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Jagruti - The Social Angle

I am 24, earning half a million a year. Retrospection says 'Oh man, you have not done badly till date' but looking ahead I am as confused as a toddler who can't choose between chocolate and a candy. I have to consider two things - which I want to marry much earlier than 30 and I have to build upon my career now that its roots have found water. But what we do? Just like that toddler, we want both. Aah! Marriage seems to be a prison, so we have a workaround - LIVE-IN with a 'prospective' life partner.

To most of us, settling down means marriage. But since we belong to GEN Y(or Z) everyone keeps looking for the best one. Every one of us wants a life partner with whom you will not have to say -no match is ideal. The irony is that we keep on saying and believe too that no match is ideal and still keep looking too. The real fun begins when we happen to find one who is very close to the silhouette in our dreams. The battle between 'no match is ideal' and 'the best one' is won by the former but we do not want to get tied up but to enjoy life to the fullest, to grow in that relationship, to make each day the one worthy of recalling later on. But in all this we end up bargaining responsibility, assertiveness which brings out the moments that you had long craved for. We have to accept the fact that the primary reason for us to go in a live-in is to keep the game of chasing alive. Yes, that seems a bit in your face thing but that is the fact. The real fun is in chasing not in accepting responsibility, caring and blah-blah. Since both the partners are not socially "tied" up they are like independent threads just hooked on the same spindle. For keeping such a relationship going on we keep on pleasing the other one in all the imaginable ways and obviously enjoy it too. Then as happens in every other relationship we have fights too, some enjoy it and some find it a reason enough to relate it to the proverbial last straw.

But what we learn from all of this? Evolution says that human has always been very adaptive in all sorts of environment. And evolution itself says that we have evolved from a nomad to a civilized creature. Then why was this institution of marriage created at all. And no, this concept is not limited to one particular state, region, or a nation. It is followed all over. The answer is purely intellectual. Human being is primarily an animal and animal instincts reside in each one of us. It’s just that we have and are continuously making our life a complex web of emotions in which the basic instinct gets suppressed time and again. Our predecessors realized this important facet of human psychology and made this institution to suppress that emotion. Rituals were made to beautify the concept of marriage so that human enjoys the tied up condition as well. An argument can be made that that was something devised by the then intellectuals, we have the right to make decisions for us. We may say that that was the past and in this new age we need fresh ideas that are we need to evolve further. And we may say that live-in is a new concept and may prove that it is even better one but then to innovate you need to have the history on your side. If you do not know your past you can never invent something. You need to have first your basic concepts clear in your mind before you embark off on the journey to find a new path altogether.

Live-in in my view is a completely new product which is still in its nascent stage. If treated very intelligently it is still a very good option for new couples but should be looked at with a completely different view. It is an alternative and a very good one too, for marriage. But if you are looking at it as a means to find the best one, you need to think again.

Written By: Akash Gupta, Cadence Design Systems, India ([email protected])

Dowry, as a practice has pervaded our system and it strikes at the roots of equality that we extol or boast about. This is an instance of a high degree of hypocrisy and double speech on the part of Indian society. The virtues of a girl are reduced to nothing and her abilities do not matter. If the father can pay hefty dowry, she would be regarded to have all the virtues of the world and if that cannot be garnered, the virtues are unwanted characteristics or may be vices. Dowry now is so much a part of the system that one not taking dowry is seen as a fool and one not giving as a miser who does not want the welfare of his daughter. Something that everyone realizes and acknowledges is bad but something that everyone indulges in. We have been trying to think on this problem from various angles. Educating the masses or society won’t help as social pressure is too much on people. Moreover, how can one stop a father from giving gifts to his daughter? The line that divides dowry and those gifts is thin and one that certainly can evade the law enforcing agencies. Then what is the way out? I believe law has its own limitations, there are issues which are beyond its reach and dowry certainly is one of these.

Can love marriages be a solution to this problem? I think they might be. It would first be pertinent to look at how arranged marriages operate or happen in our country. Invariably, the girl’s father goes to meet the prospective groom or the boy. Before that the photographs are exchanged. The boy would see the photograph of the girl. Height of the girl – 5’3”, color – fair, age - 23 years. And then the boy looks at her educational background. Now what is most striking about this description? Are you going to buy a goat or a cow? How does the height and color matter in a long term relationship? How can you spend your life with some one you do not know? The argument is that this is how it has been happening for so many years and moreover, the arranged marriages in India have been quite successful, i.e., long lasting. But the long lasting Indian marriages are not the true testimony of happiness as much as they are of tolerance, ignorance, patience and stamina of the Indian women. It is just a compromise of life. Besides the attributes of the girl, there are other considerations that are more important and are invariably the decisive factors. What is the father doing? What are the siblings doing? It seems that one is in a big showroom to buy a DVD player. What a travesty of the individual and what a great irony!

There cannot be anything more inimical to the interests of the women. In this entire where do they stand? Invariably they stand as a silent spectator, much like the cow. I am not saying that parents do not take all steps to ensure a good life for their children. But then who are they to decide what is good for a 23 year old girl. If she cannot decide what is good for her, she would probably never understand and learn to make a choice. How can leave the most important decision of one’s life to others? Isn’t this a folly?

Let us have a look from the boy’s perspective. India promotes compliance and produces spineless males. What can be a better manifestation of the above line than the fact that they are willing to spend their lives with someone they do not know. Is it not like playing a gamble? For us a boy who refuses to listen to his parents is disobedient, callous and disrespectful. After all, our parents bring us up, take care of us and so they do have certain expectations. But then is it not a restriction or in fact a strangulation of his freedom, his life and his choices? Civil and political freedom has been guaranteed by the Constitution but where is personal freedom? Is it not insecurity of the parents that they think of themselves to be in a better position to decide for their son not letting loose the grip they have on him? And what does the Indian male do? He obeys his parents because he does not want to displease them. But is this not a spineless act? Does this not show his helplessness, his predisposition to please everyone revealing that he does not have the power to confront, to stick to his decision against all odds? In fact, in India marriage is not something where an individual has to exercise his right to chose. The choice of the partner is left to the families and the rest is left for them to ponder about. So, the most germane decision is not yours. I simply do not understand this.

We talk of Hindu Muslim unity. We know inter caste and inter religious understanding is must for our country. But then are we really promoting it? It has both individual and societal level implications to it. Firstly, at societal level, these castes and religious groups would remain water tight compartments with little mobility. Just imagine a Hindu getting married to a Muslim. In a second, it can lead to riots and clashes and society, especially the middle class, looks at it as a crime, as something blasphemous. In my opinion, it would be turning a new leaf for communal harmony if more inter caste and inter religious marriages are encouraged. We have so much to gain and nothing to lose. What we need is an initiative. Young men who have a spine, who can stick to their decisions against all odds! But these changes would take time; to change the mindset of society is like shifting a graveyard, even the dead stand up and bleed status quo. But the youth of this country would not budge and we all are expecting a bright future not only for the women but for this country.

Written By: Achal Tyagi, LLB (Hons.), Delhi

Corruption is not unexpected when money is involved and the transaction is between officials who have the power and control over the money, and the poor unemployed laborers who would be willing to take only a share of whatever is due to him or her. It has been variously estimated that only about 25 percent of any relief money actually reaches the intended beneficiary. Politicians and bureaucrats steal the majority of funds. A question then crops in our mind: even if NREGS is not beset with corruption and fraud, is it the best mechanism? Since it is an income redistribute scheme, it must be ensured that production is sufficient so as to ensure more equitable distribution. Focus must be shifted to income generation rather than mere employment generation.

Sustaining the development is a tedious task and for that first and foremost primary education and health care needs to be taken care of and instead of just sitting and blaming the government for all its failures let us, the citizens come forward to perform our duties. If each one of us can take the initiative to educate even one person in our lifetime, friends, we can make a huge difference to the current depressing scenario.

The NREGS is outstanding in one respect. It guarantees money for work, not for free like every project till now did. Indians are used to getting things for free or subsidized and this perception needs to change.

To ensure that our hard earned money does not go down the drain into the politicians’ pockets and it is utilized in the proper direction, we need to be vigilant and ensure that certain measures are taken. A separate monitoring body must be set up along with members from local NGOs so that there is a constant check on the activities. Clear asset creation targets must be identified to avoid confusion regarding goals to be achieved. Establishment of a proper monitoring mechanism would be vital in controlling the conduction of planned activities. Proper planning is essential to ensure avoidance of wastage. Awareness to this program should be increased and advertising can be an effective medium in this regard.

At this stage, an example can throw some insight: A power company put up an 18 MW plant based on biomass produced from juliflora, a plant which literally grows in the wild. The villagers were enthused that someone was willing to pay them a decent amount for collecting shrubs and twigs that were in abundance in that area. The power company could produce much-needed, eco-friendly, Co2-neutral power at a very low cost and supply it to the grid. As a logical extension of the idea, if the power could be consumed locally (avoiding the T&D losses) and some food-processing or other rurally-relevant industry could flourish, you would have a winning formula of rural employment, power generation, rural industry and a genuine improvement in the lifestyle of the people, motivating them to stay put and avoid the migration to urban areas.

These are the models which we must showcase and build on. NREGS, if it can come up with complete package of change management, then can be a great leap for human resources development and knowledge revolution in India. Economic growth has benefited hundreds like us but the misery of unfortunate citizens is shameful.

Hence we must ensure proper implementation of these programs in our own small little ways. We should stop thinking that our small step will not have any significant value. It is high time that we wake up to the call of the moment because if we let this state of darkness continues; we endanger our own well being.

Written By: Preeti Baid, Kolkata

There aren’t many people in India who would disagree with the fact, and I call it a “fact” for specific reasons, that the OBC population is more than the proposed 27% reservation for them in the institutes of higher learning such as the IITs and the IIMs. But still the Supreme Court has not decided to step on the gas. The government is not ready to listen and so is even the opposition. Why not? Who does not want the votes of those of whom a large chunk goes to vote? But still the question remains in front of all, is quota the only solution? Or should I put it in another way, as, is quota the solution to this age old problem of social and economic inequality?

I do agree with the intent of the policy makers, if at all they have one. But the way they are planning, if at all they have made any plans for it, to implement it, is completely out of my senses. Today we do not need a system where the institutes of higher learning should be made a mockery in the hands of the political parties and be run on the whims and fancies of one man with whom no one could disagree for obvious reasons. In fact, the Planning Commission would itself agree with me and would even support me with its findings. A little less than one third of the primary school teachers have not themselves completed higher education, more than one third of the children who have passed 4th standard can not read a small paragraph meant to be read by a child of 2nd standard and more than half of these children cannot divide a three digit number by a one digit number. This is where the problem lies. How can one even think of fruits from a tree which has been uprooted long back and is just standing some how because of some weak supports which can fall any day?

The truth is that the foundation of the Indian education system is weak. The government needs to revamp the whole system. It is time for an education overhaul and the first step should be in the direction of quality primary education for all. If this is done effectively, there would be no need for a quota system for these candidates in the institutes of higher learning. The government must encourage non-profit organizations to come forward and take part in such initiatives which aim to build a better future for the backward classes by building their tomorrow and empowering them to build a good future for themselves instead indulging in vote-bank politics. Meritocracy is the need in certain areas and mediocrity can be accepted in the others. But there is a need to identify the two and act accordingly. Only then can we truly achieve the goal with which this whole concept of reservations was framed!

So what exactly is the solution? Well, clearly there isn’t a good primary education system for the poor and the backward classes. So, first of all the government needs to initiate schemes for developing the same and allocate more resources towards this direction. Secondly, it must understand that there are jobs like those of major medical professionals which need to be performed by meritorious candidates passing out of elite institutes such as AIIMS and there are some jobs such as those of production and electrical engineers at the sites of various private and PSU units which can be done by an average professional who has the basic knowledge and skills and thus can be done by people passing out through the reserved seats from other institutes. This is the simple principle of “mediocrity and meritocracy”. Once implemented, it will guarantee equality and would also ensure that institutes of higher learning do not lose their identity in the eyes of the people. Moreover, it is the right approach to bring about the cause for which reservations were first introduced. Thus, it is time for the government to change its course of action. Else, the power of electorate can do wonders, any day.

Written By: The People's Pen

I was thinking about myself as to who am I? When I self internalized I found that like every individual I am a person who loves independence. But when I actually looked outside I found that this independence is no where. One question that came to my mind was that even after 50 years of independence are we really Independent? When I was born that time I was under the guidance of my parents and was totally dependent on them. They influenced me as to what I am today. When I grew up and went to school I was bounded by the rules and regulations. The same was applicable even for the college. At every point of time I remember the quote “Man is born free but lives in chains”. That time people used to say all this would be helpful in becoming a good citizen and once I become an adult I will be free and can live my life independently. On my 18th birthday I was very excited that now I will be independent and will make a new world of my own. I will be independent and can take my decisions independently. Was this really possible? Soon my dreams were dashed to the ground. All around me was blood and more blood. Every sight caused me immense pain and everytime I questioned myself are we independent? Although we fought for independence but still we are dependent much more than what we were before getting independence. I found the society was very conservative. In reality it was not at all independent. Whatever I did I was imposed to follow certain ethics and norms in life. The thought of doing something was always followed by the thought as to how the society would perceive me or my thinking. I just cannot do whatever I want because that can harm others mentally and physically thus making it rather difficult for me to take independent decisions. Every action or decision was bounded by the perception of the society. We can never be completely independent as long as we live in a society. In order to be really independent one should have the right to live their lives in the way they want. The society was surrounded by corruption and corrupt politicians. Bribery was the order of the day. People were killing each other for no reason. The crime rates had increased and people were no longer feeling safe. Soon I realized that everything was not as good as I thought it to be, forget about being united and independent , even relationships were not valued. People were ready to sell their families for the sake of money or even go to the extent of killing them for their own needs. Though people used to say that the Country is free from slavery but still it existed in different forms. Out of which the problem of child labor was very severe. Children were abused and were forced to beg. The society was also facing the problem of unemployment. People were dying out of hunger as they could not afford 2 meals a day. Due to lack in education, women were most affected and they went through was suffering and pain. They were never considered at par with men. They were always looked down upon and were never accepted in the society as working women. Bribery was still in existence due to which many lives were also lost. Everyone was much aware of the fact that the practice of dowry was bad and not right but still it was being accepted and followed at all levels. We call ourselves independent and educated, then why can’t we break this conservatism. We are still dependent on the political system which keeps the people illiterate so that the votes can be controlled easily. We have to depend on one another for our needs. Each one of us was living a misleading path of life where our likes and dislikes did not make any sense and had no existence in the real independent world. It’s high time we realize that each individual is a unique piece of art and give each person their birthright the right to live the way they want. Was this the independence that I was looking for? Was this the independence for which the freedom fighters gave their lives? Even after 50 years of independent are we really independent?

Written By: Nitin Sureka, TAPMI, Manipal

Women play so many different roles during her life. A woman’s life is thought to be a celebration of contributions she makes in every aspect of life: at home, on the job, in their communities, as mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, learners, workers, citizens and leaders. Whether it is while playing with their children in the park, or washing clothes in a river, or taking a break at the office water cooler, everywhere they come together and talk about their aspirations and concerns and time and again, the talk turns to children and families. However different they may be, there is far more that unites them than divides them across the globe. They share a common future. It is integral to find common ground so that they may help bring new dignity and respect to women all over the world - and in doing so, bring new strength and stability to families as well. It would be an understatement to say that this common ground includes the men in their lives too. A woman's struggle is not so much her own or just for the female community, it is a humanistic struggle. It is for the betterment and development of mankind on the whole on earth.

It still is a debatable issue whether the lives of women and girls matter to economic and political progress around the globe. What we need to focus around the world is that if women are healthy, educated and free from violence their families will flourish. If women have a chance to work and earn as full and equal partners in society, their families will flourish. And when families flourish, communities and nations will flourish. That is why every woman, every man, every child, every family, and every nation on our planet has a stake in the struggle for gender equality. Women are the primary caretakers for most of the world's children and elderly. Yet much of the work we do is not valued. Those of us who know how to read and write should be able to voice their opinion and lead the way for the ones who cannot.

Women education has definitely helped women to be more informative and more understanding. It has shown its effects both in the backward classes as well as modern ladies. Women education has brought about a vast change in the whole society and in the whole world. They are more independent now, they look at life in a totally different way, and they have learned to analyze things in the right manner and take their own decisions and execute them. Whatever they say and feel have weight in them and are considered by anyone and everyone. Women education has brought out the importance and the knowledge they hold in them .The outlook has changed not only in the higher society but also in the lower and underprivileged society. Issues such as dowry, sati, and discrimination though not completely extinct have taken a back seat in society. Women have learnt to protect themselves and live a life with their heads up. Their opinions are voiced better now and heard.

Whether a male or a female, black or white, education changes everyone’s life and their status, the more you know the more you gain. The more you learn the more you value yourself the more you are valued by other people. Education boosts up the self esteem in every person, and that’s what it is doing to every educated women. Certainly it has brought about a great change for the better of women folks. It has freed them from the bondage of men .The outlook and career prospects that education has given them is the kind of economic independence that is necessary for them to breathe a fresh air into their lives. Men can no longer use them for their selfish needs and mistreat them. Educated women no longer have to depend on others to help them in things, they don’t have to extend their arm and beg for money to fulfill their needs or the needs of the family.

Young women entering today’s workforce have much more opportunities than previous generations. Not only are more women working but as a matter of fact they occupy more senior high paying jobs than even before due to the improvement in their education. They have moved from typing tools and school rooms all the way to the competitive corporate world where the fittest of all survives. Today’s educated women are ready to accept all kind of challenges in their path. Whether in the corporate world or society or the political world they seem to be very strong in every field. Even poor people and backward people of the society are looking forward to the idea of education in order to give them a moral boost so that they can earn themselves a living the right way .

But as it is said where there is gain there is pain. Despite the education and career for women, they continue to bear the brunt of domestic chores. Still in some parts of the world women are being mistreated. In some places they are not being allowed education. Still women are considered second citizen. Women education and women can bring about a vast change in the society, country and the world for good if given the right opportunity. We as human beings should protect the sole interests of every woman. Education is a must for every woman!

Written By: Pooja Churiwalla, Head Teacher, Kangaroo Kids, Kolkata

“In India, we have inherited the cultural legacy of having strong son-preference among all communities, religious groups and citizens of varied socio-economic backgrounds. Patriotically, patri-lineage and patriarchal attitudes manifest in women and girls having subordinate position in the family, discrimination in property rights and low paid or unpaid jobs. Women's work is limited to household duties. At the time of marriage, dowry is given by the bride's family to the groom's for shouldering 'the burden of the bride'. In many communities as custom female babies are killed immediately after birth either by the mother or by elderly women of the family to relieve themselves from the life of humiliation, rejection and suffering."

Social discrimination against women results in systematic neglect of women's health, from womb to tomb. Female infanticide and female feticide are widely practices in many States. The overall sex-ratio, at present, is favorable women in Kerala. But in Kerala also, in the 0-6 age group, the sex ratio was 963 as per 2001 census. Out of total 36.5 lakh 0-6 age group POPULATION 18'6 lakhs were male babies and 17.9 lakhs female babies. Thus, 79760 female babies and infants were missing in 2001 in Kerala. This masculisation of sex ratio is as result of female fetuses after the use of ultrasound techniques of sex determination.

The reason of female infanticide can be linked with the evil of dowry, hyper gamy, prevailing in our society. A more degrading and disparaging feature of the society has seen existing for the last two decades is the immense love for male child and elimination of female fetus. With invention of new technologies to monitor the 'Fetal' health, it was expected to be used for taking care of health of the unborn child, but became terminator of female fetus. Are female fetus being deliberately eliminated or aborted, is the question? To a great extent, yes! is the answer.

Are the technologies (ultrasonography, amniocentesis, chorian villi biopsy, foetoscopy, material serum analysis etc.) assisting in elimination? Again the answer is yes; yes, to a great extent.

Biologically, girls are stronger and with all thrust on the well being of the girl child, 1981 trends should have at least continued, but in the past 20 years the ratio has dropped considerably.

While there can be no moral or ethical justification for feticide still, it continues to be practiced. In fact sex determination which was mainly restricted to metros only now, is prevalent in villages as well. If sex determination tests are allowed to proliferate, and the elimination female fetuses allowed, the society should be ready to pay for this sin, after around two decades.

The greatest supporters of a child (whether male or female) are the natural parents. If a girl has a father who loves her and grants all her fundamentals right that girl is inviolable. Fathers often provide material comforts but deny daughters to choose their life partners.

For a daughter there can be no greater misery than to know that her father does not support her. If she was an unwanted child, the despair is compounded. To go through life and realize that she was thrust on her unwilling parents, it is a fate much worse than death. What can be more disgracing than the feeling of nothing more than a contraceptive failure?

Some months back, Delhi University Students and teachers came out of their classrooms to support the amendment to the Pre-Natal Diagnostic (PNDT) Bill which was tabled in Parliament, recommending more stringent measures against doctors who selectively abort female fetuses. The decline in ratio in urban areas is more than twice that in the rural areas. It is true that women should have the right to abort their unwanted fetus, but if the technology is being used only to eliminate the female fetus, then it should be questionable.

The root cause for elimination of female fetus is to be traced unless the evil of forced marriages, dowry, and illiteracy among the females are done away with the lives of women will not improve. Banning prenatal sex determination might add a feather in the caps of rights activists; it will not materially improve the lives of women. A social awakening for true respect to the girls is required; a lot of honest hard work with full political 'will' in this field can only solve the problem.

Written By: Nikita Jain, Std. XII, Uttam School for Girls, Ghaziabad

On 5th April 2006, the HRD minister Mr. ArjunS Singh, announced in the media, that the government proposes to implement 27% reservation for OBCs in educational institutions under Central Government including IITs, IIMs, AIIMS and other Central Universities like University of Delhi. Earlier there was 15% reservation for the SCs and 7.5% for the STs. As soon as it was aanounced it caused a nation wide stir.

India is emerging as a serious player in the knowledge economy. The main cause of concern is that if the reservation system is implemented then it will affect the quality of education. The meritorious students will also be deprived of seats they deserve. Competency is not related to any caste or community, it is also not related with whether a person is rich or poor. In the present scenario when we see that there is a shortage of faculties in most of the institutes either due to the pay package or the lack of good faculties, so if the students are increased then the faculties also have to be increased which is a difficult job. In this scenario how can the government take such a step? The higher education system in India is now being recognized in the whole world which is clearly evident from the increasing number of foreign placements in the IIM’s and other b-schools. Taking such a drastic step may seriously affect the quality of education.

There is neither enough number of seats in the educational institutes nor the job sector then how can the government take such a drastic step against the meritorious students? How can it become so selfish? Is the government taking such a step for the development of the backward class or this is a step to increase it’s vote bank?

If the government wants to educate the backward classes then the work has to be done at the grass root level because if the base is not strong then they will not be able to cope up with the studies of higher level. Today also we see that among the students who dropout of IIMs, IITs most of them are those who got admitted in the reserved seats. It’s just because they are not able handle the pressure. How can we expect a person who didn’t have proper primary education to do well at this level?

Well if there is reservation in education then why we need the same in the job sector? If the candidates who are admitted to the educational institutes are competent enough then they should get a job on the basis of their performance and not under any reservation. A company’s objective is to earn profit and this is made possible by the employees. If the employees don’t work or are not competent enough then the objective of the company is affected. In a representation to the Government, the President of Assocham, Mahendra K. Sanghi, said, “Job reservation in industrial units of private sector should not be done by the Government. This will have a far reaching impact on the industry as it may completely destroy meritocracy in the industrial units of private sector and bring inefficiency”. Moreover why should the Government direct any private company about which person to recruit and which not to? This will seriously affect the growth of the Indian economy which is in the development stage. This is not a right decision at the right time. Moreover imagine the situations of the candidates who have slogged day in and day out to get a good job, and finally not getting the desired job just because the seats have been reserved.

This quota has been implemented from this year. Various institutes have increased the intake of the students. But the intake has been increased without any improvement in the infrastructure or the faculties. Infrastructure is also one of the constraints for implementation of the quota. The IIMs have increased the seats but are still facing the problem of quality faculties. Will this quota be successful under the constraint of infrastructure or lack of faculties, only time will say.

The process of empowering the backward class should start from primary level and not the higher levels. We must attack this problem at its grass root level. In bigger cities, with adequate education facilities, untouchability has been abandoned long back. It is very clear that education is the only way of uprooting this obnoxious practice. This is because, although reservation ensures that depressed class is represented in the parliament, it doesn’t remove the psychological blocks in the minds of the society as a whole. Therefore, good primary education facilities in remote villages, is the answer to this problem. The government should also focus on the infrastructure to make it strong to support the increased intake of students. Other focus area of the government should be to increase the number of quality faculties by increasing the pay package.

Written By: Nitin Sureka, TAPMI, Manipal

Yet again India Inc. is in news. Each and every corner of all news channels and newspapers is filled with India’s major corporate houses going global and making India feel proud. Every now and then we read astonishing growth rate of our economy. We are the leading democracies of tomorrow. We are on the verge of becoming the world power. Amidst all these ‘Big’ talks, there are certain so called ‘Small’ issues, which do not get the required attention. One of those is ‘Child labor’ or in better words, ‘Exploitation’ of child labor.

Child labor in India is an old and very serious problem. Children under the age of 14 work in various labor intensive activities like glass-blowing, fire-works, and carpet-making factories. While the Government reports about 2 crores children laborers, other non-governmental organizations estimate the number to be closer to 5 crores. Most prevalent in the northern part of India, the exploitation of child labor has become an accepted practice, and is viewed by the local population as necessary to overcome the extreme poverty in the region.

In general small and mid-sized factories pay children extremely low wages, for which adults refuse to work, while forcing the youngsters to slave under quite difficult and unhygienic labor conditions both mentally and physically. Many of these children are migrant workers, the majority coming from northern India, who are sent away by their families to earn an income. Thus, children are forced to endure the un-human conditions of the plants and factories, as their families depend on their wages.

The situation of the children at the factories is desperate. Most work for minimum 12 hours a day and the upper bound is not defined. They get small breaks for meals. Ill-nourished, the children are very often fed only minimal staples. The vast majority of migrant child workers, who cannot return home at night, sleep alongside footpath which further invites sickness and poor health.

Taking aggressive action to eliminate this problem is difficult in a nation where more than 60 percent of the population lives in rural areas, most often stricken by poverty. Children are viewed as a form of economic security in this gloomy setting, necessary to help supplement their families' income. Parents often sacrifice their children's education, as offspring are often expected to uphold their roles as wage-earning members.

The Indian Government has taken some steps to alleviate this monumental problem. In 1989, India invoked a law that made the employment of children under age 14 illegal, except in family-owned factories. However, this law is rarely followed, and does not apply to the employment of family members. Thus, factories often circumvent the law through claims of hiring distant family. Also, in rural areas, there are few enforcement mechanisms, and punishment for factories violating the mandate is minimal, if not nonexistent.

Thus, an extensive reform process is necessary to eliminate the proliferation of child labor in India which strives to end the desperate poverty in the nation. Changing the structure of the workforce and hiring the high number of currently unemployed adults in greatly improved work conditions is only the first step in this lengthy process. New labor standards and wages must be adopted and medical examinations and minimum nutrition requirements must be established in India. Establishing schools and eliminating the rampant illiteracy that plagues the country would work to preserve structural changes. However, these changes cannot be accomplished immediately and therefore we must work collectively towards implementation of these steps so that we can see a uniform development of our nation.

Written By: Dhavish Jain, IIM Indore

Dowry is one of the worst diseases in India. In spite of various measures to contain it, it has been rising unabated. It has already taken a heavy toll of life and property. It has embittered relations between many a family. Every day we read about one or two deaths or sacrifices at the altar of this demon. It means the parents of a girl of marriageable age should offer in cash or kind some thing. Sometimes it is hard cash, running into many thousands or sometimes costly things of home like TV, a fridge that is demanded.

The dowry system in India is a long standing evil. Even today we read in the newspapers heart-breaking stories of young girls committing suicide or being murdered because their parents have not been able to give big dowries. New marriage is where the hearts of the two young loving individuals are formally united. Its holiness should never be destroyed by greedy of money or any other form of material wealth. The position of a woman in society should always be held in high esteem. Her position and welfare as a bride in an Indian family should be a matter of great concern and importance. We should not think of considering to be brought in marriage market.

This shocking problem cannot, however, be solved by laws only. Without public co-operation laws cannot help much. One of the main reasons of the dowry system is the dependence of women on men for their livelihood and upkeep. It is therefore, absolutely necessary to make women economically independent by spreading education widely among them. It is seen that there is no demand for dowry for educated girls especially for those in service. The second way to vanish this evil is to encourage inter-caste marriages. This will solve the demand and supply position in communities where there is lesser number of marriageable boys than girls.

Finally, it is for the youth in general and students in particular, to start a vigorous campaign against this social evil. The youth should take a vow not to give or take dowries in their marriages. Parents of marriageable boys and girls should also be induced, rather pressed, not to take or give dowries during the marriages of their sons and daughters.

Written By: Nikita Jain, Std. XI, Uttam School, Ghaziabad

The biggest threat to our nation is not from terrorists or corrupt politicians. The threat is from the people who are not equipped with the weapon to face societal evils like corruption, child marriage, caste system, poverty, etc. It can be anybody’s guess that the weapon is “Literacy”. All the developed countries are equipped with this weapon, but we are lagging behind. According to census only two-third of us has it. But, even this number consists of a large chunk of people whose educational qualification is insignificant and of poor quality.

The government is surely taking steps to eradicate illiteracy. But with current pace with it will take nearly 20-25 years to reach the 90% level. The situation is even worse in rural India. This pace of educational growth will create a huge gulch between the rural and urban India. Massive urbanization and influence of urbane service sector growth has lead to development getting constrained to cities only. Amidst everyone talking a lot about development of primary education to empower India, we loose focus on the 15 to 20 crore illiterate adult population. Are we simply treating them as burden on our nation who exist just to manage a square meal a day and to increase the population to add to the already dismal condition of our motherland? The answer is ‘NO’. We have to see them as untapped opportunity. We have to see them as potential “Manpower”. We can’t wait for 25 years to turn around the situation. We have to develop newer ways of pedagogy as the traditional methodology is slow.

We can see computer as the tool which will help us in serving India and attain the targeted literacy rate. With specially designed software it’s possible to achieve the goal in 4 to 5 years. This software will be developed to include all the features of a teacher. The task of building this software should be very easy for technocrats. The execution of this project can be on the lines of ITC’s e-choupal. The computer(s) will be owned by a voluntary owned group in the rural community. Some work on these lines is being done by TCS in Andhra Pradesh.

This will surely help in removing the ennui from the schooling process. There is no need of professional teachers, who are already less in number in India. The facilitators need not be expert for this. Simple know-how of handling computer will do. The multimedia program will aid in knowing the exact pronunciation of words, making it independent of the teacher’s competence. This program is required to to treat adults very differently from children. Greater importance must be on reading rather than writing. Once they can follow written instructions other things will automatically fall in line. The process should be of just about 40-50 hours stretch over a month or so. Removing the tests of any sort and shorter duration will reduce the drop-out rate. Nominal fees should be charged as anything free is considered worthless. In future further integration can be made to make India computer literate.

Looking at the massive illiterate population of India this endeavor seems to be a minute one with many holes to be pegged but really optimistic. It needs inputs from energetic minds who can revamp their grey matter to generate innovative ideas and make this a presentable idea in front of our socially conscious corporate houses to generate the required revenue stream.

Written by : Vineet Patawari, IIM Indore

The future of India will be furnished in its classrooms. While India has made great progress in improving its education system over the last couple of decades, still a lot remains to be done. The basic issues which need to be addressed at this stage are helping teachers being effective in what they do, improving the quality and relevance of classroom studies, and making quantifiable and measurable progress towards improving efficiency. This is to be done with an understanding of the special cultural, social, political and economic factors prevalent in the country.

Currently everywhere we hear the word ‘Reservation’, be it at primary class level or at higher education level. But still we are uncertain about the improvement in the social and economic standards for all classes of society. Also this step is raising quite a few eye-brows of the people who think that this is not an appropriate way of raising standards. What we lack is a effective and satisfactory action plan which yields us the desired outcome.

What I feel is that we must primarily focus on ‘School-level’ education, simply because that is where the foundations for learning are laid and it is where the most daunting challenges lie. When we talk about providing equal education opportunities to everyone in the country regardless of religion and caste then providing reservation in higher education is never going to serve the purpose. What is required is to make the base of the system itself strong enough the extent that does not require any reservation / quota system for its support at the top.

These are a few problems we are facing currently and which need to be addressed urgently.

Lack of access to the poorest and the marginalized: While the country has made significant progress in enhancing access, a significant number of children still remain out of school – many of these coming from disadvantaged backgrounds/districts. We account for one fourth of the world’s 104 million out of school children, most of them concentrated in six states. Still a significant portion of it doesn’t have access to elementary education.

Prevailing gender disparities: Though a few states have now reached gender parity at the primary level, others still lag behind. India still has one of the lowest female literacy rates in Asia. Less than 50 percent of the women aged 7 and over are literate.

Weak Outcomes: Poor quality of education is an underlying theme which runs across the system and is reflected in poor outcomes. Owing to high dropout and repetition rates, primary completion rates in the country are among the lowest in the world. Out of every 100 students that enter the primary education cycle, less than 10 graduate out of secondary education. Furthermore, student performance in standardized examinations remains poor. Less than 40% of students pass the grade 10 and grade 12 standardized examinations.

Ineffective Governance: Governance is a key constraint on improving the quality of education and this problem cuts across all levels of education. Accountability and incentive mechanisms and, checks and balances for teachers and administrators are weak.

Information about student and school performance, or how resources are allocated is rarely available to the public – denying stakeholders an important tool with which to monitor schools.

Inadequate Financing: Public education expenditures are currently about 2.3 percent of GDP - these expenditures are the definitely on the lower side compared with rest of the world. Furthermore, a significant share of the expenditures is directed at teachers’ salaries, leaving little resources to be spent on teaching and learning materials. In some of the countries, fiscal constraints may inhibit increased public investment in the sector.

Teacher quality and teaching environment: For most of the student in country the learning environment is pretty abysmal. School consists of a one room building, one teacher covering multiple subjects, and more than 40 students per teacher. With this situation where can we expect the quality? In fact most of the rural schools even don’t have these basic requirements. Many rural schools are seriously understaffed, specially in UP and Bihar. Without efforts to recruit large numbers of new teachers and an investment of resources to upgrade school facilities, we will be hard-pressed to scale up elementary education for young children.

There are quite a few developmental programs are started for the benefit of rural / tribal children. One of them is ‘Janshala’. The Janshala Programme is a collaborative effort of the Government of India (GOI) and five UN Agencies – UNDP, UNICEF, UNESCO, ILO and UNFPA – to provide program support to the ongoing efforts towards achieving Elementary Education. Janshala aims to make primary education more accessible and effective, especially for girls and children in deprived communities, marginalized groups, Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes/minorities, working children and children with specific needs.

A unique feature of Janshala is that it is a block-based program with emphasis on community participation and decentralization. The blocks have been selected on the basis of different indicators such as low female literacy, incidence of child labor, and concentration of Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) populations. The goal of this joint education program is to target girls and the marginalized population of children in selected areas and to improve their attendance and performance in primary education.

Before summing up I would again emphasize on the same point. We need a structured action plan very soon to overcome these basic problems occurring at school level. Unless we sort them out other measures are not going to be productive.

Written By: Dhavish Jain, IIM Indore