Monday, May 30, 2011
BETALBATIM LAUNCHES DOOR WASTE COLLECTION
The Panchayat of Betalbatim will launch its Door to Door Collection of Dry Waste tomorrow. Former Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco MLA, will be the Chief Guest at the function, to be held in front of the Panchayat Office at 10.45am on 2nd June. Goa Chaka Chak Coordinator Patricia Pinto will be the Guest of Honour, while Zilla Member and Goa Mahila chief, Prof. Nelly Rodrigues will preside over the function. Eng. Clinton Vaz who has helped the Panchayat to put in place its garbage management initiative in association with Betalbatim Civic & Consumer Forum, will be on hand to field queries. A Cycle-Rickshaw will collect Dry Waste bimonthly from households which are segregating and composting Biodegradable Waste in composters. The sets of 3 earthenware pots are supplied to households by the Panchayat at subsidized rates. A Say No to Plastic Carrybags campaign, is also being launched with Shopkeepers in Betalbatim phasing out single-use plastic carrybags in favour of reusable cloth carrybags subsidized by the Panchayat.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Draft education policy rolls out
HERALD REPORTER
Policy maps State’s future plans from KG to higher education
PANJIM, APRIL 11
After the end of four-year long exhaustive exercise, Goa Government’s draft Education policy has finally seen the light of the day.
Director of Higher Education Bhaskar Nayak on Monday submitted the draft education policy titled ‘The Goa State Integrated Education Policy 2011’, to the Government.
The details of policy, however, are kept under wraps awaiting formal sanction from the Education Ministry.
The 30-page document to map out future plans for education in the State right from Kindergarten to Higher Education level, is likely to be kept for further suggestions and objections before it is finally notified.
Nayak said that the ground work for this policy began a long time back, was later submitted to various sub-committees for their feedbacks.
The draft policy was even referred to all the 40 MLAs of the State. “Of the 40, two MLAs Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar and Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, reverted back with their suggestions”, Nayak said.
He said that the financial implications of the policy were also taken into consideration before it was given a final shape.
Involving a consultative process, the policy was also circulated to various stakeholders – Education Department, Goa Headmasters Association, Diocesan Society, Higher Secondary Principals Association, College Principals Association and Teachers’ Union.
“We had solicited comments from them and majority of their suggestions are included in the policy”, Nayak said.
A fortnight back, Education Minister Babush Monserrate had told the State Legislative Assembly that the Education Policy for Goa has been already designed by the group of experts and would be announced on April 11.
Policy maps State’s future plans from KG to higher education
PANJIM, APRIL 11
After the end of four-year long exhaustive exercise, Goa Government’s draft Education policy has finally seen the light of the day.
Director of Higher Education Bhaskar Nayak on Monday submitted the draft education policy titled ‘The Goa State Integrated Education Policy 2011’, to the Government.
The details of policy, however, are kept under wraps awaiting formal sanction from the Education Ministry.
The 30-page document to map out future plans for education in the State right from Kindergarten to Higher Education level, is likely to be kept for further suggestions and objections before it is finally notified.
Nayak said that the ground work for this policy began a long time back, was later submitted to various sub-committees for their feedbacks.
The draft policy was even referred to all the 40 MLAs of the State. “Of the 40, two MLAs Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar and Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, reverted back with their suggestions”, Nayak said.
He said that the financial implications of the policy were also taken into consideration before it was given a final shape.
Involving a consultative process, the policy was also circulated to various stakeholders – Education Department, Goa Headmasters Association, Diocesan Society, Higher Secondary Principals Association, College Principals Association and Teachers’ Union.
“We had solicited comments from them and majority of their suggestions are included in the policy”, Nayak said.
A fortnight back, Education Minister Babush Monserrate had told the State Legislative Assembly that the Education Policy for Goa has been already designed by the group of experts and would be announced on April 11.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
It took Anna to rebuild Ralegan Siddhi
PUNE: From an obscure, barren and water scarcity-hit village to a green belt, Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district, about 110 km from Pune, stands as a shining example for sustainable development based on Gandhian principles. Unwittingly, it has become part of the newly found anti-corruption movement the country spearheaded to one of its sons, 72-year-old Anna Hazare.
Nearly four decades ago, the village of 2,500 people was like most others, mired in poverty with 33 liquor dens boosting the illicit trade. Water scarcity meant little farming and with no other source of livelihood the per capita income was just Rs 271.
Hazare, a soldier who took voluntary retirement, returned to the village and began to transform it. The village's Yadavbaba temple became the focal point of his agitations. He donated Rs 3,000 for its renovation. He made fellow villagers take an oath. They swore to his five commandments - prohibition, family planning, voluntary labour, a ban on open grazing and on felling trees. Voluntary labour was necessary to ensure minimum dependence on the government for dole.
As expected, Hazare ran into opposition, especially when he insisted on prohibition.
Village youth Datta Awari (27) said that the liquor den owners threatened him with dire consequences. Anna stood up to them. "Today we are reaping the benefit of listening to Anna. For us, he is nothing short of God," he said.
He targeted open grazing next by imposing a complete ban and insisted on stall-feeding of cattle. The village opted out of cultivating water-intensive crops like sugar cane was and instead sowed pulses, oilseeds and cash crops which needed less water. "Jowar and onions grown in our village are now sold outside. Anna started a water recycling project last year. Water is lifted from the check dam in the village, treated and recycled", Awari added.
The village now has a bank run by women where every villager donates one sack of grain every year. "The grain is stored properly and auctioned to raise funds whenever the village needs money for any developmental work. Those who have left the village and settled elsewhere, send money every year for development," Awari said. The village dairy has a milk bank that operates like the grain bank.
Watershed development in the village started when Anna urged villagers to offer voluntary labour for repairing the percolation tank that had developed heavy leaks. Once the seepage source was identified, work on building the core wall by digging a puddle trench up to the level of hard rock was undertaken on the upper side of the bund. Villagers gave their sweat for it.
Once they were through, there was retention of water in the tank which led to recharging of ground water aquifers. It gave the villagers enough to courage to implement the concept of watershed development by adopting the ridge to valley approach for soil and water conservation.
It involved structures like gully plugging, loose boulder structure, gabion structure, nullah bunding and cement check dams. Hazare developed the modified gabion structure with a core wall which reduced the cost of the check dam.
When well water became available for irrigation, the villagers form cooperative societies that brought more land under cultivation. It spiralled into developments like double cropping, change of farming system, horticulture plantations, vegetable cultivation and dairy farming. The village was on the road to progress.
Village building began at this stage. The per capita income of the farmers was up and the villagers, through their cooperative efforts, set up a school, hostel, gymnasium, credit societies and renovated the temple too.
It has brought about a political change too. All elections to local bodies are now held through consensus. A Rs 22-lakh school building was constructed using the village's resources. No donations were taken and money, if needed, was borrowed and paid back. The village went self-reliant that became its pride.
There were other spillover effects. A new system of sharing of labour grew and people volunteered to work on each others' land and the landless labourers gained employment. Today, Ralegansiddhi's residents plan to buy land from adjoining villages.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/--10 april 2011
Nearly four decades ago, the village of 2,500 people was like most others, mired in poverty with 33 liquor dens boosting the illicit trade. Water scarcity meant little farming and with no other source of livelihood the per capita income was just Rs 271.
Hazare, a soldier who took voluntary retirement, returned to the village and began to transform it. The village's Yadavbaba temple became the focal point of his agitations. He donated Rs 3,000 for its renovation. He made fellow villagers take an oath. They swore to his five commandments - prohibition, family planning, voluntary labour, a ban on open grazing and on felling trees. Voluntary labour was necessary to ensure minimum dependence on the government for dole.
As expected, Hazare ran into opposition, especially when he insisted on prohibition.
Village youth Datta Awari (27) said that the liquor den owners threatened him with dire consequences. Anna stood up to them. "Today we are reaping the benefit of listening to Anna. For us, he is nothing short of God," he said.
He targeted open grazing next by imposing a complete ban and insisted on stall-feeding of cattle. The village opted out of cultivating water-intensive crops like sugar cane was and instead sowed pulses, oilseeds and cash crops which needed less water. "Jowar and onions grown in our village are now sold outside. Anna started a water recycling project last year. Water is lifted from the check dam in the village, treated and recycled", Awari added.
The village now has a bank run by women where every villager donates one sack of grain every year. "The grain is stored properly and auctioned to raise funds whenever the village needs money for any developmental work. Those who have left the village and settled elsewhere, send money every year for development," Awari said. The village dairy has a milk bank that operates like the grain bank.
Watershed development in the village started when Anna urged villagers to offer voluntary labour for repairing the percolation tank that had developed heavy leaks. Once the seepage source was identified, work on building the core wall by digging a puddle trench up to the level of hard rock was undertaken on the upper side of the bund. Villagers gave their sweat for it.
Once they were through, there was retention of water in the tank which led to recharging of ground water aquifers. It gave the villagers enough to courage to implement the concept of watershed development by adopting the ridge to valley approach for soil and water conservation.
It involved structures like gully plugging, loose boulder structure, gabion structure, nullah bunding and cement check dams. Hazare developed the modified gabion structure with a core wall which reduced the cost of the check dam.
When well water became available for irrigation, the villagers form cooperative societies that brought more land under cultivation. It spiralled into developments like double cropping, change of farming system, horticulture plantations, vegetable cultivation and dairy farming. The village was on the road to progress.
Village building began at this stage. The per capita income of the farmers was up and the villagers, through their cooperative efforts, set up a school, hostel, gymnasium, credit societies and renovated the temple too.
It has brought about a political change too. All elections to local bodies are now held through consensus. A Rs 22-lakh school building was constructed using the village's resources. No donations were taken and money, if needed, was borrowed and paid back. The village went self-reliant that became its pride.
There were other spillover effects. A new system of sharing of labour grew and people volunteered to work on each others' land and the landless labourers gained employment. Today, Ralegansiddhi's residents plan to buy land from adjoining villages.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/--10 april 2011
Lokpal Bill: Text of Gazette notification
Following is the text of the Gazettee Notification issued by the government constituting the Joint Drafting Committee comprising ministers and civil society activists to prepare the draft Lok Pal Bill.
“The Joint Drafting Committee shall consist of five nominee ministers of the Government of India and five nominees of Shri Anna Hazare (including himself).
The five nominee Ministers of the Government of India are as under:
Pranab Mukherjee, Union Minister of Finance, P Chidambaram, Union Minister of Home Affairs, M Veerappa Moily, Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Human Resource and Development and Minister of Communication and Information Technology and Salman Khursheed, Union Minister of Water Resources and Minister of Minority Affairs.
The five nominees of Anna Hazare (including himself) are as under:
Anna Hazare, Justice N Santosh Hegde, Shanti Bhushan, Senior Advocate, Prashan Bhushan, Advocate and Arvind Kejriwal.
The Chairperson of the Joint Drafting Committee shall be Pranab Mukherjee.
The Co-Chairperson of the Joint Drafting Committee shall be Shanti Bhushan.
The Convenor of the Join Drafting Committee shall be M Veerappa Moily.
The Joint Drafting Committee shall commence its work forthwith and evolve its own procedure to prepare the proposed legislation.
“The Joint Drafting Committee shall consist of five nominee ministers of the Government of India and five nominees of Shri Anna Hazare (including himself).
The five nominee Ministers of the Government of India are as under:
Pranab Mukherjee, Union Minister of Finance, P Chidambaram, Union Minister of Home Affairs, M Veerappa Moily, Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Human Resource and Development and Minister of Communication and Information Technology and Salman Khursheed, Union Minister of Water Resources and Minister of Minority Affairs.
The five nominees of Anna Hazare (including himself) are as under:
Anna Hazare, Justice N Santosh Hegde, Shanti Bhushan, Senior Advocate, Prashan Bhushan, Advocate and Arvind Kejriwal.
The Chairperson of the Joint Drafting Committee shall be Pranab Mukherjee.
The Co-Chairperson of the Joint Drafting Committee shall be Shanti Bhushan.
The Convenor of the Join Drafting Committee shall be M Veerappa Moily.
The Joint Drafting Committee shall commence its work forthwith and evolve its own procedure to prepare the proposed legislation.
Candlelight rally supporting Anna Hazare
Activists of Betalbatim Civic & Consumer Forum took part along with various other activists of civil society in a candlelight rally organised yesterday evening round the Municipal Garden, Margao.
The spontaneous support garnered by the septuagenarian former army truck driver turned environmentalist and social activist Anna Hazare, all over the country, succeeded in wresting credible commitments from the UPA government to table and pass a new Lok Pal (Ombudsman) Bill. This is a fantastic victory for civil activism. The core group around Hazare comprised of RTI activist & former IAS officer Arvind Kejriwal, Social activist Swami Agnivesh, environmentalist Medha Patkar, former high profile police officer Kiran Bedi and others.
It was a rare sight to see them joined by Industrialists, Bollywood stars and thousands of school and college students, besides people from all walks of life especially the middle class who of late have been shunning elections.
With this outpouring, it seems that Democracy is back in India.
The spontaneous support garnered by the septuagenarian former army truck driver turned environmentalist and social activist Anna Hazare, all over the country, succeeded in wresting credible commitments from the UPA government to table and pass a new Lok Pal (Ombudsman) Bill. This is a fantastic victory for civil activism. The core group around Hazare comprised of RTI activist & former IAS officer Arvind Kejriwal, Social activist Swami Agnivesh, environmentalist Medha Patkar, former high profile police officer Kiran Bedi and others.
It was a rare sight to see them joined by Industrialists, Bollywood stars and thousands of school and college students, besides people from all walks of life especially the middle class who of late have been shunning elections.
With this outpouring, it seems that Democracy is back in India.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Non-Goan community too want English
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
Non-Goan community too want English
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
CALANGUTE, APRIL 5
For them English is still a foreign language, yet the growing non-Goan community along the Calangute coast has also voiced the demand for government grants to English medium in primary schools.
The State government has come in for sharp criticism from non-Goans in the coastal Calangute over the issue of English medium of instruction at the elementary level in the schools.
Incidentally, the Catholic parents along the Calangute coastal belt are not the only ones demanding an option for English medium of instruction.
The non-Goans who have admitted their wards in the aided English medium schools have criticised the decision of the State government.
Majority of the non-Goans belonging to a lower class of society, who either work in hotels or engaged in lower income self-employment businesses like carpentry, plumbing, etc.
“Why should the government deny our children the right to learn English at the elementary level? In fact I got my children admitted in a Catholic institution due to exorbitant fees at the private-run English school,” says Prakashji from Orissa.
“Dekhiye bhayii, abi Angreji bhasa me sabh kuch hota hai to apnem bachom ko dusri bhasa me kyo padaum? (When everything now happens in English why should I teach my children in other medium of instruction),” he questioned.
Says Rajat from Rajasthan, “When I came to Goa and realized that Goans have the privilege of educating their children in the languages they desire, I also felt of sending my children (daughter and son) in a Catholic school so that they can learn English and be of use in the near future in my business.”
“Today, I am not able to write in English, so I have to beg at others to write any application, etc, for any government department, which unfortunately accepts anything and everything only in English,” said Rajat.
“Other languages including Konkani are hardly of any use. Konkani language will be of no use to us when we go to our state in Rajasthan,” added Rajat.
Adds Siva Kumar, “The government and the politicians are playing with the education of the young budding children of this country. Why have they to discriminate between English, Konkani, Marathi or other languages.”
“Who are they to decide which language should be the medium of instruction, of our children? Are they so illiterate to understand that the need of hour in the globalized world is the requirement of English language,” questioned Kumar.
Few other non-Goans who have been sending their children in the schools run by Catholic institutions have criticized government’s decision and see it as a election strategy to keep away the BJP.
Non-Goan community too want English
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
CALANGUTE, APRIL 5
For them English is still a foreign language, yet the growing non-Goan community along the Calangute coast has also voiced the demand for government grants to English medium in primary schools.
The State government has come in for sharp criticism from non-Goans in the coastal Calangute over the issue of English medium of instruction at the elementary level in the schools.
Incidentally, the Catholic parents along the Calangute coastal belt are not the only ones demanding an option for English medium of instruction.
The non-Goans who have admitted their wards in the aided English medium schools have criticised the decision of the State government.
Majority of the non-Goans belonging to a lower class of society, who either work in hotels or engaged in lower income self-employment businesses like carpentry, plumbing, etc.
“Why should the government deny our children the right to learn English at the elementary level? In fact I got my children admitted in a Catholic institution due to exorbitant fees at the private-run English school,” says Prakashji from Orissa.
“Dekhiye bhayii, abi Angreji bhasa me sabh kuch hota hai to apnem bachom ko dusri bhasa me kyo padaum? (When everything now happens in English why should I teach my children in other medium of instruction),” he questioned.
Says Rajat from Rajasthan, “When I came to Goa and realized that Goans have the privilege of educating their children in the languages they desire, I also felt of sending my children (daughter and son) in a Catholic school so that they can learn English and be of use in the near future in my business.”
“Today, I am not able to write in English, so I have to beg at others to write any application, etc, for any government department, which unfortunately accepts anything and everything only in English,” said Rajat.
“Other languages including Konkani are hardly of any use. Konkani language will be of no use to us when we go to our state in Rajasthan,” added Rajat.
Adds Siva Kumar, “The government and the politicians are playing with the education of the young budding children of this country. Why have they to discriminate between English, Konkani, Marathi or other languages.”
“Who are they to decide which language should be the medium of instruction, of our children? Are they so illiterate to understand that the need of hour in the globalized world is the requirement of English language,” questioned Kumar.
Few other non-Goans who have been sending their children in the schools run by Catholic institutions have criticized government’s decision and see it as a election strategy to keep away the BJP.
St Cruz meet demands grants for English medium
St Cruz meet demands grants for English medium
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
St Cruz meet demands grants for English medium
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
MERCES, APRIL 5
Stating that the Church’s decision to introduce Konkani as medium of instruction was taken so that Diocesan schools could avail of government grants, Fr Cristovao Caldeira said realization has now dawned that the decision was wrong, especially in today’s context.
“The decision was taken so that the students should not have to face the burden of paying hefty fees,” he added.
Fr Caldeira was speaking at a public meeting of PTAs of Merces HS and Santa Cruz HS to demand English as the medium of instruction in schools, which was held under the banner of Forum for Rights of Children’s Education (FORCE) at Santa Cruz.
Speaking further, Fr Caldeira said at the Diocesan Synod, several representatives had urged the Church to revaluate its policy on Konkani as medium of instruction since it was affecting the future of the children.
“Hence, the Church has decided to support the demands of the parents to have English as medium of instruction,” he informed while at the same time stating that the Church is not in favour of imposing any particular language on the students.
Fr Caldeira also stated that he has already held dialogue with Urban Development Minister Joaquim Alemao and local MLA Victoria Fernandes and has impressed upon them to urge the government to support English as medium of instruction. He later urged the parents to come out in large numbers at such meetings, since it is their fight for their children’s rights.
Speaking on the occasion, FORCE member Dinar Barros said that till today, over 2 lakh students have become victims of the government’s decision to impose Konkani at primary level and said that they will not allow more students to become victims.
“By imposing the mother tongue, the government is not promoting that language but only increasing hatred in the minds of the children towards the language,” he added.
“Because of the government policy, Goans are finding it difficult to compete at the national level exams and also lagging behind in getting placements in better companies,” Barros informed and added that only English language can secure a bright future for the children.
He further said if the government is really serious in safeguarding the interests and prospects of the Konkani language, then it should impose Konkani as medium of instruction in all the private English schools as well.
“Why should poor students be made to suffer when their rich counterparts are benefiting from the English language,” he further questioned and urged the parents not to admit their wards for the next academic year until and unless their demands are met.
Targetting the politicians, Hugo Gomes said that they are dividing the people on religious lines for their own benefits, when they themselves are sending their children in English medium schools.
Parents Hanif Shah Muzawar, Shailesh Pai, Agnela Fernandes and others spoke on the occasion. FORCE members Edgar Cotta, Anthony D’Souza and Cynthia Pereira were present at the meeting, which was attended by a large number of parents from Santa Cruz and Merces.
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
St Cruz meet demands grants for English medium
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
MERCES, APRIL 5
Stating that the Church’s decision to introduce Konkani as medium of instruction was taken so that Diocesan schools could avail of government grants, Fr Cristovao Caldeira said realization has now dawned that the decision was wrong, especially in today’s context.
“The decision was taken so that the students should not have to face the burden of paying hefty fees,” he added.
Fr Caldeira was speaking at a public meeting of PTAs of Merces HS and Santa Cruz HS to demand English as the medium of instruction in schools, which was held under the banner of Forum for Rights of Children’s Education (FORCE) at Santa Cruz.
Speaking further, Fr Caldeira said at the Diocesan Synod, several representatives had urged the Church to revaluate its policy on Konkani as medium of instruction since it was affecting the future of the children.
“Hence, the Church has decided to support the demands of the parents to have English as medium of instruction,” he informed while at the same time stating that the Church is not in favour of imposing any particular language on the students.
Fr Caldeira also stated that he has already held dialogue with Urban Development Minister Joaquim Alemao and local MLA Victoria Fernandes and has impressed upon them to urge the government to support English as medium of instruction. He later urged the parents to come out in large numbers at such meetings, since it is their fight for their children’s rights.
Speaking on the occasion, FORCE member Dinar Barros said that till today, over 2 lakh students have become victims of the government’s decision to impose Konkani at primary level and said that they will not allow more students to become victims.
“By imposing the mother tongue, the government is not promoting that language but only increasing hatred in the minds of the children towards the language,” he added.
“Because of the government policy, Goans are finding it difficult to compete at the national level exams and also lagging behind in getting placements in better companies,” Barros informed and added that only English language can secure a bright future for the children.
He further said if the government is really serious in safeguarding the interests and prospects of the Konkani language, then it should impose Konkani as medium of instruction in all the private English schools as well.
“Why should poor students be made to suffer when their rich counterparts are benefiting from the English language,” he further questioned and urged the parents not to admit their wards for the next academic year until and unless their demands are met.
Targetting the politicians, Hugo Gomes said that they are dividing the people on religious lines for their own benefits, when they themselves are sending their children in English medium schools.
Parents Hanif Shah Muzawar, Shailesh Pai, Agnela Fernandes and others spoke on the occasion. FORCE members Edgar Cotta, Anthony D’Souza and Cynthia Pereira were present at the meeting, which was attended by a large number of parents from Santa Cruz and Merces.
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