Glocal Leaders Network

(Compiled and Published by J.N. Manokaran  ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) on behalf of Glocal Resources Development Associates)

I           India

1. SC puts stop to roadside shrines:  From now, there will be no fresh construction of temples, mosques or other religious places on roadsides or on public land, ordered the  Supreme Court  on the basis of a rare consensus among states brokered by the Centre. The ban, however, may not have any immediate impact on existing temples, mosques, gurudwaras and churches that stand tall on roadsides causing major traffic bottle-necks. The court asked state governments to review the status of each such illegal structure and take a decision expeditiously. The interim order imposing a blanket ban on fresh construction of religious places on roadsides or illegally on public land came from a Bench comprising Justices Dalveer Bhandari and M K Sharma on an appeal filed by the Centre challenging a Gujarat High Court order directing demolition of all such structures in Vadodara. Solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam told the Bench that on September 17, chief secretaries of all states had resolved in principle not to let any religious structure come up illegally on public land. Taking note of the consensus, the Bench ordered, "Pending hearing of the case, as an interim measure, we direct that no unauthorised construction of any religious institution, namely temple, church, mosque or gurudwara shall be permitted on public street or space henceforth."  Aware of the daunting task in preventing sprouting of religious structures on public land and on roadsides, the Bench virtually fastened accountability on district magistrates as nodal officers. It asked them to submit reports to their respective state chief secretary, who in turn would file a status report in the SC before December 7, the next date for hearing. Quoting the September 19 letter of Union home secretary G K Pillai, the Bench said, "In respect of unauthorised construction of any religious nature existing as on date, the state shall review on case to case basis and take appropriate action as expeditiously as possible." The Centre, fearing a law and order situation in communally sensitive Vadodara, had moved the SC challenging the Gujarat HC order of 2006 directing the state to act tough against any religious structure encroaching on public land. The SC had stayed the HC order on May 4, 2006. The HC order had come on a PIL, which had quoted a survey by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation stating that there were about 1,200 temples and over 250 mosques encroaching on public land.
   The situation in Vadodara had reached a communal flash point, when in implementation of the HC order the civic body initiated steps to demolish a dargah situated in the middle of the road. (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/SC-puts-stop-to-roadside-shrines/articleshow/5069527.cms accessed on 30 September 2009)

1. One crore women hold PSU bank accounts: In the long haul for women empowerment, another milestone has been achieved. The number of accounts with access to credit grew from 92 lakh in the year ended March 31, 2008 to 1.05 crore on March 31, 2009. The number refers to just individual beneficiaries. If self-help groups and those dealing with banks in the private sector are added, the number of women beneficiaries would be manifold. The trend is gathering momentum. Even in the year of downturn in 2008, when all financial institutions were engaged in consolidation, public sector banks (PSBs) added at least 10 lakh new women account holders under their credit facility. The growth augurs well for the UPA government's objective to bring at least 50% of all rural women in the country under the credit facility extended by PSBs by linking them through self-help groups (SHGs). The country's largest bank, State Bank of India, with over 22.40 lakh account holders in 2009, remains on top of the chart of PSBs that extended maximum credit to women. It was followed by Canara Bank with more than 10 lakh account holders, Punjab National Bank with 8.44 lakh accounts and Indian Bank with 5.50 lakh accounts. Syndicate Bank and Bank of Baroda were the only other banks having more than 5 lakh women account holders under their credit facility. Though most of the PSBs achieved the government's target, according to the finance ministry data, as of March 2008 four PSBs -- Allahabad Bank, Dena Bank, State Bank of Patiala and IDBI Bank -- failed to meet the target set by RBI in earmarking 5% of their net credit to women entrepreneurs. In 2009, State Bank of Patiala and IDBI could not achieve their target. Besides easy credit flow through PSBs, the UPA government had facilitated micro finance to those women who have not been able to avail of institutionalised banking support through the Rashtriya Mahila Kosh. The government has already announced increasing the Mahila Kosh's corpus from Rs 100 crore to Rs 500 crore over the next few years for this purpose. (Himanshi Dhawan & Pradeep Thakur, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/business/india-business/1-crore-women-hold-PSU-bank-accounts/articleshow/5070067.cms accessed on 30 September 2009)

1. 5-year old Chanda boy ‘sacrificed’ in a ritual: A five-year-old boy was murdered, allegedly in a gory human sacrifice ritual, in the Mahakali Mandir locality here. What’s more shocking is that the police ‘inaction’ — not only did the police turn a blind eye to the pleas of the parents who were frantically searching for their son on Dusshera night, but also did not register a case even after the boy’s body was recovered on Tuesday morning. Dhannukumar (5), son of Santoshkumar Nirmalkar, a Chhattisgarhi labourer who lives in the Danav Wadi slums, went missing immediately after Ravan dahan on Dusshera evening near Mahakali temple. “Last we heard of our son was when he was searching for firecrackers from the remains of burnt Ravan effigy with other children on Monday evening. However, as he did not return by 8 pm, we started searching for him but got no word by 9.30 pm,” said Punnibai, mother of the boy. She and her husband later approached Mahakali police outpost for help, but were allegedly turned away. “The cops asked us to search for Dhannu on our own,” she said. The distraught mother said that even though Dhannu was not traced by midnight, she with other neighbours approached city police station to register the complaint, but even there, she claims to have been turned away. (Mazhar Ali, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/nagpur/5-yr-old-Chanda-boy-sacrificedin-a-ritual/articleshow/5074187.cms accessed on 1 October 2009)

1. Gram Nyayalayas Act to take effect on October 2 More than 5,000 village courts, aimed at providing inexpensive justice, set up under the provisions of the Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008, will start functioning from Gandhi Jayanthi. This was announced by the Central government. The Act has been enacted to establish Gram Nyayalayas (GNs) at the grassroots level for providing access to justice to the citizens at their doorstep. The GNs will provide inexpensive justice to people in rural areas. It will be a court of the Judicial Magistrate of the first class, and its presiding officer (Nyayadhikari) will be appointed by the State government in consultation with the High Court. The GN will be established for every Panchayat at the intermediate level or a group of contiguous Panchayats at the intermediate level in a district or where there is no Panchayat at the intermediate level in any State, for a group of contiguous Panchayats. The Nyayadhikaris, who will preside over these GNs, are strictly judicial officers and will drawthe same salary and derive the same powers as the First Class Magistrates working under High Courts. The GN will be a mobile court and exercise the powers of both the criminal and civil courts. The seat of the GN will be located at the headquarters of the intermediate panchayat, they will go to villages, work there and dispose of the cases. It will try criminal cases, civil suits, claims or disputes which are specified in the First Schedule and the Second Schedule to the Act. They will follow summary procedure in criminal trial and exercise the powers of a civil court with certain modifications and follow the special procedure as provided in the Act. The GN will try to settle the disputes, as far as possible, by bringing about conciliation between the parties and for this purpose, it will make use of appointed conciliators. (http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/01/stories/2009100161451300.htm accessed on 1 October 2009)

1. The Secret suicide pact:  Five states – Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chattisgarh – account for just a third of the country’s population and two-thirds of farmers’ suicides. The number of suicides from 1997-2007 stands at staggering 182936.  Maharashtra saw four farmer suicides per one hundred thousand farmers while it was seven in the State of Chattisgarh.  Vidharbha with 1.5 lakh fewer people and roughly with the size of Chattisgarh saw 1065 suicides in 2006; while Chattisgarh saw 1483 suicides in 2006 and 1593 the next year.  (Shriya Mohan, Tehelka, 5 September 2009, p. 44-46)

1. Overworked and Underpaid? A recent study by UBS, that compares the relative purchasing power in 73 cities around the world, has several interesting insights to offer.  $5 is the amont of money a Mumbaikar earns for every $100 earned by a worker in New York.  A Delhite earns $6.8 making these the two poorest cities among the 73 cities surveyed.  The average person in Delhi has to work 20 days to afford an iPod Nano, while it takes only a day’s wage for someone in New York to afford the gadget.  2196 is the number of hours a Mumbaikar works in a year (a Delhite works 2166 hours.  By comparison, Parisians, who work a mere 1594 hours, get 28 days of vacations a year (Indians get 16).  $ 28 the amount spent by a person in Delhi, per $100 spent by a New Yorker towards cost of living.  Oslo and Zurich are the most expensive cities.  $178 is the cost of buying 39 pre-chosen common items in Delhi.  The same items cost $153 in Mumbai, $ 571 in New York, $ 633 in Geneva, and $ 172 in todyo. (Business Today, 4 October 2009, p.17)

1. Affluent Households: 2.5 million is the number of ‘affluent’ households in India, according to a survey by AC Nielsen.  Out of this, 2.2 million belong to the upper middle class segment.  The rich has 0.2 million and superrich 0.1 million households. (Business Today, 4 October 2009, p.30)

1. S-O-S:  India is racing ahead to be the global leader in incidence of heart diseases, cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS…well, the list is long.  And in health care, the country seems to be heading for the last slot.  Indian ranks 171 among 175 countries in public health spending, says a WHO report.  India spends 5.2 per cent of its GDP on health care; the global average is 9 per cent, thus making the citizens depend largely on private medical facilities.  India has the highest number of under-5 deaths.  India is the diabetes capital of the world.  India has the highest prevalence of tuberculosis.  By 2010, India will have 60% of the world’s cardiac ailments.  India has 2.5 million cancer patients.  Experts warn a five-fold increase over the next decade.  India has the second highest number of HIV infections.  (The Week 23 August 2009, p. 14)

1. Helicopter Parents:  Parent types:  1) Helicopter:  parents hover overhead, rarely out of reach, whether their child needs them or not.  2) Rotor Blade: The overfly fussy parent, fidgeting constantly over their off spring.  A lot like the rotor-blades of a chopper.  3) Curling:  As in the Olympic ice sport of curling, parents who try to ‘sweep ice’ (obstacles) out of their child’s path.  4) Black Hawk: Like the US military helicopters, aggressive parents who will do whatever it takes for their child’s success.  Today, parents need counseling.  They should understand that every child cannot be forced to excel in everything, and that a child needs unstructured play time. Children should be given space to take charge of their life.  ‘Parental anxiety’ is predominant worrying for the best environment for their children.  In a generational shift three factors are true:  First, parents will be highly involved in their children’s lives; Second, parents opt for fewer children, wait longer to have them and are more affluent, so they tend to micromanage children’s lives and have trouble letting go;   Third, An outward sign of economic anxiety, parents want to prepare their children for fierce competition they are likely to face in an uncertain job market.  In an effort to be aware of every aspect of their child’s life, and therefore control it a lot of parents take the ‘friend’ approach.  Unfortunately, buddy parents often turn overprotective due to lack of faith, and time for their child.  Hovering can frustrate children and make them stifled, and some react to become ‘rebel’.  Setting boundaries is a good practice, with freedom to move within those limits.  Here are some signs to recognize: 1) Quick fixers: Always opt for shotgun solution to suit their child.  If the child does not like a teacher, parents will demand the principal replace him or her.  2) Ranters & Ravers: Loudly complain about anything that doesn’t go their child’s way: always crib about unfair treatment or about losing out to those with better contacts.  3) Attention seekers: Believe the world revolves around their child.  If their kids want to run up and down airplanes aisles, so be it.  Be expected to ooh and aah over them.  4) Rule bakers:  Show little respect for the views and needs of others, or fo authority.  They always side with their child, no matter how poorly behaved or bratty.  5)  A telltale sign:  Parents masquerading as their child online.  There needs to be a balanced between protective parenting and permissive parenting.  The household needs to be a democratic set-up.  Parents should be authoritative, but not authoritarian, they need to discuss disciple and responsibilities.   (Nandini Narayan & Sharmi Ghosh Dastidar, India Today 21 September 2009, p. 60-64)

1. Not just kids, teachers bunk classes as well: A report by the department of school education and literacy, HRD ministry reveals that no state in the country has teachers scoring a 100% attendance. While teachers in West Bengal scored 98.1% attendance, Delhi and Haryana followed with 95% and 91.9% presence. The record of most teachers in other states stood between 70 and 80%. In Assam, though, only 55.2% teachers attended classes regularly. Teachers in Karnataka came up with a 83.9% score both for primary and middle schools. Except in Assam where middle school teachers bunked more (55.2%) compared to their primary school counterparts (79.2%), in almost all states the attendance disparity was not too huge. Karnataka's teachers had equal score of 83.9% attendance while Tamil Nadu had 86.6% and 89.6% respectively. If teachers cut classes can students be far behind? While children in Bihar had the lowest attendance rate of 42.2% in primary schools, attendance rate dipped to 36.8% at the middle school level. Children in Himachal Pradesh probably loved going to school. They scored the highest 94.6% (primary) and 93.2% (middle). Only 86% children in Karnataka attended school regularly.  While children in Andhra Pradesh scored 72.7% and 76.6% respectively, Delhi had 73.5% children attending school regularly. It was only natural for Kerala which enjoys the highest literacy rate in the country to record an attendance of 91.4% and 92.0% respectively. Children in Tamil Nadu scored 88.3% and 87.8%. In Orissa where teachers showed 85% attendance rates, children didn’t reciprocate. Their scores stood at 66.8% and 69.0% respectively.  The attendance scores of students ranged between 60% and 80% in the other states. ‘‘Teachers presence in the school is too crucial for pushing up our enrolment rate. No amount of enticements in the form of midday meal or free uniforms will help if teachers don’t show commitment and be there in the classroom,’’ said a senior academician. (Seethalakshmi S., http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/Not-just-kids-teachers-bunk-classes-as-well/articleshow/5087890.cms accessed on 5 October 2009)
2. Mortgaged: Wives, daughters:  There are no bad debts in Bundelkhand. If a man cannot repay a loan in cash, a wife or daughter will often do just as well.  As authorities in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh seemingly look the other way, women in drought-prone, impoverished Bundelkhand, a cluster of 13 forgotten districts that lies along the borders of the two states are paying the price for bad loans with their liberty. “Make me happy and the debt will be waived, he would say to me,” says Anita (name changed), her teeth gritted in rage. She was 17 when a powerful moneylender in Sipri Bazaar, Jhansi, first came to her parents’ home and declared that he would take in kind what they had been unable to repay in cash. Anita’s illiterate father had taken a loan of Rs 5,000, but signed a deed that said the sum was Rs 50,000. A labourer with no assets, he had no hope of repaying the loan. He had to let his daughter be led away by the moneylender. For the next six months, the moneylender allegedly returned repeatedly, taking Anita away and sending her home a few hours later. Finally, in April 2007, Anita walked from his house to the local police station and filed a case of rape and aggravated assault. “He got bail in a few hours,” she says, the rage returning to her face.  The practice of women being used as collateral shot into the news early last month, when another man from Jhansi who had allegedly lost his wife to a moneylender began a fight to get her back.  The moneylender had allegedly passed Kalicharan’s wife Kusma Devi on to an acquaintance, Deshraj, in a nearby village. When he was questioned, Deshraj showed district officials a Rs 10 stamp paper that said he and the woman were married. The case caught the attention of the National Commission for Women (NCW), which sent in a team to investigate. The UP Congress unit also set up a team to look into the matter. “This is neo-feudalism,” says Bhagwat Prasad, director of a local non-profit that fought against this practice in the local tribal community in the early 1990s. The wealthy have all the power and women are considered an extension of a man’s property and assets.” There is no record of how many women are suffering in this way, Prasad adds. “With suicides, there is a dead body, so everyone has to sit up. Here, the women are faceless and voiceless, invisible victims of an invisible crime.”  As far as the administration is concerned, however, there is no neo-feudalism. Meanwhile, about 115 kilometers from Anita’s one-room mud hut, victims turned culprits as an enraged couple in Barora village hit back at another powerful moneylender in 2006. When Mahesh Chandra offered to waive a Rs 2,500 loan and throw in an additional Rs 500 in exchange for Bhagwati Devi (30), her husband Chandrabhan (34) lunged at the man with just the towel he held in his hands. The police report says the couple ended up strangling Mahesh Chandra, and were arrested for murder. Bhagwati, a mother of four, spent the next two years in jail. Chandrabhan is still in prison. Now, Bhagwati supports her family by selling trinkets and cosmetics to village girls. “I’m lucky if I can afford a few bananas for the children every  day,” she says. “And I don’t know how long I can afford to keep them all in school.”  (Pankaj, Jaiswal, http://www.hindustantimes.com/Mortgaged-Wives-daughters/H1-Article1-461225.aspx accessed on 5 October 2009)

1. India ranks 134 on Human Development Index:  India is ranked at 134 place among 182 countries on the Human Development Index report of the United Nations Development Programme that was released today globally. The report titled 'Overcoming barriers: Human mobility and development' stressed on the need for change in immigration policies to allow greater movement of people across counties whose skill can spur economic recovery. About India, the report said, "for India remittances (Non-Resident Indian money flowing in the country) are 1.5 times greater than foreign direct investment and have been fairly stable during the global economic downturn compared to the volatility of other financial inflows." The report said India's international migration or emigration is minuscule compared to internal migration with 307 million Indians estimated to live in a place away from where they were born. It pointed out that for India emigration is actually small in number, just under one per cent of the population and about 70 per cent Indian emigrants move within Asia. It has suggested that the migration has the potential to increase people's freedom and improve the lives of millions provided countries can remove the barriers to free movement. The report says that one billion or one out of seven person globally is a migrant. But a majority move within their own countries-over 440 million--almost four times the number of international migrants. Among International migrants less than 30 per cent move from developing to developed countries. The research found that migrants from the poorest countries, on average, experienced a 15-fold increase in income, a doubling of school enrolment rates and a 16-fold reduction in child mortality after moving to a developed country. Migration, especially internal, can have a significant impact on reducing poverty in a country since it is much easier for people from poor families to move within borders than across them, it said. Evidence from Bangladesh and India shows that poverty rates fall for households with at least one member who has moved elsewhere within the country, it added. (http://expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=India+ranks+134+on+Human+Development+Index&artid=C3l5OolC9hw=&SectionID=XT7e3Zkr/lw=&MainSectionID=XT7e3Zkr/lw=&SEO=Human+development+index,+undp,+india,&SectionName=HFdYSiSIflu29kcfsoAfeg== accessed on 6 October 2009)
2. One-third of world's child brides in India: UNICEF: Nearly 25 million women in India were married in the year 2007 by the age of 18, according to a UNICEF report.  The report added that children in India, Nepal and Pakistan may be engaged or even married before they turned 10. Millions of children are also being forced to work in harmful conditions, or face violence and abuse at home and outside, suffering physical and psychological harm with wide-reaching, and sometimes irreparable effects, the report said. "A society cannot thrive if its youngest members are forced into early marriage, abused as sex workers or denied their basic rights," said UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman. Despite rising literacy levels and a ban on child marriage, tradition and religious practices are keeping the custom alive in India, as well as in Nepal and Pakistan, the report said. More than half the world's child brides are in south Asia, which also accounts for more than half the unregistered births, leaving children beyond the reach and protection of state services and unable to attend school or access basic healthcare. Only 6 percent of all births in Afghanistan and 10 percent in Bangladesh were registered from 2000-08, the report said, compared to 41 percent in India and 73 percent in the tiny Maldives. Also, about 44 million, or 13 percent of all children in south Asia, are engaged in labour, with more than half in India. Children in the region have also been seriously affected by insurgency and instability, as well as natural disasters. Especially in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal, past or ongoing conflicts have broken down most child protection systems, leaving children especially vulnerable, the report said. Trafficking of children for labour, prostitution or domestic services is widespread, especially within Bangladesh and India, and within the region, as well as to Europe and the Middle East. "Insufficient emphasis has been placed on protecting child victims of trafficking and ensuring that any judicial proceedings brought against them are child sensitive," the report noted. (http://ibnlive.in.com/news/onethird-of-worlds-child-brides-in-india-unicef/102789-3.html?from=tn accessed on 7 October 2009)

1. Twilight of life:  Persons above 65 years of age in India is 6 percent of the population.  It is estimated that there would be 173 million senior citizens by 2025.  Life expectancy in India has soared high from 20 years in the beginning of 20^th century to 62 years today.  India is a home for 300000 centenarians.  However, the plight of our elderly is pitiable to say the least.  Incidence of violence and crime against the aged are on the rise.  The spate of cold-blooded murders by miscreants hand-in-gloves with the domestic helpers driven by the lure of money and jewelry hit the headlines of our dailies.  Elder abuse of varied forms, active and passive neglect by the adult children, desertion or ‘putting away’ old parents in Old Age Homes some of which resemble  no better than overcrowded sties, lack of old age pension to those belonging to the unorganized works force et al put a huge chunk of our aged population under the trauma of socio-economic  insecurity.  According to Help Age India: Four out of ten elders in India are victims of abuse.  A staggering 48.6% of the perpetuators  are their own adult children, in some cases their grand children joining the cruel hobby.  There is value conflict.  The age old cultural and traditional values are pushed back by the values of market, media, consumer culgture.  These thrive on pleasure principle and profit rather than the sense of moral duty and self sacrifice.  (Tisy Jose, Indian Currents 28 September – 4 October 2009, p. 14-16)

1. A Suitable girl:  The average urban Indian male is showing a new sensibility in discarding traditional attributes in favour of more practical ones, as he redefines his choice for the ideal bride.  Partner Preference Survey was done by Shaadi.com .  11577 individuals from over 300 cities and Non Resident Indians (26%) responded to the survey.  A new sensibility seems to be emerging, along with a restless quest toward sexual equality.  82% of men are looking for a mate by themselves on the Net; 50% of men have no real preference for fair-skinned girls; 41% of men want quality time together to get to know a prospective partner better; 56% of men said that caste is not important; 75% of men wanted their wives to be doctors, engineers, MBAs or other professionals;  55% want to live as joint family; 73% believe that courtship helps; 57% said compatibility is the most important factor;  42% of men said that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder; 47% wanted educated girls who would continue to work; and 36% were open to the idea of marrying a girl with a disability.  Compatibility factor means: to have communication skills and able to debate, converse, discuss and challenge his grey cells; relationship skills, maturity and social type; emotional intelligence – how she deals with life’s stickier moments and for comfort level with his people; loving and trustworthy personality who would understand and accept him as he is; strong independent woman, who wouldn’t kowtow to his every whim and fancy.  This is how the trend has changed in seeking preferred partner:  1960’s – Pretty, virgin, accomplished girl, right caste and family.  1970’s – Convent educated, smart, fair, innocent girl.  1980’s – Tall, fair, slim, qualified and homely.  1990’s – High earning, physically perfect plus homely.  2000’s – compatible, educated working girl, looks not that important, nor caste and horoscope.  The age band of suitable girl is moving upwards.  Good girls grow tough and ask potential the following questions: How close do you want to live to your parents’ house; Do you expect me to do all of the cooking and house work; Would you insist on having a joint bank account; If I am moved to another city, would you want me to quit by job and Would you expect me to stop working-once we have children? Men have shed a lot of those old limiting signposts in choosing a life-mate – beauty and age, caste and community, joint family and domestic goddesses – that haunted their fathers.  The new demands for compatibility tell the new story of masculinity.  To find mate men are ready to work harder than ever before for they are aware that marriage today is a partnership in every which way.   (Damayanti Datta, India Today 12 October 2009, p.86-92)

1. Now, a post graduate course in parenting:  Soon parents will get lessons on parenting. Worried by the rising trend of separations and divorces and its impact on families, the Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) has decided to introduce a masters degree in parenting through a distance education mode, which would cover the entire gamut — familial relationships, child psychology, separation and even divorce laws. The programme is expected to kick off in about six months' time. An undergraduate degree is the only eligibility and age is no bar. MKU vice chancellor R Karpaga Kumaravel said it was the first of its kind in the country. Experts welcomed the development saying the move addressed a growing need at a time when the breakdown of joint families had rendered the task of raising children a more complex one.

(Padmini Sivarajah, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Now-a-postgraduate-course-in-parenting/articleshow/5108148.cms accessed on 10 October 2009)

1. City wastes Rs. 11.5 Cr in Traffic Jams daily:  Traffic jams in the city costs the Delhi citizens Rs. 10 crore and the government Rs. 1.5 crore per day.  Centre for Transforming India did a study that has revealed this.  About 1000 vehicles are added to the city every day, the capacity of the roads are already stretched, the only way forward seems to develop public transport system.  The study reveals that in any given day, one third of the 6 million vehicles registered are on the roads.  Each of these on average, wastes 1.6 litres (2.5 litres for cars and 0.75 litres fro two wheelers) which works out to a total wastage of 3 million litres of fuel.   (Megha Suri Singh, Times of India, Delhi 15 October 2009, p.1)

1. Four out of every 10 bodies reaching govt hospitals have no name: Of the every 10 bodies brought to government hospitals in the city every day four are unidentified, say officials of the hospitals.  With the increase in number of people migrating to the Chennai city in search of work, if some onf them are dying, police are finding it difficult to locate their families. More than 100 bodies are lying unclaimed in the four Government hospitals in Chennai.  Police also attribute this phenomenon to increase in number of senior citizens abandoned by their families.  They live on roadsides, parks, beach and try their level best to earn a living but when they die there is no one to perform the last rites, so they remain unclaimed.  The capacity for mortuary is 120, and if more bodies arrive, one body is placed over other body.  If no relatives of a a deceased come forward to calim the body, police bear the cost of conducting the last rites with the help of NGOs.   (Gokul Vannan, The New Indian Express, 12 October 2009, p.1)

1. ‘Three in 5 abortions in India are unsafe’:  Only two in five of the estimated 6.4 million abortions that actually take place are safe.  Globally the number of abortions has dipped.  Number of abortions fell from 45.5 million in 1995 to 41.6 million in 2003.  Abortions in Asiac countries decline from 33 per 1000 women in 1995 (among 15-44 age group) to 29 per 1000 women in 2003.  Unsafe abortions kill an estimated 70000 women each year.  The unwanted pregnancy globally is 76 million per year.  (Kounteya Sinha, The Times of India Delhi 16 October 2009, p.13)

1. Nuclear families to blame for discord: The recession has had its effect in all fields but not in matrimonial disputes. In fact, the filing of divorce cases is on the increase now in the state of Tamil Nadu. In the days of the joint families, the elders acted as the family counselors patching up problems between the squabbling husband and wife. Compromising was part of marriage and couples roughed out their turbulent patches to finally end up telling the children and grandchildren in the evening of their lives that all is well that ends well and there are no regrets. But with that kind of cushioning not there anymore, working couples are picking quarrels more often over even trivial issues and move courts for divorce. A majority of divorce cases are on the grounds of cruelty and desertion. Adultery and bigamy are other main grounds. Money is not the only criterion for seeking separation. Nowadays both husband and wife are working and hence the stress in office reflects in family life too. Late marriage, no time to think and adjust, no time to interact and superiority complex are the other factors leading to divorce. In the ’80s, there was only one court dealing with matrimonial disputes among other civil cases. Everyone, including court staff, was shocked when the number of divorce cases touched one hundred in one year in the early 80s. But, now the figure has crossed thousand. The number of divorce cases filed in 2005 was 2,800. It increased to 4,358 in 2008 during the time of the IT boon. But, even after the economic recession, the figure has touched 3,431 up to September 2009. Since more than 350 cases are filed every month, the figure may likely cross 4,400 by the year-end. “Earlier, the system was a family getting into matrimonial agreement with another family, in the era of mostly arranged marriages and so they used to have commitment. If the marriage is of your choice, then making or breaking it is also your choice. So the extended family role is minimised. We should have pre-marital counseling by competent trained counselors. So that the couples would know what is what and how to minimise friction for congenial life”, says Sudha Ramalingam, an activist and a leading lawyer. “In olden days, the woman could not get out since she had no independent income. She could not even find a single accommodation. Hence she had to subject herself to all kinds of torture and suffer in silence. Now, she has a choice since she is independent. She’s got income, she can get accommodation and she is able to make her decision about her life. That is why we see woman also moving family courts. Earlier, they moved courts only for restitution of conjugal rights while a majority of men sought divorce. Now, some women also seek divorce”, she added. (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/nuclear-families-blame-discord-938 accessed on 19 October 2009)

1. Manu Over Ambedkar: Gujarat’s Balmiki children face humiliations daily in schools and villages.  Around 1000 kids gathered in Sabramati Ashram before panel comprising of former acting Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court, National Commission of safai karamacharis member and other leaders.  In the state which is supposedly won governance awards and corporate approval; children from Balmiki caste work for pittance, cleaning manure pits, dragging dead animals, sweeping the streets with their parents, mop floor, clear garbage, clean toilets.  In schools they are forced to do this for free.  They are abused and beaten if they refuse to do the menial tasks.  Treated as untouchables and kept at arm’s length by upper caste students.  In some areas, they are not even allowed to drink from a common source of water.  Reports of their notebooks never being corrected since teachers don’t like to handle their books.   (Mari Marcel Thekaekara. Outlook 26 October 2009, p. 22-23)

1. Over 50 million diabetes cases in India: report India leads the world in the number of people suffering from diabetes and by 2030, nearly 9 per cent of the country’s population is likely to be affected from the disease, the International Diabetic Federation (IDF) has warned. About 50.8 million people are now suffering from the looming epidemic of diabetes, followed by China with 43.2 million. According to a report released at the 20th annual World Diabetes Congress of IDF which opened on Monday in the Canadian city of Montreal, the U.S. has 26.8 million people suffering from the disease, while it is 9.6 million in Russia, 7.6 million in Brazil and 7.5 million in Germany. Pakistan is the third Asian country with 7.1 million diabetic patients while Japan has 7.1 million and Indonesia has 7 million, according to the latest IDF data. There are 285 million diabetes cases worldwide, accounting for seven per cent of the world’s population. It also predicted that diabetes would cost the world economy at least $376 billion in 2010, or 11.6 per cent of the total world health care expenditure. According to the report, India currently spends $2.8 billion or one per cent of the global total expenditure. Unless serious action was taken the epidemic of diabetes would increase from 7 million new cases a year in 2007 to 10 million new cases this year. (http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/21/stories/2009102162361800.htm accessed on 21 October 2009)

1. Thumbs up for migration: Most migrants, internal and international, reap gains in the form of higher incomes, better access to education and health, and improved prospects for their children, observes the United Nation’s Human Development Report 2009.  An overwhelming majority of people who moves do so within the borders of their own country even in countries like India and China. There are about 740 million internal migrants in the world- almost four times as many as those who have moved internationally.  Only 37 per cent of migration in the world is from developing to developed countries.  A reason why there is not more movement from developing to developed countries is that it is costly.  Current forecasts are that the world’s population will grow by a third over the next four decades.  The global working age populations is expected to increase by 11 billion by 2050, whereas the working age population in developed countries will decline slightly.  Asia will have 3.4 billion work-age people and many are expected to migrate to Europe, where there will be a 23 per cent decline in workforce between 2010 and 2050.  These demographic trends argue in favour of relaxing the barriers to the entry of migrant labour.  Such increased migration countries is expected to benefit migrants as well as the destination countries.  Indian techies till recently earned 30 per cent less than those who had moved to the US.  Moving to developed countries improves access to health facilities and sanitation.  There is a 16-fold reduction in child mortality for movers from low to high HDI countries.  In a poll 84 per cent migrants said they were happy and 72 per cent felt healthier.     (Business Today, 1 November 2009, p. 32-33)

1. 1200 gangsters run amok across Chennai: There are over 1200 gangsters spread across the city and a majority of them have political backings.  From Mylapore to Tambaram, the gangs are spread everywhere but only a few are active now.  There are around 29 gangsters in the A-plus category and over 120 hitmen in the A category.  A person who leads a team of gangsters is put in the A-plus category.  Those who carry out murders or assaults are put in the A category.  Low-live goons are put in B and C categories.  The gangs function across the Tamil Nadu State.  The main activity of these gangs is to organize ‘kangaroo’ courts, extortion, kidnapping and served as hired henchmen.  They are also involved in land grabbing also.  The police feel that the city is a brewing volcano.  These gangs have started fighting territorial wars with each other and it will not be long before it spills out on to the streets.   (Vivek Narayanan, Times of India Chennai 22 October 2009, p.2)

US robbers target Indian homes for gold:  Police in United States have found a disturbing trend of Indian-American homes being targeted by burglars for gold, which guarantees the robbers of assured money rather than traditional electronic items. Since high quality gold jewellery -- at least of 22 carats in general and 24 carats in particular -- is mostly found in homes of Indians in particular and South Asians in general due to cultural values, police say the robbers have increasingly started identifying and targeting such homes, a media report said. The Washington Post said several such cases in neighbourhoods in and around Washington  which has sizeable Indian population reporting incidents of burglars breaking into Indian homes and running away with anything gold. "The burglars are discerning. They have taken 22-karat pieces but left behind sterling silver and well-crafted costume jewellery. They have sifted through floor-length gowns lovingly stored in closets and plucked every custom-made sari threaded with gold and worth thousands, disdaining saris worth only hundreds," the report said. Noting that this is a nationwide trend, not restricted to Greater Washington Metropolitan Area, it said unsolved crimes mirror a pattern of 93 burglaries in Houston, 37 in central Illinois and a handful outside St. Paul, Minnesota.  (http://www.ndtv.com/news/diaspora/us_robbers_target_indian_homes_for_gold.php accessed on 18 October 2009)

1. One million premature babies die every year:  Titled ‘The Global and Regional Toll of Preterm Birth’, it shows that in 2005, an estimated 13 million babies worldwide were born preterm — defined as birth at less than 37 full weeks of gestation — which was almost 10 percent of total births worldwide. The paper attributes about one million deaths in the first month of life — or 28 percent of total newborn deaths — to preterm birth. According to the White Paper , the highest preterm birth rates in the world are found in Africa, followed by North America — US and Canada combined. In the United States alone, the annual cost of caring for preterm babies and their associated health problems tops 26 billion dollars annually. If world leaders are serious about reaching the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health, then strategies and funding for reducing death and disability related to preterm birth must receive priority.  The White Paper is based on data published recently in The Bulletin of the World Health Organization (WHO). Worldwide, the preterm birth rate is estimated at 9.6 percent, representing about 12.9 million babies. Though all countries are affected, the toll of preterm birth is particularly severe for Africa and Asia, where more than 85 percent of all preterm births occur. The White Paper also suggests that babies who survive a preterm birth face the risk of serious lifelong health problems, including cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss, learning disabilities, and other chronic conditions. It further states that even infants born late preterm have a greater risk of re-hospitalization, breathing problems, feeding difficulties, temperature instability (hypothermia), jaundice and delayed brain development. The paper says that some known risk factors for preterm birth can be identified before or during pregnancy: for example, women who have already had one preterm baby are at greater risk. According to the paper, some preterm births may be preventable by addressing known modifiable risk factors, including nutrition and body weight, existing medical conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, alcohol and tobacco use, second-hand smoke and early elective inductions and elective Cesarean delivery. The authors of the white paper stress the need for greater efforts to inform health professionals, policy makers, women of childbearing age, and others about the worldwide toll of preterm birth and opportunities for prevention and for care of women with high-risk pregnancies and their babies.( http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/1-million-premature-babies-die-every-year-/articleshow/5089512.cms accessed on 6 October 2009)

1. UN; 1 bn suffer hunger pangs:  Parents in some Africa’s poorest countries are cutting back on school, clothes and basic medical care just to give their children a meal once a day.  A record one billion people worldwide are hungry and a new report says the number will increase if governments do not spen more on agriculture.  30 countries require emergency aid, 20 nations are from Africa.   (The Times of India Delhi 26 October 2009, p.26)

1. Around 270,000 victims of human trafficking in European Union: United Nations: The United Nations said there could be around 270,000 victims of human trafficking in the European Union and urged greater efforts to combat the illegal trade. Authorities in Europe were aware of only a tiny proportion of the victims, said the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), estimating there were 30 times more people affected than were known about. The disclosure came on European Anti-Trafficking Day on Sunday, which aims to draw attention to the plight of victims of the trade who are forced to work illegally after being smuggled across borders. Antonio Maria Costa, UNODC executive director, highlighted few human traffickers were caught and blamed police for not taking enough action. Less than one in 100,000 people were convicted for human trafficking in Europe, he said in a statement, adding this was less than "for rare crimes like kidnapping." "Perhaps police are not finding the traffickers and victims because they are not looking for them," he added. The majority of victims are women who are forced into prostitution, according to the UNODC. Men are often forced to work on building sites or farms, and 10 percent of victims are minors, the agency said. (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Around-270000-victims-of-human-trafficking-in-European-Union-United-Nations/articleshow/5136561.cms accessed on 20 October 2009)

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Name of the book:  2 States:  The story of my marriage