Corruption Hatao India: 2011

Somewhere Year 2K10 in India (world too?) is declared as ''Year for Corruption, Spammers and Scams" and thereby declaration for the 2011 as Clean India, Corruption Free India campaign gets a muted response. But a little thoughts about it makes all of us jittery in going about it. How does campaign look like? We cannot make Corruption Cleaning technologies just like that the muck will remain and we need to proceed to saving the coming generations from entering unto the Corruption regime...How do we start? Lets give a small thought...!!

Thoughtful discussions on fighting corruption would also call for action in the society itself. The system which is tainted and corrupt is due to failure of ethics in society. We all are aware of how we have lost the honesty and wisdom in our life. In the fight to reach on the top of social ladder and assert to our unmet demand the society and people themselves have chosen such path. The moral fabric inculcated by the elders to the younger generation is being missed with the falling of the joint family system and insecurity instigates corrupt practices. Social support to honest practices are missing and persons willing to follow the desired uncorrupted path is rarely acknowledged.

The role of social institutions have fallen since as most of them are busy in pushing their agenda without garnering public support with the help of fund managers. The religious institutions are not the flag bearers of moral attitudes of the societies its mixed with monetary and political notions. The generations have lost the learning to be free from corrupt attitudes and we all have to accept it. The governance and policing are also to be blamed in not adhering to principle of law and justice but being acting as hurdle to the system. Faith of people in such systems have collapsed and little hope to revival is there in near future.

Sincerity still pays well and there are examples in real life to follow when some select individuals remains to have untarnished image in their carriers in public life, such people and institution needs to be identified and presented to society. We may have examples in all section of professionals and there is scope of passing the good things in the fight against corruption to youngsters.

The Burden of Inertia: Corruption not BIMARU states

We must remember the thesis proposed by Dr. Amartya Sen on reasons behind the backwardness of the country, which blamed the BIMARU (Bihar, Rajasthan, UP, MP and Odisa) being pulling the nation backwards on its desire to move ahead and compete with worlds economy. This is true as an economist proposition. Equally true is manner and method in which nation is engulfed with corrupt systems and no body is free from it. People might find it light coming from other end of tunnel when its dark on the social-economical and political affairs of the country. What a example these able minded people are setting for the new generation to take forward the idea of 'nation' we call India.

Its true we have desire to move ahead in all the aspects social, economic and global spheres in world but given the flood gates of corruption opened by sting of operations carried out in country we all become hopeless to the hilt. Come what may the nations politics is marred with controversy involving all the captains of industry, political face and fourth estate. The intellectuals (if we can call them) are brave enough to talk on both as voice of people and also for the exploiters. When the regions which cry for attentions people with armed struggle gets little support from the front. The alleged act of treason against supporters (Dr. Binayak Sen, PUCL)of peoples voice is granted by the system then who would bell the fat cat. Mind you all the scamsters and gangsters are having free launches with system under the very eye of law enforcement agencies. Its sad for Indian democracy and setback to many who would have fought for people. But this is not the end. For many corrupt enlightened souls in power in center and state it's easy to forget and do the act of living while making millions and ignoring the needs of people. The leaders are chosen in democracy by the people election after election Is it to serve this elite brigade? While middle class are made to watch cricket, visit multiplexes/malls and engrossing reality TV, and the political/capital masters make the rake in looting the economy and people. What a cost to bear when voice of people is not heard till they declare themselves a terrorist? Albeit these are violence laid down to society without using barrel of gun by these wheels in engine of economic growth.

It is fascinating to note that we all wait for the tiny mutiny in parts of rural India, the urban India takes the burden of listening/reading to rumors and scandals so omnipresent in elite circles. May be US is better sounded even after WIKILEAKS then what our own RADIAGATE. Forget about political browny point scored by the ruling and opposition, its they who have practised, preached and engaged corruption at all levels. Not take lightly the unfound cosyness at state and local level by same players. A hollow nation-state who trend to mark more then 60 years of independence tend to loose on the footprint left by the swaraj movement during struggle with Britishers. Those who have broken the trust by engaging in corrupt practices have put India on backseat and played well with the rude sentiments of the freedom fighters in making of India as an Independent Nation. Never the common men felt helplessness in judging the ruling class and waiting a long breath to undertake a revolution. At least 1977 could mark a watershed in Indian politics where series of change makers were evolved. Must be a hard time for the people to enter into squabble with governance and its better to dance with their tune.

We have given doles of socio-economic reasons of our backwardness to planning commissions, but do we think its right time to develop an Human Corruption Index (HCI) district by district and department by department. The people who make an attempt to find a discrete analysis. But it would be hard to find the indicators. May be we can look into the context of crime, raids, arrests, bank balance, ED reports, etc to find the indicators and develop such Index. The preaching days are gone and corrupt people are happy doing sanitary practices to cleanse their body and soul. We need to look who is pulling us back more among the four arms of governance so much enshrined in our constitution. As year 2010 marks to an end the HCI would certainly be up and let the world laugh at us in making India a great dancing democracy tuned by the new class of people (difficult to mark them).

Mundra: Complex of Environmental Violations

Many would envy the speed with which M/s Adani and Company kept the state growth figures flying during last few years. Its fascinating to find the corporate utilizing 13000 ha of land although acquired and purchased through help, aspire to become a local lord in Mundra. A sting of violations of environmental laws makes it hoarding violations; lets take some sample;

(A) a dredging disposal pipeline has been laid in the inter tidal area carrying the dredged material to the landward side of the port to reclaim the land area on the West and

North port side and which pipeline has been obstructing the tidal flow due to which the mangroves stretches on the western and northern port side have been seriously affected and at several places the mangroves have dried up; and

(B) the creeks systems and the natural flow of seawater is being obstructed by reclamations along the creeks, with destruction of mangroves being observed at several stretches; and

(C) M/s Mundra Port & SEZ Limited have developed an airport the sign board at the site indicating “airport”, which is located close to the shore and it is noted that the clearance letter from Civil Aviation Department dated 30th October, 2008 provided by M/s Mundra Port & SEZ Limited interalia refers to development of a Mundra aerodrome while development of a aerodrome/airport requires prior environmental clearance under the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006; and

(D) a township named as “Samundra Township”, which has been accorded clearance under the EIA Notification, 2006 by Gujarat SEIAA on 20th February, 2010, is observed to be located in the Coastal Regulation Zone area of the creek and no clearance under the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 1991 has been obtained therefor; and

(E) a hospital named as “Sterling” has been constructed in the Coastal Regulation Zone area of the same creek thereby requiring a clearance under the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 1991, which clearance has not been obtained;

These string of violations and more as noticed by the MoEF asks for explanation and alternate mechanism from the violating partners. What would happen in next four weeks...there would not be an inch of recovery of environmental status in concern areas. At the best the corporates with the help from the state government might pay a lip service or penalty and get away...This is when more then 1000 such industrial zones are going to be developed in country. How does EIA takes a easy route to facilitate the large development with a blink of eye to enforcement agencies?

Gujarat Limited: India Unlimited

Gujarat is leap frogging in the development statistics and doling a service to business community by Inviting them in herds. The guidance provided by the babus of state is incomparable to anyone in country. They are dot on the spot in facilitating the industrial production in the state, so much essential in India and state. Given the take what does government do about the rest of people who are in villages and small towns. They are secondary coaches to this bandwagon of development engine.

Let the workers who are otherwise occupied shift there base to new icon of power and development, even if they do there is plenty of others from the nation to join them. The state is creating plenty of employment opportunity for all Indians. But restricted to highly skilled and qualified sector, which even the state people are less capable of gaining from the catch. Gujarat has become global in true sense once it is sustaining on the pressure of land requirement efficiently by allocating vast salty, marshy and ravines to industrial giants. Good to see that state is efficient in land utilization, but what do we think about its agricultural base..needed a second generation reform in the sector. The state is purely missing the chance to revive the sector rather selling even this to large corporate farming or contract farming. A win industry-agriculture situation but limited to large and medium land holders. This does miss the large 70-80 percent of the cultivators who are not taken care in the agro-business model.

A huge investment in the canal projects and subsequent delayed distribution canals for fields where water was supposed to reach are now slowly diverted to setting up the industrial base. The state priority has changed and agriculture seems to bear the brunt. There is resource shortage every where if case of Gujarat is taken and has to market it self hard to sustain not only to outside investors but also to large investors in other state. A scenario would not go well with India's development agenda.

A resource which is well endowed in country lacks its presence in the small state, which inspite of having borrowed capital desires to be self sufficient in natural resources and human capital. At least this is in context of India is Unlimited but Gujarat is limited in its development scope.

Tapes, Babus and Middle Men/Women: INDILEAKS

With the madam Radia tapes covering mid segment of politicians, babus and corporates are out the story of middle men comes alive again. They had been every where, to set the 'chai pani' of the government officials, and also politicians (they have 5 years of initial service extended to life time) with no retirement age. So the middle men sets the agenda for the parties and gets the tip of the work done, Is'nt it awsome to hold the hand of power hungery politician to be allotted cabinet porfolio? Now this practise happens from city level politics (for appointment as Mayor, chairmen, committee head..) to the state and national level. The middle men would do its duty to inform the 'high command' about your good intentions. High command would never be caught and not interesting to media !!

Once you are placed on the desired setup and satisfied with the middle mens work, you may choose to oblige his subsequent clients to get 'their' job done, you take some 'cut' and give some biting to your middle men (now call them agent too). As the specialisation of the agents goes from the private industries of pity contract works, to laying roads & metro lines, defense deals, to real estate, these elements would help them get the contract to supply and extract the money as loot from government exchaquer.
There are agents for pity jobs for our 'aam janta' too say getting railway ticket, ration card, passport, visa, well, tube well, building plans, voter cards, government jobs, defense jobs, private jobs (oh! I mean limited companies) on platter. They operate from a small office near paan shops to big office near the national parliament and state assemblies.

If you happen to profile them, they are semi literate (with strong family ties with bada sahaabs), literates (ties with babus and politicians) and blue eyed (management gurus, nutty professors, elite retired officers, ex-babus both defense and otherwise) are helpful in scaling your desired heights and thoughts to the masters.. give token to them. You have to please them, stand in que, and know their door if struck for the want of 'chai pani' or 'daru-varu' or 'pataka' or gifts hampers'. You may win some like game of lottery or loose plenty of time and money in pursuing them. Some of our industrial giants or their appointed CEO waited for quarter of their life to get to the top or inside the system they are presently queitly sleeping. Post libralisation called for open deals with the system (with out official red tapes) which termed as 'yellow tapes' in corporate world. Attending to the personal functions (religious or non religious) is important ritual to be part of the middle men..may be for fixing lights, flowers and tasting the food for their clients. Add glamour part you are invited to grand openings, fashion shows, chatter parties and bingo! clients are happy to set the agenda in motion. Media avoid taking a cue from such gatherings more the better. Our leading politcians who are heading the nation -state are party to such gathering emerging subsequently in their support, opposition and supposition towards the ageda of corporates. Grand plans for investment, takeovers and launches of new products are made in these gathering. Very truly and sensibility implemented by the leaders in their state and ministries. Poor planning commission fails to attract attention of corporates in their scheme of things. None of things we acheived in recent past was outcome of the consultation at the commissions set for various plan periods or annual plans. Thats for common men doles...and clever allocation of funds. Middle men (some of them are in commission too) set the agenda of the nation and system follows it to facilitate the interest groups not worthy to attend the cause of nation building. Poor set of babus are allowed to follow them like our taxmens, legal honchos, police, vigilance offices, IB, RAW etc etc etc all tied their strings strongly with these middle men, agents and term them as informers. They need to soil their hands in order get into the merkier deals.

All was well when we are dealing in pot holed communication systems till 1990s. Post information super highway even the highly guarded US secrets are out in open (courtsey: Wikileaks) when do you think our middle men would not pass this information to hungry media. No one is spared from witch hunting...the middle men would wait for the right chances till they are not satisfied with the client base. The corporate transition of the middle profession (oouch!) preferably the 'fourth estate' now acts as birdge between serviced and un serviced class of modern India.

Getting tapes (pen drives, CD??) for the middle men are not so hard task else who would not like evesdrop on your wall, listen and rejoice till you utter..merky word like'deal' done..chalega...ho jayega...set hai...tell them...saab trusts on you and so on ...Please do not get caught now..least wait for INDILEAKS to happen...(5 million docuements, 10,000 diaries, 1 million photos et etc). BABUJI jara dhire chaloo...

10 Urban Planning Songs | Planetizen

10 Urban Planning Songs | Planetizen

Internally Displaced Hunger By Javed Iqbal

Internally Displaced Hunger By Javed Iqbal

This is story of high handedness of our system. Somewhere we need to draw line between the people for who we should be working. Now they treat tribals like pathetic animals for the want of few bits of food..the governments of states and country puts our head in shame. Why do some people enjoy fruits of democracy and yet millions of poor tribals pay for their life? System of governance fails to address these concerns of people and if they raised their voice or arms ..they are naxals..maoists..and what not? Pity to shameless babus...and heartless morons....

GREEN EMINENT: Basic and Advanced Short Term Course

GREEN EMINENT: Basic and Advanced Short Term Course

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Industrial Regions and Rehabilitation for Project Affected People in Gujarat

Gujarat is aggressive in industrilsation of the state with development of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridors along Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC) by setting mega industrial regions or Special Investment Regions (SIR). These industrial regions notified under the Regional Development Authorities (RDA) which would acquire the land in the proposed zones to be used for development of infrastructure, industrial areas and related townships. It is estimated in one of our studies that the Gujarat state is planning to develop 13 SIR and which is expected to affect more than 360 villages in various districts.

From the land utilization data for the SIR and SEZ in th

e Gujarat state it is evident that about 4.5 lakh h

a land is expected to be utilized for industrial activities and townships. As per the available information the investment regions and SEZ proposals are going to affect about 400 villages in the state affect livelihoods of 1.0 million persons of the state. These project affected villages comprises of 78000 cultivators and 74,000 agricultural labourers who would be directly affected by massive acquisition of their lands by the RDAs. These project affected people would be required to be rehabilitated since their livelihood deprival from these projects would cause extreme hardship.

The agricultural labourers, casual labourers and marginal farmers belonging to poor, dalit and tribal communities would be hardest hit in absence of active state intervention for their rehabilitation. Gujarat State needs to take urgent look at the resettlement and rehabilitation policy for the project affected people in line with the provisions made in National R&R policy and Draft R&R Bill (2007) pending before the central government. The states like Haryana has already formulated effective compensation and rehabilitation package with a view to large scale alienation of farmers.

Housing Loan: A boom and bust

Now with the Rs.40,000 crores housing loan scam involving a leading housing finance company and 12 other private-public housing finance company, India seeks an explanation from the agencies. Loans are granted to the builders (most cases large builders) by flaunting the norms set by the RBI and National Housing Banks. But we all know these are routine processes, which clearly requires a hand shake between the builders and loan company. In this case a huge chunk of loan meant for high and middle income group (now with property prices this definition needs re look!) was diverted to the large corporates. These are known names and should you all care to go through the business section of news paper you would be able to understand who are these fallen empires.

The current property prices sky rockets beyond imagination of the salaried class and calculations of little smart house buyers. In most of the cases getting retail housing loan has become tricky and housing finance companies arbitarily chooses to allocate the finances to the projects it likes most (local managers recommends) all settled through the greedy builders and property brokers. Within no time they would advice from where you can get the amount which is always cooked up for the banks. In all fake documents given by the builders, reviewed by housing banks and approved by the registrars which facilitates the current boom in the market.

Now with such a kind funding by the housing banks (though a cheap rate given by National housing Bank) to the builders and their project through the poor house buyers in middle, crushes the finance load on the end users. It easily takes burden off the builders to avail the funding from other sources. We all know who is supposed to be financing the property markets. Not the genuine investors!!

This time a bust in the market would be in place if the relevant investigation targets the financial institutions and real estate firms. May be a call for regulator would become more sound for the sector where self regulation has failed and non existent. Much to the waiting reforms required to root out the malice of speculation in the trade which is throwing the house buyers out of the property markets. Suddenly the real estate firms and finance companies are been liquidated by these buyers who could not wait longer for their dream home and are caught in the web laid by the smart players in housing market. Till the bust happens within next few months, buyers would be advised to take extra caution in dealing in housing market.

End of Industrialization in West and Weak Natural Resource base

The present economic crisis in the west looks like failure of market to move ahead without persistent support of the state. The North block countries including US, Canada and Europe faces severe resource crunch owning to high consumption and low availability of natural resources like fossil fuel. The desire of the west to dominate the world economy slows down as the developing countries like, China, India, Brazil, Iran and Countries South Asia emerge to utilize the world resources. No more the fight to capture the resources has done severe damage to industrialization as it has happened in 1980s to late 1990s. The disturbances in middle east including Afghanistan and Iraq poses the serious danger to the stability of north blocks resource utilization.

The paced industrial revolution led by the European nations in early 17th Century till 1960s have recently lost ground to recover owning to little access to resources of the developing or the least developed nations. While the these two group of nations are busy in utilizing the resources for their own consumption and trade or they are prone to civil wars disturbing the supply of the raw and finished material to the markets in developed nations.

The crisis riddled with controlled market economies of Europe and America which in late 1980s sought to liberalize the economies of the world to have better access to the resources and treating others as potential markets. The economic power of the worlds leading countries would hardly sustain for next two decade given the growth enjoyed by the countries in the Indian Continent and South East Asia. When the nations in the North decided to give up manufacturing and rely on the service based economies cities would tend to have depressive effect on the national economies. Recently cities in the west hardly support the manufacturing pool in US economies, its trade and commerce which so far eluded the employment downfall is now facing serious threat from the outsourcing. They need to diversify and strengthen the production in order to bail out the cities.

Series of the bailout packages for the industries are utilized to strengthen the units already ineffective to sustain beyond the desired period before government treasurership bows out. The going back to people centric industrial model is inevitable to resist given the high unemployment in the developed nations. The demographic transition of the nations in economic crisis from high proportion of aged and low young working group leaves the production line high and dry relying totally on the capital investments. This would have poor distribution effect and increased debt crises in the western nations.

World would not be in the position to bail out the nations and would be mute spectator in case threat of war is imposed by those who would like to sustain economy at any cost. Till they go back to the starting point from it all begun North cannot expect any concession from the South.

Hindustan Times : Audio Video

Asian Population Association 1st Conference concludes at Delhi (16th-20 October2010)

Hindustan Times : Audio Video

Media, Politicians and Business Barons - Bleeding People of India

We are again in the midst of the political-media and Business storm waged by each other against the another. Astonishing fight indeed. No matter what is happening in Asiad or Collapsing of building the actors mentioned here are busy in condemning each other. Happy and eager to take the lime light leaves the urban and rural India bleeding in the midst of the crisis.

With the moral loss of stake these actors would take no turn in pitching each other against the common men till someone in the Jungles strikes forces to think about the people. But even after the gruesome killing in Central India and sensitive Kashmir issue we are busy again in dealing with one murky issue over other. The lip service providers in the system including three actors cited here provides solace to citizens in every disaster like they have lost their own brethren. No matter they have not forgotten 26/11 and should never forget which have taken majority toll on this particular class.

However, India as it stands today have its apathy with the system mentioned which is repeatedly pained at this cat fight resulting to lots of noise without real outcome. Majority would feel they all would be together tomorrow still the next controversies begun.

Who is watching Corruption in Urban India ?

As day after day country like India sees the visual images of corruption happening in public arena and wealth massed by who is who of well to do personals we think regressively. What a joke on a system that has all the provision in the law to protect the interest of the public? We have agencies looking after the interest (Is it really?) namely the Central Vigilance Commission, IB, CBI and CAG. Each of these agencies support the government in power or those closer to power to move ahead without inhibition to think twice about the public money. The media moves fast enough to reach their news rooms daily and 25 x 7 makes them run after or breaking news rather then spilling the beans.

If at its not high profile nobody is interested in pity theft or corruption of below 1 crore its beyond their dignified image. As being closer to Delhi, by actively following the development, its pathetic to imagine the sleeplessness and over reaction in recent Laxminagar building collapse to the quell the anger by taking the foolish action like getting residents of more than 30 such building out of their homes in a day. If they would have taken this action against the concerned builders or contractors or made some alternate arrangements these would have brought some solace and peace in the minds of the people concerned.

But then why blame Delhi, the whole of urban India is repeatedly living in the these situations, comparable to retarded thinking of the educated, suave and elites towards the pressing the buzzer of 'danger' when they are suffering and leaving the rest of the citizens of India here in Delhi 'Out in Cold'.

Climate Change: Positives!!

Climate change debates in world has remained a occupation for the doomsday predictors...more inclined toward scientific explainations. But there are positives too associated with climate change scenarios. To our mind can these be considered positives;

(A) Climate change is natural phenomenon and natural processess adjust and adapt to such change (with equal speed).
(B) Nature works out the methods in dealing with Hydrological and Vegetational changes.
(C) Certain areas are likely to have gradual increase in rainfall like semi-arid and arid regions woudl enable large areas under the vegetation and crops.
(D) Cold deserts would be no more uninhabitable and can be utilized by humans for activities mainly in Northern Kashmir, South-Central China, large areas in Russia and Europe.
(E) Behavior of clouds is not fully understood and which is an important factor controlling the rainfall and precipitation. In most of the climate change studies clouds are not modelled in order to predict the changes.
(F) Regional and Agro-Climatic changes are yet to be predicted and local climate changes are not equivelent to the Global predictions as presented in IPCC reports.
(G) Technological changes would occur faster then predicted and most of the industrial process would target the least emission targets.
(H) Dependence on the fossil fuel would likely to go down within next 20 years with high cost of the fuel and discovery of new sources of energy.

and many more..to understand the other side of the climate change...debates..

SEZ and Zoning

Special Economic Zones are one of the important steps taken for placing the nations and states on the economic boom in developing countries. These are opportunities fed to the industrial sector to invest in maximum in the regions they find suitable for their venture. Both India and China has been able to invite large scale investments in the regions which were supposed to be backward (rather vacant lands) and networked with cities. People in the region they ventured were having least knowledge of the activities rather it was states which had imposed their decision to the local governments. Every local body has to toe the line of state and national governments. People at these points are insignificant given the investments. How would the existing dwellers cope with new change in usage? Did anybody visualise these 10 years ago? Why SEZ is seperate local authority where in Local bodies have no power to regulate? Then who takes care of sustainable development (land and its resources) centre or state or concerned SEZ? Formal hearing of SEZ as per the current Environment Laws have taken place true in the respective villages without overseeing the overall the project. This kind of foot loose planning is going to destroy the regions where they would be placed. Today almost all the leading states are running after time to complete and allocate the land for SEZ and huge success are reported in Gujarat, Maharasthra, AP and even Madhya Pradesh.

We have not learned serious lessons from the climate change debate or rather our technocrats and professionals are providing only lip service. We have started branding industry are climate friendly and 'green' terming the whole carbon debate defunct and obscene limited to cleaning the act. Forget about stopping developmental violence initiated by the libralised and globalised state..for coming years!!

Climate Change: Blindfolded Indian Researchers

Across India the issue of the climate change has not moved beyond the rooms of babus preparing for the agenda and documents for various international summits across the world. The breaucrats and politicians are busy in holding the bull of climate change by its horn. It seems the NGOs, Corporates and Journoes are interested in climate change related negotiations in exchange with monitory benefits by 'capitalizing the climate change causes' i.e. Carbon markets and Green Technology. Though some of the national institutions have been contributed towards the Global climate studies we in India find diffcult to make the researchers understand the symentics of climate change. The universities and government departments have been organising lots of the seminar, workshops and debates on the climate change - co-terminus with the Environment, pollution, disaster and mitigation. All is right while dealing it as an individual subjects, but climate change research needs to look into the regional impact scenarios data in order to really work on the mitigation and adoption model. The state and district level agencies are still to get information on the scenarios in order to workout the change in development schemes, techniques and technologies for the their upcoming plans.

We have already started planning for the 12th five year plan and scenarios for the 2012-2017 and next 50 years should be incorporated in the prespective plans of the nation and state in order to generate documents and facts to add to the climate change issues. The research communities mainly the earth and social sciences stream needs to work together inorder to generate regional or state level scenario and prepare an effective mitigation plan. Why we are not able to wake up the researchers working in these areas in right direction? Are we as a researchers have become blindfolded by own attitudes...? At least start the change now!!

Mahgai Dayan..Price Rise and Urban Agriculture

You all are reeling under the emerging price rise in the agricultural produce in the urban markets. People in metros are severely affected by the price rise mainly in perishable food items such as milk and vegetables. Metros keep on getting agricultural products from distant places and relies heavily in India on its immediate hinterland. But situation is changing fast in your urban hinterland too, they are no more interested in just supplying food to cities. Also their lands are gobbled up by up coming modern townships and Special Economic Zones.

The present vegetable crisis (High Prices) in cities like Delhi and Mumbai is definately due to neglect of urban agriculture practices which was encouraged in bygone era and cities themselves ensured their supplies. Now farming communities cannot afford or would not be allowed to cultivate in the city limits by the land sharks and neglect by the city administrations.

City managers are increasingly required relooking into ways to understand it--both from a regulation perspective, but also to determine what is needed to foster and support these agricultural activities within the ambit of city regions. Some clue can be taken from Kolkata..where the urban agriculture still has retained some form.

The rationale for supporting agriculture within cities isn't immediately obvious--it isn't prominent in modern cities, nor has it ever really been typical, to have food production within urban areas. In many ways, being surrounded by agricultural fields was always a sign that one had ventured outside the city limits--it was a defining non-urban factor.

The urban agriculture is still widely practiced in the small and medium towns throughout the country but it lacks its presence in the large cities. Cities like Delhi and Mumbai needs to comeback on the trail of urban agriculture as an essential uses in their land use plans. The neglect of the important activities have caused crisis in their own markets and causes the city to cry hoarse. The far cry of 'Mahngai Dayan' in film 'Pipli Live' is the reality of urban India, joined by the neglect of the farms for farming and using a peice of land for party and recreation spots.

Till we understand the need for Urban Agriculture in our city planning we would go on and on...saying Mahngai Dayan....Khai Jat Hai...

Kolkata Stands 63rd in Top 65 Global Cities

The Global Cities Index 2010 - An FP Special Report Foreign Policy


In the Global cities Kolkata stands 63rd position amongst the 65 large cities assessed by the agency. Please Visit this site to get the information on the Global Cities.

Geospatial Industry: Bitten by Identity Bug..

A huge lot of contracts for the survey and mapping are being awarded throughout the country to the firms interested in entering into the business. The mega sales team entering the GoI offices have increased their rounds, each targetting a client to boost their sales. Similarly state government departments hanging large projects to lure the industry enterents. To all this we are yet to frame a overarching geospatial policy, when mapping was restricted to 11 entities, since then government queitly opened the policy. A large amount at stake the industrial houses entered into the business of Geospatial services. Very few became successful in completing the projects, even departments flattered after investing huge amount on spatial data creation and so call building 'GIS' capabilities.

What the industry is lacking? As a expert we can feel the lack of training and exposure of the government towards the technology and its potentials. The companies are interested in selling their product then improving the geospatial business of the clients. The solutions and hardwares are sold in bulk (from mid 1990s to 2005) to increase the sales pitch and enter into the services area (where solutions needs to be customised). As industry dealing with customization in the geospatial solutions are negligible the clients are not backing the new ideas and enterents in the field.

There are plenty of pilot projects abadoned in order to avoid the challenges of implementation and responsibility towards the technology developers. The huge tracking and services market is being ballooned out in last two years with solutions not approaching clients as per their requirements or neither the clients allowing any changes in existing protocols. Thus creating a deadlock on the technology penetration and development. Large corporates though have capacity to play a key role in industry finds lagging behind in development of human resources.

Our universities and institutions of higer learning have failed to educate professionals on this technology, ever since a lot of universities have started Masters programme of Geoinformatics/GIS/RS the trainers are hard to find. The teaching material itself is highly underdeveloped and not available in the right format. The dependence on the government run application centre for the research on RS/GIS is paying bad divindings in country like India. The research outputs and learning were never seriously documented and presented to the community outside. Lets see how we deal with this new identity bug

Caste and Census 2011 : Debating researchers

Yesterday it happened to be a quite a long afternoon in an heated discussion on the 'inclusion of caste in Census 2011'. Eminent Sociologists acting as panalists dwelled on the the impact and modalities of the caste based census. The following are the observations;

For those Opposing the caste census:
(a) Caste is tricky issue diffecult to enumerate and collect the right information on the individual castes.
(b) People tend to confuse between caste and sub caste would never be able to give the correct information.
(c) Enumeration of Caste at the state level and National level would be different, when caste categories are overlapped, diffrently placed and represented in various parts of country.
(d) Diffecult to draw questionnare.
(e) Our forefathers who drafted the constitution has aimed at casteless society and culturally lot of changes has taken place in Marraiges, customs and caste identieties. Whether the caste enumeration would lead to division in the the society. This would not be rational decision.
(f) The issue of caste has been raised for political gains to take accounts of Other Backward aste (OBC) and would further create tensions in society.
(g) Census of India has no capacity to conduct the caste based census.
(h) The present government is not conducting the caste based census with Census 2011 but seperate excercise which may not be repeated in next census.
(i) Sociologists have never accepted or recommended caste based census in India.

For those Supporting the Caste Based Census

(a) The caste is reality of Indian society, identity of its people and there is no harm in accounting or collecting data as we collect information on other variables of households.
(b) The upper caste and those who are on high social ladder does not want caste to be included in census, since they fear the power of the OBC would be known.
(c) The intellectuals and government officials who holds key position are taking undue advantage of the their position and trying to stop genuine assertation of the backward castes.
(d) The caste based census is not the only demand of the political parties but also of the social organisations working for the backward castes.
(e) Traditionally the census of India has taken counting of the Scheduled Tribes and Castes which have not created any kind of disharmoney rather we were able to concentrate on the development of these social groups. Similarly, the counting of the other caste would also be helpful for the planners to target the communities.
(f) The methodological difficulties needs to be overcome in this case and there are ways to conduct the caste based census.
(g) By our insufficient methods for caste enumeration we can not allow the neglect of very important excercise.

In our view those who are opposing the caste in census are taking caste only as an sociological phenomena and forgets that it also has administrative, political and economic importance. This needs to be better understood after conducted in the census.

The interpretation of the claims of the individuals are subject to discussion by the sociologists, but an individual need not get certificate from the sociologists. Its the immediate society where his or their claims needs to be settled. The claims of the individuals can be settled by the local bodies, panchayats and village elders. The law of heritage makes it stand on the intercaste marraiges, and Hindu Marraige Act also specifies it, then where is fear of placing the bracket.

The simple enumeration excercise as regards to caste categories have been complicated by the misconceived notion of sociologists to tide over the social desires. The identity of persons cannot remain same forever and if he claims to be of 'X' caste then it is their choice. The issue of grants of rights and previlages of the castes rests with the communities. If there is no caste identities or changes caste identities which helps the households to take benefits of social networks then let him do so..at his own will.

Our law does allow any person to change name and claims of caste can only be challenged by the society. Let the census take place and help us in understanding the desires and nature of these castes in India.

Slum Free: Talk to Cities First!!

The national policy makers are determined to have our city 'Slum Free' with a simple agenda to provide all slums an alternate housing (better than now with basic amenities) under the Rajiv Awas Yojna. But is it so simple to get away with slums, the migration of people to the cities would not stop and their desire to stay in city would not go away. The slum dwellers are also part of the this social ladder, where in they are always looking for chance to have better living.

In someway the urban local bodies and those who implement the slum policies are less sympathetic to their target groups. The much talked public participation have seldom undertaken in the slums with local bodies looking away.. and NGOs given responsibility to talk to them to the alternatives. Most of the cases the Slums have never been seriously accounted and consulted on the housing options. Till recently the demolition drive in all the metros hit the slum dwellers hard, with little promise of alternatives. The people are left to live with their plight with insecure, unhealthy and unsafe livelihoods. What can be asked when no comprehensive and long term policy issues are not handled. Scores of schemes dealing with urban poor targets as much their budget permits.

Interface between the academic, administrators and NGOs are limited in the conferences and seminar, they make a poor team on the field. Some of the best success stories are also there when these different views and minds have met in various cities. Complexities of the issues related to Slums have been taken differently when dealt in isolation with slum dwellers themselves. Mostly they have to follow the directions from the administration who may place them in different positions, divide their social network, disturb livelihood and children education.

If cities does not guarentee them home when a new comer arrives then where is the place he/she can settle. In case of 'Slum Free' notion, whether the mass housing schemes are in place for the future population to arrive in particular city. If the answer to the question is not available in the near future then just by changing the physical outlook of the slums does not make it 'slum free'. The people would move to better areas and newcomers would continue to occupy the space left by earlier groups.

Most of the streets would serve large amount of pavement settlers like in Kolkata and Mumbai stopping their chance to look for house in slums. A refuge or shelter in corner of bus stop, public building, Fly over, or underpass would be more common in upcoming cities. Cities need to chalk out effective programs in understaking the serious excercise then spending the funds in the name of schemes like Rajiv Awas Yojna (RAY), which would lapse within couple of years to pave way for new schemes.

When Urban Planning met Common Wealth Games in Delhi

Suddenly the hue and cry over the Common Wealth Games (CWG) induced corruption has marred the Delhi and sporting politics in country. An investment estimated to be over Rs. 30,000 crores for the games, for which over 70 percent goes to building sports and other support infrastructure.

Delhi would not need the funds of JnNURM when they get a mega investment in its visible physical infrastructure. A investment that would make the city global (using the cacophony attached)! tends to be missed by the city planners. Those even in MCD, DDA and NCT authorities are pegging high hopes in effective implementation of the schemes targetted at Delhi but serving the 15 days mega event. Why not develop some sporting city in country encompassing all the gaming events? Delhi has now become not only administrative capital but it has also added a tag of sporting capital of country. The event though may come and go..it would leave giant structures tough to look after once close ceremonies would be over.

The planning authorieties likely to be marred in corrupt practices during the CWG construction phase would face an axe once culprits are to be cought. The hordes of technical support staff from the agencies need themselves to stand in que in order to be investigated or come clear from audits (which may take years to resolve). Delhi was not planned by their master planners to be sporting hub, yet spaces are carved out from the public reserved lands to host the event and place permanent structures on it. What would be left for their citizens and other planning needs in future. Lands which was supposed to last for next 20 years of demand have been exhausted in last five years of activities.

May for the future needs we may have look to aerial spaces in high rises to accomodate the demand for public spaces other then sports. Master planning for Delhi would be caught in mess within next five years, since the spaces would be left unutilized or underutilized given the state of sports in country and Delhi. Yes the elite and powerful would have enough time to join the clubs costing Delhi its dear open spaces...

A city doesn't need a centre! (But it does need realistic planning)

A city doesn't need a centre! (But it does need realistic planning)

Insensitive Governance and Development

The governments in India have been repeateadly ignoring the plight of the citizens, whether its Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra or Gujarat. Each state is promoting state endorsed development packages targeted towards private corporates - Indian as well as MNC. In the effect loosing the prime land, settlement and forest areas. The uncontrolled mining activities promoted through the state initiatives have not only violated the environmental concerns but also displaced numerous people.

The spate of urban activities have increased and demand for the prime properties have triggered quick actions on the part of the local bodies to overthrow the current occupent by force. Right to shelter and livelihood is at stake in most of the metropolitan cities. Cities like Surat, on the verge of modernising the city have virtually kicked out the slum dwellers from the city areas. Yes they have been awarded for their effort in acheiving the 'Slum Free city' targets under the government of India scheme.

Ministers, and officials of state have been in the helm of affairs in getting their work done by any means, mixing land capturing, mining, and extortions with their politics. None of leading parties would come clean in the present circumstances. Then who says, the politics is neglected by the young India. What they are expected to do in present circumstances? Given the criminal behaviour of leading stalwarts of the states, with massive accumulation of money by the way of corruption would never lead India to greater heights.
The system has detoriated beyond repair when one of the leading party presidents, confuses sympathisers of poor and down trodden with supporters of Maoist (who are engaged in war with government). Do they want this to extend to the rest of country? The mind set of the governments as well as those in opposition are not condusive to the development objective of the nation.
We would never have the situation like what happened in emergence period in 1970s since most of our younger lots have been taken away from the politics of development. The tokenism of government succeded in bringing down the threat from the people. Intellectuals and professionals are dealing with government and opposition are not questioning the methods adopted in present Indian system.

Who would smell the rot? The CVC, Election Commission, Supreme Court, CAG, CBI, etc has been shown their path by the clever and intellegent politicians. They all know how to get out of these mess incase they get caught. Its the common citizens who are killed, maimed, terrorised and supressed in the present insensitive governance.

Only time would tell us, how do we go ahead? Till then...count your fingers...!!

MDG Time to be serious about it

India needs to be serious about the MDG goals set for the 2015. We have miles to go...

The goals needs attention from the people working in areas mentioned here..

Please go through the mentioned site regularly for an update...

http://www.mdgmonitor.org/country_progress.cfm?c=IND&cd=356

The images are presented here to popularise the goals...which most of people in general are not aware...

We request all our readers to be aware of the situation...

Media and Raising Urban Issues..

Most of us have more knowledge about what is happening in Delhi and Mumbai than our own cities. The electronic media beaming the national events, news and stories is totally hacked by the two cities known for its politicians and corporate whos who. Rest of the cities escape the media attention, a little water logging in Delhi and Mumbai is the story of the day with whole nation glued on it or made to increase the visibility of the TV channels. Even the state capitals of the nations do not receive the attention the people would like to know. Since the news and views along with the opinion makers are from Delhi or Mumbai we get to know water tarriff, flooding, crime, dharna or rally etc giving pity lip services on seeking the opinion polls.

Similarly, the national mood on the issues of civic concerns are limited to what is happening in these two cities, may be seggregation of cities by powerful global factors dominate the urban debates. What happens in rest of 2000 cities of the country is nobodys concern. Our national planners are busy in planning schemes for the rural India, from employment guarentee to minority related issues, but urban India gets partial treatment. This makes aparent is the miniscule amount of expenditure done under the JnNURM, UIDSSMT, IHSDP or other achemes is not sufficient enough to boost the quality of life in these cities. More needs to be done, but who would raise the voice for these cities, Delhi would have gained..huge investment after it started planning and investing for the Common Wealth Games 2010. But this has not gone down well with other cities at the cost of Delhi. Similarly, Mumbai takes the largest peice of cake, related to urban development funds.

Media, has least stories to tell about the cities since they have not been trained to report the cities as they may not be willing to travel outside the large metropolitan cities to the small and medium towns. What would happen if, media continously gives urban India a total miss during last decade? The local media is often limited itself to side stories not more than one or two pages restricted to cities, rest galores more about the issues concerning a huge range of subjects.

The information officers in the urban centres are either not available or not interested in giving news of their own cities. The cities are core to the economic growth which are poised to help the states to generate employment and income to acheive a high growth targets. The neglect of the cities in terms of planning or urban information or reporting new infrastructure would lead the people to have negative opinion about their own city. They keep on dreaming in order to get out of this place and look for greener pasture in larger cities or media hyped one.

Its Bandh...Strikes..Governance in India

Todays strike called by the NDA and allies (including CPM) in country is supported by their respective state governments in Gujarat, Karnataka, MP, West Bengal, and others. What a show of strength the state governments through its ruling party using its muscle to shut down the state? How legal this action is supposed to be by the state? Though state government offices are open, they cannot allow petrol pumps, school, college, cinema halls, restaurants, and even medical shops to remain open. State is helpless with there own party cadres..or they have been told to go ahead government is after you. This is how party politics have ruined the Indian governance. The centre and state relations are no more on the mutual respect. One thing the people of India could not understand the centre and state both are functioning in tendem with one another, loss of one public sector unit would effect the funding of the programs and schemes running in the state. The centre cannot go on subsidising the products unless it is an acute requirements. The state should also share responsibilities in curtailing the price rise. Which of ruling NDA or Congress aliances have come up with a policy or strategy to fight against the price rise? There are very meek responses.

Keeping the people in dark is not healthy sign of democratically elected governments. The strike supported by the state government (by not providing security to institutions and people who want to remain open) is an act of negligence and unconstitutional. The law of the country and judiciary should view this seriously when it comes to enforcing the system. The people themselves if require should protest for their rights, but using force or violence in order to get their demands approved is not justified.

What has been happening is central India, and poorer regions is never been made attractive enough for these political parties for protest but its matter of convineience that issues related to urban india has raked a call for 'Bharat Bandh'. My dear countrymen the real 'Bharat' is no more alive..its shining India who is calling for this protest.

The political parties are presenting a posture which concerns only there electoral gains..leading to one election after another. The men on the streets are aghast with burden on their pockets and inactivities of all organs of governance. The right to protest should remain, but not those who are party to the government. Whether its BJP, CPM or other NDA parties the Strikes should be for the larger interests of the people then a few brownie point against congress.

'Climate Change' caught in Prespectives!

One must understand climate change in the right prespectives...the comments recieved during the recent interaction with academicians at a gathering made me sit for a while. Yaah! like 'Development' and 'Hapiness' as a term has widely defined by various thinkers and scholars. But those opinion makers on the 'Climate Change' are taking the debates to their own subject of understanding, the environmentalist - terms it change induced primarily by the human actions and this climate change is determental to the existence of the mother earth. Environmental Economists (though I consider economists to be special breed who would draw learning (blood!!) from all the sciences and dominate the debate) -who often refer climate to be adapted and mitigated by investment, organisational changes, and so on impacting the Income and production cycle of the humans. They are cloned again by the political scientists who ventures into series of negotians with the elite business houses, lobby groups and trade blocks in order to maximise the regional or national benefits. They talk of North South divide..groups on either side of line in climate change debates. The scientists working on the climate change try to develop wonderful products to safe guard from impacts -suggests climate change a boon to research community with loads of funds available for their labs and institutions.

What about peoples understanding of climate change? Yes media bombards them with news and views on the climate change with serious disaster like floods, Tsunami, and even earthquake attributed to climate change. People keep on delibrating every summer, monsoon and winter about how excessive or scanty the phenomenon has become since they attained their adulthood. 'Climate Change' like a elephant body parts are different to these groups of knowledge makers and providers. With the changing body politic of the global empires and super powers, nations tend to pass on the information selective to their own people. Yet these countries a platform for serious debates ...on every thing on climate change. This is not clear to many why executives on the administration dwelve on the series of discussion on the issues brought up a handful of researchers (observers) who tend to make opinions from North pole to South Pole, from 1 million years ago to 100 years ahead and from your backyard to the tip of iceberg in Antartica.

Would this become a favourate time pass by the stakeholders? Unless there is serious inward looking executive, economists, environmentalists, political scientists or negotiators, the world would enter to the regime of 'deterministic' regime. Since last two decades (rather since 1987, Sustainablility - Earth Summit) the world has moved closer to climate observation and more fearful it has become. Similarly, as NASA scientists closely monitor the Sun and Mars we get more mesmerised by the serious fallout of phobia of 'If' this happens then what!

In the line of fire : Its Kashmirs Civilians again

During last few months the clash between the security forces and the civilians have picked up as news emerging from the regional and national media presents the picture. The repeated victims of violence and terror are not only the Indians who are outside the Kashmir but those people who have been supressed by the security forces.

Again for the political gain the people are being taught to violently oppose the Indian government regime..Why when a democratic government is in place headed by the dynestic politician Mr. Omar Abdullah such a mahem is happening? Why Central government needs to be targeted for all the ills not the state machinery? These incidents are happening when things had started to improve in Kashmir, including incrase in trade, urban projects, indrastructure, tourism and agriculture, the state is back on the violent incidents lists. The country would be hoping that everything is going well in the state. As opposed, what has emerged from recent actions on the streets a thorough plan to oppose Indian government using mass media.

For once and all, will our government settle this issue amicablly with people? Let the truth come out from by conducting the referendum on the 'Kashmir Issue'. The young generation of future India does not want this issue to linger on for next 50 years. Lets not look Kashmir Issue from Muslim v/s Hindu glasses. This is a political and rights issue of the people. Only if we know who is representing them....Mr. Omar Abdullah , the legitimate CM or others...

ANVESHAN 2010: West Zone Meet

Our project on the climate change and regional development regarding development of Spatial Prediction Model for Gujarat was appreciated at the West Zone Scientific Research Project Meet, Anveshan 2010 (under Association of Indian Universities, AIU) held at Faculty of Science, MSU. This event saw 69 research project entries from various universities in West zone including University of Pune, Mumbai Univ, SNDT, MSU, Goa etc. The entries of the project were in three categories (a) Basic Sciences (b) Technology and Engineering and (c) Allied Science. We entered in the Basic Sciences category with topic related to climate change and Impacts.

We could able to secure 3rd position in the Basic Science categories among the participants. We would be going for the National Research Convention planned in August 2010 at Punjab University, Chandigarh. This is national event where entries from all five zones would be participating for the competition. The selected few would have chance to collaborate with foreign universities/ institutions and may also win some cash award. Hope we do best for the project.

Wealth and Weathiest Indians: Exposed

In the latest revealition that above 13.0 million Indians are getting poorer and country also boast of High Networth Individuals having average wealth of 16 crores counting upto 1.3lakh persons in country.
According to the 2009 Asia-Pacific Wealth Report, brought out by financial services firms Capgemini and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, at the peak of the recession in 2008, India had 84,000 HNWIs with a combined net worth of $310 billion. It would take an average urban Indian 2,238 years, based on the monthly per capita expenditure estimates in the 2007-8 National Sample Survey, to achieve a net worth equal to that of the average HNWI. And that's assuming that this average urban Indian just accumulates all his income without consuming anything. A similar calculation shows that an average rural Indian would have to wait a fair bit longer — 3,814 years!

According to the firms' 2010 World Wealth Report, India now has 126,700 HNWIs, an increase of more than 50% over the 2008 number. While the figure for combined net worth is not available, it seems safe to assume that as a class not only have India's super-rich recouped their 2008 losses, they have even made gains over their pre-crisis (2007) positions. In 2007, 123,000 HNWIs were worth a combined $437 million.

An estimated 33.6 million more people in India became poor or remained in poverty over 2008 and 2009 than would have been poor had the pre-crisis (2004-7) growth rates been maintained over these two years.

(Based on Times of India, 24th June)

Identical Cities of Today: Views from Shanghai Expo

Interesting observation about the identical faces of the cities were made by an UN representative in ongoing Shanghai Expo..

City planners urged to stop building look-alike cities with 'identical faces'
Date:14/06/2010
Global scholars have called for more efforts to be made in city planning to prevent the trend in which cities increasingly appear identical.
"Many Chinese cities used to be different, but they are monotonous in looks nowadays. More efforts should be made to protect their unique characteristics," said Sha Zukang, head of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
He made the remarks at a World Expo theme forum that ended yesterday in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. The two-day forum attracted about 800 participants to discuss the value of cultural heritage along with urban regeneration.
"Globalization was causing more pressure to protect a nation's cultural heritage and many cultures were inundated in the process,' he added.
"The UN department I am working in mainly focuses on protecting indigenous peoples' cultures and languages," he said.
"From the 1980s, China's traditional cities suffered damages due to a lack of proper cultural heritage protection," said Ruan Yisan, a renowned expert on ancient building and professor with the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the Shanghai-based Tongji University.
He displayed pictures of two Chinese cities: Lanzhou in Gansu Province and Changsha in Hunan Province: both looked identical with crowded high-rises, though the two cities are located far from each other.
"You could barely discern differences between the two cities," Ruan said.
"Nowadays, cities have grown in height, but they are having identical faces," Ruan said.
Meanwhile, China increasingly has residential communities dubbed with foreign names such as: European Style, Venice Garden, German Town and French City.
"To some extent, it showed the builders are not confident in their own cultures," Ruan said.
Ruan helped safeguard many historic cities and towns from inappropriate development and made them important heritage sites through conservation planning and practices, such as in Pingyao in Shanxi Province and Zhouzhuang in Jiangsu Province.
"Some cities were building their own projects to make money under the name of protection," Ruan said.
They built reproductions of architect in Ming or Qing dynasties to attract tourists, but those were just "fake relics", he said.
"I often heard sayings that old buildings were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), but it was not true according to my own experiences," he said.
"The Cultural Revolution mainly destroyed relics in the form of objects. Dismantling buildings is something happening today," he said.
The main reason for blindly tearing down buildings was because the value of historic architecture and cities was not fully realized and some only looked for something new or what was capable of being quickly finished, resulting in the identical faces of thousands of cities, Ruan said.
Experts believed cultural heritage protection could help define a city's unique identity.
"Many would doubt why we should preserve old urban areas instead of building new ones. The ancient architecture with unique Chinese styles could provide nutrition or inspiration to new Chinese building styles. No one want cities of the same face," Ruan said.
Paul Andreu, the French architect and designer of the National Center for the Performing Arts, said it was difficult to tackle the problem as it was "happening everywhere in the world."
"You know cooking tastes of meat? They used to be different in France. But now the tastes are leveling. Many original tastes are lost. It's the same in China that many tastes are lost," he said.
Architectural diversity is experiencing the same "leveling," he said. However, geography and climate differences might provide some solutions, he noted.
"Just as Beijing is not Chongqing, Chongqing is not Shanghai. Some have rivers. Some don't. City planners could receive directions from that," he said.
Source: Xinhua
Reproduced from http://en.expo2010.cn/a/20100614/000002.htm

Economic Development and Tribals: Some Thought

This is extract from a paper I had written a year ago but could do little progress for publishing it.. though its right time to think on these lines mentioned hereunder;

What are the constraints we are facing when it comes to economic reforms verses the tribal development? Following are some of the points we would like to highlight;

1. The budget- ‘Provisional tribal development’
The pressure from the elites and powerful lobbies to attract funds already to the developed and progressive regions are immense. Even if the state governments like Gujarat and Maharashtra are cash rich in development expenditure in the industrial regions, they pay only lip service in the tribal areas. One wonders what makes these states to restrict their expenditure so low in the tribal regions on the basic amenities like Hospitals and schools. For the state might be spending more than Rs. 500 crores on the education and health in Gujarat, the share of this budget in the tribal districts of the Dangs, Valsad, Surat, Dahod, Panchamahal etc would be well below 10% of this amount. Tribals are not part of the structural adjustments process of the World Bank initiated reforms in the country. The tribals had to mend their business in absence of the strong leadership to claim their share of budgetary provisions. The reform initiated by the earlier NDA government and present continuation of reform under the UPA Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, there is clear need to focus on the tribal welfare.

2. Sector Constraints – Health and Education
The health and education though given importance during the last budget session by Government of India, it is yet to be accepted by the respective state governments. The sense of urgency is lacking- and so is the penetration of facilities in rural area. The beneficiaries of private education and health facilities have been restricted to mainly urban or most often to the peri-urban areas (due to tax concessions). The education institutions run by trusts are not capable of providing quality education in absence of basic structural reform. The tax concessions to the education and health institutions should be extended to the tribal regions to allow benefits of quality education and health infrastructure. With limitation on their ability to access equity and commercial financing, these institutions remain dependent on donations, and subsidies as the norm, rather than balancing or incremental requirement.

3. Fragmentation
In the country like ours, we have innumerous school boards giving multiple- course platform to the students. The tribals have no choice to get quality or mainstream education given the high cost of admission. The differential treatment of the course content by the different board results in the variable education standards in the country. The most of the urban and well to do families can afford to provide the best of education facilities to the children, whereas the tribals need to depend on the poorly managed ashram shalas. Why can’t we come out to provide similar quality education to tribal children’s in their own regions? We must now make effort to define a national curriculum that balances regional aspirations.

4. Lack of Planning
One of the important aspects of the concern we feel is related to the lack of planning on the resources and capabilities needed. There has been less focus on tribal sub plans during the post 1990s with the advent of the reforms. We are not focusing on the future vocational training requirements of the tribals in absence of the agricultural lands or massive displacement due to development projects. Most of the elite educational institutions are not in position to out reach to the tribal regions. Instead we have sets of sub standard institutions harping on the large population base with little stake on the welfare of the tribals. For Example, the prevalence of Medical and Engineering colleges and Universities in the remote areas just to tap new monetary freedom of tribals rather than providing quality infrastructure. We certainly require more robust reform structure in the sector to decentralize the education and health infrastructure without any prejudice.

5. Utilization of resources
While limited availability of resources is a common concern, the focus should be on sub-optimal utilization of allocated resources. To our mind, government is clearly not the most efficient manager of expenditure. The current framework provides enormous subsidies, with less than adequate measures to ensure that beneficiaries of the subsidiaries are only those who need them; additionally we must pay attention on how subsidy is directed towards the poorest of the poor. The tribal areas though rich in bio-diversity and natural resources, lack innovative thinking similar to the economic reform. Time has now ripe to concentrate on not only on the macro economic reform, but also on how to utilize the tribal resource in order to maximize the their welfare.

6. Thinking differently
Tribals also need to start thinking differently, even though they are given opportunity for the government job they have not been able to gather enough. This may be due to lack of educational and support environments in the tribal regions. The tribals are gaining their stake in monetary economy by getting exposure to the market reform through media. They need to ask for quality services rather than an alternative system of education and health. They can join themselves to mainstream not only politically, but also integrate their learning and knowledge to rest of population. The path forward can also be to use private intervention to help schools augment their capacities, and also inculcate the habit for paying for those who can pay for the quality services. There can be differential pricing mechanism for most of the basic quality services based on the paying capacities of the tribal societies.

7. Prioritization
If we can think of the communities being indirectly affected by the economic reform, the tribals would be last thought of group. There is lacuna in approach towards the development excluding the tribals and other deprived sections of society. The economic reforms encouraged privatization of the most of the services provided by the public sector. The private players in the new economy are not ready to accommodate the reality of India’s social life. The responsibility of the private towards the tribals and weaker sections needs to be highlighted. This prioritization of the beneficiaries of the economic reform should not negate the larger sentiments. The tribals do not need reservations in the jobs but rather holistic approach towards their concerns. The activities that makes them self-relients and also does not diminish their self respect.

8. Tribals as ‘Human Capital’
We cannot go ahead with economic reform without the suitable development of our human capital. Though India is proud to have more than 50 % population between 25-35 age group by now, we are yet to understand the tribal constitutes 20 % of such youngsters. The future India cannot neglect the tribal youth, thus becomes added responsibility to let them learn to participate in development. The success of mid day meal in the primary school provides such hope to the poor tribals community. The mid-day meal address the fundamental issues of nutrition, hygiene and health of the community in addition to education. The health of women similarly is to be improved in the tribal regions not only by introducing health pills but also bringing out proper nutrition programme for the lactating mothers and adult women. The employment opportunities for the women in the region should be associated with such nutrition programme equivalent to the mid-day meal. The food for work scheme of Government of India needs some innovation on these lines.

9. Scope for Economic reform for Tribals and Poorest of Poor
For one, any reform specific to the tribals or community would need massive decentralisation, a pushing through of the panchayati raj, giving the poor authority and accountability to determine their destinies. This means a paradigmatic shift in the power equation between the 3 layers of our federal system. Decentralisation is required not because it is morally right (it is so), but because it will increase efficiency and entrepreneurial energies (it has always done so). The detailing problems that we discussed earlier will be solved at the grassroot level, differently in tribal societies. Focus can shift to outcomes, rather than irrelevant input measurement. New service delivery arrangements in education and health can be experimented with, involving public-private partnerships. New, locally appropriate technology solutions should emerge. Mistakes that are made will be localized and relevant to the tribals, from which there will be learning and adaptation.

At another level, a new dynamic needs to emerge between the economic reform (banking, micro credit, employment, housing etc) and policy-makers who wish to align the powerful forces of the reforms towards the tribals and poor. One where there is freedom to function, with responsibility for equitable outcomes. What is required on the part of government is an innovative regulatory mechanism, like benchmarking the services delivery of the priority sector segment to the services, and demanding tribal region wise reporting in the state socio-economic reports. The critical learning is that programme design needs to be left to the marketplace, that the cost of doing business with the tribals/poor might be higher than with elite urban customer segments, and hence need to be priced differently. When institutions are allowed to do this, the market will fill the services vacuum. We need to move beyond simplistic ‘Krishi-melas’ and cultural bonanza for tribals. If one truly wanted to see “tribals” developed, it is on display in India, with all its warts, reinforcing the belief that country needs effective programs. But effective programs needs a supple and disciplined government, demanding self-regulation from states, coming down hard and fast when necessary for the interest of tribals.

So, when the new policies of this government are announced, let us look closely to see if there is any change in the microstructure of governance, in the improvement of tribal societies. Let us look to see whether these “reforms with a human face” can actually be called “ reform for tribal societies and poorest”.

If not, all these ideas will get choked in the thickets of the system, making our reforms look like our city water supply: ‘plenty flows in pipes, loses on the way and trickles at the consumer end.’

Solar Storm: Disaster Predicted in 2012-2013

A lot of news item recently concentrated on the 'End of World' theory of the various prophets, spiritual leaders and media groups. A bit of suspesion emerges whether these are all true or spam? Its better to have a serious look once. Yes! scientists at NASA, USA has been warning the governments for the serious implication of the Solar Storm predicted to be cyclic event to immensely affect the earth.

NASA recently warned of a collision between modern society and the upcoming solar maximum.
Approximately every 11 years the sun peaks in activity while dotted with sunspots that often eject solar flares with damaging radiation and particles into space. If hurled in the direction of the Earth, the planet endures or suffers consequences ranging from beautiful displays of the aurora as they shimmer in the night sky, to very severe Electromagnetic radiation to the point of knocking out electrical power grids. The later is of most great concern to NASA as they meet to discuss the potential devastation and to recommend new tools to forecast such events as we approach the new solar maximum in 2012.

From the NASA Science News
“The sun is waking up from a deep slumber, and in the next few years we expect to see much higher levels of solar activity. At the same time, our technological society has developed an unprecedented sensitivity to solar storms.”

What would be impact?
(a) Outer Space: Solar storm can damage the electronic equipments and satellites including the communication, navigation and exploratary objects in the outer space. This would be difficult to save incase of severe storm. This would have very negative impact on the transport and communication sector on the earth.
(b) Earth Surface: Severe heat and sudden surge of storm would damage on the electricity supply infrastructure on a large scale. Most the effect till coming few months would not be unknown. On going researches are focussing on for preparing the mitigation plan.

In India, we are yet to see any serious activity concerning this event predicted and varified from scientists in US and Europe. We need to have tie up with international space weather prediction program to have clear assessment of the situation. We need to assess the impact this can have on the human life and health.