Introduction of sex education in schools in Maharashtra is clearly a no-go. The Education Minister Vasant Purkhe's announcement that sex education would be made compulsory from class IX in the next academic year was met with furore and strong resistance from MLAs. Cutting across party lines, the Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP legislators had the following to say: the move was a "western conspiracy to corrupt local culture", it would lead to "love gurus and sex gurus" being appointed and that the "issue is against all religions and that children should not be corrupted." Sensing the members' touchiness about educating students about the birds and the bees, the Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar has asked the Government to put its decision on hold and first consult educationsists, social activists and MLAs who had studied the issue.

Astrologers in poll demand

Astrologers are having a field day in Karnataka as the State moves towards its crucial Assembly poll, the outcome of which is anybody's guess. Those close to the Congress and the BJP have again predicted that their best chance of defeating HD Deve Gowda and his sons, including former Chief Minister, HD Kumaraswamy, is by putting up women candidates against them. (Remember Deve Gowda lost the last Lok Sabha election from Kanakapura when pitted against a Congress newcomer Tejaswini Sriramesh). Consequently, the Congress has done two things. First, it fielded a woman candidate against Deve Gowda's elder son and former Minister HD Revanna. Now it has pitted former Chief Minister, late Ramakrishna Hegde's elder daughter, amiable Mamta Nichani, against Kumaraswami from the Ramanagara seat. The candidate against Revanna is one SG Anupama, daughter-in-law of the arch rival of Deve Gowda, late G. Puttaswamy from Holenarasiapura. Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy has ended speculation that he would contest from two Assembly constituencies in the first phase of the poll on May 10.

Villagers turn millionaires

Farmers are for once happily at the 'receiving end'. A village in Punjab is proof enough. Around 175 farmers of Jhurheri village, in Mohali have become millionaires overnight. On Saturday last, they received cheques ranging from Rs. 4 crore to Rs 10 crore from the Land Acquisition Officer. The whopping amount was "compensation" for their lands acquired by the Government for extending the Chandigarh international airport. Interestingly, the rate applied was Rs 1.5 crore per acre, the highest ever in the country! The Government will disburse Rs 360 crore as compensation to a total of 222 farmers. Life for some, who were finding it tough to survive on small chunks of land, can now start afresh. In fact, perhaps for many others too, if only they would cite this case if necessary.

Workers shortage in tea industry

The tea industry captains in Assam are a worried lot. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) is cutting into their workforce. Not only is the number of plantation workers falling, worse it is so during peak plucking and pruning season (April-December). Two divisions of Chandipur tea estate in Barak or Surma Valley had 400-odd workers this week, as against a normal strength of 600-700 workers. The management realized that they were among the 75 large tea estates which were facing a "NREG induced labour shortage." The reason being a Rs 30 difference in wages--while tea gardens pay 48.65 per day to plantation workers, the NREGS ensures Rs 77 per day. The situation, according to an official of Indian Tea Association, is "getting out of hand," but is hopeful of tiding over the crisis.

Camels make it good

Incredibly enough the camel is in the news-for reasons both good and bad. The good news is that the camel has become dearer. The price of the camel in the Thar Desert, over the years has gone up primarily for two reasons: One, with the fuel prices escalating the animals are now replacing the tractors in farm-rich areas under the Indira Gandhi Canal system and are more in demand. Two, its milk is an elixir, now a cure for diabetes. Thus, gone are the days when the price a camel fetched was that of a goat. Instead, the herders now fetch Rs. 1.5-2 lakhs for a camel. The bad news is that the camel population is dwindling. In the 2007 livestock census it had come down to 4.30 lakh, from 6.68 lakh in 1997 and 4.98 in 2003. But now that the camel is fetching more, the demand for breeding the traditional ship of the desert is certain to go up. Moreover, fewer would come under the butcher's knife for its meat.

-INFA