BRING OUT IDEAS-TECHNOLOGIES NOT MERE JOURNALS: HARSH VARDHAN TO RESEARCHERS

Union Minister for Science and Technology, Harsh Vardhan said India urgently needs new ideas and technologies, not  mere research journals.

The Minister added that researchers must start developing these new ideas and technologies, instead of merely showing published journals as their contributions towards the society.

Citing an example of his recent visit to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat in Assam, the minister said he asked the researchers what the Institution developed in terms of technologies and ideas in its 30 years of history - he was only handed 100s of published journals instead.

“I asked the researchers at Jorhat what are the breaking news from the Institute in terms of new ideas and technologies, to which they showed me the journals that have been published by the Institute,” the Minister said while speaking as the Chief Guest at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institution of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in Shillong the State Capital of Meghalaya in India's northeast.

Vardhan said, journals are “theoretical” in nature and have little value in terms of benefit for the society, unless the theories are implementable on the ground and changes people’s lives.

Urging the researchers to start “thinking out of the box” rather than going through their “routine and casual” regime, Vardhan added, 60 years have gone by due to such casual attitude.

“This has to change. There must be a re-orientation of our thinking in terms of research. There has to be breaking news. India must begin by identifying its priorities and then build and also create a pool of entrepreneurs,” he said.

Vardhan said India has a great advantage over other countries be it its ancient past with scientific advancements or the present demographic dividends. He said the demographic dividend of India gives the country “great hope” and therefore urged the young people to think and work differently in a deviation from the past 60 years.

 

Asked about budget allocation towards Research and Development in India, Vardhan said that this area would always be a concern. “There is always a constraint,” but at the same time added that increase in budget allocation “cannot be done in a day.”

The Minister, however, said that the Make In India is a great initiative of the Government to boost R&D and at the same time help in the growth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product and the overall economy.

MEDICAL COUNCIL OF INDIA (MCI) DEAD HORSE ON A PACEMAKER

Union Minister for Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan today said the Medical Council of India (MCI) needs reform and there must be more transparency in terms of its functioning.

Vardhan, who was earlier the Union Health Minister and is also a medical practitioner, said that the MCI has the “potential to function better.”

“The MCI could have functioned better. I too feel that the MCI has to be more transparent in terms of its functioning,” Vardhan said.

The Minister was responding to questions posed by journalists after the Director of North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institution of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), AH Ahangar launched a scathing attack against the MCI calling it a “sick Institution” during his address in the presence of the Union Minister.

Ahangar said the MCI is the “road block” for medical education and research for the country and said the “sick institution” must be urgently reformed for the sake of medical education and research.

“The MCI is the biggest roadblock for medical education in India. It is a dead horse on a pacemaker. Unfortunately the monitor showing picks doesn’t mean the Institution is alive,” Ahangar said.

He said the MCI “must be taken care of” which in turn would help medical education and research in India. “If MCI is taken care of than medical education in India would be much better and India would not only be able to take care of itself but would also be able to export manpower to the rest of the world by 2050,” he added.

MEGHALAYA WITHDRAWS FERTLISER SUBSIDY

With an eye on brand-building and market Meghalaya as an organic food producing State, the State government has withdrawn the chemical fertilizer subsidy to farmers, thus raising serious livelihood questions.

Although there is a growing demand for organically-farmed food globally for health and environment benefits, however, the decision of the government to withdraw the subsidy altogether has left the farming community in the lurch dependent on conventional methods of farming.

Recently, farmers from different parts of the State staged a rally in the State Capital pleading the government to continue with the subsidy. But, the government said it would not retract its decision.

P Khargonkor, Principal Secretary, Agriculture Department, while stressing the health benefits of organically-farmed food, said chemical fertilizers and pesticides are available in the open market for those willing to buy them.

“The farmers can buy the chemical fertilizers and pesticides from the open market, but the government would not provide the subsidy,” Khargongkor stressed.

However, the affected farmers are questioning why the government did not give a window period to make the transition from chemical to bio-fertilizers. Another important question raised is that if the government is in no mood to give such a breather, why does it not give some sort of subsidy on bio-fertilizers to the farmers, which would have worked as an incentive.

Meghalaya is an agrarian economy, but the State is not self-sufficient in food-grains and vegetables and much of these produces are imported from the neighbouring State of Assam and elsewhere, which uses conventional method of farming and the respective governments providing subsidy on fertilisers.

It may be noted here that although those who have taken to organic farming are getting better cost on their produce, but then it is a niche market produce. Organic farms need more land as the yield is low compared to conventional method of farming. The verdict is not out yet on the viability of organic farms over conventional method of farming.

This means that Meghalaya, which is not self-sufficient in agriculture produce, would produce even lesser and with other States like Assam not taking up organic farming in the near future, the State residents would have to partake more of food produced by conventional farming methods.

What is ironic is that local farmers would now have to sell their produce at a higher price with locally sourced chemical fertilizers and pesticides from the open market.

On the other hand, prices of such imports would remain the same because of continued subsidy offered to farmers in different State of India.

The Mission Organic was launched by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma this year. “The new policy of the State government aims to build the ‘Organic Meghalaya’ brand producing organic certified food and products...,” the Agriculture Department says. But the question is, at what cost?

Brahmaputra Board now history

The Brahmaputra Board (BB) has been consigned to the pages of history today with the central government stating it has outlived its mandate and would “reincarnate” with a new nomenclature and concept.

After holding the last meeting of the board here at the State Capital Union Minister for Water Resources, Uma Bharti said, the BB would now have a new name “within a week or two” and the entire functioning and mandate would be changed.

“I can declare with a firm conviction that today is the last meeting of the Brahmaputra Board. The next meeting will be held under a new name and concept. It would reincarnate with a new name and concept in which the views of every state will be incorporated. We would decide on the new name within a week or two,” she said at the sidelines of the 8^th meeting of the board here at the State Convention centre.

The Union Minister added the board has outlived its mandate.  The Board which was established in 1980 and was not performing to the expectation of the people and therefore it would be overhauled.

“When the board was formed the aspirations from it was different so was the technology. We would now take suggestions from all stakeholders how to revamp the board and make it more effective with the present day aspirations of the people,” Bharti said.

One of the important roles of the board would be to take care of the flood and erosion caused by the River Brahmaputra annually – an aspect the BB has not been able to tackle effectively.

On the other hand Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has suggested that a Brahmaputra River Basin Management project be established on the tributaries of the River, which would benefit most of the Northeastern States. The Union Minister has already hinted that she has taken a liking for the proposal of the Meghalaya Chief Minister.

On cleaning of the River Brahmaputra, she said, that since the Ganga and the Brahmaputra have the same source of origin and cleaning work on the Ganga has begun, the Ganga cleaning project would have its impact on the River Brahmaputra.

“River Brahmaputra is the elder brother of Ganga and has its origin at Mansarovar so the Ganga cleaning project would have its impact on it. Nonetheless, the Ganga cleaning model would be replicated on different Rivers of the country,” she informed.

Meanwhile, speaking about the controversy over building of dams in the region, she said that the water resources ministry was not against building of dams, but the ecology of the River and the people’s sentiments have to be taken care of while implementing the projects.

“The technical aspect of dam building must be safe in such a way that the ecology is not disturbed and kills Rivers. Moreover, the sentiments of the people must also be taken care of while building the dams and this, I have been told, is being looked into by the Ministry of Power,” Bharti said.

BYE BYE 2014 WELCOME 2015

The year 2014 in Meghalaya is more significant from the Garo Hills context because the impoverished region witnessed unprecedented bloodshed, but again the region saw itself wending historically towards the rest of the world with the first train being flagged off on November 29.

The Mendipathar-Guwahati Railway line of 131-km is a historic event not just because it is Meghalaya’s first rail network, post independence, but also because in a region with poor socio-economic indices it had other significance.

First, the rail network has broken the decade-long opposition against the Railways by organizations in the State arguing it would bring in influx. More importantly, for several decades terrorist, militants and criminals of all hues hoisted the poor developmental indicators of the region on one shoulder and guns on the other and claimed to have the mandate of the people to fight on their behalf for equal opportunity.

However, in the process most of these elements pursued their self-interest and unleashed terror on the hapless people. The year 2014 was particularly brutal as senseless killings by these elements took the lives of several innocent people. There were extortion, kidnapping and other forms of violence and at times Garo Hills cocooned into a world of its own.

Apart from terrorism and militancy, nature was also unkind to the region as flash flood and landslides in September took the lives of over 60 people and destroying property of people several times that number, mostly in West Garo Hills. It was one of the worst natural calamities in the State’s history.

The year also witnessed a significant order by the National Green Tribunal which passed an interim ban on rat-hole coal mining in Meghalaya for causing environmental damages. Earlier this year The Dalai Lama paid a visit to the State during the convocation of the Martin Luther Christian University.

Meanwhile, the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council scripted a new chapter in its 62-year-old history by electing for the first time a woman, Theilina   S Thangkhiew, as its Chairperson, which is equivalent to a Speaker’s role in the Assembly and Parliament. Another woman, Wansuk Syiem retained her seat at the Rayja Sabha.

However,  yet another woman and Social Welfare Minister Deborah Ch Marak appeared before a local court in Williamnagar, East Garo Hills after she was charge-sheeted for her alleged links with a terrorist outfit.

Which brings us again to the Garo Hills and at the fag end of the year, the State Government did manage to disarm another militant group from the region – Achik National Volunteers Council (ANVC) and its breakaway faction – on December 15 after negotiations that underwent for years.

The ANVC reportedly called the homing coming event its “Ecdysis” – in Zoology, it is the process of shedding the old skin (in reptiles) or casting off the outer cuticle (in insects and other arthropods).

 

And all along this deaths and the constant pressure put on by the security forces on the terrorists, the Home Minister Roshan Warjri put in her papers owning moral responsibility for the losses. Chief Minister Mukul Sangma is yet to decide on her replacement and is holding the Home portfolio.

Sangma on the political front did have a tough year with his own party colleagues from the Congress grumbling silently to replace him. They failed in their effort like on several other occasions.

The Chief Minister after consolidating his position also called out to other militant groups for talks like the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council and now the ground works are being laid for the talks to move ahead.

Therefore, in 2015 some would  like to undergo Ecdysis, others take wings or some more others simply chug away happily, as Bijay K Marak, the driver of the Mendipathar-Guwahati train from the Garo community did - but all hopefully towards better times where there would be peace and prosperity. 

SEISTA GOOD FOR HEALTH, START DAYDREAMING

Dalliance with your afternoon siesta or power nap is packed with health benefits and experts suggest that a half-hour snooze can actually boost your performance at work by reducing stress and recharging the energy levels.

Sleep specialist Dr. Deelip Chaterjee said that a half an hour siesta in the daytime helps in reducing stress by relaxing the body, but sleeping more than half and hour messes up with the night’s rest and so is not recommended.

“Snoozing for more than half an hour could interfere with your night’s rest and so is not recommended,” Dr. Chaterjee who practices in the US, but has opened a centre in Guwahati for people having sleeping disorders, said here.

A midday rest or siesta is common in most countries with hot climate. The Spanish word siesta derives from the Latin word Sexta Hora meaning sixth hour. Spaniards are strict adherents of siesta so are several communities around the world, including many in India.

 Several great leaders could not do without their power nap. In fact, Winston Churchill coined the word power nap as he believed that having his forty winks in the afternoon helped him to think better! Napoleon, Leonardo Da Vinci, John F Kennedy, Einstein, Thomas Edison amongst others, celebrated siesta almost every day in their lives.

“Edison had an interesting way for his siesta. He used to sit in a couch in the afternoon holding a spoon in his hand and placing a plate at his foot. He used to sleep that way until the spoon dropped from his hand onto the plate and wake him up in about half an hour,” Dr. Chaterjee said.

The physician suggested that an alarm should be set for half an hour’s rest if anyone wants to start this age-old practice to rejuvenate the body and mind. It is unlikely though that by practicing siesta there are greater chances of epiphany and inventing something path-breaking as a light bulb, but just to join the club of daydreamers, give it a shot! 

SANITY IN AN INSANE WORLD - SAN KER

IT’S A MAD MAD WORLD! Or why should anyone ever exploit, abuse, neglect and ridicule “extraordinary people” coping with “extraordinary situations?” But that’s the general attitude of societies all around the world against people with mental illness.

In this rather insane situation, Dr. Sandy Syiem brings in balance and discards the notion that mental illness is perpetual and therefore anyone fighting with such ailments must be treated differently. He states: “mental illness is curable” and has been demonstrating it, with compassion and love, over several decades now.

After Dr. Syiem completed his doctorate from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi back in the 80s,  like all his peers wanted to practise in a Metropolitan city or migrate abroad, but perhaps his fate was pre-destined.

Dr. Syiem recalls that when his brother expired after his studies, his parents insisted that he return home and so he did. After his return to Shillong Dr. Syiem took up a Government job and worked all over the State, looking after the mentally ill patients in different government institute, one such institute was infamously called the “Mawlai Mental Jail.”  

“This was a high security prison for dangerous insurgents from Nagaland, which was later turned into an asylum for the mentally ill,” Dr. Syiem said.

He said that the mentally ill were cramped inside dark cells without ventilation and were treated more as animals than human beings. Dr. Syiem tried to bring in changes, but was stonewalled by bureaucratic red-tapism and so he quit and that’s when he decided to start working on his own and founded the San Ker Rehabilitation Centre.

Dr. Sandy Syiem

The centre is an institute to look after the large number of “uncared mentally ill patients” of the State and is nestled amongst dense pine trees and beautiful surroundings at Mawroh.

“We began with the barest minimum in a cowshed and build the institute from scratch, taking loans in June 1990,” Dr. Syiem said. Now it is a 90 bed facility centre for male and female patients. Along with medication, there are group, individual and vocational therapy sessions. There is, moreover, the counselling sessions for the inmates as well as the families.

In the centre there is a basketball court and also some facilities to play sports. As soon as Dr. Syiem gets inside the centre the inmates surround him speaking about their problems, aspirations and desire to get back home. He consoles and advises each one of them, hugging them individually like a father-figure.

During this round of the centre, Dr. Syiem proudly displays some of the paintings that some of the inmates have created and are now mounted on the walls of the different corners of the institute. He says that many inmates are creatively inclined towards painting and they give colour to their emotions through their beautiful work. He also invites local artists and conducts painting workshops from time to time.

At the centre there are mentally ill patients from all over the region and speaks volume of the kind of importance state governments associate with mental illness. Take the case of a young rape victim from Assam. She has been handed over to the centre by a Government agency from the neighbouring State as there are “no facilities” to treat the girl in that State fighting mental imbalance after the rape.

Ironically, many of the patients who recover and are discharged are not taken back by their families. Geeta Roy, who was left at the centre years back now sits at the centre’s vocational training centre and makes beautiful flowers out of pine cones. “Mein ghar jana chati hu, legin koi mujhe lene nehi ata.” (I want to go home, but nobody from my family is coming to take me back), the frail woman says with remorse.

Dr. Syiem says that he has approached many times to find her family, but to no avail. There are many others who have been simply forgotten by the family. There is this stigma and people are sometimes ashamed to recognize one of their family members being mentally ill, Dr. Syiem says.

He adds that the society’s perception towards the mentally ill patient is stereotypical. Apart from the usual social stigma attached with mentally ill patient, women are worse off. Mentally ill women patients are victims of all forms of exploitation, including rape. He adds that in the first instance most of the mentally ill patients have undergone extreme physical and mental duress in one way or the other, resulting in their breakdown.

And when after recovery the society rejects them they become despondent and desperate further aggravating their situations. Moreover, with only a handful of NGOs working in this field and little Government assistance a large number of such patients ends up on the streets to be hounded and exploited from all quarters.

He further says that people generally don’t talk about mental illness. And they go for treatment quietly, be it at the hands of quacks or faith-healers. “They come here when all other options have been exhausted,” Dr Syiem said.

Interestingly, Dr. Syiem believes that awareness against mental illness is more pronounced in the rural sectors than in the urban areas. He says that in the villages it is not possible to hide anyone suffering from mental illness as the societies are very close-knit, but in the urban centres the case is the opposite.

Meanwhile, there is no authentic data to number the mentally ill patients in the country. So policies and programmes are not accordingly formulated. Moreover, research and studies on mental illness is woefully poor and so is the awareness level amongst the people.

For example, mental illness is associated with violent behaviour, which is necessarily not correct. People coping with diseases like Schizophrenia and Maniac depression can be extremely thoughtful and intelligent.

On the legislation front, the Mental Health Act, 1987 (which replaced the Lunacy Act of 1912) came into force only in 1993. This Act’s objective is to protect the mentally ill from exploitation and abuse and provide them the rights to live as equal citizens.

But this Act has only been cosmetically implemented in States around the country. Experts say that this Act needs to be enforced in letter and spirit and needs further amendments to suit modern science and conditions.

Dr. Syiem has been a vocal advocate for brining in changes in the State in terms of mental health care and says that the State Government needs to do more for the mentally ill in terms of budget allocation and legislation implementation. He points out that in the Meghalaya health budget, just 2 per cent is earmarked for mental health care and has been urging the Government time and again to increase this allocation.

For Dr. Syiem life has been a challenge, right from fighting societal stereotype, government indifference and on his personal front too as a Cancer survivor. Having being diagnosed with Cancer in 1998, he successfully fought it only for the disease to recur in 2001, which he again fought back and recovered. “This is not my fight but of many others and I believe there is a divine grace which has enabled me to do so,” Dr. Syiem says.

On his future plans the doctor has prepared an elaborate blue print for expansion of the centre, which is now run by a trust. There are plans to set up a 100 bedded centre with a hospice and other facilities. He says getting fund for the project is a constraint and has been running to the Government, philanthropic agencies and individuals, for help.

            

Centuries back, Vincent Van Gogh, whose mental instability is now legendary, with some instances being romanticized to a certain degree of sadism, could not sell a single painting during his lifetime as these were taunted and scoffed off as work of a “mad man!”

However Vincent Van Goh once stated “some of the colours I have depicted are not locally true, however they (colours) portray some inherent emotions.” Sadly, many short-sighted individuals and institutions of our present society are still being unable to see and understand these “beautiful minds.”

CMJ (CHANDRA MOHAN JHA) ARRESTED IN BIHAR

The elusive Chancellor of CMJ University, Chandra Mohan Jha, who was arrested yesterday in Bihar, is being brought to the State capital here today by Meghalaya Police.

“Transit remand has been granted and CM Jha is being brought here from Bihar today, subject to availability of ticket,” Director General of Police, Peter JP Hanaman said.

Jha was arrested from Jhanjharpur in Bihar’s Madhubani district where he has filed his candidature for the Lok Sabha elections as an Independent candidate. The Chancellor of the controversial University, named after himself, has been on the run ever since his bail application was rejected by the Supreme Court.

“We have handed over CM Jha to Meghalaya police on a transit remand and he has been taken away,” a senior police official from Madhubani district of Bihar, said.

Jha after issuance of the arrest warrant eluded the police and was suspected to have fled to Bihar his home town. However, he did not surface until now when he was campaigning for the elections in the district.

Jha is wanted in a case related to allegedly issuing fake PhD degrees from his University, which was established by the State Government under the CMJ University Act, 2009, to students around the country and even abroad.

The issue first surfaced when the then Meghalaya Governor Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary as the Visitor of the University in May 20013 found the irregularities in the functioning of the University. On further probe it was allegedly found that fake PhD degrees were being issued to students and was functioning as a “degree mill.”

The Raj Bhavan thereafter filed a criminal complaint with the police against the University and the Chancellor. The Raj Bhavan pointed out that the University awarded PhD degrees to 434 students and enrolled another 490 students in 2012-2013. Many of these students are from Assam and other northeastern States.

The Governor said the University awarded PhD degrees even in subjects like Bodo and Punjabi languages “where guides and faculty are not easily available”. The number of faculty members with PhD degree as furnished by the University is “inaccurate,” Mooshahary had said.

Mooshahary observed that the University repeatedly acted in contravention of Section 52 of the CMJ University Act 2009 in respect of maintenance of standards and other related matters applicable to private Universities,” and therefore recommended its dissolution.

The case was handed over to the CID, which began probe. During the investigations the CID sealed the University and confiscated computers and as many as 10000 PhD theses from its campus. Several officials of the University were arrested and arrest warrant issued against Jha.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court in its order has left it on the State Government to decide on the dissolution of the University, as recommended by Mooshahary.  The State education has been not taken a decision so far and is holding hearing of students from the University on their degrees, from February this year. 

MEGHALAYA WITNESSES HISTORIC VOTERS' TURNOUT IN LOK SABHA ELECTION 2014

Meghalaya, in India's northeast corner, has recorded a historic 78.13 percent voters’ turnout in Garo Hills during Wednesday’s polling for the Tura Lok Sabha seat, moreover, the States’ overall voters’ turnout of 69.03 per cent is the second highest figure recorded in Lok Sabha election history.

This Garo Hills figure is the highest voters’ turnout in Meghalaya’s Lok Sabha election history that began in 1977 after attaining statehood in 1972. The previous highest figure was 75. 45 recorded in 1998 when the NDA came to power.

The overall State voters’ turnout is the second highest figure, after the 1998 Lok Sabha election voters’ turnout of 74.38 per cent.

Chief Electoral Officer, Prashant Naik, releasing the final figures said today, that overall the State recorded a voters’ turnout of 69.03 per cent, which is an increase of 5 per cent from the last Lok Sabha elections of 2009.

In fact, in the past ten Lok Sabha elections that were held from 1977, the average voters’ turnout in Meghalaya has been 58.44 per cent. So a turnout above 60 per cent is normally considered good by the State elections department.

With such an election history and coupled with the militancy problem in Garo Hills, the region’s turnout has been beyond expectations. A number of factors contributed to this rise and the commendable awareness campaign undertaken by the Election department to motivate voters is one of them, as well as the contesting candidates – Purno Sangma from the National People’s Party and Daryl Momin from the Congress.

But, apart from the campaigns and candidates, the people in the militancy-infested region did seem to exercise the power at their disposal more forcefully and try bringing about positive changes in the region and their lives. There were 5.9 lakh registered voters for the Tura Seat, of which, 4.6 lakh voters exercised their right to franchise.

In Shillong constituency, 63.58 per cent cast their vote. The turnout in Shillong is the third highest for Lok Sabha elections. In 1998, 73.70 per cent cast their vote followed by 72.51 per cent in 1983. There were 9.8 lakh registered voters for the Shillong seat, of which, 6.2 lakh voters cast their ballot. Sitting Congres candidate Vincent Pala is seeking re-election in a multi-corned contest which includes Paul Lyngdoh (UDP), BJP’s Shibun Lyngdoh, Aam Admi Party candidate, Amerington Kharshiing, Richard D Shabong of the CPI and three independent candidates – Prechard BM Basaiawmoit, Denis Siangshai and  Ivoryna Shylla.

Overall, there were 15.66 lakh registered voters in Meghalaya and 10. 80 lakh cast their vote. Female voters with 70.09 per cent outnumbered their male counterpart (67.95 per cent) in casting their votes.

Amongst the 60-Assembly segments, Pynursla in East Khasi Hills recorded the lowest voters’ turnout with 52.65 per cent and the highest was recorded in Mahendraganj constituency, in West Garo Hills, with 86.40 per cent.

Meanwhile, all the polling officials have returned to their respective headquarters and the EVMs have been kept in strong rooms in 13 centres across the State fitted with CCTVs, Naik informed. (Eom)