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END OF AN ERA AS WOOD TRIO DEPART MEADOW PARK
by admin | Jun 5, 2021 | Uncategorized
On the day that the Club announced its retained list for the 2021/22 season, Boreham Wood FC would like to take this opportunity to thank all players who depart Meadow Park this summer for their efforts in a Wood shirt, however special mentions must go to a remarkable trio of players who served the Club magnificently during their time at Meadow Park in what has been the most successful time in the Club's history.
Danny Woodards, Tom Champion and Keiran Murtagh leave the Club this summer after periods with the Wood that have seen the Club transform both on and off the pitch. During their times at Meadow Park the Club finished in the National League play-offs on two occasions, securing our highest ever pyramid finish of 4th position at step 1 of Non-League football during the 2017/18 season, whilst also becoming history makers in the FA Cup for the Club, too; beating a football league side for the first time in the Club's history when we defeated Blackpool 2-1 in the First Round of the FA Cup in 2017 before reaching the Third Round Proper of the FA Cup in 2020 when we welcomed Championship outfit Millwall to Meadow Park. Their service to the Club will see them go down in Boreham Wood FC history as Club legends and part of a group that took our small community Football Club up Wembley Way and gave us the type of football ecstasy that we probably never even imagined possible, whether that be magical memories from games against Blackpool in the FA Cup, Sutton United in the play-off semi-final, Southend United in the FA Cup, the list goes on…
It was this unparalleled success on the pitch that gave Club Chairman the platform and drive to improve the Club exponentially off of the pitch during this same period, whether that be facility upgrades such as our new North Bank, new Premier League standard changing rooms, new 4G astro training facility, new £1 million DESSO grassmaster stadium pitch, new Champions League standard floodlights and dugouts and much, much more…
On what is a day that the Club looks forward to the new season and the players that will continue on this journey with Boreham Wood FC, there also comes great sadness as we say the toughest of goodbyes to incredible Club servants like Danny Woodards, Tom Champion and Keiran Murtagh.
"Woody" joined the Wood in 2015 following his departure from Hornchurch FC. Woody began his career at Chelsea before spending over 10 years in the Football League with the likes of Exeter City, Crewe Alexandra, MK Dons, Bristol Rovers and Tranmere Rovers. Danny then arrived at Meadow Park, spending 6 seasons with the Wood amassing 129 appearances for the Club. Woody coupled his first team playing duties with a coaching role within our BW PASE Academy, as well as first team coaching role in his final season at Meadow Park.
"Champ" joined the Wood in the summer 2017 following his departure from hometown club Barnet to play under his former school classmate Luke Garrard. Champ too coupled his first team playing duties with a coaching role within our BW PASE Academy, as well as playing understudy to Skipper Mark Ricketts as the Wood's vice-Captain since the beginning of the 2018/19 season. Champ departs Meadow Park having amassed 168 appearances in a Wood shirt, the single most appearances he has made for a single Club during his career.
"Murts" too joined the Wood in the summer of 2017 following his departure from National League rivals Woking to join up with former teammate and central midfield partner Mark Ricketts in the engine room of Luke Garrard's team. Murts leaves Meadow Park having played 176 times and scoring 11 goals for the Wood, again the single most appearances he has made for a single Club during his career.
Chairman Danny Hunter commented, "They've in truth helped me shape a Club ethos and establish ourselves as a National League Club. When looking back it becomes emotional because we've shared so many great moments and memories together. Perhaps our 2-1 FA Cup victory against Blackpool, the away 3-2 play-off semi-final win at Sutton and Woody's pull back for Bruno's equaliser at Wembley are the stand outs for me… But these boys leave us with our gratitude for their efforts and they leave us stronger than when they arrived. God bless the three of them as it's the end of an era."
Manager Luke Garrard commented, "I would like to thank Danny, Tom and Keiran for all their efforts in the time they have been at the Club. We have been through a lot as a group and I will fondly remember the great memories we created together.
"The likes of Blackpool where Kieran was instrumental in us taking the lead, Danny's pull back at Wembley for us to level the tie and Tom's key performance away at Sutton to ensure we walked out at Wembley. Just thinking back about the play-off achievements and creating history in the FA Cup shows the level of player the three of them are. To create so many memories in a relatively short time is most definitely something to be proud of.
"I wish them all the best in their futures and they will always be welcome at Meadow Park." Garrard concluded.
On behalf of everyone at Boreham Wood FC, our heartfelt thanks go to Woody, Champ and Murts. We thank you for your incredible service to Boreham Wood FC, good luck in the future and we will miss you all dearly!


John Overton High School is a large metropolitan school located in south Nashville on Franklin Road, which is also near the location of Our Savior Lutheran Church. For the last four years, Our Savior has reached out to Overton High School by providing meals and building supportive relationships with the 90 members and coaches of their football team before their home games. The usual menu is homemade lasagna, rolls, green beans and salad, which the players devour before their game! When they come by bus to Our Savior's campus, they receive a rousing welcome, and a brief devotion is given by one of Our Savior's pastors. Over the years of this outreach event, Christian hospitality, good will and positive friendships have been established with a good community neighbor. Our Savior is also exploring additional ways that it can serve the Bobcats at Overton High School.


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from __future__ import unicode_literals

from django.db import migrations, models

class Migration(migrations.Migration):

    dependencies = [
        ('questions', '0012_question_count'),
    ]

    operations = [
        migrations.AlterField(
            model_name='answertext',
            name='value',
            field=models.CharField(blank=True, max_length=150, verbose_name='Value'),
        ),
    ]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


A full metal gas blow back pistol that gives a sensational feeling of weight, recoil and realism and has a superb grip. The C60 Compact blowback pistol comes with a fixed Hop Up and holds 15 BB's in the magazine. Runs on green gas.
This pistol is full metal a good little shooter and the mag holds the gas well(ive had two reloads on average)The finish is nice with its grey and black body.I did find that mags rattled a little but a strip of tape soon cured that. Over all its something a little different and fires well and one for anyone's collection.
No, this is a gas blowback.


Safe and non-toxic face paint that's easy to apply and just as easy to remove. Pack includes 2 glitter colours (purple and pink), a white colour, a sponge, a black crayon for finer details and a brush to apply the paint easily. Comes in a handy and compact storage tray to preserve the face paint longer! Everything washes off easily with a little soap and water.


A finance lease is essentially a contract between a funder and a customer that gives the customer the use of the asset in return for a rental payment over an agreed time period.
At the end of the lease finance period you can either return the asset or continue to use it through a secondary rental agreement.
We can agree a repayment schedule that matches the income generated from the equipment, to ease cash flow pressure.
Balance sheet assets: Taking out a finance lease allows you to include the vehicle on your balance sheet.
Reclaimable VAT: VAT on the monthly rentals can be reclaimed for VAT registered businesses (varies for personal use vehicles).
End of lease options: When the primary term ends, we can either invoice to a third party or the lease can enter a secondary rental period.
Fixed Monthly Rentals: The rentals are fixed during the primary rental period allowing the client to build accurately into their cash flow forecasts.
For more information on Finance Lease or any of our other services, please contact one of our team.


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Hard Times: Novel Summary: Book1Chapters 5-8
Book the First: Sowing
Coketown is described as an industrial town marked by a stultifying conformity. The streets and buildings all look alike, and the people all follow the same routines. The red brick houses are all dirty from the smoke that belches from the many factories. Gradgrind and Bounderby walk down the street, trying to find out where Sissys father lives. Then Sissy comes running by, chased by Bitzer, and Sissy shows them the way. She leads them down a narrow road to a small, shabby tavern called the Pegasus Arms. Her family lives upstairs. Her father is not there, however. Sissy goes to find him. Bounderby and Gradgrind meet E. W. B. Childers, one of the circus performers who is known for his daring acts on horseback, and Childerss assistant, a young man named Kidderminster. Childers informs his visitors that Sissys father, troubled by his poor performances in the circus, has left her and will not return. He has not provided anything for his daughter. Sleary, the circus owner then appears. Taking pity on the deserted Sissy, Gradgrind offers her the chance to live in his house, and continue to attend the school, as long as she agrees never to communicate with any of the circus folk again. Sissy agrees because she knows, and is reminded by Sleary, that her father wanted her to have an education. She believes that her father will one day return.
Chapter 7 introduces Mrs. Sparsit, Bounderbys elderly housekeeper. Bounderby is discussing with her the matter of Gradgrinds decision to take in Sissy Jupe. Bounderby does not approve of it, and has taken Sissy in for a night so that Gradgrind might have more time to consider. He feels that Sissy will not be a good influence on Louisa. Gradgrind arrives with Louisa, and Sissy is sent for. Gradgrind confirms that he will take Sissy in to his house, and she will attend the school. When she is not at school, she will help Mrs. Gradgrind, who is something of an invalid.
In chapter 8, Tom Gradgrind complains to his sister about how much he hates his life. He hates the kind of education he is receiving. Louisa regrets that she cannot do more to cheer him up, but Tom acknowledges that she is the only pleasure he has. He resolves that when he leaves home and is apprenticed to Bounderby, he will find a way of enjoying himself. He thinks he knows how to handle Bounderby by playing on the affections Bounderby has for Louisa. Louisa gazes into the fire and wonders what the future holds for them both, only to be reproached by her mother, who entered the room unheard, for indulging in wonder, which her father has forbidden her to do.
Chapter 5 introduces another major theme of the novel, the disastrous effects of industrialism. The description of Coketown, actually based on conditions in Manchester in the mid-nineteenth century, emphasizes the conformity and the narrowness of peoples lives. The city is noisy, polluted, unnatural.
The circus folk are the antithesis of Bounderby and Gradgrind. Not only are they more warm-hearted than the two "eminently practical" men, they also represent fancy, as opposed to fact. Significantly, they live above a tavern (public house, or "pub" in English terminology) called The Pegasus Arms. Pegasus, the winged, flying horse from Greek mythology is pictured on the sign-board of the pub. Inside, there is a framed portrait of one of the circus horses, "with real gauze let in for his wings, golden stars stuck on all over him, and his ethereal harness made of red silk." He is described as "another Pegasus." The fact that the circus riders perform incredible feats on their "flying" horses can be set against the incident in chapter 1, in which the schoolchildren were told they should not paper walls with depictions of horses, since horses do not climb walls. But the circus horses, so skillfully handled by their riders, show that the merely factual description of a horse approved by Gradgrind conveys nothing of how the circus horses appeal to peoples sense of wonder. This sense of wonder is something that mere facts and figures can never supply.
Hard Times: Character Profiles
Hard Times: Metaphor Analysis
Hard Times: Biography: Charles Dickens
Hard Times: Top Ten Quotes
Hard Times: Theme Analysis
Hard Times: Novel Summary: Book2Chapters 9-12
Hard Times: Novel Summary: Book1Chapters 13-16
Hard Times: Summary: Book1Chapters 1-4

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Chic and fresh; the all white scene is the ultimate trendy look this season. Create a snug living room with white flooring and walls, grey undertones and cosy cushions. The subtle touch of wood and its brown hues adds extra warmth to the room, making it welcoming as well as modern.
Join the monochrome madness by putting together a black and white sleek space that's sure to impress.
Use a black living room centrepiece, be it black furniture or an antler wall feature, to create a contrast with your white background for an urban feel and stylish finish.
Begin with a white lounge, using it as a blank canvas for your creative interior ideas. It's easy to make the room come to life without being too overpowering, simply incorporate a few splashes of colour via accessories or soft furnishings. A colourful living room with a white base can create a truly sophisticated, urban interior that's full of character.
Top Tip: if you're feeling daring then add dramatic prints to your décor, such as zebra print cushions or statement furniture with fashionable floral prints.


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San Dieguito board sets timeline to select new superintendent
San Dieguito Union High School District administration building.
(Karen Billing)
By Karen Billing
Sept. 7, 2021 8:03 AM PT
The San Dieguito Union High School District board approved moving forward with a new timeline to appoint its next superintendent, aiming to potentially have its next leader selected by Sept. 27 and the contract ratified by the Oct. 14 board meeting.
The board vote at the Sept. 3 special meeting was 3-1 with Trustee Katrina Young opposed as she did not believe the new timeline values stakeholder input.
The other option on the table discussed last month was a two-and-a-half-month-long process, with the board approving the new superintendent's contract by Nov. 18.
The approved timeline is still subject to availability by the yet-to-be selected search firm and is "not set in stone" and can be adjusted —as SDUHSD President Mo Muir said, the timeline sets target goal dates and "just gets the ball rolling."
Muir said she did not want to delay any longer as they are heading into the holiday season and she wants a permanent superintendent in place to address the issues the district is facing.
The board had resolved in June to not hire a new superintendent until January 2022 and Interim Superintendent Lucile Lynch agreed to stay on with the district until Dec. 31.
In May, the board issued a request for proposals for a search firm and by the June 7 deadline, they had only received three responses that none of the board members were prepared to move forward with. By the new Sept. 3 deadline, they received an additional two.
Per the approved timeline, the board plans to interview and select a superintendent search firm on Sept. 9 from the pool of five firms.
From Sept. 13-20 they would conduct an online survey of focus groups, advertise and recruit for the position.
The previous option gave three weeks for that process and Young said she could not agree with spending half the time on one of the most important jobs they have as a board.
"I don't want to shortchange our community or shortchange their voice," Young said, noting the main difference between the two timeline options was the voice of the community in a "robust" vetting, recruitment and advertising for a candidate best suited for the needs of the district.
During public comment, parents also spoke up against the "condensed" or "rushed" timeline to find the next superintendent. A rushed timeline, parent Heather Dugdale said, is not transparent, inclusive or collaborative.
"The primary function of a school board is to hire a superintendent. I can't think of anything more important than finding the right person that will lead our district in this critical time," said Duncan Brown, president of the San Dieguito Faculty Association. "Why the rush?"
Per the approved timeline, all of the advertising and interviewing for the superintendent position would occur within a month but Lynch noted that the position has been available since May and people are aware of the opening. Trustee Michael Allman said that if the board needs more time, they can always take more time.
"We're all in agreement we want the best candidate possible," Vice President Melisse Mossy said. "We are not trying to expedite this in a way that diminishes the input of our stakeholders."
Under both timeline options, the board will be short a member in interviewing superintendent candidates as the special election for the new Area 5 trustee will be held on Nov. 2.
NewsLocal NewsEducationEducationSolana Beach Sun
Karen Billing
Torrey Pines students host Smile Drive to collect dental products for children in need
San Dieguito board 'cures and corrects' officer election
RSF Association hires consultant to help develop tree replanting plan
Osuna Committee's Osuna Talks event provides information on equine health


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CORONAVIRUS LATEST: 'This is not a protest but a plea for compassion to open those cemetery gates'
Derry representatives divided over decision to reopen cemeteries
Cemeteries have been closed since last month's coronavirus lockdown
Garrett Hargan
Politicians in Derry are divided over cemetery closures after members of the public called for them to be reopened.
Burial grounds were closed to the public when Stormont imposed a lockdown last month, however, people have called for them to be reopened.
Derry City and Strabane District said that council owned cemeteries remain closed in compliance with the NI government instruction to all councils in Northern Ireland to close all cemeteries and burial grounds except for funerals.
Should those regulations change the council will respond accordingly, a spokesperson clarified.
Local woman, Etta D'Arcy, led a dignified gathering outside the City Cemetery yesterday morning.
She lost her husband Hugh last August and expressed the heartache of being denied access to the cemetery to visit his grave.
Speaking to the Derry News today she said the issue has stirred up emotions in people across the city.
It is not about protesting, she explained, but is instead an 'emotional plea for compassion to open those gates and let us in'.
Mrs D'Arcy is doing it for everybody affected. She visits her husband's grave twice a day and said, 'it is my comfort'.
"I was married to him for 46 years, he was a quiet, lovely man - an angel.
"I see other people in the same position, they are hurting. How can they stop people from visiting their loved one's graves."
While she recognises the importance of social distancing, Mrs D'Arcy feels that if people are allowed to walk along the quay and in parks then a cemetery should be treated no different because people are less likely to come into close contact with one another.
Due to current government and diocesan guidelines wakes and funerals are being held in private, depriving extended family and friends of last goodbyes.
Wakes are seen as a significant step in the grieving process allowing people to express their emotions and share their pain with others.
But visiting graves can be of equal import to individuals and Mrs D'Arcy sympathised with all the families currently being denied that period of mourning.
The Derry woman added: "If they reopen my heart will lift.
"If you offered me £1m I'd turn it down, it would mean more to me to open those gates."
In her view, local representatives must be more vocal about the issue and she believes if there is enough support and goodwill then the decision can be reversed.
A spokesperson for The Executive Office informed the Derry News that ministers are due to review the regulations before May 9.
He added: "Any changes to the current position will be a matter for the entire Executive."
DIFFERING VIEWS
DUP MLA Gary Middleton believes cemeteries and graveyards should be open to bereaved families.
"The closure is causing a lot of undue stress on grieving families. If appropriate guidance and social distancing measures are in place, this should be made possible.
"Our party fully support movement on this as quickly as possible to bring some comfort to grieving loved ones. We will be urging other parties to support this also," he added.
Over the weekend Mark H Durkan MLA said he has written to the Health Minister asking him to explore the possibility of 'controlled and safe' reopening of cemeteries.
However, SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood MP did not commit one way or the other, instead saying that he will be guided by scientific advice.
The Foyle MP has written to Health Minister Robin Swann this afternoon requesting the latest medical and scientific advice from the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Officer on proposals to open cemeteries.
He said that the lockdown has been particularly painful for those experiencing loss but that any change in restrictions must be balanced with the duty to prevent further loss.
Colum Eastwood MP said: "The impact of the lockdown has been particularly hard on those experiencing the trauma of losing a loved one.
"The way we process grief and deal with the death of someone close has been coldly suspended by the coronavirus outbreak, making experiences of loss more difficult to bear. We have a duty, therefore, to approach these matters with sympathy and compassion.
"The need of people to grieve and visit their loved ones is powerful. But it must be balanced with our duty to protect public health, restrict transmission of this virus and prevent further loss.
"I have written to the Health Minister today requesting that he publishes the latest advice from the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Officer on the prospect of reopening cemeteries and graveyards. We must have the most up to date advice before making decisions.
"The SDLP will be guided by our responsibility to protect people. If possible, we will do all we can to relieve the emotional distress that people are under. But ultimately, we must prevent any unnecessary loss of life. The advice of the CMO and CSO will be critical in making these determinations."
Sinn Féin was contacted for comment from a Derry MLA but did not respond at the time of publishing.
However, it is understood to be opposed to reopening with junior minister Declan Kearney telling the Assembly his party does not support the suggestion.


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Noah Reyes: Booneville's Bully Fight Video Horrifies Parents and School Authorities
By: Elena Nicosia Feb 14, 2018 at 7:49 amSuggest Correction
Photo: iStock/pialhovik
Police are investigating a fight between two Booneville High School students. The fight was recorded on video by some young boys watching the fight and posted on social media. This video has gone viral and led to the school authorities releasing statements to the public. Viewers who have seen the video are shocked by the brutality of the fight and have called for an end to bullying.
Even though the brutal fight between two students of Booneville High School happened more than two weeks ago, the video is still doing the rounds on social media. The horrifying fight in which one of the boys kept smashing his fist into the other boy's face has sent shockwaves through the community, particularly among the parents of students.
A Kick in the Face
The video shows a boy kicking the other boy violently in the face when he tries to get up toward the end of the Booneville fight. All through this fight, other students are watching and recording it and even joking about it. This insensitivity has appalled the viewers and put the spotlight on this school and its staff.
Police Investigate the Fight
The police said that they have the video with them and are investigating this fight. The Interim Superintendent of the school district, Scotty Pierce, said that the Booneville fight happened two weeks ago off the school property in a field on East Ivy Street in Booneville, Arkansas.
Family Members in Pain
A family member of the smaller boy in the video said that they would be pressing charges and are very upset with what happened. The victim's sister said, "Bullying needs to stop, and everyone involved in this needs to have consequences because nobody stopped the fight knowing my brother was getting kicked pretty bad." She also said that her brother was "developmentally slow."
School District Releases Statement
The Booneville School District released a statement saying "In regards to the fighting video on Facebook: Both students are high school students here at Booneville. This did not happen on school grounds. Both parents of the minor students have been notified and it is being investigated by the proper authorities. Thank you to those that notified us. Feel free to share this info."
Identity of Bully Possibly Revealed
Some people have posted comments on Facebook after watching this graphic video and have given their reactions. Some of them have claimed that the Booneville bully is Noah Reyes and is a football star for the team Booneville Bearcats. One person has written that nothing can be done about this because Reyes is a football star.
Viewers Enraged after Watching Fight Video
One person commented, "the parents of the victim can show this video to the police, their lawyer, and the judge in court, as they sue the bully, his parents, and the school board, and the school principal." This incident has renewed calls for ending bullying in schools everywhere.
To watch the Booneville fight video, just click below:
Why aren't Police in Booneville, AR doing anything about this attack? Sources tell America First Media the bully here is a Football Star, and thus the School nor Police are doing anything about it. The Child being beaten up is mentally challenged as well.
Part 2 of 2 Videos pic.twitter.com/3Wq7YKCzMR
— Matt Couch 🎙 (@RealMattCouch) February 13, 2018
Please note that the Facebook post referred to and quoted in the article was later taken down.
Booneville School District
Booneville, Arkansas
Geography of Arkansas
School bullying
Idaho Teacher Arrested for Alleged Sexual Relationship with a Student
Daniel Yacobi Arrested for Allegedly Strangling Mom for Monetary Gain


Rob Robinson (third from left), a district manager for Delaware North's travel business, cuts the ribbon to open Taste NY café. Pictured third from right is Brian Ribbeck, general manager at the travel plaza.
Delaware North's travel business this week celebrated the opening of Taste NY café at Pembroke Travel Plaza, where it operates food and beverage services for the New York State Thruway on I-90 just east of Buffalo.
The café is part of a statewide campaign started by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to showcase New York's food and beverage industries by promoting products made throughout the state.
With initiatives like the Taste NY café, the program has created opportunities for local producers to feature their goods at a variety of landmark locations throughout the state, including Niagara Falls, and at large public events such as the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse.
The Taste NY café at the Pembroke Travel Plaza features a wide variety of grab-and-go snacks and drinks, including popcorn products from Jamestown Popcorn, beverages from Mayer Brothers in Buffalo, and Upstate Niagara dairy products. Hot food and beverage items, such as Zweigle's hot dogs from Rochester and DeLima Coffee from Cicero (Syracuse), are also available.
Delaware North also participates in the Taste NY program in its parks and resorts division at Niagara Falls State Park by offering New York State products in its gift shops and local food offerings at the Top of the Falls restaurant.


If you have a taste for overcoming challenges, you should climb aboard the ELI Africa Family. ELI Africa is a superlative archetype of mastering your skills and knowledge to communicate amid the students. Once you team up with ELI Africa, you will discern that it is an electrifying experience! I accepted the challenge of being part of the outstanding ELI Corps cohort. What makes ELI Corps members so zealous? So far, during my adventure at the Centre in Roche-Bois, I perceived that education was being acquired at a whole new level. In fact, it requires explaining in both creative and fun ways. Can you imagine playing football as well as singing your favourite song, in order to learn new English nouns and verbs? Indeed, learning would become much more entertaining!
As ELI Corps members, we are challenged to think outside of the box. As a team, we need to come up with unorthodox procedures to help the students learn. Therefore, the challenge is to find a correct method to teach to the students, while making sure that each one of them fully understands the topic. However, most of the time, this method requires altering the style to a more friendly, amusing and intelligible way, so as to suit the students' academic digestive process. The name itself "ELI" stands for Experiential Learning Initiative, which means learning by engaging in practical activities. As long as our friends will learn through effective and innovative experiential learning, ELI Africa will be a sure-fire way to improve the students' knowledge and expand their creativity.
At first, I was very scared to face this challenge. What if the students did not understand me? Do not get discouraged! ELI Africa helps its ELI Corps team, by providing them with excellent class schemes. These lesson plans are designed and polished by the ELI Volunteers. As a result, the topics are easier to explain and the lesson plans act effectively as a backup when the students cannot comprehend my examples. Nevertheless, when I help at the Centre in Roche-Bois, I never really faced this difficulty because my mentees are brilliant, proficient and committed (True story)! When these fast learners at the Centre understand what you teach to them, you get an amazing sense of accomplishment! However, most of the times, I am the one who is learning from these hilarious geniuses!


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H I M A C H A L P R A D E S H E D I T I O N
Officer penalised under RTI Act
Shimla, October 26
The state information commission has taken a serious view of the failure of the district panchayat officer, Kangra, to comply with its directions and slapped a penalty of Rs 25,000 on him for "mala fide denial" of information to an applicant under the Right to Information Act.
Mishap, courtesy PWD's negligence
Mubarakpur, October 26
The failure of PWD officials to put signboards near the areas where roads had got damaged during the monsoon is leading to accidents.
A truck that fell into a ditch near Mubarakpur on Saturday. Photo: Lalit Mohan
Efforts on to improve road connectivity
Road connectivity continues to be the top priority of the government despite the fact that the state had achieved the distinction of having the highest road density of 53 km per 100 sq km among all hill states in the country.
'Wasteful expenditure' by Red Cross
Mandi, October 26
The District Red Cross society, Mandi, spends more on "wasteful expenditure" than on assistance of poor patients and needy physically challenged patients for whom the society seeks donations from different private and public organisations.
Contract for CFL bulbs finally awarded
Debt waiver triggers default in loan recovery
Hi-tech way to check fake ration cards
Physically challenged kids to scale new heights
FIR lodged in bitumen scam
Judicial remand for Ahluwalia
Congress exploiting public sentiments: Dhumal
Cabinet nod to 5 pc interim relief for employees
Mankotia quits active politics
Confidentiality 'no alibi' for withholding ACR info
State gets award for e-governance
Himachal Pradesh has been declared the second-best state in the country in e-governance.
Govt not to inaugurate schemes till inquiry completion
Hamirpur, October 26
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said the government would not inaugurate those schemes which are being inquired into for various irregularities.
Dalai Lama loses hope of pact with China
Dharamsala, October 26
The Dalai Lama has "lost hope of reaching an agreement with the present Chinese leadership over allowing more autonomy for the Buddhist region in Tibet" as there is no response from across the border regarding the next round of negotiations, an aide said here today.
School celebrates annual day
Subathu, October 26
Pinegrove School celebrated its 18th annual day here today. PWD minister Thakur Gulab Singh presided over the function. Students presented a colourful cultural programme on the occasion. An art and craft exhibition was also organised.
PWD minister Thakur Gulab Singh inspects the parade at Pinegrove School, Subathu, on Sunday. Photo: Ambika Sharma
Centres opened for improving education standard
Dalhousie, October 26
The Yog Manav Vikas Trust (YMVT), Banikhet, through its 'shiksha sahayata abhiyan', has decided to launch an intervention programme with the objective of improving the standard of education and foundation of poor children mainly from the villages of this region, where even additional tuition facilities are not available and parents are mostly illiterate, less educated or busy earning livelihood for their family.
JBT session from Nov 20
The 2008-10 session for two-year JBT training course will commence in all district institutes of education and training from November 20.
Dormant bank accounts pose a challenge
Within 18 months of having achieved the distinction of being the first "fully banked" state in the country, Himachal Pradesh is grappling with the problem of dormant accounts.
Govt blamed for workers' woes
The state committee of the CPM has blamed the Dhumal government for woes of the employees of public-sector undertaking Agro-Packaging India Limited who have not been paid salaries for the past six months.
Virbhadra, Kaul Singh lock horns
Former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and state Congress president Kaul Singh Thakur are face to face with each other over what partymen call a new power struggle that unleashed within the party over the issue whether V.S. Mankotia be included in the party or not.
Youth Cong office-bearers appointed
State Youth Congress (YC) president Manmohan Katoch has constituted a 33-member team of office-bearers and appointed presidents of eight district units with the approval of national president Ashok Tanwar. The team has eight vice-presidents and eight general secretaries, 14 secretaries and three spokespersons. Those appointed are:
BSP to contest all LS seats
Bilaspur, October 26
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will contest all four parliamentary seats in the state.
One killed in accident
Nurpur, October 26
One person was killed and one injured when a speeding truck hit a motorcycle coming from the opposite side at Kandwal near here today.
Ban on heavy vehicles
Devesh Kumar, district magistrate-cum-deputy commissioner, here has issued a notification under Sections 115 and 117 of the Indian Motor Vehicles Act and banned crossing of heavy vehicles having a total load of 25 tonnes through Suharghat to Nauni on National Highway No. 21 except from 2 am to 5 am each day.
Rakesh Lohumi
It is the maximum penalty that can be imposed under the Act for not furnishing information within the stipulated time or knowingly giving incorrect, incomplete or misleading information. The commission found public information officer (PIO) Chain Singh, who happens to be the district head of the Panchayati Raj Department, had faltered in supplying information in respect of three applications filed by an applicant and the total penalty worked out to Rs 1.14 lakh.
However, as the complainant had clubbed the three applications into a single complaint in the appeal, the consolidated penalty had to limited to the maximum permissible limit under the Act.
The order was passed by State Information Commissioner S.S. Parmar on the appeal-cum-complaint filed by Parkash Chand after the PIO failed to furnish information regarding the latest position of some cases pending against the pradhan and the up-pradhan of the Jangla gram panchayat.
"Chain Singh has shown less than adequate attention to the proceedings under the RTI Act. He had been absenting himself for no cause and did not even care to explain the in-consistencies and vagueness pointed out by the applicant in the information supplied to him. He repeatedly failed to comply with the directions of the commission even after being explained the serious implications of his actions in obstructing free and smooth flow of information to a citizen. His act is unpardonable and deserves no leniency," he observed.
The commission has allowed the officer to pay the amount of penalty in three instalments.
An accident in which a truck slid into about 25-foot-deep ditch near Mubarakpur yesterday was a clear illustration of the fact.
Though there was no casualty in the accident, it once again showed that carelessness on the part of officials could pose threat to the lives of commuters.
A patch of the Mubarakpur-Gagret road had got washed away due to floods during the monsoon. This created a ditch along the road.
The PWD has started reconstruction of the embankment.
However, commuters have to be very careful while crossing that area carefully to pass the damaged road.
Officials of the Public Works Department have not put any reflectors etc. to alert the commuters during night hours.
Those present at the spot said the truck driver probably failed to notice the damaged portion and the vehicle slid into the ditch.
The ongoing Rs 1,365.43-crore state road project under which 435-km length of state highways and major district roads is being widened and upgraded, besides ensuring proper maintenance of 2,000-km of road length, will bring about qualitative improvement in the road network. The roads being upgraded include the 44.82-km Mehatpur-Una-Amb road, 106.19-km Una-Barsar-Jahu-Bhambla-Kalkhar road, 80.68-km Theog-Kotkhai-Hatkoti-Rohru road, 41.95-km Sarkaghat-Ghumarwin road, 39.17-km Ranital-Kotla road, 71.74-km Kumarhatti-Sarahan-Nahan road, 24-km Draman Sihunta roads and the 26.80-km Bhawarana-Lambagaon road.
The upgrading of the Theog-Hatkoti road has been awarded to a Chinese company that will complete the Rs 228-crore project in the next three years. It involves construction of 15 bridges, 280 culverts and 6.5-km retaining walls, 5.5-km covered footpath and 30 rain shelters.
Apart from this, an amount of Rs 400 crore was being spent under the Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana, Rs 200 crore under NABARD-funded projects and Rs 110 crore under the national highway project. Out of total 3,243 panchayats in the state, 2,902 stood connected through roads.
Work is in progress to connect 300 panchayats by roads by the end of the current financial year. All villages with a population of more than 500 will be connected by road by the end of the current financial year. Villages with population more than 250 persons will be connected by road by 2012.
Recently, two more national highways, Nagrota Bagwan-Ranital-Mubarakpur and Paonta Sahib-Shillai-Hatkoti, were sanctioned for the state, taking their total number to 11. The government has proposed five new national highways.
Kuldeep Chauhan
The District Red Cross society, Mandi, spends more on "wasteful expenditure" than on assistance of poor patients and needy physically challenged patients for whom the society seeks donations from different private and public organisations. The Right to Information (RTI) Act has exposed the misuse of funds by the society for the period 2007-2008.
Though the Red Cross sectary claimed that the society was devoted to the cause of serving needy physically challenged and poor patients from time to time, a "major share of the income is going into fitting salary bills of its secretary and 18 lower class employees, expenses of vehicles and other wasteful expenditures".
According to the RTI, information given by the Red Cross society to RTI activist Lawan Thakur, the society has an income of Rs 82.6 lakh out of which just a sum of Rs 10 lakh was used for assisting poor patients in 2007-2008.
On the other hand, raising needle of suspicion on misuse of society's funds is that the society claimed that it spent Rs 10.4 lakh on four vehicles "out of which two vehicles were out of service" in 2007-2008.
Ironically, the society spent Rs 4.12 lakh on administrative expenses, Rs 13,714 on postage stamps, Rs 33,277 on office expenses and Rs 17,719 on miscellaneous items, the RTI revealed.
Interestingly, the secretary's pay was revised twice this year between January and August. "It was Rs 17,832 in January, which was revised to Rs 18,540 and now revised to Rs 19,541 in August," the RTI revealed.
On the other hand, 17 other employees of the society got monthly salaries ranging from Rs 1,000-Rs 2,820. "Most employees do not even get the minimum wages as per the norms of the Minimum Wages Act," Thakur said.
Thakur said he had sought information from the RTI twice, in June and then in October, but the society did not give him specific information. "The society must be made transparent and wasteful expenditure is very high, making misuse of donations in the name of poor patients, he charged.
The DC, Mandi, said the Mandi society had grown over the years and had spent Rs 50 lakh alone this year on the welfare of patients and there is no misuse of funds. The RTI information is correct, but pay to the secretary is decided by the society and must have included some interim relief etc., he added.
An evaluation of the use of information technology (IT) in government institutions and providing various IT-enabled services to the people was carried out by Mumbai-based India Tech Foundation.
Speaker of the Lok Sabha Som Nath Chatterjee will give away the award to the state during the 10th International Summit and Expo Power-2008 to be held on November 8 in Mumbai.
Secretary, information and technology, B.K. Aggarwal, said the award for e-governance had been bagged by the state for best IT-related initiatives and providing efficient, transparent, cost-effective and speedy services to the citizens. The state was judged on the criticality of IT usage, improvement in service, impact on quality and productivity, impact on society and innovation in terms of reach and replicability, operational costs and decision-making.
He said Himachal was the first state in the country to launch statewide area network (HIMSWAN) and provide a network operation centre for unified placement of data for the entire state at one place. About 3,000 offices at tehsil and block level would be connected under the HIMSWAN project in future for which a state data centre would also be separately set up.
In all, 69 employment exchanges and sub employment exchanges had been computerised. A web-based job portal for employers, job-seekers and the employment department had been put in place and the functioning of labour offices was being computerised. He said 1,186 gram panchayats had already been provided with computer hardware and computerisation of 40 police stations was being carried out under the CIPA programme.
Aggarwal said touch-screen kiosks had been set up at various places in the state to provide common interface for various activities and as many as 68,000 employees would be trained in IT-related services. The government was making amendments in recruitment and promotion rules in most departments to make IT literacy compulsory for promotion.
Talking to mediapersons at Deoth-Sidh, Dhumal said, "There were reports of irregularities in implementation of the Bamsan-Lagwati drinking water scheme, Giri water lifting scheme and laying of Hamirpur sewerage line and inquiry for all these schemes is on and the government would not inaugurate these till inquiry is not completed."
He said, "The UPA government has failed in providing relief to the state though loses of about Rs 2,067 crore had occurred during the rains, the Central Government has not offered any help to the state and instead reduced the rice quota of the state."
The Chief Minister said, "Corruption, price rise and failures of the UPA government would be the main election issues in the next Parliament election."
He said, "The BJP is a democratic party and if any party member wants to join any other party we cannot stop him from doing so, but such events do not make much difference in the party."
"He (the Dalai Lama) has lost hope of reaching an agreement with the present Chinese leadership over allowing more autonomy for the Buddhist region in Tibet," said Tenzin Taklha, joint secretary at the Dalai Lama's office.
"The present situation over the autonomy issue indicates that the Chinese are not keen to address the issues realistically," he added.
The parleys between the Dalai Lama's envoys and the Chinese leadership, which resumed in September, 2002, have been aimed at allowing more autonomy to Tibet, but so far no major breakthrough has been achieved. The Nobel Peace laureate has called for a special session of Tibetan exiles next month to discuss the future of the Tibetan movement.
Taklha said: "There is a lack of positive response from China regarding the visit of the envoys for the eighth round of negotiations. But we are still hopeful of getting green light from the Chinese." He denied media reports that the 73-year-old Dalai Lama was going into retirement.
"It's wrong to say that the spiritual guru is going into retirement," he said. "Karma Cheophel (speaker for the Tibetan government-in-exile) was wrongly quoted by a section of the media that the Dalai Lama had hinted that "he is now on full retirement", Taklha said. The Dalai Lama made his first public address since undergoing gallstone surgery in Delhi here yesterday.
The eighth round of negotiations is important as during the last meeting in July, the Chinese were preoccupied with the Beijing Olympics.
Special envoy Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari, who participated in the last round of talks in China, had said, "In the course of our discussion (seventh round), we were compelled to candidly convey to our counterparts that in the absence of serious and sincere commitment on their part, the continuation of the present dialogue process would serve no purpose."
This would be the third meeting between the two sides since a March crackdown on protesters in Tibet. The Dalai Lama has been following a "middle-path" policy that demands "greater autonomy" for Tibetans, rather than complete independence. The Nobel laureate, along with many of his supporters, fled Tibet and took refuge in India in 1959. — IANS
Pinegrove School celebrated its 18th annual day here today. PWD minister Thakur Gulab Singh presided over the function.
Students presented a colourful cultural programme on the occasion. An art and craft exhibition was also organised.
A group of students from Penglais School, Wales, England, who are here under an exchange programme, also performed on the occasion. An item tracing the history of the school, including achievements during the last year, was well appreciated.
Rohit Bansal, Tanika Sharma and Amit Sehrawat of class XII and Yudhvir Singh, Eeshita Manchanda and Paramdeep Kaur Paul of class X were awarded gold, silver and bronze medals in their respective board exams. The proficiency in sports medal was awarded to Kirat Bajwa, Jagjot Singh Grewal and Jyotiraditya Kapoor for 2008, while Chinar House lifted the Cock House trophy and the academics trophy.
Other distinguished guests present on the occasion included MLA Rajiv Sehzal and Lieut-Gen Kamal Davar.
Chairperson of the trust Kiran Dodeja said here on Friday that under this programme, 13 centres were recently established by the trust at Kanda, Devidehra, Dhalog, Bagdhar, Maloora, Baroti (Duer), Airwan (Duer), Churi, Lothal, Durgathi, Shopan, Dughar and Brangal villages of Chamba district.
Two such centres were opened at Devidehra and Kandi villages last year by assigning the responsibility of teaching to youths and since then encouraging performances and improvements have been observed on monthly basis. Report is also taken from teachers of the government schools on actual performance and standards of children, the chairperson informed.
Under this abhiyan, education help centres had been established in villages for providing additional classes in the evening by unemployed bright youth for providing additional education to weak and other students of government schools, the chairperson said; adding that the unemployed, but intelligent boys and girls of class XII and graduates were given the responsibility for such additional classes either in panchayat ghar or school itself or at common premises within the village.
The chairperson said necessary assistance and reading material was provided by the trust to the teachers.
A spokesman of the Education Department said here today that the entrance test for admission to the course was conducted on September 7 by the state board of school education.
The selected candidates would be required to produce documents pertaining to age, educational qualification, category and sub-category, medical fitness and bona fide or domicile status in original at the time of admission.
Under the drive for "total financial inclusion", all 12,13,276 households in the state, as on March 2007, were brought within the banking network. Norms were diluted and as many as 81,371 "no frills" accounts were opened to ensure that there was no un-banked household in the state. However, a majority of accounts have not been operated as banking culture is alien to villagers. According to official sources, over 50 per cent of the accounts may have gone dormant and the banks have now been asked to provide details of accounts in which no transaction has taken place over a period of six months.
The problem of dormant accounts is also being faced in respect of self-help groups (SHGs) which are provided credit for income-generating activities under micro-financing. There are 45,000 SHGs, but the problem is more pronounced in respect of groups comprising persons from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. Out of the total, 8,000 such SHGs, about 800 have become inoperative.
Even in case of other SHGs, a number of accounts have been rendered dormant after the completion of income-generating activity for which credit was provided.
Abject lack of financial literacy and banking habit among rural folks and inaccessibility of banks are the main reasons behind a large number of accounts becoming dormant.
The state has 1,305 bank branches, which means that on average a branch serves a modest population of only 4,700 as against 14,000 for the country. However, inaccessibility is still a major constraint because of the sparse rural habitations and difficult hill terrain.
The rural area is served by about 1,000 branches, one for every three panchayats.
A large number of villagers have to travel a distance ranging from 10 to 20 km to avail themselves of the banking services.
As per norms, the hill state is already "over-banked" and there is no justification for opening more branches.
The RBI has now given nod to a scheme under which banks will appoint local unemployed youth as business correspondents and business facilitators to take mobile e-banking to the doorsteps of rural populace. They will be given handheld PoS (point of sale) machines using which they will help villagers to deposit and withdraw money.
On average, one business correspondent will maintain around 750 accounts. The banks want the government to deliver a basket of social services like payment of pensions and wages under the National Rural Employment Scheme and also share some of the cost of rural e-banking to make it a viable proposition.
The party rued the fact that instead of running the Gummah carton factory, the BJP government, which was wedded to economic policies of neo-liberalism, decided to sell it off to a private firm. As per the proposal the entire staff was to be absorbed in various government departments, but even after a prolonged exercise, which had been going on for the past 18 months, the employees were languishing in the same undertaking.
Unable to sell the factory, the government was now asking employees to explore alternatives and it was not prepared to release their salaries. The party demanded immediate release of their salaries so that the employees who had been put to financial hardship without any fault on their part could celebrate Diwali happily.
It also urged the government to make efforts to restart the factory, which was set up with the assistance of the Central Government, and ensure its full capacity utilisation. It should explore the possibility of making carton for various factories located at Baddi and other places in the state, it said.
Virbhadra Singh today broke his silence on Kaul Singh Thakur's shrewd move to prop up an anti-Virbhadra Singh front within the state Congress as he has been nurturing an anti-Virbhadra Singh lobby and has invoked "70-age bar" principal for partymen.
The whole tug of war has started within the Congress as the anti-Virbhadra Singh lobby was trying to rope former BSP president V.S. Mankotia, who is not linked with the Virbhadra Singh camp, revealed party insiders.
Though Mankotia has announced his retirement from active politics, there are hot political talks within the state Congress that anti-Virbhadra Singh lobby was roping in Mankotia to strengthen anti-Virbhadra Singh front.
Virbhadra, who was here for a short time on his way to Baijnath for a private function, said Kaul Singh should clarify as to whom he was referring to from various media that the Congress leaders should give up "aham" ego.
He owes an explanation to all senior leaders through media on this," he asserted.
On his being fielded as a candidate from Mandi in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Virbhadra said this related to him and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. If she asks him to do so he will not hesitate, he added.
Commenting on this Thakur said he had only talked about the fact that the organisations were run though discipline and through ego problem of particular leader. Virbhadra Singh's reaction to this only proves the point.
Kaul Singh said 70 years age bar principal was being observed in Jaipur election. However, he had no personal agenda other than the agenda of the party.
Mankotia had spoken venom on Virbahdra Singh and released the controversial CD during the Hamirpur Lok Sabha byelections last year, which the BJP won.
Vice-presidents: Amit Nanda, Anirudh Singh, Dhan Negi, Yupender Mishra, Suneesha Devi, Amarjeet Singh, Vivek Sharma, and Hemant Sharma.
General secretaries: Raghav Singh, Jagdish Thakur, Rakesh Dharwal, Virender Singh, Sushant Thakur, Dharmender Shrma, Neenu Sharma and Manish Thakur.
Secretaries: Dinesh Azad, Vinay Sharma, Liaquat Ali Khan, Shivani, Suneel Kumar, Yogesh Sharma, Vijay Kanav, Shivani Thakur, Varun Chandel, Rama Shankar, Jaideep Sharma, Radhika Negi, Aseem Chaudhary and Promila Devi.
Spokespersons: Suneel Sharma, Sanjeev Siani and Priyanka.
District presidents: Shivang Sharma (Chamba), Arun Mehta (Sirmaur), Shamsher Singh (Solan), Veer Singh (Kullu), Vikrant (Una), Anjana Dhiman (Bilaspur), Neelam Thakur (Hamirpur) and Suresh Kardo (Lahaul-Spiti).
This was stated by party's national general secretary Maan Singh Manhera while talking to mediapersons here last evening. He said a decision to this effect was taken during a meeting of the state executive committee of the party held here at the circuit house here.
He said the party would enrol 50,000 members during the next three months throughout the state. He said trade union leader, former MLA and party state general secretary Krishan Kumar Kaushal had been appointed in charge of the Hamirpur parliamentary constituency.
Manhera said the decision of Vijay Singh Mankotia to take " sanyas " from politics was his personal decision and it would not have any adverse effect on the party.
Motorcyclist Ashwani Kumar of Bhadwar village and pillion rider Ajay Kumar were seriously injured in the accident. Ashwani was taken to the civil hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Ajay was admitted to a private hospital at Pathankot.
Truck driver Sajivan Kumar of Drang village has been arrested and the vehicle impounded. A case under Sections 279, 304(A) and 337 of the IPC has been registered.
The notification said this order had been passed in the interest of uninterrupted flow of vehicles on this heavy traffic road as such vehicles have been found blocking traffic on this tract for several hours every now and then, causing incalculable difficulties to travelling public.
Kumar said whenever any such heavy vehicle had to cross this tract of road the concerned authorities must inform the superintendent of police and also station house officer of the Suharghat police station at least 12 hours in advance.
However, empty multi-axle heavy vehicles can cross this tract during other hours of the day.
| Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi |


If Canadians live by the seasons, then Canmorites follow a calendar of festivals. Canmore hosts a variety of festivals and events every year, like the Canmore Folk Festival, Highland Games, Canmore Uncorked, Winter Carnival, and more! Check out the list of upcoming events below.
Have an event coming up that you want us to know about? Let us know about it!


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Rice research body 'genome edits' Samba Masuri to increase yields
November 02, 2022 - Updated 01:06 pm IST | Hyderabad
Scientists spotted and removed negative regulator that limits a plant's innate ability to yield more
By K V Kurmanath
Impact of genome editing in Samba Mashuri.
Yields in rice for a long time have stagnated. Though there has been an incremental increase here and there, yields, say for example, in the popular variety, Samba Mahsuri (BPT5204) hover around 5-6 tonnes a hectare.
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR), an Indian Council of Agricultural Research institute, have used a modern tool called genome editing to increase the yields by up to 30-35 per cent.
"The new breeding technique, which is generating a lot of interest across the world, lets scientists to carry out targeted changes to genomes, to get the best possible features, to improve a wide range of traits in various crops," R M Sundaram, Director of IIRR, told businessline.
Farmers' day out at rice research body campus
Growers exposed to latest development in paddy varieties
Great challenge
A team of scientists has successfully completed two seasons of testing of the edited rice variety at the biosafety screen house. They used a genome editing technology called CRISPR/Cas (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) to edit and mutate the negative regulator.
"It has been a great challenge for researchers to enhance the yield potential of Samba Mahsuri, which is highly popular for the grain quality, while retaining the original grain and cooking qualities," he said.
"We have edited a negative regulator that limits the number of grains per panicle. As a result, the number of grains per panicle showed an increase of 35 per cent," Satendra Kumar Mangrauthia, a Senior Scientist at IIRR that headed the research team, said.
Usually, a Samba Masuri plant gives 200-250 grains per panicle, while the genome-edited plant gives over 450 grains per panicle. "This is going to significantly increase the yields," he said.
Centre's decision on genome editing to help quicker development of crop varieties
The eagerly awaited nod offers access to a versatile tool
Rise in farmers' income
This, however, requires IP clearances and permissions for field evaluations before going for elaborate trials and commercial releases.
Satendra Kumar said because of the swiftness involved, the process can help accelerate the delivery of improved varieties.
Satendra said the method could significantly improve the incomes of farmers and ensure food and nutritional security.
Going forward, this technology can also be used to develop varieties that require paddy plants to use less water, fertilisers, and pesticides.
Satendra Kumar and his team started working on genome editing in 2016. They received funding from ICAR- National Agricultural Science Fund (NASF) in 2018 to carry out the genome editing work .
"After establishing initial protocols and standardisation of techniques, the IIRR team developed high yielding version of Samba Mahsuri in two years," he said.
"We have seen a 35 per cent increase in grain yield while retaining its original grain characteristics. Besides, the edited lines showed strong culm strength that helps in lodging resistance," he said.
The transgene free homozygous edited lines are ready for field testing and commercialisation.
Impediment
He felt that it would be desirable to develop some mechanism to acquire licensing for using the technology for the benefit of farmers and society.
Researchers at IIRR informed that there are several such negative regulators present in rice genome that can be targeted for genome editing to improve yield, disease resistance, insect resistance, and abiotic stresses.
The Centre, in its Office Memorandum of March 30, 2022, expedited genome editing by exempting plants falling under the categories of (Site-Directed Nuclease) SDN1 and SDN2 from certain provisions of the Environmental Protection Act Rules, 1989, which governs the regulatory and biosafety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
This has helped SDN1 and SDN2 genome-edited plants from not being regulated as GMOs. The development is expected to result in accelerated development of crop varieties with different improved traits, particularly to impart resistance to devastating plant diseases and fight climate change and malnutrition.
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First GM approval in 16 years after Bollgard II cotton was cleared in 2006; other crops too get the nod for field trails.
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Serie A1 1982-1983 – stagione del campionato italiano di hockey su prato maschile
 Serie A1 1982-1983 – stagione del campionato italiano di pallacanestro femminile
 Serie A1 1982-1983 – stagione del campionato italiano di pallacanestro maschile
 Serie A1 1982-1983 – stagione del campionato italiano di pallavolo femminile
 Serie A1 1982-1983 – stagione del campionato italiano di pallavolo maschile

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Politics›
PM-AASHA scheme: Government's attempt to help distressed farmers through new procurement policy
Prabhjote GillSep 14, 2018, 14:04 IST
The government of India has announced the PM-AASHA scheme with the aim of ensuring that farmers are remunerated.
States will have the choice of three schemes to choose from to compensate farmers.
While this may provide temporary relief, it may have negative long-term effects on the economy.
After years of protests and requests to the government of India, it seems to have finally borne fruit with the Cabinet approving a new procurement scheme for farmers in the country. It's basically how the government can buy agricultural produce from the farmers and ensure remunerative prices.
The umbrella scheme is called 'Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan' (PM-AASHA) and has three sub-schemes within - the Price Support Scheme (PSS), the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) and the Pilot of Private Procurement & Stocklist Scheme (PPSS).
The government is following up on its promise of providing minimum support price to farmers through these schemes. But, there's a catch. The government is only applying this to 25% of the agricultural produce. The rest of the 75% will still have to be sold on the open market.
That being said, there's an argument to be made for whether or not this is really the best solution on the table.
It's not just about the procurement costs
While the procurement may be in the name of the scheme, the government buying more agricultural produce is about more than just the basic cost. Once the stock has been bought there are incidentals, distribution costs and the carrying/storage cost.
This may not fall into in the paradigm of the PM-AASHA scheme, but it will definitely increase the operational costs for the Food Corporation of India (FCI), which in turn is a government-run operation.
Price distortion
The issue with meeting the MSP has never been the intention of ensuring that farmers get proper prices, but the fact that it deviates the market from following the basic fundamentals of supply and demand.
So while the MSP increases the cost of foodgrains, it also floods the market with excess supply at the same time. And, since the general price level is really sensitive to changes in foodgrain prices, the economy sees an inflationary trend.
As the prices continuously increase, the government has to keep increasing the MSP, and thus, the food subsidy bill goes on increasing.
On the other hand, if the government was to look into measures that actually stabilise the farmer's incomes instead, the solution may be sustainable. It would imply that their remuneration wouldn't be as susceptible to supply shocks and price hikes.
The focus, instead, could be on modernising the agricultural sector so that it can compete in a fully liberalised market and improving landholding patterns to accommodate greater productivity.
Because at the end of the day, the inflationary trend put into place will hurt the rural poor the most, who depend on the market for their consumption needs. And, the government will also have to bear the brunt of the eventual fiscal squeeze.
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1PM-AASHA scheme: Government's attempt to help distressed farmers through new procurement policy
2Indian government bans several painkillers, diabetes and antibiotic drugs over safety concerns
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Are you a raw chocolate lover?
Recently I was interviewed on Blab by Steven Healey on behalf of the Wiltshire Business Club. We chatted for about half an hour about all things Elements for Life, raw chocolate and building a business.
Consider for a moment the humble bee. What comes to mind? A creature that stings but not quite as scary as a wasp or something that makes honey?
Once known as the Gold of the Incas, lucuma is a sweet and edible fruit of the Lucuma tree. The unique flavour marries together maple, custard and caramel to give you a distinctive sweetness, which is low on the glycemic index (GI), making it a healthy choice for anyone who wants to kick their sugar consumption.
When we decide to change our diets often our favourite food is the first thing on our minds and the hardest to give up.
I was a dedicated dark chocolate scoffer and even convinced myself that a bar of Green and Blacks or Lindt a day with a healthy top up of dark chocolate digestives was good for me.
Bees are great. Not only do they produce some amazingly nutritious foods that we can enjoy, but it's safe to say that without the humble bee, life on Earth would not be the same.


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More Somali-Bantus arrive in Bloomfield
In April, a team of volunteers from St. Bridget/St. Joseph Parish in East Bloomfield and other church and community organizations welcomed and helped resettle a family of six Somali-Bantu refugees. On Sept. 10, the community welcomed another family of four Somali-Bantu refugees and started the process all over again.
The original team helped the first Somali-Bantu family, the Mohameds, secure housing, education and employment. They also helped the Mohamed family learn about appliances, the American way of life and the English language, among other things. Some members of that team are still working with the Mohamed family, but others have formed a second resettlement team to work with the new Somali-Bantu family.
The new team is in need of volunteers to help with the resettlement process, work with the new family and help them adjust to the English language and life in America. The team is also looking for businesses who are willing to offer employment to the Somali-Bantus, who have some skills but may not be fluent in English, said Sister Diane Dennie, pastoral administrator of St. Bridget/St. Joseph Parish.
"It's like being a missionary without leaving Bloomfield. Anybody's welcome to be a missionary" and join the team, Sister Dennie said.
For more information, contact the parish at 585/657-7626.


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White Supremacist Busted on Child-Porn Charge
MARCUS BARAM
Jan. 4, 2007 — -- A leader of the white supremacist movement was arraigned today on charges of possession of child pornography and witness tampering after being arrested by FBI agents Thursday night at his home in Charlottesville, Va.
Kevin Alfred Strom, founder of the National Vanguard white supremacist group, was considered the leading intellectual of the movement since the death of William Pierce, the author of the notorious "Turner Diaires."
Strom was arraigned in U.S. District Court in Charlottesville, charged with the two counts, and is currently being held at a facility in the city. According to the indictment, he allegedly possessed or attempted to possess "multiple images of child pornography" on his computer's hard drive.
Strom was also charged with witness tampering, which involved physically assaulting and mentally intimidating a witness to his criminal activity.
Last July, Strom took a leave of absence from National Vanguard, citing "family and health matters" and saying that he had "made mistakes, sometimes serious ones," according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks white supremacist activity.
"After the death of Pierce, Kevin positioned himself to take over the leadership of the National Alliance," says Mark Potok, the editor of the SPLC's "Intelligence Report." "But he wasn't in the same position as Pierce and he didn't get the same respect. He was a wannabe and he was considered something of a wimp by other supremacists."
Strom wrote frequently about art and beauty, often rhapsodizing about the physical attributes of white women and girls.
In an 2003 essay titled "Millstone for the Mogul" for the National Alliance's Web site, he condemned the producers of the movie "Thirteen" for "what they are doing to our little children -- teen and preteen White children -- to normalize perverse and degenerate sexual behavior for them, to normalize homosexuality, to prematurely sexualize them, and to make interracial sex fashionable to them -- can never be forgiven, can never be explained away. The media moguls who are doing this to our children deserve to be tried and punished for conspiracy, rape, gang rape, murder and attempted murder."
Later in the essay, he goes on to describe his desire to give children "self-respect, respect for their ancestors, respect for the future of their people, a deep respect for their own sexual nature, and respect for the members of the opposite sex who will be their mates and life companions."