Poor households spend more on water, says study

Residents of low-income households spend up to 15 per cent of their income on daily water requirements.

In a bid to cope with the gap in water supply, residents of low-income households spend up to 15 per cent of their income on daily water requirements.

This was one of the findings of a recent study by the Department of Management Studies and Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT-Madras. According to the study, on an average, households with piped water supply spend Rs. 553 a month and families that do not have piped water supply incur a monthly expense of Rs. 658. This includes money spent on various strategies — be it collection, purchase or treatment and storage.

At present, Chennai is supplied with 580 million litres on alternate days owing to a dip in resources. This has caused a dent in the budgets of households, especially of those with a monthly income of less than Rs. 20,000. People with low incomes tend to spend anywhere between one per cent and 15 per cent of their total income on water needs. This monthly cost to cope up with the gap in supply is less among the higher income group, according to the study.

R.K. Amit, assistant professor, Department of Management Studies, who was part of the study along with S. Subash of IIT-Madras, said, “This is because households with high income levels invest in borewells, which is a long-term strategy, along with purchasing packaged drinking water. We have also taken into account the time spent by people belonging to low income groups in collecting and storing water.”

On an average, nearly 2,250 minutes per month is spent by a family on collecting water and this too adds to the costs incurred indirectly.

The study also revealed that the households surveyed had a strong preference for packaged drinking water and described it as reliable source. Several participants also noted that the quality of water was poor from all sources.

The study, supported by South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics, is based on the data collected from 423 households spread over 12 wards, which is representative of both piped and non-piped supply areas.

To help residents gain access to safe drinking water, the government must invest more in water supply infrastructure and cover more areas with piped water supply, Mr. Amit added.

Students are educated but not industry ready: Study 

On the occasion of Teacher’s Day, teacher community has collectively voiced their opinion on the employability quotient of the students and gave critical recommendations for the formulation of New Education Policy to enable education for employment through the Pearson Voice Teacher Survey 2015. The survey carries significant insights and possible solutions from teachers that can aid the government’s deliberations on themes such as employability, industry collaborations and integration of ICT in the framework of New Education Policy. With teachers considering 57 per cent of the students to be educated but not adequately prepared for employment, the survey respondents strongly called for increased industry academia collaboration, particularly for course restructuring (75 per cent), to help boost employability. Interestingly, the teaching community (44 per cent) expressed the need for industry training of teachers in addition to merit-based industry internships (48 per cent) for students. Deepak Mehrotra, Managing Director, Pearson India, said, “Being the world’s largest learning organisation, Pearson has taken an initiative to engage with the teachers to bring-out the topical issues facing Indian education sector and suggest measures to transform the learning landscape in the country. We are glad that the platform is gaining relevance among the teaching community and this is evident from the growing participation of teachers every year. Government has shown intent to build greater industry-academia partnership by proposing a consultative theme in the National Education Policy framework. We are glad that the teachers have not only collectively validated this idea of industry-academia collaboration but offered a specific solution of curriculum restructuring.” For integration of ICT in the education system, teachers across India recommend provision of computer and internet connectivity across institutions (66 per cent) and installation of smart boards (62 per cent) as key requirements. However, teachers consider high cost of technology installation (38 per cent) and lack of infrastructure & maintenance (23 per cent) as the biggest challenges for technology adoption at educational institutions. The findings showed in teachers’ belief (60 per cent) that India’s education system is providing comprehensive and holistic education (subject knowledge along with social, creative, physical and ethical) to learners. However, teachers at higher-education level are less convinced with the existing system’s ability to provide holistic education (51 per cent) vis-à-vis counterparts at school level (72 per cent). To facilitate transition from ‘subject-based learning’ to ‘holistic learning’, teachers across India ranked appropriate continuous assessments of students’ performance (47 per cent), better integration of technology & digital content into teaching methodology (44 per cent) and linkage between concepts across subjects/discipline (43 per cent) as the most effective ways.

Economic and Political Weekly: Table of Contents

Back to the 'Fail–Pass' System?

Vol - L No. 36, September 05, 2015 

• Editorials

The call to rescind the no-detention and continuous evaluation policies in schools is misguided .

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• 0 Comments

'Problem Animals' Are Not the Real Problem

Vol - L No. 36, September 05, 2015 

• Editorials

The government proposal on culling treats only the symptom; the problem is of a declining animal habitat.

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Editorials Aurangzeb's Last Battle Our sense of history is stuck in the past; indeed, it is steadily regressing to the era of myths . Read more	Margin Speak Greatest Threat to Internal Security Anand Teltumbde The state is not worried about the guns of the Naxalites. It is scared about the dissent they foment. Read more
Commentary The Ufa Fiasco India Could Surely Do Better S D Muni There have been two conflicting strategies within Pakistan relating to its India policy--the dominant hawkish one held by the military and a more conciliatory one often pushed by its civilian governments. The Ufa Joint Statement was an example of... Read more	Commentary Yuan Devaluation and Its Impact Biswajit Dhar The warning signals have been there for some time--China's merchandise trade has been contracting and its economy has been slowing. Now the yuan has been devalued by 1.9%. What will be the outcome, especially for India? Read more
Commentary Black Money Tax Compliance Scheme Grey Patches Remain Sudipto Banerjee There are a number of unclear areas in the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015 and the tax compliance scheme. These are bound to pose practical challenges and be prone to conflicting interpretations... Read more	Commentary National Health Policy 2015 Mapping the Gaps Forum for Medical Ethics Society The draft National Health Policy 2015 is an improvement over its predecessors--the policies of 1984 and 2002. However, it also reveals several gaps, inconsistencies and blind spots which tend to dilute otherwise constructive proposals. The... Read more
Commentary User Fees and Political and Regulatory Risks in Indian Public–Private Partnerships Kumar V Pratap Good quality infrastructure services have to be paid for, either by the users as user charges or by the government through explicit subsidies. The recent dismantling of toll booths in the country is increasing the political and regulatory risks... Read more	Commentary D A Low (1927-2015) A Tribute Gyanesh Kudaisya Donald Anthony Low, who passed away in February 2015, could write with ease about African history as he could about South Asia. A distinguished historian, teacher and an excellent administrator, Low was a mentor to some of the finest historians... Read more
Book Reviews Working of the Supreme Court of India Vikram Raghavan The Shifting Scales of Justice: The Supreme Court in Neo-liberal India edited by Mayur Suresh and Siddharth Narrain; Orient BlackSwan, Hyderabad 2014; pp xxvi + 199, Rs 650. Read more	Book Reviews Intimate Connections Geetika Bapna Conjugality Unbound: Sexual Economies, State Regulation and the Marital Form in India edited by Srimati Basu and Lucinda Ramberg, New Delhi: Women Unlimited, 2015; pp viii+283, Rs 575 (hardback). Read more
Perspectives Value, Visibility and the Demand for Justice Anupama Rao This article begins with issues of mourning and commemoration that arose in the context of the killings in the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. It then relates them with questions regarding the worth and... Read more	Special Articles Non-Food Expenditures and Consumption Inequality in India Amit Basole, Deepankar Basu This paper contributes to the ongoing debate about economic inequality in India during the post-reform period. It analyses consumption inequality through the hitherto neglected lens of non-food expenditure. Using household level consumption... Read more
Special Articles Indian Urbanism and the Terrain of the Law Janaki Nair In the controversies around, and legal and political challenges to, the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor being constructed by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises, one can see signs of a new historical stage and urban form. Court... Read more	Special Articles Opportunities and Challenges of Regulatory Convergence in India's Financial Sector The Case of the SEBI–FMC Merger Nilanjan Ghosh, Kushankur Dey Various opportunities accompany the merger of the Securities Exchange Board of India with the Forward Markets Commission, as announced in the 2015-16 union budget. At the same time, important regulatory and developmental challenges have to be... Read more
Notes Curricular Images of Scientists Textbooks and Popularity of Science Gurjeet Kaur Preconceived notions of scientists lead students to picture them as "different" kinds of people and view science itself as an "exclusive" practice. These images, and the students' ability or inability to identify with them... Read more	Discussion Human Resource Development in Health Services Bhushan Patwardhan, Shailesh Deshpande, Nilangi Sardeshpande, Swapnil Gadhve, Girish Tillu This response to Javid Chowdhury ("National Health Policy 2015: A Narrow Focus Needed," EPW, 28 February 2015) and Anant Phadke ("Slippery Slope for Public Health Services," EPW, 28 February 2015) argues that a course designed... Read more
Reports From the States / Web Exclusives Connecting Wildlife Corridors Looking Beyond Ranthambhore Jimmy Borah, Sunny Shah, Joseph Vattakaven, Sitaram Taigor,Ravi Singh Tigers from Ranthambhore National Park move through degraded and fragmented forest patches and agricultural fields to reach Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary and Madhav National Park—two of the most important corridors in the Western India... Read more	Reports From the States / Web Exclusives What Vadodara’s Slum Displacement Reveals Case of Kalyannagar and Kamatipura Lancy Lobo The demolition and displacement of two major slums in Vadodara has revealed that little, if any, of the pervasive communal politics has changed in Gujarat. This coupled with anti-poor policies of the state have ensured that poor Muslims are... Read more

Our young are not being properly educated and trained for jobs

A recent news report in Hindustan Times said that in Chhattisgarh for 30 vacancies of peons, a total of 75,000 applications were received. The authorities were ill-prepared to conduct an examination for such a huge number of candidates and, therefore, it was cancelled.

The minimum educational qualification was Class 5 pass. However, several applicants were engineers and post-graduates in arts and science.

This raises some important issues. The first is about the availability of appropriate job opportunities for the youth. Clearly, all the economic growth that the country has seen has not really translated into a commensurate number of jobs for the youth.

This implies that we have witnessed high economic growth with low job creation. The second issue is about the fairness of the process of job selection. Since the number of available jobs is few and the number of aspirants is high, the demand-supply gap distorts the situation and makes it prone to patronage and rent-seeking behaviour. That the process of selection is fair and impartial is of utmost importance; otherwise, it would lead to tremendous dissatisfaction among the unsuccessful candidates.

Another issue is about the quality of education being imparted to students which may sound impressive, but entails no employability. The standard of education being imparted in some of the public sector institutions of higher learning and most of the private sector institutions leaves much to be desired.

We have common entrance tests for professional courses at the Class 12 level, but do not have a common test in which obtaining a minimum score should be a must for gaining a professional degree.

The final issue and the real elephant in the room is about population stabilisation.

UN Population Division estimates say that the population of India has crossed 1.31 billion in 2015 whereas the population of China is a little above 1.37 billion at the moment.

We are happy to talk about the great demographic dividend that we are likely to reap due to a burgeoning young population, but we forget what a lot of people have been telling us for some years now. We have 817 million people in the age group of 15-59 in 2015 and we will have more than 929 million in 2025 in this age group.

This is the productive age group which is looking for jobs in the economy. Can we adequately educate and train them for emerging jobs and occupations? At the moment, there is no reason to be optimistic on this count.

(Amit Mohan Prasad is an IAS officer. The views expressed are personal)

Great students make great teachers

Will your students look back and remember you as the person who shaped their lives?

A great teacher is one a student cherishes forever. Teachers have a longlasting impact on the lives of their students, and the best students inspire their teachers, too. Years ago, as a young, eager student, I would have told you that a great teacher was someone who provided classroom entertainment and focused very little on discipline and assignments. Now, after working for 35 years in education including 26 years of heading institutions and related administrative experience and having been involved in hundreds of teacher evaluations, my perspective has changed. My current position as a professor of higher education gives me the opportunity to share what I have learnt with current and future college faculty administrators and through friendly banter with my postgraduate students about what it means to be a great teacher.

Attitude is key

Teaching is hard work, and great teachers work tirelessly to create a challenging and nurturing environment for their students. Great teaching seems to have less to do with our knowledge and skills than with our attitude towards our students or our subject. Greatness in teaching is just as rare as greatness in medicine, dance, law or any other profession. Although the qualities that make great teachers are not easy to inculcate or duplicate, understanding these qualities can give all teachers a standard of excellence to strive for and guide higher education institutions in their efforts to recruit and retain the best teachers.

To that end, I offer the following observations about the key characteristics of great teachers. This list is certainly not exhaustive, and the characteristics do not appear in any particular order of importance but are based on the singular premise that for a teacher to be called great, the students must also aspire to be great.

Respect: In a great teacher’s classroom, each person’s ideas and opinions are valued. It takes a lot of confidence for students to feel safe to express their feelings and learn to respect and listen to others. This facilitates a welcoming learning environment for all students. Facilitating questions is mandatory.

A sense of belonging: The mutual respect in a classroom provides a supportive, collaborative environment. In this way there is an acceptance of a certain structure where there are rules to follow and assignments to be done, and each student is aware that he or she is an important, integral part of the group.

Good students know that they can depend not only on the teacher but also on the entire class. Presentations, assignments and project deadlines are welcomed.

Accessibility and Care: Teachers who are approachable, not only for students but for everyone on campus, can find solutions to any problems or concerns. Great teachers who possess good listening skills ensure that every student leaves his personal baggage outside the school doors. The problems of the young must be handled flexibly.

Shared expectations: Students generally give teachers as much or as little as is expected of them. Teachers realise that their expectations of their students greatly affect their achievement. Variations in grades serve as positive reinforcements.

Love of learning: Great teachers inspire students with their passion for education and constantly renew themselves as professionals in their quest to provide students with the highest quality of education possible. As a result, the student has no fear of learning new approaches or incorporating new technologies into presentations. Customised guidance is useful.

Skilled leadership: Effective teachers focus on shared decisionmaking and teamwork, as well as on community building. As a result, students take up opportunities to assume leadership roles. Nominations, posts, responsibility and accountability are cherished.

Creativity and Innovation: Brilliant students find new ways to make presentations to make sure that every other student understands the key concepts. The teacher also responds with concerted guidance. Shifting gears is the order of the day.

Collaboration: Rather than thinking of themselves as weak because they seek help, great students view collaboration as a way to learn from a fellow professional. A great teacher uses constructive criticism and advice as an opportunity to grow as an educator. Age, experience and seniority cannot be imposed.

Professionalism: Good students emulate teachers in different ways from personal appearance to organisational skills and preparedness for each day besides exemplary communication skills. The respect that the great teacher receives because of her professional manner is obvious to those around her. Role modelling is a creative way of teaching.

While teaching is a gift that seems to come quite naturally to some, others have to work overtime to achieve the great-teacher status. Yet, the payoff is enormous for both you and your students. Imagine students thinking of you as that great teacher they had in college! No one can produce a complete and definitive list of the characteristics of great classroom teaching but I hope that this list provides a starting place.

Knowing the qualities of greatness can help teachers strive for the highest standards and help educationists, professors, teachers, and administrators jointly craft preservice training or in-service programmes that build on these qualities.

The writer is the advisor and dean for the programmes of MSW and MHRM at D.G.Vaishnav College, Chennai.

Keywords: qualities of a teacher, great teacher, higher education, Teaching, learning

Seventh Pay Commission is no ogre

Its recommendations’ impact need not give us jitters because the rise in government wages will amount to only 0.8 per cent of GDP.

The report of the Seventh Pay Commission (SPC) is set to be released soon. The new pay scales will be applicable to Central government employees with effect from January 2016. Many commentators ask whether we need periodic Pay Commissions that hand out wage increases across the board. They agonise over the havoc that will be wrought on government finances. They want the workforce to be downsized. They would like pay increases to be linked to productivity. These propositions deserve careful scrutiny. The reality is more nuanced.

Critics say we don’t need a Pay Commission every ten years because salaries in government are indexed to inflation. At the lower levels, pay in the government is higher than in the private sector. These criticisms overlook the fact that, at the top-level or what is called the ‘A Grade’, the government competes for the same pool of manpower as the private sector. So do public sector companies and public institutions — banks, public sector enterprises, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and regulatory bodies — where pay levels are derived from pay in government.

The annual increment in the Central government is 3 per cent. Adding dearness allowance increases of around 5 per cent, we get an annual revision of 8 per cent. This is not good enough, because pay at the top in the private sector has increased exponentially in the post-liberalisation period.

Competition for talent

A correct comparison should, of course, be done on the basis of cost to the organisation. We need to add the market value of perquisites to salaries and compare them with packages in the private sector. We cannot and should not aim for parity with the private sector. We may settle for a certain fraction of pay but that fraction must be applied periodically if the public sector is not to lose out in the competition for talent.

True, pay scales at the lower levels of government are higher than those in the private sector. But that is unavoidable given the norm that the ratio of the minimum to maximum pay in government must be within an acceptable band. (The Sixth Pay Commission had set the ratio at 1:12). Higher pay at lower levels of government also reflects shortcomings in the private sector, such as hiring of contract labour and the lack of unionisation. They are not necessarily part of the ‘problem with government’.