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Row over insurance claim of Tagore’s lost Nobel
Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas Meghalaya Poll Scene |
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BSP for quota to poor among upper caste
Kandhamal Violence
Fog delays 30 flights
Poor patients denied treatment
Guv for improving quality of education
Chatterjee elected head of conference of speakers
‘Cyber crime on decline
in country’
Biodiversity plan to identify threats to conservation
Koda confident of Cong support
Senior leaders should be brought back to Cong: Karunakaran
JD(S) poll campaign from Jan 18
Sonia discharged from hospital
Haneef may work in West Asia
Centre exempts Arunachal from delimitation process
Canvascope for young artists and sculptors
Nitish: ID move discriminatory
Basu assailed over pro-capitalism remark
Promote sustainability science: experts
Slain Brigadier gives life to two
Inventor of Jaipur foot dead
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Row over insurance claim of Tagore’s lost Nobel
Santiniketan, January 6 Visva Bharati authorities have demanded Rs 1.60 crore as compensation for the lost medallion and other valuables from the National Insurance Company, but the company has rejected the demand terming it as exorbitant, illogical and impracticable. Instead, the company has agreed to pay a reduced amount of Rs 80 lakh by arguing that the lost medallion could not have any sentimental value and hence the compensation be fixed as per the company’s rule book. The prize medal and other valuables were insured against fire and burglary after these were kept in the art gallery at the Bitichra Museum and a premium worth Rs 98,000 was paid to the company. Tagore won the prize in 1913 for literature and his medallion and other valuables were kept under the care and possession of his son Rathindranath during Tagore’s lifetime. But when the Bichitra Museum was built in 1942, Rathindranath handed over his father’s prize medallion and other valuables to the museum for their preservation and maintenance. Since then, the Rabindra Bhavan museum had been a great attraction to the foreign tourists and other visitors who would often visit Tagore’s Santiniketan not merely as a tourist spot but also a centre for art and culture of Rabindranath. However, these valuables and Tagore’s other rare personal belongings went missing from the well-guarded museum in March, 2004.
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Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas
New Delhi, January 6 Issues like the insecurity of ethnic Indians in Kenya and Malaysia, replicating the success of NRIs like Vikram Pandit, who was recently appointed CEO of Citigroup, and the plight of Indian doctors in the UK are going to figure prominently during the two-day proceedings. Representatives of the 30 million-strong Indian diaspora spread in 110 countries are expected to demand that the government play a more pro-active role in such cases. From the government’s perspective, the PIOs cannot just have privileges and they have duties too to perform. “It is a two-way street,” a key official said today. While the government would be willing to take a deep look at the value and role of people of the Indian origin at the pravasi diwas 2008 to generate meaningful mutual benefit, one point where the PIOs can do the needful immediately is NRI investments in India. Overseas Indian affairs minister Vayalar Ravi has gone on record saying the NRI investments in India are not significant. Robinder Sachdev, a leader of Indian Americans, told this correspondent today that it was in the interest of India and the 30 million strong Indian diaspora to fortify each other through a meaningful dialogue. “This becomes even more important in an era when global complexities are compelling nations to engage each other on issues ranging from climate change to trade practices, and often eliciting knee-jerk reactions from an era gone by. A recent example is the objection to Tata by Orient Hotels of the US simply because it happens to be an Indian company,” Sachdev said. The Indian government has noted with appreciation the positive role played by the PIOs in the Indo-US nuclear deal between the US and India. New Delhi has been assured by representatives of the Indian diaspora that if the matter were to come to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), people of Indian origin living in the NSG countries were already gearing to support India’s exemption from nuclear apartheid, in their respective countries. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who will inaugurate the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas 2008 on January 8, is expected to announce several new schemes for the benefit of the PIOs. The overseas Indian affairs ministry will unveil a new micro-financing scheme aimed at enlisting the support of affluent PIOs to help the people of their native place in India to set up new self income generating ventures. More than 1,200 PIOs have confirmed their participation in the event.
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Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to go live
New Delhi, January 6 The government had permitted live web cast of the events, which would enable the Indian diaspora to view it on their computer screens. The ministry of overseas Indian affairs had accepted our proposal to make the event available to the entire Indian diaspora free of cost, live and accessible through the broadband, chairman and CEO of Piotv.com Munish Gupta said here, adding that his company was short listed by the government to carry out the new initiative. This initiative was set to touch 35 million Indian
diaspora, he said. The event, which is scheduled for January 8 and 9, is expected to bring in thousands of people of Indian origin and
NRIs. Till now, only Doordarshan, carried the opening and closing ceremonies live on its channel ‘DD India’.
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Meghalaya Poll Scene
Guwahati, January 6 The concept of loyalty to the party hardly matters in this Northeast hill state in a politician’s quest for the ticket to contest the election to the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly. Those turned down by their own party or having feeble chances of getting the nomination have started shifting allegiance driven by the spirit that the party is not bigger than the poll ticket. The most prominent among those who have already joined rival camps to ensure a ticket include former Meghalaya chief minister and Congress leader J D Rymbai who resigned from the ruling Congress both as member and as legislator amid reports that he would contest on the regional United Democratic Party (UDP) ticket. Rymbai ended his 25-year-long association with the Congress by submitting his resignation letter to the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee ( MPCC) president O L Nongtdu and another to state Assembly Speaker MM Danggo.The former chief minister cited the denial of Congress ticket as the primary reason for his decision to quit the party. However, the MPCC chief said that the question of denying ticket to Rymbai did not arise given that he had not applied for party nomination. The UDP recently announced its willingness to field Rymbai as one of the poll candidates.Rymbai was asked by the All- India Congress Committee (AICC) to step down from the post of chief minister in March last year to pave the way for DD Lapang to don the mantle. It was an embarrassment for Rymbai who ,obviously hasn’t forgotten it. Meanwhile, several other regional party leaders have joined the Congress as part of the pre-election politicking in the hill state that is now being ruled by the Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA).Some MLAs have decided to join Congress ranks just before the elections. These include Meghalaya Democratic Party (MDP) MLA from the Nartiang constituency Draison Kharshing, NCP MLA from the Trikikilla constituency Monindra Rabha, Independent MLA from the Mathengkut constituency Francis Pondit R Sangma and Independent MLA from the Rongram constituency Sengman R Marak. Meanwhile, the NCP under the leadership of veteran Purno A Sangma, the former Lok Sabha Speaker, is all geared up to give the Congress a tough fight in the forthcoming elections.
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BSP for quota to poor among upper caste
Hyderabad, January 6 Addressing a public meeting here, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister also promised to extend reservation to the communities that are presently exempted from the quota policy by bringing in constitutional amendment. Seeking to replicate the Uttar Pradesh model of social engineering in other states and at the Centre, Mayawati asked her partymen to work closely with the upper castes to achieve “political power” at the Centre. “I want to make it clear that we are not against upper castes. In fact, we want to extend the UP model to all other states and carry the upper castes along with us to establish a society on the basis of equality and brotherhood,” she said at a well-attended public meeting at Nizam College Grounds here. Referring to her party’s successful Bahujan-Brahmin experiment in UP, Mayawati said the strategy would be replicated in other states as well and exuded confidence that someday her party would gain power at the Centre. Supporting the much-debated separate Telangana movement, she said if voted to power at Centre, the BSP will fulfil the demand. “Though people of this region have been agitating for Telangana state for a long time, the Centre has failed to respond. From the beginning, we are in favour of smaller states. When we come to power, we will create Telangana state,” Mayawati said amidst loud applause from the crowd. She also used the occasion to end the speculation over her party joining hands with Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi in building an alternative political force in the state.
— PTI
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Kandhamal Violence
Bhubaneswar, January 6 “Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik should immediately convene an all-party meeting on the issue to involve different leaders in the process for the restoration of normalcy and harmony in Kandhamal,” senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Hemananda Biswal told reporters here. Biswal, who heads a Congress fact-finding team that wanted to visit Kandhamal but was stopped, said the government should also allow responsible political parties to tour the violence-affected areas to
facilitate peace. The Chief Minister has failed to take opposition parties into confidence on the riots in Kandhamal, Biswal and former union minister Shrikant Jena said. Accusing the BJD-BJP government of failing to prevent the riots due to “callousness”, they said though trouble had been brewing for the past six months in the tribal dominated district where Kui Samaj Coordination Committee had given a two-day bandh call on December 25, the administration did not take any precautionary measure to deal with it. The problem was essentially related to ethnic issues with Kui Samaj opposing the demand for tribal status by Kui speaking “Pana” caste people, they said, adding that it suddenly took a communal colour after a clash in Brahmanigaon and alleged attack on VHP leader Laxamanananda Saraswati on December 24.
— PTI
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Fog delays 30 flights
New Delhi, January 6 “The low visibility procedures, which were implemented at 8:48 am when the runway visibility range dropped to 725 m, lasted for more than three hours and ended at 11.45 am when visibility improved to 1,400 m,” Delhi Airport officials said. As soon as the RVR dropped to 1,300 m at 8.05 am, the safeguard procedures were implemented, which were terminated at 12 noon when it improved to 1,900 m, they said. During the LVP and safeguard procedures, flights took off and landed using the CAT-I operations. But due to the implementation of safeguard period and use of single runway, which was in use since 10 pm from Saturday, over 30 flights arriving here were delayed, while one Kingfisher flight was diverted to Jaipur. One Jet Airways flight, a Jetlite and a Simply Deccan flight to Jammu, Srinagar and Kullu were cancelled due to bad weather conditions at the destinations, airlines officials said. The segregated use of runway begun only at 5 pm this evening when the RVR improved to 2,600 m. Airlines officials attributed the delay to the use of single runway, saying when there is delay in landing of aircraft, there will naturally be delay in take off also. The DGCA has directed that the use of second runway (27/09) should be discontinued when the RVR is below 1,600 m.
— PTI
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Poor patients denied treatment
Chennai, January 6 The court has directed the Tamil Nadu health secretary to hold a detailed inquiry into such reports and submit a report by January 22. The court took cognisance of a news report and a subsequent habeas corpus petition about a 68-year-old patient lying unconscious outside the Government General Hospital in this metropolis even while needles for intravenous feeding and a catheter were stilled attached to him. S. Sekar, a resident of Cuddalore district, had filed the petition seeking to know the whereabouts of his father K. Samikannu. He stated that after his father went missing from Cuddalore, he had found that a patient around the same age as his father had been admitted to the Cuddalore government hospital with bleeding injuries on December 1 and had been treated as an “unknown person”. After a few days he had been referred to the Government Hospital, Chennai, for a CT scan. When he came to Chennai to inquire about him, he was told by hospital staff that the patient had disappeared, only to know through a newspaper here about an elderly patient lying unattended outside the hospital. He then approached the Madras High Court. A division Bench comprising Justice D. Murugesan and Justice V. Periya Karuppiah expressed shock and said, “If the averments in the report are true, then it is a matter of great concern. The report highlights the traumatic experience of patients admitted to government hospitals without any caretakers.” The judges felt that in view of the seriousness of the complaint that could well be true of any indigent patient, the health secretary should conduct a detailed investigation into the allegations of dumping of unattended patients. There were many complaints that government hospital staff demanded large sums of money from patients and when they were unable to pay, they were treated like this. In the specific case in the Chennai government hospital, the Bench directed the Resident Medical Officer (RMO) to file a report on the date of admission of Samikannu, the treatment given to him and other particulars. Two days ago, an HIV-positive woman, who had given birth to a girl baby, was denied treatment, and she was seen by some people trying to sell the infant for a petty sum. However, she was admitted by a charitable hospital run by a Christian mission.
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Guv for improving quality of education
Dehra Dun, January 6 Addressing the inaugural session of three-day annual conference of the association of the heads of Anglo-Indian schools in India at St. Joseph Academy here today, he stressed on the need to continuously modify and improve the quality of education and ensure that the curriculum remains relevant to current needs of society. The Governor also presented Derozio Awards, instituted by the ICSE, at the inaugural session of the conference. The awards for this year were conferred on Winston R. Gardner, Principal, Laidlaw Memorial School, Kettis, Nilgiri, Tamilnadu, Stephen DaCosta, Principal Frank Antony Public School, New Delhi, and the NGO AMBA. The award is given for service in sphere of school education, education administration and service to education through goodwill and human service. Each award consists of a gold medal, a citation and an amount of Rs 1 lakh. Expressing his concern over child abuse and its damaging psychological consequences, the Governor asked the principals to implement foolproof mechanisms that ensure a protective environment for children in their institutions. He referred to a recent study conducted by the ministry of women and child development in which 65 per cent of the school-going children reported facing corporal punishment while over 53 per cent children reported having faced one or more forms of sexual abuse. The Governor further observed that students today were experimenting with drugs at an alarmingly increasing rate and even prescription medications and other substances are also being used as intoxicants. He said even the best schools and hostels were not free from this. He said the invaluable interventions that the teaching community can make to counter this disturbing trend cannot be over emphasised,” he said. The association was established in 1925 with the purpose of providing a forum to heads of Anglo-Indian schools around the country. The majority of these schools are affiliated to the
ICSE.
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Chatterjee elected head of conference of speakers
New Delhi, January 6 The election was held in London on Friday. Delivering the keynote address, Chatterjee emphasised that parliamentary privileges were an integral part of the Constitution and, therefore, they belonged to what was known as “fundamental law”, a Lok Sabha secretariat release said here today. Chatterjee stressed that Parliament’s privileges did not place a member on a footing different from that of an ordinary citizen in the matter of application of laws. The only purpose and justification for these privileges was to enable the elected representatives discharge their responsibilities and duties “effectively and efficiently” without any fear or favour and without any obstruction or hinderance. Referring to whether the judiciary can interfere in matters of parliamentary privileges, the Lok Sabha Speaker observed that the legislature was the sole authority to judge as to whether or not there had been a breach of privilege in a particular case. Chatterjee pointed out that he had referred the issue of codification of parliamentary privileges and related matters for the consideration of the committee of privileges, which is now seized of the matter. The 20th conference of the speakers and presiding officers of the commonwealth will be held here in 2010.
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‘Cyber crime on decline in country’
New Delhi, January 6 There has been a sharp decline in cases of the cyber crime in Gujarat, where such incidents have come down from 155 in 2005 to just six in 2006. One of the six minors who got arrested on charges of cyber crime also hailed from Gujarat, according to ‘Crime in India: 2006’ report prepared by the National Crime Records Bureau. Out of the six cases,five were registered under provisions of the Information Technology Act while one was filed under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.While 153 cases were registered under IPC sections in Gujarat in 2005, only one was filed in 2006 under the IPC. However, no reasons were attributed in the report to the decline in the registration of cyber crime- related cases in Gujarat. A senior official said the decline did not indicate that the incidents of cyber crime in the state had actually decreased. “This is only a statistics based on the number of cases registered,” he added. The report also said a total of 565 persons were arrested across the country in 2006 on charges of cyber crime, which registered a decrease of 28 cases as compared to the previous year. Madhya Pradesh registered the largest number of cyber crimes (131) in 2006 followed by Andhra Pradesh (116). The largest state Uttar Pradesh, which had four cyber cases in 2005, did not register a single case in the same year.
— PTI
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Biodiversity plan to identify threats to conservation
New Delhi, January 6 The draft NBAP has been circulated among various central government ministries and departments and will soon be placed for approval before the Cabinet. Addressing a meeting of the Consultative Committee of the ministry , minister of state for environment and forests Namo Narayan Meena said biodiversity was fundamental to fulfilment of human needs and vital for survival of the planet. “Biodiversity and global warming are closely linked and each impacted upon the other,” he stressed. A presentation was made on the NBAP during the meeting, explaining values of biodiversity, convention on biological diversity, measures for biodiversity conservation in India and draft NBAP, which is in consonance of the
National Environment Policy (NEP). The NEP’s main focus of concern is sustainable development of human beings and securing basis to obtain better livelihood from conservation than degradation. Seventeen countries, rich in biodiversity and associated with traditional knowledge, have formed a group of like-minded mega-diverse countries (LMMCs). Besides, measures and strategies for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and use of bio-resources are ingrained in Indian ethos and are a way of life. India has a long history of conservation and sustainable use of natural resources,meaning that the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in India did not start recently but has been a part of the culture from ancient times. Members of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee expressed concern about degradation of bio-diversity. They suggested creating awareness through the media and starting a campaign involving the masses. They also suggested working at the global level, as saving environment only in India would not solve this problem. They agreed that to reverse the speed of the country’s industrial progress was not possible even though industrialisation was one of the factors affecting the biodiversity. Terming increased population and consumerism as another factors affecting biodiversity, members suggested to concentrate on conservation and preservation of forests and natural resources. Members also appreciated the working of joint forest management committees at the village level.
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Koda confident of Cong support
Ranchi, January 6 The PCC had held a protest march under the leadership of union minister Ajay Makan from Raj Bhawan to chief minister Madhu Koda’s residence in November to issue the ultimatum.The BJP’s Gujarat victory has given a breather to the Koda government, analysts say. PCC president Pradeep Kumar Balmachu, however, dismissed the possibility of softening the party’s stand on the Koda government post-Gujarat. Balmachu said the Gujarat outcome hardly mattered in Jharkhand. “After giving a memorandum to the chief minister to focus on 19 issues, party representatives have been asked to go to the people for feedback, which will help us assess the performance of the government on the January 15 deadline,” Balmachu said. However, if Balmachu’s own observation on December 26 that the government had speeded up action in same areas mentioned in the memorandum is any indication, Koda would not have to worry much as the deadline approaches. “The revival package to heavy engineering corporation, work on roads, resettlement and rehabilitation policy in its final shape and urgency shown regarding holding of civic polls are some of the areas that got prominence after the memorandum,” Balmachu said.
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Senior leaders should be brought back to Cong: Karunakaran
Thiruvananthapuram, January 6 “I am the seniormost Congressman. My firm view is that not only me, but also senior leaders like Pawar should be brought back. It is my personal opinion and no discussion has begun in that direction,” the 89-year-old leader said in an interview to PTI. Karunakaran, who returned to the party last week, felt that the involvement of Rahul Gandhi and other youth leaders would immensely benefit the party.“The presence of a leader like Rahul Gandhi would greatly help the Congress. We need the services of the youth. At the same time, the experience of senior leaders is also crucial,” he said. With an eye on the general election slated for 2009, Karunakaran wanted the party to put behind the electoral reverses in the states like Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand. “There is no need to be disappointed about certain recent victories scored by the BJP, as the party’s strength lies only in certain pockets. This threat could be surmounted by strengthening the Congress with leaders and workers and meeting people at the grassroots ,” he said. — PTI
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JD(S) poll campaign from Jan 18
Bangalore, January 6 Talking to reporters here,Gowda said he would tour
Bidar, Gulbarga, Raichur, Koppal, Bellary, Davanagere and Chitradurga till January 25. In the second phase, he will visit Uttara Kannada,
Udupi, Mangalore, Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Shimoga and complete the tour of the state by February 15. Upset over the shifting loyalties of his party men, the former Prime Minister vowed to strengthen the party with the support of those who remained in it.His comments came in the wake of rebel
JD(S) leader M.P. Prakash, who has quit the party, considering the possibilities of joining the BJP or the Congress.
— PTI
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Sonia discharged from hospital
New Delhi, January 6 She was admitted to the hospital on January 1 following chest infection. Dr B.K. Rao, chairman, board of management of the hospital said UPA chairperson was discharged today after she fully recovered from illness. She was stable and had been advised to continue rest, he said. Thousands of Congress workers and supporters across the country had been sending her their good wishes for a speedy recovery.
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Haneef may work in West Asia
Bangalore, January 6 Haneef, who has returned to the city after one-and-half-month-long Haj pilgrimage,yesterday said his family was not in favour of his going back to Australia. He, however, said he still had a two-week window to take a final decision. He went on to say the main reason for not going back to Australia was the fear that he and his family members could be questioned with regard to the failed Glasgow bombings in which his cousin Kafeel Ahmed succumbed to his injuries. “I can only consider going back if I am assured by the Australian Federal Police that I will not be questioned over the same issue again,” he added. The 27-year-old doctor, who was only recently cleared of all terror charges with regard to the failed bomb attack on the Glasgow airport in the United Kingdom last year, had his Australian visa reissued to him a few days ago.
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Centre exempts Arunachal from delimitation process
Itanagar, January 6 State parliamentary affairs minister and government spokesman Tako Dabi informed from New Delhi here today that the Centre would pass an ordinance within the next three to four days for cancellation of its earlier order for delimitation of the Arunachal Assembly constituencies. ''The Centre's decision to actively consider the state government's demand in the larger interests has come as a New Year gift to the people of this Himalayan state,''Dabi added.
— UNI
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Canvascope for young artists and sculptors
Guwahati, January 6 Canvascope is an infrastructure for artists and sculptors especially those from the younger generation that is taking shape under the roof of a 3500 square ft shed in an industrial estate here. It will provide a much- needed common platform for artists and sculptors of the region to do their work, experiment with colours and shapes. “There is no point blaming our youth for going astray without providing them with an environment to hone their skills and talents. Canvascope is just a humble attempt to promote art and sculpture among the youth,” said filmmaker Sanjib
Sabhapandit.
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Nitish: ID move discriminatory
New Delhi, January 6 “Delhi is a place where everybody has a claim.... The present exercise smacks of discrimination, the decision will affect free movement of people across the Capital,” he said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Noting that people from Bihar were already ridiculed in Delhi, Nitish Kumar said “it is a serious thing”. He said Biharis had made a lot of contribution to the national Capital. Though he praised the concept of national identity proof as a whole, the Chief Minister said the right of citizens should not be “trampled”. Nitish Kumar also took exception to the decision of carrying Delhi licence for driving vehicles in the Capital, saying the Motor Vehicles Act was meant for the entire country. The Chief Minister pooh poohed the reason behind the decision that it was to help create full proof security saying it reflected the failure of the police and the investigating machinery.
— PTI
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Basu assailed over pro-capitalism remark
Kollam (Kerala), January 6 “I haven’t found it in any of the Marxist texts I have learnt that capitalism is essential for industrial development. It comes as a surprise to me that this sort of thinking has seeped into the Left parties,” Pankajakshan said in his opening address to the party state conference here. He said it was difficult to take these as mere passing remarks. They actually reflected the direction in which the CPM was steering its policies. Basu had only underlined what West Bengal Chief Minister Buddadeb Bhattacharjee had stated earlier, he added. “Is the CPM willingly plunging into the depths of the old capitalism. This is an issue to be seriously debated. The RSP (as a Left ally) would make its views clear in such a debate,” he said. A veteran trade union leader, Panakajakshan said it was without the support of private capital that the Communist party built up the industrial base of the erstwhile Soviet Union.
— PTI
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Promote sustainability science: experts
Visakhapatnam, January 6 “Sustainability science is a pathway to peace and security in the world. Global warming and other serious concerns are a clear evidence of unsustainable lifestyle. The science teaches you how to live in harmony with nature,” eminent agriculture scientist M. S Swaminathan said while addressing a scientific session on sustainability science. The UN has declared 2005-14 as the ‘decade of education for sustainable development’. Swaminathan suggested a three-pronged approach of education, social mobilisation and regulation to promote sustainable development. “Education that is environmental literacy, social mobilisation through panchayats and nagar palikas and finally, regulation through a proper legislation,” he said. Jeffrey McNeely, chief scientist with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, said millennium development goals need the sustainability science. He said “services and non-material benefits” available to mankind from the nature are invaluable. V. N Rajasekharan Pillai, vice-chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), said education for sustainable development is different from environmental education. “Besides ecological and environmental dimensions, education for sustainable development would also look into the economic, social and political dimensions,” he said. The IGNOU has established a chair to develop and promote education for sustainable development in the country with focus on the promotion of research and education in the field of sustainability science, Pillai added.
— PTI
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Slain Brigadier gives life to two
New Delhi, January 6 In seventh such case in the armed forces in the past few months, organs of Brigadier (retd) Y.P. Bakshi were transplanted onto a serving soldier and a 14-year-old boy. A kidney has been sent to AIIMS for transplantation and one cornea and heart valves have been stored for needy recipients. Brig Bakshi had been brought to the Army’s Research and Referral (R&R) Hospital on January 4 with a gunshot wound in the head. Yesterday, he was declared brain dead following which his daughter and her husband, Maj. Gen (retd) P.K. Mehta, decided to donate his organs. Although the procedure required complex clearances, since it was a medico-legal case and required the consent from the Delhi and the Meerut police, doctors operated upon him to transplant his liver onto a serving soldier with cirrhosis and a kidney to a 14-year-old boy. According to commandant, R & R Hospital, Maj Gen O.P Mathew, the Armed Forces Organ Retrieval & Transplantation Authority coordinated the entire operation with cooperation from Dr Jagdish Prasad, medical superintendent, Safdarjang Hospital, and the Department of Forensic Medicine in the presence of police officials. Commissioned into 5th Battalion of the 1st Gorkha Rifles, Brig Bakshi raised 5th Battalion and commanded 4th Battalion of the same regiment. The armed forces have been promoting organ donation and over 1,000 serving personnel, veterans and their families have pledged to donate their organs.
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Inventor of Jaipur foot dead
Jaipur, January 6 A recipient of Padmashree award, Sethi left behind his wife, one son and three daughters. Besides Padmashree in 1981, Dr Sethi received Magsaysay Award, Dr B.D. Roy national medical man distinction and his name was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for his invention. He was elected to the Indian Academy of Science as fellow in 1989. His new designs of orthotic-aids in polio myelitus using polymers were used all over the world specially during wars when thousands of army men lost their limbs. Among the celebrities, who used the artificial limb, was Bollywood actress Sudha Chandra who played a dancer sequence in ‘Nache Mayuri’ wearing Jaipur foot. The Jaipur foot was very popular in the Kargil war, Iraq war and recently in Pakistan and it was implanted to soldiers free of cost. Dr Sethi, who had retired as the Head and Professor of Orthopaedic Department at the Sawai Mansingh Hospital, was a consultant at the Satokhab Durlabhji Memorial Hospital for the past couple of years.
— PTI
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