Skill development for differently abled person PWD

21 Mar 2015 (AIR News Analysis)

Participants: Mukesh Jain, Joint Secy, Ministry of social justice & empowerment and Interviewer – Surabi agarwal, special correspondent, Business Standard.

Two new schemes launched for the disabled people?

Numbers from the census 2011 – 2.68 crore are disabled – 9.9million people are literate, in working age, unemployed/underemployed;

National Action Plan launched to address these issues; Problems need to be addressed: (1) Low coverage (hardly 1 lakh per year) (2) low rural accessibility (3) low employability (4) uncertainty of the quality (5) no homogeneity; so to create cohesive, coherent, qualitative system; CSR money should be properly channelized for optimum usage;

Steps to be taken to meet the said target?

Sector skill council for PWD (currently 31 council – vertical councils) – now to create horizontal councils; (1) to create synergistic cluster/system; (2) proper monitoring from the ministry;

Deficiencies in the present system?

To open more centre in rural areas; Note: Massive Online Open Courses (MOOC) – with the aide of Digital India – Online training platform;

Connecting industries with the differently abled people?

Industries realize the potential of the PWD; Some Estimate says the productivity of employing PWD increased by 0.5%;

As 13 sectors identified where PWD can get better avenues? Is it so?

No pre-conceived notions.

How about reservation in Private sector?

PWD (1995) Act mandates 3% reservation for the PWD; Private sector yet to be considered;

Occupational Standards?

Job requirement – occupational standards – training required;

Who will develop the portal?

NHFDC (under MOSJE) – National Handicapped Finance Development Corporation- Portal similar to Naukari, Shaadi, Timesjobs…

Fund earmarked for the project?

Rs.100 crore allotted under the national Action plan. Also we have Scheme for implementation of  PWD Act (SIPDA)

Crime against women and issues of Law & Order

Crime against women and issues of Law & Order (07 Mar 2015 AIR News Analysis)

Participants: Amit Kelkar, SC Advocate and Satya Prakash, Legal editor Hindustan times

Nagaland – Angry mob - Demapur jail – Farithkhan (Acquittal of Rape case) – beaten to death; similar incident in Varanasi. What is behind this trend?

Lack of legal literacy among the common – poor understanding of criminology – poor understanding of jurisprudence “law is does not believe in taking revenge – it is for prevention or deterrence – two aims of the legal system” Aims is not to finish the criminal, it is to finish the crime;

Judicial process Vs mob justice? In Other the other hand alleged rapes – 35% increase compared to 2013 level – also other crime against women increased more than 156%. Socio-Economic-Education factor stand reason for such crime rates? What are the other reasons behind it?

Deterrent is not created – because of the severity of the punishment – by the surety of the justice – law will be able to detach grave from the shaft or will be able to differentiate the guilty; only by having surety of punishment; real concept of masculinity – to follow certain principle, not to be lustful, not to seek shortcuts; 

Contradiction in the society – Shakthi/Kali, Saraswathi, Lakshmi – both they never treat their mother, wife or daughter in such manner;

Legal system of India is cheapest – stable system; but it has many scopes for improvement; whole system cannot be contemned – it protect the fundamental and human rights of the society; The defect does not diminish the entire system;

Competency of the judges? Judge population ratio – 13/14 judges per million populations; Insufficiency – judicial pendency?

Untrained/ill-trained police – lack of essential forensic laboratory – training on latest technology;

Are Fast tract courts a solution for Nirbhaya type of cases?

Making the justice deterrent – sensitizing the judges on Gender justice; SC verdict – directed all the states to ensure security of women in all public places;

Police cannot be omnipresent – they have to be augmented, trained;

Nagaland incident could be the catalyst for the change; 

Security concern of Social Activist

Security concern of Social Activist (05 Mar 2015 AIR News Analysis)

Participants: Amod kanth, Social Activist/Former DGP and Anil Anand, Senior Journalist

Raising Social issues – civil right activist commendable work – whistle blower- but also counter- movement or Anti movement also taking place- disguise of public interest – Ex: Gandhian Anna Hazare – Anti corruption movement – threat by NRI from Canada;

Requirement public discourse? How to keep the movement live?

Police – want to stop such social activist being vociferous. Annual programme of NHRC – to tackle problem related to Human rights;  

Change - Transforming the society from the established systems, with new idea, new values?

Opposed by the representative of the old system;

Role of police, establishment, society? Public discourse would be the solution;

Bilateral provision – social media message – threat – across the borders?

Where the message comes from – due to - (1) Reactionary though process related to the group/ political group (2) Individual’s Mind/Thought process (3) connected to somebody.

Cross border- international – so, Interpol to collect information – cross border issues – no legal value – no evidence can be collected; International law & agreement between the two countries – Extradition treaty – Eg. India & Canada;

To collect evidence – Indian court and the Canadian court must be working together – many Human rights issues are associated;

Difficult to investigate or to collect evidence? How difficult it is? Recent issue of “India’s Daughter” documentary by BBC? How Bilateral relationship should be strengthened to make the investigation ease, as the world becoming global village?

Some of the lawyers (BBC documentary) – in the name of defending the convicts – used statement derogatory to women;

Reactionary/ conservation (Vs) forward looking/more tolerant people;

Vested interest – misusing - shape/ direct public opinion – less tolerance (intolerance) – inducing irrational thinking – ‘Catch them young’ – children exploitation;

Intolerance – not democratic – not suitable for democratic society;

Rajya Sabha TV – Science Monitor (08 Nov 2014)

Weekly update on all the happening in Science & Technology, in and around the nation;

Headlines

1. Complete ban on fossil fuels required to combat climate change;

UN’s Intergovernmental panel IPCC – meeting at Copenhagen – IPCC – Released the 5^th Assessment report on Climate Change; complete ban on fossil fuel by the end of this century (Carbon emission increasing the global temperature); Investment in low-carbon electricity proposed; 1983-2012, the warmest 30 year period in last 1,400 years; Global poverty can be reduced only by stopping Global warming; coming decades, there may be 5 degree raise in the temperature in the pre-industries level by the end of this century; rise in investment in low carbon electricity, energy efficiency along with the technologies like carbon capture;  

2. Scientists develop novel super capacitor – using waste paper & leaves – CSIR NCL;

NCL – National Chemical Laboratory – CSIR – Pune based Lab; Note: Capacitor – small device – in electric circuits – to store energy using electric field – release energy quickly; Innovative project – Super capacitor- turns waste paper into a super-spongy battery – forms of porous carbon – suck of current quickly;

3. New vaccine developed against Dengue fever

Millions of Indian suffer from dengue every year – Pharma Giant SANOFI pasture – world’s first vaccine – it gives 95.5% protection against severe dengue – clinical study conducted over 31,000 participant across 10 countries;

4. Air Pollution adversely affects the productivity of crops

India also facing yield loss because of soot & ozone in air – In 2010 yield of wheat was up to 36% low – Uttar Pradesh & Uttarkhand – wheat yield falls by 50%; Wheat yield in Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh, Bihar & Jharkhand also greatly affected by Air pollution; Rice yield reduced in UP, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, WB;

5. Pulmonary hypertension – Lung disease – Uncontrolled cell division in blood vessel walls – thicken the vessel wall;
6. 7 New Species of Frogs discovered –WG & Srilanka - Professor, Delhi University
7. Diabetes… it causes & Cure (IN FOCUS)

Non-communicable epidemic – It is a metabolic with high blood sugar due to inadequate insulin level in the body - 80% of the world diabetes reported in India – Diabetic capital of the world – Changing Industrial climate of the world and rapid urbanization in recent years – introduced change in life style & practice – Diabetes – serious threat to life & longevity; Diabetes – 7^th leading cause of death by the year 2030 – awareness & precaution is very important; Nov 14 every year – World Diabetes Day – created in the year 1991 by International diabetes federation & WHO – theme for 2014-16 is “Healthy living and diabetes”;

Two major forms of diabetes:

·         Type 1 – lack of insulin production by Pancreas – Juvenile diabetes – early on set – age below 40 years – whole life the patient is subjected to insulin intake;

·         Type 2 – non  insulin dependent - when the body not able to use the insulin secreted to metabolize glucose;

·         Gestational Diabetes – during pregnancy

Diabetics prone to develop infections of the bladder and skin; fluctuation in the blood glucose level lead to blurred vision;

Symptoms:

·         Hyper glycaemia (elevated blood sugar level);

·         Frequent urge to urinate;

·         Intense thirst & hunger;

·         Unusual weight loss or weight gain;

·         Fatigue, sleeplessness, numbness, tingling sensation;

8. History of Science
1. American Astrophysicist Carl Sagan – born on 9^th Nov, 1934 – known for his TV series Cosmos – aimed at popularizing astrophysics among masses;
2. Maverick scientist Paracelsus – born on 11^th Nov, 1493 – known for making drugs & cures from chemicals – he stressed that medical experimentation must be based on observation;
3. NASA’s Mariner 9 – first interplanetary space voyager – entered the mars orbit in 13 Nov 1971;
4. Indian fossil scientist – Birbal Sahani – born on 14^th Nov 1891 – studied rare fossil from India & Neighboring countries;
9. S & T activities across India & Abroad – Science Express Segment
1. Mass awareness about Vitamin D deficiency (80% people in India) – Glenmark Pharma & AIIMS;
2.  NASA –Rapid Acquisition Spectrograph Experiment – images from active regions of the sun – to study solar flare & solar spots are created;
3. World Association of Zoos &  Aquarium – WAZA 2014;
4. Erach Barucha (Director of Bharati Vidya peeth University/Pune) – selected as Earth Hero – by RBS;
5. PM council on Climate change – coordinate the National Action plan – Assessment, Adaptation and mitigation of climate change;

Watch it here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il6zCLAbYps&list=PLVOgwA_DiGzpd3_Iz7J-81Vh4QqU-ZGA9&index=20

Rajya Sabha TV – Science Monitor (10 Jan 2015)

Weekly update on all the happening in Science & Technology, in and around the nation;

Headlines

1. 102^nd Indian Science Congress started - Mumbai;

Prestigious event - Crucial role in deciding the scientific policy of India;

Technology must reach the poorest, remotest, most vulnerable people;

Chief Guest: UP Gov Ram Nayak – release the souvenir – Theme: S & T for Human Development;

(Note: Indian Science Association – first meet 1914 – Asiatic Society, Calcutta)

2. Cabinet approved India based Neutrino Observatory (INO) in Tamil Nadu;

First biggest basic science experimental project in the country – world class underground laboratory to be set up to study neutrinos – fundamental physics project - to be set up near pottipuram village in TN – Estimated budget of project 1500 crore rupees – project jointly supported by DAE & DST – infrastructure support by the Govt. of TN; Project consist of complex of cavern – main cavern with detector, iron calorie meter detector – to host experiments like – neutrino less double beta decay – search for dark matter; (Fundamental research on Neutrino which belong to the Lepton family)

3. Student of IIT madras – set to launch their own satellite;

Low earth orbit - Nano satellite under IITMSAT project – started in 2010 – to be launched by ISRO by 2015 or 2016 (MoU between IITM & ISRO) – high energy particle detector (from Van Allen Belt in upper ionosphere);

Note: Van Allen radiation belt. A radiation belt is a layer of energetic charged particles that is held in place around a magnetized planet, such as the Earth, by the planet's magnetic field. The Earth has two such belts and sometimes others may be temporarily created.

4. Novel antibiotics to fight superbugs discovered;

To fight drug resistant bacteria – New antibiotics called Teixobactin – using a unique technique called iChip method -

5. 25 years of Hubble telescope – overview of the scientific journey;

It was launched in 1990 – over the past two decades - contributed to space research – named after renowned astronomer Edwin P. Hubble – observed more than 30,000 celestial objects since its launch;

Discoveries: Ring around supernova, intergalactic cloud –proto planetary disc – nebula, comet shoemaker levy collision with Jupiter, brown dwarf stars, deepest view of universe, universe expansion rate, understanding of the space; (Refer: Blue shift & Red Shift)    

6. Scientific challenges in the year 2015(IN FOCUS)

·         Large hadron collider of CERN to restart in March 2015 – aims to discover the origin of the universe

·         Environmental concern – 2014 – US & China – largest emitter of carbon di oxide – UN conference – Paris – Dec 2015;

·         Ebola – major health issue – incurable epidemic in west Africa  - Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia;

·         US Space probe Dawn expected to land on Ceres in March 2015; Note: Ceres is the largest dwarf planet between Mars & Jupiter; Refer: Asteriod Belt, Proto-Planet, Dwarf planet;

·         Four major contribution from India – expected in 2015

o   IRNSS – Indian GPS system;

o   TMT – world largest telescope – India’s 10% participation;

o   India’s contribution to the CMS experiment at CERN – IIT Madras full time participant;

o   India’s FBR to be active during 2015;

7. History of Science
1. First Indian to Space – Rakesh Sharma – born on 13 Jan 1949 – ISRO choose him for the USSR’s Inter-cosmos space programme;
2. First meeting of the Indiad Science Congress held on 15^th Jan 1914 – at Asiatic Society, Calcutta – Chief Guest: Ashtosh Mukherjee – VC of University of Calcutta;
3. American Zoologist Dian Fossey – born on 16^th Jan, 1932 – Book on her “Gorillas in the Mist”

Watch it here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o56EeC9518g&index=11&list=PLVOgwA_DiGzpd3_Iz7J-81Vh4QqU-ZGA9

Rajya Sabha TV – Science Monitor (03 Jan 2015)

Weekly update on all the happening in Science & Technology, in and around the nation;

Headlines

1. 102^nd Indian Science Congress started - Mumbai;

Theme of 2014 –“Science & Technology for Human Development”  - 1200 delegates to attend the event;

2. 22^nd National Children’s Science Congress –concluded in Bangalore;

Theme “Understanding the weather” 

3. Centre Invites studies of 20 major river basins;

Impact of climate change on water system – National water Mission invites proposals - studies are expected to be commissioned shortly – six IITs & IISc will be involved in the project – Government plans to start a new scientific study on Rivers – down scale global climate model – study would provide valuable data/input to the policy decision & adaptation measures; Mission MoU with NIRD;  

Five goals of National Water Mission:

·         Focuses on the critical areas like depleting ground water – Aquifer mapping;

·         Flood management with focus of way to structural measures – building embankments

·         Working with Communities – Preparedness measure;

·         Comprehensive data base – water resources information system- in partnership with National Remote Sensing Agency; 

4. Reason found behind Taj’s browning;

Discoloring is due to the change in reflectant which inturn influenced by the particulate matters carbon & dust; Identified carbon & fine dust particles present in the atmosphere; Carbon Particulates of two type – (1) Black carbon and Light absorbing Organic carbon is very sticky – cause of discoloring/ browning;

5. Marine debris damaging coral reefs – study by NIOS Niational Institute of Ocean Science;
6. Significant achievements of Indian Science in 2014 (IN FOCUS)

·         2014 progressive year for India in terms of Science & Technology

·         ISRO launched Geostationary satellite, GSAT-14 – through GSLV-D5 launch Vehicle;

·         Strengthening Defence application – tested Prithvi II & launched AGNI IV missile;

·         India certified as polio-free on 11^th Feb 2014 by WHO; (Refer: Pulse Polio 1995-96) - Feb 2014 – Universal Health care – Polio eradication – completed three years without reporting any polio cases;

·         Field trails of 10 Genetically Modified crops reapproved – Rice, wheat, maize, cotton & sorghum approved for field trials.

·         IRNSS comprised of 7-satellite constellations – accurate position information services within the country and up to 1500km from country’s boundary line;

·         30^th June – PSLV –C23 – carried French earth observation satellite SPOT 7, German’s 14kg ISAT satellite, Canada’s satellite and satellite of Singapore;

·         June 2014 – Major Atmospheric Cerenkov experiment - MACE – Second largest gamma ray telescope in the world (Note 1: Major Atmospheric Cerenkov Experiment Telescope or MACE Hanle, is the world's largest telescope at the highest altitude being established at Hanle, Ladakh. It is being built by ECIL, Hyderabad for BARC. It will help to explore the exciting energy range of gamma ray energy region in between satellite and the traditional Atmospheric Cerenkov experiments.) (Note 2: High energy gamma rays emitted from black hole or centers of galaxies, compact objects like pulsars  in our galaxy get absorbed in the atmosphere and do not reach the land. But when these rays interact with the atmosphere, the photons give rise to electron–positron pairs and there is a cascade of particles. When the particles move in the atmosphere at very high speed, they give rise to Cerenkov radiation. The blue and ultraviolet Cerenkov light is observed to infer the number of gamma rays hitting the atmosphere.)(Note 3: Advantage of High Altitude - A smaller facility in such place will be sufficient to achieve what a bigger facility will do closer to sea level. Telescopes of HAGAR were fabricated in Bangalore and the detectors in the focal plane were built in TFIR laboratories at Mumbai.)

·         Special (R.I.P)

o   Feb 6^th – Alison Jolly – Primatologist – studies of lemur biology;

o   March 1 – Alexandro Zaffaroni – Biotechnology companies in silicon valley – birth control  pills;

o   May 4^th Jean claude Bradley – Open Notebook Science logos ;

o   May 10 - Dr. Andres Carrasco – challenge pesticide regulators to reexamine one of the world most widely used;

o   …….. for more
http://www.theguardian.com/science/science+tone/obituaries 

7. History of Science
1. Swedish scientist Rolf Martin Zinkernagel – born on 6^th Jan 1944 – Nobel Laureate – discovered the immune system based on T-cells along with Peter Doherty; (Note: Killer T-cells)
2. Gerald M Durrel  - born on 7^th Jan 1902 – English naturalist – encouraged conservation of endangered species & captive breeding;
3. Physicist Stephen William Hawking – born on 8^th Jan 1942 – Developed Bekenstein Hawking Radiation principle – (Radiation from Black hole – quantum effect of gravitational force);
4. Dr Hargobin Khurana – born on 9^th Jan 1922 – American Biochemist of Indian Origin – RNA & genetic code  - Nobel prize in 1969;

Watch it here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtLTaGUC5vc&index=11&list=PLVOgwA_DiGzpd3_Iz7J-81Vh4QqU-ZGA9

Rajya Sabha TV – Science Monitor (27 Dec 2014)

Weekly update on all the happening in Science & Technology, in and around the nation;

Headlines

1. DC light technique – developed by IIT Madras– to end power cut worries;

IIT M developed a Decentralized solar-DC system – under Green Office & Apartments (GOA) project - Works without inverter – 24 hours power backup – Energy efficient – Green Building – Trap solar energy & to store it as DC energy; Working: Solar Energy – DC energy – is fed in to a DC line to the power energy-efficient electronics – The single unit is sufficient to power 24 houses – efficient & inexpensive solution for power shortage; Ex: fans in AC consume 72 watts whereas in DC it consume only 30 watts;

2. Conference on Structural Engineering Convention– aimed at disaster/earthquake resilient buildings – IIT Delhi;

Focus on making old buildings conform to the new standards – structural engineering important for making efficient buildings; convention aimed at low cost building technique, damage detecting, Hazard resilient, health monitoring of buildings;

3. 100% Bio-fuel for aviation use – successful at IIP Dehradun;

CSIR – IIP developed a novel technique for the production of new type of Bio-fuel; Waste oil & hydrogen converted into renewable aviation fuel – technology based on an unique single step process ( de-oxygenation & selective cracking-Isomerization- high pressure hydro-cracker Refinery) – used for agricultural, transport & refining industries; Technology patented and transferred to BPCL-KRL; three type of fuel: zero sulphur fuel for ‘fuel cell’ application,  High certain bio aviation fuel, Zero carbon emission over complete cycle;  Renewable Diesel & Naptha are bi-product;

Processed Jatropha, Bio-Jet, Bio-Gasoline, Green Diesel, Aviation fuel

4. Kepler discovers a new exoplanet – super-earth – 180 light years away from the earth;
5. Nearly 2.7 lakh tonnes plastic floating in water/ocean – Study report PLOS One;
6. Significant Achievements of Science & Scientists in 2014 (IN FOCUS)

·         August 2014 – NASA – Curiosity rover – 2^nd anniversary – Gale crater Mars;

·         Sep 2014 – Google Science Fair 2014 – Project Natural Bacteria combating world hunger;

·         Sep 2014 – Genetic engineering of the protein Rubisco -  The enzyme ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, most commonly known by the shorter name RuBisCO or just rubisco is used in the Calvin cycle to catalyze the first major step of carbon fixation.

·         Oct 2014 - Lockheed martin developed a new type of small reactors – major breakthrough in nuclear energy;

·         Nov 2014 - Philae successfully landed on the surface of comet 67P;

·         Female angle fish – black sea devil;

·         Dec 2014 – oldest DNA identification – 2012 – 15^th century monarch – Genetic evidence;

7. History of Science
1. On 30^th Dec 1975 – India’s first oceanographic research vessel- kavesini-got its official recognition – helped in monitoring oil pollution & finding mineral deposits;
2. On 1^st Jan 1894 born - Theoritical physicist Satyendra Nath Bose – developed theory of Bose-Einstein Condensate - ;
3. On 3^rd Jan 1919 – an element converted into another for the first time – Rutherford converted Nitrogen into Oxygen –Alpha radiation;
8. S & T activities across India & Abroad – Science Express Segment
1. TN Biodiversity Conservation & Green Project – identify threatened species in the forest;
2. Union minister Harsha Wardhan – Disaster Alert system – part of Digital India campaign;
3. IIT Madras – Novel Biotechnology incubator – started with the assistance of BIRAC (Biotech Industrial Research Assistance Council) ;

Watch it here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_YqzOMEzRo&list=PLVOgwA_DiGzpd3_Iz7J-81Vh4QqU-ZGA9&index=11