Girl from red-light area in Mumbai flies to the US for studies

Mumbai: For 18-year-old Shweta Katti, who grew up as the daughter of a devdasi in the infamous red-light area of Kamathipura in the city, getting scholarship to study in the US is a dream coming true.

Shweta, who once studied in a civic school, flew to New York on Thursday to pursue a course in psychology at Bard University.


"Shweta has got the opportunity to study in the US. I don't know what she would be studying there. But I feel proud of her," her mother Vandana, a dev

dasi, told PTI here on Sunday.

Devdasis are girls who are 'dedicated' to a life of sex work in the name of religion.

"Since childhood Shweta had been good at studies. Earlier, she studied in the municipality school. From class VIII, she started going a private school in south Mumbai," she added.

After Shweta completed her higher secondary school (HSC), she approached 'Apne Aap', an organisation in Kamathipura to which she was associated since her class IV.

'Apne Aap' then took her to 'Kranti'--an NGO--which educates and empowers trafficked girls, to help her in pursuing further education.

Knowing well about her field of interest, the organisation then cleared the deck for Shweta to get further education in the US.

When asked about the funding part of Shweta's education abroad, Robin from 'Kranti' said, "Around 200 people from all over the world have contributed to towards her education in the US. She would be studying psychology over there. She had told us about her dream and we promised that we will make it happen."

Her mother says that Shweta would come back only after four years. "I am missing her. But I have to make myself strong," she said.

PTI 

Now, Goa Tourism to promote backwaters

Kolkata: Going beyond sea and beaches for which the state is known globally, Goa Tourism wants to promote its backwaters to cash in on the monsoon season.

"There are many a things beyond the beaches of Goa and the monsoons are the best time to experience them. We also have very good backwaters like Kerala," Goa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd Chairman Nilesh Cabral said.

Goa, which experiences a lean period during the monsoon months in terms of tourism revenue, is trying to create more utility infrastructure for the rich experience of backwater cruises.

Cabral said that GTDC offers monsoon packa

ges at nearly 50 per cent discount compared to the peak season which would be valid till September.

Goa is also promoting safari tours, spice plantations, white-water rafting, trekking, mountaineering and traditional Goan festivals.

For the safari tours, the tourism board is promoting places such as Bhagwan Mahavir National Park, Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, among others.

The spice plantation guided tours cover places such as tropical spice plantation in Ponda, Savoi, Pascoal Spice Village near Khandepar and Sahakar Spice Farm on the Ponda-Belgaum road.


Goa also offers world class spa resorts and day spas with a variety of Ayurvedic treatments, a niche of Kerala known globally.

Goa would also complete installing basic amenities on all its beaches in public private partnership over the next one year, Cabral added.

PTI

Video chat facility unveiled in Himachal prisons

Shimla: In an effort to connect prisoners with their family and friends online, a video chat facility has been introduced in all the six prisons in Himachal Pradesh, a police officer said on Saturday.

"Our website (www.hpprisons.nic.in) will enable video chat with any prisoner in all the six prisons in the state," Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) SR Mardi told a news agency.


He said the facility was launched by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in the state capital Shimla on Friday.

He said the video-conference facility, first of its kind in the country, would help family and friends save time and money on travelling to prisons to meet the inmates.

"Even foreigners can avail this facility," he added.

The government has already amended the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), enabling the courts to utilise the video-conference facility between the jails and the courts.

Mardi said this would also help save time and money of the prison department in escorting the prisoners from jails to courts.

"Around 2,000 policemen are daily involved in escort duty," he added.

The state has already taken many initiatives to reform the prisons. It has declared one barrack each in six jails as "open air jail" in Kanda, Nahan, Solan, Mandi, Dharamsala and Chamba towns.

These jails allow prisoners to go out after serving a stipulated term and earn their livelihood.

IANS

Mayor shares failures, achievements

KANPUR: Mayor Jagatveeer Singh Drona on Saturday conceded that in the first year of his tenure, the municipal corporation had failed to meet people's expectations in the cleaning of nullahs and lifting of garbage. However, his first year as mayor had several achievements, said the mayor citing enhanced co-ordination among the corporators, officials, employees and the public.

The first person of the city said that desilting of nullah and lifting of garbage were hampered because of several reasons. However, the situation was better than previous years. He attributed his failure to perform up to expectations to limited resources, manpower and staff crunch.

He said city produced 1,200 tonnes of garbage daily. Despite efforts the corporation managed to life merely 1,000 tonnes of the garbage on daily basis. He said that A2Z and corporation employees both had been deployed to life garbage. "We are unable to lift the entire garbage produced by the city in a day. Hence 200 tonnes of garbage that is left in the city every day appears to be a big heap," the mayor said.

Blaming early monsoon for disturbing nullah cleaning exercise, he said that daily arrear of garbage was seeping into the nullahs with rainwater. When his attention was drawn towards the inquiry conducted by the commissioner, he said commissioner might not be satisfied therefore he ordered a probe.About staff crunch he said several posts were lying vacant. Six posts of deputy city commissioner were lying vacant along with two posts of assistant municipal commissioner. Every section of the corporation was battling staff crisis, he added.

Citing his achievements, Drona said municipal corporation realized around Rs 90 crore in previous financial year which was a record. Payment of Rs 28 crore arrears of VIth Pay Commission was also cleared. Developmen work worth Rs 114 crore was either finished or was underway. Every newly constructed road had a life of three years. When his attention was drawn towards roads being constructed without drains had led to waterlogging, the mayor said that bills of those roads were yet to be cleared. About error in house tax bills he said that round figure was allowed by him and it did not make much of a difference in the total bill amount.

Anti-Naxal cops form anti-Romeo squads

NAGPUR: Naxal-affected Gadchiroli district police have formed their first anti-eve teasing squads, with a woman officer and five constables, to rein in the road Romeos this week.

The formation of the squad, along with the women's helpline 1091, was announced during the tri-monthly meeting of the 'mahila suraksha samiti' or women security cell comprising of volunteers working in tandem with police department. The cops, who so far concentrated on Naxal issues, have vowed to give attention to women's issues.

The meet was told that the helpline 1091 would be a toll free facility available round the clock. The cops would attend and reach the place immediately after receiving a call on 1091, which would be meant only for women-related issues.

It was also decided that the newly formed squad, along with Mahila Suraksha Samiti, would visit schools and colleges to apprise students about the rights and privileges that government and judiciary extends to women under special and other general provisions.

The squad would also undertake measures to spread awareness through programmes organized on the roads and other public places too.

Also at the meeting, two members were felicitated for their contributions and awards received. Surekhatai Barsagle was felicitated for her nomination in the Ahilyabai Holkar award for working on women issues at the district level. Sudha Seta was also honoured for receiving best teacher award. Seta has also won the best scout guide and leader trainer award.

World's first trip to Moon's south pole planned for 2016

WASHINGTON: The world's first mission to the south pole of the moon to install a permanent telescope on the lunar surface, to aid professional and amateur researchers, has been announced.

The private enterprise mission, announced by the International Lunar Observatory Association and Moon Express, will be both scientific and commercial, and plans to deliver the International Lunar Observatory (ILO) aboard a Moon Express robotic lander.

Moon Express will also utilise the mission to explore the moon's south pole for mineral resources and water. Lunar probes have provided compelling evidence of mineral and volatile deposits in the Moon's southern polar region where energy and resources may be abundant, Phys.org reported.

The ILO, with its 2-meter dish antenna, will be the world's first instrument to conduct international astrophysical observations and communications from the lunar surface, providing scientific research, commercial broadcasting and enabling Galaxy 21st Century education and "citizen science" on the Moon.

The announcement was made during a NASA Lunar Science Institute conference at Nasa Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California.

"The ILO will demonstrate the value of the Moon for scientific study of the galaxy, moon, earth, sun and stars," said Steve Durst, founder and director of the ILOA and Space Age Publishing Company.

"We are a global consortium of scientists, educators, entrepreneurs and visionaries who seek to establish a scientific presence on the Moon followed by human exploration and eventual settlement."

Space Age Publishing Company, ILOA's commercial affiliate, intends to broadcast its Space Calendar weekly and Lunar Enterprise Daily via the ILO. ILOA expects that the south pole mission could take place as early as 2016 and contribute to humanity's growth as a multi-world species.

Moon Express will send a series of robotic missions to the Moon in support of science, commerce and exploration starting in 2015.

"We are very excited to our announce that our second Moon mission will be to the lunar South Pole to deliver the International Lunar Observatory and to prospect for resources," said Moon Express CEO Dr Robert Richards.

"The mission will provide a historic landing in an unexplored region of the moon that may harbour some of the greatest resource deposits in the solar system," said Richards.

The ILO and its precursor will have an internet-based access and control system and will be the first private space telescope to operate from the lunar surface.

China ready to invest $160 billion in Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad: China is ready to invest about $160 billion in different sectors in Andhra Pradesh and improve bilateral ties with India, according to economic advisor to the President of China.

Shoosan Maa, the economic advisor to Xi Jinping and also the Member of Parliament, met Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in Hyderabad and discussed plans to invest in sectors like food processing, small-scale industries, infrastructure and education, among others, a CMO release said.

While quoting Shoosan on China's intention of pumping in $160 billion in the state, the release did not state any timeframe or phases in which such a huge investment could materialise.

"The Chief Minister invited proposals and asked Shoosan to spell out the areas in which they were interested in investing. Shoosan said he would make efforts for promoting investments and improving relations between the two countries," the release said.

Shoosan said his country would send 10,000 students to Hyderabad for education in various streams, according to the release.
PTI