The Centre has called for a hike in budgetary allocation to Union Health and Family Welfare ministry in the 11th five year plan to increase spending on its ambitious public health plans.
"We are confident that we will be allocated a sum of about Rs 1.36 lakh crore, as against Rs 45,000 crore in the Tenth Five Year Plan," Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told reporters on the sidelines of a Strabismology conference- 'Synergy 07' at Chennai on Saturday.
An amount of Rs 1,500 crore would be earmarked for the National Blindness Control Programme under the Plan, he said.
Ramadoss said that India would achieve the targetted .3 per cent prevalence of blindness by the year 2015.
"When the National Blindness Control Programme was started some 20 years back, the prevalence rate was 1.4 per cent, which has now come down to 1 per cent," he said.
Asked about future health programmes, he said the Centre would introduce the National School Health Programme, where every school-going child would be provided a 'smart card.'
"The child will be screened annually for health problems relating to vision, hearing, heart, diabetes and anaemia, among others, the information of which will be updated in the smart card," he said, adding the programme would be a Public-Private Partnership model.
The Centre last year had trained two lakh teachers in the country on identifying eye-defects in children, he said.
On the controversial Compulsory Rural Postings scheme for medicos, he said that any decision would be taken only after the Sambasiva Rao Committee, which is taking opinions of stakeholders, submitted its report.
The committee is expected to submit the report by December end.
Govt to set up body to regulate medical courses
The Government is considering setting up a unified body for regulating post-graduate medical courses in the country, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said on Friday.
Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, he said while Medical Council of India was responsible for under-graduate medical courses in the country, post-graduate courses are conducted by National Board of Examination and MCI.The MCI regulated post-graduate education has not been recognised in many countries while National Board of Education courses are widely accepted including in Middle-East and UK.To harmonise these, Dr Ranjid Roy Choudhary committee was constituted which has suggested a unified body for conducting post-graduate medical courses.
"We have not yet taken any view," he said.
Ramadoss, said with two-third of medical colleges in the country being concentrated in six states including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra, the Government is planning to change regulations to allow government hospitals to start medical colleges.
Uttar Pradesh has only 16 medical colleges while Bihar and Madhya Pradesh have just eight each.
"There is a big lacuna for which we are going to change the regulations," he said.
The Minister said of the 700,000 modern system doctors in the country, only 10 percent are serving in rural areas.
On vacancies in MCI, he said on High Court direction, 110 out of 130 vacandies of members of MCI have been filled up.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
President to inaugurate science exhibition in Pondy
President Pratibha Patil would inaugurate the 34th Jawaharlal Nehru Science Exhibition for Children-2007 at Indira Gandhi Sports Complex at Uppalam on 21st December during her maiden visit to the Union Territory after assuming office.
Patil was likely to visit Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville township and the government museum the next day after an overnight stay at Rajnivas.
Puducherry administration was making full-fledged arrangements to accord an exhilarating reception to the President during her two-day visit and the Rajnivas was being spruced up for her stay, official sources said.
The two-week-long science exhibition was being organised by Directorate of School Education in association with the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT), Education minister M O H F Shahjahan said.
This was the first time that a national-level science fair was being held in Puducherry, he said.
As part of the event, around 500 children from various schools of the Union Territory would create an 'art banner' measuring 6,000 feet to project the theme of the exhibition, `Science and Mankind`.
The government has earmarked Rs 50 lakhs for the exhibition, which would be participated by students from different parts of the country. There would be around 55 stalls at the venue.
Shahjahan said the government had proposed to start a state-level council for Education Research and Training and to promote e-learning in schools.
The government has selected 80 schools to implement the 'Smart School concept'. Teachers of the schools would be trained and the syllabus would be framed in consultation with the Wipro Foundation.
Shahjahan said discussions have already been held with Wipro chief Azim Premji
Patil was likely to visit Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville township and the government museum the next day after an overnight stay at Rajnivas.
Puducherry administration was making full-fledged arrangements to accord an exhilarating reception to the President during her two-day visit and the Rajnivas was being spruced up for her stay, official sources said.
The two-week-long science exhibition was being organised by Directorate of School Education in association with the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT), Education minister M O H F Shahjahan said.
This was the first time that a national-level science fair was being held in Puducherry, he said.
As part of the event, around 500 children from various schools of the Union Territory would create an 'art banner' measuring 6,000 feet to project the theme of the exhibition, `Science and Mankind`.
The government has earmarked Rs 50 lakhs for the exhibition, which would be participated by students from different parts of the country. There would be around 55 stalls at the venue.
Shahjahan said the government had proposed to start a state-level council for Education Research and Training and to promote e-learning in schools.
The government has selected 80 schools to implement the 'Smart School concept'. Teachers of the schools would be trained and the syllabus would be framed in consultation with the Wipro Foundation.
Shahjahan said discussions have already been held with Wipro chief Azim Premji
Malaysian PM warns of invoking ISA against ethnic Indians
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has warned the ethnic Indians that they could be held under the Internal Security Act if their actions threatened national interest and asked the police to monitor their movements.
Abdullah's warning came following allegations by authorities that the members of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), which is spearheading the anti-government agitation against the alleged marginalisation of ethnic Indians, are linked with "terrorists" groups including LTTE.
"My instruction to the police is that the group should be monitored. Internal Security Act is an option. I will decide when the time is right. If they are deemed (as a threat to national security) we will know what to do," the New Straits Times quoted Abdullah as saying. ISA allows for years of detention without trial.
Abdullah, who is also the Internal Security minister, said he was aware of Hindraf canvassing for support and help from terrorist groups and local gangsters.
Meanwhile, a senior leader in the prime minister's department has said the Malaysian Government had Sri Lanka's LTTE and India's RSS as the overseas groups linked to Hindraf.
Mohamed Nazri Aziz was quoted by the Star newspaper as saying that this was deduced from statements of Hindraf leaders, who went abroad to garner support, that they would meet LTTE leaders.
"As we know, the LTTE has been declared a terrorist group by the United Nations and the United States.
If it is true that Hindraf leaders have links with them, Hindraf is also a terrorist group," he said. The paper did not make any further reference to Nazri's comments on RSS.
The country's police chief Musa Hassan was reported to have said that there were signs lately that Hindraf was trying to garner support from terrorist groups.
He said Hindraf had also set up a fund by misleading the public into believing that the money was to finance its activities.
Opposition party DAP leader Karpal Singh felt that Hindraf leaders should be given the opportunity to explain the reasons behind the demonstration.
He added that the presence of thousands of Indians at the demonstration was cause for concern and reason enough to assume that the problems of the community ought to be addressed, the Star reported.
Meanwhile, the Sultan of Selangor said Hindraf's actions had incited hatred and damaged Malaysia's image by taking its campaign overseas.
Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said he was unhappy at Hindraf supporters carrying banners and pictures of Queen Elizabeth II during the recent protests.
"Why were they displaying her pictures and asking her to intervene in Malaysia? They can always bring their case to the Government and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong," he said.
Abdullah's warning came following allegations by authorities that the members of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), which is spearheading the anti-government agitation against the alleged marginalisation of ethnic Indians, are linked with "terrorists" groups including LTTE.
"My instruction to the police is that the group should be monitored. Internal Security Act is an option. I will decide when the time is right. If they are deemed (as a threat to national security) we will know what to do," the New Straits Times quoted Abdullah as saying. ISA allows for years of detention without trial.
Abdullah, who is also the Internal Security minister, said he was aware of Hindraf canvassing for support and help from terrorist groups and local gangsters.
Meanwhile, a senior leader in the prime minister's department has said the Malaysian Government had Sri Lanka's LTTE and India's RSS as the overseas groups linked to Hindraf.
Mohamed Nazri Aziz was quoted by the Star newspaper as saying that this was deduced from statements of Hindraf leaders, who went abroad to garner support, that they would meet LTTE leaders.
"As we know, the LTTE has been declared a terrorist group by the United Nations and the United States.
If it is true that Hindraf leaders have links with them, Hindraf is also a terrorist group," he said. The paper did not make any further reference to Nazri's comments on RSS.
The country's police chief Musa Hassan was reported to have said that there were signs lately that Hindraf was trying to garner support from terrorist groups.
He said Hindraf had also set up a fund by misleading the public into believing that the money was to finance its activities.
Opposition party DAP leader Karpal Singh felt that Hindraf leaders should be given the opportunity to explain the reasons behind the demonstration.
He added that the presence of thousands of Indians at the demonstration was cause for concern and reason enough to assume that the problems of the community ought to be addressed, the Star reported.
Meanwhile, the Sultan of Selangor said Hindraf's actions had incited hatred and damaged Malaysia's image by taking its campaign overseas.
Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said he was unhappy at Hindraf supporters carrying banners and pictures of Queen Elizabeth II during the recent protests.
"Why were they displaying her pictures and asking her to intervene in Malaysia? They can always bring their case to the Government and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong," he said.
India, Myanmar to cooperate on tsunami monitoring
India and Myanmar will cooperate on tsunami monitoring and experts of the two countries will meet soon for discussions about the details of early warning projects for tsunamis.
According to the report, Myanmar's state Meteorology and Hydrology Department (MHD) and India's Ministry of Geology and Science will cooperate on tsunami monitoring. In 2005, a year after 26th December, 2004 tsunami, Myanmar set up a national committee for natural disaster prevention and resettlement in a bid to strengthen its tsunami warning system although the country was not as severely affected by the tsunami as other South and Southeast Asian nations. Meanwhile, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has committed itself to helping Myanmar develop an early warning system for tsunamis and other natural disasters by setting up two seismograph stations and two sea-level measurement stations, according to the MHD. Tsunami data from the already established regional early warning centre in the Indian Ocean will be received by Myanmar's early warning centre. The Japan International Cooperation Agency is also helping Myanmar establish an early earthquake warning, according to state media.
According to the report, Myanmar's state Meteorology and Hydrology Department (MHD) and India's Ministry of Geology and Science will cooperate on tsunami monitoring. In 2005, a year after 26th December, 2004 tsunami, Myanmar set up a national committee for natural disaster prevention and resettlement in a bid to strengthen its tsunami warning system although the country was not as severely affected by the tsunami as other South and Southeast Asian nations. Meanwhile, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has committed itself to helping Myanmar develop an early warning system for tsunamis and other natural disasters by setting up two seismograph stations and two sea-level measurement stations, according to the MHD. Tsunami data from the already established regional early warning centre in the Indian Ocean will be received by Myanmar's early warning centre. The Japan International Cooperation Agency is also helping Myanmar establish an early earthquake warning, according to state media.
Patil seeks creation of network of NGOs
President Pratibha Patil on Saturday sought the creation of a network of non-governmental organisations which will create awareness among people about social issues.
"There should be a network of NGOs in society which should work towards creating awareness about social issues," she said addressing chairpersons of state social welfare boards.
Asking the welfare boards to be a medium between the government and the people, she said, "social awareness is more important than help being doled out to the needy".
"The more they work towards the social sector, the more society would benefit," she said.
Observing that just by women reaching at high posts there was no change in ground realities, she said, "we have to work towards that".
Chairperson of the Central Social Welfare Board, Rajni Patil asked the President to take up issues of women's reservation in state assemblies and parliament and that of female foeticide.
Head of the Uttar Pradesh board, Anjana Prakash, presented Patil with a memorandum on stopping female foeticide in the state
"There should be a network of NGOs in society which should work towards creating awareness about social issues," she said addressing chairpersons of state social welfare boards.
Asking the welfare boards to be a medium between the government and the people, she said, "social awareness is more important than help being doled out to the needy".
"The more they work towards the social sector, the more society would benefit," she said.
Observing that just by women reaching at high posts there was no change in ground realities, she said, "we have to work towards that".
Chairperson of the Central Social Welfare Board, Rajni Patil asked the President to take up issues of women's reservation in state assemblies and parliament and that of female foeticide.
Head of the Uttar Pradesh board, Anjana Prakash, presented Patil with a memorandum on stopping female foeticide in the state
SAARC Foreign Ministers called on Manmohan Singh today
SAARC Foreign Ministers on Saturday called on the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the Foreign Ministers are in New Delhi to attend the 29th Session of the 8-nation SAARC Council of Foreign Ministers
SAARC members on Friday agreed to operationalise the SAARC development fund immediately.
They also discussed a SAARC security network and greater regional infrastructure for trade.
SAARC members on Friday agreed to operationalise the SAARC development fund immediately.
They also discussed a SAARC security network and greater regional infrastructure for trade.
EC's decision likely on Sunday on reply sent by Modi
The Election Commission will meet on Sunday to consider the response sent by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the full Commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy.
The commission will consider the reply of Modi in which he said his speech was entirely against terrorism and he had not justified the encounter killing of Sohrabuddin.The Chief Minister said the Commission issued the notice to him on the basis of unverified and false media reports.The Commission has also sought from the state election machinery details of Gandhi's speech at Navsari in Gujarat on 1st December, describing BJP government as "merchants of fear and death".In his reply, Modi said though the state unit of BJP had sent separate complaints, no action has been taken by the EC.The full Commission is also leaving for Gujarat on Sunday as the campaign for the first phase of polling on 11th December comes to an end.
"At no point of time I justified the encounter": Modi to EC
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has told the Election Commission that at no point of time he had justified the Sohrabuddin encounter killing and controversy over his election speech was based on "unverified and false media reports".
In his reply to the commission's notice for which he was given some extra time, he said "at no stage, I have controverted the affidavit filed by the Gujarat Government in the Supreme Court of India. I have already clarified my position that I do not support fake encounters".Observing that his speech has to be read in its entirety, he said it was a political response to Congress President Sonia Gandhi referring him as those who rule the Gujarat as a 'Mout-ke-saudagar'."Surely it cannot be policy of the EC first to ignore the violation of the Code of Conduct in her statement and then censor my political response to that statement," Modi said adding his speech was entirely against terrorism."At no point of time, I have either justified the specific encounter of Sohrabuddin's case....," the Chief Minister said seeking withdrawal of the EC notice.The commission giving a notice on Thursday had said by linking the name of Sohrabuddin to terrorism in his speech amounted to indulging in activity which may aggravate existing differences, creating communal hatred and causing tension between different communities.
"When statements are made by political opponents, others are entitled to reply to them. The tone and content of the statement must necessarily adhere to the Model Code of Conduct," Modi said.
Observing that he regarded the EC as a Constitutional authority to ensure free and fair poll, he hoped that it would also defend his right of free speech against "those who have started hate campaign against me".
He said Gandhi during his visit on 1st December had referred to him which suggested that those who were ruling Gujarat as "liars, dishonest and merchants of fear and death".
AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh had visited the state and referred to it as a state which had unleashed "Hindu terrorism," he said, adding though BJP had filed a complaint, no action has been taken against them.
"I am sure the EC will at least now proceed to take action on those reports," the chief minister said.
Noting that problem of terrorism was one of the critical issues in the country, Modi said he believed that UPA and Congress party was indulging in vote bank politics and have sent soft signals on terrorism.
Modi, said his speech was entirely against terrorism.
"I criticised the Congress president for calling me a 'Maut ka saudagar'. I responded that the 'maut ka saudagar' are all those who attacked Parliament," he said.
"I have made a reference to the Sohrabuddin's case and mentioned the allegations against him. I have accused the Congress of suggesting that I have engineered a fake encounter. I said that I am open for any action on this count," the Chief Minister said.
Modi said it was his political response to Gandhi's allegation that he was maut-ka saudagar.
He had replied back alleging that the Congress was helping those who had spread terrorism in the country.
The comments in the media that 'Modi justified murder' or that 'he made confessional statement' as being privy to murder or that Modi declared in the meeting that 'Sohrabuddin got what he deserved' did not find a mention in the CD, he said.
"These are journalistic inventions intended to engineer a 'Hate Modi' campaign and not evidenced in the CD supplied by the EC. My criticism in the media was concocted and engineered by this 'Hate Modi' campaign," he said making it clear that no where in his speech he had referred to the religion of any person.
"Encounters could occur but there should be no fake encounters," he said adding he had nowhere tried to prejudice any pending litigation.
The commission will consider the reply of Modi in which he said his speech was entirely against terrorism and he had not justified the encounter killing of Sohrabuddin.The Chief Minister said the Commission issued the notice to him on the basis of unverified and false media reports.The Commission has also sought from the state election machinery details of Gandhi's speech at Navsari in Gujarat on 1st December, describing BJP government as "merchants of fear and death".In his reply, Modi said though the state unit of BJP had sent separate complaints, no action has been taken by the EC.The full Commission is also leaving for Gujarat on Sunday as the campaign for the first phase of polling on 11th December comes to an end.
"At no point of time I justified the encounter": Modi to EC
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has told the Election Commission that at no point of time he had justified the Sohrabuddin encounter killing and controversy over his election speech was based on "unverified and false media reports".
In his reply to the commission's notice for which he was given some extra time, he said "at no stage, I have controverted the affidavit filed by the Gujarat Government in the Supreme Court of India. I have already clarified my position that I do not support fake encounters".Observing that his speech has to be read in its entirety, he said it was a political response to Congress President Sonia Gandhi referring him as those who rule the Gujarat as a 'Mout-ke-saudagar'."Surely it cannot be policy of the EC first to ignore the violation of the Code of Conduct in her statement and then censor my political response to that statement," Modi said adding his speech was entirely against terrorism."At no point of time, I have either justified the specific encounter of Sohrabuddin's case....," the Chief Minister said seeking withdrawal of the EC notice.The commission giving a notice on Thursday had said by linking the name of Sohrabuddin to terrorism in his speech amounted to indulging in activity which may aggravate existing differences, creating communal hatred and causing tension between different communities.
"When statements are made by political opponents, others are entitled to reply to them. The tone and content of the statement must necessarily adhere to the Model Code of Conduct," Modi said.
Observing that he regarded the EC as a Constitutional authority to ensure free and fair poll, he hoped that it would also defend his right of free speech against "those who have started hate campaign against me".
He said Gandhi during his visit on 1st December had referred to him which suggested that those who were ruling Gujarat as "liars, dishonest and merchants of fear and death".
AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh had visited the state and referred to it as a state which had unleashed "Hindu terrorism," he said, adding though BJP had filed a complaint, no action has been taken against them.
"I am sure the EC will at least now proceed to take action on those reports," the chief minister said.
Noting that problem of terrorism was one of the critical issues in the country, Modi said he believed that UPA and Congress party was indulging in vote bank politics and have sent soft signals on terrorism.
Modi, said his speech was entirely against terrorism.
"I criticised the Congress president for calling me a 'Maut ka saudagar'. I responded that the 'maut ka saudagar' are all those who attacked Parliament," he said.
"I have made a reference to the Sohrabuddin's case and mentioned the allegations against him. I have accused the Congress of suggesting that I have engineered a fake encounter. I said that I am open for any action on this count," the Chief Minister said.
Modi said it was his political response to Gandhi's allegation that he was maut-ka saudagar.
He had replied back alleging that the Congress was helping those who had spread terrorism in the country.
The comments in the media that 'Modi justified murder' or that 'he made confessional statement' as being privy to murder or that Modi declared in the meeting that 'Sohrabuddin got what he deserved' did not find a mention in the CD, he said.
"These are journalistic inventions intended to engineer a 'Hate Modi' campaign and not evidenced in the CD supplied by the EC. My criticism in the media was concocted and engineered by this 'Hate Modi' campaign," he said making it clear that no where in his speech he had referred to the religion of any person.
"Encounters could occur but there should be no fake encounters," he said adding he had nowhere tried to prejudice any pending litigation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)