The National Disaster Management Authority Essays

The National Disaster Management Authority Essays The National Disaster Management Authority Essay The National Disaster Management Authority Essay The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister of India, is the Apex Body for Disaster Management in India. The setting up of the NDMA and the creation of an enabling environment for institutional mechanisms at the State and District levels is mandated by the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Contents [hide] 1 Evolution of NDMA 2 Roles and Responsibilities 3 Organisation 4 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Evolution of NDMA Emergence of an organization is always an evolutionary process. Establishment of NDMA has also gone through the same processes. Towards this aim, the Government of India (GOI), in recognition of the importance of Disaster Management as a national priority, has set up a High-Powered Committee (HPC) in August 1999 and also a nation committee after the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, for making recommendations on the preparation of Disaster Management plans and suggestion effective mitigation mechanisms. The Tenth Five-Year Plan Document also had, for the first time, a detailed chapter on Disaster Management. Similarly, the Twelfth Finance Commission of India was also mandated to review the financial arrangements for Disaster Management. On 23 December 2005, the Government of India enacted the Disaster Management Act, which envisaged the creation of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister of India, and State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) headed by respective Chief Ministers of the States, to spearhead and implement a holistic and integrated approach to Disaster Management in India. Roles and Responsibilities NDMA as the apex body is mandated to lay down the policies, plans and guidelines for Disaster Management to ensure timely and effective response to disasters. Towards this, it has the following responsibilities:- Lay down policies on disaster management; Approve the National Plan; Approve plans prepared by the Ministries or Departments of the Government of India in accordance with the National Plan; Lay down guidelines to be followed by the State Authorities in drawing up the State Plan; Lay down guidelines to be followed by the different Ministries or Departments of the Government of India for the Purpose of integrating the measures for prevention of disaster or the mitigation of its effects in their development plans and projects; Coordinate the enforcement and implementation of the policy and plan for disaster management; Recommend provision of funds for the purpose of mitigation; Provide such support to other countries affected by major disasters as may be determined by the Central Government; Take such other measures for the prevention of disaster, or the mitigation, or preparedness and capacity building for dealing with the threatening disaster situation or disaster as it may consider necessary; Lay down broad policies and guidelines for the functioning of the National Institute of Disaster Management. Organisation National Disaster Management Authority has been constituted with the Prime Minister of India as its Chairman, a Vice Chairman with the status of Cabinet Minister, and eight members with the status of Ministers of State. Each of the members has a well defined functional domain covering various states as also disaster specific areas of focus and concern To carry out the mandated functions, NDMA has evolved a lean and professional organization which is IT-enabled and knowledge based. Skills and expertise of the specialists are extensively used to address all the disaster related issues. . A functional and operational infrastructure has been built which is appropriate for disaster management involving uncertainties coupled with desired plans of action. The concept of the organization is based on a disaster divisions-cum-secretariat system. Each member of the Authority heads disaster-specific divisions for specific disaster and functional domains. Each member has also been given the responsibility of specified states and UTs for close interaction and coordination. The NDMA Secretariat, headed by a Secretary is responsible to provide secretarial support and continuity. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) The Disaster Management Act, 2005 has mandated constitution of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), a Specialist Response Force, for the purpose of specialized response to natural and man-made disasters. This Force will function under the National Disaster Management Authority which has been vested with its control, direction and general superintendence. This will be a multi-disciplinary, multi-skilled, high-tech force for all types of disasters capable of insertion by air, sea and land. All the eight battalions of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are equipped and trained for all natural disasters including four battalions in combating nuclear, biological and chemical disasters. DDMA The government had decided to constitute a Disaster Management Authority in every district of the state, he said. The government had also issued notification in this regard, nominating each Deputy Commissioner as ex-officio chairman of the proposed Authority. The Chairman of Zila Parishad will be Co- Chairman and the Additional Deputy Commissioner will be ex-officio Chief Executive Officer in the Authority. The Superintendent of Police of the respective district would be ex-officio member of the DDMA but in case of Gurgaon district Deputy Commissioner Police (HQ) will serve the purpose. Other members include Civil Surgeon, Superintendenting Engineer of PWD ( BR) and District Revenue and Disaster Management Officer posted in the district. The DDMA will consist of seven members including the Chairman. He said that the headquarter of the DDMA would be set up at the district headquarter and a meeting atleast once in a year has been made mandatory. The Authority would ensure preparation of District Response Plan and Disaster management Plan. It would monitor and ensure proper implementation of national and state disaster management plans in the district and would identify the quake prone areas. It would devise ways and means to minimise the losses in the event of natural calamity like that of earthquake by striking co-ordination between various departments. He said the DDMA would provide technical help and advice for effective management of activities before and after the calamity. It would identify such open places and buildings which can used for relief camps and as shelter houses for calamity victims. It would also enlist the NGOs and other social organisations in the district and motivate them to play pro-active role in disaster management programme. The DDMA could constitute one or more committees as per requirement and pay remuneration for assistance provided by any specialist to the Authority according to the government guidelines, he added.

14 Unexpected Day Jobs of Bestselling Authors

14 Unexpected Day Jobs of Bestselling Authors 14 Unexpected Day Jobs of Bestselling Authors Bret Easton Ellis sold his manuscript for Less Than Zero at the age of 21. Unlike this wunderkind, most authors don’t land on the New York Times Best Sellers List straight after college: most of them had to find day jobs while they worked on their craft. In this week’s post, we look through the rà ©sumà ©s of the world’s most beloved authors and  uncover the skills that paid the bills.1. JD Salinger – Cruise Ship Entertainment DirectorSpeaking of postal workers, the future Nobel laureate was briefly a postmaster at the University of Mississippi. From all written accounts, he was terrible at this job and eventually handed in a resignation letter penned with sound and fury.Who have we left off this list? If your favorite writer once held an interesting, strange, or unexpected job, please share it with us in the comments below.

Threats to Global Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Threats to Global Security - Essay Example The nation-states drafted or enlisted vast segments of the population base to build huge armies, navies, air forces, and nuclear weaponry, and the military command of each nation used this force with unrestrained power, even against civilian populations. The â€Å"old† war pattern led to hundreds of millions of individual deaths across the world during the course of the 20th Century. In a different interpretation focusing on media, Heidi Schaefer writes in â€Å"Old Wars New Wars†: â€Å"The famous photograph of a man being executed by a shot to the head by South Vietnam Lt. Colonel Ngyen Ngoc Loan, Saigon Chief of Police... taken by Eddie Adams, in 1968, on a side street in Saigon and later won him... a Pulitzer prize. In Adams’ obituary, the Washington Post wrote on this defining image of the violence of war in the latter half of the 20th century: ‘It was war in its purest, most personal form.’† (Schaefer, 2009) Thus, in evaluating the defin ition of â€Å"old† wars, it can be stated that on the global or international level, â€Å"old† wars operate on the Clausewitzian model of â€Å"total war† and mass-mobilization of societies that cause immense amounts of social and economic destruction. On the local level, â€Å"old† wars operate as in the Eddie Adam’s photo, the brutality of a man shot in the head, the passion of the scene, the emotions, and desperation are all caught on camera and recorded as a â€Å"total history†. In using this understanding to build a conception of â€Å"new† wars, these can be seen as â€Å"conflicts† that operate on a limited or isolated basis globally, generally in failed States or in surgical military operations led by the hegemonic powers. Where â€Å"total war† characterized the old paradigm, â€Å"contained war† is symbolic of the new. This may also include increased systematization, de-personalization, and abstractio n of violence so as to understand that State violence becomes more â€Å"stylized† in the operation of â€Å"new† war, as in a â€Å"cosmopolitan† police action. Additionally, there is a greater tendency to covert action, marginalized conflicts, lack of media coverage of non-central States, and disappearance of history that suggest in the local operation of â€Å"new† war, there is an inherent secrecy or hidden aspect that relates to containment, and can be seen as contrary to the Eddie Adams model. This means the media may not be centrally present in the â€Å"new† wars; the violence may not be recorded and broadcast in graphic imagery, but rather masked and stylized by the State in Hollywood manner in order to continue status quo operations with violence contained to the destruction of media-driven stereotypes of â€Å"foreign enemies† and â€Å"terror†. In reviewing the academic literature on the definition of â€Å"old† war and â€Å"new† war, there is a consistent theme of scholars writing on the subject to identify the 9/11 attacks as ushering in a new paradigm in the conduct of war. In "Old Laws, New Wars: Jus ad Bellum in an Age of Terrorism," William K. Lietzau writes: "At 8:46 on the morning of 11 September 2001, a handful of terrorists propelled the globe into an era of profound change... Whether or not recognized, acknowledged, or asserted, 9/11 and the response thereto brought forth a nascent legal regime that will alter the way nation states apply the rule of

What effect does socioeconomic status have on the voting behavior of Essay

What effect does socioeconomic status have on the voting behavior of blacks - Essay Example rent paper focuses on the examination of the possible effects of socioeconomic status on the development of a particular voting behavior by black people. The literature and the empirical research presented throughout this paper prove that the voting behavior of black people around the world can be influenced by a series of factors; socioeconomic status has been found to have a role in the development of specific voting decisions by black people. Of course, the dependence of voting behavior on specific social, political and financial factors cannot be doubted; however, it seems that this influence is stronger in the case of minorities or people with a specific racial background. Regarding the structure of the specific paper it should be noticed that a general presentation of the factors influenced the voting behavior of the public is used in order to introduce the issue under examination and explain the reasons for which the effects of the socioeconomic status on the voting behavior o f black people can have a long lasting effect. As already noticed above, the voting behavior of all people around the world is influenced by specific factors. The above phenomenon has been extensively studied in the literature and many different views have been stated. In accordance with Bass et al. (1998, online article) ‘it is important to consider the effect of residential mobility on registration and voting behavior; movers resemble stayers on motivational factors related to voting; the requirement that citizens must register anew after each change in residence constitutes a key stumbling block in the path of a trip to the polls (Squire, Wolfinger, Glass, 1987 in Bass et al., 1998, online article). In accordance with the above, the voting behavior of citizens can present different characteristics in accordance with the political and the social conditions of a particular era; in the same context, when specific factors are used in order to alternate the voting behavior of people

The Green Mile by Stephen King Essays -- Film Movies

The Green Mile by Stephen King Summary: John Coffey is brought to Cold Mountain accused of rape and murder. It becomes known that he has a healing touch. Paul Edgecombe, the superintendent, has sympathy for Coffey and later finds out that Coffey is indeed innocent, but can find no way to stop the execution. Coffey proclaimed that he 'wanted to go'; and thus allowed Paul to accept Coffey's fate as he must, and go on with his life. Central Characters: Paul Edgecombe, probably over 100, narrator, was the head of E block (death row) at Cold Mountain Penitentiary. Paul faces an internal struggle between what his job wants him to do and what he sometimes knows is the 'right'; thing. Kind and gentle, he recounts this episode of his life from Georgia Pines, his retirement home. John Coffey is a huge, muscular black man but is very slow in the mental sense, brought into a situation where death surrounds him, yet he has the power to heal by his own touch. Other Characters: Dean Stanton, Harry Terwilliger, Brutus Howell, and Percy Wetmore were all guards on E block. Percy was the most significant; he was a banty-rooster sort of guy. He liked to pick fights. He represented the fears of Paul Edgecombe. Though it is not obvious at the beginning, it becomes clearer as Paul ages. Toot-Toot was portrayed as a jester to lighten the mood of the story. His humor is what kept the other guards sane. Hal (Warden) Moores was the warden of Cold Mountain Penitentiary. Melinda Moores, Hal's wi...

Behavior therapy and ADHD

ADHD is Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder which is a biopsychosocial disorder or neurobehavioral problem characterized by numerous problems including hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. These problems pose a lot of difficulties in learning at school, home, at work and in relationships. About 3%-5% of children are affected by this problem out of which 30%-70% continue to show symptoms even to adulthood (Curtis, 2008).The symptoms associated with ADHD are of three types. One is having attention deficiencies in that the affected person is distracted very easily and also exhibits difficulties focusing on a given task.Secondly, the patient is prone to doing things before thinking about the consequences or the impacts they would have on themselves and the people around them. For instance, becoming too angry than the situation calls for, laughing or talking too loud, teens and adults may hurriedly make decisions that would impact the rest of their lives negatively like spendi ng money recklessly. The third type of symptom is hyperactivity in which affected children may fidget, run around at inappropriate times or squirm while adults and teens are restless and are unable to enjoy their quiet times or studying (Curtis, 2008).ADHD causes can be attributed to biological, social, experiential and strong genetic factors. The use of medication for treating this condition is not without serious side effects. By adopting behavioral approaches, the myriad of challenges faced by the affected children such as school failure, school drop out, behavioral disorders, depression, relationship and vocational problems can be significantly reduced and eventually overcome instead of relying on medications which only add more problems by causing serious side effects and whose long term outcome poses a threat to the life of the patient.Moreover, whether a child is affected by ADHD or not, such problems associated with ADHD may still be evident in psychologically healthy childr en. This paper will discuss how lack of adequately monitoring and controlling behavioral patterns at early childhood has resulted in many parents branding their children ADHD affected. It will show how behavioral strategies can be used extensively to deal with behavioral problems which may be mistakenly associated ADHD.Instead of using medications which cause more harm to the children to whom they are prescribed, the paper will justify by use of real and practical examples of other approaches which if well applied would eliminate the harms of relying on medicine. 2. 0 Why medication is not a remedy for treating ADHD Though there are several documented benefits associated with using stimulant medication for treating ADHD, it has not offered a complete remedy due to a number of reasons.It is first of all worth noting that the side effects caused by this medication impedes its administration on a prolonged basis and secondly no real benefits are accrued from medication for up to 20% of children claimed to be affected by ADHD (Rabiner, 2009). Another thing is that ADHD has primary symptoms in addition to other associated problems which cannot be alleviated by medication and therefore the need for employing other means. In addition, some children and many teenagers are strongly opposed to taking medicine which creates more problems when they are forced to take the medication.Moreover, management of children behavior can be effectively done even without the use of medication especially when the symptoms are relatively mild. This can be done through strategies such as positive reinforcement and punishment. 2. 1 Side effects of stimulant medications A stimulant is the commonly used type of medication whose action produces a calming effect on the patient. Other medications are non-stimulants and their mode of action differs from that of the stimulants. There are several side effects caused by the use of stimulants in treating ADHD.The common ones are sleep problems, de creased appetite, irritability, and anxiety in addition to few cases of headaches and stomachaches. There are also other side effects which are less common including some children developing sudden sounds or repetitive movements known as tics and change in personality in which some children appear to be without emotions (nimh. nih. gov, 2009). The US Food and Drug Administration have also warned against possible side effects which though rare may cause fatal consequences. It has pointed that the use of ADHD medication may cause psychiatric or possible cardiovascular problems.The medication-related psychiatric problems include becoming suspicious without any reason, hallucinations, hearing voices and becoming manic even among patients with no history of psychiatric complications. In addition, atomoxetine as one of ADHD medication has been found to cause increased suicidal thoughts in teenagers and children who take the medication than those who do not take it (nimh. nih. gov, 2009). Other non-medical treatment measures are therefore no doubt necessary to combat ADHD in a more safe, effective and easy way. 3. 0 Behavioral treatment for ADHDThis is also referred to as behavior management or behavior therapy whose basis of operation is pegged to the simple understanding of why children would want to behave or act in a socially acceptable manner. There are three reasons for this one being that children are inclined towards pleasing their parents by doing the right things and through this they feel good about themselves when the parents commend and applaud their positive behavior. This is because children are strongly motivated when the relationship with their parents is positive.Another reason is that children want to behave well so as to benefit from the positive consequences that rewards and privileges associated with good behavior. The last basic reason is that children would want to avoid the repercussions of acting inappropriately such as being punished. There fore, behavior therapy endeavors in enhancing the desire to embrace commendable behavior by all children whether affected with ADHD or not in order to please their parents and also to get positive consequences by behaving correctly.At the same time, inappropriate behavior is suppressed and highly discouraged by creating an environment which guarantees negative consequences after displaying undesirable behavior (Rabiner, 2009). Lack of understanding of this important concept has resulted in many parents making incorrect decisions such as taking their children to psychiatrists who may prescribe medicine for ADHD only to cause health problems to the children who are absolutely normal.Through the efforts of parents and their children, the tools of this approach can be effectively applied to do away with such predicaments and unwarranted over reliance on medicine since the practicability of the method carries no doubt. There are different tools that are essential for positive behavior ou tcome to be achieved. 3. 1 Positive Reinforcement This is based on the understanding that children would be motivated to behave positively if by doing this there is a reward or positive consequences to be gained.This therefore calls for the parent to devise means of increasing the frequency of good behavior by simply offering a reward when the child displays good behavior. The parent ought to be keen on noticing the desired behavior such as putting away toys or playing quietly and not hesitating to comment on the behavior. This approach also entails helping the child to understand what the parent wants him or her to do and ensuring that positive comments or praise is directed to the child every time the behavior occurs.The logic behind these social rewards is that the desire of the child to behave well is enhanced by realizing that the parents are keen to notice and appreciate them (Rabiner, 2009). This keeps at bay defiant or undesirable behavior for which most may be tempted to co ntemplate using medicine. Apart from social rewards, tangible rewards are a form of positive reinforcement. Parents should be enthusiastic to give tokens or privileges to children whether affected with ADHD or not every time positive behavior occurs. This enhances compliance and obedience to requests made by parents.For instance, a parent can explain to a child that each time a request is obeyed, a point is earned. The accumulated points can then be used to obtain a privilege such as access to computer time. 3. 2 Punishing appropriately Punishment is an appropriate strategy to use especially when the behavior is as a result of direct non-compliance or violation of rules. However, punishment cannot be done in solidarity and expect that it will change the long term behavior of children whether ADHD affected or not. Rather, it should always be accompanied with a managing strategy so as to precipitate the anticipated results.The logic behind punishment is that every time a certain behav ior is accompanied with consistent negative consequences, the frequency and intensity with which it will occur over time will diminish and eventually disappear. The child should be made to understand that every time the behavioral expectations are not met, negative consequences are always the result and that bad behavior has absolutely no pay-off. Many parents have failed to apply this important approach resulting in a rise in inappropriate behavior and poor performance in academics by many children.Due to this kind of reluctance on the side of the parent, many normal children have continuously displayed defiance and many have resulted into using antipsychotic medicine on these children in an effort to curb the problem. Punishment is critical in stopping negative behavior and can take many forms such as reprimands, detention, criticism, extra work, and corporal punishment (kidscoinsproductions. com, n. d). The different forms of punishment should be used interchangeably so that if o ne fails to give the expected change, a different one is employed.3. 3 Response cost techniques This refers to different forms of punishment in which the likelihood of losing what has already been earned is determined entirely by the mode of behavior or conduct of a child. Parents with children displaying inappropriate behavior can apply this practical approach to influence their behavior instead of making the conclusion that ADHD is the problem. Its effectiveness is as good as those of giving social and tangible rewards but is especially suitable when used in older children and teens.An example would be to start by giving the whole token say $5 at the start of the week instead of giving it at the end of the week after the child has behaved as expected. This allowance may be placed somewhere in a transparent vessel and a promise made to the child that as long appropriate behavior is maintained throughout the agreed time period, all the $5. 00 belongs to the child. Whenever the child violates the agreed upon set of rules, a dollar is removed from the vessel and this continues to the end of the week upon which the child gets whatever is remaining (Goldstein, 1999).This is a good way of making the child work hard to maintain appropriate behavior so as not to lose the already available reward. 3. 4 Special time Children sometimes find themselves having frustrations caused different challenges they face at school or even at home which can easily jeopardize the good relationship between them and their parents. The frustrations can also be caused by mood swings or being disappointed with friends which thus does not mean that they are having ADHD.These frustrations can create feelings of anger and trigger conflicts which only put the children-parent relationship at risk with the good times completely dwindling if the situation is not strategically contained. With the understanding of how behavior therapy works, parents can capitalize on the natural inclination of chil dren to please their parents when relationships are positive. This calls for the creation of a special time program whose entire focus is mending the badly affected feelings between parent and child.The parent can allocate at least 30 minutes everyday which is designated â€Å"special time† for the child during which the child can choose the desirable activity which must be commensurate with the purpose of the program (Rabiner, 2009). The parent ought not to give commands or ask a lot of questions during this time and the whole focus should be having quality time with the child. The parent should tune into the activity of the child in a complementary and interested manner such that the child will become more motivated to carry on with the activity.The parent should express the feelings of being pleased by for instance commenting positively on the efforts of the child. With time, the natural inclination to please the parent will find its way in and the child will now focus on doing it right and avoiding anything that would displease the parent. Through this, limit setting and discipline is done with ease. 3. 5 Non-Compliance vs. Incompetence Children whether having ADHD or not may display non-compliance to given rules or instructions and therefore there needs to be effective means of dealing with this problem as early as possible in the life of the child.The best way to overcome non-compliance is through manipulating and applying different consequences with the most effective being that of negative consequences through different forms of punishment. On the other hand, children who display incompetence for instance in understanding academic concepts in school should be helped through intensive skill building and educational training. Such children should also be allowed to make choices of what activity they feel they are capable of excelling in. This calls for the parents and teachers to be highly observant and assist the children to make the appropriate choices.This will eliminate the misplaced thoughts in such children that they are incapable of performing which is a source of depression and hopelessness which creates more defiant behavior. Instead of hastening to use medicine with the notion that ADHD has clipped in, such practical approaches are the best since they help avoid the harms associated with using drugs. 4. 0 Conclusion ADHD may be a disorder which is in existence or not but either way, lack of proper use of practical means to ensure sustainable appropriate behavior has resulted in many kids in the US being labeled ADHD-affected.The consequences of using medication to improve behavior and school performance have only created more problems than solutions which indicate that the right approaches are not yet exploited. Behavioral therapy as opposed to chemotherapy ought to be upheld and strategies like punishment properly used by parents and teachers. Assumptions that all behavioral problems emanate from a mental disorder should not be made. References Curtis, J. (2008). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: What It Is and Who Is Affected. Retrieved July 22, 2010, from http://www. health. com/health/condition-article/0,,20251884,00. html Goldstein, S.(1999). The Facts About ADHD. Retrieved July 22, 2010, from http://www. samgoldstein. com/node/21 kidscoinsproductions. com. (n. d). Designing a Behavioural Modification Program. Retrieved July 22, 2010, from http://www. kidscoinsproductions. com/Research/Behavioural_mgt. htm nimh. nih. gov. (2009). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Retrieved July 22, 2010, from http://www. nimh. nih. gov/health/publications/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder/complete-index. shtml Rabiner, D. (2009). Behavioral Treatment for ADHD: An Overview. Retrieved July 22, 2010, from http://www. athealth. com/Consumer/farticles/Rabiner. html

How to Use the Japanese Word Jiyuu

Jiyuu is a Japanese word that means freedom, or liberty. The Japenese characters for this word are:   Ã¨â€¡ ªÃ§â€ ± 㠁˜ã‚†ã â€     Example Ikou to ikumai to sore wa anata no jiyuu desu.è ¡Å'㠁“㠁†ã  ¨Ã¨ ¡Å'㠁 Ã£  ¾Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¨Ã£  Ã£â€šÅ'㠁 ¯Ã£ â€šÃ£  ªÃ£ Å¸Ã£  ®Ã¨â€¡ ªÃ§â€ ±Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š Translation: You are free to go or stay.