Wednesday 24 August 2016
Monday 15 August 2016
Tuesday 26 April 2016
Child Under nutrition in India
The scale and the gender
dimension of nutrition in India shows that while there is economic growth of
nearly 10 per cent annually, rates of child under nutrition remain very high.
According to NFHS-3, 48 per cent of children under the age of five are stunted
due to chronic under nutrition, with 70 per cent being anemic. The nutrition
situation of children is largely due to the situation of women. NFHS-3
indicates that 36 per cent of Indian women are chronically undernourished and
55 per cent are anemic. Recent data form Bihar and Madhya Pradesh shows
that girls represent up to 68 per cent of the children admitted to programmes
for the severely malnourished. Child under nutrition is very much a matter of
gender for three main reasons:
1. It
affects women more than it affects men due to the specific nutrition needs of
women during adolescence, pregnancy, and lactation;
2. Widespread nutrition deprivation among women perpetuates an inter-generational cycle of nutrition deprivation in children. Undernourished girls grow up to become undernourished women who give birth to a new generation of undernourished children;
3. Women are given the responsibility – but often not the means (empowerment) – to ensure optimal nutrition for their children. A recent study in Andhra Pradesh shows that women with higher autonomy (both financial and physical, for example – the freedom to go to the market) are less likely to have stunted children.
2. Widespread nutrition deprivation among women perpetuates an inter-generational cycle of nutrition deprivation in children. Undernourished girls grow up to become undernourished women who give birth to a new generation of undernourished children;
3. Women are given the responsibility – but often not the means (empowerment) – to ensure optimal nutrition for their children. A recent study in Andhra Pradesh shows that women with higher autonomy (both financial and physical, for example – the freedom to go to the market) are less likely to have stunted children.
To
understand the fact of child under nutrition I was in search of a person
affected due to this suddenly a name flashed up in my mind. Her name was Shipra
Paul. It was not possible to meet her in person so I called up over the phone
This
Conversation goes on as below:
Me:
“Hello! Aunty how are you?”
Aunty:
“I am fine beta.”
Me:
“Aunty, I had applied for India fellow and luckily I made it to the final
Round. For that I need to write an assignment regarding a social Issue so I
picked up Child under nutrition in India so for that purpose I need to ask you
some question.
Aunty:
Yeah Beta you can. Feel free to ask anything.
Me:
I know that you have a ten year old boy who is facing the same so what do u
think how does it affect him or will affect him in future coming days.
Aunty:
“I have seen that more than a third of all deaths in children aged five years
or younger is attributable to under nutrition. So I used to fear all the time
whenever he used to get to sick. After the birth of my child his father was
very disappointed seeing the condition of my son and used to treat us in a bad
manner my mother in law was happy hearing that I gave birth to a boy but after
when she came to know about the problem that my son is facing she also started
treating was in a bad manner. I had no other option I had adjustments as my
choice so I made up my mind in that only. One day my asked me and my son to
spend a month in my father house. I also agreed him without doubting him. Days
passed on and everyday when I used to ask to my husband to pick up us he used
to make excuses. This continued on for near about two months. So I finally
decided to ask him what the matter is. He replied that his family is again
arranging him marriage with someone else so he wants a divorce from me. It was
the most disappointing moment I ever faced. I don’t know what to do, where to
go staying at my father house was also not an option for me as my father was
dead and the whole house use to run on my brother’s back and he was also facing
some financial problems. But my brother somehow found out all this and things
became easier for me and after I continued to stay there at my father house.”
Me:
“Now can you tell me how it is affecting him.”
Aunty:
My child often suffers from infection and common illnesses like diarrhea,
pneumonia, measles, and malaria. It might put his future wife at a greater risk
of pregnancy-related complications and even to death also. He do not perform as
well in school as compared to their well-nourished peers. He might also make
lower wages.
Me:
Thank you aunty for speaking with me about this!
Collected
Statistics: Source- UNICEF India
A number of emergent economies have
successfully addressed their nutrition challenge. China reduced child under
nutrition by more than half (from 25% to 8%) between 1990 and 2002; Brazil
reduced child under nutrition by 60 percent (from 18% to 7%) from 1975 to 1989;
and Vietnam reduced child under nutrition by 40 percent (from 45% to 27%)
between 1990 and 2006. Here are some lessons can be learned from these
countries’ experience:
1.
Leadership at the highest level ensured that priority is given to child
nutrition outcomes, with large investments in nutrition interventions and
poverty alleviation strategies in the context of rapid economic growth.
2. Targeted nutrition interventions to prevent and treat undernutrition as part of a continuum of care, particularly among the most vulnerable children and women;
My Views on this issue are:
2. Targeted nutrition interventions to prevent and treat undernutrition as part of a continuum of care, particularly among the most vulnerable children and women;
My Views on this issue are:
The prevention
and treatment of child under nutrition in the first two years of life needs to
become a national development priority.
A focus on
women’s nutrition and their empowerment to make informed choices about the
nutrition and well-being of their children will make of India a global
leader.
Now is the time to combine the existing
technical knowledge with the political will to change the lives of millions of
children and women in India. India can do it and we stand ready to support the
government in this endeavor, and unite for children
Sunday 21 February 2016
JNU- A replica of protest against Vietnam War!
Protests against the Vietnam War did not start when America declared her open involvement in the war in 1964. America rallied to the call of the
commander-in-chief and after the Gulf of Tonkinincident it became
very apparent that few would raise protests against the decision to militarily
support South Vietnam. America had been through nearly twenty years of the Cold War and they were told by the government that what was happening in South
Vietnam would happen elsewhere (the Domino Theory) unless America used her
military might to stop it. Involvement in the Vietnam War was very much sold as
a patriotic venture so few were prepared to protest. If there was to be a
political protest, it never became apparent in Congress where the entire House
voted to support Johnson and only two Senators voted against US involvement.
A further effect of the opposition was that many college campuses were
completely shut down due to protests. These protests led to wear on the
government who tried to mitigate the tumultuous behavior and return the
colleges back to normal. The colleges involved in the anti-war movement
included ones such as, Brown University, Kent State University, and the
University of Massachusetts. Even
at The College of William and Mary unrest occurred with protests by the
students and even some faculty members that resulted in "multiple
informants" hired to report to the CIA on the activities of students and
faculty members. At the
University of Massachusetts, "The 100th Commencement of the University of
Massachusetts yesterday was a protest, a call for peace", "Red fists
of protest, white peace symbols, and blue doves were stenciled on black
academic gowns, and nearly every other senior wore an armband representing a
plea for peace." Additionally,
"At Boston College, a Catholic institution, six thousand people gathered
that evening in the gymnasium to denounce the war." At Kent State University,
"on May 4, when students gathered to demonstrate against the war, National
Guardsmen fired into the crowd. Four students were killed." [71] Finally, "At the Brown University
commencement in 1969, two-thirds of the graduating class turned their backs
when Henry Kissinger stood up to address them." Basically, from all of the
evidence here provided by the historians, Zinn and McCarthy, the second effect
was very prevalent and it was the uproar at many colleges and universities as
an effect of the opposition to the United States' involvement in Vietnam.
Tuesday 15 December 2015
Top Barney Stinson Moments!
If you are conversant with the American
TV show how I met your mother than you can never get over Barney
Stinson! Obviously he is a bit manipulative and a huge drunken lecher
and also a high functioning psychotic person. But there were some moments when Barney
Stinson proved that how awesome he is and that’s the reason one can’t have
an animus towards him.
Here are some moments
that describe his awesomeness!
1.
Remember
when Ted agrees to let Barney
disrupt his routine by taking an insane trip to the airport with him that
eventually leads the duo to Philadelphia and trouble with airport security. And
after facing hell of problems they finally decided to lick the LIBERTY
BELL! But Ted was not interested in
Barney’s stupid idea but this quote of him finally convinced him to lick the LIBERTY
BELL!
2. Remember when Barney was chosen as a contestant on The Price Is Right giving him the opportunity to fulfill one of his life wishes to meet Bob Barker. But when he finally got the chances he just dogged not to go with his wish and just live the moment!
3
Although Barney made up many stories to get laid with girls and we all know
that all his lies are lame but his true definition of lie is something that we
face once in a lifetime.
4.
Remember when Lily and Marshall were fighting over the dish
washing matter and Marshall was sharing this with Barney
and Ted at McLaren. Barney
quoted these awesome lines! These lines were said in a different sense. But it
has a lot to deal with our real life.
5.Last
but not the least the most expensive quote out of all!
Tuesday 6 October 2015
It all started with a HII episode5
Reaching his apartment the first
thing he did is he switched on his PS4 and threw his college bag
in some corner of the room. He started his favorite game FIFA
with his favorite team Arsenal. The Play station seemed to his
partner because he used to spend most of him time and never get bore of it.
Varun was a lazy bone for everything in his life starting form relationships,
eating, studying, working but this Play station also used to shut down his mind
from every important thing. Meanwhile Rhea was waiting near the college gate
and trying Varun’s number but the call ended up with a computer generated voice
speaking “The person you are trying to call is currently unavailable so
please try after sometime.“ This continued for near about twenty five times
but till then she got frustrated as she missed her college bus. So she took a
cab and headed towards her apartment. Around 3 o’clock Varun realized that he
had promised something to Rhea but it was too late so he started calling her
but this time he doubled the number Rhea tried. So he grabbed his shirt and
went to Rhea’s apartment but he found it was locked, so he decided to wait. He
took out his cigarette packet from his pocket and lighted one of them. He stood
there more than two hours and ended up lighting five cigarettes. Suddenly he
saw her coming so he headed towards her to ask what the reason for not picking
up his call was.
‘Hii Rhea where were you?’
‘Varun please I don’t want to talk
with you it was already a bad day for me and please don’t add up more to it I
just beg you to stay away from this.’
‘Rhea why didn’t you pick up my
call I called near about fifty times?’
‘Varun I didn’t see that’s why I
didn’t receive!’
‘Common Rhea you are just giving me
a lame excuse you exactly did the same what I did’
‘Varun Please stop talking all this
nonsense else I will punch your face’
‘Fine if want me to stay out of
this then its ok! I am staying out of this’
‘Good bye Varun’
‘What is wrong with you why are you
behaving like a jackass?’
‘Just fucking stay out of this I don’t
want to tell you anything Varun!’
With this Rhea curtly closed the door.
Varun was really exploited by Rhea behavior so out of anger he just kicked on
her door and moved away from that place. Meanwhile Rhea was continuing sobering
without a pause as if someone has put pressed the stop button of her life.
Around nine thirty Rhea was feeling hungry so she went to the kitchen to see if
Appeksha has cooked something. But she founded the expressionless utensils
lying rack. Suddenly there was a text from appeksha showing up that she will stay
at her uncle’s house and will have her dinner there only. This added more to
her obscurity as she was in no mood for cooking. But then she saw a packet of
cornflakes lying on the rack which took off some load from her mind but there
was no milk so she locked the apartment and went down to the shop near her
apartment. She took a packet of milk and was moving from there. All of a sudden
she saw Varun smoking in the corner of that shop and Varun also noticed that
Rhea had a caught him in her sight. He smashed the cigarette with his ankle and
went towards her.
‘Hii Rhea what are you doing here
at this time?’
‘Can I ask you the same Varun?’
‘No I just came to take lab Record
from a friend!’
‘Lab record? Huh!!!’
‘Yeah tomorrow is the deadline for
submission’
‘I know your character very well so
stop lying!’
‘Seriously Rhea why would I lie to
you!’
‘Show me your record?’
‘Actually I was just going to take
that only!’
‘I know you have waiting here because
you just want to know why I was throwing up at you!’
‘Not at all! You are mistaken’
‘So you are thinking to go back to
your place? As its been too late and I don’t think you have that much energy to
get up and go’
‘Yeah I have to because tomorrow I have
to attend morning classes’
‘Don’t worry about the classes I will
wake you up early’
‘No No I will manage!’
‘Common don’t be shy my roommate will not come
today so it would be better you stay back here only so that I won’t be alone
for the night’
After thinking for a second Varun agreed
up to what Rhea said and moved upstairs!
©Biswadeep Das 6th
October 2015
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