Staff Reporter – The Hindu HYDERABAD:, MAY 17, 2013
The bio-toilet costs about Rs.80,000 apiece and uses uses bacteria to decompose night soil. Authorities plan to install 200 of them in Padmavathi, Ajanta and other trains
After conducting a successful trial run of using bio-toilets in 17 coaches of Hyderabad-Mumbai and Kacheguda-Bangalore Express trains, the South Central Railway (SCR) has now decided to install 200 bio-toilets in a few more trains very shortly.
Bacterial decomposition
Developed by Railway Research and Standard Organisation (RDSO) and Defence Research Development Establishment (DRDE), a bio-toilet, has six compartments and uses Inoculums (bacteria) to decompose night soil.
The night soil from commode enters into the bio-tank, where the inoculums are stored and gets decomposed by the bacteria. The decomposed human soil will next enter into chlorine tank and to get purified. Finally, the out put will be water and gas, said SCR spokesperson.
Onerous task of hygiene
Maintaining cleanliness at railway stations, especially the tracks at stations is always a task. Conventional toilets in trains discharge night soil onto the track, causing unhygienic conditions and corrosion to track and coach fittings, he said.
But with simple design and easier installation in coaches, these bio-toilets help in ensuring zero discharge of night soil on the tracks. SCR had commenced a trail run of using these bio toilets in Hyderabad-Mumbai and Kacheguda-Bangalore Express trains in January and it was found beneficial, he informed.
Each bio-toilet costs about Rs.80,000 and authorities are planning to install 200 of them in Padmavathi, Ajanta and other trains in a few months, he explained.
Bio-toilets with provision to replenish inoculums and chlorine are easy to maintain.
However, these toilets would get choked, if passengers dump bottles, plastic carry bags, cups, napkins etc into it via commode. It would choke the toilet, making it unusable, he added.
The following article written by DR BHAGWAN D AGGARWAL, a biomedical scientist and a healthcare industry consultant with significant international experiences at pharmaceutical consulting companies and global research institutions, published in dailyO on 4th June is perfect picture of today R&D scenario of India.
We are daily witnessing such worth of 1000 of crores scientific instruments purchasing not based on utility, but their higher prices – because higher price gets more “commission” and exhaust the budget. If GOI investigate sincerely, then only one organization DRDO can fetch 50000 crores rupees instruments which are lying idly without any use in more than 50 labs.
I’m a scientist. I returned from US to find why India can’t become a superpower
It is high time not just to make additional policies and regulations, but to disrupt the prevailing complacency, harassment and corruption.
DR BHAGWAN D AGGARWAL – 4th June 2017, daily O
India is still lagging behind in scientific research by every metric of productivity and quality.
No doubt, investment and salaries have increased significantly in research in recent years, but still not sufficient to make an impact.
The prevalent dismissal working conditions, harassment and gross mismanagement that I experienced, could be the main reasons.I would like share my experiences.
I returned to India in 2009 after working for eight years in the US, and three years in Europe at some of the best research institutions and universities such as the University of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson University, ICGEB (Trieste, Italy).
I published several papers in the best peer-reviewed journals. Though, my salary in India was meager, I was happy to return and contribute.
I tried very hard to fit in at my institute and the organisation to deliver my best in research, teaching and training activities, but unfortunately, I did not get any support from anyone in my endeavors.
I was working in a national institute of occupational health but, ironically, the working conditions were dangerous and unhealthy. For instance, carcinogen-laden UV helmet was unmarked that I used unknowingly for months, open and unsecured blood contaminated and bio-hazardous waste.
The lab facilities such as culture lab was locked for weeks and the imaging microscope was locked for years. Even my office cabin was locked for years and I was forced to use a small instrument lab (for PCR and molecular biology) as my office. I did not get my requested instruments (basic and low cost) for four years. I was denied PhD guideship, though I had several peer-reviewed research publications, PhD from JNU, New Delhi (the premier university of India) and 10 years of research experience at the best institutions.
Many times, the scientific instruments are purchased, not based on utility, but their higher prices – because higher price gets more “commission”
I was denied an opportunity to present my research at the Gordon Conference even though my paper was accepted with financial assistance, and my applications for collaboration were delayed and denied.
I faced many hurdles from the administration such as no account of expenditure was provided after repeated requests. And when I tried to organise workshops or training seminars, I was forced to deal with petty issues.
I raised all these issues to the highest level (from the director of the institute to the director-general of my organisation) but no action followed. Only the harassment continued.
Still, I kept trying for almost five years, but only to get more stressed and frustrated.
At last, I resigned but my resignation was labelled as “conditional” and I was subjected to further harassment by sham investigations and inquiries and, at one point, I was intimated to surrender my passport.
My job applications to other government agencies were blocked to cause serious damage to my career and my research. I feel betrayed by the system back home.
Finally, I left the country and came back to the US.
I may not be the only one, there may be many more who returned to India and got their talent wasted and might be feeling the same way as I do.
Although, I worked in one of the most stressful and unhealthy work environments in my research career, but still I had some satisfaction of training and educating young minds and delivering lectures.
In hindsight, I think it was the students’ affection and their keen desire to learn which kept me motivated during those five years. I witnessed the worst management with no accountability and pathetic apathy.
This might be the case in most of the institutions barring only few. Many times, the scientific instruments are purchased, not based on utility, but their higher prices – because higher price gets more “commission”.
Less than 10 per cent of the instruments are ever utilised with less than 1 per cent instruments’ lifetime use time, especially for expensive equipment (Rs 5,000,000 (about US $80,000) or above).
The prevalent mismanagement, corruption and stressful and unhealthy work-environment are wasting the talent and scarce resources of a poor country and bleeding the science.
I believe whatever small percentage of the GDP India is spending on science, most of it is a waste.
Mismanagement and stressful work environment discourage any scientist or researcher to do any meaningful and quality research.
Most of the top leadership of research institutes /organisations such as directors, director-generals, vice-chancellors are appointed in their mid-50s (55+) who worked (tolerated) in the same system for 20-30 years.
This type of leadership is complacence and they are afraid to take any risk, which could jeopardise retirement or post-retirement career.
Institutions do not have any transparency, accountability and/or established grievance resolution process. Notoriously delayed justice (of 15-20 years) through judicial courts is only encouraging this practice.
Policies and regulations do not work in absence of good people to implement and enforce. It is high time for India, not just to make additional policies or regulations, but to disrupt the prevailing complacency and culture of mismanagement, harassment and corruption in institutions by recruiting the best scientists in their mid-40s from outside of institutions, as leaders with “animal spirit” (as Dr Manmohan Singh, former prime minister, used to refer to).
These young leaders can take risks to challenge the complacency and change the prevailing culture of corruption and harassment in institutions to bring the much-needed “disruptions” to boost productivity and quality of research in a country of billions.
A special CBI court on Monday sentenced a former defence estate officer (DEO), Pune Circle, to two-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) for accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from a retired chartered account who wanted his son’s name entered on government land records in 2009.
Special judge (CBI) Sudhakar Yarlagadda also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Nadikattu Srinivasa Reddy (51), a resident of Pune Camp.
The case was investigated by CBI inspectors N M Parab and Alok Sinha. Special Public Prosecutors Vivek Saxena and Ayyub Pathan examined 10 witnesses to prove the charges against the accused. Retired chartered accountant Shapoor Homi Irani, a resident of Kondhwa Road, had lodged a complaint.
As per Irani’s complaint, Reddy had demanded Rs 5 lakh to enter his son’s name with respect to their two bungalows on Castellino Road in the Camp area.
Following his mother’s death, Irani had filed an application in February 2009 seeking mutation entry of the bungalows in favor of his son Bahram. However, the process was delayed and Irani met Reddy who asked for bribe on October 6, 2009. Irani lodged a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), CBI, Pune. A verification of the bribe demand made by Reddy before witnesses revealed he had asked Irani to pay Rs 3 lakh as the first installment and Rs 2 lakh later. The conversation was also recorded for evidence.
CBI officials, who had laid a trap near Reddy’s office-cum-residence on Rajendra Sinhji Road, caught him receiving bribe red-handed from Irani.
A case was registered against Reddy under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. A search at his residence had led to the recovery of about Rs 3.67 lakh in cash, documents of immovable properties owned by him and wife, a locker key, gold and silver ornaments worth over Rs 10 lakh and investment certificates of over Rs 4 lakh.
By Anantha Krishnan M | ENS – BANGALORE 01st June 2013 12:33 PM – THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESSThe Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) new boss Dr Avinash Chander has put India’s fighter jet project Tejas on his radar, with a possible mission to jettison it out of the current turbulence. In an interview to Express on Friday, soon after New Delhi officially handed over the mandate to pilot DRDO for the next three years, Avinash said that completing the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) of Tejas by September this year and attaining the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) by the end of 2014, are two primary targets he has already set. “After finishing the taking over formalities, I am catching the first available flight to Bangalore to review the project. I am absolutely aware of the issues that are dogging the project and I would now want to see it from close quarters, what the delays are. The Tejas’ IOC and FOC cannot be postponed any further,” said Avinash, who will also double up as the Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister. He said the induction of India’s long-range ballistic missile Agni-V and development of 155-mm gun are other projects that would get his immediate attention. Saying that his task is cut out with many projects reeling under time overruns, Avinash promised to turn around DRDO into a delivery-oriented unit. “There are grey areas still, despite our efforts to stick to the deadline. We are lagging behind in directive energy systems such as high-energy electro-magnetic lasers. We also need to gear up on the materials front,” said the missile scientist. We have proven our abilities with multiple missile programmes and we need to emulate the same in other projects as well,” said the 62-and-a-half-year-old DRDO chief. He said DRDO will be restructured to catch up with the challenges of modern times. “I will take everything one step at a time. I am aware that we need to create the ‘Brand DRDO’ image,” he said It will be a collective team effort. The idea is to take DRDO to the next level. I will ensure that the confidence of users in DRDO will be always high, Avinash said. Incidentally, Avinash will be the second man after former president Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, who will serve as the DRDO chief beyond 65 years.
Appeal to clean DRDO of corrupt and anti-national officials
