4 ways to handle e-waste

Electronic waste is the world’s fastest growing waste and to make matters worse, India is the 5th largest electronic waste generator in the world, discarding almost 18.5 lakh metric tonnes of e-waste annually.

Telecom equipment accounts for 12% of the e-waste alone. India’s e-waste is growing at a rate of 30% annually and a paltry 1.5% of India’s total e-waste is recycled, owing to lack of the necessary infrastructure to deal with the mounting waste. Approximately 40% of India’s e-waste lands in Delhi, with Bangalore and Chennai following closely in tow. According to studies, India is likely to generate 52 lakh metric tonnes of e-waste per year by 2020.

Almost 75% of the total waste is generated by the government, public and private industrial sectors, while 16% is generated from households. Mobile phones, televisions and computers are among the most dangerous items of e-waste as they contain high levels of mercury, lead and cadmium, elements that are detrimental to the environment due to improper disposal.

These mountains of e-waste that reach dump yards are handled by e-waste workers in India who have little knowledge and next to no safety training in dealing with hazardous waste. They are susceptible to a variety of health issues, particularly respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis, coughing and choking, among others. Do we have any role to play in changing this situation?

Here’s how you can help to tackle the e-waste problem:

Donate
If you are replacing your old gadgets with new ones, then donate your old gadgets to orphanages and educational institutions who can reuse the gadgets for learning purposes.

Take back programmes
Some electronic companies have take back programmes for old gadgets. Enquire with the brand you use if they have take back programmes. You can also consciously start using only those products that have such programmes in place.

Recycle
There are many ways in which electronic systems can be reused in some other form. Look up on the internet for ways to reuse old computers, which double up as interesting relics if repainted or ipods, which also double up as hard drives.

Expert Disposal
Find out who’s the local e-waste disposal company that ethically disposes off e-waste or refurbishes e-waste and sign up for their services. E-waste disposal companies help rid of e-waste in huge quantities and also help extract metals that can be reused for other purposes.

Educate everyone around about these techniques so that effective e-waste disposal becomes a practice. E-waste, if not controlled can lead to disastrous effects as such as diminishing of natural resources, ground water pollution and soil acidification among others.

Adopt these practices now so that we call can collectively avert disasters that are likely to occur in the presence of our inaction.

Alarm Bajne Se Pehle Jaago Re!

Sources

The Hindu
The India Environmental Portal
The Wealthy Waste
The Live Mint
The Economic Times

How to start a sports culture in India

In a country of over a billion people, we only have a handful of champions. Countries with lower levels of per capita income than India, like Kenya and Jamaica, have outperformed India in international sporting events.

Many neglected athletes quit sports. Most others don’t get their due recognition. The sports culture is very weak in India and sports as a career option is still frowned upon. Ours is a country where earning a livelihood from sports is unusual, and hence, the results are seen in our overall medal tallies.

Some hard facts
India has been participating in the Olympics since 1920, but has won only 28 medals so far. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, we sent 117 athletes in 15 sports and we brought back only 2 medals, one silver and one bronze. While the 2 medals in Olympics 2016 placed India in the 67th position at the medal tally, if we consider the number of medals against the total population of India, we rank last among all the medal-winning countries.*

Is there anything that we as concerned citizens in our country can do to change the situation? We suggest three possible ways for you to be more involved in the betterment of sports in our country.

1. Be more involved
Start visiting more local games and matches in your city. Check out the schedules and programmes of non-mainstream sports like Basketball, Table Tennis, Boxing, Archery etc. You can also go visit the local regional sports like Mallakhamb, Kabbadi etc. Buy tickets to watch these games live. Take an active interest in these sports, join their communities and get to know the other sports in your neighbourhoods.

2. Volunteer at the local NGOs
Identify sports NGOs in your neighbourhood and extend your support to them - and support doesn’t have to be monetary only. One can help spread awareness, leave old sport gear or even volunteer. Many of these NGOs are run by former athletes who encourage and nurture talent in children. Several have even produced athletes from the NGOs itself. Participation at the grassroots directly puts you in touch with the future sports talent of our country. Volunteer for a chance to hone such talents.

3. An effort to make sports a part of our culture
Encourage sports and sports related activities. Be it among your friends, your family, your workplace, your neighbourhood etc. Join, or even form independent sports clubs. When children show an interest in sports, do your best to hone their talents - or encourage them to play, and join them in the game.

Can we go back to nurturing sports in India?
Enough has been said about the failing standards of sports in our society, but not much is being done about it. If we want India to be put on the world map when it comes to stellar performance in sports, we have to take steps to move in that direction. Start working towards that change, before yet another Olympic goes by and we return home disappointed.

Do you think we as a society can affect a change in the way India perceives sports? Share your views with us on our Facebook and Twitter platforms.

Alarm Bajne Se Pehle Jaago Re!

Source:

*NZHerald, Sportskeeda

HOW CAN WE PRE-ACTIVATE A SPORTS CULTURE IN INDIA?

“Can I go out and play?

No, finish your homework.”

Sound familiar? How many times did you hear this growing up? How many times do you say it now?

In India, education has always been given precedence over play. I am not against education, in fact, I'm all for it; but there is value in play time too. I have represented India in swimming at the Olympics and also have advanced degrees in the biosciences. My career involves science and technology and also allows me to dedicate my time volunteering and giving back to society. None of this would have been possible if it weren’t for the time invested in both sport and education.

We are all waiting for the day when India is a sporting powerhouse, where sport and play are a part of our daily activities and culture. We talk about pre-activism with respect to social issues in India, but what about for sport? What can we do to pre-activate this culture? Here are a few simple ideas that have the potential to go a long way.

• Go out and play. This is applicable to adults too! Round up your friends and play a game of soccer, badminton, go for a jog, or beat the heat with a dip in the pool, anything! You will come back feeling refreshed and energized to take on your next task.
• Understand the value and merit of learning through sport. Why, you ask? Have you ever seen chapters on confidence, goal setting, and perseverance in your child's school textbook? Probably not. These are just a few skills that active play can help develop.
• Play doesn't always have to mean competitive sport. Some children just want to play, be around their friends, and enjoy the experience. This in itself helps develop social skills and respectful relationships.

Experiencing the benefits of something first hand, allows us to internalize it. If we could get every adult out and playing, even if for a few hours a week, it's only a matter of time before this culture is passed on to the children. The more children that go out and play, the higher the chance of identifying India’s next Olympic medallist.

Alarm Bajne Se Pehle Jaago Re!

WHAT PARENTS SHOULD ENCOURAGE THEIR KIDS TO STUDY

For long we have complained about the dismal status of sports in India.

Yet who is to blame here? It is our collective responsibility to restore the fledgling image of Indian sports. Small steps will go a long way.

We have to begin by encouraging children to play sports.

Let it not be about winning or losing. We have to encourage our kids to learn life's lessons through sports.

Let's help nurture a sports culture in India.

Alarm Bajne Se Pehle #JaagoRe!

Labour Day: Understanding laws that protect labourers in India

Labour laws in India are a body of laws that address legal rights of working people and their organisations; and the relationship between trade unions, employers and employees. Labour law arose due to the demands of workers for better conditions. At the same time, labour laws also protect employers and keep their costs in check; catering to the interest of both parties.

Generally, labour law covers:

• Industrial relations
• Certification of unions
• Labour-management relations
• Collective bargaining and unfair labour practices
• Workplace health and safety
• Employment standards, including general holidays, annual leave, working hours, unfair dismissals, minimum wage, layoff procedures and severance pay.

The labour movement has been instrumental in the enacting of laws protecting labour rights in the 19th and 20th centuries, since the Industrial Revolution.

Labour laws in India have been intrinsically tied with the British occupation. Amendments have been made from time to time to readjust the policies to the current scenario.

Now the Constitution of India provides detailed provisions for the rights of the citizens. These directives demand that State provides for:

• Securing the health and strength of employees, men and women.
• The tender age of children are not abused.
• Citizens are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations unsuited to their age or strength.
• Just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief are provided.
• The Government is to “take steps, by suitable legislation or in any other way, to secure the participation of employee in the management of undertakings, establishments or other organisations engaged in any industry.”

Legal awareness or Public Legal Education

Legal awareness, also termed as ‘Public Legal Education’, is aimed at empowering civilians about the law and the justice system. A range of activities are held for public awareness.

Educational courses are undertaken to ensure that workers aren’t subjected to any kind of exploitation. If workers are educated about the country’s laws and their rights, they will not fall prey to mistreatment.

Several organisations in India are catering to providing legal services to everyday civilians. NGOs like MARG (Multiple Action Research Group) conduct research and provide socio-legal services to the poor, the marginalised, women, children and unorganised labour.

Many women have been trained by MARG and are now functioning as paralegals in states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh etc. to assist people that face discrimination and injustice. They spread legal awareness and aid in the use of law for these communities.

HLRN is another great example. Human Rights Law Network (HLRN) is a non-profit legal and educational organisation. They work with human rights groups and on the grassroots to engage in advocacy, protect and challenge exploitation and discrimination against individuals and hold regular public awareness campaigns.

How legal awareness of labour laws can be promoted

• Governments and institutions both arrange for legal literacy events and awareness campaigns in our society.
• For instance, camps, lectures, interactive workshops or crash programmes are very effective in the education of law.
• Road shows, radio talks, street and theatre plays, books, periodicals, posters, charts, distribution of pamphlets, brochures, and stickers, the display of paintings,illustrations in comics are some other ways used to ensure publicity for various legal mobilisation activities.
• Strategically located display boards in public places (railway stations, bus stations, market places, in front of major government offices and police stations) are also used to help government officials, police, and the public to understand the spirit of law.

Get to know your rights at the workplace

Only when everyday citizens are made aware and mobilised, can we expect a fair and just working of the systems in order. This Labour Day, ensure we equip ourselves with the rights and laws that protect us. A certain amount of legal literacy is important for our collective empowerment.

Alarm Bajne Se Pehle #JaagoRe!

SOURCE - NCRB

HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD MANAGE STRESS AT SCHOOL

With increasing competition and societal and peer pressure, academic stress is getting the better of our children today. Reports of adverse effects on them are commonplace today, with anxiety and depression sometimes leading to extreme steps like suicide.

Parents tend to get frustrated with little know-how on how to cope with the situation. Sometimes they unintentionally discourage them and further drive them to isolation, and over pressurising them.

Here is a good tip that parents can use to help reduce academic related stress on their children

Tell your child it’s okay - tips to help your child get over the stress of being academically stellar

Avoid 'I told you so' cliches

When children are already struggling, these kind of statements do more damage, kids fear disappointing their family. 'Rubbing it in' does more harm than good and parents tend to alienate them from their children instead of offering to be a source of support.

Being too judgmental/lecturing too much rather than simply listening to children

Many parents fall into this trap. The fact is that only children that feel accepted and respected will perform better in school than the kids that feel stifled or controlled. Letting them open up and listening to them non-judgmentally will bring out the best in them, moreover it will nurture your relationship with them.

Understand and support your child’s capacity and interests

It's important for you to acknowledge and give room to your child's interests and let it be nurtured. All children are not the same and every child will have his/her own set of skills or talents. You can help build their confidence by letting them shine in doing what they love.

Help them meditate and relax

Meditating at an early age will set the ground for your child. Include mindfulness and breathing techniques or other tools to help them relax and rejuvenate their thoughts.

Make sure they ask for help

Remind your kids that it's okay to ask for help - be it academics, mental health or stress. Encourage them to seek help. Keep yourself handy with resources for parents on trained specialists, and help your child find counselors at the school campus.

With increased stress levels, children can be very sensitive and retreat into their own shells, which can often be detrimental to them. Burden of studies and expectations can be overwhelming, and the right attitude and support from parents can make all the difference.

Alarm Bajne Se Pehle #JaagoRe!

SEVEN STEPS ARE ALL IT TAKES TO MAKE OUR SOCIETY A BETTER PLACE

When was the last time you travelled within your city without fear, or voiced your opinions publicly without being drowned out? When was the last time you felt safe, comfortable, and secure in your own surroundings? And when did you last not have to care about the length of your skirt, shorts, or even kurta?

The last time we checked, over 79% of India’s women population felt unsafe, insecure, and directly under threat of harassment. How many more uncalled for threats and harassment episodes are we going to wait for to do something about it?

Here’s what men and women from across India’s metropolitan cities have to say about making our society safer for each of us.

Become Aware

Make an attempt to listen, understand, and become aware of the people and their various cultures around you. Ignorance, in this case, is more harmful, than bliss. The more we embrace awareness of people, situations, cultures, and choices, the greater our chances of creating a safer space which we can call ours.

Practice Equality

Whether it’s at home or at work, at a restaurant or during travel, the breaking down of strict gender roles, brick by brick, is the way forward. In a society that is hugely patriarchal, both men and women of today need to work doubly hard to disintegrate these age-old beliefs.

Say Bye-Bye To Stereotypes

When we proactively crush stereotypes, we welcome a change in thought. Men and women who exercise their freedom to dress a certain way, do not need labels. People who indulge in chores different from their gender roles, do not need labels. When we incorporate gender sensitivity, equality, and empathy, are we truly progressing.

NO means NO

Whether it’s in response to a date, a kind of beverage, a type of food or even clothing; whether it’s in response to touch or even “harmless” gossip; NO should mean NO. Being able to say NO without obligation will be our biggest mindful achievement.

Respect Opinions

In the age where social media has taken over numerous other platforms, the information we get today travels fast, and comes from various sources. Understand that opinions differ and that they need to be respected.

Build Trust And Communication

It all starts at home, and it all begins with the family. A well-balanced, loving, nurturing family raises sensitive, empathetic, and progressive-thinking children. Safe homes are the building bricks of a safe society.

Educate Yourself. Educate Each Other.

Progress lies not just in education but in the practice of the education we receive. Let’s teach our children honesty, civility, gratitude, and empathy; characteristics that our society today lacks immensely.

In this rising scare that is our society becoming increasingly unsafe, intolerant, and difficult, it’s time to wake up before another disaster strikes us again.Alarm se pehle jaago, chalo saath mein mil ke kaam karo.

REFERENCES:

United Nations Statistics Division

Huffington Post

powertochange.com

WE’VE HAD ENOUGH OF EVE-TEASING. HAVE YOU?

We don’t need ground-breaking statistics to say that our society has plunged to an all new low when it concerns rapes, molestations, or even eve-teasing for that matter. Rape cases have increased by an average of six cases per day in New Delhi, while eve-teasing and molestation cases tally at over 6,000 cases put together. If this isn’t shocking, we wonder what is.

“What is eve-teasing?” ask people. Does it include “harmless” comments, stalking, staring, etc. or is it only the “serious stuff”? A victim of eve-teasing says “it’s not just about being harassed or stalked, but about not realising one’s boundaries especially in public places. It’s a form of sexual bullying for the world to see”, she says.

So how do we tackle this menace that’s plaguing our sense of security and peace? “If a guy touches you inappropriately, hit him back and run”, says Bollywood megastar Akshay Kumar. Recently, singer Atif Aslam stopped his concert midway to help a girl who was being teased. Taapsee Pannu stopped and stared back at a bunch of guys on bikes who passed comments on her in public. Here’s what some victims, concerned citizens, and authorities had to say about tackling eve-teasing.

Make a mental note of the places you’ll be visiting. This allows you to plan your visit/travel to the concerned place as well as take appropriate precautions to be a step ahead. “Visiting a crowded, local market needs a different mental recce than if you were to visit a mall”, say concerned citizens.

Keep communication lines open. Should you have to travel to different parts of the city and/or country, ensure you keep your phone battery charged, and that you inform your confidante(s) of your plans. “That’s the least one can do in today’s unsafe cities”, says an eye-witness.

If you’ve been targeted, assess the situation and act accordingly. Sometimes an untoward incident happens in a crowded place, which makes it okay to cry out for help, or even, if safe, hit the perpetrator back. However, you would have to act differently if you were in a secluded place – make a dash towards a crowded place and then report the incident.

Know your numbers. Always ask for help using the police, women’s and children’s helpline that are provided to each of us. Most victims choose to remain silent due to fear, which makes it harder for us as authorities to tackle this issue.

Asking for help is not a bad thing. Whether it’s asking for help from a group of strangers or an older person, an authority figure or even local shopkeepers, it’s okay to ask for help and bring the culprit to task.

Use defences. Don’t hesitate to use that pepper spray or that martial art move when targeted.

Be confident and realistically unafraid. “After all, being confident, realistically unafraid, and practical are what can make every single difference to us and the people around us”, says another girl who’s faced the challenge of eve-teasing.

REFERENCES:

NDTV

The Indian Express

Huffington Post

5 everyday heroes that are helping farmers in India

Margaret Mead famously said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” This statement has resounding relevance in the context of today, characterized by the emergence of a society comprising of ordinary men and women armed with courage that has had the power to change systems.

One aspect of this radical transformation is highly qualified individuals sacrificing their comfortable lives to make an impact on the lives of farmers in India.

The young entrepreneur who helps farmers with low-cost innovations

Hot water without geyser? A carrot cleaning machine? A brake system for a bullock cart? These inventions have been borne from the desire of one man to convert problems into opportunity. Santosh Kaveri’s experience working on the farm led him to identify the common problems farmers faced, leading him to come up with low-cost innovations that have saved both time and money for the farmer.

He was awarded the “Best Leader” Award by Ratan Tata in 2013.

A young engineer who is helping farmers in remote villages

An electrical engineer from BITS Pilani, 25 year old Parth Gupta has created the concept of a cooperative society, selling produce at profitable retail markets, eliminating the need for middlemen. Run by the womenfolk of the villages, they are trained to manage the finances and marketing of this cooperative society.

Currently, this society has farmers from 32 villages across Madhya Pradesh, cultivating and selling their produce directly to retail markets. As a result of this initiative, farmers who were selling their produce at cheap prices are now saving up to 3000-4000 a year.

Techies in Chennai are helping families of farmers in Tamil Nadu

The drought in Tamil Nadu is seen to be one of the worst the state has seen in over 140 years. This has propelled a group of software professionals to come together to start a trust that aims at providing financial assistance to the families of farmers who have committed suicides.

P Vetrivel, the man who started the trust, aims to provide immediate relief assistance to the families, supported by long-term plans of providing them with cattle to start small businesses.

The trust currently supports 10 farmer families in Tamil Nadu.

One man who is helping farmers sell their produce online

27-year-old ShriKrishna Hegde Ullane’s love for farming has inspired him to create an online market place to connect farmers to a wider market. Concentrating on value-adding products like Kokum, honey, squash, as they are ready for the market, he and his team are involved in educating farmers about the benefits of these products and reducing barriers in reaching out to a larger market. Today, they are connected with over 5000 farmers in Karnataka with over 300 of them directly selling on their platform.

Developing irrigation technology to tackle climate change

With over 18 years of experience in semi-arid regions of Gujarat, Biplab Paul has designed an indigenous technology that uses harvested rainwater to better tackle both weather phenomena in the form of floods and droughts. This technology ensures rainwater seeps through a straw into a pipe, guaranteeing crop survival without an external irrigation supply. Easy to maintain and on the pocket, this technology has travelled as far as Ghana, Indonesia and Bangladesh with over 100,000 farmers benefitting from this.

These examples are a tribute to those who should serve as an inspiration to all of us. The message is simple- The time for dialogue is over. They show us that nothing can stop us from being the change we would like to see, that in this quest for progress, we can’t afford to leave anyone behind.

Alarm Bajne Se Pehle #JaagoRe!

​5 simple ways to save water

Today is World Water Day. Let's take a moment to acknowledge the existence and the very meaning of water in our lives.

Can you imagine our life without water? Many regions across the planet are in the midst of intense water wars, where accessibility to water has become a pipe dream for most.

Even though 70% of our earth is made up of water, only .4% is available to us. Which means, over 7 billion people are sharing .4 % water.

More than half of India doesn't have access to clean water. As responsible citizens, we need to try every trick in the book to save water. Let's look at some of the simpler ways which we can practice every day:

• Cut your shower time - Cutting 4 minutes of your shower can save 30 gallons of water.
• Fix the leakage - Water leak of one drop per second wastes more than 10,000 liters of water a year
• Washing utensils before stains run dry saves up to 50 % water. Another good practice is to soak the dishes in the sink for a while before washing them - you end up saving more water this way.
• Touch-activated sensor faucters or water-saving regulators fixed to taps is another ingenious solution to saving water
• Reuse the water being drained out of your washing machine to wash your car
• Don’t use running water to thaw out frozen food. Thaw it by defrosting in the refridgerator, or placing it in a bowl of water. You can reuse the water again as deemed fit

These little steps will go a long way in saving water and make a big impact if we all adopt these practices every day. Let’s mend our ways now, before the situation gets criticial for us. Alarm Bajne Se Pehle #JaagoRe

Sources:
http://inhabitat.com
http://wateruseitwisely.com