Tuesday, December 27, 2016

India’s missing girl children

It is a cruel irony of a fast-growing India that there are fewer and fewer girls as a ratio of total births, as a result of complex factors that include parental preference. New data from the Civil Registration System of the Registrar General of India point to the hardening of the pattern, with a fall in sex ratio at birth from 898 girls to 1,000 boys in 2013, to 887 a year later. This depressing trend is consistent with evidence from the Census figures of 2001 and 2011. What is shocking is that the overall data mask the horror of particular districts and panchayats falling well below the national ratio, especially in the zero-to-six years assessment category. The scourge has, in some cases, prompted the Supreme Court to take note of the situation, and the National Human Rights Commission to ask for an explanation from State governments. In the understanding of the Centre, which it has conveyed to Parliament, girls stand a poor chance at survival because there is a “socio-cultural mindset” that prefers sons, girls are seen as a burden, and family size has begun to shrink. The BJP-led government responded to the silent crisis with the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign, which focusses on the prevention of sex-selective abortions, creation of opportunities for education and protection of girl children. Now that the scheme is set to enter its third year in January, there should be a speedy assessment of its working, particularly in districts with a poor sex ratio where it has been intensively implemented.

A wider assessment needs to be made on why States such as Tamil Nadu with a strong social development foundation have slipped on sex ratio at birth (834), going by the CRS data for 2014. The cradle baby scheme was started in 1992 in Tamil Nadu to raise the survival chances of girl children by encouraging mothers to give them anonymously for adoption. Yet, the latest numbers, together with the persistence of the programme after 24 years, and 260 babies being abandoned in just one centre over a six-year period, make it clear that national policy has achieved little in real terms. Clearly, there is a need to go beyond slogans and institute tangible schemes. Enforcement of the law that prohibits determination of the sex of the foetus must go hand in hand with massive social investments to protect both immediate and long-term prospects of girls — in the form of cash incentives through registration of births, a continuum of health care, early educational opportunities and social protection. Half-measures cannot produce a dramatic reversal of the shameful national record.

Source: The Hindu, 1-12-2016

Ending the Manipur blockade

The blockade of the national highways leading to the Manipur valley, called by the United Naga Council (UNC), has been in place since November 1. This has severely affected life in the State, with shortages and escalating costs of essential supplies such as fuel and food, even as demonetisation has exacerbated problems. Blockades like this are not new to Manipur. In 2011, there was initially a hundred-day-plus blockade enforced by Kuki-led groups, and countered later by Naga groups, which together had a debilitating effect on life in Manipur. This time the blockade is in place to oppose the creation of new districts by the Okram Ibobi Singh government. On December 9 it issued a gazette notification for the creation of seven new districts by bifurcating seven (of a total of nine) districts. This decision had as much to do with long-pending demands — in particular, for a new Kuki-majority district to be carved out of the larger Senapati hill district — as with easing administrative access to far-flung areas from the district headquarters. With State Assembly elections around the corner, the decision by the Congress-led government was also a desperate measure to woo the hill residents. While residents and groups in the new districts have welcomed the decision, the UNC has protested, alleging that areas with a Naga population have been divided and that the lack of consultation is a violation of commitments made by both the Centre and the State in various memoranda of understanding.

Already, just as in 2011, counter-blockades have been called by other groups, this time in the Meitei-dominated valley, and there has been violence both in the hills and in the valley. The State government last month sought the Centre’s assistance to end the blockade, given that New Delhi has been in peace talks with the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) group that supports the UNC. While the Centre has sent paramilitary forces to both Nagaland and Manipur, the inaction in clearing the blockade of the national highways is puzzling. Efforts to impose a political solution through blockades that cut arterial routes supplying essential goods to various areas of Manipur are a cynical ploy. Such action heightens ethnic polarisation and threatens, once again, the fragile peace in the State. Ideally there should be a dialogue that involves all major stakeholders — the State government, groups that support redistricting, the UNC and the Centre. But first, there should be zero tolerance towards all such blockades.

Source: The Hindu, 22-12-2016

Interview to be key criterion for JNU admissions from next academic session

Admission to research courses at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) would be based on an interview from the next academic session, with the entrance test being reduced to a “qualifying exam” in which the student is required to bag a minimum score of 50%.

The academic council (AC) reportedly approved a University Grants Commission (UGC) gazette notification on eligibility and procedure for admission to M Phil and PhD courses on Monday, amid protests by students and teachers. “Candidates who qualify in the entrance test will be made eligible for the viva-voce or the interview. The final admission will be done on the basis of the interview,” JNU registrar Pramod Kumar told HT.

He admitted that students and faculty members have asked the university to write to the UGC, seeking clarity on the new system.

JNU officials said the new UGC rule will apply to all universities across the country.

Under the present system, students have to score in the written exam as well as the interview. “The weightage is 70% for the written test and 30% for the viva-voce,” an official said.

The move comes amid demands by its students’ union to decrease the weightage given to the interview. JNU students’ union (JNUSU) president Mohit Pandey said the move would change the character of the university. “Most students come from the marginalised and deprived sections of society. There is scope of bias at the interview level. We asked the university to reduce the interview’s weightage (from 30% to 15%) to ensure that no applicant faces discrimination. But what they have done now amounts to complete disaster,” he added.

However, AC members dubbed the university’s claim about passing the UGC notification as false because “no discussion had taken place” on the issue. “No such proposal was passed because the vice-chancellor did not allow members to speak. You cannot pass it without discussion,” said Jayati Ghosh, a member.

A statement from the university said the Monday meeting – where the decision was taken – happened after the AC meeting was adjourned on Friday. “The adjourned AC meeting concluded on December 26, and all the remaining items on the agenda were discussed and approved. The most significant among them was the adoption of the 5th May 2016 UGC gazette notification on admission procedures for various academic programmes and courses,” it elaborated.

The statement also mentioned a “handful of faculty members who tried their best to disrupt the meeting by constantly shouting” at the chairperson. “Somebody from this group called in students who were protesting outside the venue,” it said.

However, JNUSU said students entered the hall only after the meeting was over.

Source: Hindustan Times, 26-12-2016

Why Things Happen

VIVEK DESAI

The mind wonders: why did I get a lower grade than my classmate whom I helped study? Why did my co-worker get a raise when I worked harder than him? Why did my wallet get stolen? Basically , the famous conundrum: `why do bad things happen to good people?' Life seems unfair and it is not surprising that it is difficult for many to believe in a God who is just and good. In any scientific analysis, a conclusion is drawn based on the data points acquired. Who has acquired all the data points of life? Everything is constantly in flux, so who is aware of all that has happened, all that is happening, and all that will happen?
Who knows it all, really? Only nature, for nature has an inbuilt memory known as `karma', the action-reaction law.Each individual harvests the fruits of the seeds he has sowed; he himself might have forgotten (or be unaware of) when, where and which seeds he sowed but divine nature never forgets, for divine is of the nature of awareness.
Everything is, therefore, simply an outcome of one's past deeds. In the light of this, no one is innocent and no one is guilty , there is no one to give credit to and no one to blame for the situation one finds oneself in. It is tempting to point the finger at the other but the onus really lies on oneself.This demands self-investigation. At the very moment the mind passes judgement, one experiences disharmony with the world.

Are You Making Peace With Your Ignorance?

Pulkit Sharma

Most of us, at some point in life, might have felt confined by external circumstances, personal relationships and internal conflicts. Deep down, there is always a thirst for greater freedom and people try to overcome constraining forces. And yet, each freedom won is accompanied by newer bondages. After several such attempts, the individual might feel disillusioned and give up. But the real source of freedom lies within and one can achieve thorough emancipation by transcending one's own nature.In the first book of Yoga Sutras, the Samadhi Pada, Maharishi Patanjali shows us the path to complete freedom.According to him, within each one of us exists the Purusha, the cosmic Self, eternal bliss, pure awareness that is beyond time and space, witnessing all that happens. Rather than uniting with this Truth, we tend to identify with the contents of our mind. The mind is meant to be just an instrument of perception and consists of factual knowledge, false knowledge, fantasy , sleep and memory . Each of these components take turns to manifest in our consciousness with great intensity . Due to our ignorance, we get carried away with the force of these currents. We forget that we are Purusha, pure Consciousness and not these fleeting expressions.
Until we still these distractions and accord Purusha its original position, there will be little respite from bondage and suffering. Given our many psychological vulnerabilities t and external temptations that compound our ignorance, this spe seems a difficult task. Perhaps tr that is why many people make peace with ignorance. But for those who zealously seek light and do not want to settle for any approximation of the light, yoga is the way to go. Nowadays, when beginners come to learn yoga they often want to learn techniques to make swift progress.However, despite mastering one technique or other, people remain far from instituting the mind in stillness. The reason being that in order to progress, what is needed first is the cultivation of a yogic attitude; grasping a technique is secondary to that.
In the Samadhi Pada, Maha rishi Patanjali elucidates the right yogic attitude. According to him, abhyasa, continuous endeavour; vairagya, non attachment and ishvara-pranid hanad-va, surrender to the Divine, are important aspects to be cultivated in oneself. Perhaps one can practise any yoga technique but what makes it effective sa, the incessant desire and effort is abhyasa, the incessant desire and effort to see beyond distractions and imperfections of the mind. The ardent seeker continues to make this effort despite repeated hardships and failures. Secondly, one must develop vairagya keeping in mind that attachments arise from a false sense of separateness between us and others. Therefore, they do not represent the Truth and salvation lies in moving away from these illusory cravings and experiencing the wholeness.
Ishvara, the Divine, is the source of all creation, bliss, insight and wisdom. He is the greatest guru of all times and has assumed different names and forms in different periods to enlighten seekers. In order to make any progress in yoga, we need to surrender ourselves to the Divine and pray for grace. Divine grace alone is sufficient to accomplish our yoga and make us liberated for eternity . Therefore, let's uproot all that is non-conducive to yoga in our nature. Lack of effort, worldly cravings and egoism could be replaced by determination, detachment and constant surrender to the Divine in order to experience liberation.

950m Indians not connected to Net: Study

New Delhi:

IANS

At a time when the government is aiming to convert cash economy of the country to a digital one, a study on Monday provided a reality check to this move -nearly a billion Indians do not have Internet connections.Though mobile data plans in India are among the cheapest in the world and average retail price of smartphones is steadily declining, yet nearly 950 million people -out of a population of 1.25 billion in the country -or over three-fourths, do not have access to Internet, according to the joint study done by Assocham and Deloitte.
“Internet penetration is increasing in India, the access to affordable broadband, smart devices and monthly data packages is required to spread digital literacy to make their ends meet,“ said the study . The study titled `Strategic national measures to combat cybercrime' said: “Existing government infrastructure assets should be further leveraged for provision of digital services at remote locations.
The Modi-government started emphasising on digital economy after it embarked on a demonetisation drive on November 8.

Source: Times of India, 27-12-2016

Monday, December 26, 2016

Economic and Political Weekly: Table of Contents

Vol. 51, Issue No. 52, 24 Dec, 2016

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