Of news and views

The worlds "youngest" country....and to-be-soon the most populous... if the following news items are true, we have a strength as well as a big challenge waiting..

1. The new UNICEF report says that India is as bad as Ethiopia when it comes to malnutrition.

As per its report (Source NDTV ) :

* India has the highest number of undernourished children in the world at 57 million.

* India has the same rate of malnutrition as Ethiopia with 47 per cent of its children undernourished.

* Nearly 2.1 million children die of malnutrition every year and India accounts for one third of the world's malnourished children.

* This is in stark contrast to Afghanistan that has 39 per cent malnutrition while China has just eight per cent.

-----------------------------

2. 7.5 crore drug addicts in India : survey (source: IBN )

An estimated 7.5 crore Indians are drug addicts and the number is going up significantly, spreading to semi-urban and backward areas, according to official figures.

"Drug and alcohol abuse is becoming an area of concern as this is increasing while traditional moorings, social taboos, emphasis on self-restraint and pervasive control and discipline of the joint family and community are eroding", senior officials of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment said.

------------------------------

Every country has its problems.. we just have to deal with it...

And yes, my tributes to Pramod Mahajan .. I repeat that favorite lines of mine which I posted once before in one of those sanskrit posts as well as is quoted by the former CVC N. Vittal (does it ring a bell ?) in this article

"Amantram aksharam nasti, nasti moolam anaushadam
Ayogyo purusho nasti, yojakah tatra durlabah"

------------------------------

ps: Pic courtesy W.Post . A live volcano in Mexico as captured today