Category: Education

Chinese Diplomacy: Changing Nature

Beginning:

The Peoples’ Republic of China founded in 1949. Zhou Enlai was China’s head of government, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976. He was also the Foreign Minister. Here giving a very short introduction about Zhou is necessary because he was one of the best diplomats in China. His style of diplomacy came to define Chinese foreign policy over the next century. Mao was the leader of the country but the Zhou Enlai was one who managed the complete government behind the curtain. The official position of Zhou Enlai was premier which was officially head of government. But now there is no value of Premier of China. All control under the Chinese President Xi-Jinping. Over time everything goes cloudy.

Refined and “United front” Approach to Diplomacy

If Mao Zedong represented the crude face of Chinese communism, then Zhou was the epitome of its refinement. Where Mao preferred to exercise his power from “out of the barrel of a gun” but Zhou preferred to seduce his opponents through word and gesture in the pursuit of national self-interest, with the elegance of an opera star. The stick was used rarely, and only when all other means of persuasion failed. 

Zhou’s strategy was consistent with the three principles. And these three principles are called the “United Front”.

Avoid isolation: Do not be isolated in the world because China was a communist country at that time which was not recognized as a country by other western countries. But India was the first that recognize China as a country. 

Build solidarity with non-aligned countries: During the Cold War, maximum parts of the world divided into two parts. First, the country who took a standoff in favour of the USA and another one who took stand in favour of Russia. But fewer countries remain neutral. And it was China’s policy to build a strong relationship with them. 

Divide the West: Ultimately, the goal was set by China to divide the USA, UK and other western countries. Therefore, it shows that China was unofficial stands in favour of Russia.

This United Front defined as isolate the main threat by building unity with all other forces.

Korean War: Examination of Chinese Diplomacy

Korean War started in 1950, one year after the foundation of PRC.

The USA invaded North Korea, Zhou summoned the Indian Ambassador in Beijing to deliver a message to the Americans “If the U.S troops cross the 38th Parallel, then Chine will intervene in this matter and took the side of North Korea because North Korea was also a communist country. If Zhou wanted, he could covey this message by his own, but uses the diplomatic step to take this action. And India was later persuaded to act as a neutral mediator between China and the US during many difficult phases of the negotiations settling the Korean War.

PRC at International Fora

In 1954, PRC participated in Geneva conference on the Korean War and Indo China War

Zhou’s strategy was to undermine western unity – Persuasion and compromise. The US anticipated that Chinese humiliation at the conference but Zhou handle the situation by deploying all his charm, vitality and intelligence. And finally, playing the weaker hand, Zhou turned the tables on the US.

Important Qualities of Chinese Diplomacy in the Past

Under Zhou, diplomats of calibre kept the ship of state steady in churning sea full of norms. When the tide rose, these diplomatic fishermen gathered the fish – expanding China’s global peace presence and gaining international acceptability. When it ebbed they saw to it that the ship remained firmly moored. They navigated the Cold War, playing the Soviets against the Americans. Additionally, 24 Character Strategy supplemented to Zhou’s strategy by other Chinese Diplomats. And it was “observe calmly; secure our position; cope with affairs calmly; hide our capacities and bide our time; be good at maintaining a low profile; and never claim leadership;

And the outcome of this diplomacy was praiseworthy. By the end of the twentieth century, another country was started recognizing China as a powerful developing country. China persuaded US President Richard Nixon to abandon Taiwan. All this was the result of a staggering act of the best diplomacy.

Change in Style

At the current time, China prospered and began to occupy centre stage in the world diplomacy, but the ship began to come apart from its moorings. A new generation of diplomats, with knowledge of the English language, arrogance increases and it has replaced humility. Persuasion is quickly abandoned in favour of the stick when countries take actions contrary to Chinese wishes. China pursuing unilateralism instead of compromise in the South China Sea. In place of ‘united front’ tactics, they are bent on creating problems simultaneously with multiple neighbouring countries. Statements of fact or reasoned opinions are seen by them as insult or humiliation.

Unshed Tears: The Pain of a Repressed Woman

When you’re sleeping peacefully at your home, some painful noises are being suppressed, or even lose their lives. Yes, the crime rates haven’t gone down even in this pandemic; instead, it has surged up a lot. Domestic violence, brutal behaviour towards women are prevalent these days. A girl roaming freely suddenly gets her wings cut and, in some cases, tied to someone who doesn’t even value her priorities and feelings. These women suffer a lot, made to work without any rest, misbehaviour among them is common, which we generally observe, but some people straightforwardly neglect them on the face when they ask for help. What’s wrong with society? Don’t they have a soul for those who want to enjoy and be part of the happiness shared in this world? Do the constitution rights make us so free that we can do anything we wish for ourselves? This behaviour is wrong, and the current generation mindset gets diverted to the wrong path.

A woman is crying and expressing her pain.
A woman is depicting her pain by clasping her face to hide tears.

Almost 35 percent of women have experienced some physical violence or mental tortures around the world. More than 58 percent of women get killed by their partners or family members. One hundred thirty-seven women die when their member of the family kills them. Nearly 49 percent of all human trafficking victims are adult women. According to an estimation, over 650 million women and girls in the world today get married before age 18 termed as child marriage, as mentioned in most country laws. These marriages often result in early pregnancy and social isolation; schooling gets abandoned; their opportunities get seized and increases more risk of experiencing domestic violence brutally every day. Globally, one out of three students get bullied by their fellow mates in the school.

A woman is screaming to express her pain.
A woman is screaming in grief.

The UN officially mentioned the above facts. There are many misconceptions across the globe. Sati, one of the historical practices followed in India, where women sacrifice their souls for their husbands’ death. Great enthusiasts like Raja Rammohan Roy, along with Lord William Bentinck, were able to stop the practice. But now, even if a voice gets raised, a thousand question is asked as a follow-up. One who’s already ashamed and shocked by the heinous crime made towards these women, how can they speak up for themselves? They need full support from society. What can we do to stop this? We can make people aware of the pain a woman suffers throughout their entire life. We can stand against the existing laws and create a revolution to curb such crimes, make stricter laws, and deploy faster court proceedings. They should get justice right on time. Just by rallying with candles across the streets won’t bring the change until the demons of the malpractices are caught and punished on time. These prisoners usually escape due to ease in the judiciary system and loopholes in the current policies. This issue requires a lot of attention before it is too late. Save the future and build a positive society around us. Otherwise, these will end up in a huge disaster.

Social Media: The perfect tool for Digital Marketing

As indicated by one Facebook report, there has been a 70% expansion in time spent on the application in Italy. A March 2020 study of U.S. conducted on online networking users discovered that 43.1%  would scroll through Instagram more whenever staying home while 63.7% and 62.3% used YouTube and Facebook, in comparison to the other websites, more.

Presently is a prime chance to develop business accounts by putting out valuable content that doesn’t focus on a hard sell. The objective should rather be to assemble an internet following through: 

1) For example, how to extract productivity out of “work from home” and methods of reducing expenses on veggies.

2) Posting harious content of mockery, similar to funny clippings and memes. 

3) Collaborating with an influencer. 63% of shoppers trust influencers more than brands and COVID-19 has allowed influencers over a wide scope of ventures to make their administrations accessible at a sensible cost. 

With relatively little expense and exertion, an organization can understand results that keep on profiting them long after the situation improves.

GENERATING MARKETING SCHEMES OVER THE WEB

Online campaigns help to spread the word about their businesses and the new ways of functioning, with less amount of time and effort invested, than asking their regular set of customers to do so.

This can be achieved through Smart bidding like Google Ads, Content Marketing and Coupons designed from Easy Promo Or Woobox

CARRYING OUT DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS ONLINE

There are not many organisations can transition their day-to-day functioning using internet. However due to the availability of video conferencing facilities like Zoom and Google Meet, there can still be interactions between the customers and the buyers. 

Orders of groceries and other essentials can be taken online, education through schools and Institutions is being provided online and live tutorials and sessions are being conducted in which clients are asked to make the payments online. There are several other courses available on digital marketing too  which can be availed to enhance the speed of the working staff and enable them to make the most out of the present situation.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOUR BUSINESS? 

Numerous organizations are curtailing their showcasing endeavors due to COVID-19, however what they should do is multiply while making the most of the new open doors that are springing up. 

This accentuation on digital marketing isn’t something that they’ll need to back off on once the lockdown is over. Internet shopping won’t stop at any point in the near future, and most organizations will find that online associations are more helpful than in-person interactions. 

While it might be viewed right now as an alternate course of action, when the pandemic is over, everybody will probably understand that it’s much more than that.

On the off chance that a very much upgraded site, all around arranged advertising devices, and selection of virtual interchanges can get an organization through one of the most exceedingly terrible crises in present day times, for what reason can’t digital-based promoting make its all intents and purposes relentless?

(Part 3/3)
Hope you all had a good time reading!

time management

Success or failure which can only be defined through time because it is non-refundable. A good management of time brings success but if it is used without intentions than its a failure. Time is most important for an individual life’s. It is important for study of religion, science, and philosophy. Balancing all the works, side hustle, socializing, or etc. are being under a good time management. To big businessman to school children it is a part of life and need to be managed well.

A world full of many personalities or a day-to-day busy schedule no one will teach you how to manage your time. You are only responsible for managing your time. Once you start managing your time than you started liking it or even dealing up with your stress. Time is a created thing. If you can have time, you can have a good management in your life. Many people thinks they are not to do it or they are not worth for it but are they really worthless? No they are not because its seems impossible but once you done it by managing your time then its done. Time is the only thing that people wants the most but also it is the only thing that people use it as worst. Being busy is not time management but being productive is what a good time management. Time is the only advantage which a person can have it whenever they want. Nothing is tomorrow and yesterday has gone so we have today so begin with today itself.

Using time is an important aspect for understanding human behavior, education and travel behavior. For a good time management it needs good skills as:

  1. A proper planning which helps in achieving our goals.
  2. Prioritizing what is most important and what is not.
  3. Setting your goal or setting up your dreams.
  4. A good decision will give you a better life.
  5. Focusing on what you want and how you can achieve it.
  6. Making yourself aware about everything you need for a proper time management.
  7. Self-motivating another skill for a good time.
  8. Dealing with your stress.
  9. Organizing things properly.

The above points are common with only one thing that is Time. That’s why its important to managed it properly.

There are two type of people- dreamers and planners. Dreamers will dream only but planners will make their dream come true. And that’s how one can manage their time. Just thinking about managing your time is not enough. You should plan for it properly. One need to decide for how they can properly manage their time or waste time on thinking how they can get more time. So their is neither tomorrow nor yesterday, it is today and this is what Time tells us.

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”– Stephen Covey

Taking notes or making notes

Do you remember when we were kids our parents always instruct us one stuff write down all the tasks that teacher taught during class. That written down task is called Notes. During school, college, and even in professional life notes taking a very important part. Especially when we are student notes are like our life Savior before the exam. I think approx Every student faced this situation one time in life 1 Or 2days before the exam we tried to read books, but there are so many things written, we don’t have enough time to read at that time we take the help of notes. For me, notes are like searching for keywords.

1.We take note when we attending lectures, classes, or meetings, we are listening about so many topics, matter. If we write down some important points issues from the lectures it helps us to identify the key ideas, the structure of the presentations.

2.organized notes also make it easier for us to link classroom learning to textbook readings.

4. Engage our minds. Note-taking keeps our body active and involved and helps us avoid feelings of drowsiness or distraction.

Farhan, Rancho, Raju should take notes 😆😆😆😆

  1. Note-making is very important as it involves us in the learning process. And whenever we read something we have to write down important points as we cannot hold them on the mind.
  2. Making notes allows us to reduce the information into a manageable size.
  3. when we make notes we try to describe the thing with our own words, it’s helpful to think and understand the subject.

Taking notes and making notes both are equally important in the process of learning

So listen, understand, write, and grow your knowledge.

World Food prize 2020

Soil scientist Dr. Rattan Lal

The World Food Prize is an international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world. The prize has been awarded annually to recognize contributions in any field involved in the world food supply: Animal Science/Aqua Culture, Soil Science/Water/Conservation, Nutrition/Health, Plant Science/Seed Science, Plant Pathology/Crop Protection, Food Technology/Food Safety, Policy/Research/Extension, Infrastructure/Emergency Relief, & Poverty Alleviation/Hunger. The World Food Prize is considered equivalent to the Nobel Prize in the field of Agriculture, and the recipient is awarded $250,000 for improving the quality and availability of food.

“This year 2020, Indian- American Soil scientist Dr. Rattan Lal wins prestigious World Food Prize.”An alumnus of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and Indian Agricultural Research Institute,New Delhi and a renowned agricultural soil scientist from Ohio State University (OSU). Dr.Lal has been named as this year’s recipient of the World Food Prize for developing and mainstreaming a soil-centric approach to increasing food production that conserves natural resources and mitigates climate change.

The World Food Prize Foundation President Barbara Stinson announced Lal as the winner in an online ceremony in Washington DC ,Thursday 11 June. The ceremony featured pre-recorded remarks from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

“The unbound joy and excitement of receiving the 2020 World Food Prize reminds me about the gratitude, privilege and honour of working for farmers from around the world ” Dr. Lal said.

Dr. Lal’s model indicates that restoring soil health can lead to multiple benefits by the year 2100, including more than doubling the global annual grain yield to feed the growing world population, while decreasing the land area under grain cultivation by 30 per cent and decreasing fertiliser use by half. His research led a better understanding of how no-till farming, cover crops, crop residues, mulching, and agroforestry can restore degraded soils, increasing organic matter by sequestering atmospheric carbon in the soil, and help combat rising carbon dioxide levels in the air.

“Dr Lal’s research in soil science shows that the solution to this problem is right under our feet. He’s helping the earth’s estimated 500 million small farmers be faithful stewards of their land through improved management, less soil degradation, and the recycling of nutrients. The billions of people who depend on these farms stand to benefit greatly from his work. “- Secretary Pompeo.

The World Food Prize was established by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman E Borlaug in 1986.The first recipient of this award was Indian Agricultural Scientist Dr. M. S. Swaminathan in 1987,regarded as “Father of India’s Green Revolution.

Limbo of the Lost

Growing up you solve so many puzzles – picture puzzles, riddles, and word quizzes – so that your mind gets accustomed to questioning everything around you. This develops in you an inquisitive nature and you start to see mysteries in everyday things around you. You try to question the existence of some things and the non-existence of others. In this world full of mysteries, one such mystery is that of the Bermuda Triangle.

bermuda

Also known as the Devil’s Triangle, the Bermuda Triangle is a section of the Atlantic Ocean, roughly bounded by Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. Mythical literature revels in the stories of ghost ships, of airplanes disappearing forever, and of instruments going haywire around the Bermuda Triangle. But these are just fanciful theories; there is no solid proof that these types of mysterious disappearances occur less in the other well-traveled sections of the ocean than they do in the Bermuda Triangle. As a matter of fact, there are many people who navigate the Bermuda Triangle on a daily basis without any incident. So why do we still think of Bermuda Triangle as an unsolved mystery?

Covering about 500,000 square miles of the ocean, the area was sailed through by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage. He reported that a great flame of fire crashed into the sea which was probably a meteor. Also, his observations about the erratic compass readings could be explained by the fact that at that time a sliver of the Bermuda Triangle was one of the few places on earth where the true north and the magnetic north aligned together.

Reports of unexplained disappearances started capturing people’s interest around the early twentieth century when the USS Cyclops, a 542-meter long navy ship with 300 men and thousands of ton of manganese onboard, sank somewhere between Barbados and the Chesapeake Bay in 1918. Although they were equipped to do so, the Cyclops never sent an SOS distress call and the extensive search yielded no wreckage.

After that, an alleged pattern started to form when five navy bombers carrying 14 got severely lost in the area in 1945. The nave bombers were forced to ditch at sea when they ran low on fuel. A rescue plane with 13 men also disappeared while searching for them. Even a weeks-long investigation failed to turn up any evidence.

triangle

In a 1946 magazine article, author Vincent Gaddis coined the phrase “Bermuda Triangle” for the first time after which it became a sensational legend with reports of planes going down despite having just sent “all’s well” messages. Paranormal writers blamed the triangle’s lethality on everything from aliens and Atlantis to time warps and reverse gravity fields while scientific theories, on the other hand, pointed to magnetic anomalies, waterspouts, and methane gas eruptions from the ocean floor.

In all probability, however, many don’t recognize the Bermuda Triangle as a hazardous place. There is no single theory that solves the mystery but there has been nothing discovered indicating the casualties were a result of anything other than physical harm. No extraordinary factors have ever been identified.

Image Courtesy: Google

CAN HARSHER PUNISHMENTS REDUCE CRIME RATES?

PC: Harsh Punishments backfires in prison, Josh Mitchell/Photolibrary/Getty Images.

Crime is so destructive that not only the victims suffer, but the life of a criminal also undergoes tribulation, and society bears the disturbing news of witnessing it.

It appeals to think that harsh punishment can reduce crime rates. Some criminals are aware of the penalties, but they feel that they will not get caught. They believe this because our crime fighters are limited in number, so efficient vigilance is not always possible over a territory. They know that we have a delayed justice system, procedures are tedious, and thus it doesn’t inhibit wrong intentions. No lawbreaker looks in the law book for penalty or punishment. For some criminals, getting caught does not matter. Committing that particular crime is the only thing which matters to them at that time. They hear, see, feel nothing and have all their senses attached with the wrong intention. For such people, whose minds are so corrupt that there can be no reversal at all, harsh punishment is the way forward.

Some people commit crimes due to unsatisfactory conditions. If India becomes self-sufficient, these crimes will end. There are crimes which occur out of habit, for example, kleptomaniacs (habitual thieves). Such people need rehabilitation more than punishment to condition their mindset and steer it in the right direction. Still, they will get punished as it is in our system. There is varying nature of crimes, and so it cannot be generalized that only harsh punishments reduce crimes. If the justice system is prompt in serving justice, it will substantially reduce crime as it will instil fear in potential lawbreakers. Hence, possible future crimes could be curb to an extent.

We live in a civilized society, and we have a background of a culture which emphasizes the virtue of forgiveness. This virtue shows that humane methods of punishment do work in some cases. Not always do we need to resort to harsh ones. The people who turn into criminals are a part of society, and the reason to ‘why they become criminals when living in the same society’ is a matter of great concern. There must be a stress on moral education at all levels. If it is there, then perhaps crime will reduce.

Crimes cannot be forgiven, and the guilty must be punished, but it does not mean the same person will always remain a criminal. The rebellious lawbreaker inside that person must be eradicated, and a resolve to live non-violent, law-abiding life must be spurred. We must not hate the person but the filth inside the person that created a criminal. If only the person had an atmosphere where he could re-create himself into a better person, then there would be more hope. We see crimes through the eyes of hatred and often get blinded by it. Nobody is born good or bad; the upbringing, circumstance and mental conditioning make a person good or bad.

Enough has been spoken about reducing crime when we should have been making efforts to wipe out the cause that leads to the generation of the criminal mindset. In a developing country like India, millions are starving to death; many have plenty but lacks the moral sense; many think it is fun to commit a crime’ there are many who do it out of emotional outbreak. Some do it because they are situational criminals. If we believe in God, then we must believe in the law of karma. For every good, we will receive will, and for every bad, we will get the same. If we don’t believe in God, then we must believe in our consciousness; we must not think or do anything which makes us fall in our own eyes. Lastly, the solution may not lie in philosophical or even realistic discussions. But why wait for a crime to happen when we must put our energy and mind in churning out ways that eradicate the generation of thought that leads to crime. In a nutshell, harsher punishment might deter people from committing crime to a certain extent, but it is not the only solution. There are more efficient and effective ways to do so as well.

Racism in the USA: Past and Present

Why it is in the news?

Recently, the accident happened in Minneapolis, the USA which brings this topic into the picture. On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during an arrest for allegedly using a counterfeit bill. Black Lives Matter Protest began and it broke out all across the USA after the death of George Floyd, an African-American lived in Minneapolis city.

Police have used tear gas and force against demonstrators and President Donald Trump threatened to send the military. Some acts of looting and arson also occurred. President Donald Trump called this movement as riots. 

Historical background of slavery

The revolutionary fights for African-American or The Black people’s rights are connected with the historical background of slavery. Many African citizens were brought from Africa to North America for slavery. There were slaves in 13 colonies which called them as “United States.” African people were working as “slave under The White people. It is a traditional activity from last more than three hundred seventy years. From 16th Century onwards slavery carried on unabated for almost 4 centuries. The United States got independence after the War of Independence even though these slaves were deprived of their fundamental rights and independence. But ultimately Civil War took place in 1861-1865 and the reason was only slavery. In the 1860s the slavery was abolished in Northern parts of the USA but still, slavery was common in the Southern part of USA. And this was the reason why the Civil War took place between Northern and Southern America.

Emancipation

Northern America won the Civil War and passed a law which is called as 13th Amendment by United States Congress for abolishing slavery except as a punishment for crime. By this law, 4 million slaves became freeman and freewoman.

Racism in American Policing

The police department was not in existence in past. The institution of police in modern USA Police started with systematic racism and violence in the form of ‘slave patrol’. At that time the slave state created patrols called as “slave patrol” to nip slave revolts and escape from southern part to northern part of USA. The state of South Carolina was the first to create slave patrols in 1704. By the end of the 1700s, every American slave state had slave patrols. 

The former southern slave patrol transformed into police departments that technically were different from slave patrols, but were still charged with controlling the freed former slaves. This carried on in the Reconstruction and Jim Crow Laws era for the next 80 years.

Reconstruction Era 1863-1877

Reconstruction era started at the end of the Civil War. The aim was to reconstruct the south and integrate frees black people into society. They put efforts to give some legal rights and economic support to recently freed slaves (The Blacks). But they failed to provide any substantial rights. 

For instance, just take the context of voting rights, 15 Amendment incarcerated voting rights discrimination based on race, it left the door open for states to determine the specific qualification for suffrage. Southern state legislatures used qualifications including literacy tests, poll taxes and other discriminatory practices to disenfranchise a majority of black voters in the decades following Reconstruction.

Repeating the History of Racial Segregation

Jim Crow Laws were one of the ways through which racial segregation started against Blacks. Jim Crow laws were state and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States. Jim Crow was not the name of any person or place. It was used as a caricature to tease the Blacks. All these laws were enacted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by white Democratic-dominated state legislatures to disenfranchise and remove political and economic gains made by blacks during the Reconstruction period. The Jim Crow laws were enforced until 1965. This is called Segregation – The Jim Crow Laws. The Jim Crow laws mandated the segregation for whites and blacks in the workplace, public school, public places, public transport, restrooms, restaurants and drinking water points.

Success and The Legal End of Segregation

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and The Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed by the Congress and this decisive action towards the ending of Racial Segregation. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned segregation in schools and other public places. The Voting Rights Act 1965 banned literacy tests and other methods used to disenfranchise black voters.

#BlackLivesMatter Movement

This movement has past link when George Zimmerman fatally shot an unarmed Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African-American high school student. Zimmerman was charged with murder for Martin’s death, but acquitted at trial after claiming self-defence. It was Zimmerman’s acquittal that gave rise to a hashtag and a movement called Black Lives Matter (#Blacklivesmatter).  

 Many cases and accident apart from George Floyd Case and George Zimmerman Case happened in the USA. Racism always existed in the US Police department. In past, several cases were unregistered or not recorded in the form of pictures and videos but in modern times, nothing can hide from the third eye called cameras. Everything got recorded by cameras. The movement in which thousands and millions of people are getting involved during a time when there is a pandemic named COVID-19 a communicable disease which spread by touching and there is no way to save ourselves except social distancing. Therefore, it shows that the disease of racism is more dangerous than COVID-19 pandemic. 

CAN WE ERADICATE POVERTY?

PC: https://sheatwork.com/eradicate-poverty-and-boost-job-creation/.

India has one of the most substantial numbers of poor people in the world. According to a UN report, 1/3 of the world’s impoverished population resides in India. There are 400 million poor people in this country, and about a 180-200 million of them sleep with an empty stomach. According to a rapid survey on children, in 2013-14, 30% of children under five were underweight and malnourished. We see elections with poverty removal agenda but have we seen a considerable improvement?

The current government in India is implementing a platform for universal social scrutiny system where everyone will have a bank account. Many benefits will directly reach into the bank accounts of the poor like those of NREGA, pensions, gas and cylinder subsidies.  Many states have health insurance, so any benefit of it will reach the poor directly if they have a bank account. The initiatives of Jan Dhan Yojna and Aadhaar will also create jobs along with other programs and will help eradicate poverty. Through MUDRA (Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency), Small and Microenterprise business, people will get loans to start a business. These programs aim to create an ecosystem to create jobs and allocate primary level funds. Once this system covers lengths and breadths of our nation, then India may fight poverty effectively. Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal are using MUDRA to help their thousands of ‘bottom of the pyramid’ partners to start operations. It shows that today big businesses are also enabling small businesses to flourish.

According to the Academy of Pediatrics (India), one child dies every minute. The WHO tells that about 6% of children suffer from severe acute malnutrition. India has issues of primary health care, children without education and basic amenities, and not just job creation. Since we have to tackle these issues; therefore, spending on the social sector must increase as current spending isn’t enough or it doesn’t reach the end beneficiary.

Yes, poverty reduction is happening in absolute numbers. The government is operating various policies to relax agricultural norms. However, many of the things that we talk about simply don’t exist at the ground level. Poverty reduction has to address agriculture. Farmer suicides are high in Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and some other states even though the states now have more autonomy for social fund allocation. Suicide is the endpoint of a long unfolding tragedy; for every one farmer suicide, 99 others reach the brink but do not muster enough mental state to do that. We have grown on infrastructures and other fields, but no significant growth has come in agriculture over the years. The price of a farmer’s product is not rising; the costs of agriculture and other expenses are rapidly increasing. They find themselves in a debt trap, and that is why they consider suicide an easy path. National insurance policy takes premium from farmers, and many farmers don’t know how to get insurance money when their crop fails. So, they are not in a position to avail benefit as they don’t have a required guide near them. We talk about food security, medical coverage, mid-day meals, education but not everybody is getting it. Our agrarian system is in crisis. Monsoon has become very erratic due to global climate change, and the small farmer’s state is becoming miserable.

Unfortunately, there is considerable fear in the minds of these people in India. However, what our government is doing is commendable. We need it to instil confidence and trust in the public. The people, in return, should not waste time worrying. Instead, they should work towards national progress. Once we have dealt with these entrenched issues, then we must think about economic development. Industry sector contributes more to GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of our country. There should be initiatives to transfer people from agriculture to manufacturing, services and other sectors of the economy. Agriculture has a significant number of people; it has improved, but the contribution to GDP from it is not much.

Yes, India can eradicate poverty. Initiatives that are implemented and are in the pipeline are necessary. However, given the condition of people at ground level, this will not happen anytime soon.