Research on Science Fiction and Ursula K Le Guin

Research on Science Fiction and Ursula K Le Guin Chapter V Summation Science fiction is a genre of literature that deals with the technological advancements of the futuristic society. It does not stop with that but also compares the well-being of the human beings with respect to the cultural, social and psychological changes that happen due to the technological advancements. The humanistic values of past, present and the anticipation of it in the future is also considered by science fiction. Humanism exists in several forms from ancient times. The presence of humanism in various forms helped humans to lead meaningful lives. Several theories in humanism helped it to evolve and fulfill the needs of human beings. The chief focus of humanism is mankind which is seen in the many works of Renaissance art and literature. It gained popularity as it appeared in literature and the popular characters in the novel elaborated the aim of humanism more than the theorists. Two such theories are Dehumanisation and Transhumanism that reveals a great deal about the scie ntific progressions of the present and the near futures human society. Understanding the past and present science fiction reveals the future and nature of humankind in a technically advanced society. The presence of artificial or alienated setting of the universe in science fiction clearly questions the spirit of being human. The adverse effects of technology in the future world of human beings could easily be found in the pages of science fiction. Technology becomes the deciding factor of the fate of mankind and the universe. The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words. Hence science fiction had been the essential genre of literature that gives ideas to visualize the future with a cautioning note to prepare the humankind face the consequences. Dehumanisation and Transhumanism refer to the physical and psychological changes that happen in the technically evolved sop histicated society. The study focuses to serve as an eye opener for the society to be aware of the importance of Science Fiction in projecting the most possible future and the adverse effects of technology that affects both the physical and psychological peace of the human society. The first chapter unveils the origin, history and evolution of Science Fiction and also gives a brief introduction about American Science Fiction as an exclusive genre of literature. The presence of Humanism in literature from its onset is also discussed in the first chapter. The evolved humanism is known as transhumanism that bothers only about human happiness irrespective of other factors. It is the possibility of fundamentally transforming the human condition with the widely-developed technology. The presence of transhumanism in fictions also gives a chance for people about the upcoming sophistication and also the possible danger. Dehumanization is the denial of humanness to other humans. It means more than the denial of basic rights. The target is on the creative aspect of an individual and affecting their psychology. Dehumanisation in Science Fiction is unintentional as most often the humans are affected by the technical advancements. Dehumanization influences psychological lite rature and portrays the struggle of the human beings in the dominating technical world. It is wise to consider the fictional setting seriously that may even become real in near future. The elements of transhumanism and dehumanization in science fiction are categorized with respect to the select novels of Ursula K Le Guin. Since the setting of science fiction is believed to be the near possible future, transhumanistic and dehumanisation themes in Science Fiction have larger impact than other possible genres of fiction. The chapter proceeds to introduce Ursula K Le Guin, one of the prominent authors of Science Fiction. Le Guins influence on her contemporary and other writers were also focused keenly as she is one of the early writers of SF. She being the first SF writer to focus on the gender issues in SF, a keen importance is also given to the role of gender in her novels. In contrary to the opinion of borrowing the devices from the early authors, she has invented the fictitious comm unicative device which was used by her successive SF writers. The plot summaries of all the select novels have been encompassed. The chapter discloses about the theories of Transhumanism and Dehumanisation. The relevant literature reviews are analysed and included in the first chapter. The unique technical features of Le Guins SF novels are also given due importance. The second chapter Across the Universe brings in a new insight about the theories of Transhumanism and Dehumanisation with regard to Science Fiction. It focuses on the significant features of Science Fiction in the select novels of Ursula K Le Guin. The scientific setting of the novels is analysed in order to relate the elements of the theories. The earlier predictions of SF and its relevance to the existing world are also discussed to validate the researchers point of view. The characters of all the select novels are studied in depth to analyse the psychological nature in a scientific or an alienated setting. Transhumanistic elements present in each novels of Guin is analysed deeply. It is applied to bring out the evolution of human beings as technical human beings in the present scenario. The technology influenced society is brought to light with the determination of the transhumanistic indicators in the select novels. The psychic nature of human beings in the SF society is also s tudied through the character depiction of Le Guins novels. Even though there are people around the normal human characters they feel alienated in artificial society where the humanity is in stake. Dehumanisation of the human beings is clearly manifested through the treatment of the characters. The application of the theories is mainly based on the setting and characterization present in the novels. The relevant physical and psychological indicators of Transhumanism and Dehumanisation in the novels are listed in the chapter. The application of the theories implies an underlying caution for the existing society about the dangers of technological developments. Transhumanism focuses on how human beings have evolved with technology and the analysis by the researcher also enables the human beings to understand the psychological changes that happen in the characters. The inner peace of the characters is disturbed by the technical advancements and it also affects the overall societal ethnicity. The themes of SF should be noted as it varies from the setting of Fantasy novels, as Arthur C. Clarke rightly points out, Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. SF novels do not attempt to imagine totally implausible technology that affects the human beings bu t only the probable advancements that would affect the nature of human society in near future. Few SF authors project the past history with advanced technologies to depict the present miseries or political turmoil of the late or present society. Science fiction focuses not only on the realities of specific problems but also symbolizes the most critical cultural uncertainties. Science fiction novels explore the possible technical revolution that tends to happen in the universe and consider essential idealistic questions about the nature of reality and the mindset of human beings. The research is significant because science fiction is the only genre that predicts how society would function differently in an imaginary future and also consider methods to make future a better place for human beings. The select novels of Ursula K Le Guin also project the inevitable changes in the present or future society and the crucial changes in the nature of human beings. The author employs a future galactic civilization loosely connected by an organizational body known as the Ekumen and considers the consequences of contact between different worlds and cultures. The characterization and technology is interlinked in the novels that project the social and cultural impact on the various related human species. The novels employ alien cultures to examine structural characteristics of human culture and society. The fourth chapter-Gateway to Future Science Fiction tends to prove the researchers point of view by projecting the necessary elements responsible for the prediction of futuristic society where the way of salvation awaits. Equal importance is given to the scenario of the present society which lays the foundation for the authors fictitious world. The chapter aims to focus on the link between the past and present to judge the future. The speculative fictions also anticipate the cultural, psychological and sociological changes that happen in the human society. The elements of the theories are applied to prove that Le Guin had spectacularly combined the past and present to predict the future of human beings. The chapter also paves way to revisit the present society and change its atrocities and reconcile in order to dwell in a better future. The final chapter concludes the study by correlating the theories of Transhumanism and Dehumanisation with the select novels of Le Guin. It summarises the second, third and fourth chapters in order to substantiate the researchers point of view. The major findings of the study are discussed and substantiated. Scope for further research on SF has also been recommended. FINDINGS The research on the select novels of Ursula K Le Guin shows that the perspective of future, technology and human lives warn the society about the impact of technology on the universe. The analysis of past and present had paved way to visit the futuristic technology. Science fiction is the cloud on the horizon which is proved by analyzing the past science fiction novels and their present relevance to the society. The present technological advancements had made the science fiction writers to project the future brave new world. The following are the findings of the research. Adverse effects of technology had Transhumanised and Dehumanised the human beings that had resulted in the theft of humanism in the future society. The change should be welcomed but the sophisticated living provided by the technology threatens to destroy the nature of being humane. The research had helped in understanding the imaginary future to make the possible future a better place for human beings. There are bot h good and bad effects of transhumanism on the society. The good effects obviously make us long for transhumanistic developments whereas the bad effects help to prepare ourselves to face the challenges posed by the technological advancements. The research serves as an eye opener for people as Le Guins select novels have greater technological elements and stands as a witness to the implication of Transhumanism. The theory of Dehumanisation is best reflected through the characters of Le Guins novels as she had depicted the psychological conflict and a sense of alienation in a futuristic society where humanity is nowhere to be found. It helps in bringing about an awareness of the term Transhumanism and dehumanization that had been applied to the select novels of Ursula K Le Guin. The study also demonstrates how the novels bring to the fore certain assumptions of transitional humanism with relevance to the present context. The novels at the same time reiterates how certain fundamental a spects of nature are changed and lead to destruction of the natural way of living. The psychological identity of the characters in an alienated society also depicts how the people would be longing for a natural life style. The society may become hostile in exploring the human condition in exile and the sense of belonging gets affected due to the possession of phenomenal developments in futuristic technology. Androgynous society depicted in a novel had explicitly Hence, science fiction is nothing but a warning text about the future possible technological advancements that reveals the present-day scenario to the lime light. The perspectives of Science Fiction literature with reference to Le Guins novels and the theories of Transhumanism and Dehumanisation have been analysed. SUGGESTIONS Science fictions with Transhumanistic theme must be a part of the syllabus and curriculum as young adults, the students should be aware of the happenings in the field of science and technology. Literature should not be treated as something unrelated to reality. Literature is basically transcriptions of human experience and hence can serve as guides in negotiating ones personal, social, moral and spiritual spaces. Curriculum should be designed in such a way that the study of literature helps students to locate their knowledge to real life contexts and to make them better persons and better workers. The teaching of science fiction should not be for mere thrill and sense of wonder but should focus on inducing awareness on how science is impacting everyones life in todays world. Everything is mechanized in the contemporary world, but in recent times, people try to move back to the traditional way of living by preferring traditional foods to the modern packed food items. This change posit ively indicates the benefits of natural living and the effects of mechanized living. Cultural and social changes also owe a great deal to the technological developments. Hence it is essential to read science fiction as a piece of providing knowledge than as a piece for entertainment. SCOPE FOR FUTURE RESEARCH The novels of Le Guin devote magnificent space for human mind and its functional attributes. Research can be done on Thinking styles presented in the novel. Another area of research can be the aspects of feminism present specifically in The Left Hand of Darkness. The utopian elements in the novels of Le Guin can be another area of research. Le Guins novels have reminiscent of Taoism and Buddhism. Hence, a research on the religious aspects of Le Guins novels can also be carried out. Style and structure of the way the novel had been written can also be analysed. Anthropological elements present in the novels is a great area of research as Le Guins father is a renowned anthropologist. Research can also be done on the hainish universe in which all the novels of Le Guin are set. Mythological elements used by Le Guin in her novels can also be analysed for future research. Native flora and fauna of all the novels of Le Guin is yet another area of research as all the novels are set in differ ent planets. Fantasy elements present in the novels of Le Guin can also be taken into account as she had used lots of fantastical elements in the novels.The themes of science fiction like artificial intelligence, alternate history,post-apocalyptic elements could be analysed. Le Guins novels could also be analysed and compared to speculative fiction.

Aerospace Outsourcing

Title of Assignment: Outsourcing and the AeroSpace Industry Table of Contents The origin of outsourcing in the Aerospace Industry†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦.. . Page 3 Barriers to entry in the Monopoly and Oligopoly Industry†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. .Page 4 Types of Outsourcing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. . Page 4 The Demand for Outsourcing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. . Page 6 S. W. O. T. Analysis of Outsourcing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. . Page 7 Gross Domestic Product †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦.. . Page 9 The future of Outsourcing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Page 10 Is it Outsourcing or Offshoring†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. . Page 12 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ . Page 13 PowerPoint Presentation Slides The origin of Outsourcing in the Aerospace Manufacturing The term outsourcing is frequently used to describe a movement away from vertical integration – moving an activity outside the firm that formally was done within the firm. The term outsourcing also is used to describe an ongoing arrangement where a firm obtains a part or service from an external firm {text:bibliograp hy-mark} . Outsourcing is not a new concept, for hundreds of years businesses have outsourced their needs; however, during the industrial evolution the US economy begun to acquire a greater need for outsourcing as costs of manufacturing became a concern, this move begun in the 1950’s and continued aggressively to the 1980’s and 1990’s as global competition placed a greater strain on the economic growth {text:bibliography-mark} . Outsourcing was not formally identified as a business strategy until 1989 (Mullin, 1996). In the beginning of this acclaimed activity, firms outsourced what was deemed essential; however, as the evolution of outsourcing occured – fueled by the need to ‘cut-cost’ continued, other functions which were important but not relative to the core competencies of the firm begun to be outsource as well. From an economic perspective outsourcing is an industry in itself which can be viewed from a micro-economic and macro-economic perspective, this indicates its demand and supply curve moves in respective directions as the need for it grows or diminishes just as any other markets within an economy. In saying this it can be a very broad subject and can carry large discussions; this paper will deviate towards outsourcing’s role in the commercial aerospace manufacturing industry which begun in 1954 with Boeing and remained dominated by Boeing, Airbus and Bombardier since 1986. Barriers to entry Barriers to entry are one of the key incentives of the monopoly and oligopoly industry. The Aerospace industry, which is dominated by three main players, Boeing, Airbus and Bombardier is considered to be an oligopoly industry, because of the â€Å"Market Power† that is held by these firms. The industry has high fixed cost and is excessively capital intensive and time consuming, which serves as the key restriction not to be attractive for competition. In order to create value and share risk, the industry has fostered the idea of outsourcing. Outsourcing is using the facilities and services of a third party to supply good that would otherwise be created by the organization. Figure 1 details the major difference between a market with perfect competition and one that does not: {draw:frame} Types of Outsourcing The outsourcing framework begins with the decision to ‘make or buy,’ this would lead to ‘_insourcing__’_ (make) or outsourcing (buy). Outsourcing has two major components, ‘_inshoring_’ (in-land) or ‘_offshoring_’ (distant land). Offshoring has three major component, ‘_nearshore__’_ which indicates the work is outsourced to a nearby country to the parent company as opposed to farshoring; whereas, ‘_captive centers__’_ are overseas subsidiaries set-up to serve the parent company {text:bibliography-mark} . The framework of outsourcing can be very complex and arriving at the decisions can cause a material change in the supply curve of a manufacturing firm as the process of outsourcing is very costly and burdensome, if done improperly it can have a an unfavorable ROI. {draw:frame} Jobs outsourced Job functions outsourced fall in two major categories, Information Technology (IT) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). Under BPO, essential components or parts are being outsourced where it once was manufactured in-house. In the Commercial Aerospace manufacturing industry, it became more prevalent that manufacturing all parts of a commercial airplane was time consuming and costly, this brought about the demand for outsourcing. The demand of outsourcing Outsourcing is an exponential concept in business that has an impact on both the provider and consumer. When this aspect is viewed through the business lenses, the focus is on value creation. The intrinsic benefit of outsourcing is twofold, in that, the consumer gets to reap the benefit of economies of scale, where-as the provider get’s to charge for the product supplied. The exchange of these transactions create value for the parties involved as well as contribute to the participants gross domestic product (GDP). O_ffshoring_ of the general maintenance as well as parts for assembling new airplanes has heightened, which seems to have a negating effect of the domestic manufacturing industry. As airlines have rushed to slash costs, aircraft maintenance outsourcing has increased significantly from 37% of maintenance expenditures for major U. S. airlines in 1996 to 64% in 2007 ( At-A-Glance. 2008 December). The law of demand states that consumer will increase their consumption once there is a benefit to be gained. The increase in demand for outsourcing will result in a downward sloping demand curve, as outsourcing of maintenance continues to decimate the highly skilled aircraft labor force which will eventually have adverse economic effect – reduction in the wetware of the industry. The law of demand – Quantity demanded increases as price reduced {draw:frame} Technical knowledge is being shared with the players of the industry, thereby leading to increase competition in the near future. Boeing's partners in Japan and Italy will be building composite structures that include sophisticated sub-systems that are already certified, tested and ready for final assembly. (Manufacturing and Technology News, Feb 2007). There are benefits to be gained from the new phenomenon, â€Å"Outsourcing†. In the business arena benefits are offset by weaknesses, which need to be evaluated and planned for accordingly. S. W. O. T analysis of outsourcing has economic and financial benefits for the end user. S. W. O. T Analysis of outsourcing – The consumer perspective Financial Benefits No major capital outflow Contractual cost are treated as sunk cost – assist in decision making Less wear and tear on assets – longer life and high ROI Risk is shared with suppliers Lower unit cost Concentrate on creating value to customer No expense is incurred with equipment maintenance Pricing technique is enhanced, Marginal cost is known Variable costs are known which help to allocate resource Plan, coordinate and manage corporate resources An outward shift signifies an increase in demand The financial gains of outsourcing will force firms to build this aspect into their strategy; this will create a shift in demand for the commodity, thereby shifting the curve to the right. An increase in demand will cause shift in demands as oppose to a movement along the curve which is the result of a reduction in price. {draw:frame} Gross Domestic Product of domestic and foreign economy India’s economy is the twelfth largest in the world by nominal value, and ranks fourth in purchasing power parity. In 2008, India had established itself as the world’s second fastest growing major economy. The service industry in India accounts for 62. 6 percent of the country’s GDP followed by the industrial and agricultural sectors which contribute 20 percent and 17. 5 percent. India’s GDP in 2008 was 3. 344 compared to the US GDP which was 1461 in 2008. GDP graph of India and the United States {draw:frame} Outsourcing is the practice of using a service from an outside supplier. There are many pros and cons when it comes to outsourcing; however, many big name airline companies based in the US weigh their opportunities. India has become the leader in outsourcing, gathering interest of companies looking to save money. India is well known for their IT, science, and technology, giving companies like those in the airplane industry a reason to consider outsourcing. Those who wish to outsource reap the benefits of paying lower wages: however, it can come at a cost of language barriers and cultural differences. In some circles the language barrier is considered a pro not a con because many Indian vendors invest money in cross cultural training. There is also the uncertainty of the outsourcing company being able to stay in business. In today’s economy many airlines are using outsourcing by purchasing goods at a lower rate than they would if they were to buy them domestic. Many of the major players in the airline industry are finding it more beneficial to purchase the materials that they are using for their business via outsourcing. The airplane manufacturing industry as a whole is expected to grow between 150 billion and 225 billion by the year 2020 in total offshore engineering. India provides aerospace firms both aircraft design and on board electronics systems such as flight control and engine control. The Future of Outsourcing The future of outsourcing appears to be unswerving as processes will remain available to any firm that needs to utilize the activity. However, there are benefits and challenges to major component of selecting the correct provider. These are _appropriate offshore locations, selections of ideal outsourcing partner, dynamic Challenges and outsourcing in-house problems_, are key factors which will determine the future of outsourcing for both supplier and consumer. The future of outsourcing is contingent on the ability to outsource a need effectively, this is empirical to the future of the economy in which outsourcing is a major contributor, for example Boeing and many other firms outsourced to China for years and China’s economy grew due to the decisions that were made. Outsourcing is economically smart on a micro-economic perspective; however, it can be devastating on a macro-economic perspective if the goal is purely capitalistic. {text:bibliography-mark} Priorities for selecting an outsource partner _ _On a scale of 1 to 5 (where 1 = extraneous and 5 = vital) {draw:frame} Selection of appropriate offshore location {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Selection of ideal outsourcing partner {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Dynamic challenges text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Outsourcing in-house problems {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Kate Vitasek speaks of the decision to outsourcing and the approach to successfully outsourcing. In her views that is the goal of Vested Outsourcing, and this is accomplished by implementing five basi c rules explained in her book. Focus on outcomes, not transactions. Focus on the WHAT, not the HOW. 3. Agree on clearly defined and measurable outcomes. Optimize pricing model incentives for cost/service trade-offs. 5. Governance structure provides insight, not merely oversight. Is it Outsourcing or Offshoring? There are some anti-outsourcing trend booming in the US, but the US Chamber of Commerce (USCC), has evidently come out sturdily in favor of outsourcing as it considers it good for the US economy and it has reportedly decided to fight legislative moves against outsourcing of jobs to countries where jobs are being outsourced. text:bibliography-mark} . With the large amount of lay-offs which have occurred and the many more which may come about, outsourcing is on the hot-plate of a political split, many agree and many disagree with outsourcing; however, is it outsourcing that is the problem or ‘offshoring,’ there are many who agree on a macro-economic perspective that ‘offshroring’ is unhealthy for the economy and have argued their point. The Aerospace industry has ‘offshored’ since the 1960’s and have not collapse the US economy in doing so; however, it has placed itself in dear competition with China who now makes their own planes and gained experience from having been Boeing’s major outsourcing partners. References

Indian Democracy at Crossroad

Avinash Shankar MAD12015 Politics Essay: 2 Topic Can post-colonial India's political experience be characterized as moving towards becoming more democratic Democracy, the form of government where supreme power is directly or indirectly vested in people, has become a global discourse that can be gauged from the fact that many post-colonial countries have adopted it with remarkable success.The dramatic global expansion of democracy in the last few decades in post-colonial countries speak volume of this most popular form of representative government. The ever fluctuating political dynamics coupled with changing socio-economic patterns since Independence has given new meanings to Indian democracy at each stage of its progression. India inherited a colonial state and kept much of its functioning architecture intact. Much of state practice, despite its massive quantitative expansion, is heavily governed by legislation passed somewhere between 1860 and 1947.During the 65-years of long journ ey, India as a nation has witnessed moments wherein democracy looked to find its true meaning, while moments like national emergency during Indira Gandhi’s regime qualify as the abysmal low that India touched as democratic nation. Adoption of socialist pattern, the middle path between capitalism and communism, at the early stage of our independence and a series of economic reforms that began in 1980s were primarily targeted at delivering the true essence of democracy in social, economic, and political spheres.This paper is an attempt to answer how Abraham Lincoln’s notion of democracy as a government of the people, by the people and for the people has been put to test in India on different social, political, and economic parameters at different stages of its progression since independence and whether ever changing political, social and economic dynamics have brought India closer to true democratic model. India retained a deep commitment to principles of parliamentary g overnment during the three decades after independence. Indian leaders described their approach planning nder a democratic pattern of socialism as a new model for Asian and African development. India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who set the direction of India’s development during the first fifteen years of freedom, pointed to his country as an area of agreement between opposing ideologies of capitalism on the hand and the communism on the other. Under his leadership, the commitment to democratic social transformation was an integral part of India’s development strategy. Nehru also tried to incorporate Gandhian ideals of social reforms in his development programs.Nehru spoke of this mode of development as a third way which takes best from all existing systems—the Russian, the American, and sought to create something suited to one’s own history and philosophy. In the nascent stage of Independence, the Nehruvian socialist model of developmen t seemed to have worked well within the social and economic framework of India. But Nehru too had to face many challenges in the implementation of his development model. Nehru’s attempt to bring serious bourgeois land reforms was thwarted through a combination of feudal resistance, judicial conservatism, and connivance of state Congress leaderships.Although Congress was content to accept the continuance of semi-feudal rural power, it adopted massive plans for capitalist movement. Consistent with this general objective, the ruling elite adopted a plan for heavy industrialization and institutional control of capital goods industries through the state sector, a largely untried experiment at the time in the underdeveloped countries. Indira Gandhi who became Prime Minister after Nehru’s demise gave a new populist dimension to Indian politics.The shift of the Congress to populist politics quickly set up a new structure of political communication in which Indira could directl y appeal to electorates. While populist endeavors like Garibi Hatao (remove poverty) and nationalization of banks brought her good name, she has often been criticized for changing the Congress into a highly centralized and undemocratic party organization, from the earlier federal, democratic, and ideological formation that Nehru had led. Indira’s regime, in my opinion, was the beginning of the stage when India started to show its meaningful presence internationally.Creation of Bangladesh was the beginning of the India’s assertiveness at international level. Nuclear test conducted in 1974 was the extension of this assertiveness. Ironically Indira’s regime will also go down in history for bringing disrepute to democracy by imposing emergency in the most undemocratic manner. Perhaps it was the first blow to the essence of democratic model that India followed since independence. The manner in which rights and liberties, the two important tenets of democracy, were su spended during emergency reminds us how an authoritarian regime can play havoc in people’s minds.The emergency perhaps was the turning point in the Indian democratic history because it paved the way for major political and social shift. It was perhaps the trigger that led to the end of absolute majority era and ignited the undercurrent of regional politics played largely around caste and religious lines. Easwaran Sridharan and M. V. Rajeev Gowda however believe that the end of Congress’s dominance and fragmentation of the party system have stopped short of undermining the basic power-sharing characteristics of the system and have indeed contributed to democratic consolidation.While the seeds for the decline of one-power dominance were sown during Indira’s regime it became more apparent during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure as the Prime Minister of India. Some scholars however believe that the decline of one-party dominance and the emergence of a large number of sm aller or regional parties which ensure that state-level elections are vigorously contested have had positive effects on competition. These developments represent political empowerment of historically marginalized groups and reflect favorably on the vibrancy of political entrepreneurship.I feel that mushrooming of small regional parties can also be attributed to effect of anti-defection law enacted during Rajiv’s regime. Emergence of regional parties has also led to political instability due to opportunist attitude shown by these parties time and again. Rajiv attempted to bring party reforms and rebuild Congress as an organized party. He also played a vital role in tackling Punjab problem that assumed alarming proportion during Indira’s regime. Rajiv can also be credited for bringing constitutional status to Panchayati Raj, one of most important tenets of Indian democracy.During Rajiv’s regime too the essence of democracy looked dismantled characterized by high-s cale violence against the Sikh community in the aftermath of Indira’s assassination. Coalition politics gained momentum after Rajiv’s assassination in 1991. Caste and religion became the driver and determinants of Indian politics thereafter. Anti-reservation protest in the aftermath of the implementation of Mandal Commission is the stark reminder of the despair that results when the advocates for meritocracy lose their battle against the saviors of petty caste politics.Hindu nationalist forces too jumped the bandwagon soon and tried to establish their presence in the Indian political arena through much talked about Ram Janmabhumi agenda. We are also witnessing a paradigm shift in the redistributive politics wherein leftist forces are happy with a kind of statism that protects the state sector even if it means stifling the rest of economy. On the other hand the proponents of Mandal fear that rolling back the state on economic reform issues at the moment when Backward Ca stes (BCs) are getting access to its resources would be exercise in bad faith.Of late, globalization and economic reforms have given a new dimension to Indian politics, and for that matter to Indian democracy. Development has become the main political agenda pushing caste and religion gimmicks on the backburner. Political results in two successive elections in Bihar mark the paradigm shift in people’s voting pattern. It shows how voters are trumping the populist agenda in favor of developmental agenda. It augurs well for Indian democracy. The ensuing paragraphs discuss at length achievements, challenges and issues that India faces as democratic nation.Despite the considerable success of the Indian state in holding free and fair elections, sustaining a free press, and dramatically expanding the franschise, the abuse of coercive state power remains one of the major problems. Frequently such power is used arbitrarily against the poor, minorities, and those who dare to challenge the state’s writ. Furthermore, police abuses are more pronounced in poorer states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where standards of accountability are sorely lacking. The evidence from such states of rampant deaths in police custody underscores the gravity of this ill.India as a democratic nation has underachieved when it comes to protecting human rights. Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1990 was aimed at containing ethno-religious insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir. It allows armed forces to conduct counter-insurgency operations. Under the garb of this act, security forces often resort to extrajudicial killings. The 2002 Prevention of Terrorism Activities Act (POTA), that came into existence in the aftermath of a series of terror acts, was sometimes used against political opponents and also infringed upon the individual rights and civil liberties of Indian citizen.The secular structure of Indian democracy also looked threatened on many occasions. The project of secularism has inc reasingly been under threat as communal ideology and political forces have come to enjoy greater purchase in society and the polity. The demolition of Babri Masjid engineered by Hindu nationalist forces like Bajrang Dal, RSS, and VHP, doesn’t augur well for the secular structure of the country.The Hindu nationalists’ hostility to secularism became evident in a number of different arenas, ranging from a systematic attempt to alter history and socio-science science textbooks to party leaders’ willingness to countenance widespread state-sanctioned violence against Muslims, especially during bloody disturbances that rocked the western state of Gujrat. On the positive side, the growth of a plethora of nongovernmental organizations (NGO) focused on development, along with the growing participation of hitherto quiescent groups, are gradually resulting in a political system that is more accountable to the citizenry.The roles NGOs are playing have the potential to reshap e the much needed developmental path. In times to come, NGOs will play much meaningful role by representing face of common people largely ignored by political entities. However politicization and financial irregularities rampant at these rapidly multiplying NGOs could act as a deterrent to the primary objectives that these nonprofits stand for. At Independence, the imperative for welfare mechanism was obvious due to widespread poverty and lack of food security, specially in the rural areas.Even after sixty five years of Independence, a large percentage of Indian population officially are still subsisting below poverty line and incidents of acute food insecurity continue to occur. Since 1985 Kalahandi has been more or less uninterruptedly suffering from food crisis of alarming dimensions and proportions, officially and disarmingly described as drought, but unofficially, by critics, as famine. The politics of nomenclature apart, Kalahandi has become a metaphor for hunger in several ot her districts in the more backward hill areas of south-western Orissa.The most ugly part of the Kalahandi starvation issue was highlighted by the Baidyanath Mishra Commission Report that attributed starvation deaths in the region to a set of issues including corruption, fraud, misuse, wastefulness, and mismanagement of development. Enhancing food security at the household level is an issue of great importance for developing country like India where millions of poor suffer from lack of purchasing power and malnutrition. Right to food is a part of an overall goal of achieving the right to development.Attainment of self-sufficiency of foodgrains at the national level is one of the big achievements in post-independence period. After remaining a food deficit country for about two decades after independence, India has not only become self-sufficient in foodgrains but now has a surplus of foodgrains. Despite many poverty alleviation programs initiated since the time of Indira Gandhi, pover ty still remains one of the concerns and state and central governments need to look into it. Employment guarantee schemes like NREGA bring some hope even though effective implementation remains largely unaddressed.India has made significant progress in fostering high levels of economic and industrial development. But when it comes to ethnic conflict in India, four sets of causal conditions have usually combined in different ways in different areas to produce conflict and violence. First is the fear of assimilation or cultural dilution and unfulfilled national aspiration. Second is the process of modernization by inducing large-scale migrations and by raising standards of literacy and aspirations.This process of modernization has not only forced ethnic groups to live closely together and to compete for rewards and resources, but has also sharpened their sociopolitical awareness and increased their capacity to mobilize for collective action. The third reason is unequal development, po verty, exploitation, lack of opportunity, and threats to existing group privileges. Finally, political factors such as endemic bad governance, the growth of anti-secular forces, institutional decay, and vote-bank politics have also contributed to large scale ethnic conflicts.The role of mass media has become more important in today’s context. Mass media has played a positive role in highlighting issues of public concern such as corruption, electoral malpractices, and economic instability. Anti-corruption movement launched by social crusader Anna Hazare could become successful due to large scale involvement of mass media. On the flipside politicization and commercialization of mediums of mass media don’t paint rosy picture for the fourth pillar of Indian democracy. Another area where we need to work is the social security for unorganized workers.The social security problems for unorganized workers in India can be divided into two sets of problems. The first is the capab ility deprivation in terms of inadequate employment, low earnings, poor health, and educational status which are related to general deprivation of poorer sections of the population. The second is the adversity in the sense of absence of adequate fall back mechanisms to meet contingencies such as ill health, accident, death, and old age. Central and state governments also need to focus on social sector by ensuring larger allocation for such expenditure.On human development index India is not comfortably placed either. Infant mortality rate remains one of the major issues. The incidence of child labor is among the highest in the world. Women have significantly higher morbidity and mortality rates than men. Though we have made significant inroads in achieving greater literacy, the numbers don’t sound adequate. Human development conditions are particularly egregious in four northern states, Bihar, Rajasthan, UP, and Madhya Pradesh. It becomes apparent that our democratic aspirati ons are only partly realized.Large scale corruption, communalism, electoral malpractices, perverted forms of Muslim and Hindu radicalism, sponsored terrorism, regional separatist insurgencies, corporate-political nexus, apart from many other things, have been obstructing the India’s journey along the path of democracy. Through a series of economic reforms India has made its presence at international stage, but marginalized sections of Indian society are yet to reap substantial benefits from it. Strong political will is needed to put us in the forefront of successful democratic nations.We also need to get rid of the corrupt hierarchy of bureaucratic structure because it acts as a deterrent to the implementation of welfare programs. As the citizen of a democratic nation what hurts me most is the deep rooted corruption, not only because it has become an exercise of power and impunity for many, but also because it has made its locus in the minds of people where it has become stan dardized. We spent enough time passing the bucks as to which apparatus/ apparatuses of our social, economic and political systems has/have failed us as the democratic nation.It is not the time to retrospect what we achieved as a democratic nation in the long journey so far, rather it is introspection time for each actor of democracy including politicians, bureaucrats, and off course the most powerful people. This introspection will surely bring the urgency among actors to realize the accountability they owe to the democratic edifice of India that is standing tall after having weathered challenging times since independence. Spread of education and emergence of political, social, and economic consciousness among citizens give me hope that India will slowly inch closer to aligning herself ith the essence of true democratic values and ideals. I will choose to finish this manuscript on a positive note by going back to the famous quote of Harry Emerson Fosdick †¦ â€Å"Democracy is based upon the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people. † Bibliography 1. Mehta, P. B. , The Burden of Democracy . Penguin Books, New Delhi, 2003 2. Frankrel, F. R. , India's political economy, 1947-2004:  The Gradual Revolution. London: Oxford University Press, 2005 3. ibid 4. Karanjia, R. K. , Mind of Mr. Nehru,London: Allen & Unwin, 1961 5.Kaviraj, Sudipta, â€Å"A critique of the Passive Revolution,† Economics and Political Weekly 23 (Nov 1988): 2433 6. Chandra, Bipin, Mukherjee, Aditya, Mukherjee, Mridula. India after Independence, Penguin Books, New Delhi, 1999 7. Ganguly, Sumit, Diamond, Larry and Plattner, Marc F. , The State of India’s Democracy , Oxford University Press, 2009 8. Yadav, Yogendra, â€Å"Electoral Politics in the Time of Change: India’s Third Electoral System, 1998-99,† Economics and Political Weekly, August 21-28, 1999 9. Mehta, P. B. , The Burden of Democracy , Penguin Books, New Delhi, 20 03 10.Genteman, Amelia, Killings in Delhi Slum Expose: Unequal Justice for India’s Poor,† International Herald Tribune, January 6, 2007 11. See the National Human Rights Commission Report for 2004-2005, available at www. nhrc. nic. in 12. Jayal, NirajaGopal, ed. , Democracy in India Oxford University Press, New Delhi 13 Ganguly, Sumit â€Å"The Crisis of Indian Secularism,† Journal of Democracy 14, October 2003 14. see Ganguly, Diamond, Plattner 15. see Jayal 16. see Jayal 17. see Jayal 18. Dev, S. Mahendra, Inclusive Growth in India: Agriculture, Poverty, and Developoment Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2011 19. ee Ganguly, Diamond, Plattner 20. See Dev 21. Atul Kohli, ed. , â€Å"The Success of India’s Democracy,† Cambridge University Press, New Delhi, 2011 ——————————————– [ 1 ]. P. B. Mehta, The Burden of Democracy (Penguin Books, New Delh i, 2003), 106-107 [ 2 ]. F. R. Frankel, India's political economy, 1947-2004:  The Gradual Revolution (London: Oxford University Press, 2005), 4 [ 3 ]. F. R. Frankel, India's political economy, 1947-2004:  The Gradual Revolution (London: Oxford University Press, 2005), 25 [ 4 ]. R. K. Karanjia, Mind of Mr. Nehru (London: Allen & Unwin, 1961), 100-101 [ 5 ]. Sudipta kaviraj. A critique of the Passive Revolution,† Economics and Political Weekly 23 (Nov 1988): 2433 [ 6 ]. Bipan Chandra, Aditya Mukherjee, Mridula Mukherjee. India after Independence (Penguin Books, New Delhi, 1999), Chapters 11, 13 [ 7 ]. Sumit Ganguly, Larry Diamond, and Marc F. Plattner, The State of India’s Democracy (Oxford University Press, 2009), xviii-xix [ 8 ]. Yogendra yadav, â€Å"Electoral Politics in the Time of Change: India’s Third Electoral System, 1998-99,† Economics and Political Weekly (August 21-28, 1999): 2393-99 [ 9 ]. P. B. Mehta, The Burden of Democracy (Penguin Books , New Delhi, 2003), 168-169 [ 10 ].Amelia Genteman, Killings in Delhi Slum Expose: Unequal Justice for India’s Poor,† International Herald Tribune (January 6, 2007) [ 11 ]. See the National Human Rights Commission Report for 2004-2005, available at www. nhrc. nic. in [ 12 ]. NirajaGopal Jayal, ed. , Democracy in India (Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 170 [ 13 ]. Sumit Ganguly, â€Å"The Crisis of Indian Secularism,† Journal of Democracy 14 (October 2003): 11-25 [ 14 ]. Sumit Ganguly, Larry Diamond, and Marc F. Plattner, The State of India’s Democracy (Oxford University Press, 2009), xxi-xxii [ 15 ]. Jayal, 198 [ 16 ]. Jayal, 199 [ 17 ].NirajaGopal Jayal, ed. , Democracy in India (Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 200 [ 18 ]. S. Mahendra Dev, Inclusive Growth in India: Agriculture, Poverty, and Developoment (Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 201), 101-103 [ 19 ]. Sumit Ganguly, Larry Diamond, and Marc F. Plattner, The State of India’s Democra cy (Oxford University Press, 2009), 49 [ 20 ]. S. Mahendra Dev, Inclusive Growth in India: Agriculture, Poverty, and Developoment (Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2011), 201-202 [ 21 ]. Atul Kohli, ed. , â€Å"The Success of India’s Democracy (Cambridge University Press, New Delhi, 2011), 211 Indian Democracy at Crossroad Avinash Shankar MAD12015 Politics Essay: 2 Topic Can post-colonial India's political experience be characterized as moving towards becoming more democratic Democracy, the form of government where supreme power is directly or indirectly vested in people, has become a global discourse that can be gauged from the fact that many post-colonial countries have adopted it with remarkable success.The dramatic global expansion of democracy in the last few decades in post-colonial countries speak volume of this most popular form of representative government. The ever fluctuating political dynamics coupled with changing socio-economic patterns since Independence has given new meanings to Indian democracy at each stage of its progression. India inherited a colonial state and kept much of its functioning architecture intact. Much of state practice, despite its massive quantitative expansion, is heavily governed by legislation passed somewhere between 1860 and 1947.During the 65-years of long journ ey, India as a nation has witnessed moments wherein democracy looked to find its true meaning, while moments like national emergency during Indira Gandhi’s regime qualify as the abysmal low that India touched as democratic nation. Adoption of socialist pattern, the middle path between capitalism and communism, at the early stage of our independence and a series of economic reforms that began in 1980s were primarily targeted at delivering the true essence of democracy in social, economic, and political spheres.This paper is an attempt to answer how Abraham Lincoln’s notion of democracy as a government of the people, by the people and for the people has been put to test in India on different social, political, and economic parameters at different stages of its progression since independence and whether ever changing political, social and economic dynamics have brought India closer to true democratic model. India retained a deep commitment to principles of parliamentary g overnment during the three decades after independence. Indian leaders described their approach planning nder a democratic pattern of socialism as a new model for Asian and African development. India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who set the direction of India’s development during the first fifteen years of freedom, pointed to his country as an area of agreement between opposing ideologies of capitalism on the hand and the communism on the other. Under his leadership, the commitment to democratic social transformation was an integral part of India’s development strategy. Nehru also tried to incorporate Gandhian ideals of social reforms in his development programs.Nehru spoke of this mode of development as a third way which takes best from all existing systems—the Russian, the American, and sought to create something suited to one’s own history and philosophy. In the nascent stage of Independence, the Nehruvian socialist model of developmen t seemed to have worked well within the social and economic framework of India. But Nehru too had to face many challenges in the implementation of his development model. Nehru’s attempt to bring serious bourgeois land reforms was thwarted through a combination of feudal resistance, judicial conservatism, and connivance of state Congress leaderships.Although Congress was content to accept the continuance of semi-feudal rural power, it adopted massive plans for capitalist movement. Consistent with this general objective, the ruling elite adopted a plan for heavy industrialization and institutional control of capital goods industries through the state sector, a largely untried experiment at the time in the underdeveloped countries. Indira Gandhi who became Prime Minister after Nehru’s demise gave a new populist dimension to Indian politics.The shift of the Congress to populist politics quickly set up a new structure of political communication in which Indira could directl y appeal to electorates. While populist endeavors like Garibi Hatao (remove poverty) and nationalization of banks brought her good name, she has often been criticized for changing the Congress into a highly centralized and undemocratic party organization, from the earlier federal, democratic, and ideological formation that Nehru had led. Indira’s regime, in my opinion, was the beginning of the stage when India started to show its meaningful presence internationally.Creation of Bangladesh was the beginning of the India’s assertiveness at international level. Nuclear test conducted in 1974 was the extension of this assertiveness. Ironically Indira’s regime will also go down in history for bringing disrepute to democracy by imposing emergency in the most undemocratic manner. Perhaps it was the first blow to the essence of democratic model that India followed since independence. The manner in which rights and liberties, the two important tenets of democracy, were su spended during emergency reminds us how an authoritarian regime can play havoc in people’s minds.The emergency perhaps was the turning point in the Indian democratic history because it paved the way for major political and social shift. It was perhaps the trigger that led to the end of absolute majority era and ignited the undercurrent of regional politics played largely around caste and religious lines. Easwaran Sridharan and M. V. Rajeev Gowda however believe that the end of Congress’s dominance and fragmentation of the party system have stopped short of undermining the basic power-sharing characteristics of the system and have indeed contributed to democratic consolidation.While the seeds for the decline of one-power dominance were sown during Indira’s regime it became more apparent during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure as the Prime Minister of India. Some scholars however believe that the decline of one-party dominance and the emergence of a large number of sm aller or regional parties which ensure that state-level elections are vigorously contested have had positive effects on competition. These developments represent political empowerment of historically marginalized groups and reflect favorably on the vibrancy of political entrepreneurship.I feel that mushrooming of small regional parties can also be attributed to effect of anti-defection law enacted during Rajiv’s regime. Emergence of regional parties has also led to political instability due to opportunist attitude shown by these parties time and again. Rajiv attempted to bring party reforms and rebuild Congress as an organized party. He also played a vital role in tackling Punjab problem that assumed alarming proportion during Indira’s regime. Rajiv can also be credited for bringing constitutional status to Panchayati Raj, one of most important tenets of Indian democracy.During Rajiv’s regime too the essence of democracy looked dismantled characterized by high-s cale violence against the Sikh community in the aftermath of Indira’s assassination. Coalition politics gained momentum after Rajiv’s assassination in 1991. Caste and religion became the driver and determinants of Indian politics thereafter. Anti-reservation protest in the aftermath of the implementation of Mandal Commission is the stark reminder of the despair that results when the advocates for meritocracy lose their battle against the saviors of petty caste politics.Hindu nationalist forces too jumped the bandwagon soon and tried to establish their presence in the Indian political arena through much talked about Ram Janmabhumi agenda. We are also witnessing a paradigm shift in the redistributive politics wherein leftist forces are happy with a kind of statism that protects the state sector even if it means stifling the rest of economy. On the other hand the proponents of Mandal fear that rolling back the state on economic reform issues at the moment when Backward Ca stes (BCs) are getting access to its resources would be exercise in bad faith.Of late, globalization and economic reforms have given a new dimension to Indian politics, and for that matter to Indian democracy. Development has become the main political agenda pushing caste and religion gimmicks on the backburner. Political results in two successive elections in Bihar mark the paradigm shift in people’s voting pattern. It shows how voters are trumping the populist agenda in favor of developmental agenda. It augurs well for Indian democracy. The ensuing paragraphs discuss at length achievements, challenges and issues that India faces as democratic nation.Despite the considerable success of the Indian state in holding free and fair elections, sustaining a free press, and dramatically expanding the franschise, the abuse of coercive state power remains one of the major problems. Frequently such power is used arbitrarily against the poor, minorities, and those who dare to challenge the state’s writ. Furthermore, police abuses are more pronounced in poorer states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where standards of accountability are sorely lacking. The evidence from such states of rampant deaths in police custody underscores the gravity of this ill.India as a democratic nation has underachieved when it comes to protecting human rights. Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1990 was aimed at containing ethno-religious insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir. It allows armed forces to conduct counter-insurgency operations. Under the garb of this act, security forces often resort to extrajudicial killings. The 2002 Prevention of Terrorism Activities Act (POTA), that came into existence in the aftermath of a series of terror acts, was sometimes used against political opponents and also infringed upon the individual rights and civil liberties of Indian citizen.The secular structure of Indian democracy also looked threatened on many occasions. The project of secularism has inc reasingly been under threat as communal ideology and political forces have come to enjoy greater purchase in society and the polity. The demolition of Babri Masjid engineered by Hindu nationalist forces like Bajrang Dal, RSS, and VHP, doesn’t augur well for the secular structure of the country.The Hindu nationalists’ hostility to secularism became evident in a number of different arenas, ranging from a systematic attempt to alter history and socio-science science textbooks to party leaders’ willingness to countenance widespread state-sanctioned violence against Muslims, especially during bloody disturbances that rocked the western state of Gujrat. On the positive side, the growth of a plethora of nongovernmental organizations (NGO) focused on development, along with the growing participation of hitherto quiescent groups, are gradually resulting in a political system that is more accountable to the citizenry.The roles NGOs are playing have the potential to reshap e the much needed developmental path. In times to come, NGOs will play much meaningful role by representing face of common people largely ignored by political entities. However politicization and financial irregularities rampant at these rapidly multiplying NGOs could act as a deterrent to the primary objectives that these nonprofits stand for. At Independence, the imperative for welfare mechanism was obvious due to widespread poverty and lack of food security, specially in the rural areas.Even after sixty five years of Independence, a large percentage of Indian population officially are still subsisting below poverty line and incidents of acute food insecurity continue to occur. Since 1985 Kalahandi has been more or less uninterruptedly suffering from food crisis of alarming dimensions and proportions, officially and disarmingly described as drought, but unofficially, by critics, as famine. The politics of nomenclature apart, Kalahandi has become a metaphor for hunger in several ot her districts in the more backward hill areas of south-western Orissa.The most ugly part of the Kalahandi starvation issue was highlighted by the Baidyanath Mishra Commission Report that attributed starvation deaths in the region to a set of issues including corruption, fraud, misuse, wastefulness, and mismanagement of development. Enhancing food security at the household level is an issue of great importance for developing country like India where millions of poor suffer from lack of purchasing power and malnutrition. Right to food is a part of an overall goal of achieving the right to development.Attainment of self-sufficiency of foodgrains at the national level is one of the big achievements in post-independence period. After remaining a food deficit country for about two decades after independence, India has not only become self-sufficient in foodgrains but now has a surplus of foodgrains. Despite many poverty alleviation programs initiated since the time of Indira Gandhi, pover ty still remains one of the concerns and state and central governments need to look into it. Employment guarantee schemes like NREGA bring some hope even though effective implementation remains largely unaddressed.India has made significant progress in fostering high levels of economic and industrial development. But when it comes to ethnic conflict in India, four sets of causal conditions have usually combined in different ways in different areas to produce conflict and violence. First is the fear of assimilation or cultural dilution and unfulfilled national aspiration. Second is the process of modernization by inducing large-scale migrations and by raising standards of literacy and aspirations.This process of modernization has not only forced ethnic groups to live closely together and to compete for rewards and resources, but has also sharpened their sociopolitical awareness and increased their capacity to mobilize for collective action. The third reason is unequal development, po verty, exploitation, lack of opportunity, and threats to existing group privileges. Finally, political factors such as endemic bad governance, the growth of anti-secular forces, institutional decay, and vote-bank politics have also contributed to large scale ethnic conflicts.The role of mass media has become more important in today’s context. Mass media has played a positive role in highlighting issues of public concern such as corruption, electoral malpractices, and economic instability. Anti-corruption movement launched by social crusader Anna Hazare could become successful due to large scale involvement of mass media. On the flipside politicization and commercialization of mediums of mass media don’t paint rosy picture for the fourth pillar of Indian democracy. Another area where we need to work is the social security for unorganized workers.The social security problems for unorganized workers in India can be divided into two sets of problems. The first is the capab ility deprivation in terms of inadequate employment, low earnings, poor health, and educational status which are related to general deprivation of poorer sections of the population. The second is the adversity in the sense of absence of adequate fall back mechanisms to meet contingencies such as ill health, accident, death, and old age. Central and state governments also need to focus on social sector by ensuring larger allocation for such expenditure.On human development index India is not comfortably placed either. Infant mortality rate remains one of the major issues. The incidence of child labor is among the highest in the world. Women have significantly higher morbidity and mortality rates than men. Though we have made significant inroads in achieving greater literacy, the numbers don’t sound adequate. Human development conditions are particularly egregious in four northern states, Bihar, Rajasthan, UP, and Madhya Pradesh. It becomes apparent that our democratic aspirati ons are only partly realized.Large scale corruption, communalism, electoral malpractices, perverted forms of Muslim and Hindu radicalism, sponsored terrorism, regional separatist insurgencies, corporate-political nexus, apart from many other things, have been obstructing the India’s journey along the path of democracy. Through a series of economic reforms India has made its presence at international stage, but marginalized sections of Indian society are yet to reap substantial benefits from it. Strong political will is needed to put us in the forefront of successful democratic nations.We also need to get rid of the corrupt hierarchy of bureaucratic structure because it acts as a deterrent to the implementation of welfare programs. As the citizen of a democratic nation what hurts me most is the deep rooted corruption, not only because it has become an exercise of power and impunity for many, but also because it has made its locus in the minds of people where it has become stan dardized. We spent enough time passing the bucks as to which apparatus/ apparatuses of our social, economic and political systems has/have failed us as the democratic nation.It is not the time to retrospect what we achieved as a democratic nation in the long journey so far, rather it is introspection time for each actor of democracy including politicians, bureaucrats, and off course the most powerful people. This introspection will surely bring the urgency among actors to realize the accountability they owe to the democratic edifice of India that is standing tall after having weathered challenging times since independence. Spread of education and emergence of political, social, and economic consciousness among citizens give me hope that India will slowly inch closer to aligning herself ith the essence of true democratic values and ideals. I will choose to finish this manuscript on a positive note by going back to the famous quote of Harry Emerson Fosdick †¦ â€Å"Democracy is based upon the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people. † Bibliography 1. Mehta, P. B. , The Burden of Democracy . Penguin Books, New Delhi, 2003 2. Frankrel, F. R. , India's political economy, 1947-2004:  The Gradual Revolution. London: Oxford University Press, 2005 3. ibid 4. Karanjia, R. K. , Mind of Mr. Nehru,London: Allen & Unwin, 1961 5.Kaviraj, Sudipta, â€Å"A critique of the Passive Revolution,† Economics and Political Weekly 23 (Nov 1988): 2433 6. Chandra, Bipin, Mukherjee, Aditya, Mukherjee, Mridula. India after Independence, Penguin Books, New Delhi, 1999 7. Ganguly, Sumit, Diamond, Larry and Plattner, Marc F. , The State of India’s Democracy , Oxford University Press, 2009 8. Yadav, Yogendra, â€Å"Electoral Politics in the Time of Change: India’s Third Electoral System, 1998-99,† Economics and Political Weekly, August 21-28, 1999 9. Mehta, P. B. , The Burden of Democracy , Penguin Books, New Delhi, 20 03 10.Genteman, Amelia, Killings in Delhi Slum Expose: Unequal Justice for India’s Poor,† International Herald Tribune, January 6, 2007 11. See the National Human Rights Commission Report for 2004-2005, available at www. nhrc. nic. in 12. Jayal, NirajaGopal, ed. , Democracy in India Oxford University Press, New Delhi 13 Ganguly, Sumit â€Å"The Crisis of Indian Secularism,† Journal of Democracy 14, October 2003 14. see Ganguly, Diamond, Plattner 15. see Jayal 16. see Jayal 17. see Jayal 18. Dev, S. Mahendra, Inclusive Growth in India: Agriculture, Poverty, and Developoment Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2011 19. ee Ganguly, Diamond, Plattner 20. See Dev 21. Atul Kohli, ed. , â€Å"The Success of India’s Democracy,† Cambridge University Press, New Delhi, 2011 ——————————————– [ 1 ]. P. B. Mehta, The Burden of Democracy (Penguin Books, New Delh i, 2003), 106-107 [ 2 ]. F. R. Frankel, India's political economy, 1947-2004:  The Gradual Revolution (London: Oxford University Press, 2005), 4 [ 3 ]. F. R. Frankel, India's political economy, 1947-2004:  The Gradual Revolution (London: Oxford University Press, 2005), 25 [ 4 ]. R. K. Karanjia, Mind of Mr. Nehru (London: Allen & Unwin, 1961), 100-101 [ 5 ]. Sudipta kaviraj. A critique of the Passive Revolution,† Economics and Political Weekly 23 (Nov 1988): 2433 [ 6 ]. Bipan Chandra, Aditya Mukherjee, Mridula Mukherjee. India after Independence (Penguin Books, New Delhi, 1999), Chapters 11, 13 [ 7 ]. Sumit Ganguly, Larry Diamond, and Marc F. Plattner, The State of India’s Democracy (Oxford University Press, 2009), xviii-xix [ 8 ]. Yogendra yadav, â€Å"Electoral Politics in the Time of Change: India’s Third Electoral System, 1998-99,† Economics and Political Weekly (August 21-28, 1999): 2393-99 [ 9 ]. P. B. Mehta, The Burden of Democracy (Penguin Books , New Delhi, 2003), 168-169 [ 10 ].Amelia Genteman, Killings in Delhi Slum Expose: Unequal Justice for India’s Poor,† International Herald Tribune (January 6, 2007) [ 11 ]. See the National Human Rights Commission Report for 2004-2005, available at www. nhrc. nic. in [ 12 ]. NirajaGopal Jayal, ed. , Democracy in India (Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 170 [ 13 ]. Sumit Ganguly, â€Å"The Crisis of Indian Secularism,† Journal of Democracy 14 (October 2003): 11-25 [ 14 ]. Sumit Ganguly, Larry Diamond, and Marc F. Plattner, The State of India’s Democracy (Oxford University Press, 2009), xxi-xxii [ 15 ]. Jayal, 198 [ 16 ]. Jayal, 199 [ 17 ].NirajaGopal Jayal, ed. , Democracy in India (Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 200 [ 18 ]. S. Mahendra Dev, Inclusive Growth in India: Agriculture, Poverty, and Developoment (Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 201), 101-103 [ 19 ]. Sumit Ganguly, Larry Diamond, and Marc F. Plattner, The State of India’s Democra cy (Oxford University Press, 2009), 49 [ 20 ]. S. Mahendra Dev, Inclusive Growth in India: Agriculture, Poverty, and Developoment (Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2011), 201-202 [ 21 ]. Atul Kohli, ed. , â€Å"The Success of India’s Democracy (Cambridge University Press, New Delhi, 2011), 211

Fdr Was A Ray Of Hope For The American People - 991 Words

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