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Decline of Parliament
Breaking glass ceiling
Nuisance of unwanted calls |
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Nitish’s great half-victory
‘G’-nib
Hormones
What are hormones?
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Decline of Parliament
Continued
disruptions have cost Parliament heavily in terms of time, funds and agenda. The current session has been paralysed because of the deadlock over the Opposition demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the 2G spectrum allocation, the Commonwealth Games and the Adarsh Housing Society scams. The all-party meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Tuesday failed to break the impasse because both the government and the Opposition stuck to their guns. On Wednesday, amid din, the Lok Sabha passed a few appropriation bills and supplementary grants by voice vote to authorise payment and appropriation of sums from and out of the Consolidated Fund of India for the financial year 2010-11. If important bills are passed without debate in the House, Parliament’s authority over spending as also on the executive to fix accountability for lapses will be undermined. There is no issue which cannot be resolved in Parliament by consensus provided there is a strong will on both sides. But if members choose to ignore the House and bills are passed by voice vote, democracy will be in peril. In March 1991, there was a deep sense of outrage across the country when Parliament passed 18 bills in less than two hours on the last day of the session. Similarly, in the last Budget session, five bills were passed in 15 minutes. The monsoon session, too, was disrupted over issues like price rise. The current session was scheduled to examine, among others, 23 new bills in 24 sittings. These included the setting up of a national academic depository to dematerialise education degrees on the lines of share certificates, constituting the National Identification Authority to issue unique identification numbers and to protect women at workplaces. It was also scheduled to take up pending bills such as the Women’s Reservation Bill (already passed by the Rajya Sabha on March 9) and the Prevention of Torture Bill. How can Parliament examine such bills properly if it is not allowed to function? Indeed, Parliament would cease to be a law-making body if MPs don’t take it seriously. Even in normal times, some bills, which are referred to the standing committees of various ministries, are not scrutinised thoroughly since only MPs interested in a particular subject would join a standing committee. Even in cases the bills are debated extensively, the government is reluctant to incorporate changes suggested by the Opposition. All this bodes ill for parliamentary democracy. There is a need to re-examine the rules of parliamentary business to make every MP accountable for his/her actions.
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Breaking glass ceiling
Women
in India have broken one more glass ceiling with the government finally allowing the Army to clear a first batch of 12 women officers for permanent commission. These 12 officers, currently in the ranks of Major and Lt-Colonel, were Short Service Commission officers who until last week could serve for a maximum of five to 14 years. However, credit for this progressive step goes not to the government but the judiciary. For, the decision comes within four months of the Supreme Court upholding in August this year an earlier Delhi High Court judgment directing the government to extend permanent commission to women officers from the Army’s Medical Corps and the Judge Advocate-General. All along the government had been opposing this move as per a notification issued in pursuance of Section 12 of the six decade-old Army Act of 1950 that prohibits women from being given permanent commission. The celebrations, however, are limited to these two non-combat arms which are confined to hospitals and court rooms. The Indian armed forces have 6,749 women officers, over one third (2,591) of whom were recruited in the last three years. This decision has not been extended to support arms such as the Corps of Engineers, Signals and Intelligence which also has a fair share of women officers. The Indian Air Force has by far been the most progressive by inducting women officers to pilot transport aircraft, including helicopters, across a country with a varied terrain. But India is still far behind the West, including even countries like Turkey which allowed its women pilots to fly bombing missions over North Iraq and in ISAF patrol missions in Afghanistan, or the UK, which allows women to serve in Artillery units. The US Air Force routinely allows women pilots to fly most combat missions, while beginning with the Norwegians, countries such as Australia, Canada and Spain allow women to serve on board submarines. In Britain, 67, 71 and 97 per cent of all posts, respectively, in its Army, Navy and Air Force are open to women. But the ultimate glass ceiling yet to be ever broken by women is serving as a combatant in the Infantry, which remains out of bounds for reasons ranging from the physiological to the psychological.
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Nuisance of unwanted calls
IT is heartening that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has not only taken a serious view of unsolicited calls but is all set to impose penalties on telemarketing firms and operators for making such calls. That the proposed fines are not just token figures, as is the case now, but involve hefty amounts, which could actually throw a spanner in the overzealous marketing antics of many a company, is as it should be. The proposal to increase the amount in case the offence is repeated, too, is in the fitness of things. For quite some time now the nuisance of unwanted calls has been recognised and the need for some regulatory mechanism has been felt. Two years ago, even the Supreme Court took notice of it and suggested a call registry, since the National Do Not Call (NDNC) registry had not worked effectively, its efficiency being at best 60 to 65 per cent. It was realised that despite a large number of subscribers opting for the “Do Not Call” facility, they continue to be hassled by one or the other telemarketing company trying to palm them off some product or service. Interestingly, it’s not only the common man who is perturbed by the pesky callers. Even Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was not spared and received a call from a telemarketer while attending an important meeting. It is true that technology has made our lives simpler and tele-marketing is the reality of the modern-day world. However, telemarketers must realise that they have no right or business to call up those who have asked not to be bothered. With new rules that also make it mandatory for all telemarketers’ telephone numbers to start with 700, it is hoped that some relief will come to the subscribers who do not wish to be disturbed by such calls.
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A stand can be made against invasion by an army; no stand can be made against invasion by an idea. — Victor Hugo
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Nitish’s great half-victory Nitish Kumar
deserves kudos for his spectacular electoral victory in Bihar though only two cheers are presently warranted. Among those who clearly lost were the Naxals who did their best to subvert the polls but failed. The ballot box triumphed over the bullet but that battle in not yet fully won. Narendra Modi was kept out and the BJP must ponder whether it wishes to follow Modi’s model, with its Hindutva overtones, or Nitish’s more inclusive pathway. The BJP did well to win 91 seats, 36 up, against the JDU’s 115. The 25 per cent vote Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD won indicates that caste still reigns strong. The Congress was near-routed while the Left found its base further eroded, signaling the shape of things to come. It is disturbing that not only were a large number of candidates with criminal charges nominated but that as many as 85 were elected (JDU 43, BJP 29). The number of crorepatis returned to the Assembly this time has risen, with many of those re-elected showing assets considerably in excess of what they had declared five years ago. Many MLAs failed to declare their PAN numbers. These straws in the wind suggest that graft, black money and tax evasion still plague Bihar. However, these are not the sole reasons for proclaiming Nitish Kumar’s triumph no more than a half-victory. His previous term did notch up notable accomplishments: an enviable rate of growth; considerable progress in school and teacher enrollment, especially among girls, thanks to an imaginative free cycle scheme for those passing the eighth grade; gender empowerment by mandating 50 per cent panchayat membership for women; ensuring that the benefits of reservation penetrated below the creamy layer by creating a new category of extremely backward classes or mahadalits; building and improving roads and bridges, stamping on lawlessness by enforcing the criminal justice system; and generally improving governance through better public service delivery. Considering the sense of hopelessness and despair that had gripped Bihar, characterised by misgovernance and near-anarchy following years of misrule, the turnaround achieved is truly remarkable. Yet, there is no basis for complacency. Some gross symptoms of Bihar’s dysfunctionalism have receded but the underlying malaise remains: rigid caste and feudalism entrenched in extraordinary oppressive land relations that have long been a huge agricultural depressor and a root cause for violence, destitution, indignity and naxalism. Bihar remains among the country’s least urbanised states, especially after losing the mineral rich, industrialising Jharkhand region. Rural unemployment and debt are high and what could and should be India’s bread-basket, given its excellent soil, plentiful water (for the most part) and sunshine, has very poor crop yields. The sugar economy is in need of modernisation. This was among the pillars of Nitish’s first-round strategy, which somehow got lost on the way. The massive Kosi breach and floods some years ago was a disaster that afforded opportunity for a new agrarian beginning as nature’s fury had wiped the slate clean. Instead, a dreadful and inefficient status quo ante was restored at huge public expenditure to enable an age-old system of feudal exploitation to be ingloriously resuscitated. A heaven-sent opportunity for a massive experiment in agrarian and socio-economic engineering was simply thrown away. Unemployment and distress migration remain high. Unless these tasks are tackled head on, Bihar will plod along but never take its rightful place as a vanguard state that it once was in history. Vested interests abound, not the least among Nitish Kumar’s close supporters. The Chief Minister appointed two landmark committees in his first term: the Bandopadhya and Dube committees on agrarian and educational reforms respectively. Both produced excellent reports, the latter recommending common schools among other things. Alas, the Chief Minister baulked. Neither was implemented. Millions of share-croppers remain in virtual bondage and are ripe for revolution. This must not happen again. The new Nitish administration was sworn in at Patna Maidan last week — another symptom of populism and playing to the gallery rather than focusing on the ball. With a huge majority — even with many die-hard conservatives around — he must grasp the nettle, break Bihar’s land-caste-feudal stranglehold and release the enormous human resources and energy that have remained bottled. The Bandopadhya report offers a starting point on how to proceed with agrarian reform. The mechanism for implementation can be found in the Kosi Kranti experiment that this writer was instrumental in scripting in 1978 in Karpoori Thakur’s time, with strong support from P.S.Appu, the Chief Secretary. This, sadly, was aborted by the Chief Minister’s inability to provide the necessary administrative leadership and keep feudal interests at bay, despite his personal enthusiasm for the project. Bihar’s irrigation systems, especially Kosi and Gandak, are in a mess and need to be taken in hand with consolidation, on-the-spot updating and correction of revenue records, with mobile courts in attendance and much else besides as spelt out under Kosi Kranti. South Bihar suffers from periodic drought even though it is underlain by an ocean of water in a deep aquifer between 1500 and 3000 metres deep in several layers as hypothesized after careful study as far back as 1967 and further verified by an examination of the ONGC’s core petro-geological drillings samples from Bihar’s terai. The World Bank offered to assist exploratory drilling to map the potential aquifer, believed to stretch from Faizabad to Saharsa along the north Ganga plain. The Government of India disregarded the offer. This is something Bihar must now insist on taking up to prove the hypothesis which, if established, could transform the approach to water resource development and exploitation. Given reform and modernisation of its land and water regime, Bihar could triple its crop production, attain higher productivity, take surplus labour off the land through agro-processing and small industry, based on Nepalese hydro- power and by developing its service sector. This is what Nitish must do. Will
he?
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‘G’-nib WHAT a ‘303 rifle’ was to a soldier learning to fight, a ‘G’ nib was to a pupil learning to write English alphabets. Unlike learning Urdu or Devanagari scripts which could be written on the ground with your index finger — as it was in rural schools — before starting to use ‘takhti’ (wooden board), it was the ‘G’ nib which was the first and foremost tool for the beginners in English. Holding it firmly between the index finger and the thumb with the firm support of the middle finger, the holder with its pointed nib moved on the ‘four-line’ notebook specially made for the English alphabet. The nib was made of metal with a capillary channel mounted on a holder often made of wood with its trademark ‘G’ engraved on its back. The ‘G’ nib played its magic in drawing the contours of alphabets, with an emphasis here and light touch there flowing smoothly to make a perfect figure. These alphabets enjoyed a certain hierarchy in the script when written with ‘G’ nib. An example: ‘a’ occupied a humble position in the middle two lines, ‘b’ rose from the third line to touch the topmost. Only ‘f’ and ‘p’ enjoyed an unparalleled status rising like mini towers from the bottom to the top while ‘g’ and ‘z’ came down from the second line to the bottom. Ancient Indians were the first to use pen. A bronze nib was found in the ruins of Pompeii also. But metal pen was first patented in 1803. Its utility ousted the quill pens being in use from the days of the ancient Egyptians. The schoolteacher was the master of the art of teaching the use of ‘G’ nibs. How to dip it in the inkpot, how to achieve the right grip, where to apply pressure on the nib and when to use it with ease for not only making letters, but also achieving refinement in calligraphy was the craft he learnt over the years. The young students often failed to use the holder as deftly as the master was adept at teaching its use. Often they got vicious raps on their knuckles for being slow in learning the skill. But gradually their skills improved and the students earned a degree of freedom to use fountain pens in higher classes, particularly, at the time of final examinations. They were also permitted to write on notebooks with single lines. ‘G’ nib, though a schoolmate of the reed-pen (‘kalam’), was a class apart as it could be used only on special notebooks while reed-pens operated on wooden-boards. Both performed with distinction, but one could not be substituted for the other. Now reed-pens, quill-pens and dip-pens — ‘G’ nib included — have become part of the old generation which has been ousted by fountain pens, ballpoints and markers of several different pedigrees like ‘Mont Blanc’, ‘Waterman’, ‘Parkers’ and what not. Old-timers remain nostalgic about the G-nib and believe that the current tools only write the script but fail to “paint the voice” which Voltaire thought the art of writing was all
about.
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Hormones One must have knowledge and awareness of changes which occur from teen to adulthood, especially the effect of hormones on various tissues and organs, such as fat, elastic tissue, skin , hair, weight, and development of secondary sex characters like beard and change of voice in boys and breast in girls. Most important in girls is the beginning of menses (Menarche). Hormones influence the period problems throughout the reproductive years. The cells of many organs have a receptor mechanism, which captures a particular hormone: like alpha and beta Estrogen receptors in the breast. Thus hormones are concentrated in the cells they influence. It is not the blood concentration alone, but the cell concentration of the hormone that matters. Female hormones have powerful effects on mood and appearance. In this youth-oriented society, everyone, young and aged, is very conscious and worried about looks and appearances. The media makes it worse by portraying perfect looking women for various advertisements. In the past women were satisfied with their appearances and accepted their looks with aging process mainly after age 40 +. But now firstly they don't feel that they are old at age 40 +. They had always heard that age 40 + means going in for menopause. Time and again I hear from ladies: "I am forty but I don't feel menopausal". Obviously, they fear and attribute menopause with not being attractive. Unfortunately, very often the fashion, society, including men, want a woman to look one way but hormones makes her look the other way. Although one does not want to judge women by their appearances, one must be honest to recognise the situation and hormonal changes, and give deserving help for grooming from self-satisfaction to self-expression. Apart from the appearance, women want their mood also to be pleasing. It is when the hormones makes them gloomy and unpleasant, irritable, and depressed that they deserve help to get them out of these unpleasant feelings, which have developed due to hormonal adversities such as PMS, chronic fatigue, acne, unwanted hair, hair loss, breast pain and other symptoms due to menopausal hormonal deficiency. Many times it can be only "just not feeling good". The first step in solving the problem is to accept and admit that hormonal vulnerability is the cause of the problem. Second step is to get diagnosis done. Thirdly, choose the right doctor. Exercise and proper nutrition have been emphasised enough, for their value in maintaining our body in good condition. In this age of grooming awareness, a woman of age 45 - 50 looks and feels younger than women of the age of their mother's and grandmother's generation, Maintaining the right balance of hormones can prevent inevitable effects of aging on skin, bones, hair and energy. The challenges of each phase of life can be maintained by proper attention to hormonal health.
Hormones in their ordered proportion and balance mean good health. Please remember, good health makes you feel good and feeling good makes you look good. Dr Geeta Pandya is Gynec-Endocrinologist, Jaslok Hospital and Research
Centre, Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai
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There are many conditions and incidences where, a hormone acts in multiple ways and there are some actions and functions requiring multiple hormones. It is a well known fact that any one hormone does not have a single action. One hormone performs multiple functions and one function needs multiple hormones. NO HORMONES NO HEALTH Misbehaved hormones create health problems reflecting and presenting themselves as: a) If I don't eat soon I will pass out (Insulin): When a person who has diabetes does not eat on time and remains hungry for a long period of time, his blood sugar drops. The person feels like he will faint and when the blood sugar goes down much lower, he may go into a state called hypoglycaemia. This is a serious state, which could require emergency treatment. This is why diabetics have to keep their sugar level in control. As opposed to that, if they eat too many sweets or carbohydrates, the blood sugar levels go up. Very high blood sugar can throw a person in coma and would require control with an insulin injection. b) How you have grown! (Pubertal changes): At puberty, a child becomes an adolescent. In girls we see changes in height as well as breasts development. In boys, height and muscles develop. The voice changes and becomes hoarse. They start developing hair on the upper lip forming a moustache and on sides as side burns and thus need to start shaving. Boys also develop hair on the middle of chest. Both sexes develop an attraction for the other sex. In short, both girls and boys lose their baby fat and grow into young adolescents to become future men and women. c) She is irritable, must be close to her period time (PMS-Pre Menstrual Syndrome): PMS is a very annoying condition. It occurs 10 to 12 days before the menses start. Many women experience it. They feel heavy, become puffy and irritable. They feel like crying, may get depressed or angry. They may also feel like eating sweets etc, and can become very unreasonable. Family members want to stay away and not cross their path. In fact, statistics have proved that in women, the maximum number of suicides occur during this phase of the menstrual cycle. This is more commonly seen in women between ages 30 to 40 years of age. However it can occur in younger girls too. But fortunately as soon as the menses start all the behavioural changes become normal. d) Ignore her behaviour. Don't mind her. It is her change of life (Menopause): One can write a full chapter on this condition. It requires in-depth knowledge of declining ovarian hormones. e) Look at her! How much weight she has put on and how puffy she looks? (Thyroid problem): A woman suddenly starts gaining weight, her face becomes puffy, she becomes lethargic (slows down) and dull. This occurs due to low thyroid hormones. Her skin becomes dry. Many systems like intestinal system become slow resulting in constipation etc. Men can also develop
hypothyroidism. — G.P
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Hormones
The inter-reaction of hormones is so intrinsic that to understand the functions and reactions, one needs to understand the endocrine system well. Nature and body keeps the hormones under control to maintain the balance. Unfortunately when this balance is interrupted many problems occur. 
Hormones