Mexican Government Scholarships for African/International Students 2016

Application Deadline: Applications for the scholarship will be accepted from 6 June to 23 September 2016. 

Offered annually? Yes

Brief description: Mexican Government Scholarship Program for Foreign Students to study for Bachelors, Masters, PhD degrees

Eligible Field of Study: Scholarships are provided to study any one of the courses available at participating Mexican institutions except Business administration, Plastic surgery, accounting, marketing, dentistry and advertising.

About Scholarship

For decades, the Mexican cultural diplomacy has worked in different successful programs, such as the human capital training through scholarships for academic degrees awarding and research work performing in different areas of knowledge.

The Directorate-General for Educational and Cultural Cooperation, through the Academic Exchange Department, designs and manages the Ministry of Foreign Affairs´ Scholarship Program for Foreigners. The scholarships of the Mexican Government present two programs: the scholarship for academic studies and the scholarship for special programs.

The scholarships for academic studies are offered to take complete programs for Specialization, Master´s or PhD Degrees, and Postgraduate Researches. Likewise, the offer includes academic mobility for Bachelor´s and Postgraduate Degree. On the other hand, the scholarships for special programs are offered to take short-term fellowships addressed to Visiting Professors, Researchers in Mexico´s issues, Media Contributors, Art Production Fellowships, etc.

Scholarship Offered Since: Not specified

Scholarship Type: Scholarships for complete programs for Specialization, Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD Degrees, and Postgraduate Researches including short-term fellowships

Selection Criteria and Eligibility

The scholarships will be awarded on academic excellence.

• The scholarships for academic studies are offered to take complete programs for Specialization, Master’s or PhD Degrees, and Postgraduate Researches. Likewise, the offer includes academic mobility for Bachelor’s and Postgraduate Degree. On the other hand, the scholarships for special programs are offered Preferred to take short-term fellowships addressed to Visiting Professors, Researchers in Mexico’s issues, Media Contributors, Art Production Fellowships, etc.
• Candidates cannot be living in Mexico at the time of application.
• Except in special cases, scholarships cannot begin in November or December.
• Requests for information and all scholarship applications must be submitted to the Mexican embassy or concurrent embassy of the applicant’s country or to the designated Mexican institution. Only applications that fulfill all of the requirements will be considered.
• All documents and forms must be in Spanish or submitted with translations into Spanish.
• Candidates will be informed of the results by the corresponding Mexican embassy or designated Mexican institution.
• The scholarships are not transferable and cannot be deferred to future years.

Number of Scholarships: Several

Value of Scholarship: -Enrollment fees  and tuition
-Health Insurance
-Transportation from Mexico city to the Host Institution
-Monthly Stipend

Duration of Scholarship: Undergraduate and graduate academic mobility programs- one academic term (quarter, trimester or semester)
-Graduate research and postdoctoral fellowships-12 months (1 month minimum)
-Specialization-1 year
-Master’s degree- 2 Years
-Doctorate- 3 years
-Medical specialties and subspecialties- 3 Years

Eligible Countries

Africa: Algeria ,Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Nambia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Saharawi, Arab Rep., Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe

North America: United States, Canada and Canada / Province of Quebec

Latin America: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela)

Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico (Commonwealth), Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago

Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine)

Asia: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Kingdom of China, People’s Rep., India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Democratic Rep., Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Islamic Rep. of Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Kingdom of Timor – Leste, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Socialist Rep. of

Pacific: Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Independent State, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu

Middle East: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestinian National Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen, and

Non-self Governing Territories: American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Guam, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, Tokelau, Turks and Caicos Islands and United States Virgin Islands

To be taken at (country): Mexico

How to Apply

Visit scholarship webpage for details on how to apply and materials

Sponsors: Mexican Government

Important Notes:

Candidates will be informed of the results by the corresponding Mexican embassy or designated Mexican institution.

The United Nations/The Nippon Foundation of Japan Fellowship Programme 2016/2017

Application Deadline for the 2017 Session is 9 September 2016. 

Offered annually? Yes

On 22 April 2004, the United Nations and The Nippon Foundation of Japan concluded a trust fund project agreement to provide capacity-building and human resource development to developing States Parties and non-Parties to UNCLOS through a Fellowship Programme.

The Programme is jointly executed by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) of the Office of Legal Affairs and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). DOALOS serves as the focal point in charge of all substantive elements of the Project. DESA, in its capacity as implementing agency for the Project, is responsible for providing certain administrative services to the Project on behalf of DOALOS.

Scholarship Offered Since: 2004

Who is qualified to apply?

Candidates wishing to be considered for a Fellowship award must ensure that they meet all the following criteria:

–          You must be between the ages of 25 and 40;

–          You must have successfully completed a first university degree, and demonstrate a capacity to undertake independent advanced academic research and study;

–          You must be a mid-level administrator from a national government organ of a developing coastal State, or another government related agency in such a State, which deals directly with ocean affairs issues, and your professional position must allow you to directly assist your nation in the formulation and/or implementation of policy in this area. This includes marine sciences and the science-policy linkage. Your “Nomination and Recommendation Form” should be completed by a Government official who can attest to the nature of your work with respect to the Government’s ocean affairs and law of the sea related activities, and indicate how an Award would directly contribute to these activities; and

–          Your proposed research and study programme must contribute directly to your nation’s formulation and/or implementation of ocean affairs and law of the sea policies and programmes.

By what Criteria is Selection Made?

Satisfaction of the above criteria must be clearly demonstrated by the candidate through the application forms and confirmed by a nominating authority.

Programme Structure

The 9-month Fellowship Programme is composed of two consecutive phases which provide Fellows with advanced and customized research and training opportunities in their chose fields:

–          Phase One: 6-month Advanced Academic Research and Study – undertaken at one of the prestigious participating Host Institutions and under the guidance of subject matter expert(s) who have recognized in-depth expertise in the Fellows’ chosen field of study.

–          Phase Two: 3-month Research and Training – normally undertaken at DOALOS at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Eligible Countries: Open for International Students

How to apply

If you need more Information about this scholarship, kindly visit the Scholarship Webpage

Sponsors: The United Nations and The Nippon Foundation

Fellowship Objective

The objective of the fellowship is to provide opportunities for advanced education and research in the field of ocean affairs and the law of the sea, and related disciplines including marine science in support of management frameworks, to Government officials and other mid-level professionals from developing States, so that they may obtain the necessary knowledge to assist their countries to formulate comprehensive ocean policy and to implement the legal regime set out in UNCLOS and related instruments.

World Bank Paid Internship for Young Graduates 2016/2017

Application Deadline: The Bank Group’s Internship is offered during two seasons, and applications are accepted during the following periods:
Summer Internship (June–September): The application period for the Summer Internship is December 1–January 31 each year.
Winter Internship (December–March): The application period for the Winter Internship is October 1–31.

Offered annually? Yes

Brief description: The World Bank Group, in its effort to provide graduate students practical experience in global development, is offering paid internships for Young Graduates

Priority Fields: This internship typically seeks candidates in the following fields: economics, finance, human development (public health, education, nutrition, population), social science (anthropology, sociology), agriculture, environment, private sector development, as well as other related fields.

About Internship

The World Bank Group Internship offers highly motivated and successful individuals an opportunity to improve their skills while working in a diverse environment. Interns generally find the experience to be rewarding and interesting.

Offered Since: Not specified

Type: Paid Internship

Selection Criteria

Fluency in English is required. Prior relevant work experience, computing skills, as well as knowledge of languages such as French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese, and Chinese are advantageous.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the internship, candidates must possess an undergraduate degree and already be enrolled in a full-time graduate study program (pursuing a Master’s degree or PhD with plans to return to school in a full-time capacity). Generally, successful candidates have completed their first year of graduate studies or are already into their PhD programs.

Number of Positions: Several

Value of Program: The Bank Group pays an hourly salary to all interns and, where applicable, provides an allowance towards travel expenses. Interns are responsible for their own living accommodations.

Duration of Program: A minimum of four weeks

Eligible Countries

To be taken at (country): Most positions are located in Washington, D.C. (some positions are offered in country offices).

How to Apply

This application checklist is meant to facilitate your application experience.

• Ensure that you use either Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, or Internet Explorer 10 or higher as your browser version.
• You will be asked to register for an account and provide an email address.
• You must complete your application in a single session and will be able to submit it only if you have uploaded all the required documents and answered all the questions (all questions marked with an asterisk-*- are mandatory).
• Provide the most current contact information.
• Ensure that you have correctly spelled out your email address, since this will be the main channel of communication with you regarding your candidacy.
• Remember to enter your complete phone number (country code + city code + number).
• Please attach the following documents (mandatory) before submitting:
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Statement of Interest
  • Proof of Enrollment in a graduate degree

Note: Each file should not exceed 5 MB, and should be in one of the following formats: .doc, .docx, or .pdf

Once you submit your application, you will not be able to make any further changes/updates. All applications MUST be submitted online. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Visit program webpage to apply

Sponsors: World Bank Group

2016 Agip Scholarships for Undergraduate Nigerian Students

Application Deadline: Closing date for receipt of e-applications is strictly Midnight, June 27th, 2016.

Brief description: The Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited is offering Agip 2016/2017 Tertiary Institutions Scholarship Awards Scheme for Undergraduate Nigerian 100 level Students

Accepted Subject Areas?

Only candidates studying Engineering, Geology, Agricultural sciences and Geosciences are eligible for the National Merit Award.

For the Host Community merit Award (for students from Bayelsa, Delta, Imo and Rivers states) other fields of study may be considered.

About Scholarship

Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited (NAOC) Joint Venture in pursuance of its Community Development Programme invites suitably qualified candidates for its 2014/2015 Tertiary Institutions Scholarship Awards Scheme.

Categories of Awards

• Host Communities Merit Award: For applicants strictly from NAOC host communities
• National Merit Award: For applicants from non-host communities

 Scholarship Offered Since: Not specified

Scholarship Type: Agip Scholarships for Undergraduate Nigerian Students

Eligibility

To qualify for consideration, applicants MUST be:

• Registered Full TIME undergraduates in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions
• Certified 100 level students at the time of application

NOTE: The following categories of students should NOT apply:

• 200 level students and above
• Current beneficiaries of similar awards from other companies and agencies
• Dependants of employees of NAOC, AENR and NAE

Number of Scholarships: Several

What are the benefits? Monetary financial aid

Duration of Scholarship: As determined by the sponsor

Eligible Countries: Nigerian Students

To be taken at (country): Nigerian tertiary institutions

Application Deadline: application is open from February 9 to close receipt of e-application on March 9, 2015.

Offered annually? Yes

How to Apply

1. Before you start this application, ensure you have clear scanned copies of the following documents

• Passport photograph with white background not more than 3 months old (450px by 450px not more than 200kb)
• School ID card
• O’Level Certificate
• Admission letter
• Birth certificate
• Proof of Local Government Area of Origin
• Letter from Community Paramount Ruler
• Letter from CDC Chairman
• JAMB Result

2. Ensure the documents are named according to what they represent to avoid mixing up documents during upload

3. Ensure you attach the appropriate documents when asked to upload

4. Ensure to provide valid Email and Phone Contact for effective communication

For further information on how to apply for this scholarship, visit the scholarship application page – scholastica.ng/schemes/naocscholarships

Sponsors: Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited (NAOC), Operator of the NNPC/NAOC/Phillips Joint Venture

Important Notes: Please ensure you understand the Instructions carefully before you start application to avoid errors and disqualification. The aptitude test will take place at designated centres to be communicated to applicants at a later date and candidates are to fully bear the cost of transportation to and from Aptitude test centre.

Microsoft Research Graduate Women’s Scholarships, 2016/2017 USA

Application Deadline: October 16 2016. 

Offered annually? Yes

Scholarship Name: Microsoft Research Graduate Women’s Scholarship

Brief description: The Microsoft Research Graduate Women’s  Scholarship for international PhD Students in the field of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or Mathematics, USA  2016/2017

Accepted Subject Areas?

Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics (or related)

About the Scholarship

The Microsoft Research Graduate Women’s Scholarship is a one-year scholarship program for outstanding women graduate students and is designed to help increase the number of women pursuing a PhD. This program supports women in the second year of their graduate studies. Women who are interested in this scholarship must apply during first year of graduate studies. Scholarships are granted by Microsoft Research at the discretion of Microsoft.

Scholarship Offered Since:  Not specified

Scholarship Type: Full PhD women scholarships

Who is qualified to apply?

• Nominees for the Microsoft Research Graduate Women’s Scholarship Program must be nominated by their universities, and their nominations must be confirmed by the office of the chair of the department. Direct applications from students are not accepted.
• Student must attend a U.S. or Canadian university and be enrolled as a full-time graduate student in the Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or Mathematics departments (if your department is within the scope of these areas, but is titled differently, you are eligible).
• Students must be enrolled in their first year in a graduate program in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or Mathematics for academic year 2014–2015. If a student has already completed graduate-level coursework in any subject area, prior to their first year in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or Mathematics, then the student is not eligible for the Scholarship program.
• A maximum of three applicants per department, per university will be accepted. A total of nine applicants total per university will be allowed.
• Payment of the scholarship awards, as described above, is made directly to the university. The recipient must remain enrolled in a graduate program during the 2015–2016 academic year or forfeit the award.

Participating universities

The following United States universities are participants in the Microsoft Research Women’s Fellowship in the 2016–2017 academic year:

• Carnegie Mellon University
• Cornell University
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Stanford University
• University of California at Berkeley
• University of Illinois, at Urbana Champaign
• University of Texas at Austin
• University of Washington

Number of Scholarships: Not specified however, in past years, a total of nine applicants total per university was allowed.

Scholarship Benefits

• The scholarship recipient award includes US$20,000 for the 2016–2017 academic year.
• $18,000 of the fellowship will be applied toward tuition costs, and $2,000 will be allocated toward travel allowance and fees for attending a conference in the fellowship recipient’s field of study.

How long will sponsorship last? One year

Eligible Countries: Scholarship is Open for International Students

To be taken at (country): USA

How to Apply

• Interested candidates who are pursuing, or plan to pursue, a PhD at one of these universities and are interested in applying to receive the Microsoft Research Women’s Fellowship, should contact the department chair in their field of study.
• Applications must include: Applicant’s curriculum vitae, a copy of the student’s undergraduate transcript, and three (3) letters of reference from established researchers familiar with the applicant’s research. Of these letters, one (1) letter of recommendation should come from the student’s graduate advisor, one (1) letter of recommendation should come from the student’s undergraduate advisor or another academic familiar with the student’s undergraduate work, and one (1) letter should come from another academic within the nominating institution.\
• Applications are accepted only when submitted via the online application tool by eligible university department chairs or their designee (students may not apply directly). Emailed or hard copy applications are not considered.

Visit the Scholarship Webpage

Sponsor: Microsoft

AGIP Postgraduate Scholarships in Nigeria & Overseas 2016/2017

Application Deadline: Application closes Midnight 29th June, 2016. | Offered annually? Yes

Eligible Countries: Nigeria

To be taken at (country): Nigerian and Overseas higher institutions

Brief description: Nigerian AGIP Exploration Limited Operator of the NNPC/NAE/Oando PSC Is Offering 2016/2017 Postgraduate Scholarship Award Scheme for graduate students to study in Nigeria and Overseas.

Eligible Field of Study

Only candidates with offer of admission in disciplines related to the following areas should apply;

• Geosciences
• Engineering (Petroleum, Civil, Structural, Mechanical, Sub Sea, Electrical, Marine, Chemical)
• Petroleum Economics
• Oil and Gas Law

About Scholarship

Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited (NAE), on behalf of the NNPC/NAE/OANDO PSC, is committed to the training and development of manpower as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.

In pursuance of this, NAE invites applications from suitably qualified and interested Nigerian graduates for the 2014/2015 Post Graduate Scholarship Award Scheme. The award is in two categories – Nigerian and Overseas.

Scholarship Offered Since: Not specified

Scholarship Type: Masters scholarships

Selection and Eligibility Criteria 

To qualify, applicants MUST:

1. Possess a minimum of Second Class Upper Bachelors degree from a recognized Nigerian University.
2. Must have secured admission into a Nigerian or Overseas University (based on the category being applied for) for a one year Master’s Degree programme in any of the disciplines listed below.
3. Not above 28 years of age by 31 December 2016.
4. Have completed the one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.

Number of Scholarships: Several

Value of Scholarship: Not specified

Duration of Scholarship: for the period of study

How to Apply

Before you start this application

1. Ensure you have clear scanned copies of the following documents:

• Passport photograph (with white background not more than 3 months old)
• Valid ID card
• Proof of provisional admission into any reputable university
• First Degree Certificate
• Birth Certificate
• NYSC Certificate

2. Ensure you label these scanned documents accordingly, to avoid mixing up documents during upload.

3. Ensure you attach the appropriate documents when asked to upload.

Go to www.scholastica.ng/schemes/naescholarships to apply

Sponsors: Nigerian AGIP Exploration Limited

Important Notes:

• Shortlisted candidates will be required to take an aptitude test on the 21st of June 2014.
• Successful candidates will be contacted with details of the qualifying test via SMS text and email.
• Strict compliance with above guidelines is required
• Employees of NAE and other affiliate companies and their dependants are not eligible for this scholarship.

Why Maradona and Pelé are Wrong About Messi

Cesar Chelala

During an appearance at a Euro 2016 event, Diego Maradona talked with Brazilian soccer legend Pelé. When Pelé asked Maradona if he knew Lionel Messi -widely considered the best soccer player in the world- Maradona’s response was nothing short of shocking, “He’s a really good person but he has no personality. He lacks the character to be a leader,” said Maradona about Messi.

Pelé then continued, “Ah, I get it, he’s not like we were back in the days. In the ‘70s, we [Brazil] had really good players like Rivellino, Gerson, Tostao.” Pelé, who together with Maradona and Messi constitute soccer’s Holy Trinity of the best three players in the history of the game, thus offered a candid assessment of the fact that most of the time he played he also had other excellent players in his team. This hasn’t always been the case for both Maradona and Messi.

However, both Maradona and Pelé are wrong in their assessment of Messi. Anybody who says that Messi has no personality hasn’t seen the last game in which he participated, Argentina vs. Panamá, when Messi did a stupendous hat trick that showed, as if it were necessary, why he is the best player in the world today. And with a personality of its own: that of a humble, perfectionist player adored by fans from all over the world.

I cannot help but think that both Pelé and Maradona comments about Messi are the result of sour grapes. After all, until Messi started playing, they were considered the two best players in the world, a place they now had to share with Messi. And while Messi isn’t annoyed by the comparison with Maradona and Pelé, both of these players seem resentful of Messi.

The recent game between Argentina and Panama was vintage Messi. At the game in Chicago, 53,885 fans were there to watch Messi, many among them wearing Argentina’s famed striped jersey with the same name and number 10 in the back: Messi, 10. No explanation was needed.

There was an air of expectation in the crowd, particularly because of a lower back injury during a friendly game between Argentina and against Honduras, there was no certainty that Messi would be able to play. However, to everybody’s surprise and under a deafening roar from the crowd Messi came to play, exactly 61 minutes from the beginning of the game, and he didn’t disappoint. Every time he touched the ball the crowd cheered.

He scored an easy goal in the 68^th minute, followed by another goal from a free kick from the right side in the 78^th minute to end with a hat trick in the 87^th minute. By any measure, his free kick goal was as if he had a measuring tape in his eyes. The ball went up and descended with jewelers’ precision in the right top part of the net, Panama’s goalie all but defeated.  Two minutes later, Argentina’s Sergio Aguero scored the last goal of the game for Argentina.

What made this game unusual is that after each of Messi’s goals even the Panamanian fans cheered him. As Argentina’s coach said, “When Messi came in, things were taken care of.” This was an opinion shared by Panama’s coach Hernán Darío Gomez who, talking about Messi, said with a mixture of sorrow and admiration, “He’s a monster.”

Any comparison among the three players is unfair, since they played in different eras with different styles of playing. One can say that today athletes are more complete and the game is played at a faster pace. One thing is certain, however. The three of them are superb players with different styles but with the same passion for the most popular sport in the world. They are soccer’s Holy Trinity.

Genetically MODIfied Babies In Gujarat?

Shobha Aggarwal & P.S. Sahni

“If there are two daughters born in the home, and the third child born is also a daughter, then she is told, now I want a son, so get another wife. Even if the fault is with the man, the entire burden of the fault is on the woman’s head, and so our government and I have decided that for all such problems, there should be a special hospital, where families can come and there would be research on why, for what reason, back-to-back daughters are born… there are some families that have two sons and the home wants a daughter…”

“…There are physically deformed children being born and miscarriages that are stressful. I keep listening to these stories. But today, there is technology. I can assure you that this can be treated in the womb… All such women who are pregnant… families who give birth to speech- and hearing-impaired and physically challenged children… On the one hand, there will be a hospital where such mothers can go… and by sonography they can be treated, and on the other hand there can be research on such families to find out what is the reason behind this? Whose DNA should be changed to get rid of these problems? Therefore in this year’s budget, a woman and child care hospital will be ready in Ahmedabad in eight months which will solve these problems.” (emphasis provided)

- Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat, India told a MahilaSammelan in PaviJetpur in ChhotaUdepur on the occasion of Gujarat Foundation Day.
(Indian Express, May1, 2016)

Genetically modified babies in Gujarat? That’s a bombshell! There has been neither any national debate on the issue; nor any consultation with stake-holders; Parliament is being by-passed as no corresponding law on the subject has been enacted;the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is taken by surprise;so too, the Indian Medical Association of allopathic doctors. No scientific-ethical studies have been undertaken before going ahead with genetically modified babies. With just one country (U.K.) in the whole world having legislated on this issue in 2015, is India being projected as the second country to start genetic modification of babies. Is this part of Make in India policy? There is deathly silence of the so called national press on the issue; there are no op-ed articles or editorials in major national English language dailies.

A duly elected Chief Minister of a State swearing by the Indian Constitution ought to follow a policy whereby boys and girls are treated equally. It should not be the business of the government to enter the bedrooms of citizens and ensure birth of a boy (or rarely girl) in a family! Let Nature perform its role. On the other hand equal respect should be accorded to couples who opt not to have a child or are infertile. The cause of infertility lies in the female (1/3rd cases), male (1/3rd cases) and both male and female in the remaining 1/3rd of the cases. It should be the duty of the government to hammer the point so that there is no blame-game within the family. As females have XX chromosomes and the males have XY chromosomes, it is the Male Y chromosome that is responsible for the gender of the foetus and women are not to be blamed. Such information needs to be widely and publicly disseminated. This is the job of the State government. Besides, adoption should be encouraged amongst infertile couples, LGBTQ community and single people.

If – as the Chief Minister of Gujarat has expressed – the services of the medical establishment are used to ensure a couple gets a son after one or two daughters, then the bias against the girl-child is all too patent. There is no need to expend resources to diagnose why couples continue to have daughters only. This, anyway, cannot be part of state policy.In any case as per the 2001 census report there were 920 females to 1000 males in Gujarat; this was brought down to 919 females to 1000 males as per 2011 census report. Of course both the figures are less than the national average of 940 females to 1000 males as per 2011 census report. The concern should be to have more females. The Chief Minister of Gujarat has cleverly talked of a situation where a couple desperately wants to have a girl after one or two boys. This is an exceptional/isolated case. It has been juxtaposed in her publicly aired comments to hide the real purpose of ensuring a boy is born after one or two girls – which strengthens the stigma against the girl-child.

In the early 1980’s the ICMR – the apex medical body for conducting medical research – started amniocentesis and ultrasonography (USG) tests on pregnant women to detect congenital defects/anomalies in the foetus. The side-effect of this project was the emergence of large scale, unregulated use of USG on a commercial basis to detect the gender of the foetus; of course female foetuses got aborted. Around 0.7 million cases of female foeticide occur annually in India!So much for the hum-bug of detection of congenital anomalies in the foetuses!

Earlier during the Internal Emergency period 1975-77 under the then Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi a programme of population control through vasectomy emerged as the brain child of Sanjay Gandhi – the son of the PM and an extra-constitutional body. Millions of forcible vasectomies were performed; even un-married or very old men were operated upon. Michael Egnor in his post ‘The Inconvenient Truth About Population Control, Part 2; Science Czar John Holdren's Endorsement of Involuntary Sterilization’ writes:

“The Indian sterilization program, based on principles that Holdren explicitly endorsed in his textbook, sterilized 8 million people -- 6.2 million men and 2 million women against their will. There were 1,774 deaths due to botched sterilization procedures, according to the government's own statistics. Strong legal penalties were instituted against people who resisted, including denial of irrigation water to farmers, denial of food rations, electricity, and medical care. The principle of the Indian socialist government's sterilization program was, "Who refuses sterilization shall not eat." Popular outrage at the population control atrocities played a major role in the fall of the government in elections in 1977, and it continues to play a significant role in Indian politics to this day.

Dr. Holdren, who is now President Obama's top science advisor, explicitly endorsed the Indian government's forced sterilization of millions of men.”

Lessons from history of eugenics

Hitler was to some extent inspired by forced sterilization program of California – which by 1933 was in the forefront amongst all other U.S. states combined in undertaking maximum number of forceful sterilizations. The Nazis targeted prisoners, dissidents, physically disabled persons, deaf and blind, and homosexuals. Over four hundred thousand people were forcibly sterilized; and more than three hundred thousand killed under a euthanasia program. Nazi Germany had enacted the ‘Law for the Protection of Hereditarily Diseases Offspring’ on July 14, 1933. Under this law the duly constituted Genetic Health Court could decide if a citizen suffered from a genetic disorder – the vast majority of which were not even genetic – and to forcibly sterilize such a citizen. The financial support of the Rockefeller foundation and the technological inputs of Dehomag – a subsidiary of IBM in that period of history – is well documented. Once the Nuremberg laws were passed in 1935, it was mandatory for marriage partners to get tested to exclude hereditary diseases. All this was undertaken to ensure the alleged purity of the Aryan race.

A progressive section of western scientists and thinkers have lately drawn attention to the following significant facts, observation and opinions:

i. Genetically modified crops/animals already exist; but in the large number of trials that failed, the results of the unwanted crops/animals could just be thrown away without much ethical consideration.

ii. The uncertainty which genetic modification involves – prevention of one genetic disease may trigger another one.

iii. The importance of environmental influence on health deserves to be addressed; once the environmental factors are improved the DNA would function in the best possible ways.

iv. For a stable community, diseases and variability in a population are a must as emphasized by Thomas Malthus in the eighteenth century. While presently the research is reportedly confined to genetically modifying the mitochondrial DNA, but sooner rather than later the nuclear DNA would also be subjected to manipulation. This would in the long run lead to crash of human population.

The state of Gujarat stands completely polarized along religious lines. One of the most violent anti-reservation stir took place there in the early 1980s. The anti-Muslim pogrom of 2002 has been compared to genocide of Muslims. If the socio-political environment is suffused with biases and hatred towards the subordinate castes and religious minorities and people are at tenterhooks all the while, the chance of infants being born with congenital anomalies, as also still-births and abortions is increased. True, the genetic factors are important. The Gujarat government should ensure peace and tranquility; treat all citizens as equal; provide security to the vulnerable sections of society. The plan to have a hospital for genetically modifying babies in Gujarat should be shelved.

In India the caste-system actually translates to a primitive eugenic concept. Even the political leaders, who were in the fore-front of movement against the British rulers, were wary of dismantling the caste-system. There is no reason why present-day politicians should be allowed to get genetic modification program operational in India. Instead inter-caste, inter-religion, inter-racial marriages should be encouraged to have a healthy genetic pool in the general population.

Australia’s east coast hit by devastating storms

Eric Ludlow

Intense storms, which began in Queensland on June 4 and swept south along Australia’s east coast over the next three days, killed five people, flooded hundreds of homes and destroyed basic infrastructure in parts of Queensland, New South Wales (NSW), the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania.

Major cities impacted included Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Launceston with thousands advised to evacuate their homes. At least, five bodies—three in NSW and one each in Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory—have been found by search and rescue officers. Three people are missing, believed to have been killed.

While the total cost of damage caused to residences, farming and public infrastructure, including roads and bridges, has not been released it is expected to be well over $100 million.

Many farms—from banana plantations to dairy, beef and sheep properties—suffered major damage. One banana grower in northern NSW, for example, lost 70 percent of his crop. Flooding has also killed hundreds of livestock in NSW and Tasmania.

In Brisbane, the Queensland capital, dozens of roads were closed due to the heavy rain. Canberra and nearby towns recorded their wettest June day on record while parts of NSW experienced over 400mm of rain. In Sydney, winds were over 100km/hour, causing havoc on airport runways and to the city’s transport systems. Waves, recorded at over 12 metres high, caused severe damage to several coastal suburbs.

In Tasmania, over a hundred roads were blocked by flooding and damaged bridges. The state-owned TasPorts reported that freight and cruise vessels’ shipping lanes were affected by debris and damaged boats in rivers.

The state’s second largest city, Launceston, was placed on high alert with warnings that flooding could reach one-in-100-year levels. State emergency services in NSW and Tasmania called on thousands of residents to leave areas at risk. For many this was simply impossible with roads subject to flooding, power outages and many public transport systems suspended.

Emergency response units were spread thin across the affected areas with hundreds of flood victims rescued by under-resourced services. NSW State Emergency Services Commissioner Phil Campbell said that call rates were at “around 50 to 100 per hour” during and in the aftermath of the storm on June 5.

One of the areas hit hardest in NSW was Collaroy, on Sydney’s northern beaches, where heavy seas eroded up to 50 metres of beachfront and damaged numerous homes. Local residents have been calling for a protective sea wall for several years. NSW Liberal Party Premier Mike Baird told the media that if a sea wall was to be built, residents would have to “make a contribution.”

In a federal election campaign dominated by widespread disaffection and hostility to the entire political establishment, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Labor opposition leader Bill Shorten seized the opportunity to express sympathy for the victims of the storms. However, successive Coalition and Labor governments, state and federal, are responsible for the lack of emergency services and preventative measures as well as the overall rundown of infrastructure that exacerbates the impact of such disasters.

Baird joined Turnbull on a visit to storm-ravaged Picton, 80 kilometres south-west of Sydney and voiced concern for those affected. But government disaster relief for storm victims is a pittance. Under joint federal and state Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements those who have lost their homes and belongings will only receive $200 per adult and $100 per child or a total of no more than $750 per family.

Baird, Turnbull and Shorten have fostered the illusion that the insurance companies can be pressed to assist the victims. Echoing these sentiments, Michael Keenan, the federal justice minister, told ABC radio on Wednesday: “The government would expect the insurance companies will fulfil their obligation to people.”

The insurance companies have made clear, however, that damage caused by storm surges and coastal flooding was frequently not covered by insurance. Insurance Council of Australia spokesman Campbell Fuller told the media that “many insurers don’t cover actions of the sea. It’s a very common exclusion.”

Insurance Australia Group (IAG), the country’s largest insurer, said it had 10,000 of the over 19,000 claims already lodged. The company’s share prices increased this week when it announced its market share in Tasmania was low and that other storm damage claims would not heavily impact on the company’s bottom line.

Last weekend’s storm occurred when a low-pressure trough developed into an intense low-pressure system known as an “east coast low.” While these occur several times every year the severity of the June 4–6 storms was produced by the coupling of the east coast low with a king tide. King tides (unusually high tides) are predictable events that arise naturally and periodically with highest instances being recorded both around Christmas and in the cooler winter months of June–August.

Ian Turner, Water Research Laboratory director at the University of NSW, told the media that the storms were “a harbinger of what’s to come.” Climate change, he said, “is not only raising the oceans and threatening foreshores, but making our coastlines much more vulnerable to storm damage. What are king high tides today will be the norm within decades.”

Turner warned that although the Water Research Laboratory had collected valuable data on “coastal variability” over many decades it only applied to “a 500 km stretch of southeastern Australia.”

“There are very different coasts across the country exposed to very different conditions, and we just don’t have the observational data we need to make predictions with any great confidence… For that, we need a national approach.”

But even this attitude is limited. The problem of climate change is global by its very nature. Without internationally coordinated efforts to curb the problem, nothing can be resolved. And the problem, at its core, is the capitalist profit-system, where only the most profitable endeavours are pursued.

Under the current system, humanity is coming face-to-face with a future in which the events of last weekend on Australia’s east coast will become more commonplace, affect more lives and put our future existence on this planet at risk.