NEWS
6.6.12
Muslim girl can marry at 15 if she attains puberty: Delhi high court
Ruling that a Muslim girl can marry as per her choice at the age of 15 years if she has attained puberty, the Delhi HC has held the marriage of a minor girl valid and allowed her to stay in her matrimonial house.
NEW DELHI: Ruling that a Muslim girl can marry as per her choice at the age of 15 years if she has attained puberty, the Delhi high court has held the marriage of a minor girl valid and allowed her to stay in her matrimonial house.
"This court notes that according to Mohammedan Law a girl can marry without the consent of her parents once she attains the age of puberty and she has the right to reside with her husband even if she is below the age of 18....," a bench of justices S Ravindra Bhat and S P Garg said.
Citing various Supreme Court judgements on the issue of minor Muslim girls' marriage, the bench said "In view of the above judgments, it is clear that a Muslim girl who has attained puberty i.e. 15 years can marry and such a marriage would not be a void marriage. However, she has the option of treating the marriage as voidable, at the time of her attaining the age of majority, i.e 18 years."
Accepting the 16-year-old girl's plea to allow her to stay in her matrimonial home, the bench has disposed of a habeas corpus petition filed by the girl's mother alleging that her daughter was kidnapped by a youth and forced into marriage in April last year.
The bench accepted the girl's statement she had left her parental home of her own will to marry the man of her choice and her husband should not be booked on the charge of kidnapping.
Meanwhile, to ascertain the girl's well being, the court has directed the couple and in-laws to appear before the Child Welfare Committee once in every six months till the girl attains majority.
"The Committee shall take necessary steps, including obtaining the necessary undertaking from the man(husband) in this regard. Subject to completion of these steps, the girl be allowed to live in her matrimonial home," the bench said.
The girl has been currently residing in Nirmal Chhaya, a government sponsored home for rehabilitation of poor and elderly women.
According to the habeas corpus petition filed by the girl's mother, after abducting the girl who had Rs 1.5 lakh on March 13, 2011, the man had telephoned her threatening to kidnap her other daughter if any legal action was taken against him.
The petitioner claimed that on March 19 last year she had also approached the Deputy Commissioner of Police and requested him to rescue her minor daughter from illegal detention.
As per the petition, on April 14, 2011 an FIR was registered with Gokalpuri police station in northeast Delhi alleging that the man had kidnapped her daughter.
The mother said police had not taken any action, forcing her to approach the high court.
During the hearing of her plea, the court had issued notice to police and subsequently police had produced the girl saying she had voluntarily gone with the man and married him.
Since then they have been staying as husband and wife, the police told the court.
On April 18, 2012 the girl had also told the court that she did not wish to go back to her parents and wanted to stay with her husband.
Meanwhile, she was kept in Nirmal Chhaya after her production before the Child Welfare Committee, which has stated that the girl was 15 years, 10 months and 23 days.
Porn MMS goes viral in Jawaharlal Nehru University, 3 suspended
Another case of MMS involving Jawaharlal Nehru University students has come to light on campus.
NEW DELHI: Another case of MMS involvingJawaharlal Nehru University students has come to light on campus. A source in the university administration said three students were suspended for their alleged involvement in the MMS, which was shot in Narmada Hostel. The MMS started circulating nearly a month ago and some students apparently complained to the varsity authorities.
A university source said Narmada hostel is for boys. An inquiry by proctor H B Bohidar was conducted and the students were suspended on Friday on the basis of prima facie evidence.
The rector, the proctor and the dean of students refused to comment on the issue. Vice chancellor S K Sopory confirmed the suspensions. "I can't say anything more as I am travelling and the details are not available with me. But yes, a few students have been suspended," he said.
Ravi Prakash Singh, JNU students union general secretary, said, "If such things keep happening, it will malign the university. Action should be taken and such students should be immediately thrown out of the campus."
A university source said Narmada hostel is for boys. An inquiry by proctor H B Bohidar was conducted and the students were suspended on Friday on the basis of prima facie evidence.
The rector, the proctor and the dean of students refused to comment on the issue. Vice chancellor S K Sopory confirmed the suspensions. "I can't say anything more as I am travelling and the details are not available with me. But yes, a few students have been suspended," he said.
Ravi Prakash Singh, JNU students union general secretary, said, "If such things keep happening, it will malign the university. Action should be taken and such students should be immediately thrown out of the campus."
Begin your day with a glass of juice
Jumpstart your day with freshly-squeezed fruit and vegetable juices. They work wonders for your body and mind. Here are a few options for you.
A juice is not a complete meal
It is unwise to adopt juicing as a meal replacement. Ideally, you have to consume it with your meal or as an in-between snack. It should be an addition to your regular meals.
Acne and pimples
Your skin shows up different types of bumps when sebum (oil) gets blocked and bacteria begin to grow. These bumps can be blackheads, whiteheads, pimples or cysts.
Your formula: Juice one lemon and add to one cup of hot water. Drink first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
Why: Fresh lemon juice purifies the blood by removing metabolic waste and by changing blood pH from acid to alkaline.
Constipation
Constipation is a common digestive problem that makes it difficult for you to have a regular bowel movement. Your stools become hard, making it difficult for you to pass without strain. It is common in pregnant women.
Your formula: Carrot 20 tbsp + beetroot six tbsp + cucumber six tbsp.
Why: Drinking beet regularly helps relieve constipation. Beetroot and carrot juice, when combined, are excellent in curing gout, kidney and gall bladder problems. Cucumber is also a dependable laxative food. It supplies bulk to aid bowel action.
Allergies
Your eyes are itching or you're sneezing all the time. It indicates that the allergy bug has struck you again. An allergy is a reaction of your immune system to something that does not bother most other people.
Your formula: Carrot 12 tbsp + celery four tbsp + pineapple four tbsp + beetroot two tbsp
Why: Pineapple contains bromelain (enzyme) which is known as a treatment for inflammation and swelling of the nose, ear, and sinus. The natural organic sodium (salt) in celery is very safe for consumption. In fact, it is essential for the body.
Menopause
Menopause is the transition period in a woman's life when her ovaries stop producing eggs. Menstruation becomes less frequent, eventually stopping altogether. Hot flushes, night sweats and vaginal bleeding and itching are common symptoms.
Your formula: Carrot 18 tbsp + beetroot six tbsp + pomegranate eight tbsp
Why: Pomegranate is touted as a wonder fruit since it shows promise in improving depression and bone mineral density.
Blood pressure
High blood pressure (HBP) or hypertension means high pressure in the arteries. Normal blood pressure is below 120/80. If your blood pressure is 140/90 or above, it is considered high.
Your formula: Carrot 16 tbsp + 4 cloves of garlic
Why: Eating garlic lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Allicin compound and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in garlic are responsible for relaxing blood vessels, thereby improving blood flow in the arteries.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic condition in which your blood sugar levels are high. It doesn't have a permanent solution but the right diet and exercises can help control the sugar level to prevent further problems.
Your formula: Carrots 12 tbsp + brussel sprouts 10 tbsp + string beans 10 tbsp
Why: The pods of string beans or french beans are a medium strength diuretic, stimulating urine flow and the flushing of toxins from the body. Also, brussel sprouts are rich in fibre and vitamin C.
Cold, fever and flu
There is no immediate cure for common cold. It needs to be treated internally. For the flu, your doc might suggest pills or a syrup to fight off the virus. But why become a slave to medication when you can cure yourself with vegetable juice?
Your formula: Carrot eight tbsp + orange eight tbsp + lemon two tbsp + four cloves of garlic
Why: Carrots, oranges and lemons are a great source of natural vitamin C. Garlic is well known as nature's antibiotic and hence can treat common cold and aid in faster recovery.
Obesity
Obesity means having too much body fat. It is not the same as being overweight. A person may be overweight from extra muscle, bone or water, as well as from having too much fat.
Your formula: Carrot 22 tbsp + Cabbage 10 tbsp or spinach 32 tbsp
Why: Spinach contains a range of active substances which are indispensable to the body. Also, cabbage juice impedes conversion of carbohydrates to fats and hence is beneficial in controlling obesity.
Play it safe
Be pesticide free: Even under the best soil, sprays and pesticides enter plants and roots and are absorbed by them. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly with cold running water; use a stiff brush if necessary.
Clean your juicer: Cleaning any kind of juicing equipment doesn't take more than 10 minutes. So stop giving excuses, and clean your juicer immediately after use, to prevent any remnants from contaminating the juicer.
Avoid storing it: If you're planning to juice first thing in the morning and consume it later, it's not a good idea. Juices are perishable, so it's best to drink them immediately. If you're careful, you can store a juice for 24 hours but with moderate nutritional decline.
Why not eat them?
You are probably wondering, "Why not eat the whole vegetables and fruits instead of extracting the juice and discarding the fibre?" The answer is, solid foods require many hours of digestive activity before their nourishment is finally available to the cells and tissues of the body. However, the removal of the fibres in the extraction of the juices enables them to be quickly digested and assimilated with minimum of effort.
To make it more palatable
If you're not a pro-juice person and cringe at the thought of downing bland liquids, try these tricks to make your juice tastier:
Lime and lemons: Add a quarter or half a lemon to the juice. It is a rich source of vitamin C. Moreover, it contains 5 per cent citric acid, which gives it a sharp pungent taste.
Cranberries: If you love cranberries, add some to your juice. Cranberries have 5 times the antioxidant content of broccoli, which means they may protect against cancer, stroke and heart disease. Limit the cranberries to about 8 tbsp per pint of juice.
Fresh ginger: If you like the taste of fresh ginger, grate it and add it to your juice to give it a little kick. It's great in lowering cholesterol levels.
A juice is not a complete meal
It is unwise to adopt juicing as a meal replacement. Ideally, you have to consume it with your meal or as an in-between snack. It should be an addition to your regular meals.
Acne and pimples
Your skin shows up different types of bumps when sebum (oil) gets blocked and bacteria begin to grow. These bumps can be blackheads, whiteheads, pimples or cysts.
Your formula: Juice one lemon and add to one cup of hot water. Drink first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
Why: Fresh lemon juice purifies the blood by removing metabolic waste and by changing blood pH from acid to alkaline.
Constipation
Constipation is a common digestive problem that makes it difficult for you to have a regular bowel movement. Your stools become hard, making it difficult for you to pass without strain. It is common in pregnant women.
Your formula: Carrot 20 tbsp + beetroot six tbsp + cucumber six tbsp.
Why: Drinking beet regularly helps relieve constipation. Beetroot and carrot juice, when combined, are excellent in curing gout, kidney and gall bladder problems. Cucumber is also a dependable laxative food. It supplies bulk to aid bowel action.
Allergies
Your eyes are itching or you're sneezing all the time. It indicates that the allergy bug has struck you again. An allergy is a reaction of your immune system to something that does not bother most other people.
Your formula: Carrot 12 tbsp + celery four tbsp + pineapple four tbsp + beetroot two tbsp
Why: Pineapple contains bromelain (enzyme) which is known as a treatment for inflammation and swelling of the nose, ear, and sinus. The natural organic sodium (salt) in celery is very safe for consumption. In fact, it is essential for the body.
Menopause
Menopause is the transition period in a woman's life when her ovaries stop producing eggs. Menstruation becomes less frequent, eventually stopping altogether. Hot flushes, night sweats and vaginal bleeding and itching are common symptoms.
Your formula: Carrot 18 tbsp + beetroot six tbsp + pomegranate eight tbsp
Why: Pomegranate is touted as a wonder fruit since it shows promise in improving depression and bone mineral density.
Blood pressure
High blood pressure (HBP) or hypertension means high pressure in the arteries. Normal blood pressure is below 120/80. If your blood pressure is 140/90 or above, it is considered high.
Your formula: Carrot 16 tbsp + 4 cloves of garlic
Why: Eating garlic lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Allicin compound and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in garlic are responsible for relaxing blood vessels, thereby improving blood flow in the arteries.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic condition in which your blood sugar levels are high. It doesn't have a permanent solution but the right diet and exercises can help control the sugar level to prevent further problems.
Your formula: Carrots 12 tbsp + brussel sprouts 10 tbsp + string beans 10 tbsp
Why: The pods of string beans or french beans are a medium strength diuretic, stimulating urine flow and the flushing of toxins from the body. Also, brussel sprouts are rich in fibre and vitamin C.
Cold, fever and flu
There is no immediate cure for common cold. It needs to be treated internally. For the flu, your doc might suggest pills or a syrup to fight off the virus. But why become a slave to medication when you can cure yourself with vegetable juice?
Your formula: Carrot eight tbsp + orange eight tbsp + lemon two tbsp + four cloves of garlic
Why: Carrots, oranges and lemons are a great source of natural vitamin C. Garlic is well known as nature's antibiotic and hence can treat common cold and aid in faster recovery.
Obesity
Obesity means having too much body fat. It is not the same as being overweight. A person may be overweight from extra muscle, bone or water, as well as from having too much fat.
Your formula: Carrot 22 tbsp + Cabbage 10 tbsp or spinach 32 tbsp
Why: Spinach contains a range of active substances which are indispensable to the body. Also, cabbage juice impedes conversion of carbohydrates to fats and hence is beneficial in controlling obesity.
Play it safe
Be pesticide free: Even under the best soil, sprays and pesticides enter plants and roots and are absorbed by them. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly with cold running water; use a stiff brush if necessary.
Clean your juicer: Cleaning any kind of juicing equipment doesn't take more than 10 minutes. So stop giving excuses, and clean your juicer immediately after use, to prevent any remnants from contaminating the juicer.
Avoid storing it: If you're planning to juice first thing in the morning and consume it later, it's not a good idea. Juices are perishable, so it's best to drink them immediately. If you're careful, you can store a juice for 24 hours but with moderate nutritional decline.
Why not eat them?
You are probably wondering, "Why not eat the whole vegetables and fruits instead of extracting the juice and discarding the fibre?" The answer is, solid foods require many hours of digestive activity before their nourishment is finally available to the cells and tissues of the body. However, the removal of the fibres in the extraction of the juices enables them to be quickly digested and assimilated with minimum of effort.
To make it more palatable
If you're not a pro-juice person and cringe at the thought of downing bland liquids, try these tricks to make your juice tastier:
Lime and lemons: Add a quarter or half a lemon to the juice. It is a rich source of vitamin C. Moreover, it contains 5 per cent citric acid, which gives it a sharp pungent taste.
Cranberries: If you love cranberries, add some to your juice. Cranberries have 5 times the antioxidant content of broccoli, which means they may protect against cancer, stroke and heart disease. Limit the cranberries to about 8 tbsp per pint of juice.
Fresh ginger: If you like the taste of fresh ginger, grate it and add it to your juice to give it a little kick. It's great in lowering cholesterol levels.
Suryanamaskar is more than weight loss
Suryanamaskar is more than weight loss
Suryanamaskar can do to your body what months of dieting cannot. And it can do to your mind what no spiritual discourse can.
Not surprising, the world is going crackers over this ancient yogic tradition of worshipping the rising sun. What with the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Victoria Beckham and Kareena Kapoor endorsing it over gym workouts and bizarre diets.
From improving your posture, strengthening muscles to whittling extra inches around the waist, the benefits of Suryanamaskar are many, provided you adapt it the right way. A set of 12 fixed, cyclic postures define Suryanamaskar which when performed repeatedly at an easy pace can bring a sense of well being, almost immediately. However, those with a heart condition, arthritis or slip-disk, need their doctor's consent before starting the routine. Suryanamaskar's surging popularity notwithstanding, jumpstarting a schedule is most definitely not the best thing to do for a fitness novice. If you have been gravely out of form in a way that you haven't stretched your muscles in ages, first give your body some time to open up, which you can do with some flexibility and stamina-building exercises before embarking on the more arduous 'Suryanamaskar'.
And once your body has registered a certain fitness level, you can begin with a set of three Suryanamaskars in the first instance and increase it to five then ten and more depending on your stamina. Anymore than clocking up numbers, it is important to get each posture right, for the very essence of this yogic ritual lies in perfecting every move. To say the least, it can be an uphill task for beginners. But our expert-backed warm-up exercises are sure to make Suryanamaskar less strenuous and ever so graceful.
1. Neck: Breathe in while you turn your neck to the right and breathe out as you come back to the starting position. Again, breathe in while turning your neck to the left and breathe out in the centre. Repeat this movement thrice. Rotate your neck first clockwise and then anti-clockwise.
2. Arm and shoulder: Stretch your arms out in front of your chest and move your palms up and down, then sideways. Further on, rotate your fist clockwise and anti-clockwise. To relax your arms, place your palm on your shoulder and move your shoulders first clockwise then anti-clockwise.
3. Knee: Bend forwards with your palms resting on your knees, join your knees and move forwards and backwards. End the routine by rotating your knees clockwise and anti-clockwise.
4. Stomach and back: Interlock your fingers over your chest and slowly raise your hands upwards while you breathe in and stand on your toes. Return to Position 1 as you breathe out. Repeat this cycle three times.
5. Legs and waist: Stretch your legs wide in standing position, touch you left toe with the right hand, then the right toe with the left. Keep your knees straight while you do so. Repeat a few times.
By now your body is suitably warmed up to begin the Suryanamaskar routine. Here is a step-by-step account of the 12 postures. Don't try this routine on a mat, you are better off on the bare floor or on the grass.
Posture 1# Stand erect, ideally facing the morning sun. Fold your hands in prayer close to your chest and chant 'Om Suryadevaya Namah' thrice.
Posture 2# With your hands together raise your arms up in the air while you breathe in. Bend over backwards forming an arch from the hands to your feet. The flexibility of the spine is ensured in this posture.
Posture 3# Bring your hands down while you breathe out to touch the floor on either side of your feet. In this posture, it is imperative to keep your knees straight as you bend forward from the waist, and your head as close as possible to the knee. This posture helps melt the excess fat around the stomach by aiding digestion.
Posture 4# While breathing in, put your hands flush with the floor and lower your hips and stretch your left leg back, allowing it to balance on your toes, and your right leg bent in a crouching stance. With your hands firmly on the ground and your arms straight as a die, raise your head upwards to face the sky. This one is for the flexibility of spine and leg muscles, and boosts immunity from diseases.
Posture 5# As you breathe out, let your hands stay firmly on the ground and push your right leg back parallel to the left. Make sure your feet firmly touch the ground and your hip raised high. With your arms and knees straight lower your head to face your navel.
Posture 6# Hold your breath as you bring your hips down while keeping your hands and feet in the same position, and stretch your whole body near the floor. With your face downward, bring your chest and knees to lightly brush the floor, and hold your hips slightly high. At this juncture, 8 points of your body are touching the floor - your palms, forehead, chest, knees and toes.
Posture 7# This posture is a mere extension of Posture 6, in that you breathe in and straighten your arms and lift your chest upward in an arching stance, and your head thrown back facing the sky. Your arms, at this point, carry the weight of your body, with you knees and toes resting on the floor.
Posture 8# Bring your body back to Posture 5 by raising your hips and lowering your chest and head. Keep your arms and knees straight while you do so, and place your feet flush with the floor. Then lower you head to face your navel.
Posture 9# As you breathe in, return to a similar position as Posture 4, only this time you will be crouching on the left knee and stretching back your right leg. Place your hands firmly on the ground, and with the weight of your body on your arms move your chest forward and arch your head up to face the sky.
Posture 10# From here, flow back to Posture 3 while keeping your hands flush with the floor and bringing your right foot side by side with your left one. As you straighten your knee, raise your back to arch in a standing position with your head as close as possible to the knee and your hands on either side of your feet.
Posture 11# Take a deep breathe and raise your arms up in the air as you straighten your back and gradually bend over backwards, akin to Posture 2. Your knees stay straight all the while.
Posture 12# Bring yourself to Posture 1 from here with your hands folded before your chest in prayer, and your spine erect, your knees straight and your eyes shut in meditation.
With Posture 12 you complete one full circle of Suryanamaskar. From here you can flow back to Posture 2 to continue the routine. However, always follow up your Suryanamaskar regime with Savasana, better known as Corpse Pose. In this posture, you lay down on the floor with your legs and arms apart, your palms facing the sky, and eyes deep shut. Breathe in and out heavily and try to focus your thoughts on something happy. Stay on this way for a few minutes and you will feel a sense of calm run down your body like a drug.
Weight loss is just one consequence; you can so much as put your life together with this ancient yogic tradition.
Not surprising, the world is going crackers over this ancient yogic tradition of worshipping the rising sun. What with the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Victoria Beckham and Kareena Kapoor endorsing it over gym workouts and bizarre diets.
From improving your posture, strengthening muscles to whittling extra inches around the waist, the benefits of Suryanamaskar are many, provided you adapt it the right way. A set of 12 fixed, cyclic postures define Suryanamaskar which when performed repeatedly at an easy pace can bring a sense of well being, almost immediately. However, those with a heart condition, arthritis or slip-disk, need their doctor's consent before starting the routine. Suryanamaskar's surging popularity notwithstanding, jumpstarting a schedule is most definitely not the best thing to do for a fitness novice. If you have been gravely out of form in a way that you haven't stretched your muscles in ages, first give your body some time to open up, which you can do with some flexibility and stamina-building exercises before embarking on the more arduous 'Suryanamaskar'.
And once your body has registered a certain fitness level, you can begin with a set of three Suryanamaskars in the first instance and increase it to five then ten and more depending on your stamina. Anymore than clocking up numbers, it is important to get each posture right, for the very essence of this yogic ritual lies in perfecting every move. To say the least, it can be an uphill task for beginners. But our expert-backed warm-up exercises are sure to make Suryanamaskar less strenuous and ever so graceful.
1. Neck: Breathe in while you turn your neck to the right and breathe out as you come back to the starting position. Again, breathe in while turning your neck to the left and breathe out in the centre. Repeat this movement thrice. Rotate your neck first clockwise and then anti-clockwise.
2. Arm and shoulder: Stretch your arms out in front of your chest and move your palms up and down, then sideways. Further on, rotate your fist clockwise and anti-clockwise. To relax your arms, place your palm on your shoulder and move your shoulders first clockwise then anti-clockwise.
3. Knee: Bend forwards with your palms resting on your knees, join your knees and move forwards and backwards. End the routine by rotating your knees clockwise and anti-clockwise.
4. Stomach and back: Interlock your fingers over your chest and slowly raise your hands upwards while you breathe in and stand on your toes. Return to Position 1 as you breathe out. Repeat this cycle three times.
5. Legs and waist: Stretch your legs wide in standing position, touch you left toe with the right hand, then the right toe with the left. Keep your knees straight while you do so. Repeat a few times.
By now your body is suitably warmed up to begin the Suryanamaskar routine. Here is a step-by-step account of the 12 postures. Don't try this routine on a mat, you are better off on the bare floor or on the grass.
Posture 1# Stand erect, ideally facing the morning sun. Fold your hands in prayer close to your chest and chant 'Om Suryadevaya Namah' thrice.
Posture 2# With your hands together raise your arms up in the air while you breathe in. Bend over backwards forming an arch from the hands to your feet. The flexibility of the spine is ensured in this posture.
Posture 3# Bring your hands down while you breathe out to touch the floor on either side of your feet. In this posture, it is imperative to keep your knees straight as you bend forward from the waist, and your head as close as possible to the knee. This posture helps melt the excess fat around the stomach by aiding digestion.
Posture 4# While breathing in, put your hands flush with the floor and lower your hips and stretch your left leg back, allowing it to balance on your toes, and your right leg bent in a crouching stance. With your hands firmly on the ground and your arms straight as a die, raise your head upwards to face the sky. This one is for the flexibility of spine and leg muscles, and boosts immunity from diseases.
Posture 5# As you breathe out, let your hands stay firmly on the ground and push your right leg back parallel to the left. Make sure your feet firmly touch the ground and your hip raised high. With your arms and knees straight lower your head to face your navel.
Posture 6# Hold your breath as you bring your hips down while keeping your hands and feet in the same position, and stretch your whole body near the floor. With your face downward, bring your chest and knees to lightly brush the floor, and hold your hips slightly high. At this juncture, 8 points of your body are touching the floor - your palms, forehead, chest, knees and toes.
Posture 7# This posture is a mere extension of Posture 6, in that you breathe in and straighten your arms and lift your chest upward in an arching stance, and your head thrown back facing the sky. Your arms, at this point, carry the weight of your body, with you knees and toes resting on the floor.
Posture 8# Bring your body back to Posture 5 by raising your hips and lowering your chest and head. Keep your arms and knees straight while you do so, and place your feet flush with the floor. Then lower you head to face your navel.
Posture 9# As you breathe in, return to a similar position as Posture 4, only this time you will be crouching on the left knee and stretching back your right leg. Place your hands firmly on the ground, and with the weight of your body on your arms move your chest forward and arch your head up to face the sky.
Posture 10# From here, flow back to Posture 3 while keeping your hands flush with the floor and bringing your right foot side by side with your left one. As you straighten your knee, raise your back to arch in a standing position with your head as close as possible to the knee and your hands on either side of your feet.
Posture 11# Take a deep breathe and raise your arms up in the air as you straighten your back and gradually bend over backwards, akin to Posture 2. Your knees stay straight all the while.
Posture 12# Bring yourself to Posture 1 from here with your hands folded before your chest in prayer, and your spine erect, your knees straight and your eyes shut in meditation.
With Posture 12 you complete one full circle of Suryanamaskar. From here you can flow back to Posture 2 to continue the routine. However, always follow up your Suryanamaskar regime with Savasana, better known as Corpse Pose. In this posture, you lay down on the floor with your legs and arms apart, your palms facing the sky, and eyes deep shut. Breathe in and out heavily and try to focus your thoughts on something happy. Stay on this way for a few minutes and you will feel a sense of calm run down your body like a drug.
Weight loss is just one consequence; you can so much as put your life together with this ancient yogic tradition.
Justin Bieber could face 6 months jail for alleged battery case
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber could face six months in jail as an alleged assault case against a photographer in Calabasas, California has been sent to prosecutors that may bring criminal charges against the teen.
And if the pop star was hoping the situationwould go away quietly, he was sorely mistaken, as it has been reported his case will be referred to the Los Angeles County District Attorney for possible criminal prosecution.
While detectives are continuing to investigate allegations of battery against the teen popstar, the case is being referred to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, ABC News reported.
According to ABC News' Los Angeles station KABC, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department has forwarded the case to the DA's Office for possible prosecution. Sheriff's detectives have already interviewed the alleged victim and plan to interview witnesses, according to a department release. They have also requested an interview with the singer.
Just days before his scuffle with a photographer Sunday, Bieber learned some boxing moves from former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson himself.
A video of Bieber getting a lesson from Tyson has gone viral on YouTube. Tyson also posted the photo above of him posing with the singer before they started training.
It's not clear whether Bieber used some of the moves he learned on a photographer who was trying to snap pictures of the singer and his girlfriend, Selena Gomez. But now, the teen pop singer is being investigated for battery.
According to police, Bieber has still not come forward for questioning after the alleged knock-down blow-up that left the singer without a shoe and his girlfriend picking up his hat.
The photographer, who has not been identified, said Bieber struck him in the face as the mega couple exited a shopping center in Calabasas, California, on a Sunday afternoon movie date. Witnesses said that the photographer was blocking Bieber's car, leading to the star's reaction.
"They were stopping him from leaving the parking lot and that made him really mad," witness Summer Janis told the news channel.
Bieber and Gomez left before the authorities could arrive. But the photographer complained of pain and insisted on an ambulance. He also filed a police report, alleging battery by the 18-year-old singer, but sources told TMZ.com that he only did so after a lawyer passing by suggested that he could get some money out of it.
Dengue vaccine in sight, after 70 years
LONDON: One of the grimmest legacies of the war in the Pacific is still being fought 70 years on, but a victory over dengue, the intensely painful "breakbone fever" which that conflict helped spread around the world, may be in sight.
The US Army, which like its Japanese enemy lost thousands of men to the mosquito-borne disease in the 1940s, has piled resources into defeating the tropical killer. But it may be about to see the battle to develop the first vaccine won not in the United States but by French drug company Sanofi.
The Paris-based firm hopes for positive results in September from a key trial among children in Thailand that would set it on course to market a shot in 2015 which would prevent an estimated 100 million cases of dengue infection each year. Of 20,000 annual deaths, many are of children.
For Sanofi, which has invested 350 million euros ($440 million) in a new French factory to make the three-dose vaccine, it could mean a billion euros in yearly sales as half the world is exposed to the disease, notably in fast-expanding tropical cities from Rio and Mexico to Manila and Mumbai. But like British rival GlaxoSmithKline, whose new malaria shot has shown promise against another mosquito-carried scourge, Sanofi is also preparing for pressure to make its drug accessible to billions too poor to pay the likely market price.
It has been long wait. Identified in local outbreaks in the Americas, Africa and Asia since the 18th century - and noted as a serious military hindrance by U.S. generals in their 1898 war against Spain in Cuba and the Philippines - dengue was spread to global pandemic proportions in part due to the massive movements of armies through the Pacific theatre in World War Two.
That conflict, in which some 90,000 American troops were put in hospital by dengue, prompted the first efforts to develop a vaccine, as U.S. and Japanese scientists isolated the virus spread by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. But the disease, which can cause intense joint and muscle pain, has gone on sapping the health of troops, from Vietnam to Somalia and Haiti, and made lives miserable for millions of civilians.
In the past 50 years there has been a thirty-fold jump in cases. The World Health Organisation officially puts infections at 50 to 100 million a year, though many experts think this assessment from the 1990s badly under-estimates the disease. Most patients survive but it is estimated to kill about 20,000 every year, many of these children less able to fight it off.
TALE OF TWO VACCINES The US Army's quest for a vaccine had most recently been pursued in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline. But Sanofi now seems closest to offering a viable treatment. And, unlike GSK's malaria injection designed for African babies, it promises to be the commercial blockbuster the French firm needs to refresh a portfolio weakened by expiring patents.
Its estimate of over 1 billion euros in annual sales - Sanofi's 2011 turnover was 33.4 billion euros - assumes that it is added to routine immunization schedules in Latin America and Asia and is also adopted by travelers from farther afield and by military medics in the United States and Europe.
Meeting that sales potential, while getting the vaccine to hundreds of millions who need it across the tropics, will require a careful balancing act on pricing and supply of a product that has yet to be given a commercial brand name.
Orin Levine, executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, says the new vaccine is a potential breakthrough but warned its roll-out may not be straightforward.
First up, the vaccine needs to be given in three installments over the course of a year in order to counter the threat from four different types of dengue virus, none of which confers immunity for the others.
"There are going to be some challenges," says Levine. "There's really good economic potential from this vaccine but I think it may take a ramp-up of three to five years."
SANOFI'S BET In an ideal world, healthcare experts would like a single-dose or, at most, a two-dose vaccine for mass immunization.
A simpler regimen would also be better for travelers, although Pascal Barollier of Sanofi Pasteur, Sanofi's vaccine arm, says many users will be people making regular trips to see families in Latin America or Asia with time to plan ahead. The military, too, often has lead time for troop movements.
In any case, Sanofi is putting its money where its mouth is by spending 350 million euros on a new dengue vaccine factory near Lyon, which is already in test production.
It is a substantial gamble, since Sanofi will only learn whether the vaccine really works when it analyses data from a first study of its efficacy on 4,000 Thai children.
Results from that clinical study, in what is known as the Phase IIb of the international standard three-stage process of assessment, are expected in the third quarter - most likely September. They will also be presented for scientific scrutiny at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in Atlanta in November.
If the data is good, Sanofi will file for market approval in countries where dengue is endemic likeAustralia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Mexico in 2013, suggesting a regulatory green light in 2014 and commercial launch in early 2015.
Submissions in other countries and for the travelers market would follow in 2014 and 2015.
LOOKING GOOD Early tests have shown a balanced immune response against all four dengue types and Duane Gubler of the Duke-N.U.S. Graduate Medical School, who has researched dengue for four decades, is optimistic.
"Everything they've done so far looks very good," he says. "I think it will be a much better vaccine than malaria."
He expects Sanofi's vaccine will show an efficacy rate of at least 75 to 80 percent, well above the 50 percent or so seen with GSK's malaria shot, which faces the added technical problem of fighting a complex parasite rather than a virus.
The efficacy rate refers to the reduction in the prevalence of subsequent infection among those vaccinated.
Despite both being transmitted by mosquitoes, dengue and malaria are notably different enemies.
Malaria, which is carried by a different mosquito, typically attacks rural populations living near swamps. Dengue, by contrast, has adapted to life in the city and is one of the winners of mankind's accelerating rush to urbanize.
The number of people living in urban areas is projected to rise to 6.3 billion by 2050 from 3.4 billion today, leading to more mega-cities with poor sanitation where dengue and other diseases can thrive, according to a study in The Lancet medical journal last week.
Globalization has also brought cases of dengue into southern Europe and the United States, particularly Texas and Florida, although Gubler believes higher living standards mean it is not likely to take off in these regions.
PRICING DECISION For the middle classes of Latin America and Asia, an out-of-pocket purchase of a dengue vaccine probably seems affordable and worthwhile, especially for their children. Yet dengue takes its biggest toll among the poor, who lack money for immunization and are also less likely to get medical help when the disease leads to potentially deadly haemorrhagic fever.
Getting vaccine to them will need the involvement of international agencies like the GAVI Alliance, which provides routine childhood immunizations in poor countries with funds granted by public and private donors.
Nina Schwalbe, GAVI's managing director for policy and performance, says she is monitoring the dengue vaccine program closely but needs hard evidence that it offers value for money, based on public health impact, efficacy and price.
Sanofi is not ready to set a price before it sees the full clinical trial results and has a clearer sense of vaccine yields at its factory. But the drugmaker will embrace "tiered pricing" to make the product affordable, Barollier at the company said.
That has not stopped the guessing.
"I would expect, for middle-income countries, they would be looking at prices similar to those of other new vaccines - for example HPV ( human papillomavirus), pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines - which sell for $15 to $70 per course in countries like Brazil, South Africa, Venezuela and Thailand," said IVAC's Levine.
Setting the price will be a test for Sanofi Chief Executive Chris Viehbacher. He reckons his vaccine is about five years ahead of any others and he knows he has a major opportunity to boost his company's reputation by getting the roll-out right.
With no specific drugs to treat or prevent dengue - in contrast to malaria - the world needs a success. Likewise, Viehbacher's shareholders, who have seen the company lose top-selling drugs as patents expire, need a commercial winner. They will be watching closely those results from Thailand in September.
The US Army, which like its Japanese enemy lost thousands of men to the mosquito-borne disease in the 1940s, has piled resources into defeating the tropical killer. But it may be about to see the battle to develop the first vaccine won not in the United States but by French drug company Sanofi.
The Paris-based firm hopes for positive results in September from a key trial among children in Thailand that would set it on course to market a shot in 2015 which would prevent an estimated 100 million cases of dengue infection each year. Of 20,000 annual deaths, many are of children.
For Sanofi, which has invested 350 million euros ($440 million) in a new French factory to make the three-dose vaccine, it could mean a billion euros in yearly sales as half the world is exposed to the disease, notably in fast-expanding tropical cities from Rio and Mexico to Manila and Mumbai. But like British rival GlaxoSmithKline, whose new malaria shot has shown promise against another mosquito-carried scourge, Sanofi is also preparing for pressure to make its drug accessible to billions too poor to pay the likely market price.
It has been long wait. Identified in local outbreaks in the Americas, Africa and Asia since the 18th century - and noted as a serious military hindrance by U.S. generals in their 1898 war against Spain in Cuba and the Philippines - dengue was spread to global pandemic proportions in part due to the massive movements of armies through the Pacific theatre in World War Two.
That conflict, in which some 90,000 American troops were put in hospital by dengue, prompted the first efforts to develop a vaccine, as U.S. and Japanese scientists isolated the virus spread by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. But the disease, which can cause intense joint and muscle pain, has gone on sapping the health of troops, from Vietnam to Somalia and Haiti, and made lives miserable for millions of civilians.
In the past 50 years there has been a thirty-fold jump in cases. The World Health Organisation officially puts infections at 50 to 100 million a year, though many experts think this assessment from the 1990s badly under-estimates the disease. Most patients survive but it is estimated to kill about 20,000 every year, many of these children less able to fight it off.
TALE OF TWO VACCINES The US Army's quest for a vaccine had most recently been pursued in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline. But Sanofi now seems closest to offering a viable treatment. And, unlike GSK's malaria injection designed for African babies, it promises to be the commercial blockbuster the French firm needs to refresh a portfolio weakened by expiring patents.
Its estimate of over 1 billion euros in annual sales - Sanofi's 2011 turnover was 33.4 billion euros - assumes that it is added to routine immunization schedules in Latin America and Asia and is also adopted by travelers from farther afield and by military medics in the United States and Europe.
Meeting that sales potential, while getting the vaccine to hundreds of millions who need it across the tropics, will require a careful balancing act on pricing and supply of a product that has yet to be given a commercial brand name.
Orin Levine, executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, says the new vaccine is a potential breakthrough but warned its roll-out may not be straightforward.
First up, the vaccine needs to be given in three installments over the course of a year in order to counter the threat from four different types of dengue virus, none of which confers immunity for the others.
"There are going to be some challenges," says Levine. "There's really good economic potential from this vaccine but I think it may take a ramp-up of three to five years."
SANOFI'S BET In an ideal world, healthcare experts would like a single-dose or, at most, a two-dose vaccine for mass immunization.
A simpler regimen would also be better for travelers, although Pascal Barollier of Sanofi Pasteur, Sanofi's vaccine arm, says many users will be people making regular trips to see families in Latin America or Asia with time to plan ahead. The military, too, often has lead time for troop movements.
In any case, Sanofi is putting its money where its mouth is by spending 350 million euros on a new dengue vaccine factory near Lyon, which is already in test production.
It is a substantial gamble, since Sanofi will only learn whether the vaccine really works when it analyses data from a first study of its efficacy on 4,000 Thai children.
Results from that clinical study, in what is known as the Phase IIb of the international standard three-stage process of assessment, are expected in the third quarter - most likely September. They will also be presented for scientific scrutiny at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in Atlanta in November.
If the data is good, Sanofi will file for market approval in countries where dengue is endemic likeAustralia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Mexico in 2013, suggesting a regulatory green light in 2014 and commercial launch in early 2015.
Submissions in other countries and for the travelers market would follow in 2014 and 2015.
LOOKING GOOD Early tests have shown a balanced immune response against all four dengue types and Duane Gubler of the Duke-N.U.S. Graduate Medical School, who has researched dengue for four decades, is optimistic.
"Everything they've done so far looks very good," he says. "I think it will be a much better vaccine than malaria."
He expects Sanofi's vaccine will show an efficacy rate of at least 75 to 80 percent, well above the 50 percent or so seen with GSK's malaria shot, which faces the added technical problem of fighting a complex parasite rather than a virus.
The efficacy rate refers to the reduction in the prevalence of subsequent infection among those vaccinated.
Despite both being transmitted by mosquitoes, dengue and malaria are notably different enemies.
Malaria, which is carried by a different mosquito, typically attacks rural populations living near swamps. Dengue, by contrast, has adapted to life in the city and is one of the winners of mankind's accelerating rush to urbanize.
The number of people living in urban areas is projected to rise to 6.3 billion by 2050 from 3.4 billion today, leading to more mega-cities with poor sanitation where dengue and other diseases can thrive, according to a study in The Lancet medical journal last week.
Globalization has also brought cases of dengue into southern Europe and the United States, particularly Texas and Florida, although Gubler believes higher living standards mean it is not likely to take off in these regions.
PRICING DECISION For the middle classes of Latin America and Asia, an out-of-pocket purchase of a dengue vaccine probably seems affordable and worthwhile, especially for their children. Yet dengue takes its biggest toll among the poor, who lack money for immunization and are also less likely to get medical help when the disease leads to potentially deadly haemorrhagic fever.
Getting vaccine to them will need the involvement of international agencies like the GAVI Alliance, which provides routine childhood immunizations in poor countries with funds granted by public and private donors.
Nina Schwalbe, GAVI's managing director for policy and performance, says she is monitoring the dengue vaccine program closely but needs hard evidence that it offers value for money, based on public health impact, efficacy and price.
Sanofi is not ready to set a price before it sees the full clinical trial results and has a clearer sense of vaccine yields at its factory. But the drugmaker will embrace "tiered pricing" to make the product affordable, Barollier at the company said.
That has not stopped the guessing.
"I would expect, for middle-income countries, they would be looking at prices similar to those of other new vaccines - for example HPV ( human papillomavirus), pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines - which sell for $15 to $70 per course in countries like Brazil, South Africa, Venezuela and Thailand," said IVAC's Levine.
Setting the price will be a test for Sanofi Chief Executive Chris Viehbacher. He reckons his vaccine is about five years ahead of any others and he knows he has a major opportunity to boost his company's reputation by getting the roll-out right.
With no specific drugs to treat or prevent dengue - in contrast to malaria - the world needs a success. Likewise, Viehbacher's shareholders, who have seen the company lose top-selling drugs as patents expire, need a commercial winner. They will be watching closely those results from Thailand in September.
Sensex up 434 points, investors richer by Rs 1.3 lakh crore
While the global sentiment was upbeat on fresh initiatives by ECB to fix the crisis in Eurozone, domestic factors like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's bid to fast track the big- ticket infrastructure projects helped the mood.
Investor wealth grew by a whopping Rs 1.30 lakh crore today to Rs 58.64 lakh crore as six out of 10 stocks gained on the domestic bourses today, extending a three-day upsurge.
Led by banks, infra and automobile stocks on hopes that the Reserve Bank will further cut interest rates later this month, sensex opened at 16,100.36 with a gain of 80 points.
As the day progressed, investors took cues from the Asian markets which were up 1-2%. In the afternoon session, the signals from the European markets were also positive with gains upto 3 per cent, fuelling the rally on both BSE and NSE.
After touching the day's high of 16,494.50, sensex finally closed at 16,454.30, up 433.66 points or 2.71%, the best daily gain in percentage terms since January 3.
In terms of points, sensex today clocked its highest gains in 2012 as it gained 421.44 points on January 3.
"Rising hope of policy rate cut by RBI, expected positive outcome from upcoming ECB (European Central Bank) meet cheered domestic stocks today," said Sharmila Joshi, Head Equity, Fairwealth Securities.
All the 30 sensex stocks ended higher with gains led by Tata Motors, L&T), Jindal Steel, Hero MotorCorp and Sterlite Industries that were up between 4-5.7%.
The 50-share NSE Nifty shot up by 133.80 points or 2.75% to 4,997.10, after testing the key 5,000 level.
With foreign inflows returning into Indian stocks, rupee further stabilised against the dollar and was last trading at 55.36 compared to yesterday's close of 55.64.
Allaying concerns over policy inaction, the government has recently taken some decisive measures to boost exports and rein in fiscal deficit through austerity measures.
Globally, European stocks were trading higher in their early trade as key indices in France, Germany and London shot up by upto 2.07%. US stocks index futures too indicated firm opening today.
"Sentiments improved globally on hopes of ECB unveiling additional long-term refinancing operation (LTRO) to improve the Eurozone situation at its meet later today," said Shanu Goel, Senior Research Analyst, Bonanza Portfolio.
The stimulus expectations also drive Asian markets where key benchmark indices in Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore rose by between 0.80% and 1.81%.
Back home in Sensex, Tata Motors was the top gainer by rising 5.71%, followed by L&T (4.77 pc), Jindal Steel (4.63 pc), Hero MotoCorp (4.29 pc), Sterlite (4.06 pc), NTPC 3.84 (pc), SBI (3.81 pc), ITC (3.68 pc) and HDFC Bank (3.50 pc). Others like Bharti Airtel (3.38 pc), Bajaj Auto (3.33 pc), M&M (3.20 pc), HUL (2.95 pc), ONGC (2.90 pc), Hindalco (2.86 pc) and Tata Steel (2.80 pc) also clocked smart gains.
Among the sectoral indices, the BSE-Auto rose by 3.86%, followed by the BSE-Capital Goods (3.63 pc), the BSE-Power (3.49 pc), the BSE-Bankex (3.01 pc), the BSE-FMCG (2.95 pc), the BSE-Metal (2.92 pc), the BSE-Realty (2.65 pc) and the BSE-PSU (2.30 pc).
Mid-cap and Small-cap indices also ended higher by 1.78% and 1.48% respectively on good buying from retail investors. The market breadth continued to show positive trend as 1,849 shares finished with gains while 894 ended with losses.
The total turnover shot up to Rs 2,060.29 crore from Rs 1,819.59 crore yesterday.
Foreign institutional investors were the net sellers to the tune of Rs 680.86 crore yesterday as per provisional data from the stock exchanges.
Al-Qaida advertises for suicide bombers on web
BAGHDAD: Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has begun posting Internet advertisements offering training for suicide bombers to target the US, Israel and France, adverts on several jihadist web forums show.
The advertisements ask for volunteers to get in touch via e-mail with details about their own experience and proposed targets, and were posted on a variety of jihadist forums, including Al-Fidaa, Shmoukh al-Islam and Honein.
"The aim of this training is to continue with our brothers who are seeking to carry out operations that make for great killing and slaughtering of the enemies of Islam," said the advertisement attributed to Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
"It is clear now that the individual jihad, or what is called the lone wolf, has become more widespread and its features have started showing -- in summary, it is a complete jihadist operation to be carried out by a single bomber."
It said the targets of the attacks were "those who are fighting the Muslims and Islam" and specifically pointed to "economic, military and media interests of the enemy."
"Their identity must be, according to priority, American, Israeli, French and British."
Al-Qaida and its regional offshoots often use jihadist Internet forums to post statements claiming responsibility for attacks, and to communicate with followers.
Satyamev Jayate: Aamir Khan refuses to apologize to doctors, ready to face legal action
Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan today refused to apologize to the Indian Medical Association which has accused him of defaming the medical profession through his popular TV showSatyamev Jayate and said he is ready to face any legal action threatened by it.
"I am very comfortable if they (IMA) plan to take legal action if they feel that I have done something wrong. Of course, the courts are available for them. My answer is no, I will not be apologizing," Aamir told to a news channel.
The actor denied IMA's charge of defaming and insulting the medical profession.
"I deny that I have done that. I have the highest respect and regard for the medical profession," he said.
In an episode, aired on May 27, the 47-year-old actor highlighted the malpractices in the medical profession.
The IMA had demanded an immediate apology from Aamir and warned him of legal action if he failed to do so. "Aamir Khan should apologise for having defamed and given one side of the story on medical profession. If he does not we are contemplating to take legal action against him for defaming and demoralising the medical profession in his TV show," IMA secretary general Dr D R Rai had said.
Aamir, who has been focusing on social evils through the show, said his show is not against doctors or the medical profession.
"If the medical profession has been insulted and defamed by anybody, it is probably by those who are indulging in unethical practises," Aamir said.
India's silent killer: Time to wake up
June 04, 2012 18:34 IST
It has always been perceived that cancer is generally restricted to the more affluent class in comparison with the poorer people. This is a myth and a recent report in Lancet has busted it. Sriram Balasubramanian reports.
India's biggest nemesis has been cancer. In a country which has inequality rising by the day despite rapid economic progress, there have been various issues such as malnutrition, poverty and hunger.
Among those issues, cancer would be one of the most important of them. Besides the nature of the disease itself, the affordability of the medical treatment, the care given by society as a whole are issues that need to be addressed urgently.
A recent report published in the Lancet (titled "Cancer Mortality in India [ Images ] a national representative survey) highlights the major issues confronting cancer patients in India. The lead author of the report, which is being funded both by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation and the US Institutes of Health, Dr Prabhat Jha says, "In India 600,000 people had lost their lives last year. In that 400,000 were in the middle age group (30-69) whereas 200,000 people were in the category above 70."
The two major findings of the report according to Dr Jha is that "a) 70 percent of the cancer affected patients were middle age b) Death rate is higher for the undereducated poor people in comparison with the richer ones."
Both these findings are not all surprising. It is frightening to note that 70 percent are middle age people but the starker thing is also that undereducated poor people are getting affected it. It has always been perceived that cancer is generally restricted to the more affluent class in comparison with the poorer people.
This is a myth and this finding has busted it. Dr Jha says "significant parts of rural India are not educated, this lack of awareness and early detection has increased the number of cancer cases". In addition this, there is also a bigger issue and a more systemic issue with rural people, it's the cost of cancer treatment.
According to the Indian Statistical Institute in a July 2011 paper, the average cost of a cancer patient (inclusive of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and others) in AIIMS (India) is Rs 1,602 per week. The costs of a seven-week radiotherapy course are Rs 8,184 and the average economic burden for a person being treated at AIIMS comes to around Rs 36,812.
Now in a country which says that Rs 32 per day is a poverty estimate, you think most of the rural household can afford this basic treatment? Besides this, how is it possible for the rural household to afford for continuous cancer treatment? Affordability and cost of treatment is one of the basic reasons for the rise in the number of cancer cases across rural India.
In addition, it is also the nature of the disease that makes it even more frightening. The disease in its entirety is a very complex disease because it requires continuous treatment. Contrary to public perception, someone diagnosed with cancer does not mean that person's life has come to a standstill. There are various degrees of cancer and successive treatments can cure cancer at various stages.
However, the nature of the disease requires and demands two things. One is the need for money for treatment. Second, is the empathy from people. Empathy and care is part of the Indian fabric.
However, in such cases, there seems to be a general trend of castigating people who have had cancer. This castigation is not good since winning cancer is more to do with the brain than the body. The psychological help and motivation can do wonders for someone to recover from cancer.
Even though closely knit families in Indian societies play a huge role in helping their own kin in such circumstances, such magnanimity is sometimes not shown outside. Our inner apprehensions (sometimes inaccurate knowledge of the nature of the disease) make us castigate them from our mainstream activities. People's castigation of others who are affected by cancer comes from a lack of awareness from even the educated elite.
This leads to the other point mentioned by Dr Jha as part of his findings. Dr Jha categorically says "70 percent of the patients are from the age 30-69. It is affecting the youngsters of the country more than the older ones. It could be due to younger age structure and also due to excessive tobacco use among youngsters" and adds "In the western world, half of cancer patients are above the age of 70".
This fact is telling. It reflects a clear lack of awareness among the youth of the country who despite education, don't seem to have learned much from it about cancer awareness. Considering that India is a very young nation, the greater number of youngsters is understandable but the magnitude of this figure is disturbing. There has to be a concerted effort by the establishment to help people affected by cancer.
In all fairness to the government, there have been processes in place however much the implementation is a question to be answered. The government initiated the National Cancer Control Programme first in 1975-76. This programme at present oversees 25 regional cancer research centres in India which focus on cancer detection and diagnosis, provision of therapy, after care and rehabilitation, education and training.
In addition, they also focus on developing oncology wings in all the medical colleges across the country to aid in this process. There is also a district programme which has been initiated since 1991 which gets a grant of Rs 90 lakh over a period of five years. Moreover, there has been concerted effort by the NGO's and other organisations to ramp up the cancer awareness and prevention across the country. However, the issues with these government schemes seem to be the implementation. There has to be a more robust and concrete examination of the systems in place and the delivery treatment mechanism needs to be more refined. In addition, there has to be greater education about the disease across the polity.
So what is Dr Jha's solution to this in the short term? He says "increasing tobacco taxes is the single most important step India needs to take. Many countries have done this and it has been effective. An example would be France where the tobacco consumption decreased and reduced lung cancer by half almost". In addition Dr Jha says "increase in VAT by state governments is not good enough and so are super specialty hospitals". Surprisingly, when questioned on the ban of cigarettes in public, he says "it does work since it has worked in countries such as Australia and Canada "
In retrospect, the findings of the report and the general state of cancer in India have proven one thing; reform in the health sector, especially access to cancer treatment, is direly needed. There has to be concerted effort from the government and the private sector to help people tackle with high treatment costs and urge society to show more care towards the needy.
Time is running out, it's high time India wakes up.
Team Anna on indefinite fast from July 25
June 06, 2012 20:23 IST
Team Anna members like Arvind Kejriwal and Gopal Sisodia and others will launch an indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 25 as part of the agitation to press for the bill, Rai told media persons.
Simultaneous fast will be held through out the country on that day, he said.
Rai appealed to all sections of the society to lend their support to the Team Anna in its crusade against corruption by pressurising the centre to enact the Lokpal bill at the earliest.
V S Sampath is new chief election commissioner
June 06, 2012 20:42 IST
Election Commissioner Veeravalli Sundaram Sampath was on Thursday appointed the new Chief Election Commissioner who will preside over the next Lok Sabha general elections in 2014.62-year-old Sampath will take over as CEC after incumbent S Y Quraishi demits office on June 10.
Brushing aside BJP Leader L K Advani's [ Images ] suggestion for a collegium to decide on appointment of CEC and CAG, the government went ahead and named the 1973-batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre.
President Pratibha Patil [ Images ] cleared his appointment on Thursday evening, official sources said.
A low-profile bureaucrat who has had stints in varied positions in Andhra Pradesh and Delhi [ Images ], Sampath was Power Secretary at the Centre before he was appointed Election Commissioner in April, 2009.
Born on January 16, 1950, Sampath will be at the helm of election commission until January, 2015 when he attains 65 years.
Under the Constitution, an EC or the CEC can remain in office either for a six year term or till 65 years, whichever is earlier.
Consequent to Sampath's appointment, the government will soon be naming his replacement as election commissioner.
After Sampath, the other Commissioner H S Brahma becomes the next in seniority in the three-member commission.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)