Rajiv Gandhi Foundation Annual Report

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION Our Mission The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation is inspired by the vision of a nation that is modern, an economy that is strong and a society that is just. It seeks to strengthen civil society’s contribution to the realization of these objectives.

The Foundation is independent of party or political affiliation and offers a forum for dialogue between different views. It works towards influencing public policy, improving governance – local, national and international – and providing enlarged opportunities to the underprivileged and the deprived.

In promoting human development in its diverse aspects, the Foundation gives particular attention to supporting diversity and pluralism in human societies, the empowerment of women and the alleviation of poverty. Acknowledging our obligation to future generations, the Foundation also works for the regeneration of India’s environment and the protection of our country’s biodiversity.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

RGF MANAGEMENT

Smt. Sonia Gandhi Chairperson

Board of Trustees

Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Prof. Y.K. Alagh Shri P. Chidambaram Shri Suman Dubey Shri Rahul Gandhi Dr. V. Mohini Giri Shri R.P. Goenka Dr. V. Krishnamurthy Dr. Sekhar Raha Sir Shridath Ramphal Dr. Manmohan Singh Prof. M.S. Swaminathan Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Shri Manmohan Malhoutra Secretary-General (upto 31/12/2007) Dr. Gyanendra D. Badgaiyan* Secretary (From 1/1/2008) *Dr. Badgaiyan joined RGF as Secretary in succession to Shri Manmohan Malhoutra

GOVERNING COUNCIL OF RGICS Smt. Sonia Gandhi Chairperson Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia Prof. Y.K. Alagh Shri P. Chidambaram Dr. Ashok Ganguly Dr. Sekhar Raha Dr. V. Krishnamurthy Prof. C.N.R Rao Ms. T.M Vakil

As on 31 March 2008

The Board of Trustees met on 6th March 2008 to review the Foundation’s work and provide appropriate guidance.

Executive Committee The Executive Committee met on 5th July 2007 and 27th February 2008 to consider individual proposals and various administrative and financial matters.

No member of the Board or Council receives any remuneration.

CONTENTS Chairperson’s Foreword Overview Natural Resource Management Education and Literacy Woman and Child Development Disabled Persons’ Welfare Health Science and Technology Scholarships for University Students Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies Publications during the reporting period RGF in the Media Partner Organisations and Donors Financial Highlights Rajiv Gandhi Foundation Staff

5 6 8 16 26 33 38 44 48 50 55 57 59 62 64

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RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

Foreword The publication of the annual report is an occasion to celebrate what has been achieved and to take stock of where we stand and how we want to proceed.

The year saw much activity at the Foundation and its numerous partners. The library project continued to grow with many new partners and 53 new libraries. The libraries also had a large number of new activities organised for both the children and the larger village community. The year witnessed many of these libraries emerge as a cultural hub of the villages where they are located. To promote retention of girls in school, a significant new programme was added this year for girls from Dalit and Muslim communities. A generous grant from the SSN Trust allowed us to give scholarship of Rs 500 per month to 1440 class 6 and class 9 girls for studies up to class 10. On another note, the Foundation continued to spread good cheer through the parched villages of Rajasthan by constructing 56 water harvesting structures and organizing numerous capacity building activities for the Panchayat functionaries and other local leaders. The livelihood options of the marginalized women of Baiga community in Chhattisgarh and Musahar community in Bihar were sought to be expanded through self help groups. The distribution of Motorized Triwheelers reached another 150 disabled men and women this year to help them pursue educational, employment or business opportunities. Along the lines of the Lifeline Express which we support, a new train Red Ribbon Express was launched to provide support for AIDS victims and spread information about the disease. The RGICS research and advocacy activities continued to attract attention and young Cambridge Scholars supported by the Foundation continued to make progress.

These are just a few of the many programmes and activities that were organised during the year. At an individual level, they offered succour to a large number of people in ways that will transform their lives. Yet, relative to the magnitude of the task before the country, the impact that we could make was naturally only modest. Our strategy of providing grant support to a diverse set of NGOs for a whole range of activities has helped fill a critical need in the voluntary sector. It is however fair to ask if we should continue with this strategy now when there are many more donors than there were 16 years ago when we decided on this strategy. In particular, would it be a good idea to focus our efforts and resources on one or two functional areas? The year-end marked the beginning of a conversation on this subject which is vital to the way we envisage the future of the Foundation.

It has always given me particular pleasure to associate myself with the work of the Foundation. I deeply appreciate the support of the Board of Trustees, the donors and our well wishers. I congratulate the Foundation staff for all the good work done during the year.

SONIA GANDHI Chairperson

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

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Overview This year while many of our existing programmes and partnerships continued, some important new beginnings were made. Let me begin with the new ones.

Vidya Gyan Scholarships It is not uncommon to hear about bright young girls not being able to continue their studies because of social prejudices or economic hardships. In such circumstances, sometimes a scholarship can work magically for them. It can meet costs related to their education and earn them a much deserved respect from the family and the community. This year the Foundation was able to start a new scholarship programme for girls from Dalit and Muslim communities of three districts of Uttar Pradesh: Varanasi, Rae Bareli and Barabanki. This programme was made possible by a generous grant from SSN Trust. 1440 girls from 6th and 9th class were selected on the basis of their academic performance for a support of Rs 500 per month up to class 10. Further academic assistance is being provided through coaching classes which specially focus on English and Mathematics. Skills of the senior girls are being upgraded through computer and vocational skill trainings being organised under the programme.

Red Ribbon Express The idea of using trains to take medical facilities to remote areas was pioneered by Lifeline Express.

Over the years, it has helped thousands of disabled persons 6

receive high quality surgical operation; Rahir watershed of treatment right at their door step. about 600 hectares in the The Foundation continued its neighbourhood of the location of support for Lifeline express this our current activities. The initial year too. We went a step further. topographical survey and We extended this concept to an community mobilisation tasks entirely new area: support for have been undertaken.

AIDS victims and spreading awareness of the disease. This was Libraries done through the launch of the Red The libraries continue to be among Ribbon Express. This seven-coach the most important activities of the train has especially designed bogies Foundation. The geographical that serve as education and spread of these libraries extended exhibition centre, auditorium and this year with the opening of 53 training centre and counselling and new libraries. We made special medical services centre. The effort to add life to our libraries. project was made Thus, a large number possible through the of interesting support, inter alia, of activities were We made special effort Indian Railways and organised for this year to add life to NACO. It has children, teachers our libraries. Thus, a already attracted 3.5 and the village lakh people in 54 communities in large number of stations that it general.

These interesting activities touched in the first activities included were organised for three months of its workshop on rural children, teachers and operation. journalism, rocketry the village community workshop for Natural Resource children, meeting of in general.

Management women’s groups on Natural Resource maternal health Management activities in issues, science model preparation Rajasthan are, unlike most of our workshop etc. other programmes, run directly by us with our own staff and our own Kashmir Initiative volunteers. Since its inception, the One of the more colourful programme has grown from functions of the Foundation during strength to strength. This year 56 the year was organised in Srinagar. new water harvesting structures About 5000 students from all over were constructed. In matters of the Kashmir valley enjoyed a location choice, financing, unique film festival especially maintenance and distribution of meant for them and savoured such benefits, village level institutions cinematic productions as Iqbal, created and/or strengthened by the The Jungle Book, Oliver Twist, Foundation continued to be the Children of Heaven and Happy most important voices. This year Feet. The community library in we identified a new area for our Srinagar continued to be an

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

important part of the lives of its regular visitors. The effort to discover literary talent and create books for children bore results as 9 manuscripts were shortlisted by National Book Trust for publication from the 60 that were developed through our various initiatives. Draft of a teaching manual “Discovering Kashmir”

distribution of Motorised Triwheelers, provision of Jaipur Foot, education for Muslim girls in Hyderabad and Mumbai, formation of self help groups for, inter alia, Baiga women in Chhattisgarh and Musahar women in Bihar, Scholarships for children affected by terrorism and tsunami and a lot more.

However, even as we have been doing all this, the depth and size of the voluntary sector has changed significantly since 1991. There are now many institutions that perform the role that we have been playing. Should we therefore not revisit our strategy, now that the times have changed? Would a contraction of functional spread

was prepared and pilot tested among some of the children who were part of the original workshops that led to creation of the manual. The manual which is meant for middle school children seeks to help them explore Kashmir through its languages, lifestyle, culture, arts & crafts, built heritage, and natural environment.

Future The debate within the Foundation about its future gathered momentum towards the end of the year. Over the last 16 years or so of our existence, we have largely been a grant giving agency. The functional spread of our grants has mirrored the diversity of India’s needs and that of the voluntary sector’s activities. It has served smaller NGOs that cannot access large donor organizations particularly well. We have successfully spawned many new initiatives and catalyzed many interesting innovations over a wide spectrum of functional areas.

but continuation of all-India geographical coverage be the answer? Should the Foundation continue to work largely through other NGOs or should it learn from its successful experience in Rajasthan and build the requisite capacity to intervene directly?

These and many other such questions were being raised at the close of the year. We seem poised for a change of direction.

This is but a brief introduction to a small sample of our activities this year. The rest of the report paints the full picture. That picture is actually a collage of a diverse set of activities ranging from

Gyanendra Badgaiyan Secretary

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

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Natural Resource Management Programme vision Our programmes aim to: • Promote Conservation of natural resources • Strengthen local governance of natural resources through increased community participation • Introduce innovative technologies • Create livelihood opportunities

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RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

Scarcity of water in large parts of India is as much a matter of paucity of rainfall as it is of poor water conservation and management practices. Fast depleting ground water resources and massive surface runoffs are two examples of this reality.

To help improve the situation, the Foundation made a modest beginning in Rajasthan in 2001 with a group of rural volunteers, our ‘green corps’. These volunteers were trained in methods of water conservation and management and were initiated into community mobilization efforts for constructing and maintaining water harvesting structures. Since then, over 250 such structures have been built in the 9 districts of Rajasthan : Jaipur, Dausa, Karoli, Bikaner, Sawai Madhopur, Alwar, Jalore, Barmer and Pali.

Communities have been encouraged to form Jal Sabhas for maintenance of these structures and existing village level institutions have been strengthened through training workshops and exposure visits.

An account of the specific activities undertaken this year follows.

JAIPUR DISTRICT: JAMWA RAMGARH BLOCK In Jaipur district, apart from constructing large number of water harvesting structures, the Foundation has been actively promoting improved agricultural practices & livestock development and organizing training workshops and visits to strengthen local governance of natural resources.

Our work is spread over 28 villages of Jamwa Ramgarh block.

Water Harvesting Structures Eleven structures (2 anicuts, 9 earthen dams) were constructed and 1 baawari was renovated. In addition, 51 loose stone check dams were made and 11368

running meters of farm bunding was undertaken.

Village wise details of the cost and benefits of these structures are as follows.

Water Harvesting Structures, Jaipur District Coverage Village

Khanya

Cost of structure (Rs.)

No. of Land No. of wells (in Bigha) families

Population

No. of cattle

55402

12

150

29

250

600

Bassi

203789

6

35

10

60

300

Thali

72350

6

12

24

150

180

Jhojharwala

114135

8

40

20

140

200

Ramyawala

133885

12

100

25

125

350

Raiser

596635

13

78

22

225

200

Barana ki Dhani

290285

5

50

20

100

100

Thali

107105

-

10

30

180

150

Trilokpura

118545

5

40

30

130

150

Darolai

108097

5

20

15

90

400

Raiser

164914

7

40

14

95

120

CASE STUDY Barana ki Dhani is a small village located in Thali gram Panchayat of Jamwa Ramgarh. The total population is about 260 and it is spread over an area of about 230 bighas. This includes 50 bighas of pasture land, and 160 bighas of cultivable land.

The main crops cultivated in this area are “Kharif” crops like Bajra, Jawar, Corn & Gwar. The area suffers from acute water shortage. Over the past few years, a change in pattern of rainfall and reduction in quantum of rainfall has been observed. This has led to the problem of erosion of soil during heavy rainfall and depletion of ground water resources.

In the last few years, the Foundation has built or renewed several anicuts, talai, farm ponds and farm bunds. These have helped in conservation of water and led to recharge of both local and downstream wells. In one particular case, due to an anicut constructed in 2007, the agricultural land around it retained moisture for a longer period than in the past. This allowed the farmers to cultivate, for the first time, onion, which is a waterintensive crop. To everyone’s surprise, the crop yield turned out to be a good 4 quintal onion per bigha. This has added substantially to the cash income of the farmers.

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

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Capacity building In continuation of the capacity building work started in 2006 with the support of GTZ, we undertook this year training of members of Jal Sabhas, green corps, self-help groups and Panchayati Raj institutions.

Overall objective of various training programmes has been to train these village level institutions to prepare village development plans and manage their institutions with efficiency and transparency.

Issues like gender sensitization, conflict management and use of government schemes & institutions to implement village plans also figure prominently in these programmes.

Exposure visit of PRI members to Udaipur

Panchayat members were taken on exposure visits to Churu and Gopalpura Panchayat in Rajasthan. While Churu has successfully implemented a community-led project on safe drinking water, the Gopalpura Panchayat sarpanch has taken a pro-active role in preparation of village development plan.

Innovative Agricultural Practices To promote the use of water saving techniques, the Jal Samiti volunteers of the Foundation helped popularize sprinkler system by assisting illiterate farmers with paperwork to enable them to avail 50% subsidy under a government scheme. To marginal farmers, the Foundation gave an additional 30% subsidy. So far 22 farmers have made use of this scheme, receiving Rs. 98,767 of subsidy and extending irrigation to 76 bighas of land. This awareness about sprinkler system was also spread through two demonstration farms that were developed to 10

Volunteers training in progress

A view of the Kisan Mela

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

Sprinkler system in a farm

year has involved artificial insemination of 500 animals which has resulted in 167 successful pregnancies and birth of 23 calves of improved breed. The livestock development work is carried out in our Cattle Development Centre.

network here. For this purpose, a mini watershed of about 600 hectares was identified in Rahir village of Sapotra block. The village, situated in the foothills of the Aravali mountains, has natural drainage features that particularly favour the kinds of structures that the Foundation has been KAROLI DISTRICT: SAPOTRA constructing. Initial work of AND MANDRIAL BLOCKS community mobilization and Our work in this district is mainly topographical survey has been in the most backward dang area started. with its difficult terrain, scattered habitations and virtually absent The local need being so desperate, infrastructural facilities. Its sheer we constructed 23 structures over backwardness has led us to go and above the 16 originally beyond the water conservation planned. Since arresting soil issues. Here we have tried to erosion is one of the priorities in intervene through non formal the area, we innovated with a schools, livestock and fodder different type of small structures development programmes and called pagaras that are particularly even provided assistance in getting effective in this task. Our pregnant women the benefit of structures helped increase arable institutional deliveries. We are also area and agricultural productivity. planning to expand significantly They made possible cultivation of Livestock development work this our water harvesting structure remunerative crops. showcase innovative agricultural practices. These farms also demonstrated the benefits of drip irrigation, horticulture, low waterintensive crops, water harvesting, scientific agriculture and use of organic manure and mulching.

These farms are now beginning to attract many villagers from the neighbouring villages. Further awareness building about these innovative techniques and government schemes was achieved through Kisan Mela that was organised in Thali village. About six hundred farmers including a large number of women participated in this Mela. Many Agriculture department officials were also present to share information with the farmers.

Various private companies put up their stalls to showcase their equipments and demonstrate new technologies.

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

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Water Harvesting Structures, Karoli District

Coverage Village

12

Cost of structure (Rs.)

No. of wells

Land (in Bigha)

No. of families

Population

No. of cattle

Halkipura Ghatli Jhopadi Shyampur Ashaki Ashaki Nibhera Nibhera Dhandhuret

155000 70274 55899 133252 105653 74533 67657 139300

3 4 2 1 1 7 7 8

15 15 10 150 150 100 100 10

80 85 18 45 45 18 18 20

400 450 150 250 250 105 105 625

500 550 450 850 850 550 550 675

Rahir Ghasinghpura Semri (Amreki) Amreki (Chamaro ka Pura) Jhopadi (Amreki) Jhopadi (Amreki) Albatki Albatki Albatki Albatki Albatki Ghasinghpura Ghasinghpura Ghasinghpura Ghasinghpura Ghasinghpura Ghasinghpura Ghasinghpura Ghasinghpura Ghasinghpura Ghasinghpura Chobeki Choubeki Chobeki Choubeki Choubeki

55818 56666 267576 110272 139970 49440 51016 92587 69454 109890 32495 69580 23507 55070 25197 18970 10642 82942 21580 70548 70489 407054 34574 209386 12845 51070

50 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 10 10 10 6 6

100 10 20 20 20 20 40 40 40 40 40 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 30 30 30 30 30

350 30 125 125 125 125 90 90 90 90 90 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 225 225 225 225 225

1407 210 550 550 550 550 490 490 490 490 490 210 210 210 210 210 210 210 210 210 210 700 700 700 700 700

1600 590 915 915 915 915 800 800 800 800 800 590 590 590 590 590 590 590 590 590 590 600 600 600 600 600

Choubeki Jhopadi (Amreki) Jhopadi (Amreki) Jhopadi (Amreki) Jhopadi (Amreki)

156799 32720 49619 67878 22000

6 6 6 6 6

30 20 20 20 20

225 125 125 125 125

700 550 550 550 550

600 915 915 915 915

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

Balajisagar anicut at Khiwara, Pali repaired

Paiki Anicut, Semri, Karoli district

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

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Integrated Development Programme In 4 villages that did not have a primary school within 4 to 5 km, we have started non-formal education centres, named Jeewanshallas. We support teachers’ honorarium, education materials, nutritional supplement and exposure visits of the 132 children enrolled in these centres.

To make it easier for pregnant women to have institutional deliveries, Foundation has provided a phone number they could call to ask for a free ambulance. To facilitate this arrangement, all pregnant women of the target villages are registered with us. This year, 41 women benefitted from this scheme.

Through our assistance, these women were also able to access benefits under various government schemes.

To assist women who are still not able to avail of institutional deliveries, we organised training of 20 traditional birth attendants. In addition, village volunteers of the Foundation provided support to the local health worker for immunization of eligible children.

Jeewanshalla, Ghasingpura

Calf of an improved breed Bhikaliwala Pagara at Albatki

Poor land productivity in the area makes the additional income from livestock rearing particularly important for the people here. To assess how best we can help in livestock development, we asked BAIF to conduct a survey. Based on their recommendations and our own observations, we started working on breed improvement through artificial insemination of cows and buffaloes.

We established Artificial Insemination and Veterinary 14

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

Clinical Centre at Kailadevi and three village-based sub–centres.

Keeping in mind the crucial role of livestock economy for the region, fodder development work was carried out on a pilot basis.

Seeds of “Dhaman”, a local grass species which is a source of high level of protein and is suitable for local climatic conditions, were supplied free to 25 farmers in 5 villages. The farmers undertook the responsibility of land preparation, sowing and fencing of the land area.

‘Pad Yatra’ for creating awareness on bio-diversity conservation

PALI DISTRICT: MARWAR JUNCTION AND DESURI BLOCKS Six new water harvesting structures, mostly permanent recharge structures made of stone, were constructed and 3 old structures were repaired. The effect of these structures plus 41 others that were constructed in the past has been an appreciable rise in the water availability in the wells and tube wells in the area.

Water Harvesting Structures, Pali District Coverage Village

Cost of structure (Rs.)

No. of wells

Ladwa (Bansore) Sadari Bheelon Ki Dhani, Bansore Teekhi-Mandpur Dhaal (Omba Ka Odha) Guda Durjan

253457 358299 131798 154975 149782 224543

10 10 5 6 5 4

Land No. of (in families Bigha)

215 300 50 140 105 120

48 150 10 45 18 28

Popu- No. of lation cattle

288 1680 900 3000 70 200 290 1550 135 365 200 150

Summary of Water Harvesting Structures since 2001 to 2007-08 District

No of structures

Total cost Rs.

We initiated community Bikaner 9 1778999 mobilization to preserve local Dausa 4 640397 biodiversity, especially focusing on plant and grass species that are on Alwar 7 1288534 the verge of extinction. In addition, Barmer 2 301140 afforestation work was taken up Jalore 1 123000 through a plantation programme Pali 44 9207370 involving community members in Sawai Madhopur 3 152414 4 bigha of community land of village Guda Prem Singh. About Karoli 78 8727373 350 saplings of Neem, Sisam, Jaipur 116 16355913 Ashok and Khejari were planted.

Total 264 38575140 The temple trust and the village community have taken the Note responsibility of looking after the 1. Total cost includes atleast 33 per cent community contribution.

2. Funding support for the water harvesting structures was received from the Ford plantation.

Foundation, DANIDA, Ireland Aid, Deutsche Bank, GTZ and Mr. K. S. Srikand supplemented by RGF

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

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Education and Literacy Programme vision Our programmes aim to: • Sustain literacy skills • Foster quality in education • Encourage education of girls, tribals and minorities • Promote low cost good quality literature for children

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RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

Our strategy for improving quality of learning of children in the most backward areas and among the most marginalized communities has been to set up libraries & nonformal education centres, organise teacher training workshops, launch advocacy campaigns, promote book development and award scholarships. In most of these activities we have worked with a local partner institution.

LIBRARY PROJECT We have set up libraries in both rural areas and slums. Some of them are located in schools and some even in bags or jholas. Most of these libraries provide opportunities for learning not just for children but also adults, and not just through books but also activities. The libraries have acquired a distinct identity as centres for educational and creative indulgence in their respective places of locationvillages, slums or schools. A typical library has 400 to 500 books and is supported by us for 2 to 3 years. Our libraries especially cater the most marginalised communities and the most remote locations. Since 1993, we have provided support for 1354 rural and 110 slum libraries located in 22 states.

A library in Ahmedabad

• 10 in Bikaner, Rajasthan in part- Activities Organised • Recreational and Literary Acnership with Ajit Foundation. tivities- drawing, painting, arts, • 13 supported with assistance sports and quiz competitions, from Good Gifts, a UK charity dialogues, meetings, story writ- 6 in Uttar Pradesh in Varanasi ing and story-telling sessions. and Mirzapur districts in colmuseum activities – collecting laboration with Children rocks, leaves, feathers and Emancipation Society and 7 in seeds.

Rajasthan in Gangapur city with NGO Samantar as partner. • Pathak Mela- Community mo-

Map reading activities in the library at Kishorchanadrapalli

53 New Libraries in 2007- 2008 • 10 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat with Samerth as partner.

• 20 in Uttar Pradesh - 10 in Saharanpur district with DISHA as partner and 10 in Barabanki with Pashu Shwachhedan Audyogik Utpadan Sahkari Samiti Ltd as partner.

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State wise distribution of Village Libraries supported so far State Andhra Pradesh Assam

Science fair in a library at Jodhpur

Bihar Chattisgarh

15 70

Delhi Gujarat

2 10

Himachal Pradesh Haryana

9 20

Jammu & Kashmir Jharkhand

5 31

Karnataka Kerala

33 10

Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra

6 10

Manipur Orissa

25 120

Punjab Rajasthan

20 254

Tamil Nadu Uttar Pradesh

161 116

Uttaranchal West Bengal

122 137

Total A teacher demostrates a model in the library Book Rally in a village in Jodhpur

Nos.

Andhra Pradesh Assam

11 1

Delhi Gujarat

27 10

Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh

17 3

Uttar Pradesh West Bengal

10 30

Karnataka Total

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

1354

State wise distribution of Slum Libraries supported so far State

18

Nos. 135 43

1 110

bilization through book fairs and Ghar Ghar Pustak yatra.

• Meetings of women’s groups on issues such as maternal health, reproductive health, immunization, nutrition and weaknesses in implementation of government schemes.

• Workshops on magazine publication, rural journalism, computer training, gender issues, comic preparation, rocketry, puppetry, book binding, mask preparation, science model preparation etc.

Narayan Meghwal – exploring the world 16 years old Narayan Meghwal has always been a keen student. He secured 71% marks in tenth standard board examination. Until a library was set up by the Foundation in his village, he had no access to books other than the text books.

He visits our library regularly. He especially likes reading story books and newspapers. He also loves to read them to small children and illiterate adults in the village.

He actively participates in various activities like origami, drawing and painting, games and sports that are organised in the library. Sometimes, he even helps the librarian in organising them. Over time, he has grown in confidence and now he acts as a substitute librarian when the regular one is on leave. Librarian Krishna Kumar Changani thinks that ‘Narayan is a responsible person and manages the library very well.

Library has played a pivotal role in transforming Narayan’s life and personality’.

DIKSHA – story of a shy girl, Sanwara village Diksha is a nine years old girl from Sanwara village. She is a member of the Sanwara village library. Diksha has read hundreds of books in the library. She especially loves to read story books and recite them to others. She remembers names of at least 50 books which she has read.

Apart from reading books, Diksha also likes to draw sketches and play games like cricket and kho-kho.

Library has been able to bring a positive change in her personality.

• Science fairs with stalls on science experiment demonstrations.

Training of Librarians We have consistently focused on building capacities of the librarians and volunteers of the library programme. This year they were trained in library management, fun-based activities, painting, craft, environment & science education, role play, drama, sports and games.

The trainings were conducted by Jodo Gyan Educational Resource Centre, Delhi, Nalanda Resource Centre, Lucknow and resource persons from the National Book Trust.

EDUCATION OF MUSLIM GIRLS Project EDGE, Hyderabad Yakutpura slum in Hyderabad is perhaps not the most conducive place for adolescent girls to grow Rana Fatima: towards a brighter future Rana is a 16 year old orphaned girl who was brought up by her maternal uncle. He could not afford her educational expenses after 7th class. As a result, she was forced to drop out. She started to spend her time assisting her aunt in the household chores.

But Fatima wanted to become a teacher. Her uncle was persuaded to let her appear for the SSC examination as a private candidate. Our centre helped her prepare for the examination which she passed with first division. She has enrolled for computer training course at the centre.

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up in. Our educational centres there try to change that in a small way. There are four of them that our NGO partner Mahita runs. It caters to over 400 girls. These centres try not only to teach outof-school girls literacy and numeracy skills that will help them get back into schools, but also provide training in vocational skills. This year 174 girls were

Sahara Begum: “Main aap ki shukr guzar hun, jo aap ne mujhe padhne ka mauka diya…”

Sahara is a 13 year old girl who lives in Khan Nagar. Her father is a rickshaw puller. Her mother and her two elder sisters used to work in incense stick manufacturing factory until one of the sisters got married.

Sahara was forced to take her place in the factory.

One day she met one of the motivators from the centre and narrated her story. The motivator visited her house and counselled her mother about importance of education. She convinced her that given an opportunity, Sahara will be able to change her life. Sahara was allowed by her mother to attend centre classes. She passed her examinations at the centre and now she is studying in a Government High School. She has joined the computer training classes at the centre as well and visits the community library regularly. She is also honing her communication and language proficiency skills.

admitted to schools and 92 benefitted from computer courses organised in these centres. In addition, there are 25 to 30 girls in each vocational course (like embroidery, mehndi designing, beautician, zari zardosi) in each centre.

Project Darakht-e-Ilm, Mumbai Jogeshwari slum in Mumbai is teeming with young Muslim girls ready to take up any opportunities that might be available. Darakhte-ilm project is one of them.

Through it, 204 such girls are being taught by 10 teachers in five centres to help them remain in school or join a school. For those who are too old to be in school but are keen to learn, there are two education centres that teach functional literacy and vocational skills.

There are classes in computer literacy, English speaking, sewing and embroidery, flower making, making hand-bags from waste material, chocolate making etc.

The project also runs a community centre and library. Girls use it as a study centre and as a platform for

EMPOWERMENT OF MUSLIM GIRLS AND WOMEN Project Saksham, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh Helping women to help each other is usually a good intervention strategy in many social contexts.

Something of this nature is being attempted in Bareilly villages through Saksham project with Sakar as our partner. Innovative methods like wall writing, nukkad nataks and soochna raths are being deployed to mobilise Muslim women and girls to come together to discuss the issues that they care most about. Thus, family issues, health and hygiene concerns, education and income matters figure prominently in these village level assemblies. 40 self help groups have emerged out of these deliberations.

Heralding Change – a women’s gathering at Bareilly

Sahara’s life has truly changed since the time she used to be a 13 year old incense stick factory worker.

20

airing views and seeking mutual support on a range of issues. The centre has provided legal advice to more than 100 victims of domestic violence. The library attracts young children too who spend time here reading story books and enjoying the company of other children.

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

two non-formal education centres and two pre-primary centres to about 65 children each. Two groups of 30 children each have been formed to understand issues faced by them and their families through workshops etc. Some of the children were taken to Delhi to participate in Bal Natya Utsav.

In addition, activists regularly organise meetings with women and adolescent girls to discuss health issues of children and women.

They are motivated to demand better services from community health centres.

A Nukkad Natak at Bareilly

Five Centres for Education and Action are used for many of these interactions and for literacy classes and workshops on vocational skills, life skills, personality development and creative expression.

Around 70 women and 90 girls are benefitting from these classes.

Project Chetna Kendra, Gangapur City, Rajasthan In the slums of Gangapur city, seven non-formal centres cum libraries are being set up to help school drop outs pick up their education again and re-enter the formal schooling system. These centres, named Chetna Kendras, are envisaged as places where activities involving the entire community will be held. Our NGO partner for the project is Samantar Centre for Cultural Action and Research.

Immunization of pregnant women and infants has also been taken up people belonging to Muslim, to reduce IMR and MMR. Ration Scheduled Castes and OBC cards were made available to communities. weaver households and workshops were organised on Juvenile Justice Beti Foundation, our partner, has Act and Right to Information. set up here ten Education-cumVocational Training Centres A status paper on “Struggle of the (EVTC) to create new opportuni- weavers for livelihood” was ties for girls to acquire reading, prepared during the year. The writing & mathematical skills and paper highlighted the conditions of knowledge about their health and the weavers and provided the general well being. 570 girls are starting point for interactions with enrolled in these centres which pro- officials regarding the entitlement vide textbooks, teaching-learning of the weavers. materials, basic furniture and stationery.

BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

CHILD RIGHTS

Project Vision, Varanasi Weavers of Varanasi District have been facing difficult times. The weaving industry is in decline and there are not many alternative livelihood options available.

Quality of Education Programme Project Vision attempts to soften in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh the impact of these changes on the The Biswan block in Sitapur lives of children and their families. district is among the most backward regions of the country. Active in Nakkighat slum area, the It is inhabited mostly by poor project provides education through

Foundation’s collaboration with Pratham to develop and print good quality books for children between 6 and 14 years of age produced 9 new titles this year under RGFPratham Series, bringing the total number of titles printed so far to 31. The books printed during the year have been translated in Urdu, Kannada, Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, English, and Telugu depending on the demand for the title.

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KASHMIR INITIATIVE Community library in Srinagar Help Foundation runs a community library in Srinagar that has emerged in the three years of its existence, as a vibrant place for debates, workshops and social interaction for people of all ages.

During the year, 127 new members and 1450 new books were added.

The total membership is 421 and collection is 5,050 books. This year some books in foreign languages like French, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian and Persian were also introduced.

libraries are used by people from all walks of life and offer critical support to students, community members and educational institutions in the area. During the year, training of librarians and education volunteers on storytelling was conducted by Kathalaya; a Bangalore based Educational Resource Group.

Village Libraries During the year, children enjoyed Baramulla has three village here workshops on theatre, music, libraries that are being run with the Teaching Manual on Kashmir painting, art and craft. The college help of Human Aid Society. The ‘Discovering Kashmir’ is a teaching going students had discussions on unemployment and declining reading habits. A career counseling workshop for about 100 students was held.

A Senior Citizen Forum consisting of some of the prominent personalities of the valley has been formed. They meet every Saturday in the library to discuss local civic problems that are then brought to the notice of the concerned authorities. The library has an outreach programme, Shehjaar mobile library movement, that has taken books from the community library to schools in Srinagar, Mawar, Handwara and Kupwara.

Field testing of Manual in Srinagar A view of librarians and volunteers training in Baramulla

manual for middle school children that we have brought out with the help of Mr Feisal Alkazi’s group Creative Learning for Change. The students will learn about the valley from the five themes the manual is divided in: Built Heritage, Culture, Language & Lifestyle, Arts & Craft and Natural Environment.

There are interesting discussions in the manual on river Jhelum; the art objects of daily utility – the kangri, the samovar, the namdah; the Mughal gardens; wedding celebrations and the Wazwan.

The manual which itself came out

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of a series of student workshops held in 2006 was field tested this year among students. The manual has received a very enthusiastic response from teachers and students alike.

Awards for Creative Writing To discover literary talent and to expand the range of books available to children, creative writing awards were given away for second consecutive year.

Awardees, selected by an eminent jury, were given prizes of Rs. 5,000 each.

Children’s Film Festival in Srinagar

Three awards each were given in the age groups 16-25 years, 25-35 years and above 35 years of age (women). Entries were invited through advertisements in local English, Urdu and Kashmiri newspapers.

Children’s Film Festival Some 5,000 children from underprivileged backgrounds had the pleasure of enjoying films like Children of Heaven, Oliver Twist, Iqbal, Makdee, Eight Below, The Jungle Book, Great Dictator, Rocket Your Way To Fun, Happy A Seminar in progress in Srinagar Feet, during a film festival that we organised in collaboration with INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN RAJASTHAN our partner, Help Foundation.

Book Development and Printing 60 manuscripts developed through various interventions for discovering new literary talents in Kashmir, have been reviewed by NBT for publishing them in Kashmiri and Urdu languages. 9 of these manuscripts have already been shortlisted. In collaboration with Kashmir University and NBT, a 3-day workshop of shortlisted authors was organised to provide expert assistance to them.

To complement our water conservation work in Jamwa Ramgarh, Foundation has sought the assistance of Society for All Round Development (SARD) to improve educational outcomes of children. Thus we have set up remedial centres for children with learning difficulties and bridge centres for out of school children.

14 remedial centres cater to groups of 25 to 30 children in classes 2 and 3 while 8 bridge classes are used by 225 children. Teachers

training was conducted at State Resource Centre, Jaipur. 3 Resource Centres equipped with educational material, books, toys, charts, maps and games have been established in Raiser, Thalli, and Neemla Panchayats.

In addition, there are 5 Adult Education Centres where 151 women are enrolled. Monthly meetings with parents and workshops on storytelling and creative writing for children were organised this year along with the annual sports meet and Parvesh Utsav rallies.

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than cure. There is perhaps no STORYTELLING WORKSHOPS better way to prevent diseases than observing healthy sanitation and IN KARNATAKA hygiene practices. To inculcate Storytelling can be a wonderful these habits in Huliyar block of a way of teaching and imparting very backward Tumkur district of reading skills in children. This is Karnataka, an elaborate scheme is being implemented with the help of our partner NGO Anekal Read.

Workshop on story-telling skills by Kathalaya

A manual on sanitation and hygiene education has been prepared with the help of government school teachers and children. Health walks, puppetry, street theatre, wall writing, poster campaigns and film shows have been organised. Children have formed Bal Gram Sabhas and Eco Clubs to find solution to hygiene and sanitation related problems.

Inter school competition, with over 750 participants, was held and sanitation & hygiene camp was organised for 300 high school students in Yelanadu block.

especially true if the storyteller understands the art involved. So, we enlisted Kathalaya to train teachers and librarians in the techniques of storytelling, its body language and voice modulation requirements, preparation of story kits & cards and even on how to choose stories. 10 such workshops EDUCATION SOFTWARE of 4 to 6 days each were held for EVALUATION AND 645 librarians and teachers in LOCALISATION OF CONTENT different cities of Karnataka.

Directory of available educational

materials by Centre for Study of Developing Society (CSDS)’s, SARAI unit. It is hoped that the result of this survey will become part of an online repository which can be reviewed and added to by the users online.

Fellowships for Localization of Content in Regional Languages and their Dissemination To bridge the digital divide in the country, it is essential to make it possible for those not familiar with the English language, to use computers. To achieve this aim, 6 fellowships of Rs 70,000 each were funded by the Foundation (3 more

by CSDS) for 6 to 9 months duration. Some of the fellows are expected to carry out localisation of FOSS computer desktop in Hindi & Urdu, of the Open Office user guide in Marathi & Urdu, of the KDE Desktop in Assamese, and of GNOME desktop in Kashmiri.

Other fellows are expected to develop Hindi speech recognition software, publish in Telugu & Kannada, and prepare a glossary of scientific and computer technical terms in Oriya.

SANITATION AND HYGIENE software VIDYA GYAN SCHOLARSHIPS PROGRAMME IN KARNATAKA Over the last few years, there has PROGRAMME been a rapid growth in the number Prevention is a lot less expensive of educational software available for students of X to XII. Not all of READ professionals interacting with students on hygiene, Tumkur them are of good quality. To help students judge the relative usefulness of these softwares, a comprehensive evaluation was conducted of a large number of proprietary and open source 24

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

It is often seen that many a promising child’s education is tragically cut short when she is withdrawn from school for social or economic reasons. A scholarship can however sometimes go a long way in preventing this from happening.

Shri Sivasubramaniya Nadar Educational and Charitable (SSN) Trust’s most generous offer to provide scholarship for Dalit and Muslim girls in Varanasi, Barabanki and Rae Bareli districts was therefore most enthusiastically embraced by the Foundation.

The scholarship of Rs 500 per month was given to 1,440 girls of class 6 and 9 for studies up to class 10. This amount is meant to meet expenses towards tuition fees, uniform, books, stationery and transportation costs. The selection of girls for the first year was made purely on merit-cum-means basis except for a few handicapped, orphaned, single parent, and extremely poor children, who were awarded on compassionate grounds.

Vidya Gyan programme launch at Varanasi

The programme was formally launched in a function at Varanasi.

Next year another 1,500 will be selected based on a competitive examination to be especially conducted by the Foundation for this purpose.

In addition to the scholarship, the girls are also provided group coaching classes which specially focus on English and Mathematics subjects. For girls studying in Classes 9 and 10, computer and vocational skills training is also being organised under the programme.

A Vidya Gyan scholar receving her first bank draft Vidya Gyan scholars and their families at the launch function in Varanasi

While the programme is being administered through 10 coordinating agencies, the scholarship amount is directly paid to the girls through bank drafts or transfer to their bank accounts.

The agencies helping us with the implementation are Beti Foundation, Gyan Vigyan Samiti and Pashu Swachedan Sahkari Samiti Ltd in Barabanki districts ; Project Mala, Human Welfare Association, Sahbhagi Shikshan Kendra and Vision in Varanasi District and Sewa, Lok Mitra and Sabla in Rae Bareli district.

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Woman and Child Development Programme Vision Our programmes aim to: • Support children and communities affected by conflict and natural calamities • Empower disadvantaged women through expansion of their livelihood options • Rehabilitate street children • Promote women’s leadership in sanitation

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RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

PROJECT INTERACT (INITIATIVE TO EDUCATE, REHABILITATE AND ASSIST CHILD VICTIMS OF TERRORISM) INTERACT – I Children are the silent sufferers of acts of terrorism. The Foundation currently supports school education of 752 such children (including 102 added this year) with allowances up to Rs. 12,000 per year to meet expenses on school fees, books, uniforms etc.

The identification of these children is done with the help of district authorities, NGOs and individuals.

1,566 children have been supported by the Foundation so far under this Programme.

Advance courses opted by INTERACT II children Courses

No. of Children

MBBS

4

B.Tech / B.E (computer science, electrical, mechanical, aeronautical, electronics & communication engineering) L.L.B

15 2

Other Courses (Multimedia, Computer Science, Pharmacy, Company Secretaryship, Veterinary Science, Nursing, B.Com, B.A).

11

General Nursing & Midwifery

3

Teacher’s Training

2

Diploma courses – Pharmacy, Computer Applications, Stenography, Electronics & Communication

5

Total

42

Workshop for INTERACT Children POST–TSUNAMI ASSISTANCE To create a positive learning environment for children we Child Support Programme organise workshops featuring Children who lost either or both activities relating to music, dance, of their parents in the tsunami that New Children Identified theatre, art, craft, painting and struck the Indian coast in sports. This year we held States No. of children December 2004 are a 3-day residential supported so that their Andhra Pradesh 45 workshop in Agartala, education is not Assam 02 Tripura for 30 children in disrupted in any way.

Chhattisgarh 14 the age group 11 to 18.

133 children (including J&K 29 During the workshop a 13 infants) are being Manipur 12 counsellor and a doctor presently supported. Out Total 102 were present to give tips of these 90 are from on health, nutrition and Andaman and Nicobar We like to remain in close touch hygiene and to answer Islands and most of the with these children and their questions raised by the children. remaining are from Puducherry. guardians. We keep track of how they are shaping academically and otherwise through letters, phones, Children wearing the masks they made in a workshop at Agartala birthday cards, meetings and workshops.

INTERACT- II Some of the children supported under INTERACT I earn scholarship from us for higher education on merit-cum-need basis. 19 were selected in 2007-08 taking the cumulative total to 42.

The amount of support is normally in the range of Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 30,000 per child per year.

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Four are from Andhra Pradesh.

222 children have been supported under this programme since its inception.

Workshop for tsunami-affected children of Andaman & Nicobar Islands A three-day residential workshop was held at Campbell Bay for 25 tribal children. Workshop had sessions on creative and performing arts, physical and mental exercises and sports.

Children were counselled on how to plan and set goals and how to deal with various issues affecting their lives. The workshop was received enthusiastically by children.

Boat craft at a workshop in Campbell Bay – tsunami affected children

CHILDREN AFFECTED BY RIOTS & EARTHQUAKE Gujarat riots and Latur earthquakes orphaned a number of children. The Foundation supports them by meeting their education related expenses. The last of the 28 Latur child completed schooling this year. 52 children from Gujarat are still in school (22 others having passed out of school) and receiving our support. Two of them are also being supported for med- REACH Street children project at Indore ical care while one is receiving assistance for attending an [Rehabilitation, Education and advanced professional course.

Assistance to Children on Street] to provide security, shelter and a CHILD PROTECTION supportive environment to street PROGRAMMES children in Indore. There are 40 children in this shelter now, 33 of Children who are forced to live on whom attend regular school and the streets are vulnerable and need the rest receive education at nonsupport for their survival, formal centres. During the year, 11 protection and development. children were rehabilitated with their respective families. Ten Project REACH – Indore children successfully completed the Since 1995, the Foundation has paper envelope making training been supporting project REACH and 5 completed training in basic 28

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

computer application. Two health check-up camps were also organised for the children.

Child Development Centre, Neemrana RGF has collaborated with Humana People to People, to run a Child Development Centre at Neemrana in district Alwar. The centre provides learning environment, mid day meals and health check-up facilities to children. This year 74 migrant and street children benefited from this centre.

through borrowings from banks and invested in a diversified portfolio of income generating activities.

Livelihood Programme through Bamboo Products at Jajpur in Orissa We collaborated with Schumacher Centre for Development in 2006 to support the socio-economic needs of 100 of the most disadvantaged women of Jajpur by introducing an improved technology of bamboo basket making. This led to a 10 times increase in the income earned per School for children from migrant community, Neemrana day from Rs 10 to Rs 100. Our Child development Centre, education but for subsequent years support to this programme ended Jodhpur the family is supposed to pay for it this year.

A Child Development Centre is from the income earned from their Livelihood Programme for Women supported at Fidusar Chaupar in businesses. through Vegetable Cultivation in Jodhpur district for the children of Pithoragarh the mining community who WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT Through this programme we have otherwise accompany their parents THROUGH MICROFINANCE supported women farmer groups to their unhygienic work sites.

AND CAPACITY BUILDING to market vegetables. We have Here too a learning environment provided training, seeds, help in is provided with provision of To achieve a lasting and genuine land preparation and a marketing educational facilities, mid-day empowerment of women, helping outlet in Pithoragarh town. This meal, sports, health check-ups and them build institutions that are year about 371 quintal vegetables medicines. About 100 children are capable of generating savings, benefitting from this intervention. credit and income-generating opportunities, has been found to A shop selling vegetables grown by women in Poverty Alleviation Initiatives for Pithoragarh be quite effective in a diverse set Education of Girl Child, Manipur of countries. At the Foundation too For a household, one of the more a similar attempt is underway. long lasting impacts of poverty is an almost irreversible loss of Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojna educational opportunities for in Rae Bareli and Sultanpur children, especially female The programme was initiated in children. To help poor families 2002-03 in collaboration with finance education of the girl child Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust for we have given to 50 women a formation of SHGs in two districts conditional interest-free loan of Rs of UP - Sultanpur and Rae Bareli.

4,000 for income earning activities In the last 5 years, it has grown like poultry, piggery, rabbit rearing from strength to strength and now and duck rearing. The condition has developed into a powerful imposed is that they will enrol their network of SHGs and their cluster girl children in a school. For the level associations. The savings first year, a one-time grant of Rs generated have been leveraged 3,500 is given to meet expenses of RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

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were sold, out of which almost half was sold through the marketing outlet provided under the programme.

Capacity Building Programme through Training in Food Processing in Andaman and Nicobar Islands RGF continued its support to Unnati for providing training in processing of food items like fish and prawn based products, milk products, jam, jelly squash, fruit and vegetable pickles, spices etc.

Seven training programmes were organized during this year for 214 persons. The products were well received in the Islands.

SHG Formation and Skill Development among Women of the Baiga Tribe, Chhattisgarh Baiga tribe in Chhattisgarh are among the poorest tribal groups in the country. We along with our partner Samerth have introduced the concept of Self Help Groups to them and tried to create awareness among them about group savings, capital formation and credit processes. They have also been trained in bee keeping, cane work as well as processing and preservation of minor forest goods. This being the first year of the project, substantive progress is expected only in the following year.

Training for women on scientific practice in Agriculture, Pithoragarh

Food processing training to women in the Andamans & Nicobar Islands Processed food products, Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Project Swabalambini, Uttar Pradesh Mahila Prabodhini Foundation has been working for many years now on stabilising Self Help Groups formed by it in 10 blocks of Mirzapur, Allahabad, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Jaunpur and Varanasi districts. This year, they introduced among 88 SHGs of 20 villages in Majhwa and Sadar blocks of Mirzapur district, training in such 30

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

skills as motor winding and repairing, mobile repairing, dress designing, stitching and embroidery, jute/quilted/fancy bags, computer education and DTP, toy making, and beautician.

Livelihood Project for Musahar Women through Bamboo Crafts, Bihar Musahar community in Bihar lives in abject poverty. The Foundation is supporting KGVS, a local NGO to provide training on institution building and on production &

Literacy class for Musahar women, Bihar

marketing of bamboo products, to members of this community. In addition, basic health and literacy inputs are also being provided.

This is the first year of the project.

Initiative for Women and Children in the Mining Community of Rajasthan This initiative, launched towards the end of the year, is for women and children of the mining community near Jodhpur in Rajasthan. It aims to help women form self help groups and to train them in skills that will make

available various new livelihood working as commercial pilots in options for them. Non-formal various airlines. education facilities are planned for Child Counselling and Guidance children.

Centre, Srinagar The Child Counselling and Community Managed Water Supply and Sanitation Programme Guidance Centre in Srinagar in Orissa provides comprehensive, cost-free The Foundation is working with psychiatric care to children. It has Gram Vikas to build toilet-cum- an outreach programme for distant bathing units for 1500 household districts where psychiatric help is from 18 habitations in Ganjam, not readily available. The Gajapati and Nayagarh districts of programme has created awareness Orissa. This is accompanied by an about trauma symptoms and the intensive social process of hygiene need for counselling intervention.

634 patients visited the centre during the year and 5 medical camps benefitting 1,484 people were organised. Four child therapy workshops were conducted for 259 children and 4 family therapy workshops were conducted for 226 women.

Psychosocial support programme, J&K This programme provides counselling at the community level in the militancy affected areas of Jammu and Kashmir. We aim to create a cadre of barefoot mental health counsellors who are trained in identifying symptoms of trauma and providing counselling. This year, 10 Blocks of Kupwara and education that has seen a high level Baramulla districts that are most affected by militancy were of community participation. identified and two teachers from each block were selected as Master Scholarships to Women Pilot trainees from Indira Gandhi trainers. They provided training to Rashtriya Uran Akademi In an effort to encourage girls to Psychosocial Support, J&K take up professions not traditionally common among women, the Foundation provides three scholarships per year to meritorious women undergoing training for pilot license at IGRUA. So far, the scholarships have been awarded to 34 women cadets.

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of Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been severe. With very little professional help available locally, a well-designed psychosocial outreach programme with components of both training and counselling was urgently needed.

Thus in 2005, with the help of the Foundation, a core group of Psychosocial Support Programme counsellors trained 253 ‘site in A&N Islands leaders’ –doctors and teachersPost Tsunami trauma for who held weekly group counselling inhabitants of the remote islands 113 teachers. Later, similar training was organised for 39 teachers of 14 blocks of Rajouri and Poonch districts. These efforts have significantly extended the outreach of mental health care in the state.

Adding colour to the lives of INTERACT children

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RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

sessions and individual counselling, as needed. Creative activities like sketching, painting, music and dance were organised to help relieve stress of children. 122 of these site leaders remained active throughout the project which ended in August, 2007, having made a useful contribution to the psychological healing of the people.

Disabled Persons’ Welfare Programme Vision Our programmes aim to • Promote recognition of equal rights of the disabled.

• Promote self reliance through independent mobility and vocational education.

• Promote employment generation for the disabled.

• Promote physical, psychological and medical rehabilitation of the disabled.

• Promote prevention of disability.

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SELF RELIANCE THROUGH MOBILITY AND MEDICAL REHABILITATION Motorised Vehicle Distribution Often, for a person with a physical disability, a mere provision of a means to be mobile, can open up doors of new opportunities for education, employment or business. For the orthopedically challenged individuals, the Foundation has been giving away a motorised disabled friendly vehicle since 1992. This year too, 150 such vehicles were given with the support of our donors. Prior to their distribution, a training programme to familiarise the new owners with the vehicle and to ensure that they can drive them safely was organised in

collaboration with the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE).

Lifeline Express Camps The Lifeline Express takes, on a train, modern surgical facilities and doctors to the needy disabled residing in rural areas. The Foundation supports this unique initiative led by Impact India Foundation. The train provides free surgical interventions for polio, ear defects, cleft lip and cataract. Also at the ‘camps’ organised for these surgeries, assistive devices like callipers, crutches, hearing aids, etc. are distributed. This year camps were organised in Amethi in UP and in Chhapra in Bihar. In these two camps a total of 717 cataract operations, 94 ear drum surgeries,

Distribution of Motorised Triwheelers in New Delhi

34

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

A view of the Operation Theatre in Lifeline Express in Chhapra

79 cleft lip surgeries were performed and 740 assistive devices like hearing aids, artificial limbs, crutches, tricycles and callipers were distributed.

Mobility Camps Jaipur Foot – artificial limb – has proved to be a boon for millions of orthopedically challenged individuals. It is a hand-made artificial foot and lower limb prosthesis that is designed to meet the needs of a developing country lifestyle such as squatting, walking barefoot and sitting cross-legged.

The Foundation, in collaboration with the Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), Jaipur, has been organizing mobility camps in under-served areas since 2005. This year they were organised in Gangtok in Sikkim and Chhapra in Bihar benefitting 146 and 290 persons respectively.

Project Health Watch: Prevention of Causes of Disability To build capacity of health functionaries at the district level, 92 medical officers and paramedics were trained, during Lifeline Express camps, on community need assessment and community based rehabilitation. The focus was on early detection of disabilities and preparation of health plan for management of disability at the PHC level.

Early Intervention Programme for Hearing Impaired Children Early detection of hearing impairment increases the effectiveness of auditory training and as a consequence, greatly improves the chances of educational rehabilitation of the affected child. We try to help early detection through our partner

Patient leaving Lifeline Express after the operation

Mobility camp beneficiaries, Chhapra, Bihar

Early intervention programme for hearing impaired, Vadodra

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institution Akshar Trust in Vadodara. Parents are also trained so that they better understand the child’s situation and provide enabling environment at home.

Seven children were successfully integrated into formal schools this year.

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT Manufacture and marketing of screwpine craft Training physically challenged women in the manufacture and marketing of screwpine craft is hoped to provide them with a regular source of income. The project is being implemented in Ernakulum district of Kerala with the help of Kottapuram Integrated Development Society (KIDS).

The first batch of 20 disabled women and 10 other people (who would help procure raw materials and market the products), received training this year.

The training included components on introduction to the screwpine leaf, splicing of the leaf, weaving of the basic mat, side stitching of the pieces for making a particular craft item, lining of each piece and dyeing of pieces with azo-free or natural dyes.

These trained women have started making products in their villages and the finished goods are being marketed by KIDS. A design development workshop was also organised in which 10 prototypes of new designs using Screwpine were developed.

Screwpine Training in progress at Ernakullam

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Oyster Mushroom Cultivation Oyster mushroom cultivation has the potential of making disabled women economically self reliant.

To realize this potential for such women in Bhind, MP, the Foundation tied up with Mahila Bal Vikas Samiti (MBVS) to train 45 of them in 2004. This year 100 trainees have received training, which included 30 men who will help with raw material procurement and marketing.

ACCESS – PROMOTING A DISABLED FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT Accessible Delhi Project To make Delhi a disabled friendly city, 20 sites were identified in collaboration with Delhi government to make them barrier

free. To implement this project a road map was drawn and a core group headed by the concerned Minister of the government was formed. The work on 16 of these sites has been completed and on the other 4 is at various stages of completion. Our partner for this project is Samarthya, National Centre for Promotion of Barrier Free Environment for Disabled Persons.

AWARENESS AND ADVOCACY FOR THE INCLUSION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITY

Information & Broadcasting Ministry’s “Radio Dunia Award” for 2008 in the category of best programme in Social Responsibility Initiative.

COMMUNITY BASED REHABILITATION OF DISABLED Landmine Survivors Assistance Programme Most landmine victims in India are poor villagers living in India’s border villages. After the injury inflicted by the landmine, they need complex psycho-social care, physical rehabilitation, artificial limbs, and vocational training in order to reintegrate back into their communities. In most of India’s landmine-affected areas, these services are not available.

Legal Literacy on Disability Issues The objective of the project is to raise awareness about the rights of the disabled through workshops.

Workshops organized during the year were held during the Lifeline Express camps in Amethi and The landmine Survivor Assistance Chhapra where 86 representatives Program is an effort to develop a of different NGOs and lawyers participated.

Radio Serial: A programme for the Visually Impaired Radio is an effective means to inform, inspire, include and empower persons with visual impairments to lead a normal life.

We supported Score Foundation to produce a radio programme “Eyeway: Yeh Hai Roshni Ka Karawan”. This year, 52 episodes were broadcast in All India Radio stations of 29 cities. Each episode consists of interviews, profiles and advice on legal issues, education and employment opportunities and medical-related questions. The profiles have so far been presented by such personalities as Naseeruddin Shah, Tom Alter, Nandita Das, Om Puri and Amin Sayani, The programme won the

cost effective model for community-based economic, medical and social rehabilitation of landmine survivors in about 40 villages in the Abohar Block of Ferozepur District, Punjab. The project is being run in partnership with Society for All Round Development. At the start of the programme, a Base Line Survey of 28 villages was conducted and 40 victims were identified. During the year, appropriate curriculum for vocational training of youth from families of mine victims was developed and two Jaipur Foot camps were organised. In addition, a training of trainers workshop was organised for 30 government school teachers. The workshop was attended by representatives of the Border Security Force who informed teachers about different types of mines. A documentary film on the situation with profiles of victims has also been shot.

Landmine Survivors project, Punjab – Training of Trainers

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Health Programme Vision Our programmes aim to: • Promote health planning and prevention of communicable and non-communicable diseases.

• Achieve empowerment and development with emphasis on primary healthcare, adolescent health and policy advocacy.

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RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

Rajiv Gandhi Mobile AIDS Counselling Services (RGMACS) Mobile vans are being run under this programme to provide counselling services and generate awareness about the disease in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Guwahati.

In Delhi, where six slums are being covered by Mobile Vans, our partner is Ranbaxy Community Health Care Society. More than 80,000 pamphlets/posters were distributed and over 22,000 people were reached through magic shows, street plays, quiz competitions and audiovisual shows etc. Linkages were established with local NGOs, government hospitals, religious leaders and community groups for effective implementation and sustainability.

Our project partner in Mumbai is People’s Health Organisation. In 6 slums, over 50,000 people were reached through exhibitions and 7652 persons were counselled in groups and 2901 individually.

Networking was established with the local NGOs, government agencies, hospitals/nursing homes and care & support centres in the areas.

People’s Health Organisation is also our partner in Pune where 6 localities were covered. Around 1,25,000 leaflets in Hindi and Marathi called ‘Jagte Raho’ were distributed. Exhibitions and talk shows were conducted in offices, schools, colleges, panchayats and banks. 2,740 people received individual counselling and 7,925 people were reached through group counseling sessions.

Networking has been established

Mobile AIDS Counselling, Delhi

Creating awareness on AIDS, Delhi

with 11 local NGOs, 10 STD clinics, 48 Integrated Counseling and Testing Centres, 4 care & support units and 1,800 general practitioners.

AIDS Prevention Society works with us in 6 slums of Guwahati in this project. More than 2.5 lakh people were reached through various IEC activities. 2,254 people received individual counselling and another 894

people were referred for STI treatment. A total of 116 youth, 140 women, 71 community leaders and 36 community health workers were provided training on various aspects of HIV/AIDS and STIs. Save the Kidney Initiative This initiative hopes to reduce the possibility of onset of End Stage Renal Disease through early detection, treatment and regular monitoring of blood glucose and

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

39

hypertension. The project was implemented in collaboration with AIIMS and Rajbhra Foundation in Delhi. Out of more than 10,000 individuals that were screened, 405 were detected with hypertension, 140 with diabetes mellitus and 360 with albumin in Urine. All of these 905 patients are now under treatment and are monitored closely. Our volunteers, social workers and doctors also create awareness about benefits of healthy living.

Health for All, Rae Bareli District, Uttar Pradesh This project aims to generate awareness on importance of sanitation & safe drinking water in prevention of diseases, promotion of institutional deliveries, and adoption of personal health & hygiene practices. It is being implemented in Harchandpur Block of Rae Bareli District, U.P with the assistance of Mamta Health Institute for Mother and Child. 8 Orientation and sensitization workshops were organised for Panchayati Raj Institution members, government officials, primary healthcare workers, paramedics, volunteers, peer counsellors, media and community based groups. More than 400 people were trained through these workshops. A two-day training was conducted for 21 folk artists for effective communication of the key messages of the awareness generation campaigns.

this initiative our goal is to build capacity of the Private Medical Practitioners (PMPs) of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy (ISM & H) for this purpose.

This year, we are working in collaboration with VHAI in states of Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for training of 240 PMPs. A 2-day training programme was organised in Delhi where 16 identified core trainers (4 members from each state) participated. It is

Health for All programme, Rae Bareli Life Skills Training in Delhi

Training of Private Medical Practitioners of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy The role of alternate medicine in prevention, control and management of HIV/AIDS is often not given its due importance. In 40

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

planned that in each state, 60 PMPs of ISM & H will be trained

by VHAI in two training programmes of two days each.

Life Skills Education to Out of School Adolescents We are working with Modicare Foundation to enable out-ofschool adolescents to make correct choices and to avoid risky behaviour regarding reproductive and sexual health. It was successfully piloted last year in collaboration with the FICCISEDF in 10 slums of Delhi and

now an additional 10 slums of Delhi have been taken up. Already, 25 professionals have been trained as Master Trainers and 279 adolescents as Peer Trainers. These Peer Trainers further identified and trained 1,359 adolescents as Peer Educators. A curriculum for fiveday training and promotional materials on life skills have also been developed.

Smart Parenthood Campaign, Kurukshetra, Haryana The Smart Parenthood Campaign aims to sensitize population against sex selective female foeticide and work towards enforcement of Parental Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act 1994. It seeks to create an environment that supports change of behaviour and practices regarding reproductive health. To achieve this objective, orientation and training workshops are held and village health committees are formed. In all these activities the participants are drawn from a cross section of the society and include doctors, Panchayat members, government officials, community leaders, school teachers, media, NGOs, students and volunteers. In addition, ‘Smart Parenthood Clinics’ have been set up in PHCs to counsel newly married couples. 5 new clinics were started this year taking the total to 15.

Thirty-five volunteers were trained to undertake counselling sessions in these clinics. Promotional material and counselling aids have been developed in Hindi to disseminate information. Around 7,000 people have been sensitized through 36 folk performances.

Media seminar was organised and

Smart Parenthood campaign, Kurukshetra district

Community aide support

print media campaigns were launched. Official statistics show a slight improvement in sex ratio at birth in the district.

Community Aide Support To support the over-burdened Anganwadi worker, trained community aides, Gelathi, have been introduced in six villages of Bangalore rural district in collaboration with Belaku trust. To facilitate her work, 40 meetings were held with Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) officials, Panchayat members,

teachers, anganwadi workers, and parents of children who attend anganwadi centres. Village Support Committees were formed in all six villages and around 82 meetings of the committee were held. Around 75% of the community members are willing to financially support the Gelathi.

This is an indication of community’s satisfaction with the programme which has improved nutrition intake during adolescence and pregnancy significantly.

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Red Ribbon Express being flagged-off, New Delhi

Mobile TB Clinic in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh This project was initiated in 1993 in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh in partnership with World Memorial Fund for Disaster Relief, New Delhi. Early detection of the disease is made through household surveys conducted by volunteers.

Those with symptoms of the disease go through sputum test in the Mobile TB Clinic. If tested positive, the patient is counselled and treatment is started immediately with follow up by volunteers to ensure that the complete course is taken. So far, more than 55000 people have been surveyed and 1048 people have been successfully treated. At present 97 patients are under treatment. Various communication channels have been used to raise awareness regarding prevention 42

and treatment of tuberculosis, with and more than 40,000 have a special emphasis on the need to benefited from counselling services. 298 training sessions have improve hygiene and sanitation. been conducted for over 15,000 Red Ribbon Express participants. Government officials, The Red Ribbon Express (RRE) is elected representatives from a specially designed seven-coach Panchayats, community leaders, train to generate awareness on educationists, health workers, AIDS/HIV and offer counselling NGOs and youth groups have services. Three of the coaches are attended the training sessions. education and exhibition coaches that show multimedia presentations on all aspects of the disease. Dental Camps – Essential Oral Care Others coaches have auditorium- The dental camps are organised in cum- training facilities and collaboration with L. Gela Ram arrangement for giving counselling Memorial Dental Clinic and Orthodontic Centre, New Delhi. and medical services.

Patients are screened for any dental The train has already visited 54 procedures that might be needed stations in Rajasthan, M.P., which are then provided free. This Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, U.P., year, a 3-day dental camp was Uttarakhand, Bihar and organised in Amethi, UP in which Jharkhand. More than 3.5 lakh 870 patients were examined and people have visited the exhibition given requisite treatment and

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

during Chhapra camp. At these workshops, issues covered range from modes of transmission of the disease, myths & misconceptions surrounding it, stigma, and denial & discrimination associated with HIV, prevention, control and management of HIV/AIDS.

Dental Camp, Amethi

capacity of the local medical fraternity and NGOs regarding HIV/AIDS management. The members of the Rajiv Gandhi Workforce serve as resource persons. About 10 private medical Workshop on HIV/AIDS practitioners and 30 Management in the Lifeline representatives of local NGOs Express Train The purpose of the workshop on attended the workshop organised HIV/AIDS which is held inside the during Amethi camp and more Lifeline Express train is to build the than 70 participants attended it medicines. Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Amethi is conducting the follow-up of the treated patients.

Towards making Transplantation of Human Organs Act (THOA), 1994 more donor and recipient friendly It was felt that Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994, had not been able to prevent various kidney and transplantation scams and had not led to benefits of transplantation reaching the poor. To seek a review of the law, a National Policy Dialogue was conducted in 2004 and a Task Force was constituted in 2005 to recommend suggestions. Comments of the public were invited on these suggestions and a consultation was held in 2007 to finalise the recommendations. These recommendations have been sent to the Government of India for necessary amendment in the rules.

A view of National Consultation, Delhi

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Science and Technology Programme Vision Our programmes aim to: • Improve the lives of the poor • Promote rural development • Protect environment

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RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

There are two projects under implementation in Uttarakhand: Bio-resource conservation project and Aromatic plant cultivation and processing. Both seek to use scientific methods & local knowledge, enlist community participation and generate regular incomes.

BIO-RESOURCE CONSERVATION PROJECT

work better in prevention mode belonging to 45 different crops rather than in curative mode. have been collected from 1,232 farmers. Senior research staff of Conservation of Agro Pant Nagar Agriculture University Bio-diversity have provided expert advice for To document agro bio-diversity in this project. the region, staff of Gene Campaign as well as Chirag, a local NGO, Community Gene/Seed Bank was trained in collection and Gene/Seed bank has been set up in characterization of seed samples. village Orakhan to house the agro More than 1,300 seed samples biodiversity collection of Plant based pesticides and their effectiveness

The project aims at bio-resource conservation for long-term food and livelihood security and empowerment of communities. It is being implemented with the help of Gene Campaign in 50 villages of Ramgarh block of Nainital district, Uttarakhand.

Promoting Sustainable Agriculture Practices An important way of promoting sustainable agricultural practices is through encouragement of organic agriculture. To generate awareness about it, group meetings were organised and campaigns were carried out about harmful effects of uncontrolled use of agro chemicals and pesticides . For this purpose farming families in over 150 villages were contacted. 224 farmers have adopted organic farming practices.

Crop Name

Plant/leaf used

Quantity

Results

Radish

Tobacco

50 ml + 150 ml water 50 ml + 100 ml water 50 ml + 80 ml water

Less effective Effective More effective

Mustard

Bakain

30 ml + 300 ml water 60 ml + 300 ml water 100 ml + 300 ml water

Not effective Effective More effective

Peas

Sewai

10 ml + 100 ml water 20 ml + 100 ml water 30 ml + 100 ml water

Less effective Effective More effective

Apricot

Sewai

30 ml + 100 ml water 40 ml + 100 ml water 30 ml + 30 ml + 100 ml water

Less effective Effective More effective

Sewai + Bichoo Patta Plant Based Pesticides

Plant Based Pesticides The communities were advised to use plant-based pesticides. Local plants that could serve as pesticides and insect repellents were identified. Various field trials were conducted on pesticides based on Timur, Bichoo Patta, Tobacco, Akhrot and Ramban. Tobacco was found most effective on vegetable pests and in general, it was found that the plant pesticides seem to RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

45

workshop was organized.

Participants from farmers’ group, scientists from Centre for Aromatic Plants and representatives from Indian Council for Agriculture Experience Sharing and Research attended and shared their Awareness Building among experiences and knowledge about Stakeholders new techniques. To generate To find ways of increasing awareness, campaigns were productivity of lemon grass organized in project villages and Publications Leaflets, handbills, brochures in cultivation, an experience sharing three farmers’ SHGs were formed. local languages describing the different issues related to indigenous knowledge have been made available to villagers, civil society groups, government agencies and individuals. These publication materials seek to create awareness about the importance of conserving indigenous knowledge and indigenous varieties. Booklets and wall papers in Hindi containing information on World Trade Organization, Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights, Convention on Biological Diversity and Indigenous Knowledge, Seed Patents and Farmer’s Rights have also been prepared and distributed in schools. traditional variety of seeds. Before storage the seeds are processed to reduce moisture content to 7% for better viability. Following our efforts at awareness generation it is now being observed that farmers are voluntarily contributing seeds for the community seed bank.

AROMATIC PLANT CULTIVATION AND PROCESSING PROJECT

who are growing lemon grass under the project on 165 bighas of land and are producing 250 litres of lemon grass oil per year.

Drying seeds for storage in Seed Bank Awareness generation through Nukkad Natak and songs

The Foundation, Agrisud International and Uttarakhand government implemented a pilot project for cultivation and processing of Aromatic Plants in Sahaspur block of Dehradun district in 2005. Most of the aromatic plant cultivation under the project was of lemon grass. A distillation plant for extracting lemon grass oil from it was also set up. At the end of that project, HARC, a Dehradun-based NGO was enlisted as a partner, to provide support to the 140 farmers 46

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

For these SHGs, system of minutes writing, reporting and attendance monitoring was evolved.

Strengthening organizational structure of the Federation To understand how to strengthen organisational structure, an exposure visit to a successful federation was organized. Training on different organizational aspects like leadership development, documentation, vision building was imparted to the farmers. The Farmers’ Federation was incorporated as ‘Pachava Doon Agri and Aromatic Producers’ Company’ under companies act.

Federation members being oriented on Company Law

Marketing Facilitation A study on the possible marketing Strengthening Distillation Unit Repairs of the distillation unit, avenues of lemon grass oil was extension of tin shed, construction conducted. The study has looked of platform, repairing of water at industrial applications of lemon grass, different buyers and their tank, was carried out capacities, export possibilities,

packaging needs of the market, the supply chain and demand structure of the ordinary buyers. This study was shared with the company which has since been in touch with 20 national level buyers of lemon grass oil.

Distillation unit repair work

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Scholarships for University Students Programme Vision Our programmes aim to: • Offer opportunities to British University students to travel to India • Provide opportunities to Indian students to study at Cambridge.

• Encourage careers in science in India.

Rajiv Gandhi Travelling Scholarships Programme The Foundation collaborates with the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust and Rajiv Gandhi (UK) Foundation for award of up to 20 scholarships to students from Cambridge and some other British Universities e.g. Edinburgh, London School of Economics, Oxford to travel within India to conduct research or simply to know India better. The Foundation supports the travel and stay of the scholars within India. 18 students visited India this year. 8 were from Cambridge, 2 from Edinburgh, 6 from London School of Economics and 2 from Oxford. The study areas included veterinary sciences, theology & religious study, history and anthropology. Here are remarks made by some of the 48

awardees after experience.

India in Delhi she visited Agra and thereafter proceeded to Vijayawada for her voluntary Ms. Helen O’ Rourke work with Street Kids’ Community Ms. Helen O’ Rourke studying in Villages (SKCV). She writes that BA (French and German) at “with the sight-seeing part of our Cambridge University says that the trip at an end, it was time for sight-seeing in Delhi provided her another compulsory Indian with a wonderful overview of experience – the overnight train Indian history. After four busy days journey cross country. Illness was affecting us both this time, and so we spent much of the 27 hour Ms. Helen O’Rourke in SKCV, Vijayawada journey lying in our berths just trying to sleep. However, all sickness was soon forgotten when we arrived in Vijayawada and went to meet the staff and children at the SKCV main centre...”

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

their

Ms. Isabel McCann Ms. Isabel McCann studying for BA English at Cambridge says “I left with the impression that India

Ms. Isabel McCann in Bangalore

has a much more sovereign culture than some neighboring countries, including China. It has its own dominant religion, although India has a number of native faiths, and understands the importance of encouraging them to coexist peacefully. It has its own very popular film industry and a definite national obsession: cricket.

Despite (perhaps because) of its colonial past, and the widespread use of the English language, it does not seem to be moving towards a western, or American dictated model of daily life, or at least not very fast. Children ask you about Dravid, not David Beckham, women don’t buy suits instead of saris and food varies by region according to the local tradition...”

Ms. Amina Adewusi Ms. Amina Adewusi from London School of Economics studying for B.Sc. (Social Policy) was in India for five weeks reported about her impression of India saying “India is such a vast country, and since I have spent the majority of my time in Delhi - I can hardly say that I’ve visited India. What struck me about India is that it is a developing country, but one whose economy

Cambridge Scholarships and Bursaries With the help and support of the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust, UK, the Foundation continues to award scholarship/bursaries to meritorious Indian students wishing to pursue a second degree course at any of the affiliated colleges of Cambridge University, U.K. This year Ms. Girija Borker (Girton College), Ms. Ragini Madan (Wolfson College), and Ms. Vidya Kolachina (Lucy Cavendish College) were awarded bursaries for BA Economics and Mr. Shivan Ghosh (St. Edmund’s College) for is growing. You can see this from BA Natural Science. all of the construction going on all over the city and the seemingly Rajiv Gandhi Science Talent endless string of Western shopping Research Fellowships malls springing up. Delhi for me is The Fellowships programme a mish-mash of worlds. For commenced in 1993 and is example, the local buses are implemented through the terribly congested and the bus Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for system is in need of improvement, Advanced Scientific Research, however the metro system is state- Bangalore. These are awarded to of-the-art and much better than the undergraduates and MSc students London underground system from all over India. without a doubt. Likewise, central Delhi is beautiful with its wide The fellowships are renewable on roads and tree-lined streets and a selective basis for a consecutive Old Delhi is like going back in time second year. The selected students with it’s bustling activity of street spend two months during summer sellers. There is a lot to find in under the guidance of Delhi that is surprisingly distinguished scientists/researchers contradictory. I am also told that at the Indian Institute of Sciences, this variety of environment and or at other such renowned research culture is not confined to Delhi institutes in the country. The alone, but can be said of the whole programme tries to assist the of India where language and students to understand what culture can differ every 100 k.m. scientific research really is and how it is conducted. It encourages them One of my favourite things about to opt for scientific research as a India is it’s diversity of culture, career. religion and food. I have enjoyed different types of Indian cuisine This year 15 students were selected thoroughly. I have visited the for research in the fields of Life temple of the Bahai faith, the Jama Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Masjid, the Dalai Lama’s temple Chemical Sciences and Physical and various Hindu temples.”

Sciences.

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Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies (RGICS)

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RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

The Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies operates as the Foundation’s ‘think-tank’ and research division with the task of public policy research and extension programmes to educate the public on contemporary issues.

The Institute accomplishes these responsibilities through in-house research as well as commissioning outside experts to work on a shortterm basis, publications and also seminars and conferences.

RGICS specializes in four main areas – International Economic Relations, Economic Reforms, Law Reforms, Panchayati Raj Institutions and Information Technology. In 2007-08, the Research Advisory Council suggested five new areas for research, namely: (1) Affirmative Action (2) Threat of Naxalism (3) Rehabilitation & Resettlement (4) Employment & Employability and (5) Management & Utilization of Water.

The Institute’s objectives are to: • Promote and undertake interdisciplinary studies in order to formulate public policy options • Disseminate its findings and generate an informed public debate about policy choices.

• Enable professionals, intellectuals, and community leaders to interact, in order to develop a shared understanding, and multiple perspectives and solutions to problems • Offer training programmes, lectures by eminent people, workshops, meetings and publications • Create institutional capability for policy advice, and build networks of global collaboration.

It provides research-based ideas, analysis, policy and practical programmes in identified areas.

The Institute differs from other research institutions in two ways: it is not interested in purely academic work devoid of policy content, believing instead in imparting policy direction to whatever work is carried out; and it believes that any reform should be pro-poor – if it is to succeed – by being widely accepted and universally beneficial.

A new website During the year, the Institute launched an independent website www.rgics.org which is horizontally linked to RGF’s website (www.rgfindia.com). The site is, as of now, a work-in-progress. Since 1993, the Institute has produced many research reports, working papers and hosted internationally renowned persons to deliver the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Lectures.

Its publications number nearly 200, are now being converted into digital form to offer on the website as downloads. Depending upon the feedback received, the website will be revised and made fully operational by the end of the year 2008-09.

Institute carried out the following two studies: Implications of SPS and TBT agreements on access to health The study was funded by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and World Health Organization. The report is likely to be published in 2008-09 as a working paper after obtaining approval from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

The role of Indian diaspora in transforming India into a knowledge society The study was carried out independently as preliminary research to form a basis for an extensive study to be carried out next year. A proposal for extensive study was submitted to the Government of India.

Economic Reforms The focus of research is on issues emerging from pursuing the path of economic reforms with a human touch. In the past, the Institute carried out studies on issues like, economic reforms for the poor, agenda for governance, poverty alleviation, Index of Economic Freedom, affirmative action, etc.

Some achievements in the During the year, the Institute mandated areas during the year are carried out following studies: as follows: Drawing a level playing field for wire winding manufacturing in International Economic Relations The focus of research is on issues India emerging from the World Trade This study was funded by the Wire Organization and its implications Winding Manufacturers Associaon the Indian industry. In the past, tion. Based on this study, the the Institute carried out various Association made their submisstudies on trade-related issues, like sions to the Ministry of Finance. non-tariff barriers, intellectual The study highlighted the weakproperty rights, free trade area, ness of the current tariff policy on TBT & SPS measures, environ- Copper and suggested appropriate ment, etc. During the year, the policy measures.

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Economic Freedom Index for the States of India The study was carried out by the Institute in association with a senior faculty member from the Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi University, and funded by the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung. This study covered 20 states of India and analysed various policy initiatives for improving the business environment in the respective states.

Intellectual Capital in India: Contribution of States The study was funded by the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung. This work is first of its kind to make an assesment of intellectual capital contribution made by the states of India. This was carried out on the basis of state’s human capital, structured capital and relational capital.

Seminar in progress

of Regulatory Institutions in India” was also organized during the year.

The focus of research was on the process of law making in India.

This project was funded by the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung. This work will be published in 2008The last two projects have been 2009. carried out to ascertain the agenda for third generation reforms, Information Technology which are essentially targeted at The focus of research is IT as an enabling tool for development. In the states of India. the past, the Institute carried out research studies on issues like, eLaw Reforms Law reforms complement commerce, e-governance, IT for economic reforms. The focus of rural India, status of e-readiness of our research has been on states, etc.

sentatives and organizing Task Force on Panchayati Raj’s meetings. Since 2004-05, the Institute included some research components in its list of activities in this field. The focus of research was on energizing panchayats through markets. Besides, the current focus of research was on devolution of funds, functions and functionaries, systemic improvement in State Finance Commissions, etc.

identifying areas of law reforms that are required to complement the process of economic reforms in India. In the past, the Institute has carried out studies on subjects like access to justice to poor, access to justice to women, exit provisions for the small-scale sector, bankruptcy law, administrative laws in Delhi, etc.

During the year, the Institute carried out a study on “Tribal welfare through panchayats: The experience of PESA in Orissa”.

This work was carried out inThe Institute has developed in- house and has been published. house capabilities to carry out research studies on issues related NEW RGICS INITIATIVES IN to IT for development. During the 2007-08 year, the Institute carried out a research project on “IT for the 1. RGICS Post-doctoral Fellowship Masses-II”, which was an This programme was launched to extension of the project carried out broaden the research agenda of the in 2006.

Institute on the advice of the

During the year, the Institute carried out work on regulatory reforms. A national seminar “Slumbering Shepherds: The State

Panchayati Raj In the past, the focus of work on Panchayati Raj was essentially on capacity building of elected repre-

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RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

Research Advisory Council.

During the year, the Institute carried out a rigorous selection process and the identification of post-doctoral fellows for academic

year 2008-09. The RGICS set up five post-doctoral fellowships in the following areas: 1. Employment and Employability 2. Regulatory Reforms 3. Affirmative Action 4. Rehabilitation and Resettlement for Infrastructure Projects 5. Threat of Naxalism The Institute received 30 research proposals from all over India in the above mentioned areas. However, the Institute decided to grant postdoctoral fellowship for 2008-09 in two areas, viz. (1) Employment and employability and (1) Rehabilitation and resettlement.

For other areas, the research proposals lacked policy content.

Major RGICS Projects/Activities during 2007-08 Area/topic

Associates

IT for the Masses-II

Jointly with FNSt

Process of Law Making in India

Jointly with FNSt

Economic Freedom of States in India*

Jointly with FNSt

Intellectual Capital: Contribution of States

Jointly with FNSt

Implications of WTO agreements on SPS & TBT on access to health

Jointly with Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

Drawing a level Playing Field: Wire Winding Manufacturing in India

Jointly with Wire Winding Manufacturers Association

Perception Study on India & China

Work under India-China Programme

Women in Panchayats

Jointly with Government of Ireland

Technology transfer from R&D institutions to industry in India and China

Work under India-China Program

Work with schools*

Jointly with UNDP

*Annual research activities of the Institute.

2. India-China Studies The RGICS had received a grant of USD 3,00,000 from the nese and perception of China 3. Dr. Mahbub ul Haq Inter-school Government of China. It was Debate among Indians decided that efforts should be 2. Technology transfer from R&D The Institute in association with made to build a corpus of USD 1 institutions to industry in India the UNDP, has been organizing this million by seeking financial school debate since 1998. This and China assistance from Government of India and industry.

Delegates with HE Mr. Zhang Yan, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China

The interest earnings from the USD One Million corpus will be utilized for funding India-China studies and other programmes. The Institute approached the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Commerce and Industry for financial assistance equivalent to Chinese grant. The Ministry of External Affairs has kindly given their consent for a matching grant.

During the year the Institute carried out the following two research studies, namely: 1. Perception of India among ChiRAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

53

year, the debate was extended to cover the entire South Asian region.

The theme of the 10th Dr. Mahbub ul Haq Memorial Inter-school Debate was Climate Change. The debate was organized in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The winning team from each country was invited to participate in the SAARC final held on 3rd December 2007 at Delhi.

His Excellency Sh. M. Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India, gave away the prizes. The SAARC Trophy was awarded to the team from Pakistan and the Runners-Up trophy was awarded to the Indian team. Individual awards, viz., best speaker for the motion was awarded to Master Prerak Pradhan from Nepal and best speaker against the motion trophy was awarded to Master Mohammed Aseel Hassan from Maldives.

People’s Forum The Institute successfully organized the monthly public debate program “People’s Forum” during the year. This program aims at building active citizenship in Delhi. The Institute provided a platform where citizens can interact with policy makers, politicians and experts on contemporary issues.

Participants of the SAARC Debate

SAARC Inter-school Debate People's Forum

Organising seminars and conferences outside Delhi In 2007, the Institute decided to showcase its research outside Delhi. In this regard, the Institute organized seminars on relevance of economic freedom for development at Chennai and Bhubaneswar.

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RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

Publications during the reporting period Books and Monographs Working Papers in Print Women Rights: Access to Justice, by P. D. Kaushik, Tribal Welfare Through Panchayats: The Experience Bookwell Publishers & Rajiv Gandhi Institute for of PESA in Orissa, by Sujata Ratho.

Contemporary Studies.

Besides these publications, the staff of RGICS Economic Freedom in India & China, by P. D. regularly publishes in journals (both national and Kaushik & Mao Yushi, EFN Network Asia. international) and newspapers. During the year Dr. P. D. Kaushik, Mr. Mohammad Saqib and Mr. D. Reflections - People’s Forum-2007, Rajiv Gandhi Shyam Babu made several contributions by way of Institute for Contemporary Studies & Friedrich participating in policy-oriented debates as well as Naumann Stiftung. media commentary.

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

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RGICS seminars and public events (1st April 2007 - 31st March 2008)

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Event

Date

Other details

People’s Forum “Bhoomiputra vs Migrants: Safeguards or Lost Opportunities?”

April 13, 2007

Jointly with FNSt

People’s Forum “Autonomous Institutions: Really Independent or Government Controlled?”

May 11, 2007

Jointly with FNSt

People’s Forum “Criminal Justice System: Guilty or Not Guilty?”

June 8, 2007

Jointly with FNSt

Conference on “Relevance of Economic Freedom on Development” at Chennai

June 20, 2007

Jointly with FNSt & TFSC

People’s Forum “Sting Operations: Betrayal of Trust or Seeking Truth?”

July 13, 2007

Jointly with FNSt

Conference on “Enabling Health Research in India”

July 21, 2007

Jointly with India Development Foundation

People’s Forum “Road Rage: Blue Line or the Line of Death?”

August 10, 2007

Jointly with FNSt

Panel Discussion on “Economic Freedom in India & China”

September 3, 2007

Jointly with FNSt

People’s Forum “Unsolicited Calls: Need or Nuisance?”

September 14, 2007 Jointly with FNSt

Regional Round of 10th Dr. Mahbub ul Haq Inter-school Debate

September 15, 2007 Jointly with UNDP

Conference on “Slumbering Shepherds- The State of Regulatory Institutions in India”

September 27, 2007 Jointly with FNSt

People’s Forum “Private Healthcare System: Money-Spinner or Service to Humanity?”

October 12, 2007

Jointly with FNSt

Final Round of 10th Dr. Mahbub ul Haq Interschool Debate

October 24, 2007

Jointly with UNDP

People’s Forum “Private Education: A Necessity or Quest for Money?”

November 2, 2007

Jointly with FNSt

SAARC Round of 10th Dr. Mahbub ul Haq Interschool Debate

December 3, 2007

Jointly with UNDP

Conference on “Relevance of Economic Freedom on Development” at Bhubaneswar

December 8, 2007

Jointly with FNSt & SEARCH

People’s Forum “Parliamentary Democracy: Constructive or Destructive?”

December 14, 2007 Jointly with FNSt

Dialogue with a Diplomat: Mr. Zhang Yan, Ambassador of China

March 14, 2008

RGICS

Talk by Hon. Dr. Roche on “Arms control, Non-proliferation and Environment Protection”

March 18, 2008

RGICS

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

RGF in the Media

habit among adults and children, but also contributing to improving the quality of learning in schools�.

The programmes and events of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) have been getting considerable media attention over the years. The Foundation has successfully built up an interactive relationship with the mass media at different levels.

Apart from disbursing the programme messages to the public, the strong media linkage has helped in getting the proper pulse of the beneficiary groups. This has been useful in designing the schemes to suit the genuine needs of the people. The following is a scan of the media response to RGF activities in the past one year:

In its pioneering programme for the welfare and education of children orphaned by terrorism in different parts of the country, the Foundation has given its heart to healing the wounds of innocent victims of senseless violence.

Making Organ Transplantation Benevolent RGF in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare held a national level consultation on Transplantation of Human Organs Act (THOA). The objective was to make the act friendlier to both the organ donor and recipient besides honouring the donor. Various suggestions made by the THOA Review Committee and RGF Task Force on the issue came up for discussion. It covered structure of the authorization committee, definition of organs and tissues, sperm banks, promotion of cadavric organ donation, Organ Retrieval banking Organization (ORBO) and penal provisions to curb illegal trade. Eminent specialists from across the nation attended the meet. They favoured taking the matter ahead with appropriate adjustments. The event and the issue got good coverage in the newspapers and periodicals.

Besides, a group of children with thalassaemic health problem met Mrs Sonia Gandhi at her residence and asked her to make effort to include such afflicted persons in the handicapped category. The 30 children gave 3-point demand to Mrs Gandhi which included provision for cheap drugs and encouraging blood donation among the general population. The affected children need a blood transfusion every one week to 15 days. Thalassaemia is an inherited disease of the blood which usually manifests itself in the first year after birth, and is a life-long disease. The pictures of these children interacting with Mrs Gandhi were carried by several newspapers like Deccan Chronicle, Eenaadu (Hyderabad), DNA (Mumbai) and Metro Now (New Delhi). The event was well covered

by TV channels also.

Promoting Human Development RGF is also engaged in programmes to promote Human Development. Under its Village and Slum Library Programme, the Foundation has established 1,411 libraries in 22 states which include 1,328 Village and 83 Slum Libraries. It has not only helped to improve the quality of education available to children in marginalized communities and expanding the learning capacity of the people, but also established linkages between these libraries and local schools. About this programme, Mrs Gandhi remarked: “Working towards the goal of universal literacy, our 1,411 village and slum libraries are not only helping to inculcate a reading

The universal literacy programme has also paved the way for working with minorities, Dalits and tribals.

It also covers training of Panchayat representatives in improved natural resources management at the local level and the promotion of agricultural innovation in some water harvesting in deficient areas.

Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s message of rededication to the social goals of the human development initiatives were well carried by several newspapers, including the Pioneer and National Herald.

Lifeline Express Major national newspapers, including the Times of India, Indian Express, National Herald and Hindu, carried dispatches on the Lifeline Express. The Lifeline Express train would travel to different parts of the country to give medical assistance to the needy. It is intended to provide modern medical facilities to thousands of needy persons in far away rural and urban settings. It is an initiative launched and managed by the RGF in association with Impact India Foundation.

There is an ophthalmic testing room, a laboratory and an X-ray facility in the train. The coaches were designed and manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory at a cost of Rs 5 crore. The first Lifeline Express launched in 1991 has

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

57

already traveled about 64,000 km Red Ribbon Express and has attended to the medical The Red Ribbon Express is a seven coach hospital type train launched needs of many. by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in association with Remembering Rajiv Gandhi To commemorate the birth the RGF. This multi-activity social anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, mobilization campaign initiative several newspapers, including the for HIV/AIDS awareness will reach Indian Express, Times of India and out to people in over 20 states and Pioneer, brought out special Union Territories, covering a total features and supplements on the distance of 70,000 km. It is the RGF initiatives. The media drive RGF that started a national focused on the initiatives inspired campaign to mainstream the issues

by Rajiv Gandhi for building an related to HIV/AIDS around the India that is modern, an economy idea of the Red Ribbon Express that is strong, and society that is project. The National Aids Control just. As the RGF patron, Mrs Sonia Organization and Nehru Yuva Gandhi, pointed out: “It is not just Kendra Sangathan are part of the what the Foundation does, but initiative. The project is targeted how it does it, that counts”. The specifically at youth groups, Foundation has marshalled its woman/women’s self help groups, scarce resources and used them to adolescent/students communities, achieve outcomes of high quality urban slum dwellers and farmers. to empower women and children, The train, stopping at preencourage water conservation and determined stations, would serve rainwater harvesting, help the as the nodal point for serving and disabled, improve education and accessing a cluster of identified healthcare and extend a helping villages. The Nehru Yuva Kendra hand to some of the most deprived Sangathan would set up Red and marginalized sections of the Ribbon Clubs to back up the awareness programmes. The Red people in the country.

Ribbon Express was flagged off by Smart Parenthood Campaign Mrs Sonia Gandhi in the presence The Smart Parenthood Campaign of Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav, Union being implemented by the RGF Railway Minister. The launch got came into media focus. RGF plans extensive coverage in the mass to give focus on mobile AIDS media, including major counseling services. It was newspapers like the Statesman, conceptualized to foster Times of India, Navbharat Times, behavioural change at the societal Rashtriya Sahara, Jansatta, Asian level by raising awareness, provide Age, Business Standrad, Punjab services like on the spot testing and Kesari, Quami Awaz, Dainik preventive and supportive Jagran and Hindustan Times. The counseling. The services are event was aired by several TV currently available in the slums of channels also. the national capital. The media picked up this aspect of the RGF Assistance to the Differently-Abled initiative. Several newspapers had The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation special write-ups and features on distributed 75 motorized vehicles to physically challenged persons at the topic.

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RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

a function to commemorate the 63rd birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi. Among the beneficiaries were 35 women. In addition, hearing aids were made available to 40 persons with hearing impairment. Mrs Sonia Gandhi handed over these assistive devices to the beneficiaries. This function got very good coverage in a large number of newspapers and periodicals, both nationally and regionally. Many papers published the news with photographs of Mrs Gandhi standing with the beneficiaries with the assistive devices in the background. The prominent among the newspapers that gave coverage to the event were: the Asian Age, Punjab Kesari, Dinaimalar (Tamil), Pioneer, Hindu and National Herald.

RGF Scholarship for Girl Children The Tribune daily gave a report on the RGF scholarship being extended to encourage education of girls belonging to less privileged groups like the Dalits and some Muslim communities. The initiative known as Vidya Gyan scholarship was launched in collaboration with Siva Subramaniya Trust. Girl students of class VI to X are being covered.

10th Dr. Mahabub ul Haq Memorial Inter-school Debate The Indian Express and Jansatta gave good coverage to the 10th Dr. Mahabub ul Haq Memorial Interschool Debate completion for groups of school children from SAARC countries. The programme is organized by the UNDP in association with RGF. Two girl students from Pakistan’s Lahore Grammar School were the winners of the competition this year.

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION PARTNER ORGANISATIONS AND DONORS YEAR 2007 – 2008 LITERACY AND EDUCATION PROJECTS Partner Organisations • Action India, Uttar Pradesh • Action for Integrated Rural & Tribal Development Social Service Society (AIRTDS), Andhra Pradesh • Ahmedabad Study Action Group, Gujarat • Ajit Vyas Foundation, Rajasthan • Anekal Rehabilitation Education and Development Centre (READ), Karnataka • Bal Sahyog, Delhi • Beti Foundation, Uttar Pradesh • Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti, Jharkhand • Centre for Study of Developing Societies-SARAI, New Delhi • Children Emancipation Society (Project Mala, Uttar Pradesh • Creative Learning for Change, New Delhi • CRY, New Delhi • Department of Kashmiri, University of Kashmir, Jammu & Kashmir • Disha, Uttar Pradesh Dr. A.V. Baliga Memorial Educational Trust, Delhi • Ex-Servicemen Welfare Action Committee, Himachal Pradesh • Foundation for Development Research & Action, Uttarakhand • Foundation for Education and Development, Rajasthan • Gramin Vigyan Sewa Sansthan, Rajasthan Gram Vikas, Orissa • Gyan Vigyan Samiti, Assam • Help Foundation, Jammu & Kashmir • Hilda Trust, Kerala • Hum Kisan Tendu Patta Sangrahan Samiti, Rajasthan • Human Aid Society, Jammu & Kashmir

• Indian Council for Child Welfare, Assam • Jan Chetna Manch Bokaro, Jharkhand • Jodo Gyan Educational Services, New Delhi • Kathalaya, Karnataka • Madhar Nala Thondu Niruvanam (MNTN), Tamil Nadu • Mahita, Andhra Pradesh • Majlis, Maharashtra • Manthan Yuva Sansthan, Jharkhand • Model Rural Youth Development Organisation, New Delhi • National Book Trust, New Delhi • Outreach, Karnataka • Pashu Shwachhedan Audyogik Utpadan Sahkari Samiti Ltd, Uttar Pradesh • Pratham Books, Bangalore • Rudra Dheeraj Prashikshan Samiti, Uttar Pradesh • Sahyog Community Coordination Network (CCN), Andhra Pradesh Samanter Sansthan, Rajasthan • Samerth Trust, Gujarat • Samvada, Karnataka SAKAR, Uttar Pradesh • Sainion Ka Sangathan, Uttarakhand • Society for Rural, Urban and Tribal Initiative (SRUTI), New Delhi • Society for Integrated Development Himalayas, Uttarakhand • Street Survivors India, West Bengal Society for All Round Development, Rajasthan • The Kishkinda Trust, Karnataka • Voluntary Association for People Service (VAPS), Tamil Nadu • Unnayan Sansthan, Uttar Pradesh

Vidya Gyan Scholarship Programme • Beti Foundation, Uttar Pradesh • Children Emancipation Society (Project Mala), Uttar Pradesh • Gyan Vigyan Samiti, Uttar Pradesh • Human Welfare Association, Uttar Pradesh • Lok Mitra, Uttar Pradesh • Pashu Shwachhedan Audyogik Utpadan Sahkari Samiti Ltd, Uttar Pradesh • Sabla, Uttar Pradesh • Sahbhagi Shikshan Kendra, Uttar Pradesh • Sewa, Uttar Pradesh • Vision Society, Uttar Pradesh Donors • Directorate of Adult Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India • Good Gifts, U.K. • Mrs. Nargesh Khurshedji Dady Public Charitable Trust • SSN Trust • Mr. K S Srikand

WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS Partner Organisations • AARAMBH, Madhya Pradesh • Aman Public Charitable Trust, New Delhi • Andaman & Nicobar Administration - Directorate of Education - Directorate of Health Services - Directorate of Industries - Directorate of Social Welfare • Ashirwad, Maharashtra • Child Welfare Council of Punjab, Chandigarh • Concern for Humanity, New Delhi

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

59

PARTNER ORGANISATIONS AND DONORS YEAR 2007 – 2008 • CRY, New Delhi • Department of Women & Child Development, Puducherry • District AdministrationBaramulla, Jammu & Kashmir • District AdministrationKupwara, Jammu & Kashmir • District Authorities: - Batala, Punjab - Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh - Kohima, Phek, Tuensang, Zunheboto, Mokokchung,Nagaland - Nalgonda, Andhra Pradesh - Rajouri, Poonch, Jammu & Kashmir - Raipur, Chhattisgarh - Warangal, Andhra Pradesh • Fr. Agnel School, New Delhi • Gram Vikas, Orissa • Home Department, Govt. of Tripura, Tripura • Humana People to People India, New Delhi • Indian Council for Child Welfare, Assam • Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Academy (IGRUA), Uttar Pradesh • Jammu & Kashmir Yateem Trust, Jammu & Kashmir • Khadagdhari Gramin Vikas Sansthan, Bihar • Khwai Social Development Organisation, Manipur • Mahila Prabodhini Foundation, Uttar Pradesh • Mine Labour Protection Campaign (Trust), Rajasthan • Muskan Samajik Utthan Samiti, Uttarakhand • Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust, Uttar Pradesh • Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust, Mumbai • SAMERTH Charitable Trust, Gujarat • Schumacher Centre for Development, New Delhi • Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), Gujarat

60

• Mr. Mohd. Sultan, Coordinator, INTERACT, Jammu and Kashmir • Unnati, Andaman & Nicobar Islands • Volunteers For Village Development, Manipur • Women Development & Child Welfare Department, Andhra Pradesh Donors • Embassy of Luxembourg • J.R.D Tata Trust, Mumbai • Mr. Peshori Lal, Canada • Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India • Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund

NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROJECTS Partner Organisations • Outreach, Bangalore • BAIF Development Research Foundation, Pune Donors • Deutsche Bank • German Technical Corporation (GTZ)

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS Partners-cum-Donors Organisations • Agrisud International, France • Gene campaign, Delhi • Himalayan Action Research Centre (HARC), Uttarakhand

HEALTH PROJECTS Partner Organisations • Adarsh Gram Udyog Samiti, Haryana • AIDS Prevention Society, Assam • All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

• Belaku Trust, Karnataka • FICCI-Socio Economic Development Foundation, New Delhi • Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust, New Delhi • Lala Gela Ram Memorial Dental Clinic, New Delhi • MAMTA-Health Institute for Mother & Child, New Delhi • Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, New Delhi • People’s Health Organisation, Mumbai • Rajbhra Foundation, New Delhi • Voluntary Health Association of India, New Delhi Donors • Dhun Pestonji Parakh Discretionery Trust • GAIL (India) Ltd. • Dr. Sidhartha Mehta

DISABLED PERSON’S WELFARE PROJECTS Partners Organisations • Akshar Trust, Gujarat • Apeejay Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi • Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti, New Delhi • Human Rights Law Network, New Delhi • Impact India Foundation, Maharashtra • INTEGRA Design, New Delhi • Kottapuram Integrated Development Society, Kerala • Mahila Bal Vikas Samiti, M.P • Prince Auto, New Delhi • SAMARTHYA, New Delhi • Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Trust, New Delhi • Score Foundation, New Delhi • SENSTEPS, New Delhi • Society for All Round Development – SARD, New Delhi

PARTNER ORGANISATIONS AND DONORS YEAR 2007 – 2008 Donors • ABN Amro Bank • Aditya Vikram Birla Memorial Trust • Apeejay Trust • Bank of Maharashtra • Bharat Forge Ltd. • Bharti Foundation • GAIL (India) Ltd • Give India • GTL Foundation • Gujarat Ambuja Cements Ltd. • IBM India Private Ltd. • IDBI Bank • Mr. B K Jhawar • Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. • Godrej Industries Ltd. • SRF Ltd • Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. • Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. • OMAXE Ltd. • Patton International Ltd. • Pirojsha Godrej Foundation • Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. • Sona Charitable Trust • State Bank of India • Steel Authority of India Ltd. • Tata Steel Ltd. • The Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corpn. Ltd. • The Indian Hotels Co. Ltd.

MISCELLANEOUS PROJECTS • Cambridge Commonwealth Trust, Cambridge, UK • Rajiv Gandhi (UK) Foundation, UK

GENERAL DONATIONS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Mr. Prakash Chandra Ahluwalia Bharat Forge Ltd. Bharti Foundation BRP Stock Broking Services Pvt. Ltd. Chambal Fertilisers & Chemicals Ltd. Essar Steel Ltd. Fenner (India) Ltd. Mr. Ajay Gupta Hindustan Welfare Trust Hyderabad Industries Ltd. Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust J K Paper Ltd. J K Tyre & Industries Ltd. JSW Steel Ltd. Mr. Amrit Kothari Larsen & Toubro Ltd. Max India Ltd. Dr. L K Mishra R P G Enterprises Reliance Industries Ltd. Sutlej Textiles & Industries Ltd. Dr. B S Somara, MD The Indian Smelting & Refining Co. Ltd. TVS Motor Company Ltd. Unitech Ltd. Wockhardt Ltd. Zuari Industries Ltd.

RGICS Partners and Donors • Asian Paints • Center for Development Research • Dal Trust • European Commission • Federation of Indian Small & Medium Enterprises • Friedrich Naumann Stiftung • Gopuri Trust • Government of Ireland • Government of People’s Republic of China • Himalaya Trust • Indian Empire, New Delhi • Indian Tobacco Company • Management Systems International • Ministry of Environment and Forest • Ministry of Health & Family Welfare • Ministry of Small Scale Industries • Pawai Trust • Sahyadri Trust • Tansa Trust • Tista Trust • Tulsi Trust • United Nations Development Programme • Vaitarna Trust • Vihar Trust • Vindya Trust • Winding Wire Manufacturing Association, New Delhi • World Health Organisation • Wular Trust

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

61

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31.3.2008 BALANCE SHEET AS AT MARCH 31, 2008 31st March Rs. (In million)

LIABILITIES 2008 Rs.

2007 Rs.

General Account

741.23

542.73

Research Account

52.52

52.52

30.00

30.00

—

—

20.00

12.50

—

—

14.94

14.25

—

—

132.85

118.77

—

—

23.56

21.54

CORPUS FUND

EARMARKED DONATIONS General Account Research Account EARMARKED ACCUMULATED FUND General Account Research Account ENDOWMENT FUND (INCLUDING INTEREST) General Account Research Account INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT General Account Research Account CURRENT LIABILITIES General Account Research Account

9.43

9.96

1024.53

802.27

ASSETS FIXED ASSETS General Account Cost Rs.

24.23

Less: Depreciation Rs.

21.15

3.08

3.35

Research Account Cost Rs.

2.32

Less: Depreciation Rs.

2.22

0.10

0.16

*

878.69

659.68

* Includes Mutual Fund at Cost — Rs.

255.78

Market Value — Rs.

261.14 15.27

17.27

General Account

80.81

76.76

Research Account

3.96

2.39

—

—

INVESTMENTS General Account

RESEARCH ACCOUNT Current Assets, Loans & Advances

INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT General Account Research Account

62

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

42.62

42.66

1024.53

802.27

INCOME GENERAL ACCOUNT Rs. (In million) 31st MARCH

Interest from Banks Interest from GOI Bonds/FDs

RESEARCH ACCOUNT Rs. (In million) 31st MARCH

2008 Rs.

2007 Rs.

2008 Rs.

2007 Rs.

2.02

1.37

1.64

1.49

51.13

37.92

——

——

Other Income

0.14

0.17

0.01

0

Profit on sale of Units

7.46

12.75

——

0.02

23.44

11.10

2.00

0.70

Donations Accumulated Fund Written Back Dividend from Mutual Funds Assistance from RGF Profit on sale of Assets

2.50

——

——

——

17.91

17.38

——

——

——

——

3.41

4.17

0

0.02

——

——

104.60

80.71

7.06

6.38

EXPENDITURE

Salaries & Allowances Communication Expenses Honorarium & Professional Fee Vehicle Maintenance & Hire Charges Maintenance Expenses Conferences Expenses General Expenses Presentation/Complimentaries Auditor’s Remuneration Travelling & Conveyance Printing & Stationery Project Expenses * # Expenses Against Accumulated Fund Assistance to RGICS STT Paid Depreciation Prior Period Adjustments Loss of Interest on premature withdrawal Loss on Sale of Assets Excess of Income Over Expenditure # Supplemented by external grants * Excludes Project advances

GENERAL ACCOUNT Rs. (In million) 31st MARCH

RESEARCH ACCOUNT Rs. (In million) 31st MARCH

2008 Rs.

2007 Rs.

2008 Rs.

2007 Rs.

8.89 0.48 0.03 0.32 2.96 0.51 0.13 0.02 0.06 0.43 0.19 59.67 2.50 3.41 0.04 0.64 0.01 — 0.22

7.30 0.36 0.07 0.31 2.60 0.57 0.16 0.13 0.06 0.18 0.17 39.65 — 4.17 0.15 0.76 — 0.39 —

2.53 0.23 0.38 0.12 2.21 — 0.03 — 0.06 0 0.21 1.20 — — — 0.04 — — 0.02

2.10 0.16 0.28 0.12 1.87 — 0.06 — 0.06 0 0.20 1.45 — — — 0.06 — — —

80.51

57.03

7.03

6.36

24.08

23.70

0.04

0.03

104.59

80.73

7.07

6.39

7.35

5.85

2.19

2.33

Rs. 11.83 million Rs. 14.88 million (Previous Year) RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

63

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION RAJIV GANDHI INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY STUDIES April 2007 – March 2008 Secretary Dr. Gyanendra D. Badgaiyan - Ms. Nisha Bhadran Private Secretary (from 3/3/2008) Secretary-General Mr. Manmohan Malhoutra (upto 31/12/2007) - Ms. Sherly John Private Secretary (upto 29/2/2008) Registrar Mr. S.S. Sharma Mr. P Sampath Kumar Programme Director

Mr. Shiba Khan (upto 31/8/2007) Mr. Om Prakash (upto 31/8/2007) Ms. Anju Sharma Stenographer Mr. Ranjit Kumar Singh Office Assistant Education & Literacy Unit Ms. Shweta Verma Assistant Programme Officer Mr. Arshe Alam Programme Assistant

Media Unit

- Ms. Kavita Sharma Personal Assistant

Mr. D. Krishna Rao Media Adviser

Mr. Sachin Paul Programme Assistant

Mr. Sourabh Kishor Dubey Archives Assistant

Ms. Prameela P.K. Receptionist-cum-Telephone Operator

Mr. Sandeep Kumar Office Assistant (upto 31/7/2007) Natural Resource Management and S&T Unit

Woman & Child Development Unit Ms. Surabhi Sircar Senior Programme Officer Programme Assistants Ms. K.P. Sujatha Mr. Atanu Ghosh Ms. Richa Joshi (upto 14/2/2008) Mr. Vinod Sharma Office Assistant Disabled Persons’ Welfare Unit and Health Unit Ms. Shahnaz Akhtar Senior Programme Officer Mr. Sidharth Dutta Assistant Programme Officer (upto 31/8/2007) Programme Assistants Mr. Parmanand Bhatt Ms. Shazia Qadir Wani (upto 2/5/2007)

64

Mr. Pradeep Kumar Khandelwal Field Assistant (Accounts) Finance Unit Ms. Geetha Nair Senior Accounts Officer Assistant Accounts Officers Mr. Aji Kumar M.P. Mr. V. V. Ramachandran Computer Unit

Ms. Neelam Sharma Office Assistant

Mr. S.V. Pillai OSD

Ms. Laxmi Clerk

Field Officers Mr. Faiq Aziz Alvi Mr. Siman Hansdak (upto 28/7/2007) Mr. Ranveer Singh

Mr. Ajay Gupta Manager (upto 11/5/2007) Mr. Prabhat Kumar Mishra Manager (upto 7/9/2007) Mr. Tauqueer Ahsan Khan Programme Assistant Mr. Basant Kumar Office Assistant Project Staff at Jaipur & Dausa Mr. Kuldip Singh Project Coordinator Ms. Aparna Dass Project Manager Mr. Ajay Kumar Pandey Project Manager (upto 14/11/2007)

RAJIV GANDHI FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008

Computer Programmers Mr. Ajay Sharma Mr. Saurendra Krishna Gupta RGICS Dr. P.D. Kaushik Associate Director Fellows Mr. Mohammed Saqib Mr. D. Shyam Babu Dr. Sujatha Ratho (upto 19/9/2007) Post Doctoral Fellowship Mr. Rahul Ramagundam Ms. Amba Pande Mr. Niranjan Chichuan Research Associate Research Assistants Ms. Divya Singh Ms. Nayanee Basu Mr. Prashant Kumar (upto 14/2/2008) Mr. Rajesh Kumar Verma Clerk Support Staff Mr. Jagmohan Mr. Surinder Pal Mr. Suresh Pal Mr. Narender Singh Mr. Kasim Raza Mr. Madan Lal Mr. Suresh Prakash Mr. S.P. Singh Mr. Vinod Kumar Verma