2/2021

I write this on Saturday 17th July morning when I read someshocking news. I shot out from my chair after reading the

headlines on the front page of Dainik Bhaskar: Rape of the systemin Sirohi.

A 17-year-old girl was picked up by four persons on 6th Junein Mount Abu and raped under the influence of smack. A videowas also shot to threaten the girl that she should keep quiet. Herfather went to the police station, headed by a woman cop: SarojBairwa, to lodge a report but was shunned away.

Emboldened, the demons picked up the girl again on 15th June and took herto a forest area. Here she was given smack and raped again by these four andfew others for four days. Once again, the father went to the police station andwas successful in lodging the complaint this time.

The outcome: the arrested parties threatened the father; maligned him forasking for M15 lakhs settlement money; the cops said that the girl was a habitualaddict and goes out of her house regularly.

The last nail in the coffin: the family was boycotted socially and the girl’sengagement broken up. Demons committed the crime and the victim is the younggirl. All this under the nose of a woman cop, who would be expected to begender-conscious.

I narrated this at length because of twists and turns in a matter, which isbecoming the new norm. Young girls continue to be molested/raped by demonswho the press call ‘animals’. They are demons and should be punished unforgettably.Even animals are not so cruel.

On the same day, I read another report in the Times of India where the bloodyrapist of a two-and-a-half-year-old girl would have got away scot-free because ofa typo. The rape had taken place in 2017. The perpetrator, S. Prakash, was arrestedand charge-sheeted in a Woman’s Court in Tiruvarur district in Tamil Nadu.

Instead of mentioning in the charge sheet that the victim girl’s genitals hadtraces of ‘semen’ a typo occurred. The document said that ‘semman’ (red sand inTamil) was found. It was argued that the girl must have been playing in the mudand hence the sand in her private parts. The court freed the accused S Prakashfrom the case.

Fortunately, the Madras High Court (MHC) stepped in and said that theoffender could not take the advantage of the typo. The MHC punished Prakashto a five-year prison term and directed the Tamil Nadu government to pay M1.00lakh compensation to the girl’s parents. Here again, see the insensitivity of theWoman’s Court, who did not see the apparent typo and freed the perpetratoruntil the MHC stepped in.

Secondly, how can a 5-year prison sentence be of any significant nature to givethe bastard a good lesson? Just imagine the plight of the young girl who wouldgrow up with this nightmare in her mind. Let me end with a prayer for all victimsof sexual nature and that perpetrators should be sent to hell.

Demons around us

Pradeep S Mehta, Secretary General

I N S I D E

Pregnant DSP urges people tofollow lockdown norms

Is 3rd wave dangerous forchildren?

Covaxin vs Covishield – Whatis the difference?

Disability is not inability!

60-year old made ‘UdanKhatola’

Inclusion of PwDs in urbandevelopment

www.google.com

2

Good News during COVID-19Good News during COVID-19Good News during COVID-19Good News during COVID-19Good News during COVID-19

Seniors get free rides for vaccinationA clutch of companies in the

mobility and travel sector hasannounced special cab-hailing services,

particularly for senior citizens lookingto get vaccinated or need medicalassistance.

The services include ambulance forCOVID-19 infected patients, vaccinationcentre ride, drive through oxygencentres, and hospital and medicalequipment transfer, such as oxygencylinders and concentrators, andmedicines.

Currently, the platform lists transportleads and sources in New Delhi,Ghaziabad, Noida, Gurugram,Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai,Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata, andAgra. It will be expanding its reach toother cities shortly. (Mint, 18.05.21)

Lending a helping hand with oxygenDuring the first wave of COVID-19

in 2020, Gurugram-based NGOHemkunt Foundation, along withdistributing at least 360 tonnes of

cooked meals among migrant workersand labourers, also arranged for oxygencylinders.

Now, in the second wave, too, it isprocuring oxygen cylinders for those

in need. But the difference is only 100calls a month for oxygen were received.Now, at least 15,000 calls a day fromall over India have been received.

Initially, the foundation insisted onpatients’ test results to provide thecylinders, but now, since even testing iscomplex, they check the patient’s oxygenlevel. (www.forbesindia.com, 30.04.21)

Giving unused medicines to the needyA doctor couple in Mumbai is

collecting medicines from those whohave recovered from COVID andproviding them to needy patients.

Dr Marcus Ranney and his wife DrRaina, started Meds For More - a citizeninitiative to collect unused medicinesfrom COVID-19 recovered patients.

The idea came when one of theirstaff members got infected from COVIDand needed medication. As medicinescan be expensive, hence at that time,there were a few people who hadrecovered from COVID, so they decidedto take their medicines and donate them.

(DB, 13.05.21)

JCB machine contributed to vaccine driveA Health Department team was

ferried in a JCB machine bucket toremote Sartoyala panchayat under theKarsog Assembly segment of Mandidistrict to vaccinate senior citizens. Thesepeople were unable to visit the nearbyvaccination centre due to the lack ofroad connectivity.

People of Mandi are appreciating thehealth employees for their courage anddedication towards their duty.

(DB, 29.05.21)

New car tuned into ‘moksha vaahan’During these difficult times of the

pandemic, when COVID patients areconsistently losing battle with the deadlyvirus, the ordeal of their families doesnot appear to cease there only.

When hospitals hand these familiesover the bodies of their near and dearones for the last rites, a significantdifficulty they face is the arrangementof a vehicle for transportation of thedeceased to the cremation ground.

In this context, a scrap dealer ofJodhpur, Suresh Acharya, converted hisone-month-old SUV into a ‘mokshavaahan,’ offering free services to theneedy ones to take the deceased to thecrematoriums. (ToI, 12.05.21)

WhatsApp group to facilitate patientsSodala ACP Bhopal Singh Bhati, who

faced many problems in getting a bedfor his COVID positive wife, has aWhatsapp group to help people incrisis.

There are over 125 peoplecomprising doctors, students, teachers,and blood donors who help the seniorpolice officer arrange whateverrequirements a patient needs in thegroup.

Bhati stated that the journey hadnot ended yet as we are trying ourlevel best to help people fighting withmucormycosis. (ToI, 07.06.21)

Good Samaritans help virus-hit familiesThere are tales showcasing acts of

kindness to extend relief to thousandsof families affected by the pandemic.

While there are people who havestarted free food packets deliveryservices to households hit by the virus,organisations are also providing helpby distributing COVID kits for thosetested positive.

Looking at the increasing demandfor oxygen, a youth Mukesh Sharmahas offered free refills of oxygencylinders at doorsteps. Anyone callingon his number can avail help by givingthe empty cylinder, which Sharma wouldreturn filled. (ToI, 07.05.21)

Pregnant DSP urges people to follow lockdown norms

In a bid to ensure that people followCOVID-19 lockdown measures in

Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, a five-month pregnant DSP, Shilpa Sahu, cameout on the road to create awarenessamong the people to follow guidelinesissued by the State government to containthe spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

(DB, 20.04.21)

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Good News during COVID-19Good News during COVID-19Good News during COVID-19Good News during COVID-19Good News during COVID-19

Lone warrior keeps test goingBy 6am every day, Jitendra Devrari,

33, is at work. Over the next 16 hours,he gets down to testing COVID-19samples at breakneck speed. He is theonly man in Almora who can.

The hill town of Almora does nothave a private testing facility. The onlystate-run testing centre is at the AlmoraMedical College, where Devrari is thesole microbiologist among 21 doctorswho have been recruited.

Devrari has been working with fourlab technicians who collect samples andcompile reports without a day off.

(ToI, 25.04.21)

Cylinder waali bitiyaBreathing hope into people’s lives

in need of oxygen amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, 26-year-old Arshi hasearned the sobriquet of ‘cylinder waalibitiya’ - the daughter with the oxygencylinder.

What began as a struggle to procurethe life-saving gas for her COVID-positive father, who managed to beatthe viral disease. He has now turnedinto a mission to save as many lives aspossible.

She has distributed around 20oxygen cylinders for free and is helpedby her two brothers and some otherassociates. (ET, 16.05.21)

Complimented for a social causeRehana Shaikhis fondly called

‘Mother Teresa’ by her cop-husbandNasir in Mumbai. Not only does she lookafter their family of six, manages herjob as a police naik and recently passedthe sub-inspector test, but Rehana hasalso shown rare humanity to help thosein need during the pandemic.

If it started with adopting 50 needychildren in a school, it naturallyexpanded to helping over 54 peoplewith plasma, hospital beds, blood andoxygen.

Acknowledging her zeal for socialwork, Police Commissioner HemantNagrale complimented her with acertificate of excellence. (ToI, 10.06.21)

Under a tree!In a village in northern India

engulfed by COVID-19, the sick lie oncots under a tree, glucose drips hangingfrom a branch. Cows graze all around

while syringes and empty medicinepackets are strewn on the ground.

There is no doctor or health facilityin Mewla Gopalgarh in India’s mostpopulous state of Uttar Pradesh. Thereis a government hospital nearby, but ithas no available beds and the villagerssay they cannot afford private clinics.

Instead, village practitioners ofalternative medicine have set up anopen-air clinic where they distributeglucose and other remedies to patientswith symptoms of COVID-19.

Some believe lying under the neemtree, known for its medicinal properties,will raise their oxygen levels.

(Reuters, 17.05.21)

A tribute to a renowned neurologistEminent neurologist and Padma Shri

recipient Dr Ashok Panagariya died ofpost-COVID complications.

Panagariya held manytop positions, includingVice-Chancellor ofJaipur’s RajasthanUniversity of HealthSciences and amember of Rajasthan’s Planning Board.

He was a Dr B C Roy Awardrecipient, the highest Indian award inthe medical category. Dr Ashok wasawarded Padma Shri, the fourth highestIndian civilian award by the Governmentof India in 2014. (IT, 11.06.21)

Mylab rolls out ‘Coviself’Biotechnology company Mylab

Discovery Solutions has commerciallyrolled out India‘s first COVID-19 self-test kit CoviSelf. Designed as the mid-nasal swab test, CoviSelf shows resultsin just 15 minutes. It is priced at M250.

The Indian Council for MedicalResearch (ICMR) approved CoviSelf inMay 2021. Mylab will distribute the self-test kit to 95 percent of the PIN codesin the county. The kit can be availed ate-commerce marketplace Flipkart andfrom pharmacies and drugstores acrossIndia. (https://zeenews.india.com, 04.06.21)

Indian lives matterKarachi-based humanitarian group

Edhi Foundation wrote to Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, offering a fleet of 50ambulances and services to address theCOVID crisis.

The foundation wants permission toenter the country and necessaryguidance from the local administrationand police department to provideservices.

After the letter was circulated onsocial media, many in Pakistan took toTwitter offering help or writing abouthelp to India. The two hashtags of#IndiaNeedsOxygen and#IndianLivesMatter too went viral inPakistan. (ToI, 24.04.21)

Is 3rd wave dangerousfor children?

People in India are now anticipatingthe third wave. They fear whether

the third wave will target children. Novaccines are available for children.

A sero survey conducted among10,000 participants across five statesby AIIMS has shown exciting results incollaboration with WHO.

The findings reveal no statisticalevidence to show that children in the2-17 years age group are especiallyvulnerable to a potential third wave.

The children had as many antibodiesas adults above the age of 18. Thismeans that 50 to 60 per cent alreadyhad COVID infection earlier. Therefore,the chances of getting them infectedare meagre. (www.indiatvnews.com, 18.06.21)

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COVID-19 Vaccination DriveCOVID-19 Vaccination DriveCOVID-19 Vaccination DriveCOVID-19 Vaccination DriveCOVID-19 Vaccination Drive

What vaccines are available in India right now?Currently, two vaccines are available to the public-Bharat

Biotech’s Covaxin and Serum Institute-Oxford University-AstraZeneca’s Covishield vaccine.

Is one better than the other?Covaxin and Covishield are both homegrown vaccines that

have driven India’s vaccination drives. While Covaxin is entirelymade, developed and produced in India, Covishield ismanufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India.

Yet, there are some dissimilarities and benefits which pegthem apart. Covishield or the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab remainsto be the popular choice, used in maximum countries. Covaxin,on the other hand, is now considered one of the most influentialand tolerant vaccines against mutant strains.

How are they made?Covaxin and Covishield are both similar vaccines made using

inactive/modified versions of the virus.While Covishield is a viral vector vaccine that uses an

adenovirus found in Chimpanzees, ChAD0x1, to deliver spikeproteins and mount a tolerable immune response in responseto a live virus. On the other hand, Covaxin is also a traditionallymade vaccine but uses an inactive viral strain. It makes use ofa deadly virus that drafts an immune response.

How many doses of the vaccines are needed?Both the vaccines work as two-dose vaccines, administered

weeks apart. They are also injected intramuscularly, administeredin the upper arm muscles.

While Covaxin’s second dose needs to be given 4-6 weeksafter the first one, Covishield’s second dose could be delayed,i.e. given 6-8 weeks after. The recommendations came in afterexperts observed a strengthened immune response when thedosing was delayed.

How effective are they?When it comes to mapping effectiveness, both the vaccines

have been found to be well-effective, matching WHO standardsand prompting definite immune responses.

Covishield carries an efficacy rate of 70 percent, whichcould be further scaled up to 90 percent if the dosing isgiven half a dose, followed by a full dose a month later.The tolerability and protection have also been well-suitedand thought to reduce the risk of symptomatic infectionsand speed up recovery timelines, which has been discussedrecently.

As per interim results and clinical studies, Covaxinwas found to carry over 78 percent efficacy. Additionally,there has also been clinical evidence that suggests thatCovaxin could reduce severity and mortality risk by awhopping 100 percent.

Pricing and availability of the vaccineBoth Covaxin and Covishield are now available in the

open market for states to procure. Serum Institute ofIndia has marked Covishield to be sold at M300 for thegovernment, while M600 to private facilities.

In comparison, Covaxin is slightly expensive and thepublic might have to bear the cost. For state governments,it will be marketed at M400, while for private hospitalsand facilities, it will be priced at M1200.

Are there people who may be advised to not take thesevaccines?

People who have been given monoclonal antibodiesor plasma therapy may also not be suitable candidates forvaccination right now. Both vaccines should also bemonitored and then given to people with low platelets orsteroid treatment.

ConclusionBoth the vaccines, as mentioned above, have more

similarities and fewer differences in question. Covaxinand Covishield both work effectively to reduce the risk ofsymptomatic infections, severity and mortality, which is amajor problem being faced right now. Therefore, gettingvaccinated and following COVID-appropriate behaviouris the need of the hour.

The COVID-19 vaccination drive has already begunin India, and many people are still unaware of howthe two vaccines – Covaxin and Covishield – aredifferent from each other. Currently, the governmenthas not allowed people to decide which vaccine theywant to get. Still, the result of the first phase suggeststhat both the vaccines being inoculated in India aresafe and effective.

Covaxin vs Covishield – What is the difference?

5

MiscellanyMiscellanyMiscellanyMiscellanyMiscellany

The rat’s race has endedFor the first time, a rat has won a

British charity’s top civilian award foranimal bravery, receiving the honour

for searching out unexploded landminesin Cambodia.

Magawa, a giant African pouched rat,was awarded the People’s Dispensaryfor Sick Animals (PDSA), Gold Medalfor his ‘life-saving bravery and devotionafter discovering 39 landmines and 28items of unexploded ordinance in thepast seven years.

Magawa is the group’s mostsuccessful rat, having cleared more than141,000 square meters of land, theequivalent of some 20 soccer fields.

(ET, 06.06.21)

Milkman becomes a ‘pad man’A milkman in Hanumangarh,

Rajasthan, India, has taken it uponhimself to single-handedly ensure thatgirls do not miss school due to themenstrual cycle. He has been distributing

free sanitary napkins in the district andadjoining states like Haryana and Punjabfor over a year.

Since January 2020, Rajesh Sutharhas distributed around 12,000 sanitarynapkins, which started before thepandemic and continues even now.

Travelling almost 100 km daily,Suthar goes to slums and small ruralcolonies to give sanitary napkins to allwomen under 40. (ToI, 05.05.21)

Is Lucknow’s ‘roghni roti’ vanishing?In the age of sourdough and

intermittent fasting, the ghee-ladennawabi bread seems to be losing itsmillennial kitchens, writes Sadaf Hussain,who searched the streets of Lucknowlast month for the flaky roti.

He finally found it in a home-stylerestaurant in Qaiser Bagh and learnedthat very few still make the roti once astaple in Lucknow homes, often servedwith aloo ki qatli.

Its popularity has dimmed due tolifestyle changes and health reasons –it is impossible to consume bread withso much fat daily.

The elders are left with memories,whereas the young have not even heardof it. (Mint, 10.04.21)

Ancestral homes to become museumsThe ancestral homes in Peshawar

of Bollywood legends Dilip Kumar andRaj Kapoor are now owned by thePakistan’s local government in KhyberPakhtunkhwa (KP) province and will beconverted into museums.

The ownership of both propertieshas been transferred to the Director ofKP’s Archaeology and MuseumDepartment.

According to the government, DilipKumar’s house was valued atUS$50,517 while Raj Kapoor’s homewas valued at US$94,061. (IT, 03.06.21)

PS: Now that Dilip Kumar is dead, we hopehis museum will be expedited.

Minister quits after kissing rowEmbattled UK Cabinet Minister Matt

Hancock resigned as Health Secretaryamid mounting calls for him to stepdown over his admitted breach ofCOVID-19 lockdown rules with a kissinvolving a close female aide.

In a letter to the UK Prime MinisterBoris Johnson, Hancock said thegovernment ‘owe it to people who havesacrificed so much in this pandemic tobe honest when we have let themdown.’ (BS, 27.06.21)

Fined for virus rules violationNorwegian police had fined Prime

Minister (PM) Erna Solberg for breakingCOVID-19 social distancing rules whenshe organised a family gathering tocelebrate her 60th birthday with 13 familymembers, despite a government ban onevents attended by more than 10 people.

The fine is 20,000 Norwegian crowns($2,352). While the police would nothave issued a fine in most such cases,the PM has been at the forefront of thegovernment’s work to imposerestrictions. Though the law is the samefor all, all are not equal in front of thelaw. (ET, 16.04.21)

When an elderly couple ties a knotTwo elderly grandparents have

married each other in a heartwarming

ceremony after meeting at their agedcare home and falling in love.

Marie Hill, 93, met Ron Hedley, 100,during a group exercise class atCameron Park Care Community inNewcastle, UK.

The pair exchanged rings and vowsin front of their families on the lawn ofthe care home. (DB, 19.04.21)

Disability is notinability!

The 46-year old Chinese ZhangHong has scaled the tallest peak

in the world from the Nepal side,becoming the first blind man in Asiaand the third in the world to climbMount Everest.

Zhang said that no matter if youare disabled or normal, whether youhave lost your eyesight or have nolegs or hands, it does not matter thatyou can always complete a thing thatother people say you cannot.

He completed the 8,849 metre-high Himalayan feat, three highaltitude guides and returned to thebase camp. (Reuters, 02.06.21)

6

Thai monks light candles on Earth DayBuddhist monks in Thailand marked

the occasion of Earth Day by lighting3,30,000 candles, and the stunningphotos and videos have taken socialmedia by storm.

In an attempt to break the GuinnessWorld Record for the largest flamingimage, monks at the Wat DhammakayaBuddhist temple on the outskirts ofBangkok simultaneously lit candlesacross a 78-acre compound.

In a special message, theirilluminated candles formed a Buddhistmonk meditating within the Earth.

(IE, 25.04.21)

Pervasive racism in honouring war deadBritish authorities apologised after

an investigation found that at least161,000 primarily African and Indianmilitary service personnel who diedduring World War I were not honouredadequately due to ‘pervasive racism.’

The investigation found that thoseservice members were either notcommemorated by name orcommemorated at all, according to areport commissioned by theCommonwealth War GravesCommission. (ET, 23.04.21)

Auckland ranked the most liveable cityAuckland in New Zealand has been

named the world’s most liveable city, inan annual ranking that the COVIDpandemic has shifted.

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)survey ranked 140 cities on factorsincluding stability, infrastructure,education, and access to healthcare.

Auckland topped the list, followedby Osaka in Japan, Adelaide in Australia,Wellington in New Zealand, and Tokyo’sJapanese capital. No UK cities madethe top ten. (BBC, 09.06.21)

Library received a book after 70 yearsA Michigan library received a long-

overdue book in the mail along with aletter from KariMagill, daughter-in-law of MaryRowland Fischer,who checked it outin the 1940s.

The book waschecked out by Fischer, who worked asan art teacher at Tappan Middle Schooland Northside Elementary in Ann Arboruntil retiring in 1966. The library wouldnot attempt to collect any fines for thelate return. (https://borneobulletin, 27.06.21)

Woman gives birth to 10 childrenA South African woman claims to

have given birth to 10 children in whatwould be the world’s largest-ever livebirth if confirmed by doctors.

Sithole had previously claimed thepregnancy was ‘natural’. Still, suchextreme births are almost always theresult of fertility treatments, with multiplefertilised embryos inserted into thewomb to increase the chances thepatient will fall pregnant. (TG, 08.06.21)

Mars Rover Extracts First OxygenAn instrument on Nasa’s

Perseverance rover on Mars has madeoxygen from the planet’s carbon dioxide

atmosphere. It is the second successfultechnology demonstration on themission, which flew a mini-helicopter.

The oxygen generation wasperformed by a toaster-sized unit in therover called Moxie - the Mars OxygenIn-Situ Resource Utilisation Experiment.

It made 5 grams of the gas -equivalent to what an astronaut at Marswould need to breathe for roughly 10minutes. (DB, 23.04.21)

Head of ‘world’s biggest family’ diesA 76-year-old man who had 39

wives and 94 children and was said tobe the head of the world’s biggest familyhas died in northeast India.

With a total of 167 members, thefamily is the world’s biggest, althoughthis depends on whether you count thegrandchildren, of whom Ziona has 33.

Ziona lived with his family in a vast,four-story pink structure with around100 rooms in Baktawng, a remote villagein Mizoram that became a touristattraction as a result. (GN, 15.06.21)

Meet the female Hindu priest in the USAs a Hindu pundit, or priest, who

focuses on the lesbian, gay, bisexual,transgender and questioning (LGBTQ)population, Sushma Dwivedi is a rarityin the wedding industry. It’s close toimpossible to find a woman pundit inthe States. There are less than 10, andnone of them cater to the gay andtransgender community.

In 2016, Dwivedi founded the PurplePundit Project in New York, which offersvarious “progressive , inclusive ,LGBTQ+-friendly” religious services likebaby namings, house warmings andbusiness blessings to people who are“straight, gay, having an interracialmarriage or want a female pundit.”

(IE, 24.06.21)

MiscellanyMiscellanyMiscellanyMiscellanyMiscellany

60-year old made ‘Udan Khatola’

60-year-old Dayaram Gurjar ofMadhogarh village, about 31 km from

the city, has prepared Udan Khatola (flyingmachine) by spending M15 lakh from hispocket.

Dayaram tried this flying kite in a fieldin the village. During the trial, he flew upto about 300 meters in the sky for 5minutes in this flying machine.

Kuldeep Tank, a paragliding pilot fromSirsa, was also with Dayaram. However,the local administration has barred him from not flying it again. (DB, 24.04.21)

7

City BriefsCity BriefsCity BriefsCity BriefsCity Briefs

Genome lab functional at JaipurRajasthan has become the first state

in the country to have the facility ofTotal Genome Sequencing at the state

level. Genome sequencing (geneticsequencing) facility has been started atSMS Medical College, Jaipur.

The technique of genome sequencingcan provide information about newvariants of viruses. This facility had beenset up by spending about M1 crore.

Till now, samples from the statewere being sent to the IGIB lab in Delhi,set up for Rajasthan by the CentralGovernment‘s Indian Council of MedicalResearch. (ET, 25.06.21)

More infra funds for maintenanceCash-strapped Jaipur Metro Rail

Corporation has again demanded anincrease in the Rajasthan TransportInfrastructure Development Fund(RTIDF) share from the stategovernment.

The demand has been put forwardas the department is planning to createa depreciation reserve fund for smoothoperations and maintenance.

Unlike other Metros, the maximumshare of operational losses of JaipurMetro is borne by residents since thestate government is raising money forRTIDF by levying cess on severalservices. (ToI, 24.06.21)

Revenue collection drive on the anvilJMC-Greater will now start collecting

revenues from commercial propertiesthat remained open during thepandemic.

As all shops and commercialsproperties were shut down due tolockdown, it seems difficult to get urbandevelopment tax from the owners.However, grocery, private hospitals,pharmacy and other essential businessesthat remained opened will now be askedto pay tax.

It is expected the state governmentto give them relaxation by waiving thepenalty and 50 percent interest rate.

(ToI, 23.06.21)

Fourth tiger reserve receives nodRajasthan is poised to get its fourth

Tiger Reserve after Ramgarh Vishdhariwildlife sanctuary received a nod fromthe National Tiger ConservationAuthority (NTCA)’s technical committee.

The tigers were believed to havedisappeared from the sanctuary in 1999.The total area of 1,017 sq. km has beenidentified as the reserve area comprisingtwo forest blocks of Bhilwara, territorialforest block of Bundi and Indargarh,which falls under the buffer zone ofRanthambore Tiger Reserve.

(ToI, 23.06.21)

Now, pink sarees for sanitation workersWomen sanitation workers deployed

in JMC Greater areas will be seen inpink sarees representing the colour ofthe pink city. Pink is the city’s identityand this should be represented by theworkers who are the pillars of keepingit clean.

Currently, the corporation paysM1,700 to male workers and M1,600 tofemale workers. While the dress codefor women has been fixed, there is ademand to decide on a uniform formale sanitation workers. (ToI, 16.06.21)

Rehab of orphaned kids matters!The Child Commission will formulate

a proposal for the welfare of orphanedchildren during the pandemic and sendit to the state government.

The Commission has alreadyreceived a list of more than 1,500children and more are being addedalmost daily. It will also provide for thechildren who have lost one parent orbeen abandoned by their families forvarious reasons.

Officials claimed that they wouldincorporate government policies like thePalanhar scheme and others to facilitatethe process. (ToI, 06.06.21)

Coaching scheme for poor studentsChief Minister Ashok Gehlot

announced the Mukhyamantri AnupratiCoaching Yojana implementation forstudents hailing from economically weakbackgrounds.

The scheme aims to provide helpto students who cannot afford coachingclasses to crack competitive andentrance exams. It will be applicablefor families whose annual income isbelow M8 lakh. The coaching assistanceis available for one year.

The scheme is intended to have atleast 50 percent of girls as beneficiaries.The selection of candidates will be madeon the merit list based on theiracademic scores in classes 10 and 12.

(ToI, 06.06.21)

Inclusion ofPwDs in urbandevelopment

Anjana (42), is 82 percent disabledand a social worker. She has been

nominated as a councillor of Kherlimunicipality inAlwar district, it isa dream cometrue, as theDepartment ofLocal Self-Government hasbegun the processof nominatingpersons with disabilities (PwDs) toevery urban local body (ULB) asmembers.

Out of 213 ULBs in the state,PwDs have already been nominatedin 73. The state government hadamended the Rajasthan Municipal Actin March 2021 to introduce thisprovision of nominating PwDs to theULBs as members, making it the firstin the country. (ToI, 20.06.21)

CityMattersCityMattersCityMattersCityMattersCityMatters is a quarterly newsletter published by Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS), D-217, Bhaskar Marg, Bani Park, Jaipur 302016, India,Phone: 91.141.2282821, Fax: 91.141.2282485, Email: cuts@cuts.org, Web site: www.cuts-international.org, and printed by MS Printers, Jaipur, India.

CUTS offices also at Kolkata, Chittorgarh and New Delhi (India); Lusaka (Zambia); Nairobi (Kenya); Accra (Ghana); Hanoi (Vietnam); Geneva (Switzerland) and Washington DC (USA).

Sources: BS: Business Standard; BBC: British Broadcasting Corporation; DB: Dainik Bhaskar; ET: Economic Times;GN: Global News; HT: Hindusthan Times; IE: Indian Express; IT: India Today; TG: The Guardian; ToI: Times of India

OpinionOpinionOpinionOpinionOpinion

The news/articles in this Newsletter are compressed from several newspapers. The sources given are to be used as a reference for further information, and do not indicatethe literal transcript of a particular news/story. CUTS International is a not-for-profit organisation and the listing of paid news/articles is for informative and educative purposes only.

Rajasthan: A Birth Place for Progressive LawsRajasthan has a well-defined legal framework to determine

how public decisions are made and actions are carried out,upholding constitutional values. More powers are granted toelected local bodies as it would, make public officials answerableand accountable to the people. Its people are legally bestowedwith the right of access to information that are held by thegovernment or a public institutionas it is an indispensabletool to engage and empower them to demand accountabilityfrom government authorities and fight corruption.

Weak Implementation and Dismal PerformanceOver the last few years, Rajasthan’s overall performance

in sound governance and responsibilities in relation todelivering public services has remained minimal or becomeworse. There is a high level of dissatisfaction with regard tothe implementation of most of the laws. Regulations are oftenseen to be weakly applied, drastically slowing down thegovernment responsiveness and accountability towards thepeople.

Recent InitiativesThe Jan Soochna Portal (JSP) launched by the Government

in September 2019 is a remarkable achievement in furtheranceof RTI, especially Section 4 of the RTI Act that deals withproactive disclosure of information.

In February 20l9, the Government decided to bring a‘Rajasthan Social Accountability Bill, 2019.’ The draft bill aimsat ensuring provision of quality individual goods and publicgoods and services in a time bound manner. It is proposedGuaranteed Delivery of Public Services Act and.the Right tohearing Act to merge with the new Act.

In October 2019, a committee was constituted to ensurethe finalisation of the bill and enactment in a time boundmanner, which had its meeting December 2019. However, it

Bringing Back the Focus onGood Governance in Rajasthan

George Cheriyan*

is yet to be enacted, the shift in the focus due to pandemicmight have slowed down the process.

In October 2020, Gehlot announced conducting a socialaudit of COVID-19 welfare programmes with the help ofNGOs, a first of its kind for the country. However, there isno information about the formation of the governing bodyto carry out the same or execution of the social audit.

Importance of SDG-I6India is committed to achieve 2030 Agenda for Sustainable

Development that includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs). However, the most important of all the goals is SDG16 which talks about accountability, transparency,participation, effectiveness and inclusion within thegovernment institutions both at national and local level.

Since achieving each of the other SDGs depend on effectivegovemment institutions, the role of SDG-16 or goodgovernance to achieve 2030 Agenda cannot be overlooked.If adequate focus is not given to improve governance, it isquite unlikely that the state will progress towards achievingmost of the targets set out in SDGs by 2030.

The Way ForwardMerely passing a law is not sufficient to ensure the

establishment of the principles of openness, transparency orefficiency. It needs to be effectively implemented and for thatvarious factors need to be relied upon, including high politicalwill, increased awareness, availability of adequate funds, pro-active bureaucracy and well-trained personnel for itsimplementation, dynamic and active civil society groups andincreased capacity development of the citizens to benefitfrom the law.

*Director, CUTS InternationalAbridged from an article that appeared in Ismarika, 2021

Full article can be viewed at:https://cuts-cart.org/pdf/bringing-back-the-focus-on-good-governance-in-

rajasthan-ismarika-2021.pdf

Since independence, India has undertaken many institutionalreforms that have significantly changed its governancearchitectures and put in place better governance. Most of thestates too have similar institutional structures and practices interms of administrative structures and delivering services in generaland governance in particular to the citizens. Still, despite suchcommonalities, there have been variations in the progress seen indifferent states.