Spouse program in soup

IIT's alumini meet has a special ' Spouse Program' and rightly, it has come under fire. Via Nanopolitan

Prof Priti shankar's EMail excerpt

"The offensive piece relates to the programme for spouses of "IIT" alumni. When the rest of the developed and developing world is making a concerted effort at gender fairness, IIT-M a prime center of excellence in Science and Technology has chosen to ignore, in one sweep, women IIT graduates, many of whom have made sterling contributions to industry, teaching and research. The underlying assumption seems to be that all "spouses" are women. Even more surprising is the programme charted out for the spouses!

The Mystic trail with its promises of insights into astrology, palmistry and the like, promotes obscurantism, totally out of place in an institution devoted to science and technology."

Prof Rama Govindrajan's EMail excerpt

"I was unhappy to see the program for spouses in the PAN-IIT get-together, to try and make them "complete women". My spouse does not want to become a complete or incomplete woman. He will therefore of course not accompany me. I feel that spouses who are female would expect a more intellectually stimulating program as well."

Hope the organizers realize their folly !

Dad & Child's IQ

Its all in the genes..but we keep coming out with new 'findings'. The latest "Kids are smarter if dad help in upbringing"..What a path breaking finding! Parents spending quality time with kids would do them good in the long run, is plain truth. The way they have put the 'discovery' is also not in good taste, what abt the kids where mothers play a bigger role?

Breast Cancer - ways to reduce the risk

A very useful writeup in NYTimes

True, immutable factors like genetics, a family’s medical baggage and just being born female determine much of the risk of breast cancer.

But there is now solid evidence that lifestyle can play a role as well. Choices that have an effect include how much alcohol a woman drinks (none is best), the amount of physical activity she gets (the more the better) and whether she takes hormones (the less the better). Doctors also urge women to keep their weight down, as obesity increases the risk of developing breast cancer during the postmenopausal years.

“There are things you can’t change, like when you got your first period, or your family history,” ...“But you can change a lot about you. Empower yourself with knowledge and information.”

• Know your family’s medical history
• Cut down on alcohol, or avoid it altogether
• Exercise, exercise, exercise.
• Breast-feed if you can
• Try not to take combined hormone therapy.
• Have regular mammograms
• Become familiar with your personal risk factors.

Night Shift ban for Women - Karnataka

The Karnataka Assembly has passed a new Bill that seeks to ban night shifts for women in firms that come under the Karnataka Shops and Establishments Act. Thankfully, they have left out IT & Hospital industry

How different is this from the taliban laws??

CNN IBN: The government says it is the only way to ensure protection for women and will target the hotel industry, shopping malls and recreation centers. [Good Joke ..na..Ukkandhu Yosipaainghalo ????]