Latest NGO Jobs in India Part-1 Dated on Nov 1st 2010

Executive Officer – Human Resources & Development (HRD)
Sir Ratan Tata Trust
Location: Mumbai
Last Date: November 15, 2010
Email: (Reference: DevNetJobsIndia.org)

Executive Officer – Human Resources & Development (HRD), Mumbai

The Trust is looking for a suitable professional to effectively address the HRD needs of the Trust and its various Cells. S/he would be responsible for formulation and implementation of various policies and processes to streamline the HRD functions at the Trust. Briefly, the position would entail: (a) conducting periodic reviews of the HR policies and processes; (b) handling the recruitment of all levels of employees at the Trust; (c) induction and orientation of new recruits; (d) carrying out analysis and assessment of training needs and apprising the Management about the same; (e) organizing suitable capacity building programmes; (f) coordinating the Performance Appraisal exercise; and (g) conducting team building and allied initiatives to bolster capacities of the employees. The Trust would prefer the right candidate to: (i) have a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA), with specialization in HR; (ii) have at least 5 - 10 years of experience in core HR functions; (iii) have hands-on exposure to all aspects of HR; (iv) have prior experience in handling the HR planning, recruitment and post recruitment activities; (v) have implemented high value HR systems, practices and processes; (vi) have experience in formulation and review of HR policies, besides coordinating training programmes and talent management; (vii) interact with a wide range of people; (viii) have the zeal to excel and deliver, in a challenging environment; and (ix) have a good command over spoken and written English and two other Indian languages.

The Trust provides an ideal atmosphere, conducive to maximizing output. The remuneration shall be commensurate with the applicant’s ability and experience.

Applicants should submit their curriculum vitae, along with a one page note on how they could strengthen the Trust’s grant making operations.

For further information on the Trust, please log on to http://www.srtt.org. The application should reach the Trust by November 15, 2010 and should be in a sealed envelope marked “confidential” and “SRTT/EO – HRD/2010”, and addressed to:

The Secretary,

Sir Ratan Tata Trust,

Bombay House,

24, Homi Mody Street,

Mumbai – 400 001

Applications by e-mail should be sent to srttrecruit@tata.com. Only short-listed applicants shall be acknowledged.

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Various consultants (Contractual for one year contract service) under World Bank assisted National Vector Borne Disease control Support project at State levels
Directorate of Health Services
Location: Chhattisgarh, Raipur
Last Date: November 12, 2010

General Terms & Conditions: -

Application may be sent on plane paper giving details of qualification & experience with latest passport size photograph. Applicants should mention their telephone / Mobile number & fax number (if any) for correspondence. All the posts require candidates with good command on computer. No TA/DA will be given for attending the interview. Names of the two referees’ along with address & telephone number should also be provided. Candidates must write the name of post applied for in the subject line. Original certificates & related supporting documents required to be produced during interview. Only short listed candidates will be intimated by the office for the interview.

In the case candidate are not available, relaxation in length of experience shall be considered.

Format for the CV-

1. Name of post applied for

2. Name of candidate

3. Name of Guardian/Parent

4. Correspondence address, phone/fax/E-Mail address

5. Sex

6. Date of Birth/Age

7. Educational qualification with percentage of marks for each qualification

8. Experience ( In work area relevant to the post)

Last Date for Submission of Applications: -

Last date of receipt application on or before 12th November 2010.

Application should be send through Registered Post/Speed Post/Courier in addressed to

“Directorate of Health Services, (National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme)
Room No - 217, Old Nurses Hostel,
Near Mantralaya, Chhattisgarh, Raipur.”

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Consultant – Block Coordinator (2)
Government of Jharkhand- UNDP “State-Level Support to Livelihood Promotion Strategies Project”
Location: Blocks of Jharkhand
Last Date: November 7, 2010
Email: jslps.recruitment@gmail.com (Reference: DevNetJobsIndia.org)

JHARKHAND STATE LIVELIHOOD PROMOTION SOCIETY (JSLPS)

JOB DESCRIPTION

Last Date of Submission: 7th November, 2010

I. Position Information

Job Code Title : Consultant – Block Coordinator

Organization : Government of Jharkhand- UNDP “State-Level Support to Livelihood Promotion Strategies Project”

Supervisor : District Coordinator, JSLPS

Duty Station : Blocks of Jharkhand

Type of Contract : Contract

Duration : One Year (Renewable)

No. of Vacancies : 02

JSLPS strives to have a workforce which reflects diversity and gender balance, and applies an equal opportunities approach. JSLPS does not solicit or screen for information in respect of HIV or AIDS status. All selection is on merit.

Recruitment Qualifications

Education: 1. Degree or equivalent in relevant field – Agriculture, Forestry, Animal Husbandry from country’s premier institute/ university.

Experience: 2. Minimum three years relevant experiences of livelihood related project implementation preferably with Govt agency

3. Relevant project experiences in Jharkhand is strongly desired

Knowledge and Skills • Strategic thinking, strong leadership, effective team management are highly desired

• Deep local knowledge/understanding of politics, economy, market and institutions especially in the context of Jharkhand are advantage

• Excellent analytical skills and quality documentation skills are necessary

• Excellent communication and inter-personal skills; Dynamic and proactive, strong leadership, result orientation; good partnering and networking skills; promoting innovations, fair judgment; strong gender sensitivity; ability to work independently and under time pressure.

• Willingness to travel to project villages as required

• Knowledge of policies and programmes relevant to livelihood promotion, inclusive monitoring and evaluation

• Skills to interact with disadvantaged groups, build strong relationships with local partners, and local government officials

• Skills to lead a team of professionals and report to senior government officials

• Competent analytical and presentation skills

• Computer skills (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Internet)

Language Requirements: • Excellent oral and writing skills in English and Hindi

• Language skills common in Jharkhand are preferred

Women Candidates are encouraged to apply.

How to Apply : A write up (max. 200 words) describing your suitability for the post along with CV, professional summary sheet and covering note to be mailed as single word file to jslps.recruitment@gmail.com. The subject line should reflect “Application for the Post of BC” . Professional Summary Sheet can be downloaded from www.jslps.in

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Forest Campaigner
Greenpeace India
Location: Bangalore
Last Date: November 20, 2010
Email: hr.recruitment.in@greenpeace.org (Reference: DevNetJobsIndia.org)

Here’s your chance to make a career in environmental activism!

You DO NOT require prior experience in an NGO or as a campaigner/activist to do this job.

You DO need to be well-informed about environmental problems and their solutions. You need to believe in the power of campaigning and activism to create change and be willing to learn the tools. You should be able to read and analyze an environmental issue from the economics, politics, science, business perspective and develop long-term plans for a campaign. You need confidence and conviction; you need to communicate well and work independently.

TO APPLY:

Please send to hr.recruitment.in@greenpeace.org a brief C.V. (2 page max) with ‘Forest Campaigner’ in the subject together with a note briefly answering this question:

If the goal of the campaign is to maintain and increase pressure on the Indian industry(palm oil & others) and government to support a moratorium on peat land conversion and deforestation in Indonesia;

Identify the main players (corporate, government bodies etc.) in India who are relevant to this issue and state how each player can be influenced to support this campaign goal.

More details about the job:
Organization: Greenpeace India
Job Title: Campaigner
Department/Unit: Campaigns/Forest
Location: Bangalore
Salary: Rs.27,000-Rs.33,000 per month

Deadline for application is 20th November 2010 and the assignment will start as soon as possible afterwards. Thanks for your interest.

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Programme Officer – Environment Education
World Wide Fund for Nature – India
Location: New Delhi
Last Date: November 15, 2010
Email: hr@wwfindia.net (Reference: DevNetJobsIndia.org)

World Wide Fund for Nature – India

invites applications for the post of

Programme Officer – Environment Education

WWF-India, the largest environmental conservation NGO, with a national branch network is looking for a young and self-motivated individual to work as Programme Officer with its Environment Education team. The Environment Education programme strives to strengthen individual and institutional capacity for nature conservation and environmental protection, by promoting education and awareness within the social structure and enhancing outreach activities through Nature Clubs of India, Eco clubs and Interpretation Programmes.

Location: New Delhi

The salary and benefits will be competitive and commensurate with the candidate’s experience and academic background and the overall WWF-India salary structure.

Interested candidates with relevant qualifications and skills should apply by 15th November 2010, along with a copy of their updated CV, giving full details regarding compensation received in the present assignment, expected salary, and three references to:

Director-HR & Manpower Development,
Human Resources Department
WWF-India
172-B, Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110 003 (Ph. 4150 4815-19)
Email: hr@wwfindia.net

PS: In order to ensure that your application is sorted correctly, please write ““Programme Officer – Environment Education” in the subject line of your e-mail/application. Only applications of short listed candidates will be acknowledged. The above vacancy is open to Indian Nationals only.

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Project Officer
BBC World Service Trust
Location: New Delhi
Last Date: November 20, 2010
Email: jobs@bbcwst.org (Reference: DevNetJobsIndia.org)

Job Description: Terms of Reference

Job Title: Project Officer

Reports to: Project Manager, Health

Based: New Delhi, India

Term: Fixed term contract starting as soon as possible till June 2012

Deadline: 20 November 2010

The Project Officer may also be required, from time-to-time, to take on such other duties and responsibilities as the Country Director or others in senior positions in the Trust might request.

How to apply

Email CV and a 1-page cover letter explaining why you should be considered for the position to: jobs@bbcwst.org. You are requested to clearly indicate the Position Title in the subject heading. Applications without the cover letter will not be considered. Please note that no enquiries will be entertained and only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

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Project Officer ; District Resource Person (Programme) ; District Resource Person (Training); M&E and Account Assistant; Admin & Accounts Officer
Child In Need Institute
Location: West Bengal
Last Date: November 10, 2010
Email: cinibandhan@cinindia.org (Reference: DevNetJobsIndia.org)

Post : : Project Officer ; District Resource Person (Programme) ; District Resource Person (Training); M&E and Account Assistant; Admin & Accounts Officer

Organisation: Child In Need Institute

Type of Employment : Assignment

Last Date : 10th November 2010

E.mail: cinibandhan@cinindia.org

Post : Project Officer(Functional)

No. of Vacancy : 1

LOCATION: CINI Head Office (There will be frequent travel in 5 districts of West Bengal - Burdwan, Uttar Dinajpur, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri & East Medinipur)

Duration : One year

QUALIFICATION:

ESSENTIAL: Masters degree in social sciences (preferably Sociology, Social Work, Economics). Good writing skill in English and knowledge of computer

PREFERABLE: Diploma in Management

Post: District Resource Person (Programme)

No. of Vacancy : 3

LOCATION: East Medinipur, Jalpaiguri & Darjeeling

Duration : One year

Qualification:

i. ESSENTIAL: Masters degree in social sciences (preferably Sociology, Social Work). Good writing skill in English and knowledge of computer

ii. PREFERABLE: Diploma in Management

EXPERIENCE:

At least 3-5 years of programme management experience in the development sector (preferably in the field of HIV/AIDS).

Experience of working with the govt. system

Experience of working as a team leader (managing a team independently)

Post: District Resource Person (Training)

No. of Vacancy : 3

LOCATION: East Medinipur, Jalpaiguri & Darjeeling

Duration : One year

Qualification:

ESSENTIAL: Masters degree in social sciences (preferably Sociology, Social Work). Good writing skill in English and knowledge of computer

EXPERIENCE:

At least 2 years of experience in training

Experience of working with the govt. system

Kindly send your detailed CV outlining your job experience with a covering letter to cinibandhan@cinindia.org with copy to jobs@cinindia.org

Only short listed candidates shall be contacted.

CINI maintains a Child Protection Policy, Gender Policy and Workplace Policy on HIV related issues.

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Technical Assistant
Project Concern International/India (PCI/India)
Location: New Delhi
Last Date: November 15, 2010
Email: hr@pciindia.org (Reference: DevNetJobsIndia.org)

Job Description

Position: Technical Assistant

Reporting Line: This post jointly reports to Sr. Technical Specialist – Lab Strengthening and Director Programs

Location: PCI Country Office, New Delhi

Purpose of the post: The Technical Associate will be part of team dedicated to advancing the following goals:

1. Promote technical assistance on lab strengthening by assisting in documentation, development of the job-aids for the laboratories, lab personnel being supported by project PRATIBHA

2. Documenting, assimilating and disseminating program learning

3. Developing, implementing and improving M&E for the PRATBHA project

Compensation: Salary range in this position is commensurate to industry standards and will be determined based upon the experiences and fixed as per the HR policies of the organization.

How to Apply: Only candidates meeting the above requirements may send their application consisting of a cover letter and an up-to-date CV by e-mail to hr@pciindia.org before the 15th November 2010. In order to ensure that your application is sorted correctly, please clearly indicate the title of the post i.e. Technical Assistant on the subject line of your e-mail/application.

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Director - Advocacy
CARE India
Location: New Delhi
Last Date: November 8, 2010
Email: jobs@careindia.org (Reference: DevNetJobsIndia.org)

CARE manages a dynamic, multi sectoral social development and emergency humanitarian response program across 11 states in India. Working closely with Government, NGO's and local communities CARE India strives to facilitate lasting change in the well-being and social position of vulnerable groups especially women and girls. CARE has been operational in India for more than 60 years and today our core program areas are in health, livelihoods and girls education.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position : Director - Advocacy

Department : Advocacy and External Relations

Level : Senior Management

Reports To : Chief Advocacy and External Relations Officer, CARE INDIA

Location : Care India Headquarter, New Delhi

Required skill and experience

• Qualification: S/he should have an advanced university degree in public administration and management or the social sciences, with practical experience in the area of program management and policy influencing.

• Experience in representing international conferences and forums, acting as a liaison between governmental bodies, and generating and planning media interest will also be a an asset.

• Fluency in written and spoken English and Hindi and another Indian language. The candidate should furthermore have strong communication, networking skills, and fund raising ability.

• The candidate must have experience in managing large scale programs, providing techno-managerial leadership, building relations with government counterparts, corporate groups, and civil society organizations and achieving impact at scale in cross-cultural contexts.

Interested application, who meets the position requirements, are requested to send in their applications along with CV to jobs@careindia.org with only position code mentioned in the subject, by 8th November 2010.

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Administrative Officer
CEDPA India
Location: New Delhi
Last Date: November 8, 2010
Email: jobs@cedpaindia.org (Reference: DevNetJobsIndia.org)

Position: Administrative Officer, CEDPA India

Location: New Delhi

CEDPA India invites applications for the position of “Administrative Officer” in its office at New Delhi. The Administrative Officer will lead and manage the general office administration. This position will report directly to the Manager – Finance / Personnel.

Educational Qualification

• Degree in Management, Commerce and/or Public Administration.

Experience

• 6-8 years of relevant work experience in development sector

• Experience with government and international development agencies

• Good computer skills in word processing, spreadsheets, etc

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a team setting with people of different backgrounds and points of view.

Remuneration: Depending on qualification and experience

Last date: November 08, 2010

Please send your latest CV at jobs@cedpaindia.org

Those who have applied earlier against the advertised position of “Administrative & Finance Officer” in August 2010 need not to apply for this position.

Only Short-listed candidates will be intimated.

CEDPA India is an equal opportunity employer.

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Program Officer, Integrated Health and Development
FHI
Location: Hyderabad
Last Date: November 4, 2010
Email: hr@fhiindia.org (Reference: DevNetJobsIndia.org)

Date of Issue: 27th October 2010

Closing Date: 04th November 2010

Vacancy Announcement: FHI/VA/ 33 /10

Post Title : Program Officer, Integrated Health and Development

Duration : One Year

Location : Hyderabad

EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

• Masters in public health, nutrition, social sciences and/or management

• Minimum of 3-5 years of programming experience in public health

• Has experience with training curriculum development

• Ability to work under pressure and meet strict timelines and high quality deliverables

• Excellent analytical and writing abilities including developing high quality reports, proposals, presentations, concept notes etc.

• Flexibility and adaptability to deal with multiple priorities. .

• Is conversant in local language (Telugu)

• Willing to travel 50% of the time to districts of AP

COMPENSATION:

• As per candidate’s credentials and salary history.

Please send your resumes at hr@fhiindia.org. It is necessary to mention the post title in subject line while applying. Selected candidates will be required to join within one month of selection. Only short-listed candidates will be notified.

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Organizational Development Manager
ActionAid India
Location: Delhi
Last Date: November 12, 2010
Email: recruitment.india@actionaid.org (Reference: DevNetJobsIndia.org)

ActionAid India wishes to recruit an Organizational Development Manager to be based in Delhi.

Reporting to: Sr Manager OD & HR

Key Job Responsibilities Include:

• Facilitate team effectiveness initiatives/workshops at all levels in the organization.

• Coordinate staff climate surveys through inclusive and participatory approaches.

• Coordinate institutional and individual staff training needs assessment and the consequent development initiatives.

• Organize “immersion programmes” with people living in poverty for staff and others.

• Organize induction programme for all staff at the time of their joining AA or taking on higher level responsibilities.

• Maintain database (a) on competency mapping for use in various management decisions and (b) on the staff training (staff coverage, resource deployment and days of training by gender and grade disaggregated).

• Maintain effective interface with academic institutions and regional offices for internships and follow it up with documentation on insights for wider programme learning.

• Organize exposure visits for staff from other country programmes.

• Systematic support in processes fostering grass-root leadership such as Community Fellows and Development Trainees.

• Process documentation of OD initiatives for shared learning.

The ideal candidate should:

• have a Post Graduate degree/diploma in Human Resource Management/Social Sciences/Business Management/Training & Development;

• have more than 5 years of relevant work experience in HR/OD;

• must have effective communication, interpersonal and coordination skills;

• be self driven to achieve defined goals and objectives;

• have proficiency in all applications of MS Office, especially Word and Excel.

To Apply:

Please send your application, only on our Standard Application Form available on our website: http://www.actionaidindia.org through e-mail at recruitment.india@actionaid.org latest by 12 November 2010. Please mention in the subject line of your e-mail “OD Manager”. Applications received without the filled in Standard ActionAid Application Form will be summarily rejected.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

ActionAid is an equal opportunity and diversity sensitive employer and women, persons with disability, SC/ST/ OBC/Muslim candidates are especially encouraged to apply.

source from:devnetjobsindia.org

Vote for Narayanan Krishnan- Read the whole story and cast your vote

New Delhi: If you had not heard of Narayanan Krishnan, as I had not, it is a collective failure. This is one of the most incredible stories of personal commitment.

Narayanan Krishnan, all of 29 years old now, does what he was professionally trained to do as a chef. Feed people. Only Krishnan does not do this in the swanky confines of a 5-star hotel. Every day, he wakes up at 4 am, cooks a simple hot meal and then, along with his team, loads it in a van and travels about 200 km feeding the homeless in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

Krishnan feeds, often with his hands, almost 400 destitute people every day. And for those who need it, he provides a free haircut too.

According to CNN, eight years ago, this award-winning chef with a five-star hotel chain was all set to go to Switzerland for a high-profile posting. On a visit to a Madurai temple, he came across a homeless, old man eating his own human waste. That stark sight changed Krishnan's life.

Much to the dismay of his parents, CNN says, Krishnan abandoned his career plans and decided to spend his life and his professional training in looking after those who could not care for themselves. He has provided more than 1.2 million hot meals through his nonprofit organisation Akshaya Trust, and now hopes to extend this to shelter for the homeless too.

Krishnan is the only Indian in a list of 10 heroes that CNN has picked worldwide to honour. One of them will be chosen CNN Hero of the Year, selected by the public through an online poll. If many Indians get together to vote for this inspiring man, he can win by a long mile.

If Krishnan wins he will get $100,000 in addition to the $25,000 that he gets for being shortlisted for the Top 10. Akshaya Trust needs all the monetary support it can get to build on Krishnan's dream. Let's help him get there.

The group's operations cost about $327 a day, but sponsored donations only cover 22 days a month. Krishnan subsidizes the shortfall with $88 he receives in monthly rent from a home his grandfather gave him.

Krishnan sleeps in Akshaya's modest kitchen with his few co-workers. Since investing his entire savings of $2,500 in 2002, he has taken no salary and subsists with the help of his once-unsupportive parents.

"They had a lot of pain because they had spent a lot on my education," he said. "I asked my mother, 'Please come with me, see what I am doing.' After coming back home, my mother said, 'You feed all those people, the rest of the lifetime I am there, I will feed you.' I'm living for Akshaya. My parents are taking care of me."

For lack of funding, the organization has been forced to halt construction on Akshaya Home, Krishnan's vision of a dormitory where he can provide shelter for the people he helps. Despite the demands and few comforts his lifestyle affords, Krishnan says he's enjoying his life.

"Now I am feeling so comfortable and so happy," he says. "I have a passion, I enjoy my work. I want to live with my people."

Vote for Krishnan here. (http://heroes.cnn.com/vote.aspx)The poll continues through November 18 at 6 a.m. ET.

Akshaya's Helping in H.E.L.P. Trust

9, West 1st Main Street, Doak Nagar Extension,
Madurai 625 010. India
Ph: +91(0)452 4353439/2587104 Cell:+91 98433 19933
E mail : ramdost@sancharnet.in www.akshayatrust.org
Regd : Doc no 197 / 2003 - Sub Registrar, Madurai-10

833 NGOs blacklisted for misappropriation of funds: CAPART

As many as 833 NGOs and voluntary organisations have been blacklisted by an autonomous body under Rural Development Ministry after they were found indulging in misappropriation of funds.

The Ministry has conveyed information about the matter to the Standing Committee on Rural Development, which tabled its first report on Demands for Grants in Parliament on Thursday. The Committee was headed by Sumitra Mahajan. Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology (CAPART), an autonomous body functioning under Rural Development Ministry, blacklisted a total of 833 NGOs and voluntary organisations on November 9. Andhra Pradesh has the highest number of such blacklisted organisations followed by Bihar and Tamil Nadu. The Ministry informed that these NGOs were blacklisted for their indulgence in irregularities including misappropriation of funds, the committee said. Of the 833 NGOs and voluntary organisations which were blacklisted, 192 were from Andhra Pradesh, 125 from Bihar, 83 from Tamil Nadu, 75 from Karnataka, 72 from Uttar Pradesh, 42 from Rajasthan and 35 from Kerala. Thirty-two such organisations were from Orissa, 26 from West Bengal, 24 from Maharashtra, 23 from Delhi, 20 from Haryana, 18 from Manipur, 15 from Madhya Pradesh, 13 from Gujarat, 10 from Nagaland, eight from Jharkhand, five each from Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh, three from Jammu and Kashmir, two from Pondicherry and one each from Arunchal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Meghalaya and Uttaranchal. The Parliamentary Committee in its report questioned the "existing checks and balances" of CAPART and Rural Development Ministry and said it would like to know that how could these NGOs and voluntary organisations get selected to receive financial assistance from CAPART. "Committee feels that the existing checks and balances at the levels of the CAPART and Department of Rural Development are not sufficient to ensure that only credible NGOs get the assistance from CAPART," the report said. "As a result of this, the said irregularities of the NGOs and voluntary organisations could not be detected before selecting them for receiving assistance," it added. The Parliamentary Committee recommended that existing guidelines of the ministry in this regard should be strengthened and sufficient publicity should be done about these blacklisted NGOs and voluntary organisations so that they do not manage to get financial assistance from government of India. CAPART was formed by the government by merging the 'Council for Advancement of Rural Technology' (CART) and People's Action for Development India (PADI) in 1986, as a nodal agency for catalysing and coordinating the emerging partnership between voluntary organisations and the Government for sustainable development of rural areas. Its principle aim is to involve the people in the implementation of development programmes and promote need-based innovative programmes through NGOs and voluntary organisations.

List of NGOs in Delhi- Our Capital City of India

1) Name: Action for Food Production (AFPRO)

Contact Person: Executive Director

Address: 25/1-A, Institutional Area, D-Block Pankha Raod,Janakpuri, New Delhi - 110058, India

Tel.No:011-5492412-13

Area of focus: Science & environment, agriculture & renewable energy, livelihood education

2)Name: Akhil Bhartiya Mahila Udyog Kalyan & Skiksha Samiti

Contact Person: Dr. Vandana Singh, Chairperson

Address: B-290, New Ashok Nagar, New Delhi-110098, India

Tel.No:011-2258812

Area of focus: Environment education & awareness and conservation

3)Name: All India Women's Conference

Contact Person: Dr. Aparna Basu, Secretary General

Address: 6, Bhagwan Dass Road, New Delhi - 110001, India

Area of focus: Environment, Science education

4)Name: Asian Society for Entrepreneurship Education and Development (ASEED) of India

Contact Person: Dr. Nagendra P. Singh, Director and Secretary

Address: General B-9/6238, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi - 110070

Tel.No:011-6895460 / 6030780 / 6896151 / 6130635

Area of focus : Community Building, economic development and livelihood issues, education, energy conservation, environment, farming and agriculture, health, poverty, rural Issues, women's Issues

5)Name: Association of Organization on Nature & Environment

Contact Person: P. R. Trivedi

Address: A-1, Paryavaran Complex, Saidulajab, Saket Maidan Garhi Road, New Delhi - 110030, India

Area of focus: Environment education & awareness

6)Name: Association of Scientific Workers of India

Contact Person: Ram Prasad, President

Address: 10, Rajendra Park, New Delhi - 110060, India

Tel.No:011-2254920

Area of focus: Environment/scientific & technical education & awareness eco-development

7)Name: Bal Bhawan Society

Contact Person: The Director

Address: Kotla Road, New Delhi - 110 002, India

Area of focus: Environment education & awareness Science Popularization

8)Name: Biosphere Sustenance Society of India

Contact Person: Sanjay Singh, President

Address: 110, Ansal Bhawan, 16, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Delhi -110001, India

Tel.No.: 011- 3315995

Area of focus: Environment education & awareness, research

9)Name: Centre for Development of Instructional Technology (CENDIT)

Contact Person: Rajive Jain, Director

Address: D-1, Soami Nagar, New Delhi - 110017, India

Tel.No.: 011-64349989

Area of focus: Environment education & awareness

10)Name: Centre for Education and Communication ( CEC )

Contact Person: Executive Director

Address: F-20(GF), Jungpura Extension, New Delhi - 110014, India

Tel.No.: 011-4634206

Area of focus: Environment education and awareness

11)Name: Centre for Media Studies

Contact Person: Dr. Baskara Rao, Chairman

Address: Research House, B-34, Community Centre, Saket, New Delhi-110017

Tel.No.: 011- 6964020,6851660

Fax:011-6968282

Email:nbracms@vsnl.in

website: envis.cms@spectranet.com

Area of focus: Science communication and popularization

12)Name: Centre for Research, Development and Action (CRDA)

Contact Person: Dr. G. Modwel

Address: B-1 / 1135, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi - 110070, India

Email:crdaindia@yahoo.com

Area of focus: Environment, Rural ,Children and Youth Issues

13)Name: Centre for S&T And Env.Policy Studies (STEPS )

Contact Person: Shri Ashok Raj

Address: C-5 Jangapura Extension, New Delhi-110014 , India

Tel.No.: 011-4311193

Area of focus: Science & Technology & Environment Education

14)Name: Centre for Science and Environment

Contact Person: Usha Sekhar / Sunita Narain

Address: 41, Tughalakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi - 110062, India

Tel.No.: 011- 6981110

Fax:011- 6985879

webadmin%cse@sdalt.ernet.in

Area of focus: Economic Development, Education, Energy Conservation, Farming and Agriculture, Health, Media, Rural Issues, Wildlife and Animal Welfare.

15)Name: Conservation Society Delhi ( CSD )

Contact Person: Madhu Bajpai, Honorary Secretary

Address: N-7/C Saket, New Delhi - 110017, India

Tel.No.: 011-668118

Area of focus: Environment education & awareness and conservation of historic and environmentally important sites

16)Name: Consortium on Rural Technology (CORT)

Contact Person: Y.K. Sharma, Secretary

Address : D-320, Laxmi Nagar, New Delhi- 110092, India

Tel. No: 011-2244545

Area of focus: Science & technology, eco development

17)Name: Conversazione

Contact Person: Sydney R. Rebeiro, President

Address : P.B. 3338, Jangpura Extensio, New Delhi - 110014, India

Tel. No: 011-622674

Area of focus: Environment education & awareness

18)Name: Development Alternatives

Contact Person: John Borgoyary / Ashok Khosla

Address: B-32, Tara Crecent, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi - 110016, India

Tel.No.: 011-6967938 / 6851158

Fax:011-6866031

Email:tara@sdalt.ernet.in

Area of focus:Energy Conservation and Environment education

19)Name: Development Research and Action Group

Contact Person: Gautam Vohra, Chairman

Address: 75, Pashchimi Marg, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi -110057, India

Tel.No: 011-602383, 674146

Area of focus: Environment education & awareness, environmental policy

20)Name: Disha (Society for Rural & Urban CommunityDevelopment )

Contact Person: Ravi Chopra, Secretary

Address: 13/88-Block-C-4-B, Janak Puri,New Delhi - 110022, India

Tel.No: 011-5554530

Area of focus: Environment awareness & research

21) Name: Earth Foundation for Development & Environment Actions

Contact Person: M.M. Bhagat, Chairman

Address: Suite No. 253, Bhagat Wing, The Claridges, 12, Aurangaazeb Road, New Delhi 110011, India

Tel.No.: 011-3010211, 3011828 Extn. 4253

Fax 011-3010546

Area of focus: Environment education & awareness

22)Name: Energy and Environment Group

Contact Person: Dr. Sudhirendar Sharma

Address : Post Bag 4, Lajpat Nagar-4, New Delhi - 110024, India

Tel.No.: 011 - 6437479

Fax 011-6420664

Area of focus: Environment education & awareness and biodiversity conservation

23)Name: Energy Research Applications

Contact Person: Sh Jagdishwer Tomar

Address: Energy Research Applications, 211-B, Pkt-C, Siddhartha Ext, New Delhi-110014, India

Tel.No.: 011-6920553

Area of focus: Science Education

24)Name: Enviromedia

Contact Person: Gurudas Bhattacharya, Director

Address : Sector-8/N202, Ramakrishna Puram, New Delhi- 110022, India

Tel.No.: 011-673074

Area of focus: Environment education & awareness, mass media

25)Name: Gandhi Peace Foundation

Contact Person: Sh. Anupam Mishra

Address: Environment Cell, 221/223 Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi - 110 002, India

Area of focus: Environment education & awareness and research

26)Name: Gene Campaign

Contact Person: Dr. Suman Sahai, Convener

Address : F-31, Green Park (main), New Delhi - 110016, India

Tel.No.: 011-655961

Area of focus: Environment education & awareness and conservation of genetic resources

27)Name: Harit Dhara Sangathan

Contact Person: Hemant Kumar Dubey

Address: A-183, Kidwai Nagar East, New Delhi - 110023, India

Tel.No.: 011-4641318

Email:hemantdubey@rediffmail.com

Area of focus: Education, Environment, Wild life and Animal Welfare

28)Name: Himalaya Seva Sangh ( HSS )

Contact Person: Secretary

Address : Rajghat, New Delhi - 110002, India

Tel.No.: 011 - 3319685

Area of focus:Environment education & awareness and research &

conservation

29)Name: Human Resource Development Foundation (HRDF)

Contact Person: B. Khan, Managing Trustee

Address : 115, Pocket B, SFS Flats, Sukhdev Vihar, New Delhi -110025, India

Tel.No.: 011 - 6829562

Area of focus: Science, Technology & Environment education & awareness

Latest NGO News Dated on 28-10-10

NGO hopes manual scavenging will be eradicated by year end

New Delhi, Oct 25 (IANS) Manual scavenging, which is still prevalent in many parts of the country despite being banned by law a long ago, is likely to be eradicated by this year end, an NGO said Monday.

Safai Karamchari Andolan (SKA), an NGO working for the cause, said it hoped to eradicate manual scavenging by Dec 31, and was taking up various initiatives for this purpose.

'In the last two years, through various SKA initiative, five states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Haryana have been freed of the scourge of manual scavenging. We are hoping to join Punjab and Rajasthan in the list soon,' said Bezwada Wilson, president of SKA.

He also said that an all-India survey is in the process of being completed. The survey will put together a database of those still involved in manual scavenging, so that they could be rehabilitated.

The NGO has been organising a nationwide bus rally across 20 states since September 30 as part of its efforts to persuade manual scavengers to give up the profession. The rally culminates in Delhi Oct 31.

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Japanese peace NGO's warn against nuclear cooperation with India

Japan and India this week pledged closer strategic and trade ties, but Tokyo's willingness to negotiate a nuclear cooperation agreement with New Delhi has been criticised by angry Japanese citizens.

A group of 50, including survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagaski, have signed a letter to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The letter explains why there's opposition to nuclear cooperation with India which refuses to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

Presenter: Karon Snowdon, finance correspondent

Speakers: Akira Kawasaki, executive director, Peace Boat, Tokyo; Manmohan Singh, Indian prime minister

SNOWDON: The Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh, was in Tokyo to discuss trade issues and nuclear cooperation but he got more than he bargained for.

Akira Kawasaki was one of the 50 NGOs and concerned lawyers who signed a letter addressed to Mr Singh and delivered to the Indian embassy in Tokyo during his visit.

KAWASAKI: The letter expressed Japanese citizens' concern about Japan-India nuclear cooperation.

SNOWDON: Akira Kawasaki is the executive director of the Peace Boat, an educational NGO which travels the world with international groups on a chartered ship.

KAWASAKI: Because Japan is the country which experienced the devastation and suffering of nuclear bombing, we are really committed to nuclear disarmament and a nuclear weapon free world.

SNOWDON: The third round of discussions since June on civil nuclear cooperation will take place in November.

India's potentially lucrative nuclear energy sector has been opened up and has been fought over since the end of an American embargo in 2008.

The leaders meeting in Tokyo agreed to speed up talks to more cooperation. It coincides with the formation of the International Nuclear Energy Development Company of Japan.

It's a government supported company involving electricity utilities and three nuclear plant makers that have joined to aggressively sell Japan's nuclear power plant technology amid tough international competition. It plans to target Vietnam initially.

But as the only country to experience a nuclear attack, Akira Kawasaki says Japan should proceed cautiously where a nuclear armed India is concerned.

KAWASAKI: On the Indian side, the distinction between military nuclear programmes and civil nuclear programmes is very, very vague. So the standard that India has accepted for a safeguard, which is to prevent the military use of nuclear material, is very weak. And still India is producing fissile material for weapons purpose.

SNOWDON TO KAWASAKI: India hasn't signed the non proliferation treaty but has said it won't test nuclear weapons. Why isn't that promise good enough?

KASWASAKI: I recognise that India declares the moratorium on nuclear testing but it's just a voluntary declaration, so we are calling on the government to at least sign and ratify the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty.

SNOWDON: India says it wont sign.

But Manmohan Singh wants to sign a sweeping economic partnership agreement with Japan as soon as possible.

SINGH: Our two governments have concluded negotiations on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement. This is a historic achievement that signals the economic alignment of two of the largest economies in Asia.

SNOWDON: The Japanese media reported the meeting as a move to speed up engagement with India given the recent tensions with Beijing.

Be that as it may bilateral trade now is minuscule compared to Japan's trade with China.

It's understood the trade talks included discussion of India's reserves of rare earths - essential industrial elements 95 per cent of which are produced in China and which Japan has accused of restricting for political reasons.

Akira Kawasaki believes while there is widespread public opposition to extending nuclear cooperation to India, there's support for better relations.

KAWASAKI: Yeah, it would be nice to have better trade relations with the country.

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NGO protests against child labour in Banaskantha

PALANPUR: At least 300 activists of Buniyadi Adhikar Andolan Gujarat (BAAG), Ahmedabad, submitted a memorandum to Banaskantha district collector on Monday, protesting against child labour in BT cotton farms in the district. BAAG convener Jayanti Makwana and others, in the memorandum, said that a large number of tribal children below the age of 14, from various districts of Gujarat, have been forced into hard labour in BT cotton fields across the state.

"Our teams had been to BT cotton farms in Kutch, Mehsana, Bhavnagar, Patan, Banaskantha and Vadodara. We were taken aback at the treatment meted out to the children," Makwana said, adding that even minor girls are being made to slog in farms. They are paid little over Rs 70 a day, including the agent's commission of Rs 10, he said.

"Poor implementation of the Right to Education Act, lack of opportunities and schools, and other such factors compel these children from poor homes to engage in agricultural activities," he added.

Meanwhile, labour officer PJ Joshi refuted the charges. "This year, in coordination with the revenue department, we had formed 13 special teams and raided the cotton farms in Kankrej and Deodar. We were vigilant since July to the end of the season, and, therefore, no labour including, children and adults, came from Rajasthan this year. The tribals working in the fields are above 18 but look minor because of genetic problem."

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NGO Pledges 'Nightmares' for Corrupt Government Officials

A new watchdog promised on Wednesday to create a large-scale system of public control that will make the lives of corrupt officials a “nightmare."

The Organization of Public Control aims to “extinguish” a nationwide system of corrupt officials by creating a “counter-system” that relies on ordinary people, said its head and founder, professional auditor Natalya Chernysheva.

The watchdog will offer free help to those who want to check the actions of local, regional and federal authorities, she said.

Chernysheva said a government decision to declassify information on its activities starting this January was not enough.

“Citizens would be happy to take advantage of this opportunity, but the cobwebs of the reports and the heaps of figures scare them off,” she told reporters.

Russia failed to improve in the latest Transparency International corruption perception rating, occupying 154th spot among 178 countries on a list unveiled Tuesday.

The dismal showing reveals the inefficiency of the government's efforts to fight corruption, Chernysheva said.

Her group, established in May, operates in 30 of Russia's 83 regions with the assistance of 90 auditors and lawyers and 3,000 ordinary citizens, she said.

All funding comes from donations by Russian citizens, including middle-class businessmen who “don't want to bow to officials,” she said.

Meanwhile, a new association to unite honest entrepreneurs will be created Thursday, RIA-Novosti reported.

Members of the group, called New Deal, will pledge to abstain from corruption and tax evasion, the report said. New Deal lists among its founding members Sergei Polonsky of the Mirax real estate developer and Mikhail Dvorkovich, chairman of the communication group Press Hall and the brother of Medvedev's economic aide, Arkady Dvorkovich.

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We aim to provide a book in every child’s hand: Rohini Nilekani, Pratham Books

In a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Pratham Books (NGO), publisher Pearson Longman has agreed to set aside part of the proceeds it receives for every school title sold in India, which will then be used for the cause of the underprivileged children across the country.

Under the MoU, Pearson will keep aside an amount from the sales proceeds of every school title sold in India. The proceeds will be used to buy storybooks from Pratham Books and distributed to those children who do not have access to quality children's books.

Pratham Books is a non-profit trust that came up six years ago. The NGO specialises in publishing quality books for children at an affordable cost in various Indian languages.

Rohini Nilekani, founder chairperson, Pratham Books, tells more about the initiative in a short talk with IndianExpress.com.

What made you go for the MoU with Pearson Longman?

Pearson has decided to support Pratham Books which is a non profit organisation for children. Our aim is to provide a book in every child’s hand. We are aiming to increase literacy through this initiative. We have 200 'original' children’s title books which are published in approximately 11 languages. Till date we have circulated more than 8 million books which have reached approximately 15 million children in the last 6 years.

How did the idea of setting up Pratham Books strike you?

I wish to create new readers among the poor kids. All children deserve the joy of reading. We wanted to democratise this joy of reading as it is a very essential part of childhood and growing up. We publish ‘fun’ books written by Indians for Indian children.

We wanted to create quality books available to children at minimum prices. Our books have gone to 18 states in the country in the last 6 years.

Are you looking forward to more partners in this initiative?

We are open to any type of partnerships which benefits the students. Many state governments also buy our books. We are working with MCD schools for more than 5 years now.

We are also working on projects with governments in several states and are also finalising arrangements with the Indian Railways and various bus shelters across India that will serve as retail outlets for our books.

What in your opinion is the USP of Pratham Books?

Our USP is ‘Indian content for Indian Children.’ We offer high quality books at affordable prices for children between the age group of 3-12. We work in a very low budget. This is a societal mission and not a business.

I believe when children have access to diverse creative material, it has a positive impact on them.

Do you think Pratham Books has been successful in realising its vision?

We are still working towards making our vision reach its zenith. Our vision is to see a book in every child's hand. Our goal is to create as many partnerships as possible to reach as many children with as many books as possible.

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5 NGO staff held for kidnapping 28 Ladakhi kids

Twenty-eight children from Leh, who were kept in confinement in dingy rooms by a non-governmental organisation, were rescued by the Jammu police on Sunday. The children have been handed over to the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), which will take them back to Leh on Monday. The police also

arrested five members of the NGO, Youth Movement for Peace, on charges of kidnapping, abduction, hatching criminal conspiracy and wrongful confinement.

The police are looking into allegations that the children were kidnapped for religious conversion.

“We will take these children back to Leh on Monday. We, along with their parents, will bear their educational expenses,” LBA general secretary PK Gunzong said.

According to the police, members of the NGO had gone to Leh and distributed aid among the victims of the cloudburst in August.

They had then “adopted” the 24 children, promising their parents that they would be admitted to prestigious schools in Jammu. Instead they were locked up inside small rooms – 20 boys in one room and four girls in another.

When the LBA came to know that the children were kept in such conditions, they informed the district administration and parents.

The district administration formed a three-member committee to look into the allegations. The committee found that the NGO had neither teaching staff nor a psychiatrist needed to counsel children. The report also said that a case had been registered last year against some members of the NGO on charges of conversion.

“Allegations of religious conversions are serious and we cannot allow the NGO to stay here. We will ask the government to order a probe and make the findings public,” Gunzong said.

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Police clueless about missing police officer, NGO worker

Forty-eight hours after a State Intelligence Branch officer and a non-government organisation worker went missing from the Maoist-dominated Ghatbera area of West Bengal's Purulia district, the State police remained clueless about their whereabouts on Monday. The police are in touch with their counterparts in Jharkhand.

Meanwhile, the families of the two men met Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharyya at the secretariat seeking help in securing their return.

While the police suspected the Maoists of having abducted the two, the rebels have not claimed responsibility.

State police officer Partha Biswas, believed to be attached to the intelligence branch, and his friend Soumyajit Bose went missing from near Baragara village in Balrampur sub-division late on Friday.

State Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh had said on Saturday that the duo had gone there to distribute clothes, but the reason for their visit remains unclear.

State Transport Minister Ranjit Kundu, who accompanied the families during their meeting with Mr. Bhattacharyya, told reporters that the Chief Minister has said that he was personally monitoring the situation and all efforts would be made to bring them back.

Mr. Kundu is a representative from Mr. Biswas' locality.

“No communication from Maoists”

Additional Director General of Police S.K. Purakayastha told reporters that although a Maoist hand is suspected, there has been no communication from them yet. “We are taking all steps as per our set processes, although we have received no information regarding Mr. Biswas, an inspector of the 30{+t}{+h} battalion of the State Armed Police.” He said that he had no information on whether the families had received any communication from the Maoists.

“There has not been any breakthrough in the case till now. Searches are being conducted by security forces, but they have been futile so far,” Zulfikar Hasan, the State's Inspector General (Western Range), told The Hindu.

Incidentally, when Sankrail police station's officer-in-charge Atindranath Dutta was abducted by the Maoists on October 20 last year, they started communicating and negotiating immediately.

This time, their silence has baffled the police, who are unsure of even the exact place from where the duo went missing. Mr. Bose's last phone call has been traced to a local mobile tower in Baragara village.

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Activists want abducted officer, worker freed

Kolkata, Oct 26 (IANS) Intellectuals and social workers in West Bengal Tuesday demanded the release of an Intelligence Bureau officer and a NGO activist believed to have been abducted by Maoists three days ago. But they appeared divided in their assessment of the Maoist movement.

'I personally believe that the Maoist movement in Bengal has gone haywire and it has become very unpopular. That is why Maoists are resorting to abductions and random killings. This is unfair. Those who have been abducted should be released immediately,' actor Kaushik Sen told IANS.

Writer Sirshendu Mukhopadhyay too was sharply critical of the Maoists.

'What the Maoists have done is a very low-grade crime. These kind of activities cannot be supported. They will achieve nothing by doing such things. I appeal to them that those who have been abducted should be released immediately,' Mukhopadhyay said.

However, Sujatao, secretary of the city-based Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), cautioned against jumping to conclusions.

'First of all, it is not yet confirmed that Maoists are behind this abduction. I personally feel that whoever has abducted them should release the two immediately,' he said.

Writer Sunando Sanyal demanded the withdrawal of the paramilitary forces and the state police engaged in anti-Maoist operations.

'I don't believe in violence, and feel the kidnapped persons should be freed immediately. But along with it, joint forces should also be removed, as they have failed to achieve their purpose,' he said.

Maoists have so far not claimed responsibility for the abduction of Intelligence Bureau officer Partha Biswas and NGO activist Soumyajit Bose. Police Tuesday said they were clueless about their whereabouts.

The victims' family members Monday met Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.

Maoists are active in three western districts of Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore.

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NGO conducts social audit

With the aim of bringing transparency in work, Jan Mitra Nyas, a trust constituted by the NGO People’s Vigilance Committee for Human Rights (PVCHR), organised its social audit at a hotel in Jagatganj area in Varanasi on Wednesday. The trust presented all its balance sheets, account bill vouchers

and progress reports, before the people from areas where the trust’s projects are being run, including both representatives of these programmes and the locals of the target areas.

Some of the programmes being run by Nyas in the city are construction of model village in Shivrampur, Belwan and Baghwanala slum areas, awareness regarding MNREGA, NHRM, RTI, RTE, SC/ST Act, Juvenile Justice Act among the community people, financial help for education of 20 economically weak girls from the minority community in Bajardiha area and free meal scheme for children between six months to 18 years in Ayer Musahar Basti in Harhua block among others.

Account officer Ajay Singh presented investment bill vouchers and account details for the year before the people, while managing trustee Shruti Nagvanshi threw light on the annual progress report.

Speaking on the occasion, director of Jan Mitra Nyas, Dr Lenin said there were many NGOs working in the society but the people it was meant to benefit did not know how much was being spent on their welfare.

He said the audit would help establish a good rapport between the target group and the working social organisation.

Activists involved in various programmes run by the trust, representatives of self-help groups, Bunkar Dastkar Adhikar Manch, Savitri Bai Phule Mahila Panchayat, Bal Panchayat and Musahar Nut Adhikar Manch among others were present on the occasion.

Jan Mitra Nyas is financially supported by donor organisations Child Relief and You (CRY), Sar Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) in India and Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims (RCT) in Denmark.

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Supreme Court dismisses petition in TN reservation case

The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition seeking review of its earlier decision to allow Tamil Nadu to provide 69 per cent reservation to backward classes in excess of the 50 per cent limit imposed by the apex court in its earlier judgements.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia and Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar, in a terse order, said it “found no merit in the petition” filed by the NGO, Voice Consumer Care Council, and dismissed it.

The NGO had filed the review petition challenging the apex court’s July 13 order on the ground that it had erroneously allowed Tamil Nadu government to provide 69 per cent quota, exceeding the 50 per cent limit.

The apex court had earlier on July 13 disposed of a writ petition filed by the NGO in 1994 challenging the 69 per cent quota law by directing the state to reconsider the same in the light of the various judgements relating to reservation of other backward classes.

It also permitted the state to increase the 50 per cent limit in case the quantification of data about OBCs in the state as determined by the State Backward Class Commission justified such an increase.

Seeking review of the order, the NGO had contended that when the validity of the law was before the court, the case ought not to have been sent back to the Backward Classes Commission for its discretion in determining the data.

The petition stated that neither in the judgement in “M Nagaraj’s case“’ nor in “Ashoka Thakur’s case” any such data, much less quantifiable data as had been dealt with in the July 13 order.

“In these two judgements, the Supreme Court had not said that it would be possible for the state governments to increase the quantum of reservation beyond 50 per cent,” the review petition said.

It quoted the ruling in the Nagaraj judgement wherein it was held, “It is made clear that even if the state has compelling reasons, the state will have to see that its reservation provisions do not lead to excessiveness so as to breach the ceiling limit of 50 per cent or obliterate the creamy layer or extended the reservation indefinitely.”

The NGO also pointed out that in the Mandal case there was a specific direction to identify the creamy layer, but for the last 18 years Tamil Nadu had not identified the creamy layer and a writ petition filed in this regard was still pending in the Supreme Court.

But the argument failed to convince the apex court which dismissed the review petition also.

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Eco-friendly radio rickshaw service launched in Patiala

Patiala: A local NGO has launched Patiala Green Cabs, an eco-friendly cycle rickshaw service, in the city.

The service was flagged off on Wednesday by Chairman, Patiala District Planning Committee, Surjit Singh Rakhra and Patiala Divisional Commissioner GS Grewal.

"The basic idea of the project Patiala Green Cabs is to promote eco-friendly, short distance mode of transport, besides offering a sustainable livelihood to rickshaw pullers," Ravi Singh Ahaluwalia, general secretary of the NGO, Patiala Foundation, said.

Equipped with FM radio sets and first-aid kits, the rickshaws are made of metal, making them light weight, he said, adding each rickshaw would cost the NGO R 9,700 and the vehicles are manufactured from a unit in Meerut.

"We have divided Patiala city into 12 zones and each zone would spread over an area of 1.5-km radius. To begin with, we have launched the project in one zone of Leela Bhawan, where 10 such rickshaws will ply," he said, adding that the NGO would give the vehicles to the rickshaw pullers at a nominal daily rent of Rs. 20.

He further said the NGO would provide uniform, identity card and health insurance of Rs. 1 lakh to each rickshaw puller.

The entire project is being funded by Patiala Foundation and gradually the project would be implemented in entire city, he said.

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Great Indian Star Count campaign to help people locate stars

With stars hardly visible in cities due to light pollution, a campaign is being launched by space gazers to make people aware of the value of pristine dark skies.

A dedicated campaign will begin on Friday to quantify light pollution by counting the number of stars that can be seen in our sky.

SPACE, an NGO, will celebrate the Great Indian Star Count (GSIC) from October 29 to November 12 wherein school children, amateur astronomers and public will be involved in the project.

"Artificial light is essential for our modern society. However, its increased use can cause problems like light pollution," SPACE Director C B Devgun said.

"Light pollution is a concern on many fronts like safety, energy conservation, cost and health besides our ability to view the stars," he said.

"GISC is a scientific survey to quantify light pollution by counting the number of stars that can be seen in the skies. It is a dedicated campaign for better use of lighting and illumination used in our day-to-day lives; efficient use of electricity and saving of electrical energy," he said.

SPACE is conducting the program in India on behalf of the Great Worldwide Star Count this year. GISC has been conducted for several years as part of Project Dark Skies to increase awareness of how light pollution affects visibility, he said.

Great Worldwide Star Count recommends a method of counting stars by which the observer looks at a known constellation Cygnus, the swan, and tries to spot how many stars from this constellation can actually be seen in their sky.

Other methods such as counting how a star is visible through a defined pipe area can also be used.

Skygazers also point out that the Milky Way galaxy is now reduced to just a name in textbooks as students don't realise that it can be seen with naked eyes.

With half of the world's population now living in cities, many urban dwellers have never experienced the wonder of pristinely dark skies, he said.

Students, amateur astronomers and scientific organisations all over India are coming together to participate in the program that will produce a light pollution map of the world, and show local variations across the map, he said.

This year, the project will be conducted simultaneously over the world as an international effort.

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Adarsh Housing Society Colaba – NGO launches online petition against Colaba buildings!

The Citizen’s Group, an NGO operating from Mumbai, is lesser known than most of its counterparts within the city. But if one will recall, Citizen’s Group was the same organization which had worked hard in 2004 to put a halt to the commercialization of the Mahalaxmi racecourse land in Mumbai, emerging successful in its attempts to stop the rebuilding of the 226 acre area.

eports claim that the Citizen’s Group has been working hard for the past few years to unlock the mystery behind the Adarsh Society scam. Workers at the NGO have adopted various policies including filing RTI applications in several public departments across Mumbai and the NGO says that their efforts have paid off. The Citizen’s Group has certain documents in its possession which they claim can expose the wrongdoings of the Adarsh Society.

The latest scam that the Citizen’s Group is all set to expose is the Colaba Land Scam which reportedly involves money more than 500 crores. Representatives of the Mumbai based NGO have launched an online petition, on ground that the corruption and discrimination that has been seen in the Colaba venture needs to be exposed to the public. The online petition has been addressed to the Chief of army staff, General V K Singh. Citizen’s Group has launched a platform for unbiased discussion and investigation through the online petition with the aim to reveal the names of the guilty.

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NGO takes drive against Colaba building online

MUMBAI: Mumbai Citizen's Group is a little-known NGO which came into prominence in 2004 when it opposed the proposed commercialization of the 226-acre Mahalaxmi racecourse land. The NGO has been doggedly pursuing the Adarsh Society scam for the past several years. Its members have filed a slew of RTI applications in various government departments and procured over 3,000 pages of documents, which they claim, exposes the corruption and nepotism.

The group has now started an online petition, " Colaba Land Scam Worth Rs 500 crore", addressed to Chief of army staff, General V K Singh. "On behalf of the Mumbai Citizen's Group and the undersigned citizens of Mumbai, we petition you to hold an unbiased court of inquiry and investigate the various aspects as reported in The Times of India and take action against guilty officers.

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Noise level of crackers have gone up significantly: NGO

Mumbai, Oct 27 (PTI) Noise levels of commonly available crackers have gone up significantly this year, an NGO has said. This was revealed during the tests conducted by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, along with other agencies like Mumbai Police and the NGO Awaaz Foundation, AWAAZ Foundation Convenor Sumaira Abdulali said. "Commonly available firecrackers were tested for noise and air pollution levels and for compliance with Supreme Court orders on disclosure of chemical composition on packaging at Wadala yesterday. However, the explosives department, which is responsible for compliance at manufacturing stage did not attend," Abdulali told PTI.

"The findings indicate that noise levels have gone up significantly since the last testing conducted in 2008. In addition to 'rassi' bombs (which violated noise limits during the 2008 testing), all serial crackers, and several aerial crackers also exceed maximum permissible noise limits," she said. Some firecrackers sported names such as 'AK 47' indicating undesirably high noise levels, she added. The maximum cracker sound pressure level of Impulse (max) and Peak (max) was found to be 130 and 147 decibel respectively, whereas the allowable level is 125 and 145 decibel, Abdulali said. In the case of crackers in series, maximum allowable decibel is 105, while the recorded maximum was between 115-142.5 decibel, she said. The noise pollution crusader hoped that the state government would take some action on the issue.

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NGO strives to check child marriage, trafficking

HUBLI: Volunteers of the Karnataka Integrated Development Services (KIDS), an NGO striving to check incidents of child marriages and trafficking in Dharwad, were stunned when they asked adolescent girls of government high schools to take a vow that they will not get married as minors.

Out of 150 girls, five did not come forward to take the vow. This was because, while two of them were already married, the weddings for the three others was fixed. According to Pankaja Kalmath, president of KIDS, which launched a survey in about 20 villages prone to child marriages. Minors girls being married off is nothing unusual in most of the villages of Dharwad taluk.

Kalmath said the Makkala Sangha or children's association which the NGO has set up in government schools to discuss various problems faced by children in schools, houses and society, which is flooded with issues of their friends or classmates facing the threat of being married off young.

The Makkala Sangha, which meets twice or thrice or at least once a month has young girls or their friends raising the issue and seeks help to stop such marriages, she said.

According to Ningappa Madiwalar, co-ordinator of KIDS, at least 8 to 10 girls can be found in government high schools of the taluk, who are either already married or whose weddings have been fixed. Parents of married girls send them to schools till the completion of the academic year to avoid the wrath of the authorities.

Ningappa said as many as 56 Makkalla Sanghas set up at 44 villages of the taluk have been able to stop at least 25 child marriages during the last few years. He said, on many occasions, parents who have agreed not to marry off their daughters young, have later forced them into it secretly.

The Makkala Sangha, with the help of the NGO, has stopped marriages of minors in Mandihal, Tadakoda, Kotur, Belur, Timmanalli, Hangaraki, Bogur and Devara Hubballi villages. Marriages were called off even at the 11th hour in some of these villages.

The Makkala Sangha has 40 to 45 children, comprising dropouts, regular and irregular students who are above 5th standard. They discuss matters ranging from problems relating to water, lack of teachers, teachers talking on mobile phones during class hours, child marriage and trafficking, before bringing it to the notice of village panchayat, elected representatives and others for necessary action. The children even try to talk to friends' parents when they come to know they are planning to marry off their classmates. The volunteers of the NGO who will be present at the routine meeting will guide the children.

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Burst crackers only on Diwali night: NGO appeals to city residents

Keeping in mind the rising air pollution and global warming, NGO Rising Youth Association organised a meeting with residents of Dugri and requested them to avoid crackers on Diwali. Members of the NGO have urged the people not to burst crackers and, instead, spread festive cheer just by getting together with family and friends.

The NGO members said that in India people tend to overdo the burning of crackers; they start before Diwali and continue even afterwards.

Gurinder Chahal, president of the NGO, said, “I suggest that it should be done only on Diwali day since it causes too much pollution. Diwali celebrations have always meant much more than just crackers.” “Crackers spoil our environment by causing noise and air pollution and also affect our health. Another reason crackers should be shunned is that they are manufactured with the help of child labour, which is neither legal nor ethical. People should make this festival clean, green and healthy,” he added.

Sukhpreet Sandhu said, “People should care about individuals who are disturbed and adversely affected by the sound of crackers. For our enjoyment, we neglect everything. For many people bursting crackers is a status symbol. This should change. Let us all make this Diwali a happy and clean one.”

Meanwhile, DMCH Professor & Head of Plastic Surgery Dr. Sanjeev Uppal has given children hands on experience about the safe way to light crackers. Dr Uppal said that every year, nearly 40- 60 people, mainly children, report hand and face burns due to igniting of crackers in the incorrect way.

Most of the injuries are caused by Anars, which go off and blast while being ignited. Ignorant children and adults bend on the Anars, light them with matchsticks or keep them in their hands and get injured.

The other cracker that causes a lot of injuries is flyabouts or ‘Rockets’. These are either wrongly held in the hand or kept in a relatively small bottles and, therefore, come on to the people standing nearby instead of going skywards. The other crackers described were Chakris, Aaloo Bombs, Phulzhari, etc.

Dr Uppal said that crackers should be ignited in the presence of parents or adults and in an open space or on rooftops. Nobody should venture in the middle of the roads. Crackers should always be lit with the help of a long Phulzhari. Anars should be kept on a flat surface and lighted with a Phulzhari while sitting or standing away from it. Besides, one should wear tight clothes preferably made of cotton while igniting crackers.

Crackers should always be stored in a box, away from the actual place of lighting. Bottles with a heavy base and adequate size must be used for Rockets. If plastic bottles are being used, these should be partly filled with soil or water and there should be a bucket of water available nearby to put off any fire. If clothes catch fire, one should fall on the ground and roll over rather than run.

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To tackle stray cattle menace, MC inks pact with NGO

To deal with the perennial problem of stray cattle in the city, the municipal corporation has joined hands with an NGO.

As per the agreement signed between Govind Godham and the municipal corporation, the corporation will pay Rs 30 per cattle head per day to the NGO for rescuing the cattle.

A 20-day target has been set wherein a tag will be attached to each cattle and then the situation will be reviewed. Godham authorities said they had enough vacant land where they can take care of cattle.

Under this, an eight-member committee has been formed in which 4 members are from the municipal corporation. Senior Deputy Mayor Parveen Bansal, MC Assistant Commissioner Amarjit Sekhon, Medical Officer Health Dr Charanjit Uppal and Chief Sanitary Inspector Surinder Dhiman are the members from the corporation.

“We are hopeful that the menace will be controlled within one month,” said Bansal.

However, it has been pointed out repeatedly in the past that accidents happen due to stray cattle roaming on roadsides.

It has been learnt that most of the sterile or diseased animals are abandoned by dairy owners and hence they come on roadside.

source from:news.google.co.in