The Hindu : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 01, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Briefly

Morarji Desai remembered

New Delhi Feb. 29. Senior leaders, including Sangh Priya Gautam of BJP, today paid floral tributes at the portrait of former Prime Minister Morarji Desai on his 108th birth anniversary in the Central Hall of Parliament.

Those who paid tributes besides Mr. Gautam included former Members of Parliament R.C. Vikal and S.P. Malviya and Lok Sabha Secretary General G.C. Malhotra.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat has brought out a booklet containing the profile of Desai both in Hindi and English to mark the occasion.

Eye camp organised

NEW DELHI FEB. 29. A free eye camp was organised at Vatsalya Play School, Laxmi Nagar by the Tarun Mitra Parishad on Sunday. The Delhi Finance Minister, A.K. Walia, inaugurated this 32nd eye camp by lighting the lamp. While appreciating the efforts being made by the Parishad since 1975, he said cataract can be cured if treated at an early age. He also presented a tricycle on this occasion to a disabled boy.

At the camp, the General Secretary, Manoj Jain, announced that 33rd eye camp will be organised at Greater Noida on March 14. According to the President, Ashok Jain, 291 patients were checked and given medicines at the camp out of which 56 were taken to St. Stephen`s Hospital for cataract operations. "All these patients will be provided free medicines, boarding-lodging, meals and lens also", he added

Doctors' meet on peace

NEW DELHI FEB. 29. More than 150 physicians, medical students, health workers and others from different countries of the world including the U.S., Sweden, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and different States of India, gathered at the India International Centre here on Sunday to share the results of their research into the impact of war and armed violence on the health and security of people in India and neighbouring countries in the South Asian region. The seminar was co-sponsored by the Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) and the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW).

While the President of IPPNW, Ron McCoy, shared the results of his meeting with decision-makers in Pakistan on February 26 and 27, the President of IDPD, S. L. Chawla, welcomed all the delegates and stressed the need for more and more co-operation among South Asian doctors on peace and health. A book published jointly by the IDPD and IPPNW titled `South Asia in Quest for Peace and Health' was released on the occasion. IDPD also launched its website www.idpd.org.

Prayers offered

NEW DELHI FEB. 29. The Khadi Consumer's Welfare Association offered prayers at Rajghat here today and also raised their voice of protest against their being disallowed to pray on Martyrs Day at the same venue by what they termed an unruly IAS officer. "We lodged a complaint and demanded an enquiry but no action was taken," the 12-member delegation said.

Memoranda signed

NEW DELHI FEB. 29. Two memoranda of understanding have been signed by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), one with Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) for launching a Bachelor's programme in Nautical Sciences from July 2004 and another with the National Trust for the betterment of persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities. The memoranda were signed by the Registrar, IGNOU, A.S. Narang, along with the heads of two respective organisations.

As a first step in this collaborative effort, IGNOU will launch B.Sc.(Nautical Science) in collaboration with DGS in modular form, with lateral entry and exit. Those completing first year courses, comprising two semesters, shall be eligible for award of diploma. The duration of the programme will be three years.

As for the collaboration between IGNOU and the National Trust, they will jointly undertake sensitization and in-service training of bureaucrats and other level functionaries on disability issues through live teleconferencing and other modes.

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