Role of Universal Service Obligation Fund in Rural Telecom Services: Lessons from the Indian Experience

Despite the tremendous growth of mobile services in most developing countries, these have largely remained limited to urban areas. This has further aggravated the existing urban and rural divide. Policy makers and regulators perceive the need for an effective regulatory and policy environment to reduce the gap, as there are several market challenges in this endeavor, including low commercial viability. However, most such interventions have had little success. This paper outlines India.s experience of increasing rural teledensity, including its recent policy initiative to increase penetration through creation of a Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) that supported a variety of innovative initiatives. USOF.s most ambitious program to date had been the design and deployment of mobile services in rural areas. This paper analyses the outcomes of various programs, especially those of the mobile service provision component of USOF. Despite the innovative design of the USOF program, it had little impact on increasing rural teledensity. On the other hand, positive policy steps that reduced the costs for service provision (revenue shares, duties, ADC) and competition facilitated greater rural penetration. This raises the issue of role of government vis-�-vis private sector in increasing rural teledensities. The lack of accountability arising from the relationship between the government owned incumbent and the USOF administrator and proper evaluation of USOF, the non-ring fencing of the fund and poor quality project management contributed to the low impact. Non-involvement of private operators at an early stage, inability to suitably enforce any penalties for violation of contracts, and non-existent review and feedback mechanism have not allowed USOF to leverage the benefits of an early start. In Peru, strict penalties in non implementation of contracts led to more timely schedules (Cannock, 2001). Since USOF is a highly visible program, it is important to generate high impact outcomes. On the strategic front, USOF needs to be managed by an independent body that is made responsible for outcomes. Third party assessments and greater enforceability of contracts are necessary operational elements of thisdesign. Without this operational framework, the strategic elements of design will not provide the value that was envisaged. This paper also provides a framework for assessment of USOF and relates it to the experience in other countries. USOF must be treated as one among many instruments for increasing rural teledensities and efforts should be made to facilitate policy outcomes on a variety of dimensions.

Public Expenditure Accounatability in the Telecom Sector

The telecom sector has seen much change during the past two decades. At first, it was the opening up of the equipment manufacturing sector, followed by the corporatisation of the government owned entities, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL). Subsequently, the sector was opened for private participation in basic, cellular and other value added services. The most recent liberalization moves have been the corporatization of the Department of Telecom into Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and the privatisation of VSNL.

User Perception Of Technologies in Libraries

Information Technology is the collective term for various technologies involved in the processing and transmission of information. The various technologies like computer technology, barcode technology, RFID technology, CCTV technology, remote access technology etc. can be adopted in libraries to provide better services to the users. Manipal Academy of Higher Education, a premier higher education institute is striving hard to provide excellent library services to its stake holders. The adoption of various technologies to provide better library services is explained in the paper. An attempt is made to capture the user perception on IT applications in libraries

PLANT PROFILE, PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND PHARMACOLOGY OF ARGEMONE MEXICANA LINN.A REVIEW

Argemonemexicanais extensively used as traditional medicine for the treatment of numerous diseases. Various parts of the plant were extensively used in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathic medicines.It is reported to have antimicrobial activity, wound healing property, larvicidal and chemosterilant activity, ne­maticidal and allelopathic potential, antimalarial, antibacterial and antifungal, molluscicidal, anticancer, hepatoprotective, anti-HIV and neuropharmacological activity. Chemical investigations of this plant have revealed the presence of alkaloids, amino acids, phenolics and fatty acids. A. mexicana has shown promise as an effective bio-control agent. The present review includes the detailed exploration of traditional uses, phytochemical and pharmacological properties and actions of whole plant extract reported so far

The prevalence and features of the polycystic ovary syndrome in young South Indian women from Pondicherry

Background: Aim of current study was to correlate clinical presentation of menstrual irregularity with ultrasound ovarian morphology and assess prevalence of occult PCO.Methods: Fifty women in the age group of 15-25 years attending gynaecology OPD with the complaints of menstrual irregularity were selected for the study. Fifty women within the same age group without any of these complaints were enrolled as control.Results: Past In study group 80% were obese, 50% had acne, 26% had hirsutism, 94% had oligomenorrhea, 80% had ovarian morphological changes and 6% had amenorrhea. In the control group 48% were obese and 46% had ovarian changes.  Conclusions: Occult PCOD category need follow up and laboratory assays, as they have risk of PCOD and long term implications like diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease.

Study of placental changes in pregnancy induced hypertension

Background: Study of histopathological changes in placenta in pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH).Methods: Post delivery placentas of 130 cases were examined and findings correlated with severity of PIH.Results: The mean placental weight was 438.9 gms, 374 gms and 333.86 gms and the mean fetal weight to placental weight ratio was 6.003:1, 5.6:1 and 5.27:1 in cases of mild, moderate and severe PIH respectively. Infarction was seen in 10.25%, 33.3% and 59% and calcification was present in 15.38%, 30% and 50% of the cases of mild, moderate and severe PIH respectively. Retroplacental clot was seen in 36.4% of severe PIH cases. The mean numbers of syncytial knots were 20.4 (mild PIH), 35.97 (moderate PIH) and 59.77 (severe PIH) and 77.27% of severe cases of PIH had >40% areas showing trophoblastic hyperplasia.Conclusion: PIH adversely influences the placental morphology and histopathological examination post deliveryhelps investigate the mechanism of placental dysfunction in detail

PROMOTING ENGAGE STUDY ACTIVATE (ESA) TECHNIQUE TO TEACH SPEAKING SKILL

ESA (Engage, Study, Activate) technique is one of alternative ways to teach EFL students how to speak in English, comprising three steps: engage, study, and activate. It is believed that this technique can assist the teachers in arousing students' interest, curiosity, and emotion, as well as encouraging them to orally express their feelings, information, and language. The goal of the research was to see whether there was a significant difference in speaking performance between the students who learned using ESA technique and those who were not. A quasi experimental research was administered as the design of the research. The sample was taken by using purposive sampling technique. The researchers considered the number of the students and whether the sample was taught by the same English teacher as choosing the sample. The data was collected using an oral test. The data was analyzed using the t-test. Based on the result of independent sample t-test, it was found that tobtained was 3.174. It was higher than ttable (1.999). It indicated that H0 was rejected and Ha was accepted. Therefore, it confirmed that the students who were taught using ESA technique had better speaking achievement than the students who were not taught using ESA technique.  Keywords: Engage study activate technique, speaking, recount tex

Study of pregnancy outcome of threatened abortion and its correlation with risk factors in a tertiary care hospital of Mumbai, India

Background: Early pregnancy loss is very common and, in most cases, it can be considered as nature’s method to select for a genetically normal offspring. Threatened abortion is a relatively common complication during pregnancy, occurring in approximately 20% of all pregnancies. Maternal age, Outcome of previous pregnancies, health of mother, any infection etc can be decisive factors in the risk of pregnancy loss.Methods: The present study was a cross sectional study where patients admitted with threatened abortion were interviewed using pretested semi-structured questionnaire after the treatment. Outcome of pregnancy was recorded. Their basic socio-demographic data along with possible risk factors were recorded. TORCH Ig M and Ig G were done in all patients.Results: Out of 95 patients admitted with threatened abortion, 42 (44%) patients undergone abortion whereas in 53 (56%) patients, pregnancy was continued. Out of total 60 patients admitted with the complain of only vaginal spotting, in 39 pregnancy continued and in 21 patients pregnancy was aborted. (p-value<0.05). 50.52% were from age group of 21 to 25 years of age. It was also seen that after 35 years of age, significant number of patients aborted. Out of these 11 patients with high BMI, pregnancy was continued only one patient. Out of total 20 patients positive for IgM of toxoplasma infection, pregnancy was aborted in 13 (65%) patients. Out of total 15 patients positive for IgM of cytomegalo virus infection, pregnancy was continued in 11 (73.3%) patients.Conclusions: Patients of threatened abortion with only symptom of spotting per vagina have good chances of continuation of the pregnancy. Increased maternal age above 35, Overweight and bad obstetric history are also associated with pregnancy loss. Though there was no statistically significant difference it was evident that among all TORCH infections, IgM toxoplasma and Rubella are associated more with pregnancy loss

Rapid Spectrophotometric Determination of Thallium with Mepazine Hydrochloride

179-180Mepazine hydrochloride reacts with thallium(III) at room temperature in phosphoric acid medium to give and orange-red species with an absorption maximum at 512 nm. The reaction obeys Beer’s law over the concentration range 0.1-13.0 μg/ml of thallium(III) with an effective spectrophotometric range of 1.8-11.0 μg/ml. The molar absorptivity is 1.60 x 104 dm3 mol-1 cm-1. The efficacy of the method is shown by the successful determination of thallium in synthetic thallium alloys