Life is inconceivable without it.It may be time to bring back the wall calendar! Radha Roy BiswasRadha Roy Biswas works on strategy and public policy, consults occasionally and devotes time to writing and teaching.On walls and tabletops, in homes and offices, in stores, in hospitals and clinics, the calendar was an ubiquitous presence. If you went to a store sometime in late November/December, and you were a regular, the storekeeper would give a big smile and swiftly whip out from under the counter a paper roll held in place with a rubber band, and hand it with a flourish with both hands, saying “Happy New Year!”. The digital calendars on our computers, mobile phones and watches automatically ring in the new year. Some even came with a smaller spiral-bound desktop version, and the more coveted item — the diary. Not all calendars were created equal. But just like the wall clock that ticks away reassuringly in a corner, even though it’s my phone that I keep time with, there’s a gap on a wall or a desk somewhere that I know a good calendar can still fill with style and elan. I can’t remember all of them, but I do recall at some point, China OEM pencil the Tisco calendar became a veritable repository of contemporary Indian art prints.On bark and bone, walls and stone, on cloth and paper, by the moon and the sun, by sowing and reaping and now, in that ephemeral thing we call digital space, we humans have marked and measured time.

Not just that, visiting relatives often asked for and carted away the neatly cut out pages. Certainly none that catches my attention. She returned to India after 15 years in the United States. Much sought after, the diary was a source of contention in the family, going to the elder sibling, if not elders, ostensibly to jot study notes, but sooner or later covered with sketches, doodles, and some very non-academic notes. Tisco calendar? My mother asked, somewhat undiplomatically. Printed on thick, glossy paper, it was an annual treasure that blew all others into backrooms. I particularly remember the one from Tata Steel, or Tisco as it was called then. Husain. Then there were the “God” calendars as we used to call them, with a single colourful picture of a deity, occasionally a classic mother and child image depicting Yashodhara and Krishna, inspired by the iconic paintings of Raja Ravi Verma. Whether it’s been an annus horribilis or a great year, there is that notion that time has passed by and something new lies in wait. My mother chanced upon one while visiting a home in Patna: they had relatives in Jamshedpur and the print was identical to what we had on our walls. Without a calendar planner to carve and break up time into smaller bits, life would be a series of endless events without coherence or significance.

In the following months, out of the fear of fees impositions, the ban seemed to have taken a somewhat successful shape, as polythene bags were hardly seen. “The more we understood the problem, the more aware we became of the entire problem. We don’t realize that more we consume on a regular basis, the more it’s adding to the waste,” says entrepreneur Aditya Ruia, who along with his brother Anuj and friend Akshay Varma founded their start-up Beco that has been rolling out eco-friendly bamboo and corn-starch based lifestyle products, eliminating plastic from their supply chain. “The time to reduce, reuse, and recycle is over, now it’s the time to refuse,” she says, adding that before buying a product, the consumers need to analyse where the product is coming from, what is going into the product, and where does it eventually go?One such group of people had this realization during their beach-clean up the initiative. Since the paper straws cannot be made from the recycled paper, they are in fact detrimental to the environment.During their research, they found out that each household was producing four tonnes of waste per year, and single-use plastic and plastic packaging was causing the most troubles. Abhishek Agrawal, who manages the company, says, “One of the most recent hurdles that have come up because of the ban today is that people are unaware of what packaging should be.

The concept of the plastic ban was to eliminate the plastic to save the environment, and that is something we are very strong upon.Green Endeavours THE ASIAN AGE.Hence, in what is rather a landmark achievement, the group is all set to launch India’s first home-compostable garbage bags that uses cornstarch as the base material. So, if they are anyway buying these products, maybe, at a 10-20 higher percentage, they will opt for greener stuff,” he says.For Rhea Chhabria, the wake-up call came a year before the ban. A year after the state-wide plastic ban, we feature Mumbaikars who have come up with alternatives for single-use plastic products. And so the resolute youngster founded SuckIN straws that use bamboo and steel alternatives for the plastic and paper straws. Industry opens up and everybody sees the opportunity, but we have got a lot of materials in the market that is not food safe. We also felt that the bans were very half-hearted,” delves Aditya. However, he realized that there was a general consensus among the population to seek out for the solutions. Talking about it, Aditya reveals, “What matters most to us is that people want to do good but they are not able to do it at their convenient cost or time.Although, for Pappco Greenware, who are in the business of providing eco-friendly disposable packaging made out of sugarcane for seven years now, the plastic ban was not only poorly implemented but created confusion in the market. It’s almost been a year since the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had quite, empathically, announced a statewide ban on the single-use plastic. The awareness is zero, people have no idea what to buy, they are buying straws that are made from non-food and even very harmful carcinogenic glues and we don’t have the right kind of infrastructure to deal with  these norms. “Once you actually come for one of these events, you realise that there is so much waste.

The footwear designer used to accompany her BMC corporator in various environmental drives across the city. In addition to that, Beco’s range of products includes bamboo based tissue rolls, kitchen rolls, facial towels, toothpicks, and earbuds, among others. We actually use the absolutely dried up edges of the bamboo, so we are not cutting the trunk or hampering the growth process of the bamboo,” explains China OEM paper trimmer manufacturers Rhea.” But to eliminate plastic, alternatives should be provided and studied to understand how it’s actually impacting. But there seems to be a conscious awakening in the lifestyle choices of the individuals and entrepreneurs, who with their innovations and campaigns, truly want to get rid of the plastic menace. However, a year later, the city seemed to have lost the momentum of the plastic ban.The 27-year old seconds the popular opinion that the Maharashtra plastic ban lacked proper implementation, although she goes on to say that as consumers, the onus falls on us to be conscious of our choices. In one such drive, she discovered that paper straws, which were an alternative to the plastic ones, were in fact not an environmentally friendly choice.  “We use Bambusa tulda, which is indigenous to North-eastern India

The bench also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna disposed of the petition filed by opposition parties, including TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, on the issue. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses etc all.The slip appears on a small window for seven seconds and then drops in a box.The top court said its direction was issued keeping in mind confidence of voters and credibility of the electoral process."The ECI shall make all-out efforts to operationalise and implement the directions of the Supreme Court with immediate effect," a Commission spokesperson said. The Election Commission said on Monday it will make all-out efforts to implement the directions of the Supreme Court to increase random matching of EVM results with paper trail machine slips from one polling station per assembly seat to five 'with immediate effect'.A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi also did not agree with the demand of 21 opposition parties that matching of EVM-VVPAT results be done in 50 per cent cases saying it will require huge manpower and will not be feasible in view of infrastructural difficulties. Happy reading.VVPAT: EC says will implement SC directions with immediate effect electric pencil sharpener suppliers The top court said its direction was issued keeping in mind confidence of voters and credibility of the electoral process.

The Supreme Court has directed the poll panel to increase random matching of voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips with electronic voting machine results from one polling station per assembly segment to five, in the seven-phased Lok Sabha polls beginning April 11. The voter cannot take it home. VVPATs are used in all polling stations. Till now, results of EVMs and VVPATs are matched in one polling station per assembly segment.After votes are cast, the polling station where VVPAT slips are matched with EVM results is decided by a draw of lots or lottery system in the presence of candidates. India, Delhi, New Delhi.Voter-verifiable paper audit trail or paper trail machine is a device which dispenses a slip with the symbol of the party for which a person has voted for. The Election Commission said on Monday it will make all-out efforts to implement the directions of the Supreme Court to increase random matching of EVM results with paper trail machine slips from one polling station per assembly seat to five "with immediate effect"

"As an abundant caution and in order to avoid a challenge (in the courts) to amendments on the ground of not having obtained ratification by majority of the states, such ratification could be obtained for the proposed (constitutional) amendment," the working paper said. We were asked to provide the way ahead.It suggested that in case a government fell mid-term, the term of the new government would be for the remaining period "and not for a fresh five-year term".Political parties are divided on the issue."We cannot put the cart before the horse.Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat had a word of caution on simultaneous polls when he recently said that the legal framework required for holding of the two elections together would take a “lot of time” to get ready.He had said once the legal framework is ready, the EC would deliver. We will do that," a functionary said. We have to perform willy-nilly, deliver the election, whatever way prescribed in the law,” he had said.According to the working paper, the second phase of simultaneous polls can take place in 2024.Based on a suggestion made by the Election Commission, the working paper also said that a no-confidence motion against the government should be followed by a confidence motion.

The recommendations of the commission are not binding on the government, but the report will allow an informed debate among political parties and stakeholders, he said. Unless legal framework is in place, we don&custom key box factory39;t have to talk about anything else because legal framework will take a lot of time, making constitutional amendment to (changing) the law, all the process will take time,” he said. CEC OP Rawat had a word of caution on simultaneous polls when he recently said the legal framework required for holding of two elections together would take 'lot of time' to get ready. Logistical issues are subservient to legal framework. States which will come under phase II are Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Delhi and Punjab. Besides NDA constituent Shiromani Akali Dal, the AIADMK, the Samajwadi Party and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti have supported it. Simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state Assemblies can be held in two phases beginning in 2019, provided at least two provisions of the Constitution are amended and ratified by majority of the states, a Law Commission study paper had said in April. “… EC is a creation of the Constitution."We were not asked whether we support it or not. These include Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. This would ensure that if the opposition does not have numbers to form an alternative government, the regime in office cannot be removed. The Congress, the Trinamool Congress, # the Aam Aadmi Party, the DMK, the Telugu Desam Party, the Left parties and the JD(S) have opposed the proposal.The states which are recommended to be covered under phase I are where Assembly polls are due in 2021.Law panel likely to propose legal framework for simultaneous poll this month The commission would recommend amendments to the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act to ensure simultaneous polls.

The document stated that the leader of the majority party be elected prime minister or chief minister by the entire House (Lok Sabha or state Assembly) to ensure stability of the government as well as the Lok Sabha or the Assembly. (Representational Image) New Delhi: The Law Commission is set to recommend a tough legal framework this month to hold Lok Sabha and Assembly polls together, highly placed sources on the panel said on Wednesday.The document proposed amending the Constitution (Articles 83(2) and 172(1) dealing with tenures of Lok Sabha and state Assemblies) and the Representation of the People Act to extend the terms of state legislative Assemblies to effect the move.To hold elections in these states along with Lok Sabha polls, the terms of the Assemblies have to be extended.The commission would recommend amendments to the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act to ensure simultaneous polls

The white paper placed into focus the multiplicity of authorities and recommended the creation of a centralised grievance redressal mechanism, which also has a complaint audit to gauge citizen satisfaction, as well as for various modes of lodging a complaint. While the Indian National Congress (INC) China ODM paper cutter factory has mentioned fire safety in its manifesto, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have not mentioned the topic at all. And yet, a dismal number of all issues i. Among major civic issues under the Corporations, Nuisance due to stray dogs, monkeys, etc. This, is in spite of a total of 3,060 complaints filed in 2015, 2016, and 2017 on fires in houses/buildings.4% (29 issues) raised by Councillors and 10% (59 issues) raised by MLAs were on the water related issues, in 2017.The data procured by Praja reveals that Civil Lines Zone under the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) saw the highest number (51,553) of civic complaints in 2017. Councillors raised issues related to water only “29 times” from April-December 2017, it said. Similarly, just 1 issue has been raised by Councillors in 2015, 2016 and April-December of 2017.

This is not the kind of response one would expect to an official Right to Information (RTI) application seeking basic information such as the number of complaints registered in an official complaint mechanism of a State-run body in India.However, only “59 water-related issues” were raised by MLAs in the Delhi Assembly last year, claims the paper titled — Report on civic issues registered by citizens and deliberations by municipal councillors in ward committees and the MLAs in the Assembly sessions. Even where issue is being raised, the report said, they seem to be poorly prioritised. For instance, in 2017, civic complaints relating to Water such as No water, contamination of water, etc. The Government must show initiative to eradicate these problems for good and bring about policy changes., consisting of 43% (1,65,735) of all civic complaints in Delhi.“Complaints relating to major issues like sewerage, removal of dead animals, contamination of water are also major potential public health hazards.Other issues such as pollution, fire in houses and buildings, storm water drainage problems, nuisance from stray dogs and monkeys, were also raised by citizens but these did not get reflected in the quantum of issues raised by MLAs and municipal councillors, including in 2015 and 2016, the NGO alleged.“Data such as this indicates why elected representatives must constantly pay heed to citizens’ voices. registered the most number of complaints (22,574) in 2017.