One tree gap of 10 meters cuts temperature by 2 degrees: Expert

Environment specialist Shams Parvez, who has done a research study of climatic condition of Raipur and Bhilai, said, “one tree gap of 10 meters will make you feel a difference in temperature to at least two degrees lesser. In Raipur, distance between two trees is 150-200 meters. This leads to temperature variation.  Had trees been planted at the specified distance, the temperature would have been lowered to 42 degrees Celsius.”

“They contribute up to eight degrees rise in temperature and result from pollution! Raipur and Bhilai suffer from 27-32% of industrial pollution, 45% vehicular pollution and 8% of civil construction pollution. Road pollution contributes maximum in temperature fluctuation.” TNN

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Judiciary crying out for reforms: Will Modi Government deliver?

 The problems are enormous: a backlog of more than 33 million cases; 4,296 of the 19,238 sanctioned subordinate courts lying vacant and 266 positions of high courts judges of the 906 sanctioned vacant.

Law commission member Mool Chand Sharma had remarked on the issue of pending cases thus: “The government being one of the largest litigants before the courts, it needs to reflect more closely, seriously and sensitively on how and when to pursue litigation and, importantly, also reflect on when not to pursue litigation".

Apex Court lawyer and writer Sanjay Hegde's view is that the new government should take good decisions and not duck them for the judiciary to step in. This has been endorsed by new Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi that the government should avoid frivolous litigation. Rohatgi, upon his appointment, had said that he would try to reduce the filing of frivolous appeals or appeals involving recovery of pretty amounts by the government.

A thorough review of the existing cases before the courts of law - from the Supreme Court of India to a munsif/ lowest civil and criminal court can ensure the closure of frivolous cases without giving any adjournments under the pressure of the Bar. State governments should review the cases filed by them in a discriminative manner under some extraneous conditions and reasons. Law Secretary and the law minister should apply their minds and reduce the pendency by withdrawing the useless and trivial cases without any further delay. 

Status and Standard of school education in doldrums

Despite the tall talks, huge budget allocations and an army of teachers appointed so far, the deployment and posting of teachers are not done systematically and impartially with the result the teaching community is not properly motivated and managed. There are teachers who are not at all duty-conscious. The students in the primary schools scattered all over the country especially in the interior pockets are unable to get regular teaching and coaching. The fate of students thus hangs in the air in view of automatic promotions assured to the children up to the fifth standard or even eight standard without any examination in many states.

Best Example:

Village Dokidih near Anda in Durg district of Chhattisgarh state: strength of students around 70. Two male teachers and one female teacher posted there but they never turn up on time to school with the result the the peon, a class four employee, Damanlal Sahu conducts the morning assembly of the children after cleaning the premises and gets them seated in their class rooms till the teachers arrive from their destinations - never on time as reported by children and the peon. When the correspondent of Central,Chronicle, a news daily from Raipur, questioned the deputy sarpanch Rewa Ram Chandrakar who resides just behind the school and other village heads but they all showed ignorance over the matter. No supervisor or inspector of the schools ever visited this school due to its location in the interior. That explains the reason for such a state of affairs.

(September 21, 2014)

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World lost over 52 percent of its wildlife in the last 40 years

So we should be happy and content with the photographs/ pictures of extinct wildlife by 2050 in the text books for our posterity. May be, a few species might exist in some select zoos on this globe and the rest will get extinct forever. A great victory of the human species over the animal kingdom!

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Africans an unwanted people on the Indian soil ?

 African people in the city of Delhi say they face verbal and physical abuse with racial undertones daily. Anyone should be ashamed of our behaviour towards the black people in our capital city. What is the difference between whites practicing apartheid in the West and Indians ill treating blacks in India, the land of Gandhiji?

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Stampede at Patna Dussehra Maidan, 32 die

It happened in the presence of VVIPs including the chief minister attending the function and a crowd of five Lakhs forced to disperse through a single gate. God knows why the other gates were kept closed and a rumour causing panic among the crowd was not properly and timely countered by loud speakers.

Our ministers, magistrates and police never learn a lesson from the past incidents and pressed into service a foolproof crowd management plan on such occasions. Immediate and effective punitive action must be taken against those lax police authorities. May be VVIP's  duty starved them of necessary force for deployment during such events.

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Mission in life --  "shramdan" during Gandhi Jayanti

Whether one likes it or not,  Gandhiji was my childhood hero and so I continued to practice his principle of cleanliness and "shramdan" for community work from the day one I joined government service. I started celebrating Gandhi Jayanti regularly since 1972 starting with Durg District of erstwhile Madhya Pradesh by adopting a village as the Assistant Collector under training. My collector,  Additional collector and Asst. collectors posted at that time in that district used to wonder at my approach. Similarly I observed Gandhi Jayanti for two years as Sub Divisional Officer in Jashpur Sub Division (1973-75), as Additional Collector for two years in Raipur District (1975-77) and as Collector in Betul and Sagar districts (1977-82). I was considered a fool.

As a paradox I received a letter from my boss A.S Das, the Commssioner of Sagar Division asking my reaction and reply to the complaint against me as if I was taking drinks, eating non-veg foods and relaxing in the tents pitched for the tours in the interior part of the district. I was shocked to receive such a reward for the hard and sincere work with an innovative approach to solve the problems of the poor at their doorsteps. I never cared for my bosses in my career, nor bothered about their A.C.R (Annual Confidential Reports) on the basis of which promotions normally take place in the government. I used to wonder as to how I got promoted to the post of Principal Secretary because I never pleased my bosses both in the hierarchy and the ministers in office. My practices based on Gandhian principles - impartial treatment to those who approached for any work and always helping the poor and less-privileged people out of the way even at the cost of my career. My senior and junior colleagues were wondering at my attitude and behaviour in the presence of those who really mattered in official career.

As Commissioner of Sagar Division for two years (1990-92) I continued to clean the sewerage and drains in the lanes of Scheduled Caste mohalla (wards) of Sagar town in which I involved the gents and ladies of Rotary Club and Lions Club in addition to my wife and children.

Clean India campaign in Gullu village, Arang Block, Raipur district initiated in Government Primary and Middle schools with 200 students and twenty teachers is the latest on October 2, 2014 in the series even after retirement.

After 42 years of relentless pursuance of 'shramdan' on Gandhi Jayanti days I am now thrilled to see a Prime Minister with a similar approach towards cleanliness.