Nano-solution to a mega-problem
http://www.hindu.com/seta/2007/01/11/stories/2007011100081500.htm
BANGLADESH HAS been battling with a silent public health disaster for the past thirty years. The culprits are the deadly arsenic compounds present in the country's tube-well water.
Earlier to the 1970s, health authorities there found an epidemic of gastrointestinal diseases, due to the contamination of surface water from the lakes and rivers by disease-carrying microbes.
Well-intentioned move
In a well-intentioned move, they embarked on a programme, in collaboration with UNICEF and private parties, of digging tube-wells, so as to provide safe drinking water. By the end of 1997, over 80 per cent of its population had access to tube-well water.
Alas, tube-well water is not safe either. It contains arsenic salts at levels far higher than permissible. The problem is not a directly man-made one. Silt from rivers upstream has been, over the centuries, collecting and depositing arsenic in subterranean layers.
A silent killer
Tube-well water arsenic contamination is thus not restricted to Bangladesh alone, but is also seen in Bihar and Eastern UP, but it is Bangladesh that has been hit so calamitously.
Arsenic is a silent killer. It causes skin lesions, affects the stomach, liver, lung, kidney, and blood, disabling them over time. It combines with proteins and enzymes, inactivating them and thus causing slow metabolic disorders.
Past examples
At the extreme, it causes cancers. History is replete with examples of arsenic-induced poisoning and death. Two Popes and even Napoleon Bonaparte are thought to have been murdered through arsenic poisoning. But the scale in Bangladesh is massive, over 40 million of its 130 million are affected. The first case was detected in 1983 by Dr. K. C. Saha of the dermatology department of the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine. Since then, thousands of cases have been reported.
Professor Dipankar Chakraborty of Jadavpur University, Kolkata, has written about the problem in detail in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, Nature and other journals.
Some methods have been suggested and used to help clear the body of ingested arsenic and prevent skin lesions. Selenium intake appears to remove some arsenic.
Some have suggested that iron sulphate be used in order to help flush arsenic out of the system. Others have suggested that the amino acid methionine may help in reducing the lesion.
How does one plan to remove the offending arsenic from water? Boiling the water to precipitate the arsenic does not work, since it does not come out of solution, as calcium does from hard water.
Nor does boiling convert arsenic into any harmless form, as happens with water contaminated by microbes. What we are looking for is an efficient, inexpensive method.
Applicable for all
The method should be applicable at all scales, from the individual families to the city water supply agencies. A group of researchers from Rice University at Houston, Texas, U.S. has been working for the last several years on precisely this problem.
They have now come out with a workable solution that appears to satisfy many of the above requirements. And their solution, published in the 10 November 2006 issue of Science, makes use of magnetic nanoparticles of iron oxide.
We humans, with our height and girth in metres, are `metre-particles'.
Tiny ants, fruitflies and lice are `millimetre particles' or `milliparticles', while bacteria, which are a thousand-fold smaller, are `microparticles'. Scaling equally down, we reach molecules and atoms whose sizes are in nanometres or even less.
As we reach this nano-scale, the properties of materials change remarkably. Size matters here; it becomes the determinant of the property. Gold glitters as a nugget, as a millimetre speck, and even as a micron particle. Cut it down to the nano scale; it loses the glitter; even its electrical conductivity changes.
New laws
New laws of physics, of the quantum world, begin to operate here. Chemically it is the same, but in various physical properties, nano-gold is quite different from macro-gold.
Even in the nano-dimension, size matters. A 3 nanometre (nm) particle of cadmium selenide shines green, but emits red when its size increases to a bit more than 5 nm. Take the example of magnets. Magnetite, a composite oxide of iron, is a good magnet.
But its magnetic property changes as we cut chunks of it into smaller and smaller pieces. Below 40 nm in size, its magnetic properties actually become more pronounced, and it becomes what physicists call a superparamagnet.
At the same time, as the particle size reduces, the proportion of surface area it exposes also increases. This allows it to `stick' to material more avidly than in the bulk phase.
What the Rice university researchers have done is to exploit this nano-size behaviour of magnetite. They prepared 16-nm size magnetite particles, stirred up a bit of this material in a beaker-full of arsenic-contaminated water.
Large surface area
Two things happened. Magnetite, being an iron-containing material, has an affinity to bind to arsenic salts, and it did so very avidly, thanks to the large surface area it presents at this nm size.
This removed the dissolved arsenic very efficiently from the water. Secondly, they placed an external magnet under the beaker.
This external magnetic field induced the aggregation or clumping of the magnetite into large chunks, which could be decanted or filtered out, leaving arsenic-free water. What does it mean to Bangladesh, and other areas affected by arsenic-contaminated water?
The use of nano-magnetite and a small magnet helps remove the arsenic quickly and efficiently. Here then appears a method worth trying both at the small scale and at the larger community level. Nano-Davids for Mega-Goliaths!
D. BALASUBRAMANIAN
dbala@lvpei.org
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
(WATER TREATMENT INDIA) ARSENIC -Nano-solution to a mega-problem
Environmental Entrepreneur,Green Biz.NRN Murthy of Infosys says that we Indians are weak in execution.We need to realize the need and practice of gud project management. Form a group of competent Managers,Give them responsibilities and review the project from day One.
( WATER TREATMENT INDIA) incompetent people
incompetent people ,they blame others for their misery, don’t own up their own responsibility for their present state
They Try to Bring Others Down To Their Level
They Give Up Easily. Incompetent people don't have the persistence to stick to one path.
They Take the Easy Way Out, there is no shortcut to hardwork.
They Try to Bring Others Down To Their Level
They Give Up Easily. Incompetent people don't have the persistence to stick to one path.
They Take the Easy Way Out, there is no shortcut to hardwork.
Environmental Entrepreneur,Green Biz.NRN Murthy of Infosys says that we Indians are weak in execution.We need to realize the need and practice of gud project management. Form a group of competent Managers,Give them responsibilities and review the project from day One.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Need for a second Green Revolution
Need for a second Green Revolution
G. K. Nair
India needs a paradigm shift in its agricultural policy
India needs a paradigm shift in its farm policy to overcome the "fatigue in the green revolution due to increasing cost of production, dwindling natural resources and climate."
The Food Agriculture Organisation Director-General, Mr Jacques Diouf, while addressing a meeting of the World Affairs Council of Northern California in San Francisco, recently, said: "In the next few decades, a major international effort is needed to feed the world when the population soars from six to nine billion. We might call it a second Green Revolution." The original Green Revolution of the 1950s/1960s doubled world food production by bringing the power of science to agriculture, but "relied on the lavish use of inputs such as water, fertiliser and pesticides," he said.
In the Indian context, with reports of farmers committing suicides in several States such as Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, the need for a second green revolution becomes imperative. The predicament in agriculture speaks of serious flaws in the country's farm policies.
Appreciable progress
It is true that the nation has made appreciable progress in this sector during the past over five decades. The foodgrains production has made a quantum leap from 51 million tonnes in 1950 to 108 million tonnes in 1970-71, 172 million tonnes in 1989-90, and crossed 200 million tonne last fiscal. Production of rice, wheat and other coarse grains have improved significantly. But this is not enough to cater to the needs of a population growing briskly. The population growth rate for 2005-06 is projected at 2.3 per cent against the projected overall GDP growth rate of 8.1 per cent. The lacklustre performance of the agricultural sector can be attributed to policy flaws.
Rise in population
Significantly, the population, which was 350 million in 1951, shot up to 850 million in 1991 and to an estimated 1,085 million in 2004. Of the population of 1,025 million in 2001, about 740 million were in agriculture. The total economically active population is only 451 million, of which those active in agriculture is estimated at 267 million.
Much more concentration is needed on improving output and area under coarse cereals. Production of pulses continued to dwindle between 11 million tonnes and 14 millions tonnes for decades. As a result, their per capita consumption, which was 69 gram per day in 1971, fell to 35.9 gram/day in 2004. The sharp decline in the consumption of pulses is a cause of serious concern. India has been importing pulses in large quantities to meet the domestic requirement.
Inequitable distribution of the means of production, especially land, could be one of the major reasons for this predicament.
Hence, the land reforms should result in increased agricultural production, in general, and food output, in particular; rational use of scarce land resources;re-distribution of land to the landless class; preventing the exploitation of tillers; use of improved methods of cultivation, and increased per man acre and per unit input productivity.
Agricultural packages
The agriculture packages, announced regularly, which include fertilisers, seeds, irrigation, water and credit, in practice, are invariably siphoned off by influential landowners. They miss out the most precious input — the farmer. He instead has become the passive recipient of inputs, imposed by the superior technology of extension workers.
Even credit becomes useless as a stimulus to innovation without motivation. A vigorous local self-government would have changed all this in favour of the small farmer, but how could articulation of the masses happen when elected bodies are captured by the rural elite?
Besides, new strategies for irrigation and water management need to be implemented. Since water is a scarce resource, it is necessary that emphasis be shifted on its more efficient use. According to the FAO chief, in many regions, water for irrigation is being pumped out of the ground faster than it can be replenished. In Tamil Nadu , over-pumping has lowered the water level in wells by 25-30 metre in a decade.
Focus on small farmer
Given this scenario, deliberate introduction of agrarian development towards the small farmer, that is, what he and his family can do and want to do with their knowledge and labour, be it in developing new techniques, seed varieties, extension service, distribution of inputs, improved farm practices, is the need of the hour. The aim should be to increase his productivity and income.
The economic capacity of the small farm may be restricted, but economic capacities can be socially determined and the Government must encourage the formation of voluntary multi-purpose cooperatives for joint farming, pooling of inputs, marketing to eliminate the middlemen, and involve the small farmer actively in what he does.
Credit institutions also need to be streamlined to support the extremely small and scattered clientele.
Agricultural prices need to be remunerative and incentive-based to make production reasonably safer for the small farmer who is continually sustaining losses; it is not industry alone that needs incentives to promote a healthy investment climate. And its support prices are remunerative and government procurements are well timed lest farmers' over-dues accumulate.
At the recent Congress Chief Ministers' conclave, Mr N. D. Tewari, Uttaranchal Chief Minister, said that India needs a paradigm shift in its agricultural policy to overcome the "fatigue in the green revolution due to increasing cost of production, dwindling natural resources and climate".
===========================
Pitfalls of the second green revolution
By Devinder Sharma
A wide range of policies—and the second ‘Green Revolution’—that the government is introducing in conjunction with Indian corporate houses, American agribusinesses and food multinationals, will have a catastrophic impact on Indian farmers, on sustainability and on food security. The effects are already evident in states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
Forty years after the first Green Revolution, Indian agriculture is in the midst of an unprecedented crisis. Unmindful of the destruction caused by the technology used for the ‘revolution', the impact of which is being felt all over the country – drastically declining yields, soil gasping for breath – India is preparing to introduce a second Green Revolution that will push farmers out of agriculture altogether.
Some years ago, a former vice-president of the World Bank and the then chairman of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), Dr Ismail Serageldin, made a presentation at a conference in Chennai. What he revealed did not come as a shock. Quoting a 1995 World Bank study, he said that the number of people migrating from rural areas to urban centres in India by the year 2010 would be twice the combined population of UK, France and Germany—that is, close to 200 million.
In other words, 400 million people are expected to be taking—now and in the near future—the distress migration route, migrating from rural areas in search of menial jobs in the sprawling urban conglomerates. It has been estimated that by 2020, India could have the world's largest number of megacities, with populations of over 10 million each. Seventy per cent of Tamil Nadu, for example, will live in these urban centres.
Numerous national policies are being recast at a frantic pace and are facilitating this distress. The underlying objective is clear in policies related to seed, water, biodiversity, adivasis, the environment, biotechnology, trade, food safety and agriculture, amongst others – make way for the big agro-industries
With the support of a political system cutting across party colours, Indian industry and business are upbeat about the potential of agriculture. A slew of FIICI-sponsored ‘reforms' for raising farm incomes plans to pump large amounts of public money into an industry-driven agriculture, while the farmer survives on the margins. The ‘reforms' are clearly not aimed at resurrecting agriculture but at bringing profits for the owners of the industries.
Policies that encourage contract farming, future trading in agricultural commodities, leasing of land, the formation of land-sharing companies, allotment of homestead-garden plots, direct procurement of farm commodities and the setting up of special purchase centres, will all drive a majority of India's 60 crore farmers out of agriculture.
The process has already begun. The agricultural reforms that are being introduced in the name of increasing food production and minimising the price risks that farmers continue to face are actually destroying the land's capacity to produce and further marginalising farming communities.
Industry-driven agriculture will aggravate the existing agrarian crisis. The new technology that the multinationals, as well as the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), plan to introduce, will keep a majority of farmers outside its ambit. ‘Precision farming' is one such technology that is getting the government's budgetary support. Other ‘reforms', such as removing the bottlenecks in the commodity supply chain by amending the APMC Act and enlarging the scope of future trading are also aimed at helping agribusinesses.
In pursuit of this World Bank model of agriculture, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh invested huge amounts into industry-driven agriculture. This led to an environmental catastrophe and destroyed millions of rural livelihoods. The rate of farmer suicides in both states has been increasing.
Both states have made it smoother for big agri-industry (backed by foreign financial insitutions and international banks) to move into the rural areas. Andhra Pradesh's Vision 2020 document talked of reducing the number of farmers in the state to 40% of the population, but did not have any significant programme to rehabilitate the 30% of the farming population that would be driven off the land.
The Rs 1,000-crore Indo-US Knowledge Initiative in Agricultural Research and Education, launched by American President George Bush in Hyderabad on March 3, is expected to bring Indian agriculture under the direct control of US corporate groups. If the first Green Revolution was facilitated by the introduction of the land grant system of agricultural research and education, the second Green Revolution is being tailored to the needs of American corporate interests.
In 2005, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bush signed a farm technology agreement. Addressing a joint session of the US Congress, the PM said, “The Green Revolution lifted countless millions above poverty.... I am very happy to say that US President George Bush and I have decided to launch a second generation of India-US collaboration in agriculture."
The agreement was prepared without transparency and its details have been kept confidential. Two multinational giants—supermarket leader Wal-Mart and the seed multinational Monsanto—are part of this Indo-US initiative. The two multinationals have already said they are not interested in research and development but in the increased trading opportunities that India offers.
One implicit objective of such agreements is a transfer of the unwanted and risk-laden technology of genetic engineering of plant and animal species. The US sees India as an easy dumping ground and has used the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to ask India why it is curtailing the import of genetically modified food. The process is being put in place without first ascertaining the reasons for the terrible agrarian crisis, which in part is due to the imposition of an alien and damaging technology.
This ‘knowledge initiative’ is, however, a boost for the cash-starved ICAR, the umbrella organisation for agricultural research and education in India. It will give plant scientists an opportunity to justify the huge public sector investment in the monolithic and gasping research insitution. The ICAR has clearly shifted its goalpost – from subsistence to commercial farming.
Even in America, the entry of retail chains in the agricultural sector has transferred the profits to a clutch of middlemen—retailers, processors, certification agencies, quality controllers and others. Farmers earn only 4% from whatever they sell. In 1990, farmers could earn as much as 70% from their sales. In Canada, the National Farmers Union has shown in a study how the combined profits of 70 retail and agribusiness firms have multiplied while the farmers’ losess have mounted. The same model is now being shifted to India.
Nowhere in the world has big agribusines worked in real cooperation with farmers. In North America and Europe, agribusiness companies have pushed farmers out of agriculture. Only 900,000 farming families are left on the farms in the US. In 15 countries of the European Union, the number of farmers has dwindled to less than 7 million. The underlying message is crystal clear: farmers should get out of agriculture. A similar process will lead to a catastrophe in India, worsening food insecurity and multiplying hunger.
As part of the process, the Economic Survey 2005-06 categorically talks of dismantling the minimum support price (MSP) and the procurement-based food subsidy system in India. This will enable the food retailers to directly purchase from farmers. In other words, Indian farmers will have to face not only the vagaries of the monsoon but also of the market. The Economic Advisory Council to the prime minister has prepared a report that calls for a shift in price policy – leaving the farmers at the mercy of the market forces.
In a country where land holdings are meagre, the big challenge lies in making agriculture more sustainable for the small and marginal farmers. In the former Green Revolution areas of Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, agriculture faces a severe crisis of sustainability. Punjab and Haryana are fast heading towards desertification – a process that renders the land unable to sustain the production levels achieved during the ‘revolution’.
The answer does not lie in allowing private corporations to take over through contract farming. Private businesses enter agriculture with the specific objective of garnering more profits from the same piece of land. Contract farming has already done irreparable damage to agriculture in countries like the Philippines, Zimbabwe, Argentina and Mexico.
The private corporations, as experiences in other countries show, bank on intensified farming practices, drain the soil of nutrients, suck groundwater in a few years and leave the once-fertile lands almost barren after four or five years. They are then likely to hand back the barren and unproductive land to the farmers who leased it to them and move to another fertile piece of land.
This is already happening in many parts of India. Contract farming accentuates the crisis of sustainability by destroying whatever remains of the land’s production capacity. The monoculture methods of contract corporate farming destroy biodiversity in the region, which further affects long-term sustainability. Contract farming is the modern version of ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.
It took decades to realise that the technology promoted by the USAID and unthinkingly followed by national agricultural research systems in developing countries, was disastrous. This realisation came about after the technology had already inflicted irreparable damage on human health and the environment. It would be dangerous to believe that the second Green Revolution promoted by the United States, that is being allowed through open doors into India by the government, will not leave behind still more damaging consequences.
We must ask several pertinent questions—how will the second Green Revolution aggravate the existing agrarian crisis? Will it push farmers out of agriculture and allow agribusinesses to take possession of the farm land and then destroy its production capacity? Will it not disable and drive out farmers and create an enabling environment only for agro-industries? With what untold consequences will the vital power to produce food be shifted into the profiteering hands of multinational food giants?
(Devinder Sharma is a Delhi-based agricultural scientist, researcher and policy analyst who specialises in issues related to global food and agriculture. He was invited to address six Parliaments in Europe in 2004-05.) Devinder Sharma can be emailed at: dsharma@ndf.vsnl.net.in)
Society And Suicide
By Amit Chamaria
22 September, 2006
Countercurrents.org
Certainly, a significant attention specially the PrimeMinister Manmohan Singh's attention towards Vidarbha district of Maharashtra is a welcome sign but of the consequences of unpleasant incidents. Obviously, not only the farmers of Maharashtra but the farmers of all states of India are under distress. But the problem of farmer suicides in Maharashtra has acquired the greater length. The number of suicides particularly, in Maharashtra has risen from1083 in 1995 to 4,147 in 2004.However recent announcement of relief package worth of rupees 3750 corers by the Prime Minister to solving the egregious condition of farmers has compelled to do a comprehensive debate by raising the question that-"Is this relief package a satisfactory solution of the problem of farmer suicide?"
Now, it is essential to understand the social analysis of suicide as a social problem. In this situation the significant work of Emile Durkheim, a French sociologist can't be forgotten. As per Durkheim's view simply, 'suicide' means 'self destruction'. But it reveals something lots. At least after the serial suicidal death of Vidarbha's farmers, it didn't remain confine to merely 'self destruction'-the simple means of suicide. If we go by Durkheim, suicide is a social fact and not simply an individual act but a product of social forces external to the individual. In fact, He rejects the various extra social factors such as heredity, climate, mental alienation, racial characteristics and imitation as the cause of suicide. Even 'Poverty' - the most general cause of suicide, as presented by media and politicians behind the every case of suicide, has been utterly rebutted by him. He, for simple understanding, argues that the greater the integration of individuals within the social group the less likely they are to commit suicide.
Apparently, one thing must be raised in our mind that why Durkheim negates poverty as one of the causes of suicide. If we believe at least some amount on a survey report conducted by the agency of the Govt. of India that reveals most developed states have more suicide rate as compared to the most backward states. In 2001, Maharashtra (14618), Karnataka (11881), Tamil Nadu (11290), Andhra Pradesh (10522) have highest suicide rates respectively. On the other hand all tribal dominated states like Arunachal Pradesh (111), Manipur (41), Mizorum (54), Sikkim (94), and the most backward states like Bihar (603) and Jharkand (250) have very less suicide rate. The place Kalahandi in Orissa at one time was the center of attention in media only because of serial deaths of persons and children due to hungry and malnutrition respectively. But it is quiet surprising that no suicide case was reported from Kalahandi at that time.
In addition to this, as per the ' Situation Assessment Survey of Farmers' conducted by National Sample Survey Organisation in 2003, the average monthly income (excluding rent, interest, dividend etc.) from all sources per farmer household ranged from Rs.1, 062.00 in the state of Orissa to Rs. 5,488.00 in the state of Jammu and Kashmir during the agriculture year of 2002 -03 and the all India average are Rs.2, 115.00.
To compare the average monthly income of per farmer household in Maharashtra (Rs.2, 463.00) and Gujarat (Rs.2, 684.00) from backward states like Bihar (Rs.1, 810.00), Orissa (1,062), Rajasthan (Rs. 1,498) and Madhya Pradesh (1,430.00), it can be easily revealed that lower monthly income is not a causative factor of suicide. By analyzing these statements it can be said that Durkheim is very close to the truth.
Then, what are the causes of farmer suicides?
According to him, this kind of suicide falls within the purview of 'Anomic Suicide' - one of the classifications of suicide. In fact, anomic suicide results from normlessness or deregulation in society. Although this kind of suicide occurs during industrial and financial crises, it is not because they cause poverty, since crises of prosperity have the same result but because they are crises of the collective order. If poverty and starvation are really the adequate causes of suicide then the suicide rate in all backward and northeastern states should have been high but it is not. Further he says that poverty protects against suicide because it is a restraint itself. The less one has the less he is tempted to extend the range of his needs. Sociologically, the incident of farmer suicides in Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra due to indebtedness is actually the result of the combined effect of 'Relative deprivation' and 'Sudden crises', which came in the category of anomic suicide. Significantly, the feelings of relative deprivation are the outcome of the first green revolution and these feelings has been augmented by the present market policy of Globalization. And it is one of the major drawbacks of the first green revolution. One thing that is essentially noticeable that mainly middle class peasants have committed suicide in that the effect of relative deprivation has fallen greater on them. The big achievement of the first green revolution was the enhancement of crops only by quantitatively not qualitatively.
Now, what should be the solutions of this menace? There are certain measures that should be adopted while formulating the new agriculture policy. Firstly, it is essential to provide better irrigation system and adequate rural infrastructure. So for better farming, farmers should be self-dependent and it can be achieved by maximizing the expenditure on irrigation and other basic facilities. Ironically, India has yet only one rural management institute IRMA after the 57 years of independence though major part of GDP depends on agriculture. Secondly, the causes should be found out that compel the farmers to taking debt either from moneylender or private and govt. banks. Essentially, farmers take debt mainly for boring well and for purchasing seeds and fertilizers.
So govt. should provide adequate irrigation system without disturbing the ecological cycle and a training camp must be organized in various places to provide the knowledge of rain harvesting system. And a comprehensive seed policy should be formulated but not under the pressure of WTO so that farmers could easily get seeds from their own product. The role of moneylender should be the least and in this place co-operative bank come should forward. One thing that is the most vital solution to the distress of farmers is to provide a better market without the intervention of mediators. A policy-"farmer's approach to market directly" should be adopted. But market should not be under the control of MNCs and some big business elites. The concept of market must be based on co-operative principle. Apparently the cotton cultivators committed suicide due to lack of proper market. Undoubtedly agriculture is the biggest source of employment generation. But the employment in agriculture is reducing gradually in accompanying with green revolution and increase in agricultural technology. Significantly the rate of development of employment in agriculture sector has reduced to 0.18 in 1994 from 2.17 in 1988, according to national sample survey report. The people are leaving off the practice of cultivation day by day. The situation of our agriculture will be improved only and only when people come forward for farming with their own pleasure but not as perfunctory. If the second green revolution would be the offshoot of the first green revolution then there is no need of second green revolution because we all have seen the aftermaths of first green revolution. Now it is time to frame a comprehensive policy for the development of sustainable agriculture with considering the every pros and cons in Indian perspective. A policy should be for "Aam Kisan" in that they are the real cultivators.
Amit Chamaria is a freelance journalist.He has done PG in Sociology From PU.
Address:
Amit Chamaria
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G. K. Nair
India needs a paradigm shift in its agricultural policy
India needs a paradigm shift in its farm policy to overcome the "fatigue in the green revolution due to increasing cost of production, dwindling natural resources and climate."
The Food Agriculture Organisation Director-General, Mr Jacques Diouf, while addressing a meeting of the World Affairs Council of Northern California in San Francisco, recently, said: "In the next few decades, a major international effort is needed to feed the world when the population soars from six to nine billion. We might call it a second Green Revolution." The original Green Revolution of the 1950s/1960s doubled world food production by bringing the power of science to agriculture, but "relied on the lavish use of inputs such as water, fertiliser and pesticides," he said.
In the Indian context, with reports of farmers committing suicides in several States such as Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, the need for a second green revolution becomes imperative. The predicament in agriculture speaks of serious flaws in the country's farm policies.
Appreciable progress
It is true that the nation has made appreciable progress in this sector during the past over five decades. The foodgrains production has made a quantum leap from 51 million tonnes in 1950 to 108 million tonnes in 1970-71, 172 million tonnes in 1989-90, and crossed 200 million tonne last fiscal. Production of rice, wheat and other coarse grains have improved significantly. But this is not enough to cater to the needs of a population growing briskly. The population growth rate for 2005-06 is projected at 2.3 per cent against the projected overall GDP growth rate of 8.1 per cent. The lacklustre performance of the agricultural sector can be attributed to policy flaws.
Rise in population
Significantly, the population, which was 350 million in 1951, shot up to 850 million in 1991 and to an estimated 1,085 million in 2004. Of the population of 1,025 million in 2001, about 740 million were in agriculture. The total economically active population is only 451 million, of which those active in agriculture is estimated at 267 million.
Much more concentration is needed on improving output and area under coarse cereals. Production of pulses continued to dwindle between 11 million tonnes and 14 millions tonnes for decades. As a result, their per capita consumption, which was 69 gram per day in 1971, fell to 35.9 gram/day in 2004. The sharp decline in the consumption of pulses is a cause of serious concern. India has been importing pulses in large quantities to meet the domestic requirement.
Inequitable distribution of the means of production, especially land, could be one of the major reasons for this predicament.
Hence, the land reforms should result in increased agricultural production, in general, and food output, in particular; rational use of scarce land resources;re-distribution of land to the landless class; preventing the exploitation of tillers; use of improved methods of cultivation, and increased per man acre and per unit input productivity.
Agricultural packages
The agriculture packages, announced regularly, which include fertilisers, seeds, irrigation, water and credit, in practice, are invariably siphoned off by influential landowners. They miss out the most precious input — the farmer. He instead has become the passive recipient of inputs, imposed by the superior technology of extension workers.
Even credit becomes useless as a stimulus to innovation without motivation. A vigorous local self-government would have changed all this in favour of the small farmer, but how could articulation of the masses happen when elected bodies are captured by the rural elite?
Besides, new strategies for irrigation and water management need to be implemented. Since water is a scarce resource, it is necessary that emphasis be shifted on its more efficient use. According to the FAO chief, in many regions, water for irrigation is being pumped out of the ground faster than it can be replenished. In Tamil Nadu , over-pumping has lowered the water level in wells by 25-30 metre in a decade.
Focus on small farmer
Given this scenario, deliberate introduction of agrarian development towards the small farmer, that is, what he and his family can do and want to do with their knowledge and labour, be it in developing new techniques, seed varieties, extension service, distribution of inputs, improved farm practices, is the need of the hour. The aim should be to increase his productivity and income.
The economic capacity of the small farm may be restricted, but economic capacities can be socially determined and the Government must encourage the formation of voluntary multi-purpose cooperatives for joint farming, pooling of inputs, marketing to eliminate the middlemen, and involve the small farmer actively in what he does.
Credit institutions also need to be streamlined to support the extremely small and scattered clientele.
Agricultural prices need to be remunerative and incentive-based to make production reasonably safer for the small farmer who is continually sustaining losses; it is not industry alone that needs incentives to promote a healthy investment climate. And its support prices are remunerative and government procurements are well timed lest farmers' over-dues accumulate.
At the recent Congress Chief Ministers' conclave, Mr N. D. Tewari, Uttaranchal Chief Minister, said that India needs a paradigm shift in its agricultural policy to overcome the "fatigue in the green revolution due to increasing cost of production, dwindling natural resources and climate".
===========================
Pitfalls of the second green revolution
By Devinder Sharma
A wide range of policies—and the second ‘Green Revolution’—that the government is introducing in conjunction with Indian corporate houses, American agribusinesses and food multinationals, will have a catastrophic impact on Indian farmers, on sustainability and on food security. The effects are already evident in states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
Forty years after the first Green Revolution, Indian agriculture is in the midst of an unprecedented crisis. Unmindful of the destruction caused by the technology used for the ‘revolution', the impact of which is being felt all over the country – drastically declining yields, soil gasping for breath – India is preparing to introduce a second Green Revolution that will push farmers out of agriculture altogether.
Some years ago, a former vice-president of the World Bank and the then chairman of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), Dr Ismail Serageldin, made a presentation at a conference in Chennai. What he revealed did not come as a shock. Quoting a 1995 World Bank study, he said that the number of people migrating from rural areas to urban centres in India by the year 2010 would be twice the combined population of UK, France and Germany—that is, close to 200 million.
In other words, 400 million people are expected to be taking—now and in the near future—the distress migration route, migrating from rural areas in search of menial jobs in the sprawling urban conglomerates. It has been estimated that by 2020, India could have the world's largest number of megacities, with populations of over 10 million each. Seventy per cent of Tamil Nadu, for example, will live in these urban centres.
Numerous national policies are being recast at a frantic pace and are facilitating this distress. The underlying objective is clear in policies related to seed, water, biodiversity, adivasis, the environment, biotechnology, trade, food safety and agriculture, amongst others – make way for the big agro-industries
With the support of a political system cutting across party colours, Indian industry and business are upbeat about the potential of agriculture. A slew of FIICI-sponsored ‘reforms' for raising farm incomes plans to pump large amounts of public money into an industry-driven agriculture, while the farmer survives on the margins. The ‘reforms' are clearly not aimed at resurrecting agriculture but at bringing profits for the owners of the industries.
Policies that encourage contract farming, future trading in agricultural commodities, leasing of land, the formation of land-sharing companies, allotment of homestead-garden plots, direct procurement of farm commodities and the setting up of special purchase centres, will all drive a majority of India's 60 crore farmers out of agriculture.
The process has already begun. The agricultural reforms that are being introduced in the name of increasing food production and minimising the price risks that farmers continue to face are actually destroying the land's capacity to produce and further marginalising farming communities.
Industry-driven agriculture will aggravate the existing agrarian crisis. The new technology that the multinationals, as well as the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), plan to introduce, will keep a majority of farmers outside its ambit. ‘Precision farming' is one such technology that is getting the government's budgetary support. Other ‘reforms', such as removing the bottlenecks in the commodity supply chain by amending the APMC Act and enlarging the scope of future trading are also aimed at helping agribusinesses.
In pursuit of this World Bank model of agriculture, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh invested huge amounts into industry-driven agriculture. This led to an environmental catastrophe and destroyed millions of rural livelihoods. The rate of farmer suicides in both states has been increasing.
Both states have made it smoother for big agri-industry (backed by foreign financial insitutions and international banks) to move into the rural areas. Andhra Pradesh's Vision 2020 document talked of reducing the number of farmers in the state to 40% of the population, but did not have any significant programme to rehabilitate the 30% of the farming population that would be driven off the land.
The Rs 1,000-crore Indo-US Knowledge Initiative in Agricultural Research and Education, launched by American President George Bush in Hyderabad on March 3, is expected to bring Indian agriculture under the direct control of US corporate groups. If the first Green Revolution was facilitated by the introduction of the land grant system of agricultural research and education, the second Green Revolution is being tailored to the needs of American corporate interests.
In 2005, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bush signed a farm technology agreement. Addressing a joint session of the US Congress, the PM said, “The Green Revolution lifted countless millions above poverty.... I am very happy to say that US President George Bush and I have decided to launch a second generation of India-US collaboration in agriculture."
The agreement was prepared without transparency and its details have been kept confidential. Two multinational giants—supermarket leader Wal-Mart and the seed multinational Monsanto—are part of this Indo-US initiative. The two multinationals have already said they are not interested in research and development but in the increased trading opportunities that India offers.
One implicit objective of such agreements is a transfer of the unwanted and risk-laden technology of genetic engineering of plant and animal species. The US sees India as an easy dumping ground and has used the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to ask India why it is curtailing the import of genetically modified food. The process is being put in place without first ascertaining the reasons for the terrible agrarian crisis, which in part is due to the imposition of an alien and damaging technology.
This ‘knowledge initiative’ is, however, a boost for the cash-starved ICAR, the umbrella organisation for agricultural research and education in India. It will give plant scientists an opportunity to justify the huge public sector investment in the monolithic and gasping research insitution. The ICAR has clearly shifted its goalpost – from subsistence to commercial farming.
Even in America, the entry of retail chains in the agricultural sector has transferred the profits to a clutch of middlemen—retailers, processors, certification agencies, quality controllers and others. Farmers earn only 4% from whatever they sell. In 1990, farmers could earn as much as 70% from their sales. In Canada, the National Farmers Union has shown in a study how the combined profits of 70 retail and agribusiness firms have multiplied while the farmers’ losess have mounted. The same model is now being shifted to India.
Nowhere in the world has big agribusines worked in real cooperation with farmers. In North America and Europe, agribusiness companies have pushed farmers out of agriculture. Only 900,000 farming families are left on the farms in the US. In 15 countries of the European Union, the number of farmers has dwindled to less than 7 million. The underlying message is crystal clear: farmers should get out of agriculture. A similar process will lead to a catastrophe in India, worsening food insecurity and multiplying hunger.
As part of the process, the Economic Survey 2005-06 categorically talks of dismantling the minimum support price (MSP) and the procurement-based food subsidy system in India. This will enable the food retailers to directly purchase from farmers. In other words, Indian farmers will have to face not only the vagaries of the monsoon but also of the market. The Economic Advisory Council to the prime minister has prepared a report that calls for a shift in price policy – leaving the farmers at the mercy of the market forces.
In a country where land holdings are meagre, the big challenge lies in making agriculture more sustainable for the small and marginal farmers. In the former Green Revolution areas of Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, agriculture faces a severe crisis of sustainability. Punjab and Haryana are fast heading towards desertification – a process that renders the land unable to sustain the production levels achieved during the ‘revolution’.
The answer does not lie in allowing private corporations to take over through contract farming. Private businesses enter agriculture with the specific objective of garnering more profits from the same piece of land. Contract farming has already done irreparable damage to agriculture in countries like the Philippines, Zimbabwe, Argentina and Mexico.
The private corporations, as experiences in other countries show, bank on intensified farming practices, drain the soil of nutrients, suck groundwater in a few years and leave the once-fertile lands almost barren after four or five years. They are then likely to hand back the barren and unproductive land to the farmers who leased it to them and move to another fertile piece of land.
This is already happening in many parts of India. Contract farming accentuates the crisis of sustainability by destroying whatever remains of the land’s production capacity. The monoculture methods of contract corporate farming destroy biodiversity in the region, which further affects long-term sustainability. Contract farming is the modern version of ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.
It took decades to realise that the technology promoted by the USAID and unthinkingly followed by national agricultural research systems in developing countries, was disastrous. This realisation came about after the technology had already inflicted irreparable damage on human health and the environment. It would be dangerous to believe that the second Green Revolution promoted by the United States, that is being allowed through open doors into India by the government, will not leave behind still more damaging consequences.
We must ask several pertinent questions—how will the second Green Revolution aggravate the existing agrarian crisis? Will it push farmers out of agriculture and allow agribusinesses to take possession of the farm land and then destroy its production capacity? Will it not disable and drive out farmers and create an enabling environment only for agro-industries? With what untold consequences will the vital power to produce food be shifted into the profiteering hands of multinational food giants?
(Devinder Sharma is a Delhi-based agricultural scientist, researcher and policy analyst who specialises in issues related to global food and agriculture. He was invited to address six Parliaments in Europe in 2004-05.) Devinder Sharma can be emailed at: dsharma@ndf.vsnl.net.in)
Society And Suicide
By Amit Chamaria
22 September, 2006
Countercurrents.org
Certainly, a significant attention specially the PrimeMinister Manmohan Singh's attention towards Vidarbha district of Maharashtra is a welcome sign but of the consequences of unpleasant incidents. Obviously, not only the farmers of Maharashtra but the farmers of all states of India are under distress. But the problem of farmer suicides in Maharashtra has acquired the greater length. The number of suicides particularly, in Maharashtra has risen from1083 in 1995 to 4,147 in 2004.However recent announcement of relief package worth of rupees 3750 corers by the Prime Minister to solving the egregious condition of farmers has compelled to do a comprehensive debate by raising the question that-"Is this relief package a satisfactory solution of the problem of farmer suicide?"
Now, it is essential to understand the social analysis of suicide as a social problem. In this situation the significant work of Emile Durkheim, a French sociologist can't be forgotten. As per Durkheim's view simply, 'suicide' means 'self destruction'. But it reveals something lots. At least after the serial suicidal death of Vidarbha's farmers, it didn't remain confine to merely 'self destruction'-the simple means of suicide. If we go by Durkheim, suicide is a social fact and not simply an individual act but a product of social forces external to the individual. In fact, He rejects the various extra social factors such as heredity, climate, mental alienation, racial characteristics and imitation as the cause of suicide. Even 'Poverty' - the most general cause of suicide, as presented by media and politicians behind the every case of suicide, has been utterly rebutted by him. He, for simple understanding, argues that the greater the integration of individuals within the social group the less likely they are to commit suicide.
Apparently, one thing must be raised in our mind that why Durkheim negates poverty as one of the causes of suicide. If we believe at least some amount on a survey report conducted by the agency of the Govt. of India that reveals most developed states have more suicide rate as compared to the most backward states. In 2001, Maharashtra (14618), Karnataka (11881), Tamil Nadu (11290), Andhra Pradesh (10522) have highest suicide rates respectively. On the other hand all tribal dominated states like Arunachal Pradesh (111), Manipur (41), Mizorum (54), Sikkim (94), and the most backward states like Bihar (603) and Jharkand (250) have very less suicide rate. The place Kalahandi in Orissa at one time was the center of attention in media only because of serial deaths of persons and children due to hungry and malnutrition respectively. But it is quiet surprising that no suicide case was reported from Kalahandi at that time.
In addition to this, as per the ' Situation Assessment Survey of Farmers' conducted by National Sample Survey Organisation in 2003, the average monthly income (excluding rent, interest, dividend etc.) from all sources per farmer household ranged from Rs.1, 062.00 in the state of Orissa to Rs. 5,488.00 in the state of Jammu and Kashmir during the agriculture year of 2002 -03 and the all India average are Rs.2, 115.00.
To compare the average monthly income of per farmer household in Maharashtra (Rs.2, 463.00) and Gujarat (Rs.2, 684.00) from backward states like Bihar (Rs.1, 810.00), Orissa (1,062), Rajasthan (Rs. 1,498) and Madhya Pradesh (1,430.00), it can be easily revealed that lower monthly income is not a causative factor of suicide. By analyzing these statements it can be said that Durkheim is very close to the truth.
Then, what are the causes of farmer suicides?
According to him, this kind of suicide falls within the purview of 'Anomic Suicide' - one of the classifications of suicide. In fact, anomic suicide results from normlessness or deregulation in society. Although this kind of suicide occurs during industrial and financial crises, it is not because they cause poverty, since crises of prosperity have the same result but because they are crises of the collective order. If poverty and starvation are really the adequate causes of suicide then the suicide rate in all backward and northeastern states should have been high but it is not. Further he says that poverty protects against suicide because it is a restraint itself. The less one has the less he is tempted to extend the range of his needs. Sociologically, the incident of farmer suicides in Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra due to indebtedness is actually the result of the combined effect of 'Relative deprivation' and 'Sudden crises', which came in the category of anomic suicide. Significantly, the feelings of relative deprivation are the outcome of the first green revolution and these feelings has been augmented by the present market policy of Globalization. And it is one of the major drawbacks of the first green revolution. One thing that is essentially noticeable that mainly middle class peasants have committed suicide in that the effect of relative deprivation has fallen greater on them. The big achievement of the first green revolution was the enhancement of crops only by quantitatively not qualitatively.
Now, what should be the solutions of this menace? There are certain measures that should be adopted while formulating the new agriculture policy. Firstly, it is essential to provide better irrigation system and adequate rural infrastructure. So for better farming, farmers should be self-dependent and it can be achieved by maximizing the expenditure on irrigation and other basic facilities. Ironically, India has yet only one rural management institute IRMA after the 57 years of independence though major part of GDP depends on agriculture. Secondly, the causes should be found out that compel the farmers to taking debt either from moneylender or private and govt. banks. Essentially, farmers take debt mainly for boring well and for purchasing seeds and fertilizers.
So govt. should provide adequate irrigation system without disturbing the ecological cycle and a training camp must be organized in various places to provide the knowledge of rain harvesting system. And a comprehensive seed policy should be formulated but not under the pressure of WTO so that farmers could easily get seeds from their own product. The role of moneylender should be the least and in this place co-operative bank come should forward. One thing that is the most vital solution to the distress of farmers is to provide a better market without the intervention of mediators. A policy-"farmer's approach to market directly" should be adopted. But market should not be under the control of MNCs and some big business elites. The concept of market must be based on co-operative principle. Apparently the cotton cultivators committed suicide due to lack of proper market. Undoubtedly agriculture is the biggest source of employment generation. But the employment in agriculture is reducing gradually in accompanying with green revolution and increase in agricultural technology. Significantly the rate of development of employment in agriculture sector has reduced to 0.18 in 1994 from 2.17 in 1988, according to national sample survey report. The people are leaving off the practice of cultivation day by day. The situation of our agriculture will be improved only and only when people come forward for farming with their own pleasure but not as perfunctory. If the second green revolution would be the offshoot of the first green revolution then there is no need of second green revolution because we all have seen the aftermaths of first green revolution. Now it is time to frame a comprehensive policy for the development of sustainable agriculture with considering the every pros and cons in Indian perspective. A policy should be for "Aam Kisan" in that they are the real cultivators.
Amit Chamaria is a freelance journalist.He has done PG in Sociology From PU.
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Environmental Entrepreneur,Green Biz.NRN Murthy of Infosys says that we Indians are weak in execution.We need to realize the need and practice of gud project management. Form a group of competent Managers,Give them responsibilities and review the project from day One.
Need for a second Green Revolution
Need for a second Green Revolution
G. K. Nair
| India needs a paradigm shift in its agricultural policy |
India needs a paradigm shift in its farm policy to overcome the "fatigue in the green revolution due to increasing cost of production, dwindling natural resources and climate."
The Food Agriculture Organisation Director-General, Mr Jacques Diouf, while addressing a meeting of the World Affairs Council of Northern California in San Francisco, recently, said: "In the next few decades, a major international effort is needed to feed the world when the population soars from six to nine billion. We might call it a second Green Revolution." The original Green Revolution of the 1950s/1960s doubled world food production by bringing the power of science to agriculture, but "relied on the lavish use of inputs such as water, fertiliser and pesticides," he said.
In the Indian context, with reports of farmers committing suicides in several States such as Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, the need for a second green revolution becomes imperative. The predicament in agriculture speaks of serious flaws in the country's farm policies.
Appreciable progress
It is true that the nation has made appreciable progress in this sector during the past over five decades. The foodgrains production has made a quantum leap from 51 million tonnes in 1950 to 108 million tonnes in 1970-71, 172 million tonnes in 1989-90, and crossed 200 million tonne last fiscal. Production of rice, wheat and other coarse grains have improved significantly. But this is not enough to cater to the needs of a population growing briskly. The population growth rate for 2005-06 is projected at 2.3 per cent against the projected overall GDP growth rate of 8.1 per cent. The lacklustre performance of the agricultural sector can be attributed to policy flaws.
Rise in population
Significantly, the population, which was 350 million in 1951, shot up to 850 million in 1991 and to an estimated 1,085 million in 2004. Of the population of 1,025 million in 2001, about 740 million were in agriculture. The total economically active population is only 451 million, of which those active in agriculture is estimated at 267 million.
Much more concentration is needed on improving output and area under coarse cereals. Production of pulses continued to dwindle between 11 million tonnes and 14 millions tonnes for decades. As a result, their per capita consumption, which was 69 gram per day in 1971, fell to 35.9 gram/day in 2004. The sharp decline in the consumption of pulses is a cause of serious concern. India has been importing pulses in large quantities to meet the domestic requirement.
Inequitable distribution of the means of production, especially land, could be one of the major reasons for this predicament.
Hence, the land reforms should result in increased agricultural production, in general, and food output, in particular; rational use of scarce land resources;re-distribution of land to the landless class; preventing the exploitation of tillers; use of improved methods of cultivation, and increased per man acre and per unit input productivity.
Agricultural packages
The agriculture packages, announced regularly, which include fertilisers, seeds, irrigation, water and credit, in practice, are invariably siphoned off by influential landowners. They miss out the most precious input — the farmer. He instead has become the passive recipient of inputs, imposed by the superior technology of extension workers.
Even credit becomes useless as a stimulus to innovation without motivation. A vigorous local self-government would have changed all this in favour of the small farmer, but how could articulation of the masses happen when elected bodies are captured by the rural elite?
Besides, new strategies for irrigation and water management need to be implemented. Since water is a scarce resource, it is necessary that emphasis be shifted on its more efficient use. According to the FAO chief, in many regions, water for irrigation is being pumped out of the ground faster than it can be replenished. In Tamil Nadu , over-pumping has lowered the water level in wells by 25-30 metre in a decade.
Focus on small farmer
Given this scenario, deliberate introduction of agrarian development towards the small farmer, that is, what he and his family can do and want to do with their knowledge and labour, be it in developing new techniques, seed varieties, extension service, distribution of inputs, improved farm practices, is the need of the hour. The aim should be to increase his productivity and income.
The economic capacity of the small farm may be restricted, but economic capacities can be socially determined and the Government must encourage the formation of voluntary multi-purpose cooperatives for joint farming, pooling of inputs, marketing to eliminate the middlemen, and involve the small farmer actively in what he does.
Credit institutions also need to be streamlined to support the extremely small and scattered clientele.
Agricultural prices need to be remunerative and incentive-based to make production reasonably safer for the small farmer who is continually sustaining losses; it is not industry alone that needs incentives to promote a healthy investment climate. And its support prices are remunerative and government procurements are well timed lest farmers' over-dues accumulate.
At the recent Congress Chief Ministers' conclave, Mr N. D. Tewari, Uttaranchal Chief Minister, said that India needs a paradigm shift in its agricultural policy to overcome the "fatigue in the green revolution due to increasing cost of production, dwindling natural resources and climate".
===========================
| Pitfalls of the second green revolution By Devinder Sharma |
| A wide range of policies—and the second 'Green Revolution'—that the government is introducing in conjunction with Indian corporate houses, American agribusinesses and food multinationals, will have a catastrophic impact on Indian farmers, on sustainability and on food security. The effects are already evident in states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh |
Forty years after the first Green Revolution, Indian agriculture is in the midst of an unprecedented crisis. Unmindful of the destruction caused by the technology used for the 'revolution', the impact of which is being felt all over the country – drastically declining yields, soil gasping for breath – India is preparing to introduce a second Green Revolution that will push farmers out of agriculture altogether.
Some years ago, a former vice-president of the World Bank and the then chairman of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), Dr Ismail Serageldin, made a presentation at a conference in Chennai. What he revealed did not come as a shock. Quoting a 1995 World Bank study, he said that the number of people migrating from rural areas to urban centres in India by the year 2010 would be twice the combined population of UK, France and Germany—that is, close to 200 million.
In other words, 400 million people are expected to be taking—now and in the near future—the distress migration route, migrating from rural areas in search of menial jobs in the sprawling urban conglomerates. It has been estimated that by 2020, India could have the world's largest number of megacities, with populations of over 10 million each. Seventy per cent of Tamil Nadu, for example, will live in these urban centres.
Numerous national policies are being recast at a frantic pace and are facilitating this distress. The underlying objective is clear in policies related to seed, water, biodiversity, adivasis, the environment, biotechnology, trade, food safety and agriculture, amongst others – make way for the big agro-industries
With the support of a political system cutting across party colours, Indian industry and business are upbeat about the potential of agriculture. A slew of FIICI-sponsored 'reforms' for raising farm incomes plans to pump large amounts of public money into an industry-driven agriculture, while the farmer survives on the margins. The 'reforms' are clearly not aimed at resurrecting agriculture but at bringing profits for the owners of the industries.
Policies that encourage contract farming, future trading in agricultural commodities, leasing of land, the formation of land-sharing companies, allotment of homestead-garden plots, direct procurement of farm commodities and the setting up of special purchase centres, will all drive a majority of India's 60 crore farmers out of agriculture.
The process has already begun. The agricultural reforms that are being introduced in the name of increasing food production and minimising the price risks that farmers continue to face are actually destroying the land's capacity to produce and further marginalising farming communities.
Industry-driven agriculture will aggravate the existing agrarian crisis. The new technology that the multinationals, as well as the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), plan to introduce, will keep a majority of farmers outside its ambit. 'Precision farming' is one such technology that is getting the government's budgetary support. Other 'reforms', such as removing the bottlenecks in the commodity supply chain by amending the APMC Act and enlarging the scope of future trading are also aimed at helping agribusinesses.
In pursuit of this World Bank model of agriculture, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh invested huge amounts into industry-driven agriculture. This led to an environmental catastrophe and destroyed millions of rural livelihoods. The rate of farmer suicides in both states has been increasing.
Both states have made it smoother for big agri-industry (backed by foreign financial insitutions and international banks) to move into the rural areas. Andhra Pradesh's Vision 2020 document talked of reducing the number of farmers in the state to 40% of the population, but did not have any significant programme to rehabilitate the 30% of the farming population that would be driven off the land.
The Rs 1,000-crore Indo-US Knowledge Initiative in Agricultural Research and Education, launched by American President George Bush in Hyderabad on March 3, is expected to bring Indian agriculture under the direct control of US corporate groups. If the first Green Revolution was facilitated by the introduction of the land grant system of agricultural research and education, the second Green Revolution is being tailored to the needs of American corporate interests.
In 2005, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bush signed a farm technology agreement. Addressing a joint session of the US Congress, the PM said, "The Green Revolution lifted countless millions above poverty.... I am very happy to say that US President George Bush and I have decided to launch a second generation of India-US collaboration in agriculture."
The agreement was prepared without transparency and its details have been kept confidential. Two multinational giants—supermarket leader Wal-Mart and the seed multinational Monsanto—are part of this Indo-US initiative. The two multinationals have already said they are not interested in research and development but in the increased trading opportunities that India offers.
One implicit objective of such agreements is a transfer of the unwanted and risk-laden technology of genetic engineering of plant and animal species. The US sees India as an easy dumping ground and has used the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to ask India why it is curtailing the import of genetically modified food. The process is being put in place without first ascertaining the reasons for the terrible agrarian crisis, which in part is due to the imposition of an alien and damaging technology.
This 'knowledge initiative' is, however, a boost for the cash-starved ICAR, the umbrella organisation for agricultural research and education in India. It will give plant scientists an opportunity to justify the huge public sector investment in the monolithic and gasping research insitution. The ICAR has clearly shifted its goalpost – from subsistence to commercial farming.
Even in America, the entry of retail chains in the agricultural sector has transferred the profits to a clutch of middlemen—retailers, processors, certification agencies, quality controllers and others. Farmers earn only 4% from whatever they sell. In 1990, farmers could earn as much as 70% from their sales. In Canada, the National Farmers Union has shown in a study how the combined profits of 70 retail and agribusiness firms have multiplied while the farmers' losess have mounted. The same model is now being shifted to India.
Nowhere in the world has big agribusines worked in real cooperation with farmers. In North America and Europe, agribusiness companies have pushed farmers out of agriculture. Only 900,000 farming families are left on the farms in the US. In 15 countries of the European Union, the number of farmers has dwindled to less than 7 million. The underlying message is crystal clear: farmers should get out of agriculture. A similar process will lead to a catastrophe in India, worsening food insecurity and multiplying hunger.
As part of the process, the Economic Survey 2005-06 categorically talks of dismantling the minimum support price (MSP) and the procurement-based food subsidy system in India. This will enable the food retailers to directly purchase from farmers. In other words, Indian farmers will have to face not only the vagaries of the monsoon but also of the market. The Economic Advisory Council to the prime minister has prepared a report that calls for a shift in price policy – leaving the farmers at the mercy of the market forces.
In a country where land holdings are meagre, the big challenge lies in making agriculture more sustainable for the small and marginal farmers. In the former Green Revolution areas of Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, agriculture faces a severe crisis of sustainability. Punjab and Haryana are fast heading towards desertification – a process that renders the land unable to sustain the production levels achieved during the 'revolution'.
The answer does not lie in allowing private corporations to take over through contract farming. Private businesses enter agriculture with the specific objective of garnering more profits from the same piece of land. Contract farming has already done irreparable damage to agriculture in countries like the Philippines, Zimbabwe, Argentina and Mexico.
The private corporations, as experiences in other countries show, bank on intensified farming practices, drain the soil of nutrients, suck groundwater in a few years and leave the once-fertile lands almost barren after four or five years. They are then likely to hand back the barren and unproductive land to the farmers who leased it to them and move to another fertile piece of land.
This is already happening in many parts of India. Contract farming accentuates the crisis of sustainability by destroying whatever remains of the land's production capacity. The monoculture methods of contract corporate farming destroy biodiversity in the region, which further affects long-term sustainability. Contract farming is the modern version of 'slash and burn' agriculture.
It took decades to realise that the technology promoted by the USAID and unthinkingly followed by national agricultural research systems in developing countries, was disastrous. This realisation came about after the technology had already inflicted irreparable damage on human health and the environment. It would be dangerous to believe that the second Green Revolution promoted by the United States, that is being allowed through open doors into India by the government, will not leave behind still more damaging consequences.
We must ask several pertinent questions—how will the second Green Revolution aggravate the existing agrarian crisis? Will it push farmers out of agriculture and allow agribusinesses to take possession of the farm land and then destroy its production capacity? Will it not disable and drive out farmers and create an enabling environment only for agro-industries? With what untold consequences will the vital power to produce food be shifted into the profiteering hands of multinational food giants?
(Devinder Sharma is a Delhi-based agricultural scientist, researcher and policy analyst who specialises in issues related to global food and agriculture. He was invited to address six Parliaments in Europe in 2004-05.)
Devinder Sharma can be emailed at: dsharma@ndf.vsnl.net.in)
Society And Suicide
By Amit Chamaria
22 September, 2006
Countercurrents.org
C
ertainly, a significant attention specially the PrimeMinister Manmohan Singh's attention towards Vidarbha district of Maharashtra is a welcome sign but of the consequences of unpleasant incidents. Obviously, not only the farmers of Maharashtra but the farmers of all states of India are under distress. But the problem of farmer suicides in Maharashtra has acquired the greater length. The number of suicides particularly, in Maharashtra has risen from1083 in 1995 to 4,147 in 2004.However recent announcement of relief package worth of rupees 3750 corers by the Prime Minister to solving the egregious condition of farmers has compelled to do a comprehensive debate by raising the question that-"Is this relief package a satisfactory solution of the problem of farmer suicide?"Now, it is essential to understand the social analysis of suicide as a social problem. In this situation the significant work of Emile Durkheim, a French sociologist can't be forgotten. As per Durkheim's view simply, 'suicide' means 'self destruction'. But it reveals something lots. At least after the serial suicidal death of Vidarbha's farmers, it didn't remain confine to merely 'self destruction'-the simple means of suicide. If we go by Durkheim, suicide is a social fact and not simply an individual act but a product of social forces external to the individual. In fact, He rejects the various extra social factors such as heredity, climate, mental alienation, racial characteristics and imitation as the cause of suicide. Even 'Poverty' - the most general cause of suicide, as presented by media and politicians behind the every case of suicide, has been utterly rebutted by him. He, for simple understanding, argues that the greater the integration of individuals within the social group the less likely they are to commit suicide.
Apparently, one thing must be raised in our mind that why Durkheim negates poverty as one of the causes of suicide. If we believe at least some amount on a survey report conducted by the agency of the Govt. of India that reveals most developed states have more suicide rate as compared to the most backward states. In 2001, Maharashtra (14618), Karnataka (11881), Tamil Nadu (11290), Andhra Pradesh (10522) have highest suicide rates respectively. On the other hand all tribal dominated states like Arunachal Pradesh (111), Manipur (41), Mizorum (54), Sikkim (94), and the most backward states like Bihar (603) and Jharkand (250) have very less suicide rate. The place Kalahandi in Orissa at one time was the center of attention in media only because of serial deaths of persons and children due to hungry and malnutrition respectively. But it is quiet surprising that no suicide case was reported from Kalahandi at that time.
In addition to this, as per the ' Situation Assessment Survey of Farmers' conducted by National Sample Survey Organisation in 2003, the average monthly income (excluding rent, interest, dividend etc.) from all sources per farmer household ranged from Rs.1, 062.00 in the state of Orissa to Rs. 5,488.00 in the state of Jammu and Kashmir during the agriculture year of 2002 -03 and the all India average are Rs.2, 115.00.
To compare the average monthly income of per farmer household in Maharashtra (Rs.2, 463.00) and Gujarat (Rs.2, 684.00) from backward states like Bihar (Rs.1, 810.00), Orissa (1,062), Rajasthan (Rs. 1,498) and Madhya Pradesh (1,430.00), it can be easily revealed that lower monthly income is not a causative factor of suicide. By analyzing these statements it can be said that Durkheim is very close to the truth.
Then, what are the causes of farmer suicides?
According to him, this kind of suicide falls within the purview of 'Anomic Suicide' - one of the classifications of suicide. In fact, anomic suicide results from normlessness or deregulation in society. Although this kind of suicide occurs during industrial and financial crises, it is not because they cause poverty, since crises of prosperity have the same result but because they are crises of the collective order. If poverty and starvation are really the adequate causes of suicide then the suicide rate in all backward and northeastern states should have been high but it is not. Further he says that poverty protects against suicide because it is a restraint itself. The less one has the less he is tempted to extend the range of his needs. Sociologically, the incident of farmer suicides in Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra due to indebtedness is actually the result of the combined effect of 'Relative deprivation' and 'Sudden crises', which came in the category of anomic suicide. Significantly, the feelings of relative deprivation are the outcome of the first green revolution and these feelings has been augmented by the present market policy of Globalization. And it is one of the major drawbacks of the first green revolution. One thing that is essentially noticeable that mainly middle class peasants have committed suicide in that the effect of relative deprivation has fallen greater on them. The big achievement of the first green revolution was the enhancement of crops only by quantitatively not qualitatively.
Now, what should be the solutions of this menace? There are certain measures that should be adopted while formulating the new agriculture policy. Firstly, it is essential to provide better irrigation system and adequate rural infrastructure. So for better farming, farmers should be self-dependent and it can be achieved by maximizing the expenditure on irrigation and other basic facilities. Ironically, India has yet only one rural management institute IRMA after the 57 years of independence though major part of GDP depends on agriculture. Secondly, the causes should be found out that compel the farmers to taking debt either from moneylender or private and govt. banks. Essentially, farmers take debt mainly for boring well and for purchasing seeds and fertilizers.
So govt. should provide adequate irrigation system without disturbing the ecological cycle and a training camp must be organized in various places to provide the knowledge of rain harvesting system. And a comprehensive seed policy should be formulated but not under the pressure of WTO so that farmers could easily get seeds from their own product. The role of moneylender should be the least and in this place co-operative bank come should forward. One thing that is the most vital solution to the distress of farmers is to provide a better market without the intervention of mediators. A policy-"farmer's approach to market directly" should be adopted. But market should not be under the control of MNCs and some big business elites. The concept of market must be based on co-operative principle. Apparently the cotton cultivators committed suicide due to lack of proper market. Undoubtedly agriculture is the biggest source of employment generation. But the employment in agriculture is reducing gradually in accompanying with green revolution and increase in agricultural technology. Significantly the rate of development of employment in agriculture sector has reduced to 0.18 in 1994 from 2.17 in 1988, according to national sample survey report. The people are leaving off the practice of cultivation day by day. The situation of our agriculture will be improved only and only when people come forward for farming with their own pleasure but not as perfunctory. If the second green revolution would be the offshoot of the first green revolution then there is no need of second green revolution because we all have seen the aftermaths of first green revolution. Now it is time to frame a comprehensive policy for the development of sustainable agriculture with considering the every pros and cons in Indian perspective. A policy should be for "Aam Kisan" in that they are the real cultivators.
Amit Chamaria
is a freelance journalist.He has done PG in Sociology >From PU.Address:
Amit Chamaria
C-251, Sector-19
Rohini; Delhi-85
Ph: - 9868457198
Environmental Entrepreneur,Green Biz.NRN Murthy of Infosys says that we Indians are weak in execution.We need to realize the need and practice of gud project management. Form a group of competent Managers,Give them responsibilities and review the project from day One.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Make teamwork 'work' for you
Make teamwork 'work' for you
Abhishek Kumar
why Japanese companies were outperforming their counterparts in the West. The studies, while identifying numerous socioeconomic and geopolitical factors, identified two intangible traits which gave an edge to the Japanese -- Quality and Teamwork.
Let us try and understand some basic attitudes that would help you become a more effective team member:
What's bigger -- your ego or the team goal?
It seems like an easy call, but many people find it amazingly tough. Teamwork, more than anything else, is a mindset. And it is extremely difficult for us to change our focus from ourselves as individuals to what the team is trying to do.
Most of the time, we are so focused on our own experience and feelings that we tend to ignore what the team is trying to do. If you can shift the limelight from yourself to the task at hand, your contribution and value in the team would increase tremendously. Ironically, when you shift your focus to the team's goal, your ego's needs are almost always automatically met.
The best way to get something...
As a team member, what do you want?
Do you want recognition? Give recognition.
Do you want help? Give help.
Depending upon your world view, you might have an opinion about how 'realistic' this insight really is. Here is a suggestion though, try it. When you 'fight' for recognition or trust or resources, you reaffirm to yourself that there isn't enough of it to go around, leading to a deficient experience.
When you give what you want freely, you tell yourself there is enough of it and manifest that in your team as well.
Your team members really want...
In an organisational context, team members usually have two needs. The first is a need for motivation. The second is the need for competence. Any team member would contribute their best if they want to contribute (motivation) and if they can contribute (competence).
For example: in a game of cricket, I will perform best if I can play the game well (competence) and if I am motivated to perform (motivation). A good team member would identify my immediate need and try to fulfill it. When you interact with other team members, identify what their main need is and try to fulfill it.
If they need competence, coach them, teach them and guide them. If they need motivation, talk to them, listen to them, empathise with them and understand them. If you give a co-worker what they need, when they need it, you will build yourself a fan following.
Be comfortable with yourself
What does this have to do with teamwork? Everything. Can you imagine yourself implementing the insights mentioned above without confidence or self-awareness?
All of us instinctively dislike pretentious people. This is because we know they are trying to be somebody else. The strong message that sends to us is that they don't really like who they actually are. We tend to pretend or try and be somebody else because we are scared, we want acceptance and we want to be liked. Unfortunately, pretending never works in the long run and it usually doesn't work in the short run either.
The millions of verbal and non-verbal signals that you send will reveal the truth anyway, irrespective of what you project. The only alternative is to really like yourself and be okay with who you are. People who win approval and acceptance are ironically, people who do not care much for it.
If you try to adopt the mindsets described in the article you will enhance the effectiveness of your role as a team-member. You will also become a valued resource and feel more comfortable in team settings.
Abhishek Kumar is a corporate trainer.
Abhishek Kumar
why Japanese companies were outperforming their counterparts in the West. The studies, while identifying numerous socioeconomic and geopolitical factors, identified two intangible traits which gave an edge to the Japanese -- Quality and Teamwork.
Let us try and understand some basic attitudes that would help you become a more effective team member:
What's bigger -- your ego or the team goal?
It seems like an easy call, but many people find it amazingly tough. Teamwork, more than anything else, is a mindset. And it is extremely difficult for us to change our focus from ourselves as individuals to what the team is trying to do.
Most of the time, we are so focused on our own experience and feelings that we tend to ignore what the team is trying to do. If you can shift the limelight from yourself to the task at hand, your contribution and value in the team would increase tremendously. Ironically, when you shift your focus to the team's goal, your ego's needs are almost always automatically met.
The best way to get something...
As a team member, what do you want?
Do you want recognition? Give recognition.
Do you want help? Give help.
Depending upon your world view, you might have an opinion about how 'realistic' this insight really is. Here is a suggestion though, try it. When you 'fight' for recognition or trust or resources, you reaffirm to yourself that there isn't enough of it to go around, leading to a deficient experience.
When you give what you want freely, you tell yourself there is enough of it and manifest that in your team as well.
Your team members really want...
In an organisational context, team members usually have two needs. The first is a need for motivation. The second is the need for competence. Any team member would contribute their best if they want to contribute (motivation) and if they can contribute (competence).
For example: in a game of cricket, I will perform best if I can play the game well (competence) and if I am motivated to perform (motivation). A good team member would identify my immediate need and try to fulfill it. When you interact with other team members, identify what their main need is and try to fulfill it.
If they need competence, coach them, teach them and guide them. If they need motivation, talk to them, listen to them, empathise with them and understand them. If you give a co-worker what they need, when they need it, you will build yourself a fan following.
Be comfortable with yourself
What does this have to do with teamwork? Everything. Can you imagine yourself implementing the insights mentioned above without confidence or self-awareness?
All of us instinctively dislike pretentious people. This is because we know they are trying to be somebody else. The strong message that sends to us is that they don't really like who they actually are. We tend to pretend or try and be somebody else because we are scared, we want acceptance and we want to be liked. Unfortunately, pretending never works in the long run and it usually doesn't work in the short run either.
The millions of verbal and non-verbal signals that you send will reveal the truth anyway, irrespective of what you project. The only alternative is to really like yourself and be okay with who you are. People who win approval and acceptance are ironically, people who do not care much for it.
If you try to adopt the mindsets described in the article you will enhance the effectiveness of your role as a team-member. You will also become a valued resource and feel more comfortable in team settings.
Abhishek Kumar is a corporate trainer.
Environmental Entrepreneur,Green Biz.NRN Murthy of Infosys says that we Indians are weak in execution.We need to realize the need and practice of gud project management. Form a group of competent Managers,Give them responsibilities and review the project from day One.
10 important parenting resolutions
10 important parenting resolutions-----Kanchan Maslekar
http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2006/dec/26pres.htm
Set an example
Most of us do not realise the degree of influence we have over our children. This is why we should walk the talk when it comes to them. Have a healthy diet, don't jump traffic signals, don't smoke, don't eat in front of the television... If you do, you will most likely pass on these bad habits to your children.
Some of the other things you might want to add to the list include learning to control your temper, not making any racist/ sexist remarks, showing sensitivity towards people working for you and teaching kids how to share.
Resolve to teach them compassion and gratitude, which are as important as good marks, if not more, by practising it yourself.
Effective discipline
There should be no compromise in effectively disciplining your child. However, don't forget discipline and punishment are not the same thing. It's most likely that, if you hit your child, your child will hit someone else.
Most importantly, when your child gets in trouble, stay calm. Avoid physical punishment. Use the 'Time Out' technique and talk to her about her behaviour. Teach your child what is 'done' and what is 'not done', from an early age.
Bring nutrition to the table
Remove/ reduce junk food in the house and concentrate on healthy meals for the entire family. Bring nutrition to the table and involve your child in your resolutions by talking about them.
Says Meenaxi Dasgupta (33), homemaker and mother to Aniket (10) and Saurabh (5), "Though we concentrate on healthy diet, junk food has slowly started creeping in to our meals. Hence, we have resolved to limit junk food to Sundays, provided the boys finish all their veggies during the week."
Provide healthy choices, including fruits, vegetables. Add variations and innovations in dishes like adding sprouts to pav bhaji, replacing pav with brown bread or using wheat pizza base instead of the regular pizza base.
Regular physical activity
Make fitness a family affair. The increasing rate of obesity among children is scary. Start regular physical activity early. Encourage older children to have at least one hour of outdoor physical activity everyday.
Limit television time and video and computer games. Instead, join your child in some evening activity like cycling, walking, jogging, swimming or simply playing ball.
Communicate and be fair
Start when your child is a baby and talk to her. Your child must be sure you are willing to listen to her and that you will be fair. Whenever your child throws a tantrum, is happy, sad or angry, encourage her to talk about it.
How many times have we yelled at our child and then realised we are just passing on our frustration?. Resolve that you will be fair to your little one. If you've had a bad day in office or don't approve of your in-laws' or spouse's behaviour, don't let it affect your attitude towards your child.
Teach your child something new
Resolve to teach your child a new skill this year. It could include making paper designs, a sport, dance, singing, etc -- anything she loves.
The best way to start any activity is to give your child a choice at the outset. Once she has made her choice, encourage her to stick with it. It is most likely that she may want to drop out after a few sessions. Encourage her to continue. Teach her to be responsible for the decisions she makes.
Read to her
Make it a point to read at least one story to your child. Apart from adding to the child's vocabulary and language skills, it is also a great bonding exercise. You will spend some real quality time with your child before she retires for the day. Reading to your child is relaxing for her and for you -- try it!
Make her independent
Give her small tasks and ask her to help you around the house. This will not only keep her involved but also teach her to be independent.
Asking your child to help you does not mean you love her less. A parent who does not teach his child to perform small tasks, like keeping the shoes in the shoe rack, or the toys and books, in place is overpampering her. Such a child is likely to grow up and be dependent on others for every small activity.
Get the father involved
Says Rashmi Vallabhajosyula (31), founder, Metrics Media, and a marketing consultant, "Whenever my kids need anything, the first word out of their mouth is 'mummy'; my resolution is that it should change to 'daddy'."
"I see to it that my husband gets equally involved with parenting, so he also enjoys watching his kids grow. Besides, by involving him, I can get some free time as well. He is a good parent. I don't have to drive him to do things for the kids, but I would like them to grow up and relate to both parents equally well. I don't want a typical Indian father-child relation where the mom is always in the middle," adds Rashmi, mother of Pradyumna (3) and Samyukta (2).
Spend time together as a family
Family time is on the decline. Make it a point to have meals together. Once a week, go for small outings. Switch off your mobile phone and make these bonding time. Encourage your children to spend time with their grandparents.
Finally, in 2007, let's not...
Yell at our kids so much
Act/ React in anger
Pass on stress or strain onto our children
Watch too much television
Use "Not now..." as often as we do
Be overprotective about our children
Get so involved in parenting that we forget ourselves
http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2006/dec/26pres.htm
Set an example
Most of us do not realise the degree of influence we have over our children. This is why we should walk the talk when it comes to them. Have a healthy diet, don't jump traffic signals, don't smoke, don't eat in front of the television... If you do, you will most likely pass on these bad habits to your children.
Some of the other things you might want to add to the list include learning to control your temper, not making any racist/ sexist remarks, showing sensitivity towards people working for you and teaching kids how to share.
Resolve to teach them compassion and gratitude, which are as important as good marks, if not more, by practising it yourself.
Effective discipline
There should be no compromise in effectively disciplining your child. However, don't forget discipline and punishment are not the same thing. It's most likely that, if you hit your child, your child will hit someone else.
Most importantly, when your child gets in trouble, stay calm. Avoid physical punishment. Use the 'Time Out' technique and talk to her about her behaviour. Teach your child what is 'done' and what is 'not done', from an early age.
Bring nutrition to the table
Remove/ reduce junk food in the house and concentrate on healthy meals for the entire family. Bring nutrition to the table and involve your child in your resolutions by talking about them.
Says Meenaxi Dasgupta (33), homemaker and mother to Aniket (10) and Saurabh (5), "Though we concentrate on healthy diet, junk food has slowly started creeping in to our meals. Hence, we have resolved to limit junk food to Sundays, provided the boys finish all their veggies during the week."
Provide healthy choices, including fruits, vegetables. Add variations and innovations in dishes like adding sprouts to pav bhaji, replacing pav with brown bread or using wheat pizza base instead of the regular pizza base.
Regular physical activity
Make fitness a family affair. The increasing rate of obesity among children is scary. Start regular physical activity early. Encourage older children to have at least one hour of outdoor physical activity everyday.
Limit television time and video and computer games. Instead, join your child in some evening activity like cycling, walking, jogging, swimming or simply playing ball.
Communicate and be fair
Start when your child is a baby and talk to her. Your child must be sure you are willing to listen to her and that you will be fair. Whenever your child throws a tantrum, is happy, sad or angry, encourage her to talk about it.
How many times have we yelled at our child and then realised we are just passing on our frustration?. Resolve that you will be fair to your little one. If you've had a bad day in office or don't approve of your in-laws' or spouse's behaviour, don't let it affect your attitude towards your child.
Teach your child something new
Resolve to teach your child a new skill this year. It could include making paper designs, a sport, dance, singing, etc -- anything she loves.
The best way to start any activity is to give your child a choice at the outset. Once she has made her choice, encourage her to stick with it. It is most likely that she may want to drop out after a few sessions. Encourage her to continue. Teach her to be responsible for the decisions she makes.
Read to her
Make it a point to read at least one story to your child. Apart from adding to the child's vocabulary and language skills, it is also a great bonding exercise. You will spend some real quality time with your child before she retires for the day. Reading to your child is relaxing for her and for you -- try it!
Make her independent
Give her small tasks and ask her to help you around the house. This will not only keep her involved but also teach her to be independent.
Asking your child to help you does not mean you love her less. A parent who does not teach his child to perform small tasks, like keeping the shoes in the shoe rack, or the toys and books, in place is overpampering her. Such a child is likely to grow up and be dependent on others for every small activity.
Get the father involved
Says Rashmi Vallabhajosyula (31), founder, Metrics Media, and a marketing consultant, "Whenever my kids need anything, the first word out of their mouth is 'mummy'; my resolution is that it should change to 'daddy'."
"I see to it that my husband gets equally involved with parenting, so he also enjoys watching his kids grow. Besides, by involving him, I can get some free time as well. He is a good parent. I don't have to drive him to do things for the kids, but I would like them to grow up and relate to both parents equally well. I don't want a typical Indian father-child relation where the mom is always in the middle," adds Rashmi, mother of Pradyumna (3) and Samyukta (2).
Spend time together as a family
Family time is on the decline. Make it a point to have meals together. Once a week, go for small outings. Switch off your mobile phone and make these bonding time. Encourage your children to spend time with their grandparents.
Finally, in 2007, let's not...
Yell at our kids so much
Act/ React in anger
Pass on stress or strain onto our children
Watch too much television
Use "Not now..." as often as we do
Be overprotective about our children
Get so involved in parenting that we forget ourselves
Environmental Entrepreneur,Green Biz.NRN Murthy of Infosys says that we Indians are weak in execution.We need to realize the need and practice of gud project management. Form a group of competent Managers,Give them responsibilities and review the project from day One.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Five things every entrepreneur must know
Five things every entrepreneur must know----Dalbir Bains
launching a business is a very serious issue and one that you should consider for a long time before you take the plunge. Here are five key learnings from my experience in setting up a business. These should be part of the checklist for any new business.
Research
It may sound obvious but many businesses fail because they have a concept that has not been properly researched. Make sure your business proposition is viable and that you have researched the business concept thoroughly.
Detail
If you focus on the small details, the big things will look after themselves. Never let go of the fine business details until you feel you have covered every angle.
Networking
In a country as populated as India, you need to spread the word as best you can to your particular audience. You will be surprised at how many people do not get to hear about your business. Advertising can be a very expensive in the first year of any business. Identify your target and try as many inexpensive options as possible.
Never give up
Most businesses take at least 18 months to get established. This is what is referred to as the gestation period. You will always come across many people telling you your idea is not viable. This tends to happen before you start your business or when you are going through teething troubles. At this time, it is important to stay focused and strong. Don't let anyone challenge your vision.
The customer is always right
In any service-led business, you will always have consumers who will be happy and unhappy with your service. You have to adopt a service level that keeps your customers happy and loyal to you. This requires maturity and vision and, often, a fair amount of concessions on your part. Until you become established, you need your customers more than they need you.
I will elaborate on all of this in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, as all my business contacts say in Mumbai, I'll be back in two minutes...
Dalbir Bains' store, Boudoir London, is located in Mumbai.
http://in.rediff.com/getahead/2006/dec/20bains.htm
launching a business is a very serious issue and one that you should consider for a long time before you take the plunge. Here are five key learnings from my experience in setting up a business. These should be part of the checklist for any new business.
Research
It may sound obvious but many businesses fail because they have a concept that has not been properly researched. Make sure your business proposition is viable and that you have researched the business concept thoroughly.
Detail
If you focus on the small details, the big things will look after themselves. Never let go of the fine business details until you feel you have covered every angle.
Networking
In a country as populated as India, you need to spread the word as best you can to your particular audience. You will be surprised at how many people do not get to hear about your business. Advertising can be a very expensive in the first year of any business. Identify your target and try as many inexpensive options as possible.
Never give up
Most businesses take at least 18 months to get established. This is what is referred to as the gestation period. You will always come across many people telling you your idea is not viable. This tends to happen before you start your business or when you are going through teething troubles. At this time, it is important to stay focused and strong. Don't let anyone challenge your vision.
The customer is always right
In any service-led business, you will always have consumers who will be happy and unhappy with your service. You have to adopt a service level that keeps your customers happy and loyal to you. This requires maturity and vision and, often, a fair amount of concessions on your part. Until you become established, you need your customers more than they need you.
I will elaborate on all of this in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, as all my business contacts say in Mumbai, I'll be back in two minutes...
Dalbir Bains' store, Boudoir London, is located in Mumbai.
http://in.rediff.com/getahead/2006/dec/20bains.htm
Environmental Entrepreneur,Green Biz.NRN Murthy of Infosys says that we Indians are weak in execution.We need to realize the need and practice of gud project management. Form a group of competent Managers,Give them responsibilities and review the project from day One.
national institute of homeopathy
http://www.nih.nic.in/
Environmental Entrepreneur,Green Biz.NRN Murthy of Infosys says that we Indians are weak in execution.We need to realize the need and practice of gud project management. Form a group of competent Managers,Give them responsibilities and review the project from day One.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
how to start your own lil venture with me...
Respected Sir,
As salamu alaikum.
First ,let me wish you and your family a happy Eid.
sir, i am looking for persons or companies who is interested to become my franchisee. Sir, the most right thing will be if you form a company yourself with or without partners. Partners are required when the investment is big.But in a scope of work like us, you need not have too much cash in hand.
kindly read my blog for ideas
What is a franchise http://saleemindia.blogspot.com/2006/12/what-is-franchise-written-by-rajeev.html
now thinking that you will start a company of your own and market the products of envo, how will you market these products without incurring too much expenditure...
this is a to do list for marketing...
1) Contact pollution control board .Give them your company profile(ENVO PROFILE) , your personal biodata personally.You will have to meet them personally.
2) Contact bussiness houses directly by sending Envo Profile through Post or email.Use yellow pages to find out addresses of Industries.
3)Contact Builder groups, Architects,Plumbing Firms by sending Envo Profile through e-mail or Post or personal visit.
4) Activate your own contacts, friends, relatives .
So, the first thing you need for marketing
1) Your visting Card
2) Envo Company Profile (Which is attached alongwith this letter)
3)Initial investement for Posting letters and email.
4)Mobile phone bill
I hope I have given you a fair Idea how to start your own lil venture with me...
Lemme know how can I help you further.
Yours truely
Saleem asraf
As salamu alaikum.
First ,let me wish you and your family a happy Eid.
sir, i am looking for persons or companies who is interested to become my franchisee. Sir, the most right thing will be if you form a company yourself with or without partners. Partners are required when the investment is big.But in a scope of work like us, you need not have too much cash in hand.
kindly read my blog for ideas
What is a franchise http://saleemindia.blogspot.com/2006/12/what-is-franchise-written-by-rajeev.html
now thinking that you will start a company of your own and market the products of envo, how will you market these products without incurring too much expenditure...
this is a to do list for marketing...
1) Contact pollution control board .Give them your company profile(ENVO PROFILE) , your personal biodata personally.You will have to meet them personally.
2) Contact bussiness houses directly by sending Envo Profile through Post or email.Use yellow pages to find out addresses of Industries.
3)Contact Builder groups, Architects,Plumbing Firms by sending Envo Profile through e-mail or Post or personal visit.
4) Activate your own contacts, friends, relatives .
So, the first thing you need for marketing
1) Your visting Card
2) Envo Company Profile (Which is attached alongwith this letter)
3)Initial investement for Posting letters and email.
4)Mobile phone bill
I hope I have given you a fair Idea how to start your own lil venture with me...
Lemme know how can I help you further.
Yours truely
Saleem asraf
Environmental Entrepreneur,Green Biz.NRN Murthy of Infosys says that we Indians are weak in execution.We need to realize the need and practice of gud project management. Form a group of competent Managers,Give them responsibilities and review the project from day One.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
How to get money to fund your idea
How to get money to fund your idea
Barkha Shah | June 09, 2005
The TiE-ISB Connect participation fee is Rs 500. To participate, contact: TiE Hyderabad, B-Block, 3rd Floor, Kanthi Sikhara Building, Somajiguda, Hyderabad - 500082. Tel: 91-40-23416603/05 Fax: 91-40-23416601 www.tiehyderabad.org. Or, ISB, Gachibowli, Hyderabad - 500019. Tel: 91-40-23187008 Fax: 91-40-23007046 www.isb.edu Registration form can be downloaded from both these sites.
An innovator's dos & don'ts
Manuel Torres, a pioneering Spanish designer, has spent 30 years solving manufacturing problems for the aeronautics industry, but his latest brainchild is his proudest achievement yet: a desalination plant, powered by wind energy, capable of providing clean water without polluting the environment. He reveals his mantras to Leslie Crawford of Financial Times:
Do invent -- don't copy
Own your technology
Do diversify by adapting the technologies that you have mastered to new industries in order to reduce dependence on just one sector
Don't consider entering a business that is being done well. Look for industries in crisis: they are prime targets for companies that can offer innovative solutions. Remember that renaissance always follows a period of decline
Don't be intimidated by "experts" in an industry. Experts often cannot see the wood for the trees. Success breeds complacency and "closed professional niches", both of which are bad for business. An outsider often sees more clearly what is not working and what can be improved
Barkha Shah | June 09, 2005
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An innovator's dos & don'ts
Manuel Torres, a pioneering Spanish designer, has spent 30 years solving manufacturing problems for the aeronautics industry, but his latest brainchild is his proudest achievement yet: a desalination plant, powered by wind energy, capable of providing clean water without polluting the environment. He reveals his mantras to Leslie Crawford of Financial Times:
Do invent -- don't copy
Own your technology
Do diversify by adapting the technologies that you have mastered to new industries in order to reduce dependence on just one sector
Don't consider entering a business that is being done well. Look for industries in crisis: they are prime targets for companies that can offer innovative solutions. Remember that renaissance always follows a period of decline
Don't be intimidated by "experts" in an industry. Experts often cannot see the wood for the trees. Success breeds complacency and "closed professional niches", both of which are bad for business. An outsider often sees more clearly what is not working and what can be improved
Environmental Entrepreneur,Green Biz.NRN Murthy of Infosys says that we Indians are weak in execution.We need to realize the need and practice of gud project management. Form a group of competent Managers,Give them responsibilities and review the project from day One.
Lessons from successful entrepreneurs
Lessons from successful entrepreneurs
Manu AB in Mumbai
Must haves for entrepreneurs:
Great idea
Leadership
Vision
Good team
Determination to succeed
A good mentor
Accept failure as the stepping stone to success
Belief in oneself
Passion and commitment
Manu AB in Mumbai
Must haves for entrepreneurs:
Great idea
Leadership
Vision
Good team
Determination to succeed
A good mentor
Accept failure as the stepping stone to success
Belief in oneself
Passion and commitment
Environmental Entrepreneur,Green Biz.NRN Murthy of Infosys says that we Indians are weak in execution.We need to realize the need and practice of gud project management. Form a group of competent Managers,Give them responsibilities and review the project from day One.
What is a franchise? Written By Rajeev Mathur
What is a franchise?
During the Great Depression, Colonel Harland Sanders started selling fried chicken in the little town of Corbin, Kentucky, on the road to Florida. He is said to have used 11 herbs and spices in a secret recipe that gave the chicken its distinctive taste. Sanders' fare gained fame and Corbin was a routine stop en route to Florida till a new highway bypassed it. That's when the colonel shut shop and tried selling his chicken to restaurant owners.
In 1952, Pete Harman of South Salt Lake, Utah, signed an agreement to sell Sanders' chicken and pay him five cents for each piece sold. The eatery was called Kentucky Fried Chicken. It was the world's first franchise. While Sanders was sharing proprietory knowledge and reputation with Harman for a fee, the latter was running the business on Sanders' behalf. And that is the essence of a franchise even today.
Why a franchise?
The simple answer is to mitigate risk. "The franchiser can expand its reach by investing almost no money and capital, while the franchisee is almost sure of success as he is working in a tested area," says C Y Pal, president, Franchising Association of India, an industry body.
MONEY RETURNS:
A US Department of Commerce study conducted during 1971 to 1997 showed that less than five per cent of franchises closed down each year. In contrast, a study by the US Small Business Administration found that from 1978 to 1998, 62 per cent of non-franchised businesses could not make it past the sixth year.
But remember that a franchise will never give the returns that a successful own business will.
Some franchises could give you annual returns of 70 per cent, but most will be in the 20-40 per cent range.
FREE BACKUP:
On 27 November 2006, retail giant Wal-Mart, with a turnover of $316 billion, announced that it would franchise its Indian operations to Sunil Mittal's Bharti Enterprises. The latter would own and run Wal-Mart retail stores in India. Wal-Mart would also set up a joint venture with Bharti for the supply chain. Thus, systems honed over 46 years would be Bharti's from Day One.
SCOPE FOR BUSSINESS:
India is now the world's largest franchise market after North America and is growing at about 30 per cent a year, says Tony White, managing director, White Connections, which advises franchise companies.
A cheaper option is a service franchise. Instead of the local guy, more people are getting specialists to, say, find a match, or clean a water tank. For a money-spinner education franchise, "in most cases all you need is a room and the course material", Marya adds.
Which franchise?
While buying a franchise, you have to consider several issues.
Abilities. This is the time for brutal self-assessment. Rule of thumb: stay off what does not interest you. If you are indifferent to food, stay off restaurants. If kids exasperate you, avoid play schools. But don't lose heart. Your passion for travelling may make you one of the best equipped to plan holidays. Go for that. "I had already done a few beauty courses," says Jaya Patodia, 34, who runs a Lakme Beauty Salon in Delhi.
More likely than not, a good franchiser will check out whether you fit the bill. Shahnaz Hussain, for instance, looks for people who are "passionate about beauty care". Most franchisers will look for specific skills apart from "entrepreneurial attitude and open mind".
Institute of Computer & Finance Executives asks for no less then a chartered accountant, and Spykar Jeans wants a year's experience in franchising.
Since this will be a new business, it will need a lot of hard work to get it running. "The initial one year is very important as this is when you build up a customer base," says Hema Malini, 36, who, along with Ambika Viswanath, 24, run a Ferns 'N' Petals franchise in Chennai.
Most franchisers want the franchisee to be involved personally. Ratan Jalan, CEO, The Apollo Clinic, says: "We need a person who is himself going to run the franchise." But some may let you hire a manager and work at the franchise part-time. Remember, the monthly expense estimate franchisers give you assume that you will work full time.
Costs & finances. The big question is: how much can you invest in a franchise? Some service franchises could cost as little as Rs 20,000. You would need just a room, a table, a couple of chairs and a telephone connection. At the other end are beauty parlours, fine dining restaurants, or retail jewellery outlets. Here, investments could go to a crore or higher.
Now add on recurring costs - royalty (usually a percentage of sales to be paid every week or month). In some cases, Ferns 'N' Petals and Angeos Academy, it is the higher of percentage of net sales or a lumpsum.
There would also be working capital, which would include salary of staff, power bills, rent, and some fixed overheads like ad fees. When a franchiser talks about working capital needs, ask whether it includes rent. If not, this could be a chunky add-on. Check how much you can borrow from banks and at what rate and decide whether you want to do so (see Money Matters).
The amount of capital you can raise will partly determine how long you can wait for the business to pay back. Some franchisers will say that you can start making profits from the first month itself, but it is always wise to give yourself a cushion of at least a few months.
Your reserves or savings will decide how critical immediate cash flow is. Also, ask yourself how much money you can afford to lose. It would be smart to have a contingency fund.
Goals. What do you want your franchise to do for you? Will it be the primary or a supplementary source of income? Are you looking to make any specific amount every year? What is the return you want on your investment? Develop a three-tier strategy for investing, a long-term strategy and an exit strategy.
Ask where you see yourself five to 10 years down the line. Do you intend to make money and shut shop, or do you want to set up more outlets later? Remember, buying a very successful franchise for a high fee makes no sense until your outlet gives returns.
After you apply these filters, your list should get down to at most four or five franchises. But you still need to zero in on one.
SUCCESS STORY OF A VERY SIMPLE CONCEPT.
CASE STUDY:
http://tanclean.com/index.php
History: Established in 2001 By Mr Sunil Uplap.Has more than 150 Franchisees spread across 10 states of India. Amazing thing is they have three franchise in the city of Guwahati,Assam
Concept: Scientific cleaning and disinfection of drinking water tanks promoted as brand.
USP: Complete technical and marketing training provided along with tailor made software to manage the total business.
Franchising Facts:
Investment Required: Rs. 250,000/-
Area Required: 5 X 5 Sq. Ft. (Only storage space)
ROI: 76% (minimum)
Target Cities: Any City/Town/Village across India
Location Specification: Any Place having drinking water storage tanks
Franchisor Support
Total technical training
Total Marketing Training
Corporate Marketing and Advertising.
Marketing kit.
Advertisement worth Rs. 50,000/- to be done by the company in the franchisee area.
Website support
Benefits of Joining
A business opportunity that pays every day from day one.
Service Industry- the current trend.
Strong Brand Identity
Additional Business Opportunities for promoting other drinking water related products
Brand recognition and Brand image.
Various certifications from reputed Govt and Private Institutions
Credibility of a reputed Brand.
National presence.
During the Great Depression, Colonel Harland Sanders started selling fried chicken in the little town of Corbin, Kentucky, on the road to Florida. He is said to have used 11 herbs and spices in a secret recipe that gave the chicken its distinctive taste. Sanders' fare gained fame and Corbin was a routine stop en route to Florida till a new highway bypassed it. That's when the colonel shut shop and tried selling his chicken to restaurant owners.
In 1952, Pete Harman of South Salt Lake, Utah, signed an agreement to sell Sanders' chicken and pay him five cents for each piece sold. The eatery was called Kentucky Fried Chicken. It was the world's first franchise. While Sanders was sharing proprietory knowledge and reputation with Harman for a fee, the latter was running the business on Sanders' behalf. And that is the essence of a franchise even today.
Why a franchise?
The simple answer is to mitigate risk. "The franchiser can expand its reach by investing almost no money and capital, while the franchisee is almost sure of success as he is working in a tested area," says C Y Pal, president, Franchising Association of India, an industry body.
MONEY RETURNS:
A US Department of Commerce study conducted during 1971 to 1997 showed that less than five per cent of franchises closed down each year. In contrast, a study by the US Small Business Administration found that from 1978 to 1998, 62 per cent of non-franchised businesses could not make it past the sixth year.
But remember that a franchise will never give the returns that a successful own business will.
Some franchises could give you annual returns of 70 per cent, but most will be in the 20-40 per cent range.
FREE BACKUP:
On 27 November 2006, retail giant Wal-Mart, with a turnover of $316 billion, announced that it would franchise its Indian operations to Sunil Mittal's Bharti Enterprises. The latter would own and run Wal-Mart retail stores in India. Wal-Mart would also set up a joint venture with Bharti for the supply chain. Thus, systems honed over 46 years would be Bharti's from Day One.
SCOPE FOR BUSSINESS:
India is now the world's largest franchise market after North America and is growing at about 30 per cent a year, says Tony White, managing director, White Connections, which advises franchise companies.
A cheaper option is a service franchise. Instead of the local guy, more people are getting specialists to, say, find a match, or clean a water tank. For a money-spinner education franchise, "in most cases all you need is a room and the course material", Marya adds.
Which franchise?
While buying a franchise, you have to consider several issues.
Abilities. This is the time for brutal self-assessment. Rule of thumb: stay off what does not interest you. If you are indifferent to food, stay off restaurants. If kids exasperate you, avoid play schools. But don't lose heart. Your passion for travelling may make you one of the best equipped to plan holidays. Go for that. "I had already done a few beauty courses," says Jaya Patodia, 34, who runs a Lakme Beauty Salon in Delhi.
More likely than not, a good franchiser will check out whether you fit the bill. Shahnaz Hussain, for instance, looks for people who are "passionate about beauty care". Most franchisers will look for specific skills apart from "entrepreneurial attitude and open mind".
Institute of Computer & Finance Executives asks for no less then a chartered accountant, and Spykar Jeans wants a year's experience in franchising.
Since this will be a new business, it will need a lot of hard work to get it running. "The initial one year is very important as this is when you build up a customer base," says Hema Malini, 36, who, along with Ambika Viswanath, 24, run a Ferns 'N' Petals franchise in Chennai.
Most franchisers want the franchisee to be involved personally. Ratan Jalan, CEO, The Apollo Clinic, says: "We need a person who is himself going to run the franchise." But some may let you hire a manager and work at the franchise part-time. Remember, the monthly expense estimate franchisers give you assume that you will work full time.
Costs & finances. The big question is: how much can you invest in a franchise? Some service franchises could cost as little as Rs 20,000. You would need just a room, a table, a couple of chairs and a telephone connection. At the other end are beauty parlours, fine dining restaurants, or retail jewellery outlets. Here, investments could go to a crore or higher.
Now add on recurring costs - royalty (usually a percentage of sales to be paid every week or month). In some cases, Ferns 'N' Petals and Angeos Academy, it is the higher of percentage of net sales or a lumpsum.
There would also be working capital, which would include salary of staff, power bills, rent, and some fixed overheads like ad fees. When a franchiser talks about working capital needs, ask whether it includes rent. If not, this could be a chunky add-on. Check how much you can borrow from banks and at what rate and decide whether you want to do so (see Money Matters).
The amount of capital you can raise will partly determine how long you can wait for the business to pay back. Some franchisers will say that you can start making profits from the first month itself, but it is always wise to give yourself a cushion of at least a few months.
Your reserves or savings will decide how critical immediate cash flow is. Also, ask yourself how much money you can afford to lose. It would be smart to have a contingency fund.
Goals. What do you want your franchise to do for you? Will it be the primary or a supplementary source of income? Are you looking to make any specific amount every year? What is the return you want on your investment? Develop a three-tier strategy for investing, a long-term strategy and an exit strategy.
Ask where you see yourself five to 10 years down the line. Do you intend to make money and shut shop, or do you want to set up more outlets later? Remember, buying a very successful franchise for a high fee makes no sense until your outlet gives returns.
After you apply these filters, your list should get down to at most four or five franchises. But you still need to zero in on one.
SUCCESS STORY OF A VERY SIMPLE CONCEPT.
CASE STUDY:
http://tanclean.com/index.php
History: Established in 2001 By Mr Sunil Uplap.Has more than 150 Franchisees spread across 10 states of India. Amazing thing is they have three franchise in the city of Guwahati,Assam
Concept: Scientific cleaning and disinfection of drinking water tanks promoted as brand.
USP: Complete technical and marketing training provided along with tailor made software to manage the total business.
Franchising Facts:
Investment Required: Rs. 250,000/-
Area Required: 5 X 5 Sq. Ft. (Only storage space)
ROI: 76% (minimum)
Target Cities: Any City/Town/Village across India
Location Specification: Any Place having drinking water storage tanks
Franchisor Support
Total technical training
Total Marketing Training
Corporate Marketing and Advertising.
Marketing kit.
Advertisement worth Rs. 50,000/- to be done by the company in the franchisee area.
Website support
Benefits of Joining
A business opportunity that pays every day from day one.
Service Industry- the current trend.
Strong Brand Identity
Additional Business Opportunities for promoting other drinking water related products
Brand recognition and Brand image.
Various certifications from reputed Govt and Private Institutions
Credibility of a reputed Brand.
National presence.
Environmental Entrepreneur,Green Biz.NRN Murthy of Infosys says that we Indians are weak in execution.We need to realize the need and practice of gud project management. Form a group of competent Managers,Give them responsibilities and review the project from day One.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
TREATMENT OF MOTHER LIQUOR DAIRY WASTE WATER
TREATMENT OF MOTHER LIQUOR
Pollution prevention and treatment of mother liquor http://www.p2pays.org/
http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:LaVFYnxqtoYJ:www.p2pays.org/ref/33/32214.pdf+mother+liquor+dairy&hl=en&gl=in&ct=clnk&cd=7
WHEY FERMENTATION
=============================================
In lactose production the remaining product after separation of the lactose crystals, usually by decanting (see page 279), is called mother liquor. As it usually contains 1/3 protein, 1/3 lactose solution/crystals, and 1/3 salts, it is difficult to dry, as the salts and lactose make it very hygroscopic, and deposits in the chamber are therefore normally seen.
It is, however, possible to apply the same technique as earlier described, introducing warm air at 60ºC tangentially into the drying chamber, whereby the mentioned problems can be minimized. The integrated fluid bed dryers will also be advantageous for this product. Fats of various types can also be added to the mother liquor prior to the drying. Cooling of the powder is then performed in a Vibro-Fluidizer into which cold air is applied. Dried mother liquor is used as stock food and is specially suited for animals that cannot utilize the lactose such as poultry.
Special attention should however be paid to the high salt content, which may lead to troublesome digestion for some animals. Another thing is the absence of the aminoacid Methionine which is only present in whey proteins in a limited amount. Synthetic Methionine (or fishmeal or soy proteins) should be added.
http://www.niro.com/ndk_website/niro/cmsdoc.nsf/WebDoc/ndkw5y8gmhLibrary
Pollution prevention and treatment of mother liquor http://www.p2pays.org/
http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:LaVFYnxqtoYJ:www.p2pays.org/ref/33/32214.pdf+mother+liquor+dairy&hl=en&gl=in&ct=clnk&cd=7
WHEY FERMENTATION
=============================================
In lactose production the remaining product after separation of the lactose crystals, usually by decanting (see page 279), is called mother liquor. As it usually contains 1/3 protein, 1/3 lactose solution/crystals, and 1/3 salts, it is difficult to dry, as the salts and lactose make it very hygroscopic, and deposits in the chamber are therefore normally seen.
It is, however, possible to apply the same technique as earlier described, introducing warm air at 60ºC tangentially into the drying chamber, whereby the mentioned problems can be minimized. The integrated fluid bed dryers will also be advantageous for this product. Fats of various types can also be added to the mother liquor prior to the drying. Cooling of the powder is then performed in a Vibro-Fluidizer into which cold air is applied. Dried mother liquor is used as stock food and is specially suited for animals that cannot utilize the lactose such as poultry.
Special attention should however be paid to the high salt content, which may lead to troublesome digestion for some animals. Another thing is the absence of the aminoacid Methionine which is only present in whey proteins in a limited amount. Synthetic Methionine (or fishmeal or soy proteins) should be added.
http://www.niro.com/ndk_website/niro/cmsdoc.nsf/WebDoc/ndkw5y8gmhLibrary
Environmental Entrepreneur,Green Biz.NRN Murthy of Infosys says that we Indians are weak in execution.We need to realize the need and practice of gud project management. Form a group of competent Managers,Give them responsibilities and review the project from day One.
HERBAL REMEDIES FOR LIFE STYLE AILMENTS
THE SIX HERBS WILL CATER TO ANY PRESENT DAY LIFE STYLE AILMENTS high cholesterol, high blood pressure, Heart Problem,SLEEP DISORDER
1.Arjuna (Terminalia Arjuna)
2.Garlic (Allium sativum)
3.Ashwagandha(WITHANIA SOMNIFERA)
4. Gugglu (commiphora mukul)
5.Sarpagandha (Rauwolfia serpentina)
6. Jatamansi ( Nardostachys jatamansi)
PATENTED MEDICINE : (Stress Guard) ----Dose: one capsule, twice daily, with milk / water.
How to reduce heart problem
Arjuna is the drug of choice for the treatment of this disease. This is a big tree and its bark is used as medicine. The powder or decoction of its bark is given to the patient during and even after the attack. The powder is given to the patient in a dose of 1 gm., four times a day. If the heart disease is of vatika type, it is mixed with ghee. If it is of paittika type, then milk is used. In kaphaja type of heart disease it is mixed with honey or pippali powder.
1.Arjuna (Terminalia Arjuna)
2.Garlic (Allium sativum)
3.Ashwagandha(WITHANIA SOMNIFERA)
4. Gugglu (commiphora mukul)
5.Sarpagandha (Rauwolfia serpentina)
6. Jatamansi ( Nardostachys jatamansi)
PATENTED MEDICINE : (Stress Guard) ----Dose: one capsule, twice daily, with milk / water.
How to reduce heart problem
Arjuna is the drug of choice for the treatment of this disease. This is a big tree and its bark is used as medicine. The powder or decoction of its bark is given to the patient during and even after the attack. The powder is given to the patient in a dose of 1 gm., four times a day. If the heart disease is of vatika type, it is mixed with ghee. If it is of paittika type, then milk is used. In kaphaja type of heart disease it is mixed with honey or pippali powder.
Environmental Entrepreneur,Green Biz.NRN Murthy of Infosys says that we Indians are weak in execution.We need to realize the need and practice of gud project management. Form a group of competent Managers,Give them responsibilities and review the project from day One.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
An Entrepreneur’s Attributes: rajesh jain
An Entrepreneur’s Attributes: http://www.emergic.org/collections/tech_talk_an_entrepreneurs_attributes.html
Inspiration – Motivating the Team
The entrepreneur is the number one reason for the team members to join. It is the force of personality, the depth of vision and the belief that one is on a mission to change the world that motivates the team. Individually, everyone may be ordinary, but as a collective, they are capable of doing extraordinary feats – and the entrepreneur is the secret sauce which makes all of this possible. The entrepreneur is the chief inspirer-and-motivator. The passion and commitment of the entrepreneur is what will bring out the best in the team. The team, in effect, will mirror the entrepreneur’s highs and lows. It is therefore very important for the entrepreneur’s enthusiasm to never flag – whatever be the situations. The team sees the entrepreneur as some kind of a superhuman, one with limitless energy – it is something that the entrepreneur must always maintain, whatever be the inner issues that may be going on.
Networking – Meeting Others
It is very important for the entrepreneur to build a network of contacts in the industry. It is not something that comes naturally to everyone, and yet, it is something that has to be done. The entrepreneur is the face of the organisation. As such, it becomes necessary for the entrepreneur to speak at conferences, and in general make presentations whenever the opportunity arises. This helps in getting the message out about the venture to more people. The entrepreneur is in effect the best advertisement that a new venture has.
One thing I have realised over the years is that meetings never do harm. Yes, there is a time investment, but there is always some good that comes out of meeting others. At times, the good may take a long time. It is like a spray-gun approach – one never knows which meetings will hit the target. But as long as one good idea or contact can emerge from a meeting, I feel it has been worth it. And even more to the point, it is upto the entrepreneur to get that value.
Faith In God – A Must
This may seem like a strange attribute in today’s day and age. But I have gone through enough scenarios in my entrepreneurial life to believe that there is a force that guides one along. There have been times when I have found myself caught in situations from where there is seemingly no escape, and yet, I have not only emerged, but done so stronger. There are events which may seem to have little bearing on the venture, but they are like the butterfly which causes the tornado – small things which can make a big difference, amplified by the hidden hand of God. All I can say is that I have learnt to believe that there is always some good which comes out of everything, and it is for us to see that good. It may be hard to see that good when one is going through a difficult patch, but as long as one has faith in God, one will see the light soon enough.
Knowledge, along with Passion, must become the entrepreneur’s greatest strength. Because of the entrepreneur’s personal involvement with customers and most aspects of the business, few will know the business as well as the entrepreneur does. This must show up in meetings and interactions with outsiders – they should realise that the entrepreneur’s knowledge will keep them ahead of the curve if they choose to do business with the entrepreneur’s firm. Knowledge – wide and deep – is the magical key to open up new doors constantly. What the entrepreneur needs to do is to ensure that this is sustained even as the venture grows. This prevents the organisation becoming blind-sided by trends or developments that may not have been foreseen.
The entrepreneur must be able to convince others that the future can be created. The beliefs must be based on a series of logical arguments, and not just a fancy dream.
Having a reasonably clear perspective on where one is headed over the long-term is very important. At the same time, it is not that important to know the detailed roadmap – that will evolve over time. More often than not, people get it wrong – they focus too much on the near-term and not enough on the long-term rationale of why they are in the business.
he must be an experimenter, constantly trying out different things and exploring alternate avenues. Many of the experiments may fail, but out of these will arise learnings. Experimentation is what leads to innovation.
Multitasking is at the heart of an entrepreneur’s day and life. The phone rings and needs to be answered, an urgent email needs a reply, a team member needs a map of the way forward, a customer is unhappy, a sales call needs to be made – all pretty much at the same time. In this scenario, one can throw one’s hands up – or smile, and jump right into it. In doing so, an entrepreneur needs the ability to switch from one context to another rapidly.
This is not as easy as it sounds. An entrepreneur is always in doubt – is this the right thing to do, can there be alternate paths, will this lead in the direction of where one intends to go. At the same time, thinking for too long is also a problem because it can lead to a paralysis of action. The entrepreneur needs to be move – and be able to self-correct if the action doesn’t seem right.
Those working with the entrepreneur may find a confused mind. That is not the case. It is just that an entrepreneur’s mind works faster than things can be done. As a result, even as actions are being done, there is fine-tuning taking place. The thinking is happening online. For those not used to a dynamic environment of action, this can be quite disconcerting!
Inspiration – Motivating the Team
The entrepreneur is the number one reason for the team members to join. It is the force of personality, the depth of vision and the belief that one is on a mission to change the world that motivates the team. Individually, everyone may be ordinary, but as a collective, they are capable of doing extraordinary feats – and the entrepreneur is the secret sauce which makes all of this possible. The entrepreneur is the chief inspirer-and-motivator. The passion and commitment of the entrepreneur is what will bring out the best in the team. The team, in effect, will mirror the entrepreneur’s highs and lows. It is therefore very important for the entrepreneur’s enthusiasm to never flag – whatever be the situations. The team sees the entrepreneur as some kind of a superhuman, one with limitless energy – it is something that the entrepreneur must always maintain, whatever be the inner issues that may be going on.
Networking – Meeting Others
It is very important for the entrepreneur to build a network of contacts in the industry. It is not something that comes naturally to everyone, and yet, it is something that has to be done. The entrepreneur is the face of the organisation. As such, it becomes necessary for the entrepreneur to speak at conferences, and in general make presentations whenever the opportunity arises. This helps in getting the message out about the venture to more people. The entrepreneur is in effect the best advertisement that a new venture has.
One thing I have realised over the years is that meetings never do harm. Yes, there is a time investment, but there is always some good that comes out of meeting others. At times, the good may take a long time. It is like a spray-gun approach – one never knows which meetings will hit the target. But as long as one good idea or contact can emerge from a meeting, I feel it has been worth it. And even more to the point, it is upto the entrepreneur to get that value.
Faith In God – A Must
This may seem like a strange attribute in today’s day and age. But I have gone through enough scenarios in my entrepreneurial life to believe that there is a force that guides one along. There have been times when I have found myself caught in situations from where there is seemingly no escape, and yet, I have not only emerged, but done so stronger. There are events which may seem to have little bearing on the venture, but they are like the butterfly which causes the tornado – small things which can make a big difference, amplified by the hidden hand of God. All I can say is that I have learnt to believe that there is always some good which comes out of everything, and it is for us to see that good. It may be hard to see that good when one is going through a difficult patch, but as long as one has faith in God, one will see the light soon enough.
Knowledge, along with Passion, must become the entrepreneur’s greatest strength. Because of the entrepreneur’s personal involvement with customers and most aspects of the business, few will know the business as well as the entrepreneur does. This must show up in meetings and interactions with outsiders – they should realise that the entrepreneur’s knowledge will keep them ahead of the curve if they choose to do business with the entrepreneur’s firm. Knowledge – wide and deep – is the magical key to open up new doors constantly. What the entrepreneur needs to do is to ensure that this is sustained even as the venture grows. This prevents the organisation becoming blind-sided by trends or developments that may not have been foreseen.
The entrepreneur must be able to convince others that the future can be created. The beliefs must be based on a series of logical arguments, and not just a fancy dream.
Having a reasonably clear perspective on where one is headed over the long-term is very important. At the same time, it is not that important to know the detailed roadmap – that will evolve over time. More often than not, people get it wrong – they focus too much on the near-term and not enough on the long-term rationale of why they are in the business.
he must be an experimenter, constantly trying out different things and exploring alternate avenues. Many of the experiments may fail, but out of these will arise learnings. Experimentation is what leads to innovation.
Multitasking is at the heart of an entrepreneur’s day and life. The phone rings and needs to be answered, an urgent email needs a reply, a team member needs a map of the way forward, a customer is unhappy, a sales call needs to be made – all pretty much at the same time. In this scenario, one can throw one’s hands up – or smile, and jump right into it. In doing so, an entrepreneur needs the ability to switch from one context to another rapidly.
This is not as easy as it sounds. An entrepreneur is always in doubt – is this the right thing to do, can there be alternate paths, will this lead in the direction of where one intends to go. At the same time, thinking for too long is also a problem because it can lead to a paralysis of action. The entrepreneur needs to be move – and be able to self-correct if the action doesn’t seem right.
Those working with the entrepreneur may find a confused mind. That is not the case. It is just that an entrepreneur’s mind works faster than things can be done. As a result, even as actions are being done, there is fine-tuning taking place. The thinking is happening online. For those not used to a dynamic environment of action, this can be quite disconcerting!
Environmental Entrepreneur,Green Biz.NRN Murthy of Infosys says that we Indians are weak in execution.We need to realize the need and practice of gud project management. Form a group of competent Managers,Give them responsibilities and review the project from day One.
My Life as an Entrepreneur---- rajesh jain
My Life as an Entrepreneur: Part 1 http://www.emergic.org/collections/tech_talk_my_life_as_an_entrepreneur.html
Based on my experiences, there are three things that I’d like to tell people starting their own businesses:
Dream Big: I think vision is very important. More than anything else, it is the Vision Thing that drives an entrepreneur. Passion comes from the Vision – the ability to see a future that is different from today. It is this future that the entrepreneur seeks to create. This is the higher-level purpose that an entrepreneur has – to build something that does not exist, to explore horizons that others have not. Never be afraid to dream big, but then also take steps to make that dream a reality.
Use Failure as a Teacher: An entrepreneur must be prepared to experience and learn from failure. As an entrepreneur, there will be more “down” days than “up” days. These days and periods test the entrepreneur’s patience. There are times when one may feel like just giving up. But one must persevere. Failure and success are two sides of the same coin. One will come with the other. Success hides the problems, failures magnify them. It is failure that teaches us how to do things right – provided we are prepared to accept failure and learn from it.
Combine Optimism with Realism: Even as entrepreneurs are the ultimate optimists (and they have to be), that has to be tempered with the ability to also confront reality. A balance is needed. In the early stages of a venture, it is only the optimism of the entrepreneur that will help tide over the challenges. But as time goes on, it is also necessary to do course correction based on the reality of the situation. Entrepreneurs have to be careful not to be blind-sided by developments, and for this it is necessary to expose themselves to alternate viewpoints.
What is the hardest part about running a small business?
I think the hardest part about running a small business is the need for constant watchfulness and alertness. In a small business, even a small mistake can prove fatal. So, even as when has to consider many aspects of the situation when making a decision, there is a realisation that not everything can be controlled. As in every business, the entrepreneur has to manage both the short-term and the long-term, and at times making the switch can be difficult.
I currently manage a team of 50 in Netcore. While we are past the early start-up phase, the challenge for us is execution. For me, the hard part now is understanding that I have to work with others to ensure that we can make the dream of Emergic of reality. In IndiaWorld, I was very much hands-on with my wife, since we were a very small team (less than twenty people). But now, to make Emergic happen, it will be a much larger team. Already, this is the biggest group that I am managing in my career – and it will only get bigger!
So, for me, there is a need to shift focus from vision to execution. I like the strategy and envisioning part, but the need of the hour now is to get the priorities right, get the right people in the right process, and ensure that we can manage the operations right. It is very different from what I have done before. I want to lay the foundation of an organization that is “built to last.” Managing operations and people is not something I have done a lot of in the past. This is going to have to change. And for this, I will have to personally change. So, at this point of time, perhaps the hardest thing for me in my business is the realisation that in order to build the dream business, I will have to transform myself from the manager of a small business to thinking like a CEO of an organisation that is going to transform computing.
Personal Change is perhaps the hardest – I can think of at least twice in my life that I have gone through it. In 1984, when I went to IIT, I underwent a change from a very academically oriented person to one who actively participated in a broad range of cultural activities. Ten years later in 1994, I had to put the failure of my initial venture behind me, and think ahead – building a business by envisioning and placing a bet on what tomorrow would be. Now, I have to go past the vision thing, and put in place people, systems and processes to ensure we can execute on our vision. In 1994, I had to prove that I could be a success. Now, in 2004, I have to prove not to the world but to myself that I can build a great organisation and make a deep impact on the world around.
Based on my experiences, there are three things that I’d like to tell people starting their own businesses:
Dream Big: I think vision is very important. More than anything else, it is the Vision Thing that drives an entrepreneur. Passion comes from the Vision – the ability to see a future that is different from today. It is this future that the entrepreneur seeks to create. This is the higher-level purpose that an entrepreneur has – to build something that does not exist, to explore horizons that others have not. Never be afraid to dream big, but then also take steps to make that dream a reality.
Use Failure as a Teacher: An entrepreneur must be prepared to experience and learn from failure. As an entrepreneur, there will be more “down” days than “up” days. These days and periods test the entrepreneur’s patience. There are times when one may feel like just giving up. But one must persevere. Failure and success are two sides of the same coin. One will come with the other. Success hides the problems, failures magnify them. It is failure that teaches us how to do things right – provided we are prepared to accept failure and learn from it.
Combine Optimism with Realism: Even as entrepreneurs are the ultimate optimists (and they have to be), that has to be tempered with the ability to also confront reality. A balance is needed. In the early stages of a venture, it is only the optimism of the entrepreneur that will help tide over the challenges. But as time goes on, it is also necessary to do course correction based on the reality of the situation. Entrepreneurs have to be careful not to be blind-sided by developments, and for this it is necessary to expose themselves to alternate viewpoints.
What is the hardest part about running a small business?
I think the hardest part about running a small business is the need for constant watchfulness and alertness. In a small business, even a small mistake can prove fatal. So, even as when has to consider many aspects of the situation when making a decision, there is a realisation that not everything can be controlled. As in every business, the entrepreneur has to manage both the short-term and the long-term, and at times making the switch can be difficult.
I currently manage a team of 50 in Netcore. While we are past the early start-up phase, the challenge for us is execution. For me, the hard part now is understanding that I have to work with others to ensure that we can make the dream of Emergic of reality. In IndiaWorld, I was very much hands-on with my wife, since we were a very small team (less than twenty people). But now, to make Emergic happen, it will be a much larger team. Already, this is the biggest group that I am managing in my career – and it will only get bigger!
So, for me, there is a need to shift focus from vision to execution. I like the strategy and envisioning part, but the need of the hour now is to get the priorities right, get the right people in the right process, and ensure that we can manage the operations right. It is very different from what I have done before. I want to lay the foundation of an organization that is “built to last.” Managing operations and people is not something I have done a lot of in the past. This is going to have to change. And for this, I will have to personally change. So, at this point of time, perhaps the hardest thing for me in my business is the realisation that in order to build the dream business, I will have to transform myself from the manager of a small business to thinking like a CEO of an organisation that is going to transform computing.
Personal Change is perhaps the hardest – I can think of at least twice in my life that I have gone through it. In 1984, when I went to IIT, I underwent a change from a very academically oriented person to one who actively participated in a broad range of cultural activities. Ten years later in 1994, I had to put the failure of my initial venture behind me, and think ahead – building a business by envisioning and placing a bet on what tomorrow would be. Now, I have to go past the vision thing, and put in place people, systems and processes to ensure we can execute on our vision. In 1994, I had to prove that I could be a success. Now, in 2004, I have to prove not to the world but to myself that I can build a great organisation and make a deep impact on the world around.
Environmental Entrepreneur,Green Biz.NRN Murthy of Infosys says that we Indians are weak in execution.We need to realize the need and practice of gud project management. Form a group of competent Managers,Give them responsibilities and review the project from day One.
Let's Build a Business: 1. Healthcare
Let's Build a Business---rajesh jain :
1. Healthcare
From time to time, we get ideas. Ideas to build new businesses, new worlds. Ideas to create breakthrough technologies. Ideas to build tomorrow's blockbusters. In this week's Tech Talk, I will outline a few such ideas that I have been thinking with friends and colleagues, and where we'd like to see entrepreneurial-minded people step up and pick up the gauntlet to build these businesses.
For each of these ideas described, the seed capital to get the business started is available. What we are looking for are people to lead the venture and be part of the senior management team. We believe that each of these ventures has the ability to not only grow big in the years to come, but also transform India. So, if you are interested in any of these ventures, email me at rajesh-at-netcore.co.in or fill out this feedback form with a brief profile of yourself, your thoughts on the ideas presented, and your thinking about the role that you'd like to play in the venture.
The ideas for the healthcare venture are from Dr. Aniruddha Malpani.
The healthcare industry is ailing.
The commonest complaints patients have today are:
Doctors are too busy – they make me wait too long
I don’t understand what they say – they don’t have time to explain their jargon
They don’t share information or respect my preferences
Care is fragmented amongst specialists
Doctors are not transparent or accountable
How do I know his advise is reliable and trustworthy ?
Doctors are unhappy too.
They are stressed out, because of the large number of patients they need to see, and feel that patients expect too much from them.
The feel that patients unfairly blame doctors for all bad outcomes.
They also feel that many patients waste their valuable time by asking stupid and irrelevant questions; because they are too disorganized; and don’t bother to educate themselves or do their homework.
Today’s problems in healthcare are because:
Everything is doctor-centric - the doctor is the center of the medical care system
Healthcare is therefore fragmented and disorganised
Too many specialists , most of whom have tunnel vision
We need to reform the healthcare ecosystem by putting patients at the center – “ patients are the largest untapped healthcare resource “ !
Patients ( or their relatives and friends) are intelligent and capable; and because they have a lot at stake , they are motivated to get good health care, and will be willing to invest time and energy if given the right tools to ensure a good outcome.
We need to provide the tools directly to patients !
Patient centered healthcare involves:
Self-care
Personalization
Transparency
Quality
Control
To the Tax Department, you are your tax return. For the Bank, you are your bank statement. For the Healthcare system, you are your medical record .
At present, this is on paper, fragmented , all over the place (in hospitals and clinics) and incomplete. Today, the modern version is the EMR or electronic medical record). The medical record is a representation of the patient’s story – as seen from a medical perspective. (This is a fallback of the old-fashioned biomedical viewpoint of the medical establishment, which treated all patients as “cases”).
However, ideally the health record should be the patient’s story – from the patient’s point of view! A patient-owned health record. The PHR (Patient Health Record), which includes the patient’s personal views and social background as well, can enable a true partnership and collaboration between patient and doctor.
Unfortunately, for most of us, our financial records are in better shape than our health records! This is a sad state of affairs, and we can correct this by using technology intelligently to help patients to store their medical records on their personal website.
PHR = organised medical information = improved medical care.
Information is shared amongst all the specialists who participate in your care; instantly available on your mobile, wherever you are; available during emergencies; available to your spouse; and always updated. In addition, it ensures you don’t forget allergies and drug reactions; and also provides automated reminders (for example, for checkups ).
Patients will own this information. Part can be secure, private, and confidential; part can be public; and by allowing varying levels of access , portions can be shared with whomever they choose. This will allow patient-to-patient networking, so they can provide support and help to each other.
Interested in leading or being part of this venture? Email me at rajesh-at-netcore.co.in or fill out this feedback form with a brief profile of yourself, your thoughts on the ideas presented, and your thinking about the role that you'd like to play in the venture.
1. Healthcare
From time to time, we get ideas. Ideas to build new businesses, new worlds. Ideas to create breakthrough technologies. Ideas to build tomorrow's blockbusters. In this week's Tech Talk, I will outline a few such ideas that I have been thinking with friends and colleagues, and where we'd like to see entrepreneurial-minded people step up and pick up the gauntlet to build these businesses.
For each of these ideas described, the seed capital to get the business started is available. What we are looking for are people to lead the venture and be part of the senior management team. We believe that each of these ventures has the ability to not only grow big in the years to come, but also transform India. So, if you are interested in any of these ventures, email me at rajesh-at-netcore.co.in or fill out this feedback form with a brief profile of yourself, your thoughts on the ideas presented, and your thinking about the role that you'd like to play in the venture.
The ideas for the healthcare venture are from Dr. Aniruddha Malpani.
The healthcare industry is ailing.
The commonest complaints patients have today are:
Doctors are too busy – they make me wait too long
I don’t understand what they say – they don’t have time to explain their jargon
They don’t share information or respect my preferences
Care is fragmented amongst specialists
Doctors are not transparent or accountable
How do I know his advise is reliable and trustworthy ?
Doctors are unhappy too.
They are stressed out, because of the large number of patients they need to see, and feel that patients expect too much from them.
The feel that patients unfairly blame doctors for all bad outcomes.
They also feel that many patients waste their valuable time by asking stupid and irrelevant questions; because they are too disorganized; and don’t bother to educate themselves or do their homework.
Today’s problems in healthcare are because:
Everything is doctor-centric - the doctor is the center of the medical care system
Healthcare is therefore fragmented and disorganised
Too many specialists , most of whom have tunnel vision
We need to reform the healthcare ecosystem by putting patients at the center – “ patients are the largest untapped healthcare resource “ !
Patients ( or their relatives and friends) are intelligent and capable; and because they have a lot at stake , they are motivated to get good health care, and will be willing to invest time and energy if given the right tools to ensure a good outcome.
We need to provide the tools directly to patients !
Patient centered healthcare involves:
Self-care
Personalization
Transparency
Quality
Control
To the Tax Department, you are your tax return. For the Bank, you are your bank statement. For the Healthcare system, you are your medical record .
At present, this is on paper, fragmented , all over the place (in hospitals and clinics) and incomplete. Today, the modern version is the EMR or electronic medical record). The medical record is a representation of the patient’s story – as seen from a medical perspective. (This is a fallback of the old-fashioned biomedical viewpoint of the medical establishment, which treated all patients as “cases”).
However, ideally the health record should be the patient’s story – from the patient’s point of view! A patient-owned health record. The PHR (Patient Health Record), which includes the patient’s personal views and social background as well, can enable a true partnership and collaboration between patient and doctor.
Unfortunately, for most of us, our financial records are in better shape than our health records! This is a sad state of affairs, and we can correct this by using technology intelligently to help patients to store their medical records on their personal website.
PHR = organised medical information = improved medical care.
Information is shared amongst all the specialists who participate in your care; instantly available on your mobile, wherever you are; available during emergencies; available to your spouse; and always updated. In addition, it ensures you don’t forget allergies and drug reactions; and also provides automated reminders (for example, for checkups ).
Patients will own this information. Part can be secure, private, and confidential; part can be public; and by allowing varying levels of access , portions can be shared with whomever they choose. This will allow patient-to-patient networking, so they can provide support and help to each other.
Interested in leading or being part of this venture? Email me at rajesh-at-netcore.co.in or fill out this feedback form with a brief profile of yourself, your thoughts on the ideas presented, and your thinking about the role that you'd like to play in the venture.
Environmental Entrepreneur,Green Biz.NRN Murthy of Infosys says that we Indians are weak in execution.We need to realize the need and practice of gud project management. Form a group of competent Managers,Give them responsibilities and review the project from day One.
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