Highly Employed Poor Peoples

Note: Taken information from wikipedia...

With the recent economic slowdown some of the new's that keeps coming often is how lots of peoples are loosing their jobs and unemployment rates are in the rise. I was curious to know the unemployment situation of the world and did a small search. I came out with the following chart which is a compilation of the world unemployment rate from CIA figures.

World rate of unemployment

Now I was surprised to see that India is comparable to most of the developed nations in terms of employment. Even surprising was we were better then the United States. We have an unemployment rate of ~ 7.5% as compared to 10.2% in the USA. Well that's like doing really good. But the hard fact is we are still a long way to go to provide proper employment, and also proper healthcare and food. I was now more interested to know how do we fare in poverty. So I went ahead and checked the poverty statistics. The first chart I checked was that of people below the poverty line as defined by the respective countries. Now we start showing up being not so good. We are just better then the African nations and comparable to the developed nations. The developed nations fared really well in uplifting their peoples above the poverty line. China surprisingly did a really good job, partly because their poverty line must be really on the lower side.

% population below national poverty line

A better way to compare countries is to put them in the same scale. So when I looked into such data I found one which gives the % of population living below $1.25/day. And the statistics revealed the status of our population. 40 - 60% of our population falls in that category. Our neighbors line China, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and developing nations like Brazil did much better with 6-20% of their population being in that category. There is a lesson to learn, we India has a long way to go. Though comparing at a single level of currency is not a proper way to look at things and we need to look into purchasing power parity, this still gives us an indication that we are a "Highly Employed Poor Nation"

% population living below $1.25/day

Earth 'heading for 6C' of warming

** Earth 'heading for 6C' of warming **

CO2 emissions rose by a quarter in the last decade, setting the course for a world up to 6C warmer, according to research. http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/8364926.stm

Emissions rose by 29% between 2000 and 2008, most of it came from the developing nations though a quarter of it was driven by demand and consumption in the industrialized nations. This alarming finding reiterates the need for urgency in political discussions.

China's new found development has ramped the CO2 emissions in recent years. The study said there are still possibility of reaching 2C if things are done urgently, but at the current pace - 6C is a reality we will have to face.

India adds 30 million people to hungry list in the last decade

** Food Day praise for Brazil, China **

Brazil and China are praised, and India criticised, in a new report on efforts to tackle hunger, published on UN World Food Day.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/in_depth/8309979.stm

In a latest published report, India has been criticized for not doing enough to tackle hunger. When other developing nations like China and Brazil has done lots and have reduced its number of hungry people, in the last decade, India has added 30 Million more people in the hungry list.

Here are some pictures from "International food policy research institute" on global hunger index.

India is ranked as alarmingly hungry, which is in the league of the African nations (shame on our economic development).

Countries like Brazil has done a lot to reduce its hungry population as shown in the figure below.

Do politicians care for common people?

If you were in touch with the media and news channel in the last few days, you would have seen heavy bashing of politicians by both media and the common people. There is a heightened state of hatred for politicians after the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

Politicians are also partly to blame for it. One fool CM criticizing a martyr’s parent, one politician talking against protesting public; this all has fueled further public outrage.

I was watching the news channel today and saw angry public taking on the politicians. Then my roommate made a statement that struck my mind. He said: Historically terrorists were focusing on political assassinations to make their presence felt and also for maximum impact. Politicians then responded equally aggressively to the terrorists. Now terrorists have become smarter and they target politicians no more, instead, they target the common people and get away without being violently pursued. Nobody forgot the war like situation that was created after the parliament attack.

I do not completely disagree, that is a good observation. Attack on parliament was a big thing. But no politicians got killed; yet the politicians responded violently, almost waging a war (lots of Army man would have got killed). But I do believe what happened in Mumbai is much larger then the parliament attack, lots of innocent life lost (not a single politician), and the response now from politician is not as aggressive as post parliament attack. So do the politicians care for us, the common people, or they just care for themselves?

This year has been severely violent in terms of attack on common people. After May, there have been serial blasts (mind it not bomb blast, serial means multiple bombs, more deaths) at regular intervals (almost every month, latest being Mumbai). Government has said we will take stern action, but as a matter of fact, nothing has happened. Only thing that has happened is another attack on civilians. The terrorists must have been laughing from a distance (may be they are patting on their back for figuring out the trick to get away unharmed). So will the politicians get serious only when they directly face terror? Will they wait for another political assassination to happen before responding? Don’t they value innocent life of the public?

I don’t want to believe what my friend is telling, but right now I can help thinking that it is true.

Time has come for the politicians to prove me wrong (that will make me happy being wrong) and take some stern action. Time for them to prove the public wrong, time to prove the media wrong, and all the people wrong who have been talking foul against them all along.

Just blame game against Pakistan is not enough:

This is what keeps happening every time terror strikes India, the Indian government comfortably puts the blame on outside miscreants, and specifically to terrorists based in neighbouring Pakistan. I know for sure the government is not entirely untrue. It is a well known fact that terrorist organizations function from Pakistan territory. But just putting the blame on them, and doing nothing serves no good to the nation. It does not guarantee that terrorists will not strike the Indian heartland again. So what next? What are the other steps we need to take (visible and actionable steps), that will deter those militants to come back again.

So just blame gaming is not enough. In fact, its a cheap way to avert responsibility, put the blame on others. So though it is a diplomatic strategy to isolate Pakistan, its not enough.

What has come out of the Mumbai aftermaths are the weaknesses we have.

- Our intelligence sucks

- Our police force are ill prepared and ill equipped

- Our NSG takes close to 10 hours to reach the battle zone

- Out political system is not tough enough

- We do not have strict anti-terror laws

- There is no coordination among various forces (police, navy, army etc.)

- Insufficient manpower in policing system

So with so much to focus upon, lets handle them. We can make sure that we don't have to lose many more (any more) civilian lives.

Lastly on a stronger note: I would love to see India bombing the terrorist installations in any part of the world from where they are operating, may it in the heart of Pakistan. Just tell them its not just you who can strike us in my home, we can too. "Gharpe ghuske marenge"

After the strike on twin towers on 9/11 the world changed. Will India change after the Mumbai attacks? Time will say.....

India Burning: Mumbai Blasts, what has India become

The blasts in Mumbai and the open firing of terrorists is a sign of change in terrorist activities this country has ever seen. Its not just the blasts now, they go out and shoot peoples at the street. They are hitting us from front.

Looking back, some statistics of this years terrorists attacks in India is astonishing. We had a serial blasts in most of the big cities almost every other month. Be it Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Guwahati. Another astonishing statistics is that we have not yet captured a single person responsible (I mean here the big guys. Some small guys caught has lead us nowhere) for those attacks on innocent civilians. That just makes me believe that the culprits are still moving around freely planning their next move, and "Worst is yet to come".

This as a common man does not make me feel good at all, not for me, not for my family and not at all for my fellow country men. Time has come that we start showing actions, visible actions, which will start discouraging those who are trying to destabilize us, terrorrise us. Lets go hard against them, whatever we might have to loose because of this stern steps. I feel we have already lost enough, and there is nothing more worse that can happen. Its the people, the police force the governmet, all working together to fight against them. India is not a country which can be defeated just like that.

I just pray that all those who are injured in Mumbai return safe back to their loved ones.

We have caught some of the terrorists. The police can use them to track down every guy until the top and bring them to justice. They have hit the heart of Mumbai, and we can't let them go. I believe the Mumbai police are not Eunuchs and they take it personally.. I take it personally..

Arctic holds 90 billion barrels of oil: US

http://www.ndtvprofit.com/2008/07/24130139/Arctic-holds-90-billion-barrel.html

News excerpts from NDTV:

"The area north of the Arctic Circle has an estimated 90 billion barrels of recoverable oil, the US Geological Survey (USGS) has said.

Included in the Artic bonanza is 1,670 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 44 billion barrels of natural gas liquids, the USGS said in a statement posted on its website.

The Arctic Circle is the name given to the region around the North Pole. It includes the Arctic Ocean, the northern parts of Europe, Asia, North America and the Russian Far East."

No wonder Russia has been making claims to all the resources in the Arctic region.

"Before we can make decisions about our future use of oil and gas and related decisions about protecting endangered species, native communities and the health of our planet, we need to know what's out there," said USGS director Mark Myers.

This is something which is very true in the current scenario. Global warming has already become a monster which is directly affecting the Arctic endangered species. The quest of energy hungry world should not cause additional irreversible damage to these ecosystem.

Faculty quota in IIT's: Are we crossing limits...

The news article:
HRD orders faculty quota, IIT directors livid
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3173620.cms

"Buoyed by its success in pushing through a quota for OBC students in higher education, the government has now ordered IITs to introduce - with "immediate effect" - quotas in the teaching faculty for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs."

When I read this news, I was really disappointed. I feel its okay (though i do not support) with people getting a chance to get educated even if they did not had the merit for that, but teaching without merit, UNACCEPTABLE. By that was you are even ruining the students with merit and with a passion to learn.

I am not against SC, ST or OBC (I am an OBC). I know if they deserve it, they will get it. Though we sometimes need to give opportunities to peoples, the opportunity should not be to ruin someone else. I think teaching is a role with great responsibility, dignity and respect; and at a premier institute like IIT, only the deserved ones should get a chance.

I don't know why someone would want to get in through reservation. How will he feel in front of his pupils when they know he came through reservation.

India Corruption Study 2007, an eye opener...

This is the third, in a series of surveys which Transparency International India (TII) has done to measure the extent of petty corruption. The niche about this study was its focus on below poverty line (BPL) households.

The scope of the study is not only limited to perceptions about corruption in general, but perception in specific context of a service and, more importantly, actual experience of paying bribe by BPL households in availing one or more of the 11 selected public services. Depending on frequency of interaction, the eleven services are divided broadly into “basic services” (PDS, Hospital Service, School Education (up to 12th), Electricity Service and Water Supply Service) and “need based services” (Land Records / Registration, Housing Service, Forest, NREGS, Banking Service and Police Service (traffic and crime)). The study does not include operational irregularities in the system and even corruption that does not involve citizens directly.
Estimation of bribe: The total bribe amount involved in a year in BPL households availing the eleven services covered in this study is estimated as Rs. 8,830 million.

Services ranked: School education is least corrupt service. Police stood number one corroborates the general impression. The Land Records / Registration and House/Plot, which are specially tailored for BPL households, stand at two and three in the rank is a matter of concern.

THIS NEXT ONE WILL BE INTERESTING...

Relative position of states on Corruption: No state is anywhere near "zero corruption" level. States are grouped into four levels to explain the extent/level of corruption based on a weightage scheme – Moderate, High, Very High and Alarming.


First thing I noticed was Assam, the state I belong to, is at the top of the list in terms of corruption. It feels bad, but this can be seen as an opportunity by the state government to improve their processes and governance focussed on the BPL households. Himachal has done good (being moderate) in all the 11 services. One common thing that I can see from it is, in general the states which are doing good economically also have lower level of corruption. Something that is not surprising. I hope the state governments take this report seriously and don't just throw it as a junk report.

Other highlights can be found at the report at the following location:
http://www.cmsindia.org/cms/highlights.pdf

Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw passes away

Former Army Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw passed away at Military Hospital in Wellington.

Field Marshal is the highest possible rank in the military of India. Only two Army appointments have been made by the Government of India since independence in 1947. The rank of Field Marshal though, existed in the old Indian Army.

Independent India's first, and only active Field Marshal (appointed when in service), was the then Chief of Army Staff Gen. Sam Manekshaw. A much admired and decorated World War 2 officer he was conferred the rank in 1973 by the Indira Gandhi-led government, largely in recognition of his sterling leadership during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971. He is seen as being principally responsible, in a military sense, for an Indian victory in that war, and for the subsequent split of Pakistan.

May his soul rest in peace. He will be the inspiration for tons of young army officers and jawans for years to come.

We're toast if we don't get on different path: NASA scientist

An real eye opener for the skeptics not agreeing to global warming.

"Exactly 20 years after warning America about global warming, a top NASA scientist said the situation has gotten so bad that the world's only hope is drastic action.

James Hansen told Congress on Monday that the world has long passed the ''dangerous level'' for greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and needs to get back to 1988 levels. He said Earth's atmosphere can stay this loaded with man-made carbon dioxide for a couple more decades without changes such as mass extinction, ecosystem collapse and dramatic sea level rises."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NEWEN20080054197
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Click on the link below to read the story
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080054197

For the latest news from India, visit http://www.ndtv.com/