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Both agreed to facilitate exchange of academicians, experts and researches; promote people to people contacts through sports, cultural and tourism activities; pursue policies for easy access for people of both sides to religious places of their respective faith; pursue policies to reduce trade barriers among other things.

Both the chief ministers resolved to pursue with their respective federal/ union governments to facilitate enhanced cooperation and formulate supportive policies in this regard, the joint statement said.

Sharif visited India from Dec 13-15 on the invitation of Badal.

Textbooks need to be rewritten to present science properly

Stressing the need to rewrite textbooks so as to impart a deep knowledge of science, technology and society in the proper perspective, IIT-Kharagpur director Partha Pratim Chakrabarty recently said it was the only way to keep pace with the changing times.

“Our education system has not been able to keep pace with the double exponential growth of technology and rate of knowledge generation. Knowledge and education has become compartmentalised in most institutions. As a result, people have deep knowledge of certain things but have very little knowledge of connected things,” Chakrabarty said delivering the The L.N. Birla Memorial Lecture at the Calcutta Business School in Kolkata.

He regretted that “almost all textbooks” have become backdated in the wake of the high growth of knowledge generation and rate of requirement and changes in the industry and the world.

“There is a need to rewrite the text books so that deep knowledge of science, technology and society are presented in proper perspective. Technology development has forced education to change in a wrong way,” he said.

Commenting on the topic of sustainability, Chakrabarty called for convergence of knowledge.

“We are not aware of global problems because we are busy solving only local problems. Today we have the power given by knowledge to play with nature and we have all messed it up due to a lack of convergence of knowledge. Most of the disasters that are occurring today are man made. The kind of scientific research that we have done has been focused for the few and the elite. This trend has only recently begun to change and the reason is the recognition of the fact that there is inevitable science of danger of unsustainable growth”.

In his speech, CBS chairman S.K. Birla said, “In spite of the earlier radical differences within societies, the trend today is veering slowly towards the thought processes of various countries to meld together and we can no longer afford to think and act in isolation”.

India should learn from African model on wildlife conservation: Valmik Thapar

At the beginning of the 20th century, there were an estimated 40,000 tigers in India, but this count has now reduced to a meagre 1,706. It is an alarming figure, but tiger conservationist Valmik Thapar hasn’t given up yet.

He feels the national animal can be saved by adapting innovative wildlife tourism modules practised in Africa and by revamping age-old recruitment processes.

“We should learn from Africa. Their wildlife policies allow locals to manage a large part of the land for wildlife. We don’t even match up to the ‘A’ of Africa when it comes to preserving and conserving our wildlife. Their forest departments try all possible models a human mind can think of,” Thapar said recently in New Delhi.

“Their Masai Mara park in Kenya is one of the best and successful modules. Local people, resort owners and the government work together in partnership and locals get a share when tourists come to the park. This way, locals get more than $100 million a year from revenue generated from tourism. This is innovative tourism of not ruling but serving, something that is obsolete in our system,” he added.

According to the tiger census of 2010, the big cat’s number has dwindled to 1,706, but the 61-year-old conservationist in his new book, The Last Tigers, published by Aleph, dismisses this figure and said the number was a mere 1,000 to 1,200.

Thapar, who established the Ranthambore Foundation in 1987 along with a nongovernment organisation connecting all those who wanted to save tigers, from locals to individuals and governments, has also drawn a blueprint for the Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan where only 26 tigers are left.

He has also discussed the changes he wishes to see in the recruitment process of Indian Forest Service (IFS), a force whose role involves wildlife management, soil conservation, surveying, and handling weapons.

Other than talking about his favourite animal, Thapar has openly pointed out in his book about bureaucratic struggles during his stint in the government.

“Our system of recruitment in the forest department is extremely outdated, and we still follow British course structure... like how to cut a tree? We don’t teach them anything about protecting wildlife. During my research for the book, I realised that even after independence, we haven’t changed our course and just inherited it! The Britishers’ system was to exploit us. They would cut forests to boost their economy. So you have to change the course of training and recruitment. I feel we never paused to change the system and that is what I believe is essential. If we have good wildlife parks then we need an Indian wildlife service,” he said.

He said the worst the government could do is to fail to appoint right people for the job.

A bible of sorts, this anthology has narratives from many international and national wildlife observers, covering the period from the 16th century to the early 20th century.

The book is complemented with candid photographs and sketches of the big cats.

Author of over 20 books, with thousands of pictures and several documentaries and films to his credit, Thapar was appointed a member of the Tiger Task Force in 2005, a stint he candidly admits as a “complete waste of time”.

“Those 21 years didn’t do any good to me or to the tigers. It was all about discussions, meetings and policies... there was no implementation,” he said.

Defeated, but not crushed by the suffocating bureaucracy, he believes if state governments are passionate about wildlife conservation, they can change these bleak figures into magical numbers and provide a successful model of tiger conservation plan for other states to follow.

“Once a chief minister of any state provides a successful module of wildlife protection in his state, only then we will have an example to show others the working module that can benefit locals, tourism and wildlife,” he said.

“Probably the best would be like we outsourced our airports and worked with private partners. Time has come to join hands with private experts who can change our poor wildlife conservation for good,” Thapar said.

Free insulin for poor children in Delhi

Many diabetic children from the economically weaker sections of the society in the national capital will be provided insulin free of cost, said a Delhi based diabetic centre recently.

Delhi Diabetic Research Center (DDRC) will provide insulin free of cost to 150 poor children suffering from Type 1 diabetics.

The initiative was announced by DDRC at a day-long event at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi.

“Children with Type 1 diabetes need a daily dose of insulin, regular monitoring of glucose levels, periodic visits to the doctors and subsequent pathology tests, which becomes a bit unaffordable for the weaker section of the society,” said Ashok Jhingan, diabetologist and chairman, DDRC.

All the children provided free insulin are between the age group of 0-18.

“Initially we will provide free insulin to 150 children and slowly shall extend the reach to more children,” Jinghan added.

Jammu to be made major golf destination: Farooq Abdullah

Jammu will be promoted as a major golfing destination in the coming days, union Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah said recently.

Speaking at the end of the two-day golf championship at Sidhra golf course in Jammu, Abdullah, a former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, said, “Jammu will be promoted as a major golfing destination in coming days as the golf course at Sidhra is being developed as one of the world’s finest golf courses”.

About 200 golfers from all over the country including 45 from Kashmir participated in the tournament.

Abdullah said he appreciated the tourism department and J&K golf association for organising the tournament and urged for organising such events on regular basis.

“In fact, golf tournaments in Jammu need to be organised every weekend. This will not only popularise the golf game, but will make Jammu as a great golfing destination.

About one crore pilgrims visit Mata Vaishno Devi cave shrine annually which includes many golfers who could be diverted to stay at Jammu for playing golf. The tourism department should explore all possibilities in this regard. Both the central and state governments would provide all logistic support for the purpose,” he assured.

The tournament was organised in three categories including senior golfers, juniors and children. Abdullah also gave away trophies to the winners.