Jaipur: The UPA’s mid-day meal programme in Rajasthan is in tatters. The recently released Monitoring Institutions (MIs) report has revealed glaring anomalies in implementation of the scheme with many children in the state not getting any benefits and some actually going hungry.

According to a report, the scheme is not being implemented on a regular basis in some schools in the Pali district. The findings, based on figures between April 2011 and September 2011, were shared recently by the Union HRD ministry.

JAIPUR: Incessant rain threw life completely out of gear in the state capital and other districts. The rain that began as a drizzle soon turned into a fury by Tuesday midnight and claimed 14 lives in the state - eight in the state capital, two each in Jaipur rural, Dholpur and Dausa districts.

The torrential rain in the capital that lasted for two hours, between 12.15 am to 2.30 am, recorded 17 cm, the highest in the past three decades. Last it was on July 23, 1981 when the Pink City had witnessed a rain of 32.6 cm on a single day.

JAIPUR: Underweight newborns are not only common in rural areas but also in big cities of the state. The annual health survey released by the Centre recently said it is common problem of both urban and rural areas.

In Jaipur 31.7% infants have weights less than 2.5kg at birth. Infants born with weight less than 2.5kg were 30% in Jaipur urban area while the figure is 33.9% in Jaipur rural areas.

It seems the state government and the police have met a dead end when it comes to curbing illegal mining. At one level, labourers are getting killed due to poor safety standards or mine collapses. At another level, when the police are asked to pull up socks against the mafia, they themselves are attacked.

On Monday, in Asojai village on the outskirts of Jaipur, one mine worker was killed and three others injured when a portion of a mine collapsed. On the same day, a braveheart policeman was mowed down by mining mafia in Dholpur when he attempted to stop trucks carrying stones.

A police head constable, Mahendra Singh, lost his life on Tuesday in Dholpur when he tried to stop a truck carrying illegal sand from Madhya Pardesh. The truck ran over the gead constable, resulting in his instant death. The incident occurred when two policemen, Mahendra and Virendra, noticed four trucks entering from Madhya Pardesh.

According to police sources, one of the trucks ran over Mahendra Singh and the driver of the truck disappeared after the incident, while three other trucks also sped away from the scene.

Jaipur: Malnutrition among children in Rajasthan has taken ominous proportions. The Hungama (Hunger and Malnutrition) survey carried out recently by Naandi Foundation indicates that the situation in many districts has worsened when compared to what it was about a decade back.

The Hungama Survey, released on Tuesday by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, mentions 10 districts in Rajasthan. These districts are among a sample size of 112 districts in the country.

JAIPUR: Good news trickles in for the migratory birds at the Keoladeo Ghana National Park, which will soon receive about 300 million cubic feet (mcft) water through the Chambal Dholpur-Bharatpur drinking water project. The water is expected to ensure a good season for both the winged visitors and the bird enthusiasts.

Rainfall activity picked up in parts of North India on Thursday, including the Capital, even as three persons died in the region in various rain-related mishaps.

The weatherman has predicted light to moderate showers over the next 24 hours at several places in the region.

Though rain brought down the temperature at many places, surging humidity made life difficult at most places.

Meanwhil

Giving in to reservations voiced by conservationists over the Rajasthan Government

Sunny Sebastian

Endangered Gangetic River Dolphins can be sighted in the river in Dholpur district of Rajasthan
A rare sighting of a Gangetic river dolphin in the Chambal river.