Examine the ideas of Tagore on Nationalism

It is now well known that after his initial involvement in the Swadeshi movement centering round the partition of Bengal in 1905, Rabindranath gradually moved away from the mainstream of nationalist politics around 1907. However, the fallacious notion that disillusionment with the contemporary political situation led the poet to seek escape and retreat at Santiniketan from 1907 onwards falls in the face of facts. 1. Never before had the poet written so much on public issues issues concerning the violent passion of patriotism, the illegitimacy of nationalism, disengagement of the political from the social and the moral, and the celebration of truth and atmashakti (literally meaning, the power within oneself) as he did in this period. 2. This period includes the incisive lectures the poet delivered in Japan and America in 1916-17 on the cult of nationalism, later collected in a book called Nationalism (1917:97),

Tagore questioned all forms of western nationalism; for nationalism and nation-states seemed to him a great menace, a geographical monster. His Arguments He did not want his country to be caught in a situation where the idea of nation-state would supersede that of Indian society and civilization Tagore emphatically asserts that the locus of Indian civilization must be sought in her villages Tagore argues that the genius of the Indian civilization embedded in the community life of the village lies in its ability to harmonize the disparate

Elaborations He did not want his country to be caught in a situation where the idea of nation-state would supersede that of Indian society and civilization. He said: Our real problem in India is not political. It is social. This is a condition not only prevailing in India, but among all nations. I do not believe in an exclusive political interest (Nationalism in India, 1916). The genesis of these ideas go back to 1901 when Tagore wrote two consecutive articles (both published in Bangadarshan) on the idea of nation: Nation ki (Rabindra Smart Foundation www.smart-foundation.com

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Rachanabali 3:515- 19), or What is nationalism?, drawinglargely on the French thinker, Ernest Renan (1823- 1892), and the second on the Indian Society, Bharatbarshiya Samaj. What is nationalism? Tagore concludes in the former that language, material interests, religious unity or geographical boundary none of these have been an essential condition for the making of the western nation. For Tagore, nation is a mental construct. Bharatbarshiya Samaj. In the other, he differentiates between the idea of nation in the West and the idea of society in Indian history. According to him,the society or community reigns supreme in India. (For example) In other countries, nations have protected themselves from various revolutions for survival. In our country society has survived countless convulsions from time immemorial. Swadeshi Samaj Three years later Tagore developed these ideas more fully in a seminal paper called Swadeshi Samaj (1904), or the Self-sufficient Society. Here, we begin to recognize that Tagore raises very important issues at once social, political and moral. Tagore says that in the history of the western civilization, life of the people has always been controlled by the state power, as in ancient Greece and Rome and also in the modern European societies. But in the Orient, in China and India, for example, society and not state, has been the determining agency. Secondly, Tagore emphatically asserts that the locus of Indian civilization must be sought in her villages. The village in ancient India was not merely a place where people lived. It was also the centre of the basic values of Indian culture. It achieved almost a total self-reliance in all its basic needs health, food, education, recreation and creativity. The village in India could thus function independently, without any help from the state. This is the village we have lost.

Thirdly, Tagore argues that the genius of the Indian civilization embedded in the community life of the village lies in its ability to harmonize the disparate. He explained it in great detail in Bharatbarshe ltihaser Dhara, or The Course of History in India (Prabasi, 1319 B.S., Baishakh: 423-451), and in other essays, where he insisted that Indian history, had achieved an ideal synthesis of diverse elements at all levels of human experience (it is a perpetual process of reconciliation of contradictions, he said).
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1. Thus, his idea of nation-building must be understood in terms of inclusion, and not in terms of exclusion. Implicit in these issues is Tagores firm belief that the village is the centre of Indian culture which we have lost in the course of time, and which needs to be retrieved and resurrected. And that alone could bring us independence. 1. Following the idea of Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), he says this should be done through an absolute commitment to the cultivation of love and neighbourliness, restraint and sacrifice, self-help and hard labour that is through the full organization of atmashakti. 2. However, even though Tagore does not endorse the role of modern technology in reconstructing the village, he does accept the logic of liberal-democratic organization as is evident from a detailed constitution he drafted for Swadeshi Samaj and from his appeal to the people to elect a leader for the proposed organization.

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Assess and explain the provisions of the NPS (New Pension Scheme)
Improved living conditions and better medical facilities have resulted in a higher life expectancy. Theres is an imbalance in the ratio of general workers to benefit from the social security safety net. The pension model calls for a urgent revamp in this regard. Three major models1. Parametric Reforms- risk is borne by pension provider 2. Systemic Reforms- Longetivity risks are transferred to pensioners through Defined Benefits (DB) systems where pensions are given in pre defined formula to Defined Contribution(DC) where contributions are paid into account of each member and invested and investment returns accredited to account holder 3. National Defined Contribution- (DB +DC) benefits. Problems of the Indian Pension system1. Demographic trend rising life expectancy+ growing population-a burden on state exchequer 2. Low Coverage- social security and pension benefits reach a certain section only 3. High Cost Defined Benefit Pension(Defined Benefit)-system for organised government sectors not feasible for the general population since it puts a lot of stress on the exchequer 4. Low pension assets

New Pension Scheme structurea) Retain DB system for civil servants and allow Employment Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) but after January 2004 for all Central Government employees NPS is mandatory. It is also voluntarily applicable. The individual account based NPS is a 2 tier system. Tier 1-Non withdrawal pension Account. Tier 2- Voluntarily Withdrawal Savings account b) Individual Account Number-Every subscriber will be issued a PRAN (Permanent Retirement Account Number) by CRA (Central Recordkeeping Agency). c) Portability-Customer will have the option to move from one place to another to move the money from one place to another(eg one Fund Manager to another)
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d) Multiple Investment Options1. For central government employees o Scheme 1- 85% in debt instruments 10% in mutual funds/corporate bonds 5% in equity o Scheme 2- 100% in government securities 2. Funds to general citizenso Asset Class E- investments in mainly equity market o Asset Class C- investments in fixed income instruments securities other than government securities o Asset Class G- investment in government securities e) Pay outs1. For government employees- option to invest o 40% in annuity plan from a life insurance company approved by CRA o 60% as lump sum withdrawal 2. For citizens- Voluntary withdrawal before 60 atleast 80% to purchase annuity 20% as lumpsum Voluntary at 60 o 40% as annuity o Rest as one time or phased between 60-70% NPS is low cost and tax benefit (EET tax applicable to mandatory contributions of NPS)

NPS architecturea) PFRDA- Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority b) NPS Trustee- set up by PFRDA to take care of assets > securities purchased by PF(s) on behalf of name of the Trustees and securities purchased by each PF in custodial account on NPS trust. Individual subscriber shall remain beneficial owner of these securities, assets and funds.NPS trust will appoint bank and hold an account for it. c) Central Record Keeping Agency d) Pension fund Managers- Three for Central and State governments(LIC,SBI,OTI) Six for public
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Will manage investments of retirement savings of NPS e) Trustee Bank-Maintain trustee account + receive credit from government agencies and harness information to CRA for rectification and further analysis. It shall remit funds to Pension Fund Managers and Annuity Service Providers. f) Custodian- A custodian ensures that benefits from holdings are received, details of PF etc. g) Annuity Service provider- offers annuity when subscribers reach superannuate withdrawal accounts. Will provide annuity products to subscribers + receive funds from CRA + pay regular monthly annuities

NPS impacta) Extend coverage-financial literacy b) Increase savings ,Investments and growth + high savings upto 60 years + boost for long term investment and support growth c) Capital Markets access- increase retirements assets and support true capital market+ will increase demands for long term financial instruments like Zero Coupon Bonds etc. d) Life Insurance and Annuity Market-mandatory annuity boost life insurance and annuity market

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Food Security in South Asia

DEFINITION To ensure Food Security for all, we should be clear about the definition of the problem, the price index of measuring impact and the road map to achieve the goal. Today, the discussion mainly centers on the definition of poverty and methods to identify the poor. Changing definations of Food Security The initial focus on Food Security as global concern was on the volume and stability of food supplies. In the 1974 World Food Summit. Food Security was defined as "availability at all times of adequate world food supplies of basic food stuffs to sustain a steady expansion of food consumption and to offset fluctuations in production and prices". In 1983. FAO expanded its concept to include vulnerable people securing access to available supplies, stating that food security meant "ensuring that all people at all times have both physical and economic access to the basic food they need". Later, the 1996 World Food Summit redefined food security to take demand, vulnerability and nutritional aspects into account. At the summit, countries agreed that "food security exists when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy lifestyle". In general, Food Security is defined as economic access to food along food production and food availability. Food availability alone, therefore, does not ensure food security; access to food is equally important. An FAO report. August 2008 defines food security in terms of following four key aspects: 1. Food Availability: Sufficient availability of food with the nation through domestic production and imports (commercial or food aid) and carry-over of stocks. 2. Food Access: individual's capability to purchase food and to be able to procure food through safety nets or availability.

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3. Food Utilization: Consumption of food by the household in a proper form. It also takes into account food preparation, storage and utilization, food safety, nutritional safety and dietary balance. 4. Food Vulnerability: Vulnerability of the population to food insecurity due to physiological, economic, social or political reasons. South Asia Food Security Paradox : The countries in South Asia have a high rate of population growth, high concentration of poor households, low per capita income, and a modest rate of GDP growth. Agriculture is the dominant occupation of landless labourers, small and marginal farmers, and the scope for extensive agriculture is more or less exhausted South Asian countries have seen high annual economic growth rate, but relatively low growth rates in agriculture during the period 1993-2006 . These countries also witnessed an increase in high levels of growth in food consumption, primarily due to high population growth However, despite the high growth rate in food consumption, the region has the highest concentration of the poor and undernourished (299 million in 2003- WDR 2008) and accounts for 40 per cent of the under-nourished, something that remains a major cause of concern. The Agriculture Development Report 2008 ranked South Asia as the second most undernourished, malnourished and food insecure region in the world. The FAO estimates indicate that in 2010, Asia will still account for about one-half of the world's malnourished population, of which two-thirds will be from South Asia.

Factors Influencing Food Security in South Asia: Review on the four dimensions of Food Security i.e., availability, stability, access and nutritional status. Weather fluctuation and climatic change: 1. Although the trend of global warming is becoming increasingly clear, its effects on food production are still uncertain. Research suggests that growing conditions will deteriorate in current tropical areas, including Asia. Therefore, policies and technologies should be developed to effectively prevent the negative effects of global warming. 2. Most of the countries in the South Asian Region face the twin challenges of a rapid rise in population, declining farm productivity and a lack of employment opportunities that translate into livelihood insecurity. Consequently, both availability of and access to food are adversely affected. 3. A rise in temperature will negatively impact rice and wheat yields in the tropical parts of South Asia where these crops are already being grown close to their temperature tolerance threshold.
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4. Since regional food security presupposes food security at the national level, each country has to strengthen domestic production systems to overcome these challenges. Growing water scarcity: 1. Unless properly managed, fresh water may well emerge as the key constraint to global food production. While supplies of water are adequate in the aggregate to meet demand for the foreseeable future, water is poorly distributed across countries, within countries, and between seasons. 2. In most of the Asian countries, per capita water availability is steadil y declining, as the amount of renewable water resources remains fixed to meet the needs of growing population. Growth in irrigated areas is projected to slow down in next decades. 3. The HDR. 2006. has pointed out that in South Asia alone 2.5 billion people will be affected by water stress and scarcity by the year 2050.The agriculture sector is by far the largest water user in most of the Asian countries. Appropriate policies and measures will be needed to improve efficiency in water use and to boost crop production per unit of water. Declining soil fertility: 1. Improved soil fertility is a crucial component of low income countries' drive to increase sustainable agricultural production. Although some of the soil plant nutrient requirements can be met through the application of organic materials available on the farm, such materials are insufficient to replenish the plant nutrients removed from the soils and thus to further increase crop yields. 2. The total amount of chemical fertilizers used in Asia-Pacific region increased from 51 million tons in 1990 to 70 million tons in 1999 (FAO, 2003). Although reduced use of chemical fertilizers is warranted in some locations because of negative environmental effects, it is critical that fertilizer use be expanded in countries where soil fertility is low and a large share of the population is food insecure. 3. Of particular importance to maintaining and enhancing soil fertility is the adoption of integrated plant nutrient management (IPNM) practices. The goal of IPNM is to integrate the use of natural and manmade sources of plant nutrients to increase the productivity in an efficient and environmentally benign manner without diminishing the productive capacity of soil for present and future generations. Population and Food Situation in Different Regions of South Asia Status of different crops Cereals play dominant role in South Asian food scenario because of their paramount importance in the sub-region's diet. IFPRI baseline projections indicate that wheat imports in South Asia will grow at 6.4 percent per year between 2000 and 2020. This increase is due to continued strong demand growth (in part because of high population growth in Pakistan) together with
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a slowdown in production, especially in Pakistan, where the bulk of wheat demand will come from. Rice will be almost in balance, in contrast to the large export in the base year. This will result due to reduced rates of production growth, particularly in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Imports of maize and other coarse grains will also expand, and most will be used as feeds to support the expansion of livestock industry Situation in India With a population of one billion mark in year 2000, India is the second most populous country in the world after China. Like China more than a decade ago. India is in the midst of major economic reform. If it succeeds, incomes in India will rise much faster than they have in recent decades, with profound effects on food demand and food security. 1. India is projected to have an average annual economic growth rate of 5.5 percent during 1993-2020. 2. Daily per capita calorie availability is projected to increase from around 2.266 calories in 1990 to 2.780 calories in 2020. India with a total land area of 328 million hectare represents all kinds of climate and is demarcated into 20 agro climatic zones .An estimated 142 million hectare cultivated area, of which about 55 million hectare is irrigated remainder 87 million hectare is rain fed . The increase of food grain and other agricultural commodities has kept pace with the increase in population since 1961. In India Production of rice, wheat and maize is projected to grow faster than 2.0 percent per year, and production of other coarse grains will grow by 1.9 percent at the project level of effective agricultural, Indias agricultural trade position will be sound. 1. Although meat imports will increase as demand grows quickly from a low base, they will remain small relative to the size of the Indian economy. 2. India will manage to be a marginal exporter of cereals, while exports of maize and other coarse grains will be small because production will cater primarily to local demand for livestock feed. Situation in Pakistan Regarding food demand-supply situation, more serious problems are expected to emerge in Pakistan and other South Asian countries. Wheat imports are projected to grow from 2.1 million tons in 1990 to 15.5 million tons in 2020. The rapidly increasing gap occurs despite relatively strong growth in wheat production (2.2 percent), as demand grows at about 3.3 percent percent per year, owing in large pan to rapid population growth of 2.8 percent.

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Imports will also grow for maize and other coarse grains. Among the cereals, only rice will continue to be exported, but at reduced levels. Pakistan's growing trade gap is accompanied by a worsening of its food security position. There are little projected improvements in per capita food availability through 2020, and the number of malnourished pre-school children will increase by nearly nine percent. Similar (though less severe) problems will arise in the aggregate grouping of other South Asian countries Situation in Bangladesh Bangladesh made steady progress in food production in the post-independence period. Rice is the dominant crop and largely determines the rate of progress in agricultural sector of the country. As stated by BBS (2001), in 1994-95 total food grain production of the country was 18.17 million tons compared to the target of 20 million tons, as a result of declining prices and natural disasters (particularly floods and droughts). The situation improved in the subsequent years and the food grain production was about 20.4 million tons in 2000. The total population of Bangladesh is estimated to reach 132.50 million by the end of 2003. In order to feed them the country will need 21.94 million tons of food grains. Food production has been estimated at 25.12 million tons in 2002-03. Thus the country is likely to attain food self sufficiency by the end of 2003. Status in Sri Lanka The population of Sri Lanka increased from 6.7 million in 1947 to 19.1 million in 2001. The country has a land area of 64,454 sq kilometers of which 60 percent is cultivable. About35 percent of the cultivated area is under rice while 42 percent is under tea and rubber. The GDP share of agriculture started to decline from 46 percent in 1960 to 23 percent in 1995, and to 20 percent in 1997 . The overall production in agricultural sector of the country has affected by ethnic conflict. According to FAO, the productivity of inputs used in agriculture was lowest in Sri Lanka among all Asian countries during 1984-1993. Government interventions in commodity and factor markets in agriculture are largely relaxed in recent years following heavy state regulation in the initial years since independence. As a whole, since 1997, the agriculture sector has been moving towards improved market efficiency with macro-economic reform. 1. It is expected that during coming years the country will be able to improve its food security situation both by expediting food grain production and
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increasing foreign currency reserve by exporting tea, coconut and other cash crops. Status in Nepal The population of Nepal increased from 15 million in 1981 to 24 million in 2001 (UNFPA, 2003). The population pressure on land has forced encroachment of arable land into forest. 1. Land has become fragmented under the existing laws of inherited property. A vicious cycle in land use contributes to low productivity and does not permit the development of agriculture on a commercial scale. The overall development objectives of all Five-Year Plans of Nepal are focused on increasing food production to meet the dietary needs of growing population. Rice, wheat, maize, millet and barley are common food crops. The three major food crops rice, wheat and maize contribute about 51 percent, 25 percent and 16 percent of the total food production, respectively. The hills are food deficit areas. At the aggregate level, there are 38 food deficit districts, which is more than half of the total area of the country . Due to relatively higher population growth rate and low productivity in agriculture, the country will continue to import food grains from India and other countries to improve and stabilize food security of its population.

Sustainable Food Security: The world Food Summit in 1996 defined 'sustainable food security'' as a situation in which "all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs, and food preferences for an active and healthy life". This seems a helpful definition because it emphasizes the importance of access to food over food production. We must be clear that poverty and food insecurity are closely linked. A review of the ''Voices of the Hunger'' showed that hunger is central to people's experience of poverty. In many societies poverty is defined in terms of hunger. 1. The World Food Summit secured international commitment to reducing the number of undernourished people by half by the year 2015. 2. FAO estimate suggests that progress to date has been slow. Five years later some 800 million people, mainly women and children, remain food insecure . The debate on how to improve food security globally has, until recently, been much too closely associated with food production. Of course we must take into account of our global capacity to feed the population of the world. 1. But old ideas that focus on national self sufficiency in food rather than national capacity to purchase the food that is needed are outdated.

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2. And those who focus their efforts simply on increasing agricultural production must be under no illusions that they will therefore help the poor to obtain food . Driving Forces for Sustainable Food Security There are many factors that will influence the prospects for sustainable food security in coming decades. Nine sets of driving forces are believed to be of global importance, and more particularly relevant to Asia's context, which are as follows : Accelerating globalization: Globalization offers developing countries new opportunities for broad-based economic growth and poverty reduction. However, it carries significant risks. 1. Continued protection of domestic agriculture and increasing safety concerns in industrialized countries may limit access to their markets by developing countries. 2. The most critical issue is how globalization can be guided to benefit low-income people, particularly their food and nutrition situation, as well as the impact on natural resources. Without appropriate policies and institutions at both the national and international levels, globalization may either bypass or harm many poor people in developing countries.

Sweeping technological changes. New technological advances in molecular biology and information and communications offer potential benefits for poor people that may advance food security and improve the sustainability of natural resource management. However, there are serious concerns over whether poor and food-insecure people will have access to these technologies. Degradation of natural resources and increasing water scarcity: Degradation of natural resources is rampant in many resource-poor areas of developing countries, particularly those areas with fragile soils, irregular rainfall, relatively high population density, and stagnant productivity in agriculture. While natural resource degradation often is a consequence of poverty, it also contributes to poverty. Water scarcity is emerging as a most limiting factor for food security in many regions. Emerging health and nutrition crises:

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The tragic pandemic of AIDS, the persisting threats from malaria, the re-emergence of tuberculosis, the widespread prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies, and a variety of chronic diseases compromise food security in many developing countries. Rapid urbanization: Most of the population increases in coming years will occur in cities and towns of developing countries. By the year 2020, a majority of the developing world's population will live in urban areas. This will present new challenges to provide employment, education, health care, and food. While current actions must continue to focus on the rural areas where the majority of the poor and food insecure people reside, future policy actions must pay increasing attention to the growing poverty and food insecurity in urban areas. Rapid changing structure of farming: A number of factors such as the aging of the farm population, the feminization of agriculture, the labour shortages and depleting asset bases, and the decreasing cost of capital relative to labour are conspiring to result in rapid changes in the structure of farming in many developing countries. These rapidly emerging factors call for new and innovative approaches to agricultural policy and rural institutions. Small-scale farms, which traditionally have been considered the backbone on much of developing-country agriculture, are under threat as labour scarcity caused by out-migration. Continued conflict: Violent conflicts continue to cause severe human misery in a large number of developing countries. The impact of these conflicts on food security, nutrition, and natural resource management are severe. While humanitarian assistance may be effective in providing food and shelter for millions of refugees, policy action is needed to deal with the underlying causes and the resulting impact on the people in war-torn and neighboring areas. Achieving sustainable food security for all is unlikely to be possible in the midst of conflict Climate change: Future policy action to achieve sustainable food security must incorporate the likely consequences of the ongoing climate change and associated fluctuations in weather patterns. Policies and institutions will be needed to counter or compensate for negative effects. While agriculture may contribute to or reduce the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide (C02) in the air. The primary responsibility of future policies will be to
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find ways to accommodate agriculture, and natural resources as the climate change continues. Changing roles and responsibilities of key institutions The diminished and changing role of national governments in many developing countries, which has been under way over the last couple of decades, is likely to continue in future. 1. Local governments along with the private sector and civil society are taking on an increasing responsibility for activities previously undertaken by national governments. Local communities, frequently with the help of community-based nongovernmental organizations, are demanding an increasing say in policies and programmes that impinge on them. 2. At the global level, transnational corporations and broad coalitions of civil society organizations are taking on increasingly prominent roles in policy debate and in national and international policy formulation. New emphasis" on exposing corruption where it occurs is likely to contribute to the ongoing changes in the roles and responsibilities of various actors.

Priority Areas of Action: Achieving sustainable food security for Asia will depend on appropriate policy action and institutions that address the causes of food insecurity, malnutrition, and faulty management of natural resources, within the context of above mentioned driving forces. The specific policies that will be most appropriate will vary according to regional, national, and local circumstances. According to IFPRI (2001). priority policy action should include the following major areas: Investing in human resources: Investing in human resources is essential to reduce human misery. Healthy, wellnourished, literate citizens are an important precondition for successful pro-poor economic growth. Governments and international address health risks that compromise food security as a key part of any comprehensive effort to achieve food security and poverty reduction. 1. As agricultural labour become depleted, new production technologies and varieties need to be developed that do not rely so much on labour. Food-foreducation programmes can be effective in achieving the dual goal of better

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education and improved food security for poor people in the developing countries .Improving access to productive resources and employment: Sustainable food security requires that poor people have access to productive resources and employment. Efforts to generate pro-people economic growth will succeed if such access exists. 1. As most of poor people in developing countries live in rural areas, productivity gains in agriculture, which will boost rural incomes on and off the farm, are crucial. There is considerable evidence that increases in farm income, in developing countries promote strong income increases in the rest of the economy. 2. Poor farmers need access to yield-increasing crop varieties and production technologies. Making institutions, including agricultural research centers, more client focused can help natural resource management. Improving markets, infrastructure and institutions: 1. Without access to well functioning markets for farm inputs and outputs, the benefits from improved human resources and access to productive resources will not be fully captured by food insecure people. The development of private competitive markets along with the supporting institutions and infrastructure is likely to contribute enormously to poverty reduction, food security, and the overall quality of life in developing countries. 2. Yet even as the government reduces its role, competent public administration will remain essential to ensure that contracts are enforced; grading and quality control standards are enacted; investments are properly regulated; and competitive markets arc facilitated to reach poor people. Expandng appropriate research, knowledge and technology: 1. Technological developments in the biological sciences, energy and information and communications offer new opportunities that could benefit poor people. These benefits will be materialized if policies are in place to guide technology development towards solving poor's problems. 2. The primary role of government should be to make available to small farmers a list of technology options from which they can choose an option for them.
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Because of past negligence of less-favoured areas, such a list of technology options is particularly crucial for these areas. 3. Participatory research will be needed, so that the options are relevant and appropriate to the intended beneficiaries and they are in a position to make choices. Improving natural resource management: While intensification of agricultural production has led to environmental degradation in many industrialized countries and few regions of developing countries, the most critical natural resource management problem in developing countries is poverty and low agricultural productivity leading to exploitation of natural resources. Policies and institutions should be put in place to break the vicious downward spiral of poverty, low agricultural productivity, and environmental degradation. Good governance: Good governance, including the rule of law, transparency, lack of corruption, conflict resolution, is of critical importance to assure sustainable food security. While the role of the state has changed markedly in many developing countries in recent years, national governments are still the most appropriate and major suppliers of essential public goods. Where national governments fail to take appropriate action, food security fails. Hunger persists largely because of governance and policy failure at the national level. Sound national and international trade and macro-economic policies: 1. National and international policies and institutions are needed to guide globalization for the benefit of the poor. Stable and predictable macro-economic policies along with sectoral policies and investments in infrastructure should be pursued within a sound governance framework. 2. As globalization proceeds, new international institutions may be needed to assure that low-income people and low-income countries benefit. Industrialized countries should accelerate access by developing countries in their markets, and the WTO should work closely with civil societies and national governments to identify and remove factors that are adverse to poor people. 3. From the side of the developed countries and international organizations, ongoing negotiations for debt relief for low-income countries should be accelerated.

Conclusion:
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It has become widely accepted that "political will" is the key ingredient in any recipe for sustainable food security. Political will neither come from heaven - nor from summits or conferences. It is driven by pressure from below and must come from those who are hungry and poor. Political will means more than assenting to declarations filled with ringing rhetoric. 1. It means a high place for food security on the policy agenda, new programmes and institutions, new partnerships, and new ways of thinking, and most of all, economic and political empowerment of poor people. 2. Collective empowerment of the poor requires new political initiatives and new partnerships between national and international stakeholders. Finally, sustainable food security in the Asian (developing) countries can be achieved if there is strong political will to provide following five "Is" for agricultural growth and improved livelihood in rural areas: 1. Incentives: Remunerative prices for agricultural produce and products. 2. Innovation: Strong national agricultural education, research and extension systems (both public and private) to generate and disseminate productivityenhancing technologies. 3. Infrastructure: Good roads and transport systems, power supply and irrigation systems. 4. Inputs: Efficient delivery systems for agricultural services, especially for modem farm inputs, agro-processing and credit. 5. Institutions: Efficient, liberalized markets that provide farmers with ready access to domestic and international markets and effective public institutions to provide key services where these cannot be devolved by the private sector.

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Managing Oil Spill

India has a long coastlines and a major portion of India's trade is carried out through the sea. We are endowed with a rich coastline that sustains a large number wildlife species. Our coastal regions are of critical importance to our economy. It is a source of livelihood for lakhs of fishermen and their families. A major chunk of our imports and exports pass through the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. Importantly, almost 70% of our crude oil is imported from the Middle East. The Strait of Hormuz in the west, through which a lot of oil tanker vessels pass and the Straits of Malacca in the east have been identified as choke points and due to the narrowness of their lanes are extremely prone to accidents. Solutions 1. The solutions to the problem of oil spills are many and efforts towards finding the appropriate solutions should be channeled in a manner that enables cooperation among countries whose waters and coastlines stand to be affected by such spills.
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2. An effective policy action must ensure that revised guidelines are prepared and reviewed from time to time. A case in point is the guidelines of National Institute of Disaster Management in India which have no reference to a disaster of this nature in its list of disasters. 3. Yes, the Indian Coast Guard may be the central authority dealing with oil spills, but a clear policy in this regard must be delineated by the government. So, it must be seen that policies are fine-tuned to reflect present day realities. 1. The papers presented in the conferences conducted by the Coast Guard must be given serious thought. 2. The tier -1 and tier- 2 mechanisms being discussed would be welcome steps and India should initiate dialogue with countries in South-east Asia to facilitate coordinated action in such incidents. 4. Another issue is the need for technology transfer from the advanced countries which may have better technology than developing countries to counter such threats. i. The developed world has struggled to come to terms with the BP oil spill and failure of its vaunted technological prowess has indeed raised several eyebrows. 5. It is, therefore, necessary that the world community engages in developing technology that could effectively contain such spills. 6. More funds should be provided to research activities so that we have the requisite technology to combat such disasters in the future. 7. Any prevarication or delay in moving towards better solutions could prove very costly. 8. What is also required and perhaps is far more important now is that our drilling technologies must be upgraded so that all chances of such incidents happening are more or less eliminated. Moreover, regular safety audits of drilling platforms and exploration activities should be conducted by independent agencies in respective countries. i. Oil exploration companies themselves must be proactive in evaluating their preparedness to combat oil spills. ONGC only recently came out with a statement that they had reviewed their safety practices at least five times after the BP blowout. ONGC, which is India's foremost oil exploration major, recognizes the emergent need to beef up testing and operating procedures. ii. Government and companies may also be well advised to become more cautious and more stringent in implementing safety norms to protect the lives of people working on such oil fields. 9. There is an aspect that has perhaps been missed out in all the din and fury of loises that have clamored for attention after the incident. Oil, is a precious natural resource and is non-renewable.

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1. The world as a whole cannot afford to turn a blind eye towards such incidents which not only damage the ecology but also result in massive wastages of such an important resource. 2. Also, we must seek recourse to other forms of energy particularly renewable energy so that the pressure on resources such as oil is reduced and. the quest for more production of oil is somewhat lessened. There are many lessons to be drawn from this tragedy. This has given us an opportunity to rethink our fuel and energy needs and check indiscriminate exploration. Our present technology leaves a lot to be desired. This tragedy has invaluable lessons for countries around the world to forge new alliances to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.

In the wake of arrival of genetic seeds a declaration of farmers rights is an imperative step towards securing Right to food
INTRODUCTION: The discussion aims to examine the pros and cons of terminator seeds, its justification in the light of right to food and food crisis and price escalation of essential commodities and plant variety protection. Terminator Seeds or Suicide Seeds: Terminator seeds are the brain child of big seeds companies like Monsanto, Dupont etc. The terminator seeds essentially have a very limited life and normally they cannot be used as seeds for next season. This technique is known as Genetic Use Restriction
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Technology under which the scientists, with the help of bio-technology, modify the crop element in the seeds. This has an antigen which tends to kill the crop when the seeds are sown next time. The justification of such type of seeds is intellectual property right and enhancement of production of food grains. The companies claim that a particular type of crop is an outcome of labour of years of research and the companies have to bear enormous costs in the invention and evolution of these seeds. Therefore there is no reason why the concerned companies should not reap the benefits of such research, labour and financial inputs in a fiercely competitive commercial world. Seeds and Indian Agriculture: a.Seed is a critical and basic input for enhancing agricultural production and productivity in different agro-climatic regions. Indian seed programme largely adhe res to the limited generation system for seed multiplication. 1. The system recognizes three generations, namely, breeder, foundation and certified seeds and provides adequate safeguards for quality assurance in the seed multiplication chain to maintain the p urity of variety as it flows from the breeders to the farmers. b.Green Revolution development begun in Mexico by Norman Borlaug in 1943 judged as a success. The program in India was started with the help of the United States -based Rockefeller Foundation and was based on high-yielding varieties of wheat, rice, and other grains that had been developed in Mexico and in the Philippines. 1. Of the high-yielding seeds, wheat produced the best results. Production of coarse grains- the staple diet of the poor-and pulses the main source of protein- lagged behind, resulting in reduced per capita availability. c.Indian seed programme includes the participation of Central and the State governments , Indian council of agricultural research (ICAR), State Agricultural Universities system , public sector , co-operative sector and private sector institutions. 1. Seed sector in India consists of two national level corporations i.e. National Seeds Corporation (NSC) and State Farms Corporation of India (SFCI), 13 state Seed Corporations (SSCs) and about 100 major seed companies. 2. For quality control and certification, there are 22 State Seed Certification Agencies (SSCAs) and 10 State Seed Testing Laboratories (SSTLs). 3. The private sector has started to play a significant role in the production and distribution of seeds However, the organized seed sector particularly for food crops cereals continues to be dominated by the public sector. d.The Seeds Act, 1966 provides for the legislative framework for regulation of quality of seeds sold in the country.
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1.

2.

The Central Seed Committee (CSC) and the Central Seed Certification Board (CSCB) are apex agencies set up under the Act to deal with all matters relating to administration of the Act and quality control of seeds. The proposed Seeds Bill, 2004 has been approved by the cabinet for moving official amendment which is still pending.

Seeds and Right to Food: The constitution of India is not a silent spectator to this serious issue so it provides that, "The state shall endeavor to organize agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and shall, in particular, take steps for preserving and improving the breeds, and prohibiting the slaughter of cows and calves and other milch and drought cattle." Organizing agriculture includes the seeds development and its proper management. The green revolution became reality only because of sumptuous seeds. 1. The apex court in post Maneka regime (Maneka Gandhi v/s Union India) opened a flood gate and recognized so many rights as fundamental rights. 2. The right to food is obviously new in the chain which was recognized by the judiciary in many cases. Right to live guarantee in any civilized society implies the right to food, water, decent environment, education, medical care and shelter. These are basic human rights known to any civilized society. All civil, political, social and cultural rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Convention or under the Constitution of India cannot be exercised without these basic human rights. In any organized society, right to live as a human being is not ensured by meeting only the animal needs of man. It is secured only when he is assured of all facilities to develop himself and is freed from restrictions which inhib it his growth. All human rights are designed to achieve this object. 1. Right to live guarantee in any civilized society implies the right to food, water, decent environment education, medical care and shelter. These are become more important and delicate. 2. But terminator seeds are causing a serious threat to it. Constitution of India cannot be exercised without these basic human rights. The Supreme Court reiterated the same opinion in variety of judgments.

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After recognition of right to food as fundamental ri ght, the relationship of seeds to agriculture has become more important and delicate. But terminator seeds are causing a serious threat to it. Intellectual Property and Terminator Seeds: Seeds and plant variety due to its potential in changing the economy are subject matter of intellectual property protection. TRIPS recognizes its value and provides that "Members may also exclude from patentability: 1. Diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical methods for the treatment of humans or animals; 2. Plants and animals other than micro-organisms, and essentially biological processes for the production of plants or animals other than non -biological and microbiological processes. 3. However, Members shall provide for the protection of plant varieties either by patents or by an effective sui generis system or by any combination thereof. 4. The provisions of this subparagraph shall be reviewed four yea s after the date of entry into force of the WTO Agreement" Trips recognize that plant varieties or seeds are to be protected through patent or any sui generis system. India having ratified TRIPS enacted a legislation entitled as "The Protection of Plant varieties and Farmers' Right Act 2001." The regime and protection provided by the Act are very simple. 1. The Act establishes a Plant Variety Authority and provides the same criterion of registration as inventive step, industrial use, novelty and distinctiveness. 2. The Act first time places the farmers' intellectual property over traditional seeds equivalent to scientist intellectual property over Genetically Modified Varieties. 3. The Act affirms the breeders' right over conventional crops and gives it intellectual property protection. Being an agrarian society we have taken due consideration of this terminator technology so we provided in our municipal legislation that "Every application for registration inter alia shall be accompanied by an affidavit sworn by the applicant that such variety does not contain any gene or gene sequence involving terminator technology." 1. Such initiative on the part of legislator was most sought after because even after green revolution our 65% population relies upon agriculture as occupation or calling and their cultivation is still very conv entional in which the farmers use the same crop as seeds also year after year which maintains the bio-diversity as well.
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2.

The prominence of biological diversity cannot be ignored by any civil society having scientific temper.

Terminator Seeds and Global Perspective: Initially the technique was invented as measure of anti -theft technique and the companys patented the inventions in its name and the world seeing their catchment capacity alarmed the world against it so Monsanto took a public vow not to commercialize the crops in 1999. But the big question is how long they are going to honor their own promise. On February 18, 2009, the Ecuadorian Congress approved a new Law on Food Sovereignty, which, among other important points, declared the country "fre e of transgenic crops and seeds." However, in spite of vocal popular opposition, the legislation left the door open to approvals of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in "exceptional" cases. In the same line in February 2005, Canadian government offi cials (delegates) to a UN meeting tried to introduce new language to "allow for the evaluation" of Terminator for field testing and commercial use. But its initiative is vehemently being rejected by world community. 1. One point is clear that mounting pressure of these seeds producing giants can break the nerve of any nation at any time and we know that seeds protection are intellectual property therefore if they are allowed patents or sui generis protection they will not take a second to dump their suicide seeds across the globe. 2. This will kill the conventional cultivation and enhance our dependability on these giants and which shall resultantly weaken our haggling capacity with these giants. In India realizing the seriousness of the problem, the ICAR and the DBT set up a monitoring committee, which came out with a plan of action on May 19 to ensure that this lethal technology did not enter India. 1. The Government of India refused license to the patent holders to sell the Terminator seeds in the country. 2. It also banned the import of such seeds and directed the quarantine office of the Customs Department, which has 18 stations spread over the country, to ensure that no transgenic seed material is permitted entry and that imported seeds get the approval of the Plant Protection Authority in the Ministry of Agriculture before they are released.
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. Conclusion Seeing the direct connection in right to food and seeds and municipal legislation on plant variety protection we cannot ignore this serious issue. The question is how long we can stop the corporate giants on the basis of International moratorium on the use of one of the world's most controversial GM food technologies agreed in 1999. According to Dr. Swaminathan, there is a need for a universal declaration on Plant Genome and Farmers' Rights similar to the universal declaration on Human Genome and Human Rights adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Paris on November 11, 1997. The UNESCO declaration stipulates in Article 10 that "no research or research applications concerning the human genome, in particular in the fields of biology, genetics and medicine, should prevail over respect for the human rights, fundamental freedom and human dignity of individuals." Our conventional method of cultivation and their potential and capacity in dumping the market with terminator seeds have serious implications not only for the Indian agriculture but to the very mode and methods of ind igenous communities and agrarian culture of India. If these technologies are allowed in the name of better yielding crops or second green revolution as we have to feed the one of the largest populations in the world it may lead to dependability on foreign player like these corporate giants which may be misused by them and we may face the food scarcity and price escalation in essential commodities. This thing if happens may amount to a compromise in securing justice social, economic and political to 'we the people of India".

NREGA and PANCHAYATI RAJ

Main Highlights The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (NREGA is one of the greatest experiment undertaken to eradicate rural poverty. This program is now being operated in 604 districts of the country with in employment guarantee of l00 days of employment in a
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financial year to any rural household whose adult members are willing to do unskilled manual work. By an expenditure of 53.000 crore, it will cover the whole country within five years. NREGA calls for the formulation of a Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (REGS) by each State Governments within six months of the date of commencement of the Act. The purpose of the Scheme is to give effect to the legal guarantee of work, by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed employment to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work subject to the conditions of this Act. Each Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is required to have the minimum features specified in Schedule I and Schedule II of the Act. Section 4 of the Act also provides that until such a Scheme is notified by the State Government, the Annual or Perspective Plan of the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) or the National Food for Work Program (NFFWP), whichever is in force in that area, shall be deemed to be the action plan for the Scheme for the purposes of the Act. These Guidelines have been formulated to facilitate the design and implementation of Rural Employment Guarantee Schemes. They should be interpreted as a broad operational framework, around which further provisions may be built, taking into account the State's economic, social and institutional context. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act is a "People's Act" in several senses.

The Act was prepared through a wide range of consultation with people's organizations. Second, the Act addresses itself chiefly to working people and their fundamental right to life with dignity. Third, the Act empowers ordinary people to play an active role in the implementation of employment guarantee schemes through Gram Sabhas, social audits, participatory planning and other means. This Act is an important step towards the realization of the right to work. It is also expected to enhance people's livelihoods on a sustained basis, by developing the economic and social infrastructure in rural areas. The choice of works seeks to address the causes of chronic poverty such as drought, deforestation and soil erosion. Effectively implemented, the employment generated under the Act has the potential of transforming the geography of poverty. Different views are being expressed regarding in its merit and demerit. Many have debunked the notion of wide program while others have given a strong endorsement on the ground that it is beginning to transform the lives of the poor and making them better aware of their entitlements in the context of "employment".
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Efficiency of NREGA through Panchayati Raj system NEREGA is an important tool for reduction of rural poverty which can enhance growth and development of the rural population in the country. Therefore in order to build a clean, efficient and people oriented NEREGA, its operation and maintenance requires democratic decentralization through Panchayati Raj. The effectiveness of the implementation of NREGA should be prepared in a genuinely democratic and decentralized manner. This can be achieved in following ways 1.Although the Act, its self asserts that, Panchayat would be the main implementing agencies and assigns a host of functions to the Panchayats and Gram sabhas, till now no effective steps have been taken either by the union and the state governments to ensure that Panchayats are equipped to handle NREGA in the best possible manner. Because people have greater trust in the elected representatives than the external agency like NGO. Therefore Government should granting greater role to the Gram Panchayat in the implementation of the scheme. 2. Because democracy works better when elector and elected have a close geographical and social contact.

There are certain grey areas /issues to be looked into in : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. the sphere of coverage (in terms of maximum population), right to livelihoods vs right to work (for the maintenance of sustainability) capacity building for employment versus providing direct employment , question of re-employment during lean season time period, transfer of money from state to panchayat, identification of the work with special focus on area based, time frame for the creation or generation of the work, accountability for NREGA performance, 8. issue of fraudulent job cards, 9. Convergence of NREGA with rural based program. Now the question is arising how Panchayat will resolve theses above mentioned issues? a. In the case of coverage, Government should not restrict the program to the "adult members" of the family. Actually in this context, the very basic definition of "House hold" is ignoring inclusiveness like joint family, its structures and composition, nuclear family its structures and composition and, extended joint family its structure and composition,, matriarchal family and patriarchal family's its structures and composition and gender issues.Government should pay
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attention towards demographic advantage of large young population needs to be converted in to a systematic economic advantage by providing them in right education and skills. b. In the case of sustainability, Right to work in rural areas should be treated as right to livelihoods and has to be operationalised through Panchayati Raj. 1. 2. Because after 100 days of work will be over then, what the villagers will do for the rest time period? Generally village works are seasoned based. Therefore during the off season time period, in order to do any sort of work, requires skill therefore in order to provide sustainability to the villagers,

c. Government should incorporate the convergence of those rural development programs with NREGA which requires technical skill support. Care should be taken to see that adequate technical expertise is available in the village to ensure proper operation and maintenance of the scheme... d. Regarding the capacity building, no logistic support and guidance is being provided from the administration. to Gram Panchayat. Here Gram pradhan replaces the land lord e. Apart from this, Gram pradhan do not have the expertise to work, prioritize the work, and submits the projects in time. 1. In this context restructuring of local governance fund is badly necessary, which overlaps with other development investment to focus on decentralized planning and capacity building of elected representatives Training should be provided to Panchayat presidents and elected representatives on various aspects of NREGA must be mandatory, it should be ensured that a percentage of the Budget is utilized for the same

2.

f. Apart from this, civil society should come forward for developing capacity building for Gram pradhan;. 1. 2. In this context, technical capability as well as outsourcing capability for creation of capacity building should be clubbed together. Regarding funding, State finance commission should provide state grants. In this context, transfer of money comes from state to Panchayat directly because the states should ensure that the fund for NREGA is not diverted to any other purpose of the state.

g. Works under NREGA have to be implemented as per a Panchayat level development plan prepared by the Panchayat and approved by Gram sabhas.

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1.

2.

The NREGA fund should be transferred to the Bank accounts of Panchayats. In this context while the Act says 50% of NREGA funds are made through Gram Panchayats, It should also prescribe that the rest of the funds are utilized in collaboration with the intermediate and District Panchayats as per the district perspective plan. The district planning committee should approve the REGS under district level perspective plan;

h. The Panchayat should be mandated to ensure that the principle of equal wages for men and women in NREGA is adhered to. Minimum wages differ from place to place with in a state. 1. 2. 3. Wages have to be proposed by the District planning committee in consultation with the Panchayats. Increasing transparency and public accountability of NREGA by ensuring social audit and ensuring grievance redressal by setting up district level ombudsman. The Panchayats will ensure regular and effective meeting of the Gram sabhas to eradicate corruption and thus prevent allegations which tarnish the image of Panchayats and

NREGA in the country. 1. 2. 3. This should be backed up by strengthening the Right to Information Act. In the context issue of checking fraudulent jobs card, Targeted identification cards would replace below poverty {BPL} line list The Panchayats must ensure that the jobs cards issued under NREGA have the status of a voter identity card or a pass port card..

Each state must appoint a separate NREGA Commissioner to constantly monitor all aspects of the NREGA every year, 1. 2. He must place the District level report before the District Panchayat. And the state level report before the state legislature.

Apart from this, goal should be set up for different level of administrative authority and officials should follow up the norms. 1. Therefore, SDM and ADM will investigate NREGA on monthly basis. Each month report should be treated as physical authenticity for performance.

In the case of performance, Actual projection of work will be matched with muster roll card with work investigation card.

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1.

While there should be ranking of Districts based on NREGA performance, there should be ranking of Districts, Inter mediate and Gram Panchayats as well

Conclusion 1. 2. Community governance strengthens the relationship between the local political system and community organization.. NREGA is rooted in an entitlement based approach. Entitlements based approach towards the social sector would require significant strengthening of the regular and sustained Government intervention-Revamp of local governance requires urgent constitutional amendment. So that better institutional structure of governance with empowered roles with due accountability for the elected representatives can be set up

3.

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