Water level is dropping at alarming rate in Patna

As per this report, it seems that water table is going down in Patna, at the rate of 13 cm per year.
This is already showing its impact in PATNA as people have to start using submersible pumps to get groundwater.

This is a long term threat to Bihar and India's food and social security.

Water conservation and urban planning are needed urgently.

Challenging Bihar on Primary Education

Rukmini Banerji has done a great job of reviewing primary education in Bihar

A ground level view of primary education in today’s Bihar and an attempt to understand what it means to “demand” or “deliver” development show the state government keen to bring about a major educational change with an increase in allocations and inputs. But is this enough to turn around a system of behaviour in government and among citizens that has evolved over a long period of time? It is clear that inputs and incentives do not automatically translate into higher participation in education. Within the system, “business as usual” is accompanied by apathy, while new opportunities and innovations seem to generate energy and can activate both citizens and front-line government workers to behave differently. View Full Article

March against Corruption at Patna on 30-Jan-2011

People of Patna marched against Corruption on 30-Jan-2011.
You can see pics here

Gems of Bihar - Camille Bulcke

Camille Bulcke was born in Ramskapelle, a village in Knokke-Heist municipality in the Belgian province of West Flanders [2]

Bulcke had already acquired a B.Sc. degree in civil engineering from Louvain University, when he became a Jesuit in 1930 [3] After doing his philosophical training in Valkenburg, Netherlands, (1932–34) he left for India in 1934 and after a brief stay in Darjeeling, he taught Mathematics for five years at Gumla (present Jharkhand). It was here that he developed his lifelong passion for learning Hindi, as later recalled:

"When I arrived in India in 1935, I was surprised and pained when I realised that many educated people were unaware of their cultural traditions and considered it a matter of pride to speak in English. I resolved my duty would be to master the language of the people." - The Faith Of A Christian — Devotion To Hindi And To Tulsi.
In 1949 Bulcke was made Head of the department of Sanskrit and Hindi of St Xavier's College, Ranchi. But early hearing problems led him to go more for a scholar's than a professor's career.

He felt much attracted by the 17th century's Hindi poet Tulsidas on whose writings he made his doctoral thesis. Bulcke was often invited to give conferences on the Hindi poet and his devotional Rama-songs, which he did with much enthusiasm.

He brought people in touch with the profound values of their own spiritual traditions, and, according to him, Tulsidas was also an excellent introduction to the values of the Gospel. He obtained Indian citizenship in 1951, and - highly esteemed by the Government of India - was made a member of the National commission for the promotion of Hindi as the national language.

He took on the name Bihari after acquiring Indian citizenship.

He died in Delhi on August 17, 1982.

Gems of Bihar - George Orwell

George Orwell is a famous English Novelist who got critical acclaim for his novels, 1984, The Animal Farm.

He was born at Motihari.

Some details are

25th june 1903- 21st jan 1950

Birth Place-Motihari, Bihar

Novels- Animal Farm(1945), Ninteen Eighty four (1949)

A N College Patna is going places

A N College, Patna is going places. It has got quite a few partnership with European Universities and it is bearing fruit.

Read this story about Dutch students joining A N College, Patna for doing their work on Solar Power plants and Arsenic removal.

Must Read - A Father who failed

Pritish Nandy has aptly described the agony of nation in enduring one scandal after another. There is no stopping it - CWG, Adarsh Colony, 2G Spectrum, 3G Spectrum, Koda.

Read the article for sure.

Protest against Stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on May 17. 2010

I have filed a complaint against Railway officials responsible for stampede at New Delhi Railway Station on May 17th, at GOI public grievance site.

http://pgportal.gov.in/

I have had qualified success with this site regarding my complaint about train not being cleaned at Howrah Railway Station and TTE taking bribe to seat people in AC Chair car even though they did not have AC Chaircar tickets. This happened during my December 2009 visit to India.

I filed complaint in January end and got a reference no. I got an email from PR officer from Eastern railway,Howrah stating that cleaning work was outsourced to a private company and that company has been fined. Railway is yet to respond to my 2nd query about TTE taking bribe to seat people in AC chair car.

However, this episode has made me have some faith in system that, at least, people would be heard.

So, I went ahead and filed a complaint with Railways at http://pgportal.gov.in/

My complain is as follows and I would request you all to spare 10 mins to file another complaint about the same.

Please forward this email to all.

------------ COMPLAINT TEXT Follows -------------

I am appalled to see this news about irreplaceable loss of lives due to an avoidable stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, on 17th May, 2010, in Times of India.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/2-killed-in-New-Delhi-railway-station-stampede/articleshow/5938378.cms

What bothers me most is that Railway Station Authorities at New Delhi, announced the change of Platform very late and then brought the trains to railway station, only 20 minutes before departure. In case of Sapta Kranti Express, it was brought to platform only 10 minutes before the departure.

Anyone who has traveled from Delhi to East Bound trains to Bihar/Bengal, knows very well that there is heavy rush of passengers and it is worse in Summer.

Then, how is it possible that Railway Station authorities did not know of this and went ahead of switch of platform? Similar tragic accidents have occurred in Past at New Delhi Railway station and we have still not learn our lesson.

It is my humble request to you to institute a judicial inquiry into this incident and publish the findings so that Common man can also know the reasons.

All the steps should be taken to punish those who are responsible for this ghastly crime against innocent and hapless train passengers from New Delhi to Bihar.

Bihar: Rising From the Shadows

This article, Bihar Rising from the Shadows, is an affirmation of the fact that Bihar has changed for better under Nitish's regime.

Write is from Munger and she has done a good job of summarizing the changes which
Bihar has seen in last 4 years.

Read full article to know more here.