Project After 10th

I remember during my schooling days, i was realy apprehensive about my 10th class board exams. Not because of the board exams, but I was apprehensive about what next ? i.e. what after 10th. Fortunately for me my dad was there to guide me and so were my teachers and my other friends.

Not everyone is as fortunate as me. There are about 10 – 12 lakh students who graduate from 10th standard and out of which 80 - 85 % of the students are from the government schools. Most of these students have no one to guide and help choose a career path that is in line with their capabilities and most importantly their interests and ambitions.

This is precisely why there is a great need for this project called “Project After 10th“. The project focuses on guiding these 10’s of lakhs of students by giving them the much needed guidance in the form of a well designed and a very concise career guidance book.

The book details the

• different career paths ;
• course works;
• professional exams ;
• list of colleges;
• admission procedures
• and a wide variety of other information.

Other highlights of the project

• The book is published in “Telugu” .
• The books are distributed free of cost to a large number of schools in various districts.
• There are 1100 mandals in the state and each mandal has an average of 32 schools including the government run, government support run and aided high schools. The books were distributed to 140 mandals just last year alone. The total number of copies distributed is 9200. Approximately 14500 students were benefited. 
•  Distributed one book for the school below 50 students and 2 copies for more than 50. 

The project is run by VMRG foundation and this year the goal is to

• Distribute books to schools in 20 districts . This would require 364 units of books (36400 copies).
• VMRG Foundation is contributing for 100 units and looking for support for the remaining 264 units (26400 copies).
• Each copy costs Rs. 35.50 i.e. 3550.00 per one Unit (100 copies).
• So, total project value is Rs. 12,92,200.00 and VMRG’s contribution is 3,55,500.00.

I wish the project a great success and more importantly success to all the receipents of these books.

For further details , please visit Project After Tenth.

Khabar Lahariya – A newspaper with a difference

“New Waves” or “Kabhar Lahariya” , a rural weekly news paper, has caught the attention of main stream media ever since it began the publication in May 2002.  This, by the way, was not because they were endorsed by any celebrity or they reported a sensational news, but purely because of the contribution and impact they made to the people living in their community.

From being the most backward and most neglected to becoming succesful editors and marketing agents of the news paper, the women involved in this news paper, have come a long way. First they had to deal with the taboo of being woman to a Ofcourse they got the much needed help, guidance and direction from Nirantar, a center for gender and education.

The news paper highlights the issues, concerns, suggestions, news, views basically lending voice to the people in the community and in the process of bringing the district authorities attention to address them.

A few examples of the effectiveness of Khabar Lahariya reports: ( source: http://www.Nirantar.net )

1. A report on stone quarrying in nearby Bharatkup highlighted its disastrous impact on the environment as well as the nexus between the contractors and administration. Farmers in the area began raising questions.
2. A report on Sukhrampur village where nearly all the villagers had tuberculosis resulted in some health officers being pulled up for negligence and the villagers receiving treatment.
3. Khabar Lahariya reported on police brutality against a Kol woman. The case was taken up by a local NGO and the reports added to the pressure on the police.
4. These women have become role models and heroes in their communities and are respected for what they do. 

The success story of the news paper and the women involved, interms of the impact they have made to the community, is a testament for what meaningful media can do to the society as a whole.

Thanks to Nirantar , who sent me a dvd and a copy of the Khabar lahariya , I got a glimpse into the journey of  these self made journalists, editor, marketing agents.

for  a copy of the news paper , click here

The Indian Police

controlling an angry and a rowdy crowd; imposing a bandh or a curfew; maintaining law and order; dealing with petty criminals; great robberies; managing large crowds @ the temples; so in essence the police have the job of managing some of the most mundane to some of the most intricate jobs.

Should anything go wrong in their line of the duty, the police are taken apart, shredded into pieces. The Media, the public, the politicians, the government , the police become an easy target for everybody.

No, I’m not saying the police shouldn’t be criticized for not doing their job. They should be whenever they fail to perform their duty. But, then, why do they fail, time and again. Is it because they are incapable or inefficient or they are corrupt and don’t necessarily do their jobs.

I’m no expert in this subject, but just some common sense and some observations help me understand the situation a little bit better.

• The police have old service revolvers , but they are expected to face Ak 47’s .
• The police have lathi’s to control an angry mob. They don’t have a proper body gear as in body armour, body shields etc. They don’t even have water guns or jets to break the mob.
• The average police man earn far less than what is sufficient to keep a typical family happy. Not always, but sometimes, this lack of recognizition leads to lack of confidence, lack of interest , lack of dignity and sometimes could also force the police to become corrupt.

So, in essence, the police needs to be empowered. They play a crucial role in maintaining the law and order of a country and we ( the people and the government ) everything possible to make sure they understand their role and also they become fully equipped so that they could taken on this responsibility. The government obviously has vested interests in not letting this happen, but we as people should do more than simply criticizing when they fail and pay tribute when they die in the line of the duty.

But what can I (we ) do to help the situation change ? For starters I should start giving the respect they deserve and be appreciative of what they are doing.

In the meanwhile try and identify NGO’s or groups who are already working with the government to bring about some of the much needed reforms to th Indian Police department and see how you and I could contribute.

live political drama

1. Jago Telangana wale, Bhago Andhra wale ( I’m not sure how the leader of a party can say say such insensible things .)
2. Settlers
3. Andhraites
4. Telanganaites

These are some of the new words, phrases that i’ve come across in the recent one week or so !! All of a sudden, there is talk of which region ( Andhra, Rayalaseema, Telangana ) one belongs to , where one’s roots are , is someone a settler or a localite ??? I’m not sure when this is going to end.  Anything is possible especially in this age of MEDIA and with our GREAT LEADERS, anything is possible !!!! And that’s big my biggest fear .

I’m disappointed the way the whole situation is unfolding. It’s a complete chaos. Telangana, being such a sensitive issue, the authorities ( both Telganana leaders & the government ) should have been more proactive and taken measures to avoid this kind of an outburst. There is so much of bad blood now between the “For” and “Against” telangana people, I can’t even imagine what would the situation be like post Telangana.

There is not an iota of doubt in my mind that Telangana’s situation is a result of “Politics & Politicians” at it’s best and since it will be, yet again the same set of politicians ruling us, post Telangana, sensitive issues like “nativity, birth rights etc ” can easily be flared up and the MEDIA is always there to fan these sentiments further. Maharashtra is a classic example. Both Media and Shiv Sena have been responsible in instilling a fear in the minds of North Indian’s settled in Maharashtra. I hope a similar situation doesn’t arise.

Congress, TDP , TRS all political parties are to be equally blamed for the whole situation. Promises are made, compromised, reconcilled, broken all dependening on what’s beneficial for the party; what suits the party and the leader of the party. Telangana has always been an election issue rather than the people’s issue.   

A demand for a separate state could have been more diplomatically without having to create a real division between the people. This leaves a bad taste in the mouth and we already know the bad taste will remain for a long long time.

So what is …. Democracy ?

Democracy has a new meaning now or atleast that’s what i learnt during my stint with the GHMC election campaign . So as per the new definition for Democracy

• Anyone  can contest the elections, including criminals. After all it’s a democratic country. 
• Any candidate who is willing to spend more than the other is gauranteed to win the elections. So what if the election commission has restricted the election expenditure to 2 lakhs ($4000), after all it’s a democratic country, you can spend as much as you can afford.
• Right to vote doesn’t mean one has to vote. It just means people can vote if they want to otherwise , they could simply go on a vacation and enjoy the extended weekend. After all …… it’s a democratic country.
• For 5 lakhs ($10,000) you could buy a week long quarter page ad in the local news papers. The journalists will come knocking on your door and take your interview and will publish everything that you want to publish for the entire week. 

Democracy as it stands now , is for the people with money ( with money ), of the people ( with money ) and  by the people ( with money ).

Whatever happened to the free press, whatever happened to the right to vote, whatever happened to social responsibility. I think India had to pay a hefty price for it’s independence.

When does it stop ?

Oct 8, 2009 : Seventeen policemen killed in an ambush by Maoists at Laheri police station in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra. 
Sep 30: Naxalites set ablaze Gram Panchayat offices at Korchi and Belgaon in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra.
Sep 26: Naxals kill BJP MP from Balaghat Baliram Kashyap’s sons at Pairaguda village in Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh).
Sep 4: Naxals kill four villagers in a forest in Aaded village in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district.

and am sure, i can find tens and hundreds  of such Naxal attacks in the past year or so. Infact, it’s now become an Indian reality. Just like, the price rise, the corruption, the terrorism issues, naxalism has become a tragic reality.

Why is that our own people picked up arms against our own people  and now , now the government , again our own people are using arms against the naxals , again our own people ? 

Why ? Does the government really have no other option , do the naxalites have no other option but to pick up arms. If each one of them starts killing each other, no doubt casualties will include people on either side, but no doubt, casualties will also include kids, women, innocent men and women, because the arms  DONT discriminate.  So what’s so complicated that it can’t be discussed. Oh I remember, the government won’t have discussions with the Naxals unless they lay down their arms. They won’t negotiate with anti social elements, blah.. blah.. blah ..and the usual BS.

And why can’t the Naxals lay down their arms and come to the discussions. After all the naxals claim to be fighting for the rights of the common man and for this they have sacrificed everything and picked up the arms. Now for the sake of the same common man, can they not, lay down their arms and come to the discussions.

Now if either side won’t budge ,  the only way this fight will end is when one side is eliminated.

Do we want to go to this extreme ? Can the more sensible one not compromise and get the two sides to the table for some meaningful dialogue and discussions. And who is the more sensible or rather who should be the most sensible. The Government. So why can’t the government ask the Naxals to come to the discussions with out any pre-conditions and try and put an end to this meaning less killings of innocent people.   

The more isolated the Naxals the get from the society, the more dangerous they become to the society. 

I’m no expert on this subject matter. May be it’s not that easy, but it should not be that difficult either, especially when you see innocent people getting killed day in and day out. And infact the people who get killed in these situations are very fortunate, those who are left behind , are left behind to wait till they die. And these people will either sincerely wait for their death or pick up the arms and fight back .. So when does it stop …. ? Just when ???

The little giant called “Tendulkar”

From the first time when he walked into the cricket ground to play for India during the pakistan tour of 1989 – 90 as a 16 year old ; till the recent “Ind Vs Aus” when he scored 175 of 144 balls as a 36 year old , Tendulkar plays with one passion and only one passion i.e. the passion to play for India. He gets excited like a kid playing cricket for the first time.

To me , Tendulkar is not just about cricket. To me, Tendulkar is about his passion to play for India, Tendulkar is about discipline, his commitment, his love for the game, his modesty, his sincerity, his humbleness, his eagerness to learn , his willingness to experiment. To me he is beyond cricket.

I’m not saying he is a super hero with everything coming his way. He is talented no doubt, but talent only takes one so far and Tendulkar is no exception. He worked hard at his game, worked hard to improve his concentration, worked hard at his fitness and never took anything for granted. 

Having done so much for the country, brining so many laurels to the country, inspiring so many youngsters to belief in oneself and motivate them to work hard to achieve their goals, he still had to face criticisims of various kids, so much so that his home crowd boo’ed him. He once said, “Every stone thrown at him, he wanted to convert them to milestones”. This to me, was the mark of someone more than just the ordinary. All through his career, he played without a blemish. He is a human being par excellence.  

To me, he is beyond cricket.  And I only wish he will be remembered not just for his cricket, but also for being such a great inspiration and for being such a simple human being.

 

So what’s in it for me ???

The AP government completed 100 days in office.  While 100 days is not in any way meant to gauge the government, but at least would help give an indication of the initial tone and direction set by the government. The congress manifesto which was voted to power in 2009 had continued with some of the previously more succesful programs such as Araygoyasri, Indiramma etc and has also added a whole bunch of ambitious programs. It has also spent some huge sums of money in it’s previous term and also set aside huge crores for this term for some of the programs. While the government should be appreciated in coming up some very good proposals and programs, it needs to be seen how much of it will get done.

As we have seen quite often in the past, the government policies, programs and proposals are exteremly good on paper, but when it comes to implement them, most of the governments fail. So the onus is on you and me to make sure the policies are implemented , or if they are not impemented, we must atleast try and ensure that the money that was meant for these programs is not misused. 

• The continuation of welfare programmes such as INDIRAMMA , JALAYAGNAM, ARAYGOYASRI.
• Extend the 2 Rupees a kg rice scheme by giving 5 kgs instead of 3kgs to White Ration Card holders.
• The Weajer Section Housing Program
• The Land Distribution Scheme
• Complete reimbursement of tuition fee scheme.
• Weavers and the Tappers package.
• 4% reservation for Muslim minorities.
• The Kalyanamasthu programme.
• Paval Vaddi scheme.
• Dhobhi ghats with all modern facilities will be provided for all the localities to reduce the drudgery of washing and ironing.
• Encourage BC rural artisans like Goldsmiths, blacksmiths, Carpenters, Weavers, Tappers, Washermen etc to form into
• SHG’s for purchase of tools for commons use.
• Special initiaitives will be taken to step up literacy rate among the SC, ST girls.
• Overhauling of the State health care administration.
• Double the Capicity of power in the next five years.
• State to provide 9 hours per day to the farm sector from 1st June 2009.
• Every household to have a gas connection at the end of the fourth year.
• Every household to have an electrical connection and a sanitary tiolet at the end of the 5 year term.
• Cover all citizens with Biometric Identity Cards.
• Implementing the forest land rights act.
• Cooperative Movement: Select one or two villages for every Mandal in the State for the  Cooperative Momvement.
• Launch Mobile Agri and Livestock Clinics with consultation facilities on the lines of 108 and 104 for providing ready service to the farmers at their doorstep on matters like soil testing,  agricultural practices, animal health care, artificial insemination.
• All SC, ST, BC and Minority residential schools across the State wll be elevated to the standards
  of Navodaya schools by improving the infrastructure and number of teachers.
• University in every district.

I plan to soon start knocking on the doors of the administration and the government departments to seek answers and status updates on some if not all of the above.  It’s not going to be easy and i’m not even sure if it’s possible, but would I know it without trying, would I ?  

So what’s in it for me ?

it will be whatever I (We) can ensure

sources for the manifesto:

• http://www.apelections2009.in/2009/03/26/ap-congress-election-manifesto-highlights/
• http://66.28.216.162:8080/apcc/pdf/CongManifSlntPnts2403.pdf
• http://www.andhrarajakeeyam.com/2009/03/ap-congress-releases-manifesto-pledges-regular-power-supply/
• http://www.financialexpress.com/news/ap-congress-manifesto/105816/

 

The perfect entertainment channel

Often over the weekend, i find myself surfing the tv programs constantly.  I can’t watch a single program for more than 5 – 10 minutes as they are not entertaining or interesting or educative .. basically nothing worth watching. It’s a frustrating experience to find something worthwhile to watch.

Then i landed upon the NDTV 24×7 news channel. The news channel had everything packaged into one, there was sports; movies; fashion parades; advertisements; movie trailers; mindless debates and discussions; gossips; so i don’t have to flip any other channel. Every 10 minutes, there is something new. But wait a minute , did i say it was a 24×7 news channel !!!

Yeah, i did say the news channel. It has everything in huge doses, except for the indepth news coverage. The little news that’s shown is mostly on the lines of “Who said What” ; “How one reacted to that”. Ofcourse, the most favorite line up on the news channels are the live coverages of a grave tragedy.  It’s amazing how fast the channel bring’s out it’s subject experts ( no matter what the subject is ) and stage a live analysis of the siutation. Oh and there is one other thing, that the news channel in depth, the celebreties.

for instance:

1. I know who designed the clothes for Aishwarya Rai for her marriage. But i don’t know anything about the arrest of Binayak Sen.
2. I know all the places our Indian cricketers visited when touring New Zealand, but i don’t know anything about the trips the farmers have to make to the government offices to keep their families alive.
3. I know everything about the “Operation Taj”, but i don’t know anything about the “Operation flood relief”.
4. I know everything about the huge elephant structures that Mayawati is building in Uttar Pradesh and i know nothing about the houses that were supposed to be built for the slum dwellers and the displaced.

and I can go on …… the news basically covers everything, but an honest and sincere indepth coverage of the “News that Matters the Most” is what is missing and is missing BIG TIME.

And I also feel the news channel should even be given the “A” rating, as the language spoken or the content shown is not appropriate for kids.  So it’s a perfect Adult Entertaining Channel. It’s not just NDTV, i’m sure there are other channels, but like i said, i just got stuck with NDTV.

 

The GHMC elections

GHMC elections are just around the corner or in other the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation  Elections. So for a total 150 divisions located in five zones and 17 circles, a record number of 2500 candidates are likely to compete.

So why are these elections important or why should I and you be interested in them.

I grew up in a Colony in Sainikpuri and lived there for almost 21 years.  Our colony happens to come under the Defence Colony Ward, which is under the Malkajgiri constituency.  Growing up as a kid, the colony was a save haven for all the kids and most definetly for all the parents as well. The colony boasted of a school that if you get admitted to you can go straight from kindergarden to post graduation. It had one of the greatest temples of the twin cities, the Kalibari temple, which was renound for it’s dusherra and diwali celebrations. It had large playgrounds; it was a bustling neighbhor hood. Still is.

However, there have been changes. Just like any other place in Hyderabad, my colony has also undergone tremendous change.  What used to be large vacant play grounds have been turned into huge apartment complexes.  From being a colony that relied on the borewell for it’s water, now has to rely on the manjeera water supply that is only twice a week. Ofcourse there have been other developments such as nice pucca roads, plenty of general stores, a regular bus line etc etc.

The basic problems of the area still remain. Water scarcity, supply of or lack of supply of electricity especially during the summer, the traffic, the rapid ( illegal ) constructions ( both commercial and residential )  etc etc. Anyways growing up i never much paid much attention to this.  Now I can let the trend continue so that my kids are left with much less water,  even less open play grounds and basically much less resources than I had.

Or, I can do something about it.  I make my concern ; my opinion; my voice heard.  JUST VOTE !!! The “Right to Vote” was not a fundamental right that was given to us by birth, it was fought for and fought for very hard. Our ancestors laid down their lives for this. So if we don’t value their efforts and don’t realize the power in the “Right to Vote”, then I’m afraid my kids will have to do what my ancestors had to do. And certainly I don’t want that to happen.

And since I believe I can do more than VOTING, i want to make campaign and make sure the right candidate gets voted for this job. It doesn’t mean that once the candiated gets voted, he or she will do the job. The onus is on me and YOU to make sure that that gets done.

the GHMC elections are the elections that would define the present and the future of my neighbhorhood and your neighbhorhood.