The risk of long COVID is strongly associated with area-level deprivation, with the odds of having long COVID 46 per cent higher for people from the most deprived areas, compared to those in the least deprived areas, according to a study.<br /><br />Published in the <em>Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine</em>, the study analysed over 2,00,000 working-age adults and is the first to quantify the association between long COVID and socioeconomic status across a range of occupation sectors.<br /><br />Analysing data from the UK Office for National Statistics COVID-19 Infection Survey, the researchers found that females had a higher risk of long COVID, with the risk of long COVID in females in the least deprived areas comparable to that in males in the most deprived areas.<br /><br />People living in the most deprived areas and working in the healthcare and education sectors had the highest risk of long COVID compared to the least deprived areas.<br /><br />However, the study did not describe any significant association between the risk of long COVID and the most and least deprived areas for people working in the manufacturing and construction sectors.<br /><br />"Although certain occupational groups, especially frontline and essential workers, have been unequally affected by the COVID-19 <keyword id="43587" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pandemic" source="Orion">pandemic</keyword>, studies on long COVID and occupation are sparse," said lead researcher Dr Nazrul Islam, of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton.<br /><br />"Our findings are consistent with pre-pandemic research on other health conditions, suggesting that workers with lower socioeconomic status have poorer health outcomes and higher premature mortality than those with higher socioeconomic position but a similar occupation. However, the socioeconomic inequality may vary considerably by occupation groups," added Dr Islam, who is also part of Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford.<br /><br />According to the researchers, the study indicates the need for a diverse range of public health interventions after recovery from COVID-19 across multiple intersecting social dimensions.<br /><br />Future health policy recommendations, they say, should incorporate the multiple dimensions of inequality, such as sex, deprivation and occupation when considering the treatment and management of long COVID.<br /><br />"The inequalities shown in this study show that such an approach can provide more precise identification of risks and be relevant to other diseases and beyond the pandemic," Dr Islam said.<br /><br />"These findings will help inform health policy in identifying the most vulnerable sub-groups of populations so that more focused efforts are given, and proportional allocation of resources are implemented, to facilitate the reduction of health inequalities," he noted.

Risk of long COVID 46% higher for patients from socioeconomically deprived areas, study reveals

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Payam Zamani is the founder and CEO of One Planet Group, a tech company.</li><li>He is a refugee from Iran and arrived in the US in 1988 with $75.</li></ul><p><em>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Payam Zamani, author of "</em><a target="_blank" href="https://benbellabooks.com/shop/crossing-the-desert/"><em>Crossing the Desert: The Power of Embracing Life's Difficult Journeys</em></a><em>." It has been edited for length and clarity.</em></p><p>I was born into a life where tests and difficulties were the norm. My family was Baha'i, a religious minority in Iran. During the Iranian revolution, we lost many rights, including the right to education. When I was 16, my parents decided I was safer being smuggled out of the country than remaining in Iran.</p><p>My older brother had crossed into Pakistan ahead of me, and together, we <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/british-woman-moved-us-shares-what-surprised-her-2024-7">came to the US</a> as refugees. We landed in San Francisco in 1988 with $75 between us. The next week, we started working in a screen printing shop. My brother was 23 and I was 17.</p><p>My brother and I were entrepreneurs at heart and hungry for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-200k-give-them-financial-security-inflation-costs-survey-2024-6">financial security</a>. We worked for a painting franchise, which taught us how to run a business. Then, in 1994, we founded Autoweb, the first online car-buying platform.</p><p>By 1997, I had $1 million in the bank. I invested wisely and founded another company, One Planet Group, now valued at hundreds of millions. Yet, I still feel embarrassed to share the exact number of my financial success because I don't see it as a true reflection of my worth.</p><h2 id="f723f8c0-30b8-4703-b385-7bb8f3af060c">I want my daughter to experience financial discomfort</h2><p>About 20 years ago, I met my wife, another Baha'i from Iran. We have two daughters, who are now 18 and 19. They were born in the San Francisco Bay Area.</p><p>I can't understate how important <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-news-best-places-to-live-in-america-2016-3">living in America</a> has been for me. I still believe that no matter where you are in the world, it's a place that can offer you hope.</p><p>To teach my girls that, I took them abroad. In 2018, when they were 12 and 13, we moved to the Czech Republic. They attended an international Baha'i school in a small town about 90 minutes outside Prague. They went to school with kids from 30 different countries and got a more worldly perspective than they would have if we'd <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-from-california-to-south-afford-retirement-2024-6">stayed in California</a>.</p><p>When the pandemic struck, we had to return to the US. We chose to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-to-new-york-city-nyc-weather-expensive-jersey-city-2024-1">settle in New York City</a> so the girls could experience cultural, socio-economic, and racial diversity that simply isn't present in the Bay Area.</p><div type="image" title="Payam Zamani with his wife and two daughters smiling and standing outside in front of a field of grass. He is wearing a suit and they are wearing dresses." height="3024" width="4032" msid="111903256" hostid="261" sizebytes="1331538"></div><h2 id="6890c0bd-2f77-4a89-951f-19c8cd3731e3">I gave my girls a reasonable allowance but no extra</h2><p>I believe that humans become their best selves through trials and difficulty. Like gold, we're purified by the fire. But growing up white-presenting in America with immense wealth, my daughters had little trial by fire. I worried about that — in fact, I still do.</p><p>I've always given the girls a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/expert-advice-kid-allowance-2023-1">reasonable allowance</a>. It's not about what I can afford, but what I think is good for them. I want their allowance to cover their essential life expenses like housing, books for college, and groceries, but only just. I don't want to pay for fast fashion or dinners out with friends. My wife and I ensured that money never came to the girls freely. I want them to run out of money and be conscious about spending. I hope those small tests prepare them for the bigger challenges they'll inevitably face.</p><p>Rather than teach the girls <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millionaire-parent-teaches-kids-budgeting-entitlement-stability-2024-4">specific budgeting approaches</a>, I've let them learn through experience what works for them. I've always believed that the best way for children to learn money management is by letting them actually manage their own finances. This approach is practical, not theoretical.</p><p>They can take responsibility for their money, decide how much to save and give to charity, and understand the importance of living within their means to avoid credit card debt. This hands-on experience, rather than another lecture from Dad, is invaluable in teaching financial prudence and responsibility.</p><h2 id="6f1824b1-ca7d-436e-903f-20af90ba0406">I believe wealth is only commendable if earned</h2><p>Most importantly, I want my daughters to work. The Baha'i faith teaches that working in service of others is equal to worship. I don't want to deprive my children of that prayer.</p><p>While I plan to leave my daughters a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-did-with-six-figure-inheritance-advice-for-others-2023-11">small inheritance</a> to ensure their financial security, I won't leave them enough money that they don't need to work. I want my children to have enough money to house themselves, get an education, and meet their basic needs. Beyond that, I believe money can corrupt if it's given rather than earned.</p><p>I also think that wealth is only commendable if you earn it and then spend it on the betterment of the world. I use most of my wealth to try to do just that (both during my lifetime and in my will) by donating to spiritual causes and those that address racial inequalities, specifically those of Black Americans.</p><p>That will not only make this world better, but it will also allow my daughters to earn their own wealth and learn about themselves and the world along the way.</p>

I'm a millionaire, but I'm only leaving my kids a small inheritance. I want them to earn their money like I did.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Losing fat and gaining muscle simultaneously, known as body recomposition, can be tricky.</li><li>Eating a high-protein diet in a small calorie deficit, strength-training, and sleeping enough are key.</li></ul><p>Personal trainers have broken down what it takes to to lose fat and build muscle at the same, to achieve what is known as body recomposition.</p><p>As a general rule, to lose fat a person needs to eat fewer calories than they burn, known as being in a <a href="https://www.insider.com/truth-about-starvation-mode-and-weight-loss-2020-5">calorie deficit</a>, while building muscle requires a surplus.</p><p>However, there are certain contexts that make body recomposition easier to achieve, according to Nick Shaw, personal trainer and founder of <a href="https://rpstrength.com/">RP Strength</a>, the official nutrition coaching platform of the CrossFit Games:</p><ul><li>If you are new to strength training </li><li>If you are returning to strength training after time off</li><li>If you have changed your diet to hit the right calories and protein for the first time</li></ul><p>Body recomposition is "not the norm" as it's tricky to achieve, Shaw told Insider.  </p><p>It may be more difficult for some people due to potential barriers such as their genetics, socio-economics status, or mental health, Dr. Mike Molloy, founder of <a href="https://www.m2performancenutrition.com/">M2 Performance Nutrition</a>, told Insider. But it's theoretically possible for anyone to lose fat and gain muscle.</p><p>Here's what personal trainers said you need to nail to give yourself the best chance of achieving body recomposition.</p><h2>Eat a high-protein diet</h2><p>Consuming a <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-dietitians-would-order-at-mcdonalds-for-high-protein-meal-2022-9">high-protein diet</a> while in a slight calorie deficit will give you the best chance of holding on to, or even building, muscle while losing fat, research suggests. <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-lose-fat-build-muscle-simultaneously-weight-loss-tips-2020-6">Don't drop your calories too low though</a>, or you will be more likely to lose muscle, Emily Servante, a certified personal trainer at <a href="https://upfitness.co.uk/">Ultimate Performance Personal Training</a>, previously told Insider. </p><p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26817506/">One small 2016 study</a> found that men who consumed more protein while also resistance training and doing high-intensity interval training lost more fat and built more lean body mass, which is everything except the fat. </p><p>Another small 2018 <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322973405_Effects_of_High_vs_Low_Protein_Intake_on_Body_Composition_and_Maximal_Strength_in_Aspiring_Female_Physique_Athletes_Engaging_in_an_8-Week_Resistance_Training_Program">study</a> of women found that those who ate a <a href="https://www.insider.com/high-protein-daily-diet-to-lose-body-fat-keep-muscle-2021-8">high-protein diet</a> while resistance training lost more fat and built more muscle than those who consumed less protein.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9FFFkpivDU" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Ben Carpenter (@bdccarpenter)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></p></div></blockquote><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/high-protein-food-swaps-fat-loss-muscle-gain-2022-1">Protein</a> helps muscles recover from workouts and is satiating so keeps you feeling full. It also has a higher <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-add-more-protein-in-diet-fat-loss-muscle-2021-11">thermic effect of food</a> than carbs and fats, meaning the body uses more energy to digest it.</p><p>Eating at least 0.7 grams per pound of bodyweight daily is enough to maximize <a href="https://www.insider.com/preworkout-foods-fuel-weight-lifting-high-intensity-workouts-sports-dietitian">strength gains</a>, according to a meta-analysis published on September 4 in <a href="https://sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40798-022-00508-w">Sports Medicine Open</a>, Insider's <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-much-protein-maximize-muscle-gains-2022-9">Gabby Landsverk previously reported</a>.</p><h2>Strength-train</h2><p>Resistance training is key for body recomposition.</p><p>"Most people focus entirely on the weight loss aspect when trying to recomp," Molloy said. "However, I would argue that most people need to spend as much if not more time putting energy into <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-exercises-for-building-muscle-in-gym-correct-technique-2020-12">building muscle mass</a> as well."</p><p>While <a href="https://www.insider.com/exercise-cardio-brain-body-health-benefits-2017-12">cardio has many benefits</a> for overall health, and any type of movement burns calories, it's not essential for fat loss, Molloy said.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4429709/">2015 meta-analysis</a> found that overweight people who strength-trained lost more fat than those who did cardio. </p><p>Another <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34161329/">study published in 2021</a> found that people who mostly did strength-training were less likely to become overweight than people who mostly did cardio.</p><p>This is because <a href="https://www.insider.com/weight-lifting-burns-fat-faster-than-cardio-trainer-advice-2021-7">strength-training causes the body to burn more calories</a> outside of workouts, Molloy said.</p><p>Shaw recommends training "like a bodybuilder." </p><p>"Make sure you are training with higher volumes in the gym," he said, meaning enough reps, sets, and weight. Shaw suggests <a href="https://www.insider.com/weight-lifting-rep-range-rule-myth-how-train-build-muscle-2021-3">sets of 8-12 reps</a> of each exercise with weights that are heavy enough to be challenging.</p><p>Continue challenging yourself and stimulating muscle growth by applying <a href="https://www.insider.com/progressive-overload-fitness-meaning-and-how-to-do-it-2021-1">progressive overload</a>, which means gradually increasing the reps or weights, he said.</p><h2>Sleep enough and manage stress</h2><p>As well as eating well and strength training, <a href="https://www.insider.com/why-fitness-culture-shifted-focus-on-recovery-trackers-promote-balance-2020-9">recovery</a> is also key, Molloy said.</p><p>Molloy recommended sleeping for eight hours a night and keeping stress levels down.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC535701/">2004 study</a> suggested that two nights of less than six hours' sleep could lead to a 25% increase in hunger, and a 33% increase in cravings of ultra-calorie dense food. This is because <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-sleep-deprivation-can-alter-metabolism-and-lead-to-obesity-2018-8">ghrelin</a> (known as the "hunger hormone") increases when a person is sleep-deprived, the researchers found.</p><h2>Be patient</h2><p>Body recomposition is not a fast process, so patience is required, the experts said.</p><p>"Unlike weight loss that can be very rapid (demonstrated with the prevalence of hardcore crash diets), building muscle is a notoriously slow process, and, therefore recomping is no different," Carpenter said.</p><p>Seasoned gym-goers may get better results in the long-run by having <a href="https://www.insider.com/bulking-gain-muscle-faster-winter-season-expert-2021-12">dedicated phases of fat loss or muscle gain</a>, Shaw said.</p><p>"Trying to do both can be counterproductive as the best way to lose fat is by eating less and the best way to gain muscle is by eating more," he said.</p><p>It's also not possible to <a href="https://www.insider.com/can-you-target-weight-loss-2019-1">choose which body parts you lose fat from</a>, as this largely comes down to genetics.</p><p>"People tend to have stubborn areas that, even by training those areas with weights, will still be the last place that you lose fat from," Shaw said. "The best idea is to just slowly get leaner and eventually that stubborn fat will come off."</p>

How to lose fat and build muscle in 3 simple steps, according to personal trainers

New Delhi, Jan 31 () To promote preventive healthcare, 1.5 lakh Ayushman Bharat Health &amp; Wellness Centres are proposed to be set up by 2022, according to the Economic Survey 2019-20.
<p> The Survey was tabled in Parliament on Friday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
</p><p> A total of 28,005 such centres have already been set up as on January 14, 2020, it added.
</p><p> "Under Mission Indradhanush, 3.39 crore children and 87.18 lakh pregnant women in 680 districts across the country have been vaccinated," the Survey noted.
</p><p> New vaccines such as Measles-Rubella (MR), Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine, Rotavirus Vaccine and Inactivated Polio Vaccine have also been introduced, it added.
</p><p> "As per the latest National Health Accounts (NHA) 2016-17, the out of pocket expenditure as a percentage of total health expenditure has declined from 64.2 per cent in 2013-14 to 58.7 per cent in 2016-17," the Survey said.
</p><p> Primary healthcare accounts for 52.1 per cent of India's current public expenditure on health as per the National Health Estimates, 2016-17. The National Health Policy, 2017 recommended to spend at least two thirds of the government's health expenditure on primary healthcare, it added.
</p><p> "Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), the world's largest health insurance scheme, is a major step towards providing affordable healthcare to the identified poor," the Survey said.
</p><p> The scheme has been rolled out based on the deprivation and occupational criteria of the Socio-Economic Caste Census for rural and urban areas, respectively, it added.
</p><p> In another step, "Under Free Drugs Service initiative, substantial funds have been given to States for provision of free drugs. All States/UTs have notified policy to provide essential drugs free in health facilities," the Survey said.
</p><p> Free diagnostics service initiative was also launched to address the high out of pocket expenditure (OoPE) on diagnostics and improve quality of healthcare services, it added.
</p><p> In addition, Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadi Pariyojana (PMBJP) and Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP) are some of the new initiatives that address the issue of high OoPE on account of drugs and hospital care, the Survey said.
</p><p> According to the Survey, to address the shortage of doctors, the government has embarked on an ambitious programme for upgradation of district hospitals into medical colleges. In last 5 years, the government has sanctioned 141 new medical colleges.
</p><p> The government has also supported states to add nearly 2.51 lakh additional health human resources, it added.
</p><p> The launch of Ayushman Bharat has marked a paradigm shift in the way healthcare is delivered. Ayushman Bharat targets universal health coverage by focusing on preventive, promotive and palliative care apart from ambulatory care and by providing protection against catastrophic health expenditure for secondary and tertiary hospital care, the Survey said.
</p><p> "The focus of healthcare is on four important pillars - preventive healthcare, providing affordable healthcare, building medical infrastructure and mission mode interventions for maternal health, child health and to combat communicable and non-communicable diseases...," it added.
</p> With the marked increase in burden of non-communicable diseases, the government is focused on addressing this epidemiological transition from communicable diseases  to noncommunicable diseases, the Survey said.  AKT  AKT ANU
ANU

1.5 lakh Ayushman Bharat Health & Wellness Centres to be set up by 2022: Survey

New York, Apr 11 (AFP) New York has more coronavirus cases than any country and accounts for around half of all deaths in the United States. Why was is so badly hit and could its leaders have done anything differently? <p> As of Friday, New York state has almost 160,000 confirmed COVID-19 infections, more than Europe's worst-hit countries of Spain and Italy, and over 7,800 deaths.</p><p> Governor Andrew Cuomo has said repeatedly that density and number of foreign visitors made New York City, which has almost 93,000 confirmed cases, an ideal breeding ground for infectious disease.</p><p> America's financial capital has 8.6 million inhabitants. There are 10,000 people per square kilometer, making it the densest city in the US.</p><p> Millions of commuters brush up against each other on its packed subway system every day, while keeping distance on its sometimes narrow sidewalks can be difficult.</p><p>NYC gets more than 60 million tourists a year and is the entry point to America for many travelers, meaning anyone carrying the virus is likely to start infecting others there first.</p><p> American geneticists estimate that it started spreading there from Europe in February, before New York's first confirmed case on March 1.</p><p>The Big Apple is also characterized by massive socioeconomic inequality.</p><p> Overcrowded, deprived areas -- particularly in the Bronx and Queens, where many people already suffer health problems and lack medical care -- have experienced the highest rate of infections.</p><p>"New York City had all the preconditions that would support the idea that it was going to be hit very hard," said Irwin Redlener, public health professor and expert in disaster preparedness at Columbia University.</p><p> On March 2, as the state's second case was confirmed in New Rochelle, just north of New York City, Cuomo said the health care system was the best "on the planet."</p><p> "We don't even think it's going to be as bad as it was in other countries," he added.</p><p> After much hesitation, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the closure of public schools, bars and restaurants from March 16.</p><p>The governor ordered all non-essential businesses to close and residents to stay at home a week later on March 22.</p><p> Experts hesitate to say that they waited too long.</p><p>"The mayor and the governor were being pushed and pulled by two opposing forces.</p><p>"One was saying we have to close schools and restaurants as quickly as possible, the other saying there were lots of economic and social consequences of shutting down everything early," said Redlener.</p><p>"Everyone was getting mixed messages, including from the federal government, from (President Donald) Trump," he added.</p><p> California, America's most populous state, is often cited as a good example for the speed of its response to the outbreak. Its confirmed cases as of Friday were just 20,200, with 550 deaths.</p><p> On March 16, six counties in the San Francisco Bay area issued a stay-at-home order followed by the whole state three days later.</p><p>"One thing that I think is significant is that six neighboring counties got together and issued the same (confinement) order for all six counties, and they did it early," said Meghan McGinty, associate at school of public health of Johns Hopkins University.</p><p>"There was consistency, as opposed to NYC taking one measure, and Westchester (county) taking another, and Long Island taking another," she told AFP.</p><p> Six days passed between New York's school closure order and its order confining residents to their homes.</p><p>"In epidemic terms, six days is light years and can really make a difference in the control and spread of the epidemic, so I think it is possible to say that perhaps, in retrospect, New York waited too long," said McGinty.</p><p> When the crisis passes, the blame game may begin.</p><p> Democrats Cuomo and de Blasio deplored for weeks the Trump administration's delay in getting tests to states, which to this day are still not arriving in sufficient numbers.</p><p>The New York officials also targeted the federal government for dragging its heels in implementing emergency powers to manufacture lifesaving ventilators.</p><p>With the toll far exceeding the numbers killed on 9/11, Phil Murphy, the governor of neighboring New Jersey, which has also been badly affected, has called for a commission similar to the one set up to investigate the September 11, 2001 attacks.</p><p>"The warning signs were there... what happened? If you don't know the answer, how are you going to make sure it's not going to happen again?" Cuomo asked Friday.</p>Given the number of dead and millions of unemployed, "we have a moral obligation to study this pandemic," concluded McGinty. (AFP)  RAXRAX

Coronavirus: Why have so many died in New York?

<br />Introduced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the health insurance scheme with a grand vision is named as <keyword id="6199405" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ayushman-bharat">Ayushman Bharat</keyword> providing the subscribers a medical expenses cover of up to Rs 5 lakh. <br /><br />Here is what you must know about the scheme and the eligibility criteria that will help you benefit from the scheme.<br /><br />Called by other names such as the National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) or Modicare, this government-sponsored health insurance scheme offers free coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for medical care availed of at any government hospital or an empanelled medical care facility in India. The scheme is meant only for poor families and the economically deprived segments of the society. The scheme aims to cover about 10.74 crore beneficiary families and around 50 crore Indian citizens.<br /><br /><strong>Key aspects of <keyword id="6199968" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ayushman-Bharat-scheme">Ayushman Bharat scheme</keyword><br /></strong><br />The medical insurance cover will provide a maximum of about Rs 5 lakhs per family per year on secondary as well as tertiary medical care availed of from medical facilities.<br /><br />Eligibility is strictly based on the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) database and those that are eligible will be covered by the program automatically without having to register for it. <br /><br />If a person from an eligible family is hospitalized, the family need not spend on the treatment when they visit a government or an empanelled private hospital for treatment. <br /><br />The policy covers all kinds of diseases and the benefit offers coverage both for pre and post hospitalization expenses. Unlike other kinds of medical insurance schemes, there is no waiting period for pre-existing ailments. <br /><br />Though Aadhaar card is not a mandated requirement for availing of the medical care under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the beneficiaries will have to produce a prescribed ID at the hospital to receive free treatment. <br /><br /><strong>Eligibility criteria for Ayushman Bharat scheme in rural areas</strong><br /><br />1. Families inhabiting a single room or a domicile with “kuchcha walls and kuchcha roof"<br /><br />2. Families in which there is no adult member in the age group 16 and 59<br /><br />3. Family headed by a female with no adult male member belonging to the 16-59 age group<br /><br />4. Families in which there is at least one disabled member and no able-bodied adult member<br /><br />5. SC/ST households<br /><br />6. Landless households making a majority of their earnings from manual casual labour<br /><br />7. Extremely poor and those individuals surviving on alms<br /><br />8. Families of manual scavengers<br /><br />9. Families belonging to primitive tribal groups<br /><br /><strong>Eligibility criteria for Ayushman Bharat scheme in urban areas<br /></strong><br />As per the guidelines issues as part of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the following 11 occupational categories of workers are included in the list automatically.<br /><br />1. <keyword id="6470258" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Domestic-worker">Domestic worker</keyword><br /><br />2. Street vendor, cobbler, hawker, and other service providers working on the streets<br /><br />3. Construction worker, plumber, mason, labour, painter, welder, security guard, coolie and other head-load workers<br /><br />4. Sweeper, sanitation worker, and gardener<br /><br />8. Home-based worker, artisan, handicrafts worker, and tailor<br /><br />9. Transport worker, driver, conductor, helper to drivers and conductors, cart puller, and rickshaw puller<br /><br />10. Shop worker, assistant, peon in small establishment, helper, delivery assistant, attendant, and waiter<br /><br />11. Electrician, mechanic, assembler, and repair worker<br /><br />12. Washer-man, and chowkidar<br /><br />13. Homeless people<br />

What is Prime Minister health insurance scheme?

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/48857267.cms" /><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=muslim+population">Muslims</a> may comprise 14% of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=indian+population">India’s population</a> but when it comes to their presence at directors and senior executive levels in <keyword id="46431" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="India-Inc">India Inc</keyword>, the figures do not even enter a double digit.<br />
<br />
An ET Intelligence Group analysis pointed out that Muslims constituted a mere 2.67% of directors and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=senior+executives">senior executives</a> - 62 of the 2,324 executives - among the BSE 500 companies, which corresponds to almost 93% of the m-cap on the stock exchange.<br />
<br />
Also, these top executives took home 3.14% of the total remuneration drawn by this group.<br />
<br />
However, as per the analysis, the Muslim employment figure in senior management for BSE-100 companies, in comparison, goes up slightly to 4.60% - 27 of 587 - of total directors and senior executives, though the remuneration drops to 2.56%.<br />
<br />
ET reported that the Muslim minority doesn't yet figure on the radar of corporate India. Even the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=affirmative+action">Affirmative Action</a> (AA) framework is largely focused on the Dalits.<br />
<br />
Affirmative action is all about handholding through education, skills or employability programmes and could mean positive discrimination in hiring.<br />
<br />
In government jobs also, the share of Muslims is less.<br />
<br />
"Muslims are the most deprived in the jobs market; their condition is worse than even the scheduled tribes (STs) in urban areas," Amitabh Kundu, visiting professor at the New Delhi-based Institute for Human Development (IHD), told the financial daily.<br />
<br />
Kundu had steered the Post-Sachar Evaluation Committee, also known as the Kundu Committee, which examined the socio-economic condition of the Muslims in India.<br />
<br />
The committee examined the Muslim community on several counts, including, income, monthly per capita consumption expenditure, and access to health, education and basic services.<br />
<br />
"A Muslim woman lives longer than a Hindu woman in the same income bracket," Kundu said.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Farhad Forbes of the Pune-based Forbes Marshall group and Chairman, CII National Committee on Affirmative Action, said that all of the private sector's affirmative action programmes are designed for the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=forbes">Forbes</a> is certain that it's time for the private sector to begin to seriously examine the minority situation.<br />
<br />
(Image: reuters)<br />


Muslims fare badly in upper echelons, mere 3% of India Inc population

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57d2b4c5dd0895c8308b4651-1200/rtx2ot53.jpg" alt="Theresa May" data-mce-source="POOL New/Reuters" /><p class="source"><span>POOL New/Reuters</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Theresa May made a bold policy announcement on Friday when she declared plans to <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/theresa-may-grammar-schools-government-2016-9" target="_blank">lift the ban on new grammar schools.</a></p><p>The prime minister said she plans to trigger a new wave of grammar schools - secondary schools which select students by means of an exam that applicants will sit at the age of eleven.</p><p>Whether Britain should revisit a grammar school system has been a divisive issue ever since former Labour prime minister Tony Blair banned anymore being created in 1998.</p><p>May, and other Tory MPs who mainly reside in party's right-wing, argue it improves social mobility as it gives kids from less affluent backgrounds a better chance to fulfill their academic potential.</p><p>Critics say the old system enshrined class divisions because large numbers of children from wealthy families ended up in grammar schools while working class kids were more likely to go to "secondary moderns" - schools which kids who failed the grammar school entrance exam were sent to instead.</p><p>In 2013, Financial Times blogger Chris Cook <a href="http://blogs.ft.com/ftdata/2013/01/28/grammar-school-myths/" target="_blank">collected a load of data and put together a chart</a> which illustrates how the grammar school system <em>actually</em> impacted the achievements of  children from poorer backgrounds.</p><p>Cook's findings were clear: poorer children achieved better grades at non-selective schools than at grammar schools, while at the other end of the scale, kids from the wealthiest backgrounds performed better at grammar schools. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57d2cad4dd0895cb308b466f-833/screen shot 2016-09-09 at 11.04.54.png" alt="Grammar schools social mobility" data-mce-source="Financial Times" /><p class="source"><span>Financial Times</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>The method</h2><p>The point of Cook's analysis was to see whether attending grammar schools actually improved the achievements of poorer children. To do this, he first created a fictional region, "Selectivia", which represented the four areas in the <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword> with the most grammar schools in Britain - Kent, Lincolnshire, Medway, and Buckinghamshire. </p><p>He then established a simple points system based on GCSE results (labelled FT points on the chart). He gave pupils 8 points for an A* down to 1 point for a G, and then took a total for each pupil based on the grades they achieved in English, maths, and their three other best subjects.</p><p>The final step was to incorporate a means of measuring poverty known as the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI). This is a score based on the number of poor households in each region. By taking into account all of these factors, Cook was able to assess how pupils from performed in their GCSEs at selective and non-selective schools in relation to the socioeconomic status.</p><p>As the red arrow on the left shows, poorer children performed significantly worse at grammar schools than at selective schools. While, at the other end of the chart, kids from the country's wealthiest families achieved better grades at grammar schools than at non-selective schools.</p><p>Going off this research, the claim that grammar schools help kids from disadvantaged backgrounds to have better academic achievements isn't true.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/polling-analyst-matt-singh-explains-what-threw-off-all-the-brexit-polls-2016-9">The only person who was right about the general election tells us what threw off all the Brexit polls</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="g1MzNvNTE6az7BjvpEmRa3waqiCRlHDL" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'g1MzNvNTE6az7BjvpEmRa3waqiCRlHDL',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

This chart shows how the biggest argument for grammar schools is a total fantasy

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56f30e9452bcd025008b86a0-1108-831/rtsby9a.jpg" alt="Belgium Brussels attacks" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Christian Hartmann" data-mce-caption="Belgian flags seen at a street memorial service near the old stock exchange in Brussels following Tuesday's bomb attacks in Brussels, Belgium, March 23, 2016." /><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Christian Hartmann</span></p><p class="caption">Belgian flags seen at a street memorial service near the old stock exchange in Brussels following Tuesday's bomb attacks in Brussels, Belgium, March 23, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Belgium has the highest per-capita rate of foreign fighters of any Western European country, and its anti-terrorism police are <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/belgium-terror-police-overwhelmed-2016-3">struggling to keep up</a> with the number of cases of radicalized individuals they see.</p><p>The small country, which shares borders with France, the Netherlands, and Germany, has been described as <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/03/22/how-belgium-became-a-terrorism-hotbed.html">"Europe's terror hotbed,"</a> a moniker that was widely repeated in various forms on Tuesday when more than 30 people <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/2-explosions-reported-at-brussels-airport-2016-3" target="_blank">were killed</a> and more than 200 injured after explosions ripped through a Brussels airport and metro station.</p><p>The terrorists who are thought to be responsible for the Brussels bombings also have links to the November attacks in Paris that killed 130 people. The terrorist group ISIS (also known as the Islamic State, ISIL, or Daesh), claimed responsibility for both attacks.</p><p>Both plots were at least partially planned in Belgium, which is thought to have an extensive network of jihadists. Belgians have contributed more than 400 fighters to extremist groups in Syria and Iraq, <a href="http://soufangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/TSG_ForeignFightersUpdate3.pdf">according to a 2015 report</a> from strategic security firm The Soufan Group. Of those, more than 100 are thought to have returned to Belgium.</p><p>There's no one-size-fits-all explanation for why so many young Belgians are drawn to terrorist organizations, but experts have identified socio-economic inequality, existing terrorist networks, and an overwhelmed security force as major factors that make Belgium a fertile ground for extremism.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56f26fd452bcd022008b8343-800-389/screen shot 2016-03-23 at 10.26.57.png" alt="Brussels suspect" data-mce-source="Twitter/Barbara Tasch/Skitch" /><p class="source"><span>Twitter/Barbara Tasch/Skitch</span></p><p class="caption">The suspects in the Brussels attacks.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Existing networks</h2><p>Belgium has long-existing jihadi networks that became especially active as Western countries got involved in conflicts in the Middle East.</p><p>Edwin Bakker, director of the Centre for Terrorism and Counterterrorism of Leiden University in the Netherlands, told Business Insider that Belgium's participation in a US-led anti-ISIS coalition has been cited as a reason why terrorist have targeted the small European country.</p><p>"The existence of a number of well-organized salafi-jihadist networks - such as Sharia4Belgium - contributed to the growth of salafi-jihadist scenes from which many individuals left for Syria after the outbreak of the civil war and after governmental action was taken against these organizations," Bakker said in an email.</p><p>He continued:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">The (long) existence of jihadist networks is an important explanation, in combination with charismatic leadership. That also explains why some cities have "produced" no or only a few jihadist foreign fighters and cities and towns like Brussels and Vilvoorde relatively many.</p><p>Petter Nesser, a senior researcher with the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment and author of the recent book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Islamist-Terrorism-Europe-A-History/dp/0190264020">"Islamist Terrorism in Europe,"</a> <a href="http://www.hurstpublishers.com/molenbeek-one-of-several-jihadi-hotspots-in-europe/#.Vu6w-FbK974.twitter">noted after the Paris attacks</a> that savvy jihadi recruiters can be a powerful pull:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">The European jihadi underground revolves around experienced jihad entrepreneurs, who recruit and socialize misfits and drifters, politicize grievances they may have, and employ them as tools for transnational militants, such as al-Qaeda and IS. Social despair may create a hospitable environment for recruitment, but in many cases social ties and loyalty to entrepreneurs are sufficient driving forces.</p><p>In an <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/06/01/journey-to-jihad">article for The New Yorker</a> last year, Ben Taub noted that the Sharia4Belgium group, established in 2010, recruited dozens of young Belgian people to travel to Syria and wage jihad. The group wanted to "replace the parliament with a shura council and the Prime Minister with a caliph; stone adulterers and execute homosexuals; and convert or banish all non-Muslims, or force them to pay <em>jizya</em>, a tax levied on those who don't adhere to the faith."</p><p>Essentially, the group wanted to transform Belgium into an Islamic state governed by strict Sharia law.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56ef1bbb52bcd01b008b79cc-926-636" alt="Molenbeek Paris attack" data-mce-source="EPA/Stephanie Lecocq" data-mce-caption="Molenbeek locals watch as police raid unfolds." /><p class="source"><span>EPA/Stephanie Lecocq</span></p><p class="caption">Molenbeek locals watch as police raid unfolds.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Segregation and lack of opportunity</h2><p>A lack of opportunity and feeling isolated from more privileged parts of European society couple with a lack of knowledge about Islam could attract young Europeans to jihadist recruiters, who offer them a purpose in jihad and promise that they will be sent to heaven as religious martyrs.</p><p>Taub noted that one Belgian fighter who had been raised Catholic was drawn to Sharia4Belgium after his grades started slipping at school and his girlfriend dumped him. He later told police that he started "looking for an alternative to the pain" and then found Islam and, eventually, Sharia4Belgium.</p><p>Each person's path to radicalization is different, but some young Belgians who don't have much opportunity at home and are searching for purpose in their lives might feel that foreign jihad or attacks on the homeland offer a worthy path.</p><p>"Some argue that Syria and the violent jihad attracted more Belgians because of social-economic problems that young (north-African) Muslims are facing in places like Brussels," Bakker said.</p><p>In contrast, as US President Barack Obama pointed out on Wednesday, one of the reasons the US hasn't seen more homegrown terrorist attacks is that the US has "an extraordinarily successful, patriotic, integrated Muslim-American community."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/564a08912491f90d248b54ff-4523-3024/rts76p5.jpg" alt="People shop at a market in the neighborhood of Molenbeek, where Belgian police staged a raid following the attacks in Paris, at Brussels, Belgium November 15, 2015." data-mce-source="Reuters" data-mce-caption="People shop at a market in the neighbourhood of Molenbeek, where Belgian police staged a raid following the attacks in Paris, at Brussels, Belgium November 15, 2015." /><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p><p class="caption"> People shop at a market in the neighborhood of Molenbeek, where Belgian police staged a raid following the attacks in Paris, at Brussels, Belgium November 15, 2015. </p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>In many places of Europe, Muslim immigrants are not integrated into the mainstream.</p><p>Rik Coolsaet, a terrorism expert and professor at Belgium's Ghent Institute for International Studies, described the situation in the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek in a paper that was published two weeks ago:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">More than a decade and a half before it became a "global byword for jihadism," it was the scene of some widespread rioting (similar to the rioting in English or French suburbs). At the time, the aforementioned Belgian investigative journalist Chris De Stoop attempted to gauge the malaise in this borough. He found a complex mosaic, composed of vibrant local community activities, pockets of genuine despair and accumulated frustrations, and cliques of troublemakers.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">This rioting, according to a local social worker, was born out of desperation about lacking prospects in a neighbourhood characterized by poor job prospects, bad housing and deficient education.</p><p>But the roots of jihadism have a more complicated origin. Nesser cautioned against relying too much on the socio-economic trope to explain why some Belgian youth are attracted to extremism.</p><p>"Although jihadi hubs are oftentimes located in socio-economically deprived areas, this is not always the case," Nesser wrote. "For instance, the new generation of jihadis in Europe," including the Sharia4 groups that exist in several areas of Europe, "recruited many members among university students and in middle class environments in the UK."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56f176159105841d008b812b-4490-2729/rtsbpih.jpg" alt="brussels attack belgium" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Christian Hartmann" data-mce-caption="Police stand guard at Midi train station following bomb attacks in Brussels, Belgium, March 22, 2016." /><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Christian Hartmann</span></p><p class="caption">Police stand guard at Midi train station following bomb attacks in Brussels, Belgium, March 22, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Overwhelmed security forces</h2><p>An expert who met with Belgian counterterrorism officials last week told Business Insider on Tuesday that the country is overwhelmed by the number of radicalized people who pose threats to the country.</p><p>"Belgians have a really big problem because they have the largest number per capita of western foreign fighters from any country," said Matthew Levitt, the director of The Washington Institute's Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, adding that Belgian police have only begun to understand the depth of the country's terrorism problem in the past year.</p><p>"The numbers are simply overwhelming."</p><p>The problem of radicalization in Belgium has been festering for a while, making it more difficult to reign in.</p><p>"They have a problem both in terms of getting on top of the immediate threat that has developed over time and then also moving the needle early in the process and putting in place a 20-year plan in places like Molenbeek to prevent radicalization," Levitt said.</p><p>Because authorities have only recently come to terms with the extent of the problem, the cooperation between police forces and intelligence networks on the ground aren't where they need to be.</p><p>"The situation in Brussels is worrisome where local officials do not cooperate and police forces have little connection to the populations of parts of the Brussels region with a lot of Muslim migrants," Bakker said.</p><p>"In other words, they lack eyes and ears on the ground," he said. "They are investing in local networks, but it seems a case of too little too late."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-steaks-magazine-wine-politics-2016-3"> Trump celebrated victory with a batch of 'Trump Steaks' that some are saying were actually from another company</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="x5Ynd1MTE6NBZJ6kynI3GmKo3PqJxr_q" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'x5Ynd1MTE6NBZJ6kynI3GmKo3PqJxr_q',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

How Belgium became a terrorist breeding ground

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/29844785.cms" />NEW DELHI: <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> and BJP on Monday squabbled over the criterion used by the <keyword id="2044493" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi-government-in-Gujarat">Narendra Modi government in Gujarat</keyword> to define poor.<br />
<br /> Latching on to a December 2013 circular on <keyword id="6370685" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Gujarat-Government">Gujarat government</keyword>’s website which said only those with daily earning of less then Rs 10.80 would be eligible for a subsidized foodgrain scheme meant for the poor, Congress spokesperson <keyword id="50339" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ajay-Maken">Ajay Maken</keyword> recalled that BJP’s PM candidate had made a huge hue and cry when Planning Commission pegged the poverty line at Rs 32 a day and had termed it a "joke". "If Rs 32 was a joke, then what is Rs 10.80," Maken asked, adding, "<keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword> should apologize to the poor for insulting them and making a mockery of poverty."<br />
<br /> The retaliation from both BJP and <keyword id="6360789" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Modi-Government">Modi government</keyword> was swift. They rejected Congress’s charge and said the <keyword id="51011" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="state-government">state government</keyword>’s circular was based on the "instructions" issued by Planning Commission in 2004 and which it refused to change despite pleas from the Modi government.<br />
<br /> "Planning Commission guidelines to states in 2004 say poverty criteria for Gujarat is Rs 324 per capita for rural areas and Rs 501 for urban areas. These instructions still hold good," Gujarat <keyword id="6355261" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Finance-minister">finance minister</keyword> Nitin Patel said. "Gujarat government neither has the authority to decide the limit for poverty line, nor has it done so," he added.<br />
<br />
Patel stressed that since the Gujarat government found the "income limit" drawn by the panel "too little" which would have left out most poor families, it uses the list prepared by its own rural development department to identify beneficiaries of anti-poverty schemes. As a result, the number of beneficiaries stood at 32 lakh as against the 21 lakh which could have qualified if the Planning Commission’s line had been used as the sole benchmark, he said.<br />
<br /> While insisting that Gujarat government could not have done away with the Rs 10.80 a day drawn up by the plan panel, Patel emphasized that Gujarat had repeatedly asked the Centre to redraw the norms, with Modi himself raising the matter at the <keyword id="131585" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="National-Development-Council">National Development Council</keyword> meeting in December 2011.<br />
<br />
At the heart of the controversy is the non-revision of Planning Commission’s "poverty line" since it was drawn in 2004. The much-maligned Tendulkar panel was supposed to rework the criterion, but its recommendations -- Rs 27.20 for rural areas and Rs 33.30 for urban ones -- were junked following public outcry.<br />
<br />
A fresh panel under chairman of PM’s Economic Advisory Council C Rangarajan was set up to work out a new yardstick, but it is yet to submit its recommendations.<br />
<br />
However, Maken defended the Planning Commission, saying the panel had clarified in 2011 that its poverty line had nothing to do with eligibility of beneficiaries for welfare schemes which would be determined by socio-economic caste census based on deprivation parameters of households.<br />
<br />
However, Gujarat finance minister Patel said the state government had no option but to continue with the norms drawn by the plan panel. On the December circular, he said, "It neither fixes any new income limit nor decides any new policies. It is only a clarification issued to field officers that any family which comes in either of the criteria has to be given BPL card." He further said the circular made it clear that no income criterion will be applied in the case of those figuring on the BPL list of rural development department.<br />
<br />
"An income criteria has to be applied only for families which are not figuring in the BPL list of the rural development department," Patel said.<br />
<br />
"We are following Planning Commission criteria of January 2004. According to the same order, for Delhi where Congress ruled for last 15 years, criteria for identifying BPL families is Rs 369.69 (rural) and Rs 541.48 (urban). For Congress ruled Andhra Pradesh, it’s Rs 263.62 and Rs 484.98, respectively," he said.



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