Population Geography and Transport August 27, 2009

• Khasa, Tharu and Bhotia tribes in UP
• Highest % of SC in Punjab and highest % of ST in Mizoram whereas highest SC in absolute numbers is in UP and in absolute number highest ST population in MP
• Dangs tribe in Gujarat
• Major tribes in India- Gond-Bhil-Santhal-Meena
• European+Indian= Mestizo
• Sex ratio among UTs highest in Pondicherry and lowest in Daman & Diu
• Child sex ratio among UTs highest in Dadra& Nagar Haveli and lowest in Chandigarh
• Highest decadal growth rate of population in Nagaland, then Sikkim
• Lowest decadal growth rate of population in Kerala and then Tamil Nadu
• Highest literacy rate among UTs in Lakshadweep and lowest in D &NH
• Highest IMR in India in OrissaKanis and Uralis tribes in Kerala
• Sahariya and Koli tribes in Rajasthan
• Buksa tribe can be found in UP and Warli tribe in Mahrashtra.Warlis can be found in Gujarat as well
• Most populous cities of India Mumbai-Delhi-Bangalore-Kolkata
• Denotified tribes are those which were earlier criminal
• Literacy rate wise Jains-Christians-Buddhists-Sikhs-Hindus-Muslims
• Valmiki, Nayak,Lambada tribes in Andhra Pradesh
• Munda-Koli languages belong to Austro-Asiatic type
• Toda,Irula,Badaga,Paliyan and kadar tribes in Tamil Nadu
• Birhol tribe in Jharkhand
• Konyak tribe in Nagaland
• Between 15 degree North to 45 deg North 45 % of the world population lives
• NH 17 runs entirely through desert(Pathankot to Shamiakhiali)
• Ennore in Tamil Nadu is the first corporate port in India
• Chennai port is an artificial port and it is the oldest port in India
• Maharashtra has highest number of ports in India
• Indian Railways is now reorganized into 16 Zones
• The Research, Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) at Lucknow is the R&D
  wing of Indian Railways. It functions as a consultant to the Indian Railways in
  technical matters
• Since 1924-25, railway finances remain separated from general revenues
• Though
  the National Highways, which is the responsibility of the Central Government, has
  about 66,590 km (Annexure-I) length and comprises only 2 per cent of the total
  length of roads, carries over 40 per cent of the total traffic
• The NHDP is the largest highway project ever undertaken
  in the country. The NHDP is being implemented by National Highways Authority of India
• Approximately, 90 per cent of the country’s trade by volume (70 per cent in terms of
  value) is moved by sea. India has the largest merchant shipping fleet among the
  developing countries and ranks 20th amongst the countries
• Presently 13 major ports and 200 other ports in India
• Cochin Shipyard is the largest shipyard in the country
• First private airport in Cochi
• Kandala is a tidal port.So is Kolkata
• Vizag port is the deepest port in India
• Highest % of National Highways in UP and the MP
• Rural and other roads constitute the highest % of roads in India
• India has bilateral Air Services Agreements with 103 countries
• India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) came into existence in October 1966
• The Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) located in Gwalior
• Gujarat has highest number of ports
• Dufferin, Indias first training ship.Chanakya-India’s present training ship
• Length of road highest in Maharashtra
• Mundra Port, a newly developed minor port in the state of Gujarat registered a cargo traffic of around 28.8 million tonnes per annum during the financial year of 2008, which is higher than that of many major ports
• Bhopal Shatabdi is the train in India with highest speed
• Maximum airports in Gukarat
• Maximum major ports in Tamil Nadu
• 23% of the total railway route electrified
• Konkan railway passes through Maharshtra, Goa and Karnataka

Courtesy:India Year Book 2009,Wikipedia

विश्व नक्शे में आएगा भेड़ाघाट August 23, 2009

जबलपुर. भेड़ाघाट को यूनाईटेड नेशन्स साइंटिफिक एंड कल्चरल ऑर्गनाईजेशन (यूनेस्को) से वल्र्डनेचुरल हेरिटेज साईट घोषित कराने के प्रयास किए जा रहे हैं , इसके लिए भारत सरकार के माध्यम से प्रस्ताव भेजा जाएगा। यह जानकारी सम्भागायुक्त प्रभात पाराशर की अध्यक्षता में आयोजित हुई इंटैक की बैठक के दौरान दी गई।

बैठक में इंटैक के संयोजक आरके शर्मा ने बताया कि यूनेस्को की प्रस्तावित सूची में भेड़ाघाट और चौंसठ योगिनी मंदिर यदि शामिल कर लिए जाते हैं तो इस क्षेत्र के विकास के लिए यूनेस्को द्वारा पर्याप्त फंड उपलब्ध कराया जा सकता है। बठक में इंटैक जबलपुर की ओर से अध्यक्ष संभागायुक्तश्री पाराशर का स्वागत कर उन्हें मोनो दिया गया।

इंटैक में शामिल नए सदस्यों का परिचय दिया गया तथा बैज लगाकर सदस्यता एवं केन्द्रीय कार्यालय से प्राप्त प्रमाण पत्र प्रदान किया गया। इंटैक जबलपुर में 51 सदस्य हैं। कलेक्टर हरिरंजन राव ने बताया कि मंदिर के आसपास तथा तेवर में कई स्थान ऐसे हैं जिसे पुरातत्व के संदर्भ में संरक्षित किया जा सकता है। कौन सा क्षेत्र संरक्षण के लिए चुना जाए, इसका सर्वेक्षण पुरातत्व विभाग द्वारा किया जाएगा।

सदस्यों ने कहा कि पुरातत्व की दृष्टि से यह क्षेत्र बहुत ही महत्वपूर्ण है। सर्वेक्षण के लिए जरूरी राशि आवंटित कराने के प्रयास किए जाएंगे। बैठक में बताया गया कि त्रिपुर सुंदरी मंदिर एवं संलग्न भू-खंड की ऐतिहासिक महत्ता अक्षुण्य बनाए रखने के लिए यहां सभी प्रकार के निर्माण एवं उत्खनन कार्य को प्रतिबन्धित करने की सूचना देने एक नोटिस बोर्ड वहां स्थापित किया जा चुका है। बठक में आय-व्यय का लेखा भी प्रस्तुत किया गया है, जिसे मान्य करते हुए सर्वसम्मति से पारित किया गया है।

जलवायु परिवर्तन पर सख़्त चेतावनी August 22, 2009

संयुक्त राष्ट्र के मुख्य वार्ताकार ने दुनिया भर के देशों को आगाह किया है कि यदि जलवायु परिवर्तन पर सवालों के जवाब न ढ़ूढ़े गए तो आने वाले समय में मुसीबत हो सकती है.

जलवायु परिवर्तन पर विकसित और विकासशील देशों में बहुत से राजनीतिक मतभेद हैं

उन्होंने कहा है कि तीन बड़े राजनीतिक सवाल हैं और इनके जवाब इस वर्ष के अंत में होने वाले कोपेनहैगन सम्मेलन में तलाश करने होंगे.

संयुक्त राष्ट्र के मुख्य वार्ताकार यो डीबोयर ने यह बात बीबीसी के कार्यक्रम ‘वन प्लैनेट’ में कही है.

अहम सवाल

उनका कहना है कि विकासशील देशों को जलवायु परिवर्तन के प्रभावों से बचाने के लिए अमीर देशों को कम से कम 10 अरब डॉलर जुटाने की ज़रुरत है जिससे कि विकासशील देशों को ग्रीन हाउस गैसों का उत्सर्जन कम करने में मदद की जा सके.

डीबोयर का कहना है कि विकसित देशों की ओर से विकासशील देशों के लिए 10 अरब डॉलर की राशि न्यूनतम है और सम्मेलन की सफलता का एक पैमाना इस राशि का जुटना होगा, लेकिन इसके अलावा भी बहुत कुछ किया जाना है.

उनका कहना है कि जलवायु परिवर्तन से जूझने के लिए दो और अहम सवाल हैं और इनके जवाब दिसंबर में होने वाले जलवायु परिवर्तन सम्मेलन में ढूँढ़ने होंगे.

उनका कहना है कि एक तो अमीर देशों को वर्ष 2020 तक ग्रीन हाउस गैसों के उत्सर्जन में कमी के लिए एक लक्ष्य निर्धारित करना होगा.

हालांकि उन्होंने इस लक्ष्य को लेकर कोई आँकड़े नहीं दिए लेकिन उनका कहना था कि 1990 के आँकड़ों की तुलना में कमी का यह लक्ष्य 25 से 40 फ़ीसदी तक होना चाहिए. वैसे उन्होंने स्वीकार किया है कि यह लक्ष्य कोई आसान लक्ष्य नहीं है.

उनका कहना था कि दूसरा सवाल यह है कि चीन, भारत और ब्राज़ील जैसे बड़े विकासशील देश उसी तरह विकास की राह पर आगे नहीं बढ़ सकते जिस तरह से वे अभी बढ़ रहे हैं.

उनका कहना था कि इन देशों को भी अपने गैस उत्सर्जन में कटौती के लिए लक्ष्य निर्धारित करने होंगे.

डीबोयर का कहना था, “कोपेनहैगन सम्मेलन में इन सवालों के जवाब ढूँढ़ने होंगे और यह सम्मेलन विफल हो जाएगा यदि इन राजनीतिक सवालों के जवाब नहीं ढूँढ़े गए.”

उनका कहना था कि कोपेनहैगन सम्मेलन में बहुत थोड़े राजनीतिक अवसर उपलब्ध हैं और अगर इस अवसर का उपयोग नहीं किया गया तो बहुत मुसीबत होगी.

भारत में 11 करोड़ और ग़रीब August 22, 2009

भारत सरकार की एक समिति के आंकड़ों के अनुसार भारत मे ग़रीबी रेखा के नीचे गुज़र-बसर करने वालों की संख्या मे 10 प्रतिशत की बढोत्तरी हुई है.

समिति के मुताबिक़ 38 फ़ीसदी लोग ग़रीबी रेखा के नीचे हैं

ये नए आंकड़े एसडी तेंदुलकर की अध्यक्षता में बनी एक समिति ने दिए हैं.

इस समिति की रिपोर्ट को मानें तो पहले से ग़रीबी रेखा के नीचे जी रही आबादी में 11 करोड़ लोग और जुड़ गए हैं.

रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि भारत की कुल आबादी का कम से कम 38 प्रतिशत हिस्सा ग़रीबी रेखा के नीचे का जीवन जीता है.

हालाँकि इस रिपोर्ट को अभी सार्वजनिक नही किया गया है, लेकिन इस रिपोर्ट के आंकड़ों का ज़िक्र खाद्य सुरक्षा विधेयक को तैयार करने के लिए दिए गए पृष्ठभूमि दस्तावेज़ों मे किया गया है.

इन नए आंकड़ों पर पहुँचने के लिए तेंदुलकर समिति ने नई प्रणाली का इस्तेमाल किया है. इस विधि के तहत शिक्षा, स्वास्थ्य और स्वच्छता जैसे मानक प्रयोग किए गए हैं.

योजना आयोग से जुड़े एक अधिकारी के अनुसार ग़रीबी के नए आंकड़ों का पता लगाने वाली नई विधि काफ़ी जटिल है.

उनके अनुसार इस विधि मे पहले की चिंताओं और शंकाओं का निदान करने का प्रयास किया गया है.

ख़र्च

नए आंकड़ों का मतलब ये हुआ कि भारत सरकार को इस तबके को खाद्य सुरक्षा पर ज़्यादा पैसा ख़र्च करना होगा.

पिछले चार साल में सरकार ने ग़रीबी उन्मूलन से जुड़ी अपनी कुछ योजनाओं पर एक करोड़ 51 लाख 460 करोड़ रुपए ख़र्च किया है और आने वाले समय में ये ख़र्च और बढ़ेगा.

तेंदुलकर समिति के हिसाब से सरकार को खाद्य अनुदान पर नौ हज़ार 500 करोड़ रुपए अतिरिक्त ख़र्च करने होंगे.

भारत मे ग़रीबी के आंकड़े और इन आंकड़ों को जुटाने की विधि को लेकर विवाद रहा है.

इसी साल जून में केंद्रीय ग्रामीण विकास मंत्रालय की एक समिति की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार भारत मे आधी आबादी ग़रीबी रेखा के नीचे जीती है.

वर्ष 2007 में बनी अर्जुन सेनगुप्ता रिपोर्ट में ये आंकड़ा 77 प्रतिशत बताया गया था.

जबकि इसी साल जून मे बनी ग्रामीण विकास मंत्रालय की एनसी सक्सेना समिति ने कहा था कि भारत की आधी आबादी ग़रीबी रेखा के नीचे रहती है.

India ranked dismal 66th in Global Hunger Index August 22, 2009

When the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington released the Global Hunger Index (GHI) in October 2008, India’s rank was dismal in 66th position out of 88 countries.

The GHI of India was 23.70, sand witched between 23.53 of Burkina Faso and 23.83 of Zimbabwe, the 65th and 67th rank holders respectively. In fact, India’s performance on hunger elimination during the last 18 years was stated to be ‘lack luster’ by IFPRI, because the index declined only marginally from 32.5 in 1990 to 23.7 in 2008. Except Bangladesh with GHI of 25.7 (rank 70), other neighbouring countries Pakistan 21.7 (61), Nepal 20.57 (57) and Sri Lanka 15.0 (40) were better than India.

That population pressure was not the cause for higher index was proved by highly populated China with GHI of only 7.07 in 15th rank, when compared to India’s 23.7 ranked at 66. South East Asian countries are much better than India with regard to GHI ranks: Malaysia – 10, Thailand – 23, Indonesia – 27, Vietnam – 32 and Philippines – 35.

There is no comparison between India and Ethiopia in terms of geographical area, population, economic growth, but it is most depressing that India, especially one of its States, endowed with all richness both natural and human resources, should get placed along with Ethiopia, a poor Nation with many negative features reflecting on the very existence of people.

Pathetically most Ethiopians have limited resources to reduce poverty, hunger, diseases and are shelter less, while India has absolutely no reason to host nearly 250 million people who do not get square meals each day and go hungry for prolonged period leading to unreported starvation deaths. India boasts of few richest people, according to the USA’s Forbes magazine, in business/corporate sectors, high economic growth, sufficient food production, but ironically abject poverty and acute ‘hunger’ coexists with miserable situation.

With a staggering population profile, Indian States also present a grim scenario of people below poverty line (BPL), with as high as 40% in Orissa, between 32% to 35% in Chattisgarh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. Even Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh have population BPL at 25%; other States recorded BPL below 20%, with Punjab being the lowest in BPL of 5.5%.

However, the level of BPL does not always reflect on India State Hunger Index (ISHI). For instance, even though the BPL was the highest recorded (40%) in Orissa the ISHI was only 23.7 (ranked 66, similar to India rank), whereas Madhya Pradesh with 33.5% BPL recorded the highest ISHI of 30.9, the extremely alarming category, hence ranked between Chad (rank 81) and Ethiopia (82). Even the first ranked Punjab within India with ISHI of 13.64 is in fact between Nicaragua (GHI, 12.80) and Ghana (GHI, 13.93) ranked 33 and 34 respectively.

Based on GHI in 88 countries, IFPRI categorized India under ‘serious (HI 10.0 to 19.9) to alarming (20.0 to 29.9) to extremely alarming’ (>30.0) Nations. The implications are clear on the policies to eliminate hunger. Thus, Madhya Pradesh achieved the dubious distinction of being placed under extremely alarming group along with Ethiopia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Niger, Burundi, Eritrea and Congo, ranks 82 to 88. Punjab, Kerala, Haryana and Assam come under ‘serious’ hunger group, whereas 12 States namely Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Karnataka, Orissa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand with increasing order of ISHI between 20.0 to 29.9 fall under ‘alarming’ hunger group.

According to IFPRI three factors contribute to hunger index, namely proportion of population under nourished (PUN), prevalence of under weight in children under five years age (CUW) and proportion of children dying before the age of five i.e mortality rate (CM). During 2001-2006, PUN was 20% in India as compared to 47% in Zimbabwe and 15% in Burkina Faso, but in child under weight India fared badly with 42.5% as against 35.2% and 14.0% in Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe respectively.

The child mortality was higher in B.faso 20.4% than in Zimbabwe 10.5% and India 7.6%. Thus, Asia’s one of the giant Nations India has to share with relatively small African Nations in view of the factors that reflected on overall GHI. Many Indian States are responsible for this dismal position, the worst being Madhya Pradesh.

What made the State to mimic Ethiopia? Although the PUN (23.4%) and CM (9.4%) in Madhya Pradesh was less than Ethiopia (46.0% and 12.3% respectively), but in terms of under weight children below five years Madhya Pradesh with 59.9% surpassed even Ethiopia’s 34.6%. In fact, Madhya Pradesh is the only place in the entire world with such high percentage of underweight children, the two other States being Jharkhand (57.1%) and Bihar (56.1%). On this account India ranks first with highest underweight children (43.5%), followed by Yemen Republic (41.3%).

If food production of Madhya Pradesh and Ethiopia were to be compared, then the former would be at much higher pedestal than Ethiopia. Then why are the poor children of Madhya Pradesh exposed to acute malnutrition worse than even their counterparts in Ethiopia?

The answer lies not in total food production in the State which is adequate, but in accessibility to the poorest of the poor reflecting on faulty distribution system and total lack of humanitarian concern on food security and child welfare. Affected children deserve not only sympathy but remedial measures to provide robust health. This is the duty of the Governments.

As reported recently in Uttar Pradesh, the life of children below five years in Madhya Pradesh is in extreme danger, as also in other States. The alarming bells have already been rung on the state of the health of the poorest of poor children, but the concerned ministries at the Center and State seem to be so insensitive that the scenario does not show improvement. It is any body’s guess as to how many children are going to lose their lives for the fault of those governing the country.

They have the right to live but not allowed by the cankerous system plaguing the Nation. Ethiopia may be utterly helpless but not India which lacks strong will to make the Nation totally hunger-free. Each child mortality should be viewed as a future asset as youth and Nation builder lost due to ignorance and indifference to the very fundamentals of hunger among the budding children. Extra ordinary steps are needed to rescue India as a whole on hunger front with unprecedented political will.

Amul to green Gujarat August 22, 2009

Special Correspondent

A new green revolution has begun in Gujarat. Two years ago, the 13 milk unions of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (better known as Amul) decided to launch a mass tree plantation programme involving each and every milk producer member. In the first year of the project Amul milk producers planted 180,000 trees across 14,000 villages in Gujarat, in 2007 on “One member, One tree” basis.

The programme was then up scaled in the year 2008. All the Member Unions of GCMMF unanimously decided to plant at least three trees per member. In this phase, saplings were provided in each district where dairy cooperatives are located, village by village and farmer by farmer, and an oath was taken to ensure that the sapling grew into tree and tree planting was carried out in 14,000 villages all across Gujarat on 13th, 14th and 15th of August, 2008. Approximately 5,300,000 tree saplings were planted.

In the third year of this mass movement, the programme was further scaled up and in order to enhance the tree cover faster, the Board of Directors of GCMMF decided to contribute Rs. 2 Crores for the tree planting drive. With active participation of Milk Unions, 127 nurseries have been set up all over Gujarat, equipped with the necessary tools and equipment.

This year, farmers can choose the saplings they wish to plant. The farmers were encouraged to select the place and prepare the land for the planting in advance. The drive to carry out mass tree planting was undertaken for a month, culminating on Independence Day, a press release states.

During this period, each milk producer member was encouraged to plant three to five trees. Milk producers have massively planted trees across 14,000 villages in Gujarat. The target is one crore trees. Moreover, despite scanty rains, the milk producers have been able to plant more than 7.2 million saplings.

POINTS ON NREGA August 16, 2009

Doering has to say:

“Among the things that went wrong, was the establishment of state-run “national workshops” to enforce the “right to work”. These never really served their purpose, nor were they probably intended to do so. Rather they allowed the socialists to organize support “on the streets” to threaten all dissenting voices with violence.”

Try and think about it in the Indian context.

NREGA

• National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) is an Indian job guarantee scheme
• enacted by legislation on August 25, 2005.
• legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment in every financial year to adult members
• The act was brought about by the UPA coalition government under the pressure from left parties.
• promise of this project was one of the major factors that gained UPA victory in the Indian general election, 2004.
• Dr. Jean Drèze, a Belgian born economist, at the Delhi School of Economics, has been a major influence on this project.
• The scheme started from February 2, 2006 in 200 districts

Wish You All A Very Happy Independence Day August 15, 2009

Hi Folks,

“Wish You All A Very Happy Independence Day”

“If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India!” –French scholar Romaine Rolland
May our great nation.. always bloom with happiness and prosperity………………looking forward to a colourful celebration…

These are the proud moments anyone can cherish in their lives.

NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS (INDIA’S GOT TALENT) August 15, 2009

Rabindranath Tagore (1861 – 1941)
Field: Literature
For: Gitanjali (His collection of Poems, English version, published in 1912)
Year: 1913

• He was first Asian to win Nobel Prize
• He wrote our National Anthem (Later translated into English and is known as morning song of India)
• He founded Shanti Niketan, which later became VishwaBharati University
• He also wrote the National Anthem of Bangladesh “Amar Sonar Bangla (My Bengal of gold)”.

Sir C.V. Raman (Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman) (1888 – 1970)
Field: Physics
For: “RAMAN” effect (Scattering of Light)
Year: 1930

• He was the first Asian scientist to win the Nobel Prize.
• He also received Bharat Ratna and Lenin Peace Prize.
• He founded Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Dr. Hargobind Khorana (1922 – )
Field: Medicine and Physiology
For: Genetic Study
Year: 1968

• He produced the first artificial gene in his laboratory.
• He shared the Nobel Prize with Marshall Nuremberg and Robert Holley.

Mother Teresa (1910 – 1997)
Field: Peace
For: Exemplary Charity and Social Service
Year: 1979

• Born in Skoplje, Yugoslavia (then Turkey)
• Original Name: Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu
• Founded Missionaries Of Charity in Calcutta.
• Received Bharat Ratna Award in 1980
• Receive Magsaysay Award in 1962.

Dr. Subramaniam Chandrasekar (1910 – 2000)
Field: Physics
For: his work on stars and their evolution (Chandrasekhar’s Limit).
Year: 1983

• The space telescope Chandra launched by NASA was named after him.
• He also served as the Governor of Maharashtra
• He received Bharat Ratna in 1998

Dr. Amartya Sen
Field: Economics
For: Mathematical Solution to “Arrow’s Impossibility Theorem”
Year: 1998

There are some more Nobel Laureates who are related to India but are not Indians.

V.S. Naipaul, Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul (1932- )
[British writer of Indian origin]
Field: Literature
Year: 2001

Rajendra K. Pachauri (1940 – )
For: Peace and Environment Conservation
Year: 2007

• He accepted the prize on behalf of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as he was the chairman.
• He shared the award with Al Gore, Vice President of USA

POLLS August 15, 2009

सच का सामना !!!!!
SOME INTERSETING POLL RESULTS WILL BE POSTED HERE IN THIS POST
HAVE A LUK AND DRAW CONCLUSIONS ON WAT INDIA THINKS . OK.

DO U AGREE WITH THE POLL TAT INDIA IS NOT THE GREATEST THREAT TO PAK?
YES-86%
NO-12%
CANT SAY-1%

Is Bollywood moving away from comfort flicks to a darker genre?
Yes	86%
No	12%
Can’t say	2%

Do you agree with Jaswant Singh that Nehru, Patel ‘conceded’ Pakistan to Jinnah?
Yes	67%
No	29%
Can’t say	4%