Digital governance in Rajasthan Secretariat： A trajectory

The concept of digital governance has renovated the basic premise of administration. Digitalization has not only made it more responsive but also enhanced its accountability to deliver the better services to people by initiating direct participation of common person in the process of governance. The dynamic nature of administration makes it change orientation thus responding to the demands in particular time frame. Though the core issue of rendering services acquires the center-stage, recently there has been intermixing of principles of public management giving effective resource management, the special leverage to flame policies. In countries which are less prone to the adaptations of advanced technologies are also taking e-initiative to activate the process of implementation. The present article explores the status of e-governance in Rajasthan, the biggest state of Indian Union. After the enactment of Information Technology Act 2000 by the union government, different states have also taken corresponding initiatives pertaining to the e-governance. This study which was carried out in Rajasthan in 2009 focuses on various dimensions of its application in state secretariat, which epitomizes the epithet of administrative activities undertaken by the Government of Rajasthan. The study results are evaluated on the basis of the data collected at different levels by instituting the questionnaire and survey. It establishes the fact that Rajasthan has responded very well in some areas of administration, but there are certain areas where it has to implement the e-initiative at par with the other states. Therefore this particular study examines the present status of the e-governance followed by the suggestive trajectory on what other efforts are needed to involve this state. The interpretations are subject to the data collected. The secretariat is the domain of governmental functioning to fulfill the expectations of common person in the state. This research works has focused on the various e-programs, and data collected thereafter have been analyzed to understand the intricacies of e-governance in the state. It is a less explored arena where the study is conducted to find out the status of various programs and the impact of e-governance on the implementation of programs.     

An unusual case of high-voltage electrocution of a truck driver due to inadvertent contact of the truck with an overhead wire

Electrocution deaths are mostly accidental. However, reconstruction of events in unusual electrocution death is challenging. This article reports an accidental death due to electrocution in a highly unusual circumstance, in which a truck driver reversing his vehicle was electrocuted when his truck inadvertently touched an overhead high-voltage wire. The electric injury marks were present over the sole of the right foot. The scene investigation revealed that the high-voltage wire was loose and was below the level of the prescribed height. The truck was passing over an elevated area made up of dirt and stone. The interior of the cabin of the truck revealed a few non-insulated metallic areas over the floor of the truck, between the accelerator and the brake, which were attributed as the sources of entry of electricity into the body. The electric injury marks were different than those usually seen in high-voltage electrocution as there was an intermediate object (truck) involved, and the contact period between the truck and the electric wire was minimal. This fatality was attributed to the non-proper insulation of the interior of the truck, the negligent driving of the truck driver over the elevated surface, and the loose high-voltage wire without proper maintenance.     

Time- and Temperature-Dependent Changes in Cytochrome c Oxidase Activity and Cyanide Concentration in Excised Mice Organs and Mice Cadavers

Postmortem stability of cyanide biomarkers is often disputed. We assessed the time and temperature-dependent changes in cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) activity and cyanide concentration in various organs of mice succumbing to cyanide. Immediately after death, excised mice organs and mice cadavers were stored at room temperature (35°C ± 5°C) or in frozen storage (−20°C ± 2°C). At various times after death, CCO activity and cyanide concentrations were measured in excised mice organs or organs removed from mice cadavers. The study revealed that (i) measuring both the biomarkers in mice cadavers was more reliable compared to excised mice organs, (ii) measuring temporal CCO activity and cyanide concentration in vital organs from mice cadavers (room temperature) was reliable up to 24 h, and (iii) CCO activity in the brain and lungs and cyanide concentration in organs from mice cadavers (frozen) were measurable beyond 21 days. This study will be helpful in postmortem determination of cyanide poisoning.     

Social determinants and risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in South Asian migrant populations in Europe

In Europe, policies, strategies and interventions to address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases have generally neglected to take into consideration the impact of migration on health outcomes of increasingly multicultural and diverse societies. Research has shown that migrants of South Asian origin living in Europe are more at risk of acquiring non-communicable diseases than their counterparts in their country of origin or than the host European population. Using the example of migrants of South Asian origin, this paper highlights the migration-related social determinants of health and risk factors for non-communicable diseases. This paper calls for a more integrated, multi-sectoral approach to promote migrant-friendly health and social services to address non-communicable diseases in South Asia and Europe.     

'Canada Steps Up'--Task Force to Modernize Securities Legislation in Canada: recommendations and discussion

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. Key points

• The Task Force to Modernize Securities Legislationin Canada released its report entitled ‘Canada Steps Up’in October 2006. Its 65 recommendations focused on bringingCanadian securities law into the 21st century, enhancing Canada'scompetitiveness in the global marketplace and eliminating itshigher cost of capital relative to the US.
• This article reviewsand analyses the Task Force's recommendations in five criticalareas: cost–benefit analysis (CBA), improving access tocapital markets, the use from electronic disclosure systemsand financial literacy, the regulation of hedge funds and finally,enforcement.
• This article also reviews two issues that receivedsignificant Task Force discussion, but were left as ideas forconsideration, namely an insurance scheme for misinformationin the capital markets and subsidizing securities analysis toimprove analyst coverage of small firms.
• Finally, conclusionsare drawn from the Task Force's deliberations and recommendationsand next steps are suggested.