Survey finds disabled women doubly disadvantaged

A pioneering study on women with disabilities, conducted in five eastern Indian states, finds that disabled women, besides lacking education and employment opportunities, are completely ignorant about their legal rights
The first-ever baseline survey on disabled women, conducted by the Association of Women with Disabilities (AWWD) in the five eastern states of Assam, West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand and Bihar, has found them to be sorely disadvantaged by lack of education and employment opportunities, and ignorance about their legal rights.
The survey was undertaken through 2007 in India and other SAARC countries; compilation of the report was completed in 2008.
The survey was part of a South Asian regional initiative aimed at ‘Creating Spaces for Women with Disabilities (WWDs) to Communicate and Advocate for their Rights’, undertaken by AWWD and its partners Akasa (Sri Lanka) and Social Assistance for the Rehabilitation of the Physically Vulnerable (SARPV, Bangladesh).
The survey was carried out in technical collaboration with Healthlink Worldwide, and funding from DFID (UK). It restricted itself to physically disabled women.
According to the survey, illiteracy among WWDs was found to be as high as 70.9% in Jharkhand, 63.8% in Bihar, 46.1% in West Bengal, 41.7% in Orissa, and 32.5% in Assam. The corresponding illiteracy figures for able-bodied women in these states was 60.62% in Jharkhand, 66.43% in Bihar, 39.78% in West Bengal, 49.5% in Orissa, and 43.97% in Assam.
A very small percentage of physically disabled women were found to have completed secondary education. Assam, with 18.6% of its women having acquired secondary education, fared better than all the other states. In West Bengal, only 3.3% of WWDs were reported to have finished secondary education. This, despite an overwhelming majority of respondents -- 90% in West Bengal and 75.7% in Orissa -- feeling the need for WWDs to be educated.
Similarly, although a high percentage of respondents felt the need for disabled women to get gainful employment, less than a quarter of respondents were found to be employed. So, whereas 91.8% in Bihar, 86.8% in Assam, 86.4% in West Bengal, 78.7% in Jharkhand, and 67.4% in Orissa believed in the physically disabled being employed, the employment figures were found to be dismal -- 23.6% in West Bengal and a low 8.9% in Jharkhand -- although the figures for general female participation in the workforce were as high as 26.4% in Jharkhand, which was better than Orissa’s 24.7%, Assam’s 20.7%, and considerably better than Bihar’s 18.8% and West Bengal’s 18.3%.
The major reason for this, the survey found, was that there was no scope for employment; the disability factor came in at second place.
As regards their role in household decisions, 72% of women with disabilities confessed to having no role at all in Bihar, as against 68.3% in Orissa, 49.6% in Jharkhand, and 44.5% in West Bengal. Assam fared much better here, with 72.2% of women reporting that their role mattered in household decisions.
Neither did any of these women have much say in decisions concerning their own life and health. Assam fared best here too, with 73.9% having a say in decisions concerning their own lives, compared to just 27% in Bihar and 24.3% in Orissa.
In terms of accessibility and mobility, most women found all rooms in their houses easily accessible, with figures clocking in as high as 90.6% in West Bengal, compared to 52.4% in Assam.
Awareness of the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Act, 1995 was a mere 5% in Assam and a low 0.3% in Bihar. With the single exception of Orissa, where 57.3% were reportedly aware of government schemes and policies related to women and the disabled, the awareness ranged from 14.9% in Assam, 10% in Jharkhand and West Bengal, to as low as 2.6% in Bihar.
Given the poor rate of education and high illiteracy among disabled women, the issue of social discrimination elicited confusing responses. At one end of the spectrum, 65.8% denied ever being socially discriminated against, while at the other end 61.8% accepted that they could not attend social gatherings.
Otherwise too, women were found to be severely restricted in enjoying their basic rights owing to societal and family pressures, as informed by panchayat representatives, schoolteachers and government officials. As regards levels of awareness, government officials and panchayat representatives fell short on many counts. Although aware of the PWD Act, officials and panchayat representatives were poorly informed about the various schemes and funding details. Nor was there much awareness about the Convention on Elimination of all types of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). As far as non-government organisations (NGOs) were concerned, at least half of them were confused about provisions under the PWD Act. Most believed that laws relating to women’s rights included provisions to deal with women with disabilities.
The print media fared comparatively better, with 43% of media persons being aware of state and national policies related to persons with disabilities. However, the electronic media showed very little awareness or inclination on reporting on issues relating to the disabled.
People with disabilities (PWDs) comprise 4-8% of the total Indian population, which amounts to 40-90 million individuals. Nearly half of the disabled are women. Yet, women with disabilities (WWDs) have always remained an invisible minority owing to illiteracy and social attitudes.
Interestingly, even as India’s GDP grew at a robust 7% and above in the last decade, the employment rate among disabled adults fell from 43% in 1991 to 38% in 2002, according to the World Bank.

‘Very alarming’ levels of pollution in 10 industrial clusters: report

A study of 88 major industrial hubs in the country finds that almost all of them are heavily polluted, with 10 needing urgent attention

A first-of-its-kind study of pollution levels in major industrial hubs in India has identified 10 hubs as having ‘very alarming’ levels of pollution.

The report, ‘Comprehensive Environmental Assessment of Industrial Clusters’, prepared by IIT-Delhi and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), lists the 10 critically polluted industrial areas as Ankleshwar and Vapi in Gujarat, Ghaziabad and Singrauli in Uttar Pradesh, Korba in Chhattisgarh, Chandrapur in Maharashtra, Ludhiana in Punjab, Vellore in Tamil Nadu, Bhiwadi in Rajasthan, and Angul Telcher in Orissa.

The study ranks 88 industrial clusters across the country on a Comprehensive Environment Pollution Index (CEPI), which takes into account water, land and air pollution. CEPI will henceforth be the benchmark for grading industrial pollution and will be measured every two years.

The clusters have been ranked on a scale of 0-100; the 10 most polluted clusters score above 80. Thirty-three industrial hubs have scored about 70-80 and are categorised as ‘critically’ polluted; at least 32 others scored around 60-70 and were tagged as ‘seriously’ polluted clusters. Ten of them with a score of 50-60 are in the ‘warning’ zone.

Vapi in Gujarat along with the Sukhinder valley in Orissa were listed as being among the 10 most polluted spots on earth in a 2007 report by the US-based Blacksmith Institute, an independent environment agency. Vapi has more than 50 industrial estates and over 1,000 independent industries, mainly those related to tanning and chemicals.

Releasing the report, environment minister Jairam Ramesh hinted that new approvals for industrial activity may not be given in the 10 worst polluted areas until such time as they show some improvement.

“The idea is to identify them in order to take concerted action and to centrally monitor them at the national level, to improve the current status of their environmental components such as air and water quality,” Ramesh said.

The CPCB along with state PCBs have been asked to prepare an action plan for the 43 industrial clusters, including the 10 ‘very alarmingly’ and 33 ‘most severely’ polluted areas, within the next three months, he added.

India ranks a poor 114th in gender equality

The country ranks in the bottom half, among 134 countries, in terms of gender equality in the latest ranking that assesses the distribution of resources and opportunities among males and females around the world

Slipping one place from last year, India has cornered the 114th position in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) ‘The Global Gender Gap Index 2009’ ranking. India ranked 114th in 2007 too; it cornered 98th place in 2006.

The WEF’s annual ranking, released on October 28, 2009, attempts to assess “how well countries are dividing their resources and opportunities among their male and female populations, regardless of the overall levels of these resources and opportunities”.

Along with India, other Asian countries like Korea (115), Iran (128) and Pakistan (132) continue to hold some of the lowest positions in the rankings that are led by Iceland and three more Nordic nations -- Finland (2), Norway (3) and Sweden (4) -- at the top, and New Zealand in fifth spot. Other countries in the top ten include South Africa (6), Denmark (7), Ireland (8), the Philippines (9), and Lesotho (10).

The United Kingdom ranks 15th while the United States is in 31st spot -- three spots lower than it was last year. Though placed way ahead of India, neighbouring China has dropped to 60th position from 57 last year. Among other BRIC nations, Russia ranks 51st while Brazil is in 82nd spot.

“While India, Iran and Pakistan perform very poorly on the economic, education and health sub-indexes, their overall scores are partially bolstered by relatively good performances on political empowerment,” the WEF said.

Stressing that certain religions and cultural norms around the world prevent women from attaining equal status in society, a top UN official cited India as an example saying that the government was making tremendous efforts to uplift the better half of its population.

“You find countries like India where there are traditional practices and yet the state in its approach towards women has always held equality as a basis,” Asma Jahangir, UN special rapporteur on religious freedom, said.

The WEF says the index scores are meant to indicate the percentage of gender gap that has been closed. Women entering senior official, managerial and legislator roles, gains for women in parliament, and women ministers in the new government helped close the gender gap in the country. That means a higher score on the index represents a more gender-equal society, at least according to this methodology.

“Girls and women make up one half of the world’s population, and without their engagement, empowerment and contribution we cannot hope to achieve a rapid economic recovery nor effectively tackle global challenges such as climate change, food security and conflict,” Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman, WEF, said. “The Forum works year-round with leaders on ways to close gender gaps through its Women Leaders and Gender Parity Programme, and this report underpins their work.”

The Global Gender Parity Group, a community of highly influential leaders from business, politics, academia, media and civil society -- 50% women and 50% men -- seeks to share best practices and identify strategies to optimise the use of talent.

“Out of the 115 countries covered in the report since 2006, more than two-thirds have posted gains in overall index scores, indicating that the world in general has made progress towards equality between men and women, although there are countries that continue to lose ground. We have included a section on the dynamics of the gender gap and found that progress is achieved when countries find ways to make marriage and motherhood compatible with the economic participation of women,” said co-author Ricardo Hausmann, director of the Centre for International Development at Harvard University, USA.

The Forum continues to expand geographic coverage in the report. Featuring a total of 134 countries, this year’s report provides insights into the gaps between women and men in over 93% of the world’s population. Thirteen out of the 14 variables used to create the index are from publicly available hard data indicators from international organisations such as the International Labour Organisation, the United Nations Development Programme and the World Health Organisation.

Some notable facts:

• Among the 134 countries covered in this report, Ireland has the lowest maternal mortality rate (1 death among 100,000 live births) while Chad has the highest maternal mortality rate (1,500 deaths among 100,000 live births). Twenty-four countries have a maternal mortality rate of greater than 500 deaths per 100,000 live births.
• Annually, more than half-a-million women and girls die during pregnancy and childbirth; 3.7 million newborns die within their first 28 days.
• 99% of maternal deaths occur in developing countries. Half of these occur in sub-Saharan Africa and another third in South Asia.
• A woman in a least developed country is 300 times more likely to die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth than a woman in an industrialised country, in her lifetime.
• Maternal and newborn health are intimately linked. Children who have lost their mothers are four times more likely to die prematurely than those who have not.
• It is estimated that for every woman who dies, another 20 suffer from illness or disability as a result of pregnancy or childbirth -- around 10 million women a year.
• Many of these women not only face discomfort and emotional distress but are shunned by their families.
• Every year, about 1 million children are left motherless and vulnerable. They are less likely to attend school, which, in turn, means that they risk a life living in poverty as adults.
• Approximately 80% of maternal deaths could be averted if women had access to essential maternity and basic healthcare services.
• The five major direct causes of maternal death in developing countries are severe bleeding, infection, hypertension, complications from unsafe abortions, and prolonged/obstructed labour.
• About 20% of maternal deaths have indirect causes that complicate pregnancy or childbirth, such as malaria, anaemia, hepatitis and HIV/AIDS.
• Another serious factor is insufficient access for women and girls to nutritious food.
• Weak healthcare systems often do not prioritise women’s health.
• Lack of skilled health workers to support a woman through pregnancy, childbirth and post-natal care. There is evidence that worker numbers and quality are positively associated with maternal survival.

(source:The New York Times, October 29, 2009
Press Trust of India, October 28, 2009)

Corrupt officials listed on CVC website

For the first time, India’s Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has made public the names of corrupt officials. Until now, only the number of corrupt officials was being revealed

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has, for the first time, made public the names of 123 government officials against whom it has suggested prosecution or imposition of penalty for alleged corruption.

The CVC states on its website: “In furtherance of the transparency initiatives and the spirit of the Right to Information Act 2005, the Central Vigilance Commission has decided to regularly post info/details of cases pending for sanctions for prosecution over four months with organisations/departments.”

Earlier, the commission gave out only the number of allegedly corrupt officials, along with their departments.

The list of 123 allegedly corrupt officials was reportedly compiled in July and includes the names of 101 officials against whom the commission has suggested imposition of a major penalty. Of them, 17 work in nationalised banks, 13 in the Delhi Development Authority, 11 in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, nine in the ministry of railways and New India Assurance Company. The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has 11 officials on the list.

Of the 22 remaining officers against whom prosecution proceedings have been advised, seven are from the home ministry -- four of them IPS officers, seven from the Central Board of Direct Taxes, and two from the Indian Forest Service.

Meanwhile, well placed sources said the Cabinet secretary has asked secretaries in various ministries not to delay sanction for prosecution of corrupt officials, warning that the CVC would make public the names of officials shielded by their departments.

Sources said the CVC is now working on updating the list with the names of officials whose departments have not yet granted sanction for prosecution or from whom the recommended penalties have not been recovered.

The updated lists will be put up on the website as part of the commission’s fight against corruption.

Satara District, Maharashtra asks couples to put parenthood on hold

Offering couples cash incentives if they put off having their first child by two years has delayed 2,500 births, claim officials in Satara district,Maharashtra.

On August 15, India’s Independence Day, several couples in Satara district in the western state of Maharashtra redeemed their pledge of not having a child for two years after marriage. Officials say this family planning initiative of the Satara district administration has delayed 2,500 births in the two years since it has been in existence.

In 2007, officials in Satara introduced the voluntary scheme with a corpus of Rs 6 crore from the National Rural Health Mission to curb the rising birth rate in the area. Couples who agreed to defer their first child by two years would be given a cash incentive of Rs 5,000. Around 485 couples will get a cheque of Rs 5,000, while another 2,366 couples will be awarded during the year as soon as they complete their two-year vow.

Satara district has a population of around 28 lakh, with a girl:boy ratio of 995:1,000. District medical officer Dr V Phalake says that roughly 25,000 marriages take place every year; over 80% result in a baby in the first year. This is largely because of the widespread belief that a child born during the first year of marriage will be healthy.

According to Dr Phalake, roughly 10% (2,366 couples) of couples have participated in the programme and, as a result, 2,500 births have been delayed. “The birth rate of the district is steadily dropping. From the previous 17 births per 1,000, it will become 15 by 2010,” he says.

Vivek Baid, president of the Mission for Population Control, approves of the scheme even though his NGO advocates permanent family planning measures like vasectomy. “It will work like a temporary family planning device like IUD, birth control pills and condoms. The financial benefit added to this package will motivate couples to delay childbirth,” he says. Indeed, the idea is to delay births, not deprive parents of the joys of parenthood.

The scheme has attracted couples from different sections of society and with different motives. Some couples find the scheme attractive because it allows both partners to continue working. Others find the money useful. Says daily wage earner Vinod Waghmare: “If it wasn’t for the scheme we would have had children in the first year of marriage. But now I want to open a fixed deposit from this money for the future of my child.”

For those who delay having a child by another one year, the financial package goes up to Rs 7,500.

Many couples say, however, that they have to keep their participation in the scheme a secret from their families who would certainly disapprove. When Jawade Rao told his mother, she stopped talking to him and his wife. He says he cannot afford to let such a state of affairs continue.

The Satara model has attracted interest from Assam and Jharkhand. The fight to contain population cannot be won by coercive methods, say experts. But the effectiveness of incentives and disincentives in family planning is also a matter of debate.

Indian Parliament passes landmark Right to Education Bill

It has taken six-and-half years, two governments, and half-a-dozen drafts to put in place enabling legislation making the right to education a fundamental right in India

The Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament, has adopted the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill 2009, approving it by voice vote on Tuesday, August 4, 2009. The upper house, the Rajya Sabha, passed the Bill on July 20. Once the President gives the Bill her assent, education will become a fundamental right for every Indian child.

Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal called the move “a national enterprise that will help shape India’s future,” explaining that “this Bill is about the child’s right to have free education and the State’s obligation to provide compulsory education. This is a historic opportunity as there was never such a law in the last 62 years since Independence. We, as a nation, cannot afford our children not going to school”.

Answering a range of questions on the form and content of the Bill, Sibal said that its essential features included free education, compulsory education, quality education (with schools requiring to have facilities like a playground, library, etc), quality teachers (minimum qualification for teachers is compulsory; under-qualified teachers will be given five years to upgrade themselves), social responsibility (private schools will have to reserve one-fourth of their seats for disadvantaged children), de-bureaucratisation of the school system, and participation of civil society in school management committees (where half the members will be women).

As the purpose of the legislation is to set a certain benchmark for school education, the Bill details punitive action for running unrecognised schools, and also provides for de-recognition of institutions that do not meet certain standards. These standards, in terms of teacher qualifications and duties, and pupil-teacher ratio, have been specified. It comes with a diktat that prohibits teachers from taking private tuitions and schools from deploying them for non-educational purposes other than the decennial population census, disaster relief, and election duty.

Stressing the need for a boost to children’s education, Sibal said that out of every 100 children attending elementary school only 12 reached the graduation level; in Europe it was 50-70 (students reaching college from the elementary level); the global average is 27. The Centre wanted to increase India’s average to 15 by 2012 and to 30-35 by 2020, he said.

The curriculum will be less rigorous and will ensure all-round development of children. “A child must not be subjected to board examinations in Class V or Class VIII. The element of fear must be removed from the child’s mind. At present the child has no choice but to take exams and the government was determined to end it,” the minister added.

Responding to questions raised in Parliament, Sibal clarified that no punitive measures were planned for parents who failed to send their children to school. He also clarified that it was for the states and local authorities to decide on the broader contours of neighbourhood schools (with no interference from the Centre), within three years.

The Bill seeks to do away with the practice of schools taking capitation fees before admissions, and subjecting the child or parents to a screening procedure. If a school disregards this it could be fined up to 10 times the capitation amount. If tests or interviews are conducted, a school can be fined Rs 25,000 for the first violation, and Rs 50,000 for every subsequent contravention.

Schools cannot deny admission to a child because of lack of age proof, and no child can be detained or expelled until the completion of elementary education. Physical punishment and mental harassment will attract disciplinary action under the service rules.

It will be up to the states to implement the policy of reservation in admissions. While 25% of seats in every private school will be allocated for children from disadvantaged groups, including differently-abled children at the entry level, as far as minority institutions are concerned, up to 50% of these seats can be offered to students from their own community.

On infrastructure, the minister said there was provision for establishing a recognition authority in every state under which all schools would have to fulfil the minimum requirement for infrastructure within three years. Otherwise they will lose recognition. Similarly, appointment of teachers had to be approved by the academic committee, Sibal pointed out.

On the medium of instruction, Sibal said there was provision to provide elementary education, as far as possible, in the child’s mothertongue. The law would ensure that the child got free, compulsory and quality education by qualified teachers. It had not been brought in to interfere with the state government’s attempts to provide elementary education.

The minister emphasised the disability clause, saying that the differently-abled would be considered part of the broad “disadvantaged category (that includes scheduled castes [SCs], scheduled tribes [STs], socially and educationally backward)… integrating schooling for the disabled in normal schools”. He added that children suffering from autism too would soon be able to join normal schools.

A spate of protests over the past week by disabled rights groups across the country were followed by a meeting with Sibal on Monday. The prime minister also met them the day the Bill was passed. “The prime minister assured us that our concerns would be addressed,” says Javed Abidi, head of the disability rights group that has been spearheading the protest along with the Spastics Society of India.

Disabled rights activists argue that the Bill effectively extends benefits only to those with physical disabilities -- not children with cerebral palsy or autism. The definition of disadvantaged children -- for whom each private school is required to reserve 25% of their seats -- does not include the differently-abled. Also, they say, the Bill does not mention special schools with a barrier-free environment for differently-abled children.

The government still has to finalise funding norms for implementation of the proposed law; this remains a major concern for educationists in the country. “The right to education will effectively become implementable only when the funding is clear and is released. Till then, it will remain a law only on paper,” said one senior HRD ministry official.

The ministry has asked the finance commission to finalise funding norms for the proposed law. Critics of the Bill say it is unclear how the government plans to pay for it. They also say it does not cover children below the age of six and therefore fails to recognise the importance of a child’s early years of development.

Achieving universal education is one of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals to be met by the year 2015. Currently, around 70 million children in India receive no schooling; more than a third of the country’s population is illiterate. At present, India spends a little over 3% of its GDP on education.

IT industry joins global initiative to cut greenhouse gas emissions

hi friends....

here is some good news...

Leading companies and industry bodies pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4 million tonnes over the next three years

Nine leading IT companies and industry bodies in India have joined the Climate Savers Computing Initiative (CSCI) that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4 million tonnes over the next three years.

They include CII, Dell, HP, Intel, MAIT, Nasscom, TERI and WWF. Over the next three years, these companies/organisations will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4 million tonnes (an amount equal to planting around 4,800 sq km of trees, and savings of Rs 2,250 crore in energy costs) by promoting smart technologies and best practices and sensitising organisations and individuals to adopt power management techniques.

The Climate Savers Computing Initiative is a non-profit group of eco-conscious consumers, businesses and conservation organisations dedicated to reducing the energy consumption of computers.

Over 475 companies and organisations have joined the initiative since its launch in June 2007, and thousands of individuals have pledged their support. The initiative is led by CSC, Dell, Google, HP, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, and World Wide Fund for Nature.

Computers waste 30-40% of the power they use. Most of today’s desktop PCs are capable of automatically transitioning to sleep or hibernate mode when inactive for a sustained duration. But in about 90% of systems this functionality has been disabled, resulting in higher energy consumption and increased electricity use. IT users generally lack awareness about the power-saving features built into present-day machines.

“With the right user behaviour and latest energy-efficient technologies now easily available to us, we can continue to drive power reduction with the use of energy-efficient computers,” said Rahul Bedi, director of corporate affairs, Intel South Asia, one of the prime movers behind the initiative’s expansion.

At the launch of the India chapter of CSCI, Minister of State for Environment, Jairam Ramesh, announced some measures to encourage energy-efficient products and reduce the country’s carbon footprint.

Starting January 2010 it will become mandatory for certain products to carry eco labelling. The first phase will cover four products -- refrigerators, airconditioners, distribution transformers and fluorescent lamps. By mid-2010, three more product lines (colour TVs, LPG stoves, and electric motors) will need to carry the mandatory eco labelling.

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency will work with industry to develop a labelling system that will enable end users of computers to make informed choices in favour of energy-efficient systems.

11 Indian states, three UTs achieve ‘two children per couple’ target

11 Indian states, three UTs achieve ‘two children per couple’ target

Although India has a long way to go in arresting population growth, 11 states and three union territories have shown the way by attaining the ideal of two children per couple. However, states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh will need at least 15-20 years to achieve this goal

Eleven states and three union territories in India have beaten the 2010 deadline set by the central government of achieving a total fertility rate (TFR) of ‘two children per couple’, under the National Population Policy framed in 2000.

According to a recently-released health ministry report, the 11 states are Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. The union territories are Chandigarh, Pondicherry and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

“Spacing between children, age of marriage, behavioural changes, education, better healthcare and socio-economic conditions are some of the factors behind this progress,” says Amarjeet Sinha, joint secretary in the union health ministry. Other officials add that there appears to have been widespread acceptance of family planning measures like vasectomy and tubectomy.

The health ministry report however regrets the fact that populous states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh will probably take another 15-20 years to achieve the TFR target. It says that, by 2050, India’s anticipated population will reach more than 1.5 billion, and over 1.853 billion at the close of the 21st century.

National Commission on Population estimates project that by 2026, 22% of India’s population will be contributed by Uttar Pradesh alone, while Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh together will account for 22%. The four southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu will account for only 13%.

National Family Health Survey 3, that provides information on population, health and nutrition in India and each of its 29 states, based on field work conducted between December 2005 and August 2006, showed that 70% of women were married by the age of 18 in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Rajasthan. In comparison, less than 20% of women in Kerala had early marriages.

Districts in Bihar like Sapaul, Katihar and Darbhanga had 98% teenage mothers, followed by Kamrup in Assam, with 56%, and Hingoli in Maharashtra with 35%. In comparison, Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu and Hamirpur and Kangra in Himachal Pradesh had only 1% teenage mothers.

In districts across the country, the incidence of early marriage among women was as high as 83% and 73% respectively in Sharaswati, in Uttar Pradesh, and Jamui in Bihar. In comparison, Chamoli in Uttarakhand and Alapuzza and Pathanamihitta in Kerala reported no underage marriages.

Nationally, the survey showed that 51% of the population falls within the reproductive age-group, which means 18.8 crore couples require contraceptive coverage. However, only 53% practise birth control. It further revealed that 42% of the population increase constitutes births beyond two children per couple, and though fertility in the 15-19 age-group is declining, about 35 lakh teenagers have children each year in the country.

According to National Commission on Population estimates, India is expected to overtake China in human numbers by 2030. India is expected to become the first and the only country on the planet to have a population of over 2 billion; China’s population is likely to drop after reaching a peak of around 1.46 billion in 2050.

India still on top of the world polio map

FRNDZ....

Despite launching the largest ever mass immunisation campaign against polio in February 2003, targeting 165 million children, the battle against polio has not been won. To understand the causes of the repeated occurrence, we need to understand the profile of the wild polio virus.

The recent news that the Global Polio Eradication Initiative has placed India on top of the world polio map, with 82 cases diagnosed till February this year, makes depressing reading. The success of the past years in bringing down the number of polio infections appears to have been reversed. More so since the other endemic countries, Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, together reported only 23 cases in the same period.

Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has gone on record to say that his ministry is going to review “the entire polio programme”, pointing out that although it spent Rs 1,300 crore last year on the polio eradication programme, and this year’s budget allotment for the same is Rs 1,042 crore, the scenario was grim. Bihar, particularly, is showing up as a major worry area and Uttar Pradesh (UP) remains a problem state.

As for the statistics, the number of polio cases jumped from 268 in 2001 to 1,600 in 2002. In February 2003, India launched the largest ever mass immunisation campaign against polio, targeting 165 million children. But even in that year there were 225 cases, though in 2004 there was a significant drop to 136 cases. India recorded 864 polio cases in 2007, compared to 676 cases the previous year.

Well friends, this is really unfotunate..an alarming situation....

....plz make people aware about the disease and tell them importance of Polio vaccine.

Let's FIGHT POLIO!!

26 June:International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is a United Nations International Day against drug abuse and the illegal drug trade. It has been held annually since 1988 on 26 June, a date chosen to commemorate Lin Zexu's dismantling of the opium trade in Humen, Guangdong, just before the Opium War (zh:虎门销烟) The observance was instituted by General Assembly resolution 42/112 of 7 December 1987.

The UN's 2007 World Drug Report puts the value of the illegal drug trade at US$322 billion a year.

26 june:International Day in Support of Torture Victims

The International Day in Support of Torture Victims, or June 26, is a day created by the United Nations General Assembly to demonstrate solidarity to all whose mind, body or spirit have been impacted by torture.

World Refugee Day, observed June 20 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world.

20 JUNE:International Surfing Day

International Surfing Day, held annually on or near the date of the summer solstice^[1] — usually June 20^[2] (the 21st of June on leap years)^[1] — is an unofficial, environmentally-conscious^[3] sports-centered holiday that celebrates the sport of surfing and the surfing lifestyle and the sustainability of ocean resources.^[4][5] The holiday has been criticized for being overly corporate.^[6] Contests and prizes^[7] are also part of the celebration with surfing related industries donating prizes such as surfboards and wetsuits.^[3] Another purpose of the celebration is to promote the popularity of surfing and attracting new participants.

8 June:World Oceans Day

World Oceans Day was officially declared by the United Nations as June 8th each year beginning in 2009.^[1] The concept was proposed on 8 June 1992 by Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and it had been unofficially celebrated every year since then as World Ocean Day.^[2]

World Ocean Day is an opportunity every year to honor the world's ocean, celebrate the products the ocean provides, such as seafood, as well as marine life itself for aquariums, pets, and also a time to appreciate its own intrinsic value. The ocean also provides sea-lanes for international trade. Global pollution and over-consumption of fish have resulted in drastically dwindling population of the majority of species.

The Ocean Project, working in partnership with the World Ocean Network, is working to build greater awareness of the crucial role of the ocean in our lives and the important ways people can help. World Ocean Day provides an opportunity to get directly involved in protecting our future, through a new mindset and personal and community action and involvement – beach cleanups, educational programs, art contests, film festivals, sustainable seafood events, and other planned activities help to raise consciousness of how our lives depend on the ocean.

The official United Nations 2009 World Oceans Day theme is: "Our Oceans, Our Responsibility".
The unofficial 2009 World Ocean Day theme is: “one ocean, one climate, one future”.

5 june:World Environment Day

World Environment Day (WED) was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972.^[1] WED is hosted every year by a different city and commemorated with an international exposition through the week of June 5. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), also created in 1972, uses WED to stimulate awareness of the environment and enhance political attention and public action.

"Stockholm was without doubt the landmark event in the growth of international environmentalism," writes John McCormick in the book Reclaiming Paradise. "It was the first occasion on which the political, social and economic problems of the global environment were discussed at an intergovernmental forum with a view to actually taking corrective action."

31 May:World No Tobacco Day

World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on May 31. The member states of the World Health Organization created World No Tobacco Day in 1987. It draws global attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and to its negative health effects. The day aims to reduce the 5.4 million yearly deaths from tobacco related health problems.^[1] From 1988 the WHO has presented one or more World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) Awards to organizations or individuals who have made exceptional contributions to reducing tobacco consumption. On May 31st, 2008 the WHO called for a complete ban on tobacco advertising; the organization said studies establish a relationship between exposure to cigarette advertisement and starting smoking.

19 may:World Hepatitis Day

World Hepatitis Day, observed May 19, aims to raise global awareness of hepatitis B and hepatitis C and encourage prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Approximately 500 million people worldwide have either hepatitis B or hepatitis C. This represents 1 in 12 people, and was the basis for the 2008 World Hepatitis Day Am I Number 12? campaign. If left untreated and unmanaged, hepatitis B or C can lead to advanced liver scarring (cirrhosis) and other complications including liver cancer or liver failure. Every year 1.5 million people die from either hepatitis B or C.^[1]

World Hepatitis Day is led by the World Hepatitis Alliance, which represents 200 patients groups and organizations including The Hepatitis C Trust, the European Liver Patient Association and the Chinese Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention & Control.

18 may:World AIDS Vaccine Day

World AIDS Vaccine Day, also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day,

-is observed annually on May 18. HIV vaccine advocates mark the day by promoting the continued urgent need for a vaccine to prevent HIV infection and AIDS. They acknowledge and thank the thousands of volunteers, community members, health professionals, supporters and scientists who are working together to find a safe and effective AIDS vaccine and urge the international community to recognize the importance of investing in new technologies as a critical element of a comprehensive response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The concept of World AIDS Vaccine Day is rooted in a May 18, 1997 commencement speech at Morgan State University made by then-President Bill Clinton. Clinton challenged the world to set new goals in the emerging age of science and technology and develop an AIDS vaccine within the next decade stating, “Only a truly effective, preventive HIV vaccine can limit and eventually eliminate the threat of AIDS.”

The first World AIDS Vaccine Day was observed on May 18, 1998 to commemorate the anniversary of Clinton’s speech, and the tradition continues today. Each year communities around the globe hold a variety of activities on World AIDS Vaccine Day to raise awareness for AIDS vaccines, educate communities about HIV prevention and research for an AIDS vaccine and bring attention to the ways in which ordinary people can be a part of the international effort to stem the pandemic.

18 may:International Museum Day

The International Museum Day is a celebration that is held each year on or about 18 May. Each year, the Advisory Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) defines a specific theme for International Museum Day.

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The event provides the opportunity for museum professionals to meet the public and alert them to the challenges that museums face if they are to be — as in the ICOM definition of museums — 'an institution in the service of society and of its development'."[1]

”

The theme for 2009 is "Museums and tourism".

17 May:World Information Society Day

hey frndz,
today is...

World Information Society Day

-was proclaimed to be on 17 May by a United Nations General Assembly resolution, following the 2005 World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis.^[1]

The day had previously been known as World Telecommunication Day to commemorate the founding of the International Telecommunication Union in 17 May 1865.^[2] It was instituted by the Plenipotentiary Conference in Malaga-Torremolinos in 1973.

The main objective of the day is to raise global awareness of societal changes brought about by the Internet and new technologies. It also aims to help reduce the Digital divide.