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Social & Some Important Legislation:

The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993
The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) mooted the
idea 01 the creation of an impartial institution for the protection of human rigfits in the States as
early as 1946. In pursuance of the resolution of the General Assembly adopted in 1966,' the
Economic and Social Council requested the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations to
consider the question of creating a National Commission of Human Rights to perform certain
functions related to the observance of the International Covenants on Human Rights. The
question was taken up by the Commission in 1970 and it recommended that the question of
establishment of National Commission of Human Rights in each Member State of the United
Nations ought to be decided by each Government of the Member State keeping in view the
traditions and institutions of each country. The Commission in 1978 again emphasized the need
for the creation of a National Institution. But all these attempts, however, were fruitless.

Realising the importance of such an institution or commission, the World Conference on Human
Rights in 1993 urged Governments to strengthen national structures ,and institutions of society,
which play a role in promoting and safeguarding human rights. The Vienna Declaration and
Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference prompted a number of States to
establish such institutions.

The Human Rights Commission Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha on May 14, 1992 was referred
to the Standing Committee on Home Affairs of the Parliament. The President of lndia
promulgated an Ordinance, which established a National Commission on Human Rights on
September 27, 1993, owinc to pressure from foreign countries as well as from the domestic front.
Thereafter, a Bill on Human Rights was passed in the Lok Sabha on Dlxember 18, 1993 to
replace the ordinance promulgated by the President The Bill became an Act, having received the
assent of the President, or January 8, 1994 (Act 10 of 1994) and was published in the Gazette of
lndia.

National Human Rights Commission (N.H.R.C.)

Chapter II of the Act deals with the constitution of the National Human Rights Commission
(N.H.R.C.). Section 3 of the Act lays down that the Central Government shall constitute a body
known as the National Human Rights Commission. N.H.R.C. is an eight-member body. The
Commission consists of:

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 A Chairperson who has been a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

 One Member who is, or has been a judge of the Supreme Court 100
 One Member who is, or has been, the Chief Justice of a High Court
 Two Members to be appointed from amongst persons having knowledge of, or practical
experience in, matters relating to human rights.

Procedure for Dealing with Complaints

Regulation 8 of the National Human Rights Commission (Procedure) Regulations, 1994 lays
down the following procedure for dealing with complaints of alleged violation of ‗human
rights':

 All complaints in whatever form received by the Commission shall be registered and
assigred a number and placed for admission before a bench of two niembers constituted
for the purpose not later than two weeks of receipt thereof.
 No fee is chargeable on complaints.
 Every attempt should be made to disclose a complete picture of the matter leading to the
complaint and the same may be made in English or Hindi to enable the Commission to
take immediate action. To facilitate the ,;iling of the complaints, the Commission shall,
however, entertain complaints in any language included in the Eighth Schedule of the
Constitution. It shall be open to the Commission to ask for further information and
affidavits to be filed in support of allegations whenever considered necessary.
 The Commission may, in its discretion, accept telegraphic complaints and complainl:~
conveyed through fax.
 The Commission shall lave the power to dismiss a complaint in limine.
 Upon admission of a coniplaint, the ChairpersonlCommission shall direct whether the
matter could be set down for inquiry by it or should be investigated into.

State Human Rights Commissions (S.H.R.C's)

The Protection of Human Rights Act under Chapter V also provides for the setting up of State
Human Rights commission in States consisting of a Chairperson whois or has been a Chief
Justice of a High Court, one member who is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court, one member
who is, or has been a District Judge in that State and two members to be appointed from amongst
persons having knowledge of or practical experience in matten; relating to human rights. The
Governor shall appoint the Chairperson and other members of the Commission.

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The State Commission is empowered to perform all those functions, which have been entrusted
to the National Human Rights Commission. However, paragraph C of Section 29 excludes the
study of treaties and other lnternational Instruments on human rights from the purview of
S.H.R.C. The study of such treaties and the eligibility to make recommendations for their
effective implementation are the exclusive domain of the N.H.R.C. The state Commission may
inquire into violations of human rights only in respect of matters related to any of the entries
enumerated in List II and Ill in the Seventh Schedule of the constitution.' Section 36(1) of the
Act, states that the State Human Rights Commission shall not enquire into any matter which is
pending before a National Commission or any other statutory Commission duly constituted
under any law in force.

Protection to Women Women Under Indian

Constitution & Criminal Law (Under Indian Constitution
Law and Criminal Procedure Code)
Protection to Women Under Indian Constitution & Criminal Law (Under Indian
Constitution Law and Criminal Procedure Code)

Violence against women is present in every country, cutting across boundaries of culture, class,
education, income, ethnicity and age. Since time immemorial India is · particularly a male
dominated society and prevalence of illiteracy among women has resulted in wide spread
violence against women. Therefore, Indian women like women world over have suffered from
domestic violence like purdah system, satipratha, Female feoticide, Female infanticide, different
kinds of physical, emotional and mental abuse, dowry death, cruelty, polygamy etc. In India,
family is considered to be a sacred institution and it acts as a source of furtherance of mental,
social and spiritual well being of its members. Family creates bonds and a sense of belonging
and stability of relation among its members which is now weakening because today domestic
violence has been identified as a major cause of injuries to women in India.

Constitutional provisions

The Articles under Part III of the constitution of India relating to the Fundamental rights which
try to uplift the status of women and provide equal 130 opportunities for women irrespective of
sex are stated below :

Article 14 of the Constitution

All persons including women are equal in the eyes of the law and they are also entitled to enjoy
equal protection of laws within the territorial jurisdiction of India It signifies that all persons
irrespective of sex should be treated equally in similar circumstances. In other words, the State
should not make any discrimination between one person and another, and amongst equals the
law should be administered equally.

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Article 15 of the Constitution

It deals with prohibition against discrimination. It prohibits the state to make any discrimination
against any citizen including women on grounds of race, caste, sex, religion, place of birth etc. It
states that all citizens irrespective of race, caste, sex etc. are entitled to enjoy equal rights in
regard to access to shops, hotels, bathing ghats etc. But the state has the right to make any special
provisions for women and children and also for the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes.

Article 16 of the Constitution

All citizens including women will enjoy equality of opportunity in matters of public employment
irrespective of their sex, races, castes, religions etc.

To prevent immoral traffic in Women and Girlchild Article 23 of the Constitution – It

prohibits the traffic in human-being and forced labour. In pursuance of this Article, Parliament
has passed the Suppression of Immoral Traffic in women and Girls Act, 1956 which is now
renamed as "The immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956" for punishing the actions which result
in traffic in human beings.

According to Article 39 of the Constitution of India, the State shall direct its policy towards
securing - (a) that the citizen, ·men and women shall equally have the right to an adequate means
of livelihood, and (b) that there is equal pay for equal work for both men and women.

Article 42 of the Constitution of India states that, the State shall make provision ·for securing
just and human conditions of work and for maternity relief.

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Criminal laws related to domestic violence

The incidents of domestic violence against women have been increasing over the years. Women
are subjected to violences like cruelty by husband and his relatives, · dowrydeath, grievous hurt,
murder, marital rape by husband etc. There aie some criminal laws in India dealing with
domestic violence cases which are stated below :

Indian penal code

The criminal law in India is contained primarily in the Indian penal code, 1860 (I.P.C). The I.P,C
is supplemented by special laws, which define and punish specific offences. There are some
sections in Indian penal code, 1860 which deals with different domestic violences.

In the case of domestiC violence, Culpable homicide amounts to murder, ' . unless it is
committed without premeditation in a sudden fight or in the heat of passion upon a sudden
quarrel and without the offenders having taken undue advantage or acted in a cruel or unusual
manner.

Therefore, culpable homicide is murder, if any act of the husband by which the death of a victim
woman is caused is done with the intention of causing death, or, if it is done with the intention of
causing such bodily injury as the husband of the victim woman knows that it might cause death
of his wife. As for example - If any husband shoots his wife with the intention of killing her and
the woman dies in consequence. Then the husband of that woman commits murder. Some other
ipc provisions are as follows:

Rape (Sec. 376 IPC)

Kidnapping & Abduction for different purposes ( Sec. 363-373)

Homicide for Dowry, Dowry Deaths or their attempts (Sec. 302/304-B IPC)

Torture, both mental and physical (Sec. 498-A IPC)

Molestation (Sec. 354 IPC) Sexual Harassment (Sec. 509 IPC)

Importation of girls (up to 21 years of age)

Provisions under code of criminal procedure ( Crpc)

Right to Privacy while recording statement- Under section 164 of CrPC, a woman who has
been raped can record her statement before District Magistrate when the case is under trial and
no one else needs to be present. Alternatively, she can record the statement with only one police
officer and woman constable in a convenient place that is no crowded and does not provide any
possibility of the statement being overheard by the third person.

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Police can’t say no- A rape victim can register her complaint from any police station under Zero
FIR ruling by the Supreme Court. Sometimes, the police station under which the incident occurs
refuses to register the victim‘s complaint in order to keep clear of responsibility and tries sending
the victim to another police station. In such cases, she has the right to lodge an FIR at any police
station under the provision of Zero FIR. Search by another Women only- Under section 51(2)
of CrPC, when an accused is a woman another woman should make search with strict regard to
decency.

Opportunity to come out of the house- Section 47(2) CrPC says, if the accused hides in the
house of a female who according to custom does not appear in public, the police cannot enter the
house or break the house open unless notice is given to such female to withdraw and give her
reasonable facility to withdraw herself.

Medical Examination by a female practitioner- Under section 53(2) CrPC, when a person to
be examined medically is female, then the examination shall be made only by or under the
supervision of female registered medical practitioner.

Attendance cannot be required at any other place- Section 160 CrPC protects women saying
that no woman shall be required to attend any place other than a place in which she resides.
Hence, a police officer cannot require the attendance of a woman, but on the contrary, he has to
go to the place where she resides for making an investigation and can interrogate in the presence
of a woman constable and family members or friends.

No arrests after sunset- Because to concerns of violation of the rights of women, section 46(4)
provides that forbids the arrest of women after sunset and before sunrise, except in exceptional
circumstances, in which case the arrest can be done by a woman police officer after making a
written report and obtaining a prior permission from the concerned Judicial Magistrate of First
class.

Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act-2005

Violence against women is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men
and women, which have led to domination over and discrimination against women by men and to
the prevention of the full advancement of women. The United Nations Declaration on the
Elimination of Violence against Women, General Assembly Resolution, December 1993.

Domestic violence is one of the most common crimes against women which is inextricably
linked to the perpetuation of patriarchy. Domestic violence refers to violence against women not
only in matrimonial homes but also in live-in relationship. Domestic violence is recognized as
the significant barrier in the path of women empowerment and also skews the democratic set up
of the polity. India has specifically legislated Domestic Violence Act in 2005 to reduce the

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violence against women but the same has bore mixed result as of now.

Domestic Violence: The term domestic violence includes elaborately all forms of actual abuse or
threat of abuse of physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and economic nature that can harm, cause
injury to, endanger the health, safety, life, limb or well-being, either mental or physical of the
aggrieved person. The definition is wide enough to cover child sexual abuse, harassment caused
to a woman or her relatives by unlawful dowry demands, and marital rape.

Domestic violence can be physical, emotional, psychological, financial, or sexual. Being

victimized by a situation of domestic violence can create feelings of helplessness and even self-
doubt.

Physical abuse includes:

? pushing, throwing, kicking

? slapping, grabbing, hitting, punching, beating, tripping, battering, bruising, choking, shaking

? pinching, biting

? holding, restraining, confinement

? breaking bones

? assault with a weapon such as a knife or gun

? burning

? murder

Verbal or nonverbal abuse of a spouse or intimate partner may include:

? threatening or intimidating to gain compliance

? destruction of the victim‗s personal property and possessions, or threats to do so

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? violence to an object (such as a wall or piece of furniture) or pet, in the presence of the
intended victim, as

? a way of instilling fear of further violence

? yelling or screaming

? name-calling

? constant harassment

? embarrassing, making fun of, or mocking the victim, either alone within the household, in
public, or in front of family or friends

? criticizing or diminishing the victim‗s accomplishments or goals

? not trusting the victim‗s decision-making

? telling the victim that they are worthless on their own, without the abuser

? excessive possessiveness, isolation from friends and family

? excessive checking-up on the victim to make sure they are at home or where they said they
would be saying hurtful things while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and using the
substance as an excuse to say the hurtful things

? blaming the victim for how the abuser acts or feels

? making the victim remain on the premises after a fight, or leaving them somewhere else after a
fight, just to ?teach them a lesson?

? making the victim feel that there is no way out of the relationship

Sexual abuse includes:

? sexual assault: forcing someone to participate in unwanted, unsafe, or degrading sexual activity

? sexual harassment: ridiculing another person to try to limit their sexuality or reproductive
choices sexual exploitation (such as forcing someone to look at pornography, or forcing someone
to participate in pornographic film-making)

Basic Features of the Domestic Violence Act, 2005

1. Apart from the victim herself, the complaint regarding an act or act of domestic violence
can also be lodged by any person who has a reason to believe that‗ such an act was
committed or is being committed. This means that neighbors, social workers, relatives

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can also take initiative. And the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act make sure that
no criminal, civil or any other liability‗ lies on the informer, if the complaint is lodged in
good faith.

2. The magistrate has been given powers to permit the aggrieved women to stay in her place
of adobe and she can not be evicted by her male relatives in the retaliation.
3. The respondent can be prohibited from dispossessing the aggrieved person or in any other
manner disturbing her possessions, entering the aggrieved person‗s place of work, if the
aggrieved person is a child, the school. Also magistrate can bar the respondent to
communicate with aggrieved person by ?personal, oral, written, electronic or telephonic
contact.
4. The magistrate can impose monthly payments of maintenance. The respondent can also
be ordered to meet the expenses incurred and losses suffered by the aggrieved person and
any child of aggrieved person as a result of domestic violence. It can also cover loss of
earnings, medical expenses, loss or damage to property. Under Sec 22 magistrate can
make the respondent pay compensation and damages for injuries including mental torture
and emotional distress caused by act(s) of domestic violence.
5. Penalty up to one-year and/or a fine up to Rs. 20,000/- can be imposed under under the
act. The offence is also considered cognizable and non-bailable while Sec 32 (2) goes
even says that under the sole testimony of the aggrieved person, the court may conclude
that an offence has been committed by the accused?.
6. The act ensures speedy justice as the court has to start proceedings and have the first
hearing within 3 days of the complaint being filed in the court and every case must be
disposed off within a period of sixty days of the first hearing.
7. The act makes provisions for state to provide for protection officers and status of service
providers‗ and ?medical facility‗.
8. Chapter 4 Sec 16 allows the magistrate to hold proceedings in camera if either party to
the proceedings so desires.

The Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955

The Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 (No. 22 of 1955)

The practice of untouchability in Indian society is an attribute of the hierarchical stratification of

society into castes. On the one hand, the Vedic use the term ―varna‖ (colour) to denote caste
seems to indicate that the caste system began as a result of racial differences between people. On
the other, the characteristic feature of the caste system is also its categorisation of the pure and
the impure based on religious beliefs and division of labour. While many authors argue that the
concept of an untouchable caste did not exist in the initial stages of the caste system, at some

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point in history, the concept of untouchability did become ―a historical cohort of the caste

system, but not its essence.‖

Numerous policies and laws have been made over the years to tackle the issue of untouchability.
This Study attempts at studying one legislative attempt in this regard, viz., the Protection of Civil
Rights Act, 1955 (PCRA). The basic difficulties of studying and improving the use of law as a
tool of directed social change results from the fact that law by itself is the only component of a
large set of policy instruments and usually cannot and is not used by itself. This caveat should be
kept in mind while dealing with the problem of untouchability. The recommendations and
suggestions made in this Study are solely in light of the problems faced in the provisions and
implementation of the PCRA. These recommendations will have little effect if implemented in
isolation, and without the backing of other policy measures.

The following Acts are punishable under Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955:

Disability to practice Religion: Anyone who stops any person on ground of Untouchability in
any of the following ways:

 To enter into the place of worship where any other person of the same religion is allowed
 To worship, to offer prayers or to perform any religious ceremony or offer any religious
service or bath at worship place or to use water from the sacred tank, spring well or from
any other source, in the same manner as any other person of same religion is allowed to
do.

Such person shall be punished with the imprisonment for the term of atleast one month but not
exceeding 6 months along with the fine of atleast 100 Rs. but not more than Rs. 500.

Social Disabilities: Whoever discriminates any person on the ground of Untouchability in any
way such as:

 Access to shop, hotel, restaurant, place of public entertainment ;

 Use of utensil which are provided in the hotels, dharamshala or any other public place for
the use of general public or for a specific class of people;
 To practice any profession or carry out any of the occupation, business or trade;
 The use of water from spring well, tank, river, stream, water taps or any water place, or
stops using bathing ghat, sanitary convenience, burial or cremation ground, road, passage
or other thing meant for general public.
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Such person shall be punished with the imprisonment for the term of atleast one month but not
exceeding 6 months along with the fine of atleast 100 Rs. but not more than Rs. 500.

Refusing Admission: Whoever on the ground of Untouchability denies a person admission or

discriminates the person after admission in the following places: Hospital, Educational
Institution, Hostel or any other public places.

Such person Shall be punished with the imprisonment for the term of atleast one month but not
exceeding 6 months along with the fine of atleast 100 Rs. but not more than Rs. 500.

Refusing to sell goods or render service: Whoever on the ground of Untouchability refuses or
discriminates a person in selling goods or in rendering services with the same terms and
conditions in which they rendered to the general public in the ordinary course of business.

Such person Shall be punished with the imprisonment for the term of atleast one month but not
exceeding 6 months along with the fine of atleast 100 Rs. but not more than Rs. 500.

Compulsory Labour : Whoever compels any person to Sweep, scavenge, or to remove any
carcass or to flay any animal or to remove the umbilical cord or to do any other job of a similar
nature.

Such person shall be deemed to have practice ―Untouchability‖ and shall be punished with the
imprisonment for the term of atleast three months but not exceeding 6 months along with the fine
of atleast 100 Rs. but not more than Rs. 500.

Other Offences : Such person shall be punishable under law who does any of the following:

 Prevents any person from acquiring rights provided under Art 17 of the Constitution of
India; or,
 Molests, insults, boycotts30 or create an obstruction in exercising the right; or
 Molests, insults, boycotts any person who has exercised his rights; or
 By any manner, spoken or written encourages or incites31 any person to practice
―Untouchability‖; or
 Insults or attempts to insult any person on the ground of ―Untouchability‖

Such person shall be punished with the imprisonment for the term of atleast one month but not
exceeding 6 months along with the fine of atleast 100 Rs. but not more than Rs. 500.

Offences done by Company: If any person who on the behalf of the Company has practiced
―Untouchability‖; or ii. If the Director, Manager, Secretary or any other official of the Company
would have practiced ―Untouchability‖.

Such person may be Director, Manager, Secretary or any other Official of the Company shall be
deemed to be guilty on behalf of the Company and shall be prosecuted for the offence.

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The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes

(Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989
Scheduled Caste & Scheduled Tribe

Scheduled Caste & Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) 1989 (No.33 of 1989)

The Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 is an Act of the Parliament
of India enacted to prevent atrocities against scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. The Act is
popularly known as POA, the SC/ST Act, the Prevention of Atrocities Act, or simply the
Atrocities Act.

Article 17 of Indian Constitution seeks to abolish 'untouchability' and to forbid all such practices.
It is basically a "statement of principle" that needs to be made operational with the ostensible
objective to remove humiliation and multifaceted harassments meted to the Dalits and to ensure
their fundamental and socio-economic, political, and cultural rights.

This is to free Indian society from blind and irrational adherence to traditional beliefs and to
establish a bias free society. For that, Untouchability (Offences) Act 1955 was enacted.
However, lacunae and loopholes impelled the government to project a major overhaul of this
legal instrument. From 1976 onwards the Act was revamped as the Protection of Civil Rights
Act. Despite various measures adopted to improve the socio-economic conditions of the SCs and
STs they remain vulnerable and are subject to various offences, indignities and humiliations and
harassment. When they assert their rights and against the practice of Untouchability against them
the vested interest try to cow them down and terrorize them. Atrocities against the SCs and STs,
still continued.

Thus objectives of the Act clearly emphasize the intention of the Government to deliver justice
to these communities through proactive efforts to enable them to live in society with dignity and
self-esteem and without fear or violence or suppression from the dominant castes. The practice
of untouchability, in its overt and covert form was made a cognizable and non compoundable
offence, and strict punishment is provided for any such offence.

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The SCs and STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 with stringent provisions (which extends
to whole of India except the State of Jammu & Kasmhir) was enacted on 9 September 1989.
Section 23(1) of the Act authorises the Central Government to frame rules for carrying out the
purpose of the Act. Drawing power from this section, the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled
Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules of 1995 were framed. The rules for the Act were notified
on 31 March 1995.

Objectives

The basic objective and purpose of this more comprehensive and more punitive piece of
legislation was sharply enunciated when the Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha:

“Despite various measures to improve the socio-economic conditions of the SCs and STs, they
remain vulnerable… They have, in several brutal incidents, been deprived of their life and
property… Because of the awareness created… through spread of education, etc., when they
assert their rights and resist practices of untouchability against them or demand statutory
minimum wages or refuse to do any bonded and forced labour, the vested interests try to cow
them down and terrorise them. When the SCs and STs try to preserve their self-respect or honour
of their women, they become irritants for the dominant and the mighty… Under the
circumstances, the existing laws like the Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955 and the normal
provisions of the Indian Penal Code have been found to be inadequate to check and deter crimes
against them committed by non-SCs and non-STs… It is considered necessary that not only the
term 'atrocity' should be defined, but also stringent measures should be introduced to provide for
higher punishment for committing such atrocities. It is also proposed to enjoin on the States and
Union Territories to take specific preventive and punitive measures to protect SCs and STs from
being victimized and, where atrocities are committed, to provide adequate relief and assistance
to rehabilitate them.”

The objectives of the Act, therefore, very clearly emphasise the intention of the Indian state to
deliver justice to SC/ST communities through affirmative action in order to enable them to live
in society with dignity and self-esteem and without fear, violence or suppression from the
dominant castes.

Salient features

Creation of new types of offences not in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) or in the Protection of Civil
Rights Act 1955 (PCRA).

 Commission of offences only by specified persons (atrocities can be committed only by

non-SCs and non-STs on members of the SC or ST communities. Crimes among SCs and
STs or between STs and SCs do not come under the purview of this Act).
 Defines various types of atrocities against SCs/STs (Section 3(1)i to xv and 3(2)i to vii).

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 Prescribes stringent punishment for such atrocities (Section 3(1)i to xv and 3(2)i to vii).
 Enhanced punishment for some offences (Section 3(2)i to vii, 5).
 Enhanced minimum punishment for public servants (Section 3(2)vii).
 Punishment for neglect of duties by a public servant(Section 4). Attachment and
forfeiture of property (Section 7).
 Externment of potential offenders (Section 10(1), 10(3), 10(3)).
 Creation of Special Courts (Section 14).
 Appointment of Special Public Prosecutors (Section 15).
 Empowers the government to impose collective fines (Section 16).
 Cancellation of arms licences in the areas identified where an atrocity may take place or
has taken place (Rule 3iii) and seize all illegal fire arms (Rule 3iv).
 Grant arms licences to SCs and STs (Rule 3v).
 Denial of anticipatory bail (Section 18).
 Denial of probation to convict (Section 19).
 Provides compensation, relief and rehabilitation for victims of atrocities or their legal
heirs (Section 17(3), 21(2)iii, Rule 11, 12(4)).
 Identification of atrocity prone areas (Section 17(1), 21(2)vii, Rule 3(1)).

Special Courts

For speedy trial, Section 14 of the Act provides for a Court of Session to be a Special Court to
try offences under this Act in each district. Rule 13(i) mandates that the judge in a special court
be sensitive with right aptitude and understanding of the problems of the SCs and STs.

However, that is seldom the case. Most states have declared a court as a 'special court'. The hitch
is that they are designated courts (as opposed to exclusive special courts) and so have to hear
many other cases too. Consequently, at any time about 80% of the cases are pending, defeating
the very purpose of having special courts in the first place.

Special Court Justice Ramaswamy observed in the case of State of Karnataka v. Ingale that more
than seventy-five percent of the cases brought under the SC/ST Act end in acquittal at all levels.
The situation has not improved much since 1992 according to the figures given by the 2002
Annual Report dealing with SC/ST Act (of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment) Of
the total cases filed in 2002 only 21.72% were disposed of, and, of those, a mere 2.31% ended in
conviction. The number of acquittals is 6 times more than the number of convictions and more
than 70 percent of the cases are still pending.

Inaugurating a two-day annual conference of State Ministers of Welfare/Social Justice, 8 Sept

2009, Prime Minister Singh expressed 'shock' that the conviction rate of cases of atrocities
against the SC/STs is less than 30% against the average of 42% for all cognisable offences under
the Indian Penal Code. And in rape cases the conviction rate is just 2%.

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Karnataka has only 8 Special courts, though 15 of 30 districts are declared 'atrocity prone'.
Overall conviction rates remain at or below 5%. Even the few special courts seem to be biased.
In 2010, of the 101 cases disposed of in the Tumkur special court, not one was convicted.
Gulbarga, another atrocity prone district had a conviction rate of just 2%. 7 districts had a
conviction rate of 0% in 2010.

Right to Information Act, 2005

Right to information is a fundamental right of any citizen of India to know what is happening
with the government. Every individual has the freedom to seek any government related
information through this RTI act 2005. The Right to Information Act (2005) is one of the key
legislation enacted by the Parliament which guarantees the right and freedom of every citizen of
India to get the information related to our government dealings, both at centre and the states.

Right to Information Act 2005 mandates timely response to citizen requests for government
information. Right to Information empowers every citizen to seek any information from the
Government, inspect any Government documents and seek certified photocopies thereof. Right
to Information also empower citizens to official inspect any Government work or to take sample
of material used in any work.

Right to Information is a part of fundamental rights under Article 19(1) of the Constitution.
Article 19 (1) says that every citizen has freedom of speech and expression.

This act was passed in the Indian Parliament on 15th June 2005 and was brought into force on 12
October 2005.

Applicability: This Right to Information act is applicable to all the states and Union territories
of India except the state of Jammu and Kashmir which has its own Right to Information act
2009. Every citizen of India has the right to seek information through this act. Only an Individual
can use this RTI facility. A group or company cannot request for any information.

Covered Govt Offices: The citizen of India has all the right to seek information related to the
Indian constitutional authorities, viz; the executive, the legislative, judiciary, any other institution
or body constituted by the act of parliament or state legislature. Any private institution financed
and supported by the constitutional authorities.

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Who is responsible: Every government office will have its own PIO(Public Information Officer)
who is responsible to accept the request from the public and provide the information within 30
days of their request. A minimum fee is charged from the public. People from BPL(Below
PovertyLine) are exempted from paying any fee to seek any information. Also there are
APIOs(Assistant Public Information Officers) available in the post offices located in main cities
and towns.

Information type: This act facilitates the citizen of India to obtain government documents, to
inspect government documents, to inspect government works and to get the samples.
(Government document means anything big to small including the Ration card, Election ID
card).

Time Frame: The time frame to obtain any information is 30 days from the date of application.
If the application was submitted through APIO, then the time frame is 35 days. In the case of
information relating to life and death warranting very urgent information, the information to be
provided within 48 hours from the time of application.

Restriction of Information: There is a restriction in seeking information according to the

official secret act 1923 and such information will not be revealed or provided to the citizen of
India in the interest of the country's security. No information pertaining to offices and section
dealing with security of the nation which will endanger the national security, security to
personnel,. Like the defence, CB CID, BSF,Police etc; However, any issues relating to
malfunction or corruption in the department are excluded , and can be sought through this RTI
act.

Appeals: An appeal can be made to the appellate authority. If the first appeal is not replied, then
the second appeal can be made to the Information Commission.

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Actions on delay information: The officer is charged Rs. 250 per day as penalty for the delay.
He is likely to be charged Rs. 25000 for providing wrong information or for denial of
information, and disciplinary action will be initiated against the officer who fails to provide
information and if his explanation is not duly justified.

Word limit: There is no word limitation when the act was brought into force. Now the
government is thinking to impose restriction on the word limit to 500 words per application.

Right to information act helps the citizen to exercise their fundamental right to get information
without any denial from the authorities. It helps the people to get the information pertaining to
self relating to the government. It also helps to find out the corrupt functioning of the
government and its officials. It keeps a check on government to conduct its business in a very
fair manner. This act creates a fear in the minds of government servants to think and work that
they are the servants of the people of this nation. Many government scandals have been brought
out

to light with the help of this good act.

This Right to Information act has been conceived and delivered in a better shape that will lead
India to move forward by reducing corruption in government departments. With this a
government servant recognizes and respects the citizen of India and the government fears its
people for wrong doings.

Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

The Environment Protection Act is an important legislation that provides for coordination of
activities of the various regulatory agencies, creation of authorities with adequate powers for
environmental protection, regulation of the discharge of environmental pollutants, handling of
hazardous substances, etc. The Act provided an opportunity to extend legal protection to non-
forest habitats (‗Ecologically Sensitive Areas‘) such as grasslands, wetlands and coastal
zones.The Environment (Protection) Act was enacted in 1986 with the objective of providing for
the protection and improvement of the environment. It empowers the Central Government to
establish authorities charged with the mandate of preventing environmental pollution in all its

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forms and to tackle specific environmental problems that are peculiar to different parts of the

country.

The Environment Protection Act is an umbrella legislation that consolidated the provisions of the
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of
Pollution) Act of 1981. Within this framework of the legislations, the government established
Pollution Control Boards (PCBs) in order to prevent, control, and abate environmental pollution.

Under the EPA, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification was introduced in 1994, it
was modified in 2006 and the latest amendment was in 2009. Under the EIA it has become
mandatory to seek environmental clearance for several activities and industries with the
involvement of the public as per procedure.

Main Features of The Environment Protection Act are:-

i) Co-ordination of actions by the State Governments, officers and other authorities

ii) Planning and execution of a nation-wide programme for the prevention, control and abatement
of environmental pollution.

iii) Laying down standards for the quantity of environment in its various aspects.

iv) Laying down standards for emission or discharge of environmental pollutants from various
sources whatsoever. Provided that different standards for emission or discharge may be laid
down under this clause from different sources having regard to the quality or composition of the
emission lr discharge of environmental pollutants from such sources.

v) Restriction of areas in which any industries, operations or processes or class of industries,

operations or processes shall not be carried out or shall be carried out subject to certain
safeguards.

vi) Laying down procedures and safeguards for the prevention of accidents which may cause
environmental pollution and remedial measures for such accidents.

vii) Laying down procedures and safeguards for the handling of hazardous substances.

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viii) Examination of such manufacturing processes, materials and substances as are likely to
cause environmental pollution.

ix) Carrying out and sponsoring investigations and research relating to problems of
environmental pollution.

x) Inspection of any premises, plant, equipment, machinery, manufacturing or other processes,

materials or substances and giving, by order, of such directions to such authorities, officers or
persons as it may consider necessary to take steps for the prevention, control and abatement of
environmental pollution.

xi) Establishment or recognition of environmental laboratories and institutes to carry out the
functions entrusted to such environmental laboratories and institutes under this Act.

xii) Collection and dissemination of information in respect of matters relating to environmental

pollution.

xiii) Preparation of manuals, codes or guides relating to the prevention, control and abatement of
environmental pollution.

The Consumer Protection Act, 1986

The Consumer Protection Act is an Act to provide for better protection of the interests of
consumers and for that purpose to make provision for the establishment of consumer councils
and other authorities for the settlement of consumers' disputes and for matters connected
therewith .A number of laws have been enacted in India to safeguard the interest of consumers
and protect them from unscrupulous and unethical practices of the businessmen. Some of these
Acts are as follows:

(i) Drug Control Act, 1950

(ii) Agricultural Products (Grading and Marketing) Act, 1937
(iii) Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951
(iv) Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954
(v) Essential Commodities Act, 1955
(vi) The Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1956
(vii) Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969
(viii) Prevention of Black-marketing and Maintenance of Essential Supplies Act, 1980
(ix) Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986

The main objectives of the Consumer Protection Act are to provide better and all-round
protection to consumers and effective safeguards against different types of exploitation such as
defective goods, deficient services and unfair trade practices. It also makes provisions for a
simple, speedy and inexpensive machinery for redressal of consumers‘ grievances.

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Important Features of the Consumer Protection Act

1. The Act applies to all goods and services unless specifically exempted by the Central
Government.
2. It covers all the sectors – private, public and cooperative.
3. The provisions of the Act are compensatory in nature.
4. It provides adjudicatory authorities, which are simple, speedy and less expensive.
5. It also provides for Consumer Protection Councils at the National, State and District levels.
6. The provisions of this Act are in addition to and not in derogation of the provisions of any
other law for the time being in force.

Consumer Rights under the the Consumer Protection Act

Right to Safety
Means right to be protected against the marketing of goods and services, which are hazardous to
life and property. The purchased goods and services availed of should not only meet their
immediate needs, but also fulfil long term interests.

Before purchasing, consumers should insist on the quality of the products as well as on the
guarantee of the products and services. They should preferably purchase quality marked products
such as ISI,AGMARK, etc
Right to be Informed
Means right to be informed about the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of
goods so as to protect the consumer against unfair trade practices under the Consumer
Protection Act.

Consumer should insist on getting all the information about the product or service before making
a choice or a decision. This will enable him to act wisely and responsibly and also enable him to

desist from falling prey to high pressure selling techniques.

Right to Choose
Means right to be assured, wherever possible of access to variety of goods and services at
competitive price. In case of monopolies, it means right to be assured of satisfactory quality and
service at a fair price. It also includes right to basic goods and services. This is because
unrestricted right of the minority to choose can mean a denial for the majority of its fair share.
This right can be better exercised in a competitive market where a variety of goods are available
at competitive prices
Right to be Heard
Means that consumer's interests will receive due consideration at appropriate forums. It also
includes right to be represented in various forums formed to consider the consumer's welfare.

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The Consumers should form non-political and non-commercial consumer organizations which
can be given representation in various committees formed by the Government and other bodies
in matters relating to consumers.
Right to Seek redressal
Means right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices or unscrupulous exploitation of
consumers. It also includes right to fair settlement of the genuine grievances of the consumer.

Consumers must make complaint for their genuine grievances.Many a times their complaint may
be of small value but its impact on the society as a whole may be very large. They can also take
the help of consumer organisations in seeking redressal of their grievances.
Right to Consumer Education
Means the right to acquire the knowledge and skill to be an informed consumer throughout
life.Ignorance of consumers, particularly of rural consumers, is mainly responsible for their
exploitation. They should know their rights and must exercise them. Only then real consumer
protection can be achieved with success.

Consumer protection is a group of laws and organizations designed to ensure

the rights of consumers, as well as fair trade, competition, and accurate information in
the marketplace. The laws are designed to prevent the businesses that engage in fraud or
specified unfair practices from gaining an advantage over competitors. They may also provide
additional protection for those most vulnerable in society. Consumer protection laws are a form
of government regulation that aim to protect the rights of consumers.

Consumer Protection Act, 1986

The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 was enacted to provide a simpler and quicker access to
redress of consumer grievances. The Act seeks to promote and protects the interest of consumers
against deficiencies and defects in goods or services. It also seeks to secure the rights of a
consumer against unfair trade practices, which may be practiced by manufacturers and traders.

The set-up of consumer forum is geared to provide relief to both parties, and discourage long
litigation. In a process called 'informal adjudication', forum officials mediate between the two
parties and urge compromise.

The Act applies to all goods and services unless specifically exempted by the Central
Government. It covers all the sectors whether private, public or cooperative.

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This Act has provided machinery whereby consumers can file their complaints which will be
heard by the consumer forums with special powers so that action can be taken against erring
suppliers and the possible compensation may be awarded to consumer for the hardships he has
undergone.

The consumer under this law is not required to deposit huge court fees, which earlier used to
deter consumers from approaching the courts. The rigours of court procedures have been
replaced with simple procedures as compared to the normal courts, which helps in quicker
redressal of grievances. The provisions of the Act are compensatory in nature.

consumer courts provide redress only in cases of products or services for personal use, defects in
products used for commercial purposes are not entertained.

Basic rights of consumers include:

 Right to be protected against marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life
and property.

 Right to be informed about the quality, quantity, standard and price of goods or services
so as to protect the consumer against unfair trade practices.

 Right to be assured, wherever possible, access to variety of goods and services at

competitive prices.

 Right to be heard and to be assured that consumers interests will receive due
consideration at appropriate forums.

 Right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices.

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 Right to consumer education.

Consumer redressal forum

Under the Consumer Protection Act, every district has at least one consumer redressal forum also
called a consumer court. Here, consumers can get their grievances heard. Above the district
forums are the state commissions. At the top is the National Consumer Disputes Redressal
Commission in New Delhi.

A written complaint to the company is taken as proof that the company has been informed. The
complaint must be backed by copies of bills, prescriptions and other relevant documents, and
should set a deadline for the company to respond. Consumers can also complain through a
consumer organisation.

 Claims of less than Rs. 20 lakh should be filed with district forum,

 Claims of Rs.20 lakh - Rs. 1 crore directly with the state commission,

 Claims of more than Rs. 1 crore with the National Commission.

To file the complaint:

 Complaint is to be filed within two years of buying the product or using the service.

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 Complaint needs to be in writing. Letters should be sent by registered post, hand-

delivered, by email or fax. Don't forget to take an acknowledgment.

 The complaint should mention the name and address of the person who is complaining
and against whom the complaint is being filed. Copies of relevant documents must be
enclosed.

Appeal is a legal instrumentality whereby a person not satisfied with the findings of a court has
an option to go to a higher court to present his case and seek justice. In the context of consumer
forums:

 An appeal can be made with the state commission against the order of the district forum
within 30 days of the order which is extendable for further 15 days. (Section 15)

 An appeal can be made with the National Commission against the order of the state
commission within 30 days of the order or within such time as the National Commission
allows. (Section 19)

 An appeal can be made with the Supreme Court against the order of the National
Commission within 30 days of the order or within such time as the Supreme Court
allows. (Section 23)

Penalties

The consumer courts (district court, state commission and National Commission) are given vast
powers to enforce their orders. If a defaulter does not appear in court despite notices and
reminders, the court may decide the matter in his absence. The forum can sentence the defaulter
to a maximum of three years' imprisonment and impose a fine of Rs. 10,000. Forums can issue
warrants to produce defaulters in court. They can use the police and revenue departments to
enforce orders.

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Information Technology Act, 2000

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LAW INCLUDING CYBER LAWS (CONCEPTS,
PURPOSE, PROSPECTS)

In India, cyber laws are contained in the Information Technology Act, 2000 ("IT Act") which
came into force on October 17, 2000. The main purpose of the Act is to provide legal recognition
to electronic commerce and to facilitate filing of electronic records with the Government.

Cyber Crime is not defined in Information Technology Act 2000 nor in the I.T. Amendment Act
2008 nor in any other legislation in India.

The Information Technology Act, 2000 essentially deals with the following issues:

? Legal Recognition of Electronic Documents

? Legal Recognition of Digital Signatures

? Offenses and Contraventions

? Justice Dispensation Systems for cyber crimes.

Main Provisions of IT Act 2000

Digital signature and Electronic signature:-Digital Signatures provide a viable solution for
creating legally enforceable electronic records, closing the gap in going fully paperless by
completely eliminating the need to print documents for signing. Digital signatures enable the
replacement of slow and expensive paper-based approval processes with fast, low-cost, and fully
digital ones. The purpose of a digital signature is the same as that of a handwritten signature.
Instead of using pen and paper, a digital signature uses digital keys (public-key
cryptography).Digital signature provides Authentication, Integrity and Non Repudiation.

E-Governance: Chapter III discusses Electronic governance issues and procedures and the legal
recognition to electronic records is dealt with in detail in Section 4 followed by description of
procedures on electronic records, storage and maintenance and according recognition to the
validity of contracts formed through electronic means.

Section 66A :-Sending offensive messages thro communication service, causing annoyance etc
through an electronic communication or sending an email to mislead or deceive the recipient
about the origin of such messages (commonly known as IP or email spoofing) are all covered
here. Punishment for these acts is imprisonment upto three years or fine.

According to Sec.1(2) of Information Technology Act, 2000, the Act extends to the whole of
India and also applies to any offence or contravention committed outside India by any person.
Further, Sec.75 of the IT Act, 2000 also mentions about the applicability of the Act for any

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offence or contravention committed outside India. According to this section, the Act will apply
to an offence or contravention committed outside India by any person, if the act or conduct
constituting the offence or contravention involves a computer, computer system or computer
network located in India.

Common types of Cyber Crimes may be broadly classified in the following groups:- Against
Individuals: -

? Harassment through e-mail

? Cyber-stalking.

? Dissemination of obscene material on the Internet.

? Defamation.

? Hacking/cracking

? Indecent exposure.

? Computer vandalism.

? Transmitting virus.

? Internet intrusion.

? Unauthorized control over computer system.

? Hacking /cracking.

Against Government, Private Firm, Company, Group of Individuals: -

? Hacking & Cracking.

? Possession of unauthorized information.

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? Cyber terrorism against the government organization.

? Distribution of pirated software etc.

The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988

Corruption is widespread in India. India has been ranked 79th out of 176 countries in
Transparency International's 2012 corruption perception index (CPI). Corruption has taken the
role of a pervasive aspect of Indian Politics and Bureaucracy. The economy of India was under
socialist. Inspired policies for an entire generation from the 1950s until the 1980s. The economy
was shackled by extensive regulation protectionism and public ownership, leading to pervasive
corruption and slow growth. Since 1991, economic liberalization in India has reduced red type
and bureaucracy, supported the transition towards a market economy and transformed the
economy with high growth rate. However, although the Indian economy has become the 4th
largest in the world, the growth has been uneven across social and economic groups and poverty
is still on issue. Endemic and deep rooted corruption is a major factor for most social and
political ills. It is a serious threat not just to sustainable economic growth, but also to the
sociopolitical fabric of the country.

In Indian civilization, corruption have caused maximum suffering to the humankind. In ancient
Indian history the great Indian philosopher Kautilya says ―just as it is not possible, not to taste
honey or poison put on the surface of the tongue, so it is not possible for the government servant
dealing with money not to taste it in however small a quantity.‖ On the difficulties of corruption
detection Kautilya says ―just as a fish moving under water cannot possibly be found out either as
drinking or not drinking water, so government servant employed in the government works cannot
be found out taking money.‖

After the independence corruption is widespread in Indian bureaucratic and political system fill
lust small point to apex. According to an international report, the much amount of Indian black
money deposited in Tax Heaven Foreign banks, if which is come out in India. Then the annual
budget of India can be made without tax lies to next 30 years. It is surmisal that the is how much
widespread in present India after independence probably that high profile scandal was the jeep
scam in 1948, when jeeps were required for the army operation in Kashmir. Other notable
scandals includes the Mudgal case (1951), Mundra case (1957 – 58), Malviya – Sirajuddin
Scandal (1963).

The governing climate in those days can be gauged from the many observations . A.D. Gorwala
committee, set up to suggest ways to improve the system of governance. The Santhanam
committee (1962) examine the problem of corruption observed in 1964 that ―there is widespread
impression that failure of integrity is not uncommon among ministers and that some ministers,
who have held office during the last sixteen years have enriched themselves illegitimately,
obtained good jobs for their sons and relations through nepotism and have reaped other
advantages inconsistent with any notion of purity in public life.‖ In later years corruption will be
gradually widespread in Indian society and no effective measures have yet been installed that

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curb the menace. The lokpal bill could not be passed in last decades, it speaks for the utter lack
of political will in the country.

Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (POCA) is India‘s principal legislation against corruption.
Its main thrust is to prohibit public servants from accepting or soliciting illegal gratification in
the discharge of their official functions. In addition, bribe-givers and intermediaries may be held
liable under POCA for bribing public officials. However, prosecution under POCA requires prior
approval of high authorities which severely limits its usefulness particularly where there is

collusive activity within government branches.

In addition to POCA‘s prohibitions, various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) provide
criminal punishment for public servants who disobey relevant laws or procedures, frame
incorrect or improper documents, unlawfully engage in trade, or abuse their position or
discretion.

In order to ensure speedy trial of corruption cases, the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 made
the following provisions:
a. All cases under the Act are to be tried only by a Special Judges.
b. The proceedings of the court should be held on a day-to-day basis.
c. No court shall stay the proceedings under the Act on the grounds of any error or irregularity in
the sanction granted, unless in the opinion of the court it has led to failure of justice.

The 1988 Act enlarged the scope of the term ‗public servant‘ and included a large number of
employees within its ambit. Besides the employees of the central government and the union
territories, the employees of public undertakings, nationalised banks, office-bearers of
cooperative societies of the central and the state government receiving financial aid, employees
of the University Grants Commission (UGC), vice-chancellors, professors, and scientists in
institutions receiving financial aid from the central or state governments or even from the local
authorities have all been declared as public servants.

Corruption is an age old phenomenon and can be seen everywhere now a days. It is like a cancer
in public life, which has not become to rampant and perpetuated overnight, but is course of time.
The word corruption means destruction, ruining or spoiling a society or nation. A corrupt society
is characterized by immorality and lack of fear or respect for the law. It is the abuse of public

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power for private gain. Corruption comes under many different guises like bribery, extortion,
fraud, embezzlement. misappropriations of public goods, nepotism (favoring family members for
jobs and contracts) cronyism and influence pending. Corruption has been defined in many
different ways, each lacking in some aspect. A few years ago, the question of definition absorbed
a large praportion of the time spent on discussion of corruption at conferences and feelings.
However like a elephant, even though it may be difficult to describe, it is generally not difficult
to recognize when observeed. Unfortunately, the behaviour is often difficult to observe directly
because, typically acts of corruption do no t takes place in broad day light.

In recent years so many major scandals involving high level public officials have shaken the
Indian public services. These scandals suggests corruption has become a pervasive aspect of
Indian political and bureaucratic system. Some of them major scams are following:

 Coal Allotment Scam (Cost – 186000 Crores)

 2 G Spectrum Scam (Cost – 176000 Crores)
 Commonwealth Games (CWG) Scam (Cost – 70000 Crores)
 Mega black money laundering Scam (Cost – 70000 Crores)

Nature of corruption in India

Under the Indian constitution, the government consists of three branches : the legislative, the
executive and the judiciary with clear mandate for independent functioning of each branch. For
the good governance it is compulsory that each of these units must function with integrity and
efficiency. The legislators are elected representatives of the peoples and responsible for making
laws. The executive branch consisting of ministers, bureaucrats and whole government
machinery, which is responsible for the implementation of laws made up by legislative
assemblies. The judiciary, acts as an impartial watchdog to see if the people are governed as per
the law. It lakes the power to frame any law, it can only interpret the laws passed by the law
makers under the constitutional framework and give its verdicts. But when corruption invades,
governance begins to degrade implying loss of integrity and efficiency both. Now – a – days
corruption is widespread in every segment of Indian government system and politics.

The behaviour of India legislators both at the union and in the state leaves a lot to be desired.
Every time they act motivated by personal gain. Corruption in the assemblies as seen from this
perspective implies floor crossing, case for vote taking money or other benefits to ask questions,
framing rules under the influence of big corporate houses at the cost of common people.
Criminalization of politics is yet another fact of corruption in the current parliament. These are
over a quarter MPs with criminal records. Many with serious charges against them. It also
highlights an area where electoral reforms is urgently needed so that criminals don't enter in the
parliament or state assemblies.

In the executive branch, ministers are placed at top of the hierarchy. They are responsible for the
making policies for the public because the public trust on them and elected by votes to making
government. In recent analysis we seen that the level of corruption in ministers is highest. 2G

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spectrum scam, coal allotment scam, commonwealth games scam, fodder scam etc. are the best
examples of it.

In Indian parliamentary system, the responsibility of execution of the policies making by

government at ground level is taking hand over to the bureaucracy. But the report card of the
Indian bureaucracy is also not very flattering. Bureaucratic corruption in India thrives on red
tape, complicated procedures and discretionary power. Governance in India is characterized by
the lack of transparency in rules. Complicated procedures and a bureaucracy that enjoys broad
discretionary power. According to a recent analysis of reports of bribery demands.

in India conducted by trace international was published in January 2009, 90% demand for bribe
came from government officials of which over 65% for avoiding harassment, 50% bribery was
for timely delivery of services to which the individuals were already entitled, about 10% were
meant to provide any advantage. Bureaucratic corruption pervades the Indian administration
system with widespread practices of bribery, nepotism and misuse of official positions and
resources.

Causes Of Corruption In India

 Emergence of a political elite which believes in interest oriented rather than nation
oriented programmes and policies.
 Artificial scarcity created by people with malevolent intention wrecks the fabrics of the
economy.
 Corruption is caused as well as increased because of the change in the value system and
ethical qualities of men who administer. The old ideals of morality, services and honesty
are regarded as anachronistic.
 Tolerance of people towards corruption, complete lack of intense public outcry against
corruption and the absence of a strong public forum to oppose corruption allow
corruption to reign our people.
 Vast size of population coupled with widespread illiteracy and the poor economic
infrastructure lead to endemic corruption in public life.
 In a highly inflationary economy, low salaries of government officials compel them to
resort to corruption. Graduates from Indian institutes of management with no experience
draw a far handsome salary than what government secretaries draw.
 Complex laws and procedures deter common people from seeking help from the
government.
 Elution time is a time when corruption is at its peak. Big industrialists fund politicians to
meet high cost of election and ultimately to seek personal favour. Bribery to politicians
buys influences and bribery by politicians buys votes. In order to get elected, politicians
bribe poor, illiterate people.

Recommandations to fight corruption

 Foolproof laws should be made so that there is no room for discretion for politicians and
bureaucrats. The role of the politician should be minimized. Application of the evolved
policies should be left in the hands of an independent commission or authority in each

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area of public interest. The decision of the commission or authority should be challenged
only in the courts.
 Cooperation of the people has to be obtained for successfully containing corruption.
People should have a right to recall the elected representatives if they see them becoming
indifferent to the electorate.
 Public awareness is must to combat corruption in India, for this it should be must to
improve our education system because education is the best mean to understand
fundamental rights and Right – Wrong conversation.
 Corruption can be remed if people can understand and start to believe the value of ethics
and morality in their life.
 Funding of elections is at the core of political corruption. Electoral reforms are crucial in
this regard. Several reforms like state funding of election expenses for candidates, strict
enforcement of statutory requirements like holding in-party elections, making political
parties get their accounts audited regularly and filing income-tax returns, denying persons
with criminal records a chance to contest elections, should be brought in.
Responsiveness, accountability and transparency are a must for a clean system.
Bureaucracy, the backbone of good governance, should be made more citizen-friendly,
accountable, ethical and transparent.
 The prosecution of corruption cases should be conducted by a panel of lawyers prepared
by the Attorney General or the Advocate General in consultation with Rashtriya
Lokayukta or Lokayukta as the case may be.

The Madhya Pradesh Lok Sewaon ke Pradan ki

Guarantee Adhiniyam- 2010
The Madhya Pradesh Lok Sewaon ke Pradan ki Guarantee Adhiniyam 2010

Public Service Guarantee Act also known as Right To Service Act (RTS), enacted by some
Indian States aims to create a transparent and accountable public service as a matter of citizens‘
right. The Act entitles the citizens a time bound service delivery making it legally binding,
entailing imposition of a fine against the erring official concerned. The Assembly passed the law
on 30-7-2010.In M.P, 52 services of 16 government departments have been placed under the
ambit of the Act. The remaining states and Union Government are also contemplating to follow
the suit . Madhya Pradesh became the first state in India to enact Right to Service Act on 18
August 2010 and Bihar was the second to enact this bill on 25 July 2011. Several other states like
Bihar, Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Uttar
Pradesh, and Jharkhand have introduced similar legislation for effectuating the right to service to
the citizen.

The Madhya Pradesh government had introduced the Public Service Guarantee Act 2010 to bring
about transparency in government functioning and make officials accountable for delay in

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delivery. However, the Act, instead of empowering people has turned out a tool to mobilize
revenue for the state coffers. M P Public Service Guarantee Act was introduced in 2010 to make
the government officials accountable and since September 2012, the Lok Seva Kendra (Public
Service Centre) opened by a private contractor across the state is charging a fee of Rs 30 is for
every query.

The salient features of the act are:

 Enable registration of requests for all services covered under the act and the subsequent
work flow management of the request.
 Enable online tracking of the request by the applicant.
 Allow senior officials to monitor the performance of a officer dispensing a service.
 A "Notice Board" which details the list of services offered by a designated officer along
with the documents required to avail the service and the senior officials who could be
approached to file appeals in case the service is not delivered in the time limit specified
under the act. District Informatics Centre, Dhar organized a training session to educate
the District Officials on the Management Information System.

Services under Public Service Guarantee Act

The Act ensures delivery of time bound services to the public. If the officer responsible for the
service fails to provide the service in time he will have to pay a fine. The following are the
services guaranteed under the Act:

 Birth Certificate
 Caste Certificate
 Domicile Certificate
 Tap water supply connection
 Khasra copies
 Death Certificate

The Procedure under the Public Service Guarantee Act:

 The applicant shall receive a receipt when he or she submits an application to the officer
for desired service. The time begins from the date of submission which is mentioned the
receipt.

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 There is a fixed time for every officer to keep a file with him. If the officer in charge fails
to provide the service in time the applicant can approach the first and second appellate
officers. They would instruct the officer concerned to provide the service.
 In case of delay, the officer in charge will have to pay a fine to the tune of Rs. 250 per
day, maximum of Rs. 5,000.
 The Appellate officer can also be penalized if he fails to ensure the delivery of service.
He shall be fined to the tune of Rs. 500 per day, maximum of Rs. 5,000 if he is unable to
give any valid reason for non delivery of services.

Process

If the intended service is not delivered in a stipulated time by a government department; an

appeal can be made to the First Appellate Authority. If not redressed, another appeal can further
be made to the Second Appellate Authority. They based on the merit, can either reject or accept
the application by serving a written order to the official or department concerned asking for the
reasons for the non delivery duly intimating the same to the applicant. Or else , they can order
the concerned public servant to render the service to the applicant immediately or can impose a
penalty at the rate of Rs 250 per day for causing delay which can range from Rs. 250 to Rs.
5000.Or based on the severity may recommend Proceedings against the official as well. The
applicant may be compensated for delay out of the penalty imposed on the erring officer.
Common Service Centers are leveraged to make the Act wide open for public use.

Cost Reduction

An online tracking of the status of the application by the applicant and mechanism of its
knowledge to the higher officials increased the chances of disposal not requiring to make rounds
physically.

Corruption Reduction

 Time bound delivery of service and online tracking of grievance resulted in transparent
administration.
 It led to elimination of malpractices and corruption as the officials are duty bound to
deliver the service in a time frame
 Till July 2012 in the state of M.P, as many as 1.25 crore applications were received under
this Act, out of which 99 per cent were disposed. Since availability of online mode of
application receiving from August 7, 2011 in M.P, as many as 24 lakh applications were
received, out of which 99 per cent were disposed off.

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Service Improvement

 Speedy and time–bound delivery of service resulted in ease of monitoring by the Heads
of Department.
 Provision of appealing to the first and second appellant authorities infused fear among
erring officials, compelling them do deliver service speedily

. • As many as 346 Public Service Centers (PSCs), which facilitate on line filing and tracking of
application have been opened across the state for smooth implementation of the Act

 Till date, the state has received 1.11 crore complaints from citizens for non-delivery of
essential services. Of these, 1.10 crore complaints have been addressed.

Social Sector - Health, Education & Empowerment -

Health services, Preventive and curative health
programmes in India / M.P. with an emphasis on
children and women's health. Issues related to
availability of curative health to all
Government of India is committed to the goal of ‗Health for All‘ The obligation of the
Government to ensure the highest possible health status of India's population and access to
quality health care has been recognized by a number of key policy documents.Health care system
supplement in improving the health of individuals, particularly those belonging to socially and
economically disadvantaged groups,which is a key objective of the Indian government and a
major consequence of a Constitution.

Recognizing the importance of Health in the process of economic and social development and
improving the quality of life of our citizens, the Government of India has resolved to launch the
National Rural Health Mission to carry out necessary architectural correction in the basic health
care delivery system.

Mission of Madhya Pradesh aims at providing the necessary knowledge and skills to keep all
rural people living in the state of Madhya Pradesh to ensure equitable, accountable and effective
primary health care especially to the poor women and children and to promote the quality of their
lives. And to enable them to lead a healthy productive life. Thus, there are two main components
of the Programs: To provide the knowledge needed to keep the first people healthy and empower
the people living in the state, secondly, Madhya Pradesh has adopted the vision adopted by the
National Health Mission, Government of India. In order to keep the people healthy, the
necessary skills and knowledge are being provided throughout the state and the villagers of the

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state Provide effective health services for the population to be strengthened to poor infrastructure
and as worst performing districts.

Under Universal access to basic health facilities consisting of health card, medical examination
following programs / facilities have been initiated by Central and State Government in
Uttarakhand:-

 National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)

 Under the programme, following activities are carried out:
(i)Preventive measures,
(ii) Targeted Intervention among High Risk Groups,
(iii) Information, education and communication activities in States and UTs,
(iv) Treatment of sexually transmitted infections, (v) Blood safety and quality assurance,
(vi)Integrated Counselling & Testing facilities including prevention of Parent to Child
Transmission,
(vii) Rural outreach through Link Worker SchemeUnder the mission activities, it is aimed
to provide AYUSH services at health centres and promotion of farming of medicinal
plants
 Supply of condoms to consumers free of cost; Condom Social Marketing and publicity
campaign.
 Grant support to NGOs/ voluntary organisations for service activities such as medical
centres, dispensaries
 the capacity of existing health service providing institutions are strengthened by way of
stewardship and capacity building and involvement of Private Partners in providing
health services
 health card is being provided to families for getting free of cost treatment in selected
hospitals for identified diseases
 Safe Blood Transfusion Services are being provided through Blood banks
 children of age group 0-6 are immunised
 The specific objectives of the scheme are:
i.Prevention of gender based sex selection
ii.Ensure survival of girl child
iii.Protection of the girl child and
iv.Ensure education of the girl child

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 Cash incentive is provided to mothers delivering in hospital. In this scheme, the States
where there is a low rate of Institutional deliveries is classified as ‗Low Performing States
(LPS)‘ (the States of Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Assam, Rajasthan, Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir), whereas the
remaining States are termed as High Performing States (HPS). Cash benefits to them are
as under:
Low Performing State: Mothers‘ package (₹1400), ASHA Package (₹ 600) totalling ₹
2000.
High Performing States: Mothers‘ package (₹ 700), ASHA Package (₹ 600) totalling ₹
1300. These costs are applicable to rural areas only
 The scheme has special focus on adolescent girls of the age group, 11 to 18 years. The
scheme has two major components namely, nutrition and non-nutrition component.
Nutrition is being given in the form of Take Home Ration or Hot Cooked Meal to out-of-
school girls of age group 11-14 years and to all adolescent girls of age group 14-18.
In the non-nutrition component, the out-of-school adolescent girls of age group 11 to 18
years are being provided IFA supplementation, Health check-up and Referral services,
Nutrition and Health Education, Counselling and guidance on family welfare, Adolescent
Reproductive Sexual Health (ARSH), child care practices, Life Skill Education and
vocational training.
 Following services are sponsored under ICDS:
1.Immunisation of 0-6 age group children
2. Supplementary nutrition to children, pregnant women and lactating mothers
3.Health check-up of children, pregnant women and lactating mothers
4.Referral services
5.Pre-school non-formal education to children 6.Nutrition and Health information to
women.

 Basic activities under National Nutrition Mission:

(i)Strengthen and restructure the ICDS scheme,
(ii) Introduce a multi-sectoral programme to address maternal and child malnutrition in
selected 200 high-burden districts,
(iii) Introducing a nation-wide information, education and communication campaign
against malnutrition and
(iv) Making nutrition a focus in the programmes and schemes of line Ministries.
(v)This scheme is now a sub-scheme under Integrated Child Development Scheme.
 Cash assistance directly to pregnant and lactating women (P & L Women) from the end
of 2nd trimester of pregnancy up to 6 months after delivery.
 ₹ 6000 provided to the pregnant and lactating women in response to fulfilling specific
conditions related to health and nutrition of mother and child. The scheme would address
short-term income support objectives with long-term objective of behaviour and
attitudinal change. The scheme attempts to partly compensate for wage loss to pregnant
and lactating women both prior to and after delivery of the child.
 Food Security Risk fund is provided to SHG/ volunteer organisations, cluster level SHG
federation. In addition, activities such as IEC on education and nutrition are conducted in
VO / SHG meetings

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 They provide professional training courses with a view to developing trained manpower
in the disability sector and also providing various other rehabilitation services
 Grants-in-aid to various implementing agencies to assist the needy disabled persons in
procuring durable, sophisticated and scientifically manufactured, modern, standard aids
and appliances that can promote their physical, social and psychological rehabilitation.
PWDs can get the aids and appliances
 Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and restoration of their dignity by way of
manufacturing and supplying durable, sophisticated, scientifically manufactured modern
and ISI standard quality assistive aids. The aids are supplied to PWDs

Malnutrition,its causes and effects and Govt.

programmes for supplementary Nutrition
WHO Defines Malnutrition as "Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in a
person‘s intake of energy and/or nutrients. The term malnutrition addresses 3 broad groups of
conditions: undernutrition, which includes wasting (low weight-for-height), stunting (low height-
for-age) and underweight (low weight-for-age); micronutrient-related malnutrition, which
includes micronutrient deficiencies (a lack of important vitamins and minerals) or micronutrient
excess; and overweight, obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (such as heart
disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers)."

Social factors that can contribute to malnutrition include:

 a low income
 limited knowledge about nutrition
 limited knowledge about cooking - older men who become widowed may have trouble
adapting to cooking healthy meals for themselves, as might younger students leaving
home for the first time
 living alone and being socially isolated
 having reduced mobility and lack of transport
 abusing drugs
 abusing alcohol

According to the 1996 World Food Summit, food security exists "when every person has
physical and economic access at all times to healthy and nutritious food in sufficient quantity to

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cover the needs of their daily ration and food preferences, in order to live a healthy and active
life." The nutritional dimension is an integral part of the food security. Nutritionists argue that
the energy intake is a poor measure of nutritional status, which depends not only

on the nutrient intake but also on non-nutrient food

attributes, privately and publicly provided inputs and health status.

Nutrition Security implies physical, economic and social access to balanced diet, clean drinking
water, safe environment, and health care (preventive and curative) for every individual.
Education and awareness are needed to utilise these services.

India has malnutrition levels almost the levels double those of many countries in Africa. This
problem needs a multi-disciplinary approach covering diet diversification including micro-
nutrients, women‘s empowerment, education, health, safe drinking water, sanitation, and
hygiene.

India has government programmes such as TPDS including AAY, nutrition programmes like
mid-day meals, and ICDS to improve food and nutrition security.

They are explained in the following post

The state-level mismatch between food intake and nutritional status could be attributed to the
differences in education, health, availability of safe drinking water, environmental sanitation and
personal hygiene which intervene between the food intake and nutritional status.The Integrated
Child Development Scheme (ICDS), which among other things focuses on increasing the
nutritional and health status of children has been in operation for over three decades.

There is a inter state-level variation between food intake and nutritional status , which could be
attributed to the differences in education, health, availability of safe drinking water,
environmental sanitation and personal hygiene which intervene between the food intake and
nutritional status. A better environment would reduce food wastage due to infections and
diseases. The better nutritional status at a comparatively lower level of food consumption in
Kerala and Tamil Nadu could be due to the better health care and nutritional interventions

After the rural job guarantee programme, the government is now focusing on an ambitious
National Food Security Act aimed at drawing more people into the food security net. It has made
a strong pitch for providing 35 kg of cereal at Rs 3 per kg every month to the poor of this
country.

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The government is earnest to fulfill the party‘s poll promise of enacting such a law, and has even
provided the broad outlines of the proposed legislation. The rural job scheme and the information
Act were conceived and piloted by the National Advisory Council (NAC).The Draft Right to
Food (Guarantee of Safety and Security) Act enshrines freedom from hunger and malnutrition as
a fundamental right.

It ―provides for and asserts the physical, economic and social right of all citizens to have access
to safe and nutritious food, consistent with an adequate diet necessary to lead an active and
healthy life with dignity‖.

The Union Cabinet has approved the Draft National Food Security Bill. It seeks to provide
subsidized food grains to over half of India‘s 1.2 billion population. The bill was presented to
parliament and has been referred to standing committee.

Highlights of the Bill:

1. The food security bill promises 75 percent of rural population and 50 percent of urban
households, the right to 7 kg food grains per person, at Rs.3 per kg for rice, Rs.2 per kg
for wheat and Rs.1 per kg for coarse grains to the priority beneficiaries.
2. The general category will be provided at least three kilograms of food grains per person
per month at half the minimum selling price.
3. The bill will also provide rations or cooked meals to children under 14 years of age,
destitute including women and persons on the margins of society.
4. The bill provides for cost-sharing to pacify the states, which will implement the law. The
states have also objected over the authority to decide on the criteria to identify the
beneficiaries.
5. A three-tier grievance redressal mechanism at district, state and national level is also part
of the legislation.
6. The Bill provides for women above 18 years to be considered the head of the beneficiary
household for purpose of issue of ration cards. There shall be social audit of the
functioning of ration shops.
7. The entitlements would cost the government about Rs. 94,973 crore per annum, as
against the existing food subsidy bill estimated at Rs. 67,310 crore. The food grains
required to be procured to meet the obligations under the Bill is estimated at about 65
million tonnes, up from the average 50 to 55 million tonnes at present.

The Government had expressed concern that food subsidy, currently at Rs.63, 000 crore ($12
billion), may go up to Rs.1.2 lakh crore ($ 23 billion) if the bill is implemented. Rising fertilizer
prices and the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of the grains was another concern.

Managing the finances would not be a problem but procurement would have to be improved. It is
estimated that against the current procurement levels of 54 millions tons, the requirement may go
up to 62 million tons.

Benefit for Women and Children:

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About 2.25 crore pregnant women and lactating mothers are expected to benefit from the
legislation that proposes to give Rs. 1,000 per month for six months as maternity benefit.
Maternity benefits that are available only in 52 districts will be extended across the country. All
this is commendable but there is need for caution since the economy is showing signs of
sluggishness.

The budget deficit will need to be watched. Finding the money to fund the ambitious scheme
would also be no mean task. With procurement of food grains required to rise from the current
54 million tons to 62 million tons, the Union government would be up against a major challenge
especially in years of drought.

Aiming to empower women, the Bill also proposes that the ration card will be issued to the eldest
female member of the family. The proposed Bill also holds great promises for children. Children
in the lower and upper primary classes would be entitled to mid-day meals as per the prescribed
nutritional norms.

The union budget for 2011-12 had provided for Rs 55,586 crore for food subsidy. But while
revised estimates are that the food subsidy bill this year will be around Rs. 63,000 crore, the new
law would require more food grains and a lot more money to implement.

Fears have been expressed that the new Bill, as and when enacted, will fuel both shortages and
inflation. The fears are not misplaced because in August this year, the food grain stock with the
government was 61.27 million tons, short of what will be required to implement the scheme.

The annual procurement of food grains by the government stands at 54 million tonnes and will
have to be raised to at least 62 million tons, if the scheme is to be implemented.

Implementation:

The draft law explains ways to implement the scheme and prescribes penalties for flawed
delivery. While the state has to ensure uninterrupted supply of food-grain through the Public
Distribution System (PDS), vigil on distribution will be through quarterly meetings between
shop owners and representatives of local bodies who will be involved in the selection of the shop
owner.

States will have to fully computerise their PDS within two years of the law and they ―shall
provide a toll-free number and a website where consumers can register their complaints. All
complaints shall be addressed within 39 days of receipt and records of the same shall be made
available in the public domain, including the Internet,‖ says the draft.

A commissioner will be appointed in each state to monitor the scheme, suggest changes in it,
investigate scarcities, and award penalties to public servants for failures. The penalties could be a
fine of gross salary of one month up to five years for negligence, or imprisonment of six months
to five years in case of ―deaths or serious morbidity‖.

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The Manmohan Singh government is to earmark over Rs 50,000 crore for the right to food
programme. Though details of the programme‘s rollout are yet to be firmed up, the government
does not foresee any major hurdles in implementing the scheme. Government sources say the
Bill could come up during the winter session of Parliament.

Keeping in mind substantial layoffs in select sectors, in the wake of the global economic crisis,
the government is expected to expand the scope of the programme to include sectors such as
textiles as well as large sections of agricultural labour impacted by volatilities in the food sector.

Under the public distribution system, the BPL category excludes large sections of the poor,
including 52% of agricultural labour households. At present, food stocks with the government
are upward of 50 million tonnes, more than twice the storage capacity of the Food Corporation of
India, on the back of high rice procurement (30.65 million tonnes) and a record wheat buy (over
24.7 million tonnes).

The need for subsidised food-grain for a wider section of people is also reflected in increased
off-take. While the off-take in the Antyodaya system is around 90%, showing people‘s desperate
need for cheap food-grain, the off-take for BPL families increased from 7.367 million tonnes to
22.845 million tonnes in 2005-06, out of an allocation of 27.32 million tonnes.

As far as above the poverty line (APL) families is concerned, the off-take is much lower, not
because people do not need the grain but because for several years there was not much difference
in the APL price and the market price.

For the first time, the onus of identification and, more crucially, delivery of grain to consumers
could be pinned on panchayats in rural areas and local governments in urban areas, entailing
never-before accountability on records of allocation and off-take of grain.

A seamless marriage of current realities and provisions in the proposed legislation would also
mean smoothing out existing wrinkles in food-grain availability and accessibility.

Key Issues:

There are three essential components of this proposal that need to be fleshed out. And these
revolve around the issues of what and how much to give, at what prices and to whom.

1. There is less ambiguity on the first issue of what and how much. The present entitlement
for the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) is 35kg of food-grains per poor household. The
Congress party manifesto, however, promises only 25kg per month, way below the
minimum nutritional norms. Secondly, the present BPL (below poverty line) or AAY
entitlements are only for food-grains (rice and wheat) and do not provide for any other
nutritional requirements such as pulses, an essential source of protein. For a nutritionally
secure strategy, it is imperative that a minimum 5kg of pulses be added to the basket.
2. The second key issue is at what price. While the manifesto of the Congress party
promises rice or wheat at Rs3 per kg, this is no better than the existing entitlement of the
AAY. It is, in fact, higher than existing price of food-grains available to the BPL

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population in as many as eight major states of the country-Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,

Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. These states account
for 35% of the rural population. With Madhya Pradesh promising to follow suit, at least
40% of the rural population already enjoys food at Rs 3 per kg or less.
3. However, the third issue is the most crucial, which it is the number of beneficiaries that
will be covered by the proposed food security Act. The promise made by the Congress
party in its manifesto limits the entitlement to only BPL families. It is here that there is a
lack of consensus between the states and the Union government. Going by the present
methodology, the government estimates that 65 million households are BPL households
and makes the food-grain allocations to states based on this. This number may go down
to less than 60 million if the 2004-05 estimates from the Planning Commission are taken
as the basis instead of the 1993-94 poverty figures that form the basis of the current
estimates.

Against this, the total number of households that have been issued either a BPL or AAY card by
state governments is 106.7 million. The state governments are currently doing this by providing
additional subsidies from their own budgets.

In Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, for instance, it is almost universal, with around
80% of the population covered under the subsidized food scheme. Any attempt to restrict the
number of beneficiaries to the present official poverty estimates (which are known to be flawed)
will, therefore, lead to a reduction in the number of beneficiaries to almost half the existing
number. Further, an Act should at least guarantee as much as is already being given.

While the estimate of poverty is one issue of contention, how to identify the beneficiaries for
effective targeting is also unresolved. The problems with both these are well known and have
been officially acknowledged with two expert committees working on resolving these.

The first committee headed by Suresh Tendulkar has been set up to examine the issue of
estimation of poverty used by the Planning Commission and the second led by N.C. Saxena has
been set up by the ministry of rural development to identify a suitable procedure for
identification of BPL households. Both these committees are due to submit their report.

Providing subsidized grains is only one aspect of a food security Act. Such an Act should also
address other issues such as malnutrition, especially among children and women, and social
vulnerabilities due to barriers of age, caste, gender and disability.

Existing schemes such as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme or the Anganwadi programme for children
under six, adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating mothers should also be brought into the ambit
of the Act with strengthened universal entitlements. Such an Act has the potential to ensure that
no person in the country sleeps hungry, and this must be realized.

Other View:

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The proposed law aims to benefit 65 per cent of the population, which makes little sense unless
the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government, by implication, is admitting that the vast
majority, or two-thirds of the people of India, cannot survive without heavily subsidized food.

Since that is not the case, it remains inexplicable as to why such a large number of beneficiaries
are being targeted. While it makes sense to protect the poorest of the poor from hunger and
malnutrition, it is absurd to extend the same benefit to those who can do without heavily
subsidized food.

Moreover, there are three related aspects, apart from enhanced and ill-affordable subsidy, which
merit comment. First, the demand for food grains will result in a shift in agricultural patterns
across the country with farmers focusing entirely on rice and wheat. This is bound to cause a
shortfall in pulses and cash crops.

To meet that shortage, Government will have to resort to imports which, in turn, will fuel prices.
Second, a scheme of this nature can be implemented only if there is a flawless storage and
distribution system since neither exists, implementation is bound to suffer.

Third, the main problem with the NAC- conceived cockamamie schemes is that they are
premised on the one-size-fits-all logic. There may be States which would rather spend the money
on projects that can fetch long-term benefits and sustainable economic security for the poor.

Growth in Hunger:

At the same time, it is most important to answer the questions being raised by those opposing
NFSB. Today, development is only understood in the narrow terrain of economic growth and
Indian policy makers seem to be infatuated by GDP numbers and their growth.

They have not stepped beyond their narrow, familiar paradigm and taken an interest in
improving general living standards. How can Indian polity accept such a growth trend wherein
70 per cent of the total GDP is directly under the control of 8 per cent of India‘s elite?

Growth is important, because it helps create a conducive environment for the welfare of people.
We cannot, however, accept a growth trajectory that curtails opportunities for the common
people and allows grabbing of common resources for short-term gains.

While India‘s economy has been growing at a pace of 6 to 9 per cent in the past 12 years, under--
nutrition among children has decreased by a trifling 1 per cent between 1998-99 and 2006.
Should we accept a ‗mere token 0.1 per cent decline in childhood hunger per year?

We also need to be honest in accepting the fact that the under-fed cannot contribute to the
country, even if provided with opportunities because of lack of capabilities. We will have to
build an environment of empowerment with nutritional security. Otherwise, how can one expect
that the hungry would go to the industries, set up with huge public resources and subsidies, and
start working as labour or engineer?

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The growth story has a flip side as well. The present level of malnutrition results in 2 to 3 per
cent decline in GDP. It delays education, triggers learning disabilities and affects the overall
physical and cognitive development of children right from the conception stage.

Every year, we lose 1.3 million children who do not celebrate their fifth birthday and die of
under-nutrition and lack of healthcare. Now as the developed world, which has enjoyed the
highest level of affluence, is being devastated by a debilitating economic crisis and citizens their
protest the prevalent economic policies, it is time for India to decide whether peoples‘ well-being
should be its priority, or just creating a tiny island of opulence for a handful of people.

It is believed that the Bill, in its present form, is not adequately endowed with a vision to address
the very structural causes of food and nutritional insecurity in the country. Three basic issues are
at hand.

First, NFSB dwells on targeting beneficiaries, as against providing universal access, and re-
invoking the contentious below poverty line (BPL)-above poverty line (APL) battle-lines by
seeking to classify the population into ―priority‖ and ―non-priority‖ households.

The intended benefits will be given to people based on these categories. It is a well-known fact
that successive governments have failed to identify the poor, and as a result, the majority of our
population continues to live with hunger.

Two, the Bill provides for a supply of 7 kg per month subsidised food grains per person in
―priority‖ households, whereas the monthly requirement of a person is 14 kg. Third, the
proposed entitlements do not deal with the problem of nutritional insecurity.

In India, people have suffered undernourishment mostly due to protein and fat deficiency. Hence,
to cope with the problem, the government should have added pulses to compensate for protein
and edible oil to replenish fat; the preamble of the Bill also mentions: ―… the Supreme Court of
India has recognized the right to food and nutrition as integral to the right to life‖.

The National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau figures show that 76.8 per cent of the population does
not receive the prescribed nutrition. We need a strong political commitment; otherwise ―growth
in hunger‖ will be our leitmotif.

Increase in Food Subsidy:

Already, we are spending Rs. 67,310 crore on food subsidy, and there will be a tiny increase of
another Rs. 30,000 crore if NFSB is enacted, which is a trifle 4 per cent of the taxes being
usurped by the corporate- economists-government nexus. But consider the positive impact of this
humane expenditure.

It will preserve human values and feed the 770 million people going hungry at present. The
Indian government will only be giving a subsidy of Rs. 1,188 per person per year or Rs. 3.25 a
day. The welfare politics has become very imperative in the past one decade or so.

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The government has been running the Integrated Child Development Services, having a plan to
spend Rs. 80,000 crore in the next five years; the Mid Day Meal scheme is already in place. We
have 170 million children under the age of six, 45 per cent of them are undernourished but we
barely spend Rs. 1.62 per child per day on their growth and nutrition.

There is an argument that it is better for the government to focus on productivity enhancement
rather than focusing on doling out subsidies at the expense of tax-payers. But these two things
are not mutually exclusive; they are complementary.

Let us understand one thing: India is not a food deficit country; we produce surplus food grains,
but due to various reasons it does not reach a large number of our hungry people. If this
continues, the argument of productivity will not hold any weight. Yes, it is true that we still have
one of the lowest per hectare productivity, but this is also the time to think on the adverse impact
of technologies on agriculture.

Strengthen PDS:

A part of this discussion is linked to public procurement and minimum support price (MSP) for
farm produce. If the government stops subsidising agriculture, profit makers will benefit and
consumers will have to pay high prices. Just take the example of pulses.

We pay Rs 36 per kg as MSP to the farmer for tuar dal, but its market price was Rs. 110 some
time ago. There is an urgent requirement to ensure maximum public procurement, which can
only be done and applied through the Public Distribution System (PDS).

The other aspect deals with policy perspective. For the past 20 years, the per capita food
production in India is stagnant at around 460 grams per person per day; pulses are the key source
of protein, but the availability has dipped from 70 g per day in the 1960s to 42 g in recent times.

We adopted new technologies: hybrid seeds, chemical fertilizers and pesticides in order to
increase agriculture production. Punjab sacrificed its community techniques and blindly used
large quantities of chemicals, which has resulted in low soil fertility. Overall, the present draft of
the Bill is just a modest beginning. We have to think and decide what our priority is.

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Central assistance to States/Union Territories (UTs) under National Food Security Act for
meeting expenditure on intra-State movement & handling of foodgrains and Fair Price Shop
(FPS) dealers’ margin

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra
Modi, has approved the norms of the expenditure and pattern of central sharing on Central
assistance to States/Union Territories (UTs) under the National Food Security Act, 2013
(NFSA). This assistance is used for meeting expenditure on intra-state movement and handling
of foodgrains and FPS dealers‘ margin.

The norms of expenditure and pattern of Central sharing will be as follows:

Norms of Expenditure

(Rate in Rs. Per quintal)

Central
Category of FPS dealers margin
Share(in
States/UTs Intra-State Addl. Margin percentage)
transportation for sale through
and handling Basic
Point of Sale
(PoS) device
General 65 70 17 50
Special 100 143 17 75

The special category States/UTs are the seven States of North East, Sikkim, the Hill States of
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand and Island UTs of Andaman & Nicobar
Islands and Lakshadweep.

This decision will help in the smooth implementation of the NFSA and will benefit the people.

The assistance will be available to States/UT where implementation of NFSA has started. The
estimated financial assistance likely to flow to States/UTs annually, when the Act is fully
implemented in all States/UTs, is Rs. 4,341 crore.

Accepting the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission the Government had hiked the
share of States in Central taxes, from 32 percent to 42 percent, increasing availability of funds at
their end. Inspite of the reduced share of Govt. of India, the GOI has agreed to this additional
burden in the cost of transportation of foodgrains and margins to fair price shops to ensure that
the beneficiaries will continue to get foodgrain at subsidised prices.

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Implementation of NFSA has so far started only in 11 States/UTs. The period for identification
of beneficiaries and implementation of the Act had to be extended twice, upto 04.04.2015 as its
implementation is yet to start in the remaining 25 States/UTs. It has again been extended upto
30.09.2015 and it is expected that this decision on Central assistance will incentivise the
States/UTs for early roll out of the Act.

The technological interventions in the field of

Immunology, Immunization
Immunity is disease resistance and is of following two types:-

1. Natural or Innate Immunity:- It is present from birth and is inherited from birth by the
offspring from the mother.In this form of immunity the response from the organism
against the pathogen is immediate in the form of non-specific immune response without
the need of recognizing the pathogens.
2. Acquired or Adaptive Immunity:- It is non- Inherited and is acquired as an enhanced
response to a disease during the lifetime of an organism. It takes time to develop and can
be more effective in the next encounter with the said Pathogen.The Process of adaptive
immunity is the basis of vaccination.

Vaccination or immunization:-

 Vaccination or immunization is based on the property of the memory of the immune

system. In vaccination an inactivated on weaknd pathogen is introduced into the body.
Vaccine helps in generating the primary immune response whereby immunological
memory is established in the body. Vaccine generate memory cell that quickly identifies
the pathogen on subsequent exposure and produces a robust secondary immunity
response quickly including mass production of antibodies during the actual infection of
pathogen.
 Immune memory formation of antibodies occur on 1st exposure to a specific antigen and
secondary response occur after the second exposure to the same antigen. It began very
quickly.

Active immunity :-it is immunity which is developed by the person own body either in the form
of antibodies or memory cells in response to exposure to living or dead microorganisms. While
when preformed antibodies are directly inducted into the body to obtain temporary immunity is
called passive immunity.

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For example:-The yellow fluid colostrol secreted by mother during the initial days of lactation
has abundant antibodies to protect the infant.

Examples of antimicrobial resistance

1. Increase number of cases of the hospital acquired infection

2. Multidrug resistant tuberculosis

It was launched in India in collaboration with World Health Organisation to directly observed
treatment short course for the complete services monitoring diagnosis and provision of the
second line anti TB drugs under the supervision of dedicated health circles

Types of Vaccines:-

Conventional Vaccines- These vaccines use live attenuated(Ex SABIN) or killed Pathogen(IPV)
in Vaccine

Recombination Vaccines:-They use Antigen,Dna or Part of genetic material of pathogen as

vaccine like hepatitis B vaccine.

Biotechnology
Biotechnology is defined as the industrial application of living organisms and their biological
processes such as biochemistry, microbiology, and genetic engineering, in order to make best use
of the microorganisms for the benefit of mankind. Modern biotechnology provides breakthrough
products and technologies to combat debilitating and rare diseases, reduce our environmental
footprint, feed the hungry, use less and cleaner energy, and have safer, cleaner and more efficient
industrial manufacturing processes.

Biotechnology began in the 1970s after the development of genetic engineering that allowed
scientists to modify the genetic material of living cells. Genetic engineering is the manipulation
of DNA molecules to produce modified plants, animals, or other organisms. DNA is the part of a
cell that controls the genetic information of an animal or plant. DNA is a double-stranded
molecule that is present in every cell of an organism. The genetic information is contained in
individual units or sections of DNA called genes. The genes that are passed from parent to
offspring determine the traits that the offspring will have.

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Applications of Biotechnology

1. Health and medicine

Fighting infectious diseases : Biotechnology is used extensively in the study of infectious

diseases such as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), and influenza. As a result more
effective pharmaceuticals have been developed.

Development of vaccines and antibiotics : Using technology, microorganisms are used to

develop antibiotics and vaccines to cure diseases. For example, bacteria Bacillus polymysea is
used to produce polymyxin B (antibiotic used to cure urinary tract infections), fungus
Penicillium notatum is used to produce penicillin (used to cure pneumonia, and many other
bacterial infections.)

Treating genetic disorders : Disease can occur when genes become defective due to mutations.
With advancements in biotechnology, in the near future it will be possible to use gene therapy to
replace an abnormal or faulty gene with a normal copy of the same gene. It may be used to treat
ailments such as heart disease, inherited diseases such as SCID, and Thalassaemia.

In forensic science : A lot of New techniques have been developed such as DNA fingerprinting,
besides having a number of other applications which have facilitated the speedy identification of
the criminals.

2. Environment

Cleaning up and managing the environment : Cleaning up the environment using living
organisms is called bioremediation. Naturally occurring, as well as genetically modified
microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi and enzymes are used to break down toxic and
hazardous substances present in the environment.

3. Agriculture

Biotechnology has also made possible the production of crops improved disease resistan;
herbicide-toleran and insecticide-resistan. Plants with improved nutritional value for livestock
have also been obtained through biotechnology.

Control of pests : One application of biotechnology is in the control of insect pests. The genetic
make-up of the pest is changed by causing some mutations. These pests become sterile and do
not reproduce further.

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Manufacturing and bio-processing : With the help of new biological techniques it has become
possible to grow, the plants that produce compounds for use in detergents, paints, lubricants and

plastics on large scale.

Food and drinks : Biotechnology, has also made the processing of foods and their products
easier. Preservation and storing of food for consumption later has become easy and cheap with
the help of biotechnology. Seedless grapes and seedless citrus fruits have been developed using
biotechnology.

4. Industry

Biotechnology has been used in the industry to produce new products for human consumption.
Food additives have been developed which help in the preservation of food. Microorganisms are
used in the mass production of items such as cheese, yoghurt, and alcohol.

Family health, Communicable and non-communicable

diseases and remedies
Human health and diseases

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), health is defined as:

Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being and not merely absence of
disease or infirmity.

Good health of an individual is important in order to ensure happiness and our ability to work.
There are many factors which affect our health. Some of these factors like balanced diet, clean
water and clean environment have a positive impact on health while others such as disease
causing organisms and unhygienic conditions have a negative effect on our health.

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Balanced diet, personal hygiene and regular exercise are very important to maintain good health.
Yoga has been practiced since time immemorial to achieve physical and mental health.
Awareness about diseases and their effect on different bodily functions, vaccination
(immunization) against infectious diseases, proper disposal of wastes, control of vectors and
maintenance of hygienic food and water resources are necessary for achieving good health.

Disease :Disease is a malfunctioning process related to a certain part of the whole body in which
normal functions are disturbed or damaged. Disease literally means not at ease

Disease may be the sickness of the body or the mind. A disease can be as mild as a sore throat,
common cold, and stomach upset or as serious as cancer. Disease can strike almost any part of
the body and anybody at some stage or the other. They can also affect a person‗s mental and
emotional health.

Deficiency diseases :The diseases which occur due to deficiency of one or more nutrients
(proteins,carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals) in our diet are called deficiency diseases.

The overall ability of the host to fight the disease-causing organisms, conferred by the immune
system is called immunity. Immunity is of two types: (i) Innate immunity and (ii) Acquired
immunity.

Innate Immunity :-Innate immunity is non-specific type of defence that is present at the time of
birth. This is accomplished by providing different types of barriers to the entry of the foreign
agents into our body.

Acquired immunity, on the other hand, is pathogen specific. It is characterized by memory. This
means that our body when it encounters a pathogen for the first time produces a response called
primary response which is of low intensity.

Diseases - Communicable diseases, Endemic diseases

Top 10 Causes of Death (Source: WHO World Health Statistics 2012)

 Ischemic heart disease 12 %

 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 11%
 Stroke 9%
 Diarrheal disease 6%
 Lower respiratory infections 5%
 Preterm birth complications 4%
 Tuberculosis 3%
 Self-inflicted injuries 3%
 Falls 3%
 Road injuries 2%

Communicable diseases

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 Communicable diseases continue to be a major public health problem in India.

 Many communicable diseases like tuberculosis, leprosy, vector borne diseases like
malaria, kalaazar, dengue fever, chikungunya, filariasis, Japanese encephalitis, water-
borne diseases like cholera, diarrhoeal diseases, viral hepatitis A & E, typhoid fever,
leptospirosis, etc and other viral infections are endemic in the country.
 In addition to these endemic diseases, there is always a threat of new emerging and re-
emerging infectious diseases like nipah virus, avian influenza, SARS, novel H1N1
influenza, hanta virus etc.
 Local or widespread outbreaks of these diseases result in high morbidity, mortality and
adverse socio-economic impact.

The most common diseases which are endemic in India are as follows:

Communicable Disease- Malaria:

 Malaria is a very common disease in developing countries. The word malaria is derived
from the word ‗mal-aria meaning bad air.
 Ronald Ross first discovered the transmission of malaria by mosquitoes, while he was
working in India (Secunderabad, AP) in 1897. Malaria is one of the most widespread
diseases in the world.
 Each year, there are 300 to 500 million clinical cases of malaria, 90 percent of them in
Africa alone.
 Among all infectious diseases, malaria continues to be one of the biggest contributors to
disease burden in terms of deaths and suffering.
 Malaria kills more than one million children a year in the developing world, accounting
for about half of malaria deaths globally.
 The risk of getting malaria extends to almost the entire population in India (almost 95
percent).
 The following states that have the highest number of malaria cases are Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Orissa, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Assam, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

Communicable Disease- Typhoid:

 Typhoid fever is an acute, systemic infection presenting as fever with abdominal symp-
toms, caused by Salmonella typhi and paratyphi.

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 Before nineteenth century, typhus and typhoid fever were considered to be the same.
Enteric fever is an alternative name for typhoid. Salmonella typhi and paratyphi colonise
only humans.
 The organisms are acquired via ingestion of food or water, contaminated with human
excreta from infected persons.
 Direct person-to-person transmission is rare. Typhoid is a global health problem. It is
seen in children older than the age of one.
 Outbreak of typhoid in developing countries results in high mortality. The recent
development of antibiotic resistant organisms is causing much concern.
 Typhoid fever is more common in the tropics. It tends to occur in places, where the
sanitation standards are poor. A bacterial organism called salmonella typhi causes
typhoid fever.
 Salmonella paratyphi can also cause fever and abdominal symptoms. The disease caused
by both these entities is called enteric fever.
 The disease presents with a typical, continuous fever for about three to four weeks,
relative bradycardia with abdominal pain (due to enlargement of lymph nodes in the
abdomen), and constipation.
 Geographical Distribution Worldwide, typhoid fever affects about six million people with
more than 6, 00,000 deaths a year.
 Almost 80 percent of cases and deaths occur in Asia, and most others in Africa and Latin
America. Among Asian countries, India probably has a large number of these cases.

 Indian Statistics Typhoid fever is endemic in India.

 Health surveys conducted by the Central Ministry of Health in the community
development areas indicated a morbidity rate varying from 102 to 2,219 per 1, 00,000
population in different parts of the country.
 A limited study in an urban slum showed 1 percent of children up to 17 years of age suf-
fer from typhoid fever every year.
 Carriers of Typhoid Fever Typhoid infection is mainly acquired from persons who are
carriers of the disease.
 Carriers are the people who continue to excrete salmonella through their urine and feces a
year after an attack of typhoid. A chronic carrier state develops in about 2 to 5 percent of
the cases.
 The organisms in such cases make the gall bladder their habitat.

Communicable Disease- Hepatitis:

 Hepatitis is the inflammation of liver. It can be caused by viruses (five different viruses—
termed A, B, C, D and E cause viral Hepatitis), bacterial infections, or continuous expo-
sure to alcohol, drugs, or toxic chemicals, such as those found in aerosol sprays and paint
thinners, or as a result, of an auto-immune disorder.
 Hepatitis results in either damage or reduction in the livers ability to perform life-
preserving functions, including filtering harmful, infectious agents from blood, storing

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blood sugar and converting it into usable energy forms, and producing many proteins
necessary for life.
 Symptoms seen in Hepatitis differ according to the cause and the overall health of the
infected individual. However, at times, the symptoms can be very mild.
 The commonly seen clinical features are general weakness and fatigue, loss of appetite,
nausea, fever, abdominal pain and tenderness.
 The main feature is the presence of jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes that occurs
when the liver fails to break-down excess yellow- coloured bile pigments in the blood).
 Depending on the progress and intensity, Hepatitis can be categorized as acute or chronic.
In acute Hepatitis, clinical features often subside without treatment within a few weeks or
months. However, about 5 percent of the cases go on to develop into chronic Hepatitis,
which may last for years. Chronic Hepatitis slowly leads to progressive liver damage and
cirrhosis.

Hepatitis A:

 Hepatitis A is a self-limiting disease that is found all across the world.

 It is usually transmitted through oral ingestion of infected material (mainly water), but
sometimes transmitted parenterally; most cases resemble the symptoms of a mild flu
attack and jaundice is mild too.

Hepatitis B:

 Hepatitis B is an acute vital disease. It primarily spreads parenterally, but sometimes

orally as well.
 However, the main mode of spread is intimate contact and from mother to the new born.
 Fever, anorexia, nausea, vomiting are the initial symptoms, and they soon lead to severe
jaundice, urticarial skin lesions, arthritis, etc.
 Some patients become carriers or even remain chronically ill, even though most patients
recover in about three to four months.

Hepatitis C:

 Hepatitis C is a viral disease commonly occurring after transfusion or parenteral drug

abuse.
 It frequently progresses to a chronic form that is usually asymptomatic, but may involve
liver cirrhosis.

Hepatitis D:

 Hepatitis D or Delta Hepatitis is caused by the Hepatitis D virus.

 It usually occurs simultaneously with or as a super infection in case of Hepatitis B, thus
increasing its severity.

Hepatitis E:

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 Hepatitis E is transmitted by the oral fecal route; usually by contaminated water.

 Chronic infection does not occur but acute infection may be fatal in pregnant women.

Communicable Disease- Jaundice:

 Jaundice, also known as icterus, is a condition, which is characterized by yellowish dis-

colouration of the skin and whites of eyes. It is a symptom or clinical sign, not a disease
by itself.
 The yellow colouration is caused by an excess amount of bile pigment known as bilirubin
in the body. Normally, bilirubin is formed by the breakdown of haemoglobin during the
destruction of worn-out red blood cells.

Communicable Disease- Leptospirosis:

 Leptospirosis is a disease caused by a type of bacteria and is associated with animals. It is

more common in the tropical countries.
 The disease is also known as canefield fever; cani- cola fever, field-fever, mud fever,
seven day fever and swineherd disease. Leptospirosis is caused by different strains of
bacteria of the genus Leptospira.
 Of all the varieties that cause disease, Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae is the most serious
type.
 If not treated properly, it could lead to serious complications. Leptospirosis is a disease of
animals that can spread to humans.
 Rats are the most common carriers. Soil contaminated with urine of infected animals can
also transmit the disease to persons exposed to cattle urine, rat urine or to foetal fluids
from cattle.
 Sewage workers, agricultural workers, butchers, meat inspectors, workers in contact with
contaminated waters and veterinarians are generally at risk.

 Person to person transmission is not possible. Leptospirosis can spread due to contact
with urine, blood or tissues from infected persons. The organisms enter the body through
the breaks in the skin or through mucous membranes.
 The organisms can also be acquired by drinking contaminated water. Infection is
commonly acquired by bathing in contaminated water.
 The organisms multiply in the blood and tissues of the body. Though the organism can
affect any organ of the body, the kidney and liver are commonly involved. The
incubation period is usually 10 days. It may vary from 2 to 20 days.

Communicable Disease- Diarrhoeal Diseases:

 The term gastroenteritis‘ is most frequently used to describe acute diarrhoea. Diarrhoea is
defined as the passage of loose, liquid or watery stools.
 These liquid stools are usually passed more than three times a day. The attack usually
lasts for about 3 to 7 days, but may also last up to 10 to 14 days.

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 Diarrhoea is a major public health problem in developing countries. Diarrhoeal diseases

cause a heavy economic burden on health services.
 About 15 percent of all pediatric beds in India are occupied by admissions due to
gastroenteritis.
 In India, diarrhoeal diseases are a major public health problem among children under the
age of 5 years. In health institutions, up to a third of total pediatric admissions are due to
diarrhoeal diseases.
 Diarrhoea related diseases are a significant cause of mortality in children less than five
years of age. Incidence is highest in the age group of 6 to 11 months.
 The National Diarrhoeal Disease Control Programme has made a significant contribution
in averting deaths among children less than five years of age.

Communicable Disease- Amoebiasis:

 Amoebiasis is an infection caused by a parasite ‗Entamoeba Histolytica. The intestinal

disease varies from mild abdominal discomfort and diarrhoea to acute fulminating dys-
entery.
 Extra intestinal amoebiasis includes involvement of the liver (liver abseess), lungs, brain,
spleen, skin, etc.
 Amoebiasis is a common infection of the human gastrointestinal tract. It has a worldwide
distribution.
 It is a major health problem in the whole of China south-east and west Asia and Latin
America, especially Mexico. It is generally agreed that amoebiasis affects about 15
percent of the Indian population. Amoebiasis has been reported throughout India.

Communicable Disease- Cholera:

 Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease caused by V. Cholera (classical or El T). It is now

commonly due to the El T or biotype.
 The majority of infections are mild or symptomatic. Epidemics of cholera are
characteristically abrupt and often create an acute public health problem.
 They have a high potential to spread fast and cause deaths. The epidemic reaches a peak
and subsides gradually as the ‗force of infection declines.
 Often, when time control measures are instituted, the epidemic has already reached its
peak and is waning.

Communicable Disease- Brucellosis:

 Brucellosis is one of the major bacterial zoonoses, and in humans is also known as
undulent fever, Malta fever or Mediterranean fever.
 It is occasionally transmitted to humans by direct or indirect contact with infected
animals.
 The disease may last for several days, months or occasionally, even years.
 Brucellosis is both a severe human disease and a disease of animals with serious
economic consequences. Brucellosis is a recognized public health hazard that is found the
world over.

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 It is endemic wherever cattle, pigs, goats and sheep are raised in large numbers. The
important endemic areas for Brucellosis exist in Mediterranean zones, Europe, Central
Asia, Mexico and South America. Animal Brucellosis has been reported from practically
every state in India.
 However, no statistical information is available about the extent of infection in humans in
various parts of the country.
 The prevalence of human Brucellosis is difficult to estimate. Many cases remain
undiagnosed either because they are not apparent, or because physicians in many
countries are unfamiliar with the disease.

Communicable Disease- Hookworm Infection:

 Hookworm infection is defined as: ‗any infection caused by Ancylostoma or Necator‘.

 They may occur as single or mixed infections in the same person through various factors,
which have to be prevented. Hookworm infection is widely prevalent in India.
 Necator americanus is predominant in south India, and Ancylostoms duodenal in north
India. Recently, another species, A. ceylanicum has been reported from a village near
Calcutta.
 The heavily infected areas are found in Assam (tea gardens).
 West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra. More
than 200 million people are estimated to be infected in India.
 It is believed that 60 to 80 percent of the population of certain areas of West Bengal,
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Punjab, and the eastern coast of Tamil Nadu and Andhra
Pradesh are infected with hookworms.

Communicable Disease- Influenza:

 Influenza is an acute respiratory tract infection caused by influenza virus of which there
are three types—A, B and C.
 All known pandemics were caused by influenza A strains, due to various factors.
Influenza is found all over the world.
 It occurs in all countries and affects millions of people. Outbreaks of influenza A occur
virtually every year. Major epidemics occur at intervals of two to three years, and
pandemics at intervals of about 10 to 15 years.
 The first pandemic during the present century occurred in 1918-19, which affected an
estimated 500 million people and killed more than 20 million.
 In India alone, over six million people died during this pandemic. This pandemic was
caused by what is now known as the swine influenza virus.
 Recent pandemics occurred in 1957-58 owing to the influenza A (H2N2) and in 1968
owing to the influenza A (H3N2).
 Outbreaks of influenza B also occur annually with epidemics occurring at intervals of407
years. Influenza brought on by the type C virus occurs sporadically as small outbreaks.
 The unique features of influenza epidemics are the suddenness with which they arise, and
the speed and ease with which they spread.

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 The short incubation period, a large number of subclinical cases, a high proportion of
susceptible population, short duration of immunity, and an absence of cross-immunity, all
contribute to its rapid spread.
 The fate of the virus during inter-epidemic periods is also known. Possible explanations
include transmission of virus to extra-human reservoirs (pigs, horses, birds. etc.,) latent
infection or continuous transfer from one human to another. This explains the occurrence
of sporadic cases.

Communicable Disease- Filariasis:

 It is caused by a parasite, which belongs to the nematode family Filariasis. According to

WHO reports, an estimated 751 million people are at ‗risk‘ for infection, and 120 million
have actually been infected.
 The public health problem of lymphatic filariasis is greatest in China, India and
Indonesia. These three countries account for about two-thirds of the estimated world total
of persons infected.

Filarial Problem in India:

 Filariasis is a major public health problem in India. There are an estimated six million
attacks of acute filarial disease per year, and at least 45 million persons currently have
one or more chronic filarial lesions.
 Heavily infected areas are found in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil
Nadu, Kerala and Gujarat.
 The infection is acquired from a person who has filariasis. The maximum infectivity is
when the organisms are circulating the blood.
 The largest number appears in the blood at night time, and retreats from the blood stream
during the day. Their usual habitat is in the lymph nodes.
 The mosquito feeds on such a person and acquires the filarial parasite. The filarial
organism is transmitted when the mosquito bites a person. The parasite is deposited near
the site of puncture.
 It passes through the punctured skin or may penetrate the skin on its own and finally
reach the lymphatic system. Filariasis affects all age groups.

Communicable Disease- Tuberculosis:

 Tuberculosis remains a worldwide public health problem, particularly in the Third World
countries. Tuberculosis is India‘s biggest public health problem. An estimated that 5,
00,000 deaths annually are reported due to this disease, while a similar number of persons
get cured.
 The population in the Third World countries like India is exposed to tuberculosis. The
disease, however, does not develop in everyone who is exposed. Poor nutrition,
overcrowding, low socio-economic status, are more likely to develop the disease.

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 The prevalence of people who are infected is about 30 percent of the population. The
prevalence of infection is more common in the younger population.
 The vast majority of cases are to be found in rural and semi-urban areas, where more than
80 percent of the country‘s population lives. In urban areas, tuberculosis is found more
frequently in slum-dwellers and lower socio-economic groups than in well-off groups

Current Burden of Non-Communicable Diseases in India

 Non communicable diseases are the one which are of long duration and slow in
progression. As per World health organization, NCDs account for total 53% of all deaths
in India. Most of the burden is attributed by cardiovascular diseases (24%), followed by
respiratory diseases (11%), other NCDs (10%) and Injuries (10%).
 According to a report presented by world economic forum and Harward School of public
health, the prevalent NCDs in India are CVDs, chronic respiratory diseases, Diabetes, and
cancer.
 Cancer is one the leading cause of death in India with 28 lac cases at a point of time and
10 lac new cases taking place very year. The burden of cancer is expected to rise in the
country due to the effects of tobacco, demographic transitions and increase in the life
expectancy.
 Diabetes is another leading NCD in the nation. Estimated total number of people
suffering with diabetes is 40.9 million in India and by 2025 it is expected to increase up-
to 69.9 million. Diabetes accounts for 1.09 lakh deaths in a year.
 Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Hypertension is directly
responsible for 57% of all stroke deaths and 24% of all coronary heart disease deaths in
India. The cases of CVDs are expected to rise up to 741 lacs in 2015.
 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is responsible for high rate of mortality and
morbidity across the world. In 2010, almost 24 million adults over the age of 40 in India
had COPD. It is expected to increase to 32 million by 2020.
 The other conditions which contribute to the burden of non-communicable diseases are
mental health conditions (schizophrenia, depression & bipolar disorder) and
musculoskeletal disorders (Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis & gout).
 The non-communicable diseases are emerging due to the risk factors associated with it.
The main risk factors which are associated with NCDs are tobacco use, harmful use of
alcohol, lack of physical activity and poor diet.3Table 2&3 shows the risk
factors(Behavioral & Metabolic respectively) associated with noncommunicable diseases
and their prevalence.
 In addition to the above said risk factors for NCDs; Globalization and urbanization has
also contributed to its burden. It has caused the nutritional transition in the country
because of the availability of the commercial food. One another important factor causing
the rise in NCDs is change in demographic profile of the country.
 A study conducted by Joy Kumar Chakma & Sanjay Gupta on“Lifestyle and Non-
Communicable Diseases: A double edged sword for future India” showed that In India,
53% of the deaths in 2008 were due to NCDs (WHO). The cardiovascular diseases
(CVDs) alone account for 24 percent of all deaths.
 The anticipated cumulative loss of national income due to NCDs mortality for India for
2006-2015 will be USD237 billion. By 2030, this productivity loss is expected to double.

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These major NCDs can be prevented through effective interventions by undertaking the
lifestyle related modifiable risk factors.
 Total deaths (in thousands) caused by non-communicable diseases as per WHO (2008)
estimates are 2967.6 and 2273.8 among males and females respectively. NCD deaths
under the age of 60 years are 35.0% (Males) and 32.1% (Females).

Epidemic diseases

Complete information on major types of epidemics in India

 India is endemic to many diseases such as Malaria, Kala-azar, Cholera, Tuberculosis.

These erupt in epidemic form when conditions are favorable for their spread.
 Epidemics are disasters by themselves but these can emerge in the aftermath of other
disasters as well.
 In the recent past, two epidemics, viz., plague and dengue inflicted the Indian population
very badly at Surat and Delhi, respectively. However, these occurred by themselves and
were not the result of any other natural disaster.

The Surat (Gujarat) Plague Epidemic -1994

 Plague is a disease known to mankind from ancient times. India has undoubtedly a long
history, which is replete with plague epidemics and havoc caused by them. This recent
outbreak of plague generated a tremendous concern in and outside the country.
 No other disease so amenable to prevention and control has generated such serious
concern in contemporary times. If its present epidemiological picture is appropriately
examined, it does not deserve the attention it received.
 The reason for its larger than life size attention in the media in the country and outside,
and the reason for the controversies which plagued this plague outbreak are possibly due
to an inappropriate perception of the changing epidemiology of plague in modern era,
when we have powerful management and diagnostic tools to contain the disease.
 This outbreak occurred in Surat on 1911 September, 1994.
 Following the sudden increase in the number of admitted cases with acute onset of fever,
chest pain, cough, hemoptysis and deaths between 19th and 20th September, 1994 in
different city hospitals, a sense of deep concern arose.
 As no history of rat fall could be elicited and typical bubonic cases were not seen,
primary pneumonic plague outbreak was considered a possibility.
 The clinical presentation and the course of the disease pointed towards the pneumonic
plague.
 Though stray cases were reported from other parts of the city, the major concentration of
the reported cases came from the two adjacent localities of Ved Road and Katargam
where the population were by and large Maharashtrians, the sanitation was very poor and
the localities were highly congested slums.
 Furthermore, these areas are situated adjacent to river Tapti which was flooded between
7th and 9th September, 1994 due to heavy rains.
 About five lakh cusecs of water was released from the Ukai reservoir which led to the
heavy water logging of the area.

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 When the flood water started receding on 14th and 1511 September, 1994, the people of
the localities started cleaning the areas and perhaps many of them handled dead wild
rodents and animals.
 The Ganapati festival was observed with pomp and grandeur on 18fl1 September, 1994,
when a large procession passed through the area and thereby getting infected probably.
 While the first patients were hospitalized on September 19, the panic was so great that by
September 29, about 2 lakh persons (one-third of the population) had fled the city. During
the period of the outbreak, 52 deaths were recorded from Surat city of which majority
occurred before 25th September, 1994.
 A total of 1088 cases were suspected, about 146 were presumptive cases and 52 deaths
due to plague took place during the period from 19th September, 1994 giving an overall
case fatality rate of 4.8%.
 A study was carried out in Surat city during 8-19 November, 1994. Several identifiable
risk factors were studied like occupation of the people, their visits outside Surat during
the incubation period, exposure to a case, participation in the Ganapati procession
festival, participation in cleaning operation, any associated illness, consumption of
antibiotic, which could be accountable for the sporadic spread of the epidemic.
 The surprising thing was that the National Capital Delhi was also hit by the plague soon
thereafter, although located faraway at about 1000 km. from Surat.

Control Measures

 Apart from identifying the patients and providing them proper medical treatment and
care, a massive cleaning and sanitizing operation was conducted by the Municipal
Corporation of Surat under the inspiring guidance of its Chief Executive whose efforts at
cleaning up the city and thereby protecting it from epidemics were lauded nationally and
internationally.

Dengue Epidemic in Delhi - 1996

 Dengue epidemic struck the Capital from mid-August to end-November, 1996, with
Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF) and Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS), the worst ever
in India's history. The virus, viz., Type II Dengue was identified as the causative agent in
a number of clinical sanipies.
 There were in all about 10,000 cases with nearly 400 deaths as reported from all parts of
the city.
 The following reasons were identified for the dramatic emergence in India of
Dengue/DHF as a major public health problem:

1. Ineffective Mosquito Control Programmes

2. Major demographic and social changes, the most important being uncontrolled
urbanization, excessive population growth and urban decay characterised by substandard
housing and inadequate water and waste disposal systems; and
3. Inadequate medical and health services.

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 Dengue fever is caused by the bite of a mosquito known as Aedes Aegypti which
profusely breeds in coolers, storage tanks, earthen pots and other receptacles with
rainwater or stored clean water.
 There are a large number of other possible breeding places of Aedes Aegypti, viz., flower
vases, neglected cups of jugs, household collection of water, neglected features of
buildings, uncovered cisterns, wells, roof gutters, cracks in the masonry, traps of drains,
flush tanks, ant traps, water receptacles of various kinds, rain filled empty cans or food
tins, leaking water supply, water meters, sluice water chambers, water for birds, broken
bottles, garden tanks, tree chambers, tree holes, fountains, troughs, a variety of dumps for
engineering goods, trees, scraps and many more.

Control Measures

 Following the report of six deaths due to dengue at the All India Institute of Medical
Sciences in The Times of India on September 13th 1996, the Municipal Corporation of
Delhi (MCD) deputed two senior officers from the Antimalaria Department to collect the
details.
 Containment measures were immediately taken in the localities from where these cases
were reported.
 By September 14, 1996, the total number of cases admitted as DHF in Delhi was II.
 The MCD and the New Delhi Municipal Committee (NDMC) took the following
measures:

1. House to house survey for detection of vector breeding sources

2. Intensification of anti-larval operation
3. Focal spray with pyrethrum extract
4. Intensification of health education Activities

 Public notice by way of newspapers to educate the people regarding dengue and to
control the domestic breeding of mosquitoes was done.
 Likewise equipment like spray pumps, fogging machines were put in operation in large
numbers.
 Control room for monitoring the situation and distribution of pyrethum solution to the
NGOs was also taken-up.
 In the year 2001, dengue again seemed to appear in Delhi and a few cases were reported
in October.
 Timely campaign against breeding of mosquitoes by public education and public health
measures ensured that the disease did not attain epidemic status.

LESSONS LEARNT

Plague

1. The diseases of the past can make their resurgence if favorable environment conditions
are present. Efforts to prevent the resurgence of such deadly diseases have to be made by
way of good sanitary conditions, hygiene and cleanliness.

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2. The decaying material including dead animals in the unsanitary conditions that usually
prevails after the occurrence of destructive natural disaster situations such as earthquakes
result in the spread of diseases/ epidemics as was seen in the case of the Latur earthquake
of 1993.
3. People living in poor sanitary conditions, congested slums and overcrowded localities are
more prone to communicable diseases like plague.
4. Migratory population and people participating in crowded functions during festivals and
processions create conditions conducive for the spread of such diseases.
5. Surveillance and monitoring programme for the diseases like plague are lacking at
present. For want of required data/information on various causative factors, these
epidemics cannot be forecast, thus further deterring timely preventive measures.
6. Public needs to be educated about the signs and symptoms of likely diseases so as to
enable the early detection and preventive measures of such diseases.

Local health authorities have to keep a constant vigil on the epidemic prone areas.

Dengue Fever

1. The outbreaks of dengue including dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF)/dengue shock

syndrome (DSS) can be anticipated through a system of surveillance and monitoring of
Vector densities.
2. A check on the spread of epidemics by means of adequate control and monitoring
measures before and after the occurrence of epidemics has to be ensured.
3. Breeding conditions and the vector around Delhi and in other parts of the country pose a
constant threat of dengue in India. Desert coolers, water storage tanks and utensils,
leaking water supplies, wells and fountains, rain water collections and water bodies, tyre
dumps, junk cans, rain-soaked and uncleared garbage dumps, etc. provide excellent
places for Aedes breeding.
4. DHF has become endemic and would surface periodically because of the very high vector
breeding. The only practical approach to avoid future epidemics lies in preventive vector
control with main reliance on source reduction and sanitation.
5. Extensive training programme to update their knowledge and skills in this area is
essential for health workers.
6. We must accept and face the reality that dengue can surface again and to prevent future
outbreaks, especially in the absence of any specific antiviral treatment or vaccine,
sustained preventive community measures is the only key to success. Public education in
this regard is very essential.

Vector borne diseases

Main vectors and diseases they transmit

 Vectors are living organisms that can transmit infectious diseases between humans or
from animals to humans.

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 Many of these vectors are bloodsucking insects, which ingest disease-producing

microorganisms during a blood meal from an infected host (human or animal) and later
inject it into a new host during their subsequent blood meal.
 Mosquitoes are the best known disease vector.
 Others include ticks, flies, sandflies, fleas, triatomine bugs and some freshwater aquatic
snails.

Mosquitoes

1. Aedes
2. Chikungunya
3. Dengue fever
4. Lymphatic filariasis
5. Rift Valley fever
6. Yellow fever
7. Zika
8. Anopheles
9. Malaria
10. Lymphatic filariasis
11. Culex
12. Japanese encephalitis
13. Lymphatic filariasis
14. West Nile fever

Sandflies

1. Leishmaniasis
2. Sandfly fever (phelebotomus fever)

Ticks

1. Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever

2. Lyme disease
3. Relapsing fever (borreliosis)
4. Rickettsial diseases (spotted fever and Q fever)
5. Tick-borne encephalitis
6. Tularaemia

Triatomine bugs

1. Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis)

Tsetse flies

1. Sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis)

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Fleas

1. Plague (transmitted by fleas from rats to humans)

2. Rickettsiosis

Black flies

1. Onchocerciasis (river blindness)

Aquatic snails

1. Schistosomiasis (bilharziasis)

Lice

1. Typhus and louse-borne relapsing fever

Vector-borne diseases

 Vector-borne diseases are human illnesses caused by parasites, viruses and bacteria that
are transmitted by mosquitoes, sandflies, triatomine bugs, blackflies, ticks, tsetse flies,
mites, snails and lice.
 Every year there are more than 700 000 deaths from diseases such as malaria, dengue,
schistosomiasis, human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, yellow
fever, Japanese encephalitis and onchocerciasis, globally.
 The major vector-borne diseases, together, account for aeround 17% of all infectious
diseases.
 The burden of these diseases is highest in tropical and subtropical areas and they
disproportionately affect the poorest populations.
 Since 2014, major outbreaks of dengue, malaria, chikungunya yellow fever and Zika
have afflicted populations, claimed lives and overwhelmed health systems in many
countries.
 Distribution of vector-borne diseases is determined by complex demographic,
environmental and social factors.
 Global travel and trade, unplanned urbanization and environmental challenges such as
climate change can impact on pathogen transmission, making transmission season longer
or more intense or causing diseases to emerge in countries where they were previously
unknown.
 Changes in agricultural practices due to variation in temperature and rainfall can affect
the transmission of vector-borne diseases.
 The growth of urban slums, lacking reliable piped water or adequate solid waste
management, can render large populations in towns and cities at risk of viral diseases
spread by mosquitoes.

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 Together, such factors influence the reach of vector populations and the transmission
patterns of disease-causing pathogens.

Vector Borne Diseases in India

 There are many vector-borne diseases prevalent in India like malaria, filariasis, Kyasanur
forest disease, Japanese encephalitis, scrub typhus, dengue and chikungunya.
 The control of all of them depends on an understanding of the natural cycles and
epidemiology of their vectors.

Malaria

 Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bites of
infected Female anopheles mosquito. In the human body, the parasites multiply in the
liver, and then infect red blood cells.
 Symptoms of malaria include fever, headache, and vomiting, and usually appear between
10 and 15 days after the mosquito bite. If not treated, malaria can quickly become life-
threatening by disrupting the blood supply to vital organs.

Dengue

 Dengue fever, also known as breakbone fever, is a mosquito-borne tropical disease

caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains,
and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles.
 Dengue is transmitted by several species of mosquito within the genus Aedes, principally
aegypti.

Japanese Encephalitis (JE)

 JE is mostly present in in Southern India, Uttar Pradesh, North Eastern states, Haryana.
Its causative agent is Group B arbovirus (Flavivirus) & it is transmitted by Culex
mosquitoes.

Chikungunya

 Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. It causes

fever and severe joint pain.
 Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash.Joint pain is
often debilitating and can vary in duration.
 The disease shares some clinical signs with dengue, and can be misdiagnosed in areas
where dengue is common.

Filaria

 Filariasis is a parasitic disease caused by an infection with roundworms of the Filarioidea

type.

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 These are spread by blood-feeding black flies and mosquitoes. This disease belongs to the
group of diseases called helminthiasis.

Kala-Azar

 Visceral leishmaniasis also known as kala-azar, black fever is the most severe form of
leishmaniasis.
 Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus. This
disease is the second-largest parasitic killer in the world after malaria.

Kyasanur forest disease

 The Kyasanur forest disease, transmitted by ticks, and scrub typhus, transmitted by mites,
are re-emerging in India.
 Birds and animals, both small and large and wild and domestic, are also involved in the
transmission.

W.H.O.-Objectives, Structures, functions and its

programmes
The World Health Organization (WHO) is the specialized organization for international health
within the United Nations‘ system. WHO experts produce health guidelines and standards, and
help countries to address public health issues. World Health Organization also supports and
promotes health research.WHO came into formal existence in 1948 as the UN specialist agency
for health, incorporating several existing organizations that represented a long history of
international health cooperation. WHO‘s objective is the attainment by all peoples of the highest
possible level of health, defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and
not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

All UN member states and others may join it. Through the World Health Assembly, its 192
member
states approve the programme of work and budget and decide major policy. A 32–strong
executive board with rotating membership, selected on the basis of personal expertise rather than

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country representation (although a geographical balance is maintained), oversees implementation

of assembly decisions

Organization of WHO:-

The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of World Health Organization. It is
attended by delegations from all World Health Organization Member States and focuses on a
specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board. The main functions of the World Health
Assembly are to determine the policies of the Organization, appoint the Director-General,
supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed programme budget. The
Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Executive Board is composed of 34 technically qualified members elected for three-year
terms. The annual Board meeting is held in January when the members agree upon the agenda
for the World Health Assembly and the resolutions to be considered by the Health Assembly.

Mains Functions and Objectives of World Health Organization are:-

(a) to act as the directing and co-ordinating authority on international health work;

(b) to establish and maintain effective collaboration with the United Nations, specialized
agencies, governmental health administrations, professional groups and such other organizations
as may be deemed appropriate;

(c) to assist Governments, upon request, in strengthening health services;

(d) to furnish appropriate technical assistance and, in emergencies, necessary aid upon the
request or acceptance of Governments;

(e) to provide or assist in providing, upon the request of the United Nations, health services and
facilities to special groups, such as the peoples of trust territories;

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(f) to establish and maintain such administrative and technical services as may be required,
including epidemiological and statistical services;

(g) to stimulate and advance work to eradicate epidemic, endemic and other diseases;

(h) to promote, in co-operation with other specialized agencies where necessary, the prevention
of accidental injuries;

(i) to promote, in co-operation with other specialized agencies where necessary, the improvement
of nutrition, housing, sanitation, recreation, economic or working conditions and other aspects of
environmental hygiene;

(j) to promote co-operation among scientific and professional groups which contribute to the
advancement of health;

(k) to propose conventions, agreements and regulations, and make recommendations with respect
to international health matters and to perform such duties as may be assigned thereby to the
Organization and are consistent with its objective;

(l) to promote maternal and child health and welfare and to foster the ability to live harmoniously
in a changing total environment;

(m) to foster activities in the field of mental health, especially those affecting the harmony of
human relations;

(n) to promote and conduct research in the field of health;

(o) to promote improved standards of teaching and training in the health, medical and related
professions;

(p) to study and report on, in co-operation with other specialized agencies where necessary,
administrative and social techniques affecting public health and medical care from preventive
and curative points of view, including hospital services and social security;

(q) to provide information, counsel and assistance in the field of health;

(r) to assist in developing an informed public opinion among all peoples on matters of health;

(s) to establish and revise as necessary international nomenclatures of diseases, of causes of

death and of public health practices;

(t) to standardize diagnostic procedures as necessary;

(u) to develop, establish and promote international standards with respect to food, biological,
pharmaceutical and similar products;

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(v) generally to take all necessary action to attain the objective of the Organization.

Education systems -
Education as a tool of HR development, Universal
elementary education, Quality of Higher and
Technical, Vocational Education. Issues related to
girls education, under privileged classes and
differently abled classes
Education has been accepted as one major agency of socialization, and teachers and educational
institutions as socializing agents. In describing education as an instrument of social change, three
things are important: the agents of change, the content of change, and the social background of
those who are sought to be changed, i.e. students. Educational institutions under the control of
different cultural groups reflect the values of those groups which support and control education.
In this situation, teachers Impart specific values, aspirations and to the children.

Social reformers, who were educated emphasized values like removal of caste restrictions,
equality of women, doing away with social evil social customs and practices, voice in the
governance of the country, establishing democratic institutions and so on. They, thus, wanted to
teach liberal philosophy through education for changing society. In other words they regarded
education as a flame or light of knowledge which dispelled the darkness of ignorance. The use of
education for spreading the values of modernization came to be emphasized from the 1960s and
1970s onwards. Highly productive economies, distributive justice, people‟s participation in
decision-making bodies, adoption of scientific technology in industry, agriculture and other
occupations and professions were accepted as goals for modernizing the Indian society. And
these goals were to be achieved through liberal education. Thus, modernization was not accepted
as a philosophy or a movement based on rational values system but as a process that was to be
confined only to economic field but was to be achieved in social, political, cultural and religious
fields too. Education was sought to be utilized as channel for the spread of modernity.

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According to the sociological perspective, education does not arise in response of the individual
needs of the individual, but it arises out of the needs of the society of which the individual is a
member1. The educational system of any society is related to its total social system. It is a sub
system performing certain functions for the on-going social system. The goals and needs of the
total social system get reflected in the functions it lays down for educational system and the form
in which it structures it to fulfill those functions. In a static society, the main function of the
educational system is to transmit the cultural heritage to the new generations. But in a changing
society, these keep on changing from generation to generation and the educational system in
such a society must not only transmit the cultural heritage, but also aid in preparing the young for
adjustment to any changes in them that may have occurred or are likely to occur in future.

Thus, the relationship between educational system and society is mutual; sometimes the society
influences changes in educational system and at other times the educational system influences
changes in the society.

Education of Women :-

The National Policy on Education, 1986 also laid emphasis on education for attaining women‟s
equality which will foster the development of new values. The strategies proposed are:
encouraging educational institutions to take up active programmes to further women‟s
development removal of women‟s illiteracy, removing obstacles inhibiting their access to
elementary education, and pursuing policy of non-discrimination to eliminate sex stereotyping in
vocational, technical and professional courses.

Education of SCs, STs. And OBCs

Education is directly related to the development of an individual and the community. It is the
most important single factor for economic development as well as social emancipation. For the
weaker sections of society, education has a special significance because for a number of
centuries, their illiteracy and social backwardness have been used for their harassment,
humiliation and economic exploitation.

Education and Human resource Development

Education shapes our present actions, our future plans and our past history which also develops
in the future . Education is a very crucial to guide anyone to reach their goals through any
success with an effort along , and the chance is very high. Example if you compare a person with

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masters to a person with only a high school diploma salary is totally different and there is huge
gap amount between it. Educations helps you to better understand the world and with that being
said education plays big role in human development and indeed it is a great to resource us.

Now a days education is very important ,without education the life of a person is just useless .He
cannot do any work ,moreover today we cannot easily get a job if we are not educated. It teaches
us the basic principles of life without it a person is useless. Education is perfection.
Higher education institutions themselves play a key role in equipping young people with the
workforce skills needed by business. But these needs change quickly and often learning
institutions are slow to respond. In this regard, stronger links between universities, businesses,
trade unions and other stakeholders can help reshape course offerings to stay closely in line with
evolving demands for specific skills. Co-operation can also bring other benefits favouring the
investment environment, such as fostering an environment conducive to innovation and the quick
diffusion of new knowledge.

Major Recent Developments in the Education Sector

 Foreign Universities Bill, 2010

 National Accreditation Authority for Higher Education Bill, 2010
 National Commission for Higher Education and Research Bill, 2010
 There is a proposal to have a combined medical entrance test at PG level
 National Council for Human Resources in Health Bill, 2009:- Draft bill says that National
Board for Examinations would be replaced by National Board for Health Education
 Right to Education Act, 2009
 National Academic Depository Bill, 2011

Policies

Recently, two important reports have been brought out in education in India:
The National Knowledge Commission report
The Committee on Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education (Yashpal Committee)
Report.
The central concern of these committees has been prevalence of fundamental academic
weaknesses such as compartmentalization of knowledge systems, absence of innovation in
learning methods, disconnect with the society and emphasis on qualifying tests. Based on this
proposal has been made for the establishment of a National Commission on Higher Education
and Research (NCHER).
A series of reforms have been proposed in a very short period unlike the earlier piece-meal
approach to changes. In April 2010, four major bills relating to education were introduced in the
Parliament.
Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operation Bill), 2010
Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical, Medical Educational Institutions and Universities
Bill: Lists all the mal-practices that would attract the penalty of hefty fines and jail terms.
Educational Tribunal Bill: to ensure speedy disposal of educational disputes
National Accreditation Authority Bill: Suggests the approach to license competent professional

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organizations to undertake the accreditation responsibilities, in accordance with the norms and
procedures set by a competent authority.

As per the Foreign Educational Institutions bill, every foreign education institution providing
education in India must register itself with a designated authority.

Criticism Response
The bill will attract only of commercially motivated educational institutions The act provides
against repatriation of surpluses. This would curb the entry of institutions motivated solely by
profit
Many fly-by-night institutions may come Act requires the institution to have at least 20 years of
record in offering accredited degree programmes. Also, the firms should deposit 50 crores a
security for liabilities under the act.

National Education Policy 1986

Was conceived during Rajiv Gandhi‘s tenure
Political instability during the late 1980s led to delays in the launch of the policy which was
reviewed by the Acharya Ramamurty Committee and could be brought into force only after the
Congress govt returned to power in 1991 and gave shape to the Action Plan of 1992 for the NPE
NPE 1986 was a major departure from the national policy adopted on the recommendations of
the Education Commission under Prof DS Kothari which in 1966 had called for
a common school system as well as for a plus-two stage of schooling beyond class X
strengthening of research in the university system
1986 policy led to the encouragement of emerging sectors like IT, which witnessed an upsurge
following the opening up of the technical education sector, particularly in capacity expansion in
the private sector.
In the Independence Day speech 2011 PM MMS announced
Setting up a commission ‗to make suggestions for improvements at all levels of education‘

Corruption in education
According to the Yashpal committee, the rapid expansion of private institutions has also resulted
in deterioration in quality
The concerns over quality led the Centre to review all deemed universities
Several cases of corruption against functionaries of the regulatory authorities such as the All-
India Council for Technical Education, the MCI and the Council of Architecture are under CBI
investigation
It is against this backdrop that the Education Commission, announced by the PM, is expected to
come up with recommendations which could result in the New NEP as well as with directions for
the future of all levels of education

Rashtriya Madhyamic Shiksha Yojana for secondary education

What Should be done?

Public expenditure on education should be enhanced to 6% of GDP
Higher education should get 1.5% of GDP
Access is less than desirable. This should be addressed

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Drop outs should be removed through mass awareness campaigns, making curricula more
student friendly, providing facilities like labs, libraries, toilets, classrooms etc adequately
There should be a paradigm shift from literature type education to productive, job-oriented
education as per requirement in public and private sectors after secondary education
There should be regular interface of industry and service sectors with educational institutions
Quality education at all stages should be ensured because if the foundation remains weak,
superstructure of higher education cannot sustain for long

Vocationalisation of Secondary Education (Revised)

<Oct 2011>
The scheme has been revised
The revised scheme has been approved for implementation in the remaining period of the 11th
FYP
As per the revised guidelines the centre will establish a vocational education cell under the
CBSE
Also envisages the strengthening of the 1000 existing vocational schools and establishment of
100 new vocational schools by the state government
Development of 250 competency based modules for each individual vocational courses
A pilot programme under the National Vocational Education Qualification Framework will be
initiated in Haryana and West Bengal
Legal Education
The NKC and Yashpal committee found drawbacks in the structure and content of legal
education:
Objects of the legal education in the changing socio-economic context are not clear. There are
now multiple objects for studying law: demands of trade, commerce, governance etc. This makes
structuring the system difficult.
Content of the legal education is decided by the Bar Council of India. Universities have little say
in it. Here there is more focus in producing practicing lawyers and not legal researchers.
Recommendation:
Legal education should be made relevant by engagement with social problems. For this, a
liberalized, holistic and decentralised curriculum planning is needed, for which each university
teaching law should have the responsibility.
Other problems:
In order to increase access and equity, quality of education has been compromised.
Inadequacy of resources and lack of competent teachers in adequate numbers.
Twin problem of promoting competitive excellence in global context and improving mediocre
institutions.
Yashpal Committee Report

Report of the National Knowledge Commission

Medical Education
MCI general council was dissolved in May following the corruption charges in Ketan Desai. A
board of governors was established.
The proposed National Council of Human Resources in Health (NCHRH) Bill paves the way for
substantially curtailing the powers of the Medical Council of India (MCI) leaving it to deal only

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with licensing, continuing education and ethics. The bill

Provides for setting up independent agencies to perform the functions of MCI
National Committee for Accreditation (NCA) to be setup to register and accredit medical
colleges. NCA will work as an accreditation agency proposed under the National Accreditation
Regulatory Authority for Higher Education Bill 2010
National Medical Education and Training Board to be setup to prepare the curriculum for all
streams of education in the health sector.

Right to Education Act, 2009

Nearly 1.1 crore children in India are out of school.
Equality and quality in education has been ensured in the act.
85 pc of our schools are in rural areas. Many such schools are one teacher schools.
The act also provides that within 5 years all teachers must be trained.
National commission for protection of children‘s rights.
Centre State funding: 55:45 / 90:10 for NE states
Inclusive approach in the act: disabled children can study with normal children
Provisions
Monitoring
The act provides for the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights to monitor the act.
This is the first time that the law separates the implementing agency from the monitoring one.
Issues:
Madarasa education has been excluded from the ambit of RTE. This has caused a split in the
Muslim community on the issue.
Capability of the states to implement the Act
The reluctance of the private schools to take the 25 pc reserved students from the weaker
sections.
About 130 other countries also have RTE.
The issue is implementation. We have started many such revolutionary ideas (say the prohibition
of child labour), but the mechanism of implementation have failed us.
Though there is a fundamental duty of the parents to send their children to school, there is no
compulsion on them in the act itself.
Assessment after one year of notification
States are hesitating to implement it
The act emphasises quality education. For this purpose a good number of skilled teachers are
required. This is an obstacle.
Institutional resources for the implementation of RTE are lacking.

Education, education infrastructure and education policy of Madhya Pradesh

Like in most other states across India, Madhya Pradesh also follows the 10+2+3 tier of
education. There is government as well as private education institutes across this Central Indian
state. Hindi is the preferred medium of instruction in the government monitored schools and
colleges of Madhya Pradesh. English is used as the language of communication between students
and teachers in private institutes. The division of education in Madhya Pradesh can be explained
through the following chart:

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 Primary Schooling
 Secondary Schooling

 College Education
 University Studies
 Research Programs / Professional Degrees and Diplomas

The State literacy rate presently is 70.63% (source: Census 2011), against the national literacy
rate of 74.04 %. While the female literacy has considerably improved over the last decade, a
great disparity persists in the literacy rates of males and females.

Education infrastructure

The School education in Madhya Pradesh primarily organized in two sectors: Elementary (I to
VIII) and Secondary (IX to XII). Each of these two sectors are further sub-divided into two sub-
sector where elementary education consists of primary education (I to V) and upper primary
education (VI to VIII) while the secondary education comprises of Middle education (IX and X)
and higher secondary education (XI and XII).

Elementary level School facilities in Madhya Pradesh

Management Type Numbers

Government Primary schools 83412

Aided Primary schools (Private) 852

Unaided Primary schools (Private) 12533

Total Primary 96797

Government Upper Primary schools 29282

Aided Upper Primary schools (Private) 410

Unaided Upper Primary schools (Private) 20040

Total Upper Primary 49732

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Secondary and Higher Secondary schools

There are four main types of recognized schools by management and funding pattern in Madhya
Pradesh. They are: Government, Local Body, Private Aided and Private Unaided.Out of the total
Government schools in Madhya Pradesh, majority are managed by School Education
Department. Tribal Welfare Department also manages a significant number of schools.

The distribution of secondary schools between categories shows that out of the total schools
about 46.29% have only secondary classes and 53.71% have secondary and higher secondary
classes both.

Access to secondary schooling facilities: 72% habitations have high schooling facility within 5
KM radius. But still 28% habitations do not have facility within the norm. Urban area 100%
access is available but in rural area 31% habitations don‘t have facility within the norms.

Various policies and schemes

Mid Day Meal Scheme

In the year 1995-96 Mid Day Meal Scheme was introduced in the government and aided primary
schools of 297 blocks in the state. The school provides food to children. In the year 1997-98, the
scheme was implemented in all the blocks of the state. In tribal regions the scheme provides
prepared food and in non-tribal regions from September 1997 onwards the scheme of providing
prepared food is stopped and now 3 kg. food is distributed for every child every month.

Minorities Welfare

For the welfare of minorities the Government of India launched Madarasa Modernization
scheme. 102 Madarasas are assisted under this scheme. Rs. 36.18 Lakhs were disbursed for
construction of Madarasas. 1100 posts of order Teachers were sanctioned in the year 1996-97
and post of 1000 "Urdu teachers" were sanctioned in the year 1997-98.

Free Books

The scheme provides free books to the students of class I to IV belonging to SC, ST and OBC
category. This scheme of free books is for all girls up to class III and also for the boys of upto III
class of families living below the poverty line. Books for the scheme are provided by Madhya
Pradesh Text Book Corporation. In the year 1998-97 an amount of Rs. 4.00 crore was provided
in the budget of school education for this purpose.

Shishu Shiksha Scheme

Primary Education Mission concentrates on pre-school education of children. To make the

children aware about school atmosphere and to develop the habits of learning among children of
3 to 5 years age, the state runs 4056 shishu shiksha kendras.

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Education Guarantee Scheme

On January 1, 1997, the Government of Madhya Pradesh pioneered a community centred and
rights-based initiative to universalise primary education called 'Education Guarantee Scheme'
(EGS). Under the scheme, the government guaranteed provision of a teacher, her/his salaries,
training of teacher, teachinglearning material and contingencies to start a school within 90 days
wherever there was a demand from a community without a primary schooling facility within 1
km. provided this demand came from at least 25 learners in case of tribal areas and 40 learners in
case of non-tribal areas. The community that made the demand could also suggest the name of a
suitable local resident to be the teacher and be called 'guruji'. The gram panchayat is empowered
to appoint such a "guruji" after the chief executive officer of the Janpad (block) panchayat had
verified the bona fides of the demand and the qualifications of the proposed guruji. The training
of the guruji would be organised by the district administration which would also credit the
amount of annual salaries upfront in the gram panchayat's bank account.

Rajiv Gandhi Prathmik Shiksha Mission

The Rajiv Gandhi Prathmik Shiksha Mission was set up as an autonomous registered society
headed by the Chief Minister of the state to supplement the state government's efforts to
universalize primary education in Madhya Pradesh. The main challenges for the Mission were
posed in the form of inadequate outreach of educational facilities specially in the interior, rural or
tribal areas, marginalisation of economically or socially deprived children, insufficient support to
academic processes and above all a delivery hierarchy that did not factor in the perceptions of its
large user community. These challenges influenced the way that defined its objectives, processes
and tasks. The objectives of the Mission were to create a positive environment for education,
increase enrolment and to improve the quality of teaching-learning processes so as to promote
retention and achievement levels.

Human resource development -

Availability of skilled manpower, employability and
productivity of human resource of India, trends of
employment, role of institutions like NCHER,NCERT,
NIEPA, UGC, Open Universities, AICTE,NCTE,
NCVT, ICAR, IITs, NITs. NLUs, IIMs,Polytechnic
and ITls etc. and human resource development
Education has been accepted as one major agency of socialization, and teachers and educational
institutions as socializing agents. In describing education as an instrument of social change, three

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things are important: the agents of change, the content of change, and the social background of
those who are sought to be changed, i.e. students. Educational institutions under the control of
different cultural groups reflect the values of those groups which support and control education.
In this situation, teachers Impart specific values, aspirations and to the children.

Social reformers, who were educated emphasized values like removal of caste restrictions,
equality of women, doing away with social evil social customs and practices, voice in the
governance of the country, establishing democratic institutions and so on. They, thus, wanted to
teach liberal philosophy through education for changing society. In other words they regarded
education as a flame or light of knowledge which dispelled the darkness of ignorance. The use of
education for spreading the values of modernization came to be emphasized from the 1960s and
1970s onwards. Highly productive economies, distributive justice, people‟s participation in
decision-making bodies, adoption of scientific technology in industry, agriculture and other
occupations and professions were accepted as goals for modernizing the Indian society. And
these goals were to be achieved through liberal education. Thus, modernization was not accepted
as a philosophy or a movement based on rational values system but as a process that was to be
confined only to economic field but was to be achieved in social, political, cultural and religious
fields too. Education was sought to be utilized as channel for the spread of modernity.

According to the sociological perspective, education does not arise in response of the individual
needs of the individual, but it arises out of the needs of the society of which the individual is a
member1. The educational system of any society is related to its total social system. It is a sub
system performing certain functions for the on-going social system. The goals and needs of the
total social system get reflected in the functions it lays down for educational system and the form
in which it structures it to fulfill those functions. In a static society, the main function of the
educational system is to transmit the cultural heritage to the new generations. But in a changing
society, these keep on changing from generation to generation and the educational system in
such a society must not only transmit the cultural heritage, but also aid in preparing the young for
adjustment to any changes in them that may have occurred or are likely to occur in future.

Thus, the relationship between educational system and society is mutual; sometimes the society
influences changes in educational system and at other times the educational system influences
changes in the society.

Education of Women :-

The National Policy on Education, 1986 also laid emphasis on education for attaining women‟s
equality which will foster the development of new values. The strategies proposed are:

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encouraging educational institutions to take up active programmes to further women‟s

development removal of women‟s illiteracy, removing obstacles inhibiting their access to
elementary education, and pursuing policy of non-discrimination to eliminate sex stereotyping in
vocational, technical and professional courses.

Education of SCs, STs. And OBCs

Education is directly related to the development of an individual and the community. It is the
most important single factor for economic development as well as social emancipation. For the
weaker sections of society, education has a special significance because for a number of
centuries, their illiteracy and social backwardness have been used for their harassment,
humiliation and economic exploitation.

Education and Human resource Development

Education shapes our present actions, our future plans and our past history which also develops
in the future . Education is a very crucial to guide anyone to reach their goals through any
success with an effort along , and the chance is very high. Example if you compare a person with
masters to a person with only a high school diploma salary is totally different and there is huge
gap amount between it. Educations helps you to better understand the world and with that being
said education plays big role in human development and indeed it is a great to resource us.

Now a days education is very important ,without education the life of a person is just useless .He
cannot do any work ,moreover today we cannot easily get a job if we are not educated. It teaches
us the basic principles of life without it a person is useless. Education is perfection.
Higher education institutions themselves play a key role in equipping young people with the
workforce skills needed by business. But these needs change quickly and often learning
institutions are slow to respond. In this regard, stronger links between universities, businesses,
trade unions and other stakeholders can help reshape course offerings to stay closely in line with
evolving demands for specific skills. Co-operation can also bring other benefits favouring the
investment environment, such as fostering an environment conducive to innovation and the quick
diffusion of new knowledge.

Education is an effective and pervasive phenomenon for all round individual development and
social transformation. This alone can sustain culture and civilization. A balanced development of
mind and body in harmony with the spirit is the key to the enrichment of human personality and
an outcome of value–based education, which must in the ultimate analysis help humanity to
transcend to a higher level of consciousness. Our children must from their infancy be taught the
dignity of labour. Thus, the true meaning of education is harmonious development of head, heart
and hand i.e., enlightenment of mind, compassion and dignity of labour. Moral and spiritual
training is an essential part of education. If education is to help us to meet the moral challenge of
the age and play its part in the life of the community, it should be liberating and life giving. It
must give a basic meaning to one‘s existence and equip us with the ability to overcome spiritual
inertia and foster spiritual sensitivity. Temples of learning should produce men and women who
will move together to develop common ideals and purposes, love each other and co-exist to
create common wealth.

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Education is not injection or injunction. It is not indoctrination of views and ideas or just an
imposition of one‘s views upon others. In short, education should not be an infliction, because
the moment it becomes an infliction, the consequence is indiscipline amongst learners. A vast
responsibility rests on our educational institutions and those who guide their destinies. They
need to be alert and should not wander from the right path even when passion convulses the
multitude and blinds many amongst those whose duty is to set an example to others. If these are
the ideals and objectives of education, how can we achieve these in the existing scenario of
education which is in a state of anarchy and chaotic condition at all levels – primary to higher
education. Educational system in India today is in a critical state – resistant to change and in
danger of becoming irrelevant.

Thus, it needs a drastic reconstruction – almost revamping. The greatest challenge the world is
facing today is the crisis of confidence and character, mental and moral decay and break down of
rich traditions. The root cause of all these is fear, hatred, greed, prejudice, intolerance and
violence. Therefore, efforts need to be made to eliminate these divisive forces, which is possible
only by value-based education that involves harmonious development of the body, mind and
spirit. True knowledge consists of self understanding and self-control. Non-violence seems to be
the highest form of knowledge. If education has to serve the humanity and defuse human
suffering.

it must teach and train us to respect each other (universal brotherhood), love each other
(universal love), practice compassion and uphold the dignity of all lives. Then only one will have
peace. In a world which is primarily split between a few haves and majority of have-nots,
tensions, diversities, self-centered vision, violence, terrorism and consumerism are creating a
dreadful scenario of a bleeding world and a blood splattered humanity. In this chaotic
atmosphere, value–based education is the only hope for synthesizing the moral fabric of an
individual and generating a culture of peace in the society. Education must aim at the
development of moral, spiritual and ethical values and we should seek them in our own heritage
as well as in progressive cultures and civilizations. It should be such that Indians do not lose
sight of their rich heritage – their thought must be rooted in the ideals set forth in the great
writings and works of our sages, poets and philosophers. The noble goals and high values set
forth in our precious culture must be adhered to. It has been emphasized time and again that
conscious efforts should be made for the development of social, moral and spiritual values with
the help of ethical teachings of the great religious teachers.

Character and Personality Development

Teachers can play a vital role in this regard. A teacher must succeed in conveying the larger
ideals of service to the community, virtues of tolerance and respect for all faiths, importance of
character, integrity and discipline and the value of humanism to his pupil. The later should also
be made aware of our heritage and culture. They should develop a mature attitude towards
religion. Acquaintance with prayers of different religions and hymns and songs of various faiths
may also help young minds to recognize the intrinsic purity, beauty and practical usefulness of
different religious thoughts. A UNESCO report on education for the 21st century entitled
Learning. The Treasure Within also pleads for an education which is ‗rooted in culture and
committed to progress‘. Developing a harmonious and integrated personality would just not be

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possible if the system does not inculcate values embedded in the culture, heritage and traditions.
Indian heritage, culture and values need to be thoroughly studied, analyzed and incorporated
comprehensively in the educational system right from the pre-primary stage to higher education.

Injection of information into young minds has been taking place on a massive scale, but
character and personality development has not received the attention it deserves. Creation of the
right environment which helps and encourages young minds to resolve personal and moral issues
independently is of utmost importance. Although it is not an easy task but it needs to be done at
all costs. Since character of people may decide the destiny of a nation, the educational system
should develop character, courage, comradeship, discipline, leadership, secular outlook, spirit of
adventure and sportsmanship, and ideals of selfless service. Emphasis should be laid on the
study of the life of great sons of the soil whose ideas and ideals have moved the world, because
such a practice may provide an insight to the younger generation for character development and
spiritual sensitivity.

Skill development is the focus area of the government policy. It is central to accessing
employment in the formal sector and enhancing productivity in the informal economy for
reducing poverty and risk of underemployment.
The National Policy on Skill Development aims to train about 104.62 million people afresh and
additional 460 million are to be reskilled, up-skilled and skilled by
2022
Considering that majority of these labour force would be self or casual employed, the challenge
is to how to improve the skill levels of these workforce. These categories cut across various
target groups or vulnerable sections of the society. The groups are not mutually exclusive and
there are overlaps because the workers in the self-employed category are a heterogeneous lot
while the casual employed may be intermittently employed and in different unskilled works.

Main Objectives are:-

(i) educate and equip potential and early stage entrepreneurs across India

(ii) connect entrepreneurs to peers, mentors and incubators

(iii) support entrepreneurs through Entrepreneurship Hubs (E-Hubs)

(iv) catalyse a culture shift to encourage entrepreneurship

(v) encourage entrepreneurship among the under-represented groups

(vi) promote entrepreneurship amongst women

(vii) improve ease of doing business

(viii) improve access to finance and

(ix) foster social entrepreneurship and grassroots innovations

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The National Council of Higher Education Resources (NCHER) is the nation‘s oldest and largest
higher education finance trade association. NCHER‘s membership includes state, nonprofit, and
for-profit higher education service organizations, including lenders, servicers, guaranty agencies,
collection agencies, financial literacy providers, and schools, interested and involved in
increasing college access and success. It assists its members in shaping policies governing
federal and private student loan and state grant programs on behalf of students, parents,
borrowers, and families.

NCHER represents its members on public policy initiatives within the legislative and executive
branches of the federal government, and brings together the higher education community to
strengthen all federal and private student loan and state grant programs through its ongoing
involvement with Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Treasury,
the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Communications Commission, and other
federal agencies, associations, and organizations engaged in student financing and policy.

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is an autonomous

organisation set up in 1961 by the Government of India to assist and advise the Central and State
Governments on policies and programmes for qualitative improvement in school education. The
major objectives of NCERT and its constituent units are to: undertake, promote and coordinate
research in areas related to school education; prepare and publish model textbooks,
supplementary material, newsletters, journals and develops educational kits, multimedia digital
materials, etc. organise pre-service and in-service training of teachers; develop and disseminate
innovative educational techniques and practices;collaborate and network with state educational
departments, universities, NGOs and other educational institutions; act as a clearing house for
ideas and information in matters related to school education; and act as a nodal agency for
achieving the goals of Universalisation of Elementary Education. In addition to research,
development, training, extension, publication and dissemination activities, NCERT is an
implementation agency for bilateral cultural exchange programmes with other countries in the
field of school education. The NCERT also interacts and works in collaboration with the
international organisations, visiting foreign delegations and offers various training facilities to
educational personnel from developing countries.

The National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), (Deemed to be

University) established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India,
is a premier organization dealing with capacity building and research in planning and
management of education not only in India but also in South Asia.

The UGC was established in November 1956 at Delhi as a statutory body of the Government of
India through an Act of Parliament for the coordination, determination and maintenance of
standards of university education in India. In order to ensure effective region-wise coverage
throughout the country, the UGC has decentralised its operations by setting up six regional
centres at Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bhopal, Guwahati and Bangalore.

Education, education infrastructure and education policy of Madhya Pradesh

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Like in most other states across India, Madhya Pradesh also follows the 10+2+3 tier of
education. There is government as well as private education institutes across this Central Indian
state. Hindi is the preferred medium of instruction in the government monitored schools and
colleges of Madhya Pradesh. English is used as the language of communication between students
and teachers in private institutes. The division of education in Madhya Pradesh can be explained
through the following chart:

 Primary Schooling
 Secondary Schooling

 College Education
 University Studies
 Research Programs / Professional Degrees and Diplomas

The State literacy rate presently is 70.63% (source: Census 2011), against the national literacy
rate of 74.04 %. While the female literacy has considerably improved over the last decade, a
great disparity persists in the literacy rates of males and females.

Education infrastructure

The School education in Madhya Pradesh primarily organized in two sectors: Elementary (I to
VIII) and Secondary (IX to XII). Each of these two sectors are further sub-divided into two sub-
sector where elementary education consists of primary education (I to V) and upper primary
education (VI to VIII) while the secondary education comprises of Middle education (IX and X)
and higher secondary education (XI and XII).

Elementary level School facilities in Madhya Pradesh

Management Type Numbers

Government Primary schools 83412

Aided Primary schools (Private) 852

Unaided Primary schools (Private) 12533

Total Primary 96797

Government Upper Primary schools 29282

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Aided Upper Primary schools (Private) 410

Unaided Upper Primary schools (Private) 20040

Total Upper Primary 49732

Secondary and Higher Secondary schools

There are four main types of recognized schools by management and funding pattern in Madhya
Pradesh. They are: Government, Local Body, Private Aided and Private Unaided.Out of the total
Government schools in Madhya Pradesh, majority are managed by School Education
Department. Tribal Welfare Department also manages a significant number of schools.

The distribution of secondary schools between categories shows that out of the total schools
about 46.29% have only secondary classes and 53.71% have secondary and higher secondary
classes both.

Access to secondary schooling facilities: 72% habitations have high schooling facility within 5
KM radius. But still 28% habitations do not have facility within the norm. Urban area 100%
access is available but in rural area 31% habitations don‘t have facility within the norms.

Various policies and schemes

Mid Day Meal Scheme

In the year 1995-96 Mid Day Meal Scheme was introduced in the government and aided primary
schools of 297 blocks in the state. The school provides food to children. In the year 1997-98, the
scheme was implemented in all the blocks of the state. In tribal regions the scheme provides
prepared food and in non-tribal regions from September 1997 onwards the scheme of providing
prepared food is stopped and now 3 kg. food is distributed for every child every month.

Minorities Welfare

For the welfare of minorities the Government of India launched Madarasa Modernization
scheme. 102 Madarasas are assisted under this scheme. Rs. 36.18 Lakhs were disbursed for
construction of Madarasas. 1100 posts of order Teachers were sanctioned in the year 1996-97
and post of 1000 "Urdu teachers" were sanctioned in the year 1997-98.

Free Books

The scheme provides free books to the students of class I to IV belonging to SC, ST and OBC
category. This scheme of free books is for all girls up to class III and also for the boys of upto III
class of families living below the poverty line. Books for the scheme are provided by Madhya
Pradesh Text Book Corporation. In the year 1998-97 an amount of Rs. 4.00 crore was provided
in the budget of school education for this purpose.

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Shishu Shiksha Scheme

Primary Education Mission concentrates on pre-school education of children. To make the

children aware about school atmosphere and to develop the habits of learning among children of
3 to 5 years age, the state runs 4056 shishu shiksha kendras.

Education Guarantee Scheme

On January 1, 1997, the Government of Madhya Pradesh pioneered a community centred and
rights-based initiative to universalise primary education called 'Education Guarantee Scheme'
(EGS). Under the scheme, the government guaranteed provision of a teacher, her/his salaries,
training of teacher, teachinglearning material and contingencies to start a school within 90 days
wherever there was a demand from a community without a primary schooling facility within 1
km. provided this demand came from at least 25 learners in case of tribal areas and 40 learners in
case of non-tribal areas. The community that made the demand could also suggest the name of a
suitable local resident to be the teacher and be called 'guruji'. The gram panchayat is empowered
to appoint such a "guruji" after the chief executive officer of the Janpad (block) panchayat had
verified the bona fides of the demand and the qualifications of the proposed guruji. The training
of the guruji would be organised by the district administration which would also credit the
amount of annual salaries upfront in the gram panchayat's bank account.

Rajiv Gandhi Prathmik Shiksha Mission

The Rajiv Gandhi Prathmik Shiksha Mission was set up as an autonomous registered society
headed by the Chief Minister of the state to supplement the state government's efforts to
universalize primary education in Madhya Pradesh. The main challenges for the Mission were
posed in the form of inadequate outreach of educational facilities specially in the interior, rural or
tribal areas, marginalisation of economically or socially deprived children, insufficient support to
academic processes and above all a delivery hierarchy that did not factor in the perceptions of its
large user community. These challenges influenced the way that defined its objectives, processes
and tasks. The objectives of the Mission were to create a positive environment for education,
increase enrolment and to improve the quality of teaching-learning processes so as to promote
retention and achievement levels.

Welfare programmes
Welfare programmes and Issues related to - Aged
people, Differently able people, Children, Women,
Labour, Socially deprived Classes and Displaced
groups of developmental projects
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Table of Content

1. Caste System
2. Issues Related to Women
o Gender Discrimination
o Low status of women
o Dowry System
o Sati practice
3. Issues related to Youth
4. Issues related to Minority
5. Issues related to Tribal
6. Issues related to Farmers
7. Issues related to Labourers
8. Issues related to Professionals
9. Issues related to Person with Disablity
10. Substance Abuse and Addiction
11. Communalism
12. Illiteracy
13. Issues Related to elderly
14. Poverty
15. Beggary
16. Unemployment
17. Superstition
18. Problems related to children‘s
o Child labour
o Child marriage
o Juvenile delinquency or Justice system

Caste System

The caste system in India has its roots in ancient India. Just as the ashrama dharma laid down
rules and duties with reference to the individual‘s life in the world, varna or caste system
prescribed duties with reference to the particular caste to which an individual belonged. Earlier
they were all regarded equal in social status and could take up any profession they liked.

There was no restriction in the matter of eating food or marriage with members of other
profession. But with the beginning of specializing in hereditary professions and coming in
contact with the indigenous people situations changed and the birth of the person decided their
caste. Hence the varna system that developed during that time was the outcome of the social and
economic development.

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But as time passed, it led to the division of society into high-caste and low-caste people who
could not mix with each other. Inter-caste dining or marriage was forbidden. People belonging to
the so called lower castes were exploited and slowly down the ages, their condition became
miserable. They were poor and did not enjoy equality in society. They were not even allowed to
draw water from the common wells of the villages, or even could go to the temples or to come
close to the people of the so called higher castes. Thus caste system hampered the healthy growth
of different professions as entry into a particular profession was based on birth and not on ability.

Caste-based discrimination has at times even led to violence. The caste-system also makes the
working of democracy in our country difficult. Society gets divided into artificial groups that
tend to support the candidate who belongs to their caste. They do not pay much attention to the
fact whether he/she is a deserving candidate or not. This is not good for the health of democracy
in India. Our country cannot make real progress unless this system is uprooted completely.

During the post-independence period, i.e. after 1947, the Government has taken cognizance of
these issues and tried to tackle them through legislation (enacting laws to counter these issues) as
well as by social action (by involving the civil society, NGOs (Non-Governmental
Organizations) and social groups. These steps have helped in improving the situation but still a
lot more needs to be done

Issues Related to Women

Gender Discrimination

Discrimination against women begins even before her birth. The gruesome evils of female
feticide and infanticide prove how brutal the world could be to women.

Though the Indian constitution provides equal rights and privileges for men and women and
makes equal provision to improve the status of women in society, majority of women are still
unable to enjoy the rights and opportunities guaranteed to them.

Traditional value system, low level of literacy, more house hold responsibilities lack of
awareness, non-availability of proper guidance, low mobility, lack of self confidence family
discouragement and advanced science and technology are some of the factors responsible to
create gender disparity in our society. The most important causes of gender disparity such as
poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, social customs, belief and anti-female attitude are discussed
here.

Low status of women

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The status ow women in India has been affected by following factors:-

 Property rights
 Illiteracy
 Patriarchal society
 social taboo

Dowry System

The practice of dowry is one of the worst social practices that has affected our culture. In
independent India, one of the landmark legislations is the passing of the Dowry Prohibition Act
in 1961 by the Government of India. Despite the fact that the practice of both giving as well as
accepting dowry is banned by law and such acts are punishable offences, the system is so
thoroughly imbedded in our culture that it continues unabated.

Whether it is rural or urban India, the blatant violation of this law is rampant. Not only dowry
deaths, even most of the acts of domestic violence against women including psychological as
well as physical torture are related to matters of dowry. Some of the very basic human rights of
women are violated almost every day. Sometimes it is heartening to see some girls stand firm to
assert their rights against dowry. But there is an urgent need to strengthen such hands by taking
some concrete as well as comprehensive social, economic, political and administrative measures
in order to free Indian society of this disease

Sati practice

Sati (also called suttee) is the practice among some Hindu communities by which a recently
widowed woman either voluntarily or by use of force or coercion commits suicide as a result of
her husband's death. The best known form of sati is when a woman burns to death on her
husband's funeral pyre. Raja Rammohan Roy even filed a petition for a law banning sati
practice.He percuaded William Bentinck, the Governor of Bengal, to ban sati practice in British
India.

Various program and schemes for women development are:-

 Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG) - SABLA

Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY – CMB Scheme
 Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP) Women
Empowerment and Livelihood Programme in Mid-Gangetic Plains
 Swadhar
 Short Stay Homes Working Womens‘ Hostel
 Ujjawala
 Gender Budgeting Initiatives
 National Mission for Empowerment of Women Family Counselling Centers
 Condensed Courses of Education of Women Awareness Generation Programme
 General Grant-in-aid Scheme for Innovative Work on Women and Child Development
Convention on Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

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 Beijing Platform for Action

Issues related to Youth

Education:

First and the foremost concern of today‘s youth in India is education. Indian youth demands for
better education, employment driven training and brighter future. Youth also want that skill
based education and job placement should be a part of every higher institution. More emphasis
should be laid down on career oriented courses and there should be a connection with real life
scenario rather than just bookish. Youth from non-urban setting generally lacks good
communication skills. This is also one of the major concerns because it acts as an obstacle on the
way to get job and progress.

Unemployment :

Youth unemployment in India is on rise. According to the World Development Report 2013, 9%
of males and 11% females aged between 15 to 24 years are unemployed. As per data of 2009-10,
9.7% of young men and 18.7% of young women in India were unemployed. At global level,
chances of youth being unemployed is three times more than adults. Global financial crisis hit
youth first then adult. Also as per NSSO survey, youth unemployment among illiterate is less as
compared to educated youth. Because illiterate youth is willing to do all sorts of work whereas
educated ones look for jobs in their respective field only. Young graduates suffer the most as far
as getting job is concerned.

Corruption –

Today‘s youth is concerned with the issue of corruption more than anything else and that is why
most of the protestors in the recent Anna Hazare‘s campaign against corruption were the Indian
youth.

Substance Abuse and Addiction

Drug abusing youths are vulnerable to horrible health issues that may spiral to death. Due to
consumption of illegal substance, youth face various challenges like school dropout, which then
later affects their employment chances since they lack adequate education.

Health

The changing feeding habits have caused serious health issues with the youth of the nation.
Obesity and other health issues are on a rise.

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Skill Developement

Youth of the nation are the founding stone for national development. India could harness the
Demographic dividend if the youth of the nation are skilled. Skill India Mission is a
revolutionary idea in bringing the sustainable economic growth to the nation.

Issues related to Minority

Various problems of minority in India are:-

 Communalism and communal tension

 Rise in Extremism
 Education and skill development
 poverty and unemployment

Various constitutional provisions and other steps taken for the development of minority
community in India are:-

 National Commission for Minorities

 National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities
 Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities
 The Central Wakf Council
 The Durgah Khwaja Saheb Act, 1955
 Prime Minister‘s 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities
 Exclusive scholarship schemes for students belonging to the minority communities
 Identification of Minority Concentration Districts Free Coaching and Allied Scheme
 National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation
 Initiatives taken in Pursuance of the Sachar Committee Recommendation

Issues related to Tribal

Tribal's are the aboriginal residents of the Indian subcontinent.They have been exploited for the
ages and are the most vulnerable and underdeveloped section of the Indian society.

In the areas where tribal populations are concentrated, their economic and social conditions are
usually much worse than those of non-tribals. The independence of India in 1947 should have
made life easier for adivasis but this was not the case. Firstly, the government monopoly over
forests continued. If anything, the exploitation of forests accelerated. Secondly, the policy of
capital-intensive industrialization adopted by the Indian government required mineral resources
and power-generation capacities which were concentrated in Adivasi areas.

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Adivasi lands were rapidly acquired for new mining and dam projects. In the process, millions of
adivasis were displaced without any appropriate compensation or rehabilitation. Justified in the
name of ‗national development‘ and ‗economic growth‘, these policies were actually a form of
internal colonialism, subjugating adivasis and alienating the resources upon which they
depended.This alienation of land has lead to rise of descent in the tribal population and has
caused the problem of Naxalism.

 Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP)

 Special Central Assistance for Tribal Sub-Plan
 National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation
 Adivasi Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana (AMSY)
 Micro-credit scheme
 Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd. (TRIFED)
 Grants under the First Proviso to Article 275(1) of the Constitution o Program for
development of Forest Villages
 Scheme for Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs)
 Scheme of Construction of Hostels for ST Boys and Girls o Establishment of Ashram
Schools in Tribal Sub-Plan Area
 Upgradation of Merit of ST students
 Post Matric Scholarships for ST students o Vocational Training in Tribal Areas
 Education of Girls in Low Literacy Pockets o Grants-in-Aid to Voluntary Organisations
 Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF)
 National Overseas Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Tribes (NON-Plan
 Scheme of TOP Class Education for ST Students
 Grants-in-Aid for Minor Forest Produce (MPP) Operations

Issues related to Farmers

India is a tropical country and Indian Agriculture is rightly called as an gamble with the
monsoon. Even after 60 years of independence more than half of the population of the nation
depends on agriculture for there livelihood.

the major problems and issues of Farmers are:-

 Unavailability of HYV Seeds

 Seasonal fluctuations in rainfall
 Lack of Irrigation facilities
 shortage of state of art farm machinery
 Lack of financial resources and institutions which led them in the web of money lenders
 Non availability of other sources of income
 Disguised unemployment
 Juiveline stage of Cooperative and contract farming
 Structural and Infrastructural shortage in agricultural farming
 High Inflation

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 Limited extent of E-Agriculture and use of ICT in agriculture

 Weather forecasting
 Soil Health cards
 shortfall in Storage and Warehouses infrastructure
 Small size of farm holding restricts the mechanization of Indian Agriculture
 Excessive irrigation and soil salination specially in green revolution areas.

Issues related to Labourers

Issues of agricultural labour

1. Excess Supply – there are no accurate estimates of work forces as most of the activity and
persons involved is unorganized and unreported. However the number of persons to work
on and feed off a holding is very high.
2. Seasonal Employment – varying weather patterns – drought, floods, heat cold cause an
unreliable productivity.
3. Backward classes SC ST – farmers usually come from a less privileged class and hence
are mostly un-educated and do not have benefits of respect of the society.
4. Small farm land holdings – which result in a lack of economies of scale.
5. Limited subsidiary occupation – alternate revenue streams from other activities are not
available to farmers.
6. Heterogeneous – issues and problems have regional variations.
7. Migration to other occupations – the more educated and efficient work forces are
migrating to other forms of employment, leaving weaker work forces in the agricultural
profession.
8. Indebtedness – money is borrowed from exploitative private money lenders. Borrowings
spiral and the ability to pay back is limited. There is a need for agro finance, micro-
finance, cooperative banking and financial products to suit farmers needs and longer term
payback schedules.

Issues of Industrial Labour:-

1. Freedom of Association, Right to organize and Right to Collective Bargaining

2. Abolition of forced labor
3. Minimum age of employment and abolition of child labor
4. Prohibition on workplace discrimination and Equal pay for men and women for work of
equal value
5. Simplification of procedures
6. Huge Informal Sector
7. Entry and exit Barriers for firms and Job security for workers
8. Modernization

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Issues related to Professionals

 depressed or suffering from anxiety disorders

 Lack of self confidence,
 unrealistic expectations
 a nutrient deficient diet and health problems
 lifestyle diseases
 Changing social and family values

Issues related to Person with Disablity

The differently abled are not ‗disabled‘ only because they are physically or mentally impaired‘
but also because society is built in a manner that does not cater to their needs. Society has for
long neglected the needs and social values of the person with disabilities.
The social construction of disability has another dimension. There is a close relationship between
disability and poverty. Malnutrition, mothers weakened by frequent childbirth, inadequate
immunization programmes, accidents in overcrowded homes, all contribute to an incidence of
disability among poor people that is higher than among people living in easier circumstances.
Furthermore, disability creates and exacerbates poverty by increasing isolation and economic
strain, not just for the individual but for the family; there is little doubt that disabled people are
among the poorest in poor countries.

Various programs and steps taken for the welfare of person with disability are:-

 The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full
Participation) Act, 1995.
 National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral palsy, Mental
Retardation and Multiple Disabilities
 Office of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities
 Rehabilitation Council of India
 Biwako Millennium Framework
 National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation
 Scheme for Assistance to disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of aids and appliances
Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India
 Composite Regional Centers and Regional Rehabilitation Centers

Communalism

India is a multi religious nation with different communities living in peace with other
communities since ages . Persons belonging to different communities such as Hindus, Sikhs,

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Muslims, Christians, Parsees, etc. live in India. The aggressive attitude of one community
towards the other creates tension and clashes between two religious communities. Hundreds of
people die in communal riots. It breeds hatred and mutual suspicion.

Communalism is an issue that needs to be tackled and eradicated. It poses a great challenge to
democracy and unity of our country. It is therefore, a major obstacle in the path of our progress.
Education is one very important means through which we can hope to bring peace and harmony
in society. We must remember that we are all human beings first, before we belong to a religious
community. We must respect all religions. Our country is secular, which means that all religions
are treated equally and everyone is free to follow their own religion.

Illiteracy

Literacy is defined as the ability to read and write. It is an evolving concept which not only
entails the grasping abilities of printed text but also the abilities to adapt visual entities and
technological awareness as well.

 Causes of low literacy in India are:-

 inadequate school facilities.
 The teaching staff is inefficient and unqualified.
 lack of proper sanitation which adversely effects specially the female education.
 shortage of teachers as well.
 Social Taboo specially against the female education
 Poverty and unemployment are the major cause of illiteracy.
 Shortfalls in the implementation of Right to Education.

Issues Related to elderly

Poverty

Beggary

Superstition

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Problems related to children’s

Health and Education are the prime requirement for development of nation and states. It is
unfortunate that even after more than six decades of independence;we are still termed as most
backward nation on number of health and education indicators.{facts – i.e. 42% of Indian
children are malnourished etc, include IMR rate which is highest in MP.} Now time has come to
find the reasons why even after investing huge amount we could not make satisfactory progress
in health sector especially of women and children. If these impediments are removed, nation can
expects major breakthrough in the sector. The main objective of the Department of Women &
Child Development is to reduce Maternal Mortality Rate, Infant Mortality rate and Malnutrition
among children and women. Thus main responsibility of implementation of Integrated Child
Development Services (ICDS) Programme in the State lies with the department.{include ICDS
background and its problems}. schemes/programs include women group formation, legal literacy
programme for women, elimination of prostitution, Beti Bachao Abhiyan for increasing female
sex ratio, empowering Adolescent Girls of 11 to 18 years by improving their nutritional and
health status through Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls(SABLA), up
gradation of home skills, life skills andvocational skills. The Department also reviews, suggests
and makes suitable amendments in various

laws and rules concerned with women's status for women's empowerment. Integrated child
protection scheme ( ICPS) has been started especially for the children for their integrated welfare
and rehabilitation who are in the difficult situation.For improving sex ratio in age group 0-6
years,Beti Bachao Abhiyan (Save the Girl Child Campaign) is being implemented in the State.

Mangal Divas:-

Every Tuesday is celebrated as Janamdin. So this is called Mangal divas. Anna Prasana,
Godbharai and kishori Scheme with the help of Health Department inform of small function.
First Tuesday as divas for GOD BHARAI RASM, in which an expectant woman receives the
traditional offerings of Sreephal,Sindoor, Chudi and Bindi, with the objective to take complete
care of the pregnant woman's diet, nutrition with timely medical support. During the function,
100 tablets of iron and folic acid are given to each pregnant woman to help them to sustain
through a healthy and fit term of pregnancy. Second Tuesday is celebrated as Annaprashan divas
with the objective to promote community participation in ICDS programmes and to decrease
infant mortality rate. Additional nutritive supplement being provided to the child who has
completed six months of agew under the programme. On third Tuesday, every child between the
age group of 1 year to 6 years will celebrate his birthday at aanganwadi centers with other
children. The aim of celebrating this as birthday to enhance the interpersonal relation between
aanganwadi centers and the community and to make the ICDS more effective and powerful.
Adolescent Girl Day is celebrated on fourth Tuesday with a cultural programmes such as
singing, dancing, rangoli making etc, as well as general knowledge and sports competition. The
rationale behind these cultural gatherings is to build awareness among girls the importance of

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nutrition, primary health care and vocation training of various trades, which help to improve their
level of income and economy. In addition to this, health check up camps where distribution of
iron and folic acid tablets are made is also a part of this celebration.

Sanjha Chulah-

 for age group 3-6 years which provides cooked meal in morning breakfast and after
 noon lunch. There is provision of third meal also for malnourished children. daily new
and delicious supplementary food will be supplied at anganwadi.

Beti Bachao Abhiyan Yojna-

Present adverse sex ratio and the declining numbers of the girl child in the state is a serious cause
for concern and warrant immediate corrective and concrete steps to halt this adverse trend. In this
direction, state has started ― Beti Bachao Abhiyan (Save the Girl Child Campaign)‖ from 5th
October 2011. The Women and Child Development Department is a nodal Department for this
campaign. Under this campaign,various departments of the State government will act on 66
action points. The action points include observance of the Beti Diwas (Daughter‘s day), invoking
community participation through participation of various communities, including religious
leaders, and panchayati raj representatives, celebrating the special achievements of the girls in
the state, effective implementation of the

PCPNDT Act, providing education facilities to families with girl children only. Such families
living below poverty line will be provided pension, on attaining the age of 55. These families
will be provided other facilities like vocational training, concession in stamp duty on registration
of homes in names of the relevant person/spouse etc.

Atal Bal Arogya Evam Poshan Mission:

The objective of the Mission is to provide an enabling mechanism for prevention and reduction
of malnutrition and under five mortality rates in the children of the State through coordinated and
concerted efforts of the key stakeholders.

The key mandate for the Mission is to improve child nutrition by:

 supporting improved service delivery and quality of services in theIntegrated Child

Development Services (ICDS) programme while establishing effective coordination with
relevant Departments, with a focus on children under two years of age;
 facilitating effective implementation of evidence based policy andoperational reforms for
improving the coverage and quality of ICDS;
 establishing institutional mechanisms for effective integrated planningand monitoring;
and
 Assisting DWCD to design operational framework for communalizationof ICDS services.

Targets-

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 Reducing mortality rate for children under five years (U5MR) from 94.2 to 60 per
thousand live births by 2020
 Reducing the percentage of underweight children under five years from60% to 40% by
2015 and further from 40% to 20% by 2020.
 Reducing prevalence of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in childrenunder 5 years from
12.6% to 5% by 2015 and to negligible by 2020.comprehensive strategy and action plan
for implementation and achievement of its goals.
 To achieve the planned goals and objectives, mission has defined its strategy and micro
planning. However, the strategy and action plan is limited to three years only and may be
revisited as and when required.

Nirasrit Bal Grih Scheme:

Also known as Shelter less Children's Home Scheme. The objective of the scheme is to ensure
proper upbringing of shelter less children by giving them education and training, so that they
grow up as productive and socially responsible citizens. A grant equivalent to 90% of Rs.250,
i.e., Rs.225/- per child per month is provided to the voluntary organizations running such homes.

Bal Vikas Kendra Yojana- Also known as Child Development Centre Scheme. The object of
this scheme is to provide opportunities for creative development of children up to the age of 16
years. One such centre has been established at Jobat (Jhabua District) where children between 6
to16 years of age are admitted. Under this scheme a grant of Rs.500/- per child per month is
provided to the voluntary organizations. 90% of the total expenditure is borne by the State
government and remaining 10% by the concerned organization. Such establishment of child
development centres are mostly in tribal areas.

Jabali Scheme for Eradication of prostitution- (MPPCS 2010 mains)

The scheme is an attempt to discourage women/girls of adopting caste based prostitution

prevalent among the Bedia, Banchada and Sansi communities. Different kinds of activities are
being implemented, with the help of voluntary agencies, which revolve round the women/girls
involved in the practice and their children. These are being organized in 5 stages as follow:

 Ashram Shalas for education of children

 Economic programme for prostitutes
 Protection/shelter and rehabilitation homes for children
 E.C. schemes for creation of public awareness
 Schemes for health check-up and treatment of prostitutes

Presently, under this scheme, Ashram schools are being run in 6 districts –

Morena, Rajgarh, Sagar ,Raisen, Chhatarpur and Vidisha.

MP schemes on women empowerment:-

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The cabinet has taken a decision establish 'Directorate of Women Empowerment' in the state by
bifurcating the 'Directorate of Women and Child Development' for effective implementation of
women's empowerment schemes

-->sate government calender for year 2012 has slogan 'Beti hae to Kal hae'

(Future is when Daughter is)

Ladli Laxmi Yojana- To benefit girls right from their births upto marriage

To create positive thinking about girls among masses, improvement insex ratio and encourage
girls' education and health

To make girls in the state a 'Lakhpati' at 21 years of ageGovernment deposits National Saving
Certificate (NSC) worth Rs.6000/-p.a. for five years i.e. NSCs worth Rs.30,000/- are deposited in
a girl's name

Every girl child enrolled under Ladli Laxmi Yojana will get Rs.1.8 lakhwhen she attains the age
of 21 years and had not married before 18 years of age

Mukhya Mantri Kanya Dan Yojana-

To provide financial assistance to poor, needy, destitute families for marrying off their
daughters/ widows/ divorcees

Under this scheme, mass marriages are performed which increase socialharmony and curb
unnecessary expenditure on weddings.

Beti Bachao Abhiyan- Initiated to balance sex ratio and foster awareness and sensitivity
insociety 12 department have been given the responsibility of identified 66Activities. As part of
its campaign, the government plans to promote frugal marriage ceremonies and encourage social
boycott of people who take and give dowry

The multi-pronged approach will involve changing the pro-son mindsetand a combination of
incentives and disincentives in favour of the girl child. Steps like reserving half the posts of
teachers for women and pension to parents whose only children are daughters will be initiated
besides promoting adoption of the girl child

Taking effective measures to prevent pre-natal tests and cases of foeticideTo protect girl child
under PCNDT Act - In a first action of its kind in the state under the PC & PNDT Act, the name
of a lady doctor, who had offered planning for male child has been removed from the register of
MP Medical Council for a period of five years.

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Gaon Ki Beti Yojana-

To provide financial assistance to motivate talented rural girls for higher education in
government or private colleges Scholarship worth Rs.500/- p.m. to Ist division class 12th passed
rural girlsfor 10 months

Pratibha Kiran Yojana-

To improve educational standards of Ist division class 12th passed girls belonging to urban BPL
families

Rs.300/- p.m. for degree courses for 10 monthsAtal Bal Arogya Evam Poshan Mission-

Prevention and reduction of malnutrition & U5 mortality rates.

Targets- U5MR- from 94 à 60% by 2020

To reduce under weight children from 60 to 40 by 2015 and 40 to 20% by 2020

Usha Kiran Yojana-

For implementation of Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 (PWDVA),
Madhya Pradesh launched Usha Kiran Yojana in the year 2008

The scheme's objective is to help in reduction in cases of domesticviolence, awareness

generation about the rights, building confidence and entire development of women, better rearing
of children, and making happy and ideal home environment.

Fact- The State has an area of 308, 244 Sq. Km., making it the second largest state inthe country
(9.38% of country‘s total area). The State has a population densityof 236 persons as against that
of the country at 382. The configuration ofadministrative units in the State includes 10 divisions,
51 districts, 342 Tehsils (sub-districts) and 313 Blocks with 89 (28%) of them being the Tribal
Blocks.

There are as many as 476 towns and 54903 villages.

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