Fed up of dirty surroundings and taunts from foreign visitors to Agra, the locals pick up brooms and spades

Unable to swallow the taunts and negative comments from domestic and foreign visitors on the pathetic state of Agra with its filthy, litter-ridden surroundings, a voluntary group of social activists consisting of retired defense personnel and other professionals have taken up the task on their own. One of the members is an ex-NASA scientist!
They have identified themselves as India Rising and have begun a self-help mission to clean up roads, parks and other public places and utilities in the city. This city is where the world famous Taj Mahal is located. It attracts millions of tourists every year.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 1 October 2015.

Plenty of photo ops are reported in the media but, when it comes down to brass tacks, nothing worthwhile is happening. The sewers in Agra are overflowing and gutters are choked. Therefore, Sudershan Dua, an ex-serviceman has taken up the cudgels. He is the mastermind behind the 'India Rising' group.
Instead of waiting for things to happen, they want to make things happen. Since help from the apathetic Uttar Pradesh government and indifferent private individuals is not forthcoming, the India Rising members who sport blue T-shirts and caps have decided to take matters into their own hands.
They work on Sunday mornings – they zero in on a selected spot, after posting an invite on Facebook, and clean up the whole area. They arrive with brooms, spades and baskets. They work to collect garbage, trim bushes, fill the potholes and give a lick of paint wherever required. The job done, they take photos before and after our clean-up activity and post these on the Facebook to motivate others to join. The response has been heartening.
Incidentally, the campaign took off in March 2014 – much before Prime Minister Narendra Modi came on the scene and launched the 'Swachh Bharat' initiative.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Some more interesting 'must reads'-

Worsening quality of air forces shutdown of Singapore schools

Giant laddoo weighing 11,111Kg offered to Goddess Ambaji at Ambaji temple

Israeli armed Heron drones to be inducted into the Indian arsenal


Bay City Rollers, the Scottish band, to hold a reunion gig in Glasgow

Richa Chadha opens her mind – says, she wants to do ‘candy-floss’ roles

Chris Brown, the American singer, may be denied entry into Australia


Gunmen abduct foreigners from a Philippine island resort, an American and a Japanese jump to safety

Huge rat-size spiders invade Cheshire – residents in panic

Ukraine imposes sanctions on Moscow - bans Aeroflot and Transaero flights into the country


36-days for Durga Puja and the dhakis get ready

Durga Puja is the busiest time of the year for Kumortuli

Bengalis and the hawkers’ corners in Kolkata

Chhattisgarh blames working women for increase in unemployment

Chhattisgarh is a BJP-ruled state and in its Class-10 textbook it is said that working women are responsible for rising unemployment. This is yet another faux-pas and makes a mockery of the policies of Narendra Modi-led BJP government because it is pushing for women empowerment and gender equality.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 23 September 2015.

The textbook has been published by Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education and it mentions that the rate of unemployment after Independence has increased because women have started working in all sectors. A teacher in the Jashpur district has filed a petition in the state women's commission against the same.
The commission has agreed to take the matter up with Chief Minister Raman Singh.
Incidentally, such instances have been there in the past from other states as well. In 2014, West Bengal Class-8 textbooks labelled revolutionary freedom fighters like Khudiram Bose, Jatindranath Mukherjee and Prafulla Chaki as 'terrorists'. In 2013, the Maharashtra government had ordered the withdrawal of Class X geography textbooks that excluded Arunachal Pradesh from the map of India. And, in 2012, textbook in a CBSE school claimed that non-vegetarians lie, cheat and commit crimes.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Some more interesting 'must reads'-

ASI hikes entry fees to Taj Mahal by 200%

Heavy rains lash Pune, trains cancelled, passengers stranded for hours in trains

Bangalore does not want people to feed pigeons in Cubbon Park


NBA Superstar 7ft 2in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to publish novel on Mycroft Holmes, elder brother of Sherlock Holmes

Priyanka Chopra and Monica Dogra nominated by VH1for Europe Music Awards 2015

John Abraham and Sonakshi Sinha shoot ‘Force 2’ in Ethnographic Museum Budapest


Death toll rises to 193 in fuel tanker explosion in South Sudan

Taliban attacks mosque in Peshawar Air Force base and leaves 20 dead

Russia sends fighter jets to Syria to bolster Assad’s defenses


36-days for Durga Puja and the dhakis get ready

Industries just do not gel with West Bengal

Bengalis are daydreamers tied to mothers’ apron strings

Toilets hit the headlines again – courtesy Swatchh Bharat campaign

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given the call of Swatchh Bharat during his Independence Day speech last year and, while everyone is struggling to make the dream come true, a centenarian woman of Raipur has taken a lead for others to follow. She has sold off her goats and constructed a toilet.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 6 September 2015.

The corporate sector is still trying to build toilets in schools across the country and, a 102-year-old woman in a remote village in Chhattisgarh has beaten them to the punch.
She has set an example of sorts by selling off her goats for Rs 22,000 and use the money to build a toilet. And, she has made it her mission in life – she is seen moving door to door in Kotabharri village in Dhamtari district to motivate people to switch over from open-defecation. The village has a population of 450 residents and they have taken a pledge to construct toilets at their homes.
The local administration has agreed to provide subsidy to meet the tasks under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme and, it has already, been declared an open-defecation free village.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Some more interesting 'must reads'-

Qatar Airways changes its policy of sacking cabin crew for getting pregnant or getting married

Women’s hockey team into 2016 Rio Olympics after 36-years on Dhyan Chand’s birthday

Mumbai’s 9000-tonnes of daily plastic waste a major environment issue


Tila Tequila evicted from Celebrity Big Brother because of her praise of Hitler

‘Phantom’ – a Saif Ali Khan Katrina Kaif starrer with Mumbai 26/11 as backdrop

Cate Blanchett to be honored with BFI Fellowship at London Film Festival


Foolish robbers caught in London - they wore burqas but did not walk like women!!

Horror of free access to firearms – West Virginia 14-year-old takes 27 classmates hostage at gunpoint

Trained jihadists from Iraq and Syria returning to Europe to strike terror


A street food named jhal muri
A tribute to Kishore Kumar, the legend, on his 86th birthday

Indian kitchens must have ‘besan’

Government schools in Bareilly do not have power so Modi’s ‘Man ki Baat’ will remain unheard

On the occasion of Teachers’ Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to share his ‘man ki baat’ with school children - but, government schools in Bareilly do not have any electricity and, hence, Modi-ji’s thoughts would remain unheard. Talks of a digital India sound so hollow!!
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 3 September 2015.

Our Prime Minister is an excellent orator and can hold millions spellbound by his oratory powers as he has shown in the past 15-months. He selects special occasions to share his thoughts like ‘Man ki baat’ with the masses and, sometimes, with children who are the future citizens. But, India being a land of misplaced priorities, the important aspect of ensuring availability of electricity everywhere has not yet seen the light of day.
The guidelines had been received only one day earlier. There are around 2876 primary and upper primary government schools across the district and a majority of them situated in remote areas and lack proper amenities. District education officials have revealed that they do not have resources to arrange for equipment, to accommodate the telecast, within a short span of time.
As indicated by Uniform District Information System for Education (UDISE), a total of 90,000 students across Bareilly would be listening to Modi's speech against a total of three lakh students enrolled in both primary and upper primary schools in the 2014-2015 session.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Some more interesting 'must reads'-

Qatar Airways changes its policy of sacking cabin crew for getting pregnant or getting married

Women’s hockey team into 2016 Rio Olympics after 36-years on Dhyan Chand’s birthday

Mumbai’s 9000-tonnes of daily plastic waste a major environment issue


Tila Tequila evicted from Celebrity Big Brother because of her praise of Hitler

‘Phantom’ – a Saif Ali Khan Katrina Kaif starrer with Mumbai 26/11 as backdrop

Cate Blanchett to be honored with BFI Fellowship at London Film Festival


Foolish robbers caught in London - they wore burqas but did not walk like women!!

Horror of free access to firearms – West Virginia 14-year-old takes 27 classmates hostage at gunpoint

Trained jihadists from Iraq and Syria returning to Europe to strike terror


A street food named jhal muri
A tribute to Kishore Kumar, the legend, on his 86th birthday

Indian kitchens must have ‘besan’

Stray dogs and monkeys are spoiling Prime Minister's 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan'

At long last someone has realized that cleanliness cannot come through photo ops sessions of ministers and babus sweeping the clean streets with brand new brooms – of course, the broom sellers have made money as have agencies who have jumped on to the bandwagon of the cleanliness fad.

One must get to the root of the problem and contain menaces like street dogs, swinging monkeys and cattle left loose on the stress – they not only pollute and litter the surroundings but prevent the country from being transformed into a Swachh Bharat. Therefore, the NGO must be congratulated who has moved the Delhi High Court seeking a direction to the Centre to take concrete steps to deal with the "increasing menace" of stray dogs and monkeys in the national capital and have them "eliminated". These animals are "defiling" the Prime Minister's 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan'. This has been reported in ibnlive.com dated 22 July 2015.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by NGO, Society For Public Cause, which said that Section 399 of Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, provides for control and regulation of dogs.

It is not only stray dogs but cattle on the roads and monkeys in the trees that also need to be controlled if India has to become a clean country and fulfil the dreams of a Swachh Bharat. (Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

A few more must reads -
You don’t need wads of money to travel like the moneyed – use an Uber-style phone app

Role reversal in Delhi - woman passenger tries to seduce auto driver

Gardeners and sweepers of NDMC will go to Singapore or Shanghai for training

Controversy over water cannons procured for London Police by Boris Johnson

FAO Schwarz, America’s oldest toy store, closes its doors in Manhattan


Egypt unsafe for British tourists – ISIS attacks patrol ship off coast of Sinai

Chinese police shoot dead three knife wielding Xinjiang terrorists

Police foil al-Qaeda terror plot in Britain – hold three men


Grandmothers doubled up as baby sitters and chaperons

Some Prime Ministers ride to office on bicycles, why not we?

India’s dreams of a Utopia vanishing, courtesy arrogant and corrupt ministers

The arrogant attitudes of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and MoS of Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju have harmed the image of our beloved Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They have misused their position and taken advantage of their political clout – Fadnavis delayed an international flight going out of India and Rijiju prevailed upon the carriers to offload three passengers to make room for him.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 2 July 2015.

Modiji’s dreams of India transforming to Utopia are taking a beating due to such attitudes of his ministers. He, and all Indians like him, want that India become a country that others will look up to and that India will take a lead to chalk out a new global thinking and reincarnation.
Unfortunately, with the incidents of irregular dealings leveled against his senior ministers like Sushma Swaraj, Smriti Irani, and chief minister Vasundhara Raje, the embarrassments he is facing can only be imagined. His problems are confounded by the irregularities leveled against BJP ministers in Maharashtra which is a BJP ruled state.
That is probably the reason of why, like his previous counterpart who had been criticized for his silence on many embarrassing issues, our present Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chosen to be silent.
(Image courtesy wikimediacmns.org)

A few more must reads -
Skinny jeans a health hazard as an Adelaide woman found out in the park

Good news from the Cold War front – Putin rings up Obama in the White House

Agra Railway Police sends 109 persons to jail for committing nuisance on railway property

Thieves in UP steal nine buffaloes from BJP MLA’s farmhouse

No more cold drinks or junk food for Amarnath Yatra


Six women vanish from Ohio – suspected to be victims of serial killing

France paralyzed by taxi drivers strike – grouse against Uber cabs lead to chaos

Two girl suicide bombers kill at least 30 in Nigerian market


Disguises in Indian movies and TV

Movies on rebirth – hot favorites of Bollywood

Chinese submarine crosses Arabian Sea and docks at Karachi port

This may come as a shock to many but a Chinese submarine had crossed the Arabian Sea, docked at Karachi port for a week, and returned to Beijing even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on his visit to China.
This has been reported in indiatoday.intoday.in dated 27 June 2015.

It was China's Yuan Class 335 submarine, it entered Karachi port on May 22 with a crew of at least 65. The sub and crew spent at least a week in Karachi, refueled, and replenished stocks before returning to China.
The incident happened within a week of Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapping up his Beijing trip.
This Yuan 335 submarine is believed to be China's deadliest conventional submarine and it had left its base at Hainan Island in the South China Sea on 31st March. The sub is equipped with torpedoes, anti-ship missiles and an air-independent propulsion that improves its underwater endurance.
After leaving China, it entered the Gulf of Aden over a fortnight later but Karachi was its first port of call and, that has caught the South Block unawares. This action of Beijing could be the first step for selling subs to Pakistan by China. Apparently, there are plans to sell some eight Yuan class submarines to Pakistan within the next few years.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

A few more must reads -
Skinny jeans a health hazard as an Adelaide woman found out in the park

Good news from the Cold War front – Putin rings up Obama in the White House

Agra Railway Police sends 109 persons to jail for committing nuisance on railway property

Thieves in UP steal nine buffaloes from BJP MLA’s farmhouse

No more cold drinks or junk food for Amarnath Yatra


Six women vanish from Ohio – suspected to be victims of serial killing

France paralyzed by taxi drivers strike – grouse against Uber cabs lead to chaos

Two girl suicide bombers kill at least 30 in Nigerian market


Disguises in Indian movies and TV

Movies on rebirth – hot favorites of Bollywood

Four naughty women tie the Modi government in knots

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when taking over the reins of the country had indicated that he was not one to accept corruption. His administration has, within the year, initiated action against previous regime stalwarts who are believed to have been involved in irregularities. But, he is now faced with four women leaders who belong to his own party and appear to have been involved in misdeeds that are tarnishing the clean image of the part.
It seems it is turning out to be a case of the pot calling the kettle of being black.
The way skeletons are stumbling out of the cupboard of the Modi government within one year in office is a matter of concern for the Prime Minister.

Four women stalwarts are in the center of controversy – two of them are central ministers, one is the chief minister of a state and the fourth is a minister in the Maharashtra government. Their behind-the-scenes activity have come a huge embarrassment for the Prime Minister and he, like his predecessor, has chosen to remain silent on the affairs. The chief minister had made a trip to New Delhi to explain her position but she has, apparently, been snubbed by New Delhi.
The controversy surrounding the second union minister is regarding her education certificate – it seems the certificate she had submitted on different occasions for contesting elections were not consistent – she has sought to explain it off as ‘typo errors’.
Once upon a time the party that used to criticize the then Prime Minister of remaining silent on matters of corruption find that their own Prime Minister is following the same route.
And, ever since the controversy broke, the senior minister is abroad – probably waiting for the heat to cool off.
As to the minister of Maharashtra, she is trying to put up a brave front – she is the daughter of a famous political leader and knows the tricks of the trade.

(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

A few more must reads -
Popcorns in movie halls can contain too much salt and sugar for comfort

Glastonbury Festival might move out from Worthy Farm to a new location

China wants to revive silk route with high speed rail link between Kolkata and Kunming

Iranian women have tickets but cannot watch volleyball match in Tehran

Global warming – snow on the Himalayas is melting too fast due to rise in temperatures


61-year-old woman kicked and stamped her husband to death over a pack of cigarettes

Nine killed by a white man in a hate crime in South Carolina church

Bear bile farm in Vietnam finally closed down, only one bear survived out of 27


Today TV dictates our lifestyle

News on TV channels go from dull to attractive

Agra Railway Police sends 109 persons to jail for committing nuisance on railway property

Peeing in public places is a common sight in India and Agra has set a trend by arresting 109 persons who have been caught by the Railway Police for urinating in public and committing other nuisance in or around the railway platforms, railway tracks, and parking lot. It was an unprecedented cleanliness drive. The 109 persons were sent to jail for 24 hours after they were found urinating on the railway property, including platform, tracks parking lot. They were, subsequently, released after paying fines ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 500.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 26 June 2015.

The drive was conducted over a 48-hour period across 12 stations of GRP, Agra division and, out of those nabbed, 27 were caught in the act. The divisions were Agra Cantt, Agra Fort, Idgah, Raja Ki Mandi and Tundla.
The drive was in accordance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Swachh Bharat' campaign.
It is a wonderful move, no doubt, especially in Agra which is a tourist spot. But the fact remains that the facilities available at railway stations are not only inadequate but also dirty and unhealthy, the floors are wet and slimy and the surroundings stinky. The authorities need to look into this aspect.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

A few more must reads -
Popcorns in movie halls can contain too much salt and sugar for comfort

Glastonbury Festival might move out from Worthy Farm to a new location

China wants to revive silk route with high speed rail link between Kolkata and Kunming

Iranian women have tickets but cannot watch volleyball match in Tehran

Global warming – snow on the Himalayas is melting too fast due to rise in temperatures


61-year-old woman kicked and stamped her husband to death over a pack of cigarettes

Nine killed by a white man in a hate crime in South Carolina church

Bear bile farm in Vietnam finally closed down, only one bear survived out of 27


Today TV dictates our lifestyle

News on TV channels go from dull to attractive

Mamata Banerjee in team of Narendra Modi headed for Bangladesh

Politics is a profession where nothing is predictable and where sworn enemies can become fast friends overnight. The blow-hot, blow-cold relationship between Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal and Narendra Modi, is well known. But, of late, there appears to be a thaw and Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to accompany Narendra Modi on his visit to Dhaka on June 6.
It may be recalled that she had snubbed the earlier Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on the same issue four years back – she had skipped a similar tour. In September 2011, she had suddenly pulled out at the last minute. The signing of the Teesta water-sharing treaty was on top of the agenda. The Chief Minister had refused to give her assent to the sharing the Teesta waters with Bangladesh.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 29 May 2015.

It seems the external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had called up the Chief Minister and requested her to join the delegation travelling with the Prime Minister.
His camaraderie between Mamata and Modi has taken everyone, including BJP leaders associated with West Bengal, by surprise. Tongues of the opposition were wagging following a few recent incidents and, the BJP leaders are also surprised.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub


Kenyan lawyer wants to marry Obama’s elder daughter Malia

Modi’s first year in office – how America sees it

Noise pollution leads to obesity – those living near airports or busy streets are affected

Giant barrel jellyfish 5-ft long, 3-ft diameter and weighing 5-stone each found off Dorset coast

ICU beckons me for a second time

Marriages are made in Heaven

Teen, instigated by his mother, bludgeons a Delhi bus driver to death in broad daylight

Dozens of corpses found in bamboo cages in Thai human trafficking camp

India-Pakistan cricket series in UAE – BJP leader opposes it

The Chiefs of India`s and Pakistan`s cricket boards had met in Kolkata and have subsequently informed the media that talks have been held on the proposed India-Pakistan cricket series which would be conducted in a neutral venue, permeably the United Arab Emirates.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 11May 2015.

The proposal is to have three Test matches, five one-day internationals (ODIs) and two T20 games.
However, one of the leaders of BJP who is an MP from Bihar has objections to such a course of action. In his opinion, Pakistan continues to extend support to terrorists like Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and also allow Dawood Ibrahim to move about freely in Pakistan, what purpose would be served by holding cricket matches.
His utterances are strange because Prime Minister Narendra Modi is always trying to mend fences with the neighbors and he should seize this opportunity to carry out a bit of cricket diplomacy. We already have Pakistani cricketers in the IPL games – some of them are directly attached to the teams as coaches, others are a part of the commentary teams while others liven up the IPL shows with their presence and share snippets of history.
A game like cricket should be devoid of politics.

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub


More than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped last year by Boko Haram have vanished

Journey to freedom – 5800 migrants rescued from the Mediterranean

Indonesian smugglers stuff yellow-crested cockatoos into plastic bottles to get past customs

Engineering graduate of Hyderabad goes astray, dies because of links with ISIS

Dozens of corpses found in bamboo cages in Thai human trafficking camp

Quick tour of Delhi by ITDC bus

Cleaning up India – 7.1-lakh toilets built during January under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

#SwachhBharat #NirmalBharatAbhiyan #toilets As per latest information, as many as 7.1 lakh individual household toilets had been built in January and this was the highest for any month since the project was launched in October Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream project, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
However, it falls far short of the planned 1.2 crore toilets for the fiscal year as reported in economictimes.indiatimes.com dated 17 February 2015.
Data released by the government is that a total of 31.83 lakh toilets have been built between April 2014 and January 2015 – this is approximately 25.4% of the target for 2014-15. The program envisages an investment of nearly Rs 2 lakh crore over the next five years in order to construct 12 crore toilets.
It seems there is more than meets the eye because an official has indicated that the 'internal target' set for the year is 50 lakh and the associated ministry of drinking water and sanitation would be able to meet the target. He has clarified that the targets shown on the website are basically to push the states to do more.
The bottom line is that the internal target set earlier under the erstwhile Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan of 1999 of the previous UPA government, i.e. 50 lakh household toilets for this year and in subsequent years would be met since funds are not a constraint.

A shocker from J & K – 14 police stations and 48 police posts do not have any toilet!!

#swatchhbharat #policestations #RTI #toilets #drinkingwater Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be shocked to know that it has been revealed by an RTI activist that more than a dozen of police stations and police posts across the state of Jammu and Kashmir do not have any basic amenities like toilet and drinking water. This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 15 February 2015.
The Information has been made available by the Public Information Officer cum AIG Welfare of the Jammu and Kashmir Police Headquarters and it was in response to the application under RTI act and the information is that 48 police posts and 14 police stations in the state do not have any toilet facility.
Moreover, 49 Posts and 23 Police Stations do not have any drinking water facility.
The pet project of Prime Minister Modi is a Swachh Bharat or a Clean India and instructions have been issued to ensure that open toilets are gradually removed and replaced with regular toilet facilities. Awareness is being spread via TV ads and corporate houses are being roped in to take up the cause of schools – especially those meant for girls. This is important because there are reports that girls drop out of schools because there are no proper toilet facilities.
However, the pathetic state of J & K with its police stations minus toilets and drinking water facilities is something that must be addressed on immediate priority.

Clean Ganga mission – 700 tanneries of Kanpur pollute the River Ganges

#tanneries #kanpur #cleanganga #pollution The Clean Ganga mission is a mission that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to pursue with vigor and he has named Uma Bharati as the minister who should follow up and ensure implementation. But, the extent of pollution due to the tanneries in Kanpur, situated on the banks of the Ganges, poses a major challenge.
In this context, the warning of the National Green Tribunal has come not a day too soon – it has warned of complete closure of 700 tanneries in Kanpur located on the banks of the Rive Ganges because these are one of the "highest sources of pollution". These pollutants were injurious to human health and bio-diversity apart from ecology of the river.
Moreover, the tribunal has also observed that unless effective steps are taken to curb the pollution level then the tanneries would be closed because the lives of millions who reside in the region would be in anger and that should not happen.
The NGT is serious about the matter and a bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, has issued directions for inspection of the entire tannery industrial cluster. This should be undertaken by a team consisting of reps of Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA).
The bench was quite clear on what was needed - life of millions cannot be put at stake for carrying out a commercial activity of a group of individuals and a proper balance must be maintained between development and environment.

Rajya Sabha adjourned again on issue of religious conversion – opposition wants Modi to speak

#BolModiBol Yes, the opposition wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a statement in the Rajya Sabha on the issue of conversions but that is not happening and the speaker had to adjourn the House once again. Bol Modi Bol is the cry.
Incidentally, this was the third day in a row that, a united opposition led by the Congress party continued its demand for a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on recent forced religious conversions.
The Congress along with the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Janata Dal (United), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Trinamool Congress have been demanding the presence of Modi in the Rajya Sabha to inform the members of the House on the steps that the government is taking over such conversions.
It may be recalled that BJP MP Yogi Adityanath has justified such programs terming the conversions are an ongoing process that will continue to happen. In his words, this 'ghar-wapsi' programme has been happening for ages.
Since the BJP is not having the numbers in the Rajya Sabha, the opposition is a force to reckon with.
The BJP government is in a minority in the Rajya Sabha with just 57 MPs while the opposition of the six parties have a total of 126 members of parliament in the 245 member house.
Since there ae several important bills in the House waiting for approval, such disruption in proceedings are proving costly because there are only three days left in this session. It remains to be seen whether Modi will take heed of the Bol Modi Bol demand.

India expresses solidarity with Pakistan – Parliament observes silence to mourn the slain Pakistan children

#IndiaWithPakistan In a show of solidarity with neighbor Pakistan, both the houses of the Indian parliament observed two minutes of silence in the wake of the terror attack in Peshawar.
Prime Minister Narenda Modi has condemned the killings and had called up his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif to assure him of all assistance from India. In the course of their talks Prime Minister Modi expressed hopes that the children who were witness to the horrific attack and loss of their friends would come through this trauma through counselling.
The Indian Prime Minister also added during his telephonic talk with Nawaz Sharif, that this moment of shared pain and mourning should also be taken as a call for the two countries and all those who believe in humanity to join hands and to decisively and comprehensively defeat terrorism.
Schools in India also observed two-minute silence in memory of the dead.
It was a bloody carnage that left the world stunned when the Taliban terrorists in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar shot dead 141 people, including 132 school children, after storming into an Army Public School in the morning hours.

Follow the Yoga way to be healthy – it helps weight loss and reduces blood pressure

#yogaforall The UN has announced June 21st as the International Yoga Day – it was a major victory for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi because 175 out of 193 members of the UN accepted the proposal – the acceptance was given by countries like the US and Syria, Russia and Britain, and China and the Philippines.
This acceptance gave recognition to Yoga which is an ancient Indian science's "holistic approach to health and well-being" - #yogaforall is the message.
Research carried out by Myriam Hunink, of Erasmus University in the Netherlands and Harvard University in the US has concluded that yoga was as good as conventional physical activity in improving heart health. Yoga could provide the same benefits in risk factor reduction as traditional physical activity such as cycling or brisk walking.
In the opinion of the NHS, no one is too old to take up yoga because yoga classes are there for every age group and those who find it difficult to sit down on the floor can do chair-based yoga.
Maureen Talbot, of the British Heart Foundation, adds - any physical activity that can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and #hearthealth and developing these should be encouraged, and the benefits of yoga on emotional health are well established.

Swatchh Bharat campaign is old wine in new bottle, it’s a copy of Incredible India

#SwatchhBharat No Indian in his right mind wants to see filth around him but, our culture being what is and the level of education being so low, that trying to reverse the trend is difficult, well-nigh impossible in spite of token cleanliness drives by government officials, political leaders and celebrities of the silver screen.
An effort to clean the environment and make people aware of the need to keep the surroundings clean, a campaign had been launched in launched in 2002 by the Tourism Ministry with Bollywood star Amir Khan as the brand ambassador – it was "Atithi Devo Bhava" (guest is god).
Through videos, it was shown the inherent impulse of Indians to spit of the roads, seek out corners to relieve themselves, throw litter out of moving vehicles and other such embarrassments. Hence, the #SwatchhBharat campaign that has been started by Prime Minister Modi can be said to be a new look for an old campaign, old wine in new bottle.
It seems the government plans to spend around Rs 2,00,000 crore over the next five years for this cleanliness mission – this has been indicated by M Venkaiah Naidu, Union minister for urban development. He has also indicated that there would be a 'Swachh Bharat Kosh' to provide tax and fiscal incentives.
Moreover, business houses are being asked to instal toilets in schools as a priority need and commit to construct these in order to entice the students to use these instead of going out in the open to answer nature’s calls. As to the condition of existing public toilets in cities, those will never attract the masses. The stink is unbearable everywhere, water logging is normal and, hence, the people turn to alternatives – this is natural.
In a village in my locality, ready-mad toilets were distributed to every family – a board was also put up saying that ‘this village is free of open defecation’. And – believe it or not, the families converted the toilets into stores to dump dry sticks and wood and cow dung cakes. Open defecating continues to flourish.

The Indo-Pak divide surfaces again in hockey match

#INDvsPAK The Indo-Pak divide has surfaced again – the occasion this time was the win by Pakistan in the Hero Champions Trophy hockey tournament against arch rivals India. The Indians lost a golden opportunity to create history as they went down 3-4 against Pakistan in a high-voltage semifinal of the tournament. The Pakistani players, then, celebrated their victory by hurling indecent and obscene gestures towards the crowd and Indian media and were promptly rebuked by their coach Shahnaz Shiekh.
The fact remains that, in spite of the overtures made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his counterpart Nawaz Sharif during the oath-taking ceremony in New Delhi, hopes had been raised that at long last India and Pakistan will go in for ensuring peace in the region and bring back normalcy in dealings.
But, that has not happened, instead the regular violation of LOC and intrusion from the border areas continue. As a result, India has cancelled meetings with Pakistan and even at formal meetings both the leaders have avoided any semblance of friendship in SAARC.
This is not what the people on either side of the borders want. They want that relations become normal, that there can be business between the two countries and sports can flourish. Similar sentiments had been echoed by the two Nobel Peace prize winners Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi but the feelings are not translating into action.

Putin signs defense deals with India, the United States not amused

In his eagerness to make more and more friends, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi treats all leaders on the same platform - and, in doing so, he is probably ruffling many feathers.
At this moment, Russian President Vladimir Putin is in India and has signed a number of defense and nuclear deals. But, the United States is not amused because one member of Putin’s team is Sergey Aksyonov, the Prime Minister of Crimea and Putin has earned a bad name because of his annexing of Crimea that once was a part of Ukraine.
This is a peculiar issue - the fact that Russia and India are concluding business ties, especially in the field of nuclear power when the US-India civilian nuclear deal is yet to attain fruition. It is bound to create complications. It may be recalled that the US had tried to isolate Putin for his invasion of Ukraine and a cold war is raging between the two super powers.
India does not support western sanctions against Russia for his actions in Ukraine, but it has also not approved the Russian annexation of Crimea either. Hence, the Prime Minister of Crimea in the team with Russian President has raised many eyebrows.
Anyway, New Delhi had indicated to Washington that it was not ''officially aware'' of Aksyonov's presence in the Putin delegation and, the US accepted that on face value but has asked for further clarifications. Incidentally, Petro Poroshenko has lashed out at India for entertaining the Crimean leader – in Petro’s words, India was placing more importance on money than values by welcoming the Aksyanov.
This incident could become an embarrassment when President Barack Obama visits India in late January to be chief guest at India's Republic Day parade – it is an occasion for New Delhi to showcase its military hardware, most of which is of Russian origin.