Save the Girl Child: She is an Asset …….and not a Liability!!

           

            Women play an important role in shaping the destiny of our civilization, yet the girl child, very often, not only faces neglect and disparity but sometimes the gravest forms of violence/crime. In India, traditions/rituals undermine the very existence of girl child. Despite tremendous hue and cry about gender equality and the enforcement of laws for achieving the same, a large number of new-born girls are still being dumped in the garbage, while the unborn female foetuses continue to be sniffed in the womb. Wrought with discrimination and prejudices, our society has often dealt the young girls/women with a rough hand, beginning even before their birth and following through infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood (including pregnancy and lactation) till the last leg of their life.

            Although, some of the age old traditions like Sati, Jauhar, and Devadasi have been banned and are largely defunct in modern India yet sporadic instances are still been reported from remote parts of the country. Similarly, the purdah system which is drifting away particularly among the urban and the elite, is still being practised in some communities particularly the rural households. Again child marriage - particularly of the girl child, although illegal, continues to be an issue in rural areas. Other issues of concern are domestic violence, dowry, rape, molestation, sexual harassment and immoral trafficking. Domestic violence is endemic and occurs despite the fact that women in India are legally protected under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act.

            Discrimination against girl child is in several forms - nutritional deprivation by way of inadequate breastfeeding and early weaning; unsatisfactory/sub-standard/delayed medical care; poor attention and care resulting in emotional deprivation; and insufficient resource allocation for her health, nutrition, overall development and care as well as schooling and thereafter. All these are the documented causes of high morbidity and mortality among the females. Female foeticide/infanticide is perhaps the worst forms of violence against women where she is denied the most basic and fundamental right – ‘The Right to Life’. Traditionally, the unwanted girl child was done away by poisoning the baby or letting her choke or simply by crushing her tender skull.

Female foeticide refers to ‘aborting the female in the mother’s womb’; whereas female infanticideis ‘killing the girl child after her birth’.

Nearly 150-200 years ago, in some rural families of Punjab, there was a practice of burying the new born girl child. At the time of her burial, she was handed over a piece of jaggery and some cotton wool and buried alive along with the saying …. “gauD, Ka[-M ,pUnaI k%tIM…               Aap naa Aa[-M, , vaIr naU Qa@kIM” …meaning “keep eating the jaggery and spinning the cotton wool; you don’t come again (not a girl child again) but send the brother (the male child)”.

In our society, the practice of female infanticide had prevailed since long, but female foeticide is the legacy and contribution of the progress in medical science. Owing to technological advances, after pre-natal sex determination, the female embryos/foetuses are selectively eliminated, thereby killing the girl child even before she is born.

           

The long standing tradition of son preference coupled with medical technology gives the status conscious Indian families, a choice between payment of large dowry for their daughters or eliminating the daughters even before their birth. As a result, the advanced medical technology and sophisticated sex determination techniques (post-implantation cell free foetal DNA testing, ultrasound scans, amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling - CVS) are now being used or rather misused, to get rid of the girl child much before she comes to this world.

            In India, right from her birth, a girl child is treated as a burden - an extra mouth to feed, an overall liability and other’s property (prayaa Qana). On the other hand, having a son is considered essential so as to carry the family name (vaMSa kao Aagao baZanao vaalaa). Therefore, prayers/lavish offerings are often made with the desire to bear a male child. In a deeply patriarchal society where daughters are often seen as a financial liability, this trend has led to an uptick in crimes including rape, trafficking and the emergence of ‘wife-sharing’ in villages where the sex ratio is low. According to a report by Thomson Reuters, for women, India is the "fourth most dangerous country" in the world.

Our would-be-physiotherapist - the budding ‘Nirbhaya’, was snatched from this world by the heinous act of some gruesome hands. Her parents need to be congratulated for bringing her to this world; everyone’s sympathies are with them. While a male child turned rapist is rightly being condemned, it is the girl child (Nirbhaya) who deserves all praise and appreciation. We need to change the mind-set of the public, particularly the men folk, who need to be advised to respect girls/women of all ages; and this needs to be strongly inculcated in their minds right from the childhood. A boy must understand that he needs to respect not only his mother, sister/s, aunt/s, but every girl/woman whomever he comes across; only then our society can become a safe place to live peacefully!!

Sex Ratio and Child Sex Ratio (Census, 2011)
Year	Sex Ratio	Child Sex Ratio
1991	927	945
2001	933	927
2011	940	914

            Sex ratio is a valuable determinant of the female population vs. that of men. As per the Population Census-2011, our population comprises 940 females/1000 males indicating a low sex ratio. Declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR; 0-6 years) is a matter of great concern. Prof Ashish Bose – the leading demographer of our country had raised an alarm regarding the“missing girls” and stressed on segregated analysis of demographic data for the under six. As per the Census-2011, the child sex ratio has dropped to 919 females/1000 males. Some of the developed states like Haryana, Punjab, NCT Delhi, Maharashtra and Gujarat lie far below the national average; and Delhi NCT has the lowest child sex ratio (871 girls/1,000 boys in 2011). Though, the overall sex ratio is showing a positive trend, the child sex ratio is registering a decline which is a matter of great concern. The decrease in female birth ratio is considered to be due to violent treatments meted out to the girl child at the time of birth.

            A recent study (2011) has reported that as many as 12 million Indian girls may have been selectively aborted between 1980 and 2010. MacPherson (2007) had also reported that every year a large number of abortions are being performed solely because the foetus is female. Further, it has been highlighted that even in the rich and educated families, prevalence of sex selective abortions is higher for the second/third-born when the firstborn is a girl child.

            Women and children constitute a sizeable part of the population and play a critical role in national development. Inclusive growth must begin by breaking an intergenerational cycle of inequity and multiple deprivations faced by the women and the girl-child. It is aptly said that “when we educate a man, we educate an individual; but when we educate a girl/woman, we educate the whole family or rather the entire nation and the humanity”.
            Many women have touched heights in various fields, both at the National and International levels. Had their parents gone for female foeticide/infanticide, we would have been deprived of their contributions to the growth and development of the society!

In India, women have been actively participating in varied areas such as education, sports, politics, media, music, art and culture, services, science and technology etc. Many of them have brought laurels to the country and made name in the society which  include: •         Savitribai Phule - first woman teacher in India •         Mother Teresa - first Indian female citizen Nobel Peace Prize winner •         Dhondo Keshav Karve - established 1st women's university, SNDT (1916) •         Annie Besant - first female president of the Indian National Congress. •         Sarojini Naidu - India's first woman governor; and first Indian born female president of the Indian National Congress •         Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit - first woman (1st Indian) president of the United Nations General Assembly •         Sucheta Kriplani - first woman Chief Minister (Uttar Pradesh) •         Captain Durga Banerjee - first Indian woman pilot •         Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay - Ramon Magsaysay award winner •         Indira Gandhi – 1st woman Prime Minister of India; world's longest serving woman PM •         Bachendri Pal - first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest (1984) •         Kiran Bedi - first female IPS recruit •         Medha Patkar – social reformer and founder member of Narmada Bachao Andolan     •     Kamaljit Sandhu - first Indian woman to win a Gold in the Asian Games •     Justice M. Fathima Beevi - first woman judge of the Supreme Court of India •         Kalpna Chawla – first Indian woman in space; Sunita Williams - Astronaut with longest single space flight by a woman •         Pratibha Devisingh Patil: first woman President of India Singers, vocalists and painters - M.S. Subbulakshmi, Gangubai Hangal, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Anjolie Ela Menon and many others    Sports - PT Usha and Anju Bobby George (athletics), Kunjarani Devi (weightlifting), Saina Nehwal (badminton), Koneru Hampi (chess), Sania Mirza (tennis), Karnam Malleswari (weightlifting) and MC Mary Kom (boxer), Anjum Chopra (cricket). Literature - Sarojini Naidu, Kamala Surayya, Shobha De, Arundhati Roy, and Anita Desai. The list is not complete, there are many more women who have excelled in their fields and made immense contributions.

Some Initiatives/strategies for improving the status of Girl child/Women include:

·         "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" – our flagship programme recently launched by the Prime Minister. The programme is to focus on 100 gender critical districts with low child sex ratio and it is envisaged that if implemented properly, it can help to make India a modern democracy.

·         Save the girl child initiatives are designed to end the gender-selective abortion of female foetuses.

·         The GoI has declared 2001 as the ‘Year of Women's Empowerment (Swashakti)’; and also launched the National Policy for Empowerment of Women.

·         Conditional cash transfers and scholarships only for girls at various stages of her life; and higher pension benefits to the parents of one/two girls.

·         Pro-girl policy initiatives like Laadli scheme and other such state level initiatives.

·         Sukanya Samridhi Yojana (Girl Child Prosperity Scheme), Balika Samriddhi Yojana; and Kishori Shakti Yojana

Various issues relating to the girl child have been embedded in national child policies and addressed through several programmes, such as:

·         The National Policy for Children, 1974

·         The National Plan of Action for Children, 2005

·         The Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques - Regulation & Prevention of Misuse (PNDT) Act, 1994

·         Pre-Conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques - Regulation & Prevention of Misuse (PCPNDT) Act, 2004

·         The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1986

Ø  Since the child sex ratio is slipping fast, Supreme Court of India has directed the states to announce some‘incentives’ for the families who ‘respect and honour’ the girl child in a bid to curb the evil of female foeticide.

Ø  Sensitization of the policy makers, planners, administrators, enforcement machinery and the community at large towards gender issues is an important strategy to establish positive image of the girl child/women in the society.

Ø  Education and empowerment of women, particularly the rural and the marginalized women, is urgently needed so as to improve their status in the family and the community. Women empowerment leads to all-round progress as well as emancipation from absurd beliefs and unscientific practices.

Save the Girl Child……

Provide her equal opportunities to blossom, grow & excel…

                    ………She is an asset to the society!!!

Minimum Support Prices (Msp) For Agricultural Produce

Government fixes MSPs of various kharif and rabi crops every year on the recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP), views of concerned State Governments and Central Ministries/Departments and other relevant factors.

Procurement under MSP is undertaken by the designated Central and State Government agencies and Cooperatives. MSP is in the nature of minimum price offered by the Government. Producers have the option to sell their produce to Government agencies or in the open market as is advantageous to them.

As has been informed in a written reply in Lok Sabha on 10^th March 2015 by Minister of State for Agriculture, Shri Mohanbhai Kundaria, to ensure that farmers get adequate price for their produce, States/UTs have been advised to amend their respective State APMC Acts on the lines of Model Act, 2003. The Model Act provides for direct marketing, contract farming, farmers/consumer markets, setting up of markets in private and cooperative sectors, e-trading etc. Further, in order to encourage investment in marketing infrastructure development, Government is, interalia, implementing capital investment subsidy schemes such as development/strengthening  Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure, Grading and Standardistaion (AMIGS) and Gramin Bhandaran Yojana (GBY). In addition, Government is also implementing Marketing Research and Information Network (MRIN) with the objective to collect and disseminate prices and arrival data for the benefit of farmers and other stakeholders to facilitate the farmers in taking better production and marketing decisions to get more remunerative prices for their produce.

Minimum Support Prices

                                                                                                 (Rs. Per quintal)

Commodity	Variety	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
Kharif Crops
Paddy	Common	1250	1310	1360
	Grade A	1280	1345	1400
Jowar	Hybrid	1500	1500	1530
	Maldandi	1520	1520	1550
Bajra		1175	1250	1250
Maize		1175	1310	1310
Ragi		1500	1500	1550
Arhar (Tur)		3850	4300	4350
Moong		4400	4500	4600
Urad		4300	4300	4350
Cotton	Medium Staple	3600	3700	3750
	Long Staple	3900	4000	4050
Sunflower seed		3700	3700	3750
Soyabean	Black	2200	2500	2500
	Yellow	2240	2560	2560
Sesamum		4200	4500	4600

LAND BILL DETAIL

Lok Sabha has passed The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015. The bill was passed by voice vote along with incorporated 9 new amendments moved by Union government. The amendment bill replaces the ordinance promulgated in this regard and seeks to amend the RFCTLARR Act, 2013.

 Key provisions of Amendment Bill The Bill creates five special categories of land use. They are 1. Rural infrastructure, 2. Affordable housing, 3. Defence, 4. Industrial corridors, 5. Infrastructure projects including Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects where the Union government owns the land. Removes the Consent Clause (CC) of 80 per cent of land owners for private projects and that of 70 per cent of land owners for PPP projects in case of acquiring land for above five categories from parent Act. Removes of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) clause for 5 categories from parent Act which is done to identify those affected and from the restrictions on the acquisition of irrigated multi-cropped land. The provisions for compensation, rehabilitation, and resettlement under 13 central Acts are in consonance with the LARR Act.

 9 new incorporated amendments are Social infrastructure removed from an exempted category. Land cannot be acquired industrial corridor above 1 km on both sides railway line or Highways. Government must ensure that land acquired is bare minimum required for the project before issuing acquiring notification. Survey must be conducted by appropriate government incase of wasteland including arid land and maintain a record. Land acquired for private hospitals, educational institutions will be not considered for public purpose. At least 1 member of affected family of a farm labourer will be compulsory employed. Hearings will be carried out by Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation Authority in district where acquisition takes place. Court can take cognizance of offence under CrPC.

India and a fragmented globe

In the 1990s, with the end of the Cold War, India was confronted with a vastly transformed international landscape. But, in retrospect, the country was relatively successful in adapting to it. It responded to the collapse of the Soviet Union by rebuilding its relations with the United States. Under the impact of the severe balance of payments crisis, it embraced a strategy of economic reform and liberalisation. The economic shift reinforced the political realignment.

Russia continued to be a key source of defence hardware, but the salience of the relationship declined, particularly as a factor in balancing the perceived challenge of a rising China. It is the United States that assumed that role instead. The adverse US reaction to India's nuclear weapon tests in 1998 was only a temporary setback to a rapidly growing partnership, which culminated in the historic civil nuclear deal of July 2005.

The post-Cold War international environment endured for a quarter of a century, up until the global financial and economic crisis erupted in 2007-08. Until then the virtual monopoly of power enjoyed by the United States led to a relative calm in great power relations. Neither Russia nor China were inclined to confront the United States even if there were perceived transgressions of their interests. The European Union consolidated its political and economic influence and the unification of Germany brought a powerful new influence at the very centre of Europe. On regional issues, such as the conflict in the Balkans, the Afghan War after 9/11, and the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the world acquiesced in the unilateral assertion of American power. On certain issues such as the Iran nuclear programme and tension on the Korean peninsula, there was even a degree of cooperation among the major powers.

This created the illusion that the end of the Cold War had inaugurated a new phase in history, where there was no sharp ideological conflict among major powers and the logic of capitalist market economics commanded universal acceptance. The norms of global behaviour laid down by the Western democracies were deemed to be uncontested.

From a Western perspective, the probability of major power conflict had diminished and the prospects of cooperation on managing the global commons, and dealing with global and regional challenges had significantly improved. Geopolitics appeared to have receded to the background.

From an Indian perspective, the post-Cold War international order was generally supportive of its economic advancement and conducive to the pursuit of its security interests. With the exception of China, the four other members of the UN Security Council joined hands to enable India to gain legitimacy as a nuclear weapon state and engage fully in civil nuclear commerce. The major powers worked closely together to enable the waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers Group in favour of India. Similarly, all major powers supported India's permanent membership of the Security Council, even though for some it was more rhetorical than real.

In Asia-Pacific, India's rise was welcomed and between 1992 and 2012, India graduated from a sectoral partner to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to a strategic partner. With China, too, India was able to leverage a more diversified relationship with major powers to successfully manage a complex and sometimes adversarial relationship.

In a sense, the decline of geopolitics for the United States and the West helped India deal more effectively with its own geopolitical challenges. Geopolitics has returned and there is renewed contestation among the major powers, and this constricts India's diplomatic space.

The new era of geopolitical competition may be traced to the global financial and economic crisis of 2007-08, from which neither the United States nor Europe have fully recovered - although the United States appears in relatively better shape. The persistence of the crisis has meant that the relatively open and liberal trading environment in the West, which allowed the export-driven economies of China and East Asia to flourish and to emerge as major manufacturing platforms, is now under threat.

In responding to sluggish growth and shrinking markets, both the US and Western economies have been resorting increasingly to protectionist measures, using non-tariff barriers such as imposing environmental or labour standards. For India, which adopted economic reforms and liberalisation comparatively late, these protectionist trends come at a time when there is a renewed effort to establish India as a globally competitive manufacturing hub. "Make in India" will not enjoy an international economic environment as supportive as China did in the post-Cold War period. The US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and its initiative for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) threaten to create large trading zones with restrictive norms and standards.

India faces the risk of being pushed to the margins of an increasingly fragmented global economy. This may also render the strategic partnership between India and the United States unstable and unbalanced. For a strong partnership, both the economic and security pillars must be strong and mutually beneficial.

It is the perception of a weakened United States and Europe that has led to more assertive behaviour on the part of both major powers like China and Russia as well as regional actors in different parts of the world. The United States has been reluctant to intervene in regional conflicts even as it withdraws its military presence from Afghanistan. A more fractured and somewhat anarchic geopolitical landscape has emerged, confronting India with a more complex and challenging external environment. This is particularly apparent in West Asia, but is also reflected in other regions, including Africa.

The crisis has also led to the independent power and influence of Germany, and this has its own implications for the future of Europe. Some analysts see in the Ukraine crisis a not-too-subtle attempt by the United States and the United Kingdom to rein in Germany and retard its growing engagement with Russia. There is no doubt that the West is divided over how to deal with Russia. Few wish to return to the dangerous tensions of a renewed Cold War.

For India, the Ukraine crisis has introduced a new element of discomfort as it seeks to maintain its residual relationship with Russia, without impacting on its growing partnership with the United States. It is also uncomfortable over the tightening embrace between Russia and China, which works to its disadvantage.

In provoking the crisis over Ukraine, the United States does not appear to have thought through its incompatibility with its pivot to Asia. In the US-China-Russia triangle, it is China which now holds the levers, not the United States as hitherto.

There appears to be an implicit assumption that India can repeat the China story by following the same prescription: of export-driven, investment-led growth in manufacturing with access to external markets, in a generally stable and peaceful international environment. India cannot follow China's economic trajectory. The task of managing India's foreign relations is also more challenging. The context having changed, it is time to revisit these assumptions.