'Everybody wants peace in life,' says a prominent publisher, explaining why books on the philosophies and meditation techniques of spiritual gurus, general religion, self-help guides and Indian mythology are fetching brisk business at the ongoing Delhi Book Fair.
The boom in religious books trade at the fair, say publishers, reflects the larger trend in the market, which has seen a sharp rise in the demand for spiritual books over the last three years.
'The demand for religious books is unbelievable. Everybody wants peace in life. There has been too much of crime and fiction. Over the last three years, we have seen a sharp rise in the demand for yoga, meditation, self-help and spiritual books. Even teenagers are buying spiritual books,' Ajay Mago, publisher of Om Books, told at the book fair.
Consequently, books on Swami Vivekananda, Osho, Baba Ramdev, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, J. Krishnamurthi and a host of new age gurus - some written by the spiritualists themselves - are disappearing from the shelves by the dozens, along with the new reprints of the Bhagavad Gita, Ramcharitmanas, Vishnu lores, Buddhist texts, translations of Vedas, mythology and new tomes on palmistry and yoga.
The buyers are mostly high school and college students, young professionals and homemakers - in the age-group of 17 to 35.
A week ago, Om Books launched 'Journey Home', a biographical account of Radhanath Swami, an American yogi who migrated to India from the US 40 years ago.
'It is one of the biggest Om titles this season and a hit,' Mago said. The book is priced at Rs.395.
The publisher is also betting high on 'Sacred Secret' by Ravi Kapoor, 'about the seven wonders of the world and the spiritual secrets behind them'.
Gorakhpur-based Gita Press, which started in 1923 and is one of the oldest publishers of religious books in India, substantiates the trend.
'In 2008-2009, we sold Rs.32 crore worth of religious books - up from Rs.29.5 crore in 2007-2008 despite the downturn. We have had a print run of 80 million for Bhagavad Gita, 75 million for Ramcharitmanas and 76.5 million for Bhakt Charit over the decades. These are our three most popular titles till date - even at the fair,' production manager of Gita Press Lalmani Tiwari told on behalf of Gita Press trustee Baijnath Agarwal.
Prices of books at Gita Press range from Re.1 (for the Hanuman Chalisa) to Rs.1,350 (for six volumes of the Mahabharata).
Spurred by growing demand, the Ramakrishna Mission Society has published 50 new titles this year - all of which are on display at the R.K. Mission stall at the fair.
'The most popular titles are 'Vivekachudamani' by Ranganathananda ji Maharaj, 'Understanding Consciousness', the fourth in 'Our Consciousness' series of books, 'Meditation as Spiritual Culmination: Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali' by Swami Sarvagatananda and 'Encyclopedia of Hinduism' in three volumes,' said Swami Adi Purushananda, head of the Delhi publication division of R.K. Mission.
The books are priced between Rs.600 and Rs.1,500.
'Last year the Delhi R.K. Mission unit alone registered an increase of 30 percent in business and we have 150 centres across the world,' the seer said.
He cited two reasons for the growing demand in religious books.
'The younger generation is finally accepting spiritualists like Swami Vivekananda to overcome psychological stress. He is a national hero. Moreover, the prices of spiritual books are more reasonable,' Adi Purushananda said.
Harpreet Narang, a young Delhi-based professional and homemaker, felt 'that a time would come when Indians would no longer require spiritual guides and astrologers going by the number of religious books being published every year'.
Jagriti, a Delhi-based doctor, who bought books on palmistry and spiritual self-help from the fair, echoed the sentiment: 'I usually look up the internet, but the books are a big help.'
'As India is getting more materialistic, spiritual books are filling a huge void. Readers are starting young - and buying more spiritual books as they have a whole life to read,' Akash A. Shah, publisher of Jaico Publishing House, told.
The total turnover of the Indian publishing industry is nearly Rs.100,000 million.link
Monday 31 August 2009
Delhi Book Fair : Some interesting stalls for you
With the first big weekend out of the way, some interesting book stalls out of 600 at the ongoing fair at Pragati Maidan. The list excludes prominent stalls of publishers like Penguin or Rupa, which enthusiasts are likely to visit anyway
Sahitya Akademi (Hall 10, Stall 10)
In keeping with its well stocked library at Mandi House, the Sahitya Akademi stall represents the country’s linguistic diversity with books in Konkani, Malayalam, Assamese and many others. Documentaries on literary heavyweights such as O V Vijayan, Nirmal Verma, Bhisham Sahni and others are available for as little as Rs 90. “I am glad Sahitya Akademi is still dedicated to showcasing writers from Indian languages,” said R Manikandan, a retired government official.
Rave Media (Hall 11, Stall 60)
This is an astonishingly diverse exhibitor, carrying books from across genres. From Thorstein Veblen to DC Comics, and books on Che Guevara to this year’s bestselling novel, Amit Varma’s My Friend Sancho, this stall can satisfy all age groups at the same time. After getting hold of a copy of The Lord of The Rings, 11-year-old Ankush Gupta said, “I want to finish the book, so that I can understand the film better.”
Viva Books (Hall 11, Stall 35)
For the academically inclined, Viva Books has been bringing out books by philosophers like Deleuze and Guattari at affordable prices. This year’s stall has all that and more, including all titles of the popular Beginning series. You might just find that one academic book that you have been hunting for a long time. “Most books by western philosophers are extremely expensive; these cheaper editions allow us access to that sphere of thought,” said Saurabh Kumar, a MA student in JNU.
Vani Prakashan (Hall 10, Stall 2)
For lovers of Hindi literature, this is a must-visit stall. From Premchand’s entire oeuvre to poets such as Firaq Gorakhpuri, it houses a formidable collection of genres and authors. The work of writers such as Saadat Hasan Manto and Ismat Chughtai is available in Hindi, along with many others. “The dominance of English sometimes makes one feel that our books do not exist,” said Kalpana Sharma, 55.
Shrijee’s Book International (Hall 9, Stall 5)
With books selling at a flat rate of Rs 100, this is heaven for pulp fiction readers. There are some lovely second-hand picture books by Life magazine. If you look hard enough, you may find an Joyce Carol Oates or a Saul Bellow lying amid the Sidney Sheldons and John Grishams. “The books here are affordable and in good condition, even though most are second-hand,” Delhi University student Rahul Kumar said.
Sahitya Akademi (Hall 10, Stall 10)
In keeping with its well stocked library at Mandi House, the Sahitya Akademi stall represents the country’s linguistic diversity with books in Konkani, Malayalam, Assamese and many others. Documentaries on literary heavyweights such as O V Vijayan, Nirmal Verma, Bhisham Sahni and others are available for as little as Rs 90. “I am glad Sahitya Akademi is still dedicated to showcasing writers from Indian languages,” said R Manikandan, a retired government official.
Rave Media (Hall 11, Stall 60)
This is an astonishingly diverse exhibitor, carrying books from across genres. From Thorstein Veblen to DC Comics, and books on Che Guevara to this year’s bestselling novel, Amit Varma’s My Friend Sancho, this stall can satisfy all age groups at the same time. After getting hold of a copy of The Lord of The Rings, 11-year-old Ankush Gupta said, “I want to finish the book, so that I can understand the film better.”
Viva Books (Hall 11, Stall 35)
For the academically inclined, Viva Books has been bringing out books by philosophers like Deleuze and Guattari at affordable prices. This year’s stall has all that and more, including all titles of the popular Beginning series. You might just find that one academic book that you have been hunting for a long time. “Most books by western philosophers are extremely expensive; these cheaper editions allow us access to that sphere of thought,” said Saurabh Kumar, a MA student in JNU.
Vani Prakashan (Hall 10, Stall 2)
For lovers of Hindi literature, this is a must-visit stall. From Premchand’s entire oeuvre to poets such as Firaq Gorakhpuri, it houses a formidable collection of genres and authors. The work of writers such as Saadat Hasan Manto and Ismat Chughtai is available in Hindi, along with many others. “The dominance of English sometimes makes one feel that our books do not exist,” said Kalpana Sharma, 55.
Shrijee’s Book International (Hall 9, Stall 5)
With books selling at a flat rate of Rs 100, this is heaven for pulp fiction readers. There are some lovely second-hand picture books by Life magazine. If you look hard enough, you may find an Joyce Carol Oates or a Saul Bellow lying amid the Sidney Sheldons and John Grishams. “The books here are affordable and in good condition, even though most are second-hand,” Delhi University student Rahul Kumar said.
Arjun Rampal launches his bar-cum-restaurant in Delhi
Bollywood-town’s hunk and the ‘Rock On’ star Arjun Rampal was the man of the moment on Friday as he launched his new plush lounge- ‘Lap’, in Hotel Samrat in New Delhi.
Dressed in a black suit and looking handsome as ever, Arjun was accompanied by his supermodel wife Meher Rampal.
‘Lap’ is Arjun’s joint venture with restaurateur A.D. Singh. Spread over an area of 17,000 square feet, the lounge would be a blessing for all the party goers as it offers good food, good music together with safety and privacy. The downside is that it is open exclusively for members.
The decor of the lounge is a blend of Victorian era as well as Indian royal heritage. Shahrukh Khan’s wife, Gauri Khan, and designer Tarun Tahiliani and Rohit Bal have contributed to the decor of Lap and Arjun, too, has designed some tables in the restaurant.
Some of the biggies of the Bollywood, including Shahrukh Khan with wife Gauri Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Suzanne, Abhay Deol, Imran Khan and Dino Morea, fashion designers Rohit Bal, JJ Valaya, Reena Dhaka and Tarun Tahiliani, models Indrani and Sonalika Sahay, DJ Akil, hotelier Vikram Chatwal had come to grace the occasion.
Showing his love and support for Arjun, Shahrukh Khan, who was with his wife Gauri said, "Gauri has designed it with Arjun and Meher. I think it would be fabulous.
"I wish them all the best. I am from Delhi and want everyone to visit this place."
"He's my brother, he's my friend. I wish him the best always," said Hrithik Roshan.
About his latest venture, Arjun said, "You have to become a member to know how incredible this place is. It`s for people to enjoy. India can proudly say, we have a place to party. It`s about privacy, a discovery of yourself."
The actor maintained that it would be one of those few places where like-minded people meet and also a perfect place to hang out after a hard day’s work.
He also said that all the guests would get to listen to some of the finest music and it would sure be a delight for the music lovers.
And about the menu, the star gushed, "I am a complete foodie who definitely wants to see Biriyani on the menu."
Arjun insisted that every woman would feel safe at this place. He said, “Today, if you look around at other clubs, people just come from anywhere and everywhere. They have opened their doors for everyone.
"The problem with that is that female partying gangs feel uncomfortable and not at all safe. But with this constraint, I want every women who comes here to feel safe.”
He quipped, “I love women and I want all of them to feel safe in my lap (restaurant).”
‘Lap’ that promises to be a posh and exclusive joint for all the party-lovers is all set to open its doors for the members this week.link
Dressed in a black suit and looking handsome as ever, Arjun was accompanied by his supermodel wife Meher Rampal.
‘Lap’ is Arjun’s joint venture with restaurateur A.D. Singh. Spread over an area of 17,000 square feet, the lounge would be a blessing for all the party goers as it offers good food, good music together with safety and privacy. The downside is that it is open exclusively for members.
The decor of the lounge is a blend of Victorian era as well as Indian royal heritage. Shahrukh Khan’s wife, Gauri Khan, and designer Tarun Tahiliani and Rohit Bal have contributed to the decor of Lap and Arjun, too, has designed some tables in the restaurant.
Some of the biggies of the Bollywood, including Shahrukh Khan with wife Gauri Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Suzanne, Abhay Deol, Imran Khan and Dino Morea, fashion designers Rohit Bal, JJ Valaya, Reena Dhaka and Tarun Tahiliani, models Indrani and Sonalika Sahay, DJ Akil, hotelier Vikram Chatwal had come to grace the occasion.
Showing his love and support for Arjun, Shahrukh Khan, who was with his wife Gauri said, "Gauri has designed it with Arjun and Meher. I think it would be fabulous.
"I wish them all the best. I am from Delhi and want everyone to visit this place."
"He's my brother, he's my friend. I wish him the best always," said Hrithik Roshan.
About his latest venture, Arjun said, "You have to become a member to know how incredible this place is. It`s for people to enjoy. India can proudly say, we have a place to party. It`s about privacy, a discovery of yourself."
The actor maintained that it would be one of those few places where like-minded people meet and also a perfect place to hang out after a hard day’s work.
He also said that all the guests would get to listen to some of the finest music and it would sure be a delight for the music lovers.
And about the menu, the star gushed, "I am a complete foodie who definitely wants to see Biriyani on the menu."
Arjun insisted that every woman would feel safe at this place. He said, “Today, if you look around at other clubs, people just come from anywhere and everywhere. They have opened their doors for everyone.
"The problem with that is that female partying gangs feel uncomfortable and not at all safe. But with this constraint, I want every women who comes here to feel safe.”
He quipped, “I love women and I want all of them to feel safe in my lap (restaurant).”
‘Lap’ that promises to be a posh and exclusive joint for all the party-lovers is all set to open its doors for the members this week.link
Friday 28 August 2009
Delhi half-marathon on November 1st
It's that time of the year when Delhi gears up to come together and run on a common platform. Come November 1, the Capital will experience the joy of running while celebrating the second edition of the Airtel Delhi Half-Marathon.
This time, two Australian legends - sprinter Cathy Freeman and former cricket captain Allan Border - would be encouraging the runners as brand ambassadors.
Vivek B Singh of Procam International, the race promoters, said that to encourage runners to attempt the distance seriously, it has been decided to make the timing chip mandatory for all half-marathon participants from this year onwards.
He also said that the event continues to remain the world's richest half-marathon with the prize money standing at $210,000. Recipient of the IAAF Gold Label, it is expected to attract the leading long-distance runners from around the world who would be fighting for top honours over a distance of 21.097 km.
The male and female winners of the half-marathon stand to gain $25,000 each, with prize money percolating down to the first ten places. The male and female Indian winners stand to gain $4,000 each. link
This time, two Australian legends - sprinter Cathy Freeman and former cricket captain Allan Border - would be encouraging the runners as brand ambassadors.
Vivek B Singh of Procam International, the race promoters, said that to encourage runners to attempt the distance seriously, it has been decided to make the timing chip mandatory for all half-marathon participants from this year onwards.
He also said that the event continues to remain the world's richest half-marathon with the prize money standing at $210,000. Recipient of the IAAF Gold Label, it is expected to attract the leading long-distance runners from around the world who would be fighting for top honours over a distance of 21.097 km.
The male and female winners of the half-marathon stand to gain $25,000 each, with prize money percolating down to the first ten places. The male and female Indian winners stand to gain $4,000 each. link
Thursday 27 August 2009
Delhi Book Fair begining on August 29
The literary treasure of North-East will be the focus of the the nine-day Delhi Book Fair begining on August 29.
"The theme for this fair will be 'Literature from North-East' and the focus will be to promote the vast and rich literary treasure of the region," Subas Pani, Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), said.
Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Salman Khurshid will inaugurate the fair organised by ITPO and Federation of Indian Publishers.
More than 230 publishers from India and abroad are participating in the fair and about 90,000 books will be on show, R C Govil, President of Federation of Indian Publishers said. The publishers include those from Abu Dhabi, China, Iran, Pakistan and USA.link
"The theme for this fair will be 'Literature from North-East' and the focus will be to promote the vast and rich literary treasure of the region," Subas Pani, Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), said.
Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Salman Khurshid will inaugurate the fair organised by ITPO and Federation of Indian Publishers.
More than 230 publishers from India and abroad are participating in the fair and about 90,000 books will be on show, R C Govil, President of Federation of Indian Publishers said. The publishers include those from Abu Dhabi, China, Iran, Pakistan and USA.link
Delhi judge held for immoral activities
A metropolitan magistrate of Tis Hazari courts in Delhi and three others, including a woman, were arrested in the wee hours of Thursday from a house in Samalkha town of Panipat, on charges of indulging in immoral activities. The police caught them during a raid following complaints by neighbours.
Confirming the arrests, SSP Shrikant Jadhav said they raided the premises after a resident of Punjabi Colony here got suspicious about the activities in his neighbourhood and complained to the police. "We arrested all the four persons, including the civil judge, present inside the premises. While the three accused were produced in a local court and sent in 14-day judicial custody, we are following the Supreme Court guidelines in dealing with the judge," he said.
A raiding team arrested the inmates after finding them in a compromising position and booked them under sections 3 (punishment for keeping a brothel or allowing premises to be used as a brothel), 4 (punishment for living on the earnings of prostitution), 5 (procuring, inducing or taking person for the sake of prostitution) and 6 (detaining a person in premises where prostitution is carried on) of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. It also found a Santro car bearing the sticker of New Delhi-based judicial officer.
The accused have been identified as Rajkumar Aggrawal, magistrate in Tis Hazari court, Subhash Duhan, a Sonepat resident who runs NGO Lok Kalayan Foundation in Samalkha, and Shamsher, from Hansi. According to the police, Shamsher was the pimp, who arranged the girl from Kolkata. link
Confirming the arrests, SSP Shrikant Jadhav said they raided the premises after a resident of Punjabi Colony here got suspicious about the activities in his neighbourhood and complained to the police. "We arrested all the four persons, including the civil judge, present inside the premises. While the three accused were produced in a local court and sent in 14-day judicial custody, we are following the Supreme Court guidelines in dealing with the judge," he said.
A raiding team arrested the inmates after finding them in a compromising position and booked them under sections 3 (punishment for keeping a brothel or allowing premises to be used as a brothel), 4 (punishment for living on the earnings of prostitution), 5 (procuring, inducing or taking person for the sake of prostitution) and 6 (detaining a person in premises where prostitution is carried on) of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. It also found a Santro car bearing the sticker of New Delhi-based judicial officer.
The accused have been identified as Rajkumar Aggrawal, magistrate in Tis Hazari court, Subhash Duhan, a Sonepat resident who runs NGO Lok Kalayan Foundation in Samalkha, and Shamsher, from Hansi. According to the police, Shamsher was the pimp, who arranged the girl from Kolkata. link
Nannes picks Delhi Daredevils over Victoria
Dirk Nannes, the Australian fast bowler, has opted to play for the Delhi Daredevils in the inaugural Champions League instead of his home team, the Victoria Bushrangers. This makes Nannes the only player to pick his IPL team over the other possible side he could have represented in the Twenty20 tournament.
Delhi will have to pay Victoria US$200,000 for Nannes' services in the 12-team event. Nannes, who regularly bowls around 140kmh mark, had kept Glenn McGrath out of Delhi's XI with a string of impressive performances in this year's IPL, and was a instrumental in Victoria's third successive domestic Twenty20 victory last season.
Nannes had also spearheaded Netherlands' bowling during the World Twenty20 in June, and has since been selected by Australia for two Twenty20 games against England next month.
The other players who were eligible for multiple teams in the Champions League will compete for their 'home' teams in the tournament, while Dwayne Smith - considered an 'away' player for both Deccan and Sussex - will represent his English team.link
Delhi will have to pay Victoria US$200,000 for Nannes' services in the 12-team event. Nannes, who regularly bowls around 140kmh mark, had kept Glenn McGrath out of Delhi's XI with a string of impressive performances in this year's IPL, and was a instrumental in Victoria's third successive domestic Twenty20 victory last season.
Nannes had also spearheaded Netherlands' bowling during the World Twenty20 in June, and has since been selected by Australia for two Twenty20 games against England next month.
The other players who were eligible for multiple teams in the Champions League will compete for their 'home' teams in the tournament, while Dwayne Smith - considered an 'away' player for both Deccan and Sussex - will represent his English team.link
Class X board exams will become optional in all CBSE-run schools
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is likely to announce on Friday that from the coming academic year (2010-11), Class X board exams will become optional in all CBSE-run schools.
The board will make a formal announcement once the blueprint of the new system to replace the board exams is frozen.
CBSE sources said board chairman Vineet Joshi would hold the last presentation and consultation session in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday on the changes being brought about before the draft is finalized and made public.
The CBSE has reportedly prepared the format of an aptitude exam that schools can use to test Class X students on their level of understanding in each subject. The emphasis, however, will be on continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) through the year instead of a single public exam at the end of Class X.
“CBSE has decided to go strongly on making the Class X board exam optional and implement CCE grading system and other alternatives. The process of review of the present Class X exam system is over,” Joshi said.
He said that CBSE had also conducted a survey among students on whether they want the board exam to continue.
Joshi said there were apprehensions that the new format would create two categories of students, those who take the exam and others who don't.
Among these alternatives is the provision of an online, on demand test for those who don't take the board exam but want certification later on.
In another major decision aimed at ensuring that schools maintain minimum basic standards, the CBSE has decided to have an independent agency for accreditation of CBSE schools.
All schools under the board will have to get themselves evaluated by this agency within three years. New schools will get CBSE affiliation three years after they have been accredited by this agency.
Joshi said the accreditation agency could be either a government or private body. link
The board will make a formal announcement once the blueprint of the new system to replace the board exams is frozen.
CBSE sources said board chairman Vineet Joshi would hold the last presentation and consultation session in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday on the changes being brought about before the draft is finalized and made public.
The CBSE has reportedly prepared the format of an aptitude exam that schools can use to test Class X students on their level of understanding in each subject. The emphasis, however, will be on continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) through the year instead of a single public exam at the end of Class X.
“CBSE has decided to go strongly on making the Class X board exam optional and implement CCE grading system and other alternatives. The process of review of the present Class X exam system is over,” Joshi said.
He said that CBSE had also conducted a survey among students on whether they want the board exam to continue.
Joshi said there were apprehensions that the new format would create two categories of students, those who take the exam and others who don't.
Among these alternatives is the provision of an online, on demand test for those who don't take the board exam but want certification later on.
In another major decision aimed at ensuring that schools maintain minimum basic standards, the CBSE has decided to have an independent agency for accreditation of CBSE schools.
All schools under the board will have to get themselves evaluated by this agency within three years. New schools will get CBSE affiliation three years after they have been accredited by this agency.
Joshi said the accreditation agency could be either a government or private body. link
Hydrogen - Fuel of the Future Convention gets underway in New Delhi
Indian Oil Corporation, in association with Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) is organizing the ‘World Hydrogen Technology Convention 2009’ - a three day summit focusing on Hydrogen as the ‘Fuel of Future’. The Convention is aimed at addressing the issues related to safety, fuel economy and environment conservation.
The convention was inaugurated by former President of India Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Honourable Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Dr. Pawan Goenka, vice-president, SIAM and president-Automotive, Mahindra & Mahindra and Sarthak Behuria, chairman, Indian Oil Corporation.
While inaugurating the Convention, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Former President of India said, “The government should provide facilities to the small time entrepreneurs at cheaper costs, reduction in excise duty, relaxation in tax and help in getting hydrogen technology patent, so that the world can see what India is and contribute in the hydrogen technology."
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Honourable Minister of New and Renewable Energy said, “India is actively involved from past two decades to develop this technology and hence, public private partnership involvement is crucial in the development of hydrogen based technology.”
Sarthak Behuria, chairman, Indian Oil Corporation, said, “The hydrogen technology is often compared with the marathon because we do not usually see the finish line. The global hydrocarbon community realizes the urgency to tame newer and greener fuel solutions. Hydrogen holds a promising potential.”
Dr. Pawan Goenka, vice-president, SIAM and President-Automotive, Mahindra & Mahindra said, “It is very heartening to see that both the Government and industry thought leaders have joined hands to work towards the development of hydrogen technology. Dr. Kalam’s views would surely guide us in the right direction to develop this technology. I am sure Indian Oil Corporation & SIAM would play a vital role in converting this convention’s agenda into reality.”
SIAM, along with its members, is actively working on various projects and initiatives in this area. The Automotive industry has drawn a roadmap to develop vehicles that can run with hydrogen and fuel cells. The programme aims to develop CNG-Hydrogen blend compatible buses, SUVs and other passenger vehicles including three wheelers. Automobile manufacturers like Tata Motors, Mahindra, Eicher, Ashok Leyland and Bajaj have contributed vehicles and are actively involved in these projects. link
The convention was inaugurated by former President of India Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Honourable Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Dr. Pawan Goenka, vice-president, SIAM and president-Automotive, Mahindra & Mahindra and Sarthak Behuria, chairman, Indian Oil Corporation.
While inaugurating the Convention, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Former President of India said, “The government should provide facilities to the small time entrepreneurs at cheaper costs, reduction in excise duty, relaxation in tax and help in getting hydrogen technology patent, so that the world can see what India is and contribute in the hydrogen technology."
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Honourable Minister of New and Renewable Energy said, “India is actively involved from past two decades to develop this technology and hence, public private partnership involvement is crucial in the development of hydrogen based technology.”
Sarthak Behuria, chairman, Indian Oil Corporation, said, “The hydrogen technology is often compared with the marathon because we do not usually see the finish line. The global hydrocarbon community realizes the urgency to tame newer and greener fuel solutions. Hydrogen holds a promising potential.”
Dr. Pawan Goenka, vice-president, SIAM and President-Automotive, Mahindra & Mahindra said, “It is very heartening to see that both the Government and industry thought leaders have joined hands to work towards the development of hydrogen technology. Dr. Kalam’s views would surely guide us in the right direction to develop this technology. I am sure Indian Oil Corporation & SIAM would play a vital role in converting this convention’s agenda into reality.”
SIAM, along with its members, is actively working on various projects and initiatives in this area. The Automotive industry has drawn a roadmap to develop vehicles that can run with hydrogen and fuel cells. The programme aims to develop CNG-Hydrogen blend compatible buses, SUVs and other passenger vehicles including three wheelers. Automobile manufacturers like Tata Motors, Mahindra, Eicher, Ashok Leyland and Bajaj have contributed vehicles and are actively involved in these projects. link
Wednesday 26 August 2009
Delhi slum women hail a taxi to equality
A battered housewife, a Muslim widow and an illiterate mother of four are among a group of Indian women looking to carve out a living by breaking into the male preserve of New Delhi taxi drivers.
Hailing from some of the poorest quarters of the capital, they are part of plans to launch the city's first radio taxi-service run by women, in time for the October 2010 Commonwealth Games.
The project is the brainchild of Meenu Vadera of the Azad Foundation, a voluntary group that works with disadvantaged women whose employment prospects -- if they exist at all -- are usually limited to the world of domestic help.
"We have trained one batch of nine women and the training of another batch of 11 is underway," said Vadera, who aims to have five taxis on the road by February and a fleet of 20 by the time the Games begin.
"I was looking at a programme that would combine a livelihood for the girls with the idea of having women cab-drivers who will provide safe transport to working women in Delhi."
Of all major Indian cities, the capital ranks worst in terms of violence against women, with more than 4,300 registered cases in 2007-08, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.
To ensure their own safety, the women have received some basic self-defence instruction as part of their training at a professional drivers' school run by India's largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.
Supplementing these are classes in grooming, etiquette and spoken English.
"The goal is to establish a company with the women as stakeholders. This way it does not look like a charity but a business run collectively," Vadera said.
India's emergence as a global economic power has done little for millions of unskilled or illiterate women for whom menial work as domestics or care-givers remains a chief source of regular but often underpaid employment.
The work is generally unregulated and unprotected, leaving them vulnerable to harassment and exploitation.
"Some come from families where only the menfolk work," said Poonam Bala, a Delhi University Sociology professor.
"For others, their background is such that they are totally unprepared to enter the professional job market."
Rita, 24, ran away from her marriage and home after suffering seven years of abuse at the hands of her parents-in-law.
Living at the home of a friend in Delhi, Rita saw the female taxi project as a way out of a social and economic dead end.
"I jumped at the idea," she said. "It would give me independence and the ability to support myself".
Shanno Begum, a 32-year-old Muslim widow, signed up for the programme last year.
"My husband died three years ago. I had three children and my parents-in-law to support. As a private nurse, I used to earn 4,500 rupees (90 dollars) a month for a 24/7 job," Shanno said.
"Now, I will earn the same amount working eight hours and can devote more time to my children."
For Ekta, a 28-year-old mother of four, the taxi project opened doors that she had thought closed to her as an illiterate woman married into a conservative family.
"Persuading my husband to let me work was very difficult," she said. "Now I feel empowered as if I have my own identity other than a wife and mother."
The project has not been without its problems.
With the commercial licence necessary to drive a taxi-cab requiring a year-long wait, Vadera has been trying to find short-term chauffeur employment for her fully trained drivers -- with little success.
"I underestimated the gender bias," Vadera said, citing repeated questions from potential employers as to whether women could be trusted to drive safely and turn up to work on time.
"Despite my assurances, they decide against women drivers. This is despite the fact that records show women are more careful than male drivers -- they obey traffic rules, don't drink and drive, don't get into brawls on the road," she said.
Some of Delhi's male cabbies, unimpressed by the idea of an all-woman taxi service, have decided the best reaction is one of collective ridicule that panders to a disparaging stereotype of women drivers.
"It's bad enough having women behind the wheel in private cars," said Pamma Singh, who runs a taxi company with his two brothers.
"They take ages to reverse, negotiate turnings, to park properly. So what kind of challenge will they be to us? Just be prepared for more chaos on the roads," he said.
Another of Vadera's recruits, Heena Khan, 22, said she treated such remarks with contempt but was still angered by her inability to get a part-time chauffeuring position.
"It is disheartening that after all this hard work, we still can't get jobs because we are women. I am the sole breadwinner and no work means no food," said Khan, who has 10-member dependent family.link
Hailing from some of the poorest quarters of the capital, they are part of plans to launch the city's first radio taxi-service run by women, in time for the October 2010 Commonwealth Games.
The project is the brainchild of Meenu Vadera of the Azad Foundation, a voluntary group that works with disadvantaged women whose employment prospects -- if they exist at all -- are usually limited to the world of domestic help.
"We have trained one batch of nine women and the training of another batch of 11 is underway," said Vadera, who aims to have five taxis on the road by February and a fleet of 20 by the time the Games begin.
"I was looking at a programme that would combine a livelihood for the girls with the idea of having women cab-drivers who will provide safe transport to working women in Delhi."
Of all major Indian cities, the capital ranks worst in terms of violence against women, with more than 4,300 registered cases in 2007-08, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.
To ensure their own safety, the women have received some basic self-defence instruction as part of their training at a professional drivers' school run by India's largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.
Supplementing these are classes in grooming, etiquette and spoken English.
"The goal is to establish a company with the women as stakeholders. This way it does not look like a charity but a business run collectively," Vadera said.
India's emergence as a global economic power has done little for millions of unskilled or illiterate women for whom menial work as domestics or care-givers remains a chief source of regular but often underpaid employment.
The work is generally unregulated and unprotected, leaving them vulnerable to harassment and exploitation.
"Some come from families where only the menfolk work," said Poonam Bala, a Delhi University Sociology professor.
"For others, their background is such that they are totally unprepared to enter the professional job market."
Rita, 24, ran away from her marriage and home after suffering seven years of abuse at the hands of her parents-in-law.
Living at the home of a friend in Delhi, Rita saw the female taxi project as a way out of a social and economic dead end.
"I jumped at the idea," she said. "It would give me independence and the ability to support myself".
Shanno Begum, a 32-year-old Muslim widow, signed up for the programme last year.
"My husband died three years ago. I had three children and my parents-in-law to support. As a private nurse, I used to earn 4,500 rupees (90 dollars) a month for a 24/7 job," Shanno said.
"Now, I will earn the same amount working eight hours and can devote more time to my children."
For Ekta, a 28-year-old mother of four, the taxi project opened doors that she had thought closed to her as an illiterate woman married into a conservative family.
"Persuading my husband to let me work was very difficult," she said. "Now I feel empowered as if I have my own identity other than a wife and mother."
The project has not been without its problems.
With the commercial licence necessary to drive a taxi-cab requiring a year-long wait, Vadera has been trying to find short-term chauffeur employment for her fully trained drivers -- with little success.
"I underestimated the gender bias," Vadera said, citing repeated questions from potential employers as to whether women could be trusted to drive safely and turn up to work on time.
"Despite my assurances, they decide against women drivers. This is despite the fact that records show women are more careful than male drivers -- they obey traffic rules, don't drink and drive, don't get into brawls on the road," she said.
Some of Delhi's male cabbies, unimpressed by the idea of an all-woman taxi service, have decided the best reaction is one of collective ridicule that panders to a disparaging stereotype of women drivers.
"It's bad enough having women behind the wheel in private cars," said Pamma Singh, who runs a taxi company with his two brothers.
"They take ages to reverse, negotiate turnings, to park properly. So what kind of challenge will they be to us? Just be prepared for more chaos on the roads," he said.
Another of Vadera's recruits, Heena Khan, 22, said she treated such remarks with contempt but was still angered by her inability to get a part-time chauffeuring position.
"It is disheartening that after all this hard work, we still can't get jobs because we are women. I am the sole breadwinner and no work means no food," said Khan, who has 10-member dependent family.link
Batla case: clean chit to police, no judicial probe
In a big relief to the Police, the Delhi High Court today refused to direct a judicial probe into the controversial Batla House encounter here, in which two suspected terrorists and a police officer were killed, by accepting the NHRC report giving a clean chit to the cops.
The High Court rejected the contention of an NGO that National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has failed to conduct a proper investigation in reaching to the conclusion that it was not a fake encounter.
"It's (NHRC) a statutory body and if that body has come to the conclusion that it is not a fake encounter, then the court should not interfere in it","the Bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice Manmohan said.
Holding that NHRC's findings cannot be overruled, the Bench said the human rights body's "prestige and independence has to be preserved at any cost.link
The High Court rejected the contention of an NGO that National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has failed to conduct a proper investigation in reaching to the conclusion that it was not a fake encounter.
"It's (NHRC) a statutory body and if that body has come to the conclusion that it is not a fake encounter, then the court should not interfere in it","the Bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice Manmohan said.
Holding that NHRC's findings cannot be overruled, the Bench said the human rights body's "prestige and independence has to be preserved at any cost.link
Kathak-salsa - a happy fusion for dance lovers
What happens when a kathak maestro meets Latino dancers? A medley of footwork, frenetic hip movement, spins and hand gestures, making for loads of "happiness" on stage.
Leading kathak exponent Uma Sharma teamed up with two Brazilian Latino dancers -- Fernanda Dias and Serginho -- in the capital for a kathak-salsa performance as part of the pre-World Dance Festival.
"India and Brazil have two very different cultures, but the meeting point is happiness," Serginho told.
As Sharma joined the high-voltage salsa and forro dancers -- the latter a northeast Brazilian dance form -- on stage to match steps and movements, she said: "Hum kisi se kum nahin (we are no less than anyone). I will improvise my kathak to blend with salsa on stage."
"The footwork, spins and energy are common between kathak and salsa and other Latino dances. However, Latino dances have more hip movements and gyrations of the belly and waist unlike kathak -- which relies on facial expression or 'natya' and hand movements. The body keeps still," Sharma told at the Brazilian embassy, which was converted into a makeshift dance hall Tuesday for the fusion performance.
"Our mastery over our facial expressions and our footwork is intricate. But since kathak is of Mughal origin, hip movements are frowned upon. But we have the same rhythm.
"In fact, the flamenco dance of Spain is very similar to kathak -- I have collaborated with several flamenco dancers. This time, I plan to fuse kathak with salsa and other Latin dances since both the genres pick up speed and tempo after a point of time. Both Indian and Brazilian dances require rigorous practice," Sharma said.
Serginho said Brazilian and Latino dances in contrast need -- "a happy and free spirit, control over breath and training".
"Indian dances have strong energy, but the movements are different. Latino dances are influenced by African and Caribbean rhythms. Our dances are more sensual, daring and hot," Serginho said.
The dancer, who is self-taught, is one of the most sought-after male dancers in Brazil. "In Brazil, dancing is like football. Everyone does it, but only those who are talented make it big on television, festivals and on professional stage. It's a fight for survival," he said.
The duo hopes to learn the basics of Indian dances while in the country to improvise on their repertoire.
The three-day World Dance Festival-cum-workshops -- featuring 100 Latino, Indian and European dancers and 17 international dance instructors -- will be held Sept 10-13 at Hotel Leela Kempinski in Gurgaon.
The festival is being sponsored by the embassies of Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and Ecuador, along with Surya Brasil, a Brazilian cosmetics giant.link
Leading kathak exponent Uma Sharma teamed up with two Brazilian Latino dancers -- Fernanda Dias and Serginho -- in the capital for a kathak-salsa performance as part of the pre-World Dance Festival.
"India and Brazil have two very different cultures, but the meeting point is happiness," Serginho told.
As Sharma joined the high-voltage salsa and forro dancers -- the latter a northeast Brazilian dance form -- on stage to match steps and movements, she said: "Hum kisi se kum nahin (we are no less than anyone). I will improvise my kathak to blend with salsa on stage."
"The footwork, spins and energy are common between kathak and salsa and other Latino dances. However, Latino dances have more hip movements and gyrations of the belly and waist unlike kathak -- which relies on facial expression or 'natya' and hand movements. The body keeps still," Sharma told at the Brazilian embassy, which was converted into a makeshift dance hall Tuesday for the fusion performance.
"Our mastery over our facial expressions and our footwork is intricate. But since kathak is of Mughal origin, hip movements are frowned upon. But we have the same rhythm.
"In fact, the flamenco dance of Spain is very similar to kathak -- I have collaborated with several flamenco dancers. This time, I plan to fuse kathak with salsa and other Latin dances since both the genres pick up speed and tempo after a point of time. Both Indian and Brazilian dances require rigorous practice," Sharma said.
Serginho said Brazilian and Latino dances in contrast need -- "a happy and free spirit, control over breath and training".
"Indian dances have strong energy, but the movements are different. Latino dances are influenced by African and Caribbean rhythms. Our dances are more sensual, daring and hot," Serginho said.
The dancer, who is self-taught, is one of the most sought-after male dancers in Brazil. "In Brazil, dancing is like football. Everyone does it, but only those who are talented make it big on television, festivals and on professional stage. It's a fight for survival," he said.
The duo hopes to learn the basics of Indian dances while in the country to improvise on their repertoire.
The three-day World Dance Festival-cum-workshops -- featuring 100 Latino, Indian and European dancers and 17 international dance instructors -- will be held Sept 10-13 at Hotel Leela Kempinski in Gurgaon.
The festival is being sponsored by the embassies of Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and Ecuador, along with Surya Brasil, a Brazilian cosmetics giant.link
Jaitley knows women were used to woo selectors: Azad
Former cricketer and BJP MP Kirti Azad has claimed Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) president Arun Jaitley is aware that alcohol, money and women were used to influence selectors of the Delhi team.
"This is well known in the DDCA and has been going on for a long time, even before Jaitley took charge. I fail to understand why he is trying to hide it. He is very much aware of it," Azad told.
Azad said he had earlier raised with Jaitley the issue of nepotism in team selection and the DDCA president seemed keen to take action, but nothing happened until Sehwag made some noise about it.
"I have nothing personal against Jaitley. I feel sorry for him as people are shooting from his shoulder," he said.
Azad claimed that the problems in DDCA existed even during Tiger Pataudi's time. "Tiger Pataudi played for Delhi about 45 years ago. And he raised the same problems (as raised by Sehwag)," Azad said.
Jaitley has asked for proof of the use of alcohol, money and women to influence selectors, to which Azad said: "I invite Jaitley to come over. I will get all the senior players and the people involved to prove my point."
Earlier this year, Jaitley had opposed Azad's candidature from the Darbhanga Lok Sabha constituency. Asked if the current spat had its roots in the political tiff between the two, Azad said: "Jaitley may not have approved of my candidature, but my fight against the DDCA has been going on even before he became an MP."link
"This is well known in the DDCA and has been going on for a long time, even before Jaitley took charge. I fail to understand why he is trying to hide it. He is very much aware of it," Azad told.
Azad said he had earlier raised with Jaitley the issue of nepotism in team selection and the DDCA president seemed keen to take action, but nothing happened until Sehwag made some noise about it.
"I have nothing personal against Jaitley. I feel sorry for him as people are shooting from his shoulder," he said.
Azad claimed that the problems in DDCA existed even during Tiger Pataudi's time. "Tiger Pataudi played for Delhi about 45 years ago. And he raised the same problems (as raised by Sehwag)," Azad said.
Jaitley has asked for proof of the use of alcohol, money and women to influence selectors, to which Azad said: "I invite Jaitley to come over. I will get all the senior players and the people involved to prove my point."
Earlier this year, Jaitley had opposed Azad's candidature from the Darbhanga Lok Sabha constituency. Asked if the current spat had its roots in the political tiff between the two, Azad said: "Jaitley may not have approved of my candidature, but my fight against the DDCA has been going on even before he became an MP."link
High Court slams Apollo Hospital for charging exorbitantly from poor
The Delhi High Court was today critical about the Indraprashta Apollo hospital charging exorbitantly from poor patients for treatment.
"Is it the way you provide free treatment to the patients falling under the economically backward section"? a Division Bench of Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice Manmohan told the counsel for the hospital.
After perusal of the details furnished by the hospital following the court's previous order relating to the procedure for treatment of the poor, the Bench slammed the hospital for its attitude towards the poor and asked the Delhi government to verify the details.
According to the hospital counsel, the hospital did not charge for the doctors' fee and the room rent from the poor patients but for other tests like MRI they charge Rs 6000, for X-ray Rs 120 and for liver transplant the hospital charges Rs 12 lakh.
The Bench was hearing a PIL seeking direction to the Delhi government to take action against the hospital as it allegedly violated the Leese deed condition while obtaining the land at a throw-away price to provide free treatment to the poor.
According to the lease deed between the hospital and the government, the Apollo would provide free treatment to the poor.link
"Is it the way you provide free treatment to the patients falling under the economically backward section"? a Division Bench of Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice Manmohan told the counsel for the hospital.
After perusal of the details furnished by the hospital following the court's previous order relating to the procedure for treatment of the poor, the Bench slammed the hospital for its attitude towards the poor and asked the Delhi government to verify the details.
According to the hospital counsel, the hospital did not charge for the doctors' fee and the room rent from the poor patients but for other tests like MRI they charge Rs 6000, for X-ray Rs 120 and for liver transplant the hospital charges Rs 12 lakh.
The Bench was hearing a PIL seeking direction to the Delhi government to take action against the hospital as it allegedly violated the Leese deed condition while obtaining the land at a throw-away price to provide free treatment to the poor.
According to the lease deed between the hospital and the government, the Apollo would provide free treatment to the poor.link
Tuesday 25 August 2009
Young women trafficking gang nabbed in Nangloi
With the arrest of three persons, the west district police claimed to have busted a gang involved in trafficking of young women. The accused, including and a woman and her son, used to lure their victims by promising them jobs. Following the arrest, three women were rescued from Delhi and Haryana.
The accused have been identified as Sanjay (33), Vinod Mandal (23) and Savitri Devi (55).
On August 22, one Anita Devi, a resident of Nangloi had lodged a missing report about her 23-year-old daughter Manju who had gone to meet one Sunil for employment on August 16 but didn't return home. Anita complained that she received a call on her mobile phone, saying that her daughter was safe and would come back after sometime. She was also threatened not to report the matter to police or would face dire consequences,'' said DCP (west) Sharad Aggarwal.
"A secret source told us that one Sunil Jha along with his brother Sanjay run a placement agency in Nangloi. It was also revealed that they were selling girls to agents in neighbouring states by promising them jobs as maid servants for the past one year,'' said the officer.
Subsequently, raids were conducted in Delhi and Haryana and Manju, along with two other girls, were rescued.
According to the police, the girls were brought to the capital through agents from states like Orissa, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Bihar. Sunil used to negotiate deals with their associates in Rohtak in Haryana. Once the deal was struck and money was received, they used to hand over the girls to other accused. Girls were then sold off for second time from Rohtak to various parts of Haryana.
A case of trafficking and wrongful confinement was lodged against the three accused.
The accused have been identified as Sanjay (33), Vinod Mandal (23) and Savitri Devi (55).
On August 22, one Anita Devi, a resident of Nangloi had lodged a missing report about her 23-year-old daughter Manju who had gone to meet one Sunil for employment on August 16 but didn't return home. Anita complained that she received a call on her mobile phone, saying that her daughter was safe and would come back after sometime. She was also threatened not to report the matter to police or would face dire consequences,'' said DCP (west) Sharad Aggarwal.
"A secret source told us that one Sunil Jha along with his brother Sanjay run a placement agency in Nangloi. It was also revealed that they were selling girls to agents in neighbouring states by promising them jobs as maid servants for the past one year,'' said the officer.
Subsequently, raids were conducted in Delhi and Haryana and Manju, along with two other girls, were rescued.
According to the police, the girls were brought to the capital through agents from states like Orissa, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Bihar. Sunil used to negotiate deals with their associates in Rohtak in Haryana. Once the deal was struck and money was received, they used to hand over the girls to other accused. Girls were then sold off for second time from Rohtak to various parts of Haryana.
A case of trafficking and wrongful confinement was lodged against the three accused.
Over 900 births and 300 deaths in Delhi every day
Delhi registers over 900 births and nearly 300 people die in the national capital every day, revealed an annual report Tuesday.
The annual report on births and deaths in Delhi-2008 was released by Delhi government's Finance, Planning and Urban Development Minster A.K. Walia Tuesday.
'The report revealed that average number of births per day in Delhi were 915 in 2008 as against 882 in 2007 and the average number of deaths per day in Delhi was 295 in 2008 as against 277 in 2007,' an official statement said.
The report revealed that in nearly 50 percent cases of birth, the mother belonged to the 20-24 age group.
'Age group of the mother at the time of delivery was analyzed and it was observed that in nearly 50 percent cases, it was 20-24 years and in 36.23 percent cases the age group was 25-29 years,' the statement said.
'The report also observes an inverse relationship between the level of education of the mother and birth order. As per the report higher the birth order lesser will be the level of educational attainment,' it added.
The report also marks an increase in sex ration in Delhi.
'There is a remarkable increase in sex ratio in Delhi from 820 in 2005 and 848 per 1,000 in 2007 to 1,004 in 2008. This is because of number of registrations of female birth which increased due to implementation of 'Laadli' scheme,' Walia said.
'There have been 19,000 more female births registered in Delhi compared to last year. Numbers of total female births registered were increased from 1.48 lakhs in 2007 to 1.67 lakhs in 2008,' the statement said.
'Total number of births registered in Delhi during 2008 are 3.34 lakhs against 3.22 lakhs in 2007. Of the total birth registered, 166,583 (49.89 percent) were male and 167,325 (50.11 percent) were female,' it said.
'Out of total births in Delhi during 2008, only 4.55 percent were registered in rural Delhi. Of the total births, 2.45 lakhs (73.45 percent) were institutional births and among them 61.25 percent were in government hospitals,' said Walia adding that among the non-institutional births 56.59 percent were female.
Meanwhile, about 1.08 lakhs deaths were registered in Delhi in 2008 as compared to 1.01 lakhs in 2007.
'Of the total deaths registered, 62.23 percent were male and 36.77 percent were female. In 2008, about 53 percent of the total deaths were reported by the medical institutions and the remaining 47 percent were non-institutional deaths,' the statement said.
'About 16 percent of the total deaths were due to disease of pulmonary circulation and other forms of heart disease, 8.15 percent due to septicemia, 6.98 percent due to diabetics mellitus and 3.74 percent due to T.B,' it added.
'Out of total deaths registered during the year as many as 6,138 were infant deaths. The infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births was 18.38 during 2008 as against 25.44 during 2007. The maternal mortality rate per 1,000 live births was 0.20 in 2008 while it was 0.26 in 2007. The death rate per 1,000 of population worked out to 6.29 during 2008 as against 6.07 in 2007,' the statement further said.link
The annual report on births and deaths in Delhi-2008 was released by Delhi government's Finance, Planning and Urban Development Minster A.K. Walia Tuesday.
'The report revealed that average number of births per day in Delhi were 915 in 2008 as against 882 in 2007 and the average number of deaths per day in Delhi was 295 in 2008 as against 277 in 2007,' an official statement said.
The report revealed that in nearly 50 percent cases of birth, the mother belonged to the 20-24 age group.
'Age group of the mother at the time of delivery was analyzed and it was observed that in nearly 50 percent cases, it was 20-24 years and in 36.23 percent cases the age group was 25-29 years,' the statement said.
'The report also observes an inverse relationship between the level of education of the mother and birth order. As per the report higher the birth order lesser will be the level of educational attainment,' it added.
The report also marks an increase in sex ration in Delhi.
'There is a remarkable increase in sex ratio in Delhi from 820 in 2005 and 848 per 1,000 in 2007 to 1,004 in 2008. This is because of number of registrations of female birth which increased due to implementation of 'Laadli' scheme,' Walia said.
'There have been 19,000 more female births registered in Delhi compared to last year. Numbers of total female births registered were increased from 1.48 lakhs in 2007 to 1.67 lakhs in 2008,' the statement said.
'Total number of births registered in Delhi during 2008 are 3.34 lakhs against 3.22 lakhs in 2007. Of the total birth registered, 166,583 (49.89 percent) were male and 167,325 (50.11 percent) were female,' it said.
'Out of total births in Delhi during 2008, only 4.55 percent were registered in rural Delhi. Of the total births, 2.45 lakhs (73.45 percent) were institutional births and among them 61.25 percent were in government hospitals,' said Walia adding that among the non-institutional births 56.59 percent were female.
Meanwhile, about 1.08 lakhs deaths were registered in Delhi in 2008 as compared to 1.01 lakhs in 2007.
'Of the total deaths registered, 62.23 percent were male and 36.77 percent were female. In 2008, about 53 percent of the total deaths were reported by the medical institutions and the remaining 47 percent were non-institutional deaths,' the statement said.
'About 16 percent of the total deaths were due to disease of pulmonary circulation and other forms of heart disease, 8.15 percent due to septicemia, 6.98 percent due to diabetics mellitus and 3.74 percent due to T.B,' it added.
'Out of total deaths registered during the year as many as 6,138 were infant deaths. The infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births was 18.38 during 2008 as against 25.44 during 2007. The maternal mortality rate per 1,000 live births was 0.20 in 2008 while it was 0.26 in 2007. The death rate per 1,000 of population worked out to 6.29 during 2008 as against 6.07 in 2007,' the statement further said.link
Delhi gets its own television show
A television show that Delhiites can truly claim as their own. From its title, to local shooting locales, to an all-Delhi cast and crew. 12/24 Karol Bagh, which premieres August 31 on Zee TV, is being pitted as the first ever ‘truly Delhi’ show on Indian television.
“A place like Karol Bagh in Delhi is the best to bring out a contrast between two different generations belonging to an essentially middle-class family,” says Sukesh Motwani, Creative Head Fiction at Zee TV. “To make it more convincing the entire cast and crew had to be from Delhi… Dilli-waale karenge to dil se karenge,” he adds.
“With Delhi-based actors we didn’t have to work hard on getting the lingo right. Phrases like Tu aa jaiyo or Aur bata yaar come to us naturally,” says Smriti Kalra, who plays Simmi in the show. “But the youth will be able to relate to it more because we’ve even shot at Shri Ram College of Commerce in the Delhi University,” she adds.
Kalra says shooting at places like Bengali Sweets and in the by-lanes of Lajpat Nagar has got people excited about the show. “The crowd goes hysteric when we’re around shooting. Delhiites always want to be in front of the camera, even if they don’t know what’s being shot!”
So what, according to her, are the things that are ‘quintessentially Delhi’? “You can’t replicate the food you get here anywhere else. And T-shirts as cheap as Rs 25... only in Sarojini Nagar,” she smiles back.link
“A place like Karol Bagh in Delhi is the best to bring out a contrast between two different generations belonging to an essentially middle-class family,” says Sukesh Motwani, Creative Head Fiction at Zee TV. “To make it more convincing the entire cast and crew had to be from Delhi… Dilli-waale karenge to dil se karenge,” he adds.
“With Delhi-based actors we didn’t have to work hard on getting the lingo right. Phrases like Tu aa jaiyo or Aur bata yaar come to us naturally,” says Smriti Kalra, who plays Simmi in the show. “But the youth will be able to relate to it more because we’ve even shot at Shri Ram College of Commerce in the Delhi University,” she adds.
Kalra says shooting at places like Bengali Sweets and in the by-lanes of Lajpat Nagar has got people excited about the show. “The crowd goes hysteric when we’re around shooting. Delhiites always want to be in front of the camera, even if they don’t know what’s being shot!”
So what, according to her, are the things that are ‘quintessentially Delhi’? “You can’t replicate the food you get here anywhere else. And T-shirts as cheap as Rs 25... only in Sarojini Nagar,” she smiles back.link
Monday 24 August 2009
Delhi government ends power subsidy
In what comes as a double whammy for Delhiites who have had to put up with long outages this summer, the Delhi government on Monday officially rolled back a 10% subsidy on power.
Though the subsidy had come to an end on May 31 - and many residents have since complained of disproportionately high bills - there was much speculation on whether or not the government would extend the relief.
The subsidy was offered for a three-period by the government in 2005 to reduce the impact of a tariff hike. With the city investing heavily on infrastructure for the Commonwealth Games next year, the government said it was not in a position to continue footing the Rs 200 crore subsidy bill.
The impact of the subsidy cut is already visible as Delhiites got escalated bills in the last cycle. The bills for the peak summer months of June and July, this time made worse by errant rain and high temperatures, went up significantly.
Kiran Kapoor, resident of Mayur Vihar-I said: ``We have four ACs in our house but use only two at night. All family members crowd inside two airconditioned rooms to save electricity. Despite this, our power bill shot up to Rs 23,800 in June. The last bill was for Rs 17,874.''
Many residents, however, felt the bills were too high even after accounting for the subsidy rollback and increased consumption.
In 2005, when tariff had been increased, Delhiites had strongly protested against the move, citing poor performance by the discoms as justification for not paying a higher amount. Discoms had been gunning for a tariff hike saying that power rates in Delhi were the cheapest in the country and that there had been no hike for four years. The government had stepped in and agreed to provide a three-year subsidy to the tune of Rs 192 crore that amounted to a 10% reduction in overall bills.
However, the subsidy for agricultural users and that aimed at limited consumption users will continue. The latter, that was started in March 2008, had also come to an end on May 31, leaving consumers across the board paying escalated power bills.
Delhi power secretary Rajendra Kumar said, ``The subsidies were valid till May 31. There had been no order after that and bills were generated on the full tariff. Only now has the cabinet decided that the subsidies on agriculture and for targeted groups will continue for another year. Whatever extra amount these consumers have paid will be adjusted in future bills.''
Though the subsidy had come to an end on May 31 - and many residents have since complained of disproportionately high bills - there was much speculation on whether or not the government would extend the relief.
The subsidy was offered for a three-period by the government in 2005 to reduce the impact of a tariff hike. With the city investing heavily on infrastructure for the Commonwealth Games next year, the government said it was not in a position to continue footing the Rs 200 crore subsidy bill.
The impact of the subsidy cut is already visible as Delhiites got escalated bills in the last cycle. The bills for the peak summer months of June and July, this time made worse by errant rain and high temperatures, went up significantly.
Kiran Kapoor, resident of Mayur Vihar-I said: ``We have four ACs in our house but use only two at night. All family members crowd inside two airconditioned rooms to save electricity. Despite this, our power bill shot up to Rs 23,800 in June. The last bill was for Rs 17,874.''
Many residents, however, felt the bills were too high even after accounting for the subsidy rollback and increased consumption.
In 2005, when tariff had been increased, Delhiites had strongly protested against the move, citing poor performance by the discoms as justification for not paying a higher amount. Discoms had been gunning for a tariff hike saying that power rates in Delhi were the cheapest in the country and that there had been no hike for four years. The government had stepped in and agreed to provide a three-year subsidy to the tune of Rs 192 crore that amounted to a 10% reduction in overall bills.
However, the subsidy for agricultural users and that aimed at limited consumption users will continue. The latter, that was started in March 2008, had also come to an end on May 31, leaving consumers across the board paying escalated power bills.
Delhi power secretary Rajendra Kumar said, ``The subsidies were valid till May 31. There had been no order after that and bills were generated on the full tariff. Only now has the cabinet decided that the subsidies on agriculture and for targeted groups will continue for another year. Whatever extra amount these consumers have paid will be adjusted in future bills.''
Milk prices to rise in Delhi within a week
Milk will soon get costlier by Re 1 in Delhi market, with country’s largest food brand Amul planning to raise prices of liquid milk within a week.
Sources close to the development in the dairy sector revealed that the Rs 6,711-crore Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) that markets Amul brand of dairy products is considering revision of milk prices for full-cream and toned milk. It is believed that other dairy players too will revise prices once GCMMF announces the raise.
"Dairy players usually follow the market leader in every state, irrespective of their national position. However, it is likely to be an unprecedented move by the dairy major GCMMF (Amul) in Delhi market where Mother Dairy is the market leader," said an industry expert. He added that milk price rise is inevitable in the country on account of delayed monsoon and increasing costs of procurement by the dairies. Cost of milk production has gone up by 15-20% in past few months on account of expensive cattle feed.
Last week, capital’s largest player and National Dairy Development Board subsidiary Mother Dairy increased milk prices in select categories. Mother Dairy sells close to 25 lakh litre milk a day in Delhi market. It revised prices of double toned milk by Re 1 to Rs 19 per litre and toned and bulk vended milk to Rs 20 per litre. Prices of skimmed milk of Mother Dairy too went up by Rs 17 a litre from Rs 16 earlier.
Mother Dairy sells close to 11 lakh litre milk a day through its vending machines. Interestingly, Mother Dairy is garnering Re 1 per litre extra in the categories where it is dominating and Amul is not present. The second largest player Amul could increase price of only double toned milk by Re 1 to Rs 19 a litre. However, the move did not improve GCMMF’s revenues since it sells almost 10 lakh litre of full cream milk a day, a price of which has remained unchanged.
"GCMMF is considering revising full cream milk price to Rs 27 per litre from Rs 26 while the price of tonned milk will also go up by Re 1 per litre in 8-10 days. Mother Dairy that beat GCMMF in last price hike will also now have to consider its pricing," said the source. He added that GCMMF will roll out new price as soon as its inventory of pouches with old price print gets over.
It may be mentioned here that recently milk prices went up in majority of the markets across the country. Markets like Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Nagpur and Kanpur saw prices of full-cream milk going up recently. However, Mother Dairy refrained from revising full-cream prices while revising those of other categories. GCMMF’s Banaskantha and Sabarkantha district unions cater to Delhi market.link
Sources close to the development in the dairy sector revealed that the Rs 6,711-crore Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) that markets Amul brand of dairy products is considering revision of milk prices for full-cream and toned milk. It is believed that other dairy players too will revise prices once GCMMF announces the raise.
"Dairy players usually follow the market leader in every state, irrespective of their national position. However, it is likely to be an unprecedented move by the dairy major GCMMF (Amul) in Delhi market where Mother Dairy is the market leader," said an industry expert. He added that milk price rise is inevitable in the country on account of delayed monsoon and increasing costs of procurement by the dairies. Cost of milk production has gone up by 15-20% in past few months on account of expensive cattle feed.
Last week, capital’s largest player and National Dairy Development Board subsidiary Mother Dairy increased milk prices in select categories. Mother Dairy sells close to 25 lakh litre milk a day in Delhi market. It revised prices of double toned milk by Re 1 to Rs 19 per litre and toned and bulk vended milk to Rs 20 per litre. Prices of skimmed milk of Mother Dairy too went up by Rs 17 a litre from Rs 16 earlier.
Mother Dairy sells close to 11 lakh litre milk a day through its vending machines. Interestingly, Mother Dairy is garnering Re 1 per litre extra in the categories where it is dominating and Amul is not present. The second largest player Amul could increase price of only double toned milk by Re 1 to Rs 19 a litre. However, the move did not improve GCMMF’s revenues since it sells almost 10 lakh litre of full cream milk a day, a price of which has remained unchanged.
"GCMMF is considering revising full cream milk price to Rs 27 per litre from Rs 26 while the price of tonned milk will also go up by Re 1 per litre in 8-10 days. Mother Dairy that beat GCMMF in last price hike will also now have to consider its pricing," said the source. He added that GCMMF will roll out new price as soon as its inventory of pouches with old price print gets over.
It may be mentioned here that recently milk prices went up in majority of the markets across the country. Markets like Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Nagpur and Kanpur saw prices of full-cream milk going up recently. However, Mother Dairy refrained from revising full-cream prices while revising those of other categories. GCMMF’s Banaskantha and Sabarkantha district unions cater to Delhi market.link
Sunday 23 August 2009
Delhi highest municipal solid waste producer: Survey
India's national capital Delhi is the highest municipal solid waste producer in the country followed by western metropolis Mumbai, says a survey by a business House.
Delhi produces 6,800 tonnes of solid waste a day, while Mumbai generates 6,500 tonnes but in the absence of scientific management facilities these cities were dumping the wastes in landfill sites, says the survey carried out by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in 22 cities across the country.
Mumbai sends 100 per cent of its waste to dumping sites followed by Delhi's 94 per cent, it added.link
Delhi produces 6,800 tonnes of solid waste a day, while Mumbai generates 6,500 tonnes but in the absence of scientific management facilities these cities were dumping the wastes in landfill sites, says the survey carried out by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in 22 cities across the country.
Mumbai sends 100 per cent of its waste to dumping sites followed by Delhi's 94 per cent, it added.link
Saturday 22 August 2009
Faculty at IIT Delhi to go on mass leave from Tuesday
The faculty at IIT Delhi has decided to go on mass leave for on Tuesday to protest the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission. The faculty members will also wear black badges from Monday.
The Faculty Forum of IITD decided in its general body meeting on Saturday that its members will take a casual leave to mark their protest and may hold a protest march on the Teachers' Day if the government fails to take any measures before that.
Said S S Murthy, president of Faculty Forum: "Even PSU employees and our own students earn better than us when they join the MNCs. This is why we have decided to protest against the recommendations of the sixth pay commission now.'' link
The Faculty Forum of IITD decided in its general body meeting on Saturday that its members will take a casual leave to mark their protest and may hold a protest march on the Teachers' Day if the government fails to take any measures before that.
Said S S Murthy, president of Faculty Forum: "Even PSU employees and our own students earn better than us when they join the MNCs. This is why we have decided to protest against the recommendations of the sixth pay commission now.'' link
Buddha Jayanti Park gang rape sentence life imprisonment
Relatives of the four members of the President's Bodyguard who were convicted and sentenced in the 2003 Buddha Jayanti Park gang rape Saturday said the court had succumbed to "media pressure" and pronounced harsh sentences. They plan to appeal against the court's order.
"The order is very harsh and it is all because of media pressure that the court gave my son life imprisonment. We will appeal against this order," said Paramanand Singh, father of Satendra Singh one of the two held guilty of raping a 17-year-old girl six years ago.
"Who will look after our family now? Satendra is married and his daughter is studying in Class 5. He is the sole bread earner of our family and has to support other family members too," Singh said.
A city court awarded life sentence on Satendra Singh and Harpreet Singh, while two other members of the President's Bodyguard - Kuldeep Singh and Manish Kumar were given 10 years' rigorous imprisonment.
Satender Saturday pleaded his innocence to the court and said he was "being falsely implicated". "There is no evidence that proves my involvement," he said.
Kuldeep also said he was innocent. "I am innocent and how do I prove it to you (court). Please see my family before passing any order."
Mool Singh, a relative of Kuldeep Singh, said: "We are from a poor family and were praying that his job should be saved, but with his conviction all our hopes are shattered."
However, Mool Singh said they will appeal against the verdict.
The victim, then 17, had gone with her boyfriend Ashish to the Buddha Jayanti Park near Rashtrapati Bhavan Oct 6, 2003. She was raped by Harpreet and Satender while the other two - Kuldeep and Manish - kept a watch.
The four first roughed up Ashish and then took the girl to a secluded place inside the park where they raped her, the prosecution said.
"The order is very harsh and it is all because of media pressure that the court gave my son life imprisonment. We will appeal against this order," said Paramanand Singh, father of Satendra Singh one of the two held guilty of raping a 17-year-old girl six years ago.
"Who will look after our family now? Satendra is married and his daughter is studying in Class 5. He is the sole bread earner of our family and has to support other family members too," Singh said.
A city court awarded life sentence on Satendra Singh and Harpreet Singh, while two other members of the President's Bodyguard - Kuldeep Singh and Manish Kumar were given 10 years' rigorous imprisonment.
Satender Saturday pleaded his innocence to the court and said he was "being falsely implicated". "There is no evidence that proves my involvement," he said.
Kuldeep also said he was innocent. "I am innocent and how do I prove it to you (court). Please see my family before passing any order."
Mool Singh, a relative of Kuldeep Singh, said: "We are from a poor family and were praying that his job should be saved, but with his conviction all our hopes are shattered."
However, Mool Singh said they will appeal against the verdict.
The victim, then 17, had gone with her boyfriend Ashish to the Buddha Jayanti Park near Rashtrapati Bhavan Oct 6, 2003. She was raped by Harpreet and Satender while the other two - Kuldeep and Manish - kept a watch.
The four first roughed up Ashish and then took the girl to a secluded place inside the park where they raped her, the prosecution said.
Friday 21 August 2009
Spirituality workshops planned in Delhi
Spiritual group Kryon Source is holding a series of workshops in the capital from next weekend.
A one-day workshop called Past Life Regression, Karmic completion and New Beginnings will be held Aug 29, followed by a two-day Reiki workshop Aug 31 to Sep 1, and a four-day workshop on the search for the self Sep 3-6.link
A one-day workshop called Past Life Regression, Karmic completion and New Beginnings will be held Aug 29, followed by a two-day Reiki workshop Aug 31 to Sep 1, and a four-day workshop on the search for the self Sep 3-6.link
Jadeja blames cricketers for Delhi administration
Ajay Jadeja, the former India batsman and captain of Delhi for two seasons, has backed Virender Sehwag in his criticism of the state's cricket administration but said players are to blame for the dismal situation that exists today.
"We need to look within ourselves," Jadeja was quoted as saying in the Hindu. "If we don't go begging for small favours from the administrators such situations would not arise at all. Can you have any selection in India without the involvement of a player? The selection committee is made up of former players only and if they don't do their job properly, who do you blame? This sports committee is elected by cricketers only. Why don't they send honest cricketers to do the job?"
Earlier this week Sehwag was reported to be seeking a move to Haryana because of interference in selection matters. Other senior Delhi players backed Sehwag's claims about the lack of transperancy in Delhi and Districts Cricket Association's selection procedures.
Jadeja played age-group cricket for Delhi before moving to Haryana in 1988. He returned to Delhi in 2003-04 and shifted to Rajasthan in 2005-06. Jadeja said he was pressured by the selectors when he was the Delhi captain. "I had anticipated these interferences. But I did not budge. I attended only the first selection committee meeting as a captain. Thereafter, they chose the 15 and I picked the playing XI."
Jadeja's solution for a more transparent system was to have one selector make the picks based on suggestions by scouts. "You can fix accountability instead of involving too many cricketers in the selection committee."link
"We need to look within ourselves," Jadeja was quoted as saying in the Hindu. "If we don't go begging for small favours from the administrators such situations would not arise at all. Can you have any selection in India without the involvement of a player? The selection committee is made up of former players only and if they don't do their job properly, who do you blame? This sports committee is elected by cricketers only. Why don't they send honest cricketers to do the job?"
Earlier this week Sehwag was reported to be seeking a move to Haryana because of interference in selection matters. Other senior Delhi players backed Sehwag's claims about the lack of transperancy in Delhi and Districts Cricket Association's selection procedures.
Jadeja played age-group cricket for Delhi before moving to Haryana in 1988. He returned to Delhi in 2003-04 and shifted to Rajasthan in 2005-06. Jadeja said he was pressured by the selectors when he was the Delhi captain. "I had anticipated these interferences. But I did not budge. I attended only the first selection committee meeting as a captain. Thereafter, they chose the 15 and I picked the playing XI."
Jadeja's solution for a more transparent system was to have one selector make the picks based on suggestions by scouts. "You can fix accountability instead of involving too many cricketers in the selection committee."link
Heavy rains damage Delhi airport terminal, disrupt flights
Strong winds and heavy rains blew off a part of the roof of the newly constructed Terminal 1D of the Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The water filled the terminal and flight operations were disrupted due to heavy rains in the capital on Friday. The Airport terminal was constructed by a JV headed by GMR Infrastructure.
A DIAL (Delhi International Airport Limited) spokesperson said that over 20 flights got delayed and ten flight were diverted. The maintenance team is working on the war footing to clear the water and restore the displaced sheets of the roof, he added.
Just last month, IGI airport faced a trying when as result of heavy downpour, there was water logging of the airport approach roads and into the domestic arrival terminal as well.
DIAL is a joint venture of Bangalore headquartered GMR Group, Airports Authority of India, Fraport and Malaysian Airport Holdings. Just last month, DIAL had assured of proper steps being taken ahead of monsoon to prevent flight disruptions.
The water filled the terminal and flight operations were disrupted due to heavy rains in the capital on Friday. The Airport terminal was constructed by a JV headed by GMR Infrastructure.
A DIAL (Delhi International Airport Limited) spokesperson said that over 20 flights got delayed and ten flight were diverted. The maintenance team is working on the war footing to clear the water and restore the displaced sheets of the roof, he added.
Just last month, IGI airport faced a trying when as result of heavy downpour, there was water logging of the airport approach roads and into the domestic arrival terminal as well.
DIAL is a joint venture of Bangalore headquartered GMR Group, Airports Authority of India, Fraport and Malaysian Airport Holdings. Just last month, DIAL had assured of proper steps being taken ahead of monsoon to prevent flight disruptions.
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