Sustainable Development in India: Perspectives

In 1972, the then Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi emphasized, at
the UN Conference on Human Environment at Stockholm, that the removal of
poverty is an integral part of the goal of an environmental strategy for the
world. The concepts of interrelatedness, of a shared planet, of global
citizenship, and of spaceship earth cannot be restricted to environmental
issues alone. They apply equally to the shared and inter-linked
responsibilities of environmental protection and human development. History
has led to vast inequalities, leaving almost three-fourths of the worlds
people living in less-developed countries and one-fifth below the poverty
line. The long-term impact of past industrialization, exploitation and
environmental damage cannot be wished away. It is only right that
development in this new century be even more conscious of its long-term
impact. The problems are complex and the choices difficult. Our common
future can only be achieved with a better understanding of our common
concerns and shared responsibilities. Following are some perspectives and
approaches towards achieving a sustainable future:
Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Livelihoods
Poverty and a degraded environment are closely inter-related, especially
where people depend for their livelihoods primarily on the natural resource
base of their immediate environment. Restoring natural systems and
improving natural resource management practices at the grassroots level are
central to a strategy to eliminate poverty. The survival needs of the poor
force them to continue to degrade an already degraded environment.
Removal of poverty is therefore a prerequisite for the protection of the
environment. Poverty magnifies the problem of hunger and malnutrition. The
problem is further compounded by the inequitable access of the poor to the
food that is available. It is therefore necessary to strengthen the...

Sustainable Development: The Way for Future, Where are we?

Sustainable development is a common agenda for global concern, which everybody agrees upon,
but bringing this global concern into public policies is a difficult task. The most accepted
definition of sustainable development according to the Brundtland's report is, To meet the needs
of present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It
advocated the idea of sustainable growth.
India is presently emerging as an economic superpower, but in contrast, there is another profile
of India. We constitute around 17% of the world's population, but account for about 35% of the
poor and 40% of the illiterates in the world.(2) Experiences from the economic reform indicate
that while there have been improvements in economic growth, foreign exchange, IT revolution,
export growth, and so on, inequality in income distribution has been growing simultaneously.
Exclusion from benefits of economic revolution has been continued in terms of low agricultural
growth (agriculture's share in GDP has been reduced to half, with no decrease in dependent

population in the agricultural sector(2)), low quality employment growth, concentration of

poverty in certain groups (SC / ST), occupation (agricultural and casual labor), and region; and
inadequate development of women and children. Our sex ratio continues to remain favorable to
men. All the above factors have resulted in the widening of economic and social disparity, which
is a threat to sustainable development. The present economic growth helps to create more
opportunities for the more educated section of the upper and middle class, with a trickle-down
effect on a section of the poor.
In India around 700 million people in the rural area are directly dependent on climate-sensitive
sectors (agriculture, forests, and fisheries) and natural resources (such as water, biodiversity,
mangroves, coastal zones, grasslands) for their subsistence and livelihoods. Climate change and
its effects will further reduce the adaptive capacity of dry land farmers, forest dwellers,
fisherfolk, and nomadic shepherds, which is already very low.
Water, soil, and air, which are the vital environmental sources for maintaining life have been
shrinking alarmingly. The main reasons for the water crisis are increasing demand, zonal
disparity in distribution, lack of ethical framework for use, inadequate knowledge and resources,
major land-use changes, long-term water level decline, and increase in salinity and pollution.
India, with a large percentage of its land under agriculture, is also prone to the vagaries of
weather conditions and climate change. About 228 Mha of its geographical area (nearly 69%)
falls within the dry land (arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid) region and 142 Mha (68% of the
total cultivated area) in the country is rain fed.(6)
To meet the challenging situation of widening economic and social disparity, inclusive growth is
the best tool, but it is a dream without improvement in agricultural growth, employment
generation, poverty reduction, and involvement of the social sector (health, education, and
women empowerment). We must learn from China in this regard. Elements of the successful
experience of the Chinese such as, high and labor-releasing agricultural growth, favorable
income distribution through broad-based agricultural growth, availability of infrastructure,
higher levels of literacy and skills, inducements for the location of enterprises in rural areas, and
easy access to credit and inputs for the poor section of society, are extremely relevant for
developing countries. Women empowerment through replacing the Life-Cycle Approach of the
girl child, which has a prime objective of marriage and motherhood by a Capability Approach
as propagated by Amartya Sen, where the girl child's contributions both in economic and social
terms are given due recognition. All Acts and Schemes related to the girl child, therefore, need to
be thoroughly reviewed to raise the status of the girl child as an asset rather than burden, for
example, conditional cash and non-cash transfer scheme, and so on.
Concerted and sustained efforts are required to meet the challenges resulting from climate
change and its effects. Ground water conservation practices like construction of khadin (popular
in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Gujarat), check
dams, farm ponds, recharge shafts, injection wells (in coastal region and to combat problems of
heavily pumped out aquifers), and contour trenching, to arrest surface run-off at elevations, and

similarly surface water conservation techniques, like construction of ooranies (surface water
collection ponds with improved catchments, commonly found in Tamil Nadu), are important
measures to tackle problems of water scarcity and the decreasing ground water table. Generation
of awareness and training among the masses for water conservation via roof top rain water
harvesting and threshing floors can also be implemented. Involvement of the Gram Panchayat /
Village Health and Sanitation Committee for operation, maintenance, and surveillance of water
quality, as in the National Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance Project,
can have a major impact. Other measures like recycling and reuse of water, using water-efficient
household equipment such as low volume flushing cisterns, proper metering of water, rational
tariff, and the concept of a water-efficient home, would reduce water demand and encourage
conservation.
Integrated development of drought-prone areas can be done by long-term preventive measures
like afforestation, pasture development, and livestock management, (by growing better top feed
species, which can survive annual droughts and provide rich fodder). Contingency crop planning
can be implemented by growing various combinations of crops, fruits, trees, and grasses, to
minimize the risk of crop failure and to provide stability to farm income. Efficient land
management and irrigation technologies like sprinklers and drip systems should be popularized,
which aim at maximizing the production per unit of irrigation water. Other measures like human
and livestock population management and generation of alternate ways of non-farm employment
can go long way. A study titled, Comprehensive Assessment of Watershed Programmes in
India by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT),
Hyderabad, has identified the reduction of wastelands by about 8.58 Mha during 2000 and 2005,
by using various techniques of integrated development of the drought prone area.(7)
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) is presently one of the most credible
programs that deals with chronic poverty and improving sustainable development in rural areas.
Under NREGA, up to two-third of the activities are for water conservation (52%) and land
development (14%), a step toward sustainable development.(7)
For improving the present ecological conditions, India has taken a number of stringent steps,
such as, (1) registration of the largest number of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects
(31%) in the world.(8) CDM or carbon credits is a mechanism devised under the Kyoto Protocol
to award encashable points to eco-friendly projects, on the basis of carbon emissions they
control. (2) A Mumbai start-up, Sustainable Technologies and Environmental Projects Ltd
(STEPS), has discovered a way to convert plastic, organic, and electronic waste into petroleum
without the usual harmful residue. Such plants, which cost US$ 2 - 3 million each, can produce
up to 25,000 liters of petroleum a day, at an operating cost of Rs. 12 per liter (excluding cost of
raw materials).(8) India is also trying to replace 10% of its transport fuels with environment
friendly biofuels (mixing ethanol, doping diesel, and nonedible oil) in the next 10 years, to cut
carbon emissions.(9) (3) A new initiative of the US Green Building Council-Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (USGBC-LEED) an organization that uses the 69-point
criteria to award certificate at the platinum, gold, and other levels to buildings. Today, our
country has over 25 million square feet of registered green building expanse, which is all set to

touch 100 million square feet by 2010-12. ITC Green Center in Gurgaon, is the world's largest
green building, with a space of 170,000 square feet, and the first non-commercial complex in our
country to be awarded a platinum rating by USGBC-LEED
People participation in the form of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), as a means of
reducing the social and economic disparity and improving ecological conditions through various
activities via the corporate sector like health, education, natural resource management,
infrastructure development, community support, non-farm and farm-based livelihood
development.
We have a path for sustainable development, but unless all our methods are directed toward it,
we cannot achieve sustainable development.

Privatision of Education in India

In a modern society, education is a very important sector. Education, at the
individual level helps in the process of socialisation. At the level of society, it
ensures that the traditional wisdom passes from one generation to the others
and the new and modern knowledge is imbibed by the present generation.
The government of every nation is particularly careful about the educational
sector because it is crucial for the development of that nation.
Education is a must for the development of every country as without education there are no chances
of development, so in this respect education is main weapon to improve and eradicate any evils.
Everything has negative as well as positive factors, so in this way the privation of higher education is
good and bad to some extent.

It has been argued that privatisation of education is necessary from several

stand points. In the first place, education has become a very expensive
venture which the government cannot afford. Secondly, the educational
infrastructure of the government is poor. There are shortages of school
buildings, teaching staff and other facilities. The government lacks resources.
All these adversely affect the overall equality of education. It has also been
suggested that since the government spends so much on education and is
not able to reap the proportionate rewards due to several..
Advantage of privation of education in private sectors:
1. Student can't get a better quality education as the teachers in private school, colleges and
universities pay much attention towards to students.
2. Student can't do their every work with great management related to their schools work or their
personal work joint with their personal life because the private schools pay much attention towards
management and discipline as the management and discipline have the major role for every kind of
work.
3. They get a better atmosphere with good students.
Disadvantages of privatization of education in private sector:

1. The Private institutions demand for high amount of fees which is not possible for every people as a
developing counter like India most of the people are poor so they can not afford so much amount of
fees.
2. Money is given prime importance.
Disadvantages of high education in the hands of Government Sectors:
1. In most of the Government Schools, the teachers don't pay much attention towards to students.
2. Because they are interested in their's monthly income and not interested to educate the students.
2. There is no management and discipline and even good atmosphere.
Advantages of privatization of education in government sectors:
1. Because the institution fees are low to some extent, and most the students can approach the
institutions in government sector.
2. No doubt, Many of the best government institutes such as IITs, IIMs and NIT.

Media and its Effect to our Society

Media plays a significant role in our society today. It is all around us, from the
shows we watch on television, the music we listen to on the radio, to the
books and magazines we read each day. Television more so that any of the
other medias achieves a myriad of different goals. These goals range from
entertaining to educating. Various confines of education and entertainment
are depicted in television.
For the most part the television is found to be very entertaining. People
watch television shows they enjoy and find entertaining. Television is often
looked at as a babysitter for children. The viewing of television can entertain
the young and old alike for great amounts of time. Along with entertaining,
the media is used to inform society. Days are often started by the listening of
the news on the morning television, judging the latest updates on the local
traffic jams. Days are often concluded with the watching of the late night
news on television, keeping us informed of the world and the events
occurring around us.

In addition to informing the television is used to spread a message or to

campaign. Political candidates on all levels use this medium to inform the
public of their views and hopefully to convince the public to elect them.
Impact of the Media on Society
Media technologies are becoming an important aspect of todays
society. Each and every day, people interact with media of many different
forms. Media is commonly defined as being a channel of communication.
Radio, newspapers, and television are all examples of media. It is impossible
to assume that media is made up of completely unbiased information and
that the media companies do not impose their own control upon the
information being supplied to media users. Since many people use media
very frequently, it is obvious to assume that it has affects on people.
According to the text book Media Now, "media effects are changes in
knowledge, attitude, or behavior that result from exposure to the mass
media," (386). This leaves us with many unanswered questions about media
and its influences.
In order to understand how media can affect society or individuals, it is
first necessa...
The Advantages Of Mutual Funds
Mutual Funds: Essay on Mutual Funds!
Investors have a basic choice: they can invest directly in individual
securities, or they can invest indirectly through a financial intermediary.
Financial intermediaries gather savings from investors and invest these
monies in a portfolio of financial assets.
Mutual Fund:
A mutual fund is a type of financial intermediary that pools the funds of
investors who seek the same general investment objective and invests there
in a number of different types of financial claims (e.g., equity shares, bonds,
money market instruments).
These pooled funds provide thousands of investors with proportional
ownership of diversified portfolios managed by professional investment

managers. The term mutual is used in the sense that all its returns, minus
its expenses, are shared by the funds unit holders.
Mutual fund investing vs. investing through banks:
Mutual funds are only one kind of financial intermediary. Bank is the largest
intermediary in the financial system. Thousands of depositors pool their
savings in a bank. However, investments in banks entitle the depositors to
different financial claims than the one generated by the mutual funds.
Pass-Through Structure:
In a sense, mutual fund is the purest form of financial intermediary because
there is almost perfect pass through of money between unit holders (savers)
and the securities in which the fund invests.
Unit holders are indicated a-priori in what type of securities their funds will
be invested. Value of the securities held in the fund portfolio is translated on
the daily basis directly to the value of the fund units held by the unit holders.
By contrast, a commercial bank is not a pass through type of financial
intermediary. Banks collect deposits from depositors (savers). The depositors
have no specific knowledge of how their funds will be used.
Bank invests the monies of the depositors in loans & advances which the
bank officers feel appropriate at the time. On the deposits collected banks
usually give a specified rate of return (interest) that is not linked to the
performance of its loans & advances portfolio.
How Risky is a Mutual Fund Investors May Lose Money in a Mutual
Fund:
It is important to understand that a mutual fund is as risky as the underlying
assets in which it invests. Though regulations ensure disciplined investments

and ceilings on expenses that are charged to the unit holders, unit holders
assume investment or market risk, including the possible loss of principal,
because mutual funds invest in securities whose value may rise and fall.
Unlike bank deposits, mutual funds are not insured under Deposit Insurance
and Credit Guarantee Corporation Act, 1961Of course there is also an upside
to investment or market risk. Generally speaking, if you aspire for higher
returns then you have to take greater risk. One has to evaluate the riskiness
of a mutual fund from the assets it invests.
Since their creation, mutual funds have been a popular investment vehicle
for investors. Their simplicity along with other attributes provide great
benefit to investors with limited knowledge, time or money. To help you
decide whether mutual funds are best for you and your situation, we are
going to look at some reasons why you might want to consider investing in
mutual funds.
Diversification
One rule of investing, for both large and small investors, is
asset diversification. Diversification involves the mixing of investments
within a portfolio and is used to manage risk. For example, by choosing to
buy stocks in the retail sector and offsetting them with stocks in the
industrial sector, you can reduce the impact of the performance of any one
security on your entire portfolio. To achieve a truly diversified portfolio, you
may have to buy stocks with different capitalizationsfrom different industries
and bonds with varying maturities from different issuers. For the individual
investor, this can be quite costly.
By purchasing mutual funds, you are provided with the immediate benefit of
instant diversification and asset allocation without the large amounts of cash
needed to create individual portfolios. One caveat, however, is that simply
purchasing one mutual fund might not give you adequate diversification check to see if the fund is sector or industry specific. For example, investing
in an oil and energy mutual fund might spread your money over fifty
companies, but if energy prices fall, your portfolio will likely suffer.
Economies of Scale
The easiest way to understand economies of scale is by thinking about

volume discounts; in many stores, the more of one product you buy, the
cheaper that product becomes. For example, when you buy a dozen donuts,
the price per donut is usually cheaper than buying a single one. This also
occurs in the purchase and sale of securities. If you buy only one security at
a time, the transaction fees will be relatively large.
Mutual funds are able to take advantage of their buying and selling size and
thereby reduce transaction costs for investors. When you buy a mutual fund,
you are able to diversify without the numerous commissioncharges. Imagine
if you had to buy the 10-20 stocks needed for diversification. The
commission charges alone would eat up a good chunk of your savings. Add
to this the fact that you would have to pay more transaction fees every time
you wanted to modify your portfolio - as you can see the costs begin to add
up. With mutual funds, you can make transactions on a much larger scale for
less money.
Divisibility
Many investors don't have the exact sums of money to buy round lots of
securities. One to two hundred dollars is usually not enough to buy a round
lot of a stock, especially after deducting commissions. Investors can
purchase mutual funds in smaller denominations, ranging from $100 to
$1,000 minimums. Smaller denominations of mutual funds provide mutual
fund investors the ability to make periodic investments through monthly
purchase plans while taking advantage ofdollar-cost averaging. So, rather
than having to wait until you have enough money to buy higher-cost
investments, you can get in right away with mutual funds. This provides an
additional advantage - liquidity.
Liquidity
Another advantage of mutual funds is the ability to get in and out with
relative ease. In general, you are able to sell your mutual funds in a short
period of time without there being much difference between the sale price
and the most current market value. However, it is important to watch out for
any fees associated with selling, including back-end load fees. Also, unlike
stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which trade any time during
market hours, mutual funds transact only once per day after the fund's net
asset value (NAV) is calculated.
SEE: What is a mutual fund's NAV?

Professional Management
When you buy a mutual fund, you are also choosing a professional money
manager. This manager will use the money that you invest to buy and sell
stocks that he or she has carefully researched. Therefore, rather than having
to thoroughly research every investment before you decide to buy or
sell, you have a mutual fund's money manager to handle it for you.
The Bottom Line
As with any investment, there are risks involved in buying mutual funds.
These investment vehicles can experience market fluctuations and
sometimes provide returns below the overall market. Also, the advantages
gained from mutual funds are not free: many of them carry loads,
annual expense fees and penalties for early withdrawal.
Essay on India's Economic Development and Population Growth
We now have the provisional population totals for 2001 Census and the first
thing that strikes us is that we went wrong. In February 2001, we have a
population of 1.27 billion. But there were earlier projections that stated we
would touch 1.027 billion in 2001.
The decadal population growth for 1991-2001 is 21.34%, implying an annual
average growth rate of 2.134%. This is of course an annual average growth
rate for the decade as a whole and is not terribly pertinent. What is much
more important is that the growth rate is now, say in 2011. according to
earlier projections, it was supposed to be 1.55%. But because we went wrong
in the earlier projections, it is probably still around 1.6%.
India's greatest problem is population growth. So runs the argument in most
text books on the Indian economy. Had it not been for population growth,
India's per capita income would have been higher than the present figure of
rs. 5000. Per capita national income is a ratio. We have national income in
the numerator and population in the denominator. Ceteris Paribus, or every
thing else remaining constant, a lower population in the denominator and
population in the denominator boosts per capita income. Let's assume that in
the next twenty years, real national income in India grows at 7.5%. If the
population rate of growth is 1.5%, that translates into a per capita income
growth of 6%. But if the population rate of growth 2%, that translates into a
per capita income growth of only 5.5%. That may may seem like a small
difference, but compounded over a period of time, the difference this makes
to per capita income is considerable. If the population growth rate slows
down, the per capita income will increase faster. The percentage below the
poverty line will decline faster.
A Fallacy
There is a fallacy in this argument. Or stated more accurately, there is an

assumption in this argument and that assumption cannot be left implicit. It

must be made explicit. It is presumed that the population that not disappears
makes no contribution to national income. The denominator declines, but the
numerator is left untouched. This may or may not be true, but is an
assumption nonetheless.
Why is a large population a burden? Because we won't be able to feed so
many mouths. India produces 2890 kilos of paddy per hectare and 2580 kilos
of wheat per hectare. China produces 6060 kilos of paddy per hectare and
France produces 7600 kilos of wheat per hectare. If our agricultural
productivity levels can be improved, we can easily sustain double the
present population. A large population exerts pressure on land in general, as
opposed to agricultural land. Really? India has a density of 324 people per
square kilometer. Hong Kong seems to be functioning quite well with a
density of 6946 per square kilometer. For the record, Chandigarh has not
collapsed with the density of 7903 per square kilometer.
Nor is the more general point about availability of natural resources an issue.
Hong Kong again is the obvious, though not the only, example. We tend to
confuse our inability to provide services like education, sanitation, power,
roads drinking water or medical services with a population problem. This is
true of urban as well as rural areas. Yes, there are public governance
problems and a large population aggravates them. Yes, there are poverty
and unemployment problems and a large population aggravates these as
well. But the basic problem is with lack of public governance and economic
growth. Let us not blame it on population.
The Kerala Experience
As income increases, population growth does tend to slow down. This is the
demo graphic transition argument of birth rates dropping eventually, after
death rates drop because of improvements in medical facilities. The 1981
Census showed such a slowing down in Kerala. For years, economists
debated the replication of the Kerala experience elsewhere in India, without
indulging in the coercive models of China. The 1991 Census showed such a
slowing down in Tamil Nadu, but it wasn't quite a replication of the Kerala
experience. The slowing down in Tamil Nadu owed less to increased per
female literacy and availability of potable water. For years, population policy
in India was equated with a contraceptive policy (India, paradoxically, was
the first country in the world to introduce a family planning policy) and this
didn't work. Instead, these determinants of population growth are much
more important, coupled with NGO involvement, which helps disseminate
information. The 2001 Census has shown a slowing down of population
growth in Andhra Pradesh.
If you have a map of the findings of the 2001 Census in front of you, you will
notice the following. Let's leave out places like Delhi, where population
growth is significantly affected by migratin. (Perhaps this is true of Haryana
and Chandigarh as well.) Let's also leave out States like Arunachal Pradesh,
Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Sikkim, as they belong to

special categories and the bases are low. Among major States it then
transpires that there isn't a major problem in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, karnataka,
Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal or Himachal Pradesh. (The deteriorating
sex ratio, especially in the 0-6 age group, is a separate issue.) The population
growth there is slowing down. Chhattisgarh, Uttaranchal, Punjab and Assam
also don't provide much cause for worry. But population rates of growth are
high in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Jharkhand, higher in Madhya pradesh and
Rajasthan and Bihar, apart from Jammu & Kashmir. That indeed is the point.
There is not all-India based population problems any more and there is
almost a North-South divide. There are significant inter-State and interregional differences, with differences not only amog States, but also among
districts within the same State. We do not yet have district wise figures from
the provisional population totals, but they will eventually be available. To the
extent that population policy is important, it thus needs to concentrate on
specific States and within these States, on specific districts.
The poor and backward States of India have conventionally been referred to
as the BIMARU (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh), with a
pun on the word Bihar. Bihar now has Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh now has
Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh now has Uttaranchal. As the earlier
identification indicates, the population growth problem is a serious one in the
undivided BIMARU States and in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Haryana.
Disparities in Growth
However, post-1991 reforms, disparities in growth across States have
increased and will increase even further. In States like Gujarat and
maharashtra, real State domestic product has grown at rates of 6% and more
and this has beneficial effects on poverty (percentage of population below
the poverty line or head count ratio) and unemployment. But among the
BIMARU states, real State domestic product has only grown at around 3% in
Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (and in Orissa among the non-population growth has
thus contributed to per capita income growth rates of 1 to 1.5%. There have
thus been limited beneficial effects on poverty and unemployment. The
debate about the link between per capita income growth and declines in the
poverty ratio (head count ratio or percentage of population below the
poverty line) has hopefully been resolved. Post-1991, this debate took place
in the absence of any data, since the last NSS (National Sample Survey)
large sample dated to 1993-94. The NSS large sample figures of 1999-2000
are now available. Subject to minor problems of data incomparability, at an
all-India level, they show a drop in the poverty ratio from 36% in 1993-94 to
23% or 26% in 1999-2000. (23% is according to one criterion, 26% according
to another.)
The relationship between population growth and economic development is a
two-way one, even though we sometimes tend to forget one part of the
relationship. In the classic demo graphic transition sense, an increase in
income tends to bring down birth rates. In the 1991 Census, among the
major States, crude birth rates were sus, among the major States, crude
birth rates were more than 30 per thousand in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.) and as I have argued earlier, a large

population can also contribute to economic growth and a negative

correlation between the two is not necessarily axiomatic. In fact, in an allIndia sense, the country is clearly going through a period of demographic
transition now. The crude birth rate has dropped. But babies who were born
twenty or twenty-five years ago, are not entering the labor force. Stated
differently, the percentage of population in the productive age-groups in in
creasing and the dependency ratio is declining.
Paul

Krugman

Before the East Asian currency crisis, there was a lot of talk about the East
Asian miracle, although that phrase is somewhat unpopular now. Several
people have suggested that an economist named Paul Krugman predicted
the crisis. Not quite. In his 1994 article in Foreign Affairs (not the later 1998
one), Paul Krugman argued that growth in East Asia came about primarily
through input increases, not through productivity increases can occur
because of increases in labor and capital, sometimes referred to as extensive
growth. Or output in creases can occur with same inputs of labor and capital,
if the productivity with which these inputs are used increases, sometimes
referred to as intensive growth.
Once one take away the effect of increases in capital and labor, the residual
growth is referred to as total factor productivity (TFP) increase. Krugman thus
argued that there was little evidence of TFP growth in Eat Asia. Growth
happened becuae of increases in capital (based on high savings rates) and
labor inputs. Sine there was a limit to how much these could be increased,
East Asian growth must eventually slow down. That was the essence of the
argument. my intention is not to discuss TFP, Krugman or East Asia.
I only want to point out that there are some other studies (other than
Krugman's) that have tried to decompose growth in East Asia. And these
suggest that the demographic transition (drop in dependency ratio)
contributed around 2% to real national income growth in East Asia. At an
aggregate level, India is entering this demographic transition cycle now and
this is a cycle that will last for the next twenty or thirty years. After that, it
will plateau out, as it did in East Asia. The point is that such demographic
transition can add 2% to real national income growth in India also, in the
years leading income growth in India also, in the years leading up to 2020 or
2030.
However, two conditions have to be satisfied. First, jobs have to be found for
these people. Second, these people have to possess the requisite skills, for
which, the literacy rate is a useful indicator, although it is legitimate to argue
that broader indicators of human development should be considered. Let us
consider the second point first.
The

Literacy

Scene

In the 1991 Census, we had a literacy rate of 52.2%. In 1951, we had a

literacy rate of 18.3%. So over a period of 40 years, te literacy rate improved
by 34% or 0.85% per year. In 1997, the National Sample Survey (NSS)

collected some data on literacy in the course of its 53rd round and arrived at
a figure. From 52% in 1991 to 62% a year. How is that possible, when the
track record has been 0.85% a year? After all, NSS surveys are not designed
to capture data on literacy. No one disputes that the census is designed to
capture data on literacy and we now know that in 2001, the overall literacy
rate is 65%. This is an improvement of 1.3% a year and is not out of synch
with the NSS figure for 1997. There are indeed people who argue that
definitions of literacy don't capture much, they have no functional tests.
True, but that is neither here nor there. The definition hasn't changed much.
And even if the definition is unsatisfactory, as long as is does not become
more unsatisfactory, an improvement is an improvement. Surely, that cannot
be denied.
What has changed since 1991 so as to make such improvements believable,
in defiance of earlier trends? Without getting into details, I suspect that two
changes have been important. First, government-administered delivery of
primary education has become more decentralized and therefore, more
accountable, the Education Guarantee Scheme in Madhya Pradesh being one
example. Contrary to popular perception, at the primary level, the problem is
not that accessible schools don't exist. The problem is the quality of
education delivered there. Second, there has been considerable NGO (nongovernment organization) involvement and this too, makes the delivery of
education more flexible. We should be headed for an overall literacy rate of
around 85% 2015.
Job Growth
Clearly, the answer does not lie in jobs in the government sector, including
the public sector. Provided labor laws are made more flexible in the private
organized manufacturing growth does not translate into employment growth.
Part of the answer also lies in employment growth in the services sector,
conventionally perceived to be more labor intensive than manufacturing. Part
of the answer also lies in the agricultural sector, with agriculture being
interpreted as rural industries and services and not just narrow crop and
livestock output. For that to happen, agricultural reforms (removal of interState restrictions, improvement in rural infrastructure, phasing out of
controls on output sales and prices, end of inefficient subsidies on inputs,
opening up of futures markets, corporate sector involvement in extension
services and credit, banking and insurance) need to happen. Unfortunately,
despite what has happened since 1991, agricultural sector reforms haven't
been implemented. Even talking about them, at the government level, is of
recent vintage.
In conclusion, population growth is not per se a problem. Economic growth is
indeed a problem. In that sense, population growth becomes a problem if
reforms don't happen. And there is also an inter-State dimension to this.
Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have begun to climb out of the BIMARU fold.
But what happens in Uttar Pradesh 9at least the Eastern part), Uttaranchal,
Assam (the rest of the North-East also), Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand and Jammu
& Kashmir? Given the physical infrastructure there, extrapolation of present

trends doesn't suggest an enormous explores doesn't suggest an enormous

explosion in manufacturing activity there. Given the social infrastructure
there, extrapolation of present trends doesn't suggest an enormous
explosion in the service sector there. Migration cannot be a large-scale
solution. At least in some of these states, agriculture and agricultural reforms
hold the key. And that is primarily a State-government subject. Thanks to
what has happened since 1991, the focus of policy change is now at the level
acted positively? Therein lies the tragedy. Let's not blame population growth
for that.
Indias Corrupt Leadership - Essay
Corruption is viewed as a synonym for politicians by our youth. First,
corruption is India's one of the major problems (after a burgeoning
population). The only way to tackle corruption is to bring down the ruling
government and change the political system in the country. Only true leaders
should be elected.'
And somewhere along, there was an overriding sense of disillusion too.
Perhaps the only problem where cynicism was the underlying emotion even
for the young and habitually optimistic. Tucked away in the inside pages of a
national daily was a report this week that the Anti-Corruption Bureau had
nabbed "red-handed" a lowly official accepting a princely bribe of Rs.100.
The official, we were informed, has been immediately suspended. He was
caught accepting the money "across the table", not even under the table,
much like the infamous Mr Bangaru Laxman, former President of the
Bharatiya Janata Party.
The crime may be small in monetary terms but the punishment was
exemplary. All punishment is meant to be exemplary because no system can
ever catch all offenders. When a thief is caught, he is subject to exemplary
punishment as a warning to potential thieves. The inequity in the system
however lies in the fact that while this gent got caught and was suspended
for petty corruption; those who transact in crores almost always go scot-free.
When caught, corrupt politicians often use the so-called "verdict of the
electorate" as a smokescreen to escape punishment by manipulating the
system. To do this they often subvert the law and order machinery and coopt the law enforcers. Little wonder then that in public perception the "most
corrupt" section of society is the police.
This is not the corruption that is talked about in editorial pages and on
television chat shows. This is the Rs.100 across-the-table kind of .corruption.
This is about the bribe the local police station seeks to lodge a first
information report when a crime is reported. This is about the bribe the
doctor demands to treat a patient quickly. This is about the "Chai Pan!" the
electricity meter reader takes to read your meter wrongly. The study's ten
sectors are: police, health, power, education, ration, land administration,
judiciary, taxation, railways and telecom.

It is a measure of the impact of economic reform and liberalisation in the

telecom sector that it figures as one of the "less" corrupt sectors. A decade
ago this would not have been the case given that the monopoly status of the
government telephone company gave its minions enormous power to seek a
bribe every time a telephone user interacted with the operator. The railways
used to be a den of corruption till computerisation and improved working
conditions for staff made them also an area of low corruption, according to
this study. While the police have been declared the "most corrupt" sector, in
terms of public perception, the largest amount of money is, however, tucked
away in the public health care system by doctors and nurses, with active
involvement of chemists and pharmaceutical companies.
By charging patients extra for medicines that are supposed to be supplied
free, by pushing them to purchase medicines from specific chemists and
companies, by recommending unrequired diagnostic tests at preferred
pathology laboratories, by simply seeking gratification for proper care,
doctors and nurses in public sector hospitals were garnering a cool 28 per
cent of all the bribe money transacted in India in a year. Next to health care
comes the power sector where power utility staff cream off 22 per cent of the
proceeds of corruption.
However, the power sector can learn from railways. Computerisation and
transparency in operations can help reduce corruption in the power sector.
The education sector comes third in ranking. Here, the main source of
corruption is teachers forcing private tuition on students as a way of seeking
extra income and helping students pass.
Finally, it is the tax administration. It secures a surprisingly low score in this
survey with bribes taken by taxmen accounting for a mere 5 per cent of all
bribes. But this counter-intuitive result could be the product of a respondent
bias.
The Role of Banks in Boosting Indias Agriculture Essay
Banks can play a leading role in boosting Indias agricultural production.
Their role in this respect has become of crucial importance after the
nationalization of 20 major banks, and the establishment of co-operative
banks, and banks of other types. Various banks have opened their branches
even in remote villages. There is now a net work of banks in the countryside.
These banks have encouraged the farmer to save for the rainy day. Through
persistent publicity, they have brought home to the farmer the advantages
of keeping their saving in banks.
The Indian farmer is proverbially poor. He has no money for the purchase of
good seeds, fertilizers and modern implements like tractors. Neither has he
any money for the construction of tube wells and store houses. Banks are
helping him a lot by advancing loans to him on easy terms. In this way he is
saved from the clutches of the indigenous money Landers and agriculture
receives a big boost. In this way banks help in modernizing Indian
agriculture. As a result, the yield per acre increased. Increased production

has made India self-sufficient in food, checked inflation and made the farmer
less poor and needy. Banks have also encouraged the farmer to take to
poultry and dairy-farming, and loners are advanced for this purpose also.
We are glad to note that the government is quite alive to the problems of the
Indian farmers, and the crucial role that the banks can play in boosting
agriculture. Loners are being advanced liberally on easy terms by cooperative banks and agricultural development banks. Branches of leading
banks are being established even in remote, out of the way villages. No
doubt the loners are sometimes not recovered, or a part of them goes to
pockets of dishonest middle men and leaders. But the purpose is to increase
agricultural production, and since this aim is being achieved we should be
satisfied.
In short the banking industry is bound to play, in times to come, a role of
increasing importance in boosting Indian agriculture. The present difficulties
of the Indian farmer, let us hope, would soon be over-come and the
increased agricultural productions would make food scarcity a matter of the
past.
The Status of Women in India Essay
In the past, women were treated as mere slaves. As they belong to the
weaker sex, men used to keep them under thumb. They were denied
freedom. They were kept like dumb cattle within the four walls of the house.
Indeed, they had no rights. Their most sacred duty was to obey blindly.
Though the conditions in the country are fast changing, yet women are still
treated, in some respects, in the same old way. No one feels happy in the
home at the birth of a female child. Even an only daughter is supposed to be
a curse for the family. She is regarded as a decree of lakhs of rupees on the
parents. Further, as a wife, she has always to obey her husband. Theirs not
to reason why, theirs but to do and die. was the motto for them. Even
educated and modernized husbands want to see their wives confined within
the four walls. The noble professions of the outside world are considered to
be of no concern to them. Their husbands, they may be good or bad, are
their lords and gods.
Those changes are beneficial which come gradually. Our country is changing
politically, economically and socially, at a swift speed. The condition of
women is also gradually changing. They have begun to take their due place
in free India as is evident from the following facts.
In free India, women cannot be kept as sheer domestic servants. They have
to play their vital role in the development of the country. That is why more
and more girls are getting education. No distinction is now made in matters
of education between boys and girls. Education is bound to give them place
of honour in society.
It is for the first time in the history of our country that women have been
given equal voting right with men. It clearly means that women will now take
an active part in outside affairs also. Their voice will now be as forceful and

important as that of men. No politician of leader can now afford to neglect, or

oppose their rights. They are becoming equal partners in the making, or the
dismissing, of a Government.
Hindu law has been changed and modified. Far reaching changes have been
introduced in the Hindu Marriage Act. Women have been given right to
divorce in certain cases. This is a very important change. They have been
given protection in other ways also against the cruelly of the husbands.
Besides this, the Hindu Succession Act has given to the daughter the right to
the property of her parents. These reforms have secured for women an
honorable status in society.
Our constitution has given equal rights to women. No distinction has been
made on the basis of caste, religion or sex. Their rights have thus been
safeguarded. Reservation for women in state assemblies, parliament and the
upper house is apt to be enacted in near future.
Many a women has begun to occupy high position in the life of our country.
There are a number of lady minister and deputy ministers. A woman, late
Mrs. Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of the country and a leader world
stature. Besides this, women are taking to the profession increasing number.
Today there are women who are competent police which direction the wind is
blowing. The observance of the international womens year in 1975, gave
further impetus to the movement for the emancipation of women. Attention
has thus been focused on problems peculiar to women in India.
Also Indian girls bagged two beauty crowns in 1994. Sushmita Sen won the
Miss Universe title and Aiswarya Rai bagged the Miss World crown. This
unique double success on the worlds beauty stage earned a healthier
respect for India as a whole, because these contests of late have become as
much tests of the contestants brains, outlook and presence of mind as of
mere physical beauty.
From the above account it is evident, that the place of women in free India is
becoming more and more secure with the change of times. She can no
longer be dominated and driven like dumb cattle by man. She is on the
march. She is now an equal partner in her family. Her future is bright.
An Essay on the Foreign Policy of India
Free Indias first Foreign Minister and Prime Minister, Late Pt. Jawahar Lal
Nehru, in his speeches again and again emphasized the principles that
govern her foreign policy. He pointed out that India does not believe in the
use of force to settle international disputes. He condemns war and his efforts
shall ever be directed towards the maintenance of world peace. Imperialism
and colonialism are unjust and constitute a threat to world peace. So India is
anti-colonial and anti-imperialistic in her foreign policy.
The world was divided into two power blocs-the Russian blocs and the
American bloc. India followed a policy of non-alignment with either of the two
power blocs. She believes in neutrality. But neutrality does not mean that she
would not take part in international affairs, but rather that she would judge

every issue on merits and express her views on the basis of truth without any
fear or favour. She participates actively in international affairs and is an
active member U.N.O. With the disintegration of the Soviet Union, there is
now only one super-power left in the field. That is why some people are of
the view that non-alignment has lost its relevance in world affairs. There
must be a review of Indias foreign policy.
For achieving world peace-the basic objective of her foreign policy-India has
laid down the five principles known as the Panch Sheela. They are coexistence, non-aggression, non-interference in the internal affairs of other
countries, respect for each others sovereignty, equality and mutual benefit.
The Panch Sheela principles have already been accepted by a large number
of countries as principles that would guide their conduct in international
affairs.
Since independence India has consistently and firmly followed the basic
principles of her foreign policy. She remained peaceful and non-violent in
matters that closely concerned her. She refused to use force to solve the
problem of Kashmir. She has always thrown her weight in favour of world
peace and whenever and whenever any international quarrels have taken
place, she has tried that they be settled peacefully. She has never hesitated
to say what she considered to be right and proper, even though she ran the
risk of displeasing her best friends. She has always been the friend of subject
peoples and has always raised her voice in their support.
Indias sincerity and impartiality have been gradually recognized by all. Her
moral influence is high. Her device is respected by all. All are her friends.
When China attacked her, the western bloc promised her all out help. Even
Russia, who called China comrade, showed its willingness to help India.
Thus China found herself isolated in world-affairs. This shows the wisdom and
success of Indias policy. All recognize the wisdom of her policy. Save
humanity from disaster. Her foreign policy has been perfectly successful so
far.
With the death of Shri Nehru some doubts were expressed about the
continuance of his policies. It was said that the continuance of his policies. It
was pointed out that India had no friend in the world. But this was not the
case. That is why the late Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, firmly started
that he would follow the same old policy of neutrality and non-alignment.
The wisdom of his policy was demonstrated during the 1965 war with
Pakistan. Pakistan, despite her military alliances, could get no military aid or
political support from either America or Russia.
The Late Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, also followed in the footsteps of
her illustrious father. The Indo-Soviet treaty of Friendship and peace,
1971,made many countries think that India was non-aligned no more. But
this is not a fact. As Late Mrs. Gandhi again and again stressed, India is ready
to enter into such a treaty with any other country of the world. This clearly
shows that India is non-aligned. She is neither Pro-Russia nor Pro-USA, but
Pro-India. The Late Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao also argued forcefully
for the NAMs continuing validity.

Non-alignment raised the prestige and moral influence of the country, and
enabled her to gain the maximum amount of friendship and goodwill.
However, as we have noted above, some re-thinking is essential in the
changed circumstances of the world. A tilt towards the USA may be more
useful. Now that the Soviet Union has disintegrated, India must look out for
new friends such as China and Iran.
4 essays on Taking risks vs. planning
Essay/Article 1
Once upon time, a man pleaded a piece of land from a tribe chief. The chief
gave the man a pole and told him that if he could insert the pole in a place
from which he could come back before the sunset, the land between tribe
station and the pole would belong to him. The man was so greedy that he
exhausted to death on the way back. From this story we can see that
although the man had his goal and action, he had no plan. A good plan is
essential for success. It can quantify the task and make it possible for a man
to arrange his time effectively.
First, by means of planning a man quantifies his task. He divides his final
target into several periodic ones. Thus, he could average the pressure and
see his progress during each period. A good plan encourages a man to fulfill
his destination positively rather than passively. Actually, all successful people
have their careful plans. For example, an excellent student must have a
study schedule that include how to learn new knowledge and how to review
old contents; an outstanding businessman needs a rational marketing plan
that defines the best avenues to reach his target customers and then assigns
a reasonable budget to his efforts. If one could execute his periodic targets
successfully every time, he could easily achieve his ultimate target. More
significantly, during this process a man will acquire a lot of qualifies that are
essential to success.
Secondly, the advantage of good planning is that one can dispose his time
and energy more effectively. It occurs very often in life that one should do a
lot of things simultaneously. To take care of his children, to work, to spend
enough time with his family and friends, only by a careful planning can a
man accomplish his several targets in a short time.
Let us come back to the former story. If the man were a coward he would
always fear that he could not come back before the sunset. The answer must
be the he got much less than what he could have. Therefore, success, to
some extent, needs risk. But I think a careful plan is more important because
it changes success into a routine and it helps a man use his time more
effectively.
Essay/Article 2
According to the words of Salustius One is a creator of his own fate. Some
people believe that success in life always comes unexpectedly and thats

why it is only due to taking risks or chances. On the other hand, others are
more inclined to planning their own lives. In my opinion, planning is the
better approach for one who strives for success in life because it gives him
an assurance in his future success and makes it possible for one to use his
time more efficiently and to be more cautions regarding the difficulties that
may appear on the way to success.
Success in life comes from careful planning and hard-working. To plan means
to pursue some aim and to be confident that it will come sometime
inevitably. In this way, once acquires a bigger faith in his own abilities and
become more urgent in pursuing that aim.
Another important priority of planning is that one can predict some of the
difficulties that may arise during the work and in this way he can better
prepared for them. For instance if one desires to gain a better assignment
within his office he must clarify his aim and plan everything in advance
before taking great pains in pursing it.
Other advantage of planning is that one can dispose of his time in the most
appropriate way in order to fulfill everything that is related to his view of
success. It occur very often in life that one should do a lot of things
concomitantly - to look after his children, to work, to spend enough time with
his dears and relatives , to find time for rest, etc. Thus only careful planning
can make it possible for one to complete many tasks in a short time.
Of course, both careful planning and mere taking risks have their strong and
weak points but the former is more likely since it gives one more confidence
in future success in his work, it helps one to overcome every impediment
more easily and use him time in full value.
Essay/Article 3
Every day, new businesses are created. Some of these businesses will
succeed, but many will fall by the wayside. Some ventures may be on shaky
ground at the start, but with perseverance and careful planning, they will
prevail in the end. Hopefully a careful plan will not lead to a surprise but
rather an expected result and success.
There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which, taken at the flood, leads on the fortune
Omitted, all voyage of their life
Is bound in shadows and in miseries.By Shakespeare
Admittedly, chance can sometimes help a man to succeed. But on the other
hand, not everyone will have such luck. How can a businessman who
succeeds by taking risks sustain his dealing with his business when he is
suddenly out of luck? Most likely, there company will be out of business if
they have not made an all-rounded plan.

Nevertheless, chance favors a prepared mind. The opportunity is equal to all

the people. The key to success is not waiting for a chance, but seizing it.
Obviously, careful planning will guide a man definitely, from which, he
cannot only find a destination and prevent him from aimlessness, but also
assist him to grip the chances on his way to success. For instance, an
entrepreneur should understand the power of a cautious plan which may
help him define his business concepts, estimate costs, predict sales, control
risks, and even increase the chances of succeeding. The plan may tell him
what he should do and how to do it. Going into business without a plan is just
having an expedition in the extensive ocean without a compass.
In the second place, a comprehensive plan is also a reliable backup. Although
the original plan is followed, suffering may come for some unpredictable
occasions. In that way, a well-considered plan that mentions all the
possibilities can be very helpful.
From what has been discussed above, chances and taking risks may be
unavoidable, but success results primarily from careful planning. A
comprehensive schedule, similar to guide in explorations, is a necessity for
achievement.
Essay/Article 4
Gorge Barton, the famous American general in the Second World War, was
well-known for his bold plan and his ability to grasp chances to strike the
enemy in an unexpected way. However, few people know that Barton was
also very careful with the battle plans, taking into consideration all the
details and making preparation for any sort of accidents. I think in a modern
society success often comes from taking risks or chances, but careful
planning is vital for us to attain our goals.
No matter what good ideas or big ambition we have, we need to make
careful plans in which every step is to be considered. Otherwise, these ideas
or ambition will remain something in the air which may never be realized.
In China, a person who likes to take risks and is hasty in making his decisions
is often criticized by others as one who is bold and immature. From early
childhood, we are encouraged to take careful considerations before doing
nay thing important.
Confucius, the ancient Chinese scholar, told his disciples that he would think
it over for many times before making any decision. However, on the other
hand, in todays fast changing world, we should try to find new ways and
come up with new ideas in our work. If we are contented with what we have
and always follow the same routine every day, we may face the risk of being
surpassed by others.
As an old Chinese saying goes, a wise man should have a careful mind as
well as a bold spirit. In order to achieve success, we should not be afraid of
taking risks and try to grasp chances, but at the same time our efforts must
be based on careful planning.

Essay on the Problem of Social Communication in India

The environment of Indian social system also reflects a problem of social

communication. Social structure of Indian society is based on the factors of
illiteracy and backwardness of a large section of population.
Linguistic diversity greatly aggravates this problem. This has tended to
maintain or even increase the gap between the elites and the masses. This
problem is clearly reflected between high and low castes, illiterates and
literates, urbanites and realties etc.
All these social factors are the determining factors of the environment of
Indian social structure, social system and political system. These are mostly
problematic factors.
Indian political system is a developing democratic system operating within
an environment characterized by over population, poverty,
underdevelopment, casteism, communalism, regionalism, linguism, terrorism
and violence. Despite these constraints Indias socio-political system has
been successfully maintaining its stability as a system.
It has been engaged in the process of securing development through control
over these limitations by making and implementing desired authoritative
values as well as through the spreads of literacy, direct political socialization,
organized the spread of literacy, direct political socialization, organized
economic planning and policies and above all through active involvement of
the people in the process of socio economic development.
After independence the process of all round socio economic political cultural
development has been initiated through several well conceived policies and
5 year plans. The progress has been slow, the problems have been many and
restraints have been big, yet the people of India are on the march of social
change.
The political system has been leading, guiding, directing, coordinating and
controlling this march. It is harnessing the resources of the country and
channelizing the socio economic cultural factors for ushering India towards
the sphere of crisis management and in maintaining progress on the road
towards peace, security and prosperity.
The need of his hour is to put in more vigorous and determined efforts
towards state-building, nation-building, citizen-building and system-building.
Social structure of Indian society is, therefore, characterized by religious,
regional, linguistic and caste diversities. There are social conflicts among the
various institutions of Indian society.
Social institutions are closely related to each other. All institutions face the
problem of continuously adjusting themselves to a changing society.
Changes in the social environment may bring changes in all the institutions.

Inflation may have a radial influence on marriage, death, crime and

education.
Breakdown of economic institutions may have great effect upon political
institutions. Any change in an institution may lead to a change in the other
institutions.
No institution can avoid affecting other institutions or avoid being affected by
others. All the social institutions of India society are affecting the political
and cultural institutions. Political system, being a part of social system is
working under the influence of social environment.
Although there is diversity and conflict in the social structure of Indian
society yet these diversities and conflicts have become unique features of
Indian social system.
They are on the path of adjusting themselves to the social environment
keeping in view the unity and integrity of the nation. The contemporary
presence of conflict in the society is a sign of increased and increasing
awareness. Indians have a firm belief in unity in diversity, toleration and
peaceful conflict-resolution.
The people of India are fully alive to the problems and strains that affect
their society and the political system. They are conscious of their glorious
tradition and all-round developments, social, economic, cultural, scientific,
industrial and technological are brand to integrate Indians into a strong
united and developed nation.
An Essay / Article on the Defects in our Present System of Education
(India)
a radical change is the need of the day
There was a time, when India was noted all over the world as a glorious
centre of education and culture, where students from all parts of the globe
used to pour in. The educational and cultural centers of Nalanda, Taxila and
Prayag attracted students from places, as far as Egypt, Greece, China,
Ceylon and Indonesia.
It was an ideal system of education, which apart from disseminating
sweetness and light, infused into the mind of the pupils and spiritual urge for
coming in contact with the kingdom of the Absolute. But now when we look
at the present state of affairs in our country, the change shocks us deeply. It
is asserted with great regret by persons of almost every shade of opinion
that our educational system has not undergone any change with the changes
brought about by political independence.
The crowning defect of our existing educational system that requires the
immediate and earnest consideration is its excessive passive and mechanical
character. The student plays no active role in the attainment of knowledge.
His entire education is passive and mechanical. Things are loaded on his min
which he cannot digest; he only crams and therefore they never become his

own. Our educational system in the words of Dr. Annie Basant, is just Filling
boys head with a lot of disjointed facts poured into the heads as into a
basket; to be emptied out again in the examination room, and empty basket
carried out again into the world. This is the reason why a student who
succeeds so well in his college examination fails miserable in the
examination of life.
The existing system of our education is predominantly academic and
theoretical. It is theoretical as a rule and piratical by chance. The student is
taught lessons by books, but not lessons from life. In other words, he is
provided with knowledge, but not with wisdom. He is obliged to know the
history of Greece of 200 years ago, but he knows nothing of what is
happening in our own country today. He knows more about the English
country Council that about the municipality of his own town.
Now we come to the questions of moral and cultural development of our
students. What do our universities do for their character-building? We have
to admit sadly that today there functions finishes with imparting the students
bits of information. They dont include in them a love of virtue and
righteousness, a sense of self-respect and personal dignity.
In the past a student was taught to be God-fearing, to love and practice the
rules of religion, to obey his parents and respect his teachers. But today the
false glamour of western civilization has lead out students astray and they
have forgotten the noble ideals and traditions of past cultures. Our schools
and colleges still run on these lines that were laid down by Macaulay. Their
course of study and text books does not breathe the air of freedom and
national independence. They have no love for learning for its own sake and
hence no sense of respect for teacher. The bond between the teachers and
the taught is unnatural, purely economic and official. The teacher is nothings
more than a paid servant of the college or the university. The problem of
growing indiscipline among the student is something which reflects seriously
on our education al institutions.
Our students are poor not only intellectually, but physically too. The unsound
minds live in unsound bodies. Groups of pale, thin youths meet the eye at
the portals of colleges and universities.
This is so because there is hardly any provision in our college and
universities for systematical physical training, games and sports and other
extracurricular activates. The want of physical training leads the students to
loss in other way also. They dont learn the dignity of labor. They begin to
shun, labor of every kind, physical or intellectual. They become ideal, easeloving and extravagant. Gandhi mourned this neglect of physical work in our
system of education.
Considering the general standard of living in the country, it is definite that
out system of education is highly expensive. Even for the upper-middle class
people higher education in our country has become a white elephant.

In a way, our education has become a sort of pastime luxury, a form of

amusement, like many other modern things of entertainment. Students go to
schools and colleges more for the sake of amusement that instruction. Our
class-room have an appearance of almost of a cinema hall, well-furnished
with chairs and electric fans and the blackboard which can be compared to a
screen on the background of which the teacher stands more or less like an
actor trying to please his audience by his saucy remarks, pleasant stories
and copious display of antics. He is on the stage and has to play his allotted
part very wisely. Such ac actors appear before the huge audience of the
students one after another and if any actor fails even a little in his dramatic
performance, the audience gets out of control and raises strange catcalls of
all kinds, just as happens in theatre-house.
The commonest criticism against our educational system is that it does not
help us in earning our bread. Our colleges and universities are like factories
that produce graduates in quick succession just as a machine issue forth pins
and needles one after these literacy factories, who wander into the wide
world in there vein efforts to find employment. In life there is no demand for
these university products. The result is that the more our education expands,
the more the ranks of the educated unemployed swell. In the last few years,
there is no doubt; our education has improved greatly but only
quantitatively, not qualitatively. But, as an eminent educationist observed,
What the nation requires is not merely more education, also better
education, and what will ultimately count in the progress of the race is not
the quantity alone but the quality of our education as well .
In view of the foregoing defects and shortcomings, our system of education
calls for a radical change. One of the first and the greatest task that faces us
today is to overhaul and reconstruct our education machinery, for it is on the
regeneration of our education machinery that the regeneration of the nation
depends. We have to devise as-early-as possible as comprehensive national
scheme of education which seeks to brings about a complete and
harmonious development of all factors of human personality.
Democracy in India Essay
The merits of democracy are so many. In no other form of government do
people enjoy so much liberty as in democracy. People are free to express
their views. They can give speeches before the public. They can write articles
and get them published in the magazines and the papers. In this way they
can criticize the policies of the Government. People can from their own
parties. They can change the government through fresh elections, as has
been done in the general elections to the state assemblies and the
parliament time and again.
Further, in democracy all the citizens are treated as equals. All enjoy equal
rights. In our country, the poor and the rich are all equal before the law. No
distinction is made on the basis of colour, caste, class or sex. Merit is the
only consideration in a democracy. All the citizens get equal opportunities of
rising to the highest office. Even a sweeper of today can become the
president of tomorrow.

But the young democracy in India faces many dangers. The ignorance of the
masses is the greatest danger. Then, there is the rigid caste without any
consideration of their merits. Our people care little for their duties. They
always shout for more and more rights. But for the success of democracy
duties are more important than rights.
Linguistic quarrels have weakened the country. Violent trends are visible in
every sphere of life. Terrorism is on the increase cult of the gun is being
cultivated on a large scale. But violence and democracy do not go together.
Democracy implies that problems and differences would be resolved
peacefully through negotiations. Violence shows a lack of faith in democratic
processes. Hence violence is a great danger to democracy. The political
parties indulge in unhealthy, destructive criticism. They do not provide a
strong, healthy government or opposition.
A stage has reached when no single party is able to get absolute majority in
the center and in some states as well. Regional parties are dominating the
scene and parties opposed to each other in their basic principles and
ideologies are forming coalition, their one point programme being either to
secure power or to keep a particular party out of office by any means, fair or
foul. Corruption and bribery has become the order of the day. The two party
systems, as in England and other democracies, have not yet evolved in India.
Violent trends have been noticeable for sometime in different parts of the
country. Shortly after the elections in 1971, there was a demand for the
dissolution of the state legislature in Gujarat and the functioning of the
government was made impossible. This very pattern of violent agitation was
repeated in Bihar. Such violent agitation shows a lack of faith in democracy.
Prices rose high and corruption was widespread. It is for all these reasons
that some one has rightly said that in India, Democracy means the
government of the chair, by the chair, and for the chair.
It becomes necessary to safeguard democracy against all these dangers.
When near chaotic conditions prevailed in the country, and the very security
and stability of the country were threatened, late Mrs. Indira Gandhi, the
then Prime Minister, advised the President of India to declare a state of
emergency. But it did not mean the end of power democratic rights were
restored and people were asked again and again to be fearless.
There was again the same misuse of democratic freedom as in preemergency days. Lawlessness was again no the increase. So the Janta
Government could rule the country only for two and a half years. After the
elections in January 1980, we again had a stable government at the centre.
Thus, within the short period of the three years, the government was
changed twice through peaceful elections. Then Mrs. Gandhi was
assassinated and instead of there being chaos and disorder, Shri Rajiv
Gandhi was elected unanimously as the Prime Minister. The change was
again peaceful and orderly. After his tragic and unexpected assassination,
P.V.Narashimah Rao was unanimously elected as the Prime
Minister of the country in general elections held in May 1996 and in February
1998 again the change of governments was peaceful and orderly. This clearly

shows that the Indian people are democratic by nature. But they must be
educated and taught that democratic freedom does not mean indiscipline,
that violence is the very negation of democracy, and that rights and duties
are the two sides of the same coin. Education in democracy is essential for
its success.
What are the problems faced in Growth Of Rural Entrepreneurs in India?
Most of the rural entrepreneurs face peculiar problems like illiteracy, fear of
risk, lack of training and experience, limited purchasing power and
competition from urban entrepreneurs. Some of the major problems faced by
rural entrepreneurs are as under.
1. Paucity of funds:
Most of the rural entrepreneurs fail to get external funds due to absence of
tangible security and credit in the market. The procedure to avail the loan
facility is too time-consuming that its delay often disappoints the rural
entrepreneurs.
2. Competition:
Rural entrepreneurs face severe competition from large sized organizations
and urban entrepreneurs. They incur high cost of production due to high
input cost.
3. Middlemen:
Middlemen exploit rural entrepreneurs. The rural entrepreneurs are heavily
dependent on middlemen for marketing of their products who pocket large
amount of profit.
4. Legal formalities:
Rural entrepreneurs find it extremely difficult in complying with various legal
formalities in obtaining licenses due to illiteracy and ignorance.
5. Procurement of raw materials:
Procurement of raw materials is really a tough task for rural entrepreneur.
They may end up with poor quality raw materials, may also face the problem
of storage and warehousing.
6. Risk element:
Rural entrepreneurs have less risk bearing capacity due to lack of financial
resources and external support.

7. Lack of technical knowledge:

Rural entrepreneurs suffer a severe problem of lack of technical knowledge.
Lack of training facilities and extension services crate a hurdle for the
development of rural entrepreneurship.
8. Lack of infrastructural facilities:
The growth of rural entrepreneurs is not very healthy in spite of efforts made
by government due to lack of proper and adequate infrastructural facilities.
9. Poor quality of products:
Another important problem is growth of rural entrepreneurship is the inferior
quality of products produced due to lack of availability of standard tools and
equipment and poor quality of raw materials.
10. Negative attitude:
The environment in the family, society and support system is not conducive
to encourage rural people to take up entrepreneurship as a career. It may be
due to lack of awareness and knowledge of entrepreneurial opportunities.
Essay on Socialism: Definitions, Development, Arguments and
Criticisms
It is difficult to say what socialism is, because socialism emerged as s sharp
reaction to individualism. It is a political philosophy as well as a great
movement. In socialism, economic principles and logic have amalgamated
with the political principles in such a manner that it has become extremely
difficult to separate them.
Secondly, the supporters of socialism hold similar views, regarding many
things and because of many contradictory definitions of this subject, it has
become difficult to decide which of the definitions is correct. Thirdly, the
term socialism is also used for a particular set-up and way of life.
Therefore, different writers have used socialism in different ways with
different meanings. That is why Joad writes that "Socialism is like a hat that
has lost its shape because everybody wears it". Though there is difficulty in
explaining the meaning of socialism and there is no uniformity in various
social notions and principles and programmes, yet many things are common
among them.
For instance, all socialists are against capitalism, whether they are
Communists, State-Socialists or Collectivists, or Syndicalist, Guild Socialists
or Anarchists. They want the socialisation of the means of production. This
means that they want social control over the means of production.
This is the broad meaning of socialism. If socialism is used in a narrow sense,
it will mean Collectivism or State Socialism. Now we give some definitions of

socialism, which will help us in understandings the meaning of socialism

more clearly.
Definitions of Socialism:
The following are some of the popular definitions of socialism:
(1) Humphrey says, "Socialism is a system of society in which means of the
life belong to the community as a whole and are developed and operated by
the 'community with the aims of promoting the general well-being".
(2) According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, Socialism is that policy or theory
which aims at securing by the action of the central democratic authority
better distribution and in due subordinate thereto, a better production of
wealth now prevails".
(3) According to Hugham, Socialism is the political movement of class which
aims to abolish exploitation by means of the collective ownership and
democratic management of the basis instrument of production and
distribution".
(4) Prof. Ely says, "A socialist is one who looks to society organised in the
state for aid and bringing about a more perfect distribution of economic
goods and an elevation of humanity, while individualists desire every man to
work out his own salvation, material and spiritual".
(5) Ramsay Macdonald writes, "No better definition of socialism can be given
in general terms than that it aims at the organisation of material economic
forces of society and their control by the human forces".
(6) Sellers regard socialism a movement and say, "It is democratic
movement whose purpose is the securing of an economic organisation of
society which will give the maximum possible at any one time, of justice and
liberty".
(7) Robert has laid emphasis on collective ownership. He says, "The
programme of socialism consists of essentially one demand, viz., that the
land and other instruments of production shall be the common property of
the people and shall be used and governed by the people for the people".
(8) According to Emile, "Socialism means the organisation of workers for the
conquest of political power for the purpose of transforming capitalist
property into social prosperity".
(9) Shri Jai Prakash Narayan, after considering the socialism from the point of
view says, "Socialism is a society in which all are workers of a classless
society. It is a society in which human labour is not a subject to explanation
with interest of private property, in which all wealth is truly national or
common wealth, in which there are no unearned incomes and no large
income disparities, in which human life and progress are planned and where
all live for all".

(10) English philosopher Bertrand Russel is of the view that "I think we come
nearest to the essence of Socialism by defining it as the advocacy of
communal ownership of land and property".
Main features of socialism:
All socialists, irrespective of their alignment with any branch of
socialism, accept the four points, mentioned below:
(1) State and not individual should control the means of production.
(2) Production should be based on social necessity and not on individual
profit.
(3) Individual profit motive should be replaced by that of social service.
(4) Open competition and arbitrary production should give way to cooperation and definite production.
Development of Socialism:
During the period from 1750 to 1850, there was a great development of
science, art and vocational knowledge in Europe. Therefore, the influence of
middle-classes increased. After this, Industrial Revolution took place, and the
capitalist influence increased.
Though during the nineteenth century, many countries of Europe saw the
rise of democracy and nationalism, yet due to the influence of individualism,
governments did not feel it necessary to have economic control or to remove
the ills of capitalism.
Owing to this, the condition of the working classes deteriorated. Having been
influenced by the condition of the workers, Karl Marx produced sufficient
literature on scientific socialism. Prior to Karl Marx there were many
socialists, who suggested social control over private property.
They were deeply touched by the miserable conditions of the poor, and thus
they suggested this measure. To differentiate them from Karl Marx, they are
called Utopian Socialists, because they did not give any solid arguments like
Marx about the practical form of socialism.
Essentials of Utopian Socialism:
Utopian socialism had a great faith in human intellect, good nature and
goodwill. These socialists were against capitalism and said that it created not
only social and economic inequality, but also degenerated morality. Thus,
they wanted to bring in socialism by abolishing capitalism. However, they
believed that socialism could be established by will. This was a great mistake
on their part.
Downfall of Utopian Socialism:
There was less reality and more idealism in Utopian socialism. Therefore,
when Karl Marx preached his scientific socialism, Utopian socialism vanished

in no time. Marx emphasised the socialisation of the means of production,

which is the chief basis of modern socialism.
Arguments in Favour of Socialism:
(1) Socialism contradicts capitalism which is based on exploitation:
Socialism is against capitalism, which is based on exploitation. The capitalists
exploit the poor and lead an idle and luxurious life on the profits earned by
the poor. There is economic inequality due to capitalism, which hinders social
progress. Therefore, socialism wants to put an end to this exploitation and
establish social equality.
(2) Socialism prevents economic waste due to open competition:
In a capitalistic system, there is open economic competition, in which much
money is spent on propaganda, advertisement and on other such things. The
capitalists do not produce wealth according to the needs of the society, but
they produce goods for their own benefit.
This results in the production of somethings and there is also dearth of many
other things. This situation creates trouble for the society. Socialism removes
both these evils of capitalism and lays emphasis on co-operation instead of
an open competition.
(3) Socialism is based on justice more than capitalism:
Capitalism concentrates the capital of the society in a few hands, which is
based on injustice. Socialism wants the social control over factories, ships
and railways. It does not want that these should be controlled by a few
persons. Therefore, socialism is based on justice.
(4) Socialism is more democratic than capitalistic system:
The question of economic equality does not arise in a capitalistic system,
because in this system the wealth of the country is concentrated in the
hands of a few persons. Where there is a great economic inequality, success
of democracy becomes doubtful. Thus, in order to make democracy
successful, it is essential to establish socialism.
(5) It is more natural:
The socialists are of the view that socialism is more natural than capitalism.
Nature has distributed air, water, rain, etc., equally among all the people.
Therefore, it is desirable that there should be social control over land and
minerals.
(6) It is more scientific:
Socialism is more scientific than capitalism, because capitalism safeguards
the interests of a few, while socialism protects the interests of the society.
Socialism attaches more importance to the society, than to the individual
and urges the individual to devote himself to the service of the community.

Criticism of Socialism:
Socialism has been criticised as under:
(1) It kills individual initiative:
Each individual works more and more for private property. In socialism,
private property cannot be utilized for investment in the market to earn
profit. Therefore, individual initiative to produce more will be killed under
social control.
(2) Under socialism, functions of the state would be so much
enlarged that it would not be possible for it to discharge them well:
According to socialism the state should not only take up protective functions
like maintenance of law and order, justice and protection against foreign
aggression, but it should also increase the production. For this purpose it
should take up the socialisation of the means of production. It will be very
difficult for the state to perform enormous functions.
(3) Socialism will fail in practice:
Critics are of the view that socialism will fail in practice. Socialism wants to
establish peace and economic prosperity and to remove economic disparity
and social ills. But in practice this is very difficult to accomplish.
(4) Socialism divides society into two classes:
Socialism divides the society into two classes-Capitalists and Workers. Their
interests are conflicting and there can be no unity between them. This brings
about conflicts and clashes in the society.
(5) It kills individual freedom:
Socialism gives many powers to the state and it interferes in every sphere of
the individual activity. This mars individual freedom.
Conclusion:
Socialism may be criticised bitterly, but the progressive powers of the world
were against capitalism and they were in favour of socialism. Today socialism
is seen in different parts of Asia in one form or the other. In England in 1974
the Labour Party formed its government. In 1966 elections, Labour Party won
with a thumping majority.
In India the ruling Congress Party's aim is to establish socialism. The
Congress repeated its determination in its 1955 session at Avadi (Tamil Nadu)
and in 1964, at Bhubaneswar, to establish socialism in the country. Many of
the drawbacks of socialism can be removed.
It is positively better than capitalism and individualism because its aim is to
remove economic inequality and to establish comfort, peace and prosperity.
Socialist governments have made many laws for the benefit of the workers
and for the abolition of capitalism. Therefore, it got expanded in the world at
a great speed.

Essay On Educating The Girl Child Means Educating The Family.

Education of a child starts from the family and mother is the first teacher.
But, the irony in India is that although the deity of education is a female i.e.
Goddess Saraswati according to the Hinduism, innumerable number of
women are illiterate.
They are not remaining uneducated by their own wish but they are being
forbidden from receiving education because of the patriarchal families in our
society.
Right from the early Vedic period people have been celebrating the birth of a
son, but in those days daughters born into a family were not neglected and
educated properly. However the scene was changed during the later Vedic
Age and the daughters were considered as a social burden. Only the girls
belonging to upper class families enjoyed the right of education and got
proper nourishment. In medieval period the conditions deteriorated for the
females and even in royal families, girls could not get the same status as the
boys. In Muslim households they were taught at their homes while Hindu
girls enjoyed the privilege of getting primary education along with the boys
in schools. The prevalence of child marriage were excessively practiced.
However, in the nineteenth century many social reformers like Raja Ram
Mohan Roy, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Annie Besant, M.G. Ranade, Jyotibe Phule,
Swami Dayanand Saraswati etc. came forward for the emancipation of
women in India. Especially Raja Ram Mohan Roy advocated for female
education.
Since then there has been tremendous progress in every field but
unfortunately still the girls are neglected. In most of the families the birth of
a girl child is not desired and if accepted they are thought inferior to boys
and their education is not considered important because it seems a wastage
of money to most of the parents. they think it unreasonable because
afterwards they have been compelled to bear a heavy amount towards their
dowry. So the female literacy is rate is unsatisfactory and it has a direct
impact upon the overall development of a nation and its population growth. If
India wants to be one of the developed nations it must concentrate on
female education because if we educate a man we educate an individual but
if we educate a women we educate an entire family. Again the root cause of
all problems facing the women is related to education. if all women are
educate, then all problems like female infanticide, dowry, female suicides,
domestic battering, malnutrition of women, child marriage and other related
atrocities would get vanished from India.
Education provides an essential qualification to fulfill certain economic,
political and cultural functions and improves women's socioeconomic status.
At very age and level education enhances the intellectual, social and
emotional development of women and enables them to meet their basic
needs to daily life. It brings reduction in inequalities in the society.
Only educated women can understand the needs of the family. They will
never send their children to work in any shop or factory, rather they will

arrange for their education in good schools. They will take proper care of the
health and diet of their children. A mother knows what is good for her kids
and how they should be brought up. Thus, educated mothers would promote
education for all their children without discrimination. But if a mother (girl) is
not educated and gets children then she would do anything without
reasoning and harm herself and her children. As she is not educated, she
would tend to think that education is only for the mail and not for the female
and thus, she would ingrain in her daughters the idea that they are inferior to
their brothers.
As girls are not educated they remain dependent on their family before
marriage, on their husband after marriage and on their children after the
death of their spouse. This is the main reason for the unpleasant condition of
women. So if girls will be educated, they will no longer be dependent on any
one and they can do a lot for their uplift.
Most of the problems of society can be eradicated by educating the girl child.
marriage at a very young age leads the women to conceive repeatedly,
which affect their health badly. Most of the uneducated women do not know
about the various contraceptive measures. Even if some know they feel
hesitant in using them. It results in more growth of population and worse
condition of women. Thus, the state in which female literacy rate is more like
Kerala, population growth is less. The menace of child labor also has
significantly been out of practice because the women became aware of their
rights and privileges.
Women are exploited in every sector, especially if they are uneducated,
because they cannot demand their rights. Most of the women lack unity and
work in unorganized sector. If they were educated they would have been
knowing the rules and regulations and working in an organized sector getting
the benefits of public schemes. If women are educated enough they can get
training for setting of small scale industries, they can know the procedure of
getting loan, get the knowledge of market availability of raw material and
labor, new policies of the government, procedure to register new product and
knowledge about import and export goods. If their standard of living will be
improved. it will indirectly uplift the level of society. If they can be financially
strong they will take proper care of their children and provide them good
education.
According to Mahatma Gandhi, "Due to her nature women possesses the
best ability to teach the child". Chhatrapati Shivaji and Maharana Pratap are
the best example of this saying. Thus, let us start educating the female
children to change the face of society.
Essay on Role of the Students in the Emergency Period of India
Introduction:
For a long time India was under the British rule. So, the defense of the
country was in the hands of a foreign Government. But India got freedom on
15th August 1947. Since then the responsibility of defending the country has
remained in the hands of the Indians.

The present situation:

India had not expected any battle so early. But suddenly the Red China
launched a heavy attack on the borders of India. China attacked at the
western and the eastern borders. Pakistan joined her hand with China and
threatened us to attack our country. So, the President of India proclaimed
emergency. China has stopped to attack. But she is getting ready to attack
again. So, the state of emergency in still in force in our country.
Role of the Students:
The students of India can do a lot to help the country in this emergency
period. They should remove panic from the people of their respective areas.
Because panic is also a major cause of a country's defeat. The students
should tell the people to give donation to the National war fund of India. The
students should advise the people to save their money with Defence Fund
and other deposit schemes of the Government. Because thereby people will
get the interest and the Government will find resources for development
work. The students should advise the women folk to purchase gold bonds.
They should advice people to work harder for more time. Because thereby
the production will increase. They should advise the people not to indulge in
any wastage. The students should advise the young men to join the war
services. The students should explain to them about how to join in war
service. The students themselves should join A.C.C. and N.C.C. They should
prepare themselves for the war service. They should keep themselves ready
to join the war whenever they will be called upon to do so. In all such ways,
the students can render a valuable service to their motherland at the
emergency period.
Conclusion:
The students are the future citizens of the country. The country is truly theirs.
It is their duty to play an active role in the emergency period of India.