Budget 2021 : India’s budget for mental health leaves a lot to be desired. India’s budget for mental health leaves a lot to be desired Only INR 400 million for National Mental Health Programme A majority of the funds being given to centrally controlled institutes like NIMHANS also adds to the lack of decentralisation of mental healthcare Despite dozens of reports citing a sharp spike in mental health challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman allocates a pittance for National Mental Health Programme in Budget 2021-22. The Union Budget 2021-22, announced on February 1, proposes a corpus of INR 712.69 billion for Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This also includes the budget for mental healthcare – a total of INR 5.97 billion.
One would have expected that a good chunk of this would be for the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP), which is a nationwide government scheme, as it is applicable and accessible – at least in theory – countrywide. Resilience building with diversity will be hit The lack of decentralisation. Budget 2021 : India’s budget for mental health leaves a lot to be desired. Biden Yemen policy reset major setback to Saudi Arabia - Media India Group. Biden Yemen policy reset major setback to Saudi Arabia Double whammy for Saudi-led coalition’s war in Yemen Politics February 8, 2021 United Nations describes Yemen as the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis (Photo:AP) The decision by new United States President Joe Biden to remove Yemen’s Houthi rebels from the list of terror groups, just a few days after he ended US support for the Saudi-led coalition’s war in Yemen is a serious, almost mortal blow to the Gulf nation’s misadventures.
While it was certain that the new President of the United States Joe Biden would modify and even reverse several of the most controversial decisions taken by his predecessor Donald Trump, the pace and the range of these radical alterations in US policy, notably the foreign policy has caught most by surprise, not least of those caught in the aftermath of these changes. One of the biggest reversals in the US foreign policy concerns one of its closest allies, Saudi Arabia. Trump’s parting gift to Saudi Arabia. World Wetlands Day: Construction equals destruction - Media India Group. World Wetlands Day: Construction equals destruction Bullet train, coastal roads pose biggest threats Environment February 8, 2021 The 508 km bullet train route linking Mumbai to Ahmedabad is likely to destroy or at least seriously impact 55,000 mangroves Last week India marked the World Wetlands Day with the usual pledges of protecting these crucial ecosystems safe and regenerate them.
The ground reality, however, is sharply different as India leads the world in loss of wetlands, with disastrous consequences for its biodiversity. Mumbai Coastal Road and the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train. The INR 1.1 trillion 508 km bullet train route linking Mumbai to Ahmedabad is likely to destroy or at least seriously impact 55,000 mangroves, the most common wetlands found in and around Mumbai. The WISA report says that India has lost nearly one-third of its natural wetlands to urbanisation, agricultural expansion and pollution over the same period. World Wetlands Day: Construction equals destruction. Education: Budget 2021 fails the exam again - Media India Group. Education: Budget 2021 fails the exam again Poorly-funded education pays heavy price for Covid-19 Business February 8, 2021 India ranks 62nd in total public expenditure on education per student and measures of the quality of education (MIG Photos/Aman Kaojiya) India, a historical laggard in public spending on key social sectors like education, health and housing, cuts allocation for education in Budget 2021, despite the heavy price that students and parents from marginal sections have paid for Covid-19.
Right from the time that the ill-advised and horribly implemented lockdown to tackle Covid-19 pandemic was imposed in late March 2020, students from the lower middle class and poor families have been paying a heavy price as various reports indicate. Even those students who had access to telephones, computers and the internet have been severely handicapped in their efforts to study online due to the poor network that has become the hallmark of the Indian telecom sector. Slash and burn. Budget 2021: Devil in details - Media India Group. Budget 2021: Devil in details Despite big numbers, budget fails agriculture, healthcare and the poor Business February 3, 2021 India is still counting the human, social and economic cost of the lockdown (MIG Photos/Aman Kanojiya) Union budget for year 2021-22 has won plaudits from a broad section of the media, especially for its big spending plans.
However, the critics say that the fine print shows how the government has once again failed the poor in general and farmers in particular. For weeks, it had been touted as the most crucial budget that an Indian finance minister has had to place before the Parliament in several decades, if not since the independence of the country. After all, this was the first budget that the government has presented since the full-blown outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country about a year ago. “The Union Budget 2021-22 reflects the central government’s denial of the livelihood crisis that continues to ravage the informal sector. Farmers’ protests ignored. Bastar tourism : A tribal treasure trove | Bastar Chhattisgarh. Bastar: A tribal treasure trove Explore the gem hidden in Indian heartland Teerathgarh waterfall is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Chhattisgarh's Bastar (MIG Photos/Richa Nigam) Bastar is a well-kept secret of Chhattisgarh.
It boasts of dense forests, Kanger Valley National Park, hidden caves, gushing waterfalls, unique festivals, exquisite handicrafts and incredibly simple tribal people with their rich cultural heritage. Often overlooked by travellers, Chhattisgarh’s Bastar is a myriad of wonders. A goldmine of fascinating tribal culture in India, it thrives on the cultural magnitudes, age-old traditions and rituals that are yet to be explored. “Completely unaware of the social fabric and mosaic of the cultural background of this amazing state, I was overwhelmed by everything I saw and experienced there. One of the main attractions of Bastar in Chhattisgarh is the tribal communities, their lifestyle and culture.
Tribal food Food in Bastar has a very distinct flavour. Is India the Wild West of data privacy | data protection law - Media India Group. Is India the Wild West of data privacy? Indians speaking up for privacy rights, says Apar Gupta, IFF From facial recognition to national digital health mission, the biggest collector and user of the data is the government itself (MIG photos) The recent controversy over WhatsApp’s revised privacy policy has put the focus back on privacy in many countries, including India. Even though there is a rising awareness about privacy in India, the threats to privacy, notably data privacy and protection, continue to rise incessantly. The parliamentary panel on Information Technology has been holding discussions on the Personal Data Protection Bill for almost a year now.
The range of data being captured is immense. For instance, there are cases of private as well as government-run CBSE schools using facial recognition technologies without any fundamental legal framework setting the boundaries of how the data can or should be collected, used and stored and how to protect the rights of the individuals. Is India the Wild West of data privacy | data protection law - Media India Group. Is India the Wild West of data privacy | data protection law - Media India Group. Vaccine Maitri: India shows the way to cooperative approach in combatting pandemic - Media India Group. Vaccine Maitri: India shows the way to cooperative approach in combatting pandemic Modi’s welcome proactive approach to supply vaccines globally Politics February 2, 2021 India has launched the world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination drive on January 16, 2020, starting with vaccination of health workers(MIG photos/ Aman Kanojiya) India’s move to supply Covid-19 vaccines globally, but especially to the developing countries, including its neighbours, often free of cost, offers an example of how countries can cooperate even in the most difficult of times, instead of focusing just on themselves and their citizens.
French scientist Louis Pasteur discovered the boon of vaccination by using a weakened virus way back in the 19th century with the first vaccine that he developed for chicken cholera. Paradoxically, today, it is the French who are amongst those most reluctant and even in denial regarding the need for vaccination against Covid-19. The pandemic of COVID19 has been unprecedented.
Myanmar coup: Don’t shed tears for Aung San Suu Kyi - Media India Group. Myanmar coup: Don’t shed tears for Aung San Suu Kyi From democrat to autocrat: Suu Kyi’s many avatars Politics February 1, 2021 State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi was detained under house arrest, as Myanmar military takes control (Photo: AFP) News of yet another military coup in Myanmar and detention of country’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi has brought forth usual noises of concern from various nations, including India and the United States.
Finally, political situation in Myanmar has turned a full circle. Things had begun to look different for Myanmar in 2015 when Aung San’s famous daughter who had been fighting for democracy in the country and incarcerated in house arrest for almost 15 years, won the elections in a landslide victory as her National League for Democracy party bagged 255 of 440 seats in the lower house of the Parliament. Her victory and the scale of it had propped up hopes of creation of a new Myanmar that was free in the true sense of the word.
Overseeing Rohingya crisis. Miniature art | Miniature art india | Miniature art sculptures. Miniature art: Inside the magnificent 3mm universe 'Sharpness & concentration for sculpting small wonders' Subramaniam's work holds the world record for being the smallest functioning gold chain code lock (Photo Credit: Ganesh Subramaniam) From sculpting inside the eye of a needle to creating a castle on a rice grain, miniature art has gained traction and amused people world over. For many, passing a thread through the eye of a needle would rank among one of the toughest things to do. It requires immense concentration and patience to find success. And, here is Ganesh Subramanian, a goldsmith and miniature artist, who has perfected the art of the small and can fit entire sculptures inside that very needle-hole.
“Small is beautiful, and so is my world. Popularly known as the ‘nano artist of Kerala’, this 46-year-old has completed around 60 miniature works. Big efforts behind the small sculptures Subramaniam says he strains his eyes after hours of sharp focus and concentration. Violence at red fort | farmers protest at red fort - Media India Group.
Degeneration of tractor rally from Singhu Border to Red Fort Peaceful protest lies in tatters after clashes in Red Fort Politics January 26, 2021 Having traversed distance of close to 30 km from Singhu Border to Red Fort with grit and determination but peacefully, mayhem broke loose when protesting farmers entered the historic monument and damaged some fixtures in the 17th century world heritage site. “This is not what our protest was all about. Pradhan says that the day’s violence at Red Fort has disheartened him and that he was not sure about whether he would continue to support the protest like he has been doing for the last two months. The violence indeed left many of the protestors also shocked.
The violence broke out rather suddenly and without any clear trigger. The entire atmosphere resembled a village fair as people sat down on the grass lawns and enjoyed the hazy afternoon sun. “We had come to conquer, and so we have. Degeneration of tractor rally from Singhu Border to Red Fort. Farmers clash with police near Singhu border | Media India Group. After Republic Day melee, shocked farmers’ unions say focus on February 1 march to Parliament Operation clean up on as farm unions try to identify & isolate R-Day miscreants Politics January 27, 2021 Farmers clash with police near Singhu border (MIG photos) Shocked by the sudden developments when an aggressive group of farmers broke off from the main tractor rally and created havoc at Red Fort, farm leaders at Delhi’s borders regroup to identify and isolate those whose violence has proven to be a huge setback to the movement that had been exemplarily peaceful so far.
The mood at Singhu border on Wednesday morning is sombre, to say the least. Gurdeep Singh Sidhu, from Jalandhar, the first farmer to have reached Delhi’s Singhu border on November 27, 2020, and has since become an icon of the protest site along with his green tractor, says that the decision to go off the agreed route was taken by some farmers who have not been part of the movement so far. Misguided path & unexpected turn of events at Ghazipur border - Media India Group.
Misguided path & unexpected turn of events at Ghazipur border Diversion of few created chaos for all, say farmers Politics January 27, 2021 Amidst clashes and tear gas shells fired by police at the approaching tractors & groups of farmers breaking barricades & proceeding to enter Delhi, farmers from Ghazipur border managed to start their rally (MIG Photos/Aman Kanojiya) Police and farmers from Ghazipur border clashed at various points till ITO intersection, after which the tractors moved towards the Red Fort.
Volunteers admitted to being not able to keep a check on the unexpected and spontaneous crowd that joined the tractor march. Violence broke out early on Tuesday morning just as the tractor rally of farmers at Ghazipur in eastern Delhi had begun its fateful journey. Since the wee hours on the morning of the 72nd Republic Day, volunteers according to an estimate, at least 15,000 tractors poured in at the protest site unexpectedly. “This is our country and we wish to enter the capital. Tales of tractor rally on Republic Day through the lens - Media India Group. Tales of tractor rally on Republic Day through the lens How a peaceful protest transformed into a violent attack at Red Fort Confusion and chaos prevailed on Republic Day during the tractor rally organised by protesting farmers as a breakaway group of aggressive farmers clashed with police at ITO and iconic Red Fort of Delhi.
Here are some key moments from the day. Violence was the norm of the day, it seems, during the Republic Day tractor rally organised by farmers protesting against the three farm laws passed last year. As the tractor rallies moved from various borders of Delhi, notably Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur, the farmers were welcomed by police with teargas shells as well as baton charge, literally right from the moment the rallies had started in the morning. The police blame the protestors for not following the agreed route or the timings, while the farmers accused the police of going back on their word by placing barricades in their way and attacking them unnecessarily.
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