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Polio Warriors 3080 flagged off!

Yes, we have named them 'Polio Warriors'.  Two adventurous Rotaractors from Rotaract Club of Chandigarh, Gaurav and Deepak, were flagged from Hans Raj Public School, Sector 6, Panchkula, where the District RYLA also culminated today. 

Past Rotary International President Raja Saboo along with Rtn Shubh Karn Gupta, past district governor and national committee member of the Rotary International's India National PolioPlus Society, flagged of the two young 'warriors' on motorbikes, to spread the message, that it is now that we must put our best efforts to end polio from our country. 

Both Rotaractors would be traversing a distance of 8000kms in 25 days, touching Kolkata and Vishakhapatnam on the eastern coast to Kanyakumari down below, and Goa in the West where they would also be the main attraction at the three-day Rotaract conference, ROTASIA. The team would return around 21st January 2011 back home, which also happens to be the birthday of PolioWarrior Gaurav Gupta. 

Gaurav is a final engineering student at UIET, PU, Chandigarh, pursuing BioTechnology, while Deepak is a first year BA student at DAV College Chandigarh. 

Make fight against polio mandatory for every citizen, suggests Punjab's Minister for Health and Family Welfare

District 3080 hosted anInter-Agency Coordinating Meeting for Polio Eradication at Chandigarh. Organised by Rotary International’s India National PolioPlus Society, representatives from WHO India, health workers from the states of Punjab, and Haryana, senior Rotarians from Rotary International Districts 3070, 3080 and 3090, participated in this meeting to chalk out the way-forward to completely eradicate polio from the country.

Prof. Lakshmi Kanta Chawla, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Government of Punjab, who was the chief guest at this meet, said that each and every citizen of our country should join in the fight against polio and immunize every child in every home of our country to ensure hundred percent success, for which a clear mandate should go to the people.

The year 2011 should be dedicated by every health worker, doctor, Rotarian and people to reach out to every household and ensure complete immunization, she emphasized.

In polio eradication we are already there, she said, but not the next big effort for Rotarians would be to focus on sensitizing the minds of the people in the north to prevent killing of girl child in the womb.Looking at the extensive female foeticide she said that Rotary must take it up as its next major programme.  

 Dr. Sunil Bahl, Senior Technical Advisor to WHO-India listed out the progress that the campaign against polio has achieved and complimented every stakeholder engaged in the process. He informed that this year only 41 cases have been reported as of date as against 685 last year, with marked reduction in the P1 virus cases. 

Despite the accomplishments major risk is certain metros like Delhi as well as in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Mahrashtra, Punjab and Haryana are in the high risk areas because of the migration of people from UP and Bihar areas, Dr Bahl warned.

Mr Rajendra K. Saboo, former world President of Rotary International, who had been actively involved in the initiation of Rotary’s global initiative said that never before in the history of mankind such a massive world-wide efforts have been made to eradicate a preventable disease, as he traced the series of initiatives that began in 1979 followed by advocacy efforts with WHO and later with the governments of various countries to adopt it as a national programme.

The advocacy efforts, he said, have successfully paid dividend in the south Asian countries where Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have been able to achieve complete eradication despite the internal strife these nations had been passing through.

This is not the time to be complacent by any of the partners engaged in this fight, since already the havoc is being caused in countries like Angola, Nepal, Congo and Russia, where polio virus has travelled from our country, and the same holds true for our own country where many of the states have had no incidence, Mr Saboo remarked.

Polio is the greatest enemy and even one case is too much for us in our country, he averred.

Rtn. Shubh Karn Gupta, national committee member of the Rotary International’s India National PolioPlus Committee informed about Rotary’s endeavours in generating awareness amongst all sections of the society, including minority communities.

Dr. Balwinder Singh, Senior Immunisation Officer, Government of Punjab, informed that the state has achieved number one position in surveillance and immunization in the country from amonst the large states, and the focus is now to reach out to urban households for which Urban Nodal Officers have been appointed to reach out to urban households who had been ignoring the NIDs.

Dr. Suresh Kumar of Haryana said that the special efforts were being made in Mewat, Palwal, Gurgaon, Ambala, Karnal, and Yamunanagar areas to achieve complete immunization.

Others who addressed the meeting included Rotary District 3080 Governor Madhukar Malhotra, District 3070 Governor Manmohan Jerath, and District Governor 3090 Dr. K.C. Kajal.

Rotary International & Polio

Rotary International has been spearheading the movement for Global Polio Eradication initiative, along with WHO, UNICEF and CDC (Centre for Disease Control, USA), since 1985, and it was sustained advocacy efforts of Rotary’s India National PolioPlus Committee that the Government of India adopted the National Immunisation Days in 1995. 

Till date, Rotary has contributed nearly US$900 million (Rs.4500 crores) worldwide.  In India alone Rotary’s contributions stand at US$ 141.2 million (Rs.706 crores).

In India alone, since its launch, the disease incidence has reduced by 99%, with just remaining few endemic regions in the northern states where Polio is persisting. More than 40 lakh children have been saved from falling prey to Polio in India since the campaign was launched in India in 1995.

Working Together to End Polio

Our District is hosting the Inter-Agency Coordination Meeting: 'Working Together to End Polio' on 24th December 2010 at the PHD House, Sector 31, Chandigarh. 

Smt. Lakshmi Kanta Chawla, Hon'ble Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, is the chief guest. 

The meeting is being held to sensitise every partner in the 'End Polio Now' campaign and shall have amongst speakers, Past Rotary International President Rajendra K. Saboo, Rtn. Deepak Kapur, Chairman and Rtn Shubh Karn Gupta, Member of the National PolioPlus Committee, District Governor Manmohan Jerath of D3090 and Dr. K.C.Kajal of D3070, Mr Sunil Behl, Deputy Chief, WHO India, Mr. Satish Chandra, IAS, Principal Secretary Health, Govt of Punjab, and Mr. P.K. Das, IAS, Mission Director, NRHM Haryana.

The paramedics and volunteers from both the states of Punjab and Haryana, are participating in this meet including the RI officers and PolioPlus Coordinators, from District 3070, 3080, and 3090.

The programme shall start at 10am and will end at 1:30pm.  Those engaged in the Polio eradication campaign, are requested to attend.

DISCON 2010 Highlights

• Here's a brief overview of DISCON2010 from District Governor Madhukar Malhotra.  Rotary3080TV Reports:
  
  
   
• Past Rotary International President Glen Kinross returns home with great praise for the DISCON2010's success. 
• All past and incoming RI Officers felicitated and presented a Silver Salver to Rotary International Director Elect Y.P. Das.
• It was DGN Manpreet and Poonam's wedding anniversary and DG Madhukar Malhotra felicitated them. DGN Manpreet announced a contribution of USD 1000 to The Rotary Foundation. 
• GSE Team from USA attended all sessions and felt truly elated for the reception they got in the District. 
• Our District 3080 GSE team has also been selected and would be presented soon in the next Intercity. 
• PDG Shaju Peter has been elected by the College of Governor as our District's Representative to next Council on Legislation. PDG Ranjit Bhatia is the alternate. 
• Dr. Coonar from UK brought the greetings from his District Governor, District 1130, UK.

DISCON 2010 Concludes with message of service

One must devote some time to serve the humanity to make one's life worth living, said Shri Jagannath Pahadia, the Governor of Haryana while addressing the Rotarians on the concluding day of the two-days District Conference of Rotary District 3080 here today. 

From Drop Box

He praised the Rotarians for taking time out of their respective business and professions for humanitarian service for the upliftment of those not so privileged. Anyone who can take time out of one's life for the welfare of others is a noble soul, he added. 

From Drop Box

He asked the Rotarians to expand into the new settlements, townships and cities which are coming up as also go into the villages to engage more and more people in service activities.
It is difficult for the government to reach out to different communities and take care of their numerous needs in which non-government organisations play a very constructive role, he said.
The biggest challenge before the society today, Governor Pahadia listed, are illiteracy, female foeticide, insanitation, in which people must be engaged to improve their living conditions through active participation. "Recognise and involve the good people in whatever way you can and condemn the bad", he advised, in order to create a better world.
Earlier Rtn. Rajendra K. Saboo, past Rotary International President apprised Rotary's involvement in humanitarian projects including eradication of polio from the world, child health, literacy, water conservation, etc.
Mr. Glen Kinross, representative of the Rotary International President in his concluding remarks reiterated that Rotary everywhere must make special efforts to educate the children who have never gone to school, increase literacy by bringing back the drop-outs, and improve the health of mother and child.
Mr. Y.P. Das, from Ambala Cantt, who has recently been elected as the Director of Rotary International for the years 2011-13, was also felicitated on the occasion.
Due to fog none of the awardees including Dainik Bhaskar chairman Ramesh Aggarwal, Navjot Singh Sidhu, or Dr. Naresh Trehan, could reach as the flight got canceled.

Get another Gold in Athletics to make India proud: Milkha Singh

From Drop Box

Padamshree Milkha Singh, the Olympian athlete, was honoured by Rotary District 3080 with an Award of Excellence. Mr Raj Chengappa, Editor-in-Chief, The Tribune, presented the Award to him.

In an emotion-filled speech, Milkha Singh, whose family holds the unique distinction of having two Padamshrees in the family – the other one being his son Jeev – thanked the Rotarians for the honour, and felt sad that no other athlete had been able to bring home the Olympic gold in the category, which he lost in Rome.

That can only make me happy and India proud, he remarked.

Recalling his struggle and the fact that sports was never considered as the best option in his time, he called upon the parents to let their children grow and flourish and support them with full devotion to make them do hardwork which alone can bring them success in any field in life.

It was Pakistan who gave him the title of Flying Sikh when he defeated Abdul Khalik in the 200 meters race held there in the stadium filled with 60,000 spectators. Recalling the incident he said that he had refused to go to Pakistan for participation because his parents were slain during the partition riots in 1947 but had to go after the then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru persuaded him.

Act to bring the change, says Raj Chengappa

From Drop Box

Addressing the afternoon plenary session of the two-days Rotary Conference, DISCON, at Tagore Theatre here today, Mr. Raj Chengappa, Editor-in-Chief of The Tribune Group of Newspaper, commended the Rotarians for responding to the challenges that any section of the society may face instead of waiting for someone else to take action.

He referred to the voyeuristic pleasure that large number of people take in reading and discussing about happenings elsewhere in the world whether it is global warming, environmental concerns, war in Bolivia or elections in Bihar and forget about them the next moment since these do not concern them directly.

The need is to introspect and ask the reason for undertaking a project or a task which is true for both the reader of a newspaper as well as the journalist, he said. Whether we are just fulfilling a curiosity or just contributing to the entertainment need of our listeners or readers or do we have a purpose for undertaking a job as a professional?

Chengappa averred the need for the people to feel concerned about these incidents and happenings occurring in our world, even though elsewhere, and realize the impact these would have on the entire mankind.

Responding to a question from the audience Raj Chengappa said that the onus to accept the stories that are getting more entertainment oriented, lies both on the media as well as the listener or the reader to accept or reject them, though he admitted that media is no different from the society it represents.

Over 800 delegates are participating from different parts of the states of Panjab, Haryana, Himachal, Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand and Chandigarh representing 75 clubs that fall in the Rotary District 3080, Madhukar Malhotra, Rotary District Governor informed.

Increase Intellectual Wealth of India: Kapil Sibal

The real wealth of a nation is not its GDP but the intellectual wealth of its people, said Union Minister for HR, and Telecom, Kapil Sibal while inaugurating the Rotary District Conference, DISCON, here today.

From Drop Box

Addressing the Rotarians he said that biggest task before the Rotary International is to reach out to not only the children in our own country but around the globe and enrich their wealth by ensuring literacy for all. That alone can tackle the problems of poverty, hunger and employment around the globe, he added.

India has 220 milion children who go to school but the unfortunate part is that only 12.4% reach the college level, which is the biggest challenge today to take them into colleges and universities so that they can be empowered to become useful contributors to their country’s wealth, he said.  The national commission has the mandate to take these drop-outs to the college level and achieve 30 percent level, but that would still leave a vast majority of nearly 160 million youngsters who must be brought into the mainstream by imparting the required skills, he averred.

Our country today requires trained para-legals, para-medics, better chefs, drivers, hospital managers, automobile and construction engineers that requires massive overhaul in the education framework to fill the skill-gap, he stated.

He also pointed out the growing disparity in the changing needs of the industry and the academic curriculum which requires active collaboration between them so as to make each other compatible. Referring to his meeting with the representatives of the automobiles association whose requirement for the cars for the future is all electronic based where more than the automobile engineers the need would be to integrate electrical engineers to the auto industry needs.

He expressed hope that the Rotary has the capability and capacity to reach out to every unschooled child just as they have reached out to the homes of the people in immunizing them against polio and managing to eliminate it almost from the world.

Kapil Sibal underlined the need to innovate and use science and technology to look for alternate means of producing food, since agriculture is becoming unsustainable as we continue to consume depleting water resource especially when the population of the world would touch 8.99 billion in 2050 making our resources of water, energy and food scarce to meet the demand.

It is time to cross the existing line of thinking and conquer new frontiers by introducing new innovations which are possible only when we are able to take our vast young human resource to be literate, he said.

Earlier the special representative of Rotary International President, Glen Kinross, who had earlier been the world president of Rotary International, spoke about the Rotary’s thrust areas in literacy, maternal and child health, clean drinking water, etc.  He said that today 92 countries in the world have no free education in their system, for which Rotary would try to motivate them to implement the same so that more and more children can be educated.   He emphasized that 2 billion of the 6.9 billion population of the world cannot read and write which is a major concern.