प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह की दो दिवसीय रूस की यात्रा पांच समझौतों पर हस्ताक्षर के साथ संपन्न

भारत के प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह की दो दिवसीय रूस की यात्रा 21 अक्टूबर 2013 को संपन्न हो गई. इस यात्रा का उद्देश्य 14वें भारत-रूस वार्षिक शिखर सम्मेलन में भाग लेना था. इसका आयोजन मास्को में आयोजित इस वार्षिक शिखर सम्मेलन की सह-अध्यक्षता रूस के राष्ट्रपति व्लादिमीर वी पुतिन और भारत के प्रधानमंत्री डॉ मनमोहन सिंह ने  की.

यात्रा के दौरान मॉस्को में प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह और रूस के राष्ट्रपति व्लादिमिर पुतिन के बीच प्रतिनिधिमंडल स्तर की वार्ता हुई. वार्ता के बाद दोनों देशों ने विज्ञान और प्रौद्योगिकी तथा ऊर्जा सुरक्षा सहित पांच समझौतों पर हस्ताक्षर किए जो निम्नलिखित हैं.

• सजायाफ्ता व्यक्तियों के स्थानांतरण संबंधी सहमति पत्र पर हस्ताक्षर

• ऊर्जा दक्षता के क्षेत्र में सहमति पत्र पर हस्ताक्षर

• मानकीकरण और अनुरूपता आकलन के क्षेत्र में सहमति पत्र पर हस्ताक्षर

• विज्ञान, प्रौद्योगिकी और नवाचार के क्षेत्र में सहयोग के कार्यक्रम पर हस्ताक्षर

• वर्ष 2014-2017 की अवधि के लिए जैव प्रौद्योगिकी के क्षेत्र में सहयोग के कार्यक्रम पर हस्ताक्षर

इसके अलावां दोनों देशों ने वार्ता के दौरान निम्नलिखित बिन्दुओं पर भी सहमति व्यक्त की:

• दोनों देशों ने आतंकवाद को समाप्त करने के अंतरराष्ट्रीय प्रयासों में सहयोग की प्रतिबद्धता व्यक्त की.

• शिखर और प्रतिनिधिमंडल स्तर की बातचीत में दोनों देशों के बीच सीरिया, अफगानिस्तान और ईरान के मुद्दों के अलावा अंतरराष्ट्रीय मंचों पर साथ-साथ काम करने पर सहमति बनी.

• दोनों देशों ने ब्रिक्स, जी-20, पूर्व एशिया शिखर सम्मेलन और संयुक्त राष्ट्र सहित बहुराष्ट्रीय मंचों पर मिल-जुलकर काम करने का फैसला लिया.

• दोनों देशों ने एक दूसरे के यहां निवेश बढ़ाने के साथ-साथ तेल और गैस, उर्जा, सूचना प्रौद्यागिकी, उड्डयन, हाईड्रोकार्बन और खनन जैसे महत्वपूर्ण क्षेत्रों में आपसी सहयोग में तेजी लाने पर बल दिया.

• दोनों देशों ने कुडनकुलम परमाणु उर्जा संयंत्र की तीसरी और चौथी इकाई की स्थापना को लेकर सभी तरह की बाधाएं दूर करने पर सहमति व्यक्त की.

• दोनों देशों के नेताओं ने कुडनकुलम परमाणु ऊर्जा परियोजना के बकाया मुद्दों के जल्द से जल्द समाधान हेतु अधिकारियों को निर्देश भी दिए.

• सम्मेलन के दौरान रूस ने संयुक्त राष्ट्र सुरक्षा परिषद् में स्थायी सदस्यता के भारत के दावे का समर्थन किया.

• दोनों नेताओं ने रॉकेट, मिसाइल, नौसैनिक प्रौद्योगिकी और हथियार प्रणालियों के क्षेत्र में सहयोग बढ़ाने के बारे में व्यापक चर्चा की.

प्रधानमंत्री डॉ मनमोहन सिंह को स्टेट इंस्टीट्यूट ऑफ़ इंटरनेशनल रिलेशंस, मास्को द्वारा डॉक्टरेट की मांड उपाधि प्रदान की.

विदित हो कि कुडाकुलम परमाणु ऊर्जा की तीसरी और चौथी ईकाइ को लेकर कोई समझौता नहीं हुआ, लेकिन दोनों देशों ने साफ किया है कि वर्ष 2010 के परमाणु ऊर्जा के नागरिक उपयोग को लेकर वे समझौते को लागू करने के लिए प्रतिबद्ध है.

नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय की स्थापना पर समझौता ज्ञापन

पूर्वी एशिया शिखर सम्मेलन में ब्रुनेई दारुस्सलाम, कंबोडिया किंगडम, इंडोनेशिया गणराज्य, लाओ पीपुल्स डेमोक्रेटिक रिपब्लिक, मलेशिया, म्यांमार, फिलीपींस गणराज्य, सिंगापुर, थाईलैंड, वियतनाम समाजवादी गणराज्य, ऑस्ट्रेलिया, चीन जनवादी गणराज्य, भारत गणराज्य, जापान, कोरिया, न्यूजीलैंड, रूस और संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका ने शिरकत की थी।

ये देश ऐसी अंतरराष्ट्रीय संस्था स्थापित करने के इच्छुक थे जो मन की एकता को साकार करने के लिए पुराने रिश्तों की नई खोज करने के साझा उद्देश्य से भविष्य की पीढ़ियों को एक साथ लाकर एक एशियाई समुदाय की अवधारणा को आगे बढ़ाएगी।

इसका उल्लेख किया गया कि फिलीपींस गणराज्य के शहर सेबू में 15 जनवरी 2007 को आयोजित दूसरे पूर्वी एशिया शिखर सम्मेलन में एक दूसरे की विरासत और इतिहास की क्षेत्रीय समझ और प्रशंसा में सुधार के लिए भारत में बिहार राज्य में स्थित नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय के पुनरुद्धार के लिए और शिक्षा के क्षेत्र में उत्कृष्टता के पूर्वी एशिया क्षेत्र के केन्द्रों का दोहन करके क्षेत्रीय शैक्षिक सहयोग को मजबूत करने का संकल्प लिया गया था।

यह भी स्मरण किया गया कि थाईलैंड में हुआ हिन में 25 अक्टूबर, 2009 को आयोजित चौथे पूर्वी एशिया शिखर सम्मेलन में नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय की स्थापना का समर्थन और प्रोत्साहन किया गया ताकि प्रस्तावित नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय और पूर्व एशिया के प्रतिभागी देशों में उत्कृष्टता के मौजूदा केंद्रों के बीच नेटवर्किंग और सहयोग को बढ़ावा दिया जा सके जहां छात्रों , विद्वानों , शोधकर्ताओं और शिक्षाविदों को समुदाय की तरह सीखने का मौका मिले।

15 जनवरी, 2007 को आयोजित दूसरे पूर्व एशिया शिखर सम्मेलन में तथा 25 अक्टूबर, 2009 को आयोजित चौथे पूर्व एशिया शिखर सम्मेलन में लिए गए निर्णयों के अनुपालन को स्वीकार करते हुए भारत सरकार ने बौद्धिक, दार्शनिक और आध्यात्मिक पढ़ाई की खोज के लिए एक अंतरराष्ट्रीय संस्था के रूप में संसद के अधिनियम- नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय अधिनियम , 2010 (2010 का 39 नंबर ) द्वारा बिहार राज्य में नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय की स्थापना की है।

नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय प्रतिभागी देशों के छात्रों, विद्वानों, शोधकर्ताओं और शिक्षाविदों को उत्कृष्टता के एक अंतरराष्ट्रीय केंद्र के रूप में नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय के विकास में सहयोग के लिए सक्षम हो जाएगा।

यह फैसला किया गया है:

अनुच्छेद 1

नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय की स्थापना

·         नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय (यहां बाद में विश्वविद्यालय के रूप में संदर्भित) के रूप ज्ञात अंतरराष्ट्रीय संस्था गैर सरकारी, गैर लाभकारी, स्व-शासित अंतरराष्ट्रीय संस्था होगी जो, इस समझौता ज्ञापन में उल्लिखित उद्देश्यों को प्राप्त करने के लिए स्थापित की जाएगा और इसे अपने उद्देश्यों की प्राप्ति के लिए पूर्ण शैक्षणिक स्वतंत्रता होगी।

·         विश्वविद्यालय भारत (बाद में  मेजबान देश कहा जाएगा) में बिहार राज्य के नालंदा जिले में राजगीर में स्थित होगा।

·         विश्वविद्यालय को मेजबान देश में पूर्ण कानूनी रूप हासिल होगा।

·         विश्वविद्यालय को डिग्री, डिप्लोमा और प्रमाणपत्र प्रदान करने की शक्ति होगी ।

अनुच्छेद 2

नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय के उद्देश्य और कार्य

विश्वविद्यालय के उद्देश्यों और कार्यों में निम्नलिखित शामिल होंगे:

·         सीखने के लिए अंतरराष्ट्रीय संस्था स्थापित करना जो लिंग, जाति, नस्ल, विकलांगता, धर्म या सामाजिक-आर्थिक पृष्ठभूमि पर कोई विचार किए बिना सभी देशों से प्रतिभाशाली और सबसे समर्पित छात्रों को एक साथ लाएगी और उन्हें बौद्धिक, दार्शनिक, ऐतिहासिक और आध्यात्मिक अध्ययन करने के लिए आवश्यक साधन उपलब्ध कराएगी और इस प्रकार वे सहिष्णुता, आवास और आपसी समझ के गुणों को प्राप्त कर सकेंगे।

·         सीखने के एक एशियाई समुदाय का निर्माण करना जहां हर छात्र की बौद्धिक क्षमता पूरी संभव हद तक विकसित की जा सके और क्षेत्रीय जागरूकता को मजबूत बनाने के जरिए एक एशियाई समुदाय बनाया जा सके।

·         जीवन के गुणों में सुधार के लिए महत्वपूर्ण दर्शन , भाषा , इतिहास और उच्च शिक्षा के अन्य क्षेत्रों में एशियाई देशों की क्षमता निर्माण की दिशा में शिक्षा प्रदान करना और

·         अपने अतीत के इतिहास से जोड़कर और एक दूसरे के दृष्टिकोण की अपनी समझ को बढ़ाने के जरिए भविष्य के नेताओं को एक साथ लाकर क्षेत्रीय शांति और दृष्टि को बढ़ावा देने में योगदान करना।

अनुच्छेद 3

वित्तीय व्यवस्था

विश्वविद्यालय की स्थापना और संचालन के लिए धन का इंतजाम स्वैच्छिक आधार पर किया जाएगा।

अनुच्छेद 4

शासन संरचना

·         विश्वविद्यालय संचालक मंडल द्वारा संचालित किया जाएगा। भारत के राष्ट्रपति विश्वविद्यालय के विजिटर होंगे।

·         संचालक मंडल के सदस्यों में भारत से और विदेशों के प्रतिष्ठित व्यक्ति शामिल। संचालक मंडल में सदस्य के तौर पर अंतरराष्ट्रीय उत्कृष्ट संस्था के रूप में नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय के विकास में अपनी भूमिका बढ़ाने के लिए पूर्वी एशिया शिखर सम्मेलन के प्रतिभागी देशों के पांच प्रतिनिधि शामिल होंगे।

·         संचालक मंडल विश्वविद्यालय के समग्र नीतियों और निर्देशों के लिए जिम्मेदार होगा। संचालक मंडल की शक्तियां और कार्य विश्वविद्यालय के अध्यादेश के अनुसार होंगे।

·         विश्वविद्यालय का नेतृत्व संचालक मंडल द्वारा नियुक्त एक कुलपति करेंगे। कुलपति की नियुक्ति, कार्यकाल, शक्तियां और कार्य विश्वविद्यालय के विधि और नियम के अनुसार होंगे।

अनुच्छेद 5

राजकोषीय स्थिति

मेजबान देश में विश्वविद्यालय की संपत्ति , आय और अन्य परिसंपत्ति को

ए. सभी प्रत्यक्ष करों से छूट होगी। हालांकि, विश्वविद्यालय जनोपयोगी सेवाओं के लिए शुल्क से अधिक करों में छूट का दावा नहीं करेगा ;

बी. विश्वविद्यालय को प्रासंगिक कानूनों , नियमों और विनियमों के प्रावधानों के अधीन अपने आधिकारिक उपयोग के लिए आयात और निर्यात पर सीमा शुल्क और अन्य प्रतिबंध से छूट दी गई है, और इस तरह की छूट के तहत आयातित लेख निपटारा किया जाएगा बशर्ते कि मेजबान देश के स्थानीय कानूनों के अनुसार हो।

सी. इसके प्रकाशन के संबंध में आयात और निर्यात पर सीमा शुल्क और रोक और प्रतिबंध से छूट दी गई है।

अनुच्छेद 6

विशेषाधिकार और उन्मुक्ति

यूनिवर्सिटी के वाइस चांसलर और उसके अकादमिक स्टाफ और जहां लागू हो उनके आश्रित एवं परिवार के सदस्यों को नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय और भारत सरकार के बीच हस्ताक्षरित मुख्यालय करार के तहत विशेषाधिकार और उन्मुक्ति दी जाएगी।

अनुच्छेद 7

वीजा और वर्क परमिट

मेजबान देश छात्रों, अध्ययन या विश्वविद्यालय में काम करने के लिए भारत की यात्रा के लिए शिक्षकों और कर्मचारियों को उपयुक्त वीजा प्रदान करेगा।

अनुच्छेद 8

विवादों के निपटान

इस समझौता ज्ञापन की व्याख्या या कार्यान्वयन के विषय में किसी भी मुद्दे को आपसी विचार विमर्श के माध्यम से तय किया जाएगा।

अनुच्छेद 9

अंतिम प्रावधान

·         समझौता ज्ञापन पूर्व एशिया शिखर सम्मेलन के चार प्रतिभागी देशों के हस्ताक्षर पर प्रभाव में आ जाएगा।

·         समझौता ज्ञापन के प्रभाव में आने के बाद, पूर्व एशिया शिखर सम्मेलन या नालंदा विश्वविद्यालय की स्थापना और इसके उद्देश्य के लिए हस्ताक्षर करने वाले देश से भिन्न अन्य देश भी उपयुक्त समझौता ज्ञापन पर हस्ताक्षर कर सकते हैं। 

Factors of Production – Labour (Labour Efficiency)

Labour Efficiency:

 The efficiency of worker (Labour) depends on two set of factors.

a) His power to work:

 The labour capacity or power to work depends on the following factors.

Inherent quantities:

 A man inherits some quantities from the racial stock to which he belongs. Some races are known to be hardier than other. These qualities largely the outcome of climate and natural environment.

Acquired qualities:

 By education, general or technical a worker can acquire some qualities. An honesty, intelligence, health, strength of the body, sense of responsibility etc are acquired qualities and these can increase the efficiency of the labourer.

Earnings:

 If a worker is having good wages with help of which he can improve his diet as well as living standard. This will improve his health and he will be capable of doing more work.

Factory environment and equipment: If the factory is neat, well ventilated and it’s equipped with modern machinery the worker can work more effectively and produce quality products.

House of work:

 It has been provide that long hours mean low efficiency. Labourer is not a machine, he is human being and hence for getting sizeable work appropriate hours of work required to be given to the labour.

Labour organization:

 A good trade union having constructive approach can improve the labour efficiency.

b) Will to work:

 The worker’s will to work is strengthened by his ambition to rise, his desire to make the most of an opportunity the inducement of bonuses or profit sharing schemes and sense of duty. Thus the more earnest he is, the greater is his productivity.

Protection to Western Ghats

The recommendations of the two reports on the Western Ghats, one by the Madhav Gadgil and the other by the K. Kasturiranga led the Environment Ministry to turn approximately 60,000 square kilometres of the Western Ghats across six States into an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), banning mining, quarrying, thermal power plants and polluting industries over the entire range. All other projects would be allowed only with the prior consent of gram sabhas (village councils) in the zone.

The decision, once formally notified, would make the identified region of the Western Ghats complex the largest protected forests in India ranging over 1,500 km linear distance from the Tapti river in the north to Kanyakumari in the south. Going with the recommendations of the high-level panel that was headed by Mr. Kasturirangan, the Ministry has decided to declare the ESA over 37% of the Western Ghats under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.

The Ministry has drafted the notification and it will be put out soon for comments. Natarajan has approved the use of three criteria that the panel had recommended — biodiversity richness, fragmentation of forests and human population density to demarcate these forest patches that would turn into a no-go zone for mining, thermal power plants and other dirty industries.

The type of industries banned would be those included in the ‘red list’ issued by the government under the Environment Protection Act. These are usually considered to be the most polluting of the lot. Going against the recommendation of the Environment Secretary, the Minister retained the criteria to leave areas with high-density of population out of this regulated zone’s ambit. The panel had recommended that the hill tracts with high population densities be kept out of the ESA ambit. It had advised against using the legal force that the ESA would provide to alter the economic practices in these areas, instead suggesting economic and other tools to incentivise more ecologically sustainable activities.

Within the ESA prior consent from the gram sabhas and strict adherence to the Forest Rights Act would be made mandatory for any of the projects that are not on the negative list. This too would be done after studying cumulative impacts of the projects in the region.

Townships and buildings over 20,000 square metres in the region too would not be allowed once the draft notification is published. But those already in the pipeline in different States would be allowed to go ahead. Applications for such townships would not be entertained in future.

The Ministry has decided to not go with the recommendations of the high-level panel in the case of windmills. Construction of windmills would be permitted in the ecologically sensitive area though environment regulations to review their impact may be brought in through other legal routes available to the government.

Hydro-electric projects would be permitted in the ESA but with a new set of strict regulations that the Kasturirangan-led panel has recommended, including those on maintaining ecological flows in the rivers.

Factors of Production – Labour

Labour:

It can be defined as any exertion of mind or body undergone partly or wholly with a view to earning some good other than the pleasure derived directly from the work.

In short labour in economic means that any type of work performed by a labourer with an intention to earn income.

Peculiarities of Labour:

The important peculiarities of labour are as under.

Labour is inseparable from the labourer:

Here labour means a quantum of work performed while labourer means who perform the work (e.g. labour). Therefore, the labour’s work has to be delivered in person.

Labourer sells his services not himself:

If labourer is employed means an employer only pays in the form of wages on account of services received from the labourer. Thus labourer is only selling his services not himself.

Labour is more perishable than other commodity:

If time passes, it lapses forever. Therefore a day lost which out work means the days work gone for ever. That is why many times workers have to accept lower wages rather than earn nothing.

Labourer has not the same power of bargaining as their employers. This is because labour can not be stored up and labourers are poor and ignorant.

Man, not a machine:

A labourer differs from machine. He can not render services like machine. After all labourer is man and he has feelings and likings. If good surrounding, health, recreation is provided, he can work efficiently otherwise he will not work efficiently.

Less mobile:

Generally labourer does not want to leave his home. It is therefore labour is such less mobile a compared to other factors.

Supply Independent of its demand:

The supply of labour is always independent of its demand and cannot be easily and quickly increased or decreased. If supply of labour is surplus, their numbers can be reduced only by a painful process of starvation. But when sudden increase demand for labour, as during war, wages will rise but supply can not be quickly increased.

Labourer differs in efficiency:

Like machinery every worker can not render same quantum of work labourer they very inefficiency and therefore wages differ from labourer to labourer.

Renewable Energy - The way forward.

The Government recently announced an ambitious plan to produce more electricity from renewable sources as a part of its target to add 10 Giga watts of solar energy by 2017 and 20 Giga watts by 2022. The steps being taken in this direction include setting up of an ultra-mega green Solar Power Project in Rajasthan near Sambhar Lake. The project will be the first of this scale in the world and will thus turn to be a model for future projects.    

With the completion of the first phase of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission by surpassing the target, the country is set to embark on its second phase. In the first phase 1685 MW of solar energy was generated against the target of 1100 MW. In the second phase, areas for focus have been identified in Rajasthan, Kargil and Ladakh.

Generation of solar energy has come a long way since we embarked on the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar mission in 2010. Today, we generate 1.8 GW of electricity from solar energy which is going to be multiplied in the years to come.

Despite this, solar energy forms but only a small fraction of power generation in the country. In fact the entire sector of renewable energy, which includes small hydro- electric projects, contributes only 12 % to the national power kitty; about 17% comes from hydro- power and about 2% from nuclear power. The bulk 70% comes from coal and gas based plants.

Sixty-five percent of power from renewable sources comes from wind energy.  Biomass accounts for 14%, small hydro- power projects contribute 13% and solar energy 5%. Other sources contribute about 3%.

This imbalance needs to be corrected on many counts, on top being the environmental concerns. When the world is seriously concerned about global warming, non-conventional sources of energy need to be exploited to the maximum extent. And that is precisely what India is trying to do. Besides, the country imports 70 % of oil which is a big drain on its foreign exchange reserves.

The total installed capacity of power generation in the country now stands at just over 223 GW, far less than the requirement. The demand for power is estimated to increase by 16 GW a year at least until 2020.

In this situation, every source of energy needs to be tapped to meet the needs of a growing economy. The 12th plan provides for increasing the capacity generation by 72 GW in thermal sector, 11 GW in hydro sector and over 5 GW in nuclear sector.

In physical terms renewable sources of energy contribute 29 GW of electricity. The country is set to double this generation to 55 GW by 2017. Solar energy generation alone will increase to 20 GW during this period under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar mission.

Even though India has less than global average of wind speed, wind energy has been the most successful renewable source of energy in the country. Bulk of it comes from just five states, with Tamil Nadu as the leader. An encouraging factor is that off shore wind energy is becoming cost competitive with the energy generated from fossil fuels. It therefore becomes an attractive option for electricity generation.

Biomass is another area which holds a good promise. With over 60 % of India’s population dependent on agriculture, the area throws up opportunities for power generation. No wonder major projects in this field are coming up in different states particularly in Punjab. The estimated power generation capacity in this area is put at 18000 MW. In Britain and some other European countries too, coal-fired plants are converting to bio mass. Proper exploitation of this field needs huge investments for building storage capacity and plants, the way countries like Finland and Sweden have done. In Finland 20 % of power generation and in Sweden 16% of power supply come from biomass. With about 200 tons of agricultural waste going unused in India, the potential of harnessing this area is substantial.

Though per capita greenhouse gas emissions in India are very low, it has added about 2000 clean power projects in the last decade or so. The number of greenhouse buildings where solar and wind energy mechanisms and water harvesting etc. are in place has reached 2204. The number is planned to reach 1 lakh mark-an ambitious target indeed- by 2025.

The Asian Development Bank has just announced that it will provide $500 million to build a power transmission system to carry clean electricity from wind and solar power projects in Rajasthan to the state and the National grid. Since setting up of transmission lines to evacuate power from the generating stations is a massive challenge, it will go a long way in dealing with the problem.

Today, India is in a position to help other countries also. It has offered line of credit and expertise to Cuba to develop renewable energy projects to enable it to reduce its dependence on oil imports. NTPC is exporting 250 MW of electricity to Bangladesh at a fixed tariff. India has also invested in power projects in Bhutan.

In short, keeping in view the challenges of power shortage and increasing demand in developing countries and environmental challenges across the world, India as also the rest of the world, needs to pay adequate attention to power generation through non- conventional sources. According to one estimate India has the potential to generate 150 GW of power through renewable sources alone- thanks to plenty of sunshine for most part of the year and a good wind velocity in many parts of the country.  But it needs huge investment to realise it. The rich countries must come forward to help developing nations to promote clean power generation. India on its part is well on the march.

(PIB Feature.)

Cast based reservation system – The dirty politics of votes

Our preamble of the Indian Constitution says, that India is “sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic” then how can the caste system prevail and consequently reservations? Today, this evil system persists and plays a vital role in the society as the major weapon for vote bank politics.

The whole perspective of Mandal commission regarding reservations are gradually being extended and expanded to sections of people, demanding reservations within reservations, in State and Central jobs.The initial condition of reservation was acceptable since at the time of independence these SC/ST communities were weaker and exploited, but after so many years of Independence the same criteria of cast does not make sense. This just been used as political puppet.

Reservation in Jobs and education on what basis?

Recently Reservation in Govt. jobs Promotions bill was introduced for SC/ST people. This is another example of third class politics to divide people based upon caste. Where certain people are given benefits based upon caste not their economic conditions. A question arise if person belonging to SC/ST have good economic condition then why he/she should be given reservation and that even promotions. What impact it would have on public sector services which are already working on the pace of tortoise. Then how can we expect a country like India to grow fast. Earlier we had seen the agitation of the Gujjar’s and Jat’s demanding reservations. The agitators have found a simple way to force the attention of political leaders and the concerned Government, by affecting the rail movement. Consciously, they try to influence the economy of the country.

Why Reservation based upon caste not economic conditions?

First thing is should there be reservation at all? To answer this we may say that for a developing country like India, instead of reservation we should spend on education and provide equal opportunities to weaker sections of society without compromising country’s development. And if  you wan to give special preference to weaker section then this division should be based upon income and financial condition, that does make some sense. But providing reservation based upon caste seems to be illogical.

Does this means all poor people belongs to SC/ST? then what the benefit of reservation that was given to them since Independence  isn’t there no improvement. This isn’t true poverty has nothing to do with caste at-least after more than 60 years of independence and in 20th century.  This division is totally wrong and is being exploited by politician to their personnel benefits.

The Dirty politics of votes: “Divide and rule”

Rather that  doing something better like providing quality education or building infrastructure they are bullying on these backward tactics of “Divide and rule”.Many political parties are watching and contemplating to encash this casteism with a political motive.It is ridiculous that the political parties involved in exploiting casteism in the reservation scheme. While evaluating the political situation in UP, it is observed that, although Mayawati Government is for the Dalit, only a few sections of SC and ST has the high handed opportunity. In UP the Schedule Tribes are negligible in count, thus the larger benefit is being enjoyed by a selected section of Schedule Castes.

Apart from politics, other issue like reservations in education and in best jobs is also becoming controversial, each day. The major stress in education is to help prevent the socio-economic disparity among various societies by reservations in different stages and faculties. The law of the land allows 7.5% reservation for ST, a staggering 15% for SC and another 27% for OBC, in higher education alone. Government is spending crores to uplift them, but the blossoming result is yet to be seen. A very delicate situation is observed these days among the reserved and scheduled groups, with their caste and creed notions. They are becoming increasingly demanding, which may have a negative consequence, when the so-called majority group will be devoid of its proportional benefit. Is it not proper to have an audit on the reservation policy for examining the expenses, implementation and benefits, that has been achieved by various Governments, after so many years of Independence?

There are few questions that come to the mind: Was the reservation system necessary after a certain period of Independence? Has the country been benefited by such scheme? Is it not a fact that the political parties are exploiting the sentiment of people by instigating casteism? I fail to understand when our preamble of the Indian Constitution says, that India is “sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic” how can the caste system prevail and consequently reservations? It is purely for political mileage.

Verdict: Reservation if any should be based upon financial grounds not on the basis of caste.

chakreview  

NOBEL PRIZES 2013

Category	Name of the Person	Contribution
Physiology or Medicine	James Rothman	For their groundbreaking work on how the cell organizes its transport system
	Randy Schekman
	Thomas Suedhof
Physics	Peter Higgs	For the theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles.
	Francois Englert
Chemistry	Michael Levitt	For the development of multi scale models for complex chemical systems
	Martin Karplus
	Arieh Warshel
Peace	The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)	For its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons
Literature	Alice Munro	Master of the contemporary short story
Economics	Eugene Fama	For their work on creating a deeper knowledge of how market prices move
	Lars Peter Hansen
	Robert Shiller