Dirtiest and Filthiest – Open defecation

Some of the alarming sanitation facts of our country.

In 1980 rural sanitation coverage was estimated at 1% and reached 21% in 2008.Now totally only 31% of population are using improved sanitation facilities.

60 per cent of all open defecation in the world are in India.

Out of six lakh villages in India, hardly 25,000 are free from open defecation.

One of out every two Indians is forced to defecate in the open

Sanitation is key factor for school drop outs.While 96% of India’s children enroll in primary school, by the age of 10 about 40% have dropped out, says the education department. Just over a third of high school students graduate.

Kamrajar started mid day meal scheme as children were dropping out due to lack of food.Like wise all dropout factors have to be nailed by govt.

The nation will need 1.5 million trained technicians every year for the next decade — twice the number it currently produces.So more priority needs to be given to education.India spends just 3.5% of its gross domestic product on education, way below China’s 8%.

India remains the “dirtiest and filthiest” country in the world, Says Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Jairam Ramesh.

“Today, if you go to many parts of India, you have women with a mobile phone, going out to answer the call of nature. I mean it is paradoxical…you have a mobile phone and you don’t have a toilet. When you have a toilet, you don’t use the toilet… use it as a godown,” Says Jairam Ramesh.They need to understand value of cleanliness.

Water supply has always been never ending problem in India but did make some progress
,although there are still vast areas where people have no access to potable water, where women have to walk miles to fetch a few litres of water.

Absence of sanitation is even bigger problem. It is a burden that women especially must carry. There is no place for them, literally, to answer “the call of nature”.

What is the point of giving our children the Right to Education, if something as basic as toilets are not available in most schools? How can we expect women’s literacy rate to improve if young girls feel embarrassed to be in school after puberty because there are no toilets?

The Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2007–2012) foresees investments of 127,025 crore (US$24.1 billion) for urban water supply and sanitation.

There are budgets for building toilets. The Government of India has launched a Total Sanitation Campaign. Yet, either the funds available are not spent on building toilets, or if toilets are built, they become unusable within a short time because there is no water, or they get vandalised.

In most places the brand new toilets built with government money had already been vandalised. The doors to the cubicles were stolen, the toilet pans were shattered and all the taps had disappeared. Children had to run to their homes if they wanted to take a toilet break. Not surprisingly, adolescent girls would simply drop out, or not attend school for several days each month.

The Supreme Court has been forced to intervene on the issue. It is amazing how many times the most basic aspects of development and governance needs court orders. The court has given all states up to February 28 to build temporary toilets in all schools and permanent ones by March 31.

Bihar, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Arunachal Pradesh got thumbs up from the Supreme Court for over 90% compliance of the order for providing toilet facilities in schools.

Equally worrying is the fact that sanitation standards are not satisfactory even in the better-off schools where lack of funds cannot be an excuse. A survey of 304 Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools revealed that 265 of them were below par in sanitation standards.

Corporates also need to involve themselves in education, health and sanitation front.Instead of increasing CEO salaries by few crores they can work for children dying from lack of food.

Politicians like Maya and many others can built toilets for girls and women who have to face the daily indignity of life without toilets rather than building statues.

We individuals also need to contribute for improving the sanitary conditions and making India a healthier and clean country to live in.

Libro Libro Libro – Books

35th Chennai Book Fair

For all the book bugs of Chennai here comes Chennai Book Fair.

What to Expect:-

55 Book Stalls, 10000 Titles, 10% discount

Books of other Indian languages apart from Tamil

Drawing Competition on 7th Jan at 8:30 am.There are three different categories for children from age 5 to 16.

Celebrities @ Book Fair

Jan 5 – Opening by D.Jayakumar
Jan 6 – Gnanasambandhan – Debate
Jan 7 – Lena Tamilvanan
Jan 8 – Abdul kalam
Jan 10 – Ameer
Jan 13 – Suki Sivam – Debate
Jan 14 – Lingusamy – Special Children Orchestra
Jan 15 – Quiz – Nanjil Sampath

Readers can meet writers in the stall F35

Jan 8 6-8 PM S.Ramakrishnan

Jan 14 3-5 PM Manushyaputhiran

Jan 15 6-8 PM Ashokamithran

Jan 16 6-8 PM CharuNivethitha

Jan 17 3-5 PM Indira Parthasarathy

Date:- Jan 5th 2012 to 17th Jan 2012

Timings:- Weekdays – 3PM to 9PM                      Sundays & Holidays :- 11AM to 9 PM

Venue:- St. George Anglo Indian Hr. Secondary School
(Opp. to Paachayappan College)
Chennai – 30

http://www.bapasi.com/

To stay married, Divorce speed

Over 90% of the deaths on the roads occur in low-income and middle-income countries, which have only 48% of the world’s registered vehicles.

Pedestrians, cyclists, and riders of motorized two-wheelers and their passengers account for around 46% of global road traffic deaths.

Wearing a good-quality helmet can reduce the risk of death from a road crash by almost 40% and the risk of severe injury by over 70%.

Wearing a seat-belt reduces the risk of death among front-seat passengers by 40-65% and can reduce deaths among rear-seat car occupants by 25-75%.

The use of child restraints (infant seats, child seats and booster seats) can reduce deaths of children by between 54% and 80%.

The Road safety Week (RSW) is observed throughout India from 1-7 Jan every year.

WHO Report on Road Safety attributes deaths on Indian roads to speeding,drunk driving and low use of helmets,seat belts and child restaints in vehicles.More than 1,35,000 peple die in road accidents every year in the country.

Incase of Road Accident Call 1066 in Chennai

Road Safety Week starts with the theme “Accidents bring Tears, safety bring Cheers”

In Ahmedabad, traffic violators and errant citizens will be shown selected short films on traffic violation and road safety. It would be a compulsory activity for the drivers caught violating the rules.

If we follow the traffic rules properly our children will be put into habit of obeying traffic rules.Parents should not allow children to drive two wheelers without license.At that age they do not foresee risks of speeding being with friends.

Fatal Accident Deaths in Chennai.

2009 – 1283

2010 – 1415

2011 – 1455

Parking Menace is another major problem adding concerns to Road Safety.People park and stop vehicles leading to accidents.

Road traffic injuries are predicted to become the fifth leading cause of death by 2030, resulting in 2.4 million deaths a year. This projected ranking would be the result of an increase in road traffic deaths and reductions in deaths due to other health conditions.

Mobile phone is a major stakeholder in road accidents.People should have sense to avoid using phones while driving.

Lets be safe and make roads safer to travel……

http://www.chennaitrafficpolice.in/roadAccident.php

http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/roadsafety/facts/en/index.html

The Year That Wasn’t – 2011

National Politics:

Annaji and his team dominated the movement against corruption to bring Lokpal.His initial fast was supported by many and forced people in Parliament to sit and think.But critics are thinking they are forcing too much via the second fast.

Raja and Kani were the VIP occupants of Tihar Jail after 2G Scam.Every side has a justification.CAG Claim exchequer had benefitted but they claim people benefitted by low pricing.Subramania  Swamy was the key in bringing the suspects  in dark to limelight.

“The one traffic light in the world that was red for 34 years, just turned green in Bengal,” This was tweeted by Tharoor after Mamtas victory in Bengal.It was no surprise that jaya slayed Karuna.But the margin was surprising.

 

 

Sports

In Cricket it was Dhonis year.He won the World Cup for India.People give credit to his leadership than to his team.He also proved his mettle in IPL – Cricketainment.

Sehwag silenced his critics by beating Sachins record of 200 in One day International.Aswin emerged as a good spinner for India.

FI made its foray into India via Buddh International Circuit.It was a real long pending event to happen.Mayawathi was into controversy over allotment of land around circuit.

World:-

What whole world knew finally was proved this year.That Bin laden is hidden in Pakisthan.US tracked and kille dhim in his hideout in abottabad.

In 2011, total economic losses to society both insured and uninsured due to disasters reached an estimated USD 350 billion, compared to USD 226 billion in 2010.

The earthquake in Japan accounts for most of this year’s economic losses. More than 30 000 people lost their lives due to catastrophes in the first eleven months of the year, most of them in Japan.

Earthquakes in Japan,Newzealand and Floods in Thailand were great disasters.

Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the “Brother Leader” of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.His 41 year leadershipcame to an end when he was attacked by NATO warplanes.

A wave caused by a tsunami flows into the city of Miyako

Christmas with Jeevan Roshni Children

This time we decided to buy new clothes for all the inmates of home.Since it was weekday I requested my mom to accompany Roslyn Madam.

We bought clothes worth Rs.20,000/-.I ordered fresh cream butterscotch cake for the day.We took the cake ,  some biscuits and reached home with office colleague Karuna.

Sobia and Mani were already present there.The children cut the cake.After having cake we played dog in the bone game and left the place after exchanging christmas and new year wishes.

The children were happy donning new clothes.

Android Market

Foreign Retailers in India

I remember getting list from my mom and buying things from local kirana shop.It was exciting in the beginning and became a boring job then on.

Now you cannot say the same as kids are excited to buy from supermarket.We are moving to the culture of Malls,restaurants and supermarkets.Blame it on Sodexho passes or the glam we want to buy from supermarkets.I have seen people buying just for the sake of entering a supermarket.People are ready to buy one item and stand for hours together to get it billed.Supermarkets make you buy more items than you are intention.

Mostly people feel it fun doing a shopping from supermarket.For most of them it is familys day out.Basically it adds life to your shopping.If we say foreign players will push small retailers away from business.That has already been started by Reliance,More,Heritage and such supermarkets.I have seen person selling vegetables in push cart buying from reliance.

Not entire country would be buying from Walmart or any player for that matter.They can open in towns that have 1 million population.

Foreign retailers may have to reserve at least half of their jobs in superstores for rural youth and source more than the mandated 30% from micro and small industries.Farm lobbies feel foreign supermarkets direct buy from farmers will shorten the supply chain and get growers a larger share of the final selling price.

India has 600 million farmers, 1,200 million consumers and 5 million traders.For 5 million traders we are keeping 1800 million at stake.The stranglehold of middlemen and traders is at the root of rural poverty and India’s food inflation.

What a farmer sells for 1 is sold at the mandi at 2, which becomes 3 at the mandi at the consumption centre and 4 when it reaches the consumer through a retailer.This is the reason why 5Rs kg onion that farmer sells I pay 35Rs to purchase it.mandi system being the main cause.

We have lot of inefficiencies in supply chain.35-40% of fruit and vegetables and nearly 10% of food grains in India are wasted annually.

The direct employment generated by the organised retail sector in India over the coming five years will be around 1.7 million jobs.This move will integrate small and medium-size enterprises into the modern trade process.It would also ensure a more transparent mechanism for pricing, and better access to the intermediate market, in particular at the international level.

One of my friend suggested cooperative stores could also bridge supply chain.I have visited Amudham Co-op store.Government maintaining things would make it more messy.Politicians would be allotting shops to their kith and kin.

This move will do what Manmohan singh’s privatisation did to India in 1991 provided proper clauses and laws ensure goods are directly bought from farmers.It is definitely win win for consumers,farmers and retailers.

Parties are opposing for vote bank and creating an impression that foreigners will take over.Come on we are in the world of globalisation.I would like to see TATA Star bazaar and Reliance in foreign countries.

Global Transparency Index

                              We are having huge hue and cry in the country for transparency and against corruption.India’s rank of 95 in Global Transparency Index supports the need for transparency.

The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks countries/territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be. On a scale of 0 – 10, where 0 means that a country is perceived as highly corrupt and 10 means that a country is perceived as very clean.

Rank1 – New Zealand – 9.5

Rank2 – Finland – 9.4

Rank2 – Denmark – 9.4

Rank4 – Sweden – 9.3

Rank5 – Singapore – 9.2

Rank16 – Uk – 7.8

Rank24 – United States – 7.1

Rank75 – China – 3.5

Rank95 – India – 3.1

Rank134 - Pakisthan – 2.5

                       Afganisthan,Myanmar,North Korea and Somalia are the most corrupt nations.

RTI Act is very helpful in getting the right information.We need some strong act to punish the corrupt officials and politicians.We also need to inculcate basic discipline against corruption in future generation.

Architect of Operation Flood – Dr Kurien

Verghese Kurien is celebrating his 90th Bday and he is the founder of the Amul food brand.

He is credited with being the architect of Operation Flood. Kurien helped modernise the Anand model of cooperative dairy development and thus engineered the White Revolution in India, and made India the largest milk producer in the world.

Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s one night stay at a farmer’s house in Ajarpura village in 1965 demonstrated the nature of the political commitment to Anand’s success.

This led to the establishment of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), to replicate the Anand Pattern countrywide. NDDB was entirely created by the funds gifted by the Amul and Kheda farmers, perhaps the only instance where a national body was created by a cooperative of the farmers.

Kurien was born in 1921 to a well-to-do Syrian Christian family of Calicut. A bright student, he was with the Tatas after graduating in science and engineering from Madras University. He applied for a government scholarship for higher studies abroad, hoping to return to his job with added qualifications.

One question put to him by a member of the selection panel changed his entire career. He was asked, “What is pasteurisation?” He answered correctly that it was processing milk to make it last longer. He was told he’d be sent to Michigan State University in the US to study dairy farming and milk production. He was flabbergasted but accepted the offer.

A very sulky young lad found himself in a dusty little town—Anand—in Gujarat to ensure continuance of milk supply to Bombay. He could not speak Gujarati, was a beef-eating Christian and a bachelor. No family in Anand was willing to have him as a paying guest. He converted an empty garage into his home.

He has already got a Padma Shri (1965), Padma Bhushan (1966), Padma Vibhushan (1999), the Magasaysay Award (1963), Wateler Peace Prize (1986), the World Food Prize (1989) and honorary doctorates from many universities.

Kurien had the backing of all Gujarati MPs and ministers, from Sardar Patel, Morarji Desai, H.M. Patel and Manubhai Shah to back him up.Once when agriculture minister Rao Birendra Singh wanted to remove Kurien from his post, he was dropped from the cabinet.

Another time when Babu Jagjivan Ram wanted to do the same, he was sternly told: “Don’t touch Kurien.”

Dairy specialists from New Zealand, Switzerland and Holland were of the considered opinion that milk powder and condensed milk could not be produced from buffalo milk. Kurien’s team produced and proved them wrong.

Amul – The taste of India is a 2 Billion USD Co-operative.It is also famous for its ad campaigns.

http://www.amul.com/

My experiences as papa

We named our cute little princess Kritiarunya. (Varun + Lavanya)

First month, we spent getting things right for her.Right diaper.Right dress.Right Bath.

I love to see the small face showing hundreds of reaction mostly during sleep.She smiles, gets tensed says Hi in sleep.Some say being gods gift children speak to god.

I got to know that most of the kids do this.The touch of her cute little fingers is awesome.

Sameway it was really painful to see injecting in her soft palm.Now she has had started crying and getting little angry on lengthy dresses or sweaters.

The art of pushing a bedsheet or a cap on her is worth  a watch.The way she holds our fingers I do not feel like leaving her.

I am enjoying parenthood with mostly my better half spending sleepless nights with baby.

Just eager to see her uttering words!!!!!!