pratham books

A Book In Every Child's Hand

At Pratham Books, we believe that every child has the right to enjoy good books.  And we believe they should have stories set in surroundings familiar to them and in a language close to their culture. We believe that to make books accessible to every child, the price points have to be very low. Pratham Books is a brand of story books as Indian as the children who read them. As a not-for-profit publisher, our dream is to see a country where every child wants to read, is able to read, and has something good to read.

With a range of stories created to excite children with different likes and tastes, the books are illustrated by some of the most enthusiastic and talented illustrators. Our aim is to have something good for every child, in every part of the country, and in the process spread the joy of reading far and wide.

Till date, Pratham Books has published over 260 titles in English and 10 other Indian languages. That's over 1600 books, most of which are priced below Rs 35. We have printed over 11 million books, over 10 million story cards and have a readership of nearly 50 million. Our vision is to reach 200 million children in India, and we hope to someday put 'a book in every child's hand'.

If you would like to learn more about how Pratham Books came into being and the Read India Movement, click here.

To view and buy our books, click here.

 LATEST NEWS : 

10 years on, Rohini Nilekani retires as Chairperson, Pratham Books. Click here to read more.  

 http://www.prathambooks.org/about-us

nabard

NABARD 2012 : List of Schemes for availing subsidy, grants, funding and loans

NABARDBy Abhay Nayak / December 18, 2011

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NABARD has released a comprehensive list of more than 50 schemes that it currently operates for Microfinance, Financial Inclusion,Village Development, Credit Support, Institution Development, Rural Infrastructure Development and Production Credit Support

To avail these subsidies and grants, NGO’s and Companies should contact their nearest NABARD branch office.

Download the complete list at the link below : 

NABARD 2012 List of Schemes and Programs-pdf

List of NABARD Schemes : Funding, Grants, Subsidy and Loans 2011 – 2012

S.No	A. NABARD SCHEMES
I	MICRO FINANCE
1.	Assistance to Self Help Promoting Institutions (SHPIs) for promotion and linkage of SHGs
2.	Micro Enterprise Development Programme (MEDP)
3.	Scheme for Financing of matured SHGs for Farm and Investment Activities
4.	Scheme for providing technological support to NGOs
5.	Scheme for supporting Activity Based Groups
6.	Incentive for promotion of  Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) of SF/ MF/ Tenant Farmers/ Oral Lessees and Share Croppers under Farm Sector
II	FINANCIAL INCLUSION
1.	Support under Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF)
2.	Support under Financial Inclusion Technology Fund (FITF)
3.	Farmers’ Club as Business Facilitators (BFs)
4.	Establishing Web enabled Financial Services Cell at RUDSETI
5.	Support for certificate course for Business Correspondents (BCs) and Business Facilitators  conducted by Indian Institute of Banking and Finance (IIBF)
6.	Authorised Functionaries of well-run SHGs as BC/ BF
III	NON FARM SECTOR
1.	Rural Entrepreneurship Development Programmes/
2.	Skill Development Programme/ Skill Upgradation
3.	Scheme for strengthening of Rural Haats – Financing through Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs)
4.	Setting up of Marketing outlets (Rural Marts)
5.	NABARD’s support for setting up of clusters
6.	Capital Subsidy cum Refinance Scheme for installation of Solar Off-Grid (Photo Voltaic Tthermal) and Decentralised application under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission of the MNRE, GoI
7.	Credit linked capital subsidy scheme (CLCSS) for technological upgradation of Medium and Small Enterprises – GoI scheme
8.	Solar Home Lighting System
IV.	PROMOTIONAL FUNDS
1	Farm Innovation Promotion Fund (FIPF)
2	Rural Innovation fund (RIF)
3	Farmers’ Technology Transfer Fund (FTTF) – Farmers’ Clubs
4	Umbrella Programme for Natural Resource Management
5	Tribal development Fund
6	Technology Transfer & Pilot Projects under FTTF
7	Watershed Development Fund
V.	PRODUCTION CREDIT SUPPORT
1.	Refinance Schemes of NABARD – ST (SAO) Policy
2.	Scheme for Extending Financial Assistance to Sugar Undertakings (SEFASU), 2007
3.	Interest Subvention Scheme
VI.	RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
1.	Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF)
2.	NABARD Infrastructure Development Assistance (NIDA)
VII.	VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (VDP)
VIII.	INSTITUTION DEVELOPMENT
1.	Cooperative Development Fund
IX.	INVESTMENT CREDIT SUPPORT
	Refinance Policy 2011-12
	B. GOI SCHEMES IMPLEMENTED BY NABARD
a.	Capital Investment Subsidy Scheme for Commercial Production Units of Organic inputs under National Project on Organic Farming
b.	Poultry Venture Capital Fund
c.	Scheme for Integrated Development of Small Ruminants and Rabbits
d.	Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme
e.	Establishment of Agri Clinics and Agri Business Centres (ACABCs)
f.	Scheme on Pig Development
g.	Central Sector Scheme on Salvaging and Rearing of Male Buffalo Calves
h.	Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Establishing Mother Units of Rural
	Backyard Poultry
i.	Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Utilisation of Fallen Animals
j.	Gramin Bhandaran Yojana / Rural Godown Scheme
k.	Scheme for Strengthening of Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure, Grading and Standardisation

homeopathy

Homeopathy draws ire of German government officials

The 200-year-old dubious medical treatment may soon be dropped from German medical insurance providers as a cost-saving measure. The United Kingdom may also do the same.

Lauterbach says there is no scientific evidence to support homeopathy

In recent days, the over-two-centuries-old practice of homeopathy has come under fire in Germany.

Dr. Karl Lauterbach, the chair of the parliamentary health committee, recently called for public health insurers to stop funding the practice, which typically involves solutions of small amounts of herbs or other medicines heavily diluted with water and then shaken or stirred to "add energy" to the solution.

According to its proponents, homeopathy can heal patients as well - if not better - than conventional medicine, while its detractors, including nearly all medical doctors and scientists, say that it is no more powerful than a placebo.

Homeopathy was first proposed by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann in the late 18th century, and today is covered by over two-thirds of public health insurance in Germany.

In an interview with the magazine Der Spiegel, Lauterbach, who himself is a medical doctor and an adjunct professor of health policy at Harvard University in the United States, said many patients believe insurance only pays for things that are proven to help, and therefore it is in the public interest to stop the practice.

"So health insurers are dignifying homeopaths through their actions," he told the magazine.

Homeopathy has also faced similar challenges in the United Kingdom, where the British Medical Association and a parliamentary committee have raised serious questions as to whether the National Health Service should fund its use.

Hahnemann, the father of homeopathy, was born in Meissen, Saxony

Scarce scientific evidence for practice

Nearly all medical officials agree with Lauterbach's assessment, and say that while homeopathy should be allowed to exist, the public should not be forced to fund a dubious medical treatment.

"If everybody pays for his beer, then he can pay for his homeopathy," said Dr. Kay Brune, a professor in the Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuernberg, in southern Germany.

Brune added that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that homeopathy actually causes any meaningful and healing bio-chemical reactions in patients, but that doesn't stop people from believing in a practice that has been so deeply ingrained into the German psyche.

"Homeopathy has a very long tradition in Germany," he added in an interview with Deutsche Welle. "The founder, Hahnemann was a brilliant physician. But at that time doing nothing was helpful to the patient. In 200 years, the pseudo-science has not taken any steps forward."

He also added that under the Third Reich, Nazi medical officials explored it as a "non-Jewish medicine," and even they gave up on it.

Other German politicians have since jumped on the bandwagon, including Rainer Hess of the Federal Joint Committee for doctors and insurers who described the current situation concerning homeopathy as "extremely unsatisfactory."

Despite the evidence, many Germans still engage in homeopathic practices

Homeopathy costs are a drop in the bucket

Brune also said that even if politicians do manage to get rid of it from public insurance, they may be wasting their time because relatively little money is actually spent on homeopathy on an annual basis.

"My estimate is 100 million euros [are spent on homeopathy annually], which is a trifle compared to the overall health costs in Germany," he said.

According to Germany's Pharmaceutical Industry Federation (BPI), public medical insurance companies spent only eight million euros on homeopathic medicine, which is quite small compared to the 30 billion euros German public medical insurance companies spend on conventional medicine annually.

In the end though, Brune added that because so many Germans take advantage of homeopathy it will be hard to gather enough political will to stop it.

According to a recent study by the Allensbach Institute, a public opinion research firm in southern Germany, the use of homeopathy is on the rise. In 1970, only one in four West Germans had ever used homeopathic remedies - a figure that has since risen to 57 percent.

"I think the politicians are unable to tell the public that this is garbage," Brune said. "They will make a compromise and under certain circumstances they will pay for it as they do for acupuncture. It satisfies the health need at the lowest possible cost."

Author: Cyrus Farivar
Editor: Nathan Witkop

DW RECOMMENDS

green

Settling in a green environment like the Himalayas—forming a community / travel group.

I have a dream

My dream is to shift to an unpolluted green environment and live in accordance with nature.

Please click on this link below to read the article-- Living amidst Nature:

http://bhoj11.blogspot.in/2014/02/astronauts-earths-heartbeat-living.html

I plan to form a group of people with whom I can travel to find out a suitable place to settle and on the way we can visit places of interest, ancient temples —it could indeed be a journey of a lifetime.

Whenever I have thought of something in the past it has always come out true but many a times I have not put the thought / idea into practice and lost the opportunity; this time I want to fulfill my dream of moving out of the city and live in harmony with nature.

Anyone with similar ideas are more than welcome to join.

http://bhoj11.blogspot.in/

sulabh

Sulabh launches toilet for every house campaign

Sunday, August 31, 2014 - 17:00

Uttar Pradesh

In the Press

PTI

The Economic Times

BADAUN (UTTAR PRADESH): A nation-wide campaign for building toilet for every house was today launched from Katra Sadatganj village here, where two girls were allegedly gangraped and hanged in May. 

Starting the campaign, voluntary organisation Sulabh International opened 'Sulabh (low-cost) toilets' to the public at a function in the village, as a tribute to the two cousin sisters, the victims. 

"Absence of toilet in a house is responsible for incidents of rapes and sexual assaults in villages," Sulabh founder Bindeshwar Pathak said.
Non-availability of toilets in the village made the two sisters go out in the open at night to attend the call of nature, when they were all .. 

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/41351194.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

csf

Register a charity for validation  Criteria 1: Documentation required of an NGO The registration document (Trust Deed/Memorandum of Association (MOA)) ensures that an organisation is a legal registered body. The aims and objectives of the MOA or the Trust should be that it is formed for the welfare of the society and not involved in political or religious activities The Income Tax Registration 12 A Certificate ensures that the Income Tax Department has recognized the organisation as being charitable in nature. Registration U/S 80Gensures that donations to the organisation are eligible for income tax deduction and the organization is renewing certificate every three years FCRA registration certificateensure that the Ministry of Home Affairs has approved that the organisation is eligible to receive grants from foreign sources Criteria 2: Financial Information about the organisation Balance sheet and the annual report: accounts statement audited must be analysed for: Track record of the organisation Grant handling capacity in relation to funds Financial activity Criteria 3: Profiles of the trustees and the organisation Profiles of the trustees and the organisation are analyzed for: The number of relatives in the governing structure / employees Institutional capacity The proportion of men and women among the staff and governing body The relationship with the community and the kinds of community structures being developed Criteria 4: Impact of the NGO's programme Activity / annual reports or references from previous donors

nsf

At Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation, we empower not-for-profit organisations and social entrepreneurs to make a positive, lasting and sustainable impact on society. We are among leading funding agencies in India. As a charitable funding agency, our focus areas include promoting excellence among individuals, improving the quality of life for socially and economically disadvantaged communities, and promoting and protecting Indian traditions.

Established in 2002 by Mr. Narotam Sekhsaria, we have established a successful track record of identifying and supporting meritorious developmental enterprises across diverse domains including health, education and livelihood. Inspired by vision for a socially, culturally and economically vibrant India, the Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation remains committed to facilitating meaningful change in the country.

 

http://nsfoundation.co.in/

deepalaya school

http://deepalaya.org/deepalaya-school-titron-saharanpur

Deepalaya School. Titron, Saharanpur

Deepalaya School. Titron, Saharanpur- Uttar Pradesh is the sixth Formal schools run by Deepalaya for the children coming from economically and socially weaker Section of the society. The school was initiated in 2009 with the aim of providing education to the rural masses, especially the children of the marginalized Harijan sections of the community.  Along with academic education it aims at imparting value education, latent talent development and life skill education - working towards the overall personality development of its students. 

The School
Deepalaya School at Titron was earlier functioning in partnership with the Lala Bhagwan Das Memorial Society. However due to some problems the partnership had to be called off in June 2010.  However with overwhelming response from parents in finding a new location, the school soon began functioning from Guru Ravidas Mandir in July 2010. Support from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany added on infrastructural support- desks and chairs, fun stations, and generators which changed the look of the School and made it more appealing.

Curriculum

The School follows the syllabus prescribed by the CBSE and follows the UP Board pattern of Education.  The School runs upto class VI and the teachers are from the local community.

The admission procedure is carried out in the month of July and in August with priority given on admitting the girl child. Currently, a total of 210 children are enrolled with nearly 100 girls and 110 boys. The new admission session starts in July in conformation with the UP Board.

The school functions from 7:50 AM-2 PM. The day starts with morning assembly and then the classes begin. The main subjects are Maths, English, Hindi, Science and Social Science. Realising the importance of physical education, a compulsory Physical Education  period for each class has been scheduled in the time table.

Examinations:

The school follows the UP Board Curriculum and thus two examinations- Half yearly and Annual examinations are conducted besides four unit tests.

The students thrive to make full use of the given opportunity and excel. In a recently held examination - Bharartiya Gyan Sanskriti exam conducted by Shanti Kunj, Hardiwar. The first three positions in UP were bagged by students from Deepalaya school-Titron. The news was covered in several news papers ‘Dainik Jagaran’, ‘Hindustan’.

Parent Teacher Meetings

The school conducts regular Parent Teacher Meetings (PTMs) for increased parental involvement in education of their wards. The PTMs are held every month and nearly 78 percent of the parents attend the meetings.

In the PTMs a range of other issues are also discussed except for child’s education performance. The theme of discussions range from educating parents about their children’s nutrition, hygiene, admitting other non school going children among others.