Ageing with dignity

We may be a young nation, but we need to gear up to meet the needs of the elderly

While India’s celebrated demographic dividend has for decades underpinned its rapid economic progress, a countervailing force may offset some of the gains from having a relatively young population: rapid ageing at the top end of the scale. This is a cause of deep concern for policymakers as India already has the world’s second largest population of the elderly, defined as those above 60 years of age. As this 104-million-strong cohort continues to expand at an accelerating pace, it will generate enormous socio-economic pressures as the demand for healthcare services and tailored accommodation spikes to historically unprecedented levels. It is projected that approximately 20% of Indians will be elderly by 2050, marking a dramatic jump from the current 6%. However, thus far, efforts to develop a regime of health and social care that is attuned to the shifting needs of the population have been insufficient. While more mature economies have created multiple models for elder care, such as universal or widely accessible health insurance, networks of nursing homes, and palliative care specialisations, it is hard to find such systemic developments in India. Experts also caution that as the proportional size of the elderly population expands, there is likely to be a shift in the disease patterns from communicable to non-communicable, which itself calls for re-gearing the health-care system toward “preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative aspects of health”.

Advocacy and information campaigns may be necessary to redirect social attitudes toward ageing, which often do not help the elderly enjoy a life of stability and dignity. As highlighted in ‘Uncertain Twilight’, a four-part series in The Hindu on the welfare of senior citizens, the ground realities faced by the elderly include abandonment by their families, destitution and homelessness, inability to access quality health care, low levels of institutional support, and the loneliness and depression associated with separation from their families. On the one hand, the traditional arrangements for the elderly in an Indian family revolve around care provided by their children. According to the National Sample Survey Organisation’s 2004 survey, nearly 3% of persons aged above 60 lived alone. The number of elderly living with their spouses was only 9.3%, and those living with their children accounted for 35.6%. However, as many among the younger generation within the workforce are left with less time, energy and willingness to care for their parents, or simply emigrate abroad and are unable to do so, senior citizens are increasingly having to turn to other arrangements. In the private sector, an estimated demand for 300,000 senior housing units, valued at over $1 billion, has led to a variety of retirement communities emerging across the country, in addition to innovations in healthcare delivery for this group. Yet the poor among the elderly still very much depend on the government to think creatively and come up with the resources and institutions to support their needs.

Source: The Hindu, 23-02-2017

What The Shiva Tattva Seeks To Impart

Anandmurti Gurumaa





Shiva is boundless yet all-pervading, formless yet in every form, the source, yet also the one who annihilates it all! In the trinity of creation, sustenance and destruction, Shiva is hailed as the force of destruction, although in essence it is the same force which creates, sustains and destroys all manifestation.From Shiva descended the Ganga of knowledge of ultimate reality , the liberating wisdom of `Shiva Tattva', the real Self ­ ever-truthful, ever-conscious, ever-blissful, omniscient Existence.Often portrayed as a yogi deep in blissful meditation, with matted locks, sculpted body and radiant countenance, Shiva symbolises Pure Consciousness.
Shiva is Maha-Kaal, the Lord of Time, Vanquisher of Death, the ever-blissful Eternal One. Therefore he is revered as Adi Yogi, the first Yogi, Adi Guru, the first Guru, who is the primordial source, the divine origin of all yogic sciences, all spiritual practices, all paths to Selfrealisation ­ be it dhyana, jnana, bhakti, yoga. The embodiment of non-duality , Shiva is adored as the epitome of compassion and quintessence of love. He is the Cosmic Dancer, the Supreme Fountainhead from where flows all knowledge of dance, music, and all art.
According to legend, Parvati (Shakti) did intense penance to please Shiva and the great occasion of Maha Shivaratri celebrates their `wedding'. The symbolic union carries a deeper connotation; it depicts the meeting of Shiva and Shakti. In yogic context, the dwelling place of Shiva is Sahasrar Chakra whereas that of Shakti is Mooladhara Chakra, and all yogic practices are preparation Now Shakti is lying dormant at Mooladhara; it is as if Shakti has been estranged from her consort Shiva. It is only when the aspirant with unswerving resolve, goes through the meticulous adherence of disciplined practice of the eightfold path of yoga that the dormant Kundalini Shakti gets awakened and starts ascending via the Sushumna Nadi to meet Shiva. And their communion at Sahasrar is what is meant by Samadhi.
Once Shakti unites with Shiva, she never descends alone but always with Shiva, for their meeting is eternal. In Sankhya philosophy , Prakriti and Purusha are always together, complementing and completing each other. It also means that now should the aspirant engage in interaction with the world, it is from an enlightened perspective. One then knows that all this is a play of Purusha and Prakriti; that life a play. This is what is essentially meant by realising the Shiva Tattva.
If your mind is focussed on the Truth, then you are on the path of realising Shiva Tattva within, and if you are ignorant of Shiva Tattva then know that it won't be long before your ephemeral body , mind, intellect, the I, becomes a Shav ­ corpse. The seeker will choose whether to evolve, realise and be established in his inherent Shiva Tattva or to simply lead a corporeal existence and ultimately end up as Shav.
Vedanta proclaims that `I am Shiva', which in essence means you are the Truth, pure consciousness, ever-blissful one. To know the true nature of Self, Shiva Tattva, who `I' am, in essence, is the aspiration of the seeker who under the guidance of the master, then undertakes austerities and practices for this realisation.
During the night of Maha Shivaratri, when the aspirant performs his disciplines with tenacity , devotion and dedication, it is bound to have a tremendous, long-lasting impact on his journey to becoming Shiva.

UGC approves guidelines for creating 20 ‘world-class’ institutions

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has approved the proposed guidelines for creating 20 world-class institutions in the country. The decision was taken in a meeting of the Commission held on Wednesday.

Sources also said that with the UGC clearing the final draft for creating 20 world-class universities, the proposal is likely to go to Cabinet soon.

The Modi government has been focussing on creating 20 world class institutions, ten in public and ten in the private sector. A more liberal regulatory framework has been recommended for these institutes as they will get more autonomy in designing syllabi and deciding fee structure. Teachers would also be allowed to take up consultancy work among others.

It is learnt that government sector institutions may be given financial support of up to Rs1000 crore each, sources said.

Rather than being called world class institutes they will be called ‘institutes of eminence’, sources said. Officials said UGC regulations will not be applicable in most part to these 20 institutes. The changes to the regulations were made following the feedback the ministry received after they were presented in the public domain.

Meanwhile, a report of the pay review committee headed by UGC member VS Chauhan, to recommend fresh pay scales for university and college teachers was also submitted and will be examined by the HRD ministry.

The announcement had come last year in the middle of an agitation by teachers against the UGC and the HRD ministry over increase in class hours and research commitments. The teachers have been demanding a pay revision.

Source: Hindustan Times, 22-02-2017

God’s own country? Not for its women who face sexual violence daily

The last word on the molestation case involving a popular actress from Kerala is far from over as the saga undergoes various twists and turns. But what is clear is that this is part of a worrying trend in crime against women in the state. Last year, there was a brutal rape and murder of a law student reminiscent of the 2012 Delhi gang-rape but which evoked nowhere near the attention that the latter did. In the latest case, the insidious theories doing the rounds in many local media vehicles reveal the extent of prejudice about the acting profession and the stereotypical assumption that women in it are of dubious character.

The extent of atrocities on women in Kerala is surprising since this is a state with superb social development indicators and very high literacy levels. In fact, women’s literacy is 92% and there is a healthy sex ratio of 966. But none of these has translated into more progressive attitudes towards women — to the contrary, things have got worse. From 2005-2014, incidents of rape grew by an astounding 436%, assaults on women by 246% and sexual harassment by 980%. This puts Kerala among the worst in rankings among states when it comes to crimes against women. There are 63 crimes against women per lakh as opposed to the national average of 56.3 with neighbouring Tamil Nadu registering 18.4. The cavalier attitude towards violence against women is very much ingrained both in the political system and the police in the state. With the actress’s case making national headlines, the state government has slowly swung into action but much of this has been fiery rhetoric about smoking out all those responsible. With a huge proportion of men working outside the state due to the lack of employment, women are often left alone to manage households. This makes them vulnerable to predatory advances. The other problem is that lack of employment has left too many young men idle and frustrated, a contributory factor in crimes. There is a generally permissive attitude to sexual harassment of women, the usual theory being that they asked for it. Since a large proportion of women are in the workforce, the number of cases has skyrocketed.

While the increase in reporting explains the number of cases, it also suggests the prevalence of violence. The only bit of good news is that there is a very strong women’s movement building in the state in the form of the Kudumbashree programme. If it takes the lead in the battle against violence against women, the state might see some progress on this front.

Source: Hindustan Times, 22-02-2017

China’s rise could be the biggest challenge to an ideas-based global order

Speeches by three leaders at the recently concluded Raisina Dialogue stood out for their pronouncements on globalisation. The first, by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sounded a note of caution about the “gains of globalisation” being at risk. “Economic gains are no longer easy to come by”, said PM Modi, who went on to cite the “barriers to effective multilateralism”. The Prime Minister’s message was direct and simple: that globalisation needs new inheritors who can help promote the projects, regimes and norms of the 20th century. This responsibility would invariably fall on the shoulders of a class of nations that we have come to know as “emerging powers”.

A second perspective on globalisation at Raisina came from former Canadian PM Stephen Harper, who highlighted the role that religion plays in these turbulent times. Harper noted the role that Pope John Paul II, a Pole, played in providing “anti-communists in Poland effective leadership outside the country” in their struggle against the Soviet Union. PM Harper was hinting at the capacity of a religious leader whose tacit support of the Western ethos ensured resistance to entrenched nation-states. In this respect, religion returned to world politics (to destroy the Soviet Empire) in the eighties, long before the rise of the Islamic State. Can tendencies driven by religious sentiment today — whether through the rise of terrorist groups like ISIS, or through the counter-movements against migration in Europe — defeat the globalisation project driven by states?

And finally, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson offered yet another take on globalisation, in balancing his full-throated defence of Brexit with his call for greater economic cooperation with Britain. The “selective” or “a la carte” globalisation that Secretary Johnson pushed for at Raisina reflects the desire of many Western states to preserve its economic benefits while assuaging “nativist” tendencies at home.

What do these three speeches at the recently concluded global conclave tell us about the world today? For one, they concede that globalisation of a certain kind has run its course. This was a globalisation spurred by Western leadership in the 20th century, promoting ideas and institutions to salvage economies that had been devastated after two great wars. The urgency and desire to create those linkages no longer exist in the trans-Atlantic universe, so this period is witnessing selective de-globalisation.

Secondly, the leaders’ speeches acknowledge that globalisation is a victim of its own success. In true Hegelian fashion, the “idea” has been destroyed by its “actualisation”. Globalised economies today promote the free and rapid flow of information, bringing communities, societies and peoples together. These connected networks are by no means homogenous. They are miscellaneous groupings that often have little in common, by way of political heritage or intellectual traditions. As a result, they begin to sense their respective differences quickly and conspicuously. To be sure, the world was just as polarised or opinionated before the Information Age. But digital spaces have made distances shorter, and differences sharper.

Thirdly, their utterances indicated globalisation is in need of new torchbearers, who may not be able to project strength or underwrite stability in the same vein as the United States or Europe, but will preserve its normative roots regionally. These torchbearers will emerge from Asia, Africa and Latin America: they may not be connected by a lingua franca but their political systems will share a common commitment to free expression and trade. Their rise will be neither smooth nor inevitable. If disruptors today find the cost to destabilise the global system rather low, its custodians realise it is expensive to fix the mess they leave behind.

Prime Minister Modi astutely observed at Raisina the dust has not yet settled on what has replaced the Cold War. Russian Parliamentarian Vyacheslav Nikonov, one of the conference speakers, went one step further: “We may not be the number one military in the world,” he said, “but we [Russia] are not No. 2 either”. With the traditional leadership of Western powers giving way to the rise of regional powers, it is anyone’s guess if they will emerge as preservers or destroyers.

Above all, the speeches by Modi, Johnson and Harper at the Raisina Dialogue reflect their desire to couch globalisation in normative terms. The Washington Consensus was not solely about free markets, but also untrammelled expression and political dissent. The room for promoting such norms, for all the reasons mentioned above, is considerably limited today. The rise of China presents perhaps the biggest challenge to an ideas-based global order. Beijing has pursued with transactional vigour and single-minded ambition the setting up of regional financial architecture to bankroll its infrastructure projects. These initiatives place little regard for notions held sacred in the international order.

At Raisina, PM Modi highlighted the importance of these norms for the continued execution of the globalisation project. “Only by respecting the sovereignty of countries involved, can regional connectivity corridors fulfil their promise and avoid differences and discord,” said the Prime Minister.

It should be clear then that there is only one legitimate inheritor to the global liberal order of any consequence: India. New Delhi alone can pursue the expansion of regional and global economic linkages while staying true to the ideals that drive them. The Raisina Dialogue itself was an example of how a global platform can be forged in India, bringing together contradicting opinions and voices from across the world. As the steward of the process, the Prime Minister cited the Rig Veda, inviting “noble thoughts [...] from all directions”. The future of the globalisation project is intimately tied to India’s modernisation and rise. There is no growth without ideas, and conversely, no innovation without prosperity. India is the world’s best shot and perhaps the last shot at achieving both.

Samir Saran is vice president at the Observer Research Foundation

Source: Hindustan Times, 22-02-2017

Social Action: Table of Contents

JANUARY–MARCH  2017  VOLUME  67  NO. 1
FORCED MIGRATION : A GLOBAL PHENOMENON

Title	Author
Forced Migration: A Global Phenomenon (Editorial)	Denzil Fernandes
Migration Crisis and Right-Wing Extremism in the West :  A Critical Challenge to Globalisation?	Rabab Imam  Rakesh S
Forced Migration: An Implication of Various Developmental Activities in Odisha	Sitaram Behera  Gayatri Padhy
Migration and Poverty :   An Indian Reality	Preethi L Nagaveni  Amit Anand
Legitimacy of Baath in Syria and Gramscian   idea of Cultural Hegemony	Lakshmi Priya
Skill Development and Rural Youth Employment:  Case of MGNREGS in Chhattisgarh	Archana Sinha
Democratic Norms and Political Engagement among Youth in Nagaland	Moamenla Amer

Indian government launches free antivirus for PC and mobile phones

The Indian government has approved Rs 900 crore for the National Cyber Coordination Centre.

The IT Ministry today launched anti-malware analysis centre that will facilitate free anti-virus for computers and mobile phones in the country with project cost of Rs 90 crore spread over a period of five years.

"I would like ISPs (Internet Service Provider) to encourage their consumers to come on board, there is a free service available. Come and use it in the event some malware has sneaked into the system," IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said at the launch of Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre.

The Indian cyber security watchdog CertIn will collect data of infected systems and send it to ISPs and banks. These ISPs and banks will identify the user and provide them with link of the centre, launched in name of Cyber Swachhta Kendra.

The user will be able to download anti-virus or anti-malware tools to disinfect their devices.

"The project has budget outlay of Rs 90 crore spread over period of 5 years," CertIn Director General Sanjay Bahl said.

As of now 58 ISPs and 13 banks have come on board to use this system.

The minister directed Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) to also set up National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) by June.

The government has approved Rs 900 crore for NCCC which will monitor and handle cyber attacks on Indian internet space in real time.

"Safety and security is integral. As the Prime Minister said cyber threat is akin to bloodless war. I don't have slightest doubt cyber security is not only going to be big area of Digital Swachh Bharat but also going to be big area of digital growth, digital employment and digital commerce," Prasad said.

Source: DNA, 21-02-2017