How to Cope Up the Next Day After a Sleepless Night

Kindly visit the link for full article-

http://physioplanet.blogspot.com/2014/04/how-to-cope-up-next-day-after-sleepless.html

Piriformis Syndrome

To know about Piriformis Syndrome, its sympotms, diagnosis and treatment have a look at-

http://physioplanet.blogspot.in/2014/04/piriformis-syndrome.html

17 Fun Facts About Feet And Shoe

Check here the 17 fun facts about the feet and shoe-

http://physioplanet.blogspot.com/2014/04/17-fun-facts-about-foot-and-shoe.html

Medical Professional Vacancy at WHO (World Health Organization)

Details at-

http://physioplanet.blogspot.com/2014/04/physiotherapy-vacancy-in-who-world.html

Study Says Ascites Can Impact Mesothelioma Treatment Response, According to Surviving Mesothelioma

Surviving <b>Mesothelioma</b> is reporting on newly published research suggesting that certain aspects of a peritoneal <b>mesothelioma</b> patient’s condition may have an impact on the toxicity of chemotherapy.

A combination of pemetrexed (Alimta) and a platinum-based drug like cisplatin or carboplatin is the drug treatment ofchoice for patients with pleural <b>mesothelioma</b>, the most common form of the disease. But in an article in Anticancer Research, a team of Japanese researchers points out that peritoneal <b>mesothelioma</b>, which grows in the lining of the abdomen, differs from pleural mesothelioma at the cellular level and may need a different approach. The small retrospective study focused on six peritoneal mesothelioma patients diagnosed at four different institutions. The patients all had some amount of ascites, a buildup of fluid in the abdomen which is a common side effect of peritoneal mesothelioma and other abdominal cancers. The patients were all treated with the pemetrexed/cisplatin or carboplatin chemotherapy combination. The three peritoneal mesothelioma patients who experienced the best response to the treatment were those with the least amount of ascites. One of these patients had a partial response to chemotherapy, meaning that it killed at least some cancer cells. In the other two low-ascites patients, the pemetrexed-based chemotherapy stabilized their disease. But patients with what was described as “massive ascites” did not respond nearly as well. Although the treatment was found to be safer when levels of the platinum-based drug were reduced, two of the three high-ascites patients experienced serious blood-related toxicity. Median progression-free survival for all study subjects was 7.2 months and overall survival was 13.1 months. Writing on their findings in Anticancer Research, the authors conclude, “Selection of chemotherapy based on the patient’s condition, such as ascites, might be important for advanced peritoneal mesothelioma.”

Peritoneal <b>mesothelioma</b> accounts for about a third of all <b>mesothelioma</b> cases. All types of <b>mesothelioma</b> are caused by exposure to asbestos. About 2,500 Americans are diagnosed with the disease each year.

The original study of chemotherapy for peritoneal <b>mesothelioma</b> appears in Anticancer Research. (Nakano, M, et al, “Pemetrexed combined with Platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced malignant peritoneal mesothelioma: Retrospective analysis of six cases”, January, 2014, Anticancer Research, pp. 215-220,http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24403465).

For nearly ten years, Surviving <b>Mesothelioma</b> has brought readers the most important and ground-breaking news on the causes, diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma. All Surviving <b>Mesothelioma</b> news is gathered and reported directly from the peer-reviewed medical literature. Written for patients and their loved ones, Surviving <b>Mesothelioma</b> news helps families make more informed decisions.

With ref.- PRWeb

Does Social Media really connect people

The way in which people frantically communicate online via Twitter, Facebook and social media-instant messaging can be seen as a form of modern madness, according to a leading American sociologist.

"A behaviour that has become typical may still express the problems that once caused us to see it as pathological," MIT professor Sherry Turkle writes in her new book, Alone Together, which is leading an attack on the information age.

Turkle's book, published in the UK next month, has caused a sensation in America, which is usually more obsessed with the merits of social networking. She appeared last week on Stephen Colbert's late-night comedy show, The Colbert Report. When Turkle said she had been at funerals where people checked their iPhones, Colbert quipped: "We all say goodbye in our own way."Turkle's thesis is simple: technology is threatening to dominate our lives and make us less human. Under the illusion of allowing us to communicate better, it is actually isolating us from real human interactions in a cyber-reality that is a poor imitation of the real world.But Turkle's book is far from the only work of its kind. An intellectual backlash in America is calling for a rejection of some of the values and methods of modern communications. "It is a huge backlash. The different kinds of communication that people are using have become something that scares people," said Professor William Kist, an education expert at Kent State University, Ohio.

The list of attacks on social media is a long one and comes from all corners of academia and popular culture. A recent bestseller in the US, The Shallows by Nicholas Carr, suggested that use of the internet was altering the way we think to make us less capable of digesting large and complex amounts of information, such as books and magazine articles. The book was based on an essay that Carr wrote in the Atlantic magazine. It was just as emphatic and was headlined: Is Google Making Us Stupid?

Another strand of thought in the field of cyber-scepticism is found in The Net Delusion, by Evgeny Morozov. He argues that social media has bred a generation of "slacktivists". It has made people lazy and enshrined the illusion that clicking a mouse is a form of activism equal to real world donations of money and time.Other books include The Dumbest Generation by Emory University professor Mark Bauerlein – in which he claims"the intellectual future of the US looks dim"– and We Have Met the Enemy by Daniel Akst, which describes the problems of self-control in the modern world, of which the proliferation of communication tools is a key component.The backlash has crossed the Atlantic. In Cyburbia, published in Britain last year, James Harkin surveyed the modern technological world and found some dangerous possibilities. While Harkin was no pure cyber-sceptic, he found manyreasons to be worried as well as pleased about the new technological era. Elsewhere, hit film The Social Network has been seen as a thinly veiled attack on the social media generation, suggesting that Facebook was created by people who failed to fit in with the real world.Turkle's book, however, has sparked the most debate so far. It is a cri de coeur for putting down the BlackBerry, ignoring Facebook and shunning Twitter. "We have invented inspiring and enhancing technologies, yet we have allowed them to diminish us," she writes.Fellow critics point to numerous incidents to back up their argument. Recently, media coverage of the death in Brighton of Simone Back focused on a suicide note she had posted on Facebook that was seen by many of her 1,048 "friends" on the site. Yet none called for help – instead they traded insults with each other on her Facebook wall.

Turkle's book has also hit home because her previous works, The Second Self and Life on the Screen, seemed more open to the technological world. "Alone Together reads as if it were written by Turkle's evil Luddite twin," joked Kist.But even the backlash now has a backlash, with many leaping to the defence of social media. They point out that emails, Twitter and Facebook have led to more communication, not less – especially for people who may have trouble meeting in the real world because of great distance or social difference.Defenders say theirs is just a different form of communication that people might have trouble getting used to. "When you go into a coffee shop and everyone is silent on their laptop, I understand what she is saying about not talking to one another," Kist said. "But it is still communicating. I disagree with her. I don't see it as so black and white."

Some experts believe the debate is so fierce because social networking is a new field that has yet to develop rules and etiquette that everyone can respect and that is why incidents such as Simone Back's death appear so shocking."Let's face it, I see no sign of anyone unplugging," said Kist. "But, perhaps, we need to involve a 'netiquette' to deal with it all."He also pointed out that the "real world" that many social media critics hark back to never really existed. Before everyone travelled on the bus or train with their heads buried in an iPad or a smart phone, they usually just travelled in silence. "We did not see people spontaneously talking to strangers. They were just keeping to themselves," Kist said.

With ref. from The Guardian.

Does India need smaller states ???

After the creation of Telangana, many smaller regions have demanded for the statehood.

Gorkhaland, Vidarbha, Bodoland, Bundelkhand, Saurashtra etc. are the frontrunners in the list. Many people are saying that this is ablow on the country’s unity while many are saying that it’s a process of decentralization which must be done. The matter of statehood shouldn’t be seen politically, it’s an administrative, cultural and social matter.

Smaller states are better than bigger states in many perspectives like electoral representation, development, administrative ease etc. Let us consider the following three arguments in favour of smaller states.

First, the argument that ‘small is beautiful’ does find resonance in the developmental experiences of the newly created smaller states. Factual analysis shows the development and efficiency
argument does work in favour of the new states when compared with the parent states. During
the tenth five-year plan period, Chhattisgarh averaged 9.2 percent growth annually compared
with 4.3 percent by Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand averaged 11.1 per cent annually compared with
4.7 percent by Bihar, and Uttarakhand achieved 8.8 per cent growth annually compared with 4.6
percent by Uttar Pradesh. Arguably, getting ‘a territory of their own’ unleashes the
untapped/suppressed growth potentials of the hitherto peripheral regions.

Second, comparatively smaller but compact geographical entities tend to ensure that there is
better democratic governance, as there is greater awareness among the policy makers about the
local needs. Smaller spatial units having linguistic compatibility and cultural homogeneity also
allow for better management, implementation and allocation of public resources in provisioning
basic social and economic infrastructure services. A relatively homogeneous smaller state allows
for easy communicability, enabling marginal social groups to articulate and raise their voices.

Third, smaller states provide gains for the electorates in terms of better representation of their
preferences in the composition of the government. In a patronage-based democracy like in India,
the amount of the transfer of state resources/largesse a constituency/region gets depends crucially
on whether the local representative belongs to the ruling party. Understanding this electoral logic
of patronage distribution, the electorates of a smaller region have a propensity to elect
representatives with preferences more closely aligned to those of the bigger region within the
state. Such a motive, however, would no longer operate once the region constitutes a separate
state.

So, if political parties really want to work for the betterment of society and people, smaller states should be made in India. That can also help in India’s quest of being SUPERPOWER !!!

Loneliness

Loneliness is a universal human emotion, yet it is both complex and unique to each individual.

Loneliness has no single common cause, so the preventions and treatments for this damaging state of mind vary dramatically. A lonelychild who struggles to make friends at his school has different needs that an lonely elderly man whose wife has recently died. In order to understand loneliness, it is important to take a closer look at exactly what we mean by the term "lonely" as well as the various causes, health consequences, symptoms and potential treatments for loneliness.

What Is Loneliness?- While common definitions of loneliness describe it as a state of solitude or being alone, loneliness is actually a state of mind. Loneliness causes people to feel empty, alone and unwanted. People who are lonely often crave human contact, but their state of mind makes it more difficult to form connections with other people.Loneliness, according to many experts, is not necessarily about being alone. Instead, it is the perception of being alone and isolated that matters most. For example, a college freshmen might feel lonely despite being surrounded byroommates and other peers. A soldier beginning his military career might feel lonely after being deployed to a foreign country, despite being constantly surrounded by other people.

What Causes Loneliness?- According to research by John Cacioppo, a University of Chicago psychologist and one of the top loneliness experts,loneliness is strongly connected to genetics. Other contributing factors include situational variables, such as physical isolation, moving to a new location and divorce. The death of someone significant in a person's life can alsolead to feelings of loneliness. Loneliness can also be a symptom of a psychological disorder such as depression.Loneliness can also be attributed to internal factors such as low self-esteem. People who lack confidence in themselves often believe that they are unworthy of the attention or regard of other people. This can lead to isolation and chronic loneliness.

The Health Consequences of Loneliness- Loneliness has a wide range of negative effects on both physical and mental health. Some of the the health risks associated with loneliness include: Depression and suicide, Cardiovascular disease and stroke, Increased stress levels, decreased memory and learning, Antisocial behavior, Poor decision-making, Alcoholism and drug abuse, the progression of Alzheimer's disease, Altered brain function etc. Research has shown that loneliness can impact stress, heart health and immunity. But these are not the only areas inwhich loneliness takes its toll. "Lonely adults consume more alcohol and get less exercise than those who are not lonely," explained John Cacioppo, co-author of the book Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection in an interview with U.S. News and World Report. "Their diet is higher in fat, their sleep is less efficient, and they report more daytime fatigue. Loneliness also disrupts the regulation of cellular processes deep within the body, predisposing us to premature aging."

Researchers have found that low levels of loneliness are associated with marriage, higher income and higher educational status. High levels of loneliness are associated with physical health symptoms, living alone, small socialnetworks and low quality social relationships.

The Symptoms of Loneliness- Researchers also suggest that loneliness is becoming more common in the United States. When polled as part of a 1984 questionnaire, respondents most frequently reported having three close confidants. When the question was asked again in 2004, the most common response was zero confidants. This trend is unfortunate, since experts believe that it is not the quantity of social interaction that combats loneliness, but that it is the quality. Having just three or four close friends is enough to ward off loneliness and reduce the negative health consequences associated with this state of mind.

Loneliness Can Be Contagious- One study by Cacioppo suggests that loneliness may actually be contagious. In a ten-year study, researchers examined how loneliness spreads in social networks. The results indicated that people close to someone experiencing loneliness were 52-percent more likely to become lonely as well.

Treating and Preventing Loneliness- John Cacioppo offers a few tips on how to overcome loneliness.Recognize that loneliness is a sign that something needs to change.Understand the effects that loneliness has on your life, both physically and mentally.Consider doing community service or another activity that you enjoy. These situations present great opportunities tomeet people and cultivate new friendships and social interactions.Focus on developing quality relationships with people who share similar attitudes, interests and values with you.Expect the best. Lonely people often expect rejection, so instead focus on positive thoughts and attitudes in your social relationships.

Political Reforms- To Make Indian Politics Free & Fair

In recent times, the politics in our country has gone to new low. Use of foul language, black money, paid news, horse trading of members etc. has risen now an utter need of political reforms. Only with that now we can expect the politics of our country to be fair.

Regulation of Money flow & voter trading During election period:-
For free & fair elections, it is very important to implement stricter reforms to curtail money flow & voter trading during election period. The money & freebies intended for distribution to voters sized by the police is to be tracked down and an enquiry to be ordered by the district magistrate and a report to be submitted to the SEC. Based on the report the accused are to tried and if found guilty the candidate should to be banned from contesting elections for next 5 years in and if the elected candidate is found guilty, his election should be set aside and he should be banned from contesting elections for next 2 terms.

Media:-
No contesting candidate should directly or indirectly have a stake in any of the Print/Electronic media houses enjoying considerable circulation or readership. No candidate should directly or indirectly favour media houses in terms of monetary favour (Except for Paid Advertisements during elections) or any other kind of favour which can be related to monetary value. Any elected candidate proven holding stake in any media house or favouring through non monetary terms which can be related to monetary value should be disqualified immediately and banned from contesting elections for next 2 terms. Media is a responsible medium through which true information is passed on to
the citizens. Parties and candidates are influencing Media houses either by completely holding media houses or having stakes in them or by favouring media houses by offering various sops to certain media houses when in government there by influencing the media houses to report favourable news. This is no less than indirect buying of public mandate.
This has been overlooked or disregarded by the Election Commission.

Criminal Free Politics:-
Any individual who has been tried by any court and has been punished with imprisonment for more than 2 years for offences which include,
Murder, Rape, Money laundering etc should be banned from contesting elections and any such elected representative who enjoys the office has been proved guilty of any offence after taking the office, election of such candidate should be set aside and he should be banned from contesting election.

Regulation of Registration and De- Registration of Political Parties:-
There is no provision for De-Registration of a Political Party with Election Commission. Election Commission of India should be authorized to De-register political parties practicing antinational, anti-social, anti-citizen & anti-democratic customs. Many organizations are forming political outfits and abusing democratic process by compromising with other established political parties to make fortunes for themselves.

Resignation to office:-
Disqualifying elected representatives and impose ban on him/her from contesting elections for the next 2 terms if any Legislator or MP resigns to his post more than once during his tenure of 5 years stating irrelevant causes for resignation except on grounds of proved negligence by the government to his constituency or on the medical grounds (Only under serious medical conditions which leaves him unfit to carry his/her duties). Candidates are abusing the democracy by resigning their posts on the name of self respect and to test their acceptance, popularity for their next elections and to prove their sustained or evaluated majority among the public. This way for every re-election, govt. is loosing public money for organizing re-elections. Some legislators are blackmailing
government in the name of resignations to gain ministerial births and prominent posts.

Cap on Political Parties Expenditure in Elections:-
There is no provision for cap on expenditure by Political Parties during election period. There is an immediate need of cap on expenditure by Political Parties during election period to curtail money flow and
freebies by respective parties to the voters which are jeopardizing the democratic process.

Progress Report on Constituency by respective candidates:-
Every MLA and MP should submit a Year wise progress report on his constituency to the respective state Assembly and Parliament. These progress reports should be made public by the speakers. Till date there is no procedure for accountability of elected representatives. Every elected representative should be made accountable and answerable to voters who elected him as their representative before he goes to seek votes in next elections.

Disclosure of source of Income by contesting candidates & Elected
representatives:-
Every contesting candidate in his affidavit should disclose his sources
of Income in the affidavit filed by him. Every elected representative should also disclose his source of income & that of his family members every year to the election commission.

India, still being a developing country is mainly due to unfair means in politics. Unfair politics leads to non development, unemployment, poverty, bad health and these all make the country non progressive. So, it’s the need of the time to make political reforms and implement it strongly for a better future.

The Role of Media in Education

Today Media has become an portant part of our life. From the newspaper in the morning to the night news, and from the laptop to mobile, the world is covered through media.

Media is also used in providing education and it is very fruitful in this field, too.

John Dewey, an American educatinist has stated that education could not be limited within teacher and taught without social environment.So media is one such potent force in the social environment of education. Through modern electronic techniques and technologies, media proves that education is, really comprehensive not confined within four walls of the classroom. Irrespective of caste, color, geographical, sociological, economical diversities media proves as an important means for the education to all. Mankind gets a great deal of information from the widespread media i.e. newspaper, TV, radio, magazines, journals, films, etc. It is also estimated that  media may substitute the real classroom teaching in future.

Media provides various information. Students can acquire different knowledge very quickly. Media is also useful in spreading awareness so that students can be aware of different problems of the society and their role in changing society. Media helps in forming suitable habit for different educational puzzles, games, training, programmes and by that students can utilize their leisure time in a productive way. It also influences the social, hygeine and personal behavior of the students through different programmes.Many universities and schools are also inter linked. By that they are able to exchange experiences, novelties, knowledge. By such ways, they start new projects together which saves their time and money.

Today in India, there are many government programmes of media based education. By that one can study by sitting in the home. EDUSAT satellite was launched on 20 September 2004 by the Indian Space Research Organisation whose main aim was to utilize the media effectively in education. now a days, in schools, projector, internet, educational CDs are usually used, that is an eminent example of use of media in education.

Media is one of the cheapest and quickest means of the education. The impact and motivation is very quick through the media. Its impact is vast in shaping the life of students. Media has the potential to shape personalities, change the way we perceive and understand the world and our immediate reality.

So, the role of media in education is very important and if the media is utilized effectively it can become the best way of providing education.

The Role of Indian Railways in the Development of Indian Economy

Indian Railways is one of the largest systems in the world. It is also one of the very few railway systems in the world generating operating surpluses. The Indian Railways has a glorious past and has achieved a phenomenal growth in both freight and passenger traffic by improving asset utilisation and efficiency of operations. With a modest beginning in India on April 16, 1853, when the first wheels rolled on rails from Bombay to Thane, the Indian Railways has emerged today as the main vehicle for economic development of the country, too.

Rail transportation has a number of favourable characteristics as compared to road transportation. It is six times more energy-efficient than road and four times more economical. The social costs in terms of environment damage or degradation are significantly lower in rail. Rail construction costs are approximately six times lower than road for comparable levels of traffic. It is the only major transport mode capable of using any form of primary energy.

Since its inception, the Indian Railways has served to integrate the fragmented markets and thereby, stimulating the emergence of a modern market economy. It connects industrial production centres with markets and with sources of raw materials and facilitates industrial development and link agricultural production centers with distant markets. It provides rapid, reliable and cost-effective bulk transportation to the energy sector, to move coal from the coal fields to power plants and petroleum products from refineries to consumption centers. It links places, enabling large-scale, rapid and low-cost movement of people across the length and breadth of the country. In the process, the Indian Railways has become a symbol of national integration and a strategic instrument for enhancing our defence preparedness.

The Indian Railways contributes to India's economic development, accounting for about one per cent of the GNP and the backbone of freight needs of the core sector. It accounts for six per cent of the total employment in the organised sector directly and an additional 2.5 per cent indirectly through its dependent organisations. It has invested significantly in health, education, housing and sanitation. With its vast network of schools and investment in training, the Indian Railways plays an important role in human resource development. The Indian Railways, with nearly 63,000 route kilometers fulfils the country's transport needs, particularly, in respect of long-distance passenger and goods traffic. Freight trains carry nearly 1.2 million tones of originating goods and 7,500 passenger trains carry nearly 12 million passengers every day.

Freight and passenger traffic carried by the Indian Railways has recorded an impressive growth ever since Independence. While the input indices in terms of route kilometers, locomotives, passenger coaches and wagon capacity have only doubled during this period, the traffic output indices have increased by six times. These achievements were due to selective inputs of affordable technology, adoption of innovative operational strategies, phased reduction of staff and operating costs and intensive monitoring of movements and maintenance areas.

The Railways has developed indigenous capacity for rolling stock manufacture, including state-of-the-art electric and diesel locomotives and high-speed passenger coaches. It has introduced high-speed Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express trains and Mass Rapid Transit Systems in the metropolitan areas.

Commissioning of the Konkan Railway, extension of Electric Traction to cover 30 per cent of the broad gauge network, gauge conversion of about 8,000 kms. and provision of about 15,000 km. of double/multiple lines are some of the major achievements. It has computerised passenger reservation facility covering 95 per cent of the workload. It has constructed bridges - engineering marvels across major rivers like the Ganges (Ganga), Godavari and Brahmaputra.

The Railways is sharpening its Marketing Capability to attract more and more freight and passenger business through constructive pricing mechanisms and tariff rationalisation and through customer focus. It has initiated steps to enhance market share in the bulk freight business as well as to secure growth in the non-bulk business, including less than rake load. Appropriate growth strategies for each passenger segment have also been evolved to secure recovery of various costs for the passenger business as a whole through internal cross-subsidisation within the various passenger segments.

The Indian Railways has strengthened the high density network to make the system capable of meeting the projected demands of the freight and passenger business. It practices austerity especially in the areas of energy consumption, material management, overtime, travelling allowance and advertisements. It tries to reduce operating costs by improving efficiency in production and maintenance units; by improving the purchasing procedures not only to secure cost reduction but also to improve reliability; by reduction in man power in a phased manner and by improving organisational excellence through human resource development. It plans to withdraw from ancillary activities to enable the management to concentrate on primary business for running freight and passenger services. For tapping non-traditional sources of funding, the Railways has taken steps to attract external funding by involving domestic financial institutions and private sector participants at concessional rates of interest. Indian Railways is exploring the possibility of attracting investment in fibre-optic telecommunication network and commercial exploitation of air space above stations. Other steps include exploiting the leasing route for procurement of rolling stock, innovative financing techniques such as Deep Discount Bonds with repayments towards the end of the term of the load and "Sell and Lease Back" mechanisms to leverage the existing fixed as well as mobile assets.

The Railways plans to introduce modern technology in various spheres of its working. It aims at a stronger track structure with heavier and metallurgically superior rails, higher horse power, state-of-the-art electric and diesel locomotives, light and comfortable passenger coaches of modular construction with high speed bogies and lighter wagons with improved bogies with higher speeds and better payload. Other steps are solid state inter-locking, block proving by axle counters, centralised electronic interlocking, universal emergency communication and train radi in the areas of signaling and safety, optic fibre and digital microwave in the area of communication, dual voltage three-phase drive Electric Multiple Units for suburban services and Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) and Main Line Electric Multiple Units (MEMUs) for mass intra-urban and suburban traffic. The Indian Railways is also planning to realise the potential of information technology in all areas of railway management and operations to cut costs and improve efficiency and safety.

The Indian railways has connected the different parts of India and by that helped a lot in boosting the country’s economy. Because of its so many economic and environmental advantages, Indian Railways has played a major role in country's infrastructure development.

Disaster Management

No country, no state, no place is immune from disaster. It can attack us anytime, anywhere. We can’t escape from it. But we can prevent its negative effects by pre planning. For that there is the provision of ‘Disaster Management’ at country, state, district, city level.

‘Disaster Management’ can be defined as the organization and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of disasters.

Disasters can be of many types. There are four main types of disasters:

Natural disasters- Floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and volcano eruptions are considered under this type. They have immediate impacts on human health and secondary impacts causing death and suffering. i.e. - from floods causing landslides, earthquakes resulting in fires, tsunamis causing widespread flooding and typhoons sinking ferries etc.

Environmental emergencies- Include technological or industrial accidents, usually involving hazardous material and occur where these materials are produced, used or transported. Large forest fires can be included in this definition because they tend to be caused by humans.

Complex emergencies- These emergencies involve a break-down of authority, looting and attacks on strategic installations. Complex emergencies include conflict situations and war.

Pandemic emergencies- These emergencies involve a sudden onset of a contagious disease that affects health and also disrupts services and businesses. They also affect the economic and social costs.

Any disaster can interrupt essential services, like the provision of health care, electricity, water, garbage removal, transportation and communications. The interruption can seriously affect the health, social and economic networks of local communities and countries. Disasters have a big and long-lasting impact on people even after the immediate effect. Poorly planned relief activities can have a significant negative impact on the disaster victims, donors and relief agencies.
Local, regional, national and sometimes even international organisations are all involved in mounting a humanitarian response to disasters. Each has a prepared disaster management plan. These plans cover prevention, preparedness, relief and recovery.

Disaster management includes disaster prevention, disaster preparedness, disaster relief and disaster recovery. Disaster prevention is the activities designed to provide permanent protection from disasters. Not all disasters, particularly natural disasters, can be prevented, but the risk of loss of life and injury can be decreased with good evacuation plans, environmental planning and design standards. ‘The Hyogo Framework’ is currently worldwide accepted plan for the disaster prevention. It offers guiding principles, priorities for action and practical means for achieving disaster resilience for vulnerable communities. Disaster preparedness is designed to minimise loss of life and damage – for example by removing people and property from a threatened location and by facilitating timely and effective rescue, relief and rehabilitation. Preparedness is the main way of reducing the impact of disasters. Community-based preparedness and management should be a high priority in the practice. Disaster relief is a coordinated multi-agency response to reduce the impact of a disaster and its long-term results. Relief activities include rescue, relocation, providing food and water, preventing disease and disability, repairing vital services such as telecommunications and transport, providing temporary shelter and emergency health care. Disaster recovery is one of the most essential parts of the disaster management. Once emergency needs have been met and the initial crisis is over, the people affected and the communities that support them are still under fear. Recovery activities include rebuilding infrastructure, health care and rehabilitation. These should blend with development activities such as building human resources for health and developing policies and practices to avoid similar situations in future.

We can’t prevent the disasters as that thing in almighty God’s hands but by the ‘Disaster Management’, we can surely lessen the horrifying effects of the disasters!

Indonesian National Elections

Indonesia, a country made up of 13000+ islands and sitauated in far Asia. It is generally considered as Indian Ocean last station and entry to the Asia-Pacific. Like us, Indonesia is also having country's general elections now.

Indonesia went today, 9 April on voting. More than 186 million Indonesians are eligible to vote on Wednesday for 6,600 candidates who are vying for 560 parliamentary seats.

The election is a complicated $1.5 billion (1 billion euros) logistical undertaking. Half a million polling stations are spread across three time zones in the Southeast Asian archipelago nation, often in remote locations.

Polls have put the opposition as the favourites and the incumbent Democratic Party has seen its support drop to single digits over a series of high-profile graft scandals.

There are in total 12 political parties fighting the polls.

The result will determine who can run in the presidential elections scheduled for July 9. In order to run for president, the candidate's party must win 25 percent of the national vote or 20 percent of the 560 seats in parliament.

Inspite of having no national political experience, PDI-P presidential candidate Joko Widodo is strongly favored by voters. The Jakarta governor polls at around 45 percent support. Known as Jokowi, he is perceived by many Indonesians as being an honest politician in a country plagued with rampant corruption.

Former general Prabowo Subianto of the Gerindra party has 15 percent support, while tycoon Aburizal Bakrie of the Golkar party trails with 11 percent support in the polls. Incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is not eligible to run again, as he has already served two terms.

Indonesia is the world's third largest democracy and the most populous Muslim-majority nation. The country emerged from decades of authoritarian rule with the overthrow of Suhorto in 1998.

Let's wish them good luck that people there vote sensibly and in the end, democracy win....

राजभाषा

हिन्दी- विश्व की प्राचीनत्तम,समृद्ध तथा महान भाषाओं में से एक है, साथ ही यह हमारी राजभाषा भी है। भारत की स्वतंत्रता के बाद 14 सितंबर 1949 को संविधान सभा ने एक मत से यह निर्णय लिया कि हिन्दी की खड़ी बोली ही भारत की राजभाषा  होगी। इस महत्वपूर्ण निर्णय के बाद ही हिन्दी को हर क्षेत्र में प्रचारित-प्रसारित करने के लिए राष्ट्रभाषा प्रचार समिति,वर्धा  के अनुरोध पर सन् 1953 से संपूर्ण भारत में 14 सितंबर को प्रतिवर्ष हिन्दी-दिवस के रूप में मनाया जाता है।

हिन्दी विश्व की दूसरी सबसे बड़ी भाषा है । चीनी भाषा के बाद यह विश्व में सबसे अधिक बोली जाने वाली भाषा है। भारत और अन्य देशों में 60 करोड़ से अधिक लोग हिन्दी बोलते,पढ़ते और लिखते हैं। इतना ही नहीं फ़िजी,मॉरीशस,गुयाना,सूरीनाम जैसे दूसरे देशों की अधिकतर जनता हिन्दी बोलती है। भारत से सटे नेपाल  की भी कुछ जनता हिन्दी बोलती है। आज हिन्दी राजभाषा,सम्पर्क भाषा,जनभाषा के सोपानों को पार कर विश्वभाषा बनने  की ओर अग्रसर है।

हिन्दी भाषा प्रेम,मिलन और सौहार्द की भाषा है। यह मुख्यरूप से आर्यों और पारसियों की देन है। हिन्दी के ज्यादातर शब्द संस्कृत,अरबी और फारसी भाषा से लिए गए हैं। हिन्दी अपने आप में एक समर्थ भाषा है। प्रकृति से उदार ग्रहणशील,सहिष्णु और भारत की राष्ट्रीय चेतना की संवाहिका है हिन्दी। अन्तर्राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर हिन्दी के प्रति जागरुकता पैदा करने और हिन्दी के प्रयोग को प्रोत्साहन देने के उद्देश्य से विश्व हिन्दी सम्मेलन जैसे समारोह की भी शुरुआत की गई है। 10 जनवरी 1975 को नागपुर से शुरू हुआ यह सफर आज भी जारी है। अब इस दिन को विश्व हिन्दी दिवस के रूप मे भी मनाया जाने लगा है। हिन्दी भारत की नहीं पूरे विश्व में एक विशाल क्षेत्र और जनसमूह की भाषा है। 1952 में उपयोग की जाने वाली भाषा  के आधार पर यह विश्व में पांचवें स्थान पर थी। 1980 के आसपास वह चीनी और अंग्रेजी के बाद तीसरे स्थान पर आ  गई। 1991 में यह पाया गया कि हिन्दी बोलने वालों की संख्या पूरे विश्व में अंग्रेजी भाषियों की संख्या से अधिक है,जो  मध्यम वर्ग के एक विशाल क्षेत्र को अपने में समेटे हुए है। इस मध्यम वर्ग की क्रय-शक्ति पिछले कुछ वर्षों में काफी बढ़ी  है। आज अपने माल के प्रचार-प्रसार,पैकिंग,गुणवत्ता आदि के लिए हिन्दी को अपनाना बहुराष्ट्रीय कंपनियों की विवशता है  और उनकी यही विवशता आज हिन्दी की शक्ति बन गई है। 1980 और 1990 के दशक में भारत में उदारीकरण,वैश्वीकरण तथा औद्योगीकरण की प्रक्रिया तीव्र हुई। इसके  परिणामस्वरूप अनेक विदेशी बहुराष्ट्रीय कंपनियां भारत में आईं तो हिन्दी के लिए एक खतरा दिखाई दिया था,क्योंकि वे अपने साथ अंग्रेजी लेकर आई थीं।
आज टी वी चैनलों एवं मनोरंजन की दुनिया में हिन्दी सबसे अधिक मुनाफे की भाषा है। मीडिया महारथी रुपर्ट मर्डोक स्टार चैनल लेकर आए। अंग्रेजी में यह चैनल बड़ी धूमधाम से शुरू हुआ था। इसी तर्ज पर  सोनी और अन्य दूसरे चैनल भी अंग्रेजी में अपने कार्यक्रम लेकर भारत में आए। मगर इन सबको विवश होकर हिन्दी की  ओर मुड़ना पडा,क्योंकि इन्हें अपनी दर्शक संख्या बढ़ानी थी। अपना व्यापार,अपना लाभ बढाना था जो हिन्दी से ही संभव  था। कुल विज्ञापनों का लगभग 75  प्रतिशत हिन्दी माध्यम में है।हिन्दी फिल्मों तथा फिल्मी गानों ने भी हिन्दी के प्रचार-प्रसार में अपना अहम योगदान दिया है। सन्‌ 1995 के बाद से  टी.वी.के चैनलों से प्रसारित कार्यक्रमों की लोकप्रियता भी बढ़ी है। इसका अनुमान इससे लगाया जा सकता है कि जिन सेटेलाइट चैनलों ने भारत में अपने कार्यक्रमों का आरम्भ केवल अंग्रेजी भाषा से किया था उन्हें अपनी भाषा नीति में परिवर्तन करना पड़ा है।अब स्टार प्लस, जी.टी.वी,जी न्यूज,स्टार न्यूज,डिस्कवरी,नेशनल ज्यॉग्रॉफिक आदि टी.वी.चैनल अपने कार्यक्रम हिन्दी में दे रहे हैं। आज सभी चैनल तथा फिल्म निर्माता अंग्रेजी क़ार्यक्रमों और फिल्मों को हिन्दी में डब करके प्रस्तुत करने लगे हैं। इसका जीता जागता उदाहरण है जुरासिक पार्क जैसी बेहद लोकप्रिय फिल्म को हिन्दी में डब किया जाना। इसके हिन्दी संस्करण ने सिर्फ भारत में इतने पैसे कमाए जितने अंग्रेजी संस्करण ने पूरे विश्व में नहीं कमाए थे।बीसवीं सदी के अंतिम दो दशकों में हिन्दी का अंतर्राष्ट्रीय विकास बहुत तेजी से हुआ है। वेब,विज्ञापन,संगीत,सिनेमा और  बाजार के क्षेत्र में हिन्दी की मांग जिस तेजी से बढ़ी है वैसी किसी और भाषा में नहीं है।विश्व के लगभग 150 विश्वविद्यालयों तथा सैंकडों छोटे-बड़े केंद्रों में विश्वविद्यालय स्तर से लेकर शोध के स्तर तक हिन्दी के अध्ययन-अध्यापन की व्यवस्था हुई है। विदेशों से 25 से अधिक पत्र-पत्रिकाएं लगभग नियमित रूप से हिन्दी में प्रकाशित हो रही हैं। यूएई के 'हम एफ एम'सहित अनेक देश हिन्दी कार्यक्रम प्रसारित कर रहे हैं,जिनमें बीबीसी,जर्मनी के डॉयचे वेले,जापान के एनएचके  वर्ल्ड और चीन के चाइना रेडियो इंटरनेशनल की हिन्दी सेवा प्रमुख है।हिन्दी भाषा और इसमें निहित भारत की सांस्कृतिक धरोहर इतनी सुदृढ और समृद्ध है कि इस ओर अधिक प्रयत्न न किए  जाने पर भी इसके विकास की गति बहुत तेज है। ध्यान,योग,आसन और आयुर्वेद विषयों के साथ-साथ इनसे संबंधित  हिन्दी शब्दों का भी विश्व की दूसरी भाषाओं में विलय हो रहा है।भारतीय संगीत,हस्तकला,भोजन और वस्त्रों की विदेशी मांग जैसी आज है पहले कभी नहीं थी। लगभग हर देश में योग,ध्यान और आयुर्वेद के केन्द्र खुल गए हैं जो दुनिया भर के लोगों को भारतीय संस्कृति की ओर आकर्षित करते हैं। ऐसी संस्कृति जिसे पाने के लिए हिन्दी के रास्ते से ही पहुंचा जा सकता है। 

भारतीयों ने अपनी कड़ी मेहनत,प्रतिभा और कुशाग्र बुद्धि से आज विश्व के तमाम देशों की उन्नति में जो सहायता की है  उससे प्रभावित होकर सभी यह समझ गए हैं कि भारतीयों से अच्छे संबंध बनाने के लिए हिन्दी सीखना कितना जरूरी है।  आज हिन्दी ने अंग्रेजी का वर्चस्व तोड़ डाला है। करोड़ों की हिन्दी भाषी आबादी कंप्यूटर का प्रयोग अपनी भाषा में कर रही हैं। प्रवासी भारतीयों में हजारों लोग हिन्दी के विकास में संलग्न हैं। हाल ही में अमरीका के पूर्व राष्ट्रपति जॉर्ज बुश ने तो 114 मिलियन  डॉलर की एक विशेष राशि अमरीका में हिन्दी,चीनी और अरबी भाषाएं सिखाने के लिए स्वीकृत की थी । इससे स्पष्ट होता है  कि हिन्दी के महत्व को विश्व में कितनी गंभीरता से अनुभव किया जा रहा है। 

हम आज़ाद है.....

हम आज़ाद है,
रिश्वत देकर सरकारी दफ्तरों में काम करवाने के लिए,

हम आज़ाद है,
ट्रैफिक पुलिस को 50 रुपये देकर छूटने के लिए,

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RTO में बिचोलियों को पैसे देकर बिना इम्तिहान license लेने के लिए,

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बिना टिकट लिए ट्रेन में सफ़र करने के लिए,

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काम की जगह कामचोरी करने के लिए,

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जहा-तहा कूड़ा फेंक कर, थूंक कर देश को गन्दा करने के लिए,

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धर्म, भाषा, ज़ात के नाम पर देश को बांटने के लिए,

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अपने स्वार्थ के खातिर औरो का बुरा करने के लिए,

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