tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82601719700051951132024-03-13T00:05:08.587-07:00Talkative ShambhuThrough the blog 'talkative-shambhu' an effort has been made to create a platform for dialogue on contemporary issues. I use this blog to engage with my readers and my friends regarding policy issues critical for social and human development. shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-34346265867900321472015-02-04T17:29:00.001-08:002015-02-04T19:04:08.517-08:00Corruption in PDS: Rising or falling?<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A group of economists
have recently opposed the leakage figure of 47% in public
distribution system (PDS) that was earlier endorsed by the <i>Report
of the High level Committee on Reorienting the Role and Restructuring
of Food Corporation of India</i>, written under the chairpersonship
of Shanta Kumar.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The HLC report on FCI
reforms actually had taken the estimate on PDS leakage from an
academic paper written by Ashok Gulati and Shweta Saini, which was
published from Indian Council for Research on International Economic
Relations (ICRIER) in January this year. Dr. Ashok Gulati was also a
member in the HLC on FCI reforms.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In a briefing session for
media persons on 3 February, 2015 held in New Dehi, the group which
challenged the HLC figure informed that leakages and diversion from
PDS stood at nearly 42%. They clarified that methodological
differences is leading to 2 different estimates regarding PDS
leakages. (Please check the chart below).</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<script id="infogram_0_comparison_in_estimated_leakages_in_pds_during_2011_12" src="//e.infogr.am/js/embed.js?ehg" type="text/javascript"></script><br />
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #acacac; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; padding-top: 3px; text-align: center; width: 100%;">
<a href="https://infogr.am/comparison_in_estimated_leakages_in_pds_during_2011_12" style="color: #acacac; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Comparison of estimated leakages in PDS during 2011-12 </a> | <a href="https://infogr.am/" style="color: #acacac; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Create infographics</a></div>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Please note that many
of the states/ UTs for which leakages have been calculated by Gulati
and Saini are not shown in the above chart. </i>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It was earlier seen in a
number of studies that leakages from the PDS reduced over the years.
Thanks to a series of measures undertaken in states like Odisha,
Bihar and Chhattisgarh, PDS could see a turnaround in these states.
For example, PDS leakage in Bihar reduced to 24% in 2011-12 from 91%
in 2004-05 due to introduction of coupon system, while diversions
declined in Chhattisgarh to 3.3% in 2011-12 from 52.0% in 2004-05 as
a result of transparency measures adopted apart from complete
overhauling of PDS.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This indicates that PDS
can be corrected and made to perform, provided there is adequate
political will and enough room for introducing innovative measures.
However, on the sole ground of leakage, the HLC on FCI restructuring
had suggested to replace PDS with cash transfers without going into
further details.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Two economists, namely
Reetika Khera from IIT Delhi and Jean Dreze, Visiting faculty at
Ranchi University, who disagree with the HLC recommendations on PDS
dilution, have alleged that Gulati and Saini miscalculated the
figures on total PDS offtake from FCI and total PDS purchase.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Dreze and Khera have
argued that most of the leakage is in the Above Poverty Line (APL)
quota (apart from the 'ad hoc quotas') into which more and more
foodgrain is presently being dumped. Comparatively, there is much
lower leakages in the below poverty line (BPL) quota.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One calculation by Dreze
and Khera, based on National Sample Survey (NSS) data, shows that
while leakages in the BPL/ Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) quota was to
the tune of 30%, it was nearly double (i.e. 67%) in the case of APL
quota during 2011-12.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Instead of using the NSS
data, if the India Human Development Survey (IHDS) data of National
Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) is considered, then one
can find that leakages from PDS was around 32% in 2011-12, which once
again puts a question mark on the leakage figure quoted by HLC.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Apart from end-to-end
computerization, the Government should ask the states to release the
Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) data so that eligible
households could avail the benefits of PDS, suggested Dreze and Khera.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>References:</b></i></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Report of the High level
Committee on Reorienting the Role and Restructuring of Food
Corporation of India, January 2015,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://fciweb.nic.in/app/webroot/upload/News/Report%20of%20the%20High%20Level%20Committee%20on%20Reorienting%20the%20Role%20and%20Restructuring%20of%20FCI_English_1.pdf">http://fciweb.nic.in/app/webroot/upload/News/Report%20of%20the%20High%20Level%20Committee%20on%20Reorienting%20the%20Role%20and%20Restructuring%20of%20FCI_English_1.pdf</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Leakages from the Public
Distribution System (PDS) and the way forward - Ashok Gulati and
Shweta Saini (2015), ICRIER,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://icrier.org/pdf/Working_Paper_294.pdf">http://icrier.org/pdf/Working_Paper_294.pdf</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The National Food
Security Act 2013</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce//uploaded/NFSA%202013.pdf">http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce//uploaded/NFSA%202013.pdf</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The National Food
Security Ordinance 2013</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce//uploaded/NationalFoodSecurityOrdinance2013.pdf">http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce//uploaded/NationalFoodSecurityOrdinance2013.pdf</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
FCI reforms: prescription
to cure or kill? -Roshan Kishore, Livemint.com, 27 January, 2015,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/fci-reforms-prescription-to-cure-or-kill-roshan-kishore-4675181.html">http://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/fci-reforms-prescription-to-cure-or-kill-roshan-kishore-4675181.html</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Water For The Leeward
India -Jean Dreze and Reetika Khera, Outlook, 24 March, 2014,
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/water-for-the-leeward-india-jean-dreze-and-reetika-khera-24521.html">http://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/water-for-the-leeward-india-jean-dreze-and-reetika-khera-24521.html</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Public Distribution
System Reforms and Consumption in Chhattisgarh -Prasad Krishnamurthy,
Vikram Pathania, and Sharad Tandon, Economic and Political Weekly,
Vol-XLIX, No. 8, February 22, 2014,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/public-distribution-system-reforms-and-consumption-in-chhattisgarh-prasad-krishnamurthy-vikram-pathania-and-sharad-tandon-24265.html">http://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/public-distribution-system-reforms-and-consumption-in-chhattisgarh-prasad-krishnamurthy-vikram-pathania-and-sharad-tandon-24265.html</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Ajay Chhibber, Director
General of the IEO, a former assistant secretary general of the UN
Development Programme, interviewed by Sanjeeb Mukherjee, Business
Standard, 3 February, 2014,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/there-seems-to-be-at-least-40-leakage-in-our-targeted-pds-system-ajay-chhibber-114020200447_1.html">http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/there-seems-to-be-at-least-40-leakage-in-our-targeted-pds-system-ajay-chhibber-114020200447_1.html</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Rural Poverty and the
Public Distribution System-Jean Dreze and Reetika Khera, Economic and
Political Weekly, Vol-XLVIII, No. 45-46, November 16, 2013,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/rural-poverty-and-the-public-distribution-system-jean-dreze-and-reetika-khera-23277.html">http://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/rural-poverty-and-the-public-distribution-system-jean-dreze-and-reetika-khera-23277.html</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Reforming the Public
Distribution System: Lessons from Chhattisgarh by Raghav Puri,
Economic and Political Weekly, February 4, 2012,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.im4change.org/docs/335reforming-the-pds-lessons-from-chhattisgarh.pdf">http://www.im4change.org/docs/335reforming-the-pds-lessons-from-chhattisgarh.pdf</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
PDS leakage drops to
10-15%: govt, The Indian Express, 12 December, 2011,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/pds-leakage-drops-to-10-15-govt-11988.html">http://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/pds-leakage-drops-to-10-15-govt-11988.html</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Revival of the Public
Distribution System -Reetika Khera, Economic and Political Weekly,
November 5, 2011, Vol xlvi, No. 44 & 45,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce/uploaded/Reetika%20PDS.pdf">http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce/uploaded/Reetika%20PDS.pdf</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Trends in diversion of
PDS grain -Reetika Khera (2011), Working Paper No. 198, Centre for
Development Economics, Department of Economics, Delhi School of
Economics,
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.cdedse.org/pdf/work198.pdf">http://www.cdedse.org/pdf/work198.pdf</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">PEEP
survey 2013 and PDS Survey 2011,
</span><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://web.iitd.ac.in/~reetika/projects.html"><span style="font-style: normal;">http://web.iitd.ac.in/~reetika/projects.html</span></a></u></span></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span>
</div>
shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-34507872036348770432015-01-23T01:49:00.001-08:002023-04-27T04:47:24.531-07:00Nutritional Progress in Maharashtra under doubt: latest DLHS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCij_hLwz28hmqmQmrBGjFhQdO9W4ji-_FWGlXGJnr3iY1FG3p5GZkqLKG6LXqGI8h8djNMqxny9qGDp3fVe30sqMtYDoy69wdXPb9mYD1nVAfZN1NKw_-YtPrxNEF7GBwhCD857S0ZLh/s1600/Hunger+Overview+Shambhu+Ghatak.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCij_hLwz28hmqmQmrBGjFhQdO9W4ji-_FWGlXGJnr3iY1FG3p5GZkqLKG6LXqGI8h8djNMqxny9qGDp3fVe30sqMtYDoy69wdXPb9mYD1nVAfZN1NKw_-YtPrxNEF7GBwhCD857S0ZLh/s1600/Hunger+Overview+Shambhu+Ghatak.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The results of the
District Level Household and Facility Survey-4 for the year 2012-13,
commonly known as DLHS-4, are out and it shows that among the 18
states and 3 UTs, the percentage of moderate wasting for children
below 5 years is highest among Maharashtra (i.e. 34.1%). Similarly,
in case of severe wasting and moderate underweight, the situation is
worst in Maharashtra as compared to the rest (Please check the chart
below).
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The above outcomes may be
shocking for those who got pleased with the state's decent
performance in reducing stunting (i.e. too short for age) among
children under 2 years, and expected similar trends for the rest two
measures, namely wasting (i.e. too thin for height) and underweight
(i.e. too thin for age).
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Earlier, the provisional
results of the Comprehensive Nutrition Survey (CNS) in Maharashtra
during 2012, done jointly by the state's Department of Women and
Child Development, International Institute for Population Sciences
(IIPS) and UNICEF, found that the percentage of children under 2
years affected by stunting came down drastically to 22.8% in 2012
(under CNS) from 39.0% in 2005-06 (under NHFS-3).
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Since the publication of
CNS results, a lot many international reports, authored by renowned
economists and health experts, had praised the state for reducing
malnutrition among children, although there were critical reports too
by the media on high malnutrition levels prevailing particularly
among tribal children in parts of Melghat in Amravati, Jawahar and
Mokhada in Thane and urban slums of Mankhurd and Shivajinagar in
Mumbai.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><script id="infogram_0_nutritional-status-of-children-below-5-years-in-dlhs-4-during-2012-13" src="//e.infogr.am/js/embed.js?zmf" type="text/javascript"></script></i><br />
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #acacac; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; padding-top: 3px; text-align: center; width: 100%;">
<i><a href="https://infogr.am/nutritional-status-of-children-below-5-years-in-dlhs-4-during-2012-13" style="color: #acacac; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Nutritional Status of Children below 5 years in DLHS 4 during 2012-13</a> |<a href="https://infogr.am/" style="color: #acacac; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Create infographics</a></i></div>
<i> </i>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Since the DLHS-3 done in
2007-08 (& published in 2010) did not provide information on
malnutrition, DLHS-4 can be straightway compared with NFHS-3 for the
states whose latest nutritional data is available now.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
On doing so, we get that
moderate stunting among children below 5 years in Maharashtra has
reduced from 46.2% in 2005-06 (NFHS-3) to 30% in 2012-13 (DLHS-4)
while severe stunting came down from 19.1% to 14.7% during the same
duration, but prevalence of moderate wasting nearly doubled and
severe wasting quadrupled in the 7 years span for children below 5
years.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><script id="infogram_0_nutritional-status-of-children-below-5-years-in-nfhs-3-during-2005-06" src="//e.infogr.am/js/embed.js?ju9" type="text/javascript"></script></i><br />
<div style="border-top: 1px solid #acacac; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; padding-top: 3px; text-align: center; width: 100%;">
<i><a href="https://infogr.am/nutritional-status-of-children-below-5-years-in-nfhs-3-during-2005-06" style="color: #acacac; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Nutritional Status of Children below 5 years in NFHS 3 during 2005-06</a> |<a href="https://infogr.am/" style="color: #acacac; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Create infographics</a></i></div>
<i> </i>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Although prevalence of
moderate underweight in Maharashtra for children under 5 years
remained almost the same between NFHS-3 and DLHS-4, severe
underweight increased slightly during the same time period.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Performance of
various states under DLHS-4</b></i></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In terms of prevalence of
'moderate wasting' among 18 states and 3 UTs, Maharashtra (34.1%)
performs the worst and Nagaland (10.8%) performs the best. Except for
Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Nagaland and Sikkim, the
prevalence of 'moderate wasting' is higher in rural areas as compared
to urban areas. The rural-urban divide is maximum in Andaman and
Nicobar Islands.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The percentage of 'severe
wasting' is highest in Maharashtra (20.0%) and lowest in Nagaland
(5.2%). The prevalence of 'severe wasting' is higher in rural areas
as compared to urban areas, except for Himachal Pradesh, Kerala,
Nagaland and Sikkim. The rural-urban divide is maximum in Puducherry.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In terms of prevalence of
'moderate stunting', Meghalaya (41.7%) performs the worst and Goa
(18.7%) performs the best. Except for Goa, Himachal Pradesh,
Karnataka, Maharashtra, Puducherry and Telengana, the prevalence of
'moderate stunting' is higher in rural areas as compared to urban
areas. The rural-urban divide is maximum in Tripura.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The percentage of 'severe
stunting' is highest in Meghalaya (23.1%) and lowest in Goa (8.4%).
The prevalence of 'severe stunting' is higher in rural areas as
compared to urban areas, except for Andaman and Nicobar Islands,
Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Karnataka, Punjab, Sikkim and
Telengana. The rural-urban divide is maximum in Meghalaya.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In terms of prevalence of
'moderate underweight', Maharashtra (38.7%) performs the worst and
Kerala (20.9%) performs the best. Except for Karnataka, the
prevalence of 'moderate underweight' is higher in rural areas as
compared to urban areas. The rural-urban divide is maximum in Andaman
and Nicobar Islands.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The percentage of 'severe
underweight' is highest in West Bengal (15.4%) and lowest in Sikkim
(5.4%). The prevalence of 'severe underweight' is higher in rural
areas as compared to urban areas, except for Goa. The rural-urban
divide is maximum in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><br /></i>
<i>(No comparable data between NFHS-3 and DLHS-4 is available for A & N Islands, Chandigarh, Pudducherry and Telengana.)</i> <br />
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>What is there to
learn from Maharashtra on stunting? </b></i>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Although nothing definite
can be said about reduction of malnutrition among children under 5
years between NFHS-3 and DLHS-4, there are certain important lessons
that can be learnt from Maharashtra.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A commentary published in
Economic and Political Weekly entitled: <i>Progress in Reducing Child
Under-Nutrition: Evidence from Maharashtra </i>by Sunny Jose and KS
Hari (2015) informs that nutritional interventions through the
Rajmata Jijau Mother-Child Health and Nutrition Mission, which began
in 2005, played a crucial role in reducing prevalence of stunting
among children below 2 years in Maharashtra. However, the decline in
malnutrition levels was confined largely to children belonging to two
or three age groups and the interventions helped reduce stunting the
most, but not wasting and underweight.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Jose and Hari have
observed that in the 6 years span (between NFHS-3 and CNS), stunting
among children below 2 years belonging to Scheduled Tribe (ST)
households declined by 25.3 percentage point from 52.9% in 2005-06 to
27.6% in 2012. However, stunting among children below 2 years from
Scheduled Caste (SC) and Other Backward Caste (OBC) households
declined much lesser than that among ST children.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A similar trend could be
observed in the case of underweight. However, in the case of wasting,
the decline is highest among children from SC households as compared
to the children from other 2 communities i.e. ST and OBC.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Girls have performed
better than boys (both sexes below 2 years) in terms of decline in
stunting, wasting and underweight between 2005-06 and 2012.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Jose and Hari inform that
the nutrition & health mission of Maharashtra launched a
dedicated programme to bring down child undernutrition through a menu
of interconnected measures, ranging from monitoring the nutritional
status of pregnant women to ICYF practices and vaccination, among
others.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In a note given in the
<i>Global Nutrition Report 2014</i> of IFPRI, Prof. Lawrence Haddad
from IDS Sussex has explained the following key factors that helped
in reducing stunting among children under 2 years in Maharashtra:
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
* Economic growth and
poverty reduction helped in reducing malnutrition in the state.
Maharashtra has a modest track record in transparency, anti-corruption
efforts, and service delivery.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
* Spending on nutrition
doubled from a low level, and vacancies among frontline workers in
the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme dropped
dramatically
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
* The decline in stunting
was broad based and was greater—absolutely and proportionately—for
the least wealthy, the least literate, and those with the worst
access to improved water sources.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
* The determinants that
improved the most between the NFHS-3 and CNS surveys were the age of
mother at first birth, maternal underweight, maternal literacy,
coverage of antenatal visits, delivery in the presence of birth
attendants, child feeding practices, and access to ICDS.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
* Underlying determinants
were reasonably supportive: women’s decision-making status inside
and outside the home was high; the Public Distribution System (PDS),
which distributes subsidized food to poor people, suffered from
slightly less leakage than the all-India average; and female
education rates were high and rising.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
* The state’s Nutrition
Mission was seen as a signal of high-level political commitment to
nutrition improvements and helped coordinate different sectors at
village and policy levels.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Caveat: Data
comparability and Methodology </b></i>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A caution for readers
about DLHS-4 is that the data provided by it on stunting, wasting and
underweight does not take into account data of those (big) states
where malnutrition levels have traditionally been higher (such as
Bihar, Madhya Pradesh etc.), as shown by the last 3 National Family
Health Surveys (NFHS).
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
The DLHS-4 data is based
on a much smaller survey (in terms of sample size) as compared to
DLHS-3. The former has covered the better performing states but left
out 9 such states where most malnourished children of India are
concentrated. However, as pointed above, DLHS-3 did not provide
information on the 3 measures of nutrition.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Both the DLHS and NFHS
surveys have been done in India under the auspices of Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare where IIPS played a key role.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Since the state-wise
malnutrition figures based on the Rapid Survey on Children (RSOC),
conducted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in
partnership with UNICEF India, is not yet available in the public
domain, the publication of the DLHS-4 data providing updated
nutritional trends in a few select states is definitely a welcome
step. (Please see the alert: <a href="http://www.im4change.org/news-alerts/child-malnutrition-declining-though-not-fast-enough-4674611.html" target="_blank">Child Malnutrition declining, though not fast enough</a>).
However, media reports suggest that publication of NFHS-4 would have
done justice to the absence of comprehensive and comparable data
since 2005-06.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>References </b></i>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
District Level Household
and Facility Survey-4 (DLHS-4) in 2012-13,</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="https://nrhm-mis.nic.in/SitePages/DLHS-4.aspx">https://nrhm-mis.nic.in/SitePages/DLHS-4.aspx</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Comprehensive Nutrition
Survey (CNS) in Maharashtra
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.iipsindia.org/pdf/CNSMFACTSHEET%20-%202012.pdf">http://www.iipsindia.org/pdf/CNSMFACTSHEET%20-%202012.pdf</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
National Family Health
Survey-3 (NFHS-3) in 2005-06,</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.rchiips.org/nfhs/report.shtml">http://www.rchiips.org/nfhs/report.shtml</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
District Level Household
and Facility Survey-3 (DLHS-3) in 2012-13,</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.rchiips.org/PRCH-3.html">http://www.rchiips.org/PRCH-3.html</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Child Malnutrition
declining, though not fast enough</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.im4change.org/news-alerts/child-malnutrition-declining-though-not-fast-enough-4674611.html">http://www.im4change.org/news-alerts/child-malnutrition-declining-though-not-fast-enough-4674611.html</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Progress in Reducing
Child Under-Nutrition: Evidence from Maharashtra -Sunny Jose and KS
Hari, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol-L, No. 3, January 17, 2015,</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce//uploaded/Progress_in_Reducing_Child_UnderNutrition.pdf">http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce//uploaded/Progress_in_Reducing_Child_UnderNutrition.pdf</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Panel 2.3:</i> <i>How
did Maharashtra cut child stunting? </i><span style="font-style: normal;">by
Prof. Lawrence Haddad (page no. 13) </span>in Global Nutrition Report
2014: Actions and Accountability to Accelerate the World's Progress
on Nutrition, IFPRI,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce//uploaded/Global%20Nutrition%20Report%202014.pdf">http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce//uploaded/Global%20Nutrition%20Report%202014.pdf</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Beyond the Great Indian
Nutrition Debate-Sonalde Desai and Amit Thorat, Economic and
Political Weekly, Vol-XLVIII, No. 45-46, November 16, 2013,</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce//uploaded/Nutrition.pdf">http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce//uploaded/Nutrition.pdf</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The fuzzy numbers on
child malnutrition, Livemint, 14 October, 2014,</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/the-fuzzy-numbers-on-child-malnutrition-4674213.html">http://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/the-fuzzy-numbers-on-child-malnutrition-4674213.html</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Fewer kids under 2 years
of age malnourished in Maharashtra, but tribal pockets still lag
-Madhavi Rajadhyaksha, The Times of India, 16 November, 2013,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Fewer-kids-under-2-years-of-age-malnourished-in-Maharashtra-but-tribal-pockets-still-lag/articleshow/25857173.cms">http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Fewer-kids-under-2-years-of-age-malnourished-in-Maharashtra-but-tribal-pockets-still-lag/articleshow/25857173.cms</a></u></span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Image Courtesy: Shambhu Ghatak</b></div>
shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-32623293906176719492014-12-09T22:05:00.002-08:002014-12-10T09:02:11.290-08:00Missing girls in 'developed' states<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2vX3bsPWhorMCMeuUhyphenhyphenyJq4zmaf2NHjf8Or8x7sxw-0yhmuj8cVO6wE5tHS_tPNnMUR4xXvukuStHTvnmgI7qMt6tpfYTOF7_0AwTJGjY8k6hk4cIv5ElDMMVAKJp5ZQCmlDYN8qQwVr/s1600/Child+Image+Sex+Ratio.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2vX3bsPWhorMCMeuUhyphenhyphenyJq4zmaf2NHjf8Or8x7sxw-0yhmuj8cVO6wE5tHS_tPNnMUR4xXvukuStHTvnmgI7qMt6tpfYTOF7_0AwTJGjY8k6hk4cIv5ElDMMVAKJp5ZQCmlDYN8qQwVr/s1600/Child+Image+Sex+Ratio.bmp" height="244" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The child sex ratio (CSR)
in India has declined from 927 in 2001 to 918 in 2011 (girls per 1,000
boys) according to a new report entitled <i>Missing Girls: Mapping
the Adverse Child Sex Ratio in India (Census 2011)</i>. Of the total
640 districts in the country, 429 districts have experienced decline
in CSR.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Of these 429 districts,
26 districts exhibited drastic decline (of 50 points or more), and 52
districts reported sharp decline (of 30-49 points).</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The report from the
office of Registrar General & Census Commissioner shows that 13
out of the 35 states and Union Territories (UTs) have CSR lower than
the national average of 918 girls per 1,000 boys in 2011. The CSR
ranged from a maximum of 972 in Arunachal Pradesh to a minimum of 834
in Haryana. Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, NCT of Delhi,
Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Maharashtra have
recorded lower than 900 girls per 1,000 boys.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It has been found that
although the CSR for most of the tribal districts (having more than
25 percent tribal population) was above the national average of 918,
the situation significantly deteriorated in 2011. While in 2001, 120
tribal districts had CSR of 950 or more, in 2011 this figure unfortunately declined
to 90 districts.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Another report titled
<i>Women and Men in India 2014 </i><span style="font-style: normal;">from
MoSPI</span><i> </i>shows that the bottom 5 big states in terms of
CSR (for the age-group 0-6 years) are: Haryana (834), Punjab (846),
Jammu & Kashmir (862), Rajasthan (888), Uttarakhand (890) and
Gujarat (890). The top 5 states in terms of sex ratio for the same
age group are: Arunachal Pradesh (972), Meghalaya (970), Mizoram
(970), Chhattisgarh (969) and Kerala (964).</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Due to the weak
implementation of Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques
(Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 (PCPNDT Act), in-laws often
get to know the sex of the unborn child. Thereafter, it is followed
by provision of low quantity & less nutritious food to pregnant
and lactating mothers (at the place of in-laws) apart from
insufficient attention to maternal health & care, mental and
physical torture etc., all of which have a strong negative bearing on
women's health and survival and also on their children—unborn or
otherwise.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A report published
earlier entitled <i>The Law and Son Preference in India: A Reality
Check </i>by Advocate Kirti Singh (November, 2013) informs that the
two-child norm and the laws and measures to effectuate this norm has
resulted in son preference and daughter aversion as most people, if
they are forced to have a small family, automatically prefer sons to
daughters.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Concerned over the skewed
sex ratio, Minister for Women and Child Development Smt. Maneka
Gandhi has recently expressed that a programme for Beti Bachao Beti
Padhao (Save and Educate the Girl Child) may soon be started in North
and western states of India.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Latest available Census
data clearly shows that some of India's more developed states have
low overall sex ratio such as Haryana (879), Punjab (895), Uttar
Pradesh (912) and Gujarat (919), indicating that growth may not
automatically improve gender equality.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
On the contrary, the top
5 states in terms of overall sex ratio are: Kerala (1084), Tamil Nadu
(996), Andhra Pradesh (993), Chhattisgarh (991) and Meghalaya (989) –
some among which are harbingers of human development and female
literacy.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sex ratio is often used
as an indicator by social scientists to depict the level of gender
discrimination existing in a society. Although women are considered
to be biologically stronger than men in terms of survival and life
expectancy, gender discrimination often cuts short the life span of
the unborn/born female child in a patriarchal set up.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Overall sex ratio,
however, may not give a true picture of gender discrimination because
due to migration one may find that more women are left behind in the
rural areas vis-a-vis men, thereby, yielding high sex ratio figures.
Corollary to this, when more men flock to cities and towns for
livelihood, it results in low sex ratio in the urban areas.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Overall Sex Ratio -
Rural, Urban and Combined (1951-2011)</b></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<iframe frameborder="no" height="300" scrolling="no" src="https://www.google.com/fusiontables/embedviz?containerId=googft-gviz-canvas&viz=GVIZ&t=LINE_AGGREGATE&isXyPlot=true&bsize=0.0&q=select+col0%2C+col1%2C+col2%2C+col3+from+11cu69O7BtgGkyv8eaaeVd4LcVOFOmsPTKHLDLxq1&qrs=+where+col0+%3E%3D+&qre=+and+col0+%3C%3D+&qe=+order+by+col0+asc&uiversion=2&rstart=1951%2F1%2F21+4%3A45%3A20&rend=2011%2F1%2F11+2%3A22%3A40&gco_forceIFrame=true&gco_hasLabelsColumn=true&width=500&height=300" width="500"></iframe></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As per the Census 2011
data, sex ratio in urban areas is 929 females per 1000 males while in
rural areas it is 949 females per 1000 males <i>(see the graph
above)</i>. Between 1951 and 2011, sex ratio has declined by -0.32
percent to reach 943 females per 1000 males.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Instead of relying on the
overall sex ratio, experts prefer sex ratio in the age-group 0-6
years so as to assess gender discrimination resulting in female
foeticide & infanticide. Also, the latter rules out to a great
extent the effect of migration (as discussed earlier). Low child sex
ratio (for the age-group 0-6 years) is an outcome of female
foeticide, which takes place because sons are preferred to daughters
for various reasons including to carry forward the lineage.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Effective advocacy and
policy implementations can take place only when good quality data and
acceptable gender-based indicators are available. However, one may
encounter a variety of problems that are associated with
indicator-based study of poverty amongst women such as choice of an
appropriate indicator, lack of correlation between various gender
based indicators, problems with the sources of data (such as
reliability), unavailability of data and qualitative versus
quantitative data. Therefore, one should be careful in choosing sex
ratio over other gender-based indicators to show gender
discrimination.</div>
</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
<i><b>References:</b></i></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Missing Girls: Mapping the Adverse Child Sex Ratio
in India (Census 2011)</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/missing.pdf">http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/missing.pdf</a>
</div>
<br />
Women and Men in India
2014, 16th Edition,</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://mospi.nic.in/Mospi_New/upload/man_and_women/Women_Men_In_India_2014.htm">http://mospi.nic.in/Mospi_New/upload/man_and_women/Women_Men_In_India_2014.htm</a>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Chapter 1: 'Population'</i>
in Women and Men in India 2014, 16th Edition</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce//uploaded/Chapter%201.pdf">http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce//uploaded/Chapter%201.pdf</a>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"The Law and Son
Preference in India: A Reality Check" by Advocate Kirti Singh,
United Nations, November, 2013,</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce//uploaded/Laws_and_Son_Preference_in_India.pdf">http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce//uploaded/Laws_and_Son_Preference_in_India.pdf</a>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Maneka Gandhi Releases
‘The State of the Girl Child’ Report “Pathways to Power”</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://planindia.org/about-plan/media-centre/news/maneka-gandhi-releases-plan-india%20the-state-of-the-girl-child">http://planindia.org/about-plan/media-centre/news/maneka-gandhi-releases-plan-india%20the-state-of-the-girl-child</a>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
More girls go ‘missing’;
sex ratio declines -Smriti Kak Ramachandran, The Hindu, 30 November,
2014,</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/more-girls-go-missing-sex-ratio-declines/article6649019.ece">http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/more-girls-go-missing-sex-ratio-declines/article6649019.ece</a><br />
<br />
<b><i>Image courtesy: </i></b><i>Missing Girls: Mapping the Adverse Child Sex Ratio
in India (Census 2011)</i></div>
shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-30879498284857168042014-10-08T11:48:00.001-07:002014-11-04T02:31:32.487-08:00Eminent citizens oppose Govt.'s plan to dilute MGNREGA*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-qr8SAXiSIQOZB3GspYme6g4LY75-EmlBZtiZOinreSEtB2SmLlL6emY92lL3nItWVDPGYo_hzK9h92osyuHyJnj6QHgbLyXVJAFoVke3Ls09rxs9iwFaIpoTlVdc-InGs4-KCxS0fFJ/s1600/Photo0980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-qr8SAXiSIQOZB3GspYme6g4LY75-EmlBZtiZOinreSEtB2SmLlL6emY92lL3nItWVDPGYo_hzK9h92osyuHyJnj6QHgbLyXVJAFoVke3Ls09rxs9iwFaIpoTlVdc-InGs4-KCxS0fFJ/s1600/Photo0980.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
People's Action for
Employment Guarantee called a press conference at Indian Women's
Press Corps (New Delhi) on 8 October, 2014 to oppose the dilution of
Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Act. Addressing the conference, social activist
Nikhil Dey informed that prior to the 16<sup>th</sup> Lok Sabha
election, BJP and other major political parties promised to improve
the implementation of MGNREGA. However instead of doing so, after the
election the NDA Government tried to roll back the job guaranty
programme in 3 different ways—a. Budget allocation for the
programme has been squeezed despite MGNREGA being demand-based; b.
The Government is changing the nature of programme from labour
intensive to material intensive; and c. The Act is being converted
into a scheme by restricting its implementation in one-third of the
blocks in India that are considered as backward.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Nikhil Dey argued that
the law cannot be abrogated by the Executive. It is illegal to make
changes in the schedule of MGNREGA. The Parliament too cannot be
allowed to make amendments in the MGNREGA since the NDA Government at
the Centre did not get the mandate to make changes in it when it was
voted to power. A recent RTI reveals that due to proposed change in
the labour to material ratio, officials at the Ministry of Rural
Development apprehend that <i>“5 crore households will be adversely
affected by this decision”</i> that goes against the spirit of the
Act.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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In order to keep the
expenditure on MGNREGA <i>(as a proportion GDP)</i> the same as it
was in 2007-08, the Government should spend nearly Rs. 60,000 crore
to Rs. 65,000 crore annually at present. Dey said that the motive
behind changing the labour to material ratio is to allow the entry of
contractors. However, the move will also discriminate against
villages where unemployment and poverty is high. The marginalized and
the primitive tribals will die due to hunger and starvation in the
absence of this programme.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Nikhil Dey said that MPs
from across the political spectrum will be approached to oppose the
dilution of MGNREGA. People shall be mobilised against the changes
proposed in MGNREGA.
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuyoqfaVHWj2u72qnXlKiJQHlowrtk7RfSXVCoQx2s1GVICZnAxZKdOtuYVJRK7jkgW318yV2dYgleqYPibaq696krJRkAtJmS3VaZcENDYcmX-nNgHUxC1F6IwJP0H18gXQwYqhbfhrk8/s1600/Photo0984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuyoqfaVHWj2u72qnXlKiJQHlowrtk7RfSXVCoQx2s1GVICZnAxZKdOtuYVJRK7jkgW318yV2dYgleqYPibaq696krJRkAtJmS3VaZcENDYcmX-nNgHUxC1F6IwJP0H18gXQwYqhbfhrk8/s1600/Photo0984.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Former member of the
National Advisory Council and RTI activist Aruna Roy alleged that the
Government is in denial. She said that not all schemes are getting
closed down due to the presence of corruption. However, MGNREGA has
been systematically targeted since its inception. A letter to the
Prime Minister of India opposing the dilution of the Act has been
signed by more than 200 eminent citizens. A recent RTI reveals that
the Union Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari has ordered to
make amendment in the schedule for changing the labour to material
ratio from the existing 60:40 to 51:49. This will usher in Contractor
Raj, which was so far restricted to the real estate sector,
anticipated Roy. Despite MGNREGA being demand driven, there has been
rationing of funds. By restricting the Act to 1/3<sup>rd</sup> of the
blocks, the Govt. is trying to convert the MGNREGA into a scheme. She
argued that poverty cannot be defined geographically. Even in rich
cities and locations, there exists poverty and unemployment. A lot
many myths have been created to tarnish the Act. It is purely a myth
that assets have not been created under the MGNREGA.
</div>
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Aruna Roy argued that
both unemployment and underemployment can be solved via MGNREGA.
MGNREGA provided employment to women, SCs and STs. Water bodies could
be conserved due to the Act, which helped farming in villages.
Financial inclusion of women has happened under the programme since
bank accounts could be opened in their names. Almost two-third of the
MGNREGA work is related to agriculture.
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZ42X-WfLxAcqWwK0PeXwZ7X-mq7_2AsndMK5stEvYIdVc3-Bk7vwlEssV_UWHLsa1G9NTiN8KM7S1D1_baYefAbjlrRFBfGnwZfE3mhIR5WgsBw_VQRs_j-tJDT1iYT-5i48LdVUr_D7/s1600/Photo0985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZ42X-WfLxAcqWwK0PeXwZ7X-mq7_2AsndMK5stEvYIdVc3-Bk7vwlEssV_UWHLsa1G9NTiN8KM7S1D1_baYefAbjlrRFBfGnwZfE3mhIR5WgsBw_VQRs_j-tJDT1iYT-5i48LdVUr_D7/s1600/Photo0985.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Retired professor of JNU
Prabhat Patnaik informed that prior to the MGNREGA, India had
food-for-work programme. However, the MGNREGA is different from the
former since it is demand driven and also a rights-based programme.
One is supposed to receive unemployment compensation if demand for
employment is not met. The primary aim of the MGNREGA is to provide
employment and not asset creation. Currently the Act is under danger
from the Executive. If an amendment is made in the schedule of
MGNREGA to change the labour to material ratio, then it will no
longer remain a rights-based programme. The recent statement by the
Rajasthan Chief Minister to convert the MGNREGA into a food-for-work
programme indicates the Act is on the verge of being diluted.
</div>
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The wages provided to the
labourers employed under the MGNREGA generated demand in the village
economy via the 'multiplier-effect'. It increased purchasing power of
the rural masses during global financial crisis, argued Patnaik.
Ideally Rs. 60,000 crore to Rs. 65,000 crore should be allocated
annually under the MGNREGA to keep the real allocation constant in
the face of inflation. However, presently the programme gets an
allocation, which is nearly half of it.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Prof. Patnaik clarified
that it is not due to fund crunch that funding to the MGNREGA has
been squeezed. The Government has given huge tax concessions to the
corporate rich in successive budgets. The Government has enormous
amount of foodgrain stock, which is being exported. There is
unutilized capacity in the industry. All these indicate that India is
a demand constrained economy and, therefore, MGNREGA should not be
rolled back.
</div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Government is
presently pressuring the people to reduce demand for employment under
the MGNREGA by altogether changing the Act. Commenting on restricting
the MGNREGA to 1/3<sup>rd</sup> of the blocks, Patnaik argued that
poor in rich localities cannot be discriminated against poor in backward
localities.
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhh3T00is_1-LTrlHSGiouVGMH-ps6_pR5MiyRe1-5iRceS9PCokKDoNOFu-QZ1Ypt0zbIozoALyI55kpeMm9xpLStL7WeADo2-IFZui3HfJLUqxN9ArHFYxgqIzEetxHiFhu9is393-J/s1600/Photo0986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhh3T00is_1-LTrlHSGiouVGMH-ps6_pR5MiyRe1-5iRceS9PCokKDoNOFu-QZ1Ypt0zbIozoALyI55kpeMm9xpLStL7WeADo2-IFZui3HfJLUqxN9ArHFYxgqIzEetxHiFhu9is393-J/s1600/Photo0986.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Former Planning Commission
member and JNU Professor Abhijit Sen said that he is concerned about
the recent developments for a number of reasons—a. MGNREGA is an
Act and not a scheme. It is a right which is guaranteed by the Act.
Therefore, changes should be made in the legislation first, and the
Executive has no right to change it; b. The <a href="http://eindia2007.blogspot.in/2011/02/report-rational-minimum-wage-policy-for.html" target="_blank">MGNREGA</a> has faced stiff
opposition even during the UPA-2. In many villages, farmers opposed
MGNREGA. Wages given to labourers under the MGNREGA strengthened
their bargaining power vis-a-vis the landowners and farmers. MGNREGA
has changed the political fabric in the rural areas. Therefore, being
a political issue, the Executive has no right to change it; c. The
MGNREGA has been underestimated. Those who are against it say that it
has increased the cost of production. Some of it is exaggeration. For
example, it is the growing construction sector in Bihar that absorbed
labourers in that state, and not the MGNREGA, due to which
agriculture in Punjab suffered.
</div>
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Abhijit Sen informed that
there used to be a number of employment schemes running in the
country prior to the MGNREGA. Expenditure on the Jawahar Rozgar
Yojana (JRY) as a proportion of GDP prior to 2004 had been higher as
compared to the expenditure made on the MGNREGA (as % of GDP). Many
of the sample surveys done earlier did not show significant increase
in employment under the JRY. However, NSS surveys surely indicate
rise in employment under MGNREGA. Employment generation has been the
main objective of the MGNREGA and not asset creation. However, there
is evidence that more assets are being created under the programme
lately. At the time when Prof. Sen left Planning Commission, the
preliminary findings of the programme evaluation of asset creation
under MGNREGA revealed more assets are being created under the Act.
He said that amendments to the MGNREGA is a political matter and,
therefore, it cannot be left to the Executive.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Abhijit Sen clarified
that the proposed changes in the schedule of <a href="http://talkative-shambhu.blogspot.in/2011/10/proposed-changes-in-nrega-why-do-i.html" target="_blank">MGNREGA</a> is different
from the changes in guidelines that was recommended by Dr. Mihir Shah
of Planning Commission earlier. He said that MGNREGA 2.0 involved an
open and transparent consultation process. It gave more powers to the
panchayats in opting the type of work required in their respective
villages.
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNve8u0LQCX2ix-jv-SNmxCXdElIEt0dq3N8BUCcdT1cgP2Gzh41qUrEAP3E6y9CIEZJ49sqcoYRDaA9YUo3qullhuL3_VURmtvpFshuuZTJ0eit2zgotGR8nMCDUMOYYWY2OPTukB4UL_/s1600/Photo0989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNve8u0LQCX2ix-jv-SNmxCXdElIEt0dq3N8BUCcdT1cgP2Gzh41qUrEAP3E6y9CIEZJ49sqcoYRDaA9YUo3qullhuL3_VURmtvpFshuuZTJ0eit2zgotGR8nMCDUMOYYWY2OPTukB4UL_/s1600/Photo0989.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Noted lawyer and
Additional Solicitor General of India Indira Jaising informed that
various senior bureaucrats have agreed that the MGNREGA contributed
to the welfare of the poor. Corruption cases in MGNREGA in states of
Bihar and Odisha have taken matters to the court. There is clarity in
the Act on what proportion of funds should come from the Centre and
the state/s. It is widely documented that the MGNREGA enforces the
Directive Principles of State Policy embodied in article 39 and 41.
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLHp51MjjNRLse0LX6y-ds3OSQnXJnFG2EupfAK6lMk4sh3GN3WwIAFg-f4_qlW0rEhU3ApdCQD3mGGf5j7O3lEq61K3Wk4igZlIjshnZZOKXuSGA_To-5Kr47jvwn_QV4w31kv84Ipj2/s1600/Photo0991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLHp51MjjNRLse0LX6y-ds3OSQnXJnFG2EupfAK6lMk4sh3GN3WwIAFg-f4_qlW0rEhU3ApdCQD3mGGf5j7O3lEq61K3Wk4igZlIjshnZZOKXuSGA_To-5Kr47jvwn_QV4w31kv84Ipj2/s1600/Photo0991.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Norati Devi, sarpanch of
Harmada panchayat in Ajmer district of Rajasthan said that the
MGNREGA provided livelihood security. The programme improved drinking
water facility in her village apart from ensuring food security. She
demanded that MGNREGA should not be rolled back since many people
will become unemployed and fall into poverty in the absence of this
Act.
</div>
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</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>For more information,
please check the links below:</i></div>
<i>
</i>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Government rolling back
rural job scheme, say activists, IANS, The Business Standard, 8
October, 2014,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/government-rolling-back-rural-job-scheme-say-activists-114100800982_1.html">http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/government-rolling-back-rural-job-scheme-say-activists-114100800982_1.html</a></u></span></span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Do not dilute MGNREGA,
eminent citizens ask government, Business Standard, 8 October, 2014,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/do-not-dilute-mgnrega-eminent-citizens-ask-government-114100800832_1.html">http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/do-not-dilute-mgnrega-eminent-citizens-ask-government-114100800832_1.html</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Human rights groups
criticise govt, PTI/ Business Standard, 8 October, 2014,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/human-rights-groups-criticise-govt-114100800901_1.html">http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/human-rights-groups-criticise-govt-114100800901_1.html</a></u></span></span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Proposed changes to rural
job scheme will hit 5 cr households, say activists, The Hindu
Business Line, 8 October, 2014,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/proposed-changes-to-rural-job-scheme-will-hit-5-cr-households-say-activists/article6482199.ece">http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/proposed-changes-to-rural-job-scheme-will-hit-5-cr-households-say-activists/article6482199.ece</a></u></span></span></div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY" class="sdfootnote" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<i><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">* While
utmost care has been taken in good faith to summarize the main
speakers’ views, these may not be exact quotes. Please check with
the speakers for verbatim quotes.</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Advance apologies for any factual error.</span></span></span></span></span></b></i></div>
</div>
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</div>
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</div>
shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-14558104407848075992014-05-14T09:49:00.000-07:002014-05-15T08:45:22.563-07:00Rising inequality can hurt peace and justice, says UNDP report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIPBC9IRdQQuoCR9YuDq1JTdAHcnc8dQzfZUbhzZ06un1z2rDKSYkEdMSVhXDr7zp2Fi0aEQjcNgXdRqIpra-aaP66FT594EV-zhQaJpIBalVFl60RVxEXcox-4RAuCCpkx379szxpx5e/s1600/UNDP+report+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIPBC9IRdQQuoCR9YuDq1JTdAHcnc8dQzfZUbhzZ06un1z2rDKSYkEdMSVhXDr7zp2Fi0aEQjcNgXdRqIpra-aaP66FT594EV-zhQaJpIBalVFl60RVxEXcox-4RAuCCpkx379szxpx5e/s1600/UNDP+report+image.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Just when the entire
world has started clamouring about the new book on inequality by
French economist Thomas Piketty, it becomes essential to mention a
UNDP report on the same subject that was released in early 2014.
Entitled: <i>Humanity divided: Confronting inequality in Developing
Countries</i>, the UNDP report claims that the richest one percent
of the world population owns about 40 percent of the world's assets,
while the bottom half owns no more than one percent. It warns that
inequality could shake the foundations of development, and social and domestic peace. Among other things, the social
impacts of inequality include unemployment, violence, crime,
humiliation, and deterioration of human capital and social exclusion,
informs the report. (Please see the links below).</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The report has stated
that in populous countries like India and China, household income
inequality is rising. The Gini index of primary income distribution
in India rose from 33.0 in early 1990s to 35.7 in late 2000s.
Similarly, Gini index of secondary income distribution rose from 31.4
in early 1990s to 34.0 in late 2000s*. (Please see the table 1 below
for details).</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGunhZQ4bkaO4ePAH-2DlYb5amEP5VjpYiXwx4sXP-MsikS_rc1GE_H7F72YW9pOMHd-Sljfpr0SalDw1NCdeGPuFkvDjM21YGuuzHzfdVeenrU8HhsQmfc0J3JIR3gK5aXbJriS5Utg_/s1600/Inequality+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGunhZQ4bkaO4ePAH-2DlYb5amEP5VjpYiXwx4sXP-MsikS_rc1GE_H7F72YW9pOMHd-Sljfpr0SalDw1NCdeGPuFkvDjM21YGuuzHzfdVeenrU8HhsQmfc0J3JIR3gK5aXbJriS5Utg_/s1600/Inequality+table.jpg" height="111" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Using the data provided
by Abhijit Banerjee and Thomas Piketty (2010) in a study, the UNDP
report tells that the richest 1 percent's income share witnessed a
rise between 1990 and 1999 in India <i>(see box 3.2, page 86 of the
original report)</i>.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The role of Indian
government in promoting “faster, sustainable and more inclusive
growth” relying on decent employment during the 12<sup>th</sup>
Five Year Plan has been stated in the report. It is said that India
has started experimenting with small and medium enterprise (SMEs)
financing through central bank mechanisms along with special public
funds to stimulate and guarantee bank loans linked to their business
plans. Since land reforms are problematic, the report emphasizes on
improved access to infrastructure, including physical and social
infrastructure so as to improve agricultural productivity. The report
observes the positive impacts of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) such as increasing rural wages,
reducing distress migration, improving infrastructure, reducing
unemployment and underemployment, encouraging agricultural
productivity and reducing malnutrition.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Discussing the merits and
demerits associated with various types of subsidies, the report says
that total expense on food subsidies in India constituted US$12.4
billion, or 1 percent of the GDP as compared to 3 percent directed to
education in 2009 (Jha et al., 2011). On gender equality, the report
informs that the reform of inheritance laws in India, which granted
women the right to inherit or own land or capital property through
amendments to the Hindu Succession Act, increased women’s land
inheritance, but also improved their control over economic resources
in the household and their intra-household bargaining power. Quotas
as part of affirmative action policies to promote the employment of
scheduled castes and tribes in the public sector is also discussed in
the report.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
According to the UNDP
report, a significant majority of households in developing countries
– more than three-quarter of entire humanity – are living today
in societies where income is more unequally distributed than it was
in the 1990s. Although redistribution remains crucial to reducing
inequality, the report calls for a shift towards a more inclusive
pattern of growth, one that raises the incomes of poor and low-income
households faster than average in order to sustainably reduce
inequality, key to the post-2015 development agenda.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The report has identified
the main drivers of inequality, namely—a. Inadequately regulated
financial integration and trade liberalization processes, whose
benefits have been distributed very unequally across and within
countries; b. Domestic policy choices, such as interventions that
weakened labour market institutions or resulted in a downsizing of
public investments in critical sectors like health, education and
social protection; c. Various economic, social and cultural barriers
hindering the political participation of various segments of the
population; and d. Discriminatory attitudes and policies that are
marginalizing people on the basis of gender or other cultural
constructs such as ethnicity or religious affiliation drive many
intergroup inequalities.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Incidentally, the world
owes a lot to the managing director of the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde who conjured up everyone's interest on
inequality. While delivering the Richard Dimbleby Lecture in London
on 3<sup>rd</sup> February this year, she paid special attention to
inequality as a leading cause for global instability. (Please see the
link of her lecture below).
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The key messages of the
UNDP report entitled: <i>Humanity divided: Confronting inequality in
Developing Countries</i> (January, 2014) are as follows:</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
On average—and
taking into account population size—income inequality increased by
11 percent in developing countries between 1990 and 2010.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A significant
majority of households in developing countries—more than 75
percent of the population—are living today in societies where
income is more unequally distributed than it was in the 1990s.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Evidence shows that,
beyond a certain threshold, inequality harms growth and poverty
reduction, the quality of relations in the public and political
spheres of life and individuals’ sense of fulfilment and
self-worth.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There is nothing
inevitable about growing income inequality; several countries
managed to contain or reduce income inequality while achieving
strong growth performance.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Evidence shows that
greater income inequality between households is systematically
associated with greater inequality in non-income outcomes.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Inequality cannot be
effectively confronted unless the inextricable links between
inequality of outcomes and inequality of opportunities are taken
into account.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In a global survey
conducted in preparation for this report, policy makers from around
the world acknowledged that inequality in their countries is
generally high and potentially a threat to long-term social and
economic development.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Redistribution
remains very important to inequality reduction; however, a shift is
needed towards more inclusive growth patterns in order to
sustainably reduce inequality.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Reducing inequality
requires addressing inequality-reproducing cultural norms and
strengthening the political agency of disadvantaged groups.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Evidence from
developing countries shows that children in the lowest wealth
quintile are still up to three times more likely to die before their
fifth birthday than children in the richest quintiles.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Social protection
has been significantly extended globally, yet persons with
disabilities are up to five times more likely than average to incur
catastrophic health expenditures.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Despite overall
declines in maternal mortality in the majority of developing
countries, women in rural areas are still up to three times more
likely to die while giving birth than women living in urban centers.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Besides improving
the progressivity of taxes, it is important to expand the tax base
in developing countries as a way to mobilize additional resources.
</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Note: </b></i>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
* The analysis of the
trends in income inequality has been focused on the distribution of
income between households in an economy. One can interpret household
income distribution in three ways (van der Hoeven, 2011):</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
a. Primary income
distribution: the distribution of household incomes consisting of the
(sometimes cumulated) different factor incomes in each household
before taxes and subsidies as determined by markets and market
institutions</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
b. Secondary income
distribution: the distribution of household incomes after deduction
of taxes and inclusion of transfer payments (i.e., as determined by
fiscal policies)</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
c. Tertiary income
distribution: the distribution of household incomes when imputed
benefits from public expenditure are added to household income after
taxes and subsidies. This interpretation of household income is
particularly relevant for developing, emerging and developed
countries, as different government services are often provided for
free or below market prices.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
** Distribution of income
across households or individuals in an economy is usually measured
using the Gini Index of inequality, which varies between zero and
100, with zero reflecting complete equality and 100 indicating
absolute inequality.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>References</b></i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Humanity divided: Confronting
inequality in Developing Countries (January, 2014), UNDP</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/Poverty%20Reduction/Inclusive%20development/Humanity%20Divided/HumanityDivided_Full-Report.pdf">http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/Poverty%20Reduction/Inclusive%20development/Humanity%20Divided/HumanityDivided_Full-Report.pdf</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/poverty-reduction/humanity-divided--confronting-inequality-in-developing-countries.html">http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/poverty-reduction/humanity-divided--confronting-inequality-in-developing-countries.html</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/Poverty%20Reduction/Inclusive%20development/Humanity%20Divided/HumanityDivided_overview.pdf">http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/Poverty%20Reduction/Inclusive%20development/Humanity%20Divided/HumanityDivided_overview.pdf</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Warning of 'humanity divided,' UN urges
job creation, inclusive growth strategies, The United Nations, 29
January, 2014,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=47039&Cr=inequality&Cr1#.U2wzC9xdHVI">http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=47039&Cr=inequality&Cr1#.U2wzC9xdHVI</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Capital in the 21st century -Thomas
Piketty, <span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://piketty.pse.ens.fr/en/capital21c2">http://piketty.pse.ens.fr/en/capital21c2</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Banerjee, A. and T. Piketty (2010).
“Top Indian Incomes 1922-2000”, in Atkinson, A. B. and T. Piketty
(eds), Top Incomes: A Global Perspective, Oxford University Press,
chapter 1,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://global.oup.com/academic/product/top-incomes-9780199286898;jsessionid=C8BCCC3A901A212BDC55B5EAD4FFF2CF?cc=in&lang=en&">http://global.oup.com/academic/product/top-incomes-9780199286898;jsessionid=C8BCCC3A901A212BDC55B5EAD4FFF2CF?cc=in&lang=en&</a></u></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Jha, R., R. Gaiha, M. K.
Pandey and N. Kaicker (2011). “Food Subsidy, Income Transfer and
the Poor: A Comparative Analysis of the Public Distribution System in
India’s States”, ASARC Working Paper 2011/16. Canberra: Australia
South Asia Research Centre.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A New Multilateralism for the 21st
Century: the Richard Dimbleby Lecture By Christine Lagarde, Managing
Director, International Monetary Fund, London, February 3, 2014,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="https://www.imf.org/external/np/speeches/2014/020314.htm">https://www.imf.org/external/np/speeches/2014/020314.htm</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Why We’re in a New Gilded Age-Paul
Krugman, The New York Times, 8 May, 2014,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2014/may/08/thomas-piketty-new-gilded-age/">http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2014/may/08/thomas-piketty-new-gilded-age/</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Taxation of Wealth-Prabhat Patnaik,
People's Democracy, Vol. XXXVIII, No. 18, May 04, 2014 ,
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://peoplesdemocracy.in/2014/0504_pd/taxation-wealth">http://peoplesdemocracy.in/2014/0504_pd/taxation-wealth</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The 1 Percent’s Problem by Joseph
Stiglitz, May 31, 2012, Vanity Fair,
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2012/05/joseph-stiglitz-the-price-on-inequality">http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2012/05/joseph-stiglitz-the-price-on-inequality</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
RURAL URBAN GAP SHRINKS BUT INEQUALITY
RISES
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.im4change.org/news-alerts/rural-urban-gap-shrinks-but-inequality-rises-16499.html">http://www.im4change.org/news-alerts/rural-urban-gap-shrinks-but-inequality-rises-16499.html</a></u></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
RURAL URBAN DIVIDE: A TALE OF TWO
INDIAS
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.im4change.org/news-alerts/rural-urban-divide-a-tale-of-two-indias-15424.html">http://www.im4change.org/news-alerts/rural-urban-divide-a-tale-of-two-indias-15424.html</a></u></span></span>
</div>
shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-32495395363671029532014-03-13T02:02:00.001-07:002014-03-13T12:06:55.135-07:00People’s perception about Delhi’s public transport<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFq_1cJ6-wyUJJnvLYUfsg_gUyzxQ2Bz6CsAEX0sI6jRlj801F6Z_2l_G3IPesvP85uA_DSsKo3jkG3IKliOADCJq8dXuRB-3ws1nwFj6M5aivT9xfWbdny8VacgObuIva_o1L2QSwhUm/s1600/Women.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFq_1cJ6-wyUJJnvLYUfsg_gUyzxQ2Bz6CsAEX0sI6jRlj801F6Z_2l_G3IPesvP85uA_DSsKo3jkG3IKliOADCJq8dXuRB-3ws1nwFj6M5aivT9xfWbdny8VacgObuIva_o1L2QSwhUm/s1600/Women.JPG" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I live in a country
where leaders and elderly men believe that eating of chowmein prompt young men
to rape our sisters and daughters. In a nation whose female labour force
participation rate has been falling over the last ten years, women do not feel safe
while traveling to their workplaces even in a city like Delhi. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The gruesome gang rape
of Nirbhaya inside a bus in Delhi on 16 December, 2012 has brought the public
transport system under microscope. The results of a perception survey done for
Delhi Human Development Report 2013 reveals that only a small fraction of the
respondents (both male and female) thought that public transport was very
secure (0.4 percent) or secure (12.5 per cent) for women. Focus Group
Discussions (FGDs) finds that respondents felt women were the least secure
while using public transport and most safe in spaces closer to their homes. Female
respondents felt that buses were the worst type of public transport in terms of
safety since they were harassed by both the young and old, illiterate and
educated men. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Perceptions about the
safety of public transport for women decreased with increasing education
levels. The illiterate and the less educated respondents perceived public
transport to be safer than those who were educated up to the graduate level and
above.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The male respondents
disliked the relatively long time taken by buses to travel from one destination
to another, while the female respondents cited the indecent behaviour of bus
drivers, conductors and co-passengers as their reasons for disliking the same.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">While men, in
general, were appreciative of the transport system in Delhi as a whole, women
specifically appreciated the Metro service. Women, on the whole, reported
disliking the transport system in Delhi, possibly due to issues of safety and
overcrowding, among other reasons. Women claimed that the separate women’s
compartment in the Metro was a welcome feature.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Overcrowding,
non-availability of direct Metro facilities to various locations, lack of
toilets at all the metro stations and expensive fares were reasons whereby the
Metro seemed to fall short of people’s expectations. The perception survey
finds that the percentage of people using the Metro is still the least among
the lowest income groups and increases as one ascends the economic ladder,
which is in contrast to DTC buses, for which the usage falls as one climbs up
the economic ladder.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Two fifths of
respondents felt road conditions are below average in the city of Delhi while a
little over a third felt the same to be above average.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A recent survey of
3,400 Delhi women by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry reveals that 43
percent of them are looking for a job out of Delhi. This is because of Delhi's
unsafe environment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br clear="all" style="page-break-before: always;" />
</span></i></b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">References</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Government of Delhi
(2013): Delhi Human Development Report 2013,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.im4change.org/docs/522Delhi-Human-Development-Report-2013.pdf">http://www.im4change.org/docs/522Delhi-Human-Development-Report-2013.pdf</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">43% of migrant women
want to quit Delhi: Study -Smriti Singh, The Times of India, 13 March, 2014, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/43-of-migrant-women-want-to-quit-delhi-study-smriti-singh-24497.html">http://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/43-of-migrant-women-want-to-quit-delhi-study-smriti-singh-24497.html</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Image Courtesy:
Millennium Development Goals: India Country Report 2014, MoSPI,</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.im4change.org/docs/242mdg_2014.pdf">http://www.im4change.org/docs/242mdg_2014.pdf</a>
</span>shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-65903066641858082172013-12-12T00:35:00.000-08:002013-12-12T23:38:28.781-08:00Discriminatory Indian laws promote gender inequality<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKiGwmNc7N2VwBmis5cU-kv9FcXFchkyQMiRgUTQ-K3RdPl50wv3JUCxaSphky5JKYOaNihIYno4dioNAaLzKDyLANb5i-G_d-70QZBPxmZ2GanLdE1tHE0HJYEidSkbq1MWNyuOX2JL2j/s1600/Gender+and+Law.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKiGwmNc7N2VwBmis5cU-kv9FcXFchkyQMiRgUTQ-K3RdPl50wv3JUCxaSphky5JKYOaNihIYno4dioNAaLzKDyLANb5i-G_d-70QZBPxmZ2GanLdE1tHE0HJYEidSkbq1MWNyuOX2JL2j/s320/Gender+and+Law.JPG" width="245" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">During the month of
November when a young journalist was allegedly sexually assaulted by the editor
of a magazine where she worked (at Thinkfest in Goa), a report on gender prejudice of Indian laws was launched by the United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA) in New Delhi. Written from a gender perspective by senior advocate
Kirti Singh, the report entitled 'The Law and Son Preference in India: A
Reality Check' claims that most Indian laws be it prevention of dowry law, anti
sexual assault law or inheritance law, actually go against the interests of
women. Some Indian laws instead of curtailing actually perpetuate gender
discrimination in the society. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The UNFPA report has reviewed
through gender lens laws relating to women including dowry, inheritance, child
marriage, sex-selection and sexual assault so as to assess the inherent flaws
in them and how they promote gender injustice. It finds that the laws
themselves, and their interpretation, non-implementation or absence, may directly
or indirectly propagate son preference in the society. Laws such as the Goa Law
on Polygamy that permits a second marriage for the husband when there is no son
from the first marriage, actually promote gender injustice and son preference. As
a result of the prevailing gender discrimination in India, child sex ratio,
defined as number of girls for every 1000 boys in the 0-6 age group, has
worsened over the decades.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">While in some cases
laws that promote gender equality are not effectively implemented (such as the
PCPNDT Act* and Dowry Prohibition Act) by either the central or state
governments, laws are missing in critical areas like honour crimes and marital
property rights. A separate law on honour killings is essential to ensure that <i>khap
panchayats</i> and families victimizing couples are brought to book. Since
there is absence of community of property law in India between a husband and a
wife and the non-financial and financial contributions of a woman to a
household are not recognized, a standalone comprehensive legislation in this
area should be urgently enacted, recommends the present report. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Throwing light on the
Sexual Harassment Of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal)
Act, 2013 that came into force in April 2013, the report is critical about a
section in the Act, which penalizes ‘malicious’ complaints (made by victim woman
to the Internal Complaints Committee or the Local Complaints Committee) and
complaints, which the complainant knows are false. As per the anti sexual
harassment law, if the complaints made are false then the Internal Complaints
Committee or the Local Complaints Committee can recommend to the employer that
action be taken against the woman ‘in accordance with... service rules’ or ‘in
such manner as may be prescribed’. But the present UNFPA report opines that this
goes against the Vishaka judgement, which clearly states that no action should
be taken against a woman for making a complaint.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As per the amended
rape law, the report clarifies that if a woman remains passive, this alone will
not imply consent to the sexual intercourse in question. Marital rape is still not recognised in the law and only sexual assault of girls below the age of 15 years within marriage is considered a crime under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">* Pre-conception and
Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994
(PCPNDT Act)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">References: </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Law and Son
Preference in India: A Reality Check -Advocate Kirti Singh, United Nations,
November, 2013</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce/uploaded/Laws_and_Son_Preference_in_India.pdf">http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce//uploaded/Laws_and_Son_Preference_in_India.pdf</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">New Report Reviews
Key Laws on Women and Girls and Their Impact on Son Preference In India, 18
November, 2013,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.unfpa.org/public/home/news/pid/15748">http://www.unfpa.org/public/home/news/pid/15748</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The <a href="http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce//uploaded/The%20Sexual%20Harassment%20of%20Women%20at%20Workplace%20Act-2013.pdf" target="_blank">Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act</a>-2013</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The <a href="http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce//uploaded/The%20Sexual%20Harassment%20of%20Women%20at%20Workplace%20%28Prevention,%20Prohibition%20and%20Redressal%29%20Rules,%202013.pdf" target="_blank">Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace</a> (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Rules, 2013</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Some Indian laws
reinforce gender inequality, UN study finds -Nita Bhalla, Live Mint, 14
November, 2013, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/some-indian-laws-reinforce-gender-inequality-un-study-finds-nita-bhalla-23347.html">http://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/some-indian-laws-reinforce-gender-inequality-un-study-finds-nita-bhalla-23347.html</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Study cites Goan law
to show tilt to sons-Ananya Sengupta, The Telegraph, 15 November, 2013</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.telegraphindia.com/1131116/jsp/nation/story_17575819.jsp#.Uop59ifUg0Z">http://www.telegraphindia.com/1131116/jsp/nation/story_17575819.jsp#.Uop59ifUg0Z</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Separate law against
honour killings sought, The Times of India, 15 November, 2013, <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-11-15/india/44113026_1_honour-killings-separate-law-strong-law">http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-11-15/india/44113026_1_honour-killings-separate-law-strong-law</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Law often ineffective
against gender discrimination: Study, IANS, 14 November, 2013, <a href="http://in.news.yahoo.com/law-often-ineffective-against-gender-discrimination-study-144205811.html">http://in.news.yahoo.com/law-often-ineffective-against-gender-discrimination-study-144205811.html</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It's not only about
Tehelka -Kalpana Sharma, The Hoot, 22 November, 2013, <a href="http://www.thehoot.org/web/It-s-not-only-about-Tehelka/7159-1-1-10-true.html">http://www.thehoot.org/web/It-s-not-only-about-Tehelka/7159-1-1-10-true.html</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Limits of Female
Agency -Aardra Surendran, Vikalp, December, 2013, <a href="http://www.vikalp.ind.in/2013/12/the-limits-of-female-agency-aardra.html">http://www.vikalp.ind.in/2013/12/the-limits-of-female-agency-aardra.html</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">UNFPA report reviews
laws on women, impact on son preference, The Business Standard, 14 November,
2013, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/unfpa-report-reviews-laws-on-women-impact-on-son-preference-113111401353_1.html">http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/unfpa-report-reviews-laws-on-women-impact-on-son-preference-113111401353_1.html</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Two-thirds of women
journalists face intimidation, abuse: Survey-Aarti Dhar, The Hindu, 4 December,
2013, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/two-thirds-of-women-journalists-face-intimidation-abuse-survey-aarti-dhar-23533.html">http://www.im4change.org/latest-news-updates/two-thirds-of-women-journalists-face-intimidation-abuse-survey-aarti-dhar-23533.html</a>
</span></div>
shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-62195710873812673152013-11-01T01:05:00.001-07:002014-05-15T19:59:26.889-07:00A roadside story<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKacmQVssLVlNf2A0wZP0f3ahJ44BVtLvItxuwg0yNf5HfnprlUpFATE0No8gdSrNa5exgFhHftJEsQu4sjP4-Wc3ZioppUW_O90koCf8Hs2w9_9D-JiYaYuhEjgV-rAn6nM4o-H5Ej_0S/s1600/bicycle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKacmQVssLVlNf2A0wZP0f3ahJ44BVtLvItxuwg0yNf5HfnprlUpFATE0No8gdSrNa5exgFhHftJEsQu4sjP4-Wc3ZioppUW_O90koCf8Hs2w9_9D-JiYaYuhEjgV-rAn6nM4o-H5Ej_0S/s320/bicycle.JPG" height="206" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Way back in
1993, my father bought me a bicycle when I passed the Class X Board exams. It
was a gift that I long cherished. Despite initial resistance from my mother, I
and my Mathematics tutor could convince that biking in Salt Lake (a township in
Kolkata) attracted no danger. In those days there were a few cars seen running
on roads. However, empty roads rarely titillated the drivers to gear up for top
speed. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Had the year
been 2013, my father would never have dared to buy me a bicycle. The reason is
simple: A ban on cycling on most streets of Kolkata by the present West Bengal
Government. Due to the enormity in rash driving, my mother would not have
allowed me the pleasure of ‘magic carpet ride’ either.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Innocence gave
way to intelligence in my quest for knowledge as I grew up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learnt that bicycle is an election symbol
of a political party with whom the Trinamool Congress (TMC) once wanted to work
hand-in-glove that did not materialize ultimately. In 2012, the Samajwadi Party
(SP) did a U-turn and supported UPA’s candidate Pranab Mukherjee in the
presidential elections, thereby leaving the TMC leadership furious. From this incident, some of us
may conclude that it could have triggered the TMC-led Government to put a ban
on cycling. But the official stance is: Cycling slows down the traffic in
Kolkata. And therefore, the ban on wheeling on approximately three dozen
streets in 2008 under the Left Front’s rule was further extended to 174 roads
under TMC (as reported by The Guardian dated 29 October, 2013).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">During my stay
in Delhi for more than a decade I could realize that more and more cars are
adding up to the traffic every day, thus, polluting the air we inhale. A plain way
of measuring this is to put one’s index finger inside the nostrils and pull out
the dirt and mucus after coming back from office. I know that some of you may
dislike my terrible idea. But believe it or not: the number of registered cars
and jeeps in Delhi jumped by 59.8 percent from 14.67 lakhs in 2005-06 to 23.4
lakhs in 2011-12. However, the number of registered buses (including ambulance
& other passenger vehicles) in Delhi rose by 47.2 percent from 43500 in
2005-06 to 64033 in 2011-12.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My guess is people
are now shifting from hatchbacks to diesel guzzling sports utility vehicles
(SUVs), multi utility vehicles (MUVs) and light utility vehicles (LUVs). If ever
you go to South Delhi and Gurgaon, foreign brands are a common sight. Often
carrying not more than two passengers at a time, I could reason out why these
vehicles are responsible for our high import bills. Such high-end vehicles are
low in efficiency in terms of per capita fuel consumption as compared to a bus
or an auto, I always felt. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In Delhi, I find
that cycles are used by members of cycling clubs and the laboring masses. Unlike
those who live on the fringes of the economy, a handful among the well-to-do
sections including the politicians pedal for health reasons. Most city
dwellers prefer a motorized vehicle than a bicycle. In the National Capital
Territory (NCT) of Delhi, the percentage of households having scooter, motor
cycle and moped (i.e. 38.9 percent) exceeded the percentage of households
having bicycle (i.e. 30.6 percent), as per the Census 2011. Nearly, 20.7
percent of households have car, jeep and van. Underlying these figures is the
revelation that residents of Delhi prefer motorized to non-motorized vehicles
not just because they are richer than people of other states but because they are
afraid to pedal on roads. They are afraid of being mowed down by raging SUVs.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">References:</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kolkata cycle
ban puts squeeze on health and livelihoods at risk -Annie Gowen, The Guardian,
29 October, 2013,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/29/kolkata-india-cycling-ban-outcry">http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/29/kolkata-india-cycling-ban-outcry</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Delhi
Statistical Handbook 2013,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.im4change.org/docs/209Delhi-Statistical-Handbook-2013.pdf">http://www.im4change.org/docs/209Delhi-Statistical-Handbook-2013.pdf</a>
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Image
Courtesy: <a href="http://29ermountainbikereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/bicycle-clip-artblack-bicycle-silhouette---free-clip-art-oyxhd09e.png">http://29ermountainbikereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/bicycle-clip-artblack-bicycle-silhouette---free-clip-art-oyxhd09e.png</a>
</span></b></div>
shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-16141002236729580472013-08-17T03:38:00.001-07:002018-08-25T00:44:30.561-07:00Epilogue to a man-made disaster<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifULegUnTD486y_PaDGBfIWguXIEBYvKEuO7zuMRfvHQZlqSyiQEqw8P9dQGMRpI4NmhQUm_AJtBbFb7Vdd-l2pXJbhC88gKFgy8yhyphenhyphen_pLhWBhGRjJ8niw5ABAQsio3ZC8bxXbt2kVE7z5/s1600/Uttarakhand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifULegUnTD486y_PaDGBfIWguXIEBYvKEuO7zuMRfvHQZlqSyiQEqw8P9dQGMRpI4NmhQUm_AJtBbFb7Vdd-l2pXJbhC88gKFgy8yhyphenhyphen_pLhWBhGRjJ8niw5ABAQsio3ZC8bxXbt2kVE7z5/s320/Uttarakhand.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What I really missed
in those heart wrenching media reports on the disaster that struck Uttarakhand
in June this year, caused by flash floods and human negligence, was a single,
sane voice that could have yelled: "And all those things were happening
under the garb of religion and God, and perhaps politics". Cremating the
corpses to avoid epidemic became the concern of the majority after a few days and
I, being a minority, am still thinking what all led to this disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When I see the
economy of Uttarakhand, I find that so many businesses flourished around God
and love and fear of God—tourism, hotel industry to name a few. Even the <i>thali</i>
or the <i>prasad</i> presented before God is part of that business. The
priests, the pandas and the guides who take you to the house of the Omnipotent, are all 'Godly' creatures serving the economy. Being a ‘money order’ economy,
Uttarakhand could not create enough opportunities to absorb its workforce. Influx
of tourists is a good sign as long as it oiled the local economy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And then was
unleashed before everyone, in dry, printed words filled with caution and rationality,
the warnings made by the CAG report (Report No. 5 of 2013) on India's disaster (un)preparedness.
Although the report, released in April, 2013, said little about God, it
presented us with hard facts on what all was happening in the name of
development. The state of Uttarakhand did not have a disaster management plan
prepared. The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) was stuck in the
quagmire of inaction. It never met once since it was created. The 2009 CAG
audit report of hydropower projects in Uttarakhand indicated that environmental
protection was the last thing that came to the minds of our planners and
engineers. The fragile ecology of Uttarakhand got more vulnerable due to
excessive construction of hydropower dams, deforestation and of course, development.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ramchandra Guha in
his well intentioned piece titled <i>"When expedience trumps
expertise"</i> (published in The Hindu, dated 11 July, 2013) informs that
the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was devoid of experts and
scientists. Most of its members were ex-bureaucrats. Guha has tried to bell the
cat but can the government wake up in the aftermath of this tragedy? So far enough
of crocodile tears have been shed without walking the talk.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Raising concerns
about environment and ecology is a serious no-no amidst growth-oriented
bureaucrats. What makes me bite my nails is that early warnings of heavy rains
and landslides made by the Meteorological department fell on deaf ears of the
state's administration. After I came to know later that somebody was toying
with the lives of victims, my faith on governance capabilities of our esteemed
bureaucracy has dwindled down a lot. After all, who is going to jump from the
mountain cliff if s/he is informed of the consequences? In the age of
information and communication, the state's bureaucracy could not take adequate steps to rein
in the people from getting near the well of death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">People who mix religion
with politics went to Uttarakhand to shower their sympathies for the victims.
They tried to garner support as a part of strengthening their base. That added
spice to the news that was daily being broadcasted by the media. Every time there is a
bomb blast that kills pilgrims and devastate innocent victims psychologically,
the political class takes advantage by reaching the affected site and consoling
the victims. They never even bother to know how their VIP presence creates trouble for the probing authorities. My question to them is: Couldn't you have taken prior steps? I also question myself: Are we guys so dumb that we elect such
people who could get us killed anytime, anywhere?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">References:</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When expedience
trumps expertise-Ramachandra Guha, The Hindu, 11 July, 2013, <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/when-expedience-trumps-expertise/article4902463.ece?homepage=true">http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/when-expedience-trumps-expertise/article4902463.ece?homepage=true</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Dams and disasters in
the Himalayas -Anirudh Burman, Live Mint, 9 July, 2013, <a href="http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/tVqPyY4BOllrOMAWDqbRZN/Dams-and-disasters-in-Himalayas.html">http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/tVqPyY4BOllrOMAWDqbRZN/Dams-and-disasters-in-Himalayas.html</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CAG had warned last
year about Uttarakhand crisis in making-Himanshu Upadhyaya, Governance Now, 27
June, 2013, <a href="http://www.governancenow.com/news/regular-story/cag-had-warned-last-year-about-uttarakhand-crisis-making">http://www.governancenow.com/news/regular-story/cag-had-warned-last-year-about-uttarakhand-crisis-making</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Watershed moment
-Himanshu Upadhyaya, Timescrest.com, 29 June, 2013, <a href="http://www.timescrest.com/coverstory/watershed-moment-10601">http://www.timescrest.com/coverstory/watershed-moment-10601</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Uttarakhand disaster
plan doesn't exist, CAG warned in April -Subodh Varma, The Times of India, 21
June, 2013, <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Uttarakhand-disaster-plan-doesnt-exist-CAG-warned-in-April/articleshow/20690268.cms">http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Uttarakhand-disaster-plan-doesnt-exist-CAG-warned-in-April/articleshow/20690268.cms</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CAG had warned three
years ago about damage to hills -Pradeep Thakur, The Times of India, 20 June,
2013, <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/CAG-had-warned-three-years-ago-about-damage-to-hills/articleshow/20674521.cms">http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/CAG-had-warned-three-years-ago-about-damage-to-hills/articleshow/20674521.cms</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Blame game continues
over Uttarakhand forecast, The Hindu, 30 June, 2013, <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/blame-game-continues-over-uttarakhand-forecast/article4866103.ece?homepage=true">http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/blame-game-continues-over-uttarakhand-forecast/article4866103.ece?homepage=true</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Report no.-5 of
2013-Union Government (Ministry of Home Affairs) - Report of the Comptroller
and Auditor General of India on performance Audit of Disaster Preparedness in
India,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://saiindia.gov.in/english/home/Our_Products/Audit_Report/Government_Wise/union_audit/recent_reports/union_performance/2013/Civil/Report_5/Report_5.html">http://saiindia.gov.in/english/home/Our_Products/Audit_Report/Government_Wise/union_audit/recent_reports/union_performance/2013/Civil/Report_5/Report_5.html</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Performance Audit
Report of Hydropower Development through Private Sector Participation,
Uttarakhand for the Year 2008-2009,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.cag.gov.in/html/cag_reports/uttranchal/rep_2009/pa_cont.htm">http://www.cag.gov.in/html/cag_reports/uttranchal/rep_2009/pa_cont.htm</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Image Courtesy: Wikimedia.org, <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2b/Kumaon_Garhwal.jpg" title="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2b/Kumaon_Garhwal.jpg">http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2b/Kumaon_Garhwal.jpg</a></b> </span></div>
shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-5759256196105493972013-08-06T02:57:00.001-07:002014-01-06T23:37:26.713-08:00A reason to die for<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzKBm13sNUB_RFxDn50xvXL0uGU25Z8DC9qh9O90wXpL1CNnT6r9Irtpc4ownUmfsjILRlCD5gT-IN7xMElI66tyabVMeQIhCJ2KJLVsASZouw76eAXJ4jwbPhxZEjo6OeMUHqbZP3glo/s1600/ADSI+2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzKBm13sNUB_RFxDn50xvXL0uGU25Z8DC9qh9O90wXpL1CNnT6r9Irtpc4ownUmfsjILRlCD5gT-IN7xMElI66tyabVMeQIhCJ2KJLVsASZouw76eAXJ4jwbPhxZEjo6OeMUHqbZP3glo/s320/ADSI+2012.JPG" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Accidental Deaths
and Suicides in India 2012 (ADSI 2012), produced by the National Crime Records
Bureau (NCRB), provides 22 different causes behind suicides. Family problems
(25.6%) and illness (20.8%) accounted for 46.4% of total suicides in India
during 2012. Insanity/ mental illness accounted for 6.4 percent of total
suicide deaths. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The country witnessed
69 suicides per day due to illness, 11 suicides per day owing to love affairs,
6 suicides per day due to poverty, 6 suicides per day due to failure in
examination, 5 suicides per day owing to unemployment and 5 suicides per day
due to dowry dispute.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Most number of
suicides caused by family problems in 2012 were reported from the states of
Maharashtra (6496), Tamil Nadu (4842), Kerala (3743) and Karnataka (2782). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Most number of
suicides caused by illness (insanity) were reported from Kerala (1182), Andhra
Pradesh (1162), Maharashtra (1096) and Gujarat (713).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Suicides caused by
poverty were mostly reported from Andhra Pradesh (1096), Karnataka (364),
Maharashtra (245) and Assam (219).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the industrialized
states of Maharashtra (258) and Gujarat (224), suicides caused by unemployment
were the highest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: yellow; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-highlight: yellow;">It must be noted that the state of West Bengal did not divulge
any information for the classification of suicides by different causes for the
year 2012. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Out of the 23398
number of suicide deaths among young males (15-29 years of age) in 2012, most were
caused by family problems (23.3%), other causes (18%), causes not known
(16.4%), illness (15.2%), love affairs (6.4%), failure in examination (4.2%),
drug abuse/ addiction (4.2%), unemployment (3.1%) and poverty (2%).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Out of the 18395
number of suicide deaths among young females (15-29 years of age) in 2012, most
were motivated by family problems (27.8%), illness (15.7%), other causes
(14.1%), causes not known (12.4%), love affairs (7.6%), dowry dispute (7.5%)
and failure in examination (5%). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">References: </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Accidental Deaths and
Suicides in India 2012, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://ncrb.gov.in/">http://ncrb.gov.in/</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-85153601305708795292013-02-15T23:48:00.001-08:002013-02-17T21:13:01.691-08:00Hunger and Nutrition: Time to Act*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7C8emDNb9vBN3cqOMmdswnLP6RiNBu-usB2U36kbWwwj9EOtSE9_IxyDTSbWpPMjAlxn0StayYoXvZs-LPYbdQjkllrJXOrxZNoK2calLjb3g1GaIyFuxUj4_CHRGmQcGZ2bLNjA2hz7m/s1600/IIT+seminar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7C8emDNb9vBN3cqOMmdswnLP6RiNBu-usB2U36kbWwwj9EOtSE9_IxyDTSbWpPMjAlxn0StayYoXvZs-LPYbdQjkllrJXOrxZNoK2calLjb3g1GaIyFuxUj4_CHRGmQcGZ2bLNjA2hz7m/s320/IIT+seminar.JPG" width="218" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On 15 February, 2013, Dogra Hall of IIT
Delhi was brimming with an enthusiastic crowd, comprising mostly young students
and teachers, to listen to India’s foremost thinker on hunger and malnutrition—Prof.
Amartya Sen. A panel discussion entitled <i>Hunger and Nutrition: Time to Act</i>
was organized there by Department of Humanities and Social Sciences (IIT-D). </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4U7IuSrQS5mPcFFVsgST3z0_7-tzFhjqIqwe94cox6AKQ9zn5YeYbtMcKG3bsyqCSV1gxlsGj6xjguH7HpxckfiVMkZu-FQLkr20ixOMaNDlZL6TDqoDK1LUjbiV2ZNslsQ21OrbOODJT/s1600/DSC02001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4U7IuSrQS5mPcFFVsgST3z0_7-tzFhjqIqwe94cox6AKQ9zn5YeYbtMcKG3bsyqCSV1gxlsGj6xjguH7HpxckfiVMkZu-FQLkr20ixOMaNDlZL6TDqoDK1LUjbiV2ZNslsQ21OrbOODJT/s320/DSC02001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In her introduction, Dr.
Reetika Khera (IIT Delhi) informed that the Government is thinking of enacting
the National Food Security legislation. Life cycle approach to food security
has been considered under the new bill. (Nutrition during childhood and
adolescence influence a woman’s pre-conceptional nutritional status, which
subsequently influences the outcome of pregnancy and the health of her child).
Initially, in-kind transfers like PDS, MDMS and ICDS were considered under the
National Food Security Bill (NFSB) (Please check: <i><a href="http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce/uploaded/Standing%20Committee%20Report%20on%20NFSB.pdf" target="_blank">Standing Committee Report on National Food Security Bill, 2011, Twenty Seventh Report</a></i> (January, 2013),
Fifteenth Lok Sabha). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now
under the same bill there is provision for cash transfers. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Reetika explained
that the PDS is known for two reasons nowadays—a. It is corrupt and leaky; and
b. PDS suffers from inclusion and exclusion errors. However, PDS coverage is
less than what is required. In a survey of 9 states done during 2011, it was
found that in Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the PDS has been
functioning well. PDS revival could be seen in Himachal Pradesh and Odisha. PDS
leakages in Chhattisgarh have been brought down from 50 percent to 10 percent. (For
more on this, please check: <a href="http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce/uploaded/Reetika%20PDS.pdf" target="_blank"><i>Revival of the Public Distribution System: Evidence and Explanations</i></a> -Reetika Khera (November, 2011), Economic and
Political Weekly, Vol. XLVI, No. 44 & 45, Nov 5).
She said that the Standing Committee on NFSB has recommended provisioning of only
5kg of foodgrains per person, which is about half of what is required on an
average in a month according to the ICMR norms. She asked that it needs to be
seen whether individual entitlements are better than household entitlements.
Reetika asked whether the principle of monthly entitlements of 5kg of foodgrains
per person to only 67 per cent of the population (75 per cent in rural areas
and 50 per cent in urban areas) be followed uniformly across all the states and
UTs irrespective of their urban-rural population compositions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Shyama Singh
(grassroots worker at NREGA Sahayata Kendra, Jharkhand) informed that 90
percent population in her state is poor. Out of 12 months in a year,
beneficiaries are not provided ration in 4 months. There exists low
purchase-to-entitlement ratio. Gram Sabha meetings are now regularly held to
monitor the working of NREGS and PDS. A lot of struggle took place in the past
for transparency in the NREGS due to which Lalit Mehta (2008) and Niyamat
Ansari (2010) lost their lives. These two social workers lost their lives since
they tried to expose corruption in the job scheme. Muster rolls are now
regularly presented before the Gram Sabha. There was a time when mates were
employed on behalf of contractors. But they have now been replaced following the
Panchayati Raj elections. Maintaining attendance sheet in NREGS work is a
crucial task for mates. Mates are now selected by the people and not from
contractors’ side. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Shyama Singh said
that wells are now being constructed in Palamu and Latehar districts, which are
benefitting the small farmers and irrigation. Due to dearth of technical
expertise, wells collapsed at many places earlier. But that problem has been
overcome. .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Shyama was positive
about the Right to Food legislation. In Jharkhand, people want ration instead
of cash transfers. This is because: a. Banking infrastructure is poor; b. Banks
are remotely situated; c. Poor people often have to stand in long queues to
avail banking services; and d. Cash transfer has not been linked to rate of
inflation. She suggested that godowns for storing foodgrains should be brought
under the ambit of panchayats. There should be social auditing of local PDS and
ICDS by an independent agency.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JK9u_HwVNXCKAqn1JYXX-BPXvFecqE9TO2rGEaDqgndoD3qI-ZM8p9f_443Y5L64vV3BFImiDk99IeXNrkxkiSmj_7Ib7u6CiXHkrrNKbgaaJvH3O3srdMUJ85VaIYmo_iW50oxufNLJ/s1600/DSC02022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JK9u_HwVNXCKAqn1JYXX-BPXvFecqE9TO2rGEaDqgndoD3qI-ZM8p9f_443Y5L64vV3BFImiDk99IeXNrkxkiSmj_7Ib7u6CiXHkrrNKbgaaJvH3O3srdMUJ85VaIYmo_iW50oxufNLJ/s320/DSC02022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Referring to the NFSB,
Shantha Sinha (Chairperson National Commission for the Protection of Child
Rights) said that the Parliamentary Standing Committee has diluted the bill by replacing
children's entitlement with an additional allocation of 5 kg of food grains per
month for pregnant women under the PDS. In India, 46 percent of children are
malnourished. Nearly 48 percent of Indian children are stunted. Slums of Delhi
and Mumbai show the pathetic situation of children. Children die due to
malnutrition and hunger. At many places migrant labourers have asked for
anganwadi centres and access to food under the ICDS. People want their children
to be healthy. It is a welcome step that the Standing Committee on NFSB has
suggested that MDMS will be extended to children aged 16 years. The Supreme
Court orders on Right to Food and the states that followed those orders led to
the growth of anganwadi centres in the country. (<a href="http://www.talkative-shambhu.blogspot.in/2012/07/standing-on-threshold-food-justice-in.html" target="_blank">ICDS is implemented through 12.41 lakh centres known as anganwadi centres (AWCs), each located in a habitation of 400-800 population</a>).
The NFSB has, however, bypassed the ICDS and anganwadi centres. The Standing
Committee has also suggested restricting maternity benefits to the first two
children to ensure population stabilization. By denying food to children,
family planning measure is pushed through. The Committee is silent on support
for breastfeeding. Shantha Sinha emphasized that a legal framework on Right to
Food is a commitment from the State. A vibrant and inclusive NFSB will deepen
democracy. As opposed to Montek S Ahluwalia she said that ICDS is functioning
well and exclusive breastfeeding is practiced everywhere. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(For a critique of
Standing Committee’s recommendations on the NFSB, please go to: <i><a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/why-the-parliament-should-reject-the-standing-committees-recommendations-on-the-food-security-bill-rtfc-19099.html" target="_blank">Why the Parliament should reject the standing committee’s recommendations on the Food Security Bill: RTFC</a></i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Montek S Ahluwalia
(Deputy Chairperson, Planning Commission) said that some of the things as facts
should be accepted. But given that the data on malnutrition dates back to
2005-06 (<a href="http://www.im4change.org/docs/200India%20NFHS%203.pdf" target="_blank">NFHS-3</a>), he estimated malnutrition prevalence in the country to be
one-third of India’s child population rather than 46 percent as stated by
Shantha Sinha. (Please check my blog post: <i><a href="http://www.talkative-shambhu.blogspot.in/2012/10/indias-nutrition-and-hunger-data-is-too.html" target="_blank">India’s nutrition and hunger data is too old</a></i>).
Government policies have been sensitized to the issue of malnutrition. The rate
of decline in malnutrition has been slower than the rate of decline in poverty,
he said. Civil society has helped in taking up the issue of malnutrition. The criticism
of the Supreme Court is valid. However, universalization without quality (U
without Q) will not work. The ICDS is not working well may be because it is
under-funded, under-manned or maybe there are other factors. There is a need to
resolve the issue that how ICDS is affecting malnutrition. But inadequacy of
data is a problem. He said that there are too many low birth weight children
taking birth in India. Early marriage (due to social prejudice) when female
body is not prepared to give birth is the main reason behind low birth weight. (Nearly
47 percent Indian girls get married before age 18). Exclusive breast feeding
should be done in the first 6 months but a statute cannot guarantee this. In
many Indian families, early breast feeding is not considered clean. Instead of
ICDS, IEC-<i>information, education and communication</i> promoting good child
rearing is essential. Unfortunately exclusive breastfeeding is not practiced in
India. [Percentage of children receiving exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6
months of life is 46 percent (as per latest available data during 2006-2010)]. Poor
people emulate things, which are not healthy practices. Since most damage is
done to a child during the first 3 years since its birth, the ICDS should
concentrate on children below 3 years instead of children between 3 years and 6
years. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyLt_bYelOhVN0cNzlsNpqUvApSlg8MOXJTYepy3To0G9QjFp8_G6TS43qhES8Cq6fPXvnh7sCe1WPnaXf5vA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Montek S Ahluwalia informed
that immunization rate in India is worse than that in Bangladesh and China. [Vaccine
coverage in the case of DTP3 (third dose of diphtheria and tetanus toxoid and
pertussis vaccine) is 72 percent and in the case of measles is 74 percent in
2011]. Conditional cash transfer for child immunization could be suggested. He said
that family income has a role in ensuring food security. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Montek S Ahluwalia
said that the Government is committed to provide foodgrains to 67 percent of
its population in India. Institutional arrangement for the supply of foodgrains
require: a. Centre to transfer foodgrains to the states; and b. Centre to
transfer subsidy to the states. States vary in efficiency with which they run
PDS. Naming and shaming the poor performing states through monitoring and
evaluation is difficult due to the political nature of PDS. Fiscal deficit
issue should not be raised in the case of NFSB and an additional allocation of
Rs. 20000-Rs. 30000 crore can be made. (Presently India spends Rs. 70000 crore on food subsidy). Subsidies on diesel, which is presently
at Rs. 91000 crore has to be done away with. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbeOEIcTrEpvKVn2B5EqxF62m7GegatPfe43dJD6jnICk7KyHHKfwMlxk0hOuF1r8cci7hLOJa6M8SYY2vkTIvY9GwI3dlMbAGvKGrkY5mB_H9wCCsLPbOVH43RnW_taA0Q3g0qJKY-Li/s1600/Amartya.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbeOEIcTrEpvKVn2B5EqxF62m7GegatPfe43dJD6jnICk7KyHHKfwMlxk0hOuF1r8cci7hLOJa6M8SYY2vkTIvY9GwI3dlMbAGvKGrkY5mB_H9wCCsLPbOVH43RnW_taA0Q3g0qJKY-Li/s320/Amartya.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Amartya Sen (Professor
of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University) said that those who oppose custom
duties on gold imports or taxes on fuel are organized but children are
unorganized. One needs to see whether the political parties are taking up the
right issues. Political parties should be sympathetic to issues of food
security and nutrition. He said that the extent of healthcare and nutrition
policies in India is appalling in India. Although India’s economic growth is
quite close to that of China, India has comparatively higher proportion of
malnourished children. India (<a href="http://www.talkative-shambhu.blogspot.in/2012/04/india-is-less-poor-but-more-unequal.html" target="_blank">Gini coefficient of 0.37</a>) is less unequal than
China (<a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/business/news/2013/02/20132651526148265.html?utm_content=automate&utm_campaign=Trial6&utm_source=NewSocialFlow&utm_term=plustweets&utm_medium=MasterAccount" target="_blank">Gini coefficient 0.474</a>) [A Gini of zero denotes absolute equality, while
a value of 1 (or 100 on the percentile scale) means absolute inequality]. One
third of Indian families don’t have electricity connections. (<a href="http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/hlo/hlo_highlights.html" target="_blank">Census 2011</a>
finds that for 67.2 percent of Indian households the chief source of lighting
is electricity). Half the Indian families don’t have any toilet. (<a href="http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/hlo/hlo_highlights.html" target="_blank">Census 2011</a> finds that for 53.1 percent of Indian households there is no latrine
within the premises). In China, the corresponding figure for no latrine is only
1 percent and in Bangladesh it is only 6 percent. On the basis of nature of
inequality in India, the nature of development can be determined. The
development model adopted by the country has not gone well beyond a certain extent. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Amartya Sen informed
that the Asian growth model pioneered by Japan after the Meiji restoration in
the 19th century and that was followed by South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and
finally China emphasized on enhancing human capabilities. All these countries
placed immense faith on education and health. A multi-party system is also
essential for freedom of expression. Apart from liberty what is important are
equality and basic capabilities. Public reasoning has been considered important
by John Stuart Mill.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Amartya Sen said that
there is need for courage and reasoning and then the need to integrate the two.
He said that it is difficult to assess what is affecting malnutrition. But on
the basis of evidence, there is a need to see what modifications can be made in
the NFSB. Reason instead of passion should be used to decide whether cash or in-kind
transfer should be made. Food in kind has a greater impact on malnutrition
reduction rather than cash. If cash is given to women, it is difficult to
assess whether the money has been spent on children or something else. If there
are problems associated with identification even after Aadhaar enrollment, then
there is no basic difference between cash and in-kind transfers. He said that
public reasoning cannot be done without data or statistics. Since there is no
updated malnutrition related data, the principle of Urban-50% and Rural-75%
cannot be applied.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Amartya Sen informed
that China has done better in reducing child malnutrition. In China, minimum
wages have increased by 7 folds as compared to India. In Tamil Nadu the ICDS
has done well. The moral objective to be informed is essential. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Speaking on the NFSB,
Amartya said that the bill has watered down the directives of the Supreme Court
pertaining to food security and nutrition. The Standing Committee has further
weakened the bill by removing the entitlement under the ICDS. Gujarat’s growth
story has been overplayed since states like Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Bihar
too displayed higher economic growth. For sustaining growth in the long-run,
there is need for an effective strategy in health, nutrition and educational
fronts. For India, it would be difficult to sustain economic growth with such
high levels of poverty and undernutrition. Jamshed <i>ji </i>Tata developed
Jamshedpur as a municipality and invested in education and health. He
understood the importance of these two factors in economic growth like in the
Asian growth model. Amartya Sen mentioned about the Bhore Committee Report on health (1946). Imitating Chinese growth path without knowing how China
invested in enhancing human capabilities is not a good idea, added Sen. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On the advantages of
a universal PDS over a targeted one, Amartya Sen said a. Universal schemes help
to avoid corruption; b. Presence of powerful and influential people who have a
stake in such programmes make such programmes relatively efficient; and c. Exclusion
is absent and citizens' right is ensured.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><i>* While utmost care has been taken in good faith to summarize the main speakers’ views, these may not be exact quotes. Please check with the speakers for verbatim quotes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span></div>
shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-36182184571174584152013-02-11T00:43:00.001-08:002013-02-11T00:45:15.456-08:00Poverty and Unemployment cause suicides in India<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The new report released
by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) entitled: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Statistical
Year Book, India 2013</i></b> (url: <a href="http://mospi.nic.in/Mospi_New/upload/SYB2013/index1.html">http://mospi.nic.in/Mospi_New/upload/SYB2013/index1.html</a>)
provides suicide related data due to various causes across states and UTs (url: <a href="http://mospi.nic.in/Mospi_New/upload/SYB2013/ch38.html">http://mospi.nic.in/Mospi_New/upload/SYB2013/ch38.html</a>).
The suicide data available in this report is actually supplied by the National
Crime Records Bureau’s Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Suicides
due to poverty, unemployment and bankruptcy or sudden change in economic status</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yQfx85zBtoDlQXExzRwjZ30188kiLS5voSOl5Nou4sUq0eEFy1d48cqAiaOrzCQUDEP_Xsx03rgZ6NtSvoDvhIEO3GZg8ELyQNismyOeiU3zN8LAJyjxZ9K2qfvxyMY5EePOaSlhfiz6/s1600/Suicides.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yQfx85zBtoDlQXExzRwjZ30188kiLS5voSOl5Nou4sUq0eEFy1d48cqAiaOrzCQUDEP_Xsx03rgZ6NtSvoDvhIEO3GZg8ELyQNismyOeiU3zN8LAJyjxZ9K2qfvxyMY5EePOaSlhfiz6/s320/Suicides.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Key findings:</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Of
the total 397335 number of suicides committed in India between 2009 and 2011,
8854 were caused by bankruptcy or sudden change in economic status (percentage
share: 2.23%), 8316 were caused due to poverty (share: 2.09%) and 7027 were
caused due to unemployment (share: 1.77%).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Illness
compelled 81765 suicides between 2009 and 2011 and it's percentage share in
total suicides during the same period was 20.58%.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Family
problems pushed 94847 persons to commit suicide between 2009 and 2011 and it's
percentage share in total suicides during the same period was 23.87%.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At
the national level, total number of suicides caused by bankruptcy or sudden
change in economic status increased from 2709 in 2010 to 2983 in 2011. Total
number of suicides due to poverty has declined from 3047 in 2010 to 2282 in
2011. Total number of suicides due to unemployment has increased from 2222 in
2010 to 2333 in 2011 (see graph). </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
leading states where bankruptcy or sudden change in economic status caused
suicides were Andhra Pradesh (2713), Maharashtra (2162), Kerala (1353) and
Karnataka (602) between 2009 and 2011. In Andhra Pradesh, suicides under this
category jumped from 711 in 2010 to 1114 in 2011.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
leading states where poverty caused suicides were Andhra Pradesh (4299), Tamil
Nadu (873), Maharashtra (769) and Karnataka (718) between 2009 and 2011. In
Andhra Pradesh, suicides under this category declined from 1533 in 2010 to 1252
in 2011.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The leading states where unemployment caused
suicides were West Bengal (1396), Tamil Nadu (994), Maharashtra (834) and
Gujarat (765) between 2009 and 2011. In West Bengal, suicides under this
category rose from 462 in 2010 to 506 in 2011.</span>shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-90777869323396648982013-02-01T02:38:00.001-08:002013-10-10T01:49:26.350-07:00Do poor states perform poorly in PDS?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The article titled: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/villagers-in-poor-states-use-ration-shops-less-shows-survey-data-surabhi-19137.html" target="_blank">Villagers in poor states use ration shops less, shows survey data</a> </i>written by<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>Surabhi
and carried out by The Indian Express dated 29 January, 2013 states that:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Rural families in low income states such as Bihar, Uttar
Pradesh and West Bengal depend far less on ration shops for wheat and rice than
the national average. In Bihar, less than 12 per cent of the rural population
uses ration shops to buy rice, and in West Bengal, less than 6 per cent of rice
consumed by rural families is bought from these shops, data from five-yearly
National Sample Surveys (NSS) show.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In richer states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka by
contrast, a massive 91 per cent and 75 per cent respectively of the rural
population uses ration shops”. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Indian Express
news story further adds: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“In states with weak income indicators, the weak delivery
system shows up in all commodities except kerosene. In rural Bihar, just five
per cent of the total rice and wheat consumed came from ration shops. In UP,
less than seven per cent of wheat consumed by rural households is bought
through the PDS”.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What am I opposing? </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It would be wrong to
infer from The Indian Express article that in the poorer states PDS is not
functioning well. At certain places, the news article is factually wrong. The
article also misses to clarify why PDS performed well in certain states but not
in the rest. Reviewing past studies, I would like to argue that a targeted PDS was detrimental to its functioning. PDS reforms carried out by various
state governments proved to be beneficial. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Before going further
to break the myth created by the Indian Express news story, I would like to
mention that we are looking at two things in the NSS 66<sup>th</sup> Round
report on PDS, which is available <a href="http://mospi.nic.in/Mospi_New/upload/nss_report_545.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>:
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">a. Proportion of
households reporting PDS rice/ wheat purchase (can also be termed as incidence
of PDS purchases)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">b. Share of PDS
purchases in total consumption (for rice and wheat)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A careful reading of
the NSS 66<sup>th</sup> Round report on PDS indicates that the contribution of PDS
purchases to total consumption in 2009-10 witnessed a considerable improvement compared to
2004-05, particularly for rice and wheat/ atta.</span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br clear="all" style="page-break-before: always;" />
</span></i></b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The case for rice</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRmvgf3Idz2hi4Hg2bhg1j1H9avena3cpB4bM5bE_gsqT_ubKwM9kdVklHjZtZY69ZFhVcc1Ph_5o2HpO5u-uaUQ-pMX-WhoUAo5lX8ochFhtWw4oEAIwIjZ4t733rq_caEDUC_Twx_6mM/s1600/PDS+rice.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRmvgf3Idz2hi4Hg2bhg1j1H9avena3cpB4bM5bE_gsqT_ubKwM9kdVklHjZtZY69ZFhVcc1Ph_5o2HpO5u-uaUQ-pMX-WhoUAo5lX8ochFhtWw4oEAIwIjZ4t733rq_caEDUC_Twx_6mM/s320/PDS+rice.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Source:</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> NSS 66th Round Report titled: Public
Distribution System and Other Sources of Household Consumption (July 2009-June
2010), page 17</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, let me demystify
one by one what the NSS report says (see the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">table S3-1</b>):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">1. Table S3-1 (column
2) of the NSS 66<sup>th</sup> round report shows that for the rural sector, the
proportion of households reporting PDS purchase of rice (consumption in a
30-day period) was highest for Tamil Nadu (91% of households), followed by
Andhra Pradesh (83.9%), Karnataka (74.6%), Chhattisgarh (67.4%), Kerala
(54.3%), Odisha (51.6%), and Maharashtra (46.8%). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">2. Table S3-1 (column
6 and 7) of the NSS report displays that the contribution of PDS purchases was
highest in Tamil Nadu (rural: 52.7%, urban: 40.9%), followed by Karnataka
(rural: 45%, urban: 17.7%), Chhattisgarh (rural: 41.2%, urban: 25.7%), Andhra
Pradesh (rural: 32.9%, urban: 21.5%), and Kerala (rural: 27.9%, urban: 24%).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Why
are some states performing so well in PDS rice?</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">From point no. 1 and
2 mentioned above, it could be inferred that in a poor state like Chhattisgarh
[BPL population: 48.7 percent in 2009-10; Per Capita Net State Domestic Product
(factor cost) stood at Rs. 25835 during 2009-10 as compared to India’s Per
Capita Net National Product (factor cost) Rs. 33731], both incidence of PDS purchases
and dependence on PDS improved due to the reforms carried out by the state
government. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN;">The well-documented factors behind Chhattisgarh’s PDS success are: a.
Political will; b. Private dealers replaced by panchayats; c. 70 percent of the
population covered at Rs. 2/ Rs. 1 per kg of rice; d. Huge investment from
state revenues; e. Chhattisgarh is a rice surplus state and procures
approximately 40 lakhs million tonnes of paddy annually, which is the 5<sup>th</sup>
largest in India; f. Corrupt persons have been put behind the bars; g. Toll
free number for grievance redressal and h. Constant monitoring. More BPL cards
were issued under the Mukhyamantri Khadyann Sahayata Yojana (MKSY) in
Chhattisgarh. 2 kg iodized salt to every BPL household is being provided free
of cost under Amrit Namak Yojana on a monthly basis. The PDS department has been kept out of the
ambit of money making or corruption since it was considered important to
win elections. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For
more on this, please refer to <a href="http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce/uploaded/PDS%20chhattisgarh.pdf" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reforming the Public Distribution System: Lessons from Chhattisgarh</i></a> by Raghav Puri,
Economic and Political Weekly, February 4, 2012 Vol xlvIi, No. 5.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It has been shown by
Reetika Khera [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.im4change.org/siteadmin/tinymce/uploaded/Reetika%20PDS.pdf" target="_blank">Revival of the Public Distribution System: Evidence and Explanations</a> </i>(November, 2011), Economic
and Political Weekly, Vol. XLVI, No. 44 & 45, Nov 5]
that in states like Andhra Pradesh [BPL population: 21.1 percent in 2009-10],
Himachal Pradesh [BPL population: 9.5 percent in 2009-10] and Tamil Nadu [BPL
population: 17.1 percent in 2009-10], where PDS is either universal or
quasi-universal, the performance has been better. Free grains were given in
Tamil Nadu since June 2011. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu never put caps on the
number of BPL households and these states do not have a BPL category for the
PDS. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have moved to per capita entitlements. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dal</i> and edible oil are provided under
the PDS. Edible oil and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dal</i> can be
purchased from PDS shops in Himachal Pradesh apart from kerosene, sugar and
salt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In Odisha [BPL
population: 37.0 percent in 2009-10; HDI ranking: 22 (HDI-0.362) in 2007-08],
the PDS has been universalized in Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput (KBK) region.</span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Grain is
provided at Rs 2/kg to BPL households in the KBK region. Odisha has entrusted
the management of the fair price shops to gram panchayat secretaries. The
purchase to entitlement ratio-PER (proportion of full entitlement purchased by
BPL households) in Odisha is nearly 100 percent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In her past study
based on secondary data from NSS 2007-08, Reetika Khera [<a href="http://www.cdedse.org/pdf/work198.pdf" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trends in Diversion of PDS Grain</i></a> (March, 2011), Working Paper No.
198, Centre for Development Economics]
has found that in the reviving/reforming states of Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Odisha,
Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh per capita monthly PDS purchase has improved.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, let me come to
the next two points that I deduce from the table S3-1.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">3. Table S3-1 (column
2 and 3) shows that in states like Bihar (rural: 12.2%, urban: 4.2%), West
Bengal (rural: 25.7%, urban: 6.9%), and Jharkhand (rural: 26.4%, urban: 8.6%),
the proportion of households reporting PDS purchase of rice is quite low. Similar, situation could be observed in Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">4. Table S3-1 (column
6 and 7) shows that the share of PDS purchases in consumption was low in Bihar
(rural: 5.1%, urban: 2.2%), West Bengal (rural: 6.3%, urban: 2.9%), Assam
(rural: 11.2%, urban: 5.1%), and Jharkhand (rural: 14.0%, urban: 7.4%). The share of PDS rice purchases in consumption is also low in Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Why
are some states languishing in PDS rice?</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Khera’s (November,
2011) paper indicates that in Bihar 15 kg of rice (Rs 6.7/kg) and 10 kg of
wheat (Rs 5.22/kg) are given on a monthly basis under the PDS to households.
Sugar, salt, edible oil and pulses are not provided. In Jharkhand, 35 kg of
rice (Re 1/kg) is given on a monthly basis under the PDS to households. Sugar,
salt, edible oil and pulses are not provided. In these two states, BPL lists are
patchy and PDS is subject to "exclusion errors". Full quota is seldom
received by the BPL households in Bihar [BPL population: 53.5 percent in
2009-10; HDI ranking: 21 (HDI-0.367) in 2007-08] and Jharkhand [BPL population:
39.1 percent in 2009-10; HDI ranking: 19 (HDI-0.376) in 2007-08] as indicated
by low purchase to entitlement ratio. In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, fair price
shops are operated by private dealers. Poor quality grain, which is supplied,
is not liked by the consumers. Khera (March, 2011) says that diversion of
foodgrains is rampant in West Bengal. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The case for wheat</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTEJGp7JVHxnu6AfFuv1r3_BSp_2rSf8j5lMNgP91NvMOJegDOamdoahhbq1iO9LQKd9Edxa18rGqdZABqolWJ_87WjtG5Sws5QA4oSqnVKQRe1Vn40eQ3oIseafGHoVw9tuHI08EILAi3/s1600/PDS+wheat.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTEJGp7JVHxnu6AfFuv1r3_BSp_2rSf8j5lMNgP91NvMOJegDOamdoahhbq1iO9LQKd9Edxa18rGqdZABqolWJ_87WjtG5Sws5QA4oSqnVKQRe1Vn40eQ3oIseafGHoVw9tuHI08EILAi3/s320/PDS+wheat.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Source:</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> NSS 66th Round Report titled: Public
Distribution System and Other Sources of Household Consumption (July 2009-June
2010), page 20</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Let me explain what I derive from the<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Table S4-1</b> of the NSS
report.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">5. It can be seen from Table S4-1 (column
2) of the NSS 66<sup>th</sup> round report that for the rural sector, the
proportion of households reporting PDS purchase of wheat (consumption in a
30-day period) was highest for Karnataka (69.2% of households), followed by
Tamil Nadu (57.3%), Madhya Pradesh (45.7%) and Maharashtra (44.2%). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">6. Table S4-1 (column
6 and 7) of the NSS report shows that the contribution of PDS purchases was
greatest in Tamil Nadu (rural: 85.8%, urban: 64.7%), and also large in
Karnataka (rural: 51.5%, urban: 13.5%), West Bengal (rural: 41.4%, urban: 11.7%),
Kerala (rural: 39.7%, urban: 33.1%) and Chhattisgarh (rural: 39.1%, urban: 17.9%).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I am also providing below
the other points that could be interpreted from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Table S4-1</b> of the NSS report.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">7. It can be inferred from Table S4-1 (column
2 and 3) that in states like Assam (rural: 1.2%, urban: 1.5%), Andhra
Pradesh (rural: 1.7%, urban: 2.8%), Odisha (rural: 5.2%, urban: 7.5%) and Bihar
(rural: 12.7%, urban: 5.4%) the proportion of households reporting PDS purchase
of wheat is quite low. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">8. Table S4-1 (column
6 and 7) also shows that the share of PDS purchases in consumption was low in Assam
(rural: 1.5%, urban: 1.3%), Bihar (rural: 5.1%, urban: 2.4%), Andhra Pradesh
(rural: 5.1%, urban: 7.5%) and Uttar Pradesh (rural: 6.8%, urban: 7.6%).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Past studies can
again be consulted (as I did earlier) to explain why some states have performed
better than the rest in PDS wheat. </span></div>
shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-77841646577308881012012-12-16T02:16:00.001-08:002014-02-02T22:24:57.699-08:00Why do I oppose the present cash transfer initiative?<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKQLANd7Ytkck-kpEvoy69JK6hus2HkVALbc8zAZp8L5qDA6Oj-vjUeLv3uHSzbfH9kszjzKT1tseN8afkSJ3GBNlliVWN1g6J5pLfLxCWDclj662VRrkkOWzplAzflC139Ya7Hkoanto/s1600/Aadhaar+ToI+16+Dec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKQLANd7Ytkck-kpEvoy69JK6hus2HkVALbc8zAZp8L5qDA6Oj-vjUeLv3uHSzbfH9kszjzKT1tseN8afkSJ3GBNlliVWN1g6J5pLfLxCWDclj662VRrkkOWzplAzflC139Ya7Hkoanto/s320/Aadhaar+ToI+16+Dec.jpg" height="320" width="234" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">You may call the Toll
Free No. 18001801947 for inquiry, which is provided in the Aadhaar
advertisement as published in the Time of India (New Delhi edition, page no. 2)
dated 16 December, 2012 and find that it is not in service. This advertisement was
published a day after the Delhi Government’s Cash-for-Food flagship programme
titled Dilli Annshree Yojana was launched by the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi
and CM of Delhi Smt. Sheila Dikshit. Under the Annshree Yojana, a monthly cash subsidy
of Rs. 600/- will be provided to Delhi’s most vulnerable. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">---- </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In India, cash
transfers initiative has been hailed as a panacea for large number of
problems faced by the citizens, particularly the poor, in accessing essential
public services and goods. Transferring of direct cash subsidies into the bank
accounts of citizens for services and goods like: LPG, food grains and
kerosene under the public distribution system (PDS), fertilizers, scholarships etc.
has been mooted by the government in order to avoid duplication of cards and reduce
leakages in the system. Proponents of cash transfer believe that it
will streamline expenses incurred by the exchequer and will, therefore, help in
curtailing fiscal deficit. Please refer to the media report titled: <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/direct-cash-transfer-can-control-inflation-chakrabarty-18566.html" target="_blank"><i>Direct CashTransfer Can Control Inflation: Chakrabarty</i></a>, which was published in the
Outlook dated 14 December, 2012.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In a report titled: <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/039aadhaar-number-to-be-made-mandatory-for-10-schemes039-17717.html" target="_blank"><i>'Aadhaar Number to be Made Mandatory for 10 Schemes'</i></a> published in the Outlook dated: 20 October, 2012,
it has been mentioned that Aadhaar would be made compulsory for applying for old
age pension schemes of old age, widow, differently abled, MGNREGA job card,
ration card, driving license, water and electricity connections, property
registration, Indira Awas Yojna, scholarships etc. in Rajasthan. In another
media report published in The Hindustan Times dated: 28 November, 2012
entitled: <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/keep-your-uid-cards-ready-to-get-married-buy-house-neelam-pandey-18339.html" target="_blank"><i>Keep your UID cards ready to get married, buy house</i></a> by Neelam
Pandey, it has been stated that the Delhi Government wants to make UID card compulsory for work related to property and marriage registration.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For accessing direct
cash transfer, enrolling for Aadhaar card has been made mandatory unlike in the
earlier days of the so-called un-Constitutional UID project (<a href="http://164.100.47.134/lsscommittee/Finance/42%20Report.pdf" target="_blank">The National Identification Authority of India Bill, 2010, Forty Second report by Standing Committee on Finance (2011-12)</a>, publication date: December, 2011, Fifteenth Lok
Sabha, Ministry of Planning),
during which making an Aadhaar card was optional (please check my blog entry: <a href="http://www.eindia2007.blogspot.in/2011/02/envisioning-indiathe-potential-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Envisioning India—The Potential of Aadhaar</i></a>)
and it was meant for those who faced problems in proving their identity (such
as poor migrants in search of livelihoods) so as to access public services. But
now Aadhaar card would help one to open a bank account so that direct cash
transfer of subsidy could be made into that account. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the following points,
I would briefly discuss one by one the problems associated with cash transfers:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Problem 1:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Providing one’s bank
details including bank account number and IFSC code number in the Aadhaar application
form is optional. (Please download the present <a href="http://uidai.gov.in/images/enrolmentform.pdf" target="_blank">Aadhaar enrollment form</a>).
If cash transfer becomes the order of the day for accessing any universal public
service/ goods, then the Aadhaar application form should explicitly mention that
giving one’s bank account details is mandatory. Otherwise, this might generate
another round of standing in the queues, filling up of forms and then submitting
them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Those using the Internet have encountered the problem of spam mails that are sent from Nigeria or
some other place, where one is requested to provide one’s bank account details to
the sender of such mails. There is no terms and conditions part provided in the
Aadhaar application form that the information provided by the applicants for
enrollment shall not be divulged by the government to any private party or
corporation and such information shall be considered as confidential.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Problem 2:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> In the past a lot
has been written against cost push inflation caused by rising NREGS wages. It
has also been said that rising NREGS wages is making it harder for the farmers to
hire agricultural labourers since the latter have started demanding for higher agricultural
wages. (Please check my blog entry: <a href="http://www.talkative-shambhu.blogspot.in/2011/10/proposed-changes-in-nrega-why-do-i.html" target="_blank">Proposed changes in the NREGA: Why do I oppose them?</a>).
The same question can now be asked to the proponents of cash transfers whether this
adventurous scheme might inject liquidity that could generate demand pull
inflation via multiplier effect. For a detailed exposition on this subject,
please consult the article titled: <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/cashing-in-on-schemes-for-poor-narendar-pani-18345.html" target="_blank"><i>Cashing in on schemes for poor</i></a> by
Narendar Pani published in The Hindu dated 29 November, 2012.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Problem 3:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> A much discussed
criticism leveled against NREGA is that wages do not reach the manual workers
in time. The study entitled <i>MGNREGA Sameeksha: An Anthology of Research Studies
on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (2005) Act 2006–2012</i>,
published by the Ministry of Rural Development, GoI, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/docs/63503975mgnrega_sameeksha.pdf">http://www.im4change.org/docs/63503975mgnrega_sameeksha.pdf</a>
has documented that due to delay in wage payments, people employed in NREGS
works in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh and Narmada, Gujarat shifted back to
lower-paying works. The NSSO survey on MGNREGA findings in FY 2009–10 indicate
that in Andhra Pradesh, about 68 per cent of households who worked in MGNREGA
received payments within 15 days; in Rajasthan, 10 per cent of the households
received payment within 15 days and in Madhya Pradesh 23 per cent of the
households received payments within 15 days. The CAG audit (Performance Audit
Report No. 11, 2008) conducted in 2006 found that there were delays in payment
in 213 Gram Panchayats in 16 states including, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There are a number of
examples available from grassroots to illustrate that middlemen get a
portion of the money when much delayed payments are deposited in the bank
accounts of NREGS workers. Such poor people constantly faced threat and
harassment from <i>babus</i> and contractors. Bank accounts opened in their
names have hardly ended their exploitation. People walk more than 6 kms to
reach banks to withdraw money. The <i>MGNREGA Sameeksha</i> report has spelled
out some of the problems in the existing banking system: a. Poor
coverage/network of banks/post offices; b. Non-streamlined record-keeping at
banks/post offices; c. Low level of literacy or illiteracy among NREGS workers; and d. Low Cash
and Line Limit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What is the guaranty
that cash transfer would be deposited timely in the bank accounts and not be
siphoned off? The Kotkasim experiment in Rajasthan's Alwar district illustrates that moving towards a cash transfer system for kerosene has failed
since subsidy payments were erratic and cumbersome. For more, please check the
article titled <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/neither-effective-nor-equitable-bharat-bhatti-and-madhulika-khanna-18419.html" target="_blank"><i>Neither effective nor equitable</i></a> by Bharat Bhatti and
Madhulika Khanna, published in The Hindu (dated: 4 December, 2012.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Problem 4:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> For a rural society,
which is caste-based, relying on micro-ATMs held by business correspondents is asking
too much for last mile connectivity. The economic viability of the ‘business correspondent
model’ is too under doubt. Please check the article entitled: <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/the-aadhaar-of-direct-cash-transfer-is-more-of-assumptions-less-of-ground-level-realities-ms-sriram-18553.html" target="_blank"><i>The "Aadhaar" of Direct Cash Transfer is more of assumptions, less of ground-level realities</i></a> by MS Sriram, which was published in The Economic
Times dated 14 December, 2012.
There are places where the accounts that have been created under the business
correspondent model have remained dormant, with no transactions happening. Please
check the blog entry titled <a href="http://centreformicrofinanceblog.blogspot.in/2012/10/analyzing-business-correspondent-model.html" target="_blank"><i>Analyzing the Business Correspondent Model (PartII) Why isn’t it working?–Dormancy of No-Frills Accounts</i></a> by Nikhil Dugal
dated 29 October, 2012.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A <a href="http://www.centre-for-microfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/attachments/csy/3166/Govt%20Financing-FS.pdf" target="_blank">factsheet</a> prepared
by Deepti KC (Institute for Financial Management and Research)
mentions about a study by Centre for Micro Finance titled: <i>Business
Correspondent Model-An analysis of the financial viability of the Customer
Service Providers and Client Satisfaction</i> that has found that agents are
struggling to make their business profitable and financially sustainable as the
current commission structure is not adequate to cover agents’ costs. In
addition, agents are facing issues with cash management and liquidity due to
unwillingness to share risks by both BCs and banks. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Genuine NREGS workers
have faced fingerprint recognition problems in the Ratu Block in Ranchi
District, Jharkhand. Please check the article entitled: <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/experiments-with-aadhaar-bharat-bhatti-jean-dreze-and-reetika-khera-15907.html" target="_blank"><i>Experiments with Aadhaar</i></a> by Bharat Bhatti, Jean Dreze and Reetika Khera published in The
Hindu dated 27 June, 2012.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It must be added that
cash transfer initiative will not solve the problem associated with shortage of
qualified staff in various departments who are people/consumer friendly. As has
been pointed out by various activists, the government is trying to hide its own
failure by introducing cash transfer so that people start relying on the market
for goods and services.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghynnJZllyWD5ZGWwVDu4s5na3z39Lo-NSJknu21Gkyj06WYDiUAUDdbGvHOX_k95luAaSSUI3wyHeGgWWAo04jyUQ8a1mlBR3wUwfpdUbfcnuaxLZBGXnDntXF_OQvLi-xIgOoR78f2W1/s1600/Driving+License+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghynnJZllyWD5ZGWwVDu4s5na3z39Lo-NSJknu21Gkyj06WYDiUAUDdbGvHOX_k95luAaSSUI3wyHeGgWWAo04jyUQ8a1mlBR3wUwfpdUbfcnuaxLZBGXnDntXF_OQvLi-xIgOoR78f2W1/s320/Driving+License+1.JPG" height="198" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Problem 5:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> It may sound silly
but I would like to show here how the Aadhaar enrollment form confuses a
citizen. If one goes through the enrollment form (please download the present Aadhaar
enrollment form from <a href="http://uidai.gov.in/images/enrolmentform.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>),
one will find that driving license is considered as a valid document both as a
proof of identity (PoI) and as a proof of address (PoA). However, if one flips
over a driving license (check the image provided), which is presently issued in
Delhi, one can read: "Driving License particulars not to be used as
Residence Proof".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Problem 6:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> Transferring
a meager sum of cash into the bank account of intended beneficiaries
without taking into account size of the household and rate of inflation might
push one further into poverty. Some of the State governments already provide 35
kg of foodgrains to every BPL household on a monthly basis at subsidized rates.
There has been a reversal of the <a href="http://www.talkative-shambhu.blogspot.in/2011/09/public-distribution-system-evidence.html" target="_blank">performance of PDS in many states including Chhattisgarh</a>. Therefore, Central government’s effort to introduce cash transfer
by replacing the PDS may face stiff opposition from the state governments. The Socio
Economic Caste Census (SECC), which got started to enumerate BPL households in
various states is not yet over and has faced various challenges. Without
waiting for the results of SECC, how can the government start with an
adventurous cash transfer scheme? Why is the hurry for UPA 2 to rush for a scheme
that may have been successful in Brazil but could fail in India?</span></div>
shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-88911356846945313652012-12-10T08:58:00.000-08:002012-12-10T18:54:43.805-08:00Inequality deprives children their access to health, education and better life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhaviLxlH9VWQQm5vojLxtHY7p2qBNJhhLOH3di8cP3bHfTM9tTSpm14CPy0tyHrH_btsDFx-37QMdYcaqYh5VaNd_owPJPcAd4TjRRuH07ENJv0P0naw5K2O_HN_vuSM409a29wXns8p/s1600/Born+Equal.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhaviLxlH9VWQQm5vojLxtHY7p2qBNJhhLOH3di8cP3bHfTM9tTSpm14CPy0tyHrH_btsDFx-37QMdYcaqYh5VaNd_owPJPcAd4TjRRuH07ENJv0P0naw5K2O_HN_vuSM409a29wXns8p/s320/Born+Equal.bmp" width="239" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">More and more reports,
published recently, indicate that the <a href="http://talkative-shambhu.blogspot.in/2012/09/spend-more-to-revive-economy-and-reduce.html" target="_blank">world is witnessing surge in inequality, both income and wealth, barring a few Latin American countries</a> (such as Brazil). Yet
inequality has been termed as necessary fallout of economic growth. According
to conventional economics, rise in inequality provide incentives to those who
are more capable of managing the resources. It is the fittest (in this case-
capitalist) who survives in this race.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">However, a lesser
known report entitled <i>Born Equal: How reducing inequality could give our
children a better future (2012), </i>which has been released recently by Save
the Children<i> </i>shows that growing gaps between the richest and the poorest
children actually threatens children’s health and development. After studying
32 countries, the report demonstrates that children born into the richest
households have access to 35 times the resources of the poorest. Children born
in rich households get better healthcare, more nutritious food and improved access
to school. Such children do not have to start work at an early age. Thus, they
are less likely to become child labourers. The report has, therefore, stressed the
need for addressing inequality so as to accelerate progress towards achieving
the MDGs and to deliver the promise to eradicate extreme global poverty.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">While commenting on India,
the report mentions that rise in inequality has been quite stark because in
2002 India had four billionaires ($US), which grew to 55 presently. Factors
like the country where one is born, one’s skin colour, one’s gender, wealth of
one’s parents and other such dimensions determine to a large extent a person’s
future and the quality of life s/he would live. A person born as a <i>dalit</i>
in India will be twice as likely to live one's entire life in poverty. Dropout
rates among children in the scheduled tribe and scheduled caste categories are
substantially higher. Save the Children report alleges that India has witnessed
reductions in social spending overtime.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Key findings of Save
the Children report:</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Gini
coefficient [which takes a value of 1 (or 100 on the percentile scale) for
perfect inequality and 0 for perfect equality] increased from 32.0 percent
in 1980 (or earliest available) to 36.8 percent in 2012 (or latest
available) in India. On the contrary, in Brazil, Gini coefficient declined
from 55.3 percent in 1980 (or earliest available) to 52.0 percent in 2012
(or latest available). </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">India
and China, home to huge numbers of the world’s poor, are increasingly
sheltering some of the world’s richest people. In 2002, India was home to
four billionaires ($US); presently the number is 55. In 2002, China
claimed only one billionaire. In Forbes’ 2012 survey China recorded
115–more than Germany, France and Japan combined.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
India, while the country’s average poverty rates were falling in the
2000s, in the state of Orissa poverty increased from 41% to 50%; absolute
poverty among lower castes in Orissa increased during that decade from 57%
to 74%.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
India, recent census figures reveal that the sex ratio dropped to 914 females
per 1,000 males–the lowest since India attained independence in 1947. In
China, while aggregate data show that the influence of women in the
household has significantly improved over the past 20 years, there has
been little progress in terms of women’s influence in the workplace or in
the political sphere.</span></li>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
India, the worst 25 districts in terms of infant mortality (as per the
2011 census) are concentrated across three states–Assam, Bihar and Madhya
Pradesh. Not surprisingly, these states are amongst the poorest in terms
of per capita SDP, ranking 27, 30 and 28 respectively out of 30 states in
the state domestic product data available for 2009–10.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">India’s
income inequality, meanwhile, has been shown to result in higher levels of
both undernutrition and obesity in children. Subramanian <i>et al</i> show
that state level income inequality was strongly associated with the levels
of Body Mass Index (BMI). A change of one standard deviation of the Gini
coefficient (which amounts roughly to a 3% change) increased the risk of
being underweight by 19% and the risk of being obese by 21%, depending on
the direction of change. The study concluded that the simultaneous
existence of both undernutrition and overnutrition suggests the blame lies
with inequality (a skewed distribution of food), rather than general
poverty (an overall shortage).</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Moving
from targeting towards more universal systems–for example, with India’s
food distribution system and Integrated Child Development Scheme–would be
likely to improve reach and impact on inequality.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
1990, the vast majority–93%–of people in poverty in the world lived in
low-income countries. Today, despite the fact that inequalities between
countries remain high, more than 70% of the world’s poorest people–up to a
billion–live in middle-income countries.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
2011 under-five mortality stood at 6.9 million–down from 12 million in
1990. Although we are only half way to reaching the child mortality goal
of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the rate of progress to reduce
under-five child deaths more than doubled in the 2000s.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">References:</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Born Equal: How
reducing inequality could give our children a better future (2012), Save the
Children,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/sites/default/files/images/Born_Equal.pdf">http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/sites/default/files/images/Born_Equal.pdf</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Born Equal? How
reducing inequality could give our children a better future by Núria
Molina-Gallart, 1 November, 2012, <a href="http://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/born-equal-how-reducing-inequality-could-give-our-children-a-better-future">http://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/born-equal-how-reducing-inequality-could-give-our-children-a-better-future</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The threat of
inequality to children by Robbie Lawrence, 23 November, 2012, <a href="http://www.generation-c.org/the-threat-of-inequality-to-children/">http://www.generation-c.org/the-threat-of-inequality-to-children/</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-59249478034050004632012-10-15T01:08:00.000-07:002013-01-30T11:55:10.754-08:00India’s nutrition and hunger data is too old<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-miIsyu2bKVVx0iekSPJyXny8cc14MySSYnLRkhQtA-mr-FzfPf8Yy_QAv2UA9D9OsKvrvfc0GS4wykvJSgqG-EN3daDzETaHlUFXxTX6-gj4J-VruunS1Et2Gin0o5xhizeI_rYMt1lO/s1600/malnourished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-miIsyu2bKVVx0iekSPJyXny8cc14MySSYnLRkhQtA-mr-FzfPf8Yy_QAv2UA9D9OsKvrvfc0GS4wykvJSgqG-EN3daDzETaHlUFXxTX6-gj4J-VruunS1Et2Gin0o5xhizeI_rYMt1lO/s320/malnourished.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Two important
international reports on undernutrition i.e. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">2012 Global Hunger Index (GHI)</i> report from IFPRI, Concern Worldwide
& Welthungerhilfe and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Nutrition
Barometer report</i> from Save the Children & World Vision (published in
2012) have criticized the Indian government for not monitoring the state of
malnutrition and hunger since the time the last National Family Health Survey-3
(NFHS-3) got published in 2005-06. At home, the Government has throttled one of
the most authentic and revered survey, which used to collect and collate health
and nutrition related data. It has, however, taken insufficient measures so far
to compensate for the inadequacy of such data.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The 2012 Global
Hunger Index report has confessed that India’s latest Global Hunger Index (GHI)
score (=22.9 and rank: 65) is based partly on outdated data: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"although it includes relatively recent
child mortality data from 2010, FAO’s most recent data on undernourishment are
for 2006–08, and India’s latest available nationally representative data on child
underweight were collected in 2005–06".</i> The 2012 GHI report has stated
that due to dearth of child nutrition data, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"any
recent progress in the fight against child undernutrition cannot be taken into
account by the 2012 GHI"</i>. India is in need to produce data at regular
intervals by monitoring systems for child undernutrition and related indicators,
recommended the 2012 GHI report.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Nutrition
Barometer report (2012) while finding that India, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Yemen have performed the
worst in reducing malnutrition, with frail commitments and frail outcomes, has
asked for a new population-based, nationally representative survey to check
what has happened to nutrition since 2005–06. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The National Family
Health Survey (NFHS) has met a similar fate like <a href="http://www.im4change.org/news-alert/who-moved-my-poverty-report-please-save-your-copy-fast-17376.html" target="_blank">NCEUS reports</a> after the
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare decided to discontinue the Health Survey,
the fourth round of which was about to take place in 2012-13. The same Ministry
now wants to launch an integrated national health survey (NHS) thereby
replacing the three existing ones—NFHS, the district-level health survey (DLHS)
and the Annual Health Survey (AHS). Despite objections being raised by leading
economists, health activists and nutrition experts, the Government has taken
off the Internet all the data pertaining to NFHS-1, NFHS-2 and NFHS-3. The
official website of NFHS is no more working, but people may try downloading the
data from the website: <a href="http://www.rchiips.org/NFHS/factsheet.shtml">http://www.rchiips.org/NFHS/factsheet.shtml</a>
(last accessed on 12 October, 2012). All this clearly points to the fact that
Government is not eager to disclose information to its own citizens
proactively.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NFHS-1 (1992-93),
NFHS-2 (1998-99) and NFHS-3 (2005-06) provided information on fertility,
mortality, family planning, HIV-related knowledge, and important aspects of nutrition,
health, and health care. All the three surveys were coordinated by the
International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) under the aegis of the
Government of India.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Some of the major findings of NFHS-3 are presented
below:</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">•<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost half of children under five years of
age (48 percent) are stunted and 43 percent are underweight. The proportion of
children who are severely undernourished is also notable: 24 percent are
severely stunted and 16 percent are severely underweight. Wasting is quite a
serious problem in India, affecting 20 percent of children under five years of
age.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">•<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The NFHS-3 estimate of infant mortality is
57 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with the NFHS-2 estimate of 68 deaths
per 1,000 live births and the NFHS-1 estimate of 79. Still, more than one in 18
children die within the first year of life, and more than one in 13 die before
reaching age five.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">•<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2001-05, the infant mortality rate was
50 percent higher in rural areas (62 deaths per 1,000 births) than in urban
areas (42 deaths per 1,000 births).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">•<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost 7 in 10 children age 6-59 months are
anaemic, including 40 percent who are moderately anaemic and 3 percent who are
severely anaemic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">•<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The prevalence of anaemia among children
6-35 months has increased from 74 percent in NFHS-2 to 79 percent in NFHS-3.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">•<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In India, only 44 percent of children aged
12-23 months are fully vaccinated, and 5 percent have not received any
vaccinations. More than half of women are married before the legal minimum age
of 18. Among women age 20-49, the median age at first marriage is 17.2 years.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">•<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than one-third (36 percent) of women
age 15-49 in India have a body mass index-BMI (a measure of nutritional status,
BMI is defined as weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared,
kg/m2) below 18.5 indicating chronic nutritional deficiency, including 16
percent who are moderately to severely thin.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">•<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nationally, 34 percent of men age 15-49
have a BMI below18.5, and more than half of these men are moderately to
severely undernourished. The highest proportions of undernourished men, two in
five, are in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">•<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anaemia is a major health problem for
adults as well as children, affecting 55 percent of women and 24 percent of
men.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Source: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NFHS 3 Summary of findings</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/FRIND3/00FrontMatter00.pdf">http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/FRIND3/00FrontMatter00.pdf</a></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Image courtesy: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqU-WhsOZAatHQh6Eb6epFKjt9BEtl3EM7BtlKW0rK3ex6Bqe7uKhezUrdVDrV54qPw3DmFGJsjSlsl1a6tVOCNCUvjLfBQRoKUuJ8ph25rA9MoQU1TatYnfk1aO8NsJfxNC2Kpu0Vtz7x/s1600/malnourished.jpg">https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqU-WhsOZAatHQh6Eb6epFKjt9BEtl3EM7BtlKW0rK3ex6Bqe7uKhezUrdVDrV54qPw3DmFGJsjSlsl1a6tVOCNCUvjLfBQRoKUuJ8ph25rA9MoQU1TatYnfk1aO8NsJfxNC2Kpu0Vtz7x/s1600/malnourished.jpg</a></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Corrigendum:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">
Through my interaction with Dr. Prema Ramachandran (Director, Nutrition
Foundation of India, New Delhi, <a href="http://nutritionfoundationofindia.res.in/">http://nutritionfoundationofindia.res.in/</a>) during the National Conference on Right to Food, organized by National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC) on 4 January, 2013, I came to know that Annual Health Survey
(AHS) done under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in collaboration with
the Registrar General of India (RGI) would be covering all the districts in 9
states of India to assess health and nutrition status of Indian population. The
District Level Household and Facility Survey (DLHS) will be undertaken in rest of the states/ UTs where Annual Health Survey (AHS) is not being done. It has been
decided that DLHS-4 would cover Clinical, Anthropometric and Biochemical (CAB)
component as in AHS. The AHS and DLHS would fill the current void of nutrition
related data.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: red;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">References: </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">2012 Global Hunger
Index-The Challenge of Hunger: Ensuring Sustainable Food Security under Land,
Water, and Energy Stresses,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/ghi12.pdf">http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/ghi12.pdf</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Nutrition Barometer: Gauging
national responses to undernutrition (2012), Save the Children and World Vision,
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.savethechildren.in/images/resources_documents/nutrition_barometer_asia.pdf">http://www.savethechildren.in/images/resources_documents/nutrition_barometer_asia.pdf</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NFHS 3 Summary of
findings</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/FRIND3/00FrontMatter00.pdf">http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/FRIND3/00FrontMatter00.pdf</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">NHFS data off
official website, funds crunch suspends future surveys-Nitin Sethi, The Times
of India, 9 May, 2012, <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-09/india/31640657_1_health-ministry-future-surveys-jairam-ramesh">http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-09/india/31640657_1_health-ministry-future-surveys-jairam-ramesh</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Government to
discontinue National Family Health Survey-Pramit Bhattacharya, Live Mint, 11
April, 2012,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.livemint.com/Politics/JNtAbkC3Dri4JuNeWsLYVP/Government-to-discontinue-National-Family-Health-Survey.html">http://www.livemint.com/Politics/JNtAbkC3Dri4JuNeWsLYVP/Government-to-discontinue-National-Family-Health-Survey.html</a>
</span></div>
shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-75146186684936006012012-09-13T05:39:00.002-07:002012-09-13T11:08:13.844-07:00Spend more to revive economy and reduce inequality, advises UNCTAD report to Govts.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicX_nqGbK9mix0JjR3BHGzTjk-DVeKQDPVnY39MU7dmTi1yCTykA1Y9iIHRL0EYiXuQRg-0lKFADRI4izOAplqhD7b2TKB-XGEPE0ceKjvYZ5q3qOPmk0usJ6F6-ornZFj8chMzfvMiWTJ/s1600/Wealth+and+Income+Inequality.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicX_nqGbK9mix0JjR3BHGzTjk-DVeKQDPVnY39MU7dmTi1yCTykA1Y9iIHRL0EYiXuQRg-0lKFADRI4izOAplqhD7b2TKB-XGEPE0ceKjvYZ5q3qOPmk0usJ6F6-ornZFj8chMzfvMiWTJ/s320/Wealth+and+Income+Inequality.bmp" width="225" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The UNCTAD 2012
report entitled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Policies for Inclusive
and Balanced Growth</i>, released on 12 September, 2012, has warned developed
countries who are in a hurry to shift towards the policy of government budget
cuts from the policy of economic stimulus measures. Insufficient State spending
as a part of austerity measures adopted in the developed countries has slackened
their domestic demand. Global growth has reduced from 4.1 per cent in 2010 to 2.7 per
cent in 2011. As a result, export prospects of developing countries have been
affected. Restraining demand in the midst of recession is a misdiagnosis of the
causes of crisis, which the new report has cautioned. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The UNCTAD 2012
report has found that countries like India and Turkey have suffered due to
weaker demand from developed countries and because of the policy of monetary
tightening they pursued in 2011 for curtailing increase in inflation and asset
prices. In the absence of external demand, economic growth in India [which used
to be 7.5 percent in 2008, 7.0 percent in 2009, 9.0 percent in 2010, 7.0
percent in 2011 and 6.0 percent (forecast) in 2012] could be maintained because
of continuous expansion of household incomes and consumption that boosted
domestic demand. However, aggressive monetary tightening has affected private
domestic investment, which has slowed down the Indian economy in the recent
times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For India, annual
growth in volume of exports declined to -6.6 percent in 2009 from 16.8 percent
in 2008 but jumped to 5.9 percent in 2010 and further to 13.7 percent in 2011.
Annual growth in volume of imports plummeted to -0.8 percent in 2009 from 29.7
percent in 2008 but jumped to 13.8 percent in 2010.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It is important to
note that although developed countries accounted for 75 percent of global
growth in the 1980s and 1990s, they only contributed 22 percent of global
growth between 2006 and 2012. Developing countries accounted for 74 percent of
world growth between 2006 and 2012. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">India's Gini
coefficient<b>*</b> for consumption has risen from 0.31 in 1993-94 to 0.36 in 2009-10.
A rising trend in inequality could be attributed to gains from growth being
concentrated among surplus-takers (which include profits, rents and financial
incomes). The UNCTAD 2012 report has observed that the manufacturing sector in
India could not generate sufficient employment opportunities and most of the
labour force is still employed in the low remuneration informal sector and low
productivity agriculture. Wage shares in total national income in the organized
sector have been falling since the early 1990s. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The top 1 percent
held a much larger share of the total wealth of the economy than the bottom 50
percent. For example, 15.7 percent compared with 8.1 percent in India in
2002-03 and their share of wealth is significantly higher than their share of
income (9.0 percent share in total income by top 1 percent in India in
2002-03)-<i>see the table above</i>. The UNCTAD report has argued that high inequality deprives people of
access to education and credit and prevents the expansion of domestic markets. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Apart from India,
Eastern and South East Asian countries have witnessed a rise in personal income
inequality between 1980 and 1995. Economic growth in China has come at the cost
of rising <a href="http://www.talkative-shambhu.blogspot.in/2012/04/india-is-less-poor-but-more-unequal.html" target="_blank">income inequality</a> since 1980s and the trend has still continued. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The UNCTAD report has
advocated for government backed fiscal and labour market policies, which can
reduce income inequality. It has given example of Latin America and other
developing countries where progressive taxation and increased public investment
have contributed to inclusive growth. [For example, in Latin America public expenditure on education rose from 4.1 percent to 5.2 percent of GDP between 2000 and 2010]. The UNCTAD 2012 report has informed that
in the 1980s and 1990s, fiscal policies tended to reduce the share of direct
income taxes in government revenues while increasing the share of indirect
taxes such as value added tax. While criticizing the neoliberal policy of
reducing the "size of the State", the report has stated that lower
taxation of high-income groups and public spending restraint did not generally
result in greater investment, either public or private. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The UNCTAD 2012
report has commended the Indian Government for adopting a $5 billion plan to
provide free medical care to the poorest 50 percent of the population in 2012.
If generic drugs were to be used in the programme then the policy of the
Government would improve access to health care and strengthen the domestic
pharmaceutical industry, anticipated the report.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">* A Gini of zero denotes absolute equality, while a value
of 1 (or 100 on the percentile scale) means absolute inequality.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Key findings of the
UNCTAD 2012 report: </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Macroeconomic,
financial and labour market policies have caused unemployment to rise and
remain high, and wages to lag behind productivity growth, and they have
channelled rentier incomes towards the top 1 per cent of the income
ladder.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Income
inequality fell markedly in most developed countries between 1929 and
1950, and continued its decline in some of them until approximately 1980.
Between the 1980s and 2000s, Gini coefficients increased in most countries
of this group. </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Inequality
declined significantly during left-of-centre governments in Argentina
(around 1950), Brazil (1950), Chile (1970) and Peru (1985).</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">While
looking at historical figures, the report has found that between 1920 and
1930, top 1 percent accounted for between 15 and 20 percent of national
income in India and also in developed countries such as Canada, Finland,
France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Sweden etc. India
witnessed a decrease in inequality during the 1970s, which reversed the
increase in the previous decades.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Top
1 percent income group increased its share in the national income from 6
percent in 1979 to 16 percent in 2007 in the United Kingdom and from 8
percent to 18 percent in the United States during the same period.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Despite
a very modest improvement of GDP growth in the United States and a more
significant one in Japan, developed economies as a whole are likely to
grow by only slightly more than 1 per cent in 2012 owing to the recession
currently gripping the European Union (EU).</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Growth
of global gross domestic product (GDP), which had already decelerated in
2011, is expected to experience a further slowdown in 2012, to around 2.5
per cent.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Many
developing countries have adopted expansionary demand-side policies. For
example, China was able to absorb a dramatic fall in its current-account
surplus with only a small reduction of its overall growth expectation and without
restraining real wage growth.</span></li>
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<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After
a long period of relatively stable distribution of income between profits
and wages, the share of wages in total income has fallen since around 1980
in most developed and many developing countries. </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Fiscal
austerity, combined with wage restraint and further flexibilization of
labour markets, not only causes an economy to contract, but also creates
greater inequality in the distribution of income. </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By
offshoring their production to low-wage countries and/or by keeping wages
down through the mere threat of going offshore, firms of developed
countries created profits which were used for dividend payments and share
buybacks to maximize shareholder value. Due to this, income shares among
the top income groups, including rentiers and the “working rich” in top
management positions, rose. </span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
many developed and developing countries liberal tax reforms (lower
taxation of corporate profits and high-income groups) reduced the
tax-to-GDP ratio, lowered marginal tax rates and contributed to
strengthening those elements of the public revenue system that had
regressive effects on income distribution (i.e. a tax burden that falls
disproportionately on lower income groups).</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">References:</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Trade and Development
Report, 2012, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/tdr2012_en.pdf">http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/tdr2012_en.pdf</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Overview of Trade and
Development Report, 2012,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/tdr2012overview_en.pdf">http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/tdr2012overview_en.pdf</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Economies will
perform better with more even income distribution–UN report, <a href="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=42866&Cr=economic+growth&Cr1=#.UFGWSGe_u9s">http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=42866&Cr=economic+growth&Cr1=#.UFGWSGe_u9s</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Austerity did not
lead to growth; supportive government policies are still needed, UNCTAD report
says</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://unctad.org/en/pages/PressRelease.aspx?OriginalVersionID=95&Sitemap_x0020_Taxonomy=20;#UNCTAD%20Home&Product_x0020_Taxonomy=1566;#Press%20Release">http://unctad.org/en/pages/PressRelease.aspx?OriginalVersionID=95&Sitemap_x0020_Taxonomy=20;#UNCTAD%20Home&Product_x0020_Taxonomy=1566;#Press%20Release</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rising inequality is
not inevitable, report says – and economies will perform better with more even
income distribution</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://unctad.org/en/pages/PressRelease.aspx?OriginalVersionID=96&Sitemap_x0020_Taxonomy=20;#UNCTAD%20Home&Product_x0020_Taxonomy=1566;#Press%20Release">http://unctad.org/en/pages/PressRelease.aspx?OriginalVersionID=96&Sitemap_x0020_Taxonomy=20;#UNCTAD%20Home&Product_x0020_Taxonomy=1566;#Press%20Release</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Report says reducing
inequality through fiscal and incomes policies is key for growth and
development, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://unctad.org/en/pages/PressRelease.aspx?OriginalVersionID=97&Sitemap_x0020_Taxonomy=20;#UNCTAD%20Home&Product_x0020_Taxonomy=1566;#Press%20Release">http://unctad.org/en/pages/PressRelease.aspx?OriginalVersionID=97&Sitemap_x0020_Taxonomy=20;#UNCTAD%20Home&Product_x0020_Taxonomy=1566;#Press%20Release</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-77910303473287764582012-07-23T22:23:00.000-07:002013-12-17T05:33:12.635-08:00Standing on the Threshold: Food Justice in India<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Day 1 </span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">About 44 per cent of Indian children
under age five are underweight and 48% are stunted. India is home to 42% of the
world’s underweight children and 31 per cent of its stunted children. On IFPRI’s
Global Hunger Index, while China has a rank of 9 with only moderate levels of
<a href="http://www.im4change.org/law-justice/disaster-relief-40.html?pgno=3" target="_blank">hunger</a>, India has a rank of 67 with "alarming" levels of hunger. 1 in
3 of the world’s hungry live in India. It is in this context that the Oxfam-IDS
Sussex Bulletin entitled "Standing on the Threshold: Food Justice in India” was
launched during the 2 day conference, which took place at the Constitution
Club, New Delhi on 17-18 July, 2012. The programme was sponsored by Grow
Campaign, Oxfam India, IDS Sussex and Centre for Legislative Research and
Advocacy. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttfCxDuqpesgyTa2RboAh6SNi9hp2IcVoOHflDQ6zzXLcjWz3BiopwDTKIyn5wAih8DMu8FIqtt_0z4TmJOBcptxS_qFtVDy5qlJRa4Ed16wwg9dYl3qHC8WMwFoZMg03KM8goQdu0O3_/s1600/Picture+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttfCxDuqpesgyTa2RboAh6SNi9hp2IcVoOHflDQ6zzXLcjWz3BiopwDTKIyn5wAih8DMu8FIqtt_0z4TmJOBcptxS_qFtVDy5qlJRa4Ed16wwg9dYl3qHC8WMwFoZMg03KM8goQdu0O3_/s320/Picture+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Biraj Swain, Campaign Manager and Grow
Lead, Oxfam India informed the audience that the Food Justice movement was
launched in 2011. Over a billion people worldwide go to bed hungry. 80 percent
of women farmers do not have land titles. The Food Justice movement is
insisting on universalizing food and nutritional rights to all. 50 percent of
small farmers in India do not have access to <a href="http://www.im4change.org/hunger-hdi/public-distribution-system-pds-42.html" target="_blank">public distribution system (PDS)</a>. 70 percent of farmers are net buyers
of food. ‘Policy pluralism’ has been called for. Hence, there is a demand to
recognize the role of small and marginal farmers; recognize the role of women
in food security; and, recognize the leadership role that India can play in the
backdrop of climate change [Read: <i>Breaking old barriers and building new
alliances for Food Justice in India and globally</i>, 16 July, 2012, <a href="http://blogs.oxfam.ca/blogs/general/breaking-old-barriers-and-building-new-alliances-food-justice-india-and-globally">http://blogs.oxfam.ca/blogs/general/breaking-old-barriers-and-building-new-alliances-food-justice-india-and-globally</a>].
She informed that IDS Sussex and Oxfam India are committed to preparing a
Hunger Reduction Commitment Index and for accomplishing that task a survey has
been completed in 3 BIMARU states i.e. Odisha, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF5J64-K7EorzsZkVPxlNyzLA2GqsAhgGOrpp8vcDjrXdtarpTHIfr7wyFysJGRo0qPuJe2HcCngYTVRIWe8UN3Ro8wnGnW7X5yDEoXCZC3brbCzY4HDZCKWvVNaU_Uk3jtDwKuD42cf_o/s1600/Picture+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF5J64-K7EorzsZkVPxlNyzLA2GqsAhgGOrpp8vcDjrXdtarpTHIfr7wyFysJGRo0qPuJe2HcCngYTVRIWe8UN3Ro8wnGnW7X5yDEoXCZC3brbCzY4HDZCKWvVNaU_Uk3jtDwKuD42cf_o/s320/Picture+019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nisha Agarwal, CEO, Oxfam India said
the Food Justice movement aimed to fix the broken food system. Of the one
billion people around the world who are worried about daily access to food, one
fourth of them live in India. The Food Justice movement brought together
various strands of work. Oxfam India is working with 180 grassroots NGOs. It is
marching ahead with a campaign, which is rooted in India. Issues of food
production and food distribution have been kept in mind during the campaign.
Oxfam India has Indianized the ‘Grow Campaign’. Oxfam India is engaged in
localizing the campaign with solid research base. It has asked the Government
to invest more in agriculture. Lawrence Haddad and his team at IDS Sussex has
partnered with Oxfam India. A set of 15 policy papers has been launched, which
have been written by 21 contributors, of which 18 are from India. Quoting NC
Saxena, Nisha said that despite increasing the GDP by 10 percent in a year,
India is unable to reduce hunger and malnutrition by 1 percent in 10 years.
Growth is unable to deliver anything substantial to the poor who constitute 50
percent of Indian population. She informed the audience about a high level
meeting on National Food Security Bill to be held on 18 July, 2012. There has
been a complete ‘policy paralysis’ in terms of enacting important legislations.
The 10 recipes for Food Justice in India mentioned by her are as follows:</span></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="a">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Food rights be
enshrined in a Right to Food Act that provides nutritious food for all.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Various public
schemes for providing food and nutrition (such as the PDS, ICDS, MDMS and
IGMSY) be reformed and made more accountable to communities. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Laws that
protect the property rights of vulnerable groups, including women and
tribals (such as the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement
Bill, the Forest Rights Act) get enacted and implemented fully and
genuinely. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Indian and
multinational companies investing in agriculture locally and globally do
so in a responsible, ethical and sustainable manner.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Indian and other
world leaders agree to a just and equitable global deal on climate change</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The capabilities
of farming communities to cope with the impacts of climate change be
built. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Investments are
made in Second Green Revolution in Eastern India that is more equitable
and sustainable and focuses on rain-fed areas and does not replicate the
problems of first Green Revolution. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Women’s
important role as producers and processors of food is recognized and
support is provided to them that is tailored to meet their needs. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">India plays an
active role in the global system (Committee on World Food Security-CFS,
G8, G20, US, EU member states) to prevent future food price crisis, and to
respond to them in a coordinated manner when they occur.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Community based
mechanisms for mitigating and preparing for drought and other disasters
that can cause food scarcity and food crises be strengthened and
supported. </span></li>
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0skQo4NkOla5dZHiu1QJLU6eJ6qguUle5ZmdSlfIu5lgl3cZL-0_a3Kfbh-44UstyTl31fttYgF5hutBWkOEdPPHpONje39xYdahMfBUZ4ud5ibJT5kVKdu-S-fzZqNObHObdDgN_5NaP/s1600/DSC01541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0skQo4NkOla5dZHiu1QJLU6eJ6qguUle5ZmdSlfIu5lgl3cZL-0_a3Kfbh-44UstyTl31fttYgF5hutBWkOEdPPHpONje39xYdahMfBUZ4ud5ibJT5kVKdu-S-fzZqNObHObdDgN_5NaP/s320/DSC01541.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prof. Lawrence Haddad (<a href="http://www.ids.ac.uk/">http://www.ids.ac.uk/</a>) informed that he has
been working on the issue of food security in India since the last 30 years.
India has the capacity to radicalize the food security issue. Green Revolution
was radical application of science that quadrupled yield. However, GR has its
own set of problems for e.g. it could not reach out to the poor. Amartya Sen’s
work on democracy and famines pointed out the role to be played by media in an
open society. The Right to Food Justice movement is going to set an example
before the rest of the world. For doing the Oxfam-IDS Bulletin entitled
‘Standing on the Threshold: Food Justice in India”, IDS Sussex partnered with
IDRC, Oxfam India and other NGOs. In preparing the Bulletin, knowledge from
insiders is given preference over knowledge from outsiders. India’s Food
Security Bill would cover 70 percent of all Indian households. India stands on
the threshold of potentially the largest step towards food justice the world
has ever seen. This is because Mexico’s cash transfer scheme caters to only 30
percent of its population. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prof. Haddad mentioned about Harsh
Mander’s paper which says that a lot of civic and judicial activism was
involved in pushing ahead the Food Security Bill. Regarding the potential, he
said that rights are needed to be realized. Right is only as strong as the
programmes that deliver. There are many threats to food security that are
beyond the Bill’s ambit. India’s food security and malnutrition rates are high
and stubborn. Regarding rights gained, Haddad said that it took 50 years of
civil and judicial activism to make Article 21 and 47 “judiciable”—the last 10
years being very active. He said that rights would be realized after overcoming
exclusion. The litmus paper test would be whether rights empower the poor. He
asked whether the unique ID system empowers the poorest or the bureaucrats. Harsh’s
paper says that rights are necessary but NC Saxena’s paper says that rights are
necessary but not sufficient. Rights can be gained and taken away. CP
Chandrasekhar’s paper deals with food price volatility due to speculation. The
new challenge to food security is climate change. Rights can be eroded as they
cannot stay forever. In order to continue keeping the pressure on, there is a
need to prepare the Hunger Reduction Commitment Index. The biggest crisis is about
43 percent of children whose brains are being damaged due to malnutrition. There
are 4 landmark bills which are waiting for the Parliament’s nod i.e. National
Food Security Bill, Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill,
Women’s Land Entitlement Bill and Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation
Bill. For making the impact of the bills visible, transparency is needed. There
is need to strengthen scrutiny and recourse systems. The State needs to be
proactive in protecting, respecting, fulfilling and facilitating the rights. During
the 1970s and 1980s, India increased its foodgrain production. In the 1990s and
2000s, there was a rise in income but fall in calorie consumption in India,
Haddad noted. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg437wx2l2_KFjN-Xz_OEaSPMEHoQH66YaRA1JdmlSloWzlffGuYML2aNZ96X_Au19MHlIRCTz3yOwUEs1oL6JBk8joXWIIgDljs0AeJ3wVvnO-Zj3q5TUu0jooV62G9if4BZdAyy4CAvW6/s1600/Picture+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg437wx2l2_KFjN-Xz_OEaSPMEHoQH66YaRA1JdmlSloWzlffGuYML2aNZ96X_Au19MHlIRCTz3yOwUEs1oL6JBk8joXWIIgDljs0AeJ3wVvnO-Zj3q5TUu0jooV62G9if4BZdAyy4CAvW6/s320/Picture+016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">During the 1<sup>st</sup> session on
17<sup>th</sup> July, 2012, Dr. NC Saxena, Supreme Court Commissioner on Right
to Food, <a href="http://www.sccommissioners.org/">http://www.sccommissioners.org/</a>
said that his paper’s title is <i>Hunger and Nutrition in India</i>. He said
that India’s GDP growth since the 1980s has picked up. From 1990s onward, India
has witnessed 6.9 percent growth per annum. The 2010 Global Hunger Index Scores
finds that countries poorer than India have faced lesser hunger. Child mortality
and malnutrition are quite high in India. Between 1996 and 2011, Hunger Index
in India rose. Agricultural production has been satisfactory in India. In the
last 14 years, annual growth in crop production (as deciphered from the index
of crop production) declined as compared to the previous decade. Per capita
annual food production (in kg) has not increased. In 2002-03, despite lower
production, prices were stabilized as stocks were sold as animal feed. Per
capita daily availability of foodgrain (in grams) has declined in 2010 and came
to the level as they existed in the mid 1970s. In India, poor do not have enough
purchasing power and hence they have lower consumption levels. Rise in
government stocks is leading to decline in availability. The buffer norm varied
between 20 and 30 million tonnes. But actual stock went up during 2007-2012.
There is a need to improve offtake. Foodgrain wholesale price index has been
steadily going up since 1999 onwards. In 2002, per capita monthly rural
consumption of foodgrains (in kg) was 20.5 kg in Vietnam and 13 kg in India.
During 2004-06, per capita consumption of all cereal (in kg per year) was 175.1
kg in India, 287.9 kg in China, 953 kg in the US and 316 kg at the global
level. During 2004-06, per capita consumption of all meat (in kg per year) was
5.3 kg in India, 56.8 kg in China, 126.6 kg in the US and 40.2 kg at the global
level. Hence, India cannot be blamed for increased demand for foodgrain that
resulted in global inflation as was once pointed out by George Bush. The
underlying causes of hunger are: a. Falling per capita crop production; b.
Increasing share of surplus states, leading to artificial surplus and further
to export; and c. Increasing inequality with only marginal rise in the per
capita expenditure of the bottom 30 percent. From their meager incomes, poor
are forced to spend more on medical care, education, transport, fuel, light
etc. thus reducing the share of their expenditure on food. There is low access
of the poor to expensive food such as pulses. There is low access to ICDS. Food
subsidy in India has increased from Rs. 79 billion in 1997-98 to Rs. 313
billion in 2007-08 and further to Rs. 602 billion in 2011-12. Food production
in India has increased from 192 million tonnes in 1997-98 to 231 million tonnes
in 2007-08 and further to 253 million tonnes in 2011-12. The last PDS evaluation
by the Planning Commission took place in 2003 and it found out that 58 percent
of PDS grain does not reach the below poverty line (BPL) population, only 22
percent reaches to the above poverty line (APL) population and 36 percent of
PDS grain is sold out in black market. Dr. Saxena urged that the Government
should do another round of evaluation of the country’s PDS. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dr. NC Saxena said that the factors
behind Chhattisgarh’s PDS success are: a. Political will; b. Private dealers
replaced by panchayats; c. 70 percent of the population covered at Rs. 2/ Rs. 1
per kg of rice; d. Huge investment from state revenues; e. Chhattisgarh is a
rice surplus state; f. 500 people put behind the bars for indulging in
corruption; g. Toll free number for grievance redressal and h. Constant
monitoring. In Chhattisgarh, the PDS department has been kept out of the ambit
of money making or corruption since PDS has been considered important to win
elections. West Bengal can’t improve its PDS since its fiscal position is not
good. Dr. Saxena displayed the following table <i>(Source: 12<sup>th</sup> Five
Year Plan)</i> during his presentation regarding the distribution of
cardholders among poor and non-poor.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRO_ln_MeYTxsIPCngt9OYHbUnQv95rwJU_95c0fHST24WWpWG3sO25Q20tv_0FDpKxmM9moF3ULiwic7S8qO4qSURu_1xQOzPw39IF7k4a0j2WlajNBc7F4F81sOrQpjxo2Zq6uwQ0Fq6/s1600/PDS.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRO_ln_MeYTxsIPCngt9OYHbUnQv95rwJU_95c0fHST24WWpWG3sO25Q20tv_0FDpKxmM9moF3ULiwic7S8qO4qSURu_1xQOzPw39IF7k4a0j2WlajNBc7F4F81sOrQpjxo2Zq6uwQ0Fq6/s320/PDS.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dr. Saxena said that Socio-economic
and Caste Census (SECC) cannot reduce inclusion and exclusion errors. He asked
for the PDS to be universalized in the poorest 150 districts. Despite
President’s address to the nation in June, 2009, Food Security for All and
reforms in the PDS could not happen. The National Advisory Council took the
following decisions under UPA-2: </span></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="a">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Cover 90 percent
rural and 50 percent urban population</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">46 percent of
rural and 28 percent urban to get 7 kg unit of rice/ wheat/ millets at Rs.
3/2/1 per kg</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">44 percent rural
and 22 percent urban to get 7 kg per unit at 50 percent of the current
minimum support price</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Legal
entitlements for child and maternal nutrition, MDMS for school children as
well as community kitchens and programmes for feeding destitute and
vulnerable groups. </span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">These recommendations can be
implemented through an administrative order without waiting for the Food Bill
to be passed by Parliament. There are issues before the National Food Security
Bill which are yet to be resolved. It is debated: whether PDS should be
universalized or targeted; whether 25 kg or 35 kg of foodgrains per household to
be distributed under PDS; what should be the price of foodgrains which is sold
in ration shops; should procurement be increased even when per capita
production does not increase; what would happen to the already existing APL
allocation in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and the North East; should
foodgrain exports continue?; should UID be introduced for PDS?; and
accountability initiatives under PDS. He said that pension is a direct cash
transfer which is quite popular. However, there are problems associated in
replacing the PDS with direct cash transfer such as: a. Large scale substitution
is not feasible as PDS provides outlets for grain bought from the farmers at
minimum support price; b. Pilots can be tried in urban areas; and, c. Institutionalized
deliveries have gone up because of direct cash transfers. He said that direct
cash transfers required good banking structure, functional registration and
widespread debit cards. In India, out of the total health expenditure, one
fourth is funded by the government and three fourth is out of pocket
expenditure. In the United Kingdom, out of the total health expenditure, three
fourth is funded by the government and one fourth is out of pocket
expenditure. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowM4myqND8AKfIiXGefleAp8nhDYqR9lJYqJxbVBHyUQQhle2RDwSf3I-34Kdxr41KVUOq50guPa0NwNE37v0yWcHra44VNfAGaw25cudu7FLCNvSirkvzLBo-DUFqc-_HrCfjvBC2ujp/s1600/Picture+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowM4myqND8AKfIiXGefleAp8nhDYqR9lJYqJxbVBHyUQQhle2RDwSf3I-34Kdxr41KVUOq50guPa0NwNE37v0yWcHra44VNfAGaw25cudu7FLCNvSirkvzLBo-DUFqc-_HrCfjvBC2ujp/s320/Picture+028.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prof. Yogendra Yadav (Centre for the
Study of Developing Societies, <a href="http://www.csds.in/">www.csds.in</a>) said
that there is lack of political will arising out of complex political
processes. There is a paradox of poverty among plenty. Despite rule of the
masses in democracy, the status quo of the elites is maintained. Overwhelming
choice of the masses does not become the ruling agenda. Rulers do not rule on
the basis of majority decisions. For two-third of Indian population, food
availability is an issue. Opinion polls suggest that 90 percent of the poor
have no problem calling themselves as poor. Unlike the United States, in India the
poorer one is, s/he is more likely to vote. In a Brazilian system, it is
comparatively difficult to take pro-poor decisions. The <i>ata dal</i> scheme
prior to the Punjab election worked wonders for the ruling parties. It was a
successfully targeted scheme. The Food Security Bill has languished in the
Parliament. The NAC is doing what the politicians should be doing and the
politicians are acting like technocrats nowadays. There are structural issues
in Indian polity. Elections are much celebrated in India. It connects State
power with the citizens. The mega-scale of Indian polity is unmatched. There
are multiple layers within the political structure. As we go down the tiers of
democracy, citizens’ participation rises. However, the distribution of power
goes the other way round. National governments escape accountability. Panchayats/
municipalities do not enjoy enough power. Struggles and movements face the
problem of fragmentation. The primary identity of the poor is not poverty. It
is something else. Movement of political activists from lower to upper rung
does not happen as it happened in the case of Lula in Brazil. There has been
systematic masking of rural crisis in the media. Questions of chronic
deprivation, hunger and malnutrition are repressed by the media. Structure of
accountability is fragile in media. There has been capture of political parties
by families not only in India but also in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Political
parties are crowded by filmstars, singers, filthy rich people etc. Replying to
a question, Prof. Yadav said that forward trading in food passes on the risk of
global trading to primary producers. However, the government has not intervened
to protect producers of food. When the price of ‘guar ki fali’ (used for
manufacturing industrial adhesive) shot up, farmers could not enjoy the price hike.
Non-elected and non-representative individuals have played key roles in the
Right to Food movement. In 2004, the Left arm twisted the Congress to pursue
its own manifesto, which later led to enacting of important legislations like NREGA,
Forest Rights Act etc. This delicate situation, confessed Prof. Yadav, reminded
him of Karl Marx's The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte (See: <a href="http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1852/18th-brumaire/">http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1852/18th-brumaire/</a>).
</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtl9KYe1UsYaLESmR4jDsCyRDFt6Olq8PYoyYxGl2HeV_jRLrOgeVy6OSNUp8V1wXd8Io-hmV9uTLrOImfwGl6vFSObhY0w1cZIRvyDVDToMhsBzqQCC_t6Ko7_qXAalw3CBlBvs8QESn/s1600/Picture+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtl9KYe1UsYaLESmR4jDsCyRDFt6Olq8PYoyYxGl2HeV_jRLrOgeVy6OSNUp8V1wXd8Io-hmV9uTLrOImfwGl6vFSObhY0w1cZIRvyDVDToMhsBzqQCC_t6Ko7_qXAalw3CBlBvs8QESn/s320/Picture+020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In his video message to the
conference, Olivier De Schutter, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right
to Food said that after People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) filed a PIL
with the Supreme Court of India in 2001, various progressive orders were made
by the latter to strengthen the Right to Food movement. Nearly 500 “affidavits”
have been submitted by the petitioner
(PUCL) and respondents, close to a hundred “interim applications” have been
filed, and 49 “interim orders” have been issued [See: Supreme Court Orders on
the Rights to Food: A Tool for Action, <a href="http://sccommissioners.org/CourtOrders/tool_for_action.pdf">http://sccommissioners.org/CourtOrders/tool_for_action.pdf</a>].
Since Right to Food will become legislation, so it will be relieved of
corruption and political manipulation. India must focus on poverty among women
and shall try to improve local food systems. India should follow the principle:
<i>People first and not profit first</i>. Not only irrigated but dryland
farming should be targeted so that small and marginal farmers gain. Women’s
role in food security of the household should be recognized. Government should
rethink on export led agriculture and policy of Special Economic Zones. Sanitation
and health care also leads to food security. Gap between farm gate price and
retail price should be closed by bringing together producers and consumers of
food. There should be regulation of agri-food corporations. Finally, Olivier De
Schutter wished the researchers associated with the publication of Bulletin.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jOXwGEOzMIM30OizlXcZleN3CGFyhHmUcxzaxdZkKkXhXQzjNlWzEPgUxhK7RI-T8WOGg3_jvArbGA_vc_i0isIJpZ-RAIB_QDeKCWbW67qsWqEA5puFcjtOtxnUB9q-7o-V2XCTyAL-/s1600/Picture+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jOXwGEOzMIM30OizlXcZleN3CGFyhHmUcxzaxdZkKkXhXQzjNlWzEPgUxhK7RI-T8WOGg3_jvArbGA_vc_i0isIJpZ-RAIB_QDeKCWbW67qsWqEA5puFcjtOtxnUB9q-7o-V2XCTyAL-/s320/Picture+035.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The 2<sup>nd</sup> session on 17<sup>th</sup>
July, 2012 entitled: <i>New Roles, New Rules and New Alliances</i> was chaired
by Dr. Amir Ullah Khan, Deputy Director, Strategy, Planning and Management, Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation. He said that food security is an issue of
interest to most of the citizens. Earlier after India gained Independence,
people worried whether India had enough to survive. Thanks to the Green
Revolution, India could feed its people. Due to setting in of complacency in
the last one and half decades, investment in agriculture has fallen. India has
seen cereal price inflation and child malnutrition. He asked whether India
should get carried away by growth. He asked whether investment has to be
measured as percentage of GDP and asked whether one should make a choice
between public and private investment. There is debate between growth and
inclusion. If social expenditure rises, fiscal deficit would rise. If wages
rise, inflation would occur. If minimum support price is increased, inflation
in food will take place. Amir Ullah asked whether a PDS that cater to the
middle-class be subsidized. A time has come to debate on such issues, Amir
Ullah insisted. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Harsh Mander, from Supreme Court
Commissioner on Right to Food, presented his paper entitled: <i>Judicial
activism and the progressive reading of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution</i>.
He said that food for all and health for all are ‘just’ demands. He told the
story of a man in O Henry’s story who wanted to get into a jail so as to get
free food [See: The Cop and the Anthem, <a href="http://exchanges.state.gov/media/oelp/pdfs/publications/gift-of-the-magi/the-cop-and-the-anthem.pdf">http://exchanges.state.gov/media/oelp/pdfs/publications/gift-of-the-magi/the-cop-and-the-anthem.pdf</a>].
By referring to Article 21, he said that there is an acknowledgement of
fundamental right to life by the Indian Constitution. He told that in April
2001, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL, Rajasthan) filed a writ
petition in the Supreme Court seeking legal enforcement of the right to food
[See: Supreme Court Orders on the Rights to Food: A Tool for Action, <a href="http://sccommissioners.org/CourtOrders/tool_for_action.pdf">http://sccommissioners.org/CourtOrders/tool_for_action.pdf</a>].
He informed that the Supreme Court passed 4 kinds of orders:</span></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="a">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Schemes cannot
be reduced. So schemes have to be converted into entitlements.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Expand the
content of this programme.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Universalize the
entitlements. Hence education cess of 2 percent was passed to financially
support this order. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Institute a
mechanism to implement this order. Hence the office of the Supreme Court
Commissioner on Right to Food was established. </span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">After the Congress was back to power
in 2009, the NAC took the Food Security Bill at the outset. In South Africa,
Right to Food is a fundamental right. Elaborating the scope of the Act, Mander
described that the Right to Food campaign said that food production should be
taken into account under the Right to Food. There is a debate generated whether
the PDS should be universalized or it should remain as it is. There has been
emphasis on the type of food to be included under the National Food Security
Bill: pulses, millets etc. People have questioned whether the middle class should
be taxed to support the poor. The Prime Minister is concerned about the cost of
the National Food Security Bill which is estimated to be Rs. 1,40,000 crore a
year. The tax-GDP ratio in India is too low. If more than 5 lakh crores a year
can be given as tax sops to the corporate sector, then there is enough money available
to finance the National Food Security Bill. He recalled Noam Chomsky who once
said that social protection is about taking care of each other. Children born
in female-headed <i>musahar</i> dalit households are found to eat half-digested
foodgrains present in cow dungs, and leftover foodgrains spread over crop
fields. Fermented starch is given to children so that they don’t demand for
food. Grass and herbs having no nutritional value are also consumed by the poor
people. Mothers give their children intoxicants to help them sleep hungry. Objective
of the National Food Security Bill would be to stop mothers giving such lessons
to children on how to go to sleep despite hunger, Mander added. He said that
India is unable to reap the benefit of demographic dividend. Every 2<sup>nd</sup>
child born is undernourished. Mander considered land reforms as a programme for
social transformation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Paranjoy Guha Thakurta (Senior
Journalist) and Subi Chaturvedi (researcher at IIT, Delhi) presented their paper
<i>Riding the Tiger-Mainstreaming Food and Nutrition in Media</i>. Subi said
that people outside the research and academic arena should know about the
issues related to food security. Teenage consumption of media is quite high
i.e. 10 hours per day. There is extensive corporate ownership of media. Plural
voices are lacking in media. There has been homogenization of content. A lot of
cross media ownership is happening. There is vested interest in corporate
ownership. The phenomenon of paid news is getting widespread. There is no
dearth of space or platform. Facts and issues relating to food and nutrition
justice find expression in the mass media around the world. In India that
expression ranges from the sensational to the mundane. Media is not homogenous.
The need is to tell the story well. Young generation now listen to grave issues
on Satyameva Jayate. Instead of following a blanket approach in presenting the
case for food and nutrition justice to all sections of the mass media,
advocates and experts must adopt a nuanced approach in articulating messages
that are designed for specific audiences. Faces of people had to be presented
before cold statistics. Individual cases help create ‘human interest’ news
stories, which in turn can help mobilize public opinion around hunger/
malnutrition related stories. Paranjoy said that advertisement expenditure has
been curtailed recently. Telecommunication and media companies are coming
together. In Delhi 16 English dailies are published. However, there are so many
oligarchs in the media industry. Once upon a time it was thought that good news
is no news and bad news is good news. Nowadays only positive stories are entertained
by the media. Paranjoy contended that economic inequality is rising due to
inflation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The title of R Ramakumar’s (Tata
Institute of Social Sciences, <a href="http://www.tiss.edu/">http://www.tiss.edu/</a>)
paper was <i>Investment, Expenditure and Credit in Indian Agriculture</i>. He
said that agricultural sector is important since agriculture has the largest
potential to reduce poverty. Irrigation leads to higher growth and rural
infrastructure helps in poverty reduction. His paper dealt with trajectory of agricultural
investments and expenditure between 1950s and 2000s. Data from various official
sources were separately analyzed. He said that food justice and right can be
realized only when agricultural production is increased. In the 1970s, the
share of agricultural Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) in agricultural GDP
grew sharply and reached its peak value of 12 percent in 1979-80. The growth of
agricultural GFCF began to decline in the second half of the 1980s. The 1990s
witnessed a sharp fall in the share of agricultural GFCF to agricultural GDP;
in 1998/99, this share was almost half of that in 1979-80. In the 2000s, the
share began to rise, reaching 14 percent of the agricultural GDP in 2005-06 and
17 percent of the agricultural GDP in 2009-10. Thus, there was revival of GFCF
in agriculture in the 2000s. Public investment in agriculture as a share of
agricultural GDP, rose till the late 1970s, began to decline from the early
1980s and continued to decline in the 1990s up to 2004-05. Public investment
induces or ‘crowds in’ private investment by farmers. Public investment in
irrigation leads to complementary private investment in constructing private
investment in constructing field channels and bunds, drainage and leveling of
fields. In the 1990s and 2000s, the shift in the relationship of
complementarity was unmistakable. Private investment grew in the absence of
preceding public investment. There are fewer cultivators who are investing in
the 1990s and 2000s. The newer forms of investment preferred are: construction
of wells and other irrigation sources, farm houses and investment in
improvement/ reclamation of decreased. The implications of autonomous rise in
private investment are: groundwater exploitation, acute problem of salinity,
increase in pumping depths, rise in pumping costs and reduction in well yields.
Public investment is required for surface irrigation and is crucial for land
augmentation. In 1990s and 2000s, there was decline in the rate of growth of
public spending on agricultural research and extension compared to earlier
decades. A consequence of the squeeze on formal credit in the 1990s was a sharp
fall in the growth of credit flow to agriculture. The slowdown in agricultural
credit in the 1990s was reversed in the period after 2000, and particularly
after 2004-05. Though availability of credit may drive private investment,
credit need not always be employed productively on the farm. Only a part of the
additional supply of agricultural credit in the 2000s has been directed to
cultivators. In 1990 about 87 percent of agricultural credit was provided as
direct finance (given directly to farmers). In 2010, only 76 percent of total
agricultural credit was direct finance. There have been definitional changes on
what constitutes credit in agriculture. For example, from 2007 onwards,
two-thirds of loans given to corporates, partnership firms and institutions for
agricultural and allied activities in excess of Rs. 1 crore per borrower were
considered as indirect finance to agriculture by RBI. Ramakumar said the policy
of bank nationalization was completely reversed by financial liberalization in
1991. He said that credit meant for farmers is not going to them. A loan above
the size of Rs. 2 lakh can hardly be termed as a loan to an Indian farmer. Yet,
in 2010, loans above the size of Rs. 2 lakh constituted 56 percent of all
agricultural credit. Loans of size above 25 crore constituted 18 percent of all
agricultural credit. From 2002-03 onwards, agricultural credit grew rapidly
compared to capital formation in agriculture. A smaller portion of the credit
supplied to agriculture was transformed into capital investment in agriculture
in the 2000s.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Day 2</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-DGVeEVpO7mlww_JbcL7HgUXYIQ5iOkSc7KRz2ZHTNRPcdNJ-MBSQ29ikTK47Q2a44UoR3dze1hVWmLRVqDgw5t2ZHr-lquQzQ07VLTfIjVPlEHPmqkmiU7veb2dDWI6nArKXbdA_FWy/s1600/DSC01560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-DGVeEVpO7mlww_JbcL7HgUXYIQ5iOkSc7KRz2ZHTNRPcdNJ-MBSQ29ikTK47Q2a44UoR3dze1hVWmLRVqDgw5t2ZHr-lquQzQ07VLTfIjVPlEHPmqkmiU7veb2dDWI6nArKXbdA_FWy/s320/DSC01560.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">On 18<sup>th</sup> July, Nisha
Agarwal, CEO, Oxfam India briefed the Food Minister KV Thomas about the Food
Justice movement which is meant to mend the broken food system. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Food Minister KV Thomas congratulated
Oxfam India and IDS Sussex teams for bringing out the publication on food
justice. Such an important seminar can definitely make one understand the issue,
Thomas believed. The conference is held at a time when the important issues
related to the National Food Security Bill would be discussed in the presence
of Prime Minister on 18 July, he informed. The technological breakthrough
achieved through the Green Revolution in the 1960s helped the country to
achieve self-sufficiency in foodgrain production. In 1947 when the population
was only 40 crore, India had to import rice to feed itself. Ships used to come
loaded with rice and wheat in the Cochin port. Nowadays Cochin port is used to
export foodgrains and other products. To implement food security at the
individual or household level, there are various schemes and programmes of the Government.
The two schemes-TPDS and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) are targeting the poor
population. Even APL population is covered under the TPDS. There are more than
5 lakh fair price shops spread across India. India lacks an efficient and
modern food distribution system for storage, transportation and distribution.
Personally, Thomas wanted everyone to get food under the PDS provided the
distribution system is foolproof. However, there is leakage to the extent of
15-20 percent. When rice is sold at Rs. 5 per kg in Kerala, Rs. 18 per kg is
the subsidy component. There is cost associated with storage and
transportation. Subsidized foodgrains is given to 6.5 crore BPL households
(which includes 2.5 crore AAY households) and 11.5 crore APL households. There
are schemes specifically targeting malnutrition among women and children such as
ICDS and MDMS. The UPA 2 government proposed a new Food Security law when it
came to power in 2009. The Government held widespread consultations with state
governments, experts and many NGOs. Government welcomed suggestions and inputs.
The proposed National Food Security Bill has taken into account a Life Cycle
Approach to food security. The proposed Bill wants to provide nutritional
support to women and children. The mother is considered as the head of the
household under the National Food Security Bill. Elaborate mechanisms are there
in the Bill to ensure transparency and accountability. NGOs and local bodies
have crucial roles to play. NGOs are doing good work in Chhattisgarh when it
comes to ensuring transparency in the PDS. The proposed NFSB will cover 75
percent of rural population and 50 percent of urban population. There is a
discussion going on whether the BPL-APL distinction is dissolved so that the
larger community gains from the National Food Security Bill. India currently
procures 20-25 percent of foodgrain that is produced annually. India is also
subject to vagaries of nature. There has been a rise in minimum support price
but the issue price has remained the same. The annual food security burden on
the exchequer is Rs. 88000 crore, which was Rs. 45000 crore five years back. On
the basis of 2011 census, the annual food subsidies will go up to Rs. 109000
crore. Earlier India needed 50-55 million tonnes of foodgrains under the PDS.
Based on the new Census 2011, India requires 60 million tonnes of foodgrains.
Under the proposed NFSB India needs 65 million tonnes of foodgrains. India has
to take a practical approach to food security, Thomas urged.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chairing the 1<sup>st</sup> session of
18<sup>th</sup> July, 2012 entitled: <i>From Margins to the Centre-Addressing
Exclusion and Invisibility</i>, Dr. Kaveri Gill, Senior Programme Officer,
International Development Research Centre (IDRC) said that women, tribal groups
and dalits should benefit from the National Food Security Bill. She said that
the National Food Security Bill should aim at reducing inter-group inequality
as well as inter-generational inequality. Deeply embedded discrimination
against certain social groups affects food justice and malnutrition. She
asserted that legal rights cannot be a panacea for everything. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dr. RP Mamgain, Director, Indian
Institute of Dalit Studies (IIDS, <a href="http://www.dalitstudies.org.in/">http://www.dalitstudies.org.in/</a>)
and G Dilip Diwakar (IIDS) presented their paper entitled: <i>Elimination of
Identity based Discrimination in Food and Nutrition Programmes in India</i>. RP
Mamgain said that economic and social inclusion of dalits, tribals and other
marginal groups is important. Land redistribution in favour of dalits is
important. Dalits face discrimination in labour and other input markets. There
are 98 different types of discriminations faced by dalits. Dalits face
discriminatory, accessibility and availability problems. Children from Schedule
Caste groups are 1.4 times malnourished as compared to children from other
social groups. Incidence of malnutrition is higher among Schedules Tribes-STs
(56.1 percent) and Scheduled Castes-SCs (50.6 percent) as compared to others
(36.3 percent) as per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS). The HUNGaMA
report tells that 42 percent of children are underweight and 59 percent are
stunted. There are 3 different types of exclusion and discrimination faced by
SCs and STs in Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) and Mid Day Meal
Scheme (MDMS) namely—the location of infrastructure, the nature of human
resources managing the scheme at the grassroots level and discriminatory
practices in providing the service. Location of the infrastructure facility
helps certain groups and hinders access for other social groups. The ICDS and
the MDMS have been criticized for irregularities, non-adherence to guidelines
and malpractices leading to leakages of benefits to non-beneficiaries and
complete denial of service to some target groups. G Dilip Diwakar said that
capacity building of civil society organizations is vital for improving service
delivery in ICDS and MDMS. He asked for monitoring, training and sensitization
and ensuring quality of provisioning. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Amita Shah from Gujarat Institute of
Development Research (GIDR, <a href="http://www.gidr.ac.in/">http://www.gidr.ac.in/</a>)
said in her paper<i>: Priority Changes for Strengthening Women’s Role as
Producers, Processors and Providers of Food and Nutrition</i> that there has
been feminization of agriculture in India. She said that India has recently
been witnessing food inflation and changing employment scenario. In many parts
of rural India, there is a huge churning going on, she remarked. Women have
been major contributors to production, processing and provisioning of food and
nutrition. According to recent estimates of the National Sample Survey (NSS),
women contribute for 38.51 percent of total rural workers engaged in primary
sector in 2007-08. According to the time-use survey covering six states in the
country during 2000, women spent almost equal amounts of time on crop
cultivation and allied activities. They receive payment for only 60 percent of
the time they spend in agriculture, as a substantial part of their work is likely
to be on family farms. In 2004-05, 36 percent of women farmers overall, and 39
percent among marginal landholding households, were counted as unpaid workers
on family farms (NCEUS, 2010). Joint titles for married women may work.
Expansion of negotiating space for women is essential. Agrarian crisis can be tackled through natural
resource management and institutional support. The 12<sup>th</sup> Five Year
Plan envisages a comprehensive approach that lays special emphasis on increasing
productivity of foodgrain production on the one hand and promoting crop
diversification on the other. Women have to play a larger role in steering the
shift. Amita asked whether increased income from agriculture will address women’s
as well as household food security. The link between increased income and
increased food intake is getting weak. Access to health services, drinking
water, the level of hygiene in living conditions and socio-cultural norms
matter a lot in determining nutritional outcomes. She suggested that policies
should incentivize land titles to women, women’s labour collectives and
cooperative farming. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Felix Padel (Institute of Rural
Management Anand,</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.irma.ac.in/">https://www.irma.ac.in/</a>) during his
presentation titled: <i>Adivasis and Tribals-Their Land and Power</i> said that
fundamental injustice has been faced by the tribals. Adivasis constitute a
population estimated at about 86 million or 8.4 percent of India’s population.
Out of the ST population, as many as 10-20 million Adivasis have been displaced
due to displacement since Independence. In Chhattisgarh, innocent tribals have
been killed by security forces time and again. False encounters indicate gross
violation of human rights. People still remember the atrocities faced by Soni
Sori and Sodi Sambo. Fraudulent public hearings during land acquisition and
shoddy environment impact assessments (EIAs) for mining have become common. The
biometrical index prepared by National Nutrition Survey shows that 50 percent
Schedules Castes and 60 percent Schedules Tribes are malnourished. Though
Adivasis means indigenous people, in India the term Schedules Tribes is used
officially for them and it was coined by the Britishers. The 5<sup>th</sup>
Schedule of India’s Constitution affirms the non-alienability of tribal land as
elementary rights. There are good laws like Forest Rights Act (FRA) and
Panchayats Extension to Schedules Areas Act (PESA) but they are hardly
implemented well. Adivasi Economics is firmly rooted in long-term symbiosis
with local ecology, enabling tribal communities to live amidst biodiversity,
and profit from it in their mix of cultivation, gathering and hunting, without
destroying it or even depleting it. Adivasis have faced cultural racism in the
form of displacement. Adivasi society is different from society under
capitalism. Money is seen as compounding problems in an Adivasi society. The
idea of starvation deaths has been used to justify aluminium projects in Orissa
since the 1980s. Tribal Development Plans are rarely conceived and guided by
Adivasis themselves. As indicated by P Sainath, tribal development schemes are
prone to exceptional levels of corruption. Tribal movements are often seen as
anti-development. Tribals believe that the more money comes in as a result of
investment induced displacement in tribal areas, the more it leads to miseries. Particularly
Vulnerable Tribal Groups like Baigas, Birhor, Korwa, Juang, Dongria Konds,
Pauri Bhuiya etc. are facing cultural genocide and cultural racism, which are
needed to be recognized. Land Acquisition law of 1894 and its eminent domain
status need to be thrown out. There should be free prior informed consent in
case of land acquisition. Public hearings shall not be manipulated. The new Green
Revolution in the Eastern parts of India should be questioned. PSUs can extract
minerals from tribal areas whereas private corporations cannot. But private
corporations are working hand in glove with PSUs in such areas to extract
minerals. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Presenting the paper entitled: <i>Addressing
Exclusion in PDS and ICDS</i>, M Kumaran (Oxfam India) said that there are 5.07
lakh fair price shops for distributing foodgrains under the public distribution
system (PDS). There is one fair price shop for 2388 people delivering nearly 86
tonnes of foodgrains annually. The ICDS is implemented through 12.41 lakh
centres known as anganwadi centres (AWCs), each located in a habitation of
400-800 population. Despite being in the final year of 11<sup>th</sup> Five
Year Plan, India is 1.5 lakh short of the targeted number of AWCs meant to
cover at least 1.17 crore potential beneficiaries. Both the PDS and the ICDS
suffer from top down approach in implementation. There has been exclusion of
the community to mobilize and assert. Despite planning universal access under
ICDS, only 8.37 crore children were officially covered against the targeted
15.88 crore children aged 0-6 years. In case of PDS, foodgrains for 25 lakh BPL
households were not lifted from the godowns. Percentage of PDS foodgrains not
reaching the consumers ranges from 24-54 percent. 50 percent of small farmers
are excluded from the PDS due to identification error. There exists a poor
monitoring system along with local elite capture over service delivery points.
There is direct discrimination on the basis of caste, gender and religion.
There is non-transparency on the part of service providers and monitoring
bodies. There exists a minimalist and diluted accountability mechanism. The
unique identity project empowers the bureaucracy and not the citizens. The
National Food Security Bill should include landless labourers, dalits, tribals,
female children, single women households, religious minorities, disabled and
old and destitute people. The PDS needs to be universalized. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prabhanjan Verma, IBN 7, told that
every person has a right to food. The stark contrast between images of rotting
foodgrains in godowns and faces of malnourished children and hungry people
could convey the message quickly to the TV viewers as opposed to plain
statistics–poverty amidst plenty. India has money to finance subsidy. The APL/BPL
dichotomy is part of the politics. Centre does not entertain BPL figures given
by the states. So the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) is being done to put a
cap on the poverty numbers. Subsidy is currently going to the wrong set of people.
States like Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh have tackled corruption in the PDS. TV
journalists and media persons are not well trained in the areas of climate
change and food security. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">During the 2<sup>nd</sup> and final
session on 18<sup>th</sup> July entitled: <i>Prioritizing the Agrarian Agenda in
the era of Climate Change</i>, Vijay Paul Sharma, Indian Institute of
Management, Ahmedabad acted as the Chair. He said that inflation is driven by high value
agriculture. There is need for decentralized procurement with an emphasis on
public-public partnership.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dr. Swarna Vepa, Madras School of
Economics, presented her paper titled: <i>Defining India’s Role in Global Food
Price Volatility</i>. She said that food price inflation is an important issue
before India and rest of the world. Speaking on the problems associated with global
food price volatility, she said that high price leads to hunger and malnourishment of
the poor in all nations and more so in the poor countries. Price signals lead
to supply responses from the producers. Uncertainty in prices leads to
uncertainty in investments in agriculture. Food inflation may spread to other
commodities. Food price rise takes away large chunks of the income from
consumers and reduce demand for non-food items. Price rise leads to fall in
overall GDP. Explaining the factors behind price rise, Dr. Vepa said that global
food stocks were low a decade earlier when inflation occurred. There has been a
rise in food demand from Africa and other countries due to rise in income which
increased prices of rice and wheat. There has been rise in demand for animal
feed as diets shifted towards animal based food in Asia. High oil prices led to
use of biofuel. So agricultural land is increasingly being converted to biofuel
and urban use. Price distortion due to healthy subsidies given by the developed
countries to agriculture reduces the incentives to production by poor countries.
The supply side constraints include rise in input costs due to increase in
fertilizer prices, increase in labour cost and oil price hike. The financial
crisis increased the supply of money, which led to inflation. Speculation and
future trading leads to price rise. Globalization is bringing the domestic
price closer to the world price. Therefore, there is no one cause behind inflation.
There are lot many factors behind inflation. The puzzle behind food price
volatility still persists. The charity work should begin at home and India should
realize that its participation in global trade led to global price
fluctuations. It should increase its domestic supply and minimize excess demand
from global stocks. It should carefully implement the National Food Security
Bill. India should improve the energy efficiency of food production. It should
work towards removing global trade distortions so as to protect the Third World
farmers. Farmers are enjoying only 20 percent of the hike in prices. The rest
is enjoyed by those in the middle of the supply chain. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dr. GV Ramanjaneyulu, Centre for
Sustainable Agriculture, <a href="http://www.csa-india.org/">http://www.csa-india.org/</a>,
said that Indian farmer is at the verge of extinction. He said that
distribution of rainfall has changed and extreme weather events have become
common. One could notice heat and cold wave, prolonged dry spells et al. Due to
climate change, yield losses, crop losses and human and animal deaths are
expected. The small and marginal farmers who constitute 70 percent of farming
community are the worst affected due to ecological and economic crisis.
According to the Census data, operational holdings below 4.0 hectares (ha)
constitute 93.6 percent of all operational holdings in 2000/01, covering 62.96
percent of the operational area, or about 100.65 million ha in absolute terms. There
has been a 0.6 degree C rise in temperature in the last 100 years and it is
projected to rise by 3.5-5 degree C by 2100. The carbon dioxide concentration
is increasing by 1.9 ppm each year and is expected to reach 550 ppm by 2050 and
700 ppm by 2100. The sea level has risen by 2.5 mm every year since 1950 while
the Himalayan glaciers are retreating. Every 1 degree C rise in temperature
reduces wheat production by 4-5 million tones as per a study by Indian
Agricultural Research Institute. In India, 28 percent of the GHG emissions are
from agriculture; about 78 percent of methane and nitrous oxide emissions are
also estimated to be from agriculture. India should move towards ecological
farming. Climate change plans of the Government won’t help. Business as usual
cannot continue. The Green Revolution led to monoculture, increased usage of
chemical fertilizers, heavy irrigation and heavy mechanization. Area under the
production of cotton, maize, paddy and sugarcane is rising. 80 percent of
production comes from a few genetic backgrounds. There has been a decline in biodiversity.
Increased dependency on fertilizers is affecting soil’s nutritional status and
depleting its organic matter. Large dams have contributed to 18.7 percent
emissions in India. He said that price volatility in rice is lesser and it can
be used for self-consumption by the producers. That is why paddy cultivation is
considered safer. He asked for making new institutions for farmers. </span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">References:</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">National Food Security Bill marks a
paradigm shift to ensure food for all, claims Thomas, Newstrack India, 18 July,
2012, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/national-food-security-bill-marks-a-paradigm-shift-to-ensure-food-for-all-claims-thomas-16326.html">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/national-food-security-bill-marks-a-paradigm-shift-to-ensure-food-for-all-claims-thomas-16326.html</a>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Committed to food security bill:
Thomas, The Hindustan Times, 18 July, 2012, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/committed-to-food-security-bill-thomas-16324.html">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/committed-to-food-security-bill-thomas-16324.html</a>
</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Standing on the threshold of Food
Justice in India, Oxfam, 17 July, 2012, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/standing-on-the-threshold-of-food-justice-in-india-16309.html">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/standing-on-the-threshold-of-food-justice-in-india-16309.html</a>
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">‘India’s Food Bill can set example for
rest of world’, The Hindu Business Line, 17 July, 2012, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/indias-food-bill-can-set-example-for-rest-of-world-16310.html">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/indias-food-bill-can-set-example-for-rest-of-world-16310.html</a>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In farmer's name by R Ramakumar,
Frontline, Volume 28, Issue 06, 12-25 March, 2011, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/in-farmers-name-by-r-ramakumar-6519.html">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/in-farmers-name-by-r-ramakumar-6519.html</a>
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">How ‘rural' is India's agricultural
credit? by Pallavi Chavan, The Hindu, 13 August, 2010, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/how-rural-is-indias-agricultural-credit-by-pallavi-chavan-2867.html">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/how-rural-is-indias-agricultural-credit-by-pallavi-chavan-2867.html</a>
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Solution worse than the problem:
Targeting and the Food Security Bill, Policy Brief for Parliamentarians, Centre
for Legislative Research and Advocacy,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.clraindia.org/include/CLRApbnfsboxfamfinalpulication.pdf">http://www.clraindia.org/include/CLRApbnfsboxfamfinalpulication.pdf</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Why the NFSA Will Not Ensure Nutrition
Security, Policy Brief for Parliamentarians, Centre for Legislative Research
and Advocacy,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.clraindia.org/include/CLRAnfsaNutritionSecurityfinal.pdf">http://www.clraindia.org/include/CLRAnfsaNutritionSecurityfinal.pdf</a>
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Challenging Federalism: Centre-State
Relations and the NFSB, Policy Brief for Parliamentarians, Centre for
Legislative Research and Advocacy,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.clraindia.org/include/CLRANFSBChallengingFederalismfinal.pdf">http://www.clraindia.org/include/CLRANFSBChallengingFederalismfinal.pdf</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hunger, Under-nutrition and Food
Security in India, Policy Brief for Parliamentarians, Centre for Legislative
Research and Advocacy,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.clraindia.org/include/Hunger.pdf">http://www.clraindia.org/include/Hunger.pdf</a>
</span></div>
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shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-33163475178452362292012-07-16T04:18:00.001-07:002012-07-16T18:40:06.072-07:00Justice for Bathani Tola 1996-Punish the Guilty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbngCU5Ohdo_Q4Kb5qVJ4iVW4xMacySV4COaqP1sybrUlBUy0-dJRk3WMTB7AcHs1WxpnquUw2iccOnxF3wW7TMC_S-1g7PFzYDy0eLljptIkUfGLFssuzf64mVfsXNt9RGdE4nOybRsi/s1600/DSC01524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbngCU5Ohdo_Q4Kb5qVJ4iVW4xMacySV4COaqP1sybrUlBUy0-dJRk3WMTB7AcHs1WxpnquUw2iccOnxF3wW7TMC_S-1g7PFzYDy0eLljptIkUfGLFssuzf64mVfsXNt9RGdE4nOybRsi/s320/DSC01524.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">On 16<sup>th</sup>
April, 2012 the Patna High Court acquitted 23 people who were convicted by a
lower court (i.e. Ara Sessions Court in May 2010) in the gruesome Bathani Tola
massacre case, thus indicating travesty of the country’s criminal justice
system. 21 dalits and muslims including women and children were butchered in
broad daylight by the caste militia-Ranvir Sena in Bihar's Bhojpur district on
11 July, 1996. The main culprit, Brahmeshwar Singh, chief of the outlawed
Ranvir Sena was murdered on 1 June, 2012 which led to the sudden flare-up in
Ara. Supporters of BJP and upper caste Bhumihars went berserk following his
death, damaging public and private property.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLwdPMSx-DI4UNXCW2cxk2V6ZRh_-8aMRrKu6EqHE9zun8TJbhP1qzuzLbRGbbvVb3vEe0bE93yvwVUl_rBMabcsGgSjzfXdzMFovaCPLuEPwW3GbftILTulEcwjm0Zo9KO5YQyNR66YP/s1600/DSC01529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLwdPMSx-DI4UNXCW2cxk2V6ZRh_-8aMRrKu6EqHE9zun8TJbhP1qzuzLbRGbbvVb3vEe0bE93yvwVUl_rBMabcsGgSjzfXdzMFovaCPLuEPwW3GbftILTulEcwjm0Zo9KO5YQyNR66YP/s320/DSC01529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">A National Convention
entitled <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Justice for Bathani Tola 1996-Punish the Guilty </b>was organized by 'Citizens for Justice for Bathani Tola' on 15
July, 2012 at the Constitution Club to commemorate the Bathani Tola anniversary
in Delhi. It was held a day before the hearing of the petition in the Supreme
Court against the Patna High Court verdict. The Convention was addressed by the
survivors of the Bathani Tola massacre as well as students from Ara’s dalit
hostel who faced ire from the supporters of Ranvir Sena and BJP after the death
of Brahmeshwar Singh. A report on the witch-hunt of minority youth at Darbhanga
was also presented at the Convention. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwA9oLUwy23QKkforVrOrG6Y2UDKKTu9n3LsgQF6PswNKJMTiPatSWLdFo9ID07f27ULSwUSC0nnH1kJG9VEdRt18nSolhVrafZNCXbqLRPUxFjAeY2RDJrH4ZO0nbnTuv_5qMcoFL1PA/s1600/DSC01531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwA9oLUwy23QKkforVrOrG6Y2UDKKTu9n3LsgQF6PswNKJMTiPatSWLdFo9ID07f27ULSwUSC0nnH1kJG9VEdRt18nSolhVrafZNCXbqLRPUxFjAeY2RDJrH4ZO0nbnTuv_5qMcoFL1PA/s320/DSC01531.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kavita Krishnan, Member
of the Central Committee, CPI (ML) Liberation welcomed the participants of the
Convention and introduced the young filmmakers–Kundan <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">et al</i> who created a documentary on Bathani Tola massacre. She
recalled what the Ranvir Sena said about the killings: "We kill children
because they will grow up to become Naxalites. We kill women because they will
give birth to Naxalites."</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsU0PrM5niaH12dUGdzbpDT0CG9_tB1TfRz41EJgQsDdKcTjnilBKbWtQe-9Xkq19klDlCvF5WApRPdnUcsyC3AyqyaHAaKtooIzsLhyphenhyphenidt4MH6e7TXsF3p1J_H4yvPaN05ETymXNZvo0/s1600/DSC01526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsU0PrM5niaH12dUGdzbpDT0CG9_tB1TfRz41EJgQsDdKcTjnilBKbWtQe-9Xkq19klDlCvF5WApRPdnUcsyC3AyqyaHAaKtooIzsLhyphenhyphenidt4MH6e7TXsF3p1J_H4yvPaN05ETymXNZvo0/s320/DSC01526.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Uma Chakravarti,
noted historian said that a serious meeting has been held to ponder over the
Patna High Court’s decision to acquit the Bathani Tola murderers. She recalled the
Kilvenmani massacre in Tamil Nadu in 1969 in which a group of 42 striking Dalit
(untouchable) village labourers (who were demanding for higher wages) were
murdered by henchmen, allegedly sent by their landlords. However, those
responsible for the murders were acquitted by the Tamil Nadu High Court later. After
the reversal of the Sessions Court’s decision by Tamil Nadu High Court, the
landlords involved in Kilvenmani massacre were released but some of them got
killed in revenge attacks later. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhdjGvU0c4OXIG594aSsHkOxY_nIrQ5s-yoUbp4yTszZRHv1pixBU1CLOwqS1TKzWjGUoO65kyvVXv6i3zNRKj1pYmnvaMZQlxr6RxVfCZTWVSjQFmALqIkxNCanZp8Jl2Jq7fAEH-91W/s1600/DSC01533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhdjGvU0c4OXIG594aSsHkOxY_nIrQ5s-yoUbp4yTszZRHv1pixBU1CLOwqS1TKzWjGUoO65kyvVXv6i3zNRKj1pYmnvaMZQlxr6RxVfCZTWVSjQFmALqIkxNCanZp8Jl2Jq7fAEH-91W/s320/DSC01533.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Naeemuddin Ansari an
eyewitness to the Bathani Tola massacre and family member of the victims killed
by Ranvir Sena said that the incident took place in broad daylight at 2.00 pm
on 11 July, 1996 [See: <i>Back to Bathani Tola</i>-Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprashasta,
Frontine, Volume 29, Issue 12, 16-29 June, 2012, <a href="http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2912/stories/20120629291203200.htm">http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2912/stories/20120629291203200.htm</a>].
Following the riots by Ranvir Sena and BJP supporters after the murder of Brahmeshwar
Singh, Chief Minister of Bihar called a Sewa Yatra, thus, avoiding the
atrocities done on dalits and muslims, he alleged. Though he applied for arms
license in 2008 so as to protect himself from further attacks by upper caste
militia, till date he has not received it.</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzzhBgq5WOLlNOPjUZWmDJb3Zgz3QQYzqYfUU2sqo4LO923XpRP0VGCCur3uDFI3P4c2kqxTSneS27yPfZ9fw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Shabbir, a victim
from Ara’s dalit hostel (Ambedkar Kalyan Hostel), said that Ranvir Sena and BJP
supporters attacked dalit students at the morning hours after the murder of Brahmeshwar
Singh-chief of Ranvir Sena. Bhojpur police was informed about the attack but
the administration expressed its inability to help and instead asked the
students to run away from the hostel. All the necessary items were stolen by
the attackers. Locked rooms left behind were broken. Dalit students were beaten
mercilessly. No water and electricity services were arranged by the
administration after the incident. </span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyi7tAGz2EO7cORP_UW4OnDwUv42UbexbW-ORPR9inze5dhlssbMNWxV7pVvtV1tAaK32wZpy84RS-a0rRHaQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Shivprakash Ranjan, a
student of Ambedkar Kalyan Hostel and AISA supporter, said that the cycle-stand
near the hostel was burnt and 40-50 cycles were destroyed completely. 3 bikes
and a jeep were burnt by the Ranvir Sena supporters during the riot following Brahmeshwar
Singh’s murder. Police asked the students to leave the hostel for 4-5 months.
It seemed from the behavior of the police personnels deployed that they were siding
with the attackers. Due to the intervention of AISA, the SDO could be met. From
11<sup>th</sup> June onwards, staying inside the hostel restarted and from 18<sup>th</sup>
June police force was posted in the dalit hostel. The CM declined to meet the
AISA leadership [Read: <i>Attack on Dalit Hostels in Ara</i> <i>by Ranveer Sena Goons
Exposes Nitish’s Secular Posturing</i>-Shivprakash Ranjan, <a href="http://www.cpiml.org/liberation/year_2012/july_2012/feature.html">http://www.cpiml.org/liberation/year_2012/july_2012/feature.html</a>].
The SC/ST Welfare Minister Jitanram Majhi was also met by the AISA delegation. The
District Magistrate refused to take any action and said that media cooked up
the story of attacks on dalit students. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJE9s6F7cwwcCDPsBfTTSjY8oGwWw7FN99hzA81ErW_7ln9Zav6mN9tI630-daExRbzxZUamN0SMZ6pUoLQnh842lidRjjL2jWyR47oAxdMQad18zSxrdiDVivIcWGB5CauRljHfLffcBC/s1600/DSC01540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJE9s6F7cwwcCDPsBfTTSjY8oGwWw7FN99hzA81ErW_7ln9Zav6mN9tI630-daExRbzxZUamN0SMZ6pUoLQnh842lidRjjL2jWyR47oAxdMQad18zSxrdiDVivIcWGB5CauRljHfLffcBC/s320/DSC01540.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Retired JNU professor
Tulsi Ram said that Bathani Tola has become a symbol of atrocities on dalits.
It was retired judge Justice Sawant of the Supreme Court who said that law in
India is not strong enough to punish the guilty. The justice system in India is
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hindu-ized</i>. Chanakya’s arthashastra
is too harsh on dalits and has provisions for the maximum amount of punishment
for them. 80-85 percent of people who are hanged are dalits since they cannot
afford justice. It is not external enemies but insiders who are responsible for
murdering the countrymen. In BJP ruled states, human rights abuse is rampant
for example Chhattisgarh [See: <i>Human shield review after ‘mix-up’</i>-Nishit
Dholabhai, The Telegraph, 5 July, 2012, <a href="http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120705/jsp/nation/story_15693320.jsp">http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120705/jsp/nation/story_15693320.jsp</a>].
Economic empowerment of dalits has not taken place. A strange mixture of
religion and violence could be noticed in the Ara attack on dalit students
since both Ranvir Sena and BJP supporters took part in it. Anti-Buddhist wave got
started in India by discovering newer Gods and Goddesses who were weoponized
too. Such Gods and Goddesses acted as symbols of violence. People who believe
in such Gods tend to be more violent. Dalits are attacked since they are the
most vulnerable in the caste structure. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Retired Chief Justice
of Delhi High Court Rajinder Sacchar mentioned about the Arwal massacre in
which police opened fire on a peaceful mass meeting killing 23 and injuring
dozens [See: <i>A Fact Finding Report On Arwal Massacre</i>, <a href="http://www.cscsarchive.org:8081/MediaArchive/liberty.nsf/%28docid%29/BA06C62226979E26E5256A47002A0D92">http://www.cscsarchive.org:8081/MediaArchive/liberty.nsf/(docid)/BA06C62226979E26E5256A47002A0D92</a>].
He said that during the last 25 years, India has not made much progress. It is,
in fact, building a worst kind of society. There were many officials and
political parties who denounced the murder of Brahmeshwar Singh. But when
Bathani Tola incident took place not much public sympathy came into being. Justice
Sacchar promised legal help to the families of the victims. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prof. Kamal Mitra
Chenoy from JNU said that in the Bathani Tola massacre both Indian Constitution
and Social Justice were attacked. The killing of Chandrashekhar, a student
leader from JNU, took place in a similar fashion in Siwan in March 1997.
Victims of Bathani Tola have not yet received justice. Democracy in India can,
thus, be questioned. Attacks on dalit students happened in a state whose CM
says that he is with the lower caste. Despite the presence of such a CM, Ranvir
Sena supporters dared to attack dalit students in Ara after the death of Brahmeshwar
Singh. Those hanged are mostly dalits since they have no recommendations and they
lack money to afford good lawyers. In India only the rich can afford justice. Naxalism
grew as a result of social injustice. Those taking up the causes of dalits
before elections have turned out to be traitors and they now support MNCs. He
demanded that people’s representatives should visit Bathani Tola. Bad
governance has spread across the country. Fight against injustice shall
continue. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC_Od1jdzPmTpDCUn8d8iKG3G7jJfluzFHMtaTnTBFSmfDlGFj1SiTlw-RlJCUdk_7CpKlInuMsXzV-BZnfKvDvYx0kyOFO7o_mVxt7HmgaQG3Ghy2u6fABGs0mawiObYnWZKqQ1sLJNRw/s1600/DSC01534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC_Od1jdzPmTpDCUn8d8iKG3G7jJfluzFHMtaTnTBFSmfDlGFj1SiTlw-RlJCUdk_7CpKlInuMsXzV-BZnfKvDvYx0kyOFO7o_mVxt7HmgaQG3Ghy2u6fABGs0mawiObYnWZKqQ1sLJNRw/s320/DSC01534.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prof. Nandini Sundar
from Department of Sociology Delhi School of Economics congratulated the people
for continuing their fight against feudalism despite getting a setback decision
from the Patna High Court. She said that tribals faced a similar situation in
Chhattisgarh.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Vineet Tiwari who was
part of the PUCL group that wrote a report on Amousi massacre, which took place
on 1 October 2009 spoke in detail about the incident [<i>A Fact Finding Report on
Amousi Carnage in Khagaria District</i>, <a href="http://otheraspect.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/a-fact-finding-report-on-amousi-carnage-in-khagaria-district/">http://otheraspect.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/a-fact-finding-report-on-amousi-carnage-in-khagaria-district/</a>].
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Simpson whose
brother-in-law was killed in the Paramakudi massacre inside a police van said
that the High Court of Tamil Nadu acquitted the murderers of Kilvenmani
massacre that took place in 1969 due to lack of evidence. He said that in India
dalits are victims of caste oppression. Economic status of dalits could not be
changed despite bhakti movement. Their economic status has remained the same
since centuries. Successive Governments had been against land reforms. He asked
for successful land reforms, implementation of land ceilings along with land
redistribution and joining of land cooperatives by beneficiaries of land
reforms. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sources:</span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Justice for Bathani
Tola massacre victims demanded-Mohammad Ali, The Hindu, 16 July, 2012, <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/article3644998.ece">http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/article3644998.ece</a>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bathani Tola and the
Cartoon Controversy by Anand Teltumbde, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol
XLVII, No. 22, 02 June, 2012, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/bathani-tola-and-the-cartoon-controversy-by-anand-teltumbde-15359.html">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/bathani-tola-and-the-cartoon-controversy-by-anand-teltumbde-15359.html</a>
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Convention Demands
for Victims of Bathani Tola Massacre, Sanhati, 2 May, 2012, <a href="http://sanhati.com/articles/5009/">http://sanhati.com/articles/5009/</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ranvir Sena chief
murder poses challenge to Nitish Kumar-Smita Gupta, The Hindu, 2 June, 2012, <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article3481805.ece">http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article3481805.ece</a>
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">No gentlemen in this
army-Ashwani Kumar, The Hindu, 6 June, 2012,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article3494007.ece">http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article3494007.ece</a>
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Brahmeshwar Singh's
murder: Bihar braces for retaliatory killings-Pranava K Chaudhary & Rajiv
Nayan Agrawal, The Times of India, 2 June, 2012,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-02/india/31983202_1_bathani-tola-ranvir-sena-mukhiya">http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-02/india/31983202_1_bathani-tola-ranvir-sena-mukhiya</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">3 given death, 20
life imprisonment for killing 21 Dalits in 1996, The Times of India, 12 May,
2010, <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/3-given-death-20-life-imprisonment-for-killing-21-Dalits-in-1996/articleshow/5920990.cms">http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/3-given-death-20-life-imprisonment-for-killing-21-Dalits-in-1996/articleshow/5920990.cms</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Three get life for
killing former JNU student leader, CNN-IBN, 23 March, 2012, <a href="http://ibnlive.in.com/news/3-get-life-for-killing-former-jnu-student-leader/242059-3.html">http://ibnlive.in.com/news/3-get-life-for-killing-former-jnu-student-leader/242059-3.html</a>
</span></div>
shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-20358242473482201202012-06-22T22:48:00.000-07:002012-06-28T01:14:29.041-07:00Residents oppose cash transfers scheme of Delhi Govt. at Jahangirpuri Jan Sunwai<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XjVrqao8fUS-eho2KesGn9T3EL1noqDShD-q0OU5i5LnbjhPFz0FBq8K7keMlFUjmeUgdQgbGTLsrgedEGn4ry8feSdZPpkMfgrr21M9QIzVUuReL5i-mru424nzT16oOsTxl-6GBcTG/s1600/DSC01414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XjVrqao8fUS-eho2KesGn9T3EL1noqDShD-q0OU5i5LnbjhPFz0FBq8K7keMlFUjmeUgdQgbGTLsrgedEGn4ry8feSdZPpkMfgrr21M9QIzVUuReL5i-mru424nzT16oOsTxl-6GBcTG/s320/DSC01414.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Delhi Government has recently
decided to conduct <a href="http://www.talkative-shambhu.blogspot.in/2012/06/despite-protests-delhi-govt-going-ahead.html" target="_blank">pilot surveys in Sangam Vihar and Jahangirpuri</a> on cash
transfers so as to discontinue the existing public distribution system (PDS). A
Jan Sunwai was arranged on behalf of Bhalaswa Lok Shakti Manch (BLSM) and Residents
Welfare Association, Jahangirpuri at Ramlila Maidan, G block (near Kushal
cinema), Jahangirpuri on 22 June, 2012 so as to oppose Delhi Government’s move to
replace the PDS with cash transfers. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnAU3YwVBSHJLYkEwo8r_BhUYDKcfkC1A6I5cvzRgWHPhciLttV7cl-v7OZ1IKToaHG6U26Nv_72_DjMatFwSlbLnVRZYKFjikOpavoTRKUDa_2Q2cFJiTDQ15GdwjnuR20xdC7YkRoL3/s1600/DSC01483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnAU3YwVBSHJLYkEwo8r_BhUYDKcfkC1A6I5cvzRgWHPhciLttV7cl-v7OZ1IKToaHG6U26Nv_72_DjMatFwSlbLnVRZYKFjikOpavoTRKUDa_2Q2cFJiTDQ15GdwjnuR20xdC7YkRoL3/s320/DSC01483.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Social activist Pushpa from BLSM said
that the Jan Sunwai (public hearing) could not begin at the scheduled time (i.e.
11 am on 22 June 2012) since the administration rejected the permission for
holding it at the Ramlila Maidan at the last minute, which was sought since a month
back. Right to Food is the demand of the present public hearing. Despite
problems associated with the PDS, it should not be dismantled. She informed
that in a pilot survey of 100 households during 2011 done by SEWA and IDF in
association with Delhi government, residents (women heads) of Raghubir Nagar
were given Rs 1000/- per household (comprising 5 members). On 26 April, 2012,
UNDP and the Delhi Government along with Swami Sivanand Memorial Institute
(SSMI) organized a public meeting in Jahangirpuri in order to convince people
about the advantages of cash transfers over PDS. However, through a <a href="http://www.talkative-shambhu.blogspot.in/2012/06/despite-protests-delhi-govt-going-ahead.html" target="_blank">signature campaign</a>, 4500 signatures were collected from people rejecting the cash
transfer scheme. The same have been sent and communicated to the Chief Minister
of Delhi, FSO Commissioner, AC (north West) and UNDP along with memorandum of
people from Jahangirpuri. Cash transfer would affect the farmers since the
minimum support prices (MSP) given to them would be ended when it is introduced. Pushpa
asked why the government is not ready to reform the PDS to check leakages and
corruption. The ration shops do not follow Section 4 of the Right to
Information Act so as to proactively disclose information to ration consumers,
she asserted. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_c_2tCmiA-T6MGJKNMU2WvWcTUsWmbLf0LQiimttGjcUuwcTS-cUOACNdbfX8_Dpwvbyune1bGD4UIpwZ_fSPsQcCS6vplbtfgh8LwqMiZHBltzCCV3cM2bAmK7P9ks8yN4GWHqWe3gj/s1600/DSC01466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_c_2tCmiA-T6MGJKNMU2WvWcTUsWmbLf0LQiimttGjcUuwcTS-cUOACNdbfX8_Dpwvbyune1bGD4UIpwZ_fSPsQcCS6vplbtfgh8LwqMiZHBltzCCV3cM2bAmK7P9ks8yN4GWHqWe3gj/s320/DSC01466.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Jan Sunwai helped one to
understand the situation on the ground. Veenu, a woman from the nearby slum, told
that her ration card got cancelled recently and the officials at the ration
office and the PDS dealer do not listen to her grievances. She asked for PDS
instead of cash transfer. She asked for public support to hold a dharna. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66ORD_o3070uqT3ea6QWhRjbvZe_wUa4txN0jHAPL6X8HX4m419RMf28NSF49txOMBp7eDSjiLw9HhXQPxhCRlmloua_ySeBRdRWAHwQ63j3Imo9thEvJD86uZ0kmCym1jY85f65VoXtN/s1600/DSC01477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66ORD_o3070uqT3ea6QWhRjbvZe_wUa4txN0jHAPL6X8HX4m419RMf28NSF49txOMBp7eDSjiLw9HhXQPxhCRlmloua_ySeBRdRWAHwQ63j3Imo9thEvJD86uZ0kmCym1jY85f65VoXtN/s320/DSC01477.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Meenu, a resident of Jahangirpuri,
shared how she and other women are struggling to ensure that they receive their
entitlements completely and on time. She spoke about ration cards which show
that ration has been dispatched but the families have not received any food
grains. She also spoke about corruption from ground level ration
shopkeepers who sell off the foodgrains in black and are not willing to act on
complaints.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYKmeJfWQ5thkye2eZwpou9ZXDg-ZRYe8lq2oIoRvmtC-CmWtACFsQbGEPbcmwoC7EHsaF06-NK0WzpeYe8QQeL1txj8Gq35OyANGuhEQatB0yriiJgqQvsZLwQ9uvzKAPE8rMI_G04kn/s1600/DSC01485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYKmeJfWQ5thkye2eZwpou9ZXDg-ZRYe8lq2oIoRvmtC-CmWtACFsQbGEPbcmwoC7EHsaF06-NK0WzpeYe8QQeL1txj8Gq35OyANGuhEQatB0yriiJgqQvsZLwQ9uvzKAPE8rMI_G04kn/s320/DSC01485.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">A middle aged woman named Zarina said
that despite Public Grievance Commission (PGC) orders, ration cards could not be
issued to her. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhob_Zmy23LA4B4PfeGwmOXHgN6xDk4q6mA-2PthKgGd3V9EUckA3qam3ObPIWnj7DqCYYQAPbjB0yLVgDdec5aPAuPtLLAdxEFQqi4l5jMKMJ52am_uafCNQS8Go-W6IoI3DxGgmuNQlV0/s1600/DSC01433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhob_Zmy23LA4B4PfeGwmOXHgN6xDk4q6mA-2PthKgGd3V9EUckA3qam3ObPIWnj7DqCYYQAPbjB0yLVgDdec5aPAuPtLLAdxEFQqi4l5jMKMJ52am_uafCNQS8Go-W6IoI3DxGgmuNQlV0/s320/DSC01433.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Raju bhai, a daily wage labourer living
in Delhi since the last 32 years said that out of his 4 sons, he has lost 2. He
has 2 daughters too. It took him 3 years to strike off the names of 2 of his
dead sons and add the names of his 2 sons who took birth later. The officials
asked for bribe for performing their duties. Full quota of wheat, rice, sugar
and kerosene is not supplied by the ration shops. Old people are cheated by the
ration dealers and are made to wait in the queue for long hours. He shouted the
slogan: “Paisa Nahi Chahiye, Ration Chahiye” (Give us ration, don’t give us
cash).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpp1tSuS8WGhvb_MzCdRhFQ5x2zJ34TZBi89pmvfo7Zt5VvUwA4PzIr9AOCfSOtmM5v_lPZbKUCItTYfRToh8OhhPQF5VTL_27ZC96Hr4-0WjmDuJAkYczyCwHhvzLF6n8Y4R4p6JRAgg_/s1600/DSC01429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpp1tSuS8WGhvb_MzCdRhFQ5x2zJ34TZBi89pmvfo7Zt5VvUwA4PzIr9AOCfSOtmM5v_lPZbKUCItTYfRToh8OhhPQF5VTL_27ZC96Hr4-0WjmDuJAkYczyCwHhvzLF6n8Y4R4p6JRAgg_/s320/DSC01429.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sushila ji, a woman from the slum said
that despite being a poor, she does not have a card since 5 years. She has
requested the officials and filled up the forms several times but all in vain. Given
her economic status, it is difficult to pay bribe. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QQ5XP1tOWr9BaC4hbE7z_wnsIEXy5-wTF137sLtWZ59CF6i-SDr-E4kWI-O0be_zwJ_S7NGj9LfuSRPTxRNoX-BXimMglI7E_LRJfFeLmvMOmfEtgQ0MAyZ-uM_fjntbotMfb8-9RI9g/s1600/DSC01431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QQ5XP1tOWr9BaC4hbE7z_wnsIEXy5-wTF137sLtWZ59CF6i-SDr-E4kWI-O0be_zwJ_S7NGj9LfuSRPTxRNoX-BXimMglI7E_LRJfFeLmvMOmfEtgQ0MAyZ-uM_fjntbotMfb8-9RI9g/s320/DSC01431.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Zahir Bhai, a resident of
Jahangirpuri, alleged that the money given by the Central Government has not been
utilized properly by the Delhi State Government. Despite identification of
households, only a few could receive the Antyodaya Anna Yojana card (red card).
</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97Hx57Ak-bJAn7nbHOHC8zhWLiznTotQ0AjCXg0MyVyWDbGi3y0736CZmQ5jlW30VGKDNivkZn5HI5ScdX0yNHoG4UeObpglSTO4sN1BQ6Nu2mcOVEy5HYo0iAOWriaiwU3FHILC_R3Hx/s1600/DSC01488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97Hx57Ak-bJAn7nbHOHC8zhWLiznTotQ0AjCXg0MyVyWDbGi3y0736CZmQ5jlW30VGKDNivkZn5HI5ScdX0yNHoG4UeObpglSTO4sN1BQ6Nu2mcOVEy5HYo0iAOWriaiwU3FHILC_R3Hx/s320/DSC01488.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pushpa, a social activist from Satark
Nagrik Sangathan said that if government is formed by the people, then it
should be held accountable to fulfill the need of its people.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhyoDXVwdpEqD8dH3u5dpX0RZK0dehugMxAFkAD0rRE7li02tnIb2oP8qiU_4NFE8BXtydLihru5eZdxtBhEnTd3DM3rAm9LytKfxAK97NT-Qv5dkFH8jdXWNxy1l0iBpvy2lSxhe6PMe/s1600/Tarachand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhyoDXVwdpEqD8dH3u5dpX0RZK0dehugMxAFkAD0rRE7li02tnIb2oP8qiU_4NFE8BXtydLihru5eZdxtBhEnTd3DM3rAm9LytKfxAK97NT-Qv5dkFH8jdXWNxy1l0iBpvy2lSxhe6PMe/s320/Tarachand.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tara Chand, FSO, Circle 4 Food and
Civil Supplies Department who was invited to listen to the grievances of the
residents of Jahangirpuri said that people had many complaints and these should
be addressed. He said there had been changes in policy which affected the
amount of foodgrains received. Due to the instruction coming from the head
office, ration shops reduced the monthly allocation of foodgrains for a household
overtime: 35kg</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">-></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">32kg<span style="font-family: Wingdings;">-></span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">30kg<span style="font-family: Wingdings;">-></span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">24kg.
He said that cancellation of cards can be checked on the computer records and
followed up at ITO. While mentioning that he did not have the capacity to act
on their complaints, he advised people to take their complaints to the Food and
Supplies Department, ITO. He assured people that he would support them in their
work and they could meet him. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaCTxEQFRk1-kvEsQy0AasdMUJx0GWgEopSmZtXQs_WYVie4DRqtiggLrjIit9PZ-ttyczjOHkASBosIhUPOhFnmS18mCJiXUofWEvDz4LKOresuASkgZWNHCQsnk5uWPft5zX_QMMwo-n/s1600/DSC01500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaCTxEQFRk1-kvEsQy0AasdMUJx0GWgEopSmZtXQs_WYVie4DRqtiggLrjIit9PZ-ttyczjOHkASBosIhUPOhFnmS18mCJiXUofWEvDz4LKOresuASkgZWNHCQsnk5uWPft5zX_QMMwo-n/s320/DSC01500.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The grievances raised by the people
are as follows: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">People get monthly
allocation of 20 kg foodgrain per household instead of 25 kg. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Despite
applications being filed, a few ration cards have been issued so far. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">If somebody
complains or protests, the officials and ration dealers threaten to
convert their existing cards into “white card” (meant for APL households).</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rich people owning
houses possess “red cards” (meant for Antyodaya Anna Yojana).</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The complaints
raised during the public hearing should reach the appropriate officials.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">More such
signature campaigns should be held to pressurize the officials.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Delhi Chief
Minister’s claim of “mahila raj” is a misnomer since women have been
harassed by PDS officials and dealers. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Media is
pro-government and pays little attention to leakages in the PDS.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZjkL5KVlg_vjlndX7k_CfKzL4BmZ0j4WNoVZQYg1d0hyphenhyphenGTzncnTrJeTV02G4cK2elqMbk1IMcgiHAClfmfeuwrNW0exIEGBVO7pn6Qz8AQAIgSZahEZ8hCBj12M8bSr5AURAiTKNipbf/s1600/DSC01491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZjkL5KVlg_vjlndX7k_CfKzL4BmZ0j4WNoVZQYg1d0hyphenhyphenGTzncnTrJeTV02G4cK2elqMbk1IMcgiHAClfmfeuwrNW0exIEGBVO7pn6Qz8AQAIgSZahEZ8hCBj12M8bSr5AURAiTKNipbf/s320/DSC01491.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bharat Dogra, senior journalist said
that the public hearing would act like a warning signal to the people that PDS
is going to be replaced by cash transfer. Cash transfer is problematic. There
are many limitations within the PDS but that does not mean replacing it with
cash transfer. The objective of the government should be to minimize leakages
in the PDS. In the past, the Government of India made several efforts to
strengthen the PDS to improve its delivery mechanism. Pulses should be given
under the PDS as their prices have skyrocketed recently. Although storage of
foodgrains under the PDS is major concern presently, it should not lead to
dismantling the system. The storage problem is short-term. PDS would cushion the
consumers against inflation. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg854vCFRVHuim1Y7dWJ5GFwY3OFIVuWO79e6yg0xgzwHyI7bDyw0Whgm9O5KCF42TDo3KVYryAaalZ1J-u72ma9xTGIvJr348GdPnnkK7acODQs1jHoF6LtchJajB8Hvwg-1v-MXIWSYMz/s1600/DSC01468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg854vCFRVHuim1Y7dWJ5GFwY3OFIVuWO79e6yg0xgzwHyI7bDyw0Whgm9O5KCF42TDo3KVYryAaalZ1J-u72ma9xTGIvJr348GdPnnkK7acODQs1jHoF6LtchJajB8Hvwg-1v-MXIWSYMz/s320/DSC01468.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prof. Utsa Patnaik (ex-faculty member,
JNU) informed that 66 lakh tonnes of foodgrains meant for the PDS is kept under
the open sky that would get damaged due to rain if not attended to (<i>6.6 m.
tonnes of wheat under open sky faces rain fury, admits Centre-Gargi Parsai</i>,
The Hindu, 22 June, 2012, <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3555824.ece">http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3555824.ece</a>).
Export of foodgrains is taking place amidst hunger, she alleged. Cash transfer
instead of PDS is a dangerous move. Due to the ongoing inflation, Rs. 1000/- will
not be enough to buy foodgrains in the coming days. There is a need for
widespread protest against the Government’s move for ending the PDS. She said
that PDS used to be universal in the mid-1960s. The neoliberal policies of the
Government gave rise to the targeted PDS in 1997. The poverty line suggested by
the Planning Commission recently is shocking, Rs. 22.43 per day per person in
rural areas and Rs. 28.65 per day per person in urban areas. She also ridiculed
government figures that suggested that only 11-12 % of Delhi's population is
poor. She said that wrong policies adopted by the Government are responsible
for the problems associated with PDS and ration dealers should not be blamed
alone. The 62 year old PDS is being jeopardized by the people at the top. She ended
by saying that people should take their demands further and question those
ruling over them. She appealed that people should take forward their demands to
the streets of Parliament. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzDmGGF0hSS-8QokhoDJdGCz952ygoZm9gurJzUWbS97rGoQqvf9glq7OV1bNbM8aMcHuEz-zIt2FJuNdoc9g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prof. Ritu Priya (JNU) said that the
problem with the PDS is not specific to Delhi and is widespread across the
country. The Prime Minister has found that it is a national shame to have 42
percent of its children as underweight. About one third of Indian women are
malnourished. Children borne undernourished cannot lead a healthy life. Rs.
1000/- given as cash transfer to cover monthly expenditure of a household of 5
members is a drop in the ocean. There is enough evidence that per capita expenditure
on food has come down to compensate for rise in expenditure on electricity
bill, daily commutation expenses, expenses on education, clothes etc. The PM is
inclined towards helping the corporate sector instead of the needy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dunu Roy (Hazards Centre, <a href="http://www.hazardscentre.com/home.html">http://www.hazardscentre.com/home.html</a>)
said that people should demand for a universal PDS and there should be one type
of card instead of yellow card (for BPL), red card (for Antyodaya Anna Yojana)
and white card (for APL). The next step for the residents should to meet the local
councilor and subsequently the MLA and the MP. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prof. Imrana Qadeer (JNU) said that between
1950s and 1970s, one saw per capita consumption of foodgrains going up whereas from
1970s onward one noticed per capita consumption of foodgrains going down. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMXPPcLRh_0zjKv-MgSz-ZEfamx8P_BNcdiFxN01CiVH8Sh5CAGZEmf0J0iVqkB15m0SICzdfG5CsqWfHQUs_xQBM_ndnfNQI2WtUVfjxyoMhpyRRPP92-ZGLDuKkFU3_N-lypGRRagl3/s1600/DSC01496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMXPPcLRh_0zjKv-MgSz-ZEfamx8P_BNcdiFxN01CiVH8Sh5CAGZEmf0J0iVqkB15m0SICzdfG5CsqWfHQUs_xQBM_ndnfNQI2WtUVfjxyoMhpyRRPP92-ZGLDuKkFU3_N-lypGRRagl3/s320/DSC01496.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Gautam Navlakha (human rights
activist) said that a united front should be made for protest demonstration in
front of the Parliament against the Delhi Government’s move to replace the PDS
with cash transfer. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">(This report, which has
been prepared by Shambhu Ghatak is partly based on the press release sent by
Hazards Centre. Some of the photographs used here are sent by Hazards Centre).</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">References:</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Survey on preference between PDS and
cash transfers in Delhi by Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan, Delhi, <a href="http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/reports-documents/survey-preference-between-pds-and-cash-transfers-delhi">http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/reports-documents/survey-preference-between-pds-and-cash-transfers-delhi</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Do Poor People in Delhi want to change
from PDS to Cash Transfers?-A Study conducted by SEWA Delhi, October 2009,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.sewabharat.org/Delhi%20cash%20transfers%20english.pdf">http://www.sewabharat.org/Delhi%20cash%20transfers%20english.pdf</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Justice Wadhwa Committee slams the
PDS, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/news-alert/justice-wadhwa-committee-slams-the-pds-1759.html">http://www.im4change.org/news-alert/justice-wadhwa-committee-slams-the-pds-1759.html</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Justice Wadhwa Committee on PDS,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://pdscvc.nic.in/report%20on%20computersisation%20of%20PDS.htm">http://pdscvc.nic.in/report%20on%20computersisation%20of%20PDS.htm</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bolsa Familia in Brazil: Context,
Concept and Impacts (2009), ILO,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.ilo.org/public/libdoc/jobcrisis/download/109B09_28_engl.pdf">http://www.ilo.org/public/libdoc/jobcrisis/download/109B09_28_engl.pdf</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Nuts and Bolts of Brazil’s Bolsa
Família Program: Implementing Conditional Cash Transfers in a Decentralized
Context-Kathy Lindert, Anja Linder, Jason Hobbs and Bénédicte de la Brière, May
2007,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://josiah.berkeley.edu/2008Fall/ARE253/PN3%20Services%20for%20Poor/Brazil_BolsaFamilia.pdf">http://josiah.berkeley.edu/2008Fall/ARE253/PN3%20Services%20for%20Poor/Brazil_BolsaFamilia.pdf</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">HUNGaMA: Fighting Hunger &
Malnutrition (2011), Naandi Foundation, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/law-justice/disaster-relief-41.html?pgno=2">http://www.im4change.org/law-justice/disaster-relief-41.html?pgno=2</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jahangirpuri residents to protest
against cash in place of food-Naziya Alvi, The Times of India, 22 June, 2012, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/jahangirpuri-residents-to-protest-against-cash-in-place-of-food-naziya-alvi-15836.html">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/jahangirpuri-residents-to-protest-against-cash-in-place-of-food-naziya-alvi-15836.html</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Poor want ration, not cash: Activists, IANS, News Track India, 15 June,
2012, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/poor-want-ration-not-cash-activists-15690.html">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/poor-want-ration-not-cash-activists-15690.html</a>
</span>shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-77800020713025239892012-06-16T00:02:00.001-07:002012-06-23T06:51:52.230-07:00Despite protests Delhi Govt. going ahead with cash transfers<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSt8WJHtwfCkQqyQjV-EINAXvjV0gPxqTk0-CT0O6hGJRdO0KzgmcTNhuLjvS8b6WMXIgG-239hjpRGR0mrghBgr23q5akvYskM3aoWoo9XrDM0JbSaiKwjw0JxwE_gaVkOO2oJWf5Y4f5/s1600/PDS+Delhi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSt8WJHtwfCkQqyQjV-EINAXvjV0gPxqTk0-CT0O6hGJRdO0KzgmcTNhuLjvS8b6WMXIgG-239hjpRGR0mrghBgr23q5akvYskM3aoWoo9XrDM0JbSaiKwjw0JxwE_gaVkOO2oJWf5Y4f5/s320/PDS+Delhi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">While protesting against Delhi
Government’s decision to conduct pilot surveys in Sangam Vihar and Jahangirpuri
for cash transfers so as to replace the existing public distribution system
(PDS), activists from Bhalaswa Lok Shakti Manch told the media persons gathered
at Indian Women Press Corps on 15 June 2012 that they have collected 4500
signatures (including 3300 signatures in Jahangirpuri alone) of residents who
do not want cash in lieu of ration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Speaking at the press meet, Pushpa
from Bhalaswa Lok Shakti Manch (BLSM) said that Delhi Government is in favour
of replacing the PDS with cash transfers. Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan survey
conducted in 2011 showed that 91.4 percent of respondents preferred a reformed
PDS instead of cash transfers (see the link: <a href="http://www.im4change.org/hunger-hdi/public-distribution-system-pds-42.html?pgno=2">http://www.im4change.org/hunger-hdi/public-distribution-system-pds-42.html?pgno=2</a>).
She alleged that for distributing Rs. 12 lakh to 100 persons (one each for a household)
as money for cash transfers (for a year) in Raghubir Nagar, Rs. 14 lakh was
spent on the survey done by SEWA and IDF. On 26 April, 2012, UNDP and the Delhi
Government along with SSMI organized a public meeting in Jahangirpuri in order
to convince people about the advantages of cash transfers over PDS. However,
through a signature campaign, 4500 signatures were collected from people
rejecting the cash transfer scheme. The same have been sent and communicated to
the Chief Minister of Delhi, FSO Commissioner, AC (north West) and UNDP along
with memorandum of people from Jahangirpuri. She said that APL cardholders have
been excluded from the cash transfer scheme. People who have demanded for their
rights have faced harassment at the hands of officials and ration dealers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Manmohan Singh, activist from Bhalaswa
Lok Shakti Manch informed that for submitting cash (of Rs. 1000/- per month) in
favour of a female head of the household in the Raghubir Nagar survey, there
were difficulties faced in opening of bank accounts due which the Delhi
Government had to directly intervene. The monthly sum of Rs. 1000/- which was
given as cash transfer for a household (of 5 members) in the pilot survey by Delhi
Government is not enough to purchase ration that can generate 2200 kilo calorie
for an adult per day in urban areas. Since 70 percent of BPL households have an
average size of 7 (and not 5 as assumed by the Delhi Government), so the sum
stipulated under the cash transfer scheme is insufficient to meet the monthly
expenditure for a household. Manmohan said that the PDS in Delhi is subject to
governance failure. It is not the PDS which is problematic but those who govern
the system who are at fault. Despite several RTI petitions being filed, most
ration/ fair price shops do not disclose information to the consumers
proactively. Repeated complaints made on irregularities in PDS have fallen on
deaf ears. Citizens’ Charter of Delhi has not been implemented well. Earlier
the Supreme Court slammed the Government for putting a cap on the number of BPL
ration cards issued when so many poor people migrate to Delhi in search of
livelihood opportunity. The e-PDS is of little benefit to the BPL. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Reetika Khera from IIT, Delhi said
that not all cash transfers are bad like widow pension, old age pension etc.
She informed about her <a href="http://www.talkative-shambhu.blogspot.in/2011/09/public-distribution-system-evidence.html" target="_blank">study that was done in 10 states along with Jean Dreze</a> during
2011. In two-third of the households surveyed, PDS was preferred over cash
transfers. In Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, people were mostly in
favour of PDS. People preferred food over cash for the following reasons: food
security; access to bank/ post office; access to markets; dissipation of cash
(for buying alcohol); underdeveloped rural markets; and, artificial inflation
caused due to collusion by local traders. If the PDS is replaced with cash
transfers, the burden of transportation and storage costs would be transferred
to the poor. From her past experience of working with the rural poor, Reetika
earlier felt that poor in the cities are not disempowered and do not lack
awareness. However, having heard the activists from BLSM, she asked for giving
urban poor both the options: cash transfer as well as PDS. In a democratic set
up, people’s views have to be taken into account, she added. She said that the
arguments in favour of cash transfers were heard during the days when PDS was
subject to rampant corruption and pilferage. However, the situation in India
has improved a lot. In her study based on secondary data from NSS 2007-08, she
has found that states that have traditionally performed poorly in terms of monthly
per capita PDS purchase viz. Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh
and Uttar Pradesh have improved their performance between 2004-05 and 2007-08</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">(please see:
People prefer PDS over cash transfers, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/news-alert/people-prefer-pds-over-cash-transfers-9935.html">http://www.im4change.org/news-alert/people-prefer-pds-over-cash-transfers-9935.html</a>).
India is wrongly imitating the Brazilian cash transfer model-‘Bolsa Familia’. Poverty
headcount ratio at $1.25 a day (PPP) in Brazil was 6 percent in 2009 while in
India it was 33 percent in 2010 (as per the World Development Indicators).
Brazil has achieved almost universal literacy while India has a long way to go.
Brazil is more urban as compared to India. Given these differences, India needs
direct Government intervention for removing malnutrition. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rashpal Kaur, Delhi state general
secretary, National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW), the women's wing of
Communist Party of India said that though the Government is in a mood to
abolish the PDS, there is no guaranty that corruption will not take place in
cash transfer scheme. The Government wants FDI in retail to make entry in India
at the cost of common man’s interest. However, the government is depriving the
poor. The APL and BPL divide in PDS should be ended and PDS should be made
universal. She said that the Planning Commission wants to reduce the number of
BPL card holders in the country. As against the accepted number of 6.52 crore
BPL cards, there existed 10.68 crore BPL cards by end of March, 2009. There is
no uniformity in the definition of poor. There are three different estimates for
the number of BPL households: one by Prof. Arjun Sengupta, another by Dr. NC
Saxena (<a href="http://www.sccommissioners.org/">www.sccommissioners.org</a>) and
the Planning Commission estimates. According to Prof. Arjun Sengupta who
chaired the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector, 77
percent of the population of India lives below the poverty line. Dr. NC Saxena,
a retired civil servant acting as a Commissioner appointed by the Supreme
Court, feels that half the country’s population of 1.2 billion is below the
poverty line, which he apparently defines as a monthly per capita income of Rs
700 in rural areas and Rs 1,000 in urban areas. A recent Planning Commission
estimate puts the head count ratio in India at 29.8 percent in 2009-10. She
alleged that quota for Central assistance in PDS to states has been reduced in
recent years. She said that even the Prime Minister while releasing the HUNGaMA
report has agreed that it is a national shame for India to have 42 percent of
its children as underweight. Though the Government spends conspicuously on
toilets and gave 5 lakh crore sops in its budget to industrial houses, it never
has enough money for the poor. Cash transfer is dangerous and the Government is
under pressure from the private sector. The Food Corporation of India has
outsourced its work to outsiders and is running short of staff. The Government
is not willing to buy from farmers. Cash transfer scheme that is being piloted
is not linked to inflation. Somehow the Government wants to manipulate data so
as to show that India has reduced poverty as per the Millennium Development
Goals requirement. A lot of money is wasted on trivial programmes like Stand Up
against Poverty (<a href="http://standagainstpoverty.org/suap/">http://standagainstpoverty.org/suap/</a>)
and Make Noise against Poverty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Image courtesy: </span><a href="http://www.outlookindia.com/images/pds_20071126.jpg">http://www.outlookindia.com/images/pds_20071126.jpg</a></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">References:<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Survey on preference between PDS and
cash transfers in Delhi by Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan, Delhi, <a href="http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/reports-documents/survey-preference-between-pds-and-cash-transfers-delhi">http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/reports-documents/survey-preference-between-pds-and-cash-transfers-delhi</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Do Poor People in Delhi want to change
from PDS to Cash Transfers?-A Study conducted by SEWA Delhi, October 2009,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.sewabharat.org/Delhi%20cash%20transfers%20english.pdf">http://www.sewabharat.org/Delhi%20cash%20transfers%20english.pdf</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Justice Wadhwa Committee slams the
PDS, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/news-alert/justice-wadhwa-committee-slams-the-pds-1759.html">http://www.im4change.org/news-alert/justice-wadhwa-committee-slams-the-pds-1759.html</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Justice Wadhwa Committee on PDS,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://pdscvc.nic.in/report%20on%20computersisation%20of%20PDS.htm">http://pdscvc.nic.in/report%20on%20computersisation%20of%20PDS.htm</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bolsa Familia in Brazil: Context,
Concept and Impacts (2009), ILO,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.ilo.org/public/libdoc/jobcrisis/download/109B09_28_engl.pdf">http://www.ilo.org/public/libdoc/jobcrisis/download/109B09_28_engl.pdf</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Nuts and Bolts of Brazil’s Bolsa
Família Program: Implementing Conditional Cash Transfers in a Decentralized
Context-Kathy Lindert, Anja Linder, Jason Hobbs and Bénédicte de la Brière, May
2007,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://josiah.berkeley.edu/2008Fall/ARE253/PN3%20Services%20for%20Poor/Brazil_BolsaFamilia.pdf">http://josiah.berkeley.edu/2008Fall/ARE253/PN3%20Services%20for%20Poor/Brazil_BolsaFamilia.pdf</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">HUNGaMA: Fighting Hunger &
Malnutrition (2011), Naandi Foundation, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/law-justice/disaster-relief-41.html?pgno=2">http://www.im4change.org/law-justice/disaster-relief-41.html?pgno=2</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Poor want ration, not cash: Activists, IANS, News Track India, 15 June,
2012, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/poor-want-ration-not-cash-activists-15690.html">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/poor-want-ration-not-cash-activists-15690.html</a></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Delhi government faces SC’s wrath for not
issuing ration card, Jagran Post, 18 May, 2011, <a href="http://post.jagran.com/Delhi-government-faces-SCs-wrath-for-not-issuing-ration-card-1305730982">http://post.jagran.com/Delhi-government-faces-SCs-wrath-for-not-issuing-ration-card-1305730982</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-66727391052791226182012-05-13T01:24:00.001-07:002023-04-27T05:12:50.403-07:00Pension Parishad gets support from politicians across party lines<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJheuJPPeCPghvMs_cWZIp-Od2ySNfKiVuIGZ4FkncK1DF-VmJR2HqVIHGktZ27Q2ixIE-0WJ96xCbXadIGR6aJtbUte3Ql8a09FvSk9Q6gw2Eg8I3A82n_ZLffkPk1rO1g7VeHKvlHQL/s1600/Old+lady.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJheuJPPeCPghvMs_cWZIp-Od2ySNfKiVuIGZ4FkncK1DF-VmJR2HqVIHGktZ27Q2ixIE-0WJ96xCbXadIGR6aJtbUte3Ql8a09FvSk9Q6gw2Eg8I3A82n_ZLffkPk1rO1g7VeHKvlHQL/s320/Old+lady.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">At the end of 5 days dharna (7-11 May,
2012) by <a href="http://www.talkative-shambhu.blogspot.in/2012/05/press-conference-demand-for-universal.html" target="_blank">Pension Parishad</a> that was held at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, a press
meet was held at Press Club of India on 11 May, 2012. Leader of the campaign
Aruna Roy (MKSS) informed the media that more than 3000 persons from 22 states
stayed during the 5 days dharna so as to demand for universal old age pension
entitlement. She said that unorganized sector workers comprise 93 percent of
the workforce but have no access to social security benefits. Nearly 10 percent
of the Indian population is above 60 years. Putting pressure on the electoral
system is essential for realizing the old age pension entitlement. Politicians
across party lines visited the dharna site so as to express their solidarity on
the demand for universal old age pension. On the 3<sup>rd</sup> day of the
dharna, Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh visited the dharna site of
Pension Parishad and promised that he would try to raise the monthly pension
amount under the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) from
Rs. 200/- to Rs. 500/- and remove the distinction between APL and BPL. He also
said that old age limit would be brought to 60 years for the universal old age
pension. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD) said that monthly pension should be
increased to Rs. 3000/-. Aruna Roy informed that for 3 days (7-9 May, 2012)
during the dharna, public hearings on issues related to the elderly, the
marginalized & vulnerable groups and public accountability took place. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Resolutions passed by
marginalized & vulnerable groups (dalits, tribal, sex workers, transgender
persons. Disabled, MSMs, people living with HIV) on the 3<sup>rd</sup> day of
dharna are: </span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">* Monthly pension should not be less
than Rs. 2000/-</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">* Pension should be linked to the
Consumer Price Index </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">* Pensions should be disbursed on a
specific day each month</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">* Simplify documentation for getting
pension</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">* A single window system must be put
in place for disbursing pension</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">* Transgender, sex worker and other
vulnerable and marginalized communities not covered by any form of social
security must be given a pension</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">* Old age people who fall ill should
be given free medicines</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">* Pension and cheap foodgrain must be
made available to the Jharia community which has witnessed a growing number of
starvation deaths</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Resolutions passed on
Right to Food on the 4<sup>th</sup> day of dharna are:</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">* Universal public distribution system
(PDS) and no distinction between APL and BPL</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">* Include pulses and edible oil under
PDS</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">* Universal old age pension cannot be
used as a basis for reducing PDS entitlement or denying Antyodaya Anna Yojna
(AAY) entitlement</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">* All destitute elderly should have
access to cooked food from Mid Day Meal (MDM)/ Integrated Child Development
Services (ICDS)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Aruna Roy complained that despite Baba
Adhav receiving the Times of India Lifetime award, not much press coverage was
given by the latter to the former during the pension dharna [see: <i>Baba Adhav
to receive ToI social impact lifetime achievement award-Rukmini Shrinivasan</i>,
The Times of India, 30 September, 2011, <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-30/mumbai/30229977_1_baba-adhav-social-activist-ek-panavtha">http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-30/mumbai/30229977_1_baba-adhav-social-activist-ek-panavtha</a>].
She said that a delegation would try to meet UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. She,
however, refuted that National Advisory Council (NAC) is the platform from
where she participated in the 5 days dharna. She said that there is a long way
to go before the policy on old age pension becomes a legislation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Vimla Ben, an activist associated with
Pension Parishad said that slums in Delhi exhibit much poorer living conditions
than the villages in rural areas. Sanitation condition in slums has reached its
nadir. A report produced by her organization, which was submitted to Rakesh
Mehta of Delhi Government revealed that the distinction between APL and BPL
under the PDS has created rift among the population. Elderly population is the
most neglected section among the population. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Baba Adhav, veteran leader of
unorganised workers in Maharashtra, said that the objective of Social Security
Act 2008 was to provide social security at old age, providing identity cards to
unorganized sector workers and disease relief coverage. Even after 4 years of
the passing of the Social Security Act, government has failed to provide social
security to unorganized sector workers. The demand for pension is related to
social justice. From Pune, 25 hamal workers came to Delhi on motorcycles to
join the dharna at Jantar Mantar. He said that 22 Members of Parliament (MPs) from
various political parties visited the dharna venue. Although Jairam Ramesh said
that a monthly pension of Rs. 2000/- is too high but he was ready for a monthly
pension of Rs. 500/-. Expenditure made by jail authorities on a prisoner is
higher than what the government spends on a pensioner. He said that Congress MP
Manick Tagore got 40 signatures from his colleagues to be submitted to the PM
so as to demand universal old age pension. The President of India has shown her
support for the movement and she donated Rs. 15000/- to Pension Parishad. Pension
should become a right, Baba Adhav emphasized. Pension Parishad would try to
reach every district of the country. Since journalists are not covered by
pension, so they too should become part of the movement. There is an obligation
on the part of privileged classes to pay for pension of unorganized sector
workers. He gave the example of South Africa where pension system is quite
strong and was recently visited by the President. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Prabhat Patnaik (former member of the
Kerala State Planning Board and ex-faculty member JNU) said that the struggle for
universal old age pension is led by Aruna Roy and Baba Adhav. He said that
people are not simply asking for a rise in pension which is being given to the
poor. It is a demand for realization of a Constitutional right. The struggle is
significant since it is for realizing a Constitutional right to life. Right is
universal—it makes no distinction between APL and BPL. If pension becomes a
right, adequate means has to become the objective. That is why Rs. 2000/- per
month was demanded by Pension Parishad. Once pension becomes a right, it is
incumbent on the government to find resources for pensioners. Prabhat Patnaik
asked that if there is a war, won’t the government fight or will it postpone it
for next year by giving the excuse of fiscal constraint. The government jolly
well has to raise funds for pension if it is a right. Universality of the right
compels the government to find resources. Giving of pensions would increase purchasing
power of the poor, which in turn would provide stimulus to the economy without
worsening the balance of payment (BoP). The historical juncture has come for
demanding universal old age pension, Prabhat told.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Ravi Srivastava ((former member of the
National Commission on Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector and faculty member
JNU) congratulated Pension Parishad for bringing together so many people on the
issue of universal pension. He said that there is an attempt to portray such
movements as irresponsible in the backdrop of lower growth by a section of the
media. Social rights and human rights are denied on similar pretexts when
resources are demanded. On 15 May, 2006 the first report submitted by the National
Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector (NCEUS) to the PM was on
universal social security for unorganized sector. Due to crisis like accidents,
maternity, diseases, workers in this sector fall into poverty trap and
destitution. Under the universal social security legislation, the NCEUS
demanded coverage of 3 things: life cover (including accidents), health
expenses and old age pension. It, therefore, asked the government to spend 0.5
percent of GDP on universal social security for the unorganized sector workers.
The earlier UPA government missed a huge opportunity to give universal social
security. Since spending on health, education and shelter costs something to
the exchequer, a viable strategy is needed to raise resources and taxation
becomes essential. Government has to commit to social justice and income
redistribution. Recently a committee constituted by the Planning Commission has
recommended for health coverage as was done previously by the NCEUS. Ravi
Srivastava agreed that pension should be linked to minimum wages. No APL-BPL
distinction should be made under the universal old age pension. UPA should not
miss the opportunity this time, he added.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Image courtesy:
Pension Parishad</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/113762717967284928587/albums/5741582219603844609">https://plus.google.com/photos/113762717967284928587/albums/5741582219603844609</a>
</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">References:</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Parishad to intensify campaign for universal
old-age pension-K Balchand, The Hindu, The Hindu, 12 May, 2012, <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3409440.ece">http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3409440.ece</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Pratibha backs demand for expanding
old age pension scheme, The Hindu, 11 May, 2012, <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3405304.ece">http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3405304.ece</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://pensionparishad.org/pension/">http://pensionparishad.org/pension/</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Notes from the Pension Parishad held
at TISS,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://pensionparishad.org/pension/resources/Notes-%20Pension%20Parishad%20-%20TISS-%20April%20,2012.pdf">http://pensionparishad.org/pension/resources/Notes-%20Pension%20Parishad%20-%20TISS-%20April%20,2012.pdf</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://pensionparishad.org/pension/resources/Consensus%20during%20the%20Pension%20Parishad%20at%20TISS,%202-3%20April,%202012.pdf">http://pensionparishad.org/pension/resources/Consensus%20during%20the%20Pension%20Parishad%20at%20TISS,%202-3%20April,%202012.pdf</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Press Conference: Demand for Universal
Old Age Pension Entitlement,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.talkative-shambhu.blogspot.in/2012/05/press-conference-demand-for-universal.html">http://www.talkative-shambhu.blogspot.in/2012/05/press-conference-demand-for-universal.html</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Old age blues-Sreelatha Menon, The
Business Standard, 6 May, 2012, <a href="http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/sreelatha-menon-old-age-blues/473503/">http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/sreelatha-menon-old-age-blues/473503/</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Elderly people to stage dharna-K
Balchand, The Hindu, 4 May, 2012, <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3384811.ece">http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3384811.ece</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Universal old age pension sought for
elderly citizens, The Asian Age, 4 May, 2012, <a href="http://www.asianage.com/india/universal-old-age-pension-sought-elderly-citizens-963">http://www.asianage.com/india/universal-old-age-pension-sought-elderly-citizens-963</a>
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Universal Pension Demanded for
Elderly, 4 May, 2012, <a href="http://beyondheadlines.in/2012/05/universal-pension-demanded-for-elderly/">http://beyondheadlines.in/2012/05/universal-pension-demanded-for-elderly/</a>
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Aruna Roy seeks universal pension
rights for elderly-Puja Bhattacharjee, Governance Now, 4 May, 2012, <a href="http://www.governancenow.com/news/regular-story/aruna-roy-seeks-universal-pension-rights-elderly">http://www.governancenow.com/news/regular-story/aruna-roy-seeks-universal-pension-rights-elderly</a>
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Unorganized Workers' Social Security
Act, 2008,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://labour.nic.in/act/acts/Unorganised-workers-social-security-act-2008.pdf">http://labour.nic.in/act/acts/Unorganised-workers-social-security-act-2008.pdf</a>
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">DIGNITY FOR THE ELDERLY: JOIN THE
CAMPAIGN,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.im4change.org/news-alert/dignity-for-the-elderly-join-the-campaign-14893.html">http://www.im4change.org/news-alert/dignity-for-the-elderly-join-the-campaign-14893.html</a>
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-49372981828260409492012-05-06T23:50:00.001-07:002023-04-27T04:50:41.861-07:00Press Conference: Demand for Universal Old Age Pension Entitlement<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WWg8GAP3FLmgOec-j3a1OGJRgg7CNWSFZVF4bLye40WnimLRlS2JqSdeSzixAx2yYY7g2wY3ww3wkl5kpncLooazqNpEe0UqxGvdnIC0NE6sksSetEARVEgJIRntNiASZ3nHdwQE5nI9/s1600/Pension+Parishad.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WWg8GAP3FLmgOec-j3a1OGJRgg7CNWSFZVF4bLye40WnimLRlS2JqSdeSzixAx2yYY7g2wY3ww3wkl5kpncLooazqNpEe0UqxGvdnIC0NE6sksSetEARVEgJIRntNiASZ3nHdwQE5nI9/s1600/Pension+Parishad.bmp" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A press conference
for demanding universal old age pension entitlement was held at the Indian
Women Press Corps, New Delhi on 4 May, 2012. RTI activist Aruna Roy (MKSS) who is
spearheading the campaign-Pension Parishad said that there is an ongoing debate
on poverty. Poverty issues have been taken up in the discourse on development. Since
the longevity of the poor has gone up but ageing body is unable to perform
skill based task, pension becomes important for livelihood at old age. There is
little or no social security available for the poor who are old. Joint family structure
has broken down into nuclear family structure leaving no income or housing
support for the aged. A recent meeting held at TISS, Mumbai revealed that Rs.
200/- per month is given to an old person aged between 60-80 years, and Rs. 500/-
per month is given to an old person aged 80 years and above. Of the total
elderly population, only 1.97 crore are beneficiaries of Indira Gandhi National
Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), which means that only about one in every five
persons over 60 years old receives old age pension. Universal non-contributory
pension has been demanded by Pension Parishad for those above the age of 55
while the eligibility for women has been pegged at 50 years without any
distinction on the lines of BPL and APL. For other vulnerable groups or workers
in hazardous industries, the age of eligibility has been pegged at 45 years. Aruna
Roy asked for considering pension to be an individual entitlement and linking
pension to inflation. There is demand that there should not be forced
retirement due to pension. Daily pension should be equivalent to half of
minimum wage. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Baba Adhav, veteran
leader of unorganised workers in Maharashtra, informed about the social
security conference that took place in Pune in February, 2012. He said that
Bhalchandra Mungekar was also present during the conference. The government has
shown lack of willpower to implement the Social Security Act (SSA) 2008. The Advisory
Committee for implementing the SSA 2008 was formed only in two states-West
Bengal and Karnataka. Baba Adhav gave the examples of rickshaw pullers and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hamals</i> who are victims of old age. He
said that universal pension is provided in Goa and in a country like South
Africa where the President has gone for an official foreign trip recently.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Prof. Prabhat Patnaik
(former member of the Kerala State Planning Board and ex-faculty member JNU) said that
if Rs. 2000/- is given as monthly pension to an old person, then the total cost
of providing pension to 8 crore old people who are not yet covered would be Rs.
1,92,000 crore, which is roughly 2 percent of GDP. If a quarter of the rise in GDP
(which is presently growing at 8 percent per annum) is kept aside, then the government
can use this for funding universal pension. He ended with “The state of civilization
must be judged by the way it treats its elderly.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Annie Raja (National
Federation of Indian Women) informed that NFIW is part of Pension Parishad.
Aged persons are discriminated everywhere including Kerala. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Prof. Ravi Srivastava
(former member of the National Commission on Enterprises in the Unorganised
Sector and faculty member JNU) informed that as per the estimates by National Commission for
Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector (NCEUS), 93 percent of the workforce is
employed in the unorganized sector. 77 percent of the population is poor and
vulnerable. As per the recent estimates by KP Kannan, the figure has come down
from 77 to 70 percent. Social security is a right of the workers. Social protection,
social security and sustainable human development are all interlinked. Old
people of tomorrow are workers of today. They deserve protection. The universal
pension scheme has to be non-contributory. For financing the scheme, the government
needs to impose social security tax and levy cesses on industries. Rs. 500,000
crore has been given as freebie to various industrial houses in the current
budget. Inequality has been costly to the Indian society. Maoism is a growing
socio-economic problem. In Brazil, old age pension has redistributed income and
reduced income inequality, he added. The idea is to raise money via additional
revenue generated and not using money from the existing tax base. If there is a
universal entitlement scheme, then the migratory construction workers would be
benefited. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Activist Subhas Lomte
said that pensions of MPs and MLAs have gone up but not of the poor and aged
unorganized workers. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Dharna Program schedule</span></b></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Along with a focus on
Pensions, the following related issues will also be discussed in public
hearings on the 5 days of the Dharna -</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">7th May 2012– Public
hearing on issues of the elderly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">8th May 2012– Public
hearing on Accountability and Grievance Redress related to Pensions and
entitlements for the elderly. The Grievance Redress Bill will also be
discussed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">9th May 2012– Public
hearing on issues of marginalised and vulnerable groups</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">10th May 2012– Public
hearing on issues related to the National Food Security Bill and food security
of the elderly</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">11th May 2012–
Pension Parishad discussion on the response to the charter of demands. Planning
the way forward.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">PENSION PARISHAD
DEMANDS</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">• A Universal and Non Contributory Old
Age Pension System to be established immediately by the government with a
minimum amount of monthly pension not less than 50% of minimum wage or Rs
2000/- per month, whichever is higher.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">• The pension to be an individual entitlement
for all eligible citizens of India.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">• The monthly pension amount to be
indexed to inflation bi-annually and revised every two to three years in the
same manner as is done for salaries/pensions of government servants. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">• Any individual 55 years or older to
be eligible for the old age pension. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">• For women, eligibility age for
pensions to be 50 years.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">• For highly vulnerable groups (such as
the Primitive Tribal Groups, Transgender, Sex Workers, PWDs), the eligibility
age to be 45 years or fixed according to their particular circumstances.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">• No one to be forced to compulsorily
retire from work on attaining the age of eligibility for universal old age
pension.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">• A single window system for Old Age
Pensions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">• APL / BPL criteria should not be used
for exclusion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">• The payment of pension not to be used
to deny any other social security / welfare benefit such as benefit under the
Public Distribution System.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Exclusion Criteria</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">• Individuals whose income is higher
than the threshold level for payment of income tax</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">• Individuals who are receiving pension
from any other sources that exceeds the pension amount under the Universal Old
Age Pension Programme.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Key findings of the ILO report entitled: World Social
Security Report 2010/11: Providing coverage in times of crisis and beyond, <a href="http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_146566.pdf">http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_146566.pdf</a>
are as follows:</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"># In India, public
social security expenditure excluding health expenditure (as % of GDP) was 3.10
percent in 2005 <i>(see Table 25. Public social security expenditure, Statistical
Annex Part B) </i>as compared to 4.08 percent in China during 2006, 12.30 percent in
Japan during 2005, 21.4 percent in France during 2005, 9.6 percent in Brazil
during 2001 and 9.7 percent in Canada during 2005.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"># Over 60 per cent of
the elderly now live in countries classified by the United Nations as “less
developed”. In 2050 the elderly in "less developed" countries will
constitute nearly 80 per cent of the world’s elderly population. Sixty per cent
of them will be living in Asia, with over half in just two countries: China and
India. These developing and ageing societies have to do something urgently to
ensure the right to retirement in dignity and social security to their elderly
members.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"># India’s National
Old-Age Pension Scheme, financed by central and state resources, reaches
one-fourth of all the elderly: about half of pensioners who live in poverty. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"># Old age dependency
ratio <i>(see Table 1: Demographic trends: Dependency ratios, Statistical Annex
Part A) </i>in India is predicted to rise over the years: 7.0 in 2000, 7.4 in 2005,
7.7 in 2010, 12.2 in 2030 and 20.2 in 2050. However, youth dependency ratio
is expected to decline over the years: 57.7 in 2000, 53.1 in 2005, 47.9 in
2010, 33.1 in 2030 and 26.8 in 2050. Hence, the notion of youngistan is clearly
a myth. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"># Population over 60
years as % of total population <i>(see Table 2: Demographic trends: Ageing,
Statistical Annex Part A)</i> is expected to rise in India over the years: 6.7 in
2000, 7.0 in 2005, 7.5 in 2010, 12.4 in 2030 and 19.6 in 2050. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"># Population over 80
years as % of total population <i>(see Table 2: Demographic trends: Ageing,
Statistical Annex Part A) </i>is expected to rise in India over the years: 0.5 in
2000, 0.6 in 2005, 0.7 in 2010, 1.2 in 2030 and 2.6 in 2050. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Notes: </span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Youth dependency
ratio (%): a measure showing the number of youth dependants (aged 0–14) to the
total population (aged 15–64).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Old-age dependency ratio (%): population aged 65
years or over to the population aged 15–64.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Further
readings:</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://pensionparishad.org/pension/">http://pensionparishad.org/pension/</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Notes from the
Pension Parishad held at TISS, <a href="http://pensionparishad.org/pension/resources/Notes-%20Pension%20Parishad%20-%20TISS-%20April%20,2012.pdf">http://pensionparishad.org/pension/resources/Notes-%20Pension%20Parishad%20-%20TISS-%20April%20,2012.pdf</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://pensionparishad.org/pension/resources/Consensus%20during%20the%20Pension%20Parishad%20at%20TISS,%202-3%20April,%202012.pdf">http://pensionparishad.org/pension/resources/Consensus%20during%20the%20Pension%20Parishad%20at%20TISS,%202-3%20April,%202012.pdf</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Old age
blues-Sreelatha Menon, The Business Standard, 6 May, 2012, <a href="http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/sreelatha-menon-old-age-blues/473503/">http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/sreelatha-menon-old-age-blues/473503/</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Elderly people to
stage dharna-K Balchand, The Hindu, 4 May, 2012, <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3384811.ece">http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3384811.ece</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Universal old age
pension sought for elderly citizens, The Asian Age, 4 May, 2012, <a href="http://www.asianage.com/india/universal-old-age-pension-sought-elderly-citizens-963">http://www.asianage.com/india/universal-old-age-pension-sought-elderly-citizens-963</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Universal Pension
Demanded for Elderly, 4 May, 2012, <a href="http://beyondheadlines.in/2012/05/universal-pension-demanded-for-elderly/">http://beyondheadlines.in/2012/05/universal-pension-demanded-for-elderly/</a>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Aruna Roy seeks
universal pension rights for elderly-Puja Bhattacharjee, Governance Now, 4 May,
2012, <a href="http://www.governancenow.com/news/regular-story/aruna-roy-seeks-universal-pension-rights-elderly">http://www.governancenow.com/news/regular-story/aruna-roy-seeks-universal-pension-rights-elderly</a>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Unorganized Workers'
Social Security Act, 2008,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://labour.nic.in/act/acts/Unorganised-workers-social-security-act-2008.pdf">http://labour.nic.in/act/acts/Unorganised-workers-social-security-act-2008.pdf</a>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">DIGNITY FOR THE
ELDERLY: JOIN THE CAMPAIGN,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.im4change.org/news-alert/dignity-for-the-elderly-join-the-campaign-14893.html">http://www.im4change.org/news-alert/dignity-for-the-elderly-join-the-campaign-14893.html</a>
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<br /></div>shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-67396881854541267762012-04-13T04:00:00.001-07:002012-04-13T04:07:03.120-07:00India is less poor but more unequal<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-RBrQ2uDAfsg7ozjoWiOIwBxvVpUwz5Xc88ppHhbLO2k7d0jMPdqYdlnxiXFPIqZWepv0TZIIxGZVt3-U-nqttHGYeV7zwYlQ79kK20FoymgryS-wOPSS0phRQfizWQdqcmHr6-R07X5/s1600/RichPoor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-RBrQ2uDAfsg7ozjoWiOIwBxvVpUwz5Xc88ppHhbLO2k7d0jMPdqYdlnxiXFPIqZWepv0TZIIxGZVt3-U-nqttHGYeV7zwYlQ79kK20FoymgryS-wOPSS0phRQfizWQdqcmHr6-R07X5/s320/RichPoor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Poverty as measured by head count ratio may have dropped in India by 7.3 percentage points from 37.2% in 2004-05 to 29.8% in 2009-10 but the decline could have been much more had the country been more equal. To the dismay of pro market economists, a new ADB report entitled <i><a href="http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/pub/2012/ado2012.pdf" target="_blank">Asian Development Outlook 2012: Confronting Rising Inequality in Asia</a></i> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">tells that had inequality remained unchanged from the 1990s to the 2000s, the poverty headcount rate in India could have been brought down to 29.5% in 2008, instead of the actual 32.7%. It is a widely held belief that growth ultimately trickles down to the poor living at the bottom, thus reducing poverty. However, the new report finds that rising inequality due to growth has affected poverty reduction. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The new ADB report has given ample attention to the extreme level of inequality existing in the Asian economies. People’s Republic of China (PRC) and India—the world’s two most populous countries—with annual GDP growth rates of 9.9% and 6.4%, respectively have witnessed rise in inequality from the early 1990s to the late 2000s. During the period of economic reforms, Gini coefficient<b>*</b>—a common measure of inequality—deteriorated from 32.4 in 1990 to 43.4 in 2008 in the PRC and from 32.5 in 1993 to 37 in 2010 in India. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The yawning gap between the rich and the poor in India could be observed from the ratio of the per capita expenditure of the top 20% to that of the bottom 20%. The quintile ratio has increased from 4.8 in 1993 to 5.7 in 2010. In India, the annual mean per capita expenditure growth was only 1.1% for the bottom quintile but 1.9% for the top quintile during 1993-2010. Rising inequality in India has been driven by income redistribution to the top 20%, at a cost to the bottom 80%, the report mentions. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">A central message of the ADB report is that income inequality is caused by inequality of opportunity in developing Asia. Inequality of opportunity arises out of unequal access to public services, especially education and health. In some Asian countries including India where the average proportion of out-of-school primary school-age children was about 20% in 1999–2003, children from the poorest quintile were three times as likely as those from the richest quintile to be out of school. Infant mortality rates among the poorest households in some Asian countries were double or treble the rates among the richest households. The chance of a poor infant dying at birth was more than 10 times higher than for an infant born to a rich family in Asia. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Unlike the popular belief, the ADB report cautions that high and rising inequality can bring down medium-term growth by reducing social cohesion, undermining the quality of governance, and increasing pressure for inefficient populist policies.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Key findings of the ADB report:<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpLast" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In India, the urban Gini grew from 34.4 in 1993 to 39.3 in 2010, much faster than the contemporaneous growth of the rural Gini, from 28.6 to 30.5. India’s rural inequality is lower and urban inequality is higher than in the PRC and, unlike the PRC but like most developing countries, India’s urban inequality is higher than its rural inequality.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The average annual growth rate of labor productivity was 7.4% during 1990–2007, while average annual real wage growth rate was only 2%. Gains in productivity were not passed on to wages and, consequently, the labor share of India’s organized manufacturing sector declined from 37% in 1990 to 22% in mid 2007 in India. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Wage employment elasticity of growth fell from 0.44 in 1991–2001 to 0.28 in 2001–2011 in PRC and from 0.53 to 0.41 in the case of India thus showing jobless growth.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">During 1990−2010, the region’s average per capita GDP in 2005 PPP terms increased from $ 1633 to $ 5133. The proportion of the population living on or below the $ 1.25 a day poverty line fell from 51.8% in 1990 to 20.8% around 2008, as 714 million people were lifted out of poverty.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">If inequality had remained stable in the Asian economies where it increased, the same growth in 1990–2010 would have taken about 240 million more people out of poverty—equivalent to 6.5% of developing Asia’s population in 2010 and 8.0% of those countries with rising inequality. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Inequality widened in 11 of the 25 economies with comparable data, including the three most populous countries and drivers of the region’s rapid growth—the PRC, India, and Indonesia.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The gaps between urban and rural incomes in developing Asia have increased, as have those between prosperous and lagging areas.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Although average Gini coefficient across developing Asian economies (38) was lower than that in Latin American economies (52), most Latin American countries have seen narrowing inequality in the last 2 decades.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Disparities in the means to raise one’s living standards—such as physical assets (e.g., capital and land), human capital (e.g., education and health), and market access (e.g., labor)—are common. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">High gender disparities could be noticed for tertiary education in South Asia and the Paciic.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Differences in educational attainment can explain 25%–35% of inequality between households in many regional economies, and the earnings premium for skills and tertiary education has increased in recent years.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">From 1990 to 2010, the average annual growth rate of gross domestic product (GDP) for developing Asia reached 7.0% in 2005 purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, more than double the 3.4% for Latin America and the Caribbean. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">*</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b> Note: </b>A Gini of zero denotes absolute equality, while a value of 1 (or 100 on the percentile scale) means absolute inequality.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Image courtesy: </b><a href="http://disinfo.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/RichPoor.jpg">http://disinfo.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/RichPoor.jpg</a></span></i><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">References:<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Asian Development Outlook, April 2012, Asian Development Bank (ADB), </span><a href="http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/pub/2012/ado2012.pdf"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/pub/2012/ado2012.pdf</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.adb.org/news/asias-increasing-rich-poor-divide-undermining-growth-stability-adb-report"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">http://www.adb.org/news/asias-increasing-rich-poor-divide-undermining-growth-stability-adb-report</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Press Note on Poverty Estimates, 2009-10, Planning Commission, March 2012, </span><a href="http://planningcommission.gov.in/news/press_pov1903.pdf"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://planningcommission.gov.in/news/press_pov1903.pdf</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Give us growth and we’ll handle the inequality by Manas Chakravarty, Live Mint, 11 April, 2012, </span><a href="http://www.livemint.com/2012/04/11134745/Give-us-growth-and-we8217ll.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.livemint.com/2012/04/11134745/Give-us-growth-and-we8217ll.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">'Rapid growth leaving millions behind in Asia', The Business Standard, 12 April, 2012, </span><a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/039rapid-growth-leaving-millions-behind-in-asia039-14381.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/039rapid-growth-leaving-millions-behind-in-asia039-14381.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">‘Inequality has gone up, notwithstanding dip in poverty'-K Balchand, The Hindu, 21 March, 2012,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/inequality-has-gone-up-notwithstanding-dip-in-poverty039-k-balchand-13864.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/inequality-has-gone-up-notwithstanding-dip-in-poverty039-k-balchand-13864.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Reign of the one per cent?-N Chandra Mohan, The Business Standard, 26 March, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/reign-of-the-one-per-cent-n-chandra-mohan-13932.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/reign-of-the-one-per-cent-n-chandra-mohan-13932.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The great Indian poverty game-Sonalde Desai, The Business Standard, 29 March, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/the-great-indian-poverty-game-sonalde-desai-14051.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/the-great-indian-poverty-game-sonalde-desai-14051.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">New methods needed to answer old controversy in poverty measurement-Sreelatha Menon & Indivjal Dhasmana, The Business Standard, 9 April, 2012, </span><a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/new-methods-needed-to-answer-old-controversy-in-poverty-measurement-sreelatha-menon-indivjal-dhasmana-14273.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/new-methods-needed-to-answer-old-controversy-in-poverty-measurement-sreelatha-menon-indivjal-dhasmana-14273.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pronab Sen, principal advisor to Planning Commission interviewed by Indivjal Dhasmana, The Business Standard, 6 April, 2012, </span><a href="http://www.im4change.org/interviews/pronab-sen-principal-advisor-to-planning-commission-interviewed-by-indivjal-dhasmana-14233.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.im4change.org/interviews/pronab-sen-principal-advisor-to-planning-commission-interviewed-by-indivjal-dhasmana-14233.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Planning Commission’s Poverty Charade, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol XLVII, No. 14, 7 April, 2012, </span><a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/planning-commissions-poverty-charade-14204.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/planning-commissions-poverty-charade-14204.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">India undercounts its poor-Himanshu, Live Mint, 26 March, 2012, </span><a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/india-undercounts-its-poor-himanshu-13936.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/india-undercounts-its-poor-himanshu-13936.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Poverty line: Usefulness of poverty data-S Mahendra Dev, The Economic Times, 28 March, 2012,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/poverty-line-usefulness-of-poverty-data-s-mahendra-dev-14021.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/poverty-line-usefulness-of-poverty-data-s-mahendra-dev-14021.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">States' data cast doubt on growth-poverty equation; welfare schemes have a strong role to play by Devika Banerji, The Economic Times, 26 March, 2012,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/states039-data-cast-doubt-on-growth-poverty-equation-welfare-schemes-have-a-strong-role-to-play-by-devika-banerji-13984.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/states039-data-cast-doubt-on-growth-poverty-equation-welfare-schemes-have-a-strong-role-to-play-by-devika-banerji-13984.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Poverty line: Myths, perceptions and reality by Sriram Balasubramanian, CNN-IBN, 23 March, 2012,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/poverty-line-myths-perceptions-and-reality-by-sriram-balasubramanian-13953.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/poverty-line-myths-perceptions-and-reality-by-sriram-balasubramanian-13953.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Is India Fudging Its Poverty Numbers?-Tripti Lahiri, The Wall Street Journal, 20 March, 2012, </span><a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/is-india-fudging-its-poverty-numbers-tripti-lahiri-13853.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/is-india-fudging-its-poverty-numbers-tripti-lahiri-13853.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Abhijit Sen, Member, Planning Commission interviewed by Pallavi Polanki, First Post, 20 March, 2012, </span><a href="http://www.im4change.org/interviews/abhijit-sen-member-planning-commission-interviewed-by-pallavi-polanki-13845.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.im4change.org/interviews/abhijit-sen-member-planning-commission-interviewed-by-pallavi-polanki-13845.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bihar's growth story has a poor side-Rukmini Shrinivasan, The Economic Times, 20 March, 2012, </span><a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/bihar039s-growth-story-has-a-poor-side-rukmini-shrinivasan-13816.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/bihar039s-growth-story-has-a-poor-side-rukmini-shrinivasan-13816.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">5 crore people moved out of poverty: Government, The Economic Times, 20 March, 2012, </span><a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/5-crore-people-moved-out-of-poverty-government-13835.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/5-crore-people-moved-out-of-poverty-government-13835.html</span></a></div>shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260171970005195113.post-89095883270286757722012-04-12T04:17:00.000-07:002012-05-02T02:41:25.143-07:00Setting the priorities right for dryland farming<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Finance Minister in his Budget Speech 2012-13 made tall claims regarding the initiative of Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI), which he asserted has raised paddy production and yield in the eastern states. As far as the green revolution technology is concerned, it is applicable only in areas with assured irrigation along with suitable usage of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and high yielding varieties of seeds. However, in drought prone states like Orissa, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand, more than half of the cropped area goes without irrigation as per the latest available data accessed from <i>State of Indian Agriculture 2011-12</i>. Almost 35.0 percent of India’s rural poor reside in these 7 states. (Please check the <b>table 1</b> below for a comparison between irrigation coverage and rural poverty). Farm crisis is evident in these states since more than half (i.e. 55.2 percent) of the total number of farmers in India who committed suicides in 2010 originated from them. (Please read <b>table 1</b>). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Source: <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">* State of Indian Agriculture, <a href="http://agricoop.nic.in/SIA111213312.pdf">http://agricoop.nic.in/SIA111213312.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">** Press Note on Poverty Estimates, 2009-10, Planning Commission, <a href="http://planningcommission.gov.in/news/press_pov1903.pdf">http://planningcommission.gov.in/news/press_pov1903.pdf</a> </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">*** Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India-2010, <a href="http://ncrb.nic.in/ADSI2010/table-2.11.pdf">http://ncrb.nic.in/ADSI2010/table-2.11.pdf</a> <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Current status of dryland farming<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Since the mainstay of majority of the rural population is agriculture and allied activities including livestock, the cure to reducing poverty lies in developing and promoting dryland farming. According to the report entitled <i>Elucidation of the 4<sup>th</sup> National Report submitted to UNCCD Secretariat, 2010</i>, produced by Ministry of Environment and Forests, India has a total geographical area (TGA) of 328.2 million hectares (mha) with drylands covering 228.3 mha (69.6%) of the total land area. As per the <i>State of Indian Agriculture 2011-12</i>, majority of the drought prone areas lie in the arid (19.6%), semi-arid (37%) and sub-humid (21%) areas of the country that comprise 77.6 percent of its total land area of 329 mha. Rainfed agriculture supports 60% of livestock population and supplies roughly 40% of India's food demand of 1.2 billion people. It plays a key role in ensuring food and livelihood security of the rural poor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The report titled <i>State of Indian Agriculture 2011-12</i> reveals that major coarse cereals, pulses and most of the oilseeds are grown in dryland and rainfed areas. Crop-wise irrigation coverage varied from 27 percent for oilseeds, 16 percent for pulses to 15 percent for coarse cereals during the year 2008-09. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Steps undertaken to promote dryland farming<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Since rainfed agriculture done in alluvial, black and red soils is susceptible to water erosion, there is need for soil and water conservation measures. Efforts required in dryland areas include: improving in-situ moisture conservation through ground water recharge; adopting dryland farming approach-raised bed, ridge furrow, zero tillage, mulching; convergence with various watershed development programmes; diversification towards livestock, horticulture, silviculture, fodder production; integrating farming systems with livestock and fisheries etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The country's leading agricultural R&D institution—International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in partnership with Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and various state universities is engaged in developing drought tolerant, pest resistant and climate change ready crops for dryland farming regions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">There has been demand from a group of NGOs and social scientists to include the provision of local procurement of millets in the National Food Security Bill—the most vocal among them is Dr. MS Swaminathan-the father of Green Revolution who thinks that nutri-millets can provide nutrition to millions of undernourished children in India. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">During 2011-12, under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), Rs. 300 crore was allocated to Integrated Development of 60,000 Pulses Villages in Rainfed 300 Areas (60,000 Pulses Villages), Rs. 300 crore was allocated to Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets 300 Promotion (Nutri-cereals), Rs. 250 crore was allocated to Rainfed Area Development Programme (RADP) and Rs. 400 crore was allocated to the initiative of Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern Region (BGREI). For the BGREI, the allocation was raised to Rs. 1000 crore in 2012-13 seeing the success of paddy revolution in the North-east. For the National Mission on Micro Irrigation, Rs. 1500 crore was allocated in 2012-13 and the ongoing RADP was merged with this. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thanks to the Accelerated Maize Development Programme (AMDP), which later got merged into the Integrated Scheme of Oilseeds, Pulses, Oil palm and Maize (ISOPOM) in April, 2004, maize was cultivated on an area of 8.55 million hectares with an all time record production of 21.73 million tonnes during 2010-11. After the launch of Technology Mission on Oilseeds (TMO) in May, 1986 with the objective of making the country self-reliant in oilseeds production, pulses, oilpalm and maize were also brought subsequently into the ambit of the Technology Mission in 1990, 1992-93 and 1995-96, respectively. Despite efforts made on the part of past governments, 50 percent of domestic edible oil consumption were met from imports in 2009-10.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Recent trends<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Some of the initiatives undertaken by the government have yielded results. Average annual growth rate of areas under coarse cereals production increased from a negative 2.42 percent during 1990-91 to 1999-2000 to a negative 0.13 percent during 2000-01 to 2010-11 (see <b>table 2</b>). Average annual growth rate in areas under pulses cultivation increased from a negative 0.91 percent during 1990-91 to 1999-2000 to 2.30 percent during 2000-01 to 2010-11. The Economic Survey 2011-12 has asked for a breakthrough in pulses production technology so that supply can meet rising demand. The same Economic Survey has also warned that area under jowar cultivation in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat, area under bajra cultivation in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana and area under pulses in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan have witnessed shortfall during 2011-12 (2<sup>nd</sup> advance estimates) as compared to 2010-11.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Source: </span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">State of Indian Agriculture, <a href="http://agricoop.nic.in/SIA111213312.pdf">http://agricoop.nic.in/SIA111213312.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">References<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Press Note on Poverty Estimates, 2009-10, Planning Commission, <a href="http://planningcommission.gov.in/news/press_pov1903.pdf">http://planningcommission.gov.in/news/press_pov1903.pdf</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chapter 8: Agriculture and Food, Economic Survey 2011-12, <a href="http://indiabudget.nic.in/es2011-12/echap-08.pdf">http://indiabudget.nic.in/es2011-12/echap-08.pdf</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Budget Speech 2012-13 delivered by Pranab Mukherjee, <a href="http://indiabudget.nic.in/bspeecha.asp">http://indiabudget.nic.in/bspeecha.asp</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Highlights of Central Plan 2012-2013, <a href="http://indiabudget.nic.in/ub2012-13/bag/bag5.pdf">http://indiabudget.nic.in/ub2012-13/bag/bag5.pdf</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">State of Indian Agriculture, <a href="http://agricoop.nic.in/SIA111213312.pdf">http://agricoop.nic.in/SIA111213312.pdf</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India-2010, <a href="http://ncrb.nic.in/ADSI2010/table-2.11.pdf">http://ncrb.nic.in/ADSI2010/table-2.11.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rainfed Agriculture: Unlocking the Potential (2009)-edited by Suhas P Wani, Johan Rockström and Theib Oweis, CAB International, ICRISAT and IWMI, <a href="http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/CABI_Publications/CA_CABI_Series/Rainfed_Agriculture/Protected/Rainfed_Agriculture_Unlocking_the_Potential.pdf">http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/CABI_Publications/CA_CABI_Series/Rainfed_Agriculture/Protected/Rainfed_Agriculture_Unlocking_the_Potential.pdf</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Key Facts, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/farm-crisis/key-facts-72.html">http://www.im4change.org/farm-crisis/key-facts-72.html</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dryland farming, <a href="http://agriinfo.in/default.aspx?page=topic&superid=1&topicid=421">http://agriinfo.in/default.aspx?page=topic&superid=1&topicid=421</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Include Rain-fed Farming in Agriculture Policy, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/news-alert/include-rain-fed-farming-in-agriculture-policy-95.html">http://www.im4change.org/news-alert/include-rain-fed-farming-in-agriculture-policy-95.html</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">To the hungry, god is bread-MS Swaminathan, The Hindu, 1 October, 2011, <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/article2500978.ece">http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/article2500978.ece</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Elucidation of the 4<sup>th</sup> National Report submitted to UNCCD Secretariat, 2010, Ministry of Environment and Forests, GoI, <a href="http://moef.nic.in/modules/divisions/desertification-cell/unccd-report.pdf">http://moef.nic.in/modules/divisions/desertification-cell/unccd-report.pdf</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Weathering the Perfect Storm by William D Dar, <a href="http://blog.icrisat.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/times-disaster-dar.pdf">http://blog.icrisat.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/times-disaster-dar.pdf</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">President for out-of-box solutions to deal with farming issues, The Economic Times, 16 February, 2012, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/president-for-out-of-box-solutions-to-deal-with-farming-issues-13233.html">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/president-for-out-of-box-solutions-to-deal-with-farming-issues-13233.html</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Millet group demands local sourcing clause in Food Security Bill, The Hindu Business Line, The Hindu Business Line, 9 December, 2011, <a href="http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/millet-group-demands-local-sourcing-clause-in-food-security-bill-11916.html">http://www.im4change.org/rural-news-update/millet-group-demands-local-sourcing-clause-in-food-security-bill-11916.html</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Pranab Mukherjee looks east for 2<sup>nd</sup> green revolution, The Times of India, 29 March, 2012, <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pranab-Mukherjee-looks-east-for-2nd-green-revolution/articleshow/12448197.cms">http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pranab-Mukherjee-looks-east-for-2nd-green-revolution/articleshow/12448197.cms</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>shambhuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07750189661201883521noreply@blogger.com0