Greenness of Recent Budget

Greenness of Recent Budget,

1. 150 crore allotted to national afforestation program

(But, 150 crore is not sufficient to carry out Afforestation programme to desired extent)

2. Efforts to meet the target of 175 GW energy from renewable sources by 2022

            (But, funding reduced for Renewable energy projects and MoEF)

3. Increasing carbon cess on Coal by 200 rupees per tonne to 400 rupees.

            (Effort must be made to replace coal with renewable source, not increased imposition of cess)

4. Promote organic  farming  through  ‘Parmparagat  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana’

(Carbon sequestration, Sustainable agriculture, Reduced use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, Protection of biodiversity, Reduced dependence on Fertilizers, pesticides – Prevents Eutrophication, nitrate pollution of water sources, biomagnifications etc.)

5. Facility of cooking gas connection for BPL families

   (Indoor air pollution checked, use of firewood eliminated)

6. Programme for  sustainable  management  of  ground  water  resources

5 lakh farm ponds and dug wells in rain fed areas and 10 lakh compost pits for production of organic manure will be taken up under MGNREGA

(Resource recycling, Compost – Carbon sequestration, Farm pond – Water use efficiency, Ground water conservation)

7. Soil Health Card scheme will cover all 14 crore farm holdings by March2017.

  (Prevention of soil pollution, Reduced fertilizer consumption)

8. Green Highways to grow avenue trees along National Highways

But, the budget failed to look into deeper following issues related to green economy

No funds for biodiversity protection: forests,lakes,ponds,wetlands and other biological diversity.

2.No efforts to reduce carbon footprints: Efforts to shift to a low carbon economy are non existent. A    low carbon footprint ensures a healthier economy.
Wildlife habitats:No measures to set up national parks and WLS
No dedicated funds:A separate Green Protection Fund should be set up for environmental protection.
R&D:Increase in funds for R&D in environment are lacking. R&D would have led to better Waste Disposal methods, reducing air pollution, increased efficiency of renewable sources of energy
No polluter pays principle – A tax on pollution by industries,cars,etc could have been imposed to foster a greener country.

safeguard against fascism is to establish social justice

“The best safeguard against fascism is to establish social justice to the maximum extent possible.” Critically comment. 

Establishing social justice can potentially act as a preventive measure against fascism (form of radical authoritarian nationalism). Social justice bind people with rights and duties in the society where they can share the opportunities, resources, wealth and privileges along with the burden of cooperation. In contrast structural discrimination is ill for society and pro-fascism.

But only social justice cannot prevent fascism alone, economic justice (rise of fascism in Europe was outcome of social and economic injustice) is also needed. We need liberties of a person to be compatible with liberties of other (freedom of speech does not mean hatred speech which breaches right of dignified life of others) so that feeling of insecurity, inferiority does not arise, at the same time equality (social, civil, political, economic, legal) too has a big role to play since fascism opposes liberalism. Ruling authority must emphasise on equality, liberty and justice in its policies and actions, in letter and spirit.

G-20

G-20 is an international forum that came up after the financial crisis of 1999 in order to facilitate economic cooperation at international level. Though G-20 leaders have made coalitions making it difficult to agree to a common point and there is an absence of enforcement mechanism, the G-20 can't be labeled as a failure. The 'success' of G-20 is evident by its role played during the economic crisis of 2008 and the recent volatile environment in global economy-
* Increased the lending from IMF institutions to help countries in 'economic reconstruction'
* Collected information on shadow banking system that remain outside the regulatory framework
* Endorsing India's stand on black money that can otherwise make the economic system even more fragile
* Discussing measures to widen the financial safety net to contain and avoid propagation of financial crisis

However, there are certain issues that have raised doubts over its role in this time of financial crisis-
* Pledge to raise group GDP by 2% by 2018 remain a distant dream in the wake of current trends
* Competitive devaluation has not come to halt despite repeated persuasion by the G-20 leaders

Thus, it can be said that G-20 though successful faces some roadblock in realizing its full potential. Persuading the members to avoid indulgence in currency wars that have the potential to impact the financial security of nations should be the way forward.

Chitto jetha Bhayashunyo - Where the mind is without fear

One of the charismatic poem by Gurudev Rabindranath Thakur from his Geetanjali. On the eve of 64th independence day of India, I convey my regards and wishes to fellow Indians.

Original Bengali version:

চিত্ত যেথা ভয়শূন্য উচ্চ যেথা শির,
জ্ঞান যেথা মুক্ত, যেথা গৃহের প্রাচীর
আপন প্রাংগণতলে দিবস-শর্বরী
বসুধারে রাখে নাই খণড ক্ষুদ্র করি,

যেথা বাক্য হৃদযের উতসমুখ হতে
উচ্ছসিয়যা উঠে, যেথা নির্বারিত স্রোতে,
দেশে দেশে দিশে দিশে কর্মধারা ধায়
অজস্র সহস্রবিধ চরিতার্থতায়,

যেথা তুচ্ছ আচারের মরু-বালু-রাশি
বিচারের স্রোতঃপথ ফেলে নাই গ্রাসি -
পৌরুষেরে করেনি শতধা, নিত্য যেথা
তুমি সর্ব কর্ম-চিংতা-আনংদের নেতা,

নিজ হস্তে নির্দয় আঘাত করি পিতঃ,
ভারতেরে সেই স্বর্গে করো জাগরিত ||

Devanaagari transliteration

चित्त जेथा भयशून्य ,उच्च जेथा शिर ,
ज्ञान जेथा मुक्त जेथा गृहेर प्राचीर
आपन प्रांगणतले दिवसशर्वरी
बसुधारे राखे नाइ खण्ड खण्ड क्षुद्रकरि,

जेथा वाकय हृदयेर उत् समुखहते
उच्छ्वसिया उठे , जेथा निर्वारित स्रोते
दशे देशे दिशे दिशे कर्मधारा धाय
अजस्र सहसबिध चरितार्थताय-

जेथा तुच्छ आचारेर मरुबालुराशि
बिचारेर स्रोतःपथे फेले नाइ ग्रासि,
पौरुषेरे करे नि शतधा-नित्य जेथा
तुमि सर्व कर्म चिन्ता आनंदेर नेता-

निज हस्ते निर्दय आधात करि पितः,
भारतेर सेइ स्वर्गे करो जागरित।

Hindi Translation - कवि शिवमंगल सिंह "सुमन" द्वारा

जहां चित्त भय से शून्य हो
जहां हम गर्व से माथा ऊंचा करके चल सकें
जहां ज्ञान मुक्त हो
जहां दिन रात विशाल वसुधा को खंडों में विभाजित कर
छोटे और छोटे आंगन न बनाए जाते हों

जहां हर वाक्य हृदय की गहराई से निकलता हो
जहां हर दिशा में कर्म के अजस्त्र नदी के स्रोत फूटते हों
और निरंतर अबाधित बहते हों
जहां विचारों की सरिता
तुच्‍छ आचारों की मरू भूमि में न खोती हो
जहां पुरूषार्थ सौ सौ टुकड़ों में बंटा हुआ न हो
जहां पर सभी कर्म, भावनाएं, आनंदानुभुतियाँ तुम्हारे अनुगत हों

हे पिता, अपने हाथों से निर्दयता पूर्ण प्रहार कर
उसी स्वातंत्र्य स्वर्ग में इस सोते हुए भारत को जगाओ

English Translation

Where the mind is without fear
and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been
broken up into fragments by the tireless efforts of men;

Where words come out from
the depth of truth;
Where the currents of tireless striving originate
and flow without hindrance all over;

Where the clear stream of reason and thoughts has not lost its way into the dreary
desert sand of lowly habits and deeds;
Where the valour is not divided in 100 different streams;
Where all the deeds, emotions are blissfully given by you

My father, strike the sleeping India without mercy,
so that she may awaken into such a heaven.

RTE: NDP and CCE

Right to education mandates no detention provision (NDP) and CCE at the elementary school stage. They aim to address the problems of high drop out rates, inequality,educational load etc.

Why such provisions were added..
NDP provision is made as compelling a child to repeat a class is demotivating and discouraging whereas CCE is a procedure that will be non threatening, releases the child from fear and trauma of failure etc.

Why NDP and CCE has become controversial..

A. This policy has led to lackadaisical attitude with there no risk of failing 
B.. No distinction between good or bad students.
C.. Sharp fall in learning outcomes and academic level. 
D.. The CCE has failed to take off in most schools owing to lack of basic capacity and awareness.

What can be done..
A.. counselling to ascertain the reasons why a child is failing constantly. 
B.. Learning capacity,achievements and progress of a student should be measured from time to time by conducting tests.
C.. Additional classes or special coaching for children who are weak in studies. 
D.. Teacher training programmes must be revised in line with the requirements of CCE.

To conclude.. measuring the learning level outcomes of all children on catalyzing a performance and rewarding high performers at every level, changing stakeholders mindset and preparing them for new provisions in which parents are made accountable for full attendance of their children..

आत्महत्या

क्यूंकि पत्थर भी आवाज़ करते हैं एक दिन 
क्यूंकि आदमी भी सहते सहते चुक जाता है 
क्यूंकि उम्मीद आँखों से निकल बाजुओं तक पहुँच जाती है 
क्यूंकि लड़ने के लिए शब्द कम पड़ जाते हैं 
क्यूंकि मरना-मारना आखिरी उपाय रह जाता है 
इसलिए आदमी कर लेता है आत्महत्या या कर देता है हत्या
आत्महत्यायें हत्या के पहले की आहट बस होती हैं
आहट कि लोग सहते सहते चुक चुके हैं
आहट कि लोग पत्थर उठाने के लिए झुके हैं
आहट कि अब तुम्हारा सिर बचाने का वक़्त आ गया है.

हक़

नाहक ही हक़ की बातें हैं

नाहक ही हक़ का किस्सा है

जिनके घर में लाठी है

सब उनका ही हिस्सा है.

डूब मरे जो कहने पहुंचे

कुछ हमको भी मिलना है

लोकतंत्र में 'लोक' है हम

हमसे देश चलना है.

देश चलाने वालों ने 

बदला अपना नाम

बदली अपनी कदकाठी

न बदला काला काम.

कई किस्सों की आज़ादी

दो हिस्सों में बंट गई

एक हिस्से में रोटी है

एक की आंते कट गईं.

मैं कहता हूँ बंद करो

ये लड़ना-भिड़ना, मरना-मिटना

बारूद उठाओ ख़त्म करो

जो नाहक हक़ का किस्सा है.

लाठियां तोड़ छीन लो सारा,

जो तुम्हारा हिस्सा है.

राख उठाओ अपनी खुद ही

खुद का जीवन अंत करो.

युद्ध करो, छीनो, ले लो

या युद्ध में ही अंत हो.

Industrial revolution and Effects

There are instances across the world where so-called underdeveloped but mineral-rich regions have fallen prey to fierce corporate plunder of natural resources at the expense of the local population. Identify such major regions around the world and in India, and critically examine how local communities are affected by this plunder. 

Industrial revolution had propelled the capitalist need to increase profitability by exploiting the natural resources, and states have actively supported the corporates to expand beyond borders to extract natural resources at any expense. Majority of the third world countries have fallen prey to this plunder

1. The middle east with its vast oil resources has been centre to this economic colonialism, where the Western countries have supported dictators (ex. Iraq, Syria) and monarchies ( Saudi, Kuwait) to extract beneficial contracts to the oil companies. These authoritarian regimes have been notorious with their human rights violations and executions which has now led to civil war and unrest culminating in the Arab Spring.

2. The western african (Ivory Coast, Senegal, Ghana) and central african countries( Congo, Sudan)have been the victim of the corporate rush to secure gold,diamond mines and oil fields. This has resulted in trade of weapons, drugs to local war lords, who use this coercive methods to evacuate lands and built up child militia eroding the demographic attributes of the poeple.

3. Latin American countries have the victim of "dollar diplomacy", where manipulated credit given to countries like Argentina, Uruguay have forced the national govt. to give away their natural resources at sub prime rates. While countries like Brazil, Venezuella have profited by corporate presence, others have not.

4. In India, the mineral rich dantekaranya plateau, the chotta nagpur plateau, the karnataka plateau have been undemocratically surrendered to mining companies and barons, who have manipulated contracts (Coal Scam) to maximize profit at the cost of degrading demographics of the uneducated and non influencial tribals citizens.

While national interest is served by developing natural resources, steps needs to be taking in evolving democratic ways to extract maximum benefit. Inclusive development is possible only when people are involved in deciding their own future.

Poems by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra

To An Unborn Daughter 

If writing a poem could bring you


Into existence, I'd write one now,


Filling the stanzas with more


Skin and tissue than a body needs,


Filling the lines with speech.


I'd even give you your mother's



Close-bitten nails and light-brown eyes,


For I think she had them. I saw her


Only once, through a train window,


In a yellow field. She was wearing 


A pale-coloured dress. It was cold.


I think she wanted to say something.


[From: The Transfiguring Places] 

On The Death Of A Sunday Painter

He smoked a cherry-wood pipe, knew all about cannas,


And deplored our lack of a genuine fast bowler.


My uncle called his wife Soft Hands.


Once in 1936 he sat in his Holland Hall drawing-room


Reading Ulysses when a student walked in.


Years later I read him an essay on D.H. Lawrence


And the Imagists; he listened,


Then spoke of Lord Clive, the travels of Charles M. Doughty,


"My dear young fellow . . . "


I followed the truck on my bicycle


And left early; his friends sat all afternoon

In the portico of a nearby house.


[From: Distance in Statute Miles] 

Mirza Ghalib In Old Age 

His eyesight failed him,


But in his soldier's hands,


Still held like a sword,


Was the mirror of couplets.


By every post came

Friends' verses to correct,


But his rosary-chain

Was a string of debts.


[From: Both Sides of the Sky] (anthology ed. by Eunice de Souza) 

Tax to GDP Ratio

Tax to GDP ratio is the ratio of taxes collection against nation GDP. It tells about how a unit change in GDP will contribute to the revenue of govt. In India it is at lower rate i.e. 17% while OECD average is 24%. In Scandinavian countries it is as high as 50%. In India it is on the lower side because-

1) Lots of people are not earning well and hence did not com in the direct tax bracket. Only 3% pay income tax.
2) Lowering the tax slab will increase administration cost and also regressive with low saving in hand.
3) Large unorganised sector and loopholes in tax structure.

To increase the spending of govt towards social sector, infra and public service India must increase its tax/GDP ratio, not by increasing tax rate or decreasing tax slab but by-

1) Increasing the income of its citizens through MII, SISI, etc
2) By ease of dong business and lesser bureaucratic hurdles.
3) Mending loopholes in ta policy by transparent and stable tax policy, GAAR and MAT and reducing exemption.

We must also try to increase direct tax against indirect tax because indirect tax does not differentiate b/w rich and poor and is regressive in nature, reduces saving in hands of poor. We must move towards GST so as to remove cascading effect of tax and increase revenue. Increase in tax GDP ratio will-

1) Increase revenue per unit increase of GDP
2) More income to govt for providing better services
3) Poor will be benefited more through increased govt expenditure.
4) Help in achieving fiscal deficit target hence better ratings-so more FDI-more jobs

Hence increasing tax-GDP ratio will benefit India to become a stable economy with poor benefiting the most.