India contributes to one-fifth of global live births and more than a quarter of neonatal deaths. Nearly, 0.75 million neonates died in India in 2013, the highest for any country in the world.

The current Neonatal Mortality Rate is 28 per 1000 live births.Given the infant and under-five child mortality rates of 40 and 49 per 1000 live births respectively, 70% of total infant deaths, and more than half of under-five deaths fall in the neonatal period. Indeed, with the early NMR of 22 per 1000 live births, deaths in the first week alone account for 45% of total under-five deaths.

The ‘Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed’ goal of reducing under-five mortality to 20 or less per 1000 live births by 2035 would not be attained without specific efforts to reduce newborn mortality, a study on “State of newborn health in India’’ done by M.J.Sankar and others had warned. The study was published in the online edition of the Journal of Perinatology.  

The unacceptable number of crib deaths being witnessed in India over the past months is, perhaps, just an example of what the study had warned of and much more.  “There is an interplay of different demographic, educational, socioeconomic, biological and care-seeking factors, which are responsible for the disparities and the high burden of neonatal mortality. The country has to increase the coverage of key interventions and also improve the quality of care in health facilities on an urgent basis,’’ the study had emphatically said.

India has witnessed a significant improvement in neonatal health after the introduction of National Rural Health Mission. Apart from the Janani Suraksha Yojana, the country has launched several new initiatives to improve neonatal care. Notwithstanding this newfound focus on neonatal health, the annual rate of reduction in NMR and Early NMR still lags behind Infant Mortality Rate and Under-5 Mortality Rate. 

Only a quarter of pregnant women had full antenatal check-up, that is, three or more antenatal checkups, at least one tetanus toxoid injection and at least 100+ iron and folic acid tablets during pregnancy. About 73% of women had institutional deliveries. Only one-third of neonates were breastfed within 1?hour after birth. Less than half of the neonates received three postnatal visits by health-care providers in the first 10 days of life. 

The NMR is not uniform across the country. Although Kerala and Tamil Nadu have low NMRs (less than 20 per 1000 live births), Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have very high NMRs (35 or more per 1000 live births). Four states—Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan—alone contribute to 55% of total neonatal deaths in India and to 15% of global neonatal deaths that occur every year.

Although several initiatives, such as Janani Suraksha Yojana and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, have attempted to address these gaps, their impact remains limited due to poor governance, shortage of health workers in primary health-care facilities and lack of preparedness of health-care facilities, the study had said. 

Ensuring equitable access to health services requires a clear understanding of the multiple levels of inequity across many sectors. The inter-sectoral approaches need to be promoted within and between departments. Improving access to safe water and sanitation, providing adequate food security, and poverty alleviation measures complemented by an equitable health system can ensure better health outcomes for every neonate in India, the study recommended. 

This study, done jointly by experts from AIIMS, Public Health Foundation of India and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, was supported by Save the Children’s Saving Newborn Lives program.

In contrast to children born in families with better financial resources, poorer children are more at risk for diseases due to inadequate water and sanitation, indoor air pollution, crowding and poor housing conditions. Access to clean water supply, and sanitation and good hygienic practices, especially at delivery points, is crucial for a safe delivery, and prevention of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity. Creating conditions for better hygiene and reduced exposure to contamination makes children less susceptible to diseases and infections that may lead to death.

Maternal factors including age at birth, educational and nutritional status, and parity influence the neonatal survival to a great extent. It is estimated that the risks of neonatal mortality and low birth weight (LBW) are increased by almost 50% if maternal age at childbirth is less than 20 years. It is also estimated that shifting age at childbirth to above 20 years would reduce overall NMR by 9.4%.

An inverse relationship exists between the per capita net state domestic product and NMR—states with a high NMR usually have a low per capita GDP. But there are a few exceptions—Haryana and Gujarat have a similar or higher per capita GDP than Tamil Nadu, but almost double the NMR, the study pointed out. 

A pooled analysis of the data from three studies on the timing of neonatal deaths indicates that about three-fourths of total neonatal deaths occur in the first week of life. The first 24?hours account for more than one-third (36.9%) of the deaths that occur in the entire neonatal period.

Almost all deaths (97.8%) due to asphyxia occur in the first week of life, with 70% of them occurring within the first 24?hours (day 0). About three-fourth of deaths due to prematurity (74.8%) occur in the first week of life, with 30% in the first 24?hours and less than 50% of neonatal deaths secondary to sepsis occur in the first week of life. About 30% of sepsis-related deaths occur in the second week, whereas around one-fifth in weeks 3–4. Three-fourth of the deaths due to malformations occur in the first week of life, with day 0 alone contributing to nearly half of these deaths. 

Features of iPhone 8 and 8 Plus

The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus has an all-glass body and comes in silver, space grey and a new gold colour. For those worried about cracking the front and back of the new device, Phil Schiller says the glass is reinforced with a steel and copper structure and is “the most durable ever in a smartphone”.

The devices have 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch retina displays and run on an A11 bionic chip.  

Speakers are 25 percent louder and have deeper bass. Inside, it has an A11 Bionic chip. It is a 64-bit chip with two high performance cores that are 25 percent faster than the A10 and 4 high-efficiency cores that are 70 percent faster than in the A10 (the A10 only had two high-efficiency cores too). The GPU part is 30 percent faster.

The camera sensor and processor are band new. It works better in low light condition, it has some noise reduction technology. The two sensors on the back of the iPhone 8 Plus are f1.8 and f2.8 apertures — it is brighter than the iPhone 7 Plus. There are new color filters too, which should make colors pop more according to SVP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller.

Wireless charging feature added to new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.

Apple today announced iPhone X, the future of the smartphone, in a gorgeous all-glass design with a beautiful 5.8-inch Super Retina display, A11 Bionic chip, wireless charging and an improved rear camera with dual optical image stabilization. iPhone X delivers an innovative and secure new way for customers to unlock, authenticate and pay using Face ID, enabled by the new TrueDepth camera. iPhone X will be available for pre-order beginning Friday, October 27 in more than 55 countries and territories, and in stores beginning Friday, November 3.

Features of iPhone X

“iPhone X is the future of the smartphone. It is packed with incredible new technologies, like the innovative TrueDepth camera system, beautiful Super Retina display and super fast A11 Bionic chip with neural engine,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iPhone X enables fluid new user experiences — from unlocking your iPhone with Face ID, to playing immersive AR games, to sharing Animoji in Messages — it is the beginning of the next ten years for iPhone.”

iPhone X introduces a revolutionary design with a stunning all-screen display that precisely follows the curve of the device, clear to the elegantly rounded corners. The all-glass front and back feature the most durable glass ever in a smartphone in silver or space gray, while a highly polished, surgical-grade stainless steel band seamlessly wraps around and reinforces iPhone X. A seven-layer color process allows for precise color hues and opacity on the glass finish, and a reflective optical layer enhances the rich colors, making the design as elegant as it is durable, while maintaining water and dust resistance.

The beautiful 5.8-inch Super Retina display2 is the first OLED panel that rises to the standards of iPhone, with stunning colors, true blacks, a million-to-one contrast ratio and wide color support with the best system-wide color management in a smartphone. The HDR display supports Dolby Vision and HDR10, which together make photo and video content look even more amazing. The addition of True Tone dynamically adjusts the white balance of the display to match the surrounding light for a more natural, paper-like viewing experience.

iOS 11 is redesigned to take full advantage of the Super Retina display and replaces the Home button with fast and fluid gestures, allowing customers to naturally and intuitively navigate iPhone X. Simply swipe up from the bottom to go home from anywhere.

Face ID revolutionizes authentication on iPhone X, using a state-of-the-art TrueDepth camera system made up of a dot projector, infrared camera and flood illuminator, and is powered by A11 Bionic to accurately map and recognize a face. These advanced depth-sensing technologies work together to securely unlock iPhone, enable Apple Pay, gain access to secure apps and many more new features.

Face ID projects more than 30,000 invisible IR dots. The IR image and dot pattern are pushed through neural networks to create a mathematical model of your face and send the data to the secure enclave to confirm a match, while adapting to physical changes in appearance over time.

The new 7-megapixel TrueDepth camera that enables Face ID features wide color capture, auto image stabilization and precise exposure control, and brings Portrait mode to the front camera for stunning selfies with a depth-of-field effect.

iPhone X also features a redesigned dual 12-megapixel rear camera system with dual optical image stabilization. The ƒ/1.8 aperture on the wide-angle camera joins an improved ƒ/2.4 aperture on the telephoto camera for better photos and videos. A new color filter, deeper pixels and an improved Apple-designed image signal processor delivers advanced pixel processing, wide color capture, faster autofocus in low light and better HDR photos. A new quad LED True Tone Flash offers twice the uniformity of light and includes Slow Sync, resulting in more uniformly lit backgrounds and foregrounds.

The cameras on iPhone X are custom tuned for the ultimate AR experience. Each camera is individually calibrated, with new gyroscopes and accelerometers for accurate motion tracking. The A11 Bionic CPU handles world tracking, scene recognition and the GPU enables incredible graphics at 60fps, while the image signal processor does real-time lighting estimation. With ARKit, iOS developers can take advantage of the TrueDepth camera and the rear cameras to create games and apps offering fantastically immersive and fluid experiences that go far beyond the screen.

The new camera also delivers the highest quality video capture ever in a smartphone, with better video stabilization, 4K video up to 60fps and 1080p slo-mo up to 240fps. The Apple-designed video encoder provides real-time image and motion analysis for optimal quality video.

The TrueDepth camera brings emoji to life in a fun new way with Animoji. Working with A11 Bionic, the TrueDepth camera captures and analyzes over 50 different facial muscle movements, then animates those expressions in a dozen different Animoji, including a panda, unicorn and robot.

A11 Bionic, the most powerful and smartest chip ever in a smartphone, features a six-core CPU design with two performance cores that are 25 percent faster and four efficiency cores that are 70 percent faster than the A10 Fusion, offering industry-leading performance and energy efficiency. A new, second-generation performance controller can harness all six cores simultaneously, delivering up to 70 percent greater performance for multi-threaded workloads, giving customers more power while lasting two hours longer than iPhone 7. 

The glass back design enables a world-class wireless charging solution. Wireless charging works with the established Qi ecosystem, including two new wireless charging mats from Belkin and mophie.

The United Nations migration agency today confirmed that 270,000 people have fled violence in Myanmar for safety in Bangladesh over the past two weeks, and the number of new arrivals continues to increase.

“Humanitarian agencies are deploying mobile medical teams, installing emergency latrines, providing water, and are distributing tarpaulins for basic shelter and food rations to new arrivals. But much more is needed and we are fast running out of stock,” Margo Baars, who facilitates the Inter Sector Coordination Group convened by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said in a press release.

Last week, at least 300 boats arrived in Cox’s Bazar from Myanmar. Sea routes are particularly dangerous in this season of rough seas.

IOM said that new arrivals usually start by looking for space in the established makeshift settlements, where there are some services. But these are already full. Three new spontaneous settlements have sprung up in areas which still have very little services.

An estimated 130,000 of the new arrivals are now living in the registered refugee camps and three makeshift settlements of Kutupalong, Leda and Balukhali. Another 90,000 people are sheltering in host communities, and nearly 50,000 have settled in new spontaneous settlements.

IOM, which yesterday allocated $1 million from its emergency funds to boost the humanitarian response in Cox’s Bazar, is working with the government and partners to scale up its delivery of lifesaving aid – most importantly shelter, drinking water, food and medical assistance – to those most in need.

Separately, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund yesterday also announced a further $7 million to help the thousands of destitute people who continue to flood into Bangladesh.

Most of the people now crossing the border are women, children and the elderly, many of whom are vulnerable and lack the ability to take care of themselves. There are also many pregnant and lactating women among the new arrivals.

Healthcare facilities are also struggling to provide adequate services as the number of people in need of emergency and basic health care continue to grow. Seven mobile health teams have been deployed to the spontaneous settlement areas, and IOM and partners are recruiting more doctors, nurses and midwives to increase the reach of the teams.

Appreciating their resolve to take action and urging all countries to review and align national plans with the Delhi Call to Action, the World Health Organization has called on countries in South-East Asia Region to build on recent momentum aimed at ending TB by 2030,.
“The Delhi Call for Action, issued by health ministers in March, demonstrates high-level awareness that business as usual is not enough, and that intensified efforts are needed. We have reached a critical consensus; the pressing need now is to translate commitment into action,” Dr Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, said. 
Across the Region, TB remains the largest cause of death and suffering due to any communicable disease among the most productive age groups. Although the Region accounts for approximately one quarter of the world’s population, it has nearly half the number of new TB cases and close to 40% of TB deaths globally. In recognition of TB’s outsized burden, accelerating progress towards the 2030 target – which requires a 90% reduction in TB deaths and 80% decrease in TB incidence – is now one of WHO South-East Asia Region’s Flagship Priority Areas of work.
As a critical first step in implementing recent commitments, Dr Khetrapal Singh emphasized the need for countries to align national plans with the 2030 target. “By reviewing and amending national TB plans countries will enhance their ability to mobilize and utilize resources efficiently. Good planning is key to establishing the foundations for success,” she said.
The Regional Director likewise highlighted the need for countries to identify the package of interventions best suited to their challenges, whether that means focusing on strengthening TB services, accelerating case detection or investing in research and development. “All countries face unique challenges, meaning they should each adapt the regional and global strategies to their context. We must avoid taking one-size-fits-all approach, and must instead seek-out and embrace tailored solutions that meet specific needs and challenges,” Dr Khetrapal Singh said. 
The Regional Director affirmed WHO South-East Asia Region’s ongoing commitment to supporting countries implement the Delhi Call for Action, including by implementing mandatory case notification and working with regulatory authorities to introduce newer drugs for the treatment of drug-resistant TB. The Regional Director also reiterated WHO’s continued support for the provision of universal Drug susceptibility testing (DST)-guided treatment, for addressing MDR-TB and TB in immunocompromised patients, and for increased focus on the social aspects of TB.
‘Bending the curve’ and ending TB was a key agenda item at the Seventieth session of the Regional Committee which concluded today in Maldives. The Regional Committee is the highest decision-making body for public health in the South-East Asia Region, and includes health ministers and senior health ministry officials of the Region’s 11 Member countries – Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today addressed a Students’ Convention on the occasion of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Centenary Celebrations, and 125th Year of Swami Vivekananda’s Chicago Address, at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. 

Prime Minister said that 125 years ago, on the same day that has recently come to be known as 9/11, with just a few words, a youngster from India won over the world and showed the world the power of oneness. The 9/11 of 1893 was about love, harmony and brotherhood, he added. 

PM Modi said that Swami Vivekananda raised his voice against the social evils that have entered our society. He recalled that Swami Vivekananda said that only rituals will not connect an individual to divinity; he said that ‘Jan Seva’ is ‘Prabhu Seva.’ 

Swami Vivekananda did not believe in sermonising, the Prime Minister said. His ideas and idealism paved way for an institutional framework through the Ramakrishna Mission, he added. 

He specially mentioned all those people who are working tirelessly to keep India clean, noting that they were the ones who had most imbibed the spirit of Vande Mataram. Student organisations, while campaigning for university elections should give more importance to cleanliness, PM Modi said. He said that only those who respect women, can take legitimate pride in the opening words of Swami Vivekanand’s address – “Brothers and sisters of America.” 

The correspondence between Swami Vivekananda and Jamsetji Tata will show the concern Swami ji had towards India’s self-reliance, the Prime Minister said. Both knowledge and skills are equally important, the Prime Minister added. 

PM Modi said, that people now say that the 21st century is Asia’s century. But long ago, Swami Vivekananda had given the concept of ‘One Asia,’ and said that the solutions to the world’s problems will come from Asia. 

There is no better place for creativity and innovation than university campuses, Prime Minister said, adding that campuses should organize days to celebrate the culture and language of various States, to strengthen the spirit of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.” 

India is changing, India’s standing at the global stage is rising and this is due to Jan Shakti, Prime Minister said. “Follow the rules, and India will rule,” he exhorted the student community

Seham was just 6 years old when she was first diagnosed with chronic kidney disease.

Together with her parents, she travelled hundreds of kilometres in search of diagnosis and treatment, from her home in Razeh District in Sa’ada governorate in Yemen’s north, to Hajjah and Sana’a in the country’s west.

“She was in a coma when she started her first dialysis session in Sana’a,” said Seham’s mother, Um-Seham. “We couldn’t afford the cost of living in Sana’a so we decided to return to Sa’ada. We had to move from our village to Sa’ada City, renting a one room apartment near the hospital.”

Now 10 years old, it is not only the kidney pain and gradual loss of vision that make Seham’s life challenging.

“Because of this disease, I had to stop going to school,” said Seham. “All I want is to be free from this disease and to go back again to my studies.”

Accessing dialysis has always been tricky in Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East. But the conflict has created additional challenges, with health facilities facing a shortage of dialysis supplies and travel complicated by checkpoints and insecurity. In the midst of an economic crisis, many patients complain that they can barely afford the cost of transportation to and from the health centres for the multiple treatment sessions they need each week.

Seham is one of more than 5 000 kidney patients in Yemen who struggle to access regular dialysis sessions. Treatment for non-communicable diseases in general – a category which includes illnesses such as kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer – are available in few health facilities (about 20%).

Ongoing conflict, high levels of poverty and the collapsing health system have left thousands struggling to access the care they need to stay alive. Non-communicable diseases are now killing more people than bullets or bombs, accounting for 39% of all mortality in Yemen.

Seham is one of the luckier ones. This week, the World Health Organization (WHO) transported 100 tonnes of supplies provided through a private-public partnership between Yemen and Germany to the dialysis centre she regularly attends at Al-Jumhoori Hospital in Sa’ada.

But the need for dialysis supplies remains high across Yemen. In some parts of the country, dialysis sessions have been reduced from three sessions per week to one session or less due to a lack of supplies. When there are not enough supplies in the hospitals, patients are required to purchase their own dialysis set (filters, tubes etc) for around US$ 40 per session – a cost that is impossibly high for many patients.

WHO and partners are supporting the local health authorities to provide health services across Yemen, including care for non-communicable diseases.

The Organization is calling on parties to the conflict and their allies to facilitate the safe and unimpeded passage of life-saving medicines and supplies to people in need across Yemen.

Olitia Foods Pvt. Ltd. has entered into a partnership with UK-based Greanleaf Trading Company for distribution across UK and the rest of Europe.

In the first phase, the distribution will span over UK and then venture to the other European countries. This agreement has been done for a substantial amount of olive tea. Greanleaf plans to approach stores like Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

This was announced at press conference in Jaipur addressed by Directors, Olitia Foods, Mr. Dharampal Garhwal and Ms. Sarika Sawhney. Also present on the occasion were Director, Greanleaf Trading Co., UK, Mr. Gurdeep Singh and Tea Expert, Mr. Avijit Dey.

Olitia Foods has brewed up an alternate to green tea. After years of research, they have come up with the world’s first processed olive tea. This is the first time in the world that machinery has been tailor-made for crushing, tearing and curling of the olive leaves.

It was in 2007 that the Rajasthan government began cultivating olives considering that the climate there was suitable for olives. With the help of technology from Israel, olives were planted on 5000 hectares of land.

An MoU was signed with Olitia Foods Pvt Ltd in 2016 for producing olive tea. Olitia Foods had promised an investment of Rs 10 crore for the purpose.

Laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of a strong antioxidant called Luteolin in olive leaves that can even help prevent several types of cancer — blood cancer, prostate cancer and ovarian cancer. After the studies and lab tests confirmed these properties of the olive leaves, the decision to process them was taken. It will medically benefit those who suffer from mental stress, cardiac disease.

Mr. Dharmpal Garhwal, Director at Olitia Foods, hopes to better the condition of farmers by involving them in the cultivation of olives with the State government. With the introduction of exotic crops, farmers are no longer dependent on the conventional crops. They can earn more profits for their efforts. Unlike other crops, olive plants don’t need soft water which is scarce in Rajasthan. Since olives don’t sprout throughout the year, olive tea leaves give farmers more income as these grow back in 40-50 days.

The olive tea is called a modern day elixir because its health benefits are more than any other tea. Packed with antioxidants, this tea clears the skin of toxins and carcinogens. It energizes even when it has no caffeine. It reduces wrinkles, acne and gives the skin a young glow. It eats away cholesterol and reduces blood pressure. It improves immunity and hence prevents cold and flu.

Olitia Foods is looking forward to give the world a modern day elixir, the olive tea. They have also received proposals from various countries including the USA and from the Gulf for MoUs. This product being produced by the farmers of Rajasthan will reach all across the globe.

Olitia Food Pvt. Ltd. is a venture to bridge the gap between a farmer and the market. They are enabling the farmers at the grassroots’ level by helping them produce better with simple organic methods.

The olive seeds were sowed in cocopeat for the first year in a laboratory controlled environment. After this, these plants were transferred to the field. The ideal sized leaves are crushed and dried to produce the olive tea.

The olive refinery is operational in the state at Bikaner, also the country’s first. The tea comes in several flavours such as lemongrass, holy basil, exotic, and mint. More flavours like ginger and tulsi will be introduced shortly.

Research has shown than olive reduces risk of cancers as olive tea has anti melanoma effect which provides protection against cancer at an early stage and prevents the growth of cancerous cells in human body.

Olive leaf extracts reverses the cardiovascular stress and chronic, disease-causing inflammation. The LDL-cholesterol levels can be reduced by a high dosage of olive tea extracts. Hydroxytyrosol present in olive leaf extracts helps in keeping the heart healthy.

Olive Tea leaves is also said to fight multiple viruses effectively. Cough and cold which has been a run-of- the-mill problem and has no conventional cure, can be easily relieved by consuming olive tea. Olive tea can act as a medicine for other viral diseases such as flu and herpes. It is rich in antioxidants and benefit the body by neutralizing and removing the free radicals from the bloodstream as it contains numerous phenols that neutralize the action of free radicals.

Olive tea extracts are found to have oleuropein which helps in relaxing the blood vessels, prevents the formation of blood clots and helps in reducing the systolic and diastolic blood pressure significantly. It has been found out that olive tea extracts have been used to amplify the power of immunity system of the body.

One day after the horrific murder of eight years old student, Pradyuman Thakur, in Ryan International School at Bhondsi, Gurugram, which shocked the nation, the conductor of the school bus, Ashok Kumar 42, has confessed that he killed the boy.
In the confession after his arrest he admitted, “I was doing some objectionable activities alone inside the bathroom. The boy came inside and saw me. I got scared and pulled him inside. Then I attempted to have sex with the boy, he objected. I pulled him again and he fell on the ground. I panicked and slit his throat with a knife. I stabbed him twice near the part of his throat and ears. The boy cried and yelled, I flew away.”
Pradyuman’s father Vinod Chand Thakur said that he used to drop Pradyuman at school every day. On 8th August, he dropped his son and daughter at the gate of Ryan International School and came back home. After fifteen minutes, he got distressed calls from Ryan International School that his son fell in the bathroom. The school management took the boy to Artemis hospital. Vinod reached the hospital and saw the body of his son.
The victim’s father complained, “Simply arresting the bus conductor is not sufficient. It is negligence of part of the school administration and they should be booked.” 
“The school couldn’t even ensure basic safety for my son, how will then parents send children to school,” told the victim’s mother Jyoti to ANI. 
The police is investigating different possible angles and motives behind the murder. The Deputy Commissioner of Police South Gurugram, Ashok Bakshi, said, “The accused has been arrested and we are also integrating POCSO Act in this case. More names will be added soon.” 
Amid calls for strict action against the school, the acting principal is suspended. “Principal Neerja Batra has been suspended. A special committee is probing the case. We took action against the security agency of the school,” said Gurugram Deputy Commissioner of Police Simardeep Singh.Angry protestors outside the school and commissioner office are demanding strict actions against Ryan International School. Most of them are adamant to punish the bigger culprits, the school administration. The outrage among other parents seems obvious as their wards are also studying in that school. The protestors also tried to block Sohna Highway but the police handled the situation. 
Vinod Thakur reached the Police Commissioner’s office with lawyer to demand action against the school. The alleged assailant Ashok Kumar will be produced before the court this afternoon.

Ryan International School has become a trend on Twitter as the outrage against the cold-blooded murder of Pradyuman Thakur, a student of standard 2, has shaken up the conscience of many parents in Delhi-NCR and country as well. The confession by the conductor on sexually assaulting the eight years old boy inside the bathroom of the school premises and callously stabbing him twice near the parts of ears and throat has left a many in distressed and baffled. But this is not the first incident in the ‘finishing school’ of Ryan International Group   of Institutions. 
On January 30th 2016, Devansh Kakrora, a student of class I was drowned inside a septic tank inside the premises of the Ryan International School at Vasant Kunj. Before he could reach the AIIMS hospital he succumbed to excess amount of water in his body. 
The father of Devansh, Rahmeet Meena, had then complained about injuries on Devansh’s private parts. He also alleged that cotton was found on his private organs, a very clear indication that he was sexually assaulted. However, Delhi police in its preliminary inquiry didn’t consider the point of sexual assault. He also alleged the principal to threaten him. He said, “I was being threatened by the principal many a times.”
The administration of Ryan International School was alleged of showing extreme negligence as the building was not sealed where construction work was being carried away. The electrician, gardners and swimming coach were standing near the tank, but they remained mute spectators during the incident. If they had shown some courage then Devansh could be saved. When all remained silent, a brave student of class XI had shown valor and courage to jump inside the tank and take Devansh out, unfortunately Devansh could not survive. 
The negligence of Delhi police was also condemned by the Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodiya. The police had booked the principal and the class teacher for criminal negligence in May this year. But even after 1 and half years the parents of Devansh await for justice.
Ryan International Group of Institutions is a big name in the field of education sector. It is being operated in more than 17 states. They have 11 schools running in Delhi-NCR (3 in Haryana). It has more than 300 schools in India and abroad. Established in 1976 by Dr. A.F. Pinto, the first school was set up in Mumbai. They have the motto of “Excellence of Education & All Round Development”, but the continuous horrifying incidents and the attempt to cover up the crimes are big reasons to worry.
Once again the big school has been caught neglecting the basic security and safety measures for the children. In a similar manner, Pradyuman Thakur was attempted to sexual assault by the bus conductor Ashok Kumar. Ashok confessed that he killed the boy stabbing knife twice in his throat. 
The mother of the victim sobbingly said that Pradyuman was a bright kid. The school teachers had always praised and applauded him. The theory of Blue Whale Challenge was also coined by the school authorities as they said that he died attempting to play the game. But the logical mother was not sold with this explanation. 
Now the parents await justice. They have appealed PM Narendra Modi to propose a CBI investigation in this matter as the records of the Ryan International School is very dubious on the graph of responsibility and safety for the children. The group of school has earlier also tried to cover up and influence the police probe, so Pradyuman’s parents want CBI inquiry in this murder case and sexual assault. The Gurugram police has been already probing into the matter with under the ‘POCSO Act’ too.