DRAFT NATIONAL CHARTER FOR CHILDREN UNDER GOVERNMENT’S CONSIDERATION

    The WCD while preparing the charter took into consideration a draft made by the Centre for the Child and the Law of the National Law School of the India University, Bangalore. The national charter shall be a written document, a statement of intent embodying the government’s agenda for children since the framing of the National Policy for Children in 1974.

    An approach paper prepared by the WCD earlier on the national charter for children was circulated to all the State Governments and Union Territory administrations besides central Ministries and Departments for their views, comments and suggestions. Most of the State Governments and Central Ministries / Departments have agreed for the adoption of a national charter for children. The charter is expected to go a long way in ensuring that no child remains illiterate, hungry or lacks medical care.

    Nearly 36 per cent of India’s population comprise children below 15 years of age meaning thereby that 2 out of every 5 are below 15 years. According to the last census in 1991 the child population in India was about 304 million, which is more than the total population of many countries of the world. The government considers that development of its human resource is the key to progress and the foundation for it must be laid down in the early stages of life. In the ultimate analysis it is the childhood that holds the potential and sets the limits of future development of a society.

    There are very strict controls over the sale of morphine tablets under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic substances Act, 1985 and Excise Laws. Sale of morphine tablets require permit from State Excise Authorities for transportation and storage by the applicant. Since morphine is a much needed drug for the care of terminally ill patients suffering from cancer, the restrictions on the availability of morphine tablets have proved a hindrance to providing them relief.

    The revised provisions will make morphine tablets available not only through licensed hospitals but also through Regional Cancer Centres (RCCs) and such other Palliative Care Centres as approved by the State Governments. Under the new arrangement, morphine tablets can be purchased by these Centres from a dealer or manufacturer who holds a valid licence under the Drug and Cosmetic Rules. To curb misuse, it is stipulated that the drug should be kept under the custody of the Medical Officer who is in charge of the Centre and the records indicating details of purchase as well as the patients to whom they are to be dispensed will need to be maintained and be subject to inspection.

    Similarly under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, certain minimum conditions regarding the area, manpower equipment etc. have been introduced for operation of blood banks. Those criteria cannot be complied with by mid- zonal and border area hospitals run by the AFMS which transfuse blood in emergency cases. In view of the critical nature of the services provided by such hospitals the new provisions will exempt such hospitals run by the AFMS from the rigours of licensing, subject to the centre being under the charge of a qualified medical officer, the blood is tested for absence of HIV, Hepatitis etc., as required under the rules in this regard and the centre has adequate facilities to store blood.

    NMDC Board has also approved the Bailadila project-10/11-A at an estimated cost of Rs.430.50 crore. The construction of work of this project is on in full swing and it is likely to be completed by July 2002. Bailadila iron ore mines deposits-14/11-C at Kirandul and Deposits-5 at Bacheli in Dhanteware district of Chattisgarh and Donimalai iron ore mines at Donimalai iron ore mines in Bellary district of Karnataka are now operating under NMDC.

    The production of honey has more than doubled to around 11,000 tonnes in 1999-2000. The KVIC and the Central Bee Training Research Institute have been on the forefront in the endeavor to multiply to bee colonies and to spread the technology all over the country. Honey has immense nutritional and medicinal value. It is also used in many ayurvedic concoctions. The indirect benefit from the increase in the yield of the agro-horticulture crops is reckoned to be 20 times the direct benefit, further said the Minister. Smt. Raje said that despite the simplicity of technology and its tremendous advantages as well as its potential of providing employment, honey production has not realized its full potential. The per capita consumption in India is only 8 grams whereas in Germany it is 1800 grams. She emphasized on the need for quality assurance and standardization of the product so that it can increase its share in the world market.

    The two-day national seminar, on a theme "Modern Techniques of Bee Management and Bee-keeping" and first of its kind, is being organized by Khadi and Village Industries Commission to create awareness among different section of people in general and importance of advanced techniques of beekeepers in particular emphasizing the role of bee-keeping in employment generation and food production. The seminar was attended by a number of scientists, technocrates and eminent bee-keepers.

'25'

MODERNISATION OF MARINE OIL TERMINAL AT MUMBAI PORT

    As a result of implementation of this project, the overall transfer rates for crud oil and other Petroleum, Oil and Lubricant (POL) products will increase. The turn round of vessels will go up with consequent saving in ship costs due to less time spent in port and reduction in pre-berthing detention of tankers leading to reduction of demurrage. With the improved pumping rates possible, the capacity of modernisation of Marine Oil Terminal berths would also go up. Implementation of the project would also enhance the environmental safety and fire protection systems at the Marine Oil Terminal.

    The project is expected to be completed by February 2003.

'7'

ALLOCATION OF FAST TRACK COURTS IN STATES

    These courts will become functional from April 1, 2001. The first priority will be given to 1.80 lakh undertrial cases in the very first year followed by other sessions cases. About 2.4 crore cases are pending in district and subordinate courts. The Eleventh Finance Commission has awarded a sum of Rs. 502.90 crores over a period of next four years to the States, which the Government of India has already approved. Out of this, more than Rs. 200 crores has already been disbursed to the States for building necessary infrastructure on a war footing to be ready by the end of March, 2001 so that these courts start functioning right from April 1 this year.

‘7’

PRESS COMMUNIQUE

'8'

MAJOR CHANGES IN TECHNICAL EDUCATION WITH FOCUS ON IT PROPOSED

HRD TASK FORCE SUBMITS INTERIM REPORT TO PM

    The wide-ranging recommendations aim at doubling the intake in IT and related programmes by 2001-02 and tripling it by 2003-04. The report also calls for introduction of new programmes and use of new technologies for increasing their reach and effectiveness through networking and setting up of new institutes of Information Technology. Dr. Joshi informed the Prime Minister that in one year, the capacity in educational institutions in IT and related areas was increased from 60,000 to 1,00,000 seats.

    The report envisages an investment to the tune of Rs. 2000 crore for the Central Government over a seven year period upto the end of 10^th Five Year Plan. Most of the capital outlay would be needed in the first 3-4 years. The State Governments are expected to share a part of the investment. Financing could also be done through soft loans from World Bank, Asian Development Bank and other multilateral funding agencies.

    The Task Force has also taken a critical look at the availability and retention of quality faculty in IT where at present there is a shortage of 10,000 teachers. It suggests early faculty induction programme, greater thrust on post-graduate and research programmes in IT to attract quality faculty, supplementing with faculty of premier institutions, transmigration in all post-graduate and research programmes, switch over from industry to faculty, reputed institutions from India and abroad and re-employment of IT faculty beyond the age of superannuation on a temporary basis.

    In a major move the Task Force has recommended upgradation of existing technical education institutions calling for raising the level of 50 institutions including 17 Regional Engineering Colleges to that of IITs, IIMs, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and the two Indian Institutes of Information Technology. The focus would be on quality under-graduate programmes adding to direct IT manpower supply and on PG programmes for providing faculty. In the next stage 200 Government and Government aided institutions would be taken up where the focus would be mainly on improvement of quality of engineering education in general and IT education in particular as well as enhancement of employability of graduates from these institutions. In the case of the remaining 550 self-financing institutions, the bulk of the financial requirements would have to be provided by the promoters. However, the Government could step in for providing support to improve the networking for their benefit from the academic resources of the institutions in the system.

    Other measures suggested by the Task Force include bridge course and minor area programmes in IT for easy migration, categorisation of institutions, upgradation and replacement of obsolete equipment periodically earmarking 20% of the available revenue and improvement in physical infrastructure with additional class rooms, hostels and library facilities. It has suggested a national network of institutions and State-level networks for effective resource sharing and academic collaboration, digitized libraries of original works, enhanced students mobility, low cost publication of courseware and creation of web-based forum for facilitating curriculum and courseware development efforts. The Report has laid special emphasis on the development of courseware in Indian languages and other gap areas besides integration of language and cultural skills with the regular engineering curriculum for expanding the reach of Indian IT professionals to non-English speaking countries. It has called for promoting non-governmental initiatives in HRD in IT with focus on bridging the digital divide, innovations in pedagogy and delivery of education contents by recognizing such initiatives through a system of national awards.

    The Report notes that while the major expansion in the technical education system in the last two decades has taken place through self-financing institutions, there is need for a more cautious approach in case of such institutions. The expansion of intake in these institutions is not necessarily accompanied by improved facilities and increased availability of quality faculty, it says. The Government funded institutions have to be role models in the technical education system, the task force points out.

    The task force was set up in August last year with HRD Minister as Chairman in pursuance of the announcement made by P.M. in the first national conference of IT Ministers. Its other Members included Finance Minister, Minister for Information Technology, Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, Director IIT Delhi and Secretary, Department of Secondary and Higher Education. Its objectives were to prepare a long term strategy for human resource development in IT, draw up a plan for optimal use of the existing infrastructure, increased cooperation between the formal sector and the private sector and suggest measures for greater accessibility to IT education for all.

'8'

ANGANWADI WORKERS TO BE PAID ADDITIONAL HONORARIUM

    This additional honorarium is to be provided subject to certain conditions, which have been spelt out in the guidelines circulated by the Department of Women and Child Development to all states and Union Territories.

    The PMGY has been introduced during the current financial year with the aim of achieving sustainable human development at the village level. This scheme envisages allocations for additional central assistance to states and Union Territories for selected basic minimum services including nutrition. The allocation for the nutrition component of the PMGY has been made under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme Component of the Integrated Child Development Services(ICDS) scheme.

    Shri Paswan also said that India will hold a philatelic exhibition in Uzbekistan in September 2001 to coincide with the 10^th anniversary of the independence of Uzbekistan. Reciprocally, Uzbekistan will also hold a philatelic exhibition in India in December 2001.

    An agreement on cooperation in the field of postal and allied matters was signed when the President of Uzbekistan visited India in 1994. The Indo-Uzbek Joint Committee which has been set up to implement the agreement is having its first meeting in India. The Indian delegation is led by the Secretary, Department of Posts, Shri B.N.Som.

‘35’

GILL RELEASES "HOW INDIA VOTES - ELECTION LAWS, PRACTISE AND PROCEDURE"

    Congratulating authors of the book, Dr. Gill said that the book gives inside picture of India’s vibrant electoral process. The book would not only very useful to the election analysist in the country but the election administrators all over the world. On the occasion, both the Election Commissioners Shri J.M. Lyngdoh and Shri T. Krishanmurthy, were present.

    The Book attempts to give readers a detailed information on all aspects of the electoral System, practise and procedure relating to elections to the offices of the President and Vice President of India and to the Indian Parliament and Legislatures. The authors have traced back the rules and procedures followed earlier to give a fair idea of the changes that have taken place in the last couple of decades. The Book would be of great interest to foreign psephologists gathering information on the working of the Indian Electoral system.

    As regards the question as to why he was giving a pre-eminent place to the culturally significant cities in his blue-print for new Urban India, Shri Jagmohan said: "Throughout history, major cities have acted as spiritual workshops of the nations. It is in them that great products of mind have been fashioned, given concrete shape and disseminated far and wide. The invisible thoughts that they germinate and visible symbols that they create have usually given rise to a new upsurge, a new pattern of thoughts and deeds. I am not interested merely in their civic reconstruction. I am equally interested in their cultural rejuvenation and in equipping them to serve as centres of new awakening in the country. That is why I have extensively toured and studied problems of a number of ancient cities, with a vast reservoir of cultural heritage such as Madurai, Trichy, Indore, Ujjain, Amritsar, Hardwar, Vrindavan etc. A beginning had been made with Varanasi because it was believed to be the oldest living city of the world."

    The process of implementation got a big boost yesterday following Union Urban Development Minister, Shri Jagmohan’s discussion with Shri Rajnath Singh, Chief Minister and Shri Lalji Tandon, Urban Development Minister of Uttar Pradesh and senior officers of the State Government and the Ministries concerned. Some of the prominent features of the rejuvenation plan for Varanasi are:

• Redevelopment of historic ghats.
• Rejuvenation of kunds, tanks and other water bodies.
• Opening up as much of the city as possible to the river front.
• Tapping and channelising the entire sewage to the treatment plants.
• Taking up phase-I and Phase-II of the Ganga Action Plan and their expeditious completion.
• Revitalisation of the area in and around the temple complexes.
• And a major thrust to the provision of infrastructural facilities through the financial and technical assistance of the Housing and Urban Development Corporation.

    Shri Jagmohan said: "Another special feature of our blue-print is a large central park. On one side of this park would be an elegant cultural centre and on the other side a modern shopping complex. The former would keep alive, in the present-day setting, the diverse legacies of past luminaries of Varanasi, and also of its various schools of music and dance. The shopping complex would provide an attractive outlet for marketing the traditional crafts of Varanasi."

    "A detailed plan for this complex at an estimated cost of Rs. 60 crore has been prepared and for the purpose of execution, a Memorandum of Understanding already signed by Housing and Urban Development Corporation with the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust. In terms of this Memorandum, 9 acres of land has been made available by the Trust for development and construction of this cultural-cum-commercial-cum-green complex. The work would be undertaken by Housing and Urban Development Corporation. A comprehensive project, at an estimated cost of Rs. 60 crore, has been finalised and the foundation stone for this project would be laid at Varanasi in the first week of February 2001. It would provide modern facilities for preservation, propagation and promotion of literary and artistic heritage and also for developing talent in the field of painting, sculpture, music, dance and literature. The complex would be named ‘Avimukta’, the oldest name of Varanasi, and it will symbolise the eternal character of the city and would act as a reference point for its manifested history and heritage."

    "As an illustrative project, a modern Solid Waste Storage Facility has been set up near the Gadolia crossing. Due to the large number of pilgrims and tourists visiting the Dashashvamedha Ghat and Vishwanath TempleTrust, the generation of solid waste per day has reached to such an extent that it has become a hazard. The scientifically designed garbage storage and disposal facility has already been completed. The covered structure has well laid concrete floorings, brick walls and fibre-glass roofing. The front opening would be used during nights for prompt disposal. This aesthetically designed facility will be replicated in various areas of the city so that the problem of garbage collection for disposal is streamlined. In addition to above, the skyline which has been disfigured and uglified by tangled electric wiring near the temple complex and Dashashvamedha Ghat, are being repaired and realigned at a cost of about Rs. 50 lakhs."

    Shri Jagmohan said: "Opening of Dashashvamedha Ghat and shifting of shops and other make-shift structures to a site near Benia Park is also underway. This ambitious project will open up the entire Dashashaamedha Ghat to the visitors from the main bazar and would provide a panoramic view of the river with beautifully land-scapped green areas around. The aforesaid 400 shops would be relocated near the Benia Park/Ratnakar Park for which a project costing about Rs. 3.5 crore has been finalised and is being executed."

    "The programme of all other Ministries, such as Surface Transport, Tourism, Railways, Environment, Civil Aviation are being integrated and augmented for giving a unified thrust to the project of rejuvenation. Rs. 508 crore has already been earmarked for augmentation of water supply, provision of sewerage, drainage and solid waste management, including improvement plan for the traffic within the city and beautification of ghats. The implementation will be monitored through the Special Development Board. Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) would provide loan assistance in addition to the resources being tapped from other Ministries. The work on the Ganga Action Plan which was held up for the last 6-7 years, is being given thrust and Rs. 9 crore has already been released for the commencement of the works."

    "An innovative scheme of redevelopment/revitalisation of the four Railway Stations is also being worked out in consultation with Ministry of Railways. The development of the vacant land, near the Railway Stations, is being conceived in a manner so that a large number of facilities can be provided for the pilgrims and the local residents. A major Inter State Bus Terminus is also being planned incorporating modern concepts and technology to facilitate efficient traffic flow. This would be executed by Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation. HUDCO will also provide loan in addition to the consultancy services. In order to optimise the use of available lands pertaining to Varanasi Central Jail and Learning and Training College, a comprehensive development plan is being worked out."

    "To expedite the execution of above projects and also to give over all thrust, an Executive Committee was set up during the meeting held yesterday."

    "The recent spurt in terrorist violence in Jammu & Kashmir and elsewhere in India, unleashed by Pakistan-based militant organizations has vitiated the atmosphere for resumption of talks between India and Pakistan. Terrorist attacks on our security forces and civilians have increased both in number and in their gravity. The incidents at the Red Fort and Srinagar airport, combined with the threat to strike at the Prime Minister’s Office, show that militant outfits, which are opposed to peace and normalcy in the State are alarmed at the prospects of fruitful dialogue between India and Pakistan.

    What is particularly surprising and distressing is the fact that the leadership of Pakistan continues to do nothing to restrain these terrorist organizations, which operate from Pakistani soil, even as it professes its eagerness to resume talks with India. Its argument that violence will stop once talks begin is strange, to say the least. It convinces neither India nor the international community. There cannot be meaningful talks for resolving outstanding issues and normalizing bilateral relations when the guns of terrorist outfits continue to do their own talking.

    India’s readiness to have talks with Pakistan at any level, including at the highest level has been well established. We have also strongly demonstrated our sincerity to create a conducive atmosphere for talks through specific confidence-building measures, such as unilateral cessation of combat operations in Jammu & Kashmir. However, the continuation of terrorist activities in and outside the State shows that the purpose of our taking these unilateral initiatives is not being fulfilled.