Dec 31 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)

New irrigation scheme to link villages to water sources

Vishwa Mohan

New Delhi:





Seeking to save farmers from vagaries of monsoon, the government will soon launch its ambitious rural irrigation scheme by linking villages through nearest possible sources of water.The scheme -Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichai Yojana will have water conservation and building of irrigation infrastructures at village-level as its key components at micro level. On the other hand, the interlinking of rivers across the country will be an important pillar of the scheme at the macro level.
Prime Minister Naren dra Modi on Tuesday reviewed its preparedness and asked different ministries, including water resources and agriculture, to fast-track the necessary measures through a multi-pronged approach, including integrating it with NREGA, so that the scheme could be launched simultaneously in couple of states by next month.
Modi also asked the water resources ministry to identify river-interlinking projects that could be immediately taken up and called for comprehensive mapping and identification of water bodies across the country for which satellite imagery and 3D photography could be used to guide villages to best possible sources of irrigation.
Without giving an exact timeframe, agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh, who attended the review meeting along with water resources minister Uma Bharti, said, “The scheme is in an advance stage of finalization and it will be launched soon.“ The government had proposed to launch the scheme in its first budget in July and set aside Rs 1,000 crore for this.
For the full report, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com

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‘Nutritional intake grows in India’

However, the data says the implications are unclear

Per capita calorie intake in India grew marginally for the first time in 30 years, new official data shows, and protein intake grew for the first time in over a decade.

The National Sample Survey Office’s (NSSO) 2011-12 data on Nutritional Intake was released earlier this week. The data shows that per capita calorie consumption rose to 2099 kilocalories per day in rural areas and 2058 kilocalories per day in urban areas. Both numbers are still below a Planning Commission benchmark of 2,400 kilocalories per day.

But the proportion of acutely under-nourished people seems to be declining; the proportion of Indians who get less than 80 per cent of the recommended nutritional intake has declined to under one in five in rural areas.

The implications of this change are, however, unclear. For one, India’s most developed states have the lowest average calorie consumption, pointing to the fact that higher calorie intake may not be a direct predictor of well-being. While Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra saw slight increases in their per capita calorie consumption between 2009-10 and 2011-12, the number fell in rural Gujarat.

Karnataka’s per capita income is nearly twice that of Jharkhand, but both have nearly the same average calorie consumption in rural areas. Calorie consumption does rise steadily with family incomes, however, in both rural and urban India. The top five per cent of rural Indians consume double the calories as the bottom five per cent.

Several experts The Hindu spoke to were unwilling to comment on the new data, because the implications of calorie consumption has been fiercely disputed by economists over the last few years.

Economists Angus Deaton and Jean Dreze noted in a 2009 Economic and Political Weekly article that calorie intake had declined in a period of rising incomes, and a possible explanation could be lower levels of physical activity.

These possible explanations apart, the Indian population undoubtedly suffered from severe nutritional deficits, they said, of this “puzzle”.

The share of cereals in total calorie intake has steadily declined, the data shows, and is down to just over 60 per cent in rural Indian and 50 per cent in rural India. The share of meats and dairy has grown only slightly, while the share of oils and fats has grown sharply.

While protein intake has grown on average, there are mixed trends among States. Protein intake fell in Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan, but rose in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Keywords: National Sample Survey Office, NSSO, Nutritional Intake, per capita calorie consumption

Beyond the tribal identity

That Jharkhand is to get its first non-tribal Chief Minister since its formation in 2000 is more a political accident than a seminal event. Raghuvar Das would not have been the automatic choice of the Bharatiya Janata Party for the top post in the State if former Chief Minister and tribal leader Arjun Munda had won from his Kharsawan constituency. But with Mr. Munda out of the race, and no other acceptable tribal face in the front line, the claims of Mr. Das, a five-time Member of the Legislative Assembly and former Deputy Chief Minister, proved too difficult to ignore for the national leadership of the BJP. But the victory of the BJP itself is in some ways a reflection of voter disenchantment with the tribal identity politics of the kind practised by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. For too long, the JMM leadership took its support base for granted, making and unmaking alliances without broad consultations with the rank and file. Some of the political instability in Jharkhand can actually be attributed to the readiness of the JMM to play the BJP and the Congress against each other and win the best bargain for itself. Also, Mr. Munda’s defeat in an election in which his party otherwise did reasonably well tells its own story. Clearly, the BJP was being favoured not for its tribal leaders, but for the hope of stability it held and the promise of good governance it made.

However, the elevation of Mr. Das is also a way for the BJP to be able to say it does not want to play the caste or tribal identity card like some of its main political rivals. In both Haryana and Maharashtra, the two States where it formed governments after the Lok Sabha election, the party chose Chief Ministers from communities that did not have a dominant presence. Unlike Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Mr. Das is not known to have close links with the Sangh Parivar leadership. But what he shares with those two is the possibility of having an appeal that cuts across social barriers. With its stress on Hindu religious identity, the BJP is no doubt more than happy to undermine caste and tribal identities. The choice of Mr. Das is also indicative of the BJP’s own diverse support base that includes, but also goes well beyond, the tribal community. The challenge for the national party is to address the genuine grievances of the tribals in Jharkhand through an inclusive development agenda without necessarily mobilising them on the basis of their tribal identity. Surely, Mr. Das can be up to this challenge as well as Mr. Munda, and, in the process, prove a political point for the BJP. Indeed, Mr. Munda’s defeat could prove to be a blessing in disguise for the party.

Dec 30 2014 : Mirror (Mumbai)

Govt approves ordinance on land acquisition, with changes

LAKSHMI IYER

NEW DELHI





The Narendra Modi Government on Monday approved an ordinance to amend the Land Acquisition Act, diluting what Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's had in mind for the bill. The incorporation of Clause 10(A) seeks to exempt five more areas from the prerequisites in the Act.It has also changed stipulations including securing consent of 80 per cent project-affected families in case of private companies, and consent of 70 per cent of such families in case of acquisition for public-private partnership. The new limit has been set at 50 per cent.
While making land acquisition easier, it also does away with the mandatory requirement for a social impact assessment and impact on food security. Though the government is yet to make details of its proposed ordinance public, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said the five areas to be exempted are land for defence purposes, rural infrastructure, affordable housing and housing projects for poor, industrial corridors and infrastructure or social infrastructure projects, including those public-private projects in which ownership will remain with the government.
He said the exemption will fasttrack acquisition for projects and bring in economic opportunities for those living in the area. Jaitley said compensation will remain high as per the Act, and rehabilitation and resettlement will be carried out.

Dec 30 2014 : The Economic Times (Delhi)

5 WAYS TO - Talk Gender Equality at Workplace





Research has proved that inclusion of women in business and decision making improves the bottom line. Rica Bhattacharyya looks at how organisations can incorporate gender equality to maximise the potential of business growth.1 Run Sensitisation Programmes
Gender sensitisation should form an important part of the gender equality conversation. “We need gender sensitisation workshops for leaders and managers, and male employees must go through them to instil a culture that is inclusive and free from biases,” says Jagjit Singh, human capital leader, PwC India. “Business leaders, especially men, make the best diversity champions,” adds Saundarya Rajesh, founder – president, AVTAR Career Creators & FLEXI Careers India.
2 Give Incentives
Incentivising is the best way to equip women to be equal partners in corporate performances. “Monetary incentives for measurable performance such as sales and marketing works wonders. Opportunities to travel internationally and nationally for conferences, study tours, exhibitions and fairs are a good investment in the valuable human resource,” says Vaijayanti Pandit, senior vice-president at Jaro Education and advisor at Welingkar Institute of Management (Weschool), Mumbai.
3 Create Women-only Networks
Create special interest groups for women – networks such as first-time or single mothers, elder caregivers and women in joint families, says Rajesh. Spot talent in the formative stage and groom for leadership roles, and build on women’s strengths — multi-tasking, perseverance and sincerity, adds Pandit.
4 Shun Stereotypes
Stereotyping of women is another important aspect to be addressed as part of gender equality conversations, says PwC’s Singh. “Deep in the societal psyche, women are looked down upon as providers of food and shelter and nothing more. Sensitising men and women in direct and indirect ways can build the much needed confidence in women,” adds Pandit.
5 Create Role Models
Identify fast-track women managers and get them to address early-career employees in your organisation. “Women who attain success need to spot lot more women and push them up,” said Singh. “Discussions on inspirational stories of successful women around the world can do wonders to lift the spirits of other women,” says Pandit.

Dec 30 2014 : The Economic Times (Delhi)

Corporate India Goes Full Steam to Improve Gender Diversity

Rica Bhattacharyya & Anumeha Chaturvedi

Mumbai | New Delhi:





FAIR POWER ALL THE WAY While companies are increasingly looking at having more women representation in boardrooms, they are also including men in gender-diversity policies to create a more balanced leadership at workplace

India Inc has aggressively pushed to close the gender gap and improve diversity this year, not because it is the thing to do, but because having women across management levels makes business sense.Also, a mandate from the new Company Law and Sebi to have at least one woman on board has prompted companies to look for women representation in boardrooms and create a pipeline of women at senior levels.
“For gender diversity, while the improvements will be systemic, the acceptance will be personal,” says Nishchae Suri, partner and head of people and change practice, KPMG in India.
While culture and values at an organisational level will drive group actions for fostering gender diversity, Suri foresees an increase in the number of senior leaders who will own the agenda, narrate their experiences and champion tangible action.
Similarly, the top five gender diversity trends forecast for 2015 include an increase in the number of women hires at every level, inclusion of men in gender policies, arresting the leaking pipeline of women leaders, raising awareness of unconscious biases, and focus on CEO-led or government-mandated gender strategy.
Numbers To Grow
With an increasing percentage of women in its customer mix, telecommunications company Vodafone will hire more women across levels and functions — general management, sales, marketing, finance, technology, legal and human resources, distribution and retail, enterprise and mobile banking.
“Over the past two years we focused intensely on becoming gender balanced and moved from having 14% women in our workforce to 20% today. This focus will continue in 2015,” says Ashok Ramchandran, director, HR, Vodafone India. The company’s Discover Graduate programme, under which it hires from business schools and technology institutes, focuses on 50% women hires at the entry-level. This, too, will continue, he adds.
At the Tata Group, the Group Executive Council is committed to double the count of women to over 300,000 from the existing 115,000 in the 540,000-strong workforce. The group has also stated its objective to develop 1,000 women leaders from this workforce.
“It’s a two-step process that looks to counter the unconscious bias as well as policy shortfalls,” says Richa Tripathi, chief human resource officer, Tata Teleservices.
Programmes like Tata Second Career Internship — a career transition management programme for women professionals — should see more replication at individual companies, she adds. The programme is for women who have taken a break of six months or more and wish to reenter the professional space. Such women get an opportunity to take on flexi-hour assignments with various Tata Group companies.
Male Advocacy
The New Year will also see more companies including men in gender-diversity policies, a step forward from gender-only to genderneutral policies at the workplace.
“When you talk `gender', you are being exclusive. But if you position it as a `balanced leadership' pro gramme, you envelop gramme, you envelop the entire employee base,“ says Gayathri Ramamurthy, lead, di versity and inclusion, Capgemini India.
Inclusion of men in furthering the cause of women will see the emergence of male sponsors or mentors for the cause of womn en at the workplace, home and society, says Nishchae Suri, party ner and head of people and change practice. and change practice.
Srimathi Shivashankar, assistant vice-president, diversity and sustainability, HCL Technologies, agrees. “It is impossible to foster a work environment where women are respected and recognised without considering the viewpoints and outlook of the gender working beside them,“ she says.
Arresting The Leaking Pipeline
Companies will increasingly aim to arrest the leaking pipeline of women at every level, by strengthening policies that support women in critical life stages of pregnancy and childcare.
The life stages women face during the ages of 28 to 40 will need proactive corporate support, says Ramamurthy. “While companies are more sensitised today, organisational dynamics bring in natural challenges as women handle the dual roles of work and home,” she adds.
Vodafone India, through its Pathways to Success career series, helps women in the middle management to focus on their careers, make the right choices in sync with their life stages, be aware of the glass ceiling and negotiate their way through, and build a personal brand.
Technology has arrested the loss of talent amongst the women workforce, and the trend will be leveraged further in the coming year.
“Organisations have started recognising the productivity and cost benefits of using digital channels, which have opened up opportunities for both the genders in several industries,” says Manoj Biswas, managing director, human resources, Accenture India. Biswas cites the example of consulting, wherein technology allows young mothers to mitigate challenges of travel and meet demands of a client-centric role.
Reskilling women to enable them to return to work after sabbaticals and other personal commitments will also be crucial. “The focus here is to work on the 50,000 women who quit jobs for personal reasons in the information technology industry and bring this to a much lower count,” says Shivashankar.
CEO-led Gender Strategy
For a diversity strategy to succeed over the long-term, organisations must accept it’s a complex issue, debate and test the business case for it, and develop a CEO-led communications platform to set the agenda. People listen to “what CEOs say, what we prioritise, how we act and what we measure”, says Raj Raghavan, director, human resources, Amazon India.
Unconscious Biases Capgemini this year used theatre as a tool to break into behavioural bias and create awareness. “We have found, through experience, project managers who have been sensitised to unconscious bias becoming more empathetic; independent of gender of the manager,” says Ramamurthy.
The aim is to root it out from source.
“Go looking for bias. Hunt it out without expecting punishment. You’ll get insights and more value,” says Raghavan of Amazon India.