Prime Minister in Guwahati (Assam)

The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh at the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of Assam Legislative Assembly, in Guwahati, Assam on April 20, 2012. The Governor of Assam, Shri J.B. Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Assam, Shri Tarun Gogoi and the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Paban Singh Ghatowar are also seen.(PIB photo)      20-April-2012

India launches New Generation Strategic Missile AGNI-V

AGNI-V (A-5) successfully flight tested today

India successfully flight-tested the Long Range Ballistic Missile (LRBM) Agni-V (A-5) 
from wheeler’s island, in Odisha on April 19, 2012.   (PIB photo)   19-April-2012

Setting a new milestone in the country’s Integrated Missile Development Programme, India’s maiden Long Range Ballistic Missile (LRBM) AGNI-V (A-5) was successfully flight tested today. 

The flawless auto-launch of the missile started at 08:04 hours. Piercing the thin cloud cover, the missile took off from the launch pad at Wheeler’s Island in Odisha at 08:07 hours and started rising exactly the way it was designed for. The missile, with a range of more than 5000 kms, followed the entire trajectory in copybook style perfection as the three stages of Propulsion dropped and fell at appropriate intervals into the Bay of Bengal. The three propulsion stages, developed completely indigenously by DRDO, performed exactly the way they were intended to. The indigenously developed Composite Rocket Motors performed well, signifying the country’s stride and complete self-reliance in this complex propulsion technology. 

Ships located in midrange and at the target point tracked the Vehicle and witnessed the final event. Radars and electro-optical systems along the path monitored in real time all the parameters of the Missile. 

A number of new technologies developed indigenously were successfully tested in this A-5 Mission. The redundant Navigation systems, very high accuracy Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (RINS) and the most modern and accurate Micro Navigation System (MINS) ensured the Missile reach the target point within few meters of accuracy. The high speed onboard computer and fault tolerant software along with robust and reliable bus guided the Missile flawlessly. 

The Vice-President Shri M. Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister Shri AK Antony and National Security Advisor (NSA) Shri Shiv Shankar Menon have hailed the launch of the Agni-V. Dr Singh and Shri Antony spoke to DRDO chief Dr VK Saraswat and Programme Director Shri Avinash Chander and greeted the DRDO Scientists on the A-5 success. Air Marshal K.J. Mathews, Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command (C-in-C, SFC), who witnessed the launch, said that the success of Agni-V is a historic event for India. Dr V.G. Sekaran, Director, Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Dr S.K. Chaudhari, Director, Research Centre IMARAT (RCI), Shri A.K. Chakrabarti, Director, Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Shri S.P. Dash, Director, Interim Test Range (ITR), Shri Guruprasad, Director, Research & Development Engineers (R&DE Engineers, Pune) were present during the launch operations. Shri R.K. Gupta, Project Director guided the team of Scientists and employees of DRDO during the launch activities. (PIB) 19-April-2012 16:15 IST

Election to the Punjabi Sahit Academy

Mrs.Gurcharan Kocher honored by BJGVJ
The Bharat Jan Gyan Vigyan Jatha (BJGVJ), Ludhiana in a meeting honoured Mrs.Gurcharan Kocher for her election to the Punjabi Sahit  Academy with record margin of votes. Maj.Sher Singh Aulukh – President of the Jatha said that she is a versatile personality working for the social cause. She is not only an acclaimed writer but also a crusader for the rights of women for gender equality. Dr Arun Mitra – General Secretary said that her contributions for the cause of sustainable development, promotion of healthy environment, equality of women and for socio economic equity and justice are reflected in her writings and day to day practices in real life.
Others present on the occasion
 include  Sh.Krishan Lal Malik, Dr.Rajinder Pal Aulukh, and Dr.Gurpreet Singh-Finance Secretary honoured Mrs.Gurcharan Kochar. 
The BJGVJ will soon organize a seminar on Clean Energy options & nuclear safety. World Environment Day will celebrate in June.
   
Maj. Sher Singh Aulukh
PresidentMobile: 98768 49618
BHARAT JAN GYAN VIGYAN JATHA
DISTRICT LUDHIANA
Mass   Action   For   National   Regeneration   (MANAR)
(139-E, Kitchlu Nagar, Ludhiana)
Phone : 0161 2300252, 2304360, 2408906, 2560112, 2550787
Fax : 0161 2300252                                                                                    Date: 18.04.2012 

CPI has decided to contest the MC elections

The city unit of the Communist Party of India (CPI) has decided to contest the municipal corporation elections as a part of the Sanjha Morcha of CPI, CPI (M) and PPP. In a press release after the meeting of the city committee of CPI held under the chairmanship of Com.Gurnam Singh Sidhu, it was decided that the party will strive to cooperate and support the progressive candidates in the MC elections. The meeting expressed grave concern at the deteriorating law and order situation in the city and demanded that the police personnel engaged to provide security of the so called VIPs should be put on duty for the security of the public instead. Meeting further cautioned against the failed water samples from the nearly all the tube wells and warned that this could lead to serious illnesses in the time to come. It was demanded that the high water tanks should be utilized properly and water should be supplied after filling them rather than supplying directly from the motors. This can ease the situation of low pressure in many areas. The damaged water pipes should be replaced. Civil hospital should be upgraded to meet the needs of common man for advanced health care. Traffic situation should be properly managed through traffic education and effective  control. More and more flyovers should be built. Master plan of the city should take care of the interest of the small shopkeepers and small scale industries. Com.Ramesh Rattan – Secretary clarified that Sarabjit Lal who had won the election from Salem Tabri last time on the CPI ticket and has now joined the BJP ceased to be member of the party for over two years for his anti party activities. Com Kartar Singh Bowani – Secretary Distt. Unit, Dr Arun Mtra – Asstt. Secretary and Com Gulzar Goria gave a report of the party congress.
Com Ramesh Rattan
City Secretary CPI
Mobile: 98142 73870

Betrayal by BJP and Congress For Details:

Toxic waste-to-electricity incinerators reveals truth
Citizens Must Defeat anti-environment and anti-people forces
Fri, Apr 6, 2012 at 8:04 PM
NEW DELHI: Residents, environmental groups and waste recycling workers are protesting against Bharaitya Janata Party (BJP)'s manifesto that promises bring municipal waste incinerators to generate electricity by burning waste in the national capital region in contravention of a Supreme Court order putting a stay on use of incinerator technology. Delhi’s waste recycling workers and environmental groups are demanding the scrapping of the waste-to-energy policy which was not only polluting but also affected their livelihoods. 
Earlier opposition party leaders of the BJP had also expressed apprehension over the location of such a plant in a densely populated areas of South Delhi. “This plant would release various types of harmful gases which will certainly pose serious helath threat to the lives of surrounding residents,” said Vijay Kumar Malhotra, BJP M.P. in a letter dated June 27, 2008 to the Lt. Governor of Delhi, Tejender Khanna. The U-turn by BJP is an act betrayal.
The toxic emissions from plants of this type have been known to cause birth deformities, caners, respiratory ailments and hormonal problems. 
This proposal of the BJP in collusion with the Indian National Congress will turn Delhi into a health and environment disaster zone. Residents, environmental groups, waste recycling workers and left and socialist parties have joined hands to oppose the hazardous municipal waste incinerators in Delhi's Narela-Bawana, Ghazipur and Okhla.
The minutes of the Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority for the NCR (EPCA) reveal that Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was asked about the actions taken to improve Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management in Delhi. "To this MCD replied that individual waste to energy projects have been already given to Jindal, Ramky and GMR, which will result in minimal inert residue for landfilling along with the generation of electricity," the minute reads. This is factually deceptive and scientifically incorrect.
As per the Manual on Municipal Solid Waste Management, Union Ministry of Urban Development, physical composition of Indian waste shows that inert material constitutes from 43.59 % to 53.90 % and compostable matter constitutes 44.57 % to 30.84 %. Thus, the total inert residue from waste to energy incinerator projects will be significantly higher after the incineration of waste which will produce toxic ash as well that requires disposal in engineered landfills.
This grave situation has emerged due to evidently flawed waste to energy policy of central government, state government and the MCD which are providing incentives to hazardous incinerator and co-incineration incineration technologies like Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF).
Political parties other than BJP and Congress must promise to work for abandonment of this harmful policy to save irreparable damage to sustainable and sane municipal solid waste management practices. It may be noted that besides being an emitter of Persistent Organic Pollutants, as per Annexure A of Kyoto Protocol, waste incineration is a green house gas emitter. The Ministry of Power can vouch for the fact that the energy from municipal is inconsequential compared to the colossal public health concerns.

The "White Paper on Pollution with an Action Plan" of the Union Ministry of Environment & Forests that the ministry’s wisdom is opposed to such municipal waste incinerators. The relevant part of White Paper in paragraph 4.1 reads: "The NEERI studies show that the treatment of solid waste not reduces the quantity requiring disposal but also reduces its pollution potential thereby preventing its adverse impact on environment. Some treatment methods also yield a product which can be recycled. Thermal treatment methods such as incineration or conversion of waste to briquettes and its subsequent use as fuel are not feasible due to the low heat value of the municipal solid waste in MCD area. The experience of the incineration plant at Timarpur, Delhi and the briquetting plant at Bombay support the fact that thermal treatment of municipal solid waste is not feasible, in situations where the waste has a low calorific value. A critical analysis of biological treatment as an option was undertaken for processing of municipal solid waste in Delhi and it has been recommended that composting will be a viable option. Considering the large quantities of waste requiring to be processed, a mechanical composting plant will be needed." Unmindful of this both Congress party led Delhi government and BJP led MCD are promoting such toxic power plants which emit chemicals like Dioxins which were used in US-vietnam war.
Residents, environmental groups and waste recycling workers appealed to the citizens of Delhi to ensure that both BJP and Congress do not get their support else they turn Delhi in to a gas chamber for the present and future generations.  - Gopal Krishna 
  
For Details: 
Gopal Krishna, ToxicsWatch Alliance, Mobile : 9818089660, E-mail: krishna1715@gmail.com, Web: toxicswatch.blogspot.com
Anant Trivedi, Member, Technical Evaluation Committe, Central Pollution Control Board
Dharmender Yadav, Gen. Secretary, AIKSM, Mob: 8826588482, 9968005632
Surender Panchal, Member, State Committee, CPILML, Mb: 9968616715

Loving care of five daughters proved as a miracle

CMC Saved a woman suffering from massive blood lots

In a  happy mood Mrs Amrit Kaur and family with Dr Harinder Singh Bedi

Ludhiana, 6th April, 2012 (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria) Mrs Amrit Kaur–a 65 year old lady - W/o S. Gurcharan Singh of Janakpuri was in a serious condition. She had developed a large clot in her left leg which was in imminent danger of getting loose and blocking her lungs. She was seen in the Emergency by Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – head of Cardio Vascular Endovascular & Thoracic Surgery at the Christian Medical College & Hospital in Ludhiana. On examination and investigation Dr Bedi found that she already had previous episodes of pulmonary embolism. As it is – she suffered from a lung disease called Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis for which she was already under treatment. Her lung functions were very low because of the ILD and any further pulmonary embolism would have been potentially fatal. After a thorough check up she underwent a new procedure called catheter directed thrombolysis (CDT) with a strong blood thinner – tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) . Dr Bedi explained that this clot buster is given directly into the clot so that it can dissolve the clot faster. As she already had pulmonary embolism so before the therapy – a filter called IVC filter was placed in her vein to trap any small clots and prevent them from entering the lungs. The CMC & H is one of the few centres doing endovascular surgery . Dr Bedi is trained in this specialized advanced therapy and holds Limca Book World Record on a different form of vascular surgery too .
According to Dr Bedi, chronic venous disease is quite common in India as most of our population works in the standing position, leading to pressure on the veins which dilate. It is estimated that over a lakh die due to venous disease (DVT and PE) each year is the equivalent of the disappearance of a city the size of Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Dr Bedi told that the Obese and elderly are at greater risk of DVT while women who take birth-control pills are 10 times more likely to develop blood clots . Long distance flights are another risk factor. Those taking multiple flights over a short period of time are also at a higher risk. This is because the risk of DVT does not go away completely after a flight is over, and the risk remains elevated for about four weeks. It is interesting to note that the famous tennis player – Serena Williams - suffered from the same condition some time back. Even the research of World Health Organisation on DVT shows that the risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) doubles after travel lasting for over two hours. The study of the WHO Research Into Global Hazards of Travel (WRIGHT) project, which was conducted by scientists from Britain, Switzerland and Netherlands, said the risk of developing blood clots during any form of travel longer than four hours was one case for every 15 fully-booked jumbo jets.
The symptoms of DVT include pain or cramp in the calves and swelling of the leg.
DVT and PE are often silent conditions – they can occur suddenly and without symptoms. Pulmonary embolism has a very rapid and deadly progress unless detected and treated in time.
The month of March has been allocated as the DVT Awareness Month in memory of Mr David Bloom – a NBC reporter in Iraq who died of DVT. His widow Melanie Bloom has started the Coalition for Prevention of DVT. The Vascular Society of India and the Venous Association of India - of which Dr Bedi is an integral part - have been very active in this regard.
Mrs Amrit Kaur is now well – her leg is back to normal. The other members of the Heart team are Dr A Joseph, Dr S Garg, Dr Melchi, Dr Paul, Dr Deepak, Dr Vaishu, Dr Sarah and Dr Amrutha. Dr Avinash Kumar – Asst Prof Radiology – helped with the Radiology part of the therapy.
Dr Bedi was especially impressed with the loving care given to Mrs Amrit Kaur by her husband and 5 daughters . Both Mrs Amrit Kaur and Sardar Gurcharan Singh were of the firm opinion that daughters are as good or even better than sons.
Dr AG Thomas – Director of CMC - told that CMC was one of the very few Institutes in the region dealing with the successful management of this disease entity.

Easter Program Organized by CMC & Hospital

Significance of Easter reminded to society

Ludhiana, 3rd April, 2012 (Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria): 90 students and doctors of CMCL organized a special performance on 3rd and 4th to reflect on the life of Lord Jesus Christ during this Passion Week. The one hour pageant coordinated by the Fellowship department and patronised by Dr. Abraham G Thomas, Director, CMCL prepares the audience to experience the how Lord Jesus Christ lived,died and resurrected. He reminded all the Significance of Easter- of love, peace, tolerance, care of the poor and upliftment of society while welcoming the congregation to scommit themselves to be Christ-like.

Father Stanley in his Prayer asked for world peace along with happiness for the CMC &H staff and their families. He wished that the year ahead be one of professional contentment with the spirit of service worthy of the Healing Ministry of Christ.

18 songs was sung as solos, duets and choir along with choreography, shadowgraph and acting enlivening the audience experiencing the same life of the time when Jesus Christ lived.

The program concluded with a prayer. Associate Director, Dr.Kim Mammen, Dr.S.M Bhatti, Principal Medical College,  Principal College of Nursing Prof. (Mrs.) Ponnamma R. Singh, Principal Dental College Dr.Abi. M Thomas, Medical Superintendent, Dr.Kanwal Masih, Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr.Nitin Batra and Dr.Valsa Abraham were also present on the occasion.