June

There are umpteen government welfare schemes that come with promises and hopes for the poor and marginalsised sections of the society. While the objectives of these schemes are well intended most of these fail to achieve the desired goals because of faulty implementation and poor monitoring. Lack of awareness among beneficiaries, financial laxity and above all corruption, are the other reasons for the failure. OIOP’s June 2013 issue ‘What ails Government schemes’ analyses some of the schemes, points out the lacunae and suggests measures for improvement.

In the lead article ‘What ails Government schemes’, Leena Mehendale does an incisive analysis on why government schemes go awry and tells us how loopholes can be plugged in the initial stages itself to achieve the desired goals.

Mehendale, presently Member CAT Mumbai in the rank of High Court Judge, is an accomplished administrator, teacher, thinker and writer. She has travelled over 400 out of 650 districts in India and is proficient in many Indian languages. As an administrator she has worked in various departments which include education, women, children, industries, petroleum, agriculture, and health. Some of her service highlights are economic rehabilitation of Devdasis, making TV and radio serials for energy conservation, designing, training and framing policies for Yashada (Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration) and promoting Indian languages on computers. Presently, she is actively pursuing revival of Sanskrit language. She has given over 1000 lectures, authored 25 books on diverse subjects and over 600 articles, in Marathi, Hindi and English.

In ‘Fair prices, unfair practices’, Dr. Sunil B. Bhosale and Pralhad N. Kamble recommend measures to streamline the PDS system, clouded with corruption and malpractices, so that subsidised food and essential commodities reach the poor. Dr. Sunil B. Bhosale is Faculty, Research Associate, CSSEIP, Gokhale Institute of Economics & Politics, Pune. Mr. Pralhad N. Kamble is Assistant Professor, Dept. of Economics, Shri.  S.H. Kelkar College, Devgad, Dist- Sindhudurg, Maharashtra.

In ‘How dependable is Aadhar?’, Prof. Rajanish Dass and Neha Khatri take a critical look at the much debated UIDAI scheme. The promises made by UIDAI are tall but if it fails to address the plethora of concerns, doubts and questions that have been raised again and again, how much can we rely on it, they ask.

Prof. Dass is former professor, IIM, Ahmedabad, currently working as the founder President of a global Management Consulting and Executive Education initiative, Catallyst Constellations. He is engaged as an independent advisor and think tank in various areas impacting policy making at central and state government(s) in India as well as co-alignment of strategy and IT for numerous private sector, public sector and not for profit organisations. Neha Khatri, a post graduate in Management, works in the research field in Catallyst Constellations. Her primary research interests lie in social and development programmes for the people, outsourcing relationships and various policy initiatives of the government.

In ‘Good intent, lackadaisical implementation’, Dr. Nidhi Mishra observes that the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme in India (IGNOAPS), though aimed at providing financial security to the destitute aged living below poverty line fails to achieve its goal because of lackadaisical implementation.

The writer is working at Tata Institute of Social Sciences for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Ageing project in India.

‘A house for the homeless’ anayalses the performance of the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) designed to provide a roof over the heads for India’s marginalised sections. IAY is far from achieving its targets because of delays in fund release and the slow pace of construction. Availability of land, sub standard quality of the houses and selection of beneficiaries are other areas of concern, writes Avani Kapur.

The writer works at the Accountability Initiative (AI), Centre for Policy Research as a Senior Research and Programme Analyst. (The author is grateful to Ms. Saamia Ibrahim for her research assistance)

In ‘The fight against malnutrition’, Dipa Sinha talks about the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), which has been an arsenal in fighting malnutrition in India. The proposed reforms in the scheme are expected to further reduce the rate of malnutrition, or so we hope.

The writer is a public health and food rights researcher and activist. She is involved with the Right to Food Campaign and Working Group for Children Under Six (of the Right to Food Campaign and Jan Swasthya Abhiyan). She has also worked with the Office of the Commissioners to the Supreme Court on the Right to Food.

In ‘Know India Better’, we feature ‘Terracotta Art of Bishnupur’. Bishnupur in West Bengal is a beautiful temple town housing many unique terracotta temples. There are stone temples too which remind visitors of the glorious history of the place that was once ruled by the Malla kings. Bishnupur is also famous for handicrafts, terracotta artifacts and exquisitely crafted Baluchari sarees. Text and photos are by Rangan Dutta. A mathematics teacher by profession, Dutta is a travel enthusiast.

In ‘Face to Face’, Devinder Sharma a distinguished food and trade policy analyst talks to One India One People about the faulty policies of the government and mismanagement on the food front that are responsible for the agrarian crisis. He dubs the proposed ‘Food Security Bill’ as “Old wine in a new bottle”, and suggests measures to revive India`s agriculture.

Sharma is a trained agricultural scientist who quit active journalism to research on policy issues concerning sustainable agriculture, biodiversity and intellectual property rights, environment and development, food security and poverty, biotechnology and hunger, and the implications of the free trade paradigm for developing countries and has authored four books. The popular Indian weekly magazine The Week in its issue dated Aug 16, 2009 listed Sharma among the 25 Most Valuable Indians, calling him ‘Green Chomsky”. Sharma is associated with numerous national and international organisations, civil society groups and farmers’ organisations.  

Veteran actor Pran was honoured with the coveted Dadasaheb Phalke Award for Lifetime Achievement in May 2013. In the article ‘… and, above all, Pran’, National award-winning film historian, scriptwriter and documentary filmmaker Sanjit Narwekar pays tribute to the iconic bad man of Indian cinema.

In the article ‘Mother tongue, an endangered language’, Shoma A. Chatterjee fears that the mother tongue will soon disappear from our lives as the English language becomes a preferred language of communication.

The writer is a freelance journalist, film scholar and author. She has authored 17 published titles and won the National Award for Best Writing on Cinema twice.

In ‘Youth Voice’, Anuja Gopalan, a fresh law graduate pens her thoughts on the equality of sexes. “When has seeking equality of sexes become an option?”, asks Anuja, who deeply cares for civil rights and gender equality. She enjoys research and analysis and hopes to make a fulfilling career as an academician. 

June 26 is observed as “The International Day against Drug Abuse & Illicit Trafficking”. In ‘Drug abuse: A ticking time bomb’, Johnson J. Edayaranmula notes that although drug abuse in India has reached alarming proportions, there is no real will to deal with the menace.   The writer is Director, Alcohol & Drug Information Centre (ADIC) – India (since 1989). He is also the Executive Director of Indian Centre for Alcohol Studies (INCAS) and also the Advisory Member of Expert Committees on Adolescent Health, Substance Abuse Prevention and Road Safety, etc., of the Government of India.

In ‘Great Indians’,we feature three different three personalities from different fields: 

Anutai Wagh, a pioneer in basic education (1910-1992);

Major General Eustace D’Souza PVSM, Once a soldier always a soldier; (1921-2013) and  

Asghar Ali Engineer, Crusader for Peace and Justice (1939-2013).

And also read our regular columns and other features. To book a copy, email to oiopfoundation@gmai.com / oiop@vsnl.net or call Nagesh Bangera, OIOP Subscription-in-charge at 022- 2353 44 00.

We look forward to your feedback.

May 2013 issue

UNLEASHING THE YOUTH POWER

India is currently experiencing a demographic dividend with almost 60% of its population being under the age of 35. It is expected that, the average age of an Indian will be 29 years in year 2020, as compared to 37 years for China and 48 years for Japan. But is India doing enough to reap the benefits of this dividend? How do we empower our youth? How can we channelise their energies to participate in nation building? How can we empower our youth and unleash their potential? 

Empowering teenagers and youth is important because it affords them an opportunity to establish their ability and competence. Youth empowerment is not just creating employment opportunities but it is more about inclusion of youth in the national mainstream. A flawless education system, inclusive employment opportunities and opportunities in governance are some of the ways that youth empowerment can be brought about. OIOP May 2013 issue ‘Unleashing the youth power’ discusses various ways of empowering youth and harnessing their talent.

In ‘Moulding leaders of tomorrow’, Jehangir B. Gai, a consumer activist and winner of the Govt. of India’s National Youth Award for Consumer Protection, says that the youth should be allowed to participate meaningfully in a democratic set up, and given responsible positions where they can take India forward and make it a power to reckon with.

In ‘Unleashing youth power’, Kshitij Bansal, the Founding President of International Policy Analysis Network (IPAN), says that youth empowerment is not just creating employment opportunities but it is about structural and institutional inclusion of youth in the national mainstream. Kshitij is attempting to provide a platform for youth to engage in core public policy analysis through IPAN.

In ‘An idea whose time has come’, Srijan Pal Singh, an author, columnist and expert in Sustainable Development, says that empowered youth is an idea whose time has come. While schemes and policies are necessary for bringing about transformation, what is more important is a philosophical change of elevating the youth to fairer opportunities and greater responsibilities, writes Srijan has worked with Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam towards the evolution of the development system of PURA (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) and has co-authored the bestseller on poverty alleviation – Target 3 Billion. He has an MBA from IIMA, where he was the student President and was awarded the Gold Medal for the best All Rounder student.

‘The youth is what we make them’, says Tushar A. Gandhi, a social activist, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and the Managing Trustee of Mahatma Gandhi Foundation in Mumbai, who opines that the rising instances of youth involved in criminal activities raise the alarming spectre of a decline in morality and ethics in society. But can we blame the youth, he asks because they become what they see around them.

In ‘Blueprint for a flawless education system’, Parth Shah, who is with School Choice Campaign of the Centre for Civil Society, New Delhi, opines that a competent and inclusive education system can produce empowered youth. He feels RTE can make this possible provided the state changes its role from controller to facilitator, from producer to financier and from inspector to informer.

In ‘Skilling youth the inclusive way’, Meera Shenoy, a member of National Council on Skill development, Office of the Advisor to the Prime Minister on skilling, emphasises that India will be able to reap its demographic dividend only if it fulfils its goal of skilling its 500 million plus youth in an inclusive way. Meera is also Senior Advisor, UNDP, for skilling and employment. She is Founder of Youth4Jobs, which focuses on helping companies hire an inclusive workforce. She was awarded the NCPEDP-Shell Helen Keller award for being a role model individual for increasing employment opportunities for the disabled.

In ‘Youth in governance, but how?’, Anil Bairwal and Ruchika Singh opine that participation of youth in governance can force politicians to take substantive steps in the right direction and make our political system more accountable and inclusive. Bairwal is National Coordinator, Association for Democratic Reforms and Singh is a consultant with Association for Democratic Reforms.

In ‘Youth has to be understood, not victimised’, Dr. Varsha Rajan Berry and Nasreen Contractor say that youth caught in the throes of conflict and violence must be seen as potential actors and leaders in peace building, as they are the future, and hence must be engaged with to build the foundations of society based on just peace.

Dr. Berry is a professional with 14 years of experience in the field of research, activism and network building in the area of peace, democracy and human rights. She is currently associated with South Asians for Human Rights, Women’s Research and action Group and the India-Pakistan people’s movement for peace and democracy. Contractor is an educationist and peace activist and is a professional with experience of work with community groups, NGOs and international networks for the past 30 years. 

In ‘Raising a better India’, Cauvery Bhalla, a spiritual trainer and chief archivist at Chinmaya Mission, advocates a practical, easy to follow 10 + 1 plan that parents can use to inspire their children and mould them to be responsible citizens of tomorrow.

In ‘Youth for a social change’, OIOP presents views of few young men and women who are actually striving to make a difference in society through their work.

“Stand up for what you believe in,” says Chitranshu Tewari, current Indian Youth

Advisor to UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). A literature student at the Delhi University, Chitranshu has won several awards like several awards like Action For Nature Young Eco Hero, British Council Global Changemaker and World Summit Youth Award for his organisation, Green Brigade (www.greenbrigade.net).

“We hope to spur the youth into action,” say Rhea Tibrewala and Malvika Bhatia, both working with ‘Know Your Vote’, an organisation which aims to create long term and sustainable change in the mindset of India’s youth by increasing political awareness.

“Give youth the freedom to choose,” is what Raj Janagam believes, if youth in India have to be empowered. Raj is Founder of UnLtd Hyderabad (currently in beta phase, website: http://unltdhyderabad.org/) which is a social incubator being set-up to support social entrepreneurs across Andhra Pradesh. His primary interests are social entrepreneurship and politics which he believes can bring the much needed change in our country.

 

“Young minds have begun to explore creative solutions benefitting the community,” observes Shanmuga Priya. T, Manager – Programmes & Communications, BREADS Bangalore, an organisation working with vulnerable children and marginalised youth in Karnataka and Kerala.

Indian Cinema celebrates 100 years on 3 May 2013. In ‘Parsi pioneers of Indian cinema’, veteran film journalist Piroj Wadia, writes on the outstanding contribution of three Parsi filmmakers - Ardeshir Irani, J J Madan and Sohrab Modi to Indian cinema.

May 31 is the ‘World No Tobacco Day’ to draw attention to the widespread menace of tobacco abuse and its adverse effects on health. Hemant Goswami highlights the ill effects of tobacco and advocates its ban for a healthier India.  Goswami is a public health activist associated with Burning Brain Society and Tobacco Gree India Coalition.

In ‘Know India Better’, we feature ‘Hyderabad – City of Love’. Hyderabad, the city of pearls, displays the charming panorama of the past alongside its modern institutions. Anuradha Goyal takes a stroll around its old monuments, museums, lakes and parks, tastes its famous cuisine and is amazed to see how erstwhile royalty and culture still looms large over the city’s landscape. The writer is a leading travel blogger and her travel tales can be read at http://anuradhagoyal.blogspot.com.

In ‘Face to Face’, Jayanthi Mahalingam, a freelance editor and writer from Mumbai, interviews Rashmi Misra, Founder-Chairperson of VIDYA, a Delhi-based NGO, which provides holistic, integrated education to thousands of underprivileged children, women and youth.

The turning point in Misra’s life came 27 years ago, when she noticed five little girls playing near a dirty nullah near her house and she asked them why they were not in school. Their reply, that it was only boys who went to school, not girls, galvanised her into starting an informal learning centre in her garden.

In ‘Great Indians’, we profile Sarkhel (Admiral) Kanhoji Angre, The sailor with strategic vision (1669-1729);

 

Balshastri Jambhekar, The Father of Modern Maharashtra (1812-1846) and

 

Ganesh Pyne, Master of Modern Art (1937-2013).

And also read our regular columns and other features. To book a copy, email to oiopfoundation@gmai.com / oiop@vsnl.net or call Nagesh Bangera, OIOP Subscription-in-charge at 022- 2353 44 00.

We look forward to your feedback.

April Issue

The April 2013 issue of One India One People’ “100 years of magic” pays tribute to the colourful, effervescent and entertaining Indian cinema, which completes a century in May, this year. Though Bollywood continues to dominate Indian cinema, cinema from various states of India are making their mark at international festivals.

India produces more than 900 films a year in 30 different languages and dialects. While the films entertain the masses and provide employment to a wide array of professionals, India’s popular films impact cultural mores, social values, moral reference points, street fashion and the attitude of the youth in a way that few other cinemas of the world do.

The issue looks at the journey of Indian cinema, the technological advancements, new roles played by the Bollywood heroines, interesting stories of old Bollywood studios. And a detailed biography of the legendary Dadasaheb Phalke giving insight into aspects of his life hitherto unknown to many.

In the lead article ‘The many cinemas of India’, Film critic and historian Saibal Chatterjee, unfolds the dramatic journey of the cinemas of the various states of India. He says, the canvas of Indian cinema is a colourful one with varied images and larger than life characters. In these hundred years, Indian cinema has seen many twists and turns to evolve into world class entertainment.

With Raja Harishchandra, the legendary Dadasaheb Phalke heralded filmmaking in India. A creative genius, who paid scant attention to profits, Phalke made many remarkable films under challenging circumstances. National Award-winning film historian, scriptwriter and documentary filmmaker Sanjit Narwekar chronicles the life of this great visionary.

After a great start and a glorious period, Marathi films went through a lull. But with a new breed of young, talented filmmakers dishing out meaningful, path-breaking films, the audiences are flocking to theatres once again, and Marathi cinema seems to have a great future, says Meena Karnik, Film critic in “A period of resurgence”.

In ‘Ticket to big bucks’, Ayyappa Prasad, a veteran film journalist based in Chennai, gives an insight into the South Indian film industry, today. According to him with new technology, innovative subjects and presentation, south films are the new trend setters, and the industry is a hotline to Bollywood’s success.

Shoma A. Chatterji, freelance journalist, film scholar and author, traces the history and journey of both Bengali and Odiya Cinema. In ‘Breaking new ground’, Shoma observes that today’s Bengali films mark the growth and evolution of a rising group of young filmmakers who have radicalised the Bengali identity with their own brand of films that defy every notion of trapping ‘identity’ within a monolithic, homogenous fixed concept.

In ‘Time for a makeover’, Shoma opines that Odiya films clearly need an urgent makeover with meaningful scripts, visionary filmmakers and talented actors.

Shoma has authored 17 published titles and won the National Award for Best Writing on Cinema twice.

In ‘Whither Cinema of the North East’, Manoj Barpujari, a senior journalist based in Guwahati says, though the North East has produced nationally and internationally acclaimed filmmakers and star personalities, today, it is a mad hope to recover the investment in NE cinema, let alone make profits. Yet the never-say-die filmmakers are fighting against all odds.

Barpujari is an accomplished poet in Assamese language and winner of Swarna Kamal for best film critic at the national film awards 2011. He has 10 books to his credit, one of them a travelogue published as fellowship work in a Caribbean country. As member of FIPRESCI, the international federation of film critics, he has been juror in film festivals worldwide.

In ‘Creating celluloid magic’, Piroj Wadia, veteran film journalist, tells the stories of a few studios that have witnessed the emergence of Bollywood. Many have fallen prey to land sharks but some of them continue to create celluloid magic.

‘From demure to demanding, the new Bollywood heroine is here’, Maithili Rao, a Mumbai-based freelance film critic who has also served on national and international film festival juries, looks at the way women have been portrayed in Bollywood. Item numbers featuring scantily clad women gyrating to lewd lyrics still rule Bollywood, she says. But some filmmakers are portraying women as characters with a mind and identity of their own. Can these filmmakers change the game of how the contemporary woman is portrayed, she asks.

In ‘Wowing the world’, veteran film journalist and former editor-Screen, Udaya Tara Nayar, observes that while Hindi Cinema has a prime place in India Cinema, serious regional films in Bengali, Marathi, the North-East and South Indian languages too are attracting attention of the world.

In ‘A century of change’, Ujwal N. Nirgudkar, Technical Director, FILMLAB, Mumbai, talks on how film technology has evolved since Lumiere brothers made their first short films in 1895.

In ‘Bringing back the honour’, Sanjit Narwekar, a National award-winning film historian, scriptwriter and documentary filmmaker, gives an overview of prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for Lifetime Achievement, which has been sadly shrouded in controversies from the start. He feels that a more balanced and inclusive approach can bring credibility to the Award.

In ‘Playing to the critic’s gallery’, Deepa Gahlot, a Mumbai-based film and theatre critic, looks at the changing face of film criticism today. She says that the conscientious critic is a bubble in the rarified air of self congratulation and mutual back-slapping that the film industry loves to breathe in. In such a scenario, is film criticism relevant at all, she asks.

 

Know India Better – The feature ‘Being Mumbai - The pearl in murky waters’ is a tribute to the city of dreams. Akul Tripathi strides along the harbour to explore the face of Mumbai that greets the sun but lives under the shadow of its more glamorous western cousin. Akul is a media professional and freelance writer.

Great Indians:

In solidarity with the theme, we have featured three filmmakers who with their innovative themes and style changed the face of Indian cinema and made the world change the way it perceived Indian cinema.

 

Bimal Roy, A sensitive filmmaker (1909-1966); 

Satyajit Ray, A genius in film craft (1921-1992) and 

Guru Dutt, The uncrowned king of Indian cinema (1925-1964)

And also read our regular columns and other features. To book a copy, email to oiopfoundation@gmai.com / oiop@vsnl.net or call Nagesh Bangera, OIOP Subscription-in-charge at 022- 2353 44 00.

We look forward to your feedback.