Doctors seek government's help for relief work
Dehradun, July 14
A team comprising medicos and social scientists from Medical Service Centre, working in the Rudraprayag area had called upon the government to make arrangements for sending medical teams of Doctors through helicopters so that medical care could be provided to the villagers, who were in need of immediate medical attention.

DM reviews progress in relief works
Dehradun, July 14
Dehradun District Magistrate BVRC Purushottam today presided over a meeting to take stock of progress in relief works in the state.

Haridwar, July 14
“Himalayas are a vast source of culture and knowledge since ages, wherein saints meditated to write vedas, attain salvation, evolve yoga and ayurveda. So, we need to take a pledge to conserve Himalayas as recent natural calamity has taught us to be sensitive toward nature,” said Dr Pranav Pandya, Chancellor of Dev Sanskriti University, while addressing students at the 23rd annual ‘Gyan Deeksha’ function here today at Mrityunjay auditorium.

Notably, Gyan Deeksha is a unique tradition in Dev Sanskriti University, wherein students and teachers take pledge to work in a right and dedicated manner at the start of new academic session. As many as 609 students, from 23 different courses, took Gyan Diksha oath on the occasion. In view of the recent natural catastrophe, the ceremony was organised in a simple manner, wherein tributes were paid to the people, who lost their lives in the Garhwal Himalayas. Dr Pandya urged the students to make the Himalyan-belt greener and the Ganga cleaner, otherwise due to pollution, commercialisation, encroachments and other man-made interventions, such calamities could recur again.

Speaking to the students Pandya said Shantikunj would be adopting a cluster of villages in the affected areas and provide support to children, age old and widows of the affected families. During the programme, every student was given a sapling, which was later planted, with a pledge to conserve Himalayas.

Dr Pandya lauded the efforts of 27-member student group, which had gone to the affected areas in Rudraprayag to provide medical aid. Chief guest Pundit Veereshwar Upadhyaya called on the students to attain knowledge with hard work, dedication and in a right way. He said Indian culture viewed life with equality, so students should give equal emphasis to all the aspects of the life. “Right education is the one which makes principles a reality. Have patience and follow ideals of Pt Shriram Sharma Acharya, founder of Shantikunj,”  said Upahdyaya.

Foreign students from United States of America, Taiwan and Bhutan also took part in Gyan Deeksha, along with students from 22 states of the country.

Pithoragarh, July 14
“Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) will not call back its 20-day long relief and rescue operation in Darma and Johar valleys until every village and helmets of these valleys gets connected with track and horse routes of other villages, nearest market and highways,” said an ITBP official here today.

“We have connected 20 helmets of Darma valley, from last village of Bedang to first village of new Sobla, in the first phase of the operation, given by the civilian authorities to the force,” said Ranbir Singh, an ITBP commandant, who is in charge of the operation.

According to the ITBP official, the force had already connected 18 villages of Darma valley with the main road and other villages so that rations could reach the area and people of the villages could interact with each other. “In the coming two days, rest of the villages will also be linked with main road if the weather gets clear there,” said the ITBP official.

According to the ITBP sources, evacuation of more than 1,000 stranded people from Darma valley could be possible only after the force made routes enabling the disaster-affected people to assemble at on place. “This also made possible for the helicopters to drop ration at one place in Darma valley, from where the villagers, from various helmets, could carry food to their homes,” said the ITBP commandant.

Dehradun, July 14
A team comprising medicos and social scientists from Medical Service Centre, working in the Rudraprayag area had called upon the government to make arrangements for sending medical teams of Doctors through helicopters so that medical care could be provided to the villagers, who were in need of immediate medical attention.

Addressing the media, Mukesh Semwal of Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) said water-borne diseases, jaundice, worm infestations were on the rise and the government should airlift doctors, who are willing to serve in these areas. “Since June 23, we have been serving the people and have realised that the water-borne diseases were on the rise due to poor sanitation and non-availability of potable drinking water. Several doctors who want to serve in these areas are unable to reach these areas due to blockades and it will be ideal if the government can make arrangement for ferrying doctors through choppers,” Semwal said. Belying the Uttarakhand government’s claims, Semwal said, “At Bhiri PHC, Agustmuni and Gauchar no government doctor was present." 

Water-borne diseases were on the rise due to poor sanitation and non-availability of potable drinking water. Several doctors who want to serve in these areas are unable to reach these areas due to blockades. The government should make arrangement for ferrying doctors through choppers.

— Mukesh Semwal, Socialist Unity Centre of India 

Dehradun, July 14
The SelaQui College of Law organised a conference on “The making of a world-class law school: the vision and the inputs”, on its campus here today.

The conference aimed at addressing reforms in legal education to strengthen the legal profession.

The profession of law needs not only high depth of learning but also a sense of social responsibility. Keeping this in view, the college organised a one-day consultation for legal professionals across the country to examine various issues like the existing model of legal education, examination reforms, research and postgraduate studies, co-curricular activities, ethical values through legal education and the importance of continuing legal education and faculty development. Eminent academicians in the area of legal education were the key speakers on the occasion. Prof NR Madhava Menon, Chairperson, Menon Institute of Legal Advocacy Training, examined the existing models of legal education in India, along with its strength and weakness and how the introduction of five- year law course has added to the credibility of the profession.

He discussed the requirement of continuing legal education and the development of faculty without which the entire exercise would be futile. According to Prof Madhava Menon, five elements are essential for world-class law school, which are quality, the creation of knowledge, alternative curriculum for interdisciplinary issues like disaster management and genetic engineering and other issues like cyber law, energy law, natural resources law, water law, aviation and space law and genetic engineering, social relevance and justice-oriented legal education.

Prof Venkata Rao, Vice-Chancellor, National Law School of India University, Bangalore, expressed concern on the examination system being carried out in universities and suggested various reforms required for the better evaluation of students. 

Dehradun, July 14
BJP MP and in charge of party affairs in Uttarakhand Radha Mohan Singh today said the Congress government downplayed the relief-kit containing more than 40 items dispatched by the Gujarat Chief Minister Narinder Modi for the disaster-hit areas of Uttarakhand. He said the ruling party did not hesitate to gain cheap publicity by sending relief bags carrying pictures of the Congress leaders.

Radha Mohan said: “Calling the utility kit, which contains more than 40 daily-use items as “Modi kit”, the Congress leaders tore the wrappers containing pictures of Modi. Congress is thinking of cheap politics even at the time of disaster. It de-emphasised the “Modi kit”, and ensured all the relief material sent by the Congress government had pictures of AICC president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi.”

So far the Uttarakhand BJP leaders have been terming the kit as Gujarat kit, however, today Radha Mohan went a step further and called it “Modi Kit”. The Congress was not giving credit where it was due, he added.

Radha Mohan said the party will hold prayer meetings in Dehradun and all the districts of the state on July 16 in memory of all those who lost their lives in the Uttarakhand floods. “Along with holding prayer meetings, we will also try to meet the people whose relatives are gone in the floods. This will help us to collect data on missing persons,” he added.

Earlier, a meeting of the BJP office bearers was held to discuss the relief mission underway in Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi and Pithoragarh districts of the state. Based on the assessment of the party workers, the Uttarakhand BJP president Teerath Singh Rawat, pegged the death toll of people hailing from the state at 889.

Dehradun, July 14
The Uttarakhand government is again examining the file of Mritunjay Mishra who was tipped to become the Registrar of the first Ayurvedic University coming at Harawala.

The Uttarakhand Health Minister Surinder Singh Negi said the file is being re-examined after questions were raised about the personal integrity of MIshra who during his tenure as Registrar at the Technical University had faced graft charges.

According to sources the file of Mishra was okayed by the Department of Higher Education for the post of Registrar Ayurvedic University, though he was facing charges of embezzling funds to the tune of Rs 91 lakh while he was a Registrar at the Uttarakhand Technical University.

Though the Additional Secretary, Technical Education, RK Sudhanshu (now Commissioner Garhwal ) had ordered an inquiry and the recovery of the amount, no inquiry was conducted.

Haridwar, July 14
While Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is facing the wrath for his recent comments on the Godhra riots, a section of the saint community has come out in support of the leader.

To press for Modi's candidature as Prime Minister, a convention is being organised at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi, where saints and seers from across the country will participate. Saints who will be participating in the convention include Jagad Guru Shankaracharya Vasu Devanand Saraswati, Jagad Guru Shankaracharya Swami Raj Rajeshwarama Maharaj, Shankaracharaya Ramanandacharya Swami Rambhadracharya ji Maharaj, Shankaracharya Swami Narendrand Saraswati and Swami Sadhnanad Maharaj.

The coordinator of the Vishwa Vedanta Sansthan, Swami Anand Maharaj, who is in Haridwar these days to draw as many saints for the convention, said saints would also be giving their inputs for nation building.

He said today's politics was anti-Hindu. He said India needed a leader like Modi with nationalistic approach, whose development-oriented and visionary governance had changed the state of Gujarat. He said during the convention, the slogan of "Narendra Modi lao, desh bachao" would also be raised. Office-bearers of the sansthan said they were in contact with saints of other states also.

Dehradun, July 14
Uttarakhand Governor Aziz Qureshi today addressed an all-religion prayer meeting held at Raj Bhavan in the presence veteran Gandhian and social activist Dr SN Subba Rao. Governor said all should follow the path of humanity, which was above religion and language.

He said Dr Rao had chosen to make people aware of what it was to be an Indian. He was a role model for the youth .The governor said his presence would inspire people to fight the aftermath of the natural disaster.

Dr Rao said all countries today wanted peace and to attain this, all the people in the world would have to learn to be calm and show respect for each other’s religion.

Delivering the vote of thanks, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar said people of the entire country had come forward to help Uttarakhand in this hour of crisis. He said the state was grateful to all the countrymen adding that wisdom of great men helped in time of trouble. People from different religions were present at the meet. Abbas Tyabji Trust presented a cheque of Rs 1.27 lakh to the governor for the disaster affected people.

Dehradun, July 14
Addressing a press conference here, Uttarakhand ABVP leader, Rajeev Chauhan disclosed that the ABVP was organising a relief camp at Soneprayag, which was meant to provide all assistance to the affected villages in the area.The ABVP volunteers have been working in disaster torn Kedar valley in the relief activities.

Chauhan alleged that relief material in large number was getting rotten and the state government was least bothered about the concerns of people. He said the state government has not even started providing compensation to those affected in the disaster.

He said as the Char Dham yatra has come to a halt and a large number of local people had become jobless, the state government should urgently take up the concerns of local people.

ABVP leaders Ramesh Gadiya, Jitendra Rawat and Ashish Bahuguna were also present on the occasion.

Haridwar, July 14
A large number people are attending and listening to the recitation of Shri Bhagwad Katha being held at Shri Mati Narayani Devi Dharma Setu Trust, Mukim Bhawan, Bhoopatwala.

Today, the fifth day of the Bhagwad Katha recital, noted religious sermon preacher Mali Ram Joshi Shastri cited various references from the epic Gita. Shastri said by listening or reading Gita alone, one could easily learn to swim across the ups and downs of life. He said: “Geeta teaches one to be same, be it happiness or dejection, success or tribulation.”

Former Shankaracharya Swami Satyamitranand ji Maharaj of Bharat Mata Temple also graced the occasion and gave blessings to the devotees, who attended the katha. Satyamitranand Maharaj said: "To attain humanity, one needs love-compassion, while for getting blessings of Almighty, one needs to make sacrifices."

Swami Parmanand of Akhand Param Dham, Pundit Radhe Shyam Goyal,Urmila Goyal, Rajendra Goyal, Vinod Goyal and Shiv Charan Naudiyal were also present among others.