29 april: International Dance Day (World Dance Day)

International Dance Day (World Dance Day) has been celebrated on April 29 through promotion by the International Dance Council (CID), an umbrella organization within UNESCO for all kinds of dance.

Among the goals of the Dance Day are to increase the awareness of the importance of dance among the general public, as well as to persuade governments all over the world to provide a proper place for dance in all systems of education, from primary to higher.

27 April: World Graphic Design Day

World Graphic Design Day is celebrated on April 27, the anniversary of the founding of Icograda, the world body for graphic design, in 1963. It is a day to celebrate the profession of graphic and communication design. The day has been celebrated since 1995.

On this occasion, designers reflect and hope that an international network can contribute to a greater understanding between people and can help to build bridges where divides and inequities exist.

Politics is not a SERVICE anymore but a PROFESSION!!!

Salary & Govt. Concessions for a Member of Parliament (MP)
Monthly Salary : Rs. 12,000/-
Expense for Constitution per month : Rs. 10,000/-
Office expenditure per month : Rs. 14,000/-
Traveling concession (Rs. 8 per km) : Rs. 48,000/-
(eg. For a visit from South India to Delhi & return : 6000 km)
Daily DA TA during parliament meets : Rs. 500/day
Charge for 1 class (A/C) in train : Free (For any number of times)(All over India )
Charge for Business Class in flights : Free for 40 trips / year (Withwife or P.A.)
Rent for MP hostel at Delhi : Free.
Electricity costs at home : Free up to 50,000 units.
Local phone call charge : Free up to 1, 70,000 calls..
TOTAL expense for a MP [having no qualification] per year : Rs.32, 00,000/-
[i.e. 2.66 lakh/month]TOTAL expense for 5 years : Rs. 1, 60, 00,000/-

For 534 MPs, the expense for 5 years :Rs. 8,54,40,00,000/-
(Nearly 855 crores)AND THE PRIME MINISTER IS ASKING THE HIGHLY QUALIFIED, OUT PERFORMINGCEOs TO CUT DOWN THEIR SALARIES.....This is how all our tax money is been swallowed and price hike on ourregular commodities.........And this is the present condition of our country !!!
r u AWARE???

23 april:World Book and Copyright Day

23 April:
a symbolic date for world literature for on this date and in the same year of 1616, Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. It is also the date of birth or death of other prominent authors such as Maurice Druon, K.Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo. It was a natural choice for UNESCO's General Conference to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity.

The idea for this celebration originated in Catalonia where on 23 April, Saint George's Day, a rose is traditionally given as a gift for each book sold. The success of the World Book and Copyright Day will depend primarily on the support received from all parties concerned (authors, publishers, teachers, librarians, public and private institutions, humanitarian NGOs and the mass media), who have been mobilized in each country by UNESCO National Commissions, UNESCO Clubs, Centres and Associations, Associated Schools and Libraries, and by all those who feel motivated to work together in this world celebration of books and authors.

By celebrating this Day throughout the world, UNESCO seeks to promote reading, publishing and the protection of intellectual property through copyright.

Central anti-ragging agency soon

A central helpline to help victims of ragging at educational institutions will be set up in a week the government tells the Supreme Court after placing a probe report that cites alcoholism on campus as one of the main reasons behind the menace

The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has begun work on developing a model for a proposed ‘crisis helpline’ to enable victims of ragging across the country to seek immediate help. The government hopes to put the mechanism in place in around a week.

The concept of a central agency with a helpline, which will be web-based, is the brainchild of Rajender Kachroo, whose 19-year-old son Aman died after being assaulted by seniors last month at a government medical college in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

Aman’s father has also suggested the creation of an anti-ragging database that will feature the names of students, and list ragging complaints, to ensure effective monitoring and prevention of the practice.

Once the database/helpline comes into operation, state governments are also expected to amend their anti-ragging statutes to include provisions that place penal consequences on institutional heads who do not take timely steps to prevent ragging and punish those who resort to it.

Amicus curiae and Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam said: “The HRD ministry has already commenced work on developing a model for the crisis-centre helpline and the anti-ragging database. The ministry has sought the assistance of Educational Consultants India Ltd as a consultant in this project.”

Subramaniam revealed this to a bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and A K Ganguly hearing petitions relating to recent cases of ragging at Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Himachal Pradesh, and College of Agricultural Engineering, Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh.

The two cases were referred to the R K Raghavan Committee along with other recent incidents of ragging -- one in Coimbatore and the other in Goa.

In his status report, Subramaniam referred to the Raghavan Committee’s findings submitted to the court, blaming alcoholism on campus, failure of colleges to set up anti-ragging squads and implement recommendations to prevent ragging.

He said the inquiry committee had found that “wardens and assistant wardens in the college took up their assignments reluctantly and did not discharge their duties as was required of them”. The report also points out that the wardens were found to be living outside the hostel premises, defeating the purpose of creating such a position.

It further blames the Medical Council of India (MCI) for not taking immediate action to put down the menace.

The court has asked the Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh governments to file their response to the report later this week.

Poor in perpetuity?

New studies claim that the stress that the poor inevitably suffer adversely impacts children’s working memory, causing them to be under-achievers in later life and thus remain poor.
The researchers found that those who had spent their whole lives in poverty could hold an average of 8.5 items in their memory at any time. Those brought up in a middle class family could manage 9.4, and those whose economic and social experiences had been mixed were in the middle.

DISABLED ON EQUAL FOOTING THIS ELECTION

If Supreme Court guidelines are obeyed, the forthcoming Lok Sabha election will be a historic one. For the first time the poll process will be disabled-friendly, with ramps, separate queues and Braille-enabled voting machines that will allow disabled voters to enjoy the same rights as everyone else!
R u aware?

7 APRIL - WORLD HEALTH DAY 2009

World Health Day 2009 focuses on the safety of health facilities and the readiness of health workers who treat those affected by emergencies. Health centres and staff are critical lifelines for vulnerable people in disasters - treating injuries, preventing illnesses and caring for people's health needs.

They are cornerstones for primary health care in communities – meeting everyday needs, such as safe childbirth services, immunizations and chronic disease care that must continue in emergencies. Often, already fragile health systems are unable to keep functioning through a disaster, with immediate and future public health consequences.

This year, WHO and international partners are underscoring the importance of investing in health infrastructure that can withstand hazards and serve people in immediate need. They are also urging health facilities to implement systems to respond to internal emergencies, such as fires, and ensure the continuity of care.

PENSION SCHEME FOR WIDOWS & SEVERELY DISABLED LAUNCHED

hi frndz,
recently India's Rural Development Ministry launched two new schemes-

INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL WIDOW PENSION SCHEME(IGNWPS) and INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL DISABILITY PENSION SCHEME(IGNDPS) have been launched on FEB 19, 2009.
IGNWPS - applicable for Widows in the age group of 40 to 64
IGNDPS - for those who have attained the age of 18 but are below 65 and below the poverty line.

the Center will provide Rs. 200/month, while States have been requested to contribute atleast a similar amount to beneficiaries, for a monthly assistance of Rs. 400.

so frndz, its a good step by our Gov. to help Widows and Disabled people. but Do you think Rs.200.Rs. 400 will be sufficient?

kindly reply/comment .....

Rural health services in Gujarat to get accreditation

In an attempt to improve health services in rural areas, community and primary healthcare centres in Gujarat will seek accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Hospital.

Poor rural health services have created huge problems for rural citizens. To improve their functioning, community health centres (CHCs) and primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in Gujarat have been lined up for accreditation by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH). This is a first for the country.

CHCs and PHCs often lack basic infrastructure and adequate staff. Accreditation, it is hoped, will do away with the disparities.

Of the 273 CHCs and 1,073 PHCs in Gujarat, the health department has chosen 48 CHCs and 158 PHCs for the first phase of accreditation. “The selection of centres has been on the basis of workload. One CHC and three PHCs in every district will undergo the process,” says Dr J L Meena, state quality assurance officer.

The budget for the first phase is Rs 25 lakh for CHCs and Rs 10 lakh for PHCs. The Quality Council of India together with district health officials will provide technical support in the accreditation process. The first phase of accreditation will be completed within a year.

The standard of accreditation for these centres, however, will be lower than for government and private hospitals. “It is an attempt to better the condition of public health in rural areas,” says Meena.

The training of staff has already begun. The health department is in the process of carrying out a baseline study of all PHCs and CHCs, which, Meena admits, are not up to the mark. The study will offer a clear picture of the extent of problems at health centres in rural areas, Meena concludes.

well frndz, this is a very good step taken by GUJARAT GOV. to improve the quality of Primary Healthcare Services. Other states should take a lesson from this, and should implement the same.

2 APRIL -WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY.

hi frndz,
today on 2nd april, its world's 2nd WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY.

WHAT IS AUTISM?
AUTISM is brain development disorder that impairs communication and social interaction in small children.

World Autism Awareness Day shines a bright light on autism as a growing global health crisis. WAAD activities help to increase and develop world knowledge of the autism epidemic and impart information regarding the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention. Additionally, WAAD celebrates the unique talents and skills of persons with autism and is a day when individuals with autism are warmly welcomed and embraced in community events around the globe.

By bringing together autism organizations all around the world, we will give a voice to the millions of individuals worldwide who are undiagnosed, misunderstood and looking for help. Please join us in our effort to inspire compassion, inclusion and hope.

so frndz, henceforth if u came across such child, don't neglect the problem. support and encourage child! increase AWARENESS about AUTISM.
HELP AUTISM AFFECTED CHILDREN!
HELP INDIA!
AWARE INDIA!!!

International Children's Book Day

Since 1967 on or around Hans Christian Andersen's birthday, April 2, authors from around the world have gathered to call attention to children's books. The event is sponsored by IBBY, The International Board on Books for Young People, a non-profit organization which represents an international network of people from all over the world who are committed to bringing books and children together.

Each year, the International Children's Book Day celebration allows one of their 60 National Sections the opportunity to be the international sponsor of International Children's Book Day. The host National Section decides upon a theme and invites a prominent author from the host country to create a message for the celebration and a well-known illustrator to design a poster.

International Children's Book Day celebrations across the world involve the holding of special events that may include encounters with authors and illustrators, writing competitions, or announcements of book awards.

1 APRIL - April Fools' Day

April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day, although not a holiday in its own right, is a notable day celebrated in many countries on April 1. The day is marked by the commission of hoaxes and other practical jokes of varying sophistication on friends, family members, enemies, and neighbors, or sending them on fool's errand, the aim of which is to embarrass the gullible. Traditionally, in some countries, the jokes only last until noon: like UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, someone who plays a trick after noon is called an "April Fool".^[1] Elsewhere, such as in Ireland, France, and the USA, the jokes last all day.