"Roke se na ruke hum, suraj sa chamke hum, school chale hum..." Remember the melodious jingle composed for the government of India's Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)? The `School Chale Hum' programme under the SSA has turned out to be one of the most successful endeavours in Bihar with nearly five lakh out-of-school children being brought back to schools under it during the last two years.
In fact, the efforts of Bihar government under the SSA programme, which aims to bring quality elementary education to millions of children, have yielded positive results. Not only has the state been allocated the highest budget, but it has also sent back a record number of children to classrooms.
The success of the programme has now created a need for strengthening the secondary education infrastructure across the country.
As HRD principal secretary Anjani Kumar Singh said, "Bihar's allocation under SSA for the current year is even more than UP, which is about Rs 4,300 crore. The state made optimum utilisation of its allocation last year also and the results are not far to seek. We have already sent back a record number of kids between the age group of 6 and 14 back to school."
At present, out-of-school children in the age-group of 6-14 years has come down to 3 per cent in 2009 from 13.1 per cent in 2005.
Programme officer Ravi Shankar Singh of Bihar Education Project (BEP), which is the state implementing agency of SSA, said, "Out of the approved budget, 60 per cent is sanctioned by the Central government, while the rest 40 per cent is shared by the state government. Now approximately 6 lakh (5,22,586) children are out of school, while over five lakh children have been sent back to classrooms."
Similarly, the proportion of out-of-school girls in the state has also dropped from 20.1 per cent in 2005 to 2.92 per cent in 2009, added BEP sources.
What lends further credence to the efforts of the state is that the maximum number of children who have started going back to school are Muslims and SCs. In March 2008, the Muslim child population in Bihar in the age group 6-14 was 33.06 lakh and of them only 2.83 lakh were out of school. The number of out-of-school Muslim children now stands at 1.52 lakh, while 1.57 lakh SC students are yet to attend school.
HRD official also said, "It is indeed one of the most successful flagship programmes. Given the background, in early 2000, when educational infrastructure had almost collapsed and fund utilisation was minimum, the SSA proved its worth. One lakh clasrooms and 2.14 lakh teachers are now visible in the state."
SSA, apart from being a programme with clear time frame for elementary education, also offers opportunities to states to develop their own vision of elementary education. It has set 2010 as the deadline for providing useful and relevant elementary education to all children in the 6 to 14 age group.link
Tuesday 16 June 2009
Sunday 14 June 2009
Rise in atrocities on women in Bihar
Notwithstanding the Bihar NDA government's initiatives towards women's empowerment, the year 2008 witnessed an increase in incidents of atrocities on women related to abduction, murder for dowry, molestation, eve-teasing and rape.
According to the figures compiled by the state police headquarters here, 6,186 cases of atrocities against women were registered across Bihar in 2008.
Out of these, 1041 incidents related to rape, 1494 kidnapping, 1233 murder for dowry, 2230 atrocities perpetrated for dowry, and 188 of eve-teasing and molestation.
A comparative study of the figures available suggested that there were rise in incidents in 2008 compared to the correponding period previous year.
While a total of 1012 cases were registered for kidnap of women in 2007, the number went up to 1494 in 2008.
Similarly, there was marginal increase in number of incidents related to dowry death from 1226 in 2007 to 1233 in 2008, the figures revealed.
In 2007, there were 1493 cases of atrocities perpetrated for dowry, but the figure rose to 2230 in 2008.
Cases relating to eve-teasing and molestation shot up to 188 during 2008, 20 more than those recorded between January and December the previous year.
There were 5017 incidents related to kidnapping of women in the past five years.
Out of these cases, 756 occurred in 2004, 756 in 2005, 662 in 2006, 1012 in 2007 and 1494 in 2008.
The NDA led by Nitish Kumar came to power in Bihar in November 2005 after the Rabri Devi regime.
After it stormed to power, the chief minister initiated a number of measures for ensuring women's empowerment, the first being reserving 50 per cent of the posts for them in the panchayati raj institutions and local bodies.
Though women were a benefitted because of this initiative, the rise in incidents of atrocities against them remained an area of concern for the state. link
According to the figures compiled by the state police headquarters here, 6,186 cases of atrocities against women were registered across Bihar in 2008.
Out of these, 1041 incidents related to rape, 1494 kidnapping, 1233 murder for dowry, 2230 atrocities perpetrated for dowry, and 188 of eve-teasing and molestation.
A comparative study of the figures available suggested that there were rise in incidents in 2008 compared to the correponding period previous year.
While a total of 1012 cases were registered for kidnap of women in 2007, the number went up to 1494 in 2008.
Similarly, there was marginal increase in number of incidents related to dowry death from 1226 in 2007 to 1233 in 2008, the figures revealed.
In 2007, there were 1493 cases of atrocities perpetrated for dowry, but the figure rose to 2230 in 2008.
Cases relating to eve-teasing and molestation shot up to 188 during 2008, 20 more than those recorded between January and December the previous year.
There were 5017 incidents related to kidnapping of women in the past five years.
Out of these cases, 756 occurred in 2004, 756 in 2005, 662 in 2006, 1012 in 2007 and 1494 in 2008.
The NDA led by Nitish Kumar came to power in Bihar in November 2005 after the Rabri Devi regime.
After it stormed to power, the chief minister initiated a number of measures for ensuring women's empowerment, the first being reserving 50 per cent of the posts for them in the panchayati raj institutions and local bodies.
Though women were a benefitted because of this initiative, the rise in incidents of atrocities against them remained an area of concern for the state. link
Saturday 13 June 2009
Bihar police intensify efforts to nab murder-accused JD-U leader
Bihar police have set up a special team to nab Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Vijay Krishna and his son Chanakya, prime accused in the abduction and murder of a Patna businessman whose decomposed body was found floating in the Ganges river two days ago.
Satyendra Kumar Singh, 50, was abducted in the last week of May. His decomposed body was found floating in the river on Thursday.
Mr. Krishna, a former MP, and his son are absconding.
"Police are doing everything to arrest them and raids are continuing," Patna Senior Superintendent of Police R. Mallar Vizhi said on Saturday, adding the police team could even go outside the state to arrest the two.
Singh's wife Laxmi Devi and daughter Sweety have demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the killing.
A police officer, requesting anonymity, said the property of Mr. Krishna and Mr. Chanakya would be attached if they continue to evade arrest or fail to surrender.
A local court issued orders to attach the property on Friday.
The Patna civil court on Tuesday refused anticipatory bail to Mr. Krishna and his son after hearing their petition. The court also directed the police to submit the diary of the case within the next 15 days.
Mr. Krishna filed an anticipatory bail petition on Monday claiming that he was being falsely implicated.
Singh's family has alleged that the delay in arresting the accused was due to political "pressure" as the two were considered close to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.link
Wednesday 10 June 2009
VDPV case worries Bihar Health officials
After Dibrugarh district of Assam where type one Vaccine Derived Polio Virus (VDPV) was confirmed, another case of VDPV type two was reported from Bihar's East Champaran district, the first of its kind reported in India, State Polio Office sources confirmed on Wednesday.
Though the two cases are not related to each other, VDPVs are very rare but well-documented strains of poliovirus.
VDPVs are strains of the virus contained in the oral polio vaccine which have changed and reverted to a form that can cause paralysis in humans with the capacity for sustained circulation. These cases are very rare and occur in persons with immuno-deficiency or in areas with low population immunity, sources said.
East Champaran's Surveillance Medical Officer Dr Sushil Kumar Sinha disclosed that Rajiv Mallick, a two year-old boy of Baghi Bakhtaura village in the district, was not administered the doses of routine immunisation (RI) oral polio vaccine (OPV) which contains attenuated strains of all the three types of polio viruses (P1, P2, P3) to save children from polio caused by any of these three viruses.
Mallick, however, was administered polio vaccine during pulse polio rounds, through which immunisation from P1 and P3 types of polio viruses is done.
Dr Sinha said it appeared that the VDPV 2 virus infected Mallick after its mutation in the environment from the stool of someone who had been administered OPV during RI.link
Though the two cases are not related to each other, VDPVs are very rare but well-documented strains of poliovirus.
VDPVs are strains of the virus contained in the oral polio vaccine which have changed and reverted to a form that can cause paralysis in humans with the capacity for sustained circulation. These cases are very rare and occur in persons with immuno-deficiency or in areas with low population immunity, sources said.
East Champaran's Surveillance Medical Officer Dr Sushil Kumar Sinha disclosed that Rajiv Mallick, a two year-old boy of Baghi Bakhtaura village in the district, was not administered the doses of routine immunisation (RI) oral polio vaccine (OPV) which contains attenuated strains of all the three types of polio viruses (P1, P2, P3) to save children from polio caused by any of these three viruses.
Mallick, however, was administered polio vaccine during pulse polio rounds, through which immunisation from P1 and P3 types of polio viruses is done.
Dr Sinha said it appeared that the VDPV 2 virus infected Mallick after its mutation in the environment from the stool of someone who had been administered OPV during RI.link
Maoist diktat in Bihar: Send kids to school
Marking a departure, Maoist guerrillas in Bihar have issued a new and unique diktat — they have ordered poor villagers in Vaishali district to send their children to school.
In a novel move to spread education among the marginalised sections of society, Maoists in Vaishali, about 40km from here, have asked the poor to educate their children instead of making them work. “Maoists also warned them not to engage children in farm or other work and send them to schools,” a villager in Patepur block said.
Patepur is one of the over half a dozen blocks in the district that has been issued diktat by Maoist guerrillas. The other blocks include Mahnar, Jandaha, Mahua, Lalganj and Hajipur. Maoists have pasted posters in several villages in which they have threatened to punish villagers if they failed to send their children to school. The latest Maoist diktat has surprised even district officials. “It is a positive move if Maoist rebels are really keen to force poor parents to send their children to school,” a district official said.link
In a novel move to spread education among the marginalised sections of society, Maoists in Vaishali, about 40km from here, have asked the poor to educate their children instead of making them work. “Maoists also warned them not to engage children in farm or other work and send them to schools,” a villager in Patepur block said.
Patepur is one of the over half a dozen blocks in the district that has been issued diktat by Maoist guerrillas. The other blocks include Mahnar, Jandaha, Mahua, Lalganj and Hajipur. Maoists have pasted posters in several villages in which they have threatened to punish villagers if they failed to send their children to school. The latest Maoist diktat has surprised even district officials. “It is a positive move if Maoist rebels are really keen to force poor parents to send their children to school,” a district official said.link
Bihar govt to extend Hunar for Muslim girls
Buoyed over by electoral success and Muslims support in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections, the ruling JD(U) has decided to extend the ‘Hunar’ scheme aiming to make uneducated Muslim girls self-dependent.
The Bihar government has decided to continue it next year with around 50,000 Muslim girls enrolled in the project.
“After the success of Hunar scheme which was started on an experimental basis in the state July last year, the state government has decided to extended it for another one year,” National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) chairman Dinesh Singh Bisht told reporters here today.
The central-funded NIOS, a partner in the scheme, provide vocational training to girls.
Under the scheme, candidates who successfully complete the one year training is given Rs 2,000 as grant to purchase equipment of their choice to start their own business.
The girls are trained in tailoring, cutting and dress-making, beauticians, jute production, bakery and confectionery, gram sakhi and taking care of new born babies.
From this session, bee-keeping, mushroom production, computer hardware, drawing, DTP and embroidery have been added, Bisht said.link
Tuesday 9 June 2009
Being dad's replica won't be good for my career: Luv Sinha
Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha's son is all set to debut with director Raj Kanwar's "Sadiyaan". Luv is naturally a fan of his dad and has seen all his films, but says he will never copy his style.
"I love his style. But I won't even dare to copy him. Being called my dad's replica is the worst thing that can happen to my career. I love my dad's performance in 'Kalicharan', 'Vishwanath', 'Khudgarz', 'Kala Patthar' and 'Kalka'. I also freak out on Amit uncle's (Amitabh Bachchan) cinema," Luv told.
Luv will be seen as Rekha's son in cross-border drama "Sadiyaan", which also stars Hema Malini.
If all had gone according to plan, Shatrughan Sinha's twins, Luv and Kush, would have made their simultaneous debut in a home production. But the scarcity of good script to accommodate the twins prompted Luv to sign a film away from the family.
"Not surprisingly I'm very very close to my twin brother. We aren't identical twins. But if you see us together the resemblance is uncanny. The thought of being cast together did cross our family's mind. But what can we do together? A comedy with both the brothers falling in love with the same girl? Nah... Too common.
"We must be the only twin actors in the whole world. When we come together the vehicle has to be just right," said Luv, who walked straight into acting.
Brother Kush has taken the long winding road - he learnt acting and direction in New York, assisted Sanjay Leela Bhansali on "Saawariya" and then decided to be an actor.
"Sadiyaan" is complete and ready for release but it was delayed by the revenue-sharing row between producers and multiplex owners, which however ended last week.
"Please don't ask me when it will be released. But I'm not worried. This is what comes from being born in a family where cinema is a given. You've seen your dad go through so many ups and downs; a little bit of delay in your first film's release causes no concern," he said.
Luv says shooting "Sadiyaan" was a cakewalk.
"Hema (Malini) aunty, who's like a member, and Rekha-ji... (yes, it's Hema aunty and Rekha-ji for me, I don't call her aunty) really looked after me, pampered me and made me feel totally at home. I guess it comes from being who I am," he said.
The film is set in the 1970s and Luv says he had to get familiar with the 70s style for his role.
"This was when I wasn't even a passing thought in my parents' mind. A long way from being born. So I had to get familiar with the fashion, lingo, etc. It was a challenge. But you must remember both my parents are actors," he said.
Talk veers to sister Sonakshi and he said: "She's more interested in modelling at the moment than acting. Let's see."
The whole Sinha family was in Patna a little while ago to support the patriarch during the assembly elections. Sinha Senior defeated actor and Congress candidate Shekhar Suman in the Lok Sabha polls from Bihar's Patna Saheb parliamentary constituency.
"Actually my dad didn't need us to get the votes. We just wanted to be with him for support. The best thing about being Shatrughan Sinha's son is you feel a positive pride from within. Beyond that, he has made sure to let me make my way in the industry on my own. My father has never worked with Raj Kanwar-ji. I got 'Sadiyaan' on my own," he said. link
"I love his style. But I won't even dare to copy him. Being called my dad's replica is the worst thing that can happen to my career. I love my dad's performance in 'Kalicharan', 'Vishwanath', 'Khudgarz', 'Kala Patthar' and 'Kalka'. I also freak out on Amit uncle's (Amitabh Bachchan) cinema," Luv told.
Luv will be seen as Rekha's son in cross-border drama "Sadiyaan", which also stars Hema Malini.
If all had gone according to plan, Shatrughan Sinha's twins, Luv and Kush, would have made their simultaneous debut in a home production. But the scarcity of good script to accommodate the twins prompted Luv to sign a film away from the family.
"Not surprisingly I'm very very close to my twin brother. We aren't identical twins. But if you see us together the resemblance is uncanny. The thought of being cast together did cross our family's mind. But what can we do together? A comedy with both the brothers falling in love with the same girl? Nah... Too common.
"We must be the only twin actors in the whole world. When we come together the vehicle has to be just right," said Luv, who walked straight into acting.
Brother Kush has taken the long winding road - he learnt acting and direction in New York, assisted Sanjay Leela Bhansali on "Saawariya" and then decided to be an actor.
"Sadiyaan" is complete and ready for release but it was delayed by the revenue-sharing row between producers and multiplex owners, which however ended last week.
"Please don't ask me when it will be released. But I'm not worried. This is what comes from being born in a family where cinema is a given. You've seen your dad go through so many ups and downs; a little bit of delay in your first film's release causes no concern," he said.
Luv says shooting "Sadiyaan" was a cakewalk.
"Hema (Malini) aunty, who's like a member, and Rekha-ji... (yes, it's Hema aunty and Rekha-ji for me, I don't call her aunty) really looked after me, pampered me and made me feel totally at home. I guess it comes from being who I am," he said.
The film is set in the 1970s and Luv says he had to get familiar with the 70s style for his role.
"This was when I wasn't even a passing thought in my parents' mind. A long way from being born. So I had to get familiar with the fashion, lingo, etc. It was a challenge. But you must remember both my parents are actors," he said.
Talk veers to sister Sonakshi and he said: "She's more interested in modelling at the moment than acting. Let's see."
The whole Sinha family was in Patna a little while ago to support the patriarch during the assembly elections. Sinha Senior defeated actor and Congress candidate Shekhar Suman in the Lok Sabha polls from Bihar's Patna Saheb parliamentary constituency.
"Actually my dad didn't need us to get the votes. We just wanted to be with him for support. The best thing about being Shatrughan Sinha's son is you feel a positive pride from within. Beyond that, he has made sure to let me make my way in the industry on my own. My father has never worked with Raj Kanwar-ji. I got 'Sadiyaan' on my own," he said. link
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