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In the name of aam aadmi
Egypt in turmoil again
Rise in AIDS |
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Back to the ocean
In defence of daughters
As Punjab Agricultural University celebrates its golden jubilee today, two former vice chancellors look at the challenges ahead
Impose cess for financial & functional autonomy
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In the name of aam aadmi THE Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was formally launched on Monday with the aim of ending politics of collusion, changing the culture of corruption and ensuring mass participation in decision-making. The emphasis is on the “aam aadmi” (common man). The new party promises to encourage the participation of women and youth in politics in particular. According to Arvind Kejriwal, who broke away from Anna Hazare to form the party, one of the two conveners of the party at the college, village, block, district and upward levels will be a woman. This is in sharp contrast to the existing practice of political parties choosing candidates for elections based largely on the criterion of “winnability”. Politics today is dominated by select families and moneybags. By promising to open the doors of politics to common people, the AAP makes a welcome departure. So far Team Kejriwal has followed hit-and-run techniques and grabbed headlines by taking on some of the mighty of the land: Robert Vadra, Salman Khurshid, Nitin Gadkari and Mukesh Ambani. Charges are levelled, reputations are tarnished and the bruised victims are supposed to prove them wrong. Being a skillful performer, Kejriwal knows how to arouse media interest and use it for his advantage. He calls himself a “dengue mosquito” whose sting can trouble both the Congress and the BJP. He has pointed to the existence of a political culture of collusion in which politicians in private help out one another. Issues raised by AAP leaders find an echo in urban India. Their appeal is limited. They have to look far and deep. Whether they manage to reach out to various sections of this culturally, socially, geographically and economically diverse country and strike a responsive chord in people at large remains to be seen. It is one thing to expose corruption in public life and offer captivating performance before the camera; addressing complex regional, national and international issues quite another. For many Indians price rise and unemployment are bigger issues than corruption and black money. Moreover, problems are known. The AAP will have to offer a vision for taking the country forward.
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Egypt in turmoil again
Egyptian
President Mohamed Morsi, who took over after winning the elections held following the fall of Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak, is in the dock because of a controversial decree he issued last Thursday. He assumed sweeping powers, and declared that these could not be challenged by any individual or institution, including the country’s judiciary. In the process he has forced the judges in Egypt and his political opponents to raise the banner of revolt against him. The “New Pharaoh” has been accused of trying to usurp the gains of the Arab Spring when Egypt has yet to start the process of writing a democratic constitution. What happened on Friday and Saturday at the iconic Tahrir Square, where protesters expressed their disappointment with Morsi’s style of functioning, provided proof that he, too, may be forced to go like former dictator Mubarak if he refuses to mend his ways. Interestingly, Morsi’s supporters belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood also held counter-demonstrations raising slogans that what Morsi was doing was required under the circumstances. The situation forced Morsi’s office to issue a statement to alleviate the hurt feelings of a large section of the Egyptians. He had to express his “firm commitment to engage all political forces in the inclusive democratic dialogue to reach a common ground and to bridge the gap in order to reach a national consensus on the constitution.” But will this help when people have started doubting his actions? Whether Morsi has the intentions of not allowing full-fledged democracy to emerge in new Egypt is not known, but his first decree indicates that his idea of democracy may be different from what the Egyptians and the world at large expect from him. The demonstrations against him should make the new President of Egypt amend his idea so that the Egyptians get what they have aspired for after dislodging Mubarak from the seat of power. Morsi is under watch. He cannot afford to ignore the people’s wishes. He also needs to remember that what happens in Egypt will impact life in the rest of West Asia where people have expressed a strong desire for democracy in the recent past.
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Rise in AIDS
Though
Haryana is not among the states with a high concentration of HIV positive patients, the state is witnessing a spurt in the number of AIDS cases. From 189 cases in 2010, the numbers have risen to 355 in 2011. It is believed unsafe sex is the major factor behind 85 per cent of these cases. Despite tall claims by state officials about strengthening of network of treatment facilities and counselling centres, the spurt in these numbers has sent worrying signals to NGOs and agencies working to control HIV. In African countries where HIV caused much havoc, studies have been conducted to understand why various schemes fail in certain cultures while they succeed in others. One such study conducted by the International Council of AIDS Service Organization concentrates on the gender disparity, which is also a social reality in Haryana, behind the failure of HIV control programmes. In each society, norms and beliefs of masculinity and femininity are enforced by society’s institutions, which determine sexual behaviour of its men and women. It also determines the extent to which men and women are able to control the various aspects of their sexual lives, i.e. their ability to negotiate the timing of sex, conditions under which it takes place, and condom usage, which plays a critical role in controlling their vulnerabilities to HIV. In Indian culture where the fixed notions of femininity often requires women to be passive in sexual interactions and ignorant of sexual matters, it limits their ability to access information on the risk factors and negotiate condom usage. Masculinity on the other hand requires that men be sexual risk takers and condones multiple partners which, without adequate prevention, increase their vulnerability to HIV. Also, in a society like ours, scaling up interventions for sexual minorities like MSM, transgender, etc, would mean turning them more vulnerable, despite the fact that they run a high risk of acquiring HIV. These and economical factors should be taken into consideration while counselling and implementing HIV prevention programmes in the state.
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Time is what we want most, but what we use worst. — William Penn
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Back to the ocean
Once
again, just as it was 15 years ago, momentum is building for greater regional cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. A review of the Indian Ocean Rim-Association for the Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) — a pan regional grouping in the Indian Ocean — is timely. In fact, growing economic and strategic importance of the Indian Ocean, export-oriented economy, changing regional security environment and the necessity of maritime cooperation on various fronts are coercing major players to gear up to resuscitate the 15-year-old moribund association. India, one of the founding members and an influential regional player, now looks determined to reinvigorate this 20-member regional grouping. Underlining the growing geostrategic importance of the Indian Ocean, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid pitched for more robust cooperative regionalism and lauded the inclusion of the US as a sixth dialogue partner of this regional organisation. Inaugurating the IOR-ARC 12th ministerial meeting at Gurgaon, he envisioned the IOR-ARC “as a regional body that can respond effectively to this need and enhance our individual and collective capacities to deal with contemporary challenges facing our common maritime domain.” The IOR-ARC, established in 1997, considered to be in a virtual dormancy, will most probably meet the same fate as its predecessors if it is not rejuvenated during the next few years of Indian and Australian presidency. India assumed the IOR-ARC chairmanship for the stipulated two-year period during the 11th Council of Ministers meeting at Bengaluru in November 2011 to be followed by Australia in 2013, and much depended on their ability to reinvigorate the largely moribund organisation. An impetus to the IOR-ARC cannot be contemplated without a serious consideration of the role and influence of the three Indian Oceanic powers — India, Australia and South Africa. These ‘big three’ are the ones that possess the essential aspects to effectively exercise a requisite leadership in this domain. Moreover, these potent players are able to make valid efforts to gain something significant out of a vibrant regional mechanism. In fact, dwindling interest of these three players has been one of the major causes of the dormancy of the IOR-ARC. Australia, despite the conceptualisation of the ‘Two Oceans’ strategy and the ‘Look West’ policy, could only ensure a short-term orientation towards the Indian Ocean region. South Africa has also demonstrated the inconsistency towards the IOR-ARC. Despite the early indications, its focus drifted away from the Indian Ocean region and the priority was accorded to internal and African affairs. In a similar vein — like Australia and South Africa — India has also demonstrated a similar ambivalence towards the IOR-ARC and seemed to be pre-occupied with the happenings of the South Asian region. However, unlike the past, Australia now seems to be determined to re-engage the Indian Ocean littoral states with some indications of Australia’s ‘Look West’ policy attaining prominence among politicians, the strategic community and others. In a fluid and nebulous security and economic environment, many factors such as the necessity for greater inter-state cooperation, a wide range of traditional and non-traditional security, growing Australia-India trade, and new fondness for Africa are responsible for the fresh impetus for the Indian Ocean regionalism. Despite the economic and commercial interests that form the bedrock of the IOR-ARC, cooperation needs to be extended to peace and security issues. Otherwise the idea of emancipation of the Indian Ocean rim as an Indian Ocean community will never fully be given practical shape. Setting up and more importantly moving forward on the common political or security agendas are a must for the rejuvenation of the IOR-ARC. A regional grouping solely dedicated to economic integration needs a strong vision and to be backed by all the member-states for it to emerge as the voice of the region. Although the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace (IOZP) concept in the late 1970s unnecessarily stretched the extra-regional versus regional debate, but it provided the common meeting point for regional integration. Whatever the reasons for the cessation of the unrealistic IOZP concept, subsequent political debates, diplomatic consultations, and academic exercises initiated the concept of regionalism in the Indian Ocean region. The IOR-ARC is an association which has always sought to imitate the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum (APEC). It has also followed the concept of ‘open regionalism’ in its operational framework although the concept is not clearly mentioned in its charter. Perhaps, as open regionalism does not bind the member-states to any firm commitment; this concept itself runs counter to its effectiveness. Conversely, unlike the APEC where normally the heads of states preside over the annual meeting while in the IOR-ARC such type of meetings are presided over by the Foreign Ministers of the member-states. The IOR-ARC also lacks a strong and fully acceptable vision and active ‘second track’ like the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) in the APEC. For the betterment of this regional grouping and the region as a whole, India must promote the parallel process and, being the current chair, should facilitate the participation of heads of states in its next annual meeting. Recently, the US has sought for a dialogue partner status of the IOR-ARC, and member-states did not show any hesitation in considering this request. Contrary to the past, now Indian Ocean states realise that exclusion on the rationale of being an extra-regional entity certainly will not serve their interests. The influence of major foreign powers is multifaceted and certainly aims to develop symbiotic relationships. Indeed, no regional mechanism will work successfully if it is not open to include the interested parties, howsoever geographically distant they may be. In fact, an open invitation to join this grouping may be a pointer for the present-day globalised world to rise above the insular mindset and join hands on issues of shared
interests. The writer is an Associate Fellow at the National Maritime Foundation,
New Delhi.
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In defence of daughters congratulations!
It is your first baby!” said Rajiv Kumar excitingly to Devesh. “What congratulations? It is a girl.” Devesh sighed. “So what? You are discriminating between boys and girls in this age?” Rajiv could not control
his disgust. They were sitting on the waiting seats outside a ward at a local hospital. Devesh was receiving visitors coldly. “You will understand my sadness when you will bear a daughter. I agree women are equal to men. But I am worried at something else.” Devesh fell silent for a moment before walking outside the lobby. He sat on a bench in the park hunched up looking at his hands. “Don’t you read newspapers, watch TV? They tell you this girl was raped or that one was molested. No girl of any age seems to be safe. Even two or three years’ old girls are becoming victims.” “But that has been happening since ages. You can’t blame all humanity for that. You can’t generalise.” “Exactly, that is what I was talking about. It is happening since ages. When would the time come when girls would venture out freely knowing the beasts out there were civilised. When would their parents feel safe?” Rajiv looked at Devesh trying to think of a response. “I read how seven persons, aged between 25 and 50, raped a 14-year-old girl in a village. One of them was a neighbhour under whose care the girl’s father used to leave his family while going outstation. The victim girl used to call him and three others as Uncles. With whom do you think my daughter would be safe?” Rajiv opened up. “And the entire state is talking about elopement of a 15-year-old girl of a border town, who they say was in love and had decided about her life partner at such a tender age.” Rajiv continued agitated. “But the girl said she was in love with that boy and parents stopped her.” Devesh hinted at freedom of females in the modern world to choose their life. “What do you expect the parents of a 15-year-old girl to do when she chooses a boy having nearly one and a half dozen cases against him? You expect them to say ‘Yes’?” Devesh questioned. Silence engulfed them. A nurse called Rajiv Kumar inside. Devesh walked along, "I have known you since long. You, I and many others have known to have many relationships. You think someone will have the same with your daughter?" Devesh spoke his mind. Inside the building, the nurse handed over the "cotton bowl" wrapped in a soft towel to Devesh. "She is so soft and light," he said. "Like
petals of a rose," added Rajiv the moment he held her in his arms. The baby giggled. "Now I know what needs to be done. Killing girls is not the solution. We should pray that a daughter is born in the house of each rapist or
a molester. Only then may this nasty crime end! “Amen”, they both
said.
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As Punjab Agricultural University celebrates its golden jubilee today, two former vice chancellors look at the challenges ahead The seeds of the Green Revolution were sown in 1963 when the Nobel laureate, Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, sent a new plant type of wheat, characterised by semi-dwarf stature and capability of utilizing fertilizer and water efficiently, to India. Borlaug sent segregating populations of wheat to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (Pusa Institute) in New Delhi and Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, from which wheat breeders made selections to suit the local conditions and consumer preferences. In Punjab wheat production jumped from 1.9 to 5.6 million tonnes during 1965-1972. Wheat production increased to 7.67 mt in 1980/81 and to 15.78 mt in 2007/8. The increased wheat production was the result of increased wheat productivity per hectare. Wheat variety WL 711, released in 1976 in Punjab, was adopted across a wide area, including Pakistan. Large-scale adoption of PBW 343 variety of wheat released in 1995 benefited farmers to the tune of US$ 200 million annually because of its very high productivity and wide adaptability. Thus, PAU has served as a corridor for revenue generation into the community. According to a noted agricultural scientist, Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, India produced 80 million tonnes of wheat from 26 million hectares in 2009 (3.1 tons per ha). To achieve this level of production at the pre-Green Revolution productivity level of 1 ton/ha, 80 million ha would have been needed. That's why the Green Revolution is sometimes said to be 'land or forest-saving agriculture'. Rice breeding efforts were equally impressive. Rice production increased from 1.03 mt (1970/71) to 4.97 mt (1980/81) and to 15.65 mt (2007/8). The respective per-hectare productivity, with the availability of better seeds and complementary production technology, was 2.63, 4.2, and 5.99 tonnes. A PAU alumnus, Dr. G.S. Khush, played a major role in developing many productive rice varieties while stationed at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines. India achieved self-sufficiency in wheat production in 1972 and in other cereals, including rice, in 1974. Mainly because of PAU's research and extension efforts, Punjab -- constituting 1.53% of India's geographic area -- has made lop-sided contributions to India's national food grain reserves annually: 51 to 75 % wheat and 32 to 49% rice from 1980/81 to 2008/9; and these contributions continue apace. I envision many challenges for PAU and Punjab agriculture during the next 50 years. I will highlight just a few. Despite PAU's monumental contributions to food security of the nation, it faces a chronic shortage of funds now. In the 1960s, PAU never suffered such shortage of funds. I am afraid if the funding of PAU's land grant mission (research, extension, and teaching programmes) continues to be whittled down; it would not be able to fulfill its mandate to the state and to the nation. The PAU faculty was highly diversified in the 1960s and 1970s. A large number of faculty members were trained in the USA, Canada, Australia, or England. However, currently there is much inbreeding, with more than 95% faculty having received their basic as well as doctoral degrees from PAU. For fresh and novel ideas to be infused into the educational system, training in advanced countries is a must. In 2010, PAU signed an MoU with Washington State University-Pullman (USA), under which in-service candidates from PAU can be sent there to complete their Ph.D. degrees. In 2011, a 2+2 programme was set up between PAU and Kansas State University for undergraduate students. Such programmes will need to be set up with other universities also to combat academic inbreeding. This should help our scientists become competitive internationally. PAU needs to place increased emphasis on certain newer areas of research. A 'precision agriculture' workshop sponsored by the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum revealed that PAU's precision agriculture programme was in its infancy. Similarly, nanotechnology is an important up-and-coming area, with ramifications for soil science, genetics, plant protection, and many other disciplines. The nanoscience lab will need to be transformed into a nanotechnology lab, where nano-fertilizers, nano-herbicides, and other nano-products will become a reality. Nano-biotechnology also is an important area to be explored. PAU also will need to grapple with climate change by tailoring its research programmes to develop climate-resilient crop varieties and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Crop diversification has been a concept only. Extension will need to work hard to translate it into reality. The writer is a former Vice Chancellor,
Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana; and Adjunct Professor, Kansas State University, Manhattan (USA)
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Impose cess for financial & functional autonomy Even if the formation of a senate requires some amendment to the Act, PAU, it should be done in the interest of the university, the government as well as other stake-holders in order to provide a farm-sector orientation to the research and extension approach of the university. Strong foundations When PAU was established, it was open for recruitment. At that time, scientists were appointed from different provinces of the country purely on merit at salaries that kept them satisfied. Fortunately, that system continues till today; maybe with some dilution. Yet the standards set at that time have provided very strong foundations on which the academic edifice built by and large exists even today. Unfortunately, in the appointment of scientists, considerable inbreeding has crept in, which is not in the interest of creating excellence in academic work. In my opinion, a university should not award more than two degrees to a student. For example, if the student has done his B.Sc. and M. Sc from one particular university, Ph. D must be from some other university. Similarly, at least one-third of the staff should be from outside the state trained/educated in other universities. At this juncture when PAU has completed 50 years of its establishment, there is a sort of decline that has come in the administration and faculty performance, mainly on account of lack of finances. The PAU academic staff is giving output on the strength of the projects and finances they are mobilising from outside sources nationally and internationally through their own efforts and also through collaborative research projects. Sadly, there is no encouragement from the state government and grants from the Central government are marginal. These days, science has become very sophisticated and highly costly, requiring sophisticated equipment and infrastructure as well training of scientist in cutting-edge research techniques. Research has virtually become laboratory research with a strong input of basic sciences. Even animal breeding is heading towards lab breeding in respect of creating embryos of the desired character and transplanting them in the surrogate mother animals. Lack of finances is adversely affecting both research as well as teaching. But still, it needs to be appreciated that PAU scientists are keeping their head high. Unfortunately, the state government is not giving due priority to support the university in the interest of the farm sector and the people engaged in this sector. There are more controls and constraints put in place by the administration than the facilitation, which should be the role of the government. Proposal for cess PAU should be given complete autonomy and it should be capacitated financially to perform its functions. There can be no autonomy without the financial autonomy. As long as the purses are in the hands of the state government and government functionaries are sitting tight on it, autonomy remains a sweet dream only. At the time when the committee formed under my chairmanship suggested a 0.5 percent cess on the sale proceeds of farmers for enabling the university to meet its financial requirements, Dr M S Kang was the Vice Chancellor at that time. During the meeting where this proposal was presented to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal , the then Vice Chancellor was present along with the then Finance Minister, Manpreet Singh Badal, the Financial Commissioner Development, the Director Agriculture, besides a battery of other officials. All those who were to take a decision on this proposal were sitting there. Chief Minister Badal agreed to the proposal and said that we should not discuss it with anyone and liked it so much that he went up to the extent by directing his staff to issue an ordinance in this regard. Later, due to some political pressure, he backed out. I still hold that this proposal is the answer to PAU's financial woes as well as for the much-needed autonomy to put its academic and research activities on a higher growth path in the interest of the farm sector and the economy at large. The writer is a former Vice Chancellor and an eminent economist
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High-yielding varieties with good culinary qualities, e.g., Kalyan Sona and Sonalika, resulted from the efforts of breeders like Dr. D.S. Athwal at PAU. Besides agricultural scientists' efforts, farmers' enthusiasm for new varieties and associated agronomic practices and supportive government policies played a major role in bringing about this revolution.
All