PASSIVE EUTHENASIA
THE Goa Chapter of the Indian Medical Association has drawn up the protocol for something called “passive euthanasia.” Here patients may now tell their doctor to withdraw ventilator support. The right to die has been made legal. IMA Goa has asked the State government to pass a bill in this respect. Haryana is the only state which permits euthanasia. This follows Supreme Court guidelines which entails the patient making what is being called a living will. How this right to die translates at hospital level is yet to be studied and when queried one GMC doctor quipped, “It’s all nonsense of course!” There are many mixed feeling about such a bill being passed in Goa or anywhere in India for that matter. The ground reality is that today’s mercenary hospitals have been caught extending a terminal patient’s life on support systems needlessly just to present the family with a larger billing; ironically, it is also true that loving relatives insist on their patient’s life being extended in the ICU in the hope of a recovery for their loved ones who may also be their sole breadwinner.
SHANKARCHARYA ANGER!
THE much respected and venerated Puri Shankarcharya, along with the other three Shankarcharya, has expressed his disapproval of Prime Minister Narendra Modi doing any consecration or parikrama of the new Ram temple at Ayodhya which is reportedly an unfinished temple. This regardless the Ram temple is all set to be consecrated with fanfare on January 22, 2024. The Puri Shankarcharya points out that the ritual of consecration may only be done traditionally by the temple priests at auspicious timing. However, it is reported that Modi will only be holding the idol of Lord Ram. But asks the Shankarcharya, what are they supposed to do at the ceremony? Now we hear none of the Shankarcharya of the country have been invited for the grand “pran pratishthan” or inauguration celebration to take place on January 22. In the meantime donations in several crore and all kinds of gifts are rolling in for the temple, reportedly a three-storeyed temple set in almost three acres of land, the temple has features which to resist such calamities as earthquakes.
IDOL INSTALLED
WE hear the 5-foot idol of Ram Lalla has already been installed in the new Ram temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday, January 18. Strangely this idol depicts a 5-year old Ram. Narendara Modi has called upon the people to light “Ram jyoti” or oil lamps to welcome Ram back to Ayodhya. On Wednesday Modi visited the Guruvayur temple in Kerala and after that he went to Ayodhya to install the Ram Lalla idol. In the meantime, several travel agencies have already started offering pilgrimage tour package trips to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra. Although the temple will be finally completed only in 2025, only the ground floor is being opened up for devotees in January!
ORE TRANSPORT
RESIDENTS of Mayem village in Bicholim are asking the government not to issue transport permits for ore transportation This follows High Court directive to stop all movement of trucks through the village. Transportation of ore is the cause of iron ore dust pollution and consequent respiratory problems for the people residing in the vicinity. Mining trucks are also a cause of accidents during the peak season when hundreds of trucks play with their loads of iron ore through the villages of the Goan countryside which survives largely on small agricultural holdings. Both water resources and their fields are polluted along with the people’s lungs.
GOVT VIOLATING CRZ!
LIKE it or not the government of Goa is going ahead with its upcoming sea food festival. This despite the high court ban on events on the beach. This year the Tourism Department is planning to hold the seafood festival on Miramar beach. Earlier years it used to be held either at the INOX courtyard or the Campal Parade grounds. Now the government of Goa itself is violating CRZ rules.
ARVIND KEJRIWAL IN GOA
AAM AADMI PARTY convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is on a 3-day visit to Goa. He arrived at the Manohar Parrikar International Airport on the evening of January 18, 2024 with national AAP leaders Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant Singh Mann, also AAP Rajya Sabha MPs Dr Sandeep Pathak and Raghav Chaddha. AAP is planning to put up candidates for the two Lok Sabha seats in Goa. Kejriwal will discuss selection of candidates for the Lok Sabha with local party workers. AAP may tie up with Congress in the forthcoming elections.
NATIONAL STARTUP DAY
THE Startup and IT Promotion Cell (Department of IT, Electronics & Communications, Goa) celebrated a day-long program on the occasion of the National Startup Day on January 16, 2024, in Panaji. The event hosted a workshop by Vaniya Dangwal, a masterclass by Sanchin Karnik–the Great Unicorn Hunt. This was followed by Corporate Connect Bridge, with panel discussions by Yatin Kakodkar (Apex Packing Products), Pallavi Salgaocar (Geno Pharma), Anirudh Dempo (Goa Paints & Allied Products) and Nitin Desai (Exflor). Prominent startups were felicitated.
It may be remembered that January 16 is the foundation day of Startup India. It was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as National Startup Day in 2022. The government is committed to recognizing startups’ vital contributions towards nation building vis-a-vis economic growth and self-reliance. Startup India will aid in achieving the PM’s objective of Viksit Bharat 2047 – when India will be a developed nation.
Present at event were Rohan A Khaunte (Minister for Tourism, Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Printing and Stationery), Dr Chandrakant Shetye (chairperson, InfoTech Corporation of Goa and MLA). The 12 prominent startups felicitated for remarkable contributions to the startup ecosystem are: Molbio, Blive, Bodhami, Transerve, Minko, Kabira, Contractzy, Numadic, Spintly, Stoa, Wakao, and Namaste Chai. Speaking at the celebration IT Minister Rohan Khaunte recalled the dual significance of the day, he also underscored the significance of the Opinion Poll and lauded the achievements of Indian entrepreneurs.
To quote Mr Khaunte, “Our vision is to be recognized as a hub for both technical and creative innovation. Additionally, we recognize the pivotal role of women’s empowerment in the startup ecosystem. Modiji’s emphasis on Yuva Shakti, Mahila Shakti, Kisan Shakti and Garib Kalyan reflect the attributes we prioritize for our country’s success. Population around the world is aging, and people are getting older, but India is an exception, we are a youthful population. But 20-25 years from now, our population will also peak. And after it peaks, we will also age, so it is our time to make the most of it. Goa has always been seen as a tourist destination, which indeed is the primary contributing factor to its GDP. There is no need to change this image but to expand on this through IT, inclusiveness, and transparency and to make Goa a preferred location for companies and professionals. It is its charm and atmosphere that makes Goa the perfect destination for companies and professionals to thrive and excel, it can be an ideal Global Opportunities Aggregator.”
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Department of IT and HDFC, where the bank committed INR99 lakh to assisting startups contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the release of the Goa Startup Digest 2023, a comprehensive dossier on Central government schemes, compilation of prominent startups in Goa and activities and initiatives led by the Startup & IT Promotion Cell in the last 6 months.
A panel discussion saw a mix of investors, industry associations, matured startups, and academia. Namely, Appalla Saikiran – Scope App, Sachin Karnik – The Great Unicorn Hunt, Dr Anil Wali – BITS BioCyTiH Foundation, Swati Salgaonkar – Dy Chairperson, Western Region, CII, Dr Sriram Natarajan – Molbio Diagnostics, Goa’s first and only startup Unicorn, Samarth Kholkar – B-live, and, Gautami Raikar – Attort Legal Consultancy. More than 100 attendees participated in the event comprising entrepreneurs, students, professionals and key stakeholders.
FIRST MAY CANTEEN!
DIRECTOR of Food & Drugs Administration Jyoti Sardessai, along with Jayesh Mayenkar (Project Officer, District Rural Development Agency, North Goa) inaugurated the first canteen under the Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana at the FDA office in Bambolim. It is supported by the Goa State Livelihood Mission. This initiative marks a significant step towards providing nutritious meals to the community.
Expressing her joy Smt Sardessai emphasized the ease of the canteen setup process under the Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana. She acknowledged the pivotal role played by the Goa State Livelihood Mission (Department of Rural Development) in making this endeavour a reality. Jayesh Mayenkar (Project Officer, District Rural Development Agency, North Goa) revealed that 15 departments have already approached for setting up similar canteens, showcasing the widespread interest and support for the initiative.
The canteen at FDA, Bambolim, will be operated by the Om Shree Ganesh Self-help Group. Also present were Sweta Desai (Deputy Director, FDA); Pratima Braganza (Deputy Director, Administration); Sangam Patil (SPM, National Rural Livelihood Mission, DRDA, North); Richard Noronha (Designated Officer); Sayli Dhawaskar (State Mission Manager, Non-farm Livelihood Officer); Supriya Sawal (District Mission Manager, Non-farm Livelihood Officer) and Simran Naik, along with FDA staff.
VMSCL BAGS BEST MOOTER FEMALE AWARD!
THE Moot Court Team of Devi Sharvani Education Society’s VM Salgaocar College of Law, comprising of Trusha Desai (mooter), Govind Sawant (mooter) and Hiral Kenaudekar (researcher), participated in the Parrikar National Moot Court and Policy Hackathon 2024, Goa University Manohar Parrikar School of Law, Governance and Public Policy, in collaboration with the Goa Human Rights Commission. The college team advanced to the semi-finals as the highest-scoring team of each round amongst the 16 national teams.
The competition was conducted from January 11 to 12, 2024. The Best Female Mooter Award was bagged by Trusha Desai. The award was presented by Adv Cleofat Coutinho in the presence of Justice Ferdinho Rebello, former Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court Justice RMS Khandeparkar and former judge of the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
The VMSCL’s Moot Court Society is headed by Dr KS Rao (director, MCS) and Prof Priyanka Shet (associate director, MCS).
CM URGES STUDENTS ABOUT MENTAL WELLBEING!
CHIEF Minister Dr Pramod Sawant urged students to express themselves for mental wellbing, recently. He was speaking after attending the Sparsh Antarmanacho event organised by WOW Foundation in association with Directorate of Planning, Statistics and Evaluation and Directorate of Higher Education in the city on January 12, 2024. While talking on the subject of mental health, the CM stressed the significance of expressing emotions. Failing to do so burdened the heart and impacted mental well-being, he observed.
CM further said in earlier times, joint families provided a supportive structure, with other relatives stepping in, if a child faced criticism from parents. However, in today’s nuclear family arrangement, expressing feelings poses challenges, pushing children towards alternative coping approaches.
So he was all for students talking to each other and sharing their emotions and thoughts. In this respect the government had introduced counselling services in schools, higher secondary and colleges. Despite this students remain reticent about approaching counsellors. In this respect Vidnyan Dhara 2024 is aimed to ease students’ apprehension towards science, emphasizing the program’s role in fostering a more positive learning experience.
The CM also provided an overview of PM Modi’s initiatives, encompassing campaigns such as Fit India, Skill India and Inclusive India. It’s all in pursuit of a developed India of which the four pillars defined are to do with Nari Shakti, Yuva Shakti, Kisan Shakti, and Garib Kalyan. These programs will be instrumental in realizing the dream of a ‘Vikshit Bharat’ by 2047. Students may download the My Bharat gov.in app and register. Present on the occasion were Bhushan Savoikar (director, Directorate of Higher Education), Vijay Saxena (director, Directorate of Planning, Statistics and Evaluation), Ketaki Parob (founder president, Wow Foundation). The event featured diverse competitions including face painting, photography, group dance, t-shirt painting, short film making, one-act play, and more. Earlier the CM released a coffee table book titled “Atharva on Mental Health.”
INCLUSION OF DISABLED IN POLITICS
THE National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) has welcomed Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant’s call to disabled people to join politics, calling it a decisive step forward in empowerment them. In an address at the Purple Think Tank hosted by NCPEDP in partnership with the International Purple Fest, the CM emphasized that it’s high time persons with disability take leadership roles in politics. He advocated for disability reservation in politics, similar to women’s reservation. He pledged support for those with disabilities in India’s vision of Fit India, Skill India and Inclusive India.
The NCPEDP is at the forefront of driving critical discourse around disability issues by bringing together key stakeholders. The Purple Festival witnessed panel discussions covered topics such as Health Insurance, Assistive Technology, Disaggregated Disability Data, Political Inclusion, Education and Employment, Promoting New Leadership, Social Inclusion, and Challenges in Inclusion for Persons with Deaf-Blindness.
Speakers included Rajesh Aggarwal (IAS, Secretary, Dept. of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India), NCPEDP-Javed Abidi fellows (engaged in research work in the disability sector), various disability rights organizations including Sense India, The Society for the Empowerment of the Deafblind, Harkin Institute (USA), and Youth 4 Jobs Foundation.
This year’s International Purple Festival was a six-day celebration which empowered persons with disabilities from January 8, 2024. It was a collaborative effort involving the Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, the Directorate of Social Welfare (Government of Goa) and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India).
“TAKE YOUR WORK MORE SERIOUSLY, THAN YOURSELF!” SAYS AUTHOR GURCHARAN DAS
QUOTING one of his gurus, noted author Gurcharan Das said, “We must take our work more seriously, than ourselves.” According to Das, this was the essence of his latest memoirs — “Another Sort of Freedom” — which he discussed with psychoanalyst Sudhir Kakar at the International Centre Goa (ICG) on Wednesday evening, January 17, 2024.
Amongst other things the author narrated the story of Kamble, who progressed from being a night-duty watchman to become a director in the multi-national, Proctor and Gamble company. “Kamble, took his work more seriously than himself and that is how he rose to such great heights,” Das narrated.
Recalling incidents in his life, when he had not been good, Das narrated a story from his kindergarten days, when he did not own up to a theft, which resulted in a fellow student getting unfairly punished. “The shame from this incident stayed with me for many years,” hes confessed. Das recalled the difficult days of the “Licence Raj” in India, when his multinational company employers Procter and Gamble, nearly got penalized by the government for generating record sales of their colds medicine during an influenza epidemic in the country. Putting things in perspective, Das said, “I therefore believe that India got real freedom in 1991 with the economic liberalization and not in 1947.”
Explaining his reason for quitting the corporate world at 50, Das said, “I was deeply worried when the economic liberalization in the country was being opposed. This prompted me to become a newspaper columnist with the sole objective of explaining the benefits of liberalization to the masses.” The ICG evening saw a crowded turnout to listen to the conversation between the Gurcharan Singh and equally renowned psychoanalyst and author Sudhir Kakar.
DE SOUZA HAILS AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS
GOA is a state with some of the best agricultural support programs in the entire country, said Deputy Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly Joshua Peter De Souza. He was speaking after attending the concluding ceremony of a 7-day training program on coconut handicrafts from January 11 to 14, 2024. It was organised by the Directorate of Agriculture in association with Coconut Development Board, government of India, and held at the training hall, Zonal Agricultural Office Farm in Duler- Mapusa.
De’Souza highlighted the existing demand for coconut handicrafts, emphasizing the lack of manpower with the necessary skills to craft this unique art. Stating that Goa is abundant with coconut trees, stretching from beaches to hills, he emphasized that it is the responsibility of Goans to elevate the coconut industry. Other speakers included Nevil Aphonso (director, Directorate of Agriculture), Vijaydatta Lotlikar (master craftsman) who was the program’s resource person. Certificates and kits were distributed to participants and soil moisture indicator machines provided to farmers for soil moisture detection. Also present were Sandeep Fol Dessai (deputy director of Agriculture (Horticulture) and Rupa Gawande who compered the function while Shrikant Mone extended the vote of thanks.