Article 49 -O

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This is an e-mail that has come to me as part of a forward. But it means a lot.

“It’s important that all citizens of this country should be aware of this provision in our constitution.

Did you know that there is a system in our constitution, as per the 1969 act, in section “49-O” that a person can go to the polling booth, confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey the to the presiding election officer that he doesn’t want to vote anyone!

Why should you go and say “I VOTE NOBODY”… because, in a ward, if a candidate wins, say by 123 votes, and that particular ward has received “49-O” votes more than 123, then that polling will be cancelled and will have to be re-polled. Not only that, but the candidature of the contestants will be removed and they cannot contest the re-polling, since people had already expressed their decision on them. This would bring fear into parties and hence look for genuine candidates for their parties for election. This would change the way, of our whole political system… it is seemingly surprising why the election commission has not revealed such a feature to the public….

Please spread this news to as many as you know… Seems to be a wonderful weapon against corrupt parties in India… show your power, expressing your desire not to vote for anybody, is even more powerful than voting… so don’t miss your chance. So either vote, or vote not to vote (vote 49-O) and pass this info on…

Use your voting right for a better INDIA.”

Tourism With A Difference

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India has a special place in “the must visit list” world over. Today it has also become one of the favourite destinations of medical tourism.

The developing concept of health tourism, better known as medical tourism, is a wonderful package deal that takes care of the medical and relaxation needs of people (patients) travelling to India.

They travel all the way to get a knee transplant, undergo a heart surgery, correct their looks with cosmetic surgery or prepare for dental care.

The reasons are simple: India has some of the best hospitals, treatment centres and facilities. Not only this, our infrastructure and technology is at par with the west. Also the treatment provided are cost effective, ensuring critical cases have less waiting time.

For instance, a joint replacement surgery in the US would have cost a stupendous $50,000 while the same could be done for only $8000 in India.

In fact surrogate mothers in India are also a much sought after section as the total cost including the air tickets and hotels for two trips to India (one for the fertilisation and a second to collect the baby) comes to around $25,000, “roughly a third of the typical price in the United States.”

According to a news report, “Reproductive outsourcing is a new but rapidly expanding enterprise in India. Clinics that provide surrogate mothers for foreigners say they have been inundated with requests from the United States and Europe in recent months, as word spreads of India’s combination of skilled medical professionals, relatively liberal laws and low prices.

Commercial surrogacy, which is banned in some European countries and subject to a wide spectrum of regulation in US states, was legalised in India in 2002.”

Thus, with the Israeli gay couple having a baby, by a Mumbai-based surrogate mother, it is clear that medical tourism has solutions for the needy in the west.

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Surrogacy succour for gay couples

Tue, Nov 18 02:15 AM

LESS THAN a year ago, Omer and Yonathan Gher dropped a rose in to the Arabian Sea with a silent prayer, just as a fortune teller had told them to do. The Israeli gay couple’s prayers were answered on Monday as they boarded a flight home with a son in their arms – a month after he was born to a surrogate mother at Mumbai’s Hiranandani Hospital.

“I couldn’t believe my luck when the doctor called from India announcing that we were pregnant,” said Yonathan, 30, a social activist. The gay couple had been living together for seven years and desperately wanted a child, but the laws in Israel did not allow them to adopt or beget one through a surrogate mother.

So they decided to come to India to find a surrogate mother. “There are two options – India and the US,” said Omer, 31, a psychiatrist.

“We chose India because it was cheaper and our money would help a woman here much more than elsewhere.” The Ghers are among numerous gay couples coming India to look for surrogate mothers.

“Last year, India saw the first case of surrogacy to a gay couple from Israel,” said Dr Gautam Allahbadia, IVF consultant who facilitated the procedure. “Since then, we’ve been flooded with similar requests, although we have to turn back some couples because of laws in their countries.

http://www.in.news.yahoo.com

Urban Kids

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Recently Times of India conducted a survey to understand “what works – or doesn’t – for the current crop of urban kids in India.” Here are some interesting observations:


Leisure : 94 per cent kids in urban India spend their leisure watching TV.

And in between the marathon TV sessions, if they were to feel thirsty, 55 per cent kids honestly said they would yell out to their parents to get them a glass of water. At least there is a  30 per cent who does it on their own.

Studies: 82 per cent take tuition.

Health matters: 61 per cent children go out to play.

66 per cent feel they are fit.

64 per cent enjoy ghar ka khana or mom’s cooking.

Friends: 72 per cent kids in major cities have a boy/girlfriend.