Rajasthan Cultural Tours

India is an extremely rich country. It boasts of its diversity and rich heritage, culture and a well-defined geography, extending from the mighty Himalayas in the North to the beautiful beaches of South, from the never-ending desserts of the West to the sacred river Ganges flowing towards the East. Languages and cuisines vary from region to region and contribute to making India a tourist’s dream destination. What make it even more special are the traditions that take along the belief of treating guests equal to God. A variety of festivals ensures that celebrations are on throughout the year.

Known for its stories and history of heroism and romance, the monuments and forts of Rajasthan take us back to the bygone era. The magic of varied and vibrant Rajasthan - its well protected and rich heritage, traditional and well-defined folk dances and music, diverse and colourful culture, mouth-watering cuisines, desert safaris with Aravalis in the backdrop, sand-dunes, lush green forests home to varied wildlife - makes it a destination of unmatched adventure.

Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan, also the Pink City, has numerous majestic forts and beautiful havelis that attract tourists. The most common and popular attraction for tourist is the Hawa Mahal, used by the princesses as a veil to watch proceedings on the road below. Other must visit places are The City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Amber Fort. The Maharaja’s have been great food lovers. Jaipur’s high profile eating outlets still serve the well-preserved recipes of the Royal Chefs. Dal-bati-churma, lachhedar parantha and bessan ki missipuri, red meat, sweets like malpuas, dil jani, ladoos, ghevar are just some of the mouth-watering specialities of Jaipur, served famously in Hotel Choki Dhani, Surya Mahal Restaurant, The Royal Fast Food, The Temptations and Shivir Restaurant. Fast food joints of Fresh Flavours, Garden Cafe, Hotel Breads, Pizza Hut and Wimpy ensure that variety of food is maintained. Visitors get to enjoy wonderful shopping ranging from traditional artefacts, handicrafts, tie-and-dye textiles, kundan jewellery and lot more. There are polo and golf clubs, as well as theatre for relaxation.

Another favourite tourist destination of Rajasthan is Jodhpur, located on the foothill of a sandstone hillock. The main places to visit include Mehrangarh Fort with several palaces, galleries, a museum, and temples inside, Umaid Bhavan Palace, Jaswant Thada, the royal cenotaph made of white marble. Other places of interest are temples like Chamundaji Temple, Raj Ranchhodji Temple, Siddhanth Shiv Temple etc. Colourful clothes and jewellery, great hospitality, typical Marwari accent are qualities that define Jodhpur culture. Shopping in Jodhpur is sure to make your visit a memorable one with Jodhpuri suit, Tie-and-Dye sarees, footwear, handicrafts and spices. Speciality of this city lies in the multiplicity of cuisines, ranging from Indian to Chinese to Continental to Mughlai. Famous among these are Kachoris, sweet laddoos and a tall glass of buttermilk or ‘lassi’.

A city that commands a visit both by Indian and foreign tourists, Jaisalmer is situated amid the great Thar Desert. Like other cities, Jaisalmer too has its own heritage. Jaisalmer Fort is made of sand stones and is popularly known as Sonar Quila. Famous Havelis include Salim ji ki haveli and Nathmal ji ki haveli. The Gadsisar Lake is home to many migratory birds. The Desert Cultural Centre boasts of a rich Rajasthan culture. Jaisalmer too offers rich and mouth-watering cuisines, both veg and non-veg. One major attraction is puppetry shows in the evenings which are entertaining and narrate old epics through creativity.

Rajasthan is a diverse and well developed state of India. It complements the rich culture and heritage that India has preserved for ages and attracts tourists who are fond of experiencing an Incredible India.

Holidays In India

It is diverse, it is secular, it is rich and it is complete… It is a country that lives and breathes with its people. A country that invites you and a country that assures you of finding that missing meaning of your existence on this planet – It is India. The Incredible One, don’t forget! It is here that one gets rid of a feeling of incompleteness as India and its unimaginable and unmatched vast culture and heritage engulfs you, along with the people who are too simple and loving to have any prejudices even for strangers, leaving little scope for materialistic pleasures. The purity and serenity of the places would ensure that you have a memorable holiday here.

Shiver in the eternal snows of the mighty Himalayas or witness the rich cultivation in the southern peninsula, search for an oasis in the vast deserts of the West or sweat in the humid deltas of the East, witness nature’s weather marvel in the dry hot and cold Central Plateau or get instantly refreshed in the cool forest foothills, Indian geography compliments the diversity of its people and culture.

KASHMIR : Heaven On Earth!

The richness is further glorified by the beautiful crown on India’s head. The proud Indians boast of having Paradise on Earth as their own! Jammu & Kashmir is everyone’s dream destination for a holiday. After all, who wouldn’t like to experience paradise, without having to lose anything for it? The state is divided into 3 main geographical regions, separated by ‘The Lesser Himalayas’ (Kashmir), ‘The Inner Himalayas’ (Ladakh) and ‘The Outer Himalayas’ (Jammu).

While Gulmarg is known for its hill resorts and winter games because of its proximity to Srinagar, Sonamarg is famous among visitors for its Thajiwas Glacier, which is a major attraction particularly in summers. The Pahalgam Valley, popularly known as the Valley of Shepherds, is situated at the merging streams from Sheshnag Lake and Lidder River. Breathtaking views and resorts set deep down with towering mountains surrounding, the pine forests are a great retreat. Pahalgam has been the favourite place of filmmakers due to its untouched beauty.  The Dal Lake is another famous attraction as it is the symbol of this paradise on earth. It is the second largest of this region and one of the most beautiful lakes in India. The Shikaras and the numerous romantic scenes in them for Bollywood movies only emphasize its beauty. The lake is surrounded by the campus of University of Kashmir on one side and gardens and orchards on the other. The sheer tranquility and charm of the place leaves you mesmerized.

Delhi : Heart Of India

From the crown of India, to the Heart of India, the journey brings you to the capital of India! Delhi or rather Dilli, as it is popularly known, complimenting the fact that it is the Heart of Incredible India. A city that would, for ages to come, continue to be proud of hosting the much talked about Commonwealth Games successfully, a city that has the amalgamation of the Old and prestigious heritage as well as modern and happening hangouts. Delhi has truly evolved as a world class city with expansion of Metro network and state-of-the-art infrastructure.

The monuments that are till date as protected as ever making you want to stop and visit them instinctively. Lotus Temple or Bahai Mandir is a unique Lotus shaped temple built entirely with white marble. Lotus was chosen as a common symbol to Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam, making it a common place of worship. There are 9 pools of water around the lotus petals which are lit up in the evenings. The Temple has recently completed its 25^th anniversary.  Another historical place is the observatory build in 1724 – Jantar Mantar. It was built by Maharaja Jai Singh of Jaipur to take observations of time using the instruments and shadow of the sun. Located in the busy streets of Old Delhi, Jama Masjid is the oldest and the largest Mosque in India. It has a capacity of holding 25,000 devotees. The fact that it is visited by people of all religion makes it a symbol of Indian secularism.

When in the streets of Old Delhi, the aroma around would take care that you do not leave without trying the mouth-watering cuisines. Right from the roadside chaat-papri and age-old eating joints to high class restaurants and five star hotels, from traditional Mughlai and desi food to people friendly fast food joints and international variety of cuisines, Delhi has it all. The Purani Dilli eateries in Chandni Chowk can easily attract you towards parantha wali gali, famous for its half-fried paranthas of numerous varieties. If you are a non-vegetarian, head straight towards the aroma from Karim’s and other non-veg joints widely spread over the area.

While this is one ‘Dilli’, the other ‘Delhi’ lives in the happening places of south extension, greater kailash etc. The Select City Walk Mall, Saket is one of the favourite hangout places of Delhi’s youth and adults alike. DLF Promenade is another favourite place. Malls have the trendiest collection of clothing, accessories and footwear, apart from movies and international cuisines and other junk food. As can be seen, it is a place that invites every age group. There’s everything for everyone.

Padharo Mahro Rajasthan!

The love and care of Delhi makes one want to stay here forever. But North India is not just limited to this. The richness in traditions and continuity of preserving them in modern times is something one cannot ignore when so close to Rajasthan! State of numerous havelis, forts, palaces and history that will leave you enchanted, Rajasthan is the richest and most diverse state of India. All religions existing mutually with love and understanding makes Ajmer a great example of Indian culture. Dargah Sharif-tomb is the Dargah of the Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, which enjoys deep-rooted beliefs of both Muslims as well as Hindus. Through Ajmer, one can visit Pushkar, the place where the only Bhrama temple on this earth exists. Obviously, it has acquired the status of the most sacred place for Hindus particularly. The Pushkar Lake has great devotion among visitors and huge crowd gathers in the month of kartik to take a dip in its sacred waters and enjoy the much-awaited Pushkar Mela.

The capital is even more beautiful. It is unique as there is every modern facility available and is a well-developed city but still the age-old charm is so prominent, it usually surprises the visitors and leaves them spell-bound. Known as the Pink City due to the numerous houses painted pink! And historical forts palaces like Hawa Mahal, Nahagarh, Amer, Jaigarh, Moti Doongari etc., Jaipur’s royalty is reflected in its preserved history and modern development.

Rajasthan is a land of even richer history of cuisines. The prince and princesses had their royal food menus prepared by royal cooks or Khansamas. Dal-bati-churma, lachhedar parantha and bessan ki missipuri, red meat, sweets like malpuas, dil jani, ladoos, ghevar are just some of the mouth-watering specialities of Jaipur, served famously in Hotel Choki Dhani, Surya Mahal Restaurant, The Royal Fast Food, The Temptations and Shivir Restaurant. Fast food joints of Fresh Flavours, Garden Cafe, Hotel Breads, Pizza Hut and Wimpy ensure that variety of food is maintained. Visitors get to enjoy wonderful shopping ranging from traditional artefacts, handicrafts, tie-and-dye textiles, kundan jewellery and lot more. There are polo and golf clubs, as well as theatre for relaxation.

This was just a peek into the India that we know is Incredible. North or South, East or West, India is the BEST! It leaves you wanting for more, because there is so much to see and experience. You can be assured of taking back so much with you that your next holiday would automatically get planned beforehand!! Come, and experience the Incredible and wonderful land of diversity.Ll

The Golden Triangle!

India is known for its togetherness and companionship. Not only among people, but even different states are interlinked to create one strong nation. Such is the inter-connection between the three major cities of North India forming the Golden Triangle – Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. These cities reflect the traditions of North India in the most comprehensive manner and hence have been interconnected to form the crown of Indian heritage. The three flamboyant cities offer an enriching experience with cultural, historical and architectural magnificence of the capital of India, the city of Taj Mahal and the Pink City of the Rajput kings.

The capital city of our country is also its source of power. Sprawled over the west bank of the river Yamuna, Delhi boasts of remnants of its glorious past surviving along with skyscrapers, posh residential colonies and busy commercial complexes. Famous places worth visiting include the World Heritage Site - Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate built by Edwin Lutyens during the British rule with names of all martyrs of wars inscribed on its wall and the Amar Jawan Jyoti burning in their remembrance since 1971, Qutab Minar – the tallest brick minaret in the world, Jantar Mantar – an old observatory, Jama Masjid, etc. Famous for its amalgamation of old and new (also known as Lutyen’s Zone), Delhi offers mouth-watering cuisines for all food lovers. While Kinari Bazar is famous market for decorative items, Cannaught Place if known for top brands and shopping. There Janpath for casual, low cost yet good quality purchases.

Home to world’s most beloved monument – Taj Mahal, Agra is known for its Mughal architecture, intricate handicrafts, jewellery and the wealth of heritage. Its prominence grew when Shah Jahan created history by building Taj Mahal in the eternal love of his wife Mumtaz. Agra Fort, Dayal Bagh Temple and Fatehpur Sikri are among other tourist attractions. Purses, footwear, jewellery, embroidery work, and other finely designed handicrafts along with mouth-watering Mughlai food, not to forget the world famous Petha, a sweet savoured by many, Agra is an enriching experienced, symbolic of Love.

Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan, also the Pink City, has numerous majestic forts and beautiful havelis that attract tourists. The most common and popular attraction for tourist is the Hawa Mahal, used by the princesses as a veil to watch proceedings on the road below. Other must visit places are The City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Amber Fort. Jaipur’s high profile eating outlets still serve the well-preserved recipes of the Royal Chefs. Dal-bati-churma, lachhedar parantha and bessan ki missipuri, red meat, sweets like malpuas, dil jani, ladoos, ghevar are just some of the mouth-watering specialities of Jaipur, served famously in Hotel Choki Dhani, Surya Mahal Restaurant, The Royal Fast Food. Visitors get to enjoy wonderful shopping ranging from traditional artefacts, handicrafts, tie-and-dye textiles, kundan jewellery and lot more.

A unique network inter-connecting the richest and the most diverse states of North India, The Golden Triangle tour offers 3 in one vacation destinations to know the heart and soul of India. From an enchanting blend of old and new Delhi, to the city of Agra - symbolic of selfless and eternal love, to the royal Jaipur with a wealth of heritage and culture, an Indian tour can’t get better than this.

“ मुझे मेरे नाम से पुकारो ! ”

विकलांग लोगों को दोहरी उपेक्षा का सामना करना पड़ता है। अक्सर ही उनकी जरूरतों और अधिकारों की अनदेखी की जाती है।

भारत में विकलांगों की पेशानियों को हम काफी हद तक नजरअंदाज कर जाते हैं, जबकि यह हमारे समाज की बुराई को बढ़ावा देती है। सरकारी आंकड़ों के अनुसार भारत में विकलांगों की संख्या एक करोड़ 85 लाख है, जिनमें से 49 लाख 90 हजार बच्चे हैं। ये कुल जनसंख्या का 1.8 प्रतिशत हैं। किंतु राष्ट्र संघ का कहना है कि संभावित रूप से इनकी संख्या 10 करोड़ हो सकती है जो कुल जनसंख्या का 10 प्रतिशत है। विकलांगों में से केवल 2 प्रतिशत को ही शिक्षा और पुनर्वास सेवाओं तक पहुंच हासिल है। अंतर्राष्ट्रीय रूप से सामान्य आबादी की तुलना में विकलांगों के बीच बेरोजगारी तीन गुना है।

ये कुछ चौंकाने वाले तथ्य हैं जिन्हें नजरअंदाज करना मानवता के नाते हमारे सामाजिक दायित्व से मुंह मोड़ने के समान है। पर हम इस सामाजिक दायित्व से मुंह मोड़ लेते हैं, जो एक शिक्षित समाज के लिए दुखद बात है। आज भारत में विकलागंता को दूर करने के लिए सरकार द्वारा कई महत्तवपूर्ण कदम उठाए गए हैं, पर फिर भी क्या कारण है कि इस रोग में कमी होने बजाय बढ़ोतरी हो रही है? अगर हम भारत के प्रदेशों के नज़रिए से देखें तो उत्तर प्रदेश में आज सबसे ज्यादा लोग विकलांग हैं, दूसरे नम्बर पर बिहार और कई राज्य इस श्रेंणी में अपनी पहचान बनाने में आगे हैं। क्या मूल कारण है कि इतने प्रयासों के बावजूद भी भारत इस रोग से छुटकारा नही पा रहा है? भारत की पूरी आबादी आज के समय में विश्व में दूसरे स्थान पर है। यह पूरे विश्व की लगभग 16 प्रतिशत आबादी है और आज हमारा देश दिन-पर-दिन बढ़ती जनसंख्या का शिकार हो रहा है। सरकार के अभियान पूरे देश में एक साथ चलाना एक बहुत बड़ी चुनौती है। हालांकि सरकार के ये प्रयास पूरी तरह विफल नहीं हैं, पर जरूरत है लोगों के जागरूक होने की, ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में इस प्रयास के प्रति प्रेरणी की।

विकलांग लोगों के लिए समान अवसर और अधिकार सुनिश्चित करने से हमें पीढ़ियों से मौजूद सामाजिक बाधाओं को तोड़ने में मदद मिलेगी। विकलांगता को समाज की मुख्य धारा में शामिल करना विकास प्रक्रिया का अभिन्न अंग है। विकलांग लोगों को सामाजिक जीवन के हर पहलू में शामिल किया जाना चाहिए।

इन्हीं सिध्दांतों पर स्थापित वल्र्ड विजन (इंडिया) एक मसीही मानवतावादी संगठन है जो निर्धनता और अन्याय के वातावरण में रहने वाले बच्चों, परिवारों और समुदायों के जीवन में एक स्थायी परिवर्तन लाने के लिए कार्य करता है।

‘मुझे मेरे नाम से पुकारो’ प्रकल्प के अंतर्गत वल्र्ड विजन विकलांगों को सामान्य लोगों की तरह ही समाज का एक अहम हिस्सा बनने, मित्र बनाने, जरूरतमंद होने के साथ साथ सहभागी बनने, दर्शक की बजाय जिम्मेदारियां उठाने के लिए प्रेरित करता है। भारतीय संविधान में सुनिच्शित सभी व्यक्तियों को समानता, स्वतंत्रता और सम्मान दिलाने की दिशा में अनेक कदम उठाए हैं।

भारतीय संसद द्वारा पारित ‘विकलांग व्यक्ति (समान अवसर, अधिकारों की रक्षा तथा पूर्ण प्रतिभागिता) अधिनियम, 1995’ - जो 7 फरवरी, 1966 को लागू हुआ – को सही ढंग से संस्थापित करने में वल्र्ड विजन की अहम भूमिका रही है। यह अधिनियम विकलांग लोगों के अधिकारों की रक्षा और उन्हें सुविधाएं उपलब्ध कराने की व्यवस्था करता है और साथ ही उनके अधिकारों से वंचित होने के मामले में शिकायतों का निवारण करने का प्रावधान देता है। अधिनियम का बल एक ओर विकलांगों की समानता और भागीदारी बढ़ाने पर है तो दूसरी ओर सभी प्रकार के भेदभाव मिटाने पर है।

                        अधिनियम के मुख्य प्रावधान :-

विकलांगताओं की रोकथाम और शिघ्र पता लगाना

• विकलांगताएं होने के कारण का पता लगाने के लिए सर्वेक्षण, जांच और शोध कार्य
• विकलांगताओं की रोकथाम के लिए विभिन्न कदम। सहायता के लिए प्राथमिक स्वास्थ्य केंद्रों के कर्मचारियों का प्रशिक्षण

नि:शुल्क शिक्षा का अधिकार

• हर विकलांग बच्चे को सामान्य या विशेष स्कूलों में 18 वर्ष की आयु तक नि:शुल्क शिक्षा का अधिकार
• विकलांग बच्चों के लाभ के लिए उपयुक्त परिवहन, इमारतों की बनावट संबंधी बाधाओं को हटाना, पाठ्यचार्य और परिक्षा प्रणाली को संशोधित करना

रोजगार

सरकारी रोजगार में 3 प्रतिशत रिक्त पद विकलांगों के लिए आरक्षित

सकारात्मक कार्रवाई

विकलांग लोगों को सहायक यंत्र और उपकरण उपलब्ध

गैर-भेदभाव

सार्वजनिक भवनों, रेल के डिब्बों, बसों, जलपोतों, वायुयानों के डिजाइन विकलांगों कि लिए प्रयोग में आसान हों

सामाजिक सुरक्षा

• विकलांग लोगों के पुनर्वास के लिए गैर-सरकारी संस्थाओं को वित्तीय सहायता

अधिनियम में विहित अधिकारों के उल्लंघन के मामले में विकलांग लोग निम्नलिखित को आवेदन कर सकते हैं :-

• केंन्द्र में मुख्य विकलांग आयुक्त
• राज्यों में विकलांग आयुक्त

वल्र्ड विजन इन सभी प्रावधानों से विकलांगों को सशक्त करने और फिर इनके लागू होने में कारगर भूमिका निभा रहा है। विकलांगों के प्रमाण पत्र, तिपहिया साइकिल व अन्य वाहन पाने, सड़कों के इस्तेमाल में विकलांगों के साथ भेदभाव रोकने, उन्हें शिक्षा व रोजगार के अवसर मुहैया कराने, सार्वजनिक स्थानों तक पहुंच सुगम बनाने आदि क्षेत्रों में भरसक प्रयास किए हैं।

वल्र्ड विजन के साथ-साथ हमारा भी कर्तव्य यह है कि हम आगे बढ़के विकलांगों के भविष्य के लिए कुछ मजबूत रास्तों का निर्माण करें जिससे ये लोग खुद को समाज से कटा हुआ और अलग हट के महसूस न करें और भारत के विकास में इनके योगदान को भी शामिल किया जा सके।

इस विकलांगता रूपी अभिशाप के मिथक को तोड़ने की कोशिश करनी चाहिए। विकलांगता कोई अभिशाप नहीं है। न तो ये पूर्वजन्मों के पापों की सजा है, न ही आपके परिवार को मिला कोई श्राप। वास्तविकता यह है कि इस दुनिया में कोई भी परिपूर्ण नहीं है, कोई न कोई कमी हर इंसान में होती है। कुछ नज़र आ जाती हैं तो कुछ छुपी रहती हैं। इसी तरह हर इंसान में कुछ न कुछ अलग काबिलियत भी होती है। अपनी कमियों को समझकर उस पर विजय पाना ही विकलांगों की जिंदगी का लक्ष्य होता है। उन्हें बस इस लक्ष्य को पहचानने में मदद चाहिए।

इंसान वही है जो अपनी खूबियों का पलड़ा भारी कर अपनी कमियों को पछाड़ देता है, और दिए हुए संदर्भों में खुद को साबित करता है। पर ये भी सच है कि सामजिक धारणाओं और संकुचित सोच के चलते शारीरिक विकलांगता के शिकार लोगों को समाज में अपनी खुद की समस्याओं के आलावा भी बहुत सी परेशानियों का सामना करना पड़ता है। हिम्मत और खुद पे विश्वास कर अगर वो चलें तो कुछ भी मुश्किल नहीं है। क्योंकि भारत विश्व का सबसे युवा देश है और हम विश्व के सबसे ज्यादा उम्मीद रखने वाले लोगों के देशों में गिने जाने वाले तथ्य को सत्य सिद्ध करने में सक्षम हैं।

In The Raj of The Panchayat...

I came across an article in Indian Express, dated June19, 2010 on recent development set to take place in village Panchayats of Lucknow.

Panchayats in Uttar Pradesh are set to get net-savvy. The state Department of Panchayati Raj will soon start using PriaSoft, an exclusive software designed to computerise panchayats and bring all information on a common web platform.

Designed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj, PriaSoft will computerise all accounts of the three-tier panchayati raj institutions to create uniformity. The project comes at a cost of Rs 1,402 crore.

For this, the district level officials have been trained and there will be more training camps throughout the state.

The computerisation of panchayats is a major step in the way of creating transparency in the system. What makes this system more interesting is that it also manages the accounts of the Gram, Block and Zila Panchayats in a similar way, thus creating complete uniformity.

To cater to 51,977 gram panchayats in the first stage, IIT-Kanpur modified PriaSoft to suit the state’s requirements. Since the panchayati raj institutions are the key to all development activities in the rural sector, it becomes all the more important that their functioning be error-free, open and also, easy to manage.

The move was specially initiated at a time when the panchayat elections were due in the next few months so that the voting process could be made hassle-free and accessible by all as soon as possible.

Secretary (Union Panchayati Raj), A N P Sinha says that the panchayats get lakhs of rupees and the accounts should be completely transparent. After computerisation, professionals will be trained to manage the software at each panchayat level. This will increase independency in operations. The aim is to allow panchayats to make their own Five Year Plans in near future.

After computerisation, all the panchayats will be connected through a common portal.

While some information will be shown only to those who have a valid password, information like utilisation of funds and programmes will just be a click away.

This is a safety management exercise. While some features will only be for department officials, the rest will be open for the public. All one would need to do is to go to a cyber cafe or a common service centre and check the number of tasks underway or the money spent by his panchayat.

Rural Communication and Information Needs

I read an article in the archives of Indian Express, dated October 2009, which was somewhere related to communication and information needs in rural areas.

The article talked about a very unique initiative of training village youth for call centre jobs. In Pune, Tata Motors, as a social obligation, updated communication skills of youths in rural areas through its new ‘Shabda Tarang’ project.

The project aims to prepare rural youth for better communication through call centre training, which at present is fast growing and is probably the best means to provide exposure to the rural people, especially the youth who are forever ready to try new things but often do not get a platform and opportunities. The project not only would provide training but also consists of generating job opportunities in the village.

So, in short, through the 3 month Shabda Tarang, a job oriented training opportunity is created. The main purpose of this training is to increase the confidence level along with personality development of the students in the rural area. A high level of thinking and efficiency is required for this. This would eventually lead to a wider and more developed outlook among them.

There is an increased need to bring the villages to the forefront and make them a part of the overall development and progress to ensure that society as a whole moves ahead and the periphery or corners are not left untouched and unaffected. This can only be done through better communication and connectivity.

Slum Development : Dharavi

We all see them around us all the time. We avoid people living in them. Slums. A literall ‘growing’ concern considering the way they are increasing.

A path-breaking effort was initiated by Maharashtra Government in "total-township development" incorporating a holistic approach for development and rehabilitation of Asia's biggest slum - Dharavi.

Known world-wide, Dharavi- the 535-acre sprawling shanty of extreme conditions in central Mumbai- attracted special attention of Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh under his Mumbai Vision 2005-2025.

A unique effort was initiated in pioneering redevelopment of Dharavi into a total township involving a holistic approach. The estimated Rs 9,000-crore project envisaged an 'in-city' rehabilitation of almost 60,000 families.

Dharavi sits in the heart of the world's third largest city and India's financial capital-Mumbai. It mushroomed over years, including migrant population who often landed in the city of dreams empty-handed, seeking a livelihood.

Variously described, it has been a cause of crime, pollution, filth and environmental degradation mainly due to congestion, bad constructions, un-authorised traders and overpopulation. The government has been keen on re-graphing and developing the area into a dignified township.

The need for cleaning, decongesting and rehabilitating the slum was felt by the Maharashtra government and the venture was christened "Dharavi Redevelopment Project" (DRP).

Now DRP addresses most of the concerns, which explains the "in-citu". It is one of a kind project where in-citu people will be rehabilitated... these 6 lakh are not going anywhere... DRP has addressed issues of employment, production methods, and housing... all in the same area.

Take A Safe Sip...

Going through the archives of Indian Express, I came across a very interesting article about an age old and still very useful water channel/system. It is discussed as follows :

Water is life. Its availability as a source to quench our thirst and fulfil basic needs requires setting up of a clean and well-sustained water channel. Significant efforts are made by people of Kerala in this regard. A ninety year old suranga at Sheni, 35 kilometres from Kasaragod, quite distinct from others, might be of interest to historians and researchers. Being used until the last season, it had served both as a suranga and an open-well.

Surangas are traditional horizontal man-made caves for water. Kasaragod district in Kerala has an estimated 6,000 surangas out of which majority are still in use for drinking water and irrigation.

They resemble qanats of Iran. While qanats are thousands of years old, surangas don't seem to have their origin before one or two hundred years ago.

The qanat, according to some researchers, is an extensively Iranian invention since 7th century BC and it later spread to other parts of the world. In Iran, there are about 50,000 qanats today. Although many of them have damaged as a result of drilling of deep wells over the years, a great number of qanats are still use throughout the country. City of Tehran got its water supply from qanats till recently. The combined length of these qanat systems is 272,000 kms. The longest one is in Gonabad district in Khorasan province and stretches to 70 kms! Qanats are present in Afghanistan and China as well. In China they are called as Karez.


More like a Qanat

The suranga at Sheni, approximately 250 metre long suranga, situated by the side of Shri Sharadamba High School resembles the qanats more than its other counterparts in the district. While digging very long surangas, it was a practice to dig tiny well like structures starting from inside the suranga and opening at the top of the hill surface. These structures, called air vents helped in two ways. For one, they provided fresh air for the suranga diggers to breathe and continue their work. Secondly, they provided them some extra sunlight from outside. A very small number of Kasaragod surangas have such air vents.

The Sheni suranga has seven such vents, a few of them have served as open wells as well. Anybody who sees the land surface here won't believe that just twenty feet below, a plentiful water source could be there. The topsoil is a black coloured hard laterite cap that is extremely difficult to dig out with a pick-axe.

Apart from providing water for irrigation, in good old decades, this was the only drinking water source in this surrounding. About 30 families were drawing water with the help of a pulley and rope from the 'wells' emanating from the surangas.

With the changing water scenario, this suranga is slowly being relegated to history. Realizing that the water table is going down, locals have had bore well dug about 7-8 years ago. Now that bore well caters to their irrigation requirements. Government bore wells and hand pumps have also come to the village.

Even now though, the suranga has water. A few families are taking that water in a pipe for their drinking water needs. After the arrival of bore wells, run off from the nearby area is diverted into the suranga with the help of a trench. As a result, all filth, plastic waste, etc., into this water body. This deterioration has stopped the handful of families from drawing water from the suranga well. They too have started using bore well water now.

An engineering feat like these deserve to be well maintained and repaired from time to time. Water is an essential source. Handled preciously and judiciously, it can continue to sustain life and support the generations to come.

Povert And Unemployment

Poverty and unemployment go hand in hand. They are factors that have crippled Indian economy from time to time, only to make it weaker and restrict its progress. However, it is not something that comes from outside and affect a country’s economy and development. Poverty and unemployment are deep rooted in India economy and need to be paid attention to and uprooted so as to prevent it from growing into a tree that would eventually overshadow our country’s progressive approach.

Poverty in India is still rampant despite an impressive economic growth. An estimated 250 million people are below the poverty line and approximately 75 per cent of them are in the rural areas.
In general, poverty can be defined as a situation when people are unable to satisfy the basic needs of life. The definition and methods of measuring poverty differs from country to country. According to the definition by Planning Commission of India, poverty line is drawn with an intake of 2400 calories in rural areas and 2100 calories in urban areas. If a person is unable to get that much minimum level of calories, then he/she is considered as being below poverty line.

Causes of Poverty in India

• High level of dependence on primitive methods of agriculture

• High population growth rate

• High Illiteracy (about 35% of adult population)

• Regional inequalities

• Protectionist policies pursued till 1991 that prevented high foreign investment

Government has introduced a number of anti-poverty programs since independence to alleviate poverty. These include various employment guarantee programmes such as National Rural Employment Programme, Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme etc. Recently, Government has initiated National Rural Employment Guarantee Program (NREGP). As per NREGP, the government will provide 100 days of employment per year to whosoever is willing to work. NREGP is considered as a landmark program in poverty alleviation measures.

One of the major problems with poverty alleviation programs is their implementation. Rajiv Gandhi once said that out of 100 paisa allocated for poor only 14 paisa reaches them. But in spite of their weaknesses, poverty alleviated program can be credited for their success in alleviating poverty to an extent. Greater public-private partnership and committed and efficient bureaucratic machinery is required to tackle poverty.
Poverty can be of different types like absolute poverty and relative poverty. There may be many other classifications like urban poverty, rural poverty, primary poverty, secondary poverty and many more. Whatever be the type of poverty, the basic reason has always been lack of adequate income. Here comes the role of unemployment behind poverty. Lack of employment opportunities and the consequential income disparity bring about mass poverty in most of the developing and under developed economies of the world.

Economic reforms may have given a boost to industrial productivity and brought in foreign investment in capital intensive areas. But the boom has not created jobs. This was not unexpected. According to a report by the Washington-based Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), the combined sales of the world's top 200 MNCs is now greater than the combined GDP of all but the world's nine largest national economies. Yet, the total direct employment generated by these multinationals is a mere 18.8 million - one-hundredth of one per cent of the global workforce.

India's labour force is growing at a rate of 2.5 per cent annually, but employment is growing at only 2.3 per cent. Thus, the country is faced with the challenge of not only absorbing new entrants to the job market (estimated at seven million people every year), but also clearing the backlog.

Sixty per cent of India's workforce is self-employed, many of whom remain very poor. Nearly 30 per cent are casual workers (i.e. they work only when they are able to get jobs and remain unpaid for the rest of the days). Only about 10 per cent are regular employees, of which two-fifths are employed by the public sector.

More than 90 per cent of the labour force is employed in the "unorganised sector", i.e. sectors which don't provide with the social security and other benefits of employment in the "organised sector."

In the rural areas, agricultural workers form the bulk of the unorganised sector. In urban India, contract and sub-contract as well as migratory agricultural labourers make up most of the unorganised labour force.

Unorganised sector is made up of jobs in which the Minimum Wage Act is either not, or only marginally, implemented. The absence of unions in the unorganised sector does not provide any opportunity for collective bargaining.

Sector-wise absorption of labour

Agriculture -                                62 per cent

Manufacturing & construction- 16 per cent

Services -                                     10 per cent

Sundry / miscellaneous jobs -    12 per cent


Sources of Unemployment

Lack of effective aggregate demand of labour is one of the principal reasons for unemployment. In the less developed economies a substantial portion of the total workforce works as surplus labour. This problem is particularly prevalent in the agricultural sector. Due to excess labour, the marginal productivity of the workforce may be zero or even negative. This excess pool of labour is the first to become unemployed during the period of economic or social crisis.

Measures to Prevent Unemployment and Poverty

Economic reforms, changes in the industrial policy and better utilization of available resources are expected to reduce the problem of unemployment and poverty that results from it. The economic reform measures need to have major impacts on the employment generating potential of the economy. The governmental bodies are also required to initiate long term measures for poverty alleviation. Generation of employment opportunities and equality in income distribution are the two key factors that are of utmost importance to deal with the dual problem of unemployment and poverty.