Wednesday 23 March 2011

Bihar News, Latest News from Bihar, News of Bihar, Biharprabha News

Bihar News, Latest News from Bihar, News of Bihar, Biharprabha News


Bill Gates to focus on agricultural sector of Bihar

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:03 PM PDT

PATNA: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has $80 million worth partnership with Bihar government in health sector, has shown its interest in expanding cooperation in agriculture sector too. This was announced by the software czar and world’s leading philanthropist Bill Gates here on Wednesday after rounding off his day-long tour.

Gates, who was accompanied by his wife and Foundation co-chair Melinda Gates and a strong team, said the Foundation is doing well in Bihar and state government’s ambitions are quite good. “Our partnership is going at full speed. The great works being done here are lessons for other places in the world,” said a beaming Gates while lavishing praise on chief minister Nitish Kumar, sitting beside him.

Melinda was also very impressed. She said, “It is a pleasure working here. Bihar’s planning is incredible. We will have broad unity under the leadership of Mr Kumar.” She said she was very impressed with the good works in health sector, particularly immunization, vaccination and institutional delivery. “We are glad to have partnership with Bihar,” she added.

It was Bill Gates’ second visit to Bihar in less than a year. He last came here on May 12 last year and visited some villages. This time again, the couple and their team visited Sabjpura and Jamsaut villages under Danapur subdivision in Patna district to review the works funded by the foundation. They said they spoke to health workers, community workers, women and NGOs.

“Our main focus in on health but we are also interested in agriculture sector. We had some preliminary discussion and further talks will go on to find out ways for a partnership,” said Bill Gates. Nitish said the team, during their village visit, interacted with farmers also and later held talks with officials. “The Foundation has shown interest in seed improvement in agriculture sector,” he said adding he told Gates about Bihar’s agriculture roadmap.

The CM said the DMs of eight districts, where the health projects taken up by the Foundation are in progress, were also called here for meeting. He recalled that last year a memorandum of cooperation had reached between the Foundation and state government. The Foundation works through NGOs as per their methodology. They also suggest to the government the works to be done.

Gates, who earns $250 every second, that’s about $20 million a day and $7.8 billion a year, however, was non-committal on launching any poverty alleviation programme in Bihar. “There is still scope and need to improve our works here,” he said. Gates said if the government of India gives permission for introduction of new vaccine in Bihar, lives of hundreds of thousands of children could be saved. Earlier, the CM said some of functions like vaccinations come under the jurisdiction of the Centre.

The Microsoft founder has offered $110 million for introducing five-in-one vaccine in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Bill Gates favours introduction of pentavalent vaccine across five states including Bihar. “I feel excited talking about vaccination,” he said.

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Bihari singer Kalpana receives the Bhikhari Thakur Samman in Kolkata

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 06:03 PM PDT

The Bhojpuri Queen Kalpana was bestowed the Bhikhari Thakur Samman by the Union Minister of Tourism Mr. Sultan Ahmed in the 1st Bhikhari Thakur Festival hoisted jointly by WAJA – Writers and Journalist Association of India and Vishwa Bhojpuri U-Than Kalyan Samaj in the pious city of Kolkata on 15th March 2011.
This Assamese girl Kalpana is a breakthrough in Bhojpuri music and has carved herself a special niche in the Bhojpuri music world credited with reviving and promoting the Bhojpuri music industry all over the world and bringing back traditional forms of music to the International stage. Indian folk music particularly of Northern India has been showcased and revived by Kalpana in a big way.
Kalpana brings the original vibrancy and richness of the Bhikhari Thakur folk forms to the World wide so that people from the world over can experience the originality and richness of Bhojpuri music.
Says Kalpana, there is no recorded songs on Bhikhari Thakur till date and The Legacy of Bhikhari Thakur will be the first rare one releasing from TIMES MUSIC.
This album will give a chance to uncover the unique flavor of Bhikhari Thakur and listen to the unadulterated voice of Kalpana piercing right through to your soul.
Says Kalpana,how inspired I am by Bhikhari Thakur’s life, how the legend has shaped the future of Bhojpuri music.
Bhikhari Thakur songs are rich in imagery and heavy in Bhojpuri dialect.
This new album on Bhikhari Thakur will be a true benchmark in the annals of Bhojpuri Music Industry and will set new standards for Bhojpuri music. This album has something that's not easily done; introducing a new genre of music to the people and having them accept it without hesitation.
As a singer, she has been recognized with Bhikhari Thakur Samman in Jamshedpur, Swar Kokila, Swar Samragee , Bhojpuri Swar Mallika, Bhojpuri Sewa Samman, Bhojpuri Sangam Samman, Panchamrit Samman, Atkrista Gayak Samman, The Bhojpuri Queen to name a few.
Recently Kalpana's song Aila Re Aila from film Khatta Meetha has been nominated for the BEST ITEM SONG CATEGORY OF THE YEAR at Radio Mirchi's 98.3 FM's – 3rdUninor Mirchi Music Awards held on 27th of January 2011 at the Bandra Kurla Complex.
Her Chhath song "”Saiya Chali Aawa Karat Bani Chhath”" from Chhath album "Aage Bilaiyya Peechhe Chhati Maiya" is nominated for best song in folk category in BIG STAR IMA AWARDS held in 11th March 2011 in Mumbai.

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Bihar Military Police Jawans donate blood on Bihar Diwas

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 09:56 AM PDT

PATNA: BMP personnel kicked off the Bihar Diwas bash with donating blood on Tuesday morning. In all, 93 officers, including ADG (BMP) A C Verma and jawans, donated blood under the care of Red Cross Society at the Command Hospital on BMP-5 campus in Phulwarisharif.

Each donor has been given a certificate. The units of blood collected were later taken to the Red Cross building to be kept in its blood bank. ADG A C Verma said any donor who would require blood in the first year would be given free blood by the Red Cross on the production of the certificate awarded to him.

This apart, the BMP has also organized an equestrian event at the Miller School ground on Bir Chand Patel Path. The venue has been selected to provide a chance to the common people to view the equestrian event. This event will take place at 4 pm on Wednesday, Verma added.

The BMP has also organized a riot control drill at the Gandhi Maidan. The drill would be conducted by the jawans of BMP-14 at 3 pm on Thursday. The entire campus of the BMP has been illuminated to add colour to the Bihar Diwas celebrations.

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24 lakh Bihar women turned literate in 2 years

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 07:42 AM PDT

PATNA: It’s not that Bihar today has only the smooth roads, good law and order and stellar economic growth to boast of. Here’s something more: at least 24 lakh of the state’s illiterate women turned literate during the last one year or so, thanks to the efforts of two lakh teachers, half of them women, who served as ‘akshardoots’ at as many centres to spread literacy among adult women under the Mukhyamantri Akshar Anchal Yojana.

Launched in September 2009, the literacy mission targeted to help 40 lakh women give up using their thumb impression and, thus, get what is their rightfully due. The mission posted 60% success rate.

‘Sapno Ko Lage Pankh’ doffs for the good job of these ‘akshardoots’. Published by the state human resources development department, the booklet tells the tales of 38 of them. These ‘akshardoots’ were also felicitated by chief minister Nitish Kumar on the National Education Day on November 10 last year.

Some of these success stories sound incredible. Take, for instance, Rampari Devi. A Dalit born in an Araria village with 100% illiteracy among women, she was all of seven years when she was married. The little girl slept through her marriage rituals and in years to come gave birth to four children. All that didn’t deter her from completing MA. She became a teacher in 1989, and the latest feather in her cap is the fact that she as an ‘akshardoot’ has made every women of her village __ 200 and odd __ literate within a year.

Sangeeta Kumari’s story is equally inspring. Daughter of a betel shop owner of Khagaria who passed away when she was only 13, Sangeeta was an ace footballer. She became a victim of a rape attempt, albeit unsuccessful. Though shaken, she did not think of committing suicide to escape the social stigma. She even faced a criminal case lodged against her when she complained to the coach against the rape attempt. A middle school teacher since 2005, Sangeeta also served as an ‘akshardoot’ and made a large number of daily wagers literate.

No less inspiring is the story of West Champaran’s Sarita Kumari whose alcoholic father abandoned the family to re-marry and settle in Nepal. With a shattered mother to support, Sarita reared pigs, hens and buffaloes to eke a living. She also pursued education and passed Class XII. At the time of her marriage, her father refused to perform ‘kanyadaan’ and the local police station SHO Shivmuni Prasad came to her rescue. A primary schoolteacher since 2007, she has made several Oraon women literate under the literacy mission.

Arpana Kumari of Lakhisarai also struggled hard to reach where she is today. Newly-wed, she took on a formidable neighbour when he demanded ransom from her in-laws. “I will liquidate your family if any harm is done to mine,” she told the miscreant. A fearless female, she runs a private school with more than 100 children on rolls apart from teaching women under the literacy mission.

Importance of education dawned early on Saran’s Khushboo as she saw an uneducated woman, seeking admission of her six-year-old son to a school, telling the headmaster that she had been married for four years. The teachers burst into laughter, but Khushboo, a student of the same school, turned serious. She also saw another illiterate woman ending up repaying Rs 3,600 for a loan of Rs 360. “It’s better to teach and educate women,” she resolved.

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Experts to discuss the management of flood in Bihar

Posted: 23 Mar 2011 01:55 AM PDT

PATNA: Water management experts as well as water activists from different parts of the country will converge here on Wednesday to discuss the cause of widespread floods in the Gangetic plains of Bihar.

A workshop on “River dynamics and flood hazard assessment with special reference to the Kosi river” has been jointly organized by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and University of Durham (UK) under the aegis of the UK-India Educational Research Initiative (UKIERI), British Council, New Delhi.

Speaking to TOI, noted water management expert Rajiv Sinha of IIT-Kanpur said that under the UKIERI project, Kosi river’s draining parts of North Bihar and Nepal have been chosen for study because of the Kosi being a river in the north Bihar plains a major tributary to the Ganga river system. This river has been infamous due to recurrent and extensive flooding and frequent changes in its course.

In 2008, India witnessed one of the greatest river disasters in the country in the recent history when the Kosi river shifted 120 km eastward, triggered by the breach of afflux bund at Kusaha in Nepal. This breach had resulted in disaster by flooding of a very large area in Nepal and North Bihar affecting more than 3 million people, Sinha said.

UKIERI has specially examined the role of sediment flux in flood risk in the Kosi river. Kosi carries a very high sediment load and the construction of embankments and barrages had resulted in significant rise of river bed level over the years. The river is presently flowing in super elevated condition at several reaches, including Kusaha, Sinha said.

According to him, flood management strategies in Kosi river have largely been focused on embankments and the controls of geomorphology and sediment flux has not been suitably incorporated in such programmes.

The workshop will discuss river dynamics and flood risk factor on the basis of lessons learnt from Kosi disaster of August 2008, understanding river dynamics, drainage congestion, sediment sources and their role in flood risk, lessons from other Gangetic river systems, river training and impact of structural measures and role of local participation in flood management.

Alexander Densmore of Durham (UK), Ajay Dixit of Nepal Water Conservation Foundation, Dinesh Mishra of Barh Mukti Abhiyan, L P Singh of Ganga Flood Control Commission will be prominent among those participating in the workshop, Sinha said.

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Feeling privileged to be in Bihar says singer Anup Jalota

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 11:34 PM PDT

PATNA: “I feel privileged to have been invited to Bihar,” said the celebrated bhajan singer Anup Jalota, who performed at the SK Memorial Hall here on Tuesday as part of Bihar Diwas celebrations to mark the 99th year of Bihar’ foundation.

“There is great hunger for spiritual music in Bihar. I get immense affection from the people of Bihar. I try to come to Bihar whenever I get a chance,” said Jalota.

Asked whether popularity of spiritual music has witnessed a decline in recent times, Jalota said: “Spiritual music will never see a decline in demand. Bhajan soothes the soul and is directly connected to the heart. It is an inseparable part of human life.”

Noted vocalist of Patiala gharana, Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, who also performed here on Tuesday, said, “I have come to Bihar after a gap of 15 years. Bihar has a rich cultural heritage, which is getting revived after a long period.” Chakrabarty performed at the Indira Gandhi Planetarium here.

However, he feels that passion for classical music in Bihar has taken a downswing recently: “About 25 years ago, night-long classical performances would take place during Durga Puja. But the yearning for classical music is much less in the state today.”

Chakrabarty, who has been awarded Sangeet Natak Akademi award and also Padmashri, said, “An exclusive national channel for classical music is likely to be launched by the end of this year. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has given an assurance to this effect to the representatives of All India Music Group.”

Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, the celebrated santoor player, also performed at the SK Memorial hall on Tuesday.

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Bill Gates in Bihar today

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 09:31 PM PDT

PATNA: World famous philanthropist and co-chairman of Microsoft, Bill Gates, accompanied by his wife Melinda Gates and a delegation of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is arriving here on Wednesday.

According to official sources, the couple and others will arrive here in the morning and are expected to visit some places where philanthropic works of the Foundation are in progress. Gates will hold a meeting with state government officials at the CM secretariat before flying back.

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We want to celebrate Bihari pride says HRD Minister

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 03:37 PM PDT

Human resource development (HRD) department, Bihar is the nodal department organising the Bihar Diwas celebrations across the state. Pooja Kashyap caught up with Anjani Kumar Singh , principal secretary, HRD, who incidentally is the nodal officer behind the breath-taking celebrations. Excerpts from the interview:

Q: What is the main idea behind celebrating the Bihar Diwas?
A: Bihar, unlike states such as Punjab and Bengal, lacks cohesion because of the absence of a sense of ‘Biharism’. They are confident, we are not! We want to generate that sense of commonality, belongingness and a Bihari pride among people. Bihar Diwas is purely a people’s event. Our slogan says it all – ‘Hamara Bihar Sabka Bihar’, symbolizing the participation of common people.

We have come up with another catchy slogan “Young at 99″. Nowhere in our hoardings will you find pictures of politicians. We have highlighted the rich heritage, culture and products our state is known for, like Buddhist stupa, Sher Shah’s tomb, Gangetic dolphins and Bihari delicacies like ‘litti-chokha’, ‘litchi’ etc.
Even the logo “Hamara Bihar” projects that the show is being held on behalf of the people.

Q: What is the high point of artistes invited for the festivities?
A: Even while inviting artistes, the focus has been on Bihari artistes who have achieved success at the national and international level, like sufi singer Rani Khanam, qawwali team of Baccha Nasim and Nasim Ruhi and dhrupad performer Abhay Narayan Mallik. Sharda Sinha, who has received acclaim at the international level, has also been invited.
Besides, renowned artistes like Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pt. Birju Maharaj, Anup Jalota and Chhangulal Mishra and others have also been invited.
In keeping with the interest of commoners, Gandhi Maidan has been kept exclusively for local artistes who will present Maithili, Bhojpuri, Angika and other local folk dance and song programmes.

Q: How were 400 children chosen to showcase their talent at the state level? What was the objective?
A: For choosing these kids with exceptional and distinguished talent from all 38 districts, four disciplines – song, dance, poem and painting – were specified. The children who have come up with unique inventions were also called in. The aim is to bring out their talent in the open by giving them a platform, so that they become an inspiration for others.

Q: Are there any entry passes for attending various programmes?
A: We have kept the entry free at all the venues so that all can enjoy the events. Instead of organising various events at the same place, several venues have been selected to cater to different tastes and choices. While S K Memorial Hall will have santoor, flute and ghazal performances, Rabindra Bhawan will witness sufi and folk dance shows.

Q: What happened to selection of ‘Bihar Gaan’? Has it been postponed for now?
A: For state anthem, the deadline is 2012, the centenary year of Bihar’s foundation. Fifty songs have been selected so far from the 1800 entries received. While ‘rajya geet’ to be sung at government functions will be a choreographed one with music and of two minutes duration, ‘prarthana’ to be sung at all the government schools will be of three minutes.

Q: How are non-resident Biharis staying in India and abroad being involved in the celebrations?
A: Cultural programmes and food festivals have been scheduled at all those places where Bihar Foundation has a functional chapter. Delegations from Qatar and Mauritius are coming. Famous NRBs from the tinsel town – Shatrughan Sinha, Prakash Jha, Shekhar Suman and Manoj Bajpai – have been invited. Next year, a Non-Resident Bihari meet has been scheduled.

Q: What is the total budget for the celebrations?
A: The total budget is over Rs 2 crore. Through this we have been able to involve more than 4 crore people. As many as 2.5 crore children alone are involved in various ways in the celebration. All our participants will be given away free T-shirts and caps with Bihar’s logo, and school bags will be distributed among children. Awards like watches and cameras will be given to women and kids winning in various categories.

Q: Has a car rally also been organized?
A: A road show has also been scheduled on March 24 in which 15 cars are participating, each one highlighting an aspect of Bihar’s glory. These cars will start from Rajbhawan roundabout and move to Delhi, stopping at various cities like Lucknow and Agra on the way.

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