The Poisoned Plate- Mid Day Meal

As per the Supreme Courts's order Govt. of India Started Mid Day Meal, but it's mismanagement and irregularities are known to everyone. Every second day a new scam related to mid-day meal is in news, recently when number of children died in Patna, a big question mark arise about the hygiene and quality of food given to future of our country. Govt is spending crore on running this scheme so that more n more children enroll in school and can get the education, but what's the use of spending such huge amount when govt is not able to mange the things well, when they are not able to provide quality of food, then how can we expect the quality education n future for younger ones. Contrasting to this there are some NGOs who are working same model, but their work is really commendable, like Aksaya Patra Foundation...unlimited food for education(ISKCON). The organization distributes freshly cooked, healthy meals daily to 1.3 million underprivileged children in 9,000 government schools through 20 locations in 9 states across India. Built on a public-private partnership, It costs just Rs. 750 to feed a child daily for the entire school year due to government subsidy and provision of grains and state-of-the-art technology. For many of the children, this is their only complete meal for the day. It gives them an incentive to come to school and stay in school and provides them with the necessary nutrients — becoming the food for education.

Centralized and decentralized kitchens

Assets such as state-of-the-art centralized kitchens are constructed and maintained across regions to ensure timely mass production of over 100,000 meals in most hygienic condition every day. Continuous R&D is taken up leading to innovations in the construction process. As construction of such kitchens are not feasible in all locations. For example, in Baran, which is a remote village and children catered to are in 100ds, it is more feasible to have a decentralized kitchen. The kitchen would be set up in a small premises and food is cooked by a few employees from the local region, making whole process cost effective and generating other benefits such as women employment, etc.

Akshaya Patra Blue Bus delivers food to the schools once the hot nutritious meals are ready.

Impact

Surveys have shown that in areas where Akshaya Patra provides meals, student enrolment for Standard 1 has significantly increased to 41%. Its efforts to get children to school by eradicating their hunger has contributed to the right of every Indian child to get access to education.

• An impact study of the program showed an improvement in school enrollment and dropout rates with a continuous increase in classroom performance. The foundation aims to serve 5 million children daily by 2020.

• The Harvard Business School did a case study on Akshaya Patra in 2007 on Akshaya Patra's model for precise time management.

• The US Congressional Hunger Center (CHC) has awarded an International Fellowship to Akshaya Patra, chosen from 35 other nominated social organizations around the world.

• The World Economic Forum invited Akshaya Patra to share its experiences for The Hunger Project in Africa.

Even renowned organisations such as World Economic Forum wants this NGO to share it's experience then why can't govt. of India can learn something from them..how they maintain all the quality and standards without spending large amount as govt is doing right now.

India is 4th most dangerous place in the world for women.

India is the fourth most dangerous place in the world for women. A Thomson Reuters Foundation global poll reveals this shocking fact. It's an unflattering irony for a country where women make it to the top political positions - Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Sheila Dikshit of Delhi, J. Jayalalithaa of Tamil Nadu and Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal, ruling Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj. Yet there are women deprived of their basic right to be born.
The report says the country is worse than war-torn Somalia because of high instances of female foeticide, infanticide and human trafficking.
It is only a little better than war-ravaged Afghanistan and Congo. The African nation is saddled with the ignominious title of "rape capital of the world".
India can, like it always does, take pride in the fact that it is a notch below its arch-rival Pakistan on the shame list. South Asia, as can be deduced from the poll, is the most dangerous region for women.
Evidently, India's apparent economic progress finds no reflection in the status of its girl child - most of whom are even denied the right to be born.
The Thomson Reuters Foundation explained why it ranked India so low on the list. The main reasons were female foeticide, infanticide and human trafficking.
In fact, it quotes the government's own horrific statistics on trafficking. A CBI report in 2009 says 90 per cent of trafficking took place within the country and there were some three million prostitutes, of whom about 40 per cent were children.
The Thomson Reuters Foundation highlights the plight of missing girls in India, citing the UN Population Fund report. It says up to 50 million girls have gone "missing" over the past century because of female infanticide and foeticide.

Kacheri of Maharaj Suraj Mal, Hodal

Kishori Devi was the daughter of one Chaudhary Kashi Ram Sorot. Legend has is that one day Maharaja Suraj Mal was passing Hodal on his stately elephant when he noticed an unusual incident. An agitated bull was frightening everyone and roaming angrily when Kishori Devi, along with her friends, was returning from a well with pitchers on her head. She put her toe on the loose bridle and restrained the bull. Kishori was a brave, stout and beautiful young maiden. Suraj Mal was greatly impressed and after some time sent his purohit with the marriage proposal. Her father is said to have agreed to the relationship but wished that his status be at par with that of the reputed Raja. Upon hearing this, Maharaja Suraj Mal granted him the title of Chaudhary with the authority to collect revenue from the parganah of Hodal. The marriage was solemnized sometime around 1730.

According to the poet Sudan, Maharaja Suraj Mal married Maharani Kishori on 21 March 1750 (falgun sudi pandrah). Chaudhary Kashi Ram Sorot had two more sons in addition to Kishori who were Buj Lal and Guman Singh. Maharaja Suraj Mal appointed Kashi Ram as manager of village Tawdu (Parganah Nooh) and this way through the marriage with Maharani Kishori he strengthened his position in Mewat.

Maharani Kishori had played an important role in running the administration of Bharatpur State. Maharaja Suraj Mal always consulted her on the important matters of the state. She played the role of patron to the Bharatpur State for three generations even after death of Maharaja Suraj Mal.
Maharaja Suraj Mal liked Maharani Kishori the most. He constructed Maharani Kishori Mahal within the Lohagarh Fort. He also constructed Maharani Kishori temple at Brindavan and Maharani Kishori Khas Mahal at Goverdahan and also constructed replica of kecheri and mahal as in bhartpur, at hodal also.



Kacheri of Maharaj Suraj Mal.

According to aged people Maharaja Suraj Mal listen the problems of people & solve them. Now this kacheri is in very devastated state, such  prestigious place of immense importance is in very bad state, after complaining numerous of times ASI, few officials came for formality, even tried to capture the attention of media towards this..but of no use.

I sincerely request you all to take some strong steps to save this prestigious monument.

Need Change.

आज ऑफिस में एक बाबू ने बताया कि उसकी पत्नी भी बाबू थी ,दो महीने पहले उसने स्वैक्षिक सेवानिवृत्ति ले ली !
मैंने पूछा " क्यों ले ली "
उसने बताया " माँ की म्रत्यु के बाद पिताजी की देखभाल करने के लिए कोई तो चाहिए था , इसलिए ले ली "
मैंने कहा " आप भी तो ले सकते थे ...पत्नी ने ही क्यों ली ?"

इस पर उसने इतना बड़ा मुंह फाड़कर हैरत से मुझे देखा मानो मैंने कोई बहुत बड़े पागलपन की बात कर दी हो ..
. बोला ... " अगर पति,पत्नी में से किसी एक को नौकरी छोड़ना हो तो पत्नी ही तो छोड़ेगी , पति कैसे छोड़ सकता है ?

मुझे विश्वास है कि अगर उसकी पत्नी से मैं ये सवाल पूछती तो वो भी इतने ही हैरत से मुझे देखती !

पत्नी कमाए , पति घर पर पिताजी की देखभाल करे .... हमारी पुरुषवादी मानसिकता इसकी इजाज़त नहीं देती ! गलती न पति की है , न पत्नी की ! जो बचपन से देखा ,समझा है उसके हिसाब से वे सही हैं !

मगर सवाल ये है कि देखे, सीखे हुए को हम अपने बुद्धि ,विवेक और तर्क की कसौटी पर कसना और उनमे बदलाव लाना कब सीखेंगे ?

Respect Women !!

बहुत से सज्जन महिलाओं के घर का काम करने और पुरुषों के नौकरी करने को उनका स्वाभाविक गुण बताते हुए कहते हैं ... खाना पकाना , कपडे सिलना ,साफ़ सफाई करना आदि स्त्रियों के प्राकृतिक गुण हैं ! घर में खाना बनाना , टॉयलेट साफ़ करना , बच्चों के फटे कपडे सिलना आपको पुरुषोचित नहीं लगता है !

जी बड़ी अच्छी बात है ..सहमत हुए ,पर एक प्रश्न का जवाब दे दीजिये ज़रा " फिर सारे होटल ,ढाबे ,रेस्तौरेंट पर पुरुषों ने क्यों कब्ज़ा जमा रखा है ? हर शहर ,गली ,मोहल्ले में क्यों पुरुष दर्जी का काम कर रहे हैं ? क्यों चूड़ियों की दूकान खोलकर हाथों में चूड़ियाँ पहना रहे हैं ? अगर ये सारे काम पुरुषोचित नहीं हैं तो छोड़ क्यों नहीं देते इन्हें ?

दरअसल ये आपकी सत्ता का प्रश्न है ,और कुछ नहीं ! आपको घर के बाहर सब प्राकृतिक और स्वाभाविक लगता है , वही काम आपको घर के भीतर अस्वाभाविक लगने लगते हैं !

आपको स्त्री आर्थिक रूप से आप पर निर्भर ही चाहिए! और उस पर भी अगर आपने उस पर एहसान कर उससे नौकरी करवा ली तब भी घर के काम तो आप उसी से करायेंगे ... कभी उसे चने के झाड पर चढ़ाकर कि घर तो बस वही संभाल सकती है , कभी उसके सामने बच्चा बनकर और कभी बेचारा बनकर ! यह सब काम न आये तो आपकी शारीरिक शक्ति तो है ही !!!!