Srinagar, July 11 : Taller than Eif-fel tower, the authorities here are busy constructing world’s high-est railway bridge over Chenab River. According to the reports received by KNS, the height of the bridge is expected to be 359 meters and after completion, the bridge will be the highest bridge in the entire world. Reports in-formed that the bridge is expect-ed to be completed by the end of year 2016.The railway authorities stated that the bridge is designed in such a way that it could with-stand seismic activities and high speed winds that are usu-al in the Chenab valley. A 5.8 earthquake hit the Chenab Val-ley on May 1, 2013, killing two and injuring 69.Seismic activity continued in the valley through-out 2013, prompting teams of seismologists to study the area. A local belief states that the earthquakes were being caused by hydroelectric construction projects in the area however the same was denied by the experts later.Reports informed that the work on the bridge started in 2002 but

safety and feasibility concerns, including the area’s strong winds, saw the project halted in 2008 before being green-lighted again two years later. The esti-mated cost of the project, which is being handled by Konkan Railway Corporation, a subsid-iary of state-owned Indian Rail-way, is more than 553 crore ru-pees, reports an American based news network.The bridge will connect Baramu-lla to Jammu in the state and the distance is expected to be cov-ered within six hours. The main arch is being erected using two cable cranes attached on either side of the river which are secured on enormous steel pylons, according to engineers of the project.The 1, 31 5-metre long bridge will use up to 25,000 tons of steel with some material being transported by helicopters due to the tough terrain, they said. “One of the biggest challenges involved was constructing the bridge without obstructing the flow of the river,” the railway s official quoted by the news net-work said. (KNS)

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SATURDAY 12 July | 2014 | 13 Ramadan, 1435 AH | PAGES 12 | VOL NO: 4 | ISSUE NO: 192 | RS: 2/- (AIR SURCHARGE FOR JAMMU /DELHI/LEH 50 Paisa)Pen For Justice Largely Circulated, No. 1 Bilingual Daily of J&Khttp://www.zabarwantimes.com

WEATHER

TEMPERATUREMAXIMUM MINIMUMSUNSET ON(SATURDAY)SUNRISE ON (SUNDAY) 05:30 AM

07:46 PM 18.8 0C 31.70C

FORECAST FOR NEXT 24 HRS:

FORECAST OF SRINAGAR:

Light Rain would occur at a few places over the state.

Edit Page

See More On Pg 09

>>>>> PG 10 >>>>> PG 10 >>>>> PG 10

Though the Union Budget for 2014-15 presented in lok Sabha on 10th July, envisages several welfare measures and schemes for the whole of the country, but it has many special in-centives for the state of J&K which include five hundred crore rupees for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants. Keep-ing in view the professional require-ments of youth, it has been proposed to set up one of the five proposed IITs in the state. The Budget also provides two hundred crore of rupees for the modernization of the indoor and outdoor stadia besides one hundred crore rupees for provision of employ-ment to youth

Union Budget—Encouraging and Appreciable

Vibrant mechanism put in place for monitoring developmental works: Sagar Ramzan for streamlining supply of essentials

in rural, hilly areasGul pays tributes to Madri-e-Meherban

Possibility of thunderstorm inthe afternoon. Maximum & Minimum temperatures will be around 32°C & 18°C respectively.

2 NHPC engineers feared dead in Chinab River

Woman hangs self in Srinagar

Srinagar, July 11 : Five persons were injured in two separate road accidents across the valley.A Maruti car bearing registra-tion number JK01L/0822 hit a parked truck JK02F/2169 at Barsoo in the jurisdiction of Police Station Awantipora, resulting in injuries to 02 pas-sengers Ghulam Qadir Malik resident of Shereen Bagh Sri-nagar and Bilal Ahmad Shah res-ident of Firdous Colony Bemina. Both the injured were shifted to Sub District Hospital, Pampore. Police has registered a case in this regard.Meanwhile, a motor cycle bearing registration number JK15/1160 skidded off the road near Kunzer Bridge, Baramulla resulting in injuries to 03 per-sons including the motorcy-clist Zubair Ahmed Beigh son of Mehraj-ud-din resident of Kralweth. All the injured were shifted to hospital for treat-ment. Police has registered a case in this regard. (KNS)

05 injured in road accidents

Taller than Eiffel tower Why PDP is irritated on Govt spending for public good: Omar

Srinagar, July11: The execution of development projects in Jam-mu and Kashmir is witnessing a unique phenomenon where J&K Housing Board and J&K Police Housing Corporation ex-ecutive engineers have taken lead in taking projects from the government departments while as J&K Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC), very rich in human resource and machin-ery- is losing to the twin organi-zation very fast.Pertinently JKPCC has sanc-tioned strength of 24 (GMs), 4 Superintending Engineers (GMs) and is manned by around 5000 employees including engi-neering and non-engineering staff. Sources said the under construction projects executed by JKPCC have been dragging for the last so many years.Deadline was pushed forward every year which results in cost escalation and the corporation has had to go for the revised cost but its profit margin remains the same. They said on the other hand Capital expenditure – in-

volving salaries are met from the project cost. Hence a signif-icant portion of the project cost goes into the salary bill of the employees of JKPCC.Sources in the Public Works De-partment said that it was quite astounding that Police Housing Corporation, on the contrary manned by just two executive engineers has secured many projects from the government departments over last few years. He said that Police Housing Cor-poration (PHC), essentially es-tablished on security reasons in 1997 to man the infrastructure development of the Police De-partment, is securing more and more projects from the govern-ment departments.“Police Housing Corporation – had to build infrastructure of Police Department to meet with needs for combating militancy” sources said and added that in 2011, the then MD PHC had cate-gorically reported to the govern-ment that PHC is not meant for execution of public

See JKPCC On PG 11..

JKPCC fast losing projects to Police Housing Corporation

Srinagar, July 11: ‘Ch-hari Mubarak’, the holy mace of Lord Shi-va, will be carried to the cave shrine of Am-arnath today through Pahalgam route. The custodian of the holy mace, Mah-ant Deependra Giri told CNS that Chhari Mubarak will leave for Pahalgam from Dashnami Akhara, Srinagar on July 12. He said that rituals like ‘Bhoomi Pujan’, ‘Navgrah Pujan’ and ’Dhawajarohan’ (flag hoisting) connected with the commence-ment of annual Chhari Mubarak Swami Am-arnathji Yatra shall be performed at Pa-halgam on auspicious occasion of ’Ashad—Purnima’ (Vyas—Purnima). He further said that See Today On PG 11..

‘Chhari Mubarak’ to

leave for Pahalgam today

Population expected to touch 36 million in 2030

New Delhi, July 11: Delhi has become the world’s second most populous city in 2014 after Tokyo, more than doubling its population since 1990 to 25 million, according to a UN report.The 2014 revision of the World Urbanisation Pros-pects launched yesterday said that India is project-ed to add the highest num-ber of people to its urban population by 2050, ahead of China. The Indian capital is ex-pected to retain the spot of the world’s second most populous city through at least 2030, when its popu-lation is expected to rise swiftly to 36 million. Tokyo topped UN’s rank-ing of the most populous cities in 2014 with 38

million inhabitants and while its population is projected to decline, it will remain the world’s largest city in 2030 with 37 million people. Mumbai, which ranks sixth on the list of the world’s most populous cit-ies in 2014, is projected to become the fourth largest city in 2030 when its pop-ulation would grow to 28 million from the current 21 million. Tokyo and New Delhi were followed by Shang-hai with 23 million, and Mexico City, Mumbai and Sao Paulo, each with around 21 million inhabi-tants in 2014. The report said that the largest urban growth will take place in India, China and Nigeria between 2014 and 2050, with the three countries accounting for 37 percent of the projected growth

See Delhi On PG 11..

Srinagar, July 11 : During the drilling operation for the NHPC in Kishtwar area, two engineers died as they were washed away in the Chenab River after the slipped near its banks.According to the KNS correspon-dent, Pramod Pathak, an engi-neer, and his helper HushiarSingh were in a drilling operation for the NHPC in Kishtwar district when they slipped into the Chen-ab River Friday, reports stated. The police told KNS that both are feared dead and the search opera-tions have been started to fish out their bodies from the river. (KNS)

Srinagar, July 11: Three out of 15 proclaimed offenders in Common Entrance Test (CET)—2012 paper leak scam on Friday surrendered be-fore the crime branch and the anti corruption court.Sources identified these three accused to KNS as Hi-lal Ahmad Shokli, Master Mohammad Amin Ganaie and Afroza Akhter all three residents of Anantnag dis-trict. While Hilal surren-dered before the anti cor-ruption court, Ganaie and Akhter appeared before the crime branch. All the three have been sent to central jail Srinagar.Sources said that Hilal and Akhter are parents of two beneficiaries of paper leak scam and Ganaie was one of the brokers who sold the papers. Parents of the candi-dates who dropped

See BOPEE On PG 11..

BOPEE-paper leak scam >>>> Delhi becomes world’s second most populous city

New Delhi, July 11: Family and friends bid farewell to veteran actress Zohra Sehgal, who was cremated in New Delhi on Friday.The last rites of the 102-year-old actress,

who died on Thursday, were performed at the Lodhi Road crematori-um by her son Pawan in the presence of her daughter Kiran and grandchildren. Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dik-shit, Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, See Grand On PG 11

Grand old lady of Bollywood Zohra Sehgal

cremated

New Delhi, July 11: Extending a for-mal invitation to Prime Minister Nar-endra Modi for a visit to the US, Pres-ident Barack Obama has expressed keenness to work closely with him to make the bilateral relations a “defin-ing partnership” in the 21st century.Thanking Obama for the invitation, Modi said he looks forward to a re-sult-oriented visit in September with “concrete outcomes” that impart “new momentum and energy” to the strategic partnership.

Obama’s letter of invitation was handed over to Modi by Deputy Secre-tary of State William Burns when he called on him in New Delhi. In his letter, Obama reiterated his invitation to Modi to visit Washing-ton in September and to work closely with him to make India-US relations a “defining partnership” for the 21st century, a PMO statement said on Fri-day. While receiving the letter, Modi said he looked forward to a “result-orient-

ed visit with concrete outcomes that impart new momentum and energy to India-US strategic partnership”, the statement said. The Prime Minister was of the view that re-energising the partnership be-tween India and the US would send an important message to the region and beyond. Articulating his vision for India-US relations, Modi said that the relation-ship between the world’s oldest and largest democracies should not only be for the benefit of the two countries, but “should emerge as a powerful force of good for peace, stability and prosperity in the world”.Burns conveyed Obama’s desire to strengthen economic relations, in-cluding in next-generation technolo-gies and manufacturing sector; coop-erate in enhancing energy security; deepen security cooperation, includ-ing in maritime security, counter-ter-rorism and intelligence exchange; expand consultation and coordina-tion on Afghanistan; and, work more broadly for security and prosperity in Asia. Modi saw immense opportunities for deepening cooperation across the full spectrum of the relationship and laid special emphasis on involving youth in creating new avenues of promoting cooperation between

See PM On PG 11..

Obama formally invites Modi, wants ‘defining partnership’

Srinagar, July 11 : Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah who is also Working Presi-dent, National Conference Friday hit out at PDP for opposing the decisions of the Government taken for the benefit of gen-eral masses and holistic development of the State. He said that everything pos-sible will be done to relieve the people from difficulties and address the prob-lems of youth. “Why you get irritated and frustrated when we take decisions for public good”, he questioned PDP and said that the Government will continue to take people friendly measures.“We are committed to the holistic de-velopment of the State and well being of people. We will take all required mea-sures in this regard”, he said adding that exchequer is of people and ‘we will make all required spending to fulfil the demands of people’. He said that PDP has no reason to worry on this count. “The leadership of PDP actually get frustrat-ed by the historic people friendly deci-sions of the Government, as such, raise irrelevant questions and try to astray people”. According to a statement is-sued to KNS, he added that some leaders and turncoats in PDP who have changed their ideology for power have assumed to be the finance and economic minis-ters of the State even before contesting Assembly Elections.

“My Government will spend every pen-ny for the welfare of people.

See Omar On PG 11..

New Delhi, July 11: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre to bring wages under the Mahat-ma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) on par with minimum wag-es prevailing in different states.

A bench of justices S J Mukhopadhaya and S A Bobde directed the Cen-tre that wage under the scheme cannot be less than the minimum wage fixed by the state government for agricultural labourers. The Centre submitted that it has already issued noti-fication in this regard to bring the wage on par with minimum wage fixed by the state government. The bench was hearing an

appeal filed by the Cen-tre against a Karnataka High Court order which had 23rd September 2011 held the wage under the scheme cannot be less than the minimum wage. It also said the Centre should pay arrears to workers who had been paid less.

Senior advocate V K Biju, appearing for a labour union on whose plea the high court had passed the direction had strongly op-posed the Centre’s conten-tion justifying differential wages. Earlier, the apex court had questioned the Centre for paying less wages saying, “It is a beneficiary legisla-tion so why there is contra-diction between

See SC On PG 11..

Bring wages under MGNREGS on par with minimum wages: SC

Srinagar, July 11: A 28-year-old woman died after she allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself in outskirts of Srinagar city on Friday.A police official told GNS that woman (name withheld) was found hanging from ceiling of a room at her parental home at Saderbal area of the city today morning. “The family members after raising hue and cry and im-mediately rushed the woman to the nearby hospital where doctors declared her brought dead.Meanwhile, police have registered a case and started further investi-gations in this regard. (GNS)

PM hopes for a result oriented visit in September

Pays obeisance at Mazaar-e-Madar-e-MeharbanWorld’s largest bridge

being constructed in J&K

3 proclaimed offenders surrender

11 Srinagar, Saturday 12 July 2014 Zabarwan Times

FROM THE FRONT PAGE

Budget JKPCC

DelhiSC

Omar

TodayGrand

BOPEE

Owner , Printer & Publisher: Suhail Malik Editor -in-Chief: Shahana Malik Legal Advisor: Syed Riyaz Hussain RNI NO. JKBII/2011/39764, Email: zabarwantimes@gmail.com Publised at Govt. Quarters , M-13 Magarmal Bagh Srinagar-190001 J&K, Printed at:- Sangarmal Offset Press Humhama Sheikhpora Tele/Fax: 2478370 Cell No. 09999964750, 9796 787844

Government of Jammu & Kashmir

OFFICE OF THE EXECUIVE ENGINEER PWD(R&B) DIVISION VAILOO (DAKSUM)NOTICE INVITING TENDERS

NIT No: 29/ 557-63 of R&B/Vailoo /2014-2015/e-tendering/ DATED:03.07.2014For and on behalf of the Governor, J&K State e-tenders are invited on item rate basis fromapproved and eligible Contractors registered with J&K State Govt., CPWD, Railways and otherState/Central Governments for each of the following works:

S.No

Name of Work Est.Cost (Rs in lacs )

Cost of T/Doc.(in Rs)

Earnest Money(in Rs)

Time of completion

Time & Date of Opening of Bid

Class of Contractor

Head of account

1 Providing and Laying of WBM Grade III in full and Construction of Edge wall , Pcc drain at spots to interior roads at Sambran

8.60 600/- 17200/- 45 Days 19.07.2014 DEE State Sector

Position of AA/TS Under submissionPosition of funds: Demanded1. The NIT Consisting of qualifying information, eligibility criteria, specifications, Bill of quantities (B.O.Q), Set of terms

and conditions of contract and other details can be seen/downloaded from the departmental website www.jktenders.gov.in as per schedule of dates given below:

S.No. Particulars Dated1 Date of Issue of Tender Notice 07.07.20142 Period of Downloading of bidder documents From: 08.07.2014 ( 10:00AM) To: 16.07.2014 04:00PM)3 Bid submission Start Date From: 09.07.2014 (10:00AM)4 Bid Submission End Date To: 16.07.2014 (04:00PM)5 Deadline for receiving the Hardcopy (original DD

and EMD)17.07.2014 upto (04:00 PM) in the office of Executive Engineer R&B Division vailoo Daksum

6 Date and time of opening of bid (online) 19.07.2014 (11:00AM) in the office of Executive Engi-neer R&B Division vailoo Daksum

2. Bids must be accompanied with cost of tender document in shape of demand draft in favourExecutive Engineer R&B Division Vailool and earnest money/ bid security in shape of CDR/FDRpledged to Executive Engineer R&B Division vailoo Daksum .The date and time of opening of Bidshall be notified on Web Site www.jktenders.gov.in and conveyed to the biddersautomatically through e-mail message on their e-mail address. The bids of Responsive bidders shall be opened online on same Web Site in the office of Executive Engineer R&B Division Vailoo Daksum .

Sd/Executive EnginnerDIPK: 3403 PWD(R&B) Division VAILOO (DAKSUM)

the two countries. The Prime Minister reiterated his desire to strengthen relations with all neighbours, the statement said. Modi recalled Obama’s telephone call soon after he became the Prime Minister in May and expressed his appreciation for the President’s detailed and thought-ful letter. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secre-tary Sujatha Singh, US Charge d’Affaires Kathleen Stephens and Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal were also present in the meeting.

minimum wages and the wage paid under the NRE-GA Act.” The wage rate under the central job scheme, which varied between Rs 118 and Rs 181 from state to state, was less than the notified minimum daily pay in six states. But in 14 states the wages under rural job scheme was higher than the minimum wage.

We are not like our opponents (PDP) to utilize public money for self ends”, Working President, National Conference maintained and assured the people that he will do whatever necessary to transform the eco-nomic condition of the State and its people.Addressing a gathering at the Mazaar of Madar-e-Me-harban Begum Akbar Jahan at Hazaratbal near here, gathered to pay obeisance to her on her 14th Death Anniversary, Omar Abdullah asked the NC workers to disseminate the glaring achievements and perfor-mance of the Government among the common peo-ple as also make them aware of the political, social and development agenda of National Conference for a modern, educated, developed and politically stable Jammu and Kashmir.“Your history is glorious, your work-done is unprec-edented, your sacrifices are conspicuous and notable, your past and present is complementary and sup-plementary to each other, your future is bright and splendid, your ideology is the ideology of people, your political motive is public service, peace, development and empowerment of people and public support is the fountain head of your strength”, he told NC workers asking them to make new generation aware of the historic role Jammu and Kashmir National Confer-ence has played in the past and is playing at present to safeguard the interests of the State and defeat the designs of conspirators. Paying rich tributes to Ma-dar-e-Meharban, Omar Abdullah said that the best way of paying tributes to her is that all of us will carry forward her mission of comprehensive devel-opment of common people particularly, poor, down-trodden, women, children and weaker sections of the society. He said her devotees have the responsibility of rendering service to these sections without any consideration and giving fillip to the programmes she started for the welfare of the people.Omar Abdullah also referred to the political role of his Dadi, Begum Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and said that she was the support to Sheikh Sahib in all situations and strengthened his hands by spear-heading the movement in absence of Sheikh Sahib when he was in jail. He said Madar-e-Meharban also strengthened National Conference and the hands of Dr. Farooq Abdullah. She was a compassionate moth-er to all and treated the workers of National Confer-ence as her own sons and daughters. “There is need of the hour that National Conference workers will follow her in strengthening National Conference and seeking holistic welfare of the State”, he added.The General Secretary, National Conference, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Additional General Secretary, Dr, Mustafa Kamal, Provincial President, Kashmir, Nasir Aslam Wani, senior Ministers, Abdul Rahim Rather and Mohammad Akbar Lone, District Presi-dent, Srinagar, Peer Afaq Ahmad also spoke on the occasion and referred to the role and sacrifices of Ma-dar-e-Meharban while paying her rich tributes. Ear-lier, Omar Abdullah alongwith various Ministers, Legislators, office bearers of NC and general workers offered Fateh at the graveyards of Madar-e-Mehar-ban and Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and prayed for their eternal peace. They also prayed for the welfare and development of the State.

Government of Jammu and Kashmir

OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER SRINAGAR

Reapan Tickoo,S/O Mrs. Phoola Tickoo and Late Shiban Krishen TickooR/O P.B.845, 8IIT,Bombay, Mumbai -400076,No: DCS//1233-182-84 Dated 08-07-2014Subject: 1. OPW No. 619/2006 titled Phoola Tickoo and others V/S State of J&K & others. 2. Notification U/S (4) (i) issued by this office vide No .DCS /LAS / 1233/70-79 dated: 11-06-2014.

(Notification U/S 5(i) of Land Acquisition Act.Whereas, you have filed objections on behalf of Phoola Tickoo (as her authorized agent) to the notification issued

U/S 4 (i) of J&K Land Acquisition Act Svt. 1990. vide No; DCS /LAS /1233/70-79 dated: 11-06-2014 with regard to the Acquisition of land measuring 05 Marias 92 SFT comprised in Khasra No. 167 in estate Kursoo Padshahi BaghTeh-sil South Srinagar District Srinagar ( J&K)

Therefore, you are hereby asked to attend this office on 24-07-2014 as the authorised agent of Mrs. Phoola Tickoo so as to hear you on your objections to the proposed acquisition in terms of section 5 (i) of the J&K Land Acquisition Act.

Further,you are also advised to bring along /furnish documentary evidence, if any. in support of your claim to the title over the land as the revenue record has no recorded entry in favour of Smt.Phoola Tickoo or her late husband.

DIPK: 3440 Sd/- Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar

after performing the rituals, Chhari Mubarak would return to Dashnami Akhara on the same day. Rituals will also be performed at the historic Martand Temple in Mattan area of Anantnag district on the way from Pahalgam to Srinagar, he said. After performing the Chhari Pujan at Dashnami Akhara on ‘Nag-Panchami’ on August 1, Giri will car-ry the mace to Amarnath shrine on ‘Shravan-Purni-ma’, on August 10. “The Chhari Mubarak will begin its journey from Srinagar to the holy shrine on August 6, with night halts at Pahalgam, Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panchtarani,” Giri said. He said it would proceed for the holy cave for Pujan from Panchtarani at 5 a.m. on August 10, ‘Shravan—Purnima’ to have the ‘Darshan’ and traditional rituals would be performed and prayers shall be offered the whole day at the holy cave. “On August 12, after the ‘puja’ and ‘visarjan’ ceremo-nies at the bank of river Lidder in Pahalgam, ‘Chhari Mubarak’ will return to Srinagar. And with these last rituals, the annual Amarnath Yatra will culminate”, Giri said adding that Mahadev Gir Dashnami Akha-ra Trust, Srinagar has made all the arrangements, at Akhara Building here, for the sadhus coming from across India for the pilgrimage. (CNS)

in CET-2012 have hailed the Crime Branch for its investigations and have appreciated the whole team upto the level of IGP Crime. However, these parents have demanded that the crime branch should dig deep in CET-2010 wherein sources said that evidences have been collected by the crime branch pointing to a scam. It is pertinent to mention that there seems to be no headway in 2013 scam where in several BoPEE offi-cials were reportedly involved and there was a lot of public cry after which the leaked papers were can-celled and re-examination held but not before the future of several bright candidates was bleakened.

Though the Hon’ble High Court had taken a serious note of the scam but the state Govt. remained silent and the case was hushed up as no action was taken against the responsible officials.

works in the various government departments. There-after, PHC started expressing interest in diverse civil projects of the government departments and started participating in competitive bidding.“Even military engineering wing which is the most competent organization having best expertise and latest technology support is assisting the civil admin-istration at the national level only during calamities. But PHC has all of a sudden jumped into the race of executing civil projects in the state” said a senior offi-cial in PWD wishing anonymity. He said it was inter-esting to note that PHC did not possess expertise or manpower as the Engineering staff are all on deputa-tion to the Corporation.

of the world’s urban population.By 2050, India is pro-jected to add 404 million urban dwellers, way more than China’s projection of 292 million. Nigeria will add 212 million to its urban population. India’s current urban population is 410 million people and this will grow to 814 million by 2050. China cur-rently has the largest urban population of 758 million. India and China account for 30 per cent of the world’s urban population. The two Asian giants along with the United States, Brazil, Indonesia, Japan and Russia currently ac-count for more than half of the world’s urban popu-lation. About 54 per cent of the world’s population currently lives in urban areas and this proportion is expected to increase to 66 per cent by 2050, with the maximum increase taking place in the urban areas of Africa and Asia.The world’s urban population is now close to 3.9 bil-lion and is expected to reach 6.3 billion in 2050, ac-cording to the UN report. The rural population of the world has grown slowly since 1950 and is expected to reach its peak in a few years. Approximately 3.4 billion people currently live in ru-ral areas around the world. However, sometime after 2020, the world’s rural population will start to decline and is expected to reach 3. 2 billion in 2050.India currently has the largest rural population at 857 million, followed by China (635 million). Together, these two countries account for 45 per cent of the world’s rural population. Between 2014 and 2050, the number of rural residents in India is expect-ed to decline by 52 million. Four of India’s cities Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chen-nai and Hyderabad, with 5 to 10 million inhabitants presently, are projected to become megacities in thecoming years for a total of seven megacities pro-jected in the country by 2030. India’s major cities Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Hy-derabad, Ahmadabad, Pune and Surat will add a total of 27 million people to its population in 2030. Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad will be among the world’s top 30 cities by 2030. Much of the expected urban growth in the world will take place in countries of the developing regions, par-ticularly Africa. As a result, these countries will face numerous challenges in meeting the needs of their growing urban populations, including for housing, infrastructure, transportation, energy and employ-ment, as well as for basic services such as education and health care. “Managing urban areas has become one of the most important development challenges of the 21st centu-ry. Our success or failure in building sustainable cit-ieswill be a major factor in the success of the post-2015 UN development agenda,” Director of the Population Division in the UN’s Department of Economic and So-cial Affairs John Wilmoth said. The report notes that in 1990, there were ten “me-ga-cities” with 10 million inhabitants or more, which were home to 153 million people. In 2014, there are 28mega-cities worldwide, home to 453 million people or about 12 per cent of the world’s urban dwellers. By 2030, the world is projected to have 41 mega-cities. The report notes that a successful urban planning agenda would require that attention be given to ur-ban settlements of all sizes. Well managed cities offer important opportunities for economic development and for expanding access to basic services, including health care and education for large numbers of peo-ple. Providing public transportation, as well as hous-ing, electricity, water and sanitation for a densely settled urban population is typically cheaper and less environmentally damaging than providing a similar level of services to a dispersed rural population, the report said.

theatre personality MK Raina and Prasar Bharti CEO Jawahar Sircar were among those who turned up to pay their last respect. Zohra’s body was kept in an open area for sometime for her admirers before be-ing taken for the final rites. Azmi remembered the actress for her vivacious personality. “I worked with her for the first time in a play in 2002. She was around 90-year-old at that time. She was always punctual at the rehearsals. She was thorough professional and always had a smile on her face. She always used to crack jokes,” Azmi said. Akhtar said it was not possi-ble to write the history of 21st century theatre without Zohra Sehgal. “She had contributed a lot to every field where she had worked be it dance, theatre or cinema. She had a cheerful personality,” Akhtar said. Dikshit said she had many inspiring memories of Se-hgal. “It was hard to describe Zohra Sehgal. She was a great artiste and a very cheerful human being. She had a brilliant memory. Our country will always re-member her. She never took anything negatively.” Raina said Sehgal’s death marked the end of an era in theatre. “She was punctual and highly profession-al. She was always prepared with her dialogues. Her presence used to make the environment lively,” he said. The veteran starspoke about death at her 102 birthday in April this year, saying she was preparing herself to die with a smile. She had told her family that she wanted a simple funeral. Sehgal had a great innings as an artiste, performer and actor that spanned more than seven decades. She started her career as a dancer with Uday Shankar in 1935. She had appeared in many Bollywood films as a character actor as well as in English language films besides television series and plays. Often called the grand old lady of Bollywood, she last appeared in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Saawariya” in 2007. She worked with some of the biggest stars of this era be it Amitabh Bachchan in “Cheeni Kum”, Shah Rukh Khan in “Dil Se” or Salman in “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam”.

I had lost my 10 Th pass certificate issued by BOSE under serial no 671392 with the following partic-ulars; Name: Mohd Abas Shah S/O Gh Nabi Shah R/O Nath Pora Khanabal Anantnag Roll No: 124280 Session: Nov- Dec 1996 D.O.B: 30-12-1978 Result Passed, somewhere.Now I am in need of its dupli-cate,if anyone is having any sort of objection he/she may please contact Secretary BOSE within a period of 12 days from the publication of this notice in the daily newspaper. No objection will be entertained after the given time.

LOST

Srinagar, July 11: Hundreds of people including students on Fri-day held protests against the on-go-ing Israeli ‘aggression’ against Palestinians in Gaza and clashed with government forces at various places in summer capital SrinagarWitnesses told GNS that dozens of Jammu and Kashmir Libera-tion Front (JKLF) activists and supporters led by its vice-chair-man Bashir Ahmad Bhat took out a rally from party’s headquar-ters in Maisuma. “The protesters were chanting pro-Palestine and pro-freedom slogans. They were also raising slogans against Isra-el’s murderous campaign in Gaza,” an eyewitness told GNS.On Thursday, the party had an-nounced that it would hold a pro-test rally and sit-in against ‘grow-ing Indian and Israeli aggression’ and against India’s move on UN-MOGIP.“The protesters tried to march towards Lal Chowk but a huge contingent of police which was additionally deployed near Akha-ra Building stopped them from marching ahead. The protesters

showed resistance and tried to move ahead but police detained several protesters including JKLF activists,” the witnesses said. Ma-lik, according to JKLF, was de-tained by police during an early morning raid.After police clampdown on pro-testers, groups of youth appeared in Maisuma and resorted to

stone-throwing. The stone-throw-ing created panic in the area forc-ing shopkeepers to down their shutters. In Kashmir University, hundreds of students held a massive ‘Pales-tine solidarity rally’ against the Is-raeli aggression in Gaza under the banner of banned Kashmir Univer-sity Students Union (KUSU).

Kashmir protests Israeli aggression against Palestinians

Aerial Firing creates panic in Nowhatta

Srinagar, July 11: Fol-lowing scuffle between police and residents in volatile area of Maisu-ma in Civil Lines area of summer capital, massive anti-police clashes and protests broke out in the area, witnesses said.Eyewitnesses told GNS that after anti-Israel pro-tests in the area, youth pelted stones on the po-

lice. “While police were chasing protesters, the cops asked a vendor who sells caps, Islamic books and perfumes outside Ahli-Hadith Masjid, to vacate the place and get inside. They also misbe-haved with the seller and tried to throw objects he was selling. A skull cap was also thrown by po-lice cops,” locals alleged.An eyewitness told GNS that during verbal brawl some women also joined in.

Intense clashes in Maisuma after scuffle between

police, residents

SRINAGAR | SATURDAY, JULY | 12 | 2014Daily ZABARWAN TIMES NEWS

Take a break from your routine, Libra. You might feel like you’re leading an army into battle as you strive for new adven-tures and conquer new realms. Make sure you take a bit of time out today to stop and let your troops rest. You deserve a little rest yourself. Use this moment of stillness to form your plan of attack so you’re sure about how to proceed.

The key for you is to minimize your daily drama as much as possible, Scorpio. You may not realize how much you cripple your-self by the way you exaggerate every aspect of your life. Try not to give so much of your attention to things that really don’t matter much. Petty jealousy and gossip about other people’s lives are es-pecially irrelevant in your world.

Be careful of advertising yourself as someone who is so strong and mentally competent that you’re capable of handling every-thing, Sagittarius. Take note that the strongest mule on the trail usually ends up carrying the most weight. Your emotions are more sensitive than you may think, and certainly more than you demonstrate to others. Be honest about the way you feel and not just the way you think.

Things should flow well for you today with very little ef-fort on your part, Capricorn. Take note that if any quarrel arises, it’s an indication that the person you’re arguing with isn’t nec-essarily the right person to deal with or confide in. Emotional issues are likely to be the hardest ones to overcome, but this shouldn’t be a problem for you. You have the ability to work through these like a pro.

This is meant to be a nice, relaxing day, so treat it as such, Aquarius. There’s no need for you to plan any great strategy at this time. Try to take it easy and not indulge in any unnecessary stress. This is your time to enjoy the moment. Don’t tax your mind by overanalyzing everything that comes your way. Go with the flow and have a great time regardless of what you end up doing.

Your sensual nature is heightened, Pisces, and you’ll find yourself engaged in tender moments and languid peacefulness in the company of others. Soothe your soul by letting yourself slip into situations that give you the emotional freedom to do or say whatever comes to mind. Life should be like a love poem written by a great master. Accept the good energy that comes your way.

Your sixth sense is right on target, Virgo, so trust your instincts today. You’re likely to connect with someone in a wonderful partnership that will help you foster the very plan you want to develop now. Stay close to those things that resonate strongly with your morals. The answer is in front of you; you don’t have to search too far afield in order to find it.

Allow your eager and restless nature to express itself in ways other than through the spoken word, Aries. Show someone that you care through your gentle touch or a big bear hug. Hold on a little bit more tightly than you might normally. There’s an unspo-ken understanding that comes when you communicate through nothing but pure silence. Work on developing this kind of connec-tion with those closest to you.

This is a terrific day for you, Taurus. You should find that your relationships, especially with men, go exceptionally well. Your tender and extremely sensitive nature is finally being recognized as the treasure chest it is. There are many times in which this type of personality is seen as weak, yet today is one of those times in which you’re given the full credit you deserve.

A selfish attitude on your part won’t be tolerated today, re-gardless of the circumstances, Gemini. Don’t make it worse for yourself by pretending that you don’t notice others’ hurt feelings. People are likely to be extra sensitive today, so be careful about trying to impose your will on someone who really wants nothing more than an ear to talk to and a shoulder to cry on.

You could find the hardest person to face is you, Cancer. You tend toward introspection, and you may find yourself shrinking into self-recrimination. You could analyze the important people in your life and yet fail to address the one you really need to look at – you. As you continually strive for perfection, give yourself proper credit. Do something nice for yourself today.

Take advantage of the creative energy in the air today, Leo. Keep your hands moving and your imagination flowing toward something fun and artistic. If you begin to doubt your work, you may fall down a spiral of creative blockage. Don’t get into the habit of constantly judging the quality or outcome of your work. Give yourself free rein to open up and explore whatever comes to mind.

SRINAGAR, JULY 11:- Recall-ing the historical role played by late Madri-Meharban for the up-liftment of women, weaker and downtrodden sections of the so-ciety, the Minister for Social Wel-fare, Ms. Sakina Ittoo has said that need of the hour is to propagate the same principals as hers among the younger generation for inculcating the sense of philanthropism.

The Minister was speaking at a function organized by Madri-e-Me-harban Welfare Institute (MMWI) for paying tribute to Begum Akbar Jehan on her 14th death anniver-sary at Miskeen Bagh here today.

Minister for Forest, Mian Altaf Ahmed, MLA Hazratbal, Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, ex-Deputy Chair-man, Legislative Council, Mr. M. Y. Taing also attended the function.

The Minister for Social Welfare said that besides the laudable po-litical role, Madri-e-Meharban is also known for her stupendous ef-

forts to empower the women and help for holistic development of children particularly belonging to weaker and down trodden section of the society.

Ms. Sakina said that her vision for women education and empow-erment is being translated into re-ality. Proper nurturing of children and upliftment of economically backward categories was her big-gest dream and she worked tire-lessly in this direction throughout her life, she added.

While referring the sincere ef-forts of Madri-Meharban for uni-versalization of education and up-gradation of skills in women, the Minister said that she would be remembered as a great philanthro-pist and symbol of sacrifice who al-ways upheld the tradition of social-ism, secularism and brotherhood.

Minister for Forests, Mian Altaf Ahmed while addressing the func-tion said that Begum Akbar Jehan

was the main founder of the im-portant initiatives for the welfare of weaker sections in J&K besides launching various drives for em-powerment of women and devel-opment of children.

MLA Hazratbal, Dr. Sheikh Mus-tafa Kamal and renowned author and ex-Deputy Chairman, Mr. M. Y. Taing threw light on the service rendered by her and presented a paper on the life and struggle of Be-gum Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.

Chairperson of Madri-Mehar-ban Education Society, Prof. Suraiya Ali presented the resume of activi-ties of the institution and gave de-tails of the achievements and ob-jectives targeted by the institution.

Earlier, students of the various institutions beside Miskeen Bagh Education Centre recited Quran, Natya Sharief and presented pa-triotic songs meanwhile prizes and certificates were also distrib-uted among the students for their

Assembly panel on Petitions Committee Meet

Condoles demise over the death of Vakil

SRINAGAR, JULY 11: A meeting of the Committee on Petitions was held under the Chairmanship of MLA, Syed Bashir Ahmad here today.

Legislators, Mr. Mohammad Sharief Niaz, Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad Shah, Mr. Charanjit Singh and Mr. Durga Dass at-tended the meeting and gave their valuable suggestions to dispose off the petitions received by the Assembly Sec-retariat so far.

Among others, Secretary Legislative Assembly, Mr. M. Ramzan Special Secretary Assembly Mr. M. R. Singh and other senior officers of Assembly Secretariat were present in the meeting.

Earlier, the Committee condoled the death of Abdul Ahad Vakil, Ex-Speaker of Legislative Assembly, Member Parliament and NC Leader who passed away yesterday.

The Committee members described Mr. Vakil as a great leader, who served as Member Parliament, Rev-enue, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister and Speaker, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. The panel said that his contribution is remarkable and his death is a great loss for the people of the State in general and the House in particular.

Madri-e-Meharban remembered on her 14th death anniversary

Sakina, Altaf pays rich tributes to Madri-e-Meharban

ANANTNAG, JULY 11: District Development Commissioner, Anantnag, Saugat Biswas today reviewed the implementation of Centrally Sponsored flagship programmes Sarva Shiksha Ab-hiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan component wise at a meeting held at the dis-trict headquarter.

The physical, financial targets and achievements of 2013-14 and proposed targets of 2014-15 were discussed in detail. It was given out in the meeting that against the availability of Rs. 991.54 lakh an expenditure of Rs. 747.57 lakh has been incurred under RMSA while against an availability of Rs. 8665.65 lakh an expenditure of Rs. 7899.39 lakh has been incurred under SSA ending March 2014.

Giving details through power point presentation Chief Education Officer, Gh. Rasool Shah, revealed that under SSA against cumulative target of con-struction of 739 Primary school buildings 643 have been com-pleted upto ending March 2014 while work on 90 primary school buildings is under progress. Un-

der the same scheme against the cumulative target of 122 middle school buildings 107 have been completed and work on 15 is un-der progress. Against cumulative target of 1913 additional class rooms 1304 have been complet-ed while work is under progress on 609.

Chief Education Of-ficer further revealed that under centrally sponsored flagship pro-gramme of RMSA against cumu-lative target of construction of 43 school buildings for upgraded secondary schools, 15 buildings have been completed while as work on 23 is under progress.

Against an outlay of Rs. 1301.07 lakh under Elemen-tary Education an expenditure of Rs. 1239.65 lakh has been incurred upto ending March 2014. Under secondary educa-tion, Rs. 698.87 lakh have been spent against the allocation of Rs. 718.10 lakh and Rs. 8.37 lakh have been spent against the al-location of Rs. 13.10 lakh under Teacher Education up to end-ing March 2014.Under District Plan 2013-14, Rs. 142.63 lakh were spent on construction of

walling to various schools with regard to protection/safeguard of school children. 54 works stand completed, upto ending March 2014 while 31 works are under progress. Besides 747 BPL girl students have been covered under “Beti Anmol” scheme and a financial assistance of Rs. 16.54 lakh have been provided to them.

Pahari Speaking students have been provided scholarship to the tune of Rs.31.08 lakh, while Rs. 98.06 lakh has been provided to Gujjar and Baker-wal students under the same component. Rs.6.22 lakh have been provided as merit scholar-ship among 1st, 2nd & 3rd posi-tion holders of 9th to 12th class students during the last year.

Under the Midday Meals scheme as many as 91195 stu-dents were covered from class Ist to 8th as per MDM norms for which Rs.635.30 lakh stand spent against the allocated funds of Rs.756.97 lakh. Text-books were provided free of cost to 77744 students from class 1st to 8th thereby incur-ring an expenditure of Rs. 39.39

lac during 2013-14. The DDC has already set-up Niabat level committees to monitor the mid-day meal scheme in every school.

Biswas, who is also the Chairperson of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan informed that the Zonal Education Officers henceforth will pay personal attention to the development and maintenance of libraries in all schools, to the working of the Gender coordinators with a view to increasing enrollment of girl children, proper utiliza-tion of funds for Teaching and Learning Equipment and Mate-rial, and Teacher Grant. He fur-ther informed that red accounts of expenditure incurred on various heads under SSA such as Community mobilization has been called from all ZEOs along with outcomes of these expen-ditures.He directed SE R&B to speed up the construction of left over school buildings un-der RMSA, so that school going children do not face any kind of difficulty which is the main mo-tive behind the centrally spon-sored schemes.

DDC also directed for integrating the common people with educational setup by or-ganizing fruitful community mobilization programmes. He also directed for conducting of special enrollment drives to streamline the “drop out” and never enrolled children especially girls. DDC also di-rected Chief Education Officer to ensure fort-nightly progress/expenditure reports from con-cerned headmasters. Imple-mentation of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), in letter and spirit has been asked for.DDC instructed for provid-ing of drinking water facilities to left-over schools at an ear-liest. District Development Commissioner stressed upon implementation of District De-velopment Board decisions un-der education sector and ensure transparency at all levels.

The meeting was attend-ed by the Additional District De-velopment Commissioner, Joint Director (Planning), SE R&B, Ex. En R&B, Khanabal /Vailoo and Qazigund all the ZEO’s and other concerned officers.

DDC reviews Education Sector in AnantnagStresses for Transparency & Outcomes in SSA

Gul pays tributes to Madri-e-Meherban

Ramzan for streamlining supply of essentials in rural, hilly areas

Says her contribution will be remembered for longSRINAGAR, JULY 11- The Speaker, Jammu and Legislative Assembly Mr. Mubrak

Gul Friday paid rich tributes to Madri-e-Meherban Begum Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on her 14th Death Anniversary and said that her endeavour for women empowerment and skill development at the time when its significance was in obliv-ion, speaks loud and clear of her vision for holistic welfare of the society.

He said Madri-e-Meherban has universalized education and upgradation of skills in women. He also referred to the work done by her for the development of children and downtrodden sections of the society.

Speaking at a function at Naseembagh after offering fateh and laying flo-ral wreath at the grave of Begum Sher-i-Kashmir at Hazratbal, the Speaker said that besides the laudable political role, Madri-e-Meherban is known for her stupendous efforts to empower women and help holistic development of children particularly of weaker sections.

Mr. Gul said that Madari-e-Meherban pushed forward Sher-i-Kashmir’s vi-sion of Naya Kashmir by working for universalization of education especially among the girls and weaker sections. He said that her vision for women education and em-powerment is being translated in to reality.

The Speaker said that she was a philanthropist who worked tirelessly for the upliftment of the weaker and down trodden sections of the society without giving preferential treatment to any caste or community. He said that the social work ren-dered by her would be remembered for long and the onus lies on the present genera-tion to pass the significance of her contribution to the future generations of the State.

JAMMU, JULY 11: The Government is contemplating to open Consumer Awareness centre at all districts to cre-ate mass awareness about the consumer rights in the state.

Giving directions in this regard, the Minister for Transport, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Mohammad Ramzan asked the department func-tionaries to involve the local NGOs in the establishment of these centres and the awareness campaign to be launched thereto. He said that having such centers at the district levels would facilitate to take the consumer awareness campaign to the rural areas.

Chairing a meeting of the function-aries of departments under his charge, including Transport and CAPD, the minister took a detailed review of the stock and supply position in the Jammu region. Stressing the need to further streamlining of the Public Distribution of ration, he specially emphasized the need

for mounting vigil on the transportation of ration to the rural areas to check the pilferage and theft.

The Minister asked the CAPD func-tionaries to go tough against the hoard-ers and black marketers and brought them to book to set an example for oth-ers. He mentioned about the complaints pouring in from some far flung areas and asked the Director to identify the elements official or outsiders involved in mal practices. For this he asked the divi-sion, district and Tehsil level functionar-ies to conduct regular inspection in their areas of jurisdiction. He called for main-taining close coordination among CAPD, FCI and SRTC – the agency involved in the transportation of the ration.

Regarding the supply of LPG, the Minister asked the regulating agencies to keep a check on black marketing of subsidized LPG and take action against the agencies who fail to provide home delivery to the consumers.

Vibrant mechanism put in place for monitoring developmental works: Sagar

SRINAGAR, JULY 11 - Minister for Rural Development and Pan-chayat Mr. Ali Mohammad Sagar has said that the Government has put in place a vibrant mecha-nism for monitoring the devel-opmental initiatives undertaken for the sustained development of the historic city.

The Minister was interacting with scores of deputations dur-ing his extensive tour of the old city Srinagar to get first hand information about the sta-tus of various developmental works under taken in the city.

He was accompanied by se-nior officers of various depart-ments like R & B, PHE, PDD, SMC etc.

Mr. Sagar said that the Gov-ernment has initiated several measures for the development of the Srinagar city so that the people get the requisite fa-cilities in various sectors like housing, PDD, PHE and other

related sectors. He said people should actively involve them-selves in the implementation of the welfare schemes under taken thereby involving them-

selves in day to day gover-nance.

The Minister also inspected the pace of work on the com-munity hall being constructed

at Sheshgari Mohalla and di-rected for its early completion, maintaining that it would go a long way in providing the in-frastructural assets to the peo-

ple of the area for celebration of their social functions.

Mr. Sagar while interacting with the people at Roshangarh Mohallah in Nowhata said that a Community Hall would be constructed there and directed the officers to speed up the pace of work on the project. He said that adequate compensa-tion should also be provided to the persons whose properties are acquired.

The Minister also inspected pace of work on the restora-tion being under taken in Das-tigeer Shab and Nagishband Shab shrines asked the officers to speed up the left over work so that both get completed in all respects within the shortest pos-sible time.

Mr. Sagar also inspected other developmental works and di-rected for speedy completion of these so that the people get ben-efited from them.

Daily Zabarwan TimesEDITORIAL/ OPINIONEDITORIAL/ OPINIONDaily Zabarwan TimesSrinagar, Saturday 12 July 2014

Disclaimer : The contents and comments appearing in any article published in this paper are purely the personal opinion of the writer

Union Budget—Encouraging and

Appreciable

Challenges of Population Explosion

Dr. P.J. Sudhakar

India is predicted to have overtaken China as the world’s most populous nation by 2050. In an already overcrowded world, richer countries are being asked to share responsibility for the problem of this population explosion, which to

a large extent is due to poverty. The growth rate of population is a function of migration, birth rate and death rate in a country. The difference between the birth rate and the death rate measures the growth rate of population. According to estimates, Indian population has risen 1,270,272,105 (1.27 billion) out of which female constitute 614,397,079 (614.4 million), male 655,875,026 (655.8 million) and tribal 104,281,034. The high population growth rates are due to high birth rate and fast declining death rates due to bet-ter sanitation and health facilities. However, the capacities to absorb increasing manpower are much weaker. Furthermore, the process of economic de-velopment tends to be more capital intensive under modern technological conditions, and hence, has less potential of employment generation in the short run. Since the total size of the population is already large, there is urgency for speedy achievement of demographic transition from high birth rate to low birth rate resulting in lower population growth. The effects of the rapid population growth in India like providing employment to growing population, prob-lem of utilisation of manpower, over-strained infra-structure, pressure on land and other renewable natural resources, increased cost of production and Inequitable distribution of income are hindering with development of the country.World Population Day is being observed on 11th July across the World every year.POPULATION AND SEX RATIOSex ratio is an important parameter that reflects the status of women in society. Some of the worst gen-der ratios, indicating gross violation of women’s rights are found in south and East Asian countries such as India and China. In India sex-ratio is declin-ing reaching upto 928:1000. But more important and serious thing is that with social, educational, eco-nomic development, it is declining. In 2011 Census it is seen that in all states except Bihar, Gujarat and Jammu Kashmir the sex ratio is increased, it is also increased in UTs except Dadra & Haveli and Daman & Diu. Female Mortality Rate is observed to be very low in most of parts of Northern India. But compar-atively sex ratio is high in Southern States of India. Reasons for neglect of girl child and low levels of sex ratio are son preference, low status of women, so-cial and financial security associated with sons, so-cio-cultural practices including dowry and violence against women. Small family norm may be a catalyst in the declining child sex ratio.

POPULATION AND ENVIRONMENTThe United Nations Conference on the Human Envi-ronment held in Stockholm in 1972 (United Nations, 1973) stated that the growth of population in certain areas, through both net migration and national in-crease, had accelerated the rates that could frustrate all the efforts to conquer poverty and underdevel-opment and to maintain a safe and stable environ-ment. The unprecedented consensus at the ICPD in 1994 squarely underscored the complex interrela-tionships between population, sustained economic growth, poverty and the environment. The pro-gramme of action stressed the need for integrating population and environment issues in planning and decision-making and for modifying unsustainable consumption and production patterns in order to foster sustainable resource use and prevent envi-ronmental degradation. It is also called for the im-plementation of policies to address the ecological im-plications of population dynamics. Rapid population growth and poverty in country is adversely affecting the environment. As the 21st century begins, grow-ing number of people and rising levels of consump-tion per capita are depleting natural resources and de-grading the environment. In India, the rapid increase of population combines with desperate poverty to deplete and pollute local resource bases on which the livelihood of present and future generations depends. Though the relationship is complex, population size and growth tend to expand and accelerate these human impacts on the environment. What is more concern, the number of population rise will increase to such an extent in future that it will cause overall scarcity for resources. India is having 18 percent of the world’s population on 2.4 percent of its land area has great deal of pressure on its all natural resources.

NATIONAL POPULATION POLICY, 2000The National Population Policy was announced on February 15, 2000 with objectives aimed at meeting the needs for contraception, health care infrastructure, health personnel and integrated service delivery. The mid-term objectives are outlined as aimed at bringing the total fertility to replacement levels ⎯ two children per couple ⎯ by a vigorous implementation of intersec-toral strategies. The long-term objective is stabilisa-tion of population for 2045. The policy has outlined 16 promotional and motivational measures to implement it vigorously. Among these, the more important are reward Panchayats and Zila Parishads for promoting small family norm, strict enforcement of Child Mar-riage Restraint Act and Pre-natal Diagnostics Tech-niques Act, Health insurance covers of Rs. 5,000 for couples below poverty line, with two living children, who undergo sterilisation and rewards for couples be-low poverty line, who marry after legal age, have first child after the mother reaches 21, accept small family norm and undergo sterilisation after birth of two chil-dren.

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON POPULATIONNational Commission on Population was constituted in May 2000. It is Chaired by the Prime Minister with the Deputy Chairman Planning Commission as Vice Chairman. Chief Ministers of all states, Ministers of the related Central Ministries, secretaries of the con-

cerned Departments, eminent physicians, demogra-phers and the representatives of the civil society are Members of the Commission. The Commission has the mandate to review, monitor and give direction for im-plementation of the National Population Policy with the view to achieve the goals set in the Population Pol-icy, promote synergy between health, educational en-vironmental and developmental programmes so as to hasten population stabilization, promote inter sectoral coordination in planning and implementation of the programmes through different sectors and agencies in center and the statesand develop a vigorous peoples programme to support this national effort. The Na-tional Population Stabilisation Fund was constituted under the National Commission on Population in July 2000. Subsequently it was transferred to the Depart-ment of Health and Family Welfare in April 2002. POPULATION AND FOOD SECURITYThe National Food Security Act, 2013 (also Right to Food Act) is an Act of the Parliament of India which aims to provide subsidized food grains to approxi-mately two thirds of India’s 1.2 billion people. Under the provisions of the bill, beneficiaries are to be able to purchase 5 kilograms per eligible person per month of cereals rice at INR3 (5.0¢ US) per kg, wheat at INR2 (3.4¢ US) per kg and coarse grains (millet) at INR1 (1.7¢ US) per kg. Prices. Pregnant women, lactating moth-ers, and certain categories of children are eligible for daily free meals. Every State will have to chalk out its own strategies for sustainable livelihood to move on the path of sustainable food production and sustain-able livelihood security. This calls for sound policies and investments in natural resources such as land and water, flora and fauna, forests and biodiversity -- the ecological foundations essential for sustainable food security - plus sustainable intensification of crop and animal production. Population pressures and the forces of atmosphere and climate change must also be taken into account.Food security has three compo-nents. The first is food availability, which depends on food production and imports. The second is food ac-cess, which depends on purchasing power. The third, food absorption, is a function of safe drinking water, environmental hygiene, primary health care and edu-cation.

STRATEGIES FOR DELAYED MONSOONSeveral measures are taken up to deal delayed mon-soon. Some of them are a sound seed production and storage plan, seeds of alternate crops and varieties that can be sown in case of delayed monsoon, Ensure avail-ability of breeder seed of contingency crops/varieties which are not normally in the seed chain, Village level seed banks (crop and fodder), Adoption of drought and flood tolerant crop varieties in vulnerable, Availabil-ity of inputs related to nutrient management, Large scale demonstrations of climate resilient agronomic practices to create awareness and promote widespread adoption by farmers at block level, planting of mil-lets, cotton, pulses and oilseed crops in ridge-furrow or raised bed systems to ensure adequate drainage in case of excess rains, Promotion of farm implements on custom hiring basis or purchase.

POPULATION AND HEALTH CAREAs per industry reports, healthcare is poised to grow at an estimated annual rate of 19 per cent to reach USD 280 billion by 2020 with India being recognized as a destination for world class healthcare. During the last decade the private sector grew to become the major provider of healthcare services. Its share of beds in-creased from 49 per cent in 2002 to 63 per cent in 2010. The Indian government has also introduced several reforms. The 11th and 12th Five Year Plans and inter-national focus on the Millennium Development Goals have led to successes, especially in the primary health area – maternal and child health, and infectious diseas-es. The National Rural Health Mission has achieved efficiency and health system reforms, while the Rash-triya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) - a national social health insurance scheme - has aimed to cover in-pa-tient treatment, possibly making quality healthcare and private sector facilities accessible to the poor. The All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are a group of autonomous public medical colleges of higher education. Apart from AIIMS New Delhi, established in 1956, there are six AIIMS institute at Bhopal, Bhu-baneshar, Jodhpur, Patna, Rishikesh and Raipur.National Health Policy was formulated by Central Government in 2002. The social obligation for the gov-ernment to ensure the highest possible health status of its population and as part of this, ensure that all people have access to quality health care has been recognized by a number of key policy documents. The policy di-rections of the Health for All declaration became stat-ed policy of Government of India with the adoption of the National Health Policy Statement of 1983. Driven by this declaration there was some expansion of pri-mary health care in the eighties. Further, the Nation-al Health Policy of 2002 and the Report of the Macro- Economic Commission on Health and Development (2005) were to emphasize a) the need to increase the total public health expenditure from 2 to 3% of the GDP, b) the need to strengthen the role of public sector in social protection against the rising costs of health care and the need to provide a comprehensive pack-age of services without reducing the prioritization given to women and children’s health. The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was launched on 12th April 2005 to provide accessible, affordable and quality health care to the rural population, especially the vul-nerable groups. The National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) as a sub-mission of National Health Mission (NHM) will meet health needs of the urban population with the focus on urban poor, by making available to them essential primary health care services and reduc-ing out of pocket expenses for treatment.

POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENTAs estimated by the World Bank, India is one of the few countries of the world where the working age popula-tion will be far in excess of those who will no longer be able to work. Unemployment records in India are kept by the Ministry of Labour and Employment of India. From 1983 till 2011, Unemployment rates in India aver-aged 7.6 percent reaching an all time high of 9.4 percent in December 2010 and a record low of 3.8 Percent in

December 2011. In India, the unemployment rate mea-sures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force. The number of unem-ployed persons in India decreased to 39963 thousand in 2009 from 39974 thousand in 2007. Unemployed persons in India and kenya averaged 36933 thousand from 1985 until 2009, reaching an all time high of 41750 thousand in 2001 and a record low of 24861 thousand in 1985. In India, unemployed persons are individuals who are without a job and actively seeking to work. India has a Gini coefficient of 36.8. According to NSS(66th round) Report from Ministry of Statistics and Programme Im-plementation, Government of India published on 2013 Kerala has the highest unemployment rates and ranks worst, while Rajasthan and Gujarat has the least un-employment rate among major States of India. Nation-al average for unemployment rate stands at 50.

POPULATION AND SKILLED LABOURBeyond doubt, our youth power is one of the most im-portant assets for economic development! India’s demo-graphic dividend is a one-time window of opportunity that cannot afford to be missed; failing is not an option, for that would be a national disaster. Almost 40% of In-dia’s workforce had received no formal training. Thus, a large section of India’s population is virtually unem-ployable, or can function as unskilled workers. The other side of this situation is that the Indian industry is facing a shortage of skilled labour despite the bulge in workforce. This shortage is affecting the economy across both manufacturing and services sectors. For example it has been estimated that the Construction sector, on which almost 6% of the country’s workforce depends for livelihood, is facing a 30% percent labour shortage. Rough back of the hand calculations indicate that addressing the skill gap shortage in Construction alone could add USD 20 billion to the Indian economy. In order to tackle the situation steps like skilling of the new entrants to the workforce, upskilling of workers for higher or new skills and recognizing informal ‘on the job’ training of existing workers are need of the hour. The last is especially important given over 92% of India’s labour market is unorganized.

POPULATION AND POVERTY ALLEVIATIONThe Government recognises that high growth of in-comes is by itself not enough to improve the quality of life of the poor. Unless all the citizens of the coun-try, and most particularly the poor, have certain ba-sic minimum services, their living conditions cannot improve. These minimum services include among other things literacy education, primary health care, safe drinking water and nutritional security. The Gov-ernment had convened a meeting of Chief Ministers to identify such basic minimum services and a list of seven services had unanimously been agreed upon. These seven services are safe drinking water, primary health facilities, universal primary education, nutri-tion to school and pre- school children, shelter for the poor, road connectivity for all villages and habitations, and the Public Distribution System (PDS) with a focus on the poor. The Ninth Plan lays special emphasis on these seven basic minimum services and will make all efforts to achieve a minimum level of satisfaction in providing these in partnership with the State Gov-ernments and the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). The Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) aims at providing self-employment to the rural poor through acquisition of productive assets or appropri-ate skills which would generate additional income on a sustained basis to enable them to cross the poverty line. Other programmes like National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS), National family Benefit Scheme (NFBS), National Maternity Benefit Scheme, Anna-purna, Integrated Rural Development programme, Rural Housing-Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY)(initiated in 1985), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) were also initiated to con-trol poverty in India.The introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds and the increased use of chemical fertilizers and irri-gation are known collectively as the Green Revolution, which provided the increase in production needed to make India self-sufficient in food grains, thus improv-ing agriculture in India.

POVERTY LINE DETERMINATIONOne in three Indians lives below the poverty line ac-cording to the Tendulkar Committee report which used a measurement of goods and services, rather than calorie intake, to calculate poverty. A new method to draw the ‘poverty line’ has resulted in an increase in the number of people living below the poverty line in India, from 27.5% of the population to 37.2%, that is, an increase of 10% for 2004-05. A committee headed by economist Suresh Tendulkar has drawn up a new formula for assessing poverty, which it has submit-ted to the Planning Commission. The Dandekar-Rath poverty line formula that has been used since 1971 measures only the calorie content of an Indian’s diet. If it is lower than 2250 calories per person per day, the person is declared to be under the poverty line. This norm was not revised in 35 years. The Tendulkar Committee replaces the calorie measurement by a cost-of-living index, that is, how much money a per-son spends. It looks at a basket of household goods and services such as health and education. The new poverty line is different for different states and also different for rural and urban areas within a state. The all-India average rural poverty line is set at a monthly expenditure of Rs 446.68 a month; the na-tional urban poverty line at Rs 578.8 a month. Goa’s rural poverty line is the highest, pegged at Rs 608.76 a month; Delhi’s is Rs 541. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in collaboration with the United Na-tions Population Fund(UNFPA), have developed ‘Fre-quently Asked Questions’ about the PNDT Act which will be useful to the people. This helps for stabilization of population. National Helpline service on reproduc-tive health, mother health, child health, sexual health, adolescents health, infertility, contraception, and fam-ily planning etc. aims to reach out to adolescent, about to be married and newly married couples and who do not have easy access to reliable information on the above issues.*World Population Day is being observed on 11th July across the World every year.

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”

Quote of the day

Robert Frost

Though the Union Bud-get for 2014-15 present-ed in lok Sabha on 10th July, envisages several welfare measures and

schemes for the whole of the coun-try, but it has many special incen-tives for the state of J&K which include five hundred crore rupees for the rehabilit ation of Kash-miri migrants. Keeping in view the professional requirements of youth, it has been proposed to set up one of the five proposed IITs in the state. The Budget also pro-vides two hundred crore of ru-pees for the modernization of the indoor and outdoor stadia besides one hundred crore rupees for pro-vision of employment to youth of the state. There is proposal for over all development of cot-tage industries and handicrafts particularly Pashmina shawls in the Kashmir valley.It is also proposed to turn employment exchanges into career centers in order to generate more employ-ment avenues for the youth of the state. It may sound very meager initially but it clearly exhibit the intentions of the Modi govt. to effect necessary steps for the de-velopment of the state. The new budget also removes the doubts created by some vested inter-ests about BJP’s Kashmir policy which they had indicated will be discriminatory and biased. So far so, the Modi govt. has been very sincere and has shown a lot of in-terest in taking J&K speedily on the path of development and pros-perity. There is no doubt that the Kashmiri youth are frustrated on employment front and except some little space in state govt. they find their future bleak and dark. If the central govt. really helps them out with special em-ployment package, it will be in the best interest of the country and a historic contribution of a party which has always been dubbed as anti-Muslim and anti- Kashmiris. It is a matter of con-cern that over eight lac educat-ed youth are jobless and have no hope of getting any job in near future. Thousands of them are at the brink of going over aged and hundreds of them have al-ready crossed the required age limits for jobs .It will be in the fit-ness of the things to save hundred of crores of rupees spent on secu-rity related arrangements and to spend the same for providing jobs to the jobless who otherwise can easily be targeted by the forces alien to the national interests.