Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Wave Theory
Wave interference is the phenomenon which occurs when two waves meet while traveling along the same medium. If two crests meet up with one another the resultant net effect is of enhanced crest. This interference is known as constructive interference. If a crest and a trough meet up with one another the two pulses will try to cancel each other's effect and the resultant net effect will tend toward zero or the equilibrium position. This interference is known as destructive interference. Ever wondered why carpenters saw the wood in the directions of the grains rather than up against the grains? - The bundles are sliced clearly leaving a smooth surface with minimum defects.
The motion of a pendulum or the motion of a child on a see-saw is a wavelike phenomenon. A wave has a crest and trough and travels from one location to another. One crest is often followed by a second crest which is followed by a third crest and so on and so forth. Every crest is separated by a trough to create an alternating pattern of crest and troughs.
For the stock price to move it must vibrate. These vibrations are waves that are repetitive in form but are not necessarily repetitive in time, amplitude and neither is the axis fixed. Since these vibrations are of such complex nature and determined by ever changing real time news, economic growth reports, manipulation, fear and greed, it is therefore difficult to solve the wave's equation as we would in the science of Physics and Mathematics without imposing sizeable assumptions. And because our brains are lazy, to proceed we make this assumption: that the movement of stock market price, which is a vibration of waves that are repetitive in time and amplitude, is linear (even though we know very well it is not linear). Having made that assumption we now can proceed and use our basic understanding of Physics and Mathematics, and as you will see we shall beat everyone else hands down.
Constructive and Destructive Waves
Like a Bouncing Tennis Ball
Like a bouncing tennis ball, a lower bounce than the previous bounce means the ball is coming to a halt. In the stock market, another secret of stock trading tips is that strength is quantified by series of crests where each crest exceeds the highest point of the previous crest and weakness by series of troughs where each trough goes lower than the lowest point of the previous trough.
NO MORE PROMISES OF POVERTY ALLEVATION IN ELECTION SPEECHES
Poverty in India
Poverty In India Is Widespread With The Nation Estimated To Have A Third Of The World's Poor. According To The Criterion Used By The Planning Commission Of India 27.5% Of The Population Was Living Below The Poverty Line In 2004–2005, Down From 51.3% In 1977–1978, And 36% In 1993-1994. While Poverty Rates In India Are High, They Are Not On A Par With What Neighboring Pakistan And Bangladesh Experience. Economic Growth Has In The Past Been Dampened By The Economic Policies Adopted After Its Independence.
Even More Than 50 Years after Independence from Almost Two Centuries of British Rule, Large Scale Poverty Remains The Most shameful Blot On The Face Of India. India Still Has the World’s Largest Number of Poor People in a Single Country of it’s nearly Billion Inhabitants, an estimated 350-400 Million Are below the Poverty Line, 75 Per Cent Of Them In The Rural Areas. Poverty Is One Of The Main Issues, Attracting The Attention Of Sociologists And Economists. Poverty In India Can Be Defined As A Situation When A Certain Section Of People Are Unable To Fulfill Their Basic Needs. It Indicates A Condition In Which A Person Fails To Maintain A Living Standard Adequate For A Comfortable Lifestyle. Though India Boasts Of A High Economic Growth, It Is Shameful That There Is Still Large Scale Poverty In India. Even After High Growth Rate Why Can’t India Achieve The Stage Of Poverty Free Country? It is actually matter of just 5 years to eliminate poverty and increase national produce.
Poverty Estimates
The Proportion Of India's Population Below The Poverty Line Has Fluctuated Widely In The Past, But The Overall Trend Has Been Downward. In 1951, 47% Of India's Rural Population Was Below The Poverty Line. The Proportion Went Up To 64% In 1954-55; It Came Down To 45% In 1960-61 But In 1977-78, It Went Up Again To 51%. Income Poverty Declined Significantly Between The Mid-1970s And The End Of The 1980s. The Decline Was More Pronounced Between 1977-78 And 1986-87, With Rural Income Poverty Declining From 51% To 39%. It Went Down Further To 34% By 1989-90. Urban Income Poverty Went Down From 41% In 1977-78 To 34% In 1986-87, And Further To 33% In 1989-90. The Post-Economic Reform Period Evidenced Both Setbacks And Progress. Rural Income Poverty Increased From 34% In 1989-90 To 43% In 1992 And Then Fell To 37% In 1993-94. Urban Income Poverty Went Up From 33.4% In 1989-90 To 33.7% In 1992 And Declined To 32% In 1993-94 Also, Nss Data For 1994-95 To 1998 Show Little Or No Poverty Reduction, So That The Evidence Till 1999-2000 Was That Poverty, Particularly Rural Poverty, Had Increased Post-Reform. However, The Official Estimate Of Poverty For 1999-2000 Was 26.1%, A Dramatic Decline That Led To Much Debate And Analysis. This Was Because For This Year The Nss Had Adopted A New Survey Methodology That Led To Both Higher Estimated Mean Consumption And Also An Estimated Distribution That Was More Equal Than In Past Nss Surveys. The Latest Nss Survey For 2004-05 Is Fully Comparable To The Surveys Before 1999-2000 And Shows Poverty At 28.3% In Rural Areas, 25.7% In Urban Areas And 27.5% For The Country As A Whole, Using Uniform Recall Period Consumption. The Corresponding Figures Using The Mixed Recall Period Consumption Method Was 21.8%, 21.7% And 21.8% Respectively. Thus, Poverty Has Declined After 1998, Although It Is Still Being Debated Whether There Was Any Significant Poverty Reduction Between 1989-90 And 1999-00. The Latest Nss Survey Was So Designed As To Also Give Estimates Roughly, But Not Fully, Comparable To The 1999-2000 Survey. These Suggest That Most Of The Decline In Rural Poverty Over The Period During 1993-94 To 2004-05 Actually Occurred After 1999-2000.
The Data Show Significantly Decline In Poverty Ratio Of The Country, Still We Hear Promises Of Poverty Alleviation From Every Political Leader During Election. Poverty Has Become Good Means Of Making An Effective And Demanding Voter Speech To Be Delivered By Each Nominee.
Causes of Poverty in India
Lack Of Investment For The Poor: Over The Past 60years, India Decided To Focus On Creating World-Class Educational Institutions For The Elite, Whilst Neglecting Basic Literacy For The Majority. This Has Denied The Illiterate Population - 33% Of India - Even The Possibility Of Escaping Poverty.
Caste System: A Disproportionally Large Share Of Poor Are Lower Caste Hindus. According To S. M. Michael, Dalits Constitute The Bulk Of Poor And Unemployed. Society Has Developed Considerably, Practically Casteism Does Not Exists in Major Parts of the Nation except on Papers and Speeches of Various political Parties. Nation, However, Have Noted The Steady Rise And Empowerment Of The Dalits Through Social Reforms And The Implementation Of Reservations In Employment And Benefits.
India's Economic Policies : In 1947, the Average Annual Income in India Was $439, By 1999, the Numbers Were $1,818; $3,259; $13,317; and $15,720. In Other Words, The Average Income In India Was Not Much Different From South Korea In 1947, But South Korea Became A Developed Country By 2000s. At The Same Time, India Was Left As One Of The World's Poorest Countries.
| India Had Started Out In The 1950s With: | But We Ended The 1980s With: |
High Growth Rates | Low Growth Rates |
Openness to Trade and Investment | Closure to Trade and Investment |
| A Promotional State | A License-Obsessed, Restrictive State Inability to Sustain Social Expenditures |
Social Expenditure Awareness | Macro Instability, |
Macro Stability | Poverty Has Decreased Significantly Since Reforms Were Started In The 1980s. |
Also:
- Over-Reliance on Agriculture. There Is A Surplus Of Labour In Agriculture. Farmers Are A Large Vote Bank And Use Their Votes To Resist Reallocation Of Land For Higher-Income Industrial Projects. While Services And Industry Have Grown At Double Digit Figures, Agriculture Growth Rate Has Dropped From 4.8% To 2%. About 60% Of The Population Depends On Agriculture Whereas The Contribution Of Agriculture To The GDP Is About 18%.
- High Population Growth Rate, Although Demographers Generally Agree That This Is A Symptom Rather Than Cause Of Poverty.
Neo Liberal Policies And Their Effects
Other Points Of View Hold That The Economic Reforms Initiated In The Early 1990s Responsible For The Collapse Of Rural Economies And The Agrarian Crisis Currently Underway. As Journalist And The Rural Affairs Editor For The Hindu, P Sainath Describes In His Reports On The Rural Economy In India, The Level Of Inequality Has Risen To Extraordinary Levels, When At The Same Time, Hunger In India Has Reached Its Highest Level In Decades. He Also Points Out That Rural Economies Across India Have Collapsed, Or On The Verge Of Collapse Due To The Neo-Liberal Policies Of The Government Of India Since The 1990s. The Human Cost Of The "Liberalisation" Has Been Very High. The Huge Wave Of Farm Suicides In Indian Rural Population From 1997 To 2007 Totaled Close To 200,000, According To Official Statistics. As Professor Utsa Patnaik, India’s Top Economist On Agriculture, Has Pointed Out, The Average Poor Family In 2007 Has About 100 Kg Less Food Per Year Than It Did In 1997.
Government Policies Encouraging Farmers To Switch To Cash Crops, In Place Of Traditional Food Crops, Has Resulted In An Extraordinary Increase In Farm Input Costs, While Market Forces Determined The Price Of The Cash Crop.
As Of 2006, The Government Spends Less Than 0.2% Of GDP On Agriculture And Less Than 3% Of GDP On Education. However, Some Government Schemes Such As The Mid-Day Meal Scheme, And The Nrega Have Been Partially Successful In Providing A Lifeline For The Rural Economy And Curbing The Further Rise Of Poverty.
Can A Land Be Worthless? At least As Per Ricardian Theory It Cannot, It Can Be High Paying Or Less. It Can Produce Grain Or Vegetable Or Cash Crop Or Taleast Medicinal Plants Or Brick. So Instead Of Concentration In Particular Areas Why The Population Can’t Be Scattered To Interior Areas And Even More Outside. As Certain Policies Of China Are Appreciable And Inspiring. Unemployed Youths Can Be Taken To Barren Lands, To Plough To Produce, At least They Will Not Feed Themselves On Berojgari Bhatta, They Will Get It As Stypened And Nation Will Get High GDP. This Way The Young Unemployed Energy Can Be Diverted From Crime, Mischief’s And Election Campaign To Productivity.
Efforts To Alleviate Poverty
Since The Early 1950s, Government Has Initiated, Sustained, And Refined Various Planning Schemes To Help The Poor Attain Self Sufficiency In Food Production. Probably The Most Important Initiative Has Been The Supply Of Basic Commodities, Particularly Food At Controlled Prices, Available Throughout The Country As Poor Spend About 80 Percent Of Their Income On Food. Government has made major efforts to uplift Dalits in the nation. Lot of funds is issued in this regard along with the various reservation policies. Still Large No Of Dalits Remain Illiterate, But Not Poor. As They Are So Severely Bound To Their Customs And Don’t Want To Leave It. The Way To Their Development Can Be Changed Rather Then Reservations. It Is Now More Or Less Becoming A Political Issue. Each Party Wants To Keep The Reservation And Caste Issue Alive As It Is Forms A Major Vote Bank. Less Concerned About The Actual Rise And Amending The 50 Years Old Policy As Per The Present Era, In spite Being Concerned About Vote Banks. Crores Of Rupees Are Invested Through Ngo’s, Fact Is That More Then 50% Of Ngo’s Does Not Actually Exist. This Money Can Be Invested To By Providing Them Self Employed And Self Reliance Economy developing Their Living Place For Tourism Or Rural And Tribal Art. That Will Add Upon To Incredible India.
Large Amount Of Lands Are Lying Barron Outside Cities But Nether Are Ploughed Nor Factories Like Tata Motors Are Installed There. If The Land Is Not Good For Agriculture, As Some Costal Areas Or Hot And Dry Areas, Industries Should Be Established Their In spite Of Struggling With Farmers And Their Fertile Land. India Needs Equality Of Income Not Only Industalisation. Why Can’t Agriculture Be Promoted As A Noble And High Income Generating Jobs, So That More Entrepreneurs Promote To Invest Their. Why Can’t The News Papers Be Filled With Motivational Thoughts Of Promoting Agriculture, Plantation, Tourism, Small Scale Industries Etc. In spite Of Vote Requests And Other Free Schemes Of Marrying A Poor Girl. Our Aim Is Nor Marring A Girl But Making A Economically Sound And Literate Family. In spite of Ladli Laxmi Yojna, People need opportunities to survive and earn of their own
But These Processes Can Be Helpful Only If The Policies Go To Those People For Whom It Is Meant. The Clash Between The Central Government And The State Government Often Results In The Lack Of Implementation Of These Policies. So It Is Very Important That The Governments Do Not Play Power Politics When It Comes To A Serious Issue Such As Poverty.
Outlook For Poverty Alleviation
Eradication Of Poverty In India Is Generally Only Considered To Be A Long-Term Goal. Poverty Alleviation Is Expected To Make Better Progress In The Next 50 Years Than In The Past, As A Trickle-Down Effect Of The Growing Middle Class. Increasing Stress On Education, Reservation Of Seats In Government Jobs And The Increasing Empowerment Of Women And The Economically Weaker Sections Of Society, Are Also Expected To Contribute To The Alleviation Of Poverty. It Is Incorrect To Say That All Poverty Reduction Programmes Have Failed. The Growth Of The Middle Class (Which Was Virtually Non-Existent When India Became A Free Nation In August 1947) Indicates That Economic Prosperity Has Indeed Been Very Impressive In India, But The Distribution Of Wealth Is Not At All Even.
After The Liberalization Process And Moving Away From The Socialist Model, India Is Adding 60-70 Million People To Its Middle Class Every Year. Analysts Such As The Founder Of "Forecasting International", Marvin J. Cetron Writes That An Estimated 390 Million Indians Now Belong To The Middle Class; One-Third Of Them Have Emerged From Poverty In The Last Ten Years. At The Current Rate Of Growth, A Majority Of Indians Will Be Middle-Class By 2025. Literacy Rates Have Risen From 52 Percent To 65 Percent During The Initial Decade Of Liberalization (1991-2001).
It Is True That India Has Attained High Limits Through Various Schemes Launched By Government, But To Make The Country Fully And Equally Developed Without Any Regional Disparities, Policies Need To Change. Government Has To Rise Above The Vote Bank Interest And Peep In To Nations Interest, In The Changing Era. Eradication Of Poverty Can Only Be A Very Long-Term Goal In India.
Controversy Over Extent Of Poverty Reduction
While Total Overall Poverty In India Has Declined, The Extent Of Poverty Reduction Is Often Debated. While There Is A Consensus That There Has Not Been Increase In Poverty Between 1993-94 And 2004-05, The Picture Is Not So Clear If One Considers Other Non-Pecuniary Dimensions (Such As Health, Education, Crime And Access To Infrastructure). With The Rapid Economic Growth That India Is Experiencing, It Is Likely That A Significant Fraction Of The Rural Population Will Continue To Migrate Toward Cities, Making The Issue Of Urban Poverty More Significant In The Long Run .
It Would Be Incorrect To Say That All Poverty Reduction Programmes Have Failed. The Growth Of The Middle Class (Which Was Virtually Non-Existent When India Became A Free Nation In August 1947) Indicates That Economic Prosperity Has Indeed Been Very Impressive In India, But The Distribution Of Wealth Has Been Very Uneven. Also India's Slums Represent Complex Political And Social Issues.
When A Rickshaw Puller Or A Maid Servant And A Peon, A Retail Vegetable Seller, The Seasonal Laborers Can Effort To Have A Mobile Phone , Color Television At Home, And A Weekend Outings By Visit Theaters And Having Dinner Outside With Family. This Represents Contradictions In Our Society. As They Are Non Tax Payee Very Poor People. The middle class affords to travel in AC boogies of superfast trains rather then General Compartment or 2nd Sleeper.
"Its Not Just Poor People Who Live In Slums, its Remarkable How Wide The Discrepancy In Wealth Is." Exact Situation Has To Be Analyzed By Governmental Machineries. The Traditional Performa Of Surveys Has To Be Changed. To Know The Actual Thirst Area, Policies Need To Be Changed.
The Indian Society, And Particularly Its Youth, Is Much More Open To Changes Than Its Political And Bureaucratic Class, And Would Welcome A Third Wave Of Reforms That Would Help The Poor To Benefit From Economic Progress. This Fascinating Work Weaves Together A Set Of Seemingly Diverse Events Into An Intricate Tapestry Capturing The Essence And Purpose Of Emerging India. It Is Also An Inspiration To People In "Challenged" Economies That The Power Of Honest Entrepreneurship Can Bring About A Greater Transformation Than The Best Intentions Of Any Government. It is now no more Poverty Alleviation that is required it should be Development and Growth drive.
POWER CONSERVATION OR POWER REPRESENTATION
Like most of the world, however, India is facing testing economic times in 2008. The Reserve Bank of India had set an inflation target of 4%, but by the middle of the year it was running at 11%, the highest level seen for a decade. The rising costs of oil, food and the resources needed for India’s construction boom are all playing a part.
India has to compete ever harder in the energy market place in particular and has not been as adept at securing new fossil fuel sources as the Chinese. The Indian Government is looking at alternatives, and has signed a wide-ranging nuclear treaty with the US, in part to gain access to nuclear power plant technology that can reduce its oil thirst. This has proved contentious though, leading to leftist members of the ruling coalition pulling out of the government.
India has to compete ever harder in the energy market place in particular and has not been as adept at securing new fossil fuel sources as the Chinese. The Indian Government is looking at alternatives, and has signed a wide-ranging nuclear treaty with the US, in part to gain access to nuclear power plant technology that can reduce its oil thirst. This has proved contentious though, leading to leftist members of the ruling coalition pulling out of the government.
An energy summary of India
India is both a major energy producer and consumer. India currently ranks as the world’s eleventh greatest energy producer, accounting for about 2.4% of the world’s total annual energy production, and as the world’s sixth greatest energy consumer, accounting for about 3.3% of the world’s total annual energy consumption. Despite its large annual energy production, India is a net energy importer, mostly due to the large imbalance between oil production and consumption. An historical summary of India's Total Primary Energy Production (TPEP) and Consumption (TPEC) is shown in Table 1.
Table 1: India's TPEP and TPEC, 1993-2003
(in Quads)
(in Quads)
1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
TPEP | 7.49 | 8.00 | 9.48 | 8.75 | 9.17 | 9.37 | 9.58 | 9.83 | 10.23 | 9.99 | 10.15 |
TPEC | 9.24 | 9.97 | 11.49 | 11.14 | 11.76 | 12.17 | 12.74 | 13.50 | 13.85 | 13.79 | 14.03 |
Note: 1 Quad = 1 quadrillion Btu Source: DOE/EIA |
Petroleum
India's proved oil reserves are currently estimated (as of January 2005) at about 5 billion barrels, or about 4.5% of the world total. Most of these reserves lie offshore near Mumbai and onshore in Assam state. However, exploration is still happening, and India's offshore and on-shore basins may contain as much as 11 billion barrels. India presently ranks as the 25th greatest producer of crude oil, accounting for about 1% of the world’s annual crude oil production. About 30% of India's energy needs are met by oil, and more than 60% of that oil is imported. A strong growth in oil demand has resulted in India’s annual petroleum consumption increasing by more than 75% from what it was a decade ago, and petroleum consumption is projected to climb to about 3 million barrels per day by 2010. India is currently the world's sixth greatest oil consumer, accounting for about 2.9% of world's total annual petroleum consumption. An historical summary of petroleum production and consumption in India is shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Petroleum Production and Consumption in India, 1993-2003
(in thousands of barrels per day)
(in thousands of barrels per day)
1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
Production (total)* | 578 | 651 | 770 | 751 | 780 | 761 | 765 | 770 | 782 | 813 | 815 |
Production (Crude Oil only) | 534 | 590 | 703 | 651 | 675 | 661 | 653 | 646 | 642 | 665 | 660 |
Consumption | 1,311 | 1,413 | 1,575 | 1,681 | 1,765 | 1,844 | 2,031 | 2,127 | 2,184 | 2,263 | 2,320 |
* Includes crude oil, natural gas plant liquids, other liquids, and refinery processing gain Source: DOE/EIA |
On one hand country like India is striving against power crisis and the development of nation. We are again now indulged in problem of fighting against terrorism. In such an era we need more power for production, definitely not for representation.
In India communalism has a vital part to play in, each community wants to display their power so that other communities don’t dare to take “panga” with them and stay away. Such processions are held in every city of the nation and these include display of religious beliefs in form of jhanki. Each procession goes its way covering the city in about 8- 10 hours. Many trucks, hand pullers, bands go all the way with this procession.
Liters of petrol/ diesel are wasted in these continuously on trucks, generators used for lighting and music. We have no account on records that how much power we are wasting just for the sake of power representation. This is not all traffic interruption due to this procession makes people travel longer distances and traffic jams make inconvenience to hang at one place for hours, where our vehicle move just 100 yards in about 45 minutes but petrol is on all that time. We again cannot account the amount of petrol/ diesel wasted in this procedure.
Similar is the case followed upon during election campaigns and visit of a minister in any city, during his visit to honor him a big procession follows him all the he goes.
Does a developing country like India really affords to waste such a huge amount of power just to represent their said hollow power?Encouraging youth towards Entrepreneurship in Agriculture and Allied sectors
 |
Dr. Vandana Tiwari ( Astt. Prof)
Mata Gujri
Women’s College
Jabalpur
Introduction:
Large population of India is dependent on agriculture for
their livelihood. But Indian agriculture is low productive are with large
number of disguised unemployed. Present paper is an attempt to highlight the
importance of developing entrepreneurship in the area of agriculture.
Agripreneurship is solution to many economic problems like urbanization,
poverty, unemployment and economic development. It helps in rural development.
But development of entrepreneurship in the areas of agriculture requires
special skills like human development, knowledge of agriculture, knowledge of
global agriculture market.
Bond
between agriculture and youth
National
vision of India is to become a welfare state, to reach the target for
prosperity for all. The basic developmental needs still exist in our life
spirit. We still hope to become a prosperous country.
Secondly, the country enjoyed tremendous economic growth in the 1980s and much of the 1990s, due to abundant natural resources and increases in the manufacturing and services sectors. As a result, India’s middle class grew considerably, but poverty remained widespread. Now the situation of food crisis will arrive. Nothing is older to man than his struggle for food. From the time the early hunters stalked the mammoths and the first sedentary "farmers" scratched the soil to coax scrawny grain to grow, man has battled hunger. Our future standard of living rests squarely on our ability to innovate. Many economists now believe that world economy is transition from managerial economy – where the focus is on job and employment – to an entrepreneurial economy in which innovation, agility, and the capacity to respond to the unmet needs in society will be the key to sustained economic growth. Entrepreneurship in agriculture and the allied sector is one of the prime needs of today’s economy. That can be the best source for the Government to fight against various problems of economy. The growing need of today’s economy is certainly emphasizing on food crisis, poverty, and unemployment and as a result to that crime. I strongly believe that switching over to agriculture can solve the problems to greater extent. Through agriculture we have various scopes, which is briefly discussed in this paper.
Agriculture
Sector
Agriculture
is the mainstay of the Indian economy because of its high share in employment
and livelihood creation. It supports more than half a billion people providing
employment to 52 per cent of the workforce. Its contribution to the nation's
GDP is about 18.5 per cent in 2006-07. It is also an important source of raw
material and demand for many industrial products, particularly fertilizers,
pesticides, agricultural implements and a variety of consumer goods.
Agriculture
being a State subject, it is the responsibility of the State Governments to
ensure growth and development of the sector within their respective State.
Accordingly, separate departments have been set up in several States.
The rapid
growth of agriculture is essential not only for self-reliance but also for
meeting the food and nutritional security of the people, to bring about
equitable distribution of income and wealth in rural areas as well as to reduce
poverty and improve the quality of life.
It is also an
important source of raw material and demand for many industrial products,
particularly fertilizers, pesticides, agricultural implements and a variety of
consumer goods.
Horticulture and Allied Sectors
Horticulture
and allied' sector is an integral
element for food and nutritional security in the country. Horticulture is the
main segment, while its various sub-segments are fruits, vegetables, aromatic
and herbal plants, flowers, spices and plantation crops. All these are regarded
as the essential ingredients of economic security. The wide range of
agro-climatic conditions of India is conducive for growing a large variety of
horticultural crops, including, root and tuber crops, mushroom, ornamental
crops, plantation crops like coconut, areca nut, cashew and cocoa. Horticulture seeks to create ample
opportunities for employment, particularly for unemployed youths and women
folk. India has maintained leadership in the production of many commodities
like mango, banana, acid lime, coconut, areca nut, cashew, ginger, turmeric and
black pepper. Presently, it is the second largest producer of fruits and
vegetables in the world.
Over the
years, much progress has been made for the advancement of horticulture and
allied sector. Rising investments have resulted in increased production and
availability of horticultural produce in the rural and urban areas.
Fruits
and Vegetables
India is the
fruit and vegetable basket of the world. India being a home of wide variety of
fruits and vegetables holds a unique position in production figures among other
countries. Over 90% of India's exports in fresh products goes to west Asia and
East European markets. However, it needs to augment its food and processing
industry at a mega scale, according to an agriculture consultant.
Ministry of
Food Processing Industry is the main central agency of the Government
responsible for developing a strong and vibrant food processing sector. It has
been set up with a view to create increased job opportunities in rural areas,
enable the farmers to reap benefit from modern technology, create surplus for
exports and stimulate demand for processed food.
Floriculture
Commercial floriculture has
been of recent origin though the traditional flower cultivation has been going
on for centuries. Emphasis has been shifting from traditional flowers to cut
flowers for export purposes. The liberalization of economy since 1991-92 has
given an impetus to the Indian entrepreneurs for establishing export oriental
floriculture unit under controlled climatic conditions.
Commercial
Floriculture is one such scheme implemented by Government with the objectives
of improve production and productivity of traditional as well as cut flowers
through availability of quality planting material and transfer technology,
improve human resource capabilities for growing flowers scientifically, promote
production of off season and quality flowers through protected cultivation as
well as improve on farm post harvest handling of flowers. State Governments
have set up separate departments for promotion and development of the sector in
their respective States.
Aromatic
and Herbal Plantations
Medicinal,
herbal and aromatic plants constitute a large segment of the flora, which
provide raw materials for use by pharmaceutical, cosmetic, fragrance and flavor
industries. They have been used in the country for a long time for their
medicinal properties. India is considered as a treasure house of valuable
medicinal and aromatic plant species. It has 15 agro-climatic zones, 47000
different plant species and 15000 medicinal plants. About 2000 native plant
species have curative properties and 1300 species are known for their aroma and
flavors. The Indian systems of medicines, popularly known as Ayurveda, Unani
and Siddha drugs are of great demand in the country. It has identified 1500
medicinal plants, of which 500 species are mostly used in the preparation of
drugs.
The medicinal plants
contribute to cater 80% of the raw materials used in the preparation of drugs.
The effectiveness of these drugs mainly depends upon the proper use and
sustained availability of genuine raw materials.
Further, India presents a
great investment and business opportunity in the herbal sector, with the
prospects of the country emerging as a global leader in the field. In recent
times, there has been an enlightened awareness among the citizens of the
country about the natural advantages that this country is endowed with. Herbal
Tea is one of the most commonly used aromatic herbs, which has its own
importance. It is gaining popularity due to its multipoint effects. The thrust
area is to develop the disease-specific herbal tea. All this proves that India
has one of the richest plant medical cultures in the world. There exists
innumerable opportunities in the various segments of aromatic, medicinal and
herbal plantations. Various efforts, both at the Central and State level, have
been actively undertaken to attract significant investments into the sector and
promote entrepreneurial activities therein.
Plantation
Crops
Plantation
crops in India are considered to be the main segment of the horticulture crops.
They are the mainstay of agrarian economies in many States and Union
Territories (UTs) of the country. They play an important role in the
agricultural and industrial development of the country as a whole. They
contribute a significant amount to the national exchequer and country's exports
by way of excise and export earnings. They also provide direct and indirect
employment to large number of people in the country, and thus tries to
supplement the poverty alleviation programmes, especially in rural sector.
Plantation
crops constitute a large group of crops. The major plantation crops include
coconut, areca nut, oil palm, cashew, tea, coffee and rubber; and the minor
plantation crops include cocoa. India is the largest producer and consumer of cashew
nuts.
But, in
India, plantation crops have been continuously facing the problem of lack of
investment and depressed yields, and are in great need of modernization. Their
total coverage is comparatively less and they are mostly confined to small
holdings.
Spices
Spices are
one of the main horticulture crops, which are used for flavoring and seasoning
the food substances. It is basically defined as vegetable products or mixtures
thereof, free from extraneous matter, used for imparting aroma in foods. Due to
liberalization of Indian economy, the spices industry of India has grown very
rapidly. It is a source of livelihood and employment for large number of people
in the country, especially for rural population. India is known as the home of
spices and produces a wide variety of spices like black pepper, cardamom (small
and large), ginger, garlic, turmeric, chili, etc. It is the largest producer,
consumer and exporter of spices and spice products. Out of the 109 spices
listed by the ISO, India produces as many as 75 owing to its varied agro
climatic regions. Almost all the States and Union Territories (UTs) of the
country grow one or the other spices.
Animal
Husbandry and Dairying
Animal
Husbandry and Dairying is a State subject and the State Governments are
primarily responsible for the growth of the sector. Dairying has become an
important secondary source of income and employment for millions of rural
families. The Indian Dairy Industry acquired substantial growth momentum from
9th Plan onwards, achieving an annual output of 97.1 million tones of milk
during 2005-06. India's milk output during the year 2006-2007 reached the level
of 100.9 million tones (provisional). This has not only placed the country on
top in the world, but also represents sustained growth in the availability of
milk and milk products for the burgeoning population of the country.
Fisheries
The 'fisheries and aquaculture sector'
is recognized as the sunshine sector in Indian agriculture. It stimulates
growth of number of subsidiary industries and is the source of livelihood for a
large section of economically backward population, especially fishermen, of the
country. It helps in increasing food supply, generating adequate employment
opportunities and raising nutritional level. It has a huge export potential and
is a big source of foreign exchange earnings for the country.
Over the years, fisheries'
industry is emerging and rapidly growing. This covers both capture and culture
including inland and sea, aquaculture, gears, navigation, oceanography,
aquarium management, breeding, processing, export and import of seafood,
special products and by-products, research and related activities. There exists
several investment opportunities in the sector for the entrepreneur’s world
over.
Sericulture
Silk is a way of life in
India. Over thousands of years, it has become an inseparable part of Indian
culture and tradition. No ritual is complete without silk being used as a wear
in some form or the other. Sericulture and Silk Textiles Industry is one of the
major sub-sector comprising the textiles sector. Sericulture is an agro-based
cottage industry. Sericulture refers to the mass-scale rearing of silk
producing organisms in order to obtain silk. Sericulture is one of the most
labor intensive sectors, combining activities of both agriculture (sericulture)
and industry. India is ranked as the second major raw silk producer in the
world.
It is the only one cash crop
in agriculture sector that gives returns within 30 days. Sericulture emerged as
an important economic activity, becoming increasingly popular in several parts
of the country, because of its short gestation period, quick recycling of
resources. It suits very well to all types of farmers and exceptionally for
marginal and small land holders as it offers rich opportunities for enhancement
of income and creates own family employment round the year.
Government Policies and
Initiatives
Several significant
initiatives have been taken in recent years by the Government in order to
reverse the downward trend in agricultural production. Some of these important
initiatives include:
Areas of Improvement
Undoubtabely, Government of
India has made various fruitful efforts, through finance, irrigation,
subsidies, at as discussed above. Scope
of Growth in Agricultural and Allied sectors has also increased. But Social,
Educational and political structure of the nation has kept us far behind, where
we could have been. I believe in spite of neglecting this sector, and promoting
industrial sector, Government should give maximum emphasis in Five-year plans
on it. This can be the only bypass, through which nation can solve many of its
troubles.
Although
Indian Agriculture has come a long way, there are certain implications that
have to be addressed for national and nutritional security. Our population is
expected to be 1.4 billion by 2020. The increasing population, coupled with
growing income will generate increased demand for food grains and non-food
grain crops. Therefore, Indian agriculture has to achieve a higher growth rate
targeted at 4 per cent per annum on a sustainable basis. Acceleration of growth
of this sector will not only push the overall GDP growth upwards, it would also
make the growth more inclusive.
The long-term
policy framework at broad sect oral level needs to be strengthened and focused
on improving inter- and intra-sect oral linkages. In addition, there is a need
to build an outcome oriented perspective in the implementation of public
programmes in the area of irrigation, fertilizers, use of high-yielding
varieties of seeds, extension support for facilitating adoption of improved
practices, and market access.
Avaibility of land
Since increase in net sown
area has flattened out, further increase in agriculture production needs to
come through an increase in gross cropped area (multiple cropping), coverage of
area under irrigation and improvement in the productivity levels. Practice of sanctioning fertile land for
industries like tata motors should be strictly prohibited. As establishment of
such industries can be done in non-fertile land like in Tamil nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
There are acres of land lying baron in those areas.
When land is
provided to mines for mining of ores, as far as I know they are not returned
back to farmers for agricultural produce. This practice is continuously
decreasing the land use patterns in India. Many families who have got
agricultural land from their ancestors. But have shifted their profession to
service sector, keeping un ploughed land for the sake of family honor. Such
land should be ceased and given to poor or landless farmers. Just as it
happened during land reforms after independence.
Promoting agricultural produce and technology
Including
agricultural economics as a subject in schools as a foundation course would
also add upon encouraging youths to make their career in agriculture.
Making
agriculture financially more earned would help them to motivate towards this
field.
Indian
agriculture also has to diversify into high-value crops, raise productivity,
restore soil health and enhance the application of modern technologies
including biotechnology. Strengthen the bio-security of crops, farm animals, and
fish and forest trees for safeguarding the livelihood and income security of
farmer families and the health and trade security of the nation.
Adoption
of modern agricultural practices and technologies is inadequate, hampered by
ignorance of such practices, high costs and impracticality in the case of small
land holdings. Role of Food processing
Industry, which is the main central agency of the Government responsible for
developing a strong, and vibrant food processing sector should be increased and
given high priority. It has been set up with a view to create increased job
opportunities in rural areas, enable the farmers to reap benefit from modern
technology, create surplus for exports and stimulate demand for processed food.
The ministry of food processing industry should conduct training camps,
workshops frequently in various divisions to encourage youngsters towards
development of agricultural entrepreneurship
Changing pattern of financial
support
While public investment in
agriculture may not have kept pace with the requirements of the sector, food
and fertilizer subsidies have supported the agriculture sector. There may be a
need for better targeting of these subsidies with a view to optimize the
resource allocation and returns there from. Instead of giving loans, farmers
should be given equipments, as loans are usually utilized for fulfilling family
needs, and finally government has to excuse the amount of loan. The pattern of
financial loan should necessarily be changed. Farmers should be given
agricultural commodities, as per their need, instead of cash. As the monetary
amount is utilized for fulfilling other social and family needs. This has
resulted to increase in agricultural debt.
Involving young generation in
agriculture
Youth
employment policies should be integrated with other policies regarding youth
such as educational, training and investment policies. There is lot of baron
lands lying over this can be ploughed by unemployed, in spite of giving them berozgari
bhatta. This will make them divert towards this field instead of crime.
Human resource development of the persons engaged in agriculture is necessary
not only to have greater penetration of better technology but also because new
skill sets would be necessary to enable underemployed labor in this sector to
get absorbed in other fast growing sectors. Government should introduce
measures that can help attract and retain youths in farming and processing of
farm products for higher value addition by making it intellectually stimulating
and economically rewarding.
Conclusion:
Few state of
India has recently over gone the elections. The prominent and big leaders
delivered their speeches. But to my surprise none discussed about agriculture.
Only industrial development was discussed and priorities. It is shameful for us
to purchase vegetables and Rs 100/ kg and above. Being a agriculturist nation,
at least food supply should never slow down. The nation can achieve self
subsistence and sustainable growth only through uplifting Agriculture. Instead
of opening various technical Colleges, some changes must be made towards
agricultural education. Policies regarding non sale of Agricultural land for
Commercial purpose must be set up. ADOPT AGRICULTURE TO SAVE THE NATION.
References:
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