Archives October 2013

The world has a population of 6 billion. India alone has a population of 1 billion. Despite the fact that India was the first country in the world to have a population policy. But is this mammoth population really caused for alarm? It could be more important to understand the factors that led to this population explosion and the complex links between population growth rates and levels of development. And to acknowledge that India is in the midst of a demographic transition, with fertility rates definitely declining, though not as fast as was expected. In the year 2000, much was made of the fact that as the world's population reached six billion, India's share was a massive one billion. As one writer noted, alarm bells were sounded the world over that the first country in the world to have a population policy had failed miserably in the effort. However, demographers more...

Many believe that the economic liberalisation process initiated in 1991 would somehow find answers to our governance crisis. Economic reforms, while they are necessary, are by no means sufficient to resolve our national dilemmas. Even if the role of the state is redefined with sharper role in a narrower area, an efficient and just state in a free society is a vital precondition for economic growth and human happiness. Even in a liberalised economic environment, the state still has the duty to discharge vital responsibilities. Public order, crime investigation, speedy justice, good quality school education accessible to all children, universal primary healthcare, maintenance of minimal standards of sanitation and civic amenities, and building of vital infrastructure like roads and facilitating economic growth through other infrastructure development like power and ports - all these are the legitimate functions of the state irrespective of the economic system we choose. This situation is more...

Virtually, the sole purpose of science is to understand the natural processes of the earth and its environment. What is done with such science, of course, is a matter of individual choice. Some such as Hitler decided to use humans as guinea pigs to conduct the kind of experiments on Jews that geneticists are probably secretly performing even today. Others such as Darwin chose to use the ultimate scientific tool, the human mind, to work his way through the maze of possibilities to arrive at the most plausible way in which life on earth originated. For centuries in India, the scientific temper has been encouraged and has, in fact, been equated with philosophy as a pursuit of great worth and respect. We did indeed gift the world the zero. And we did cast steel that did not rust, long years before the rest of the world even considered such a more...

One of the crucial factors, which shaped Indian IT industry in the crucial periods, was the cheap and well skilled resource availability. Nationality no longer defines boundaries. In this industry, enterprise, labour and capital are dispersed across the world. To support this fact we have Nasscom reporting that in 1999- 2000, 284,000 (including those employed by IT users) professionals were working in India of which about 200,000 were working on H-IB visas. But the scenario has changed since 2001, or more correctly after Sept 11. Industry sales growth rate sharply declined to a mere 23.1%. Growth of domestic sales fell even more drastically to 10.7 per cent. One of the main indicators being the complete cessation in campus recruitments both in engineering colleges and B school campuses. If we look back at the IT industry in our country, we may say that it can be broadly divided into three phases. more...

Science is a great blessing to mankind. Nothing better has happened in the history of man than advent of science in his life. Before the advent of science the world was full of ignorance, suffering and hardships. But with the adverts of science these vices have been taken — away from the life of Science has transformed our daily life to a great extent. Science has made things or articles cheap and has brought them within the reach of every body. The production of goods on a large scale has been possible only due to science. Now these are being sold at cheap rates in every market. All other forms of entertainment have been brought to our doorstep with the help of science only. Radio, television and cinema are some forms of entertainment. Even an ordinary man can pass his time with these means of entertainment. Certainly, the daily life more...

To prohibit the demanding, giving and taking of Dowry, the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 is in force since 1st  July 1961. To stop the offences of cruelty by husband or his relatives on wife, Section498-A has been added in the Indian Penal Code, and Section 198-A has been added in the Criminal Procedure Code since the year1983. In the case of suicide by a married woman, within 7 years from the date of her marriage, the Court may presume that such suicide has been/ abetted, encouraged by her husband or his relatives. Provision to this effect has been added in the Indian Evidence Act, by adding Section 113-A since the year 1983. The object in forming the Dowry Prohibition Act and adding provisions in the Indian Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code and the Indian Evidence Act is to remove the evil of dowry system and give protection to women. more...

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (April 14, 1891 or 1892 - December 6, 1956) was the most prominent Indian Untouchable leader of the 20th century. He was born in Mhow in central India, the fourteenth child of parents who belonged to the very lowest stratum of Hindu society, known as Untouchables or Dalits. He helped spark a revival of Buddhism in India, a movement which is now known as neo-Buddhism. Ambedkar's father had acquired a certain amount of formal education in both Marathi and English. This enabled him to teach his children, especially Bhimrao and to encourage them in their pursuit of knowledge. In 1908, when Ambedkar passed the matriculation examination for Bombay University, this event was such an uncommon achievement on the part of an Untouchable boy that it was celebrated with a public meeting. Four years later, Ambedkar graduated with a degree in Politics and Economics. Soon afterwards, he entered more...

At almost every discussion table, the Indian educationist today is asked: "What are you doing about the heavy loads of books our children are made to carry on their backs to and from school every day?" It's a common sight in our cities seeing children as small as eight or nine years carrying bright coloured nylon bags, each easily weighing 5-10 kg or may be more. In contrast, their developed-country counterparts only take along lunch boxes and, at best, a few notebooks on days they have to submit their assignments. Visitors from abroad just can't understand what we are doing to our young ones. To them, in the era of computerisation, the internet and the digital classroom, containing information that can be retrieved at the click of a Mouse, it is not just ironical, but an indication of the resistance of India’s education system to change. The textbook writer-publisher lobby more...

While beginning to write on my chosen subject, few lines of a song sung by Jagjit Singh come across my mind. They are: 'Ye daulat bhi Ie to Ye showrat bhi Ie lo, Bhale chin lo mujse merijawaani, Magar, mujko lauta do bachpan ka Sawan, Who kaagaz ki kashti, Who barish ka paani.' These lines hold true to all of us who have crossed our beautiful days of childhood lost ourselves in world of matured adults. Many times tears roll down from our eyes when we recall childhood days. Days when we desperately wished to become big. Days and night, we looked at mirror and talked to ourselves that when will we grow up? When we will sit, talk and walk like the elders? When will studies end? When we will go to office? When will we be able to wear papa's tie or mummy's saree or carry a purse more...

"After a complex laparoscopic operation, the 65-year-old patient was home in time for dinner." Elisa Birnbaum, surgeon The laparoscope is the James Bond-like gadget of the surgeon's repertoire of instruments. Only a small incision through the patient's abdominal wall is made into which the surgeon puffs carbon dioxide to open up the passage. Using a laparoscope, a visual assessment and diagnosis, and even surgery can then be performed using tiny tools. This surgery causes less physiological damage, reduces patients' pain and speeds their recovery leading to shorter hospital stays. In the early 1900s, Germany's Georg Kelling (1866-1945) developed a surgical technique in which he injected air into the abdominal cavity and inserted a cytoscope—a tubelike viewing scope—to assess the patient's innards. In late 1901, he began experimenting and successfully peered into a dog's abdominal cavity using the technique. Without cameras, laparoscopy's use was limited to diagnostic procedures carried out by more...