NEW DELHI: The most sacred institution in this world is the institution of marriage. What makes marriage pure and holy are the promises which the couple makes to each other. A girl leaves her father’s home and comes to her husband’s home.

But what sometimes turns out to be a nightmare for the girl is the cruelty and the harassment which she is made to face at her husband’s house due to the demands of dowry not having been fulfilled. Dowry is a tradition which is being carried on from ages. The greed for more makes a girl suffer and suffer the cruelty which leads often to dowry death or suicide by the married women. To prevent the increasing atrocities against the married women in 1983 through a criminal law amendment, the Parliament came up with Section 498A to be added to the Indian Penal Code. The Section classifies the cruelty against a woman by her husband and in-laws a cognizable, non-compoundable offence for which the imprisonment may extend to three years and also fine.  

In the past three decades, the provision has worked towards achieving its objective by giving the married women an instrument in their hands for their protection.  

But if we try to see at the other side of this Section, it would not be wrong to say that this has given unbridled power to the hands of the married women which is sometimes being misused. The Section is a finest sword in the sense it gives the power to married women to get the husband and his relatives behind the bars for any trivial issues which arise between them. Since this case is cognizable on the complaint being made by the victim, the married women can get any relative of the husband sent to jail just by mentioning his or her name in the complaint to the police. The number of cases which are being filed each year under section 498A has considerably gone up but the conviction rate is very less as compared to the cases being filed.

This provision acts as a sword on the family members of the husband. When a false case is filed against any person, it ruins his/her complete life or certainly disrupts the normal functioning of life. The accused persons are made to suffer or are harassed for no fault of theirs. The old and ailing people or the unmarried whose name has been taken in the complaint are made to fight prolonged legal battles.

The Supreme Court in a recent judgment Rajesh Sharma &ors v. State of U.P. & anr (Criminal appeal no. 1265 of 2017)** also acknowledged the fact that this section is being sometimes misused. There should be no violation of the human rights of the innocent people. Thus in para 19 of the said judgment the Apex Court came up with the guidelines for making arrest in the cases of section 498A.

The guidelines include:-

a)      For every district the District Legal Services Authority would constitute a family welfare Committee with three members (who may be social workers, retired officials and the like) working of which has to be reviewed by the District Judge.

b)      The members of the committee may be given such training as required and such remuneration as is considered appropriate.

c)      Any complaints which are made to the Police or to the Magistrate should be referred to these committees, who shall after interacting with the parties come up with a report to be submitted to the authority from which the case was referred within one month.

d)     The Investigating authority should make use of the report while making an investigation against alleged offence. And no arrest should be made till the report from these committees is received.

e)      The hearing of bail in these cases should be as expeditious as possible and bail should not be denied only for recovery of dowry items.

f)       For persons who are not residing in India, the issuance of red corner notice or the impounding of passport should not be a routine.

g)      The exemption to personal appearance or appearance through video conferencing may be granted.

h)      Further no such directions to apply in the cases of physical injury or death.

Though the Supreme Court has in earlier cases also issued guidelines regarding the arresting procedure in the cases of section 498A but these appear to be more apt given the situation which is prevalent these days.

Through the means of this article it is not in any way denied that in some households still the women are being forced to suffer the pain of harassment and cruelty at the hands of her in-laws but at the same time it is also an undeniable fact that this section is being used by a few married women in a heat of passion or for normal martial disputes and misunderstandings which results in the unnecessary harassment of the innocent. To have a balance in these conflicting interests, guidelines should be there which the Supreme court has made through this case. Further , this section should be made a non-cognizable and a compoundable offence which would increase the scope of conciliation and hence save the institution of marriage.  

(The writer has just completed his LL.M. from NLSIU, Bengaluru and is a budding lawyer.) 

At least half of the world’s population cannot obtain essential health services, according to a new report from the World Bank and WHO. And each year, large numbers of households are being pushed into poverty because they must pay for health care out of their own pockets.

Currently, 800 million people spend at least 10 percent of their household budgets on health expenses for themselves, a sick child or other family member. For almost 100 million people these expenses are high enough to push them into extreme poverty, forcing them to survive on just $1.90 or less a day. The findings, released today in Tracking Universal Health Coverage: 2017 Global Monitoring Report, have been simultaneously published in Lancet Global Health.

“It is completely unacceptable that half the world still lacks coverage for the most essential health services,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “And it is unnecessary. A solution exists: universal health coverage (UHC) allows everyone to obtain the health services they need, when and where they need them, without facing financial hardship.”

“The report makes clear that if we are serious – not just about better health outcomes, but also about ending poverty – we must urgently scale up our efforts on universal health coverage,” said World Bank Group President Dr. Jim Yong Kim. “Investments in health, and more generally investments in people, are critical to build human capital and enable sustainable and inclusive economic growth. But the system is broken: we need a fundamental shift in the way we mobilize resources for health and human capital, especially at the country level. We are working on many fronts to help countries spend more and more effectively on people, and increase their progress towards universal health coverage.”

There is some good news: The report shows that the 21st century has seen an increase in the number of people able to obtain some key health services, such as immunization and family planning, as well as antiretroviral treatment for HIV and insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent malaria. In addition, fewer people are now being tipped into extreme poverty than at the turn of the century.

There are wide gaps in the availability of services in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. In other regions, basic health care services such as family planning and infant immunization are becoming more available, but lack of financial protection means increasing financial distress for families as they pay for these services out of their own pockets. This is even a challenge in more affluent regions such as Eastern Asia, Latin America and Europe, where a growing number of people are spending at least 10 percent of their household budgets on out-of-pocket health expenses. Inequalities in health services are seen not just between, but also within countries: national averages can mask low levels of health service coverage in disadvantaged population groups. For example, only 17 percent of mothers and children in the poorest fifth of households in low- and lower-middle income countries received at least six of seven basic maternal and child health interventions, compared to 74 percent for the wealthiest fifth of households.

“Past experiences taught us that designing a robust health financing mechanism that protects each individual vulnerable person from financial hardship, as well as developing health care facilities and a workforce including doctors to provide necessary health services wherever people live, are critically important in achieving ‘Health for All,'” said Mr. Katsunobu Kato, Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan. “I firmly believe that these early-stage investments for UHC by the whole government were an important enabling factor in Japan’s rapid economic development later on.”

“Without health care, how can children reach their full potential? And without a healthy, productive population, how can societies realize their aspirations?” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake. “Universal health coverage can help level the playing field for children today, in turn helping them break intergenerational cycles of poverty and poor health tomorrow.”

  The Left Alliance in Nepal scores stunning victory raising hopes of stability in India’s neighbourhood.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi might have to rework his  “neighbourhood first” diplomatic initiative as it has failed to deliver or remove the irritants in this country’s relationship with some of its immediate neighbours particularly Nepal. 

The Left Alliance has recorded a stunning electoral victory in that country brightening the prospects of K P Oli regaining power as the Prime Minister in Kathmandu. The Himalayan nation has the strength and the opportunity now to deliver on governance and development following the abolition of monarchy. 

This assumes significance as the Communist alliance has come to power with nearly 70 per cent of the 165 Parliamentary seats decided by the first past-the-post system. Another 110 seats will be decided by proportional representation. 

The Nepali Congress, the grand old party of that country has much to introspect as its own ragtag group was found to be wanting. It will now have to gear up to play its role in the opposition.

Oli’s return to power is seen as a snub for New Delhi’s Nepal policy seeking to bring the Madhesis into the national mainstream of that country leading to a blockade for nearly six months. He was in the forefront against that blockade compelling him to look to China as an alternative. 

As the Prime Minister two years back in 2015, he tried to diversify his landlocked country’s purchases seeking Beijing’s help rather than being solely dependent on India. New Delhi backed a Maoist alliance led by Prachanda and the Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba had fallen by the wayside in the elections. That put New Delhi in a tight spot. 

Even as efforts were made to assuage the feelings of Oli, Kathmandu made its displeasure known in no uncertain way that Oli had been denied access to Modi. The results of the elections has given a boost that Nepal can have a stable arrangement especially as it has seen ten governments in the last decade leading to instability and corruption, adversely affecting growth coupled with a poor recovery from a devastating earthquake in 2015 killing 9000 people. 

Nepal is seen as the natural buffer between the two Asian giants –India and China — with the latter seemingly enjoying the upper hand. Avid Nepal watchers and analysts believe that Modi needs to review his much touted “neighbourhood first” initiative on becoming the Prime Minister in May 2014 which has failed with with regard to Kathmandu. 

There are apparent inadequacies in this policy which needs to be rectified. It must go to India’s credit that the Modi government got into the act without wasting much time by providing urgent relief in the wake of the massive earthquake two years back. 

The two neighbours share a special bond by having an open border with Nepalese nationals living and working in this country besides serving in the Indian Army. However, bilateral relations took a turn for the worse when the neighbour’s new Constitution appeared to ignore political representation to the Madhesis constituting nearly half of Nepal’s population. 

India blamed the Madhesis for the blockade who were demanding amendments to the new Constitution. On its part Beijing worked behind the scenes in bringing together the Communists and the Maoists. The victory of the Leftist alliance is bound to bolster China’s influence in Nepal. New Delhi and Beijing have been trying to exert their influence in the immediate neighbourhood. China’s strategy has been to weigh down small nations with massive economic assistance and infrastructure projects catching them on the back-foot with humongous loans as evidenced with several small countries including the Maldives. 

This has the portends of leading to increasing Chinese presence in India’s immediate neighbourhood which this country does not want. It may be recalled that Oli visited China after a visit to New Delhi where he signed a transit agreement that included access to Chinese ports as well as construction of rail links between the two countries. 

These are attempts by Nepal to reduce its dependence on India for trade and commerce as well as essential supplies. Under these circumstances New Delhi’s diplomatic role with Kathmandu is bound to get complicated. Nevertheless, India wants that the Madhesis get a fair representation in Nepal’s polity. Any turmoil among the Madhesis can have an adverse impact in this country. 

Even as political stability in Nepal is in India’s interest, does it need to meddle in that country’s politics. That question apart, what cannot be lost sight of is the rise of China and its efforts to develop allies in South Asia having the portends of altering the rules of engagement in this subcontinent. It is time that New Delhi undertakes some fresh diplomatic strategies.  

(Views are personal)

New Delhi : Strongly opposing `vilification’ of the private healthcare lately, FICCI has called for bridging the widening trust deficit between the private healthcare providers and the government, the doctor and the patient.

The statement comes in the wake of some cases of alleged negligence and malpractices reported against private hospitals in the Capital.

In a statement issued here, FICCI has said that the Indian healthcare industry is concerned and worried with the recent onslaught of negativity generated following a few unfortunate cases. While we fully support the legal and medico-legal actions that need to be taken against those found guilty by the Medical Council or by legal authorities, our request to the government and public is to give cognisance to the good work carried out by the private healthcare industry that is now being vilified.

“In an effort to bridge this gap, FICCI has been advocating for the past one decade to the government to implement standardization of practices to bring in transparency and facilitate interoperability of data. Under the current scenario, expeditious implementation of Standard Treatment Guidelines, Electronic Health Records and Clinical Establishments Act across the country is imperative. The affordability aspect needs to be covered with increasing penetration of health insurance through social and private health insurance schemes,’’ the statement said.

India is unique in having almost 80% of quality healthcare in the country being provided by the private healthcare sector. 69.5% households in urban areas and 62.5% households in rural areas of India, prefer private healthcare over pubic healthcare. Many of these private, state of the art healthcare establishments with highly trained doctors and healthcare professionals offer technologically advanced care with best possible medical outcomes at a fraction of the cost, when compared to our neighbours like Thailand and Singapore. This is authenticated by the increasing inflow of foreign patients into the country, the statement added.

India is already grappling with extremely low bed density at 1.3 beds per 1000 population, as compared to WHO recommendation of 3.5 beds. Hence, it is not in the interest of public and nation if hospitals are randomly shut down due to individual errors. It will only widen the gap further and directly affect the health and well-being of patients undergoing treatment in hospitals. We request the media and the government not to pre-judge in any case. “Rational and appropriate action is necessary in case of negligence or failure of the healthcare system based on proper investigation, validation based on the principles of natural justice and not based on emotional outburst.’’

Pune : Recycling is the only option to handle plastic waste at present.Now Indian scientists have found a new use for plastic waste – for decontamination of water.

Dr. Premanjali Rai and Dr. Kunwar P. Singh from Environmental Chemistry Division, CSIR – Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow have used plastic waste to develop  a low – cost magnetically responsive adsorbent material which can be used to remove an antibiotic cephalexin from water.

The indiscriminate burning of plastic results in emission of deadly gases and carcinogens into the environment. Dumping them in landfills results in leaching of toxins into ground and surface water resources. Now scientists have formulated an effective strategy of upcycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste into a functional material to mitigate another critical environmental problem -the emerging levels of antibiotics in water.

“We collected PET refuse from the surroundings and converted the same  into a magnetically responsive carbon nano-material by carbonization and activation of the PET char under controlled conditions and magnetic modification by a simple chemical precipitation route,” explained Dr Rai.

Extensive use and disposal of pharmaceuticals in the environment is leading to its contamination and increasing antibiotic resistance. Widely used antibiotic, Cephalexin, is detected as micropollutant in the environment. ” This newly developed low-cost magnetic nanomaterial has the adsorptive potential for cephalexin from the water. The minimal adsorbent dose of 0.4 gram per liter could remove greater than half of the initial cephalexin concentration under laboratory conditions. This technique of magnetic separation for spent adsorbent decreases the secondary pollution problems associated with the non-magneto active adsorbents”, said Dr. Rai.

The newly developed adsorbents have considerable desorption potential and can be reused. These advantages make it an efficient adsorbent for removal of emerging micropollutants. These findings will prompt to develop more innovative strategies for non-biodegradable waste management.

This work has been published in the Journal of Environmental Management. The research team included Dr. Premanjali Rai and Dr. Kunwar P. Singh, Environmental Chemistry Division, CSIR – Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow. (India Science Wire)

Aerion and Lockheed Martin announced a Memorandum of Understanding today to define a formal and gated process to explore the feasibility of a joint development of the world’s first supersonic business jet, the Aerion AS2. Over the next 12 months, the companies will work together to develop a framework on all phases of the program, including engineering, certification and production.

Aerion Chairman Robert M. Bass stated, “This relationship is absolutely key to creating a supersonic renaissance. When it comes to supersonic know-how, Lockheed Martin’s capabilities are well known, and, in fact, legendary. We share with Lockheed Martin a commitment to the long-term development of efficient civil supersonic aircraft.”

“We are excited to work with Aerion on their development of the next-generation, efficient supersonic jet that will potentially serve as a platform for pioneering future supersonic aircraft,” said Orlando Carvalho, Executive Vice President, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.

The MOU is the result of extensive discussions between Aerion and Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works Advanced Development Programs team. For close to 75 years, Skunk Works has existed to create revolutionary aircraft that push the boundaries of what is possible.

Lockheed Martin, known for developing the world’s leading supersonic combat aircraft, the F-16, the F-35, and F-22, as well as the Mach 3+ SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft, is committed to fostering new innovations and developing supersonic technologies with civil and commercial applications.

“Following our initial review of Aerion’s aerodynamic technology, our conclusion is that the Aerion AS2 concept warrants the further investment of our time and resources,” said Carvalho. “We are committed to remaining on the cutting edge of aerospace technology and are excited to examine the contribution we might make to working with Aerion on making aviation history.”

During the last two and a half years, Aerion advanced the aerodynamics and structural design of the AS2 through a previous engineering collaboration agreement with Airbus. Through that effort, the two companies developed a preliminary design of wing and airframe structures, systems layout, and preliminary concepts for a fly-by-wire flight control system.

“We are grateful for Airbus’ contribution to the program,” said Brian Barents, Aerion Executive Chairman. “We could not have moved the program to this stage without their support.”

Lockheed Martin and NEC Corporation today announced that Lockheed Martin will use NEC’s System Invariant Analysis Technology (SIAT) in the space domain.

SIAT’s advanced analytics engine uses data collected from sensors to learn the behavior of systems, including computer systems, power plants, factories and buildings, enabling the system itself to automatically detect inconsistencies and prescribe resolutions.

NEC’s advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities and Lockheed Martin’s space domain expertise offer new opportunities in developing enhanced integrated satellite and spacecraft operations with uniquely developed prescriptive analytics. These include rapid assessments of changes in performance and the space environment, such as the potential influence of space weather on electronics. With this information, operators can improve product performance and lifecycle efficiency.

“Lockheed Martin and NEC are experts in space and systems, and that’s the right blend to explore how AI can improve space products for astronauts and people on the ground,” said Carl Marchetto, vice president of New Ventures at Lockheed Martin Space. “AI can revolutionize how we use information from space, both in orbit and on deep space missions, including crewed missions to Mars and beyond.”

“The innovative SIAT developed by NEC can make valuable contributions to solving the challenges faced by Lockheed Martin in the space field,” said Tomoyasu Nishimura, senior vice president, NEC Corporation.  “Going forward, NEC aims to continue strengthening this solution and to globally support safety, security and operational efficiency in a wide variety of fields.”

“It is an honor to see NEC’s SIAT being used by Lockheed Martin, one of America’s leading space innovators,” said Masahiro (Mark) Ikeno, president and CEO, NEC Corporation of America. “We are confident in SIAT’s ability to contribute to the reliability, safety and security of Lockheed Martin’s developments in the space field.”

The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016 has been listed for passage during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.  This Bill was introduced in the Monsoon Session last year and referred to the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, which tabled its report earlier this year.  The Bill seeks to recognise transgender persons, and confer anti-discriminatory rights and entitlements related to education, employment, health, and welfare measures.  This post explains key provisions of the Bill and certain issues for consideration.

Self-identification and obtaining a Certificate of Identity

The Bill provides for ‘self-perceived gender identity’ i.e. persons can determine their gender on their own.  This is in line with a Supreme Court judgement (2014) which held that the self determination of one’s gender is part of the fundamental right to dignity, freedom and personal autonomy guaranteed under the Constitution.

Along with the provision on ‘self-perceived gender identity’, the Bill also provides for a screening process to obtain a Certificate of Identity.  This Certificate will certify the person as ‘transgender’.  An application for obtaining such a Certificate will be referred to a District Screening Committee which will comprise five members including a medical officer, psychologist or psychiatrist, and a representative of the transgender community.

The Bill therefore allows individuals to self-identify their gender, but at the same time they must also undergo the screening process to get certified, and as a result be identified as a ‘transgender’.  In this context, it is unclear how these two provisions of self-perceived gender identity and an external screening process will reconcile with each other.  The Standing Committee has also upheld both these processes of self-identification and the external screening process to get certified.  In addition, the Committee recommended that the Bill should provide for a mechanism for appeal against the decisions of the District Screening Committee.

Since, the Bill provides certain entitlements to transgender persons for their inclusion and participation in society, it can be argued that there must be an objective criteria to verify the eligibility of these applicants for them to receive benefits targeted for transgender persons.

Status of transgender persons under existing laws

Currently, several criminal and civil laws recognise two categories of gender i.e. man and woman.  These include laws such as Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (NREGA) and Hindu Succession Act, 1956.  Now, the Bill seeks to recognise a third gender i.e. ‘transgender’.  However, the Bill does not clarify how transgender persons will be treated under certain existing laws.

For example, under NREGA, priority is given to women workers (at least one-third of the beneficiaries are to be women) if they have registered and requested for work under the Act. Similarly, under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956, there are different eligibility criteria for males and females to adopt a girl child.  In this context, the applicability of such laws to a ‘transgender’ person is not stated in the Bill.  The Standing Committee has recommended recognising transgender persons’ right to marriage, partnership, divorce and adoption, as governed by their personal laws or other relevant legislation.

In addition, the penalties for similar offences may also vary because of the application of different laws based on gender identity.  For example, under the IPC, sexual offences related to women attract a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, which is higher than that specified for sexual abuse against a transgender person under the Bill (up to two years).

Who is a transgender person?

As per international standards, ‘transgender’ is an umbrella term that includes persons whose sense of gender does not match with the gender assigned to them at birth. For example, a person born as a man may identify with the opposite gender, i.e., as a woman.In addition to this sense of mismatch, the definition provided under the Bill also lists further criteria to be defined as a transgender person.  These additional criteria include being (i) ‘neither wholly male nor female’, or (ii) ‘a combination of male or female’, or (iii) ‘neither male nor female’.

The Supreme Court, the Expert Committee of the Ministry of Social Justice and Welfare, and the recent Standing Committee report all define ‘transgender persons’ based on the mismatch only.Therefore, the definition provided under the Bill does not clarify if simply proving a mismatch is enough (as is the norm internationally) or whether the additional listed criteria ought to be fulfilled as well.

Offences and penalties

The Bill specifies certain offences which include: (i) compelling transgender persons to beg or do forced or bonded labour, and (ii) physical, sexual, verbal, emotional or economic abuse.  These offences will attract imprisonment between six months and two years, in addition to a fine.

The Standing Committee recommended graded punishment for different offences, and suggested that those involving physical and sexual assault should attract higher punishment.   It further stated that the Bill must also specifically recognise and provide appropriate penalties for violence faced by transgender persons from officials in educational institutions, healthcare institutions, police stations, etc.

(Source – PRS Legislative)

The quality of childbirth care given to women and newborns in the community and primary health centers across Uttar Pradesh based on WHO’s Safe Childbirth Checklist has shown a marked improvement. However, the improvements were not sufficient enough to bring down the maternal and infant mortality, a latest study has shown. 

The BetterBirth study, one of the largest ever conducted in maternal-newborn health with more than 300,000 women and newborns, suggested  that after two months of coaching, birth attendants completed 73% of the essential birth practices as specified in the WHO checklist, 1.7 times better than the control arm at 42%.

The study also reported that proper administration of oxytocin immediately following childbirth to prevent maternal hemorrhage was 80% in intervention facilities as compared to 21% in control facilities; initiation of breastfeeding was done in 70% in intervention facilities while only in 4% in control facilities and skin-to-skin contact  was practiced in 79% cases in intervention facilities and only 11% in control facilities) between mother and newborn to warm the baby was significantly higher in intervention facilities. 

Similarly, appropriate measurement of maternal blood pressure was taken in 68% in intervention sites but only in 7% in control sites and measurement of maternal temperature was taken in 63% in intervention sites as against 0.3% in control sites while newborn temperature was taken in 43% cases at intervention site and only 0.1% control sites, suggesting significantly higher in intervention sites compared to control sites. 

At twelve months, four months after the coaching ended, completion of checklist items persisted at 62%, 1.4 times better than control facilities, which remained unchanged. There was no difference between intervention and control sites, however, in stillbirths, seven-day newborn mortality, and seven-day maternal mortality and morbidity. Perinatal mortality, for instance, was 47 deaths per 1,000 live births in both groups, the study found.

It is also the first study to rigorously demonstrate large-scale, broad-based improvement in care during the 48-hour period of labor and delivery when women and newborns face the greatest risk of death and complications. The study appears in the December 14, 2017 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The research was led by Ariadne Labs, a joint center of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, in partnership with the Governments of India and Uttar Pradesh; Community Empowerment Lab in Lucknow, India; Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Belgaum, India; Population Services International, and the World Health Organization. It was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The quality of care around the time of childbirth has been recognized globally as a major contributor to the persistently high rates of preventable maternal and infant deaths in childbirth, even though more women are delivering babies at facilities. The WHO’s Safe Childbirth Checklist was designed to target the seven major causes of death by helping birth attendants consistently follow basic practices such as handwashing and use of clean gloves to prevent infection,  monitoring and treatment of women’s blood pressure to prevent eclampsia, provision of uterine massage and appropriate medication to prevent maternal hemorrhage. 

In this randomized study conducted from 2014 to 2016, birth attendants and managers at 60 rural health centers in Uttar Pradesh were coached on use of the WHO’s Safe Childbirth Checklist. Uttar Pradesh is India’s most populous state and has among the highest birth-related mortality rates in the country, making it strategically critical to India’s effort to reduce maternal and neonatal death. Sixty matched facilities that did not receive the intervention served as comparison sites. Coaches and independent observers recorded birth attendant performance, tracking obstacles and successes in implementing the Checklist. The birth attendance performance information was provided in real-time as supportive feedback to birth attendants, facility managers, and district health officials to encourage problem solving, communication, and teamwork. The intervention did not include skills training for birth attendants and did not provide supplies or medications. 

 Â“These results are important because they show that major improvements in the quality of childbirth are possible,” said senior co-author Dr. Vishwajeet Kumar, executive director of the Community Empowerment Lab in Lucknow, India, which has worked on maternal and infant health initiatives in Uttar Pradesh for more than a decade. “We can build on this progress with initiatives that further strengthen the health system and provide the missing links required for reductions in mortality.” Explanations the authors cited for the lack of impact on death rates include persistent gaps in skills, in supplies, or in systems for care of complications. “In the end, a Checklist cannot substitute for other critical components of the health system. The agenda now is to bring together all of these system improvements so we can provide women and infants in Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere with the best possible care and outcomes,” Dr Kumar said.

Based on evidence of improvement in essential birth practices, the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist is now being evaluated and rolled out in more than 30 countries around the world, from Namibia, Nigeria and Indonesia to Mexico and Italy, as well as multiple states across India. Work underway is to identify methods for further improving implementation of the Checklist and to develop additional strategies to achieve mortality reduction.

Every day, more than 800 women and 7,000 babies die during the time around childbirth worldwide, while thousands more suffer life-threatening and lifelong complications. Globally, great strides have been made in lowering the deaths of women and newborns; however, there is substantial room for improvement as childbirth remains the No. 2 killer of women of childbearing age.

Kohima : Rising temperature, erratic rainfall and occurrence of moderate drought are beginning to impact food production in Nagaland. In order to meet the challenge of climate change, the state is now turning to its forgotten resource – traditional food crops which can withstand higher temperatures and water-stressed conditions.

The hilly state has initiated steps to revive traditional rice as well as millet varieties which over the years gave way to high yielding crop varieties for various reasons. Though farmers are not growing traditional varieties for sustenance, they are still the custodian of knowledge about them. In wake of climate change, these varieties will be promoted among farmers, as they are the best bet for adapting to changing climate. 

The biological diversity of rice in the state is tremendous – 867 traditional ‘land races’ of rice have been identified by the State Agriculture Research Station (SARS) at Mokokchung. These rice varieties are broadly categorized as glutinous, brown and aromatic, and most of them are grown under the jhum or shifting cultivation system practiced by different Naga tribes in the state. 

The state government has initiated a project called “gene pool conservation of indigenous rice varieties under traditional integrated rotational farming system for promoting livelihood and food security as climate change adaptation strategy.” The Rs 24 crore project will be supported by the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change. It will be implemented in one village in each selected block in five districts – Tuensang, Wokha, Zunheboto, Mokokchung and Kohima – over the next three years.

All rice production systems are exposed to heat stress but rain-fed uplands are particularly vulnerable to temperature rise. Heat stress leads to stunting, affecting yields. In addition, warmer climate leads to introduction of new diseases and insects. “Farmers need new varieties which are drought and heat resistant. Traditional rice and millet varieties can do just this, as they can grow even in marginalised lands, are highly diverse in terms of pest resistance, yield, time of cultivation and maturity and water requirement,” Dr D.K. Chetri, Joint Director, SARS, told India Science Wire on the sidelines of a media workshop in climate change here.  

“Nagaland is not adequately equipped to current climate change impacts. The state has a large existing adaptation deficit which is a priority of early action. Therefore, there is a need for developing processes for community led adaptation that are rooted in local institutions,” he added. 

Under the projects, field gene banks will be developed for conservation and research of promising varieties, and seed exchange programme will be initiated with the involvement of communities engaged in both jhum and terrace cultivation. Selected promising seeds varieties will then be disseminated to farmers across the state. 

Rice is staple food of Nagaland with about 86% of the cultivable area in the state under jhum and terrace rice cultivation systems. Traditional rice varieties are grown in altitude ranging from 300 to 2500 meters. But of late, farmers are shifting to cash crops putting cereal production under stress. High intensity farming of rice and pulses, promoted under several schemes, has not been sustainable.

Climate change has added a new stress factor. In the last 100 years, Nagaland has experienced increase in average annual temperature from 1.4 degree to 1.6 degree. “The projected increase in average annual temperature is 1.6 degree to 1.8 degree between 2021 and 2050,” pointed out Dellirose M Sakhrie, secretary of the state Department of Science and Technology. The rainfall is also expected to increase in intensity by 20%.  The number of extreme dry and extreme wet days will increase during 2021-2050. 

Dr Chetri said farming practices in the state would have to be modified with changing climate, in order to ensure food and nutritional security of people. 

The workshop was organised by the Centre for Media Studies, the Department of Science and Technology, the Indian Himalayas Climate Adaptation Programme, along with the Nagaland Climate Change Cell. (India Science Wire)