Latest news with #RamonMagsaysay
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Bare hands, broken lives: The untold story of Odisha's drain cleaners
Narrow definition It's a narrow definition of law that keeps these sanitary workers out of the ambit of social security while denying them safety and dignity at work. The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (or MS Act, 2013) defines manual scavengers as people who manually clean or handle untreated human excreta from insanitary latrines or railway tracks. Under Section 2(g) of the Act, hazardous cleaning of sewer lines, septic tanks, manholes and interceptor chambers is strictly prohibited and a punishable offence. As per reports of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Odisha had only 230 manual scavengers (till July 2024) and there are no dry/insanitary latrines (which need manual cleaning) in the state. These 230 persons have been completely rehabilitated, as per government records. Workers like Purnima and Dhananjay scavenge all forms of waste including human waste from open drains but do not come under the ambit of manual scavenging given the definition. Because, they do not work in dry/insanitary latrines which as per official records do not exist. And going by the same definition, the Odisha government asserts that the state is free from the practice of manual scavenging which is majorly mechanised now. The Safai Karamchari Andolan in Odisha has long been demanding identification of workers engaged for drain desiltation as manual scavengers but in vain. National convenor of the Andolan and Ramon Magsaysay awardee Bezwada Wilson said it is a fact that many houses in urban areas of Odisha do not have septic tanks even today. 'Both kitchen and bathroom water and everything else comes to these drains including untreated human excreta. So, cleaning these drains should be considered manual scavenging,' added Wilson. All the civic bodies play it smartly as they outsource the drain desiltation work to private agencies who, in turn, employ sanitary workers on a daily wage basis. Considered unskilled, these workers get roughly around Rs 430 per day as daily wage. And work without any form of protection. Only a few are under the payroll of the agencies which provide them a salary of around Rs 12,000 with EPF benefits.
GMA Network
05-08-2025
- Health
- GMA Network
Winwyn Marquez attends flag raising event as marine reservist
Winwyn Marquez donned her marine reservist uniform to attend a flag-raising event at Rizal Park in Manila on Monday. Among the photos she shared in a carousel post on Instagram was one of herself standing in attention underneath a large Philippine flag. Organized by non-profit organization, Salute to a Clean Flag, the event is a way to usher National History Month this August. The event also honored Dr. Alfredo Bengzon's legacy, a Ramon Magsaysay awardee and former Secretary of Health who established the National Milk Code to protect mothers and infants; the Generic Drug Law to make medicines more affordable; and led discussions with armed groups, among many others. According to Winwyn, the event was also attended by 'members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, fellow reservists, health workers, doctors, nurses, educators, and other sectors.' 'Proud to wear my uniform again as part of the Philippine Marine Reserve and stand for something meaningful,' Winwyn said in her Instagram post. 'Because our flag is more than a a promise to serve, remember, and stand united,' she added. Winwyn completed marine reservist training under the Philippine Naval Reserve Command in 2020. She finished at the top of her class. Winwyn is best known for being the first FIlipino to win the Reina Hispanoamericana title back in 2017. She was hailed second runner-up for Miss Universe Philippines 2025. In May, she was a host-mate on 'Unang Hirit.' — Nika Roque/LA, GMA Integrated News
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Dr Shanta's statue, museum unveiled
Chennai: Chief minister M K Stalin unveiled a statue and memorial museum of Dr V Shanta, former chairperson of Adyar Cancer Hospital . Born on March 11, 1927, into a family of two Nobel laureates – C V Raman and S Chandrasekar – Dr Shanta devoted herself to the field of oncology . She stayed in a small room at the institute, made quality and affordable cancer treatment accessible to all patients, and dedicated herself to caring for cancer patients, researching the disease, and spreading awareness. The place where Dr Shanta lived in the hospital has now been converted into a museum, the hospital said. Throughout her life, she remained an inspiration to many other doctors and healthcare providers. She served on the cancer advisory board at the World Health Organization and as a coordinator of the state advisory committee on cancer. She won several awards, such as Ramon Magsaysay and Padma Vibhushan.
