Applications invited for fellowship programme : Haryana

The Haryana State Council for Science and Technology (HSCST) has invited applications for the HSCST Fellowship Programme 2015.

There are several opportunities for college students and graduates who wish to make a difference and work at the grass-roots level through fellowships and training programmes. 

Under the scheme, the HSCST would award fellowships for training in methods of research under the expert guidance of faculty members and scientists working in university departments, national laboratories and institutes in Haryana in various fields of science and technology and medical sciences.

The last date for accepting applications would be November 9.

A spokesperson of the Haryana Department of Science and Technology said in order to attract talented and meritorious students, the Haryana government was offering research fellowships in science subjects such as life sciences, physical sciences, chemical sciences, mathematical sciences and planetary sciences.

The fellowships would involve full-time research work for a PhD degree in the relevant subject areas from any institute or university in Haryana. These fellowships are tenable in universities, post-graduate colleges, government research establishments, research and development establishments of recognised public or private sector, industrial firms and other recognised institutions in Haryana.

Candidates would be selected on the basis of their performance in the National Eligibility Test ( NET), conducted by CSIR ( Council of Scientific & Industrial Research). Candidates who have opted for CSIR- JRF (Junior Research Fellow) and have at least qualified CSIR - LS (Life Sciences) NET would be selected on the basis of their performance in NET for carrying out their PhD research.

To be eligible for selection under the programme, the candidate must hold an MSc or equivalent degree in the specified subjects with a minimum of 55 % marks. Candidates should also have opted for CSIR JRF (NET) and qualify the eligibility test for lectureship in the UGC test for JRF and LS (NET) held on June 22, 2014. Candidates availing fellowship or financial assistance from any other source would not be eligible.

The upper age limit for JRF shall be 28 years as on January 1 last year, which is relaxed up to five years in the case of women candidates or those belonging to the categories of schedule castes and schedule tribes, physically handicapped and OBC.

Source : Hindustan Times , 13th Oct 2015 

She’s deaf, but does that eliminate her right to education?

Sonia’s picture, in which she is holding a poster and demanding secondary school education for special children, can be seen on social media.

Like any other student, 13-year-old Sonia Khan was extremely excited about her promotion to the seventh grade. For her, this was a whole new journey that allowed her to explore her life through books and knowledge. But unfortunately, the hope was diminished when she was denied admission to the next grade by the school authorities.

Sonia, along with her brothers Hassan Khan and Faisal Khan, are all born with hearing and speech impairments. They are students of a government school for the deaf at Timergara, Lower Dir, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). Due to no secondary schools available for special children in the area, the three siblings, along with many other special needs children, were forced to stay uneducated after completing six years of basic education.

Call it K-P authorities’ bad governance or the weak and corrupt education structure in Pakistan, the school administrations have been unable to make arrangements for further educating students with special needs. Sonia and her siblings’ current school is located in a rented building and lacks all the necessary facilities which should be provided to children with special needs. Amongst other shortcomings is the shortage of trained staff and proper infrastructure, which more or less, is the issue of every public school throughout the country.

It has been several months since Sonia and her classmates have been out of school. They are waiting for K-P government to fulfil their basic demand of education. In K-P, the ruling party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) is spending a huge amount of the provincial budget on education, as compared to any other province. However, they are painting all the students with the same brush and are not taking into consideration the fact that appropriate institutions, facilities, and staff that are required for educating children with special needs.

There has always a lapse between the rhetoric and implementation in Pakistan on the government’s part, especially when it comes to public health and education. There is an estimate of 1.25 million deaf children in Pakistan. A minute percentage of them receive education from private schools specialised for deaf children.

But Sonia and many like her are living in remote areas, where private schools are scarce and not an option.

According to Sonia, when her application was turned down by the school authorities, due to no secondary schools present in Malakand division for special children, she was left with two options – either stay at home and help her mother in house chores, or make her muted voice heard beyond provincial borders.

Before Sonia, several students with special needs were left with no choice but to give up and stay at home. They were considered to be mentally or physically handicapped and a burden on the society. Sonia unmuted herself and demanded education rights for children like her, through peaceful protests and social media campaigns.

She convinced her classmates to help her raise these issues to the local authorities. The children held small and peaceful demonstrations outside the Timergara press club. Her father, Ameer Zad, also raised his voice supporting his three special children.  They managed to take the issue to the local elected representatives and ministers and made contacts with philanthropists. However, initially, all their efforts were in vain.

Sonia decided to take her plea a step further by taking her demands to social media, due to which it soon turned into a movement. Her constant tweets to media personnel, social media activists from different political parties and media houses made a huge difference. Her voice reached across borders which is when BBC Urdu covered her story with details of the problems and shortcomings such children are facing in K-P and other provinces of Pakistan.

Source : The Express Tribune Blog , 17th Oct 2015 

Breaking barriers: The boy who left his disability in the dust - Islamabad

Disability is often a barrier to leading a full life for many. It can be a hindrance to those wanting to excel, especially in a country where facilities for handicapped or physically challenged people exists merely mark on paper.

                                  Ali with the principal and faculty of his college in sector H-8

It is rare to find someone standing tall against the odds and breaking the shackles of negative thinking.

Atif Ali is one such person, who used his disability to push himself to new heights. The youngest among his three siblings, Ali lost both his hands touching a high-voltage line on the roof of his home in 2005.

“The first few days were just unbelievable, but within a few weeks I realised that I have to work things out without what I had,” said Ali, a second year computer sciences student at Islamabad Model Post Graduate College for Men in Sector H-8.

With his confident posture and sparkling eyes, Atif seems brimming with hope and looks forward to life.

What makes him special is that he has won gold medals in the 100 and 400 meter races at the 2013 Asian Youth Para Games held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as well as garnering attention in local events.

“Losing my hands was a blessing in disguise for me,” Ali added, saying his mother was a great motivator during his post-disability life. “My mother never treated me like a special child,” he said.

Ali said he never took the comments people made about him negatively, but rather as fuel to drive him further.

Narrating a memorable moment of his life, he said he faced off against taller, more experienced professional athletes at the 2014 National Paralympic Games in Peshawar.

“I was very nervous and had no idea how to beat them,” he remembers. “I gathered my courage and told myself that I can do it; I ended up bagging a gold medal.” He said the experience reinforced his belief that nothing is impossible.

Ali receives the help of government-approved transcribers for complex or lengthy examinations. He said never failed in any of his courses.

At the 2014 Asian Para Games in Korea, Ali claimed fifth position in the 100 meters race. He recently returned from the Army Para Games in Sri Lanka, where he was awarded an honorary gold coin.

“To me, a disabled person is one who never tries again,” he said, when asked if at any point he felt that not having his hands impaired him in any way.

“The one who is amputated or has some part of body missing is not disabled, but the one who gives in is the actual failure,” he added.

Ali said the cliché “you cannot do this” pushed him to do many things in life including swimming and cycling.

“My dream is to work in an organisation where I can motivate and encourage special people, who think life is over for them and hope for nothing in life,” he said.


Source : The Express Tribune , 11th Oct 2015

Scholarship for differently-abled

Differently-abled children studying in classes 1 to 10 in government and government-recognised schools have to apply for scholarship for 2015-16 online, and manual applications will not be accepted, Assistant Director of Physically Handicapped Welfare P. Venkateswara Rao has informed.

Manual applications that are already submitted to the department will not be considered.

The students have to register their applications on the website —http://epass.cgg.gov.in— by choosing ‘student services’ option and enter details of their ration card, Aadhaar card, mobile number, etc.They have to take a printout of the application submitted online and after getting it attested by their headmaster, submit the same along with copies of ration card, Aadhaar card, Sadaram certificate, first page of student bank account passbook, and income and caste certificates from MeeSeva, to the office of the Assistant Director for Physically Handicapped Welfare on the premises of Rani Chandramani Devi Hospital, Peda Waltair Junction, Visakhapatnam-17.

They have to apply online and manual applications will not be accepted.

Source : The Hindu , 10th Oct 2015 

Medical aid available on subsidy, says DSSO - Bhatinda

Under various schemes of the Government of India, physically challenged people are being provided with motorised tri-cycles and hearing aid machines on subsidy.  Giving information here today, District Social Security Officer (DSSO) Naveen Gadhwal said the Government of India had got a motorised tri-cycle made whose cost is Rs 35,000. There is Rs 25,000 subsidy on the vehicle, while the beneficiary has to pay Rs 10,000 or the same cost can also be paid through the funds of area MP or MLA. 


He added that the beneficiary for this tri-cycle should be of more than 16 years of age and should be 80 percent handicapped. The monthly income of applicants’ parents should not be more than Rs 15,000 and a beneficiary can avail this benefit once in 10 years.

He added that those children, who cannot hear, can also get the hearing aid (cochlear implants) fixed. The cost of cochlear implant is Rs 6 lakh, including the cost of operation, which the government bears. In Punjab, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College Faridkot, PGI Chandigarh and Government Hospital and Medical College Sector 32 Chandigarh are the only hospitals empanelled to conduct these operations. He said that the age of beneficiary should be at least 5 years.

The beneficiay’s parents’ income should not be less than Rs 15,000 and if the income is between Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 then the government would pay Rs 1 lakh subsidy, while the remaining Rs 3 lakh would be paid by the beneficiary’s parents. The certificate verifying the beneficiary’s inability to speak should also be attached herewith. Gadhwal added that for more information people can contact concerned CDPO, BDPO and DSSO or call up at number 0164-2211480.

Source : Tribune India , 10th Oct 2015 

1L aged persons took pilgrimage trip: Govt : RAIPUR

The tradition of pilgrimages is too long and old in India. Sanctity and piety are attached to pilgrimages and hence senior citizens pay due importance to visit religious places at least once in lifetime.

The Mukhyamantri Theerth Yatra Yojana was launched on January 15, 2013 and about One lakh old persons, physically handicapped and their attendants have availed the facilities by the State Government.

Many senior citizens face financial crunch during their lives and hence the Government took steps ahead to look at their dreams.

In the initial stage only citizens above 60 years old were part of the programme. But since 2014-15, physically handicapped citizens above 18 years have been added to the list of beneficiaries.

There is a provision to take the eligible persons on pilgrimage on State expense at least once in a life-time.

It has assumed a vital role in the life of eligible persons . About 1,000 persons travel in one tour with their attendants in tow in special trains. The atmosphere is festive all along the journey as the passengers belong to same State.

Mukhymantri Theerth Yatra Yojana has taken about 1.17 lakh pilgrims to various parts of the country in 132 tours till August 2015. Three tours had been organised for Physically Handicapped persons exclusively. Breakfast and meals are provided free of cost during the entire tour.

Security is taken care of the senior citizens and physically handicapped persons. An attendant is allowed with the handicapped person.

Similarly a senior citizen above 65 years of age is also allowed to take an attendant along with him. Attendants are also provided with all the facilities.

If one of the spouses is selected then he/she can take another life partner along with her/him.

The pilgrimage places include Mathura, Janmabhoomi Brindavan , Ganga Sagar , Birla Mandir, Kaalighat, Bodhgaya, Sarnath, Nalanda, Tirupati, Madurai, Rameshwaram, Vaishnidevi, Raghunath Mandir, Baghebahu, Baba Baidyanath Dham, Bajrangbali Mandir, Anukulan Thakur Ji Mandir, Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Ajmer Sharif, Pushkar, Agra (Chishti ka Dargah), Amritsar Golden Temple, Sravana Belagola, Vellanki Church, Puri, Bhubaneshwar, Konark, Dwaraka, Somnath, Nageshwar, Shirdi, Shanisinnapur, Trimbakeshwar, Hardwar, Rishikesh and Bharat Mata Mandir.


Source : The Pioneer , 10th Oct 2015

Query : How to vacate a handicapped tenant who is refusing to vacate with no rental agreement

Hello Sir I have a tenant who is a physically challenged man. Actually he is not physically challenged by birth but some 10 years back he developed weak muscles and can't use his legs properly and on wheelchair. He has been staying in our house in 2 rooms on ground floor for the last 11 years. We asked him to vacate almost 2-1/2 years back but he still didn't vacate. Now we came to know that he has decided not to vacate and started blackmailing us that we're causing him torture just because we have asked him to vacate. In fact we have been very polite and requested few times with some of our friends very gently and we in person also. But that didn't work and this tenant is too adamant to vacate. We have not signed any agreement with him which is a mistake as this man came as a tenant(actually sublet to this guy from my friend but my friend has left the place) through one of our friends at that time. We offered him help and extremely patient on this physically challenged man but no use at all. We came to know that only alternative to vacate him is through court. But matters in court may take years and this being a physically challenged man on wheel chair, generally anybody will have sympathy for him. Actually truly speaking this tenant has no clean mind and he has deliberately been postponing his vacating date says June/November and doesn't vacate. Now we came to know that he's not willing to vacate. The property is on our parent's name who's a senior citizen, living out of station. The other portion of the property is given on lease to another party and another small portion rented out without any agreement. It's a very small house but this tenant now blackmailing us that he will call media TV channels and report about us that we're torturing him to gain public sympathy and to drag the issue to the streets though in fact we have been very politely asking him when he's going to vacate. Can you please help how to get this physically challenged man vacate our house where in this case no agreement signed. Also can the Sr.Citizen owner can serve an eviction notice on this tenant on the basis of self occupancy by the owner? Also the building is 36years old and needs lot of repair work as well, this is another reason. This guy has been troubling us for last 3 years and want him to evict out. He has troubled his immediate neighbor who helped him but this just a note on the kind of record we have with this person as that neighbor, who was staying on rent in another room already vacated after our advice to avoid this person. As the complete building is rented out and owners stay out of station, this tenant started playing these delaying and blackmailing tactics which is a landlord absent case. Though the owner comes and we maintain the property do repairs through our friends there we want to get this person evicted out immediately as he has no gratitude and instead trying to deviate the topic from the actual vacating issue. 1) Given that the owner being a Sr.Citizen vs a physically challenged tenant staying on rented rooms with no signed agreement at all, with the tenant just paying Rs1000/- monthly rent and we no longer want this person and urgently wish to evict him What is the best solution to get this tenant vacated? 2) This tenant is not willing to vacate inspite of repeated requests and simply trying to play blackmailing tactics which is not correct at all, instead he has caused lot of mental agony to all of our family members, my parents who're Sr.Citizens. What are other ways without going to court given that tenant is not willing to sign any agreement nor willing to vacate? 3) How long will it take if we go to court? Which is the best option as this tenant is not willing to vacate as we gave it very cheap rent for just Rs1000/- whereas the market price for the same rental value will be atleast Rs4000. Taking advantage of this cheap rent and absentee landlord he is not vacating. We have the property on my parent's name and i too stay out of station. We have a small portion very small 2 rooms reserved for us in case we come there which is 1/4 th what that tenant is using and we need the house vacated for our own use. Please advise 4) As this tenant has stayed over 11 years and not in good terms with us anymore, we want to evict him out. We have been patiently waiting for almost close to 3 years but he is not vacating. We heard that only way to vacate is him to go to a court. But this person being a disabled man deliberately occupying our house and trying to blackmail us. What is the best way to get this man vacated given that no rental agreement signed? Just let me know so that i can advise my parent, the owner Thanks

Source : Legally India, 17th Oct 2015

RTI queries to go online in Rajasthan

Applicants can deposit fees at e-mitra outlets

To simplify the process of filing Right to Information queries and usher in transparency in the system, Rajasthan Information Commissioner P L Agrawal on Wednesday said people will be able to seek information under the RTI Act online.

“The Rajasthan Information Commission (RIC) is working on having online process of RTI in collaboration with state’s Information and Technology Department, and it would be made functional soon,” Mr Agrawal said during a conference here on ‘RTI: Present Status and Prospects’.

A provision of fee deposition would be made available at e-mitra outlets so that RTI seekers would not have to travel much, the Commissioner said, adding the manual process to get information under RTI Act will continue to remain in place in addition to the online access.

Pointing out the lacunae in the existing RTI Act which had been implemented in 2005, the Commissioner said there was no deadline or time frame for the second appeal authority to give reply to an RTI seeker, and thus, it required amendments.

“A Lok Soochna Adhikari (public information officer) has a limit of 30 days while the first appeal authority gets 30 to 45 days to give reply, but the second appeal authority has been given no time limit,” he said “RTI applicants have been seeking information from the state government or bodies even before 2005 when the RTI Act did not exist,” he said, adding that many of the departments in the state government did not have a record room or keeper.

More public information officers are required to be deputed in departments like Housing Board, Municipal Corporation and Jaipur Development Authority to speed up reply to the applicants, he said.

Mr Agrawal said a video-conferencing facility was also available for physically challenged applicants, but it required improvement.

He said that to contain the abuse of RTI provisions, the public should be educated and trained by NGO groups.

“Those belonging to BPL category can seek information under RTI Act for free, but it is being misused by elected members in villages, and this needs to be checked,” he said. -- PTI

“Those belonging to BPL category can seek information under RTI Act for free, but it is being misused by elected members in villages, and this needs to be checked”

Source : The Hindu , 15th Oct 2015

Citizens with disabilities being neglected yet again: activists

The National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) has written to the Minister of Consumer Affairs demanding that the National Building Code (NBC) main text include disability access.

NCPEDP honorary director Javed Abidi said: “There should not be two separate standards — one for people with disabilities and another for those without disabilities. This approach is inappropriate as it excludes people with disabilities. Disability access should be integrated into the regular standards.’’

The NCPEDP has strongly suggested that the entire NBC should be reviewed to make it contemporary, comprehensive and inclusive. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 15 per cent of the population lives with some form of disability. This estimate is on the rise due to population ageing and rapid spread of chronic diseases. Since the infrastructure in the country is just not suited for the, they remain dependent and unable to achieve their full potential to become contributing citizens of the country.

The Disability Act was passed in 1995, which clearly mandates that public roads, buildings and transportation should be made barrier-free for persons with disabilities.

“However, implementation has been very poor. India also ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007, where accessibility is recognised as a basic human right and as an essential prerequisite for accessing all other human rights. India recently launched Sugamya Bharat [Accessible India campaign] to promote accessibility in the country targeting 48 cities,” noted Mr. Abidi.

He added that large scale construction is happening all over the country, even in small towns and rural areas. The government also has a mega plan to create smart cities. If this opportunity is missed, by the time the next revision of NBC takes place we would have lost precious time, a lot more construction would have happened and persons with disabilities would further be left behind in the development process.

“One of the reasons for disability laws and policies having little or no impact is that building standards don’t take into account the requirements of users with disabilities. The National Building Code (NBC) 2005 has an Annexure D, “Special Requirement for Planning of Public Buildings meant for use of Physically Challenged”. However, this is ignored while designing public infrastructure. This annexure is referred by planners/designers only when designing special schools or rehabilitation centre type of buildings,” notes the letter.

Source : The Hindu , 15th Oct 2015 

“Baahubali” Prabhas meets his diehard fan

Young Rebel Star and Baahubali fame Prabhas visited his die hard fan Sai Kumar recently in Khairathabad, Hyderabad.

                       Prabhas and Sai Kumar

Sai Kumar is a diehard fan of Prabhas. Two years ago while riding a bike, Sai met with an accident, in the accident Sai lost both his legs. From then on he was placed on a wheelchair. Knowing “Baahubali” release, Sai felt so bad that he cannot watch his favorite actor on screen due to being physically challenged.

Prabhas, who came to know the story of his die-hard fan, gave a visit to his residence in Khairathabad on 10th of October. Seeing Prabhas in real Sai was left in tears.

Prabhas learned about Sai’s health and gave his contact number. He said to approach him for any help if needed.

Additional to that Prabhas decided to take Sai Kumar to the sets of Baahubali-2 and make him watch the shooting part.

With this Prabhas not only is a huge star after “Baahubali” but also a hero with a good heart.

Source: Chitramala, 14th Oct 2015 

Coping with disability

Anushka, a 14-year-old-girl, who has hearing impairment since birth, was refused admission in dance class due to her disability. This dealt a blow to the self-esteem of an adolescent who had every right to pursue a creative art that she was keen on learning.

Burden of problem

Including children, over a billion people (about 15 percent of the world's population) are estimated to be living with disability. A recent community-based study in India found the prevalence of all types of disability as 6.3 percent out of which mental disability was found to be the most common type of disability. A quarter of the disabilities occur due to disease, injury and infections in childhood. Hence, prevention of disability is an important way of reducing the burden of this problem.

Teen years are fraught with challenges of growing up, getting involved in sports, recreation and creative activities, desire to succeed in the career of their choice and forge friendships that are positive. For a disabled teen, these can be more challenging but not impossible.

What are the challenges faced by a disabled adolescent?
Living with the family

Sometimes parents feel the need to make all decisions for their disabled teen and are overprotective. They are afraid that he/she may get hurt or somebody might treat him/her badly. Though these concerns are genuine, for a disabled teen, who is trying to seek his/her identity and independence, it becomes difficult to try something new and challenging. To deal with this situation, the teens can discuss the concerns with the parents and convince them of their ability to take care of themselves. They can take on responsibilities gradually.
Friendships
Teens with disability may find it harder than others to make friends, but not impossible. The difficulty occurs due to lack of self-esteem and self worth. Normal teens can reach out to the disabled peers by helping them try new and fun things to do. However, offer help after checking with them if they are ready for it. Be empathetic in your approach.

Love and relationships
Physically challenged teens too get attracted to the opposite sex and wish for companionship. They do need to understand what healthy relationships are and educating themselves about sexuality is very important for them.

Schoolwork and education
Every teen with physical or mental disability has the right to be educated. If the disability poses limitations, the government has made provisions to help them by way of scholarships, exemptions, etc. to reach their educational goal.

Access to medical care
This is important for all teens with disability. Regular physical activity within the limitations of disability, healthy eating and stress management will help to stay healthy.

Sibling relationships
A sibling can be of great support to a teen with disability. But, sometimes the abled sibling can feel frustrated and jealous of the attention received by the disabled brother or sister. The able teen may also feel stressed by the demands of having a sibling with special needs and experience guilt at wanting to do fun things with his/her own peer group.

Teasing and bullying
A teen with disability may be the target of bullying. The best way to tackle this is to enhance the teen's self-esteem, giving him/her the opportunity to make independent decisions. If the harassment continues, authorities should be involved.

Career and employment

About 35 percent children in India with disabilities remain out of elementary school. Disability does not prevent a teen from becoming a productive citizen in his/her own right. Hence vocational guidance and training and the opportunity to lead life with self-respect is the right of every adolescent. The government and the community have to gear up to provide this opportunity to all the disabled youth of our country.

The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995

a.Ensure that every child with a disability has access to free education in an appropriate environment till he or she attains the age of eighteen years

b.Endeavour to promote the integration of students with disabilities in the normal schools

c.Promote setting up of special schools in government and private sector for those in need of special education, in such a manner that children with disabilities living in any part of the country have access to such schools d.Endeavour to equip the special schools for children with disabilities with vocational training facilities.
(The author is a child and teen consultant at Tots to Teens Healthcare)

Source : Bangalore Mirror , 14th Oct 2015  

Govt official booked for allegedly sexually harassing woman - Bhopal

A Deputy Director of Madhya Pradesh Directorate of Public Relations was today booked for allegedly sexually harassing a woman, police said.

R S Meena sexually harassed the 35-year-old woman at a government office on the city outskirts on August 29 this year, Bhopal's women police station in-charge Inspector Sandhya Sharma told PTI.

The victim complained to police last week which was investigated by Additional Superintendent of Police Dilip Singh Tomar, she said.

The accused has been booked under IPC sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 506 (criminal intimidation), she said.

However, when contacted for his comments, Meena said "the allegations against me are nonsense."

Police sources said the victim, who runs an NGO for mentally and physically challenged women, had come in contact with Meena at a function in Indore some months back.

According to the victim's complaint, Meena had assured her of facilitating government projects to her NGO.

S K Mishra, MP Public Relations Department Principal Secretary and PS to Chief Minister, said they will act in the case according to the book.

Source: PTI , 14th Oct 2015 

Thousands throng Delhi Zoo's Wildlife Week

Delhi Zoo saw a good footfall of visitors during the 'National Wildlife Week' with thousands of students, parents, teachers, green activists and animal enthusiasts participating in the recently concluded event.

The programme at the National Zoological park here, which began in the first week of October, witnessed a wide range of activities with an emphasis on the importance of wildlife and its preservation.

"We have been organising the National Wildlife Week annually since Delhi Zoo's inception in 1957. The motive is to generate an interest among children and the adult alike, regarding the importance of wildlife," Riyaz Khan, Zoo curator said.

"This year thousands of school students across the capital participated in the Wildlife Week. We also registered a positive response from parents, amateur photographers and other nature enthusiasts," he said.

A wide range of activities, from a special session with the zoo keepers to clay modeling, poster making and debate competition were held in the zoo premise from October 1 to 7.

The competitions were categorised into five groups, with Group A comprising children from class Ist to 5th, Group B from 6th to 8th, Group C from 9th and 10th, Group D from 11th and 12th and Group E was for physically challenged.

"Cash prize worth Rs 3,000, Rs 2,000 and Rs 1,000 were given to the winners who stood first, second and third respectively," Khan said.

The proud winners were awarded by Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar today in the capital.

The Wildlife Week was celebrated in all Zoos of the country simultaneously.

Source : PTI, 14th Oct 2015 

Free placements for physically challenged - Hyderabad

Free placement services will be provided to physically challenged unemployed living in the district under the joint aegis of the National Skill Development Corporation and ACE Social Foundation.





In a release on Tuesday, Physically Challenged Welfare Department assistant director D. Sudarshan said that those who are in 18-35 years age group and studied up to SSC (pass or fail) suffering from physical disability or hearing impairment will be provided with free placement services during October 14-30. Further details can be had from ACE Social Foundation office located at Umanagar in Hyderabad on phone numbers 7032225539 or 7036840061.

 

 

 

Source : Metro India , 14th Oct 2015 

Metro Railway launches mobile app for passengers

Metro Railway on Tuesday launched a mobile application using which passengers can get information related to train timings, nearest stations, route map and other details. Metro railway has also introduced 4G services at two stations on pilot basis, said AK Kapoor, general manager of Metro Railway.






Metro authorities have also announced increase of services during Durga puja days. Kapoor said that the app - Metro Railway App - would provide vital information related to metro services.


“We have also introduced free 4G Internet service at Maidan and Park Street stations to begin with. We would soon increase the number of stations with 4G services,” he said.


He said that they had also introduced Train Arrival Display System (TADS) at five stations - Chandni Chowk, Esplanade, Park Street, Maidan and Mahanayak Uttam Kumar.


In another development, Metro authorities have decided to run 738 trains during the three days of Durga Puja (i.e. between 20 October and 22 October). In 2014, Metro had operated 636 train services during puja days. “This is the highest ever train services during Durga puja,” said a senior officer of the Metro Railway. The metro services during Durga puja would run between 2 pm and 4 am.


Metro Railway has also installed new AC plants replacing the old plants at Kalighat and Kabi Subhas metro stations. Metro Railway would also install an additional lift at DumDum station for the convenience of senior citizens and the physically challenged.




Source :  The Statesman , 14th Oct 2015

PU to launch helpline for visually impaired students - Chandigarh

For hundreds of visually impaired and physically challenged students at Panjab University (PU), the authorities have decided to launch a helpline to help them in filling their examination and fee submission forms. The helpline will start from next week.

The students will only be required to call on the number and give their personal details to the official, who will fill their forms. There are around 300 physically challenged students, including 200 visually impaired. Parvinder Singh, Controller of Examination, PU, said for the visually impaired students, they were also planning to introduce Braille forms, which will further assist them in completing all examination and fee submission related formalities themselves.


He said for all semester or annual examinations, their forms will be filled by the officials and any regular or private student enrolled with the university could avail of the service. Recently, PU Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover had said as all examination-related services at the university were shifting online, the visually imparted students might face difficulty in getting their forms filled. He had asked the examination branch to immediately introduce a help line for such students so that they could complete all examination-related formalities without any trouble.

Source : The Tribune , 14th Oct 2015 

2 more farmers commit suicide in western Orissa - Khadial

Two more farmers in western Orissa Tuesday committed suicide due to debt burden and crop loss induced by scanty rainfall this monsoon.


The deceased were Magashir Majhi (50), a physically challenged farmer of Tukurla village under Bhatli block of Bargarh and  Dharamudhar Ana (35) of Khirmal village under Boden block of Nuapada district.


Despite losing his left hand in a mishap a few years back, Magashir used to support his eight-member family by farming in his 10 acres of land. According to his son Dushmanta, the crop was largely dependent on rain water. They suffered heavy loss due to poor rainfall this season. His father was under severe mental stress as he borrowed money from a bank, a cooperative society and private money lenders, Dushmanta said.


Magashir Tuesday consumed pesticides after returning from his farmland. The family rushed him to the district headquarters hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival. He is survived by his wife, five sons, a daughter and an elderly mother.


As many as 13 farmers have allegedly committed suicide this season in Bargarh district alone.


Dharmudhar cultivated cotton and paddy in his seven acres of land. He mortgaged gold ornaments with money lenders to meet the farming expenses. He was under pressure due to scanty rainfall this monsoon and consumed pesticide Sunday.


The farmer was admitted to the Mission Hospital at Khadial where he succumbed Tuesday. The incident triggered an outrage on the hospital premises. BJP and Congress workers demanded Rs5 lakh as compensation for the kin of the deceased and a judicial probe into the incident by keeping the body on NH-353.


The blockade was withdrawn after the police arrived at the spot and assured the bereaved family all government aid including a house. Later, the agitators submitted a memorandum to the Governor through the BDO demanding that the district be declared as totally drought-affected.


Source : Orissa Post , 14th Oct 2015

Nominate commuter’s act of bravery for WR’s Good Samaritan award : MUMBAI

Commuters can nominate an act of bravery or selfless deed by fellow travellers on Western Railway, which will institute a Good Samaritan award every month. The award will be introduced from November and three heroes will be felicitated.

WR chief public relations officer Sharat Chandrayan said, "It is not only an award but a recognition of such acts of humanity and bravery. It will recognize good deeds of people towards fellow commuters, and encourage and motivate others to help the needy."

A five-member panel of judges consisting of heads/representatives of NGOs and others will be constituted. 

Tushar Gogri, managing director of TG Connect, which has designed the awards, said, "For a city that witnesses an average of nine deaths every day on the suburban rail network, the initiative is aimed at encouraging commuters to help each other and reduce fatal incidents."

WR said the awards will recognize heroic deeds of commuters in incidents related to accidental falls, eve-teasing, harassment and help meted out to senior citizens and physically challenged commuters.

The awards and heroic acts will be announced periodically on WR's public announcement service on trains.

Details of the incident and two witnesses will have to be sent as text messages to 56161. The nominations will be collated and presented to the panel. Gogri said, "The panel will comprise eminent heads of Mumbai-based social organisations and a senior railway official. The Good Samaritans will be felicitated at Churchgate or a local station frequented by the awardee."

The award will constitute a medal and a certificate that will be handed over as part of a brief felicitation.

Commuters have welcomed the initiative. Mira Road resident Ashok Shah said, "It is a nice way to recognised the effort of selfless citizens. I hope only genuine people get nominated or else the exercise will become a farce." 

Source : TOI , 13th Oct 2015

Physically Challenged Students to Get Fees Waiver in IITs

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) council has decided to waiver the fees of physically challenged students around the nation. The decision to waiver the fees were taken in a meeting of the IIT council that was headed by HRD Minister Smriti Irani. The meeting took place in Mumbai after which Irani confirmed by tweeting, “Happy to report that IIT Council has decided to waive off fees for our physically challenged students.”


The proposal of the IITs to raise the tuition fees was deferred in the meeting and the government decided to set up a committee that would examine the matter regarding the requirement of such fees hike. It would also look after the matter related to student loans and increase in scholarships for those who are in need of them. The institutes raised the issue of tuition fee hike in regard of the new funding mechanism of these institutes which makes it necessary for them to run the institute through money received from students in the form of fees. If the implementation in fees takes place the fees of the courses offered in IITs would shot up immensely and a course that is at present at Rs. 90000 would end up into Rs. 2.5 lakhs.


In the council meeting that took place in Mumbai, it was also decided that the institute would admit foreign students and preference would be given to students coming from various SAARC and African countries.  IIT council is the apex body that decides the policies that are to be included in the administration in various IITs and is headed by HRD Minister. In regard of the fee hike, the minister was not keen to divulge any opinion without examining the facts further.



Source : Jagran , 13th Oct 2015 

UPSRTC ‘medically unfit’ drivers to move Allahabad HC - Merrut

Days after over 1,000 medically unfit drivers- with vision impairment or physically challenged- of the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) across the state were told to leave their jobs on a two-week notice, the drivers have taken the case forward and hired advocates to file an appeal at the Allahabad High Court.

56-year-old Jai Kumar, one of the "medically unfit" drivers, said, "I along with all the 'medically unfit' drivers of the state have received a notice from the concerned authorities asking for our reply in the matter; we have asked for a high court copy of the order and have already sent our advocate to file an appeal. We will register a fresh case and not let our jobs be snatched away from us in the last few years of our jobs."

Kumar was on duty when a 12-wheeler truck crushed him and fractured his spinal cord and head. The accident left him with a weak eye sight which deemed medically unfit after which he started work at the diesel filling point in Sohrab gate bus depot. 

The move has come after an Allahabad High Court ruling which directed the MD to look after the "compulsory retirement" of all those drivers who are stated to be medically unfit and have completed more than requisite number of years of service.

"The managing director, UPSRTC, Lucknow, is directed to prepare a list of all its drivers in the state who have filed applications claiming they are medically unfit. The managing director shall constitute a committee to look after the compulsory retirement of all those drivers who are stated to be medically unfit and have completed more than the requisite number of years of service," read the Allahabad High Court order passed by Judge Pradeep Kumar Singh on July 15 this year on a petition filed by one Virendra Yadav.

In the backdrop of the HC order, on September 28, the MD of UPSRTC directed all the regional managers to prepare a list of "medically unfit" drivers and tell them to quit on a two-week notice.

"The drivers will get all the benefits that retired UPSRTC drivers get and will also be given a compensation amount. Under these instructions, each employee would be compensated in accordance with the tenure of his service already completed. For less than five years, 5-10 years, 10-15 years, 15-20 years and over 20 years of service, an employee will get wage of seven days, 15 days, 21 days, one month and two months respectively for every year of the remaining service," read the order issued by managing director K Ravindra Naik.

The order has created uproar among the drivers who had become unfit to drive due to accidents while on duty and have been serving the department as watchmen or postmen at bus depots and at diesel refilling centres.

Khalid Hussain uses a stick to help him walk with ease and will retire in another two years' time. Taken aback by the decision, Hussain, said, "None of us will sit back and will make sure that the matter is reconsidered by the court. How can anyone kick us from our jobs for something that happened accidentally to our physical being that too when we were on duty? I am hardly able to sit after the accident that I met in 2001 while I was on duty. Rather than being thankful for the service I did and compensating for the condition I am in, I am being told to leave. We are filing an appeal in Allahabad High Court and if nothing happens there, we will not think twice before visiting the Supreme Court." 

Source : TOI , 13th Oct 2015