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!
Nature Remembers You...
Imaginations..Questions..Solutions
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
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...
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...
Thursday, June 24, 2010
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)
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)
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
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
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
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
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.’
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.’
Monday, June 14, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Stinking Cities..Rains bring more...
You must be welcoming rains with delight since the temperature went down during this week. The farmers are happy to get much needed water for their fields, while started to make huge investment in High Yeilding Seeds of various food and commercial crops, pesticides, fertilizers, etc. We in the cities tend to see rains not beyond our doors and windows. What meaning do we have for the rains except personal non-commercial interest? Its the city administration which has to tackle the rain into the drains or underground channels. Whilst, among these we should also know that, rains also brings back the stink emerging from the wastes, human night soil and sludge mixed with all the industrial and domestic lines. Our water bodies are filled with such a nightmerish water and wastes. Can you breath properly in the rains minus these wastes. Cities like, Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, etc in Gujarat and other major metros of the country is stinking these days from the waste being decomposed with a mixure of hot and humid climatic changes. Stinks and humidity leaves most of the part of cities unbearable to venture out during the business hours (9.00 am to 7.00 pm). The rains and stinks would be apart only after 10-15 light showers days helping these wastes to move out of the city and pollute the regional environment. Smoke and hazardous gases rarely go away during the cloudy and humid seasons, it remain present in the lower strata of the atmosphere. This leads to more breathing problems in humans and plathora of dangers to plant and animal species.
Administration can at best clean the drains and leave the heap of waste away from the eyesight of the citizens, but its stink stays in the atmosphere of the city. This results the air we breath laden with heavy odur, bad tastes in mouth and infections in throat. What can be done? The cities would remain like that till we keep badly managing our solid and liquid wastes by treating them secondary to the city issues. Cities are happy to see creation of the infrastructure but are poor in operation and management of the systems.
Even the small town and large village settlements are also not left out from this modern life styles which are becoming 'chemical and plastic guzzling' economies. The outcome this phenomena is in wastes being generated, dumped all over the places and choking of the natural systems. Do we really care about city environment? At least not in the present cities of 21st century India.
Administration can at best clean the drains and leave the heap of waste away from the eyesight of the citizens, but its stink stays in the atmosphere of the city. This results the air we breath laden with heavy odur, bad tastes in mouth and infections in throat. What can be done? The cities would remain like that till we keep badly managing our solid and liquid wastes by treating them secondary to the city issues. Cities are happy to see creation of the infrastructure but are poor in operation and management of the systems.
Even the small town and large village settlements are also not left out from this modern life styles which are becoming 'chemical and plastic guzzling' economies. The outcome this phenomena is in wastes being generated, dumped all over the places and choking of the natural systems. Do we really care about city environment? At least not in the present cities of 21st century India.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Gujarat- Environmental Unconcerns
Come Environment Day June 5, we come to know about the environmental danger rivers in Gujarat faces, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Ahmedabad/Gujarat-is-numero-uno-in-river-pollution/articleshow/6013338.cms,
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Ahmedabad/Most-effluent-plants-in-state-are-totally-ineffective-Study/articleshow/6013340.cms
Serious! Nah the administration and people would soon forget the nature of these rivers and pollution enabling Vibrant Gujarat policies. We are not still on the verge of disasters. We need more 'Money' for the state. May be standing next to China, on the verge becoming industrial giant of India. This how Gujarat speaks these days!!
How to have commercial expoitation of rivers? Sabarmati is best example to make money in Vadodara, Surat, Bharuch etc. Also why have more township along Narmada Canal? We would invite more proposal soon. How to make money from the waste? We welcome all the refuse sellers in World to send us your garbage we bet to trade on these. Gujarat is happy to be emerging giant with little compromises, since people can affors to remain indoors, water is not being polluted in Bottles and Cans. Why bother about agriculture? Better we cultivate in other states and bring food nicely packed from the cold storages (of course our mega corporations are helping us to provide packaged deal).
Gujarat tends to inculcate using plastics (thats because we are highest producer of material) in the life styles of citizens. Harmless plastics does not choke up neck of fellow humans, how to stop poor animals in gulping poor plastics. Lest ! we do not have to produce grasses or save the forest. Yaah! Forests are better not to be utlized for the grasses, rather a township or eco -'logical' tourism can bring in more monetary help to always cash straped state. Wow! do we know how much more we can promote industry by just gulping power, minerals, wood, aerosols etc? We have to consume more inorder to stay ahead from other states. Why not discuss these Environmental Unconcerns with our collegues? Of course if you stop looking down at river you now call 'gutter' Ganga.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Ahmedabad/Most-effluent-plants-in-state-are-totally-ineffective-Study/articleshow/6013340.cms
Serious! Nah the administration and people would soon forget the nature of these rivers and pollution enabling Vibrant Gujarat policies. We are not still on the verge of disasters. We need more 'Money' for the state. May be standing next to China, on the verge becoming industrial giant of India. This how Gujarat speaks these days!!
How to have commercial expoitation of rivers? Sabarmati is best example to make money in Vadodara, Surat, Bharuch etc. Also why have more township along Narmada Canal? We would invite more proposal soon. How to make money from the waste? We welcome all the refuse sellers in World to send us your garbage we bet to trade on these. Gujarat is happy to be emerging giant with little compromises, since people can affors to remain indoors, water is not being polluted in Bottles and Cans. Why bother about agriculture? Better we cultivate in other states and bring food nicely packed from the cold storages (of course our mega corporations are helping us to provide packaged deal).
Gujarat tends to inculcate using plastics (thats because we are highest producer of material) in the life styles of citizens. Harmless plastics does not choke up neck of fellow humans, how to stop poor animals in gulping poor plastics. Lest ! we do not have to produce grasses or save the forest. Yaah! Forests are better not to be utlized for the grasses, rather a township or eco -'logical' tourism can bring in more monetary help to always cash straped state. Wow! do we know how much more we can promote industry by just gulping power, minerals, wood, aerosols etc? We have to consume more inorder to stay ahead from other states. Why not discuss these Environmental Unconcerns with our collegues? Of course if you stop looking down at river you now call 'gutter' Ganga.
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