जब निर्णय का समय आया तो किरायेदार हाजिर हो गया, फिर से पूरी प्रक्रिया चालू हुई। इस प्रकार के तमाम पैंतरों पर विराम लगाने की जरूरत है। हाईकोर्ट और सुप्रीम कोर्ट की भी हालत अच्छी नहीं है। किसी भी केस का निर्णय आने में 10 से 20 वर्ष लगना आम बात है। इस दिशा में सुधार के लिए सरकार को पहल करनी चाहिए।
नॉर्वे के नॉर्वेजियन स्कूल ऑफ इकोनॉमिक्स के अनुसार टिकाऊ आर्थिक विकास के लिए न्याय तंत्र की स्वतंत्रता जरूरी है। सरकार के निर्णयों पर न्यायालय द्वारा की गई समीक्षा से सही निर्णय पर पहुंचा जा सकता है, जैसा सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने 2जी स्पेक्ट्रम के निर्णय में किया था। सरकार को चाहिए कि न्यायालय की समीक्षा को सकारात्मक दृष्टि से देखे। न्यायालय की स्वतंत्रता का सरकार सम्मान करेगी तो सही निर्णयों पर पहुंचेगी। इस मुद्दे पर सरकार को अपनी नीति पर पुनर्विचार करना चाहिए। सरकार ने जजों की नियुक्ति के लिए एक कमेटी बनाने का कानून बनाया था। इस कमेटी में अधिक संख्या में सदस्यों की नियुक्ति सरकार द्वारा की जानी थी। इन सदस्यों के माध्यम से सरकार मनचाहे व्यक्तियों को जज नियुक्त कर सकती थी। मैं न्यायतंत्र पर बाहरी नियंत्रण का पक्षधर हूं, क्योंकि न्यायाधीशों द्वारा अपने परिजनों-परिचितों को जज बनाया जाता है, परंतु यह बाहरी नियंत्रण सरकार का नहीं होना चाहिए। कमेटी में कानूनी तौर पर चुने गए पेशेवर लोगों जैसे बार काउंसिल ऑफ इंडिया एवं इंस्टीट्यूट आफ चार्टर्ड एकाउंटेंट्स ऑफ इंडिया के अध्यक्ष को नियुक्त किया जा सकता है। इसी क्रम में सरकार ने नेशनल ग्रीन ट्रिब्यूनल को अपंग बनाने की व्यवस्था कर दी है। वर्तमान में ट्रिब्यूनल के अध्यक्ष सुप्रीम कोर्ट के सेवानिवृत्त न्यायाधीश होते हैं। सरकार ने कानून में संशोधन करके अफसरों को ट्रिब्यूनल का प्रमुख बनाने का रास्ता खोल दिया है। मनचाहे अफसर को नियुक्त करके सरकार ट्रिब्यूनल द्वारा सरकार के निर्णयों की समीक्षा पर रोक लगाना चाहती है, जो दीर्घकाल में सरकार के लिए ही हानिप्रद होगा जैसा नॉर्वेजियन स्कूल ऑफ इकोनॉमिक्स ने कहा भी है।
ब्रुकिंग्स इंस्टीट्यूशन द्वारा किए गए एक अध्ययन में कहा गया है कि सफल अर्थव्यवस्था के लिए स्वतंत्र केंद्रीय बैंक जरूरी है, जो कि अल्पकालीन राजनीति से ऊपर उठकर निर्णय ले सके। चुनाव के पहले सरकार का प्रयास रहता है कि मतदाताओं को लुभाने के लिए लोक-लुभावन योजनाओं पर भारी खर्च करे, जैसे 2009 में कांग्रेस ने किसानों के कर्ज माफ किए थे। इन खर्चों को पोषित करने के लिए सरकार को बाजार से कर्ज लेना होता है। यहां केंद्रीय बैंक यानी हमारे भारतीय रिजर्व बैंक की भूमिका महत्वपूर्ण होती है। यदि रिजर्व बैंक अधिक मात्रा में नोट छापकर मुद्रा की तरलता बनाए रखे तो सरकार के लिए कर्ज लेकर अनुपयुक्त खर्च करना आसान हो जाता है जो कि बाद में अर्थव्यवस्था को ले डूबता है, परंतु यदि रिजर्व बैंक स्वतंत्र है तो नोट नहीं छपेगा। सरकार कर्ज नहीं ले सकेगी। गलत दिशा में नहीं जाएगी। वर्तमान सरकार ने व्यवस्था बनाई है कि अब मौद्रिक नीति समिति यानी एमपीसी द्वारा मुद्रा नीति निर्धारित की जाएगी। इसमें तीन सदस्य रिजर्व बैंक के अधिकारी होंगे और तीन सदस्य सरकार द्वारा नामित होंगे। अल्पकाल में यह सरकार के लिए आरामदेह हो सकता है, परंतु जैसा कि ब्रुकिंग्स इंस्टीट्यूशन द्वारा कहा गया, यह व्यवस्था देश के दीर्घकालीन विकास के लिए ठीक नहीं है। नरेंद्र मोदी पर देश को भरोसा है। इस भरोसे को फलीभूत करने के लिए सरकार को हर नागरिक और प्रत्येक स्वायत्त संस्था को मित्र की दृष्टि से देखना होगा, अन्यथा इंदिरा गांधी की तरह यह सरकार भी देश को दीर्घकालीन विकास की पटरी पर नहीं ला सकेगी।
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Date:09-10-17

Resources aplenty, no jobs

Redefining economic models to get them in sync with the technology-accelerated age is the need of the hour

Anil K. Antony
We are in the midst of the most transformative age in human history where technological leaps could make possible a world of limitless food, water, and energy. Although we have attained the ability to produce any resource at any speed or in any quantity, human capital requirement is on a steep decline owing to the advent of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics.While five high-technology firms find themselves among the list of the top seven most valuable companies in the world, with a cumulative market capitalisation of almost $3 trillion, it is distressing to note that that they employ just under 700,000 people among them. The inevitable widespread adoption of next generation technologies indicates a future of mass unemployment, and concentration of wealth in the hands of a few enterprises capable of providing minuscule job openings.
Today’s primary challenge is the optimal allocation of copiously produced resources among an increasing population with dwindling wage-earning opportunities. Taking cue from these trends, several progressive political outfits across Europe have started demanding legislation favouring reduced working hours with no cuts in pay, three-day weekends, and the introduction of a universal basic income.Even if new models built around the reduction, sharing, and diffusion of work and the provision of a supplementary income can sustain employment levels and living standards in wealthy nations with a steady, declining, or ageing population, with most of them plugged into the formal economy, it will be impractical in countries like India. The Indian scenario already looks grim with the Labour Bureau stating that India added just 1.35 lakh jobs in eight labour-intensive sectors in 2015, against a backdrop of almost 1.5 crore annually entering the job market. Conditions are ripe for the creation of a plenitude of frustrated people who would be easy prey to the sway of radical nationalists and populists.
Nevertheless, the informal economy employs more than 90% of our workforce. Efforts to structure the informal sector, by encouraging them to adopt modern-day tools and best practices, and by giving them adequate access to capital for expansion, would stimulate the economy and the job market.India has massive basic infrastructural capacity requirements. Focussed government planning and spending, along with the creation of an environment that would encourage private investments into these potentially large-scale projects, could create immediate openings for millions in sectors like construction, India’s second largest employer, providing jobs for over 44 million. If leveraged to create essential and permanent assets, employment-guaranteeing schemes like MGNREGA would also effectively absorb a large slice of job seekers. Redefining the existing economic planning, employment and resource-allocation models, to get them in sync with this technology-accelerated age, is the need of the hour.