Role and Effectiveness of Public Distribution System in Assuring Food Security in India: An Appraisal

Despite huge stocks of food grains and age old system of public distribution, hunger and malnutrition still persist in various parts of India. The difference across states has also complicated matters further to the detriment of the poor. At this very outset, India is facing the problem of food insecurity for quite some long period of time. Food security is one of the basic criteria for the formation and improvement of human capital and also productivity of human being. In precise term, food security is supposed to exist  when all people , at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient ,safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. The most important medium through which government ensures food security at micro level is the Public Distribution System (PDS). But, in India, the working of public distribution system and other government policies have not been successful in achieving food security at the desired level. In this backdrop, this paper tries to analyse the food security condition of the country during the last few decades and the working of PDS with some macro measures. More specifically, this paper tries to identify food insecure population of the country, analyse the availability, storage, procurement of food grain , assess the effectiveness of PDS, identify the discrepancies in the system, find ways to remove the anomalies and to make the delivery mechanism more effective

Human Resource Management Practices and Its Effect on Employees’ Job Satisfaction: A Study on Selected Small and Medium Sized Iron &Steel Firms in India

This study attempts to explore the impact of HR practices on employees' job satisfaction in the context of selected iron and steel firms of India. A total of 45 responses from 17 small and medium sized manufacturing firms were collected and analyzed objectively. It was found that factors like performance appraisal, participation in decision making, training and development, empowerment, compensation influencing human resource management( HR) practices have significant association with job satisfaction (JS). In addition, performance appraisals, participation in decision making are found to have high positive impact on job satisfaction (JS). It has also been found that other elements like training and development, empowerment, compensation have substantial impact on employees' job satisfaction. But, job rotation, self-directed work teams, recruitment and selection have very negligible impact on job satisfaction as their respective t statistics are insignificant. Key words: HRM, HR Practices, job satisfaction, iron &steel, industry, India

B.R.Ambedkar and his Philosophy on Indian Democracy: An Appraisal

The main goal of the study is to analyze and evaluate critically the idea of B.R.Ambedkar, the great Indian constitution maker, regarding Indian democracy and to capture the position of Ambedkar on issues whose relevance is even felt at present. Analyzing the idea of democracy of Ambedkar in details, it can be found out that Ambedkar had unshakeable faith in democracy. In his conception of exploitation less society, democracy has an extra-ordinary role which he defined as one person, one vote'; and 'one vote, one value'. Democracy means empowerment of any person for participating in the process of decision-making relating to her/him, democracy means liberty, equality and fraternity - Ambedkar's definition of democracy had such a tone. This research gives closer and analytical insight into the thoughts of Ambedkar and provides an answer to the question of whether we, the Indian, achieve religious tolerance, human equality and freedom, true democracy, gender respect in the society, justice and peace in the light of political philosophy of Ambedkar whose memory will ever guide the nation on the path of justice, liberty and equality

An Insight into the Vision of Charismatic Leadership: Evidence from Recent Administrative Change in West Bengal Province of India

Leadership is always fascinating subject in any current job. The charismatic leader is perhaps the most exciting as his/her leadership abilities are often attributed to strong character, feats of great strength and heroism or divine guidance. Charismatic Leaders are often thought of as heroes that are able to use their personal allure to lead others.  In view of this, the article attempts to enquire into the vision of charismatic leadership process in the context of ascent of a great charismatic leader, Miss Mamata Banerjee, the present chief minister of West Bengal Province of India, who alone with her charisma brings about administrative change in the West Bengal Province of India removing 34 years leftist regime.By maintaining her humility and setting an example of integrity, honesty and peaceful civil disobedience, Mamata Banerjee, the great believer of Gandhian philosophy and a firebrand orator, was able to achieve West Bengal's administrative power. History has numerous examples of charismatic leaders who produce both negative and positive results. But, Mamata Banerjee, following the path of Mahatma Gandhi, used her charisma to inspire her people to protest nonviolently. Mamata Banerjee fasted to show self-sacrifice and commitment to her beliefs. Her charismatic leadership helped her gain followers and enough attention to aid in peacefully ending red citadel of CPIM led Leftist govt. from West Bengal province of India. Key words: Leadership, charisma, followers, India

An Appraisal of Influence of Eminent Personalities on Ambedkar's Political Thought during Early Twentieth Century

Born in a socially backward caste, educated according to the western system, rational in outlook, to some extent, rebellious in temperament, Ambedkar, the great architect of Indian Constitution, came to the appropriate moment to assume the natural and appropriate leadership and participated in the social struggles and constitutional matters in a strategic way in India. Ambedkar was schooled in the liberal political tradition which he imbibed through his interaction with the Western culture as result of his British moulded higher education in India and his training in Columbia University and London School of Economics and Political Science. He was fortunate enough to receive education in the West where he came under the influence of the liberal- minded professors like Dewey, Harold Laski, Seligman and others. Against this background information, this article attempts to depict the influence of various eminent personalities on the political thought of B.R.Ambedkar. Ambedkar's birth in an untouchable community and in a system based on graded inequality and injustice and deprivation of basic human rights to his community was responsible for giving a purpose and a mission to his life

Emergence and Applicability of Competition Act, 2002 in India’s New Competitive Regime: An Overview

In the quest of globalization, India has countered positively by opening up its economy, removing controls and resorting to liberalization. Thus, to achieve the objective of maximum economic efficiency, the liberal trade policy must be complimented through a sound competition policy by preventing anti-competitive business practices and unnecessary government intervention.  The Competition Act, 2002 as amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007, removing the former MRTP Act,1969, follows the philosophy of modern competition laws and aims at fostering competition and at protecting Indian markets against anti-competitive practices by enterprises. The Act prohibits anticompetitive agreements, abuse of dominant position by enterprises, and regulates entering into combinations (consisting of mergers, amalgamations and acquisitions) with a view to ensure that there is no adverse effect on competition in India. In view of this, this article tries to highlight the issues and challenges contained in the Indian Competition Act, 2002 in ensuring competitive business environment. A good competition policy, along with a sound competition law, should help in fostering competition, economic efficiency, consumer welfare and freedom of trade, which should equip the Governments in meeting the challenges of globalization by increasing competition in local and national markets. Key words: Competition, Act, India, MRTP

An Insight into B.R Ambedkar's Idea of Nationalism in the Context of India's Freedom Movement

B.R. Ambedkar's notion of nationalism and his understanding of the Indian national movement have rarely received adequate academic consideration either from the liberal or radical scholars and the historians in India. This study attempts to analyze Ambedkar's self generated vision of nationalism and also evaluate why he and dalits did not participate directly in the Indian national movement as directed by the congress which is a question that needs to be analyzed along with current debate raised by Arun Shourie criticizing the Ambedkar's feeling of nationalism. It is true that Ambedkar never keenly participated in India's national movement, rather he opposed the mainstream national movement, but this kind of attitude indirectly contributed much by laying the broad social foundation on which the present Indian nation state stands

Villages and Urbanization

In this article comments by politician Boris Johnson and economist Edward Glaeser exemplify narratives of global urbanization that portray rural villages as redundant and perpetuate outdated notions of urban–rural division. Simultaneously, traditional urban–rural dialectics are distorted by divisive new urban projects like gated communities styled as villages. This paper argues for development models that acknowledge the vital environmental and economic roles played by rural villages, and opposes artificially created “villages” in cities. In so doing, alternative readings of rurality and villages by Rem Koolhaas, Brazilian land reformers, Mahatma Gandhi, and critics of contemporary Indian literature and urbanism are considered

Impact of Population Growth on Environmental Degradation: Case of India

Rapid population growth in a country like India is threatening the environment through expansion and intensification of agriculture, uncontrolled growth of urbanization and industrialization, and destruction of natural habitats. The present paper is an attempt to study the population change and its impacts on land, forest and water and energy resources. Rapid population growth plays an important role in declining per capita agricultural land, forest and water resources. The analysis reveals that outcomes of high population growth rates are increasing population density and number of people below poverty line. Population pressure contributes to land degradation and soil erosion, thus affecting productive resource base of the economy. The increasing population numbers and growing affluence have resulted in rapid growth of energy production and consumption in India. The environmental effects like ground water and surface water contamination; air pollution and global warming are of growing concern owing to increasing consumption levels. The paper concludes with some policy reflections and emphasizes the potential importance of natural resources. Key words: Population, India, Growth, environment, degradation

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and his thought on socialism in India-A critical evaluation

In establishing an egalitarian society in India which is based on liberty , equality and fraternity and social justice,Ambedkar, the great Indian Constitution maker, struggled to find out avenues and means – intellectual, organizational and in terms of programmes throughout his life. This study attempts to throw light on Ambedkar’s quest for socialism in India with special reference to Marxism and Buddhism. He accepted the concept of class struggle but he felt that in the Indian set up, it had to be substantially redefined and ascribed a similar agenda to the Buddha and agreed that one of the major contradictions of capitalism was the social basis of its production in contrast to private appropriation. He criticized Marxism for subscribing to economic determinism, for its inadequate grasp of liberal democracy, for its inability to adequately understand the realm of ideologies and for considering moral values as historically conditioned. Though Ambedkar described his scheme of economic organization of the Indian society as state socialism, in view of its other features, we believe it appropriate to identify it democratic socialism. Moreover, collective farming , one of the major features of his model of democratic socialism, needs to be thoroughly reconsidered as it lacked viability. It is somewhat inconceivable how he could achieve socialism by eliminating socio-economic inequality without undermining the basic economic foundation of society on which the system of inequality was founded. The inability to resolve this contradiction ultimately led Ambedkar to find solace in Buddhism, with an attempt to present its teachings ‘in a new light to suit modern class realities’. In fact, Ambedkar‘s conversion to Buddhism was a ‘self-deception’ and channeled the whole movement of workers and peasants led by him into ‘reactionary and metaphysical conceptions’