Degrading Power Sector – Watts Not Happening

By M H Ahssan

With demand rising by the day, only a drastic restructuring will resolve India’s power problem.

Imagine this. It is 2029. Anil Ambani, 70, is headed for his office on the 100th floor of one of the world’s highest buildings in Navi Mumbai on a high-speed elevator. Ninety-five per cent of the cars in the country run on rechargeable batteries in an attempt to move towards greener living, so all fuel stations have been replaced by rechargeable battery stations. Meanwhile, a lot of people have abandoned personal transportation in favour of the metro rail, which now covers most cities.

Households have replaced their human help with robots (JustDoIts, manufactured by Nike, which has diversified its business) that do all the work with a smile on their faces. When they look exhausted, they are plugged to a recharge outlet, much like cellphones are today.

Parliament, tired of meeting in the dull round building that houses it several times a year, has reduced the actual physical meeting to once a year. Rest of the business is conducted via monthly virtual meetings through a state-of-the-art video conferencing network.

Life is progressing smoothly, until….
The country witnesses a sudden 48-hour power failure. The creaking machinery of the different state electricity boards (SEBs) has jointly broken down, after years of managing the crushing load on ever decrepit infrastructure.

Ambani is stuck for two days in his high-speed lift. Cars that have run out of battery grind to a halt. The metro trains, crammed with people, stop running.

Rahul Gandhi, India’s 59-year-old youngest-ever bachelor Prime Minister hurriedly summons an emergency cabinet meeting in the Parliament House because the video-conferencing facility cannot work sans power. But on arriving there, he finds himself alone. His cabinet colleagues are stuck at different locations because of the power failure.

This is a future that stares us in the face if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s new government cannot fix the power problem that has been getting worse each year for the past 10 years. Demand is rising as expected in a developing economy, but supply is falling far behind.

Without the ability to sell directly to consumers across the country — or Open Access, in the industry parlance — the private sector is still shying away from investing heavily in power projects. India’s peak power shortage was around 11 per cent a few years ago. It is estimated to go up to around 13 per cent currently — despite all the reforms that have taken place. And this 13 per cent refers to the gap between the peak power demand from consumers who have access to electricity and the generating capacity. It does reflect the fact that actual generation is often way lower than installed capacity for many reasons — fuel shortages, breakdowns in old plants, et al.

And it does not reflect the fact that a lot of the power generated also does not reach the real, paying consumer because it leaks away in the transmission and distribution (T&D) system. And it certainly does not account for the fact that peak demand would have been vastly higher if the entire country had access to electricity.

Despite 18 years of power reforms, over 40 per cent of the country’s population is without electricity, 60 per cent of Indian firms and a large percentage of homes rely on captive or back-up generation, according to a World Bank report. As former power secretary E.A.S. Sarma puts it: “In the perception of the consumer, power should be available cheap and the quality and customer service should improve whereas, in reality, it has been otherwise.”

And things — if experts are to be believed — may get a lot worse before they begin to get any better. In 2009-10 alone, the gap between the power demand and availability is forecast to be 14,978 MW against the actual deficit of 13,024 MW in 2008-09. This is despite an anticipated capacity addition in 2009 of 12,000 MW — the highest ever in a single year. (Slightly over 20,000 MW was added during the entire 10th Five-Year Plan). “So what is happening is that you are not improving, you are not even staying where you are but in fact you have deteriorated,” says Gajendra Haldea, advisor to the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission.

Many states are already in a crisis situation. Haryana, for instance — where the badly planned development of suburb Gurgaon has given rise to a never-anticipated power demand — has a 60 per cent shortage at peak time. States such as Uttar Pradesh (peak deficit 22 per cent) and Maharashtra (peak deficit 23 per cent) are not much better off. In fact, 10 out of 28 states are expected to have a deficit of over 20 per cent in their power needs in 2009-10.

But what is even more alarming is that if things continue the way they are, we will all be plunged into darkness by 2012 (ironically the year that Ministry of Power is aiming for “power for all”). According to the latest Electric Power Survey, India is expected to have a peak electricity demand of almost 50 per cent over what it did in 2008-09 (152,746 MW by 2011-12 against just over 100,000 MW in 2008-09). So what caused the crisis and what is the solution?

1970s and 1980s: The Genesis Of The Crisis
Way back in the 1970s, the governments in the states started offering free power to the agricultural sector and a few other consumers. Not only was the power given away free, no metering was done to keep track of power being given away. Lack of metering led to a situation where the SEBs lost track of how much power was being given away free and how much was being stolen.

Soon, the losses of the SEBs began to mount. Tariffs when charged were way below what was needed to cover costs. There was no need to meet the costs because the law, till the mid-1980s, did not require the boards to earn a minimum rate of return. Pilferage became rampant as the penalties were lax. As losses mounted, SEBs stopped investing in both generation, T&D capacities and modernisation.

1990s: A Serious But Badly Thought Out Attempt At Reform
In 1991, realising that the SEBs were not adding generating capacity, India opened up its power sector to private and foreign investment and invited independent power producers (IPPs) to come and set up generating units in the country. Close to 200 MOUs with proposed investors were signed to produce over 50,000 MW. Seven of these projects were backed by counter guarantees from the Centre. The SEBs had the primary responsibility to pay and if they did not, the Centre would pay. Despite this, nothing much happened.

Most of the projects failed to take off as producers of power realised that the buyers of power (the SEBs) were largely bankrupt and lacked the means to pay for what they would buy. Out of 50,000 MW, less than 4,000 MW actually materialised.

Late 1990s And Early 2000S — Reforms in Distribution
In the late 1990s, pushed by the World Bank and Department for International Development, four states — Orissa, Haryana, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh — tried various reform models. While some progress was made, none of the experiments could be called really successful. Andhra Pradesh separated its generation, transmission and distribution way back then, but did not privatise anything.

Orissa tried to privatise, but it made two mistakes. One, it replaced the public monopoly with private ones. Two, it handed over a system that was much worse than the private firms had bargained for. T&D losses in the state remain really high today (36-42 per cent) — one indication that matters have not improved.

In 2001, the Centre agreed to a one-time write-off of SEB dues to the tune of Rs 41,473 crore and also started telling the states to reform the boards or privatise them. Delhi tried out a privatisation experiment in 2002 with its distribution process. As in Orissa, instead of true competition, specific areas were carved out and handed over to private monopolies. Delhi is considered a partial success by some reformers because T&D losses have halved though power outages are still frequent in different areas. According to Lalit Jalan, chief executive officer and whole-time director, Reliance Infrastructure, which won two of the three distribution areas being privatised in Delhi, T&D losses have come down from 50-52 per cent at the time of taking over to 20-22 per cent currently. But consumers complain that power outages still happen frequently, despite over seven years of privatisation.

2003: The Electricity Act And The Main Culprits
As the situation went from bad to worse, the Centre realised that it needed to get the states to change their ways through legislation. The Electricity Act — drafted in 2000 and turned into a law in 2003 — mandated that the states introduce competition and allow consumers to choose their own supplier. This, it was felt, would help bring in enough private participation — into generation and distribution. However, none of the states have moved in this direction. Some of the states have — under pressure from the Centre — separated their generation, transmission and distribution in an attempt to move towards corporatisation, but no real reform has been done. T.L. Sankar, non-executive chairman of KSK Power Venture and former chairman of Andhra SEB, blames this on the failure to achieve quick results as a result of reforms. But he hits the nail on the head when he says “employee opposition” is one of the main problems. Harry Dhaul, director-general of IPPAI, says, “Vested interests in the states are trying to harness and capture resources in the garb of consumer interest.” Sarma says that the resistance is on account of “corruption on the distribution side, and as unbundling will permanently deprive some employees of their opportunity to work on the distribution side”. Even as this story was being written, Uttar Pradesh power employees were busy staging demonstrations to protest against the handing over of power distribution for the next 20 years in the urban areas of Agra and Kanpur to private sector Torrent Power.

Many states have outright refused to reform their SEBs. Despite the one-time write off, losses of the boards continue to gallop (see ‘Deteriorating Financials’). Power reaching the end user remains in the hands of the state-owned utilities; private producers, even if they generate, cannot get paid for the power they supply to SEBs and cannot access end users directly. B.K. Chaturvedi, member, Planning Commission, says the states are reluctant to privatise distribution because “power is a highly political matter in the states” (see interview on page 33).

2006: Ultra-Mega Power Projects
Aware of the crisis that was steadily brewing, the government in 2006 decided to set up ultra-mega power projects (projects with 4,000 MW capacity) and these were granted to the private sector through a competitive bidding process.

However, financing of the projects (cost of close to Rs 18,000 crore each) is proving to be a challenge. Moreover, the power from these projects is only likely to be available from 2011-12 onwards.

“We need to get over this infatuation with ultra mega power plants. Fix distribution today. Larger towns should be handed over to the private sector using some version of the Delhi model,” says Partha Mukhopadhyay, economist with Centre for Policy Research. Not everyone agrees that the Delhi model is the ideal way to go, but many agree that it is better than doing absolutely nothing. Raaj Kumar, chief executive officer, (Power) of the GMR group says they are “looking at appropriate opportunities to get into the distribution business”.

According to Haldea, while the mega power plants may alleviate the situation in a temporary manner, only a drastic restructuring of the power sector will resolve India’s problem.

2009: Where We Are Today And The Way Forward
States are not keen to allow consumers to choose their source of power. On paper, the states have agreed, but in practice they are using different ways to prevent consumers from breaking away. Surplus states are selling power to their state trading entities (who then auction the power in an open market) rather than offering it for open access. Some states — who do not have enough power — clearly do not want suppliers within their states to sell to anyone outside. And some states are charging absurd amounts as surcharge; so buying power from another supplier becomes unviable or too expensive.

Not only are the states not falling in line, some are actively blocking sale to other states. Haryana — an acutely power deficit state — has waived off surcharges on its consumers and allowed them to get power from outside the state, but the state government says that this has not helped. Haryana recently told the Centre that “some surplus states” are telling “their generators not to supply power directly to consumers in other states”.

As Raaj Kumar points out, without the private sector being able to freely use the open access, nothing much can progress. S.L. Rao, the first central power regulator, says, “Rules framed by the government must be free of uncertainty and arbitrariness.” After all, this is crucial for investors who have taken risks to invest in projects. This should not be compromised, he says.

The Centre is trying hard to convince the states to adopt open access. It is offering incentives — but progress is slow on that front as well. Chaturvedi, who headed a task force on open access, says the basic idea is to incentivise the states. A bit like a carrot-and-stick approach without a stick. If the Centre moves quickly, it could well convince the states to fall in line, especially the power deficit ones.

Some experts argue that more fundamental reforms are needed before power reforms actually move ahead. This is primarily because power remains a subject in the hands of the states and the Centre has limited jurisdiction over it.

Unless some of these drastic and not so drastic steps are taken, the day when life comes to a grinding halt may actually not be as far as you thi-nk. What we described when we started the story was just a figment of imagination. If it turns into reality, we will have only ourselves to blame.

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Google challenged in India

By Raja Murthy

The world’s largest search engine is caught up in another Indian legal battle, one of many ongoing around the globe. A leading cardiologist from Mumbai is complaining to the city’s High Court over 20 Google blogs he says defame him.

The cardiologist’s case is timely, raising important questions about freedom of expression in the Internet age, and Google’s huge global presence. It has equally important implications for the curious phenomena of individual publishing on the Internet, such as blogs.

The legal conflict revolves around freedom of expression becoming entangled with abuses of personal freedoms. In effect, it gives a 21st-century, online dimension to A G Gardiner’s classic essay On the Rule of the Road, which spoke of the need for traffic lights, traffic policemen and speed limits.

In the pre-World War II essay, a stout old Russian lady strides down the middle of a road in Petrograd. When told it would be safer to walk on the footpath, she retorts, “I’m going to walk where I like. We’ve got liberty now.” It does not occur to the old lady, wrote Gardiner, that if her liberty entitled her to walk in the middle of the road, it also entitled the cab driver to drive on the footpath.

In other words, the end result of too much individual freedom can be anarchy.

Similar charges of anarchy can be applied to the content produced by the world’s estimated 1.3 billion Internet users. Google leads the content flood, declaring itself to be “the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of information online – with more than 3 billion web pages, images and newsgroup messages”.

Google lawyers in many countries, including India, have consistently argued that it is impossible to regulate the mountains of content, and of the importance of privacy relating to individual freedoms.

In the Mumbai case, Dr Ashwin Mehta, one of India’s leading cardiologists, first complained against Google in 2008. He told the Mumbai court that the Google blogs had caused “incalculable harm and injury to his name, fame, standing and reputation”.

The blogs were removed following a Mumbai court order in 2008. But Google India filed an appeal against the order two months ago, saying that its blog-hosting company cannot constantly monitor everything posted on its blogs. The Mumbai High Court heard Google India’s appeal on June 23, but refused to grant a stay on the earlier court order. The next hearing is to be held on July 7.

Mehta’s lawyer, Yatin Shah, told HNN that police were trying to track the anonymous blogger, as Google has refused to disclose their identity. It is not known whether India’s courts will order Google to reveal the alleged defamer – who could have provided Google a fictitious name and address.

“Freedom of expression cannot come without accountability,” said Shah. “Here you have slander; lewd and vicious remarks published by an unnamed person against a surgeon who has operated on thousands of patients and is one of India’s top taxpayers. If they are merely a third-party provider of content, then why can’t Google give police the name and address of the blogger?”

Google’s lawyer, Iqbal Chhagla, has told the court that Google India is not responsible for defamation through Blogger, Google’s blogging service, as Blogger’s user agreement rests with the parent company in the United States. Essentially, Chhagla was trying to convince the court that individual limbs cannot be held responsible for any mischief by the body controlled by the head.

Chhagla argued that unlike publishers in print media, the blogging service cannot control what is being posted all the time. But can Google and other media houses providing blogs and similar platforms be absolved from moderating content simply on the grounds of logistics?

If I hold up a placard in Main Street and invite passersby to post material and read posts, can I claim freedom from any liability of the effects of the material expressed on the platform that I have provided? These are multi-dimensional questions that HNN readers could throw light on in HNN town halls such as The Edge.

Under India’s Internet laws, which have evolved from Section 79 of the Information Technology Act 2000, a company and its employees cannot escape responsibility for content posted on their websites, unless they can prove that the transgression happened despite efforts to prevent it.

But an amendment to the law in December 2008 appears to let service providers off the hook. Clause 2(b) of the amendment says: “the intermediary will not be liable for content provided the intermediary does not (i) initiate the transmission, (ii) select the receiver of the transmission, and (iii) select or modify the information contained in the transmission.”

Mehta’s lawyer Shah has said Google is still liable, as clause 3 (b) of the 2008 amendment says: “the intermediary will be held responsible for illegal content if it does not act immediately to remove such content after being informed about its existence”.

Mehta is not the first victim of online defamation and he won’t be the last. The more pertinent question is whether Google can convince the court that it cannot be held responsible for content it carries, as it cannot monitor the estimated 2.5 million words per minute appearing in all of its blogs.

But Google needs to serious consider these questions, or it could become the world’s largest employer of lawyers as well as the world’s largest search engine, given the frequency in which it is finding itself in the world’s courts.

Japan, the US, Britain, Belgium, Italy and India have in recent months yanked Google’s ears over its various tools. There are claims that Google Street Views violates individual privacy, that Google News and Google Books steal intellectual property, that YouTube carries illegal videos, and now that Google blogs has been used to settle personal vendettas.

“This is not the first such case I’ve fought against Google India,” said Shah. “Two years ago, I filed a similar case over defamatory blogs against Google, in which the victim was a journalist, but nobody turned up to represent Google. This is the first time we have a detailed court ruling against such defamatory blogs, and the ruling cites laws in UK and Australia.”

In filing an appeal against the earlier Mumbai court order, Google seems to have drawn a comparison with a case in 2005 involving the Chinese journalist Shi Tao and Google rival Yahoo!. In that case the Chinese government asked the Yahoo! office in Hong Kong to identify him after he used his Yahoo! e-mail account to send a report on pro-democracy protests in China to the Chinese website of the Asia Democracy Foundation.

Shi was arrested in December 2005 and sentenced to 10 years in prison, and Yahoo! was battered in a worldwide uproar of criticism. Google wants to avoid a similar fate, though it too has bent often to the Chinese government’s orders.

But the Mehta case in India is not the same as the Yahoo! China case. If they were to pursue that course, Google’s legal team would be drawing comparisons between a pro-democracy dissident in an authoritarian nation and a blogger in a parliamentary democracy, who accused a reputed professional of serious misdemeanors without any proof.

Google has been criticized by Robert Menard, founder of the Paris-based non-governmental media watchdog Reporters Without Borders. Menard wrote to Google chief executive officer Eric Schmidt and Sergey Brin, one of Google’s founders, about a similar defamation lawsuit against Google India in February 2008.

A Google blogger called Toxic Writer had posted a series of articles criticizing an infrastructure company Gremach. The company deemed the content defamatory and part of a “hate campaign”. Bombay High Court ordered Google India in August 2008 to reveal the identity of the blogger.

“We urge Google’s executives not to comply with the local law and to appeal against the court’s decision,” said Reporters Without Borders.

Menard’s letter to Google’s top brass mentioned the Yahoo! precedent in China. “You must be aware of the ensuing public relations disaster for Yahoo! and the apology that your counterpart and rival, Jerry Yang, had to give to the US Congress after it held him responsible for his client’s imprisonment,” the letter said.

“Seize the opportunity you are being given to demonstrate transparency by defying the Indian court’s request in the name of the international standards that protect free expression.”

Menard’s letter added for good measure: “We remind you that article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, says: ‘Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers’.”

Would Menard see this issue in the same light if he became a victim of malicious blogging? I am a sporadic Google blogger (publisher ID pub-5639295327936884), and have experienced how easy Google has made it for anyone to start a blog, and the amazingly detailed tools, guidelines and online help Google gives to develop and promote the blog.

I felt quite giddy, and much impressed, after spending late nights wading through the elaborate labyrinth of layered, intricate information relating to Google tools such as “AdSense”, “Analytics”, “Website Optimizer”, “Google Ad Manager”, “Search Engine Optimization”, and dozens of other aids for blog publishers.

Though the fabulous riches that my short-lived blogs earned amounts to the grand sum total of US$0.05 cents – that Google promises to send to my bank when my blog traffic revenue touches $100, which isn’t likely to happen anytime soon – testimonials from more hard-working bloggers claim daily revenues of $3,000 or more.

For money or malice, it would take an ill-wisher of Menard about five minutes to start an anonymous Google blog and falsely claim that Menard, founder of Reporters Without Borders, was also the Paris chief of the Ku Klux Klan and was a local front-man for a Colombian drug cartel.

Such a criminal anonymous blogger could then e-mail such ridiculous, defamatory postings to Menard’s family, friends, colleagues, his dentist and the media to ensure they read the rubbish. Would Menard chuckle sportingly and say, “Ah, praise be to freedom of expression,” or would he rush to the courts in Paris with smoke billowing out of his ears?

Even if the French courts ordered Google to remove the blogs (and according to Menard’s advice to Google head honchos, Google should defy local country laws), the identity of the blogger would have to be revealed for him to be stopped from restarting the anti-Menard blogs with another fake blogger identity.

Menard would then experience the long-term damage that victims of malicious slandering suffer, on blogs or elsewhere. Even if the offensive anti-Menard blogs were removed, the damage to his reputation would already have been done.

Which is why Menard [1] and Reporters Without Borders run into difficulties by suggesting that freedom of expression should come sans accountability, particularly the need to prove that serious allegations against any individual or entity are based on fact.

Failure to strike a balance between freedoms and abuses of freedom will inevitably lead to chaos on the road. “It’s just as well to remind ourselves what the rule of the road means,” wrote Gardiner in his essay. “It means that in order that the liberties of all may be preserved, the liberties of all may be curtailed.”

Blogger and similar publishing freedoms come with the same traffic rules that do not allow the pedestrian to walk in the middle of the road, claiming freedom to walk wherever they please, or allow the car driver to hurtle down the pedestrian path, claiming the freedom to drive where they want to.

The issue is urgent. Google’s Schmidt says that over 70 million blogs exist and over 120,000 blogs are being created every day.

“More than half of these blogs are created by people less than 18 years old,” Schmidt said at a health-care conference in Chicago in 2008, indicating the kind of blog boom we can expect in the near future, and also the volume of less mature content.

Besides English, Google also enables blogs in French, Italian, German, Spanish, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Japanese, Swedish, Malay, Polish, Thai, Indonesian, Tagalog, Turkish, Vietnamese and other languages.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have the blogger metrics broken down by country,” Caroline Hsu, head of communications for Google Taiwan and Hong Kong, told Asia Times Online. “Blogger is the leading blogging product in the world, with hundreds of millions of page views. Blogger has millions of users worldwide.”

These “millions of users” enrich our knowledge and insights into life more than any other time in human history. But some foolish cowards among them, as Mehta alleged to the Mumbai High Court, can also destroy lives. Anonymity and privacy are essential parts of the choices of individual freedom, but they obviously cannot be criminally misused with or without direct connivance of global media giants.

The core issue is better safety on Internet highways, and to ensure it Google and other leaders in the Blogging age should consider Gardiner’s On the Rule of the Road. “Liberty is not a personal affair only,” he wrote. “It’s a social contract. It is an accommodation of interests.”

INVESTIGATION: A Strange And Bitter Crop

By M H Ahssan

An ambitious RSS social engineering project is transporting children from Meghalaya to Karnataka to bring them up ‘the Hindu way,’ discovers HNN.

In an investigation spanning 35 schools across Karnataka and four districts in Meghalaya, HNN has found that since 2001, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has embarked on an ambitious social engineering project to transfer at least 1,600 children from Meghalaya to RSS-friendly schools across Karnataka. The latest batch comprising 160 children arrived in Bengaluru on June 7, 2009. Thirty RSS volunteers accompanied the children on the 50-hour train journey down to the city.

Tukaram Shetty, the RSS organiser responsible for the programme, in conversations spanning three months, candidly admitted to HNN that the children were part of a larger mission launched by the RSS and its affiliate organisations to ‘protect’ people from Christian missionaries active in Meghalaya. “We are committed to nurturing the Hindu way of life. There is a long-term plan envisioned by the RSS to defeat the Christian missionary forces active in Meghalaya while expanding our base in the region. These children form a part of that long-term vision. In the years to come, they will propagate our values amongst their own family members,” A childhood recruit into the RSS fold, Shetty hails from Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka and has spent close to eight years in Meghalaya – familiarising himself with the terrain and culture.

The RSS programme brings to the fore several concerns operating as it does within the demographic context of Meghalaya. The state is one of the few Christian majority states in India, with 70.25 percent of the population being classified as Christians in the 2001 census. In comparison, Hindus are pegged at 13.27 percent while a category of religious compositions pegged as ‘others’ – a possible reference to the indigenous tribal religions – is at 11.52 percent. The first Christian missionaries arrived in the mid nineteenth century to work amongst the Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes living in the region that now comprises Meghalaya.

Despite the long entrenched history of Christian conversions in the state, there exists a significant minority population of tribals who have steadfastly continued to practice their indigenous religions – their beliefs often spliced with a thin wedge of resentment against those who have chosen to convert. The RSS plans of ‘expanding the base in the region’ capitalises on this wedge of resentment with children and their education being — as Shetty admits — the starting points of engagement.

The Thinkabettu Higher Primary and Secondary School in remote Uppur — nearly 500 km from Bengaluru — is one of the 35 schools in Karnataka where the children are studying. In 2008, 17 students between six and seven years were brought to this school from Meghalaya. Following instructions from the head of the school, the children of Thinkabettu School stand up, announce their names politely in Kannada, the local language, and sit down again on the bare floor. Ask the head of the school to introduce himself and he refuses, saying, “You have come to see the children, here they are. If I give you my name, you will use it against me.” The only details forthcoming are that he is a retired bank employee and that the school, which is a century old, was started by his father. A woman in the corner is revealed to be his wife, Nirmala.

Introductions done, the children are asked to recite the latest prayer that they have memorised. Hands folded and eyes closed, the children, with shorn heads and in ragged clothes, begin a Brahminical chant that is a tribute to the teacher — Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara. The children are sitting in the same hall that serves as their school and hostel. They live and breathe, eat and sleep and study on that same barren floor. A 30-watt bulb, a blackboard and a few books and slates neatly lined up complete the picture. An ancient fridge and a ramshackle sofa separate the children’s space from the kitchen area of the hall.

Drawn from remote and often inaccessible villages across four districts in Meghalaya — Ri Bhoi, West Khasi Hills, East Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills — the children taken by the RSS to study in Karnataka belong to the Khasi and Jaintia tribal communities. Traditionally, the Khasi tribes follow the Seng Khasi religion, while the Jaintias follow Niamtre religion. Ask Manje Gowda, Headmaster at the Sri Adichunchanagiri Higher Primary School in BG Nagar, Mandya district where 38 children from Meghalaya currently study, why students are taken out of Meghalaya and he echoes Shetty’s logic, “If the children had stayed on in Meghalaya they would have been converted to Christianity by now. The RSS is trying to protect them. The education that the children receive here includes strong cultural values. When they go back home, after their education, they will help propagate these values to their families.”

The cultural values that Gowda talks of imparting to children include familiarity with Brahiminical chants, Hindu religious festivals, and a weaning away from an overwhelmingly non-vegetarian Meghalayan diet to vegetarianism. How could this possibly help the RSS in expanding their base? Shetty told HNN that indoctrination of cultural values and discipline was the first step. “It is important that children imbibe these values early on. It will bring them closer to us and away from the Christian way of life.

We teach them shlokas so they will not recite hymns. We take them away from meat so they will abhor the animal sacrifice that is inherent in their own religion,” he says. “Ultimately, when the RSS tells them that the cow is a sacred animal and that all those who kill and eat it have no place in our society, these children will listen,” he recounts calmly. Are these children being groomed to be the future foot soldiers of RSS? Shetty’s only answer is that they will part of ‘the family’ in one way or another and that time will decide.

As HNN found, across schools in different districts of Karnataka, the cultural values imparted did not vary. The degrees of immersion into the RSS credo, however, depended on the schools the children were placed in. Children who came from financially stable homes were placed in schools with proper educational and hostel facilities since parents were able to pay for them. In these schools, the disciplinary regime imposed on the children was more relaxed compared to the schools where children from poorer families were placed. HNN found that 60 percent of the children it met came from economically weaker families. Subsequently, the schools that these children were placed in resembled the Thinkabettu school in Uppur where both education and lodging facilities were free and dismal.

Most of the schools where the children have been placed are located in the coastal belt of Karnataka, the region that has emerged as the centre of communal violence in the state. The places include Puttur, Kalladka, Kaup, Kollur, Uppur, Deralakatte, Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Chikmaglur districts. Besides these, the children have been placed in schools run by influential ashrams such as the JSS Mutt in Suttur, the Adi Chunchanagiri Mutt in Mandya district and the Murugrajendra Mutt in Chitradurga district.

How do children from Meghalaya end up thousands of kilometres away in Karnataka? What is the modus operandi? Almost every child and parent that HNN spoke with identified Tukaram Shetty as the man who proposed the idea of educating children in Karnataka, offered to take the children there and then ultimately accompanied the children to Karnataka.

A former Seva Bharati (an RSS-affiliated community service organization) worker, Shetty is the official face of the Lei Synshar Cultural Society, a shell organisation established to maintain the required official distance from the RSS. In fact, the Lei Synshar Cultural Society is utterly unknown even outside its own head office in Jowai in the Jaintia Hills district. Ask for Tukaram or Bah Ram as he is called in Meghalaya and there are instant flashes of recognition. Outside the capital city, Shillong, right down to the village level, people easily recognise the RSS as the organisation that takes children to Karnataka. The organisation runs three offices in the Jaintia Hills district – in Jowai, Nartiang and Shongpong. Besides, there are several spaces occupied by the Seva Bharati and Kalyan Ashram organizations which help in the identification and transport of children.

YOLIN KHARUMINI, a teacher at a local Seng Khasi school and resident at Shillong’s Kalyan Ashram described the process. “We are asked to identify families that have not converted to Christianity and are firm in their belief in indigenous religions — Seng Khasi and Niamtre. Usually, these are families that nurse some form of resentment against Christians. Offers are made to these families to have their children educated in Karnataka. We always tell them that they will be educated according to Seng Khasi or Niamtre traditions.” Kharumini’s own niece, Kerdamon Kharumini, studies in Mangala Nursing School in Karnataka. Lists are drawn up based on the parents’ capacity to afford the child’s education and hostel facilities.

Continuing the narrative, Khatbiang Rymbai, a Class 10 student at Vidya – niketan School in Kaup, Udupi district described in detail how 200 children travelled to Bengaluru from various villages. “There were many young children. So when they divided us into groups of 13-14, the older children were put in charge. In Shillong, we were all given identification tags which had mobile numbers and the Jowai address of the Lei Synshar Cultural Society. From there, we traveled in Tata Sumos to Guwahati to take the train to Bengaluru,” she says. In Bengaluru, they were taken to the RSS office before being split into groups to go to their respective schools.

In a chilling admission, an RSS worker in Shillong, Prafulla Chandra Koch and the head of the Thinkabettu school told HNN that care is always taken to ensure that any siblings are separated from each other. “It is easier to discipline them if they are not together. We have to control them if we have to mould them. The lesser the contact they have with home, the better it is, really,” he stated.

HNN met with several siblings placed in different schools – Khatbiang’s brother Supplybiang Rymbai was placed in Prashanti Vidya Kendra in Kasargod, Kerala while she studies in Vidyaniketan school near Udupi in Karnataka. Yet another student at Vidyaniketan, Reenborn Tariang admitted to having a sister, Wanboklin Tariang, at the JSS Mutt school in Mysore. Bedd Sympli at the Abhinav Bharati Boys Hostel in Mandya district has a sister studying in Vidyaniketan, Udupi district; Iwanroi Langbang a student at the Adi Chunchanagiri Mutt school in Mandya district had a sister, Daiamonlangki, at the Vanishree school in Shimoga district. There is not one instance of siblings studying together. Ask the children why they were separated and there are no answers.

When HNN asked parents why they had chosen to place their children in different schools, they admitted they were only informed of it several months after the children had started school. Says Klis Rymbai, Khatbiang and Supplybiang’s older sister, “When they left home, all we knew was that they would go to Bengaluru. We had no details of the school they would go to – not even a name or address. Much later, we realised that Khatbiang and Supplybiang were separated and that they were not in Bengaluru.

Khatbiang also told us she was repeating Class VIII after she got admitted into school. The RSS promised to take care of our children and we trusted them.” Klis admits that her family is attempting to bring Supplybiang back to Meghalaya. “He has not adjusted well and is still young so we want him to come back. Khatbiang has already lost a year so it is best she finishes school there,” says Klis. The Rymbais are extremely well off, having made their money through mining in the Jaintia Hills district. The father, Koren Chyrmang, is an RSS sympathiser, who, besides sending his own children, has helped convince other families to send their children across. “He used to be very active but has fallen sick of late This has prevented him from traveling to other villages in this area with the RSS,” says Klis.

The physical and mental impact of studying in school environments diametrically opposed to their culture, language, religion, and food habits has been devastating. In the schools that HNN visited, hostel wardens, heads of schools and the children themselves admitted to having had serious physical problems given the differences in climatic conditions between their villages in Meghalaya and schools in Karnataka. In the Deenabandhu Children’s Home, Chamarajnagar, Karnataka, according to the Secretary, GS Jayadev, the six-year-olds from Meghalaya — Shining Lamo, Sibin Ryngkhlem and Spid Khongshei — had skin rashes for over a month as their bodies tried to acclimatise to the heat of Karnataka. Besides rashes, Spid’s eyes turned bloodshot. Doctors at the hospital where Spid was taken by school authorities told them that it was a natural reaction to the altitudinal differences.

In Thinkabettu school, too, children had severe sunburns on their faces, hands and legs though they had already spent three months in Karnataka when HNN visited them. The situation was no different with the children studying in the Kalabyraveshwara Sanskrit College run by the Adichunchanagiri Mutt in Nagamangala. Of the 11 children from Meghalaya who were placed in this school, the oldest, Iohidahun Rabon told HNN that the three of the younger ones — Sowatki Chulet, Tailang Nongdam and Perskimlang Nongkrot — were chronically ill since they had not taken to the food being given to them.

The psychological impact of the move was also obvious on several children. In all the schools that HNN visited seeking information about children from Meghalaya, the school authorities summoned the children from their classes and instructed them to introduce themselves in Kannada. For the authorities, it was a matter of great pride that children who had no association with Kannada had been taught the language well. That students who did not know a word of Sanskrit earlier now recited Sanskrit prayers with great clarity. In the Sri Adichunchanagiri Higher Primary School in BG Nagar, Mandya district, the headmaster, Manje Gowda, flung a Kannada newspaper at a student from Meghalaya, ordering him to read it. Obediently, in a low voice, devoid of any expression, the boy proceeded to read a few sentences, before quietly folding and placing the newspaper back on the headmaster’s desk. Till he was sent away, the boy never looked up. In school after school, the same scene unfolded with variations in the demonstrations of skill and familiarity with Kannada and Sanskrit.

While the authorities claimed that the students from Meghalaya had integrated well with the rest, there was overwhelming evidence to suggest otherwise. A few minutes of conversation with the children brought out stories of how they were laughed at because their names were unfamiliar and because they looked different. Invariably, and especially amongst the older students, relationships were forged with others from Meghalaya. In classrooms, six or seven students from Meghalaya squeezed into a bench meant to seat four children. Speaking Kannada had integrated the children only so far. Faced with animosity, they have withdrawn into the familiar. In schools where this was not a possibility given the limited number of students from Meghalaya, they withdrew into themselves.

The locations of the schools did not help alleviate their isolation at all. Iwanroi Langbang, a Class IX student currently staying in Nagamangala (about 150 kms from Bengaluru), talked of her disappointment at not studying in Bengaluru. “We were only told that I would be studying in Bengaluru. It was only after I came here that I heard the name of the school and realised that it was very far from Bengaluru. Here, we are not allowed outside the compound wall. And even if we get away, there is nothing outside,” said Langbang. Her school is located off an isolated stretch of the state highway.

A consequence of completely immersing young children from Meghalaya in a Kannada-speaking environment was visible at the Deenabandhu Children’s Home in Chamarajnagar district. A caretaker at the Home described one child’s growing familiarity with Kannada, “Sibin [one of the children at the Home] has picked up a lot of Kannada in the two months he has been here. During a phone call from a relative back home, he kept answering questions in Kannada which obviously they did not understand at all.” In a shocking display of insensitivity, the caretaker burst into laughter at what she thought was a hilarious incident and added, “For 45 minutes, a woman, I assume his mother, kept trying. Sibin, of course, had no answers since he had forgotten his own language.” She giggled. The caretaker then proceeded to teach Sibin the Kannada word for dinner.

According TO Sibin’s birth certificate, he is six. Yet another certificate issued by the village headman of Sibin’s village, Mihmyntdu, certifies that he comes from a poor family and needs help for his education. HNN was unable to contact his parents.

The physical and mental consequences suffered by children from Meghalaya differ from the everyday story of children placed in several thousand boarding schools across the country. That there is a larger plan behind the transportation of these children is something that RSS workers like Koch, have no qualms admitting.

Why are parents willing to send young children aged only six and seven to a distant place? In the face of these overwhelming disadvantages to the children, during visits with parents across eight villages in Meghalaya, HNN found that parents — mostly poor — handed over their children to the RSS in the belief that their kids would be well cared for, as promised. Often, the transportation of children followed kinship routes, with younger siblings following older ones. While this may seem to defy logic, examined closely, it speaks of the intricate web of lies that the RSS has managed to weave, webs that ensnare parents, school authorities and often the children themselves. There are multiple untruths that are the foundation of this entire process.

When HNN approached schools in Karnataka seeking papers that legalise the transfers of children across states, letters signed by the village headman or the Rangbah Shnong attesting to the family’s poor economic condition were handed out along with birth and caste certificates. Across different schools that HNN visited, not a single letter was produced with the parents’ signature that stated explicitly that the care of their children was handed over to that particular school. No parent that HNN met in Meghalaya had copies of any signed consent letter signed. Under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 – such consent letters are mandatory for legal transfers of children.

The transportation of children, then, with no official papers sanctioning the move, is in clear violation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act of 2000. Under this law, the RSS can be held guilty of child trafficking.

Amongst the Khasi and Jaintia tribes, there is a tenuous relationship between those who have converted to Christianity and those who have not. The RSS carefully selects children from poor families who have not converted to Christianity. “I was told that the only way to protect my daughter from conversion was to send her outside. If I didn’t, the Church would take them away and make them priests and nuns,” said Biye Nongrum in Swer village. “I was afraid for my daughter and so I agreed to hand her over,” she says. Six years after her daughter left home, Biye has no details of the school that she is studying in.

All she has is a class photograph. “I don’t have the money to visit my daughter and bring her back, even if I find out where she is. But I will never send another child away,” she says. Biye ekes out a living by selling sweet pancakes to richer families in the village. The ramshackle house that she shares with her mother and at least three other children further signal her poverty stricken condition. The socioeconomic status of the families are an indication of why it is difficult for the parents to ever bring their children back — they simply cannot afford it.

Several parents told HNN that the RSS schools where their children were studying were schools that upheld their indigenous religions – a rationale that has many takers. In Jel Chyrmang’s home in Mookhep village, HNN found a framed photograph of Jel’s daughter, Rani Chyrmang, being felicitated by the patron saint of her school, Sri Balagangadharnath. Ask Jel who the saffron-robed saint is and she blithely repeats what she has been told, a story that would be hilarious if the circumstances were not so sad. According to Jel, Sri Balagangadharnath is a Seng Khasi saint who runs her daughter’s school. There is no doubt in her voice at all. Jel’s ignorance, however, does not extend to others in the family. Her husband, Denis Siangshai, who contested the recent Lok Sabha elections, turns out to be an RSS worker. Using his daughter as an example, he admitted to having convinced others in the area as well. “People have a wrong notion of RSS. I always tell them that the RSS will give them good education and culture,” says Denis.

Most parents have no idea that the schools chosen by the RSS espouse a different ideology. Besides the forced culturisation, even the libraries and books handed out to the students are RSS publications from recognized right-wing publishing houses in Bengaluru. In the JSS Ashram school, the library was stocked with publications of RSS ideologues published from Bharata Samskruti Prakashana (Indian Culture Publications). No trace of Seng Khasi teachings or Niamtre practices.

For a non-tribal society like Karnataka, the notion of a father abandoning the family is seen as a social and economic disaster. Meghalaya, though, is a matrilineal society, where men move to live with women in their villages. Mothers continue to remain the primary caretakers. Even if the mother dies, the child is brought up by relatives and is never entirely abandoned.

When children first leave Meghalaya, parents and children are not aware where the children will ultimately be taken. As direct communication between the children and parents is limited owing to the socio-economic conditions of the parents and the lack of facilities at the schools, the RSS is the main intermediary between the two. The RSS tells parents that the children are happy and well adjusted in their new environments. The reality is something else.

Raplangki Dkhar, a standard VI student at Vidyaniketan, was clearly waiting for his uncle to come take him home. “Only if people from home come and take us, we can go back. Every year when school ends, we hear that we will be taken back. But it has been two years already,” said a forlorn Raplangki. Only two of the children TEHELKA met had ever returned home to visit. Back in Raplangki’s hometown in Raliang, Meghalaya, when HNN asked his uncle why he had not visited Raplangki, he is surprised, “I had no reason to doubt the fact that my nephew has adjusted well. At every RSS meeting in Jowai we are assured by them that the kids are healthy and happy.”

Direct phone calls between children and parents are dependent entirely on the parents’ finances. If the parents have not been able to pay for the child’s education, the schools that they are placed in are often the free orphanages run by the Mutts, where access to phones is non-existent, as is the case with the free hostel run by the Sri Adichunchanagiri Mutt.

For the RSS, these falsifications are part of a process. A process that is bound to add an additional layer of complexity amongst the people of Meghalaya, quite apart from the mental and social costs inflicted on young children.

‘The Children Will Champion Hinduism’
At the Kalyan Ashram in Shillong, Prafulla Chandra Koch and Sukanto Borman, two RSS workers, talked with HNN about what the RSS hopes to gain through the programme. Both refused to be photographed.

For how many years have the children been taken to Karnataka? How many have gone?
SB: I am not sure about the years, but I know there are more than 1,500 to 1,600 children in schools in Karnataka. Every year, Tukaram Shetty takes more children with him.

But why don’t you start schools here? Why send them to Karnataka?
PCK: In some villages, we help village councils run schools. We pay their teachers’ salaries. This isn’t possible in many villages since the Christians are everywhere here. This programme is also about culture. The children are sent to schools in Karnataka to imbibe good cultural values.

What values are you talking about?
SB: That we are all Hindus and that Hindus have to stick together…

PCK: (interrupts) When they stay in Karnataka, they are exposed to many other children. They learn to live in harmony with them. They carry the love and acceptance they get there back to Meghalaya and spread it to their parents. Right now, outsiders or dakkar are viewed with a lot of suspicion but this will change after some years, making our work easier.

What specific gains does the RSS hope for?
PCK: Since these children are educated in RSS schools, they will adopt the Hindu religion. Already, we have seen children refusing to eat meat when they return. They will also teach their parents to follow in their footsteps. Over time, the children who return will champion the Hindu way of life in Meghalaya.

That is a really long-term agenda.
PCK: We benefit immediately too. Four to five times a year, we hold compulsory meetings with the parents of children sent to Karnataka, usually in Jowai. RSS pracharaks attend these meetings. We share information with the parents and ask them if their children have been in touch with them and what they have been saying. Besides this, discussions also revolve around conversions and the problems that are created by Christians in Meghalaya. We can’t call it a shakha yet, but give us another year.

‘I Begged Them For My Son’s Number’
She believed the RSS when they said a better future awaited Iohi but didn’t have the money to bring him back

AT 16, Iohidahun is the oldest of the 11 students from Meghalaya at the Kalabyraveshwara Sanskrit College run by Sri Adi Chunchanagiri Mutt. Iohi has already spent three-and-a-half years training to be a priest.

When HNN visited the hostel, all the children from Meghalaya were lined up and asked to recite shlokas. Iohi, almost reluctantly, led the group. Even hours later, Iohi remained resolutely silent, offering clipped answers to questions. Did he miss home? Of course. Did he like the hostel? Did he want to be a priest? There were no answers. Iohi was not sullen, he had just withdrawn completely.

Three months later, when HNN visited his village, Shangpung Pohshnong in Meghalaya, his aunt, Sa Rabon, presented a completely different picture of Iohi. As a child, he was one of the naughtiest one around who came home only when he was hungry. The child who would not stop talking. Iohi lost both his parents at an early age and was brought up his aunt. “My sister [Iohi’s mother] is dead. I am his mother now. He is no orphan,” says Sa in complete defiance of the claims made by Iohi’s hostel authorities that he was an abandoned orphan.

“For the first two years, I had no idea where he was. Not a single phone call from him. I begged and cried and asked the people who took him away for a number to call him on. Every meeting that I attended in Jowai, this was the only question that I asked Bah Ram (Tukaram Shetty). But he was aggressive and refused. Finally, someone else gave me the number and offered to take me to see my son. But I didn’t have the money,” recounts Sa. Why was he sent away in the first place? “They told us that they would take good care of him. I wanted the best for my child, but didn’t know it would be like this,” says Sa.

Sa is clearly a distressed mother – five days before we visited the place, Iohi had called to complain that money given to him was stolen and that he couldn’t take the beatings anymore.

Health In The Hills – Dr. Modi’s Health Resort

The week I spent at Dr Modi’s was one of the best in my mis-spent last decade. It was so satvik, like Yudhishthira I was walking two inches off the ground when I left.

But the satvik-ness apart, there is much else to keep one’s feet off the ground at Dr Modi’s. The resort covers some 55 acres (22 hectares) of which 27 are developed, and is pleasantly tree-laden and landscaped. Karjat in the last couple of years has received 250 inches of rain between late June and late September and there is commensurate greenery in the area. The low hills of the Western Ghats stand around, and altogether it is very pleasant.

The feel and facilities of Dr Modi’s Health Resort are at par with a 4-star hotel. The service is good and the people who work there well trained, despite not being from catering or hotel institutes. This owes perhaps less to Dr Modi — who focuses on his patients — and more to his charming wife Usha, who has managed his affairs for 30 years.

There is precious little to do at the resort except to commune with yourself and concentrate on your health, and that is as it should be. I only switched on the TV once, soon after I arrived, to see what channels were available. Otherwise there is the walking track, a nicely designed oval of 320m surrounded by green; there is a 25m-long swimming pool with a walking jacuzzi; there is table tennis; and there is a fine long road to walk up and down. The road is lined with the cottages for guests. At its end is the Health Club with Dr Modi’s consulting room and the rooms for all the treatments.

It is worth taking the Health package for a week, just to detoxify the system. We Indians eat a lot of oily food, but the feeling of well-being produced by the diet here will make you want to change your lifestyle. Diet, in fact, is a very important component of overall health to the Modis. They are almost finicky about it. Mrs Modi asks, “What can be eaten raw or sautéed, why cook it?” Dr Modi sets out the body’s timetable: “Absorption is from 8 pm-6 am; only water should be taken then. The time for elimination is 6 am-12 noon; during that period, eat only fruit, raw vegetables and sprouts. Assimilation takes place between noon and 8 pm, lunch and dinner come in that time. But no milk products at all, or fried things, or sugar.”

Dr Modi recommended that I eat only fruit for three days. I could have done it, but knew I would be unhappy, so we compromised on one day. Since breakfast on the Health package is always only fruit, that meant I went 40 hours without eating anything else. But it put the roses in my cheeks. I also lost 2 kg in five days.

The special treatments are also well worth it. Of course they are old hat to many city dwellers now, when apartment buildings have gymnasia and saunas and jacuzzis. It is different, however, when someone is taking care of you. (I even enjoy a visit to the dentist, simply because it’s so rare in our crowded lives that a comparative stranger evinces such concern for your health.) So to be oiled and pummelled and massaged into shape by the masseurs at the resort gave me a feeling of supreme contentment.

As it happened, I was suffering from some back pain when I visited the resort, and had a perfectly legitimate reason for consulting Dr Modi. I’ve also had a bad knee of old. Dr Modi made an examination, just as any physician would, and recorded my case history. Then he asked me to lie on a high couch and set to work.

Osteopathy is all about manipulation, not massage, and some of Dr Modi’s holds resembled scenes from the akhara. He seized my leg, thrust his arm behind the knee and threw his weight on it; he worked the joints around; he pressed my spine into place. Though short statured he is quite powerful, and long years of this work have trained him to use his weight. Some of the manipulations approached the threshold of pain but, after half an hour of therapy, when I stood up I felt curiously lighter. (See ‘Osteopaths and their manipulative ways’ on facing page).

Some of the patients I saw visiting Dr Modi were unable to even lie down with ease, and many were unable to walk. Clearly his osteopathic self is consulted by serious ‘patients’. There is usually a two-week gap given between osteopathy treatments.

The Health Club has a women’s and a men’s section with separate attendants, all trained personally by Dr Modi. Tell them of any specific aches you suffer from and take some old clothes along, especially underwear, since massage oil has a way of sticking to you.

The oil massage, lasting most of an hour, is done in the North Indian Naturopathic style (not the Kerala Ayurvedic, now so popular) with copious amounts of oil. The mud bath is not really a bath: it involves sitting in a chair on a sunny terrace while clay is liberally plastered all over you. You stay there till it dries — good for the skin. The full body wrap means you are wrapped in soaking wet sheets and stay immobile — the only treatment I found actively uncomfortable. The jacuzzi here is a sit-down bath for two, while powerful jets of water assail your body. (There is a ‘walking jacuzzi’ at the swimming pool.) The steam bath is a box in which you sit with only your head outside and have the sicknesses sweated out of you. Very enjoyable, as is the sauna, a small room with fresh-smelling wooden benches on which you sit while you are literally steamed. The temperature goes up to 80o C here.
The health package is flexible. Dr Modi prescribes, but if you feel any particular treatment — such as those for weight loss — is doing you good, you can probably ask for a repeat.

Strangely, there were relatively few guests at the resort on the Health package. Dr Modi’s regular patients for his osteopathic treatment come every weekend, mostly from Mumbai but sometimes from farther afield. But there is always at least one conference going on. These could be workshops, or marketing conventions, or simply company pleasure trips. Everybody lets their hair down and relaxes. But Dr Modi’s Health package definitely deserves a try: staying for a week or so on this package is itself a rare chance to rid oneself of stress and to detoxify the system in idyllic surroundings.

ABOUT DR MODI’S
Dr Modi’s Health Resort was opened in April 1998, but Dr Modi himself continued to practise in Mumbai and visit the resort weekly. In 2003, however, he and his wife shifted here for good. They manage the place themselves. Since the resort as it exists is only four years old, it cannot be said to have taken final shape. The Modis have plans to develop it and offer more therapies, including Yoga.

The chief attraction of the resort is undoubtedly not the resort itself: It is Dr Modi’s reputation as India’s first osteopath, and his record of treating some 50,000 patients over 35 years without using invasive techniques.

The ailments he has successfully combated include slipped disc, sciatica, cervical spondylosis, tennis elbow, migraine, arthritis, knee pain and dysmenorrhoea. He is also consulted about high blood pressure, weight loss programmes, diabetes, chronic stomach problems, and de-stressing and rejuvenation programmes. Some 30 patients, mostly from Mumbai, visit him from Friday to Sunday, and another half-dozen during the week. His dream is to found a college of osteopathy, which would be India’s first.

TREATMENTS AND TARIFFS
Osteopathy, Rs 2,000 per session with Dr Modi personally.
Health Club treatments (included in the Health package): Full body massage Rs 400; Mud bath Rs 400; Full body wrap Rs 250; Aroma facial Rs 350; Jacuzzi Rs 250; Sauna bath Rs 250; Steam bath Rs 250; Head massage Rs 200. The main massages are for 45 mins, facial for 30 mins, and the baths for 15 mins.

THE THERAPISTS
Dr Krishna Murari Modi claims to be the first osteopath to practise in India, and he is certainly one of the very few. His father, Dr Vithal Das Modi, was interested in Naturopathy and travelled all over India collecting and studying therapies. In 1947 he set up Arogya Mandir, now a 100-bedded Naturopathy hospital, in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, and also founded a health magazine, Arogya, which is still being published.

Dr Modi took his MBBS from GSVM Medical College, Kanpur, in 1964. Until 1966 he was at the Central Institute of Orthopaedics, Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi. Dissatisfied with what he considered an incomplete science, in 1966 he went to the UK and joined the London College of Osteopathy, of which he is a Member. From 1969, he worked at Arogya Mandir for seven years.

In 1976, he and his wife moved to Mumbai where he quickly attracted a large and varied clientele. He practised in Mumbai from 1976 to 2003, and had a number of illustrious patients, including painter MF Hussain and illustrator Mario Miranda who helped him with his book on health farms.

Dr Modi takes a keen interest in sports. A story he proudly recounts is about how he cured Test cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar, now Chairman of Selectors, of a back ailment, and helped his career to flourish without surgery.
Dr Modi has published two books: Health Farming (Health Farm Publications, 1989; now out of print but to be re-issued) and Cure Aches and Pains through Osteopathy (Orient Paperbacks, 1997; Rs 95).

The masseurs and other attendants at the resort have been personally trained by Dr Modi.

A Bond with Bones

By M H Ahssan

The traditional system of mending bones practised by some of the hakims in the Old City of Hyderabad has a loyal clientele which seems to increase by the day.

Accidents can happen to anyone. They could take place at home or even when one is out on the roads. Minor or major, injuries on the body can leave one writhing in pain and rushing to the nearest doctor. For most people, allopathic cures are the easiest option, because of advances in medical technology. However,

when bones break, the hefty bills slapped upon hapless patients by the orthopaedic hospitals, is perhaps much more painful than the fractured limb itself. Some may not have the wherewithal for such expensive treatment and there are the ones who go in for traditional systems of healing. The Puttur (near Tirupati) bone setters being a case in point. In the city, there are people who have set up clinics in the old city area and have a devoted clientele. The hakim’s hypnotic gaze and a touch of ice anaesthetises the affected part. His dexterous fingers spot the fracture and set it right in a jiffy while the assistant applies a paste, bamboo stick patti bandage. It is all over in a few minutes. They come with tears but go back with smiles. This system might prima facie appear crude but all this ultimately boils down to aiding nature’s own healing mechanism.

Though bone setters have mushroomed all over Hyderabad, the families of hakim Ghulam Rasool Khan and Quadri of Shahalibanda only have gained international recognition. Ghulam Rasool Khan, the ninth generation orthopaedician, traces his lineage to Hakim Ghulam Ahmed, the Royal Jerrah (orthopaedic) to Emperor Aurangzeb. His father Hakim Mohammed Moin was the Royal jerrah of the Raja of Khairpur. Khan, who believes in transparency of the whole system, recollects with pride a BBC documentary on his art by Dr. Michael Yorke.

The Quadri family, on the other hand, has a mass appeal having treated over 40 lakh cases in 67 years for which they have written to the Guinness Book of Records, with evidence, for an entry.

The late G.A. Quadri learnt the unique art of treating orthopaedic problems with mere manipulation of fingers over the affected part along with massage of herbal oil and specially prepared pastes. Perfecting his skills in Secunderabad and Mumbai in the early 1940s, senior Quadri set up the present clinic in Shahalibanda which is now being managed by his almost dozen strong siblings including a lady Mrs. Rafath Aziz.

In order to gain recognition from the modern medical fraternity, the Quadris are maintaining systematic records of the patients. These contain the initial prescription of the allopathic doctor, medicines prescribed, X-rays and other reports before the commencement of the traditional treatment. An X-ray record or even a video if the case is very complicated, is kept after the cure. Their dream is to set up the world’s best Ortho-neuro Techniques Research Institution which will be a fusion of the traditional and modern orthopaedic systems. Patients come from faraway places like Delhi, Maharashtra, TamilNadu, Karnataka and Rajasthan with several orthopaedic problems like sciatica, prolapse disc, backache, cervical spondylitis.

Ironically, the efficacy of the Quadris orthopaedic wizardry has been proved by the same fraternity of modern doctors who ridicule them the most. Suffering from an advanced stage of `cervical spondylitis’, Dr. Ghansyam of Yawatmal got relief in just three sessions. When pain-killers failed to stop the shooting sciatica pain, Dr. Shook Kumar, a noted surgeon, reluctantly approached the Quadric where he got “relief by a gentle touch of Quadric.” while the sceptics might find umpteen flaws in Quadric `crude’ cure, the rush for grabbing a token for day’s treatment seems to be unabated.

The Reactive and Predictive Style of Management

By Nikhlesh Mathur

“We will cross the bridge when it comes”. Often we have heard this phrase from the Senior Executives in industries, from business Leaders, Educationists who plan strategies, Captains and Coaches of the sporting teams, Managers, In-charges etc when pushed to the wall by relentless questioning about what shall they do under certain problematic circumstances.

Expressing this famous phrase (‘we will cross the bridge when it comes’) indicates that the decision maker either does not want to divulge his strategy any further to the person wanting to enquire or he does not have one and would decide at the nick of the time as and what the situation demands. On most occasions it is the latter which is true and that can be ascertained quite easily through the face expressions and, or body language of the person making the statement. It is quite fair to say so when the strategist appears to have resigned to fate and said this as the last option when the series of his/her plans could not actually deliver as desired. But it is not always quite fair if there is no particular strategy, no specific procedure, no time bound scheme at all and the thought kept in mind is that we shall do what the situation demands at that moment.

For most people this itself is a strategy, a method of management, a procedure they would like to follow under all circumstances by which they react to the problem on seeing it, formulate an instant solution, get into all sorts of hurry and implement it quickly. This is what we all call as Reactive Management style. When someone is reactive he/she behaves in response to what happens at that particular moment. On most occasions in life outside our offices we all do so repeatedly. We react to situations, we respond to prevailing conditions, we act on the spot, we operate as per the setting or we function depending upon the state of affairs. In other words when we follow reactive management method we wait for the event to show its ugly face and then we jump at the situation, invent a solution and then try to bury the event as it props up.

There is little doubt that this requires speed, agility, suppleness and a compulsion if not desire to win the situation under all conditions. People following the style of reactive management often develop the ability to think ‘out of box’, decide at the spot and get into the act quickly. They become innovative and bring into practice the solutions which have never been heard of before. They hardly worry about the cost factor. They invent solutions at the location. They dig wells when water is required.

Truly speaking this is somewhat desirable in today’s Managers. It shows their capability to act on the situation, ability to catch the problem by the scruff of its neck and manage it somehow. But if it becomes a routine, a practice, a methodology to display their skills to handle war like situations then obviously it should become a cause for concern. At the same time reactive management style also carries the risk that the problem buried instantly behaves like a jet of water and erupts somewhere else in greater force and in oblivion to the set of people who grounded it earlier. The ball forced in the other court may boomerang anytime; it may catch the decision maker at the wrong foot.

A disorder somehow adjusted instantly might carry some undetected symptoms which initially go away as such, but return with more complex disease. The habit of injecting strong doze of antibiotics (immediate reactive actions) in every small illness (business issues, troubles) can injure the body (business) completely in no time and drain out the finances. A normal business issue should not be allowed to become critical for the sake of displaying reactive management skills to solve it.

Reactive management skill is however sure to make most of the bosses happy, particularly the ones who head businesses not running in a professional manner. Such instant happiness could be a result of the method of upbringing of most of us. Nobody wants complications and most of us refrain from taking interest in the methods our subordinates apply for solving the problems. We believe in ‘All is well that ends well’ and seem to be busy elsewhere when someone tries to explain the hurdles encountered in the process of achieving the desired result.

We often tend to be ‘Happy go lucky’ type. In short we ourselves promote reactive management style to our subordinates when we do not sit with them with alternate set of procedures and / or as an option we give them the liberty of doing anything unethical or immoral to get rid of a biting issue. Under such circumstances we often fail to realize the cost implication when a business problem which is assumed to be satisfactorily slaughtered by us in the past, returns with a different face and larger in size.

What should we do then?

There is other side of the each coin. Predictive management style is the other side of the coin here. If Reactive management is a skill which most of us develop automatically with experience, the Predictive management skills needs time, efforts and most importantly practice.

What is Predictive management? It is skill of curtailing the problems which might require Reactive management skills to get rid of them at a later stage. Predictive management involves futuristic thinking and developing strategies to simply prevent occurrence of issues which otherwise could grow strong with time and then require to be slaughtered cruelly rather then wiping them off tenderly without causing distress and pain. Incidentally Predictive management skills require deep study of the Reactive management methods applied earlier on similar issues.

It requires root cause analysis even when a problem is solved using reactive management skill. What was the origin of the problem? How was it caused? What could have been done to prevent it altogether? What had to be done to erase it out? Was it expunged finally? Prudent answers to these questions if thought scientifically and discussed proactively with the actual sufferers of that problem can help us in developing solutions which will atleast impede that problem if not totally prevent it from occurring again.

Predictive management is a style of management with scientific approach. It combines the procedures used in the past, gives an outline for modus operandi, prepares the plot for action, indicates about our past shortcomings in dealing with that situation, enables us to judge the entire scenario logically and then provides us with set of alternative solutions for the changed circumstances.

This style of management has to be evolved with experience. It has to be developed like a habit. Deep rooted thinking is a necessity for developing the habit of Predictive management style. It is quite easy in hindsight to say what could have been done to avoid a situation which had to be subjected to a reactive management method in absence of a relevant scheme to handle it. Predictive management style is as necessary as Reactive management style, rather more important than it to run a business successfully for a long term.

Why do we have to wait for an unpleasant situation where applying reactive management skill remains the only solution? When this question begins to gyrate in our minds during our ‘Thinking Periods’, we can say we are gradually moving towards attaining the habit of Predictive thinking. When we sincerely want to avoid panicky situations, when we start recognizing the ‘wake up calls’ easily, when we are able to see the warnings behind the actual scene it means we are slowly getting into the mould of predictive management approach.

Predictive management skills are always better but definitely not at the cost of loosing all your skills of Reactive management. The importance of Reactive Management skills cannot be ruled out completely. Businesses will falter more, if reactive management skills are given a back seat but at the same time business might cease to flourish if Predictive management skills are not applied intelligently.

A virgin situation can be tackled through Reactive management skills but to prevent its repetition in any form Predictive management skills are essential. Both are necessary in business but practicing Predictive management skills is more important than using Reactive management skills as they enable businesses to sustain success successfully for much longer time. Business owners and leaders should avoid encouraging the use of Reactive management skills and at the same time should welcome and applaud the Predictive management skills.

Recession: Looking Towards Indigenous Solutions

By Dr. Perumal Koshy

The global market has a lot of potentials worth exploring, but how far we can we explore job creation potentials just outside our homes, within our local economy? Entrepreneurs emerge when things look gloomy. It is the innovative spirit that facilitates an economy moving forward towards recovery and not just the financial packages.

There are areas that can be harnessed as feasible ventures that generate employment both in manufacturing and service sectors. At a time when the economy is showing signs of ill-health, general weakness and lack of normal vigor, new ideas and fresh initiatives become significant. Here comes the role of leadership. A novel idea coupled with the energy to sustain an initiative taken is the right mix. For instance, the services sector has plenty of unexplored spaces that one would not have hitherto been imagined, that an entrepreneur could make use of.

IT and export oriented units are the ones that faced the initial crunch, due to their obvious linkage with international market. More than 6000 small sized IT and outsourcing companies had to exit from their business activities, across the country, in the last year itself. (Business Standard Report, Recession hits small IT& BP firms, June 2, 2009) They are down now and the hope of their picking up normal active life so soon may not be so realistic. Here comes the challenge to reorienting for potential local market. While IT companies especially of small sized ones, catering to international clients losing out in the event of downturn, they must look within their territory first rather than harping on winning over oversees customers as the only means for business.

A comparison of China and India, their respective strategies would be an exercise that could be worth doing. Compared to India, China first focused on developing its IT local market before going to conquer the world market. To begin with, China laid a strong foundation for IT, when it set up a strong IT infrastructure, on which all future developments could be based, well in advance. It is also to be noted that they gave sufficient thrust to develop Chinese language content so that all people could benefit from information and communication technology. Eighty percent of IT industry revenue in China has a domestic origin where as in the Indian case it is just opposite.

Also, it is to be noted that China succeeded in democratizing Information Technology use by giving appropriate importance for development of content in local language. They have encouraged their SMEs adopt ICT applications substantially. Any B2B website for instance Alibaba.com or tradekey.com etc have majority of companies from China exhibiting their online presence through these sites in addition to their regular websites.

Where does the local market for IT prevails? Though it is very vast let us take one case. We have in India as large as 10.3 million SMEs. This is indeed a big market for Indian IT companies, especially small IT enterprises. We provide services to international clients but have we realized the huge potential of this domestic market. In addition to this there are possible business avenues for Indian IT companies especially small IT companies in rural India for making National E-governance Program (NEGP) operational by participating with the government in a variety of jobs they that they could source from around 256600 local government offices that spread across the country.

To develop jobs and to really make e-governance plan a reality, the thrust has to be much stronger for developing content in local languages. It is also the case as far tapping the vast SME market within the country. National e-governance plan is estimated to generate a market as big as US $ 10 billion for IT. A large number of jobs in the Gram Panchayat (GP) offices (2,50,000), Block Offices ( 6000), District offices ( 600) as part of national e-governance plan, in areas of, Data conversion, data-entry, computerization etc, in huge quantity, can help develop IT local market and economy in general.

This being the case only for IT, how about other sectors, especially non-IT segments of the economy? Just for instance a recent report on Choir board says that despite recession and all sorts’ odds, Choir industry could grow substantially, expanding and diversifying market and product sets. While jackfruits of Southern India, gets unused by farmers when it grows in plenty during the months of February to June, a recent successful experiment at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Thelliyoor in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala shown that products worth Rs. 750 could be made and processed from a 10 kg weighing jackfruit. Products varies from different varieties of Jams, jackfruit drinks, Halwa to chips can be made from it. Jackfruit is just case, there are number of such cases one could showcase. Government support has to go in such areas with much more focus on local market. Financial packages targeting large scale sector and other big players alone won’t facilitate a ‘real recovery’.

India wilts as monsoon fears grow

By M H Ahssan

India could be staring at an imminent drought. It’s not the delayed national budget, but the specter of a delayed – or, in large measure, denied – monsoon that’s giving everyone sleepless nights. The Indian Meteorological Department has stopped short of baneful predictions in an economically stressful year – mindful of the political implications – but the signs are dire.

It has been a heart-breaking June, with the fabled wet wind from the southwest absent in most regions normally on its itinerary. The northern plains are bone dry, with temperatures regularly touching the mid-40s in centigrade. They are the last port of call for the complex, mobile weather system which usually arrives there in July after drenching the vast swathes of peninsular India in June. But the monsoon has not even kept this date, for a number of reasons.

The monsoon season had an ominous start. In May, a spoiler developed in the Bay of Bengal in the shape of Cyclone Aila. Its low pressure core sucked off huge volumes of moisture from the incipient monsoon system building up off the Arabian Sea coast in the southwest, pouring it down in torrential buckets over the eastern seaboard states of Orissa and West Bengal. The residual moisture was funneled up into India’s northeast, which saw rains a week or so ahead of schedule.

In the southwest and over the peninsula, the delicate monsoon never really recovered. It mostly hovered around the windward areas of the Western Ghats, the Malabar and Konkan coasts proper, as if hesitating to make an ingress into the mainland because it didn’t have enough wind in its sails.

By the end of June, the rains were estimated at 54% below normal levels in these parts, with the deficit reaching 75% in central India. Desperation has began to show, with the state of Andhra Pradesh readying for cloud-seeding and some analysts gloomily offering el-Nino as a possible cause. Those capable of seeing patterns beyond the rational, of course, sought refuge in prayers and rituals, the most exotic instance being the marriage of two frogs organized in Nagpur to propitiate the gods.

At this point, the government finally thought it fit to say something. In a sort pre-emptive measure, it officially downgraded the 2009 monsoon to 93% of normal. This is a “below normal” figure – a cautious trimming of the “near normal” 96% forecast in April.

According to data collected since the 1940s, “normal” is 890 millimeters for the whole season. This naturally varies in different parts of India – which allows for the co-occurrence of bounty and scarcity.

The current reading is that, since June accounts for less than one-fifth of this total, central India may recover in the latter part of the season. What is really worrisome is that India’s northwestern foodgrain belt, falling in the states of Haryana and Punjab, is likely to be worst hit. The prediction is that it will get only 81% of the long-term average for the region. That is not counting the 5% to 8% error level which could bring the rainfall level down to 73% of the normal.

The fear of drought – it would be the first in seven years – looms large. With power and water scarcity setting in, tempers in the cities are soaring almost in tandem with the heat.

After the predictions were made public, the first knee-jerk reaction came from Punjab. The state banned the use of air-conditioners in government offices, boards and corporations – despite the sweltering heat – so eight hours of uninterrupted power could be supplied to the farm sector. Some states have begun advertising to persuade farmers to switch crops and are even inviting tenders for cloud-seeding. The government is trying to keep things calm. Agriculture Secretary T Nanda Kumar has acknowledged the concerns but has insisted there is no reason to panic yet. A delayed monsoon could still make up for the loss.

The monsoon, which runs from June through September, is such a big thing in India that a bad year has the potential to topple governments. Even now, 60% of Indian farmland is dependent on rains, not irrigation. It goes beyond the economic, the imprint goes into the very socio-cultural make-up of a nation. From classical culture to kitsch Bollywood romance, nothing is untouched by the the unfailingly iconic moment of the arrival of the rains.

Its failure to arrive, then, is a soul-killer. The image of the ubiquitous poor farmer scanning the skies for a sign of the first dark cloud, framed against a parched piece of land with as many cracks as there are on his face, is both a subject of cliche and a matter of all-too-mundane reality. Governments of India dread nothing more than a bad monsoon. On the scale of enormity, it is no less huge than terrorist attacks or internal turmoil. For economists, who ply a predictive trade as risk-prone as that of weathermen, it’s a built-in uncertainty in their forecasts. Their permitted margin of error.

Scientific monsoon prediction in India is an old game. The Met Department was the first national weather service in the world to start operational monsoon prediction work in 1886. This was when a British officer-cum-researcher used the relationship between winter Himalayan snow cover and the monsoon to make predictions. Forecasting the quantum of rainfall for the whole season was found useful for planning purposes. For farmers now, official word on intra-seasonal phenomena such as onset and withdrawal of the monsoon cycle is crucial for planning.

In a nutshell, a truant monsoon plays havoc with the kharif (rain-dependent, summer) crops. The implications can be better understood when seen against what are otherwise mundane statistics – 60% of India’s 1.1 billion population survives on agriculture. That they account for only a fifth of India’s national income only underlines the peril-ridden nature of their economics.

A dry June means kharif sowing is badly affected as it needs good rains for at least 15 days of June spilling over to July. Kharif crops like paddy, sugarcane, groundnuts, maize and pulses have a significant bearing on the country’s food security, while others like cotton shape rural incomes. The spate of suicides by debt-ridden farmers in the past few years was highest in peninsular India’s cotton areas.

This is, still, part of the problem. As poor rains lower agricultural output, in a chain effect they will also raise food prices and dent rural demand. Not to speak of the impact it would have on corporate profitability and market sentiment. The corporate sector wants the government to take corrective measures, if there’s a problem at hand, so that food prices can be kept in check. Even the prime minister’s office is monitoring the reluctant march of the monsoon. The state governments have been called for a meeting on Thursday to thrash out a contingency plan. There’s obviously no time to lose.

A drought would affect the central government’s finances on both the revenue and expenditure sides. Reduced rural demand in turn impacts industrial demand and consequently growth. Lower collections of all major taxes ranging from personal income to corporate, excise and even customs is a natural corollary. India’s relative immunity to the global meltdown was attributed to its large domestic economy – in particular its hitherto under-appreciated rural component, whose robustness, being more insulated from world trends, came to the rescue of the more glamorous cities. It is this sector that gets directly hit by a bad monsoon.

On the other side, there would also be more pressure on the government’s social welfare schemes. Drought would most certainly increase demand for the rural employment guarantee scheme and other sops may also be necessary. Besides, the government has promised a National Food Security Bill that would statutorily require the supply of 25 kilograms of rice or wheat at 3 rupees (US$0.06) per kilogram to poor families – a measure that could push up the subsidy bill by millions of rupees. And all this is happening in a year when the government has little maneuverability to spend its way through the crisis.

Little wonder that Minister for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan has cautiously admitted, “The southwest monsoon from June to September is likely to be below normal. But we’ve July and August to make up for the deficit.” In concrete terms, bad rains signifies trouble in states like Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Orissa, where farmers could face crop loss; in Kerala, Uttarakhand and Punjab it could result in shrinking of reservoirs that would affect power generation and release of water to irrigated tracts.

For instance, the Tehri hydroelectric power station in Uttarakhand supplies power to New Delhi and its hinterland. The water level in its reservoirs has shrunk to dangerously low levels – 741 meters against a normal level of 830 meters during monsoons. The Bhakra dam, the biggest hydroelectric project in northern India, has water flowing in from the mountains. Its reservoir levels remain lower than they were last season.

Elsewhere in the country, the situation is no better. The Central Water Commission has made it known that in 80% of the reservoirs, the water level is below the 10-year average for the season. What has compounded the problem is that there was no snow in the higher ranges and no rain in the lower Himalayan mountains. In other words, with snow-fed rivers too under stress, a grim rain scenario would only complicate matters.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has the toughest job ahead. Scheduled to place a budget before parliament on July 6, he’s faced with the task of producing a document that can revive an economy hemmed in by a high budget deficit and a looming food crisis. Actual gross tax revenue already fell by 3% in 2008-09, adding to Mukherjee’s troubles.

All in all, it’s the kind of crisis management that could require the Manmohan Singh government – voted back to power partly because of the premier’s much-touted economic skills and partly because of its welfarism – to empty its coffers and stretch its talent pool.

Obama creates a deadly power vacuum

By M H Ahssan

There’s a joke about a man who tells a psychiatrist, “Everybody hates me,” to which the psychiatrist responds, “That’s ridiculous – everyone doesn’t know you, yet.” Which brings me to Barack Obama: one of the best-informed people in the American security establishment told me the other day that the president is a “Manchurian Candidate”.

That can’t be true – Manchuria isn’t in the business of brainwashing prospective presidential candidates any more. There’s no one left to betray America to. Obama is creating a strategic void in which no major power will dominate, and every minor power must fend for itself. The outcome is incalculably hard to analyze and terrifying to consider.

Obama doesn’t want to betray the United States; he only wants to empower America’s enemies. Forcing Israel to abandon its strategic buffer (the so-called settlements) was supposed to placate Iran, so that Iran would help America stabilize Iraq, where its influence looms large over the Shi’ite majority.

America also sought Iran’s help in suppressing the Taliban in Afghanistan. In Obama’s imagination, a Sunni Arab coalition – empowered by Washington’s turn against Israel – would encircle Iran and dissuade it from acquiring nuclear weapons, while an entirely separate Shi’ite coalition with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization would suppress the radical Sunni Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This was the worst-designed scheme concocted by a Western strategist since Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery attacked the bridges at Arnhem in 1944, and it has blown up in Obama’s face.

Iran already has made clear that casting America’s enemies in the leading role of an American operation has a defect, namely that America’s enemies rather would lose on their own terms than win on America’s terms. Iran’s verbal war with the American president over the violent suppression of election-fraud protests leaves Washington with no policy at all. The premise of Obama’s policy was that progress on the Palestinian issue would empower a Sunni coalition. As the president said May 18:
If there is a linkage between Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, I personally believe it actually runs the other way. To the extent that we can make peace with the Palestinians – between the Palestinians and the Israelis, then I actually think it strengthens our hand in the international community in dealing with the potential Iranian threat.

Israel’s supporters remonstrated in vain. Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, a prominent Obama supporter, wrote, “If there is to be any linkage – and I do not believe there should be – it goes the other way: it will be much easier for Israel to end its occupation of the West Bank if Iran does not have a nuclear umbrella under which it can continue to encourage Hamas and Hezbollah to fire rockets at Israeli civilians.”

No matter: America made clear that it had annulled the George W Bush administration’s promise that a final settlement would allow most of Israel’s 500,000 “settlers” to keep their homes, in order to launch the fantasy ship of Iranian cooperation with America.

That policy now is in ruins, and Washington has no plan B. David Axelrod, Obama’s top political advisor, told television interviewers on January 28 that Iran’s President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, who spent the last week denouncing the United States, “Did not have final say” over Iran’s foreign policy and that America still wanted to negotiate with Iran. This sounds idiotic, but the White House really has painted itself into a corner. The trouble is that Obama has promised to withdraw American forces from Iraq, and Iran has sufficient influence in Shi’ite-majority Iraq to cause continuous upheaval, perhaps even to eventually win control of the country.

By a fateful coincidence, American troops are scheduled to leave Iraq’s urban centers on June 30. Overthrowing Saddam Hussein left Iraq open to Iranian destabilization; that is why the elder George Bush left the Iraqi dictator in power in 1990.

Offering Iran a seat at the table in exchange for setting a limit to its foreign ambitions – in Lebanon and Gaza as well as Iraq – seemed to make sense on paper. But the entity that calls itself revolutionary Islam is not made of paper, but of flesh and blood. It is in danger of internal collapse and can only assert its authority by expanding its influence as aggressively as it can.

After the election disaster, Iran’s revolutionary leadership urgently needs to demonstrate its credibility. Israel now can say, “A country that murders its own citizens will have no compunction about massacring its enemies,” and attack Iran’s nuclear capacity with fewer consequences than would have been imaginable in May. And if an Israeli strike were to succeed, or appear successful to the world, the resulting humiliation might be fatal to the regime.

Israel may not be Tehran’s worst nightmare. Iraq’s Sunnis are testing the resolve of the weakened mullahs. The suicide bombing that killed 73 people at a Shi’ite mosque in Kirkuk on June 20 and a second bombing that killed another 72 Shi’ites in Baghdad’s Sadr City slum most likely reflect Sunni perceptions that a weakened Tehran will provide less support for Iraqi Shi’ites. Although Shi’ites comprise more than three-fifths of Iraq’s population, Sunnis provided the entire military leadership and are better organized on the ground. America’s hopes of enlisting Iran to provide cover for its withdrawal from the cities of Iraq seem delusional.

What move on the chessboard might Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei venture to pre-empt an Israeli air raid against the nuclear facilities? Iran has the rocket launchers of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, and terrorist sleeper cells throughout the world. Iran might seek to pre-empt what it anticipates to be the next move from Israel by demonstrating its capacity to inflict injury on Israel or on Jewish targets elsewhere. That would require careful judgment, for a heavy handed action could provide a pretext for even more serious action by the Israelis and others. The same sort of consideration applies to Iranian support for Pakistan Shi’ites, for Hezbollah, and other vehicles of Iran’s program of imperial expansion.

The Obama administration has put itself in a peculiar bind. It has demanded that the Pakistani army suppress the Taliban, after Islamabad attempted a power-sharing agreement that left the Taliban in control of the Swat Valley. To root out the largely Pashtun Taliban, Pakistan’s largely Punjabi army has driven a million people into refugee camps and leveled entire towns in the Swat Valley. Tens of thousands of refugees are now fleeing the Pakistani army in the South Waziristan tribal area. Punjabis killing Pashtuns is nothing new in the region, but the ferocity of the present effort does not augur well for an early end to the conflict.

While the Pakistan army holds nothing back in attacking the Taliban, American troops in Afghanistan have been told that they no longer can call in air strikes if civilians are likely to suffer. That will put American forces in the unfortunate position of the Pirates of Penzance, who exempted orphans. Once this became generally known, everyone they attempted to rob turned out to be an orphan.

The Taliban need only take a page from Hamas’ book, and ensure that civilians are present wherever they operate. The US has made clear that it will not deal in civilian blood, the currency of warfare in that region since before the dawn of history. It will not be taken seriously in consequence.

What will the administration do now? As all its initiatives splatter against the hard realities of the region, it will probably do less and less, turning the less appetizing aspects of the fighting over to local allies and auxiliaries who do not share its squeamishness about shedding civilian blood. That is the most dangerous outcome of all, for America is the main stabilizing force in the region.

The prospect of civil wars raging simultaneously in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq is no longer improbable. The Israel-Palestine issue is linked to all of these through Iran, whose credibility depends on its ability to sustain such puppies of war as Hezbollah and Hamas. Whether or not the Israelis take the opportunity to strike Iran, the prospect of an Israeli strike will weigh on Iran’s proxies in the region, and keep Israel’s borders in condition of potential violence for the interim.

America’s great good fortune is that no hostile superpower stands ready to benefit from its paralysis and confusion. When Soviet troops landed in Afghanistan in December 1979, America was in the grip of an economic crisis comparable to the present depression. American diplomats at the Tehran Embassy were still hostages to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. The price of gold doubled from around $400 to $800 after the Russian invasion because most of the world thought that Russia would win the Cold War. If America lost its dominant superpower status in the West, the dollar no longer could serve as a global reserve currency. To the superpower goes the seigniorage, the state’s premium for providing a currency.

By contrast, the gold price barely fluttered all through the present crisis. America remains the undisputed global superpower for the time being. America’s creditors express consternation about its $1.8 trillion budget deficit and many trillions more of guarantees for the banking system, but there is nothing they can do about it for the time being but talk. That is how one should interpret a June 25 Reuters report that a “senior researcher with the ruling Communist Party” had urged China to shift some of its $2 trillion in reserves out of dollars and into gold.

Li Lianzhong, who heads the economic department of the Party’s policy research office, said China should use more of its $1.95 trillion in foreign exchange reserves to buy energy and natural resource assets. Speaking at a foreign exchange and gold forum, Li also said that buying land in the United States was a better option for China than buying US Treasury securities.

“Should we buy gold or US Treasuries?” Li asked. “The US is printing dollars on a massive scale, and in view of that trend, according to the laws of economics, there is no doubt that the dollar will fall. So gold should be a better choice.”
There is no suggestion that Li, even though he is a senior researcher, was enunciating an agreed party line.

The last thing China wants at the moment is to undercut the US dollar, for three reasons. First, as America’s largest creditor, China has the most to lose from a dollar collapse. Second, Americans would buy fewer Chinese imports. And third, the collapse of the dollar would further erode America’s will to fulfill its superpower function, and that is what China wants least of all.

America remains the indispensable outsider in Asia. No one likes the United States, but everyone dislikes the United States less than they dislike their neighbors. India need not worry about China’s role in Pakistan, for example, because America mediates Indian-Pakistani relations, and America has no interest in a radical change to the status quo. Neither does China, for that matter, but India is less sure of that. China does not trust Japan for historical reasons that will not quickly fade, but need not worry about it because America is the guarantor of Japan’s security. The Seventh Fleet is the most disliked – and nonetheless the most welcome – entity in Asia.

All of this may change drastically, quickly, and for the worse. Obama’s policy reduces to empowering America’s enemies in the hope that they will conform to American interests out of gratitude. Just the opposite result is likely to ensure: Iran, Pakistan and other regional powers are likely to take radical measures. Iran is threatened with a collapse of its Shi’ite program from Lebanon to Afghanistan, and Pakistan is threatened with a breakup into three or more states.

Obama has not betrayed the interests of the United States to any foreign power, but he has done the next worst thing, namely to create a void in the region by withdrawing American power. The result is likely to be a species of pandemonium that will prompt the leading players in the region to learn to live without the United States.

In his heart of hearts, Obama sees America as a force for evil in the world, apologizing for past American actions that did more good than harm. An example is America’s sponsorship of the 1953 coup in Iran that overthrew the left-leaning government of Mohammed Mossadegh.

“In the middle of the Cold War, the United States played a role in the overthrow of a democratically elected Iranian government,” the president offered in his Cairo address to Muslims on June 5. Although Iran’s theocracy despises Mossadegh – official Iranian textbooks call him the “son of a feudal family of exploiters who worked for the cursed Shah, and betrayed Islam” – Iran’s government continues to reproach America for its role in the coup. “With a coup they toppled the national government of Iran and replaced it with a harsh, unpopular and despotic regime,” Ahmadinejad complained in a January 28 speech.

It is s a bit late to offer advice to Obama, but the worst thing America can do is to apologize. Instead, it should ask for the gratitude of the developing world. Weak countries become punching-bags in the proxy wars of empires. This was from the dawn of history until the fall of the last empire – the “evil” empire of Soviet communism.

The Soviets exploited anti-colonial movements from the 1917 Bolshevik coup until the collapse of the Afghanistan adventure in the late 1980s. Nationalists who tried to ride the Russian tiger ended up in its belly more often than on its back. Iran, Chile, Nicaragua, Angola and numerous other weak countries became the hapless battleground for the contest of covert operations between the Soviet Union and America – not to mention Vietnam and Korea.

The use of developing countries as proxy battlefields and their people as cannon fodder came to an end with the Cold War. As a result, the past 20 years have seen the fastest improvement in living standards ever in the global south, and a vast shift in wealth towards so-called developing countries.

By defeating Russia in the Cold War, America made it possible for governments in the global south to pursue their own interests free from the specter of Soviet subversion. And by countering Soviet subversion, America often averted much worse consequences.

Many deficiencies can be ascribed to the Shah of Iran, but a communist regime in the wake of a Mossadegh administration would have been indescribably worse. The septuagenarian Mossadegh had his own agenda, but he relied on the support of the communist Tudeh party. The US feared a Soviet invasion of Iran, and “the [Harry S] Truman administration was willing to consider a Soviet invasion of Iran as a casus belli, or the start of a global war”, according to Francis J Gavin’s 1999 article in The Journal of Cold War Studies.

The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with help from British intelligence helped the shah overthrow the left-leaning regime. But this was no minor colonial adventure, but a flashpoint with the potential to start a world war.

It is painful and humiliating for Iranians to recall the overthrow of a democratically elected government with American help. It would have been infinitely more humiliating to live under Soviet rule, like the soon-to-be-extinct victims of Soviet barbarism in Eastern Europe.

The same is true of Chile, where the brutal regime of General Augusto Pinochet overthrew the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende in 1973, with help from the CIA. Allende was surrounded by Cuban intelligence operations. As Wikipedia reports:

Shortly after the election of Salvador Allende in November 1970, the [Cuban Directorate of Intelligence - DI] worked extremely closely to strengthen Allende’s increasingly precarious position. The Cuban DI station chief Luis Fernandez Ona even married Salvador Allende’s daughter Beatrice, who later committed suicide in Cuba. The DI organized an international brigade that would organize and coordinate the actions of the thousands of the foreign leftists that had moved into Chile shortly after Allende’s election. These individuals ranged from Cuban DI agents, Soviet, Czech and North Korean military instructors and arms suppliers, to hardline Spanish and Portuguese Communist Party members.

My Latin American friends who still mourn the victims of Pinochet’s “night and fog” state terror will not like to hear this, but the several thousand people killed or tortured by the military government were collateral damage in the Cold War. Like Iran, Chile became the battleground of a Soviet-American proxy war. The same is true in Nicaragua. (Full disclosure: I advised Nicaragua’s president Violeta Chamorro after she defeated the Cuban-backed Sandinistas in the 1990 elections; I did so with no tie to any government agency.)

Obama’s continuing obsession with America’s supposed misdeeds – deplorable but necessary actions in time of war – is consistent with his determination to erode America’s influence in the most troubled parts of the world. By removing America as a referee, he will provoke more violence than the United States ever did. We are entering a very, very dangerous period as a result.

Anti Poverty Day – Needs: A responsive government and new strategies

By Jayasharma VS

“Wherever men and women are condemned to live in extreme poverty, human rights are violated. To come together to ensure that these rights be respected is our solemn duty.”

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty or the World Anti Poverty Day as it is more popularly known is observed every year since 1993, when the United Nations General Assembly designated this day to promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution in all countries.

Background of the Day
The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty owes its origin in Paris, France. On October 17, 1987 more than 100,000 people gathered in Paris to honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. From then on, individuals, and organisations around the world began to observe the day to renew their commitment towards eradicating poverty. The awareness was so overwhelming and fast spreading that in December, 1992, the United Nations General Assembly officially declared October 17 as the date for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

In December 1995, the UN launched the First United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997–2006). Soon after this at the Millennium Summit in 2000, world leaders committed themselves to cutting by half the number of people living in extreme poverty by the year 2015. And following this, in December 2007, the UN proclaimed the Second United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2008-2017).

Themes for the Second UN Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2008-2017) and 2009 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

The UN has set “full employment and decent work for all” as a theme for the Second UN Decade for the Eradication of Poverty. According to the UN, the second Decade aims at supporting, in an efficient and coordinated manner, the internationally agreed development goals related to poverty eradication, including the Millennium Development Goals. The proclamation recognises the importance of mobilising financial resources for development at national and international levels, including private investment and entrepreneurship that is vital for rising living standards.

The 2009 observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on October 17 focuses on the plight of children living in poverty and the need to fulfil their rights in partnership with them and in keeping with the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. At the 2009 observance at the UN headquarters in New York, children from various countries will get an opportunity to speak out against poverty and dialogue with others.

How this Day is celebrated?
On this day, the various non-government organizations and community charities renew their call for support from the country leaders and governments to make the fight against poverty a central part of their foreign policy. “Call to action” petitions are also signed amid concerts and cultural events, and interfaith gatherings.

Poverty in India – combating key challenges
According to The World Bank’s world development indicators in 2008, the percentage of people below the poverty line in rural India is 28% and 26% in urban India. Since independence, the poverty alleviation programmes have worked reasonably well and now India’s poor percentage is fast diminishing. Having said that, it has become more important now to sustain these poverty alleviation efforts and tweak it to suit newer challenges and for better clarity and impact. According to a World Bank study, it is important to understand what factors help or hinder the climb out of poverty because each has different policy implications. Apart from basic education and training, health issues, and access to credit instruments, the study also finds that the importance of employment generation, opportunities for individual initiatives in agriculture and non-agriculture sectors and multiple sources of income as the key reasons for families moving out of poverty.

Access to education
Access to basic education, academic and technical, is the first step towards poverty alleviation. It is the duty of government to provide free and compulsory basic education including vocational training to its citizens. Equality and non-discrimination plays a vital role in providing basic education. The government can work with private individuals and institutions and NGOs in achieving this. Most important is the quality of education that is being provided and the state has to consider this too.

Besides education, the creation of jobs in agriculture and non-agriculture sectors also hinges on better infrastructure, and better access to credit and local markets. The non-farm jobs include providing initiatives such as opening a small business and having multiple sources of income to help move out of poverty. Industrialisation including small-scale, mid- and large-scale ones should be given priority. And to achieve, continuing the economic liberalisation and key policy changes assume a greater significance like never before. The identification and development of special economic zones, industrial units, and schemes should be done to generate employment opportunities for the qualified. Also, public and private banks should be made more people friendly in doling out financial aids for people aspiring to start viable business plans. Entrepreneurship should be encouraged and it not only raises the standard of living and productivity but is also a key area of employment generation.

Revamping Panchayats
The local democratic structures like the Panchayats are critical in poverty alleviation. However, this set up too needs a revamp as the existing formation and its hierarchy is based purely on caste or political affiliations, or economic power resulting in the benefits reaching only a select few. There has to be a government-backed understanding of the functioning of the Panchayats, along with the private sector and civil society.

Spruce up health services
Needless to say the quality of public health services in India leaves much to be desired. And health related issues also play a role in some families slipping into poverty. The loss or partial disability or the complete disability of the breadwinner in a family could deprive them from getting access to continuous education, healthcare and employment opportunities. Hence, it becomes absolutely necessary to provide quality healthcare and health insurance for earning members in families. The government backed by strong and flexible and people friendly health policies and the able support from the private players should take the initiative further in providing quality healthcare and health insurance to families and help them move out of poverty.

Need a responsive government, and new strategies
In short, health issues, death and social shocks are the deadliest factors that throw families into poverty. And this can be effectively dealt with only when there is a responsive and innovative government, responsive to the ground zero situation and innovative in launching new strategies to help move out of poverty. As the World Bank study report says: “…when responsive local governments and economic opportunities match individual initiative and hard work, poor people’s journey out of poverty can be greatly facilitated.” The report also ‘underlines the urgency of devising new strategies to do so – including social and health insurance programmes as well as improved access to savings and credit instruments.’

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights says: “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.”

And this can be best achieved only when a country strengthens and gives better access to its citizens in the areas of health, social equality, education and training, science and technology, peace and security, freedom of expression and participation and finally access to justice.

“Poverty is a denial of human rights.” This statement sums up it all. And as UNESCO said the fight against poverty must combine wide-ranging and multi-dimensional and sustainable efforts that are carried out all through the year.

BJP will Remain Under RSS’ Thumb

By Amulya Ganguli

Since defeat invariably leads to internal rows in a party, it is no surprise that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is experiencing acrimonious finger-pointing over the reasons for its setback in two successive general elections.

The problem is compounded, however, by the fact that the BJP is not quite the master of its own destiny. Unlike other parties, it does not stand alone, but is part of the Sangh Parivar (the fraternity of Hindu nationalist groups) headed by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).

In fact, it can be regarded as the political wing of the Hindu supremacist RSS although the various members of the Parivar, which includes, apart from the BJP, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal, like to maintain the fiction that they are all autonomous entities.

The fact that they pay an annual ‘gurudakshina’ or tuition fee to the RSS, however, suggests the latter is their friend, philosopher and guide.

Not surprisingly, when anything goes wrong, the tendency among some in the BJP is to blame the RSS for its ideological stranglehold on the party. Usually such criticism is voiced by those who have drifted into the BJP from other disciplines, such as journalism, and includes those who had once flirted with the Left.

Few of them are able to accept the whip-hand held by the RSS over the BJP although this dominance is acknowledged without any murmur by the true-blue – or, rather, true-saffron – members of the BJP who have grown up with the party.

One “outsider” to voice his criticism of the RSS is Sudheendra Kulkarni, a former leftist, who was L.K. Advani’s aide during the election campaign. In his view, the RSS is the villain of the piece for exercising its malign influence over the BJP although, Kulkarni alleges, it does not have too many admirers even among the Hindus.

In addition, Kulkarni argued that the RSS made Advani look weak where Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi made Manmohan Singh look strong by their wholehearted support.

That it didn’t even take a day for the BJP to dissociate itself from Kulkarni’s statement tended to confirm his charge about the influence wielded by the RSS.

In contrast, the criticism of the party’s performance by Jaswant Singh has steered clear of any reference to the paterfamilias. Singh undoubtedly knows that he has to tread carefully for he too had drifted into the BJP from the Janata Party conglomerate. That was one of the reasons why the RSS had vetoed his selection as finance minister in 1998 by then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Notwithstanding his cautious approach, Singh may be courting danger by arguing, first, that the BJP looks like a “party of yesterday” and, secondly, that its concept of Hindutva lacks clarity.

Brajesh Mishra, former national security advisor and a close aide of Vajpayee, too is reported to have said the BJP’s “message of Hindutva…did not get across to the voters…” and that the RSS needed to bring moderation in its ranks.

Since Hindutva is the party’s and the Parivar’s lifeblood, any attempt to clarify it may be interpreted by the RSS as an attempt at dilution because the concept stands for the ideal of “one people, one nation, one culture”. This theory of cultural nationalism, which is the alternative term for Hindutva, may seem innocuous at first sight unless one realizes that its emphasis on “one culture” means Hindu culture and runs counter to the multicultural polity favored by the secular camp.

This is the essential difference between the BJP and the other parties and may well be the reason why it is stagnating today after its initial surge because the minorities and the liberals are unwilling to accept the dominance of Hindu culture. Besides, those who had been misled by its pro-Hindu stance have realized that it was no more than a cynical political ploy.

Unless the BJP is able to bring its cultural nationalism in line with pluralism, chances are that it will remain a “party of yesterday”. Till now, there is little indication that it intends to do so – or will be allowed to do so by the RSS.

Jaswant Singh’s plea, therefore, for clarifying the concept of Hindutva may engender more heat than light as few in the BJP will have the gumption to defy the RSS to signify the party’s acceptance of all cultures at par.

As before, the latest debate is again between the advocates of a moderate and a hard line. But the difference is that the moderates have lost a great votary in Vajpayee’s absence due to ill health. As such, they do not have anyone of stature to present their case.

Advani may have done so, but his position is weakened by his earlier image as a hardliner, which suggests that he may not be wholly sincere.

Of the others, party chief Rajnath Singh is too dependent on the RSS to strike out on his own. Besides, he is an instinctive hardliner who will not dare to deviate from the straight and narrow path delineated by the head of the Parivar.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi too belongs to the same hawkish category although he is not a favourite of the RSS because of his individualistic style. His friend in Delhi, Arun Jaitley, is still a lightweight and Sushma Swaraj, another outsider, will not endanger her seemingly bright future in the party by alienating the RSS.

So the BJP may go through the motions of an internal debate but is likely to end up toeing the RSS line.

The Age of the ‘Aam Crorepati’

By P Sainath

If you are worth Rs.50 million or more, you are 75 times more likely to win an election to the Lok Sabha than if you are worth under Rs.1 million.

“I think almost everyone will grant that if candidates for the United States Senate were required to possess ten million dollars, and for the House one million, the year-in-year-out level of conservatism of those two bodies might be expected to rise sharply. We could still be said to have a freely elected Congress. Anybody with ten million dollars (or one, if he tailored his ambition to fit his means) would be free to try to get himself nominated, and the rest of us would be free to vote for our favourite millionaire or even to abstain from voting.” - A.J. Liebling

Liebling also warned in the 1960s that the business models of newspapers would one day prove their undoing. A prophecy that rings true today for the giants of that industry in his own country. Yes, you’ve seen his words on voting in these columns before. But the 2009 poll results have made him doubly relevant. “Voting for our favourite millionaire” comes alive with the 15th Lok Sabha. Its 543 MPs are worth close to Rs.28 billion. (Of which 64 Union Cabinet members from the Lok Sabha account for Rs.5 billion). And the links between wealth and winning elections are firmer than ever before.

If you are worth over Rs.50 million, you are 75 times more likely to win an election to the Lok Sabha than if you are worth under Rs.1 million. At least, in the case of the 2009 polls. (Some 23 of 64 Cabinet Ministers whose asset worth is in the public domain fall into this Rs.50 million-plus category. Providing it stability of sorts, I guess. In the entire Cabinet, only one falls into the less-than-Rs.1 million group.)

Another 29 members of the Cabinet fall in the Rs.5 million-Rs.50 million category. If you are in this bracket, your chances of winning aren’t as great as the 50 million-plus, or Platinum Tier, elite. However, you are still 43 times more likely to win than those with less than Rs.1 million in assets (that is, almost the whole of India’s population). The remaining Ministers, in case you were losing sleep over their condition, fall into the Rs.1-5 million club, the Cabinet equivalent of BPL. However, there are five years in which to remedy this situation and alleviate the misery of this group.

These are just a few of the insights brought to us by an interim report of National Election Watch on the 2009 polls. NEW is a coalition of over 1200 civil society groups working across the country. Their Analysis of MPs of the 15th Lok Sabha (2009) makes great reading and is the product of fine research and much hard work.

There were 3,437 candidates in the polls with assets of less than Rs.1 million, says the report. Of these, just 15 (0.44 per cent) made it past the post. But your chances soar with your assets. Of the 1,785 candidates in the Rs.1 million-Rs.5 million group, 116 (6 per cent) won. This win-ratio goes up to 19 per cent of candidates for the Rs.5 million-Rs.50 million segment. And of 322 candidates in the Rs.50 million-plus or platinum tier, 106 (33 per cent) romped home.

The higher you climb the ladder of lucre, the better your chances. That is obvious. But what is striking is how bleak things are for non-millionaires. Even a modest improvement in your wealth helps. Say, you move from the below Rs.1 million group to the Rs.1-5 million group – your chances immediately improve at a higher rate than your wealth. (Of course, that works only if you are already close to the Rs.1 million mark.) So it’s not just that wealth has some impact on election outcomes – it influences them heavily and disproportionately as you go up the scale.

All of a piece with a society that only last year had 53 dollar billionaires (pre-meltdown). One that still has 836 million human beings who “get by” on less than Rs.20 a day. Which ranks 66th amongst 88 nations on the Global Hunger Index (just one notch above Zimbabwe). Which has plummeted to rank 132 in the United Nations Human Development Index (one slot below Bhutan) as our billionaire count has risen. That wallows below Bolivia, Botswana, the Republic of the Congo and the Occupied Territories of Palestine in the HDI rankings. And never mind being worth billions – 60 per cent of adult rural Indians simply do not have bank accounts.

There is little question that big bucks help in our polls. The number of ‘crorepatis’ in the present Lok Sabha is up 98 per cent as compared to 2004. Then there were 154, now there are 306 – almost double. A healthy growth rate. And there are grounds for optimism that the BPL group in the Cabinet can uplift itself speedily. That’s happened to MPs as well as candidates in some of the most troubled parts of the country. The net worth of candidates in Vidarbha rose by over 160 per cent between 2004 and 2009. In the Wardha district of that region alone, the net worth of candidates rose by 1,157 per cent between 2004 and 2009. (Ananth Krishnan, The Hindu, April 14, 2009). The Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput region had seven ‘crorepati’ candidates.

But back to the NEW report. Of the 306 crorepatis in the new Lok Sabha, 141, almost half, belong to the party of the aam aadmi, the Congress. The BJP lotus is a withering second, with 58. The SP, the BSP and the DMK follow with 14, 13 and 12 multi-millionaires. The Shiv Sena doesn’t do too badly with nine and the NCP with seven. In the case of these two parties, it means that almost 80 per cent of their elected MPs are ‘crorepatis.’ The Left bloc fares poorly, scoring just one from among its 24 MPs.

The one-in-three success rate of the Rs.50 million-plus candidates doesn’t tell the whole story, though. Often, they have defeated others of their own league. Who might well have fared better against candidates of lower asset castes.

We are also faithful to our role model: the United States, where Liebling’s prophecy has worked with a vengeance for decades. One pre-meltdown piece in www.opensecrets.org put it neatly last year. “As Americans worry about their own finances, their elected representatives in Washington – with a collective net worth of $3.6 billion [roughly Rs.172 billion] – are mostly in good shape to withstand a recession.” Before the meltdown rained on their parade, it says, members of Congress, “saw their net worths soar 84 per cent from 2004 to 2006, on average.” It points out that while US Senators had “a median net worth of approximately $1.7 million in 2006,” only about “1 per cent of all American adults had a net worth greater than $1 million around the same time.”

So the collective net worth of elected representatives in Washington is Rs.172 billion and that of our own Rs.28 billion. Okay, we’re outclassed. But not to feel too bad about it. For one thing, the U.S. figure appears to include both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Ours covers only the Lok Sabha. What’s more, our team seems to clock a better rate of growth. And the gap is narrowing. The good rate of growth for second or third-term MPs also holds another lesson. Not only is it easier to get elected if you have money, it is easier to make money if you get elected.

In both countries, money from big corporations helps clinch poll victories. Corporate lobbies like Big Oil have long “owned” Senators and Congressmen. In India, this trend has grown even in terms of individual corporate chiefs. In the U.S., corporate power has been on shameless display during the financial bailouts. The AIGs, the Goldman Sachs et al. unsheathed their massive clout to grab public money. In India, that power was visible to the naked eye in the run-up to last year’s trust vote in Parliament. One party even dumped a sworn political stand of eight decades under that influence.

In the NEW report, the wealthiest group of those elected falls into the Rs.50 million-plus category. The ranking within this is intriguing. The average worth of a Lok Sabha MP is Rs.51 million. But there are 74 MPs with serious criminal charges against them whose wealth averages Rs.60 million. That is, they are well entrenched in Parliament’s Platinum tier. And the average wealth of a Cabinet Minister is around Rs.75 million. Ah well, it’s a hard climb to the top.

Lost your voice? Could be Aphonia

By M H Ahssan

Aphonia is a functional voice disorder literally meaning ‘no voice’. Normally, when we speak, the vocal folds come together over the trachea and vibrate due to the airflow from the lungs. Injury or conditions that prevent the vocal cords from coming together and vibrating, result in making a person unable to speak.

Functional Aphonia
Functional (or psychogenic) aphonia is often seen in patients with underlying psychological problems. A laryngeal examination will show usually bowed vocal folds that fail to adduct to the midline during phonation but adducts when the patient is asked to cough.

What are the Causes?
Common cold or allergy. Benign or malignant growth on the vocal folds. Nerve or brain damage, including paralysis of the vocal folds.
Spasms of the vocal folds (Spasmodic dysphonia). Neurological disorders like myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease etc.

Vocal abuse, yelling, excessive use of alcohol, caffeine ,exposure to fumes and toxins. Smoking (cancerous growths) and unknown causes.

When do you need to see a specialist?
If aphonia persists beyond the duration of the common cold or flu or if aphonia begins in the absence of an upper respiratory infection, one should consult a doctor.

Treatment of Adjustment Disorder
Adjustment disorder is a reaction to life stress which is abnormal and excessive, a life-threatening or extremely distressing situation that causes a person to feel intense fear, horror or a sense of helplessness leading to post-traumatic stress disorder. Aphonia could be one of the symptoms.

The primary goal of treatment is to relieve symptoms and help the person return to the level of functioning the person had before the stressful event.

Some cases that are psychological would benefit from suggestive therapy by a qualified professional.

Voice Therapy
A voice care team involving an otolaryngologist and speech pathologist is a prerequisite to voice therapy.

It aims at techniques that eliminate vocal behaviours which are potentially harmful.

Alter the manner of voice production, and enhance vocal fold tissue healing, following injury.

Voice therapy is an effective and appropriate method of therapy either in itself or as a compliment.

Therapeutic regimen employed for a particular patient varies depending on:
- Tissue health of the vocal folds,
- Vocal demands of the patient,
- Phonatory behaviour,
- Compliance of the patient.

Once evaluated, a customised voice therapy programme is developed and tailored to address vocal complaints.

Tips to help you
- Take care not to abuse the voice
- Don’t shout or yell excessively
- Smoking is injurious to health and the vocal cords. Quit it.
- Give your voice rest if you are a public speaker, teacher or performer
- Visit an ENT doctor if you are voiceless

Lethargic? It could be Galactosemia

By M H Ahssan

Galactosemia is a condition that affects the body’s ability to use or metabolise a simple sugar called galactose resulting in the accumulation of galactose 1-phosphate in the body. Galactose is a primary part of a large sugar called lactose which is present in all dairy products and also in smaller quantities in many others foods.

What are the causes?
Galactosemia is a hereditary condition, caused by the lack of a liver enzyme that is required to metabolise galactose. This genetic disorder is transmitted as an autosomal recessive disease (a disease caused by the presence of two recessive mutant genes on an autosome) and is present in one out of 30,000 newborns.

There are primarily three types of galactose-1 phosphate– Uridyl Transferase Deficiency, Galactokinase Deficiency (Galactosemia type II) and Galactose Epimerase Deficiency (Galactosemia type III). Uridyl Transferase deficiency is the most common and the most severe form of Galactosemia and the latter two show up with slightly different

What are the symptoms?
Some of the common symptoms are jaundice, vomiting, poor feeding (baby refusing to drink milk-containing formula), poor weight gain, lethargy, irritability and convulsions.

Infants with Galactosemia will develop most of the above symptoms within days of drinking milk. Continued intake of milk and lactose products will lead to further complications such as liver cirrhosis, cataract in the eyes, damage to the kidney, and even the brain may be affected leaving the child mentally retarded.

How is it diagnosed?
Blood tests can reveal high levels of galactose and galactose-1-phosphate in the blood. Further tests may be required to find out which of the enzymes are missing. DNA testing for Galactosemia can be very conclusive.

Infants with symptoms of Galactosemia should be administered enzyme tests without delay to avoid complications. Many countries in America and Europe have made it mandatory to screen every new born baby for this condition.

What is the treatment?
The treatment for Galactosemia I, II and III primarily means the removal of galactose from the diet. All lactose products must be totally avoided. Milk and milk products contain the most amount of lactose; however, it is also present in other foods such as legumes, organ meats and processed meats.
Infants will need to be fed with food that is lactose-free such as soy formula, meat-base formula, or Nutramigen (a protein hydrolysate formula).

There is no definite cure for Galactosemia, as the condition is life-long and it can only be controlled. Doctors advise a calcium supplement for patients with Galactosemia as milk is an important source of calcium for a growing child.

What does the doctor say?
It is very important for parents to educate their children to avoid milk and milk products. The ingredients on processed foods must be read to avoid the accidental consumption of food containing lactose.

How cornflakes, white bread, French fries raise heart attack risk

By M H Ahssan

Exactly how cornflakes, white bread, French fries and other high-carb foods increase the risk of heart problems has now been shown by Tel Aviv University researchers.

Dr. Michael Shechter of the university’s Sackler School of Medicine and the Heart Institute of Sheba Medical Center, who led the study in collaboration with researchers from the Endocrinology Institute, looked inside the arteries of students eating a variety of foods, and visualised exactly what happens inside the body when the wrong foods for a healthy heart are eaten.

He found that foods with a high glycemic index distended brachial arteries for several hours.

Elasticity of arteries anywhere in the body can be a measure of heart health. But when aggravated over time, a sudden expansion of the artery wall can cause a number of negative health effects, including reduced elasticity, which can cause heart disease or sudden death.

Dr. Shechter used used a clinical and research technique pioneered by his laboratory in Israel to visualize what happens inside our arteries before, during and after eating high carb foods.

“It’s very hard to predict heart disease,” says Dr. Shechter, a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.

“But doctors know that high glycemic foods rapidly increase blood sugar. Those who binge on these foods have a greater chance of sudden death from heart attack. Our research connects the dots, showing the link between diet and what’s happening in real time in the arteries,” he added.

The researcher believes that the finding of his study may lead to a whole new way to show patients the effects of a poor diet on the body.

During the study, 56 healthy volunteers were divided into four groups. One group ate a cornflake mush mixed with milk, a second a pure sugar mixture, the third bran flakes, while the last group was given a placebo (water).

Over four weeks, Dr. Shechter applied his method of “brachial reactive testing” to each group. The test uses a cuff on the arm, like those used to measure blood pressure, which can visualize arterial function in real time.

Dr. Shechter revealed that before any of the patients ate, arterial function was essentially the same. He further said that after eating, except for the placebo group, all had reduced functioning.

He said that enormous peaks indicating arterial stress were found in the high glycemic index groups: the cornflakes and sugar group.

“We knew high glycemic foods were bad for the heart. Now we have a mechanism that shows how. Foods like cornflakes, white bread, french fries, and sweetened soda all put undue stress on our arteries. We’ve explained for the first time how high glycemic carbs can affect the progression of heart disease,” says Dr. Shechter.

During the consumption of foods high in sugar, there appears to be a temporary and sudden dysfunction in the endothelial walls of the arteries.

Endothelial health can be traced back to almost every disorder and disease in the body.

“(It is) the riskiest of the risk factors,” says Dr. Shechter, who practices at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center — Tel Hashomer Hospital, where he offers a treatment that can show patients — in real time — if they have a high risk for heart attacks.

Dr. Shechter recommends sticking to foods like oatmeal, fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts, which have a low glycemic index.

He also says that exercising every day for at least 30 minutes is an extra heart-smart action to take.

The results of the study have been published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

We need more Nilekanis in Indian government

By M H Ahssan

The UPA government’s decision to appoint Nandan Nilekani, co-chairman of Infosys Technologies, to head the Unique Identification Card mission is an inspired one. If it works — and we must make it work — it should pave the way for the induction of competent private-sector professionals of the calibre of KV Kamath at ICICI Bank, S Ramadorai at TCS, or Deepak Parekh of HDFC — to name just a few — for running gigantic public-sector initiatives.

It is sheer waste of national resources to let professional expertise remain confined to private enterprises when the country needs it more. These professionals bring not only the knowledge of a competitive operating environment, but leadership capabilities, integrity, and a commitment to performance that the government often lacks.

Take the case of Nilekani himself. Along with chief mentor NR Narayana Murthy and a few other IT titans, he has given Indian information technology a global footprint and credibility — something it lacked 10 years ago. A project of this magnitude, where close to 1.2 billion citizens have to be identified and given cards, cannot be executed by anyone less competent.

For three reasons. First, with the project cost running into Rs10,000 crore or more, it cannot be run by the traditional bureaucracy. Nilekani’s professionalism is his greatest asset. Second, when you are going to load sensitive personal data onto a smart card, where everything from income to marital and caste status may be on it, you cannot entrust it to the care of a compromised government machinery.

In our system, personal information leaks everywhere. Income-tax files are often available to gangsters, credit card information is available to all telecallers, bankers use goons to collect dues, and telecom companies share caller details with unauthorised persons. If the unique ID card is to have universal credibility, Nilekani will have to put systems in place to prevent illegal use of sensitive personal information.

Third, the sheer complexity of the design and technology required for the project calls for someone who is already comfortable with the subject. Nilekani fits the bill.

But pitfalls remain. However great the personal qualities Nilekani brings to the table, he will be able to deliver only if the rest of the government agencies cooperate. It is possible for almost any ministry or department to slow him down, if not scuttle the project, since concurrence will have to be sought from state governments and the home, defence, and finance ministries (to name just a few).

This is because everything from citizenship to taxation, pensions, voting rights, and subsidised education and food may depend on this card, which will need ministerial cooperation. To map 1.2 billion people while weeding out non-citizens is a challenge like no other in the world. One can imagine the howls of political protest when immigrants from Bangladesh or infiltrators from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir are sought to be excluded. The whole thing can work only if Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi put their collective political weight behind Nilekani.

To be sure, competence is not the monopoly of the private sector. The success of the Delhi Metro under the stewardship of E Sreedharan, a railways veteran, shows that political will has to back competence to get any work done in mega projects. If that is missing, even the best professionals cannot deliver.

For this reason alone, the nation has a vested interest in ensuring the success of the Unique ID project under Nilekani. If it works, it would serve as the blueprint for the induction of other competent business professionals into many critical areas of government and governance.

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Advertising Ideas That Set You Apart!

By M H Ahssan

There’s a lot of competition out there for agents. How can you set yourself apart from the crowd so that you are noticed? Take heart, there are some simple things that you can do that will have great impact! Read on.

This is the perfect time of year to look at your advertising and make some decisions. The first should be to develop a theme to your business. This is easiest done by a slogan. Take a look at where you came from, what you enjoy the most, what do your friends think of when they think of you, and what message do you want to convey. Let me give you some examples of what I am talking about.

I know of an agent that has worked with the flower growers in her community for years and wanted to capitalize on that when she went into real estate. Her slogan is “rooted in real estate.” Others capitalize on their experience and build a slogan around that, some it might be that they came from an architectural background and use a slogan such as “finding architectural gems for you.” The point I am making is to look at yourself and don’t try the old stale, “professional service, etc.” Too many agents use this and the public doesn’t read it any longer, let alone believe it. You need to have something that is a reflection of you.

Now that you have your theme or slogan. Use it! Put it in all your ads, on your business cards, on your flyers. Build an entire image campaign around it.

Next, you should format your ads so that they have the same “look.” Don’t change the ad each week, you can change the content, but keep the format the same so that your clients immediately recognize it.

Do the same thing with your flyers or brochures for your properties. Keep the same format. You want agents to recognize your listings as well as consumers.

Use the same personal photo in each ad. Don’t change your photo unless it is to emphasize a special holiday like you dressed up for Halloween; and have your photo updated every two years. Please, no glamour shots.

The rule of thumb in creating your ad today should be property first, agent second and company third. The client and property comes first always. The one thing I notice is that company names are getting smaller and smaller—why? If people are recognizing your ads, then they will also think of you when they drive by a sign or a building that has your company name on it. Let the company be an asset to you.

Classified ads are fabulous when you first take a listing. And, it costs very little. Call the next day after taking a listing and put a three-line ad in the classified section of your local newspaper to run for 3 or 4 days or until it can be in the company ad or a personal display ad. Buyers are looking at those ads!

Don’t give too much away in your ad. Make them call you! Important words of advice: use the proper words for the property you are advertising. Don’t call a house with a red tile roof a Cape Cod. Know what style the property is before you name the style in your ad or brochure. You lose credibility with buyers when you identify the style incorrectly.

Make your ad sound interesting. What do you like best about the property? What sounds better to you? “Charming 3 bedroom, 2 bath with large yard.” OR “Straight from grandma’s attic and filled with charm.” Saying less is more in advertising. Classy ads don’t have a lot of verbiage. If you can’t think of anything to say, use one word descriptions such as, AWESOME, GRAND, INSPIRING VIEWS oops that’s two words), EXCEPTIONAL, and so on. You will get calls with this type of ad if it accompanies a picture of the property.

NUMBER ONE RULE in advertising. Be Consistent! I left this till last so that it would be the last thing you think about after finishing this article. This is what will pay you big dividends.

BE CONSISTENT IN YOUR ADVERTISING.
BE CONSISTENT IN YOUR ADVERTISING.
BE CONSISTENT IN YOUR ADVERTISING.
You get it. Happy advertising!

Mum’s Holiday Homework

By Qurratul-Ain Haider

Karen Gupta, 45, snatches a few minutes from her household chores. But it’s not prime time TV that pulls her away from adding the finishing touches to the family dinner. It’s the Internet. More precisely a website on the functions of the internal organs of the human body.

Meghna Sareen, 38, has missed four sessions of her power yoga classes just so that she can meet up with a few other mums and snip newspaper cuttings on global warming.

Meher Abidi, 34, glances at her watch. It’s been a long day at work but she still has plenty of paper work at home – sticking images on her daughter’s colouring sheet to create a story, before the family leaves for its summer vacation two days later.

Karen, Meghna and Meher are just a few of the hundreds of women with school-going children, who are rushing to complete the long list of projects, assignments and reports that make up the portfolio of holiday homework their children have brought home.

For most mothers, the summer holidays can stretch on like a piece of painfully un-detachable Hubba Bubba chewed gum. Yet, what makes the agony worse is not the heat wave and power failures that package the long vacation but the insurmountable amount of ‘creative’ homework children need to complete before school reopens.

With the unwritten code that homework is to be attended to under parental guidance – like some near-adult film – the summer holidays end up bringing out the best in mothers (‘worst’ is the term kids would use!), as they surf the Internet, make charts, spiral-bind projects and rummage through mounds of old newspapers for clippings on topics such as the swine flu. Despite their own pressing chores and careers, mothers conscientiously grapple with ‘their’ deadlines, before schools re-open. “It has taken me a fortnight to gather information on water bodies… and that includes two days of casual leave to download pictures and burn a CD – a first for me,” complains Gupta, whose son is in Class IV at a leading school in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj.

However, going by the rather organized manner in which schools have disseminated homework, the assignments shouldn’t be much of a problem to deliver. Most have given subject-wise assignments – around three at least per subject – with the tasks printed or uploaded on their websites.

But if that’s the case, what is all the fuss about – and the need for this rather heart-felt article now in your hands? Well, the crux of the issue is the explosive cocktail of an overdose of assignments; stress on decorative and packaged projects; and the maternal sentiment that children should have time to enjoy their summer break.

Neena Mehta, 39, runs a busy salon in Mayur Vihar in East Delhi. Between offering the best haircuts in the neighborhood, to looking after her family of four, she has very little time to spare. However, most of her evenings are now spent supervising her daughter, as she attempts to complete her homework. “Ours is a nuclear family. My husband travels on work. This means I am the only one Meha, who is in Class VII, can approach for help. After the many worksheets of Maths and Science, she still had a ‘nazam’ (poem) to pen in Urdu. This is her first year of learning the new language and I don’t know the language at all, so I have asked a Muslim friend to write it for us.”

So does that mean the pressure to complete homework compels mothers to cross the fine line between mere supervision and complete ownership? Shivani Mittal, whose daughters Brinda and Aditi study in Class X and IV, respectively, of Carmel Convent, New Delhi, firmly believes in only supervision. Mothers should encourage children to “explore their creativity” though the holiday assignments, she says and adds, “I don’t put pressure on them. It has to be their own work.” So little Aditi has had to ask the local chemist on her own on what to include in a first aid kit, and also browse through the magazines for images on classical Indian dance forms.

But Sangeeta Bhatnagar whose son studies at Delhi Public School (DPS), Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, knows the agony of pending homework. She has spent one summer trying to make a three-dimensional model on earth pollution. “My kindergarten-going son was too young to do anything. Those few days, we survived on bread and omelet for meals as most of my time was devoted to the project. Fortunately, for mothers like her, the school’s principal responded favorably to the parents’ feedback. The children now have manageable homework that is course-related, such as reading the works of Rabindranath Tagore.

Richa Shukla, whose son Aditya is in Class VII at Modern School, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi, feels that while creative homework is interesting – she is assisting Aditya in making an ideal dummy Hindi newspaper by pasting newspaper articles on A3 sheets – course-related work has more to offer. Compared to the story that he had to string together with his limited vocabulary of Sanskrit, Richa feels that children get more out of projects like the one on rotational symmetry (Maths). A working mother, she has already charted out a schedule, as she wants the homework to be completed before the family leaves for their outstation trip.

While innovative projects do help children evolve as they learn to source and sift though information, it is the working models that can throw mothers into a tizzy, with some describing them as “useless”. Alka Mitta, mother of Rohan, a Class VIII student of DPS, Mathura Road, New Delhi, believes that holiday homework should encourage children to learn new things that they otherwise would have no time for.” I know of a student doing a survey on electronic waste disposal, which I thought was quite thought provoking.” However, she fails to find the justification for handwritten projects in an age of computers.

Then again, is there any justification for holiday homework at all? At a time when children would like to simply “chill out”, “hang out” or “stay out”, why give any tasks at all. Says Shamama Baqar, Vice Principal, City Montessori School, Chowk Branch, Lucknow, “Holiday homework keeps children constructively engaged, preventing them from whiling away their time on Facebook (online social networking site) and with their I-pods and the television – in the absence of outdoor activities.” Baqar, however, says that homework should encourage learning and the ability to read and gather information rather than focusing on the decorating of projects and charts.

But for the many mothers traumatized by the amount of homework, there is relief in the form of professional ‘home workers’, who offer to make that working model of the solar heater – complete with water and copper pipes or the thermacol volcano or the CD on endangered species – all for a fee that seems more affordable, even though unethical, when translated into the currency of stressful labor.

Says South Delhi-based Gurpeet Kohli, who has been churning out homework projects for over a decade, “Basically, mothers find sourcing the material and apparatus needed to put together a project difficult. I have a team of 12 people – from a carpenter to two artists to the local fridge mechanic – who I tap to put together projects. I have over 3,000 concepts to offer students. From charts to spiral-bound assignments to working models – nothing is a problem.”

Seems like strong words of reassurance for mothers, even though the basic purpose behind honest, creative holiday assignments may have just got lost behind the layers of glue, paper and maternal anxiety.

A Couple’s Contraceptive Revolution

By Swapna Majumdar

For the last 10 years, Sunita and her husband, Shailendra Kumar Singh, have been working together in Anantkamtaul village, district Muzaffarpur, Bihar, in generating awareness about family planning. But it hasn’t been easy. In a state where cultural taboos confine women to the home and hearth, Sunita has not only been able to break free of these shackles, she is also engaging with issues as sensitive and prickly as family planning.

All this may never have been possible had it not been for Janani, a Bihar-based NGO working on family planning in Bihar and Jharkhand. The uniqueness of Janani’s programme in training and motivating rural health workers to work with communities and advise them about family planning services, is its insistence on couples only as motivators. By training the wife, it has been able to get women to step out of their traditional roles; and empowered them to be change agents.

Today, Sunita is a part of Janani’s network of 32,000 rural health providers who are making a difference. No longer is it just men coming to ask for contraceptives, women too are seeking family planning services. “This change has come because of the presence of my wife. It has made a big difference in making women feel more comfortable,” says Shailendra Singh, Sunita’s husband.

Bihar and Jharkhand make up 10 per cent of India’s population – a staggering 118 million. The fertility rate in Bihar is 4, the highest for any state in India, and in Jharkhand it is 3.31, as against 2.68 in the rest of the country. It is estimated that 11,200,000 people in the two states want to contain their family size but do not know how to access family planning services.

This is where Janani’s strategy of making use of a husband-wife team has helped. The team works to address misconceptions about family planning. The roles and responsibilities of each partner is well defined. For instance, while Sunita looks after the women, her husband is in charge of advising the men.

But IUDs (intrauterine devices) and oral pills are not all the motivators speak about. The couple offers advice to pregnant women about nutrition and child spacing. More importantly, they stress on the importance of the health of the woman. They explain that a woman should not be the one to bear the burden of family planning and feel compelled to undergo tubal ligation. They must educate men about the option of no scalpel vasectomy (NSV), which is quicker than tubal ligation and requires no surgery.

Even though winds of change are blowing in her village, Sunita feels her work would have been far more effective if more women were educated. During the last 10 years, Sunita says that she has been able to convince many couples that it was the health of the child that is important, not its sex. “I tell them girls are as good as boys and they should not keep having children in the hope of a boy. I give them the example of the widow in the village, who has only one child, a daughter. Although married, the daughter looks after her. I contrast it with the case of another family where the son has thrown out his widowed mother. What good is the son if he doesn’t look after his parents in their old age, I ask them. This argument has motivated many couples,” Sunita contends.

However, it is not merely the couples who need motivation. They reach out to mothers-in-law as well for, more often than not, they have considerable influence on the size of the family. This is where Sunita scores. Not only is she able to gain access to the entire household because she is a woman, she is also able to take advantage of being a trained motivator and the wife of the rural medical practitioner (RMP).

But when she comes across some difficult ‘cases’ she has had to think out of the box. As she did in the case of Sitavi Devi, the mother-in-law of Geeta Devi, 25. Geeta already had four children including two sons when she became pregnant for the fifth time. After giving birth to premature twin daughters, Geeta was weak and anemic even four months after giving birth.

Geeta didn’t want any more children but she did not have the courage to say so. Every time Sunita would talk about family planning, Geeta’s mother-in-law would say that the family needed more children to increase its income. At present Geeta’s husband, a rickshaw puller, is the only bread winner in the family.

But Sunita did not give up after hearing this argument. She took the support of Sitavi Devi’s neighbors to reason with her. She motivated Anamika Kumar, 16, a student living next door and their combined efforts finally bore fruit. Although Sunita told them that a vasectomy for her son would be quicker and painless compared to a tubal ligation for her daughter-in-law, the mother-in-law agreed to Geeta getting sterilized. “I did not insist on the vasectomy because at least she agreed to allow her daughter-in-law to undergo a sterilization. This is also a big step and the beginning of a change in her mindset,” says Sunita.

Change is also visible in village Abirpur, in the adjoining district of Vaishali, where the husband-wife team of Manoj Maharaj and Reena have been able to rope in husbands to talk about family planning. In fact, they managed to motivate local resident, Jyotish Kumar Sharma, to join hands with them to spread the message about keeping families small and healthy. He has even performed street plays propagating these messages in the five other villages of the district.

It was Reena who played a pivotal role in counseling Sharma’s wife, Neerja, after she had a near fatal brush with death giving birth to their third child, to undergo a tubectomy. Neerja revealed that once she and her husband understood the importance of maternal and child health, the decision was quick.

Getting husbands on board has helped the Janani teams to raise awareness about family planning. While the wife motivates her counterparts to talk to their husbands about NSVs, the husbands explain the entire procedure and benefits in simple terms. Once the men agree, they are referred to Janani’s Surya clinics where these services are provided. So far, Manoj and Reena have referred 50 cases. The beneficiaries are taken to the clinic and dropped back home by the motivator, free of charge.

In rural Jharkhand,too, Janani motivators inspire men to opt for NSVs. Local RMP and motivator Rajesh Kumar of village Murtu, district Ranchi, is young and energetic. In fact, the newly-married Kumar has vowed that he would undergo NSV after two children. “If I don’t look after my wife’s health, who will? More importantly, if we are to motivate others, we must lead by example,” he says.

In these two states where primary health centres are few and far and family planning a tabooed topic, Janani teams have opened the doors to winds of change.

Opinion: Lalgarh – Is it liberated

By Dr. Amitabh Mitra

Lalgarh is a small village in Jhargram Subdivision of West Midnapore District. The Midnapore railway station is 45 kms away from the village. Lalgarh has become a symbol of defiance against adivasi repression and oppression.

Everything started after the Shalboni incident on 2 November 2008 when a land mine explosion was targeted at the Chief Ministers’ convoy.

This resulted in a hyperactivity of the police which resulted in rounding up of entire villages and subjecting them to inhuman torture, detention was carried out at mere speculation and sexual assault was the part of interrogation.

Joint ruthless operations were carried out on 5 November 2008 into the villages of Choto Pelia, Boro Pelia, Bashber and Kata Pahari.

Many people were left with broken limbs and jaws, some went blind.

The police thought that these simple tribals who don’t have the backing of CPM, Trinamool Congress or Congress I would not revolt or even complain.

Crores are spent on modernizing Lalgarh Police stations but the people still leave in thatched huts.

I was surprised to see a three storey mansion like building belonging to the local CPM leader being rightly brought down by the peasants while women made a hooting sound as concrete and plaster fell. The local panchayats have misappropriated the money for building their own houses.

The Lalgarh Adivasis organized themselves and decided to take the law in their own hands on 6 November 2008.
Can they be called Maoists just because they wanted a better life?

They don’t even know who Mao is.

I remember Sitaram Yechury advising Buddhadev da to ban the Maoists when he hardly knows the intricacies of the Lalgarh problem.

I even saw Aparna Sen on NDTV trying to get some political / cultural mileage by going to Lalgarh and asking everybody to keep their guns down.

Lalgarh would be forgotten soon, what would remain will be the fear and pain of the adivasis, blind people and people walking over with crutches and deformities as a result of police and paramilitary excesses would be an example of an uprising that was nipped even without listening to their problems.

Who Cares about Elder Abuse in India?

By Dr Mala Kapur Shankardass

Prema’s name translates as ‘loved one’. But in Prema’s case, her name is a misnomer. Far from being loved, at her advanced age she finds herself working endlessly for the young woman her husband brought into their home as his new ‘wife’.

Prema, a homemaker who lives near Chandigarh, is in her late-60s. She was around 53 when her husband got inclined towards another younger women. At first, her husband was indifferent towards her and but this has turned to total neglect now.

Her situation is unusual, but it does fall in the category of “elder abuse”, a situation in which older people are subjected to abuse and neglect within their families and communities. On June 15, the world observes Elder Abuse Awareness Day, yet people like Prema continue to suffer neglect and abuse.

It was in the mid-1980s that gerontological research, especially in the UK and US, began to focus on elder abuse. But more than three decades later, it remains an unaddressed concern in India, characterized by a lack of conceptual and definitional clarity. Since this crime is greatly under-reported, there is also a conspicuous absence of relevant data on it. The situation is compounded by the fact that not all situations of elder abuse fit neatly into the existing legal categories. Consequently, elder abuse as a social issue or as one that is relevant to public health figures very inadequately in the public sphere. This has resulted in the underlying causes of abuse – which could in turn have helped in developing appropriate interventions to address it – remaining unidentified.

Yet, there is empirical evidence to suggest that in India incidents of abuse and neglect of older people are increasing by the day, both within families and institutions, and that it prevails across classes, castes and religions. Reports of such abuse have come in from every state in the country and it takes place in both rural and urban settings.

What is a particularly disquieting trend is the vulnerability of ageing women to oppression in various forms. Given existing structures of gender discrimination, women run a greater risk than men of becoming victims of material exploitation, financial deprivation, property grabbing, abandonment, verbal humiliation, emotional and psychological torment. When they fall seriously ill, it is more likely than not, that it is the elderly women in the family who will be denied proper health care. There is also a greater tendency to dismiss the gendered aspects of elder abuse. They rarely come to light. This is because such attacks are made invisible by the belief that they are “internal” or “domestic” matters that need to be sorted out by the concerned individuals and not one that can be addressed publicly. There is also a widespread understanding that the neglect, deprivation and marginalization of older women are the normal consequences of ageing.

The plight of young widows has been well-documented and commented upon in the country, but what has been overlooked are the traumas they undergo as a result of ageing. Already marginalized, the hardships they undergo due to age are never adequately realized and their need for more resources to meet their deteriorating health is invariably overlooked. It is unfortunate that even organizations involved in women’s activism have paid insufficient attention to this helpless and hapless section of the population. In fact, women’s organizations have so far tended to focus more on the dilemmas of middle-aged women who have to balance their own personal and career needs with the demands of looking after both the young and older generations within their families.

The research that I have personally conducted as a gerontologist has been revealing. I have come across women who have been hit, or more specifically slapped, by their sons, daughters-in-law, daughters and husbands. Some older women have told me that they have had things thrown at them when they have not done something according to the desires of family members. They have been pushed around or restrained from doing something they had wanted to do, whether it is cooking, housekeeping, or participating in activities outside the home. Many have reported being spat upon while some have been falsely framed for dowry harassment. But the most common abuse these women face is being denied independent social and economic resources. Most of them carry on doing the back breaking domestic chores that they have done all their lives. The luxury of a little leisure, a little care, is something that has always eluded them.

While it is difficult to accurately measure the extent of the problem on a national scale, given the fact that most families deny that such abuse takes place within the four walls of their homes, we do know that the number of older people in our midst is growing. Current estimates put the 60-plus population at around 90 million and India is projected to have a population of 142 million older people by 2020. Given this demographic reality, what kind of action can the country take at the individual and societal level to alleviate abuse and neglect? How can we generate thought and action from the health, welfare and criminal justice perspectives, which could contribute to a life free of violence, mistreatment and neglect for our elderly? How can we ensure greater acknowledgement and awareness of the need for older men and women to live a life of dignity and respect?

Some argue that a good legal regime will help victims of abuse and neglect among the elderly. India, like many other countries in the world, has adult protection provisions similar to those in Europe, the UK, Canada, South Africa and USA. But will an act like The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 prove a deterrent to abuse? The problem here is that senior citizens, especially women, do not actively seek justice on issues like these. There is a need to raise public awareness on the issue and set up fast-track systems that will enable older persons to access justice more easily.

For me, an important intervention strategy is for everyone, particularly women, to start preparing for old age even when they are relatively young. It is essentially that each individual understands the legal, social and financial factors that shape their lives throughout their life span, and build the necessary support networks. This will go a long way in helping them take the necessary practical steps to secure their future and protect their rights, even as they advance in years.

Michael Jackson: The Musical Genius Who Lived Many Lives

He was one of the strangest celebrities ever. But history will remember Michael Jackson as a black man who managed to break through every racial and artistic barrier to become a global pop icon, a true musical genius.

A winner of 13 Grammy awards, he etched a place for himself in the hearts and minds of people as the King of Pop with his signature song and dance moves, unusual wardrobe, feminine voice – and also as Wacko Jacko for the weirdest controversies.

Capable of unleashing mass hysteria like the Beatles and Elvis, he introduced mega-stardom through his massive live concert tours. He made a mark on the music scene by selling a total of 750 million records, a record for a solo artist.

He was a man for whom life came full circle. When he died of a cardiac arrest Thursday at the age of 50 in Los Angeles, he had been labeled a fallen star – but a star who could still whip up a sold-out concert.

Jackson was born into fame Aug 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, US. He never knew real life. He was five, the youngest member of his family band, the Jackson 5, and was clearly the most popular. Having already established his star power at such a young age, his next foray into pop mainstream was his critically acclaimed album “Off the Wall” in 1979.

It was “Thriller” in 1982 that catapulted him into superstardom. The video for the song “Thriller” was a breakthrough success on MTV and heralded the age of the music video. It went platinum or diamond in 16 countries, including Britain, France and Japan.

But it was in 1983 that Jackson introduced a dance move that will most probably be the defining visual burnished in fans’ memories – the moonwalk. That singular dance move could well be the greatest move of all time.

It was around the time of “Thriller” that his weirdness started showing off-stage. He purchased a chimpanzee named Bubbles and was diagnosed with vitiligo. This skin condition which causes loss of pigmentation in the skin would continue to ravage him. In his later days this condition made him look like an emaciated white man.

In 1987, he released “Bad” and then bought the 2,800-acre Neverland Ranch in California.

He was also at this time veering off into a chequered private life. In his autobiography he claimed he was abused by his dad.

While filming an advertisement for Pepsi, his hair caught fire. He had to get some corrective surgeries but many believe it did not just stop there. At the time of his death his face looked so ghastly that his nose had to be almost taped on to stay on his face.

He is rumored to have injected himself with female hormones to maintain his falsetto voice.

Throughout his career, Jackson blurred the lines between artist, icon, and sadly ridiculed celebrity. Apart from “Thriller” and “Bad”, he had a string of hits in the 1980s like “Beat It” and “Man In the Mirror”.

In 1991, he again came out with the smash hit album, “Dangerous” which had the number, “Black or White”. Jackson held eight Guinness records, including most successful entertainer of all time.

Jackson famously married Elvis’ daughter Lisa Marie Presley. But it didn’t last and he married again. He is survived by three children.

Things really started going bad for him in 1993. That’s when the first allegations of sexual abuse by him surfaced. It was settled quietly out of court. He also scorched headlines for multiple plastic surgeries and increasingly odd behavior.

In late 2003, Jackson faced charges of sexually molesting a 13-year-old boy at his Neverland Ranch. Jackson addressed the allegations in an interview to “60 Minutes” and gave details about his home.

“I wanted to have a place that I could create everything that I never had as a child. So you see rides, you see animals, there’s a movie theatre. I was always on tour travelling, you know, and I never got a chance to do those things. So I compensated for the loss by – I have a good time – I mean, I can’t go into a park, I can’t go to Disneyland as myself. I can’t go out and walk down the street. There’s crowds and bumper-to-bumper cars. So I create my world behind my gates.”

“Everything that I love is behind those gates,” Jackson had told “60 Minutes”.

The cases reached a climax in 2005 and he was cleared of a few charges. But many believed he was guilty and then the idea that he was a sexual predator along with generally being a strange man became too much to handle. Jackson exiled himself.

Despite earning hundreds of millions of dollars he was reported to be $500 million in debt thanks largely to his eccentrically extravagant lifestyle.

An increasingly frail and financially-challenged Jackson had been preparing for a 50-concert run in London, billed as his comeback tour. And the shows were declared sold out despite his scandal-tainted final years.

When he died Thursday, a large crowd formed outside the hospital and his home, playing Jackson’s music, as news crews and reporters jostled for stories and as news helicopters hovered overhead.

For, in the end, the only redeeming quality of the man was his work.

International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

By M H Ahssan

The global war against drug abuse and illicit trafficking has gained momentum over the years. To marshal worldwide support for the control over drugs, the 26th of June every year is devoted to the cause, known as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Undoubtedly, drugs can hold individuals to ransom, triggering a negative effect on an entire family and community. In effect, drugs can control life. The profound slogan, “Do drugs control your life? Your community? No place for drugs” encapsulates the resolve to fight drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

200 million people worldwide are slaves to drugs

• 162 million swear by cannabis -marihuana, hashish, THC.

• 35 million would do anything for ATS – ecstasy, methamphetamine, amphetamine, methcathinone.

• 16 million use opiates -opium, morphine, heroin, synthetic opiates

• 13 million use cocaine

How has the drug trade penetrated to such mammoth proportions?
Drugs have an effect on the mind and body. To support the demand for drugs, the nexus of farmers, global drug cartels and middlemen ‘sow the seeds’, leaving no stone unturned to perpetuate this nefarious trade. The drug racket needs to be busted, which is what the anti-drug campaigns are constantly striving to do – yet none other than society and individuals can help meet these objectives.

Bust the Racket
Three multilateral drug treaties form the edifice of international drug control and UNODC (UN Office on Drugs and Crime) initiatives. The efforts of UNODC strive to bring control on three key facets which is drug abuse, production and trafficking of illicit drugs. Illicit drugs are defined by the UNODC as drugs of the type – amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), sedative hypnotics, opiates, cannabis, and hallucinogens.

UN General Assembly, in 1998 framed a defining statement conveying the extent of the global drug menace- it said, “Drugs destroy lives and communities, undermine sustainable human development and generate crime. Drugs affect all sectors of society in all countries; in particular, drug abuse affects the freedom and development of young people, the world’s most valuable asset.”

Mean Business
A recent UN report has portrayed the alarming increase in the drug smuggling trade, especially heroin, which is smuggled into India from Pakistan. The consumption of cocaine in Western Europe is also steadily increasing. Asia is grappling with increasing levels of ATS use. Afghanistan, the highest producer of opium in the world, has become a hub for illicit drug trafficking.

Another worrying trend is the trafficking of pharmaceuticals into India from other South Asian countries. The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has blamed the gangs from West African countries for making India a transit point for movement of drug consignments to Europe.

Rajiv Walia, project coordinator in the Regional Office for South Asia of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said, “Law enforcement agencies in the north-western parts of India are seizing ever increasing quantities of heroin originating in Afghanistan and coming via Pakistan en route to Europe. South Asia is being targeted for cocaine trafficking, with West African gangs bringing it here and exchanging it for heroin that they smuggle into Europe”.

Many illegally manufactured pharmaceutical preparations like buprenorphine, codeine-based syrups, benzodiazepines are illegally trafficked from India and smuggled into Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. From these countries, the illicit pharmaceutical medicines make their way to North America and Europe.

Courier companies are being used to smuggle illicit drugs. Recently, two parcels meant for Canada and South Africa containing more than 1kg of heroin were intercepted in India.

Internet Abets Drug Trafficking
The internet has been misused for providing information, advertisement and promotion of illegal drugs. The popularly needed drugs are Dextropropoxyphene, Nitrazepam, Diazepam, and Buprenorphine.

According to K.C. Verma, director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), traffickers in Europe and Africa are in touch with several websites in India, known to offer pharmaceutical drugs with psychotropic substances. After the orders are registered by clients from other countries, the Indian organizations arrange to send the drugs by post with deceptive labels on the packets.

A report released by the International Narcotics Control Board, stated, “Internationally controlled pharmaceutical preparations manufactured locally in India are increasingly being diverted to some European countries and the US. Each year the US Customs and Border Protection intercepts in the mail system thousands of illegal parcels containing pharmaceutical preparations and marked ‘for personal use’. Most of those pharmaceutical preparations appear to have been sold illegally over the Internet.”

Indeed, it is time to crack the whip. The UN has pressed India to strengthen its control over illicit drug trafficking. It is also important to understand that it is not a problem specific to a country. It is a global problem which needs a global initiative. A concerted effort across nations is imperative to obliterate the scourge.

Why small-town India is checking out?

By M H Ahssan

Singapore’s former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, who could always be counted on to call a spade a spade (and hit you on the head with it!), once characterised Australians as destined to become “the poor white trash of Asia”. Lee’s acerbic remarks were made years ago in the context of ‘White Australia’s’ immigration policies until the 1970s, which were tailored to favour Anglo-Saxons and keep out Asians.

That enterprise, of course, was rendered rather difficult by Australia’s peculiar identity as a colony of white settlers in a distinctly Asian part of the world.

In any case, if Lee were to walk the streets of Australian cities today, he will have reason to review his characterisation of that society. Much of the “trash” work (his words) today is done not by “poor white Australians”, but by “brown” Indian immigrants, many of whom are on a student visa and to whom the grunge work has been ‘outsourced’.

They work as storefront clerks, cooks, garbage collectors, taxi drivers, hair-dressers and countless other blue-collar jobs at less than minimum wage. Mostare from small-town India with a rudimentary proficiency in English and have enrolled in vocational-stream courses that feed a list of “occupations in demand” in Australia. Their real reason for being there, as they candidly admit in their faux Aussie drawl is not ‘education’, but to take a shot at ‘permanent residency’ there.

These are predominantly unskilled or semi-skilled young migrants who are leveraging — and, in some cases, abusing — a window of immigration opportunity provided by a greying Australia, a country that’s twice the size of India, but which has the population of Greater Mumbai, and so needsyoung hands to work the levers of its economic engine.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with labour mobility in a globalised world and if people relocate from Mohali to Melbourne (or from Sangrur to Sydney) in search of fortune and after observing the due process, more (visa) power to them! But there’s something intensely sobering about the economic reality of India when entire villages of young Indians vote with their feet and seek out jobs as cooks and cleaners in foreign shores where their dollar-denominated dreams are devalued to an extent by their desperate bending of immigration laws and their own lived experiences of sub-par citizenship.

For instance, a survey conducted by Australia’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship last year established that Indian ’students’ in Australia were three times more likely than other foreign students to violate their visa regulations. In terms of risk category for visa violations, Indian ’students’ in Australia are in the same elite club as Bangladeshis and Cambodians.

This is disquieting at several levels: it shows up an India where, beyond its big cities, economic opportunities for the young are so lacking that they are stampeding towards the exit, faking documents and breaking rules. Social discrimination and disempowerment in our Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and towns are so extreme that even the occasional experience of racial bigotry overseas and a general sense of alienation appear more tolerable, particularly because they come with higher dollar wages for rendering the same wretched service.

This mass exodus of the small-town Young Indian is also problematic at another level. These semi-skilled migrants form a critical mass of “visible Indians” overseas. An ill-informed observer might well conclude — with the same unnuanced alacrity with which we Indians jumped onto the ‘All-Aussies-are-racists’ theme — that all Indians are “visa-violating brown trash of Asia”. That’s not an identity calculated to burnish the image of Brand India.

Examining Male Infertility – Research & Observation

By Dr.Muneeb Faraaz

Abstract
Problems of male infertility can seem like minor issues within the larger realm of urology. But many male infertility diagnoses can be successfully treated, allowing the couple to conceive naturally or with minimal medical assistance. Some patients presenting with male infertility can have more significant disease. Treatments for male infertility will continue to progress, and as an increasing number of couples seek infertility services, the need to provide basic information grows as well.

Introduction
An increasing number of couples seek evaluation and treatment for infertility, especially as more couples delay childbearing in order to establish their careers. A male factor alone is the cause of infertility in up to 20% of infertile couples and a contributing factor in another 30% to 40% of all couples presenting for infertility evaluations (American Urological Association [AUA] & American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), 2001a; ASRM, 2004). Problems with infertility affect approximately 6.1 million people in the United States, or roughly 10% of the reproductive-age population. For these couples, a lack of success with conception is not just an inconvenience but rather a disease of their reproductive system(s). Understanding the basics of male infertility is an important part of providing complete urologic care to male patients.

There are causes of male infertility that are treatable, either through medical or surgical management, and causes that can be corrected, or improved, to the point where the couple is able to conceive naturally or to take advantage of less-costly assisted reproductive technologies.

It is common to recommend an infertility evaluation in couples with a history of unprotected intercourse for at least 12 months without a pregnancy and with attempts to time intercourse with ovulation, although this length of time can be shortened as the female partner’s age increases to over age 35 or if the couple is worried about their fertility status. This guideline is relevant even if the couple has previously had children together. A couple can present with a history of little difficulty achieving a first pregnancy, and yet be unsuccessful in establishing a second pregnancy (secondary infertility). There are other reasons to consider an evaluation, such as female infertility issues, including age greater than 35, or a history of male risk factors for infertility, such as cryptorchidism or a history of cancer treatment. A screening evaluation for the couple should include a reproductive history and at least two semen analyses at a laboratory that is qualified to perform the testing.

Development of Sperm
Males do not begin to produce sperm until puberty, when testosterone begins to exert its influence on overall male development and growth. Spermatogenesis is driven by testosterone production in the Leydig cells of the testes. Under the influence of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which are released from the anterior pituitary, the testes begin to produce sperm in a four-step process of development: spermatogonia, spermatocyte, spermatid, spermatozoon. This cycle takes roughly 74 days to complete, with an additional 12 days for final maturation as the sperm traverse the length of the epididymis (Sigman, Lipshultz, & Howards, 1997). The duration of this cycle is important, as any changes in the semen analysis following medical or surgical intervention will not be reflected for at least 3 months.

This process is governed by a negative feedback loop, with testosterone acting as the primary negative feedback component that slows LH and FSH secretion. Inhibin, released during spermatogenesis, also specifically inhibits activity or down-regulates FSH. This feedback system can be overridden by the administration of exogenous testosterone, or medications such as luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone antagonists, both of which stop the body’s own production of testosterone (and halt spermatogenesis as well).

General History and Review of Systems
The general history of a male patient during an infertility evaluation begins with the duration of the attempts at pregnancy or reason for the evaluation (such as to establish if spermatogenesis has returned after chemotherapy). It includes many questions regarding the reproductive status of his partner, including her age, the duration of the couple’s attempts at pregnancy, if they have had children or a positive pregnancy test together, and the results of any semen analyses prior to the current encounter. The history addresses whether or not either partner has conceived with another partner, and should include previous evaluation and treatment for male or female factor infertility in the past. Not every male patient is accompanied by his partner, but this information should be collected as completely as possible.

The male general history includes a discussion of any recent (within the last 6 months) systemic illness, particularly if it was a febrile illness, and any recent weight gain or loss. The patient should be asked if there are any complaints specific to the genitourinary (GU) structures. This may reveal complaints of a dull ache or fullness to the scrotum, or pain on one side that does not radiate. The review of systems will specifically include fevers, colds, sinus infections, anosmia (loss or impairment of the sense of smell), peripheral field visual problems, breast pain or secretions, and scrotal pain. It should establish that puberty started in the early or middle teens to confirm normal physiologic male development.

The general history includes any potential exposure to environmental toxins, either through occupation or hobbies. These include excessive heat, radiation, heavy metals, and glycol ethers or other organic solvents.

Medical History
The evaluation should then proceed to a history of any condition that would potentially affect erectile function, the testes, or the hormonal status of the patient (including such things as cryptorchidism, epispadias, mumps, orchitis, diabetes, hypothyroidism, varicocele, or pituitary malfunction). It will also include a review of additional medical conditions for which the patient is being followed, including any condition that would require radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Any history of treatment for malignancy, regardless of site, should be documented. Diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sleep apnea, renal insufficiency, hemachromatosis, and hepatic insufficiency are known possible contributors to male subfertility (Burrows, Schrepferman, & Lipshultz, 2002). Infertility in the male can, in fact, be a hallmark symptom for other medical conditions in an apparently healthy adult male.

Surgical History
The surgical history during the male infertility visit focuses on any history of GU surgeries at any point during the life of the male undergoing evaluation. These include such diverse procedures such as orchidopexy; Y-V plasty to the bladder neck; inguinal hernia repair as infant, small child, or adult; epispadias or hypospadias repair; prostate surgery; bladder reconstructions; bladder surgeries; or testicular surgeries. The surgical history should ask about procedures which impair retroperitoneal sympathetic nerve function, such as retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND). The patient should be asked specifically about previous treatment for testicular or GU malignancies, either with surgery or radiation. The patient should be asked specifically if there is a history of a vasectomy.

Sexual History
The history should include the overall pattern of sexual activity during the period of time the couple has been trying to conceive, specifically in relation to ovulation. This includes questions regarding the use of ovulation-predictor kits or ovulation-promoting medications such as clomiphene citrate, a nonsteroidal anti-estrogenic. The optimal window for pregnancy occurs in the 6 days before ovulation, with day 6 being the actual day of ovulation (Wilcox, Weinberg, & Baird, 1995). Simply adjusting the timing of intercourse can result in a significantly increased chance for pregnancy.

Both partners should be asked about a history of sexually transmitted infections. Each patient should be queried regarding erectile function, ejaculation, and libido; these issues can be superimposed onto fertility concerns. Erectile difficulties may be accompanied by a history of declining erectile function, usually insidious and progressive, and may span the course of several years (as is a common scenario with diabetic patients). Alter natively, the patient may provide a history of relatively rapid or recent onset of a decline to erectile function, such as may be associated with the history of recently starting new medication or the stress of the fertility evaluation. The history should include several points specific to the patient’s sexual functioning: the precise nature of the dysfunction (for example, whether the problem is attaining or sustaining an erection, insufficient rigidity, difficulty with penetration); the presence or absence of nocturnal and morning erections and their quality; and any treatments (pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic) that the patient has tried.

If the patient complains of low libido, he may also describe moodiness, loss of interest in his usual activities, a decline in erectile function, fatigue, and even complaints of diminished muscle bulk. It should be established if these complaints are new or long-standing.

If there are issues with ejaculation, the patient may have complaints of cloudy urine after ejaculation, decreased volume of ejaculate, hematospermia, difficulty with bowel movements, anejaculation, oligospermia (low sperm count), or azoospermia (no sperm in ejaculate) with a low-volume ejaculate on semen analysis. The patient may have complaints of pain on ejaculation, usually of relatively recent onset, and it may localize to a specific scrotal structure. These complaints can be the result of a variety of surgical procedures, progressive neurologic disease, or pre-existing treatment with certain antidepressants (see the article, “Premature Ejaculation” elsewhere in this issue for a more detailed description of ejaculation issues).

The couple must also be asked about the used of lubricants: saliva, K-YAE jelly, surgilube, and hand lotions are known to impair sperm motility (Burrows et al., 2002).

Medication History
A careful medication history is a mandatory component of the initial evaluation of male-factor infertility. Prescription drugs can affect sperm count, motility, and morphology, and the dose and duration of use should be documented. Common antibiotics can temporarily contribute to a decline in the semen analysis quality; calcium channel blockers and spironolactone can contribute to a decreased fertilization capacity and a decline in spermatogenesis respectively (Brugh, Matschke, & Lipshultz, 2003) (see Table 1 ). Anabolic steroid use can result in a profound decline in sperm counts that may not recover with the cessation of the exogenous steroid, leaving the patient azoospermic or with persistently decreased counts. The patient must also be asked about the ingestion of nutraceuticals and other over-the counter medications, certain steroid hormones, or other harmful substances that may contribute to semen analysis derangements as well.

Social History
Cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and consistent marijuana use are all known to be gonadotoxins (Burrows et al., 2002). A careful history of the use of these agents and other illicit drug use must be part of the complete male infertility evaluation. Cigarette smoking has been implicated as leading to changes in morphology, sperm production, and motility while chronic alcohol use contributes to feminization, erectile dysfunction, and hypogonadism (Nudell, Monoski & Lipshultz, 2002). Marijuana use can decrease sperm morphology over time (Nudell et al., 2002). Simply eliminating these agents can improve semen parameters in the absence of other physical findings.

Patients should be asked about recreational activities, as some activities, such as long-distance cycling, may put pressure on the perineal area and may result in possible impairment to erectile function.

Family History
The family history should include a discussion of testicular or other GU malignancies and specifically any cancer history, prostate or bladder problems in other family members (including female relatives with bladder conditions). It is helpful to include a history of maternal medication/drug use while pregnant with patient, if this information is known. The patient should be queried regarding siblings or extended family members who may have had fertility problems or diagnoses that are genetic in nature (such as cystic fibrosis).

Female Partner History
The history of the patient’s partner should include details of any previous pregnancies (including miscarriages or elective terminations), menstrual cycle length, whether she is undergoing evaluation for fertility issues, and any medical or surgical management that has been necessary. It is also helpful to include comments regarding the expected next step in her management (if known) if the male evaluation is negative.

Physical Examination
If this is a complaint in a man with no other recognized medical conditions, a full physical examination is necessary. Examination of the male patient is best done in a warm room, in an attempt to avoid any exaggeration of the cremaster reflex (see Table 2 ). The examination should focus primarily on the genitalia (see Table 3 ), with consideration for the overall body habitus. For a detailed discussion of the complete male physical examination, refer to the physical assessment article that appears elsewhere in this issue. The structures that are evaluated include the penis, scrotum, testes, epididymis, spermatic cord and vas deferens, prostate, seminal vesicles, and Cowper’s gland; however, not all are easily palpated.

The patient should be examined for age-appropriate development of male secondary sex characteristics, gynecomastia, or hirsutism. He should be evaluated for lesions or scarring to the abdomen or groin (as patients may inadvertently neglect to mention surgery that happened in their remote past), any discoloration to the scrotum, asymmetry of the testicles, and the location and size of the opening of the penile meatus. Physical examination could reveal regression of secondary sexual characteristics such as hair loss and possible loss of muscle bulk. Patients using anabolic steroids may also have skeletal muscle hypertrophy, acne, gynecomastia, and striae; there may be some noticeable testicular atrophy on examination.

Palpation is the most important component of the physical examination when assessing for male factor infertility. Because the tone of the tunica dartos muscle will determine the size of the scrotum, the examination should be performed in a warm room whenever possible. In a cool environment the tunica dartos muscle will cause the scrotum to contract. The scrotum must be carefully and thoroughly palpated, and the presence of all scrotal structures should be confirmed, along with their size and consistency. Masses may arise from the surface of the testicle, adjacent to or separate from the testes. There may be evidence of epididymal induration on physical examination. The patient may have a testicle that is palpable in the inguinal canal and can be tender on examination, that cannot be manipulated down into the scrotum, or that cannot be palpated at all. Physical examination may show complete absence of the vas deferens unilaterally or bilaterally, or a palpable gap in the vas deferens. The complete physical examination should also include a digital rectal examination when there are ejaculatory complaints.

A varicocele can be exaggerated during physical examination by asking the patient to perform the Valsalva maneuver while standing; any distention of the pampiniform plexus should disappear when the patient lies down. If the varicocele is bulky enough, there may be resulting scrotal swelling that is noticeable to the patient, along with a bluish discoloration beneath the scrotal skin. A long-standing varicocele may cause testicular atrophy. If the varicocele is large, it may be visible during inspection (“bag of worms”).

Semen Analysis and Laboratory Evaluation
The semen analysis yields a tremendous amount of information as to the potential causes of male infertility. The primary values that are evaluated are the volume of the ejaculate, sperm motility, total sperm count, and sperm morphology (shape) (see Table 4 ). Patients should receive notification in advance that they will need to provide a semen sample after a period of abstinence of 2 to 5 days. This sample is collected through masturbation, and must be collected into a container that is not toxic to sperm, or by using a special condom designed for semen collection (latex condoms alter sperm viability, especially if they are lubricated). Patients should be discouraged from attempting to collect a sample through intercourse as coitus interruptus is not a recommended, or reliable, means for sample collection (AUA & ASRM, 2001b). The ideal circumstances for specimen collection are in close proximity to the laboratory to prevent any delay in processing. If the sample is collected at home it should arrive to the lab within 60 minutes to ensure the accuracy of the results.

When determining a course of treatment, it is common to require serial analyses to avoid any spurious results, ideally with the same period of abstinence each time. For instance, patients could be scheduled for three specimens, with 3 days abstinence, a minimum of 3 weeks apart. It is common for patients to repeat their semen analysis every 3 months after starting any treatment, due to the length of time it takes sperm to mature. The results of the semen analysis can indicate any additional testing that might be useful.

There are several additional tests that can be performed on a semen sample, including a sperm penetration assay, peroxidase staining, direct immunobead testing, and computer-aided semen analysis. The clinical usefulness of specialized sperm testing remains controversial, however.

An endocrine evaluation can yield a great deal of information (see Table 5 ), and may be ordered if there is any suspicion of endocrinopathy or evidence of oligospermia. This will include total testosterone, free testosterone, LH, FSH, and prolactin levels; estradiol level may be included if the patient has a high body mass index.

If the semen analysis shows severe oligospermia or azoospermia and/or the physical examination yields abnormalities as far as testicular size or the male’s overall physical development, then karyotype analysis and Y-chromosome microdeletion testing are also indicated.

Potentially Reversible Causes Of Male Infertility

Varicocele
A varicocele is a palpable or visible dilation of the vessels of the pampiniform plexus in the scrotum. It is the reflux of venous blood from the internal spermatic vein which dilates the pampiniform plexus and results in a varicocele. It is estimated that varicoceles may be present in 15% of the male population, and this number increases to 40% in men presenting for an infertility evaluation (AUA & ASRM, 2001c). Varicoceles are more common on the left, possibly due to the greater distance the internal spermatic vein must traverse to the left renal vein when compared with the distance on the right. If a varicocele is painful, there may be a history of a dull ache, fullness, pain that does not radiate, or pulling to the affected side of the scrotum after prolonged standing, exertion, or sitting. Pain from a varicocele is rare after prolonged recumbency or sleeping.

A varicocele might be suspected in the male with decreased semen parameters, as varicoceles represent a common cause of secondary male infertility. The etiology of varicoceles remains unclear, and there are no specific risk factors. The mechanism by which varicoceles alter the semen analysis is also uncertain, and may be the result of temperature elevation, venous congestion, or testicular hormone changes. It is unusual for males to exhibit a varicocele prior to adolescence, and the majority of varicoceles are asymptomatic, causing neither pain nor semen analysis changes. Adult males with a varicocele and some abnormalities of their semen parameters may benefit from treatment for the varicocele as a way to protect their future fertility and prevent any potential for future decline to their semen parameters (Chehval & Purcell, 1992).

A scrotal ultrasound is not necessary to diagnose a varicocele, but it will confirm the presence of a varicocele and eliminate other testicular or scrotal pathology. However, only those varicoceles palpable on physical examination have been documented as contributing to male infertility (AUA & ASRM, 2001c).

Treatment of a varicocele is possible either through surgical repair or percutaneous embolization. Surgical repair can be achieved with a variety of approaches, including microsurgical, inguinal, or subinguinal. Neither embolization nor surgery has been clearly shown to improve fertility (AUA & ASRM, 2001c). Any offered surgical correction will be secondary to the individual surgeon’s experience, while embolization requires interventional radiology. Surgical treatment has a high success rate (AUA & ASRM, 2001c). Both surgery and embolization have short recovery periods. The primary risks are infection, varicocele recurrence, and failure of the semen analysis to improve after the procedure. For those patients who do not show improvement or show only modest improvement over the course of a year, and in whom the varicocele has not recurred, intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) may be advised, depending on the total sperm count.

Ejaculatory and Sexual Dysfunction
A secondary goal of the infertility evaluation is to identify any underlying health conditions that may be contributing to difficulties with conception. This could include any conditions that would contribute to problems with ejaculation, such as undiagnosed diabetes, or problems with erection, such as might be caused by a significant smoking history, severe hypercholesterolemia, or hypogonadism. A full discussion of the diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) is beyond the scope of this article; however, it is not uncommon for men to report some stress-related ED during the course of the infertility evaluation and treatment. These patients may benefit from a prescription for a PDE-5 inhibitor. Alprostadil (MuseAE) is not recommended since its potential effect on the ejaculate is not known.

Patients who complain of difficulty with ejaculation and climax may be taking psychotherapeutic agents that block dopamine production and consequently blunt the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and possibly decrease libido. Other psychotherapeutic agents can de crease vasodilation and decrease the quality of erections. Tricyclic antidepressants, selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors can lead to ED, anejaculation, and decreased libido. These patients can have their regimen changed, or may be offered other means of medically managing their complaints, such as a PDE-5 inhibitor.

Endocrinopathy
Hypogonadism represents the only cause of male infertility that can successfully be treated with hormone therapy, although the response is largely dependent on the length of time and causes of the hypogonadism. Hypogonadism is failure of the testes to produce normal levels of testosterone and/or sperm. Primary causes of hypogonadism are commonly due to testicular failure, while secondary causes are due to pituitary or hypothalamic causes, and combined hypogonadism is due to the combinations of the decreased pulsatility of the pituitary gonadotropins coupled with the decreased response of the testicular Leydig cells. Hypogonadism is more common in aging males who have passed through their reproductive stage.

Reversible endocrinopathies that directly contribute to male infertility are unusual (Kolettis, 2003). In the adult male, hypogonadism manifests with changes in sexual function, behavior, muscle mass, and some loss of secondary sexual characteristics. The patient may also report mood and behavioral symptoms (depression, irritability, loss of motivation) in addition to complaints of lethargy or loss of energy. Physical examination may demonstrate some regression of secondary sexual characteristics such as hair loss and possible loss of muscle bulk. There is no change to penis or prostate size, but the testes may be softer in consistency and smaller than might be expected from the patient’s chronologic age.

Obesity can lead to the aromatization of testosterone in fatty tissue to estradiol, leaving less testosterone available for maintenance and virilization functions. This will lead to a decline in sperm production, as the testes no longer receive an adequate hormonal signal to produce sperm. As a result of lowered testosterone, a clinically obese male may demonstrate evidence of feminization (such as gynecomastia) or regression of secondary male sexual characteristics on physical examination. Testosterone and free testosterone levels, along with estradiol, LH, and FSH levels will aid in determining the degree to which obesity may have upset the patient’s hormonal balance and contributed to alterations to the semen analysis. The most definitive treatment is weight loss, but some patients may also respond well to treatment with clomiphene citrate, a synthetic nonsteroidal anti-estrogen.

All forms of hypogonadism can be confirmed by checking a testosterone level; morning values are preferred to afternoon blood samples because testosterone is secreted in the morning. This should include total testosterone, free testosterone, LH, and FSH. Estradiol should be obtained if the patient has a higher body mass index. Prolactin and a thyroid profile can also be useful in diagnosing secondary causes in selected cases.

Men who are diagnosed with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (decreased testosterone, decreased LH, decreased FSH) can also benefit from treatment with exogenous hormones to stimulate their system into a more normal profile. Their prospects for recovery of spermatogenesis are modest; even with treatment it may be a year or more before sperm production returns. The most profound cases of this are caused by hypothalamic disorders such as Kallman’s syndrome. Men diagnosed with a form of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism may still sire genetic offspring, via testicular aspiration and IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Obstructive Azoospermia
Patients who have previously had vasectomies suffer from obstructive azoospermia. These patients are usually otherwise healthy, and have normal GU examinations, with the exception of sperm granulomas as a result of the vasectomy, and varying degrees of induration and/or tenderness to their epididymis. These patients can be offered a vasectomy reversal as treatment for their infertility, and may be candidates for a vasovasotomy or vasoepididymostomy depending on their physical examination (AUA & ASRM, 2001b). The offered surgical approach will be based on the individual surgeon’s experience. Vasectomy reversals may become less successful as the time after the vasectomy increases. A microsurgical vasectomy reversal remains the most cost-effective option for fertility restoration after a vasectomy (Pavlovich & Schlegel, 1997).

A minority of patients presenting for a male infertility evaluation may have suffered an inadvertent vasectomy during surgery for another condition, such as a inguinal hernia repair as a child or adult. In some cases these patients can be successfully reconstructed.

Ejaculatory Duct Obstruction
Ejaculatory duct obstruction de scribes a condition in which one, or both, of the ducts leading from the seminal vesicles into the prostate become(s) partially or completely blocked. This results in only prostatic fluids contributing to the ejaculate volume. As a result the semen analysis will show decreased volume, increased acidity, possible hematospermia, possible oligospermia, or azoospermia. The patient may provide a history of pain immediately following ejaculation. Digital rectal examination may show some tenderness to the prostate and/or epididymis, and possible distended seminal vesicles, but the diagnosis is more commonly made after a transrectal ultrasound. Treatment involves the transurethral resection of the ejaculatory ducts.

Chemotherapeutic agents
Men who have been treated with chemotherapeutic agents have varying chances of recovering spermatogenesis, depending on the specific agents involved. Damage is done directly to the germinal epithelium and Sertoli cells that support spermatogenesis. The most gonadotoxic agents are alkylating agents, antimetabolites, and vinca alkaloids (Nudell et al., 2002). Agents such as methotrexate, cisplatin, and 6-mercaptopurine offer better chances of sperm recovery (Nudell et al., 2002), but offering the opportunity to cryopreserve sperm prior to initiation of treatment should be considered whenever possible. Spermatogenesis can recover during the 2 to 4 years after the cessation of treatment; progress toward recovery can be monitored with yearly semen samples.

Male Infertility and Medical Management
Medical management of male infertility occurs when a specific contributing factor that is potentially amenable to attempts at medical treatment is identified. This routinely includes the recommendation to remove any environmental toxins, such as smoking cessation, cessation of recreational drug use, and cessation of alcohol intake. Medical management is often related to addressing some endocrine abnormality; in the case of a specific hormone deficiency, administration of the hormone, or a substance that promotes its production, can restore the patient to normal hormone levels. After a period of time, 6, 9, 12 months or more, there can be improvements in overall semen parameters either to normal ranges or such that the couple becomes a candidate for low-tech interventions.

This is true for all attempts at hormone replacement except for testosterone. The patient who is given any form of testosterone replacement will suffer a progressive decline in the function of the testicles, as the exogenous testosterone is a powerful inhibitor of the feedback loop that governs spermatogenesis and testicular testosterone production. To boost testosterone levels in the subfertile male, clomiphene citrate (ClomidAE), a synthetic nonsteroidal anti-estrogen is given, commonly at 25 mg daily. In men, it blocks feedback inhibition and so increases FSH and LH, thus increasing testosterone and sperm production. In part, because of its estrogenic effects, there is the potential for alterations in libido, gynecomastia, weight gain, and headache (see Table 6 ). There have been a variety of uncontrolled studies as to the effectiveness of clomiphene citrate in treating male subfertility, but when the outcome is measured as an increase in pregnancy rate, clomiphene citrate fares little better than placebo (Sokol, Steiner, Bustillo, Petersen, & Swerdloff, 1988). It will not have an effect on the male who has a normal testosterone level and a decreased semen analysis.

If there is retrograde or low-volume ejaculation, a trial of sympathomimetics can be useful. The goal of this therapy is to convert the retrograde ejaculation to antegrade or partially antegrade ejaculation; a variety of medications have been used, with varying degrees of success (Schuster & Ohl, 2002). This approach is more successful with patients who suffer a progressive decline in their ejaculatory function, such as that seen with neurologic disease, than with the abrupt onset seen as a result of a variety of surgeries, such as radical retropubic prostatectomy.

Use of the supplement L-carnitine, either by itself or in a mixture of additional substances, has been proposed as a supplement that can improve overall sperm motility and the total sperm count, and enabling a patient to avoid invasive procedures such as varicocele repair or testicular biopsy. However, its use remains somewhat unfounded. Although carnitine serves a role in the maturation of sperm, there have been no prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials to evaluate this supplement’s utility in improving male-factor infertility (Siddiq & Sigman, 2002).

Generally, attempts at medical treatments for male infertility have been limited by poorly designed research studies, and by wide variations in dosage and duration of therapy, lack of a placebo-control arm, and a failure to control for the variation seen in semen quality with time.

Irreversible Causes of Male Infertility

Klinefelter’s Syndrome
Kline felter’s syndrome is the most common abnormality of sexual differentiation, and occurs in approximately 1 in 500 live births. It is one of the most common causes of primary hypogonadism, and is the most common sex chromosome abnormality seen in infertile men. Patients will present with a typical triad of small, firm testes; gynecomastia; and elevated urine gonadotropins. Variants of Klinefelter’s may also result in increased height, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and decreased intelligence. The infertility evaluation may be the first time the patient has a complete physical examination as an adult.

During the history, patients may describe the delayed completion of puberty and delayed virilization. There are usually few physical complaints associated with Klinefelter’s syndrome. There will be a lack of development of secondary sexual characteristics on physical examination (atrophic [< 2.0 cm] testes, small phallus, diminished body hair, diminished muscle bulk), and a feminine, or truncal, rather than male, fat distribution that often includes gynecomastia. Patients may be tall, due to a delay in the fusion of the epiphyseal plates in the long bones.

Clinical suspicion after the physical examination will usually lead to a karyotype analysis, which will show 47, XXY or a mosaic pattern such as 46, XY/47, XXY, indicating a diagnosis of Klinefelter’s syndrome. Serum hormone studies will demonstrate a decreased or normal testosterone, decreased free testosterone, elevated estradiol, normal or elevated LH, and elevated FSH.

Treatment for infertility in the patient with Klinefelter’s can take a variety of forms (see Table 7 ). It is only recently, with the advent of the microTESE (microsurgical testicular extraction) procedure, that patients diagnosed with Klinefelter’s syndrome were given the potential to father genetic offspring via microTESE and ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection).

Congenital Bilateral Absence of the vas Deferens
Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens is a genetic abnormality that is seen with cystic fibrosis (CF) and its multiple variants. If not previously diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, the patient may have one of the less-severe CF mutations, and report a history of chronic bronchitis that may have required hospitalization, recurrent respiratory infections as a child and adolescent, asthma or an asthma-like condition, or even have no symptoms at all (most common). There are usually no other physical complaints; but there may be a family history of infertility or persistent respiratory illnesses.

Males with CF frequently demonstrate malformation of the epididymis. The vas deferens, seminal vesicles, and ejaculatory ducts are generally atrophic or absent. Physical examination may show complete absence of the vas deferens unilaterally or bilaterally, or a palpable gap in the vas deferens. Testosterone levels in these patients will be normal. Spermatogenesis is usually normal as well, and so testes size and consistency are normal, with the patient describing normal libido and demonstrating appropriate secondary sexual characteristics. It is possible that the patient may have a much more rare unilateral absence of the vas deferens, which is usually associated with Wolffian duct abnormalities and renal malformations.

The physical examination and history are sufficient to confirm a suspicion of CF; the patient will be sent for karyotype analysis and CF testing. The couple will be sent to a genetics clinic for additional counseling and testing. Males with CF have the option to sire genetic offspring via testicular aspiration and IVF.

Anejaculation After a Spinal Cord Injury or Surgery
Approximately 80% of spinal cord injured (SCI) men will demonstrate some preservation of their erectile function (Schuster & Ohl, 2002). Men with a T9 level injury or above can have reflex erections that do not persist long enough or are reliable for sexual activity. In men who have suffered lower motor neuron injuries (below T9), erectile activity is absent.

Ejaculatory function in men with SCI is a separate challenge. Only 5% to 15% of men will have any evidence of ejaculation after their injury (Biering-Sørensen & Sønksen, 2001) and this represents a major aspect contributing to infertility. This is complicated further by a significant decline in overall sperm quality. Sperm obtained from men who are unable to ejaculate demonstrate a variety of abnormalities that include significantly decreased motility and viability, decreased ability to penetrate cervical mucus, and decreased fertilizing capability. Only 5% of men with SCI will be able to initiate a pregnancy without some degree of medical intervention (Schuster & Ohl, 2002).

Surgical procedures in the pelvis or retroperiteneum can result in neurogenic impairment of the ejaculatory process by damaging peripheral nerves. This can manifest as an incompetent bladder neck and retrograde ejaculation, or total anejaculation. Men with testis cancer, in particular, are at risk for this type of injury with a RPLND. Men who suffer from surgically induced anejaculation will experience decreases to their semen quality similar to that of men with SCI.

Anejaculatory men can still father their own children; both penile vibratory stimulation (PVS) or electroejaculation (EEJ) are successful options for specific groups of patients and allows the possibility for IUI (see Table 8 ). Alternatively, anejaculatory men have the option to proceed with testes aspiration and IVF.

Antisperm Antibodies (Immunologic Infertility)
Some men will demonstrate antisperm antibodies that are associated with their sperm. These can be antibodies that are attached to the head, tail, or all parts of the sperm, and their presence inhibits the fertilizing ability of the sperm. It is unclear precisely why these antibodies form, but it can be the result of vasectomy and reversal, testis injury or infection, or cancer; it can also be idiopathic. Past attempts at treatment of this condition with such medications as corticosteroids have met with little success. These particular patients can be treated with IUI (low success) or IVF with ICSI.

Other Genetic Causes
There are other less-commonly seen genetic causes of male infertility that include conditions such as Kallman’s syndrome, Y-chromosome microdeletions, various neuromuscular conditions, immotile cilia syndromesm and Kartagener’s syndrome. Depending on sperm counts, these patients can be offered sperm aspiration with IVF or IVF and ICSI.

Fertility Preservation
The future of infertility treatment continues to evolve. This is partly a response to changes in technology as a whole, but is also inspired but the increasing survival rates of cancers that affect young people during their reproductive years and the trend for couples to delay pregnancy. There are currently available options for preservation of fertility for men, primarily sperm cryopreservation; this can be a reasonable option for men planning to undergo chemotherapy or radiation treatment and can serve as a ‘backup’ in the event that spermatogenesis does not rebound after treatment. But it is also an option for those at risk for exposure to toxins or even those being deployed in the military. The future may see options for the storage of testicular tissue, autologous spermatogonial stem cell transplantation, or gene therapies to treat genetic causes of male infertility.

Conclusions
The discussion of treatments for a variety of male infertility diagnoses requires a basic understanding of male GU anatomy and function, as well as understanding of the hormonal processes that control spermatogenesis. The male infertility evaluation often represents the first time an otherwise healthy male is faced with the concept that he is somehow ‘not normal.’ Not only can this be an affront to his masculinity, but depending on the larger religious and/or cultural context, failure to have children can impact his standing in his community. This can be heightened by the fact that the outcome is not always predictable, even with the use of assisted reproductive technologies. As technologies continue to progress, there will be new options that become available to couples whose only options currently are donor insemination or adoption.

POLITICS – The importance of Hyderabad

By Sunder Srivastava

The best of India must stop running independent side-shows, and bring their energy and vision to well-constructed political spaces, and let this be their contribution to changing India.

Every party is equally bad; there is nothing to celebrate in the victory or defeat of any of them – For the last 25 years, if not longer, this has been the view of many voters, and the reason so many of them have stayed away from the ballot boxes. Politics, millions of Indians believe, is a contest with no good candidates and parties. As a result, they have simply decided to stay away from the mess in large numbers.

Occasionally, there have been attempts to ‘take on the political system’ by candidates and groups who are fed up with the state of affairs. Every election brings forth at least a few people who decide that they must take the plunge and contest elections themselves. Their motivations are understandable – invariably they hope to see a better India, and want to see this hope made real swiftly. They are not usually ambitious for themselves, but ambitious for the country.

But that has never been enough. Neither the celebrity candidates – from Naval Tata decades ago to Meera Sanyal and Captain Gopinath today – nor the circles of kinship from the IITs or IIMs have made much difference. This is understable. Politics cannot be a momentary passion, rearing its head only at the time of elections. As a profession, it is highly noble, notwithstanding the depths to which India’s netas have sunk it. Being in touch with the people, understanding their aspirations, working to realise these – this is representative politics of the highest kind. And like any other career that is fulfilling, politics too must be a life’s work.

We must not dissuade or dismiss the Gopinaths and the Sanyals of this world. Many of us share their hopes for India, and we wish them well. But there is one thing we must all now recognise – without an organisation to undergird their politics, they have no chance. The best of India must stop running independent side-shows, and bring their energy and vision to well-constructed political spaces, strengthen them, and let this be their contribution to India.

A journey of a thousand miles
Enter Lok Satta. If there is one political organisation in India that stands any chance of creating the great social and economic reforms we will need in the future, it is this Andhra Pradesh-based party. Founded by the ex-bureaucrat Dr Jayaprakash Narayan as a citizens’ movement more than a decade ago, Lok Satta has now put in the hard hours to prove to people across the state that its commitment to addressing their social and economic problems is real and permanent. During this period, and subsequent to the formation of the poitical party two years ago, Lok Satta has also acquired an enviable and unmatched reputation for integrity, with its consistent commitment to transparent organisational accounts and abjuring the politics of money.

The lesson from the defeats of various independent candidates over the years is that integrity alone isn’t enough. A true alternative must offer clear and coherent views on how to deal with the challenges we face, and it is here that Lok Satta really scores over many others. The party has developed detailed proposals for dealing with such critical concerns as public health, transport, education, and other areas. These policies are a rare combination of competence and compassion, and if acted upon, they can begin to transform India dramatically.

Voters clearly recognise this distinction between mere passing campaigns of angst against criminal politics, and committed engagement of alternatives. Which is one reason why even as Bangalore and Mumbai recorded such low voter turnouts even in constituencies with highly hailed independent celebrity candidates, voters in Hyderabad showed up in great numbers. Their endorsement of Lok Satta was particularly heartening, as the party garnered 8% of the votes in the city, and JP himself swept to victory in Kukatpally assembly. Statewide, the party won over 750,000 votes. Contrast that to the lost deposits of those who appeared all-too-briefly on the political firmament.

Given its long history, it is certain that Lok Satta will build upon this foundation, and continue with renewed strength. In over a decade of working with communities and helping to address their problems, LS volunteers have shown that their commitment is permanent, and their intent and methods are beyond reproach.

The party carried its 10 years of prepration into the electoral battle. It spent only the barest amounts of money needed to genuinely reach the voters, it declared honestly the funds it raised and spent, and it offered only one ‘inducement’ to the voters – a better future for themselves and their children. No liquor, no fiscally irresponsible give-aways, and no opportunistic alliances (one major national party would have gladly welcomed Lok Satta into its coalition orbit).

As JP himself has noted, the first victory, however small, is significant – for it is “… a victory of the people. A victory over their fears, their inhibitions, and their despair. We have traveled a long road in reaching here, but the journey is longer still. Therefore, this electoral beginning is also a promise, that there will many more such days, when our voice of reason and informed debate will cut through the fog of ‘issue-less’ politics and put forward the ideas and the ideals that will change India once again.”

Breaching the urban forts
Now the party is looking ahead to the political calendar, which it believes will favour its detail-oriented approach to contests. First up, in a few months, will be elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), followed by a host of other elections to smaller towns in the state, as well as to panchayats. The party is confident that it will begin to notch up small victories in many of these contests, and also begin to show what its governance and leadership can do in the places where it earns these first wins.

The GHMC elections present an opportunity on both these fronts. With Kukatpally won, JP has turned his attention to showing what this victory can mean for the residents of this constituency, and the party is busy setting up citizen centres in each of the municipal wards within the area. These centres will be more than mere facilitation centres to address problems that citizens have with civic agencies; they will be true community spaces where citizens can assemble among themselves to voice their plans, aspirations and expectations for the future.

Given JP’s strong victory in the recent elections, and the smaller margins of victory one typically sees in local elections, it would be very surprising if Lok Satta did not win at least 6 seats in the GHMC, and not very surprising if it did thrice as well. Realising this, JP is inviting the brightest citizens in Hyderabad to take an active interest in civic affairs by contesting the elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation as Lok Satta candidates. “It is a disgrace to all of us that people should go through the indignity of living amidst overflowing sewers or die of drinking water,” he said, recalling that many stalwarts of the freedom struggle cut their teeth in politics by taking part in civic affairs and subsequently emerged as national leaders.

The party has finalized a sharply defined agenda for transforming the city in the next five years, including – to cite only three things here – (a) Supply of safe drinking water in all colonies and bastis which do not have the facility now with the installation of reverse osmosis plants; (b) Implementing a citizens’ charter through a call centre, under which failure to attend to a public grievance in a specified period invites a Rs.100 per day penalty on the municipal corporation; and (c) Devolution of Rs.2 crore each year per ward, to be spent by an elected ward committee on tackling pressing local problems. Coupled to the party plans for restructuring city administration and planning, this is an agenda well beyond anything offered by the other parties in the State.

Winning even half a dozen seats in the GHMC elections would catapult Lok Satta into a real force in urban politics, and encourage party volunteers and loyalists in other cities to build upon this in other elections throughout India’s cities. It is the best hope before us that we can emerge from the lacklustre politics of recent decades in the near future.

World Heart Day 2009 – Work with Heart

By Jayasharma VS

World Heart Day was created to inform people around the globe that heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading cause of death, claiming 17.2 million lives each year.

World Heart Day will be celebrated on Sunday, 27 September. The general theme this year is “workplace wellness”.

Most of us spend over half our waking hours working. A workplace that encourages healthy habits can reduce your risk of many diseases – including cardiovascular diseases (such as heart disease and stroke) which are the leading cause of death worldwide.

This is why World Heart Day 2009 is calling on everyone to “Work with Heart” – encouraging you to make small changes that together could make a big difference in favour of greater health and productivity.

The story “work with heart”
Over 17.2 million people die each year from cardiovascular diseases, making these the leading cause of death worldwide. Yet 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided by controlling the main risk factors: tobacco, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.

Millions of productive life-years are lost annually, posing significant threats to the vitality of our highly-interdependent global system, especially in the context of the current financial crisis.

Businesses around the world, as well as leading organizations such as the World Health Organization and the World Economic Forum have recognized the importance of employee health to achieve core business objectives. Many have committed to include health promotion on their corporate agenda.

Yet it is mostly large corporations in developed countries that offer workplace health programmes.

There is an urgent need to extend these benefits to all employees, in other industries and sectors, and in other parts of the world. In particular, workers in low- and middle-income countries, where over 80% of deaths from cardiovascular disease currently occur, could benefit greatly from the implementation of such programmes.

Why Workplace Wellness?
As part of its commitment to the World Economic Forum initiative “Working Towards Wellness”1, World Heart Day 2009 has been dedicated to this theme. Almost half of those who die from chronic diseases are in their productive years. The economic consequences – driven by productivity reduction and increase in costs caused by these diseases among workforces – are dramatic. The WHO estimates that between 2005-2015 income loss (in international dollars) could rise to as much as $558 billion in China, $237 billion in India, $303 billion in Russia and $33 billion in the UK.

Countries such as Brazil, China, Russia and India currently lose more than 20 million productive life-years annually to chronic disease, and that number is expected to grow 65% by 2030. The losses in productivity associated with those diseases like disability, unplanned absences and increased accidents are as much as 400% more than the cost of treatment.

So when was the last time you had your heart checked? If you are one of those dismissing this question as ‘too early for me’ think again! Today, heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading cause of death, claiming 17.2 million lives each year. More heartbreaking is the fact that Indians, young Indians in particular, are genetically more susceptible to heart diseases thanks to the unhealthy habits and changing lifestyles in the country! WHO has estimated that by 2010 Indians will make for 60 per cent of the world’s cardiac patients.

According to experts there are personal and professional reasons for this. While clean personal habits do influence a lot in keeping a healthy heart, the time is also ripe for some stringent workplace health ethics that can help reduce heart related diseases. And the general theme of this year’s World Heart Day is exactly this: Working towards Wellness. The World Heart Day is celebrated on September 27 globally and in India on September 28.

Workplace Wellness – Work with Heart
It is a fact that many of us spend over half our waking hours working. This hectic work schedule means unhealthy lifestyles characterised by unhealthy food habits leading to obesity and diabetes, smoking, alcohol, stress, depression, and chronic back problems caused by less or no physical activities. In short, a perfect recipe for cardiovascular diseases! Hence, clean habits and wellness at workplaces that encourage healthy behaviour can go a long way in reducing the risk of many diseases including cardiovascular diseases.

Studies reveal that chronic diseases, which are the primary cause of death and disability worldwide, impact people in their “working” years, thus reducing productivity and increasing costs for the companies. As a part of its campaign this year, World Heart Federation along with its member countries has called upon the workplaces around the world to promote long-term behavioural changes that will benefit employers, employees and communities.

World Heart Federation vouches that the wellness programmes in workplace settings that integrate healthy environments, health promotion and education and health screenings can be a win-win situation for both the employers and employees. A reduction in stress, workforce turnover, organisational conflict, and absenteeism is possible. This will result in improved employee health, employee decision-making ability, a healthier workplace culture, and enhanced employee morale and loyalty.

Personal ethics – Kick the butt
Genuine efforts on the personal front can help to keep a healthy heart and a relaxed lifestyle! There are simple techniques that could be embedded into your daily work and personal lives in maintaining a healthy heart.

According to the World Heart Federation, at least 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided if one of the main risk factors namely tobacco and its products are eliminated or at least controlled within manageable limits. The American Heart Association warns that cigarette smoking increases blood pressure, decreases exercise tolerance and increases the tendency for blood to clot.

I know smoking is bad, but how do I quit it?

Most smokers know the dangers of smoking yet do not quit smoking for several reasons. All that is needed is the will, and continuous effort backed by a workable psychological approach. Here are some of the suggestions by the American Heart Association. All this works only if you are really serious about quitting smoking. To begin with,

List out the reasons why you want to quit smoking and read it several times everyday.
You could set a target date to quit.
Try smoking fewer cigarettes.
Don’t buy a new pack till you are done with the old one.
Avoid situations that could trigger your smoking.
Go busy!
Breathing exercises also helps!
Munch carrots or celery sticks or sugarless gum.

And even after all this if someone gets back to smoking it is time to think of the loved ones back home. You don’t want to die early to leave them behind, do you? Don’t punish yourself for getting back to smoking instead, have a strong belief that you still a non-smoker. Try to figure out the reasons why you smoked and think about a different way to tackle the same situation the next time.

Right diet for the heart
An improper diet is the next big reason for cardiovascular diseases. Blame it on the changing lifestyle or hectic schedules or food preferences or utter languor to pick and cook, the fact is you stand to lose your precious life! First up, make sure your diet is heart-friendly!

Cut the fat and salt!
Eliminate processed foods such as canned/instant soups, pickles, papads, and packaged mixes.
Say no to snack items.
Include less oil, and more protein.
Take more fruits and vegetables.
Do not fry or overcook vegetables.
Eat whole grains, low or non-fat diary products.
And if you are not a veggie, choose to eat only lean meat and fish.
Avoid fast foods, soda or carbonated drinks.
Avoid chocolates, pastries and egg yolk.

Heart needs work out too!
The heart is a muscle and you should get active to keep it healthy. Walk for 30 to 45 minutes a day at least 5 days a week. Aerobics, yoga, pranayama, meditation and controlled physical activities are good for your heart. And the next time you go to your office say no to lifts and instead, use the stairs.

Some psychological changes should also be adopted for a healthy heart. Avoid anger. You could do yoga to get rid of your anger. Do not strive too hard for perfection in everything. This could lead to immense stress. Proper planning and execution could help in achieving perfection without much stress. A regular check up on your blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels will also help.

This is why World Heart Day 2009 is calling on everyone to “Work with Heart” and encouraging you to make small changes that together could make a big difference in keeping good health and productivity.

“Go Red,” is this year’s Heart Day campaign for women

In 2005, roughly half of the 17.2 million deaths due to heart related diseases were women. World Heart Federation says that heart disease and stroke kills more women each year than cancer, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria combined. Globally, an average of more than 16 women per minute dies of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke.

This year’s “Go Red for Women international campaign” during the World Heart Day aims to reduce cardiovascular disease in women by building global attention and commitment to this disease in women. Here are a few tips for women to keep a healthy heart:

At least 30 minutes of physical exercise is recommended. Go for a brisk walking, or do gardening, and dancing and sports as tennis and basketball.
Drink at least six glasses of water a day.
Keep a check on your blood pressure; take less salt.
Eat more fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
Avoid foods with saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol. Instead take foods rich in unsaturated or monosaturated fats.
Eat fewer fried foods. Eat lean meat and fish.
Watch your weight. Obesity and overweight could lead to heart attacks and stroke.
If you are a smoker, it is time to quit. Ensure your workplace is free from smoking.
Check regularly your cholesterol and glucose levels too.

Join the movement; keep a healthy heart and as this year’s World Heart Day says, “work with heart.” Say thank you to your heart by adopting a better lifestyle and clean personal habits.

Let’s call it a disease or infection?

By M H Ahssan

The human race seems to move slowly out of the shadow of racism. Its history is entangled with the greatest movements that have shaped the fate of every people: war, empire, colonialism, and nationalism. At various points all of these influences have been put in a positive light. Even now, when few would extol the virtues of empire or colonialism, the grip of nationalism remains strong.

Let’s say that we call racism a disease or infection in otherwise sane minds. This seems reasonable since feeling superior or inferior according to the color of your skin exists at an emotional, often subconscious level, not a rational one. How can we remove this infection when it hides so subtly inside us?

Irrational ideas are sticky. They cling even when we don’t want them to. This stickiness is due to various factors, and each can be changed. The primary factor is belief. Children are raised believing that one race is innately superior to another. If they belong to the wrong race, they are raised to feel victimized, angry, and resentful. Another belief is that history dictates destiny. The stagnation of any underclass is perpetuated because “it’s always been this way.” Then there are the endemic beliefs that a certain race is dangerous, criminal, ignorant, stupid, and prone to irrational acts.

Insidiously, these beliefs mask the disease. A racist can afford not to see himself as sick because he seemingly profits by being a racist. He is given a superior identity. In medicine we call this a secondary gain, like a child getting ice cream and lots of attention when he goes into the hospital to have is tonsils taken out.

To cure racism, you must first burst the spell of the false identity that racism confers, both on the racist and his victim.

I feel hopeful here, because some powerful forces are at work against the disease. The election of Barrack Obama has been widely and correctly seen as a blow against racism. Even a generation ago, Obama would have been viewed racially as a mulatto in much of America. He rose above racial identity by first facing the broader question, “Who am I/” That struggle and the answers he came to are outlined in his book, Dreams of My Father, with its telling subtitle, “A Story of Race and Inheritance.”

No person can be free of racism without examining the burden of a toxic inheritance. All over the world, improvements in living conditions, where they occur, give the population a chance to move away from primitive identities forced upon them for survival. The force of modernism stands ready to challenge tribalism everywhere.

But ultimately it will be the need to survive as a planet that will make racism no longer viable. Survival of the fittest is giving way to survival of the wisest. It may seem overblown to call the new India wise or post-Bush America or oil-rich Russia.

Yet anywhere those old, toxic identities are being toppled, wisdom is prevailing, whether it’s the toxic identity of Bush-era America, India gripped by religious fundamentalism, or Russia stagnating under Communist bureaucracy.

Racism cannot be separated neatly from the holistic issue of identity. “Who am I?” is a question that shifts with history, economics, and crises. If we are lucky, the current global crisis will serve as a cauldron for burning up racism and pushing it closer to eradication.

Sundarbans: On the edge of the tide

In the wake of Hurricane Aila, everyone has heard of the devastation in the evergreen mangrove glades of Sundarbans. But it is amazing how few More Pictures
people actually make the five hour journey via road and waterway to the islands on the Gangetic estruary.

Nothing is more relaxing than when the launch gently moves from the Canning Port leaving the hustle-bustle of Kolkata behind and heading for a place where time almost stands still, even as the Bay of Bengal nibbles hungrily at its edges.

Sundarban literally the beautiful forest in Bengali is the worlds largest delta formed by the mighty trio of rivers, the Ganges, Meghna and Brahmaputra, and forms the southern maritime border of West Bengal. Actually, the name Sundarban is derived from the Sundari tree found in abundance in the forest, rather than being a description of its undoubted comeliness!

Its famed mangrove forests (again, one of the worlds largest) spills over from India to Bangladesh and is the home of not only the Royal Bengal tigers, but also crocodiles, snakes, wild boar, deer, monkeys and a large variety of birds from the Kingfisher, Lapwing, Stork, Egret and Cormorant to the Eagle, Whistler.

And besides the eponymous Sundari tree, the forest is home to the Hetal, Garan, Gewa, Keora and Dhundul trees to mention hut a few.

Given the landscape, travel by water is both wise and convenient in Sundarban so we did precisely that. The whole area is crisscrossed by a myriad of distributary rivulets, with lilting local names like Saptamukhi, Raimangal, Harinbhanga, Matla, Gosaba, Muriganga, Thakuran and Vidya.

They weave enchantingly through the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve comprising of the villages like Sajnekhali, Sudhanyakhali, Netidhopani, Sagar and, of course, many more on the Bangladesh side. And we, well, go with the flow, enjoying the moving panorama of green and water, with an almost hypnotic ease…

Back on terra firma in the evening, what else is there to do but get a feel of the local culture We set off to attend a cultural programme by the local people and were utterly enchanted by their folk songs, dancing, the sound of the madal and the tinkling of anklets. We could imagine these very sounds reverberating through the green expanses of Sundarban for centuries if not millennia.

The whiff of food announced dinner time and we were famished. Among the dishes on offer, the local variation with crab was exceptional due partly, of course, to the absolute freshness of the produce! The whole atmosphere was made even more magical by the fact that we happened to be there on a full moon night.

Under clear skies, the entire surroundings were bathed in silvery moonbeams. It was as mesmerizing, well, as a tigers intense gaze… All of us boarded the launch for a night ride under the moonlit canopy for a mystical tour of the area.

The chirping of the birds served as the wake up call the next morning and we unaccustomed cityslickers watched openmouthed as the water turned from jade green to orange to a golden yellow as the sun peeped out over the eastern horizon. Then it was off to a walk around the environs with a guide to update us on the plight of the eco-system of the Sundarban, which was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1997.

Thanks to Amitav Ghosh, we all know about the ravaging power of The Hungry Tide the rise of the sea level due to global warming but theres more. Believe it or not, there is a shortage of water. Sweet water, that is, as the estruary is brackish and cannot be of use for crops or drinking. And the deposition of sediments by the mighty rivers is another problem.

Then there is the poaching of animals… Did you read me mentioning the tiger anywhere Well, thats because we didnt see any and despite all the reports about putting tags on them, I seriously wonder if there are too many left lurking among the everglades.

Another major concern is deforestation, not by the timber mafia as you might imagine, but due to the poor villagers being dependent on wood for their cooking due to lack of alternatives. We spent hours getting acquainted with the villagers and got an insight into one of their primary occupations for generations: collecting honey from the forest, risking their lives! keeping the life at stake.

They say there are aound 1400 honey collectors in Sundarban, who collect some 125 tonnes of the sweet stuff a year! They work in groups, with an experienced leader and 4 to 5 associates. The expedition takes months and they live on boats. They stock up on food, pray to the local deity the Bonbibi to protect them from tigers, and start off.

They check for pugmarks before entering the mangrove forests and stay close to each other for safetys sake. When they find a honeycomb, they act fast before the bees sense their presence. With lit branches serving as torches, they smoke out the bees and cut the white part of the comb which is full of honey and collect it in a cane basket.

The bees of course divebomb the intruders but the collectors float along, changing locations, targeting three honeycombs a day. If they cant find one, they mix honey and water and sprinkle it on the trees to lure bees. A lookout then acertains which direction the bees came from to locate the honeycomb!

Their seemingly idyllic existance, is typical of the Sundarban: life seems to move very slowly there. But time passes and we had to move on… Our return journey on the launch took us down winding waterways as the soothing breeze evoked the call of the wilderness, the vast mangrove, the smell of the soil and the sound of silence…

Finding Market Opportunities in ‘the Best Place to Get Sick’

India’s health care industry ails from severe under-penetration among its population, especially in rural areas. Still, the low penetration levels are a glass half full for global pharmaceutical companies, many of whom have steadily increased their investments in the country, drawn by India’s talent base and R&D capabilities for drug development, and its strengths in alternative medicine, like Ayurveda (India’s traditional system of holistic medicine). Insurance providers, meanwhile, like the country’s low cost of health care, which has made it a destination for so-called “medical tourists” from developed countries.

Those are the key drivers for pharmaceutical firms, hospital chains and investment funds as they look for opportunity in India’s health care industry, according to a panel discussion on “The Health Care Duopoly: India, the Medical Center of the World” at the recent Wharton India Economic Forum in Philadelphia. The panel included top executives from pharmaceutical companies GlaxoSmithKline and Cadila Pharmaceuticals, Asia’s largest health care chain Apollo Hospital Group, and investment funds, who identified areas of advantage in an otherwise dismal scenario.

The Upside of Low Penetration

“I am happy and delighted there is under-penetration [in India's health care industry],” said Anula Jayasuriya, co-founder of the Evolvence India Life Science Fund, a US$90 million venture capital fund formed three years ago to invest in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and related contract service companies based in India. “From an investor’s perspective, we see a great opportunity” to extend the health care industry in under-served areas.

Jayasuriya added that she expected Indian pharmaceutical companies to become a bigger force globally in the near future. “My crystal ball says … I see an Indian company and a European and U.S. pharmaceutical company becoming one,” she said, noting that Sanofi-aventis and GlaxoSmithKline are reportedly talking about a possible acquisition with India’s Nicholas Pharmaceuticals. That’s only speculation, she said, “but that [kind of deal] would be one measure of success.”

Jayasuriya was responding to a relatively pessimistic scenario offered at the beginning of the session by the panel’s moderator, Michael Fernandes, executive director of the investments division and country head for India at Khazanah Nasional, the investment arm of the Malaysian government. Fernandes said that while global pharmaceutical companies had steadily increased their investments in India over the last 50 years, including contract research in the last five years, the overall results of these investments have been disappointing. He also noted that the largest Indian pharmaceutical company — Ranbaxy Laboratories — was sold last year to Japanese firm Daiichi Sankyo.

“It doesn’t seem like an Indian company would be among the top three in generics globally,” Fernandes said. “Some experts say it may not happen at all.” Pharmaceutical innovation in India, too, has had “a number of false starts,” he added. “Lots of phase two and three products have failed; not a single Indian-innovated product has been launched globally, although there are a number in the pipeline.”

Jayasuriya read the scenario differently. “Innovation is an attrition game,” she said. “The number of molecules that failed in India is not surprising, even if you use a fraction of the U.S. failure rate.” She added that she is encouraged by the pipeline of Indian generics, and that while pharmaceutical drug development in the U.S. has many of its roots in universities, “Indian companies are hotbeds of innovation.” Offering an example, she talked of Indian biotechnology company Biocon launching the country’s first new drug — a monoclonal antibody for head and neck cancer. The drug was originally created in Cuba, “but that is also a developing country, an emerging market,” she said.

Hasit Joshipura, GlaxoSmithKline’s vice president for South Asia and managing director of GlaxoSmithKline India, was also optimistic about the ability of India’s health care industry to deliver on new drug development. “I can see an Indian role in every major new drug, such as developing medicines for AIDS or other problems of poor countries,” he said. For many years, pharmaceutical companies in India were, for the most part, subsidiaries of multinational players, so “there was no need to look at innovation…. But now you see frenetic activity, and in five to six years, you will see the next innovative products coming out of India.”

Indian pharmaceutical companies could seize the opportunity to be “at the forefront for the next generation of vaccines and biologics,” according to Michael Ross, president of the U.S. subsidiary of Indian drug firm Cadila Pharmaceuticals. His company is currently working on a vaccines program. “For every dollar you spend on vaccines,” he noted, “you save US$8 down the line. It’s a very efficient way to lower costs of healthcare.”

Here Come the Medical Tourists

Ross said India’s relatively lower health care costs have also spurred a surge in “medical tourism — although I hate that term.” Hospitals in India could secure accreditation from the non-profit Joint Commission International to take advantage of the increasing interest from patients and insurers in developed countries, he added. “The cost of a procedure is a third less in India, but the care is excellent. You will see more and more people going overseas for health care.”

Insurers like Blue Cross waive a patient’s co-pay if they go overseas for surgery because of the lower costs. For companies having trouble keeping up with today’s medical expenses, this could be a tremendous opportunity, Ross said, joking that ailing companies like General Motors could benefit. In fact, he suggested to fellow panelist Shobana Kamineni, executive director of Apollo Hospital Enterprises, that her chain consider alliances with large insurers to lower the cost of its services for patients, and thereby expand its market opportunity.

According to Kamineni, about 15% of Apollo’s patients are foreigners, and they come not “for vanilla care” like cosmetic surgery, but for complex surgeries like hip replacements. “India can become a real hub for medical tourism,” she said, noting that Apollo attracts patients from Canada, the U.K. and even countries like Afghanistan because of lower costs and also shorter wait times. Over the years, costs for medical services have remained low in the country because they would be otherwise unaffordable for most of India’s citizens, who are unable to obtain health insurance beyond age 60. “India is probably the best place to get sick — it is the cheapest,” Kamineni said.

In recent years, health insurance in India has been growing at a rate of 38% to 40%, according to Joshipura of GlaxoSmithKline. He said that although India has shown increases in life expectancy, its health care industry will have to factor in the need to treat a wider range of diseases as health awareness and affordability grows, especially in the larger rural markets.

Increasing Reach

Joshipura stressed the need to develop health care infrastructure to ensure access to the rural markets. He pointed out that India’s expenditure on health care is just about 4.5% to 5% of its GDP, compared with 10% to 11% in France, Germany and Switzerland, and more than 15% in the U.S. The government could play a greater role in expanding access to health care in India, he added: Government-funded health care reaches only 0.9% of the market; the private sector fills in the gap.

But intelligent use of technology could help reach “the 500 million people who don’t have access to health care” in India, according to Jayasuriya. She cited applications for India’s rural markets, such as diagnostic labs in kiosk-like facilities where, for instance, a sick child’s parents could determine whether or not an infection calls for rapid intervention. Sanofi-aventis had a model built around such kiosk-type labs that don’t necessarily have to be staffed by doctors, she noted. Similar applications could also find uses in developed markets like the U.S. in, for example, neonatal screenings. Another technological innovation Jayasuriya referenced was a reverse-engineered home dialysis machine that Indian computer maker HCL had developed for US$400 compared to a price of US$4,000 in the U.S. market.

Expanding the reach of health care services is easier said than done in India, Kamineni said. Apollo Hospitals, which now has 42 hospitals and 8,000 beds nationwide, plans to open four hospitals next year in Mumbai. Creating new capacity in hospital beds is a formidable challenge, she noted, adding that the high cost of land in urban areas is not offset by any government concessions even though the end use is health care. “My dad [Prathap Reddy, the group's founder and chairman] says it is easier to build a liquor factory, because the risks are so much [higher] with hospitals. It’s like flying a plane every single day.”

Finding good talent is also a problem, Kamineni said. Her group runs two medical colleges and 14 nursing schools to serve its talent needs. The solution lies in privatizing education with a for-profit model to attract investors, she argued. “There is no [talent] planning in the health care business. Between last year and this year, we added 20,000 people to our work force.”

Alternative Medicine

Kamineni was, however, optimistic about the possibilities with India’s traditional systems of alternative medicine, notably Ayurveda. Johnson & Johnson is looking for Ayurvedic drugs, for both prescription and nonprescription uses, including non-alcoholic mouthwashes and pain-relieving medications, according to Ross. “They are hunting in India for products to sell all over the world.”

According to Joshipura, India hasn’t done enough to develop its alternative systems of medicine. “China has done a good job with Chinese medicine,” he said, suggesting India follow that example. “It’s going to take time for a Western company to develop familiarity [with alternative medicine systems like Ayurveda].” Ross agreed: “If you talk to the multinationals [about alternative medicine], you have to develop scientific data; it’s not just about word of mouth.”

India: The Next Real Estate Frontier

India is pregnant with real estate possibilities. Within five years, India is projected to be the world’s third largest economy, when measured in purchasing power terms. Its middle class is expected to be around 300 million people, larger than the entire U.S.A. population. “India’s real estate needs are huge, second only to China’s near insatiable needs,” says Research Analysts.

The consensus of this research and forecasting findings is that India is already attracting the attention of global real estate players who are focusing on developing India-based businesses. However, the opportunities are relatively unlimited for other real estate players to profit from India’s exceptional real estate demands.

Occupier demand for suburban offices will continue to experience a 30% plus annual growth rate from the information technology (IT) and information technology enabled services (ITES) sectors. Other sectors showing strong demand for offices are telecom, financial services, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.

India’s retail expansion needs are growing at over 10% p.a.. Although there currently is a high level of shopping center construction the quality is perceived as poor. There is huge untapped potential for high quality shopping mall development.

Tourism spending in India is running at 25% p.a. growth—the highest growth rate in Asia Pacific, according to VISA’s spending data.

The residential demand for housing is massive with some 20 million units required in urban areas. There are inherent risks for global real estate players in getting involved in India, however most of these risks are identifiable and capable of being dealt with, according to the research findings.

Cities and towns that require investigation for real estate opportunities include Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Kochi, Mangalore, Mysore, Jaipur, Indore and Nagpure.

The Next Frontier for India’s Outsourcing Industry? The Domestic Market

Earlier this year, Genpact, the largest business process outsourcing (BPO) player in India, gave Harpreet Duggal a new role: responsibility for developing and executing the company’s domestic BPO strategy. Duggal is already well into discussions with potential customers, and is finalizing operating locations. He’s moving fast because Genpact isn’t the only Indian company interested in this space. For many reasons, the domestic BPO market is one that no one can afford to ignore anymore.

Duggal primarily is targeting two sets of potential customers: existing global customers who are looking to increase their presence in India and require the same systems and processes they have elsewhere; and Indian companies with global aspirations, both by way of moving beyond Indian boundaries and by providing a global experience in the Indian market. These require world-class processes and systems. Says an upbeat Duggal: “We believe that India is a very exciting market to be in.”

Having been on the periphery, the domestic BPO business is steadily moving onto everyone’s radar. Companies including IBM Daksh, Firstsource Solutions, MphasiS BPO and Intelenet Global Services are looking to significantly increase their presence. Others, such as Wipro BPO and Infosys BPO, are waiting for the right time to enter the space as part of a total outsourcing solution along with their IT arms. And, firms such as 24/7 Customer have no immediate plans to enter but are watching the space keenly.

What has brought about this growing interest in India’s BPO market? Industry players and analysts cite multiple factors. These include reduced costs of connectivity, the scorching pace of the Indian economy, the phenomenal growth of companies in sectors including telecommunications and financial services, rising customer expectations, Indian firms’ global aspirations, and global firms entering the Indian market. The changing rupee-dollar equation and the slowdown in the U.S. economy, which is forcing players to look at other markets, have added to the momentum.

Wharton management professor Saikat Chaudhuri says the factors driving that trend are the “tremendous growth” of India’s domestic markets, the slowdown in Western markets, and the dollar’s weakness against the rupee. He notes that a whole new class of medium-sized companies outside of the well-established and large industrial houses like those of Tata, Birla, Ambani or Goenka is looking at farming out noncore activities to increase efficiencies and focus on core competencies. “These companies are becoming customers of Oracle, Cisco, SAP and so forth,” says Chaudhuri.

According to Ravi Bapna, assistant professor at the Indian School of Business, “It’s now become profitable to address this market and the industry is set to take off.”

A glance at the Indian BPO industry’s growth helps put the dynamics of the domestic market in perspective. At a compound annual growth rate of around 37% over the last few years, BPO exports have been the fastest-growing segment of the Indian IT-BPO sector. They have grown from $3.1 billion in fiscal 2004 to $11 billion in 2008 and currently account for 37% of the global business process offshoring pie. They sustain an employee pool of more than 700,000.

Players have tried over the years to add quality and efficiency to their original labor arbitrage sales pitch. They have been moving from low-end, non-core activities to more complex processes. Now, in a move further up the value chain, they are looking at becoming transformational partners to their clients, making an impact on business metrics.

A recent study by the National Association of Software and Services Companies of India (Nasscom) and the Everest Group estimates that in a “business as usual” mode, India’s BPO exports will grow to $28 billion to $30 billion over the next four to five years. With proactive measures, the report says, they have the potential to reach $50 billion by 2012, with a maximum addressable opportunity of $220 billion to $280 billion.

Traditionally, Indian BPO vendors have relied largely on English-speaking geographies as their markets. North America and the United Kingdom together account for about 87% of their export revenues. North America, primarily the United States, accounts for roughly two-thirds of the market alone. While this dependence on the U.S. market is expected to continue, players have been expanding their footprints in other markets, notably continental Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. With the slowdown in the U.S. economy, rupee-dollar fluctuations, and growth in other markets, this move to tap other geographies not only acts as a natural hedge against currency fluctuations, it’s simply a good business strategy.

India’s Growth Beckons

That’s where the Indian market comes into play. India’s economy is growing too fast for any industry not to want to share in its growth. From less than $100 million in 2002, BPO demand in the domestic market grew to $1.1 billion in 2007. In the last year, it is estimated to have grown to between $1.6 billion and $1.8 billion. The Nasscom-Everest study estimates the potential addressable market at around $15 billion to $20 billion over the next five years. Realizing even half of this potential would be significant.

In many ways it would change the nature of the industry. As it stands, close to 80% of the industry comprises captive shared service centers. The rest of the industry is highly fragmented. Estimates suggest that 400 to 500 firms constitute the unorganized sector. As the industry gains in size and stature, a fair bit of consolidation is expected. Third-party service providers, many whose revenues are growing around 100% a year, are expected to increase their market share significantly.

Telecommunications and financial services have been key verticals spurring domestic demand, followed by consumer goods and airlines. Going forward, government, travel and hospitality, retail, and media and entertainment are expected to attract significant demand for BPO services in India.

Ravi Aron, senior fellow at Wharton’s Mack Center for Technological Innovation and an expert on outsourcing trends, points out how BPO firms in India will find the domestic market more challenging than those in developed countries. For starters, he says Indian companies in several services industries including those in the BFSI (banking and financial services industry) segments are wholly owned by the government. BFSI companies have tended to be the biggest opportunity for outsourcing services providers in Western markets, he adds.

“Although these companies present the right opportunity for BPO firms, state-owned banks and insurance companies like the State Bank of India and General Insurance Corp. of India are going to be very slow to start outsourcing on a large scale,” says Aron. “That is because of the extraordinary pressure they will face from their unions, who don’t want their jobs to go to the private sector.”

The second challenge BPO firms will face in India stems from the fact that any company’s decision to outsource its needs is “heavily embedded in its technological architecture,” says Aron. “Indian services companies in either the public or the private sector are heavily underinvested in technology on a per-capita and per-sale basis compared to those in the U.S. and Europe. Indian services companies are far more labor intensive, and don’t have the technology platforms that will facilitate outsourcing, excluding [financial services companies like] an ICICI or HDFC.”

Aron talks of the “3 Ps” of information architecture — platforms, processes and people — “where Indian companies are not streamlined.” He says internal processes at most Indian services companies are “idiosyncratic” and not standardized as in large retail companies like Wal-Mart or U.S. health care companies.

Gaurav Gupta, country head of the Everest Group, points out that with the phenomenal growth in these industries, the name of the game for most companies is to gain market share and grow the top line. The competitive landscape is straining companies’ operational models. So companies in these industries are turning to vendors who can help them overcome some of the challenges associated with fast growth, like managing huge volumes and providing a large network that can reach out to different corners of the country rapidly. Says Gupta: “The present systems and processes are nowhere near adequate, either by way of scale or expertise, to sustain the kind of growth that companies are seeing in India. These require tremendous ramping up. Otherwise they will become severe bottlenecks.” Adds Susir Kumar, chief executive officer of Intelenet Global: “At this stage of growth, companies would rather use their capital in building their brands, acquiring customers, and focusing on their core competencies and outsource whatever is possible.”

‘Productivity Arbitrage’

Aron agrees that big opportunities lurk behind those shortcomings at Indian services companies. BPO firms could help standardize and automate processes at Indian companies and achieve “extraordinary productivity gains of up to 35% over 18 to 24 months,” he adds. “That is why doing BPO in India for Indian companies makes a lot of sense. Instead of wage arbitrage, start thinking about productivity arbitrage.”

Even as companies busily increase their customer base they realize that, with the Indian economy becoming more globally integrated, customers are ever more demanding. The “new” Indian customer is not satisfied with anything less than world-class levels of product and service quality. Take the Indian telecom industry. It is among the most complex in the world, with new products being introduced practically every day. It is becoming imperative for companies to get it right the first time. Customer service is seen as a key differentiator in the crowded marketplace. Customer service, in fact, accounts for two-thirds of revenue in the domestic BPO market, followed by finance and accounting and human resource outsourcing. As Nasscom vice president Rajdeep Sahrawat says: “There is very little to differentiate companies from the product point of view and therefore offering very high quality, personalized, 24/7 customer service is critical. This requires scale, flexibility and expertise.”

Bharti Airtel, India’s largest mobile services provider, is an often-cited example. Bharti was one of the first and biggest Indian companies to outsource on a large scale. In August 2005, the company signed a mega deal with four global BPO companies — IBM Daksh, MphasiS, TeleTech and Hinduja TMT — to outsource its call centers. Bharti had already outsourced its IT and cellular networking requirements to IBM and Ericsson, respectively. These strategic moves allowed Bharti to focus on its core areas of product innovation, marketing and brand building. Bharti has a mobile subscriber base of around 60 million and is adding around 2 million subscribers a month. It is a beacon for others targeting high growth. Says Ramesh Gudalur, president of MphasiS BPO: “Companies like Bharti who look at outsourcing as an integral part of their business strategy are completely changing the way Indian companies have traditionally run their businesses. This is putting pressure on others, both in their own industries and in other sectors, to follow suit.”

Opportunities await BPO firms also in providing specialized services to newly emerging industries like retail, fashion apparel or automobile components, such as customer relationship management (CRM), market research, accounting, and inventory and supply chain management, says Aron. “Many of these specialized services companies have the money, but not the managerial capacity or bandwidth to automate their processes and extract efficiencies,” he adds. He sees a new trend emerging in the next two to three years of “platform-based BPO” that provide niche services in areas like credit card fulfillment, mortgage loan processing and loan refinancing, and property & casualty insurance.

Delivering Value

Increased capability in the supplier community is also encouraging Indian companies to move toward outsourcing. Having grown via the export market, many large suppliers have developed end-to-end capabilities that are large enough to attract the domestic players looking at huge volume growth. More important, the suppliers now have the capability to deliver value by way of technology platforms or process expertise that goes well beyond just cost.

This doesn’t mean that the cost advantage that Indian companies enjoy by outsourcing their business processes is insignificant. Cost, as Sandeep Soni, chief executive officer of Spanco BPO, points out, remains an important driver by sheer virtue of the economies of scale that a vendor brings in. However, it is unlike the export market, where labor arbitrage was the key factor in the industry’s early days and continues even today to play a dominant role.

Chaudhuri argues that BPO services companies could still play the wage arbitrage card to a significant extent in India’s domestic markets, but differently. “That is because there are many inefficiently run companies in India, and the BPO companies have not just the expertise but also the scale to perform functions across the board at a much lower price,” he says. “While the wage arbitrage in India’s domestic markets may not be as attractive as it is in the west, certainly the volume of activity can make up for it.”

Sabyasachi Satyaprasad, senior director at advisory firm NeoIT, says the absence of a strong labor arbitrage in the domestic market will in fact compel vendors to offer a higher-value proposition, such as solving business problems for their domestic clients. This, he says, could well result in the domestic BPO industry leapfrogging some of the growth stages that vendors had to go through in the global market. Industry players agree. Says Pavan Vaish, chief executive officer of IBM Daksh: “When one is operating in a market where there is no arbitrage benefit, you have to innovate and add value to the customer. When we started out in 2005 we had thought that our international business would give us a lot of insights into our India business. But what we are finding is that it is our India business where a number of amazing innovations are happening.”

BPO companies that have concentrated on serving Western markets may not feel the need to reorient themselves as they look to serve domestic Indian companies, says Chaudhuri. While these BPO companies developed their “global delivery model” for Fortune 500 companies, he notes, many of them were “born and bred” in India, including Wipro Spectramind and Genpact’s predecessor company. “The outsourcing model has been designed keeping Indian constraints in mind from the very beginning, which allows for very healthy margins when they deal with foreign clients.”

The only significant difference BPO companies will encounter In India’s domestic market is the need to offer simplified services, according to Chaudhuri. “The BPO companies targeting the Indian market are not going to sell $300 million or $1 billion contracts for five years,” he says. “They will have a lot more projects that are in the $1 million, $5 million and $10 million range. They are well-positioned for that because they started small themselves.” He says these BPO companies could also replicate the dedicated units they set up with some clients.

This presents its own challenges. While their global education is valuable, vendors must create a proposition that is relevant to their domestic clients’ immediate needs. According to Sanjeev Sinha, senior vice president of operations at Firstsource Solutions: “In many cases the India market has requirements that are rather different from the global markets, so vendors need to adapt and customize the solutions to the local situation. A cut and paste of the global solution will not work.”

Vendors also need to think ahead of the curve regarding their very business models. With India, an extremely price-sensitive market, pricing models need to be innovative. Vendors must build capabilities that allow them to adapt to the changing expectations of a fast-growing and competitive marketplace. As Anirudha Prabhakaran, chief operating officer of 3i Infotech, points out: “This is a market which not only negotiates very hard on the efficiency front but also constantly raises new demands.”

One potential obstacle Aron sees is a “huge divide” that exists between managerial personnel and the clerical staff at Indian companies in the ability to efficiently use technology in processes. While Indian managers are able to use technology to access data, analyze it and create reports, for instance, clerical workers tend not to use computing capabilities to their fullest extent, he notes. “You don’t see that sharp divide in the U.S.,” says Aron.

Variation in Margins

There are other challenges, too. India, as it is well-known, is not a homogenous market. It has myriad regional languages, varied cultures and remote corners. For players who are looking at scale and who have national ambitions in the domestic BPO market, this means managing a range of complexities. Also, for the economics to be viable, players will have to move from larger cities and set up operations in Tier 2 and Tier 3 locations. It is true that the domestic market does not require that BPO agents be trained by way of voice, accent and culture; therefore it is less expensive and easier for service providers to move into the smaller cities. But the challenges posed by infrastructure and the availability of senior management must still be dealt with.

The biggest challenge, however, could be around profitability. Although the costs by way of infrastructure, wages and training are lower for the domestic market, so is the pricing. Pricing in the India BPO market is estimated to be anywhere between 30% and 60% less than in its global counterpart, though more experienced players insist that their domestic BPO margins are comparable to their global business or only marginally lower. With the outsourcing market in India still not mature, the readiness to pay for world-class services remains a challenge. But as Duggal of Genpact points out: “Even in the global markets the variation in margins is phenomenal.” It all depends on how effectively vendors are able to deliver by way of cost structure, people management and value creation.

Chaudhuri says BPO companies focused on India’s domestic market could continue to enjoy cost advantages because many of them are extending operations outside of the big cities to cheaper, second-tier cities. They could also use their Indian base to supply markets in other developing countries, he adds. “It’s like the Tata Nano [the Tata group's newly launched small car], where the first foreign markets are in Africa, Southeast Asia and European countries that have road density problems, and some parts of Latin America,” he says.

Chaudhuri sees other, longer term gains for BPO companies in all this. As service providers to India’s new class of business houses that are expanding globally, they “could follow their clients to foreign markets,” says Chaudhuri. “The Japanese banks followed the Japanese conglomerates, and U.S. telecommunications companies like Verizon did the same thing, following their financial services clients overseas.”

Indian Real Estate Firms Face a Reality Check

Future economic historians may remember the month that just ended as Black September. Lehman Brothers collapsed; the Bank of America acquired Merrill Lynch; AIG was nationalized; banks such as Washington Mutual and Wachovia were wiped out. As credit and finance markets around the world tumbled like ninepins, so did stock markets in India, with the Bombay Stock Exchange Sensitive Index (Sensex) falling 3.35% or 469 points on September 15. The worst affected was the realty index which dropped 7.6% on the same day. Since then, while stocks prices in India have seen massive swings, shares of real estate firms have remained depressed, falling a total of 20% as of October 1.

In addition to housing stocks, home prices are taking a beating. By some estimates, prices have dropped by 25% in certain urban markets. While in the U.S. — and also in Britain — the subprime mortgage mess has seen home prices fall dramatically, in India, such slowdowns have been rare — at least in the past. Prices may soften, sales activity may slow and occasionally a distress sale occurs, but there has not been an overall fall in home prices. “India has not seen a boom-bust cycle in real estate mainly because the industry is still nascent,” says Anurag Mathur, joint managing director of Cushman & Wakefield, a global real estate solutions company. “India has not seen a boom and bust cycle in almost any sector,” adds Rajesh Chakrabarti, a professor of finance at the Hyderabad-based Indian School of Business (ISB). “While there have been variations, we have not had cycles of the kind we see in the developed countries. It is only after liberalization that the Indian economy has been seeing more cyclical movements.”

According to Irfan Razack, chairman and managing director of the Prestige Group, a Bangalore-based real estate developer: “We have boom and bust cycles in India but because of our huge population, the demand keeps growing and that sustains the industry. You can build for the next 100 years and there will still be demand for housing in this country.”

India has inadequate data on the real estate sector. For instance, no one tracks housing starts, an indicator that is regarded in many countries as an important yardstick of economic health. However, several real estate companies have gone public during the past couple of years, which makes information more transparent. Secondly, equity analysts have begun tracking these companies and the real estate industry.

Still, confusion continues. Consider the reaction of the markets to the Lehman collapse. Real estate was hit for two reasons. Lehman had invested $200 million in DLF Assets, a company belonging to DLF, India’s largest real estate company. It had also acquired a 50% stake in Unitech’s Mumbai project for $175 million. (Unitech is India’s second largest real estate company.) Among other Lehman investments or proposed investments were those in the Mumbai-based Peninsula Land Ltd. and Housing Development & Infrastructure Ltd. (HDIL).

The market was worried that if the money had not already been received, the projects would be in limbo. Most companies (Unitech, for one) claim that the cash is already sitting in their bank accounts so there is no cause for concern. Others, like HDIL, have said the deals were not with Lehman Brothers but with sister companies. These are unlikely to be affected.

The crunch might hit in the future. “With banks reducing their exposure to real estate, coupled with rising interest rates and volatile stock markets diluting the confidence of retail investors over the past one year, private equity investments have emerged as one of the most important sources of capital for real estate developers,” says a FICCI-Ernst & Young (E&Y) report on the Indian real estate market released in early September. “The overall private equity investments reported in the real estate sector in India from August 2007 to July 2008 are estimated to be more than $5 billion.” This tap could be turned off as a result of the financial crisis in the U.S.

Real estate investors in India were also worried that Lehman might resort to a fire sale of its assets. While India has a three-year lock-in period for foreign direct investment (FDI) in real estate, it is unclear whether this applies when a company declares bankruptcy. The government is holding a meeting to decide the norms in such cases. The other issue is that Lehman holds small stakes — bought from the market or in bulk deals — in real estate and infrastructure companies such as IVRCL Infrastructure, Consolidated Constructions, Orbit Corporation and Vijay Shanti Builders. Here, too, there was the possibility of a fire sale, encouraging other investors to bail out.

Temporary Slowdown

Amid this gloom and the real estate-bashing that is going on in the market, many people are optimistic about the sector. Even the bears see only a temporary slowdown. “The Asia-Pacific property markets, which have seen a rapid run-up in rents and capital values in recent years, are now entering a slowdown that will continue over the next 12 months at least,” says a report by real estate consultants Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). Shobhit Agarwal, joint managing director (capital markets) of JLL Meghraj (JLLM), the global company’s Indian division, says there is still some pain left. “There is now a period of stagnation, soon to be followed by a fall in prices in certain sectors and locations. Certain overheated micro-markets will see a 5% to 15% price decline. A correction of up to 10% is also expected in South Mumbai, some locations in Mumbai’s suburbs, and certain areas of New Delhi that have seen unrealistic price trends…. The market will eventually consolidate.”

“In the short term, we expect the market to consolidate,” echoes a spokesperson of DHL. “We have not been impacted by any slowdown. We have launched many premium residential projects across the country during the past six months and have gotten a very good response. We feel that the market is moving in the right direction and there is no bubble to burst.”

“In the past three to four years there has been a huge inflow of companies and funds in the real estate sector,” says Chakrabarti of ISB. “It is possible that there may be a bit of a shake out and consolidation now. Given the fact that we have already seen a 20% to 25% correction, I don’t expect prices to fall much further. It will probably now grow at a decent enough rate. Also, infrastructure development is a major area of emphasis and this will fuel real estate prices, especially in the smaller towns.”

The problem seems to have affected residential property rather than commercial real estate or infrastructure developers. Several factors have contributed to this. First, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been raising interest rates to tackle inflation. As a result, housing finance companies have had to raise rates on loans. In 2004, interest rates on housing loans were 7.75%; they have now gone up to 12.75%. On a $50,000 loan borrowed for a period of 20 years in 2004, the interest burden was around $48,000. This has now gone up to more than $100,000.

Most housing loans in India are at variable rather than fixed interest rates, which means that monthly mortgage payments — or EMIs (equated monthly installments), as they are called in India — go up when interest rates rise. As a first measure, housing finance companies increase the term of the loans. When that period extends beyond the working life of the home buyer, the EMIs are increased. Housing finance companies typically consider EMIs up to 50% of net income. If, in extreme cases, these payments double, home buyers can be left with nothing to live on.

Understandably, defaults on loan repayments are increasing. While specific numbers are hard to come by, bankers say this could develop into a crisis. The financial meltdown in the U.S. — and the turmoil in the finance sector, which is a key market for information technology and IT-enabled services — has seen a large number of finance professionals lose their jobs. These young, upwardly-mobile executives were the new generation of house buyers. They are now saving for the proverbial rainy day — which has arrived. Confidence levels are down and house purchase plans have been put on the backburner.

Finance companies and banks are also being careful about approving loans. Their vetting process is taking more time. Even people who want loans and have the capacity to service their EMIs are being put through greater scrutiny.

Business as Usual?

India’s largest mortgage company, Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC), however, says that it is business as usual. As Renu Karnad, HDFC joint managing director, told CNBC TV 18: “The demand story is a compelling one. Its plot is often repeated by HDFC’s senior management that younger and younger Indians are opting for home loans. The average age of borrowers is down from 40 years to 35 years. Thanks to tax breaks, the effective cost of a loan works out to a moderate 6%. Unquenchable housing demand has the country short of 25 million homes. The loan market is a vast untapped one yet. It has taken 30 years for mortgage penetration to grow from 2.5% to 6% of GDP. With middle India kicking in, HDFC is confident that unlike other consumer goods, home loans are not that vulnerable to a slowing economy.”

The FICCI E&Y survey agrees. “Despite the momentary slowdown witnessed over the past 12 months, 62% of developers foresee Indian real estate embarking upon a high growth trajectory in the long term,” says the study. It does, however, point to one change. Real estate had become a speculators’ haven. Now, seeing no hope of quick returns, they are bailing out. Builders believe it’s the speculators who are responsible for the perceived slump. Once they are squeezed out — many are selling at whatever price they can get to take care of their stock market losses — things will return to normal. The study notes, “Respondents believe that genuine end-users have taken over from investors and account for 80% to 90% of sales in their current projects.”

What are real estate companies doing to deal with the downturn? Well, they are putting their eggs in different baskets. In a way, it is a replay of the rush into real estate. Over the past decade, companies with no experience in property development had entered the market. Some had legitimate reasons. The textile mills in Mumbai, for instance, had been priced out of the market because of high labor costs. One of the first off the block — Phoenix Mills — has converted itself into a commercial, residential and entertainment complex. In August this year it raised 200 million euros from German real estate fund MPC Synergy for further development. Morarjee Mills has moved its operations to smaller (and cheaper) cities. Its properties are being developed by its real estate wing — Peninsula Land.

In addition to the textile mills, 70-year-old Nesco Engineering, a moribund company, is today thriving because it has set up an exhibition center on its Mumbai property and has plans for an IT park. Media Video, an electronics games manufacturer and distributor, has recently listed its real estate subsidiary MVL. Its market capitalization at $87 million is eight times that of its parent. The Kolkata-based Emami group, a FMCG player, has moved into malls and housing complexes.

Now, real estate companies are exploring new investment opportunities. Builders of residential property are taking to developing commercial space. Others, such as Raheja — a leading homebuilder — are constructing special economic zones. Omaxe is modernizing and maintaining airstrips. DLF, Unitech and Omaxe are bidding for road projects being offered by the National Highways Authority of India. The Brigade Group is building a health spa in Chikmagalur near Bangalore. It will run the spa in tandem with Singapore-based hospitality brands Banyan Tree and Angsana. Sobha Developers already has an ayurvedic spa offering the traditional Kerala ayurvedic massage at Sobha City in Thrissur in Kerala.

Overseas Markets

The second trend is a move abroad to market real estate companies’ products, raise funds, source raw materials and launch projects. PRA Realty has set up shop in Chicago to be closer to venture funds. It has also opened a marketing office in Dubai. According to JLLM, non-resident Indians (NRIs) are major buyers of Indian properties, accounting for up to 25% in certain categories.

Sobha Developers has opened an office in China, from which it sources a lot of raw material. It is building a five-star hotel in Dubai. Parsvnath Builders has a subsidiary in Singapore. Puravankara Projects has started operations in Sri Lanka to build super luxury villas on the outskirts of capital Colombo. It already has a presence in the UAE. “Considering that every market is subject to fluctuations, diversification is certainly the best hedging tool for avoiding the pitfalls of sudden downward movements in any sector,” says Agarwal of JLLM. “If one component fails to generate anticipated returns, others will compensate.”

Other real estate companies are casting their nets wider and embracing every opportunity that comes their way. Unitech has already made a foray into telecom. It is now eyeing insurance. Preliminary talks are on with a foreign major. Omaxe is moving into steel and cement. It has on its drawing board plans for a medical college and a hospital.

Mantri Realty has earmarked $500 million for a thermal power plant in Nagpur. The Hyderabad-based JR Realtors has aquired a 10% stake in Pennar Aluminium. Indiabulls Real Estate is setting up a solar power plant in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. Sobha has even moved into retailing mattresses under the brandname Restoplus. IT major Infosys has already placed the first order.

HDIL has lined up a whole array of diversifications. It is getting into entertainment under the Broadway brand name. It plans to invest $200 million in a chain of 150 theaters. It is also building a coal-fired power plant. It will begin power trading soon. In perhaps the oddest move, it is bidding for oil and gas exploration blocks being auctioned by the government. “Although oil and gas is completely disconnected from our core business and what we are doing now, I can say that it will help in providing better services to customers who we serve in our projects,” Sarang Wadhawan, managing director of HDIL, told business daily Mint recently.

“In the long run, given that the India growth story is likely to continue, real estate prices will certainly increase,” says Chakrabarti of ISB. “However, they will not see a meteoric rise as they did earlier. It will be a more stable market. Real estate companies are therefore diversifying into different areas where they expect better growth (like telecom). This is probably not so much by choice as by compulsion. It also reduces their risks. In some sense it is sensible given that the market conditions have changed, but whether it plays out in the long run remains to be seen. In general [not just with regard to real estate] unrelated diversifications don’t work out very well.”

The efforts of various companies haven’t had much impact on their share prices. As a high share price is necessary for fund raising, some companies are trying financial engineering. DLF, for instance, has announced a share buyback, but it is also seeking fresh funds. Analysts wonder how the two can go together. “Promoters work in the best interests of the company,” responds a DLF spokesperson. “The DLF share has been quoting much below its intrinsic value. We see the share buyback decision as a highly attractive opportunity for our shareholders and a strategic move of sharing returns with investors.” HDIL, meanwhile, has come out with a 2:7 bonus issue. All this doesn’t appear to have helped sentiments much; both the shares — as with most real estate companies — are quoting below their original IPO price.

“The companies that went public rode the boom, and they will bounce back once the markets and the sector picks up,” says Razack of the Prestige Group. “At that time the valuations were so aggressive that we were also tempted to go public. We didn’t do it because one can’t really show quarter-on-quarter growth in real estate. It becomes more [like] window dressing.”

Affordable Housing

Another major area into which many real estate firms are moving is affordable housing. Puravankara has set up a wholly-owned subsidiary — Provident Housing & Infrastructure — which will build 64,500 homes in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Coimbatore over the next five years. Omaxe has set up the 100%-owned National Affordable Housing and Infrastructure, which will invest $20 billion over the next five years in building one million such homes. Many other builders are also climbing on the bandwagon.

The rush is partly explained by the response to government-led housing programs. The public sector Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) plans to sell 600 low-priced apartments in Mumbai around Diwali. They will be priced around $50 a sq. ft., at a time when market rates are four times as high. MHADA expects 200,000 applications; there will be a lottery to decide the buyers. Demand for such housing is obviously very strong. A similar prgram earlier this year for 900 apartments attracted 65,000 applications. In Delhi too, the Delhi Development Authority has received 850,000 applications for 5,010 low-cost apartments.

“Affordable housing, until now, was not a part of the Indian real estate sector boom,” says the FICCI-E&Y report. “However, affordable housing has recently attracted attention from prominent developers and private equity players. The investment rationale for this asset class largely encompasses an early mover advantage, volume-driven profitability, priority-sector status accorded by government and subsidized land costs, among other drivers.”

Yet skeptics see dangers here. First, affordable housing may end up as substandard housing as builders cut costs to maintain margins. Second, affordable housing will go to the less-privileged classes, financed by easier norms for bank loans. Earlier this year, the government wrote off $15 billion of farm loans, which severely impacted its finances. Some observers fear that “affordable home loans” could face a similar fate. They are, after all, subprime mortgages of the kind that sparked the housing crisis in the U.S.

The consensus view about Indian real estate is that the slowdown is temporary but lots of reasons exist for optimism about the future. “Short-term concerns on the sector remain,” says a report by research house Enam Securities. “End user demand (is) subdued on account of high capital values and global uncertainty keeping the capital markets under check. Developers remain strapped for liquidity. However, the long-term outlook (is) still positive. Favorable demographics, increased urbanization and higher disposable incomes will result in continued demand.” According to Mathur of Cushman & Wakefield, “If you believe in the India story, the outlook for real estate, which is a critical part of the whole development process, is bright. I am very bullish about it.”

Indian Real Estate: Investors Are Shopping, but Are They Buying Hype?

Drive through any of India’s major cities and it will be impossible to go a mile without running into brightly colored cranes, construction rubble and men in yellow helmets scurrying up and down skyscrapers. Commercial high rises, residential townships, industrial parks and shopping malls are exploding into existence, encouraged by both long-term and speculative investors. Oversized private equity commitments by a growing number of foreign investors and home-grown financial institutions are helping to feed the frenzy.

But several astute industry watchers have begun poking big holes in that picture. For one, they say that many foreign investors have actually brought in only a small portion of their promised investments. Second, soaring land prices and price resistance from buyers are narrowing investors’ margins significantly. Finally, they note that concerns continue to run high about the regulatory opaqueness for real estate ventures, bureaucratic red tape and the absence of title insurance, in addition to a host of other issues. India Knowledge@Wharton spoke with prominent private investors, property developers and brokerage firms to understand how these factors are tempering investors’ appetites for Indian real estate.

With yields between 30% and 40% during the past two years, India’s real estate industry has been the toast of global investment funds. But expectations for future returns have been sharply reduced to between 12% and 20% over the next few years. For many foreign investors, this means having to weigh Indian real estate opportunities against deals that offer comparable returns in other emerging markets like Eastern Europe or Latin America.

Fears of a real estate bubble and an overheated economy have led India’s central bank to require a lender cutback on real estate loans. That move has pushed up interest rates, lowering consumers’ appetites for home financing and simultaneously raising rents for apartments and offices. Most Indian real estate companies are privately held and their financial information is not readily available. The absence of comprehensive market data across product types like office, retail, industrial and residential properties further hurts the ability of investors to read the right signals, and the occasional rumor of a large deal going bust or a property developer resorting to a distress sale can damage investment sentiments far more than warranted.

More Hype than Actual Investments

Clearly, local investors understand the terrain far better than foreign investors. Much of the foreign capital committed to Indian real estate ventures has yet to be invested, says Aashish Kalra, co-founder and managing director of Trikona Capital, a private equity firm with offices in New York City, London and Mumbai. “Last year, less than $1 billion [was actually invested in] Indian real estate. That’s less than the value of half a building in Times Square,” he says. That compares with market estimates of between $15 billion and $20 billion in foreign capital headed for Indian real estate.

Kalra cited these figures during a panel discussion on real estate investing at a recent New York City event organized by The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), a network of entrepreneurs founded 15 years ago in Silicon Valley. “A negligible amount of foreign capital will get invested in Indian real estate in the next 24 months,” he told the panel.

Sameer Nayar, managing director and head of real estate finance-Asia Pacific at Credit Suisse, offers a similar assessment. “There is a lot of hype about capital going into Indian real estate … [but] not a lot of money is actually going in,” he says. Extracting good returns from those investments calls for significant local market expertise in dealing with regulatory and other obstacles. “You make money because you can deal with the problems, and that’s why your returns could be 50%,” he adds. “If it were an easy market to work in, you would make only 15%.”

Short-term Disenchantment

In April 2006, Trikona Capital group firm Trinity Capital raised 250 million pounds ($500 million) for Indian real estate investment in a public offering through London’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM). Kalra says his company has deployed about $400 million in Indian real estate projects over the past year.

Including Trinity, about a dozen real estate funds targeting India have raised a combined $2 billion in the past year through listings on the AIM. Most of them are currently trading at levels significantly below their offer prices, revealing investor disenchantment. Trinity’s share made its debut in April 2006 at one pound; it now trades at about 86 pence. Hirco, an Isle of Man-domiciled company promoted by the Mumbai-based Hiranandani Constructions group, raised about 382 million pounds ($755 million) from its IPO last December; since then, its shares have lost considerable sheen, down from 5 pounds to about 390 pence in the second week of May. Exceptions include Unitech Corporate Parks, which listed on the AIM last December at 93 pence and now trades at 96.25 pence.

“We see the opportunity [in Indian real estate], but we also see the risks and challenges involved,” says Chanakya Chakravarti, managing director of real estate at Actis, a London-based private equity fund that manages assets of about $3.4 billion. Actis plans to set up a $300 million India real estate fund. It already has two other existing funds with an estimated equity of $475 million that have invested in Indian real estate, auto ancillaries and other industries. “Each fund has a unique risk-return profile, and we work with these. For us, India is a long-term story,” he adds.

Chakravarti lists three main risks or challenges that real estate investors in India will be up against in the short term. The first, he says, is an oversupply of office space in the major and second-tier cities. A hazy regulatory framework fostering indecision and delayed investments is another concern. Finally, he notes, opaque deal-making processes that narrow the exit routes will deter serious investors.

“The property market today is rife with uncertainties. Prices as well as interest rates have been rising,” says Anuj Puri, managing director of real estate services firm Trammell Crow Meghraj, the Indian joint venture of Dallas, Tex.-based real estate services firm Trammell Crow and the Meghraj Group, a financial services firm in London. “It is not advisable to expect any short-term gains; but of course, for long-term investors, India’s strong fundamentals are still intact. A long-term investor can expect average returns of 15% to 20% per year.”

Vikas Oberoi, managing director of Oberoi Constructions in Mumbai, says the risk-return profile for real estate investments is far brighter for those who have accumulated land inventory at prices much lower than prevailing levels. “The average net margin in today’s market is 20% to 25%; we can easily do 15% better than the market,” he says. Oberoi claims his company can achieve those higher returns because, among other reasons, “most of the land has been bought earlier.”

Oberoi Constructions has an inventory of 15 million square feet of mostly prime land in Mumbai. At today’s prices, Oberoi expects it to generate gross revenues of $2.2 billion. The company is focused mostly on for-sale residential apartments, although it dabbles in shopping malls, hotels and other commercial property lines. Oberoi expects his company to post $200 million in revenue this year, rising to $300 million in 2008.

This past January, Morgan Stanley’s Special Situations Fund invested $152 million for a 10.75% stake in Oberoi Constructions, effectively valuing the company at about $1.4 billion. Oberoi says the untapped upside in his company’s land bank was a major attraction for the institutional suitors it attracted. For instance, five years ago it bought a land lot with 8 million square feet in Mumbai’s northwestern suburb of Goregaon for Rs. 100 crore ($24 million). Oberoi says the property would be worth 20 times more today.

“Where is the supply? There is only demand,” says Oberoi. “In fact, I want the market to stabilize or [prices to] come down because then we would get land at cheaper prices. It is absolutely a seller’s market.”

Second-tier Migration

The most visible changes in the Indian real estate sector include the emergence of well defined product categories, the division of the market into tiered cities and a widening of financing options.

In the past, real estate was sold either as residential or as commercial property. With the maturing of the market and globalization of the investor base, the categories have been sharpened and new ones established. “Investors in the residential market are very different from the office and retail space investor,” says Sanjeev Dasgupta, CFO and head of investments at Kshitij Investment Advisory Services, part of the Future Group, a large Mumbai-based owner of shopping malls across the country. In the residential sector, investors are in for high returns and are willing to take high risks, he says. This also allows for easy exit, although the risk of a mismatch between potential and real returns is high, he adds.

According to Poonam Mahtani, a national director of retail services firm Colliers International in India, “The investment risk is lower in the metros, but prices there are much higher than those in tier II cities.” Several equity funds have consciously focused on tier II cities, because they believe that this offers the most potential. “Land prices are skyrocketing. Buying to sell is a very risky strategy. Land prices are way beyond levels that will generate a decent return. It doesn’t make sense to invest any more unless you go to second- or third-tier markets.”

Kalra, too, sees the markets outside of India’s major cities as the most attractive, simply because they are not the low-hanging fruit sought by the early crop of investors with relatively lower risk appetites. “There are lots of opportunities outside the main metros. India has 30 cities with a population of a million people each,” he says. Adds Dasgupta, “The returns are huge in tier II cities, where there is a large untapped potential.” He believes that this sector will see a rental yield of 12% to 14% in the next few years.

In office space, experts see a migration towards second-tier cities. A recent report by Deutsche Bank on real estate trends notes, “As the demand for modern space has continually increased, new office locations have had to be developed in the south and east of the urban area (Mumbai and Delhi).” In Mumbai, secondary business districts have emerged in recent years, including the Bandra-Kurla complex in the central suburbs, 25 miles from the old commercial hubs in the southern end of the city.

Much-needed Transparency

For foreign investors, one troubling fact is a pan-India phenomenon: inadequate transparency in land valuations they use to price their investments. In an interview last month, M. Damodaran, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India, discussed the lack of clarity in real estate companies’ disclosures, especially with respect to their land banks. “We sought clarity … on matters like, ‘What does your land bank comprise, [and] what are the valuation aspects you have indicated?’” he told the India news wire service. “Where there is only an agreement to develop land, there must be complete disclosure. All such agreements are to be made available for inspection,” he said, adding that he preferred land valuations to be made at current prices and not on the basis of future projections.

Trammell Crow Meghraj’s Puri agrees. “There is a marked lack of transparency, corporate governance and accountability among India’s real estate developers. There also continues to be a serious lack of quality infrastructure. In addition, India scores low in terms of congenial political environment in terms of the real estate sector. This means that there is a lack of clarity in pertinent policies.”

But Puri also believes those issues will soon fade away as India’s real estate markets mature. “Although real estate is a regional and highly location-specific industry, India will replicate the events that occurred in emerging markets like Mexico and Central Eastern Europe [including Russia, Bulgaria and Poland],” he says. “In these countries, too, foreign investments were the primary drivers for transparency, accountability and higher capital appreciation in the real estate sector.”

Reverse Exodus: Gulf Workers Return to India, Bringing New Travails

In March, Dhananjay Datar, promoter of the US$50 million United Arab Emirates-based Al Adil Trading Co., celebrated the 25th year of his business. He hired a Boeing 737 and circled Dubai for several hours as 50 guests popped champagne and ate cake. After touchdown, he presented his wife, Vandana, with a US$2 million Rolls Royce Phantom.

Around the same time, other Boeing 737s were ferrying laid-off Indian workers back from Dubai to Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Kochi, principal cities in the southern Indian state of Kerala. They hope to return, but at the moment it doesn’t seem likely.

Some 200,000 to 500,000 Keralites working in the Gulf are likely to return home by midyear, state finance minister T.M. Thomas Isaac told the State Assembly recently. This is a considerable chunk of the estimated two million-plus Keralites working abroad, nearly 90% of them in the Gulf. The 2001 census put Kerala’s population at 31.8 million. Non-resident Keralites (NRKs) send back close to US$8 billion in remittances annually, more than double the state’s tax revenues. The impact of the reverse exodus — both economically and socially — could be devastating, according to experts.

“There will naturally be a considerable negative impact on Kerala, as the remittances will stop and the number of unemployed will increase simultaneously,” says Rajesh Chakrabarti, assistant professor of finance at the Hyderabad-based Indian School of Business (ISB). “Socially, adjusting to the returnees will be a problem. They would be quickly perceived as liabilities as opposed to assets, affecting both them as well as the residents.”

The reasons for the reverse migration have been well-documented. The Gulf economy has been suffering after the crash in oil prices. Dubai has been hit particularly hard because it was the region’s key financial center, and finance has taken a backseat amid the global economic slowdown. “It is mainly the real estate and property segments along with bankers who have been hard-hit,” says Datar of Al Adil Trading. “The other businesses are not doing too badly. They may be down by 15% to 20%.” Adds Faisal Shamsudheen, a Dubai-based journalist-turned-PR manager who lost his job in the crisis: “Construction and banking are the worst hit. Mass redundancies are happening by the day in the private sector and semi-governmental organizations.”

The bulk of the NRKs were working in construction. “The Gulf has been a significant employer in blue-collar jobs and the worker class,” says Narayanan Ramaswamy, executive director, KPMG Advisory Services. “That influx will come into India.” People have left other Indian states for jobs in the Gulf, but in much lower numbers. (Labor migration from states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar has more often been to richer states such as Gujarat and Punjab.) Kerala will bear the brunt.

Kerala’s Main Export Commodity

“The main commodity which Kerala exports to the Gulf countries is manpower,” says Ajay Kumar, chairman of the Kerala State IT Mission and secretary of IT. “They have been engaged in the construction, real estate and tourism sectors, which have been badly hit by the global slowdown.”

Ramaswamy notes that Kerala’s rule by a Left alliance may create additional problems. “One of the things this will definitely cause, especially in an economy like that of Kerala, with its Communist flavor, is more unrest,” he says. “Jobs will be affected. Unions will protest. If this continues for the medium to long term, it will also lead to law-and-order problems.”

Though some observers sense disaster, authorities don’t seem particularly concerned yet. “The Dubai government is still in a denial phase and continues to repeat that there is no mass exodus of Indian workers,” says Shamsudheen. The Center for Development Studies (CDS), in Thiruvananthapuram, said in a report this year that there was no cause for worry. The main conclusion of the report, the Kerala Migration Monitoring Study 2008, is that “as of December 2008, there is neither any indication of a significant slowdown of emigration from the state nor any large-scale increase in return emigrants to Kerala.” Authors S. Irudaya Rajan and K.C. Zachariah acknowledge, however, that the situation may have changed in 2009. But not all return migration is related to the recession, they say.

According to the CDS, the number of emigrants from Kerala in 2008 was 2.16 million, up from 1.84 million in 2003. The number of return emigrants was 1.1 million in 2008, up from 890,000 in 2003. So return emigration rose only 210,000, compared with an increase of 320,000 outward-bound. “I don’t think there is a crisis,” says Rajan, who is chair professor in the research unit on international migration and a fellow at CDS. “A few hundred people may have lost their jobs. But what are they among the two million [Indians] in the Gulf?” Shamsudheen also points out, however, that these figures were calculated before the economic crisis struck the region.

And some data can be misread. Take remittances, the lifeblood of the Kerala economy. According to K.V. Shamsudheen, chairman of the Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust, a UAE-based charitable organization working for the welfare of expatriate Indians, NRKs have remitted more than US$42 billion to Kerala in the last 35 years. Weekly newsmagazine India Today reports that non-resident external deposits with Kerala banks, which were US$6.73 billion in June 2008, are expected to cross US$7.39 billion by June this year. Adds Binoy Augustine, manager of the Tiruvalla branch of Federal Bank, which has one of the largest numbers of NRK accounts in the state: “In the past two months, we have seen a surge in NRI remittances thanks to the favorable exchange rates.” This boom in remittances is considered good news; it’s business as usual.

Coming Home Permanently

Others, however, say that returning NRKs are closing their accounts in the Gulf because they are coming home permanently. The spike is also attributable to the more expensive dollar, which makes it attractive to convert to rupees, and the migration of accounts from foreign banks, perceived as risky, to Indian public-sector banks. Such a surge cannot continue.

A Planning Commission report submitted recently to the Union government suggests as much. Remittances could decline by 20%, the report says. As workers abroad return to India, “they may bring back their accumulated savings and a one-time increase may take place. During 2009-2010, private transfers can be between US$35 billion and US$50 billion.”

A World Bank study reaches a similar conclusion. “Cash remittances to developing nations sharply slackened in the last few months of 2008 because of the global financial distress, and they are projected to continue their slowdown this year,” the report says. “Their lower growth in 2009 will likely be a result of the global crisis, the downward impact of the oil price collapse on the Gulf economies and the uncertainty about exchange rates…. The growth of remittance flows is expected to slow significantly from 6.7% in 2008 to 0.9% in 2009, but could recover in the medium term to 6.1% growth in 2010.”

Although Kerala may suffer the most, the decline could hurt the entire economy. India gets the highest remittances of any country in the world (US$27 billion in 2007; US$32 billion in 2008). This is estimated to add 3% to GDP. “The slowing down will hurt particularly as it comes coupled with the reversal of portfolio capital flows,” says Chakrabarti. “Together, this could hurt both the exchange rate, making the rupee weaker, and the asset markets, particularly the real estate market.” The euphoria following the formation of a new, stable government may dilute this effect. The rupee is strengthening and foreign portfolio investments have resumed. But remittances have always been long-term money, while foreign investments in Indian equity, as the last year shows, can be fickle. Total foreign direct investment in India in 2008-09 (April to March) was around US$27 billion, while portfolio investments stood at a negative US$15 billion as foreign institutional investors pulled out.

The government won’t acknowledge the potential for a crisis. In Dubai recently for the inauguration of a new campus of the Ghaziabad-based Institute of Management Technology, former commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath rejected a suggestion that the government work out a loan or grant scheme for Gulf workers who had lost their jobs. This has been a demand of the Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust, which earlier appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to have the government provide US$2,000 each to workers who had to return after losing their jobs. Nath instead said India had plenty of jobs.

“The government can’t fund any rehabilitation or relief packages for its expatriate Indian community,” Nath said, according to the Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National. “However, Indians facing losses should return and find new opportunities back home. Industries like IT continue to grow in India, and business is looking positive.”

But, as in other parts of the world, job losses have been considerable in India. Nath’s optimism notwithstanding, having special schemes to provide jobs for returnees may invite problems. “To the extent that some of the returnees will have prior experience and skills, the government may be able to help them find employment, but any ’special efforts’ directed at them will also cause social heartburn,” says Chakrabarti. “So efforts, if any, should be kept low-key.” Adds Ramaswamy of KPMG: “The government should take some measures. But this business of providing direct employment could just be more emotional talk. The way they should provide employment is to hasten some of the infrastructure projects and start investing in capital-intensive projects.”

Financing for Repatriated Entrepreneurs

Those are big-ticket items. The Kerala government, meanwhile, is thinking small. It has announced a US$200 million entrepreneurship package for repatriates. This, finance minister Isaac says, is not a dole program. The money will go to the state-owned Kerala Financial Corp., which will borrow six or seven times that amount from the market. The principal will be used to finance entrepreneurs.

Kumar of the State IT Mission says the technology sector offers employment potential. “There is hope in the IT sector, which seems to be growing despite the economic slowdown. The growth in IT in Kerala is likely to be much more than the national average.” Because of pressures on costs, IT companies will move to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, he predicts. Kerala has enough of those and an additional edge because of “the best social infrastructure and highest physical quality of life.” The government has a three-pronged plan to make Kerala an IT destination: Build infrastructure, develop human resources and focus on marketing the state. “There is a hidden opportunity for Kerala,” Kumar notes.

There is a problem, however. Keralites work hard when they go out of the state to seek their fortune; at home, they seem to lack the same discipline. “Keralites are ready to do any job once they cross the state border,” says Rajan of CDS. “But [at home] there is a kind of self-created social unemployment.” Opportunity exists nonetheless. “There is a scarcity of workers in Kerala. If you notice, in Thiruvananthapuram city alone there are thousands of workers from other parts of India and even from Nepal.”

The Kerala crisis raises issues that are larger than the impact on the state. India was supposed to benefit from a “demographic dividend.” India’s young workers would provide muscle as other countries turned gray. Has this theory — and therefore India’s growth prospects — suffered a setback? “It is temporary,” says Chakrabarti of ISB. “The jobs crisis is global, across countries. In the end, India will still be among the fastest-growing countries in the world. Hopefully, by 2011, 2012, the dust will settle, and by then India will also be able to get back on track for growth.”

A related issue is protectionism, particularly in the labor market. Western countries have begun making noise about this as they try to preserve jobs for their own nationals. But Chakrabarti is optimistic. “These protectionist tendencies will be short-term,” he says. “But if the slowdown becomes a very long one, the protectionist pressures may cross certain political thresholds, which may lead to the world going the protectionist way for decades to come.” Adds Ramaswamy: “Protectionism is an emotional response and can only be a short-term phenomenon because the world has moved a long way from where we were during the last recession. The impact of the Gulf slowdown on India is only an indirect one, so we don’t need to be overly concerned. Even the people who are coming back will return to the Gulf once the economy picks up.”

It has happened before. During the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, there was an exodus of Indian workers from the war zone. “It was a fast turnaround for Kuwait after the Gulf War, considering the devastation and exodus the country saw with the Iraqi invasion,” says Shamsudheen, the PR manager. “Almost all Kuwait returnees went back after the country was liberated, and there were more opportunities with the reconstruction projects.”

World Tourism Day – Challenges galore!

By Jayashankar VS

World Tourism Day (WTD) 2009 will be hosted in Ghana and underscore the value of diversity and authenticity of tourism in a globalizing world. These are among the outcomes of the 17th Session of the UNWTO General Assembly, 22-29 November, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.

The focus on climate change and the broader development agenda coincides with UNWTO’s active support of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The 2008 theme ranks high on the UN System Agenda and coincides with the 7th MDG: Ensure environmental sustainability and the proclamation of 2008 as the International Year of Planet Earth which will extend to 2009.

The theme will contribute in putting forward the global campaign to implement the Davos Declaration (Climate Change and Tourism – Responding top Global Challenges). The Declaration builds on the tourism sector’s strong relationship with climate and its global social and economic value as well as its role in sustainable development.
The 2009 theme will celebrate tourism diversity and implement a campaign to highlight the importance of tourism and globalization. This will mark the 30th celebration of World Tourism Day, which will be hosted in Ghana.

This campaign will highlight tourism’s role dual as a catalyst for globalization on the one hand, and as an opportunity to reaffirm and preserve the identity at the destination level, on the other.

World Tourism Day & MDGs
The General Assembly also endorsed UNWTO’s appointment of its first Special Advisor on Women and Tourism. This year’s theme coincided with UN’s 3rd MDG: Promote gender equality and empower women. Following the WTD 2007 celebrations of women’s achievements in the tourism sector, Pakistani senator Mrs. Nilofar Bakhatiar will lead the evolution of activities outlined in the 2008-09 General Programme of work.
These range from a UNWTO – UNIFEM (UN Development Fund for Women) annual report on the state of Women in Tourism to fostering a network of activists, ambassadors and advocates to support the work of the UNWTO Special Advisor on Women in Tourism.
World Tourism Day is commemorated on 27 September each year and coincides with the anniversary of the adoption of the UNWTO Statutes on 27 September 1970 and was designated as World Tourism Day by the UN General Assembly.

The first half of 2009 has been sordid thanks to the invasion of the recession, terrorism and new health concerns that have left many key industries across India and the rest of the world in a lurch. The ghosts of 2008 just refuse to die down and continue to haunt the world economies! While the global tourism industry and the Indian tourism industry in particular is no exception to this, experts see this as an opportunity in crisis.

The key lies in identifying the problems, fixing them and this is just the right time to do it! However, it will take a concerted effort by India, the winner of three awards of the United Nations World Tourism Organization including Asia’s favourite tourist destination in 2007, to see through this turmoil. All this makes the World Tourism Day on September 27 this year even more challenging and exciting like never before!

This is the time to clean up the system
Globally, the tourism ministries in many countries and in India are gearing up to do well out of this world economic calamity. These efforts assume significance as the global travel and tourism industry is one of the world’s largest industries, employing nearly 231 million people and generating over 10.4 per cent of world GDP. And according to the Ministry of Tourism in India, in 2007, 5 million tourists visited India and spent nearly $11.5 billion. The World Tourism Organisation 2020 vision estimates that around 5.08 million tourists will visit India by 2010 which is likely to touch 8.9 million by 2020.

India and China have so far been resilient during recession and the recent World Bank report has not only endorsed this but predicts a decent growth for the two Asian giants. Thus, as far as the tourism industry is concerned, India is well poised to cash in on the global recession only if it makes up its mind to roll up its sleeves and work around a host of domestic and international tourism related issues.

The international and domestic issues that affects tourism in India
A weaker American and European economies that are already stung by recession has a spiralling effect on the global corporate world which is on a cost-cutting spree. This means lesser business and personal travels to India. The country is also facing newer challenges in health scares like the Swine flu, racism scandals, and poor protection for foreigners in certain tourists’ locations, climatic changes, inadequate manpower and the monsoon failures.

Estimates have put that India would need at least 200,000 people to cater to the country’s growing tourism needs. Then there are the proverbial infrastructure problems like poor road connectivity, non-modernisation of airports, lack of world class food and accommodation facilities in hot tourism spots and the sluggish pace in identifying and developing tourist destinations and circuits. All these could have far-reaching impacts on the tourism industry in India.

Internally, India’s domestic tourism industry is on a boom. Literally a money spinner, the domestic tourism industry too faces similar issues and these will have to be sorted out simultaneously. Hence, it will take collaborative and focused efforts on the part of the Indian tourism ministry and other related ministries to tackle these issues and set up new standards.

Tackling the issues
Tourism is multi sectoral. It has to coordinate and work with other industries and ministries to remove bottlenecks in infrastructure, travel, health, food and accommodation and other facilities. The key is to offer a world class experience for tourists visiting India.

Creating a healthy environment, literally
On one hand, the medical tourism industry is on a roll. The country is witnessing a huge influx of tourists from all over the world for medical treatment purposes. This calls for steadying up the healthcare facilities and switching on the ‘always on the ready’ mode in terms of modernisation of equipments and qualified manpower. The invasion of new health scares like the recent H1N1 scare could make a dent on the tourists’ visiting the country. These health scares will have its impact on the domestic tourism scenario as well. The health ministry will have to roll out promising measures and work with the public in creating a safer, healthier atmosphere for all tourists visiting India.

Infrastructure woes
Presently, the thrust remains on the construction, maintenance, and development of roads, rails and airways that connect the various tourist destinations in the country. For this the Ministry of Tourism has to coordinate with the ministry of road transport and highways, the civil aviation and the railway ministry. The source of funds for these all-important development activities could also come from the various IPOs. However, this could happen only when the present rule of not allowing banks in India to accept deposits beyond 10 years is relaxed. The finance for infrastructure is a long term plan and runs for 15-20 years. Hence only if banks are allowed to have long-term funds, this mismatch could be removed.

Development of world class hotels
Accommodation continues to be the central plank of the development strategy of tourism in India. This is an area where the Government will have to spruce up its coordination with not only the states and union territories but also with private players. Tourists from foreign countries not only will expect safety and world class facilities in the hotels they stay but also close proximity to the tourists’ hotspots. Hence, there is an increasing need to identify, set up and maintain world class accommodation facilities near the heritage sites, and other tourists’ destinations in the country.

On the food front, though it is a fact that tourists’ visiting India loves the spicy Indian food, the lack of stringent food laws and restrictions, however, remains an issue. In addition to the variety, there has to be quality and safety too in the food offered.

Research, plan, and perform!
Tourism is not just about visiting a country. A tourist may visit a country for various reasons. For example, many tourists from different parts of the world see India as a hub of medical tourism. So is the adventure tourism sector which offers mountaineering, skiing, ice skating, paragliding, and rock climbing opportunities in some of the country’s finest landscapes, seas and ice capped mountains. Further cruise tourism which is very popular in the Caribbean, Latin America and some South-east Asian countries is gaining foothold in India’s vast coastlines and unexplored jungles and destinations.

Rural tourism, eco-tourism are also good potentials for India’s tourism sector. It is high time the Ministry of Tourism focuses more on eco-tourism as it will serve as an educative tool for domestic and foreign tourists in observing wildlife, learning about the environment and understanding and conservation of the environment. Hence, understanding and solving these issues becomes all the more important. For this, the country needs well chalked out plans, funds from different sources, adequate manpower, and updated technology, round the clock concerted coordination between the various ministries and private players and above all the urge to make India the most favoured tourist destination in the country.

The World Travel & Tourism Council declares that the World Tourism Day is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic values. And India, being an important member of the global tourism industry, has to make concerted efforts to understand, draft plans and ease the impact of the repercussions of the recent challenges in the social, cultural, political and economic spectrums.

This will not only prove to be an antidote for its own domestic tourism troubles and unemployment concerns but also set an example for the rest of the world. Only then the real meaning of Atithi Devo Bhava, the slogan for Incredible India, will serve its full purpose!

Dhamaka News ‘Global Connects’ Initiated

Dhamaka News Network (DNN), an Asian news & features portal with 500 regional servers, or ports, serving on average 60 local news & general web sites, recently launched a new Partner Site program, Dhamaka Global Connect.

DNN relies on thousands of professional journalists working for local news organizations around the world. They report the news for local release and DNN picks up this coverage and delivers it worldwide. The DNN provides critical news coverage from “inside out” – first-hand reports from indigenous journalists who are actually living and not just reporting the news. Our sources also provide “no-holds-barred” opinion, editorial and analysis. These insights cannot be found on mainstream news outlets based in North America and Western Europe that select and edit the news for Western ears.

Who are these news sources? DNN includes but goes beyond the usually recognized sources of news and information to include other highly credible sources not found on any other news service. We partner with other independent and highly professional providers of information – including newspapers, television and radio stations, news web sites, governmental agencies, and non-governmental organizations. A link at the bottom of each news story opens a directory that describes the news source. This media database includes information about the source, such as its ownership, political orientation, circulation, frequency, format, contact information, and web site URL.

DNN routinely breaks news on a global basis – on topics ranging from Al Qaeda involvement in the Philippines to new telecom investments in North Africa — and supplies our readers with news and information that is intelligently parsed to suit specific news or enterprise interests. Our news feed covers events in business, politics, social issues, health, environment, international affairs, oil and energy, technology, education, media, entertainment and other realms important to businesses, media, government agencies, civil society and educators.

DNN is a mission-critical resource for any media organization covering global topics. Our news and information provides critical insights and unfolding trends for any organization with an interest in global issues or with geographically dispersed facilities, workforce, assets, brands or customers. News stories hit the wire the moment they are published in their local market.

One of India’s premier news web sites, Hyderabad News, recently joined Dhamaka Global Connect as a Partner Site. Hyderabad News serves original regional news within India and offers a wide variety of community focused stories, boasting a readership of over 5 million to date.

Dhamaka Global Connect provides its Partner Sites an ability to load there html pages for all their originally written content that is then available amongst Partner Sites to choose those stories of interest they would like to display for their audience at no charge to the members.

Dhamaka News – Where Every WORD Explodes

World Girl Child Day – Be the change to see the change

By Jayasharma VS

The world celebrates September 24 as the international girl child day. In India, however, this day will be celebrated on January 24. On this day in 1966, the late Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi was sworn in as the first women Prime Minister of India. Smt. Indira Gandhi was hailed as an icon of true women power and hence this historic day is a perfect choice to celebrate the national girl child day.

It is a fact that the initiatives of the Government of India and by other world communities has opened up new vistas for a girl child besides creating awareness on girl child discrimination, visible and invisible. Equally so is the fact that there is still more scope for improvement, especially in the socio, economic, political, educational and psychological spectrums. Consider this: According to a shocking estimate by the UNICEF, some 39 million, that’s a whopping 3.9 crore women are ‘missing’ in India alone due to infanticide and sex-selective abortions! More disturbing is the dwindling numbers of female to male ratio which stands at 927:1000. And it is appalling to know that every sixth girl loses her life to gender discrimination.

The female mortality rate is almost 50% more than the male mortality rate in some 400 districts in India. The literacy rate is no exception with almost 50% of the country’s girls still uneducated. On the political arena, the 33 percent reservation for women is facing stiff opposition for implementation. Life has never been easy for a woman in India. From her birth to nourishment to her education to marriage and even in death everything in a girl’s life is decided by factors kept beyond her reach and grasp. Now let us take a peek into the bitter ground realities, and the possible solutions.

The crime of genocide
India is a fast developing nation. No doubt about that! The World Bank, in its global growth forecast for 2009 has said that even at times of recession, India along with China will fare better than its other global counterparts. Technology, agriculture, finance, economy and everything else except women empowerment has improved since independence. Take for instance the still prevalent female infanticide. According to an UNICEF report, the female infanticide is widely prevalent in 80% of the states in India, and in mostly wealthiest areas. In the most backward areas in India, particularly in the interiors of some states, a girl child is cruelly killed through ways beyond your wildest imagination!

The situation in cities is equally bad, if not worse. Here, technology is misused to kill an unborn girl child. Legally speaking, detecting the gender of an unborn child is banned in India. But the ground reality is strikingly different! A sting operation by the BBC in 2007 revealed how a leading gynaecologist recommended by the British High Commission illegally carried out the test to determine the sex of the baby and even offered to recommend another doctor for abortion of the girl child in the womb!

Tragically, things aren’t any better overseas, particularly among the Indian community settled in the U.K. The BBC’s Asian Network reports that an Oxford University study suggests that Indian mothers in U.K are aborting unborn girl children, after sex detection tests. About 1500 girls are ‘missing’ from the birth statistics in England and Wales from 1990 to 2005.

Social stigmas a girl child suffers
If female infanticide is only one ugly face of this genocide against a girl child, the other faces are equally grave. If a girl is lucky enough to be born, she is made to go through a lot of difficulties while growing up. Even today a girl child is seen as a burden in many Indian communities. She is deprived of basic education, nourishment, basic amenities and facilities at home. While the urban girl child is a bit fortunate in terms of education, nourishment and facilities, the rural girl child is not! Besides forced to do domestic chores and other activities, she suffers from mal nourishment. According to Child Relief and You (CRY), one in every two adolescent girls in India is undernourished. The lack of basic education, nourishment, and early marriage and motherhood often metes out an irreparable psychological trauma on the girl child. The saga almost ends there.

The political scenario too holds no bright promise for girl children and women in India. Even if the 33% reservation is somehow made to become a bill in the Parliament, male chauvinism and other political pressures will see to it that it is not effectively implemented. All that is needed today is the will to equally accept women in all fields and the change has to come at personal, psychological, political, and economic levels.

Ask yourself: Have you given enough personal space to the women in your home?

A woman plays many roles in a home. She is your mother, your sister, your wife, and your daughter. But where is the real she? Most of us fail to see the real woman, her potentials and her real identity that is veiled behind the many roles she plays at our homes. Ask yourself if you have made any genuine attempt to see behind this veil? How many men know the personal preferences of their mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters? I am not talking about their favourite colours, movie stars or foods. This is about their innate talents, their preferences, and the due respect that she truly deserves. Despite a few women professionally qualified some men never care to discuss either domestic or professional issues with their women at their homes. Let us begin to see a woman as an individual, as a human first. Any cultured person cannot afford to ignore another human on mere gender basis. Let us celebrate the person. A woman when given equal opportunity could make your home and this world a better place to live in.

At a conference on ways to “Save the girl child,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated: “This is a national shame and we must face this challenge squarely here and now. No nation, no society, no community can hold its head high and claim to be part of the civilized world if it condones the practice of discriminating against one half of humanity represented by women.”

As Mahatma Gandhi said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world. And you and I should be the change to help start the change. Anyone’s listening?

Shoot first, talk later in Myanmar

By Yash Kapoor

Fighting between government forces and ethnic rebel groups in Myanmar’s Karen State has in recent weeks pushed thousands of refugees into neighboring Thailand. The upsurge in hostilities stems from the military regime’s drive to transform the ethnic ceasefire armies into government-controlled border guards and in the process assert central control in the contested territories ahead of general elections scheduled for 2010.

Attacks led by the government-aligned Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and supported by Myanmar army soldiers commenced on June 2 against the Karen National Liberation Army’s (KNLA) battalions and general headquarters, situated along the Thai-Myanmar border. The offensive has shifted international media attention away from the trial of pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and short-circuited a recent Thai diplomatic overture to mediate a ceasefire between the government and insurgent group.

The struggle between the insurgent Karen and Myanmar’s ruling military junta has ground on for 60 years, making it the world’s longest-running insurgency. Fighting along the Thai-Myanmar border has been a source of friction between the two Southeast Asian countries, especially since Myanmar’s military has asserted greater control over long-contested border regions.

Some analysts contend that’s raised the temperature of a long-time regional security hot spot, made hotter in recent years by frequent cross-border incursions and shoot-outs often involving drug traffickers. The recent scaled-up attacks will no doubt have been noticed in Washington.

Officials in President Barack Obama’s administration had earlier promised a policy review towards Myanmar, whose abysmal rights record has been met with a raft of US economic and financial sanctions. Any move towards conciliation that is undermined by the launch of the controversial trial against Suu Kyi and the intensified military assault on the Karen is expected to bolster Congressional critics of any move to relieve pressure on the regime.

The plight of Myanmar’s ethnic minorities has won increased attention in the US, including a visit to a Karen refugee camp by then-first lady Laura Bush in August 2008. The Karen’s position has been made more desperate by a series of battlefield reversals, starting with the fall of the insurgent group’s political arm’s Karen National Union (KNU) headquarters in 1995. The defeats have gradually diminished the once large territory under control of the the KNLA’s 7th Brigade to a small number of border enclaves near the small Thai town of Mae Salit.

The KNLA’s misfortunes stemmed largely from the December 1994 creation of the breakaway DKBA, which promptly allied itself with the Myanmar government. With its inside knowledge of the KNU/KNLA’s structure and strategy, the armed group swiftly seized control of large areas in central and southern Karen State. Human-rights groups have accused the DKBA of various rights abuses, including summary executions, torture and forced labor. New allegations have surfaced with the latest offensive.

The ruling junta has bid to portray the new fighting as a purely ethnic-on-ethnic issue and denied any involvement in the offensive. A press statement by Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released on June 13 claimed, “As a matter of fact, the fighting took place between the two armed groups – DKBA and KNU/KNLA. Members of the government armed forces had no role whatsoever in the recent scuffles.”

Senior KNLA military officers who spoke with Asia Times Online claimed that Myanmar army units are in reality deeply involved in the ongoing military operation by committing around 2,000-2,500 troops from two battalions of the Southeast Regional Command and six battalions of the 22nd Light Infantry Division to the attack.

To obfuscate those deployments, an estimated 500 DKBA troops from its 333rd, 555th and 999th Brigades have been stationed on the frontline as an assault force, while the Myanmar army units have been positioned behind them. Those government forces have in recent weeks provided external security, evacuated casualties, transported food and ammunition and given artillery support to the DKBA.

Although heavier artillery is believed to be stationed in the area, the army has restricted shelling to smaller caliber mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, known to be used by the DKBA. KNLA sources claim that around 150 DKBA and Myanmar army troops have been killed and wounded, many from landmines, in the new fighting. Hospitals in the Myanmar border villages of Ko Ko and Meh Th’Waw are reportedly full of wounded DKBA soldiers.

After several weeks of fighting, the KNLA decided late last week to withdraw most of their troops stationed at border camps in favor of conducting hit-and-run guerrilla attacks. The tactic, they say, will reduce their own casualties and allow attacks from behind on the Myanmar army while protecting Karen civilians, who would inevitably be caught in the crossfire of a DKBA frontal ground attack against the KNLA’s entrenched positions.

An estimated 4,000 refugees have fled the fighting in the areas, although exact figures vary between the Thai government, international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and Karen relief organizations. Refugees are currently living in seven sites along the Thai-Myanmar border, but Thai government officials have said they will consolidate these into three sites in the coming days. Most of the refugees are woman and children, many under the age of 13, according to NGOs monitoring the situation.

DKBA officers have reportedly told village leaders and at least one Thai military officer overseeing the area that the refugees can safely return to Myanmar. “The villagers want to stay in their area,” said Nan Paw Ghay of the Karen Information Center (KIC), a rights advocacy situated on the Thai-Myanmar border. “But they are afraid it is a trick and they will be used as forced labor.”

One villager interviewed by KIC escaped on June 7 from being forced to serve as a porter to carry mortar ammunition for the DKBA. He said that other forced porters were told by DKBA commander Colonel Maung Chit Thu that they had been recruited to build a pagoda. Others were told that they were tapped to work in a rubber plantation, according to the villager.

The Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG) claims that around 50 villagers initially fled the fighting, but their numbers soon swelled as hundreds of others fled due to fears they would be forced to haul ammunition or be used as human minesweepers. Saw Em Wee, a 43-year-old Karen villager, said, “The Burmese army came to both sides of our village. We were afraid to be used as porters or to walk in front [to sweep for landmines], so we fled.

Muddied motivations
Military operations in Myanmar typically are mounted in the dry season, when roads and mountain trails are dry and units may be more easily supplied. Driven during the rainy season, the current offensive is strategically unusual and the timing of the attacks has generated much speculation among KNLA leaders and border watchers.

That includes theories that the junta wants to consolidate its control in the area before the controversial 2010 elections. Some political analysts believe the junta also wants to put pressure on the Thai government for its critical stance towards the ongoing trial of pro-democracy icon Suu Kyi, who has spent 13 of the past 19 years under house arrest.

The recent attacks have overtly undermined recent attempts by Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya to broker ceasefire talks between the KNU and the Myanmar government. Although the KNU agreed to negotiations in April during a meeting with Kasit, apparently at the request of Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein, no follow-up contacts have been made, according to the KNU. Senior KNU leaders, including Vice President David Thakabaw and Joint Secretary-1 Major Hla Ngwe, said that the renewed attacks prove the Myanmar government was never serious about negotiations.

Indeed, it could work to the government’s strategic advantage to ramp-up hostilities, particularly if it were successful in driving a weakened KNLA into the mountainous and remote Papun township, where it would have a more tenuous supply and information line to Thailand. Trapped in the mountains, the KNLA would present little strategic threat to the regime, while an ongoing low-level insurgency would provide pretext to maintain a large standing army and draconian political policies in the area, even after the introduction of purported democratic rule after the 2010 elections.

KNU and KNLA officers, for their part, discount the notion that the current offensive against their positions is directly connected to the upcoming 2010 general elections. The KNU has labeled the upcoming elections a “sham” in statements and media interviews, and called on the international community to shy from endorsing them. In a June 8 statement on the fighting, the KNU called for a tripartite dialogue between the regime, ethnic groups and the democracy movement to foster national reconciliation in advance of political changes.

In contrast to other ceasefire groups in the Shan State, the DKBA has not maintained a political wing since 1995, nor is it expected to form one for the upcoming elections. One KNU source, however, speculated that while some DKBA members may stand in the upcoming election, the ruling junta has likely already decided who will win in the area.

Yet others see a connection between the attacks and preparations for the polls, including the government’s controversial new Border Guard Force (BGF) program. The surrender or transformation of ethnic armed groups into so-called border guard units under the control of the Myanmar army is a government-stated prerequisite for holding the general elections in border areas.

The DKBA represents the largest ceasefire group to accede to the junta’s proposal to transform its militia into a border guard force. Other major ceasefire groups, including in the Shan State, Kachin State and Mon State, have all rejected the junta’s proposal, stating that they favor maintaining their own armies and political control over previously agreed territory, and would prefer to wait until after the elections before deciding whether to join any government initiatives in their areas.

Military makeover
Under the BGF program, ethnic armies will be placed under a department of the Myanmar army. The program will be overseen by an administrative committee and under operational control of another committee, both staffed by Myanmar army officers. The new 326-man border battalions will be largely made up of ethnic soldiers and officers, although with Myanmar army officers in key positions.

All training, weapons and salaries will be provided by the army and as part of the agreement the new battalions must replace their individual ethnic army names and badges with new patches that bear the BGF logo. Analysts see the transformation as a way of emasculating the ethnic groups by removing their armed wings from control of their political organizations.

According to the junta’s logic, analysts say, once “disciplined democracy” is in place following the general elections, there will be no need for the ethnic groups to maintain armies in a peaceful democracy where cooperative economic development is prioritized. In reality, the ethnic minority border areas will not be demilitarized and in some areas will likely have an even greater military presence.

Minutes from a May 15 meeting of DKBA commanders indicate that the armed group intends to expand its force from its current estimated 3,000 troops to around 9,000 as part of the BGF transformation process. Conscription began in April and, according to a KHRG report, was stepped up after the May meeting.

The move has reportedly been unpopular among the DKBA’s rank and file and DKBA officers have threatened to arrest those who refuse to join for a required three-year enlistment period. Some analysts say the timing of the current offensive may have also aimed at keeping DKBA officers critical of the BGF transformation occupied until the deadline has passed.

Others see economic motivations. The border region has in recent years seen increased investment in contract farming for corn, rubber and other crops. There are also long planned economic zones in the works for the Hlaing Bwe area, directly to the west of the current fighting. Karen sources say key DKBA commander Maung Chit Thu has announced that he plans to build a “proper road” from Hlaing Bwe town to the border town of Mae Salit to stimulate cross-border trade.

As part of their initial ceasefire deal, the DKBA was given economic concessions to develop Karen State and its border areas. That presumably included the right to smuggle and traffic unimpeded narcotics, especially methamphetamines, but in more recent years has also come to encompass lucrative legitimate trade in agricultural goods, contract farming and transportation services.

The DKBA is, however, expected to lose some of its economic concessions once it joins the BGF and its soldiers become paid members of the Myanmar army, though militia leaders are expected to be allowed to maintain certain lucrative concessions as incentive to join the program. The DKBA itself has maintained among the local population that it will remain responsible for the development of Karen State.

Meanwhile, the armed assault is expected to intensify. More Myanmar army units have reportedly been moved closer to the border and analysts believe that when the current operation is completed fighting may shift to areas under the command of the KNLA’s 6th Brigade in south Karen State. KNLA sources say fighting is also expected to resume in northern Karen State towards the end of the rainy season, in either September or October.

The upshot is that the Myanmar government looks set to gain control over all of central Karen State and a major stretch of the border with Thailand for the first time since the country achieved independence in 1948. Although democratic elections are planned for next year and the government has greater control over the region than ever before, greater militarization under an unpopular insurgent group-turned-government militia means stability for Karen State is far from assured.

Suu Kyi to Receive International Gandhi Award

By M H Ahssan

In the latest in a long list of international honors, Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been named the recipient of this year’s Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Peace and Reconciliation, which will be awarded at a ceremony to be held in Durban, South Africa on July 20.

The prize, also known as the MAGI Award, is given to those who inspire young people to make a commitment to non-violence, forgiveness and reconciliation. It was inaugurated in 2003 to mark the centenary of Indian Opinion, a newspaper published in South Africa by Mahatma Gandhi.

The award is given by South Africa’s Gandhi Development Trust, which was established in August 2002 with the aim of promoting a deeper understanding of the principles of democracy, nonviolence and human values.

Suu Kyi, who is currently facing charges of violating the conditions of her house arrest just weeks before her detention was due to end, has received more that 80 international awards, including the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize and India’s Jawaharlal Nehru Award.

In a statement released today, South Africa’s foreign minister expressed grave concern over Suu Kyi’s trial, which stems from an incident involving an intruder who allegedly stayed overnight at her home.

“The South African government calls on the authorities in Myanmar to release Ms Suu Kyi immediately,” read the statement.

During a two-year stint as a temporary member of the United Nations Security Council, the South African government under former President Thabo Mbeki was criticized for voting against resolutions condemning human rights abuses in Burma.

New Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has not signaled any major change of policy on Burma, but has urged a “negotiated political solution between the government and the opposition” to resolve the country’s longstanding political impasse.

Meanwhile, in South Korea, former President Kim Dae-jung met with a group of exiled Burmese parliamentary leaders and gave them a donation of US $10,000 to support Suu Kyi’s cause.

“Korea also struggled under a military dictatorship for a long period of time before achieving democracy. I am sure that history will make note of your dedication to righteousness and freedom,” Kim told members of the South Korean chapter of the National League for Democracy (Liberated Area).

Accept change by thinking positively

Change is a word we learn from college textbooks but recognizing it and actually experiencing it are totally two different measures. Over the years, I learned that change is good and necessary for progress; change is movement and transformation; and change can strike us culturally, professionally, personally and environmentally.

Change management is a critical business issue because any kind of business improvement demands organizational change. To some, this transformation could be good and acceptable, but to others, it could be difficult to adapt.

Change comes gradually and makes most of us feel insecure. On the other hand, you start speculating will I fit in, will I adapt, what policies will we follow, will I handle the same responsibilities and whom will I report to! In general, you start thinking what change barriers will we face? The question is will you be able to adapt or not!

Change could take place anywhere or everywhere. It could be within IT solutions, resources, legal obstacles, organizational culture or individual confrontations. This is where you start worrying; you become captured within the resistance trap and so you feel nothing will replace the old days or ways of doing things.

When change kicks in, you start losing confidence, and inspiration fades away but you must pull your act together and start thinking positively. Change happens and most of the time it’s uncontrollable but we can always respond to it and embrace it. Besides, success comes with carrying out what most people don’t do — by accepting change.

Also, dealing with change means choosing to grow and develop continuously. Moreover, a very useful framework of thinking of change is that it is a process of problem solving. Managing change is seen as a matter of moving from one state to another, specifically from a problem stage to a solution stage.

Generally speaking, there isn’t a single strategy to manage change but it is possible to overcome the barriers if you as an individual have the ability to adapt, adjust, work towards a goal and look forward for tomorrow. Furthermore, with change it is important to involve the people around you and avoid imposing new things on them. Participation, involvement and open communication are considered to be important factors.

Love or arranged marriage?

During a slumber party, where we girls got together and had some fun, we discussed about some life factors, but our initiated topic was crucially on arranged marriages versus love marriages. It began when we started playing the “what if” game, one of the girls asked: “What if your parents decide on the guy you’ll marry?” Everyone in the room froze and each one of us had something to say regarding the matter.

We all looked at each other and in a split second everyone was arguing and suddenly our pajama party turned into a debatable celebration. Well, most of us agreed on the fact that those days are gone now and we should be able to take our own decision but of course with our parent’s blessings. So we asked ourselves: “Why would parents want to single out the man you’ll marry?”

The reason a parent would do such thing is because they want the best for their children. They always know what is the best for their children since they have been through that stage already. Also, they fear divorce and to them arranged marriages are of great success. Therefore, most parents approve of their children to marry within the same culture, tribe and people.

One of the girls mentioned, “I once read in an article that the majority of arranged marriages are successful and don’t end up in divorce”. The argument to this was how many of those are happy marriages. Couples may have a successful marriage but not necessary because of love and understanding, instead because of tradition and family commitment. Arranged marriages become more like a contract between families and not individuals where both ends feel responsible if it won’t work out.

In the past this topic used to be on the news headlines but in this day and age things have changed. This could be true with some nations and families but to others this trend will continue. Something parents need to understand is that love marriage or arranged marriage all go through ups and downs because marriage is all about commitment, adjustment and understanding.

At the end of the night, we girls agreed on whatever type of marriage an individual chooses they should be willing and prepared to face the consequences.

This was another dilemma on its own and so we decided to put an end to this never-ending topic and start worrying at the appropriate time. Then, it was time for another pillow fight.

Depressed? Think of people who care for you

There are times where you feel trapped and you just want to shout out but there’s no one listening. You simply feel left out as nobody cares. This is when you start feeling helpless and life does not matter anymore. This is when you seek attention but nobody notices you and this is when you start believing that nothing is going right.

Then you start thinking…what is the point of trying if there’s no hope? What is the point of complaining if there’s no solution? What is the point of asking if there’s no way out? And finally, what is the point of living if there’s nothing worth living for? With all these mixed up feelings and ideas you should realize that you are simply depressed.

Depression is something you can’t snap out of because it imbalances the chemicals of your brain. It is a psychological problem caused by workload, family pressure, social change, financial problems, and changes in life pattern or relationship troubles. It is known that depression causes emotional pain, mood swings, stress, chronic illness and suffering to you and those who care about you.

Throughout the course of our lives, we all experience depression either when a loved one dies, or when we suffer a personal tragedy or face some difficulties such as divorce or loss of a job or if you are not able to get what you want. Depression is treated in a variety of ways –– either by counselling or by strong faith that God and time can heal the pain.

However, there are others who seek the dark side of life and simply jump over the hill without calculating the consequences. In other words depression is associated with a negative way of thinking that can lead to suicide acts. The good news is that depression can be diagnosed and treated effectively in most people but the main barrier to overcome is recognizing that someone is depressed and seeking appropriate treatment.

Let me share with you a friend’s story that went through ups and downs in all aspects of life. Ever since she was a teenager she faced a hard time sticking to the set of home rules. At the same time she was stressed for not getting a job and for being clueless on what educational path should she pursue. That’s not all; she was also facing some relationship intricacy and started feeling unnoticed. It is sad that I wasn’t able to realize this because I have issues of my own.

My poor friend felt that everything is just going wrong and slowly started loosing faith in life. Couple weeks later she met up with a bunch of so called friends who claimed to have the right solution to her problems. Can you guess what the solution was? Sleeping pills that will make her relax and forget all the bad things in life. Being depressed you will seek for any cure that will help you move on and so she took the pills. Furthermore, they did not try to stop her when she wanted to drive back home after the New Year party. I remember getting a phone call at 1 am hearing my friend say, “I got into a bad accident please come and get me.” The accident was terrible, she crashed another car face to face but thank god she was fine and did not get hurt. This did not solve her problem, but in fact it just made it worse.

After this incident, I spent some time with my dear friend, and that made her realize that to me life is a roller coaster. Once you’re on that seat, please don’t try to jump off or else you will get hurt. Just hang on tight and go with the ride. Remember that no matter how worse things get, there’s a logical solution behind every problem, just be patient and keep faith because miracles do happen.

Forgiveness is priceless

strongly believe that nobody is perfect. Let us touchbase on one aspect of life only –– which is forgiveness. Knowing that forgiveness is priceless and it does not cost us a penny, yet people cannot forgive each other easily in fact some do not forgive at all. For many people, forgiveness is one of the hardest steps of all, yet it is essential. Just like what Mother Teresa said, “If we really want to learn how to love, we must learn how to forgive.”

The most valuable lesson I learnt in life is that no matter how good and lovable you may be, with just a tiny mistake or a simple misunderstanding, you will wipe out all the good you have done. It is sad but true; people tend to flush all the good memories down the drain due to an insignificant slip-up. That’s because human instinct does not weigh the good and the bad at the same time. Nevertheless, they will always weigh out the good and focus on the bad, which makes it hard for them to forgive.

Focusing on one angle of a problem constructs you to witness only the dreadful side of the dilemma. To forgive and forget is something many of us lack to do but we shouldn’t stop trying because a candle losses nothing when it lights another candle.

Learning to forgive others is a simple practice. All you have to do is put yourself in the other person’s shoe and sense how would you want to be treated if you did something wrong. How would you feel being a victim that committed a negligible crime and you were then sentenced to life in prison! That’s why just make it a habit to forgive others, ignore your pride, ego and move on. All I can say is, thank God no human will judge our deeds and actions in life during judgment day. Simply because God is always forgiving no matter what sin you carry out and humans aren’t!

Remember do not shut out people for mistakes they’ve done. In fact find out what went wrong; who knows maybe you are the problem maker. Hence, make it an effort to listen and recap what actually happened; believe me, most of the times it’s not worth the fight. Despite knowing that the love you used to share will defiantly tremble, we must learn to move on. Even if the love you shared shudders, respect should remain. In other words, you may never forget but you can choose to forgive. To forgive means to give up, to let go and restore faith.

What is the true meaning of love?

By M H Ahssan

It’s a word we all use not knowing the true meaning behind it. It’s a word with only four alphabets, however, it’s possible to convey it in loads of terminologies and through various dealings. The word is difficult to define because the vibes this word generates can be shared among several people such as friends, families, colleagues or group members.

Furthermore, this feeling is not only used among living beings, yet it can be used to describe how you feel about your job, law, organization, nature, food, money, learning, power, fame, respect of others, etc. These vibes can either last forever or they can simply fail and fade away. You are probably thinking what this word could be. This magical word described is called “LOVE”.

Sometimes I wonder dose the definition of love today match the one in the olden days. Is today’s love focusing more on the physical aspect of life, emotional or is it a balance of both. Also, can a person love more than one person or thing at a time or is love reserved for one source only. No matter what the answers to these questions maybe, love will always focus on passion, intimacy, and commitment. It is also a strong positive emotion of both affection and pleasure.

The definition of love is very much debatable. It is difficult to find a universal definition for love, because every individual expresses their feelings in a different way. Also, the cultural differences make it difficult to establish a unified meaning. Hence, love is essentially an abstract concept that is easier to experience than to explain. In order for you to portray love, simply think of that person or thing and note down your emotions on a piece of paper, just speak your mind and you will find yourself writing not just pages, you may end up writing a book.

To prove myself right, I took the effort of conducting a mini survey with my friends just asking them “what’s love?” Surprisingly no one had the same definition. Here are some of the answers given to me: love is when you are yourself around that person, love is when you accept that person knowing their flaws, love is when you wake up each morning looking forward to spend time with that person even if you were doing nothing, love is when you feel lonely and dial that person’s number, love is about understanding, sharing, communicating, connecting and defending one another, love is simply sacrificing, love can last forever or it can fade away. There is more to love than appearance, when a person’s in love nothing else matters, love is in all languages, to love is to give, forgive and forget. My friends got carried away with this question, there was more said but I decided to stop here. Well, some consider love as pain and war, others consider it as joy and happiness.

All I can say is avoid the love that makes you loose interest in the real world, where food tastes bland and you start struggling to concentrate. These behaviours can lead to serious disturbances at work and at home.

Leaders are made, not born

Some say leaders are born, some say they are made and others say it’s a little bit of both. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I strongly believe we are who we are from what we learn to become. It is true we have no control over a lot of things in life such as our parents, birthplace, upbringing, talents, IQ or destiny, but we can choose our character. People say talent is a gift but character is a choice. To get to the highest level of leadership, you must develop well character qualities from the inside out.

To prove my point that leaders are made, think of a worldwide leader that you look up to and then ask yourself why. You will realize that you are mostly focusing on qualities within his or her character. These qualities are often common, which may include commitment by action, effective communication skills, courage, focus, vision or generosity. Also, you may admire a leader because they are responsible, listen to their people, solve problems and respect others. As you can see, these indispensable qualities of a leader can truly develop from the inside out through learning and practice. Since the mentioned traits are self explanatory, I will only cover important aspects related to each character.

Commitment is what separates doers from dreamers. Therefore, commitment by action is important because many times people commit by words which are not measurable. Effective communication skills are important in all circumstances and without it the leaders and his people are simply lost. Therefore, it is critical for leaders to simplify what they say and how they say it. They should also focus on being audience oriented. I don’t have to say much about courage because we all detect it in movies, where a brave man takes a stand; fights for a cause then people around are inspired and willing to follow. The sharper the leader’s focus, the sharper he/ she become. For that reason, leaders need to priorities and concentrate in order to remain focused.

How about vision? It takes place when leaders start thinking about what they would like to see changed in the world that’s around them. Visualization is a topic by itself but my favorite example is Walt Disney. Disney’s greatest vision was Disney World and he got it simply while taking his two girls to the park every Saturday. He kept visualizing an amusement park as a kid’s paradise, with a wonderful atmosphere: smell of popcorn and cotton candy, exciting rides and so forth. You actually have to visit the place in order to appreciate Walt’s power of visualization. When I think of generosity, the giving Mother Teresa comes to mind; she was giving without expecting anything in return. When I think of listening and problem solving, people like Oprah Winfrey pop in mind. For those who watch her show know what I’m talking about. Finally, respect is something a leader earns and shares. Being responsible is when a leader is willing to take charge and face whatever outcome.

Some critics say, every leader has traits but great leaders have charisma. Most people think of charisma as something mystical and un-definable. In fact they think that this quality is again gifted from birth. However, when you think of it, what is charisma? It is what draws people to you and therefore this trait can also be developed. At the end of the day, we all want to follow leaders who are passionate about life, appreciate and respect others, give people hope and are exceptionally transparent with their followers. These charismatic leaders are those who think about others before themselves. As you can see, this adds on to the fact, leaders are not born but they are taught by strengthening the above mentioned traits.

Importance of having goals in life

By Lina Mubarak Al Abdulsalaam

How would you feel if someone just told you to pack your suitcase because you’re traveling to Europe on Sunday? Wouldn’t you want to know the purpose of the trip so that you can prepare and plan ahead? Imagine attending a class without an instructor handing you the syllabus. How will you know what assignments and projects are required for you to pass the course?

How about if your boss says, this year we expect you to increase sales and awareness in the market? I bet a little voice in your head will be saying, increase sales by what percentage and is there a specific strategy we should focus on in order to increase awareness. How about if you’re in a relationship and you’re just going with the flow without setting your ultimate intentions? Being a woman you would like to know where this relationship is heading and is there any plans of marriage. Therefore, we should ask ourselves is it okay for us to live without setting any goals in life?

Imagine living a life without having objectives to work for and there you are waiting for things to happen as you go along. If you think of it, it’s like traveling without a map, hoping to find eventually any way. Life without goals is just like you traveling without a destination.

If setting goals is so critically important, then why do some people take time to define exactly where they want to go? Part of the reason is lack of knowledge on how to set clear goals. At one point of time, I realized how important it is to set goals and objectives in life just like we do at work or else I thought to myself I will end up living for the sake of living. As you can see, every organization set goals and objectives both short and long term to increase profitability. Also, leaders have goals for their people and celebrities have goals for their career. So what are goals, how can you state them and why are they important in life?

Goals can be translated to objectives but they must be specific, clear and concise. You should also be able to measure and define targets for your goals. Then you have to believe that your goals are achievable, not impossible nor too easy. They must also be relevant to what you want in life and don’t forget to set the time bond. Finally, make sure you monitor your progress whether you’re reaching the goal because this will help you take corrective actions if by any chance you are off track.

Goals help us focus on what we really want. However, it is important to have your action plans aligned with your objectives in life. Also, note down the evidence of each success making sure you remain within the time bond you agreed on. You’ll see a measurable difference in your life the very first day you establish clear, committed goals, even if your first few attempts aren’t perfect. You’ll be able to make decisions much more rapidly because you’ll see how they’ll either move you towards or away from your goals.

Waiting for something to inspire you and hoping that the perfect outcome will just fall into your lap is nothing but a fantasy. Clear decision making doesn’t happen passively; you actually have to physically put in the time and effort to make it happen. If you don’t have clear goals simply because you don’t know what you want, then sit down and actively decide what you want. That sense of knowing what you want isn’t going to just come to you on a silver plate. Clarity is a choice and it doesn’t come to you, you have to go grab it.

TAMILNADU’S PARADOX – Alarming malnutrition pushing children out of school – II

By M H Ahssan

NGOs have fared better than the government in tackling iron deficiency in poor children. Activists, policy analysts and funders want a convergence of various departments as opposed to boxing nutrition into the health-sector alone.

Community-based outreach
Where the juggernaut of the government faltered, voluntary organisations have prevailed. The few of them that have focussed on public health communication campaigns have had better success in reducing iron deficiency anaemia. Nalamdana Trust’s five year project in the fishing hamlet of Urur-Olcott Kuppam, in south Chennai has shown that with mere information and without the free supplements it is possible to improve nutritional status.

Nithya Balaji, Executive Trustee of Nalamdana, says her project used the popular medium of theatre to introduce behavioural changes and ownership for health and nutrition projects. “At Urur kuppam, initially we got a private donors to add an additional Rupee per child per day to the ICDS expenditure to add a few locally available vegetables, dhal and oil. The children’s growth charts showed an impressive increase in the first two months of nearly 1.5 kg. This scheme is currently being supported by local sponsorship, but can easily be transferred to the parents if the state permits it,” she says.

The other target group of the project was adolescent girls. “As a pre intervention indicator, we measured the anemia levels of 95 girls and held regular meetings for 8 months. The sessions covered issues of understanding one’s body, pre-puberty issues, reproductive health and importance of nutrition. Only accurate information had been given- no doles, no tablets. Their Hb levels had increased from 8 and 9 to 11 and 12, respectively. They had adopted better hygienic practices, started eating breakfast and also included greens, vegetables and one affordable fruit in their daily diet,” says Nithya.

When the project was evaluated in 2004, after a year of information and education campaigns, Nalamdana found that haemoglobin count increased by an average of 1.5 and in girls with severe anaemia up to 5.6 counts. In a second project area in Subbu Pillai Thottam (in Central Chennai), both adolescent boys and girls were targeted with information and education campaigns done mainly through one on one interaction and street theatre. There again, the Hb levels increased by an avearage of around 2 counts. The scheme implemented in partnership with other NGOs is being continued despite the original donor agency withdrawing from the project.

Nalamdana’s findings are anecdotally affirmed by the Anganwadi staff. Tamizhagi says mere supplementation showed only marginal improvement in the moderately anaemic adolescent girls. “The eating habits have changed drastically in the last two decades, moving towards a rice-based diet. Traditional iron-rich food like drumstick greens thovaiyal or curry leaf thovaiyal have become devalued and pushing those through the nutrition eduation programme often backfires with adolescents,” she adds.

Nalamdana circumvented this issues by involving the community in their own nutritional improvement. Recipe clubs were formed in the study area with the women being given basic information about nutrition dense food. With help from nutritionists and students, the women innovated their own healthy recipes, thus making their integration into daily diets an easy affair, says Nithya.

Juxtapose this with a study by the National Nutrition Monitoring Board that came to the conclusion that national nutrition programmes have failed in achieving their goals largely due to lack of nutrition education with poor outreach. A study of Vitamin A deficiency among rural preschoolers done in 2007, established high prevalence of subclinical deficiency largely due to poor nutrition and that nutrition education component covered a mere 14 per cent of the target population.

No night-blindness, but Vitamin A deficiency still high
In the rural survey, NNMB, an arm of the Indian Council of Medical Research, found that nearly half the children in the under-five age group were found to have sub-clinical VAD or vitamin A level of less than 17 micrograms per decilitre. This is despite that clinical Vitamin A deficiency (night blindness, Bitot’s spot and conjunctival xerosis) is prevalent in less than 0.5 percent of the children in this age group, in part due to the massive dose Vitamin A supplementation in the neonatal period (at birth) and near total institutional delivery.

In their book, Gillespie and Goddad say Vitamin A deficiency causes increased morbidity and mortality among infants, children and pregnant women, poor growth of children. It also contributes to anaemia, they say. The NNMP survey results linked poor nutritional habits and weaning food choices to the sub-clinical deficiency.

Interestingly, this study linked the higher prevalence of clinical manifestations of Vitamin A like Bitot’s spot in the eye to the mother being illiterate and to populations without access to sanitary toilets. Ascaris and hookworm infestation are often leading causes for Vitamin A deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia in the state.

Poor sanitation undermining nutrition thrust
All nutrition interventions have to go hand in hand with improvements to sanitation and access to protected drinking water, believes Dr Devashish Dutta of UNICEF. “As much as 83 percent of rural homes in Tamilnadu, according to NFHS-3 surveys, do not have access to sanitary toilets and defecate in the open. ‘Sanitary toilet’ refers to one where is not just clean inside, but also where refuse is cleanly disposed off, as in through a septic tank, sewerage.

A large percentage of students do not use footwear while going to school. Hookworm enters the body through the feet of the person walking on an area contaminated with faecal matter. The worms anchor onto the small intestine and the blood loss over a period of time also leads to anaemia,” he says. Though the state has its deworming programme, it could be scaled down and resources used elsewhere if people were to wear footwear before the stepped out of their homes, he adds.

Even in urban areas, only 33 per cent have access to flush toilets that are connected to sewerage, septic tank or pits, according to NFHS-3. A whopping 40 per cent have seen no improvement since the last survey of 1998 and continue to use toilets which are either shared between households or have no flushes/poured flushes. Twenty-six per cent continued to use open spaces for toilets.

This was no different even in targeted nutrition interventions like the ICDS. According to 2000-2001 study by TN-FORCES of the Anganwadis in 150 areas in Chennai showed that 87 percent of them had no access to toilet, an overwhelming 90 per cent did not have potable water, 90 per cent had no electricity and only 50 per cent were well ventilated with windows. “Often, the centres are right next to public toilets or sometimes right next to garbage collection points, making hygienic Anganwadis a rarity,” says Shanmughavelayutham of TN-FORCES.

In their 2007 study of 45 best practice Anganwadis, the State ICDS Project Office reiterated their older study: 26.7 per cent had no toilets, 20 per rcent had no access to drinking water, 22 per cent had furniture for early development activities, 20 per cent had no separate kitchen and 4 percent used classrooms for cooking, 62.2 per cent had asbestos sheets for roof and 33 per cent had no indoor and outdoor space marked for grossmotor activities for the 0 to 3 age group. “This is the state in the best 45 of the 10,000-odd Anganwadis in the state. There are no norms or standardisations, no child-friendly toilets or safe areas or even adequate ventillation, says Shanmughavelayutham.

And that is why activists, policy analysts and funders alike say nutrition cannot be just a health-sector issue and have been working with the government in bringing about a convergence of various service delivery departments. All sectors like health, social welfare, nutrition, school education, women’s development, civil society, water and sanitation, rights groups, universities and colleges, elected peoples representatives and the media at all levels need to make anaemia a priority as its effects are widespread, contributes significantly to a huge number of preventable deaths and illnesses and is expensive to deal with during pregnancy alone.

UNICEF is also working with the government in scaling up projects that link poverty alleviation to better nutrition. “The simple fact is a person who is born with low birth weight, goes through childhood being undernourished will do poorly in school and perhaps drop out. When he is not educated, he will make poor choices for his family about nutrition and will perpetuate the cycle,” adds Shanmughavelayutham.

Others agree. Iron tablets and nutritious mix are welfare-based schemes, and at best they can be a temporary solution to a problem that needs an inter-sectoral solution.

(Click here to read – PART-1)

TAMILNADU’S PARADOX – Alarming malnutrition pushing children out of school – I

By M H Ahssan

Tamilnadu leads the country in nutritional interventions and yet has alarming levels of hunger in children. Research indicates that is a very likely cause of poor schooling achievement and drop-out rates.

Despite several schemes, chronic malnutrition persists in Tamilnadu and this is very likely a major cause for continuing poor performance and high dropout rates of children in Tamilnadu’s government schools. Ironically, the state leads the country in nutritional interventions and has improved its standing in comparison to other states in the last two decades since the scaling up of nutrition schemes. Yet, nutritional status have only marginally improved and in some cases like the anaemia count going up, perplexing activists, policy researchers, and funding organisations.

The state is a study in contradictions: It gave the country its direct nutrition intervention in the form of the Noon-meal Programme (NMP), and yet has alarming levels of hunger, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute’s India State Hunger Index (ISHI) of 2008. The index gave the state this rating from a choice of: low, moderate, serious (6 states), alarming (10 states including TN), extremely alarming (Madhya Pradesh). The ratings are based on the prevalence of calorie-energy deficiency, child mortality and the number of children below the age of 5 who are underweight.

One out of every three persons ate less than 1,632 calories a day (much lower than the national Below Poverty Line cutoff of 2,100 calories) in Tamilnadu. Every third child below the age of 5 in the state is underweight (low weight for age) and the under 5 mortality rate of is 3.5 per 100 births.

The National Family Health Survey data of 2008 show a similar trend: Almost one-third (31 per cent) of children under age five in Tamilnadu are stunted, or too short for their age, which indicates that they have been undernourished for some time; 22 percent are wasted, or too thin for their height, which may result from inadequate recent food intake or recent illness and 30 per cent are underweight, which takes into account both chronic and acute undernutrition.

Seven out of every 10 children below the age of 5 have iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) according to the NFHS. IDA has actually increased from 69 to 73 percent in the 0-3 age group from the last survey of 1998. Only 40 per cent of the households have access to adequately iodised salt and Vitamin A deficiency persisted despite prevention programmes.

The effects of such acute and chronic undernutrition are well established. Increased mortality, poor cognitive and motor development and other impairments in function as fallout of undernutrition, show Dr Stuart Gillespie and Dr Lawrence J Haddad of IFPRI in their book The Double Burden of Malnutrition: Causes, Consequences and Solution. “Children who have been severely undernourished in early childhood suffer a later reduction in IQ by as many as 15 points (Martorell 1996), significantly affecting schooling achievement and increasing the risks of drop-out or repeat grades.”

Impact of stopping noon meals for over-14
Activists of Right to Food (Tamilnadu) also chalk up a higher drop out rate of close to 40 per cent in the higher classes also to the cessation of noon meal schemes after the age of 14. S Kanniyan, RTF-TN convenor, says with decrease in agricultural work in the villages, more and more women have taken up contract work in construction industry. “Many children no longer have breakfast because their mothers need to be at work early in the day. Classroom hunger is a serious cause of concern. When the child comes hungry to school, her learning is going to be impacted. Often teachers do not understand the reasons for poor scholastic achievements and instead punish the students; which only pushes the child into dropping out,” he said.

The noon meal is made available in higher secondary classes only to students belonging to MBC, SC/ST castes. Often older children are ashamed of the caste and socio-economic status identification their noon meal plates accord them and prefer to skip the meal altogether, says Aruna Rathnam, Education specialist, UNICEF. “Younger children are more enthusiastic about noon meals, especially since the introduction of eggs two times a week, because of hunger. For adolescents, the lunch hour becomes a question of peer acceptance and socialisation. Many students prefer to eat packaged food of poor nutritive value to the prepared meals in schools,” she says.

Even in the below 14 category, the efficiency has come under question. A review of Tamilnadu’s Noon-meal programme (NMP) implementation shows that the per-day-per-child expenditure is 35 paise, for vegetable, condiments and salt. TN FORCES, an NGO that works throughout the state with day cares and crèches, says vegetables or oil or other seasoning are often not present in the Anganwadi centres. Sometimes even salt is brought from the home of the beneficiaries. TN FORCES is the state wing of Delhi-based FORCES.

K Shanmughavelayutham, TN FORCES convenor says that only two-thirds of children who are eligible for the nutritious meal scheme get coverage. Despite that, the nutrition schemes are unable to meet the needs and the government should commit at least 3 percent of the budget for nutrition, he says.

Both Right To Food and TN FORCES have been seeking an improvement in infrastructure and quality of food given to children. “After the death of a child in Melvalampettai Higher Secondary School after a vessel holding hot sambar toppled onto him, we sought improvements to NMP kitchens in schools. A committee that inquired into the incident that happened in 2006, said NMP urgently needed upgraded, smokeless kitchen and a safe serving/eating area. The improvements have been slow in coming.

“Nutritionally too, the scheme needs a re-think. Rice that is used is from the Civil Supplies department and is so heavily processed that it is shorn of all nutrients other than starch. The only other food children get is red gram (masoor dhal) in the sambar, not even oil. The meal, though supposedly provides one third the calorie need of the child, does little else in the form of minerals or vitamins,” they say.

Tackling the challenge of Anaemia
Another issue that has the child health organisations worried is that of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA). According to NFHS-3, in the below 5 years group, a majority — 64 percent – is anaemic. This includes 27 percent who are mildly anaemic, 35 percent moderately anaemic, and 3 percent with severe anaemia. Children of mothers who have anaemia are much more likely to be anaemic themselves. And in the state, those numbers are also of concern: various health surveys put that between 53 and 69 percent for pregnant women.

Dr Devashish Dutta, Specialist in charge of Health, UNICEF office for Tamilnadu and Kerala says maternal anaemia impacts maternal mortality. It could also lead to pre-term deliveries, abortions and growth retardation with nutrition to the unborn baby being less than sufficient, he says. “Anaemia reduces the capacity of the baby to survive, through diminished immunity, poor growth and development. Poor immunity leads to the child falling ill often, which in turn impacts her nutritional status leading to further reduced growth and immunity, and hence more illness and so on. When the child grows up to have children, the vicious cycle of anaemia leading to low birth weight, poor immunity, frequent illnesses, retarded growth, development and malnutrition is repeated,” says Dr Dutta.

Gillespie and Goddad, in their book, further aver: “Infants with low birth weight are born with low iron stores, depleted by two to three months. Because breast milk cannot meet their iron requirements, it should be supplemented with iron starting at two months of age….

“Iron supplementation of anaemic preschoolers improves their cognitive and physical development.”

Unfortunately, the under-five group is outside the purview of the IDA prevention programme in Tamilnadu, that focus on adolescent girls and pregnant women. Nor have issues like links between poor iron absorption and Vitamin A deficiency and worm infestation been integrated into the scheme.

“Protein deficiency in the diet can also cause anaemia, given that iron binds with a protein called globulin. Often more than one deficiency co-exists indicating that the nature and quantity of food available or feeding practices were poor,” says Dr Dutta.

Even in the case of adolescent girls who receive the weekly supplementation of Iron and Folic Acid tablets, activists are not happy. A daily supplementation dose will not have as many side-effects as the weekly dosing, which are often accompanied by black stools, gastro-intestinal discomfort, and malaise. “Ideally, the supplement is had in the night after dinner with another food with vitamin C like lime juice or sweet oranges. But the government has asked us to ensure that the IFA is taken in our presence, so we give it with the noon meals. Occasionally, some girls feel nauseous or vomit after taking the tablets. Then encouraging others to consume it becomes an issue,” says S Tamilazhagi (name changed to protect identity), an Anganwadi supervisor in St Thomas Mount Panchayat union, that abuts Chennai Metropolitan area to the west.

Some anganwadi workers who are involved in distributing IFA tablets in neighbouring Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts say the supply has been erratic over the past two years and others allege that after initial testing of haemoglobin levels in 2005-2006, the government has subsequently failed to study the impact of the programme.

“The distribution of tablets or testing for haemoglobin levels depend on the initiative of the VHNs and Anganwadi workers. Often the service delivery is interrupted because of government chooses to implement other non-nutrition related schemes through us. For example, we are also to talk to the adolescent group about nutrition, reproductive health, menstrual hygiene and entrepreneurship development,” says N Gomathi, a leader in the TN VHN Association.

(Click here to read – Part – 2)

Clouds over India’s Goddess Mountain

By Raja Murthy

From this Himalayan town about 380 kilometers from Delhi, my first view of mystical Nandi Devi was one of those velvet-cloaked, sledge-hammer moments in life that softly stuns the senses and leaves one wordless.

Golden early morning sunlight lit the snow-capped 7,800-meter peak, India’s highest, as Nanda Devi glowed with strength, stillness, purity, silence – an awe-inspiring sight in the crisp mountain air. Tourist guides in Seventh Heaven and other next-life holiday paradises may not have many prettier sights to sell.

Meaning “Blessed Goddesses”, “Princess of Mountains”, “Bliss-Giving Goddess” or, perhaps more accurately, “Mother Goddess of the Mountain”, the Nanda Devi area is an United Nations-declared World Heritage Park that ranks among major attractions in Uttarakhand, a state in north India also called “Dev Bhumi” or “Land of Gods”.

The gods can’t be faulted for their taste in real estate, as the Nanda Devi region, including the Valley of Flowers and the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, form one of the more spectacular scenic spots in South Asia.

But beautiful worldly paradises generally have a blighted side and Nanda Devi too, like its more famous cousin Mount Everest, is fighting off an onslaught of pollution, unruly development and other damage from a careless human presence.

Adding to its woes, the Nanda Devi region has been suffering strange weather patterns in recent weeks, particularly worrying busy adventure tourism operators like Arvind Bharadwaj.

“It’s snowing hard in the month of May when the snows should be melting, and raining when the weather should be dry for trekkers and climbers,” Bharadwaj told Asia Times Online after returning to Rishikesh on June 11 from a trekking expedition to the Nanda Devi east base camp.

In contrast, in January the ski resort of Auli in the region had to pack up right in the middle of its peak winter business period due to a lack of snowfall. The prolonged recession already has the regional tourist industry reeling with a 19-month low in business.

Bharadwaj blames the weird weather changes on the foolish local governmental policy of allowing plastic-roofed hothouse farming to spread unchecked in the area. “The heat from these plastic hothouses is devastating the local ecology,” he said. “The media have not yet covered this aspect of problems Nanda Devi faces.”

These climatic changes are rapidly melting glaciers on Nanda Devi, part of the larger problem of depleting Himalayan glaciers that supply 8.6 million cubic meters of water annually to Asian rivers.

Himalayan glacier-dependant major Asian rivers, also among the world’s longest, include China’s Yangtze and Yellow rivers, India’s Ganges and the Indus that starts in Tibet and flows through India and Pakistan, the Brahmaputra in India and Bangladesh and Myanmar’s Irrawaddy.

Scientists say the population of South Asia and China, comprising 40% of humanity, will face a severe water crisis in 50 years if the current melting rate of Himalayan glaciers continues.

A United Nations report released on June 10 warned of over 500 million people being displaced worldwide by the year 2050 as fallout from climate changes and resultant wrecked agriculture systems.

The Tokyo-based United Nations University Center conducted the June 10 study, along with the Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University, and the Atlanta-based CARE International.

The UN report also grimly predicted that 1.4 billion people in Southeast Asia, India and China, or a quarter of the human race, would be affected by melting Himalayan glaciers.

The melting rate appears alarmingly high within the Nanda Devi group of glaciers which include the larger Nanda Devi north and south glaciers that are each about 19 kilometers long, as well as the smaller Ramani, Kururntoli, Nandakna and Bartoli glaciers.

“The Nanda Devi glaciers are coming down the mountain slopes so fast that one can actually see the glacier tracks left behind in the last 15 years,” said Bharadwaj. Well-behaved glaciers are supposed to move invisibly in inches across hundreds of years, not rush down mountain sides like kids in a kindergarten playground slide.

“The other critical issue is the commissioning of the large hydro-electric projects in the area,” said Sunil Kainthola, coordinator of Mountain Shepherds, an ecotourism operator in Dehradun, the Uttarakhand state capital 45 km from Rishikesh. “There appears to be an unholy alliance between the development and conservation agencies.”

Kainthola said mountain communities were having the worst of both worlds – displaced both in the name of conservation as well as development. “While conservationists have consolidated their territories in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, the Himalayan valleys are being colonized by public and private entities for hydro-power generation,” he said. “This is also happening in the bufferzone of the Nanda Devi Biosphere. You are not allowed to graze a few goats in the name of conservation, but are allowed to blast the mountains for hydro-electric projects.”

These commercial, climatic and conservation commotions are the latest stormy chapters in the three-decade ecology battles to protect Nanda Devi. Polluting adventure seekers caused damage enough for the government of India and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to close Nanda Devi in 1982 and declare the area a protected national park and biosphere reserve.

An Indian expedition in 1993 removed one ton of tourist litter from the Nanda Devi mountainside. Tourists now need permission from the local forestry department to enter the Nanda Devi area. Groups can have a maximum of five members and only two groups at a time are permitted in the area in one day, and four groups in a week. Children below 14 are not allowed to enter the Nanda Devi biosphere.

Problems multiplied for Nanda Devi after its fierce natural defenses were first breached in the 1930s. Before then, the mountain that locals consider sacred was protected by an imposing ring of over a dozen peaks, each over 6,400 meters, and the near impregnable 6,000-meter Rishi Ganga gorge. Nanda Devi defeated several 19th-century attempts by Western explorers to enter her heart.

In 1934, maverick British explorers Eric Shipton and William Tilman and their three Sherpa companions, Angtharkay, Pasang and Kusang, finally managed to access the upper Rishi Valley inner sanctum of the Mountain Goddess. Nanda Devi apparently approved of their burden-free approach of traveling light, carrying minimal gear and luggage in their expedition.

In the 1939 book Nanda Devi, Shipton described his first feelings on entering the forbidden inner ring of Nanda Devi valley:

Each step I experienced that subtle thrill which anyone of imagination must feel when treading in hitherto unexplored country. Each corner held some thrilling secret to be revealed for the trouble of looking. My most blissful dream was to be in some such valley, free to wander where I liked, and discover for myself some hitherto unrevealed glory of Nature. Now the reality was no less wonderful than that half-forgotten dream; and of how many childish fancies can that be said, in this age of disillusionment?

Seventy years later, Shipton and Tillman may be excused for wanting to dunk in the roaring Ganges the noisy motorbike gangs of “pilgrims” who clog the 21st-century approach to Nanda Devi, on the 264 km road from Rishikesh to Joshimath town, about 40 km from the India-Tibet border. The Nanda Devi north face is approached from Lata Village, 25 km from Joshimath, a drab, dreary, dingy town that appears not to have had a new lick of paint in the past 50 years.

“The quieter and more beautiful approach to Nanda Devi is through Almora [town] to the Nanda Devi east base camp,” said Arvind Bharadwaj. Trekkers describe this route facing the Panch Chuli range, or Five Mountains, as dotted with “fairytale townships with rolling meadows, sleepy bazaars, untouched villages and open valleys”.

The “fairytale townships” are actually deserted ghost towns that once flourished when the ancient Silk Route was active across India to China through Tibet. Villages such as Milam and Niti are now abandoned ruins of a once thriving India-Tibetan trade in the Himalayan heart, of goods being bartered or sold after being carried through high mountain passes. In his last visit this June, Bharadwaj counted only three families living among the ruins of Milam.

These political, economic and conservation changes in recent decades have upturned lives of the simple, hospitable people living in Nanda Devi region, particularly the Indo-Tibetan tribe of Bhotiyas in the Nanda Devi biosphere.

Some relief for the mountain tribals appeared with non-governmental agencies, such as the US-funded Nanda Devi Campaign that fights to return the rights of locals that were taken away when the government declared the Nanda Devi a protected area.

The Bhotiyas lost their livelihood after forest officials included them too in restrictions to access Nanda Devi reserves. The bungling bureaucrats threw the baby out with the bathwater, by seeing the Bhotiyas as part of the problem instead of as natural guardians of Nanda Devi.

“While the ecological situation has improved considerably, the economic situation of the Bhotiya community remains the same”, Sunil Kainthola of Mountain Shepherds informed Asia Times Online. “The issue of restoration of access rights has become irrelevant as the traditional knowledge and skills structure has collapsed in between.”

Kainthola explains that the younger generation has lost interest in traditional occupations such as grazing. “Neither are there enough goats, sheep nor are there skilled herders to revive the woolen industry”, he said. “However there is a temporary phase of quick wealth generation through collection of the fungus ‘Yarsa Gumba’ during the summer period. Though it brings instant money, the unchecked exploitation without any concern for sustainable use and the inter-village rivalry to redefine village boundaries is a serious concern.”

Other international efforts try to spread more global awareness, such as the Adventure Summer Course in May last year in which 15 American students from the Georgia Southern University and North Carolina’s Appalachian State University came for a three-week study tour of the Garhwal Himalayas range, which includes Nanda Devi.

Eco-friendly adventure tour operators such as the Mountain Shepherds in Dehradun and Red Chilli Adventures in Rishikesh form the next line of defense at Nanda Devi.

“The UNESCO and government of India should consider further opening of the Nanda Devi Core Zone in a phased manner with strict monitoring and community involvement, ” said Kainthola, who also fears for mountain communities losing both their land and political representation through unchecked migration from land developers. “At the end peace will be the victim,” he warns.

Democracy vs dynasty in India

By Neeta Lal

More than six decades after India won its independence, the ruling Congress party establishment has suddenly woken up to the importance of egalitarianism and a democratic ethos across its rank and file. In a surprise move, the party has decreed that its leaders will henceforth eschew all feudal titles, like Raja, Maharaj, Maharani, Rajkumari, Rani, Nawab and Begum, in a move towards greater social inclusiveness and class equity.

Stating that there’s no place for such feudal titles in a “democracy like India”, a recent party circular directed cadres not to address leaders with honorifics. Royal titles will also be deleted from the party’s records.

Insiders admit that the directive to shun royal appendages has come from the party’s top echelons because it dovetails with its projection of itself as the “common man’s party”, a theme which has been central to its campaign to reach out to the people.

So what if the order has come four decades after erstwhile prime minister Indira Gandhi – Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s mother-in-law – abolished privy purses in the late 1960s? According to article 363a of the constitution, the powers and titles of the rulers of the native states have already been discontinued along with the privy purses.

However, despite the official and constitutional disbanding of privy purses, their lingering and pervasive feudal influence continues to dominate Indian polity. As does addressing royalty and even their distant relatives with ego-inflating titles.

Most members of India’s erstwhile royal families still prefer to be addressed by their royal titles. Many heads of former royalty have no compunction in continuing to use their titles in their official correspondence either. Recently, an official communication from the office of Minister of State of External Affairs Preneet Kaur referred to the Congress MP from Patiala as “maharani sahiba”. Her husband, former chief minister Amarinder Singh, is addressed as a “maharaja” (king). Similarly, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh is “raja sahib” while former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh is “Raja Virbhadra Singh”.

Royal lineage and the Congress have proved to be inextricable over the years. India’s disgraced erstwhile external affairs minister, who had to relinquish his post because his son was embroiled in a scandal, is still “Kunwar” Natwar Singh. Next generation leaders like Jyotiraditya Scindia – a Stanford University alumnus – may not use a royal title, but he is addressed as “maharaja” by the people of his constituency, Guna, in Madhya Pradesh.

While royals have thrived under Congress patronage, the party has benefited from these scions. Vote banks are easy to capture and it is far easier to orchestrate the official state machinery if a “royal” heads it rather than a commoner.

The Congress’ move to abolish titles will thus impact people like Rajkumari Ratna Singh, who emerged victorious from Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh, Kunwar RPN Singh, a member of parliament from Kushinagar, Begum Noor Bano who was trounced by actor Jaya Prada in Rampur and Rao Inderjit Singh, the Congress MP from Gurgaon, Haryana.

Political observers feel the Congress’ decision is an attempt to cast itself differently from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Last year, the Rajasthan government issued an advisory to people to shun using royal titles such as “maharani” – a term used prolifically for an erstwhile BJP chief minister from the state of Vasundhara Raje.

Party insiders feel that Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi may have had a big role to play in issuing the directive. The Gandhi scion is aware that in the current Lok Sabha (Lower House) the Congress has the highest number of erstwhile royals on its roster. So to bring about a palpable shift from its feudalistic moorings – ones that permeate Indian society at all levels right from party posts dominated by royal houses to the landed zamindar class – he thought of this savvy move.

This is indeed ironic as despite being the world’s largest democracy, India has still not been able to sever the hierarchical ties that lie at the root of its politics and administrative setups. In a bid to rejuvenate the century-old party, Rahul has been trying to usher in changes that will make the Congress more democratic and inclusive.

As a move towards that, the party recently appointed Meira Kumar as the country’s first Dalit (untouchable) Lok Sabha woman speaker. Other women-centered measures are also on the anvil as well as some to benefit the backward castes and tribes.

Critics believe the move is nothing but a publicity gimmick and it would have gone down better if the Congress itself wasn’t so steeped in a dynastic culture and run like a microcosmic monarchy by the Nehru-Gandhi family.

It could be argued that the Gandhi scions – Rahul, Priyanka and Varun – owe their presence in politics to a lottery of birth. But the masses love the Gandhis, as demonstrated by the recently concluded national elections. Rahul won by a landslide in Amethi in Uttar Pradesh while his cousin Varun Gandhi, who was thrown in jail for his vituperative speeches, too, tasted victory in Pilibhit.

The trans-generational authority of the Nehru Gandhi dynasty is too entrenched to be washed away with one party directive. This is a reality not only in India but across vast swathes of South Asia – Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Rahul Gandhi knows that he can reap enormous political benefits by speaking the language of change. It’s even better if he can infuse that talk with the alchemy of inherited lineage and popular mandate. Yet the party is well aware that “dynasty” is a sword that cuts both ways. Though the Congress may have woken up to the downside of elitism, its royal leaders do have political utility due to their lineage and pedigree. This is precisely the reason why royal appendages survived in the first place, even though privy purses were disbanded long ago.

However, over time, the Congress party has also realized that the feudal factor is proving to be more of a liability than an asset. In other words, in keeping with the party’s ongoing perestroika, it feels it is politically prudent to go with democracy over dynasty

EDUCATION TODAY – Depending On The Fine Print

By M H Ahssan

UGC raises a flag against bad apples in the education sector, but is it enough?

Last week, the University Grants Commission (UGC) put up a notice on its website warning private universities against running “off-campus centres beyond the territorial jurisdiction of their states in violation of the UGC regulations”. The notice carried a list of 40 bona fide private universities across India. “We were getting many queries from students, so we thought it would be better to put the list on the website. It (private universities) is a new system after all… came into being only five years back,” says UGC Secretary R.K. Chauhan.

Juxtapose this with the fact that in the January-March 2009 period, education was the biggest sector in print advertising. Even when advertising volume declined 3 per cent compared to the same period last year, there was a 13 per cent increase in volumes from the education sector. According to TAM Media Research, 71 per cent of the advertisers in education category were institutions, while 15 per cent were coaching centres. Typically, January-May is the time when advertising hots up in the education sector because it is when academic sessions end and the search for new avenues, colleges, career options and coaching institutes begins.

TAM Media Research data shows that Planman Consultant India was the biggest advertiser during the first quarter of 2009. Planman is the brainchild of Arindam Choudhary, founder of the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM). In June last year, IIPM won a case it had filed against the UGC in the Delhi High Court to get its name removed from the UGC website, which listed IIPM as a “fake university”. But IIPM had to concede in the court that it does not award any degrees, only ‘prepares’ students for a degree from International Management Institute, Belgium.

Interestingly, coaching institutes, which run without any regulation, also advertise heavily. According to TAM Media Research data, Chate Coaching Classes was the third-largest and Forum for IIT JEE was the sixth-largest advertiser in print during January-March 2009.

The reasons behind the belated action by UGC are not far to seek. Human resource development Minister Kapil Sibal’s recent crackdown on deemed universities, 127 so far, especially those that got clearances in the past five years and his intent to follow the recommendations of the Yash Pal Committee report, which had come down heavily on the malpractices being followed in the system, seem to have jolted the UGC out of its stupor. “UGC is perhaps faced with an existential problem, and in order to hide its shortfalls, in order to escape the wrath of the new minister who is clearly not as complacent as his predecessor, it is trying to show that it is working,” says Mukesh Chaturvedi, senior professor at the Birla Institute of Management Technology (Bimstec) at Greater Noida. Bimstec has applied for a deemed university status.

Clearly, when private educational institutions do everything to influence public choice with their advertising firepower, UGC must do more than put up a notice on its website if it wants to safeguard the interests of students.

Even the Supreme Court had recently described private colleges as “masked phantoms” and flayed the regulator for its lax attitude in granting approvals. “With this notice, UGC is only trying to put up a positive face because it is scared of its own existence,” says Chaturvedi.

Others agree. “The attitude of UGC is scary,” says Sushma Berlia, president of Apeejay Stya Group, one of the applicants awaiting approval for a private university status from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. “To expect ordinary people to be not just aware of the existence of a body such as UGC, but also check out their website regularly for fine details about the status of institutes is not correct.”

Instead, what is required is mass awareness campaigns through the vernacular media, print and television, over what to look out for while taking admission in any institute.

BPO Sector – Showcasing Resilience

By M H Ahssan

Despite a tough environment, small BPOs fared well in FY09. You could be forgiven for thinking that the global economic downturn would have crippled most small and mid-size business process outsourcing (BPO) companies, but you would be wide off the mark. In reality, small and mid-size BPOs, while fighting a grim battle to survive, have fought admirably well. And they have done it not by doing anything spectacularly different, but by following the strategies of their bigger cousins, who have also been equally hit by the slowdown. As per estimates of IT body Nasscom, India’s overall IT-BPO industry grew 11.77 per cent in 2008-09 compared to 33.9 per cent in 2007-08. BPO, at 18.22 per cent, showed the highest growth, albeit that was also a big drop from the previous year’s 31.55 per cent.

As such, it has been a hard grind for small and mid-size BPOs, who faced non-payment from bankrupt clients, pressure to renegotiate existing contracts at lower rates, increasing wage costs and diminishing profits. As countermeasures, most of them have offered more services at the same rate to existing clients; some have diversified into new geographies or new service areas; others have turned inward to service the Indian market. In the process, they have notched up revenue growth rates between 15 per cent and 40 per cent (see ‘Staying Afloat’). And to address the bottom line, almost all have gone on a cost-cutting spree.

Battling The Odds…
One reason why BPOs faced trouble is that their biggest markets are the US and the UK, countries that have been hardest hit by the economic downturn. “Most of them have more international clientele, so they have certainly faced a problem,” says Pramod Bhasin, CEO of Genpact, one of India’s largest BPO companies, which saw its own revenue growth halve to 13 per cent, and PAT fall by 48 per cent last fiscal.

Adds Raju Bhatnagar, vice-president for BPO and government relations at Nasscom: “BPOs that are into credit card outbound calls, home loans and the automobile industry have been affected.” For example, EKM Infotech, a tiny 20-seater BPO based in Delhi, has had clients going bankrupt or simply unable to pay up. “We cannot even take legal action because the attorney will be very expensive,” says Avneet Sidhu, CEO and director of EKM Infotech.

BPOs that serve more verticals, or focus on niche areas, have fared better, according to Bhatnagar. Manpreet Singh, senior vice-president of Vertex India, an 850-seater BPO operating out of Gurgaon, claims the company has remained unscathed because it has clients across telecom, retail, BFSI, and utilities such as water and power, but he declines to disclose specific numbers. But even such companies faced longer payment cycles. “The payment cycles used to be 120 days but now they have extended to 150-180 days,” says Chetan Kothari, managing director of the 900-seater, Mumbai-based Tricom India, which is mostly into legal and healthcare services.

Most BPOs, though, have prevented their revenues from slipping. Here is how. First, most mid-sized BPOs have managed to ward off client moves to renegotiate existing contracts by offering more services for the same price. (But when contracts have come up for renewal, prices have fallen up to 20 per cent, according to Satish Ambe, head of Managed Process Services at Mumbai-based Kale Consultants.) Second, the dollar’s appreciation against the rupee has also prevented revenues from falling.

Profitability, though, has taken a hit, primarily because operating costs such as salaries have increased. “The focus has been to increase productivity per head,” says Tricom’s Kothari. Other operational expenses have been trimmed, too. Hero Management Services, says director Anupam Bhasin, reduced expenses 25 per cent by rationalising employee transportation routes, vacating a rented office, and adopting VoIP-based solutions for phone calls.

…And Surviving To Tell The Tale
Many BPOs have either entered new markets such as Europe (other than UK) and Australia, or entered new verticals, or entered India. “We see a lot of opportunities coming from Germany,” says EKM’s Sidhu. Adds Hero’s Bhasin: “We see growth of 10 per cent from Europe and around 8 per cent from Australia.” ExpertServ has started doing back office management work, including back-end activation of SIM cards and credit cards, says Kulindra Shrivastava, vice-president of business operations at ExpertServ.

“Another place BPOs are looking at is India,” says Viral Thakker, partner at KPMG India. That is not a bad ploy: Nasscom’s estimates for FY09 indicate that domestic BPO has grown the most — 23.16 per cent, driven mainly by growth in BFSI, telecom and airline industries.

As Genpact’s Bhasin says, “Those small and mid-sized BPOs that focused on the domestic market have been less hit during this downturn.” One such BPO is Intouch Solutions, which grew its revenues at an enviable 25.7 per cent last year. “We expect 40 per cent growth this year,” says a bullish Vishal Choudhury, executive director of the company. Sensing the potential, most mid-size BPO companies are making a beeline for the Indian market.

But making a mark will not be easy. Entry of more companies has put pressure on prices. “Earlier, we had fewer people in the domestic market so the pricing was better,” says Intouch’s Choudhury. “But now, a lot more negotiations are happening on the price front.” Then, mindsets of Indian clients are very different. “Indian clients negotiate costs to a very large extent,” says EKM’s Sidhu. “One IT major wanted to pay us Rs 100 per employee, whereas US clients pay us a minimum of $20 per employee.”

Finally, there is hope that outsourcing will remain a priority for US companies, despite President Barack Obama’s proposal to take away tax benefits from companies that outsource jobs. “The tax benefits they would get from the US will be much less than the operational expense they will have to incur,” says KPMG’s Thakker.

Indian BPO companies say this argument is borne out by the fact that despite the difficult environment, business has actually grown during the downturn. “To optimise costs, outsourcing is one big area enterprises are looking at,” says Vertex’s Singh. “Everybody has business challenges during this downturn, and we are looking at addressing those challenges.” Hopefully, when the upturn arrives, India’s mid-size BPOs will reap the fruits of perseverance.

Super Rich – Gliding Through Turbulence

By M H Ahssan

The super rich in India have seen significant wealth erosion, but they are still breathing easy.

They call it the ‘sudden loss of wealth syndrome’, the stress and the anxiety that afflicts those who lost a substantial chunk of their wealth rather abruptly when the markets tanked last year. True, most of it was in the US. Estimates of the wealth lost by US households have been put in excess of $10 trillion, or 10 years of India’s current GDP.

The big losses of the very, very wealthy have been the subject of newspaper headlines the world over, and the subject of several comparisons. One common yardstick has been to compare the loss in wealth of Lakshmi N. Mittal of Arcelor Mittal, the UK’s richest man, to all of India Inc.’s investment plans for 2008: his loss was bigger. The losses of India’s own richest people have also been dramatic.

“Historically, wealth has usually lasted three generations, before being destroyed, and families fragment,” says Satya Bansal, managing director (MD) at Barclays Wealth in Mumbai. “For business continuity, preserving wealth, succession planning, transitioning wealth between generations and advising business families on the processes, all become very important.”

The Satyam Computers saga apart, many leveraged business people have pledged significant chunks of the stock they own in their companies. Several of them, who were hocked to the hilt, have since lost the companies too. Vijay Sheth of Great Offshore, who saw his company being acquired by Bharati Shipyard, is a case in point. But those are exceptions, rather than the rule. “Much of this wealth destruction has been largely on paper,” says Pradeep Dokania, MD and head of wealth management at DSP Merrill Lynch in Mumbai. “Most of it was not exactly liquid.” On the other hand, he adds, the continuity of business has not suffered: there have been few, if any, business failures of consequence.

There is another side to the story: wealth continues to be created in the unlisted company space as it always has been — under the radar, and quietly. By one reckoning, there are over 10,000 family-run small and medium enterprises in the country whose revenues exceed Rs 250 crore a year, and whose enterprise value is estimated on a conservative basis to be over Rs 200 crore: that makes for a very long list.

Several profiles that are part of this section are of promoters of unlisted companies; their valuations are based on the price that strategic investors such as private equity firms paid for minority stakes. They also come from a variety of businesses, and most are first-generation entrepreneurs. That is a promising sign for the future.

The loss of wealth has also sensitised the newly rich to the need of managing their wealth, with an eye to planning their own and family’s financial future. So the business of wealth management is a window of opportunity for many. But expectations run high too. “India is an unusual new market,” says Anurag Mehrotra, head of wealth management at Quant Capital. “For wealth management firms, and given the youth of the profession, there are many challenges surrounding the quality of relationship managers.”

The booming stockmarket created the mass affluent — young professionals with substantial pay packets that allowed them to consume more, and take investment bets as well — mostly through trading accounts. For them, the steep fall in markets has been a shocker.

“Banking and broking firms have both suffered, as business has fallen off,” says Suresh Badami, head of wealth management services at ICICI Bank. “Broking firms may consolidate now, but we believe that retail client-targeted wealth management services will penetrate wider and deeper into the next tier cities; it is all about extending the relationship across the activity spectrum.”

Wealth also comes with other risks, if you listen to our billionaires. When we contacted some of the new billionaires that were featured in past editions of our magazine to see how they were faring we met with great reluctance. They also become more cautious about talking about their wealth, and not just because it seemed so ephemeral. They are reluctant to discuss it widely or openly, but many have security-related fears. “Putting ourselves in the public eye attracts all kinds of unwanted attention, and many of us have children too,” says one billionaire who does not wish to be identified. Others also referred to possible extortion risks as a reason for shunning the limelight.

Today, the markets have bounced back, so things look better than they might actually be. Coincidentally, on the two dates chosen for comparison — 31 March 2008 and 29 May 2009 — the leading market indices were approximately at the same levels. Despite that, there has been an approximately 35 per cent loss in wealth for our billionaires. They have seen both syndromes: the sudden wealth syndrome, and the sudden loss of wealth syndromes. Perhaps they will now be a little wiser with their wealth.

World Diabetes Day 2009 – ‘This Sugar Ain’t So Sweet’

By M H Ahssan

World Diabetes Day raises global awareness of diabetes – its escalating rates around the world and how to prevent the illness in most cases. Started by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and WHO, the Day is celebrated on 14 November to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, was instrumental in the discovery of insulin in 1922, a life-saving treatment for diabetes patients.

WHO estimates that more than 180 million people worldwide have diabetes, according to 2005 figures. This number is likely to more than double by 2030 without intervention. Almost 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low and middle-income countries.

Logo: The World Diabetes Day logo is the blue circle – the global symbol for diabetes which was developed as part of the Unite for Diabetes awareness campaign. The logo was adopted in 2007 to mark the passage of the United Nations World Diabetes Day Resolution. It is a simple icon that can be easily adapted and widely adopted, the circle symbolizes life and health. The colour blue reflects the sky that unites all nations. The blue circle signifies the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes pandemic.

Facts on Diabetes: Diabetes is an illness which occurs as a result of problems with the production and supply of insulin in the body. At present there is no cure for diabetes. The International Diabetes Federation estimates that more than 250 million people around the world have diabetes. This total is expected to rise to 380 million within 20 years. Each year a further 7 million people develop diabetes.

Around the world, more people are living in large towns and cities, more people are being born and more people are living longer lives. At the same time, people are taking less exercise and eating less healthy types of food in larger quantities than they ever did before. The result is that the total number of people in the world with diabetes is spiralling out of control.

Diabetes in Children: In a world where nearly 70,000 children are diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes each year, making it one of the most chronic diseases during childhood, World Diabetes Day celebrated on November 14th 2008 by the International Diabetes Federation and the WHO, rightly focuses on ‘Caring for children and adolescents with diabetes’ as the central theme of initiatives this year.

Despite the ‘tall’ statistics of children and adolescents falling prey to the condition, Child diabetes, also called as Juvenile diabetes is either diagnosed late, diagnosed wrong or completely escapes diagnosis. Understandably, almost 50% of diabetics are unaware of their condition.

Juvenile Diabetes – Understanding the Condition

Juvenile Diabetes or Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease that affects the functioning of beta cells. When this occurs, the pancreas fails to produce adequate insulin demanded by the body. A shortage of insulin leads to inadequate breakdown of sugars. This, in turn results in an accumulation of sugar in the blood stream leading to diabetes.

Improper diet, inadequate exercise, genetic factors and environment play a significant role in triggering the condition. The symptoms appear without an announcement and can often go unnoticed.

Type 2 Diabetes, a disease mostly affecting adults above 45 years, currently accounts for up to 50% of all new cases of diabetes in children. This is attributed to improper diet, and lack of exercise in present day kids causing them to be overweight or obese and increasing their risk of lifestyle diseases. In Type 2 Diabetes, the body is either unable to generate adequate insulin or is not equipped to use the insulin effectively.

Watch out for the following symptoms:-

• Increased urination

• Increased thirst

• Increased hunger

• Fever or other minor infections

• Bedwetting

• Weight loss

• Fatigue

There are a number of tests which will be advised by the medical specialist to assist in the diagnosis.

1. Urine test to detect glucose

2. Blood test to ascertain the amount of glucose present in the blood

3. Glucose-tolerance test

4. Fasting blood sugar

Understand the Challenges Ahead

For parents whose child is diagnosed with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes, the world may come crumbing down. Yet, it does not mean the end of the world. As parents, you can make all the difference in helping your child cope, fight and survive the disease.

Generally, the diabetes healthcare team for children and adolescents comprising diabetologists, nutritionists and activity specialists are equipped to assist patients and families make required changes to help cope with the condition.

The broader goals for parents of children and adolescents in managing their child’s condition hover around:

• Maintaining blood sugar level to normal

• Enhance body’s sensitivity to insulin

• Protect against diabetes related complications

Caring for the Type 1 Diabetes Child

• Parents of children with Type 1 Diabetes must comprehend insulin dosing. As the child’s body cannot produce insulin, it must be provided to the body throughout the day. This is possible through insulin injections or also by using insulin pumps. Diabetologists may prescribe doses of rapid acting insulin and long acting insulin. The doses of insulin need to be administered at regular times on a daily basis.

. Parents need to ensure that children consume a proper diet as recommended by the healthcare provider. The stipulated amount of carbohydrates, fats and proteins as recommended by the diabetologist and nutritionist must be adhered to in order to take care of the child’s growing needs and minimize the fluctuation of blood glucose levels. Timing of meals is crucial and needs to be maintained everyday with no variation to avoid incidence of low blood sugar.

• It is imperative to test blood glucose levels of the child just before meals and bedtime.

• Parents would do good to maintain a journal of blood glucose readings, meal times and nature of physical activities to understand the best way to manage their child’s condition.

• Low blood sugar, medically termed as hypoglycemia commonly occurs in children with Type 1 Diabetes. Young children cannot even warn their parents if they are getting hypoglycemic, so it is important for parents to watch out for symptoms of hypoglycemia. Fluctuating blood sugar levels, especially low blood sugar can even become a medical emergency. It is crucial to always get the child to carry glucose, sugar or some biscuits to tide over hypoglycemia.

• The school should be aware of the child’s condition. Teachers should be educated about the steps to take if the child becomes hypoglycemic and suddenly feels giddy.

• Parents must also know that as much as physical activity is important for the diabetic child to improve insulin sensitivity, exercise can also lower blood glucose levels. Hypoglycemia can set in even during exercise, so kids need to test their blood glucose levels before they begin exercise.

Caring for the Type 2 Diabetes Child

Children and adolescents who are diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes might be advised oral medications and changes in lifestyle and diet, which is sacrosanct to diabetes management.

Apart from ensuring children take their medication, parents must ensure that children undertake at least 60 minutes of physical activity on a daily basis. Exercise is best to lower insulin resistance in children. Further, children with Type 2 diabetes must include more of fresh fruits and vegetables in their diet while also reducing the consumption of fat and processed foods. It would be an absolute blessing if parents can help do away with sweetened beverages from their diet.

Words of encouragement , hope and promise are as important as medication and lifestyle changes.

Finally, what can parents do to buck the trend of more children becoming diabetics?

Just follow the advice of The National Institutes of Health-

• Say ‘No’ to junk and fatty food
• Include more of fresh fruits and vegetables
• Cut down television, computer, and video games. Get children to play, dance or take up organized sports

Help children enjoy their ‘sweet’ childhood sans diabetes!

Happy Father’s Day 2009

By M H Ahssan

Father’s Day is a day honoring fathers, celebrated on the third Sunday of June in 52 of the world’s countries and on other days elsewhere. Father’s Day is a celebration inaugurated in the early twentieth century to complement Mother’s Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting, and to honour and commemorate fathers and forefathers. Father’s Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide and typically involves gift-giving, special dinners to fathers, and family-oriented activities.

The first observance of Father’s Day is believed to have been held on July 5, 1908 in a church located in Fairmont, West Virginia. In any society, be it modern, medieval or ancient, fathers have had a significant position. There may be several relationships in a child’s life but not a single one of these can be a perfect substitute of a father-child relationship. He is a guide, a philosopher and more than that, a dear and most reliable friend of the child after a certain age. A child is being helped by his father to set his or her aim in life. Then he helps us in selecting the just ways of attaining our goals in life. Again, when someone gets too tired of the weariness and doldrums of life, his/her father is always there to offer the shoulders of a friend where we can rest for a while.

There is every reason of celebrating such an important relationship and Father’s Day has been designed for this purpose. It was an ancient practice of worshiping ancestors including father and mother. This tradition was maintained by the following civilizations. In the modern society, people started celebrating Mother’s Day first. Gradually, the civilization understood the necessity of Father’s Day too. Although the efforts were made in the early 20th century but it was in 1970s only when Father’s Day was recognized officially in the US by President Nixon. Gradually most of the countries acknowledged Father’s Day and started celebrating fatherhood. �

Now the question is that how much significance does Father’s Day get in the modern society. Firstly, while measuring its significance, we should not compare it with Mother’s Day because it is a different occasion. A mother perform the divine right of giving birth to a child and then of nurturing him or her. This is obvious that mothers will get the special treatment. At the same time, it is also true that a father performs an important role in nurturing and raising a child and this role should also be acknowledged. In today’s society, we acknowledge this responsibility through Father’s Day.

The significance of Father’s Day is related directly to the position of a father in the family as well as in the society. Every child needs both father and mother in order to get a good mental health. In the primary stages, both father and mother remain responsible for taking some important decisions related to the education and growing up of the child. At the present time, most of the countries have patriarchal societies and because of this the fathers play the leading role in taking the above mentioned decisions.

The lifestyle of a father affects his child. If the child is a boy, he will surely try and adapt some important parts of his father’s life-style. If a father can set good examples of leading life in a healthy way, the child is bound to follow the same. Anyone, with good ideas, proper education and a healthy lifestyle, is a treasure for every society. He can not only lead his life properly but can also help others to do the same and can shape the society in a positive manner. In this way a father can contribute in the development of a whole society.

All these and many more make a father very significant in today’s modern society and because of this, celebrating this relationship and this responsibility is very significant today. Like any other part of the world, India also celebrates Father’s Day with full enthusiasm. This enthusiasm is well expressed by different kind of gifts that are sent on Father’s Day.

The Green World Order

The Green Economic Zone proposed by the adivasis in Gujarat is a revolutionary alternative to the Special Economic Zone.

THE ADIVASI communities of Gujarat are advocating for a novel counterpoint to the brutality inherent to the Special Economic Zone. An idea they call the ‘Green Economic Zone’ (GEZ) addresses the wants in the SEZ model that the adivasis have long demanded. “Any form of development which does not have for its foundation the concepts of sustainability, ecological sensitivity and an ingrained understanding of the cultural roots of a people, is genocidal by definition,” says Dr Ganesh Devy, founder of Bhasha, an NGO working towards the development of adivasis and founder-director of the seminal Adivasi Academy at Tejgarh, Gujarat. The GEZ is Devy’s brainchild, something that he conceptualised two years ago, unlike any model of its kind in the world.

Although much yet needs to be fixed in terms of the exact parameters and definitions that qualify a space to become a GEZ, it is a move towards chalking a proposal for a pro-people, self-sufficient way of life and gain a legal stamp of approval on it, so that the set of villages never face the threat of having to be taken over by a corporate SEZ. Almost utopian, the idea is to ramp up agricultural activity to the fullest, use organic fertilizers, promote local industries and form market linkages — all without destroying the biodiversity and local livelihoods.

It has been almost a decade now since adivasis in 1,200 villages across the south and southeastern belt of Gujarat started working to create a massive network of micro-credit federations. “Similarly, they have been setting up their own foodgrain banks, water harvesting cooperatives, organic agriculture practices, and have set up and run informal centres of learning. The work began when a group of young adivasis met at Tejgarh in 2000 and resolved to make their villages free of hunger, indebtedness, exploitation arising out of illiteracy, and migration arising out of helplessness,” he explains.

This team of dedicated karyakartas has now decided to create several GEZs, eventually covering some 2,200 villages, which fall between the Tapti River in the south and the Mahi in the north, with the Narmada flowing in between. What is striking about the GEZs is that unlike their namesakes, they do not seek to court either foreign investment or exploit natural resources. On the contrary, they are to be created strictly out of local resource and investment. “We have, over the years, collected the seed capital we need to launch this initiative. The idea is to respect and integrate local custom and resource at every step of the way and create 100 percent employment for the people who live and work in these GEZs,” says Dr Devy.

This massive initiative was launched on 5 June 2009 at the Adivasi Academy in Tejgarh, the first of its kind for tribal studies. The assembled group of community workers, students and faculty of the academy, joined in their efforts by human rights activists, villagers, educationists, writers, theatre artists and other ‘green-development’ sympathisers from all walks of life, started on a week long march. Over the course of the march, the group visited scores of villages spanning the region between Tejgarh and Vedchi, Rajpipla and Vankoda, Naroda and Rangpur. This march, lasting from June 5 to 12, was named Vivekshil Vikas Mate No Pravas (A march for wise and sound development). Including all those who joined the march at various stages, the group numbered 1,800 persons.

AT EACH stop along the route, the workers engaged with the villagers, sarpanches and local panchayats about the ideas behind the GEZ philosophy and how it would translate into employment and uplift their communities. The movement urged panchayats to sign resolutions to show their solidarity to the cause. So far, panchayats of 130 villages have signed the resolution to help build a strong proof of acceptance. “What Verghese Kurien and his ‘White’ Amul cooperative revolution achieved is what we hope to emulate. The time has come for a ‘Green’ revolution, which needs necessarily to adopt the adivasi model of development. In its gentleness, this is the only form without an automatically inbuilt genocidal import,” stresses Dr Devy. “We refuse to take our message to the people aggressively. We will approach them with respect, with samvedna — qualities which get sidelined easily in our overwhelming haste to become what is widely understood as being developed.”

Seventy percent of the 2,100 acres of area proposed for the GEZ is fertile land with crops of primarily corn, bajra and wheat. An average farmer owns 1.5 acres of cultivable land and earns Rs 25,000 per annum to feed his family of six today. The GEZ hopes that it will result in an income of at least Rs 40,000 per annum simply by boosting agriculture, irrigation and local industries such as papad making, vermicompost fertilizers and other small-scale enterprises.

But will the GEZ be based on a legal standing? Vipul Kapadia, a core member of Bhasha says, “That is what we are hoping for. We are readying ourselves with all the requirements so that the government will take us seriously.” One thousand acres of land is the minimum land required for the approval of an SEZ. The 130 villages that have signed the resolution comprise a total area of 1,000 acres. The minimum funds required for an SEZ is Rs 10 crore, which they have through the SHGs (selfhelp groups). “With these documents and a detailed plan for the GEZ, we will approach various government organisations. The planning commission and the ministry of tribal affairs will be the first bodies we will approach. Right now, we are still in the process of penning it all down. But the solidarity we have for this cause is unanimous,” he says confidently.

In a speech she gave just before the march, venerable author and social activist Mahasweta Devi said, “All my life I have searched for the ‘genuine’; that sentiment of selfless service which manifests itself in only a handful of us. In Ganesh [Devy] and the people at the Adivasi Academy, I stand vindicated. We are at a crossroads in space and time — there is anticipation in the air; it is as if we know that something big is either about to happen or give way disastrously.” If the GEZ gains a legal identity, it would pave a path like no other, arousing hope in millions, that there can just be a new world order, the reigns of which will lie, finally, in the hands of the common man.

Defeat of an Idea – Head Hunting

By M H Ahssan

Hindutva is embarrassed by Hinduness. A new generation of confident Indians has started to move beyond its logic of fear and hate. Will the BJP be able to seize this moment for creative reinvention?

THE CASCADING crisis within the BJP since May 16 and their confused debate about the role Hindutva has played in their electoral defeat tells a fascinating story. It would be premature to read any of this as a signal of either the disintegration of the party or Hindutva, but one could safely say the idea of Hindutva has been defeated by India for the moment. Put on a backburner and challenged to reinvent itself.

The BJP’s dependence on Hindutva as its defining characteristic was bound to become problematic for it. Data shows that less than 10 percent of Indians have ever voted for the BJP on ideological grounds. The Hindutva project was constructed on tapping into and fostering fear and a siege mentality within Hindus: a sense of being a minority in a country in which they are clearly a numerical majority. In itself, this was not a bad thing. You need a political party to ‘summit’ these emotions so you can manage them. The Republican Party in America, for instance, also encourages and allies with Christian fundamentalists. They know a small marginal part of the vote comes from there — small, but a crucial vote percentage. So they woo them pre-election. Post election, though, there could be indirect rewards but no official rewards are handed out to them. The BJP did not understand this art of political management. They did not learn how to treat Hindutva groups as merely a sect within them; they believed their entire existence depended on the ideology.

This whole ideological stand — making Hindutva their central official line – was a myopic mistake. (The RSS of course has never been in politics so their understanding of politics is even worse.) The Indian genius is to manage contradictions. Most people forget, the Congress Party, the original party of the freedom movement, allowed many of its members to simultaneously belong to both the Congress and the Hindu Maha Sabha or other Hindu nationalist formations. This was very prevalent in Bengal because a huge proportion of Bengali freedom fighters came from a background of Hindu nationalism. Tagore himself was a member of both the Congress and the Muslim League. It is because these political impulses were accommodated within the Congress as factions that they were easier to negotiate in the early years. The BJP’s dilemma is that it thought its existence was predicated on Hindutva: now that they have lost drastically, they think Hindutva has become a liability and should be jettisoned. But the fact is, the relationship between the BJP and Hindutva will only become more clandestine. The debate they are trying to have within the party is actually nothing more than a power struggle wearing the garb of ideological challenge.

In itself, this power struggle is a healthy thing. Contrary to all the speculation around them, the BJP is not necessarily slated to disintegrate like the Janata Party. The Janata party was a coalition of factions; the BJP has merely become a party with factions. With Atal Behari Vajpayee and LK Advani past their time, all the top posts are vacant. If the BJP wants to survive and do reasonably well, they should “do a Congress”: they should find a Narasimha Rao or Manmohan Singh to lead them. All their current and prominent leaders are too high-pitched.

The BJP may be short-sighted in analysing its defeat dominantly through the Hindutva lens, but its electoral defeat does point to a kind of defeat of Hindutva itself. At the core of the Hindutva project is a war between Hindusim and Hindutva that is around 150 years old. It began in the middle of the 19th century, when ideas of Hindtuva began to take shape with the Hindu reform movements. In a sense, the defeat of Hindutva today is also a defeat of the West because the Hindutva project was one of the last remnants of the colonial West in Indian consciousness.

TODAY, BOTH detractors and defenders of Hindutva are confused about what it stands for. The truth may not be palatable to many, but Hindutva grew out of an admiration of the western European nation state and our attempt to have an indigenous form of it. When Veer Savarkar, the Hindutva fountainhead, insisted that Hindus must not read the Vedas and Upanishads but read science and technology and western political theory, this is what he had in mind. He was looking for a way to transform a chaotic, diverse, anarchic society into an organising principle for a masculine, western-style nation state, something akin to Bismarck’s Germany.

To achieve this, the Hindutva project required Indians to repudiate their Indianness, and Hindus to repudiate their Hinduness. That was part of the war. It required a chaotic, diverse society to homogenise itself into something that could be more globally acceptable and to live according to European norms. Again, public memory is short. Few people remember that Savarkar was very secular in his personal life – in the western sense. He refused to have his funeral rights according to Hindu custom; he wanted his body taken for cremation in a mechanised vehicle rather than the shoulders of relatives. He also refused to give his wife a Hindu funeral though women members of the Hindu Mahasabha sat in front of his house on a dharna.

Savarkar’s main criticism of Gandhi, in fact, was that he was unscientific, irrational and illiterate in modern political theory. He was wrong about that. Gandhi did understand political theory, but it had deeper roots, taken not only from Indian society but from the dissenting West. Gandhi did not believe in the modern nation state or in conventional ideas of nationality, nation and nationalism. He went on record to say that armed nationalism is no different from imperialism. At that point in our history, he seemed a romantic fuddy duddy. The fact is, he was way ahead of his time. He understood that India was particularly well-equipped to craft its own version of a modern nation state. It was under no obligation to follow European textbook definitions of the nation state. The irony is that today many western nations are moving away from the old model and becoming more flexible: 14 countries in Europe do not maintain any armies and have opened their borders to become the European Union. On the other hand, because of our colonial past, India and China are two of the purest forms of 19th century nation states you can find in the world today. Tagore’s friend, Brahmobandhab Upadhyay, a Catholic who called himself a ‘Hindu Christian’. Vivekananda himself said the ideal Indian would be one who had a Hindu mind and a Muslim body. But very early in his intellectual journey, Savarkar decided mere geography was too insipid a basis for nationality and began to advocate a more strident Hindu nationalism. The distasteful, clenched-teeth hatred of Muslims and other minorities associated with Hindutva took root then.

After its defeat this election, the BJP feels its middleclass base has moved away from it because it is disenchanted with Hindutva. This, perhaps, is not entirely true. The Indian middle-class has a natural affinity with the less strident aspects of Hindutva. Primarily, this is because the RSS and BJP had very strong links with the Hindu reform movements, particularly the Arya Samaj. Both Munje and Hedgewar, though, were also inspired by Ramakrishna. The project was very clear. There was a seamless continuity between these reform movements and European concepts of a nation state. This continuity began to transform Hinduism and partly led to a form of religion compatible with a modern nation state – in the same way that Protestant Christians in Europe had become more comfortable with the nation state, industrial capitalism and secularism. In many ways, all Indian religious reformers were trying to produce house-broken, tamed versions of religion which could sustain a pan- Indian consciousness and pan-Indian nationalism. All these reformers had internalised aspects of masculine Protestant Christianity. Angarik Dharmapal’s Maha Bodhi society in Calcutta, in fact, produced a kind of Protestant Buddhism which the Sri Lankans find very convenient for their majoritarian state. Hindu society was even more diverse and cruel. Anyone wedded to the conventional idea of a nation state naturally found it too chaotic, unmanageable and subversive. The idea of Hindutva was supposed to be something Hindus could hold on to and yet remain good citizens of a modern nation.

The middle-class — which is the most privileged and therefore naturally most invested in the conventional notion of the nation state — is therefore also a natural constituency for Hindutva and its version of Hindusim. In Savarkar’s fearsome novel Kala Pani, the only futuristic novel produced by a Hindutva ideologue, he paints a (for him utopian) vision of a future India that will be a totally homogenous society. People would marry across caste and sect and language and become good, pan-Indian citizens — almost like the over-insipid, boring, lowest common denominator Indians one sees nowadays in India’s metropolises. Indians with no difference in language or custom: everyone speaking in the same accents, everyone having the same choice in music, cinema, clothes. Absolutely homogenised — almost like uniform clones.

SAVARKAR WAS prescient because this, in fact, is almost a mirror image of contemporary urban middle class Indians. A class that has access to a globalised economy, speaks English as its primary language, and is shaped by a uniform media. What resonance does this new-generation Malayali or Bengali or Tamilian brought up in Delhi have with the vernacular Hindusim of his grandparents, or even parents? Do all those myriad gods and goddesses with strange names, family priests, ishta dev and ishta devis make any sense to them? What is emerging instead is a pan-Indian Hinduism that allows you to dip into a bit of Onam and a bit of Diwali and a bit of Durga puja, and not be too deeply invested in any of it. Contrary to the ‘milleniaold’ milleniaold’ tradition Hindutva ideologues claim they are a part of, this new kind of Hinduism is a very new faith. It is no more than 150 years old. It was born in the 19th century and is directly inspired by Protestant Christianity in the wake of the Arya Samaj. And this faith is also a kind of lack of faith. You can carry it with you wherever you go. It is a kind of laptop Hinduism.

The Hindutva project in India is destined not to ever occupy centre space though, because it is challenged by Hinduism. When one talks of this Hinduism which is 4,000 years old, we have in mind a religion or tradition – a sentiment — that might be shrinking everyday but still moves a majority in India. It is this concept of faith — diverse, local, intimate and highly ritual — that most Indians live with. Apart from economic reasons and the crunch on jobs and infrastructure, one of the reasons why the Shiv Sena could garner so much support for their opposition to the influx of Biharis in Mumbai was the proliferation of chhat puja. The Mumbai-wallahs felt threatened, there was a sense of ‘itni chhatt puja kahan se aa gayi’? The Biharis would have had less of a hostile backlash if they had participated in the Ganesh pujas instead. Interestingly, there are many more Durga pujas in Mumbai and Delhi than in Kolkata, but there is no hostility against this because it has graduated into an all- India phenomenon. Chhat hasn’t — yet.

It would be a mistake to conflate the occasional eruption of these hostilities with a belief that the idea of India’s plural traditions is a romantic myth. Religious groupings and sects — within Hinduism, and even between different religions — have always participated in each other’s local festivals, but they were not homogenised into an anodyne laptop religion. India was not an imitation of the Enlightenment model, in which you are deemed cosmopolitan only when you feel the other person to be completely equal. In traditional Indian societies, you are equal only in the sense that you have the right to think the other community is inferior to you, and the other person has a right to think you are inferior to them — even though neither of you might say so openly. In a homogenised, individualised society, the former is seen as cosmopolitanism. In a communitybased society, it is the latter cosmopolitanism that works.

In this continuing war between traditional, chaotic, diverse Hinduism and ordering, homogenising Hindutva, the BJP’s electoral defeat is a sign that Hindusim (which is by far the stronger force in electoral numbers) has defeated Hindutva. Hindutva expects Indians to live according to European norms of nationhood. But we are Indians: we are incorrigible, cussed, we have learnt to live with contradictions for centuries, we have learnt to live with chaos and ill-defined, half-baked ideas. We also want to keep options open for the next generation. These are the attributes that have ensured our survival when so many other major civilisations have failed. These are attributes that the BJP has to find ways to accommodate and respond to.

(I once interviewed Madanlal Pahwa — one of the Hindu militants who was among Gandhi’s assasins — in his old age. Ultimately, his most memorable years were of his childhood spent in a district in Pakistan’s West Punjab, which had Baba Farid’s mazar. There was a religious fair he would go to where qawwalis were sung. He called himself a kattar Hindu but that’s what his most nostalgic memories were about. This tells you something. We Indians are accustomed to living with multiple ledgers. He was a Hindutva wallah and all his language came from there, but his memories came from elsewhere.)

None of these arguments add up to an assertion that Hindutva will die out. What is true, though, is that, unless it metamorphoses, it will never enjoy the same vigour it did in past decades because it is inherently uncomfortable and embarrassed by Indianness and traditional Hinduism. For a generation newly emergent from colonial dominance, there was a fascination and sense of respectful subordination to things Western. But with this new post-independent, post-colonial generation, things are different. Indians have gone back to their own rhythms now, so even for the middle-classes, Manmohan Singh’s ‘West’ — with its idea that anyone can be a Tata or Ambani — is more attractive to many than Savarkar’s ‘West’. The aspiration for a global, material identity has overtaken cultural identity.

GIVEN BOTH the perceived and electoral defeat of Hindutva, it will be interesting to see what future route the BJP charts for itself. In many ways, Advani is a tragic figure. It is possible that no one has yet been able to read him correctly. Unlike Vajpayee, Advani had lived in a Hindu minority state and went to a Christian missionary convent. Having lived in a Muslimmajority state, Muslims were not unknown to him, and, perhaps, he did not feel the intrinsic discomfort expected of him. He was a part of the RSS – and probably believed in it — but there is a strong possibility that he also recognised in some ways that Hindutva was a political instrument rather than an all-encompassing ideology.

There is much Advani has to answer for. He is culpable for the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and cannot escape history’s judgement by saying he was talking of Ram as a cultural icon and not a religious figure. He knew he was creating an explosive communal situation. But his party’s reaction to his statement on Jinnah makes him tragic. There was nothing new he said about Jinnah – it is an indication of where our political culture has reached that no one seemed to understand this. Strangely enough, despite a tremendous difference in personality, like Savarkar, Jinnah was a person who thought entirely in Western liberal terms. Their ideological bouquet were almost exactly the same. Advani was only recognising that when he called Jinnah secular. Pakistan’s first law minister was a Hindu, its first national anthem was also written by a Hindu, upon Jinnah’s invitation. Both men shared the idea that nationality is crucial in a nation state and a certain amount of violence and bloodshed is normal in the jostling for dominance. In fact, Jinnah was less accepting of this notion of violence than Savarkar.

Advani tried to cast himself as a statesman in the Vajpayee mould, but could not repudiate his past. At the same time, he could not project himself as an ideologue that could be cast in a heroic mould as, say, Narendra Modi seems to have become for the Gujarati people. He did wear different masks at different times in his career to take political advantage, but it is possible he personally remained somewhat distanced from all of them.

But this only intensifies the riddles for the BJP because it is quite possible that Narendra Modi too has passed his zenith. This election has indicated a decline in his popularity. The problem is, he did not leave any escape routes for himself, not even a cosmetic apology or expression of regret for the events in Gujarat 2002. This is likely to haunt his entire career. So the search for the correct leader has become the BJP’s biggest challenge – a leader who can lower the divisiveness and high temperature the party has become associated with.

But other questions remain for the party. If the BJP abandons Hindutva, what shape can its right of centre politics take? Its economic program cannot stretch too right of center because a majority of Indians live outside the spoils of the neo-liberal economic system. If only for electoral gains, they have to be accommodated.

What this means is that the BJP could be headed for a different kind of ideology, in which Hindutva will play a part, but there will be other competing concepts. There is no reason why Hindutva itself cannot take on a more benign form. Tagore, for instance, makes extremely powerful arguments for Hindutva in his novel Gora. This was a response to both Kipling’s Kim and Savarkar, and almost anticipated Gandhi in some ways. But even if the BJP and RSS’ think tanks are unable to come up with such innovations, it is quite certain that the party will retain some links with the ideology, and even if it is not part of its functioning ideology, it will be a party more tolerant of Hindutva groups.

VAJPAYEE, FOR instance, held Hindutva as a kind of vague, emotional frame. There’s no problem with that; in fact, it’s probably necessary in the Indian context. As Nawaz Sharif told Vajpayee, as part of the Muslim League and BJP, they were best positioned to break fresh ground in Indo-Pak relations as neither of their constituencies could accuse them of being wishywashy liberals. Above everything else though, like the Maoists who were encouraged to come overground and become part of the democratic process, the Hindu right wing must be politically accommodated. They cannot be annihilated or wished away, just as the Naxals could not be wished away. (Charu Mazumdar’s group in Bengal was wiped out with police action, but in barely 30 years Naxalism has come back again with greater force. These are idealistic people. It is a pity they have opted for the gun, but the problems they represent are real. Sitting in urban citadels, one might imagine that one can solve these problems over a 100 years and wait for some “trickle down” effect, but if millions of people are condemned to die in the meantime, one cannot expect everyone to remain unmoved.) In the same way, there are rump groups who are rabid enough to believe they should break down the Babri Masjid. They cannot just be wished away. They have to be politically accommodated and tamed.

The Mughal empire has some lessons that could be of great significance to contemporary India. The empire was so successful that the British left the Mughal system intact for 100 years. Even the Delhi Durbar of 1911 followed all conventions of a Mughal court. It allowed different levels of allegiance to the centre. The Jaipur Maharaja, for instance, was closer to Mughal Delhi than a sultan in Bengal: this meant he had more power and influence, nothing more.

The BJP has been demanding Article 370 should be abolished and the Uniform Civil Code brought in to India. These are legitimate demands in a European-style modern nation state. But why must we follow that route? Instead of hedging on Article 370, one should use it more effectively – go the whole hog with it. Why didn’t we give Article 370 to Sikkim instead of gobbling it up? Why didn’t we give it to Nagaland, rather than go in for 30 years of bloodshed which has made a whole generation bitter? If there is a worry that it is a border state, why not innovate and come up with Article 370 (a) – which defines more and less rights, with a clause put in for renegotiation at a later date? This would have increased the maneuverability of the Indian state immensely.

As Gandhi intuited, we are uniquely well-equipped to design our own version of a nation state. By pure default, we have gone in for some innovations — Indian secularism is one example. Both secularists and communalists complain about its compromises. But we will last as a society only as long as we compromise. The moment we try to harden it into something too defined, things collapse.

The current upheaval could be a creative moment both for the BJP and the RSS. Unlike the RSS heads that have gone before him, Mohanrao Bhagwat is not a very conspicuous ideologue. Nobody expects anything out of him. Because of this, he has the opportunity to be truly creative. But westernised Brahmins and modernity can be a lethal combination. It cuts you off from your native Indian genius. So will they be able to spot the moment?

Real Estate Marketing

Increase Your Visibility
Real Estate is one of the industries that has seen the most change from the emergence of the internet. No longer do people have to look at outdated ads in the news paper or rely on driving around a city to see what’s for sale.

Today they can sit right at home on the internet and see everything that’s available and everything they need, including realtors to help them buy or sell a home.

Everyday more and more realtors realize the internet is powerful marketing resource that can bring them more business than they’re able to handle. That is if their marketing campaign is an effective one that utilizes every plane of search engine marketing.

It’s time to stop losing business to other realtors. Star Nine Marketing can help you discover all that the search engine marketing has available and what it can do to increase your business.

Other realtors and professional have benefitted from our extensive knowledge and tested procedures in search engine marketing. Visit the corresponding pages to learn more about different methods of online marketing Star Nine uses and how you can use them to benefit your business.

Why Should You Market Online?
Simple – Home Buyers and Home Owners are Looking Online

A quick look at statistics gathered by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) will make it clear why the internet is such a vital marketing arena.

It’s easy to see that the realtors who aren’t utilizing the internet as a key marketing source aren’t the ones getting business. And the numbers show that internet use in home searching is steadily going up and not about to change anytime soon.

This steady increase in the significant majority of home buyers that are using the internet as a real estate resource also means that the internet is overshadowing other forms of marketing. In fact 2007 NAR statistics show that only 31% used home books and magazines as a resource and a very slim 9% used the television.

Another interesting fact is that most home buyers start their home search on the internet then contact a realtor, and the vast majority, 80%, only use 1 realtor in their home search, typically the first they contact. That can only point to the conclusion that those home buyers are most likely finding their realtors online, and those among the first they see have the best chance of gaining their business.

Additionally, the fact that the percentage of people using the internet as a real estate resource is exactly the same as the percentage of people using a realtor as an information resource, 84% in 2007, can’t be overlooked.

Given this kind of information it only makes sense to direct your marketing campaign to the internet. The type of campaigns that Star Nine offers are developed specifically to utilize every angle of the internet to optimize your lead generation and client conversion.

How An Internet Marketing Campaign Benefits You
It’s not enough to simply have a website that floats around on the world wide web. There are thousands upon thousands of websites for real estate alone, which means if you don’t have the proper marketing campaign your website will most likely never be found by home 84% of buyers and sellers that are using the internet.

And on-line marketing has more advantages than just being where the buyers and sellers are. Marketing online doesn’t take as much of your time and is highly cost effective, much more so than other traditional methods. Marketing in newspapers, on television, through mail outs is all very time consuming and expensive. When you consider that online marketing yields much higher amounts of traffic the savings can easily be seen.

A good on-line marketing campaign isn’t a one trick pony that uses one source to try to make your website visible. A good marketing firm like Star Nine will work on all the facets possible to increase your on-line exposure and bring you business.

Anyone will tell you the key to getting in front of internet users is to get ranked on search engines like Google and get ranked high. This is no easy task. Many things affect how search engines rank your website and include the content, the internal structure of the website, keywords, and more. We look at your website from all angles to increase the search engine’s ability to read your website and rank it. This correlates into high ranking results and exponentially increased traffic.

But that alone isn’t enough. To truly get the most that the internet has to offer realtors must include other marketing avenues into their marketing campaign such as price per click marketing, social media optimization like blogging, and web design elements. These methods bring you immediate traffic as well as increase your exposure in areas outside of the search engine pages, where users are still spending much of their online time.

The social media sites of the internet are a sorely missed part of many realtors marketing, but it is vital. This gives you a real voice and displays your knowledge and passion for what you do, which is a definitely consideration for buyers and sellers. Also the extra areas of marketing can be linked right back to your website, thus increasing its ranking ability.

Everything in our marketing campaign goes hand in hand to support all the other aspects and increase the efficiency and results that you see.

While most agents and brokers understand the importance of marketing online, many do not understand the business of online marketing. That’s where we come in. We can get you to the top of google, yahoo and msn for searches related to your local real estate market and help your website increase conversions that drive the bottom line.

Etiquette: Fostering business relationships

By M H Ahssan

Sound business relationships are a key pillar for business success, particularly in these turbulent economic times. While developing relationships requires immaculate planning, preserving them requires a Herculean effort. Here are a few guidelines to help you foster important business relationships :

Honesty: In business , being truthful isn’t easy, especially if you have to give or receive negative feedback . However, honesty promotes trust, a critical element for future business relationships.

Compassion/ Generosity: With the stakes being so high, it’s tough to be compassionate. Being generous can be tricky too, as you risk being taken advantage of. Yet, displaying both compassion and generosity wins fundamental, sustainable respect.

Using Power Words: I would rate “Please” and “Thank you” as the most powerful business words. Use them liberally in all your business interactions – with your colleagues, peers, clients, seniors and juniors alike.

Punctuality: With businesses becoming 24 x 7, we operate with constantly crammed work schedules . Yet, being late makes you appear unprofessional and displays lack of respect for others. Avoid packing in that “one last call” , before running into your meeting.

Staying Connected: Talking is the context in which all business is conducted. While emails benefit by being non-intrusive , phone calls are more personal and face-to-face meetings most effective. Use a healthy blend of all the three in your interactions .

Own up: By taking ownership for your work, you automatically accept responsibility for your mistakes. Accept the fact that “to err is human” . Acknowledging a mistake, apologising for it and providing a solution go a long way.

Learn by Asking: Asking relevant questions shows genuine interest and improves your ability to understand business situations better.

Lastly, learn to say “No” : At times, you may be asked to do things beyond your expertise and it’s best to say a polite “no” . Aligning your business partner’s expectations with your own capabilities helps bring focus and takes care of future problems.

The Recession Man: How CEOs are coping with assets acquired during boom

In May 2007, when Manmohan Singh made his famous “conspicuous consumption” speech at the National Conference of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Delhi, some dubbed it a critique of capitalism. At a time when GDP growth was 9% and the Sensex was 15,000-going-on-20 ,000, the Prime Minister called on the gathered CEOs to be “models of probity, moderation and charity” and “resist excessive remuneration to promoters and senior executives”. What a party pooper. He even quoted Keynes, saying that if the rich spent their new wealth on their own enjoyments, the world would have long ago found such a regime intolerable.

Surinder Kapur was one of the CEOs attending the CII meet that day and he recalls being quite affected by the speech. “There was a sense that quite a few things were going out of kilter in corporate India, including salaries,” says the chairman of Sono Koyo Steering Systems . “The downturn has shown that the PM was right. Corporates had far too much money available to spend and greed had come to be synonymous with success.”

Temptation was everywhere and nearly every company ended up splurging during the boom in some measure . But now all those the expenditures on acquisitions, diversifications, real estate, talent, are causing headaches akin to hangovers after a binge, except that these after effects aren’t about to fade easily with time. Today, the toughest task before the downturn CEO is to work the assets acquired during the boom.

As an auto component manufacturer, Kapur is one of the worst affected by the global recession. The leader in this sector, however, is Bharat Forge, a company that made several global acquisitions in the height of the boom.

Chairman Baba Kalyani admits he was caught completely unawares by the severity of the global recession in the automobile sector. “During the boom, we were focused on creating capacities ahead of the expected demand curve. We were making capital investments ahead of the curve, hiring people ahead of the curve, creating working capital ahead of the curve. Now we have to do just the opposite . The automobile industry is not going to return to previous demand levels anytime soon,” he says.

It’s not uncommon for corporates to accumulate fat in good times — some even make a provision for it. But as everyone knows, working off the fat is always much harder than putting it on, so the downturn CEO is forever on the treadmill. Kalyani, for one, is trying to diversify his customer portfolio and produce products for the global energy industry, which has been less affected by the recession. That’s actually a strategy adopted by many recession-hit CEOs. Rakesh Sarin, managing director of Wartsila India has seen demand for power plants dry up in the shipping sector, once the company’s mainstay. Now the Finnish company is trying to open up the market for smaller capacity power plants of 300 MW and less, meant to serve small cities and metropolitan suburbs .

“You have to be creative in a downturn ,” he says. “The CEO’s job today is to go out and spot new business opportunities.” The downturn has certainly changed the way the CEO allocates his time. Acquisitions are out and CEOs are no longer spending time with investment bankers. Instead, they’re spending more time with their staff, working out ways to deliver better products and services at lower costs. Labour and staffing policies can’t be left to HR — they’re strategic. Launching newer, competitive products and services for the shrinking market can’t be left to marketing, they’re mission critical. With the dollar swinging from Rs 39 to Rs 52, forex contracts are no longer the CFO’s prerogative, they’re strategic too.

“In a downturn, the only strategy is operational strategy,” says Accenture’s Jaime Ferrer, who heads the firm’s consulting business in for Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. “The companies that come out of this recession better will be those that achieve excellence in their operations.”

Since it’s become increasingly difficult to predict the economic weather, the downturn CEO is now busy building a boat that can withstand storms. This means envisioning worst case scenarios and building systems and structures designed to keep the organisation afloat if they actually occur . “Several CEOs are having problems because they have been unable to sense risk,” says Arun Maira, senior advisor, The Boston Consulting Group.

“Now, in order to grow their businesses in an uncertain environment, not only must the CEO have a mind that is permeable to a variety of ideas, but also an organisation that has permeable boundaries with the world outside.”

The Indian IT services industry is one that has always had close ties with the world outside, which may have helped it cope in a steadily deteriorating market. But as global customers negotiate increasingly tough terms, companies in this sector are gearing up to shed what is likely to be a voluminous quantity of flab. Ashok Soota, chairman of Mindtree Consulting says he’s seen many booms and busts in his long career but this has been different: “This time, our customers are in real pain. We have to do whatever it takes to help them.”

The pain after the champagne is familiar to French technology consulting firm Capgemini , where India CEO Baru Rao says, “Your hopes do ride high in a boom. Everybody wants to invest in a bright future. Indian IT has been relatively vigilant compared to other sectors , but we’re still under a lot of pressure. The downturn is a good opportunity to focus internally and reduce inefficiencies.”

As a people-intensive operation, Capgemini has been using the downturn to add flexibility to its work practices. For one, it is training its programming staff to work in sales, a move that might have been resisted two years ago, but is accepted today. These are the kind of policies that send out signals to the rank and file that the organisation is taking creative, proactive steps to counter the downturn. Says Praveen Vishakantaiah , President, Intel India, “People watch the CEO very closely in a downturn. They won’t accept empty assurances. You have to do things to make it better.” For Indian IT, the downturn has been the unimagined Black Swan.

An industry that till recently was complaining of talent shortages is now faced with the prospect of lay offs. As a result, IT’s leadership is still struggling with the restructuring process with many haven’t yet taken the bull by the horns. But as Akila Krishnakumar , country head of global software company Sungard says, “You can’t hunker down and wait for the downturn to pass. You have to be seen as someone who is thinking through this intelligently and taking action. This might mean doing things you would never have had the spine to do earlier , like letting go of non-performers . But you have to do it in order to hold on to your best employees and customers.”

The CEOs of MNC subsidiaries have arguably been under even more pressure than the average Indian CEO, since their parent companies have been severely affected by the recession. Ravi Chauhan was the managing director of Nortel India when the parent company filed for bankruptcy in the US (he has since moved to a different role within the company as head of the company’s Communication Enabled Business Solutions). He says: “The CEO’s job is to cut costs without doing damage to the essence of the business. Cost reduction is also the key selling point today. You have to position yourself as one who can help the customer reduce costs — that’s the only as you get traction.”

One thing is certain—the downturn is forever changing the persona and outlook of the Indian CEO. In good times, India Inc has been shown to be capable of irrational exuberance in the extreme. In these difficult times, its chastened leadership has to reckon with the bad karma of lay offs and cut backs. How will it cope? Two lines from the PM’s “conspicuous consumption” speech might help: “promote enterprise and innovation , within your firms and outside. If our industry has to make the leap to the next stage of development, it must be far more innovative and enterprising.”

Remaking a government-owned giant: An interview with the SBI supremo

By M H Ahssan

Om Prakash Bhatt discusses the transformation of one of India’s oldest banks and reveals how he managed to bring the company’s 200,000 employees on board.

Om Prakash Bhatt is intensely loyal to the State Bank of India (SBI). “This was a great bank, and it was seeing relatively bad days,” says Bhatt, who joined the bank in 1972 as a probationary officer and was named chairman in 2006. “They put me in the chairman’s seat, and it was up to me to do something. If not me, who would?” SBI—the country’s largest bank by assets—had fallen on tough times when Bhatt took charge of the state-owned institution. With roots stretching back to 1806, this stalwart of the Indian economy was losing market share to up-and-coming private banks and a growing list of foreign players reaching customers with new products and new technologies. State Bank, in which the government has a 60 percent interest, was languishing in inertia.

The prescription was innovation, but the challenge centered on getting 200,000 workers stretched across 10,000 branches to take their medicine. Communicating the need for change and shaking this huge corporate behemoth from its lethargy became the critical task ahead of Bhatt.

Bhatt, who spoke with HNN in SBI’s corporate center, in downtown Mumbai, said it’s too early to be confident of success, although the bank is slowly regaining market share, posting robust profit growth, and recently became a Fortune Global 500 company. In this interview, Bhatt also describes the bank’s continuing efforts to improve performance.

HNN: What was the situation with State Bank when you were named chairman, in 2006?

Om Prakash Bhatt: The bank had been losing market share steadily for more than two decades. In the early 1970s, we had about a 35 percent market share, but that had fallen to about 15 percent. During the early years of this century, the decline was getting worse.

Also, when I joined 37 years ago, the bank had an influential voice in India—in the economic sphere, in the industry, in government circles. It was an opinion leader. But by 2006, the bank had become just another bank. Maybe it was the largest bank in India in terms of assets, branch network, customers, but so what? It had lost its voice and its influence significantly.

In addition, the bank’s employees were not energized anymore. They had lost their pride and sense of belonging. From the very top down through the branches, everybody was pulling in different directions. The people weren’t performing poorly as individuals; they just weren’t aligned along a common set of objectives—no goals, no vision, no commitment. I didn’t like what I saw.

HNN: How did this come to pass?

Om Prakash Bhatt: Until the 1980s, the bank was doing fine. But toward the end of that decade, the dominance of the private sector began, and by the early 1990s, after liberalization, there was more competition from both private and foreign banks. They came with new technologies and new products, a hunger for the market, a sharp risk-and-reward strategy, and without any legacies. SBI carried the legacy of being state owned and having outdated technology, a suspicion of trade unions, and no competitive spirit.

Before liberalization, most bankers in India were administrators with little discretion around decision making. The Reserve Bank1 would decide whom to lend to, how much, and at what rate. Everything was predetermined. You did have some freedom, but it was limited. The public-sector banks were not really equipped to predict the future, much less to plan for it.

The State Bank was conscious that things were slipping away, and it did try to respond. There was a reorganization effort, but all that did was add another layer of management, which added to the response time within the bank. Signals were getting a little confused, as they were translated from the corporate center down to the branches. Feedback from the branches to the center was weak. There was also an initiative to computerize the branches. It took a fair amount of time for the bank to get this initiative in place. Meanwhile, the market was moving away.

HNN: What opportunities were you missing?

Om Prakash Bhatt: Two significant segments were slipping away from us. One was large and midsize corporations. We had always been the king of this business because there was a time when the main thing a corporation needed from a bank was a large chunk of money, and we were uniquely placed to provide that. We ran a huge distribution network and would mop up large sums of money from our depositors, which was always available to give to these customers. But suddenly these corporations didn’t need just money; they needed something else—for instance, fee-based services like treasury, trade finance, and cash management across multiple currencies and borders—that required technology we didn’t have. Naturally, these businesses started moving away from us.

The other segment was the young and affluent. They had never been a significant customer base for the bank, but eventually more opportunities surfaced for young Indians who were salaried workers or even self-employed. For these youngsters, State Bank was not the first bank of choice. When younger people started becoming more affluent, we didn’t notice. We didn’t offer, for example, personal loans for buying a car or a house, for furnishing a home, for taking a holiday, or for whatever reason. Psychologically, it was easy for these young customers to veer toward the more flashy private-sector and foreign banks, rather than the relatively dull and dowdy public sector. Today, these two segments represent significant business in India.

HNN: How did you face these challenges?

Om Prakash Bhatt: Immediately, we did several things. We had a voluntary retirement scheme, which meant some of our best people, those confident of getting hired at private-sector or foreign banks, were leaving us in droves. Many of our talented workers were taking the retirement offer and then going to the competition. We needed these people, so I ended the program. I also stopped the rollout of the centralized computerization system. Problems with the system—poor connectivity and its complexity—meant that it was actually damaging our ability to serve customers. It could take two hours to open an account. We were losing business, and the staff was getting frustrated. I also shuffled a lot of portfolios in top management.

All this was primarily damage control.

HNN: But these actions didn’t touch the doldrums that had settled over the bank. What did you do there?

Om Prakash Bhatt: If you look at any transformational effort at any institution across the world, most of the things people have done are common sense. There is no magic to it. The secret is how you do it, how you build a team, and how you build consensus around what you’re doing. Only then are you able to execute your plan. I had a vision for the bank, but I needed to communicate it.

I started by talking to senior executives in small groups, trying to get them both worried and excited: worried about what had happened to the bank and excited about how we could undo the damage. During my second month, when I thought I had a critical mass who understood the problems at the top level, I held a conclave where 25 of the bank’s senior leaders sat together for five days talking things over.

HNN: How did this meeting help to bring about high-level alignment?

Om Prakash Bhatt: It was very different from anything in my experience, as well as theirs. I started by showing a movie, The Legend of Bagger Vance. It’s about a golfer who has lost his swing. A golfer’s swing is not an intellectual exercise. It demands harmony of your entire being: heart, mind, and body. If you lose your swing, it’s a challenge to find it again, but if you do, you can be as good or better than you were before.

I created a context for the movie, bringing in stories from the Bhagavad Gita,2 which teaches how karma and excellence can be their own reward, and other Indian stories. I would stop the movie just to make a point or to illustrate a theme: finding your swing, how different golfers have different styles, how others can help you. I tried to draw parallels between the movie, the Gita, the condition of State Bank of India, and the mind-set of its officers.

Just showing the movie was so unusual that it created a different kind of psychology. Afterward, we had four days of structured discussions, which always returned to the themes that came out that first night. We talked about how to build a bank, what to do in the bank, what not to do, the problems we faced and how to solve them, and so on. All this took place in the context I set with the movie.

The next day, for about two hours, I discussed the status of the bank, a speech later dubbed my “state of the nation” address. Before, we were always told that everything was hunky-dory, but I wanted to be brutally honest. When a company tries to hoodwink itself, everybody becomes a partner to institutionalized hypocrisy, which is what had happened here. Feedback and dissent were suppressed, or at least not encouraged. And here I was, willing to sit there and expose my ignorance and lack of experience but also—despite it all—to show a burning desire to do the right thing and to take everybody along. I think it took everybody by surprise. The idea was to create an environment where people were free to voice their ideas, to criticize and to accept criticism, and in the end to build consensus and alignment.

HNN: What practical measures came from the conclave?

Om Prakash Bhatt: We left with a 14-point agenda that fell into three broad groups. The first involved issues directly related to the business. What products and businesses are we missing out on? Where should we make our presence felt? Are there businesses we should abandon? What needed more energy and focus?

In the past, if there were ever discussions about how to take the bank forward, it would stop with a discussion around the business. But our agenda went beyond that. Our second group of ideas focused on how to facilitate these businesses. We looked at business processes, risk management, performance management, technology, incentives—all those things.

The third area, hitherto taboo in the bank, centered on people. What is it that demotivates the people? And what can we do to change that? We talked about training and recruitment, but we also discussed motivation and whether we needed a different organizational culture, role modeling, communications strategies, and leadership. Together, these measures became the grand strategy that encapsulated our new vision.

HNN: Once you had alignment within your top team, how did you reach out to your massive workforce?

Om Prakash Bhatt: That is one of the things we discussed early on. We were 25 people at the conclave, and we were feeling great about our new ideas. But we have 200,000 people in the bank. How do we communicate these ideas to them? We now knew what we wanted to do, but we wanted to create alignment in a natural way.

A first step was to edit the state of the nation address into a presentation that the deputy managing directors could make to all 10,000 branch managers. There was some hesitation, but the deputy managing directors eventually made the presentation across the country in groups of up to 80 branch managers. The chief general managers, who oversee these branches, were also there. People were very moved when they were told what had happened. Nobody had told them anything like this before.

In addition, this was the first time the chief general managers had met with all the branch managers under them. If you’re a chief general manager, you oversee 500 to 1,000 branch managers and have a tenure of about two or three years. In your tenure, you might meet 100, 200, 300 branch managers, but you don’t meet them all. For branch managers it signaled an entirely new approach, underlining the importance of individuals and the transformation process. It was also a great opportunity for the chief general managers to hear the issues from the front lines, establish rapport, and understand the pulse of the bank better.

And we weren’t done yet. The conclaves continued, bringing together senior managers again and also lower-level leaders. In groups of 50 to 100, I met with all the assistant general managers in closed-door, no-holds-barred conversations, where my primary role was to listen to their perceptions of the bank, its issues, and what they thought we should be doing.

HNN: You also had to bring the message to the trade unions?

Om Prakash Bhatt: These are important stakeholders, and I brought senior representatives from the unions and officers’ associations together in a meeting similar to the management conclaves. I spent four days with 30 leaders from across the country. Some of my best advisers at the bank warned that the leaders weren’t trustworthy and could be disruptive, but by being different and asking them to a conclave—like monks in a cave—I built up huge curiosity. They wanted to know what I was doing and to be a part of it. I told them I’d sit with them, but only if they came as friends of the bank. I think what hooked them was not only the quality of the discussions and the revelations but that the chairman was willing to spend so much time with them, eating and drinking, even singing and dancing.

The results were fantastic. They had the good of the bank as much at heart as anybody else, and they came to realize the chairman cared about people as much as they did. Just as important, they had not understood how badly the bank had slipped but now saw they could do many things to reverse this shift. Pain and motivation came together.

HNN: Beyond this massive communications effort, what changes have you brought to the bank?

Om Prakash Bhatt: Within my first few months as chairman, we created three new business groups. One was the treasury, which had always been a residual function of the bank. I wanted to convert it into a profit center under a deputy managing director, who would undertake all the tasks that treasuries in large banks normally do.

I also created the rural business group tasked with reaching out to 100,000 unbanked villagers in two years, in addition to our normal agriculture business. Rural areas require a different focus, product range, and strategy as well as an outsourced model led by technology and the lowest costs possible. Apart from our traditional focus on development banking, most of the future growth of India will come from prosperity in rural areas. We need to capture this space and position the bank for the future.

The third group, corporate strategy and new business, identifies financial-services opportunities in areas in which the bank isn’t active or is doing poorly and develops these new products or businesses. I explicitly tied the group to corporate strategy to show the strategic importance of new businesses and to make the group more powerful and more relevant. It has already improved our Internet offering, for example, launched wealth-management services, and helped set up a joint venture with Société Générale to offer custodial services.

HNN: Overall, have your efforts been successful?

Om Prakash Bhatt: We have stemmed the tide. We are no longer losing market share, and in fact we gain a few basis points each quarter. I used market share as a rallying cry within the bank because that is something everyone understands. They know what to do: get more business. If I told them that we have to improve profitability or market cap, that would be more difficult.

We’re also improving against other metrics. In January 2008, we became number one in India in terms of market cap, overtaking ICICI Bank.3 We became India’s most valuable bank the day I received CNN-IBN’s Indian of the Year award. State Bank is now the country’s 5th largest company in terms of market cap, from 14th in 2006. And internationally, we’ve entered the Fortune Global 500. Customer service is also improving. In 2007, we were rated the best bank in India in terms of customer service, brand loyalty, and branch strength.

In the past year, we’ve also raised $4 billion through rights issues—$1.5 billion from the public and $2.5 billion from the government. Normally, the government only gives capital to banks that are sick, but the fact that the government bought the story of SBI from me and subscribed to a rights issue from a healthy bank is huge. Looking back, the timing could not have been better. In today’s environment, banks badly need liquidity and capital, and almost premptively we secured these in fair measure through the rights issue.

HNN: What are you doing to sustain these changes?

Om Prakash Bhatt: We’ve implemented a new program called parivartan, which means “transformation” in Hindi. It is a two-day program designed to build awareness. There is no preaching, no teaching involved. Rather, it’s a workshop designed to create awareness around the need for change and as a call to action or duty among all employees. We took about eight or ten months to build the program inside the bank. We trained the trainers carefully, and we practiced every nuance, every mannerism, so the quality of the program was uniform across the country.

The idea behind parivartan was to sensitize everyone at the bank to the need for ongoing change. We have 60 or 70 training centers across the country, and we stopped all other training to make room for this program. In 100 days, we covered everybody. Any slower, and the skeptics might have overwhelmed the conversation.

Parivartan brought new energy across the bank—more pride, more involvement, and more joy. There are people who participated in the program who confessed that they were driving the customers out of the bank. But now, they said, they’ll make amends. Across the bank, there’s a perceptible, qualitative change in the kind of customer service the bank renders. All the success—business, getting awards, raising our rankings—came only because we brought 200,000 employees on board through parivartan.

HNN: Where would you like SBI to be at the end of this transformation?

Om Prakash Bhatt: I would like us to be among the top 20—if not the top 10—banks in the world. I’m encouraged by what has happened, but I know that the climb ahead is far steeper and more difficult. I would also like our balance sheet to be at least 25 percent international business, compared with around 10 percent today.

I also want to extend our reach within India. I want us to be a bank for every Indian, not necessarily through a branch network; technology and outsourcing should enable this. I want us to be available to every Indian, from the poorest of the poor to the richest of the rich, to both individuals and institutions. Whatever they need, the entire range of banking and financial services, we should be able to provide it.

And I want us to be where we can serve India Inc., whether it’s through acquiring resources, technology, products, or skills. We don’t need to build a footprint in the world just to be global; I want us to be able to serve our primary clientele—India and Indians. So wherever I go, I keep this in mind. How does it strengthen our ability to serve India?

And finally, I want to do all this by instilling in my people a sense of service and helping them realize their work in the bank is not only about excellence in the workforce but also about self-development, evolution, and excellence in life.

Indian IT Plugs into a Growing Market of Small and Midsize Enterprises

By M H Ahssan

Bharat Goenka, managing director of the Bangalore-based Tally Solutions, is fond of repeating his late father’s vision for the organization. In that vision, S.S. Goenka acknowledged only two types of businesses in India: Those that used Tally software and those that one day would. With the recent launch of “Tally.ERP 9,” the company’s enterprise resource planning software for small and midsize enterprises (SMEs), Goenka believes he has moved a step closer to his father’s vision.

Only time will tell how many Indian SMEs will become Tally customers. But Goenka’s confidence reflects the sector’s enormous potential for the adoption of IT. “We estimate that there are eight million SMEs in India that can afford information technology,” Goenka says. “Our target is that all eight million must become Tally customers over the next three years.” Goenka expects Tally.ERP 9 to drive revenue growth at the company from around US$60 million in 2008-2009 to around US$200 million in 2009-2010. He eyes US$1 billion in the not-too-distant future.

Despite the economic slowdown, the SME sector’s potential has caught the attention of India’s IT players. Says Vikram K., director of key markets in the technology solutions group at HP India: “SMEs are a very key part of HP’s growth plans in India. Most of the growth that we are betting on will come from this segment.” Adds Alok Ohrie, president of EMC’s India and South Asia region: “The long-term success of EMC in the India market will be built on the strong foundation of large footprints and deep penetration in the SME segment.”

The size of the Indian SME market is difficult to gauge. Different studies using different definitions produce different numbers. The Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises estimates that 13 million such companies exist in India. The ministry defines a micro, small or medium enterprise as an industrial undertaking with fixed assets in plants and machinery — whether owned or leased — of US$200,000 to US$1.5 million.

New York-based research firm Access Markets International (AMI) Partners estimates the addressable SME market for IT vendors at four million. It defines these enterprises as legal entities registered in India that are profit-oriented and in a commercial location. Bangalore-based Zinnov Consulting, on the other hand, puts the number at 35 million. Zinnov defines an SME as any organization with up to 1,000 employees. (It doesn’t include certain segments, including farmers and contract construction laborers.) Of the 35 million SMEs, Zinnov says, almost 34 million have fewer than 10 employees.

IT vendors have their own definitions. Cisco Systems, the networking supply and management firm, defines an Indian SME as one with fewer than 200 personal computers. Dell defines it as an organization with fewer than 500 employees. Wipro defines it as an organization with annual revenues of less than US$200 million. The National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) quotes the Zinnov numbers in its Strategic Review 2009.

A Vast Market by Any Definition

This ambiguity doesn’t trouble anyone. As Ravi Bharadwaj, head of Dell India’s SME division, says: “The numbers, whatever they may be, are huge. PC penetration in the country is itself abysmally low (2% to 3%) and so the potential the SMEs hold for IT adoption is simply enormous.” According to Pramodh Menon, Cisco senior vice president of sales for India and South Asia, “Our interest is not so much in the size of the market but more in how we get even a small portion of that market.”

Sheer size isn’t the only reason IT vendors have high hopes for SMEs. While Nasscom estimates that 70% of a US$24 billion domestic IT market can be attributed to large enterprises, that is expected to change. As Nasscom vice president Rajdeep Sahrawat notes: “Most large enterprises in India compare reasonably well with global firms in terms of IT adoption. Their appetite for IT in the future will be incremental. But the SME segment is very under-penetrated, and this is where the real growth in the Indian IT market will come from.”

Kapil Dev Singh, country manager for consulting firm IDC India, agrees. “If the period from 2003 to 2008 belonged to the large and very large enterprises, the next two years would be the era of small and midsize enterprises,” he says. “For calendar year 2009 over 2008, the SME segment will witness IT spending growth of 12%, compared to the growth of large enterprises at 8%.”

Basic computing among SMEs is expected to grow rapidly, says Zinnov. According to C.S. Chandramouli, director of advisory services: “Over the past five years, the adoption of personal computers has grown by 25% in the SME segment, and this is expected to double by 2015.” Praveen Sengar, senior manager, enterprise computing research practice at IDC India, points out that IT investments from the Indian SME segment will be diversified in coming years. The smaller enterprises, Sengar says, will focus on basic infrastructure and automation, while midsize enterprises will look for applications such as enterprise resource management/planning, virtual private networks, video conferencing and security solutions.

Multiple Factors at Play

So why has the focus turned to Indian SMEs now? Multiple factors are at play. Indian SMEs are facing increased competition from both large Indian players and multinationals on their home turf. They’re also entering global markets, increasingly engaging in partnerships with multinationals and larger Indian players and becoming part of a globally integrated supply chain. All of these require them to beef up by way of processes, quality and productivity. “To be successful in an environment which necessitates interaction and competition with organizations that use IT extensively to run and drive their businesses, Indian SMEs have no choice but to adopt IT themselves,” says Kishan Bhat, engagement manager at Zinnov.

Government is another driver, through initiatives such as creating IT awareness among SMEs, facilitating technology upgrades by providing up-front capital subsidies, and partnering in programs such as the United Nations Industrial Development Organization’s cluster development program, which identifies and supports specific SME clusters that show significant growth potential on the basis of IT adoption.

Having identified SMEs as the driver of their future growth, IT vendors are striving to address them more effectively, whether setting up dedicated teams, creating specific products, building and strengthening channel networks, focusing on brand salience, or offering financing options. That no established market leaders exist in the segment makes the investment opportunity even more attractive.

Consider the products themselves. Earlier IT vendors typically had a “one size fits all” approach. At best they would take enterprise products, strip them of some features, and shrink them for SMEs. But that didn’t work because SMEs’ needs and expectations are very different from those of large enterprises.

According to Anand Sankaran, senior vice president and head of Wipro Infotech: “In large enterprises, IT is now used as a business driver, whereas SMEs use IT more as an enabler and to fix a business problem. The requirements therefore are very different.” Adds EMC’s Ohrie: “In storage, for instance, large enterprises have issues of scalability, headroom, interoperability, etc., whereas SMEs look for an easy, reliable and robust solution that can take care of their current needs.” Having realized this, IT players more than ever are introducing products specific to SMEs.

Channel Networks

The focus on building and strengthening networks of resellers and creating brand salience is critical because the SME segment is spread out geographically. The direct engagement used for high-value deals in large enterprises therefore is not scalable. To address SMEs effectively, IT vendors must change mindsets to chase smaller deals and to perfect channel networks.

Following the launch of its Vostro line for SMEs in mid-2007, Dell started building its channel network in India in April 2008 and now covers 150 cities. In November, Dell chose India to launch its “Take Your Own Path” advertising campaign. Featuring entrepreneurs including Raman Roy, CEO of Quattro BPO Solutions, and P. Rajendran, cofounder and chief operating officer of the NIIT Group, this is Dell’s first global advertising campaign for SMEs. As part of Dell’s recent global restructuring, Dell India has a separate division to address the SME segment.

Cisco has increased its channel presence three times in three years, and now has 900 resellers in more than 100 cities. To support them, Cisco has set up a dedicated team, the sales and marketing services organization (SMSO). Says Cisco’s Menon: “Most channel partners have no marketing arm and have no idea of business planning or how to deploy their resources effectively. Our SMSO is like an on-hire department for our select channel partners and equips them to be more effective.”

HP, which has addressed the Indian SME space for 20 years and has more than 1,500 partners in 260 cities, set up a program last year called the HP Presales Partner Community. The aim, explains Vikram, is to ensure that its partners can take a value-led approach, rather than a deal-led approach. “We want to ensure that our channel partners understand the complete environment in which the SMEs are operating,” Vikram says, “and are able to effectively communicate the business benefits of IT to them.”

Industry analysts see these as essential moves. Unlike the CIO of a large enterprise who has a clear IT road map, the SME customer typically doesn’t have internal IT expertise, and doesn’t fully know his own requirements. In most cases, the neighborhood reseller acts as the IT arm of the SME customer. Unless the reseller can fully understand the customer’s needs and effectively articulate the benefits of the IT solution, the customer won’t be able to perceive its full value.

This lack of value perception is one of the key roadblocks to SMEs’ IT adoption. Sahrawat, of Nasscom, notes: “The problem with the current IT deployment model is that it requires huge up-front costs without adequately demonstrating the benefits that will accrue from it.” S. Raghu, vice president, India and South Asia, for AMI Partners, says this is true even for the purchase of a basic PC. According to a recent AMI survey, 55% of small businesses view PCs as irrelevant to their business, and nearly a third haven’t even considered buying one. Only a third of small businesses use a PC, Raghu says.

Serving those who do see value in IT isn’t well-suited to the vendors. “Enterprise sales and business development teams cannot deliver on the needs and wants of SMEs. IT vendors need to create and nurture dedicated channel teams for this segment,” says Diptarup Chakraborti, principal research analyst for Gartner, a leading IT research and advisory firm.

S. Sadagopan, director of the International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore, offers another perspective. The biggest challenge for SMEs, he says, isn’t so much relevance or cost, but the complexity of IT. “For their large customers, IT vendors have account managers who manage the complexity and report to the CIOs. But small customers are left to fend for themselves. They feel completely lost.” Sadagopan adds it is imperative for IT vendors to work together and with intermediaries to develop an ecosystem that can remove complexity for SMEs.

Sadagopan expects that telecom players will play a critical role in coming years. “Thanks to cloud computing, I expect that telcos will partner with IT vendors to provide the last-mile connectivity and deliver IT services to the SMEs.”

Unlocking the Potential

Indeed, disruptive innovations in technology (cloud computing), delivery (Software as a Service, or SaaS) and revenue models (transaction, subscription-based, etc.) are expected to help unlock the potential in the SME segment as they reduce up-front costs and make deployment easier for customers.

Some beginnings are already visible. Microsoft, for instance, offers its enterprise resource planning (ERP) application to SMEs in the SaaS model. Says Srikant Rao, president and CEO of Affordable Business Solutions, Microsoft’s first partner for the SaaS model and a pioneer of the hosted-solutions model in India: “Our aim is to provide a complete turnkey solution to the customers at a fixed and affordable cost and to function as the IT consultants for them.” Rao believes that the economic slowdown will provide impetus to the hosted-solutions model among SMEs.

In line with this thinking, Wipro is piloting a project with Microsoft to deliver ERP software on an SaaS model for an auto parts supplier. Sankaran expects that the shared-services model for IT infrastructure and applications management that Wipro offers through its global service management center will find greater traction among SMEs. Yet he isn’t bullish about the SME segment for now. Noting that SMEs have been the hardest hit in the economic slowdown, he says: “Six to 12 months back I would have thumped the table, but given the current circumstances it is difficult to say.”

Others, however, see the slowdown as an opportunity to drive home the value of IT, provided that vendors take the required measures. According to Nasscom’s Sahrawat, IT vendors have typically fulfilled existing demand and not focused adequately on market creation. They also haven’t focused on adding value for SME customers. The slowdown, he says, is a great time for IT vendors to both create and articulate the value proposition of IT in the SME segment.

“While the SMEs have started deploying IT,” Sahrawat notes, “they have not yet fully intertwined IT in their processes. For the real benefit of IT usage to accrue, IT, like quality, must get intertwined with the processes.” Adds Sadagopan: “If IT is seen only as a cost then it will surely be hit in the current downturn, but if the customers can gain tangible value by adopting IT they will be willing to invest in it to gain competitive advantage.”

Economic Recovery: Are Happy Days Here Again?

Wall Street has just seen a two-month rally that included a whopping 39% rise from the recent rock-bottom prices on the Standard & Poor’s 500. In addition, during several consecutive weeks, new U.S. jobless claims have dropped. Even quarterly reports from the battered banking sector have given investors some optimism that the worst-case scenarios will not happen.

So does that mean the band can strike up “Happy Days Are Here Again” to herald the arrival of an economic recovery, and the end of America’s longest recession — now 18 months and counting — since the Great Depression of the 1930s? Most financial experts at Wharton and elsewhere insist that the much-talked about recovery is not here yet, despite some of the first hopeful data in months — and they remain concerned that the recovery will be weaker and take longer to gain momentum than past slowdowns.

“Things are still looking far from great, but they’re also looking not nearly as dismal as they did back in November, December and January,” says Francis X. Diebold, co-director of the Wharton Financial Institutions Center, who recently promulgated a new statistical tool for tracking economic recovery and decline. Diebold notes the U.S. could be in full recovery mode by the fourth quarter of this year if the current trend lines continue — but even he concedes that is a large “if.”

Indeed, a June 10 “Beige Book” report from the Federal Reserve Board said that economic conditions remained weak during mid-April through May. Conditions deteriorated in many regions of the country, the survey found, as commercial real estate and labor markets continued to struggle.

But if the recent mini-surge in the stock market isn’t definitive proof of a recovery, is there any way for the hard-hit classes — such as investors, consumers, home buyers — to know for certain that it is the right time to resume aggressive spending? And when this recovery comes, will it be an across-the-board bounce-back — or will some of the more hard-hit sectors like banks, U.S. automakers and the media continue to suffer for years to come, in a kind of industry-targeted Great Depression?

Several Wharton experts express fairly pessimistic views about the recovery — predicting that positive growth may not be here yet, and that even when it does arrive, it will probably take several years for employment rates to return to so-called normal levels. Even if the U.S. gross domestic product turns positive by the end of 2009, they note, the American economy will remain close to the bottom of the large trough that began in late 2007, with a long way to climb for jobs, home prices and other key economic indicators just to get back to where they were.

“Many of the underlying problems remain — and we still haven’t seen the worst in terms of consumer problems,” says Mauro Guillen, Wharton professor of international management and sociology and director of the Lauder Institute at Penn. He lists some of these problems as ongoing mortgage woes for U.S. homeowners — highlighted by the latest statistics showing about 12% are behind on their mortgages or in foreclosure — as well as a deepening crisis in consumer credit card debt, looming troubles for commercial real estate, and the ongoing issue of so-called “toxic assets” on the books of larger banks, which may continue to impede their ability to make the loans that would spur a recovery.

Structural Factors

Franklin Allen, a finance professor at Wharton and co-director of the Wharton Financial Institutions Center, has taken a fairly negative view throughout the current crisis. He argued earlier this year that some large U.S. banks might have to be nationalized before any serious economic rebound could begin. So, it should not come as a surprise that Allen does not now believe that recovery is at hand, or that it will be widespread.

“I think this [financial crisis] will be a watershed event that will change many things going forward,” Allen says. He is especially concerned about the issue of structural joblessness; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that some 27% of the nation’s 12.5 million unemployed workers have been without a job for more than six months, a record-high rate. “The real problem is that long-term unemployment is going up dramatically,” Allen says. “Unfortunately, many people in their late forties and early fifties may never get jobs again.”

The problem, according to Allen’s perspective, is that some sectors of the economy face large structural obstacles for regaining jobs even when the leading economic indicators turn positive. This is particularly true in industries that are losing out to newer technologies — such as America’s hard-hit newspapers — or manufacturing, the sector where the job losses have been heaviest since 2007.

Allen predicts that “the auto sector will shrink substantially — fewer workers, fewer dealers at least for the domestic auto companies. There is likely to be an expansion of Toyota and Honda production in the U.S. which may offset this to some extent.”

More broadly, Allen believes that the housing and other property markets must show signs of stabilization before the economic recovery can truly be considered underway. He says the recent surge on Wall Street should not be ignored but that the rally seems to be a bit “short-sighted.”

Jobs and Joblessness

One indicator that economists find problematic is unemployment. The U.S. jobless rate for May has reached 9.4%, the highest in a generation, and experts say that hiring typically lags well behind the earliest rumblings of a recovery, such as an increase in consumer confidence. That is because some companies are still reluctant to lay off people during the depths of the downturn — retaining what Wharton professor of finance Nicholas Souleles calls an “overhang” of extra employees.

“Some firms still have this overhang, so they might be slow to add new workers — especially if they’re uncertain what the strength of the economic recovery might be,” Souleles says. Edmund Phelps, a Nobel Prize-winning economist at Columbia University, recently predicted that the so-called “natural unemployment rate,” which has been about 5.5%, could rise to 6.5% or even 7% in the wake of the meltdown.

In addition to lagging joblessness, economists say the nature of this credit crunch appears to have brought on a sea change in the core habits of American consumer, whose spending — fueled by an increase in credit card and home equity debt — has driven an increasingly large proportion of U.S. economic growth since the 1980s. Now, many Americans are cutting back on debt and building up their savings accounts, if they can. The personal savings rate, which averaged 0.9% from 2004 through 2007, has climbed to 4.2%.

“The savings rate has been driven down so low, because people have been able to borrow against their houses, or they have a lot of stock appreciation, and people didn’t need to do as much in the savings department,” Guillen says. “Now they are acknowledging that these have reversed.” However, the problem with the virtue of savings is that the reduced consumer spending that comes with it can put downward pressure on economic output and growth, which continues to slow the pace of new hiring.

Despite these worrisome trends, some economists — even those who predicted financial gloom a couple of years ago — are seeing a few early signs of optimism. A recent survey of 45 professional forecasters released by the National Association of Business Economists showed that three-quarters of them predicted that the economic recovery would be underway by the late summer or early fall, and none expects the recession to last later than the early months of 2010. Princeton’s economist and recent Nobel laureate Paul Krugman says the world economy “averted utter catastrophe” but that the road to recovery will be slow and laced with lingering pain.

Nouriel Roubini, the New York University economist some called “Dr. Doom” because of his earlier forecasts, cautioned recently that that there is “too much optimism,” and that lingering issues with credit and housing will weaken the recovery when it does occur.

Aruoba-Diebold-Scotti Index

The difficulty in finding a simpler formula to track overall economic performance is what drove Wharton’s Diebold and his colleagues to develop what they call the Aruoba-Diebold-Scotti business conditions index. It seeks to use a blend of statistics — weekly initial jobless claims, monthly payrolls, industrial production, personal income data, manufacturing and trade sales; and quarterly real GDP figures, as well as stock prices and other volatile financial data — to provide economists with a snapshot of where the economy is in real time.

What the index shows for the last 18 months is that a bottom has been reached twice so far — once in September of 2008 (although Diebold says the number was skewed somewhat by seasonal job losses from hurricanes) and again this January. Since then, the index is on a sharp upward trend, although there is still a long way before the index reaches positive territory, which would signal a sustained recovery.

Diebold says that “just eyeballing [the index], it might look like by the end of the year, maybe November or December,” that the index will cross into positive territory. The problem, of course, is that economic activity rarely moves in a straight line; for example, investors were just recently dismayed when U.S. retail sales did not hold their gains from late winter and early spring. Diebold says it’s quite possible the positive economic trends could “shift into neutral” for a time, pushing back the recovery until 2010.

One issue that economists have been worrying about recently is whether interest rates will rise — in response to rising government debt to finance economic stimulus programs, bank bailouts and general overspending — and how much that might hamper the recovery before it gets very far off the ground. The yield on U.S. government bonds rose to the highest levels in six months near the end of May, largely driven by worries over government borrowing.

“There will be difficulties in getting a triumphant return to 4% or 5% rate of growth in the GDP with low inflation — that will be hard because the banks cannot lend and it will be hard because the government will ultimately raise interest rates because of inflation,” Guillen says. And he is very concerned that a sharp rise in interest rates will clip the wings of the incipient recovery before it takes flight.

Are Consumers Confident?

Of course, the ongoing signs of economic distress and gloomy forecasts from economists create another problem, which is that the real recovery cannot happen unless both rank-and-file consumers and business executives regain confidence to spend money again. Indeed, consumer confidence did rise sharply in May: The Conference Board says its index jumped to 54.9 from 40.8 in April. Experts say that both confidence and gloom about the economy among consumers will affect spending habits.

Sigal Barsade, a professor of management at Wharton, is a leader in research on social contagion. Just as her work has shown that people who are surrounded by smiling, cheerful people become happier themselves, she says that optimism about the economy, from the workplace to the mall, can also be contagious. Barsade notes that researchers have even found that the mere sight of an active infrastructure construction project — such as the kind that are now beginning under the $787 billion economic stimulus plan enacted by President Barack Obama — can cause consumers to become more optimistic and thus more willing to spend money themselves.

“I think people can only spend so much time feeling despair and this is where the emotional part comes in,” Barsade says. “We’re motivated to go from pain to pleasure.”

The problem, according to some economic experts, is that while consumers and business leaders are anxious for any hopeful signs of a recovery, the upbeat psychology will not last if banks are not lending money or if consumers continue their recent focus on paying down debts and saving rather than on shopping. Wharton faculty say that economic downturns that are triggered not by the conventional business cycle but by a financial crisis — as was also the case in the Great Depression of the 1930s — tend to have much slower and more shallow recoveries. Guillen argues that the nature of the banking crisis — with the billions of dollars lost or tied up in mortgage-backed securities and other troubled assets — makes this recession fairly unique.

“In the last 70 years, we’ve had seven recessions — but none of them came this way, with the kind of Third World banking that used to happen in Latin America or in Asia,” Guillen says bluntly. “We have a financial system that is very sick because of the decisions that were made, that consumers went along with and China went along with. That makes it a difficult situation to fix.”

Most economic experts stress that the recovery — regardless of whether it begins by the end of this summer or is deferred until early next year — is merely the start of a very long process to return employment, housing prices and other indicators of economic health back to 2007 levels, and then beyond.

“GDP growth is measured quarter to quarter,” Souleles says. “If there is growth, we will still be well below where we were when the recession started. And we will probably be below that trend line for a long time.”

Why Companies See Bright Prospects in Rural India?

By M H Ahssan

In late May, when India’s GDP numbers were released, many were happily surprised. In the fourth quarter of the fiscal year (January-March 2009), the economy grew 5.8% against expectations of less than 5%. For the year, growth was 6.7%, less than the 9% recorded in 2007-2008, but still very respectable during a global downturn. Multinational banks and brokerage houses rushed back to their spreadsheets to raise their growth forecasts for 2009-2010.

But why were the estimates so pessimistic in the first place? A possible explanation is that most analysts work in cities, and their views are colored by what is happening around them and in the corporate world. That picture has been bleak: During the last quarter of 2008-2009, manufacturing shrank 1.4%. In contrast, agriculture grew 2.7%. The feel-good factor in urban India is returning only now with a new, stable government and a sharp jump in the Bombay Stock Exchange Sensitive Index (Sensex).

In the villages and small towns, it has been a very different picture. “The rural market is insulated from the global meltdown,” says Harish Bijoor, CEO of brand and business strategy consultants Harish Bijoor Consults. “The rural part of our economy has been untouched by credit cards and mortgages as known in the West.”

“The slowdown experienced by India on account of the IT (information technology), real estate, financial services and automobile sectors was an urban phenomenon,” says Ajay Gupta, founder and CEO of ruralnaukri.com, which focuses on jobs in the rural sector. (See “ruralnaukri.com’s Ajay Gupta: ‘Rural Jobs Can Provide Momentum to the Wheel of the Economy’”). “However, the negative impact of all this on urban India has been more than offset by encouraging performance in rural areas. The rural economy has provided a cushion. Overall sentiment in the country was different from other parts of the world where each household had at least one person with a pink slip.”

“Several factors have led to an increase in rural purchasing power,” says Pankaj Gupta, practice head, consumer & retail, Tata Strategic Management Group. “The increase in procurement prices [the government sets the minimum support price -- MSP -- for many farm products] has contributed to a rise in rural demand. A series of good harvests on the back of several good monsoons boosted rural employment in agricultural and allied activities. Government schemes like NREGS [National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, which guarantees 100 days of employment to one member of every rural household] reduced rural underemployment and raised wages. Also, farmers benefited from loan waivers [introduced in the last Union Budget]. The increase in rural purchasing power is reflected in rural growth across a number of categories. For example, in the financial year 2009 [April-March], FMCG [fast moving consumer goods] rural volume growth is estimated to be 5% to 12% higher than urban growth across a number of categories.”

A Short-lived Renaissance?
Some academics agree with these upbeat views of a rural resurgence. “Policy measures like the waiver of agricultural loans to the tune of US$13.9 billion and the NREGS have really put cheer into the rural economy,” says Devi Singh, director of the Indian institute of Management Lucknow (IIML). “The Bharat Nirman program with an outlay of US$34.84 billion for improving rural infrastructure is another step that has helped the rural economy. To some extent, the growth of organized retail can also be held responsible for the rural economy’s growth, as this has ensured that farmers get a better price for agricultural produce. The MSP set by the government has been rising further, fuelling rural growth by putting more money into the hands of the rural population.”

Singh adds a caveat, however. “While the statement that the Indian economy has been saved from the slowdown due to rural growth is true to a certain extent, this is not the only factor,” he says. “India’s growth has been fuelled more by domestic demand than exports. Also Indian spending and saving habits differ from other parts of the world. Indians by their very nature always save for their future and this holds them in good stead during times of crisis. The Indian buyer is more finance conscious than his global peer. The Indian banking system, due to the so-called non-reforms, is actually more resilient and the level of delinquencies is far lower than in other parts of the world.”

Some observers are skeptical about the durability of rural demand. “There is a worrying groundswell of optimism that rural consumers will come to the rescue of an Indian economy which is in the midst of a sharp slowdown. This optimism may be misplaced,” suggest consumer behavior expert Rama Bijapurkar and Rajesh Shukla, a senior fellow at the National Council for Applied Economic Research. Writing in business daily Mint, they continue: “Hearing phrases such as ‘rural renaissance’ or ‘rural India to the rescue’ makes us nervous. Such talk bears overtones of the ‘Great Indian Middle Class’ story of the 1990s, where we declared victory at least a decade before we should have.” Their question: How sustainable, stable and volatility-free is the growth in income and consumption?

Bijapurkar and Shukla note that “periodically, India has seen a consumption spurt because of a one-time burst of a combination of events. This recent spurt seems no different. Over the past four years, the monsoon has been good; the support prices for crops have grown at 10% to 15% CAGR [compounded annual growth rate] in 2005-2008 compared with 2.5% to 4% in 2002-2005. In addition to a healthy flow of farm credit, there has been a one-time loan write-off of US$13.9 billion as well as a sizeable cash outlay from the NREGS. This doesn’t show intrinsic growth in rural India: This growth is, instead, owing to a combination of acts of God and acts of government. What we must never do is make the same mistake with rural India that Western multinationals make with India as a whole — assume that it will evolve the same way with a 10-year lag. The rural Indian market and consumer call for sophisticated new marketing strategies and paradigms, not a transplant of old ideas.”

What Rural Means
Even as this debate continues, the term “rural” is being re-defined. “‘Rural’ is difficult to define any more,” says Bijoor of Bijoor Consults. “Typically, from an Indian census point of view, rural has been defined with a ‘deprivation’ orientation, rural being a landmass without access to continuous electricity, water, the stock market. There has been a correction in this view, however. Marketers today define rural as people living a different lifestyle as opposed to that of those who have settled in the bigger cities and towns. Rural is defined as pastoral in nature and as a mass of people who relate their income closely to the lands they till or use to raise their cattle and livestock. I, personally, define rural differently. I believe rural is a mindset. Those who possess it are rural and those who do not are urban. To that extent, in Bangalore city, just off the old airport road, are a whole set of people who live by farming on their lands. If you visit their homes, their lifestyles are totally rural. Similarly, there are people who live in villages, who have access to the best of it all. These are urban folk. Rural is not a geography; it is a mindset.”

“Definitions for rural India abound while the most convenient remains, ‘anything that is not urban’,” says Gupta of ruralnaukri.com. Singh of IIML adds: “Rural India comprises all places that are not urban.” This definition by exclusion for what is the much larger part of the country has its roots in the government’s own approach. “The Census of India defines urban India,” says Gupta of TSMG. “Urban India constitutes places with a population of more than 5,000, a population density above 400 per square kilometer, all statutory towns, that is, all places with a municipal corporation, municipal board, cantonment board, notified area council, etc. and with 75% of the male working population engaged in non-agricultural employment. All non-urban is rural.”

Such definitions leave marketers cold. “The traditional definition of rural may be of little use to marketers in terms of providing consumer insights,” says S. Ramesh Kumar, professor of marketing at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB). “Given the diversity of culture and lifestyle/aspirational changes that are taking place across non-metro consumers, the non-metro areas need to be segmented into tiers of varying urban orientation using psychographic and lifestyle analysis along with demographics. The digital 1 or 0 type of urban and rural definitions is unlikely to yield consumer behavior nuances. For example, district headquarters [towns] in Tamil Nadu are likely to be significantly different from those in Karnataka or Maharashtra.”

Many others agree that census-style definitions are no longer enough. “My understanding of rural India is a less developed countryside where the infrastructure is primitive, houses are of mud or brick but rarely painted well, the primary source of livelihood is agriculture, employment opportunities in the organized sector are negligible, eating choices are restricted to home-cooked, simple food, schools are far away, health facilities are rudimentary and — importantly — the youth, while energetic and ambitious, are to be seen playing cards the whole day,” says Gupta of ruralnaukri.com.

“We recognize rural India by certain characteristics,” says B.N. Garudachar, general manager, corporate communication and investor relations at Voltas, a Tata group company in air-conditioning and engineering services. “These are: low population numbers, low median income, poor infrastructure [roads, electricity, communications], and agrarian rather than industrial activity. Such rural areas are within the sphere of influence of neighboring cities and metros. This influence determines their aspiration levels and their viability as markets.”

Massive Market
View it as you may, few people dispute that the rural market is massive. According to Singh, 12.2% of the world’s consumers live in India. “Rural households form 72% of the total households. This puts the rural market at roughly 720 million customers.” Gupta of TSMG extrapolates the Census 2001 numbers and comes up with an estimate of 790 million. “Total income in rural India (about 43% of total national income) is expected to increase from around US$220 billion in 2004-2005 to US$425 billion by 2010-2011, a CAGR of 12%,” he says.

Bijoor explains that this is entirely disposable income unlike what it would be in urban India. “If a farmer in rural Holenarsipura earns US$1, all of it is his to dispose off as he pleases. The same income in the hands of an urban person, who is possibly a tech worker, is actually not US$1 of disposable income. It is most likely 67 cents; the rest goes as tax. The farm economy, with zero-tax on farm income, creates far more disposable income. Buying power in the hands of the rural rich is higher than the buying power of the urban rich.”

Gupta of ruralnaukri.com provides some telling statistics. “The purchasing power of rural India is more than half for fast moving consumer goods [US$17 billion],” he says. “The durables and automobile sectors contribute US$2.5 billion each, and agri-inputs (including tractors) about US$1 billion. Some 42 million rural households [use] banking services against 27 million urban households. There are 41 million Kisan credit cardholders [credit cards issued to farmers for purchase of agricultural goods] against some 22 million card users in urban markets. Be it automobile, telecom, insurance, retail, real estate or banking, the future drivers of growth are rural. No marketer can afford to ignore the possibilities of rural India.”

Bijoor adds some growth numbers. “Our rural folk have bought a lot more of FMCG; this part of the market has grown at a robust rate of 23% [last year],” he says. “As durables shrink in urban India, the rural market is witnessing a 15% growth rate. Some 60% of the durables market lies in rural India. Telecom in rural India is growing at 31%.” It depends on the product, of course. “Just the sheer population numbers don’t mean very much from a marketing point of view,” says Garudachar of Voltas.

Across product categories, however, there seems to be a lot of action. Media — particularly TV — has been a great leveler. Even in small villages, people who have seen the urban lifestyle on television seem to want similar goods and services. Companies have realized this and are going all out to tap this latent demand.

Consider some examples:
The State Bank of India (SBI) has started a zero-balance bank account program for villagers. Called the SBI Tiny account, there are no physical branches or officials, just a paid volunteer who is equipped with a small box and a cellphone. The box enables biometric measurements (fingerprints), at the time of opening the account to confirm the account holder’s identity. The cellphone enables communication with the zonal office to check on available balance. Payments under programs such as the NREGS and pensions are made directly to these accounts. The advantage for the villagers is that they can withdraw money from their accounts at any time of the day or night. (Withdrawals are never more than a few dollars.) SBI hopes to cover 100,000 villages by 2012. The bank has tied up with India Post for some services.

India Post, the public sector postal network, has its own plans. It has been hard hit in urban areas because of the more efficient (though more expensive) private sector courier services. Now it is looking at consolidating its hold on the rural areas. Project Arrow has been launched to IT-enable post offices in the hinterland. A pilot project involving 500 post offices — the country has more than 150,000 — has been kicked off. It will focus on banking, money remittance, and transmission and delivery of information.

Products for Rural Markets
Maruti Suzuki, India’s leading automobile manufacturer, today sells 5% of its vehicles in the rural markets. The company expects this number to rise to 15% in the next two years. “This is not just our wish, but reflects market demand,” says director (marketing & sales) Shuji Oishi.

In telecom, service providers are making a beeline for the villages. That’s where the growth in what is now the world’s fastest growing mobile market lies. According to industry estimates, 70% of all new subscribers will come from rural areas. (See NTT DoCoMo’s Tata Deal: Why Global Telecom Firms Want to Dial India.)

Mobile device manufacturers are also tailoring their products to this market. Nokia had earlier launched a basic handset with a torch (large parts of rural India don’t have electricity) and an alarm clock. (see How Did Nokia Succeed in the Indian Mobile Market, While Its Rivals Got Hung Up?) In December 2008, it went one step further with the launch of Nokia Life Tools. “Nokia Life Tools is a range of agriculture, education and entertainment services designed especially for the consumers in small towns and rural areas of emerging markets,” says the company. “Aimed at providing timely and relevant information customized to the user’s location and personal preferences directly on their mobile devices, Nokia Life Tools is the first step towards bridging the digital divide.”

The mobile phone is a new-age product; gold jewelry is as old as the hills. Here, too, there has been a rural move. According to World Gold Council figures, 60% of India’s US$15 billion annual consumption of gold and gold jewelry is from rural and semi-urban areas. The Tatas have launched a mass-market jewelry brand — GoldPlus. The Tatas train unemployed youth and send them to the villages as brand ambassadors. The problem with gold in India is that it is often adulterated. In rural areas, gold jewelry is not for ornamentation; it is a safety net for emergency situations. Thus, the Tata seal of good housekeeping is taking the brand places. “GoldPlus is an interesting example of the brand addressing the non-metro jewelry culture with its ethnic touch with regard to its designs and retailing,” says Ramesh Kumar of IIMB.

“There is substantial scope to create products that are oriented towards non-urban sectors,” notes Kumar. “These can be in terms of functional appeal or cultural aspects or both. Chik shampoo created the jasmine variant [in tune with the culture of women using jasmine flowers to style their hair in a few parts of the country]. TVS mopeds created functional value in tune with the ‘all purpose’ vehicle culture existing in several parts of the non-metro areas. Philips is moving forward with the creation of gas stoves and lanterns that will be useful to such markets.”

Singh of IIML talks about pricing successes: The Chik shampoo sachets sells for 2 cents, the Parle G Tikki biscuit packs at 4 cents and the Coca-Cola 200 ml glass bottle for 10 cents. Singh notes that successes in rural areas can be transplanted to urban areas also. “The shampoo in sachets created a new product segment,” he says. “All shampoo manufacturers today retail in sachets, and the demand from urban India for this category is very strong.”

The sachet is as much a packaging (product) strategy as a price strategy. But, asks Garudachar of Voltas, have companies done enough about the core product? The shampoo sachet is a case in point. “Villages in India have hard water,” he says. “But the shampoo that you get in sachets sold in villages is the same that you get in towns. Manufacturers should have tailored the products to suit the environment.”

It doesn’t apply across the board, of course, particularly as manufacturers have moved away from the mindset that along with cutting price, you can cut quality. “Product re-engineering was an issue five years ago,” says Bijoor. “I do not believe this is an issue at all today. The quality on offer needs to be the same all over. One company tried to pass off inferior quality tea leaves in rural markets and superior quality grades for urban markets under the same brandname. This fell flat.”

But re-engineering is necessary in a different sense. According to Bijoor, “Companies are realizing that the urban and rural want is largely the same. However, the rural person is savvier and demands real value for money. To offer this, marketers are re-engineering products. Look at the auto segment. The urban man wants a car as does the rural man. Both have the same amount of money. The rural person, however, believes spending US$12,000 on a car is a sin. He wants it at US$3,000. The Nano is a solution. Every category needs to operate on the Nano paradigm. The needs are all the same, across rural and urban. The solutions have to be different.”

Distribution and promotional channels also need to be different for rural markets. Companies are getting their act together here, too. Private sector companies like ITC have set up the IT-enabled eChoupal network, and Hindustan Unilever has project Shakti, under which women’s self-help groups act as the last link of the retail chain. (See Marketing to Rural India: Making the Ends Meet.) As mentioned earlier, India Post wants to convert itself into a retail chain for a variety of products. Even fair-price shops, which form part of the government’s rationing system, are trying to expand beyond supplying just basic foods like rice and wheat.

In the area of promotion, television has invaded rural India. TV reaches even very small villages through community sets. But advertising on national channels is wasteful if you are trying to target rural areas. Garudachar of Voltas says his company is trying to sell air conditioners to the rural rich. “Difficulties in penetration are due to the widespread and scattered nature of the territory,” he says. “At one time, basic conservatism and diehard thrift would also have been factors, but exposure to TV has changed all that, and created aspirations where once there was resistance to change.”

From Four P’s to Four A’s
Gupta of TSMG notes that the traditional four P’s of marketing — product, price, place and promotion, as outlined above — have been replaced by a different framework for analysis. “A number of companies have worked on various elements of the marketing mix to improve the four A’s — affordability, awareness, availability and acceptability — for rural markets,” he says. “FMCG companies innovated on package sizes to introduce low price points. They have customized promotional strategies for rural markets using local language and talent. Some FMCG players continue to expand rural penetration [HUL's Project Shakti, Tata Tea's Gaon Chalo]. Coca-Cola’s Parivartan program has trained more than 6,000 retailers to display and stock products. Dabur has created a training module ASTRA [advanced sales training for retail ascendance] in several regional languages. A number of auto companies have launched rural-specific campaigns.”

Gupta of ruralnaukri.com offers more examples:

Affordability — Godrej introduced three brands of Cinthol, Fair Glow and Godrej (soap) in 50-gram packs, priced at 10 cents; Adidas and Reebok increased their sales by 50% in rural markets by reducing prices.

Size and design changes — Videocon introduced a washing machine without a drier for US$60; Philips launched a low-cost smokeless chulha (stove); DCM Shriram developed a low-cost water purifier especially for rural areas.

Improving product acceptance — LG Electronics developed a customized TV (cheap and capable of picking up low-intensity signals) for the rural markets and christened it Sampoorna. It sold 100,000 sets in the first year; Coca-Cola provided low-cost iceboxes as regular power outages meant families could not depend on refrigerators.
Perhaps the ultimate sign that rural India has arrived is in the allocation of talent. “In the old days, the weakest people in organizations, the ones without a star career path, held the reins of the rural marketing divisions,” says Bijoor. “Today, things have changed. Sharper and sharper brains from within the organization are being diverted to rural strategy formulation.” When the whiz kids go to villages, you know the cows have come home.

World Elders Day – October 1 – The change has to start at your home

By Jayashankar VS

Nowadays we have different days dedicated for every one and everything in our lives! We have Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Elders Day and even a day for cheesecakes! Strange! Superficially it is a bit weird to celebrate these days in a year but take a closer look. These days can be good reasons to smile, share and enjoy. But is that all? Or do these days convey a deeper significance? I believe so. Let us see an example. The World Elders Day is celebrated in India on October 1 every year. Traditionally, this day is held to honour the elders, give gifts, talk and spend quality time with them. In a nutshell, do everything to make them feel happy! But hey! Think again! Shouldn’t we be doing this to our elders all through their lifetimes? Well, that’s the whole point! It is like eating, and earning money! The only requirement is our willingness.

Why World Elders Day?
Let us put into perspective the need for a separate day like World Elders Day. There is one simple reason: if you are one of those few already taking good care of your elders at home then this day could be spent to reiterate your pledge to continue to do your best, or probably look back to check if you have done enough or make amends. And if you are one of those looking for some reason to start, then this day could be the day!

To begin with, do we celebrate World Elders Day at our homes?
The World Elders Day has a dubious distinction! Today, it is nothing but sheer pain to see that this Day which ought to have been celebrated inside our homes with our elders is celebrated more outside in old age and destitute homes. The reason: today there is an increasing impatience among young men and women and this has forced many elders, willingly or unwillingly, to move into homes for the aged. Frankly speaking either way we are committing the heinous crime of forcing out someone who spent his entire lifetime for us. It may sound clichéd yet it is a fact.

Where are we going wrong?
All of us know that we will be elders one day and join the ever increasing percentage of elderly citizens in the world’s population! And yet some of us continue to show gross indifference and disrespect to our elders in our own families and in the society! Each of us might have countless reasons, logics and excuses for this transgression but I guess this could be due to a combination of many problems. Let us try to put into a right perspective these various problems and what we could do to keep our elders happy.

Psychiatrists believe that fulfilling the physical, psychological and emotional needs of elders is the key to keep them healthy and happy. Intentional or unintentional neglect, impudence and maltreatment inside the families and in the society often lead to high levels of stress among elders. This in turn could lead to various physical ailments, psychological and emotional disorders and even cause death in some cases.

Experts say that elders are like children. Just like little babies, the moods of the elders swing, sometimes too quickly not allowing us enough time to grasp. But with a little effort and time we can make a difference! Again, willingness holds the key. Elders need attention at homes and if we don’t give it, they start demanding it. When the elders begin to feel they are neglected, they adopt ways to attract this attention from us which may be totally or partially raw, and at times irritating. Mental agitation, restlessness, falling sick often, nausea, vomiting and even suicide attempts could be just reactions to this neglect by family members. Immediate medical care, physical and psychological alone may not be enough. It is better to pause and ask us this question: What did I do to be here? Most often the answer will be neglect, intentional or unintentional. Remember, elders need attention.

What is ‘attention’?
Attention to our elders does not mean providing only basic amenities like a place to stay, food to eat, some money and new clothes during occasions. Most of us pat ourselves for providing these to our elders at home and expect them to appreciate it and if not at least stop complaining and save us the embarrassment! Unfortunately, we fail to fulfil their most logical and humane expectation of spending quality time with them. It doesn’t mean that we spend hours together with them; it only means that we find a few minutes of quality time for a heart-to-heart talk with them. In some cases, as psychiatrists point out, even certain things done inadvertently could strain relationships.

As suggested, spend a few minutes daily to talk to them. Do not take them for granted. Find out their interests, their requirements, and their concerns. Show respect to their feelings and consult them on important issues. Make them feel important. It is the only viable solution. It is an unassailable fact that we will also face aging! One day we will be elders too. Let us put ourselves into their shoes and ask us this: Will I be truly happy if my son or daughter provides only amenities but avoid talking to me?

Remember, by helping our elders stay physically fit and mentally happy, we are only helping ourselves and our future. Psychiatrists claim that our children who constantly witness how we treat our parents tend to repeat it when we get older. If we fail to give proper care and respect to our elders at home now we will get the same ugly treatment from our children later on in our lives!

Government too has a role to play in keeping elders happy
During the World Elders Day celebrations, the elders take to the roads to highlight their problems and submit petitions to the authorities concerned for alleviation of their difficulties. The Government too is duty bound to fulfil the logical demands of the elders in the society.

Take for instance the healthcare and health insurance for senior citizens in India. There is a huge void that needs to be fast filled up as far as the standards of healthcare and the rising health insurance costs for elders is concerned. Elder abuse is another issue the Government should take care. Elder abuse can take many forms and could even prove fatal. It is high time the Government of India speed up the effective implementation of the comprehensive policy for older persons it announced in 1999 to help and support older persons in India.

As always said, everyone has to face aging. One day you will be an elder too and you wouldn’t want your son or daughter to ignore you! Would you? Let us pledge to make a difference on the World Elders Day on October 1. Let us work towards bringing the much needed change, right at your home, right now.

No significant development in Hyderabad Real Estate Market

By Prakash Varanasi

Hyderabad Real Estate Outlook
Based on our interactions with the key market players in Hyderabad, the residential segment of Hyderabad real estate market is likely to recover by the third quarter of FY 2010.

Major residential property launches in FY 2009
In FY 2009, Hyderabad has seen significant investments into the residential real estate market from local players, national and international majors across various segments of the market including premium luxury, premium, affordable and low cost housing.

National real estate companies
In FY 2009 national real estate companies have launched the following large projects in the residential market of Hyderabad.

• Lodha Group has launched its premium luxury apartments named Lodha Bellezza at Eden Square – Kukatpally.
• DLF has launched its project – Lake District – The Summit at Kokapet in the affordable housing segment.
• Mantri Group has launched its Celestia a residential and commercial project near the financial district Gachibowli in the affordable housing segment.

Local real estate companies
Leading market players such as Indu Projects, Janapriya, Prajay, Aditya Constructions, Bharat, Ramky, Nagarjuna, PBEL, Sree Srinivasa, Sri Aditya homes, SMR Holdings, and others have launched many new large projects in FY 2009 across various segments of the market, while other major such as Aparna, Aliens, Jain. L&T and others have been executing their large projects.

Market size in FY 2009 has shrunk
In the last two quarters of FY 2009, residential property transactions have come to virtual standstill and have affected players across the Hyderabad market. We estimate that the market size for residential property in FY 2009 to have shrunk by about 60% as compared to FY 2008.

Builders going slow
Leading developers in the city have gone slow on their projects and have prioritized on a few projects due to tight liquidity and working capital issues. While large luxury segment builders such as Lanco are now building only 13 residential towers as against the stated 26 towers in their sales prospectus due slackening demand, others large builders have either postponed their construction activities by a few quarters, restructured their projects or have scrapped the projects altogether.

No significant unsold inventory
Most Local builders in Hyderabad use the JV route to build projects, while large local builders and national players buy land and build projects. In Hyderabad, builders presently do not have any significant unsold inventory of completely build projects. However, many of the projects which lie unsold are projects under execution and are likely to be delivered in the next two years or projects which have been announced and are still under the foundation stage.

Builders under stress to raise capital
Many Hyderabad builders have raised significant capital from VC, PE funds in the period between FY 2006 to FY2009. In most cases, valuation of projects has been very high and VC/PE funds today are stuck with the stock of unlisted companies/SPV vehicles, whose value has declined significantly. With bank credit tough to get in FY 2009, builders have raised capital by selling assets, tapping high net worth individuals, while few have raised capital from foreign friends and investors.

QIP route for Hyderabad builders – ruled out
With very few listed real estate firms in Hyderabad, raising capital through today’s favorite instrument qualified institutional placement (QIP) route for Hyderabad firms might be ruled out. With many builders/companies under stress, vulture funds/high net worth Individuals are on a look out for distressed asset sale.

Changing focus of builders
The focus of builder’s upto the first two quarters of FY 2009 has been on the premium luxury and luxury segment of the market. The market has changed by third quarter of FY 2009 and builders have realized that the market for premium segment has reached a dead end and have gone back to their drawing boards to launch new projects targeting the affordable segment of the market. DLF, which was one of the early entrants to tap the affordable housing market in Hyderabad, has managed to book more than 120 apartments as on April 2009, despite tough market conditions.

Residential Prices – Hyderabad – An analysis
Even in difficult market conditions, builders in Hyderabad have launched new projects in FY 2010. A few large projects launched include:

• Botanika by Koncept Ambience. – A premium luxury segment project near Botanical Gardens in Kondapur.
• Rainbow Vistas launched by Cybercity Builders & Developers Pvt Ltd and Ashoka Developers & Builders Ltd in the affordable housing segment of the market near Kukatpally.

FY 2010 Outlook: Pricing pressure on residential real estate is expected continue, while demand likely to firm up. Residential transactions improving: Builders are witnessing significant enquiries in Hyderabad after the new government formation at both the state and centre. After a long lull, in the month of May 2009, builders have been able to sell properties at new price points in the market for both affordable housing, villas and premium housing. Builders, who have offered value deals to customers, have been able to report best sales in the last few weeks.

Bank Lending rates – To dip further: While RBI has announced sweeping cuts in repo and reverse repo rates in the last two quarters, banks have been reluctant to cut their Prime Lending Rates (PLR) and have been lending to new customers at below PLR rates, while existing customers have been paying at PLR rates. With the likelihood of a further rate cuts by RBI in June 2009, home loan rates are like to soften by a further 50 basis points.

IT Outlook – Uncertain: The outlook for IT sector in FY 2010 and 2011 still remains uncertain on account of global recession and many IT customers who want to buy property are hesitating in view of the difficult market conditions and watch the market developments keenly.

Market Outlook: Industry players in Hyderabad hope for a revival of the market in FY 2010 on account of stable outlook for the Indian economy with a projected GDP of 6%. Likely recovery of the US economy, revival of global markets, stimulus packages to the real estate sector by both state and central governments and finally the likelihood of Telangana issue to be on the backburner for another five years are the other factors which might aid the revival of the market. As of May last week 2009, property prices across Hyderabad in the last one year have corrected by more than 25-35% and today are at December 2007 levels. With declining prices, demand is reviving slowly and is expected to firm up from the third quarter of FY 2010.

Promoting Peace Through Tourism: Role of Cooperatives

By Sanjay Kumar Verma

India Marching Ahead
In the recent years India has emerged as a major global power. India’s economic reforms have made the Indian economy as vibrant as ever. A conducive climate for foreign investment has been created. Indian democracy despite its contradictions has given the nation political stability which has no doubt strengthened the country’s developmental plank. However, despite all this India has been straggling with peace as the problems of poverty, unemployment, environmental degradation, social inequalities, insurgency, etc. continue to plague the nation. The strategies formulated to tackle these problems have not paid full dividends. Tourism as an effective strategy to promote peace has not been discussed or debated despite tourism sector remaining in prominence in the recent years.

Boost to Tourism
The economic liberalization in India has given a big push to Indian tourism. Tourism is today projected as an engine of economic growth and an instrument for eliminating poverty, curbing unemployment problems, opening up new fields of activity and the upliftment of downtrodden sections of society. New opportunities are being tapped to promote eco, adventure, rural, postage, wildlife and health and herbal including medical tourism. With the increasing number of foreign tourists coming to India every year and domestic tourism gaining popularity, public and private sector bodies are actively involved in promoting tourism in the country.

The international and regional dimensions of tourism are also getting due recognition. For example, travel links leading to establishing people-to-people contacts between India and Pakistan are given prime importance. As a result of this, tourism has been instrumental in softening the relations between India and Pakistan leading to peace.

Peace Through Tourism
At a time when tourism initiatives have gained momentum in India, the situation is ripe for popularizing the concept of “Peace Through Tourism” in a big way through strong advocacy and practical action. Tourism as a strategy to promote peace by solving the problems of poverty, unemployment, etc. can succeed if effective inter-linkages are established between “tourism initiatives” and “peace”, and appropriate action plans are devised accordingly. India has strong community and democratic ethos. Community-based initiatives based on people’s participation have been quite effective in India in solving the socio-economic problems of the people.

They have also been successful in building up strong collaborations based on people’s efforts which have led to creation of a peaceful and cordial atmosphere. In fact, the peaceful under-currents of Indian democracy are evident in the working of community-based ventures. Limitations of the centralized form of planning have compelled the policy-makers to pin their faiths on such people-based ventures. The paper argues that if the tourism strategies are geared towards involving the community-based organizations, they can promote peace in a real way.

Cooperatives and Peace
Cooperation means living, thinking and working together. It is working together to learn to live in our society peacefully and harmoniously. A cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common, economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise. Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. Cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.

In an age of declining values, peace can remain elusive if the values are not well propagated and communicated to the society at large. No doubt, in this scenario the value-based organizations have an important role to play in peace-building. The cooperatives have a strategic advantage over other organizations in this respect. The principles and values of cooperatives are the best guidelines to create a sustainable and peaceful world. They are intended to safeguard the human rights and enable the members to practice democracy and enjoy freedom of action. Cooperatives are the organizations which have strong community roots. They are embedded within the communities in which they exist. They work for sustainable development of communities through emphasis on values which create a peaceful atmosphere within the community.

Cooperative Contribution to Peace : An Indian Perspective
760 million people around the world are members of cooperatives. In Kenya 20% of the population is a member of cooperative, while in Argentina it is over 29%, 33% in Norway, 40% in Canada and US. The contribution of cooperatives to poverty alleviation can be gauged from the fact that they provide 100 million jobs and in some countries and areas are among the largest employees as in Columbia where a national health cooperatives is the largest employer at national level.

Worldwide the cooperative movement has contributed to peace by helping eliminate poverty, sustain environment, provide employment, and enrich social standards of the people. The value-based orientation of the cooperative movement has played a crucial role in checking the capitalist tendencies in the society by creating an equalitarian society through which chances of conflict are minimized.

In India the cooperative concept has worked wonders. Starting in 1904, the cooperative movement has made rapid strides in all areas of socio-economic activities. Today, there are more than 5 lakh cooperative societies in the country with a membership of 23 crores and working capital of Rs. 198.542 million. IFFCO and KRIBHCO are two cooperative fertilizer giants which have matched global standards of performance. The cooperative credit institutions are disbursing 46.15% of agricultural credit and cooperatives are distributing 36.22% of total fertilizers in the country. Dairy cooperatives in India with their strong and extensive network have excelled in their areas of operations. They have ushered in milk revolution in the country. India is the largest producer of milk in the world. The housing cooperatives in India have not only reaped economic reforms, but have also contributed to peace through promoting social harmony and community living.

The cooperatives in India have played a pioneering role in saving the poor from clutches of moneylenders by providing them credit at reasonable rate of interest so that they may start economic activities through a long chain of credit cooperatives set up at various levels. Besides, the cooperatives have convinced the poor that they are the institutions for their welfare, not exploitation. In the recent years the Self Help Groups based on cooperative principles have mushroomed in large numbers which have mobilized the rural poor by providing them avenues of income generation.

In India the cooperatives have played an important role in employment generation. About 15.47 million individuals are employed in the cooperative sector and the number of persons who are self-employed in the cooperatives are more than 14.39 million. The cooperatives have shown their strength in social sector too. For example, the sugar cooperatives in Maharashtra have come up in the field of education and health. In the field of environment, the cooperatives have played an important role in environment preservation. IFFCO, has played a laudable role in protecting environment through pollution control measures through its plants and farm forestry cooperatives.

Cooperatives and Tourism
Considering the contribution of cooperatives to peace and the value-based peaceful orientation of cooperatives, it is natural that the cooperatives are well positioned to strengthen the agenda of tourism. Tourism spreads the message of peace. If tourism becomes a key agenda of all the nations, a peaceful world order is bound to emerge. The institutions like cooperatives can play an important role in peace building if they are involved in tourism. In India tourism policy shift towards promoting decentralized form of tourism in which there is participation of all sections of the society is clearly visible. Though instances of cooperatives involved in tourism are negligible, the Indian cooperatives have strong potentialities to emerge as a lead player in the field of tourism.

Cooptour, a cooperative organization of 55 members, is involved in mainly ticketing and outgoing tourism. Besides the business and support from cooperative organizations, its professional services has led to increasing business with non-cooperative organizations. Cooptour feels that it has tremendous opportunities of growth in the areas of international cooperative tour packages, transport, rural tourism, etc. if there is full support from national and international cooperative organization.

The government has identified Rural Tourism as one of the thrust areas. The strength of rural tourism lies in the villages, and the cooperatives field 100% of the villages. A large chunk of foreign tourists have a high level of involvement in whatever they do about rural tourism as they want to participate in cultural affairs, traditional lifestyle, etc. The cooperatives in the rural areas in India have strong cultural affiliations. The cooperatives can not only acquaint the foreign tourists with rich culture of the region, but they can also understand their urge to participate in and experience the local culture closely.

The cooperatives can play a big role in strengthening international bonds of cultural heritage by making the tourists feel that they are a part of cooperative culture which is built on peace. Formation of tourism cooperatives for guiding, escorting, maintain local handicrafts, etc., can generate jobs, and end their poverty. In India the primary agriculture cooperatives are the strength of the cooperative system in the rural areas. They can promote rural tourism directly. Their contribution in poverty alleviation along with their emphasis on rural tourism as a potential area of development can be important in promoting peace.

The Indian Government is already sensitized on the importance of rural tourism, and the need for involving community based organizations in this field. The UNDP-Ministry of Tourism Project which has been started in India talks about strong community-private and public sector partnership for giving a boost to rural tourism. The Government has decided to develop necessary infrastructure for promoting rural tourism and has identified 31 villages to be developed as tourist spots. UNDP is helping in areas of capacity building, involvement of NGOs, local communities and artisans, etc. There is a dominant view that cooperatives and NGOs are the best agencies to promote rural tourism. Uttaranchal is a top tourist state in India. The Government is involved in formulating effective tourism strategies to promote tourism in the state.

Uttaranchal Government has launched Community based. Tourism in which certain number of villages/clusters are developed for attracting foreign tourists. Development of environment friendly tourism development is a focal area of tourism policies in Uttaranchal in which cooperative societies of rag pickers are formed so that the environment is not affected. Similarly, tourism leading to self-employment ventures is also noticeable in Uttaranchal. Self employment scheme in which the focus of project is on setting up PCOs, small hotels, is being implemented. The large number of beneficiaries benefiting from the scheme is a symbol of its popularity.

Infrastructure is the biggest stumbling factor in development of tourism. The cooperatives which have stronghold over the rural areas in the recent years have taken initiatives to promote infrastructure development. For example, the dairy cooperatives in Gujarat have built up the roads, and have come up with schools. The areas in which cooperatives are strong in infrastructure can be developed for formulating effective tourism strategies. The Government is willing to support the cooperatives who desire to come up in the field of tourism by providing them assistance in infrastructural development.

Ethical Tourism
Cooperatives by practicing ethical tourism can promote peace and justice in a big way. In India insurgency has been an age-old problem. For example, Jammu and Kashmir has struggled with terrorism for a long time. In this respect, an example of Manchester based workers cooperative practicing ethical tourism is worth mentioning. Olive Cooperative (www.olivecoop.com), a small workers cooperative in Manchester has been achieve on organizing ’solidarity’ tours to Israel and West Bank to meet Palestinians and Israelis working at the front-line for peace and justice, in their communities and with national and international organizations.

This has useful pointers for India where workers’ cooperatives can be formed to promote ethical tourism. Even in the areas which are effected by natural disasters, ethical tourism, can be an effective instrument to promote peace. For example, in the Tsunami hit areas in South India, need was feet for community based organizations to spread the message of peace. The cooperative in the India due to their effective community inter-linkages can promote ethical tourism in the conflict ridden zones. National Cooperative Union of India along with International Cooperative Alliance are already involved in rehabilitation work in the tsunami hit areas.

Cooperative Diversification and Tourism
A review of the cooperative trends in the recent times indicate that cooperatives are aware to diversity in new areas like tourism. The India tribal life is rich in cultural tradition. Tribal life and tribal products can emerge as focal areas in tourism. Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India is the national level organization of tribal cooperatives in the country. It has already identified certain regions for promoting tourism. The organization stands for holistic development of the tribal sector in all aspects and in this regard tourism is considered an important component. TRIFED is planning to start Tribes shops in all the major international airports so that all the traditional and ethnic tribal products are showcased for foreign tourists.

The example of TRIFED clearly indicates that cooperative sector is aware of the need for marketing its products from a tourism point of view. UHP milk powder is already distributed in all the pilgrimage tourist sites. The cooperative products have developed strong brands which clearly indicate that cooperative principles and values can be used for effective business. For example “Amul”, brand of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation is a household name in India signifying milk revolution. The cooperative products spread the message of peace.

Successful Model of Cooperative Diversification in Tourism
Eco tourism is a dominant plank of tourism strategies of any country. India is no exception. Tourism initiatives providing eco friendly clean environment with emphasis on sustainable development promote peace. A successful example of a cooperative in India venturing in tourism mentioned here symbolizes this trend very well. Medially Fishermen’s Cooperative Society (MFCS) in Calcutta is a successful fishery cooperative which has successful utilized waste water to produce fish.

It has a membership of 100 fishermen and around 300 families of fishermen are dependent on the society. The genesis of the cooperative can be traced when fishermen in Anta village of Howah had to migrate to wastelands near Kolkatta Dock in search of jobs due to drying up of Damodar River. By using the urban refuge and polluted water of the city, the society now undertakes these activities :

- Improving waste water quality

- Using waste water to produce fish, marketing fish, etc.

- Providing credit facilities to fishermen, engaged in poultry, piggery, dairy and cottage industries

The society has now ventured into developing a Nature Park which has now emerged as a hot tourist spot in the city where pollution is a big problem. The Park has attractive boating facilities and an ecosystem has been created that attracts many birds. The animal Park is another attraction having deer, rabbits, tortoise different kinds of ducks, etc.

The society has adopted professional norms in functioning by indulging in multifarious activities. The production of fish by the society has been soaring high. The example of this society indicates that cooperatives involved in preserving environment can venture into tourism activities by diversifying their operations. Commercialization of tourism may lead to neglect of ecology as economic considerations for developing a tourist site may lead to neglect of social aspects, like environment. In this scenario forming a cooperative to promote eco tourism can be highly successful.

The tourism scenario in India is ideal for formulating effective tourism strategies for promoting peace. Amongst the tourism strategies for promoting peace, the cooperative strategy merits consideration. The Indian cooperative movement which is the largest movement in the world is best suited for promoting peace through tourism. National Cooperative Union of India is the apex organization of the cooperative movement in the country. 196 cooperative organizations at all levels are as its members. Being a promotional organization with emphasis on training, education, advocacy, research, publication, NCUI has worked hard to promote the cooperative movement in the country.

It has always formulated effective policies to promote cooperative diversification. For example, due to strong champing of NCUI, the cooperatives were recently allowed entry into insurance. The NCUI has also taken initiatives in the new fields of insurance, electrification environment, etc. IFFCO, a major cooperative fertilizer giant, has already made effective forays in the fields of insurance, electrification etc.

The NCUI has effectively popularized the concept of cooperation amongst the rural population by its Cooperative Education Field Projects located all over the country. NCUI is in a good position to promote rural tourism in the country. Taking into account the strength of Indian cooperatives in promoting peace through tourism, the international tourism bodies like IIPT, WTO, etc. must think of forging collaborations with Indian cooperatives in the field of tourism.

How much oversight is too much?

A recent article in the May 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, titled, ‘Globalized Clinical Trials and Informed Consent’, expressed concern that the increasing globalisation of clinical research trials calls for more effective ethical and legal rules to protect both research subjects and scientific integrity. It notes that the situation observed more than a decade ago that research was being conducted in developing countries without concern for adherence to the international ethical principles for human-subjects research contained in the 1947 Nuremberg Code and the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki, has not improved.

The article goes on to cite Pfizer’s medical experiments in at the Kano Infectious Diseases Hospital, Nigeria where in 1996, they conducted a study involving 200 sick children, over a two-week period, after which the Pfizer team abruptly left. After the story broke in 2000 and press coverage detailed how researchers monitored the slow death of a 10-year old girl, families of the children filed a suit alleging that the pharma company did not take the informed consent of either the children or their guardians.

More such experiments were uncovered in other lesser developed countries which were ‘poorly regulated’ and ‘dominated by private interests’ studies, that ‘far too often betray’ their promises to research subjects and consumers. Similar examples exist in India and there are many efforts on (like the recent workshop at Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital) to educate non-technical members of ethics committees. In the US too, a report released in March this year, by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) gave testimony to the fact that in the course of an undercover operation, GAO proved that the Institutional Review Board (IRB) system was vulnerable to unethical manipulation. For example, GAO investigators created a website for a bogus IRB and succeeded in obtaining approval from an actual IRB to test a fictitious medical device on human subjects, even though the device had fake specifications and matched several examples of ’significant risk’.

These situations only show that regulatory oversight needs to be tightened in clinical research. However, there are cases where strict laws can keep affordable medication out of reach of needy patients. Kenya’s move to pass anti-counterfeit legislation that allows generics having patent protection anywhere in the world to be considered counterfeit in case of an intellectual property dispute with the patent holder, is a case in point. This law has been branded anti-patient as the African continent which bears a major portion of the AIDS/HIV infected burden, is a beneficiary of affordable drugs from India, the largest supplier of generic anti-retrovirals to low- and middle-income countries. It remains to be seen if the Indian government’s diplomatic efforts to neutralise the propaganda spread by vested interests (read, MNC pharma) are successful.

Breathless in the city

By M H Ahssan

The market for respiratory products is on an upswing, with younger age groups showing an alarming rise in the incidence of such ailments.

The news of a school girl in Delhi succumbing to an asthma attack not only threw up questions about schools being ill equipped to handle medical emergencies but also the growing incidence of respiratory ailments. Besides hereditary reasons, growing industrialisation is one of the main reason for this situation. In the quest to become a developed nation, unchecked industrialisation, with a scant regard for pollution control norms might have paved the way for more such dreaded diseases in India.

Growing figures
Respiratory diseases can be divided into two subtypes, communicable and non communicable of which the former has been proved to be more fatal. According to statistics provided by Murlidharan Nair, Partner, Advisory Services, Ernst & Young, communicable respiratory diseases accounted for maximum deaths amongst communicable diseases. Statistics reveal that nearly 67 percent of the reported deaths in top 13 communicable diseases were attributable to respiratory infections in 2007.

Nair says, “Communicable respiratory diseases (acute respiratory infections, pulmonary tuberculosis and pneumonia) have the maximum incidence across all communicable diseases in the country. In 2007, approximately 23.3 million cases of acute respiratory infections were reported followed by other communicable diseases like acute diarrhoeal cases (9 million), malaria cases (1.3 million) 0.72 million cases of pulmonary tuberculosis and 0.66 million cases of pneumonia were also reported in the said period.”

Acute respiratory diseases, non communicable/ chronic diseases are not far behind communicable diseases in terms of nuisance value. Not only the growth rate but also the market share is a ‘point to be noted’ thing for medical fraternities. Negative predictions about the growth rate of asthma will only add to their woes. “Acute respiratory diseases also have reported one of the fastest growths with morbidity having grown by 33 percent during 2000-2006 which is a significantly higher growth compared to other communicable diseases. Non-communicable/ chronic respiratory ailments like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma also account for nearly 1.5 percent of total disease burden in the country. There are currently 15 million cases of COPD and 25 million cases of asthma which are expected to grow by 50 percent by 2015. Six states (Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and West Bengal) account for more than 68 percent of the acute respiratory burden with Kerala topping the list,” informs Nair.

Many reasons
Not surprisingly, respiratory ailments are dominant in urban areas, thanks to man made environmental changes. One of the leading respiratory product manufacturers in India, Lupin has a wide range of oral and inhalation medications for the treatment of all types of airway disorders (asthma and COPD). The inhalation product range consists of Dry Powder Inhalers as well as Metered Dose Inhalers. They also have a dry powder device which is used with their dry powder capsules. The oral anti-asthma medications help complete the treatment options across the respiratory treatment value chain in order to treat the different kinds of respiratory ailments prevalent today.

Shakti Chakraborty, President – India Region Formulations, Lupin, opines, “Respiratory diseases are one of the most common forms of ill-health plaguing the Indian population today. They are also a leading cause of hospitalisation and death. Allergic respiratory disorders, in particular asthma, have recorded abnormally high levels, and this is not an India-specific, but in fact, a global phenomenon. Even though genetic predisposition is one of the factors in children for the increased prevalence, urbanisation, air pollution and environmental tobacco smoke contribute more significantly.”

He adds, “Over the years, the most prominent trend that has emerged in India in the area of respiratory ailments is its increased incidence in children. While asthma and bronchitis were ailments largely restricted to the elderly, over the years, research has shown that more and more children are being affected. A lot of this is correlated to demographic changes in Indian cities, like the increase in the number of industries, density of population in migration from rural areas in search of jobs, and increased number of carbon-emitting automobiles on Indian roads.”

According to Chakraborty, recent reports say that, there has been a 30 percent increase in asthma and congestion cases last year due to smog. Also, infections, genetic factors, and anything else that affects lung development, either directly or indirectly, can cause respiratory symptoms. The increase in population and widespread use of vaccines has also given rise to different varieties of the TB virus, most notably – Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) TB and the extensively drug resistant (XDR) TB. The next challenge for the pharma industry is to combat these newly developed strains of the bacterium. The industry is sure to see development on this front in a short time.

Nair puts his point of view. He says, “Acute respiratory ailments rank the highest with 23.3 million cases of reported ailments. These are followed by chronic conditions like asthma which account for approximately 25 million cases and COPD with 15 million cases. The key reasons for high incidence of respiratory diseases include seasonal/weather variations, growing air pollution, family history (for eg. incidence of asthma is 19 percent if one parent has asthma), allergens, malnutrition and poor living conditions, occupational hazards, limited primary and preventive healthcare facilities. And most importantly a rising number of active and passive smokers with India estimated to have 120 million smokers (nearly 40 percent of Indian males smoke).”

Pradeep Rane, President (formulation business), Alembic Pharmaceuticals mentions that disorders like bacterial and viral infections of the respiratory systems, respiratory allergic disorders and tuberculosis have shown a steady increase over the last few years. Environmental pollution, rapid urbanisation, changing lifestyles, increasing prevalence of smoking in the younger generation, unhealthy food habits and stress of urban life decreases the body immunity. Also, AIDS patients are highly susceptible to develop TB.

Medical practitioners, with their regular direct contact with patients are best positioned to forecast and track incidence levels of ailments they commonly see in patient populations and their observations too support this trend. Dr. Zarir Udwadia, Consultant, Pulmonary Department, Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai opines, “Asthma prevalence has increased globally and in India. People are exposed to more allergens indoors and outdoor pollution also contributes. Inhaled steroids remain the cornerstone of treatment of asthma. A new molecule useful in resistant asthma is OMALIZUMAB (an IgE monoclonal antibody).”

Flourishing market
A densely populated country like India is the natural breeding ground for respiratory infections. This huge patient pool has already lured many pharma companies to establish product lines in this particular category. No wonder, a large chunk of total pharma products market in India is dedicated to respiratory products. “The total drug spend on respiratory disease in India is approximately $600-625 million accounting for nearly 9-10 percent of the total drug market. If we split this into chronic and acute segments, the chronic respiratory segment accounts for three percent of the total drug market and acute respiratory segment accounts for nearly six-seven percent of the total drug market. The market is dominated by domestic players who hold nearly 80 percent of the market share. Cipla, Piramal Healthcare, Pfizer, GSK, Zydus Cadila and Alembic are the leading players in this segment. With rising incidence of chronic respiratory ailments – for example, COPD and asthma are expected to grow by 50 percent by 2015 and ever increasing incidence of acute ailments, the respiratory drugs market is expected to show robust growth of 12-14 percent over the next four-five years,”opines Nair

According to Chakraborty, the market for respiratory products is huge. That, combined with India being the TB capital of the world makes the potential of market enormous. As of February 2009, the asthma inhalation market stood at Rs 510 crores, showing a growth of 13 percent. (Data IMS MAT Feb 2009). On the other hand, the anti-TB market is at Rs 300 crores. Currently, this market is showing a negative growth of 5.6 percent, (Data IMS MAT Feb 2009) mainly due to the government’s programme on tuberculosis, which gives free medicines to all patients. Lupin has dominant 48.2 percent market share , in the anti TB segment in the South Asia region.

Trends
Every new product comes into the market with some new features embedded into it.

Pharma companies, researchers/inventors look into the minute details in order to make medicine more patient friendly and ‘more than just a tablet’. Chakraborty opines, “The industry is seeing new trends in the drug delivery system of the TB drug. The industry is now moving focus to developing new ways in which a drug can be delivered. While the oral method is the preferred method, companies are now focusing on delivering dry powder capsule and oral metered dose inhalers. We may later witness this trend moving to skin patches and use of magnets to deliver drugs, but that is very nascent and predicting at this stage would be very difficult.”

He adds, “Lupin leads this development and with our strong focus on innovation, we already have drugs and dosage delivery systems consisting of dry powder capsules along with a dry powder device that administers this dose to patients. Apart from these, we also provide metered dose inhalers that help administer the requisite quantity of dosage for maximum impact.”

According to Rane new trends in the treatment of respiratory ailments will include increasing usage of anti-bacterials, anti-allergics, cough suppressants, bronchodilators etc, development of newer medications such as antibiotics, antihistamines etc, which are even safer and more effective against drug-resistant bacteria, development of newer vaccines for prevention of bacterial and viral respiratory infections and development of newer methods such as immunotherapy for the treatment of respiratory allergies.

Nair states that according to World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, there are 300 million asthma patients and 210 million COPD patients world over. Estimates indicate that India accounts for 25 million asthma and 15 million COPD patients which means that India accounts for eight-nine percent of total global asthma and COPD burden. The respiratory drugs segment accounts for four-five percent of the $750 billion pharma market which implies a market size of approximately $ 35 billion. India’s respiratory drug market size is approximately $ 600 million implying a miniscule 1.7 percent share of the global respiratory drug market. These figures may not look that alarming but predictions about increasing incidence of diseases like COPD and asthma could well change this scenario. Though the slowly growing incidence of respiratory ailments is not a healthy sign, it is also an opportunity for pharma companies to add more effective remedies to their kitty.

The Hospitality Business of Going Green

By M H Ahssan

The hospitality industry has always taken an active interest in being environment-friendly. We look at how hotels are now exploring new and more sustainable ways to promote themselves as ‘green’ properties.

While some think of it as a great marketing gimmick, there are a few who take the ‘environmental-friendly’ tag very seriously. Nevertheless, it is not easy to fool the discerning globetrotter today. According to a recent TripAdvisor survey in the US, 76 per cent of travellers sometimes incorporate green choices in their plans and 27 per cent of respondents intentionally made environment-friendly travel choices in the past year. Fifty-two per cent regularly find it challenging to incorporate green choices into their travel plans and 44 per cent of travellers find that environmental-friendly options are not readily available when travelling.

The industry has undoubtedly come a long way. Most international brands have a detailed mandate towards protecting the environment: InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) for instance was awarded the Eco-Lodging Award at China Hotel Investment Summit (CHIS) 2009. On the home turf, Vithal Kamat led the way with his The Orchid brand. Today, giants like ITC (with its WelcomEnviron) and the Taj group (with its EARTH initiative) are going the same way.

Going green today is a simpler prospect than it was earlier. Kamat says, “Simple things like recycled paper at one time was a considered an expensive proposition. But today more and more hotels are opting for this as a great option for their stationery. The basic groundwork has already been done.”

Minting the ‘greens’
For a long time, the definition of a green hotel was a small lodge-like establishment located in distant wilderness. This definition still exists, but one cannot escape evolution. The green evolution in hotels works on two levels – operational and consequential. Hotel operations have been streamlined through better HVAC systems, re-using water from air-conditioners, recycling bio-degradable wastes, and use of energy-efficient lighting. Consequentially, activities like cleanliness drives and campaigns like Earth Hour and World Environment Day allow hotels to create awareness even among guests. It is often more of a CSR initiative. There are also foundations and causes that chains associate with.

Cost benefits and guest preference are top two reasons why hotels opt for ‘green’ practices. But it is important to see how many are actually looking at it as a sustainable business option. Regular audits show there is a need for system upgradation. Most hotels have audits to check the use of resources in a hotel and it can be done in a few simple steps. Changing processes depends upon how open the company is to the subject of going green and sustainability, but most hoteliers now assure that there is definite space for change and required investment. Niranjan Khatri, GM of ITC’s WelcomEnviron, says, “Apart from the reduction in the impact on nature there is a likely payback period of the investment made. In most cases, payback takes a year or two. However a five-year payback period is also acceptable to the management for such an important cause.”

The way the investment is used is crucial. More and more hospitality giants are looking at technology to help them save more energy, like the use of key cards to turn on the power in the room. Hotel designs too have evolved and developers, operators and designers together have been overseeing the creation of an energy-efficient façade.

Unfortunately, these investments may be off the list given the difficult times. Daniel Edward Craig, hotelier and author, mentions in his trends for 2009 that eco-friendly initiatives will be tossed into the recycling bin with hotels instead opting for making the guest realise the importance of his/her choices in going green. He mentions, “Having discovered that guests will tolerate plastic recycling bins and off-white tissue paper, hotels will begin to phase out those adorable little bottles of shampoo, blackberry jam and Dijon mustard in favour of eco-friendly (cheaper) bulk offerings.”

There are some who agree with Craig saying that the focus may well be on cost-cutting methods than on supporting sustainable travel. There is the pragmatic lot who believes that this is the ideal time to invest in and enhance ‘eco-responsible’ practices, keeping in view that most such efforts are simple and low-cost initiatives. A point in fact is IHG’s Green Engage initiative. Andy Cosslett, IHG CEO, says, “We estimate that the Green Engage process has the potential to drive up to US$ 200 million of savings for our hotel owners and significantly reduce energy consumption.”

A look at India’s ‘green’ hotel chains
While Kamat Hotels India took the lead 14 years ago with The Orchid, Kamat says with great pride, “When we started in Mumbai, we were pioneers for Asia; with our work we were able change the mentality and mindset within the hospitality industry. And this we did without cutting corners on luxury. The idea is that luxury need not be insensitive, deluxe need not disturb.”

Today apart from providing eco-friendly luxury, KHIL is also closely linked with social activities that spread the same message to their guests. Their green button has been one such popular initiative, where the guest gets redeemable points which he/she may then donate to the group’s green cause. KHIL also has a very detailed environmental plan in terms of creating awareness amongst the city-folk through the Tree Environment & Me program. There have been regular plantation drives and water harvesting treatment projects. Other nature related projects include the preservation of Mahim Bird Park in Mumbai with the recent addition of turtle preservation, especially in the Konkan belt.

Global Hyatt Corporation in India has initiated a range of awareness programmes like the ‘No Plastic Bag Zone,’ special competitions for employees, plantations drives for guests and employees. There are also plans of setting up rainwater harvesting and feasibility study for waste audits.

The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts will soon have all its hotels ISO 14001 certified by end of this year to early next year. It also has very strong plantation drives; Capt Nair has always believed in breathing spaces for the city and the company therefore takes care of a green belt of around 100 acres in Mumbai.

There are also campaigns and cleanliness drives with posters (‘Help keep Mumbai Clean and Green’) put up around the hotel. This is supported with waste bins and landscaping. The vegetable oil from the kitchen is converted into bio-diesel. At the Kovalam property, massive rainwater harvesting is conducted four months in a year.
The Oberoi Hotels & Resorts has green teams in each of its hotels responsible for energy conservation and green initiatives. The founder chairman of The Group, Rai Bahadur MS Oberoi’s birth anniversary is celebrated each year with employees planting saplings.

Marriott International in India and across the world has decided April to be their Environmental Awareness month. The month sees a number of activities benefiting the local area. For instance the Courtyard by Marriott in Chennai was involved in cleaning the Marina Beach. Its current GM, Karan Berry, claims that this is now an annual activity.

ITC WelcomGroup’s biggest achievement is ITC Sonar in Kolkata that is the first hotel in the world to get Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) or carbon credits issued by the CDM executive board. It also has a detailed plan which involves the employees, the city and even its supply chain. All this is worked out at the ITC Green Center in Delhi

The Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces has the Environment Awareness & Renewal at Taj Hotels (EARTH) programme aimed at energy conservation and sustainable strategies. This initiative has also been certified by the Green Globe.

The people factor
The need now is to make every one across the hotel sensitive about the issue. Mariott International for instance believes in Bill Marriott’s philosophy of taking care of guests by taking care of associates. In his blog, he writes about the initiatives the company will implement including use of 50 per cent recycled plastic pillows out of recycled bottles, oxo-biodegradable plastic laundry bags and coreless toilet papers “which should save about 119 trees, three million gallons of water and 21 tons of packaging waste every year”.

Marriott International won the Global Tourism Business Award at WTTC this year, working with Conservation International in a bold initiative to put 1.4 million acres of Amazon Rainforest under conservation protection – Marriott’s Juma Sustainable Development Reserve Project in the Amazon.

The message of cleaner and greener environment is best spread through the staff and employees who come in direct contact with guests. Along with guests is the supply chain. A lead in this direction has been taken by ITC. Khatri explains that WelcomEnviron has been involved in creating e-brochures to inform suppliers and vendors and it has so far able to train 1,100 suppliers regarding eco-friendly practices, he claims.

But the statistics are still dismal. Certifications like LEEDS, TERI and GRIHA cover the operational and construction aspects of environment consciousness. The Bengaluru Leela property is an ISO 14001 certified hotel. But others like HVS ECO for instance have always received lukewarm response. “The best certification will be your guests ratifying our efforts. When we started out we needed the certification because we needed to prove ourselves to our guests as well as our competition,” says Kamat.

According to a poll conducted by TripAdvisor:
25% donated leftover foreign change or currency
63% took public transport instead of renting a car
89% used hotel towels and sheets more than once
Similarly, users were also willing to promote sustainable tourism where:
22% were ready to pay for a carbon offset
38% were ready to visit a disaster area to aid in relief efforts
58% were ready to pay more for an environmentally progressive hotel

Hotels have definitely geared up with their CSR activities with detailed plans involving the staff as well as local NGOs in cleanliness drives, sapling plantation, and competitions to create awareness and make a commitment to the environment. In India, both local and international brands are on a roll.

But how far do initiatives like Wold Environment Day or Earth Hour go in creating an impact? Nikhil Ganju, director (Marketing) for TripAdvisor India, informs, “These kind of celebrations encourage appreciation and allow people to reflect on how to make positive changes for the planet. Families are becoming more conscious of these days and hence more particular about which hotels they choose to stay in.”

He adds that according to some of the reviewers on TripAdvisor, guests not only contribute to the environment by being a part of such initiatives but also towards the welfare of the local people and their culture. “In the process, they also feel good about themselves by supporting such a cause,” he says. A euphoric thought indeed.

Urgent Need to Solve: Two Disturbing Stories

By M H Ahssan

The best efforts and mechanisms of NACO, state and district AIDS Control Societies and various NGOs are clearly not being enough to deal with the insensitivity and discrimination that HIV-positive patients continue to be subjected to in various Indian hospitals.

It is still not uncommon to hear about Indian hospitals refusing to admit or treat HIV patients in gross violation of a Supreme Court order— stating that doctors in Government and private hospitals should not refuse treatment to People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA).

In a shocking incident last month in Swaroop Rani Nehru hospital, a state-owned hospital in Allahabad, the hospital staff not only refused to treat a HIV-positive patient but in a dastardly act pasted an ‘HIV’ sign on the wall behind the bed of the HIV patient (admitted in surgical emergency ward). The hospital had earlier relented to admit the patient only after the Allahabad Network for People Living with HIV Positive (ANP Plus) took up the matter with the district magistrate.

Even as the HIV sign was removed after intervention from ANP Plus, the hospital’s apathy and cruelty did not stop. The staff then wrote ‘ART’ (Anti-retroviral Therapy) on the wall and tied a red ribbon, indicating NACO and thus HIV patient, on the drip stand. The doctors also refused to treat the patient, stating proper medical kits were not available in the hospital. According to NACO and WHO guidelines, every hospital has to have a basic protective kit for doctors for treating HIV positive patients. The hospital management had later informed that medical kit was available.

In the same state, around two years back, two doctors of Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College, Meerut, were suspended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati because of denying to assist in the delivery of a HIV-positive woman. Instead, the doctors had asked the patient’s husband to deliver the baby. From the Allahabad hospital, however, there has been no news of any action against the insensitive staff.

From a case of insensitivity to a case of grave error— the damage done to a patient is no less. In another incident in Mumbai last month, an Integrated Centre for Testing and Counselling (ICTC) issued a false HIV-positive report to a pregnant woman. When the couple did the test in a private lab, the test showed negative result. But the damage was done— the lady underwent stress-induced miscarriage of her seven-week-old foetus.

According to experts, the laboratory should have done the screening test with two different kits and if the diagnosis was positive with both, then the laboratory should have suggested reconfirmation with Elisa and Western Blot. The ICTC did no perform more than a single test for a person from a low risk group. With 90 lab technicians and 120 counsellors across 74 ICTC centers in Mumbai, it is shameful that such an incident has occurred— causing such irreparable damage.

Though it is commendable that the Mumbai District AIDS Control Society (MDACS) had acknowledged the mistake, deemed it ‘inexcusable’ and taken immediate punitive action by issuing memos and transferring the two employees behind the error, it is not enough. In a PIL filed last year, it was alleged that NACO has used sub-standard HIV kits in second national AIDS control programme— posing a potential danger of transmitting HIV to unsuspecting patients through blood transfusion. So, there is a need to check the quality of the kits.

There is also an urgent need to ramp up awareness campaigns to educate and sensitise the medical fraternity and hospital staff in dealing with HIV patients. If explaining does not work, then action stricter than mere suspension of staff needs to be taken. We also need to ensure that HIV kits are available across all hospitals and health centres.

Healthcare Comes Home

By M H Ahssan

The home healthcare market potential in India is as vast as this country. But so are the problems. So what is making international companies rush to India.

Growing at a rate of 15 per cent, globally, home healthcare market is one of the fastest growing markets. Current estimates put the global value of the home healthcare market at $140 billion. The Indian home-healthcare market, which stands at $ 1.5 billion, is also waking up to the market opportunities with MNCs foraying the nascent market.

Explaining the growth in the Indian home-healthcare market, Pradip Kanakia, National Head of Markets and a member of KPMG India Leadership Team remarks, “The home healthcare industry in India consists of around 5,000 small and large organisations, largely unorganised which together generates.” Expectations are that home-healthcare spending will eventually overtake prescription drug growth.

Home Healthcare in India
This segment includes monitoring devices, therapeutic devices, interventional devices and home services. Interventional devices include drug delivery mechanisms, for instance, those used by diabetics. Home services include in-house nurse care and also other state-of-art technologies. The monitoring devices ranges from the ubiquitous thermometers to devices capable of monitoring vital parameters of an individual such as ECG, Heart Rate, SpO2 and so on.

The Players
Companies like Phiilips and GE are entering the market with sleep care and home respiratory care solutions. Sleep apnoea, a common disorder with around 35-40 million people in India suffering from it, is a commonly targeted disease for this segment.

A variety of home healthcare services are offered at home by Metropolis Health Services, Medinova, Apollo Hospital Dr Lal Path Labs and Religare, who offer a wide range of tests at the doorstep- X-rays, ultrasound and ECG besides an array of pathological tests. Reportedly, at Metropolis Health Service (which currently provides services in Chennai, Bangalore, Kochi and Delhi) at present, 150-200 home visits are conducted per day compared to just a handful of tests a year ago. Reportedly, more than 10 per cent of the 6,000 patients in Dr Lal Path Labs go for healthcare at home.

Philips has changed its brand image from being a company in lighting to a ‘health and well being’ company. It acquired Resperonics in 2008 and launched it in March, this year. India was the first country (after US) where Philips Respironics portfolio was launched. Clearly, it indicates the company’s focus to build market leadership positions in high-growth emerging markets like India. Philips plans to garner a market share of 40 per cent in this largely untapped home healthcare market by 2013.

“We should be careful and very clear in our inputs. For Indian market, we are entering with Respironics and that’s our only offering to the home healthcare as of now,” informs S Bhaskaran, Senior Director – Healthcare, Philips Innovation Campus.

From a strategic point of view, Anjan Bose, Senior Director and Business Head, Healthcare, Philips India says, “India is Introduction of the Philips Respironics product portfolio will significantly drive growth for Philips Healthcare in India both in the hospital and in the home segment.” However, Philips plans to test the waters and expand their portfolio. Bose adds, “Our heritage in understanding how consumers think is combined with our deep clinical knowledge, putting us in a unique position to help address the modern day challenges of the Indian healthcare markets via groundbreaking ways.” Presently, the company has a greater portfolio in healthcare in the US and Europe.

Globally, GE Healthcare has recently entered into alliances and made several acquisitions to strengthen their position in this area. GE Healthcare already has a strategic relationship with Living Independently Group, a provider of Quiet Care passive monitoring systems used to assist in the care of seniors. In March 2008, GE Healthcare acquired VersaMed Corporation, a provider of portable critical care ventilators for respiratory care, which can be used in the home setting. In October 2008, GE Healthcare acquired Vital Signs Inc, a provider of products for home respiratory care, particularly in the management of sleep apnea.

From a strategic point of view, S Ganesh Prasad, Director, Clinical Systems, GE Healthcare, South Asia explains, “Home-health is a key business focus for GE Healthcare. GE’s strategy is to invest in high-growth businesses with huge global potential. Demographic changes present enormous healthcare challenges in the management of chronic diseases.” In November 2008, GE announced it was leading a $ 5M three year home health research consortium funded by the Hungarian Government. “The acquisitions have helped us make a beginning in home health in India,” adds Prasad.

To target patients suffering with sleeping disorders, GE has launched its CPAP employed in iSleep solutions through its acquisition of Vital Signs Inc, a Swedish company. iSleep is portable, intuitive and designed for home use. The Vivo series of electronic ventilation is also available. However, Quiet Care (home-monitoring solution) will be available in the future (no time-frame) Both iSleep and Vivo solutions are developed and produced in Sweden by Breas Medical AB.

In India, Johnson & Johnson Limited sells the One Touch range of blood glucose monitoring systems from Lifescan Inc, a Johnson & Johnson Company. The meters, strips, lancet devices and software that it sells here are simple and convenient systems are designed for individual patient needs, to complement different lifestyles.

Roche Diagnostics Accu-Chek is also one of the Blood Glucose Monitoring systems with its flagship brand Accu-Chek Active. Rouche also markets Accu-Chek Integra – the fully integrated Blood Glucose monitor with the unique benefit of No strip handling and No manual coding, Accu-Chek Sensor driven by BioSensor technology for use in hospital & Nursing home for Point of Care testing, Micral test : Urine strips to detect microalbuminuria and Accu-Chek Softclix lancing device & Lancets with patented Clixmotion technology for virtually pain free sampling and Accu-Chek Spirit Insulin delivery system.

Says Vivek Kamath, Business Head – Diabetes Care, Roche Diagnostics India, “Currently the market is in a state of dynamic flux, and we see tremendous market potential in this domain. The blood glucose monitoring system category has grown 18-20 per cent in the recent past, but, we foresee a series of growth drivers which will accelerate this market growth.”

Biotronik Medical Devices India Private Limited, a subsidiary of Biotronik GmbH & Co KG Germany, a manufacturer of implantable cardiac devices, and pioneer in wireless remote monitoring technology, announced the India launch of the Biotronik Innovation Forum & New Home Monitoring services. “Biotronik Home Monitoring is available across the entire product portfolio of pacemakers, ICDs and cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) devices allowing physicians to remotely monitor their patients’ clinical and device status at any time and from anywhere in the world,” said Gunnar Wochnowski, Vice President, Biotronik – Asia Pacific.

Using an intuitive, red-yellow-coded traffic light concept, daily as well as trend patient and device information is automatically evaluated and prioritised through the intelligent traffic light system and conveniently presented in the CardioReport. This status summary on the home monitoring secure website enables physicians to quickly review the most important information at a glance.

Not Getting Any Younger
Normally, we always think India as a ‘young’ country, but a reality check proves that India has an equal number of elderly citizens. According to a UN report, by the year 2025, India is expected to have 177 million elderly. According to Bhaskaran of Philips, “It is incorrect to think of this as a western country phenomenon. China and India already have the largest and second largest number of elderly people in absolute numbers.” Hence, with the baby boomer generation becoming senior citizens, the demand for home-healthcare is on the rise.

Today, older people are also becoming increasingly more active in managing their own health and wellness. Looking forward, seniors of the future will be empowered, technologically-savvy healthcare consumers playing an active role in the management of their healthcare. They will increasingly want and expect their doctor’s care at home and on the go. Explains Bose, “Cost and quality coupled with the ever larger aging population are fundamental issues and will certainly determine how healthcare is managed in the future. These societal trends are already leading to a ‘computerisation’ of healthcare in which individuals take health management into their own hands and where quality of healthcare is associated with personal choice.”

Also, the number of people suffering from lifestyle diseases or chronic diseases which requires long term care is on the rise. Advancements in technology and medicine are not only enabling people to live longer lives, they are enabling people to do so while remaining healthier.

Homely Matters
Another reason for the growing potential in this segment is because a large number of patients who are chronically ill and need constant hospitalisation, prefer the home-healthcare mode in order to save hospital costs. Moreover, patients find it inconvenient to travel long distances to get hospital treatment. Considering the fact that Indians give prime importance to family, many patients prefer spending time at home either as post-operative care or in case of chronic illnesses. Thus, more and more patients want to adopt these new products in their routine lives. Elaborates Animesh Kumar, Managing Consultant, Healthcare Consulting, Datamonitor, India, “With the growing population and increase in the working population, we can safely say that these numbers are only going to increase. There is a huge need for such products/ services but there are not many players in the market. Hence, for any new entrant, the conditions cannot be any better. The market presents huge opportunities which can be tapped with the right product and promotions strategy.” Hence, the demand and supply gap are favourable for any new player to enter this segment of healthcare.

Growth Opportunities
Though the home healthcare market is still in its infancy, the industry is poised to double every year going forward. “Today in India, many chronic diseases or injury conditions require long-term medical support and hospitalisation. As the percentage of these patients in the country increase the opportunity for home healthcare services is bright,” says Kanakia. Also, many international players are targeting this segment of healthcare. According to industry buzz, a leading Japanese home-healthcare company will soon enter India in a big way.

More and more hospitals are beginning to recognise the utility of home-health solutions. They can now provide support to critical patients who need immediate attention by allowing patients who can continue care through home health situations. They can free up more ICU beds and medical ventilators. People are finding comfort in home care for problems like ventilation support sleep apnoea etc. While demand of beds can clearly drive this, comfort of getting support at home through easy to use technologies.

The growth story is linked with awareness drives. To spread the awareness and tap the market, the companies must run awareness programmes targeting both patients as well as general practitioners. A Vaidheesh, Managing Director, Johnson & Johnson Medical India, a Division of Johnson & Johnson Limited exemplifies, “The situation here is precarious. There are 40 million diabetics but it’s estimated that around 25 billion don’t know that they have diabetes. Worse still, those who know don’t want to measure and maintain their blood glucose levels though there are meters available in the market. They buy the meter but don’t use them, follow the regimen or protocol.”

To target the right audience, it is important for companies to design strategies so that the product reaches the right audience. “If they effectively communicate the benefits (possibility of regular monitoring, greater prevention, higher convenience, cost-effectiveness, lesser chances of getting hospital-acquired infections, etc), they will be able to create value in the minds of the customers,” informs Kumar.

Decent ROI
Leaving aside the demand and socio-economic factors, what attracts companies is the fact that home-healthcare is not largely capital driven and plus it enjoys higher ROI as compared to the hospitals. This model is not hospital centric very patient centric. Instead of selling the equipment, companies find it more profitable to give it on lease. Kanakia agrees, “In home-healthcare, capital costs are largely negated as there aren’t any land and structural cost unlike the corporate hospitals which are highly capex driven and incur huge cost on land, building and medical equipment. It is not unusual to expect a ROI in the range of 25-30 per cent.”

“One of the main source of revenue for manufacturing companies is generated by renting out this equipment. There is no third party who rents out the equipment, the companies provide them directly on rent, again saving costs” adds Singh.

Adds Dr Rakesh Kapoor, Manager- Business Advisory Services, Ernst and Young, “Product costs in comparison to marketing and distribution costs are of lesser significance in home healthcare.” Also, compared to hospitals, there are no recurring expenditures.

With acute shortage of hospital beds, patients want alternative sources. Hence, again home healthcare is the best option they seem to consider. From the hospital’s perspective, home healthcare is a positive trend as it leads to better utilisation of beds. It also brings cost efficiency to the hospitals as well as helps decrease hospital acquired infections. Looking at these factors, more and more companies are entering this market.

Challenges
Not everything is that rosy in India. There are many factors and roadblocks that slowdown the success of this concept in India.

High-Costs: Affordability is a major issue as not everyone can afford the products and services. These players will have to manufacture low cost products for the bottom of the pyramid population. Now, that healthcare is not restricted to tier I cities, products have to be manufactured for the population in rural India. To manufacture cost-effective products, many indigenous manufacturers are likely to enter this section of healthcare.

Fears and Apprehensions: The existing mindset among the patient population is another major challenge that the companies will have to tackle. “Patients are usually apprehensive about home healthcare and using devices at home,” opines Shares Dr Navneet Singh, Consultant- Pulmonology-Thoracic Surgery and Medical Intensive Care, Fortis Flt Lt Ranjan Dhall Hospital.

Patients also doubt the accuracy of the results. They also fear survival of the patient once taken home. “Also, patients largely prefer to get treated in a hospital where they get comprehensive care under one roof,” opines Kanakia.

Limited Distribution: The major chunk of costs goes in distribution. Distribution is a challenge. Right now, the distribution is limited to hospitals. Thus the distribution channel needs to be focussed. “We may need an entirely new way of reaching the technology to patients and we are working on an expanded dealer channel,” remarks Prasad.

Unorganised Market: The sector is largely unorganised. Apart from a few organised players like Philips Healthcare, Metropolis Health Services, Religare GE, Medinova, Apollo Hospitals, Dr Lal’s Pathlabs, the sector is largely unorganised. “The sector is characterised by fragmentation as the top 100 companies (by size) hold less than 20 percent share of the market,” remarks Kanakia. This less market share can be attributed to the fact that largely, the chronically ill patients who require long hospitalisation only prefer home healthcare mode. Kanakia adds that most of the large hospitals chains in India are yet to adopt the home healthcare facility.

Awareness: The biggest challenge is lack of awareness. Not many people in India know about the products/services and hence the market is largely restricted to the metros and other tier I cities in India.

But argues Prasad from GE that tier II cities are picking up, “We have nearly 3,000 patients using sleep apnoea solutions in India today. Nearly as many people are using home ventilators for long-term life support at home. It is not limited to big cities. We see patients using solutions like this in smaller towns as well,” says Prasad.

Apart from the lack of awareness about the products, the companies in the home healthcare segment also have to deal with the lack of awareness among patients regarding their own medical conditions. For example, millions of people suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in India, however only a small chunk is diagnosed.

Into the Future
Many analysts believe that from a technological perspective, the players which can explore this market are J&J, Siemens, Sony, Samsung and LG. However, it is also projected these companies which are technologically advanced can face competition from FMCG companies, who, can outsource the technologies and produce the same product at a much cheaper cost. Also, it would be a smarter strategy to target distribution at retail pharmacy stores. An analyst remarks, “Right now, most companies are supplying these products in hospitals. Instead, they should target the supply in pharmacy retail stores.” Since distribution is a key challenge, pharmacy companies who enter this segment of healthcare have a greater chance of success. These companies have a much-more wider established chain of retail pharmacy stores.

The opportunities are definitely not limited to tier 1 cities. As one observes that there is a greater need for healthcare services in tier II and III cities, the healthcare players cannot ignore the vast numbers waiting to be tapped. Moreover, there is a greater chance of renting out these equipment in the rural areas where affordability and accessibility is a major issue. “While most providers are presently targeting the metros and tier I cities, there lies an equally great potential in rural areas too since they have low access to healthcare services and trained specialists,” shares Kanakia.

With so many challenges to tackle, but an optimistic drive to survive, home healthcare market in India is here to stay. But how long will this industry take to pick up speed and enter into the fast gear mode, only time can tell. Market pundits have to wait and watch. But if a company like Philips chooses India from the entire world to be its launchpad for a product in home healthcare, the message is loud and clear – India is in the radar of home healthcare leaders.

Medical Tourism – Medical Tourism India – Healthcare Tourism

Medical tourism can be broadly defined as the provision of ‘cost effective’ private medical care in collaboration with the tourism industry for patients needing surgical and other forms of specialized treatment. The process of healthcare tourism is jointly facilitated by the corporate sector involved in medical and healthcare as well as the tourism industry – both private and public.

Medical tourism has become a common form of vacationing, and covers a broad spectrum of medical services. Medical tourism mixes leisure, fun and relaxation together with wellness and healthcare.

A combination of many factors has lead to the recent increase in popularity of medical tourism. Exorbitant cost of healthcare and medical facilities in advanced countries, ease and affordability of international travel, favorable currency exchange rates in the global economy, rapidly improving technology and high standards of medical care in the developing countries has all contributed their share to this rapid development of medical tourism.

India has originated as one of the most important hubs for medical toursim.Many people from the developed countries come to India for the rejuvenation promised by yoga and Ayurvedic massage however, a nice blend of top-class medical expertise at attractive prices is helping more and more Indian corporate hospitals to lure foreign patients, including patients from developed nations such as the UK and the US, for high end surgeries like Cardiac ByPass Surgery or a Knee/Hip Replacement.

As more and more patients from Europe, the USA and other affluent nations with high medical costs look for effective options, healthcare tourism in India is definitely on the cards for most of them and the fast growing Indian corporate health sector is fully geared to meet that need.

Not just cost savings or the high standard of medical care facility, but also the waiting time is much lower for any treatment in India than in any other country. Medical help is often an emergency and situations can turn worse if the treatment is delayed. While you might have to wait for several months to get a surgical operation done in the US, in India things can be arranged within a week.

Medical Tourism in India – at a glance
- Low cost medical treatment
- High quality medical care
- Low wait time for critical treatments
- Fluent English speaking staff

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World Wildlife Week – October 1, 2009

By Jayashanker V S

It is an irrefutable fact that India is way behind other world countries when it comes to creating awareness among the public and their contribution towards wildlife conservation. Every year during the World Wildlife Week celebrations between October 1 and 7, the children, youth and the elderly are made to go through the customary set of activities leaving them with no or little insight into the ways and means of contributing to wildlife conservation.

Usually, the world wildlife week begins with batches of people being taken on guided walks through the various animal sanctuaries in different cities, and the tiger and lion safaris in the few national animal parks. And for children it is just fun time as they take part in the painting and elocution competitions with the theme being wildlife. Then what follows are the customary lectures on the alarming statistics on wildlife in India, the various animal welfare and conservation programmes and screening of the films and documentaries on wildlife.

But is this enough? Can these mere talk shows, guided tours and walks and thematic painting and elocution competition really help wildlife conservation? Sadly, only very little! I am not on a fault-finding mission here; these do help a bit create some awareness on the wildlife scenario and the ‘ongoing’ conservation efforts in the country but the more important aspect of public contribution are completely ignored.

Conservation is about understanding, and practising small things that could make a big difference in the lives of our canine friends! There has to be workable programmes introduced, beyond the traditional week long wildlife celebrations inside the tall walls of the sanctuaries and the open fields of the national parks, which would inculcate the active participation of everyone in the society towards wildlife conservation!

Need of the hour: Taking cues from the global wildlife conservation efforts
The action should start from the streets, and at our homes! And remember, these conservation activities cannot afford to stop after one or two weeks; it is a long term vision and has to go on and on till we have healthy figures on par with international standards.

Take for instance some of the programmes launched by the various wildlife federations across the globe. The U.S-based National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has active wildlife conservation programmes for children and adults. The idea is to make kids understand the importance of wildlife conservation and start early! For example, there is the children magazine on wildlife, wild animal baby music CDs, and DVDs, and the most popular attractive scheme called ‘wild animal baby adoption center.’ No! It does not mean that children are asked to adopt a wild animal and raise it! It is a symbolic wildlife adoption by paying a small amount which will help the NWF towards wildlife conservation. Children make small donations to gift themselves the certificates of adoption, a free plush animal, a wild animal baby story card and much more interesting stuff.

This serves the twin purpose of creating awareness and helping wildlife conservation. Camping tips are also held where kids build tents and spend time to study the animals around them. Children are also encouraged to clean up their backyards, plant the right mix of plants and help create a haven for wildlife and their pets.

Global warming – Your small efforts can make big difference in wildlife conservation
Forests are the homes of many wild animals and deforestation kills their habitat. Planting trees is an effective and viable solution to gift back the natural habitat to our canine friends. Global warming is equally bad to animals and wildlife conservation! Changes in temperature, water, food and their habitat have a negative impact on the health of the wildlife and in raising their young ones. Scientists around the world agree that cutting just 2 % of carbon emissions every year, that’s 80% over the next 40 years, we can avoid the worst impacts of global warming.

Our tiny little every day actions can make a big difference to help reduce global warming. By doing this we help ourselves and our fellow animal friends! Go green! Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs, adjust your thermostat, and join the ‘lights off’ campaign. You can also turn off lights when you don’t need them! Check how your computer can be tweaked to save energy and reduce global warming. Adopt high fuel efficiency standards for your vehicles. Even the kind of clothes you wear can help reduce global emission. It is being said that the production process for a cotton T-shirt blended with polyester uses petrochemicals and releases roughly 10 times the shirt’s weight in carbon dioxide.

The furniture we buy also adds to the destruction of tropical rainforests around the globe. This in turn adversely affects the wildlife habitat and their future. This doesn’t mean that you should not buy furniture at all. It simply means buying only certified furniture that will help protect rainforests and wildlife like furniture made out of wheat panels, sunflower board, aluminium, polywoods, wrought irons, metals, and stones. For example, in the U.S the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has certified some companies making and selling outdoor and garden furniture. Choosing FSC-certified Garden furniture ensures that forests are managed to protect water, soil, and wildlife habitat in addition to providing wood products.

Similarly, solar powered products can help greatly reduce carbon emissions and help us and the wildlife. Choose wisely eco-friendly electronic items like cell phones, TV and other gizmos that could help in reducing global warming and wildlife conservation.

Corporate responsibility can help in a big way in cutting global warming and in wildlife conservation. With a little initiative, corporate houses can turn their backyards and farms into eco-friendly garden and a wildlife-friendly habitat.

e-way and wildlife conservation
With blogging being widely used today, spreading awareness on wildlife conservation and sharing stories of how global warming has affected your neighbourhood wildlife could well make a huge difference. All that is needed is a little understanding and effort.

Stock taking
How many of us know about the number of wildlife sanctuaries and wildlife national parks in India? Many of us have heard about Project Tiger but do we know what is being done to protect them? How many of us do our bit in our everyday lives to reduce global warming? Are you an active animal activist? Take a pledge today and help you, others and our beloved animals. Remember, it’s their world too!

The silent revolution

By M H Ahssan

Despite the severe social and political constraints in our country – caste system, feudal setting, patriarchy, illiteracy, uneven development – the last 10 years have witnessed notable progress in women holding office in panchayats and municipalities.

More than 10 years ago, on December 23, 1992, when Parliament amended the Constitution (the 73rd and 74th Amendments) making the panchayats and municipalities “institutions of self-government” – reserving not less than one-third seats for women in these bodies – it was hailed as the beginning of a silent revolution.

The two constitutional amendments became laws on April 24 and June 1, 1993 respectively. In 1994, all Indian states passed the Conformity Act reshaping their Panchayati Raj system according to the new amendments. Today, thanks to these amendments, out of 3,200,000 members elected every five years to the panchayats and municipalities, more than 1,000,000 are women. Women head one-third of all the local bodies. Quite naturally, April 24 is celebrated as women’s political empowerment day in India.

Stories of empowerment can be found in many states. Geeta Rathore (44) belongs to Jamonia Talab gram panchayat, Sehore district, Madhya Pradesh. She was elected sarpanch in 1995 from a reserved seat; but in 2000, the village people rewarded her for her admirable work by electing her again – this time to a non-reserved seat. From a humble housewife, Geeta has grown into a leader displaying political farsightedness – she has harnessed the collective energy of her panchayat to renovate water tanks, build a school building, construct village roads, fight against domestic violence and atrocities against women, create environmental awareness, encourage afforestation and water management in her village.

But in the same state, there was Sukhiya Bai – the tribal sarpanch of Gubrail panchayat in Betul district. A year ago, she died in a hospital in Bhopal with 80 per cent burns. Sukhiya tried to struggle against the corrupt officials who demanded a cut for releasing money for development work. Simultaneously, she was under pressure from the villagers who demanded the money due to them for their labour. She had even borrowed Rs 4,000 from a relative to pay the panchayat secretary who had been demanding a bribe for releasing the money for a well that had been constructed by the villagers. Unable to bear the constant tension, she set fire to herself.

In Tamilnadu, Leelavathi contested the Madurai municipal elections in 1996, promising to bring water to the ward. She was elected as councillor and within six months water came to the area. This threatened the mafia of the water tanker owners, who had a flourishing business in the area. Within days of her victory to get water in the area, Leelavathi was murdered by those who lost their water business.

After the decadal journey, although leaders like Geeta Rathore have emerged, the big concern is the way this silent revolution is being threatened by the same forces it set out to defeat – patriarchal violence, inequality and discrimination. Why did the journeys of Sukhiya and Leelavathi have to have a violent end? They contested the elections according to the Constitution of India, occupied the constitutional positions and attempted to discharge their duties as per the law of the land.

But despite the severe social and political constraints in our country – caste system, feudal setting, patriarchy, illiteracy, uneven development – there are several aspects we can be proud of. The last 10 years have witnessed a steady progress as far as the inclusion of excluded sections of Indian population in the decision-making process from the village to the district level is concerned. About 3 million women are contesting the elections to panchayats and municipalities. This is no mean achievement in a hierarchical and male-dominated society.

With this, we have shown to the world that Indian women are not politically passive or uninterested in public life. Today, many women who fight the elections are from poor economic and backward social backgrounds; breaking social, cultural and economic barriers.

The notion that women’s political connections matter and only the kith and kin of known leaders or those connected to them will enter the local bodies has been proved wrong in the recent past. The common refrain that it is the menfolk in the families who control the women elected members may be partly true; but studies show that the situation is rapidly changing. Some state governments have already taken measures to ensure that sarpanch patis (husbands of women office bearers) don’t interfere with their wives’ duties.

The number of women getting elected from general constituencies (defeating men) is also increasing. For instance, in Karnataka, 43 per cent women are now getting elected to local governments. Taking advantage of the new ethos, innovative and creative experiments in local governance involving women, like gender budgeting and self-help groups, are taking place in several states.

However, there are structural and systemic problems that women face. For instance, if women panchayat presidents do not yield to pressures from powerful landowners or contractor lobbies, no-confidence motions are moved and they are removed from office.

In some cases, the women panchayat members have had to face violence, intimidation and harassment for questioning male dominance and asserting their rights as elected representatives. Although society has by and large accepted the concept of women in the panchayats, women sarpanches in socially conservative areas face obstacles every day in their work.

Further, several states have passed legislations whereby those having more than two children cannot hold office and if a child is born when they hold office, their membership in the panchayats or municipalities ceases to exist. This is a discriminatory law, only applicable to panchayats, and women in the villages are at the receiving end.

In certain areas, male officials do not hold elected women members/presidents in high esteem because of their low social status. Women are thus doubly disadvantaged: carrying the burden of household chores and demands from the community as well as the office they hold.

Ten years is a short journey. Even if the representatives have not worked wonders, they have made small but significant beginnings. And even for these small beginnings, they have had to pay a huge price. We cannot and must not allow the sacrifices and dreams of the Sukhiyas and Leelavathis to fade away, although the insensitive would like to have it that way.

This is the biggest challenge facing India today: can she turn the present phase of women becoming victims of oppressive structures into one of gender equity and create a public life with dignity for all? It is encouraging that enlightened citizens, NGOs and media are taking the initiative to meet this challenge with some measure of success. If the trend continues, India will soon have Geeta Rathores occupying 50 per cent of public offices and positions of power.

Rural India and media: Emerging permutations

By Vinod Mathew

It is all about the dialectics of change in the Indian media. The novelty is that for once this change is not being triggered by anything that is happening in the urban pockets of the country. On the contrary, it is the emerging rural reality that is making this happen, leading to a virtual urban-rural stand off.

Just as the burgeoning numbers of business enterprises in the country are eyeing the rural market to sell their merchandise, the media, too, is following suit. This has led to a bit of an upheaval in the media business, per se, with various permutations and combinations being tried out by some of the leading players.

Though it is early days yet, if there is a single noteworthy fallout from this churning, it is the birth of a new genre of communication that could be labelled the `alternative media’ till a better term is coined by the pundits.

Media is all about people, as altruism goes. And in India, with over 70 per cent of its 1,043 million population living in the rural regions, media, to a large extent ought to be catering to the rural mass. Unfortunately, that is far from the truth as media in India, as in most parts of the world, caters to the urban masses.

Here, we are talking about media of the urban, by the urban and very much for the urban people, with occasional forays into the rural world. And largely, these rural forays take place at instances of disasters and human tragedies as happened in the case of the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, when hordes of media, both national and international, made it their mission to hotfoot it to the remotest corners of rural Gujarat. And one has not heard of those villagers ever since.

Rural India is worth looking at as a case study because of its sheer size and spread, and its variety of culture, language, polity, religion and customs. Imagine the clubbing together of some of the major European countries, on the one side, and India, on the other, for the sake of comparison. One is talking about the plight of nearly 700 million people living in nearly 600,000 villages spanning over 150 million households.

The rural reportage by the Indian media, as and when it happens, is conceptualised and executed with the urban reader /viewer in mind. This can easily be labelled as a `Zoo Story’ syndrome, where the media looks at its rural constituents as case studies and objects of analysis within a larger picture, its fulcrum being quite urban-centric.

Meanwhile, Rural India, has come into its own as a potential market for the big business houses. True, the per capita income here still hovers in the $240-300 range as against the great Indian Middle Class of some 50 million that is already in the $3,000-5,000 category. But the latter pales into insignificance as sheer numbers advocate the merchant princes to concentrate on the rural expanse for volumes.

Thus you find many a manufacturer, both the made-in-India variety and the MNCs, squeezed by thinning margins and falling demand, turning to the hitherto untapped market called Rural India to sell their wares. Therefore, the new buzz heard in the headquarters of many corporate giants in the cities is rural marketing and e-connectivity to the villages as tools for deeper market penetration.

There are a few e-initiatives that are already successful like the e-Choupal of Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) that has already hooked up one million farmers and traded till date over 1,20,000 tonnes of products and done business worth $100 million.

The company, seeing the business sense in this communication model mounted on local language platforms, is looking at raising its present reach of 9,000 villages to 1,00,000 villages and some 1,500 kiosks to 20,000 kiosks over the next 10 years. Then there is the much-documented Amul model, the marketing initiative of the rural farmers of India, that has today grown to be the single largest food company in the country.

The Indian farmers have built a Rs 30-billion company that has put to shame some of the global giants such as Nestle and Levers in product-specific categories.

However, not all can afford to build such dedicated marketing tools for themselves as vehicles to sell their wares in the rural world. It is in this context that the relevance of a common use, multiple access entry tool for the marketing of products in rural India gains importance. And it is precisely for these reasons that an alternative media is lumbering itself into a state of wakefulness.

Thus, it is as per the script penned as a response to the marketing needs of the great Indian bazaar called Rural India, more than anything else, that this new media variant has dared to grow.

Significantly, this process of change is beginning at the grassroots level, where the merchant princes are using the local reach of cable TV to sell their wares in small hick-towns and overgrown villages that are today connected by the television. And catalysing this change will be the optic fibre cable (OFC) network that is soon going to connect the remotest corners of the country.

Clearly, what began primarily as a movie channel with religious discourses in the morning and a smattering of song and dance sequences, again from the movies, as fillers, is now threatening to metamorphose itself into a new genre of communication.

Here, one is not talking of some futuristic model as it has already been tried out successfully during the December 2002 Gujarat Assembly elections. If anything, the Gujarat experiment with alternative media has proven beyond doubt how potent a communication vehicle it can turn out to be.

It is now history that almost the entire mainstream media, both national and international, had as good as written the epitaph of the ruling party following the communal carnage and the build-up to the polls that followed in Gujarat. There was a great schism between the local and the national media as the latter had predicted a rout of the ruling party in the election a few months later but was found to be badly out of sync with the ground reality.

The fact of the matter is that the ruling party, having comprehended that it had an invaluable vehicle to reach out to the rural masses in the form of cable TV, used it to the hilt. It was a clear case of an urban-rural divide, with the media caught in the crossfire and the Indian mainstream media, per se, failing to feel the pulse of the rural masses.

Thus, the Gujarat elections of 2002 must have been the first documented instance of the emergence of an alternative media in India.

Clearly, the alternative media, with the business houses keen on building marketing links to the rural world, on the one hand, and the telecommunications explosion allowing cable TV access to some of the remotest corners of the country, on the other, is ready for launch. While it is still at a nascent stage and it is only in bits and pieces that it has been utilised by market forces, it is merely a matter of time before its immense potential becomes evident to one and all.

The present model has the cable TV being run on a subscription base, often at astronomical rates for the customers that seems to be climbing rather than coming down.

However, it may not take long before the big business houses see the wisdom of pushing for a new model that could be significantly cheaper for the customer but ensures deeper market penetration for their products.

The sheer scale of economy inherent in such a mechanism may soon give birth to an option that no one in the Indian media business be able to ignore any longer. Simply put, it may be too big a business opportunity for the mainstream media houses to ignore as one is talking of a definite reach into the rural India’s households.

Summing up, the media, as far as rural India is concerned, has been hitherto conspicuous by its absence in a meaningful way. This was true in the case of the print media of yore as it is in the case of the audio-visual media of today, barring a few exceptions where space was diligently dedicated to the rural world on a consistent basis.

On the other hand, even as the mainstream media has chosen to be urban-centric and left the rural masses to fend for itself by way of a comprehensive media vehicle, the rural world may have found a communication tool that suits its needs.

It is not that the Indian publication industry has not tried to make inroads into the rural world. Many have started out with regional supplements and later consolidated these into full-fledged regional editions. Some have even donated dish antennae in areas where they had their reach with the printed word, the next step being the launch of local language news coverage through the cable TV. Thus, the next phase could see the print media forging alliances of various hues and colours with local TV channels in a bid to stay in touch at the grassroots level.

At the end of the day, there are no readymade answers as to how the mainstream media can face up to this challenge as each entity would have to fashion a response tailor-made to suit one’s peculiar market compulsions.

What is true is that much of this response would depend on the degree of preparedness with which each entity faces up to these challenges. And a big step forward would come from researching this new phenomenon, rather turning a blind eye to the development.

From women’s media to rural media

By M H Ahssan

Newsletters in UP that began as a development effort to help women communicate among themselves have evolved into much more, addressing problems that are relevant to whole communities instead.

Seven years ago, many rural newsletters started off as mere communication tools for the women self-help groups. Their purpose was to initiate a dialogue between the women, share information and also, give them an opportunity to voice their opinion. Hand written, hand designed, they were a perfect reflection of women’s empowerment in rural Uttar Pradesh. But today, they have emerged as the voice of not just these groups, but also of the villages. Various rural newsletters of Uttar Pradesh not only carry reports of the groups, but also the problems of the villages, their issues and as a bonus, give a peek into the happenings around the world. Some are making their presence felt on the national scene too; Khabar Lehariya has even won the prestigious Chameli Devi Jain award.

The April 2004 issue of the rural newspaper Gunagar of Jaunpur talks about the life of Bhimrao Ambedkar, coinciding with his birth anniversary. The December 2004 issue of Mitra from Oraiyya tries to focus on the problem of the caste biases in the village primary school and even goes ahead to show the issue to the block development officials. The development officials record the copy as an official complaint and take action against the erring school teachers. Several other newsletters like the Purvai of Varanasi, Bhinsaar from Pratapgarh, Dehriya from Sitapur, Bhaiyli from Mathura, Mahila Dakiya (the very first one in the series) from Chitrakoot are also making their mark. Mahila Samakhya, a prominent NGO working for the education and empowerment in Uttar Pradesh, supports these. Nirantar, a support group from New Delhi, supports Khabar Lehariya from Chitrakoot. While some of them are quarterly, others are bi-annual and some are even monthly.

The matters in these newsletters range from local civic problems like conditions of the hand pumps and the kharanjas (brick roads), local social issues like dowry, intoxication, violence against women, and even murders and other crimes. Household tips, gardening tips and details of the latest research are the added features of these newsletters, which are collected by the women themselves.

A peek into the newsrooms of these newsletters is an interesting task. The editorial comprises of the Resource Person of the Samakhya centre, the clerk and a few of the sangha women who are literate. Some of them are also involved with the designing aspect, trying to merge the folk designs in the newsletters to give them a better and more rustic look. The news is collected on the basis of the activities of the centre and also, as provided by these women. It is compiled and written on the newspaper or even typed by the women. Then, the print is carried to the printer (who is located as far as 25 to 30 kms away) by the women themselves and selected copies of the newsletter are printed. Every month or every quarter, some 700 to 1000 copies of these newsletters are printed at an estimated cost of around Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000, which is partially funded by Mahila Samakhya and partially by the women through various income generating activities.

According to the women who are involved in bringing out these newsletters, people have now started coming from all over the village to give details about their problems to be carried in the newspaper. “For us, this is the most effective medium for voicing our problems. We started them to share the knowledge between our sangha, but now, even the villagers have got connected to these newsletters,” say Kiran and Sushma of Mahila Samakhya Jaunpur. She cites several examples where villagers have told them about the problems and they have highlighted them in their papers. She adds that since these are the only newsletters which can carry any and every news the villagers flock to them.

Some of the issues which have been highlighted in these newsletters, have ended up bringing about a change in the villages. Once, one of the villagers told the sangha women about his repeated requests to the pradhan to get the only access road to his village repaired. The women noted the case in their newsletter and sent a copy to the Block development officer. Reading the news, the BDO ordered immediate construction of the road. Says Rajumari of Ujala Mahasangh of Mahila Samakhya, “We felt like real reporters, for our story had managed to show an impact. We published the acknowledgement letter from the villagers in an issue of our newsletter.”

In another case, the parents of a girl stopped her from going to school. The girl came crying to the sangha workers, and wrote an emotional poem for her parents. “We published the poem in our newsletter and sent a copy of it to her parents. Reading the poem, the girl’s parents were convinced about the significance of education for her and did not stop her from going to school,” says Varsha of Mahila Samakhya Chitrakoot.

At times, the women have even managed to solve some problems of the village by highlighting them in their newsletters. “There are several cases related to civic problems and cases where women have been harassed. We have sent the copies of the newsletter with the problems to the block level officials, who tries to take quick action based on these reports,” says Neelam of Mahila Samakhya Sitapur.

The growth of these newsletters has even amazed those who initiated the entire initiative. Talking about the growth of these newsletters, the Deputy director of Mahila Samakhya, Uttar Pradesh, Dr Kumkum Tripathi feels it is thanks to the dedication and sincere hard work of the women that these newsletters have scaled such heights. “They are a part of our regular publications and come what may, the printing of these newsletters does not stop. We started these newsletters to promote educational initiatives amongst our neo-literates, as they served a perfect medium to bridge the gap between them and knowledge. But after all these years and the success of these newsletters, we are surprised to see that these newsletters have now taken the form of newspapers, which even have a section for world news. What is more, they are not only focusing on problems of women, but those faced by men too.”

“It’s not only the Sangha women who read the newsletter. Literate menfolk of our village too read the newsletter. Although initially it was tough for us to accept this initiative by the women, but then, we realised that it was a boon for the entire village as well,” says Ramkishore Yadav, a village pradhan in Varanasi district. Like Yadav, many other men too shared similar views. For the villagers, the initiative has become an inseparable part of their everyday lives. It is more than a medium of communication for them, a powerful tool that has not only brought in changes in the respective villages but also mobilized the communities in and around these newsletters. These papers, the ones we would normally call ‘alternate media’, are touching lives in very mainstream ways.

BPO operations head into rural India

Inside India: Will villages be the next outsourcing destination?

Indian services companies are opening business process outsourcing (BPO) operations in rural villages as a way of keeping down costs for customers while bridging the digital divide in the country.

With the growth of the IT industry some Indian cities have seen greater prosperity but so far this has passed the rural areas by.

As part of an attempt to address this two BPO centres have been set up in villages and a third is being developed. The three centres will employ 250 people, and there are plans for more sites in the pipeline. See here for more picturesof how technology is changing rural India.

Verghese Jacob, lead partner at the Byrraju Foundation, which is masterminding the operation, said: “The pace of rural growth has been much slower than urban growth.”

This rural BPO programme is called GramIT, and the centre comes with back-up power and bandwidth so there is interruption of service.

And as well as boosting the rural economy in India, there are some solid business reasons why companies might want to outsource to the villages – they work out 15 to 20 per cent cheaper than urban BPO.

Jacob said: “There is a big cost advantage to a company locating in rural areas because the infrastructure costs are low. We believe there are 80 to 90 million people that could be trained to take care of the back-office needs of the entire world.”

Employee churn is less than four per cent compared to 25 per cent in restless rural call centres. The employees earn around 3,500 to 4,000 rupees per month – around £50, which is about twice what they would otherwise be able to earn. Staff at the centres deal with processes such as short-listing candidates for jobs or booking taxis for corporate travel.

Jacob said that when the BPO jobs are created, other types of jobs appear within a few months – with restaurants or taxi companies to serve the workers, further boosting the local economy.

He added: “The challenge is not to set up, the challenge is to make sure it remains sustainable and you have to have a viable business.”

Current customers for the programme include technology company Satyam and the government of Andhra Pradesh.

Corporates look for rural gold

By M H Ahssan

Business honchos are descending on the rural markets, expecting to make a killing from whatever is left in the pockets of India’s poor, led by an NCAER forecast of robust sales growth here.

All eyes are now shifting to the rural areas. Trucks carrying consumer goods are being directed to the nearest village. Rural India is now up for grabs.

It is no longer only hair oils, toothpastes, shampoos, soft drinks and potato chips that you will find stacked on the dusty shelf in a village shop. Corporate India now believes that the loan waiver, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGA) and successive bumper harvests have brought enough cash surplus into the hands of the rural community. It is therefore time to cash in on this new-found richness in the rural areas.

Is rural India really becoming prosperous? Or is Corporate India’s greed that is driving them to the hinterland? Before we look at the ground realities, let us first see how the markets are shifting gear. The mobile phone has already made an aggressive foray. The sale of computers is being pushed through the government-sponsored e-governance programmes. Cars, two-wheelers, and consumer durables are eyeing the smaller markets. Coca Cola, Pepsi and Dabur India have relaunched specific marketing programmes. The wedding industry is already camping in the smaller towns. And the futures market too is excited.

According to news reports, Samsung, Nokia, Sansui, Philips, Maruti, Mahindra & Mahindra, LG, Tata Motors, Hyundai, Tata Sky, Hero Honda, Air Tel, Vodofone, BSNL, ICICI and Nestle are some of the corporate giants eyeing the rural markets. There are innumerable other smaller companies who have now ramped up their marketing operations in the tier II and tier III towns.

No, there isn’t an economic revolution happening in rural India. It is only that the business honchos are descending on the rural markets, expecting to make a killing from whatever is left in the pockets of India’s poor. Leading the corporate march into the rural areas is the industry think-tank, the National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER). It believes that the rural middle class is steadily growing, and the corporate can expect a sales turnover of 60 per cent from rural India.

Not only the domestic majors, global giants too are looking at India’s rural sector as a potential kill. American agribusiness giants – Monsanto, Cargill, Wal-Mart and ADM – among the world’s top multinationals have already found a foothold in the rural retail segment through the Indo-US Knowledge Initiative on Agriculture Research, Development and Marketing (KIA) agreement. These multinationals have already made it clear that they are not interesting in collaborating on agricultural research but keen to sell their products.

Meanwhile, not satisfied with the marketing opportunities under the agreement, two American senators have demanded a detailed study of the potential that Indian agriculture markets contain. Their plea is to open up the Indian farm sector to American agricultural products. At present, only 5 per cent of American produce finds its way to Indian farms. Well, the eagles are descending, and from all directions. The village mouse may find it hard to find a suitable cover to escape the attack.

The reason is obvious. So far, it is the sale of alcohol – both domestic brands and the locally produced – that has been the biggest destroyer of rural homes. Much of the farm income is known to have found its way to the liquor shops. No wonder, cereal consumption has further declined in rural areas, even though families are spending more on it. According to the latest report of the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), monthly expenditure on cereals has gone up from Rs.101 to Rs.115, and yet per capita cereal consumption has climbed down from 13.4 kg per person per month in 1993-94 to 11.7 kg in 2006-07.

This report also comes at a time when the National Commission on Enterprise in Unorganised Sector very clearly and loudly states that 77 per cent of India’s population (and the bulk of it inhabits the rural areas for sure) equivalent to 836 million people spend not more than Rs.20 a day. I am sure with Rs.20 a day expenditure, you cannot expect 836 million people to buy even two square meals daily. To these hungry millions, selling a growth dream in the form of consumer durables is certainly something that cannot be easily digested.

I stall can’t fathom what the ICICI chairman H V Kamath had said sometimes back: “There is a lot of money to be made from the rural areas.” If this is true, I see no reason why India should rank a dismal 66 out of 88 countries on the 2008 Global Hunger Index. As many as 12 of the 18 states measured, and that includes ‘vibrant’ Gujarat, technology-savvy Karnataka, suicide prone Maharashtra and the rice bowl of Tamilnadu, are listed in the category of ‘alarming’. In fact, India stands much lower than Sub-Saharan Africa in the Hunger Index. Even Punjab, the food granary of India, is worse off than Gabon and Vietnam.

The villages of India have traditionally been victim of what is called reverse terms of trade. All these years, more money has actually been taken out from these villages than what has been invested. Some studies have shown that from a rural landscape of the size of 1000 acres, agricultural-input companies and that includes fertiliser, pesticides, and seeds, on an average pump out anything between Rs.30 and 70 crores every year, depending upon where these areas are located.

If only this money had stayed back in the villages, the face of India’s village would have been in any case looked bright and vibrant. You wouldn’t require the skills of organised money-lenders, through the micro-finance route, to exploit the poor and gullible. Although 50 million poor households are being given micro-finance, the poor are actually being forced to fork out returns at an exorbitant interest of an average of 20 to 24 per cent. In urban centres, you would be up in arms if you were made to pay such a high interest rate. But than, you need to know that the poor are being ‘empowered’.

If the poorest of the poor women in a self-help group wants to buy a goat, which she needs for earning a livelihood, she has to pay an average interest of 24 per cent. I am sure, for a TV, fridge or a two-wheeler she will now get interest-free loans. After all, economists will tell us that the more she buys consumer durables, the more the GDP will grow. Even if they have to go to bed hungry instead, these are small sacrifices that need to be made for the sake of country’s growth. Who said, selling dreams is only a Bollywood’s prerogative?

Rural India promises growth for retail

There may be a slowdown in urban retail, but `Bharat’ is still shining for retailers. The next phase of growth is expected to come from rural markets with rural India accounting for almost half of the domestic retail market, which is valued over $300 billion.

Rural India is set to witness an economic boom, with per capita income having grown by 50% over the last 10 years, mainly on account of rising commodity prices andimproved productivity. Development of basic infrastructure, generation of employment guarantee schemes, better information services and access to funding are also bringing prosperity to rural households.

“Overall there is a huge market which is waiting to be served, ready to splurge, willing to explore new products and services, and retailers can tap on their wallets,” said Ramesh Srinivas, national industry director (consumer markets), KPMG India.

In rural markets, consumers are practical and price sensitive. Even though consumers at the bottom of the pyramid do not seem to have predictable income (which affects purchasing dynamics), the rural market proved to be surprisingly loyal. So if companies get it right they could really reap the rewards, experts added.

This is particularly true as changes in the rural economy such as people moving from agriculture into manufacturing, which pays better, are likely to lead to a economic boom.

In order to earn brand loyalty in the rural market, product design will need to go beyond ideas like smaller sizes (such as single use sachets) to create genuinely new products that appeal to this segment.

“This requires a deep understanding of the market and an appetite for innovation, posing a challenge for both consumer products companies and retailers as there is still lack of shared understanding about the ever-changing Indian market and types of consumers that make it”, says Pinakiranjan Mishra, leader retail and consumer products, E&Y India.

Also, with most of the retail markets in cities getting saturated, rural markets offer a sea of opportunity for retailers.

Retailers have devised different models to serve rural markets. For instance, ITC promoted `choupal sagar’ has a hub-and-spoke model involving farmers. “Themodel offers a rural shopping mall where they can sell their commodities and can buy almost anything including garments, cosmetics, electronics and even tractors,” says a KPMG report.

Other examples include Pantaloon Godrej’s joint venture (Aadhar), Reliance Retail (Fresh & Fresh Plus), Hindustan Unilever (Shakti), DCM (Hariyali Kisaan Bazaar) and Mahindra & Mahindra (Shublabh).

Telemedicine in Rural India

By M H Ahssan

In a developing country such as India, there is huge inequality in health-care distribution. Although nearly 75% of Indians live in rural villages, more than 75% of Indian doctors are based in cities. Most of the 620 million rural Indians lack access to basic health care facilities. The Indian government spends just 0.9% of the country’s annual gross domestic product on health, and little of this spending reaches remote rural areas. The poor infrastructure of rural health centers makes it impossible to retain doctors in villages, who feel that they become professionally isolated and outdated if stationed in remote areas.

In addition, poor Indian villagers spend most of their out-of-pocket health expenses on travel to the specialty hospitals in the city and for staying in the city along with their escorts. A recent study conducted by the Indian Institute of Public Opinion found that 89% of rural Indian patients have to travel about 8 km to access basic medical treatment, and the rest have to travel even farther.

Can Telemedicine Bridge the Divide?
Telemedicine may turn out to be the cheapest, as well as the fastest, way to bridge the rural–urban health divide. Taking into account India’s huge strides in the field of information and communication technology, telemedicine could help to bring specialized healthcare to the remotest corners of the country.

The efficacy of telemedicine has already been shown through the network established by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), which has connected 22 super-specialty hospitals with 78 rural and remote hospitals across the country through its geo-stationary satellites. This network has enabled thousands of patients in remote places such as Jammu and Kashmir, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Lakshadweep Islands, and tribal areas of the central and northeastern regions of India to gain access to consultations with experts in super-specialty medical institutions. ISRO has also provided connectivity for mobile telemedicine units in villages, particularly in the areas of community health and ophthalmology.

This encouraging early success in reaching patients—together with recent technological advances in India, such as the proliferation of fiber optic cables, the expanding bandwidth, and the licensing of private Internet service providers—has encouraged ISRO to set up an exclusive satellite, called HealthSAT, to bring telemedicine to the poor on a larger scale. The proposed satellite would not only serve remote areas of India but also those in other poor countries in Asia and Africa. In the government of India’s current budget, INR102.8 billion has been allocated for health. HealthSAT is expected to cost only about 1% of this budget, that is, between INR600 million to INR1 billion. Each receiving terminal (where patients and rural doctors are present for audiovisual conferences) in the villages is expected to cost only about INR0.5 million. This telemedicine service will save some costs, for example the money that patients would have spent on travel and accommodation.

A telemedicine system in a small health centre consists of a personal computer with customized medical software connected to a few medical diagnostic instruments, such as an ECG or X-ray machine or an X-ray scanner for scanning X-ray photos. Through this computer, digitized versions of patients’ medical images and diagnostic details (such as X-ray images and blood test reports) are dispatched to specialist doctors through the satellite-based communication link. The information, in turn, is received at the specialist centre where experienced doctors examine the reports, diagnose, interact with the patients (along with local doctors), and suggest appropriate treatment through video-conferencing. The entire system is relatively user-friendly, and only a short period of training is needed for doctors at super-specialty centres and rural health centres to handle the system. And hospital technicians can take care of the operation and maintenance of the equipment.

M. N. Sathyanarayan, Executive Director of Space Industries Development, and organising secretary of the 2005 International Telemedicine Conference, said: “In the pilot phase of the telemedicine project, ISRO is providing telemedicine equipment as well as making available the required bandwidth on INSAT satellites. The main criteria for funding by ISRO are that the hospitals have to be government-run—state or central—or belong to public sector industries. The hospitals have to provide infrastructure as well as doctors and technicians for operating the system.”

“ISRO also provides the equipment and bandwidth to private specialty hospitals and hospitals run by Trusts, if these hospitals provide free service, including specialty consultation to rural hospitals that have been connected in the telemedicine network of ISRO. These hospitals have to provide follow-up treatment to teleconsulted patients at government rates.”

In its telemedicine initiative, ISRO intends to connect different types of Indian health care centers in a series of phases. L. S. Sathyamurthy, Programme Director of Telemedicine at ISRO said: “There are 650 district hospitals, 3,000 taluk [subdistrict] hospitals, and more than 23,000 primary health centers in the country. We must aim to connect all these in phases—first the district hospital connected to speciality hospitals in major cities, then the taluk-level hospitals, and finally the primary health centers, so that nobody, irrespective of his location, is deprived of lifesaving specialty consultation.” When the network grows, it may even include private hospitals as well as hospitals in Asia and Africa. Although the network will initially be used for teleconsultation and postoperative consultation, in the future it may accommodate even telesurgery and telerobotics.

The Impact So Far
Starting with pilot projects in the year 2001, together with a “proof-of-concept” technology demonstration, ISRO has established the facility in nearly 60 remote hospitals, which have been connected with 20 super-specialty city hospitals. A report presented at the Rajya Sabha (the House of States, or Upper House) of the Parliament of India suggested that the initial results of India’s telemedicine initiative are encouraging. The report states that several telemedicine projects in India have been successfully interlinked—for example, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands telemedicine project links the G. B. Pant Hospital at Port Blair with Shri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, Chennai, while in Karnataka, Narayana Hrudayalaya is connected to District Hospital, Chamarajnagar and Vivekananda Memorial Hospital, Saragur.

Adding to these early reports of successful linkage, there are also reports that telemedicine has helped to save lives in crowded pilgrimage centres and military outposts connected with mobile telemedicine units. For example, the Amrita Telemedicine Programme reports that on 13 January 2003, the programme’s first remote telesurgery procedure was performed. The Amrita Emergency Care Unit at Pampa was able to save the life of a pilgrim by a telesurgical procedure using the local telemedicine facility. The cardiothoracic surgeon guided the procedure remotely, and the pediatric cardiologist at Pampa performed the procedure. Mobile telemedicine units were also rushed to the coasts and islands of India after the 2004 tsunami to provide medical consultation and relief to the affected people.

There are other indications that the telemedicine initiative may have had a positive impact. ISRO’s annual report for 2004–2005 states: “More than 25,000 patients have so far been provided with teleconsultation and treatment. An impact study conducted on a thousand patients has revealed that there is a significant cost saving in the system since the patients avoid expenses towards travel, stay, and for treatment at the hospitals in the cities”. Dr. Devi Shetty, a cardiac surgeon and the Chairman of Narayan Hrudayalya, a hospital that has served thousands through telemedicine, said: “We have treated 17,400 patients using telemedicine connectivity in various parts of India, mainly from rural India, and [a] few patients from outside India. We use both satellite as well as ISDN connectivity. Now, with the Indian Space Research Organisation, which is our associate in this project giving us the satellite connection free of cost, we have a [larger] game plan of offering health care to African and other Asian countries.”

The Challenges and Controversies
The telemedicine initiative in India has not been free of challenges and controversies. “There are inevitable difficulties associated with the introduction of new systems and technologies,” according to Sathyamurthy. “There are some who needlessly fear that they will lose their jobs. Although the systems are user-friendly, there are others who are affected by the fear of the unknown in handling computers and other equipment. There is a feeling that the initial investment is high and hence financially not viable.” In addition, there may be technical hitches, such as low bandwidth and lack of interoperability standards for software.

Discussing HealthSAT, Dr. D. Lavanian, an Indian expert in telemedicine affiliated with the Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation, Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, India, said: “[HealthSAT] is excellent, but some questions remain. Presently HealthSAT connectivity is expected to be given free of charge to certain government entities. This is unsatisfactory as a large percentage of health care in India is by private entities.” Dr. Lavanian added: “On my requesting to ISRO to open up the same to the private health industry, of course for a fee, I have not received any positive answer. This means that a large percentage of the population of India will be denied healthcare via telemedicine.”

These difficulties can probably be surmounted. In the late 1980s, when computers came to India, similar kinds of problems were seen in different parts of the country. That is, people showed technophobia and expressed their fears that computers would cause unemployment and would also be prohibitively expensive. But the country overcame these challenges and fears, and eventually became a superpower in the field of knowledge and information technology.

With the aid of HealthSAT, India’s telemedicine initiative has the potential to provide specialized health care to millions of poor Indians. This potential was well summed up by Dr. Devi Shetty: “In terms of disease management, there is [a] 99% possibility that the person who is unwell does not require [an] operation. If you don’t operate you don’t need to touch the patient. And if you don’t need to touch the patient, you don’t need to be there. You can be anywhere, since the decision on healthcare management is based on history and interpretation of images and chemistry … so technically speaking, 99% of health-care problems can be managed by the doctors staying at a remote place—linked by telemedicine.”

Rural India Benefits From Mobile Communications

Mobile communication is revolutionizing economic and social life in rural India, spawning a wave of local entrepreneurs and creating greater access to social services according to a new study by The Center for Knowledge Societies (CKS) commissioned by Nokia. The research identifies seven major service sectors including transport, finance and healthcare that could be radically transformed through mobile technologies.

Mobile phone ownership in India is growing rapidly, six million new mobile subscriptions are added each month and one in five Indian’s will own a phone by the end of 2007. By the end of 2008, three quarters of India’s population will be covered by a mobile network. Many of these new “mobile citizens” live in poorer and more rural areas with scarce infrastructure and facilities, high illiteracy levels, low PC and internet penetration. The study looks at how their new mobility could be used to bridge the growing economic and social digital divide between rural and urban areas.

Veli Sundback, Executive Vice President, Corporate Relations and Responsibility, at Nokia, said, “Mobile phone ownership in India is growing at a phenomenal pace. This new found mobility undoubtedly has the potential to make a major contribution to socio-economic development, and we recognise the responsibility we have to play a key role in achieving this. This report builds on the work Nokia has been doing in developing markets like India for several years to understand how we can deliver on our goal of making universal access to technology and the associated benefits a reality.”

Dr. Aditya Dev Sood, the report author highlights how many new adopters of mobile phones have found their incomes rise, he explained these findings as the increased productivity made possible through mobile communications. “While mobile phones are widely seen merely as a communications medium, they should really be seen as a new and essential form of infrastructure that will transform a host of other service sectors in rural economies around the world,” he said.

The report identifies seven service areas — Transport, Micro-commerce, Finance, Healthcare, Governance, Education and Infotainment.

The research is based on detailed ethnography and participant observation among communities living in three rural areas of India — Badaun in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Satara in the state of Maharashtra and Chittradurga in the state of Karnataka — as well as one urban area, Bangalore. Researchers meet with small business owners, farmers, home owners and others to understand how mobile communication has already transformed their daily lives and the further potential of mobile communications to enhance livelihoods.

High-tech sector eyes India’s rural market

By Indrajit Basu

The roads are dusty and unpaved; electricity is erratic and its quality inferior; the residents seldom finish school and to most the use of hi-technology starts with a television and ends with a mobile phone – just for talking. Yet ask the heads of dozens of technology companies in India and they will tell you that foremost on their list of strategic moves is to head into rural India.

From multinational high-tech consumer durable companies to Chinese mobile-phone makers; from global information technology giants such as Microsoft to back-office service providers; global telecom and biotechnology companies, and even India’s IT-sector lobbyist, the National Association of Software Services Companies (NASSCOM), are stepping out of the cities and moving into the villages and towns of rural India.

Each has different imperatives and objectives, but all say that the growing influence of rural India on the country’s society and economy is too big to ignore. Over 740 million people – about 65% of India’s population – live in some 600,000 villages and small towns, and according to a recent survey by Indian Revenue Service, more than half of the 145 million rural households in India earn between US$300 and $1,400 a year.

And although only estimates of the present size of the rural markets are available, according to a survey by the global advisory firm Mckinsey & Co, carried out in April last year, India’s rural markets have the potential to reach $500 billion by 2020.

But that’s old news. After all, the realization that rural India holds huge potential dawned on people about two decades back, when fast-moving consumer product companies – makers of toothpaste, soap, detergent, soft drinks, etc – moved in, first just to sell their products. But what’s different in the “Rural Strategy Version 2″ is the new range of interests and their approach in tapping this largely unexplored market. The latest rural aspirants include a wide range of companies, ranging from retail products to drug and industrial products companies, as well as many technology companies.

Their strategy, too, is different. Few are looking at selling their products or services immediately; in fact, many are willing to wait for years. In addition, almost all are targeting the entire rural population rather than just the affluent elite.

Take Yahoo for example, the latest firm to announce that it is moving into rural India. This Internet company has finally decided to take the plunge after watching the markets for several months, primarily because competition from rival portals is getting tougher. According to Pranesh Anthapur, chief operations officer of Yahoo India, “The importance of rural India can’t be underestimated any more.” The company plans – for the time being – to just promote brand awareness by providing basic e-commerce support against the backdrop of growing personal computer ownership and Internet penetration in rural India.

Yahoo’s obvious competition in the rural markets is Google, which announced its foray about two weeks back and does not have profits in mind either – at least not just yet. This search-engine technology innovator’s “challenge” is to make the search engine less complicated, as well as to develop content for rural users – such as weather updates, crop patterns, ebb and tide schedules, etc.

Similarly, DataWind Net Access Corp, a Canada-based provider of wireless web access products and services, has tied up with the Indian IT lobbyist NASSCOM to run Internet training programs in the villages and small towns in the Indian states of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Maharashtra. The objective looks more social than commercial in the sense that the aim is to improve the reach and user base of the Internet in villages and small towns so that state and district administration services can be enhanced and made more transparent.

Rural India also drives volumes
But if the rural markets are not revenue generators yet for Yahoo!, Google or even Microsoft – which is implementing the “IT Saksham” project primarily to evangelize the benefits of using IT in rural communities – most telecom companies (and even mobile handset makers) are moving out of larger cities and plugging into the rural sector, purely to ramp up volumes.

Although urban markets are still lucrative and will continue to be the focus for the telecom sector, the untapped potential of the rural markets is now seen as the next volume driver. “India has the target of reaching 500 phone subscribers – from the present 200 million (fixed plus mobile) – by 2010, and that kind of growth can only come from the rural segment,” said TV Ramachandran, director general, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).

In fact, a strange thing happened in India two weeks ago. To create and run networks in remote areas, the government announced the auction of 81 rural regions, the laying-out cost of which was supposed to have been subsidized by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) created by the Department of Telecom (DoT) in 2003. The resources for implementation of this objective are raised through a 5% universal service levy on gross revenue of all telecom companies (except the pure value-added service providers like the Internet, voicemail, e-mail service providers) and grants and loans from the federal government.

However, in 38 of the 81 regions, telecom companies did not bid – meaning that subsidies was not sought at all – and in about 15 regions, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications and Aircel (three of India’s large telecom companies) submitted negative bids – which means that they preferred to pay into the USOF instead of accepting its support.

“Most of the rural pockets, which were unviable even a few years back, have now become viable and profitable. Therefore, operators preferred to pay to the USOF rather than to take its support and be bound by a few restrictive DoT conditions,” said a COAI spokesperson.

Small wonder then that with the DoT stranded with unutilized USOF funds of about $2 billion as of March, many telecom experts have started questioning the utility of creating such a fund in the country.

Indeed, to some extent, thanks to an abysmally low teledensity (number of telephone connections per 100 people) of 4% (versus 15% in urban areas) in rural India, that segment of the market is scorching. According to the vision plan drawn up by the DoT, 200 million rural telephone connections are envisaged by the end of 2012, taking the rural teledensity figure to 25%.

New source for human resources
India’s 700 million-plus rural population is a cheap talent pool as well. That’s what the flourishing IT-enabled services or the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector has realized lately. Stymied in their growth by an acute shortage of human resources in the cities (where the attrition rate can go up to 60%) local BPO companies have now started moving into to the rural sector for launching their services. The other reason why the rural sector has emerged as attractive is cost. The industry says that the infrastructure cost is 20% cheaper compared to urban set-ups.

Pioneers that have set up such centers include Lason Inc (a US-based outsourcing firm), GramIT (a rural venture associated with local IT giant the Satyam Group), and Datamation (a Delhi-based group). These are now the key players in the Indian rural BPO scene, who say that besides reducing costs for their customers, their rural strategy has also been a key contributor toward bridging the digital divide and creating jobs.

Selling in Rural India

The Indian rural market with its vast size and demand base offers a huge opportunity that MNCs cannot afford to ignore.

To expand the market by tapping the countryside, more and more MNCs are foraying into India’s rural markets. Among those that have made some headway are Hindustan Lever, Coca-Cola, LG Electronics, Britannia, Standard Life, Philips, Colgate Palmolive and the foreign-invested telecom companies.

Opportunity
The Indian rural market with its vast size and demand base offers a huge opportunity that MNCs cannot afford to ignore. With 128 million households, the rural population is nearly three times the urban.

As a result of the growing affluence, fuelled by good monsoons and the increase in agricultural output to 200 million tonnes from 176 million tonnes in 1991, rural India has a large consuming class with 41 per cent of India’s middle-class and 58 per cent of the total disposable income.

The importance of the rural market for some FMCG and durable marketers is underlined by the fact that the rural market accounts for close to 70 per cent of toilet-soap users and 38 per cent of all two-wheeler purchased.

The rural market accounts for half the total market for TV sets, fans, pressure cookers, bicycles, washing soap, blades, tea, salt and toothpowder, What is more, the rural market for FMCG products is growing much faster than the urban counterpart.

The 4A approach
The rural market may be alluring but it is not without its problems: Low per capita disposable incomes that is half the urban disposable income; large number of daily wage earners, acute dependence on the vagaries of the monsoon; seasonal consumption linked to harvests and festivals and special occasions; poor roads; power problems; and inaccessibility to conventional advertising media.

However, the rural consumer is not unlike his urban counterpart in many ways.

The more daring MNCs are meeting the consequent challenges of availability, affordability, acceptability and awareness (the so-called 4 As)

Availability
The first challenge is to ensure availability of the product or service. India’s 627,000 villages are spread over 3.2 million sq km; 700 million Indians may live in rural areas, finding them is not easy. However, given the poor state of roads, it is an even greater challenge to regularly reach products to the far-flung villages. Any serious marketer must strive to reach at least 13,113 villages with a population of more than 5,000. Marketers must trade off the distribution cost with incremental market penetration. Over the years, India’s largest MNC, Hindustan Lever, a subsidiary of Unilever, has built a strong distribution system which helps its brands reach the interiors of the rural market. To service remote village, stockists use autorickshaws, bullock-carts and even boats in the backwaters of Kerala. Coca-Cola, which considers rural India as a future growth driver, has evolved a hub and spoke distribution model to reach the villages. To ensure full loads, the company depot supplies, twice a week, large distributors which who act as hubs. These distributors appoint and supply, once a week, smaller distributors in adjoining areas. LG Electronics defines all cities and towns other than the seven metros cities as rural and semi-urban market. To tap these unexplored country markets, LG has set up 45 area offices and 59 rural/remote area offices.

Affordability
The second challenge is to ensure affordability of the product or service. With low disposable incomes, products need to be affordable to the rural consumer, most of whom are on daily wages. Some companies have addressed the affordability problem by introducing small unit packs. Godrej recently introduced three brands of Cinthol, Fair Glow and Godrej in 50-gm packs, priced at Rs 4-5 meant specifically for Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh — the so-called `Bimaru’ States.

Hindustan Lever, among the first MNCs to realise the potential of India’s rural market, has launched a variant of its largest selling soap brand, Lifebuoy at Rs 2 for 50 gm. The move is mainly targeted at the rural market. Coca-Cola has addressed the affordability issue by introducing the returnable 200-ml glass bottle priced at Rs 5. The initiative has paid off: Eighty per cent of new drinkers now come from the rural markets. Coca-Cola has also introduced Sunfill, a powdered soft-drink concentrate. The instant and ready-to-mix Sunfill is available in a single-serve sachet of 25 gm priced at Rs 2 and mutiserve sachet of 200 gm priced at Rs 15.

Acceptability
The third challenge is to gain acceptability for the product or service. Therefore, there is a need to offer products that suit the rural market. One company which has reaped rich dividends by doing so is LG Electronics. In 1998, it developed a customised TV for the rural market and christened it Sampoorna. It was a runway hit selling 100,000 sets in the very first year. Because of the lack of electricity and refrigerators in the rural areas, Coca-Cola provides low-cost ice boxes — a tin box for new outlets and thermocol box for seasonal outlets.

The insurance companies that have tailor-made products for the rural market have performed well. HDFC Standard LIFE topped private insurers by selling policies worth Rs 3.5 crore in total premia. The company tied up with non-governmental organisations and offered reasonably-priced policies in the nature of group insurance covers. With large parts of rural India inaccessible to conventional advertising media — only 41 per cent rural households have access to TV — building awareness is another challenge. Fortunately, however, the rural consumer has the same likes as the urban consumer — movies and music — and for both the urban and rural consumer, the family is the key unit of identity. However, the rural consumer expressions differ from his urban counterpart. Outing for the former is confined to local fairs and festivals and TV viewing is confined to the state-owned Doordarshan. Consumption of branded products is treated as a special treat or indulgence.

Hindustan Lever relies heavily on its own company-organised media. These are promotional events organised by stockists. Godrej Consumer Products, which is trying to push its soap brands into the interior areas, uses radio to reach the local people in their language.

Coca-Cola uses a combination of TV, cinema and radio to reach 53.6 per cent of rural households. It doubled its spend on advertising on Doordarshan, which alone reached 41 per cent of rural households. It has also used banners, posters and tapped all the local forms of entertainment. Since price is a key issue in the rural areas, Coca-Cola advertising stressed its `magical’ price point of Rs 5 per bottle in all media.LG Electronics uses vans and road shows to reach rural customers. The company uses local language advertising. Philips India uses wall writing and radio advertising to drive its growth in rural areas.

The key dilemma for MNCs eager to tap the large and fast-growing rural market is whether they can do so without hurting the company’s profit margins. Mr Carlo Donati, Chairman and Managing-Director, Nestle, while admitting that his company’s product portfolio is essentially designed for urban consumers, cautions companies from plunging headlong into the rural market as capturing rural consumers can be expensive. “Any generalisation” says Mr Donati, “about rural India could be wrong and one should focus on high GDP growth areas, be it urban, semi-urban or rural.”

With rural India shining, India will shine!

In this article, Dr. Rajvanshi makes out a case for sustainable energy development programme as a means to creating all-round rural development.

India’s economy is growing presently at the rate of 10 per cent per annum. This means that we will double up all the inputs in seven years. Thus, by 2011, we will double the consumption of petroleum products, electricity, food and other commodities to keep this growth rate. Last year we imported about Rs 85,000 crore worth of petroleum products. India will also require about 140,000 mw of installed electricity capacity by 2010 at an estimated outlay of Rs 5.5 trillion. Thus, financial outlay needed for the energy sector alone is staggering and to maintain “India shining” it is necessary that we produce as much as possible, energy and liquid fuels internally.

There are about 60 per cent of rural households, which do not have electricity, and without the basic amenities in rural India the progress of the country will be hampered. A sustainable energy development programme can create all-round development. One of the possible ways to do it is the increased use of land based renewable energy resource like biomass. This will help rural development and create tremendous wealth in these areas. With rural India shining, India will automatically shine!

Land-based renewables
There are three ways in which energy production from land-based renewables can be effected:
* Production of electricity from biomass and agricultural residues.
* Liquid fuel production from biomass which can be grown in arid regions and on wastelands and saline soils. Besides producing liquid fuels, this will also help in land reclamation.
* Creation of synergy between corporate sector, national government labs and institutions and NGOs so that energy technologies can be developed and disseminated in rural areas.

A study done by the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) in Maharashtra showed that existing agricultural residues can produce all the electricity demands for a taluka. The study done for Phaltan taluka in western Maharashtra showed that these residues could produce about 10-15 mw of power from biomass based power plants. Besides, it was also shown that with a capital input of Rs 300 crore in power production technologies, each taluka could produce wealth of Rs 200-250 crore per year besides giving employment to 30,000 people year round. With about 3,340 talukas in India, there is a possibility of creating about Rs 7,00,000 crore per year of wealth and employment for about 100 million people per year.

The implications of this strategy for rural development are staggering and can create a quantum jump in the quality of life for rural population. With availability of assured electricity supply the growth in rural industrialisation can be exponential. With the new Electricity Act 2003 and Prime Minister’s Rural Electricity Supply Technology (REST) Mission this strategy can become a reality and it is quite possible that in the coming years the whole face of rural India can change. Availability of assured electricity for lighting will make rural India shine!

India is following the world trend of increasing reliance on liquid fuels. Last year 75 per cent of all liquid fuels consumed was imported. By 2010, this figure might jump to 85-90 per cent. Increasing reliance on imported fuel will compromise our security and thus there is a need to develop an indigenous liquid fuel production policy based on renewables. The liquid fuel policy should, therefore, be centered on the production of ethanol and biodiesels. Presently, ethanol production in the country is mostly molasses based. However, with expanded use of ethanol, both for transportation and as cooking and lighting fuel, there is a need for its production to have a broader biomass base. Thus, the use of alternative feedstock like sweet sorghum, sugarbeet, cassava etc., can help in its increased production. Besides, these crops require less water than sugarcane and some of them can be grown on saline soils.

Thus, a national technology mission on alternative crops for alcohol production should be set up by the Government of India. It is estimated that ethanol production itself can bring in about Rs 40,000-50,000 crore wealth to rural India.

Technology mission
Similarly, the technology mission for new crops for producing biodiesel also needs to be set up. Some of the crops like Jatropha and tree borne non-edible oilseeds like Neem and Karanja can be grown on waste and degraded lands. This will also help the country in land reclamation. With very little processing required for biodiesel, the farmers can get substantial remunerations by growing them.

However, for the technology missions to succeed, it is necessary that very intensive R&D is carried out in agriculture, materials and renewable energy technologies. The Government of India should substantially increase the level of R&D funding in renewable energy and agricultural crops for liquid fuel production. Research done at NARI has shown that the emerging areas of nanotechnology and biotechnology can play a vital role in creating novel renewable energy technologies. Thus, new materials for storing biogas in small cylinders, increasing the efficiency of photovoltaic solar cells and producing new thermoelectric materials, which can efficiently convert heat directly into electricity, are being researched and developed via nanotechnology all over the world. Similarly, biotechnology can be used for increasing the efficiency of crops for liquid fuel and biomass production. It can also help develop organisms, which can increase the efficiency of ethanol fermentation and biogas production from their respective biomass.

For the fruits of extensive R&D to reach the rural areas, it is necessary that a strong synergy is developed between the corporate sector, the Central government R&D establishments and non-governmental organisations. Both the corporate sector and national labs can work together to research, produce and commercialise renewable energy technologies, which can be disseminated through NGOs in rural areas. Finally, the development of rural India should be taluka based for it provides the critical mass for rural development.

With rural India shining, India will shine!

River basin studies: A half-hearted attempt

By M H Ahssan

Impact assessment studies to understand the consequences of large dam projects have been de-linked from the actual implementation of the projects, thus diluting their value.

The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on River Valley and Hydroelectric Projects of the Ministry of Environment and Forests of the Government of India has recently approved the Terms of Reference for conducting basin level studies of the Bichom and Lohit river basins in Arunachal Pradesh. The EAC has been constituted under the EIA notification 2006 to examine projects that apply to the Ministry for environmental clearance.

According to the TOR, the basin studies envisage “providing optimum support for various natural processes and allowing sustainable activities undertaken by its inhabitants”. The Bichom and Lohit basins are among the river basins in the Himalayas where massive plans for building large dams and developing hydropower are being rolled out. More than a hundred projects with installed capacities totalling to 54,000 MW are at various stages of planning and implementation just in the state of Arunachal itself.

Often, a large number of dams are planned on single rivers or in single basins. For example, in the Lohit basin, a cascade of six projects totalling to 7918 MW are being planned, all within a length of 86 kms.

Such cascade-type development or a number of dams in a single basin raise the critically important issue of cumulative impacts. Often, the impact of all projects taken together is much greater than the sum of impacts of individual projects. Unfortunately, cumulative impacts are hardly ever assessed, as individual projects are planned and evaluated separately. One of the strongest criticisms against the recent plans of dam building has been the complete lack of any assessment of the carrying capacity – what level of development, and in particular the number of dams a basin can sustain – and of the totality of impacts of the number of dams and projects in the basin.

Indeed, when the impact assessment of even individual projects is patchy at best and often farcical, it would be too much to expect a proper cumulative impact assessment.

Against this background, the decision to undertake basin level studies in the Lohit and Bichom are welcome steps in the right direction. The TORs of the basin studies indicate that wide-ranging and extensive examination has been called for, as is necessary for any such study. The TORs call for “inventorisation and analysis of the existing resource base and its production, consumption and conservation levels, determination of regional ecological fragility/sensitivity based on geo-physical, biological, socio-economic and cultural attributes, review of existing and planned developments as per various developmental plans, and evaluation of impacts on various facets of environment due to existing and planned development.”

The studies are to then assess the stress/load due to various activities and suggest environmental action plans that can involve preclusion or modification any activity and measures. Unfortunately, the good part ends with this. The way the studies have been structured ends up defeating the very purpose of carrying them out.

First and foremost, the basin studies have been effectively de-linked from the implementation of the projects as there is no requirement that the projects be conditional to the findings of the basin studies. Neither is there any explicit stay on the consideration and implementation of any of the projects pending the studies.

Logically, the basin studies should suggest what level of development, including hydropower projects, the basin can sustain. The projects should be planned based on this. However, the current planning and decision making turns this on its head. The numbers, locations, capacities, types and other details of the projects have already been decided. Many of these projects have already been allotted to (mostly) private developers who already have or would soon be approaching the Ministry for environmental clearance. In Bichom basin, the 600 MW Bichom (or Kameng) project is already under construction.

It is clear that the Expert Appraisal Committee understood this issue. The Minutes of its meeting dated 15 and 16 December 2008 record that “The committee noted that the study will be completed in two years and M/s WAPCOS has been entrusted with the job. In case, any project on this basin is submitted during this study period for environmental clearance, how the outcome of the study will help to take a decision could not be clarified.” The obvious solution is to put on hold the projects till the studies are done. However, what the Committee decided is that “the report may be submitted within six months by reducing the TOR and the study should focus only on hydroelectric projects.”

Thus, studies that would need about two years are to be done in six months (later this was extended to nine) with reduced TORs. How the outcome of such truncated studies would help rational environmental decision making is a question. It is clear that the environmental objectives have been sidelined with an eye to build as many dams as possible.

The TOR for the studies does state that they can recommend the “preclusion of any activity”, which presumably means that they can call for any or some of the hydropower plants not to be built. In reality, such an outcome is highly unlikely, as is seen from the reluctance to explicitly put on hold the projects in the basin pending the results of the study. While the Committee has from time to time discussed with concern the possible impacts of large number of projects in a single basin, it has fallen shy of taking the right, but hard decision when actually dealing with the problem.

For example, the Lohit basin study was originally envisaged and put forward as a condition while granting clearance for pre-construction activities to the Upper and Lower Demwe projects in March 2008. But the Minutes of the EAC meeting of July 2008, while discussing the basin study note that “Environmental Clearance to Demwe Upper and Demwe Lower HE Project should not be linked up with the completion of basin study.” These two projects add up to 3430 MW, a full 43 per cent of the total 7918 MW planned in the basin.

Further, considering that the studies are to be paid for by the project developers – in proportion to the size of the projects they have been allotted – the conflict of interest is clear.

An earlier such basin study – to determined the carrying capacity of the Teesta basin in Sikkim, initiated in 2001 – at least had a condition that no project will be considered for environmental clearance till the carrying study is completed. That study took over five years. However, the MoEF violated its own condition and accorded clearance to several projects even before the study was completed. On the other hand, based on the recommendations of the study, the MoEF has asked the Sikkim Government to drop five hydropower projects above Chungthang, and restrict the height of those below it. This shows that findings of such studies are likely to require significant rethinking of dam building plans in the river basins.

Neeraj Vagholikar, who is with the environmental organisation Kalpavriksh and has studied dam projects in the North-East since 2001 says about the Bichom and Lohit studies: “The reluctance to put on hold individual project clearances till comprehensive river basin studies are completed puts a question mark on the utility of the entire exercise. Moreover, the river basin studies will now be much shorter exercises instead of the comprehensive ones envisaged earlier, which are necessary for proper environmental decision-making. It appears that the Bichom and Lohit studies are more likely to be used to create a justification for the large scale hydropower development already planned than protect the ecological integrity of these river basins. One of the two key outcomes proposed for the studies – to provide sustainable and optimal ways of hydropower development – is a clear indication that the environmental objectives are of secondary importance.”

The silver lining to this is that the second key outcome specified by the TOR is to “assess requirement of environmental flow during lean season with actual flow, depth and velocity at different level”. It is significant that the Committee has recognised the importance of environmental flows, the flows necessary to maintain the ecological existence of the river, an issue that is increasingly being acknowledged as critical to sound river basin planning. One has to wait and see if the studies would have the independence to recommend preclusion or modifications to some of the hydropower projects if this is found necessary to maintain environmental flows, and if so, whether such recommendations could be implemented.

While there are several other important issues with the basin studies not discussed here, there is one that is essential to point out. The TORs for the basin studies lay out in detail many parameters that need to be studied, field data that needs to be collected, but fail to require that the local communities be consulted and involved in the process. This is a major shortcoming, and an indicator that the studies are reinforcing the technocratic approach instead of a participatory one that is the essence of environmental decision-making.

The basin studies for Bichom and Lohit are examples of a good initiative gone awry. The Committee’s recognition of the need for basin studies is a welcome step. It is clear that this is an acknowledgement of issues of cumulative impacts and carrying capacity that activists, researchers, academics, dam affected people and others have been consistently raising for the last many years. At the same time, it does not go to the logical conclusion and hence has become self-defeating.

What the Committee needs to do is to re-define the TORs for the studies allowing them the two years that the committee itself feels are necessary, and redesigning them to require meaningful participation of local communities and civil society. Meanwhile it should put the projects in the basin on hold, and make them conditional to the findings of the study. If this is done, it will be a significant step in the direction of environmentally sustainable and holistic approach to development.

Indian scientists bridge audio divide

By Raja Murthy

An Indian American duo at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has created new technology based on the greatest engineering feat of nature – the human mind-body structure. Their invention, the Radio Frequency Cochlea, will not only enable a new generation of wireless Internet and communication technologies, but will also serve as a reminder of just how much civilization owes to the inner ear and ancient Asian powers of memory.

Indian American scientists Rahul Sarpeshkar and Soumyajit Mandal have merged human evolution with 21st century technology in their new invention – a high-speed, ultra-broadband, low-power radio chip that works on the same principles as the human inner ear, or cochlea.

Their invention, which they filed for patent as the Radio Frequency Cochlea (RF Cochlea), will usher in the next generation of wireless Internet, cell phone, radio and TV devices, and inevitably impact a US$2 trillion global media and entertainment industry with more advanced sound gizmos.

More immediately, the RF Cochlea will vastly improve radio frequency spectrum in the newly dawning technology of cognitive and smart radios – vital devices that automatically make better use of unused frequencies in our increasingly bandwidth-crowded world.

Sarpeshkar, a well-known professor of electrical engineering at the MIT and his graduate student Mondal, designed the 1mm by 3 mm RF Cochlea chip that is faster and more energy efficient than any currently working in radio-frequency (RF) spectrum analyzers [1].

More significantly, the RF Cochlea opens a fascinating new frontier of technology: living aid devices popping out of science blending with millions of years of human evolution. We could be entering an era of humanology, or more holistic technology uniting two or more disciplines of humanity-related knowledge.

Sarpeshkar told Asia Times Online that his invention has been “enthusiastically” received. “For the first time, we have technology that bridges the working of the human ear with the working of radio,” he said.

That professionals involved with hearing having earlier had no working connection with those involved in radio technology sounds incredible. But it demonstrates how obviously related disciplines have been developing on parallel but separate tracks, until Sarpeshkar and his MIT team appeared. More disciplines could similarly and beneficially converge.

Sarpeshkar acknowledged that engineers could learn much from the greatest engineering device known yet to humans: the human mind-body structure.

While Mother Nature’s technology is still leagues ahead of the variety created by humans, Sarpeshkar was inspired by nature’s design concepts that have evolved over eons.

“Humans have a long way to go before their architectures will successfully compete with those in nature, especially in situations where ultra-energy-efficient or ultra-low-power operations are paramount,” he said in a MIT media release dated June 3. “Nevertheless, we can mine the intellectual resources of nature to create devices useful to humans, just as we have mined her physical resources in the past.”

Sarpeshkar and Mondal used the same design principles in the human ear to create the RF Cochlea. The device captures radio frequencies a million times higher than the 100 Hz (100 wave cycles per second) to 100,000 Hz that the human ear captures. It includes radio signals for most commercial wireless applications.

In Sarpeshkar’s RF Cochlea, human-made inductors imitate the work of fluid mass in the ear, capacitors replicate ear membranes and active radio frequency amplifiers do the work of the outer hair cells in the ear that carry audio as electrical signals to the brain.

“The outer human ear acts as the radio antenna,” Sarpeshkar explained to Asia Times Online, “the middle ear sifts through the substance from unwanted noise and the inner ear, or cochlea, is the amplifier and separates frequencies before sending signals to the brain.”

As Sarpeshkar pointed out, RF Cochlea represents not merely a more holistic blending of human technology with nature’s engineering, of merging biology with advanced electronics, but it also gives insights about the sense of hearing, a faculty fundamental to the development of civilizations.

That the inner ear and the evolving human mind are inter-dependent is obvious with the ancient world’s richest treasures of wisdom first preserved and passed on across millennia through the inner cochlea hearing the spoken word, not eyes reading written script, and storing those words accurately in powerful memory.

The sensory impact the inner ear has on the mind becomes evident in how great oratory mesmerizes more than a great essay, or the way great music captivates and changes moods more than great prose. In his famous dialogues of Phaedrus (360 BC), ancient Greek teacher Plato too argues of the superiority of the spoken over the written word.

Sarpeshkar’s South Asian origin fits with the ancient regional tradition of the heard and memorized word, via the inner cochlea, protecting old world knowledge and wisdom from invading culture destroyers burning libraries, books and manuscripts. The connection between the inner ear and memory can make fascinating scientific study.

“While the textual riches of Alexandria, China and Rome were being put to the flame, a wholly different tradition of scientific expression was brought to a peak in India, in a manner that would prove enormously more resilient to the vicissitudes of time and adversity,” observed Alok Kumar, Department of Physics, State University of New York. “This was the oral, poetic tradition of Indian thought, whose greatest purveyor in astronomy and mathematics was Aryabhata.”

Mathematician astronomer Aryabhata (born 476 AD), after whom India named its first satellite launched in April 19, 1975, composed the Aryabhatiya, a remarkable astronomy and mathematical work in poetic form. “There are no numbers anywhere in Aryabhata’s composition in Sanskrit language, nor are there figures, drawings, or equations,” wrote Kumar in his project note for the New Jersey, Princeton-based Educational Council on Indic Traditions organization that commissioned him to study ancient Indian contributions to science. “The Aryabhatiya expresses the highly sophisticated mathematics of sine functions, volumetric determinations, calculation of celestial latitudes and motions, and much more, in the form of a poetic code.”

Inputs through the inner cochlea and advanced powers of memory preserved a more priceless treasure, the Buddha’s teaching of Dhamma, or universal laws of nature, that detailed a non-sectarian path for freedom from all suffering – by objectively observing the constantly changing mind-matter phenomena within, manifesting at the bio-chemical level as bodily sensations arising and passing away, instead of blindly reacting to whatever we experience in the outside world.

The entire 82,000 discourses of the Buddha and related commentaries in Pali, one of the oldest known languages, were memorized and their authenticity confirmed in historic congregations of monks such as the Chatta Sanghayana or Sixth Council held in Yangon, Burma, between 1954 and 1956.

The First Council was convened in 544 BC, in the Sattapaaai Cave located outside Rajagaha, northern India, three months after the Buddha passed away. It was only during the Fourth Council held in Tambapanni, Sri Lanka, in 29 BC under King Vattagamani’s patronage, that the voluminous Tipitaka [2] texts containing the Buddha’s teachings and related commentaries were committed to written script on palm leaves.

In the Chatta Sanghayana or Sixth Council in Burma, 2,500 learned monks from Myanmar, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam recited the entire 82,000 discourses and related commentaries that they had heard and committed to memory, as did generations of monks across two millennia.

“An European spectator would have marveled at this preternatural feat, but it [extraordinary powers of memory of the heard word] is a commonplace occurrence in this area of the world,” wrote a leading Sri Lankan scholar Harischandra Kaviratna in his 1971 essay “Unbroken Chain of Oral Tradition”.

Sarpeshkar’s RF Cochlea marks the latest milestone in the evolutionary journey of human hearing and civilization, a path that transcends a distance from 544 BC when the Buddha’s personal attendant Ananda narrated to the First Council the entire discourses he heard from the Buddha, word for word. Ananda started every repeated discourse with the words in Pali “evam me suttam”, meaning “Thus, have I heard [from the Enlightened One]“.

“As in all interdisciplinary fields, it is important to synergistically combine the creativity and excitement generated by new non-traditional thinking with the discipline and knowledge of older ideas,” said Sarpeshkar who calls the biological inner ear an “amazing custom analog computer”.

“The cochlea quickly gets the big picture of what’s going on in the sound spectrum,” said Sarpeshkar. “The more I started to look at the ear, the more I realized it’s like a super-radio with 3,500 parallel channels.”

Forty-year-old Sarpeshkar was born and brought up in Bangalore before he left for the US as an under-graduate student. He holds over 20 patents, has authored more than 70 publications and ranks among the world’s most brilliant young scientists from South Asia. His several awards include the Packard Fellow award, given to outstanding young faculty, and the Indus Technovator Award, which MIT instituted in 2003, for distinguished young innovators of South Asian origin working at the confluence of technology research and entrepreneurship.

After obtaining his degree in Electrical Engineering and Physics at MIT and his PhD at Caltech, Sarpeshkar joined the technical staff at Bell Labs, Biological Computation department within its physics division. Since 1999, he has served in MIT’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty, leading a research group on analog VLSI and biological systems that works on developing what it calls “low-power brain-machine interfaces”.

The cosmopolitan Analog VLSI MIT team reflects the kind of international talent that MIT hopes to nurture in country specific programs it has operated since 1994 in China, Japan, Israel, India, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico and Spain.

Sarpeshkar’s MIT team, for instance, includes Scott Arfin, Benjamin Rapoport, Lorenzo Turicchia, Micah O’Halloran from the US; Serhii M. Zhak from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Russia; Soumyajit Mandal from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, Keng-Hoong Wee from Tohoku University, Japan; and Woradorn Wattanapanitch from Thailand.

So far, their brain-machine interfaces work to combine the human physical structure and 21st century technology has produced:

A new generation of high performance, low-power devices that mimic the communicating relationship of the mind, brain and human limbs, to help paralysis patients, the blind, and victims of Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. These ultra-low power brain-machine devices can run for 10 years or more, compared to current bulky devices that are 100-10,000 times more power and often lack wireless capabilities.

The Bionic Ear project to design advanced ultra-low-power cochlear-implant systems that also enable the deaf to hear music and tonal languages such as Chinese and other East Asian languages. Tonal languages use variations in tone, or pitch, to express different meanings of words. For example, the Mandarin word “ba” can be used with four different intonations to mean “eight”, “to uproot”, “to hold” and “a harrow”. In contrast, English is a stress or accent-oriented language.

“Biological systems have developed over hundreds of millions of years of evolution to perform sensory, motor and chemical tasks extremely efficiently and robustly while using very little power, in very little volumes, and in real time,” said Sarpeshkar, who sees his research as just the beginning of a journey for many more efficient, adaptable and cost-effective technologies to be developed from biology.

The RF Cochlea device demonstrates what can happen when researchers take inspiration from fields outside their own, said Sarpeshkar. “Healthcare is a natural area for applying biologically inspired technologies since we are trying to engineer systems that perform the normal functions of biological ones, so mimicking the biology can be helpful in fixing it.”

Sarpeshkar’s work also reflects the rewards that come by way of those daring to walk the rarely trodden path. “I have followed my heart in my work, and in my love for science,” he said.

Sustainable Development of India – A Gandhian Approach

By Anil K. Rajvanshi

The energy situation in India is quite alarming. Energy is the basis of all activities. From it flow activities in agricultural, economic and social areas. Without adequate energy, the development of the country is jeopardized resulting in economic stagnation and hence in tremendous internal upheavals. Consider the following facts:

In 2001-02 India imported petroleum products worth Rs. 70,000 crore1 . The demand of petroleum products in the country is increasing at 7-8% per annum thereby further increasing the imports and jeopardizing the security of the country.

It is a matter of shame for all of us that even after 55 years of independence there are around 65% of all rural households in India who have no electricity2 . The electricity shortfall in India is estimated to be 15000 MW and the Government of India does not have money to install this additional capacity. India requires about 140,000 MW of additional capacity by the year 2010, with an estimated outlay of about Rs. 5,50,000 crore. Because of tremendous shortage of electricity, industrial growth and general life in the country is seriously affected3. Moreover with any problems in the national grid, rural areas are affected most, since the state electricity boards provide urban areas with electricity on priority basis.
In the ghettos of Delhi and Surat (the twelfth largest city and the fastest growing city in India with a population of about 2 million) about 500 people died of dengue fever in 1996 and of plague in 1994 respectively. This was a direct consequence of extremely unhygienic, filthy and overcrowded conditions prevalent in the two cities. The ghettos are composed of migrant laborers from rural areas. The plague epidemic had a very negative effect on foreign investment in India4 .

In Mumbai, in 1992 about 400 people died and property worth crores of rupees was looted and destroyed as an aftermath of destruction of Babri mosque located 2000 km away in a remote town of Uttar Pradesh. Similarly large number of people in Gujarat were killed in 2001 because of communal violence. The events had little to do with the purported cause but were due to a release of pent-up emotions of a population which is mostly made up of migrants from rural areas and who live in overcrowded and increasingly difficult conditions. The events in Mumbai (the commercial capital of India) and Gujarat had a very negative effect on international and local investment5. The effects are felt even today.

Between 1950 to 1995, Government of India spent Rs. 50,000 crores on surface irrigation projects, including storage facilities. Till today only 50% of these irrigation facilities, built at such an enormous cost, are being properly utilized. Hence most of the country routinely goes through the cycle of floods and droughts. And there is a perpetual shortage of drinking water in almost all the regions of the country. Besides, the increased use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides to sustain Green Revolution is reducing the fertility of land, thereby compounding the land-water management problem6 .

We are having exploding population, large-scale unemployment and corruption with nearly one third of the population living below poverty line.

There is a tremendous rise of fundamental militancy in the country, which is a direct result of poverty and unemployment.

Developing countries are spending between 2 and 8% of their GNP on medical costs related to declining environment. Thus in India, the number of premature deaths in cities due to environmental pollution is ~ 52,000/year and the number of hospitalizations (due to asthma and other lung-related diseases) was ~ 25 million last year. These casualties cost India about Rs. 4600 crore/year, which is equivalent to the cost of adding 1150 MW electricity to the grid every year7 .

We feel that these events are a direct consequence of lopsided development model that India has been following and which is leading to an undercurrent of economic discontent. The model is based on 50-100 year-old model of Western countries, which includes centralized energy production, development of megacities at the expense of rural areas and the unsustainable husbanding of land. This development model has led to high levels of unemployment and poor quality of life in rural India and large-scale exodus of the population to big cities. This exodus is the result of lack of sustainable agriculture in rural areas. Gandhiji had all along advocated a decentralized model and we feel that had we followed it just after independence our situation might have been much better than today.

It can also be argued that the above situation and events have come about because of mismanagement by and corruption in the Indian Government. But it is our belief that the centralized big-government model in developing countries inherently leads to corruption and mismanagement.

Agriculture is mostly dependent on energy. Lack of energy is therefore the single-most important reason for decline of agriculture-based activity and hence the economic activity in rural areas. A sustainable food and energy strategy for rural areas will therefore create new economic activity and can stem the desperate exodus to cities. With an ever-increasing unmet demand for goods and services, because of economic reasons, a great chasm is developing between haves and have-nots, which is resulting in conflict and a general unrest in the country. The present slowdown in Indian economy is also creating large-scale unemployment and could further create frightening scenarios of social instability if timely correction is not made.

The increase in demand for goods has also led to a sharp increase in energy usage, both in urban and rural areas. With increased penetration of electronic media, the citizens of developing countries aspire for quality of life available in developed countries. Sometimes one wonders whether the wasteful Western quality of life is better and desirable. For example, the US alone is contributing 30% of global green house gas pollution8 . However, if all the people in developing countries like India and China (40% of mankind) have energy consumption similar to that in U.S. or Europe, then it will have a disastrous effect on the world economy and environment. Thus there are estimates that oil energy consumption in developing countries could surpass that in developed countries within 20 years 9. This will create great conflict among nations and it is quite possible that in future the wars will be fought over energy resources. The present crisis in Iraq is basically an oil war. There is, therefore, a need for an alternative development model based upon renewable energies, which is decentralized and takes into account the aspirations of the rural population.

Historically, it has been shown that the quality of life is proportional to the per capita energy consumption. Energy consumption of a country can be broken into two parts — the cumulative energy consumption EI = ò Ec dt, where Ec is energy consumption of the country at any point in time and EII – the energy consumption per capita per year. EI goes in building infrastructure like roads, bridges, power plants, communication networks, etc. During the early and middle parts of this century, developing countries because of historical reasons (most of them were colonized), had very little of EI. Thus it is difficult for them to reach the U.S. or European quality of life, even if EII somehow becomes available. Since the lifestyle in Western countries is unattainable, we should try to develop an alternative lifestyle in India.

I think a lifestyle based on the maxim of ‘simple living and high thinking’ is a possible choice. Thus our ancient philosophical thought should be used to temper our greed for resources and energy. Gandhiji showed that with minimum needs and energy he was capable of producing the highest quality of thought. This has also been the tradition of our great saints10 . India has a great tradition of spirituality. Spirituality and sustainable development can go hand in hand11. Spirituality helps in keeping our greed for materials and resources in check and sustainable development can take place when we use the resources for our needs and not for our greed as Gandhiji once said. Spirituality also helps us have a compassionate view of nature, which prevents us from overexploiting it. It also tempers fundamentalist mentality and helps us live in harmony with each other thereby enabling us to work together for common good. Spirituality and efficient technology are complementary because both allow the realization of end result with least amount of materials and energy. I believe that a combination of high technology together with the spiritual growth guided by the traditions of India will be a new paradigm of sustainable development for the country. The Gandhian model may be difficult to follow, but it shows the way towards low energy development strategy.

In India about 75% of the population lives in rural and semi-urban areas. It is estimated that for the next 50 years or so, the major part of population in India and other developing countries will still be village-based. Hence rather than pumping in huge resources in urban areas where the quality of life is becoming worse by continuing on the present path, it is much better to improve the quality of life in rural areas through an alternative model based upon sustainable growth and renewable energy.

In the past, most development efforts for rural poor have focused on villages. But because of inadequate infrastructure, income-generating capability and economic power, they have become sinks for development funds. There are a large number of examples the world over where well- meaning development efforts in small villages have not yielded the desired results. Villages are small but they are unsustainable. Cities in developing countries on the other hand may have rapid growth and development, but they have an ugly growth pattern. Therefore a middle path model based on taluka development is being proposed for a sustainable rural society.

Gandhiji always talked about his dream village. However he was never able to spell out exactly what that village will be. Being not conversant with economic and technological issues he probably did not have the language to express his dream about the ideal village. However being an extremely enlightened person he intuitively realized that it should be a unit, which will give employment, money and general wellbeing to its citizens. That we feel is possible with an energy and food self sufficient Taluka.

WHAT IS A TALUKA?
A taluka is an administrative block generally comprising about 90-100 contiguous villages, with a small town as its headquarters. On an average 8 to 10 talukas make up a district. For example, in Maharashtra state there are 30 districts and 236 talukas. The average area of a taluka is ~ 1000-1500 km2 and its total population is between 200,000 to 250,000. The town population is about 50,000. Data on commercial energy usage show that on an average a taluka consumes about 10-15 MW of electricity and about 10-15 million litres/year of petroleum products12 . There are about 3342 talukas in India. The major economic activity in a Taluka is primarily agriculture-based.

Since the geographical boundaries of a taluka are fixed, it can be thought of as a closed biomass and rainwater basin. It is the thesis of the author that a taluka can produce a majority of its demand of food, fuel, fodder and fertilizer from the natural resources and agro-based material available in it and hence the development can be truly sustainable. For some talukas that do not have sufficient biomass, other energy sources like solar and wind can be used to produce energy.

WHY A TALUKA-BASED MODEL?
Societies are living and dynamic structures. In an evolutionary process they can be thought to follow the laws of a natural living system. The hallmark of evolution of a dynamic system is its size reduction; increase in energy usage efficiency; increase in complexity; possession of critical mass, and its “punctuated equilibrium” with the surroundings. In the “punctuated equilibrium” phase, the system stabilizes for a certain time13 . One of the crucial conditions for the evolution of a dynamic system is the availability of critical mass. The critical mass enables the system to process materials and energy through it and hence allows it to grow. If the critical mass is not available, the system does not grow and dies-off.

Societies can also be thought to be like Prigogine’s dissipative structures14 . For example, a convection cell in a body of water heated from below is a dissipative structure and is energy- dependent. The resulting shape of these structures therefore depends on the quality and quantity of energy passing through them14 . The systems possessing a critical mass grow with energy input and go through a ‘punctuated equilibrium’ phase after which they become unstable and collapse into smaller systems. These small systems then coalesce through time and again form a critical mass and the cycle continues.

However for the societal systems to grow in a sustainable manner, certain conditions have to be fulfilled. Thus sustainable systems can be compared to a chair15 . The four legs of this chair can be thought to be made of four activities; Energy, Economic, Environmental and Equity (social/cultural issues). All of them have to be of equal size for comfortable sitting and interconnected to provide stability. The base (seat) has to be of the right size. Too big a base will make the chair sag and too small will make it unstable. Correct base size can therefore be thought of as the critical mass.

It is our thesis that because of its population size and its fairly developed infrastructure, a taluka has the ability to form a critical mass for a sustainable society for developing countries. With proper use of its agricultural and natural resources, it can produce food, feed and fertilizer in a self-reliant, environmentally sound and economically attractive manner. Hence it can provide the four legs of the chair for sustainable development. As the energy and other resources available are decentralized in nature, a taluka can form an appropriate ‘dissipative structure’ and can remain in ‘punctuated equilibrium’ phase.

From the above evolutionary model it can also be conjectured that in future, with the increasing use of renewable energy, all societies will evolve to be decentralized, high technology-dependent and village-based. Similarly, the mega-cities will break into smaller sustainable units. India is already a village-based decentralized society. Hence, instead of following the mega-city-based model, it is better to arrest this trend by introducing high- technology systems in a taluka. These high-technology systems may include internet connectivity, desktop-manufacturing units, and micropower production systems like microturbines and fuel cells.

TALUKA MODEL
India produces in its Talukas ~ 400 million tons/year of agricultural residues which theoretically can produce ~ 53,000 MW of power via biomass-based power plants12. This power is 70% of the total amount available in the country at present from all other sources3 . Not only can these residues produce adequate power to supplement existing power production, but husbanding this resource properly can also produce adequate animal feed and fertilizer. With increasing food production, the quantity of agricultural residues will also increase. Its judicious use will improve the rural economy and the quality of land. However, this agricultural residue is spread all over the country and is dispersed. This points towards decentralized power production systems.

Besides producing power, the challenge is also to maintain high quality and productivity of land so that food, animal feed, fertilizer and fuel could be produced in a sustainable manner from it. For this, water and soil conservation has to be implemented. It is possible to achieve this by rainwater harvesting and by planting trees and grasses and general management of biomass resources in the talukas. As the economic returns will be directly dependent on the increased biomass production, the landowners in a taluka will take up such measures readily. The strategy will also help increase the income of the farmers (since they will get money from residues which are presently wasted), will provide jobs for laborers in each taluka to collect residues and will create employment in other biomass-based industries. It is estimated that each taluka can create about 30,000 new jobs from such activities16 .

Following this approach an Energy self-sufficient taluka model was developed16. This model was developed for Phaltan taluka. However we feel that this methodology can be easily used for other talukas in the country. The strategy for taking care of energy needs was based on biomass resources. Based upon the historical data of energy needs for Phaltan taluka it was found (as of 1995) that in 2000, it would require about 13 X 108 MJ of electricity and about 26 million litres of petroleum products (diesel, petrol and kerosene)16. It was also shown that all this energy could be easily met by biomass-based power plants, production of ethanol from sweet sorghum and from existing distilleries, and pyrolysis oil production from agricultural residues and energy plantations. Electricity from biomass-based power plants would replace the MSEB- supplied electricity, while ethanol and pyrolysis oil would replace the liquid petroleum products. The technology for producing all these products already exists17. This study also showed that with a capital input of Rs. 300 crore, Phaltan taluka can produce wealth of Rs. 220 crore/year and provide employment to about 30,000 people year-round. Thus the talukas in India have the potential of creating 10 crore new jobs and Rs. 7,26,000 crore wealth.

This benchmark study became the basis of national policy on energy self-sufficient talukas and was adopted by the Government of India in 1996 (ref. 11). As a part of this policy, presently all the states in India are collecting data on availability of biomass residues in their talukas. This study therefore showed that it is possible to provide all the energy needs of a taluka from its own resources, thereby pointing towards sustainability.

One of the tragedies of rural areas in India and other developing countries has been the lack of production of value-added goods. This has resulted in very little remuneration to the farmers and hence the depletion of rural wealth. We feel that a taluka provides a critical mass for production of agro-based value-added products. With availability of power and raw materials (agriculture-based), fertilizers, chemicals, processed food products, etc., can be produced. With smart ‘bench-top’ production facilities available in future, it may be possible to produce substantial amounts of locally consumed items. This will further help in increasing the wealth of a taluka and in creating extra employment. Recently, micropower projects like gas-based microturbines and fuel cells are becoming available17. They will further usher in an era of efficient small-scale manufacturing facilities. Identification and evaluation of such cutting-edge technologies for both agro-based industries and consumer products will help talukas leap-frog into the modern age.

Another natural resource, which is extremely necessary, for making Taluka program a reality is water. Sufficient water and energy can provide the energy and food security for the country. Large scale and centralized water schemes have not brought the desired result. There is therefore a need to promote decentralized water utilities for rural areas. The NARI study also showed that rain water harvesting in Phaltan talukas could yield 4 to 5 times more water than the existing resource (canal). The cost of water from such microutilities would be 1 paise/litre17.

POLICY ISSUES
The following policy issues will have to be addressed before the Taluka model becomes a reality:

- A policy decision will have to be made by the Government of India to set up a Taluka Development Corporation and invite private-sector participation in setting up power and water utilities in talukas. A partnership among the corporate sector, local NGOs and the government can be a new paradigm for rural development.

- A policy will also have to formulated so that the corporate sector will not only produce power/water, but will also be allowed to carry out its distribution. Most of the independent power projects have been bogged down by the disputes regarding distribution. Only possession of distribution rights will allow the utilities to make money and give good service. The local people managing their own affairs is on the Gandhian line of thinking.

Since both power and water production is from renewable sources (biomass and rain), existing norms, tax benefits and soft loans applicable to renewable energy sources should be made available to the corporate sector involved in the taluka program.

It is our thesis that in a democratic society like India, sustainable taluka development will decentralize economic and hence political power. Decentralization of economic and political power is the best bet against economic deprivation, corruption and unaccountable ruling elite and can be the engine for internal peace, stability and development of a compassionate society. It is my belief that development and democracy work best in a decentralized power structure, a message that was constantly preached by Gandhiji. I also feel that the taluka plan has the potential of producing a sustainable society for one-fifth of mankind (India’s population) and in the process can show the world a new way.

One of the great strengths of India is that the majority of its people can be satisfied with a few material comforts. This strength can become useful in the paradigm outlined in this paper. In a democratic setup, one cannot force the population into a certain lifestyle. But the existing traditions, norms, strengths etc. can be used to guide the society into sustainable living – a dream that was always projected by Gandhiji.

VILLAGE OF MY DREAM

By Anil K. Rajvanshi

Gandhiji wrote and spoke extensively about his dream village but somehow was
never able to give a concrete plan or shape to his dreams. However intuitively he rightly realized that it would be a unit where all the things needed by villagers will be manufactured from the locally available resources. His village would therefore be self sufficient and sustainable. In those times of primitive technology his dream village was supposed to depend on human labor and hence his insistence on very simple and rudimentary technologies which could be made by villagers themselves.

However modern high technology allows for the first time to bring into reality the
dream village of Gandhiji. Such a village will be high tech, self reliant, sustainable and will provide its residents a high quality life.

Our villages have not changed very much since Gandhiji’s times. Thus about 55-60%
of India’s rural population has no electricity, very poor drinking water supply and majority of rural population uses 180 million tons of biomass every year as fuel for cooking through very primitive, inefficient and smoky chulhas. In states like U.P., Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh etc. some of the villages still exist in stone ages.

We cannot become the 3rd most prosperous country in the world, as some of our
national leaders are taking about, unless and until we bring 60% of our rural population into mainstream of development and provide a quantum jump to their quality of life.

One of the best ways to do so is by providing adequate electricity to these areas.
This is an electricity age. Adequate and uninterrupted supply of electricity for lighting, agriculture, communication, entertainment and whole horde of other activities can transform the lives of rural population and bring in tremendous wealth to these areas. Modern high technology together with locally available resources, can provide a mechanism to do so.

The most abundant local resource in rural areas is biomass (agricultural residues,
weeds and other plant material). India produces in these areas about 600 million tons of agricultural residues/year, which can theoretically produce 70,000 MW of electric power.

However all these residues should go back to the soil to nurture it so that farm
productivity increases. If it is used for power generation then the soil will suffer. A much better way to both nurture the soil and produce power is to produce biogas from these residues. A high tech biogas producer can produce biogas with energy of about 13 MJ per kg of biomass, which is similar to that produced by burning these residues via a power plant. Most of the freshly harvested biomass has about 50% moisture content. For using it in power plants or gasifiers one has to reduce the moisture content to about 10-15%.

This requires lot of energy for drying the biomass. On the other hand the freshly harvested biomass can be directly fed into biogas reactors to produce biogas thereby saving considerable amount of energy and time. Besides the slurry from the biogas reactor produces excellent fertilizer and soil conditioner. This is the genesis of organic agriculture.

Farmers in India have realized that organic foods fetch good price. Hence there is a
major movement towards organic farming. Organic farming is environmentally sound and
sustainable way of producing food, since it incorporates integrated method of management which maintains the health of soil and its productivity. Farmers in developing countries who switch to organic agriculture also achieve higher earnings and a better standard of living. This can be further enhanced by the availability of excellent fertilizer from biogas reactors.

For biogas economy to succeed it is necessary to develop very efficient biogas
producers. Biogas has been used extensively in rural areas and is produced very inefficiently in fixed and floating dome systems, requiring considerable amount of cowdung and other nitrogenous material. It is therefore not suitable for a household with less than 3-4 cattle.

Besides there are problems of gas production during winter and improper mixing of inputs like biomass, night soil, cowdung, etc.

Thus R&D is necessary in the development of extremely efficient biogas reactors so
that the production/unit of biomass inputs could be maximized. This can be done by properly maintaining pH of the slurry, temperature and other biochemical indicators. Thus the biogas plant becomes a sophisticated biochemical reactor. Use of genetically engineered microbes can also increase gas production efficiency. Thus a scenario can be thought of whereby a village level micro-utility company can be set up in rural areas which will buy locally available raw materials like cowdung, biomass, etc. and will use them in these reactors for power generation and supply the gas for cooking and other purposes.

Europe, which is in the forefront of biogas technology, has an installed electric
generating capacity of about 2500 MW from biogas alone. They use very efficient and
sophisticated reactors. There are reports of fleet of cars and buses running in various European countries on compressed biogas. The raw gas, which is a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide, is scrubbed to remove carbon dioxide and the resulting methane is compressed to 200-bar pressure for use in automotive applications. In Sweden an experimental train is being run on compressed biogas. A similar concept but on a smaller scale can be thought of for a village where extra biogas can be used for running modified autorickshaws and two wheelers for transport.

Our Institute Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) has developed a strategy
whereby biogas powered diesel gensets can also produce clean drinking water as a byproduct.

Thus the strategy of using locally available agricultural residues based biogas
gensets will produce electric power, excellent fertilizer and clean drinking water for the village. Besides the excess biogas can also be used to provide clean cooking fuel for villagers. This is true sustainability and may lead to Gandhiji’s dream villages.

Thus a village level utility company can set up a 500 kW biogas powered diesel
genset which can supply enough electricity for an average village with a population of 2000 – 3000.

In addition, the high temperature exhaust gases from these plants can easily distill or boil water via a suitably designed unit, which can be attached to the genset. A 500 kW power plant can therefore produce about hundred thousand liters of clean drinking water every day. In producing both electricity and clean water; the power plant efficiency will jump from the existing 35% to around 65%. Most of the energy of these gensets is lost in exhaust gases and cooling the engine. This energy can easily be utilized for distillation or boiling water.

The microutility company could own the plant, whose shares in turn could be owned
by villagers, and be managed professionally, without the political pit-falls of a cooperative society. The microutility could also lease village-level transmission lines and infrastructure from the local State Electricity Boards (SEBs) at a ‘social cost’, based on the cost of electricity most SEBs charge farmers.

In order for this strategy to succeed it is necessary to set up a national biogas
technology mission. This mission will help research institutes do R&D for high tech biogas reactors, provide soft loans for entrepreneurs to set up such microutilities and to encourage government, corporate sector and NGO partnership in this area.

Gandhiji – a Votary of Sustainable living

By Anil K. Rajvanshi

Gandhiji not only gave us freedom but he also gave the world and us a new thought on nonviolence and sustainable living. His teachings and experiments are more valid today then ever especially when we are trying to find solutions to worldwide violence and runaway consumptive life style which is going to put a very heavy burden on the world’s resources.

Through ages India has occasionally given to the world a new thought. Thus Buddhism, Jainism, Yogic system, Sikhism are part of great spiritual thought given by India from time to time. Gandhiji’s message of nonviolence and sustainable living is a continuation of that long tradition.

Gandhiji was energy conservator par excellence. He lived in his ashrams without electricity or any modern amenities. His insistence on use of self-human labour for majority of needs was legendary and was usually frowned upon by his closest colleagues who thought it was anti progress and pushing back India to stone ages. Nevertheless his own life was a shining example of how with frugal living and with minimum energy needs he was capable of producing the highest quality of thought. Very few of us can live his exemplary life but Gandhiji showed that mental happiness and simple living could form the basis of sustainability. He believed that with simple living the resources of the planet earth can sustain us comfortably and his famous saying that earth provides us enough for our needs but not for our greed is extremely apt today.

Gandhiji was a highly evolved and spiritual human being. Politics came as a byproduct of spirituality and he considered it as his duty to help his countrymen and fellow beings. The spirit of Bhagwad Gita’s Karma Yoga guided him in this endeavor. There are many instances of people who saw his glowing skin, aura, and felt the presence of his personality whenever they met him. That is only possible for a Yogi of very high order.

My father who was involved in the freedom struggle and went to jail with Gandhiji told of a remarkable instance. In early 1940’s just before the quit India movement, a mammoth public meeting took place in Allahabad. About 5-10 lakh people were present. Gandhiji was late for the meeting. All the great leaders of independence movement were giving their speeches and trying to calm the crowd, which was quite restless. Then suddenly Gandhiji came, climbed on the dias and put a finger on his lips. A wave of silence swept the grounds starting from dias. My father termed it as a remarkable experience of the power of a small frail man over the masses.

Sometimes Gandhiji carried his energy conservation experiments too far. His experiments on conserving his sexual energy proved quite controversial. He was obviously following the age-old tradition of abstinence that yogis practice. Thus when at the age of 70 he had a wet dream he felt that his world had collapsed. He wrote about it and said that he felt ashamed of himself. Recent scientific evidence however has shown that our brains are full of sexual chemicals, which help in memory improvement and general well being. It is therefore possible that the practice of abstinence was done intuitively by yogis to conserve these chemicals to enhance their brain quality, which would help them in practice of yoga. More than the loss of chemicals, Gandhiji felt a lack of Sanyam and a loss of control over his purity of thought and hence his anguish.

As a spiritual being and visionary Gandhiji was far ahead of his times. I am sure if he were alive today he would have felt that his dream village (about which he talked often) could have taken shape with the availability of internet connectivity, desktop manufacturing and small renewable energy power packs. His dream of giving employment and decent life to rural population may become possible with the availability of these energy efficient and high tech systems. Hence if we follow his maxim of simple living and high thinking then it is possible to have a decentralized high tech rural society and India can again show the world a new path in sustainable living.

Rural Higher Education and Women

By Samiya Anwar

If somebody questions me, what is the best gift I received from my parents? I would probably say education. Yup! Because education is the biggest asset one can have. And for women it is more important. It is education what makes a women stand in society with the male counterparts.

I was fortunate to go to school and college. But unfortunately not all parents send their daughters to obtain education. Not all women are equal footing with men still today after so much of development.

It is a grim reality that living in urban, we don’t acknowledge the life of rustic women. What we people do is, give names to the rural women, ‘Anpad’, ‘Jahil’ and ‘Gavaar’. They are also identified as ‘hick’. It means a person rose in a rural area, an unsophisticated person. They are not intelligible persons, they are parochial and narrow-minded.

This is all observed due to a wide disparity in the literacy of urban and rural women. The historical image of ‘housewife’ silently rules the countryside. The literacy rate among rural women remained less though several efforts have been made on part of the government to deal with this subject.

Nearly 70 per cent of the population lived in rural areas and most rural women were illiterate and not at all aware of their rights. The reason could be the age-old negative typecast rural population thinking. The rate of illiteracy is high in rural areas due to their thinking patterns.

In India, the literacy level is the highest compared to anywhere else in the world. The reason for the growth of literacy is because of the umpteen numbers of various types of Colleges and Universities offering different kinds of education in various fields. Reason that education is an instrument for the social advancement. And in particular if rural-women are educated the problems of like poverty, unemployment, child labor, female foeticide, and many more can be resolved to higher extent.

Every year the college door opens for a number of students. Our country has plenty of Colleges and Universities offering higher education opportunities. The enrollment of rural girls for higher education is not in large. More girls in rural areas discontinue education to either get marry or become support for families by earning daily wage at countryside. The Higher Education remains a daydream to many of them.

Like Sarla, a rural woman had to dropout from higher studies for marriage at the age of 17. She says, ‘If given a chance in future she would still like to continue studies and become a teacher’. Her father had a different opinion. He questions, ‘why should I send my daughter to college? She will be a housewife in the future I knew. Now I am happy that she is married at the right time. There is no need of Higher Education’.

It is not just the father of Sarla, many parents in rural areas think the same way. The degree college is regarded as waste-of-time by rural people. The years between eighteen-twenty one are most important time. These years get squandered in college they say. What is the need to send girls for Higher Education? The basic education already they have, stop now. Enough is enough!

But is it good to stop the girls from achieving knowledge which is for their good. Is college means not putting time to good use? Then why most women go for higher studies even in thirties and forties. What makes women crave for achieving degrees in vocation? What does college really does to a girl and his mind? It is important for them to understand what is good and what is better.

The Higher Education is good. The college is a place of education. We go to college to know, to understand how knowledge is helpful and powerful. It makes our mind. It prepares us as citizens of the world. It is the most important part of youth. The years of learning is often misconceived as the years of romance due to the love affairs and rising love in college. This could be one reason why parents don’t want to send their daughter for Higher Education.

However the gender factors restrict the women from higher education and job opportunities. It is a disheartening that the males think that if women continue to higher education, she will compete with them economically. Education makes women to question. If they are less educated, they won’t know the laws and they can easily suppress them. An educated female questions why this, why not those. The problem arises for men. So they deprive females from higher education.

Another strong consideration in girls’ unequal access to education in rural areas includes a lack of a safe means of transportation, poor security, and the lack of separate sanitation facilities. It is significant that already statistical investigation in this country and in England shows that the standard of health is higher among the women who hold college degrees than among any other equal number of the same age and class.

Sociological surveys indicate that those who desire for higher education but are unable to enter the institute as a full-time student can view part-time study as a matter of urgency. The other surveys have noted that those women who already have a reasonable general education are the group most likely to continue their studies part-time. After the age of 24 many rural women more likely than men continue studying

Over the past two decades the rural education for women has been very impressive. It cannot be denied that rural girls and young women are attracted with higher education as a good employment is brought through education. Indeed rural women, have a lot of spunk and enthusiasm to study.

Focus on Rural Women’s Higher Education
11th five-year plan lay more focus on higher education with reference to areas of rural areas, and backward classes and women folks. By the end of the plan there should be an increase in the percentage of each cohort going to higher education from the present 10% to 15%.

Recently the five-year integrated courses launched in different disciplines in the IITs affiliated to the university in the State. But unfortunately the responses came from urban students in large number although the courses were purely meant for rural students. It is unusual, but very true.

When the rural women don’t fail to admit themselves in colleges for higher studies the urban students have an overwhelming advantage over their rural counterparts to get high grades. Kavita K. says ‘we really don’t get an opportunity to continue our studies after SSC. Pursuing Higher Education remains a dream for most rural girls’.

Thanks to the establishment of Indian Institutes for Information Technology (IIIT) at Basar in Adilabad and Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies in state the rural girl students are able to fulfill the dreams of Higher Education. It is reported that the girls 8 out of 52 mandals made it to IIITs compared to boys.

The tides are truly changing. The attitudes of parents have changed even in rural areas. Now, with changing sensibilities, parental attitudes have shifted significantly. Like before they don’t force girls to marry and discontinue studies. But encourage the girls to study hard and get into IIITs. The communities have matured with time.

This is witnessed due to the cooperation of government. The IIITs doesn’t put burden on parents. The loans are available which can be paid only after getting jobs. Yet, there is also an exemption of fee for those students whose family income is below Rs. 1 lakh. The parents are happy to get the children in IIITs without much investment.

A well known fact it is that rural women are particularly vulnerable to poverty. They play a critical role in the rural economies of both developed and developing countries. So, Higher Education makes a significant contribution to the strengthening of democracy and administration of society.

Nevertheless ness it is really important to arouse rural women and help them to see their own advantages, to seek for opportunities and to become the subjects of development by seeking Higher Education. It is a better means at reducing poverty and utilizes knowledge for betterment of society. We need to give special attention to this problem.

Leveraging Human Power for Environmental Shock

These days, organizations are facing rapid, often unforeseen changes in their external environments. This transition that the organization experiences to cope with external disturbances is termed as “Environmental Shock”. Environmental shocks resulting from major shifts in technology, economic forces, political regimes, or, in some cases, from natural disasters, can create substantial uncertainty in an organization. Environmental shocks can create conditions of uncertainty and affect mind-sets and strategies of the organization. As the speed of change in external environment continues to increase, leveraging skills and talents of the employee is the fundamental competency needed by managers, supervisors, human resources staff, and organization leaders. To leverage human capital, it is of utmost importance to make people and organization, as a whole, accept the “environmental shock’. Employee acceptance of environmental shock is increased by organizational commitment, a harmonious industrial relations (IR) climate, education, job motivation, job satisfaction, job security and positive affectivity.

Need to Understand People

A study found that -
(a) employee’s psychological capital (a core factor consisting of hope, efficacy, optimism, and resilience) was related to their positive emotions that in turn were related to their attitudes (engagement and cynicism) and behaviors (organizational citizenship and deviance) relevant to organizational change;
(b) mindfulness (i.e., heightened awareness) interacted with psychological capital in predicting positive emotions; and
(c) positive emotions generally mediated the relationship between psychological capital and attitudes and behaviors.

Whether the environmental shock takes the form of a merger, acquisition, outsourcing, downsizing, streamlining or restructuring, an organization cannot successfully achieve its business and financial objectives until a critical mass of employees have completed their individual transitions.

All changing organizations struggle with people related issues. Most attention is usually given to the organization in terms of structure, processes, tools, measurements, policies and procedures, but for the transition to be successful, people need to “buy in” and be committed. Their individual interests, values and competencies must be effectively aligned with the organization’s vision, culture and capabilities.

Transition within an organization typically becomes mis-aligned from the combination of two variables: – Different Function Realities: Senior managers often have access to information soon and, therefore, have a “jump” on moving through the transaction from the previous organizational state to a desired state. They also tend to be the drivers of the change and have more control than middle managers and other employees. Middle managers, although intellectually on board with senior management, need more time for their emotional transition than the senior executives expects.

Different Personal Responses to Change: Individuals may be scattered across on their personal responses to change. The result is a mis-alignment of emotions, understanding, effort and commitment, that impacts negatively on the performances of the individuals and the organization as a whole.

Effects of Environmental Shock

Environmental shock introduces some change and change brings resistance in the organization. Resistance is an inevitable response to any major change. Employees aren’t really resisting the change, but rather they may be resisting the loss of status, loss of pay, or loss of comfort. A psychological dynamic called a “Competing Commitment” is the real reason for employee resistance to organizational change. The change is not challenged, but rather it is resisted, or not implemented at all because the employee faces additional issues and concerns related to the change.

Any social, economic, or environmental shock hits harder those people who are already vulnerable and have fewer resources to cushion themselves with against the consequences, ex ante, or to cope with the consequences ex post. Because the ability of an organization to align its strategy with the demands of its external environment is critical to continue viability, significant environment changes should result in a realignment of organizational strategies to fit the new environmental conditions. At the same time, radical environmental shift may also create opportunities for organizations to move in new strategic directions. There has to be an organization-wide learning culture that touches and connects all employees. Such culture has a unique ability to create cultural traits important to high performance, or to change traits that are impeding success. This way organization is ready for any sort of environmental shock.

Leadership Strategies for Leveraging Human Power

The role of human capital in today’s organization has been going into a revolutionary phase. As the workplace moves to a service and information economy, savvy organizations are increasingly becoming aware that sustaining talented human capital is very critical for their survival in this ever-changing business scenario.

The workforce is in a state of continuous evolution. The technological revolution, the influence of the media and the impact of globalization have resulted in dramatic social, political, and economic changes world-wide. New demographic patterns are taking shape in the workplace. For instance, the labor force is becoming more diverse than ever before, the percentage of college graduates seeking jobs is growing considerably, and also the growing role of women in the workplace. Preparing such a “Heterogeneous Mix” of people to be ready for an environmental shock cannot be tougher.

Leveraging the human capital for competitive advantage can be done by balancing: -

Professional and Technical Knowledge
Product and Process Knowledge
Effective Understanding of People
To leverage the strengths of human capital, successful leaders engage, empower and encourage employees. Leaders understand that people strive to achieve their best when the leader focuses the energies of the followers using three leadership activities: -

1. Reinforcing their key competitive behaviors (which operation behaviors prepare for the future, sustain team momentum, and keep you competitive).

2. Fully engaging them in the experience of change (how much and how meaningfully are your people engaged in or given ownership of organizational change).

3. Immersing everyone in a changed environment (in what ways are you making change inevitable through corporate policies, structures, processes and your expectations).

Developing Human Capital

Train and develop at all levels.
Encouraging wide-spread involvement.
Transferring knowledge.
Monitor progress and track development.
Evaluate human capital -
* Employees must share knowledge and work together, collectively, to reach organization goals.
* Firms often use 360-degree evaluation and feedback systems.
* Managers’ success cannot compromise the organization’s core values.
Conclusion

The 21st century is being called the knowledge era. The commoditization of technology and technical job skills is ever-increasing. The high-valued assets of organizations often appear to be intangible. What is it that sets one organization apart from others that offer similar or the same service and product? It is the Human Capital assets the organization possesses. It is well understood that people are the prime resource today. So, it follows that we have the best chance of leveraging our investments if we build on this resource.

Many companies tend to think of business in absolute terms of assets and liabilities, profits and losses, revenue and expenses. However, the fact is that without employees there is no business. To make an organization environmental shock-proof, there is a need to make employees change-proof. Employees can accept a shock, when they have support. Edward Lawyer says that there are three major criteria, which, acting in concert, can create winning organizations, and they are human capital, organizational capabilities, and core capabilities and core competencies. All have a common thread in the sense that organizational capabilities, and core competencies, also, require the right kind of human capital, because they largely depend upon the skills and talents of individual employees in an organization.

Growing rural retail

As organised retail in rural India awaits the arrival of Reliance Retail, current majors like ITC, Godrej and DSCL are expanding their retail operations by setting up more stores, entering new states and offering newer product categories. A shift from selling agri-inputs will help these stores target the non-farming segments. It is a little known fact that, while 25% of the rural population is not engaged in agriculture, it earns 50% of the rural income.

When organised retail first made its presence felt in rural India, it wasn’t a pure retailing operation targeting the rural masses. Companies like DSCL and Godrej who had significant agri-business interests, set them up to meet the needs of farmers in a store’s catchments area. A typical agri-input store would have a catchment area of around 100 villages spread over 20-25 kms. Says Ashik Hamid, associate director, Technopak, “These stores are one-stop shops meant to meet the occupational needs of farmers by providing agri-inputs and fertilisers”. These stores, like DSCL’s Hariyali Kisan Bazaar, ITC’s Choupal Saagar etc. tend to be located in small towns that function as procurement hubs where the farmers come to sell their produce. Their earnings are tapped then and there, by getting them to combine their visit with shopping. These stores tend to target farmers with all sizes of holdings, “We build our offerings for everyone, from the farmer owning 20 acres to the one owning 200”, says Rajesh Gupta, business head, Hariyali Kisan Bazaar, “It wouldn’t be done any other way as there is a similarity on the application side, everyone needs the same inputs.”

While organised retail centred on these stores, unorganised retail revolves around the local village shop and the haat. Shops are usually present in villages with a population of more than 500 people. They stock more product categories than what similar urban shops would, but there isn’t much variety offered within a category. Haats are weekly mobile supermarkets that are spread over 2-3 acres of land, with more than 300 stalls, selling anything from animal feed to local medicines.

Where unorganised retail disappoints is in that the goods sold are often spurious and there is no guarantee of quality for many of the goods being sold be it agri-inputs, FMCG etc. The typical shop is cluttered and congested with limited variety and few national brands. Many of the goods are sold at prices higher than the maximum retail price with shopkeepers giving goods shortages, transportation costs etc. as rationale What these stores ended up doing, according to Pradeep Kashyap, the director of MART, is make shopping for the rural consumer a ‘hellish’ experience. This despite the fact that the rural market represents a considerable business opportunity. Technopak estimates that the size of the Indian retail market is at present around USD 300 billion with the rural-urban split in the ratio 55 – 45. The rural market consumes about 53% of FMCG, and 59% of durables in India. Organised rural retail, in recognition of this and other factors, started offering other product categories and services. The earlier focus on agri-inputs helped as it created an entry point into other categories as well. Explains Hamid, “Once the customers began to buy these agricultural inputs and services, they develop trust in the process and become natural customers for the other products too.”

So what are the chances of success with this shift? Not many of these stores were profitable to begin with, according to an industry expert. While many of them may claim on paper to be so, once the property and infrastructure investments are included, not many of them generate the kind of footfalls to be really profitable. For example, at a retail store one dayonly 5 people walked in before 1 pm.

One practical problem they have had to face is the shortage of manpower. Runaway rates are high with employees from urban areas leaving their jobs after being stationed in these rural stores. The long-term solution to this could be the training of unemployed educated rural youth to man these stores.

These stores also have an image problem in that some of them are perceived to be expensive. “The stores are so urban in their ambience, that rural people find it intimidating,” says an expert. Their advertising imagery doesn’t make it easier. A billboard outside one of these retail stores, for example, had a happy urban family dressed in Western clothes. This may have meant to be aspirational in nature but wouldn’t really appeal to a rural audience.

What this shift ultimately represents, though, is the recognition of the potential of the rural market and a change in the perception of rural retail. It also represents these stores becoming less a part of their parent companies’ agri-business and more an independent, market-driven operation.

Indian Rural Market

By M H Ahssan

An Overview
The Indian rural market with its vast size and demand base offers great opportunities to marketers. Two-thirds of countries consumers live in rural areas and almost half of the national income is generated here. It is only natural that rural markets form an important part of the total market of India. Our nation is classified in around 450 districts, and approximately 630000 villages, which can be sorted in different parameters such as literacy levels, accessibility, income levels, penetration, distances from nearest towns, etc.

Few Facts
70 % of India’s population lives in 627000 villages in rural areas. According to the NCAER study, there are almost twice as many ‘lower middle income’ households in rural areas as in the urban areas.

At the highest income level there are 2.3 million urban households as against 1.6 million households in rural areas.

Middle and high-income households in rural India is expected to grow from 80 million to 111 million by 2007.

In urban India, the same is expected to grow from 46 million to 59 million. Thus, the absolute size of rural India is expected to be double that of urban India.

Opportunity
The above figures are a clear indication that the rural markets offer the great potential to help the India Inc which has reached the plateau of their business curve in urban India to bank upon the volume-driven growth.

The Indian rural market with its vast size and demand base offers a huge opportunity that MNCs cannot afford to ignore. With 128 million households, the rural population is nearly three times the urban.

As a result of the growing affluence, fuelled by good monsoons and the increase in agricultural output to 200 million tonnes from 176 million tonnes in 1991, rural India has a large consuming class with 41 per cent of India’s middle-class and 58 per cent of the total disposable income.

The importance of the rural market for some FMCG and durable marketers is underlined by the fact that the rural market accounts for close to 70 per cent of toilet-soap users and 38 per cent of all two-wheeler purchased.

The rural market accounts for half the total market for TV sets, fans, pressure cookers, bicycles, washing soap, blades, tea, salt and toothpowder, What is more, the rural market for FMCG products is growing much faster than the urban counterpart.

Features of Indian Rural Markets

Large and Scattered market: The rural market of India is large and scattered in the sense that it consists of over 63 crore consumers from 5,70,000 villages spread throughout the country.

Major income from agriculture: Nearly 60 % of the rural income is from agriculture. Hence rural prosperity is tied with agricultural prosperity.

Low standard of living: The consumer in the village area do have a low standard of living because of low literacy, low per capita income, social backwardness, low savings, etc.

Traditional Outlook: The rural consumer values old customs and tradition. They do not prefer changes.

Diverse socio-economic backwardness: Rural consumers have diverse socio-economic backwardness. This is different in different parts of the country.

Infrastructure Facilities: The Infrastructure Facilities like roads, warehouses, communication system, financial facilities are inadequate in rural areas. Hence physical distribution becomes costly due to inadequate Infrastructure facilities.

The rural bazaar is booming beyond everyone’s expectation. This has been primarily attributed to a spurt in the purchasing capacity of farmers now enjoying an increasing marketable surplus of farm produce. In addition, an estimated induction of Rs 140 billion in the rural sector through the government’s rural development schemes in the Seventh Plan and about Rs 300 billion in the Eighth Plan is also believed to have significantly contributed to the rapid growth in demand. The high incomes combined with low cost of living in the villages have meant more money to spend. And with the market providing them options, tastes are also changing.

Problems in the Booming Rural Marketing
Although the rural market does offer a vast untapped potential, it should also be recognized that it is not that easy to operate in rural market because of several problems. Rural marketing is thus a time consuming affair and requires considerable investments in terms of evolving appropriate strategies with a view to tackle the problems.

The major problems faced are:

Underdeveloped People and Underdeveloped Markets:
The number of people below poverty line has not decreased in any appreciable manner. Thus underdeveloped people and consequently underdeveloped market by and large characterize the rural markets. Vast majorities of the rural people are tradition bound, fatalistic and believe in old customs, traditions, habits, taboos and practices.

Lack of Proper Physical Communication Facilities:
Nearly fifty percent of the villages in the country do not have all weather roads. Physical communication of these villages is highly expensive. Even today most villages in the eastern parts of the country are inaccessible during the monsoon.

Media for Rural Communication:
Among the mass media at some point of time in the late 50’s and 60’s radio was considered to be a potential medium for communication to the rural people. Another mass media is television and cinemas. Statistics indicate that the rural areas account for hardly 2000 to 3500 mobile theatres, which is far less when compared to the number of villages.

Many Languages and Dialects:
The number of languages and dialects vary widely from state to state, region to region and probably from district to district. The messages have to be delivered in the local languages and dialects. Even though the number of recognized languages are only 16, the dialects are estimated to be around 850.

Dispersed Market:
Rural areas are scattered and it is next to impossible to ensure the availability of a brand all over the country. Seven Indian states account for 76% of the country’s rural retail outlets, the total number of which is placed at around 3.7 million. Advertising in such a highly heterogeneous market, which is widely spread, is very expensive.

Low Per Capita Income:
Even though about 33-35% of gross domestic product is generated in the rural areas it is shared by 74% of the population. Hence the per capita incomes are low compared to the urban areas.

Low Levels of Literacy:
The literacy rate is low in rural areas as compared to urban areas. This again leads to problem of communication for promotion purposes. Print medium becomes ineffective and to an extent irrelevant in rural areas since its reach is poor and so is the level of literacy.

Prevalence of spurious brands and seasonal demand:
For any branded product there are a multitude of ‘local variants’, which are cheaper, and, therefore, more desirable to villagers.

Different way of thinking:
There is a vast difference in the lifestyles of the people. The kind of choices of brands that an urban customer enjoys is different from the choices available to the rural customer. The rural customer usually has 2 or 3 brands to choose from whereas the urban one has multiple choices. The difference is also in the way of thinking. The rural customer has a fairly simple thinking as compared to the urban counterpart.

The 4A Approach
The rural market may be alluring but it is not without its problems: Low per capita disposable incomes that is half the urban disposable income; large number of daily wage earners, acute dependence on the vagaries of the monsoon; seasonal consumption linked to harvests and festivals and special occasions; poor roads; power problems; and inaccessibility to conventional advertising media.

However, the rural consumer is not unlike his urban counterpart in many ways.

The more daring MNCs are meeting the consequent challenges of availability, affordability, acceptability and awareness (the so-called 4 As).

Availability
The first challenge is to ensure availability of the product or service. India’s 627,000 villages are spread over 3.2 million sq km; 700 million Indians may live in rural areas, finding them is not easy. However, given the poor state of roads, it is an even greater challenge to regularly reach products to the far-flung villages. Any serious marketer must strive to reach at least 13,113 villages with a population of more than 5,000. Marketers must trade off the distribution cost with incremental market penetration. Over the years, India’s largest MNC, Hindustan Lever, a subsidiary of Unilever, has built a strong distribution system, which helps its brands reach the interiors of the rural market. To service remote village, stockists use auto-rickshaws, bullock-carts and even boats in the backwaters of Kerela. Coca-Cola, which considers rural India as a future growth driver, has evolved a hub and spoke distribution model to reach the villages. To ensure full loads, the company depot supplies, twice a week, large distributors which who act as hubs. These distributors appoint and supply, once a week, smaller distributors in adjoining areas. LG Electronics defines all cities and towns other than the seven metros cities as rural and semi-urban market. To tap these unexplored country markets, LG has set up 45 area offices and 59 rural/remote area offices.

Study on buying behaviour of rural consumer indicates that the rural retailers influences 35% of purchase occasions. Therefore sheer product availability can affect decision of brand choice, volumes and market share. Some of the FMCG giants like HLL took out project streamline to significantly enhance the control on the rural supply chain through a network of rural sub-stockists, who are based in the villages only. Apart from this to acquire further edge in distribution HLL started Project Shakti in partnership with Self Help groups of rural women.

Affordability
The second challenge is to ensure affordability of the product or service. With low disposable incomes, products need to be affordable to the rural consumer, most of whom are on daily wages. Some companies have addressed the affordability problem by introducing small unit packs. Godrej recently introduced three brands of Cinthol, Fair Glow and Godrej in 50-gm packs, priced at Rs 4-5 meant specifically for Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh – the so-called `Bimaru’ States.

With large parts of rural India inaccessible to conventional advertising media – only 41 per cent rural households have access to TV – building awareness is another challenge. Fortunately, however, the rural consumer has the same likes as the urban consumer – movies and music – and for both the urban and rural consumer, the family is the key unit of identity. However, the rural consumer expressions differ from his urban counterpart. Outing for the former is confined to local fairs and festivals and TV viewing is confined to the state-owned Doordarshan. Consumption of branded products is treated as a special treat or indulgence.

Hindustan Lever relies heavily on its own company-organised media. These are promotional events organised by stockists. Godrej Consumer Products, which is trying to push its soap brands into the interior areas, uses radio to reach the local people in their language.

Coca-Cola uses a combination of TV, cinema and radio to reach 53.6 per cent of rural households. It doubled its spend on advertising on Doordarshan, which alone reached 41 per cent of rural households. It has also used banners, posters and tapped all the local forms of entertainment. Since price is a key issue in the rural areas, Coca-Cola advertising stressed its `magical’ price point of Rs 5 per bottle in all media.LG Electronics uses vans and road shows to reach rural customers. The company uses local language advertising. Philips India uses wall writing and radio advertising to drive its growth in rural areas.

The key dilemma for MNCs eager to tap the large and fast-growing rural market is whether they can do so without hurting the company’s profit margins. In case of nestle, company’s product portfolio is essentially designed for urban consumers which cautions companies from plunging headlong into the rural market as capturing rural consumers can be expensive.

Role of Rural Retailing
Retailing is the final phase of the distribution channel and it is clear by now that it is availability and distribution that drives growth in rural Indian markets. Hence retailing will be significant and will undergo greater organisation and maturity as is being witnessed in the urban markets, even in the rural markets. Innovative retail models which take into account the nuances of rural markets is the way forward.

Format
Chaupal Sagar cannot be shoehorned into any of the existing retailing categories. At 7,000 square feet, it is too small to be a mall.

It has opted for self-service, stocking its merchandise on shelves lining the neat aisles, it stocks a breadth of products no supermarket can. It offers almost everything – from toothpastes to televisions, hair oils to motorcycles, mixer-grinders to water pumps, shirts to fertilisers… It defies pigeonholing. It is just a very sharply thought-out rural store.

Most of the brands it sells are national such as Marico, LG, Philips, torches from Eveready, shirts from ITC’s apparel business, bikes from TVS, and tractors from Eicher.

Facilities
Spread over 5 acres of land at Sehore in Madhya Pradesh: -

Rural shopping malls will be open from 6 am to 9 pm.

Features and facilities at these ITC malls can overshadow those in the metros. The ITC store sells everything that a rural consumer may ask for – sarees to kurta-pyjamas to shirts (in the range of Rs 99-500), footwear, groceries, electronic durable from TVs to microwaves, cosmetics and other accessories, farm consumption products like seeds, fertilisers, pumps, generators and even tractors, motorcycles and scooters.

Banking and automated teller machines will be standard at the malls.

Insurance products for farmers.

Entertainment facilities, restaurants, public facilities and parking space will also be available.

There is even a fuel pump in tie-up with BPCL and a cafeteria.

Parking lot for 160 tractors.

There will be a primary healthcare facility to be serviced by a private healthcare service provider.

Information centres: The company will create the facility for providing online information on commodity rates and weather.

Shopping malls will have a training facility on modern farm techniques.

Farmers can come and log on to the Internet and check the pricing and sell their commodities.

There will also be godowns for storing the wheat and soybean and also for stocking products retailed at the mall.

Business Model
The business model of Chaupal Sagar is linked closely with the E-chaupal initiative of ITC.

Role of ITC is to create infrastructure such as space, computers, and building.

ITC will charge a fee for the services and items sold at the mall.

E-CHAUPAL: E-Chaupal is the backbone of these rural malls. While the first layer (E-Chaupal) provides the farmers necessary information about weather and prices, this hypermarket initiative will provide them another platform to sell their produce and purchase necessary farm and household goods under the same roof.

The e-Choupal model required that ITC to make significant investments to create and maintain its own IT network in rural India and to identify and train a local farmer to manage each e-Choupal.

E-Choupal combines a Web portal in the local language and PCs with Internet access placed in the villages to create a two-way channel between ITC and the villagers. The project started with a pilot in June 2000 in Madhya Pradesh with Soybean farmers. Currently, it covers six states, and multiple commodities like prawns, cotton and coffee with 4000 Choupals.

Plans are to reach 15 states by 2010, covering 100,000 villages with 20,000 Choupals.

Each e-Choupal (equipped with a PC with Internet connectivity, printer and UPS) typically housed in the farmer’s house, is linked to the Internet via phone lines or, increasingly, by a VSAT connection, and serves an average of 600 farmers in 10 surrounding villages within about a five kilometer radius. Using the system costs farmers nothing, but the host farmer, called a sanchalak, incurs some operating costs (The IT part of each e-Choupal costs about Rs 1.3 lakh, each e-Choupal is estimated to pay back for itself in 4.5 years) and is obligated by a public oath to serve the entire community; the sanchalak benefits from increased prestige and a commission paid him for all e-Choupal transactions. The farmers can use the computer to access daily closing prices on local mandis, as well as to track global price trends or find information about new farming techniques-either directly or, because many farmers are illiterate, via the sanchalak. They also use the e-Choupal to order seed, fertilizer, and other products such as consumer goods from ITC or its partners, at prices lower than those available from village traders; the sanchalak typically aggregates the village demand for these products and transmits the order to an ITC representative. At harvest time, ITC offers to buy the crop directly from any farmer at the previous day’s closing price; the farmer then transports his crop to an ITC processing center, where the crop is weighed electronically and assessed for quality. The farmer is then paid for the crop and a transport fee. “Bonus points,” which are exchangeable for products that ITC sells, are given for crops with quality above the norm. In this way, the e-Choupal system bypasses the government-mandated trading mandis.

Farmers benefit from more accurate weighing, faster processing time, and prompt payment, and from access to a wide range of information, including accurate market price knowledge, and market trends, which help them decide when, where, and at what price to sell. Farmers selling directly to ITC through an e-Choupal typically receive a higher price for their crops than they would receive through the mandi system, on average about 2.5% higher (about US$6 per ton). The total benefit to farmers includes lower prices for inputs and other goods, higher yields, and a sense of empowerment. At the same time, ITC benefits from net procurement costs that are about 2.5% lower (it saves the commission fee and part of the transport costs it would otherwise pay to traders who serve as its buying agents at the mandi) and it has more direct control over the quality of what it buys.

By building a network of warehouses near the production centres and by providing inputs to the farmers and test output at the individual farm level, ITC is able to preserve the source and quality information of produce purchased. By helping the farmer identify and control his inputs and farming practices and by paying better for better quality, ITC is able to improve the quality of produce that it purchases. In the commodities market, these two combine to help ITC create the differentiator that it set out to establish in the beginning.

ITC gains additional benefits from using this network as a distribution channel for its products (and those of its partners) and a source of innovation for new products. It is also being used to provide services like rural market research to those interested.

Strategy for Success

Use of ITC warehouses
This will help in cost control as well as better utilisation of space in these warehouses. It will also provide convenience and familiarity with the target customer.

Targeted at Farmers selling to ITC warehouse through E-chaupal
With its network of e-chaupals, ITC communicates its latest commodity prices to the farmers via the Internet or VSAT lines. If they find these attractive, they sell their produce to ITC. The sanchalak (the person who operates an e-chaupal; most of them are farmers) of villages near these malls reckons that half the farmers in his village deal only with ITC. Now, by setting up the mall next to the warehouse, ITC is trying to monetise the footfalls from farmers; that is every time sanchalaks- and farmers visit ITC’s soybean factories in MP to sell their produce, they also have the opportunity to spend their freshly earned cash.

ITC realised that the farmers had just got money, that they would spend it anyway, and that they had an empty vehicle with which they could lug the stuff back.

ITC intends to capture the rural folks’ out-of-village shopping
The warehouse is one bulwark of its strategy, obviously. But the farmers will come here only after every harvest. To ensure that they keep coming to Chaupal Sagar even at other times, the company is offering a slew of other goodies. Another building is coming up next to the main warehouse. When completed, it will house a bank, a cafeteria, apart from an insurance office and a learning centre. ITC has tied up with agri-institutes to offer farmer training programmes. Then, plots of land have been earmarked to display large agricultural machinery like threshers. Other parcels of land have been earmarked for pesticide and fertiliser companies for demonstrating their products. A petrol pump is coming up as well.

To attract footfalls during the lean season, ITC plans to organise various activities and events including melas,training programs, demonstrations.
The hubs are strategically located to attract suburban crowds as well.

Retail channel for its own brands as well as for other brands
Working through the sanchalaks, ITC first pushed its own products, like salt, into the hinterland, and then invited others like Parachute and Philips to ride on this distribution chain. Today, it plans to similarly create revenue streams around its warehouses.

Financing Scheme
ITC is investing initially Rs 3 crore (Rs 30 million) in each such shopping mall. However it is working out a strategy to make it cost-effective for them.

To keep its own investment to the minimum, ITC is encouraging the samyojak – a local broker or middleman co-opted by ITC – to pick up equity and manage these shops as part owners.

Assisted by four ITC salesmen, the samyojaks will assess demand, ensure just-in-time delivery, manage customer service and keep accounts.

Uniqueness Of the Model: lies in the fact that it works equally well for ITC as the buyer of farm produce and ITC as the seller of desirables.

Charge fees from the brands being showcased at the mall as well as for the services being provided at the Mall.

Results & Expectations
During the peak season, a hub sees traffic of about 200 tractors per day on an average, as farmers come to sell their crops at the hubs.

Initial response: On the first day the store notched up a business of about Rs 70,000-80,000. Footfall of about 700-800 people on weekdays and soaring to 1,000 on weekends with conversion levels of 35%.

Future Plans
ITC chairman Yogi Deveshwar has promised his shareholders that the company would open 1,000 rural malls in India. This is the first one to have come up.

Encouraged by its image as a fair and reliable buyer of farm produce, ITC decided to invest in 5-acre malls, costing between Rs 3-5 crore each, across 15 states. The first five – four in Madhya Pradesh and one in UP – will be inaugurated by March 2004.

The first shopping mall is being set up near Sehore, and the second one will come up in June near Itarsi in Oshangabad district.

ITC is planning to set up 40 rural shopping centres in those. states where it has a presence through its e-chaupals and IT hubs spread across rural Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Haryali Bazaars Bring Organised Retailing to Farmers
Having successfully pioneered a new concept of Haryali Kissan Bazaars in 2002 in Hardoi, agri-inputs focused DCM Sriram Consolidated Ltd. (DSCL) opened eight more (Ladwa in Haryana, Ferozepur in Punjab, Kota in Rajasthan and four locations in UP).

The store complex is spread over 2-3 acres and caters to all the farmers requirements (both DCM Sriram products & other sources): farm inputs ((fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, animal feed), farm implements, spare parts, irrigation equipment, spraying equipment. Further, the uniformed salesman, an agricultural graduate, gives free agricultural related advice in personal interactions or through mobile phones (averaging 20 calls a day). Twenty such stores, each catering to 100 villages, are planned by 2005.

Innovative Rural Retail Models
Indian FMCG firms with rural experience have typically used three rural retail methods–direct distribution structures, van operations and super-stockist structures. Each of these methods need to be evaluated taking into consideration the current network, cost impact of the proposed structure and quality control issue associated with each of these structures.

Direct Retail/Distribution Structures

Project Shakti
Project Shakti – Hindustan Lever Ltd’s (HLL) rural self-help group initiative to push the penetration of its products to reach areas of low access and low market potential.

Objective
HLL’s conventional hub-and-spoke distribution model, which it uses to great effect in both urban and semi-urban markets, wouldn’t be cost-effective in penetrating the smaller villages.

The effort is to create a WIN-WIN SITUTAION.

Through a combination of micro-credit and training in enterprise management, women from self-help groups have turned direct-to-home distributors of a range of HLL products and helping the company plumb hitherto unexplored rural hinterlands.

Concept
The Project is a retail/distribution model that HLL established in late 2000 to sell its products through women self-help groups who operate like a direct-to-home team of sales women in inaccessible areas where HLL’s conventional sales system does not reach.

Strategy for Success

1. Social Angle
Create “income-generating capabilities for underprivileged rural women by providing a sustainable micro-enterprise opportunity”.

To improve rural living standards through “health and hygiene awareness”.

2. Commercial Angle
For HLL, it is “enlightened self-interest”.

Creating opportunities to increase rural family incomes puts more money in their hands to purchase the range of daily consumption products – from soaps to toothpastes – that HLL makes.

It also enables HLL access hitherto unexplored rural hinterlands.

How Does It Work?

To get started the Shakti woman borrows from her SHG and the company itself chooses only one person. With training and handholding by the company for the first three months, she begins her door-to-door journey selling her wares.

A Shakti entrepreneur receives stocks at her doorstep from the HLL rural distributor and sells direct to consumers as well as to other retailers in the village.

Each Shakti entrepreneur services 6-10 villages in the population strata of 1,000 – 2,000 people.

Typically,a Shakti entrepreneur sets off with 4-5 chief brands from the HLL portfolio – Lifebuoy, Wheel, Pepsodent, Annapurna salt and Clinic Plus. Other brands which find favour with a rural audience are: Lux, Ponds, Nihar and 3 Roses tea.

The women avail of micro-credit through banks. Some of the established Shakti dealers are now selling Rs. 10,000 – Rs. 15,000 worth of products a month and making a gross profit of Rs. 700 – Rs. 1,000 a month. Each Shakti dealer covers 6-10 villages, which have a population of less 2,000. The company is creating demand for its products by having its Shakti dealers educating consumers on aspects like health and hygiene.

HLL-SHG Business Model
Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL) India’s largest consumer goods company has a large distribution network comprising 5,000 re-distribution stockists and 40 C&FAs (Clearing and Forwarding Agent). Yet this network covers only 75,000 villages directly out of the total 6,00,000 villages in India. A tie up with SHGs can take HLL products to many more villages directly.

Trading opportunities with stable companies with established rural brands (Lifebuoy, Lux, Wheel, Clinic and 3 Roses tea etc) could be a boon to women members of SHGs.

How Does It Work?

A pilot project (christened Project Shakti) was launched in Nalgonda in December 2000 in a small cluster of 50 villages with 50 SHGs and 3 MACTS (Mutually Aided Co-operative Thrift Society, a federation of around 20 SHGs).

There are 3 partners and their roles are: –
MACTS/SHGs: sell/retail HLL products
HLL: supplies products, provides marketing and promotion support
MART: facilitates the process, provides business training inputs

Capacity Building of MACTS and SHGs

Achievement Motivation Training programmes have been conducted to create a desire among women for starting their own business.
Formal training of group leaders and other members have been conducted to help them become successful entrepreneurs.
Level 1: Basic orientation to HLL business and brands.
Level 2: Enterprise management and marketing.
Animators have been appointed (stipend paid by HLL) to promote sale.

‘Shakti Day’, an artificially created market place in the village with specially devised communication kits is conducted regularly where special discounts and schemes are offered to increase sale.

Results & Expectations

Accounts for 10-15 per cent of HLL’s rural sales. The statistic assumes significance as the rural market constitutes over 40 per cent of HLL’s total sales of about Rs 10,000 crore.

HLL has seen 15 per cent incremental sales from rural Andhra, which contributes 50 per cent to overall sales from Andhra of HLL products.

Lot of consumer understanding and insights comes from an exercise like Project Shakti, which in turn can lead to product innovation.

I-Shakti’, an IT-based rural information service that will provide solutions to key rural needs in the areas of agriculture, education, vocational training, health and hygiene.

Future Plans

Given the success of the model piloted in Nalgonda in Andhra Pradesh in 2001, the company has plans to expand Project Shakti in 400 districts by 2006. By the end of 2004, it plans to cover 100 districts. At the moment, it reaches about 10,000 villages in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka and works through 800 self-help groups (SHGs).

The company intends to extend the model across Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and UP and TamilNadu markets. The Shakti vision, is to have by 2007 at least 10,000 Shakti dealers, covering a lakh villages and touching at least 100 million consumers.

Company is in dialogue with non-competing companies like Philips (bulbs) for a partnership to distribute their products through the network that HLL has established. The company is in talks with insurance companies such as ICICI Prudential and Max New York Life to sell policies through its `Shakti dealers’. Sources said that a battery maker is also in talks with the company as it is not a product in the HLL portfolio.

Super-Stockist Channel

Project Streamline
The company had earlier also launched Operation Streamline to further increase its rural reach with the help of rural sub-stockists. It had appointed 6,000 such stockists, the distribution network directly covering about 50,000 villages reaching about 250 million consumers. HLL conceptualised Project Streamline to enhance its control on the rural supply chain through a network of rural sub-stockists based in these villages. This gave the company the required competitive edge, and extended its direct reach to 37 per cent of the country’s rural population.

Key Points

To increase the reach in rural areas.

Rural Distributor will have around 20 stockists attached to him who performs the role of driving distribution in villages using unconventional means of transport such as tractor, bullock, etc.

This gave the company the required competitive edge, and extended its direct reach to 37 per cent of the country’s rural population.

This strategy has supposed to increase the market share of HLL in rural areas by about 3%.

Control on the rural supply chain through a network of rural sub-stockists, who are based in the villages only.

Others
Marico launched a major initiative into rural markets by appointing 2,400 sub-stockists in the last two years. Recently, Dabur also finished a pilot project for its super-stockists in Patna and has now rolled it out in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Reckitt has also adopted the super-stockist system in Tamil Nadu and plans to set up such a system all over the country in the next year, with the target of covering one million outlets in the next three years.

Van Operations

Project Bharat
In 1998 HLL’s personal products unit initiated Project Bharat, the first and largest rural home-to-home operation to have ever been prepared by any company. The project covered 13 million rural households by the end of 1999.

During the course of operation, HLL had vans visiting villages across the country distributing sample packs comprising a low-unit-price pack each of shampoo, talcum powder, toothpaste and skin cream priced at Rs 15. This was to create awareness of the company’s product categories and of the affordability of the products.

The personal products unit subsequently rolled out a second phase of the sampling initiative to target villages with a population of over 2,000.

Project Bharat, a massive rural sampling initiative in two phases. They have carried out one of the largest sampling exercises for this purpose to overcome barriers like lack of brand awareness, ignorance of product benefits and complete absence of any first-hand experience of usage.

Recommendations
The business model for rural retail can be successful only when integration between the profit and social motive is apparent. The social angle needs to be pronounced for it to be acceptable.

Empowerment in terms of economic power, purchasing power, knowledge and information dissemination is crucial for rural retail ventures to succeed. The model should empower the rural consumer and at the same time take advantage of this empowerment through creation of demand for its own products and that of its partners.

The level of penetration except for certain products, has been negligible so far. However, so far as the rural share in consumer expendables like cooking oil, tea, electric bulbs, hair oil, shampoo, toilet soap, toothpaste, washing cakes and washing powder is concerned, their share on an average, is much higher than consumer durables. Though the rural-urban differentials are not so pronounced in the case of durables, the rural market penetration is low with respect to urban areas. However, in case of health beverages and cosmetics like shampoos, nail polish and lipsticks, large gaps exist. Hence these products provide substantial opportunity to enter the rural markets.

Definitely there is lot of money in rural India. But there are hindrances at the same time. The greatest hindrance is that the rural market is still evolving and there is no set format to understand consumer behaviour. Lot of study is still to be conducted in order to understand the rural consumer. Only FMCGs with deeper pockets, unwavering rural commitment and staying power will be able to stay longer on this rural race and hence should venture into this territory.

A law with flaws

By M H Ahssan

If the government fails to take on board some of the constructive suggestions made on the draft Women’s Reservation Bill, it might not serve the purpose for which it has been conceived.

Here we go again. Even those who feel most passionately on this subject must now feel weary at hearing the same set of arguments repeated for and against the long-pending Women’s Reservation Bill. While across party lines women politicians are convinced that the Bill must go through – the notable exceptions being Jaya Prada of the Samajwadi Party and Uma Bharati of the Bharatiya Janashakti Party – the same set of male politicians who opposed it in the past continue to do so.

Sharad Yadav of the Janata Dal (United), who will long be remembered for his remark that the Bill would bring into Parliament more women with short hair, has once again staked his claim to notoriety by threatening to drink poison rather than allow the Bill to pass. Although he has retracted this comment, his penchant for the dramatic remains unaltered over the years. Of the other Yadavs, Mulayam sets out the same arguments as Sharad, about a separate quota for Backward Castes, while Lalu, after initially maintaining a diplomatic silence, has now aligned himself with Mulayam and Sharad. And interestingly, while the BJP is whole-heartedly supporting the Bill, its allies, JD (U) and Shiv Sena are opposing it.

Real possibility
The major difference this time from the episodes in the past when the Bill was introduced and then pushed to committee in the face of opposition is that the government has enough support to get two-thirds of the votes in Parliament. Thus, regardless of the threats and noises made by those who oppose it, the Bill could be passed.

It will not happen overnight or even within the 100 days promised by the government because it is still in committee and that committee has to be reconstituted. Given the way these processes work, even setting up a new Committee on Law and Justice will take some time. So the earliest we could see the Bill emerge again would be in the winter session of Parliament. A great deal can happen before that eventuality.

In its anxiety to push through the Bill, the government could brush aside genuine reservations about the current draft of the law and place it before the House unchanged. If there is a constructive debate, something that is not at all guaranteed, then once again the Bill could go into committee to incorporate recommendations. If there is no debate but disruption, as in the past, the government might withdraw it and send it to committee. Or if there is some debate but little opposition, the Bill could go through in its current form.

The last outcome would be the most unsatisfactory. For, if the government fails to take on board some of the constructive suggestions that have been made on the draft, the Bill that is placed in Parliament and somehow pushed through might not serve the purpose for which it has been conceived. The main reason for advocating a quota for women in Parliament is because women do not have a level playing field in the world of politics. Even though political parties have promised to field more women candidates, in fact their numbers have not increased. More women were elected to the 15th Lok Sabha because women’s success rate is much higher than that of men. Given this, if political parties had ensured that at least a third of their candidates were women, it is possible that their number in Parliament would have seen a dramatic increase. That this has not happened illustrates the problem women face, particularly those without family connections, to find a place in the political arena.

A quota will automatically bring up the numbers. But will it make a difference? Who are the women who will get elected? The Yadavs believe that this will only empower the “elite class” of women. That can only be proven if tested.

Doesn’t work
What has been tested and has not worked satisfactorily is the system of rotation of seats. Through the 73rd and 74th amendment, the 33 per cent reservation for women in panchayats and nagar palikas is implemented by reserving one third of the constituencies for women. But as this changes after each election, women cannot stand from the same constituency. A study by the Panchayati Raj Ministry had recommended that this system be scrapped as they found that only 15 per cent of the women got re-elected for a second term.

This happens because when male politicians find that their constituency has been reserved for women, they make their wives or women relatives contest. And once the constituency reverts to being general, they reclaim it and send the women back to the kitchen. Thus, the women literally tend the constituency for their men until it can be returned to them. This makes a mockery of the spirit in which the idea of quotas was conceived. Only a few women have managed to break through and win from “general” seats after first having won through the women’s quota.

Needs review
Several alternative systems have been mooted but none of them are as simple to implement as the rotation system. Even so, given the experience at the local government level, the issue of whether the Bill should continue with the rotation system for Parliament and State assemblies must be addressed before the final draft of the Bill is placed in the House.

We love symbols in this country. We have a woman President and a woman Speaker of the Lok Sabha. We also have powerful women heading leading national parties. But all of this and the Women’s Reservation Bill together do not necessarily add up to women’s “empowerment”. Symbolism serves a purpose if it is followed up by solid programmes and efforts that can make a difference to the lives of women, that can give them economic and physical security and above all that can guarantee that their voices will be heard regardless of their caste or class.

Price of rice, price of power

By M H Ahssan

Most governments that stressed welfarist measures gained in last month’s elections. Food prices and cheap rice are crucial, though not the sole issues.

Now that we have a Cabinet whose assets total close to Rs.5 billion on its own declaration, with Ministers worth over Rs.75 million each on average, it will be worth watching how it rises to the challenge of identifying with the poor and the hungry. That Rs.5 billion figure, painstakingly compiled by the National Election Watch, a coalition of over 1200 civil society organisations working across India, covers 64 of the 79 Ministers. The other 15 are Rajya Sabha members whose updated assets are yet to be computed.

True, these figures are skewed by the fact that the top five Ministers alone are worth Rs. 2 billion. However, as the NEW points out, the rest are not destitute. In all, 47 of the 64 are crorepatis. And the remaining 15 won’t harm the score too much when their totals come in.

Together, they will preside over the destiny of, amongst others, 836 million Indians who “get by with less than Rs.20 a day” (National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector report, August 2007). This challenge will unfold in a Lok Sabha where the average worth of an MP is Rs.51 million. Again, this average too, is skewed by a chunk of 60-70 MPs of the 543 whose asset worth is relatively very low. On the other hand, many have notched up large gains in wealth during their first term as MPs.

In a complex and layered verdict driven by many factors, one seems clear: most governments that stressed welfarist measures – particularly cheap rice and employment – gained in last month’s election results. This was regardless of which party was leading them – the Congress, the BJP, the BJD, the DMK or any other. Some of these measures might not have led to large numbers of people going out to vote for those governments. But they at least lowered hostility levels amongst the voters in a hungry nation. As Madhura Swaminathan points out, the FAO data confirm that “no country comes close to India in terms of the absolute number of people living in chronic hunger.”

The hungry have had it pretty bad. The rise in food prices was extremely steep over the last five years, one of our more adverse periods in decades. Between just 2004 and 2008, the price of rice rose by over 45 per cent and of wheat by more than 60 per cent. Atta, edible oils, dals, milk and even salt saw rises of between 30 and 40 per cent. Lower or near-zero inflation has seen no drop in food prices. That the media never saw hunger and cheap food as a major poll factor says more about them than the issue.

The DMK’s colour television set giveaway – the focus of much derisory media attention – was never a fraction as important as its provision of 20 kg of rice per family at Rs.1 a kg since September 2008. That too, for anyone with a ration card, without dividing people into the APL or BPL groups. Tamilnadu had already been providing rice at Rs.2 a kg for some years. It also took the NREGA seriously. The State government gained on both counts.

In Andhra Pradesh, like in Tamilnadu, the Congress government of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was helped by the presence of a third party – Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam – which drew a lot of anti-Congress votes, crippling the rival Telugu Desam Party. But YSR’s was also a government which in its first year restored lakhs of cancelled BPL cards and issued lakhs of new ones. (The Hindu, Sept. 29, 2005) In nine years, Chandrababu Naidu’s government issued no BPL card till the period just before the elections. That in a State where hunger and food have been huge issues even in urban areas.

Andhra Pradesh was where rice at Rs.2 a kg began with Naidu’s father-in-law, then Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao. NTR’s charisma was never in question – but rice at Rs.2 a kg helped, more than any other factor, to convert it into votes. Chief Minister Rajasekhara Reddy in fact stole the TDP’s clothes when in April 2008 he brought back the Rs.2 a kg rice scheme – a year before the national polls. This was at 4 kg per person (or 20 kg per family of five). An earlier generation of Congress leaders had trashed NTR’s pet project as a “costly gimmick.” But Dr. Reddy took a more sensible line and gained from it.

During Mr. Naidu’s years in power, so lavishly praised in the media for his reforms, the public was repeatedly hit by massive hikes in power charges, water rates, food prices and other costs. He has not managed to live down his record or regain credibility in 2009.

His adversary ran a decent NREGA programme. In the backward Mahbubnagar district, distress migrations fell as many found work under the NREGA. This at a time when food prices were biting. So much so that people in their 70s turned up at NREG sites for work – their Rs.200-a-month pensions blown away by the rise in food prices. Even on that front, though, the Andhra Pradesh government earned some credit. When it assumed power, there were 1.8 million people in the State getting old-age, widow and disability pensions – a paltry Rs.75 each. This was raised to Rs.500 for disabled people and Rs.200 for the rest. Hardly enough – but a lot more than before. And the number of people getting these pensions rose four-fold to 7.2 million. The State also has one of the country’s better pension schemes for women.

In Orissa, Naveen Patnaik played his cards most effectively, gutting the BJP and corralling the Congress. But he also gained hugely from giving people cheap rice. In the burning hunger zones of Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput, 25 kg of rice had been offered to all families at Rs.2 a kg since mid-2008. In the rest of the State, this was restricted to BPL families. The government also gave out 10 kg of free rice to the poorest families in the KBK districts. This had a major impact in curbing starvation deaths. Mr. Patnaik also increased the numbers of those coming under pension schemes – and housing projects for the poor – quite significantly. (At the same time, he implemented the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations before the polls, sewing up the middle classes as well).

Sure, these were not the only issues on which people voted, but they played a big role (In the case of YSR and Mr. Patnaik, there was another factor that helped this along. The positive measures in both States were present and visible. The negatives – and they are explosive, like massive human displacement, SEZs, dangerous mining projects – are in the pipeline. Disasters waiting to happen but which will take two or three years to do so. Unless, of course, those policies change.)

In Chhattisgarh, however repugnant the ways of that government in many spheres, Chief Minister Raman Singh took a personal interest in declaring 35 kg per family at Rs.3 a kg. His government then unilaterally “increased” the number of people below the poverty line to almost 15 million – in a population of 20.8 million (2001 census). That is, close to 70 per cent of the population was “declared” BPL. This was done several months before the 2008 Assembly elections. It helped the government in both the State and national polls.

The Left Front in West Bengal failed on both fronts. The State saw rioting at ration shops last year as the Centre cut allocations of grain sharply. Yet West Bengal, which tops the States in rice production, moved towards provision of cheaper rice only early this year. Too reluctantly and too late. Its performance in the NREGS was also very poor. Hunger was a factor in the rout of the Left Front.

So what should those in power read into the poll results? That they have a mandate for more liberalisation, privatisation, high prices and other such reforms? Or that the price of rice could be the price of power? That jobs and security are vital? Food prices and cheap rice are crucial, though not the sole issues. Governments cannot bank on such moves already made to bring them perpetual gains. But the whole process is a step ahead and has raised the bar on public expectations. Sharp reversals could prove suicidal.

An Intelligent Comment on Gay Relationships through Drama

By Madhusree Chatterjee

The humor of the original play was intact, but without making the characters come across as effeminate, as in Hindi films. Theatre director Sameer Thakur’s Indian take on Doric Wilson’s 1979 play “A Perfect Relationship” is an intelligent comment on gay relationships in contemporary India.

Adapted by Thakur of Cathaa Yatra, a Delhi-based community theatre company, “A Perfect Relationship” was staged to an overflowing audience at the American Centre in the capital Friday.

The play, which has won acclaim since it was staged in the capital in 2008, has been recommended for the Dublin International Theatre Festival in 2009 and has entered into the archives of the New York’s National Museum of Performing Arts.

Written by American playwright Doric Wilson in 1979, “A Perfect Relationship” was first performed in New York in 1980.

Reminisces Doric in one his interviews about the making of the “A Perfect Relationship”: “I was interviewing a potential roommate to share my Bedford Street apartment. When I asked him why he wanted to move, he answered, ‘You could write a play about what happened to me.’ It seems his lover brought home a trick (another man) and they decided to live together. So they kicked him out, but the trick only wanted the apartment so it was only a matter of time until the trick also evicted the lover. Three weeks later the first draft of ‘A Perfect Relationship’ was finished (but the interviewee didn’t move in).”

For Thakur, the scenario of the queer New York City of the 1970s becomes the humorous story of Sunny and Rehaan, two flatmates, who are great friends, but not lovers as they insist.

The room-mates, who spend most of their gossiping and downing shots of Vodkas, suddenly find their lives turning upside down when Ashwin, a ‘gay’ friend decides to take over their lovely flat in the middle of south Delhi.

It leads to hilarious twists of feigned love, betrayal and cunning deceit. Manpreet, aka Mandy, the self-styled land lady adds to the confusion. She makes a living subletting small flats where she walks in anytime with her boyfriend of the day.

Mandy is loud, crass with her Punjabi-laced English, but good at heart.

The play ends with Ashwin getting what he wants – the flat and good guys losing out. But there’s hope in the end.

The strength of the play lies in its insights into the 21st century gay world of Delhi.

The men have their insecurities – both in bed and outside – and are vulnerable to betrayals.

This alternative universe – like the straight world – is peopled by double-crossers who would do anything for money; even two-timing with a girl for small favors.

It comments on closet relationships of the affluent gay men. Ashwin is the rich guy – who wants to set up a love in Sunny and Rehaan’s flat to carry on with his “personal life”.

“Even my wife does not know about my personal life,” he proclaims.

The dialogues are witty, earthy and have a domesticated feel about them. The set is minimal.

“We put it up for production in 2008 in Delhi and in NCR. And the reactions came as a pleasant surprise. Most people said it was a courageous effort because of the social context. We let the humor remain as it is – without deviating from the original play. The play has references to the current gay rights movement in India,” director Sameer Thakur told IANS. Thakur also designed the set.

“The audience was not laughing at the gay characters in the play because they were natural- unlike the ones we come across in movies with their effeminate and comic ways,” the director said.

Thakur got in touch Wilson last on the Internet seeking permission to “adapt and relocate the play to New Delhi”. Wilson was initially doubtful.

“But then, I always say that my plays belong to the community they were written for. So I have my permission. And forgot all about it…,” Wilson said in an interview to the media.

Thakur is preparing for his next play, “Godot Arrives”. “I will try to push the boundary of humor in ‘Godot Arrives’. It is a modern adaptation of ‘Waiting for Godot’ by Samuel Beckett.”

Ethics, Torture, Utilitarianism and Law

By Gaurang Bhatt

A frequently referred to thought experiment (Gedanke-Versuch) problem tested on many cultures and ethnic groups is used to prove that there is a uniform ethics module in the human brain. The problem is as follows.

You observe a rail car careening down a slope and conclude that there is a brake or operator failure. You happen to be standing close to, but outside the rail track within immediate access to a switch that could divert the railcar to a side track. In the simplest version, on the rail path, the car is destined to take if you do not throw the switch to divert it are five workers. On the alternative path to which you could divert the railcar if you throw the switch is a solitary worker. What do you do?

Another relevant problem much quoted in recent debate on torture is the “Ticking Time Bomb” one. You have captured a terrorist who knows precisely where and when a nuclear bomb planted by his group is going to detonate soon. Your standard methods of interrogation fail. You have limited time. Do you torture him or used enhanced interrogation techniques as Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Bybee, Yoo etc. would say?

The third problem is that a pension fund for the elderly has bought senior secured debt of a company about to go bankrupt. A widow whose husband got cancer from exposure to asbestos, while working for the same company, has filed a claim against the company for damages. The widow is destitute as all the couple’s assets have been used up in the treatment of her husband’s cancer, caused by the negligence of the company. You as president of the country can use public money to refinance the company, force a merger of the company and save the jobs of ten thousand workers, but it would require the transfer of all meaningful assets of the company into a new entity, leaving little or nothing to be given to the senior secured debt holders or the wronged widow. What do you do?

According to some philosophers and many respondents to the dilemma, you divert the out of control railcar to the sidetrack, killing one person but saving the lives of five. For me it is a specious choice. Let me explain. You have observed the railcar from a distance before you were able to determine that it was out of control. No railcar on a track travels at faster than 750 miles per hour (Speed of sound in air) even without brakes. If you yelled loudly enough, your cry of warning would reach the five on the main track and one on the side track and allow enough time for them to jump off the track safely.

The first problem has multiple and higher levels of complication. In a jacked up version, the five on the main track and the one on the sidetrack are all tied down to the track and unable to get off the track. Again, most if not all people would divert the railcar and cause one death rather than five. Once again the contrived and constrained decision may not be the correct one. If the railcar is far away enough, you could throw the switch and run and free the solitary tied up man. He would be saved by you and the five by diversion of the railcar.

You are playing god by bringing about the death of one man not in direct harm’s way and would like to justify your actions as ethically correct. This is not an ethical decision but a utilitarianism based one, because it causes greater good for more at the cost of greater evil for one. Let us carry the problem to a greater complexity. This time you are on a terrace exactly overlooking the tracks and next to you, sitting on the parapet is a big fat man who could stop or derail the trolley car, if you pushed the big fat man over the parapet onto the track. He would be dead or paralyzed by the fall on the tracks or would be killed by the impact of the trolley and stop it. Would you do that? If so why, if not why not? Does it also not cause the death of one innocent man to save five? Many if not most respondents and philosophers say they won’t do it as it would be wrong. Others say those who would pull the switch should push the big fat man. In fact, the US and many nations at war justify death and destruction of civilians, sewage, water and electrical plants by aerial bombing, as acceptable and label it as unintended collateral damage, rather than a war crime which is what it is (just like torture is called enhanced interrogation technique).

The ticking time bomb problem is also a red herring, because of unreasonable and false assumptions involved. As our Don Torquemada would say, there are known unknowns and unknown unknowns that should have prevented our ruling simpletons and depraved officials from committing the grievous errors. There is no certain knowledge that a nuclear weapon is on the verge of being detonated and it is not known whether your captured terrorist knows any details about it. There is also the simple common sense analysis often completely missing in most American leaders and officials that Islamic terrorists who are willing to indulge in definitive suicide bombing with predetermined malice and fully aware of the fatal consequence to them, are hardly likely to wilt and bare all under torture, if they know that within hours at most, they will be able to achieve their malignant desire of really harming America. The terrorist would purposely give false information and delay until the bomb went off. Most if not all would opt for martyrdom.

The unwillingness of Pakistan’s tribal areas to even consider betraying Al Qaeda leaders for eight years despite a price of millions of dollars on their heads, reveals the idiocy of American intelligence agencies just like their idiotic prediction of Ahmedinejad’s defeat in the Iranian elections and inability to protect Dr. Tiller from fanatic anti-abortion killers.. Only Lebanese elections, Pakistani and Indian leaders can be bought for pennies. This philosophical problem doesn’t bother America as fully half of Americans in a sample survey see nothing wrong with torturing prisoners. There is an apocryphal story that is attributed to some defunct newspaper or Mark Twain, who said that half the American legislators are idiots. The inmates of the Washington zoo protested vehemently and insisted on a retraction and apology. At which, Mark Twain is said to have responded, “I am sorry for my previous statement. I stand corrected, half of the American legislators are not idiots. The lawmakers then beamed in smug satisfaction with complete unawareness of what fools they had been made.

Coming to the last problem, it is the Chrysler case. Once again the Supreme Kangaroo Court of the US in its questionable wisdom threw out the case on the basis of trifling effects on the public good. As I said that is not law, it is utilitarianism at best and judgment by polls and public sentiment at worst. Senior secured creditors under US law have first priority claims. The very existence and birth of this nation and the Anglo-Saxon justice system is enshrined in the temple of protection of property over people. It is futile to accept any judicial thinking from a court with a history of convenient twisting of the law from Madison vs. Marbury, Dred Scott, Plessy vs. Ferguson, Lochner, Buck, Schenck vs. US, about face on capital punishment and others too many to enumerate.

Functional MRI studies of the brain of subjects during such complex difficult choices have shown the importance of the emotional and rational pathways of the human brain and their higher executive areas in the prefrontal cortex as arbiters of our moral judgment. The case of Phineas Gage and study of frontal leucotomy cases provide wonderful insights, as do split brain case studies for perception, personality and confabulation. What is even more interesting in studies of ethical or considerate behavior is the remarkable influence of priming by recently good or bad experiences prior to the test or real life situation. We are all as bad as the Pentagon generals. We fight the next war as a reaction to the recent past one and thus are the architects of our follies, which cause greater or newer disasters to the nation or our lives and also to the world and innocent others.

Half-Converted Kerala

By Ajith Kumar

Kerala, the most ‘progressive’ state in the Indian union, is more than half converted and religious conversion was unbecoming an issue in Kerala these days. But the recent demise of Kamala Suraiyya (Madhavikutty or Kamala Das) has highlighted the issue once again. The story goes that she was lured into Islam by the tricks and nuptial promises of a much married, learned and cunning lawmaker belonging to an overtly communal party. Madhavikutty’s literary works represent some of the finest aspects of uninhibited and immaculate Hindu culture that had once prevailed in most parts of Kerala. She could easily differentiate between the quintessence of pristine love of ‘gopikas’ for Krishna vis-à-vis the cheap commonplace lust, by deft handling of both in her stories and poetry. The fact that even such a tall literary figure could fall an easy victim shows the reach of proselytization forces in a region of India with the highest literacy rate.

What is happening in Kerala today is bound to be repeated in all other parts of India as our skewed version of secular education is spreading everywhere. Like in Kerala today, Hindus are bound to reduce themselves to a minority community in their own nation one day.

The unfortunate saga of conversion in Kerala begins from around 1500 AD when the first European colonizers landed at one of those beautiful beaches of Kerala. Though we had traders, fugitives and tourists landing at Kerala’s long seashore from time immemorial, damages by them remained limited to their excreta in the coastal belts. The highly structured Kerala society then was impenetrable to foreigners who were much below in terms of social and economic evolution.

Cooked-up stories about adventures of one Saint Thomas who could convert the forward castes are nothing but mythology invented as afterthoughts. Kerala’s decadence started much later when the naturally symbiotic caste system became rigid and triggered internal revolts. Foreign religions were waiting at the sea and seacoasts for such an internal upheaval for easy penetration into the much coveted God’s Own Country. In 500 years they could convert more than 50% of the population is no mean achievement for the proponents of the two major religions in the world today.

Silent Terrorism
What happened in the last five centuries and what is happening in Kerala today is nothing but silent terrorism in the form of organized and externally fuelled religious conversion. It was Christianity which started first with the intention of conditioning the ground ready for European colonization. In every colony of ‘ours’, we need quite a few of our ‘own’ people.

In distant lands the only way to get ‘our own’ people is by way of aggressive and accelerated cultural conversion. Religion is an integral part of culture and religious conversion is the best tool available for easy conditioning of the target population. Increasing rigidity of the caste system provided a golden opportunity for the European missionaries to penetrate into the Indian society. Enemies of India had budgeted big sums for the project and India’s toiling masses could be easily made disgruntled and aggrieved. As most of them were lacking any formal education, tricking them into a new religious system was easy with the help of material inducements in terms of milk powder and rice.

The next predator in Kerala started their work in terms of organized conversion much later. Though we had sizeable number of Muslim population in the coastal areas, especially in the north Malabar region, their intrusion into the interiors of Kerala as an organized religion is only about one century old. The Mapillah Rebellion in 1921 was perhaps the first organized assault aimed at religious conversion under the guise of so many other objectives. Though North India was under Muslim rule for several centuries, its influence in the southern regions of the country was minimal.

Also their enmity with the European colonial powers was not helpful in increasing their numerical strength by targeting Hindus. But the situation has changed drastically in the 20th century when millions of Oil money started flowing into Kerala. Increasing their number by all means and capturing power by organized might is high on the agenda of the Muslim mind of Kerala.

Suicidal Indifference
Any nation or people in decay will ultimately have only themselves to blame. The current status of Hindus in Kerala is at a highly critical juncture in this regard. Three or four prominent Hindu sections are totally indifferent about the overall status of the Hindu religion and society in Kerala today. The leaders of these sections are forgetting one of the most important rules of science and history – any culture can survive only if there is the minimum quantity. Most of these sub-sections of the Hindu society namely Nairs, Ezhavas, Brahmins and OBCS are fighting more among themselves than for their combined rights. They have left their weakest brothers (Adivasis) at the complete mercy of the two predators vying for numbers and real estate. Almost the entire five lakh Adivasis of Kerala will either die off or get converted, and their entire property will ultimately lie with one of the predating groups.

Much has been said and written about the suicidal indifference of Hindus in Kerala and the catastrophe impending their community a few generations from now. None of the Hindu community leaders of any significance have shown the courage to speak up for consolidation and caution. It will be only at their extreme peril that the entire spectrum of Hindu society in Kerala can feign ignorance to the following basic FACTS:

Hinduism is no more the dominant religion in Kerala. As half of those born as Hindus are genuine communists, Hinduism is only at par with Islam and Christianity in Kerala. And uninhibited religious conversion is still rampant in many parts of Kerala.

Kerala has the highest (family) suicidal rate in the world and at least 75% of them are Hindus.

Hindu temples are the only one in government custody. All income from temples (which are only from Hindus) flow into the common government coffers.

Kerala politics is overwhelmingly dominated by leaders belonging to the two dominant communities and parties which are overtly communal (Muslim League and Kerala Congress).

There is almost complete monopoly of the two dominant communities in the print and electronic media in Kerala.

Almost all Hindu families in the current generation have only two children. But one can invariably find three children in all Christian families and four children in most Muslim families. This trend is almost confirmed if they are more educated and richer. This clearly shows a determined and deliberate effort to increase the numbers.

Christian clergy and Muslim religious leaders are freely indulging in politics in Kerala which is a part of the so-called secular republic of India. Many times they openly challenge the authority of democratically elected governments and the rule of law, with no impunity.

Ownership of land (especially high valued), number of professionals (doctors, IAS officers etc) and untaxed (and unaccounted) income from abroad are disproportionately high in favor of the two dominant communities in Kerala.

The few critical aspects listed above point to a determined and calculated move by the foreign religious ideologies to establish their superiority over Kerala within one or two decades. Both are now equally organized, resourceful and determined to achieve their ultimate aim. The apparent discordant notes among subsidiary factions within these religious forces are designed and serve as deceptive distracters for those who are opposing the move. In Kerala (also India) today, anything Hindu or Hindutva is condemnably communal, Muslim or Islamic is secularly acceptable and Christian or Christianity is laudably broad-minded. Any one who talks anything about Hinduism or Hindus are ostracized in public life and politically unacceptable.

Barring unforeseen developments, Kerala’s Hindu goose will be cooked and eaten with full satisfaction as precisely planned. And once that is digested, the harvest of entire South India is only one decade away and Indian nation a few more. Only organized reforms and determined positive action can save Hinduism from the combined onslaught of its three known enemies.

Paid Hobby – A Dream Career

By Samiya Anwar

A habit which cost money is said to be a hobby by most people. Well, what if your hobby makes money for you? Interesting, right! Doing something you like to and earn money out of it. This is what you can say is thinking in an unconventional way, different and out of ordinary. Isn’t it?

Always at the hour of choosing a career, parents and peer pressure made us opt for either an engineering stream or medical leaving our hobbies back into schools or limited to homes. Now, no more, the parental attitudes have significantly shifted. They have grown up with the generation Y. They are too thinking out of the box. Parents, today let the children choose a career of choice.

Thanks to global recession the change gear is witnessed because of it. The parent’s thinks there is no good job for an engineer and computer graduates. The shift is good as doing something you enjoy can help you think more creatively and give you confidence. Moreover, hobbies can enhance your creativity. Importantly, it helps you think more clearly and sharpen your focus.

Besides, Webster’s Dictionary defines a hobby as “a pursuit outside one’s regular occupation”. It has helped many to build a part-time and also full-time career successfully. In words of Saumya, a painter who teaches nib painting to neighborhood children opines, ‘Creativity comes from soul. Artists are like scientist who observe and record the environment and own mind. A way of expression it is’ She is not a recognized famed painter, but has utilized her hobby teaching others.

A hobby can be a job. A dream job which everybody loves, say a Dream Career. We all have hobbies. Art has always been a favorite subject to the peoples. I still recall my art class in school, “I wish I can have arts class all day”. Sketching, writing essays and poems is something always I was passionate about. Now that helped me to make a career as a freelancer.

However, it is truism that the applications for offbeat subjects like mass communication, Journalism, psychology, library sciences have doubled according to the Osmania University this year. To a larger and larger degree people are seen opting for arts as it is said to be something “Uber Cool” according to most youngsters these days.

Sachin wants to pursue a career in Journalism. It is because; his engineer brother is on hunt for a good job after being fired by Batronics. He says, despite of economic slowdown the arts students have found good jobs in content writing and teaching. He do not want to be one engineer among the others seeking for jobs.

Hobby is where a person is more skilled at. Between work and family, always we have little time or energy left for hobbies. And without hobbies, though, life feels ordinary. So, it is no wrong if you turned that hobby into a career. If you are smart and creative there are many work and employment ideas providing opportunities that you can choose to start a career or build your own business

For instance, if your hobby is food related. Enter the health department say kitchen. Make a dream come true if your family and friends always comments on your talent and cooking is your favorite thing to do. Turn your hobby into a career.

If you’re sound enough open your own restaurant or become a caterer for private and corporate parties. After a short period of time your business will grow through recommendations. Well, what are friends and contacts for? Also you can write a cookbook or e-cookbook and hold cooking classes for kids. A cooking career can be very lucrative. Start small and take any opportunity you can to prove yourself.

Writing is another lucrative profession. If you have the talent cash on your skills through writing, editing, or proof reading. A degree in English literature or journalism automatically qualifies you for a career in writing. It is easy to earn some bucks for grocery and bills for ladies who want to freelance.

There are companies, e-newspapers, magazines online who own a website will pay you for providing good content to them. You can make a good living by offering your writing skills in the form of articles, blogs, forum posts, etc. it is a good home career opportunity where the better the content you provide, the better the pay will be for the work.

Another paid hobby is Photography. If clicking pictures is what amuses you. Great! Don’t stop only to family photographs. You can try your hand at weddings and parties where photographers are paid well. Photographs make a statement in its own way. The real snapshot of locality and rural areas makes good stories in newspapers if being sold.

Without forgetting the most attractive hobbyists today are singers, dancers, actors and models. Music is something every three in ten trying out. Same is with acting, dancing is these days. Every one is switching to glamour world. That is why the reality shows like SA re ga ma pa, Little Champs, Star Voice of India are more popular than the news stories.

The child actors are earning fairly well and parents have no problem sending their kids to the studios missing out the play and academics. Children are earning for their future and also supporting parents from tender age.

Most hobbies are based on creative interests and the creative field attracts so many talented people. There is high competition. It requires immense hard work. It takes effort to turn hobby into career and earn. Being a paid professional you have to know the basics business practices. Without knowledge and seriousness you cannot proceed.

And store in the mind, it is important to be proactive and intelligible in the beginning as there are many hoaxes out there and you should be careful to avoid them especially if going on an unknown road dreaming high. Because a hobby turned into a job is challenging. It needs lot of practice to expertise in a particular field. The focus is important to establish yourself; only then your hobby can be your job, a dream job. So for all those who dream, happy dreaming!

COULD YOU GET PAID FOR HOBBIES?
If you spend all day in a job waiting to get home so you can crack on with your hobby, then chances are, you could probably make some money at it.

Because not all hobbies are going to be money makers, the first thing to do is to take a good look at your past time and view it from a different angle.
Think about what you are doing and how it might be profitable. Are you creating something? Providing a service? Doing an action that could offer valuable information? Does your hobby give you insider knowledge?

For the purpose of this article, I phoned up my sister and asked her what her hobby was.
My sister is four months pregnant, so much of her activities have changed in the past weeks, but one constant passion she has is ‘reading.’ Taking my sisters hobby as an example, I decided to look at if you could make money from reading.

I followed through these three steps and worked out how her hobby of reading could be changed into a business. In your case, change ‘reading’ and insert whatever it is that you love to do and lets see how we can start earning some money from it.

Would people pay you to do your hobby?
Truth is, in today’s market, most things are sold on marketing and ideas rather than direct merit. When thinking about if your hobby has a market, think about who would pay for it, what your audience is and why they would pay for your service.

My sisters passion is reading. She loves thrillers. She reads fast and she always has a comment about the book, in fact, even if my sister hates the book, she’ll keep reading till the end. So who would pay her to do this and why would they pay her?

Aspiring authors might pay for a detailed critique on their unpublished book. Book publishers might pay for a reader to go through the slush piles, but those positions might need more experience than a thriller enthusiast.

However, publishers might also need an honest account of books from a regular reader to write a review.

OK, so now I know that my sisters service is marketable. What next?

Can it be developed?
If any hobby is to make any kind of income, it has to have the capacity to be up-scaled, and up-scaled with ease. Any hobby is probably done at first on the small scale, which is fine for some extra income, but if you want to make a living out of it, think about if it can be developed and how. How long will it take you to deliver the goods and what would it involve?

My sister takes about three days to read a book cover to cover. But then, life happens and sometimes it’s longer. So is her hobby easy to upscale? What if a publisher wanted six books reviewed in one week? Well, she could start to pass her work onto someone else – I know two other people off the top of my head who would jump at the chance to read and be paid for it.

She c