World Environment Day celebrated

The efforts of The Wheel centre of NCRI culminated in the World Environment Day being celebrated in a rural setting with the participation of seventy youngsters belonging to the IT industry, working with Deloitte. They were motivated to organise a Rural Health camp, nicknamed ‘Impact Day’, at Burujugadda Thanda, Shamshabad Mandal, Ranga Reddy District. This programme was co-organised by Vasavi Society for Rural Development which has been involved in development programmes in area for over two decades.

About 250 rural people benefitted from the camp whose the emphasis was on health and hygiene. Apart from educating the villagers about the dos and don’ts of health care, sanitation and personal hygiene, a health camp was organised under the aegis of the Indian Association of Pediatrics, Hyderabad Chapter. In addition the Ophthalmology Division, ESI, Hyderabad, held eye camps wherein 80 people were provided with spectacles. The MNR Dental College conducted free dental check-ups

Later in the day, The Wheel coordinator, Shri G.V.V.S.D.S. Prasad, addressed the volunteers and highlighted the importance of finding measures required to protect the environment in view of the various problems that are occurring throughout the globe. He made special reference to the destruction of the environment brought about by ostentation. The destruction of the ozone layer, global warming, and contamination of food, air and water, are among the dangerous fallouts of a lavish lifestyle. Mahatma Gandhi, he said, warned against these trends and said earth provides enough for the needs of every one but not for the greed of any one. He emphasised that a simple lifestyle as propagated by Mahatma Gandhi as the only real solution that is open to mankind to bring back balance to the environment leading to sustainability

Rumblings from Afghanistan

Ashutosh Mohanty, the regional capacity development officer for International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) of Nepal, gets the shock of his life when he visits the war-ravaged cities of Afghanistan including Capital Kabul, Jalalabad, and Nangahar etc. Accompanied by two gun-totting Afghan soldiers, Ashutosh goes to universities and institutions of higher learning in the country to identify potential scholars and assist them with fellowships, sponsored jointly by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the Himalayan University Consortium.

Mohanty’s mission to Afghanistan began on April 12 to facilitate provision of scholarships to 25 students as part of an aid under Capacity Development for Afghan Faculties and Students programme to help them pursue studies in ‘‘science and technology and to find practical, long-term solutions to the socio-economic and environmental problems’’ of the nation.

‘‘You could see eerie silence all around... war has left Kabul devastated. The girl students who had left studies under threat from the Taliban were slowly coming back to the campus. Some students said books were not available in the libraries as the Talibanese regime had burnt them down. All laboratory equipment had been vandalised. Senior lecturers have deserted the campuses,’’ Mohanty paused for a while before he continued. ‘‘I could hardly see any one loitering on the corridors of the panic-gripped varsity hostels. Many students want to go out of Afghanistan if they had the means to study abroad. However, you could still hear the booming of guns from the distant hills surrounding Capital Kabul,’’ Mohanty recounted as he reeled out his experience before Dr. S.V. Prabhath, Chairman of National Council of Rural Institutes, Hyderabad. When the Chairman sought to know what other cities of the nation he visited, Mohanty said he went to a study circle at Jalalabad, the University of Alberuni, and the universities at Bamiyan, Kandahar and Balk to facilitate the student aid, being extended by the Government of India. Interacting with Dr. S.V. Prabhath, Ashutosh indicated that the Afghan situation was fast getting back to normal even as the reconstruction activities are under way with the help major world nations including India.

The fellowships and educational support being extended to Afghanistan is also part of the capacity development programme for Afghan faculties and students. The scholarship amount being provided to each student pursuing a master’s degree in Natural Sciences, Disaster Management, Animal Husbandry, Social Sciences, Agriculture, Horticulture, Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing, is equivalent of Rs 20 lakhs in Indian currency, Mohanty revealed.

NCRI Supports ‘No Tobacco Day’

A host of associations including Insurance Medical Services, A.P Dental Association, Voluntary Health Association (Hyderabad), Government Dental College Hospital and other voluntary organisations took out a rally and organised a massive health camp on May 31, No-Tobacco Day Hyderabad, the city of minarets was on fire, but there was no smoke! The Employees State Insurance Hospital was agog with activity. White coats fluttered in the early morning breeze. It was 8 a.m. of May 31, the 'No Smoking Day’. Doctors and young medical students formed an impressive human chain, as bemused passersby watched.

A dental camp was organised under the aegis of Insurance Medical Services in association with the AP Dental Association, Hyderabad chapter, A.P Voluntary Health Association, Vasavya Society for Rural Development, Andhra Pradesh Sarvodaya Mandal, Kamineni Institute of Dental Sciences, Government Dental College Hospital, Hyd. AID, etc. Dr. Srikanth, the General Secretary, actively marshalled his forces to ensure that no glitches occurred. Four vans, equipped with medical facilities were lined up on the ESI Hospital premises, and dozens of doctors were in attendance. There was also a Swadeshi products stall, that operates under the auspices of Sarvodaya, manned by Shree Sriram Rahi . When yours truly offered to stand in for him while he had a well-deserved break-fast break. He said, "It is not just about selling products, but to educate the people about the necessity of using Swadeshi products and the relevance of Gandhi's ideals, which are more relevant today

That is the whole relevance of the Youth sensitisation programme (YSP), one of the major on-going programmes of NCRI, formulated by Chairman Dr. SV Prabhath. The youth of today weaned on an overdose of western culture are almost embarrassed to be seen around or talking about the half-naked fakir, as Churchill dismissed one of the greatest men to walk on the earth. However, all that is changing, and about time you would say if you meet an unassuming young man, who looked to be in his late twenties and is a member of Aid India Society, headquarters USA. This man Kiran, was an IT professional working in Austin, Texas and living the American dream, till he threw it all away to return to India to live an Indian dream, that of making India a strong nation, that is equitable, socially, economically and legally. Many IT professionals, Kiran affirms, have left their highly paid jobs to join AID, which has 35 chapters in the US, and now four or five are operating in India including Hyderabad, Chennai and New Delhi. While many are working as volunteers, a few are employed as 'Jeevan Sathis' and given a fellowship. Komal Rastogi, working with Delloite, took part and confirmed the need for working on Gandhian ideals. All these show Gandhi's philosophy and ideals are not lost in dust-laden books in the libraries. The ornate hall in Raj Bhavan was packed with dignitaries, where the participants were joined by Chairman SV Prabhath, who was introduced to many dignitaries and representatives of the participating organisations. Governor N.D Tiwari, who at 82 is getting on in years, decided to meet them on the lawns instead. There was a scramble as cameramen, students and doctors holding banners and posters jostled for vantage positions.

One was particularly touching, by a youngster Anupama, Pandwa, it read 'Dad, we don't want this. We want a healthy future', a reminder to all dads who smoke at home despite the risks and pain of secondary smoking. A banner, which read 'Smoking kills' used a scorpion graphic instead of a crab to denote cancer. The Governor made a brief speech on the hazards of smoking and recalled his childhood memories. His father had warned him never to touch beedi, cigarettes being a rarity those days. He said making students aware of the dangers of smoking should be part of the school curriculum and promised to address the issue on behalf of the Red Cross. He then congratulated the organisers. To mark the occasion, Dr. Prabhath presented a memento to Governor ND Tiwari on behalf of NCRI. The Governor raised lusty shouts against `Smoking'-- a proof of its benefits, and flagged off the rally.

World Environment Day celebrated	World Environment Day celebrated
NCRI chairman Dr. S.V Prabhath interacting with ICIMOD capacity development officer Ashutosh Mohanty.	NCRI Chairrman Dr S.V Prabhath with Governor Shri N. D. Tiwari at Raj Bhavan, Hyderabad.
Wheel coordinator GVVSDS Prasad and others display a banner against smoking

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