Expert committee to study impact of climate change

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: Government has formed an expert committee to study the impact of climate change on the country and suggest an action plan to deal with the dangers posed by it, the Lok Sabha was told today.

The Committee headed by Principal Scientific Advisor Dr R Chidambaram will study the impact of anthropogenic climate change (environmental pollution generated from human activity) on India including impact on its bio-diversity, Environment and Forest Minister Namo Narain Meena said in a written reply.

The Government formed the expert committee as India is among countries more vulnerable to climate change.

The committee will indentify measures to be taken in the future to addressing vulnerability to anthropogenic climate change impact, the Minister said adding a high-level co-ordination committee for assessment, adaption and mitigation of climate change has also been constituted to evolve a coordinated response on the issue.

"This comittee will provide an oversight for formulation of action plans in the area of assessment, adaption and mitigation of climate change," Meena added.

To a separate question on UNESCO’s threat to drop Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary from its World Heritage List, the Minister said, "The World Heritage Committee expressed serious concern over the situation in Keoladeo National Park resulting from inadequate availability of water to maintain the wetland ecosystem".(PTI)

NEW DELHI, Mar 11: The Government is considering to set up a Task Force in addition to Tourism Police across the country to check crime against tourists, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.

Tourism Minister Ambika Soni, in a reply during Question Hour, said the Ministry on January 24 held a high-level meeting with officials of the Home and Defence Ministries to discuss the blue print of the Task Force which would comprise of retired defence personnel.

"The blue print has been cleared by the Ministries of Defence and home and sent to State Governments for approval...," she said.

During the meeting the feasibility of deploying ex-servicemen as tourist wardens in states and union territories was also discussed.

The Minister said about ten states had agreed to constitute Tourism Police as per their requirement to tackle crime against tourists.

The announcement assumes significance in view of the recent case of British teenager Scarlette Keeling’s death in mysterious circumstances in Goa beach on February 18.

Ms Soni, however, did not give any committment for CBI inquiry into the case as demanded by the victim’s mother and raised by Left member Brinda Karat in the House. However, she admitted that some incident of crime against women tourists pointed to a security lapse.

"Law and Order is a state subject and the Tourism Ministry has to work within its limits," she added. (UNI)

Sabharwal murder case transferred to
Maha from Madhya Pradesh

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: The Supreme Court today transferred the trial of Professor H S Sabharwal murder case from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh to Nagpur in Maharashtra.

A Bench headed by Justice Arijit Pasayat also directed that the Public Prosecutor be changed in the case.

The Bench passed the order on a petition filed by the slain professor’s family alleging that free and fair trial was not possible in Madhya Pradesh.

The Bench also made it clear that the order of the transfer of the case would not mean that it had gone into the merit of the allegation made by the family of the slain professor.

Harbhajan Singh Sabharwal, a professor in Ujjain college, had died on August 26, 2006, after he was allegedly attacked by ABVP leaders protesting against the cancellation of election in the university.

The Professor had declared the student election null and void. Protesting his decision, some students of Madhav College had attacked him leading to his death.

The Bench while reserving its judgement on March seven had indicated that it would direct the Sessions Court of Nagpur to complete the trial within eight months. (PTI)

MIT designs better fit for the Jaipur Foot

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: A team of students at MIT, including an Indian, has come up with an improved and better fitting design for the Jaipur Foot, an artificial leg for amputees.

The new method uses a hand-powered system to build the prosthetic that is expected to last longer than the ones currently being built and sold in the country by the Rajasthan-based charity, Jaipur Foot Organisation, according to news from MIT.

The modified design that eschews dependence on electricity is also expected to bring down the cost of the artificial limbs and benefit more patients in rural areas. The present electrically powered fitting system often requires bringing along a bulky generator.

The JFO, also known as the Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahyata Samiti, claimed to be the world’s largest provider of prosthetics, currently manufactures artificial legs using electric power to create the mould with Plaster of Paris.

The new design of the custom-built limbs is the result of a year-long project by the Mechanical Engineering wing of the MIT, the four participants of which spent two weeks in Jaipur in January this year and conducted one test run of a fitting.

"The personnel at the JFO were really pleased with the results," says engineering student Maria Luckyanova, who was in the country for testing the device.

"They liked the fact that the new system produced less waste, required no electricity and seemed to produce a better fit that might lead to a longer-lasting prosthetic. That’s because the plaster of paris in the traditional method shrinks slightly as it hardens, making the fit less exact," says Luckyanova.

The first step in fitting a leg is to make the mould of the person’s stump by placing it in a container filed with tiny glass beads and covered with silicon rubber and then creating a vacuum so that the beads seal tightly around the limb.

This "negative" mould is then filled with more glass beads to form a positive mould- an exact replica of the stump- and the socket of the prosthetic leg is made to fit that replica, explains the MIT researchers.

In the new fitting system devised by the team,a hand-crank creates vacuum that is used to produce both the initial negative mould and then the positive mould that replicates the shape of the stump.

The students, Philip Garcia, Maria Luckyanova, Tess Veuthey, Jessica Schirmer along with Indian-born instructor Goutam Reddy are now in the process of streamlining and refining the design according to suggestions from the JFO personel.

"We will be back this summer to do some field testing," says Luckyanova. Typically in countries like the US a prosthetics specialist who fits artificial legs for amputees might handle 15 to 20 patients , a year, fitting them with custom-built legs that costs approximately $ 6,000 apiece and upwards. This is accompanied by a series of follow-up visits to make sure threat the new limb was properly fitted.

The artificial legs provided by JFO on the other hand costs about Rs 1,600 and the company which has worked with about a million patients since it was founded in 1975, usually does not have the time or funding to develop newer methods or follow up consultations.

The MIT project was made possible due to a grant by the Cambride-based University’s Public Service Centre and a $ 7,500 award that the team won in a competition last year. (PTI)

Govt providing help for school health programmes

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: In an effort to prevent common diseases like measles and tuberculosis among school children, the Government is providing support for School Health Programmes in each and every district of the country.

The steps being taken to provide support are on the basis of specific proposals prepared as part of the District Health Action Plans, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

The common diseases occurring among school children are measles, diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections, tuberculosis, chicken pox and sepsis.

Currently, 21 states have initiated the programme, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Panabaka Lakshmi said in a written reply.

Incorporation of good practices on Nutrition and Health Education in text books and other learning material as also in teacher training programmes and putting in place a system of regular health check-up of children and provision of health card for every child are some of the key steps taken under this programme.

Provision of secondary and tertiary care wherever required, availability of medicines, incorporation of health practices and support for yoga and meditation in schools are some of the other steps, she said.

Among the states implementing the School Health Mission are Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Assam and Tripura. (PTI)

Govt to consider giving women
SSC officers permanent posts

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: Government will consider giving women, inducted in Indian Airforce on Short Service basis, a permanent posting, Defence Minister A K Antony said today.

"Even though the present policy is that no permanent commission will be given to both men and women Short Service Commission officers we will re-examine the case and find a solution (soon)," he said replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha here.

Till 2006, 179 male SSC officers were given permanent commission while no women SSC officers were given the same even though the women SSC officers are eligible for similar pay and post retirement benefits akin to their male SSC counterparts.

"Government cannot unilaterally impose a decision (on armed forces) and will have to consult the service chiefs," he said.

Based on a recommendation of a A V Singh Committee, grant of permanent commission SSC officers in IAF has been stopped since 2006.

"Government will re-examine the position once again. We will try out best to find a solution to the long pending demand," he said.

Antony said there was no discrimination between men and women in IAF. "At present, Permanent Commission is not being granted to any SSC officer, irrespective of gender." (PTI)

India lags behind China in spending on R&D

NEW DELHI, Mar 12:India lags behind China in spending on research and development work as well as number of scientific researchers, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal informed the Rajya Sabha today.

Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, he said the number of core researchers in India was about 1.5 lakh as compared to China’s 8-10 lakh.

Number of persons doing research and development in Scandivan countries is 7,000 per million of popultion and 4,700 per million of population in US. In India, there are 156 researchers per million of population.

"This is a very big issue," he said.

R&D spending as percentage of GDP in India is only 0.8 per cent as compared to China’s 1.23. Developed countries have R&D expenditure of upto 3 per cent of GDP.

Of the 0.8 per cent expenditure in India, 80 per cent is by public sector while the private sector share is only 20 per cent. In China and US, the public sector share is only 30 per cent each while in Japan it is only 18 per cent.

Private sector component in R&D will have to increase, he said adding the Government had given a slew of tax incentives on R&D spend in sectors like pharma and electronics.

Sibal said to increase number of researchers in the country, university system will have to be strengthened by expanding and upgrading infrastructure as presently R&D quality in university is negligible.

The XIth Plan allocations for Scientific Departments including Departments of Science and Technology and Atomic Energy, has been increased three folds to Rs 75,304 crore during the XIth Plan (2007-2012) as compared to Rs 25,301.35 crore of Xth Plan Period, he said.

"The expenditure on reseach and development (R&D) as percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in India is lower compared to that of a few developing countries like Brazil and China, but is higher compared to countries like Argentina, Cuba, Sri Lanka and Pakistan," Sibal said.

While Brazil spends 1.04 per cent of its GDP on R&D, Isreal spends 5.11 per cent of its GDP.

Government has liberalised R&D system to enhance scientific activities in the country by policy and procedural reforms, fiscal incentives and support measures to encourage investment on R&D in industry.

Department of Atomic Energy has been provisioned Rs 11,000 crore for R&D in the XIth Plan as against Rs 3,199.45 expenditure in the previous plan, he said.

Department of Space is being given three fold more money at Rs 30,883 crore while Department of Science and Technology would get Rs 11,028 crore as against Rs 3998.12 crore of Xth Plan. (PTI)

Naxalites have Rs 60 crore budget
for procurement of weapons

NEW DELHI, Mar 12: Naxalites are reported to have a budget of Rs 60 crore for procurement of weapons and explosives during 2007-09, Rajya Sabha was informed today.

Giving the information in a written reply, Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal said an arrested extremist had stated this during interrogation by Jharkhand Police.

He said no other details in this regard are available.

In reply to another question, he said as per information available, Maoists have sophisticated weapons and communication systems.

The extremists primarily get a substantial bulk of their weapons by looting and they also get them from illicit weapon manufacturing units, Jaiswal said.

Responding to another query, he said Chhattisgarh Police has reported that 42 pairs of pants and shirts and 40 metres of cloth meant for naxalites were recovered in Bilaspur from a tailoring shop run by the wife of a Railway employee at her husband’s railway quarter.

He said the case is under investigation.

The total number of naxalite incidents has increased from 1,509 in 2006 to 1,565 in 2007, he said.

There has, however, been a dip in the statistic since 2005, with 1,608 such incidents reported in that year.

The number of causalities of security forces has gone up from 157 in 2006 to 236 in 2007, while in the same period, the number of civilian casualties decreased from 521 to 460. (PTI)