Merry Christmas !

Facebook Is Asking You To Sign Up For 'Free Basics', Which Is Just Another Name For Internet.Org

However, what it doesn't tell you is that 'Free Basics' is the other name for Internet.Org. It is the same service that net neutrality activists have been fighting against for a year now.

Since its India launch this May, Internet.org had come in for criticism for being a “walled garden” for its limited number of partners and single service provider.

Several internet activists had signed a petition against Facebook's initiative saying that goes against net neutrality and that world's poorest people will only be able to access a limited set of insecure websites and services if Internet.org is implemented.

"We are deeply concerned that Internet.org has been misleadingly marketed as providing access to the full Internet, when in fact it only provides access to a limited number of Internet-connected services that are approved by Facebook and local ISPs. In its present conception, Internet.org thereby violates the principles of net neutrality, threatening freedom of expression, equality of opportunity, security, privacy and innovation," the activists had said in the petition.

Net neutrality activists have said that Facebook's Internet.Org or now 'Free Basics' is a threat to the open, free Internet we’re used to—one that doesn’t discriminate between highly capitalized success stories like Netflix and Google and scrappy new startups that hope to be the next Google or YouTube or Facebook.

Please view the Huffington post's LINK for more details.

निर्भया हम सच मे शर्मिंदा है !

सच मे आज हमारा सिर शर्म से झुक रहा है, हम अपने आप से भी आँखें मिला कर नही देख सकते क्योंकि वो दामिनी, वो निर्भया, आज भी हम सब से अपने कतल का इंसाफ़ माँग रही है. यक़ीनन, उसकी चीखें, उसकी सिसकियाँ, अब हमे रातो को सोने नही देंगी. ऐसा क्यों ? क्यों हम निर्भया को इंसाफ़ ना दे पाए ? क्यों हम मासूम बच्चियों पे होते हुए अत्याचार, रोक ना पाए ? अगर आज भी हमे शर्म ना आई तो फिर कब आएगी ?

December 16 - Nirbhaya - We can never forget you !

India News : Tinight at 9.30 PM

Rich people can't go round in SUVs polluting the environment : Must Read

The Supreme Court's decision came in response to a clutch of petitions including one on banning diesel vehicles in some cities in the face of alarming pollution levels in the country.

"Rich people can't go round in SUVs polluting the environment," the court had strongly remarked yesterday. It had also slammed car dealers arguing against a National Green Tribunal order banning registration of diesel cars, saying, "People's life is at stake and you are interested in selling cars."

Must read : NDTV : LINK : for detailed news report.

Supreme Court bans registration of new diesel SUVs, luxury cars in Delhi till March 31

NEW DELHI: In a landmark ruling aimed at curbing the alarming pollution level in Delhi, the Supreme Court on Wednesday banned the registration of all diesel SUVs and luxury cars with engine capacity of 2000 cc or more in the entire National Capital Region till March 31 next year.

The top court also ruled that all trucks not bound for Delhi will not be allowed to enter the capital through National Highways 1 and 8. Those carrying goods for Delhi will have to shell out a steep environment compensation charge (ECC) — Rs 2,600 for big trucks and Rs 1,400 for light commercial vehicles, which is double the ECC earlier specified by the court.

The Supreme Court has also asked all the private cabs operating in the city to convert to Compressed Natural Gas or CNG by March 1 next year. In a relief to the ordinary commuters, the court exempted small diesel cars from the ambit of its order.

The ruling came two weeks before the Delhi government's radical 15-day odd-even experiment to regulate the number of cars on city roads begins on January 1.

In the other measures, the court asked the Centre to provide proper masks to all traffic policemen in the city, saying they were the worst affected by its pollution.

With thanks : TOI : LINK : For detailed news report.

Beware! This can happen to any woman, or man, in Bengaluru in broad daylight

A woman was stalked, abused and threatened by a group of ‘kidnappers’ in broad daylight amidst heavy traffic in Bengaluru. This is her terrifying story

At around 2:00 pm on December 11, I was driving towards Marathahalli (in Bengaluru), under the KR Puram Bridge next to the railway station.

The traffic was very slow. While waiting there for the vehicles to move, I heard the driver of a red Maruti Swift car on my left shouting and making some obscene hand gestures.

I chose to ignore and moved ahead with the vehicles on to the flyover that connects to the Outer Ring Road.

While on the flyover, I saw the car tailing me. I still did not think much of it, thinking it could be heading in the same direction as I.

However, giving into my keep safe instincts, I decided to avoid being close to the car at the next signal.

Due to the heavy traffic, there was not much place to manoeuvred my car around and I ended up right in the middle of the road.  As soon as my car stopped at the signal, many men jumped out of the Swift, which was right behind me, and surrounded my car.

They started banging on the car; one guy was clicking my pictures while others hit the car, the car windows, the front windshield, rearview mirror, etc. They kept shouting and abusing in Kannada and demanded that I get out of the car. I just gestured them to move away.

I was surrounded by many vehicles with people in them and yet not one soul dared to question those men, on what they were doing and why they were harassing a lone woman.

Next, I saw two of the men bending down to deflate the front tyres. That's when I started screaming inside the car and asked them to get away. To stop them from acting on their threat, I started to move the vehicle. By this time the signal turned green and I could drive ahead.

I was scared. As soon as I crossed that signal, I called my friend who was the last-dialled number on my phone, to tell her what had happened.

with thanks : Yahoo News : LINK : MUST READ THE COMPLETE NEWS.

DJB Not Working !

Sir

In our street no 1 in front of house no 34 sewer is overflowing since last two months. Complaints are being registered regularly but regularly complaints are regularly reset without any action. Kindly approach the concerned authority.

Thanks

Om Prakash

RWA SECRETARY

ARYA NAGAR

DELHI 110092

Odd & Even issue !

I am ready to leave my car for all days and want to travel by Delhi Metro from residence in Rohini Sector 13 to Bhikaiji Cama Place, R K Puram, New Delhi. I am unable to get metro despite I can get metro from two lines Badli to Gurgaon and Rithala- Kashmiri Gate and then for Gurgaon, total 6 metro stations, 3 each on both lines touches my residence but in the absence of any Feeder or DTC bus to these 6 stations. These stations are Rohini east / west / pitampura on rithala-dilshad garden line and Badli, Rohini sec 18 and Haiderpur on Badli Gurgaon line. Haiderpur metro station is highly risky, first we have to cross the outer ring road and then walk on roadside against huge flow of traffic, even there is no U turn on outer ring road to come by own vehicle from residence to haiderpur.

yash pal

Odd & Even issue !

Dear Mr. Vohra,

I fully endorse the views expressed herein by Shri Rajiv Kakria and your appeal to all RWAs to share their views through your channel rendering a noble service to enable people (aam aadmi) at large to open up their shut mouth on all vital issues!

Once again I submit that the Govt. should concentrate on improving the 'public transport services' in a coordinated manner taking into confidence the Central Govt. (whose officers right from Directors and above who use official cars for all purposes), the various agencies of the State Govt., Northern Railway Delhi Division, DMRC and the State's Transport Dept. This will with the passage of time improve the present difficult situation and there are no 'fast first aid' to overcome the situation. 

It must be remembered that overnight we cannot, repeat not, improve the present piquant situation without self-discipline and honesty (which is at a premium in all circles) to the core!! Let's not try and encourage the private autos, taxies, buses (which are fit for city service only - not the then city's blue line service, which created a 'havoc' in the city in the past), which naturally create more chaos on the roads (but a rich vote bank for the political parties to encourage) adding to the present situation.  Let's not imitate or copy what is obtaining in China, Japan, Singapore or in western countries like Sweden etc. which are being quoted often, where self-discipline is upper most added to the 'dread' of local Police, who care little for VIPs etc. to punish)!! 

I strongly feel that once the 'public transport' i.e. the local bus, metro and railway services is improved by all means and check that all private vehicles carry 'valid pollution certificate', the present situation could improve a lot. Govt. should also think over the matter of pooling of cars by officials etc. to a particular destination, which will also reduce the congestion on the roads, to a great extent. You could see for yourselves that all the Govt. departments have no 'parking places' for their own cars, added to the cars of the lower ranked officials and visitors! This will prove the aforesaid point advocated! 

The big question to be answered in letter and spirit is - CAN WE? Of course all the affected officials will throw ample justification to the contrary, as they have been enjoying this 'unique privilege' for quite some time and still proliferating endlessly!! Self-restrictions thus imposed  will not only reduce the present congestion but also 'save' petrol for the Nation, which is of course becoming cheaper!

With regards,

TK Balu/Anand Vihar

Success of Odd & Even plan of Delhi Government ?

K/a. : Transport Minister, Delhi Govt.

Dear Sir,

A study by the Centre for Science and Environment has revealed that Cars contribute only 22% in the Air Pollution of Delhi. Therefore, by the Odd & Even measures, we will not be able to check, even half of the Cars, as Govt vehicles, Car pooling vehicles, Women driven vehicles, CNG vehicles and many others, are expected to get exemption, on one or other ground.  

Moreover, those stranded on the roads, without a car, will use other transport facilities such as three wheelers, taxis, buses to move to their destination and this additional pressure on the public transport, will also create, additional pollution, mitigating all the efforts. As a result, we may not be able to reduce the air pollution, even by 5 %. 

If you are really serious over the issue, why don’t you apply the scheme of barring just two digits per day ( i.e. All Vehicles of those two digits – Except Govt & Emergency services ) from roads, as below : 

Monday : all vehicles with 0 & 1 digits, Tuesday : all vehicles with 2 & 3 digits, Wednesday : all vehicles with 4 & 5 digits, Thursday : all vehicles with 6 & 7 digits and on Friday : all vehicles with 8 & 9 digits, between 8 AM to 8 PM.  Saturday & Sunday will be exempted.   

It will create a problem for some of the residents, everyday, but for a day only, in the seven days period but it will have a massive impact in resolving the pollution issue as it may go down by many times of the present possibility. Office goers may sacrifice for a day for the sake of our city or may ask to adjust the working day with Saturday. 

Rest depends upon you, but we are very much sure that strict measures must be taken to reduce the pollution from Delhi & that must include, barring / regulating, the influx of new vehicles in the city.

With Best regards,

B S Vohra

Social Activist