Nanasa - a boon for students

by Ananda KANNANGARA

Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said the Nanasa programmes will cater to the G.C.E (Ordinary Level) and (Advanced Level) students sitting for their examination in Sinhala and Tamil.

Nenasa is a digital satellite television channel, managed and operated by the Ministry of Education and the National Institute of Education (NIE).

Speaking about the country's first Digital Satellite Television based Distance Educational programmes, organised by Dialog Telecom in collaboration with the National Institute of Education (NIE), Minister Premajayantha said it is of great benefit to the younger generation of the country.

"This programme was launched in a rural school at Moneragala last year under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa," he said.

According to the programme which commenced under the theme `Nenasa,' over 1,000 children in rural schools will follow local and international educational programmes at their school computer rooms, like children in schools in urban areas.

The educational programs are prepared by the NIE and children could access the internet to view them.

Children in all identified remote schools in the country will be provided with computer facilities under a special programme to be implemented by the Education Ministry within the next three months on the directive of Education Minister, Susil Premajayantha.

According to Education Department statistics, children of nearly 90 schools in the remote sector have still not got an opportunity for computer related studies due to the lack of computer facilities. It has been found that children in many Northern and Eastern schools too have still not been provided with a computer based education and under this novel programme they too would benefit.

Education Minister said that children of 80 per cent schools in the country are now having computer facilities and thanked the private sector organisations also for their contribution of computers for several village schools.

Drug-resistant tuberculosis now at record levels

In some areas of the world, one in four people with tuberculosis (TB) becomes ill with a form of the disease that can no longer be treated with standard drugs regimens, a World Health Organization (WHO) report says. For example, 28 per cent of all people newly diagnosed with TB in one region of north western Russia had the multidrug-resistant form of the disease (MDR-TB) in 2008.

This is the highest level ever reported to WHO. Previously, the highest recorded level was 22 per cent in Baku City, Azerbaijan, in 2007.

In the new WHO's Multidrug and Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: 2010 Global Report on Surveillance and Response, it is estimated that 440 000 people had MDR-TB worldwide in 2008 and that a third of them died. In sheer numbers, Asia bears the brunt of the epidemic.

Almost 50 per cent of MDR-TB cases worldwide are estimated to occur in China and India. In Africa, estimates show 69 000 cases emerged, the vast majority of which went undiagnosed.

Today is Easter Sunday

Christ has risen!

Easter is a day of great significance to the followers of Christ Jesus the world over because it is the sacred celebration of Christ's resurrection from the dead, according to the holy scriptures. Christ Jesus who was crucified by the people of Israel, was said to rise from the dead in three days, and fulfilling this prophecy He rose from the dead on the third day.This day which marks the resurrection of Christ is known as Easter Sunday.It is the oldest and holiest Christian festival; the climax and centre of the liturgical year, and the holy day to which all other holy days point.

Even denominations that do not strictly follow a liturgical calendar commemorate Easter with tremendous joy and thanksgiving going for service at their respective churches and celebrating holy mass. We wish all our Catholic and Christian readers a Happy and holy Easter !

Now there is a national butterfly!

Sri Lanka Bird Wing, one of the largest and most attractive of its kind, was declared the national butterfly of the country on March 24 by the Ministry of Environment on a recommendation by the butterfly expert group.An endemic species, Sri Lanka Bird Wing or Troides darsius is found in all parts of the country.The butterfly is adorned with bright golden-yellow markings on the hind wings and has velvety black fore wings and interjecting black veins.

An environment free of garbage by 2012

All citizens must unite and act responsibly for a country free from garbage by 2012. Environment and Natural Resources Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka told a gathering at the Purasavi Samuluwa citizens' conference on Waste Management.

He said the Ministry has proposed the Pilisarana programme to find a solution to the long-standing waste management problem, which was one of the main issues in the country. "It is a challenge to find a solution and ensure a clean and healthy environment," he stressed.

The Local Government authorities have the power to take action against those breaching the law in connection with garbage disposal.

The Minister said with the support of Local Government authorities, Provincial Councils, Urban Councils and other institutions, this target will be achieved.

Meanwhile, the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) launched a massive garbage bin distribution programme for the benefit of 3,000 householders in the city of Colombo for the first time in its history. Another stock of 7,000 garbage bins will be distributed to families living in 47 wards in the Colombo Municipal Council from next week.

CMC Special Commissioner, Badrani Jayawardana said that the CMC has already purchased 10,000 garbage bins from the Ministry of Environment at a cost of Rs. 1,200 each.