Helping others isn’t an offense any more
More people die in road accidents than in wars. Highways are the death beds. And India is known for its killer roads. Tragedy is, one need not be in a vehicle or drive one to be an accident victim. As per the data available, on an average 56 pedestrians die every year on or by the roads. This number has increased manifold from 2014 to 2017, by a good 66 per cent. Number of vehicle commuters who died on the roads are even higher than this. More than a lakh and half people died on the roads in 2016 in about 5 lakh accidents.
The main reason for post-accident deaths is not the nature of the injury or the breaking of traffic rules, but the delay or non-availability of medical care for the injured persons. Since emergency care is almost unavailable, most injured die before they are taken to the hospital or even before treatment commences. Though some people would like to help the injured, they feel discouraged because they would be forced to appear in court to give testimony of the accident or the aftermath. The long drawn legal process where they’d be made party just because they played the good Samaritan would be of most harrowing experience in today’s world. In a way, deaths are increasing in today’s world owing to the defeat of humanity.
Karnataka govt has initiated a very significant step in this direction. President Ram Nath Kovind has given assent to a bill that would ensure legal protection to the good Samaritans in the state who help accidents victims with emergency medical care within the 'golden hour'. Named the Karnataka Good Samaritan and Medical Professional (Protection and Regulation during Emergency Situations) Bill, 2016 this would also keep those who come to assist the injured from being involved in a legal tangle or be expected to repeatedly visit the police stations over their good act. This would help people come forward to help people who may be lying injured in need of immediate help. Because to watch a person die on the road is the most painful experience for anybody who would like to help.
To blame people of being inhuman is not the complete truth. People hesitate from helping because they fear they’d be caught in an endless legal battle of having to appear in court or give their statement at the hospital and police station (repeatedly) over a medico-legal case involving road accidents. The others who never initiate to help the injured would be busy recording the whole thing on their mobiles and releasing it on social media to get more views and traffic to their video. The good Samaritan suffers at the end. There are cases of people taking the injured to a few particular hospitals of their preference and then fleece the injured of their money. They work hand in glove with private hospitals to ensure the accident survivor is not taken to a government hospital but to a private one to aid business to the agencies. One should not be surprised to see police sharing this network nexus with fleecing parties.
The new bill supports genuine souls who would want to get the injured to hospital and stay free from legal tangles. Earlier, those who rushed the injured to the hospital would have to wait till the police arrived on the scene to record their statement. They had to give their phone number and address. Now this bill would enable the helper to leave at his convenience, liberating him from the compulsions of having reveal his address or wait till the police arrive. More than anything else, the state government would help the good Samaritan with some financial benefits for his humane act. If he/she is required to appear in the court, their costs would be covered for that time. This will, most certainly, bring down the number of deaths that happen due to non-availability of medical help during the golden hour. And it is indeed a proud moment for the state since Karnataka would be taking the lead in this. Ours is the first state to introduce the bill among all other states in the country.
Like in most cases, Karnataka has taken a step towards saving lives by way of ensuring law aids this, and does not block the possibility of saving lives. Way to go!
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South zone finalists announced at WAVES VFX challenge in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: The South Zone round of the WAVES VFX Challenge took place today in Bengaluru, organized by the Association of Bangalore Animation Industry (ABAI).
The day-long competition brought together talented participants from across southern India, with the goal of selecting top finalists who will go on to represent the region at the national finals next month during the WAVES Summit in Mumbai.
Finalists were selected in three categories:
Student Category
Winner: Soumya Das
Runner-up: Gagan HP
Professional Category
Winner: Mohamad Javeed
Runner-up: S Sai Chandan
Enthusiasts Category
Winner: Gagan Ajai
Over 1,500 entries were received from students, working professionals, and VFX enthusiasts, all centered around the theme “Super Hero Power.” Out of these, 14 entries were shortlisted to compete in today’s final round. One winner and one runner-up from each category were chosen to represent the South Zone in Mumbai.
ABAI Secretary R.K. Chand appreciated the strong participation and encouraged industry professionals to attend the Mumbai summit, which will host well-known personalities from films, advertising, and creative sectors. He also mentioned that the WAVES Challenge was recently launched in Bengaluru by Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The event was inaugurated by Dr. Sagar Gulati, Director of the School of Creative Design and Information Technology at Jain (Deemed-to-be University), the zonal partner for the competition.
The day also featured two special sessions led by industry experts. Vijay Selvam from the global VFX studio MPC held a masterclass titled “Concept Reality,” where he discussed lighting, animation, compositing, and photorealistic effects. Students got the chance to interact with him during a Q&A session.
Another session was conducted by Rakesh H, Lead Head at The Mill, who spoke about how visual effects are used in advertising. Nearly 100 students attended these sessions, gaining valuable industry insights and learning opportunities.
