Issues like price rise, Maoist violence and problems faced by farmers including sugarcane growers are likely to be raised in the upcoming session of Parliament which promises to be stormy.
A week before the start of the session, Lok Speaker Kumar today convened a meeting here of leaders of all political parties to discuss ways and means to ensure smooth conduct of the session.
"We look forward to a stormy session," she said adding in a lighter vein "otherwise it will get very boring". Ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament beginning November 19 she hoped that issues would be sorted out in the month-long session even if there were "heated discussions".
She was answering questions from reporters after the all party meeting whether she was apprehensive of a stormy session in view of a variety of issues including price rise being planned to be raised by opposition parties.
Kumar said that the "character of democracy" is that different stands are taken by different political parties and those are discussed in the House. She said she has been assured by all parties that they would extend support in smooth running of Parliament. Some members also wanted that Government should ensure a minimum 100 sittings of Parliament in a year. Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal expressed government's readiness for such a move but asked political parties to help it prepare the schedule.
November 12, 2009
Scientists find gene 'switch' linked to speech
Scientists have identified a gene that "switches on" our ability to talk, a landmark findings that may lead to treatments for possible speech conditions such as autism and schizophrenia.
Dr Daniel Geschwind, who led the research team at the University of California, at Los Angeles (UCLA), said the FOX2P gene "appears to act like a light switch, switching on the circuits in the brain associated with learning language".
He said the FOX2P gene had been associated with speech in the past and that people with a mutated or damaged version struggled with learning languages and how to talk.
"Our findings may shed light on why human brains are born with the circuitry for speech and language and chimp brains are not," said Geschwind, whose findings are reported in the science journal Nature.
They discovery was made by comparing versions of the FOX2P gene in humans and our near relative the chimpanzee to see why humans have the ability to speak and they have not.
The team at the American university discovered there were major differences between how the human and chimp versions of FOXP2 work, perhaps explaining why language is unique to humans, the Daily Telegraph said.
Dr Genevieve Konopka, the co-author of the study, said genetic changes between the human and chimp species hold the clues for how our brains developed their capacity for language.
"By pinpointing the genes influenced by FOXP2, we have identified a new set of tools for studying how human speech could be regulated at the molecular level," he was quoted as saying by the British daily.
Dr Daniel Geschwind, who led the research team at the University of California, at Los Angeles (UCLA), said the FOX2P gene "appears to act like a light switch, switching on the circuits in the brain associated with learning language".
He said the FOX2P gene had been associated with speech in the past and that people with a mutated or damaged version struggled with learning languages and how to talk.
"Our findings may shed light on why human brains are born with the circuitry for speech and language and chimp brains are not," said Geschwind, whose findings are reported in the science journal Nature.
They discovery was made by comparing versions of the FOX2P gene in humans and our near relative the chimpanzee to see why humans have the ability to speak and they have not.
The team at the American university discovered there were major differences between how the human and chimp versions of FOXP2 work, perhaps explaining why language is unique to humans, the Daily Telegraph said.
Dr Genevieve Konopka, the co-author of the study, said genetic changes between the human and chimp species hold the clues for how our brains developed their capacity for language.
"By pinpointing the genes influenced by FOXP2, we have identified a new set of tools for studying how human speech could be regulated at the molecular level," he was quoted as saying by the British daily.
Air pollution leads to lower IQ levels among kids: Study
POLLUTION-KIDS
Air pollution can not only affect one's respiratory system, it can lead to lower IQ levels among kids, a new study claims.
According to the study carried out in New York City, five-year-olds who were exposed to higher levels of urban air pollutants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) while in the womb exhibited an IQ four points lower than those subjected to less PAH.
The pollutants also negatively affected their vocabulary and reaction times, the study said.
"Alarmingly, the drop was similar to that seen in exposure to low levels of lead," said epidemiologist Frederica Perera, who led the study.
"These weren't even super impressively high levels of pollution" but the dip in IQ level was enough to affect school performance and scores on standardised tests, Perera said.
Most PAH pollutants -- black carbon and other particulate matter -- come from motor vehicle emissions, especially diesel- and gas-powered cars and trucks, and from the burning of coal.
Perera suggested that by limiting outdoor physical activity on smoggy days and adopting better policies on traffic congestion, we can reduce exposure to toxic chemicals.
Air pollution can not only affect one's respiratory system, it can lead to lower IQ levels among kids, a new study claims.
According to the study carried out in New York City, five-year-olds who were exposed to higher levels of urban air pollutants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) while in the womb exhibited an IQ four points lower than those subjected to less PAH.
The pollutants also negatively affected their vocabulary and reaction times, the study said.
"Alarmingly, the drop was similar to that seen in exposure to low levels of lead," said epidemiologist Frederica Perera, who led the study.
"These weren't even super impressively high levels of pollution" but the dip in IQ level was enough to affect school performance and scores on standardised tests, Perera said.
Most PAH pollutants -- black carbon and other particulate matter -- come from motor vehicle emissions, especially diesel- and gas-powered cars and trucks, and from the burning of coal.
Perera suggested that by limiting outdoor physical activity on smoggy days and adopting better policies on traffic congestion, we can reduce exposure to toxic chemicals.
Eunuchs can indicate sex as 'Other' in electoral rolls: EC
Eunuchs and transsexuals would now be put in the column of 'Other' in the electoral rolls if they do not want to be described as male or female, the Election Commission said today.
A decision to this effect has been taken by the EC following representations from various individuals and interest groups to include the eunuchs in the electoral rolls with an independent identity.
"The Commission has duly considered the request and has decided to allow eunuchs/transsexuals to indicate their sex as 'Other' where they do not want to be described as male or female," the EC said in a press note.
Besides the electoral roll, the decision would apply to all other Forms used by the EC wherein the provisions of indication of sex of the user was made, including IT based formats and website, it said.
Necessary instructions have been issued to all Electoral Registration Officers through the Chief Electoral Officers of all States and Union Territories to give effect to the EC's decision.
Enumerators and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) shall be instructed to indicate the sex of eunuchs/ transsexuals as 'O' if they so desire, while undertaking any house-to-house enumeration or verification of any application, the EC said.
So far, the eunuchs were registered in the electoral rolls either as male or female, on the basis of the statement made by the person concerned.
A decision to this effect has been taken by the EC following representations from various individuals and interest groups to include the eunuchs in the electoral rolls with an independent identity.
"The Commission has duly considered the request and has decided to allow eunuchs/transsexuals to indicate their sex as 'Other' where they do not want to be described as male or female," the EC said in a press note.
Besides the electoral roll, the decision would apply to all other Forms used by the EC wherein the provisions of indication of sex of the user was made, including IT based formats and website, it said.
Necessary instructions have been issued to all Electoral Registration Officers through the Chief Electoral Officers of all States and Union Territories to give effect to the EC's decision.
Enumerators and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) shall be instructed to indicate the sex of eunuchs/ transsexuals as 'O' if they so desire, while undertaking any house-to-house enumeration or verification of any application, the EC said.
So far, the eunuchs were registered in the electoral rolls either as male or female, on the basis of the statement made by the person concerned.
World's most powerful: Obama on top, Osama makes it too
Four Indians, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and fugitive Dawood Ibrahim, have made it to the Forbes list of the world's most powerful people topped by US president Barack Obama. Obama is followed by Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in the Forbes annual rankings that also features world's most wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden.
Among the four Indians, Singh has been ranked highest at 36th position, while the country's top corporate house Reliance Industries' chief Mukesh Ambani finds himself ranked 44th ahead of Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata (59th). Ranked very next to Singh is al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden at 37th place, while Indian underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is at 50th position.
Dawood, head of the infamous 'D-Company', is wanted by India in connection with the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai and has been listed by the US as 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist' for funding al-Qaeda. Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind of 9/11 terror strike on US, too has been eluding US-led multi-national armed forces.
The list also features Dalai Lama at 39th rank and Pope Benedict XVI at 11th place. The Forbes ranking includes total 67 persons from across the world. Among the top-ranked, Obama, Jintao and Putin are followed by US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke (4th) and internet giant Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page joint fifth.
Among the four Indians, Singh has been ranked highest at 36th position, while the country's top corporate house Reliance Industries' chief Mukesh Ambani finds himself ranked 44th ahead of Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata (59th). Ranked very next to Singh is al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden at 37th place, while Indian underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is at 50th position.
Dawood, head of the infamous 'D-Company', is wanted by India in connection with the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai and has been listed by the US as 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist' for funding al-Qaeda. Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind of 9/11 terror strike on US, too has been eluding US-led multi-national armed forces.
The list also features Dalai Lama at 39th rank and Pope Benedict XVI at 11th place. The Forbes ranking includes total 67 persons from across the world. Among the top-ranked, Obama, Jintao and Putin are followed by US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke (4th) and internet giant Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page joint fifth.
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