Ranikhet --> Queen's meadow

There is every possibility that you may run out of adjectives when attempting to describe the scenic beauty of the pristine hill station of Ranikhet in the state of Uttarakhand. The reasons for its popularity among tourists are obvious. 

The hill station, covered with lush forests of thick pine and deodar trees and dainty streams of water with impeccable views of Nanda Devi, is the archetypal dream destination for an idyllic holiday. Tourists visiting Ranikhet are delighted to discover that apart from the scenic grandeur, this famous hill station has plenty of other attractions too including an amazing abundance of bird species flourishing in the area.

Sights to See

• Chaubatia

Commanding a picturesque view of the Himalayas, it is popularly known as orchard country for its fruits and government gardens.

• Jhoola Devi Ram Mandir

7 km from Ranikhet on the Ram Mandir route to Chaubatia, the place is known for temples devoted to the Goddess Durga and Lord Rama.

• Mankameshwar

One of the famous attartions of Ranikhet, this temple is attached to the Narsingh Maidan. This ancient temple has been built by the Kumaon regiment. Opposite the shrine are a Gurudwara and a Shawal factory.

• Bhaludam

3 km away from Chaubatia garden, the place offers a mesmerizing beauty in the form of a small artificial lake and is a popular picnic spot.

• Tarikhet

The place is well known for its Gandhi Ashram to commemorate the spot where Gandhiji stayed. The Golla temple here is venerated by the people.

• Kalika

1 km from the Golf Maidan, the place is known for its forest nursery and a temple dedicated to the Goddess Kali.

• Sitlakhet

Sitlakhet is a scenic spot commanding a view of majestic Himalayas. The nearby forest abounds in fruit orchards and herbal plants used in medicines. Just about 10 km from Sitlakhet is the famous temple of Syahi Devi. Nearby is the natural spring where the first water scheme for Almora was initiated some seventy years ago. Just two kilometers below Sitlakhet is the village Khoont which is the ancestral village of the late Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant, the famous freedom fighter of India.

Bal Swachata Abhiyan

As a part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the mega cleanliness drive in India, and also as a part of the Children’s Day celebrations, the Government of India has launched yet another campaign “Bal Swachhata Abhiyan”. This campaign will be carried out together by the education and health departments from November 14, Children’s Day, to November 19, the birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi, in all schools across the country.

The Central Government has issued directives so that the campaign is implemented efficiently. The idea is to spread cleanliness awareness among the children. Through this campaign, the school students will play the role as cleanup ambassadors in the school’s nearby and surrounding areas and also display an encouraging way for the locals to keep their surroundings clean.

Highlights of Bal Swachhata Mission

• Considering the importance of cleanliness and inculcating cleanliness from a very young age, it’s necessary that every citizen of the country, including the children, should come forward to be a part of the mega cleanliness drive.
• The Directorate of Education has addressed all Heads of Government and Government-aided schools and private schools to carry out the cleanliness mission and sensitise children and make them aware of the different aspects of hygiene.
• Bal Swachhata Abhiyan includes clean schools, clean surroundings and play area, pure drinking water facilities, proper toilets, safe and clean food and personal hygiene.
• All students must be aware of the need of cleanliness and various aspects of health and sanitation.
• Each student can spread cleanliness awareness among his family members effectively and thereby pave the way for a clean society as a whole.
• All health centres associated with the schools should be well-prepared with information on balanced diet and health and senior officials should make sure that the students are given information about nutrition, food grains and vegetables through video clips, posters and Powerpoint presentations.
• Children will also be given training on washing hands properly and how to maintain their personal hygiene and cleanliness.
• How to use toilets and keep them clean would be discussed during the campaign.
• Officials would also spread awareness about water-borne diseases, the use of clean water, proper cleaning of water tanks in schools and so on.

Bal Swachhata Abhiyan five-day programme

The themes of this campaign has been planned out in the following way:

• 14th November: Clean Schools/Surroundings/Play areas
• 15th November: Clean Food
• 17th November: Clean Self, Personal Hygiene, Child Safety
• 18th November: Clean Drinking Water
• 19th November: Clean Toilet

As part of the first-day programme, during the morning assembly, the students will take a vow that they will not use plastic bags, will not waste any paper and use the dustbins for throwing garbage in the school. Also, all students and teachers must clean the classrooms, library, labs, kitchen and other areas.

Express Yourself Through: CBSE Expression Series

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has launched on its website (http://cbseacademic.in/) CBSE Expression Series on ‘Bal Swachhata Mission’ 14th to 19th November 2014. This is an interesting way for school children to express themselves through essay, poem, poster, drawing and painting. Each day a new topic will be assigned for the children in three categories (classes 1 to 5, classes 6 to 8, classes 9 to 12). Topics based on themes for each day will be announced on CBSE’s official website one day in advance. Thirty best entries on each day will be rewarded with a cash prize of Rs 2,500.

Conclusion: Again another encouraging initiative by the Government. But mere launching of a campaign is not enough. Proper implementation is more necessary. Yes, it’s high time now that we teach our children to be clean and maintain hygiene. Not only in schools, but also in home and outside, a child should be well aware of cleanliness, safety and personal hygiene which will make them stronger and healthy and responsible citizens of the country.

Gateway Of India And Taj Mahal Hotel

Easily identified and recognizable British marvel, the “Gateway of India”, is a crown in Mumbai’s attractions. Like the other attractions, this tourist hotspot is located in southern part of Mumbai. This sea-facing marvel is said to have been built to mark the commemoration of King George V and Queen Mary on 2nd December 1911, which can be found inscribed on the mantle of the monument.

After its completion in 1924, this part of the city initially became a port and then became a major tourist attraction when British left India. This part of town has eventually become the starting point of any tours, photo walks, etc. and thus draws a large number of locales, who earn their daily bread by doing business here.

The gateway acts as a quick-fix to Mumbai’s Corinthian style architecture which surrounds the area since the British Raj. One has to take a walk in the surrounding area and can see the similar style architecture. Opposite to the gateway lies the statue of Shivaji Maharaj after whom many institutions in Mumbai have been named.

Right next to Gateway, lies the great Taj Mahal hotel. It has two buildings – the main Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and Taj Trident (which was built later). This hotel was built by Sir Jamshetji Tata. There is a very interesting story behind this. Legend has it that once Tata (who was the richest Indian in Mumbai at that time) was denied entry in the hotel built by British architect Watson. Since they strictly followed an ‘only whites’ policy in that hotel, (which was the poshest hotel before Taj was built), Tata avenged the policy and made this marvel.

Qutb Shahi Tombs

The tombs of the seven Qutub Shahi rulers in the Ibrahim Bagh (garden precinct) are located close to the famous Golkonda Fort in Hyderabad, India. The galleries of the smaller tombs are of a single storey while the larger ones are two storied. In the centre of each tomb is a sarcophagus which overlies the actual burial vault in a crypt below. The domes were originally overlaid with blue and green tiles, of which only a few pieces now remain.

Distant shot of all the Qutub Shahi Tombs, Hyderabad

View of Qutb Shahi Tombs from the Golkonda fort

Tomb of Hayath Bakshi Begum in Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

The Great Mosque in the Qutb Shahi Tombs Complex

Tomb of Sultan Quli Qutb Shah

Tomb of Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah

The archways at the Qutub Shahi Tombs.

Qibla wall in Qutb Shahi

Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojna: The Village Development Project

After Swachch Bharat Abhiyan, which was launched on 2nd Oct 2014 for a clean India, on 11th October 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the “Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana” for clean and developed villages of rural India. This is a prestigious village development project, which focuses on the all-round development of villages, including economic, social and cultural growth and development. The PM aims to cover 2,500 villages by 2019. One of the striking and unique features of this programme, as the name suggests, is that here each Member of Parliament (MP ) will take up the responsibility of providing infrastructure and developing three villages by 2019. There are almost 800 MPs and if each of them adopts three villages, then nearly 2,500 villages can be covered by 2019. In the same manner, the State Governments should also create schemes and more and more villages can be covered under this.

Main Objective

The scheme is based on the concept of rural development of Mahatma Gandhi which revolved around creating model villages for transforming swaraj (self rule) into su-raj (good governance). The objective is to create a holistic development of all adopted villages by the MPs in all aspects —human, personal, social, economic and environmental development, including provision of basic amenities, services, security and good governance.

Features of Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana

The detailed blueprint of this ambitious project has been prepared by the Rural Development Ministry with the following essential features:

• Each MP should adopt a village of his choice, which should not be his own or his in-laws. This should be turned into a model village by 2016. Then for the next thee years, two more villages should be chosen and developed. After 2019, one village should be taken up every year till 2024.
• Villages should be adopted not from urban constituencies but from nearby rural areas.
• Emphasis on empowering the poor families to get rid of poverty by implementing a proper plan for every identified gram panchayat.
• Focuses on transforming villages into model villages by providing all round infrastructural development along with emphasis on gender equality, women empowerment and dignity, social justice, cleanliness, community service, peace , harmony and eco-friendliness.
• Each village will have pucca houses for homeless villagers and proper sanitation facilities.
• Each village will have smart schools with IT-enabled classrooms, e-libraries and web-based teaching. Also, each student will have universal access to education facilities up to Class X.
• The plan also aims to provide basic health care facilities to all with health card, medical examination, and total immunisation.
• Other benefits to be provided are piped drinking water, connectivity to the main road, electricity supply to all households, libraries in the village, telecom and broadband connectivity including CCTVs in public areas.
• Emphasis will also be given on e-governance.
• SAGY will ensure the provision of Aadhaar cards to all villagers.
• SAGY will also provide insurance schemes like Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana and universal access to the Public Distribution System to eligible families for social security, old-age, disability and widow pensions.
• Besides these, SAGY also lays focus on “personal development” which includes training and awareness on hygienic behaviour, physical exercise and reducing alcoholism, smoking and substance abuse.

Monitoring of Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana

• The project will be funded by each MP’s MPLAD fund.
• The programme also expects mutual-cooperation, local self-government, self reliance, transparency and accountability in public life.
• The MP himself or herself should guide on the creation of social mobilisation and a systematic environment in the model village.
• All planning processes of the Gram Panchayat will be guided by the District Collector.
• A specially designed capacity building programme will be created by the Union Ministry of Rural Development for proper implementation of Government functionaries at different levels including Gram Panchayats.
• At the State level, under the head of the Chief Secretary, the empowered committee will look after the relevant departments.

It is really too early to predict on the success of this yojana. The erstwhile UPA Government also launched “Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana”, which aimed at the development of villages of SC communities. This one aims at the development of all rural villages with a holistic development. Critically looking, 2,500 villages by 2019 means covering only 1% of the total 2,50,000 panchayats in India. This means that if we are going to take five years to develop 2,500 panchayat villages, then it will take many decades to cover the entire lot of villages of India. But no doubt it’s a good initiative and let us hope and pray that it becomes a success. According to a recent news report, the sports icon Sachin Tendulkar has already expressed his desire to adopt a village under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. He will adopt ‘Puttamraju Kandriga’ village in Potti Sriramulu, Nellore district, in Andhra Pradesh. Let’s hope more and more MPs will take part in this Yojana and make it a success.

PM’s Visit can bolster Indo-Australian relations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Australia on November 15. Apart from attending G-20 summit in Brisbane, he will have a bilateral engagement with Australian leadership also. However, before undertaking his visit, he has sought ideas and suggestions from general public including native Australians regarding the way the trip could be turned into an important event.

“During my Australia visit in November, I would be attending a variety of programmes, including an interaction with the Indian community there. I want to hear ideas and thoughts from all of you, including friends in Australia and the Indian community there on my visit,” Modi tweeted. Thus, the message is clear that Modi who has consolidated his hold over the country’s politics and results of just concluded elections of Haryana and Maharashtra show it conclusively, would use his Australia visit as yet another opportunity to re-enact Madison Square-type magic. Given that the country of Kangaroos is home to a large number of Indian expatriates, such thinking could not be a weird one.

Then he is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Australia since late Rajiv Gandhi’s visit in 1986. In that respect, every engagement that he will have in that country, including his address to the special joint sitting of the Australian Parliament, would in all likelihood, serve him an occasion to throw charm offensive on Australian law makers too.

Nonetheless, it would be G-20 summit where Modi’s leadership would be tested. Before it unfolds as the summit, Suresh Prabhu who was a Cabinet minister in the Atal Behari Vajpayee government, was recently sent in Canberra as India’s Sherpa. His task was to prepare the agenda for G-20 leaders; and this involved issues like development, infrastructure, climate change and energy. The forthcoming Brisbane action plan to be announced during the summit, will take into account all four issues. But, as per sources, it will be an economic issue wherein emphasis will be laid on taking new measures to boost growth and job creation.

An Indian PM’s first visit to Australia since 1986

For Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this summit is important as it will be first major multilateral forum where he will get a chance to interact with leaders from developed as well as developing nations. Yet, it will be a summit’s focus on increasing quality investments in infrastructure, and is what giving India a reason to be highly optimistic about the group and its agenda, especially when the government under Modi is pitching high for foreign investments for his pet projects involving smart cities, ports, seaports and highways.

If officials from the Ministry of Finance are to be believed, India requires more than $3 trillion to complete these projects. During Minister of State (Finance) Nirmala Sitharaman’s Australia visit, which she will undertake on November 12 for the G-20 Finance Ministers meet, India will showcase its plan for these projects, apart from taking up other issues, including trade liberalisation and sharing of tax information. In the last G-20 summit, the issue related to global taxation system in line with the requirements of the 21 century was raised.

Arguments made in favour of sharing of tax information among members of G-20 countries are that it helps in maintaining community and business trust in governments; it helps in maintaining information on taxpayers who have offshore investments; it helps in seeing that those who have offshore investments, are complying with domestic tax obligations or not. India is in favour of completing the formalities over the tax sharing information issue. In the just concluded G-20 Sherpa’s meeting, a brainstorming session on taxation was held and every country, according to sources, agreed that global tax rules have not been consistent with changes in the global business environment. In particular, the case was raised about multinational corporate houses which are not taxed the way they should be taxed. Besides, the issues that India want to project during the G-20 summit are – energy security, food security and financial inclusion.

India’s growing needs to be looked at during the visit

With regard to energy security, sources say, India’s overarching goal is to ensure affordable energy for various consumer segments. The country’s energy basket comprises of oil, gas, thermal and hydro power and also nuclear power which have hardly lived up to expectations. According to estimates made by the oil ministry, oil demands are particularly going to see a phenomenal rise from the current 700 million tonnes to 1,500 million tonnes by 2035. Power generation capacity which currently stands at 2,45,393.54 MW will have to be increased over 5 lac MW by 2020. But seeing the global overdrive for clean energy, India wants to latch on to energy generation through solar and wind power. Sources say, New Delhi will raise the issue of solar technology and its availability to developing nations.

In fact, India which is home to 2.97 million square kilometers of tropical and sub-tropical land and an average of 250-300 clear sunny days a year, has aimed to achieve 200,000 MW of solar generation capacity by 2050 from the current 3 MW. To meet this target, India needs huge investments. However, it will be food security and India’s unshakable stand that it can’t deny 40 per cent its poor nationals of their rights from getting cereals at highly subsidised rates, is what is going to see much talks during the forthcoming summit. This apart, India will raise as how under the ambitious ‘Jan Dhan Yojna’ millions of poor Indians are being brought under the ambit of the financial inclusion.

In a nutshell, it will be India and its newly elected Prime Minister who would be the centre of attraction during the two-day summit as every leader would like to know him from the close and his plans for the economic growth. As it has been paired with India-Australia bilateral engagement also, New Delhi and Canberra may raise the issue of China’s belligerence in the South China Sea. They may also raise the issue of joint and multilateral naval exercises in the Indian Ocean. Thus indications coming from the Raisina Hill show that it would be a visit which will be a closely watched affair for diplomatic and strategic community also.