National
Punjab sex ratio up due to changing mindsets: Harsimrat Badal
New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) Both the low sex ratio and child sex ratio in Punjab have improved over the last decade due to to sustained civil society efforts to change the mindset, Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said on Friday.
Inaugurating the One Globe Forum on digital economy, Badal said that besides government efforts, it was the work of the civil society including many NGOs like her own which had succeeded in reversing the alarming decline in sex ratio in the state which was beginning to take on apocalyptic implications.
“There is a bias in our nation in the attitudes towards women, which is reflected in dismal statistics showing that a women is molested every four minutes, raped every 12 minutes and dowry deaths take place at the rate of one every hour,” the minister said.
“Millions of lives are snuffed out at birth,” she said, in a reference to the scourge of female foeticide.
“Looking at trends from schools, colleges, we see that among those who score top marks, 70 per cent are women… Yet still we see very few women in leadership roles in industry, government, politics, for instance, because challenges are much in India,” she added.
The mindset, however, is changing, Badal said, pointing to the fair number of women present at the event.
“Rural India, above all, is changing… Women are going out into the world shedding their past diffidence and fear,” she said, speaking from her own experience of Punjab where rural mothers are encouraging daughters to go longer distances to study if their own villages lack a school.
Declaring that deep rooted cultural attitudes made the issue a difficult one, Badal said that the changing mindset was being reflected on the ground.
“The mindset has started changing. In Punjab, the sex ratio has improved in the last 10 years, although it is still among the worst and a lot needs to be done,” she said.
As per the 2011 Census, Punjab’s sex ratio had gone up to 895, from 876 in 2011, while the child sex ratio had improved to 846, from 798, over the same period.
Badal runs the non-profit Nanhi Chhaan Foundation that works to reverse the adverse gender ratio, on environment protection and to promote inter-faith harmony.
According to the foundation, it “seeks to make an impact for protecting the girl child and for preserving trees by invoking the positive power of faith”.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.