New Delhi: More and more Indians may be shedding their inhibitions about sex and getting more ‘physical’ than generations gone by, but they seem poor at managing libido and protection together.
Despite huge campaigns focusing on safe sex, a majority of Indians engage in unprotected sex. Condom use in premarital sexual relationships is almost non-existent.
According to a study, only 13% of men and 3% of women used condoms during sex. Intriguingly, most of those who were surveyed were aware of the benefits of contraception.
The recklessness could have a reason. The study reveals that a large chunk of the youth surveyed felt uncomfortable buying contraceptives, including condoms, from a healthcare provider or pharmacy.
The study, Youth In India: Situation And Need, by the Mumbai-based International Institute of Population Sciences, says that not only were a substantial number of youngsters getting involved in premarital romance and sexual relationships, most also indulged in high-risk sexual behaviour, including having multiple partners and using condoms inconsistently.
The survey involved 50,848 married and unmarried young men and women.
Incidentally, 25% men had sex with two or more partners while 21% young women reported multiple partners — all this without using condoms. But urban young men were more likely than their rural counterparts to report consistent condom use (21% versus 11%).
Only 43% young men and 59%young women who were sexually experienced before marriage knew that a woman can get pregnant because of just one unprotected sexual encounter. This reveals a pathetic level of awareness about the reproductive system and human anatomy.
This casual and unsafe sex often took place in the shadow of fear as a majority of young women feared pregnancy or infection at the time of first or unprotected sex. As many as 62% of unmarried young women reported fear of both pregnancy and infection, compared to 55% of men. Condoms and contraceptives became part of the sexual encounters only at a subsequent stage as the relationship progressed.
Similarly, in-depth awareness of contraceptive methods was limited among youngsters as 15% men and 39% women did not know that one condom can be used for only one sexual act. Awareness of HIV/Aids was also limited among such sexually experienced youth.
The study was commissioned by the Union ministry of health and family welfare. Its findings break the widespread perception that the youth in India do not find opportunities to mix and form romantic relationships and that the incidence of premarital sex is negligible.
It found that 23% of young men and 21% of young women had either been approached by or had approached a person of the opposite sex for a romantic liaison and it happened before marriage for many.
The study, for the first time, looked at key transitions experienced by young people in six states — Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. These states were selected to represent the different geographic and socio-cultural regions within the country, and they together represent two-fifths of the country’s population.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Young India falling prey to party drugs: UN official
NEW DELHI: Youth in India and China face huge risks from party drugs like Ecstasy and Adam because of their large populations and increasing disposable income, a senior UN official has warned.
Besides, these synthetic drugs are easily available as they can be produced in the kitchen unlike heroine or cocaine, says Christina Albertin, who heads the UN Office on Drugs and Crime for South Asia.
"If we look at the ATS (amphetamine-type stimulants) situation, the world drugs report points out that there are fears the ATS has become a bigger problem in the developing world, including India and China," Albertin said.
Synthetic drugs or ATS like Ephedrine, amphetamines and Methaqualone are known by many names such as Ecstasy, MDMA, Adam, XTC, love drug and hug. They are often abused at parties.
India and China are particularly vulnerable to ATS owing to their large populations and increasing disposable incomes, says the recently released world drugs report.
Albertin says making these drugs is not rocket science, as you can go to internet sites and download recipes on how to produce them.
"If you want to produce heroine or cocaine, you need to have poppy plantations in some parts of the world. You need to have contact with the farmers and need to get the whole production done on the basis of the plants," says Albertin.
"Then you have the whole chemical process, you need to go near the poppy fields, get all the chemicals there, put up the laboratories there at great risk, making yourself vulnerable to the discovery.
"That does not happen with ATS because synthetic drugs can be produced in the kitchen, they're just chemicals. There are a lot of chemicals that you can buy easily because they may not be under control or they are being deeply neglected," she says.
According to the world drugs report, there are no prevalent estimates of ATS consumption in India or China. These gaps are major, given the size of the population aged 15-65 years in these countries - 0.73 billion and 0.95 billion respectively in India and China.
"Furthermore, with an increase in both the population and disposable income, their position next to several significant manufacturing countries and expanding domestic manufacture, both countries face substantial risks related to growing ATS use," says the report.
The last study in India was in 2001 and published in 2004.
"We don't know the actual position and magnitude of the ATS problems in India, which had last performed a household survey in 2001 and it did not include questions specific to various types of ATS consumed," says Albertin.
According to official sources, the Indian government would be conducting a household survey on the subject next year.
The saddest impact of these drugs is on users who start using them to help cope with life's problems - to do a job better, appear more cheerful, stay awake longer or lose weight quickly - only to find themselves overwhelmed with feelings of anxiety, hyper stimulation and paranoia.
These go-go drugs are now consumed in practically every region of the world, posing a significant problem in North America, Europe and Southeast Asia.
According to experts, India is more vulnerable to the threat posed by the synthetic drugs because key ATS precursors are readily available here and significant manufacturing is also taking place.
"The region is home to a large youth population and potential consumers with increasing disposable income. Plus, prevention and treatment are largely focused on other drug types," said a senior law enforcement official.
"The geographic location between the significant ATS markets in Southeast Asia make the country more vulnerable," the official added.
According to highly placed sources, most ATS flow into India from Myanmar. The Narcotics Control Bureau recently busted several clandestine ATS laboratories in various parts of the country.
Besides, these synthetic drugs are easily available as they can be produced in the kitchen unlike heroine or cocaine, says Christina Albertin, who heads the UN Office on Drugs and Crime for South Asia.
"If we look at the ATS (amphetamine-type stimulants) situation, the world drugs report points out that there are fears the ATS has become a bigger problem in the developing world, including India and China," Albertin said.
Synthetic drugs or ATS like Ephedrine, amphetamines and Methaqualone are known by many names such as Ecstasy, MDMA, Adam, XTC, love drug and hug. They are often abused at parties.
India and China are particularly vulnerable to ATS owing to their large populations and increasing disposable incomes, says the recently released world drugs report.
Albertin says making these drugs is not rocket science, as you can go to internet sites and download recipes on how to produce them.
"If you want to produce heroine or cocaine, you need to have poppy plantations in some parts of the world. You need to have contact with the farmers and need to get the whole production done on the basis of the plants," says Albertin.
"Then you have the whole chemical process, you need to go near the poppy fields, get all the chemicals there, put up the laboratories there at great risk, making yourself vulnerable to the discovery.
"That does not happen with ATS because synthetic drugs can be produced in the kitchen, they're just chemicals. There are a lot of chemicals that you can buy easily because they may not be under control or they are being deeply neglected," she says.
According to the world drugs report, there are no prevalent estimates of ATS consumption in India or China. These gaps are major, given the size of the population aged 15-65 years in these countries - 0.73 billion and 0.95 billion respectively in India and China.
"Furthermore, with an increase in both the population and disposable income, their position next to several significant manufacturing countries and expanding domestic manufacture, both countries face substantial risks related to growing ATS use," says the report.
The last study in India was in 2001 and published in 2004.
"We don't know the actual position and magnitude of the ATS problems in India, which had last performed a household survey in 2001 and it did not include questions specific to various types of ATS consumed," says Albertin.
According to official sources, the Indian government would be conducting a household survey on the subject next year.
The saddest impact of these drugs is on users who start using them to help cope with life's problems - to do a job better, appear more cheerful, stay awake longer or lose weight quickly - only to find themselves overwhelmed with feelings of anxiety, hyper stimulation and paranoia.
These go-go drugs are now consumed in practically every region of the world, posing a significant problem in North America, Europe and Southeast Asia.
According to experts, India is more vulnerable to the threat posed by the synthetic drugs because key ATS precursors are readily available here and significant manufacturing is also taking place.
"The region is home to a large youth population and potential consumers with increasing disposable income. Plus, prevention and treatment are largely focused on other drug types," said a senior law enforcement official.
"The geographic location between the significant ATS markets in Southeast Asia make the country more vulnerable," the official added.
According to highly placed sources, most ATS flow into India from Myanmar. The Narcotics Control Bureau recently busted several clandestine ATS laboratories in various parts of the country.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
GoM favours fresh efforts to extradite Anderson
NEW DELHI: The Group of Ministers (GOM) on Bhopal decided on Saturday to recommend that the Centre file afresh for extradition of the former Union Carbide chairman, Warren Anderson.
However, a point that emerged during the GoM's deliberations may limit the legal options available to the government, sources told The Hindu. There is apparently some ambiguity over who owns the UCIL plant in Bhopal today, since the land on which its shell stands has reverted to the Madhya Pradesh government. Clarity on this point is crucial, sources said, in establishing the liability of Dow Chemicals, which bought out Union Carbide.
Meanwhile, government sources told The Hindu that the GoM was of the view that even though previous attempts to extradite Mr. Anderson had failed, advantage should be taken of the new evidence that had been recorded in the recently delivered Bhopal trial court judgment, as well as in the testimonies of witnesses who had said Union Carbide's parent company in the U.S. had prior knowledge of both the faulty design as well as the shortcomings in the maintenance and operations of the Bhopal plant that had led to the December 3, 1984 gas leak. Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, who was present at the meeting, read out a factual note explaining the background of the previous attempts to extradite Mr. Anderson. In response to a question put to her at the GoM whether there was any truth in the former Foreign Secretary, M.K. Rasgotra's statement that the decision to give safe passage to Mr. Anderson was taken by the then Union Home Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, she said there was nothing on the records which could either “corroborate or contradict” Mr. Rasgotra's claim, sources added.
At its morning session, the GoM focussed on the legal options available to the government. “We discussed all pending legal issues and legal options available to the government after the judgement of the trial court,” Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who heads to the reconstituted GoM, told journalists.
Apart from the discussion on extradition, the GoM decided to recommend that a curative petition be filed in the Supreme Court to try and reverse its 1996 judgment that had extinguished criminal liability against the accused , so that the punishment could be enhanced; the case against Dow Chemicals pending in the Jabalpur High Court be pursued vigorously; and the government appeal against the trial court judgment, seeking a greater degree of punishment for those convicted.
At the end of the second session, sources said, the GoM decided to recommend strengthening the existing medical facilities: currently, there are seven dedicated hospitals for the victims (two super speciality, two speciality and three general hospitals), nine day-care units and three Ayurvedic, three homoeopathic and three Unani dispensaries operating in the affected areas. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), which has collated reports on the impact of the gas leak on pregnant women and children and established a population-based cancer registry in Bhopal, would also be asked to invite more proposals for further research among the affected population.
The Ministers will meet again on Sunday to look at the environmental issues, especially what needs to be done for the remediation of the plant and to ensure safe supply of drinking water. On Monday, the GoM will take a comprehensive look before making its final recommendations to the Cabinet.
However, a point that emerged during the GoM's deliberations may limit the legal options available to the government, sources told The Hindu. There is apparently some ambiguity over who owns the UCIL plant in Bhopal today, since the land on which its shell stands has reverted to the Madhya Pradesh government. Clarity on this point is crucial, sources said, in establishing the liability of Dow Chemicals, which bought out Union Carbide.
Meanwhile, government sources told The Hindu that the GoM was of the view that even though previous attempts to extradite Mr. Anderson had failed, advantage should be taken of the new evidence that had been recorded in the recently delivered Bhopal trial court judgment, as well as in the testimonies of witnesses who had said Union Carbide's parent company in the U.S. had prior knowledge of both the faulty design as well as the shortcomings in the maintenance and operations of the Bhopal plant that had led to the December 3, 1984 gas leak. Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, who was present at the meeting, read out a factual note explaining the background of the previous attempts to extradite Mr. Anderson. In response to a question put to her at the GoM whether there was any truth in the former Foreign Secretary, M.K. Rasgotra's statement that the decision to give safe passage to Mr. Anderson was taken by the then Union Home Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, she said there was nothing on the records which could either “corroborate or contradict” Mr. Rasgotra's claim, sources added.
At its morning session, the GoM focussed on the legal options available to the government. “We discussed all pending legal issues and legal options available to the government after the judgement of the trial court,” Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who heads to the reconstituted GoM, told journalists.
Apart from the discussion on extradition, the GoM decided to recommend that a curative petition be filed in the Supreme Court to try and reverse its 1996 judgment that had extinguished criminal liability against the accused , so that the punishment could be enhanced; the case against Dow Chemicals pending in the Jabalpur High Court be pursued vigorously; and the government appeal against the trial court judgment, seeking a greater degree of punishment for those convicted.
At the end of the second session, sources said, the GoM decided to recommend strengthening the existing medical facilities: currently, there are seven dedicated hospitals for the victims (two super speciality, two speciality and three general hospitals), nine day-care units and three Ayurvedic, three homoeopathic and three Unani dispensaries operating in the affected areas. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), which has collated reports on the impact of the gas leak on pregnant women and children and established a population-based cancer registry in Bhopal, would also be asked to invite more proposals for further research among the affected population.
The Ministers will meet again on Sunday to look at the environmental issues, especially what needs to be done for the remediation of the plant and to ensure safe supply of drinking water. On Monday, the GoM will take a comprehensive look before making its final recommendations to the Cabinet.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Sanju, Jacky: Cola ho!
Here comes Madhu my Mottu Maid, with my Oolong green tea and with the news that Sanjay Dutt will be seen in the next Pepsi commercial, with Ranbir Kapoor and Jaqueline Fernandez. Now that’s surprising, for I didn’t expect Sanju baba to appear in a cola ad, after endorsing some tobacco product.
Mots then says, that producer Sunil Manchanda was looking for an appropriate girl to feature with Kapoor and Dutt, and Nikhil Advani recommended Jacky. Seems Manchanda promptly called her for the cola commercial. But this doesn’t say explain why Dutt’s agreed to do the ad. How did the brand, which is swearing by ‘Youngistan’ these days, got almost-50-year-old Dutt to sign up for them?
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Youngistan focus shifts from money
So you thought fancy workplaces and fat pay packets were enough to keep young employees? Think again. Corporate India is realising that putting more responsibilities on those tender shoulders and giving them a hard-nosed perspective on long-term prospects could be a better way to go.
“Youthification” of the country’s work-force, the bulk of them under 25 and very, very restless, is now a major challenge for human resource manager, a survey by HR services firm TeamLease said this week. Managers are still coping with this regime change.
It seems that in the mindset of Youngistan, an expression popularized by Pepsi’s youth-charged advertising, with more jobs chasing people, the rules have changed. For instance, big companies may not entice them as much as a growing one.
“Today’s youth has higher aspirations, is more impatient, has more choices and does not view employment as a relationship but as a transaction,” Surabhi Mathur, General Manager, Permanent Staffing, TeamLease Services, said in a statement.
The survey said a clearly charted out job profile and long-term career planning are bigger motivators than money for those under 25 to take up a job.
Some think a wider engagement is necessary.
“Many organisations rely on inflated salaries but in the long run, organisation attractiveness moves from monetary advantage per se to work environment, the quality of the work, the culture and work-life balance,” said Vikram Karayi, Senior Vice President (HR) at Steria India.
Companies holding themselves back from handing over responsibilities to a young worker might need to change their ways.
“Young people are very ambitious and they want to be CEOs as of yesterday. They want to handle responsibilities and take up challenging tasks,” said Yasho V Verma, Director of Human Resources at consumer electronics firm LG.
Shah Rukh may not endorse Pepsi
SRK, the biggest brand of India, maybe the king of Bollywood but right now it seem he is certainly not the king of enorsements. Maybe age is catching up with the youth icon.
According to the buzz, Pepsi has not renewed the contract with Shah Rukh but have replaced him with Ranbir. The soft drink giant's new 'Youngistan' campaign targets the youth and has Ranbir Kapoor endorsing the brand.
Shah Rukh was the only star who had the longest relationship with Pepsi, other stars like Kajol and Rani couldn't continue for long and even cricket stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly were replaced some time ago by Ishant Sharma, MS Dhoni and Virender Sehwag.
Pepsico to air first international TVC from tomorrow
Soft drink major Pepsico India on Thursday said it will air its first international television commercial under the existing 'Youngistan' campaign from Friday during the ICC T20 World Cup tournament.
"The new ‘The Rising’ TVC has been created by PepsiCo’s international advertising agency CLM BBDO, Paris for Pepsi markets globally outside of North America," Pepsico said in a statement.
India is the one of first countries which has used the adapted version of the film targetting the youth, the company said.
Commenting on the latest campaign, PepsiCo India Executive Director (Marketing) Punita Lal said, "The new TVC, celebrates the 'Youngistaan' attitude wherein they believe anything is possible. We are confident that this film will connect with the Indian youth, thanks to the core thought and scale execution."
The company said the new commercial, also called 'I Can' campaign, will be aired during the ICC World Twenty 20, England 2009 tournament starting from Friday.