Nov 14 2014 : The Economic Times (Delhi)

Jawaharlal Nehru: Tribute or Elegy?





Champion of national, institutionalised modernity

A contest is on to claim the legacy of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, whose daughter and grandson also became prime ministers. The rival claimants are keen on appropriation, for the purpose of denying the other possession. But of real value is the substance of his legacy , which partisan distortion no less than outright ignorance has obfuscated. A rabid socialist-atheist who, apart from begetting a dynasty , smothered India's spiritual soul as well as the economy -this is how the opponents of the Nehruvian idea of India as a plural democracy where people of all faiths can live in harmony and dignity wish to portray him. Nothing could be farther from the truth.Nehru was a builder of institutions, in politics, administration, education, science and the economy . Don't spare me, he told Shankar, the cartoonist, setting a democratic standard for the attitude towards dissent that his epigones in the prime ministerial chair have not lived up to.
He set up the Planning Commission, where the finest economists of Euro pe and the US brainstormed, rather than determined sectoral allocations.
He initiated India's space and atomic programmes, set up the Indian Insti tutes of Technology (IITs) along with the state sector steel plants, dams and machine tool factories that many graduates of these IITs mock gratuitously , without appreciating that their time coordinates made these public enterprises the building blocks of India's economic muscle. He set up term-lending financial institutions -IFCI, ICICI and IDBI -to transfer the public's savings to Indian capitalists, who also were given the benefit of a protected market and demand from purchasing power generated by public investment in infrastructure. Capitalist is as capitalist does.
Nehru's own party men have focused on his milestones than on the direction of the journey the nation needed to undertake, to redeem its tryst with destiny in full. In adapting Nehru's vision to contemporary challenges, they have been timid. This has made space for the opponents of his idea of India to lay claim to his mantle.

Nov 14 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)

India-US food security deal vital breakthrough: WTO DG, EU

New Delhi: TIMES NEWS NETWORK





World Trade Organization (WTO) DG Roberto Azevêdo on Thursday welcomed the news that the US and India have agreed on the way forward for implementing key elements of the package of agreements reached last December at the WTO ministerial conference in Bali. Different views on the implementation of two of these accords, the Trade Facilitation Agreement and the decision on Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes, created an impasse in July , which has led to a freezing of WTO negotiations since then.“The India-US agreement provides a basis for the director-general to intensify his consultations with other WTO members on the best way to overcome the present stalemate and to promptly implement all Bali ministerial decisions,“ Azvedo said in a statement.
“This breakthrough represents a significant step in efforts to get the Bali package and the multilateral trading system back on track. It will now be important to consult with all WTO members so that we can collectively resolve the current impasse as quickly as possible,“ he said.
The European Union termed the India-US deal as an important breakthrough.
“We have achieved an important breakthrough which will lead to the full implementation of the landmark Bali package, including the Trade Facilitation Agreement, the first global trade deal agreed in the World Trade Organization (WTO). I welcome the news that the US and India have resolved their differences on this issue. Together with the recent progress in negotiations on the expansions of the Information Technology Agreement (ITA), today's breakthrough on the Bali agreements demonstrates that the WTO can deliver meaningful trade liberalization results which will greatly contribute to the growth of the global economy ,“ said EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmström.
The WTO DG said implementation of all aspects of the Bali package would be a major boost to the WTO, enhancing the ability to deliver beneficial outcomes to all members of the trade block.
“Advancing our work toward a permanent solution on public stockholding and the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement, including its provisions for technical assistance for developing countries, will be integral to this work. I will also continue to ensure that LDC (least developed country) issues are given the prominence they deserve“, he said.
While stressing that the India-US understanding would represent a major step forward, Azevedo stressed that members would need to redouble their efforts in order to minimize the delays provoked by the impasse on the conclusion of the post-Bali work program.

Nov 14 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)

Climate Breakthrough





US-China deal should prompt Delhi to pursue emission targets while decoupling from Beijing

The unveiling of a secretly negotiated deal between the USand China ­ whereby both countries have pledged to reducegreenhouse gas emissions ­ marks a watershed moment in global efforts to fight climate change. Before this China ­ the world's largest emitter ­ had insisted on its `developing' status to dodge reduction targets, while the US cited exclusion of developing countries from international emission norms to sidestep significant reduction targets itself.But the new deal not only sees the US commit to a 26-28% reduction in emissions below its 2005 level by 2025, it also sees China, for the first time, commit to capping its overall emissions by 2030 or earlier. For Washington this would mean doubling the pace of its own domestic emission cuts, while Beijing plans to increase theshare of non-fossil fuel energy sourcesin its overall energy mix to 20% by the2030 deadline. The deal between thetwo largest emitters also means thatthe scheduled UN climate talks inParis next year could now succeed inproducing a post-Kyoto Protocol agree ment that will take effect in 2020.
For that agreement to be imple mented it is imperative that the UStakes the lead in climate change miti gation. That's not only because theUS is among the highest per capita as well as historical emitters, but also because, more than any other country, it has the resources and innovative capacity to develop green technology. That said, the US-China deal also puts pressure on India to commit to emission caps of its own. India should accept the challenge while also decoupling itself from China.
Given that India's share of global carbon emissions last year was only 7% compared to China's 28% and the US's 14%, and that India is the lowest per capita emitter among major economies, New Delhi has a strong case for pitching for different standards. The previous Manmohan Singh government's position that India's per capita emission would never exceed the average per capita emission of the developed world is a reasonable one. Alternatively it could commit to never exceed total Chinese emissions since their population sizes are roughly the same. Both formulas would leave India enough space to pursue industrialisation and poverty reduction. For India, a balance between development and environment protection is the need of the hour.

Nov 14 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)

`Diabetes could rob India of demographic dividend'

DurgeshNandan Jha

New Delhi:





The medical community has warned against serious financial implications from diabetes if the country does not act fast to tackle the spread of the disease. At about 65 million, India has the second highest number of diabetics in the world after China.Previously considered a disease of the affluent, diabetes has spread fast among the rural poor too, thanks to unhealthy diet and reduced physical activity. On the eve of World Diabetes Day on Thursday, experts said it is important to create awareness about preventive measures and provide support for regular screening of people at risk of developing the condition.
“The government needs to revisit its health promotion strategies for non-communicable diseases to increase awareness about simple and effective lifestyle changes, such as physical activity and healthy diet. Healthy food should be made available at affordable rates to make healthy choice an easy choice,“ WHO regional director Poonam Khetrapal Singh said. She said creating easy access to early diagnosis and management of diabetes is also required.
According to Dr Sujeet Jha, who heads the Institute of Endocrinology , Diabetes and Metabolism at Max hospital Saket, most patients get to know about the disease when it has already started affecting organs like the heart and kidney . “Regular health screening, particularly among the elderly and those at high risk is essential for early diagnosis,“ he said.
The Public Health Founda tion of India (PHFI), concluded in in a recent study that non-communicable diseases, mainly diabetes and heart diseases, affect people in their productive years. “They cause reduced productivity and early retirement. Also, they put immense pressure on public health expenditure as in most cases the treatment costs are higher compared to communicable diseases,“ said a senior doctor at PHFI.
He said the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases could rob India of the `demographic dividend' it is projected to reap on account of a predominantly young population. A recent report published by IRIS Knowledge Foundation in collaboration with UN-HABITAT states that by 2020, India is set to become the world's youngest country with 64% of its population in the working age group.

NUS launches ALFI programme to prepare next-gen leaders 

The National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School has launched the Asia Leaders in Financial Institutions (ALFI) programme for senior directors and managing directors in the financial sector. This programme will provide an opportunity for candidates to assume regional and global responsibilities.

The ALFI programme, that will welcome its first cohort in September 2015, will have a curriculum that will be train candidates to strengthen thought leadership, professional competencies and change management skills during the test of times. Training on technological and service innovations would also be part of this curriculum.

S Dhanabalan, Chairman, NUS Business School’s Managemet Advisory Board and Honorary Advisor to Temasek Holdings, stated “The financial sector is becoming increasingly complex, and competition forces institutions and management to stretch the boundaries of business innovation and ethical frameworks. Management leaders in the sector require deeper skills, expertise and a clear sense of what is good for the institution, economy and society. ALFI will certainly help establish future leaders who are able to navigate and build financial institutions that will be relevant in the years ahead.”

After joining NUS alumni network, participants will have lifetime access to the B-School’s executive education programmes. During this time, the candidates will get the chance to visit leading financial institutions in cities such as New York, Beijing and Mumbai to meet top officials and financial sector leaders, over an eight-month period.

- See more at: http://digitallearning.eletsonline.com/2014/11/nus-launches-alfi-programme-to-prepare-next-gen-leaders/#sthash.mbEPwNSU.dpuf

EMC ties up with 27 Engg colleges to ready students job ready 

EMC, provider of IT storage hardware solutions, has tied up with 27 engineering colleges in Pune with the aim to prepare students for careers in the area of information storage and management. EMC will offer students ‘open’ curriculum-based education on topics like cloud computing, big data analytics and information storage and management.

The demand for trained software storage professionals is elevating due to accelerating growth of digital information. According to EMC Zinnov study, private cloud alone in India is expected to create 1 lakh jobs by 2015 from 10,000 in 2011. This demand is unlikely to be met.

Owing to this demand, the EMC Academic Alliance initiative will aim to bridge the skill-gap in a rapidly changing IT environment and prepare students for better employability. Over 120,000 students have been educated till date under this alliance.

The colleges associated with this alliance include Sinhgad College of Engineering, MIT College of Engineering, Sinhgad Institute of Technology and Science, D.Y.Patil Institute of Engineering & Technology and Maharashtra Institute of Technology.

- See more at: http://digitallearning.eletsonline.com/2014/11/emc-ties-up-with-27-engg-colleges-to-ready-students-job-ready/#sthash.eGIgEQRa.dpuf

‘Imagine a future where everyone could express himself…’

Twitter’s Chief Media Scientist on the need to bridge the digital literacy gap

Deb Roy founded and leads the Laboratory for Social Machines at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which studies human interaction online to create more responsive governments and systems. He is also Chief Media Scientist at Twitter. He spoke to Rukmini S. in New Delhi about the lab’s plans in India

For the laboratory’s work on governance change, I believe that two of the main issues you’re looking at are gender inequality and literacy?

Yes. My view from the outside is there is a lot of attention these days in India to gender inequality in general and safety for girls and women in particular, and to the degree to which there is an intersection between those issues and the public sphere, we may have relevant work.

To give you a very simple example: look at the share of men versus women in the public sphere. Take the elections in India and all the conversation on Twitter, of which I know there was a significant scale — tens of millions of tweets reaching far more people. One could ask the question — whose voices are being heard in an important event like that and what’s the share of voice?

Let’s say you believe that the share of voice should match the share of feet on the ground, then maybe there are things that can be done to start moving that. Our little lab at MIT is not going to move share of voice of India, but we may be able to analyse and shed some light on what it looks like and why and there might be interesting, actionable insights for people who do have their hands on levers.

When you talk about effecting governance change through the internet, the most marginalised Indians are also the ones without access. In addition to connectivity, you’ve talked of alternatives to text to bring in these people.

Yes, definitely. Say you set the goal of universal access to the internet for every person in India. Then you work backwards: what are all the barriers to having universal access? There’s a set of technological and economic barriers, and then there’s a set of human skill barriers.

On the technology side, it is things like connectivity. What I’ve been learning over my last week here is that there are massive changes in the works for the footprint of 3G and 4G connectivity.

That still leaves standing the economics of what it would take to access that data. From what I’m learning of the shifts in the government in India with the Narendra Modi transition, there’s probably going to be a lot of support to have universal access so that may help with the economics. So that’s connectivity.

Then there’s the actual device that you connecting with. The good news there is you can now get a smartphone that runs apps on a serious operating system that connects to the internet for under Rs.2,000 and we all know which direction those prices will move and the speed. On the technological barriers, you can see the right direction for change for both data and hardware.

On the human side, there are two kinds of literacy blockers. There’s literacy in being able to understand the information, and then there’s computer or digital literacy challenge. First of all, both of them are clearly bridgeable — it requires the person to have the time and support to learn.

I think digital literacy is very easy to learn, even for grown-ups, let alone children. And then it comes to the literacy of dealing with letters. “Literacy versus letteracy” is a wonderful turn of phrase that one of the founders of MIT’s Media Lab, Seymour Papert taught me years ago. He said: why is literacy equated with ‘letteracy’? From a technology point of view, what that suggests is that there might be alternative paths to knowledge.

I’m actually ‘pro-letteracy’. But I think there’s interesting technology that can in the short term create bridges. If you are a 40-year-old woman with four children in rural Uttar Pradesh and trying to bootstrap your own savings account, maybe you’re not going to sit back and learn ‘letteracy’. It’s kind of a luxury because every day you’ve got priorities that are immediate.

However if there was an app on your smartphone that helped you do that thing you’re trying to do today and you could just speak or listen and use it, you probably would get over the digital literacy gap that much easier.

Then if every time you interacted with the information in spoken form, there was a textual version next to it, maybe that would become an en route to ‘letteracy’ without having to create all this learning time and space separately which is a luxury a lot of people don’t have. So for those reasons I see the work on spoken interfaces as highly relevant particularly in India because of the scale of impact that it could have.

You’ve worked on creating response loops between people and governments — but is the problem really one of bringing people’s voices to governments, or what governments choose to do or not do with it?

Totally agree. I think there’s huge amount of work ahead to get towards workable responsive systems for a feedback loop….The kind of social action today that you see enabled by social media, especially real-time and fast and at-scale digital networks, is best characterised as ad hoc and disruptive. It’s easier to protest, easier to have suddenly in a moment a big voice and suddenly to have big impact in the moment.

There’s a lot of theory on paper, legal structures, governance structures that are supposed to work like that — they just don’t work, because of the friction in the system that buries information.

If you are a high-ranking person in the government of India, just imagine looking down at a picture of the country you serve and the billion-plus people. Or let’s say you’re in some ministry and you are supposed to be doing something for your ministry — beyond knowing that there’s this couple of million people, this mass out there and you can slowly broadcast some policies, you’re in the dark; you’re staring into the darkness. You don’t know where they are, what they’re doing and the feeling is mutual.

The internet opens up this mutual visibility which sets a new set of possibilities in motion. Lots of work to be done, but I’m a technology optimist — it is technology that is opening up this set of possibilities but it is raw right now.

What work are you going to be doing in India?

We don’t know yet. My purpose here for these two weeks was to in various settings explain ourselves and explain what we’re interested in doing here. I have had some conversation with high-level folks in the government to get an understanding of the issues.

It is clear that there is a serious embrace of digital technology. I think the Prime Minister’s personal embrace of Twitter is symbolic of a much bigger embrace of the government’s leveraging Twitter specifically and the internet more generally. So lots of interesting areas where I think my lab at MIT could be helpful.

Imagine a future where everyone could express himself and you had a way to coalesce and map the conversations down to children in every village — it is hard to comprehend how that can change this country. There is something about literacy and language in particular in rural India that I find personally very interesting.

Likewise with gender equality, I think that a lot of issues around gender equality have such deep-rooted origins in culture, in what happens privately in the homes which are not areas that we’re trying to go into. I think that we’re very interested in the public sphere and at the interface of the private and public.

For example, in a public setting in a street in Delhi, what happens if people do adopt a behaviour of publicly reporting things in the moment on a smartphone?

What if police could be responsive to that? What if journalists had access to the same data and analytics? Now, there are citizens on the streets of Delhi who think it’s worth taking personal action, because there’s a system. That system doesn’t exist today on the streets of Delhi, but technologically we can make it happen.