“Education will minimise casteism”
| B.R. Ambedkar’s 120th birth anniversary celebrated at Kalakshetram |
–Photo: Prince
Bold step:Collector Shashi Bhushan Kumar, SP B. Malla Reddy, MLC Shaik Hussain and MLA K. Srinivasulu giving away incentive to a couple, who had inter-caste marriage, in Kadapa on Wednesday.
KADAPA, India: Collector Shashi Bhushan Kumar on Wednesday underscored the need for education among Dalits, which would help eradicate casteist discrimination.
Deep-rooted
Speaking at B.R. Ambedkar’s 120th birth anniversary celebrations in Kalakshetram, he said casteist discrimination was quite rampant despite various enactments, as it was deeply ingrained in society since five centuries.
Dalits would earn respect and a social standing and would not be subject to discrimination if they pursued higher studies, he said.
He urged one and all to strive to achieve the goals envisaged by B.R. Ambedkar.
Welfare schemes
Kadapa SP, B. Malla Reddy said several welfare schemes were being implemented for the uplift of Dalits and they should empower themselves by availing the benefits.
Urging the Dalits to draw the officials’ attention to certain lapses in implementation of the schemes, he exhorted Dalit associations and leaders to strive to curb irregularities.
The Atrocities Against SC/ST (Prevention) Act 1989 was a revolutionary steps towards protecting the rights of Dalits, he said.
Incentives
The Collector, SP, Congress MLC Shaik Hussain and Kodur MLA K. Srinivasulu gave away incentives to some inter-caste couples.
Additional Joint Collector G. Joshi Babu, Executive Director of SC Corporation E. Muralimanohar, Deputy Director of Social Welfare Madhusudhan, Zion College correspondent K. Rajarathnam Isaac, Sambepalle mandal president Reddanna, Mala Mahanadu leader J.V. Ramana, Dalit leaders G.V. Ramana, Swaminatham and Gangaiah were amont those present.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/15/stories/2010041552040200.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
Commercial rearing of emu picking up
Far from its native habitat in Australia, the flightless emu bird is making its presence felt across the tracts of West Godavari district, thanks to the increasing demand for its meat and oil, believed to be having medicinal properties.
Emu, the third largest bird in the world after ostrich and cassowary, is poised to make its presence felt in most parts of the district with an increasing number of farmers keep commercially rearing it. Therefore, it may soon hit our dining tables in a big way, replacing chicken and mutton curries since its meat is low in cholesterol and high in proteins.
Bank subsidy
With the subsidies on bank loans offered by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), a section of farmers in Bhimavaram, Narsapur, Palacole, Gundampalli in Dwaraka Tirumala mandal and Pragadavaram in Chintalapudi mandal volunteered to diversify into emu rearing as a substitute to the other poultry birds.
K. Kranti Kumar Reddy, who is one of the 13 farmers who procured 1,300 Emu chicks for rearing at Pragadavaram, sees a bright future for it in the district. The sober bird, living on grains, cereals, pulses and grass, offers a wide range of by-products such as meat for human consumption, oil for use by the medical industry etc.
Mr. Reddy said a one-year-old emu measuring 5.5-ft to 6-ft in height and 30-40 kg in weight is a good source of income. S.T.G. Satyagovind, Assistant Director, Animal Husbandry Department, says rearing of emu is risk-free. Its immune system is so strong that it hardly suffers any disease.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/15/stories/2010041550320200.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
New initiative in teacher training soon
New avenues: Pro-Vice-Chancellor of IGNOU Latha Pillai (left) and Information Technology Minister Poongothai Aladi Aruna launch the brochure for new courses in multimedia and animation, and Information Technology, in Chennai on Wednesday. —
CHENNAI, India: The ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu will soon collaborate with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in the area of teacher training and capacity building, according to Information Technology Minister Poongothai Aladi Aruna.
Speaking at the launch of degree programmes in multimedia and animation and information technology offered by Green Valley Community College and Orange Computer Education in partnership with IGNOU here on Wednesday, she said that multimedia was one of the fastest growing sectors. “Training youth in these areas will help the country tap its demographic dividend.”
Pro-Vice Chancellor of IGNOU Latha Pillai said the programme emphasised hands-on training and other practical components and was also aimed at helping school dropouts acquire education and skills that would make them employable.
On the possible partnership with the State government, Ms. Pillai said: “We are very excited about it. Teacher training is a very important area and collaborating with Tamil Nadu’s ICT Academy will help us look at teacher training using technology.”
The two programmes launched on Wednesday would follow a credit system with 96 credits over three years.
Mayor M. Subramanian, CEO of Orange Computer Education Geetha Nagu; CEO of Sun Industries Nagu Chidambaram; and proprietor of Kamala Cinemas V.N. Chidambaram were among others who spoke.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/15/stories/2010041559620200.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
They strive to perform at their level best at all times
Railway gatekeepers are a vanishing tribe as overbridges appear
Photo: V.Ganesan
Crucial link: Gatekeepers play a vital role in ensuring the smooth running of trains.
CHENNAI, India: It is 4 p.m. Rush hour traffic has started to flow through the railway level crossing at Korukkupet. The gatekeeper, D.Velayuthan, receives a call on the fixed line magneto phone, a British-era device that has to be wound to place a call.
He immediately rushes towards ‘Point 62.’ In Railways terminology, that is one of the locations near the level crossing where a direction changing point exists. “Children regularly throw stones in the small gaps between the regular track and the track that can be moved to alter direction,” says Mr.Velayuthan.
Until the track position can be pneumatically shifted, the train has to wait at the level crossing. That is one of the many duties that gatekeepers perform everyday.
“Sometimes, I have to run more than a kilometre to reach a track position that cannot be shifted,” he says. “Employees of nearby industrial units intentionally fill the gap with stones to catch their train home if they leave the office a bit late.”
A gatekeeper usually does five 12-hour shifts every week, two of which are in the night. Apart from shunting yard or station work, they are the ones responsible for regulating traffic through the level crossing.
“We regularly get verbally abused by motorists when we bring down the gate just before they could pass,” says V.R.Vishwanathan, a gatekeeper. “What many do not understand is that a key has to be inserted to open or close the gate. This key can be used only when the signal is given by the Station Manager.”
Men like Vishwanathan and Velayuthan belong to a vanishing tribe. The few level crossings within the city are being replaced by either over-bridges or under-passes. But considering the wide array of duties that they perform, they will be reassigned another some other work.
As Mr.Vishwanathan points out, their daily roster of duties is the same as it was in 1926 “when two or three trains passed through during a 12-hour shift.” The gates that they man are not just dividing barriers between two columns of vehicles. It represents the divide between unchanging mindsets and futuristic visions.
As Mr.Velayuthan explained his possession of an exact replica of a colonial-era kerosene lamp, “What if the LED flash light fails during the night?”
He will be retiring in a few months. Most likely, no one will replace him. An under-pass has been sanctioned to replace the level crossing. He represents India in slow motion — a system that simultaneously holds on to the past and struggles towards the future.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/15/stories/2010041559730300.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
Women SHG to run quarry
TIRUVANNAMALAI, India: Indira Gandhi Women Self Help Group from Vettavalam bagged a Blue metal quarry.
Government has decided to allot ordinary blue metal quarries in government poromboke lands in Tiruvannamalai district to Women Self Help Groups and associations formed by liberated bonded labours. Based on a notification given to this effect, Indira Gandhi SHG has bagged quarry license. They can quarry blue metals from 1 hectare land earmarked for them for 5 years. District collector M.Rajendran has presented the order on Tuesday. Deputy Director (mines) Thiyagarajan was present.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/15/stories/2010041552830300.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
Award for farmers who produce value added products, says Collector
NAMAKKAL, India: Special awards will be given to farmers who produce value added products, said Collector U Sagayam. He said that farmers who added value addition to their produce would be honoured from each union in the district.
This move was mooted to encourage the farmers to go for value addition, which in turn would benefit them enormously. The details could be had from Joint Director of Agriculture, Namakkal district.
The Collector, who used to stay in villages during his special grievances meetings, also assured the people of various villages that roads would be laid under NABARD scheme. While staying at Kandipalayam, a few villagers told him that they were denied house site pattas.
After inspection he found their cases genuine and ordered the issuance of pattas.
Earlier undertaking inspection at Paramathi block for the government’s concrete dwelling units scheme, Mr. Sagayam visited Vadakaraiyathur and Anankur villages and verified the documents and data collected by the field staff.
He said that in Namakkal, 40,000 huts had been enumerated so far under the scheme for which 336 officials committees had been formed with 1,300 field staff.
Works in 15 panchayats had been totally completed.
Under the SSA scheme, the administration conducted two special medical camps for the differently-abled children.
In the first camp, 1,050 children had been identified and in the second 326 were chosen for various welfare measures including 11 implements such as tricycles, hearing aids, folding sticks etc.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/15/stories/2010041550770300.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
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