EDITORIAL/ OPINION Devastation of Forests-an alarming situation
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he devastation of forests in the world as a whole has resulted in global warming which, in turn has confronted the world with massive earth quakes, Tsunamis’, floods, wild fires and other natural calamities. The global warming has made the environment so imbalanced that the existence of mankind has become subservient to the nature’s fury. In Jammu & Kashmir the illegal felling of forest cover and its irrational exploitation has brought the state at the brink of becoming a cold desert. Tremendous decrease in the forest cover is gradually turning the soil unfertile and the environment inconducive to human living. It is for many years now that the valley has not had enough snowfall and rains. The whole winter goes with the little or no snowfall at all and the whole summer passes without sufficient rainfall. The glaciers at higher ridges are melting day by day and the water resources are drying up. The water level has gone down considerably and the availability of clean drinking water is becoming a scarcity with every passing day. It is due to the illegal felling that the whole forest belt spreading from Gulmarg to Yousmarg, from Yousmarg to Pir Panchal and from there to Pahalgam is decreasing and with this decrease the imbalance in the environment is going upwards and creating many fold difficulties for the survival of the human beings and forest life. It is really unfortunate that the forest department, Police, The environment branch of the state government and the other governmental agencies are either hand in glove with the elements mainly responsible for forest devastation or they shut their eyes deliberately for the reasons which are obviously beneficial for them. Despite the repeated claims and announcements for forest policy, there seems to be none which can be used as an effective tool to curb the forest elimination. The governmental apathy, the unending greed of exploiters, smugglers and the undue support extended to them by the official agencies have paved an easy way for extraction of lacs of cubic feet of timber from the forest of the state annually. If this trend is not stopped, time is not far when the paradise on earth will become a hell on earth and which will be cropless, plantless, waterless and barren and consequently life less.
Daily
Zabarwan Times
Srinagar, Sunday 02 February 2014
Bi-centenary of the Indian Museum, Kolkata O On 2nd February 1814, Dr. Nathanial Wallich, a Danish Botanist wrote a letter to the Asiatic Society advocating Sir William Jones’s idea of the establishment of a museum which led ultimately to the establishment of Indian Museum. This date is considered as the foundation day of the Museum. During these 200 years the Indian Museum, considered as the first National Museum in India has expanded to become the largest repository of the Nation’s cultural and national heritage.
History
The history of the origin and the growth of the Indian Museum is one of the remarkable events in the history of India. Sir William Jones, one of the profound scholars devoted his life to the service of India, founded Asiatic Society in 1784. The ultimate goal of its foundation was to establish a learning centre for the enrichment of art and culture of the geographical limits of Asia. In 1796 the members of the Asiatic Society realized an idea of establishing a museum at a suitable place for the reception and preservation of the objects. Dr. Nathanial Wallich, a Danish Botanist located in Calcutta, proposed to the Council of the Asiatic Society on 2nd February 1814 for the foundation of a museum at the premises of the Society. He offered
not only to act as Honorary Curator of the proposed museum but also to supply the duplicates from his old valuable collection. His proposal was readily accepted by the members of the Society. Thus a museum, under the guidance of Dr. Nathanial Wallich was established in 1814 at the cradle of the Asiatic Society. The date 2nd February, on which Nathaniel Wallich mooted the idea of the Museum which finally led to the establishment of the Museum, is considered as the foundation day of the Museum. From 1814 to 1878 the Museum was at the Asiatic Society located at 1, Park Street, Kolkata. The Museum which was known in the beginning as the “Asiatic Society Museum” subsequently came to be known as the “Imperial Museum” and later as the “Indian Museum”. It is more familiar by the name “Jaadughar” among the local public. The foundation of the present building of the Indian Museum was laid in 1867 and completed in the year 1875. Soon after the completion of its construction, the Museum was shifted from the Asiatic Society to the present site at Chowringhee Road in the year 1878 and was thrown open to the public with two galleries on 1st April 1878. Later on it was transformed into a multipurpose institution where
multi-disciplinary objects have been displayed in its six sections viz, Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Zoology, Geology and Botany.
Role of Indian Museum
The Indian Museum is the largest museum in India and has rare collections of antiques, armour and ornaments, fossils, skeletons, mummies, and Mughal paintings. It has six sections comprising thirty five galleries of cultural and scientific artifacts namely Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Economic Botany. This multipurpose Institution with multidisciplinary activities has been included as an Institute of national importance in the seventh schedule of the Constitution of India. It currently occupies a resplendent mansion, and exhibits among others: an Egyptian mummy, the Buddhist stupa from Bharhut, the Buddha's ashes, the Ashoka pillar, whose four-lion symbol became the official emblem of the Republic of India, fossil skeletons of prehistoric animals, an art collection, rare antiques, and a collection of meteorites. Apart from its unique collections many modern centres of learning in India such as Anthropological Survey of India, Botanical Survey of India and Zoological Survey of India owe their origin to the Indian
Museum. Archaeological Survey of India and Geological Survey of India worked close with the Museum in their nascent stages and even now their head quarters are in the same campus.
Modernisation
On the occasion of the bi-centenary on 2nd February 2014, the Indian Museum Kolkata, Ministry of Culture, Government of India is undergoing repair, restoration, renovation and upgradation of selected infrastructure in two phases. The modernisation involves different phases of work during 2013-14 and 201415. Bi-centenary on 2nd February 2014 To commemorate its bicentenary, the Prime Minister of India will inaugurate the modernized Indian Museum and release a monograph on the history of 200 years of Indian Museum. To pay tribute to the founder of Indian Museum, Dr. Nathanial Wallich, a memorial lecture will also be delivered by Prof. Romila Thapar on the subject “The Museum: “Thoughts on its Past and Future”. As part of the one year long programme during 2014-15, a large number of activities are planned which include research, gallery development, exhibitions, establishment of new centres,organizing of various seminars, workshops and conferences.
Now Book Railway Tickets on your Mobile without Internet Connection
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he user-friendly SMS based ticketing system which has already been effective since 28th June 2013, is being introduced by the Indian Railways in order to further improve the customer convenience and empower the common man who does not have access to internet and cannot afford to buy smart phones. Since the mobile penetration in India has increased rapidly, this new system will be helpful in enabling booking of tickets by masses themselves. Ticket booking through non-internet based mobile, introduced as a pilot project by Indian Railways Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a Public Sector Undertaking of the Ministry of Railways, will also help Railways in overcoming the menace of touting whereby unsuspecting people are fleeced by such elements. This will particularly be useful for labourers and workers staying away from their home and who have to book tickets for travel to their native place. Inconvenience in booking reserved railway tickets has been a cause of concern for all. In order to facilitate easy access, Indian Railways have been making efforts by expanding the passenger reservation system counters network. The online booking through IRCTC has now grown up to about 45% of total reserved tickets. This has eased the rush at counters to a great extent. While internet access in India is only about 10%, mobiles are now in easy reach and more than 80% people in our country use mobile phones. The key features of ticket booking on mobile are as follow:Railway e-ticket now on mobile • IRCTC introduces for the first time a non-internet based ticketing system that will empower masses even in remote areas to use the omnipresent mobile device to make reservations. • Millions of rail travellers can now use their mobile phones to book tickets in a simple, convenient and secured manner. • It uses simple SMS or menu-based USSD technology which works on all mobile phones and involves no internet and costs very little. • The services can be availed by IRCTC registered users only. Advantages of booking IRCTC tickets via mobile • No need to stand in long queues or log onto the internet. • Simple, reliable and secured. • Accessible to any mobile user. • Very little charges for accessing the service. • Works on all handsets. • Simple user guided menu – book tickets, search for stations, trains, availability. Book your ticket through USSD
USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) based booking for Airtel subscribers* Registration • Register for Airtel money by dialing *400#. • Load cash on this or recharge from any Airtel money outlet. Booking Flow • Dial *400# and select book tickets option. • Select Reservation. • Enter your IRCTC User ID. • Enter the details of ticket (station, train no. date of journey, class etc.). • Enter mPIN for authorizing payment. • Booking confirmation SMS is sent by IRCTC and same can be used during journey along with valid ID proof. • Fare & IRCTC service charges are debited from your Airtel money account. • Charges: No PG Charges. • Agent / IRCTC Service Charges: As applicable Helpline No.: 121 Helpline Email : 121@airtelmoney.in Book your ticket through SMS 1. SMS based booking through 139* Registration • Register your mobile number with IRCTC as well as with your bank. • Bank provides MMID (Mobile Money Identifier) & OTP (one time password) for authorization of payment. (More than 25 banks are providing this facility. For details, visit website: http://www.npci.org.in/bankmember.aspx.) Booking Flow • Send SMS, in the following syntax, to 139 BOOK <TrainNo><FromStn.Code><ToStn.Code> <TravelDate (DDMM)><Class><Passenger-Name><Age><M/F> • You will receive Transaction ID alongwith other details. • Make payment through sending an SMS, in the following syntax, to 139 PAY <Transaction ID as received><IMPS><Your MMID as received from the bank><OTP, your one time password received for this transaction><IRCTCUserID> and your ticket is booked. • Service is available to all mobile subscribers. • SMSes @ Rs 3/- per SMS (2 SMSes are required for each booking). • PG charges Rs 5/- for ticket amount <Rs 5000/ and Rs 10/- for ticket amount > Rs 5000/- (as applicable by bank). • Agent / IRCTC Service Charges: As applicable Helpline No.: 139 Helpline Email : smsticket139@bharatbpo.in 2. SMS based booking through 5676714*
Registration • Register your mobile number with IRCTC as well as with m-wallet (http://www.zipcash. in/user/nlogin.aspx) • Send SMS, to 5676717, in the following syntax START <irctc user Id> for user authentication (first time only) Booking Flow • Send an SMS to 5676714 to book a ticket in the following syntax: BOOK<From stn.code>,<to stn.code>, <DDMMYY>, <Trainno>,<Class>, <passenger name>,<age>,<M/F> • You will receive the Transaction number. • Send the 2nd SMS, for payment, in the following syntax. 1. “PAY <transaction no>, MPAY, <m-PIN>” for authorizing payment through MPAY or 2. “PAY <mobileno>,<mmid>,<amount>, <transaction Id>,<OTP>” for authorizing payment through IMPS. • After payment is made booking confirmation is sent to your mobile. • Charges: No PG Charges. Agent / IRCTC Service Charges: As applicable. SMSes @ Rs 3/- per SMS (2 SMSes are required for each booking). Helpline No. : 8882001001 Helpline Email : support@saarthii.com 3. SMS based booking through BSNL* User should have the following: 1. BSNL SIM card installed. 2. Java enabled mobile phone. 3. Andhra Bank Prepaid card. This is a menu driven application where user has to enter the details asked for in simple step-by-step process to get the ticket. Registration • Install the application. • Select the Register option to get the mPIN. Booking • Click the icon BSNL Prepaid Card • Select Ticketing > Train (IRCTC) • Fill up the journey details such as From stn, To Stn, Train No, DOJ, Class, Quota, passenger details. • Enter the mPIN to get the ticket information. • Charges: No PG Charges. Agent / IRCTC Service Charges: As applicable. SMSes without charges. Helpline No. : +91-8801298038 Helpline Email : bsnl.support@pyrogroup. com *This service will not be available between 0800-1200 hrs. However, the ticket can still be booked using mobile through IRCTC main site www.irctc.co.in
Disclaimer : The contents and comments appearing in any article published in this paper are purely the personal opinion of the writer