Economic & Political Weekly: Table of Contents

Some Answers, Some Questions

Vol - L No. 6, February 07, 2015 

• Editorials

The new national accounts uses more comprehensive data but there remain problems with the GDP estimates.

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Consensus Stymied in Kathmandu

Vol - L No. 6, February 07, 2015 

• Editorials

Powerful remnants of the old order refuse an understanding on state restructuring of Nepal.

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Editorials The Offenders and the Offended By giving in to bigots we are nourishing the soil of intolerance. Read more	Web Exclusives The Aam Aadmi Party's win in Delhi: Dissecting it through Geographical Information Systems Srinivasan Ramani A preliminary look at the electoral performance of the fledgling Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi state using Geographical Information System (GIS) tools allows us to make some qualitative conclusions that could have a bearing on the AAP's political... Read more
Margin Speak Saffron Science Anand Teltumbde The space given to pseudoscience of the Hindutva variety at the Indian Science Congress must be viewed as part of the ominous process of all-round saffronisation that is presently underway. Read more	Commentary Charlie and the Underdog The French Republic Unveiled Nicolas Jaoul, Christine Moliner The mobilisations following the attacks in Paris revealed a moral and political crisis. The call for national unity should however stop delegitimising and criminalising dissenting voices and give way to critical introspection regarding France... Read more
Commentary The Charlie Story As Seen by a Bystander in France Mohar Boeglin Banerjee Charlie Hebdo has been an important part of France's public conversation, with some of its cartoonists being well known nationally for their art. The aftermath of their killings has opened up deep divisions exemplified by the contesting Je... Read more	Commentary Equivocation in the Face of Black Reaction W Paul Cockshott The ideology of Islamism is directly linked to protecting the energy needs of contemporary capitalism and it represents a particularly egregious tool of reaction. The Charlie Hebdo killings need to be understood in the context of the larger... Read more
Commentary Revisiting India Pakistan Cross-LoC Trade Nisha Taneja, Samridhi Bimal Duty-free barter trade across the Line of Control from two points in Jammu and Kashmir has grown since its initiation as a confi dence building measure in 2008. Despite growing volumes, traders face several logistical and policy hurdles that mean... Read more	Commentary Denial of Public Funds Handloom Sector in Union Budgets Donthi Narasimha Reddy The handloom sector has been continuously denied public funds. An analysis of budgetary allocations since 1997-98 shows that the handloom sector funding has not kept up with costs of production, and inflationary increases during the period. Read more
Commentary Rajni Kothari Made History Manoranjan Mohanty A personal tribute to one of the most infl uential theoreticians of the Indian political system. Read more	Book Reviews Political and Institutional Foundations of Class Compromise Satoshi Miyamura Mobilizing Restraint: Democracy and Industrial Conflict in Post-Reform South Asia by Emmanuel Teitelbaum (New Delhi: Cambridge University Press India under the imprint of Foundation Books), 2011; pp xxi + 220, Rs 795. Read more
Book Reviews Continuing Agony of Kandhamal Jyoti Punwani Breaking the Shackled Silence: Unheard Voices of Women from Kandhamal (first edition) by Saumya Uma, published by National Alliance of Women, Odisha chapter, 2014. Read more	Book Reviews Uneven Treatment K S Subramanian 'Countering Naxalism with Development: Challenges of Social Justice and State Security' edited by Santosh Mehrotra, Sage, 2014; pp 189, Rs 795. Read more
Insight Understanding the Lima Climate Conference A Proxy Battle for the 2015 Paris Agreement Martin Khor What happened at the Conference of Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Lima in December 2014 is a prelude to the bigger battles that can be expected in the three or four meetings scheduled for this year in order to... Read more	Special Articles Caste and the Power Elite in Allahabad Ankita Aggarwal, Jean Dreze, Aashish Gupta This article examines the social composition of public institutions in Allahabad, and specifically, the share of different castes and communities in positions of power and influence - the Press Club, the university faculty, the Bar Association,... Read more
Special Articles NREGS in Rajasthan Rationed Funds and Their Allocation across Villages Himanshu, Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay, M R Sharan The performance of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in Rajasthan was debated for its stupendous performance in the initial years of the scheme, but also for the relative sharp decline after 2010. Based on a large representative primary... Read more	Special Articles Affordable Housing with Spatial Justice, For All Shirish B Patel The paper suggests a scheme for affordable housing in peri-urban areas. It works across all income groups, and draws its inspiration from a project started 30 years ago in north-western Mumbai which can be seen today as completely successful. It... Read more
Notes Informal Employment Statistics Some Issues Preet Rustagi This article discusses issues of measurement of informal employment. It briefly traces the evolution of the conceptual framework on the informal sector, what defines the sector and informal employment, and the new questions that have been... Read more	Discussion Policy Insights for Vidarbha's Economy Ajit Kumar This response to "Generating Agrarian Dynamism: Saurashtra's Lessons for Vidarbha" (Tushaar Shah, Yashree Mehta, Vivek Kher, and Alka Palrecha, EPW, 28 June 2014) agrees in part with the authors but contests their claim that... Read more
Postscript Steps against Violence Jyoti Punwani For Sheema Kirmani, Pakistan’s most famous classical dancer, dance is a weapon against religious fanaticism and the terrorising of women. Read more	Postscript The Big Fat Indian Stereotype Nazreen Fazal They see curry on my plate And begin their sad monologue About how Indian I am  Wisecracks about my limited career options ... Read more
Postscript The Uncommon Cartoonist Nala Ponnappa R K Laxman, India’s best-known cartoonist, who passed away on January 26, aged 94, was a larger-than-life figure whose legendary status belies a strange quirkiness. Read more	Postscript Anchoring the Past Anurag Mazumdar A plan to resurrect Mumbai’s eastern docklands and maritime history would be incomplete without promoting the Marine Museum at Nhava. Read more
Reports From the States / Web Exclusives Safai Karmis of Uttar Pradesh Caste, Power and Politics Tulika Tripathi A study of the operation of the Safai Karmi Scheme of the Uttar Pradesh government reveals the apparent weakening of the age-old link between caste and occupation, with Other Backward Classes and even upper castes competing with Scheduled Castes... Read more	Glimpses from the Past / Web Exclusives Israel and Tropical Africa Political Economy of Technical Assistance From a correspondent This article, published in the February 1965 issue of Economic Weekly, is an interesting take on technical assistance of Israel to tropical African countries - a few years before the 1967 war in Nigeria.

Microsoft selects education innovators from Gujarat

The two innovators Bijal Damani and Lakshmanbhai Kuberbhai Chaudhari have been chosen as Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) experts from Gujarat for their 2014-15 class of education innovators. Microsoft Innovative Educators are experts who integrate progressive pedagogy with advanced technology to advance learning and better prepare students for the jobs of the future.

Similarly, Microsoft showcase schools represent leaders who apply a comprehensive vision for change to transform local schools. Microsoft technology is deployed school-wide, and their experiences are shared with other schools to accelerate reform.

Speaking about the Microsoft Showcase Schools and Innovative Educator Experts programs, Pratik Mehta, Director – Education at Microsoft India, said, “This is a group of talented educators committed to increasing students’ productivity and helping students develop the right skills in this mobile-and-cloud era. With half of India’s population below the age of 25, making use of technology to expand the potential of every student, educator and school is important to India’s growth.”

MIEs participate in case studies, content development, and provide advice on using technology in innovative ways to transform the learning environment. After rigorous training and an introduction to new Microsoft tools and techniques to use in the classroom, these educators also join Microsoft in Education Global Forum, a hallmark educator recognition program. MIEs are eligible for free tools and technology from Microsoft (including Office 365 Pro Plus) and IT Academy certification.

Select educators will also be invited to the Microsoft in Education Global Forum in the USA in April-May 2015. Two student ambassadors will also be nominated from each Showcase school, thereby helping students develop early leadership skills. A few of these student ambassadors will be invited to participate at a global event to enhance collaboration with their counterparts in other countries.

- See more at: http://digitallearning.eletsonline.com/2015/02/microsoft-selects-education-innovators-from-gujarat/#sthash.o5AbQGne.dpuf

Need to redefine growth and development to de-carbonize the global economy: DSDS 2015

New Delhi: On the last day of the landmark 15th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit 2015 (DSDS), Heads of State, Nobel Laureates and thought leaders forged consensus on developing new pathways to find and replicate sustainable solutions for our common future. 

DSDS, the flagship event of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), opened new gateways to meet the challenges of ‘Sustainable Development Goals and Dealing with Climate Change’, the theme this year. The DSDS 2015 assumes significance as the post-2015 development agenda is being finalized -- the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is expected to adopt the new set of goals in September 2015 and the climate negotiations (Conference of Parties –

COP21) will be held in Paris later this year.

 

Dr R K Pachauri, Director-General, TERI, said: “We need to redefine growth and development. The North and the South will have to work together to come up with sustainable solutions. We cannot achieve sustainable development unless we meet the aspirations of the people. To move towards a low carbon economy, we need to come up with innovative solutions. We need buildings and shopping malls that can reduce energy consumption by 50 per cent. We need clean and affordable transportation systems and learn from countries that have made cycling as an efficient mode of transport. We need a technological transition to de-carbonize the global economy. We need a strong agreement in Paris, which should be open to scrutiny and monitoring.”

 

Prof Jeffrey D Sachs, Director, Earth Institute & Special Advisor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, said in a video message: “Though most governments have said they have accepted the 20C limit target, they are yet to implement carbon reduction measures. 

There is no back-up plan. Climate funds of $100 billion a year is not much, considering the scale of the global economy. We need to harness clean energy sources such as solar, wind, 

and nuclear energy and bring about a transformation in our energy policies to move towards a low carbon economy. We need research and demonstration of low carbon technologies. ”

 

At a session on ‘Climate Change: Ethics, Equity and the Poor’, Dr Rajiv Gupta, Principal Secretary (Water Supply Department), Principal Secretary (Climate Change Department) & Managing Director, Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited, said: 

“Sustainability is ultimately a moral issue. Our ancient scriptures have always underlined the sustainable use of our natural resources. Climate change has exposed the vulnerability of poor people. The issue of equity is at the core of the climate change debate.” “But there are ways to overcome the crisis. For example in Gujarat, the establishment of  

water infrastructure provided water security to more than 11,000 villages. This was possible only due to the vision of one man – Shri Narendra Modi, who is now the Prime Minister of India. Only a strong political leadership can overcome ‘inconvenient truths’,” added Dr Gupta. 

 

Dr Arvid Hallén, Director General, The Research Council of Norway, said: “As we march towards a new climate agreement in Paris, we must reaffirm the issue of ethics and equity. Climate change is about social and economic justice, and we must address these issues. As 

Indian Minister Piyush Goyal said yesterday, developing countries cannot take the sole 

responsibility for climate change. Rich nations must take the lead to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this complex process, the context and interests of the poor must be reflected.”

“Access to clean water and clean energy are the core issues of climate change. Over 80 per cent of diseases are water-related and by 2020, the gap between water demand and supply will increase by 50 per cent. Therefore, collaboration is very important. Contamination of water bodies needs to be addressed by various stakeholders. Lastly, it is not important just to build toilets for access to clean sanitation; they must be used as well,” stressed Ms Naina Lal Kidwai, Chairman, HSBC India, & Executive Director on the Board of HSBC Asia-Pacific.

“India is the ultimate laboratory for development; It is also a terrific field to analyze how development processes work.  While dealing with climate change, we must remember that we have a responsibility towards the poor,” said Dr David M Malone, UN Under-Secretary-General & Rector, United Nations University (UNU).

 

Ms Ekaterina Zagladina, President, Permanent Secretariat of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, said: “No one will escape from the effects of climate change. Further, there is the issue of justice – those who are suffering the most are not responsible for climate change.”

 

Among the highlights of day was the launch of a partnership between TERI and UBrain TV to widen the outreach of sustainable development issues and sustainable solutions.