PLATE TO PLOUGH: THE HANDS THAT FEED US

As India celebrates its 68th year of independence, it is time to pause and look back
at the major challenges we have faced since Independence and how they were
overcome, as well as at the mistakes and follies we committed so that we dont
repeat them. In 1947, undivided India had a population of 390 million. But
overnight, on August 15, India was responsible for the destiny of 330 million people.
The other 60 million went to Pakistan 30 million in West Pakistan and another 30
million in East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. A majority of these 330 million people
were rural, quite poor, illiterate, and had a very short life expectancy.
Gandhi rightly said that India lives in its villages, and feeding people well
was the biggest challenge to ensure healthy and happy lives for them. But
we also wanted to transform our society fast, develop modern industrial goods and
outlook. So, after a few initial years of absorbing the shock of Partition and
stabilising society, Jawaharlal Nehru led India on to a socialist path with a mixed
economy framework. Heavy industrialisation under state ownership was
the darling of development policy and a symbol of modernisation. For food,
however, India relied on supplies from the United States under Public Law 480 (PL480) against rupee payments, as India did not have much foreign exchange to buy
large quantities of food in international markets. The folly of this set-up became
apparent in the mid-1960s, when the US suspended wheat supplies
temporarily (due to some political differences) at a time when India was
facing back-to-back droughts and the country was literally living from
ship to mouth. But the folly of state-led heavy industrialisation and import
substitution, which kept India trapped in what the late Raj Krishna called the
Hindu rate of growth of 3.5 per cent for decades, is still being debated. India
was quick to learn from its PL-480 mistake and neglect of agriculture. It realised that
its political freedom could be imperilled if it was not self-reliant in basic food
production. But all of Indias foreign exchange reserves in the mid-1960s could not
buy more than eight million tonnes (mt) of wheat in the international market, while
it was importing 10 mt under PL-480. So, India did not have much of an option but
to become selfsufficient in the production of basic staples. India imported 18,000
tonnes of high yielding varieties (HYV) of wheat from Mexico in 1966, and ushered
in the Green Revolution. Where does India stand today in terms of its agriculture?
While the population has grown from 330 million in 1947 to almost 1.25 billion, that
is by almost 3.8 times, our wheat production has increased by almost 15 times
(from about 6.5 mt in 1951 to 96 mt in 2014). Rice production has gone up by more
than five times (from 20.6 mt in 1951 to 106.5 mt in 2014), maize production by
more than 14 times (from 1.7 mt to 24.4 mt), milk by eight times (from 17 mt to
137 mt), fish by 12 times, and potatoes by 26 times. Cotton production has also
increased from three million bales in 1951 to 37 million bales in 2014, an increase of
more than 12 times. India is not only self-sufficient in agriculture, but also a net
exporter of agri-produce. In 2014-15, agri-exports were $38 billion against imports
of less than $20 billion. During the last three years, India has exported a total of 61

mt of cereal, nothing short of a wonder for a country that lived from ship to mouth
in the mid-1960s. Today, India is the largest exporter of rice in the world, and the
second-largest exporter of beef (buffalo meat) and cotton. India is the largest
producer of milk, and the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables, rice,
wheat and sugarcane. This is a matter of great satisfaction and relief for
policymakers. An idea of the progress made can be gauged by looking at how just
the price of onions makes them nervous today. Think of what would have happened
if there were all-round shortages as in the mid-1960s. Whom should we salute for
such a turnaround in Indias agri-fortunes? Several stakeholders have played a role
in achieving this. There have been policymakers like C. Subramaniam, who steered
the political debate to import HYV seeds in the mid-1960s despite the massive
opposition from leftwing parties in Parliament and ushered in the Green Revolution.
There are scientists like the late Norman Borlaug, who invented these seeds, and
M.S. Swaminathan and Atwal, the first ones to adapt them to Indian conditions.
But when Subramaniam was asked whom the credit for the Green Revolution
should go to, his reply was to the farmers who took the risk of adopting
new technologies. He saluted the Indian farmer. Indias milk story is the story of
the Milkman of India, Verghese Kurien, who nurtured the cooperative movement
in the country and made Amul (Anand Milk Union Limited), an utterly butterly
name in every household. There is an important lesson from this grand success of
agriculture. New technologies (HYV seeds, water, fertilisers) and innovation in
institutional engineering (as in the milk sector) have been the real catalysts of
change. These seeds can come from outside the country (as was the case with the
HYV seeds of wheat and rice, and now with Bt cotton seeds from large privatesector companies such as Mahyco Monsanto), or take birth on Indian soil, as was the
case with Pusa basmati and several hybrids of maize, introduced by both
multinationals and domestic companies as well as government. But it is the farmerentrepreneur who takes the risk in adopting these seeds and technologies, puts in
his/ her best efforts, and the nation reaps a rich harvest to feed its citizens. It is
time to salute our farmers for these heroic accomplishments. But it is also time to
ask, what is it that the country has given back to them? Are they prosperous and
happy? There is no doubt that several pockets of peasantry have experienced
prosperity, but the overall picture, as per the latest situation assessment survey, is
not rosy. So, the next challenge for all of us is to ensure a smile on their faces as
well. This calls for a major re-orientation of farm policies. Its time to ring the
cowbell.

Building India 2.0

What is the unexceptionable set of goals under Building India 2.0?
One, it aims to build infrastructure and provide the internet as a utility to
every
citizen.

Two, it promises to improve service delivery by making services

available online.
And three, it seeks to enable people to access the internet by building
digital literacy.
What are the Initiatives under Building India 2.0?
Digital India claim and programme following on the heels of
Make in India and
Skill India is three-pronged.
Among the new initiatives aimed at reducing paperwork is the Digital
Locker, which
allows users to upload and store documents that can be shared with
government
agencies to expedite official applications for, say, marriage licences or LPG
connections.
Aadhaar card holders will be able to authenticate documents using
eSign, a digital
signature application.
Another portal is eHospital, which will let citizens avail health services
online, also
issuing a unique health identification number piggybacked to Aadhaar.
What is the Role and status of Internet in Building India 2.0?
As a utility, the internet has tangible value. It could reduce leakages in
welfare
schemes and provide huge economic benefits by enabling better decisionmaking
with improved access to information and markets.
Yet, there are several challenges, not least of them are bringing the
digitally
unempowered majority online.
Despite years of plans and schemes, attempts to connect remote rural
areas to the
internet have faltered.
What are the Drawbacks of Building India 2.0?
Only 9 per cent of those who live in rural areas have access to the
internet,
compared to 64 per cent of those who live in cities.
There is the lack of a legal framework to address concerns over privacy
and data
protection.
India also lacks a privacy law, without which initiatives like Digital Locker
and
eHospital are open to flagrant misuse by the state.
Finally, getting stakeholders to buy in could be a trial. As other
programmes

launched with much fanfare, like Swachh Bharat, have shown, it is difficult to
sustain
the initial impetus if surrounding structures are not sufficiently built up.

Where is my Right to Despise?

Article 19:
Freedom to express ones views + opinion + belief + convictions including
contempt +
enmity and disaffection openly (applied)
Article 19 (2)
State can impose reasonable restrictions on this exercise if:
Hampers sovereignty + integrity + security of India
Comes in the way of friendly relations with foreign states
Disruption in Public order
Contempt of Court
Defamation
Incitement to an offence
Restrictions: Not arbitrary and impairment of freedom must be as little as
possible
Freedom of Press: Most paramount among the responsibilities of a free
press is the

duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people and
this can be observed in the improvement in ranking (136th) of India in the
World Press Index
Freedom 2015.
To justify suppression of free speech there must be reasonable ground to
fear that serious
evil will result if free speech is practiced and that the danger apprehended is
imminent.
Section 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860
Pertaining to criminal defamation, constricting free speech beyond
reasonable limits
Law Commission of India: criminal defamation laws violated
international norms,
and that the penalty of incarceration up to two years was clearly
disproportionate.
The recent history of defamation laws is riddled with misuse by politicians
and
corporations to silence the media, activists and criticisms.
May harm public order and are covered by Sections 124, 153 and 153A,
and so
criminal defamation does not serve any overarching public interest.

THE POWER OF PARITY: ADVANCING WOMENS EQUALITY IN INDIA

Observations by MCKINSEY
The world can add $12 trillion to GDP in 2025, doubling the contribution of
women to global
growth in business-as-usual scenario in the coming decade. India could boost
its GDP by
$0.7 trillion in 2025 or 16 percent of the business-as-usual level
(largest relative boost). This
translates into 1.4 percent per year of incremental GDP growth for
India.
India Female Empowerment Index or Femdex
Wide variation in gender equality among Indias states
Highest Femdex: Mizoram
Lowest Femdex: Bihar
Areas in need of Concerted Actions:
1. Closing gender gaps in secondary and tertiary education in Indias
large states;
2. Lowering barriers to job creation;
3. Expanding skills training for women in key sectors;

4. Expanding the reach of financial and digital services to enable women

entrepreneurs;
5. Stepping up gender diversity policies and practices in privatesector organisations;
6. Further strengthening legal provisions for women and the enforcement of
laws;
7. Improving infrastructure and services to address the high burden of
routine
domestic work, childcare and elder care;
8. Reshaping deep-rooted attitudes about the role of women in work and in
society.
What has the government done to promote innovation?
1. President of India declared decade 2010-20 has the decade of
innovation. The
main aim of this declaration is to develop an innovation eco-system in the
country to
stimulate innovations and to produce solutions for the societal needs in
terms of
healthcare, energy, urban infrastructure, water and transportation.
2. Science technology and innovation(STI) policy 2013 :
Key elements of STI policy are:
Promoting the spread of scientific temper among all sections of society.
Establishing world class infrastructure for R&D for gaining global
leadership in
some select frontiers of science.
Positioning India among top 5 global scientific powers by 2020.
Seeding S&T based high risk innovation systems.
3. NITI ayog initiatives :
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM): AIM will be an Innovation Promotion
Platform involving academics, entrepreneurs, and researchers
drawing upon
national and international experiences to foster a culture of innovation, R&D
in India. The platform will also promote a network of world-class innovation
hubs and grand challenges for India.
Self Employment & Talent Utilization (SETU): SETU will be a
TechnoFinancial, Incubation and Facilitation Programme to support all
aspects of start-up businesses, and other self-employment
activities, particularly in
technology-driven areas.
>> GIAN
What else needs to be done?

The three key things that are going to help us adopt, implement and boost a
culture of
innovation are the right platform, public-private partnership, and
building a skilled talent
pool by promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering,
mathematics) education.
The right platform :
While government initiatives are a welcome development, however the
growth
journey requires an increased level of public-private partnership, with a
greater
focus on inclusive innovation.
The private sector will have to invest significantly in R&D.
This will help develop a mind-set of value growth.
Such a mind-set promotes experimental thinking and is oriented to
solving customer
problems in new ways.
Corporates should thus partner with research and educational
institutions and
create commercialisation paths for deserving projects.
Young innovators should be encouraged to go on exchange
programmes and get
internships or grants to help fuel research.
STEM is the root:
The bright spot is that India has one of the worlds largest educational
systems with
1.4 million schools, 35,000 colleges and 600 universities.
However, there is a need to foster a culture of experimentation by
updating the
curriculum, revamping the examination system from a test of memory to a
test of
analytical skills, and improving the quality of teaching.
The private sector must step up its involvement in furthering
STEM proficiency.
India invests just 0.88 per cent of GDP in science research
compared with 7-8 per
cent for the US and 3-4 per cent for South Korea. Of that, nearly a
quarter is spent
on basic research that has little to do with innovation or economic
growth.
The linkages between universities and businesses need to play an important
role in
innovation dynamics.
Research-linked scholarships, paid for by both the government and the
private sector, are

crucial.
Policymakers must realise that possession of significant human resources in
science and
technology is both a national economic priority and a technological necessity.
Women in Indian parliament and other elected bodies:
Womens representation in elected bodies, Lok Sabha and state
legislative
assemblies is a source of huge disappointment.
As we can observe, women occupy just 66 seats in the 543 member Lok
Sabha,
which is a mere 12%.
The scenario for women Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs)
across all state
assemblies in India is even worse, with the national average being a pitiable
9%.
The best among them, Bihar, Rajasthan and Haryana have 14%
representation while
the worst states are Pondicherry and Nagaland, which have no women MLAs
at all.
MPs right to demolish parliamentary functioning:
From where did these MPs get the licence to demolish parliamentary
functioning?
The Constitution does not empower them.
There is no platform in India, or even in the world, where proceedings are
allowed to be
disrupted in such a deplorable way.
Definition of democracy:
The definition of democracy given by the late C. Rajagopalachari is
perhaps the most
apt in this context.
He said, Democracy is a government by discussion.
But, now, in India, this has became, Democracy is a Parliament by
disruption.
The paradox is that those who are engaged in such activities are elected
(directly or
indirectly) by the people to uphold the Constitution.

SECULARISM

Secular in spirit and in letter

The framers of the Constitution worked against the backdrop of two great instances of human
carnage World War II and the Partition of India. Both were the result of an insistence on
distinctiveness of group identities and their consequent territorial demarcations, which excluded
those who did not fall within the dominant group. Simultaneously, the process of integration of
princely states meant that people not exposed to even limited democracy became voters of a republic
that promised justice, liberty, equality and fraternity for all.
The state of the country, as Justice Aftab Alam reminded us in his Gandhi Foundation annual lecture
in 2009, was that it was home to eight major religions of the world. The Constitution of India
recognises 22 languages as Indian/national languages. Indians speaking the same language may
belong to different religions. Conversely, Indians belonging to the same religious group may come
from different ethnic stocks, may speak different languages, dress differently, eat different kinds of
food in entirely different manners and may have completely different social and economic concerns.
A constitutional value
Secularism is implicit in the entire constitutional framework. What does secularism in the Indian
Constitution mean? The question admits of no easy answer and cannot be restricted to textual
interpretation alone. It is a constitutional value that seeks to manage Indias diverse and plural
society, in an atmosphere of cohesiveness of national purpose.

The guarantee of equality in Article 14; the promise of non-discrimination in Articles 15 and 16;
protection from religious taxes and religious instruction in state-funded institutions set in Articles 27
and 28; the permission of educational institutions of choice to linguistic and religious minorities in
Articles 29 and 30; the promise of equal ballots devoid of sectional preferences in Article 325 all
make for a constitutional architecture which is devoid of any religious preference whatsoever. God is
significantly absent throughout the Constitution. One nation under God is not the allegiance which
the Constitution seeks of its citizens. Believer, atheist and agnostic alike, the Constitution does not
differentiate.
There are however provisions which seek to enforce equality within the Hindu religion in Articles 17
and 25(2)(b). Deference to Hindu sentiments on cow slaughter is also provided for in Article 48, as is
the pious hope for a uniform civil code in Article 44. Taken as a whole package, the constitutional
vision of secularism is one of principled equidistance from all religious matters, while at the
same time regulating its practice in a manner consistent with the demands of a modern society.
Crucially, in Article 25(2)(a), we can find constitutional permission for the state to regulate or
restrict any economic, financial, political or other secular activity which may be associated with
religious practice.
Thus, it is fallacious to argue that the original Constitution as adopted, enacted and given to
ourselves on November 26, 1949, was not a secular document. The inclusion in the Preamble of the
words socialist and secular by the 42nd Amendment on January 3, 1977, only headlined what was
already present in the original text of the Constitution. We must also remember that the Preamble
itself was drafted only after the Constitution was approved by the Constituent Assembly. The
Preamble thus became a one-page mission statement of the republics intent.
Basic structure
On April 24, 1973, the Supreme Court, with its then full strength of 13 judges, ruled in
the Kesavananda Bharati case that secularism was part of the basic structure of the Constitution. It
also held that elements constituting the basic structure were beyond Parliaments power to amend
the Constitution. The court reiterated this principle in 1994 in the S.R. Bommai case when dealing
with the challenge to the dismissal of four Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled State governments after the
demolition of the Babri Masjid.
Despite the Constitutions secular nature being held to be part of its basic structure, matters did not
rest. During the Emergency came the 42nd Amendment on January 3, 1977. Apart from many
significant changes otherwise, it resurrected Prof. Shahs cosmetic suggestion and inserted the word
secular in the Preamble. After the Emergency, the 44th Amendment by the Janata government
undid most of the substantial damage achieved by the 42nd Amendment. But it, too, chose to
preserve the addition of the words socialist and secular to the Preamble.