Vol 52
CONTENTS
Our Representatives : Ahmedabad: Manisha Verma, Bangalore: M. Devendra Chennai: I. Vijayan, Guwahati: P. Chakravorty, Hyderabad: V. Balakrishna,
Kolkata: Antara Ghosh, Mumbai: D.L. Narayana Rao, Thiruvananthapuram: Madhusudan Verma.
YOJANA seeks to carry the message of the Plan to all sections of the people and promote a more earnest discussion on problems of social and economic development. Although
published by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Yojana is not restricted to expressing the official point of view. Yojana is published in Assamese, Bengali,
English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.
EDITORIAL OFFICE : Yojana Bhavan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi Tel.: 23096738, 23717910, (23096666, 23096690, 23096696- Extn. 2509, 2510, 2565, 2566, 2511).
Tlgm.: Yojana. Business Manager (Hqs.) : Ph :24367260, 24365609, 24365610
For new subscriptions, renewals, enquiries please contact : Business Manager (Circulation & Advt.), Publications Division, Min. of I&B, East Block-IV, Level-VII,
R.K. Puram, New Delhi-110066, Tel.: 26100207, Telegram : Soochprakasan and Sales Emporia : Publications Division: *Soochna Bhavan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road,
New Delhi -110003 (Ph 24365610) *Hall No.196, Old Secretariat, Delhi 110054(Ph 23890205) * 701, B Wing, 7th Floor, Kendriya Sadan, Belapur, Navi Mumbai 400614
(Ph 27570686)*8, Esplanade East, Kolkata-700069 (Ph 22488030) *’A’ Wing, Rajaji Bhawan, Basant Nagar, Chennai-600090 (Ph 24917673) *Press road, Near Govt. Press,
Thiruvananthapuram-695001 (Ph 2330650) *Block No.4, 1st Floor, Gruhakalpa Complex, M G Road, Nampally, Hyderabad-500001 (Ph 24605383) *1st Floor, ‘F’ Wing,
Kendriya Sadan, Koramangala, Bangalore-560034 (Ph 25537244) *Bihar State Co-operative Bank Building, Ashoka Rajpath, Patna-800004 (Ph 2683407) *Hall No 1, 2nd
floor, Kendriya Bhawan, Sector-H, Aliganj, Lucknow-226024(Ph 2225455) *Ambica Complex, 1st Floor, above UCO Bank, Paldi, Ahmedabad-380007 (Ph 26588669) *KKB
Road, New Colony, House No.7, Chenikuthi, Guwahati 781003 (Ph 2665090)
SUBSCRIPTION : 1 year Rs. 100, 2 years Rs. 180, 3 years Rs. 250. For neighbouring countries by Air Mail Rs. 530 yearly; for European and other countries Rs. 730 yearly.
No. of Pages : 68
Disclaimer :
l The views expressed in various articles are those of the authors’ and not necessarily of the government.
l The readers are requested to verify the claims made in the advertisements regarding career guidance books/institutions. Yojana does not own responsibility
regarding the contents of the advertisements.
Indicators: Monthly Units Feb- Mar- Apr- May- Jun- Jul- Aug- Sep- Oct- Nov- Dec- Jan- Feb- Mar- Apr- May-
07 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 08 08 08 08 08
Prices
“Wholesale price index 1993-94= 100 208.9 209.8 211.5 212.3 212.3 213.6 213.8 215.1 215.2 215.9 216.4 218.2 219.9 225.5 227.2
(All Commodities)”
% change 6.3 6.6 6.3 5.5 4.5 4.7 4.1 3.5 3.1 3.3 3.8 4.5 5.3 7.5 7.41
Agriculture
Dev. from normal rainfall Per cent 32 14 -20 -31 8 0 -2 14 -22 -49 1 -19 -14 21 -15 -31
Stock of Rice (Central pool) mln. tns. 14.0 13.2 13.5 12.6 10.6 6.7 10.7 10.1 11.2 13.5 -
Stock of Wheat (-do-) mln. tns. 5.1 4.6 11.6 13.3 12.8 10.9 9.0 8.4 7.4 5.5 - - - -
Investments (CMIE CapEx database) Mar ‘01 Mar ‘02 Mar ‘03 Mar ‘04 Mar ‘05 Mar ‘06 Mar ‘07 Mar ‘08
Investments (CMIE CapEx database) Rs.crore 1,403,025 1,486,938 1,382,122 1,503,040 1,931,500 2,761,339 4,293,108 6,118,218
“Project investments
outstanding* (as on)” project count 4,328 5,805 6,942 8,835 9,434 9,688 12,281 14,501
Note: (a) % change is year on year (y-o-y) basis; (b) # MTOE: Million Tonnes of Oil Equivalent; (c) ^ Total value of foreign currencies held by Govt. of India (excl. gold & SDRs); (d) * It is the sum
total of the project costs of all the outstanding (Live) capital expenditure projects happening in the country. These projects may be under announced or under-implementation stage.
Source: i3 (i-cube) at Planning Commission, New Delhi, Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE)
F
ood security is access to enough food by all people at all time for an active and
healthy life. In the past concerted efforts were made to achieve food security by
increasing food grain production, thanks to impact of green revolution, though
it was limited to same crops and that too in limited States. To ensure easy access to
food at household level, government monopolised grain management and subsidized
food grains. Paradoxically, India attained national food self-sufficiency 35 years ago,
yet about 35% of its population remains food insecure. Low incomes and high food
prices prevent individual food security. Another aspect of India’s food security situation
is that after over three decades of operation, Public Distribution System (PDS) meets
less than 10% of consumption of PDS grains – rice and wheat - by the poor.
At the global level, a poor harvest coupled with rising demand has led to an overall increase in food prices.
Unfavourable weather conditions in parts of Europe and North Africa, together with worst ever drought in Australia,
have put stocks of major food crops, especially wheat, at record low levels. Tight supply pushed up the prices of
wheat to unprecedented heights, significantly affecting food inflation across the world including India.
Surging foodgrain prices and worsening global supplies are now bringing the domestic food crisis to the
boil. The crisis has been building up for sometime. The food grains yields of Indian farmers are not going up.
Grain output has been stagnating for over a decade and there is a growing gap between supply and demand
Attaining long-term food security requires the raising of incomes and making food affordable. To ensure
food security for the vulnerable section of the society, a multi-pronged strategy is to be evolved. To begin
with, all the existing social safety-net programmes need amalgamation and should focus on vulnerable and
underprivileged regions and groups. The existing anti-poverty programmes may be made more transparent with
better governance that minimizes leakages and benefits the poorest of poor. Landless poor and underprivileged
population in rural and urban areas are likely to benefit from such programmes. Simultaneously, agriculture
needs to be reformed by improving incentives, increasing investment etc. so that production of traditional
and high-value commodities can be increased.
Unfortunately, agriculture is in the grip of poor performance. Traditional sources of augmenting income
are ceasing. Production environment is changing, it is now dominated by small holders. With the shrinking
land holdings, their sustainability and viability can not rely solely on production of food grains. To augment
their income, small holders need to diversify their production and crops.
O
n the eve of the 50th Unfortunately, the progress made
anniversary of India’s since 1997 in the elimination of child,
independence on August maternal and adult malnutrition as
14-15, 1997, the then well as in improving our rank in the
President Shri K R UN Human Development Index has
Narayanan listed our
been poor in relation to our capacity
adherence to a democratic system
of governance and our launching a to achieve them. It will therefore be
green revolution in agriculture as the worthwhile to review briefly where
two most important achievements of we are today.
the first 50 years of what Jawaharlal
Mission 2007 : A Hunger-free
Nehru christened as, “India’s tryst
with destiny”. At a Consultation India:
held at the M S Swaminathan Over two hundred million
Research Foundation in Chennai at
children, women and men go to bed
the beginning of the new century,
This is the it was proposed that two major now partially hungry. Jointly with
the World Food Programme, MSSRF
goals for the 60th anniversary
pathway to achieving commemoration should be a hunger- scientists have analysed the causes
free India on the lines proposed for the persistence of widespread
sustainable food and by Mahatma Gandhi in 1946 at chronic hunger and presented the
Naokhali, and accelerated progress available information in two Atlases
nutrition security in human resource development
through a knowledge revolution
relating to food insecurity in rural
and urban India. These Atlases
and thereby the in rural India. Based on a series
of consultations, two Missions provided valuable guidelines for
first among the – 2007 were launched through
multi-stakeholder consortia, one
the preparation of a road map for
the elimination of chronic, hidden
UN Millennium for eliminating chronic under- and
mal-nutrition, and the other for
and transient hunger and resulted in
the development of the following
Development Goals rural knowledge connectivity. seven point action plan. This plan
The author is M.P. (Rajya Sabha) and Chairman, MSS Research Foundation.
Right to food
J
ean Dreze is one of the leading development Economist in India. He has made seminal contributions to
the discourse on hunger and public action and has co-authored several books with Nobel laureate Prof
Amartya Sen. He is an Honorary Professor at the Delhi School of Economics and Visiting Professor at
Allahabad University. Dreze is an Indian citizen of Belgian origin. He has travelled extensively across India
over the past three decades and is associated with several campaigns for economic and social rights. He was
a member of the support group that initiated the Right to Food Campaign and is widely acknowledged as
one of the architects of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. He has also been a key figure in the
Right to Information Campaign.
Biraj Patnaik is the Principal Adviser to the Commissioners to the Supreme Court in the Right to Food Case.
This interview is adapted from an earlier conversation for Infochange Agenda.
It is now several years since the Right to Food Campaign was launched. What would you count as the
most significant achievements of the campaign?
JD I am not sure what counts as an “achievement of the campaign”. On almost every important issue, the
campaign has been part of a larger process of democratic practice. For instance, is the Employment
Guarantee Act an achievement of the campaign? Well, the campaign certainly played a major role in
putting this issue on the political agenda, as well as in drafting the Act. But many other actors also
played a crucial role: the Left parties, the National Advisory Council, the trade unions, and so on. There
is no point in trying to apportion the credit. Having said this, I think that major issues on which the
campaign made a useful contribution include employment guarantee, mid-day meals, social security,
and more recently, the universalisation of nutrition and health services for children under the age of
six.
While the right to food has been an important area of work for decades for many trade unions, activists
and civil society organisations, the present RTF campaign has its roots in the PUCL petition in the
Supreme Court. Do you think that the campaign has now grown beyond the issues that are being raised
and debated in the SC and become more rooted in local action?
JD I think that the campaign has certainly outgrown the court case. Of course, the Supreme Court orders
did give the campaign a much-needed tool for action on many issues. For instance, I doubt that mid-day
meals would ever have been introduced in primary schools without the intervention of the Court. But
there have also been important achievements on issues that go beyond the court case. The most obvious
example is the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. This has been a major focus of the campaign
for the last few years, even though it has little to do with the court case.
JD Firstly, I think that this contrast between politics and the law is a little misleading. The legal
system is one of the democratic institutions that can be used to assert the right to food, or for that
matter other economic and social rights. There are others – electoral politics, public debate,
media advocacy, street action, and more. So I see legal action as an integral part of democratic
politics. As far as civil society’s “level of engagement outside the legal framework” is concerned,
I am not sure what the relevant yardstick is. But I certainly feel that we are making poor use of
this country’s vast opportunities for effective social action.
Many people argue that the focus on schemes and legal action does not adequately address structural
issues of poverty like land reforms and forest rights and underplays caste and gender dynamics, which
are the root causes of persistent hunger. How would you react to that?
JD Legal action does not exclude “structural issues” as you call them. Land reforms and forest rights, for
example, certainly have important legal dimensions. What is true is that legal action has its limits. In
fact, I am quite disillusioned myself with the legal system. The Supreme Court of India has become an
unaccountable centre of power, which brazenly uses its authority to “legislate at random in all directions”,
as Kropotkin described the lawyers of his time. But while it is important to be aware of the limits of
legal action, shunning it altogether would be a mistake. What is important is to supplement legal action
with other forms of public action. That is what the campaign is all about.
You have made significant contributions to a number of national campaigns. But the interface between
various campaigns and groups is decreasing. Has the RTF campaign been able to create a more inclusive
platform? How can the campaign draw in more networks and groups?
JD I have not noticed any decreasing interface. In this kind of broad-based, informal movement, the patterns
of association between different groups are bound to change over time. Perhaps some of these bonds are
weakening, but I am sure that others are getting stronger. For instance, strong links are emerging between
organisations working on the right to information and the right to work, and similarly between activists
concerned with the right to food and the right to work. As for creating inclusive platforms that work, I think
that this is the holy grail of social action in India, or for that matter anywhere. The search continues.
One of your strengths has been your ability to mobilise young people to volunteer for campaigns you
have been associated with. Would you agree with the perception that there is a decline in the number
of young people willing to participate in political action, especially on an issue like the right to food
which affects some of the poorest sections of Indian society?
JD I don’t know if such a decline is taking place. But if it is, the main reason is that we fail to present
young people with opportunities to participate in effective forms of political action on these issues. In
my experience, there is a vast reservoir of latent energy, imagination and commitment among young
people, waiting to be tapped. For instance, you would be surprised to see how many students are willing
to take part in field surveys during the summer months, without remuneration, even in very difficult
conditions – just to make a difference. This experience often has a lasting influence on their values
and priorities. But how often do they get a chance to do something like this? q
V M Rao
A
fter over t h r e e a reduction in the first part of the
decades of relatively period (1990-92 to 1995-97) was
comfortable production subsequently reversed”. According
and availability of food to FAO, in 2001-03, India had 212
grains, India once again million undernourished which
seems to be sliding back was much higher than the MDG
to those humiliating days of mid- (Millennium Development Goals
1960s when the country was living of United Nations) target.
from “ship to mouth” on imported
wheat obtained as aid from USA. A report released by a US-based
The country is still away from group says South Asia continues to
that point but the steps it is taking face “critical” levels of hunger. The
are indeed in that direction. The report says the current hot spots of
prospects which are grim stand hunger and under-nutrition are in
out clearly in some of the recent South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
But India assessments by UN agencies and
While there have been dramatic
improvements in South Asia, the
foreign observers.
has certainly report says the region remains
The latest report of Food and “an area of great concern”. The
a good Agriculture Organisation (The Institute studied 119 countries for
State of Food Security in the World, its research and the index ranked
chance to 2006) laments that during the period countries on a 100-point scale,
do that if only 1990-92 to 2001-03 “Significant
progress in reducing the number of
with zero being the best score (no
hunger) and 100 being the worst.
it tries with undernourished people was made in
China and the populous sub-region
India and most other South Asian
countries score in the region of
earnestness of Southeast Asia. In India, on 20 plus and are categorised in the
the other hand, the prevalence of group in which the food security
and hunger declined, but the outcome situation is “alarming”. “In India
in terms of reducing the number and Bangladesh, high rates of child
determination of undernourished was small as malnutrition are the main reason
The author is with the Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore.
I
processes operated along with coverage targets with little concern
weak rural programmes for supply n response to the looming food
about benefits delivered to the poor
of safe drinking water in adequate crisis of the mid-1960s, Indira
and lack of co-ordination with other
quantities, improved rural sanitation, Gandhi and her dedicated team
departments.As a result, programmes
provision of houses to the rural worked out a holistic strategy based
routinely report achievement of
poor etc. The result was growing on combining programmes dealing
targets but the conditions of the
development gap between what have with all the major development
poor show little improvement.
been described in media as India dimensions-introducing miracle
and Bharat. Today, there are indeed seeds from abroad, adaptive research The signs of crisis in food
three entities-the shining India of and extension to nurture them in security could prove to be an
urban elites, Bharat of emerging the field, coordinated supply of opportunity to make an enduring
rural elites and the rural poor. The modern inputs, price and marketing improvement in food security if
last entity is numerically the largest, support, bank credit for agriculture, it triggers a change from the line-
suffers from multiple deprivations employment programmes for the department type of development
including food insecurity and poor, making the small and marginal planning to the Green Revolution
abysmal levels of health, nutrition, farmers viable and programmes to type. Prime Minister Manmohan
sanitation and housing. Their poverty meet the minimum basic needs. The Singh and his colleagues have
gets perpetuated over time due to outcome was a grand synergistic excellent credentials to emulate
weak access to education, skills, success-unprecedented growth in Indira Gandhi. In fact, the current
assets and productive livelihoods rice and wheat, a wide range of context is marked by several
in a globalising and liberalising poverty alleviation programmes, positive factors as compared to
(Email :vmadiman@hotmail.com)
Food Crisis
Surinder Sud
I
ndia is in a position (2007-08) of the Indian Council of
to increase production of Agricultural Research (ICAR) also
wheat by over 30 million points to the available exploitable
tonnes, or around 40 per production potential that can be
cent, and double paddy gainfully harnessed to boost overall
production while using grain availability.
both current levels of technology
In the case of wheat, the crop in
and well tried out agronomic
news in recent years, the productivity
practices. This can be done by
in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar
bridging the existing gap in the Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan
actual crop yields and the potential is already very high, around 3.5
yields, within any state, or by to 4.5 tonnes a hectare, which is
narrowing them down substantially.
If yields Narrowing the yield gap across
comparable to China’s 4.25 tonnes
and better than that in the US (2.9
across states states will increase production
levels a lot more, but this article is
tonnes) and Australia (1.64 tonnes).
Yet, there is room for further
can be hiked to not talking about that. increase in wheat production in
this belt because the actual average
levels already This has been shown by various
studies based on the data recorded yield of the region as a whole still
achieved within in 2003-04 and 2004-05 on yields falls short of the obtainable level by
around 1.7 tonnes a hectare.
realised with improved agronomic
the state, as they practices and the existing actual Indeed, the differences in the
average yields in different states.
can with extension The results have been quoted by the
present average wheat yields
and those that can be had with
services, wheat National Development Council’s
sub-committee on agriculture and
improved practices vary from 6
per cent in Punjab to a whopping
output can rise related issues in its report presented
to the Planning Commission in
50 per cent in UP, the state with
the largest area under this crop
by 40% May 2007. The Annual Report in the country. UP alone, with
Ground Reality
Potential increase in production if yields within state rise to best within that state
(yield in tonnes per hectare, 2002-03 to 2004-05
Wheat
State Improved Actual Yield Gap Area Possible Additional
Practice 2003-04 % tonnes/ha (mn ha) Production (mn tonne)
Uttar Pradesh 4.20 2.79 50.5 1.41 9.00 12.69
Bihar 3.65 1.78 104.8 1.87 2.03 3.79
Punjab 4.46 4.20 6.1 0.26 3.48 0.90
Haryana 4.75 3.96 19.8 0.79 2.32 1.83
Rajasthan 3.94 2.79 41.3 1.15 2.01 2.31
Gujarat 4.03 2.68 50.5 1.35 0.73 0.98
Madhya Pradesh 3.29 1.78 84.3 1.51 4.14 6.25
Maharashtra 3.41 1.33 155.5 2.08 0.76 1.58
Himachal Pradesh 2.61 1.38 89.6 1.23 0.36 0.44
West Bengal 2.76 2.31 19.4 0.45 0.40 0.18
Uttarakhand 3.38 1.87 80.5 1.51 0.39 0.58
Total 31.53
Rice
State Improved Actual Yield Gap State Improved Actual Yield Gap
Practice 2003-04 % Practice 2003-04 %
a) Rainfed (upland) rice Tripura 1.36
Chhattisgarh 3.74 1.45 1.57 Uttar Pradesh 3.65 2.18 67.2
Jharkhand 2.29 1.69 35.2 c) Irrigated Rice
Manipur 4.27 - - Chhattisgarh 3.91 1.45 169.4
Uttar Pradesh 3.62 1.94 86.4 Bihar 4.88 1.51 222.1
b) Rainfed (shallow lowland)/Boro Rice Gujarat 5.58 1.89 195.3
Assam 4.52 1.53 194.7 J&K 7.48 1.94 285.8
Chhattisgarh 3.55 1.45 144.2 Uttar Pradesh 7.05 2.18 222.4
Jharkhand 3.48 1.69 105.3 Uttaranchal 3.85 1.94 98.2
(Email : surinder.sud@gmail.com)
I
ndia is one of the fastest world. The rest of the countries
growing economies in the come from Africa. According to
world. It is also the 12th FAO of the United Nations, 200
largest economy in the million people, one fourth of the
world. The fast growth world’s undernourished population,
that India has experienced live in India. About 41 percent of
in the last several years has placed the world’s underweight children
India as a key player in the global call India their home, says UN
economy. India is also poised with Hunger Taskforce. India’s children,
its enormous human capital to the future human resource capital of
attract a high level of foreign direct the country, face enormous growth
investment and likely to become challenges; 47 percent of children
one of the most powerful countries under 5 years old are underweight,
on the globe if the above trends 45% are stunted, and 16% have
continue. With its increasing role severe malnutrition (wasting). Such
in global economic development, severity of malnutrition can only be
the world is counting on India observed in famine prone countries
for achieving the Millennium where acute food insecurity is
A hunger Development Goals set by the extreme and frequent. With
United Nations for the year 2015. continuous achievement of food
free India is self sufficiency over the last three
Where does India stand in decades such global ranking begs the
not only a achieving global food security? question - what is wrong with Indian
India has achieved food self agriculture and food policies?
nation’s pride sufficiency 30 years ago through
dramatic investments in technology, Why is achieving food security
but can make a institutions, and infrastructure. Yet in India important? By reducing
India’s efforts in achieving food its own food insecurity and hungry
huge contribution security for all Indians remain population, India will make a major
unimpressive. India is the only Asian dent in achieving global food security.
to global food country other than Bangladesh and A fast developing country, such as
Yemen to be in the top 25 of 97 India, positioning itself to be one of the
security hunger affected countries in the world’s most powerful nations cannot
The author is with the International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington.
W
consumed by the population will
programs that improve the quantity hile achieving higher go through enormous change in its
and quality of food consumed yield levels is a long diversity and mixture. An indication
by the population. Increasing the term process through of that is already seen in India
accessibility of food depends on focused research programs that as the middle income consumers
food prices and the income of the use resources effectively, in increasingly consume high value
population. Keeping food prices low the short run, effective social crops, such as fruits, vegetables,
and still enabling reasonable farm welfare programs could reduce livestock products, fish, and milk. Yet
income requires reduced unit cost of the severity of hunger. India has India is also home for a large number
production. several programs in place but they of people affected by micronutrient
are not implemented right either deficiency (iron, iodine, vitamin A).
Technology plays a key role in
individually or jointly. A major This hidden hunger contributes to
reducing the cost of production of challenge in reducing hunger in low human capital through reduced
commodities. The role of research the short term, is the inefficiency cognitive ability of the people, and
in increasing the productivity of of social safety net institutions. low productivity of labor. Policies
crops is crucial. For example, in Effective monitoring of the food that increase quality by fortifying
India, the yield of rice and wheat distribution systems including the food would help in reducing
has not changed in the last 10 food for work programs can aid micronutrient malnutrition.
years. The yield of rice hovers in redesigning them. Improved
around 1900kgs/hectare while the governance of these institutions at Finally, solving the problem of
yield of wheat is around 2600kgs/ all levels will help to serve those food insecurity in India requires
hectare. Unless these yield levels who are in need of food most, agro-ecological approaches. Blanket
are doubled in the next 10-15 years recommendations of technology
achieving food security through There has been an increased and policy cannot be effective in
improving the income of the rural emphasis on high value agriculture solving localized food security
masses cannot be realized. The low for a second green revolution. problems. In this context, there is a
Madan Sabnavis
T
he wheat crisis which root of the issue; and approaches
has come to the forefront towards procurement, fair price to
in the last two years has farmers and consumers, imports and
gotten entrenched in deep alternative modes of resolving these
controversy as it has gone issues are only supportive measures
beyond the realm of Economics into and not the solution.
Politics. Wheat imports has become
To set the issues involved in a clear
a ticklish subject, with the price
perspective let us try and enumerate
being paid by the government to the
and then analyze the various subjects
farmer as well as by the consumer
of controversy. The first is production
at the retail end have both become
and productivity. The second is
controversies in themselves. In
the need to provide a remunerative
2006 the grievance was that the
price to the farmer. The third is to
consumer was paying too high a
ensure that procurement targets of
More price, while in 2007 it was felt that
the government are attained. The
the farmer was not paid the right
innovative price. The blame has been passed
fourth is to explore alternative ways
of meeting the procurement in case
from one entity to another including
schemes for inept government action, private
the MSP fails to deliver.
M S Swaminathan
T
owards the end of planning commission and Finance
1966, the late Vikram Ministry. This was a significant
Sarabhai and I called on chapter in the evolution of our food
the then Prime Minister, security system. I recall the instance
Indira Gandhi, to brief her to emphasise that had this wisdom
on the power of television contunued to guide our public
and remote sensing techniques in policy, we would not now have
accelerating the progress in enhancing been in a position where we buy
the productivity of farming systems. wheat from abroad at a cost double
She turned to me and asked, “ How of what is paid to our farmers.
soon can we build a stock of 10 In Indira Gandhi’s time in
million tonnes of wheat”? I was a the 1960s and early 1970s, our
little taken aback by this question, but population was only 600 million.
I later realised that this was because Now it is over 1.1 billion. Chronic
we had to import 10 million tonnes undernutrition and malnutrition are
The sooner we of wheat that year, largely under the widespread, particularly among
PL-480 programme of the United children and women. A ‘blame
do this, the States. More than anyone else, she
understood the relationship between
game’ does not help anyone. What
is important is to learn appropriate
greater will be food sovereignty and national
sovereignty.. I recall mentioning
lessons from the economic and
political dangers inherent in policies,
the possibility of to her then that the first production
breakthrough will occur in 1968 and
which will make us depend upon
imported food to operate the Pubic
avoiding both a that we can build the grain reserve
desired by her by the early 1970s.
Distribution System (PDS).
Readers’ Editor
Freedom of the press is important. So is its social responsibility, which must begin with interaction with and
accountability to readers. Yojana announces the appointment of Readers’ Editor in its 51 years of glorious past.
The key objectives are to institutionalize the practice of accountability and transparency~ to create a new visible
framework to improve accuracy, verification, and standards to strengthen bonds between the Yojana and its readers.
We intend to create new channels of communication with and greater responsiveness to readers and to look for
ways of improving the Yojana’ s work and performance through readers’ concerns, ideas, and suggestions and ways
to develop Yojana for the benefit of its readers and for itself. It will also be our endeavour to correct significant errors
pointed out by readers.
We wish to acknowledge that Yojana has been inspired by ‘The Hindu’ which in 2006 followed the exemplary
practice and experience of ‘The Guardian’, U.K. The office of Readers’ Editor can be contacted by
Telephone: 011-23717910, 011-23096666 Extn. 2508
(office working hours from Monday to Friday)
e-mail : readerseditor@yahoo.com
Postal Readers’ Editor, Room No.506, Yojana Bhavan,
Address New Delhi-ll000l
Our esteemed readers are requested to use this facility and give suggestions to enrich Yojana. All communications
shall carry the full postal address, telephone no. and e-mail address.
Amartya Sen
W
ill the food crisis who lived in cities experienced
that is men acin g rapidly rising incomes, especially in
the lives of millions Calcutta, where huge expenditures for
ease up - or grow the war against Japan caused a boom
worse over time? The that quadrupled food prices. The rural
answer may be both. poor faced these skyrocketing prices
The recent rise in food prices has with little increase in income.
largely been caused by temporary
Misdirected government policy
problems like drought in Australia,
worsened the division. The British
Ukraine and elsewhere. Though the
rulers were determined to prevent
need for huge rescue operations is
urban discontent during the war,
urgent, the present acute crisis will
so the government bought food
eventually end. But underlying it
in the villages and sold it, heavily
is a basic problem that will only
subsidised, in the cities, a move
intensify unless we recognise it and
The global try to remedy it.
that increased rural food prices
even further: Low earners in the
food problem It is a tale of two peoples. villages starved. Two million to
In one version of the story, a three million people died in that
is not being country with a lot of poor people famine and its aftermath.
caused by a suddenly experiences fast economic
expansion, but only half of the
Much discussion is rightly
devoted to the division between
falling trend in people share in the new prosperity.
haves and have-nots in the global
The favoured ones spend a lot of
world production, their new income on food, and
economy, but the world’s poor are
themselves divided between those
unless suply expands very quickly,
it is the result prices shoot up. The rest of the
who are experiencing high growth
and those who are not. The rapid
of accelerating poor now face higher food prices
but no grater income, and begin to
economic expansion in countries
like China, India and Vietnam
demand starve. Tragedies like this happen
repeatedly in the world.
tends to sharply increase the
demand for food. This is of course,
A stark example is the Bengal an excellent thing in itself, and
famine of 1943, during the last days if these countries could manage
of the British rule in India. The poor to reduce their unequal internal
A Crippling Indifference
Ashok Mitra
T
he reserve Bank of per cent would not therefore be at population has increased by around
India dutifully publishes all unfair. 150 per cent during the period we
each year A handbook of have in mind; overall production of
Seasoned politician as well as
Statistics on the Indian pulses has gone up, as noted, by at
civil servants constantly express
Economy. The latest such most 40 per cent.
their concern over the nation’s food
publication carries, on
security, mentioning, inter alia, how In the terminology of economics,
page 50, a table detailing the
this security has been ensured by pulses belong to the category of
production of principal foodgrains
thoughtful official measures such as so-called Giffen goods, inferior
all the way from 1950-51 till
2006-07. The data presented are most the induction of path-breaking new commodities the demand for which
enlightening. Wheat production in farm technologies. Some Economists drops with rising standard of living.
the country has advanced from 6.46 are nonetheless convinced that, Pulses are a minor constituent in the
million tonnes in 1950-51 to 74.89 over the past half-century, per consumption basket of the affluent
million tonnes in 2006-07, that is, by capita availability of foodgrains–an sections in society; the same is true
more than eleven-and-a-half times. important index of food security— for coarse grains like jowar and
The corresponding rise in the output has declined; given the phenomenon bajra. The relative sluggishness
of rice is from 20.58 millions tonnes of growing income inequalities, to their output leads to but one
to 92.76 million, which works out per capita grain availability for the conclusion: inferior foodgrains
to an order of increase slightly country’s poor has actually fallen far such as pulses and coarse cereals do
exceeding four-and-a-half time. more sharply. not come within the orbit of interest
of national planners. The gross
In the case of coarse grains like Other Economists to contest
domestic product has maintained
jowar, bajra and ragi, however, this point of view, and the debate
a rate of growth of 9 per cent or
the increase in output is markedly remains open-ended. Since the
more per annum in recent years. In
less, from 15.38 million tonnes national population has increased
the circumstances, there is scarcely
in 1950-51 to 34-25 million in roughly two-and-a-half times
any need, so it seems is the view of
2006-07; production has doubled, between the early Fifities and the
officialdom, to strive to augment
but hardly much more than that. first decade of the 21st century,
the production of inferior grains.
Considerably worse is the state of per capita availability of wheat
things with regard to pulses. The must have, on the face of it, gone The GDP may increase at a
production of pulses in the country up to an appreciable extent. Per breathtakingly exponential rate,
was 8.41 million tonnes in 1950- capita availability with respect to but that has little impact on the
51; in 2006-07, almost six decades rice too has risen, but moderately. state of poverty and destitution
later, it was 14.23 million tonnes, The picture is altogether different in the country. Roughly one-
the rise in output being less than for both coarse grains and pulses. third of the nation continues to
60 per cent. In fact, the production Per capita availability of coarse be horrendously poor even after
of pulses was already 10.62 million grains is likely to have fallen by six decades of independence and
tonnes in 1953-54. To suggest at least one-third during the epoch spiralling growth in GDP in recent
that, over the vast stretch of half of economic planning. For pulses, years. The upper stratum-consisting
a century, the national output of the situation is staggeringly much of, say, one-fifth of the national
pulses has increased by barely 40 more frightening. The country’s population-are monopolizing the
T
he Employment News, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, New Delhi
invites applications from all over the country for empanelment of distributors for sale of the copies of
Employment News/Rozgar Samachar. The detailed advertisement in this regard is being published
in Employment News/Rozgar Samachar issue dated 14th June, 2008, 28th June, 2008 and 5th July, 2008. In
order to increase the reach of Employment News preference will be given to applicants from areas untapped
so far. Applications complete in all respects should reach the Additional Director General, Employment News,
Each Block-IV, Level-5, R.K. Puram, New Delhi-110066 latest by 15th July, 2008, positively.
Additional Director General, Employment News
Cir./EN-SP-4/08
I
ndia has drastically Well, you might still be thinking zero and cut in duty on edible oils
reduced import duties on that the Doha Round of the World comes at a time when the import duty
edible oils and rice in a bid Trade Organisation (WTO) has on wheat and pulses have already
to check rising inflation. remained struck for seven years been reduced to zero. These four
While the import tariff on now and there seems to be no major agricultural commodities,
rice has been brought down to zero, movement at all. Let me correct including the three most important
the duty on all types of edible oil in you. This is because we have not food crops, have now been left
crude form has been removed and been following the negotiations so highly vulnerable to the vagaries of
the duty on the refined form of edible carefully. In mid-March, Brazil’s an unjust international trade. In any
oil has been slashed to 7.5 per cent. chief negotiator, Roberto Azevedo case, with the international prices
Besides there will be no customs was quoted as saying that the of wheat and rice hitting the roof,
duty on import of maize upto five there seems to be no justification for
Doha Round was closer than ever
lakh tonnes. reducing the import tariff to zero.
to an agreement. Negotiators have
The US President George been working round-the-clock Intriguingly, the decision to
Bush has said,” We are willing to towards a possible ministerial remove the import duties on wheat,
make serious concessions on the level meeting either in April or rice and pulses (along with a massive
agricultural front, but we expect May, where a breakthrough seems cut in duties on edible oils) comes
other nations to open up their possible. at a time when a Rs 8,000/- crore
markets.” Just to remind you in what National Food Security Mission
context this statement was made, The duty cut has been enormous.
has been launched with the aim to
the US and the European Union Besides crude palm oil, the
increase productivity of these four
have been under pressure to make government has also cut import
commodities. By the end of the
deeper cuts in their agricultural sub- duties on all refined edible oils to 7.5
11th Plan, the target is to increase
sidies and tariffs, but are looking per cent. The WTO will now forfeit
the production of rice by 10 million
for major countries like India and India’s right to restore its import
tonnes, wheat by eight million
Brazil to open their markets in duties, which means that India will in
tonnes and pulses by two million
exchange. future have to maintain the maximum
tonnes. I fail to understand how can
level of duties to 20 per cent or so. you increase the productivity of rice
India has taken the first step.
It has lowered the duties. And by Let us now move beyond the or wheat for instance in the next five
doing so it has sent the right signal WTO argument. The decision to years by keeping the doors open for
to President Bush. bring the import duties on rice to imports at the same time.
Essay Contest
Y
ojana in collaboration with Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India is organizing
an essay competition on consumer awareness in Hindi and English.
The theme is ‘Unethical Food Marketing to Children’. The prizes are sponsored by Department
of Consumer Affairs.
(i) First Prize Rs.5,000/-
(ii) Second Prize Rs.3,000/-
(iii) Third Prize Rs.2,000/-
(iv) 10 Consolation prizes Rs.l,000/-
(v) Annual subscription of Yojana to 50 contestants including the above prize winners
The competition is open to all except officers/staff members and relatives of Yojana, Publications Division,
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and Department of Consumer Affairs. Students and civil service
aspirants, especially women, are encouraged to participate. Entries can be sent through e-mail, ordinary
post/regd. post/speed post/courier. There is no age bar and the word limit should be between 1500 to 2000
words. The words “Essay Contest” should be superscribed on the envelope carrying the essay. The last date
for receipt of entries in Yojana Office is 15th August 08. The entries should be sent to:
By Post:
Editorial Office,
Yojana, Room No.538,
Yojana Bhavan,
Parliament Street,
New Delhi-110001
Through Email:
e-mail address: yojanaessay@live.com
T
he Government has nutrients, especially the vital micro- On the whole, the Mission
launched the new National nutrients, has impaired the fertility plans to operate in 305 districts of
Food Security Mission of the agricultural land. Therefore, 16 States with a total 11th Five-
2007 with the basic objective to bring about an increase in the Year Plan outlay of Rs. 4882.5
of grappling with the persistent yields, high doses of some costly crore. Of these, 133 districts in
yield shortage in the country. inputs will have to be brought in. 12 States have been selected for
The mission, which has become However, the farmers are frequently enhancing rice yields, 138 districts
operational from the current rabi denied remunerative returns on in nine States for wheat and 168
season, has its tasks cut out. It their products; hence they usually districts in 14 States for pulses.
has to raise the production of find it difficult to afford those costly The participating States include
rice by 10 million tonnes, wheat inputs. Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh,
by 8 million tonnes and pulses Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka,
by 2 million tonnes in five years, The fund-starved farmers have
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
ending 2011-12. not been replacing the old seeds
with fresh ones of superior varieties. Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar
The desired target does not Besides, the agriculture extension Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand
look difficult on the face of machinery responsible for know- and Rajasthan.
it. The primary reason of this how and technology transfer has What sets this Mission apart
optimism is that there happens remained idle in most states for from many of the other existing
to be a substantial gap between a long time. Consequently, even technology mission is that it
the current average yields and simple measures like timely seed proposes to function through
the potential yields which can be planting, critical for a crop like designated state agencies and
bridged with the help of available wheat, have not been communicated dispenses with the usual treasury
technologies. The basic objectives to the farmers effectively. route for the transfer of funds,
can be achieved by bridging this opting, instead, for direct fund
current yield-potential yield gap, or The new Mission, therefore,
aims at addressing all these issues transfer. Besides, it has evolved
even by narrowing it appreciably. a three-tier coordination structure
However, for this purpose, the with a view to be able to tackle yield
stagnation. It also needs to be borne for facilitating convergence
newly launched mission will
in mind that the course adopted at of interventions from various
have to successfully deal with the
the time of the Green Revolution of departments and schemes
factors which have kept the output
static for the past many years. It is the late 1960s-that of concentrating concerning rural development,
in recognising and grappling with efforts and resources in the areas fertilisers, water resources and
these factors that the real challenge that possessed potential for showing Panchayati Raj bodies.
lies. Another significant tasks is quick results-is not available to this The new mission, in all regards,
boosting the productivity of pulses Mission. It is, therefore, necessary to appears to be a noteworthy step in
where even the potential yields are work in those areas which have so the direction of minimising the
not too high. far remained laggards in agricultural current yield-potential yield gap.
production and, thus, it has scope for It remains to be seen how the
In most areas, even in the productivity improvement.
agriculturally progressive ones, implementing agencies discharge
the production and productivity The Mission has taken up largely their duties and responsibilities.
of rice and wheat have shown the those districts in the selected 16 As regards the new mission, it
tendency to stagnate primarily States where the crop productivity has already become clear that
because of the fatigued nature of is lower than the state or the national much is going to depend on how
the soil. The intensive farming average. It also seems to have taken well the plan is carried out by the
practised in these areas without care of some other areas of concern agencies. If every pertinent aspect
adequate use of organic manures by including in its plan aspects of the plan is attended to, the
has led to the deterioration like integrated nutrient and pest new Mission can go a long way
of soil health. Also, lack of management, timely inputs supply in bringing the persistent yield
replenishment of depleted plant and promotion of new technologies. shortfall to a near solution. q
Food at stake
Brinda Karat
T
en years a f t e r 35 kg; and prevention of sale of
the dismantling of wheat in the open market by State
the universal public agencies, which is usually done
distribution system to control prices. Taken together,
(PDS), the statistical these proposals constitute a frontal
jugglery of the targeted food assault on the right to food.
distribution system actually The denial of the right to food
excludes millions of poor in both for a large section of the Indian
the BPL and APL categories. population reflected in increased
Targeting is linked to neoliberal malnourishment, stunted growth,
policies that seek to limit, if not ill-health and loss of energy
eliminate, the government’s welfare and therefore productivity is an
responsibilities issue that deserves more national
attention. If countries were to be
People-centred Now the Department of Food graded in terms of provision of
and Public Distribution, has come food security to their citizens, India
reform up with a set of proposals including would rank along with Ethiopia at
reduction in wheat allocations to the lower end. The United Nations
requires the states; allocation of coarse Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report
a return grains instead of wheat; removal
of foodgrains from the Sampoorna
that one out of every two children
in India is malnourished confirms
to the Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY)
scheme as part of wage payments;
the lopsided priorities of successive
governments at the centre that seek
universal decrease in allocations for drought- to narrow fiscal deficits by reducing
hit areas; increase in the prices of food subsidies
PDS foodgrains for both Above Poverty
The previous National
Line (APL) and Below Poverty
Line (BPL) cardholders in the PDS; Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime
reduction in quotas for both APL was symbolised by six crore tonnes
and BPL by 5 kg from the present of foodgrains rotting in Food
A
encourage a switchover to export- is reportedly over and above the
n associated problem Planning Commission ‘quotas’ by
oriented cash crop production from
with targeting is that of as much as two crore. However, the
foodgrains; (4) encouragement
identification of the poor. food allocation is made not on the
of forward trading in foodgrains
If only those who are officially poverty estimates of the states but
and pro-trader changes in the
Identified as ‘poor’ can have access by those arbitrarily decided by the
Agricultural Produce Marketing
to food, then clearly the method has Planning Commission
Act.
to be one that ensures accuracy. The
Targeted PDS prevailing method of identification According to current estimates,
is entirely unsatisfactory. There are 6 crore households in India come
Until 1996, India had a universal under the BPL category. That
two sets of estimates. The estimate
PDS. The United Front government that is linked to allocations of such a large number of people are
introduced the targeted system earning less than Rs 330 a month
foodgrain is made by the Planning
with the mistaken notion that the is shocking enough. But what is
Commission. According to a reply
infirmities of the PDS would be cruel is that anyone earning above
given in parliament, the present
curbed and that it would enable this meagre monthly income is
concept of the poverty line is based
subsidised grain to reach those classified as APL and excluded
on the per capita consumption
who actually needed it. Targeting from the right to subsidised
expenditure needed to attain a
entails an identification of the poor. foodgrains The very words ‘Above
minimum amount of calorie intake
Where these numbers are small, Poverty Line’ is misleading because
out of food consumption along with they include a vast section of the
targeting may be a simple task. a minimum amount of non-food
Where these numbers are large, and poor who have been denied their
expenditure in order to meet the entitlements through statistical
in countries such as India where requirements of clothing, shelter and
the majority of the people are in the fraud and jugglery to serve a
transport, among other things. This is neoliberal agenda.
unorganised sector with fluctuating based on the methodology suggested
incomes, targeting could become by the Lakdawala Committee in The need for subsidised
an instrument to exclude sections 1993 and the population projections foodgrains for a wider section of
of the poor from the right to food. of the Registrar-General of India people is also reflected in increased
Targeting is also a method linked as of March 1, 2000. Shockingly, offtake. While the offtake in the
to neoliberal policies that seek to according to the current assessments, Antyodaya system is around 90%,
limit, if not eliminate, the role of it works out to around Rs 11 an adult showing the desperate need of
the government and State from a day. Clearly, this is not a poverty people for cheap foodgrains, the
its welfare responsibilities, which line but a destitution line offtake for BPL has doubled in
S
grain in the past few years is being straight to the farmer in the remotest
cited by the government to cut econdly, the neglect of
village, while the FCI can only buy
allocations, precisely when people foodgrain production
from registered markets; the private
require it more. consequent to the new
traders no longer need a licence or a
agricultural policy’s emphasis on
To illustrate, according to a recognised agent to buy foodgrains,
export-oriented cash crops is a
memorandum by the Fair Price thus escaping from market fees which
major reason for current shortfalls in
Dealers Association in West Bengal, the FCI has to pay, adding to its costs;
wheat production. With stagnating
whereas in 2004-05 the wheat while private traders can go into
wheat production, the danger level
allotment for both APL and BPL the market according to their own
in weakening food self-sufficiency
was 2.22 lakh tonnes, it has been assessments, the FCI is hamstrung
has already been crossed with the
slashed to 1.51 lakh tonnes in the by bureaucratic procedures. Thus big
rate of growth of food production
current year. Godowns of the FCI companies such as Cargill, Reliance,
falling below the rate of growth
in five major centres do not have ITC and even the Australian Wheat
of population. Last year, the
wheat stocks at all. In April 2006, Board, which has turned out to be
production of wheat reached a low
whereas the dispatch instructions the company supplying the imported
of around 68.5 million tonnes while
were for 59 rakes, only 15 rakes wheat, went into villages in Punjab
this year it is estimated at around 71
actually arrived. Similarly, in the and Haryana much before state
million tonnes. Soil exhaustion in
SGRY the earlier component of 5 agencies and offered small farmers a
India’s wheat-producing states of
kg of wheat as part payment of a price slightly higher than the official
Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar
daily wage has already been cut to minimum support price (MSP) of
Pradesh may require diversification
3 kg. States have complained that Rs 650. Only when a large part of
but it will be disastrous if the
wheat allotments have virtually the produce had been cornered by
governrnent continues to encourage
stopped for this programme private trade, the government offered
diversification without a policy
a bonus of Rs 50.
Since rice procurement is of bringing alternative land under
reportedly up by around 28 lakh wheat production Big farmers who could hold
tonnes, it is possible for the central on to their stocks would have
Procurement policy
government to replace wheat benefited from the higher prices
allocations with rice at least for The third Issue is that of offered later, but the bulk of the
the time being in consultation with procurement of wheat. Wheat deficits peasantry sold their produce to
the states. Instead of taking such a to the extent of 20 lakh tonnes below traders at prices below the Rs 700
I
the cost of distribution of wheat estimated to be making losses.
procured in Punjab or Haryana to n answer to a pointed question in According to an official estimate
the last centre in southern India parliament, the finance minister by the Government of Kerala, the
works out to Rs 1,120 a quintal replied that there was no need to gross earnings per fair price shop
compared to the Rs 997 it costs show it in the Budget as “there is a fell from Rs. 3,711 before March
for the transport of imported separate accounting system with the 2000 to Rs. 1,493 in August 2001.
wheat. Decades of building a food FCI”. Precisely because the FCl’s The situation has worsened since
security system can be wiped out role in procurement and distribution then.
by such neoliberal ideologies that of foodgrains is being curbed,
undermine the principle of self- the ability of the government to What needs to be done is to
reliance. Besides, it reflects a naive intervene in the market to control improve the system – whether
belief that international prices prices is also reduced. In a country of the procurement agencies, the
will remain static whereas clearly where there is an uneven pattern fair price shops or the methods of
international traders are waiting of foodgrain production with a distribution – but not to destroy
to maximise profits through wheat large number of states facing food them. But that is what the Food
imports at higher prices to India. deficit, weakening the FCI means and Public Distribution Department
Further, a dangerous concession by weakening food security. seems to be proposing. People-
way of lowering of phytosanitary centred reform requires a return to
Other programmes the universal PDS. q
standards in the quality of wheat is
also being planned- This must be The employment schemes of (This is an adapted version of
opposed strongly. India can spend the government, which offer part of authors’ earlier article in Info-
thousands of crores to protect itself the payment in foodgrains, play an change News & Features.)
D
uring periods of grain for above-poverty-line (APL)
high inflation in food cardholders were hiked and the gap
prices, governments must between prices for below-poverty-
provide a basic minimum line (BPL) and APL households
quantity of food grain widened. In many States, APL
and other food items at prices of grain were close to market
low prices through public distribution prices and, as a result, house-
systems to low-income, food- holds with APL cards stopped
insecure, and vulnerable populations. buying grain from the PDS. The
In India, the ostensible purpose of Antyodaya programme introduced
the Targeted Public Distribution a new category, the “poorest of the
System (TPDS) was to take food to poor”, for whom rice and wheat are
In striving the poor; in practice, it has resulted in available at even lower prices than
for “efficiency” the large-scale exclusion of the poor
and food-insecure from the public
for BPL house-holds. In the present
situation, a person who belongs to
by means food system. a household that has neither a BPL
nor an Antyodaya card is effectively
of narrow Recent evidence from a report
titled Public Distribution System
excluded from the PDS.
targeting, and Other Sources of Household The recent report of the National
Consumption 2004-5 (GOI, 2007), Sample Survey gives us an insight
households that which presents data from the 61st into the magnitude and nature of
Round of the National Sample this exclusion from the PDS. At
should be Survey (NSS), establishes that the all-India level, 70.5 per cent of
entitled to targeting has led to high rates of
exclusion of needy households
rural households either possessed
no card or held an APL card. Since
basic food from the Public Distribution System households with APL cards are
(PDS) and a clear deterioration effectively excluded from the PDS,
security through of coverage in States like Kerala the majority of rural households in
where the universal PDS was most India are excluded from the PDS.
the PDS have effective. Let me illustrate with
To take some State-level examples,
been left out evidence from rural India.
in Bihar, 82 per cent of households
The Targeted PDS was begun in held an APL card or no card; the
1996. In March 2000, the prices of corresponding proportion was 87.7 per
The author is with Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Kolkata.
T
he government has
acknowledged in the
Lok Sabha that 3.7
crore below poverty line
(BPL) card-holders or a
staggering 35% of the total
number of beneficiaries did
not exist, solidifying the
already strong evidence of
rampant misuse of the food
subsidy for purposes other
than the wellbeing of the
intended beneficiaries.
Food and agriculture Off target : It is confirmed that 10.28 crore cards
minister Sharad Pawar have been issued though there are only 6.52 crore BPL families.
confirmed, that 10.28
crore BPL cards were poor across the country based on against government staff found
issued which was way above the BPL card. Pawar said several responsible for issuing ration
Planning Commission’s estimate state governments had initiated cards to ineligible families,” the
of there being only 6.52 crore BPL action to cancel bogus cards. minister said. The fresh evidence
families. As many as 13 states, including has once again underscord the
Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, serious problems that be-devil
The disclosure naturally
had members expressing their Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Orissa the PDS. But while there are
apprehension that benefits of had cancelled more than 67.45 mounds of evidence of PDS grain
other central schemes might lakh bogus ration cards since July being diverted to private players
not be reaching the intended 2006. and, increasingly, even being
beneficiaries. “Instructions have been issued exported, the political class scoffs
to all state and UT governments at suggestions for reforms. They
Various central schemes, such
as for self-employment, housing to take action as per law against have brushed aside those who
and health insurance among persons found in possession of have advocated alternatives like
others, are made available to the bogus of fake ration cards and food vouchers.
A
fter a near-stagnation or The production of wheat Significantly, the production of
modest growth in output currently being harvested, is now pulses is projected to have risen to
for several years, Indian projected at record 76.78 million 15.19 million tonnes registering
agriculture is reckoned officially tonnes, marginally higher than a year-on-year growth of 7 per
to have rebounded in 2007-08 with the previous peak output of 76.37 cent and touching a new high. The
foodgrain production surging by million tonnes in 1999-2000. This previous highest output for pulses
10 million tonnes, or 4.6 per cent, production was put at 74.81 million was 14.91 million tonnes in 2003-
to touch a new high of 227.32 tonnes in the estimates released in 04.
million tonnes. The grain output February last.
in 2006-07 was 217.28 million Similarly, total output of
tonnes. The production of rice, too, is oilseeds is estimated to have risen
estimated at an all-time high of to a record 28.2 million tonnes, up
The year’s grain output growth 95.68 million tonnes, clocking 2.5 about 16 per cent over previous
of 4.6 per cent is nearly four times year’s 24.29 million tonnes.
the average annual growth IIIrd advance estimates of foodgrains, The bulk of the increase
of 1.2 per cent between oilseeds & other commercial crops was accounted for by
1990 and 2007. Crop 2007-08 % groundnut, whose output
2006-07
The rebound is attributed (Advance (Final Change almost doubled in one year.
to the record output of almost Est) Est) The production of mustard,
all major crops, including Rice 95.68 93.35 2.5 however, declined 13.6 per
wheat, rice coarse cereals, Wheat 76.78 75.81 1.3 cent to 6.43 million tonnes
pulses, oilseeds and cotton. Coarse Cereals 39.67 33.92 17 form 7.44 million tonnes in
Pulses 15.19 14.20 7 the previous year.
This has been indicated
Oilseeds 28.21 24.29 16.1 Among the commercial
in the latest crop production
Sugarcane 344.23 355.52 -3.2 crops, the production of
estimates (3rd advance
estimates) for 2007-08 Cotton* 23.19 22.63 2.5 cotton is claimed to have
released by the agriculture Jute** 10.56 10.32 2.3 surged to a record 23.19
ministry recently. This *Million bales of 170 kg each **Million bales of million bales, marking an
might require an upward 180 kg each increase of 2.5 per cent
revision in the computation Other figures are in million tonnes over previous year’s 22.63
of agricultural gross million bales.
per cent growth over last year’s
domestic out-put (GDP) as well Sugarcane output is, how-
93.35 million tonnes.
as the country’s overall GDP for ever, reckoned to have declined to
2007-08. The output of coarse cereals is 344.32 million tonnes in 2007-08
reckoned at 39.67 million tonnes, a from 355.52 million tonnes in the
The earlier agricultural GDP
whopping 17 per cent higher than previous year due to reduction in
growth of 2.6 per cent for 2007-08
was based on the crop production
33.92 million tonnes in 2006-07. the area under the crop in view of
the prevailing sugar glut.
estimates of Feburary 2007 which The maize output displayed the
were relatively lower than the fastest growth of 22.8 per cent, The induction of fresh wheat seeds
revised projections released followed by bajra (14.6 per cent ) rose over 20 per cent in Rajasthan
recently. and jowar (8 per cent). and 10 times in Bihar. q
O
n September 17 in other districts like Birbhum,
residents of village Nadia, MaIda, South 24 Parganas,
Chandai Bagan in Murshidabad and Burdwan of the
Bankura district of West state. Somewhere the protesters
Bengal raided the house are APL ration cardholders who
of Fazal Haque Mullick, who is the claimed that they came to know
local ration dealer. The villagers from the newspaper that they were
were angry because he had stopped also entitled to supplies from ration
distributing rice, wheat and sugar shops, which till date they had not
to BPL or APL cardholders on the been receiving. In some villages,
pretext that Government had stopped villagers claimed that neither APL
supplying these commodities sacks nor BPL cardholders were receiving
full of grains were found in the the commodities through PDS.
Ration dealers pleaded that they had
Elimination godown behind the main building
and looted. Realizing the mood not received any food grains for a
of private in the village last night Fazal long time. The altercation, turned
violent in many places. Police had
had fled from his house with his
retail outlets family in the early morning. This to rush to the spots. At some places
was not single isolated incident. they had to resort to lathicharge or
from supply At least ten ration shops were firing leading to injury and deaths.
chain would attacked in the District on the
same day. Most of the dealers fled
In some villages to avoid the violent
mob the ration dealers assured the
also improve their houses. Reports of rampage, cardholders to compensate in near
looting and violent attacks on future. A rumor started doing round
the distribution ration shop owners and their family in various villages that the villagers
members, panchyat members, local would be paid an amount as they
system leaders, cooperative samitis and were not getting essential items
police firing were reported. Within from various fair price outlets. In
few days the ration rage spread some villages people heard that
The author is with the Project Evaluation Office of Planning Commision in Kolkata.
T
are reasons to have more incisive low level of starvation, there are
he study finds that about 58%
introspection about the emerging relatively high foodgrain producing
of the subsidized food grains
crowd behavior, it is true that the states like Madhya Pradesh and
issued from the Central Pool
corrupt practice of large number Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
do not reach BPL families owing to
of ration dealers over the years with some starvation and there
leakages and diversions. Over 36%
are high foodgrain producing
have forced the people to explode of the budgetary subsidies on food
states with almost no starvation
in anger. On September 17, Times are siphoned off the supply chain
like Haryana and Punjab. Thus
of India quoting a statistical study and another 21 % reaches the APL
there is not much correlation
commissioned in 2005 by Ministry households. The PDS is supposed to
between starvation and per capita
of Consumer Affairs, Food and become an important instrument of
food grain availability. Hence the
Public Distribution reported the policy aimed at poverty alleviation;
problem is not of production but
Rs. 31,585.98 crore worth of wheat the cost of income transfer to poor
of distribution.
and rice meant for the poor were through it is much higher than that
siphoned off from PDS in three The Sixth Five Year Plan through other modes. It suggests
years. Further, as in the case of other (1980-85) had, inter alia envisaged that for one rupee worth of income
programmes, the implementation that Public Distribution System transfer to poor the Government of
of this scheme lacks information, would “have to be developed so India spends Rs. 3.65 indicating that
education, and communication that it remains hereafter a stable one rupee of budgetary consumer
T
APL households holding BPL cards
actually do not lift their ration quota. he report reveals that share Thus the two factors contributing
Thus a part of the entitlement of of BPL cards in the total to failure of the system are
the APL households holding BPL cards handled by an FPS identification of BPL families and
card is actually leaked out of the (Fair Price Shop) is much below flaws in the delivery mechanism.
PDS supply chain. Secondly, the the share of total number of BPL The second factor is more important
Government machinery has not cards in the total number of ration and there is collusion between
done well in identifying the poor. cards in circulation in almost all the various agencies to divert a
Planning Commission estimates the states implying the existence of large part of the subsidized grain
poverty by using annual household ghost BPL card. Moreover, owing from supply chain of PDS. In this
survey data gathered by National to irregular delivery schedule connection it is important to see
Sample Survey Organisation. The of FPS quota and several other the characteristics of the delivery
poverty line defines or is supposed reasons like irregular income, mechanism of those states that
to define, in rupees the minimum wage payment in food grains and have shown relatively low leakages
amount of calories required to low market price in harvest season at FPS level (interestingly West
sustain an individual. Those with an etc. many BPL families do not lift Bengal is one of them). Some
income below it are labeled as poor. their ration quota regularly/fully. of these factors are the general
The NSSO survey collects reported Thus in most states the average awareness level of the beneficiaries,
household expenditure. However, off take by BPL cardholders is literacy level and existence or
higher expenditure may not reflect less than their entitlements. Also otherwise of strong grass root level
a movement out of poverty, as daily many APL families who have been organization etc. As in the case of
wage earners often pay 200-300 included in the target group do not Tamil Nadu elimination of private
percent more for their food items by regularly lift ration grain in some retail outlets from supply chain
buying in small quantities. Besides states because the prevailing market would also improve the distribution
many households grow and consume price of the same quality of food system. Further, doorstep delivery
their own food which is difficult to grains is less than the economic to retail outlets authenticated by the
convert into expenditure value due cost. The beneficiaries of these pros, release of ration quota to the
to price related data problems. The leakages are primarily the retail beneficiaries in weekly installment
findings of the study suggest that FPS owner. To minimize leakages and efficient monitoring system
large sections of population who and diversions of subsidized will also improve the delivery
have kept out of the target group grains there is need for bringing system. q
A
recent study has put the number 24 lakh cards and Gujarat and Haryana Even people who got their PDS
of “ghost” public distribution have more than 10 lakh ghost cards each. supply of wheat and rice did not pay
system cards at a staggering 2.3 A ghost card can be used either buy an the stipulated price. In the six states
crore and, what is even more damning, undeserving beneficiary to buy cheap the NCAER surveyed, not one in the
revealed that as many as 1.21 crore grain or just be diverted. In either case, six months of the study’s duration did
“deserving” poor have been left out of the purpose of PDS to provide nutritional people purchase grain at the fixed rate.
the food security umbrella. security to the poor is defeated. In Rajasthan, the people paid at times
35% more than the prescribed rate for
The study, conducted by the The report found that the rich had wheat, the staple diet in the state.
National Council of Applied Economic been given the lowest income group
Research (NCAER), has provided ration cards—AAY cards— in 70% of This is a sign of not only rampant
evidence that foodgrain is being the cases in the Northeast and in 30-35% corruption but also puts the cheap
diverted to the black market and may of the cases in other states. foodgrain out of reach of those who
even be smuggled into Bangladesh. need it as some people complained that
Proxy Claims they couldn’t afford the rations even
Various other reports, commissioned State Ghost cards in at subsidized rates. The “premium”
by the Supreme Court and government, Lakhs introduced by unscrupulous Fair Price
seem to have been validated by the Shop owners is bound to make the
recent NCAER data. The study looks Uttar Pradesh 111.85 really poor more vulnerable.
to make things a little less bleak by not Rajasthan 24.38
accounting for the ghost cards when Of the six states surveyed, the
calculating the extent of diversion. But Gujarat 11.53 study found Bihar to be worst off.
the 2.3 crore figure cannot be wished Haryana 10.22 Almost 90% households in case
away. Uttar Pradesh has issued 1.11 Madhya Pradesh 12.58 of rice and 70% in case of wheat
crore more cards than it should have, complained of impurity, insect-infested
NCAER feels, Rajasthan has an excess Maharasthra 10.14 supply and broken grain. q
T
he public distribution system the National Council for Applied
is meant to provide nutritional Grain Drain Economic Research (NCAER), might
security to the poorest in the try to disown the earlier figures
country but that is exactly where it fares but the fact is that the two studies
the worst. In some states, the diversion remain incomparable. The method
of wheat and rice from the PDS system and coverage of the two reports are
meant for BPL and Antyodaya Anna so different that it renders comparison
Yojana category (the BPL and the statistically erroneous.
poorest even among the BPL) is an
abysmal 100%. This was revealed The ORG-Marg study conducted
in a report commissioned by the in 2005 covered a sample of 25,000
government to ORG-Marg and which Wheat people spread over all the states under
has still not been made public. BPL AAY a structured method as compared to
In Arunachal Pradesh, 100% of Arunachal Pradesh 100 0 the Ncaer study which covered
rice meant for the poorest lot (AAY Bihar 47 39 6,000 households in six states. But
category) was stolen and 100% of government officials claim that the
West Bengal 83 77
wheat meant for BPL was diverted. Org-Marg report is too outdated and
Haryana 80 38 several reforms have been put in place
While northeast states may have their Delhi 53 38
own peculiar reasons for such high since the report was submitted.
levels of pilferage, other states fare no Rice
better. Even in the country’s capital, An indication that the 2005 statistics
44% of rice distributed to BPL families BPL AAY might still be close to reality, if not
in the name of the poor disappears. Arunachal Pradesh 78 100 totally correct, is the fact that the
In Gujarat, 41% of rice meant for the West Bengal 30 67 report mentions that 83% of wheat
poorest among even the BPL (AAY) Madhya Pradesh 40 67 meant for BPL and 77% of that for
category people was diverted, the study Manipur 98 97 AAY was being diverted in West
revealed. The diversion of wheat is as Bengal. A recent study by Supreme
Goa 61 39
bad. In Haryana, 80% of the total wheat Court appointed commissioners had
figures in % found similar corrupt and politically
distributed to the poor was diverted to
either the non-deserving or the black The government, now armed with backed PDS system leading to food
market. a more recent report conducted by riots in the state. q
E
ach phase of history rice, vegetables, fruits and milk.
is characterized by H o w e v e r, w i d e s p r e a d f o o d
certain distinguishing insecurity prevails at individual,
features of its own; household and regional levels.
some landmarks According to a recent estimate,
portraying the socio-economic about 32 crore people in the
conditions prevailing during country are helpless to go to
that particular phase of history. their beds daily without having
Globalization may well be their two ends’ meal. This is
termed as one of such events of certainly a sad commentary on
our times owing largely to its our development planning. It is
The state profound impact on almost every against this backdrop that the
walk of life. Notwithstanding Primer Minister seems to have
can effectively the multi-faceted achievements announced an ambitious food
stimulate of globalization, there is a security plan : the National
widely held belief that much of Food Security Mission with a
improvements these gains are yet to percolate corpus fund of Rs. 300 crores.
in market down the grassroot levels; a
vast majority of our teeming
The Mission is essentially a
production specific venture
performance and millions living in the rural areas that aims at stepping-up of the
is yet to derive the benefits of output of rice, wheat, pulses and
thereby generate the much talked-about gains of edible oils, during the 11th plan
production globalization. period.
A
Food Security and World Food Plan
gricultural marketing Access to food, the third
Action observed that, “food security
at the individual, household, national has long been regarded component of food security is also
and global levels exists when all as a powerful stimuli a function of smooth availability of
people at all times have physical to the producer – sellers of food to the right persons at the right
and economic access to safe and agricultural produce to step – up time and right place’. In modern
nutritious food to meet their dietary production. Traditionally, it is jargons marketing is widely viewed
needs and food preferences for an viewed that “if the agriculturists as a mechanism to pave way for
active healthy life”. In both the do not see any easily accessible such an easy availability of goods
market outlet where they can sell and services.
definitions, emphasis has been
given on physical availability and their produce they will have little Role of Government
economic accessibility of food to incentive to regard agriculture
as a gainful occupation.” As regards agricultural marketing
the people.
Such a situation is bound to system, it has been viewed as a
In spite of surplus production demotivate them for raising mechanism to enable cultivator-
of food and its adequate buffer sellers to get a remunerative price
the level of their production.
stock in the country, if people are for their produce, while taking due
On the contrary, by ensuring
extremely poor they may not find care of consumers’ interest, more
a remunerative price for their
themselves in a position to access particularly the price to be paid by
produce an effective system of
food. There may however, be a them.
agricultural marketing attempts
case where inspite of availability H o w e v e r, i n t h e m o d e r n
to create an environment where
of adequate food in the country and globalized world, the domain of
agriculturists are motivated most
also the needed purchasing power marketing is not limited to the
to do their level best for raising
with the people, access to food may these issues only. It implies many
the production of farm outputs
become pretty difficult due to the things in addition. A system in the
and thereby contributing to the
defective system of food product current scenario implies that the
maximum availability of food.
marketing. It is in this context that activities are linked together in
agricultural marketing assumes a Looked at from the affordability some meaningful way, that there
crucial significance in attaining (to food) angle, viz, purchasing are interactions among them and
E
mployment effects, both in terms of expanding
generation their sources of livelihoods, and
programmes in India raising their educational and ‘health
continue to be one of status. Accordingly, there was a need
the major interventions to increase investment in human
aimed at alleviating and social capital that is essential
poverty in rural areas. The major for sustainable development for
focus of these programmes has the community, and, to narrow
been to provide employment the gender disparities among the
through creation of physical assets. participants of various poverty
These programmes have however alleviation, employment generation
not been able to adequately cover and food assistance programmes.
women and less able-bodied men
and other vulnerable groups. A It emerged during the series of
relative imbalance in the coverage of consultations organised by WFP
various vulnerable groups constrains that food resources could be used
these groups to raise their income as an instrument to expand the
The long-term levels. In turn, these groups also coverage of poverty alleviation
and/or employment generation
find it difficult to suitably avail
objective of the opportunities for better programmes to include women
and other vulnerable groups by
education and health for their
of the project is family members. encouraging them to contribute
to the development of human and
to increase World Food Programme (WFP) social capital. Food for Human
initiated wide consultations with Development (FFHD) project
Human multiple stakeholders beginning is an thus outcome of the above
2003 -04 to explore ways of realisation and efforts. The project
Development addressing this concern with a view is using food as a resource to support
Index such as to accelerating the development of
human and social capital. It was felt
human and social capital building
over a three-year period. The long-
health and that employment measures focusing
on expanding the coverage to these
term objective of the project is
to increase Human Development
education groups would have multiplier Index such as health and education
Dipa Sinha
P
roper nutrition, children 1-3 years old and about
care and development 700 calorie among those 3-6 years
during the early childhood old. Therefore there is clearly a
years lay the foundation for gap in access to food (quality and
a healthy and productive quantity) and health services for
life. India is performing children.
poorly by most indices of well-
While malnutrition is related
being of children under six. The
to poverty, gender relations,
results of the recent National Family
agrarian policy and so on, direct
Health Survey (NFHS) show that
programmes to address nutrition
not only is the nutrition and
and health of children are also
health status of children in the country
required. The Integrated Child
poor, but also they are showing very
Development Services (ICDS)
slow signs of improvement (Table
is one such programme that
1). For instance, 46% of children
aims to address these gaps by
under three are underweight which
providing comprehensive services
is an improvement of only one
to address the health, nutrition and
percentage point compared to
To make NFHS-2 which was carried out
development needs of children under
six. ICDS works through a network
eight years back. The percent
all this of children under three who are
of anganwadi centres (AWC) that
are run by anganwadi workers
happen anaemic has actually increased from
74.2% to 79.2% and immunisation
(AWW) and helpers (AWH) who,
among other things, are supposed
children must coverage has decreased slightly
to provide supplementary nutrition,
from 26.9% to 26.2%. Looking
truly become at the results of a recent survey by
nutrition and health education and
pre-school education. With the
the National Nutrition Monitoring
a priority in Bureau (NNMB) it is seen that
poor improvements in health and
nutrition of children in the country,
policy making even today there is a deficit of
over 500 calories in the intakes of
there is a lot of discussion on the
W
ith food prices During the 1950s, scientists,
soaring throughout first in North America and later
Asia, Africa and throughout the world, developed
Latin America, and high-yiedling wheat varieties that
shortages threatening were resistant to stem rust and
hunger and political other diseases. These improved
chaos, the time could not be worse seeds not only enabled farmers
for an epidemic of stem rust in the around the world to hold stem rust
world’s wheat crops. Yet millions at bay for more than 50 years but
of wheat farmers small and large, also allowed for greater and more
face this spreading and deadly crop dependable yields. Indeed, with this
infection. work, global food supplies rapidly
increased and prices dropped.
The looming catastrophe can
be avoided if the world’s wheat From 1965 to 1985, the heydays
scientists pull together to develop of the green revolution, world
a new generation of stem-rust- production of cereal grains-wheat,
resistant varieties of wheat. But rice, corn, barley and sorghum-
scientists must quickly turn their nearly doubled, from 1 billion
Stem rust attention to replacing almost all to 1.8 billion metric tonnes, and
of the commercial wheat grown in cereal prices dropped by 40 per
that affects the world today. This will require cent. Today, wheat provides about
a commitment from many nations, 20 per cent of the food calories
wheat crop can especially the United States, which for the world’s people. The world
has lately neglected its role as a wheat harvest now stands at about
reduce global leader in agricultural science. 600 million metric tonnes.
Role of Women
Sumita Acharya
Hrusikesh Patro
Ranjan Kumar Tarai
W
omen are t h e profitability. Hence special efforts
principal food should be made to recognize the
producers and preparers role and potential of women in food
for the family. They security.
play a key role in food
There are several ways to
and nutrition security at family level,
improve the capacity of women in
community level and national level.
Women constitute nearly half of the agriculture and agribusiness.
human resource in the country of l Their skills can be upgraded
which 77% belong to rural areas with to reduce their physical strain,
agriculture as the minor occupation. labour time and improve the
In fact, there is hardly any activity quality of work.
in which women are not activity
l Women can be involved in
involved. Their busy schedule is
It is high time we enough to make a honeybee buzz
special production activities,
which require tender care and
should try genuinely with wonder.
continuous attention.
Agriculture in developing
to make the countries heavily depend on
l Adequate post-production
activities to avoid wastage, add,
invisible actions manual labour and the major
contribution is from women.
value to produce and reduce the
marketing cost.
visible, otherwise Mostly in rice cultivation, there
is heavy dependence on women. The employment of women in
the very purpose Women have been putting in more the unorganized sector is divided
that women labour not only in terms of physical
output but also in terms of quality
into nine sectors viz. agriculture,
dairy, animal husbandry, fisheries,
feed the world and efficiency. Women can play social and agro-forestry, khadi
a significant role in improving and village industry, handlooms,
will be defeated the production efficiency and handicrafts and sericulture. Many
The authors are with Krishi Vigyan Kendra, OUAT, Bhubaneswar, Orissa.
A
fuel, fodder and forest products s women are regular to women have remained relatively
and are involved in both livelihood attend to their farm duties, backward in comparison to their
and home maintenance. They take they can maintain a close urban counterparts due to many
part in most farm field operations, supervision on to their flowering reasons like illiteracy, superstitions,
plantation activities, livestock ignorance, serial evils, traditional
plants, fruits and vegetable crops
management, fisheries, sericulture, values and male dominance in
and maximize the production
beekeeping mushroom cultivation, decision making. So education
and profitability. Activities like
forestry and so forth. can play a major role in raising the
establishment of kitchen gardens,
status of women and significantly
Women constitute a major production of oestrus mushroom improving household health and
percentage of agricultural work using agricultural wastes, production nutrition, reducing infant and
force. They have inaccessibility to of grafted and budded plants raising child mortality and reinforcing
modern technology, credit training of plants in the nursery, establishment environmental conservation. If
and other facilities available to male of flowering plants, vegetable and we are honestly interested in
workers and farmers. Other than fruit orchards can be handled by uplifting the status of women,
crop enterprises, they are involved women groups. As women can we have to recognize and value
in animal husbandry including grow them with tender care, the fully the contributions of women
dairying, poultry, piggery, goatary, quality of these products can be of to food security. In addition work
duckery, sheep rearing, rabbit high standard to fetch better value in the house hold should not be
keeping, quail keeping, fishery collection of minor forest produce, considered always as a part of
enterprises or other agribusiness, particularly ,oil seeds like neem, women’s duties as wife and mother,
viz. sericulture, apiculture etc. The pongamia, mahuva is another area it should rather be taken as a paid
significant involvement of women where women can play a significant occupation for, in both the house
in protection of farm products and hold and national economy. In fact
role.
by-products from insects, mites, we are taking un due advantage of
molds, rodents, heat, spillage etc. Food processing is another area women’s endurance and patience
at the post-harvest stage is also which helps in reducing wastage by not bringing them equal to men
important. They perform all kinds and adds value to the produce. in wage and social status. It is high
of activities, ranging from cleaning Small scale food processing is a time when all men and women of
and drying all kinds of activities, popular activity very well accepted good will should try genuinely to
ranging from cleaning and drying by rural women. Such small scale make the invisible actors visible,
of the grains, making of storage processing can bring down the otherwise the very purpose of the
structures, maintenance of hygienic cost and the benefits can be shared slogan ‘women feed the world’ will
conditions at the storage site, by consumers and producers. be defeated. q
For Peace : Salman Ahmad, lead singer of Pakistani rock band Junoon, enthrals the audience in Srinagar
D
espite threats from militant The star attraction was the opening of the Institute of
organisations, thousands of Pakistani rock band Junoon, which Kashmir Studies at the Kashmir
Kashmiris, mostly youth, performed in Srinagar for the first University funded by the
turned up recently for a musical time and turned thousands of music Foundation. It was aimed at
concert organised by the South Asia lovers hysterical. spreading the message of peace,
Foundation (SAF) in Srinagar. The event was to mark the love and harmony. q
P
rime Minister During his recent visit to
Manmohan Singh J&K, he sent a clear message
has announced a to Pakistan that his government
Rs. 1,600-crore economic was committed to improving
package for refugees in relations with that country and
Jammu and Kashmir and the peace process would continue
offered sops for migrants
with the new democratic regime
willing to return to the
there.
State.
Earlier, Dr. Singh, inaugurated
Dr. Singh has said more
steps would be taken to the country’s longest cantilever
Reaching Out : The country’s longest cantilever bridge over the Chenab which
improve relations so that
bridge over the Chenab in Akhnoor, which
the neighbours could live in connects Rajouri and Poonch
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated
a relationship of permanent on 25th April. It connects Rajouri and districts with the rest of the
friendship. Poonch districts with the rest of the country. country. q
I
T’S not a sight that has been under the hot May sun at the and mentally, to match the male
seen in Srinagar before - a coaching camp organised by the stamina,” says Coach Mustaq
group of 45 schoolgirls, some Department of Youth Services and Ahmed Dar, 35. And he feels that
even attired in hijabs, sweating Sports. Rukhsar has what it takes. “She
it out on a football field, is mentally tough and
dribbling and jostling past has good stamina. She’ll
each other to safely net make a great striker.”
the ball into the goal-post.
Dar’s task is made
Their dream: to represent
easier by the fact that all
the state in the Under-
the girls are enthusiastic
19 category football
and genuinely
tournament at the national
interested. “They are
level.
eager to learn,” he says,
The competition is adding that this is the
already intense. Of the first camp of its kind
45 girls, who represent that the Department of
different schools, only 18 players Youth Services and Sports has
will be picked to participate in Hina Rukhsar, a class XII student ever conducted here.
the inter-district tournament to be from Amirakadal Higher Secondary
Earlier, girls from the Valley
held at Kargil in June. The state School includes David Beckham,
were given opportunities to
team will then be selected, and Brazilian strikers Ronaldo and
participate in cricket, hockey,
the next step will be the national Ronaldino as her role models. “I
basketball, volley-ball, kho-kho
level Under-19 championships have seen them playing and I want
and other games, but they’ve
scheduled later in the year. to emulate them,” says Rukhsar.
never been taught how to bend
For the time being, however, “It is a stamina game and one it before, since football is
the girls are enjoying their time has to be tough, both physically essentially a male bastion.
yojana website
Y
ojana, a flagship magazine of economic and planned development having a circulation of 1.30 lakhs copies
started its publication from 26th January 1957 at the initiation of the then Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru.
It is being published by Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India.
Yojana is the only journal being published simultaneously in 13 Indian languages which caters to the needs of
society especially youth, students and teachers, Professors of economics and social sciences. It provides in-depth
study material on contemporary economic and social issues before the country.
In its 52nd year of publication , Yojana is turning high tech with its own website www.yojana.gov.in which was
launched by the Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Smt. Asha Swarup. Now onwards, synopsis of
all the current issues of Yojana group of journals will be available on the aforesaid website with an archive of six
months, benefitting lakhs of readers including students appearing both for Central and State level civil services,
banking and insurance services, other competitive exams, research scholars as well as teachers and researchers
of economics, commerce and management etc.
T
he government has but did not touch kerosene. has said that the step, though
announced a steep hike in unpopular was “inevitable” to
fuel prices. It increased the The Prime Minister,
ensure uninterrupted supply of
price of petrol by Rs. 5, diesel by Mr Manmohan Singh defended
petroleum products.
Rs 3 and LPG by Rs 10 a cylinder, the increase in the prices and
T
he United Progressive that the loans of small and marginal stood revised to 3.69 crore against
Alliance government farmers would be completely waived, the earlier estimate of three crore,
increased its loan waiver whether they were in the identified while the number of other farmers
package by nearly 20 per cent to districts or other regions. In view of was scaled down to 59.75 lakh
Rs. 71,680 crore to provide relief the inclusion of big farmers in dry from one crore.
to ‘big’ farmers, bringing them land areas holding larger acreage,
under the purview of the debt Directive to banks
the scheme would benefit more than
write-off scheme as proposed in four crore small,marginal and other The waiver scheme, Mr.
the 2008-09 budget. large farmers and cost the exchequer Chaidambaram said, would be
As per the expanded and Rs. 71,680 crore as per fresh implemented and instructions will
modified scheme approved by estimates (unaudited), up be issued to all bank branches to
the Cabinet, in keeping with from the original estimate of prepare a list of beneficiary farmers
demands from various quarters Rs. 60,000 crore, Mr. Chidambaram for display on their premises.
all farmers-small, marginal said.
and big-in 237 identified dry, All direct farm loans, including
unirrigated and droughtprone “Small and marginal farmers crop loans and investment credit
districts in various States will will get full debt waiver, while 60- for agriculture and allied activities
get a minimum one-time debt 65 per cent of large farmers also given to farmers between the
relief of 25 per cent of their get full debt waiver. This is why the period March 31,1997 and March
outstanding loan amount or Rs. cost of the scheme has increased.” 2007-which remained unpaid
20,000 whichever is higher. The number of small and till February 2008 would be
Finance Minister marginal farmers expected to covered. q
P. Chidambaram has made it clear benefit from the enlarged scheme
Cabinet Decisions
n Proposal to have more than n Rs 330-crore relief package for n Decision on Lok Pal Bill
100 additional posts of the victims of post-Godhra riots deferred, referred to law
rank of major-general and announced ministry
lieutenant-general
n Rs 9,396-crore project ot build n Nod to outlay of over Rs 10,000
n 118 posts of Armed Forces 67,000 houses for armed forces crores to develop infrastructure
Medical Services to be upgraded personnel by March 2012 cleared of elite institutions