Food security Act: Centre to share half the burden of states in food transportation and handling

The Centre has decided to share up to 50 per cent of the intra-state transportation and handling costs of foodgrains with states under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013. NFSA guarantees cheap foodgrains to two-thirds of the Indian population.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the expenditure and sharing pattern between the Centre and states.

“Earlier, the transportation and handling cost was transferred to the consumers. But now because of NFSA, the cost would be borne by the government,” a government official told Down To Earth.

It has also been decided to pay incentives to fair price shop (FPS) dealers to encourage the use of point of sale (PoS) devices. These are machines that enable cashless transfers by swiping cards.

Under the Act, the fixed price of rice, wheat and coarse grains stands at Rs 3, Rs 2 and Re 1 respectively. Before NFSA came into existence, Below Poverty Line (BPL) families used to get rice, wheat and coarse grains at Rs 5.65, Rs 4.15 and Rs 3 respectively. For Above Poverty Line (APL) households, the rates were Rs 8.30, Rs 6.10, and Rs 4.50 respectively.

Implementation of NFSA
The Act should have been implemented within six months since its enactment in September, 2013. However, so far, NFSA has been implemented in only 11 states and Union Territories (UTs) across the country.

The implementation of NFSA in 25 other states had to be extended twice because of the non-compliance in identification of beneficiaries on time. At first, it was extended to April 4, 2015 and now it has been extended to September 30, 2015.

“Because of the nitty-gritty, many states have not rolled out this Act. They are showing unwillingness,” the official added.

Sharing the burden
The estimated financial assistance likely to flow to states and UTs would annually stand at Rs 4,341 crore after the Centre shares the costs. At present, the estimated burden on the states’ exchequers is around Rs 8,500 crore.

According to the decision, the Union government will share the expenditure up to 50 per cent in case of general states and 75 per cent in case of 13 special category states and UTs.

The latter includes seven north-eastern states, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and the UTs of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.

The Centre has not taken any decision regarding cash transfer as yet. However, it has decided to pay incentives to FPS dealers worth Rs 17 per quintal of grains for using PoS devices.

The decision would pave the way for documentation of the Public Distribution System (PDS), which will help the government to reduce leakages and curb corruption. 

New National Education Policy by December”

Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani recently announced that her ministry is working on a new National Education Policy (NEP) which would be formed by December 2015.

Furthermore, suggestions in this regard have been invited from the education ministers of all the states. “They have been asked to send their suggestions by November so that a universal education policy could be made for the whole country,” Irani said.

Meanwhile, the HRD Minister refuted claims that as a result of her differences with the Bharatiya Janta Party chief Amit Shah, she was dropped from BJP’s national executive committee. “No. I have no differences with him. He is like an elder brother to me. And the government has already entrusted me with a big responsibility,” she said

Dr. Jitendra Singh announces 'Brahmaputra Study Center' for Guwahati University 

Report by India Education bureau, Guwahati: The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh has announced the setting up of "Center for Brahmaputra studies" in the university and said, he dreams of the day when students and scholars from far and wide would come all the way to Guwahati in pursuit of specialised learning and research. He was addressing the 25th convocation of Guwahati University, in Guwahati today. 

Dr. Jitendra Singh complimented the brilliance and diligence of the scholars from this part of the country that after overcoming the constraints of inaccessibility and distance, some of them are today leaders in academic and scientific research in their respective fields. 

Citing Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s vision for Northeast, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, the years to come may witness the region developing as an organic capital of India and when that stage is achieved, we will find scholars from far and wide coming to Northeast for research in organic science, organic flora and organic growth. In this context, he also referred to the work undertaken by DoNER Ministry as a follow-up to Prime Minister’s announcement for setting up six Agricultural colleges in the region and Rs.100 crore allocated exclusively for organic farming in the year 2014-15. 

Referring to some of the recent initiatives of DoNER Ministry, he spoke of “Ishaan Uday” - special scholarship scheme for students of the region and “Ishaan Vikas” - a scheme to provide apprenticeship facility to students of the region in IITs, NIITs and NIFTs of other parts of the country. In this regard, he assured that DoNER Ministry will make every possible effort for comfortable and safe hostel accommodation for such students in other cities of India. 

Dr. Jitendra Singh called upon the Vice Chancellor and the senior faculty members to prepare a list of potential students capable of pursuing specialist course or higher studies and the DoNER Ministry will try to facilitate their entry into such universities. However, he appealed to the students that after pursuing their higher studies in leading universities in other parts of the country, they should come back to their respective States. 

Expressing concern over the exodus of students and youth in search of jobs and higher studies outside Northeast, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, he proposes to work in close tandem with the HRD Ministry and requested to depute renowned faculty for universities in the Northeast by providing them extra incentives and perks. Similarly, he said, he has a plan to arrange Job Fairs and campus interviews by renowned Multi National Companies in the capital cities of eight States because this experiment he had even tried in his own constituency and the results were amazingly encouraging as more and more youth found employment at their doorstep and also placement in their respective native zones. 

As a DoNER Minister, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, he would try to work out the feasibility of student exchange programmes with some of the leading foreign universities and referred to his meeting with the Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University who also happens to be a medical professional. 

The Governor Assam, Shri P.B. Acharya and the Chief Minister of Assam, Shri Tarun Gagoi are also present on the occasion. 

GLOBAL PACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE - India Wants Climate Talks to Focus on Efforts Prior to 2020

Urmi Goswami

New Delhi:





Emphasises that onus to deal with global warming is more on developed countries

India wants a global agreement that will address intensified efforts to tackle climate change between 2015 and 2020 and has questioned the single-minded focus on finalising a global compact for the post-2020 period, which is to be inked in Paris in December.With barely nine months left for the crucial climate change meeting in Paris, the pressure on countries to draw plans to reduce the amount of carbon produced after 2020 has increased. New Delhi has told the UN climate change body that there needs to be equal focus on the pre-2020 period, arguing that without active efforts to tackle climate change between 2015 and 2020, slowing down the rate of global warming will be different. Sources said India has submitted a written request to the chairs of the negotiations being held under the aegis of the United Nations to consider an agreement that will spell out the efforts to reduce the amount of carbon being produced and to adjust to the impacts of climate change.
At the talks in Geneva in February, Indian negotiators had raised the issue that countries, especially the industrialised nations, need to do much more to address rising emissions and the impact of unchecked climate change between 2015 and 2020.
“We have given it in writing to the chairmen of the ad hoc working group on the Durban Platform.
In 2011, when countries decided to craft a new agreement to address climate change, it was also decided to accelerate efforts to tackle global warming in the period up to 2020.But now the discussions are solely focused on the post-2020 agree ment. The Durban Platform is both about the pre-2020 period and the post-2020 period,“ a senior member of the government said.
The Durban Platform agreed to in 2011 at the annual UN-sponsored climate change negotiations has two planks of action -accelerating and intensifying efforts to address climate change in the pre-2020 period and finalising the new global agreement by 2015, which would be implemented after 2020.
In the pre-2020 period, the onus of reducing the amount of carbon produced is on the industrialised countries, with developing countries taking steps on a voluntary basis. Industrialised countries are required to provide financial support, which was agreed in 2009 and 2010 to be to the tune of $100 billion a year, and were also committed to provide technology to developing countries to address climate change.India's demand has the broad support of developing countries. At Geneva, where negotiators from 193 countries met for a week to finalise a draft of the post-2020 global compact, representatives of countries including China, South Africa and other African countries and small islands consistently stressed on the need to focus on increasing the efforts being made to tackle climate change before 2020.
Developing countries have argued that the lack of attention to the pre-2020 efforts only serve to transfer the burden of action to poor countries.
The new agreement that comes into effect in 2020 is applicable to all countries, unlike the current regime, where the onus of action rests with the industrialised countries.
Scientists and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change maintain that delayed action will prove to be more expensive and many of the efforts that can be taken to slow global warming will be ineffective if not implemented as soon as possible.

Vedanta - Silence! Mind at Work

YOGI ASHWINI





The mind and brain control the human body and they , in turn, are controlled by the desire of the soul. Just close your eyes and see what is going on inside the brain.... You will find so many thoughts related to children, family , spouse, business, emotions.... All the thoughts indicate desire of the soul. And it is because of these thoughts or desires that you are unable to go beyond human existence. All that is physical is temporary and what is temporary is painful.... The pain that you experience day in and day out, is in the pursuit of these desires.When the mind is engaged in worldly thoughts, you cannot think of anything beyond,... because the mind can only think of one thing at a time.
Thoughts of the physical world tie you to the physical world, your thoughts are dissipated and the force of your consciousness is unable to perform.
So, when we talk about going beyond, it is nice to read books, but it is completely redundant as far as your spiritual journey goes because the book is somebody else's thought, somebody else's experience.Then you will get carried away in somebody else's thought process, not yours.
Only when you will silence your mind will you be able to go beyond.
When you silence your mind, higher centres of the brain get activated. When you still your mind, you are able to access those higher energies and then revelations come to you.Then you are called a jnani, not a knowledgeable person.

No Indian study says tobacco causes cancer: Parl panel head

New Delhi: PTI





As India is set to defer its April 1 deadline for increasing size of pictorial warnings on tobacco products after pressure from various lobbies, head of a Parliamentary panel on Monday said there was no Indian study to confirm that use of tobacco products leads to cancer.Dilip Gandhi, head of Parliamentary panel on subordinate legislation examining the provisions of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 which had sought deferment of the move, on Monday said all studies have come from abroad and one should consider the Indian aspect too.
The Parliamentary Committee, which Gandhi -a BJP MP from Maharashtra -heads, had “strongly“ urged the government to keep on hold its proposal to increase the size of pictorial warnings on tobacco packets from 40% to 85%.
“All agree on the harmful effects of tobacco. Cancer does not happen only because of tobacco. We have to study the Indian context, as four crore people in states like Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh are dependent on bidi-making,“ Gandhi said. The panel said a large number of representations expressing “serious“ apprehensions from MPs as well as other stakeholders against the proposed notification.
Gandhi had also written to health minister J P Nadda in this regard.

2^ND HR SUMMIT AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ONEMERGING CHALLENGES FOR HR

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT RAIPUR, INDIA

 

2^nd HR SUMMIT AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON

Emerging Challenges for HR: VUCA Perspectives

August 21-22, 2015
Raipur, India

CALL FOR PAPERS

Last date for abstract submission is April 15, 2015

Indian Institute of Management, Raipur (IIMR), is happy to announce the 2^nd HR Summit and International Conference on Emerging Challenges for HR: VUCA Perspectives. The objectives of the conference are: 

·      to provide a special forum to present and discuss research in HR and allied areas, with special reference to the  VUCA world  more so, in the emerging markets of India.

·      to facilitate sharing research based knowledge among academicians and practitioners on  several other areas of Research in HR and allied areas.

 

This will be achieved through multi-disciplinary research-based idea generation and discussions. The attempt is to bring about richness in discussion by encouraging contributions from researchers across academic institutions and industry worldwide. 

The Conference is scheduled from August 21-22, 2015 at the IIMR campus. For details of the conference please visit our website:    

Conference Brochure

CONTACT: Summit Secretariat, 2nd HR Summit & International ConferenceIndian Institute of Management-Raipur.
GEC Campus, Sejbahar, Raipur -492015, India
Email: hrsummit2015@iimraipur.ac.in;
Website : http://www.iimraipur.ac.in/hrsummit2015
Tel: +91-7583032416/ +91-7581803576/ +91-7566515003
Fax: +91-771-2772102

Tribal Youth attending the Seventh Tribal Youth Exchange Programme call on the President

New Delhi: A group of young participants attending 7th Tribal Youth Exchange Programme (TYEP) organized by Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan called on the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (March 28, 2015). 

Speaking on the occasion, the President welcomed the participants of 7th Tribal Youth Exchange Programme to Rashtrapati Bhavan. He stated that there is a lot to learn from the tribal societies. The gender behaviour and relations in tribal communities and the respect and honour accorded to tribal women in their societies holds significant lessons for us. We must also learn from the manner in which the tribal societies have retained, nurtured and developed their contact with nature. 

The President said that the notion of tribal welfare is not just about development of tribal communities through economic progress but a larger concept of lifestyle that fosters holistic living. The philosophy for tribal welfare enunciated by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was human development with conservation of their rich and diverse cultural heritage. The challenge in preparing any policy for tribal upliftment exists even now as the policymakers have to strike the right balance between preservation of tribal identity with their distinct culture and values, while ensuring their access to mainstream education, healthcare and income generating opportunities. 

The President said that the seventy third amendment to the Constitution bestowed special powers to the Gram Sabha in tribal villages and hamlets in decision-making and self-governance. This has provided an impetus for protection of rights and enhancement of welfare of the tribals. At this point of time, when the country is marching forward in unity, it is absolutely essential that we ensure all segments of society to participate in and benefit from inclusive and equitable growth. The Government has taken several measures for the development of the tribal population. It has emphasized on rapid educational development to bring tribals into the mainstream of the population. It has allocated considerable resources to provide infrastructure and other incentives such as scholarships, free boarding and lodging, free distribution of clothes, books and stationery for better educational attainment by the tribals. The President said that education and capacity building can open a window of opportunity for the tribal youth. The educated youth from tribal societies, can usher in progress and bridge the development gap. He called upon them to be the torchbearers of a young and resurgent India. He stated that they must join hands with the youth from the rest of the country to build the India of our dreams. They must engage with the affairs of the nation whole-heartedly. They represent a potent force in the fight against criminality, poverty, deprivation, backwardness, domestic violence, caste discrimination, gender discrimination and exploitation. They also must give voice to the voiceless and become the strength of the weak. He called upon them to make the struggle of the needy and deprived their own. 

How to prepare for the Civil Services Examination

Are you concerned about the quality of governance in the country? Are you young and aspiring to improve the existing social, economic, infrastructural and civic conditions by contributing to policy decisions on welfare and development with honesty and integrity. One wonderful option is to join All India Services such as the India Administrative Service (IAS) by cracking the Civil Services Examination.

> Around five lakh candidates appear for the examination every year. At least 100 toppers are selected to the IAS. Another 1,200 candidates join other services.

> Graduates or those in the final year of graduation should watch out for the notification in April/May every year in Employment News, a weekly newspaper registered under the PRB Act with RNI, and published since 1975. It is published by the Publications Division of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B).

BEFORE YOU START

Find the cut-off marks for the competitive examination and chalk out a strategy that suits your knowledge. Last year, the cut-off marks for the mains examination was around 600/1,750. Revise what you learnt in school. Focus on reading NCERT books, newspapers and publications of the Publications Division of the I&B ministry.

Need help preparing?

Aspirants can enrol in Tamil Nadu government-run All India Civil Services Coaching Centre on Greenways Road and private coaching centres in CIT Nagar, Anna Nagar and Adyar. Study centres have also been formed in major libraries and employment exchanges.

PREP TIME

One year of intense study after graduation, on average

HOW TO APPLY

> Application can be made online at www.upsconline.nic.in. Detailed instructions on filling up the form are available on the website

> No fee is required from SC/ST/women/physically-challenged candidates. Others have to pay Rs. 100. Various modes of payment are available, as mentioned in the notification

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION

> This round has two papers:

Paper 1 with 100 questions carrying two marks each (covers general knowledge)

Paper 2 with 80 questions carrying 2.5 marks each (Civil services aptitude test, with questions in aptitude, reasoning and English) comprehension

There is also negative marking is 0.333

> Last year, the cut-off for general category was 241 out of 400 marks and for the physically-challenged (hearing impaired), it was 163 out of 400.

MAINS EXAMINATION

> Two qualifying papers: English and any of the languages mentioned in the eighth schedule of the Constitution (not for final ranking)

> General Studies papers: four papers of 250 marks each

Paper 1: Indian heritage, culture, history, geography of the world and society

Paper 2: Governance, constitution, polity, social justice and international relations

Paper 3: Technology, economic development, biodiversity, environment, security and disaster management

Paper 4: Ethics, integrity and aptitude

One optional subject: Two papers of 250 marks each

General essay paper with two essays of 1,000-1,200 words each

> Last year, the mains cut-off for general category was 564 out of 1,750 marks, and for the physically-challenged (hearing impaired), it was 410 out of 1,750

> The interview carries 275 marks. It is a test of the candidate’s personality

> The cut-off for the finals, last year, was 775 out of 2,025 marks for general category, and 613 for the physically-challenged (hearing impaired)

> Usually, the preliminary exam is conducted on the 3 Sunday of August

> The mains exam is conducted during December, every year

> The interview is held after May every year

Expert speak

There seem to be fewer candidates for sensible policy making. Motivated candidates should start preparation for the exam at least one year ahead by shaping their personality and widening their knowledge base. Chennai offers aspirants a lot of opportunities to learn – Aeron Israel Jebasingh, IAS (Mr. Jebasingh resigned from IAS after 10 years of service to train young aspirants in Chennai)

How Not to Rush Into a Water Crisis





India's water sector requires greater policy attention and more resources, not business-as-usual populism, to meet rising demand in a fast-urbanising economy . The AAP government's move to hike water charges in Delhi by 10%, for those who consume more than 20 kilolitres (KL) a month, may seem like reform. But it would be perverse incentive for those who consume less than 20 KL of piped, treated water gratis, to tamper with the meters for low readings. Delhi is an example for the rest of the country, because it is a prime example of both mismanagement and bad politics.In Delhi, 20% of households lack access to piped water, and another 23% have unmetered supply . While Delhi's daily re quirement is 1,000 million gallons a day (MGD), the supply is barely 80%. As much as 40% of the available supply leaks away from ancient pipes that are in dire need of replacement The AAP government in relatively high-income Delhi would do well to provide water supply for all households, rather than fritter away its political capital in giveaways and reckless, wasteful subsidies. While limited lifeline water supply is unexceptionable, reasonable user charges are a must to garner the resources needed to invest in the infrastructure and maintain it.
Nationally , we need to reverse groundwater usage. Already , the figures suggest that well over half the irrigation requirements are now met by mining groundwater and that 15% of all aquifers are in a `critical condition', and further that 60% of them would steadily become so affected, over the next two decades, in a business-as-usual scenario. We clearly need increased investment in dams, large and small, along with extensive water harvesting and comprehensive recycling. We need a businesslike approach, not populism, vis-à-vis water.

Vedanta - Music and the Void

BINDU CHAWLA





In Indic tradition, in terms of basic numbers, what followed as we counted after the number nine was not 10, or even one, where the count begins again, but zero. The concept of zero is shunya, a state of everythingness, fullness or wholeness, and a condition of mind our gurus asked us to reach before the singing of any raga before its unconditional manifestation could begin.Shunya in the ancient texts is known as pujyam, or `worthy of being prayed to'. In classical music, it is symbolised by `sa', the first swara, the root note where all notes rest. Japa, or chanting, of the `sa' activates the shunyata of `sa', which then begins to manifest unconditionally . Whatever it manifests, provided it is unconditional, or pure, and not conditional, or sullied, is the active word of God, and his message for all.
Ashunyata stirs, so does the divine, opening out its light, along with nada, or sound, its initial manifestations or vibrations, which then formulate as swaras unfolding the Brahmanda, or universe, of the seven notes.
When the raga is sung by a pure soul, the notes will be accompanied by light -difficult to see by the ordinary listener -reflecting the colours and hues that the specific raga configuration shows up, with immense healing properties.
The raga and its colours are the celebration of intuition, the inner eye, having no reason as its manifestation, and that is why also, the classical raga in our music has to be sung without reason, or `conditionality', or nihilism, or empty zeros.

OVER 300 FARMER GROUPS IDENTIFIED - Tribal Farmers to Form Co-ops to Roll out `Farm to Fork' Scheme

Deepshikha Sikarwar

New Delhi:





Over 2,000 farmer organisations in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh & Telangana will be incubated to grow into cooperative society, trusts and ultimately company as part of NABARD's plan

Farmers in tribal states are joining hands to form corporate structures as the Narendra Modi government's `Farm to Fork' programme begins a quiet rollout even as the much-criticised APMC law is yet to be exorcised.Over 2,000 farmer organisations in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will be incubated to grow into a cooperative society, trust and ultimately, a company, as part of the plan being implemented by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, the country's largest development lender. “We have already identified over 300 farmer groups...We will be hand-holding them, helping with registrations and business process re-engineering to facilitate their take off,“ Nabard chairman Harsh Kumar Bhanwala told ET.
These organisations will get help at each level -from sourcing of inputs such as seeds, fertilisers and pesticides to machine requirements for management of farms, processing of produce, marketing and linking up with large value chains. The Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act has been amended in some states to allow farmers to sell perishables directly to consumers to help farmers get better value for their harvest. However, even where the act has been amended, constraints on farmers and large customers remain, such as multiple registration requirements and limitations on sourcing of perishable fruits and vegetables.
` 200 crore fund set Nabard will use a .up by the government to provide initial-stage funding besides additional money through its NBFC arm.
The move is aimed at facilitating creation of structures that would take the country's farm sector to the next level by bringing in cost efficiencies.The government has identified agri reforms to enhance productivity and value as a key focus area.
“Land holdings in the country have come down from the 80s...Thus, farmers organisations can help in bringing costs down and making agriculture more efficient,“ Bhanwala said.
These structures permit pooling of land so that farmers can come togeth er and benefit from greater use of technology and reap the benefits of scale.Nabard has also launched a digitisation programme for self-help groups in rural India that can be expanded to offer multiple products, including government services and the sale of consumer goods.
“I don't mind if an FMCG company wants to use the platform to sell its products,“ he said.
The bank funded 44 lakh self-help groups through a programme called e-Shakti. The pilot digitisation project was started in Ramgarh district of Jharkhand.
This platform will allow members to receive transaction information through SMS, a facility that till now has been used only by banks.
It also uses the Aadhaar identity programme, which helps curb the practice of multiple loans.
“There are 74 lakh SHGs of which 44 lakh are bank fundImprint Line The Economic Times, Bangalore ed...We are now looking to digitise them by providing tablets which is on a platform hosted by Nabard,“ Bhanwala said, adding that the second pilot project is being launched in Dhule in Maharashtra.
The programme will be expanded to 10 districts before a countrywide rollout, he added.

Mar 30 2015 : The Times of India (Delhi)

`One in 10 Indians depressed, must not ignore subtle signs'

Malathy Iyer

Mumbai:





Extreme weepiness and severe melancholy are not the only calling cards of depression, a serious mental disorder that roughly affects 10% of the population.Doctors say the symptoms could be subtler or of a lower degree -a sudden habit of rash driving, making mean observations or even showing perpetual irritability.As it emerges that Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, who reportedly crashed a plane into the French Alps killing 150 people last week, was suffering from depression, doctors say there is a need to create greater awareness about the disorder.
Depression is one of the biggest public health challenges because of its high incidence. “Research suggests that at least one in five women and one in 10 men suffers from major depressive disorder at some point in their lifetime. Imagine you are walking on the street and there could be so many people in front of you who suffer from some degree of depression,“ said Dr Shamsah Sonawalla, consultant psychiatrist at Jaslok Hospital.
The neighbour who slams the front door every time, the co-worker who constantly fails to meet deadlines, the teacher whose scathing words never fail to reduce some students to tears every day , the rebellious teenager who smokes despite knowing it's injurious to health, the friend who is obsessed with alcohol could all have a common cause: depression. “ People who suffer from excessive exhaustion, snap easily, have difficulty in concentrating, conduct recurrent miscommunication, obses sively need to rush home after work or are preoccupied with gadgets or are continuously putting down colleagues on social media could be de pressed to some extent,“ said psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty .
He believes depression has become such an epidemic that people in high-risk jobs may soon be screened or counselled for depression as a rule. The problem is that very few admit to needing help. Said Dr Vishal Sawant, who heads the psychi atry department at civic-run Cooper Hospital in Juhu, “ At present, people with corporate jobs don't like to reveal that they suffer from depression. They worry that they may be stigmatised at work or overlooked for promotions.“
Dr Shetty said a pilot was derostered for abusing benzodiazepine (anti-anxiety pills), and he nursed a grudge against the psychiatrist for years. “Hence, many pilots don't like to approach doctors empanelled by their airlines. They would rather go to a private doctor with their anxiety , depression or alcohol abuse.It is up to the airlines, or any employer for that matter, to conduct enrichment programmes that help employees with psychological is sues integrate better with the workplace,“ said Dr Shetty.
Dr Sawant, though, says that the situation has improved somewhat. “People walk into my clinic saying they are depressed. This shows that there is better awareness among people as well as acceptance that they need help,“ he said.

Economic & Political Weekly: Table of Contents

Village as 'Class' and City as 'Mass'

Andhra Pradesh Capital Development Story

Vol - L No. 13, March 28, 2015 | S Ananth 

• Reports From the States
 
• Web Exclusives

Villagers explain why they call the “new capital” areas of Andhra Pradesh “class” while older cities like Vijayawada and Guntur are “mass”. The second in a series of photo essays documenting change in the peripheries of Vijayawada, slowly transforming into the Andhra Pradesh state capital. For the first photo essay in the series, click here.  

• Read more
• 0 Comments

Need for Protocols in Public Health

Vol - L No. 12, March 21, 2015 | Meeta Rajivlochan 

• Commentary

The deaths in Chhattisgarh during a state-sponsored family planning camp held in November 2014 show, yet again, that the lack of checklists and an ad hoc style of functioning can and does result in disaster. This article explains the need for standardisation and protocols in key government processes and talks about the pathetic conditions in which medicines and surgical supplies are procured in public hospitals as well as the failure of state agencies to detect and prohibit sale of substandard drugs.

• Read more
• 0 Comments

Commentary Tolerating Death in a Culture of Intolerance Shahidul Alam The daylight murder of Bangladeshi blogger Avijit Roy in Dhaka on 26 February reflects the culture of fear and intolerance that has built up in the country over the last few decades. As a result, the middle ground between the extremes has... Read more	Web Exclusives Ethics and Theatrics On "India's Daughter" Indira Jaising, Ritu Menon “India’s Daughter” reflects asymmetries of power and access, and of where and how discourses are generated and directed. Who represents whom, and how they do so, reflects many of these asymmetries and exposes many complicities.... Read more
Commentary Hashimpura Killings Is There Any Hope of Justice? Iqbal Ansari The members of the PAC who have been charged with the murder of 40 Muslims in Hashimpura in 1987 are yet to face the courts. Read more	Roots / Specials Meerut 1987 Reflections on an Inquiry K Balagopal "The Muslims started it" and therefore the administration decides that it is going to wreak vengeance against the Muslims and ensure that they learn their lesson for good This is the "theme" of Meerut 1987. Read more
Editorials India's Ocean? The right questions are not being asked about the country's (aggressive) Indian Ocean strategy. Read more	Editorials 'Rebalancing' Aggregate Demand China needs to return to the original formula of the "four modernisations" propounded by Zhou Enlai. Read more
Editorials Sending Whistle-blowers to Their Deaths Whistle-blowers continue to be murdered even as a law for their protection awaits notification. Read more	H T Parekh Finance Column The Rupee, Its Valuation and the Missing Trade Surpluses Avinash Persaud The rupee is one of the most undervalued currencies in the world. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), if you were to take a basket of goods bought in India, the exchange rate that would make that basket equivalent in price in... Read more
Commentary Farmers' Rights to Seeds Issues in the Indian Law Parameswaran Prajeesh While the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act 2001 is a progressive piece of legislation that recognises farmers' rights to seed, it demands payment of an annual maintenance fee by the farmers to protect the varieties... Read more	Commentary Tapan Raychaudhuri (1926-2014) A Personal Tribute Gyanendra Pandey Tapan Raychaudhuri was a scholar of deep erudition and a pioneer in exploring new paths and perspectives. A builder of institutions, he will be remembered by generations of students as an accessible teacher and supportive mentor. Read more
Budget 2015–16 / Special Issues Long on Announcements, Short on Intent Ajit Karnik, Mala Lalvani The first full-year budget of the National Democratic Alliance government announced a sharp focus on investment, growth and social security. In addition, Budget 2015-16 claims to have given a boost to cooperative federalism. The budget indeed... Read more	Budget 2015–16 / Special Issues Gold Monetisation Scheme for India ERROL D'SOUZA Currently India is the largest consumer and importer of gold in the world. Monetising the gold within the country is, therefore, important for macroeconomic stability, and requires a credible scheme for valuing, storing, and tracking the metal.... Read more
Budget 2015–16 / Special Issues Corporate Taxes and Exemptions What Does the Proposed Agenda Mean? Kavita Rao In the Budget Speech the finance minister announced a phased reduction in the rate of corporate tax alongside a removal of exemptions. What is likely to be the differential impact on large and small companies, those reporting large profi ts and... Read more	Budget 2015–16 / Special Issues Corporate Capitalism in the Name of Social Security K P Kannan The many schemes that have been announced in the name of social security are limited in scope and the quantum of security they prefer. The promotional schemes will also be linked to the market and will benefit the insurance companies. In the... Read more
Budget 2015–16 / Special Issues Finance Commission's Recommendations and Restructured Fiscal Space Pinaki Chakraborty Since it is neither feasible nor desirable to reduce central grants to the states equivalent to the increase in tax devolution, the award of the Fourteenth Finance Commission is certainly not revenue neutral for the union government. But the... Read more	Book Reviews Keynes Reconsidered Pulin B Nayak Keynesian Reflections: Effective Demand, Money, Finance and Policies in the Crisis edited by Toshiaki Hirai, Maria Cristina Marcuzzo and Perry Mehrling, New Delhi, Oxford University Press, 2013; pp xxiv + 317, Rs 850. Read more
Book Reviews Environmental Law in India The Task Ahead Goutham Shivshankar Handbook of Environmental Law by P B Sahasranaman, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2012; pp xiii + 352, Rs 950. Read more	Perspectives Branding Bill The Shakespearean Commons Pramod K Nayar Situating William Shakespeare within the study of brands, this article examines the process and results of Shakespeare-as-brand, which mediates the supply and demand of Shakespearean products whether about his life, his loves, his texts, his... Read more
Special Articles How Should India Reform Its Labour Laws? Simon Deakin, Antara Haldar This paper examines the current policy debate around the reform of labour laws in India, which has been stimulated in part by the success of the "Gujarat model of economic development." Gujarat's deregulatory reforms have included changes to the... Read more	Special Articles New Generation Start-ups in India What Lessons Can We Learn from the Past? M H Bala Subrahmanya An increasing number of new generation start-ups in the technology/knowledge-intensive industries have created something of an "euphoria" in major cities of India. This paper discusses the salient features of the start-up ecosystem that has... Read more
Economic Notes New Estimates of Saving and Capital Formation Larger Numbers in a Declining Trend J Dennis Rajakumar, Vijayata B Sawant, Anita B Shetty The new series of national accounts statistics raises the estimates of saving and investment, but it also reconfi rms the trend of a decline in domestic saving and capital formation in recent years. Analysing available data, this note attempts to... Read more	Postscript A Child’s Primer Sreenivasan Subramanian Children who aspire to become budding development economists would do well to imbibe some of these hints and pointers, whose soundness is matched only by the author’s zaniness. Read more
Postscript Down and Out in Ahmedabad Jan Breman Migrant workers, who are often landless labourers, seek succour and refuge in night shelters mandated by the Supreme Court of India. Read more	Postscript Veggie Myths Anirudh Deshpande The myth of India being a largely vegetarian country is shattered by the fact that across the country, the great majority of people consume meat and fish. Read more
Web Exclusives Teachers’ Work and Teachable Moments in the New Regime Shivali Tukdeo, Savitha Suresh Babu Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government’s emphasis on Indianising, nationalising and spiritualising education calls for examining the role of teachers as imagined by the Hindu right.  Read more	Glimpses from the Past / Web Exclusives Demand for Total Ban on Cow Slaughter in Kerala and West Bengal Some Observations K N Raj The last few weeks have witnessed a ban on the slaughter and possession of bulls, bullocks and calves, in addition to cows, in Maharashtra and then in Haryana. The BJP, in power in both these states as well as the centre, has argued that they...