Internet neutrality

What is net neutrality?      

When the internet started to take off in 1980s and 1990s, there were no specific rules that asked that internet service providers (ISPs) should follow the same principle. But, mostly because telecom operators were also ISPs, they adhered to the same principle. This principle is known as net neutrality.

 An ISP does not control the traffic that passes its servers. When a web user connects to a website or web service, he or she gets the same speed. Data rate for Youtube videos and Facebook photos is theoretically same. Users can access any legal website or web service without any interference from an ISP.

Net neutrality has enabled a level playing field on the internet. To start a website, you don't need lot of money or connections. Just host your website and you are good to go. If your service is good, it will find favour with web users. 

This has led to creation Google, Facebook, Twitter and countless other services. All of these services had very humble beginnings. They started as a basic websites with modest resources. But they succeeded because net neutrality allowed web users to access these websites in an easy and unhindered way.

What will happen if there is no net neutrality?

If there is no net neutrality, ISPs will have the power (and inclination) to shape internet traffic so that they can derive extra benefit from it. For example, several ISPs believe that they should be allowed to charge companies for services like YouTube and Netflix because these services consume more bandwidth compared to a normal website. Basically, these ISPs want a share in the money that YouTube or Netflix make.

                                                              

Click here to support and here to know the status of net neutrality in India.

Click here to check the video on net neutrality by AIB. 

#SaveTheInternet
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Source: TOI

Corruption in Indian Judiciary

सत्यमेव जयते

"Truth Alone Triumphs" 

One of the most frequently used words in India, corruption signifies a range of things.The sheer number of cases pending in the Indian judicial system (26 million at last count) says it all. Given that, and the number of judges across various states (per lakh of population), the system is rife with delays and inefficiencies -- ideal conditions for middlemen to step in. In the year preceding the survey, 59% of respondents paid bribes to lawyers, 5% to judges, and 30% to court officials.

• WHY PEOPLE PAY BRIBE?

1. Favourable judgement

Recent media reports have shown that it is possible to secure a favourable judegement in a lower court by bribing the judiciary, although the situation radically improves when it comes to the higher courts.

2. Speeding up judgement                                                     

There is a huge backlog of cases in Indian courts which results in delayed judgements. It is quite common for a case to drag on for years. People often have to pay bribes to speed up the process.

3. Other activities                                                                    

A llot of non case related work also falls under the purview of the judiciary. This includes the issual of affidavits, registrations, etc. People often pay bribes to get this work done by a middleman.

4. Obtaining bail

The judge has a lot of discretion in issuing bail; the guidelines governing this are fairly basic. It is possible to secure bail by influencing the judge in some cases.

5. Manipulating witnesses

As some recent high-profile cases have shown, witnesses are manipulated through money or force into giving favourable testimony.

• Suggested Solutions

* Websites and CDs can explain basic law to laymen.

* Court files can be computerized.

 * Video recordings of cout procedings should be maintained.

* Increase number of judicial officers and number of fast track courts.
* Create a vigilance cell for redressal of public grievances.

Worried Gandhi

* Judges must be subject to judicial review.

* Judges must follow a code of conduct.

* A public body must keep an eye on the judicial system.

* An Indian judicial service must be created.

Source : The Hindu 

HUNGER & POVERTY

India Child Hunger: 25 Million Children Suffer From Malnutrition And Starvation

"Six days I would eat, then the next six days I wouldn't eat at all," 9-year-old Roshan tells Al Jazeera. The tiny girl grew up on a diet of 600 calories per day, not even half as much as a child her age should receive.

Across India, millions of children like Roshan suffer from starvation -- making malnutrition more common in the Asian country than in sub-Saharan Africa, Al Jazeera reports. Every second a child under the age of 3 is underfed, according to the network.

World Hunger Facts

• 805 million people – or one in nine people in the world – do not have enough to eat.
• 98% of the world’s undernourished people live in developing countries.
• Where is hunger the worst?
  • Asia: 525.6 million
  • Sub-Saharan Africa: 214 million
  • Latin America and the Caribbean: 37 million

Click here to know 8 ways to fight hunger.

Akshaya Patra

As a non  for profit organisation ,  The akshaya patra foundation works on fighting social issues like hunger and malnutrition. Once the Mid-Day Meal Scheme was mandated centrally by the Government of India in 2003, Akshaya Patra partnered with the Government to serve cooked meals at all Government schools. To be able to work towards tackling classroom hunger in association with the Government on the format of Public Private Parternship was a welcome progression for Akshaya Patra. This Partnership works towards meeting the following objectives:

Increasing school enrolment

Increasing school attendance

Improving socialisation among castes

Addressing malnutrition, and

Women empowerment

http://blog.akshayapatra.org/join-us-online             

#BlogToFeedAChild

Deteriorating childhood - II

While we are busy intensifying our lifestyle, some strive even to fulfill their basic needs. Poverty is what is understood by a lay man as the inability of an individual to meet his needs. Thousands of families are living in abject poverty. This scarcity is a multidimensional concept, which is highly influenced by the factors such as social, economic, environmental and biological components. Poverty can be understood in two sense , one as the cause and other as the consequence of malnutrition. It is evident that a poor man will be incapable to meet his health requirements and this incapacity eventually leads to malnutrition.

                                     
The neediness gets through as the root cause of poverty remains unattended. Education and knowledge can serve a great deal in handling this deprivation and of course active participation of every individual is required in this direction to alleviate the hardship faced by these.                                           

Deteriorating childhood - I

Hunger exists in poor, non-wealthy countries and in rich countries as well. It affects people in big cities, small towns and rural villages. It affects children and adults. Hunger and malnutrition are all around us, but can often be out of attention.

       

Not surprisingly, hunger and malnutrition are most present in poor communities around the world because being poor prevents people from buying or producing healthy food. For this reason, we must stop hunger, be the voice for the poor and hungry and think of smart ways to solve the problem of world hunger so people don’t die simply because they don’t have food.