'Rohingya crisis needs constructive handling' New Delhi, October 26 (IANS): The Rohingya refugee crisis sparked by a military crackdown in Myanmar needs to be handled in a more "constructive and practical" manner, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar said on Thursday. "The Rohingya issue is a matter of concern," Jaishankar said in response to a question at a seminar on "Connecting the Bay of Bengal: India, Japan and Regional Cooperation" organised by the Carnegie India think tank here. "Our aim is to see how they can move back (to Myanmar)," he said. "It is better to handle it in a more constructive and practical manner than to go for strong condemnation."According to the latest figures issued by the UN office in Bangladesh, 604,000 refugees have entered the country since August 25 after the Myanmarese Army's crackdown on the minority Rohingya community following a series of attacks on security personnel in Rakhine. Railways to undergo massive structural reforms New Delhi, October 26 (IANS): Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani on Thursday said that the railways would shortly undergo massive structural and processes based reforms. Lohani was speaking at a panel discussion -- "Imperatives and Impediments to Growth: GST, Logistics, Infrastructure and Transportation" which was held here during the 112th annual session of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Railway Board Chairman pointed out that consolidation and growth would simultaneously happen in the railways with the aforesaid structural and processes reforms which were unfortunately neglected in the past. According to Lohani, railways is also working to address infrastructural issues so that it can meet the surge in demand and to improve the average speeds of passenger and freight trains. He suggested that the best way to bring in efficiencies in railways would be through generating competitive spirit within the organisation which has already begun to happen. AIIMS resident doctors on hunger strike New Delhi, October 26 (IANS): Over 2,000 resident doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) went on an indefinite hunger strike on Thursday demanding the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission be implemented. In an unique move, the doctors will continue to perform their duties as they do not wish patient-care to suffer. Every day for one hour they will demonstrate at the premier institute's gates Number 1 and 2, pressing for the implementation and continue to go without food. The Resident Doctor's Association (RDA) of AIIMS has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda. However, there has been no response. "We would not withdraw this time until the 7th Pay Commission's recommendations are implemented for us," Harjit Singh Bhatti, President, RDA told IANS. "Being responsible citizens and doctors, we will not hamper the patients care facilities. We will work continuously without consuming food," Bhatti said. The association claims that the 7th CPC's recommendations have been implemented at all government hospitals, including the Safdarjung and Ram Manohar Lohia hospitals. "Only AIIMS has been left out, which is highly discriminatory," he said. The RDA had approached the hospital administration, but it said that the Health Ministry was not giving its approval. Bhatti said that the resident doctors at the AIIMS were forced to work "tediously" for more than the "mandated 48-hours" in a week. However, they were not getting their rightful due because of the "bureaucratic hurdles". Resident doctors comprise the largest manpower at any hospital, apart from the consultants.
