Rangon ki Phuhaar BIHAR vs UP Presents by sir pan masala and Powered by Fanta.

POPULAR ACTORS RAVI KISHAN AND MADHU SHARMA PLAY INFLUENTIAL CHARACTERS IN THE SPECIAL

Holi is the festival of colours which is celebrated with much pomp and enthusiasm throughout India. However, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar witnesses the highest amount of celebration filled with fun and dhamaal. Continuing with the promise to present unique and engaging content to its audiences from the Heartland, BIG MAGIC has announced a one-day special show to celebrate Holi called ‘Sir Pan Masala presents Rangon Ki Phuhaar UP vs. Bihar powered by Fanta’. Taking the celebrations associated with Holi to the next level, this special will highlight gags, standup comedy and famous Holi songs at their very best.

‘Rangon Ki Phuhaar UP vs Bihar’ focuses on the celebration of Holi, integrated with a unique concept originating from Bihar called ‘Pakadua Dulha’, also known as ‘Pakadua Shaadi’. Pakadua Dulha is a ritual/system followed extensively in Bihar, where a family abducts a male and forcibly marries him to their family's unmarried female. The show is a lighter take on this ritual. This special feature celebrating Holi will feature popular actors Ravi Kishan and Madhu Sharma who will play influential characters with the ability to change the course of ‘Pakadua Dulha’ ritual. The special will also feature television actors

Paritosh and Suman will be seen playing the roles of characters trapped in the ritual.

With the best entertainers lending their names to the show, especially Ravi Kishan, Madhu Sharma, Sangeeta Tiwari, Shubhi Sharma, Smriti Sinha. Accompanying the storyline will be some exlcusive and fun-filled performances by UP-based folk singer Anand Mohan who will stand tall against Bihar-based folk singer Sunil Chaila Bihari, and UP-based stand-up comedian Santosh Srivastava will go head-to-head with Bihar-based stand-up comedian Prakash Jais while adding spice to raise the entertainment quotient. 

source:The Telegraph

The long-cherished dream of the people of SITAMARHI to have rail communication facility is finally likely to come true.FIRST Train from Sitamarhi to Muzaffarpur .

 
The dream of independence came true for the people of Sitamarhi region after the first train started for Muzaffarpur from Runnisaidpur station on Tuesday. From Sitamarhi to Muzaffarpur, this new rail line has a distance of 63 km and Rs 550 crore have been spent for its construction in 16 years. The foundation laying of this project was performed by the then rail minister Ram Vilas Paswan in 1997 and at that time the cost was estimated around Rs 250 crore, said the Samastipur ECR DRM Arun Mallick. The fare for passenger train will only be Rs15 whereas buses charge Rs 60 for the same destination. This shall be a soothing impact on passengers, added the DRM.

The flagging off ceremony was held in the newly-proposed New Runnisaidpur railway station premises where the foundation for railway station building was laid by Sitamarhi MP Arjun Rai amid much fanfare. While addressing the people at the function, Rai said Rs 250 crore have been spent during his tenure as an MP in four years for speedy completion of this historic rail link between Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur. He also disclosed that survey and land acquisition work for the new rail line for Sonbarsa and Parihar would start during financial year 2013-14.

It may be mentioned here that train services between Sitamarhi-Runnisaidpur stations were started in the 2011 but still only a pair of trains run. For the stretch of 40 km between Runnisaidpur and Muzaffarpur, the rail ministry got the CRS nod only on March 16.

Sitamarhi, located in the Indo-Nepal border region, is connected by rail with Samastipur and Darbhanga and the tracks go up to Narkatiaganj in East Champaran. However, thus far, it has remained without any rail link with Patna or Muzaffarpur.

Sitamarhi has road connections to adjoining districts, of which the major examples are National Highway 77 and National Highway 104. It is situated on the Darbhanga Narkatiaganj railway line and has the largest railway station of district. Another broad gauge track, running between Muzaffarpur and Sitamarhi. Direct train services are available to places such as New Delhi, Kolkata, Varanasi and Kanpur.

For starters, two passenger trains will run between Muzaffarpur and Sitamarhi every day.

For people residing in Sitamarhi, the inauguration of the track is a great relief. The 150-km journey by road from Muzaffarpur to Sitamarhi takes about six hours. “Now it will take just two hours. By road it often took six hours. During monsoon, the road gets breached by floodwater,” said Manikant Singh, a resident of Sitamarhi town.

source:TNN

Bihar finally figured as a separate state on India's map on April 1, 1912 -101 years Bihar Diwas celebration

With CM Nitish Kumar helming the state, the pan-Bihari identity is getting shriller by the day. The demand for the creation of a separate state, carved out from Bengal Presidency, started for the first time in 1868. With education making a slow start, the angst at being discriminated against by the British in blatant favour of Bengalis gave way to open discontent.

The call 'Bihar for Biharis' started only with the publication of an Urdu newspaper, 'Murge Sulema', which in its edition dated February 7, 1874, wrote openly that capable Biharis should be appointed in the government, which should have a two-pronged strategy, that of strengthening the education department here and giving required fillip to dialects and languages native to Bihar.

The 'Bihar Bandhu' journal, in its April 5, 1876, edition strongly mentioned that if Bihar continued to stay within Bengal for very long, it would be damaging for its interests as there was no meeting point between the two in terms of food, culture, attitude, matrimonial alliances, so much so that Bengalis looked down upon their Bihari brethren and treated them as inferiors. In Bihar part of Bengal Presidency, all jobs in the railways and later in technical education were filled up by Bengalis, pushing Bihar further into the morass of backwardness. 'Kashid', in its January 22, 1877, edition went a step further in writing that the Bengal-Bihar federation was as artificial as an improbable alliance between England and France.

Archival sources show that with the growth in national awakening due to cultural renaissance and the Vernacular Press Act of 1978, a panicky British government, adopting a dual policy, decided to give piecemeal benefits to Bihar region, both as a device to admonish Bengal to mend its ways in a veiled manner and to pacify Biharis. Bihar, nevertheless, stepped up its demand despite the absence of an organized form and leadership.

'Bihar Times', in its editions of 1893 and 1894, stated that the demand for Bihar gained momentum with the entry of Sachchidanand Sinha and Mahesh Narayan. In column after column, the two stalwarts wrote extensively on the educational and socio-economic conditions of the region, arguing vociferously that only segregation from Bengal would do it good. The newspaper also strongly advocated that instead of separating Chittagong from Bengal and merging it with Assam, Bihar should be segregated from Bengal if it had to progress. A memorandum to this effect was also submitted to Bengal Governor Sir Alexander McKenzie who was visiting Bihar then. Prior to partition of Bengal in 1905, the voice for creation of Bihar reached a high pitch. In their book 'Separation of Bihar or The Partition of Bengal', Sinha and Narayan advocated this cause.

Bihar saw the first signs of colonial grace post-1905. The Frazer Memorial Trust granted assistance for education in the region, leading to the Bihar Landholders Association mentioning the governor of Bengal as the Governor of both Bengal and Bihar in its 1907 citation. Sinha's writings during this period reflected Bihar's constant monetary drain to Bengal resulting in lack of medicare, increasing poverty and illiteracy. This drew Biharis closer and the demand shriller.

Between 1907-1912, the reins of this movement was in the hands of Brahmadeo Narayan, Ali Imam, Hasan Imam and others. Ali Imam presided over the first session of Bihar Prantiya Sammelan in 1908 and Fakhruddin mooted the proposal that Bihar should finally be segregated from Bengal. A delegation of Bengal Landholders Association, Bihar Prantiya Sangh and Bihar Muslim League submitted a memorandum to the governor on August 14, 1908 mentioning that Bihar was a model state with all religions, castes and communities living in harmony and should, therefore, be carved out into a separate identity. Conceding its demand, the government, in its letter to the secretary of state on August 25, 1911, recommended that Bihar be made a separate state. On December 12, 1911, the government declared during the Delhi Durbar that Bihar, Orissa and Chhotanagpur be separated from Bengal, which was notified on March 22, 1912. 

source:TNN

First Bihar legislative assembly having 152 members had begun on July 22, 1937.

The first session of the first Bihar legislative assembly  begun on July 22, 1937, five days after 17 Up Lahore Express had derailed at Bihta leading to death of 65 passengers on the morning of July 17, 1937. It was no wonder then that the session began with paying homage to the victims of the train disaster. The session continued for a month.

Kumar Kalika Prasad Singh, elected from the landowners's constituency, moved a resolution expressing "sympathy with the families of the victims and appealing to the Government of India to appoint an inquiry commission of experts and non-officials". The sitting was held in the same chamber which houses the present assembly.

Khetra Nath Sengupta expressed his solidarity with Biharis by saying 13 Bengalis had been returned with Bihari votes. He said, "A large number of Bengalis in Manbhum, Singhbhum and Santhal Parganas were living with Biharis as brothers in spite of occasional outbursts of rivalry in matters of public service.

Saiyad Mohiuddin Ahmad made the maiden speech in the first assembly's first session by saying, "Chhotanagpur people are political Harijans, with the HE governor acting as Mahatma Gandhi for us. We have been adjudged, declared and shunted aside as a backward people".

Sir Ganesh Dutt Singh, in his opening remarks, said, "The dark days of diarchy have disappeared today and we are now enjoying midday sunshine of provincial autonomy."

Mohammad Yunus, who was the first PM of Bihar (March to July, 1397), congratulated Sri Krishna Sinha and wished a good government would come under his leadership. "The aim and objects of my party (Mohammdan Independent Party) for obtaining Independence is in some respects even beyond the aims and objectives of the Congress. My party desires complete Independence."

Sri Krishna Sinha said: We, the Congressmen elected here, have programmes which have been announced from thousands of platforms. We have our economic, social and political programmes."

Sachchidanand Sinha, who was appointed the acting speaker (not pro-tem) by Governor M G Hallett, traced the history of the Congress movement and said the "party was founded by most eminent Indians of the second half of 19th century."

When Mohammad Yunus raised a point of order saying strangers were present in the House, Sachchidanand Sinha directed, "Except photographers who are here with my permission, others must leave and the photographers will not stay a moment longer than is absolutely necessary."

Sinha asked the newly-elected members to take oath of allegiance. To this, Tajmul Husain asked, "May I know whether we have to take the oath in English or Hindi or Urdu or only in English." Sinha replied, "In any language that he or she knows."

Jimut Bahan Sen said, "Is not Bengali one of the vernaculars of the province, sir?" Sinha replied, "I shall permit the member to take oath in Bengali."

Sri Krishna Sinha, elected from South Sadar Munghyr general rural, Anugrah Narayan Sinha from Aurangabad general rural, Dr Saiyad Mahmud from North Champaran Sadar Muhammadan rural, Jaglal Chaudhury from southwest Purnea general rural (reserved) took the oath in that order. Sir Ganesh Dutt Singh, elected from Patna division landholders constituency, took the oath a day later.

Harendra Bahadur Chandra and Saraswati Devi made their maiden speeches in Hindi and Muhammad Shafi in Urdu. Saraswati Devi expressed her concern over the poor condition of women in Bihar and asked the government to do justice with them.

Munindra Nath Mookherjee, unattached to any party, said he represented the interests of mines owners. Binodanand Jha, who later succeeded Sri Krishna Sinha as CM, also talked of good governance under the Congress leadership in Bihar.

The first session of the first assembly had passed a resolution moved by Jaglal Chaudhury, the then excise minister, for total prohibition in the state. ON July 23, 1937, Ram Dayalu Singh was elected uncontested as Speaker of the Bihar assembly.

source:TNN

Bihar has more than 30,000 identified manuscripts that are over 300 years old.

Devimahatmya manuscript on palm-leaf, in an early Bhujimol script, Bihar or Nepal, 11th century

Vedic Sanskrit

Rigveda (padapatha) manuscript in Devanagari, early 19th century

Main article: Vedic Sanskrit

The oldest surviving manuscript of the Devi MÄhÄtmya, on palm-leaf, in an early Bhujimol script, Bihar or Nepal, 11th century.

The oldest manuscript the state has is a handwritten text on a handmade paper of 29.7"X16.7" on 'History of Persia'. Written by Mohammed Ali in Arabic and Persian languages, this manuscript dates back to 1154AD. It has 111 folios and it is in Nastaliq script. "It was during a search at the library of Patna Museum in 2011 that this ancient manuscript was found by the museum authorities. They handed it over to a manuscript conservation unit of the National Mission for Manuscripts India (NAMAMI), a central government's initiative to conserve manuscripts.

In the absence of record keeping, the museum has no information about the exact place of discovery of the manuscript. "It was donated by a scholar," said Vibhas Kumar, an official associated with manuscript conservation.

Another rare manuscript in the state, 549 years old, is 'Vishnu Purana' written in Maithili by Pakshadhar Mishra. This Mithilakshar script is written on palm leaves. It was in tatters when it was found by NAMAMI in the library of Patna Museum last year. Processed for curation, this manuscript with 428 folios (856 pages) is now preserved at the Patna Museum. This is incomplete as its folio number 171 is missing.

NAMAMI, set up in February 2012, has started relocating the old manuscripts in the state to ensure their conservation. "Once the manuscript is spotted, it's photographed on-site. It then undergoes preventive, curative or restoration process, depending on its condition," Kumar said.

The cupboards, where these manuscripts wrapped in cotton clothes are shelved, are given anti-termite treatment every month and 'neem' leaves and silica gel are kept nearby to prevent insect attacks.

To store the manuscripts composed by Goswami Tulsidas and others, Akhada Goswami Tulsidas is constructing a museum at Hanuman temple, Tulsi ghat where the poet composed, Ramcharitmanas years ago. According to Pandit Vishwambhar Nath Mishra, deputy mahant, manuscripts from across the country is being collected for it. 

Around nine manuscripts from Jammu and Kashmir have already been collected, as many as 25 manuscripts will also be received from Aurai area. Written in 1919, a manuscript from Lahore will also be stored in the museum. Manuscripts in Awadhi, Urdu, Farsi, Kaithi, Russian and English languages will be stored in the museum. 

Notably, the museum will be well equipped with bullet proof showcases, neon lights and Italian frames. General public can view the manuscripts from above the glasses. Computerised screens will also be installed in the museum, which will give detail information about the manuscripts on just one click.It is noteworthy that the idea of the manuscript museum surfaced after the rare manuscript of Ramcharitmanas went missing from the temple premises a year ago. 

In view of the incident, Prof Veer Bhadra Mishra, mahant of the temple have released a hand book edition of the Ramcharitmanas on Saturday. The 704 pages manuscripts will be available in Rs 10 for the devotees on the occasion of Maha Kumbh.

source:TNN

Women Theatre Festival for Women Empowerment

Women empowered through Theatre

The National Theatre Festival is back with a bang in the city with eminent groups of the country participating with plays essentially being directed by women.

As part of the Bihar Diwas celebration, the department of art, culture and youth affairs, in collaboration with Bihar Sangeet Natak Academy, is organizing the five-day festival. The festival, which was inaugurated on Saturday by the minister of the department concerned, Sukhda Pandey, is organizing the event to highlight women empowerment. It is basically a 'Mahila Natya Utsav'.

"All the four plays scheduled to be staged from Monday to Wednesday and the three others which were staged on Saturday and Sunday have been directed exclusively by women. This has been done to portray women empowerment as this year, the theme of Bihar Diwas is women empowerment," said secretary of Bihar Sangeet Natak Academy Vibha Sinha. "Women theatre activists, including director from across the country, are participating in this unique festival, probably for the first time in Bihar," said Sinha.

The two plays staged on Saturday - Mohan Rakesh's 'Adhe Adhure' and 'Menka', based on Homen Worgohen's novel 'Matsyagandha' were directed by Patna's Sharda Singh and Assam's renowned theatre personality Pakeeza Begum, respectively, said Sinha. On Sunday, Kolkata's director Usha Ganguly and her dedicated team members of Rangkarmee group presented the play - Hum Mukhtara - a theatrical interpretation of the Mukhtar Mai story that doubles up as a symbolic tribute to the courage of Mukhtar Mai who was raped and killed in Delhi in December last year. "I do not seek revenge, I am not cowed down by terror, all I seek is justice," says Mukhtar, again and again, echoing the angry voices of the women who are still crying out against the gang rape and killing of a young student, Nirbhaya, in Delhi. Mukhtar Mai is a woman unto herself. She is also a symbol that represents all women across the world who have been victimized by violence.

Other plays which will be staged on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are Sarika Pendse's Swami Vivekanand. Pendse is from Nagpur. While New Delhi's Tripurari Sharma will present her play Roop Aroop on Tuesday and on the last day, Kerala's Jyotirmayee's play -- 'The Chair' -- and Nadira Babbar's play 'Yarana Baddi' will be staged.

Most of the plays are fascinating not only in presenting a universal tribute to women everywhere, but also in the way the directors have used every strategy of theatrical performance to make a strong statement.

source:TNN

Young Bihari Entrepreneurs from IIM set up business of the vegetable-supply chain called SAMRIDDHII.

The IIM sabziwala

The face of Bihar is changing! While Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the political stability, now evident in Bihar, are at the forefront of the change, young Bihari entrepreneurs with degrees from the Indian Institutes of Management and Indian Institutes of Technology are using their knowledge and special skills to transform rural life. Social sector investment bankers are providing financial backing needed for any meaningful transformation in rural India. 

When Kaushlendra Kumar did his MBA from the IIM, Ahmedabad, and won a gold medal and topped in agribusiness in 2007, he was confident of turning his dream of making his home state Bihar, blessed with the rich alluvial soil of the Ganga river, the vegetable capital of the country. While his colleagues from the IIM were marketing toothpastes, noodles and detergents for the multinationals, Kaushalendra set up Kaushalya Foundation and stuck to marketing nutritious but humble vegetables. 

Women, who were confined to their homes, are now involved in sorting, grading and packaging of vegetables at the processing centres. They earn anything from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 each per month

The vegetable supply chain venture was so novel that the faculty at his alma mater and friends helped him design a light vegetable cart that could be pushed or attached to a cycle as well the technology that would enable him to increase the shelf-life of the vegetables through the summer heat. Initially, he even pushed his own cart to gauge public response and study the demands and gaps in his knowledge and marketing. And soon enough, Kaushalendra was nicknamed the IIM sabziwala. 

The nickname has stayed but the business of the vegetable-supply chain called Samriddhii has grown. It has yielded dividends for farmers who have joined his vegetable network, increased employment for women and won laurels for Kaushlendra and his Kaushalya Foundation.

Today, more than 3,000 farmers in Patna and Nalanda districts are growing and selling eight to nine tonnes of vegetables through the Samriddhii supply chain and their incomes have soared. While importance is given to cultivation of traditional vegetables like green brinjals, parwal or snake gourd and seasonal vegetables, growth of exotic vegetables like mushrooms, baby corn and special varieties of tomatoes in green houses, is also catching on. Broccoli and other exotic vegetables can also be grown but in the absence of five-stars hotels in Bihar, it is not yet an economically viable option, says Anuj Kumar, 28, one of the five MBAs associated with the Kaushalya Foundation

While his colleagues from the IIM were marketing toothpastes, noodles and detergents for the multinationals, Kaushalendra set up Kaushalya Foundation and stuck to marketing vegetables

 

Farmers are being organised to work together as a collective unit. If a group of 25 to 30 farmers in a village come together, a vegetable collection centre is set up in the village or its vicinity. These centres are managed by the farmers themselves and they get paid an additional 10 paise per kilo of vegetable that comes to the centre. The Kaushalya Foundation, however, keeps a benevolent eye, advising and solving problems if needed. The collection centres save the farmers the long trudge to the mandis with sack-loads of vegetables weighing 50 to 60 kg. So far, eight collection centres or Samriddhii grameen kendras have been set up in Patna and Nalanda districts. The vegetables are then taken by tempos to processing centres, where theseare cleaned, graded and separated according to their quality before being packed and dispatched for distribution. 

Vegetables are cleaned but not washed because soaking them in water decreases shelf life, says Anuj Kumar. The prices of the Samriddhii vegetables vary according to their quality. While the ‘B’ grade vegetables, used by bulk consumers like hotels and restaurants, are cheap, the ‘A’ grade vegetables, retailed through air-conditioned outlets to customers finicky about quality, are more expensive. Vegetables like potatoes, onions, tomatoes sold to bulk consumers are also big in size because they are easier to peel and chop and there is less wastage. The ‘C’ and ‘D’ grade vegetables sold to dhabas and wayside shops are the cheapest and have to be consumed quickly. If the A grade potato costs Rs 8 a kg, B grade would cost Rs 6 and C and D grade Rs 4 to Rs 3 a kg, respectively. Samriddhii also has pre-paid card facility to sell pesticide-free vegetables.

The faculty at his alma mater and friends helped Kaushlendra design a light vegetable cart that could be pushed or attached to a cycle. The technology-driven cart also has a cooling system – chemicals that convert into ice so that the vegetables stay fresh for five hours

Kaushalya Foundation’s objective

* To connect vendors and marginalised growers to the mainstream of the society
* To provide a platform and support to vendors and marginalised growers in the evolving economy
* To prepare vendors and marginalised growers for new market challenges
* Creating infrastructure
* Strengthening the link between growers and vendors
* Reducing the operational cost and increasing price realisation for vendors & growers.
* Providing added benefits to the vendors & growers like insurance cover for family and free education to wards.

The Kaushalya Foundation owns one tempo and hires other vehicles as per requirement.

The farmers have an assured market in the collection centres. They are informed about the purchase price of all vegetables the previous night and if the price does not suit them, they can defer the sale or take their crop to the traditional mandi. However, selling to the Samriddhii kendras saves farmers the cost of transportation, weighing and packaging charges and the commission that mandis charge. The income of farmers, who have joined Samriddhii’s vegetable supply chain, has gone up from 0.25 to 1.50 times.

As members of the Samriddhii family, the farmers are trained in organic farming, taken on study tours and encouraged and supported for growing exotic vegetables like baby corn and mushrooms in low-cost green houses or poly-houses (polythene sheets spread over bamboo poles).

This year the Kaushalya Foundation is entering into an MoU with the Agriculture Department, Bihar, for subsidy for the cultivation of baby corn. Also proposed is one poly-house in each village at government cost. Last year, the Kaushalya Foundation constructed five poly-houses at its own expense — three in Patna and two in Nalanda, the hometown of Kaushalendra, Anuj, and of course, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Farmers are being organised to work together as a collective unit. If a group of 25 to 30 farmers in a village come together, a vegetable collection centre is set up in the village or  its vicinity

There are 50 vegetable carts in Patna on the lines of the first designed in 2007. The new vegetable carts, attached to cycles and with better display and space for advertisements, are an improvement on the first prototype. The 60-kg carts have a five-year life and if these are able to get ads, it can pay the Rs 52,000 cost of the cart. Recently, the Bihar Government announced a subsidy of Rs 27,000 on these carts. The technology-driven cart also has a cooling system – chemicals that convert into ice so that the vegetables stay fresh for five hours. 

The neatly packed and graded vegetables, carrying the Samriddhii logo are bar coded so that the buyer knows the name of the village from which they come from, their price and weight. 

With the entry of the Kaushalya Foundation, there has been a spurt in employment in the farm sector, especially for women. Women, who were confined to their homes, are now involved in sorting, grading and packaging of vegetables at the processing centres and earn anything from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 per month. However, the women need to know how to use electronic machines for weighing, packaging etc. Poly-houses are also being given in the name of responsible and capable women farmers. Anuj Kumar says the farmers of Bihar, because of their poverty, were not using much fertilisers and insecticides, so the soil is still very good. In addition, the ebb and flow of the Ganga ensure that the soil is rejuvenated annually. In the poly-houses coming up in rural Bihar, too, no insecticides and pesticides are used, and only the minimum chemical fertilisers are allowed. The vegetables, grown in the poly-houses, are priced higher and are available on demand. The order for the poly-house-grown vegetables have to be placed in advance at the processing centres.

While Kaushlendra, 31, and Anuj are shareholders and do not draw a salary, the other three MBAs attached with the Kaushalya Foundation are salaried employees heading different units like new ventures, project management etc.

 

“We have put our heart, soul and money into Samriddhii,” says Anuj. “We are single, have no family responsibility, and so, can work till late at night and do without monetary benefits at this stage. Recently, Kaushlendra’s elder brother, Dhirendra, has joined the business and he meets farmers, organises groups and looks after procurement.

Navin Ranbir Gautam (left) and Dhirendra Kumar checking vegetables for their quality

“Beginning with a bank loan of Rs 50 lakh for capital expenditure and working capital, for three years we were running at a loss. This year we have made a small profit,” adds Anuj. “And it is being reinvested in the business,” he says.

“The bank loan is also being paid off every month. In the next five years, the Kaushalya Foundation has set itself the goal of raising farmers’ incomes by 50 per cent. It is going to benefit us also, because once the farmers start getting better prices, they’ll be in a position to produce vegetables in a better way,” says Anuj.

The recognition and rewards are their sustenance. This year the organisation received the Sankalp award from Aavishkar and Intelecap, social sector investors. In 2010, the Willgro Award was given in Chennai. The Kaushalya Foundation has also been short-listed for the Canadian Katerva award for social enterprise and the UN Habitat Youth Fund. The May 2011 issue of the Time magazine also featured the Samriddhii venture in its business story on grassroots entrepreneurs in rural India — reducing the gap between rising India and the other India. It quotes one of Samriddhii’s farmers, Gulab Singh of Yusufpur, who has been able to sell tomatoes cultivated in his poly-house and now earns Rs 600 a day as against Rs 120 just a couple of years ago. 

The Samriddhii model is obviously working. This January it has moved into UP where it will working in a 50/50 partnership with a local entrepreneur – ORVEM (Organised Vegetable Marketing).

Hoping that Bihar can join the India economic miracle through its farms, Anuj says the state has the potential to feed the whole country with vegetables. Hopefully, it will provide the alternative model to industrialisation. 

(Left) The May 2011 issue of the Time magazine also featured the Samriddhii venture in its business story on grassroots entrepreneurs in rural India   (middle) Dhirendra Kumar, Anuj Kumar, Kaushlendra, Navin Ranbir Gautam and H. K. Patel are the five MBAs working with the Kaushalya Foundation Photos courtesy: The Kaushalya Foundation (right) This year the foundation received the Sankalp award from Aavishkar and Intelecap, social sector investors  source:The TribuneSaturday, June 25, 2011

Bihar-based Kaushlendra, whose brand 'Samriddhii, MBA Sabziwala' has touched the lives of more than 6,000 farmer families in Bihar and provide direct employment to around 300 people.

They have an MBA from the most sought-after business school in the country but are busy selling vegetables.

Nirmal Kumar and Kaushlendra Kumar — both graduates from IIM-Ahmedabad, have brought respectability to the business of vegetable selling through their innovative ventures.

He has been professionalizing and creating new distribution channel linkages to facilitate faster distribution of fresh farm produce with minimal lead time and better customer satisfaction.

"Our next aim is to form institutions of vegetable farmers so that they can have bargaining power in changed marked dynamics like FDI in retail. Future plan also involves taking this proven model and Bihar agriculture produce to other parts of the country," said Kaushlendra, who started selling vegetables from a small outlet located behind a school in Patna. His first day sales was Rs 22, which has now touched Rs 5 crore in just 3.5 years of its operation.

Kaushlendra is also trying to change the social mindset of the young and educated in Bihar, who will do anything but work in agriculture sector.

Ahmedabad-based Nirmal Kumar is on the threshold of launching his online venture for selling vegetables. The venture will give people in Ahmedabad an option to buy farm fresh vegetables online, thus help curb inflation.

"At present, farmers are not getting the right price and customers are paying almost 300-900 % higher price for vegetables. I believe vegetables and fruits can be made available at cheaper rates to the consumers by eliminating middlemen . Inflation can be controlled by controlling the price rise on daily use items," said Nirmal.

source:TNN

"Tarang 2013" -Bihar sub junior sports meet 2013 Over 2,000 students of secondary schools in the state would fight it out for the championship

The four-day event would see girls and boys from class 6 to 8 compete in 14 events, including races, high jump, long jump, kabaddi and volleyball.

However, the visual delight of the event would be the karate drill performance of nearly 2,300 young girls of the state at the finale. "The theme of the event is 'women empowerment'. We have trained girls of 230 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas in different districts over the past couple of months and the best 10 from each would display their expertise on March 21," said Rahul Singh, director, Bihar Education Project Council (BEPC). These girls would also be given intensive training for a month, so that they can impart karate training to more students in their localities.

The event would be inaugurated by education minister P K Shahi at Patliputra Sports complex on Monday evening.

The state-level championship is being organized by BEPC for the first time, and plans to make it an annual feature, depending on the response to the event. "We earlier held inter school block-level and district-level competitions, from which a team of 56 students comprising 26 boys and 26 girls from each of the 38 districts were selected to participate in the event," said Singh, adding, "These students were also given three-day training to familiarize them with the technicalities of the games. Till now, no state-level event has been organized in such a structured manner."

The event also aims to attract more students to school through sports events. "The students have all been given uniforms etc to participate at the event. All arrangements have been made for their comfortable stay here," said Singh. The games would be held at Patliputra Sports complex, Kankarbagh, and Moinul Haq Stadium, Rajendra Nagar. Volleyball training is also underway at thousands of schools in the state.

A special logo, "Tarang", has been designed for the event that depicts two kids in a running posture. While the inaugural day would see some fireworks' display, almost 300 members of an art group would put up a programme on the final day. The final day is also expected to be graced by sportspersons Saurav Ganguly and Milkha Singh and actor Farhan Akhtar.

Bihar Diwas stall

The BEPC council would be putting up an activity-based pavilion at Gandhi Maidan during Bihar Diwas celebrations in the state, said Rahul Singh, director, BEPC. The stall would be inaugurated on March 22 morning and would be like a play zone for students. "It would have touch screens displaying different things, knowledge tree with lots of facts, astrozone, planetary models, sun dials, black boards etc for the students to play and learn. Unlike earlier years, when we used to put up a stall with only a stage for debate and discussions, we have tried to make our exhibition area attractive for students," Singh said.

The Bihar government has decided to train one million schoolgirls in martial arts to protect themselves from sexual harassment

 

"Martial art training (karate) will be given to 10 lakh schoolgirls in 20,000 middle schools across the state," Rahul Singh, the director of the Bihar Education Project Council, said.

The programme will be undertaken as part of the National Programme of Education for Girls at Elementary Level, and reach 10 lakh girls by 2014. 

"At present, 1,500 girl students of 150 middle schools are being given martial art training," he said.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has repeatedly said in the last few months that girls should learn martial arts like judo, karate and taekwondo. These skills are necessary for physical strength and greater alertness, and would enable girls to defend themselves in case they were harassed by men, the chief minister maintains. 

"Martial art training is a must for girls. It would work as a deterrent to molesters," the chief minister said last month. 

Last week, Nitish Kumar announced that 10 lakh self-help groups (SHGs) for women would be formed in the state over the next five years. He said these would help women become economically more independent. 

The Bihar government was the first in the country to provide 50 percent reservation to women in civic bodies, including gram panchayats. 

The government, in 2007, launched an ambitious scheme to provide cycles to schoolgirls, in a bid to encourage them not to drop out of school and finish their education, even if schools were some distance away from their homes.  

     source:IANS

Diplomat Abhay Kumar.Born in Nalanda district of Bihar wins SAARC prize Thursday 14th March, 2013

Portrait painting of Abhay K done by Vasily Bratanyuk, Oil on Canvas

Diplomat and poet Abhay K. has been awarded the SAARC Literature Award for his contribution to contemporary South Asian poetry.

The award was presented at the just-concluded SAARC Festival of Literature 2013 in Taj city Agra.

The poet, who had been posted in Moscow and is now in Kathmandu, has authored eight books including five anthologies of poetry - "Enigmatic Love" (2009), "Fallen Leaves of Autumn (2010)", "Candling the Light (2011)", "Remains (2012)" and "Seduction of Delhi".

Born in Nalanda district of Bihar in India in 1980, he studied at the Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Moscow State University and the George Washington University. He joined the Indian Foreign Service 2003.

Abhay Kumar  is an Indian poet, artist and diplomat. He has written several books including River Valley to Silicon Valley. His work in the field of digital diplomacy, philosophical poetry,art and global democracy inspires planetary consciousness. He has been honoured with the SAARC Literature Award.  His poems have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize 2013. In 2011, he has also received Gov2. award on behalf of the Public Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs

 

 He studied at the Kirori Mal College Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University. Later he joined the Indian Foreign Service in 2003. Moreover he studied Russian language, history and literature at the Moscow State University and U.S. Foreign Policy at the George Washington University.

His art works focus on planetary consciousness. He has exhibited his paintings in St. Petersburg (Russia), Paris (France) and New Delhi. His art works have also been appreciated.

Abhay's first book was River Valley to Silicon Valley. His poems have appeared in Indian Literature (IL 269), Kritya  Kathmandu Post  and several other Indian and foreign literary journals. His poetic works give humanistic outlook to Indian English Poetry. His poems deal with existential issues of the mankind, power play pervasive in our every day life, themes such as now and eternity, death and immortality.His poems have been recited by well known poets such as K. Satchidanandan  and A. J. Thomas.

He was Assistant Editor of India Perspectives, a monthly magazine published by the Ministry of External Affairs in 17 languages from September 2011- July 2012. He co-founded the 'Poetry at the Monument' poetry movement  to bring poetry back to Delhi and to pay homage to 3,000 years of Delhi's heritage.He has been strongly in favor of an Indian International Poetry Festival (IIPF) in Delhi which will not just promote poetry in India, but also bring peoples and cultures closer

He has served in different positions at the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India and at the Indian Missions and Posts abroad. Among the key successes of his office at the end of his two year tenure (July 2010 - July 2012) as in-charge of Digital Diplomacy at the Public Diplomacy Division, MEA were the bringing of 70 Indian embassies and missions on social media. His efforts helped India's national cultural institutions such as the Sahitya Akademi, the Lalit Kala Akademi and the National Gallery of Modern Art open their accounts on popular social media sites.

He has delivered guest lectures on the creative use of social media and global democracy at the leading universities and institutes of India which include Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU), Research and Information Systems (RIS) New Delhi, Amity University, NOIDA, Indian Society of International Law (ISIL) New Delhi, Indian Institute of Mass Communication(IIMC), New Delhi, Kirorimal College, Delhi University(DU), Management Development Institute(MDI), Gurgaon among others.

He as a diplomat visited Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. He also wrote a paper proposing a SAARC University at Nalanda

source :India Gazette (IANS) and wp

Bihar has many positives to feel good about :Noted economic journalist, Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar delivering a lecture on 'Revisiting Bihar: Development Journey So Far' at the Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI) centre on Tuesday.

It's no mean an achievement to register a growth rate of 11%, which is above the national average, sans any special grant. That's something Bihar should be proud of.

Appreciating chief minister Nitish Kumar's development model of "a strong CM and strong bureaucracy", Aiyar said Bihar's "fast growth" has helped it shed the tag of a "BIMARU state". "No other state ever made such an imaginative use of the Arms Act except Bihar under Nitish. This single move had a number of antisocial elements landing behind bars. This created a sense of security which in turn boosted economic activities," he said.

According to Aiyar, construction of roads and emphasis on development of social sector are also valid reasons for the state to feel good. "The maternal mortality rate (MMR) in Bihar is now equal to national average. Also, while there has been 17% rise in literacy, female literacy has gone up by 20%," he said.

Bihar, he said, has not only maintained its growth rate but also accelerated it. And agriculture has a major contribution to this acceleration. Since the state has "beautiful, fertile" land, there's a vast scope for farming to flourish. "I wonder why Bihar should not have the best agriculture research institute; I wonder why Bihar should not have centres of excellence," he said and added the state should consider shifting a part of its population from the agri sector to industrial sector.

Aiyar also underlined the fact that the country's growth these days is propelled more by strong chief ministers than the "not-so-proactive" prime ministers of ruling coalitions. He recalled how the then PM, H D Deve Gowda, went on a tour to Singapore and assured clearance to a proposal for a private airlines. When the Singapore officials landed in India to follow up the matter, Gowda's civil aviation minister simply refused to honour his PM's word. "And mind you, the civil aviation minister belonged to Gowda's party," he added as the audience burst into laughter.

CM Kumar presided over the event which was also attended by deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and N K Singh, MP.

Shaibal Gupta, director of Centre for Economic Policy and Public Finance which organized the event, earlier welcomed the guests while the vote of thanks was given by academic P P Ghosh.

Miles to go, says CM Nitish

Bihar is still a poor state despite the high growth rate in the last few years and lags behind many others on various indices, said CM Nitish Kumar in response to the comments of economist Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar after his lecture on 'Revisiting Bihar: Development Journey So Far', on Tuesday. 

On the question whether Bihar needed special category status, Nitish reiterated that the state desperately needed it. Justifying the demand, he said he is not enamoured by the high growth rate because he knows the state has a narrow base. "Once the base gets widened, the growth rate will fall. And, to maintain the growth momentum, the state needs special category status," he said. 

Comparing Bihar with Madhya Pradesh in population and area, the CM said unlike the latter, the state has over 10.5 crore population with approximately 94,000 square kilometre area only. "We are not satisfied with our 2.5% contribution to the national GDP. We want it to be at least 8%. We are lowest in infrastructure development and per capita income and lag behind others on human development index. Our 60% population is below poverty line," he said while justifying why Bihar needed special status. 

Referring to Union finance minister's move for industrial corridors in the Union budget, he said Bihar being a landlocked state needed industrial corridor. However, all the industrial corridors are for western and southern parts of India which already had the advantage of having freight corridors after liberalization in the country in 1992. 

"Every landlocked state gets differentiated treatment. We have an international boundary, too. Once we get tax concession, investors will come, and once our share in centrally-sponsored schemes becomes less following special status, we will use our resources for industrialization and maintenance of the growth rate," he said and sounded hopeful after Union finance minister's remarks that the criteria for special status category for states would be revisited. 

Nitish said if Bihar got special category status, it would definitely become a model state in real sense of the term.

source:TNN

Bihar Industrial exposition 2013 begins in Patna

                                                 BUYER SELLER MEETS

CM Nitish Kumar inaugurated Destination Bihar Expo 2013 here on 12 March 2013. Organized under the aegis of Bihar Industries Association (BIA), it has around 90 stalls put up by different enterprises. Its theme is 'Showcasing Bihar'. The six-day expo focuses on both private and public industries working in the state.

On this occasion, Nitish said that Bihar's entrepreneurs have the enthusiasm and capability to excel and the existing industries have the potential to grow, but "the need of the hour is more private investment from investors outside Bihar and more employment generating schemes", which can take place only with special category status to Bihar.

He said if special category status is granted, the state government would have to invest only 10% of the money in centrally-sponsored schemes, saving around Rs 4000 crore to Rs 7000 crore, which could be invested in other schemes. He also stated the state has adopted policies favourable to industrial growth as every fifth Monday of any month an 'udyami panchayat' would be organized.

Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, who was the chief guest, stressed the role of banks in the growth of industrial sector. "In the year 2011-2012, for small and medium scale industries in the state, Rs 2108 crore was given as loan, which rose to Rs 3172 crore by the end of December 2012," he said.

At the expo, live demonstrations of mini rice mill, power generation and plastic manufacturing are being held, which are the real show stealers. Besides, private units such as Asian Ply Industries Private Limited of Hajipur, Shivshakti Agro, which makes cattlefeed, and Patna-based S S Foam Industries Private Limited manufacturing coir mattresses have put up their stalls.












Source:TNN

Bihar tops in per capita income growth

Should the country emulate the Nitish Kumar model of development? Or a Shivraj Singh Chauhan or a Oommen Chandy model? Going by the growth in per capita income, why not have a Maharashtra or Prithiviraj Chavan growth model? The chart shows the growth in per capita net state domestic product at constant (2004-05) prices for the fiscal year 2011-12 of the 15 fastest growing states. Delhi and Union Territories have been kept out of the reckoning.

The chart shows that, during the past year, Bihar has been the most successful in improving the living standards of its residents. It was followed by Madhya Pradesh, while Kerala at number three was a surprise. Per capita income in Bihar is low, so it has the advantage of a lower base. But Kerala, Maharashtra, Goa and Sikkim have very high levels of per capita income.

The much-vaunted Gujarat model of development saw its per capita growth rank at number 11, a bit above Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. And even West Bengal’s growth in per capita income was well above the national average.

In absolute numbers, however, growth in real per capita income in 2011-12 was the highest in Goa at Rs.8,157, followed by Maharashtra at Rs.5,216. Sikkim, with a growth of Rs.4,509 in real per capita income, was third. Kerala, with growth of Rs.4,486, and Haryana, with growth of Rs.3,787, made it to the top five.

Source: livemint.com

Bihar: Girls Rising from the darken to brighten.

On Friday, March 8, New York, the metropolis that harbours the UN, rose up on International Women's Day to watch the story of a Muslim girl from Kolkata unfold across campus screens: 'Girls Rising'.

Ruksana, an 11-year-old living street kid from Kolkata, is one of the nine that feature in 'Girl Rising', a film about the problem that girls around the world face to get education.

Ruksana's story, adapted for film and narrated by Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, was picked after screenwriters and producers conducted hundreds of interviews with girls trying to get education in countries across the globe. Nine were chosen and their stories were put together in a series of fictionalized documentaries. 

Sooni Taraporevala, screenplay writer for the award winning 'Salaam Bombay', turned Ruksana's story into a screenplay for the movie. In the film 'Girl Rising', produced by education campaign 10X10, the figure for girls out of school worldwide is put at 66 million. The 10X10 campaign, which is in partnership with Intel, says that educating girls has a significant positive impact on their health, safety and future earning power.

Bihar, poised to celebrate its 101st 'birthday', can take pride in its efforts to give a helping hand to girls over the past decade.

In a white paper produced during the first term of the NDA alliance, getting out-of-school kids into classrooms and ensuring that girls stay within the system was seen as a key to human resource development.

Like Ruksana of Kolkata, thousands of girls yearn for school, and these girls are not just street kids. They can be found in rural Bihar and in the cities. And, many girls deprived of education are not from poor families.  

Zubair is a girl studying Communication in a college in Patna. Her family may be considered well-off by most standards: they own a flat, have a comfortable lifestyle and are held in high regard by their neighbours. But she feels exceptionally lucky to have been allowed to study after she completed her secondary school. 

She says, "It is really difficult for Muslim girls to be allowed to follow their career dreams. Sad to say, even educated and highly respected elders criticize my parents for giving me 'too much education and freedom'. Sometimes, on the news and in the newspapers, one comes across politicians saying that my community is backward. They want more concessions and facilities so that Muslims can prosper. But the same leaders think nothing of the fact that the girls are still being kept semi-literate. How can the community in Bihar develop when it is blind to human resource development of half its members?"

Prema, a primary schoolteacher from Kalaser village in Sasaram can remember when it was a scandal in her block for a woman to be ferried on a bicycle. About 17 years ago she caused a 'scandal', she says, when as a new bride, her teacher husband would transport her by bicycle to the workplace. 

 "The women thought I was shameless, and the elder men frowned upon my husband. And when I learnt to ride a bicycle, a couple of old women called me dirty names!" she laughs.

Today, it is a wonderful sight to see, in the villages of Bihar, scores of girls in their uniform, cycling to school and back. The bicycle gave the girls mobility and greater access to schools.

















Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

BIHAR :Banka DM Deepak Anand and Trainee IAS Mithilesh Mishra Giving Wings to UPSC dreams

 
Shri Deepak Anand. is an officer of the Indian Administrative Service(2007). He is a Post Graduate (Gold Medalist) in Philosophy from Patna University. Besides Public Administration he has interests in Book Reading, Poetry, Tourism etc.

 A concerted attempt is on in this backward and remote town of the state to replicate the success of now famous Super 30, albeit with some differences. While Super 30 of Patna coaches 30 students for cracking the IIT-JEE entrance examination, the initiative at Banka is aimed at helping the underprivileged crack the UPSC's Civil Services Examination. A brainchild of Banka DM Deepak Anand and Trainee IAS Mithilesh Mishra, this initiative, christened Super-12, took off on 12.12.2012. It has picked up 12 meritorious students and is providing them free coaching to help them come out with flying colours in the much-coveted examination.

 Meet Kamdeo Das, a native of an obscure village in this district. Vehicles fitted with beacons always fascinated him and he dreamed of joining the civil services, driven by a keen desire to ameliorate the condition of the poor in the backward areas of the country. But his dream seemed destined to meet an untimely death in the face of harsh realities of being born in underprivileged personal, societal and geographical surroundings. In an area under extremist influence, academic and competitive pursuits are scarce. Similar was the predicament of Ram Sagar, Nitesh, Sushil, Arghaya Deepak, Randhir, Gyan Vikash, Priyaranjan, Birendra, Amit Roushan, Gulzar Mukul and Abhinav, all belonging to various parts of this district.

But thanks to DM Deepak Anand and Mithilesh Mishra, the dreams of all these 12 bright youth have now got wings. They are getting quality coaching entirely free. Now, gloom has given way to hope in their minds. They have been chosen by the two IAS officers through a rigorous selection procedure. DM Anand said out of 350 aspirants, 60 students were shortlisted after a preliminary examination. Then, another written examination was held and 21 aspirants were selected for interview. Finally, 12 made it to the select group. Now, they are being given specialized guidance and coaching of different subjects and given exposure to 'smart study' methods.

The DM, who is an IAS official of 2007 batch, uses the inspiring motto of Lord Buddha - 'Appa Deepo Bhava' (be a light unto yourself) - before starting his classes on all the days when he finds time. "Majority of the 'Super-12' students belong to underprivileged bracket and have been provided free hostel and other facilities to concentrate on studies," said Anand. The newspapers and magazines that he buys for himself are provided to the students for preparing for general studies, the DM said, adding local experts of different subjects engage classes on Saturday and Sunday. IAS trainee Mithilesh Kumar, deputy collector Lalit Kumar Singh, SP Vikash Burman and other officials also engage classes in their spare time.

The students were also taken to coaching centres in Delhi to see the teaching methods adopted at famed centres, said the DM, adding it was to impress in the minds of the youth that ultimately it is one's own studies and hard work that leads to success in most of the competitive examinations.

Many specialist teachers from outside the state have also expressed interest in teaching the 'Super-12' students. They have volunteered to come down to Banka and engage classes every month, said the DM, adding study material on different subjects besides books are provided to the students from the small library put up at the Super-12 centre.

When asked whether the novel endeavour was limited to 12 meritorious students only, the DM said though the focus was on 'Super-12', many youth, including girls, from different sections of society were attending the classes and their number was swelling. "All needy and dedicated students are welcome to attend the classes and get guidance," he added.

 The guiding spirits behind the move are hopeful that the students of 'Super-12', as also other students attending the classes, would be successful in the UPSC examination. The DM said there were many similarities between his own student life at Sitamarhi (from where he did schooling up to plus two level and then BA and MA from Patna University) and that of the underprivileged students of Banka.
The focus is on changing the mindset of students with exposure to orientation programmes, smart studies, increasing the memorizing ability, promoting group studies and discussion, general studies, besides subjects that are taught by them and other experts, the DM said. "We are not taking any financial help from anyone," he said, adding the help is in the form of imparting knowledge and time spared by the subject experts for the students.

source:TNN

Bihar Village girls from Muzaffarpur districts works for HIV+ Awareness,

They are the harbingers of hope, peace and development in this small hamlet Majhaulia of Muzaffarpur district. They fought against ignorance, myths, and socio-cultural taboos and broke through the wall of silence to lend voice to the voiceless.

Inevitably, they ran into barriers. But determined to fight and overcome all odds, these young Muslim activists of Kalyan Red Ribbon Club (RRC) have today ushered in a silent revolution in this village. This includes an outreach strategy to address HIV+ prevention, care and support and treatment in this vulnerable district.

 Talking about sex was virtually taboo in this village, so for young Muslim girls, mostly in their teens, initiating any discussion on the issue was to invite controversy. But that is what Amina Khatoon, a 17-year-old girl, has done ever since she was made president of the 70-member RRC. She comes from a poor family and also works as a part-time dressmaker. April 14, 2009, was a memorable day for Amina when Nirdesh (an NGO) link worker Kumkum Kumari, formed the Kalyan Red Ribbon Club (KRRC) at the village with 21 girls. Prior to this, these girls had never come out in the open without 'purdah' and mingled with each other freely. The most sensitive and important issue about which they learnt was the disastrous effect of HIV/AIDS.

"I had to make a huge effort to make these girls understand the challenge of HIV/AIDS, particularly in rural areas, as here it becomes more pronounced in view of stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV, resulting in poor access to health care, and, above all, infections going undetected or treated by unqualified practitioners," said Kumkum.

Soon these girls started spreading awareness about prevention and protection from HIV/AIDS among the rural community. They were also imparted training at various places, which changed their outlook and provided them a broader vision. The effort made by these girls was soon recognized by Unicef too. The girls were then provided a sewing machine and a ceiling fan. Today these girls, apart from generating social awareness are also learning skills like stitching, puppet-making, hosiery making etc to make their life better.

KRRC is constantly expanding its base and now has 70 members, of which 20 are young boys. Sajda, Naznin, Momina, Shaba, Ruksana, Raksa, Mohd Raja, Aftab... all are enthusiastically involved in their assignments. The slogan on the walls of Majhaulia reads, "Hum sabka hai yehi sapna, AIDS-mukt ho Bihar apna."

source: TNN