Senior citizens in India lonely, resigned

A new survey puts paid to the notion of the elderly being treated with respect in India.
Nearly three-quarters of all old people in the country are ready to move to a community that offers them special services, said the survey, whose results were released Wednesday, adding that a large number of them feel lonely, though they are also resigned to their fate.

The need for a comprehensive senior living community in today's day and age is increasing. Three out of every four seniors are open to moving to an assisted senior living community and seniors are increasingly seeking and willing to pay for residential communities with housekeeping support and leisure avenues," Sujay Misra of AZ Research said.

Nearly three-quarters of all old people in the country are ready to move to a community that offers them special services, said the survey, whose results were released Wednesday, adding that a large number of them feel lonely, though they are also resigned to their fate.

Most of the elders do not want to relax. Many aspire for a new career. Those who are above 70 years old expressed a desire for new hobbies. Many wish to socialize, visit clubs and party. They also wanted exercise, games and shopping," the survey showed.

Help Age India, an NGO working for the elderly holds that currently, India has 98 million elderly citizens (over the age of 60). The figure is expected to touch a whopping 118 million by 2016.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/man-woman/Senior-citizens-in-India-lonely-resigned/articleshow/18059305.cms

46% of Std V students can’t solve simple calculations’

School enrolment in private schools is increasing but a major crisis in India's education system seems to be in the making as fewer children at the Class V level can do basic learning tasks like reading Class II texts and doing simple mathematical sums.

The trend of more children in rural India enrolling in private schools equipped with better infrastructure like toilets, drinking water facilities and mid-day meals than their government-run counterparts is strengthening but there is a serious possibility that kids are being shuffled from class to class.

The prominent findings of the eighth Annual Status of Education Report (ASER 2012) by NGO Pratham show that enrolment in the age group of 6-14 years is at an impressive 96.5% in rural India and private school intakes are rising 10% a year.

If the trend is not reversed or slowed, ASER estimates private school enrolment in rural India could reach 50% by 2018. The findings seem to confirm a growing lag between even modest private schools and government-run institutions often hamstrung by neglect and low teacher proficiency.

Across the country, the number of Class V students who could not read a Class II level text or solve a simple arithmetic problem has increased. In 2010, 46.3% of kids in this category failed to make the cut and this shot up to 51.8% in 2011 and 53.2% in 2012.

Barring Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala, nearly every state showed a decline in math learning while reading levels went down in Haryana, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Kerala. Ironically, 2012 was the 'year of mathematics'.

The survey was conducted in 567 districts, over 16,000 villages with nearly 3.3 lakh households covering 6 lakh children in the age group of 3-16 years.
Commenting on the low learning levels, Pratham's Madhav Chavan said, "Measures the government is taking are not working and since 2012, things are moving in the opposite direction..

For further details:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/46-of-Std-V-students-cant-solve-simple-calculations/articleshow/18066911.cms

Handy Information for Women -Services for Women

Women Helpline Telephone Numbers –

Woman Help line will function round the clock on all days including holidays throughoutIndia. On receiving any call, action is taken as per the nature of the complaint. In cases where victim does not want direct intervention by the police but only requires counselors by the police/trained counselors, Helpline shall coordinate efforts by arranging resources of concerned organisations to provide assistance to the person.

In cases where the victimized person needs immediate help/ intervention of the police i.e. in cases of kidnapping, abduction, sexual assault, eve-teasing, molestation, attempt to murder, attempt to commit suicide or beating by in-laws or any cognizable offence against the person, action shall include immediate rushing of PCR vehicle and the concerned Police Station staff.

In short, in Woman helpline police works in co-ordination with trained counsellors and NGOs to provide immediate help to women/children as per the conditions & action required.

Whole India - 1091 (toll free)

1. Andhra Pradesh:
• National Commission for Women - 011-13237166
• Women Protection Cell - 040-23320539
• Women Police Station - 040-27853508
• AP Women’s network - 040-27014394

-  Bhumika Helpline (Toll Free) for Women in Distress - 1800 425 2908 / 040-27605316

2. Bihar:
• Women Helpline Centre - 18003456247 / 0612-2320047 / 2214318
3. Chandigarh:
• Women Helpline Number - 2741900, 1091
• Samvad - (0172) 2546389
4. Delhi:
• National Commission for Women - 23237166, 23234918
• Delhi Commission for Women - 23379181, 23370597
• Women Protection Cell - 24673366/4156/ 7699
• Central Social Welfare Board - 1091/ 1291(011)23317004
5. Haryana:
• Women and Child Helpline - 0124-2335100
• Helpline for Women in Distress - 9911599100
6. Gujarat:
• Women Helpline -1091
• Ahmadabad Women’s ActionGroup - 27470036
• Self Employed Women’s Association - 25506477/ 25506444
7. Himachal Pradesh:
• Women commission - 9816066421, 09418636326, 09816882491, 9418384215
8. Karnataka:
• Women Helpline Number - 22942149, 1091
• women commission - 080-22100435/ 22862368, 080-2216485
9. Kerala:
• Women Helpline -1091
• Kerala Women's Commission- 0471-2322590, 2320509, 2337589, 2339878, 2339882,e-mail :keralawomensco mmission@yahoo. co.in
10. Madhya Pradesh:
• S.P. Office / We Care For You - 2522111
• Mahila Thana - 2434999
• Pardeshipura - 2435999
• Sanyogitaganj - 2523999
• Pandrinath - 2342999
• Mari Mata (Banganga) - 2423999
• Juni Indore - 2362999
• MIG - 2570111
• Mallharganj - 2454201
• Chandan Nagar - 23789147
• Sanwar - 7321-220999
• Mhow - 7324-228100
• Depalpur - 7322-221100
• Women Commission - 2661802, 2661804, 2661805,2739804, 2661808
11. Maharashtra:
• Majlis-Mashwara - 022-26180394 / 26160252
• Women Right Initiative - 43411603 / 43411604
• Human Rights Law Network - 23439754 / 23436692
• Police Helpline for Women -103
• Helpline for Women - 26111103, 1298
• Shree Aadhar Kendra - 24394104 / 24394103
12. Punjab:
• Women commission - 0172-783607
• Women Helpline - 1091, 9781101091
• Samvad - (0172) 2546389, 2700109, 2760001
Rajasthan:
Women Helpline - 0291-0141-27445 96
13. Tamil Nadu:
• Women Commission - 044 –28592750
• Snehdi - (044) 2446293
• The Banyan - (044) 26530504 / 26530105
• Helpline - 1091
• Women Police Station, Adayar - 044-24415732, 044-23452586
• Women Police Station, Guindy - 044-24700011
14. Tripura:
• Women Helpline Numbers - 0381-2323355, 03812322912
15. Uttar Pradesh:
• Sahyog - (0522) 2387010
• Vanangana - (05198) 236985
• Aali - (0522) 2782066/60
• Women Commission - 0522-2288353, 9415293666
• West Bengal women commission - 91-33-23595609, 91-33-23210154, 91-33-2217 4019/2244 8092
• Swayam - (033) 24863367, 24863368
16. West Bengal:
• Women Helpline Number - 913323595609, 913323210154

All will be well in 2013

Do not carry excessive baggage.Forget unpleasant things that may have happened in the past.Get rid of old and be ready for new. No man can become a master of himself until he learns the art of forgetting. Leave behind-frustrations, resentments,hates, regrets. Its too heavy a baggage and it will tear you down.

Make God real in your daily life..Awareness of Gods presence should become an integral part to our daily living. We have to remember him every moment of our life,we have to bond with God and experience His presence.

You must become new:Its important to rejuvenate, revitalise, renew ourselves so that we can become new. It does not mean the looks..it meane shaking off the accumulated negativities of the past and assuming a new self.

Begin with what you have. do not wait for conditions to change,Now is the time, here is the place. Content makes poor man rich and discontent makes rich man poor.

Expect the best and you will have: Be positive: Every thought you think is a magnet: it draws to itself what you think about. Think success, prosperity,joy,peace and it will come to you. The universe works like an echo--whatever thoughts you think will rebound on you.

Take action now...Begin doing what you want to do now.We are not living in eternity.Be realistic also.We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand and melting like a snow flake.

Pick up these and make it part of your life and all will be well in 2013.

Counselling sessions before exams for Students are as important as extra classes’

With board exams nearing, both schools and classes X and XII students are going an extra mile to complete their syllabus and revise the lessons. Apart from special classes, schools are holding counselling sessions to help students de-stress.

Rashpal Bansal, a counsellor who holds workshops for students especially during board exams, says, "With exams one and a half month away, students are feeling pressurized. During workshops, I try to tell them to relax. It is important to study, but at the same time they should participate in extra-curricular activities too. Otherwise, they will feel stressed out. Schools should hold counseling sessions, as these are as important as extra classes."
For details:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/Counselling-sessions-as-important-as-extra-classes/articleshow/18056186.cms?