Barbers turn health educators

An eastern Indian state is recruiting around 4,000 barbers to give free haircuts to poor children to improve hygiene and stop the children "looking funny", a senior government official said.

The barbers, paid a monthly wage of 1,500 rupees (around $37), will work in some 45,000 primary and middle schools in Jharkhand.

Jharkhand is one of India's poorest states with a strong tribal population.

(China Daily 05/14/2008 page11)