Report on Myanmar and India Presentation

History

1. Media and Information in Myanmar Zafra, Ray Allen N.

2. Premise World void of borders, such is the reality made possible by the technological instruments of the contemporary era. Not in the literal notion that an individual possesses the unrestrained liberty to travel to any corner of the world nor are there no national territorial boundaries that ordain one’s citizenship, but rather in the metaphorical concept that man’s impassioned sentiments, principles and ideas transcend the tangible lines of partition that separate. Modern marvels facilitate the flow of information, akin to the vital blood vessel of the body, nourishing the spirit of unity in diversity and cultivating a sense of freedom-or fostering for a craving thereof to those who receive it in scarce supply.

3. A Brief History of Myanmar (Burma)

4. Historical Background For most of its existence, Burma was governed by a monarchical system. This age of kingdoms flourished until the 19 th Century. The British empire colonized the nation and was subjected to the jurisdiction of the British Raj until 1937. Foreign dominion over the territory lasted from 1824 to 1948. Following independence, the country was rechristened as the Union of Burma. Democratic authority was first rebuked in 1962 when a coup was instigated by General Ne Win. Consequently, the media was in strict censorship. In accordance with a new constitution ratified in 2008, a general election was held two years later, thus reinstating democracy. However, another seizure by the military was mounted in 2021, and yet again a military junta exercises control over every facet of life.

5. Profile Republic of the Union of Myanmar (Burma) One of the least developed countries in the globe. Bountiful natural resources and cheap labor pool Presently in a state of turmoil due to the unrest on account of recent political shift. Area Size Administrative Division 676,575 km² Largest country in mainland Southeast Asia. Thailand, Laos, China, India and Bangladesh. Capital: Naypyidaw Commercial Hub: Yangon 7 regions 7 states 1 union territory 1 self-administered division 5 self-administered zones Population: 55,227,143

6. Media and Information Conduits

7. Print Media The first newspaper to go on regular publication in the land was the English-language broadsheet that bears the name of “The Maulmain Chronicle”, originating from the city of Moulmein in British-ruled Tenasserim in 1836. During the Post-colonial era that spanned from 1948-1961, a period of demoracy , albeit brief, reigned. Consequently, free media flourished. When the Military Junta established political dominance, the only form of print media permitted circulation were government operated. State monopoly was maintained in order to diffuse public dissidence and enforce complete control of popular perception of the status quo.

8. Print Media Four Phases of Reformation: Phase 1 (June 2011): Publications were divided into two categories. -Category A includes showbiz, entertainment, sports subjects which are no longer required to undergo censorship prior to publishing. -Category B comprises of topics relating to daily news, politics, religion, business, education and crime that are subjected to scrutiny and censorship before publication. Phase 2 (December 2011): Business, crime, and law prints no longer need to pass through censorship. Phase 3 (February 2012): Education related prints need not pass through censorship. Phase 4 (May 2012): All fictional writings were excluded from censorship.

9. Print Media Adhering to policy reforms in the late 2000s, privately supervised newspapers made their return to the newsstand in April 1, 2013. Presently, there are five state-run newspaper outlets: - Kyemon -Myanmar Alin - Myawady Daily -New Light of Myanmar -The Yadanabon Concerning private daily newspaper enterprises, over a dozen are extant. There are more than 300 publication houses that conjure weeklies and journals. Over 100 of these are located in the commercial center of Yangon. Three newsprints see publication overseas, namely The Mizzima News Agency, Mandalay Gazette, and Freedom News Group.

10. Broadcast Media Radio -Radio broadcasting in Myanmar traces its origins back to 1936. -Owing to the dismal state of infrastructure as well as the meager supply of electrical energy, the reach of broadcast media is pitifully limited among the population. -For a major portion of its latter history, the radio has gained the distinction of being a reliable gadget for availing entertainment. -Several FM stations, three mediumwave stations and three shortwave stations are in operation as of the present. - Radio Myanmar, Cherry FM, Mandalay FM, FM Bagan, Padamyar FM, Pyinsawaddy FM, Shwe FM and City FM are considered as the nation’s main radio frequencies. - Unlike Radio Myanmar, other stations are primarily entertainment stations. -Heavy reliance on foreign stations such as BBC and VoA , Radio Free Asia and Democratic Voice of Burma (based in Oslo, Norway) for unfiltered information.

11. Broadcast Media Television - Television broadcasting in Myanmar commenced in 1979 as a trial. Regular television service provided by the BBS (Burma Broadcasting System) was launched on June 3, 1980. -Most television networks in the country are broadcast from Yangon. MRTV and MWD are the two Burmese state-owned television networks, providing Burmese-language programming in news and entertainment. -Satellite television is no longer prohibited, with satellite dishes dotting the façade or roofs of numerous edifices. Local operator Sky Net provides more than 70 channels of local and international origin.

12. Cinema The Burmese cinema has a lengthy history dating back to the 1910s. The very first film was a recording of the funeral of Tun Shein - a leading politician of the 1910s, who campaigned for Burmese independence in London. It was captured with a second-hand camera by Ohn Maung and was screened at the Royal Cinema, near Scott Market (now Bogyoke Market). Myanmar’s movie industry was, in essence, inaugurated by the premiere of “Myitta Ne Thuya ” (Love and Liquor), a motion picture craft by none other than Ohn Maung , credited as Burma’s first director and producer. The first Burmese sound film was produced in 1932 in Bombay, India with the title “Ngwe Pay Lo Ma Ya ” (Money Can't Buy It) and directed by Tote Kyi. Films dealing with social issues and political themes became popular in the 1930s.

13. Cinema Succeeding the catastrophic years of the Second World War, Burmese cinemas persisted on highlighting political themes. Droves of films produced in the early Cold War era had a strong propaganda element to them. In the era that followed the political events of 1988, the film industry has been increasingly controlled by the government. After the 1989 move by the government to open up the economy, the movie industry saw privatization. Over the years, the movie industry has also shifted to producing many lower budget direct-to-video films. Most of the movies produced nowadays are comedies. In 2008, only 12 films worthy of being considered for an Academy Award were made, although at least 800 VCDs were produced.

14. Cinema Another issue plaguing the Burmese cinema is a steep decline in the number of theatres in which to screen the films. According to a December 2011 survey, the number of theatres nationwide had declined to just 71 from their peak of 244. The survey also found that most were several-decade-old ageing theatres, and that only six "mini-theaters" had been built in 2009–2011. Moreover, the vast majority of the theatres were located in Yangon and Mandalay alone. Recently Myanmar cinema got visibility in international film festivals, due to this, a revival of the local movie industry has been reported.

15. Internet and Social Media Internet was first made available for public consumption in Myanmar in 2000, when the first internet connections were established. Owing to the lack of facilities and telecom infrastructure, coupled with the prohibitively expensive rate of constant and sustained internet service, only about 0.3 percent of Burma’s total population has access to the internet. Prior to September 2011, the military government worked aggressively to limit and control Internet access through software-based censorship, infrastructure and technical constraints, and laws and regulations with large fines and lengthy prison sentences for violators. Before democratization in 2011, Internet cafés were the most common method of accessing the Internet.

16. Internet and Social Media According to recently conducted studies by international institutions, Myanmar "still has social media penetration levels below 10%." Nonetheless, internet and social media usage continues to surge in popularity. After the 2021 military coup on 1 February, internet censorship saw a significant re-emergence. The State Administration Council shut down all telecommunications in the late midnight of 31 January. After a few days, social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp, were banned following their usage by anti-coup protestors. on 19 February. On 6 and 7 February, the Internet experienced a blackout with minor shutdowns in several regions. From 15 February, internet curfews were initiated seemingly without reason, lasting daily from 1:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. On 15 March 2021, the military completely shut off mobile internet access in Myanmar, and all internet access on 18 March.

17. Myanmar Media Laws

18. Myanmar Media Laws Burma Wireless Telegraphy Act (1993) -British colonial government deemed it an offense for entities to be in possession of wireless telegraphy apparatuses without securing a license granted by the authorities. Printers and Publishers Registration Law (1962) -Mandates publishers to submit copies of books, magazines and newsprints to press scrutiny boards for possible revision prior to approval for distribution. Martial Law Order 3/89 (1989) -An edict wherein document publication absent of registration from the Home and Religious Affairs Ministry is considered a sanctionable crime.

19. Myanmar Media Laws The Motion Picture Law (1996) -License to produce films must be obtained from the Myanmar Motion Picture Enterprise. Submitted crafts are censored when necessary. The Computer Science Development Law (1996) -Media companies must first file an appeal to the Ministry of Communication before utilizing, importing or possessing computer hardwares . Internet Law (2000) -Imposes regulations on postings on Internet sites that may be seen as detrimental to the country’s security, policies and state of affairs. Electronic Transactions Law (2004) -Regulates the Internet and similar electronic transactions in a wide variety of ways, including the definition of penalties that span up to 15 years of incarceration for engaging in illicit e-commerce.

20. References Brooten, L. (2013). The problem with human rights discourse and “freedom” indicators: The case of Burma/Myanmar media.  International Journal of Communication ,  7 , 20. Brooten, L., McElhone, J. M., & Venkiteswaran , G. (Eds.). (2019).  Myanmar media in transition: legacies, challenges and change . ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. Burrett , T. (2017). Mixed signals: Democratization and the Myanmar media.  Politics and Governance ,  5 (2), 41-58. Buck, L. (2007). Media and protests in the Myanmar crisis.  Südostasien aktuell : journal of current Southeast Asian affairs ,  26 (6), 50-66. Dolan, T., & Gray, S. (2014).  Media and Conflict in Myanmar: . United States Institute of Peace. Foster, M. (2013). The Business of Media in Myanmar, 2013.  Internews, February Gunaratne , S. A. (1999). The media in Asia: An overview.  Gazette (Leiden, Netherlands) ,  61 (3-4), 197-223.

21. Nutritional Deficiency in India Zafra, Ray Allen N.

22. Premise Progress and prosperity is often attributed to the brilliance of the intellect which conjures innovation and the adroit, assiduous hands that manifest thought into a tangible contrivance. Notwithstanding the undeniable veracity of this statement, it is not one void of fault, for it is not the neurons of the mind nor the fingers of the manus which pave the path of enrichment but rather the sustenance derived from viands that allows these faculties to function in congruency and effectively. Regrettable is the observable fact that in spite of countless breakthroughs in the realm of science, malnutrition is a social dilemma rife and rampant across the globe. A glaring impediment that retards much needed effort to convert decline into advance.

23. An introduction to India’s nutritional crisis

24. Introduction With approximately 1,406,631,776 citizens, India ranks second, behind China, in the global ranking for the most populous nation. A considerable portion of its inhabitants reside in rural communities, generally characterized as having low socio-economic status, illiterate, and with deficient access to basic commodities. Scrutinizing the status quo from a nutritional perspective, the vast majority is deemed malnourished, with a miniscule number described as possessing adequate means to avail of provisions. Although affluent, the high-income groups are occasionally afflicted with diseases and ailments as a result of over nourishment.

25. Major Nutritional Problems in India

26. Major Nutritional Problems Nutritional deficiency is defined as the woeful deficit of nourishment essential to sustaining human life. Children from the ages of 10-19 are the most vulnerable when it comes to severe nutritional scarcity worldwide, according to a study published by the World Health Organization (WHO).

27. Specific causes for nutritional deficiency disorders Low socio-economic status Illiteracy Lack of awareness regarding nutrients and their requirement Over population Decreased food production Lack of health care facilities Large families Cultural influences Infections Superstitious beliefs Limited availability of food products Dietary practices

28. Particular Nutritional Predicaments Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) Nutritional Anaemia Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) Vitamin A Inadequacy Low Birth Weight Endemic Fluorosis Lathyrism Market Distortion Cardiovascular Diseases Cancer

29. Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) Malnutrition is a significant loss of lean tissue or inadequate diet for a prolonged period in the setting of severe stress. In India, around 46 per cent of all children below the age of three are too small for their age, 47 per cent are underweight and at least 16 per cent are wasted. Many of these children are severely malnourished. The prevalence of malnutrition varies across states, with Madhya Pradesh recording the highest rate (55 per cent) and Kerala among the lowest (27 per cent).

30. Anemia Every age group is vulnerable to iron-deficiency anemia. In children, anemia can cause a 5-10 point deficiency in IQ and hamper growth and language development. In adolescents, it leads to a fall in academic performance with a dip in memory and concentration levels. It can also lead to physical exhaustion and susceptibility to infection. Available studies on prevalence of nutritional anemia in India show that 65% infant and toddlers, 60% 1-6 years of age, 88% adolescent girls (3.3% has hemoglobin <7 gm./dl; severe anemia) and 85% pregnant women (9.9% having severe anemia.

31. Anemia One in every two Indian women (56%) suffers from some form of anemia. 4 out of every 5 children in the age of 6-35 months suffer from anemia. 20% of the maternal deaths are due to anemia and it indirectly contributes to another 40% of maternal deaths. Maternal mortality staggeringly high at 454 per every 100,000 live births

32. Vitamin A Deficiency Vitamin A is vital for visual acuity. In children, Vitamin A deficiency causes loss of eyesight. If this deficiency is very severe, it may lead to permanent blindness. Every year, an average of 30, 000 children are bereft of sight on account of Vitamin A deficiency. Symptoms of this ailment are seen more severely in children of age group 1 to 5 years. It is estimated that there are 12.5 million economically blind persons in India.

33. Iodine Deficiency Disorders Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) has been recognized as a public health problem in India since the mid-1920s. According to Union Ministry of Health it is estimated that 71 million populations are suffering from endemic goiter and about 8.8 million people have mental/motor handicap due to iodine deficiency. Statistics furnished by the ministry of health and family welfare in its report tabulated during 2011 revealed that 1.3 crore people in UP alone were suffering from IDD.

34. Low Birth Weight More than 20 million infants are born each year weighing less than 2,500 grams (5.5 pounds), accounting for 17 per cent of all births in the developing world – a rate more than double the level in industrialized countries (7 per cent). Infants with low birth weight are at higher risk of dying during their early months and years. Those who survive are liable to have an impaired immune system and may suffer a higher incidence of such chronic illnesses as diabetes and heart disease in later life.

35. Fluorosis Fluorosis is a disease caused due to excessive ingestion of fluoride.  Fluorides are the compounds of fluorine. As the surface water passes through the fluoride rich rocks it carries fluoride with it, hence most of the fluoride is found in ground water than surface water. According to WHO, the permissible limit of fluoride is only 1.0 mg/L as a safe limit for human consumption, whereas several districts of Rajasthan India are consuming water with fluoride concentrations of up to 24 - 44 mg/l.

36. Lathyrism Lathyrism occurs by consuming large quantities of Lathyrus sativus ( Kesari dhal) Lathyrism in human is referred as Neurolathyrism . The disease presents as Crippling disease of nervous system characterized by gradually developing spastic paralysis of lower limbs. It contains a toxin called Beta oxalyl amino Alanine (BOAA) Lathyrus Kesari Dhal) is good source of protein.

37. Market Distortion An economic scenario that occurs when there is an intervention in a given market by a governing body. The intervention may take the form of price ceilings, price floors or tax subsidies. There is a tradeoff that regulators must make when deciding to intervene in any given marketplace. Although the intervention will create market failures, it is also intended to enhance a society's welfare.

38. Obesity It is the most Prevalent form of malnutrition. Abnormal growth of adipose tissue due to enlargement of fat cells(Hypertrophic), Increase in levels of fat cells (hyperplasic) or a combination of both. India is now in the grip of obesity epidemic and the trend needs to be immediately arrested by taxing junk food, restricting food ads and making food labeling clearer etc. Currently, almost 1 in 5 men and over 1 in 6 women are overweight. In some urban areas, the rates are as high as 40%.

39. Cardiovascular Diseases Cardiovascular diseases Classified as one of the Food habit related Illness. Change in food habits and lifestyle has increased the risk of CVD in Indian population mostly in Middle Class and upper middle-class groups. The World Health Organization and reports published in medical journals like Lancet and Indian Heart Journal, suggest that by 2010 there would be close to 100 million cardiac patients in India. It is over 300 million at present. On an average, about 2 million patients in India currently undergo cardio-vascular surgical procedure every year. While 4% of the Indian population suffered from heart diseases in 1980, it rose to 10% in 2003.

40. Cancer Recent times have seen an increase in the incidence of cancer. This is mainly attributed to urbanization, industrialization, lifestyle changes, population growth and increased life span (in turn leading to an increase in the elderly population) It is estimated that life expectancy of the Indian population will increase to 70 years by 2021–25. This has caused a paradigm shift in the disease pattern from communicable diseases to non- communicable diseases like cancer, diabetes and hypertension. More than 70% of the cases report for diagnostic and treatment services in the advanced stages of the disease, which has lead to a poor survival and high mortality rate. 80 % of cancer occurs due to environmental factors Dietary fat – positive correlation with Colon cancer, breast cancer Dietary fiber – Risk of colon cancer is inversely related micronutrients – Lack of Vitamin C & Vitamin A arise the risk of stomach cancer and lung cancer. Food additives – Saccharin, cyclamate, Coffee, aflatoxin associated with bladder cancer Alcohol – liver cancer, Rectal Cancer etc ,.

41. References Deb, D., Biswas, A., Ghose, A., Das, A., Majumdar, K. K., & Mazumder , D. N. G. (2013). Nutritional deficiency and arsenical manifestations: a perspective study in an arsenic-endemic region of West Bengal, India. Public health nutrition, 16 (9), 1644-1655. Kotecha, P. V. (2011). Nutritional anemia in young children with focus on Asia and India. Indian journal of community medicine: official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine, 36 (1), 8. Reddy, A. (2010). Regional disparities in food habits and nutritional intake in Andhra Pradesh, India. Regional Disparities in Food Habits and Nutritional Intake in Andhra Pradesh, India (May 19, 2010). Regional and Sectoral EconomicStuidies , 10 (2), 125-134. Singh, M. B., Fotedar , R., Lakshminarayana , J., & Anand, P. K. (2006). Studies on the nutritional status of children aged 0–5 years in a drought-affected desert area of western Rajasthan, India. Public health nutrition, 9 (8), 961-967. Tandon, B. N., Ramachandran, K., Sharma, M. P., & Vinayak, V. K. (1972). Nutritional survey in rural population of Kumaon Hill area, North India. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 25 (4), 432-436.