IEP New Delhi 17

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report about the plight of students, in Kaluwara village of Punjab, especially the girls, who have to first walk on foot in slushy banks of the river Sutlej then board a Berhi (a wooden boat) and cross the river to walk for another 4 kms along the border with Pakistan before finally reaching to the Government Senior Secondary School in Gatti Rajoke area of the district Ferozpur of the State.The news report further reveals that Kaluwara is surrounded on three sides by river water and by the border fence on the fourth. It is also stated that during the heavy rain, the river floods fields and homes, forcing the residents to spend days together on their roof tops. The village houses 50 families and has only one primary school. Most of the girls studying in the primary school, drop out after Class-V due to the extreme difficulties in getting to the schools for higher education.The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise issues pertaining to the apathy of the state authorities towards the Right to Education of the students as well as the Right to Life and Dignity of the people residing in the area. The State has a responsibility to ensure their safety and to safeguard their human rights by providing them an environment to live with dignity.Accordingly, it has issued a notice to the Government of Punjab, through its Chief Secretary calling for a report along with the action taken report about the steps being taken or proposed to be taken to provide for better and hassle-free access to the students to the school in the area, either by creation of a new school at a nearby place or by providing better access, avoiding the river Satluj/Berhi, while reaching to the school. Issuing the notice, the Commission has observed that it becomes imperative that the State Government makes it possible for every child to get an access to the education system, without much hindrance or difficulty so that the fundamental significance of the life of an individual can be achieved. In this context, it also noted the Supreme Court order in Avinash Mehrotra v. UoI, (2009) 6 SCC 398, as well as the introduction of Article 21-A in the Constitution, which makes the State liable to provide free and compulsory education to all the children of the age of six to fourteen years.The Commission has further noted that the Government of India has been emphasizing upon education to the girls. It has announced and implemented many schemes to provide benefits to the girl children across the country but such news reports indicate that there are many grey still areas, where a lot of work is yet to be done. The poor citizens cannot be left on their fate and to use a Berhi to cross a river daily to reach the school, market or their place of work.  According to the media report, carried on 16th November, 2022, the two girls, who have been attending high school amidst odds, say that sometimes they are the only ones on the Berhi without any boat man, which is maneuvered using an over head cable that is tethered to poles on either ends of the river bank. The girls have to tug at the over head rope with all their might, haul themselves onto the boat and wait for it to steady itself before rowing to the other side. It is also mentioned that sometimes the students have to wait for the Berhi for more than two hours as they have to wait for someone from the other side to row the Berhi towards them. The Berhi is reportedly a common form of water transport in the area, used to ferry, besides people, cattle and vehicles such as bicycle and motor bike even tractors as there is no road to reach the area called Gatti Rajoke.

IEP Chandigarh

India reported 72,616 deaths from oral cancer in the Indian population and an incidence of 1,99,992 cases in 2018. Such a huge burden is catastrophic to both the society as well as the health system. Thankfully, the Government of India has a comprehensive plan of National Program on Prevention of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) to promote screening for emerging NCDs including oral cancer.

Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) are running Population Based Cancer Registry (PBCR), in partnership with Chandigarh Administration and Govt of Punjab since 2013.

As per the statistics of PBCR, Chandigarh and Mohali have reported 5.2-5.5% of males and 0.6-1.6% of females are suffering from oral cancer among all cancer cases. Most of the cases are attributed to tobacco use, a modifiable risk factor of oral cancer. The registry has helped in knowing the pattern, trends as well as prevention and control measures for cancer in different regions of India.

The national dissemination meeting and workshop was conducted in Guest House, UT Chandigarh today to discuss global, regional and national initiatives and strategies towards oral cancer prevention and role of health workers in oral cancer screening.

The meeting included sessions on key initiatives on oral cancer prevention and control under National Oral Health Program as well asKey initiatives of Oral Cancer in Chandigarh and Punjab and Study Findings of Feasibility of Training Community Health Workers in the Detection of Oral Cancer. Dr. Andre Carvalho, Scientist, Early Detection Prevention, and Infections, International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, Lyon shared Global-IARC perspective on oral cancer screening and prevention.

Dr. Suman Singh, DHS, UT Chandigarh; Prof. Rakesh Sehgal, Dean (Academics), PGIMER, Chandigarh; Dr. L. Swasticharan, Additional Deputy Director General, Directorate of Health Services, Government of India; Prof. Jasbinder Kaur, Director Principal, Government Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh graced the inauguration session.

There was a panel discussion on Roadmap for strengthening Oral Cancer screening. Dr. Swasticharan, Dr Sudarshan Mandal, Deputy Director General, Directorate of Health Services, Government of India; Prof. Ashima Goel, HOD, Oral Health Sciences, PGIMER, Chandigarh; Prof. Paramjit Gill, Head of Division of Health Sciences, Professor of General Practice, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick UK; Dr. Ashoo Grover, Scientist ‘F’, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi and Dr Rakesh Kapoor, Prof and Head of Radiotherapy, Unit 2, PGIMER, Chandigarh were  the key panelists.

The meeting contributed to strengthening population-based screening of oral cancer under NPCDCS.  

In collaboration with World NCD Federation with University of Warwick (United Kingdom), under the Indo-UK partnership, a video film “Oral Cancer Screening by Health Workers” has been prepared as an outcome of a research project on feasibility of oral cancer screening in India.The film was  released during the national dissemination meeting. The film is available in English and Hindi languages, for widespread acceptance and use.

The meeting was organised by Prof. JS Thakur, Professor of Community Medicine & Coordinator, Family Medicine Program, PGIMER, Chandigarh & President, World NCD Federation and his team. 

IEP Chandigarh

Dr Suresh Kumar Angurana, Associate Professor working in the Division of Pediatric Critical Care, Department of Pediatrics, Advanced Pediatric Centre, PGIMER, Chandigarh has been awarded with the prestigious Dr Tulsi Das Chugh Award 2022 by the National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS) during the recently concluded 62nd Annual Conference of National Academy of Medical Sciences (India), NAMSCON 2022 held at SMS Medical College, Jaipur. The Award was given by Honourable Speaker Lok Sabha Shri Om Birla Ji in presence of Dr Shiv Kumar Sarin (President NAMS, India) and other dignitaries of the NAMS, India. Dr Suresh Kumar Angurana awarded for his work in the field of role of probiotics in critically ill children with severe sepsis.

IEP Mohali, November 17

A dedicated cosmetic surgery clinic was launched at Ivy Hospital, Mohali on Thursday.

Dr. A Jayanthi Mala senior consultant of cosmetic & plastic surgery said that the clinic will be one stop solution for all skin and body contouring offering non-surgical and surgical procedures including dimple creation on cheeks, sex change surgery,  hydra facial, advanced PRP, advanced glow treatments, surgical procedures including rhinoplasty, ear surgery, dimpleplasty, gynecomastia, liposuction, tummy tuck , mommy makeover and advanced diabetic foot care surgery.

IEP Chandigarh

The Foreign Students Cell and Women Development Cell of Mehr Chand Mahajan DAV College for Women, Chandigarh, organised an online workshop on ‘Gender Responsive Approach to Climate Change’. The eminent resource person, Prof. Namita Gupta from the Department of Human Rights, Panjab University, Chandigarh, lent an exhaustive narrative to the contemporary and sensitive issue of women being the lead victims of climate changes and natural disasters. She highlighted that the burgeoning statistics have been a precursor to the emergence of various environmental movements of India like Bishnoi movement, Chipko movement, Aapiko movement, Silent Valley movement and Narmada Bachao Andolan. Prof. Gupta corroborated her talk with research-based constructs in the domains of agriculture, plantation, mining, household chores, migration, politics, etc., all bearing testimony to the gender-based discrimination in society. She highlighted the significance of equal opportunities to cast a strong influence in the sphere of Land and Property Governance, and the overall polity of the country and the world at large. Around 85 participants were part of this online workshop.
Principal Dr. Nisha Bhargava appreciated the efforts of both the Cells, to have worked in tandem, towards strengthening the awareness about gender inequality, that can serve to translate into a strong foothold of women in the environment projects and policies. She expressed hope that the well- structured event will be an apt move in the desired direction.

IEP Chandigarh, November 17

Four police officers from Haryana were awarded with the Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation for 2022. The awardees also include one woman police officer.

          Giving the information here today, a Haryana Police spokesperson informed that according to a notification issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Inspector Basant Kumar, Sub-Inspector Yogesh Kumar, lady Sub-Inspector Suman Devi and Head Constable Gopal Chand were among those who were awarded with the medal.

          The Police officers decorated with prestigious medals had received the honour in recognition of their outstanding contribution in the field of investigation through scientific probes that led to the cracking of cases.

          The medal was constituted in 2018 with the objective to promote high professional standards of investigation of crime and to recognize such ‘Excellence in Investigation’ by investigating officers.