Importance of Road Safety and following Traffic Rules

Road safety is a crucial aspect of our daily lives, yet it often goes overlooked. It is essential to follow traffic rules to ensure the safety of ourselves and others on the road. Every year, thousands of people lose their lives in road accidents, and most of these accidents are caused by the negligence of drivers who fail to follow traffic rules.

Let me take you through a typical day in a city, where traffic is always bustling. The roads are full of vehicles, and everyone is in a hurry to reach their destination. As I walk down the street, I see people jaywalking, drivers jumping traffic lights, and motorcyclists driving without helmets. It is a chaotic scene, and accidents are waiting to happen.

Following traffic rules is essential to prevent accidents. When drivers follow traffic rules, it leads to a smooth flow of traffic and reduces the chances of accidents. For instance, if drivers stop at red lights, it prevents collisions from happening. Similarly, wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle can save lives in the event of an accident.

Not following traffic rules has severe consequences, not just for the driver but also for the society or community where we live. Road accidents can cause injuries or even death, leaving families devastated. It also leads to economic losses for individuals, businesses, and the government. Traffic congestion caused by accidents can lead to delays, which can affect productivity and daily life. Moreover, accidents can damage public and private property, leading to further losses.

According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, India, road accidents are a significant cause of deaths in the country. In 2019, there were over 4.5 lakh road accidents, resulting in over 1.5 lakh deaths and several injuries. These numbers highlight the need for drivers to follow traffic rules and take road safety seriously.

In conclusion, road safety is a crucial aspect of our daily lives that cannot be ignored. We must follow traffic rules to ensure the safety of ourselves and others on the road. Not following traffic rules can lead to accidents, injuries, and economic losses, which can have severe consequences on the society or community where we live. So, let us all pledge to follow traffic rules and make our roads safer for everyone. 

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Teachers are still using the stick in Indian schools and parents aren't doing anything to stop it by mayank jain

Almost all children surveyed had either seen or faced corporal punishment.

Last week, a nine-year-old girl in Telangana was made to kneel for two hours in class for not doing her homework. The punishment severely reduced blood flow to her muscles as she developed cramps and had to be taken to multiple hospitals for medical attention. While undergoing treatment, the nine-year-old died.

Corporal punishment in schools is a grim reality of education not just in India but many other countries. However, if news reports are to go by the situation of students in classroom has only gotten worse. A recent incident from Chhattisgarh last month highlighted just how teachers can seriously hurt students over trivial issues.

Three students of Class 9 at a school in Raipur were allegedly beaten up by their principal in front of the whole class for wearing fancy hair-clips, leaving them traumatised as the teachers requested that they don’t disclose the incident to their parents.

In reaction to the increasingly common incidents such as these, Young Lives, an international collective of organisations studying childhood poverty brought out a working paper last year specifically on the state of corporal punishment in Andhra Pradesh (now bifurcated into Andhra and Telangana) and the way children and parents think about it.

Frequent and violent

The study surveyed nearly 3000 children in united Andhra Pradesh from 2002 to 2009 and concluded that corporal punishment was not only prevalent but frequent as well in a typical school.

Children aged 7-8 years were part of the younger cohort, 92% of which reported witnessing corporal punishment while 77% said they had experienced it as compared to 34% of the 14-15 years accepting that they faced corporal punishment in schools.

Moreover, boys, those in the poorest quintile or the ones studying in the government schools reported a more frequent experience of physical punishment as compared to their respective counterparts.

It’s not just restricted to Andhra Pradesh as physical punishment has emerged as a norm in schools across the country. A 2007 report by the Ministry of Women and Child Development said that two out of three children are physically abused in India with boys (73%) only slightly more likely to face it than girls (65%).

Condoning the violence

While the report stated that corporal punishment is rampant in Andhra Pradesh with children facing violence routinely and boys experiencing particularly high levels, its shocking insight was the fact parents were often, if not always, found to be condoning it.

“The teachers said they don’t beat the students as strict rules are passed. But we ourselves ask them to beat on their backs or on the hands, otherwise the students will become stubborn, without any fear,” said a mother to the authors of the study.

Another father complained that his son stopped going to school after being beaten up by the teacher and fell sick however, he felt too scared to complain against the teacher and said that his son didn’t understand that punishment was for his “betterment”.

“After spending so much money, my son is not studying. I tried to explain that teacher beats you for your betterment – they are not your enemies – but he does not wish to continue his studies,” he said.

Punishment for punishing?

Even though the Indian government bannedcorporal punishment in schools five years ago, reports have highlighted that it’s rampant and thriving at the behest of teacher and at times parents, who often go too far in ensuring that children toe the metaphorical line.

Moreover, the Right to Education Act lays down a strict definition of punishment but falls short of mandating action against the teachers who resort to physical or mental harm as a means to ‘discipline’ the students.

The solutions, feel activists, is not just in prohibiting these incidents by strict measures but also in training teachers with skills that help them teach more effectively and manage students without having to take the recourse violently.

“Strict penal action would indeed be a deterrent and is needed,” Vimala Ramachandran, Chairperson of ‘Eliminating Corporal Punishment in Schools Committee formed by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights told Firstpost. “However, we cannot only focus on the teachers who use corporal punishment against children. We also need to make sure that educational administration enables teachers to develop skills to deal with different situations without resorting to punishment,” she added.

Young Lives’ report, meanwhile, argues there is an urgent need to address the problem of corporal punishment and violence against boys and girls in schools as well as other settings. The power dynamics that allow adults to use humiliating forms of punishment, in some cases leading to the injury or even death of young children, need to be challenged.

“Changes in policy and legislation do not appear to be matched by changes at the school level, and this suggests that other factors, particularly parents’ views about corporal punishment, and larger questions related to how boys and girls are treated by adults in society at large at different ages, also need to be taken into account.”

Red is The Colour

The death toll in Naxalite region in past couple of months has been growing dangerously. It’s not just the paramilitary forces but the innocent villagers and other civilians which have been targeted. The movement which was started by landless peasants, to get their dues from the affluent landlords in late seventies, has taken an ugly shape, in the form of unorganized armed gangs.

As per a report from RAW, Naxalites are active across approximately 220 districts in India accounting for about 40 percent of India's geographical area. They are especially concentrated in an area known as the "Red Corridor", where they control 92,000 square kilometers. They have astrength of around 20,000 armed cadre Naxalites, in addition to 50,000 regular cadres, operative in these regions. The GoI has tagged Naxals as “biggest internal security threat”.

Not going into the glorious history what reds cherish, when they had a motive to pursue and had earned a lot of support and sympathy from the poor. Today the movement has been operating, without any clear demands and motive, and killing whoever dares to cross their way. Their so called leaders have turned to ambitious warlords, who have raised their personal forces by brainwashing the unemployed and money hungry youths.

Since I had an opportunity to work in a naxal affected regions, I was really astonished to see the demands they used to put before the officials to fund them. They wanted the funds that were directed for welfare programs like making temple, school or organizing a health camp to be directly given to them in cash. The so called leaders and the middlemen used to distribute their share and the welfare programs were dumped. They used to demand a security fee from the companies for securing their establishments and employees from a possible Naxal attack. If at all this was denied, the result would be ……..

There is nothing called red brigade remaining in the heart of the naxals, it is just the lust for quick bucks that is driving them to earn via easy ways. There have been several incidents which have been indicating the lack of coordination among the fragmented and fringed Brigades.

The possible link up of these armed outfits, which hide under the name of Red Brigade, with international terrorist organizations like Al – XYZ (there are so many now…) is another big threat which has taken the sleeps away from Indian security agencies. The problem is grieving day by day with every Red-faction coming up its own agenda after killing several. I wonder if the Indian Government would decide on taking a strong decision on eliminating these armed groups, like what Sri Lanka did, would actually solve the problem. But one thing is very clear whoever dies in this internal war the color of his blood is RED….

molesting democracy

I still wonder, how did I got the title for this blog?? while running through the news papers this morning it was a grieve shock to go through two news.

First one was on the killing of two more Kashmiri Youths in Police firing and second one was on the Reddy brothers being issued notice by election commission.

The killing of youths has attracted a lot of media attention and dishonor for paramilitary forces controlling law & order in valley. Even the government seems to be brushing off its hand and pass on the blame to forces claiming them to be “out of control”. But in all the chaos it is clearly evident that the beurocratic bridge to plug the gap between center and state is missing. Off late the besiege to peace in valley has been clouded due to beurocracy trying to make loopholes to protect the corrupt and punishing the innocent (not exactly). I still keep wondering as to till when, we the people will be puppets in the hand of government.

The courage by EC to finally notify the Reddy Brothers seem to fizz out with Reddy’s accepting it as Just another Notice for them. They seem to be completely unperturbed by the actions of State EC and are rubbishing it of stating, “Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah (religion will protect those who protect it)”. With the Reddy brothers and Sriramulu holding shares in the Obulapuram Mining Company, including 40 and 38 percent by Janardhan Reddy and his wife Lakshmi Aruna respectively, it would be interesting to see how they can disprove the charges. But history has proved that they have always escaped such charges without being touched, making mockery of democracy with the help of Money Power and Beurocratic Alliances.

Both the incidence seem related and somehow put democracy to shame. Thinking the same it clicked as to who are molesting democracy…..???

Thanks…

The Economics of Recession and Recovery

Off late I happened to come across a few really good articles which discussed the current recession at Length. I have summarized my views along with the abstracts of the articles which I thought would be of some use to understand the actual working of recession and Economics that steers through the recession.


Measures of Recession!!

We usually identify and measure recessions by 1) the amount of job losses, 2) the reduction in the national production of goods and services (a decline in GDP) and 3) the result of these first two events—a sharp rise in unemployment rates. A recession is a prolonged period of economic downturn.

Employment reports show that the current recession is deepening and there is broad agreement that the economy will decline for at least another six – eight months and probably longer. The national unemployment rate at 7.6% is up from the March 2007 low of 4.4%. Job losses totaling 15 Lakhs jobs were experienced since December 2007. National GDP declined by 3.8% in the 4th quarter of 2008 with a larger drop expected in this quarter.

Why Recessions Happen?

Recessions occur when there is a prolonged drop in spending. When total spending in the economy declines, there is not enough demand to keep everyone employed and as sales and production drop, companies begin to lay off workers. There are not enough customers to keep everyone employed. There are many reasons why total spending can start to decline suddenly. There was an initial event or events that sent spending downward and the following loss of jobs and wealth brought a drop in consumer spending, which is more than 2/3 of total spending.


The Anatomy of the Current Recession

The current recession was started when there was a broad recognition that home prices were far above normal levels and that many borrowers had bought homes they could not now afford. The combination of these events started a sharp drop in home prices and foreclosures that are still continuing.

These two events also created a tightening of home lending criteria and caused a huge decline in home construction and related jobs and spending. The next event was the realization that banks and other financial institutions were severely affected by the losses in home values and were holding loans that would never be repaid. The housing downturn became a financial sector crisis as financial institutions faced large loan losses.

These events resulted in a loss of confidence and decline in the stock market. The large loss of wealth in home and portfolio values caused a slowdown in consumer spending.

At the same time that our domestic economy was turning down, economies all around the world were slowing, which will contribute to a decline in India exports another spending sector to turn down.
Currently these declines in spending are feeding on each other creating large continuing job losses and great uncertainty and fear and further layoffs as businesses are preparing for lower sales in 2009.

What is Different About This Recession?

This recession includes a substantial loss of wealth, continuing uncertainty in where the bottom of housing prices and foreclosures lies, and uncertainty about the solvency and future of our banking system. Our banks were wise enough to hold the cash reserves with them, which have helped them absorb the ripples of recession spread across the sectors.

Economists believe that a successful stimulus package is not enough by itself to restore confidence and spending in the economy—the increased interest rates and banking sector challenges must also be handled carefully.

The Economics of Stimulus Efforts to Fight Recessions

Since recessions are caused and continue as a result of a drop in spending, the antidotes are policies designed to boost spending. There are three main anti-recession weapons—1) interest rate cuts, 2) tax cuts and 3) direct government spending.

Interest rate and tax cuts are designed to provide incentives to increase private sector spending by households and businesses. Direct government spending makes government the “customer” who will increase spending to restore production and jobs.

The theory behind interest rate cuts is to lower the cost of interest to consumers and businesses. If interest rates are lower the cost of buying a home or car or investing in a new plant will be lower. In addition payments on credit card and other consumer debt will be lower.

The theory behind tax rate cuts is that
1. They increase income for consumers and Businesses
2. They increase the incentive to work and invest.

The theory behind direct government spending as stimulus is
1. We can be sure that all the money will be spent
2. We can target the money to “deserving” areas such as Support to Manufacturing and Export based Industries benefits, infrastructure investments.


Beyond the Stimulus…

There is plenty of blame to go around. Investors borrowed money to the limits they could not afford. Lenders made loans without regard to the ability of borrowers to pay back the loans. There was no effective oversight of this collective imprudence. The Banks being prudent enough to play by the rules helped them to hold the liquidity that was badly required. They also came forward to assist the businesses with lower interest rate offering as they are connected with each other. We have learned the language of connectedness and common interest. But in getting to a better future, whether that is next year or the next 20 years, these connections need have greater voice than our differences and we must find ways to deal with blame that do not inflict harm on the economy and the millions of innocent victims of this economic crisis.

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Tyrannical Reds…..

Off late virtually every newspaper is discussing about CPM Vs Maoist Battle @ Lalgarh in West Bengal. Though the roots have been same for both the Outfits (little harsh term as both proved competitive to each other) but gradual doping of extraneous thoughts in the stream of communist philosophy has created a gorge between the Two. Considering political ideology that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property in general, the common Philosophy of Both Red outfits have kept them together for years.



But going by the incidents in the recent past, its both the organizations, who in the name of protecting the rights of the people have battered the common man.

CPM have a list of long drawn agenda for development of the State and the party but going by the figures the Red party as tripled its income since last decade, the same is never reflected by the development index of the state. Not even one third of the benefits have materialized, except in and around Kolkata. The poor has grown poorer in the past few years.




The Red brigade/ Maoist / PWG whatever you call they who claim to be at the niche in their infested regions, have done no good to the development of the people. Handing over the arms to the innocent and unlearned masses has aggrieved the situation instead of bettering it. The development / Aid support which would have reached these towns has no been threatened to enter them.

Ultimately who is the sufferer?

The Masses, who are driven by the Ideological forces and crushed between the farces of CPM and Maoists.

Trinamool has been quite oppurtunist in the whole episode… they are just mum and watching. Di sheds no tears, and is least concerned about the grievances of Janta (masses). To add the final axe was drawn when our honorable Home Minister (PC) stated the matter as an internal matter of the State.

Taking the stock of the situation in West Bengal it is quite explosive. People are ready to draw the lines with each other’s Blood. I hope that masses become aware about this opportunist politics and prevent anything appalling to happen in the state.

Be Warned Cola Lovers…..

This happened to me as one of the most unfortunate event, what I saw this morning? As a usual pre-office ritual to have a tea before proceeding to office, I stopped at this shop ( I have been taking tea there for almost 6 months). I would just stand on the corner of the shop and would watch people walking down the lane.

BBMP has a great fondness to keep Bangalore Green as ever (thanks to them..). I hope, considering the same they had planned to spray insecticides on the trees / plants that are planted on roads, Gardens, parks etc. one of an elderly BBMP employee was spraying the insecticide on the plantation around the shop. I was keenly watching him work till he finished his job. After completing his job of spraying insecticide, he came down to the shop to have a tea. He just parked his equipments next to a heap of Cold drink containers that were kept on one edge of the shop.

While sipping my tea I saw that the sprayer was still active, and was spraying the insecticide on the heap of cold drink containers. I alerted the elderly man to this he immediately responded and turned of the sprayer. But till it was stopped the cold drinks kept in crates were already soaked well by the insecticide.

I then asked the shopkeeper to rinse / clean the bottles, as they are all soaked in Insecticide. The shopkeeper reply was very plain and simple, “ why should I do it…. All the bottle are clean and can be very well served to customers who want it!!”. Even on my repeated insistence he would not heed to my urge.

Finally I resolved that I would never go to that shop.

Some times back I received a forwarded mail, where it was told that cans stored in go-downs are prone contamination of surface from Rat Urine, pesticides etc. therefore it was suggested that cans should be washed before there contents are consumed.

I see a similar case stands with bottles as well… therefore its in your interest not to enjoy cola with additional lethal supplements and therefore always wash neck of the bottle before it is opened.

Be Warned……

Thanks

Australian Menace.. (Re: Curry Bashing)

Recent Attacks on Indians in Australia have been condemned all over by Indian Media. They have been raging photographs of people shouting slogans with placards Written anti Aussie slogans on them. It was unfortunate for people like Shravan Kumar who had to suffer during this whole episode. for almost a fortnight i have been viewing news columns depicting worries of parents and travel agents. this whole episode was really trumatic for the people who were part of it.


"Around 15-20 Australians approached us outside the taxi stand asking for a dollar. When I showed them my empty pockets, they started beating up my friend and me"

– Kanan Kharbanda (27), 3rd semester student of accounting, Melbourne Institute of Technology, who has been crippled for life.

"He was crying, on fire. He lay down on the ground and I put the blanket on him… I told him everything was going to be OK. He was asking: 'Is my face OK?"

– Arminder Singh, flatmate of Rajesh Kumar, who was attacked with a petrol bomb

"After we reached Blackburn the passenger then asked me to take him to Ringwood when my taxi tyre went flat. I tried to tell him I won't be able to take him any further and he started abusing me… I have injuries on face, leg and hand. I have two broken tooth as well”

– Indian taxi driver (35, name withheld) who was attacked by a drunken Australian passenger

Last few days have been awfully disturbing, as the reports of attacks on Indians students in Australia continue to hit the headlines one after another. I decided to reproduce some of the horror tales from the newspapers reports.

This is one part of the Story....

what comes in Next is:
I came across the blogs of this Gentlemen who claim to be residing in Melbourne, Australia. and have condemned the the Indians to Name these incidents as racially motivated.

http://www.itimes.com/content.php?cid=99640
"According to the data, 95k students are studying in Australia and 45000 are in Melbourne itself. Few days ago when they were having a protest, mere 2k students were all together. What happened to other students???? I am also Indian and just 2000 students don’t represent total Indian community"

the second Part of the Story goes like.....

The Australian Universities are Costlier and are giving lower brokerage (Consultancy Fees) for overseas admissions than thier European Counterparts. The news worked in favour of the Agents who prefered / Guided the students to join the European Universities. Today, if you go to an Agent and ask him to process your application for any XYZ australian university, first thing he is gonna ask is , "why Australia?? there are Risks.... and European Univ are good ..... and Bla Bla Bla Blah..!!"


My Opinion:

going through the complete episode... one must understand everyone is working towards his own benefit... people who are not benefitted are no way concerned with the News. wether they are in Australia or India. its only the name of the countries which are being spoiled in the eyes of the other countrymen.

Inflation Vs Beggar

This is a first hand account of my interaction with a beggar which turned out to be so interesting to me, that I thought of sharing it with all.

To begin with I was moving in a hurry to reach office because of some pending works that I had kept for the next day. The bus conductor handed a bunch of Re 1 & Rs 2 coins, as my stop has arrived. It may be appearing, why would he give me money for traveling in his bus? No. there is a peculiar habit of conductors at Bangalore, whatever note (currency) you give them they give you the ticket minus the amount written on back of it. At your stop if you asked for the balance amount they would pay or it’s their silage!

Let me come back to the point, I was rushing towards my office and suddenly an appealingly pathetic figure, downed by sickness and hunger, appeared before me. Usually I do not have a habit to encouraging begging / beggars (It appears to me that begging to beggars is the most lucid, tax-free option to earn un-audited money.. J ), but some how I did not liked to ignore him and since I was still holding handful of change in my hand. So I dropped a coin of Rs. 2 in the box he was carrying. Uninterestingly he took that coin in hand and told, the prices are sky rocketing, I should give him at least Rs. 5 as alms. I was just shook by the remark he made, wondering how the alms are going to be costlier if this inflation and price rise persisted.

Interestingly I handed him over a Rs. 1 Coin more and moved on. But I was still pondering on what had been already quibbling in my mind. So I decided to go ahead with writing this incident.

Before going ahead, I had narrated to one of my friends at office, incidentally he also had a beggar experience, where a beggar demanded him Rs.10 as alms. He gave him the same and moved on later some one told him that beggar / bugger already had a 3 storey building and his daily earnings amounted to Rs. 2000 or more per day.