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I    India

1.    Mosquitoes - top civic woe in Chennai: Chennai is now witnessing a spurt in mosquitoes and complaints are pouring in from Mylapore, Velachery, Sowcarpet, Vadapalani and Choolai. The labour-dominated north Chennai is the worst affected and the city corporation is fighting a lonely, losing battle against mosquitoes. The major reason for the unchecked mosquito breeding is canal water, stormwater drains and sewage. Though fumigation and fogging are carried out on a daily basis, the mosquito menace continues to be a nagging problem in Chennai. However, health officials maintained that the mosquito density in city was under control. The corporation has identified 120 spots that are prone to mosquito breeding and severe anti-larvicide measures are taken up in these areas on a daily basis. A recent survey indicated mosquito density as 56 ten-man hour, but a similar survey done last week showed that larvae density dipped to 24 ten-man hour.In fact, the city corporation also recently roped in corporation school students as health ambassadors to campaign for mosquito control measures in their locality, such as identifying stagnant water pools and destroying the breeding sources, but nothing has helped eradicate mosquitoes. (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/mosquitoes-top-civic-woe-chennai-057 accessed on 27 January 2010)

2.    Woman molested, beaten on Rajdhani Express: Twenty-eight-year-old Alka decided to trave with a first-class ticket on the Rajdhani from Patna to Delhi. In the middle of the night,  two men who were travelling in the same coupe allegedly molested her. Ironically, the offenders were on the train to guarantee the safety of another woman, Jyoti Kumar, a Congress politician from Aari in Bihar - who was travelling in another coupe near Alka. The Rajdhani is meant to have four armed commandos from the Railway Protection Force patrolling the entire train. There was no sign of them while she was being assaulted. Alka shouted out for help. That summoned Jyoti Kumar, the employer of the guards. Kumar allegedly responded to Alka's SOS by beating her. This version of events is confirmed by other passengers. Though the politician says, "I did not beat her. It was she who assaulted me." Other passengers asked a train attendant to summon the commandos. Nobody showed up. When the train pulled into the Kanpur station at 10:30 am on 26 January, passengers were shouting angry slogans against the railway police. Finally, one of the two guards was arrested. The second guard is absconding. Alka is completing her journey to Delhi with a police escort. The worrying issue for many women passengers: that even one of India’s  most prestigious trains can pose a dangerous journey. (Anant Zanane, http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/woman_molested_beaten_on_rajdhani_express.php accessed on 27 January 2010)

3.    The New White Flesh Trade: As Dubai goes into meltdown, women from Former Soviet Union are flooding into India, offering sexual pleasure for a price.  It is estimated that there are 3000 women in Delhi and 3000 in other parts of the country.  They are from Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Chechnya and Kyrgyzstan.  These women are replacing the earlier imports from Nepal and charge 40 percent more and are using their USP – white skin – fascination for Indian men.  They are changing the rules.  They use professionally designed websites and classifieds to get their clients.  Some were arrested in the recent past.  In Dubai, December 2007,  240 people were arrested; 2713 were detained in 2009 May in Dubai.  228 Uzbek women were deported from Thailand.  So, they started moving into India.  They charge Rs. 8000 to Rs. 30000 depending on the duration.  The CIS women provide anonymity and professional detachment.  These women do not ask for phone numbers etc, while Indian women do.  The CIS women are hygienic that they insist use of condoms and men have shower before sexual encounters.  These women dress well, wear best make-up, and carry best accessories.  400 women are expected to arrive during Common Wealth Games in Delhi.  It is presumed that all these immoral activities happen with the help of police.   (Mihir Srivastsava, India Today 1 February 2010, p. 54-61)

4.    Children of Lesser Gods: There are 1918 children languishing in jails by the end of 2007 according to National Crime Records Bureau. Their only crime is that they were born to women convicted of crimes and languishing in jails.  Since the women cannot leave children below 5 year of age, the law permits them to keep their children in jail.  Sanitation, food and stay are not conducive as they have to live with prostitutes, murderers and thieves.  There is no education facility for these children.  In many jails there are no separate sections for women. The Supreme Court guidelines (April 2006)  that the children should not be treated like convicts are not strictly followed.  In some jails NGOs organize mental stimulation and social development exercises for children.  Most of the women are from economically and socially backward families.  The children tend to develop rebellious mindset.  Without reformation, thousands of children lives are not only spoiled, jail becomes factory of future criminals.    (Mitali Patel, India Today  1 February 2010, p.62-64)

5.    Why Bihar’s 11% Growth will not excite India Inc.? Less than 48 per cent of people in Bihar could read and write.  Literacy rate in India is 65.38%.  Per capita development of Rs. 2184 is lowest among all States and is half the national average of Rs. 4208.  54.4 percent of Bihar population lives below poverty line, while national figure is 37.2.  Bihar has about 83000 km road and about two-third are not motorable.  Bihar produces 1.32 of power (1970 MW of 15000 MW) , while its population is 8% of Indian population.   (Manu Kaushik, Business Today  7 February 2010, p. 14)

6.    Food and Health:  Indians spend Rs. 25 out of every Rs. 100 they spend on food excluding eating out.  But they spend a mere Rs. 150 on health.    (Business Today 7 February 2010, p. 20)
7.    Leave me alone. I’m reading;  The reading of English books is apparently rich young male in India.  Indian reads primarily for self-improvement; the second biggest reason to enhance one’s English.  Only 18% read for pleasure. The survey of 1152 people suggests readers relate to books much in the way they would relate to a soft drink – for a functional purpose.  64% of the total buyers of English books are from the top 10% elite and 85% are male.  Thiruvananthapuram, Bengalure and Kolkata has the highest number of readers; while Delhi and Chandigarh have only few.  10% of the readers are regular porn readers.  7% of female readers are regular porn readers.  On an average Indians spend Rs. 360 on books.  Delhi 221.3; Chandigarh 405.3; Bengaluru 402.8;   Chennai 290.3; Thiruvananthapuram 569.5; Kolkata 430.8; Shillong 373; Ahmedabad 501.3 and Mumbai 185.8.  Top genres preferred: 44% Action, adventure, mystery, thriller; 31% Biographies, Autobiographies and memoirs; 28% romance; 26% short stories and 24% comedy.  The average reading time during weekdays is 90 minutes while Delhi has lowest with 40 minutes.  30 minutes are added during weekends except for Bengaluru where the weekend reading time is reduced.  Chetan Bhagat seems to be the most favourite writer and is the best representative of India’s current reading tastes. 40% of readers above 50 years read religion, spirituality and religion while only 7% below that age prefer that.   (Tehelka 30 January 2010, p.22-40)
8.    Silent revolution: Rise in marriages of others to dalits: India saw 4750 inter-caste marriages involving dalits in 2008-09, the number being marginally lower at 4,205 in 2007-08. In 2006-07, this stood at 3,945. Though absolute figures for 2010 are awaited, the estimates from states have put it at 5,862, showing that the upward trend has not slackened. The numbers point to a trend that is not just holding but also perhaps gathering momentum. Even the fact that the couples in these alliances have stepped forward to document their marriages speaks of the cast-iron social compartments loosening. After all, it was Bhimrao Ambedkar who advocated "intermixing of blood" as a way to reduced caste animosity. Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra lead the chart, registering around 1,000 for three years. In 2010, Maharashtra promises to double its figures to 2,214. Kerala and Karnataka have also registered good absolute numbers at 996 and 600, respectively, in 2009 and promise to repeat the show. Haryana, for all its `khap panchayats' and honour killings, seems to do well with 94 marriages in 2009, 129 in 2008 and an estimated 80 in 2010. The same applies to MP with 199 in 2009, 117 in 2008 and 95 in 2007. In sharp contrast, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Punjab and West Bengal seem unaffected by the winds of change. Experts say Gujarat and Uttarakhand are known to be strong hierarchical societies and absence of marriages between SCs and non-SCs may reflect a political attitude. Importantly, the high rate of inter-caste marriages in South may still not include upper castes as part of this change. The 1911 caste census of Madras Presidency put upper castes at 2%, which may mean that most marriages are among OBCs (largely Most Backwards) and SCs. Real `castelessness' is still a long way off. Experts say that "hypergamy" (male from Dwija castes) has religious sanction while "hypogamy" (woman from upper caste) would mean the real breaking away from stratification. Bengal, on the other hand, is the unknown entity vis-a-vis inter-caste tieups. The communist system, with no belief in caste, records no figures. But this bit of progressive culture could be hiding a disturbingly static society. (Subodh Ghildiyal & Swati Mathur, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Silent-revolution-Rise-in-marriages-of-others-to-dalits/articleshow/5518307.cms accessed on 31 January 2010)

9.    North Chennai tops in number of suicide cases:  North Chennai has reported 418 suicides last year, the highest number of suicides in the city last year, according to city police statistics. Washermanpet (208) tops in the number of suicides reported in the city, followed by Pulianthope (195). Surprisingly, the upmarket Adyar comes third in the number of suicides (188). Across North Chennai, South Chennai and Central Chennai, 1,082 suicides were reported last year. To create awareness among the middle income group people living in north Chennai, city police  organised an awareness camp against suicide in MKB Nagar. Joint commissioner of police (north zone) SN Seshasai, deputy commissioners of police N Baskaran (Pulianthope), Shanmugavel (Flower Bazaar), doctor Anbudurai, Madras High Court advocates association president Paul Kanagaraj, Indian bar council executive chairman Dhanapalraj, special public prosecutor V Kannadasan and many others participated at the meeting. More than 75 families of suicide victims participated in the meeting. Sarees and notebooks were distributed to the victim's children and women. Police  have planned to rope in many NGOs to conduct frequent counselling after identifying victims at random. According to an internal report submitted by a police team which analysed various suicide incidents reported in the city, domestic disputes (50-60%)  are the main reason for suicides. The other reasons include drug abuse, alcoholism  (20-25%) and chronic diseases. A considerable number of people commit suicide due to love failure (7-12%) , poverty and failure in examinations (7-10%).  Police have conducted special campaign for young girls in north Chennai to create awareness against early marriage and elopement. After this, incidents of elopement has reduced considerably. Suicides reported in the year 2009: North Chennai (Flower Bazaar, washermanpet and Pulianthope) 418 ; Central Chennai (Anna Nagar, Triplicane and Kilpauk) - 284 ; South Chennai (Adyar, T Nagar and Mylapore) – 380.  (Times of India 31 January 2010, p. 4)

10.    Govt to make honour killing heinous crime: The government is set to amend the 150-year-old Indian Penal Code to define honour killing as a heinous crime by adding a new section to the criminal law, with punishment ranging from life imprisonment to even a death sentence. The move follows the growing demands to curb the social menace of killing young girls defying their families in marriage related issues, in some north Indian states particularly Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. So far, honour killing is not a classified crime in India, and no separate data is available of such cases with the National Crime Records Bureau. The proposal moved by Home Ministry, has been cleared by the Law Ministry and the government is likely to move a Bill in Parliament in the coming Budget session, after getting the cabinet nod.“We have completed our preparations to put in place a strong deterrent against the pervert practice of honour killings not only against those who carry it out, but against those who abet it also,” Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily told Hindustan Times. The government has shelved its plan to bring a fresh law to curb such killings, and has decided to amend the IPC, the law that prescribes punishment for criminal offences.  The new definition of honour killing will carry the same punishment as that of murder — ranging from a minimum of life imprisonment to a maximum of death sentence. Till now, there was no clarity on how those responsible for such killings, particularly of girls, should be booked, said a senior ministry official. Caste panchayats aid and abet honour killings. Principle actors in such panchayats need to be arrayed as accused and prosecuted for murder... Reasons for such killings have remained closely guarded secrets in many cases so far.  The government is also considering changes in the Special Marriage Act to simplify the procedure of marriage between consenting adults belonging to different religions, and also to the Evidence Act to shift the burden of proof in cases of honour killings on the accused. (Nagendar Sharma, http://www.hindustantimes.com/Govt-to-make-honour-killing-heinous-crime/H1-Article1-503615.aspx accessed on 31 January 2010)
11.    Blood of discord:  Private cord blood stem-cell banks playing on the fears of young couples and providing inaccurate information lure parents to invest lakhs.  The promise given is ‘lifelong’ health of their children.  1.5 lakh parents have preserved the cord blood of their children in private stem cell banks.  The stem cell banks sell service that has no real use for treating therapeutic options.  The websites of stem cell banks list 75 diseases that could be treated.  Most blood related diseases like leukaemia are genetic and could not be treated in this method.  Study also shows that one cord of stem cell could be used to a body weighing 25 kg only.  The use of stored stem cell for self is practically nil.  It is useful only when the unborn sibling has some disease.   (Gunjan Sharma, The Week 7 February 2010, p. 48-54)

12.    Sex before marriage is rape: Delhi high court: The court rejected pre-arrest bail to a man who repeatedly had sex with a woman but refused to marry her even after their engagement. The woman stayed with her fiance, Nikhil Prasar, in Mumbai for a few days, “where they had fun, and then went to Delhi and stayed in a hotel where they had sex”.  When it came to fixing a date for marriage, however, Nikhil refused, on the grounds that he had learned that she belonged to a different caste.  The woman complained to the police and a rape case was registered. Justice VK Jain said the caste factor was an afterthought by Prasar, who then absconded. Could he marry “any girl merely because she belonged to a particular caste or sub-caste, even if he did not approve of her personality, temperament, education, culture, upbringing, and family background", the court asked. “The answer can, obviously, be in the negative," justice Jain said. If he were so orthodox and conservative that he broke the marriage owing to caste differences, he should not have hurried in for sexual intercourse before marriage, the justice said. Sexual intercourse before marriage amounts to rape or it will result in victimisation or exploitation of innocent girls, justice Jain said. (Rakesh Bhatnagar, http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_sex-before-marriage-is-rape-delhi-high-court_1342233 accessed on 2 February 2010)
13.    39% of varsity teachers not computer literate, says V-C: In an informal survey done in the University of Madras and its affiliated arts and science colleges; it was found that 39% are not computer literate, according to Vice Chancellor, G. Thiruvasagam.  27% of the college teachers do not have email IDs.  Currently 950 college professors are being trained in computer literacy and the process would continue until all college teachers are trained.  (The Times of India 3 February 2010, p.2.)
14.    Vacant SC/ST seats can’t go to general list: Apex court: The Supreme Court has held that general category candidates who crack competitive exams and get waitlisted cannot be accommodated against  seats belonging to the reserved category even if these are lying vacant. The merit list for general category is just for that category. The ruling came in a case relating to appointment of district judges in the Delhi Judicial Services. It was alleged by aggrieved candidates that after filling up the 13 posts notified for the general category, there were vacancies in the reserved category posts which were not filled and hence those on the top of the merit-cum-wait list be considered for the same. A Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices Deepak Verma and B S Chauhan rejected the petitions, saying it would be patently illegal to appoint persons in excess of the notified vacancies. "Any appointment made beyond the number of vacancies advertised is without jurisdiction, being violative of Articles 14 and 16(1) of the Constitution, thus a nullity, inexecutable and unenforceable in law," said Justice Chauhan, writing the judgment for the Bench. "In case the vacancies notified stands filled up, process of selection comes to an end. Waiting list etc cannot be used as a reservoir, to fill up the vacancies which come into existence after the issuance of notification or advertisement," the Bench said. In the case in hand, only 13 vacancies for general category were advertised, hence once that was filled up, there was no scope for looking at the wait list for filling any vacancy arising in the reserved category or otherwise, the Bench said. "The unexhausted select list is meant to be consigned to record room," it said. The Bench accepted the arguments of senior advocate A Mariarputham, who appeared for the HC. He said, "thirteen vacancies of general category were advertised: the same had been filled up according to merit, therefore, selection process in that respect stood exhausted." The HC had issued an advertisement on May 19, 2007, for 20 posts of district judges of which 13 were for general category, three for SCs and four for STs. All 13 general posts were filled up, but two posts reserved for SCs and four posts meant for STs could not be filled up due to non-availability of suitable candidates.
(Dhananjay Mahapatra, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Vacant-SC/ST-seats-cant-go-to-general-list-Apex-court/articleshow/5532872.cms accessed on 4 February 2010)

15.    Over 51,000 seats vacant in TN engineering colleges: Latest admission statistics in engineering colleges compiled by officials of the higher education ministry revealed that only 1,14,518 seats of 165980 seats were filled up during the admission season that started in July (government quota) and ended in October (management quota). 31% of the seats remained vacant.  Three engineering colleges and one architecture institution (Ranganathan Architecture College in Coimbatore) had failed to attract even a single student. Over 70 new private engineering colleges of the existing 440 were established last year. In the previous academic year 2008-09, as many as 1,18,565 of the 1,31,680 seats available were filled in the 344 engineering colleges that were functioning then. The percentage of vacant seats worked out to less than 10% last academic year. Similarly, during 2007-08, of the 1,09,784 available seats colleges had managed to find students for 94,346 seats, which meant that only around 14% of the seats remained vacant. Less than half-a-dozen of the engineering colleges in the state were able to attract students for the entire sanctioned student intake strength in the current academic year. Less than 10 students were admitted in three private colleges. Academics felt that the figures reflected two aspects one, that parents and students did not have faith in the quality of education provided in many private institutions and second they stayed away due to prohibitive costs of engineering education. (D Suresh Kumar, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Over-51000-seats-vacant-in-TN-engineering-colleges/articleshow/5532472.cms accessed on 4 February 2010)

16.    Single Together: Support groups for singles are emerging in many cities across the nation.  These clubs promote companionship without being involved in sexual or romantic relationships.  Some groups are for people above 45 years and they cater to single men and women who have lost their spouses or divorced or not married at all.  Some are for youngsters who are single mothers or single professionals.  There are group activities like picnics or tours.  Many gather every month or fortnight for lecturers or discussions.  They also venture out or watch movies together.  Adjustment disorders and work related stress has given rise to number of divorces.  This has created a need for singles clubs, where they can have friends and enjoy company.   (Nishat Bari, India Today 8 February 2010, p. 68-69)

17.    Missing Doctors:  India carries 20 per cent of the global disease burden, which is less than its share of the world population at 17 per cent. Specifically, this includes a disproportionately high share of the global burden of pre-transition communicable diseases and other vaccine preventable diseases: 23 per cent of child deaths, 20 per cent of maternal deaths, 30 per cent of tuberculosis cases, 68 per cent of leprosy cases, 50 per cent of polio cases and 14 per cent of HIV infections. The same is true of other diseases such as malaria, acute respiratory illnesses and diarrhoeal diseases. Mortality as a result of communicable diseases amounts to 2.5 million child deaths and an equal number of adult deaths a year. If one adds the poor maternal and neonatal health status to the above statistics, communicable diseases account for nearly half of India’s disease burden.  Indian public health system has pronounced disparity between urban and rural areas. For example, in Andhra Pradesh, the rural infant mortality rate (IMR) is 67 compared with 33 in the urban areas; in Karnataka, the rural IMR is 61 as against 24 in the urban areas. This is a clear consequence of the highly skewed nature of health care in favour of urban India. Three-fourths of 0.7 million graduate doctors legally permitted to practise as qualified doctors operate in and around urban areas, thus catering to just 28 per cent of the country’s population and leaving the rural folk underserved or totally neglected in terms of basic health care. The primary health care infrastructure in the country is a three-tier system with  1,46,036 Sub-Centres (S.Cs),  23,458 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and 4,276 Community Health Centres (CHCs). Yet, there is a shortfall of 20,486 S.Cs, 4,477 PHCs and 2,337 CHCs. There are 24,375 doctors serving the PHCs, which, given the estimated rural population of about 830 million, implies a doctor population ratio of 1: 34,000. This is much below the global standard set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) of 1: 250. Indeed, recently the Chhattisgarh government advertised for nearly 1,200 posts of MBBS graduates to fill positions in PHCs. It received only 400 applications. (R. Ramachanran, http://www.frontlineonnet.com/stories/20100226270411400.htm accessed on 10 February 2010)

18.    No financial crisis impact? India's poor grew by 34 mn:   According to data obtained by TOI from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs' (UNDESA) estimates that the number of India's poor was 33.6 million higher in 2009 than would have been the case if the growth rates of the years from 2004 to 2007 had been maintained. In 2009 alone, an estimated 13.6 million more people in India became poor or remained in poverty than would have been the case at 2008 growth rates. In other words, while a dip from the 8.8% growth in GDP averaged from 2004-05 to 2006-07 to the 6.7% estimated for 2008-09 may be nothing like the recession faced by the West, its human consequences for India were probably worse. The 2.1% decline in India's GDP growth rate has effectively translated into a 2.8% increase in the incidence of poverty. According to the UNDESA's World Economic Situation and Prospects 2010, 47 million more people globally became poor or remained in poverty in 2009 than would have been the case at 2008 growth rates, and 84 million more than would have poor at 2004-7 growth rates. Of these, 19 and 40 million respectively are in south Asia. While the report did not give India-specific figures, these were given to TOI by the UNDESA in response to a request for more information on the numbers pertaining to the country. The numbers come from revised per capita income estimates for 2009. The report uses the World Bank's definition of poverty, which is people living on less than $1.25 per day in 2005 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) dollars. The UNDESA report attributes this increase in poverty to a combination of reduced household incomes, rising unemployment and pressure on public services. Job losses in India were primarily in export-oriented industries like textiles while employment levels in Indian firms catering to the domestic market were largely unaffected, the report says. Monetary and fiscal policy intervention gave Indian growth some resilience, while safety nets like India's National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) helped to mitigate the effects of the slowdown, the report adds. In addition to job losses, food price inflation is a major factor in a decline in poverty reduction in India. (Rukmini Shrinivasan, The Times of India 10 February 2010, p.1)
19.    Develop affordable houses, not malls: Government to realtors: The government told real estate developers to construct more affordable houses rather than shopping malls.'It is not advisable to invest largely in shopping malls as of now. What we need today is affordable housing. We are still short of 24.7 million houses in cities and towns,' Minister of State for Urban Development Saugata Ray told real estate developers at a function organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry. He said the government was making all efforts to make home loans and housing within the reach of the common man. 'We have already proposed to the government to cut interest rates on home loans,' the minister said adding that the government already has the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme for affordable housing which has a corpus fund of Rs.1 trillion for a seven-year (2005-12) period. The government is also short of meeting the target for affordable housing by the end of the ongoing 11th plan period which ends in 2012. 'We need Rs.3.61 trillion for meeting the demand of affordable housing.' (http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20100210/812/tnl-develop-affordable-houses-not-malls.html accessed on 11 February 2010)
20.    Chennai Teens steal for lavish lifestyle: Middle-class teenagers have now gone to the extent of stealing to satisfy their childhood fantasies like buying mobile phones and expensive electronic gadgets. “When parents refuse to fulfil their wishes, children take a devious route to get what they want,” said a senior police officer. In the last two months, the police has nabbed school students in four different cases after they were caught stealing several lakhs of rupees and motorcycles. In the last two months there have been more than five cases of teenagers breaking donation boxes at roadside temples or stealing cash and credit cards from houses. “A boy stole several lakhs from his own house in Anna Nagar and bought a car without his parents’ knowledge. He was caught, but his parents, shocked that their son was behind the theft, withdrew the complaint immediately,” said the official. At Zam Bazaar, two boys stole cash from a house when their parents refused to buy them new mobile phones. The police also nabbed two teenagers on Tuesday for stealing motorbikes to spend on their friends and watch movies. Three schoolboys in Ice House were held for stealing jewels and cash from their locality houses. “Nowadays, children become easy victims of peer pressure and to impress their classmates, they want to flaunt expensive gadgets and phones. When parents put a hurdle in their way, they go one step ahead and involve in thefts,” said psychologist R. Manoj. (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/teens-steal-lavish-lifestyle-862 accessed on 13 February 2010)

21.    SC order may raze 226 ‘illegal’ places of worship: With the Supreme Court having set a six-week deadline for state governments to evolve a strategy to remove illegal shrines in public pla-ces, top officials of the Chennai corporation have already identified such structures in their jurisdiction. “We have recently prepared a detailed list of 226 illegal religious structures that are located in public places in the 10 zones,” said the Mayor. “We will be removing them as per the Supreme Court guidelines.” He added that no alternate locations would be allotted for these shrines as they were set up on encroached land in the first place. “The city already faces a shortage of land and we have a tough time identifying public places for constructing toilets, parks and other amenities that are useful to the public,” said Mr Subramanian. “In such a situation, allocating alternate spots for illegal religious structures would be a difficult task,” he added. Corporation officials said they had already removed two new shrines that had sprouted in Anna Nagar and at Periyar Park in zone 1. “Whenever we receive a complaint, we remove the illegal structures right then,” said an official. “The concern is about removing already existing shrines,” the official added. The Supreme Court had set a deadline of six weeks for all states and Union Territories to frame a comprehensive policy to prevent encroachment of government land by religious institutions. It also directed that the states should clearly declare what steps had been taken to remove or relocate the existing structures. (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/sc-order-may-raze-226-%E2%80%98illegal%E2%80%99-places-worship-304 accessed on 18 February 2010)
 
22.    Tantrik held for human sacrifice: A tantrik was arrested on charges of killing a seven-year-old boy as a human sacrifice in Orissa's Jajpur district, police said. 25-year-old Pitambara Gaipai was arrested after he confessed that he killed the boy to get perfection in tantra, police officer A.R. Mohanty told IANS. The boy, Srikanta Bagi, a resident of Kubal village in the district, had been missing since Feb 11. Gaipai who belonged to the nearby Ichhapur village, some 150 km from here, told police that he beheaded the boy the same night. While the body of the boy was found in a field near Ichhapur village, the severed head and two old human skulls were found in Gaipai's hamlet half a kilometre away. "The accused confessed that he was practicing black magic and it was an act of human sacrifice," Mohanty said. (http://expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Tantrik+held+for+human+sacrifice&artid=k5KNJkmc/9k=&SectionID=mvKkT3vj5ZA=&MainSectionID=mvKkT3vj5ZA=&SEO=tantrik&SectionName=nUFeEOBkuKw= accessed on 19 February 2010)

23.    Cigarette-holding Jesus in school book triggers row:  Pictures of Jesus Christ holding a cigarette in one hand and a beer can in another, in a book for primary classes have triggered a row in Meghalaya and the state government is now contemplating legal action against the New Delhi-based publisher. The objectionable pictures of Jesus Christ found in the cursive writing exercise copies at a private school in capital Shillong were brought to the notice of the influential church by some guardians. "We are shocked and hurt by this act where Jesus Christ has been portrayed in a highly objectionable manner. We condemn the total lack of respect for religions by the publisher," Dominc Jala, the Archbishop of Shillong, said. New Delhi-based Skyline Publication produced the copies meant for students of Class 1. "Just imagine students at such an impressionable age being dished out objectionable images which are nothing but blasphemous," said T. Jrwa, another church leader. The Meghalaya government acted swiftly and confiscated all copies from the school and from book shops. "Although private schools are not bound by the prescribed text books of the Meghalaya Board of Secondary Education, still we took immediate action by seizing all the copies and if deemed fit we might even take legal steps," said Meghalaya Education Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh. An estimated 72 percent of the 2.32 million people in Meghalaya are Christians.
(http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/cigarette-holding_jesus_in_school_book_triggers_row.php accessed on 19 February 2010.)

24.    Youth run cop over for revenge in Greater Noida:  Released on bail shortly after being arrested for drunk driving, a group of six youths knocked off a police sub-inspector and crushed him under the wheels of their Maruti car when he tried to stop them during a vehicle checking drive in Greater Noida. The cop, John Peter is now battling for his life in a hospital in Greater Noida. The drunk youths were subsequently arrested once again and this time booked under serious charges like attempted murder of a public servant and Gangster Act. Most of the accused reportedly hail from well-to-do families in Haryana and had come to town to attend a marriage in Kitnord area of the city. "The cop was checking vehicles as part of a routine exercise with his colleagues. The culprits were stopped and were asked to produce documents. They got down from the car and misbehaved with him. When he retaliated, they got into the car, hit his bike and mowed him down. The cop has sustained multiple fractures in his thighs and one arm. The miscreants had just been released on bail in a criminal case," said A K Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Noida. (http://www.ndtv.com/news/cities/youth_run_cop_over_for_revenge_in_noida.php accessed on 19 February 2010)

25.    Take your beggars back, 10 states told:  The Delhi government wants the streets clear of beggars for the Commonwealth Games in October. And it’s come up with a plan: since most beggars are from outside the city, it wants them repatriated to their home states. The government has sent letters to the chief secretaries of 10 states, asking them to take back the beggars. Though comprehensive data is missing, a sample survey in August 2009 of 11 shelters — capacity 2,018 — run by the Delhi government revealed that most outstation beggars came from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. That month, of the 1,518 beggars rounded up by the Delhi Police anti-begging squad, 1,099 were from outside the city. Letters  were  sent  on  February  12 to West Bengal, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh too. Even if they  begged  for two days, they earned for the entire week. “Why should we go back to our home state? We have been living here for many years,” said Sushila (35), a native of Jodhpur who begs at the Tolstoy Marg-Janpath crossing. “There is not even a drop of water to drink back home,” she added. “I  was  born here. We have not been told about any such order,” said Noora (12), who hails from Bihar. (Vijaita Singh, http://www.hindustantimes.com/Take-your-beggars-back-10-states-told/H1-Article1-510788.aspx accessed on 20 February 2010)
26.    Rs 1.5 cr spent yearly on parks:  There are 233 parks in Chennai city that are well-maintained recreational areas. This is possible only because the corporation spends close to Rs 1.5 crore towards the maintenance of these parks every year.  There are 138 roadside parks, 117 traffic islands and 58 traffic central medians. Around 20 major parks have been developed at a cost of Rs 5.42 crore in 2006-2007 and 14 parks have been renovated in the last few years. According to corporation officials, the maintenance cost runs close to Rs 1.5 crore a year at present, even when it has been outsourced to private agencies on tender basis. But this is only for maintaining the greenery: the expenditure towards maintaining the sit-outs and pathways and other civil works do not come under this, say the officials. (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/rs-15-cr-spent-yearly-parks-882 accessed on 20 February 2010)

27.    Sex before 15, girls pip boys: Study:  Premarital sex has been found to be common among young men but a higher percentage of women aged 15-24 years have had sex before reaching the age of 15. A large scale youth survey conducted under the aegis of the Union health ministry in the six states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu has thrown up some interesting findings. Around 15% of young men and 4% young women interviewed admitted to having pre-marital sex. Shockingly, 24% of the women had premarital sex for the first time before age 15 compared to 9% men. Premarital sex was also found to be more common in rural India. According to the report prepared by Population Council, Delhi, and International Institute of Population Sciences, Mumbai, youth in rural areas were also more likely than those in urban areas to have initiated a pre-marital romantic relationship at age 15 (29% compared to 17% among young men, and 46% compared to 31% among young women). Around 6% of rural youth compared to 1% of urban youth had their sexual debut before age 18. Over 26% of young men and 40% of young women reported that they had spent time alone with their first romantic partner at age 15 or below. Many of the pre-marital sexual experiences reported by the youth were risky. Around 25% of young men and 21% of young women reporting pre-marital sex had sex with more than one partner. Moreover, consistent condom use was limited only 13% of young men and 3% of young women reported condom use in all pre-marital encounters. While sexual relations were generally unsafe across all the six states, some notable state-level differences were found. For example, among young men, multiple partner relations were reported by 32% in five of the six states, but by relatively few (14%) in Rajasthan. The surveyors spoke to nearly 51,000 married and unmarried young males and females for this youth study. The survey found that significant minorities of young men and women had made or received a proposal for  romantic relationship (23%) before marriage, with one in four such relationships progressing to becoming sexual. The first reported romantic partner was typically a neighbour or friend (reported by 33% of young men and women), a fellow student or colleague (reported by 30% of young men and 16% of young women) or an acquaintance from outside the village/neighbourhood (reported by 25% of young men and 19% of young women). Around 27% of young women compared to 9% of young men reported that their first pre-marital partner was a relative. As far as consensuality of first sex is concerned, a larger percentage of young men than young women reported that their first experience of pre-marital sex was mutually consensual (76% verses 66%). One in seven young women (14%) reported that their partner had forced them to have sex the first time. (Kounteya Sinha, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sex-before-15-girls-pip-boys-Study-/articleshow/5597478.cms accessed on 21 February 2010)

28.    Child marriage rampant in India, finds study:  Child marriage continues to be rampant in India with nearly one-fifth of Indian women being married off before turning 15 and around 50 per cent before reaching the legal marriageable age, a study has found. The study, prepared by the Population Council of India and released by Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad here today, said rural women were four times more likely than urban young women to be married off before 15 years of age. One-fifth of the young women surveyed were married off before the age of 15, half before they turned 18 and two-thirds before the age of 20, the survey conducted in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, found. (http://expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Child+marriage+rampant+in+India,+finds+study&artid=k4boxlVTtXM=&SectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&MainSectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&SEO=Child+marriage&SectionName=pWehHe7IsSU= accessed on accessed on 21 February 2010)

29.    Sachin bats for campaign against domestic violence:  With domestic violence becoming a serious problem in India — one in three married women reporting some form of abuse — around 25 cricket coaches in Mumbai are now being trained to teach their players how to behave with a woman. Initiated by the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW), in collaboration with Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) and Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA), project 'Parivartan' hopes to use India's most popular sport to curb domestic violence. The project, on the lines of the famous American programme 'Coaching Boys Into Men', has been endorsed by Sachin himself. In a letter to coaches from 25 schools, mostly from south and suburban Mumbai, Sachin said, "Winning a match is important for a coach but a big part of the job is helping to develop a solid, responsible young player who is able to become an outstanding citizen." The maestro added, "Parivartan will use India's most popular sport to teach boys how to be respectful towards women and help reduce violence against women." To be formally launched in Mumbai on March 8 to coincide with International Women's Day, the programme will see coaches teach over 1,000 budding cricketers "how not to use foul language while talking to a woman, how not to carry aggression back home and how to respect women". Coaches are being trained on how to identify moments on the field where they can point out inappropriate language and behaviour and explain how to change them. The ICRW will measure the impact of the programme on the boys as well as the women by January 2011, after which a decision will be taken to roll out the drive in other states. (Kounteya Sinha, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Sachin-bats-for-campaign-against-domestic-violence/articleshow/5605016.cms accessed on 23 February 2010)
30.    Sindhis start move to stop conversions: A number of influential Sindhi personalities have come forward to restrain the ongoing trend of conversion among fellow community members in Ulhasnagar. They have decided to start a shuddhikaran (purification) movement for those who have stopped following traditions of Hinduism. The move has come after DNA published a report on Tuesday on the growing attraction towards Christianity among the Sindhis in the township. Among the four lakh Sindhi-speaking Hindus in Ulhasnagar, an estimated 7,000 have changed their faith in the past two years to Christianity.  Upset with the converted community members not changing their names, the All India Sindhi Samaj had said that the organisation would boycott them. (Kiran Tare, http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_sindhis-start-move-to-stop-conversions_1352733 accessed on 26 February 2010)


 II    Diaspora

1.    Indian Diaspora statistics: According to Foreign Ministry report there are 29230309 Non Resident Indians living around the world.  This is seven million more than the population of Australia.   (Business Today 7 February 2010, p. 20)

2.    Hindu Gods in US custom-made postage stamps: Hindu gods have made their way into US mail, with an Atlanta based company headed by an Indian American launching a series of legally valid custom-made postage stamps. The first of these 44-cent stamps featuring Sri Krishna, Shiva-Parvathi, Lakshmi, Lord Venkateshwara, Murugan, Vinayaka and Sai Baba were issued by usa-postage.com last month. The company made use of a six-year-old US Postal Service (USPS) rule that permits issue of customised postages to launch the series."These postages have not been issued by the US Postal Service, but these are as good as stamps and are legally valid. We do not call them stamps. We call them postages. But these can be used as any other normal stamp," a USPS spokesman said. The Hindu gods follow the tradition of 'Sunny Funnies', a series of stamps featuring popular cartoon characters such as Calvin and Hobbes and Archie conceptualised by the USPS. (http://ibnlive.in.com/news/hindu-gods-in-us-custommade-postage-stamps/109551-2.html?from=tn accessed on 2 February 2010)
3.    Two Lakh Indians live illegally in US: Report:  200000 is the number of illegal Indians living in US according to official report for the year 2009.  It has increased from 160000 in 2008.  (The Times of India  11 February 2010, p. 11)

III    Global

1.    Terrorists:  44% of the 400 terrorists who were tracked by an European sociologists – Diego Gambetta and Steffen Hertog study.  (Business Today 7 February 2010, p. 20)

2.    Mumbai office rents twice of Manhattan: Despite the global meltdown, office rentals all over the world are expected to hold firm or increase in 2010 according to global property consultancy firm Knight Frank's annual projection for the year. Tokyo continued to command the highest office rents in the world during 2009. Although Mumbai does not figure in the top ten global office rentals, its rentals are sometimes twice those of Manhattan. For instance if space opposite the Grand Central Station in Manhattan is in the vicinity of $3 to $4 (Rs 138 to Rs 184) a square foot a month, some of the commercial space in the Bandra-Kurla Complex commands as much as $7 (Rs 322) a square foot every month, according to Knight Frank. Prices in the central business district of Nariman Point are also in the same range. According to the Knight Frank survey, despite substantial rental falls during 2009, eight of last year's top 10 still remained there. These are London (West End) at the second spot, Paris (3), Moscow (4), St Petersburg (5), Abu Dhabi (6), Dubai (7), Singapore (8) and Hong Kong (9) London's City Market (10).  St Petersburg and London's City Market returned to the top 10, moving up from their 2008 positions of 13 and 12 respectively. Joe Simpson, head of commercial international research, Knight Frank, said, "A quarter of the cities surveyed are expected to see a fall in rents in 2010, but in most cases the degree by which rents will decrease will be marginal in comparison to the negative movement seen in 2009. The remaining 75% will, at worst, see rents holding firm with approximately half expected to show positive rental growth in the year ahead." London's West End witnessed falls of more than 20% in Euro terms and Hong Kong, Dubai and St Petersburg saw rental falls in excess of 30%; Singapore saw rents more than halve in 2009. New York saw one of the heaviest falls of all the major global office markets, with a 45% decline in Euro terms. "This has resulted in a plunge in New York's rank amongst the expensive major office markets from 15th at the end of 2008 to 21st at the end of 2009," the survey said. Although not officially included in the top 10 list, Luanda, Angola, commanded prime rents that outstrip those in Tokyo, London, Paris and New York. The best buildings in the capital of the resource-rich South-West African country commanded rents of up to Euro 1,500 a square metre per annum.
(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Mumbai-office-rents-twice-of-Manhattan/articleshow/5604940.cms accessed on 23 February 2010)