Bihar Must Improve Education

Posted on May 27, 2008 by indra

I have a special issue of ‘India Today’ on ‘India’s Best Colleges’ in my hand. The survey covers the colleges teaching arts, commerce, science, law, engineering and medicine. There is not even a single college from Bihar in this list. Should it not be surprising rather shocking as well as shameful for the educationists and intellectuals of Bihar claiming long glorious history of its many reputed and old colleges? Are they all content by sending their children to other metros or abroad? Earlier, the so-called affluent of Bihar made it possible with money from selling the landed property, dowry, or bribes earned in government jobs. Today with the facilities of banks providing the loans, it has become easier to finance the education.

Should they not do something to impress upon the heads of the educational institutes and the government to do something drastically different to improve the situation of higher education in Bihar as a necessity for its people?

With about half of the tenure of the present government gone, how can one be hopeful and confidant that some positive steps are underway to change the situations? With due respect to the heads of the educational institutions such as Patna Science college, Patna University, Patna Medical college, NIT, Patna, and many others in the list, they are the first to be blamed. With all the problems, if a head wishes, if he is dedicated and innovative, he can make his institution outstanding. As I know, even after all the political drags from leftists in West Bengal, Presidency College has remained one of the best institutes, because of the dedicated teachers and the principals. Bihar is what it is, because of the intellectually poor heads and teachers of the educational institutes. Will they take pride in their responsibility, go for a change in their mindset, and bring about a qualitative change for better perception about the education sector of Bihar?

It is high time that Bihar concentrates on adding (in hundreds) and upgrading its educational infrastructure in a big way. Even those who have been sending their children outside the state should hear the bell of warning. There will always be some Raj Thackeray to vomit venom against the people, including students, of Bihar to make the life difficult. But beside that, the practice is drain on the state economy along with some other social cost too. I am not sure, but the total amount of money being spent by the people of Bihar on education of their wards in the educational institutes of the other states must be running in hundred of crores. And the most of it is going to the 2-tier and 3-tier colleges that can easily be established in Bihar. Most of the students go out, because the capacity in the colleges for higher education such as engineering, medical, or even for pure science and humanities, is much less than required. And over the period, the quality and environment for good education in the existing colleges have deteriorated. There might be a solid reason such as low salary of teachers or its untimely payment, or more likely the hooliganism of the student community because of irresponsible guardians. But all that must get changed, if the state is to compete with the other states.

I quote Loknayak Jay Prakash Narayan. “People must avoid dependency on anyone else for their upliftment; once they endeavour to nourish themselves and their state, they will be taken care of.”

The present government has gone some steps ahead to get established the institutes of excellence such as IIT, IIM, IIIT, and Chanakya Law University, beside the revival of Nalanda University. But it must focus on improving the standard of all the existing colleges in the state. The CM must call a meeting of the heads of all the colleges and throw the challenge to excel and compete with the institutions in other states. The heads of the colleges must be encouraged to have tie ups with industrial houses and to involve its alumni. Alumni can contribute to the institutions in many ways. With the increasing demand of IT sector for the students of science and humanities, the institutions must accept the challenge to improve the standard so that its students are employed. Let the teaching community be more pragmatic to meet the requirement from the industry. Along with the basic education, it must focus on the applied side at all levels to make it interesting as well useful.

I wish, I found some colleges of Bihar in the list of ‘India’s Best Colleges’ next year or in year after that.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Advisory for Nitish Kumar

Posted on May 25, 2008 by indra

I wish Nitish Kumar were through with the troubles arising out of his recent cabinet reshuffle. All the dust of mistrust must have settled. I feel the lack of his constant communication with his ministers, be one from his own party or from the BJP, caused the trouble. As a good head of the state, he must keep the ministers fully busy on 3-5 mutually agreed important projects of their department to stop their minds to work as devils’ workshop. Once a minister, the person becomes an executive and he must perform. And there is no other way but hard work with much more engagement for getting the development moving on fast track. As a boss, the CM today must facilitate his minister to achieve the agreed development targets rather than taking all decisions himself. With the amount of work necessary in every field of development, how could the minister get time for political bickering?

As it appears, most of the projects that I come to know from media report are all getting located in and around Patna. This is not good for the overall development of the state. Nitish Kumar and his ministers must agree to develop anything between 6-10 towns covering broadly all the regions of Bihar that can be the showcases of the state. My list includes Gaya, Sasaram, Siwan, Motihari, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Darbhanga, Madhepura, Katihar, Bhagalpur, and Barauni. All these towns must have a master plan to be developed as urban hub for the region. These towns must have expressways connecting them, must have an university as education and knowledge hub, and an airport for fast connectivity, if not an SEZ that I don’t why Nitish opposes.

As I understand, Lalu has initiated a plan to build and operate locomotive plants at Marora as well as Madhepura. I presume Lalu is serious about the project and will see it through by using his political power at the center. He must also make it difficult for his successor to drop it, as it usually happens. If a rightly planned project as reported in media comes up, the whole region gets an economic boost because of the many vendors opening shops. Nitish Kumar government must facilitate and do all it can to get the projects expedited.

I am excited about some other projects that have taken root in the state that the state must encourage. If the model is emulated and expanded, it will bring prosperity to the area.

·Manoj Sinha and Charles Ransler, from Darden School of Business of Virginia University have started two pilot rice husk generators that are providing power to about 10,000 rural Indians with Gyanesh Pandey, an engineer to oversee the projects here in India. The business plan of Husk Power Systems plans to put the miniature power plants in hundreds more villages within a few years.

·Another project started by ITC’s rural initiative of its factory in Munger has a great potential. As in 2005, the four agribusiness centers cover 2,000 farmers. 500 women are involved in micro-enterprises and 1,000 households are provided with low cost health care. 1,500 children (age 3-14 years) are also accessing remedial education, libraries & computer-aided learning. ITC has a plan to increase the indicatives to cover the whole district by 2010. Nitish government must facilitate ITC and even other enterprises as well as NGOs to get the model expanded to other districts. I wish ITC could set up some trade schools in the region. Thee state must invite ITC to set up e- Choupal and Choupal Sagar along the Expressways running in the state.

·Another exemplary enterprise, Drishtee Development and Communications Limited, a private group, has started the Saurath BPOs under the name of Quiver Info-services Limited to generate employment among rural youngsters. It provides a model that is becoming popular in the BPO sector because of its inherent economy. BPOs can easily move rural and provide engagement.

Many more initiatives by genuinely interested local and outsiders will be required to transform Bihar’s poverty to prosperity. Will the government take up some big projects for the flood prevention and water conservation to boost the agricultural productivity and production of the state?

Let Bihar be not only known for the innovations in kidnapping business and institution such as Goonda Bank, but be known for innovations in unique development models too.

Posted in bihar, economy, education, indian politics | Leave a comment

West Bengal: Mam(i)ta(i) Vs. Budd(ha) and Nano

Posted on May 24, 2008 by indra

Politics of West Bengal is not comfortable for me. Congress unless merged with Mamta is not a force that the Left cares. Mamta Banerji is celebrating her party’s emphatic victory in all the zilla parishad seats in Singur and Nandigram. However, the victory is because of the local issues that didn’t extend to the rest of West Bengal that has remained in tact with leftists.

To be frank, I don’t like this lady. She is no better than Mayawati, if not worse. However, I appreciate her fighting spirit. She is the only one who can bring a political change in West Bengal that is essential for the state to get a necessary break from the leftists. However, her statement regarding Tata Motors’ project in Singur after her electoral win is dangerous for the country.

A visibly charged Trinamool Congress chief asserted on last Wednesday, “It is high time the Tatas wind up their car project in Singur. People of Singur have given a clear verdict towards our fight against the forcible land acquisition in Singur.” Is it a statement of a mature politician with aspiration to rule a state like West Bengal? And this is her problem. Why should a project like one getting set up for producing a globally acclaimed car that can change the world by Tata Motors, be affected? On a similar line, Maywati reversed all the decisions for many essential projects of Mulayam’s government. But it was not that Mulayam didn’t do the same when he had taken over from Mayawati.

I am not a fan of Buddha either, but I certainly back his mission of the rapid industrialization of the state. I love the aggressiveness of Buddha to bring out a visible change for development in West Bengal. It is the penance for all the wrongs the leftists and its union did in the state that made all key factories to close down and the industrialists to run away. And why shouldn’t I? I had some bad memories of West Bengal just because I was not born as Bengali. But I still adore the state where I spent my early childhood and the prime period of my career.

Mamta’s statement is just like one, the leaders of CPM in West Bengal used to make when in late 60s Congress was the ruling party there.

Unfortunately, Mamta don’t believe in taking advices from a group of experts and intellectuals that she must create to discuss key policy issues to be followed by her party. Mamta has been successful in creating a grassroots level cadre as the leftists have. But Mamta’s cadre will have to be stronger than that of leftists. Leftists will not allow Mamta to live in peace, as it is obvious with the violence against her party workers that the leftists have already started. And the leftists in power do also get the full support of the government machinery. For reaching the level-playing situation, Mamta must come in power at least for one term.

The entry in Writers’ Building is still a mirage for Mamta. But with her win in Singur, Tata Motors must have an alternative strategy for its manufacturing plant at Singur or must develop some strong informal link with her, if it is not having one. It will be essential to avoid the problems that may be created by her men, many times, even without her knowledge. I express my apprehension, as Nano’s success is very important for India’s manufacturing sector.

Let some good sense prevail on the lady and she stops causing obstruction to the industrial projects for a popularity gain.

Let Indians get its people car without political troubles at home, if not the flying autos of tomorrow.

Posted in indian politics, industry | Leave a comment

India Performs, PM fails

Posted on May 22, 2008 by indra

How does one rate the performance of the government? I was amazed rather amused to see some TV news channels asking some print media editors to rate the government and the prime minister for its performance of last four years in power on a scale of 10. The scores ranged from 3 to 6. I am of a little different opinion about the rating, particularly one for the prime minister. If we go by the projects and schemes for the benefits of the people, perhaps I find Bharat Nirman as one of the best one. However, NREGS is also equally revolutionary. The prime minister also appeared pushing Nuclear Deal to the ultimate end, but then meshed.

Unfortunately, the prime minister couldn’t set up machinery to make his administration accountable for implementation. On ground level, all the critical projects including the NHAI road network are hardly meeting the time schedule, though there are exceptions such as Delhi Metro and ISRO.

Again, the prime minister has failed to create a consensus on some national issues such as land acquisitions for the industrial projects. For instance, South Korean steel company Posco has not been able to start construction of its $12 billion steel plants in last four years. So is the case with many projects that could have changed the economy of many regions.

The prime minister has also failed to tone up administration to bring corruption down or to improve the competitiveness or human development indices of the country. While many of the reports may be shocking and depressing, there are quite a few, may be by default that keep the hope alive. IITians are returning back or getting into entrepreneurships. Many companies have come out with world-class innovations in products and processes. The developed world is taking note of India. Here are some of those:

Foreign Direct Investment into India has surged to over $ 25 billion in 2007-08 and the country’s Foreign Exchange Reserve crossed $ 341 billion.

Corporate India is doing fine. According to research firm Grant Thornton, corporate India spent over $40 billion on global M&As alone in the last two years. Tata itself has spent a total of $18.75 billion on 21 acquisitions including Tata Steel’s Corus for $12.1 billion, and Tata Motors’ $2.3 billion spend for Jaguar and Land Rover. It has enhanced the image of India. The Aditya Birla Group’s Hindalco paid $6 billion for Atlanta-based aluminium sheet maker Novelis in February, 2007, while Essar Steel forked out $3 billion for Canadian steel maker Algoma Steel, Minnesota Steel, and U.S.-based Esmark in one year. Indian information technology companies have been buying smaller IT service outfits in Europe, Latin America, and Asia to gain global customers and reduce the reliance on U.S. market. And companies in almost all sectors, be it a small e-Education company or Indage wine brewer, are trying to get into global market through acquisition. Giants in telecom and pharma, among others, are sinking big money into the promising market of Africa in a catch up endeavour.

Many MNCs are coming to India with big projects. India is no more considered untouchable for manufacturing enterprises. The world’s largest truck maker Daimler in partnership with Munjal’s of Hero group has now chosen to locate their commercial vehicle manufacturing unit in Oragadam, near Chennai with an investment of more than Rs 4,400 crore over a five-year period for a greenfield plant to produce a new brand of low cost vehicles for the Indian market, besides acting as a base for exports. Now there is almost unanimous agreement that India has potential to become global manufacturing hub.
 General Electric Company is planning to manufacture windmills and gas turbines in India.

Indian companies are able to face global competition. Even SMEs are successfully changing their strategy to meet the competition. For instance, two years ago, Patel Brassworks, which earns 65 per cent of its revenues from exports, had the foresight to switch the currency in which it trades from the dollar to the euro. Since then, the dollar has depreciated against the rupee from 48 to around 40 while the euro has appreciated from Rs 52 to Rs 63. The company could have been sulking because of a 17 per cent lower realization had he stayed with the dollar, is now enjoying a 21 per cent higher realization.

India Inc is investing heavily. The new proposals that stood at Rs5,58, 333 crore, an impressive 90% increase over last year reflect the corporate sector’s efforts to expand manufacturing capacity. Electricity generation attracted maximum Rs2,05,088 crore worth of new investment proposals, which shows a robust 105% increase over Rs99,590 crore a year ago.

Many domestic and MNCs are rushing to invest in power sector that has been holding India’s growth. Surprisingly, the new investors are acquiring coalmines abroad from Africa to Indonesia to Australia to give up its dependence on domestic PSUs to get coal. Tremendous growth in real estate sector is visible all over the country. New private airports such Hyderabad and Bangalore have started getting commissioned.

And all these activities mean more for the people involved. According to a latest report, the explosive rate of growth in India has created a phenomenal demand for talent so much that wages are forecast to rise by 14.4 per cent during the year 2008 that is much more than other developing countries.The companies are adding to the headcount aggressively. Infosys is set to cross the one-lakh-employee mark, catching up with Tata Consultancy Services. The twosome together would be within kissing distance of worldwide headcounts at IBM or Accenture, the two global leaders. An interesting question is being asked, who is more American IBM or TCS.

Why should we get morose when the government is failing to score high ranks or the prime minister don’t meet the expectations of the people? Let the Indian entrepreneurs take the country take ahead.

Posted in economy, governance, indian politics | Leave a comment

Small Cars Racing in Indian Auto Sector

Posted on May 20, 2008 by indra

Government has been loudly expressing its intensions to make India a manufacturing hub for small cars for a long time. However, the curtain raiser Tata Motors’ ‘Nano‘ at Auto Expo 2008 in last January confirmed the candidacy of India as manufacturing hub for small car. And almost all the global carmakers accepted it. However, the better term for Nano class may be ‘ultra low cost’ car.

Japan had been the pioneer in small cars. Almost, all the major carmakers had a small car. As my professional assignment, I had interacted with most of them. I specially had liking for mini Pajero of Mitsubishi. But the Japanese small cars were extremely high-tech with many features such as turbocharged multi-valves engine and all safety features, and not cheaply priced and trimmed versions, as it came to be known in India with the launch of Maruti 800 in early 80s.

Nano is on the pattern of Japanese manufacturing philosophy. It will be safe and have all features. The reduction of cost and so the price is through design, materials, manufacturing, and distribution related innovations. The story of Nano is really exhilarating with many young men putting their best to give shape to the dream of an aging and respected boss. The whole concept made an impressive impact and change of mind in the auto industry about the capability of the Indian designers and managers.

‘Nano’mania is spreading and many in auto sector don’t wish to lose the opportunity. While Tata Motors is fighting with its time schedule for Nano’s market launch in late October, Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO of Nissan, has already announced Nissan’s intention to go solo and “compete in the entry-car with a dedicated platform that will be used for at least three models built in five leading competitive countries (LCCs), the first of which will be produced in Thailand and India in early 2010.” This is in addition to the low-cost $2500 car in partnership with Bajaj Auto. Nissan and Renault are allying for ultra-low-cost car, being developed with Bajaj and are planned to be launched in 2011.

And there is a flood of media reports from other automakers. Hyundai, Honda, Toyota, and even GM intend to enter in Indian small car market.

While Nissan will have its own manufacturing plant in Chennai, the joint venture with Bajaj Auto is located in Chakan, Maharashtra, where Bajaj Auto is already having its manufacturing facility. Nissan intends to manufacture its entry model with a very high percentage of localization. It is significant as it proves the capability of Indian auto components sector to supply the quality and number demanded by the global majors.

But the main thing to watch in coming months is the market reaction for ‘Nano’. While a pressure for price increase by its vendors may increase its price marginally by the time it hits market, the management is hell bent with all the teams working on the project for reducing the cost further with innovative inputs.

But it is not known whether Nano, or for that matter even Bajaj Auto’s ultra low cost car, will become more popular as a second car in the family with bigger cars, or fulfill one of the main aspirations of lower middle class as cheap entry car. With the increasing road connectivity of rural India, I personally wish it reached to the aspiring young men like my cousin Alok in villages, where it can be sparingly used only when required and not for creating traffic jams in already crowded metro.

It depends on the strength and strategy plans of Tata Motors if it wishes to make Nano an Indian vehicle of aspiring lower middle class globally over a period before the competition wins it over with better products.

Latest on Singur Factory

Posted in industry, manufacturing | Leave a comment

NREGS – Who’s Responsible?

Posted on May 19, 2008 by indra

National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, NRGES, is a real great visionary project for a country with 80% population earning less than Rs 20 a day. It provides an ensured earning for at least one member of the household for 100 days a year. Interestingly, it is not a charity or dole. Wages are paid against the physical work done. Perhaps this is the best social security mechanism created for a poor country and provides a right to work and earn to live. Only a genuinely needy man would labour under an Indian summer sun and bitter winter for 60 rupees or so a day. And according to Aruna Roy, ‘the ealier practice of paying without making any distinction between those who worked and those who didn’t, has been dropped. Workers are paid exactly on the basis of the actual work done by them.’ Further, if the government fails to give work, the individual beneficiary gets also entitled to receive a daily unemployment allowance. There couldn’t have been a better scheme for rural India with a large number of unskilled, illiterate, and socially deprived population. The ‘Economist’ recently came out with a report ‘ Shovelling for their supper‘ and called it the world’s biggest public-works project.

The scheme’s prime mission was to create an employment to a large number of people- at least one member of each willing family out of needy lot. Another mission was to create permanent assets in rural India to improve the productivity of the farming and quality of life. Assets may be projects related to water conservation, draought proofing, creation or rennovation of traditional water bodies, plantation and afforrestation, land development, flood protection, or roads for improved rural connectivity. Ideally, it is for the community afected such as a village or a panchayat who must identify the assets required or the maintenance work for the existing assets. However, a technical group must validate it and coodinate with the overall requirement of the region.

Has the scheme, that started with only 200 of the poorest districts of the country has gone to all the 604 districts, succeded in its mission? There are different opinons.

According to a recent CAG report, barely 3.2 percent of the 50 million registered households could get the full 100 days employment between February 2006 and March 2007. The average employment provided under the scheme was just 18 days. However, the ministry contended that 21 million families had been provided work for an average of 44 days and that 2.2 million families had been given work for their full entitlement of 100 days.

On the assets created, 57% were in water conservation, 13% in irrigation, 17% in roads, and 14% for land development. Of the water conservation works, 347,000 or 43% of the total value were for water harvesting, 13% or 98,000 for waterbodies such as ponds and 20% to irrigate land owned by SC/ST’s. There were 113,000 tree plantation works and 206,000 for roads. An environmentalist has called it “the world’s largest ecological regeneration programme.” I wish it could be believed without any question?

The ‘Economist’ observes rightly, “Enthusiasm for NREGS among state governments has been patchy, with some of India’s poorest and most populous states, such as Bihar and Jharkhand, slow to adopt it.” Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh have done wonderfully well. Even Aruna Roy confirms that. I wish the politicians wouldn’t have used NREGS for their politics. I really get depressed when I find Raghubans Prasad Singh and Nitish Kumar fighting. Working together they could have used NRGES to wipe out the misery of millions of deprived people of Bihar.

I wrote on the subject since the scheme was getting discussed. I appealed to make it free of politics. Fortunately, the minister assigned with the task was honest and dedicated to the mission. Over the period, he initiated many safeguards to make it more transparent and less misused than its earlier predecessors. NREGS has also used IT to bring in efficiency and transparency. And the minister is also trying to get help from all the IIMs and IITs for improving upon the performance of NREGS. Latest provision of the scheme is the opening of an account in name of the beneficiary in the local post office or bank and wages tranferred straight to the benficiary’s account. As reported, ‘a staggering 16 million people registered with NREGS now have bank accounts.’ Ultimately, all the 55 millions will be covered by formal banking system.

Many are skeptical about the NREGS and its effectiveness because of the leakages. The Economist quoted in conclusion. “According to a recent World Bank simulation, more Indian peasants would be withdrawn from poverty if the government just handed them cash-without first making them shovel dirt.” However, why should we consider only the darker aspect? Let us look at the brighter side too. If the NREGS is fully operational, it would change the lives of over 25 million people in the country at less than what it costs to subsidise the energy consumption of the better off.

Here is a scheme that provides a right for even the most deprived one in the country to demand work, earn his living, and avoid going empty stomach to sleep. He must demand his right to live an honourable life.

I wish one day every village will have a website of its own and a rural knowledge centre. The website will have all the information about the NREGS along with many other information.

Posted in economy | Leave a comment

Disaster Management – China vs. India

Posted on May 17, 2008 by indra

The Chinese have remained a suspicious lot and undependable since their treachourous1962 invasion, pushing me to hate them and any thing that is Chinese. I get angrier every time I learn about China’s offensive preparation and gesture against India. Latest is more shocking. Unfortunately, China has more worrying news for India. Latest satellite pictures have identified a large area in central China with 58 launch pads for nuclear-capable ballistic missiles apparently targeting north India. I get more worried rather annoyed after reading recently many propounders of Chindia with dream to rule the world with complimentary endeavours.

However, the Chinese always keep on doing something that can be a lesson for all the countries. I like many may doubt the number of causality in the recent devastating earthquake. The authoritarian rulers might be providing lower numbers. But the story of Chinese premier Wen Jiabao is just exemplary. As reported, “Wen, in an unprecedented move, personally directed rescue operations for over 50 hours in the midst of the disaster zone. His presence made a huge difference when it came to mobilizing forces and keeping up the tempo of rescue operations.” One reason for the slow rise of the death toll was the focus by the machinery on saving lives instead of recovering bodies. Wen Jiabao has ordered to never give up hope of saving people trapped under debris. And then President Hu Jintao took charge of directly overseeing relief operation.

Will our politicians and administrators take note of this? Can they follow this example of leading from the front instead of exercising their rights to keep on criticizing and blaming the opposition even in situation demanding sobriety? Can they drop their official paraphernalia and get into action to help the victims? Can the people of India learn some lessons and change the system to get able and qualified people to head the government?

Unfortunately, it exposes one more problems of our system where mostly old and invalid become the premiers, unlike that in China, where most of the ministers are young and qualified; many of them are engineers. How can one expect the same efficiency, agility and hard work from an above-70 person that a person of under-50 years of age can provide?

Posted in governance | Leave a comment

Farm Productivity: Why Can’t India Emulate?

Posted on May 16, 2008 by indra

Farmers in our village and all the villages of the region cultivate two crops, rice being the main one. It is because the canal network from River Sone provides the water required for paddy crop. When I go back in my childhood, I vividly remember one aspect of paddy cultivation. I have not been able to forget that lively scene with numbers of women transplanting the paddy seedlings in ploughed rice fields full with water and singing the folk songs related to the occasion in Bhojpuri. Over the years, things have changed. Contracted male members hired from distant villages of North-East Bihar districts specialized in the operation carry out the task of transplantation. As my brother tells me, they do it better using less number of seedlings. I got reminded of the change, when I read about SRI for enhancing the rice yield significantly in ‘Outlook- Business’.

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), India needs to increase its rice production by 2.5 million tonnes a year to meet its requirement in 2050. Rice output needs to increase by 92% from the current 140 million tonnes to meet the domestic demand in 2050. India can attain that to a great extent with ‘the system of rice intensification (SRI)’ developed 20 years ago by Father Henri de Laulanie, a Jesuit priest in Madagascar.

The SRI process requires younger and fewer seedlings transplanted with wider spacing; and it doesn’t need wasteful continuous flooding for irrigation. As claimed, SRI can increase rice yields to up to 15-20 tonnes per hectare. With India’s average rice yield of 3.1 tonnes per hectare, SRI has the potential to bring about significant increase in rice productivity and production-that too with fewer inputs and at a lower cost.

About 5,000 litres of water is required for just one kg of rice in the conventional ‘flooding of the field’ method. SRI uses 25-50% less water. Instead of flooding paddy fields, SRI requires only the root zones be kept moist. It also cuts seed requirement by an astonishing 95%. Fewer seedlings are planted, with more space between them. India cultivates rice on about 45 million hectares. One can calculates the benefits easily.

Studies show that the net returns per hectare of rice farmers who adopted SRI was 67% higher than those who followed the conventional method. A farmer in Andhra Pradesh reported to achieve a rice yield of 17.3 tonnes per hectare. It may be an exception. But an increase of around 2 tonnes per hectare-64% more than current levels-is very much achievable.

SRI has been included in the National Food Security Mission, which talks about increasing rice production by 10 million tonnes by 2012. As reported, “about 100,000 hectares is under SRI, which can be scaled up to 500,000 hectares in the next five years.” SRI is said to have a presence in 130 of the 500 rice-growing districts. However, that’s only 1.1% of the total rice area under cultivation. One can imagine the increase in the rice production, if switch is judiciously increased. Instead of imposing ban on basmati rice export, the government can work more seriously on this change over and providing better input including genuine fertilizers and better seeds. Why can’t our scientists achieve what the Chinese can?

The agricultural scientists “are trying this system for other crops, like wheat and madua (ragi).” Experiments with wheat in Dehradun saw yields increase from 18 quintals per hectare to 21 quintals per hectare. Similarly, traditional methods of growing sugarcane, another thirsty crop, require 10 tonnes of seed buds per hectare, SRI methods require only one tonne; as for the yield, it can increase from 65 tonnes per hectare to 144 tonnes.

A state like Bihar and other states of the eastern India that can become the granary of the country, must go for the switch over gradually. I fail to understand why a proven process of improved cultivation and means to bring prosperity in rural India can’t be adopted fast. Many a times, it seems our politicians intends to keep the region backward enough for their selfish manipulations as vote banks.

Posted in agriculture | Leave a comment

Intellectuals Share Dreams

Posted on May 14, 2008 by indra

As per the dream of C K Prahalad, India can have by 2022 the world’s largest pool of trained manpower (500 million skilled workers), 30 companies in the Fortune 100 list, 10 per cent of world trade (current share 1.5 per cent) and 10 Nobel Prize winners (4 in last 100 years). Coimbatore Krishnarao Prahalad, the guru of post-modern management was sharing his vision or dream extraordinary for India @ 75 with 700 members of the Confederation of Indian Industry that included many bureaucrats too.

Prahalad had deliberately kept the means of getting there out so that the focus could be kept on the goals. According to Prahalad, even in the current circumstances, the probability of meeting the targets was high. CII has adopted the vision. Let us see what CII does to make it happen.

Problems to reach at the goal may not be insurmountable. However, some consider “such dream-weaving may help to boost the egos of non-resident Indians, but doesn’t square up with the situation on the ground.”

I had heard of only the Chinese setting similar targets. China had announced its target about the number of companies in Fortune 500 list, and the number of universities in the list of the best universities of the world. Prahalad may appear to be over enthusiast. But there is nothing wrong with that. I couldn’t understand why Prahalad didn’t give target for the number for the global class educational institutes. I would have preferred one another areas where India already leads. CII and FICCI must also set a target for winning Deming Prizes for its members.

It was the saint Kamaal Kalam’s prescription for a developed India 2020 that made many Indians dream. And he had a logic that he expressed recently, while delivering the first convocation address of Ravenshaw University. “Dreams transform into thoughts and thoughts into action and with knowledge all problems would be defeated and goals achieved.”

I came across some local dreamers too. Narendra Modi has a dream for the most prosperous Gujarat ahead of Punjab and Southern states. Even Nitish Kumar talks about his dream about a developed Bihar. “During a visit of the former President of India Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, we had promised to develop Bihar by 2020. However, now we are shooting for 2015.” The Chief Minister hoping to turn Patna into the Bangalore of the East.

I wish the politicians don’t play politics with these dreams too and really work to get them realized so that the history remembers them.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

China -Friend or Foe

Posted on May 10, 2008 by indra

Chinese on Top

Time and again, some news in the media takes me back down the memory lane to 1962. The nation was under a shock. We didn’t have our Diwali. The Chinese had betrayed India, invaded it, defeated it, and more than that humiliated it. The land of Budhha and Ashoka was caught napping. Unfortunately, India didn’t rise to the occasion even thereafter. With some wins in the skirmishes with Pakistan and then on eastern end, Indians were made to believe that the defence forces have done great job. Basically, it didn’t have the right leadership required and nothing much happened on the front of national economy to be a great power.

Over the period, it has been very difficult to forget the onslaught of China and the helplessness of India of 1962. India perhaps because of its democracy and the divergent views of politicians can’t compete with China’s might. Rather China may weaken India to any extent with lefts in the country to lobby for it. Recent development in Nuclear Deal is an example. The preference for survival for few months made the government follow the leftists’ line and let the deal almost die.

India may keep on spending huge sum on defence with not much effectiveness, as all its neighbours are against the rise of India. The expenditure hardly serves any purpose with much superior might of Chinese forces. Perhaps some alliance with US or a close-knit diplomatic grouping would have provided some solution, but the leftists will not allow that to happen in name of sovereignty. If the neighbours bordering with India would have been friendly, the task of facing China would have been easier, but Indian diplomacy has failed to achieve that.

Many of the Chinese actions against India are suspicious. Why is China planning to extend the railways to the Nepal border rather up to Kathmandu itself? Is the trade with Nepal so important or is there some naïve intention? Himlayas has created the northern part of India between Vindhyachal and its own ranges. Can one day China if it so wishes bring the end of it? Can China one day stop the water flow of Brhmaputra of the North- east?

Why should China mount attacks on Indian websites? As reported, over the past one and a half years, China has mounted almost daily attacks on Indian computer networks, both government and private, showing its intent and capability.

Why does China pronounce that Tibet group in India has Qaida links? Why should China keep on investing on deep and long range N-sub and which country other than US or India is the target? What are China’s intentions?

China will keep on challenging India on all fronts from piracy of its products such as Bajaj’s Pulsar toTata’s Nano. It will chase India’s IT supremacy or for that matter all the sectors where India is stronger such as pharmacy. In its latest issue, Business Week published a report ‘In India, Death to Global Business’. The story presents a grim picture. Who must be the happiest with the development? It is only the ghost of Mao and China that must be happy with the situation. Unfortunately, Indian government of any political alliance wishes to sleep over the issue and waits and wishes for the time to solve the fire.

Opinions: China biggest threat

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment