Aarakshan movie and quota system

Aarakshan is the movie that the private sector in India should watch this year. It is different from any other big budget movies and it handles a sensitive issue, i.e. the quota system in the education system. Even though the movies focus on education, it is not the education institutions alone that is affected, but the corporate as well.

An issue that is faced by two largest democracies
It is not just India, the world’s largest democracy that faces the issue of uplifting the status of the long suppressed minority. US considered as the second largest democracy in the world too faces the same issue. To blow out inequality, governments in both the countries have introduced programmes that are intended to help the underprivileged. In the US, the government went for affirmative action, while in India the government for a similar action, the reservations. Even though similar, there was a difference that is in the US the programmes were adopted in educational institutions and in corporate. While in India, it is applicable in education institutions as well.
The Movie
The movie Aarakshan portrays the frustration of a Brahmin student who is not able to go to the institution of his choice as a result of the quota system. In a discussion with his friend, he confronts a question that why the particular sect he belongs to should be punished for going by the rules even after studying and working hard. The discussion continues with the friend saying that if the underprivileged wants to get into colleges and universities they should work hard. In the movie, the role played by Saif Ali Khan retorts to this comment and asks him who he is to tell him about hard work. Saif says that they have worked in fields owned by the privileged class, built them houses, washed their clothes, cleaned their houses and toilets. He tells them not teach him what hard work is as they have been doing it for years. Even in the US these are the words that one can hear from an underprivileged.
The differences between India and the US
The similarity with the situations ends there. In India, the quota system has never been into the private sector, unlike the US. In the US, most if the fortune 500 companies pursue strong affirmative action programmes, where as in India such programmes do not exist in the private sector companies. Private companies cannot be happy with that; it is just a matter of time.
Corporations want less intervention from government
Proposals to introduce reservations for the underprivileged in private companies in India were made, but were rejected. The India companies do not want interference from the part of the government. Many of the leading companies have made it clear that they are looking for opportunities to shift their operations abroad as a result of frustration with increased interference and other policies from the government.
The condition of the underprivileged remains the same in India and the US
The condition of US corporations is similar to that of the Indian corporations. In the Indian corporate sector, there are underprivileged minorities working with them. The worst fact is that this under represented minority is a part of the large number of office boys, canteen workers, drivers, cleaning staff etc. The situation in the US is similar where the African Americans are made to do similar kind of works.
Efforts by US companies
In the US many of the corporations have taken the lead and have put in effort to recruit, train and employ minorities. Even though many of them would argue that it is not enough, well it is good start. It is in every sense a model that India corporations can follow.
Indian corporations should follow the US example
Indian companies need to adopt a proactive policy of affirmative action as in the case of companies in the US. There is no doubt that business people in India care. We have many people around us who are concerned about the welfare of the underprivileged or the society in general. There are individuals who pay for the education of children of the servants and drivers who have worked with them. There are others who are devoted to helping non governmental organizations expand or have done similar activities.
The Indian corporations are far from being interested in the matter of affirmative action. Pursuing affirmative action will be in the best interest of the society. Individuals and corporations do not live in an isolated environment. Corporations will grow stronger when it has a strong workforce that represents the population of a country. This will help in developing a belief in the minds of the people that they have chances to the best jobs at the best companies of their choice. In the movie, according Saif Ali Khan, the underprivileged is asking only for a chance. So it is the responsibility of the Indian corporations to make sure that every qualified individual has a chance to secure a job and succeed in the corporate world.
The topic of inclusive growth is a feast for different TV channels, political parties, coffee shops and more. The point we have to stress on is that talk should be put into action. In India, we have a government which introduces social schemes one after the other and there are merits attached to them. The government should take steps to prepare them to earn a living rather than feeding them everyday. There are many among the underprivileged who just need help and proper guidance to pursue better careers in the corporate world. The need for reservations comes into play when the underprivileged do not believe that they can earn a position in the corporate world. The Indian companies are now capable of letting a hand to the underprivileged and can bring about improvement even without the intervention of the government. Inclusive growth is the main objective of the Indian government, be it any political party. What is required is the active participation of the Indian corporations.

E – WASTE MANAGEMENT

E – WASTE MANAGEMENT

Electronic waste or E-waste is one of the rapidly growing environmental problems of the World. In India, the electronic waste management assumes greater significance not only due to the generation of our own waste but also dumping of E-waste particularly computer waste from the developed countries.

Electronic waste which is popularly known as E-waste can be defined as electronic equipments, products connected with power plugs, batteries which have become obsolete etc. E-waste also encompasses ever growing range of obsolete electronic devices such as computers, servers, main frames, monitors, TVs and display devices, telecommunication devices such as cellular phones and pagers, calculators, audio and video devices, printers, scanners, copiers and fax machines besides refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, and microwave ovens. E-waste also covers recording devices such as DVDs, CDs, floppies, tapes, printing cartridges, military electronic waste, automobile catalytic converters, electronic components such as chips, processors, mother boards, printed circuit boards, industrial electronics such as sensors, alarms, sirens, security devices. E-waste contains over 1000 different substances many of which are toxic and require to be handled in an environmentally sound manner.

Indian Scenario 
There is an estimate that the total obsolete computers originating from offices, business houses, industries and household is of the order of 2 million. Manufactures and assemblers in a single calendar year are estimated to produce around 1200 tonnes of electronic scrap. The consumers finds it convenient to buy a new computer rather than upgrade the old one due to the changing configuration, technology and the attractive offers of the manufacturers. Due to the lack of governmental legislations on E-waste and standards for disposal, these toxic hi-tech products mostly end up in landfills or are partly recycled in a unhygienic conditions or thrown into waste streams.
The Government has notified the Hazardous Waste [Management & Handling] Rules, 1989 which were amended in 2000 and 2003 under the Environment [Protection] Act, 1986. These Rules regulate the generation, collection, storage, treatment, disposal, export and import of hazardous waste. According to these Rules, all hazardous wastes are required to be treated and disposed off in specially designed secured landfills. These Rules provide for the development of common hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facility thorough joint venture partnership. These industries are required to obtain authorization from the State Pollution Control Boards(SPCBs). Under the Rules, no import of hazardous waste is allowed for disposal and the same is only allowed for recycling, reuse or reprocessing.

Initiatives for Management of E-waste

The Ministry of Environment & Forests constituted a Task Force in August, 2007 to finalize the Guidelines for Environmentally Sound Management of E-waste. The Guidelines have been approved and placed on the web-site of the Ministry [www.envfor.nic.in] and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) (cpcb.nic.in). They shall apply to all those who handle E-waste, which include generators, collectors, transporters, dismantlers, recyclers and stakeholders of E-waste irrespective of their scale of operation.
E-waste contains several different substances many of which are toxic and potentially hazardous for environment and human health, if these are not handled in an environmentally sound manner. Classification of E-waste shall depend upon the extent of presence of hazardous constituents in it.
E-waste contains toxic substances such as lead and cadmium in circuit boards; lead oxide and cadmium in monitor Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs); mercury in switches and flat biphenyls (PCBs) in capacitors and transformers and brominated flame retardant on printed circuit boards, plastic casing, cable and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cable insulation that release highly toxic dioxins and furans when burned to retrieve copper from the wires.
The provisions under the Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules 1989 as amended in 2000 and 2003 include E-waste. The residues and wastes generated from the operators in electronic industry are considered as hazardous wastes. All electronic manufacturing units are required to have authorization under these rules. Further, as per the provisions of these Rules, Electrical and Electronic Assemblies are covered under category B 1110 of the Schedule 2 applicable for Import and Export of Hazardous Wastes, and the wastes under this category are only permitted for direct reuse and not for recycling or final disposal.
The manufacture of electronic goods can lead to air pollution due to gaseous emission comprising of solvent vapours, emission from doping materials, particulate matter and other toxic emissions. And water pollution due to the effluents generated during the manufacturing processes along with the solid waste such as residues, sludge, filter cake, etc. during the manufacturing processes.

Rise of demographic dividend in India

It is a wonder that children of the age of six and seven years play with the latest mobile phones and computers while the elder ones find it difficult to operate the same. How is it possible for a six or seven year old that has just started to read and write alphabets to operate such complex gadgets and games which has been developed by the world’s best minds?

Is it their extra ordinary mind that works?
The answer is no. If we could watch around, we will realize that it is the entire ecosystem that prepares the children to do all such things as playing games, operating computers etc with ease. The children use their sensory perceptions and skills to differentiate right from wrong. It is quite interesting that in Sweden which is the most technology driven country in the world, 3 year old children uses internet. They are even capable of operating complex equipments that we are scared to even touch, even after formal education and all these years of experience. In India, men without formal education are capable of handling advanced gadgets such as mobile phone, where women with formal education are not capable of. Car wash guys and rickshaw pullers in India use mobile phones to do their business with multiple customers.
The significance of technology
Be it the six year old child or the car wash guy or the rickshaw puller, who are barely capable of writing their names, are empowered with the use of technology. In another sense, technology has enabled them to an extent where pen, paper and writing have become useless. All of them are reaping benefits from the opportunities from the demographic dividend, as the technologies introduced by the companies are helping the economy of India grow.
What do you mean by demographic dividend?
Ever since the term has gained popularity in the background of the economic reforms in India and India’sposition in the global village, demographic dividend has been loosely defined and more erroneously, as the strength that an economy derives from an educated work force. It is of no doubt that huge dividends can be drawn from an educated and highly skilled man power in any fast paced economy.
Demographic dividend can be defined as the increase in the rate of economic growth as a result of increase in the share of working age people in a population. It necessarily does not have to come from those who can read or write, but from those who directly or indirectly contribute to the gross domestic product (GDP), which results in the rise of per capita income. It presents with an opportunity for the per capita income to rise. This has nothing to do with the formal education one has received, but is driven by the informal education one receives as a contribution of technology to the uneducated. As in the case of the car wash guy or the rickshaw puller who did not get a formal education, it has more to do with the gadgets they have used to keep them employed, which would not have been possible few years back.
This presents with hope and opportunity to many in the rural areas, who otherwise would have been doing unproductive works in the rural areas.
The increasing number of mobile users increases mobility and accessibility
We can discover the increasing opportunity for growth from the rising number of mobile users. There are 900 million mobile users in India, which was 233 million four years back. This has brought in opportunities for the uneducated to be self employed and thus increase their income levels. This is happening across small towns in India in addition to cities.
Mobile connections as a means of livelihood
A decade back in India, only one out of 15 had the luxury of owning a landline. But today every three out of four has a mobile connection. An interesting fact about the mobile connections is that many of them find a means to earn their living by selling SIM cards, in areas including rural India. Small shops and kiosks are visible across almost all streets India which sells SIM cards, recharge coupons, mobile phones, and mobile servicing centers. Majority of them serving the 900 million mobile users are small shops which has become an important as any other store we visit.
Education versus mobile communication
With the increasing popularity of mobile phones and other electronic communication devices, many of our daily transactions are now made through mobile phones. The real advantage of m-commerce is yet to be unleashed which will drive the growth in the economy, much better than education.
Mobile will reach more people than education
Four decades from now, 81 per cent of the Indian population will be below the age of 60 years. It is estimated that the number of people in the working population above 15 years of age will increase from 800 million to just short of one billion in the next decade and to 1.2 billion in 2030. We cannot expect that all of them will be empowered by education, typically by the system that we follow in India. The present education system and the infrastructure are inadequate to entire population of prospective students. To educate at least one third of the students, we need more than 500 new universities, and 35000 new colleges, which seems difficult in the near future. So the role of mobile communication in the growth of the economy cannot be ignored in the present situation and in the years to come.
Demographic dividend influenced
It is for sure that demographic dividend cannot be increased by achieving 100 per cent literacy, that too in a country like India which is soon to become the world’s most populous country in the world. It could be achieved by empowering the masses with technology such as mobile phones. The demographic dividend in India will not grow just with blackboards, as technology is reaching more than education does.

Read more here: http://entrance-exam.net/rise-of-demographic-dividend-in-india/#ixzz1eyLfq9gn