BIHAR has Various Colours from ancient time,and now great state.

Bihari M J Warsi, who belongs to Darbahnga, is also the recipient of Washington University's James E. McLeod Faculty Recognition Award for the year 2012.

  M J Warsi, a well known linguist and researcher, has received the Inspirational Leadership Award at an International conference of intellectuals held at India International Centre, New Delhi. The award was presented to him by Chief Election Commissioner H S Brahma in presence of former Indian cricket captain K Srikanth. The award is viewed as a very prestigious honor in academics and given to those who have positively and profoundly influenced the educational experiences to the students at any academic institution.

Warsi, who teaches linguistics and Indian languages at Washington University, has been a silent worker whose practical approach to teaching subject, changes the perspective of students towards the subject in the classroom environment. He has vast and enriching experience working with staff and students from diverse, cultural, linguistic and educational backgrounds. He has generously given his time, expertise, and support to move a difference in the lives of students.

His book Evaluation of Media Reach and Effectiveness: A Linguistic Exercise was published in Germany in 2009. It brought worldwide fame to the scholar. Another well-known book authored by him is Linguistic Dynamics in South Asia.

Some of his books have become texts in the curriculum of various colleges.

Warsi was born in Barra village. He studied at NK High School.

He completed his MA and PhD in psycholinguistics from Aligarh Muslim University in 1993 and 1998, respectively.

 A gold medalist from Aligarh Muslim University Warsi has been the recipient of UP Hindi-Urdu Literary Award for the year 2011, and was also awarded the "unsung hero" award by the University of California at Berkeley in 2005, as well as the recipient of West Bengal Urdu Academy award for his book "Diploma in Computer Application and Multilingual DTP" in 2003.

On receiving the Inspirational Leadership Award, Warsi said, "I am very much motivated by this award. It will certainly motivate and help me in doing much more for the betterment of the society." As a proud Indian, he added, he has made inestimable contribution to the awareness, advancement and representation of Indian culture to the footsteps of Washington University.

source :TOI

'Kist-Kist Jeevan' an autobiographical book written by Shefalika Verma,69,She is known as the 'Mahadevi of Maithili'.got "Sahitya Academy award" in Maithili this year

Out of the total 12 entries in Maithili, Verma's book was selected for the award. Her book was published from Patna's Shekhar Prakashan in 2008. Verma is currently a member of the governing body of the Maithili and Bhojpuri Academy, Government of Delhi.

"Kist-Kist Jeevan' throws light on how I suffered immensely due to the social evils and backwardness of the society," Verma told TOI over phone from New Delhi. A major portion of the autobiography was written during her stay in London.

Verma has so far authored over a dozen books, including three fictions. She started writing in Maithili from 1961 and her pieces were published in Maithili journals like Mithila Mihir, Sona Mati, Vaidehi, Aakhar, Agnipath, Kosi-Kusum etc. From her very childhood, she used to contribute poems and stories in Hindi magazines such as Chandamama, Balak etc.

Having received PhD degree in Hindi for her thesis 'Kamayani aur Urvashi me Nari Chitran', she retired in 2003 from the postgraduate department of Hindi, A N College, Patna.

Arunabh Saurav, a native of Chainpur in Saharsa district, has been selected for 'Yuva puraskar' in Maithili while Mahendra N Ram, a native of Futauna in Madhubani, has got best translation award in Maithili. Ram is currently a teacher at the Rajendra Agriculture University, Pusa, in Samastipur district.

source : TOI

Bihar girl competing for the Miss Universe crown only a couple of days ago. Shilpa Singh,Residents of Bishnupur Diha village in Samastipur district

Shilpa Singh from Samastipur, Bihar is representing India in the MISS UNIVERSE 2012 contest.
Vote for her on this link, today is the last day of voting. http://muo.mobivity.com/missuniverse/vote.aspx?cid=652659&src=profile

Students across campuses and youngsters formed serpentine queues at cyber cafés on to vote for Shilpa Singh 
Shilpa, born in Samastipur but brought up in Mumbai in her teenage years, seemed to be a craze among Patna residents who championed many a reality television contestant in the past. But this contest is quite tough as Shilpa will have to fight it out against 88 other country representatives at the Miss Universe pageant at PH Live, Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, on December 19. If Shilpa secures maximum number of votes, she will sail through to the semi-finals.

With only a few hours left for voting, NIFT Patna faculty Toni Sharma has asked his students to vote for Shilpa, who spent her childhood in Muzaffarpur, Ranchi and Jamshedpur before moving to Mumbai. “I thought my students were busy with their exams but I was wrong. Gradually, I came to know that around 45 per cent of them have already voted for her,” said Toni.

The Niftians, considered to be quite stylish, think Shilpa — who will appear in an Anjalee and Arjun Kapoor neon pink dress in the grand finale — is a strong contestant for the crown. “I just love her toned body and her Indian cocktail as well as western looks,” said Ujjwala Roy, a student of NIFT Patna.

The “Titali Gang” headed by Anubha of Magadh Mahila College left all the girls behind by voting for Shilpa. “Besides our classmates and seniors, all of us have requested our family members to support Shilpa,” said Anubha.

Anyone above 16 years can vote for a contestant 10 times every day.

Amitabh Singh, the owner of a cyber café in Maurya Lok, was seen requesting every customer to vote for Shilpa. “Till now, I have asked around 35 people to vote for her. We can make an international benchmark and I want to be a part of it,” said Amitabh.

Incidentally, Shilpa’s family members did not hope for such support from her state of birth. “We have not got expected votes from my hometown Samastipur as well as Patna,” Shilpa’s brother Salab Singh told The Telegraph from Pune.

He added that a buzz has been created in the colleges and the schools in west Mumbai. Nivedita Jha, a professor of mass communication and journalism at Patna University, showed her dissatisfaction over the lack of posters and billboards in the city. “When we can have poster for Ritika Raj (Indian Idol), Mayuresh Wadkar (Dance India Dance), then why can’t we have at least a couple of posters for Shilpa who is representing India on the global stage?” she asked.

But residents of Bishnupur Diha village in Samastipur district, around 150km northeast of Patna, are elated. Village head Brajendra Kumar Singh Murari said: “We are proud of Shilpa. We pray to God for her success.”

Murari added: “We never thought that a girl of my panchayat will represent India in the US. Shilpa’s family visits the village regularly as her grandmother Brinda Devi lives here.”

Salab agreed: “We keep on going to Samastipur. In spite of time crunch, my father takes us all to our village on different occasions.”

Shilpa’s LKG teacher at North Point Children Public School, Premlata Sinha, recalled: “I asked her a few questions in the viva voce. She came out with flying colours in all the final exams from LKG to Class II.”

source :The telegraph

War for TALENT Intensifies.....Right talent in the right place..

The war for talent is a term coined by Steven Hankin of McKinsey & Company in 1997, and a book by Ed Michaels,

The war for talent is intensified by demographic shifts. This is characterized by increasing demand along with decreasing supply (demographically). There are simply fewer post-baby-boom workers to replace the baby-boom retirement in the US and Europe (though this is not the case in most of East Asia.

Definition of talent

Talent is never explicitly defined in the book, though the Preface notes, "A certain part of talent elude description: You simply know it when you see it."  After several further caveats, the authors go on: "We can say, however, that managerial talent is some combination of a sharp strategic mind, leadership ability, emotional maturity, communications skills, the ability to attract and inspire other talented people, entrepreneurial instincts, functional skills, and the ability to deliver results." The authors offer no outside support for this assertion.

A 2006 article in The Economist, which mentions the book, notes that, "companies do not even know how to define “talent”, let alone how to manage it. Some use it to mean people like Aldous Huxley's alphas in “Brave New World”—those at the top of the bell curve. Others employ it as a synonym for the entire workforce, a definition so broad as to be meaningless

Better talent is worth fighting for. At senior levels of an organization, the ability to adapt, to make decisions quickly in situations of high uncertainty, and to steer through wrenching change is critical. But at a time when the need for superior talent is increasing, big US companies are finding it difficult to attract and retain good people. Executives and experts point to a severe and worsening shortage of the people needed to run divisions and manage critical functions, let alone lead companies. Everyone knows organizations where key jobs go begging, business objectives languish, and compensation packages skyrocket.

In an effort to understand the magnitude of this war for talent, we researched 77 large US companies in a variety of industries (see text panel). We worked with their human resources departments to understand their talent-building philosophies, practices, and challenges. And to gain a line manager perspective, we surveyed nearly 400 corporate officers and 6,000 executives from the "top 200" ranks in these companies. Finally, because numbers never tell the whole story, we conducted case studies of 20 companies widely regarded as being rich in talent.¹ What we found should be a call to arms for corporate...

A right place to grow for a right talent.Good place to grow Higher visibility

Regular updates on corporate growth

ANNE-MARIE McDERMOTT made a precipitous debut with the New York Philharmonic in March. She found out about it while playing piano in a duo recital presented by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, where she is a regular. At intermission, she took a call on her cell phone: the intriguing young Finnish pianist Olly Mustonen had suddenly pulled out of five Mozart performances. Might she step in for him -- starting the next day?

''I stayed up all night playing it through, trying not to think I had said yes,'' she said in an interview near her Manhattan apartment. ''In that situation, there really isn't room in your body for nerves.'' After one of the concerts, she was praised in The New York Times as ''admirable and versatile.''

Luck? Maybe, but the kind born from years of vigorous, single-minded practice and a memory bank ranging from the canon of Mozart concertos (one of which she will play with the National Symphony in Washington this fall) right through to Rachmaninoff's trendy Third. Nor does her memory bypass the solo piano literature on her recital program on Thursday evening as part of Rutgers Summerfest, the annual monthlong celebration of the arts that is now energetically under way.

Find the right place for you

A project that moves with you

We are a living company. we know that ?? encourage performance and satisfaction among our employees. We are committed to the activity that brings us closer to our goals. To the proactive attitude that the future requires of us all. We promote development within the company. We analyse the potential of our resources and the most appropriate place in which to develop them.

The best place to grow

A company is its people. That's why, we give priority to the people who work with us. Promoting their personal and professional development with specific actions, not with words. Driving their careers from within. Promoting internal talent ahead of external. That is the only way to become great, and make other great. The more you develop at Repsol, the more we will grow with you.

The numbers speak for themselves:

• Number of hours of training per employee per year: 34.5 hours.
• Investment in training per employee per year: €534.40
• Staff with performance management: 34.2%
• Percentage of permanent employees: 93%       

We push the boundaries of your talent

 we have learned that being present in over 30 countries has to mean something. For example, it means more opportunities to develop a professional career. In an increasingly multicultural world, we need people who know how to advance dialogue and constructive understanding. Anywhere is a good place to grow if the environment is right. We want you to be at the forefront; in this company, the world is your office.

Bihari women to celebrate Chhath Puja in Mauritius

PATNA: Mauritius, the country with 70% of its population from Indian origin, has proposed to invite ten Bihari women to celebrate Chhath Puja, the most sacred and popular festival of Bihar, on the foreign shore.

Sources attributed the move to the fact that all the Hindu festivals except Chhath are celebrated in the island nation. "A major constituent of the Mauritian population is the people with origins in Bihar as their ancestors were shipped to Mauritius centuries ago. But the younger generation of them is somewhat detached not only from their roots but also from the rituals attached to their roots," Bihar tourism minister Sunil Kumar 'Pintu' said, explaining the reason behind the Mauritian government's move.

Pintu was in Port Louis in October to attend the 'Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas' function when the Chhath invite for the Bihari women was extended to him during a meeting with Mauritian President Rajkeswur Purryag and Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam. Pintu was told elderly people of Indian origin in Mauritius wanted to celebrate Chhath but they were not aware of the rituals.

On his return, Pintu discussed the invite with chief minister Nitish Kumar who has given his go-ahead to the proposal. "But he is a tad sceptical about the move getting materialized as we all know that the entire family has to assist the women perform Chhath," Pintu said and added the CM expressed doubts if women would agree to celebrate their most important festival away from their homes.

In view of this, the state tourism department has now proposed to allow the husband or another family member to accompany the women. While the travelling expenses would be borne by the Bihar government, the Mauritian government would make arrangements for their stay.

"We will insert advertisements in the media, inviting willing people to make their expression of interest for the purpose," Pintu said and added the nitty-gritty would be finalized after a proposed daylong visit of President Purryag to Bihar next month.

A Bihari woman, Manna Bahadur, 63, has become the first woman English novelist from the state.

Manna Bahadur

Manna Bahadur is a writer, poet, scriptwriter and Painter. She has written and compered various programs on television and held several exhibitions of her paintings. She lives in Delhi.

The Dance Of Death by Manna Bahadur. Pub.Penguin India. The story is partly based on an actual court case that took place in Patna during Emergency period. Three stories :—one of a demi-god, a Swamiji on trial for murdering his followers, the other, of a young law graduate, racked by nightmares and Fits, and that of a judge whose entire family is threatened because he is presiding on the Swami's case—come together in strange ways... ..."

Her debut English novel book, 'The Dance of Death', was released around a week back by Penguin India here, and has found a place on the shelf of the library in Stanford University in the US. Manna's husband, Pratap Jung Bahadur, owns a consultancy firm in Delhi.

When asked about the nature of her relationship with Patna, she said the city is in her blood. Though settled in Delhi for more than 30 years, she has great affinity for Patna. That is the reason the novel is set in Bihar's state capital. The novel is a curious mixture of realism as well as paranormal science which, in the words of Professor Shanker Dutt of Patna University, who incidentally released the book, "is the USP of the book". The story, says Bahadur, is based 40% on a petition filed in her father's court, which found a manifestation in the character of Justice Shanker in the novel. Incidentally, her father was a Patna high court judge.

"It is about a demi God who went on killing his disciples and was finally caught red-handed, but whichever judge handled the case, faced some mishap. The story finds a twist when in the later part it comes to light that all the mishaps had a relation with the past life regression of Kishan Das, another protagonist of the novel," said Manna. Asked about the response she expected from the readers of Bihar, whose number is meagre when it comes to English novels, she said she expected a flood of readers for her book, particularly elders. "My book is set in the days of Emergency.... the time, the vigour of J P movement, the aura of the book is all what they could relate their youthful dynamism with," she said.

Besides being the sole woman from Bihar in the world of Indian English literature, she was the first woman anchor from the state to be seen on TV. Asked about her inspiration for writing, she said that after losing her voice, she had to quit her job as a television anchor. Losing one form of expression, she resorted to another form, writing. In fact, she has a Hindi novel, 'Neelanjana', and a book of poems, 'Dhoop-Chanh', to her credit. However, she regained her voice, though a bit shivering, after constant music therapy. She also has another manuscript, named 'Controle-X', ready for publishers. It's a story of two lives of a girl, again with an element of paranormal science.

The crafts made of ‘sikki’ grass will be displayed as a theme of Bihar tableau (मूक झाँकी ) during the January 26, 2013 Republic Day parade at Rajpath in New Delhi.

The sikki grass articles made by women of north Bihar are entirely different from anything else, which you see in any other part of the country. They transport you into another world. As the very name indicates, sikki is a plant, which automatically grows by the riverside or roadside of rural area. The places where there is moisture are also suitable for the growth of this plant.
After the rains, it is cut down and divided into thin pieces and preserved in the house for use throughout the year. Though it has its own golden colour, which is very attractive but the village women also dye the grass in red, black, blue and green colours to give the articles made of this – a presentable look.

According to reports at least 20-25 people, working under designer R S Bhatnagar & Sons, are busy giving finishing touches to the crafts. A special two-minute music has also been composed exclusively for the tableau.

Designer P K Bhatnagar, was quoted in the Times of India as saying “The total cost of the project will be Rs 17 lakh. More than half a dozen artists from Darbhanga will display their work.”

Reports also said initially there were more than 50 tableaus but the selection committee picked up only 19 of them from 14 states for display at Rajpath.

“The proposal to select this craft as the theme for Bihar’s tableau on Republic Day was accepted recently by the selection committee of the ministry of defence,” information and public relations department (IPRD) director of Bihar, Durgesh Nandan, told the daily.

Sikki is a kind of a grass-like weed that grows on the banks of river, especially in the Mithila region. The weeds, collected by village women, are put under the sun to get dried. Thereafter, the dried weeds are twisted into ropes which can be mould into any shape like baskets, bags, hats and even intricate animal, bird and human figures.

These ropes are then made into baskets and other such items. In order to strengthen the baskets, the artisans use strands of the same sikki grasses. 

Sikki craft of Bihar are extremely environment friendly and exclusive and are loved by one and all. 

Bihar farmer cultiveted Capsicum farming,supported by the Bagwani Mission in adopting innovative methods of farming.

Other Name
Shimla mirch, Pepper

Description
Capsicum should be a uniform, glossy colour, firm. The peppers can be round, long or square. Depending on the variety, it may be mild, sweet, hot or fiery. Capsicums are also called green, red or yellow peppers. The two varieties are sweet pepper or chili pepper.
Sweet peppers are green, orange, red or black capsicums with a mild flavour.Chili peppers are significantly smaller than sweet peppers. They are also green, orange, and red but are extremely hot. Turn every meal into a flavorful, healthy and spicy food adventure with different forms:

PATNA: Capsicum, also known as bell pepper and papakrika, which was once native only to South America and had been grown there for the last 6,000 years, has lately come to be cultivated even in Bihar. They are now not only the essence of spicy Mexican chilli salsa, Hungarian goulash and exquisite Chinese preparations, but of many Indian curries, including Bihari dishes.

Since capsicums are best grown in cool, wet weather conditions, till a few years back Bihar was dependent on Jharkhand for its supply. But it is now being cultivated even in Patna district and Manish Kumar is the one who started growing capsicums in Patna in 2011 January. Today he is even guiding and helping other farmers of the district to grow capsicums. "However, even today very few farmers grow capsicums as they are yet to be aware of its benefits," said a famer, Sunil Kumar Singh, who is associated with Manish and is growing capsicums.

 The young and enthusiastic Manish is successfully harvesting capsicums through protected cultivation under naturally-ventilated green house, with micro irrigation, at Kachuara village near Sampatchak in Patna district and also marketing it. Manish has grown the 'Indra' variety of capsicum obtained from the local nursery. He is supported by the Bihar Bagwani Mission in adopting innovative methods of farming. Not only did he pioneered its cultivation in Patna, he even brought it to the local market.

"I normally adopt the method of drip irrigation and also use malching paper in high temperature on the roots of plants to ensure that moisture content stays for a longer duration. Fertilizers are mixed with water used for drip irrigation and as a result, the plants are strong and healthy," said Manish.

"Capsicums raised under protected cultivation records a 60% higher yield compared to that grown under open condition. Also, the crop raised under such condition starts flowering 20 days earlier compared to that grown under open condition," 

His naturally-ventilated green house was constructed in 2011 at a cost of Rs 4.68 lakh. Along with capsicum he had also grown cherry tomatoes. A joint inspection team from the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) visited Manish's plot sometime back and lauded his pioneering effort.

After his success at Kachuara, Manish formed his own organization, named Yasachi (meaning the best) Greens Pvt Ltd, and started taking up assignments through NHM, helping out the farmers of the district. He has made his own marketing tie-up and is fetching a price ranging between Rs 20 and 26 per kg for his capsicums, depending on the season.

He is now engaged in cultivating Asha-1 variety of capsicums on two acres at Nadma in Barh district. These are red, yellow and green variety of capsicums are being grown in polyhouses under protected cultivation. Two farmers of the area have joined Manish.

Bihar to bring speech recognition technology to jailsNew identification technologies will be used to fight crime.

The Bihar government plans to record voices of all prisoners through an advanced speech recognition technology besides holding prisoner 'darbars' to redress their grievances, a police official said Wednesday. "With these initiatives, Bihar will become the first state in the country to modernise prisons," Inspector General of Police (Prisons) Anand Kishore told IANS.

He said the speech technology would help detect and curb crime by allowing police to match voice samples of suspects with those in the archives.

Speech technology relates to the technologies designed to duplicate and respond to the human voice. They have many uses. These include aid to the voice-disabled, the hearing-disabled, and the blind, along with communication with computers without a keyboard. They enhance game software and aid in marketing goods or services by telephone.

He said the concept of Bandi Darbar (prisoner assembly) to redress grievances of prisoners was also innovative. 

"District magistrates have been asked to hold the sessions every two months," Kishore said.

He said the two plans would be implemented after the new jail manual replaced the existing one formulated in 1924.

The National Informatics Centre is also developing software for computerisation of the state's prisons and upload all data on computers.

Kishore said all important information on prisoners, including crime history, date of prison entry, date of production in court and wages earned in jail would be fed into the computers besides records of visitors to jails. 

Visitors would also have to get their photos clicked and fingerprints scanned.

Bihar has eight central jails, 31 district jails and 17 sub-jails with a combined capacity of over 33,000 inmates.

Speech Technology Center (STC) has announced the successful deployment of the world's first biometric identification platform, at a nationwide level, that combines voice and face identification capabilities.

The state-of-the-art system was deployed in Ecuador, where the goal has been to equip the country's security services with new identification technologies and investigative tools in their continuing fight against crime.

The bimodal biometric system creates a forensic database that helps to identify persons suspected in a crime. Should a criminal investigation have voice recordings or photographs featuring the face of a suspected person, such samples could be compared with those in the database. The system processes the samples and delivers relevant matches; these can then be used as an investigative aid or forensic evidence in criminal cases.

Among varieties of biometrics currently used, a voice biometric identification system shows the highest reliability. Voice cannot be falsified, and STC's voice provides 97 percent reliability. Supplementing voice biometrics with face biometrics brings it closer to 100 percent correct identification and authentication. STC's face recognition algorithms deliver reliable results even when facial characteristics have undergone physical changes, and the system's voice and face modalities can be used together or separately—a voice sample or facial image alone is sufficient to make an identification. the company said.

"Voice and face identification are providing new and valuable investigative capabilities," said Mikhail Khitrov, chief executive officer of STC, in a statement. "In this case, STC's R&D capability and expertise, which are unique and unparalleled in the industry, let us deliver a platform that meets our client's specific needs. The biometric technologies providing the foundation of the system have proven to be reliable and robust in even the most challenging conditions. As biometric technologies mature, we're seeing a growing demand for these kinds of tailored voice and multimodal biometric solutions—not just in Latin America, but in the global marketplace."

Bihar jail manual 'corrected'The Bihar Prison Manual, 2012 is not revision of the existing jail manual but it is entirely a new manual," "The prisons of the state will no longer be 'yatna grih' (torture homes)

 The state cabinet today approved the Bihar Prison Manual, 2012 that will come into effect from 12.12.12.With a view to give state prisons a more human face, the state cabinet on 11th.Dec. approved the amendment to Bihar Jail Manual suggested by the home department. The notification to this effect will be issued on 12th Dec and the amended manual will be implemented with immediate effect.

IG (prisons) Anand Kishore, while addressing a press meet here, said "From now on, jailer and assistant jailer will be known as deputy superintendent and assistant superintendent, respectively. All prison superintendents will have to wear their respective uniforms which are not mandatory till now."

The department is more concerned about the implementation of the manual properly so that all vacant posts with the department could be filled soon. "The department will fill the post of 60 assistant jailers, 4,000 warders at 56 prisons of the state in the next five months and all recruitments will be done through Bihar Jail Services," 

The inmates will be given unique identity codes which will include all criminal history of the inmates and a medical card to keep a track on their medical history also, he said, adding that the DMs would hold an interactive meeting, 'Bandi Darbar', in every two months for redressing the inmates' grievances.

The IG said, "The amended manual will also ensure the protection of the identity of a whistle blower inmate who will lodge complaint against any other prisoner and young offenders, aged between 18 and 21 years, will be housed separately from notorious criminals."

The amended jail manual also talks about prisoners' diet. "A revised diet will be given to pregnant women and children as per the requirement. CCTV cameras will be installed at kitchen and food distribution area to monitor the jail staff and the inmates. Canteens will soon be inaugurated to provide food of inmates' choice but with a limited monthly budget," 

The health of every prisoner would be examined by the medical officer in the presence of the jail superintendent within 24 hours of his admission and the requisite forms would be filled up immediately. The step assumes significance in the wake of numerous complaints by prisoners about poor health services.

To ensure sanitation and cleanliness, the process of food preparation in kitchens and distribution of food would be monitored through closed-circuit cameras. "This is being done to improve the quality of food served to the prisoners," Kishor added. The concept of wearing clothes provided by the jail administration has been removed in the new prison manual. The medical officers have been empowered to requisition any medical experts of the government hospitals for the treatment of prisoners suffering from chronic diseases. Holding medical camps inside the jail from time to time for treatment of prisoners have been made mandatory. The district magistrates would have to hold bandi darbar after every two months to listen to the complaints of the prisoners. The proceedings of the bandi darbar would be recorded and assessed from time to time.

Eat apple Beat cancer, An apple a day keeps the doctor away,

.NEW DELHI: The fear surrounding the C-word notwithstanding, most cancers may be prevented. Cancer biologists see a lot of hope in natural compounds that can prevent tumour angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels that lead to spread of cancer).

Most research at Jawaharlal Nehru University Cancer Biology Laboratory is now focussed on finding these compounds. A recent finding that scientists at the lab are excited about is the role of Fisetin, a compound found in strawberries, apples, onions and some vegetables in inhibiting the growth of tumours associated with prostate cancer.

One study suggests the fruit can keep something else at bay. Cornell University food researchers said lab tests show that eating 100 grams of a fresh New York apple can have the antioxidant and anti-cancer effects equal to 1,500 milligrams of Vitamin C.

 Even though a lot of research studies had indicated earlier that Fisetin may have anti-tumor activity, the lab at JNU aimed to prove its efficacy in inhibiting tumor angiogenesis both in-vitro and in-vivo. When administered on mice, the team found Fisetin treatment strongly inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) induced vascularization of implants. It also inhibited growth and capillary network formation by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), and many angiogenic markers in prostate cancer cells.

"This finding has given us a lot of clues and we are making potent hypothesis that phytochemicals like Fisetin play a major role in preventing tumor angiogenesis," says Rana P Singh, associate professor of cancer biology and lead researcher of the study which was recently published in the journal, Carcinogenesis.

Fisetin is not the only compound that may have a miraculous effect on tumor angiogenesis; Rana's team is also studying the effect of Silibinin, Decursin and Acacetin. Silibinin is found in the extract of Milk Thistle seeds and has proven to inhibit angiogenesis. Decursin found in the roots of Angelica herb has also been studied by the team and found to have a potency to limit tumor growth.

JNU has recently taken up a research project funded by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on Acacetin, found in marigold, sun flower and other plants of the same family. Another compound that scientists are excited about is Diallyl Triisulfide which is derived from garlic and other Allium plants.

"Around 5% to 10% of cancers are caused due to genetic factors. Others are due to environmental or lifestyle issues. That is why there is a lot of interest in prevention. After 40 years of research on developing a drug to fight cancer, we have not managed to find that magic bullet that will work. Since the financial burden of cancer is huge, it's best to focus on prevention. Phytochemicals found in our daily diet can have a significant effect on our health," adds Rana.

At the Indo-US bilateral meeting on accelerating botanicals/biologics agent development research for cancer chemoprevention held at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida, government health agencies from India and US focused on accelerating development of biologic drugs.

Language And Literature are Complimentary to each other.

Language is a weapon for clear communication and its finest arsenal is found in literature,  there is really no other way of acquiring command over a language except through an assiduous study of its literature. He saidt those who see difference between language and literature are doing incalculable harm to the interests of both language and literature. 

LANGUAGES are more to us than systems of thought-transference. They are invisible garments that drape themselves about our spirit and give a predetermined form to all its symbolic expression. When the expression is of unusual significance, we call it literature.

 Language is the medium of literature as marble or bronze or clay are the materials of the sculptor. Since every language has its distinctive peculiarities, the innate formal limitations—and possibilities—of one literature are never quite the same as those of another. The literature fashioned out of the form and substance of a language has the color and the texture of its matrix.

Literature must be taught in the right way so that students become increasingly sensitive to English language and acquire the ability to use it effectively. 

Highlighting the increasing importance of English language teaching in the age of globalization,  that skills in English happen to be among the most salable commodities in the job market today. 

At the national level, English can serve as our 'window of the world' while at the individual level, English will continue to serve as the language of opportunity.

 How best to restructure the teaching of English language and literature in the face of challenges of globalization. It was generally agreed that the emphasis in teaching should shift from literature to language. Literature should be used to increase a student's proficiency in language.

Another agreed view that emerged from the discussion was that there should be an active involvement of the learners in the learning process.

Language is a method of communication; literature can be the content being communicated. Language is a set of gestures and words and phrases with meaning behind them, and literature is the manipulation and use of those gestures and words and phrases. 

In literature, language is meticulously crafted, not just to inform a reader but to persuade him, to play and poke at his mind. In theory, with the right rhetorical devices you can write one thing but make a reader think something else. For example, if you keep saying something over and over and over again, your reader might believe it at first, but with continued repetition he may start to wonder who the writer is really trying to convince. So, you can say something, but say it in such a way as to make the reader doubt. Literature is a lot more complicated than the language being used.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that literature requires a lot more thought than bare language. Literature makes your head hurt.

International Human Right in the PATNA,Bihar:Students of Patna Women's College and Magadh Mahila College participated in the human chain formation. Signature campaigns and street plays were also organized in different places of Patna

Human Rights Day is celebrated annually across the world on 10 December.

The day is normally marked both by high-level political conferences and meetings and by cultural events and exhibitions dealing with human rights issues. In addition, it is traditionally on 10 December that the five-yearly United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights and Nobel Peace Prize are awarded. Many governmental and nongovernmental organizations active in the human rights field also schedule special events to commemorate the day, as do many civil and social-cause organisations.

Human Rights Day presents an opportunity, every year, to celebrate human rights, highlight a specific issue, and advocate for the full enjoyment of all human rights by everyone everywhere.

This year, the spotlight is on the rights of all people — women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, the poor and marginalized — to make their voices heard in public life and be included in political decision-making.

Introduction

The Protection of Human Rights Act 1993, an Act of the Parliament, provides for establishment of the National Human Rights Commission at the national level and State Human Rights Commissions at the state level.

In the State of Bihar, the State Human Rights Commission was established on 3rd-Jan-2000 vide Notification No. 207. However, the Commission was formally constituted vide notification no. 6896 on 25.6.2008 when Shri Justice S.N. Jha, a former Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir and Rajasthan High Courts was appointed as Chairperson and Shri Justice Rajendra Prasad, a former Judge of the Patna High Court and Shri R.R. Prasad, a former Director General of Police, Bihar were appointed as members with effect from the date they assume charge of this office.

General Info

The Human Rights Commission is an autonomous high power human rights watch body which derives its authority from the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. Its autonomy lies, among other things, in the method of appointment of its Chairperson and Members, their fixed tenure and the statutory guarantee provided in section 23 of the Act, and the financial autonomy referred to in section 33 of the Act. The high status of the Commission is found in the status of the Chairperson, Members and its functionaries. Unlike other Commissions, only a former Chief Justice of a High Court can be appointed as Chairperson and, likewise, the Secretary to the Commission is an officer not below the rank of Secretary to the State Government. The Commission has an investigating agency of its own headed by a police officer not below the rank of Inspector General.

Functions

The Commission may:

(a)	Enquire on its own initiative or on a petition presented to it by a victim or any other person on his/her behalf into complaint of
	1. violation of human rights or abetment or; 2. negligence in the prevention of such violations by a public servant;
(b)	Intervene in any proceeding involving any allegation or violation of human right pending before a court to the approval of that court;
(c)	Visit any jail or any other institution under the control of the State Government where persons are detained or lodged for purposes of treatment, reformation or protection, for the study of living conditions of the inmates;
(d)	Review the safeguards provided by or under the constitution or any other law for the time being in force for the protection of human rights;
(e)	Review the factors that inhibit the enjoyment of human rights;
(f)	Undertake and promote research in the filed of human right;
(g)	Spread human right literacy and promote awareness of the safeguards available for protection of these rights through publications, medical seminars and other available means;
(h)	Encourage the efforts of Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and extension work in the field of human rights; and
(i)	Perform such other functions as it may consider necessary for the promotion of human rights.

It is clarified that though ordinarily the Commission has the power to make enquiry when there is violation of human rights (or abetment thereof) by a public servant; where the human rights are violated by a private citizen, the Commission can intervene if there is failure or negligence on the part of a public servant to prevent such violation.

The figures of human rights' violation cases in the state during the last four years under different categories are startling and also an eye-opener for human rights activists on this International Day of Human Rights. The number of cases of police excesses lodged with the Bihar Human Rights Commission (BHRC) are alarming. 

Established in 2008, the BHRC had registered only 26 cases of police excesses that year, while in 2009 the number was as high as 552. 

"No cases were registered in the BPL and ration-related denial/excesses subcategories with the BHRC in 2008, 26 cases in 2009, 33 cases in 2010 and 45 cases in 2011," BHRC sources said. This is a major concern for authorities out to streamline the cumbersome delivery mechanism system for the BPL people. However, the heartening aspect is that the BHRC is registering such cases, hitherto unrecognized as human rights violations. 

"We discuss human rights violations on December 10 every year, but little is discussed about fraud in the BPL list, service-related cases, development-related cases, pension and ration-related cases as cases under human rights violations. Yet, the figures of such excesses and denial are also staggering," said a social activist, Animesh Prasad. 

Incidentally, on this day in 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). India is a signatory to this declaration. 

This year, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has focused on inclusion in decision-making and the right to participate in public life. For, it is only through participation in public life that one can understand the meaning and real significance of human rights, feels the UN body.

A number of institutions organized programmes to mark the International Human Rights Day (IHRD) in the state capital on Monday.

People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) organized a seminar on the Birla Institute of Technology Patna (BITP) campus to apprise its students of various aspects of human rights.

A poster show and a lecture by scholar activist Vinay Kanth marked the occasion on the St Xavier's College campus on Monday. Kanth, a former president of the PUCL, Bihar unit, said young students were now more aware of their rights and duties. "It is good that they raise their voice against injustice. We have to take bold stance to protect the human rights of all citizens, particularly the most marginalized people," he told the students.

Human chains were formed under the banner of Oxfam India near Income Tax roundabout, on Fraser Road and near SK Memorial Hall to protest violence against women.

ADRI director Prabhat P Ghosh stressed on the attitudinal and behavioural changes to eradicate discrimination in the society. He was speaking at a seminar organized by Jan Sikshan, ADRI, Patna, and IHRE, Madurai, to mark the occasion.

Challenges and opportunities of human rights were discussed at IIBM, Patna. Bihar State Human Rights Commission member Justice (retd) Rajendra Prasad stressed that a society cannot function properly without guaranteeing human rights to its citizens.

Slum people of Shekhpura, Yarpur and Bindtoli participated in a seminar organized by Nidan to know about their rights 

Bihar:website www.Birthplaceofgeorgeorwell was launched by the Rotary Motihari Lake Town club - a unit of the Rotary International Club

A website was today launched on the birth place of British author George Orwell who was born at Motihari in East Champaran district of Bihar in 1903.

Orwell was a British journalist and author, who wrote two of the most famous novels of the 20th century 'Animal Farm' and 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'.

Orwell was born Eric Arthur Blair on 25 June 1903 in eastern India, the son of a British colonial civil servant. He was educated in England and, after he left Eton, joined the Indian Imperial Police in Burma, then a British colony. He resigned in 1927 and decided to become a writer. In 1928, he moved to Paris where lack of success as a writer forced him into a series of menial jobs. He described his experiences in his first book, 'Down and Out in Paris and London', published in 1933. He took the name George Orwell, shortly before its publication. This was followed by his first novel, 'Burmese Days', in 1934.

An anarchist in the late 1920s, by the 1930s he had begun to consider himself a socialist. In 1936, he was commissioned to write an account of poverty among unemployed miners in northern England, which resulted in 'The Road to Wigan Pier' (1937). Late in 1936, Orwell travelled to Spain to fight for the Republicans against Franco's Nationalists. He was forced to flee in fear of his life from Soviet-backed communists who were suppressing revolutionary socialist dissenters. The experience turned him into a lifelong anti-Stalinist.

Between 1941 and 1943, Orwell worked on propaganda for the BBC. In 1943, he became literary editor of the Tribune, a weekly left-wing magazine. By now he was a prolific journalist, writing articles, reviews and books.

In 1945, Orwell's 'Animal Farm' was published. A political fable set in a farmyard but based on Stalin's betrayal of the Russian Revolution, it made Orwell's name and ensured he was financially comfortable for the first time in his life. 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' was published four years later. Set in an imaginary totalitarian future, the book made a deep impression, with its title and many phrases - such as 'Big Brother is watching you', 'newspeak' and 'doublethink' - entering popular use. By now Orwell's health was deteriorating and he died of tuberculosis on 21 January 1950.

The website showcases details about the one-storied house where Orwell, best known for the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four and the allegorical novella Animal Farm, was born and lived for sometime.

His photographs and related materials are also on display.

The details of local people who strived hard to protect the birth place of the 20th century's best chronicler of English culture over the years too have been put up on the website.

source:PTI

MALARIA-life threatening disease can diagnose from a single drop of blood or saliva

Washington, November 28 (ANI): A team of researchers including an Indian origin has developed a new and sensitive method that makes it possible to diagnose malaria from a single drop of blood or saliva.

With the development of this method, the researchers hope to go one step further in identifying and treating all patients suffering from malaria.

Malaria is a life-threatening disease that strikes more than 200 million people every year - mainly in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The disease is caused by the Plasmodium parasite, which is spread by infected mosquito bites. Today, malaria can be prevented and successfully treated, but more than half a million people nevertheless die every year from the disease.

Large-scale monitoring and treatment programmes during the past decade have reduced the distribution of the disease, and the frequency of actual epidemics has fallen. However, the number of malaria patients with relatively low infection counts has increased, and the need for more sensitive methods to diagnose the disease has thus increased dramatically.

To meet this need, researchers at Aarhus University have developed a new method that can diagnose malaria infections with very high sensitivity. The method is based on measuring the activity of an enzyme called topoisomerase I from the Plasmodium parasite.

The researchers have developed a technology called REEAD (Rolling Circle-Enhanced Enzyme Activity Detection) - which makes it possible to diagnose malaria from a single drop of blood or saliva. This method is much more time-effective and cost-effective than current diagnostic methods, and can be performed by personnel who have no specialised training. It can therefore be used in low-resource areas without the use of expensive equipment, clean water or electricity.

The ongoing fight against malaria is complicated by increasing problems with resistant Plasmodium parasites. In addition, several Plasmodium species (P. vivax and P. knowlesi) cannot be detected with the usual quick-test methods.

The new REEAD-based method distinguishes itself from other quick-test methods because it can measure whether a given Plasmodium infection is resistant to drugs. The newly developed technology is also the only quick-test method that makes it possible to diagnose the less common malaria parasites (P. ovale, P. knowlesi and P. malariae) in addition to the most common Plasmodium parasites (P. falciparum and P. vivax).

The unique sensitivity, combined with its ability to detect infection in very small samples of blood or saliva, makes the method suitable for large-scale screening projects. This is of great importance in areas where the disease is close to being eradicated, and where it is therefore essential to identify and treat all patients infected with one of the above-mentioned parasites - even those who do not show symptoms of the disease.

"This combination of molecular biologists, doctors, engineers and statisticians has been important for our success in developing the new method," said Associate Professor Birgitta Knudsen, who is the driving force behind the project.

In addition to her group, which is affiliated with the Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre (iNANO) and the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, researchers from both Denmark (Department of Pathology and Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital) and abroad (Duke University, University of Rome, University of St Andrews and University of Lyon) contributed to this project.

The research team behind the new method for diagnosing malaria include Charlotte Harmsen, Pia W. Jensen, Magnus Stougaard, Emil L. Kristoffersen, Rikke Frohlich, Eskild Petersen, Amit Roy, Christine J. F. Nielsen, Birgitta R. Knudsen, Rodrigo Labouriau and Megan Yi-Ping Ho. (ANI)