Friday, February 22, 2013
Eviction of 1200 families from a slum
Fri, Feb 22, 2013 at 9:09 AM
A Protest Demonstration on 4th March
Dear Friends !
Greetings !
We are sending you our appeal for your solidarity and support on behalf of National Movement For Land, Labor and Justice- NMLLJ and Forum against EWS Land Grab, Bangalore Karnataka.
Hope you are already aware of the illegal-demolition and eviction of 1200 families from a slum in Bangalore, where they were living for more than 20 years .
This brutal action was enacted by the combined violence of police, pvt goons, and government officials.The whole purpose is to grab the 15.64 acres of prime land on which they were living. it is between Jan 18--20. but even today the evicted people are living on footpath. this is the first where a `corporate land sharing project ` under PPP is being introduced in entire south India, in Urban poor Housing. If this move is not resisted , it only pave way to more and more land grab from slum people all over. What we are experiencing in the country is the diminishing Democracy and flourishing Corporatocracy.
At this Juncture we request all democratic organization at Delhi to extend support and solidarity in resisting, exposing and get back the land grabbed from the social groups -historically marginalized.
.We seek your support and solidarity in organizing a protest Demonstration on 4th March at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi and a CSO consultation on 6th at Delhi. A strong struggle group from Forum against EWS Land Grab, Bangalore Karnataka.
We request you to play a prominent / leading role in actualizing organized mass protest at Delhi on 4th march. Around 20 people from Bangalore forum that led the struggle so far, will be joining the protest.
Please see these attachments and Photos for more details.
M.R.Prabhakar
Convener, Forum against EWS Land Grab, Bangalore
09449820566.
ARUN KHOTE
राष्ट्रीय भूमि, श्रम एवं न्याय आन्दोलन
National Movement For Land, Labor and Justice-NMLLJ
222,Vidhayak Niwas, Aishbagh Road, Rajendra Nagar
Lucknow -226004 Utter Pradesh (INDIA)
Mob: 91#9451872099
At Jantar Mantar, New Delhi
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Peoples of India observed strike today
Wed, Feb 20, 2013 at 4:30 PM
The protestors included large number of women
 |
| Peoples power at Ludhiana.....................................Photo by Rector Kathuria |
Ludhiana(Rector Kathuria); On a call given by the 11 Central Trade Unions and various independent federations, unions and associations, the workers affiliated to the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), INTUC, BMS, CTU, TUCC and CITU observed strike today in their respective industries and other institutions. Thereafter they gathered at Bus stand and organized a massive protest rally in support of their demands. The unions of workers of Punjab Roadways and PRTC had already struck work and so there was a total Chakka Jam at the bus stand since 12.00 midnight.
The protestors included large number of women, construction workers, industrial workers, Public health workers, contractual workers, Corporation workers, University employees, private hospital employees, roadways and others sections of workers and employees. Todays’s protesat rally was presided over by Com Om Parkash Mehta - AITUC, Com Jatinder Pal Singh of CITU and Shri Swaran Singh of INTUC, Com Paramjeet Singh of CTU, Sh Nageshwar Singh of BMS, Shri Sham Narain Yadav of TUCC . Speaking on the occasion state leaders Com Bant Brar–General Secretary AITUC Punjab, Com Raghunath Singh, General Secretary of CITU Punjab, Com Paramjeet Singh of CTU, Sh. Swaran Singh- President INTUC Punjab, Hari singh Sahni-TUCC demanded minimum wages to be fixed by the Punjab Govt. @ for unskilled workers Rs 10,000, Semi Skilled 15,000, Skilled workers 20,000 per month, end to contractual and out sourcing and filling up of all govt. and semi govt. posts on regular basis, to disband the new pension policy effective from 1.1.2004 and implement the same old pension scheme on all employees. They cited low wages in the state as major reason for the shortage of labour in the state. They demanded all anti worker acts recently promulgated by the Punjab government to be withdrawn with immediate effect. The speakers said that the labour laws in the state are being flouted by both public and private sector with impunity. The contractual workers in both the sectors be regularized hence forth. These must be implemented in letter and spirit. They deplored that under the process of so called globalization and privatization at the diktat of the world bank and International Monetary Fund , the economic policies of both central and state governments there has been accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few, while vast majority is suffering under acute poverty and unemployment. Latest reports have indicated that 100 top rich families in India own assets to the tune of 16 lakh crores of rupees where as 70% are forced to live on meager spending of Rs. 16.60 per day. Speaking on the occasion Com. Tarsem Jodhan, Com D P Maur, Com Ram Lal, Jagdish Chand and Gurjeet Singh Jagpal, Gulzar Singh Gorea opposed FDI in banks, LIC and retail as this will hit the job situation hard for the employees and also the production in the small scale sector. They also demanded regular jobs and equal wages for ASHA, Aanganwadi and mid day meal workers. They warned that if the govt. does not change its economic policies benefitting the rich and the corporate sector, then more militant agitations are on the anvil. Others who addressed include Com Bhagirath Paliwal, Suresh Sood, Gurnam Gill, Laddoo shah, Haniuman Prasad Dubey, Samar Bahadur, Gurnam Sidhu, Kameshwar Yadav, Sarbjit Singh Sarhali, Manjeet Singh Buta, Charan Dass, Amarnath Kumkalan, S K Tiwari and Rajesh Kumar Sharma
The protestors included large number of women, construction workers, industrial workers, Public health workers, contractual workers, Corporation workers, University employees, private hospital employees, roadways and others sections of workers and employees. Todays’s protesat rally was presided over by Com Om Parkash Mehta - AITUC, Com Jatinder Pal Singh of CITU and Shri Swaran Singh of INTUC, Com Paramjeet Singh of CTU, Sh Nageshwar Singh of BMS, Shri Sham Narain Yadav of TUCC . Speaking on the occasion state leaders Com Bant Brar–General Secretary AITUC Punjab, Com Raghunath Singh, General Secretary of CITU Punjab, Com Paramjeet Singh of CTU, Sh. Swaran Singh- President INTUC Punjab, Hari singh Sahni-TUCC demanded minimum wages to be fixed by the Punjab Govt. @ for unskilled workers Rs 10,000, Semi Skilled 15,000, Skilled workers 20,000 per month, end to contractual and out sourcing and filling up of all govt. and semi govt. posts on regular basis, to disband the new pension policy effective from 1.1.2004 and implement the same old pension scheme on all employees. They cited low wages in the state as major reason for the shortage of labour in the state. They demanded all anti worker acts recently promulgated by the Punjab government to be withdrawn with immediate effect. The speakers said that the labour laws in the state are being flouted by both public and private sector with impunity. The contractual workers in both the sectors be regularized hence forth. These must be implemented in letter and spirit. They deplored that under the process of so called globalization and privatization at the diktat of the world bank and International Monetary Fund , the economic policies of both central and state governments there has been accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few, while vast majority is suffering under acute poverty and unemployment. Latest reports have indicated that 100 top rich families in India own assets to the tune of 16 lakh crores of rupees where as 70% are forced to live on meager spending of Rs. 16.60 per day. Speaking on the occasion Com. Tarsem Jodhan, Com D P Maur, Com Ram Lal, Jagdish Chand and Gurjeet Singh Jagpal, Gulzar Singh Gorea opposed FDI in banks, LIC and retail as this will hit the job situation hard for the employees and also the production in the small scale sector. They also demanded regular jobs and equal wages for ASHA, Aanganwadi and mid day meal workers. They warned that if the govt. does not change its economic policies benefitting the rich and the corporate sector, then more militant agitations are on the anvil. Others who addressed include Com Bhagirath Paliwal, Suresh Sood, Gurnam Gill, Laddoo shah, Haniuman Prasad Dubey, Samar Bahadur, Gurnam Sidhu, Kameshwar Yadav, Sarbjit Singh Sarhali, Manjeet Singh Buta, Charan Dass, Amarnath Kumkalan, S K Tiwari and Rajesh Kumar Sharma
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
A research on brains and spiders
A Whole New Meaning for Thinking on Your Feet
Smithsonian researchers report that the brains of tiny spiders are so large that they fill their
body cavities and overflow into their legs. As part of ongoing research to understand how
miniaturization affects brain size and behavior, researchers measured the central nervous systems of nine species of spiders, from rainforest giants to spiders smaller than the head of a pin. As the spiders get smaller, their brains get proportionally bigger, filling up more and more of their body cavities.
“The smaller the animal, the more it has to invest in its brain, which means even very tiny
spiders are able to weave a web and perform other fairly complex behaviors,” said William Wcislo,
staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. “We discovered that the
central nervous systems of the smallest spiders fill up almost 80 percent of their total body cavity, including about 25 percent of their legs.”
Some of the tiniest, immature spiderlings even have deformed, bulging bodies. The bulge
contains excess brain. Adults of the same species do not bulge. Brain cells can only be so small
because most cells have a nucleus that contains all of the spider’s genes, and that takes up space. The diameter of the nerve fibers or axons also cannot be made smaller because if they are too thin, the flow of ions that carry nerve signals is disrupted, and the signals are not transferred properly. One option is to devote more space to the nervous system.
“We suspected that the spiderlings might be mostly brain because there is a general rule for all
animals, called Haller’s rule, that says that as body size goes down, the proportion of the body taken up by the brain increases,” said Wcislo. “Human brains only represent about 2-3 percent of our body mass. Some of the tiniest ant brains that we’ve measured represent about 15 percent of their biomass, and some of these spiders are much smaller.”
Brain cells use a lot of energy, so these small spiders also probably convert much of the food
they consume into brain power.
The enormous biodiversity of spiders in Panama and Costa Rica made it possible for
researchers to measure brain extension in spiders with a huge range of body sizes. Nephila clavipes, a Smithsonian Institution News Dec. 12, 2011 SI-528-2011 2 rainforest giant weighs 400,000 times more than the smallest spiders in the study, nymphs of spiders in the genus Mysmena.
The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, headquartered in Panama City, Panama, is a unit
of the Smithsonian Institution. The Institute furthers the understanding of tropical nature and its
importance to human welfare, trains students to conduct research in the tropics and promotes
conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems.
Website: www.stri.si.edu
Spiders carefully move their legs
The web-weaving behavior
A research on brains and spiders
# # #Brains of tiny spiders are so large
 |
| Nephila clavipes, a big tropical spider, has plenty of room in its body for its brain. Credit: Pamela Belding. |
body cavities and overflow into their legs. As part of ongoing research to understand how
miniaturization affects brain size and behavior, researchers measured the central nervous systems of nine species of spiders, from rainforest giants to spiders smaller than the head of a pin. As the spiders get smaller, their brains get proportionally bigger, filling up more and more of their body cavities.
“The smaller the animal, the more it has to invest in its brain, which means even very tiny
spiders are able to weave a web and perform other fairly complex behaviors,” said William Wcislo,
staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. “We discovered that the
central nervous systems of the smallest spiders fill up almost 80 percent of their total body cavity, including about 25 percent of their legs.”
Some of the tiniest, immature spiderlings even have deformed, bulging bodies. The bulge
contains excess brain. Adults of the same species do not bulge. Brain cells can only be so small
because most cells have a nucleus that contains all of the spider’s genes, and that takes up space. The diameter of the nerve fibers or axons also cannot be made smaller because if they are too thin, the flow of ions that carry nerve signals is disrupted, and the signals are not transferred properly. One option is to devote more space to the nervous system.
“We suspected that the spiderlings might be mostly brain because there is a general rule for all
animals, called Haller’s rule, that says that as body size goes down, the proportion of the body taken up by the brain increases,” said Wcislo. “Human brains only represent about 2-3 percent of our body mass. Some of the tiniest ant brains that we’ve measured represent about 15 percent of their biomass, and some of these spiders are much smaller.”
Brain cells use a lot of energy, so these small spiders also probably convert much of the food
they consume into brain power.
The enormous biodiversity of spiders in Panama and Costa Rica made it possible for
researchers to measure brain extension in spiders with a huge range of body sizes. Nephila clavipes, a Smithsonian Institution News Dec. 12, 2011 SI-528-2011 2 rainforest giant weighs 400,000 times more than the smallest spiders in the study, nymphs of spiders in the genus Mysmena.
The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, headquartered in Panama City, Panama, is a unit
of the Smithsonian Institution. The Institute furthers the understanding of tropical nature and its
importance to human welfare, trains students to conduct research in the tropics and promotes
conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems.
Website: www.stri.si.edu
Spiders carefully move their legs
The web-weaving behavior
A research on brains and spiders
# # #Brains of tiny spiders are so large
Friday, February 1, 2013
Initiative Reduces
01/31/2013 03:20 PM CST Fri, Feb 1, 2013 at 2:54 AM
Disability Claims Processing Time
From a Department of Veterans Affairs News Release
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2013 - The Veterans Affairs Department has launched a new initiative that could eliminate the requirement for an in-person medical examination for some veterans and shorten the time it takes to process disability compensation claims.
Officials said the initiative -- called Acceptable Clinical Evidence, or ACE -- was developed jointly by the Veterans Health Administration and the Veterans Benefits Administration to provide a veteran-centric approach for disability examinations.
Use of the ACE process opens the possibility of doing assessments without an in-person examination when there is sufficient information in the record, officials said.
Under ACE practices, a VA medical provider completes a disability benefits questionnaire by reviewing existing medical evidence. This evidence can be supplemented with information obtained during a telephone interview with the veteran, officials explained, alleviating the need for some veterans to report for an in-person examination.
"ACE is a process improvement that will help us meet our goal to eliminate the claims backlog and provide more timely benefits to our veterans, their families and survivors," said Allison A. Hickey, VA's undersecretary for benefits. "The initiative also saves veterans the inconvenience and costs associated with attending a medical examination."
When a VA medical provider determines VA records already contain sufficient medical information to provide the needed documentation for disability rating purposes, the requirement for veterans to travel to a medical facility for an examination may be eliminated.
If VA can complete a disability benefits questionnaire by reviewing medical records already on file, it will use the ACE process. This would then expedite the determination of disability ratings, officials said, in turn eliminating the wait time to schedule and conduct an exam from the claims process.
During a 15-month pilot test at one VA regional claims processing office, officials noted, 38 percent of claims submitted were eligible for ACE.
The ACE initiative is a part of a five-year effort by the Veterans Benefits Administration designed to improve claims processing, officials said. The goal of the transformation plan is to eliminate the claims backlog and process all claims within 125 days with 98 percent accuracy in 2015.
Related Sites:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Disability Benefits Questionnaire
Disability Claims Processing Time
From a Department of Veterans Affairs News Release
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2013 - The Veterans Affairs Department has launched a new initiative that could eliminate the requirement for an in-person medical examination for some veterans and shorten the time it takes to process disability compensation claims.
Officials said the initiative -- called Acceptable Clinical Evidence, or ACE -- was developed jointly by the Veterans Health Administration and the Veterans Benefits Administration to provide a veteran-centric approach for disability examinations.
Use of the ACE process opens the possibility of doing assessments without an in-person examination when there is sufficient information in the record, officials said.
Under ACE practices, a VA medical provider completes a disability benefits questionnaire by reviewing existing medical evidence. This evidence can be supplemented with information obtained during a telephone interview with the veteran, officials explained, alleviating the need for some veterans to report for an in-person examination.
"ACE is a process improvement that will help us meet our goal to eliminate the claims backlog and provide more timely benefits to our veterans, their families and survivors," said Allison A. Hickey, VA's undersecretary for benefits. "The initiative also saves veterans the inconvenience and costs associated with attending a medical examination."
When a VA medical provider determines VA records already contain sufficient medical information to provide the needed documentation for disability rating purposes, the requirement for veterans to travel to a medical facility for an examination may be eliminated.
If VA can complete a disability benefits questionnaire by reviewing medical records already on file, it will use the ACE process. This would then expedite the determination of disability ratings, officials said, in turn eliminating the wait time to schedule and conduct an exam from the claims process.
During a 15-month pilot test at one VA regional claims processing office, officials noted, 38 percent of claims submitted were eligible for ACE.
The ACE initiative is a part of a five-year effort by the Veterans Benefits Administration designed to improve claims processing, officials said. The goal of the transformation plan is to eliminate the claims backlog and process all claims within 125 days with 98 percent accuracy in 2015.
Related Sites:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Disability Benefits Questionnaire
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