The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Less testing entrance
Towards more equitable intake by IITs

LIFE for an engineering aspirant is tough in the country. On an average, he has to take three tests – IIT-JEE for IITs, AIEEE for National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and the state test. It causes tremendous stress to students and parents alike. The whole system is tilted in favour of those coming from elite institutions and those who can afford to take extra coaching. The Joint Council of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) proposes to make the admission process more accessible and equitable for all by holding an all-India common entrance test for admissions to all engineering colleges, including the IITs, by 2013.

A merit list would be generated based on combined weightages of the Class XII marks and aptitude test scores of students. The aptitude test will be part of the national test and will judge a student for analytical abilities and not subject knowledge. How to evolve a formula by which Class XII marks obtained by students across all 42 boards in India can be equalised is going to be a tall order for the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkota. Much will also depend on the response of states, some of which are not too keen on the change — given the complexities and sensitivities involved.

The Joint Council also agreed to raise the fee of IIT students from the current Rs 50,000 per annum to Rs 2 lakh, but this hike will not be across the board. Students from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (except the creamy layer) are exempted from it. That means only about 25 per cent students will be affected. A large percentage of them are entitled to education loan. Equally important is the decision to make the IITs world class institutions by ensuring that the IIT system will produce 40,000 Ph.D.s by 2020. The faculty would also be enhanced to 16,000 with an additional 4,000 to be appointed every year. One just hopes that these islands of excellence would be allowed to grow freely and also become beacons for other engineering institutes, some of which have nothing much to recommend them at the moment, but are still thriving in a situation of scarcity.

NASA unveils new plans
Rocketing to the great beyond

IT will take a giant rocket to move the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) back to the moon and beyond, eventually to Mars. NASA has announced that the unimaginatively titled Space Launch System will replace the Space Shuttle programme that has been discontinued, but it will take time to develop this rocket, whose capability and range are expected to be augmented in time. The new rocket will take space watchers to the old days of the Saturn rockets which were used to carry the Apollo astronauts to the moon in the late 1960s. However, unlike the 1960s, when NASA enjoyed a virtual carte blanch and huge funding while the US and the erstwhile USSR raced to be the first on the moon, the space agency is now facing many budget cuts.

Many eyebrows were raised when the space shuttle Atlantis touched down on earth after its final foray into space earlier this year, and there was no viable replacement in sight.Now that plans have been announced, and funding made available, NASA will have to deliver a reliable rocket, within the schedule it has announced. The new rocket system is planned around many parts including the distinctive fuel tanks, of the space shuttle. It will use liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen engines.

NASA has been caught in the crossfire of political rivals in Washington. This has cost the US space programme, which was, in any case, suffering from lack of direction. All American astronauts manning the International Space Station have to be sent aloft and brought back via Russian Soyuz rockets. Last month, an unmanned cargo mission crashed, apparently because of a faulty valve. A powerful reliable rocket will go a long way in helping the US achieve its goals of exploring deep into the universe by sending astronauts and thus seeking more understanding of the world beyond our reach at present.

Thought for the Day

The easiest thing to find is fault. — Anonymous

ARTICLE

Israel’s growing isolation
US too faces difficult dilemma
by Inder Malhotra

FOR much too long Israel has been lording over West Asia (the Middle-East, to Western countries) not so much because of its huge military might as thanks to unstinted support to it by the United States regardless of the gravity of Israel’s indefensible excesses and even aggressive acts. Now this may not last very long because Israel’s isolation within the region is increasing fast, and the US has to face its own worries, internal and external. With Israel’s embassy in Cairo ransacked by thousands of protestors, and Turkey having expelled its ambassador, the rulers in Jerusalem are shaken, if only because these two neighbours were Israel’s closest allies so far. Now hostile feelings among the Egyptian people are so high that Israeli military jets had to evacuate its diplomats from the besieged and battered embassy. Many Israeli commentators said that this reminded them of Iran in 1979 when their country had to evacuate its embassy in Teheran after the Khomeini Revolution. Some of them added that their flag on the embassy in Cairo, torn to shreds by the protestors, would not fly there again “any time soon”.

Elsewhere in the Arab world the street has always been seething with rage against Israel; only the oil-rich monarchs and dictators, with their complete dependence on the US, had found it expedient to have good relations with the Jewish state. That situation starting changing with the Arab Spring could become a thing of the past. But that is by no means all.

Israel is painfully aware that in a matter of days the issue of recognition of Palestinian statehood would be before the United Nations where Israeli options are limited. This is so because never before has the support to the Palestinian demand been so widespread and so strong as now. The virtual collapse of the Oslo process and the failure of the sporadic US attempts to promote dialogue between Israel and the Palestine Authority have contributed to this.

As far as can be ascertained, the position of Israel —and its mentor, the US — is likely to be that the world body can give Palestine the status of a state as it has given this to Vatican. This means that, like Vatican, Palestine would not be a member of the UN. This idea is too absurd to be taken seriously. In normal circumstances, the easy way out would have been to ask the US to veto Palestinian membership of the UN. (The UN General Assembly can confer a Vatican-like status but no new member can be admitted without the sanction of the Security Council.)

Unfortunately, the situation is no longer “normal” either for the US or Israel. The US could go on vetoing all Security Council resolutions recklessly because it was sure it could do so and yet retain the partnership of Arab regimes, most importantly Saudi Arabia’s. Not only is the monarchy in Riyadh conscious of the meaning of the Arab Spring (its condemnation of Bashar Al-Assad’s savage regime and withdrawal of Saudi ambassador from Damascus speak for themselves) but also it has taken a position in Sunni-dominated Shia Bahrain that is both immoral and defiant of the US.

Turki al-Faisal, a former chief of Saudi intelligence, later ambassador to the US and now chairman of King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, has bluntly warned America about the shape of things to come. In his words, “a US veto of Palestinian statehood will have profound negative consequences … The least that the US can do is to step aside and not hinder efforts to advance Palestinian rights at the UN”.

Remarkably, even within Israel there is growing criticism, especially by the Labour Party, of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s intransigent and arrogant stand of total opposition to Palestinian statehood. He complains that the attempt to corner his country is because of growing strength of Islamists in Israel’s neighbourhood. That is true at best up to a limited extent. Adherents of Muslim Brotherhood and similar organisations are but a part of the broader movements for democracy, freedom and justice for Palestine.

Come to think of it, Palestine was a sovereign state in 1948 when Israel was created. Until then the entity called Palestine had been under British mandate since the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Since 1967 the whole of Palestine has been under Israeli occupation. This monstrosity has to end.

Interestingly, this is precisely the argument of Labour leaders against Mr. Netanyahu’s intransigence. Basically, their point is that since the Oslo process has broken down irreparably, it would be in the interest of both Israel and Palestine if they emerge from the UN “with a two-state reality and a far more manageable conflict”. Many Israelis also acknowledge that the Palestine Authority chairman, Mahmoud Abbas, is a moderate and would be inclined to make concessions to bring into being a state of Palestine within 1967 borders, with such territorial adjustments as can be agreed mutually.

Against this backdrop India’s role at the UN is cut out for it. We must stand up and be counted in support of a sovereign state of Palestinians whose cause we have always championed though this policy has become somewhat mute of late.

India’s relations with Israel have been fine since 1993 when this country upgraded its diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv. Since then cooperation between the two has grown fast. More importantly, Israel has supplied us with sophisticated military hardware and technology not always available from elsewhere. There is no reason, therefore, to cause unnecessary offence to Israel. By the same token, there is no need to be squeamish about, or tolerant of, gross Israeli misdeeds and excesses.

While the expected drama at the UN has yet to unfold itself, there is an instructive sidelight to the bitter breach between Turkey and Israel. The Turkish government expelled the Israeli ambassador and suspended military relations with the former ally because of the latter’s obdurate refusal to apologise for killing eight Turks in the Israeli attack on a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza last year. A UN report, issued on September 2, upheld the legality of the Israeli raid but held Israel’s methods “excessive and unreasonable”. Mr. Netanyahu flatly refused to apologise, just as he did in the case of three Egyptians the Israeli soldiers shot during “hot pursuit” of suspected terrorists.

MIDDLE

Off-stage curtain raisers
by Rajnish Wattas

WHEN I finally took a bow as a theatre director, little did I realise that later, not only would great performances tug at my heart, but also some of the off-stage curtain raisers haunt me.

Once during a Bharatnatyam recital by Sonal Mansingh the chief guest, a frail octogenarian, was so enthralled by the performance, that in spite of repeated nudges by his aide to leave for the next engagement, the worthy would not budge. As the dance gained momentum, the nervous aide coughed and lowering his voice, whispered into my ear: “He needs to ease himself urgently!”

As the public toilet was ruled out by his security entourage, the only way out was the backstage toilet. When the VVIP along with his retinue of cumerband bearers was led into the gents’ green room, the bhangra performers were still roaming around in varying states of undress after a zesty performance! Though embarrassed and apologetic, we went ahead with the ‘toilet act’. Finally it was accomplished with due deference and courtesy; with one bearer duly holding a fresh towel besides him, while the others waited expectantly outside. When the burra sahib finally emerged out with a beatific smile — I knew that I had earned an excellent report that year.

On another occasion a state minister came to preside over a haute-couture fashion show followed by his gun-toting posse of commandos. In spite of much pleadings, the ‘cats’ insisted on positioning themselves inside the hall with triggers on their carbines in readiness — in the name of security. Later on, the only casualties were they themselves. When the more revealing designers bared their art, all the carbines simply slumped down! Thank God no wardrobe-malfunctioning took place that day!

Once when I was taking a backstage round before a Haryanavi Saang festival, my already jittery nerves were shattered by the sight of a biri-smoking, moustachioed six-footer dressed in choli and ghagra, coolly emerging from the ladies changing room! Before I could faint, my seasoned deputy calmly clarified that in such folk performances, the tradition of men doing female roles was still intact — and no intruder had really broken into the forbidden area!

However, the climax scene of my theatrical career was the gate-crashing of a romantically cooing pair of pigeons sneaking into the hall, just before a Lillette Dubey play. Try as we would to shoo them away, they were firmly ensconced and merrily whirred away from one track light to another above the stage. The winged visitors were determined Lillette fans and there to stay.

And that evening, for a change my wife too was in the audience seated in one of the best rows of the hall. In the middle of the play just when a dramatic scene was in progress, one of the pigeons chose to add his own special effects too by delivering a dropping from the top — and bang on her seat!

The rest of course is history. And the last curtain-call for me.

OPED

It is ironic that India, which is aiming to become a hub of medical tourism and boasts of world class medical facilties, cannot provide even basic midwifery services and primary health care to thousands of pregnant women. Not only is the country’s maternal mortality rate high, in some districts like Purulia nearly half the women die during pregnancy and child birth

Tragedy of childbirth
by Shree Venkatram

IN the 15 minutes you might take to read this article, three Indian women in the prime of their life would have succumbed to complications arising from pregnancy and childbirth. In all probability they would have left behind newborn babies or toddlers, many of whom would die or be consigned to a life of undernourishment, neglect and a compromised future.

It is very risky becoming a mother in India. According to a Unicef estimate, India sees 78,000 maternal deaths. Other agencies have pegged the figure to be higher. There are districts in the country, Purulia for example, where nearly half the women die during pregnancy and child birth. For each one of these deaths, scores of others suffer acute maternal morbidity that leaves them permanently disabled and confined to a lifetime of pain and misery. The irony is that most of these women could have been easily saved.

Over the decades there has been some progress in bringing down maternal deaths. But the decline has not been fast enough. For a country which has become the preferred medical destination for people from around the world for complicated surgeries, to have women die from childbirth related causes is a real shame. According to the State of the World's Children, 2009 there are 450 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, the figure having fallen from 540 ten years earlier. The latest Sample Registration System (SRS) survey puts the figure at 212 while the World Health Organisation and some other international agencies peg it at 231 and some others at 250. Whatever be the figure, one thing is clear: India is nowhere near reducing the number to 109, the target set for 2015 under the Millennium Development Goals.

CAUSES BEHIND HIGH MMR

Undernourished mothers
A slew of social, economic and administrative factors contribute to the making of this monumental tragedy, which gets compounded as it impacts another generation. The poor diet of the women, the lack of importance attached to their lives, low level of education, early marriage, the woefully inadequate medical services, the corruption that exists in the system are some prime factors responsible for the high Maternal Mortality Ratio(MMR) in India. Among the major causes of maternal death are excessive bleeding during childbirth, prolonged and obstructed labour, infection, unsafe abortion, disorders related to high blood pressure and anaemia. Forty-seven percent of maternal deaths in rural India are attributed to excessive bleeding, obstructed labour and anaemia resulting from poor diet.

The National Family Health Survey-3 (NFHS-3) shows that 36 per cent of Indian women are chronically undernourished and 55 per cent are anaemic. In a recent study in Rajasthan, 70 per cent of adolescent girls were found to be suffering from moderate to severe anaemia. The Harvard School of Public Health found a link between a mother's height and the health of her children using Indian data. Children with mothers shorter than 4 feet 9 inches were 70 per cent more likely to die than those whose mothers were at least 5 feet 3 inches tall. Maternal height indicated a mother's own childhood health and has a direct bearing on the next generation. An anaemic mother's children are more likely to be underweight, have anaemia and face the risk of death. Over 2 million children less than five years old die every year.

Early marriage
Half of India's girls are married off before their eighteenth birthday. A teenage pregnant girl faces a greater risk to her life and that of her unborn child, more so if she is anaemic. The NFHS-3 reports that 28 per cent of women had become mothers by 18 years of age. Younger women are also more likely to experience domestic violence. In many Indian homes this continues during pregnancy and compromises the well being of the mother-to-be and the unborn child. So ingrained in us is the fact that women are some lowly creatures who need to be beaten by men that a national survey has noted that 57 per cent young men and 53 per cent young women think it is okay for men to beat their wives! Changing such an attitude is a monumental task.

Chinks in schemes
It has been six years since the launch of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) which aims at strengthening the health system and the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), where cash assistance is given to poor women to deliver in an institution. The figure varies from Rs 700 to Rs 1400 depending on the category the state has been put under. Data shows that women are going into the institutions as the number of 'beneficiaries' have been rising every year reaching 90 lakh beneficiaries now. India sees about 27 million births every year, pointing to the fact that a large percentage of women still deliver without medical supervision, especially in rural areas and much work still needs to be done to cover them.

There has been criticism against cash transfer schemes. The astronomical amount could be used for enhancing the health infrastructure which is woefully inadequate. Initial studies reveal that women are staying for a couple of hours only in the institution so as to collect the incentive amount. The stipulation is that the woman stays for at least 48 hours so that she and the newborn can be under medical supervision and any complication can be met. But now, while delivery is taking place under trained hands, the mother and child are not under observation and in case of any complication cannot get the attention needed. Most often, the referral system is poor and the health centres and hospitals do not have the required staff or even lab facilities.

Ailing health system
The availability of nurses and doctors remains a big issue. Posts of gynaecologists, paediatricians and technical laboratory staff are lying vacant even in better run states like Punjab. The nurses who man government hospitals are overworked affecting service. There is a crying need for more health centres and hospitals. Unless the capacity and infrastructure is enhanced, India will not be in a position to offer institutional delivery to all its women. And that does not look like happening soon.

Last year, there was a huge public outcry against the callousness of the public health system in the Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh which saw 26 maternal deaths from April to November. Civil society teams visited the district on a fact finding mission as did NRHM's Advisory Group on Community Action. They found a complete mismanagement and lack of basic infrastructure: A Primary Health Centre functioning from a very dilapidated building, an ANM who could not check blood pressure, no Haemoglobinometers to conduct the very essential haemoglobin test on pregnant women, the absence of ante-natal check up, only a nurse and a dai to manage the labour room and 60 beds for 16 hours at the district hospital where 300 deliveries take place in a month. There had been no augmentation of staff after the start of the NRHM and JSY, and there were no review, monitoring or redressal mechanisms in place.

WAY FORWARD

Apart from addressing such mismanagement and proper deployment of resources, much more needs to be done. Poonam Muttreja who heads the Population Foundation of India, says all out efforts need to be made to keep girls in school and postpone marriage. This way early marriage which poses a risk to their lives could be avoided. She advocates cash and food incentives for antenatal care so that the pregnant woman can be monitored for anaemia and blood pressure. And lastly she calls for a bigger investment in family planning. When babies are not wanted, they are neglected, she says. People should know about and be able to easily access spacing methods. The states with the lowest Contraceptive Prevalence Rate also have the worst MMR. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh report very high unmet needs for family planning and also have a high MMR.

The task ahead is indeed monumental. But it must be taken up as top priority for at stake is the health of India's women and future generations.

The writer works in the development sector