Over 3 thousand HIV-positive cases detected in Assam

In Indian state Assam, over three thousand persons have been detected as HIV-positive, whereas it is estimated that thousands of others carrying the virus are yet to be detected.

As the State is gearing up to observe the World AIDS Day on Tuesday, with the theme of ‘Universal access and human rights’, a strong need is being felt for HIV/AIDS prevention through large-scale awareness.

AIR correspondent reports, the north-eastern states of Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland continue to register an increase in HIV cases, primarily due to a high incidence of injectible drug use among the youth.

The region has been declared one of the country’s high-risk zones, with close to one lakh people infected with HIV.

The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has already put three north-eastern states – Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram in the high-prevalence category. Manipur alone accounts for almost 71% of AIDS cases in the region.

According to UNAIDS’ executive director in India Dr Peter Piot, Northeast India is an exceptional region. Hence it needs an exceptional strategy to combat the HIV/AIDS problem.

All three states share borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh and experts believe the region’s proximity to drug hubs such as Laos, Myanmar and Thailand makes the youth here more vulnerable to drug addiction and AIDS.

AIDS knows no borders and the northeast exemplifies it. Besides, the growing number of AIDS cases detected amongst security personnel deployed in the northeast was also cause for concern.

Anti-Naxal offensive to be intelligence-based: Chidambarm

The Home Minister Mr. P Chidambarm has said, the upcoming multi-state coordinated offensive against the Naxals will be intelligence-based. He asserted that the forces will have to adopt the tactics implemented by them while tackling militancy and insurgency in other parts of the country. Speaking at the 44th Raising Day celebrations of the Border Security Force in New Delhi, Mr. Chidambaram expressed the hope that the BSF will hone the skills and tactics that were developed by it during the anti-militancy and counter-insurgency operations and adopt to the new conditions that they will face in the Naxal-affected areas.

The Home Minister said the security forces have to show great sensitivity and maturity in conducting operations in left-wing extremism hit areas. Hinting at the infiltration bids from across Pakistan, Mr. Chidambaram said though the force was doing a good job, one cannot afford to reduce the level of vigil and alertness. Hailing the role of the BSF he cautioned that the level of vigilance and alertness cannot be reduced under any circumstances. AIR correspondent adds that the BSG guards a total of 6,623 kms of the Indo-Pak (western side) and Indo-Bangla (eastern side) of the border. Speaking on the occasion the BSF Director General Mr. Raman Srivastava said the force is modernising its equipment and procuring early warning devices for better border management and security.

India to fill up backlog in reserved vacancies for persons with disabilities

Government has decided to fill up the backlog in reserved vacancies for persons with disabilities. The Ministry of Personnel has asked various ministries and departments to complete the task by the middle of next year. Setting a target for the entire process, the Ministry of Personnel said various ministries and departments will issue instructions to all appointing authorities in this regard by December four. All ministries and departments have been asked to monitor the drive and review its progress from time to time as the government has to file a report to the Supreme Court in this regard. A detailed plan of action has been chalked out by the government to fill up the vacancies existing as on November 15 this year.

Probe into water contamination at Indian nuclear Plant

The Government today said that an inquiry into the malevolent act is already in progress and answers will be found soon. Minister of state for science and technology Prithviraj Chavan said, it was not a nuclear leakage accident, not even a nuclear incident, and not even question of anything going wrong in the process of the nuclear power plant. Mr. Chavan said, even if it was an act of a disgruntled individual, that has to be seen and an inquiry is already in progress.

India and Canada agree on civil nuclear deal

India today reached a civil nuclear agreement with Canada. The agreement was firmed up during a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his counterpart Stephen Harper on the sidelines of Commonwealth Summit in Port of Spain. Canada has become the eighth country with which India has reached civil nuclear agreement since the NSG lifted a 34-year-old ban on India to join global nuclear trade in September last year. The other countries with which India has already signed the civil nuclear deal are the US, France, Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Argentina and Namibia.

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