Cooper Corporation & Onco-Life, a Cancer Centre, Shendre, Satara took an initiative and organized a health drive camp, focusing on cervical cancer and breast cancer detection. This camp did include Full Body check-up, oral examination, Mammography, Papsmear & sonography. In this camp out of 1500 women 14% were detected by breast cancer and cervical cancer.

Cooper corporation has been funding this camp since past 3 years, this year being the largest camp. It was well initiated by Ms. Manisha Cooper & whole heartedly supported by Mr. Farrokh Cooper. Ms. Manisha Cooper personally was present during almost all days of the camp to ensure it went on smoothly.

The incidence of breast cancer is increasing. It occurs nearly 100 times more often in women than in men. Sedentary lifestyle makes one obese and around 60% of those patients with breast cancer are obese. Community-based educational intervention suggests being very productive in clinical breast examination by trained personnel like female health workers.

The development of cervical cancer is due to the first intercourse at early age and multiple sex partners. It is necessary that woman should watch out for symptoms like abnormal bleeding, unusual heavy discharge, pelvic pain, pain during urination and unexpected bleeding as the possible signs for cervical cancer diagnosis.

Mr. Uday Shivajirao Deshmukh said, “Most women are at risk of developing breast cancer.   In this camp 30 years and above women were screened and we found breast lump in various women. Most of the cervical cancer detected in Pap smear was due to lack of hygiene.  When it comes to treatment post diagnosing it, we are providing MJPJAY , CM FUND and Shiddhivinayak Funds and also in our Hospital cashless/ Mediclaim Facilities are available . So Women should be made aware of the benefits of undergoing regular cervical screening tests. Â”

 Â“Women at 65 and above years of age should definitely undergo screening, if they haven’t been screened since the age of 50 years or if they recently had abnormal tests. As the risk of cervical cancer is very low in women who have never had sex & maintain hygiene, women in this category may opt not to have cervical screening.” elaborates Mr. Deshmukh.

“Last year we carried out screening for 1317 women in which 9% were at risk of breast cancer and cervical cancer. Many a times patient who come for a Pap smear test do not come back if the results are positive. As a part of cervical cancer prevention, there is an urgent need for massive awareness program to motivate women to get screened and to enlist the cooperation of their extended family.”

UNICEF has launched an online version of the ‘Critical Appraisal Skills’ (CAS) course for health journalists. This course is conceptualized in collaboration with Thomson Reuters Foundation, Indian Institute of Mass Communication and Oxford University. The course is available for entry and mid-level health reporters and aims to enhance the capacities of media representatives to generate factual and non-sensational reports.

The course was launched to mark the World Immunisation Week.

In a press release issued here, UNICEF said evidence shows that a well-researched news story, underpinned with an evidence-based approach can help mitigate any adverse perception about large scale public health initiatives such as the Routine Immunization programmes. It also helps dispel myths and fears and ensures pro-active public participation. This becomes catalytic for the success of large scale health initiatives.

In January 2018, the Indian Institute of Mass Communication integrated the course as a module within all the eight communication streams that it presently teaches.

Quoting K.G Suresh, Director General, IIMC, the press release said, “The course provides a specialized set of skills and competencies to the journalism students and enables them to research and analyze health-related information for credibility and relevance thereby improving the accuracy in reporting.”

India has one of the largest immunization programmes in the world, in terms of the number of beneficiaries, geographical coverage and quantities of vaccine used, with nearly 26 million newborns targeted for immunization annually. Over nine million immunization sessions are held across the country to achieve this. However, only 62 per cent of the children in India receive full immunization during the first year of their life.

Nicolas Ballet, Director, Journalism and Media Programmes, Thomson Reuters Foundation said, “With this initiative, we are training Indian journalists to apply the Reuters principles of accuracy and impartiality to their reporting on immunization and mother and child health. The media plays an essential role in shaping the conversation, and we hope to inspire a new generation of journalists to take on this issue and shine a light on topics at the heart of social and economic development.”

Dr Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF Representative in India said, “Media is one of our key partners. This course will be an opportunity for health journalists across the country to add a critical dimension of evidence in their reporting and support in disseminating credible messages on the value of vaccines and how immunization saves the lives of millions of girls and boys.” 

The free online course is launched in the backdrop of UNICEF’s ‘Every Child, Alive’ campaign which focuses on reducing newborn mortality, ensuring that every child is alive and healthy in the days, weeks and months after birth.

As per Census 2011, 31.16 % population lives in Indian cities. Children (0-18 years) account for 34% of the total urban population of which 52.7%) are boys and 47.3% are girls. Many of these boys and girls, who will be contributing to shaping the future of cities, are currently living in slums. Of the total urban households, 17.4% are slum households (Census 2011) and this number is forecast to rise over the coming years.  The urban poverty level is about 13.7% in 2011-12 (Planning Commission). At present, the slums are reported in 63% of the 4,041 statutory towns.

Different research indicates that there is inequality in the coverage of basic services in urban India. These inequalities make it difficult for children esp. from deprived families to compete with same cohort living in non-slum households.  Such children are facing basic survival challenges starting from their birth when some of them are being delivered by untrained birth attendants at home; followed by other basic development and protection issues. Girls and boys, of any background, in cities are facing many complex issues with respect to their physical, emotional and mental well-being. Children have to face not just a rise in crimes against them but also challenges such as unfriendly roads, lack of playing spaces, unsafe public places etc. Also, having no representation in interventions meant for them (or where decisions for them are mainly made by adults) makes things difficult for them and their parents to cope in this challenging and competitive environment.

The Indian government has launched various urban development schemes and missions to address some of the issues which urban children are facing in cities daily. The sch(emes and mission such as AMRUT, HRIDAY, NULM, PMAY–Urban, NUHM, GUTS, Swachh Bharat and Smart City Mission are designed to help boost the urban development and to contribute towards improving the quality of life for urban dwellers. It may also help address some of the specific challenges which children are facing in this rapidly urbanizing India.

The Government has already taken note of the Sustainable Development Goals commitments and has aligned its planning framework to the targets given under them. India is also signatory to the UNCRC and other global agendas which reflect the Governments intent to make life better and healthier for children.

While the intent of the government is in place, it must now focus on child- friendly urban planning through its policies.  The proposed National Urban Policy (NUP) framework must focus on urban planning and design processes and their implementation in such a way that it will ensure child-friendly smart and resilient cities. This framework will also ensure children’s engagement during the policy implementation at the ground and should take into account their perspectives and views. This will allow children, who are disconnected at present, to understand the basics of urban planning and designing but also make them contribute effectively towards shaping child-friendly, smart and resilient cities for their predecessors.  There are lots of examples where children have given effective ideas on traffic management to making of a mobile app to encourage cab sharing for the smooth functioning of cities in India.

Child-participation in urban planning and design process is not a new concept; there are cities that are engaging children not only in the planning but also in the budgeting exercises. In South Asia, Dhaka city authorities along with Bangladesh Institute of Planners are engaging with children towards child-sensitive urban planning; Bhubaneswar is the first city in India to focus on child-friendly city; In Latin America, several municipalities are engaging with children through their Mayor’s office for planning child-friendly infrastructure and services; similarly in Boston, the Mayor took the initiative of empowering youth (age 12 to 25) to be part of the civic affairs of city government through participatory budgeting. It became the first American city in which youth have been empowered to decide on a portion of their city’s capital budget. The above examples of children engagement in city planning processes will not only empower them but indicates they can affect change in their communities. These activities inculcate civil engagement, making them sensitive about their city and educate them about the democratic processes.

These children, who have been involved in these processes if groomed and raised in adherence to their rights, will bring sustainable growth and development, not only for their cities but for the entire country.

Thus, it is an opportune movement to have a NUP framework that should consider children as active agents of change and encourage their participation for city improvement and development processes.

(Authors: Manish Thakre and Manabendranath Ray are, respectively, Senior Manager and Urban Convener, Urban Strategy Initiative at Save the Children. Views expressed are personal.)

Over the last few days, the retail prices of petrol and diesel have touched an all-time high.  In Delhi, petrol was selling at 74.6/litre on April 25, 2018, while diesel was at 66/litre.

Petroleum products are used as raw materials in various sectors and industries such as transport and petrochemicals.  These products may also be used in factories to operate machinery or generators.  Any fluctuation in the price of petrol and diesel impacts the production and transport costs of various items.  When compared to other neighbouring countries, India has the highest prices for petrol and diesel.

How is the price of petrol and diesel fixed?

Historically, the price of petrol and diesel in India was regulated, i.e. the government was involved in the deciding the retail price.  The government deregulated the pricing of petrol in 2010 and diesel in 2014.  This allowed oil marketing companies to determine the price of these products, and revise them every fortnight.

Starting June 16, 2017, prices for petrol and diesel are revised on a daily basis.  This was done to with the idea that daily revision will reduce the volatility in retail prices, and protect the consumer against sharp fluctuations.  The break-up of retail prices of petrol and diesel in Delhi on April 25, 2018 can be found below.  As seen in the table, over 50% of the retail price of petrol comprises central and states taxes and the dealer’s commission.  In case of diesel, this amount is close to 40%.

Does India produce enough petroleum to support domestic consumption?

India imports 84% of the petroleum products consumed in the country.  This implies that any change in the global prices of crude oil has a significant impact on the domestic price of petroleum products.  In 2000-01, net import of petroleum products constituted 75% of the total consumption in the country.  This increased to 95% in 2016-17.  The figure below shows the amount of petroleum products consumed in the country, and the share of imports.

What has been the global trend in crude oil prices? How has this impacted prices in India?

Over the last five years, the global price of crude oil (Indian basket) has come down from USD 110 in January 2013 to USD 64 in March 2018, having touched a low of USD 28 in January 2016.

While there has been a 42% drop in the price of global crude over this five-period, the retail price of petrol in India has increased by 8%.  During this period, the retail price of diesel increased by 33%. 

How has the excise duty on petrol and diesel changed over the last few years?

Under the Constitution, the central government has the powers to tax the production of petroleum products, while states have the power to tax their sale.  Petroleum has been kept outside the purview of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), till the GST Council decides.

Over the years, the central government has used taxes to prevent sharp fluctuations in the retail price of diesel and petrol.  In the past, when global crude oil prices have increased, duties have been cut.  Since 2014, as global crude oil prices declined, excise duties have been increased.

As a consequence of the increase in duties, the central government’s revenue from excise on petrol and diesel increased annually at a rate of 46% between 2013-14 and 2016-17.  During the same period, the total sales tax collections of states (from petrol and diesel) increased annually by 9%.  

(Source – http://www.prsindia.org/theprsblog/)

Even as the President, Ramnath Kovind has promulgated the Ordinance awarding death penalty to those involved in the rape of a child below 12 years, Save the Children, a child rights organization has said death penalty may not be the answer.

The Ordinance provides for death penalty for rape of girls below the age of 12, life imprisonment for sexual offences on girls between 12 to 16 and the penalty has been increased from 7 year to 10 years for other cases.

“More efforts are needed to ensure that existing laws are implemented properly and justice is meted out quickly. Also, all of us need to ensure that all forms of abuse and harassment against children are reported to the authorities, which is not happening in the vast majority of cases. Counselling and psycho-social support is required for the victims,’’ says Bidisha Pillai from Save the Children.

On 15 May, Save the Children will release its report ‘WINGS 2018: World of India’s Girls – A study on the perception of girls’ safety in public spaces’ which delves into the fears associated with abuse and harassment.

The cases of rape reported in the last few months have jostled the entire country and the Government to take an immediate and effective measure. The States of Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have also initiated actions to enforce death penalty to stop child rapes. The intent is to be harsh to stop heinous crimes  like rape of children, a statement issued by the organization has said.

In 2012, the government came up with one of most progressive law (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012) to end sexual violence against children followed by Criminal  Amendment Act, 2013. However, there has been no reduction of violence against children. The delivery of justice for crimes reported against children needs to be expedited by placing more resources (human, budget and through the use of technology) and by making it survivor-centered, by strengthening the existing Integrated Child Protection Scheme and other support services. Presently, the massive backlog of redressal of rape cases, lack of rehabilitation support and psycho-social counselling to rape survivors — and their family members — is what needs immediate attention, the statement added.

Pained by the heinous crimes committed against children and violation of their rights, Save the Children wants prioritization for fast-track redressal of cases and speedy justice as a deterrent. Adequate provisions exist under both Indian Penal Code (IPC) and POCSO Act for crimes against children. Under POCSO Act, penetrative sexual assault on a child below 12 years constitutes aggravated penetrative sexual assault, a crime that is punishable with a fine and a minimum term of rigorous imprisonment for 10 years, which can be extended to life imprisonment. Similarly, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, brought in several new sexual offences under the IPC. For instance, under Section 376(2)(i), IPC, rape of a female under 16 years is considered an aggravated form of rape that is punishable with a fine and a minimum term of rigorous imprisonment for 10 years, which can be extended to life imprisonment. Save the Children believes that, after appropriate consultation and due procedure, children-centric Acts like POCSO and RTE should also be extended to Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, it said.

NEW DELHI : In the interest of students and public at large, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has released the list of 24 fake Universities. UGC has said that these 24 self-styled, unrecognized institutions functioning in contravention of the UGC Act have been declared as fake and are not entitled to confer any degrees.

State-wise List of fake Universities

Bihar

1. Maithili University / Vishwavidyalaya, Darbhanga, Bihar.

Delhi

1. Commercial University Ltd., Daryaganj, Delhi.
2. United Nations University, Delhi.
3. Vocational University, Delhi.
4. ADR-Centric Juridical University, ADR House, 8J, Gopala Tower, 25 Rajendra Place, New Delhi – 110 008.
5. Indian Institute of Science and Engineering, New Delhi.
6. Viswakarma Open University for Self-Employment, Rozgar Sewasadan, 672, Sanjay Enclave, Opp. GTK Depot, Delhi-110033.
7. Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya (Spiritual University), 351-352, Phase-I, Block-A, Vijay Vihar, Rithala, Rohini, Delhi-110085

Karnataka

1. Badaganvi Sarkar World Open University Education Society, Gokak, Belgaum, Karnataka.

Kerala

1. St. John’s University, Kishanattam, Kerala.

Maharashtra

1. Raja Arabic University, Nagpur, Maharashtra.

West Bengal

1. Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine, Kolkata.
2. Institute of Alternative Medicine and Research,8-A, Diamond Harbour Road, Builtech inn, 2nd Floor, Thakurpurkur, Kolkatta – 700063

Uttar Pradesh

1. Varanaseya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Varanasi (UP) Jagatpuri, Delhi.
2. Mahila Gram Vidyapith/Vishwavidyalaya, (Women’s University) Prayag, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.
3. Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith, Prayag, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.
4. National University of Electro Complex Homeopathy, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
5. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University (Open University), Achaltal, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.
6. Uttar Pradesh Vishwavidyalaya, Kosi Kalan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
7. Maharana Pratap Shiksha Niketan Vishwavidyalaya, Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh.
8. Indraprastha Shiksha Parishad, Institutional Area,Khoda,Makanpur,Noida Phase-II, Uttar Pradesh.

Odisha
 

1. Nababharat Shiksha Parishad, Anupoorna Bhawan, Plot No. 242, Pani Tanki Road,Shaktinagar, Rourkela-769014.
2. North Orissa University of Agriculture & Technology, Odisha.

Puducherry
 

1. Sree Bodhi Academy of Higher Education, No. 186, Thilaspet, Vazhuthavoor Road, Puducherry-605009

New Delhi : Eyes which help us to see marvels of outside world can also reveal secrets about our inner health. Doctors often examine eyes to look for signs of jaundice, hyperthyroidism, anemia and even high cholesterol. In an emerging field of medicine called iridology, practitioners use iris patterns, colors, tissue weakness, breakage and other characteristics for early diagnosis of underlying health conditions.

Now researchers are exploring the use of machine learning techniques where iris images of people are used to identify subtle changes in their iris as an effect of a particular health condition. Researchers from the Thapar University have applied a similar methodology for diagnosing diabetes. Piyush Samant and Dr. Ravinder Agarwal have described their work in their recent paper in journal Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine.

For this study, scientists captured and compared infrared images of eyes from a total of 338 individuals of whom 180 were type II diabetic and the rest were non-diabetic patients. In these iris images, the region that corresponds to the health of pancreas (causal gland for diabetes) was cropped and its features were analyzed computationally. Among features and patterns that emerged, scientists found that a combination of top 50 ranked features could accurately diagnose diabetes. The accuracy of this diagnostic method is 89.63% and its specificity and sensitivity is 0.9687 and 0.988 respectively.

“Diabetes is a chronic, progressive disease caused by increased levels of blood glucose and can lead to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. An early diagnosis of diabetes and pre-diabetes can help people can potentially prevent or delay serious complications” said Dr. Ravinder Agarwal.

Speaking to India Science Wire, he said: “We are thinking of developing a portable device that could detect diabetes non-invasively utilizing artificial intelligence which can be used by a non-medical practitioner effectively.”

As per the estimates of International Diabetes Federation (IDF), 381.8 million people are affected by diabetes and about 591.9 million people will be affected by this disease by the year 2030. A portable device that is not painful, cheap, infection-free, and accurate can help in the effective diagnosis of this disease specifically in rural areas where establishing a diagnostic laboratory is particularly expensive. (India Science Wire)

New Delhi: To further hone their skills in jungle warfare and counter insurgency, the Indian Army personnel will be holding a joint exercise “Harimau Shakti” with the Malaysian troops at different locations in Malaysia. 

  
“The two-week long exercise starting on April 30 with the Malaysian Army is the first one being held at such a large scale. Malaysia is the only country which has wiped out all the insurgencies,” Col Aman Anand, Indian Army Spokesperson said.  
  
The India-Malaysia military exercise used to be held at the Command level earlier. The first joint exercise was held in 2012 at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. 
  
Considering the fact that the Indian Army has long experience in tackling the insurgencies in the North East and the border state of Jammu and Kashmir, the joint exercise is expected to further sharpen the edge of Indian soldiers in anti terror and anti insurgency operations under tough circumstances and difficult terrain. 
  
The exercise will take place in two phases that include Cross training and Field training in areas like Selangor, Sungai Perdik, Hulu Langat which were among the most active areas for the Maoist insurgents.
  
Both the armies will use the M4 A1 carbine in the exercise, which is known for lightweight and accuracy.
  
The Unit chosen for participation into the exercise is 4th Grenadiers of Indian Army and 1st Royal Ranjer Regiment of Malaysian Army.
  
The 4th Grenadiers which was raised in 1788 and donned with number of accolades in its name, has extensive operational experience in counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir and has displayed exceptional professional acumen, dedication and supreme courage during various tenures in the valley, Col Anand said. 
  
90 soldiers of Indian Army and about 123 troops of Malaysian Army will participate in the exercise to be concluded on May 13. 
  
Both the armies will exchange their expertise like Indian soldiers will further learn how to survive in jungle warfare, involvement of technology in counter terrorism and counter insurgency from their Malaysian counterpart while the Malaysian troops would learn handling of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), operating of CoBs among other things. 
  
The Indian soldiers were trained in Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School in Mizoram’s Vairengte and Core Battle School in Jammu and Kashmir’s Sarol. 
  
The exercise is being conducted under the United Nation’s mandate to foster closer ties between two armies. 

Rahul Bhola, 29, is from Kanpur and works two jobs while he finishes his Masters in Mechatronics (Mechanical and Electronic Engineering) at Tallinn Technical University (TTU). He divides his time between ABB, a Swedish multinational company, and the university’s hub of innovation, the Mektory, where he is working on sending a Nanosatellite to outer space. “I found out about Estonia and TTU in 2015 at an education fair in New Delhi. I didn’t want a regular education and the university offered me something different,” Bhola told Hardnews. In 2016, he made his way to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, and fully immersed himself in the student life at the university, which offers him the freedom to find work along with the classes, “The course provides real-life experience and encourages us to work by ourselves,” he continued. After finishing his course, Rahul will be allowed to work for 9 months, and after those, he can apply for a (two year) five-year temporary resident permit.

Indians are coming from all regions – to be part of the digital moment that has transformed the country’s fortunes – to study all things digital from engineering, computer programming, cyber security, life sciences, semointics and game design. In the early 2000s, the Baltic Country underwent a miracle, reams and reams of newsprint have been devoted to Estonia becoming world’s first fully digital society – 99% of all government services are digitised and almost the entire country has easy access to the internet. To the extent, citizens can file their taxes in a matter of minutes through their phones and this ease also extends to doing business.

Estonia is hungering for business and through it talent. It is fast becoming one of the largest hubs for start-ups all over the world. It is after all home to some of the most successful companies in the world, one can find the likes of Skype, Transferwise, Pipedrive and Jobbatical in Tallinn. These companies are some of the most exciting places to work anywhere in the world, with their inclusive hiring practices and willingness to innovate are attracting talent from all over the world. Moreover, ‘Work in Estonia’ a government-led initiative is trying to attract talent from all over the world to come to the country to work permanently. Now, Estonia hopes to attract Information, Communication and Technology related talent from India, both as students and workers.

As the Estonian Ambassador to India Riho Kruuv says, “Estonia is an innovative digital society that offers excellent opportunities for study at world-class universities at affordable prices. We look forward to see Indian students come to Estonia for study and work for trend-setting companies.” 

Study in Estonia

Studying in Estonia is easily accessible and while the programmes are highly selective they are 150 English programmes across the 8 universities in the country. In total, there are six public and two private universities which provide education at costs which are far lower than other parts of Europe. Some of the best programmes such as Digital Learning Games have a fee of Euro 1250 a semester, which is as cheaper than some Indian private universities. In addition, most programmes in Estonia are ahead of the curve: all universities offer the unique opportunity to work alongside with their studies. Secondly all their programmes are tailored for the future of work, all programmes have a ‘digital component’ across disciplines from business administration programmes to design, social sciences; and all technical programmes go above and beyond just teaching the students applied skills giving students a holistic approach to education. All of these courses are concerned with the future of work moulding the next generation of management, coders, analysts, designers, cybersecurity workers, designers and entrepreneurs.

Recently, a horrific and gruesome incident happened in Kathua district of J&K whereby an eight-year old minor was raped, assaulted and killed by those who claim to be in so-called authoritative position. It was the clear example of anger and power assertive rape where perpetrators wanted to create fear in the Bakerwal community. However, it became more shocking when it started taking the shape of political vessel and religious blasphemy.

In such an orthodox and stereotyped society of ours, women has been prey of social turbulence in various forms like humiliation, harassment, torture both physical and mental, in the most egregious ways despite having stringent laws. After Nirbhaya incident, an attempt was made to enact harsher laws through Criminal Law (Amendment), 2013. Of course, the law-enforcing agencies have done a commendable job but in our country, the wave of trend is flowing in other direction because people are still entangled in the ‘web of patriarchy’. Patriarchal societies provide a strong background to felony’s coming under this category. Moreover, the spirit of toleration and lack of safety at public places have given rise to such incidents more frequently. 

A big lacuna that is imminent in our country is that in cases of sexual assault, we do not work on the principle of “Prevention is better than cure” rather we first wait for the things to happen and then react on it. It is only after witnessing some new form of sexual assault, we try to penalize it and here lies the potential dilemma which asks for rectification. In the light of growing incidents, public outrage, media covering and statements made by our so-called beloved politicians will have the least impact.

Moreover, enacting more and more laws is not going to be a successful step because without their implementation, they prefer themselves as ‘dead-cells’.

Nevertheless, the most agitating facet is that people are polarizing the incident by using the weapon of religion. This is of utmost concern because in long term, this propaganda can be as harmful as was Rwandian mass rape violence of women belonging to Tutsi group. Thus, it’s a high time to change the mentality, prevent dissemination of hate ideology and to wait for the justice to happen irrespective of the caste or religion of such perpetrators. With this hope, we need to stop objectifying the women, otherwise it would be too late to assure the safety and dignity of women.

(The author Megha Purohit is Advocate, M.P. High Court)