Now lack of toilets costs India a fortune !

By Kishore Barua

I got embarrassed and froze looking at the newspaper report in front of me as I read the headline: “Lack of toilets costs India 54 billion dollars a year: study.”

According to World Bank Report, India loses nearly $54 billion every year due to shoddy hygiene. Open defecation and poor drainage system results in sickness and premature deaths causing significant loss of finances. Tourism also takes a hit as many are concerned about this.

Another shocking fact was that India’s mobile subscribers surpass the number of people who have access to proper sanitation.

The report also said that early deaths and other health-related impacts of inadequate sanitation such as cost of treatment for illnesses such as diarrhoea, malaria and intestinal worms, cost India 38.5 billion dollars. What is more shocking is the health and financial tolls could well have been avoided with simple hygienic practices like handwashing.

Those travelling by the Mumbai Locals everyday can’t escape (can't do without) the sight of seeing people defecatiing in the open and near the tracks. Local trains may be the lifeline of Mumbai, but I am sorry to see tracks bear the brunt of lack of basic sanitation.

As per the reports, health impacts accounting for the bulk of the economic impacts, are followed by the economic losses due to the time spent in obtaining piped water and sanitation facilities, about $15 billion, and about $0.26 billion of potential tourism revenue lost due to India’s reputation for poor sanitation, the report says.

If the numbers are shocking enough; imagine the implications it will have on the Indian economy if we don’t do something about it now.

The Congress party, which came back to power with a handsome majority and gave hopes of better sanitation facilities, now has some serious thinking to do it seems. But will they ever be able to come up with concrete solutions ?

Does anyone care what their children eat in schools ?

By Kohinoor Bhowmik

It is high time our health authorities awakened to realties of nutritional challenges facing our children.

More than 70% of India's kids are undernourished, surveys show. A school-going child in India, as it is the case anywhere, spends a good lot of his/her time in schools. It's in the schools that every kid picks up his lessons.

Not only those from the textbooks but those which may shape his/her future life as well. Food habits and eating manners are of course amongst them. But unfortunately what we see today is very dismal.

If those kids from India's rural heartland relish under-nutritious `mid-day meals' served in their schools, their more urbane counterparts end up bingeing in the endless quagmire of noodles and carbonated drinks.

Schooling age is the one which demands the best nutrition for kids. Nutritional lacunae is considered behind a lot of physical as well mental distress in kids, not to mention frequent bout of illnesses, absenteeism and retarded growth.

While nutrition remains one part of the story, the hygiene -- the most crucial component of health --forms the other. In most cases, kids mess up with everything and one can imagine what sort of a surround they'll be having in schools. And it is there for everyone to see how the food-- the meal for that matter --is being cooked and served in public schools. It's nothing less than dismal in village schools. Simple practices like washing hands and eating freshly cooked food stuffs could themselves more than halve the infections that the children having today!

Though the issue has been raised time and again, no concrete action enacted till date to redress the vexing issue of the nutritional aspects of school kids. It's only a matter of laying out some simple guidelines that are required to be practiced across the schools. Some strictures on the food items served; what to eat and what not to eat at a schools; curbing the so-called ``junk food'' in class rooms etc could set the necessary momentum. If furthered with incorporating simple lessons like the need for washing hands before every meal and why should one avoid junk etc in the curriculum would have helped a long way tackling the problem.

To achieve this, no one needs such impossible legislations or amending the constitution, but simple political will. But who is having the time or will to this end?

Medium for the Masses: How India's Local Newspapers Are Winning Rural Readers

By Jiten Jain

A few years ago, Mohanlal Parwani used to mount his black stallion each morning and ride along the hilly terrain of the Vindhya and Aravalli mountain ranges to Sawai Madhopur, a town in the northwestern region of Rajasthan. His mission: To deliver the Rajasthan Patrika, a top-selling Hindi newspaper, to the doorsteps of more than 150 households. In the course of his nine-hour workdays, he always found time to juggle an assortment of tasks -- gossiping with the locals, running errands for many of them (for a fee) and scribbling notes about village affairs on a dusty pad to relay back to the paper's editors. All the while, he was sure to put in a plug for his newspaper whenever he came across someone new in town.

That's still the case today, except for one difference: Parwani's horse, which was becoming too expensive to maintain, has been swapped for a moped -- the utility vehicle of choice in rural India -- provided by Rajasthan Patrika as a reward for his diligence. A delivery person like Parwani "doubles up as a journalist and garners new subscriptions for us," says Arvind Kalia, marketing and brand communications head at the Jaipur-based Rajasthan Patrika publishing house, whose paper has a pan-Indian circulation of two million copies a day. "Parwani is one of our most resourceful employees."

Rajasthan Patrika isn't the only publishing house tapping the resourcefulness of rural India. In fact, at a time when newspapers are folding in other countries, India's media scene is admirably buoyant, thanks to the country's burgeoning rural, local-language newspapers. According to the New Delhi-based Indian Newspaper Society, India has 62,000 newspapers, with a staggering 90% of them in local languages. Indian news publishers are doing relatively well, precisely "because they've spread their wings to smaller towns," says Divya Radhakrishnan, president of TME, the media division of Mumbai-based advertising agency Rediffusion-Y&R.

But with nearly 80% of local-language papers having a circulation of less than 10,000 copies -- at a cover price of between 2 U.S. cents and 6 U.S. cents a copy -- they are not without their strategic challenges. The economic hurdles they face are familiar to newspapers the world over, especially at a time when so many other types of media compete for their readers' attention. But India's papers also must address home-grown challenges, like the country's relatively low literacy rate and poor infrastructure hampering delivery.

What Really Matters

Local papers are a hit with readers in India for various reasons."Language publications in India are doing well because of their connection to local issues," says Sridhar Samu, professor of marketing at the Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad. "First, they cover local news, which is more relevant for [these] consumers than national or international news; and second, they cover national and international news [insofar as it would concern] local people." The upshot for publishers is "an impression that the language publications actually care for their readers by emphasizing what really matters for them."

A typical, 24-page local edition will have the regular fare of national and regional news, in addition to eight to 12 district-specific pages with coverage of local events, spanning business and politics as well as social news and profiles of, say, village heroes and villains. There's also a large dose of reader-generated content that goes beyond the industry's ubiquitous personal ads. For example, in Eenadu -- a paper published in the Telugu language -- alongside tips on animal husbandry provided by a farmer in a weekly column, readers were invited during the state elections in April to write about their political opinions and grievances. The idea is "to make people feel like it's their own paper ... [that their] involvement matters," says I. Venkat, director of the paper, which is the flagship publication of Ramoji Rao, a media magnate.

There are also grassroots papers written and published by and for locals. A prominent example is Khabar Lahariya, or News Waves, a weekly newspaper based in Chitrakoot, one of the poorest districts in central India. Written in Bundeli, the local language, the paper's all-female staff has forged a reputation for investigative journalism and support of grassroots causes since the paper was founded in 2002 by Nirantar, a New Delhi-based literacy education non-profit.

With a readership of 35,000 in 400 villages and costing 4 U.S. cents, the paper has no glitzy promotion strategy like its urban counterparts. Khabar Lahariya's marketing strength is instead its bold reporting on issues concerning lower-caste communities, for which it won the 2009 King Sejong Literacy Prize from UNESCO, among other recent accolades. However, the main reason why Khabar Lahariya receives such kudos is that it is run by trained women from marginalized communities and it conducts (in conjunction with Nirantar) journalist training and writing programs for locals -- a vital step, many believe, in increasing rural literacy.

But Khabar Lahariya's roots make it an exception to the rule. Most other local newspapers are owned by large parent companies. Media experts note that major newspaper groups, whether urban or rural, are launched thanks to the deep pockets of politicians and their supporters, often businessmen with political ambitions. "Media barons have not only used papers as vehicles to support politicians, but to build their own power base," according to one media director of a leading ad agency. Two years ago in Andhra Pradesh, the state's now deceased chief minister YSR Reddy started Sakshi, a paper for the hinterland. It now claims a circulation of 1.2 million copies.

Whatever their origins, local papers often depend on the diversified revenue streams of their parent companies for survival. The media group that publishes Eenadu, for example, also makes films and has a sprawling studio in the south of the country, which it rents out to Hollywood and Bollywood producers. The media house that publishes Rajasthan Patrika sells outdoor advertising, mobile value-added services and a directory-listing service.

Weathering the Downturn

Like their urban counterparts, local papers also rely on advertising revenues rather than subscriptions and newsstand sales to stay afloat. Working in their favor are the rising disposable incomes of consumers in India's villages -- a phenomenon that certainly isn't lost on consumer goods companies hoping to increase the appeal of their products or services through ads adapted to local languages and cultures.

In fact, these locally focused ads have helped rural newspapers weather the global economic downturn. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulation, a voluntary organization of publishers, advertisers and ad agencies, while circulation for most publications has remained static, ad revenues have taken a beating. Over the past year, publications in India reported a 15% to 30% drop in advertising revenues, and while 60 new magazines -- largely Indian editions of foreign glossies -- were launched during that time, no new newspaper hit the stands. Even today, belts are being tightened. For example, hard-hit English-language dailies such as The Times of India and Hindustan Times discontinued their highly discounted subscription deals, reduced pages and downsized their staffs.

Amid the gloom, local papers have provided a ray of hope. "Our local editions played a key role in minimizing the effects of the downturn," Venkat of Eenadu notes. Like other newspaper executives, he claims that while Eenadu's circulation has remained steady throughout the downturn, ad revenue has been under pressure. Costing around 6 U.S. cents, the Hyderabad-based publication -- in business for more than three decades -- has more than 20 district editions in Andhra Pradesh as well asin neighboring Bangalore and Chennai. Eenadu also has three separate editions in the densely populated cities of Hyderabad, Vijaywada and Tirupati. The paper, which refers to itself as "the heart and soul" of the state, has a total circulation of 1.4 million copies, with 66% sold in rural areas.

But as marketing budgets continue to be squeezed, advertisers are scrutinizing their spending in local language papers more closely than ever while hunting for more ways to reach consumers. Unlike in other parts of the world, however, the battle for advertisers' budgets is not as intense between offline, print publishers and their online rivals. Internet adoption in India is still relatively low. In a country with a population of 1.2 billion and growing, there are only 55.5 million Internet users. Meanwhile, there are 376 million mobile subscribers -- yet only 15% to 20% of all handsets are Internet-enabled.

Instead, television is posing the biggest threat to local language papers. In India, 125 million households own a television, and 80 million of that total have cable or satellite service. According to TAM, Nielsen's television viewership rating arm, rural penetration of television is 65 million homes -- or over 50%. Until 1990, television in India included only the state-owned channel Doordarshan. However, subsequent liberalization and reforms opened up the staid media market, and nearly 400 channels now beam TV programs into homes, including India-specific, regional channels launched by foreign media heavyweights like Rupert Murdoch, Turner Broadcasting and Viacom. In the last two years, in fact, Rupert Murdoch's Star has acquired or launched over a dozen regional channels in Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi and a range of other languages.

According to Arun Tyagi, vice-president of media at Mumbai-based Reliance ADA Group, television is giving newspapers a run for their money in rural areas. "It's not print that clicks in rural areas," he says. Reliance ADA, which has interests ranging from power and entertainment to telecom and capital markets, is one of the biggest buyers of rural media. "We just don't consider print when we want to promote products outside big cities and towns."

That makes it even more urgent for the local papers to reduce their dependency on advertisers by extending their brand portfolios in a much different way than their urban counterparts. One way, Samu and others point out, is to build a "brand community" around a publication. Brand communities have been an important part of the marketing strategy at Marathi daily Lokmat, which was founded by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a freedom fighter who rebelled against colonial British rule nearly a century ago. "The urban-rural divide is not distinguished by markets but by lifestyle," says Jwalant Swaroop, director of advertising and business development at Lokmat, which is based in Nagur,in the western state of Maharashtra. For that reason, the paperhas spent the past 10 years growing its community platform -- a club aimed at three different segments: women, youth and children. For an annual fee of US$4, the paper's 500,000 "members" are entitled to free medical checkups, passes for cultural programs and invitations to product-sampling events run by consumer goods companies. Swaroop says these communities help Lokmat to retain current readers and capture new ones.

Not-so-hot off the Press

While advertising is one ongoing challenge, distribution is another -- especially given the poor state of infrastructure in rural regions. Typically, publications in India hire distributors in urban areas to deliver newspapers to homes by 7:00 a.m. or earlier. Agents and sub-agents like Patrika's Parwani are recruited for smaller towns and villages. Until a few years ago, rural areas received what publishing houses referred to as a dak or mofussil edition. Each day, these editions needed to be published earlier than the others to accommodate the long hours necessary to transport them to their readers.

But with the increasing presence of television and rising print competition, newspapers have more recently begun moving closer to their customers. One example is the Dainik Bhaskar group in Bhopal, in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. Its brand stable includes 42 editions of Dainik Bhaskar (one ofthe most-read Hindi news dailies), Business Bhaskar and Gujarati daily Divya Bhaskar. It also has Daily News & Analysis, an English paper published under a joint venture with local partner Zee. The group's language papers are now printed in 40 locations, compared with 13 a few years ago. The strategy has helped shrink average delivery times from seven hours to four hours, and papers are now supplied within a 200-kilometer radius of where they are printed, instead of the previous 350 kilometers.

"The dak edition is no longer an inferior paper," says Girish Agarwal, director of the Bhaskar group. The group's flagship paper now has offices in every district in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, with a fleet of reporters. The expansion has clearly had a positive impact on circulation: 35% of its total circulation of five million is sold outside of the major cities. The group wants to expand further and is finalizing plans for a public offering on the stock market.

But the biggest challenge confronting local papers -- illiteracy -- still looms large. According to government statistics, the national literacy rate is around 60%; the rural average is 50%. While some argue that local publications increase literacy in the local language, others disagree. "Editions in local languages don't mean the papers are touching rural households," says Ravi Kiran, the Mumbai-based CEO (South Asia) and emerging market leader for specialist solutions at Starcom MediaVest, a media conglomerate in Chicago. "It's not just about reaching the hinterland. What are newspapers doing to encourage reading habits? Growth [of these publications] will be challenged."

'Plan your work and plan your play'

By Jiten Jain

You have probably heard the saying, 'Plan your work and work your plan'. With work life balance in mind, I would like to add, 'Plan your work and plan your play'.

Without planning your work-life balance program effectively, you run the risk of poor family relationships, deteriorating health, illness and disease. Moreover, you probably will not be as effective and productive at work. The ideal is to create a healthy family life and a fulfilling career. Both are possible. Here are some tips to get it right.

As an entrepreneur, executive or senior manager, you know the importance of a plan. It helps you to measure and chart actions and progress. Once you have a clear enough reason to take action, now is the time to consider your key stakeholders and allies in this project.

Get your key stakeholders on board
Who are the other people you need to take into account to get your life back into balance? It probably includes family members, colleagues and your boss. Sit down with them individually and gather the information you need so you can start to chart a healthier course.

Start with the needs of your family, spouse, children. Ask them what they expect of you and what they really value. Be wary of being caught up on the treadmill of working to create the income to provide for your family and yet are not spending any time with them! Honesty is vital in your communication here. Ambition is fine and drives our entrepreneurial economies; just balance it with what you and your family really wants from life.

Where can you improve your productivity?
Be willing to explore your professional productivity and actively look for areas of improvement. For example, many of my clients have opened up extra time for themselves just by learning how to delegate effectively. Get honest feedback about your strengths and weaknesses and take appropriate steps.

Don't let your ego kill you
Do your skills, talents and capabilities match the requirements of your position? Sometimes a reality check can save a great deal of heartache and stress. One of my coaching clients was holding onto a job position that frankly did not suit him. However with support and candid self reflection, he realised he would be better served to move on and find something closer to his heart, than clinging onto a role that fed his ego but was destroying his life. It was better for the business also.

What about you?
There may be many demands of you, your time and energy. However, remember you are the centre of this project. Without you, your family is not the same. Without you, your business or workplace is not the same. Take time to assess and consider what is really important to you.

Put your health at the top of your action list
Have regular health assessments and plan exercise into your weekly plan. Look at the quality and quantity of your food intake and the actual demands of your job. Get professional help and then the support and cooperation of your family to make the needed changes.

Take the big picture view
List out, or mind map, all your family dreams, aspirations and the demands of your career together on one page. Add in your personal needs and requirements. Now stand back and assess your priorities, taking in all the information you now have. Seek and find that balance between what you and your family want to experience together and the needs and demands and satisfaction your career can offer you.

Manage your time
Block out 'islands of time' for exercise, family time, hobbies and 'just me time' into your working week. These are the things that can nurture you. You need to recover and regenerate your own personal energy and spirit. Author Stephen Covey calls this 'sharpening the saw'.

Back-to-back appointments are a no-no, so give yourself some time in between appointments. You will not operate effectively if you do not. Give your brain and body a chance to catch up.

In conclusion, you know your time is valuable and that if you do schedule something in your daily or weekly planner, then it stands a good chance of happening. There is no time like the present, so find yourself a large piece of paper, your coloured pens and get planning.

cheers

WHAT ARE THIS COMMITTEES ANYWAY ?
By Hariom Tyagi

Since I like to take a casual stroll after a tiring day in office or after meetings every other day, I do get an opportunity to interact with all the betel nut sellers, tea stall owners and other small hawkers around my office locality.
Contrary to what my colleagues at times think about my networking skills with these "neighbours" of mine, I fancy myself as a highly networked individual and all these people share with me lot of gossip which is a form of ‘Intelligence’, at least to them.
Yesterday, when I entered office, with a quirky smile at the betel nut (as a hint that am there in five minutes)seller and to the local quilt maker, everything was calm and these people were continuing with their work , but when i came out i noticed the makeshift stalls were no longer there.
No quilts, no chai, no paan…..only some people around. What Happened Boss ? “I asked a grown up boy running towards the gate of a house.”
He screamed: "Sir committee is coming." I retorted: What Committee Yaar…. ?? (I murmured, Is the most demanded Joint Parliamentary Committee here?). Finally I located the quiltmaker, Haroon Ahmad, in the corner of the dispensary on the roadside and thought at least I should keep my promise with him that we will chat for sure.
What Happened Boss??

Frowning Haroon told, “Arre Sir, Committee Waalo ne Le Rakhi Hai. Committee waale Aa gaye, Isliye Sub Bhaag gaye apna samaan utha kar. ” (The committee has made life miserable for us so we are all running away)

"Which committee?...." I asked.

Haroon surprisingly pointed his finger at me, “ Aap Committee Nahi Jaante!!! ??? ( I felt very inferior and tried to think if I really know any committee. I assured myself that he cannot talk about Joint Parliamentary Committee though its very much in news)

I told with full confidence that I know many of them; some of them formed, some of them to be formed.

This conversation ends there but this give me an idea to explore the noise around COMMITTEES in India

Joint Parliamentary Committee:

The opposition is after ruling government to form the Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe the 2G scam. It has wasted most of the parliament time which has to be utilised for important discussions. Most of the COMMITTEEs submit their reports with “No Charge of Guilty” after wasting lot of time, public money and energy and they do so after FORMATION of the same. This is the only Committee which has not been formed, yet it has earned the tag of bringing the “Productivity of the Parliament House Worst in Decade”.

Committee for Adarsh Scam:

The opposition in Mahrashtra is demanding to form a Joint Legislative Committee to investigate the most shameful land scam of Adarsh Society. Before they actually investigate, the committee has to do first the teacher’s job similar like which I had faced in my school time. Where are the papers of my copy, I don’t know Ma’m. Someone tears off the papers from my notebook…Believe me I had completed my homework at time. Go and find those missing papers!!! Stupid.

Organising Committee (CWG):

Unlike to other committees, this has been in news for other reasons. In my opinion they had been most intelligent one who took CWG meaning in literal sense. COMMON "WEALTH." That Wealth was "common" to all of them. And they since they never got an opportunity in their whole life to share such a big "Common Wealth" amongst themselves, they did make most of it. Except the people, every one benefited from that Common Wealth which they earned by being or by associating with organizing Committee.

Disciplinary Committee:

The people who formed it (may be when sleeping), they do not seem to be sure whether it exists and how it operates. The BCCCI Disciplinary Committee which was investigating Modi’s case has been questioned on whether the committee was appointed or Not. And if it was not appointed so there is no question of coming under the jurisdiction of this committee for Mr. Lalit Modi. As per BCCCI, It is formed in an Annual General Meeting in September every year. And this time they did not appoint any committee and the tenure of the previous committee is already over. So they are thinking how Mr. Modi can be handled.

The Ethics Committee of MCI

As per the people, this has done some commendable job by suspending current Secy Gen and President of IMA for endorsements and issuing notices to 61 doctors of executive committee of IMA. I am searching for the exact logic for suspension for CURRENT Secy Gen and President. Why Present Office Bearer. Did they investigate that who were the office bearer during that time of endorsements? What was the First Endorsement and Who did it? Does he stand for charge of guilty (if be)?. More than these questions, I have some more logical questions too. Are these brand endorsements or Message? Are these messages good or bad for public? Did someone explore what exactly is communicated through IMA partnership? What kind of partnership Medical Bodies do globally?? Did anyone study that? What kind of efforts you (the Ethics Committee or MCI) have put to bring healthy changes in the society?? What are the ways to bring healthy changes in the society? At one stage we talk about doing maximum PPP for better health of Indian Public. This is high time for doing this or that PPP for bringing that kind of change etc..etc. lot of talks in seminars… And if some corporate tried to communicate some relevant messages through a platform which people can accept as experts, we got an Ethics Committee.

Indian Pharmacovigilance Committee:

They banned Anti-Obesity drug for the associated risk of heart diseases. EMEA banned it in January in their region and we followed the suit in November. If we are following the suit, then why named as “Vigilance Committee”.. Why not Indian PharmaFollower Committee. It seems that they are more vigilant on other countries and as & when they got any news of ban or notices in any country, they consider it as Vigilance and start looking Risk Benefit analysis. Obviously, that Risk Benefit Analysis must be capturing….. (you know what)..and then decide whether to ban or not.

Unknown Committee:

Today only, I came to know that Health Ministry has notified a committee to look at therapies related to stem cells and genes. Its seems that even one of the most popular practitioner of stem cell, who claims of treating 800 patients suffering from chronic spinal cord injuries and other ailments, was not aware of such committee. As now, she intends to apply to this committee for approval of clinical trials.

So, I know most of the committees and COMMITTEE is a Big Buzz Word…. But today I understood that this is not confined to Parliament, this COMMITTEE word is spread out in the street too where these betel nuts and tea stall owners, fight for their livelihood

Once a young lioness

By Hariom Tyagi

“Once a young lioness, going about in search of prey, saw a flock of sheep and jumped upon them. She died in the effort; and a little baby lion was born, motherless. It was taken care of by the sheep and the sheep brought it up. It grew up with them, ate grass, and bleated like the sheep. And although in time it became a big, full-grown lion, it thought it was a sheep.
“ One day another lion came in search of prey and was astonished to find that in the midst of this flock of sheep was a lion, fleeing like the sheep at the approach of danger. He tried to get near the sheep-lion, to tell it that it was not a sheep but a lion; but the poor animal fled at his approach. However, he watched for his opportunity and one day found the sheep-lion sleeping. He approached it and said, ‘You are a lion.’
“’I am a sheep,’ cried the other lion and could not believe the contrary but bleated. The lion dragged him towards a lake and said, "Look here! Here is my reflection and yours." Then came the comparison. It looked at the lion and then at its own reflection, and in a moment came the idea that it was a lion. "I do not look like a sheep - it is true, I am a lion!" and with that he roared a roar that shook the hills to their depths!

Scaling new heights in healthcare

By Bappa Majumdar

Two events in the past one month, one bigger than the other in its own way reminded me of an old cliche :Where there is a will, there is a way".

The Diabetes Blue Fortnight and the Child Health Congress were two big events that took New Delhi by storm and left all sceptics bemused and the strongest critics awestruck.

The Diabetes Blue Fortnight saw huge successful campaigns from November 1 in association with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and other like-minded partners. If it kicked off on a small note with a radio camapign and a simple ceremony, within days Delhites were talking about diabetes and I even overheard a few talking about the need to wear blue and unite against the disease on November 14.

The Archaelogical Survey of India promised to lit some historical buildings in blue, while hotels, embassies all chipped in with their support for the cause. The move had paid off and Delhi took the challenge to unite against the silent killer and tell the world that "YES WE CAN".

Soon we had confirmation from Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bangalore. All were liighting important buildings in blue and joining HEAL Foundation's campaign. A dream which started in a small drawing room in HEAL's office a few days ago was slowly but surely taking a concrete shape.

The frenzy of 7,000 plus children forming the world's largest human ring the next day at the grounds of India Expo Centre and Mart in Greater Noida, even surpirsed Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, who said India's ambitious diabetes screening programme had actually kicked off from the very venue.

While thousands greeted it with joy and thunderous clappings, I stood there in a corner and told myself... WE HAVE DONE IT.

That was not all, because over the next few hours, the scientific sessions and discussions over child health during the first-ever comprehensive Child Health Congress 2010, reaffirmed my views and perhaps everyone in HEAL Foundation that "YES WE CAN".

This, mind you were not the only events that HEAL organised and executed, !!! In fact, it is the culmination of several years of hardwork involving policy makers, governments and experts to come togeher and chalk out a strategy to take healthcare issues head on. To give shape to new policies and ensure that the next generation can live in a disease free India.

HEAL Foundation with its dedication, its work, in fact quality work, which takes them way way ahead of the others, has taken off in a big way and new doors have opened, new challenges have confronted us, new mountains have to be climbed...But will we all be able to scale new heights and make a huge difference in the coming years is the question that comes to my mind ??

'Paisa-paisa karte ho, tum paise pe kyon marte ho?'

By Swadeep srivastava

No doubt money is a very important ingredient in our life...see how much "fuss" is made about it these days! 2G spectrum scam which got unearthed recently is more than 1.70 lacs crores (!!), A former chief minister in Andhra Pradesh left behind a legacy of more than 2.0 lacs crores mining scam (not fully unearthed yet), Satyam Raju 'corporate scandal' we all are well aware off.

And comes the new LIC scandal and what if a Babu sitting next door to Home Secretary GK Pillai was running a 'sensitive information racket' worth few crores.

And Mumbaikars have not even got over Adarsh society scam and the big-big Lavasa city scandal, which is all set to rock and roll for next few weeks.

What was worth noticing was 2 clarifications been published as Advertisements in leading dailies across the country--

1) the Chief Minister Yedurappa clarification from Karnataka appealing to the public to not fall prey to 'false negative publicity generated against him to spoil his image' (of an honest CM) complimented with news items of Yedurappa asking his one son and daughter to walk out of his home (to project that he is cleaning his own house first!)

2) Sahara India Group pulling out full page advertorials criticizing SEBI and other authorities to not allow them to come out with two major IPOs they had planned in infrastucture and housing segment (poised to be the largest IPO till now)!

So first there is this age old trend of moneyed people keep running after money (how much is too much) and for whom there is no end to money making process, unless they are caught (for those who are really caught) in a situation when there is a scandal/ scam unearthed and then end up losing everything (hopefully)- name, reputation, status as well as freedom (as most of them land up in jail and keep fighting court trails for many years till their hairs turn grey).

Take the case of Ramalingam Raju-- he started the corporate fraud at Satyam after making his millions through successful entrepreneur ship (till he decided to launch a parallel firm reversing Satyam's name and Mayatas was born). He slipped off into a dirty game after achieving success through corporate/ professional means, just for the sake of making more money...more wealth...more power...etc.

Any sensible person would say-- what a pity? Why did he do so? His advisors were so foolish? And finally-- jab gidarh ki maut aati hai to jungle ki taraf bhagta hai!! Etc., etc.. But this is 'dilemma' of life, that most powerful men and women (take the latest case of Niira Radia--after achieving reasonable wealth and success, just few years back she put 'ii' in her name and changed her--to aspire for more wealth and success-- to fulfill her never ending desire!) have the tendency to slip even when they have achieved so much and are enjoying best of their life, they tend to loose control of their GEAR...NO..their BRAKES!

So now this new trend, as if 'corruption is the word do', even if you are exposed to be involved in corrupt practices (with all proofs) but you are able save your skin anyhow (by virtue of being an important political leader or one of India's leading Corporate honcho), the task is how you should salvage your image and bring it back to track so that you continue with your business/ politics (read one) with same vigor and zeal as earlier, as if nothing had happened (you know public memory is so short)!

So my dear friends, now what is important is whether you have capability to fight back in life or not, just being proved to be corrupt is passe'! So what is important that even if you are exposed for doing wrong (earning money by corrupt means), you should keep your fighting spirit alive and your art is how you are able to chart your 'reverse course of life' so that everything gets back to normal, as public memory is very short!

But this may not be totally perfect, history knows that those who have just been running after money (with NO BRAKES) have definitely met with accident at some point of time--some with fatal accidents and few with multiple injuries confining them to bed for life long.

Satyam Raju is one of them, Lalu Bihari Prasad is the latest one and probably Niira Radia would be one in near future worth following.

So when my wife jokingly said during a recent train journey that if I win this bet..you will have to pay me Rs 1.0 crore (!), I bounced back to her that...'paisa-paisa karti hai to paise pe kyun marti hai..'. It was just a very light conversation which took the turn when she pointed that--'money is important in life and every 1st week of the month you realize the most when all vendors start asking for payment at home!'

(An old joke goes that--once a husband asked his wife that - 'Agar main tumhe mahine ke kharche ka paisa is baar nahin doon to tum kaise kaam chalaogi?' Wife promptly replied..'Nothing much! Doodhwale ko flying kiss de ke, akhbar wale ko puchchu de ke, etc., etc..' SO HERE MONEY BECOMES MORE IMPORTANT!)

It also reminded of a similar conversation in office just recently when a very responsible colleague of mine also pointed out the same thing--'sir kuch aisa kiya jaaye ki khub paise aa jayen ViaMedia mein...', such a noble thought...but it also made me think...think that are we supposed to just run after money, can money be the only motivation in life and career, does it help in achieving everything in life? Then the archaic thinking (!)..does money ever give happiness, can it give peace?

Such a debatable subject (I believe this debate would have been going from ages), but one thing I feel sure of that...'Money cannot be an the key motivation to build an organization, though it plays and important role in bringing in stability and prosperity (rather show off), but unless you have brotherhood, emotional connect, team orientation, job satisfaction, growth prospect and so many other ingredients, you cannot have enough dedicated people to help the organization grow to new heights year on year.

So by this formula, for me, money just becomes one 'ingredient' amongst so many others to achieve success in life and career.

Eminent Indian Historian Pawan K Verma in his book on India writes that, 'In India dhan-lakshmi is given so importance that 'lakshmi mata ki proper puja ki jaati hai (probably that's first of its kind in the world) and so much that there is an 'aarti' which says, "jis ghar mein tum rahti, sab sadgud aata; kaam safal ho jaata, man nahin ghabdata. Om jai lakshmi maata...Khan paan ka vaibhav sab tumse aata. Om jai lakshmi maata..."! This was probably written by a 'dharmik kavi with baaniya lineage'!!!

So guys, very confusing at the end, but one thing is clear...don't just keep running after money, focus on your work and take your work to such a level that money starts following you. Do not let 'money guide you', make your pathway such that money has no alternative but to keep crossing your way, inadvertently!

This is what we aspire to achieve at ViaMedia, with you.

What say? Money baba...

Soaring into the skies with ethics intact

By Swadeep srivastava

Last week's comment in a leading daily on the recently concluded Child Health Congress, indicating that we may have compromised on our scientific credibility in order to give mileage to a key sponsor, brings into light the issue of 'ethical practice' in business.

No business or a social work is ever successful unless there is credibility brought into the system and credibility is directly proportional to the 'work ethics' you follow.

If we at Via Media have reached this level where we are working with most of the top brands and companies in health care space and not to mention the acceptance we have started getting in central health ministry and the Delhi state health departments, among International development organizations, social groups, health editors, writers, KoLs, bureaucrats and policy makers of the country. I believe it was not possible unless we are professional in approach, transparent, straightforward in our dealings and duly meet our commitments as we promise.

The way the ViaMedia team planned and executed (Visualize, Initiate, Actualize) both Diabetes Blue Fortnight and the Child Health Congress' 10 was not only commendable but it also brought forward the level of commitment of our whole team and the 'incredible energy and enthusiasm' we show when it comes to meeting our deadlines and delivering on what we take upon us as 'commitment' (as defined by none other that Dr (Prof) CS Pandav, HoD, Dept of Community Medicine, AIIMS when he visited our office)

We all know how a core team of not less than 15-20 Via Medians worked day in and day out for last 4 months and planned and executed the largest ever campaign on Diabetes around WDD' 10 and established one of it's kind platform called Child Health Congress. The whole world saw how an impossible feat of gathering 10000 people -- children and students on the morning of November 14, 2010 -- was achieved, breaking a record of the largest human blue ring.

And probably very few people know that it was all done at a notice of one week! We could also very successfully register about 1200 delegates from all parts of North India for Lifebuoy CHC'10 and that also at our first initiative and that too at a far off Convention Centre in Greater Noida.

And all this we were able to do without compromising on our existing business and assignments with about 25-30 regular clients.

Now when a journalist sitting in the comfort of his air-conditioned office, without verifying the facts makes a weird comment that 'CHC recommendations were printed in red color to match the color of the soap who sponsored the event', it makes you feel a bit sad ( Via Media colours to set the record straight is RED), but at the same time, it gives a clear indication that we were definitely followed all across the country and were able to 'leave a mark' in this over-crowded and not so friendly/ not so positive world.

In today's world when almost all the government departments, ministers and politicians, businessmen and bureaucrats (leave aside the so called lobbyists), media honchos and who's who of the country, seem to be under one or the other scanner (CBI, ED, IT, SC, etc., etc.), the subject of 'morality and ethics' remains more than open to discussions and debate.

If our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (considered an epitome of honesty and integrity) is seen patting our 'Spectrum Raja' after asking him to resign on grounds of 'blatant corruption', then if we as Via Medians seek a pat on our back for all the hard and sincere work we put in for 'health awareness', I don't think it is not worth it!

In return if we get 'brick bats' from a journalist (who seems to be himself a RED colored Leftist), I don't think we should get disheartened or demoralized in any way.

Recently I got a call from a leading Diabetologist Physician and a Public Health Expert of repute (till recently a bete' nor) and he said that though we he was not a part of our program but was very closely following up all our activities and he felt that 'we were all over in news and were able to steer an extremely successful show', it really made me feel happy as well as rejuvenated and 'our stand vindicated'.

It is a very proud moment for HEAL Foundation as well as the whole ViaMedia team that not only the stake holders at large but also the Union and State Health Ministers of the country appreciated our work (in person as well as in public) and their departments have shown eagerness to work with us more closely for their future programs.

I feel it is a 'historic' moment for all of us and we should not only cherish this moment but also make it a 'benchmark' for all our activities and how ViaMedia should take-off from here, into the next level of 'space matrix' called business and work.

Cheers to ViaMedia and long live HEAL Foundation.

VIA (Visualize, Initiate, Actualize) simply stands vindicated today and always, the credit simply goes to the real Team Work and the incredible Via Median spirit.

Big Reasons: PR works better for the birth of a brand:

By Akash Srivastava
PR is more reputable and trustworthy than advertising.
Advertising helps to maintain a brand, not to build it.
A company will (usually) not gain much momentum from advertising early in the brand's life.
Advertising costs exponentially more than PR, and advertising's effects are not as long lasting as those of PR.

World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day 4th Febuary 2010 at Yashodha Cancer & Indo-America Cancer Hospital, Hyderabad.

On the occasion of the World Cancer Day, We planned an activity towards oncologist in hospitals. Through this activity We shared Role of Nutrition in Cancer Patients with the Doctors and how does ActiBase meet nutritional requirement of patients.During this one to one meet with doctor We also did liquid sampling of ActiBase Vanilla. This activity was also accompanied with a Hand-Out
which had Motivational Quote from Lance Armstrong, Cancer Survivor and & time Tour de France winner. Along with this a flower bud was presented to doctors. We thanked them and appreciated their continuous support and encouragement. We also got an opportunity to do liquid sampling in OPD/IPD patients. Through this exercise We reached around 45 patients and got a chance to motivate them on the occasion of World Cancer Day.
Hence through this exercise We reached both our target segment of doctors and patients in one activity.

World Cancer Day 4th Febuary 2010 at Yashodha Cancer & Indo-America Cancer Hospital, Hyderabad

World Cancer Day 4th Febuary 2010 at Yashodha Cancer & Indo-America Cancer Hospital, Hyderabad.

On the occasion of the World Cancer Day we planned an activity towards oncologist in hospitals. Through this activity we shared with the doctor Role of Nutrition in Cancer Patients and how does ActiBase help meet nutritional requirement of patients. During this one to one meet with doctor we also did liquid sampling of ActiBase Vanilla. This activity was also accompanied with a Hand-Out which had Motivational Quote from Lance Armstrong, Cancer Survivor and & time Tour de France winner. Along with this a flower bud was presented to doctors.We appreciated their continuous support and encouragement. We also got an opportunity to do liquid sampling in OPD/IPD patients. Through this exercise we reached around 45 patients and got a chance to motivate them on the occasion of World Cancer Day.
Hence through this exercise we reached both our target segment of doctors and patients in one activity.

"SEPARATION SURGERY OF SITA-GITA" TODAY AT BATRA HOSPITAL

MUCH AWAITED "SEPARATION SURGERY OF SITA-GITA" STARTS TODAY AT
BATRA HOSPITAL


15 HRS MARATHON SURGERY BY A TEAM OF EXPERTS TO GIVE POSITIVE RESULTS BY MID-NIGHT OF 5TH APRIL, POST OPERATIVE STABILIZATION TO TAKE ANOTHER 24 HRS

Press Conference to share the final outcome on 07/04/10 @ 12.00 Noon At Batra Hospital, Delhi

The conjoint twins, baby Gita & Sita, just 18 months old, who were born with congenital structural abnormalities of being joint in the waist - hip & legs, with a common genito urinary & intestinal system, were started being operated today at Batra Hospital and Medical Research Centre, said Dr. Sanjeev Bagai - C.E.O. & Sr. Consultant Paediatrician.


A multi-disciplinary approach with the lead paediatric surgeon of Dr. Arvind Sabharwal, plastic surgeon - Dr. Rohit Nayyar, Urologist - Dr.P.P. Singh, Orthopaedic surgeon -Dr. Tucker & the anasthetic & critical care team of Dr. Pawan Gurha. The total strength of the surgical, paediatric & anasthetic team comprises of 28 doctors & highly trained nursing staff. Dr. Gurha explained that the anasthesia control needs minute monitoring in these complex surgeries. Dr. Sabharwal would coordinate the intra operative surgical team. Two surgical theatres would functions simultaneouly and the surgery which has started today, 05/04/2010 at 7:00AM in the morning would probably last for 15 hours approximately. Dr. Nayyar & Dr. P.P. Singh explained the complexicty of the surgical disection in the small conjoint twins sharing a common intestinal and urinary passage.


Conjoint twins are extremely rare and very few reach the stage of surgeries for correction. The long term success in many international centres is less than 50%. The comprehensive medical team of Batra Hospital after detailed and very sophisticated pre-operative tests are confident of giving the good life to these children post operatively.
Batra Hospital and Medical Research Centre has the latest the world class infrastructure and medical teams to operate on these complex multi-systemic disorders, explained Dr. Sanjeev Bagai. The post operative follow up would be of few weeks with critical care and intenstivist working around the clock. A detailed press conference would be held in Batra Hospital Auditorium on Wednesday 1:00PM, in which all details would be shared.


For more information; contact
Mehak : +91 9310087613 mehak@viamediahealth.net
Beenum : +91 9310087609 beenum@viamediahealth.net

Via Media Presents DONORTHON 2010

Via Media presents 'DONORTHON 2010; A walk to promote Organ Donation' in association with Liver Transplant Team, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple. More than 1000 people including donors, recepients, doctors and students. The walk concluded with participants pledging for Organ Donation

Healthcare PR: New challenges beckon

Breaking the general myth of a regular M. Tech (Biotechnology) student to be lost in digging and exploring scientific breakthroughs, I decided to step into something more challenging. Biotechnology/Healthcare/Pharmaceutical to me never meant a degree; I always took it as a career and willing to bring it to such a platform that people not only enjoy its benefits but also appreciate it.

Success in healthcare sector is in dying need of such an appreciation so that it gets a projection that it deserves. A medical consultant performing the toughest of the cardiac by-pass surgeries might not know how to glamorize his task and some company manager with just a background in brand promotion might not understand the intricacies of biomedical breakthroughs & case studies. The result would be poor visibility of the breakthrough, diminished recognition for the consultant and overall dissatisfaction. It is at this place that a technologist with a hold in media relations can play a pivotal role in putting the achievement in the best recognition outfit.

The healthcare arena has become one of the more complex markets for companies to navigate. Rising competition means brands are finding it more difficult to stand out in the crowd. Increasing regulatory scrutiny means firms must address new challenges and issues. In addition, a more knowledgeable patient community means people are armed with more information about the diseases they have and the medicines they take - but are more skeptical about pharmaceutical practices and drug safety.

The advancing healthcare sector is in urgent need of experts with a sound understanding of technology domain, investor relations, communications, media relations and crisis management. The Healthcare organizations will also able to draw on the capabilities of certain sister firms to provide advertising and brand management services through a single window.

Healthcare PR aims at superior counseling and strategic planning to global healthcare providers and government agencies. In a rapidly changing marketplace, we apply our skills and experience to help clients navigate every twist and turn, generating meaningful and measurable results. The concept of Healthcare PR is new and challenging and needs inputs from doctors, media professionals, technologists, effective coordinators & strategic thinkers. Venturing into something new demands courage, vision, clarity and determination coupled with a thinking called ‘out of the box’.

So, dare to prove your mettle with the best foot forward in whatever you choose to join and you’ll always be an achiever!


By Salil Seth
Labels: Biotechnology, Healthcare PR agency, Healthcare PR in India, Pharma industry India, Via Media and Communications

Sorry state of affairs

Several disabled children in Gulbarga district of Karnataka, were buried neck deep into the mother earth at the time of solar eclipse (22 July, 09). The entire body was dug into earth except the head leaving room for breathing. It was reported that this superstition has been going on from past 5 yrs in Karnataka. Little children were crying like hell on earth, but their kind parents paid no attention. This is because they believe that kids are cured of their disabilities and mental problems with this ritual. Is this the level of awareness concerning healthcare in India??

Such a sad state prevails despite growing awareness of healthcare among masses. Are we missing out somewhere? I guess its time to reevaluate ourselves, are we doing the right job? Karnataka chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa, said he will take action in this regard. This is just a tip of the iceberg; numerous such superstitions prevail throughout the country. Mr. Chief Minister is a legal action against a small group of people the solution to a deep rooted problem as this.

The developments in this country are gaining us international recognition. It’s high time we mend our ways to bring about transition in the wholesome way.

Life is full of challenges

From an advertising agency to now, in a rocking communication entity, I had to face many ups and downs and there were moments when I felt like taking a flight, but in the end I am happy I have clung on to it. Challenges, I feel now in retrospect, makes us stronger. And if you have the unflinching faith of your parents, your resolve to succeed gets firmer. Working with Via has been so full of experiences. However, the beginning was not so rosy. Having migrated from an advertising environment, I was skeptical to begin with and wondered if I would be able to face the many challenges associated with public relations. I still have a vivid memory of my first day in office – Kohinoor was giving me a lowdown on the working culture of Via while my mind was constantly questioning whether I would be able to survive. My intuition prompted me to see the brighter side of the life and somewhere I felt God was there, if things went wrong. God did help me, I guess. Soon after I joined I was assigned a critical and complex task of managing a political PR campaign. I had to hunt through piles of newspaper to find out news about a politician of a political party. At times, at the end of a marathon 4-hour-50-newspaper session, I would be left with tiny single column, tucked deep inside an irrelevant newspaper. I felt like crying in those moments but then I was aware I was doing a job and had to carry on. Media scanning came in as a new terminology and I hated those glance to innumerable newspaper – especially since I had the bad habit of not reading the newspaper it was all the more traumatic. Days went by and my list of to dos went up as well – I was happy I was being given to do more because I was surely performing reasonably well. My confidence was shooting. For the same politician, I also started to do media relations – we really worked wonderfully well as a team. Rahul Sir would make the release based on on-the-move inputs by Nasim, who used to travel along with the West Delhi MP contender. I along with Neelofur was assigned the task of disseminating it – first through mail and then by fax – to over 50 journalists. This was not it – we had to do follow ups with all the major Hindi and English dailies besides some television channels. Work was piling up and somehow I felt I was getting into the groove. Slowly but surely I was beginning to comprehend the nuances of PR. That was then – the elections in Delhi were held on May 7 and I had joined on April 9. Two months have gone since I completed the first project and life seems so nice today. Thanks to the Via culture, I am thinking work even in my sleep, and without regrets. The best thing I like is that every day is a new day for me and I end up learning a thing or two. It’s been nice riding the Via wave. I am sure the days and years ahead will be full of challenges, yet full of fun.

Time to embrace Twitter?

Some friends recently asked me how tech-savvy we as a communication agency are. Their query concerned the use of new-age media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogging in our work space. Without battling an eyelid, I have told them, we do, and quite a bit.

In fact we do, quite a bit. Most of us are on the Facebook, Orkut or LinkedIn, what I call web-based social and cultural linkages; many of us use chat with colleagues in other locations as well as with clients; some of us have started Twittering as well. But is that enough? Do we consider these net-oriented activities part of our daily professional chores? Do we all have adequate Google alerts customised into out Gmails so that we get a concise, daily update on latest in the PR industry or specific verticals? Do we subscribe to online news / updates feeds available in plenty? In nutshell, has all these sunk in into our DNAs?

Perhaps not. But I am not worried about it. Because we are all aware and alert to the need to do this. We are aware it is time we transitioned from using these tools for peripheral personal social activations to a situation where they are part of our daily professional engagements. It is time we graduated from using Facebook to connect to old friends to making it as a tool of professional engagements and dissemination. It is time we acquired knowledge and best practices on PR, Medico Marketing and Public Affairs Consulting from across the globe by joining virtual groups – I am a member of some such communities like ThoseinMedia on LinkedIn.

I suggest, let us all start doing it right away, and right here in this blogosphere. Let's begin sharing your ideas and thoughts on a host of professional issues through this blog. Make this Via blog a vibrant place where people can peep in and get delighted, and learn a thing or two. Do not forget, we are the pioneers when it comes to healthcare communication in the country. Starting small, we have come a long long way and now roaring to get into a larger canvas.

As Swadeep Ji says -- Via Medians, aa jao, chha jao.

Labels: Facebook. Twitter, Navneet Anand, Swadeep Srivastava, Via Media and Communications

Thank you Mansi!

Your smile, and work, would be missed

It’s a Saturday, a dull one I reckon, as one of our dearest young colleagues Mansi Agarwal bids us goodbye today as she prepares to tread a new path in her life.

I feel like I should begin my farewell note with a sweet compliment.

Mansi has a beautiful smile. A smile that adds to the lingering feeling of a resilient bonding that Via Media has nurtured through the years; a smile that would speak nothing yet speak a lot; a smile that would soothe soaring tempers and add meaning to calmness. Mansi’s smile has been contagious and I have quite enjoyed it all these months I have had the privilege of working with her.

As Mansi gets ready to prepare herself for a new stage of her life – she weds in November – I must confess she has the tenacity and zeal that will take her places. She works diligently and is extremely methodical. Though she loses patience at times, and it’s so human, given her age, she is quick to siege opportunities and make amends.

Mansi somewhere you will be missed for your smile and much more.

For we at Via Media do not relate to each other like professionals would do – Swadeep Ji has imbued in us all the value of ‘family-like-living’ and we have lived that in deeds and spirit. I am glad there is not even an iota of deviation in his resolve despite Via Media growing from 2 to 100 in eight years.

Mansi’s momentary loss will be a significant one for Via Media. But does a family bonding die? I think ever not.

Swadeep Ji has already offered Mansi to manage our Canada office, once she settles there early 2010. Mansi shall continue to live the spirit of Via Media wherever she goes. I truly hope.

Mansi, I join my colleagues in wishing you a very happy, successful, meaningful and fulfilling life.

Navneet Anand

Welcome Via Medians

Hello All

Welcome to this new mode of connect among us and with the wider world. I hope and trust you will all feel free to put your thoughts and make this a vibrant tool of communication and sharing of ideas.

I personally have been a keen blogger and genuinely appreciate the power of this medium. The intent here is to encourage you all to take out time, scratch your brains, pen your thoughts and enlighten your colleagues. Also make it a platform to discuss upcoming trends, learn from new developments and thrash out new ideas.

Please remember we are in the business where knowledge is of utmost significance. We ignore it only at peril.

On behalf of Swadeep Srivastava & Divya Srivastava I welcome you all in this small yet firm initiative in the web space. I hope and trust you shall participate and make it a success.