Loosening tobacco’s deadly grip

A few months after steeply increasing taxes on tobacco products, the government has come up with another much-needed measure to contain tobacco consumption. Thanks to a recent amendment to the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules of 2008, pictorial warnings are all set to achieve the desired results. Beginning April 1, 2015, all tobacco products will carry a pictorial warning and text message that occupy at least 85 per cent of the front and back of a package. The pictorial warning alone will take up 60 per cent of the space and the written message the remaining 25 per cent. With this change, India will catapult itself to the No.1 position in the world, alongside Thailand, on the international ranking based on the area dedicated to the warning. Aside from more than doubling the statutory warning area on a package from 40 to 85 per cent, both sides of a package will carry the warning; currently, it is displayed only on one side. In contrast to the completely ineffectual pictorial warnings now being used on cigarette packets and chewing tobacco pouches, the chosen images can at once shock and educate consumers of the risks of tobacco use. By also mandating that images be rotated every 12 months, the government has ensured that India follows the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control labelling requirements in letter and spirit. Incidentally, the pictorial warning that is currently being used has remained the same since December 2010 with just one rotation after it was introduced on May 31, 2009.

The use of pictorial warnings turns the power of packaging on its head — from building and reinforcing a brand, packages become a vehicle for increasing awareness about tobacco’s health risks. It is proven beyond doubt that the use of graphic images along with written messages has the potential to significantly deter people from taking up the habit and also prompt existing users to cut the amount of tobacco consumed and even quit smoking. Tobacco companies are well aware of the power the pictorial warning wields and how much it could affect their bottom line. They may well, on grounds of the health of the industry and the livelihood of the workers, seek to get the government to dilute the amendment. After all, the industry had successfully gone through the process before; it had persuaded the previous government to backtrack on nearly every provision till the warnings became ineffectual. How well the government resists such pressure will show how determined it is to win the war against tobacco. Since one million people in India die each year because of tobacco use, the government should not sacrifice proven and obvious health benefits at the altar of commercial advantage.

Keywords: tobacco products, pictorial warnings, Tobacco Control, WHO Framework Convention, tobacco companies

ct 21 2014 : The Economic Times (Delhi)

Passion, Hard Work, Discipline Can Take you Places: Anjan Chatterjee

Anuradha Himatsingka

Kolkata:





For Indian hotelier and founder of Speciality Group of Restaurants Anjan Chatterjee, a PhD is not a degree. It means passion, hardwork and discipline. This recipe alone helped the 56-year-old restaurateur win the `Most Admired Food Service Personality of the Year' award at Food Forum India 2012 ­ the largest congregation of global and Indian food retailers, manufacturers and organisations in the Indian food business.“I feel, you can achieve anything with passion. My passion for gourmet cuisine found its expression in the restaurant ­ Only Fish, which I started in 1991 (later renamed Oh! Calcutta) in Mumbai,“ he told a packed hall of some 250-300 management students attending an ETYL BSchool programme held at Indian Institute of Management Calcutta over the weekend.
Chatterjee said the degree in hotel management from Indian Institute of Hotel Management and later a degree in marketing from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies introduced him to the wonders of “five-star food services at a non-fivestar price“. A stint with Taj Hotels and later in advertising with the Anandabazar Patrika further polished his business sense.
Chatterjee asserted that he can, in enthusiasm and spirit, beat a 12year-old kid hands down even at 56.“I am charged 24 X 7 ­ charged with new ideas. It is this energy which helped me to be in the leadership position and manage some 5,000 people coming from different socio economic classes,“ he added.Conceding that most of them were highly educated and well versed with management philosophies, Anjan touched upon Jack Welch and the 4Es of leadership.
“Even after being in business for some 21 years, I do not rest on my laurels. Nobody can be secure. Even the best of the brand needs to re-brand and re-energise itself. You need to be energetic. Have enough reserves in your cells to inspire others around. I travel 16-18 days in a month. Sleep 4 5 hours a day and travel within India or overseas. My standing instruction to all air hostesses is DND: Do not disturb. It is my sleep time.“
Chatterjee, who has been awake since 3 am for a meeting with his core team on the launch of a new brand, had a brainstorming session followed by another meeting, was not disoriented in the least.
Failure, Anjan feels, brings the person down and compels one to rethink. “One should not be afraid of failure. I have had my share of failures, some of which the world is not aware of. I failed in accounts during the catering course that I took up. I sat for the exams again and cleared it.I can share one more of my mistake. I opened a Mainland China in Borivali in the north-west section of Mumbai dominated by Gujaratis. I had to shut it down and very few in the business know this failure,“ he revealed.
A keen observer and good learner, he regularly scribbles whatever he learns during the day in a book called `Book of Lessons'. He, however, feels one should learn from others' mistakes. “Everybody has to go through this learning curve ­ personally , psychology and emotionally ,“ he adds. It is this attitude and constant feedback from his core team and daughter, Arshita, and son, Avik that is driving Chatterjee to keep thinking of something new.

Oct 21 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)

Merchant gifts cars, flats, jewels to staff for Diwali

Melvyn ReggieThomas

Surat





The liquidity crisis may have dampened the spirits of the diamond industry this year but it's going to be a glittering festival of lights for nearly 1,200 employees of Harikrishna Exports, a Rs 6,000-crore diamond firm in Surat.Company chairman Savji Dholakia surprised his artisans and engineers on Sunday by asking them to choose from car, flat and jewellery as their performance incentive.The employees qualified in what the company calls a “loyalty programme“. Around 500 staffers opted for a brand new Fiat Punto, 570 for jewellery and 207 chose a flat.
“All my dreams have come true through my workers,“ said Dholakia. “A target was set for the artisans and engineers and they achieved it.This is a big day for the entire Harikrishna family . We're the first company in the world to offer performance incentive valued at around Rs 3.60 lakh to each of the 1,200 diamond workers,“ he added.
Dholakia said his firm paid Rs 50 crore worth of incentive to the workers this year. The company had started the “loyalty programme“ in 2011. In the first year, three artisans were gifted cars.Last year, around 72 artisans were given cars for achieving their annual targets.
Jignesh Makwana, 39, a diamond artisan in the company , said, “I received a car as gift last year. So, this year when I qualified in the incentive scheme, I opted for a flat.“
Another staffer, Mehul Asalaliya, an engineer said, “I opted for jewellery as I have a car and a house. I will gift the jewellery to my wife.“
Savji Kaka, as Dholakia is called in diamond circles, came to Surat in the late 1970s in search of a job without a penny in his pocket. He borrowed money to start off the diamond business on a small level. After years of struggle, he established Harikrishna Exports in 1992.
“The average monthly earning of each of my artisans and engineers is Rs 1 lakh. There's an artisan who earns Rs 3.49 lakh. Artisans are the backbone of our industry and we have set an example by giving them the highest wages,“ he said.





Economic and Political Weekly: Table of Content

Vol - XLIX No. 42, October 18, 2014 

• Editorials

The decision to reduce the powers of the drug pricing body goes against the interest of public health.

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The Dravidian Parties' New Travails

Vol - XLIX No. 42, October 18, 2014 

• Editorials

What changes will Jayalalithaa's conviction bring in Tamil Nadu politics?

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Editorials Land and Livelihoods Once More The proposed amendments of the new land acquisition law will be a huge step backwards. Read more	Ht Parekh Finance Column Cry for Me Argentina T Sabri Öncü After a district court in New York interpreted "pari passu" in a debt restructuring contract to mean all those who own Argentine defaulted debt, irrespective of whether they were the original creditors or vulture capital firms, the... Read more
Commentary Myths and Prejudices about 'Love Jihad' Jyoti Punwani The case histories of seven Muslim-Hindu couples not only give the lie to assertions of the "love-jihad" propagandists, they also bust a lot of generallyaccepted anti-Muslim prejudices. Read more	Commentary Kashmir A Flood and Leaving People to Their Own Devices Shujaat Bukhari The floods in Jammu and Kashmir showed that even the most elementary precautions were not taken in time, and the state government was caught napping. The result was that volunteers, mostly local youth, carried out rescue and relief operations in... Read more
Commentary Kashmir Deluge Natural Disaster Made Worse Gautam Navlakha The floods that overwhelmed Jammu and Kashmir last month were a terrifying natural disaster on their own without the civilian government or the military authorities having to make it any worse. But confused priorities and a lack of preparation... Read more	Commentary Floods in the North-East Lack of Planning and Red Tape Patricia Mukhim Although India has 175 flood forecasting stations and 140 more new flood forecasting stations are in the pipeline in the Twelfth Plan, we do not seem to have improved our performance on the ground in terms of saving lives and property. The most... Read more
Commentary Unravelling of the Bretton Woods Twins Alok Sheel The Bretton Woods twins - the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank - have become largely irrelevant for both developed and developing countries. The market has enthroned the US dollar as the international reserve currency, with little... Read more	Commentary Death of a Dai Development-Modernity’s ‘Success’ Story Rakhi Ghoshal In the case of childbirth, obstetrics is equated with development-modernity, while dais symbolise the lacking space which needs to be either co-opted through training or obliterated. The state, in its approval of this modernising project, offers... Read more
Commentary GM Crops and Global Agri Trade Sukhpal Singh The cultivation of geneticallymodified crops, especially food crops, is not just a domestic issue; it has an impact on global food trade as well. Read more	Commentary Balraj Puri (1928-2014) An Extraordinary Socialist Democrat Manoranjan Mohanty For more than half a century, Balraj Puri was a journalist, political thinker, federalist, human rights activist, socialist democrat and much more. He spoke for Jammu and Kashmir and of Jammu and Kashmir to the rest of the world and was widely... Read more
Commentary China's Hong Kong Conundrum Thomas Abraham The cosy relationship that the Hong Kong establishment cabal had earlier with London and now with Beijing has been broken by the mass protests of university and high school students. China's problem is that animosity in Hong Kong towards... Read more	Book Reviews Understanding the Urban Challenge Shankar Acharya Urbanisation in India: Challenges, Opportunities and the Way Forward edited by Isher Judge Ahluwalia, Ravi Kanbur and P K Mohanty Sage Publications India, 2014; hardback, Rs 850. Read more
Book Reviews Yours Censoriously Censorship in Cinema Ashish Rajadhyaksha Censorium: Cinema and the Open Edge of Mass Publicity, William Mazzarella (Orient Blackswan), 2013; pp 296, Rs 795. Read more	Book Reviews Shedding Light on the Nuances of Social Exclusion Jeebanlata Salam Mapping Social Exclusion in India: Caste, Religion and Borderlands edited by Paramjit S Judge (New Delhi: Cambridge Publishers), 2014; pp 276, Rs 745. Read more
Book Reviews Classical Tamil Literature Bhavani Raman Manuscripts, Memory and History: Classical Tamil Literature in Colonial India by V Rajesh (New Delhi: Foundation Books, Cambridge University Press), 2014; pp 304, Rs 795 (hardcover). Read more	Perspectives Nutrition: What Needs To Be Done? Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Vikas Rawal About 805 million people - one in nine people worldwide - remain chronically hungry. Ending hunger and malnutrition requires strong political commitment at the highest level, effective coordination among various ministries and partners, and broad... Read more
Special Articles How Effective Has India's Solar Mission Been in Reaching Its Deployment Targets? Gireesh Shrimali, Vijay Nekkalapudi India launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission in 2010. Since its introduction, solar deployment has increased in the country. However, there are few analytically sound ex post evaluations of the effectiveness of the JNNSM. This paper... Read more	Special Articles Burden of Out-of-Pocket Health Payments in Andhra Pradesh Srikant Nagulapalli After the introduction of the large-scale Rajiv Aarogyasri Scheme in undivided Andhra Pradesh during 2007, which was meant to protect poor families from catastrophic inpatient health expenses, no reliable data is available to assess out-of-pocket... Read more
Special Articles Deprivation, Abjection, and Dispossession J Devika This article critically examines the relevance of community-identities in and for the contemporary struggles of the most-disadvantaged sections through two case studies from Kerala’s working-class areas, an urban slum and a fishing hamlet,... Read more	Notes Reorganisation of States A Different Approach M P Parameswaran, Srikumar Chattopadhyay State reorganisation as an exercise needs to be pursued from a scientific perspective that looks at physiographic regions, natural resource distribution, agroclimate and river basins in addition to population distribution and cultural... Read more
Economic Notes RBI Balance Sheet in Recent Years A Prisoner of a Distorted Monetary Policy Stance R Krishnaswamy, S L Shetty The Reserve Bank of India's latest accounts indicate that the structure of earnings has clearly shifted to domestic sources, particularly from assets. Further, the RBI has made large transfers to the Government of India over the past few... Read more	Postscript A Second Coming Kaushik Dasgupta In the masterly hands of U Shrinivas, the mandolin, a musical instrument once alien to India, touched the core of jazz music – improvisation and camaraderie. Read more
Postscript Walking in the City Sanjay Srivastava The Indian sense of privacy is mediated through personal friendships and kin networks, in contrast to the exaggerated politeness of the West. Read more	Postscript Takeaway, Giveaway or Stowaway? K G Kumar The coverage by Indian television channels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the us smacked of frenzied veneration and falling victim to snake-charming guile.

PM’s call for building toilets draws mild response from corporate sector 

Contrary to expectations, India’s corporate sector is not too excited about the Prime Minister’s call for utilising Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to build toilets in government schools, official data suggests. Two months since the appeal was made, companies have collectively signed up to build only 16,009 toilets. This is against the requirement of 2,44,934 government schools that are functioning without toilets.

Data collected by the Union Human Resource Development ministry indicates that 35 corporates and public sector undertakings (PSUs) have pledged support for building toilets in schools as part of the Clean School Campaign. In his Independence Day speech, Narendra Modi set August 15, 2015, as the deadline for providing toilets in all government schools across the country.

He also asked corporates to use their CSR funds for the purpose. As per latest data, PSUs and corporates have pledged to pick up the tabs for building 43,509 toilets. Of these, corporates account for only 16,009 toilets.

Of the 2,44,934 government schools across the country which did not have toilets at the time Modi set the deadline, 1,01,768 schools did not have separate toilets for girls. A majority of the schools without toilets are located in five States: West Bengal, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.

Among the PSUs which have signed up are the Airports Authority of India, the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, National Aluminium Company Limited, and National Hydroelectric Power Corporation.

- See more at: http://digitallearning.eletsonline.com/2014/10/pms-call-for-building-toilets-draws-mild-response-from-corporate-sector/#sthash.uG0cqs44.dpuf