Monday, February 20, 2012
‘International Conference on water quality
PM’s address
The Golden Jubilee of Indian Agricultural Research Institute
The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh addressed the Golden Jubilee of Indian Agricultural Research Institute in Delhi today. Following is the text of Prime Minister’s at address on the occasion:-
“I am delighted to participate in the Golden Jubilee convocation of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute. I congratulate all those students who are receiving their degrees today, particularly those who are being recognized for their outstanding achievements. I wish them all the very best in their future pursuits.
Our government has always recognised that a prosperous, productive and sustainable farm economy is the corner stone of equitable and inclusive growth of our country. We have therefore pursued policies to bring about a comprehensive reform and revitalisation of our agrarian economy.
We have adopted a multi-pronged strategy to improve returns to farming and step up investment in rural infrastructure. Our flagship programme Bharat Nirman has focussed on increasing investment in rural roads, rural electrification, irrigation, rural housing and rural communications. Over the past seven years we have engineered a shift in the terms of trade in favour of agriculture by raising significantly support and procurement prices. We financed a massive debt write off for indebted farmers of our country. We launched the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme which is both a safety net for the poor and also a powerful instrument for undertaking works that will enhance land productivity. We launched the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and the Rainfed Areas Development Programme.
These policies have begun to pay off. We have reached new plateaus in foodgrain production. Food production at the end of the 11th Plan will exceed 250 million tonnes, an all time record. Our pulse production, at 18 million tonnes, is well about the previous barrier of 15 million tonnes. We are producing today more milk, more fruits, more vegetables, more sugarcane, more oilseeds and more cotton than ever before. Last year production of vegetables went up by 9.57% and nearly 2 million tonnes of cold storage capacity was created.
It now looks as if agricultural growth is likely to be about 3.5% per annum during the 11th Five Year Plan which is much better than in the 10th Five Year Plan. This is a commendable achievement but we must improve upon it in the Twelfth Plan to reach 4 percent growth or even higher. This will call for very determined effort on the part of both the central government and the state governments ranging over many areas including investment in irrigation, investment in watershed management, provision of credit, provision of marketing support etc. One of the key elements in that effort must be the contribution of agricultural research and I would like to use this opportunity to focus on this area.
I am aware that at any given time there is a gap between the yield per hectare that is observed in the field and the yields that can be achieved under ideal farming conditions. That difference is quite substantial at present and it represents the failure of the system to exploit the yield potential which our scientists have given us. In the short run it is the job of the administration to close this gap and our agricultural strategy must give high priority to this effort. This is not the job of research scientists but it does involve close collaboration between our scientific and technical manpower and the administration on the ground. We must do better in this area than we have done thus far.
One of our major concerns has been the worry that our extension services system is no longer sufficiently robust. The First Green Revolution was carried out on the back of an effective rural extension and research infrastructure. The joining of hands between panchayats, rural agricultural staff, agricultural scientists and district level officials created the foundation of a robust extension services system. The Indian Agricultural Research Institute and state level institutions were very much a part of this system.
We need now to revitalise this infrastructure of support at the district level. The Krishi Vigyan Kendras which now cover virtually the entirelength and breadth of the country and Agricultural Technology Management Agencies (ATMA) have to play a major role in this process of revitalization and transformation of extension network.
Looking beyond the application of known technology, our farm economy needs much greater injection of science and a knowledge-based approach to increasing incomes and productivity. Both land and water are limited and it is vital that we make progress in agricultural technology which raises land productivity while also allowing a significant reduction in water use per unit of agricultural output. We need to develop varieties which can ensure high yield while economising on water and are also capable of withstanding water stress. This is as true of crop production as for livestock. We need to develop improved breeds which can flourish in our agro climatic conditions and do not require high value inputs which our farmers cannot afford.
This depends critically upon the health and vitality of our agricultural research system, centring on the ICAR system and state agricultural universities. We owe a great deal to our scientists for what we have achieved in the past. It is due to the dedicated work of our agricultural scientists that we were able to overcome those constraints. I am very happy that Dr. M.S. Swaminathan the father of the Green Revolution in our country is very much present here. But we should not rest on our laurels. We have a long way to go down this road if we want to assure our farmers of prosperity from the fruits of the land they till.
The National Agricultural Research System needs to be further strengthened to meet the challenges of the years ahead. One requirement of this is the adequacy of financial resources. Our Government is committed to raising R&D spending as a whole to at least 2% of the GDP by the end of the XII Plan from the current level of about 1%. Given the importance that agriculture has in achieving our national goals, we have to ensure that a significant proportion of increased R&D spending is directed to agriculture and related activities.
Resources are only one part of the solution. I also feel our agricultural research system needs to look inward to see whether it is keeping up with developments globally. We had established two Committees to examine the system and make recommendations on how to strengthen it. One of these Committees was headed by Dr Mashelkar and the other by Dr Swaminathan. We need to review the implementation of the recommendations of these committees to see whether all the recommendations they made have been implemented in letter and spirit.
I am particularly keen to ensure that research funding is based on clearly defined research goals which are linked to achieving productivity increases in the field. This calls for a system which focuses on basic research at one end but also encourages a spectrum of activity translating basic research to the development of varieties that meet the needs of our farmers given the circumstances in which they have to operate and their resource constraints.
While the public sector needs to take the lead we also need much greater private sector investment and involvement in agriculture, particularly in R&D. Indeed, it is unlikely that the goal of 2% of GDP in research can be achieved unless a significant part of this is financed by the private sector. Further, greater integration of the agricultural, industrial and Science and Technology sectors of our economy alone can yield large productivity gains based on new innovations and technologies.
We need to promote structured public private partnerships, to foster better synergy among institutions and disciplines. However, for this to happen on an adequate scale, we need to expand the mode of scientific research by funding not just institutions but also research platforms that cut across institutions. Individual researchers and research groups, whether in the National Agricultural Research System, universities, CSIR, scientific establishments or the private sector, should be enabled to form platforms for joint research in key priority areas. These should be funded subject to quality peer review. I am therefore happy that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research has proposed some extra mural funding along these lines in the XIIth Plan.
The institutionalization of an intellectual property rights regime is important for this to happen. Not only must our scientists be rewarded for their innovative work, but an effective IPR regime will also facilitate research partnerships on the basis of sharing of costs and benefits in the larger interest of our economy and society at large. For example, the public sector has invested in a very large collection of genetic material which is of value to private seed producers. Commercial arrangements could be worked out for use of such knowledge, whose proceeds could be ploughed back into scientific research for public good.
In this context, we must never forget that linkage with farming communities is vital to enhance the efficiency and productivity of our agricultural research system. This would help to blend modern science with traditional knowledge and make the system more responsive to the felt needs of our farmers.
Special attention needs to be paid to the role of women in the farm sector. Women have historically been the source of much traditional knowledge. Thus special efforts have to be made to make the entire R&D chain more gender sensitive and give priority to technological options that reduce the drudgery of women working on the farm.
As we go forward, we have to keep in mind not only the increase in demand for food but the changing composition of that demand. It is estimated that we would need an addition of nearly 50 million tonnes of food grains in the next 10 years to meet domestic demand. Increased production of foodgrains is certainly an important plank of food security and our efforts to rid the country of the scourge of malnutrition.
But proper nutrition also requires a balanced diet. We would need to produce more fruits & vegetables and protein rich products such as milk, eggs, fish and meat. The demand for these products is expected to grow substantially with rising incomes and changing dietary habits and preferences. Therefore we have to pursue a multi-pronged strategy which seeks to boost productivity and production through product-specific interventions.
I have already mentioned the need to deal with the threat of climate change. Climate change and rising demand for commercial energy are expected to have a significant impact on agriculture in India. Rise in energy demand and continued dependence on fossil-fuel based energy will lead to higher costs of cultivation and also lead to increased carbon emissions.
I am happy to learn that IARI has recently set up a new Centre for Environment Science and Climate Resilient Agriculture to address these issues.
I was a student, like many of you here, in the difficult years of the 1940s and 1950s. Times have changed and we have overcome the fears that plagued our nation at that time. But your generation faces even bigger challenges. We achieved higher agricultural productivity through means that used water very intensively and relied heavily on chemical inputs. And we did not have a looming concern on climate change. Your generation has to tackle all these tasks. Fortunately our economy is now much stronger and we are in a position to support research much more than was the case earlier. I assure you that we will do our bit. The glorious history of institutions such as the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, and the quality of the young minds being trained in it today shows that we have the intellectual and institutional capacity to overcome all challenges. I wish each one of you well in your chosen careers and I have no doubt that you will make a major contribution to creating the new green revolution in the years that lie ahead. May your path be blessed.” [PIB] 20-February-2012 11:40 IST ***
 |
| The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh presents the IARI Merit Award to Ms. Patil Tejaswini Balasaheb, at the Golden Jubilee Convocation of the Post Graduate School of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, in New Delhi on February 20, 2012. The Director, IARI, Dr. H.S. Gupta is also seen. [PIB photo] 20-February-2012 |
“I am delighted to participate in the Golden Jubilee convocation of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute. I congratulate all those students who are receiving their degrees today, particularly those who are being recognized for their outstanding achievements. I wish them all the very best in their future pursuits.
Our government has always recognised that a prosperous, productive and sustainable farm economy is the corner stone of equitable and inclusive growth of our country. We have therefore pursued policies to bring about a comprehensive reform and revitalisation of our agrarian economy.
We have adopted a multi-pronged strategy to improve returns to farming and step up investment in rural infrastructure. Our flagship programme Bharat Nirman has focussed on increasing investment in rural roads, rural electrification, irrigation, rural housing and rural communications. Over the past seven years we have engineered a shift in the terms of trade in favour of agriculture by raising significantly support and procurement prices. We financed a massive debt write off for indebted farmers of our country. We launched the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme which is both a safety net for the poor and also a powerful instrument for undertaking works that will enhance land productivity. We launched the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and the Rainfed Areas Development Programme.
These policies have begun to pay off. We have reached new plateaus in foodgrain production. Food production at the end of the 11th Plan will exceed 250 million tonnes, an all time record. Our pulse production, at 18 million tonnes, is well about the previous barrier of 15 million tonnes. We are producing today more milk, more fruits, more vegetables, more sugarcane, more oilseeds and more cotton than ever before. Last year production of vegetables went up by 9.57% and nearly 2 million tonnes of cold storage capacity was created.
It now looks as if agricultural growth is likely to be about 3.5% per annum during the 11th Five Year Plan which is much better than in the 10th Five Year Plan. This is a commendable achievement but we must improve upon it in the Twelfth Plan to reach 4 percent growth or even higher. This will call for very determined effort on the part of both the central government and the state governments ranging over many areas including investment in irrigation, investment in watershed management, provision of credit, provision of marketing support etc. One of the key elements in that effort must be the contribution of agricultural research and I would like to use this opportunity to focus on this area.
I am aware that at any given time there is a gap between the yield per hectare that is observed in the field and the yields that can be achieved under ideal farming conditions. That difference is quite substantial at present and it represents the failure of the system to exploit the yield potential which our scientists have given us. In the short run it is the job of the administration to close this gap and our agricultural strategy must give high priority to this effort. This is not the job of research scientists but it does involve close collaboration between our scientific and technical manpower and the administration on the ground. We must do better in this area than we have done thus far.
One of our major concerns has been the worry that our extension services system is no longer sufficiently robust. The First Green Revolution was carried out on the back of an effective rural extension and research infrastructure. The joining of hands between panchayats, rural agricultural staff, agricultural scientists and district level officials created the foundation of a robust extension services system. The Indian Agricultural Research Institute and state level institutions were very much a part of this system.
We need now to revitalise this infrastructure of support at the district level. The Krishi Vigyan Kendras which now cover virtually the entirelength and breadth of the country and Agricultural Technology Management Agencies (ATMA) have to play a major role in this process of revitalization and transformation of extension network.
Looking beyond the application of known technology, our farm economy needs much greater injection of science and a knowledge-based approach to increasing incomes and productivity. Both land and water are limited and it is vital that we make progress in agricultural technology which raises land productivity while also allowing a significant reduction in water use per unit of agricultural output. We need to develop varieties which can ensure high yield while economising on water and are also capable of withstanding water stress. This is as true of crop production as for livestock. We need to develop improved breeds which can flourish in our agro climatic conditions and do not require high value inputs which our farmers cannot afford.
This depends critically upon the health and vitality of our agricultural research system, centring on the ICAR system and state agricultural universities. We owe a great deal to our scientists for what we have achieved in the past. It is due to the dedicated work of our agricultural scientists that we were able to overcome those constraints. I am very happy that Dr. M.S. Swaminathan the father of the Green Revolution in our country is very much present here. But we should not rest on our laurels. We have a long way to go down this road if we want to assure our farmers of prosperity from the fruits of the land they till.
The National Agricultural Research System needs to be further strengthened to meet the challenges of the years ahead. One requirement of this is the adequacy of financial resources. Our Government is committed to raising R&D spending as a whole to at least 2% of the GDP by the end of the XII Plan from the current level of about 1%. Given the importance that agriculture has in achieving our national goals, we have to ensure that a significant proportion of increased R&D spending is directed to agriculture and related activities.
Resources are only one part of the solution. I also feel our agricultural research system needs to look inward to see whether it is keeping up with developments globally. We had established two Committees to examine the system and make recommendations on how to strengthen it. One of these Committees was headed by Dr Mashelkar and the other by Dr Swaminathan. We need to review the implementation of the recommendations of these committees to see whether all the recommendations they made have been implemented in letter and spirit.
I am particularly keen to ensure that research funding is based on clearly defined research goals which are linked to achieving productivity increases in the field. This calls for a system which focuses on basic research at one end but also encourages a spectrum of activity translating basic research to the development of varieties that meet the needs of our farmers given the circumstances in which they have to operate and their resource constraints.
While the public sector needs to take the lead we also need much greater private sector investment and involvement in agriculture, particularly in R&D. Indeed, it is unlikely that the goal of 2% of GDP in research can be achieved unless a significant part of this is financed by the private sector. Further, greater integration of the agricultural, industrial and Science and Technology sectors of our economy alone can yield large productivity gains based on new innovations and technologies.
We need to promote structured public private partnerships, to foster better synergy among institutions and disciplines. However, for this to happen on an adequate scale, we need to expand the mode of scientific research by funding not just institutions but also research platforms that cut across institutions. Individual researchers and research groups, whether in the National Agricultural Research System, universities, CSIR, scientific establishments or the private sector, should be enabled to form platforms for joint research in key priority areas. These should be funded subject to quality peer review. I am therefore happy that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research has proposed some extra mural funding along these lines in the XIIth Plan.
The institutionalization of an intellectual property rights regime is important for this to happen. Not only must our scientists be rewarded for their innovative work, but an effective IPR regime will also facilitate research partnerships on the basis of sharing of costs and benefits in the larger interest of our economy and society at large. For example, the public sector has invested in a very large collection of genetic material which is of value to private seed producers. Commercial arrangements could be worked out for use of such knowledge, whose proceeds could be ploughed back into scientific research for public good.
In this context, we must never forget that linkage with farming communities is vital to enhance the efficiency and productivity of our agricultural research system. This would help to blend modern science with traditional knowledge and make the system more responsive to the felt needs of our farmers.
Special attention needs to be paid to the role of women in the farm sector. Women have historically been the source of much traditional knowledge. Thus special efforts have to be made to make the entire R&D chain more gender sensitive and give priority to technological options that reduce the drudgery of women working on the farm.
As we go forward, we have to keep in mind not only the increase in demand for food but the changing composition of that demand. It is estimated that we would need an addition of nearly 50 million tonnes of food grains in the next 10 years to meet domestic demand. Increased production of foodgrains is certainly an important plank of food security and our efforts to rid the country of the scourge of malnutrition.
But proper nutrition also requires a balanced diet. We would need to produce more fruits & vegetables and protein rich products such as milk, eggs, fish and meat. The demand for these products is expected to grow substantially with rising incomes and changing dietary habits and preferences. Therefore we have to pursue a multi-pronged strategy which seeks to boost productivity and production through product-specific interventions.
I have already mentioned the need to deal with the threat of climate change. Climate change and rising demand for commercial energy are expected to have a significant impact on agriculture in India. Rise in energy demand and continued dependence on fossil-fuel based energy will lead to higher costs of cultivation and also lead to increased carbon emissions.
I am happy to learn that IARI has recently set up a new Centre for Environment Science and Climate Resilient Agriculture to address these issues.
I was a student, like many of you here, in the difficult years of the 1940s and 1950s. Times have changed and we have overcome the fears that plagued our nation at that time. But your generation faces even bigger challenges. We achieved higher agricultural productivity through means that used water very intensively and relied heavily on chemical inputs. And we did not have a looming concern on climate change. Your generation has to tackle all these tasks. Fortunately our economy is now much stronger and we are in a position to support research much more than was the case earlier. I assure you that we will do our bit. The glorious history of institutions such as the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, and the quality of the young minds being trained in it today shows that we have the intellectual and institutional capacity to overcome all challenges. I wish each one of you well in your chosen careers and I have no doubt that you will make a major contribution to creating the new green revolution in the years that lie ahead. May your path be blessed.” [PIB] 20-February-2012 11:40 IST ***
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Nationwide strike for demands
All trade unions have united on one platform
An urgent meeting under the chairmanship of Com D P Maur
To plan the strategy for implementing a call given by the Central Trade Unions to organize a nationwide strike by the trade unions on 28th February 2012 the local units of AITUC, INTUC, CITU, BMS, and CTU held a meeting under the chairmanship of Com D P Maur.
The call for the nationwide strike has been given to demand revision of minimum wages for the workers as Rs. 10,000-00 per month, filling up of all vacant posts on regular basis and not on contract basis, provident fund and bonus to all workers without any pre conditions, increase in gratuity rates, pension to all workers/employees, compulsory registration of trade unions within 45 days of filing registration papers, implementations of labour laws as per ILO convention 87 and 98.
The meeting was attended by Shri Swaran Singh, Shj. Jagpal , Shri Deen Bahadur from INTUC, Comrades Jatinder Pal, Subeg Singh and Jagdish Rai from CITU, Comrades O P Mehta, Subhash Chander and Kewal Krishan of AITUC, Mr Nageshwar, Bhagirath Paliwal and JiaLal Gautam of BMS, Com Paramjit Singh, Ram Lal and Raja Ram of CTU. Meeting took a serious note of the fact that despite raising these demands by the workers for a long time, the government under the pressure of corporate sector is ignoring the demands of the workers which has led to flouting of labour laws with impunity not only by the private but also by the public sector. There is no provision for social security to the unorganized workers. Govt. has failed to curb the rising prices and solve the problem of unemployment causing serious effect on the lives of toiling masses. Meeting expressed satisfaction that it is for the first time that all trade unions have united on one platform on these demands. Meeting decided to hold meetings at various places to create awareness among workers about these demands and their rights and to oraganise them for the upcoming strike.
An urgent meeting under the chairmanship of Com D P Maur
The call for the nationwide strike has been given to demand revision of minimum wages for the workers as Rs. 10,000-00 per month, filling up of all vacant posts on regular basis and not on contract basis, provident fund and bonus to all workers without any pre conditions, increase in gratuity rates, pension to all workers/employees, compulsory registration of trade unions within 45 days of filing registration papers, implementations of labour laws as per ILO convention 87 and 98.
The meeting was attended by Shri Swaran Singh, Shj. Jagpal , Shri Deen Bahadur from INTUC, Comrades Jatinder Pal, Subeg Singh and Jagdish Rai from CITU, Comrades O P Mehta, Subhash Chander and Kewal Krishan of AITUC, Mr Nageshwar, Bhagirath Paliwal and JiaLal Gautam of BMS, Com Paramjit Singh, Ram Lal and Raja Ram of CTU. Meeting took a serious note of the fact that despite raising these demands by the workers for a long time, the government under the pressure of corporate sector is ignoring the demands of the workers which has led to flouting of labour laws with impunity not only by the private but also by the public sector. There is no provision for social security to the unorganized workers. Govt. has failed to curb the rising prices and solve the problem of unemployment causing serious effect on the lives of toiling masses. Meeting expressed satisfaction that it is for the first time that all trade unions have united on one platform on these demands. Meeting decided to hold meetings at various places to create awareness among workers about these demands and their rights and to oraganise them for the upcoming strike.
Expansion for Community Radio in the 12th Plan
I&B Ministry to Consider New Strategies to Support
First National Community Radio Awards Announced.
Three Day National Community Radio Sammelan Commences.
The Second National Community Radio Sammelan commenced today with the objective of carving out a new roadmap for mainstreaming Community Radio as an effective outreach tool for community empowerment. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has organised the three day sammelan from 18th February to 20th February 2012 in association with Commonwealth Educational Media centre for Asia (CEMCA).
Speaking at the inaugural function, Minister of State, Dr S Jagathrakrakshakan said, community radio stations provided a platform to people to create their individual and collective identities. As a medium of communication, it empowered the masses and gave them a sense of belonging. The need of the hour is to connect the aspirations of the people to the information highway and thereby bridge the digital divide. Community radio not only bridged the divide, it very effectively facilitated the growth of peoples’ empowerment in the far and remote corners of the country.
Also, speaking earlier on the occasion, Secretary I&B,Shri Uday Kumar Varma outlined the roadmap for the growth of the community radio movement in the 12th Five year plan. It was necessary to target the uncovered areas in the country coupled with a cost effective and operational business model. Secretary called upon the participants to avoid delays in operationalising the licences in view of the scarcity and squatting over spectrum . For the movement to reach a sizeable target it was critical to be innovative, encourage out of the box thinking and learn from the best practices. A critical factor determining the growth of the movement was the need to focus on cost effective technology and research. Secretary mentioned that the ministry had submitted a proposal to the planning Commission regarding state funding in the next five year plan. For being an effective dissemination tool it was necessary to position the relevance of the medium in disaster management.
To encourage better programming and competition among Community Radio Stations, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has also instituted National Community Radio Awards in following 5 categories. The awards were given away by the Minister of state, Dr S Jagathrakrakshakan.
i) Thematic Award
ii) Community Engagement Award
iii) Promoting Local Culture Award
iv) Most Creative/Innovative Programme Content Award
v) Sustainability Model Award
The National Community Radio Awards in the identified categories have been given to the following for their remarkable efforts and performance :
A) Thematic Award Category
1. Radio Namaskar, Konark
2. CMS CR, Gomati Nagar
3. Radio Active CR, Bangalore
B) Community engagement award category
1. Radio Namaskar, Konark
2. CR Benzigar, Kollam
3. Kalpakam CR, Kalpakam
C) Promoting Local Culture Award category
1. Radio 7, Jaipur
2. Radio Sarang, Mangalore
3. Gurgoan Awaaz, Gurgaon
D) Most Creative /Innovative Programme content award
1. PGP CR, Namakkal
2. Rudino CR, Ahmedabad
3. Radio JU, Kolkata
E) Sustainability model award
1. Radio Mewat
Community Radio is one of the thrust areas for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Ministry has so far issued 363 permissions to set up Community Radio Stations in the country. Out of this, 126 stations have become operational while others are in the pipeline.
This Sammelan has brought together more than 150 stakeholders including Community Radio operators, UN partners, activists, Government departments and experts from various countries like USA, UK, Australia and South Africa.
In the last two years, Ministry has taken several initiatives to strengthen the Community Radio movement in India. Permission process for the CR applications has been fast tracked through better coordination with stakeholder Ministries. People can also now apply online and track the status of their applications at www.cronlineindia.net. This has brought about transparency and accountability in the system. A Facilitation Centre has also been opened up in the Ministry with a toll-free phone number () where people can call up for any information relating to Community Radio. Due to these initiatives the number of permissions issued by the Ministry for setting up Community Radio Stations has increased from 186 to 363 and number of operational CRS has increased from 64 to 126 in the last two years.
Ministry of I&B has been organizing awareness and capacity building Workshops all over the country from 2007 onwards to create awareness about Community Radio Policy. Around 32 Workshops have been organized so far. These Workshops have proved to be useful not only to spread awareness but also build capacities of the NGOs and other organizations to operate Community Radio Stations in an effective manner.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has partnered with Ek Duniya Anek Aaawaz (EDAA) which is an audio content exchange platform for Community Radio Stations, to have a separate micro-site on EDAA for the coverage of the 2nd National Community Radio Sammelan on new media platforms.
Proceedings of the sessions will be updated on EDAA's Facebook and Twitter accounts, which will be instantly available on EDAA home page itself. After the session, reports would be filed immediately on development news portal of OneWorld South Asia at http://southasia.oneworld.net.. Video bytes from the dignitaries, panellists and CR Stations would be uploaded on YouTube.
EK duniya anEK awaaz (EdAA) i.e One World, Many Voices is a web based open content exchange platform for community radio broadcasters. The platform enables the CR stations and other content producers to share their audio content and other resources, thus facilitating meaningful utilisation of resources breaking geographical boundries. This site is operated by OneWorld Asia, an NGO. EDAA is designed to handle content exchange and consists of over 350 registered users with a content base of more than 900 usable audio clips from different regions across South Asia in around 9 different languages including Hindi, Nepali, Sinhalese, English, Tamil, Kannada, and Oriya which are categorised under 27 themes pertaining to social development.
Some of the important links where the Sammelan coverage would be available are;
2nd National Community Radio Sammelan
The Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Dr. S. Jagathrakshakan addressing the 2nd National Community Radio Sammelan, organised by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in association with Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), in New Delhi on February 18, 2012. The Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Shri Uday Kumar Varma is also seen. [PIB photo] 18-February-2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Demonstration on energy conservation
Renewable resources are transparent and non hazardous
The Bharat Jan Gyan Vigyan Jatha (BJGVJ) Distt. Ludhiana organized an interactive session cum demonstration on energy conservation under the National Environment Awareness Campaign today at GMT College of Education Ludhiana. Highlighting the need of energy conservation President of the Jtaha Maj.Sher Singh Aulukh called upon the students and the faculty members to develop habits not to waste the energy which is so important for a developing country like India. The Jatha will organize lectures cum demonstrations on this issue in several institutions. Dr.Arun Mitra – General Secretary said that renewable energy resources should be utilized to meet our energy needs. India has abundant of solar, wind, biomass, urban and industrial waste and microhydel resources which can be tapped with more Research and Development. Taking a critical view of the pursuit of nuclear energy, he said that this is neither economical nor safe any nuclear accident can lead to havoc as has been seen in Three Mile island, Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear accidents. On the other side renewable resources are transparent and non hazardous. Sh.Anupam Nanda in charge Punjab Energy Development Authority Ludhiana held a quiz among the students and ask them to use renewable energy resources. He informed about various subsidy schemes by the government. Er.Gurvant Singh – General Secretary Small Scale Industries and Traders Association gave a live demonstration on production of electricity through renewable resources.
Principal of the college Dr.Shikha and Teacher in charge Mrs.Bhupinder Kaur lauded the role of jatha in promoting healthy environment.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
On hearing the fire hooter......!
KIIT World School: A report of Delhi wide Mega Mock Drill
KIIT World School, Pitampura was a part of the Delhi Wide Mega Mock Drill on Disaster preparedness, which was conducted at 11:30 a.m. on 15th February, 2012.The Students, Teachers, Office staff and others had been briefed about the evacuation process in advance. The evacuation plan was placed at prominent places in the school. Also, graffiti walls were placed on each floor where students displayed their creativity to create awareness on disaster preparedness. On hearing the fire hooter, 1600 students of classes 6 to 12, along with their accompanying teachers gathered in the school ground in just 1 Min. Visitors, external examiners present in the school also became a part of the drill and evacuated the building along with the others. A head count was taken both by the accompanying teachers and group monitors immediately after the drill.
The Mock Drill was conducted most efficiently and there was perfect synchronization between one and all. The students moved in multiple lines along the corridors, as per instructions given.The school takes pride in stating that such drill forms a regular feature of the school activities and are conducted on a monthly basis.The School Principal Dr. Sangeeta Bhatia addressed everyone and sensitized them about preparedness at all times for eventualities and disasters.
The Mock Drill was conducted most efficiently and there was perfect synchronization between one and all. The students moved in multiple lines along the corridors, as per instructions given.The school takes pride in stating that such drill forms a regular feature of the school activities and are conducted on a monthly basis.The School Principal Dr. Sangeeta Bhatia addressed everyone and sensitized them about preparedness at all times for eventualities and disasters.
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