STUDY MATERIAL

2010-2011

DEVELOPMENT
& COMMUNICATION
 INDEX

S.No Week Topic Sub Topic Lecture(s) Assignment

1. Week 1 Concept of Definition and 1

Development Meaning

Concept and process

of development

Theories and Unilinear Theories 1

Paradigms of and Paradigms
Development

Linear 1
Theories/Paradigms

2 Week 2 Ingredients of 5 Ms of 1
Development development and
Money Generation,

MNCs and Foreign 1

Aid

Basic Needs Model Maslow’s Hierarchy 1

of Needs and
Bariloche
Foundation’s Model

GDP/GNP 1

Human 1
Development Index
and PQLI

3. Week 3 Indicators of Communication as 1

Development an indicator

Democracy as an 1
indicator
 Human Rights as an 1
indicator

Social Relations 1
[inequality]

Happiness Index 1

4. Week 4 The Millennium 3 Collect

Development Newspaper
Goals clippings on
development
issues

5. Week 5 Development Definition and 1

Communication Concept

Diffusion of 1
Innovation

Magic Multiplier 1

Localised Approach 1

6. Week 6 Development Health and Family 1 Design one

Support Welfare SMS on any
Communication - health issue
Extension
Approach

Women 2 Write an article

Empowerment on women’s
issue.

Literacy & 1
Education

Water Harvesting & 1

Management

7. Week 7 Development of 1
message design and
communication
 Role and Print, Radio, TV, 2 Prepare an
performance of Outdoor publicity advertisement
mass media: and traditional on Prevention
media - music, from
drama, dance, Malaria/Dengue
puppetry, street
play, fairs, festivals
and their role in
development

Cyber media and e-governance , 2

development digital democracy &
e-chaupal

8. Week 8 ICT & 1

Development

Case Studies SITE Experiment 1

Community-based 1
water harvesting by
Rajendra Singh in
Rajasthan.

Role of NGOs in 1
social development

9. Week 9 Communication for Strengthening of 2

rural development: Panchayati Raj

Advancement in 2
farming and
alternative
employment

Conservation of 1
rural culture -
 tradition

10. Week 10 Communication Urban sanitation 1

for urban
development:

Consumer 2 Evaluate the

awareness Jago Grahak
Jago
Programme

Slum development 1

11. Week 11 Communication Wild life and forest 1

for Tribal conservation
development

Joint forest 1
management

Forest based cottage 1

industries

12. Week 12 REVISION

13. Week 13 Second

Terminal test

14. Week 14 Discuss

previous paper

Objectives of the Course: On completion of the course students should be able to:

1. Develop understanding of development issues

2. Contribute positively towards the development process of country as responsible mass
communicators.
Marks for internal assessment: 25

Unit-I [Concept and Indicators of Development]

1. Definition, meaning and process of development
2. Theories and paradigms of development – unilinear and non-unilinear
3. Ingredients (5Ms) of development and money generation, MNCs and foreign aid
4. Basic needs model by Bariloche Foundation
5. Economic and social indicators of development:
i. GDP/GNP
ii. Human Development Index
iii. Physical Quality of Life Index
6. Other indicators:
i. Communication as an indicator
ii. Democracy as an indicator
iii. Human Rights as an indicator
iv. Social Relations [inequality]
v. Happiness Index
7. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

Unit – II [Development Communication - Concept and Theories]

Definition and Concept

1. Approaches:
i. Diffusion of Innovation
ii. Magic Multiplier
iii. Localised Approach
2. Development Support Communication - Extension Approach
i. Health and Family Welfare
ii. Women Empowerment
iii. Literacy & Education
iv. Water Harvesting & Management
Unit-III [Media and Development]

1. Development of message design and communication

2. Role and performance of mass media: Print, Radio, TV, Outdoor publicity and traditional
media - music, drama, dance, puppetry, street play, fairs, festivals and their role in
development..
3. Cybermedia and development: e-governance , digital democracy & e-chaupal
4. ICT & Development
5. Case Studies :
i. SITE Experiment
ii. Community-based water harvesting by Rajendra Singh in Rajasthan.

6. Role of NGOs in social development..

Unit - IV [Communication in different Indian perspectives]

1. Communication for rural development:

i. Strengthening of Panchayati Raj
ii. Advancement in farming and alternative employment
iii. Conservation of rural culture - tradition
2. Communication for urban development:
i. Urban sanitation
ii. Consumer awareness
iii. Slum development
3. Communication for Tribal development
i. Wild life and forest conservation
ii. Joint forest management
iii. Forest based cottage industries

UNIT I
CONCEPT AND INDICATORS OF DEVELOPMENT
Development: Introduction
Concept of Development

Systematic use of scientific and technical knowledge to meet specific objectives or requirements.

2. Extension of the theoretical or practical aspects of a concept, design, discovery, or invention.

3. Process of economic and social transformation which is based on complex cultural and
environmental factors and their interactions.

4. Process of adding improvements to a parcel of land, such as grading, subdivisions, drainage,

access, roads, utilities.
The purpose of development is to build an enabling environment so that people can joy a long,
healthy and creative life. Development is an all embracing concept encompassing economic,
social, cultural, educational and political aspects of the society. It is the sum of all-round,
balanced and planned growth.
Development means a change, growth, progress and modernization. Development stands for all
that is good, positive and favorable.

Often, this truth is lost in pursuit of economic growth and material well being. Development goal
is reflected in every policy, declarations of the government as well as international community.
Despite this, there is no clear image of the process of development. This has created confusion
about the concept of development and its approaches as well as strategies.
A manual for news agency reporters brought out by the (IIMC) Indian Institute of Mass
Communication defines it as:” The removal of poverty, the lessening of disparity between
regions and classes, the building up of technological infrastructure, modernization of society
through shedding feudalism, tribalism and superstitions, the gradual achievement of economic
self reliance”.
It goes on to say further, Development is measured in time, improvement of the lives of the
people and the strengthening of the families or the individual capacity to deal with the rest of the
society and of the nations capacity to deal with the world. A cursory glance at this all
encompassing definition reveals to us that the development is not just restricted to the mere
upliftment of the economic status of a nation, but involves a whole gamut of issues pertinent to
the well being of a group of individuals and society at large.
A country’s development rests on several factors. These include satisfaction of physical, material
and spiritual wants of its people. UNESCO Prescribes certain access Prevalence of media in a
country, if it has to come under developing or developed ones.
The term development has been interpreted in various ways by sociologists, economists,
development planners etc. to some it means modernization, to others social change and to others
it would enhance the quality of life or sustainable development. The word ‘development’
suggests some amount of improvement, self-reliance, upliftment and progress, and also self-
awareness and independence to an extent.
Today development is one of the human rights and achieving development is no longer what the
state may opt to “do”. It is now the primary responsibility of the government to create national
and international conditions favorable to the realization of right to development. The
deceleration on Right to Development is particularly significant for its importance to developing
countries.

Dynamics of development
Development is a continuous process. It is a movement from a state of dissatisfaction to a state of
satisfaction. It is dynamic not static.
The process of development will remain dormant unless all sectors and levels of people of
developing country are informed, motivated and influenced to use unfamiliar ideas, skills and
instruments.
Development depends on making use of the vast potential that communication can provide today
and tomorrow (capital-intensive, machine-intensive technology, top-down structure of authority).

Dysfunctions of development--- (internal constraints which caused dysfunction)

1. Mutual distrust in interpersonal relations. ( in general , people were suspicious, evasive,
and distrustful of others in the community and non-cooperative interpersonal relations with
peers)
2. Perceived limited good ( people believed that all good things in life are available in
limited quantities )
3. Family ( people were prepared to subordinate their personal goals to those of the family)
4. Lack of innovativeness ( people were reluctant to adopt modernizing innovations, had a
negative attitude toward change, & their behavior was not fully oriented toward rational
economic considerations)
5. Fatalism ( people believed that their well-being was controlled by supernatural fate)
6. Limited aspirations ( exhibited low aspirations for advancement)
7. Limited view of the world (they were not time conscious. They had no orientation to the
world beyond their narrow group.)
8. Low empathy( exhibited inertness, could not imagine themselves in new situations or
places, capacity of a person to put itself in another person shoes)

Dominant concepts of development

● Economic growth through industrialization and urbanization.

● Centralized economic planning.

● Importance attached to diffusion of modernizing innovation.

● Underdevelopment ( internal problems-biased social structure with traditional attitudes

and behavior)
Communication
Communication is sharing of knowledge, information and experience. It makes them understand,
persuade, convert or control one another. It is two way process.

Communication perspective on development-

Any act of communication on development aspects has to be purposive and pragmatic in a
planned and systematic manner. That means has to be goal oriented. The process of development
is linked with communication.
Communication support is essential to inspire the people to play a decisive role in transforming a
traditional society into a progressive society. The success of development oriented programmes
depends on a sound communication support.
Communication for development calls for the active participation of under-privileged in the
mainstream of national life in general and in decision making process in particular.
Role of communication in development-
The role of communication or communication media is to create proper atmosphere / climate for
social change by transforming the society.
It also seeks to maintain some of the old values and norms of the society. Communication Media
can help in a big way to popularize the beneficial effects and the imperativeness of accepting
various development programmes on a large scale, especially in the rural and backward areas.
Communication operations, oriented to development, can mount social justice, economic
equality and political participation which in turn help weaker sections to be prepared for overall
development. Communication opens the door for development which raises people’s awareness
and opportunities by providing relevant information. Communication strives to make people play
a participatory role in development projects.
Communication scientist Everett M Rogers says “Development is a widely participatory process
of social change in a society intended to bring about both social and material advancement
(including greater equality, freedom and other valued qualities) for the majority of the people
through gaining greater control over their environment.”
The objective of communication for development is to enable the weaker sections to take part
actively in the development programmes so that they can be brought into mainstream of national
life and have a say in decision making process.

Approaches to Devcom
Daniel Learner- substituted the word development for modernization.
His concern was modernization of traditional society.
Reasons for backwardness---
*Psychological factors—one can stimulate productivity using the psychological technique of
persuasion/motivation. This brings behavioral changes—changing the human attitude towards
better motivation.
Empathizing—due to the lack of exposure to mass media, people in traditional society failed to
imagine themselves in a better position than their counterparts.
Psychic mobility—imagines them in developed or developing situation. This is the beginning of
motivation and changes which contributes to modernization and development.
Learner – established a correlation between economic productivity and media provision. The
more media provision (quantitatively), the higher the economic productivity and vice-versa.
Urbanization------>Literacy------>More economic & Political participation

Mass media exposure

Everett M Rogers—his approach was similar to Learner. There was a correlation between
quantity of mass media & development. The process of modernization starts with the diffusion of
new ideas which happens only with mass media. Diffusion of can be done through interpersonal
comm. & mass comm. he presented a two step flow comm. theory there are opinion leaders or
change agent in the process of comm.

● Wilbur Schramm—communication scholar, was assigned by UNESCO (1964), to view

correlation between quantity of mass media and their contribution to modernization or
development. Mass media were magic multipliers and developing countries should go for
more extension of mass media. To achieve social change of great magnitude, people must
be informed, persuaded and educated. Information must flow not only to them but also
from them, so that their needs can be known, can have a participatory role.

DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE: THE

THIRD WORLD

After the Second World War, many colonies got independence, and started re-building their
nations. The leaders of these newly independent countries were desperate to bring their nations
out of the vicious circle of poverty, uneducation, disease, hunger, etc. Thus, 'development'
became a key word in most of their speeches. And the meaning of development was as varied as
the countries. We shall discuss the experience of these countries, known as the Third World
countries, in the field of development. About three quarters of all humanity, numbering three and
a half billion people, living in the developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America,
spanning two thirds of the earth's land surface, constitute the Third World. A Third World
because it belongs neither to the group of industrialized capitalist countries nor the socialist
countries, wherever such countries still exit. These Third World countries vary greatly in size&,
natural resource endowments, in the structure of their economics, in the level of economic,
social, and technological development. The 'diversities are fairly marked, making even the Third
World less homogeneous. But the unifying aspect is that, in - these countries, the need to
overcome poverty and secure a-better life for their people is primary. Yet, it is ironic, by the end
of the 1980s, it could be seen that the achievements of the %id World during the post world war
II decades had not fundamentally changed the status of these countries in relation to the world
economic system. "They remained poor, subordinate, and powerless. In general, their national
self-reliance had not increased, in some countries dependence intensified as they tried to
modernize". Poverty persisted and the income gap between the developed countries and Third
World widened.
 DEVELOPMENT DICHOTOMIES
Economic development deals with objectives, which may result in conflicting consequences.
Here, we shall consider some of these conflicting aspects, which are called development
dichotomies.
a) Growth vs Justice: We have seen earlier that the mainstream development paradigm as well
as the multi--revolution paradigm suggested that economic growth should be given priority, even
though it would result in growing disparity in income distribution.
Traditionally, it is believed that unequal distribution of income is a necessary condition for rapid
growth. It is argued that growing inequalities in income distribution, by making the rich richer,
would provide for more savings, and, &therefore, higher growth. If growth is accompanied by
more equitable or just distribution, the poor also get more income, but may not have much left
for showing, and the consequent low savings will result in slow growth.
Thus, the traditional theory implied a dichotomy between growth and justice; we have a very
rich, elite class in India.

b) Rural vs. Urban Dichotomy: This is another dichotomy. There is a widespread feeling that
the theories of the unilinear world view would suggest strategies of economic development,
which would only result in urban bias. I am sure; we in India have experienced and are
experiencing this phenomenon. Our metropolises and cities are over-populated
Unprecedented migration from the rural to the urban areas is taking place. This urban bias would
lead to growing neglect of the majority who live in rural areas as well as unmanageable rural to
urban migration affecting the quality of life in the urban areas.

PROBLEMS OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT

i) Poverty: It may be defined as the inability to attain a minimal standard of living. The minimal
standard of living may be expressed in terms of the expenditure necessary to buy a minimum
standard of nutrition and other basic necessities. Such a measure may suffice a poverty line for a
country. The World Development Report, 1990, estimated "that more than one billion in the
developing world are living in poverty. Nearly half of the world's poor live in South Asia, and
nearly half of them, i.e., about 250 million live in India". In other words, India accounts for about
25 per cent of the poor in the Third World. The poor in these countries are concentrated in the
rural areas. A substantial proportion of them live in areas of acute environmental degradation.
Much of the deprivation is due to poverty suffered by women and children. In poor households,
women shoulder more workload than men, are less educated, and have less access to
remunerative activities. Children, particularly girls, suffer disproportionately. Their future
quality of life is compromised by inadequate nutrition, health-care, and education. Low life
expectancy and educational attainment are common among the poorest households.

ii) Inequality: It refers to disparities in the living standards. Often, it is attributed to unequal
distribution of income. Though the majority of people in less developed countries continue to
live in the rural areas, there has been growing disparity between the rural and urban incomes,
leaving the rural incomes much behind. It is a burning issue in our country. There have also been
growing disparities in the interpersonal income distribution. In other words, the share of the rich
is increasing faster, while that of the poor has not been increasing or, if at all, at a very slow rate.
Thus, the gap between the rich and the poor is widening. The income disparities in the less
developed countries are wider than in the developed countries. For instance, the ratio of the
incomes of a factory worker and a professional worker is of the order of 1 to 2 or 3 in the West,
but 1 to 15 or 20 in Asia.

.
iii) Unemployment: It is one of the most striking problems of the less developed countries.
We do experience it in each and every family. It is not only open unemployment, but also
underutilization of all those employed resulting in underemployment that plague these countries.
An additional problem is the low productivity of those employed. In many poor countries, open
unemployment, especially in the urban areas, affects 10 to 20 per cent of their labor force. The
incidence of unemployment is much higher among the young and increasingly more educated in
the 15-24 age group. Even more fractions of both the urban and rural labor force are
underemployed. One of the major causes for persistence of poverty is the widespread
unemployment and underemployment, the solution to which holds the key to the problem of
underdevelopment. The unemployment issue occupies a central place in the study of
underdevelopment.

iv) Literacy: It is one of the scourges that perpetuates low productivity and prevents to the
higher levels of living of the masses in the Third World. Education is not only a lever to improve
the productivity, but also a basic need. Progress in education in to be sought mainly as an end in
itself. In addition, there is growing evidence that schooling contributes substantially to the over
all development. It is shown that one year increase in schooling can increase wages by more than
10 per cent. An additional year of schooling has in Some Mass Media and Development
countries, raised farm output by 2 to 5 per cent. Schooling of women has brought down
substantially the infant mortality and fertility while raising life expectancy.
 Theories and paradigms of development:

Unilinear World View of Development

The unilinear world view of development simply means underdevelopment preceding
development. All developed countries are late comers to the process of development already
taken place in the developed West. The Western developed countries followed some kinds of
processes, and, they have achieved a kind of standard of living. The people of these countries
enjoy certain consumer items, which are not easily available for the common men living in other
parts of the world, at an affordable cost. Because of their tremendous influence on the world
bodies and international scene, the Western countries have become models of development for
the underdeveloped or developing countries. It suggests, therefore, that development is becoming
mote like West or like the already developed countries. For becoming like the West, there are
certain institutional or economic hurdles, whose removal will initiate the development process in
the underdeveloped countries.
On the contrary, the “non-unilinear world-view of development” suggests that development is
not becoming like the West. Under the changed historical conditions, it may not be possible for
the less developed countries to become like the already developed countries. These less-
developed countries shall have to find an alternative path of development,

Types of Unilinear Theories:

Theories falling under the unilinear world-view may be divided into two broad categories.
First, there are those theories, which consider development as harmonies and non-contentious
processes. The development process benefits all rich as well as poor people, and rich as well as
poor countries. There is more harmony between different groups of people and different
countries.
The second category of theories considers development essentially as a conflicting process.
These theories refer to the rich exploiting the poor as much as the rich countries exploiting the
poor.
Mainstream Paradigm:
Theories under category which suggest development to be a harmonies process, lead to two
paradigms: one which advocates state intervention or active role of the Government as an
essential requirement for development. Most of the modern theories of development that have
emerged during the post-war years come under this paradigm. This may be called as the
‘Mainstream Paradigm’.
‘Mainstream paradigm’ includes most of the familiar development theories like the “big-push” or
“balanced growth” or “vicious circle”.
In spite of differences in the framework, point of emphasis etc., there are certain aspects, which
are common in these theories. The most important resource for development is savings or
accumulation of capital. Development is a process of transforming an economy.
Therefore, these theories describe the initial conditions or barriers responsible for the low
savings, and suggest strategies to overcome those hurdles, which would put the underdeveloped
countries on the path of development like the West. The persistence of the low savings is due to
the vicious circle of poverty: low income, low savings, low investment, low productivity, and
low income.
There is also the vicious circle on the demand side like the low inducement to invest because of
the low level of productivity due to low level of investment.
In the process of mobilizing saving and channeling the same for development, the mainstream
theories consider state intervention, either through the governmental planning or state
programmes, as essential. Most of the newly independent countries have embarked upon the
development strategies, which were inspired by the theories of the mainstream paradigm.
Counter –revolution Paradigm:
The other paradigm, which emphasizes non by the state or non-intervention by the state or non-
involvement of the government, and advocates the efficiency of the market (the forces that
determine demand. supply, and the cost, pricing, and production of goods. commodities and
services) in promoting development, which favors “free market’’ for developments, is called as
the “counter-revolutionary” paradigm.
In contrast, the Counter-revolution paradigm considers the state intervention as the cause of
inefficiency and distortions in the resource use. According to paradigm, the state intervention
through licensing and regulation leads to ‘directly unproductive profit seeking’, corruption, and
red tape. Minimizing the state’s role, and allowing the market to play the role in allocation of
resources, would improve efficiency, competitiveness and rapid growth. This paradigm has
gained some popularity only in the 1980s, by which time there was widespread disenchantment
with the interventionist policies. In recent years, this paradigm is at the basis of the package of
liberalization that is recommended by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
The Structuralist Paradigm
Within the category of theories, which consider development essentiality as contentious and
conflict-ridden process, we find two paradigms. The structuralist paradigm suggests that
underdevelopment is a consequence of the internal as well as the international structure (system
of production) Internally the less developed countries are totally dependent on the production
and export of primary products (raw materials, like oil, sugar, tea, rubber, iron and other
minerals etc.). On the international front, the developed countries (capitalist West) produce and
export “manufactured” goods. Now, the low level of technology and industrialization, the low
elasticity of demand and adverse terms of trade (the West protecting its manufactured goods
through trade tariffs, and buying the primary products of the less developed countries at low
prices, has had to the exploitation of the less-developed countries by the developed countries.
Therefore, these theories suggest that if the less developed countries want development, they
required to change the structure (system) of production increasingly in favor of manufactured
goods through capital based technology and industrialization. Once the ‘underdeveloped’
countries do this, they too can develop like the West.
The Orthodox Marxist Paradigm
On the other hand, the Orthodox Marxism Paradigm considers that conflict and contradictious in
the development of capitalism are inevitable, and that these can only be resolved through
revolution, which will then usher the next phase of development.
The familiar Marxist concept of development is associated with the five stages: (1) Primitive
Communism, (2) Ancient Slave State, (3) Feudalism, (4) Capitalism, and (5) Socialism.
The Orthodox Marxist theory also visualized the future of the underdeveloped countries entirely
in terms of the developed capitalist countries. Karl Marx wrote that “the country is more
developed; industrially; only shows to the less developed the image of its own future.’ But
Marx’s writings were Europe-centric.

Non-Unilinear World-view of Development

Unilinear is moving from one step to another logically. Some paradigms are not unilinear. Their
nature is not that systematic.
Types of non-unilinear theories
If we turn to the theories under the “non-unilinear world view”, here too we can subgroup
theories into two paradigms one the populist paradigm and the other the Neo -Marxist paradigm.
Thus, we can broadly classify two “World-views of development”, the unilinear and the non-
unilinear, in six paradigms, viz., the mainstream paradigm, the counter revolution, the
Structuralist, the Orthodox Marxist, all the four belonging to a Unilinear World View. The
populist and Neo-Marxist are the two paradigms of “non-Unilinear world View”.
Populist Paradigm:
The theories under the ‘Populist” approach questions either the need or possibility of the less-
developed countries developing on the lines of the already developed capitalist countries.
Gandhi thought that the Western type of development had nothing to commend to societies like
India. His contention was that the Western industrialization had brought along with it immorality
crime, and cultural degeneration. Development in a country like India should make the village as
the centre, and provide employment and livelihood through a network of cottage and village
industries. ‘Gram Swaraj’ or ‘village united development’ would not only ensure against the
evils of industrialization and urbanization, but also absorb millions of people without uprooting
them from their appropriate village industries.
The contribution of Schumacher is also inspired by the Gandhian thinking. It is well-known
through his book, small is Beautiful. The two serve problems of the less developed countries,
according to him, were mass unemployment and mass migration to the urban areas. In the less
developed countries, there emerged what is known as “dual economics” of urban and rural areas,
each within different patterns of living, widely separated from each other, living as two different
worlds. That the rural masses would be absorbed by the Western type of industrialization is
utterly unrealistic. What is needed is creation of appropriate technology that would promote
employment opportunities through a network of small production units, a primary condition for
such a development involves education, organization, and development.
Neo-Marxist Paradigm:
The essence of the paradigm lies in the fact that at present, the less developed countries cannot
develop like the West. It stresses the interconnectedness of development and underdevelopment,
of traditional and modern and indeed many other social, political and economic factors. It seems
many conflicts and clashes of interest in the development process occur, both between nations
and between social classes within the underdeveloped countries. It emphasizes the historical
factors, especially, the active process of how underdevelopment has come into being in the
various Third World countries.
Underdevelopment of most of the world was a direct result of the monopoly capitalism, which
had blocked the primary accumulation of capital in the underdeveloped regions, and destroyed
their new industries. They lost their time-honored means of livelihood, their arts and crafts, yet
there was no modern industry to provide new ones in their place.
“Under development is not just the lack of development. Before there was development, there
was no underdevelopment. This relation between development and underdevelopment is not just
a comparative one, in the sense that some places are more developed, and yet then
underdevelopment”.

Ingredients (5M’s) of development & money generation

In the 50’s which was described as the development decade it was thought that if machines and
knowledge of using those machines were made available along with the money to buy these
machines, development would automatically follow.
Appraisal and reappraisal of development process led to the painful discovery that mere
provision of machines, materials, methods and money is not sufficient to being about
development: something more was needed.
Further scrutiny revealed that d development won’t take place unless people were mobilized
through communication to accept development as a described goal and played a part in its
realization.

❑ Man

❑ Machine

❑ Money

❑ Material

❑ Method

Man
The man under discussion is one who is illiterate, lives: in rural areas, physically weak and living
in poor housing conditions. A part from the above- features, there is something special to human
beings in each region and that is what must be understood. They are social, spiritual…
Man has to be understood in his social context
Man lives not only in the present but also in the past, through social institutions that have grown
over a period. These institutions greatly influence his personality and are these institutions which
determine by and large his behavior, psychology and thinking.
The social institutions may be family, government economy, education and religion etc..
If there is an institution in society that does not allow the fruits of labor to be enjoyed by those
who are laboring, it may not be possible to persuade people to put in as much labor as you want
them to.
Example: Slavery, Communism etc.
If there is a prevailing atmosphere in the community or society where in material prosperity is
considered not worth aspiring for we might not get our developmental goals.
Example: Traditional Indian Society, Buddhism, Jainism
If manual work is rated low as against non-manual work it will be difficult to encourage people
in favor of manual work against non- manual.
Example: half taught youth of developing countries are relevant to go for manual work. Even in
the absence of work befitting for their skills.
It will be difficult to encourage economic activity if those working with hands are accorded the
lowest position in the every region has to be understood against his social background.
Example: old Zamindars, Nawabs.

Man has to be understood in his Physical Environment

Man inherits something as part of his environment. Bigger the country, larger the area over
which human beings are spread and the greater the variety. Distance promotes different
attitude/behavior pattern because of the lack of physical means of communication.
Unless one understands the circumstances of man one cannot conceive of development.
Example: Bonda tribes of Chhattisgarh, M.P. stay naked. The tribes of Andaman & Nicobar have
entirely different way of living than people of plains.
Man has to be understood in his Psychological make up
The average level aspiration among inhabitants is also governed by the institutions. One cannot
aspire high if born in an environment where one’s fate is sealed. He has to rebel against it to raise
his level of aspiration. The study of man or understanding of man in his environment is
imperative if we have to understand the developmental process.
Example: children living in footpath of cities.
Man has to be understood in his social context in his physical environment and psychological
makeup unless one takes a comprehensive view, communication for development is likely to
misfire.

Money:-
The primary purpose of money is needed to buy services and goods and services available either
by producing or through exchange. Development activities need money. The million dollar
question is where to bring this money from ? One of the solutions can be proposed is by savings.
But in the developing countries, the money supply is tight and limited in circulation. Riddled
with the various circle of poverty, the saving possibility is very limited. Hence, money has to be
generated.
Machines, Materials & Methods
As you know, development essentially centers on the use of machine & technology for faster
multiplication of service & goods.
Machines constitute the core of development. These have to be used in the production of goods
to meet the primary needs of man – food, clothing, housing etc.
But the situation in developing countries is that machines do not exist.
So, one has to buy them from outside. One can’t go on buying as much as one ways. A country
has to search for material of which machine are made.
If you have material, you should know the methods to manufacture. As well as the method of
using machines at home, we those find that materials machine and method constitute a circle. In
most developing parts of the world material is by and large available.

MNC and Foreign aid

A corporation that has its facilities and other assets in at least one country other than its home
country. Such companies have offices and/or factories in different countries and usually have a
centralized head office where they co-ordinate global management.
A multinational corporation (MNC) or transnational corporation (TNC), also called
multinational enterprise (MNE), is a corporation or enterprise that manages production or
delivers services in more than one country.
There are a few other ways to counter the deficit problem:-
a) Loan: some of money lent for temporary use
b) Gift: something given or received as a present
c) Partnership: a relationship of partners one of the pair of companionship.
Gifts, however, cannot be unlimited, nor can they equal the total requirements gifts will be at the
convenience of those who gives them and they are always limited.
The biggest risk in partnership is that the developing nations have no control on it. The control
lies in the lands of those who offer partnership.
In the area of material, method and machine, there is a large element of helplessness on the part
of the developing countries. Theses offer big challenges to the ability and foresight of political
leadership.
Development needs unorthodox imagination dedicated, devoted leadership.
When oil explanation started in India in the fifties the country was faced with probable of
shortage of oil-drilies. Drilling machines could be obtained from countries which had experience
of oil exploration – America, Canada or Soviet Union. But getting drillers was a costly
proposition.
The then minister in change, the Late Shri K.D. Malaviya, decided to produce them at home. He
recruited a large no. of workers, regardless of their education and organized training program on
the drilling site. He succeeded training a large army of drillers in no time.

Foreign Capital
Foreign capital may be defined as the transfer of resources including technical know-how from
developed countries and multilateral Institutions to the underdeveloped countries.
Components of foreign capital--
1. Concessional assistance
2. Non-conventional flows
3. Foreign Investment

Motives for Giving Aid

There are three motives for providing economic aid to the developing world.
1. Humanitarian motives. The plight of hundreds of millions of people living in abject poverty
must strike the consciences of those whose lot is so much better. Humanitarianism demands
at the fortunate minority should give some of their income to those who have so little.
2. Political motives. Political world have been economic aid in the hope that it will help to win
the political allegiance of the recipients.
3. Economic motives. If the developing countries succeed in escaping from ‘the poverty trap’
and achieve faster rates of economic growth, they will be able to enter more fully into
international trade and provide growing markets for the outputs of other countries.
Forms of Aid
The United Nations considers that economic aid consists of outright grants and long-term loans
for non-military purposes. The chief aid-giving countries, however, take a much broader view
and include private capital investment and export credits: In fact the term ‘aid’ is being
increasingly replaced by the term ‘development assistance’. Economic aid may take several
forms.
Gifts of Consumer Goods
This form of aid has consisted mainly of the free distribution of American stockpiles of
foodstuffs (e.g. wheat). There are several problems associated with this type of aid. The type of
food stockpiled in the West may not be suitable for people living in the East and the large-scale
release of such commodities may upset world prices and affect the earnings of other producers.
In the early 1970s a series of poor harvests and the rapid growth of world population led to a
severe shortage of foodstuffs and this form of aid was seriously curtailed.
Loans and Grants

Loans may be arranged on commercial terms (i.e. at market rates of interest) or on concessionary
terms (i.e. at interest rates well below market rates). Grants and loans may be allocated to a
specific project, or ‘tied’ to exports from the donor country, or without any such conditions.
Grants and concessionary loans tend to take the form of official assistance, that is, they are
supplied on a government to government basis (bilaterally) or via multilateral organizations. The
main multilateral agencies are the World Bank and its two affiliates, the International
Development Association and the International Finance Corporation, the International Monetary
Fund ; the regional development banks related to areas such as Latin America, Asia and Africa;
the United Nations.
 Multinational corporations and economic development

Today, multinational corporations (MNCs) comprise a central place in the world economy.
Before World War II, terms such as "multinational" or "transnational" were seldom used to
describe international economic relations. Although transnational entities like the British East
India Company and joint-stock enterprises existed in the past, the expansion and proliferation of
multinational agents is a recent phenomenon. The hyperbolic spread of transnational activity has
spawned a spirited debate and the concomitant development of theoretical models that seek to
explain their causes and effects.

A. The Neoclassical School and State Involvement

In the neoclassical conceptualization of a world economy composed of small, decentralized, and

unitary agents, state intervention in the economy is discouraged.

The neo-classical model is predicated on the self-sufficiency of the market, the policy
recommendation is that states should play a minimal role in the economy. According to Adam
Smith, the father of laissez-faire economic theory, state intervention should be restricted to three
areas: ensuring domestic security (i.e., the establishment of rule of law); providing national
security; and, the provisioning of public goods (e.g., the construction of roads, bridges, dams,
and other infrastructural projects). (4) Regulations that impede international trade (e.g., tariffs,
quotas, voluntary export restraints) should be removed so that states can trade freely and make
effective use of their comparative advantage in the production of goods.

A similar logic extends to foreign investment. Barriers to foreign investment should be removed
so that MNCs can enter and operate freely in local economies. The less a country's bureaucracy
is hampered by obstreperous regulations, the more attractive it becomes to foreign investors.
Increased investments by multinationals are said to improve the conditions of the host economy
by introducing new sources of capital and technology. The neoclassical model contends that
foreign direct investment enhances competition, creates jobs, and generates domestic growth.
This, in turn, has spillover effects on the ancillary sectors in the economy, thus promoting greater
innovation and production. According to Harry Johnson, a Nobel Prize-winning economist,
multinationals bring to less developed hosts, "a 'package' of cheap capital, advanced technology,
superior management ability, and superior knowledge of foreign markets for both final products,
and capital goods, intermediate inputs, and raw materials." (5) Again, the policy
recommendation by proponents of this school of thought is to prescribe reduced state
involvement in the process of wealth creation.

B. Dependency Theory and State Involvement

Borrowing from Marxist thought, dependency theory is far less supportive of international trade
overall and the role of MNCs specifically. According to advocates of this school of thought,
foreign firms are "the organizational embodiment of international capital" (6) whose operations
are seen as the quintessential example of capital domination by the center (rich countries) on the
periphery and semi-periphery (poor and intermediate countries, respectively). Proponents of
dependency theory assert that these powerful enterprises cause distortions in the national
economy by pushing domestic producers out of the local economy while absorbing local capital.
(7) Aside from perversely affecting developmental patterns, MNCs are also deemed responsible
for undermining the national autonomy of underdeveloped countries. They are able to conduct
such campaigns by forging alliances with local elite and segments of the technocratic class. If
state leaders should decide to pursue nationalistic policies of market closure, MNCs would not
only exert pressure from abroad but also from within domestic society as a result of this unholy
alliance. (8) According to dependency theory, MNCs have specialized skills and resources that
less developed countries may not possess. These multinational enterprises have at their disposal
enormous organizational resources, capital and technology, and managerial expertise that they
can deploy to pursue their interests after entering a host economy. As political scientist Robert
Gilpin observes: "Through vertical integration and centralization of decision-making, the
multinational corporation seeks.

MASLOW’S HEIRARCHY OF NEEDS

Psychologist Abraham Maslow first introduced his concept of a hierarchy of needs in his 1943.
This hierarchy suggests that people are motivated to fulfill basic needs before moving on to other
needs.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is most often displayed as a pyramid. The lowest levels of the
pyramid are made up of the most basic needs, while the more complex needs are located at the
top of the pyramid. Needs at the bottom of the pyramid are basic physical requirements including
the need for food, water, sleep and warmth. Once these lower-level needs have been met, people
can move on to the next level of needs, which are for safety and security.

As people progress up the pyramid, needs become increasingly psychological and social. Soon,
the need for love, friendship and intimacy become important. Further up the pyramid, the need
for personal esteem and feelings of accomplishment take priority.
Five Levels of the Hierarchy of Needs

There are five different levels in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:

1. Physiological Needs
These include the most basic needs that are vital to survival, such as the need for water,
air, food and sleep. Maslow believed that these needs are the most basic and instinctive
needs in the hierarchy because all needs become secondary until these physiological
needs are met.
2. Security Needs
These include needs for safety and security. Security needs are important for survival, but
they are not as demanding as the physiological needs. Examples of security needs include
a desire for steady employment, health insurance, safe neighborhoods and shelter from
the environment.
3. Social Needs
These include needs for belonging, love and affection. Maslow considered these needs to
be less basic than physiological and security needs. Relationships such as friendships,
romantic attachments and families help fulfill this need for companionship.
4. Esteem Needs
After the first three needs have been satisfied, esteem needs becomes increasingly
important. These include the need for things that reflect on self-esteem, personal worth,
social recognition and accomplishment.
5. Self-actualizing Needs
This is the highest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Self-actualizing people are self-
 aware, concerned with personal growth, less concerned with the opinions of others and
interested fulfilling their potential.

The hierarchic theory is often represented as a pyramid, with the larger, lower levels
representing the lower needs, and the upper point representing the need for self-actualization.
Maslow believes that the only reason that people would not move well in direction of self-
actualization is because of hindrances placed in their way by society. He states that education
is one of these hindrances. He recommends ways education can switch from its usual person-
stunting tactics to person-growing approaches. Maslow states that educators should respond
to the potential an individual has for growing into a self-actualizing person of his/her own
kind.

Maslow's Self-Actualizing Characteristics

● keen sense of reality - aware of real situations - objective judgement, rather than
subjective
● see problems in terms of challenges and situations requiring solutions, rather than see
problems as personal complaints or excuses
● need for privacy and comfortable being alone

● reliant on own experiences and judgement - independent - not reliant on culture and
environment to form opinions and views
● not susceptible to social pressures - non-conformist

● democratic, fair and non-discriminating - embracing and enjoying all cultures, races and
individual styles
● socially compassionate - possessing humanity

● accepting others as they are and not trying to change people

● comfortable with oneself - despite any unconventional tendencies
● a few close intimate friends rather than many surface relationships
● sense of humour directed at oneself or the human condition, rather than at the expense of
others
● spontaneous and natural - true to oneself, rather than being how others want

● excited and interested in everything, even ordinary things

● creative, inventive and original

THE BASIC NEEDS MODEL OF DEVELOPMENT-A FRAMEWORK

The Bariloche Foundation in Argentina (1972) first developed a world model to show the
feasibility of meeting the basic needs of people all over the world on the basis of certain
assumptions regarding resource availability and environmental constraints.
The common aspect of these efforts is the insistence that development must enhance the welfare
of the poor and satisfy minimal needs. It was an attempt to deal directly with world poverty by
meeting basic needs of the lowest 40% income groups in the fields of nutrition, health, education
and housing through employment and income. In 1976, ILO gave shape to this commitment and
adopted the Basic Minimum Need Model (BMN).

The success of this development model depended upon-

❖ The level of people’s awareness of their environments

❖ Resource availability

❖ Means to satisfy the needs

❖ Their perceptions of the level of development achieved

❖ The perceptions of planners and decision makers

The ILO stressed the typology of the needs essential for development. These are-

1. Normative Needs-Are the minimal levels of nutrition, health etc.Without these,

development will be hampered.
2. Felt Needs-Peoples perceptions of their own needs
3. Expressed Needs-Demands made by people on the basis of their felt needs
4. Comparative Needs- Inputed needs of the group not in receipt of services but
relevant in characteristics to other groups.

Attributed causes of underdevelopment in the BNM model-the assumption is that in

developing countries, the marginal sector of society is barely surviving. These are the
poorest of the poor. Their pre-occupation is income for survival so that they cannot
participate in the development process.

According to this model, the organization of poor themselves is a necessary pre-requisite

for development. Such organization serves three purposes-

❖ To participate in planning and utilization of a place in the community life

❖ To overcome the mere survival strategy

❖ To break the pattern of powerlessness, exploitation, and a state of dependency and

bordering on slavery.
 Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

� The gross domestic product (GDP) is one the primary indicators used to gauge the health
of a country's economy.

� It represents the total value of all goods and services produced over a specific time period

� Measuring GDP is complicated The income approach, which is sometimes referred to as

GDP(I), is calculated by adding up total compensation to employees, gross profits for
incorporated and non incorporated firms, and taxes less any subsidies.
The calculation can be done in one of two ways:
 � Either by adding up what everyone earned in a year (income approach), or by adding up
what everyone spent (expenditure method). The expenditure method is the more common
approach and is calculated by adding total consumption, investment, government
spending and net exports.

� Logically, both measures should arrive at roughly the same total.

� Economic production and growth, what GDP represents, has a large impact on nearly
everyone within that economy.

� When the economy is healthy, you will typically see low unemployment and wage
increases as businesses demand labor to meet the growing economy.

� A significant change in GDP, whether up or down, usually has a significant effect on the
stock market. It's not hard to understand why: a bad economy usually means lower profits
for companies, which in turn means lower stock prices.
GDP
= private consumption + gross investment + government spending + (exports imports)

� Consumption: is normally the largest GDP component, consisting of private household

expenditures in the economy.

� Investment: includes business investment in plant, equipment, inventory, and structures,

and does not include exchanges of existing assets.

� Government spending: is the sum of government expenditures on final goods and

services.

� Exports: represents gross exports

� Imports: represents gross imports

� "Domestic" means that GDP measures production that takes place within the country's
borders. In the expenditure-method equation given above, the exports-minus-imports
term is necessary in order to null out expenditures on things not produced in the country
(imports) and add in things produced but not sold in the country (exports).

Gross National Product (GNP)

� to estimate total economic activity in a country or region, including gross domestic
product (GDP), gross national product (GNP)

� All are concerned with counting the total amount of goods and services produced within
some "boundary".

� Arriving at a figure for the total production of goods and services in a large region like a
country entails an enormous amount of data-collection and calculation.

� The systematic keeping of national accounts, of which these figures are a part, only began
in the 1930s, in the United States and some European countries.

� a greater role for the government in managing an economy for obtain accurate
information so that their interventions into the economy could proceed as much as
possible from a basis of fact.

� Three strategies have been used to obtain the market values of all the goods and services
produced: the product (or output) method, the expenditure method, and the income
method.

� The product method looks at the economy on an industry-by-industry basis. The total
output of the economy is the sum of the outputs of every industry.

� Value-Added: that is, the difference between the values of what it puts out and what it
takes in.

� The expenditure method is based on the idea that all products are bought by somebody or
some organization.

� Therefore we sum up the total amount of money people and organizations spend in
buying things.

� The income method works by summing the incomes of all producers within the
boundary. Since what they are paid is just the market value of their product, their total
income must be the total value of the product. Wages, proprietor’s incomes, and
corporate profits are the major subdivisions of income.

� "Domestic" means the boundary is geographical: we are counting all goods and services
produced within the country's borders, regardless of by whom.

� "National" means the boundary is defined by citizenship (nationality). We count all goods
and services produced by the nationals of the country (or businesses owned by them)
regardless of where that production physically takes place.
 GDP v/s GNP

� GDP can be contrasted with gross national product (GNP). The difference is that GDP
defines its scope according to location, while GNP defines its scope according to
ownership.

� GDP is product produced within a country's borders; GNP is product produced by

enterprises owned by a country's citizens. The two would be the same if all of the
productive enterprises in a country were owned by its own citizens

� Production within a country's borders, but by an enterprise owned by somebody outside

the country, counts as part of its GDP but not its GNP; on the other hand, production by
an enterprise located outside the country, but owned by one of its citizens, counts as part
of its GNP but not its GDP.

� To take the United States as an example, the U.S.'s GDP is the value of output produced
by American-owned firms, regardless of where the firms are located.

Human Development Index (HDI)

Focuses on human capabilities such as skills, health, knowledge, equitable opportunities

1) Equity
2) Sustainability
3) Productivity
4) Empowerment
EQUITY people must have access to equal opportunities, is a basic human right. All barriers
to economic & political must be eliminated so that they can participate in and benefit from
these opportunities.
Sustainability- Access to opportunities must be ensured not only for the present generations
but also for future. All forms of capital, human & environmental should be replenished
(regeneration).
Productivity- It requires investment so that people must be enabled to increase their
productivity (max potential), participate fully in the process of income generation&
remunerative employment. Eco growth is therefore, a subset of human Development.
 Empowerment- Development must be by the people, not only for the people, focusses on
education & health so that they must participate fully in the decisions & processes that shape
their lives. Involvement in identifying planning and implementation of dev programmes.

In Human Dev Report (1995) three key concepts have been defined to measure
Development
1) GDI Gender Related Development Index-
2) GEM(gender empowerment measure)
--GDI focuses on expansion of capabilities, GEM on use of these to take the advantage of
these opportunities

3) Human Development index (HDI)-It is the latest and most comprehensive index of socio-
economic dev formulated by the (UNDP) United Nations Development Prog and is annually
published in the United Nations Human Development Reports.

The HDI attempts to rank all countries on scale of 0(lowest human dev) and 1 (highest Human
dev level)
It measures the average achievement of a country in basic human capabilities.
The HDI indicates whether people lead a long & healthy life, are educated, knowledgeable and
enjoy a decent standard of living. HDI examines the average condition of various segments of
society
People’s participation in their country’s development and their own control over their lives is
measured by HDI.
HDI combines life expectancy, educational attainment and basic purchasing power.

Various examples of states—

1) High HDI/ low income=Kerala

2) Low HDI/higher income = Haryana
3) Fast economic growth/slow HDI = Rajasthan
4) Mutually reinforcing growth & HDI = Punjab, Gujarat
5) Mutually depressing growth & HDI = UP, Bihar, Orissa

Correct estimation is difficult because of theoretical and practical difficulties.

If HDI below .5—low level

If HDI between .5and .8 –medium level

If HDI above .8—high level

Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI)

Viewing the map of South America and Africa, it is obvious that South America exhibits a
higher PQLl then Africa. From this one can assume that South America have better living
standards in which their infant mortality, life expectancy, and literacy rate should be greater then
Africa’s. Compared to Africa, South America must contain better living condition, which means
that the people living there should have enough money to buy food. Rising PQLI numbers show
that there is vitality, and organizational potential that can be mobilized to directly improve the
conditions of poor countries. The gains have come from the mobilization of indigenous people

# (Indicator of welfare).

#it is measure of the extent of fulfillment of basic needs leading to an improvement in the quality
of life.

# Implicit or explicit information is the primary source of development.

It comprises of three indicators –

1) Infant mortality rate
2) Life expectancy
3) Literacy rate

❖ Infant mortality rate—is a good index of availability of good sanitation and clean drinking
water as infants are most affected by insanitary conditions and water borne diseases.
❖ Life expectancy-- indicates the extent of nutrition and healthcare services

❖ Literacy rate—indicative of the progress of education.

Communication as an indicator

Characteristics of indicators
An indicator is a quantitative or qualitative factor or variable that provides a simple and reliable
basis for assessing achievement, change or performance. It is a unit of information measured
over time that can help show changes in a specific condition. A given goal or objective can have
multiple indicators

Why communication
Most current development policy rests on the belief that development works best when it is
rooted in country ownership, when people have a voice in their own development and when they
can hold both governments and others in power to account. Communication strategies enable
 people to know and understand issues that affect them, and they provide people with the means
and spaces to articulate their own perspectives in public and political debate. Without knowledge
of issues that affect you, and without the capacity to make your voice heard, there can be no
participation or ownership. This is particularly and especially the case for people living in
poverty. Repeated surveys of people living in poverty find that people consistently treasure one
thing more than money – that one thing is having a voice in their own development.
Communication for development is a tool to promote dialogue, to share information and
knowledge, and give people voice. Its likeness to what in other situations is referred to as
participation is striking. Communication reinforces people's participation.

The communication for development intervention has its own objectives, activities and outputs
to be monitored and evaluated whether these stand on their own or they are mainstreamed into
the overall sector programme objectives, activities and outputs. Communication for development
is an essential component of any strategy designed to guarantee that voice.
❖ SELECTED INDICATORS - COMMUNICATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

❖ Expanded public and private dialogue and debate

What increase has there been in family discussions, among friends, in community gatherings, in
debate and dialogue in political processes
❖ Increased accuracy of the information that people share in the dialogue/debate
Evidence of this may be gathered on a few topics, one example may be the accuracy of
information about the ways to spread/avoid HIV/Aids
❖ Increased leadership role by people disadvantaged by the issues of concern
Did the affected people manage to become decision makers concerning the priorities and
activities of the communication intervention?
❖ Linked people and groups with similar interests who might otherwise not be in contact
Which new groups are involved, new contacts established? This may help people to see
opportunities for action which they did not see before – a very important indicator.
The following can serve as guideline in using communication for development.

1) As Charles Wright says that the functions of communication include correlation, entertainment,
socialization and education. All these are directly as well as indirectly related with development
in our country.
2) Apart from fulfilling these functions communication can serve to speed up the acceptance of new
ideas into a community.
3) Communication can also expand peoples horizon and thinking on many aspects pertaining to
development.
4) We know about the steps to be taken to face any disaster, calamity only through communication.
5) Communication can provide specific direction towards achieving development by focusing on
problem areas in a developmental program me.
6) Communication can keep the people informed of the steps taken towards the national integration
and national development.
7) Communication can help people to face problems on an individual and also on collective basis
on various fronts.
8) Development oriented themes such as family planning; adult education, primary health care etc.
can be spread to people much faster through communication.
9) People feedback on developmental programmes can be passed to the policy makers only through
communication.

Communication is an indicator of development for the future since people come to know about
the event in advance, that may happen only through communication.

Happiness Index (HI)

We have certain strategies, certain policies, to pursue this goal of happiness. We should enrich
our knowledge and understanding of happiness itself; and further, how much we can improve
and refine the processes that we have adopted. Happiness is the ultimate desired end. Greater
intellect and further wisdom on the subject of happiness is the key requirement.

HI is offering a more rational and human approach to development:

● First, HI stands for the holistic needs of the human individual - both physical and mental well
being. It reasons that while material development measures, contribute, to enhancing physical
well-being, the state of mind which is perhaps, more important than the body, is not
conditioned by material circumstances alone.

● Second, is that HI seeks to promote a conscious, inner search for happiness and requisite
skills which must harmonize with beneficial management and development of outer
circumstances.

● Third, it supports the notion that happiness pursued and realized within the context of the
greater good of society offers the best possibility for the sustained happiness of the
individual. It may be emphasized that the society as a whole cannot obtain happiness if
individuals compete irresponsibly for it. HI stresses collective happiness to be addressed
directly through public policies in which happiness becomes an explicit criterion in
development projects and programmes.

● Fourth, as happiness is the most common yearning (strong desire) of the electorate both
individually and collectively and as it transcends ideological values, public policies based on
HI will be far less arbitrary than those based on standard economic tools.

Science of the mind is about managing feelings and emotions. Thus, a great deal of cultural
knowledge and education in traditional society was aimed at conditioning the mind to give or
cause happiness to all beings. Enlightening the inner self or human nature became a far greater
task than taming nature and manipulating the world for personal or even national gain. What HI
calls for is a holistic, comprehensive (broad, including) approach to development.

Manifold rise in real income in several highly industrialized countries over the last 50 years has
not led to similar increases in happiness. It is evident that triumphs (victory) in the rat race to
earn more, have more and consume more do not bring true and lasting happiness. The rich, the
powerful and the glamorous, are often the ones who are more impoverished (deprive) spiritually
and socially and thereby are less happy. In wealth and happiness, after meeting basic needs,
indicates that happiness cannot be found on the unending, rudderless (device to steer boat)
journey powered by man’s insatiable greed.

The illusion of market-led happiness. The market demands greater efficiency and higher
productivity. It demands ruthless competition, maximization of profit. But these are the very
causes that serve to dehumanize society and undermine the factors that create happiness.
Demanding and grinding work life that is necessary for efficiency and productivity is difficult to
be balanced with leisure and social life that gives us satisfaction. Moreover, mobility and job-
changes imposed by the market are inconsistent with the vital need for sustained community life
just as emotional security is diminished by market economics. It is observed that, edging out the
weak, making profit the main motive for industry and capitalizing on the baser instincts of envy
and greed are not the ingredients for a harmonious society.

Related to mobility and location changes as dictated by our professional lives & to stay
connected through virtual and real communication-The concern comes from the reality that
people are living ever more apart despite being ever so connected. We only have to remind
ourselves of the near complete disintegration of the extended family structure or network in the
urban and industrialized societies, higher rates of divorce, single parenting, the erosion of trust
and loss of genuine friendship that are known to be factors in unhappiness. If upbringing by
single parents is an increasing aspect of modern life, aging alone is also a rising prospect. It is
ironic that longer life spans afforded by science and medicine should serve to prolong the pains
of loneliness and desolation.

There is found rise in mental illness, alcoholism and related crime across all categories of age.
Then there is suicide which is a clear sign of the absence of emotional and psychological anchors
in society. Failure to see any purpose in life and the loss of hope for happiness, depression rates
too seem to be substantial in many societies and the latest American statistics in this regard are
alarmingly most revealing. It is to create conditions that would enable every citizen to pursue
happiness with a reasonable chance of success.

HI known as the four pillars. These are:

1. Sustainable and equitable socio-economic development,

2. Conservation of environment,
 3. Preservation and promotion of culture and
4. Promotion of good governance.

Sustainable and equitable Socio-economic development - Ignorance, ill health, deprivation and
poverty are still serious challenges faced by much of the developing world. Economic growth is
of absolute necessity to eradicate poverty. Securing jobs and livelihood are prerequisites of
happiness. For them economic policies are happiness policies.

The measurement system for a HI economy must necessarily be different. It must value social
and economic contributions of households and families, free time and leisure given the roles of
these factors in happiness.

HI economy must concentrate on redistribution of happiness through income far more seriously.
Yet, orientation of our perceptions towards needs and the ability to find satisfaction upon having
fulfilled such needs is in itself a near impossible but inevitable challenge for a HI economy.

Conservation of Environment it is difficult to argue against the value of environment in

everyday life and hence our happiness, given that our health and aesthetic experiences depend on
the quality of physical environment around us directly on richness of their immediate natural
environment which bestows on them free, wholesome foods, medicines, pleasure and a host of
essential materials. Even the development of our finer senses depends on our regular, access to
natural environment.
Our fear of the immediate consequences of tampering with the wrathful nature of the Himalayan
has already led to very visible and alarming rates of the withdrawal of glaciers, which are the
sources and natural regulators of our river systems.
Much of our fertile valleys could be swept. Water scarcity is already a major concern. Green
house gas emissions should be controlled and reduced. Susceptibility to the harmful rays of the
sun on account of the depletion of the Ozone layer could be dangerous. Our finite natural
resources are running out while nature’s magic of regenerating and replenishing are fading away.

Preservation and Promotion of Culture -priority area of culture for HI by pointing out that
culture received a rare global attention last year through the UNDP’s human development report
titled “Cultural Diversity in Today's World.” Free choice is equated with cultural liberty and as
being central to human rights and human development.

In globalization the need for a vigorous promotion of indigenous cultures is important. We

believe that a state which does not preserve its cultural richness is one where the choices and
well-being of its citizens are diminished and greatly constrained.
Happiness exists and grows with sharing the matter of human rights and cultural liberty seems to
be more complex in reality. We need to adhere to human rights and liberty as basic universal
minimum standards. The view that completely meaningful interdependence can arise only when
and if we do not see ourselves as just independent and as separate bearers of rights, but as
relational beings.

I also find the emphasis on rule of law to regulate human interrelationships intriguing. It seems
sensible to strengthen those customs and traditions which require married people to be good to
their spouses and children because they see virtue in it and want to enjoy the happiness that it
generates rather than to be seen doing so because the law requires it

Good Governance In one sense, securing any public good, such as collective happiness, depends
on realizing governance oriented to it. Logically, if a government should reflect the ultimate
democratic desire or opinion of the people, which is happiness, then the nature of governance.
All human institutions are systems of relationships .We can always attempt to move in a
direction of improving our shared situations, which are where happiness arises and dissolves,
depending on the quality of relationships. In so doing, we can improve any institutional
arrangement and human conditions

for governance, both at the national and international levels, are aligned with search for
happiness, where every person’s happiness matters to equal degree. The fact that national
governance and international relations are so intertwined as never before, as national governance
is rarely independent of the international context in a globalized world, also presents
opportunities. It provides scope and reason to ponder question and rethink the aims, content and
nature of international relations and global institutions. We must ask and consider as to whether
focusing on happiness can lead us to a more peaceful, harmonious and equitable world and truly
sustainable and civilized human society.

Conclusion
To sum up, HI is a balanced and holistic approach to development. It is based on the conviction
that man is bound by nature to search for happiness, and that it is the single most desire of every
citizen. Evidently, there is growing interest in how to be happy as opposed to how to make
money. Dollars and cents are not the bottom line in life. It is our hope that as more thought is
given to this common quest in life, there will be more ideas and reasons why HI should guide
human development to further human civilization. It started to converge on happiness as a
collective goal. That happiness is an indicator of good development and good society.

HI indicators include both objective and subjective dimensions of life. The construction of an
index should give equal weight to both the functional aspects of human society as well as the
emotive side of human experience. To give just one example, people’s perceptions of their own
safety and security are as important in determining happiness as objective crime statistics. That
balance allows good representation of information between the objective and the subjective.
When measuring objective conditions such as educational and medical facilities, etc., measure of
the psychological or subjective experience that accompanies this condition is important. For
example, a student attends a school that scores highly in the conventional educational statistics,
but he/she subjectively views the educational experience as entirely deficient the teachers might
be oppressive, or the classroom tense. In other words, the process of obtaining the education,
including the classroom experience, does not promote a sense of well-being in the student,
despite the schools apparent high objective performance. Self reporting of experiences along
with objective statistics therefore provides a more accurate picture of well-being than the
objective statistics alone.

As indicators reflect values, and shape programmes, they become a vital link in providing feed-
back on the effectiveness of existing policies and programmes and feed-forward into programme
implementation, thereby allowing the values they embody to be infused into policies and
programmes in a broad based manner. Thus, in the case of using HI indicators as evaluative
tools, they can be used not only to check whether programmes are consistent with HI indicators
but also to create conditions for a coherent, organic relationship between professed values on the
one hand and actual policies, programmes and projects on the other. it means that the country’s
economic, political, social, environmental, cultural and technological environments will be
penetrated by HI values, and that there will be a natural coherence to the country’s policies that
reflect its cherished values.

The conventional subjective versus objective division is an abstraction from what is actually
inter-relational. For HI indicators, this cultural concept means that seeing everything as relational
is more useful than seeing them as separate categories. In fact, happiness itself dwells in the
experience of quality of relationship. Thus, the various domains are not simply separate
conditions of happiness in and of themselves. Rather, it is the intimate inter-relationship among
these domains that is significant.

a broad range of social, economic, cultural, and environmental indicators. Seen in this way,
happiness and well-being is ultimately a way of being that is affected by and affects relational
quality, which changes in meaning over time with deepening sensitivities to the world around us
and with our understanding of what is important or valuable for us and

HI as Goal

Happiness is a subjectively (personal) felt public good. Happiness is a public good, as all human
beings value it. It cannot be left exclusively to private individual devices and strivings. If a
government’s policy framework, and thus a nation’s macro-condition, is adverse to happiness,
happiness will fail as a collective goal. Any government concerned with happiness must create
conducive conditions for happiness in which individual strivings can succeed.
In this context, public policies are needed to educate citizens about collective happiness. People
can make wrong choices that lead them away from happiness. Right policy frameworks can
address and reduce such problems from recurring on a large scale. There are many entities, such
as the corporations and other organizations, above the individual level that make choices and
decisions that impact collective happiness

Our understanding of how the mind achieves happiness affects our experience of happiness by
influencing the means we choose in striving towards it. In some branches of the behavioral
sciences, the mind is conceived of as an input-output device responding to external stimuli. One
consequence of this model is that happy and pleasurable feelings are seen as dependent solely
upon external stimuli. Happiness is perceived as a direct consequence of sensory pleasures. With
such an overemphasis on external stimuli as the source for happiness, it isn’t surprising that
individuals are led to believe that being materialistic will increase their happiness.

But there is a contrary tradition to the external stimuli based happiness that point to a different
source of happiness, showing that pleasurable feelings will be generated by shutting down
sensory inputs and the related mental chatter. This involves secular meditation whereby the
individual experiences the subject itself, as opposed to the subject perceiving external stimuli.
There is much less external input to happiness through contemplative method. Long enough
meditation may lead the brain structure (neural pathways) to be changed such that calmness and
contentment will be a personality trait. In other words, the mental faculties can be trained
towards happiness. From a contemplative perspective, extreme reliance on externally derived
pleasure distracts the individual from inner sources of happiness, elevating the latter.

When this cultural view is applied, stable and sustainable economies can be termed successful.
An economy that is continually growing at an unsustainable rate may be seen as a failure due to
its inability to promote detachment from the proliferation of wants. Sustainable and stationary
economy may signal that stability in wants and psychological stability have been achieved
among the consumers.

In order to achieve collective happiness, the principle of interdependence needs to be taken on by

everyone. Members of a HI society would cultivate a third eye, which can elevate our vision
beyond individual self-interest to address the happiness of all, as a collective goal. The third eye
metaphorically represents our potential to see all things as interdependent across time and space.
Equity is central to HI. The perception of happiness that doesn’t take into account the needs of
others happiness is irresponsible and egocentric, and the pursuit of such happiness is likely to be
unethical. Happiness blossoms through enhanced relationships, arising unbidden when
relationships improve. In this sense, the whole of development is a progress in relationships, not
of individuals.
Dimensions and Indicators of HI
The HI indicators have been designed to include nine core dimensions that are regarded as
components of happiness and well-being. These are constructed of indicators which informative
with respect to each of the dimensions. The nine dimensions were selected on normative
grounds, and are equally weighted, because each dimension is considered to be relatively equal
in terms of equal intrinsic importance as a component of happiness. Within each dimension,
several indicators were selected, and were relatively uncorrelated. The nine dimensions are:

1. Psychological Well-being

2. Time Use

3. Community Vitality

4. Culture

5. Health

6. Education

7. Environmental Diversity

8. Living Standard

9. Governance

In this perspective happiness comprises having sufficient achievements in each of the nine
dimensions.

Psychological
The domain of psychological well-being includes satisfaction with all elements of life, life
enjoyment, and subjective well-being. As collective happiness is the main goal in a HI society,
psychological well-being is of primary importance in gauging the success of the state in
providing appropriate policies and services. Among component indicators of the psychological
well-being domain, general psychological distress rate, prevalence rates of both negative
emotions (jealousy, frustration, selfishness) and positive emotions (generosity, compassion,
calmness), spiritual activities like meditation and prayers, and consideration of karmic effects in
daily life were calculated.

Time Use
The domain of time use is one of the most effective windows on quality of life, as it analyzes the
nature of time spent within a 24-hour period, as well as activities that occupy longer periods of
time. The time available for non-work activities such as sleeping, personal care, community
participation, education and learning, religious activities, social and cultural activities, sports and
leisure and travel can directly indicate diversity of activities that add to rich life and contribute to
levels of happiness. Measurement of time, devoted unpaid work activities like care of children
and sick members of household, and maintenance of household, can provide of contribution
made by unpaid activities to welfare though the value of such activities are completely
underestimated in national accounts.

Community Vitality
The domain of community vitality focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of relationships and
interactions within communities. It examines the nature of trust, belongingness, vitality of caring
relationships, safety in home and community, and giving and volunteering. The community
vitality indicators consist of:

● Family vitality indicator,

● Safety indicator,

● Reciprocity indicator,

● Trust indicator,

● Social support indicator,

● Socialization indicator, and

● Kinship density indicator.

Cultural Diversity and Resilience

Maintenance of cultural traditions has been primary policy goals, as traditions and cultural
diversity contributes to identity, values, and creativity. The domain of culture focuses on the
diversity and strength of cultural traditions. The domain takes into account the nature and
number of cultural facilities, language use patterns and diversity, and participation in community
festivities and traditional recreations. The indicators estimate core values, and perception of
changes in values and traditions.

The indicators of cultural diversity and resilience consist of:

● Dialect use indicator,

● Traditional sports indicator,

● Community festival indicator,

● Artisan skill indicator,

 ● Value transmission indicator, and

● Basic precept indicator.

Health
The health indicators assess the health status of the population, the determinants of health and the
health system. Health status indicators show information on self-rated health, disabilities, body
mass index, and number of healthy days per month. Health indicators also cover the prevalence
of knowledge about HIV transmission and breast feeding practices. Lastly, barrier to health
services are assessed in terms of walking distance to the nearest health facility, which includes
both western and indigenous systems. Thus the health index consists of:

● Health status indicator,

● Health knowledge indicator, and

● Barrier to health indicator.

Education
Education contributes to the knowledge, values, creativity, skills, and civic sensibility of
citizens. The effectiveness of education in working towards the goal of collective well-being is
assessed. The domain of education looks at a number of factors: participation, skills, among
others. However, in the education index, a limited number of variables could be included. The
education index consists of:

● Education attainment indicator,

● Dzongkha language indicator, and

● Folk and historical literacy indicator.

Ecological Diversity and Resilience

By examining the state of Bhutan’s natural resources, the pressures on ecosystems, and different
management responses, the domain of ecological diversity and resilience is intended to describe
the impact of domestic supply and demand on Bhutan s ecosystems. These are surveyed by other
agencies, & HI gathered information on data on ecology. The ecological diversity and resilience
indicators consist of:

● Ecological degradation indicator,

● Ecological knowledge indicator, and

 ● Afforestation indicator.

Living Standard
The domain of living standards covers the basic economic status of the people. The indicators
assess the levels of income at the individual and household levels, sense of financial security,
room ratio, food security, house ownership. The indicators were also constructed for economic
hardships as shown by inability to repairs houses, inability to contribute to community festivities,
and purchase of second hand clothes. Thus the living standard indicators consist of:

● Income indicator,

● Housing indicator,

● Food security indicator, and

● Hardship indicator

Good Governance
The domain of good governance evaluates how people perceive various government functions in
terms of their efficacy, honesty, and quality. The themes of indicators include human rights,
leadership at various levels of government, performance of government in delivering services
and controlling inequality and corruption, peoples trust in media, judiciary, and police.
Therefore, the indicators of good governance consist of:

● Government performance indicator,

● Freedom indicator, and

● Institutional trust indicator.

Democracy as an indicator

• A system of govt. runs by the elected representatives of the people

• The underlying theme of human development is the broadening of human choice.
• The number of democracies has been growing through the past two centuries
• At the start of the 20th century only a handful of countries could be described as
democracies. The fact was that woman could not vote. A number of these countries might
not qualify as liberal democracies by demanding more standards, countries with
democratic institutions has been growing rapidly-this process is linked with economic
development. Although it is clear that economic development does not automatically
bring development.
• This paper summarizes findings from a massive body of cross-national data
demonstrating that:
 1) Socio-economic modernization

2) A cultural shift towards rising emphasis on self-expression values

3) Democratization, all reflect a single underlying process, based on mutually reinforcing

components

• Inglehart and Wetzel (2005) present and analyze it in much greater detail. Socioeconomic
modernization reduces the external constraints on human choice bringing growth in
public demands for civil and political liberties, gender equality and responsive govt.
• This process helps to establish and sustain the institutions best suited to maximize human
choice—democracy. This is the core component of human existence. Growing mass
support for democracy plays a major role in the spread of democracy.
• If this is true, then well-informed decision makers need reliable feedback on where, why
and how mass support for democracy is growing and where it is faltering. Just as they
need reliable feedback on economic growth from such indicators as per capita GNP and
unemployment rates.
• Techniques for measuring public support are newer and less developed than techniques
for measuring gross national product, but the relevant mass attitudes can be measured—
when they are, they turn out to have an autonomous societal impact that is fully as
important as that of economic factors. `
• Scenario of development opened up because of the increasing influence of democracy.
As a result Indian environment got a boost and the face of economic development of
India changed completely.
• Various democratic reforms played a pivotal role in the development. Reaping its benefit,
the growth of the country can raise manifold. Therefore, a great atmosphere is important
for proper growth and development. Thus democratic environment is inevitable must for
development.

Human Rights as indicator

• Human rights are the natural rights of all human beings irrespective of their sex.
• Efforts are made all over the world to take adequate measures for the promotion and
protection of human rights.
• It is only through communication that people become aware and educated about their
rights, which they can exercise or have been granted to them.
• The United Nation General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights on 10th December 1948, according to which all men and women are entitled to
civil, political, economic, social, cultural rights and freedom for the people of the world.
• The United Nations and other international organizations, several non-governmental
organizations: Amnesty International, In India the People’s Union of Civil Liberties and
the Media have been creating greater awareness.
• Ex: The Frontline in its issue of 24 Sep’ The Times of India in its special report on 28
Nov, both in 1999 spell out in detail the gross violation of Human Rights in Tamil Nadu.
• Every Development programme should incorporate an aspect on human rights and
development communicators must shoulder the responsibility of educating various target
 groups how to respect and exercise human rights and how to work towards conquering
them. This requires democratization of communication. Access to all existing media to
the masses and sharing information and the facts related to human rights without any
discrimination.
• According to Varadarajan,” freedom of information and human rights have become
issues of world concern approximately at the same time-for the freedom to know and to
communicate constitutes a vital human right. Without this freedom, other human rights
cannot be exercised effectively either within National borders or within the world
community. The expansion of human rights therefore depends largely on the success of
expanding the flow of information everywhere.”
• The preamble to the constitution, fundamental rights and directive principles, which
together have been described as forming the core of the constitution reflect the basic
principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• The Declaration by United Nations on 4th Dec, 1986 Article 8, Says-The States should
undertake, at the National level, all necessary for the realization of the right to
development and shall ensure, equality of opportunity for all in their access to basic
resources, education, health services, food, housing, employment and the fair distribution
of income. Effective measures should be undertaken to ensure that women have an active
role in the development process.
• The problems in enforcement of human rights also should be communicated to the
masses. Their participation and cooperation should be sought in and controlling these
problems.
• The real challenge is to prepare a development communication strategy to highlight
human rights. So far media have not been successful in projecting an impressive and
popular image of human rights issue, which constitutes an integral part of life and activity
of the average citizen.

The Human Right principles to guide development programming identified in this agreement
are:

• Universality and inalienability

• Indivisibility
• Interdependence and interrelatedness
• Equality and non-discrimination
• Inclusion and participation
• Accountability

This becomes a major hindrance in using participatory approach to development.

Therefore, human rights have also become one of the areas of concern for development.

Social Relations [inequality]

Social Relations takes as its focus the relationships between people and their social world.
It assumes that people are engaged in and shaped by multiple relationships, events and
influences. Human experience and behavior is therefore explored, not only by taking a range of
social and psychological factors into account but also, importantly, by paying close attention to
the meanings and interpretations that people attach to their diverse experiences.

The concept of ‘the individual’ can by definition exist only in relational terms. A person
constructs a sense of identity in relation to family, other people, cultural practices, gender, social
class, social/political systems, sexuality, geographic location and physical and mental abilities. It
is therefore necessary to engage in learning as a cultural activity and to appreciate connections
between individuals and the social, political and cultural structures that impact upon them.

Significantly, Social Relations foregrounds people’s lived experience and recognizes that this
experience is in continual process. In this way, it invites engagement with relevant topical issues
and relationships. Similarly, the experiences and meanings that ‘the learner’ has (and therefore
brings to any human interaction) also become a valuable resource for exploration and insight into
the dimensions of human relationships.

Social Relations is a multi disciplinary approach that draws on several theoretical methodologies
in its analysis. While all of the disciplines that have typically contributed to the ‘humanities’
offer important insights about human beings and their behaviors and needs, those that primarily
concern themselves with the complexities of human behavior are psychology, sociology and
anthropology. These are therefore especially important within a Social Relations framework, as
they each focus from different angles on how people organize and make meaning of their world
and their relationships within it.

Exploring the ways in which such relationships are produced, sustained and transformed is
vitally important in establishing meaningful communication with groups and individuals. Social
Relations provides a dynamic framework within which to gain rich insight and understanding
about people and the social and emotional landscape of their lives.

Social Relations has particular relevance for people whose professional careers require a broad
understanding of human behavior and social relationships. Learning undertaken within this
framework enhances people’s personal relationships; their workplace relations with peers,
managers and customers; and their engagement and sense of belonging with the community. It is
an approach that is extremely useful for promoting understanding of particular social and cultural
issues and local contexts
 THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

(MDGs)

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the most broadly supported, comprehensive
and specific development goals the world has ever agreed upon. These eight time-bound goals
provide concrete, numerical benchmarks for tackling extreme poverty in its many dimensions.
They include goals and targets on income poverty, hunger, maternal and child mortality, disease,
inadequate shelter, gender inequality, environmental degradation and the Global Partnership for
Development.

Adopted by world leaders in the year 2000 and set to be achieved by 2015, the MDGs are both
global and local, tailored by each country to suit specific development needs. They provide a
framework for the entire international community to work together towards a common end –
making sure that human development reaches everyone, everywhere. If these goals are achieved,
world poverty will be cut by half, tens of millions of lives will be saved, and billions more
people will have the opportunity to benefit from the global economy.

The MDGs provide a framework for the entire UN system to work coherently together toward a
common end. UNDP, global development network on the ground in 166 countries, is in a unique
position to advocate for change, connect countries to knowledge and resources, and coordinate
broader efforts at the country level.

● First, campaigning & mobilization - supporting advocacy for the MDGs and working
with partners to mobilize the commitments and capabilities of broad segments of society
to build awareness on the MDGs.
● Second, analysis - researching and sharing best strategies for meeting the MDGs in terms
of innovative practices, policy and institutional reforms, means of policy implementation,
and evaluation of financing options.
● Third, monitoring - helping countries report advancement towards the MDGs and track
progress.
 ● Fourth, operational activities - goal-driven assistance to support governments to tailor
MDGs to local circumstances and challenges; address key constraints to progress on the
MDGs.

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Targets

Target 1a: Reduce by half the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day

● 1.1 Proportion of population below $1 (PPP) per day

● 1.2 Poverty gap ratio
● 1.3 Share of poorest quintile in national consumption

Target 1b: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including
women and young people

● 1.4 Growth rate of GDP per person employed

● 1.5 Employment-to-population ratio
● 1.6 Proportion of employed people living below $1 (PPP) per day
● 1.7 Proportion of own-account and contributing family workers in total
employment
Target 1c: Reduce by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger

● 1.8 Prevalence of underweight children under-five years of age

● 1.9 Proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy
consumption

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Targets

Target 2a: Ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling
 ● 2.1 Net enrolment ratio in primary education
● 2.2 Proportion of pupils starting grade 1 who reach last grade of primary
● 2.3 Literacy rate of 15-24 year-olds, women and men

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Targets

Target 3a: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education

preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015

● 3.1 Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education

● 3.2 Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector
● 3.3 Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality

Targets

Target 4a: Reduce by two thirds the mortality rate among children under five

● 4.1 Under-five mortality rate

● 4.2 Infant mortality rate
● 4.3 Proportion of 1 year-old children immunized against measles

Goal 5: Improve maternal health

Indicators

Target 5a: Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio

● 5.1 Maternal mortality ratio

 ● 5.2 Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel

Target 5b: Achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health

● 5.3 Contraceptive prevalence rate

● 5.4 Adolescent birth rate
● 5.5 Antenatal care coverage (at least one visit and at least four visits)
● 5.6 Unmet need for family planning

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Targets

Target 6a: Halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS

● 6.1 HIV prevalence among population aged 15-24 years

● 6.2 Condom use at last high-risk sex
● 6.3 Proportion of population aged 15-24 years with comprehensive correct
knowledge of HIV/AIDS
● 6.4 Ratio of school attendance of orphans to school attendance of non-orphans
aged 10-14 years

Target 6b: Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all
those who need it

● 6.5 Proportion of population with advanced HIV infection with access to

antiretroviral drugs

Target 6c: Halt and begin to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major
diseases

● 6.6 Incidence and death rates associated with malaria

● 6.7 Proportion of children under 5 sleeping under insecticide-treated bednets
 ● 6.8 Proportion of children under 5 with fever who are treated with appropriate
anti-malarial drugs
● 6.9 Incidence, prevalence and death rates associated with tuberculosis

● 6.10 Proportion of tuberculosis cases detected and cured under directly

observed treatment short course

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

Targets

Target 7a: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and
programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources

Target 7b: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate
of loss

Target 7a and 7b Indicators:

● 7.1 Proportion of land area covered by forest

● 7.2 CO2 emissions, total, per capita and per $1 GDP (PPP)
● 7.3 Consumption of ozone-depleting substances
● 7.4 Proportion of fish stocks within safe biological limits
● 7.5 Proportion of total water resources used
● 7.6 Proportion of terrestrial and marine areas protected
● 7.7 Proportion of species threatened with extinction

Target 7c: Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe
drinking water and basic sanitation

● 7.8 Proportion of population using an improved drinking water source

7.9 Proportion of population using an improved sanitation facility
Target 7d: Achieve significant improvement in lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers,
by 2020

● 7.10 Proportion of urban population living in slums

Goal 8: A global partnership for development

Targets

Target 8a: Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading

and financial system
Includes a commitment to good governance, development and poverty reduction; both nationally
and internationally

Target 8b: Address the special needs of the least developed countries
Includes tariff and quota free access for the least developed countries' exports; enhanced
programme of debt relief for heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) and cancellation of official
bilateral debt; and more generous ODA for countries committed to poverty reduction

Target 8c: Address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small island
developing States through the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small
Island Developing States and the outcome of the twenty-second special session of the General
Assembly

Target 8d: Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through
national and international measures in order to make debt sustainable in the long term.

Target 8e: In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable

essential drugs in developing countries

● 8.13 Proportion of population with access to affordable essential drugs on a

sustainable basis
Target 8f: In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new
technologies, especially information and communications

● 8.14 Telephone lines per 100 population

● 8.15 Cellular subscribers per 100 population
● 8.16 Internet users per 100 population
 UNIT II
DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION-CONCEPT AND THEORIES

Introduction of Development Communication

Communication is an important input in development. Communication experts, sociologists,
psychologists and economists agree that the proper use of communication can foster the pace and
process of development.

In general terms, communication means interaction between two individuals or within a group or
a community or a nation. In this type of communication, the four principle elements are a
communication source, a message, a channel or medium and a receiver or audience.

But in development communication it becomes the process of affecting or influencing behavior

of individuals or groups towards certain desired goals and objectives, necessarily for the benefit
of the entire society. Thus, the receiver is expected to show the behavior desired by the source of
communication.

Development communication is a relatively younger field of study within the discipline of

communication. Like the science of communication, development communication has come to
stay. However, we should always remember that development communication is only one of the
elements or inputs for speedy progress and development.
Development communication is mainly concerned with the role of information and
communication in social and economic development of an individual, society and nation. It
identifies what mass media can do directly or indirectly to improve the quality of life to both
urban and rural masses.
Definitions of Development Communication

● According to Nora Quebral (1975),.’ ‘Development communication is the art and science of
human communication applied to the speedy transformation of a country and the mass of its
people from poverty to a dynamic state of economic growth that makes possible greater
social equality and the larger fulfillment of the human potential.”
●

● Let us discuss the various concepts which Nora Quebral has used in this famous definition of
hers. She said that development communication was the ‘art and science’. Generally, we
presume that ‘art’ and ‘science’ do not go together. But, as far as this definition is concerned,
they can be together. Development communication is ‘art’, because one has to create his
strategy, and programme to communicate to his target audience. To communicate his
message he will create probably a song, a drama, a talk, a poster, a film or a skit. Nora calls
development communication ‘a science’, because it follows a process, a system. If one gives
X inputs, Y will be the output. In some cases, one may predict the output with a given input
with other conditions remaining the same. Therefore, when she says that it is the art and
science of human communication, we have to comprehend it from these perspectives.
Development communication is an art and science at the same time. It works with the human
hearts (because it is an art) and brain (because it is a science) to yield a re which a he
measured in terms of economical growth. For example, advantage of adopting a high variety
of seed may be propagated through a radio skit. This skit, when made by the farmers,
motivates them to use the seeds for their own fields. And they may have increased harvests
which will definitely provide them with a higher income.

● Rogers (1983) says, “Development communication refers to the uses to which

communication is put in order to further development. Such applications are intend to either
further development in a general way, such as by increasing the level of the mass media
exposure among a nation’s citizens, in order to create a favorable climate for development
or to support a specific development programme or project (this type of development
communication is often termed as development-support communication’ DSC)”.
Everett M. Rogers, a famous communication scholar, in the above mentioned definition s the
application of communication for the development will create an environment or climate.
This climate or environment may be of two types: (a) physical climate and (b) psychological
climate. When knowledge about something is propagated or disseminated among a large
number of people, the users find many relevant things around them, say a special kind
 fertilizer. The radio programmes could be heard, the TV programmes could be seen or pos
could be seen on the walls on that particular fertilizer. This may be called physical climate
Now, the disseminated message about the fertilizer works on the psyche of the people.
Information acquired through the various communication media creates a favorable attitude
towards the new fertilizer. In the long run, they might use or adopt it, if possible. I definitely,
resistance from the people in general will be the minimum.
Thus, with these two types of climates, the use of the new fertilizer might be multiplied fast
pace speed .Thus, economic development, as far as earning from of the agricultural products
is concerned, could be quite encouraging.

● F Rosario Braid is of the opinion that development communication is an element of

management process in the overall planning and implementation of development programs”.
Development communication is in a broad sense the identification and utilization appropriate
expertise in development process that will assist in increasing participating intended
beneficiaries at the grassroots level.” Thus, development communication is communication
with a social conscience.
Rosario Braid emphasizes that development communication is nothing but an element in
process of a project. Generally, it is the decision of the management to utilize communication
to disseminate information about their project, if and when they feel it appropriate. Suppose a
contraceptive company would like to market a new contraceptive for the males. The
management might like to use the radio spots, television spots, hoardings; posters, etc. to
inform the target audience about the usefulness and availability of the new contraceptive. It is
really an important segment in the whole scheme of management at the present time.
A good and useful management strategy would always identify the important elements make
the users’ conscious about them.
Development communication has two primary roles:
a) A transforming role, as it seeks social change in the direction of the higher equal life:
The higher quality of life can be achieved in various ways. Might be by adopting required
vaccines for the infants of each family of the society. Some countries might adopt techniques
of producing enough food for the citizen. Some countries might systematical and
scientifically break all the myths surrounding various religious and social customs. And
communication could be a marvelous instrument to achieve these objectives.
b) A socializing role, by seeking to maintain some of the established values of the society: In
playing these roles, development communication seeks to create an atmosphere for change as
well as providing innovation through which society may change. Each and every society has
some traditional values. These values give the people of each society an identity sense of
belonging. The aspirations of a society sometimes are embedded in these values. Now, the
values, customs and beliefs of other societies might make inroads into other societies. If the
people are not careful, they might be taken off their ground by the new incoming sets of
values. Communication can play a very vital role by making the people aware about this
pitfall. It can also help immensely by drawing the attention of the members of a society to the
richness of their own valued, customs, beliefs and, above all, aspirations.
Process of Development Communication

The three
essential
parameters
for

development are: political leadership, development administration and the rural and urban
masses. They are the agents of development. The patterns of interaction and social realities of
various agents of development are dynamics for development.
The major dynamic factor for development is ‘Development efforts’ put by all the agents of
development. Development efforts comprise development awareness, motivation for
development, and participation in development. There is relationship between development
awareness, discontent, motivation and feedback linkages with participation, approval and
adoption of development projects.
 Diffusion of Innovation Approach

This approach is based on the need assessment of the target groups and helping people to fulfill
their needs by adoption of innovations.

Communication has to play the role of facilitator in disseminating innovations to the target
groups. Development is basically change acceptance of change and innovations –ideas, practice
and technologies. Facilitating diffusion of innovations is an essential aspect of the development
support communication.

All innovations need not be new to all people. An innovation refers to an idea perceived as new
by an individual. Diffusion is a process by which an innovation spreads from its source of
creation to the users or adopters. The essence of the diffusion process is the human interaction, in
which one person communicates a new idea to another person.

There are four elements in any analysis of the diffusion process:

1) Innovation (any idea considered new by recipient)

2) Communication (the individual to another through certain channels).
3) Social system (among members –social structure)
4) Time taken (from the stage of innovation to the stage of adoption).

Information Sources and their Relevance at Various Stages of Adoption--

While personal communication is face to face contact, impersonal is mediated through mass
communication channels – (mass media) Print, Radio, TV and film is most effective in providing
various options and alternative choices. They are effective in drawing the attention of the
individuals. Hence, the mass communication channels are found to be most important in the
evaluation stage of the adoption sources.

Inter-personal communication through extension workers, friends and family members can
influence behavior and facilitate transfer of ideas. The mass communication channels seldom
effect decisions directly although they influence indirectly.

The information sources from outside the community (cosmopolitan) are most important at the
awareness stage, and the local information sources from inside the community are most
important at the evaluation stage.
 Stages in the adoption process: Five distinct stages have been identified by the scholars:

1) Awareness stage – there is broad exposure to the innovation, but the individual does not have
sufficient information. He is yet to get motivated either to seek further information or to act
upon it or how it functions (knowledge).
2) Interest stage – individual shows interest in the new idea, makes an effort to seek additional
information. However, the person is still undecided about its application. Person forms a
favourable/unfavourable attitude towards innovation (persuasion).
3) Evaluation stage – The individual mentally applies the innovation to one’s own situation, and
then decides whether to try it or not. Person engages in activities that lead to a choice to accept /
unaccept the innovation (Decision).
4) Trial stage – individual uses the innovations on a pilot stage (limited scale) to decide about its
utility and relevance to one’s own situation. Observation was that whether people would not
adopt an innovation without trying (Implementation).
5) Adoption stage – It is the process through which the individual arrives at the decision to adopt or
reject the innovation from the time they first became aware of it. Individual decides to continue
the innovation. Adoption implies sustained or continuous use (confirmation).

Factors affecting the Rate of Adoption of Innovation-

While some of the factors stimulate and facilitate quick diffusion of innovation and transfer of
technologies. Well informed opinion leaders communicate their approval/ disapproval of an
innovation based on the innovators experiences to the rest of the social system. Majority
responds by rapidly adopting. The analysis suggests a small point—whether or not opinion
leaders vouch for it. But some others inhibit adoption.
1) Compatibility-the degree to which an innovation was consistent with existing values and
past experiences.
2) Cultural incompatibility – certain social systems do not encourage adoption of innovations.
Individuals in such a system are very slow and rigid in accepting new ideas, practices and
technologies. The vegetarians show marked resistance in accepting non-vegetarian diet
because of change in food habits. New crop varieties which give higher yields and better
incomes, have been rejected on the ground taste, fear of ill-health and unacceptability as
food. Thus cultural incompatibility and mismatch with the existing social system are
considered to be very strong inhibiting factors in diffusion of innovation.
Other important factors identified in this context are:
3) Relative advantage of the innovation – It is the degree to which an innovation was superior
to the ideas it superseded.
 The efforts of mass media have direct, immediate and powerful effects on the mass
audience. It spreads knowledge of innovations to a large audience rapidly.
Perceived impact of the adoption on social relations – it leads to change in weakly held
attitudes. Strong interpersonal ties are usually more effective in the formation of strong
attitudes. Firm attitudes are developed through communication exchanges about the
innovation with peers and opinion leaders.
Heterophilous social systems tend to encourage change from system norms. In them, there is
more interaction between people from different backgrounds indicating greater interest in
being exposed to new ideas. These systems have opinion leadership that is more innovative
as are desirous of innovation.
4) Scope of reversibility in case the innovation is to be rejected –The opinion leaders should
target on the nature of the social system. If it is a homophilous social system it bends
towards system norms. Most interaction within them is between people from similar
background. People and ideas that differ from the norm are seen as strange and undesirable.
These systems have opinion leadership that is not very innovative because these systems are
averse to innovation. Incase innovation is rejected, then it can come again in a different
format with few changes (if only desired)
5) Complexities involved in the acceptance of the innovation on sustainable basis. The degree
to which an innovation was relatively difficult to understand and use.
The simpler the innovation the higher is the scope for adoption. Opinion leaders will be in
tricky situation, uses argument which will hopefully with the masses, to support their own
adoption decision.
6) Communicability – the degree to which the results could be disseminated to others.

Classification of adopters—

It is based on the rate of adoption and the time lag between initial exposures to final
adoption. Innovativeness is defined as the degree to which individual is relatively earlier in
adopting new ideas than other members of a system. The personal characteristics and
interaction of these groups illuminates the diffusion effect. Diffusion researchers have
classified adopters into five categories:

1) Venturesome innovators: These are the most eager members of the society to try new ideas
and adopt new practices. They are enterprising and willing to take risks. Usually they belong
to the cosmopolite category.
2) Early adopters – these are usually younger, had a higher social status, more favorable
financial status, engaged in more specialized operations and were equipped with greater
mental abilities. Used the data provided by the innovators, implementation and confirmation
of the innovation to make their own adoption decisions. If the opinion leaders observe that
the innovation has been effective for the innovators, then they will encourage to adopt this
group earns respect for its judicious well- informed decision making and hence this group is
 where most opinion leaders reside. These belong to the local system; they follow the
venturesome. These used more mass media.
3) Early majority - they become the reference groups for the subsequent late adopters,
constitute the early majority
4) Late majority – they become the reference groups for the subsequent late adopters,
constitute the late majority. Much of the social system does not have the inclination or
capability to acquire information of the most recent innovations. So they trust the opinion
leaders, since adoption of opinion leader is a good indicator that innovation is going to be
adopted by many also other members will be encouraged to adopt.
5) Laggards – The laggards are very slow in adoption. They are rigid, traditional, isolates in
their social system, hard to be convinced, stick to the old methods and resist change. If they
are traditional, they are suspicious of innovations and often interact with others who also
have traditional values. If they are isolates, their lack of social interaction decreases their
awareness of an innovation’s demonstrated benefits. It takes much longer than average for
laggards to adopt innovations.

Potential adopters, uncertain about innovation go through a stepwise social process. Well
informed opinion leaders communicate their approval disapproval of an innovation, based on the
innovators experiences. The majority responds by rapidly adopting. We can judge the importance
of opinion leaders. Large subsection of the social system follows the trusted opinion leaders.

Those who do not adopt lose status or economic viability. Adoption becomes necessity as
implementation results in social, economic benefit and this contextual pressure motivates
adoption.

Conclusion

Diffusion of innovation research established the importance of communication, new ideas and
their practice is a crucial component of the modernization process.

People will adopt an innovation if they believe that it enhances their utility; determine the extent
of change in their normal functioning, compatibility with habits and values, cost-benefit analysis.

Once the phenomenon is understood the efforts of diffusion are encouraging. There seem to be
many innovations that are valuable for masses, yet till date have resisted diffusion. We still use
Qwerty keyboard despite the development of another keyboard that allows much faster typing
for average user.

There are many social ideals that a large number of people are very interested in spreading.

In particular situation (our own nation) the research suggests that effort, support pushes valuable
idea, product at the higher point. As our communication networks become denser through
technological advance, the diffusion process is happening faster and faster. Therefore,
understanding and utilizing diffusion networks can aid strategy aimed at quickly inducing system
wide change.

Individuals change from a traditional way of life to a more complex, technologically advanced
and rapidly changing style of life. Thus, diffusion of innovations studies documented the impact
of communication (interpersonal and mass media) on the change from a traditional to a modern
way of life.

Localised Approach

This approach advocates that information transmitted through media must be locally and
functionally relevant to the audience is called localised approach. The development programmes
must be local to meet the local needs which vary widely in different regions and sub-regions in a
large country like India due to the diversity (plurality) of climate, cultures and languages.

Localised approach would enable communicators to design messages which will be relevant in
terms of utility, timeliness, applicability specificity, etc.

The relationship between communication and development can be broadly divided into two
types:

Macro society level

Micro society level

Macro society level studies (by Wilbur Schramm, Daniel Lerner etc.) gave direct support to the
view that a modern mass media system is an important requirement for development.

Micro societal level studies argue that information of certain kind generates appetite for new
things and new ways of doing things, which ultimately sets the process of development.

Other scholars have expressed that mere availability of any kind of mass media is not likely to be
useful for innovative changes. The information transmitted should be locally and functionally
relevant, useful, applicable, timely and specific in a given situation.

Why localised approach:

1. As the needs of people vary widely in different regions and sub-regions.

2. In a large developing country like India, there is diversity of cultures and languages.

Benefits of localised approach:

1. Localised approach would enable the communicators to design messages which will be
relevant in terms of utility, timeliness, applicability, specificity etc.
2. The approach would tailor message for local conditions.
3. The approach can overcome infrastructural difficulties.
4. Such an approach will allow greater involvement and participation of the audience in the
communication process.

Dos and Don’ts of localized approach:

1. There should be proper need-assessment of the local population.

2. The socio-economic condition of the local people should be kept in mind before designing the
message.
3. The geographical and political conditions of a local area bear a lot of significance for message
designing and delivery.
4. Preferences should be given to local media and local resource persons for the execution of
communication tasks.

Conclusion-

The localised media approach helps to plan messages specially designed for various local groups.

This facilitates two way communications by allowing greater involvement and participation of
the audience in the communication process.

In case of any problem at the local level, the treatment is done there and then. Naturally for
particular specific situation the solution would also be specific. There cannot a general approach.
This localised approach will definitely yield a positive result.

Magic multiplier

Mass Media is called the magic multiplier as it can multiply the messages and reach a number of
people very fast, its output does have great potential and modernizing effect. It is their content
that is the key to use in development.

Wilbur Schramm (1964), in his book ‘Mass Media and National Development’ which was
produced for UNESCO became almost a blueprint ( programme of action) for development
communication, argued that each person would have requirement of information of the work he
would undertake. And there be millions of workers would require information of various types.
The conventional channel of communication would never be able to meet this demand.
Therefore, modern communication technologies would be of great use to meet this demand by
multiplying the messages and reaching each and every worker simultaneously.

Arguments for magic multiplier:

We need magic multiplier for the following reasons:

1. For social change of great magnitude, people must be informed, educated, motivated and
persuaded. Information must flow, not only to them but also from them, so that their
needs can be known and they might participate in the acts and decisions of the nation-
building.
2. As the required amount of information and learning is vast and so as the targeted
population. Works should be organised and skills should be learned at all levels of
society for better utilization of the resources of society.
3. The available channels of communication like inter-personal, group-communication,
traditional media are incapable to undertake this task. As this will require a lot of time
and resources. For a developing country, it's difficult to gather a large pool of resources
and wait for such a long period. Mass media with its magical reach can do this job in less
time and resources.

Analysis of magic multiplier:

1. The audit finds out that the mass media succeeded in reaching a vast majority of
population in less time and resources, but it failed in achieving its basic objectives for
which it became a Magic Multiplier.
2. Mass media as a magic multiplier did a commendable job in spreading awareness but it
could not give expected results in persuading and educating the targeted population.
3. It was found that persuasion, motivation and education for/on something is best
achieved by close interactions which is possible in inter-personal, group-communications
etc.

Conclusion

A lot of feedback is required when one uses communication for development; it should never be
one way traffic.

The users should be able to give feedback to the implementers, as success/failure of the
proramme could be judged.

Development Support Communication - Extension Approach

Origin of DSC:

• In the 50’s of the last century, many developing countries used agricultural extension
education to improve agricultural production.
• This approach of spreading/diffusing innovation, new ideas, practices, and technologies
in agriculture to the farmers became very popular as agricultural extension during 1950’s.
• As in developing countries, even though, a large part of population is engaged in
agriculture, the small and marginal farmers are not able to produce adequate food because
of the non-scientific method of farming (the traditional way of tilling the soil and
dependence on the monsoon).
• It was therefore, considered necessary to help these farmers to change their agricultural
practices, through extension methods.
• In view of heavy reliance of agriculture extension on communication techniques and
methodologies, in due course communication applied to agriculture extension came to be
known as Agricultural Communication.
• By and by, extension approach was used to transfer knowledge to the rural mass on
health, hygiene, nutrition, sanitation etc. Hence, it came to be known as Rural
Communication.
• Later on, the slums of the urban areas were also included to help the poorer sections
living in them. Thus, communication theory and practice applied to help stimulate the
development process in general branched off as the Development Support
Communication (DSC).
• In DSC, the emphasis is on greater participation of the beneficiaries in the development
process in general, and in message development in particular.
Example: Pulse polio fiasco in pockets of U.P and Bihar.

DSC Links Agencies:

• DSC was a concept popularized by the UNDP, FAO, UNICEF etc. It links all agencies
involved in the planned development work such as political executives, policy planners,
development administrators, subject specialists, field workers, opinion leaders, the media
representatives, the researchers and beneficiaries who constitute the final delivery points
and consumers of information.
Route of Communication in DSC:

The route of communication envisaged are not only vertical from top to bottom and bottom-
upwards, but also horizontal between the institutions and personnel connected with the
process of development.

Wood’s Triangle

• John L. Woods (1976) conceived a triangular nexus with three points: Knowledge
generators, political leaders and development knowledge users, called Wood’s Triangle.
• According to Woods, the role of DSC, is to link all three elements in the development
linkage triangle along with all the intermediate user groups.
• Emphasis is not only on pushing the information towards the target groups, but also on
taking into account the information seeking pattern of the target audience and integrating
them into the development planning process.
 Extension Approach in Development Communication

• Extension = Ex + Tensio (Latin roots)

• Ex = out, Tensio = Stretching
• Extension = Stretching out/ reaching out

Extension Education: Extension is that type of education which is stretched out to

people in the rural areas far and near, beyond the reach of educational institutions to
which the formal type of education is usually confined.

Example: Village Level Workers (VLWs), extension workers of different departments

educating the villagers on different issues

Need For Extension Education:

1. Arises out of the fact that the condition of the rural people in general, and the farmers
in particular, has got to be improved. There is a gap between what is—the actual
situation and what ought to be--- the desirable situation. This gap has to be narrowed
down mainly by the application of science and technology in their enterprises and
bringing appropriate changes in their behavior.
2. It is practically not possible for the researchers/scientists to visit the villages and
persuade the villagers to adopt scientific methods for their developments and
understand their problems.
3. It has been found to be inconvenient to the farmers to visit research institutes to get
first hand information.
Thus, there is need for an agency to intermediate.

Objectives of Extension Education:

To develop the rural people economically, socially and culturally by means of education.

1.) To assist people to discover and analyze their problems and identify the felt needs.
2.) To disseminate research information of economic and practical importance in a way people
would be able to understand and use.
3.) To assist people in mobilizing and utilizing the resources which they have and which they
need from outside.
4.) To collect and transmit feedback information for solving management problems.
5.) To develop leadership among people and help them in organizing groups to solve their
problems.

Health & Family Welfare:

Development implies progressive improvement in the living conditions and quality of life of
individual, community and society. Development in one sphere of life leads to development in
other spheres. Thus, no distinction can be drawn between economic, social and health, family
development. Economic development is an instrument to achieve social development which in
turn is necessary to achieve economic development. The purpose of development is to prepare
people to lead productive and satisfying lives.

People strive to increase their earnings, thereby increase in purchasing power, which enables
them to get best for their children, Above all – a health and welfare schemes. Unless people have
healthy living, they cannot enjoy the other benefits of life

. Therefore, health development is essential for socio-economic development, since numbers of

welfare schemes are associated with it. Thus health and welfare programmes are complementary
to each other rather than competitive. Control of certain diseases often helps to promote
development in general. Proper nutrition and reduction of sickness increases the productivity of
work and improvement of physical and mental development. Further, by drawing on untapped
resources and welfare programmes one can contribute to the awakening of interest, which is very
important for mobilizing people’s efforts for development. Activities in one field impinge on the
goals of another. Cooperation in all the sectors is important.

Health Communication
In an Indian society there is complexity in health behavior, largely guided by deep-rooted
cultural values. To keep people healthy the process of motivation is attempted through mass
media, interpersonal communication skills, based on DSC. The mass media, channels, have
tremendous effect on every sphere of human life, but we have to accept that its impact is not
uniform in all fields. Those who view mass media is equally effective have reasoning based on
the theory of the opinion leaders. It has been found that the opinion leaders are comparatively
more effective in changing the non-health behavior of an individual. The concept of the two step
flow of communication simply implies that the opinion leaders take the basic message, translate
into personal terms, and feed the same to their own influence network in ways that are acceptable
and understandable to the target audience. Not all opinion leaders can influence everyone, since
it is in restricted area. The opinion leader specializes in certain fields. Ex: A progressive health
specialist, who is influential in health area, is not likely to exploit in other rural fields. Most of
the studies suggest that mass media tend to serve as reinforcing agent than as producers of
massive changes in attitude.

Basically, DSC has to raise the level social consciousness among people that can help them
towards transformation. Health is of two types—physical and mental health, While both are
equally important to the well being of a nation.

Health and family welfare programme is an integral part of the overall development programmes
of the country. Fortunately communication has been playing a vital role throughout the various
developmental phases of the programme by extensively using different communication media
and method. Inspite of the large efforts of educating and motivating people for accepting small
family norms, changing the health practices of the people, and introducing spacing methods.

Some studies have shown that factors such as paucity of resources, the traditional ethos, low
education and illiteracy profile, diversity of languages and dialects, lack of coordination between
the communication & policy planners, overall resistance to change, are responsible for the failure
of various effort put into this scheme. Factors within the universe of the socio-cultural set-up
have already been responsible for preventing innovative ideas from being functional and
operational at community level.

On one hand, the multipurpose workers are expected to promote extension education & on the
other hand, they have targets to fulfill. Failure to achieve these targets invites punitive measures.
Most administrators view motivational and educational techniques as a kind of magic, which,
when applied anywhere on anybody, can yield results in the form of acceptance and adoption of
measures.

It needs to be recognized that implementing educational and motivational efforts in the

community require not only patience, but also the capabilities of the workers. For effective
communication, such contradictions in the philosophy and implementation need to be resolved.
DSC Activities-

The present DSC efforts in the family welfare programmes seldom use the knowledge and the
talent available at the local levels. It is becoming evident that the expensive mass mtedia
technology is receiving higher emphasis at the cost of traditional media. Usage of traditional
media is not only acceptable, creative and affordable also.

The urgency of achieving the target did not allow the planners of the communication policy and
programmes to pay due attention to the needs of different socio-economic and tribal groups,
spread in different regions of the country. Thus, proper attention might not have given to proper
communication planning. It thought that putting messages in the mass media channels would
ensure positive results. The psyche, ethos, economic-social milieu, media habits of target
audience, their access to the media, the appropriateness of the channel have not been researched
properly and adequately.

New Challenges--

The focus and emphasis of the future DSC strategy in the family welfare programme has to be
rural based and addressed to the rural and urban poor as its target audience for a country like
India where the rates of literacy and the level of purchasing power are low, the choice of the
media assumes importance for any meaningful strategy.

The purpose of communication in family welfare should be more information oriented and it
needs to be supplemented by personal, delicate in nature. The handling of such questions, at the
communication strategy level, in terms of message content have, to be very carefully considered.
Unless the message content provides information regarding the economic advantages of the
family welfare programme, the rural and urban masses will not get attracted towards adoption.

Solutions

The most important issue which merits attention is to provide linkage between the DSC
strategies and different welfare programmes. The family welfare programme has come to a stage
where rural people appear to be aware of the benefits of the family welfare, but socio-economic
pressures operate against it. In its case, the communication should attack the socio-economic
pressures that confront the rural & urban poor rather than planning strategies vertically for
programme acceptance.

Any DSC strategy, be it FW/health should be such that the communicators treat the rural people
as intelligent, conscious and capable of learning new things. This naturally implies that unless
 the media originate in and relate themselves to the world of values and environment of the
community, they are bound to be ineffective and irrelevant. In broader context, the DSC has to
be a dependent rather than independent variable. In brief DSC strategy in the family welfare
programme has to be such that it not only empowers but enables the rural and urban poor to take
informed in relation to their personal and delicate problems.

DSC and Health Behavior-

--Needs, local resources, likes-dislikes, generate (priority based), & provide scientific, specific
and basic information to the policy-decision makers.

--To reach the goal of ‘Health for All’ we need the support of all those concerned. The fact that
people’s cooperation is must for achieving it.

--‘Medical’ or ‘Health communication’ is a new concept growing in the field of mass

communication.

-- Mass media should also alert people on the dangers of avoiding health and hygiene and bring
about better appreciation from the people in this regard.

-- On specific themes like cigarette smoking, alcohol usage, HIV-AIDS…need is to stress the
negative effect. Even after advertisements they have to take the view what is considered good to
the public at large.

--Difficult concepts and themes in health have to be simplified by mass media so that average
citizen can understand them better.

-- mass media have to constantly monitor the steps taken by various agencies as for the
promotion of health care and family welfare is concerned.

-- The role played by various governmental and non- governmental agencies in these fields
needed to be highlighted by the mass media. The mass media should get feedback from the
people the issues and pass it to the policy makers.

■ -- Media need to adopt developmental reporting, which at times is not positive or handout
journalism. It is inclusive of reporting even negative issues and trends so that it contributes
towards realization of mistakes and errors committed and how these can be effectively rectified
by all those concerned with it.
■ The mass media on their part should participate in the developmental task as the members of the
society for realizing our targets.
■ The mass media can perform a pivotal role as we are living in the age of mass communication in
which have the power to shape up our thinking and lives in innumerable ways.
■ The international agencies like WHO and other such bodies do play a crucial role for health and
welfare policies in many countries including the developing countries.
■ The mass media have to prepare an action plan which will talk about how the media would go
about covering main discipline. In a country like India, a DSC strategy needs to be developed in
a manner that can cater to diverse groups based on social and cultural background.

In the end we can say that the mass media have important role to discharge as far as health and
welfare is concerned. We need to emphasize the fact that in the days to come mass media would
be required to play a much more crucial and active role.

Mass media shapes up people’s thinking on various issues and aspects of health & welfare by
providing authentic information.

There is a growing discipline of health communication a branch of media professionals who are
exclusively devoted to the study and practice of media relating to health and welfare. We will see
a sport in the growth of people who specialize in covering health & welfare in the main stream
mass media in the days to come.

Health and family welfare and DSC are very closely woven with each other, both are
interdependent.

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social or economic strength of

individuals and communities. It often involves the empowered developing confidence in their
own capacities.

The principle of gender equality is present in the Indian Constitution in its Preamble,
Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles. The Constitution not only
grants equality to women, but also empowers the State to adopt measures of positive
discrimination in favour of women.

Within the framework of a democratic polity, our laws, development policies, Plans and
programmes have aimed at women’s advancement in different spheres. From the Fifth Five Year
Plan (1974-78) onwards has been a marked shift in the approach to women’s issues from welfare
to development.. The National Commission for Women was set up 1990 to safeguard the rights
and legal entitlements of women. The Constitution of India have provided for reservation of
seats in the local bodies of Panchayats and Municipalities for women, laying a strong foundation
for their participation in decision making at the local levels.
The women’s movement and a wide-spread network of non-Government Organizations which
have strong grass-roots presence and deep insight into women’s concerns have contributed in
inspiring initiatives for the empowerment of women.

The Shramshakti Report, analyzed extensively the Status of Women in India,

Goal and Objectives

The goal of this Policy is to bring about the advancement, development and empowerment of
women.

(i) Creating an environment through positive economic and social policies for full
development of women to enable them to realize their full potential
(ii) Equal access to participation and decision making of women in social, political, health
care, quality education at all levels, career, vocational guidance, employment, equal
remuneration, occupational health and safety, social security and public office etc and
economic life of the nation.

Women's Economic Empowerment through Co-operative Farming, Vocational Training &

Business Development

Economic Empowerment of women---- Poverty Eradication-- Since women comprise the

majority of the population below the poverty line and are very often in situations of extreme
poverty, given the harsh realities of intra-household and social discrimination, economic policies
and poverty eradication programmes will specifically address the needs and problems of such
women. There will be improved implementation of programmes which are already women
oriented with special targets for women. Steps will be taken for mobilization of poor women and
convergence of services, by offering them a range of economic and social options, along with
necessary support measures to enhance their capabilities

Women and Economy---- Women’s perspectives will be included in designing and

implementing economic and social policies by institutionalizing their participation in such
processes. Their contribution to socio-economic development as producers and workers will be
recognized in the formal and informal sectors (including home based workers) and appropriate
policies relating to employment and to her working conditions will be drawn up.

Women and Agriculture----- role of women in the agriculture and allied sectors, as producers,
concentrated efforts will be made to ensure that benefits of training, extension and various
programmes will reach them in proportion to their numbers. The programmes for training
women in soil conservation, social forestry, dairy development and other occupations allied to
agriculture like horticulture, livestock including small animal husbandry, poultry, fisheries etc.
will be expanded to benefit women workers in the agriculture sector.
 Legal Systems Legal-judicial system will be made more responsive and gender sensitive to
women’s needs, especially in cases of domestic violence and personal assault. . The Policy
would aim to encourage changes in personal laws such as those related to marriage, divorce,
maintenance and guardianship so as to eliminate discrimination against women, ownership and
inheritance of property.

Decision Making----- Women’s equality in power sharing and active participation in decision
making, including decision making in political process at all levels will be ensured for the
achievement of the goals of empowerment. All measures will be taken to guarantee women equal
access to and full participation in decision making bodies at every level, including the executive,
judicial, corporate bodies, as also the advisory Commissions, Committees, Boards, and Trusts
etc. Women friendly policies will also be drawn up to encourage women to participate
effectively in the developmental process.

Women and Industry-- The important role played by women in electronics, information
technology and food processing and agro industry and textiles has been crucial to the
development of these sectors. They would be given comprehensive support in terms of labour
legislation, social security and other support services to participate in various industrial sectors.
Suitable measures should be taken to enable women to work on the night shift in factories, to be
accompanied with support services for security, transportation etc.

Support Services -Social Empowerment of Women Education

Special measures should be taken to eliminate discrimination in education for women and girls.
universalize education, eradicate illiteracy, create a gender-sensitive educational system, increase
enrolment and retention rates of girls and improve the quality of education to facilitate life-long
learning as well as development of occupation/vocation/technical skills by women. Reducing the
gender gap in secondary and higher education would be a focus area. A special focus on girls and
women particularly those belonging to weaker sections including the Scheduled
Castes/Scheduled Tribes/Other Backward Classes/Minorities, Gender sensitive curricula would
be developed at all levels of educational system.

Health-----A holistic approach to women’s health which includes both nutrition and health
services will be adopted and special attention will be given to the needs of women and the girl at
all stages of the life cycle. The reduction of infant mortality and maternal mortality, which are
sensitive indicators of human development, is a priority concern. This policy reiterates the
national demographic goals for Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) set
out in the National Population Policy 2000. Women should have access to comprehensive,
affordable and quality health care. Infectious, communicable diseases ( malaria, TB, water
borne diseases) hypertension, cardio-pulmonary diseases, access to safe effective and affordable
methods of family planning of their choice and the need to suitably address the issues of early
marriages and spacing of children, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases to be
tackled from a perspective.

Women’s traditional knowledge about health care and nutrition will be recognized through
proper documentation and its use will be encouraged. The use of Indian and alternative systems
of medicine will be enhanced within the framework of overall health infrastructure available for
women.

Nutrition---high risk of malnutrition and disease that women face at all the three critical stages --
infancy and childhood, adolescent and reproductive phase, focused attention would be paid to
meeting the nutritional needs of women at all stages of the life cycle. This is also important in
view of the critical link between the health of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women
with the health of infant and young children. Special efforts will be made to tackle the problem
of macro and micro nutrient deficiencies especially amongst pregnant and lactating women as it
leads to various diseases and disabilities. Widespread use of nutrition education would be made
to address the issues of intra-household imbalances in nutrition.

Women’s participation will also be ensured in the planning, supervising and delivery of the
system.

Drinking Water and Sanitation ---- Special attention to be given to the needs of women in the
provision of safe drinking water, sewage disposal, toilet facilities and sanitation within accessible
reach of households, especially in rural areas and urban slums. Women’s participation will be
ensured in the planning, delivery and maintenance of such services.

Housing and Shelter---- provision of shelter both in rural and urban areas will be given for
adequate and safe housing and accommodation for women including single women, heads of
households, working women, students, apprentices and trainees.

Environment--- Women will be involved and their perspectives reflected in the policies and
programmes for environment, conservation and restoration. Considering the impact of
environmental factors on their livelihoods, women’s participation will be ensured in the
conservation of the environment and control of environmental degradation. The vast majority of
rural women still depends on the locally available non-commercial sources of energy such as
animal dung, crop waste and fuel wood, aimed at promoting the programmes of non-
conventional energy resources. Women will be involved in spreading the use of solar energy,
biogas, smokeless chulahs and other rural application so as to have a visible impact of these
measures in influencing eco system and in changing the life styles of rural women.

Science and Technology---- a greater involvement of women in science and technology by

motivating girls to take up in higher education. Efforts to develop a scientific temper and
awareness will also be stepped up. Special measures would be taken for their training in areas
where they have special skills like communication and information technology. Efforts to
develop appropriate technologies suited to women’s needs to be given a special focus too.

Women in Difficult Circumstances---- women affected by natural calamities, in less developed

regions, the disabled widows, elderly women, single women in difficult circumstances, women
heading households, those displaced from employment, migrants, women who are victims of
marital violence, deserted women and prostitutes etc.
Violence against women----- All forms of violence against women, physical, mental,
domestic, societal levels, including those arising from customs, traditions or accepted practices
shall be dealt with effectively with a view to eliminate its incidence. Institutions and
mechanisms/schemes for assistance will be created and strengthened for prevention of such
violence, including sexual harassment at work place and customs like dowry; for the
rehabilitation of the victims of violence and for taking effective action against such violence. A
special emphasis will also be laid on programmes and measures to deal with trafficking in
women and girls. In the villages of the area, the caste system is deeply rooted. The lower caste
colonies are suppressed and basic facilities are denied to them. Female infanticide is a common
practice and women are punished socially for bearing girl children. Gender biases are very
evident in the preferential treatment given to the male child.

Rights of the Girl Child------ All forms of discrimination against the girl child and violation of
her rights shall be eliminated by undertaking strong measures both preventive and punitive
within and outside the family. These would relate specifically to strict enforcement of laws
against prenatal sex selection and the practices of female foeticide, female infanticide, child
marriage, child abuse and child prostitution etc. Removal of discrimination in the treatment of
the girl child within the family and outside and projection of a positive image of the girl child
will be actively fostered. A special focus on girl child is inevitable.

Operational Strategies =Action Plans

All Central and State Ministries will draw up time bound Action Plans for translating the Policy
into a set of concrete actions, through a participatory process of consultation with Centre/State
Departments of Women and Child Development and National /State Commissions for Women.
The Plans will specifically including the following: -

i) Measurable goals to be achieved by 2010.

ii) Identification and commitment of resources.

iii) Responsibilities for implementation of action points.

iv) Structures and mechanisms to ensure efficient monitoring, review and gender impact
assessment of action points and policies.

v) Introduction of a gender perspective in the budgeting process.

In order to support better planning and programme formulation and adequate allocation of
resources, Gender Development Indices (GDI) will be developed by networking with specialized
agencies. These could be analyzed and studied in depth. Gender auditing and development of
evaluation mechanisms will also be undertaken along side.

Institutional Mechanisms
National and State Resource Centre on women will be established for collection and
dissemination of information, undertaking research work, conducting surveys, implementing
training and awareness generation programmes, etc. These Centers will link up with Women’s
Studies Centre and other research and academic institutions through suitable information
networking systems. Self-Help groups, Anganwadi / Village / Town level. The women’s groups
will be helped to institutionalize themselves into registered societies and to federate at the
Panchyat/Municipal level.

Due to the lack of specific implementation plans and faulty representations, local communities
have not adequately accepted government and private schemes for the upliftment of women.
Women have not actively participated in their own emancipation due to their lack of economic
independence and rampant illiteracy. Foundation decided to address this important issue of
women's empowerment in India by raising the status of women through economic empowerment
and education.

Sociological empowerment often addresses members of groups that social discrimination

processes have excluded from decision-making processes through - for example - discrimination
based on disability, race, ethnicity (a common background in racial, religious, linguistic trait in a
particular group) , religion, or gender. Empowerment as a methodology is often associated with
feminism (a doctrine-(sidhant) that advocates equal rights for women) .

The term women's rights refer to freedoms and entitlements of women and girls of all ages.
These rights may or may not be institutionalized (turning into an institution), ignored or
suppressed by law, local custom, and behavior in a particular society. These liberties are grouped
together and differentiated from broader notions of human rights because they often differ from
the freedoms inherently possessed by or recognized for men and boys and because activists for
this issue claim an inherent historical and traditional bias against the exercise of rights by women
and girls Issues commonly associated with notions of women's rights include, though are not
limited to, the right: to bodily integrity and autonomy; to vote; to hold public office; to work; to
fair wages or equal pay; to own property; to education; to serve in the military, to enter into
legal contracts; and to have marital, parental and religious rights. Women and their supporters
have campaigned and in some places continue to campaign for the same rights as men.

Krishnagiri District is the most backward district in Tamil Nadu. In the geographical location
selected, there are no high schools, no private schools, inadequate primary health sub-centers,
and no NGOs. Roads, water supply, drainage and communication network are inadequate to
augment economic development. Fragmented land holdings are not conducive to commercial
farming. Child labor is rampant in this socially backward area. Population statistics of our
country clearly indicate that quality education is out of the reach of the poor and marginalized
irrespective of their innate potential. Women are often exploited by their communities. They
have very little voice and no knowledge or means of improving their social and economic status.

Rain-dependent agriculture, home-based animal husbandry, silkworm rearing and brick making
are the main income generating activities. Fisheries, horticulture and industries have been
established in a few select areas such as Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Hosur. Rural folk find it
difficult to travel to these cities in search of jobs. The average family income level is below the
poverty line.

One of the popular schemes employed by several NGOs, and supported by some international
and bilateral agencies, is the so-called "micro-finance" or small loans that usually range up to
(Rs. 5,000) per woman to start some form of business. Notable successes have been recorded,
and the program has received considerable world attention. Most poor women entrepreneurs are
said to have been able to make their businesses successful, and repay the loan. However, our
experience in this area with lower caste poor women has been somewhat different.

Poor women, especially from backward communities and lower castes, are mostly illiterate,
untrained, and have very little social and economic status. In India, there are over 350 million
such people, mainly in rural areas. The unemployed are nearly 200 million people, a great
majority of them belonging to these deprived sections of the society. Without meaningful skills,
social status, and economic power, they are unable to do any business on their own even with
financial assistance.

Based on our understanding of the problem faced in our rural community, we have devised a
scheme for empowering poor and socially deprived women. The key ingredients of this program
can be summarized as follows:

1. Adequate training in an area where the women have natural abilities and understanding
(for example, farming and cattle rearing)
2. Use of superior technology to obtain better output and higher profits (modern farming
techniques, such as use of proper fertilizers, deep ploughing, drip irrigation, etc.)
3. Creation of financial assets through savings (from profits generated from sale of
produce, over and above wages received)
4. Ownership of physical assets (use of financial assets to purchase cultivable land - ½ acre
per family)
5. Sharing of resources such as wells, tractor, etc. among several farmers
6. Provide a support system that addresses concerns, difficulties, know-how, etc.
7. Access to information and markets (knowing what high-value crop to grow and when,
which markets offer higher prices on a given day, tie up export contracts, etc.)

Only when these requirements can be met, we believe poor illiterate rural women can be
expected to turn into entrepreneurs.

The George Foundation has purchased/leased 250 acres of land. An executive committee
comprised of representatives of The George Foundation, village panchayat, and agricultural
consultants has been formed. Under its direction, the soil is being prepared for crop cultivation.
Superior seeds of selected crops have been purchased. The panchayat members are highly
motivated about this project. People from the surrounding villages are participating in the
preparation of the land for farming. This program will be expanded to cover the neighboring
state of Karnataka in its later stages.

Conclusion--Mass Media (support)

1. Media will be used to portray images consistent with human dignity of girls and women. The
Policy will specifically strive to remove demeaning, degrading and negative conventional
stereotypical images of women and violence against women. The realization as the legitimate
role as respected members of society.
2. The media would be encouraged to develop codes of conduct, professional guidelines and
other self regulatory mechanisms to remove gender stereotypes and promote balanced
portrayals of women and men. Highlighting the positive role played by women in country’s
freedom, economic and political advancement.
3. Giving adequate coverage to the problems of women in society such as dowry, bride burning,
early marriage and related issue. Any other issue that may affect women in general. Women
earn only 10 %of the world’s income.
4. Women work 2/3 of the world’s working hours.
5. Women own less than 1 %of the world’s property.
6. Deeply committed to improving the lives of poor women, girls.
7. They struggle against gender norms that limit their resources and opportunities for
improvement.
8. We know that women’s empowerment is a tremendous resource for social change.
9. We work with women because they are important. Profound changes arise when we work not
only with the most disempowered, but with the people and structures around them that can
support or undermine their struggle for a life with dignity.
10. We strive for a world in which a person’s rights, responsibilities, opportunities and dignity
are determined not by their status as male or female, but as a human being.

Gender Sensitization through media

Training of personnel of executive, legislative and judicial wings of the State, with a special
focus on policy and programme framers, implementation and development agencies, law
enforcement machinery and the judiciary, as well as non-governmental organizations will be
undertaken. Other measures will include:

(a) Promoting societal awareness to gender issues and women’s human rights.

(b) Review of curriculum and educational materials to include gender education and human
rights issues

(d) Use of different forms of mass media to communicate social messages relating to women’s
equality and empowerment.

Women’s affairs has become a specialized area and it has to be dealt with great care and
understanding.

International Cooperation------ Convention on All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

(CEDAW), Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), International Conference on
Population and Development (ICPD+5) and other such instruments. International, regional and
sub-regional cooperation towards the empowerment of women will continue to be encouraged
through bilateral and multi-lateral partnerships.
Partnership with the voluntary sector organizations (NGO)--

dealing with education, training and research will be ensured in the formulation, implementation,
monitoring and review of all policies and programmes affecting women. Appropriate support t
would be provided related to resources and capacity building and facilitated to participate
actively in the process of the empowerment of women.

Literacy and Education (DSC)

Education – process of teaching, learning & training

Literacy – activity to read and write

India boasts of a traditional smooth flow of knowledge from one generation to another. The quest
for learning is evident in Vedas, Upanishad, Jataka, and other mythological text. Education in
India has a history stretching back to the ancient urban centres of learning at Taxila and Nalanda
alongside flourished several forms of folk culture and traditions like kathas, kirtans, yatras,
plays, dakshkathas and other forms of traditional arts.

Over the years the scenario has undergone some change. Phenomenal information explosion,
diversification in the means of communication has ensured dissemination of news relating to
development and growth is not limited to a particular region. While this is particularly evident
in the more developed parts of the world, it is not so in the developing ones. Where a large cross-
section of continues to be illiterate and virtually no access to communication, they remain cut-off
from mainstream. ``

There is a wide gender disparity in the literacy rate in India: adult (15+ years) literacy rates in
2009 were 76.9% for men and 54.5% for women. The low female literacy rate has had a
dramatically negative impact on family planning and population stabilization efforts in India.
Today one in five adults are still not literate and two-thirds of them are women while 75 million
children are out of school. Literacy for all remains an elusive target. Since its foundation in 1946,
UNESCO has been at the forefront of global literacy efforts and is dedicated to keeping literacy
high on national, regional and international agendas. .

Why is literacy important?

Literacy is a human right, a tool of personal empowerment and a means for social and human
development. Educational opportunities depend on literacy. Literacy in India is key for socio-
economic progress.
Literacy is at the heart of basic education for all, essential for eradicating poverty, reducing child
mortality, curbing population growth, achieving gender equality and ensuring sustainable
development, peace and democracy. There are good reasons that literacy is at the core of
Education for All (EFA).
A good quality basic education equips pupils with literacy skills for life and further learning;
literate parents are more likely to send their children to school; literate people are better able to
access continuing educational opportunities; and literate societies are better geared to meet
pressing development.

1. Education in India

India at present has a literacy rate of about 65 per cent. A lot needs to be done in this sphere for
the country to be a true economic and political power. Although there has been success in the
states of Kerala and Mizoram, there are numerous communities in India among whom literacy is
a rarity and education almost entirely absent. Added to that, the government's literacy figures do
not often reflect the true picture as a number of so-called "literates" can do nothing more than
just sign their name, and reversion to illiteracy is a common phenomenon among the newly
literate.

2. Who are illiterate?

Poverty and a hand to mouth existence has forced India's deprived communities to forego an
education for their offspring as they neither have the time nor the means for it. Children are made
to work from an early age to contribute to the family income and in a situation like this, spending
a full day in school for years on can mean nothing more than a waste of time for the parents,
even if education is free. As such children grow up uneducated and illiterate, their only recourse
is menial labour, be it in their own village or even when they migrate to the city. This lack of
education not only prevents them from getting better employment, they are also not able to make
informed choices that can enable them to take their destiny in their own hands. As a result, they
are exploited throughout their lives.

In a society where, due to various social reasons, the girl child is most often unwanted and
considered a burden, female literacy is a dismal statistic, with numbers as low as almost half that
of male figures. In a society where its womenfolk are uneducated, development, especially
human development, is difficult to achieve. According to official estimates, the number of
children in India between the ages of six and 14 attending school is only 49 per cent of the total.
To tackle widespread illiteracy and its attendant child labour, the government has taken a number
of initiatives aimed at making formal education mandatory and accessible for children.

3. Government Initiatives

Education in India falls under the control of both the Union Government and the states.

There is also a big gap between rural and urban literacy rates..
Although not a fool-proof framework, the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986
lays down a series of regulations for controlling child labour.
 The National Policy on Education, formulated in 1986 and updated in 1992, provides a basic
outline for the development of education in the country, specifically targeting the girl child.

The ‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’ (Education for all campaign)EFA, initiated in November 2001, is
the most impressive government programme aimed at achieving universalisation of primary
education for children between six and 14, as mandated by the 86th amendment to the
Constitution. The Parliament recently also passed the Free and Compulsory Education Bill,
2004.

4. NGO intervention

A number of non government organizations (NGOs) are also active in education and literacy
projects. NGOs have also been promoting non formal and alternative education with flexible
curricula to meet the needs of drop outs and non-enrolled children without access to formal
education systems. While great strides have been made by the voluntary sector in making
education and literacy accessible to poorer sections of society such as slum dwellers and
deprived classes, many of them realize that the problem cannot be tackled by making schooling
compulsory and providing educational facilities alone. Some deep-rooted social malaises have to
be tackled first. Those include discrimination on the basis of caste, class and gender. There is
also a realization that the government model of education is outdated and gives its recipients
very little training in acquiring skills that can serve their purpose, leading to high drop-out rates
and non-enrollment. A lot of emphasis is therefore given on vocational training that equip
students with specific skills from an early age.

The audit of various related projects has out some shortcoming:

● The quality of training of the function was poor.

● The learning environment was poor.

● Mass media did not provide appreciable report.

● Voluntary agencies did not receive cooperation from the state govt.

● The existing procedures for their involvement were discouraging.

● There was no linkage between basic literacy, post-literacy follow up and continuity
literacy.
● Training of adult education functionaries of cut levels participatory and communicative
techniques.
 ● Political and administrative support of the state government and the Panchayati Raj
institutions was not forthcoming.

Two factors constraining growth of Literacy and Education

a) Rapid rate of growth of population and

b) Failure of universalisation of elementary education characterized by low enrolment
(particularly) of goals, high dropout and low retention.
DSC Strategy:

To get the optimum results in the areas of literacy and education, the following points may be
taken for serious consideration:

● To field workers should be properly trained.

● The use of media especially small and traditional should be consistently used to raise the
awareness and aspirations of people and also inform them about its benefit in future.
● Voluntary agencies, NGO’s and local people should be involved actively in this.

● Emphasis should be given on post-literacy, follow up and continuing education.

● Misunderstandings, misconceptions and wrong ideas should be effectively dealt with.

Countries with the help of local media especially traditional media with the active
interaction of local opinion leaders and local population.

The dividends of investment on education are not instant. This results in the lots of patience
among the beneficiaries. This should be kept in mind by the DSC strategies to manage designing
and a sustained campaign.

Education---

Education is the process of bringing desirable change in the behavior of human beings. It can be
defined as the process of the process of imparting or acquiring knowledge through instruction or
study. if education is to be effective, it should result a change in knowledge, skill, attitude, and
understanding. Thus, in education, the greatest emphasis should be placed on the growth of a
person, both physically and psychologically.

Education has focused on different on various aspects-child, adult, technical (art, crafts), health,
physical education and several others
Types of education—

1) Formal-It is basically an institutional activity, uniform and subject oriented, full time,
sequential, structured hierarchy, leading to the award of certificate, degree & diploma.
Ex: School, Colleges and Universities
2) Non-Formal education – (means) *flexible,
- Life, environment and learner oriented.

- Diversified in content and method

- Non- authoritarian

- Learner participation

- Helpful in mobilizing local resources, human and environment potential

Non-formal educational processes and programmes in the long run, lead to—

= Creating awareness in individuals and society of the prevailing environmental situations, the
need for and the direction for the change.

= cultivating a rational, objective and a scientific temper.

= enriching human potential and thereby, contributing both to the community and learner.

= achieving a greater degree of individual, social, cultural and economic development

through democratic, action and active participation.

= building a learning environment in which every individual shall have equal opportunity for
continuing self learning

= a better sharing of opportunities, social wealth and particularly, more equitable.

= just distribution of knowledge among various sections of the society.

Extension or organized face to face communication is kept within the scope of DSC which might
be more effective than the mass media. Extension education has proved very effective in
agriculture and has since then widely been practiced all over the world especially in the third
world countries.

Simple communication tools could be used to educate the farmers about various innovations.
Once motivated, they would use the new hybrid seeds (high yielding varieties), fertilizers,
machines etc. therefore, food production increased manifold in last two to three decades.

Ex: Literacy Programme-

The farmers’ functional literacy programme is a widespread programme on adult education. It is
central sector programme (central government), Inter- ministerial project (Ministries of
Agriculture, Information and Broadcasting and Education about the modernization of
agricultural practices and supported by manpower development. This is an integrated approach
to the ‘Green Revolution’ to achieve basic national objective-self sufficiency in food, increase in
crop production and growth in agricultural productivity.

Literacy Education and DSC-

DSC should embrace (National Developmental goals)–the infrastructure (economic,

technological, organizational/administrative); the information and processing systems;
communication media, the personnel, the communicators, the recipients, the supporting
communication services, the contents; the objectives. The central focus was on mass
communication, that a multimedia approach with inter-media comparisons was health.

Water Harvesting & Management

Literal meaning of rain water harvesting --It must be the word harvest that is causing the
confusion.
Dictionary harvest 1) to gather in or 2) to accumulate a store of. Consequently to harvest
rainwater means to gather it in.

It is defined as geohydrological (geo+hydro) unit draining to a common point by a system of

drains. Land and water area which contributes run-off to a common point. In other words,
watershed is topographically delineated area draining into a single channel. It means capturing
rain where it falls or capturing the run off in your own village or town. And taking measures to
keep that water clean by not allowing polluting activities to take place in the catchment (the area
from which a river gets its water).

Watershed is considered as a biological, physical, economic and social system too. Viewed in
another angle water-harvesting is a new paradigm for planning, Development and management.
With a focus on social and environmental aspects following a participatory approach, of water
harvesting..

In general, water harvesting is the activity of direct collection of rainwater. The rainwater
collected can be stored for direct use or can be recharged into the groundwater. Rain is the first
form of water that we know in the hydrological cycle, hence is a primary source of water for us.
Rivers, lakes and groundwater are all secondary sources of water. In present times, we depend
entirely on such secondary sources of water. In the process, it is forgotten that rain is the ultimate
source that feeds all these secondary sources and remain ignorant of its value. Water harvesting
means to understand the value of rain, and to make optimum use of the rainwater at the place
where it falls.
Water harvesting can be undertaken through a variety of ways --

● Capturing runoff from rooftops

● Capturing runoff from local catchments
● Capturing seasonal floodwaters from local streams
● Conserving water through watershed management

These techniques can serve the following the following purposes:

● Provide drinking water

● Provide irrigation water
● Increase groundwater recharge
● Reduce storm-water discharges, urban floods and overloading of sewage treatment plants
● Reduce seawater ingress in coastal areas.

Extent of water harvesting---

Urban scenario

The total amount of water that is received in the form of rainfall over an area is called the
rainwater endowment of the area. Out of this, the amount that can be effectively harvested is
called the water harvesting potential.

Water harvesting potential = Rainfall (mm) x Collection efficiency

The collection efficiency accounts for the fact that all the rainwater falling over an area cannot be
effectively harvested, because of evaporation, spillage etc. Factors like runoff and the first-flush
wastage are taken into account when estimated the collection efficiency.

The following is an illustrative theoretical calculation that highlights the enormous potential for
water harvesting. The same procedure can be applied to get the potential for any plot of land or
rooftop area, using rainfall data for that area.. Rainwater harvesting is the gathering, or
accumulating and storing, of rainwater. Rainwater harvesting has been used to provide drinking
water, water for livestock, and water for irrigation or to refill aquifers in a process called
groundwater recharge. Rainwater collected from the roofs of houses, tents and local institutions,
or from specially prepared areas of ground, can make an important contribution to drinking
water. In some cases, rainwater may be the only available, or economical, water source.
Rainwater systems are simple to construct from inexpensive local materials, and are potentially
successful in most habitable locations. Roof rainwater is usually of good quality and does not
require treatment before consumption. Household rainfall catchment systems are appropriate in
areas with an average rainfall greater than 200mm per year, and no other accessible water
sources. There are a number of types of systems to harvest rainwater ranging from very simple to
the complex industrial systems. Generally, rainwater is either harvested from the ground or from
a roof. The rate at which water can be collected from either system is dependent on the plan area
of the system, its efficiency, and the intensity of rainfall.

Types of watershed

Watershed could be classified into a number of groups depending upon the mode of
classification. The common modes of categorization are the size drainage shape and land use
pattern. The categorization could also based on the size of the stream or river the point of
interception of the stream or the river.

1) Macro watershed(>50,000Hect)
2) Sub-watershed(10,000to 50,000Hect)
3) Milli-watershed (1000to10000 Hect)
4) Micro watershed (100 to 1000Hect)
5) Mini watershed (1-00Hect)
A watershed could be described as fan shaped (near circular) or fen shaped (elongated).

Hydrologically the shape of the watershed is important because it controls the time taken for the
runoffs to concentrate at the outlet. Watersheds may also be categorized based on the criteria like
soil (red/black), slope (flat/hill), climate (arid/humid). Depending on land use pattern watershed
could again be classified highland watershed, tribal settlements, and watersheds in area of settled
cultivation.

Rural scenario

Community based rainwater harvesting in rural areas of India - the paradigm of the past - has in
it as much strength today as it ever did before. It is, in fact, only with this rudimentary
technology that people are able to survive in water scarce areas. Recognizing this fact, our
ancestors had learnt to harvest water in number of ways:

● They harvested the rain drop directly. From rooftops, they collected water and stored it in
tanks built in their courtyards. From open community lands, they collected the rain and
stored it in artificial wells.
● They harvested monsoon runoff by capturing water from swollen streams during the
monsoon season and stored it various forms of water bodies.
● They harvested water from flooded rivers
Best way of harvesting rain --
Catch it in anything that holds waters. Have some new barrels. Once you have a container,
simply put the barrel beneath where the rainwater runs off your roof and you have started
harvesting.

Importance of harvesting rainwater --

Some will like the idea of not paying the utility company for something that is FREE. Or maybe
it is because rainwater is typically better for the plants. Or it could be that you don’t like big
bond issues to pay for new water treatment plants. There are lots of possible reasons.

A net positive impact on the environment, system makes feel great.

Water quality of rainwater system---

Rain water is generally free of harmful minerals and in most cases chemicals, but can be
adversely affected by air pollutants and/or contaminated by animals in the catchment area. Due
to increasing levels of pollutants, city and bottled water providers are increasingly turning to use
of sophisticated treatment processes and chemicals to ensure a quality product. Consequently,
rainwater for drinking should be carefully stored and treated prior to consumption. Several
technologies exist for home treatment including: ozone sterilization, UV and distillation.

So if your rainwater is to be consumed by you or others (i.e. potable water) then it must be
treated. There are many ways to treat rainwater (e.g. UV, Ozone, etc) and several articles on the
Harvest2o.com website go into these options in great depth.

Potable water
Potable water is another name for fresh drinking water. Water of sufficient quality to serve as
drinking water is often called potable water.

As for as metal, galvanized metal, painted or unpainted with a nontoxic paint, are common.
Other roofing type materials include terra cotta tile, slate, and fiberglass. Roofing materials
should have as little toxic material on it as possible, to reduce leaching into the rain.

The efficiency of roof materials in capturing rainwater ---For a tile/metal, a concrete/asphalt

roof assume a 95% runoff efficiency

● Removal of Impurities--Unfortunately UV will not help with minerals. UV disrupts

bacteria and makes them harmless to humans if implemented properly. For iron you will
need a filtration system and these would include a redox (reduction/oxidation), reverse
osmosis, or a distillation system.

The permanent solution to attain ‘water prosperity’ for our land lies in the adoption of
watershed management practices by our farming community.

Watershed management is more a philosophy of comprehensive integrated approach to natural

resources management. This approach is generally preventive, progressive, corrective and
curative. It involves the judicious use of natural resource with active participation of institutions,
organizations, in harmony with the eco system.

Watershed management

*Components of watershed management ---land, water, biomass ecosystem.

Water cannot understand natural unit of land, which collects water and drains through a common
point by a system of drains. Hence, it comprises of a catchment area (recharge zone), a command
area (transition zone), and a Delta area (discharge zone). Therefore watershed is the area
encompassing all the above three. The topmost portion of the watershed is known as the ‘ridge’
and a line joining the ridge portions along the boundary of the watershed is called a ‘ridgeline’.
A watershed is thus a logical unit for planning optimal development of its soil, water and
biomass resources.

Water Management--Water characteristics like inflows (precipitation, surface water inflow,

ground water inflow) water use (evaporation, evapotranspiration, irrigation, drinking water,
ground water storage, root zone storage) are the principal factors to be taken care of in
sustainable water management. The broad interventions for water management are listed below –
sub- Catchment, and watershed. The usually accepted five levels of watershed delineation based
on geographical area of the watershed are the following:

-Rain water harvesting, Maintenance of water balance, Preventing water pollution, Economic use
of water, -ground water recharge

Rainwater harvesting forms the major component of water management. The rainwater collected
can be recharged into the ground. Roof top water harvesting, diversion of perennial springs and
streams into storage structure, farm ponds etc are the methods widely used for rainwater
harvesting.

Some simple and cost effective rainwater harvesting structures are the following—percolation
pits/tanks, Recharge trenches (deep ditch)/rain pits, Recharge wells, Ferro-cement tanks, V ditch,
Bench terracing,

Economic use of water and avoidance of affluence in use of water at individual and community
levels may be the major concern for water management in the years to come.

Agriculture--- ( AIS & LUS) The All India soil and land use surveys---- of the Ministry of
Agriculture, government of India, have developed a system for delineation(segregate, demarcate)
like water resource region, Basin, Catchments, sub- Catchments, and watershed. The usually
accepted five levels of watershed delineation based on geographical area of the watershed are the
following:

Land management—land characteristics like terrain (a piece of land with regard to its natural
features), slope, depth, texture, moisture, infiltration rate, soil capability are the major
determinants of land management activities in a watershed. The broad categories of land
management are as follows- Structural measures, production measures, protection measures,
vegetative measures, Mechanical conservation measures (may become necessary in watershed
management in the initial stages).

-Structural measures include interventions like contour bunds, stone bunds, earthen bunds,
graded bunds, compartmental bunds, contour terrace (is a leveled section of hill designed as a
method of soil conservation to slow or prevent the rapid runoff irrigation water) walls, bench
terrace, contour (curves) trenches (to cut a deep ditch), broad based terrace, centripetal terrace,
field bunds, and channel walls, Stream bank stabilization check dams, etc. Watersheds may
contain natural ecosystems (physical & biological component of environment) like grasslands,
mangroves, marshes, water bodies, wetlands etc. All these ecosystems have a specific role in
nature.

Vegetative measures include vegetative cover, plant cover, vegetative hedges, mulching (leaves
and hay used for covering the roots of plants), grass land management, agro-forestry, etc.

The production measures include interventions aimed at increasing the productivity of land like
mixed cropping, strip cropping, cover cropping, crop rotations, cultivation of shrubs and herbs,
contour cultivation conservation tillage, land leveling, improved variety of seed, horticulture
( science of cultivating fruits, vegetables, flowers) etc.

Protective measures –landslide control, gully plugging, runoff collection, etc can also adopted.
Adoption of all the interventions mentioned should be done strictly in accordance with the
characteristics of the land taken for management.

Biomass management- Major intervention areas for biomass management are indicated below.

Eco-preservation Biomass Regeneration Forest management & Social Forestry Increased

Productivity of Animals Income & Employment Generation Activities Coordination of Health &
Sanitation Programmes Better Living Standards for People Eco-friendly life style of people
Formation of a learning Community

People’s Participation (support)

People’s participation and collective action are critical ingredients for watershed management.
Sustainability, equity and participation are the three basic elements of participatory watershed
management. Sustainability involves conservation and enhancement of the primary productivity
of the ecosystem the main components of which are land, water and biomass.

Equity has to be seen in terms of creating an equitable access to livelihood resources for the
watershed community. Participatory watershed management attempts at ensuring sustainability
of the ecological economic and social exchanges taking place in Amachal Model watershed
Project conceived and initiated under Western Ghat Development Programme is providing many
interesting lessons for watershed management practitioners in the State.

Amachal was expected to develop a scientific model for integrated development of a mini
watershed with active involvement of people Panchayats Raj Institutions and Development
Departments. The watershed community of Amachal has successfully completed the first phase
of participatory watershed management. The entire community is literate in watershed concepts.
The watershed Grama Sabha has accepted the Action Plan prepared by the watershed community
with the help of Working Group for Agriculture in Kattakkada Grama Panchayath and other
officials. The project Priorities accepted by the community gave watershed territory. This
includes natural resource exchange which is the conventional watershed management and
participatory watershed management additionally considers the economic political and cultural
exchanges. At this juncture it may be advisable to understand the limitations of people
participation in any development project. Participation may lead to delayed start and slow
progress in the initial stages of the programme. We may require more resources because in the
participatory process we have to move along the path devised by the local people. Participation
can ensure effective utilization of available resources. In real terms community participation
means voluntary sharing by the users group their time energy and money on the programme and
adopt the recommended measures and practices on a sustained basis.

SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability of participatory watershed management can be highlighted under three heads-socio

cultural indicators, economic indicators and the environmental/ecological indicators.

The social-cultural indicators deal with the social and cultural well being of the watershed
dwellers. This included the following:

● Decision making power of the community

● Empowerment of women

● Formation of farmer group/Self Help groups

● Change in ownership of life

● Harmonious social life

The economic indicators of sustainability consist of factors required for livelihood and economic
wellbeing of the people which consists of:
 ● Increase in income levels availability of food and food security

● Improvement in standard of living

● Off-farm income to families

● Improvement in rural economy

(Support) ****

It is quite encouraging to note that the people of Kerala are becoming slowly aware of the
problems of increasing water scarcity in their land and paying attention to water conservation
measures like construction of “Rain Pits”, Rain Water Harvesting” etc. Efforts taken by Kerala
State land Use Board Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) and ‘Malayala
Manorama’ Daily deserve special mention for making water literacy a movement in our state. It
is the right time to educate our people that the permanent solution to attain Water prosperity for
our land lays in the adoption of watershed management practices by our farming community.
 UNIT III
MEDIA AND DEVELOPMENT
DEVELOPMENT OF MESSAGE DESIGN AND COMMUNICATION

The effectiveness of development message is of the foremost importance in development

communication. The message selection has to be based on the holistic view of the development
project objectives as message selection forms one of the important factors affecting the success
of the overall project.

Points should be kept in mind while designing the message:

Unless they see the relative advantage in adopting the new idea/practice or method, their chances
of getting interested in the message are rare.
1. Usefulness of the content: People should see the advantage in the message conveyed to them.
2. Timeliness: Messages should be coordinated with the timing of the activities they have
intended to influence, to increase the implementation potential of the content. For ex: messages
related to agriculture, preventive measures for infectious diseases, messages related to political
rights and responsibilities should be timely and not too much before and after the event or
season.
3. Appropriateness: Development messages should include the reason or logic for suggesting any
new idea apart from the process to be followed in putting the idea into action. This can help
people to decide what is appropriate for their individual conditions. Ex: if the innovation
adopted five years ago has become out of fashion and new one is to be introduced, people must
be explained the reasons for giving up old one and method of adopting a new one.
4. Simplicity: Simple messages are easy to communicate and understand. Easy understanding
helps in quick adoption and development of positive attitude towards an innovation.
5. Needs assessment of the target groups: Various methods like community study, observations,
contacting key persons or leaders of the community, referring the reports, if any, can be used to
find out the needs of the people.

Important steps in message designing:

1. Priority: Determining the priority issues and define them. For example: Whether health,
nutrition, women’s issues and so on. It should be based on the need assessment of the target
group. Various aspects of the problem should be understood and listed along with the objectives.
2. Media ( decide the strategy for communication): Communication channels to be used should
be decided keeping in mind the:
a). Literacy level of the target group
b). Channel access
c). Channel availability
d). Purpose of communicating
---various media can be used in combination to create interest in the message and reinforce the
content of the message. Moreover, media should be suitable for the type of messages to be
conveyed. For ex: abstract, scientific ideas cannot be conveyed through folk media, but messages
related to family planning, health, girls education can be best conveyed through folk media. The
purpose of communicating i.e. to inform, to sensitize, to motivate for action – is also basic to
media selection. Resources available to the communicator and expectations of the target group
are also important in deciding the communication strategy for the selected messages.
3. Local resources. Incorporating local resources in planning the communication strategy, Local
leaders, and indigenous knowledge, that local people have positive aspects of their culture, which
can foster development. New concepts can be integrated with their existing knowledge, attitudes,
and values and behavioral or thinking patterns. Plan when and how these resources will be
incorporated.
4. Different content for different channel: treat the content for the selected channel. If TV is to be
used, the script should be written. If drama or behavior format is to be used in the strategy, script
writing will have to be done accordingly. Keep the media habits of the target groups in mind and
select the appropriate presentation style.
Ex: folk media may be more suitable for tribal and remote areas. Creative and persuasive
approach score higher compared to the informative approach in the treatment of messages.
Design appealing and understandable messages.
5. Pre-testing: Pre-testing the strategy with a sample of your target group to avoid any loss or
wastage in communication. The purpose of pretesting is to check the validity of the messages as
well and how such medium in the strategy performs on the criteria such as attention,
comprehension, novelty, utility and credibility. It helps in making correction in any message
before it is used for masses. After pretesting in the light of audience if required the message is
modified.
6. Proper delivery system: Transmission of the message has to be done step by step, if a number
of the media have to be used in a sequence or order of occurrence and importance under the
controlled condition and observation of the communication.
7. Evaluation: Evaluation of the communication strategy should be carried out in terms of its
objectives. It should reflect on the impact of the programme in the terms of development.

Factors for loss of meaning of messages:

Mody (1991) described the following factors which may cause the loss/ distortion of the meaning
that the producers of the message hope to convey.
• Production team related factors – The production team’s knowledge of and attitude towards
particular topics and audiences the quality of the production efforts. Their prejudices biases and
familiarity with the problems of various groups decides the effectiveness of the message. The
popularity of the sender of the message also affects the acceptance of the message by the people.
Pre- production audience data collection helps to remove the guesses about the audience groups
by the producer.
• Content related factors – unless the content of the message is based on an assessment of their
needs study of their consumption habits, it will be of little interest to the audience. The content of
the message should incorporate what they already know. Messages related to purification of
water should take the base of the methods people already use.
• Media related factors – it is very crucial for the development communicator to know about the
media habits of the people, accessibility and their exposure of media. Appropriateness of media
for content is also very necessary. Ex: folk media may not be as effective as demonstration in
showing the innovative ways of farming.
• Audience related factors – Lack of media and visual literacy can lead to lack of
communication. Differences in the attitude towards the medium may lead to differences in
individual exposure, comprehension and retention of the message. Ex: attitude towards TV or
advertising as a medium. The audience dialogue based approach to development communication
can provide the data to determine which combination of media should be used to reach which
audience segment given their distinct preferences.
Differences in knowledge, social and economic status of the media receiver also affects the
understanding, acceptance of the message. Successful persuasion, dialogue based approach, the
negative effect give audience related variables can be controlled.
• Context/environment related factors – Development communication projects requires support
of political leadership, economic power and cultural authorities such as religious and cultural
groups, otherwise , the potential effectiveness of the media decreases. There is no universal
guideline as to how each of these inputs affects the output. The particular audience
/topic/situation dictates the best combination in each case. Clearly, message design for effective
communication seems to call for an audience dialogue – based perspective on sight, sound and
motion pictures.

Messages conveyed through media have an impact on behavior and hence, its usage for
development. The type of influence and the extent of impact of these messages would be
determined by the content, its presentation, creditability of the media and the source, audience
characteristics such as their education level and exposure to other messages or sources etc.

Assessment of development strategies usually depends on the specific circumstances of each

country at a particular point of time. Some selected criteria as impacts on efficiency of resource
utilization, on savings, investment and growth, poverty and inequality also impact on
environment.

Hints to make communication democratic

- Arrange community meetings, create a network of popular correspondent, cover all events,
programs of democratic in nature, participatory planning, socialize technical knowledge…
 Role and performance of mass media: Print, Radio, TV, Outdoor publicity and
traditional media - music, drama, dance, puppetry, street play, fairs, festivals and their
role in development

TRADITIONAL COMMUNICATION MEDIA IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS -

STATUS, ROLE AND RELEVANCE IN NEW ERA
Tradition not always refers to the past. There are many things in practice in modern times which
are renewable. Art is the best example. ”Tradition” suggests a process of the transmission of age-
oId values and the contextual manifestation and interpretation of the universal. Tradition is not
only a repetitive behavioral pattern or some persistent symbol or motif in community culture; it
is also an assertion of an identity, a revival and regeneration of the life- force of the community.
Traditional media rely on this cultural support and context. 90% of the world’s population lives
in developing countries and 70% of them live in rural areas.
In the initial stages human beings communicated through sounds and gestures with one-another.
Imagination, perception along with social customs and rituals mix these sounds and sights into
performance.
In mass communication, traditional media refers to the performing arts i.e. Folk media which
have been used as mode of mass communication. The folk arts have been revitalized and they
have influenced even National theatre and other electronic media to certain extent. Traditional
media are an effective and important part of the communication system. These are unique in
nature, as they resemble the day-to-day life pattern of the rural masses. These media are a source
of popular entertainment for the rural audience, in addition to providing instruction and
information.
Our country has a rich heritage (inherited) of folk arts, folk dance, folk tales, position of epics
(heroic poem narrated in grand style), ballads (popular song of a sentimental nature) and plays
that can be used for development work. In past experiments, folk media is utilized for
developmental communication. Traditional media has a significant role to play in
communication, considering the peculiar conditions of India and its social problems and ethno-
linguistic culture.
Traditional folk media which has succeeded in the past continues to be significant even today.
They have a remarkable grasp over the different segments of society because of their accepted
idiom, functional significance and entertainment. We cannot afford to ignore the traditional folk
mass communication just because the modern media of communication are effective in terms of
wider diffusion of information. Electronic media are copiously using traditional media. What is
needed is to identify the talented individuals and groups who can adopt scientific information in
the various folk forms and utilize them.

Some Folk Theatre forms in India Some of the Folk Theatre forms in India
States ----- Theatre forms
1) Andhrapradesh- yakshagan, Kuchipudi.
2) Assam- Ankiya nat, Kritania Natak
3) Bihar- Serikela Chhau, Ranikhelia
4) Gujrat- Bhavai
5) Haryana- Sang, Naggal
6) Himachal Pradesh- Kariyala, Bhagat Hanran
7) Jammu Kashmir -Band Jhashna, Vatal Dhamali
8) Karnataka- Yaskshagan, Dasarata, Radhna
9) kerala- koodiyattam, Mudiyattam, Chavittu Natakam, Chakiyur koothu.
10) Madhya Pradesh- Mannch, Nacha
11) Maharastra- Tamasha, Lalit Gondhal
12) Orissa- Pala Jatra, Mangal Rask, Sowang
13) Punjab- Nautanki, Naggal, Swang
14) Rajasthan- Khyal Gauri, Jhamatra
15) Tamil Nadu- Theru-k-koothu, Veethi Natakam, Kuravanji,
Kavadi Chinthu
16) Uttar Pradesh- Ram Leela, Ras Leela, Jhanki, Naggal Bhand
17) West Bengal- Jatra, Pala, Gambhira, Katigar
18) Goa- Dashvatar, Tiyatra

Tamasha It is a lively form of folk theatre of Maharastra for more than 400 years. It is
commercial entertainment where the star performer is the female artist who has to sing the
favorite songs of their patrons. The jester (Songadaya) a character introduced in the later stage
would act as the master of ceremonies. This was used by the freedom fighters to ridicule the
oppressors.
Sai Paranjpye an authority on Marathi folk theatre remarks, “Tamasha today has crashed class
barrier. It has even acquired a respectable name for itself, namely Loknatya. The success of Ek
Jhamasha, Achcha Khasa written in Hindi and produced in Delhi shows that this dynamic form
need no longer be restricted to Maharastra”
Tamasha is also used as communicating medium by political parties.
Jatra Its origin can be traced from the Folk Theatre of Bengal and Orrisa. The name Jatra
(Journey) marks of the nomadic habit of its artists. Originally Jatra compositions were on the
Bhakthi episodes. Erotic elements were injected into this form which was then snuffed out by
Motilal Ray and Mukunda Das by their use of this form to arouse nationalist spirit. Utpal Dutt
has used this form to create political awareness.
Nautanki It is a folk form of North India. It is performed on an open stage. It has a simple
dramatic structure narrated by Surradhas or Ranga. Heroic stories from ancient epics are use to
stage Nautanki drama. The pace and tempo of Nautanki theatre is fulfilled by popular music
tunes. Social and political comments on current events are easy to express in this form. These
were used by the freedom fighters to ridicule the oppressors.

Yakshagana This is very popular in Karnataka. Yakshagana means ‘the song of the Yaksha
Bhagavata is the narrator. While narrating the play, he sings and exchanges witty remarks with
the players. Dr. Sivaram Karanth a Gnanapeed award winner for his literary works has modified
the form and content of Yakshagana and made it so popular, effective and meaningful even this
modern day.
Bhavai lt is popular in Gujarat. Ranglo (clown) and a naik (Sutradar) are the main character.
Ranglo not only makes his comments and witty remarks but also plays as a liaison between the
audience and the players. These were used by the freedom fighters to ridicule the oppressors.
FOLK MUSICAL STYLES- it is estimated that more than 300 styles are available. It is directly
related with people & social customs. –Chaiti, kajari (UP)
FOLK STORIES- It is a form of inter-personal communication for the unlettered. Local
communicator provides vast scope to a local communicator to convey his message to the target
audience.
FOLK DANCES- folk dances in India are only community dances. During social, religious and
cultural festivals, these dances are performed individually as well as collectively. They reflected
the hopes and aspirations of the people and their community life. They expressed the inner
rhythm exposing the relations between nature and man. Their dance movements are learned by
themselves and refined in their regular practice. Folk and rhythmic patterns and costumes are
rich in our folk dances.
Mathuri (Andhrapradesh), Lambadi, Bihu, Huchari (Assam), Garba(Gujrat), Bhangra,
Gidda(Punjab), Ghumar(Rajasthan), Kollattam, Kummi, Thevarrathtam(Tamilnadu) are
noteworthy.
• Folk TheatreStreet play- Street plays-performances that are done on a public road.
• Dance-series of movements and steps that are usually performed to idea & music.

Folk Theatre in India ‘is the forum of dilectic messages and morality that transcends age and
time. J.C. Mathur says on Indian folk drama, “Unlike urban and modern drama, it freely uses
songs, dances and instrumental music besides dialogue. This multiple approach results in a form
that is self-contained and complete entertainment for the audience to whom it is directed. It more
than entertainment; It is a complete emotional experience and aims at creating an environment of
receptivity in which communication of ideas is an effortless process (Drama in rural India)
There are many common features in Indian Folk Theatre in various regions. The theme of drama
has been narrated and told by Vidushak (clown), Sutradhar (narrator), Kattiyanakaran t teller)
Kutthadi I Joker / and others. Social and cultural needs of the rural communities have been fully
satisfied by folk theatre. Folk theatre in the past had also maintained a good port with villages
and tribal areas. Folk theatre was mostly coupled to rituals and festivals. But its potential to
entertain and communicate need not be underestimated. Religious leaders also used the folk
media to propagate their mission. During the First World War, the performances of dramas
succeeded to influence the youngsters to join the army in Haryana.
In 1940, Bijon Bhattacharya founded Indian people’s Theatre Association (IPTA). Street plays
(Veethi natakam) also used the forms and, contents of folk theatre in South and West India.
These street plays were very popular in Andhrapradesh. IPTA showed deep understanding of the
situation of folk theatre in India. Its main attention was to make theatre an index of the creative
potential of the people. Nehru, then Prime Minister supported the development of indigenous arts
and folk theatre.
“When All India Radio introduced Bhavai, Tamasha, Jatra, Yakshagana and other forms, the
listeners were very much impressed and found it a rare experience. Television also used to
telecast these folk theatre plays and other folk arts. Direct experience and enjoyment of I
programme is lost on celluloid or videotape. But it is new experience. Edmund Carpenter, in tt
theatre, the spectator sees the enacted scene as a whole in a space. And the spectator always sees
a scene from unchanging distance and from an angle of vision that does not change. But film and
Television, distance and angle constantly shift. The scene is shown in multiple perspective and
focus.”
National School of Drama; Delhi and Directors ilkeE. Alkazi, Girish Kamad, Sivaram Habib
Tanvir, Badal Sircar and others made bold attempts to change the folk theatre to emerge as a
powerful medium of the modern times without losing its original forms and contents. It is
estimated that more, than 1000 street theatre, groups are functioning in various states. So Action
Groups of Non-governmental organizations and Extension workers of the governments-’
community and development organizations are sharing the maximum portion of theatre groups.
The staying of Safdar Hashmi in 1989 in Delhi While this IPTA activist performing street play to
the street play being given wide coverage in the National Press.
The Central and State governments have used the Nationalist ‘Harikatha’ to educate the masses
on family planning, developmental activities, democratic values and national integration. The
institute of rural communication have successfully used the folk arts for their campaign on
“environment building for literacy” in Udaipur. The folk arts like ‘Dholki Bans”, “Loknatya”,
“Jatra”, “Kirtan”, “Puppetry”, etc., have been used by a number of social workers, reformists,
and political leaders, developmental agencies to educate the rural masses and to disseminate new
information.

Electronic media-
Electronic media has used this traditional media in various forms. India’s role to identify and use
these traditional media is possible and these experiments will be of much use in the developing
and underdeveloped countries. . Media have created a tremendous impact in influencing the
attitudes (manner of carrying oneself) of the people in the past. By protecting the vital elements
of traditional forms and producing worthy programmes and electronic media can help for the
continuous survival of folk media in India.
Recently the developmental authorities have shifted their attention to the fast emerging electronic
media. These new electronic communication gadgets hold a peculiar charm for the people
involved in development work, as they feel that in a short time and less cost they can reach to
every nook and corner of the country and spread their message. A critical look at the
characteristics of these modern media reveals that almost aII of them require a lot of
infrastructure facilities like the electricity, the computer facility, Internet connection, telephone
connection etc., and ours is a country wherein till today there are around thousands of Villages
that do not have accessibility to electricity or telephone connection, what to talk then of
computer, Internet or e-mail services. Further, the soft infrastructure for the new media i.e.,
“literacy” is also very low in our country.
In such a situation the benefits of information revolution are been accrued (increase) by the
urban population, rural elites, progressive farmers and villagers belonging to high socio-
economic status who have accessibility to hard and soft infrastructure. The farmers in the remote
rural areas are facing a communication gap or a vacuum of information as the new media have
not been able to percolate into these areas and the traditional media have been shrugged off or
discarded by the developmental agencies.
If we critically analyze the characteristics of some of the most famous traditional and modern
media on their awareness, knowledge, attitude and mental evaluation function in the technology
adoption process then we find that most of the traditional medias have a high effect in creating
awareness and influencing the attitude of the audience while most of the modern media have a
high effect in creating awareness and enhancing the knowledge of the audience.
Thus, both the traditional and the modern media complement each other. The modern media are
more effective in changing the knowledge, while the traditional media are more effective in
changing the attitude. In fact the traditional media have some added advantage over the modern
counterpart, like their indigenous nature, local appeal, direct personal contact, local dialect, more
credibility and more cultural compatibility which make them so unique and useful.
Therefore, we need to keep our traditional media alive by continuously and cautiously using
them as and when possible along with the modern media. These traditional media all not only
help in developmental activities but will also help in preserving and transmitting our culture,
tradition and values to the next generation.

FEATURES OF TRADITIONAL FOLK MEDIA.

1. Traditional folk media have no strict grammar or literature. They are nurtured and
developed through oral and functional sources. They are mostly society oriented and
localized.
2. The contents, dialogues, structure, music etc., of these folk media could be easily
modified to suit the needs of place and time as desired by the artists.
3. Where literacy level is not high, to reach the grass root level, folk media is more effective
to carry the message at their destination points.
4. Folk media is cost-efficient and less expensive. Mobility of troupes is also simple and
easy.
5. Family hereditary is continuing in the practice of folk arts. Since the practitioners of the
folk arts are having inherent skills. It is possible to train them to use these folk media
more effectively and efficiently.
CLASSIFICATION OF TRADITIONAL FOLK MEDIA---
This classification is not an exhaustive one; many more regional variations and classifications
including many other folk media are available.
1. Traditional folk theatre forms.
2. Puppetry.
3. Folk dances.
4. Ritual symbols, traditional designs and motives.
5. Story telling folk musical style.
6. Sound signals and speech surrogates.
7. Fairs and festivals of social, ritual and ceremonial gatherings.

One type of folk art, puppetry, is indigenous to India; from time immemorial, it has been a
popular and appreciated form of entertainment throughout India. It is an ancient art for which
references are available. The stylized vocabulary of puppet consists of elements of all arts -
painting, sculpture, Dance, Drama and Music. Puppet theatre is fully integrated in the ritual
observances and the social milieu of the rural people in India. The little human caricature
comes to life in the skilful hands of the artist. The powerful movements of puppets with the
drum music in the background win the hearts of the viewers.
Puppet theatre has shown remarkable staying power as societies have changed. Puppets are
increasingly being used as a strategy for addressing varied development issues such as
educating children, encouraging scientific methods of farming, promoting the use of
fertilizers, etc. The Song and Drama Division of the Government of India makes wide use of
puppets in its campaigns to promote various government projects, and Life Insurance
Corporation of India used puppets to educate the rural masses about life insurance, enlisting
the help of the Literacy House in Lucknow. Theatre in India carries relevant messages of
social awareness, historical and traditional identity, and moral value systems.
Kinds of puppets
(1) String puppets I Sutradharika puppets. These puppets are suspended from top and
manipulated through the strings attached to their different limbs. This type of puppets is
used in Rajasthan, Orissa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhrapradesh.
In Orrisa, Sakhi Kundhi form is used in which puppets have more strings and are costumed
in Jatra Theatre Style with the influence of Yakshagana, Gombeyatta has been developed in
Karnataka. In Tamilnadu, the string puppets of Bommalattam combine the technique of
both string and rod puppets.
(2) Putal Nauch - Rod Puppets Puppeters lift the sticks and tie them to their waists to make
the performance less tiring. West Bengal is the home for Putal Nauch. In this form of
performance, puppets are decorated like Jatra actors.
(3) Chhaya Putli - Shadow Puppets these are flat figures made up of tanned hide cut-out
perforated and painted with plant dyes. They have been illuminated from their backside to
cast the colored shadow on translucent cotton screen. These shadow puppets are used in
Kerala, Orissa, Tamilnadu and Andhra pradesh.
(4) Glove Puppets A glove puppet can strike with the full force of our body, can run or
jump or lift any object, can scratch its head and manage to do several other actions. Direct
 control by hands in the movements of the puppets is available. This is performed in Orissa,
Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Folk Arts and Traditional Media for Development

The urge to express, communicate, and share something beautiful gave birth to performing arts
such as folk and traditional media. In the process, the living progressive impulse to the timeless
universal got a coherent shape in creative designs. Folk performing arts have changed structure
continuously over centuries, modifying to the needs of changing situations, yet continuing to be
functionally relevant to society.
Mass media such as newspapers, television, and the internet do not effectively reach these
people, or as many research studies show, these media do not have the required impact in terms
of motivating change and development. The high rate of illiteracy added to the inadequate reach
of mass media is almost 80% of India’s population who reside in the rural areas. Folk arts and
traditional media are the aesthetic (relating to the philosophy of theories) components of the
concepts of belonging and affinity in a cultural context. In traditional societies, art is an integral
part of the process of living in the community.
For social change and development, what is required is a change in the beliefs and the value
systems of individuals, thus making them more adaptive and responsive to organic evolution and
growth. The role of the development communicator is to find communicative ways to influence
these beliefs and value systems. The communication potential of Indian traditional performing
arts has been proven time and again throughout history: Alha, the popular ballad of Uttar
Pradesh, and its counterparts like Laavani of
Maharashtra, Gee-gee of Karnataka, Villupaattu of Tamil Nadu, and Kabigan of Bengal (which
changed their content and focus depending on the contemporary need), were effective in
arousing the conscience of the people against the colonial rule of the British; traditional media
became effective in the many political and social campaigns launched by Mahatma Gandhi; and,
after independence, the Union government continued to utilize these traditional performing arts
to convey messages and generate awareness of development programmes in the rural areas.
Unlike Western theatre, folk performance is a composite art in India; it is a fusion of elements
from music, dance, pantomimes (communication by means of facial expression & gestures), and
ballad recitation, graphic and plastic arts, and religious and festival pageantry (grand display). It
encompasses ceremonial rituals, beliefs and social value systems. It has deep religious and
ritualistic overtones and it can project social life, secular themes, and universal values.

Fairs and Festivals

Fairs and festivals are common in the rural and tribal life. They bring forth togetherness among
members of community, establish contacts, exchange their ideas, encourage group activities and
provide audience situations for community singing, dancing and country games. Audio-visual
media, exhibitions and demonstration techniques are useful to disseminate information to the
rural people. Fairs and Festivals are an integral part of cultural life. Dawn of spring, first
monsoon showers, harvest time and other seasonal events are the dates of these functions. Their
significance as the meeting ground of live stock and agricultural produce, crafts design, artisan
ship, and finish tools, imagination of adaptability and local variations of skill has never declined
in any period.
‘Pushkar Mela of Rajasthan’, ,Kumbha Mela of Haridwar’, Sonepur Mela of Bihar and Kedu(i
fair of Bengal are some examples. Fairs and festivals provide opportunities for family meeting,
social participation and economic activities. Festivals are often used for political awakening.
Shivaji festival of Maharashtra marked the nationalist feelings. Tilak popularised Vinayaka
Chaturti to unite the Hindu people and to give religious dimension to the freedom struggle.
‘Phool Walon Ki Sair’ is celebrated to mark the Hindu-Muslim unity. Dussehra, Diwali, Rakhi,
Shivarathri, Pongal, Oonam, Yugathi are some of the important festivals.

The 1974 New Delhi seminar of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) focused specifically on the potential of the various forms of traditional
media and the technique of their production as well as their integration with mass media for
motivational purposes.
Media should be an integral part of any communication programme for rural development.
Wherever possible, these should be integrated with mass media but in all cases, integration with
ongoing extension work is vital. The prerequisites to the use of folk media are:
i) An understanding of the rural audience; and
ii) The use of these media to provide rural people with entertainment in order to attract their
attention and to ensure their participation in developmental activities.

Radio-TV

1.) Radio and TV can provide information to the people on rural development.
2.) They can motivate the people to participate in rural development programmes launched by
the govt. and other organization.
3.) They can educate the people on themes of rural development and seek the people’s co-
operations.
4.) They can provide entertainment to the people using the lighten themes in rural development.
5.) Radio and TV can mobilize support and participation from the people for the rural
development programmes launched by the govt. others.
6.) They should be able to include rural development as a topic of study and discussion in their
programmes.
7.) Apart from doing these things, they can specifically bring people’s attention to the problems
faced on account of lack of rural development and how these problems can be solved if the govt.
undertakes rural development programmes.
8.) Radio and TV can mobilize the support of politicians, scientists, doctors, engineers and
others concerned with the rural development and bring it to the notice of the public the work
carried out by them in rural development.
9.) Not only rural development, but also the rural problems need to be highlighted. For this, the
govt. can make use of radio and TV in focusing on the problems faced by the rural people and
how solutions can be found to these problems.
10.) The radio and TV have a primary responsibility of carrying out rural development to the
people through not only carrying out programmes on rural development but also programmes on
rural development but also seeking the support and co-operation of the people involved in and
those who are not involved in but they are also participants in the rural development.
11.) They can carry exclusive interviews and programmes on rural development.
12.) Radio and TV can carry developments in rural development programmes as news in their
news formats.
13.) They can also carry the advisements that are done on rural development is features in their
programmes.
14.) They can highlight the rural personalities involved in the development process and
enumerate the work carried out by each one of them.
15.) Radio and TV can also offer variety entertainment programmes based on rural development
theme.
16.) They should highlight the rural for arts and music in their programmes.
17.) They can also bring out a comparative study of the rural urban scenario and the problems
that are faced by the development workers in both these places and how solutions can be found
especially in rural areas. Urban development is a separate subject of study.
18.) Radio and TV can highlight studies as carried out by sociologists, rural economists and
others involved in this area on rural development.
19.) They can devote a certain portion of their time in highlighting day to day developments
taking place in rural areas.
20.) The concept of development as a whole to be highlighted debated and discussed. For this,
these media should be able to bring the experts involved in this area and make them participate
in round table discussions. Rural development can be a primary area of discussion in this debate.
As media of mass communication, radio and television should be able to perform their role best
in order to serve the cause of rural development. Rural development is not in anyone’s hands but
is the result of co-operation that is achieved out of all those concerned with it and the people put
together. It is not a dream that it cannot be achieved. It can be achieved by hard work and
sincerity. But it is continuous process and the momentum should not be lost. The Radio and TV
can perform a pivotal role in the cause of rural development and primary of this role is to bring
attention how to the problems being faced by the people on various fronts in our rural areas.
There has to be a combined effort that is needed to be putting together, gathering resources of all
people in achieving rural development. In this process, the role to be played by R & TV cannot
be ignored. Health and family welfare, women and child development, AIDS awareness,
Panchayati raj, non-conventional energy resources, consumer protection, and various social
welfare themes, through Radio spots/Jingles sponsored programs, video spots, documentaries
and short promotional films on behalf of various central ministries, departments, autonomous
bodies.
Outdoor publicity—
For effective community- level communication strategies, the integrated and planned use of both
folk and mass media is necessary for achieving optimum impact and for obtaining desired
feedback. Collaboration between the folk artistes and the media producers is absolutely essential
for the successful integration of folk media and mass media communication strategies for
development purposes. Peasants, agricultural labourers, bonded labourers, women, tribals, and
other oppressed groups are rediscovering the potential of folk and traditional performing arts as a
weapon in their struggle for land, better health status, better working and living conditions, and
human rights. Many development planners in the Third World are beginning to appreciate the
use of folk media as a mode of communication to explain development programmes.
Government agencies, international organizations, and donor agencies should progressively use
this important and powerful communication tool as a means for mobilizing people for economic
and social development

E.g. posters, banners, display hoardings, kiosks, wall paintings, bus-q-shelters, bus panels.

Print Media Communication

Print media deals with the printed form of communication.

These are as follows:-Newspapers, Magazines, Books…

Advantages of Print Media:-

1. It can reach large population since printing is available in most parts of the country.

2. Print media can spread literacy to the people.

3. It can cover about politics and development news. We know about any of the happenings in
and around us only through print media.

4. Print media can be stored and retrieved for further references in the future.

5. Print media provides employment to thousands of people in the country.

Disadvantages of Print media

1. The major problem of print media a country like India is illiteracy. Majority of the population
cannot read or write. Hence it restricts the choice of print media to educated people only.
2. It is not as captivating as the audio visual media. Basically it doesn’t evoke emotions as
much as audio visual mean does.
3. Print media have become costlier in the county as a result of like in the prices of paper
printing ink, employee costs and other overheads etc.

Role of the Media

In the above activity you might have mentioned having watching a public service television
advertisement on health subjects from where you probably got your information or heard
grandmother tell you of this remedy. So we have seen how important it is for us to be aware and
to have information at our fingertips. Let us see how a consumer benefits by keeping in touch
with the media.

The phenomenal increase in consumption of goods and services in urban centers’ has created a
demand for information about them, a demand which media can and must meet. They must
identify and fulfill the information needs of the public especially of the disadvantaged sections of
society Media can nurture an informed view only when they equip their audience with the right
kind of information. An informed public opinion in itself could help resolve consumer woes.

Media exposure inculcates in consumers a sense of awareness about their rights. Also the role of
the Medias is emphatically brought out when aggrieved customers turn to media programmes
and columns to seek advice compensation and justice. Thus, the Medias are a platform for
interaction between consumers and producers.

The media need to provide tips on access, quality, pricing etc and be a reference point for
accurate information.

In their coverage of consumer issue the media can explore general trends in acquisition and also
its exhibition in society. They can initiate a dialogue on consumerism and even suggest practical
economic purchases.

Advertisers tend to make exaggerated claims just to promote their products. The media could
investigate these claims for their authenticity and then make the findings public. The media
could conduct consumer research surveys to investigate purchaser needs and opinions. This
could be done in coordination with consumer organizations. Besides the media coverage of
consumer protection groups and consumer activists could enthuse the public enough to form
local consumer organizations for their own benefit.

Cyber media and development

• Cyber: connected with electronic communication networks, especially the Internet.

• The communication landscape in the country has been undergoing major changes largely
due to technological developments during the last two decades.
 • Use of computers has revolutionized the process of collection and dissemination of
information.
• Internet is widely used by corporate houses, educational organizations, inter-
governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and voluntary bodies.
• E-Governance
• The new technology, in fact is being increasingly used for governance (Electronic
governance) and during emergencies.
• At the most basic level, it's about putting services online and making it easier for people
to access them.
• On a broader definition, it involves an effort by the government to lead society from an
industrial to an information age.

What is E-Governance

Electronic Governance is the application of Information Technology to the processes of

Government functioning in order to bring about

S-Simple

M-Moral

A-Accountable

R-Responsive and

T-Transparent (SMART) Governance.

It also involves transformation from being a passive information and service provider to active
citizen involvement. Evolution of E-Governance requires hardware, networking, software and re-
engineering of the procedures for better delivery of services.

Traditionally, the interaction between a citizen or business and government agency took place in
a government office. But, ICT makes it possible to locate service centers closer to the clients.
They have unattended kiosks in the government agency, a service kiosk located near the client,
or the use of a computer at home or office. E-Governance increases productivity and reduces
costs. E-Governance can also enhance the citizen’s access to government information and
services (both central and local), and can provide new ways to increase citizen participation in
the democratic process.

E-Governance Services
E-Governance may include very broad range of services for almost all segments of society. The
most common areas of E-Governance applications are:

· Electronic commerce and business regulations

· Taxation and revenue

· Law enforcement and courts

· Digital democracy

· Agriculture

· Education

· Health

· Transport

E-Governance in India

As part of the increased thrust on e-Governance, Ministry of Communications & Information

Technology, Department of Information Technology, GoI, has set up a Centre for e-Governance
(CEG) in New Delhi in 2000. The Centre, first of its kind in the country, showcases several e-
Governance applications and solutions that have been successfully deployed in various states,
and offers such other services like technical consultation, proof of concept and thematic
presentations.

To showcase the best practices in the area of e-Governance

· Conduct programs for creating awareness among decision makers in the Centre and State
Governments.

· Demonstrate the feasibility of concepts in e-Governance to the decision makers through

workshops, demonstrations video/teleconferencing etc.

· Help the Central and State Governments in defining and implementing the process and policy
changes.

· To enrich the repository of best practices through continuous interaction with subject experts
from India and abroad.

The Centre also draws upon leading companies, technical institutions and business partners in
India and abroad and help initiate projects to address specific needs. The Centre further strives to
establish strong links with similar institutions worldwide to enrich the repository of best
practices through continuous interaction and participation. The foreign Delegations or Visitors
are also shown the facility that has been created at the centre.

Benefits of E-governance

• E-Governance sees the people in government, business and citizens working together for
the benefit of all. If properly implemented, the benefits of e-Governance are enormous.
Some of its obvious benefits are:
• Integrated Information: e-Governance targets to use a government-wide electronic
information infrastructure to simplify service delivery, reduce duplication, and improve
the level and speed of service to clients at a lower cost.
• It recommends creating, managing, and prudently sharing information electronically
among the various government departments and the different services offered by them.

• Integrated Services: Different types of services offered by different government

departments like collecting taxes, granting licenses, administering regulations, paying
grants and benefits, can be availed at one place.
• Anywhere Services: Provision of fully interactive on-line services by e-Governance
gives public access to government services with quicker responses at convenient times.
• This on-line accessibility of stored information from remote locations allows government
officials to serve any citizen from a government office located in any part of the state or
country.

• Anywhere, Anytime Information:

• Delivery of services may require interaction between government officials and citizens,
but delivery of public-domain information to citizens can be done without any such
interaction.
• Citizens can obtain information related to government processes and procedures through
an on-line system without interacting with any government official.
• There is no pressure on individuals to physically visit a Government Office.
• Improved Overall Productivity: e-Governance will significantly contribute to improved
overall productivity of both the government officials and the citizens, as it ensures faster
interaction among them by electronic mail instead of moving paper files and letters, and
in streamlining the workflow of internal government administrative processes. On the
other hand, improved productivity of citizens results because of the facility of anytime,
anywhere services and information.
• Better Decision Making and Planning: The integrated information base of e-
Governance helps planners and decision makers to perform extensive analysis of stored
data to provide answers to the queries of the administrative cadre.
• This facilitates taking well informed policy decisions for citizen. This in turn helps them
to formulate more effective strategies and policies for citizen facilitation.
• Better Security and Protection of Information: E-Governance uses the integrated
information approach for keeping all information at one place in electronic form. Thus,
keeping the information secure against theft or leakage. Proper backup mechanisms also
 help in protecting the valuable information from getting lost due to natural calamities
such as fires, earthquakes, and floods.
Successful E-governance projects in states:

BHOOMI of Karnataka: The first e-governance project of on Land Records Computerization

System.
WARANA of Maharashtra: ‘Wired Village’ concept at Warana cooperative complex in
Kolhapur and Sangli districts in Maharashtra.
RASI (Rural Access to Services through Internet) : Rural IT infrastructure in Tamil
Nadu.
E-SEVA of Andhra Pradesh: Provides services relating to payment of Utility Bills,
Certificates, Permits / licenses, reservation etc.
CARD of A.P: System of registration through electronic delivery of all the registration services.

Tax Administration: Better, faster, easier: To ensure that tax administration, including that of
VAT, is faster and easier, the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers has flagged off
an initiative called the National Tax Information Exchange System (TINXSYS) project across
the country.

IT for Railways: Railway Reservation Systems and online delivery of tickets.

Community Benefits: Community centres with IT: The Government of India has set up
Community Information Centres (CICs) in the North East and Sikkim. These CICs provide
broadband Internet access at each block.

They provide services -birth and death registration, e-Suvidha service facilitation centres for
marriage and SC/ST certificates. Provide information about agricultural prices, related matters,
educational and employment opportunities.

Computerizing the Police

• Connecting the cops: The Kolkata Police has built a WAN that connects the police
headquarters and important bureaus with more than 400 police stations across the state of
West Bengal. This network is in its final stage of implementation. The older special
messenger system has been abolished, and all information is sent over the new network.
• Sukhmani: The government of Punjab commissioned a project called Sukhmani as the
citizen gateway for over 120 services provided by the government.
---E-Governance is also referred to as SMART Governance because it aims at using IT to
the processes of Government functioning to bring about Simple, Moral, Accountable,
Responsive and Transparent Governance.
• Emergencies: During/after natural disasters, it is difficult to install radio communication
stations for establishing contacts with the outside world. However, much easier to
communicate through cyber media.
 During the 2001, Bhuj (Gujrat) earthquake, cyber media played an important role in
establishing contact, treatment of the injured and other relief and rehabilitation
operations.

Digital Democracy

• The theoretical concepts of e-democracy are still in early development, but many scholars
agree that blogs (web logs), mailing lists may have significant effects in broadening the
way democracy operates.
• There is no consensus yet among scholars about the possible outcomes of this revolution;
it has so far shown promise in improving electoral administration and reducing fraud.
• Particularly positive has been the reception of e-government services related to online
delivery of government services, with portals (such as President of India
presidentofindia.nic.in United States USA.gov in English and GobiernoUSA.gov in
Spanish) used as intermediaries between the government and the citizen, replacing the
need for people to queue in traditional offices.
• One of the main problems associated with the digital divide as applied to a liberal
democracy is the capacity to participate in the new public space, the cyberspace - as in
the extreme case, exclusively computer-based democratic participation (deliberation
forums, online voting, etc) could mean that no access meant no vote.
• Therefore, there is a risk that some social groups — those without adequate access to or
knowledge of IT — will be under-represented (or others over-represented) in the policy
formation processes and this would be incompatible with the equality principles of
democracy.
• Proponents of the open content, free software, and open access social movements believe
that these movements help equalize access to digital tools and information.

• Definitions of e-government range from “the use of information technology to free

movement of information to overcome the physical bounds of traditional paper and
physical based systems” to “the use of technology to enhance the access to and delivery
of government services to benefit citizens, business partners and employees.”
• The common theme behind these definitions is that e-government involves the
automation or computerization of existing paper-based procedures that will prompt new
styles of leadership, new ways of debating and deciding strategies, new ways of
transacting business, new ways of listening to citizens and communities, and new ways of
organizing and delivering information.
• Ultimately, e-government aims to enhance access to and delivery of government services
to benefit citizens. More important, it aims to help strengthen government’s drive toward
effective governance and increased transparency to better manage a country’s social and
economic resources for development.

E-CHOUPAL
India is the second most populous country in the world. Majority of its population lives in
villages and earn livelihoods through farming. Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy. It
contributes around 26% of the total GDP. Agriculture is the mainstay of the majority of the
villagers as they are engaged in agriculture or agriculture related services. Agriculture provides
livelihood to about 65% of the labor force in India. Still India has not been able to achieve the
world level of productivity. The immense potential of Indian agriculture is waiting to be
unleashed. The endemic constraints that shackle this sector are well known- fragmented farms,
weak infrastructure, numerous intermediaries, excessive dependence on monsoon, variation
between various agro-climatic zones and many others. These pose their own challenges to
improving productivity of land and quality of crops. The unfortunate result is inconsistent quality
and uncompetitive prices, making it difficult for the farmers to sell their produce in the world
market. So there is a need to look for interventions that can help the farmers realize higher level
of income. ITC’s trail blazing answer to these problems is the e-choupal initiative; the single
largest information technology based intervention by a corporate entity in rural India that is
transforming Indian farmers into progressive knowledge seeking netizens. Enriching the
knowledge of farmers and elevating them to a new order of empowerment. ITC aims o confer the
power of expert knowledge on even smallest individual farmer enhancing its competitiveness in
the global market.

CHOUPAL CONCEPT:

In Hindi, the word for a meeting place was choupal. The choupal constitutes an informal
assembly, a forum that villagers call their own, a place where knowledge could be shared and
captured. One important aspect of Indian culture for the Indian farmers is the choupal meeting
which is like an informal gathering of farmers in the evening on their way home from their fields
to discuss the news of the day.

E-CHOUPAL CONCEPT

E-choupal is a virtual market place where farmers can transact directly with a processor and can
realize better price for their produce. E-choupal makes use of the; physical transmission
capabilities of current intermediaries & aggregation, logistics, counter-party risk and bridge
financing. In June 2000, ITC Limited launched e-choupal in India and now e-choupal has
become the largest Internet based intervention in rural India.

e-choupal aims to provide farmers ready access to crop specific real-time information to improve
the farmer’s decision making ability thereby helping them to better align their farm output to the
projected demand in Indian market. E-choupal, the Web-based initiative of ITC’s IBD, offers the
farmer all information about products and services they need to enhance farm productivity
improve farm-gate price realization and cut transaction costs. Farmers can access the latest local
and global information on weather, scientific farming practices and market prices at the village
itself through the web portal in Indian languages – Hindi, Marathi, Kannada and Telegu. E-
choupal also facilitates the supply of high quality farm inputs as well as purchases of produce at
the farmer’s doorstep.

INITIATION OF THE IDEA OF E-CHOUPAL CONCEPT:

In the year 1998, the performance of ITC’s International Business Division which was the
agricultural commodities export division of ITC, was far lagged behind ITC’s other divisions.
ITC knew that it had to create some new ways to help IBD.

ITC had a 100- year affiliation with the farmers in the central state of Madhya Pradesh; this area
is known as India’s “soyabowl” producing 80% of the soy crop. ITC’s vertical integration and its
known relationship with farmers provided it with an integrated presence throughout its supply
chain of purchasing beans from farmers, processing plants, exporting via vessel loads and
shipping containers.

Although ITC was successful in processing and selling soy products, the business performance
was not satisfactory. Both farmers and soy bean producers were locked in an unproductive cycle.
The supply chain was inefficient. The process of getting crops to market began with farmers
harvesting the soybean and loading them onto the tractors and bullock carts. After the harvest
farmers hauled their loads of products to the closest mandi and then waited for the crop to be
auctioned. The auction began when a government appointed bidder valued the product and set
the initial bid. From here government licensed buyers called commission agents (CA) bid
upwards till the product was sold. ITC could not bid directly but dealt through a specific CA at
each mandi. The whole process was inefficient due to the following reasons:

Doing trades through mandis was the only available and legal way for both farmers and soybean
processors which gave the power of monopoly to the commission agents.

Commission agents could manipulate the auction prices to reduce the farmer’s earning and the
processor’s profits.

Farmers had to spend a lot of time and effort to sell their produce in the mandi.

Farmers lacked the information regarding price.

In May 1999, Mr. Sivakumar, Chief Executive of ITC, anchored a brainstorming session of the
ITC management team. The team knew that in order to reduce the cost inefficiencies incurred in
the supply chain, the village to mandi to factory cycle had to be broken. The idea of digital
technologies came in handy. Indeed the team worked to develop a business model that
incorporated “e” into the age old tradition of village choupals to facilitate the reorganization of
the channel. Knowledge shared and captured in the traditional choupal could be extraordinarily
useful; to the farmers, but it had traditionally been limited to the verbal communication. Farmers
not knowing market prices ahead of harvest were not able to plan and create secure financial
base but instead had an existence based on day- to-day survival. IBD knew that soybean price
trends and subsequent products could be forecasted, this daily information in the hands of the
farmers would greatly improve livelihood. To provide information of soybeans through choupal
meetings using some new technology was the idea generated by the team.

Inser ifo bout the yers when it started

CONVENTIONAL VALUE CHAIN:

Figure (a): Conventional Value Chain

Indian farmers rely on Department of Agriculture, government universities , insurance

companies etc. for various inputs such as weather, modern and scientific farming practices and
insurance cover. For seeds, fertilizers etc. farmers approach input retailer who source them from
wholesalers who are in direct contact with the manufacturers. After harvest farmers bring their
produce to mandis in small multiple lots throughout the year where the beans are auctioned to the
traders and agents of the processing companies in an open outcry method. The Government to
facilitate fair price discovery and enable aggregation of goods, regulates these market yards.
Successful bidders then bag the beans , weigh them, pay the cash to the farmer and transport the
cargo to the processing unit. Many intermediaries are involved in this process, each one acting as
a principal in the next leg in the transaction chain as shown in the above figure (a). But with
every intermediary the cost of produce increases to the processor as intermediary adds his profit
margin to the cost although the farmer get the lowest price and margin in the whole value chain.
Also the intermediaries block the flow of market information to the farmers and use the
information for their own benefit. Here poor farmers are squeezed to the maximum without the
benefits of their labour. The International Business Division of the ITC started the new initiative
namely,e-choupal.

E-CHOUPAL MODEL:

Input
companies,
Input
Seeds, Stocki
retailer
fertilizers st
P

Figure (b):E-choupal model R

O level called
In the e-choupal model,ITC sets up a back up physical service support at the village
choupal through sanchalak, a leadE-Choupal
farmer who acts as an interface between the computer
Intermediarie C and the
Farmer
farmer. ITC accumulates information regarding weather,s modern farming practices, market
Sanchalak
prices from sources lik Meteorological E
Department, Agricultural Universities, mandis (regional
markets), etc. and uploads all information on the e-choupal web site. All Sinformation is
customized according to the local farmer’s requirements and provided into local language
through computer set up by ITC in Sanchalak’s house. Sanchalak access this information and
disseminate it to the farmers. Dept of weather and scientific farming help farmers
GovtInformation regarding
univ,improve the productivity
to select the right crop and agricult of their farms. Availability of market
Money
information helps farmersMetto become marketureoriented. They know what price ITC is quoting and
Lender
the price prevalent in theDept
local market, thereby helping better price realization by farmers. If
farmer decides to sell to ITC, Sanchalak works as the aggregator of small farmers produce to sell
them to ITC. Sanchalak also aggregates farmers input purchase orders for various items like
seeds pesticides and place them directly with the suppliers through internet and facilitate supply
of high quality farm inputs as well as purchase of farm produce at the farmer’s doorstep with the
help of intermediaries as shown in the figure (b).

It can be deciphered that e-choupal has added critical value to the existing supply chain through
innovative application of information technology. This model has facilitated the smooth flow of
rich information to the farmers by disintermediation of the intermediaries in the flow of
information. Power of information works as a catalyst of transformation of the lives of farmers
by helping them to get improved yields from their farms and better price realisataion.
E-CHOUPAL AND THE CONVENTIONAL MODEL:

The main attraction of e-choupal is that it connects large and small producer and users and
eliminates the need of middlemen (who are essential in traditional market).

e-choupal is a virtual market that brings together vendors and customers. Geographical distance
no longer restricts participation of farmers. The main hurdle of traditional market is that
information asymmetry is inherent in the market where as e-choupal provides for transparent
transaction. The transaction time at the ITC hub is less than at the mandi i.e. 2 or 3 hours where
as 1-2 days in mandi. Some more points are:-

❖ Customer centric and not dependent on intermediaries.

❖ Capable of being used for many commodities & multiple transactions.

❖ Easily scalable once it is verified.

❖ Uses local talent and local people to develop local leaders.

❖ Uses all the existing institutions and legal frameworks.

❖ Scientific way of inspection, testing and weighing.

Conventional transaction vs. e-choupal

Cost Conventional e-choupal

Market

Trolley Freight 100 NIL

Filling & Weighing 70 NIL

Labour Khadi Karai 50 NIL

Handling loss 50 NIL

Sub total 270 NIL

Processor Incurs - 100 50

Commission Agent

Cost of Bag 75 NIL

Labour (Stitching & loading) 35 NIL

 Labour at factory (Unloading) 35 35

Freight to factory 250 100

Transit Losses 10 NIL

Sub Total 505 185

Grand Total 775 185

As percent of produce value 8 percent 2 percent

BUSINEES MODEL:

ITC has made significant investments to create and maintain its own IT network in rural India
and to identify and train a local farmer to manage each e-Choupal. The computer, typically
housed in the farmer's house, is linked to the Internet via phone lines or, increasingly, by a
VSAT connection, and serves an average of 600 farmers in 10 surrounding villages within about
a five kilometer radius. Each e-Choupal costs between US$3,000 and US$6,000 to set up and
about US$100 per year to maintain.

The farmers can use the computer to access daily closing prices on local mandis, as well as to
track global price trends or find information about new farming techniques. They also use the e-
Choupal to order seed, fertilizer. At harvest time, ITC offers to buy the crop directly from any
farmer at the previous day's closing price; the farmer then transports his crop to an ITC
processing center, where the crop is weighed electronically and assessed for quality. The farmer
is then paid for the crop and a transport fee.

Farmers benefit from more accurate weighing, faster processing time, and prompt payment, and
from access to a wide range of information, including accurate market price knowledge, and
market trends, which help them decide when, where, and at what price to sell.
Figure(c): Connectivity Figure(d): Solar Power

STATUS OF EXECUTION:

Launched in June 2000, 'e-Choupal', has already become the largest initiative among all Internet-
based interventions in rural India.'e-Choupal' services today reach out to more than 3.5 million
farmers growing a range of crops - soybean, coffee, wheat, ice, pulses, shrimp - in over 38,500
villages through nearly 6500 kiosks across nine states (Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttaranchal,
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Kerela).

States covered: 9
Villages covered: 38,500
E-choupal installations: 6500
Empowered e-farmers: 4 million

ITC Ltd E-CHOUPAL PORTALS:

The farmers are provided the information through the various portals which are specifically
designed according to the respective farmer’s requirements:

Name of e-choupal Target Audience Available In Operating State

website Language

www.echoupal.com Wheat, Rice and Hindi Madhya Pradesh,

Pulses farmers Uttar Pradesh and
Rajasthan

www.aquachouapl.co Shrimp Farmers Telegu Andhra Pradesh

m

www.soyachoupal.com Soyabean farmers Hindi, Marathi Madhya Pradesh,

Uttar Pradesh,
Rajasthan,
 Maharashtra

www.plantersnet.com Coffee and other English and

planters Kannada
Karanataka

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) AND

DEVELOPMENT

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been a major growth driver for the
Indian economy in the last few years. In 2006-07 the industry grew to a size of US $ 51
Billion. Even though it has registered tremendous growth in the past, it still forms a small part
of the global IT industry and has significant potential for growth in the coming years.

A cause for India to celebrate us that an impressive economic growth rate of over 9.0%
during the 2007 fiscal coupled with its rising status as a technology is gradually positioning the
country as a future superpower. India’s growing clout in the world economy, evidently, is mainly
due to information revolution, driven by impressive performance of the vibrant information and
communication technology sectors. IT and IT enabled services sector has brought the highly
educated people the respect they deserve, created an active market for talent, and influenced the
way young India looks to the future. The highly impressive performance of these sectors has
created thousands of young millionaires in India. It is widely agreed that India has the capacity
and its software developers the potential to fully transform the global technology marketplace.
Above all, the ICT revolutions has added value to the life of Indians, at least the urban educated.
 But, is this growth inclusive enough and reach every part of the country in equal
measure? The answer is evidently, is an emphatic no. Despite impressive performances of the
economy, sections of our society are still untouched by the high-sounding ICT revolutions. This
refers to a state of uneven development in terms of use of information and communication
technologies and availing the benefits of digitalization, popularized as “digital divide” by the
Clinton regime.

In the last decades, the world has begun to undergo a new technologically-driven
revolution, allegedly leading towards what is commonly called “the Information Age”. Impelled
by the phenomenal proliferation of computers and information devices, closely linked to an
explosion of processing and access speeds, ever-lowering costs of memory And other critical
components, convergence of images, sounds and writing in one digital medium, and propagated
by a worldwide network of satellites and broadband fiber optic cables, this Information Age
already is a reality to millions in all countries of the world, including India. To be sure, this
revolution is part of the long-term development of electronic communication technologies that
includes: in the nineteenth century, the telegraph and telephone; in the mid-twentieth, broadcast
media like radio and television. But the last two decades have seen an explosive and
unprecedented growth in these commonly called “information and communication technologies
(ICTs).”

The revolution has been as dramatic, rapid, and far reaching as the agriculture revolution,
the first industrial revolution. What is remarkable about the current “information technology”
revolution is the extraordinary rapidity of change it encapsulates. For example, it took at least a
century before the printing press touched 50 million individuals. It took 38 years for radio to
reach the same number, and thirteen years for television. But the World Wide Web, in only four
years, exceeded the 50,000,000 mark. Never before has a communications revolution spread so
rapidly.

Like all technological revolutions, this one has inspired optimistic hopes and fantasies. It
is said that the “Digital Age” has brought (or will soon bring)-

⮚ Transparency of government

⮚ Rationality of markets

⮚ Universal access to information

⮚ Formation of new international communities

⮚ Availability of life- and health- enhancing information to ordinary people.

The information age has so far touched only a tiny minority of the world’s population. If we
define household access to the World Wide Web as a criterion for joining the information age,
less than 5% of the world’s population of six billion had gained by the year 2002.the question is
how and whether the information age can improve the condition of life for the other 95%.
 That question suddenly began to be asked with increasing urgency as the “digital divide”
became headline news, starting about 1999. Alongside the optimism and hype surrounding the
information age, new voices noted that most people, in most people, in most countries of the
world, remained completely untouched by this revolution.

DIGITAL DIVIDE

⮚ The term “digital divide” has been coined to capture the bias in the patterns
of access to ICT in terms of the levels of use of the internet (region, sector, socio-economic
group [income, sex, and age]), the ownership of computers or public facilities, the
availability of telecommunications (telephone lines), the nature of use (e-mail, using the
world wide web), and the institutions (public and private) offering ICT facilities.
⮚ The term “digital divide” refers to the gap between those with regular, effective
access to digital and information technology, and those without this access. It encompasses both
physical access to technology hardware, as well as technology related skills and resources
required for its use. The divide exists at the global as well as local levels.
⮚ Global digital divide refers to differences in technology access between
countries-those who have access to digital technology and those who do not.
⮚ At national levels, digital divide refers to unequal effective access to digital
information and communication technologies for the reasons of lack of resources or skills and
capability to effectively use those technologies, among different regions, groups or sections of
population. In India, for example, several states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Goa etc
have made substantial progress in the use of ICT whereas other states are in a state of
backwardness in terms of ICT use.

But today the most powerful and visible component of a digital economy is the internet. As such,
in the context of any society, the digital divide is a term used with reference to the gap between
people who have the access to the internet and those who do not. It also refers to the skills and
capabilities people have – the divide between people who are at ease using technology to access
and analyze information and those who do not.

Disparity in communication resources between different parts of the world is increasingly

recognized as a cause of concern. Developed nations, encompassing USA and Europe, dominate
access to the internet, with East Asia and the Pacific showing rising use, but developing regions,
and in particular Africa, lag far behind in the “digital race”. This, however, is not surprising as
developed nations can fulfill the essential pre- conditions-physical and socio- economic
infrastructure- for adoption in comparison with developing ones backed by both state and market
forces. The bulk of the world’s population is either unable to participate or is marginally
involved in the ICT revolution. Information and communication technology has been seen as a
vehicle for reducing “information gaps” which have blocked development and enabled a strong
“knowledge infrastructure” impacting on all key rural and urban industries, the social sectors,
public administration and politics.
WHAT DOES ACCESS ACTUALLY MEANS?

ACCESS- first of all, it meant physical access: having a personal computer and internet
connection.

The gap between developed and developing countries is extremely wide, and it is growing. Even
in the most developed high- tech societies, where the division in physical access has stopped
broadening, about one- quarter or even one-third, of the population has no access to computers
and the internet. In places where most people are motivated to gain access and physical access is
spreading, differences in skill and usage come forward.

India’s dazzling performance in IT has been hailed as a great hope for the country’s future
development. The industry is one of India’s fastest- growing sectors, its software analysts have
become a prestigious export in themselves and India is a centre for overseas data processing
from accounts to customer calls.

However, just a small proportion of educated people have access to IT- but the vast majority of
Indians, about 70% of the population, still live in villages and the challenge is to make sure they
don’t get left behind.

Despite the urban wealth of hi-tech cities like Bangalore, three quarters of the population still
live in villages and deeply entrenched poverty makes the daily struggle to survive a more
immediate priority than computer literacy.

When it comes to bringing computers to masses, it’s hard to make progress without
governmental systems. There’s limited use for example in giving free computers to village
schools if there’s no electricity. Internet programmes aren’t much of use without phone
connections. Everyone here is caught up in the drama of the IT revolution. But the real
challenge- of bridging the digital divide- still lies ahead.

The Indian experience unfolds the inadequate physical and socio-economic infrastructure, lack of
penetration of telephones, limited number of lines, and of poor quality, high levels of illiteracy,
and low per capita income. This has inhibited the adoption of ICT’s the use of small established
local initiatives could become self-sustaining- for example, information kiosks providing phone
and internet services.

CAN ICTs HELP BRIDGE THE DIVIDE

The idea that some information and communication technologies are vital to quality civic life is
not new. Some suggest that the Internet and other ICTs are somehow transforming society,
improving our mutual understanding, eliminating power differentials, realizing a truly free and
democratic society, and other benefits. In many countries, access to the telephone system is
considered such a vital element that governments implement various policies to offer affordable
telephone service. Unfortunately some countries lack sufficient telephone lines.
Literacy is arguably another such element, although it is not related to any new technologies or
latest technological devices. It is a very widely shared view in many societies that being literate
is essential to one's career, to self-guided learning, to political participation, and to Internet
usage.

There are a variety of arguments regarding why closing the digital divide is important. The major
arguments are the following:

1. Economic equality
some think that the access to the Internet is a basic component of civil life that some developed
countries aim to guarantee for their citizens. Telephone is often considered important for security
reasons. Health, criminal, and other types of emergencies might indeed be handled better if the
person in trouble has an access to the telephone. Another important fact seems to be that much
vital information for people's career, civic life; safety, etc. are increasingly provided via the
Internet. Even social welfare services are sometimes administered and offered electronically.

2. Social mobility
Some believe that computer and computer network play an increasingly important role in their
learning and career, so that education should include that of computing and use of the Internet.
Without such offerings, the existing digital divide works unfairly to the children in the lower
socioeconomic status. In order to provide equal opportunities, governments might offer some
form of support.

3. Democracy

Some think that the use of the Internet would lead to a healthier democracy in one way or
another. Among the most ambitious visions is that of increased public participation in election
and decision making processes.

4. Economic growth
Some think that the development of information infrastructure and active use of it would be a
shortcut to economic growth for less developed nations. Information technologies in general tend
to be associated with productivity improvements. The exploitation of the latest technologies may
give industries of certain countries a competitive advantage.

Admittedly, in the first years of the twenty-first century, ICTs have become glamorous,
interesting, and fashionable. The “digital divide” is the subject of almost daily reports and
conferences by international agencies, national and local governments, NGO’s and private
foundations. There is an on going conflict between investment in ICTs and investment in
meeting basic human needs,” we need to do both. There is no contradiction between ICTs and
other critical human and social goals.ICTs is invariably seen as instrumental in meeting other
human needs:

⮚ Needs for a good job

⮚ Business needs

⮚ Medical needs
⮚ Needs of export earnings

⮚ Needs for useful information

⮚ Needs for transparency of government

LESSONS FROM INDIA

The workshop on “equity, diversity and information technology”, held at the national institute of
advanced studies at the Indian institute of science in Bangalore, was an effort to address the
several digital divides. Preparations from the workshop held, taken together they reflect what I
take to be an unstated consensus among the participants as to ways in which ICT’s might be used
to increase equity and promote diversity.

1. Information technologies should be introduced when (and only when) they constitute
the most effective available way of meeting basic human needs and fulfilling
fundamental human rights.

ICTs can have a positive role in development. But ICT’s are neither a panacea nor necessarily
the first line of attack in combating poverty, misery, and injustice. The utility of ICT’s must
always be judged against the role they can play in meeting core human needs

2. The most creative uses of ICT’s in development may not entail computers-mail, or
internet access, but rather the use of other computer base technologies, including
embedded chips, satellite based information, etc in order to better meet local needs.

Modern information technologies should not be simply equated with text manipulation, web
page construction, sending e-mail, e-commerce or surfing the net. Increasingly ICT’s have a
variety of other uses and embodiments. For example: India is the world’s largest producer of mil
and dairy products. The cooperative movement of dairy products in Gujarat is well organized
and effective. Traditionally, individual milk producers brought their milk to a central collection
point where payment was based on volume and butterfat content. Volume was easily ascertained,
but assessing butterfat content was a complex process, opaque to the producer and requiring
lengthy delays before payment. Complaints and charges of fraudulent assessment were frequent.
The solution involved the use of partially automated equipment.initially; expensive imported,
totally automated butterfat assessment machinery was introduced into collection centers. The
equipment, of European manufacture, functioned poorly in Indian conditions. A second round
involved local design of computer- based assessing equipment less sophisticated, less expensive,
and partially automated and requiring some human intervention, which nonetheless produced
accurate butterfat readings in a few minutes. This computer- based equipment produces a final
output that automatically combines the volume of milk with butterfat content to yield a payment
chit immediately cashable by the farmer. This new process was transparent, delays and
complaints diminished; satisfaction increased.
3. ICT projects must build on an assessment of local needs, as locally defined by local
people.

There is a frequent tendency of well wishing government officials, officers of international aid
agencies, and workers in NGO’s to assume that they know what is needed at the grassroots.
Given the widespread enthusiasm for computers, internet, web, e-commerce, etc., the promise is
often made to place” a computer in every village”, scatter “info kiosks” throughout the state or
nation, or establish “universal computer- based education”. Often, however, these projects are
not based on any real assessment of local needs. Furthermore, they assume a uniformity of needs
in distinct localities with different populations, economic bases, cultures, social organization, and
levels of need. Finally, they take for granted that providing computers and/or web
connections(without additional efforts) provide increased social justice, enable local peoples to
sell their products in the worlds market, feed the hungry, meet unmet medical needs and so on.

4. Local language and local content are essential.

ICT’s are to be effective instruments in development, local language software is only a means to
the end of creating local content. To be sure, gifted Indian elite speaks impeccable English and
provides the highly skilled professionals on which the thriving Indian information technology
industry depends. But the remaining 95% of the population of south Asia, if they are ever to
benefit from, let us say,e-commerece and the internet, require not only content in their own
languages, but content premised on the assumptions and achievements of their cultures, at best
deepening and broadening exposure to their cultures present and past wealth.

5. Projects must be economically self-sustaining.

Too many projects—have failed because they lack a self-sustaining economic base. Such
projects often succeed brilliantly as long as government or private funding is available to finance
outlays on an experimental basis. But if they lack economic roots in their user communities, once
enthusiasm and funding disappears, the project disappears as well—often without a trace. For
example- a project funded several years ago by the apple computers in Rajasthan involving the
computerization of record keeping by local health care workers. A year’s devoted effort on the
part of three computer experts went into adapting the Newton hand-held computer to the record
keeping requirements of Rajasthan health survey takers. A thoughtful report describes the
obstacles and successes of the project, after which the three computer experts left. After its initial
year of funding the project disappeared.

6. Do not simply assume that a flourishing IT sector will trickle down the rest of the
people.

The relation of increasing prosperity for the affluent sectors of society to the economic
conditions of the less privileged sectors is complex, over- determined, and varies from nation to
nation. A more plausible theory than “trickle down” might be “pour down”: namely, that rising
prosperity for privileged groups can benefit the disadvantaged if – and only if -- public and
private policy effectively redistributes at least some of the growing wealth of the already
wealthy.
7. Be sure that ICT programs actually reach and benefit their intended beneficiaries

The work of P.Sainath and other documents how often well mentioned efforts to help the needy
in India are appropriated by those who already possess the most power, privelgde and influence:
e.g., funds appropriated to build new roads for the poorest members of society end up being used
to improve the roads that serve the upper castes. The failures of well- mentioned programs are at
times, of course, the result of deliberate and criminal diversions of funds and projects away from
their intended beneficiaries. In short, it is not enough simply to ensure that a village has
electricity and telephone connections, or a computer for the use of the poor. Equally important
are the efforts to empower the poor so they can in fact utilize the computer to improve their lives.
The effectiveness of projects involving ICT’s to bridge the digital divide is inseparable from
parallel efforts to increase justice, legality, transparency and equity.

The voices and interests of the disadvantaged need to be represented in bodies that make
ICT policy concerning regulation and infrastructure. Giving voice to the digitally
disempowered in the high councils of state that make ICT policy is no easy task, partly because
of the power of the groups currently involved in decision making and because of the
understandable governmental interest in promoting the IT industry. In India, the voice of the
poor, of the non-English-speaking, of tribals, backward and scheduled castes is almost
completely absent from the task forces and advisory groups convened by the government of
India and by the governments of Indian states. ICT’s can be of use in reducing the digital divide
if only we commit to that goal the same intelligence and imagination that has gone into creating
the technologies themselves
 CASE STUDIES

SITE (Satellite Instructional Television Experiment) EXPERIMENT

The Department of Atomic Energy and India Space Research Organization started this
experiment with a satellite sent free of cost for one full year by the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration of the United States.

The experiment which began in Aug, 1975, was the first ever to relay educational programme
direct from satellite to receivers’ in2400 villages scattered over six selected regions in Orissa,
MP, Bihar, Rajasthan, AP and Karnataka.

Earth stations at Delhi & Ahmadabad telecasted the programs. They were produced at AIR
production Centre, (Delhi), with the help of Central & State govt representatives, experts &
social workers.

So far we have discussed various aspects of development communication. We have read the
definitions of development communication by various. We have studied the philosophy of
development communication. It is purposive positive and pragmatic (quantify & qualify the real
change at the grass root level). The emphasis on development communication given by Daniel
Lerner Everett Rogers and Wilbur Schramm is important.

Communication is a vital element in the whole strategy of development in the Third World
countries. The UNESCO has already spelt out the various steps one must take while planning
communication strategies for development projects far so good. A case study will give you the
experience of implementing development communication in reality.

Scavenger (rag-picker) Development Programme of Indonesia: Case Study-I

“Scavenger Development Programme” of Indonesia makes a good case study to illustrate the
point that carefully planned communication strategy can contribute to the development of man
and society. This case study is of high relevance under Indian conditions given the crucial role
played by social and economic status factors impinging on the development process.
“Rivers and canals clogged by plastic bags smoldering piles of garbage on the streets and
unofficial dump sites in vacant compounds are a common sight in many developing countries. In
Indonesia major cities suffer from water and air pollution caused by wild dumping and burning
of waste. There is a group of people counteracting this disaster drive not by ecological
consciousness but buy dire straits- scavengers.

The position of these rural migrants in the informal urban sector is controversial as they are
regarded as criminals, tramps or even untouchables by officials and the public. However the
scavengers serve important functions. Environmentally they shoulder part of the ecological costs
of development through recycling waste. As they are self-employed the state saves the economic
costs of social security payments. And the raw material from recycled waste turns to gold for the
formal economy as it has a yearly value of US $50 million in Jakarta alone.

The scavenger’s problems lie in their insecure legal and social status.

Together with a lack of over productivity and economic dependency, they are easy targets for
harassment, eviction, corruption and exploitation from middlemen the private sector and local
authorities. And the scavengers have traditionally been denied access to local decision making,
loans, education, public services and the media-- their contributions left unrecognized.

But then their plight is to be communicated to the other groups of society. They are there in the
streets of D’Jakarta, Bandung , Surabaya etc. And it is communication which is bringing a
change in their lives and awareness about their existence in society.

An Integrated Media Approach

Some people did recognize the needs and contributions of the scavengers. However the
“Scavenger Development Program” financed by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur technichi
Zusammenarbiet (GTZ) and supported by the Indonesian Home Affairs Department has been in
operation since mid-1991. Implemented by the NGOs in three major cities Jakarta Bandung and
Surabaya the programme uses an integrated media approach to promote the welfare of the
scavengers foster their social and communication competence and heighten awareness about the
waste management recycling and the plight of the scavenger. The integrated media approach
plans to affect change at various political economic and social levels by:

● .lobbying for policy changes to improve their legal status;

● improving their public image and social status;

● .increasing their productivity and the value- added of recycled products through increasing
bargaining power;
● .enhancing their participation in local decision making;

● developing appropriate technology within the context of an Urban Integrated Resource

Recovery System; and
● .educating the public about the environment.

The strategy chosen aims to be not about or for the scavengers but with and by them. The
process of change is designed to occur internally within the scavenger population by increasing
their self confidence and ability to command respect and resources and externally within the
broader urban population by communicating with people about the lives hardships and
contribution of this scavenger community.

Street Theatre of the Scavenger:

Theatre can at any time at any place and almost at any cost be staged once the principal
technique and concepts have been acquired. When linked to the development activity at the local
levels the power of the performance increases dramatically. Looking closely at this example the
scavenger’s structural poverty was connected to a lack of bargaining power that is a lack of the
ability to articulate the key factors of the daily life needed for active participation in the social,
political and economic sphere. The scavengers live in a ‘culture of silence’ --they have learned
from experience that it is safer to keep one mouth shut as long as housewives, policemen, shop
owners or city officials are powerful and regard them as outlaws. However, when their own
views are translated into a medium, like the theatre, that is informative and entertaining to the
public at the same time communication works. Given this chance, the scavengers are able to
communicate with people who otherwise would not even take notice of them. The training
necessary to achieve this communicative competence is organized by the community media
activities from a local NGO.

The storyline not only concentrates on problems but also on solutions suggested and assistance
need by the scavenger groups. The scavengers do the research for the scripts on their own. Their
own life stories humor and word game local idioms and other forms of interaction become
outlets for criticism and eye-opening insights in a form socially acceptable to an audience to the
neighbors and local officials from the communities where the scavengers live and work. Often,
theatre performances become a starter for a more continuous dialogue. Always the performance
increases awareness.
Exposure Programmes for Journalists:

The radio and press journalists from major regions are then invited for one day workshops
where hard facts on the scavengers are covered. Afterwards the journalists are exposed to the real
life and the dump shacks waste processing workshops and self initiated scavenger cooperatives
and schools’ Very often firsthand experience and discussions with scavengers result in more
positive articles and features about their role in society and their environmental contribution.

Political Dialogue:

Also on the regional level exposure programmes seminars and political dialogue are held with
official’s private businesses and donors partially using the media produced in cooperation with
them so the scavengers can lobby for a better legal economic and social status.

National TV Series: On the national level a series of 13 episodes on the scavengers living
conditions and their ecological and economic contribution to society will be broadcast on the
New Educational Channel. The programmes are produced by the same NGO that does the theatre
training. The scavengers participate in script writing, directing and acting which results in an
unusually authentic series. The partly documentary, partly dramatized episodes also show the
considerable gains by the scavengers in their newly established competency and cross cultural
communication skills. At the same time, the commentators in the series suggest ways to help the
scavengers recycle waste for ecological and economic reasons.

Through the integrated media project the scavengers have gained bargaining power in their
living situations and at their jobs. The communication process the mediating NGOs support
provides this non privileged group with access to small and large media and to decision making
institutions in the political and economic sphere. Evident though increased recognition outside
their own communities, the scavengers have gained self esteem and confidence in themselves,
competence in formulating their problems and needs, and ultimately, respect and right from other
groups of society. The public is also benefiting from the project. Whereas the public had
perceived the scavengers to be intellectually crippled, now, two daily newspapers in Surabaya
and Jakarta and a radio station in Bandung have begun regular columns or programmes to
recognize the complexity of the informal sector. The success belongs to the use of the media
delivery system. Not used as an exercise of power and persuasion with the scavengers as passive
targets the informative educative and entertaining capacity of the media could not just give
people a voice but work for everyone to make it heard and understood.

SITE is one of the biggest and technologically most advanced social experiments in the direct
broadcasting for education and development. It is also one of the largest Indo- US experiments in
communication conducted so far. In this project the experimenters’ main objective was to
provide instantaneous information for national development to those who otherwise would have
been deprived of such information for many years to come due to technological constraints.
The scavengers made their presence felt in Indonesia. They communicated their messages
through theatre and forced some newspapers and radio stations to start a new column on them.
The beauty of the communication strategy was that it was fully done by the scavengers
themselves.

Conclusion---

We conclude that if development communication was applied in projects, it definitely works out.

India’s biggest experience in using the mass media for the purpose of development was the
(Satellite Instructional Television Experiment) of 1975-76. This one year project was primarily
undertaken to telecast special developmental programmes though the satellite communication to
six rural clusters which included a total of 2330 villages scattered in 20 districts spread over six
states Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Its objectives were to:

❖ Improve the rural primary education,

❖ Provide training to the teachers,

❖ Improve agriculture health and hygiene and nutritional practice and

❖ Contribute to family planning and national integration

❖ After the completion of the project evaluation studies the results showed that exposure
to developmental messages though the television had contributed for the widening of
horizons of the villagers.

KHEDA COMMUNICATION PROJECT---

Surrounded by two tribal districts and the industrial districts of Ahmadabad and Baroda, Kheda
is a small district in central Gujarat.

Over 600 community TV sets have been installed in 443 villages of Kheda. They were kept in
the buildings of the Milk Producers cooperative Society or the Panchayat Ghar.

The programmes produced by the space application centre and Doordarshan were relayed for
more than an hour daily.
The significance of these programmes was that, they were produced after constant interaction
with the people. The programmes are in simple charotari, a dialect of Guajarati. They were
relayed only after pretesting and feedback obtained.

Several serials on social themes were made. One of the early serials ‘Chatur Mota’ on the
subjects of dowry & widow remarriage was scrapped. It was realized later that this problem is of
middle class not of the poor.

Then the serial themes switched onto untouchability, minimum wages and the need to cooperate
to fight exploitation. The serial became very popular. The majority of the viewers were from the
poorer classes (mostly women and children). There were special weekend programs for women
and children. The women series generated self-confidence, provided sense of equality, and
created a realisation of social worth and economic importance. The series also aimed at weaving
the rural poor from superstition, wasteful expenditure, evils of child marriage, and to provide
new skills.

Radio rural forums –were setup in collaboration with UNESCO for community listening.

Community-based water harvesting by Rajendra Singh in Rajasthan

• Rajendra Singh (born 6 August 1959) is a well known water conservationist from Alwar,
Rajasthan in India.
• He won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for community leadership in 2001 for his pioneering
work in water management. He is the founder of an NGO called Tarun Bharat Sangh.
• The NGO has been instrumental in fighting the slow bureaucracy and has helped villagers
take charge of water management in their area, through the use of check dams and other
time-tested as well as path-breaking techniques. This NGO played a vital role in reviving
Arvari River
• During his student days, Rajendra Singh was associated with the "Sampurna Kranti",
movement led by J.P. from year 1974 to 1982.
• After finishing his studies, he joined as a National Service Volunteer at Jaipur under the
youth education programme of the Ministry of Education, Govt. of India till 1984.
• That was the year twenty-five years old Singh left his job and committed himself to rural
development. With four companions from the small organization he led, Tarun Bharat
Sangh (TBS), he boarded a bus and travelled to a desolate village at the end of the line.
• Upon advice of a local village elder, he began organizing villagers and learning to repair
and deepen old johads (water harvesting structure).
• By this time Alwar had been opened to miners and loggers, who decimated its forests and
damaged its watershed
• As men shifted to the cities for work, women spirited frail crops from dry grounds and
walked several kilometers a day to find water.
• he worked with nomadic tribes and tried to understand issues in natural resources
management in rural areas.
• Guided by Gandhi’s teachings of local autonomy and self-reliance, Singh has introduced.
Gram Sabhas, Mahila Banks, River Parliament ,an awareness campaign for Gram
Swawlamban, soil conservation, improved seeds, collection of herbal medicine and
shramdan were the activities undertaken.
• Shri Rajendra Singh at Gopalpura village played a catalyzing role in building of 8600
johads (water harvesting structures) in 1058 villages spread over 6500 sq.km. for
conservation.
• Out of these 3500 were built by TBS and as an after effect of these the community was
motivated to build the remaining 5100 structures.
• The area covers parts of districts of Alwar, Dausa, Sawai Madhopur, Karoli, Jaipur,
Jaisalmer, Ajmer , Udaipur and Bharatpur.
• As a result of these efforts five seasonal rivers in Rajasthan area, that had nearly dried up
have now become perennial. These rivers are Ruparel, Arvari, Sarsa, Bhagani and
Jahajwali.
• Satyagraha resulted in reversal of govt. policy. To sustain this unity and the river in future a
decentralized power model has been structured among the 70 villages of Arvari River , i.e.,
the ARVARI PARLIAMENT.
• The rules permit only landless farmers to draw water directly from the river and ban the
cultivation of sugarcane and the raising of buffaloes as these activities would require
relatively large quantity of water.
• A graduate in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery and a post-graduate in Hindi literature,
initiated the documentation of medicinal plants and their uses. The TBS has an Ayurveda
centre and a laboratory at Bhikampura.
• TBS has always emphasised the people's right over the natural resources available in their
neighbourhood.
• The efforts towards water conservation have had numerous positive impacts on the
communities inhabiting the area. Employment opportunities have increased and migration
has reduced substantially. Studies have shown manifold increase in the enrollment of
students in school and output of food grains and milk production.
• In 1995 he led a "Nadi Pahar Bachao Yatra" from Galta in Jaipur to Gangotri in Uttarkashi.
The aim of this yatra, carried out between June 5 (World Environment day] and June 27
was to create mass awareness to preserve the sanctity and purity of rivers and the green
cover of the mountains. Since 1996, he initiated ‘Jal Bachao Johad Banoa’.
• He has also initiated a National Water March (Rashtriya Jal Yatra) on December 23, 2002
from Gandhi Samadhi, Rajghat, New Delhi.
• He has organized five national water conferences during this yatra in the different parts of
country.
• It was an attempt to share the water related concerns. The yatra stressed the fact that we
should strive for linking people to rivers rather than interlinking rivers, germinated into the
form of TARUN JAL VIDYAPEETH.
• "This is a recognition of the rural communities. The village society taught me the value of
water. Prior to 1984 I knew nothing about water or its conservation methods.“ (award
speech)
• "So that everyone gets a chance to contribute towards water conservation and rainwater
harvesting," Rajendra Singh would say in defence of soliciting the support of the rich. “Pani
ka kaam punya ka kaam hai “(working for water conservation is a pious act), he tells the
villagers.

Conclusion
• The commendable work done by this great man is unparallel. His inspirational,
motivational & creative achievement brought him rewards and respect.
• He believed in service before self. His unmatched thinking and effort brought life to
almost barren land. No doubt such kinds of volunteers are god sent.
• If more youth comes forward, takes up such challenging tasks, we can reach places and
scale new heights. His zeal, enthusiasm, tireless work, passion, love for humanity etc
makes him a real ‘hero’.

Non Governmental Organization and Development

“The NGOs are generally in better position to both comprehend peeople’s perspective at the
local level and share with people the changing perspective at the global level. In this sense they
act locally and think globally.”
NGOs are increasingly being used as vehicles for development. NGOs either registered with the
Home ministry under the Foreign Currency Regulation Act (FCRA) or registered as societies
under the Societies Regulation Act, 1860.
They are becoming a measure of a citizen’s participation. They work on issues of poverty,
literacy, health, population, women empowerment and so on. Many of them focus on some
issues of different regions but it has been found that is sharing and learning between these
NGOs.
Globalization has offered many challenges for developing new models for development,
participation and approaching the common problems. The planning for development was done
by the govt., but then it was realized that the govt. system were too rigid to solve the problems as
it is highly bureaucratic in nature and complex in mechanism. A credible NGO with appropriate
and adequate professional inputs and training can plan and execute a govt. program. Thus, govt
allocates a large sum of money to NGOs. The strength of the NGOs lays in their approach and
methods for motivating people to participate in developmental process. When govt. works for
development it has target oriented approaches and works as consultant. It is least concerned
about needs and problems of people whereas NGOs works with a friendly and informal
approach. They motivate people to participate in all stages of the programmes. NGOs are
purposeful role bound social units. They are group of people who allocates tasks between
themselves to contribute to a common goal. They are self-motivated, experienced, aptitude,
aspiration, competence, value-driven, committed, adaptable, and authentic and feel empowered
to work like co-owners of the organization.
NGO initiatives aimed at development have a long history in India. The individual efforts of
social workers are expressed in micro-terms but it deals with conditions that are caused by large
macro-structures. There are number of NGOs working for the tribal development in India. The
researcher has studied 7 major NGOs from the research area engaged in the tribal development.
These NGOs tackle development related issues and their ideological orientation differs widely.
There are some NGOs whose nature is agitational and there are some who are engaged in both
construction and agitational work. In the present study, the aims & objectives, project area, target
group, views of NGOs on problems of tribal communities, their suggestions have been studied.
The work of NGO has been evaluated on the basis of nature of work, their priorities, financial
conditions of NGOs, staff position, their views on self-sufficiency, need for continuity of work.
In order to have openness, their membership patterns, confidentiality of their accounts etc. are
discussed. Their views on tribal liberation and need to work all NGOs under one banner also
have been sought. Finally the problems of NGOs have been discussed at length. This paper thus
evaluates the role of NGOs working with tribal communities, their strengths and weaknesses,
future thrust.
ROLE OF NGOs IN INDIA
The growing disillusionment and the resultant discontent among the masses gave birth to number
of NGOs in 1960s in India.
These grassroots movements are concerned with the plight of the exploited sections of society.
They are part of the democratic struggle at various levels. The role of NGOs is neither
antagonistic nor complementary with the existing sectors. It is a role at once more limited and
more radical, taking up issues that the political parties are unwilling to take up, coping with a
large diversity of situation that governments and parties are unable to cope, encompassing issues
that arise from not merely local and national but also international forces at work.
The individual efforts are expressed in micro terms but it deals with conditions that are caused by
large macro structures. The NGOs are thus a part of a large movement for global transformations
in which non-State actors on the one hand and non territorial crystallizations on the other are
emerging and playing new role is. Most important role in Indian context is NGOs playing a
‘watch dog’.
AIMS & OBJECTIVES OF NGOs WORKING IN RESEARCH AREA
On the basis of the analysis of the information received from the respondent NGOs, their aims
and objectives in general are as under:
1. To organize oppressed people and spearhead for their rights;
2. To protect means of livelihood of the people.
3. To fight against injustice. They give voice to under-represented in the society, thus plat an
important role in the civil rights’, downtrodden movements.
4. To improve the economic well being of tribals;
5. To create developmental awareness, conscience among the society, nation; advocates for
change and sources of innovation and action.
6. To motivate, mobilize and organise the tribals for their development; serve as source of
leadership, development & empowerment, contributing to overall participation and change in the
society.
7. To liberate tribal from the age old bonded labor (VethBigari)
8. To make people Self- reliant by using the locally available natural resources;
9. To bring about educational development among Katkaris;
10. To enhance the status of the women;
11. To develop women entrepreneurship;
12. To assist in implementation of the tribal development programmes;
13. To as watchdog against corruption in the implementation of Govt. schemes.
14. To regain alienated natural resources and livelihood.
15. They often work to provide services such as health care, education, vocational training etc.
to groups not reached by the govt programmes. They provide charity to them and organise them
to deal with the causes of their problems.
According to Haq,” the NGO community and govt. functionaries have to come to terms with
Each other. The govt. must recognize that NGOs can deliver many services at tower unit costs
and that they can manage to reach the poorest and most vulnerable group in society, which govt.
of south Asia should increasingly rely on NGO initiatives for channeling their own community
development programmes. Many NGOs have earned national and international reputation for
their contribution to development.
Such as SEWA, Chetna,
Agra Khan Rural Support Programme,
Lalbhai Rural Development fund,
Disha at Ahmedabad,
Family planning association of India
The international donor agencies such as UNICEF, FAO, UNDP, WHO, have supported large
scale developmental projects taken up by the NGOs. NGOs will have to workout their new
agenda to meet the challenges posed by globalization. Enhanced cooperation & collaboration
with national & international agencies to promote social and economic development. There is
need to simplify govt. systems and procedures so as to enable the NGOs to participate in
development of nation with ease and dignity.

They do not need the uniformity or standardization of practices; organize themselves to provide
tailored support to a particular disadvantaged group. Due to their non-profit principles many
donor agencies trust them and support them in reaching out to the really needy. NGOs do not just
implement the program but they play a very supportive role in mobilizing human & non-human
resources.
NGOs are grassroots organizations which are diverse in nature. They may be organised around
communities, groups or issues. They are usually local, but organise into state, regional and
national associations. These NGOs provide funding, training, technical assistance, research.

UNIT IV
COMMUNICATION IN DIFFERENT INDIAN PERSPECTIVES
Strengthening of Panchayati Raj
Concept—
PR may be described as a complex system of rural local self – government in India. Rural local
self – government is a body representing the local inhabitants possessing a large degree of
autonomy.
Community Development Program (CDP) & PRI—
It was the CDP launched in 1952 which brought higher levels of local self govt. into focus. But
its programmatic content and organizational set-up, PRI was integrally connected with CDP.
CDP laid stress on an integrated approach to the problems of rural development. CDP was an
intensive and comprehensive development programmed Intended to touch all the aspects of
village life- (agriculture, irrigation, seeds, fertilizers, propagation of scientific techniques of
cultivation, marketing facilities), (health & sanitation), (primary, secondary, adult
education),( cottage industries), (linking with main roads, transportation, communication).
Early adopters1959-Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh
Panchayati Raj provided a system of self-governance at the village level; however, initially it did
not have a constitutional status. The decade of 1960 covered nearly 90% of the rural population.
The constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 provides a framework to build the level of
governance Panchayats. States with three tier system –Bihar, Gujarat, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh,
Arunachal Pradesh, TN, Rajasthan, West Bengal… The structure of PRI in India varied from
State to State due to structural and operational variations in the pattern of PRIs.

April 23, 1993 is a landmark day in the history of Panchayati Raj in India. On this day, PRI was
accorded constitutional status through the constitution. The amendment mandates provisions for:
1. Establishment of a three tier structure (Village or Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti or
Intermediate Level Panchayat and Zilla parishad or District level panchayat).
2. Establishment of Gram Sabha at the village level.
3. Elections to Panchayats are held after every five years.
4. Proportionate Seat Reservation for SCs/STs.
5. Reservation not less than 1/3 seats for women.
6. Constitution of State Finance Commissions to recommend measures to improve the finances
of Panchayats.
7. Constitution of State Election Commission.
The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 vests power in the State Govt to endow
Panchayats with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as
Institutions of self-govt, such as:--
1). Preparation of plans, their execution for economic development and social justice in relation
to 29 subjects listed in the XI schedule of the Constitution.
2). Authority to Panchayat to levy, collect appropriate taxes, duties, tolls and fees.
3). Transfer of taxes, duties, tolls and fees collected by the States to Panchayats.
Organization –PM, Members of planning commission, Minister of Agriculture, Minister
Community Development, Chief secretary-state, District Magistrate, District development
officer.
Gram Sabha--
 The Gram Sabha which is not a tier of Panchayat Raj is the general body consisting of all the
voters residing in the jurisdiction of Gram Panchayat. Gram Sabha is a body consisting of
persons registered in the electoral rolls of a village or a group of villages, which elect a
Panchayat.
A vibrant and enlightened Gram Sabha is central to the success of the Panchayati Raj system.
State Governments have been urged:
1). To vest in the Gram Sabha, powers on the lines envisaged in the provisions of the Panchayats
(Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996.
2). To make a mandatory provision in the Panchayati Raj Act for holding Gram Sabha meetings
throughout the country on the occasion of the Republic Day, Labor Day, Independence Day and
Gandhi Jayanti.
3). To make members of the Gram Sabhas’ aware of their powers and responsibilities with a
view to ensuring mass participation, particularly of the marginalised, groups, such as women and
SCs/STs.
4). To lay down procedures for the Gram Sabha to effectively carry out annual statement of
Accounts, Audit report of Gram Panchayat, Social audit of beneficiary oriented development
programmes of the Ministry or Rural Development, administrative report of Gram panchayat,
taxation proposals and any other developmental schemes.
5). To evolve a plan of action for generating wide publicity for Gram Sabha meetings or the
work program for ensuring year.
6). To evolve guidelines/procedures for holding Gram Sabha meetings and a model list of
business for such meetings.
7). To generate awareness as to the rights of the Gram Sabha, with respect to control over natural
resources, land records and conflict resolution.
The Gram Sabha is supposed to work as a watchdog of the Gram panchayat which is its
executive body.
The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 also envisages empowered Gram Sabhas as the
Parliament of the People at the grassroots level to whom the Gram Panchayats are solely
accountable.

The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 envisages empowered Panchayats as institutions
of self government at the village level capable of:
1. Planning and executing village level public works and their maintenance.
2. Ensuring welfare of the people at the village level including health, education, communal
harmony, social justice particularly gender and caste based discrimination, dispute resolution,
welfare of children, especially the girl child.

Strengthening Panchayati Raj

“If the village perishes, India will perish too”-Gandhi.
The PRI have made the rural community development conscious.
Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) in India refers to a statutory multi-tier administrative structure
entrusted with the developmental duties and responsibilities by the state legislatures.
Article-40 of the constitution directs states to move panchayat them with such powers and
authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as responsible units of self govt.
Democratic Decentralization or PRI-
1. To shift decision making centre closer to the people.
2. To encourage their participation.
3. Put the bureaucracy under local popular control.
The functional domain from the Panchayats point of view is really crowded. The mere
incorporation of 29 subjects listed in the XI-schedule in the State Panchayati Raj Act does not,
therefore, operationalise the provisions of the 73rd amendment or result in the devolution of
funds, functions and functionaries. Devolution entails identification of the “activities, tasks and
responsibilities to be assigned to the different tiers of Panchayats”.
The second step is the process through which these activities, tasks and responsibilities are to be
transferred to these different tiers — along with funds and personnel. Simultaneously, state
governments also need to rationalize their schemes. In its report on the “Devolution of Powers
and functions upon PRI”, the erstwhile Panchayati raj division of the ministry of rural
development had cited the Karnataka figures and called upon state governments to take up the
rationalization of their schemes.
The Planning Commission Task Force in its report on PRI had set out an agenda for action
during the Tenth Five Year Plan. One of the major recommendations was that the Central
ministries and departments should simplify their programme guidelines and clearly spell out the
role of Panchayats. It went on to recommend that where CSSs were within the purview of the
XIth schedule of the Constitution, instructions should be issued that flow of funds through the
states to Panchayats must be ensured. If CSSs are transferred to the states — these should be
earmarked for the Panchayats

At the round table conference on Panchayati raj held in Kolkata in July, 2004, state governments
had agreed to complete the activity mapping with regard to the subjects mentioned in the XIth
schedule. This exercise, if accompanied by the rationalization of existing schemes, will achieve
the spirit of the 73rd amendment. It will do so by vacating the appropriate functional and
financial domain for Panchayats, enabling the Panchayats to get untied funds to formulate plans
according to their needs and priorities. They will also be able to implement the rationalized
schemes which are “entrusted” to them. The availability of personnel to assist in both planning
and implementation would no longer then...
The ‘National Development Council’ constituted a committee in 1956suggested measures for
maximum economy and efficiency in implementing various Plan Projects under the
chairmanship of Balwantray G. Mehta and its report was submitted in 1957 (Community
Projects, National Extension Service). Its report was submitted in 1957 with the main suggestion
of instituting “Democratic Decentralization’ in rural areas with the help of three-tier system of P
Raj.
1). The Village Panchayat as the Basic Grass Root Level.
2). Panchayat Samithi at Block level
3). Zilla Panchayat at the District level
1. GRAM PANCHAYAT- This is the first tier in the PR system. It is constituted for one village
or group of villages. The size of the membership varies from 5 to 31. Generally the ‘Pancha’ are
elected by secret ballot, panchayat President (mukhiya) nominates four members, and President
(sarpanch) is also elected by the members amongst themselves. Reservations are provided in
different categories.
The powers and functions are more or less similar in all the states. They have to execute schemes
entrusted by the Panchayat Samitis and Zilla Parishads. Formulations of village production plans
by the panchayats have been made obligatory in various states. Their administrative functions are
the same developmental issues.
2. PANCHAYAT SAMITI (PS)—the intermediate tier in the PR system in some States is
known as PS. In some states it is known under different nomenclatures – Janpad (MP), Taluka
(Gujarat)… The term varies from 3 to 5 yrs. the elected head of the Samiti or corresponding tier
are known by different names –President, Pradhan, Pramukh, and Chairman.
The Samiti president is elected by the members of the Panchayat Samiti. The PS operates
through its statutory committees. The number of committees varies. Generally, they deal with
Production prog., social welfare, cooperatives, cottage Industries, water supply ,health,
communication and other allied subjects, finance, taxation, administration,…
The PS’s are also executive bodies for the State govt. and Zilla Parishad. They execute
‘transferred schemes’ which were previously implemented by the different Depts. of the State
govts. The dept allots fund to different PS and the latter have to execute the schemes according
to the terms and conditions prescribed by them.
3. ZILLA PARISHAD-- Nomenclature – Mahakuma Parishad (Assam), District Development
council (TN, Karnataka), District Panchayat -(Gujarat)… Head- Adhyaksha, Pramukh,Chairman,
.. Term-3-5 yrs.
Problems of PRI ---
1. Neglect of PRI: The PRI have been entrusted with the development work whereas the
regulatory functions are with the state govt. with the collector acting as its agents in the district.
The lack of regulating powers with PRIs has discouraged initiatives at the grass roots level has
reduced it to the status of a sub-ordinate department of central administration.
Even in the performance of developmental duties PRIs have been depending on grants from the
Central and State govt. to the extent of 95% in Maharashtra and not less than 75% in rest of the
states.
2. Suspension: - The states have kept Panchayat arbitrarily suspended or dissolved and even
when they functioned. They were never allowed to function as model agencies of democratic
decentralization.
This can neglect micro planning that has put India into a severe natural resources crisis due to
mismanagement of village resources.
Mega — Project and centrally sponsored technology missions replace the expansible,
traditionally sustainable local science and farmers are pushed into the inescapable conduct of
fertilizers-seed- irrigation fixation.
3. Bureaucratic Control: The steel frame of control in all the state acts has provided by the
official authority of the govt. The system of line hierarchy would favor with them as an
organizational principle. The Officers would feel that they are primarily accountable for results
and financial aspects. The officials trust their own fraternity. Therefore, entrust PRI with
additional functions was difficult, and on the others would not easily get adjusted to working
under supervision of elected representatives.
The Haryana panchayat act goes further ahead to say that the govt. can cancel any resolution of
panchayat under the pretext of it being against public interest and this term goes without
explanation.
4. Role of MPs and MLAs: According to the constitution these people are representatives of the
people and that is why they can definitely contribute a lot for the people especially by allotted
money. MPs with huge money for their local area development can easily develop and
strengthen the PRIs. The lukewarm attitude of the political elite towards strengthening of the
democratic process at the grassroots was relatively cool, because they would perceive
PRleadership as a threat to their position. All this led to a weakening of political support to PRI.
5. Fiscal Autonomy:
Most State Acts have not been generous with the fact that the land revenue is the major source of
income for PRIs; it should be transferred to them from the state Department
6. Lack of conceptual clarity: there was lack of clarity in regard of the concept and the
objectives for which it should stand. Some would treat it just as an administrative agency, others
as an extension of democracy at grassroots level and still others as a charter of rural local govt.
7. Disillusionment on structural–functional front:
PRIs are dominated by economically or privileged sections of society yielding no benefits to
weaker sections. The developmental interests were diluted. Corruption, inefficiency, scant regard
for the procedures, political interference, power concentration, motivated actions etc, all these
limited the utility of PR for the average villager.
CONCLUSION—the love- hate relationship between PRI representatives, level bureaucracy got
over after getting constitutional legitimacy. PRI were marginalized because without associating
those in planning and implementing of rural welfare sponsored schemes.
It’s a great effort to decentralize power from union to state to urban & rural local bodies.

Communication strategy:
Democracy in any country will be more successful if it is more participative rather than
representatives. The PRI have immense potential in these. The village co-operates NGOs
participation, ‘Yuwak Mandals’ and ‘Mahila Mandals.’
 The Communication should be directed effectively to achieve this end at different level e.g.
Control and share govt., the voluntary organization the civil society etc to increase awareness in
this regard.
• Gujarat and Maharastra Zila parishad have shown that an effective cooperative system at the
lower tier mobilizes resources from dairying, poultry, sericulture, weaving livestock
management; this can solve the problems of financial dependence. Awareness campaign can be
started to move people towards this point.
• In this area of economic liberalization PRIs should be encouraged to apply localized approach
and find solutions to local problems especially of soil and water, irrigation and fertilizers forest
and Seeds.

● The PR has many achievements at its disposal. The disappearance of the fear of the officials in
the minds of the village people. Feeling of importance in the minds of village people. Emergence
of new leadership at the local level. Widening of political horizons as PR has turned out to be a
powerful engine of political change at micro level.

● The failure of representative democracy in the decade gave rise to people’s movement all over
globe for better resources management. In the era of criminalization of politics it is important
that the states give a greater voice to people who matter in resource decisions by all means the
global trends is the decision to appropriate natural resources should be made by those who own
them.
 ADVANCEMENT IN FARMING AND ALTERNATIVE EMPLOYMENT
India lives in the villages and the village uplift is the key to the progress of the country. Since
independence there has been the great exodus of population from the villages. But population
still lives in rural areas. Since rapid urbanization is giving rise to many unavoidable problems we
need to look for alternative employment in rural areas along with the advancement in farming.
Gram Swaraj or village united development as concerned by ‘Gandhi’ is the answer to the evils
of urbanization and large scale unemployment.
Advancement in farming
As agriculture is the stable occupation of the villager a scientific look to it or the scientific
methods in agriculture will certainly increase the production in agriculture. These may be:
1.Use of scientific methods-
The use of scientific methods, machines materials in farming can always ensure goods output
and minimize loss.
2.Use of highly yielding seeds, fertilizers and insecticides:
Such seeds are available in the market. The farmer needs to choose one after due interaction with
the local agricultural — officers. With the proper use of fertilizer and insecticides, one can
maximize the production.
3. Soil Testing:
The farmer should test soil and choose the right kind of crop to ensure production. Soil testing is
done by different organizations, affiliated to one govt. of India, the farmers should available this
facility.
4. Interaction with agriculture officer:
The agriculture officer of the local area is the farmers’ best friend, philosopher and guide. He
needs to have a close rapport with them and interact frequently with others.
Alternative Employment
The rural poor live in multi hazard environment and require multiple sources of income to
mitigate various threats to their livelihood security. Traditional employment in villages is based
upon natural resources. Given that the region is prone to natural disasters villagers rely solely on
land based employment face great livelihood insecurity. There is a need to diversify income
generating activities, thereby enhance villagers risk coping strategies and reduce their
vulnerability to natural disasters. Many NGOs have been focusing on identifying alternative
sources of employments for poor.
Many NGOs provide training and exposure to villagers and encourage them to involve in small
scale income generating activities such as activities such as electronics and automobile repair;
hand-pump maintenance, production of consumables (soap, shampoos, incense…); and other
micro-enterprises. The poor are also employed through horticultural projects, village public
works and eco regeneration activities. Some NGOs are helping to employ the poorest of the poor
in renewable energy Interventions such as assembling and maintaining solar powered lanterns or
operating community bio-gas plants. Many villagers are involve in beekeeping, poultry, pig farm
and manufacturing of some traditional items such as shoe-making, handicraft, clothes, etc.
All the villagers might not have Sufficient Productive land or Agriculture; hence avenues for
alternative employment should be explored.
1. Rural Crafts:
Rural Crafts like pot making, handlooms or cottage weaving, seed oil- crushing, blanket making,
mat weaving, rope making, have immense job potential. These product need to be Marketed well
to complete with the plastic, steel, cement, heavy power looms.
2. vocational training by community polytechnics: Different polytechnics teach rural people
(women) like bakery garment making soft toy making papad making embroidery, food
processing, leaf cup plate making.
These can certainly help women in employment other then farming.
3. Self- Help Group:
Women can form various self help group and take advancement of different scheme of the govt.
and start only of the small business and help one another in the rural areas the elf help groups
and grameen bank .are an example for all to follow I take inspiration from.
4. Small Scale Industry
The educated youth of the rural areas can avail various loan facilities by the govt. India and set-
up small scale industries and became an enterprises like- Dairy Farming, Poultry, Horticulture,
Fishery, Brick factory and some of the tempting options.
5. Cooperatives:
The state like Gujarat and Maharashtra have shown is how the establishment different
cooperative in various sectors like dairy farming, poultry, serious weaving livestock
Management can generate employment of a large scale apart from mobilizing.
6. Village Tourism:
Village tourism is the least explored areas of the 21 century, with the hustle and bustle of the city
life, the territory of countryside can attract many both domestic and foreign. If development well
this alone can employ can lakhs of people of various sphere.

CONSERVATION OF RURAL CULTURE –TRADITION

Rural areas (referred to as "the countryside") are large and isolated areas of an open country (in
reference to open fields and not forests, etc.), often with low population density. The terms
"countryside" and "rural areas" are not synonyms:”countryside" refers to rural areas that are
open. A forest, wetlands, etc. with a low population density is not a countryside.

The culture of India has been shaped not only by its long history, unique geography and diverse
demography, but also by its ancient heritages, which were formed during the Indus Valley
Civilization and evolved further during the Vedic age, rise and decline of Buddhism, the Golden
age, invasions from Central Asia, European colonization and the rise of Indian nationalism.
India's diversity is visible in its languages, religions, dance, music, architecture and customs
which differ from place to place within the country, but nevertheless possess a commonality. The
culture of India is an amalgamation of diverse sub-cultures spread all over the country and
traditions that are several millennia old.

The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem, acc. of traditio which means "handing
over, passing on", and is used in a number of ways in the English language:

1. Beliefs or customs taught by one generation to the next, often orally. For example, we
can speak of the tradition of sending birth announcements.
2. A set of customs or practices. For example, we can speak of Christmas traditions.
3. A broad religious movement made up of religious denominations or church bodies that
have a common history, customs, culture, and, to some extent, body of teachings. For
example, one can speak of Islam's Sufi tradition or Christianity's Lutheran tradition.
4. Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way to affect the
senses or emotions. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and
modes of expression, including music, literature, film, sculpture, and paintings. The
meaning of art is explored in a branch of philosophy known as aesthetics.
5. Traditionally, the term art was used to refer to any skill or mastery. art came to be seen
as "a special faculty of the human mind to be classified with religion and science”.
Generally, art is made with the intention of stimulating thoughts and emotions.
6. The nature of art has been described as "one of the most elusive of the traditional
problems of human culture”. It has been defined as a vehicle for the expression or
communication of emotions and ideas, a means for exploring and appreciating interpreted
art as the means by which a community develops for itself a medium for self-expression
and interpretation.[

In social science, culture can be defined as an aspect in human society that is socially rather than
biologically transmitted. The customs, traditions & achievements of a particular time period
prevalent in among people comes under culture. The culture is dynamic and it keeps changing
with passage of time. A number of factors can be cited for the change of our culture. ---

1. MISSIONARY— the missionaries of various religions have time and charitable means to
feed the poor people of the rural areas with money and other benefits. This may cause the
conversion of people to other religion. Thus a change in culture may be created.
2. DEVELOPMENT & WELFARE SCHEMES--- the implementation of various types of
community development and welfare schemes meant for the rural areas has brought about
certain economic & social change in the rural folk. ‘Deendayal Hatkargha Protsahan Yojana’
aimed at supporting the handloom sector through finance, design and marketing outputs.
These provide comprehensive, financial and infrastructural support to weaver’s
organizations. Working capital loan, preference for loans for technology up-gradation and
continuation of concessional lending facilities.
3. URBANISATION & INDUSTRILASATION--- under the modern process of change,
urbanization and industrialization have literally brought about revolutionary change in some
parts of rural India.
4. IMPACT OF MEDIA—Media especially the entry of cable television in the rural areas have
brought about large scale changes in the way of living. The foreign culture should take into
account the existing culture of the target audience.

Through the information and education the objective is to increase the level of awareness about
the positives of one’s own culture and the negative effects of cultural imperialism.- Nowadays,
the system of the folk conservation is vanishing. It was observed that, new generation is unable
to tell their totemic animals and / or plants.

Apart from the above said traditional practices, Mendha people are adopting many new ways of
the nature conservation and its sustainable use. These new ways are due to the positive
interventions of the outsider agencies and research oriented attitude of the local people.

• In the present day context, it is very much essential to rejuvenate traditional practices.
Promote the cultural and rich heritage of tribal people for human enrichment
/development of the present and future generations.
• Thus, conservation of tradition and culture is must. Since, it enlightens us about our past
and inspire ourselves.
• The younger generations among the tribes are drifting towards modernization and effort
should be made to reinforce the tradition and cultural heritage of the tribes.
• Traditional values should not be lost in the maddening rush of modernization. Promotion
and sustenance of culture plays a pivotal role in the socialization process.
• As rural lifestyle modernizes, there is potential threat for the long held traditions and
tribal identity to be lost in these changing times
• These new ways are due to the positive interventions of the outsider agencies and
research oriented attitude of the local people.
• Erosion of cultural heritage and tradition of tribal people is a big loss for the country and
future generation will be deprived of their heritage, artifacts (an object produced or
shaped by human craft), history and knowledge.

URBAN SANITATION

Sanitation is defined as safe disposal of human excreta including its safe confinement treatment
disposal and associated hygiene practices. Sanitation is also depending on other elements like
environmental sanitation along with the management of drinking water supply.
Sanitation situation in most urban areas in India is a serious problem. It is negatively impacting
environmental health and quality of life.
Urban sanitation is a form of sanitation which focuses on maintaining sanitary conditions in
urban environments. Many people think specifically of the collection, treatment, and disposal of
human waste when they hear the words “urban sanitation,” but sanitation in urban environments
is a much more complex system. Sanitation is an especially pressing issue in slums, where
crowded conditions and poor sanitation contribute to frequent outbreaks of disease which
threaten the inhabitants of slums in addition to exposing other city residents to health risks.
Historically, urban communities gave little thought to sanitation, which turned into a major
problem in some areas. The edges of many urban streets were piled with garbage which could
include dead animals along with untreated human waste. Walking in urban streets was an
exercise in avoidance, as people freely threw garbage and human waste out into the street
without a care for those passing by, and disease was rampant as a result of waste materials on the
streets and in urban waterways. A growing understanding of hygiene combined with social
pressure from people tired of living in filth eventually led to the development or urban sanitation.

The purpose of urban sanitation is to reduce risks to human health by managing factors in the
urban environment which can contribute to health problems. One of the major factors is human
waste, which is generated in large volumes in urban areas. Sewers which collect such waste and
route it to central processing facilities are, therefore, a key aspect of urban sanitation. So are
facilities like public toilets, which discourage people from using the streets as a bathroom, along
with portable toilets for major events which are designed to provide attendees with a location to
safely eliminate waste.

Urban sanitation also involves the management of water supplies. A good sanitation service is
concerned with providing safe drinking water for citizens. This can include isolating wells to
prevent them from being contaminated, securing water supplies from outside the city, and
developing a safe network of pipes to deliver water to residents.

Sanitation departments must also concern themselves with garbage. Most urban areas have a
garbage collection service, allowing citizens to set out their garbage on a specific day for teams
of collectors who will gather it and deliver it to a processing facility. Recycling and composting
may be elements of municipal garbage collection, designed to reduce strain on the environment
and provide additional revenue for the garbage collection agency, which keeps costs to
consumers down.
At present access to sanitation services is markedly less than access to water supply (in both
urban and rural areas) and there is a need to focus attention on sanitation provision.

The proportion of people having access to sanitation services is considerably greater in urban
areas than in rural areas. The problems are exacerbated by the demographic change that is taking
place characterized by rural to urban drift. This drift which is rapid and uncontrolled has been
fuelled by rural populations’ desire for jobs.

The scale of the problem is illustrated by consideration of the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) and their associated targets for water supply and sanitation namely to:
. Halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water; and
. Halve the proportion of people without access to improved sanitation all by 2015.

Why is urban sanitation important?

The provision of adequate sanitation facilities in urban areas is an important investment which
safeguards people’s health and well being at both individual and societal levels, as well as
protecting the environment.

Important reasons for urban sanitation:

1. Health – For cities to remain healthy adequate sanitation is essential. The opportunity for
transmission of excreta related diseases is much greater in the densely populated areas which
characterize informal settlements.

2. Privacy and convenience – People value the privacy and convenience of being able to use
toilets either within or close to their homes.

3. Security – Women in particular value the sense of security brought about by using a toilet
within or close to their homes.

4. Livelihoods – Healthy people are less likely to be away from work though common excreta
related illness such as diarrhea thus ensuring less interruption to their means of livelihood.

5. Environment – People value living in a clean and healthy environment free from dirt and
squalor.

Constraints
1. No access to adequate service:
The urban poor are often un-skilled or semi-skilled and as a result even where they are successful
in finding jobs in urban areas these tend to be low-paying jobs. Consequently, many people
cannot afford reasonable quality housing and instead find themselves as tenants or occupiers in
informal settlements without access to adequate services.
2. Uncontrolled Growth
A consequence of this uncontrolled growth has been the inability of city and municipal
authorities to cope with the pressure of providing even the most basic of water and sanitation
services to informal settlements let alone adequate housing.
3. Informal settlements:
It contains high densities of predominantly poor people and conventional methods of excreta and
waste water disposal are neither affordable not appropriate. Improvement of sanitation facilities
and amenities can have a major impact on health as well as contributing to poverty alleviation.

4. Urban sanitation planning

A common problem with many of the efforts of urban government to improve sanitation is that
they are largely supply driven rather than being demand-led.
A broad planning framework is provided though the Household Centered Environmental
Sanitation (HCES) approach which puts the household at the focus of planning and
implementation (Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative council 2004) there are 10
steps:

Step 1: Request for assistance

The planning process should start in response to a request for assistance (which may be
facilitated by NGOs) from households and communities that will benefit from the services.

Step 2: Launch of the planning and consultative process Workshop on planning and consultative
process with stakeholders.

Step 3: Assessment of current status

A comprehensive participatory assessment of the current level of sanitation services in those
communities.

Step 4: Assessment of user priorities

The results of the status assessment are reported to the community though a participatory process
(i.e., meeting focus group discussions) at which representatives of relevant agencies are also
present.

Step 5: Identification of options

Preparation of a report identifying options, requirements and implications of the process. The
identification of the various options for sanitation services is undertaken. HCES must examine
the technical institutional financial and social feasibility of each option and assess other factors
such as its impact on the environment.

Step 6: Evaluation of feasible service combinations

Determine the preferred servicing options. Once the costs and implications of various options are
known at least approximately work can begin on determining which combinations are likely to
be feasible for the households and communities concerned.

Step 7: Consolidated sanitation plans for the study area

Prepare a consolidated plan for entire study area. The objective of this step is to develop a
programme that will cover the entire study area.

Step 8: Finalizing of consolidated sanitation plans

This can be facilitated though a stakeholder workshop.

Step9: Monitoring (internal) evaluation and feedback

Identify indictors to be used in development of a monitoring plan.

Step 10: Implementation

Develop a guideline for implementation because sanitation programmes undertaken are likely to
require adjustment and fine tuning during the implementation process especially if new
communities are added to the programme as work proceeds.
Household hygiene Practice
In addition to facilities for improved water supply and excreta disposal the promotion of
improved hygiene practices is essential if the potential health benefits are to be fully realized.
These include changing hygiene behaviors’ such as ensuring appropriate use and maintenance of
sanitation facilities hand washing with soap proper disposal of children’s clean water use and
storage and the control of flies and other insect vectors.

Sanitation itself is in crisis, it’s not only in India this is throughout the world. 2.6 billion people
worldwide - 40% of the world’s population - does not have a toilet. Yet, despite the fact that
5,000 children die every day from diarrheal diseases, there has been no political action on the
issue. The millennium development goals clearly stated the importance of water and sanitation
the fact is water and sanitation is the most neglected and most off-track of the UN millennium
development goals. Developing countries like India and few African countries the cost of not
investing in sanitation and water are huge - infant deaths, lost work days, and missed school.

What is the situation in India?

India stands second place amongst the worst places in the world for sanitation.

• Around 40 million people reside in slums, without adequate water and sanitation
• India will have 41% of its population living in cities and towns by 2030 i.e. over 575 million
people from present 286 million. But they can't have water and sanitation till we recognize their
existence.
The overall sanitation coverage in India in 2005-2006 is 44.6%. The rural sanitation is 26% and
urban sanitation is 84.6% only .however field studies shown that very low usage of latrines in
both rural and urban areas. 74% of people in rural India still don't have a toilet and in urban it is
16%7. There is a gradual change in sanitation coverage in India and the trend is increasing over
the past two decades. But if it will take place in the same pace it may take another 200 years to
get a toilet for every Indian.
The real situation may even worse than the above facts. Water and sanitation are basic amenities
and responsibility of the government.

Factors that are responsible for poor sanitation in India

Baseline Survey:
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for the city.
India is a unique country with different geographic and climatic conditions. This is the major
factor to impact any decision or policy implementation at central level.
India is urbanizing very fast and along with this, the slum population is also increasing. India's
urban population is increasing at a faster rate than its total population. With over 575 million
people, India will have 41% of its population living in cities and towns by 2030 AD from the
present level of 286 million and 28%. However, most of them are not having basic facilities like
drinking water and sanitation.
In view of the above situation Govt. of India had launched ‘The National sanitation policy’. The
Government of India, Ministry of Urban Development recently released the National Urban
Sanitation Policy It lays out a vision for urban sanitation in India. It instructs states to come up
with their own detailed state-level urban sanitation strategies and City Sanitation Plans. It moots
the idea of totally sanitized and open-defecation cities as a target and the setting up of a multi-
stakeholder City Sanitation Task Force to achieve this. Funding options are laid out including
direct central and state support including through existing schemes, public-private partnerships,
and external funding agencies. It directs that at least 20% of the funds should be earmarked
towards servicing the urban poor.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) enjoin upon the signatory nations to extend access
to improved sanitation to at least half the urban population by 2015, and 100% access by 2025.
The specific goals of the National Policy were---
• Awareness Generation and Behavior Change
• Open Defecation Free Cities
• Integrated City-Wide Sanitation

Key Sanitation Policy Issues--

In order to achieve the above Vision, following key policy issues must be addressed:
• Poor Awareness: Sanitation has been accorded low priority and there is poor awareness about
its inherent linkages with public health.
• Social and Occupational aspects of Sanitation: Despite the appropriate legal framework,
progress towards the elimination of manual scavenging has shown limited success, little or no
attention has been paid towards the occupational hazard faced by sanitation workers daily.
• Fragmented Institutional Roles and Responsibilities: There are considerable gaps and overlaps
in institutional roles and responsibilities at the national, state, and city levels.

* Lack of an Integrated City-wide Approach: Sanitation investments are currently planned in a

piece-meal manner and do not take into account the full cycle of safe confinement, treatment
and safe disposal.
• Limited Technology Choices: Technologies have been focused on limited options that have
not been cost-effective, and sustainability of investments has been in question.
• Reaching the UN-served and Poor: Urban poor communities as well other residents of
informal settlements have been constrained by lack of tenure, space or economic constraints, in
obtaining affordable access to safe sanitation. In this context, the issues of whether services to
the poor should be individualized and whether community services should be provided in non-
notified slums should be addressed. However provision of individual toilets should be
prioritized. In relation to "Pay and Use" toilets, the issue of subsidies inadvertently reaching the
non-poor should be addressed by identifying different categories of urban poor.
• Lack of Demand Responsiveness: Sanitation has been provided by public agencies in a
supply- driven manner, with little regard for demands and preferences of households as
customers of sanitation services.

The vision for Urban Sanitation in India is:

All Indian cities and towns become totally sanitized, healthy and livable and ensure and sustain
good public health and environmental outcomes for all their citizens with a special focus on
hygienic and affordable sanitation facilities for the urban poor and women.

Environmental and Health Considerations:

100 % of human excreta and liquid wastes from all sanitation facilities including toilets must be
disposed of safely. In order to achieve this goal, the following activities shall be undertaken:
a.) Promoting proper functioning of network-based sewerage systems and ensuring connections
of households to them wherever possible;
b.) Promoting recycle and reuse of treated waste water for non potable applications wherever
possible will be encouraged.
c.) Promoting proper disposal and treatment of sludge from on-site installations (septic tanks, pit
latrines, etc.);
d.) Ensuring that all the human wastes are collected safely confined and disposed of after
treatment so as not to cause any hazard to public health or the environment.

Integrated Low Cost Sanitation Scheme:

Ministry of Housing and Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) is administering a Centrally Sponsored
Scheme for Integrated Low Cost Sanitation (ILCS). Under this scheme, central subsidy to the
construction of new toilets for EWS households who have no toilets in urban areas

Urban Poor:
Every urban dweller should be provided with minimum levels of sanitation, irrespective of the
legal status of the land in which he/she is dwelling, possession of identity proof or status of
migration. However, the provision of basic services would not entitle the dweller to any legal
right to the land on which he/she is residing. At least 20% of the funds under the sanitation
sector should be earmarked for the urban poor.

City Sanitation Task Force:

including representatives from the civil society, colonies, slum areas, apartment buildings, etc,
Eminent persons and practitioners in civic affairs, health, urban poverty, shops and
establishments, institutions in the city (e.g. Cantonment Boards, Govt. of India or State Govt.
Enterprise campuses, etc.)NGOs working on water and sanitation, urban development and slums,
health and environment, unions of safai karamcharis, sewerage sanitary workers, recycling
agents / kabaris, etc private firms/contractors formally or informally working in the sanitation
sector (e.g. garbage collectors, septic tank de-sludging firms etc.) interested stakeholders.

The City Sanitation Task Force will be responsible for Launching the City 100% Sanitation
Campaign

Awards Scheme:

In order to rapidly promote sanitation in urban areas of the country (as provided for in the
National Urban Sanitation Policy and goals 2008), and to recognize excellent performance in this
area, the Government of India intends to institute an annual award scheme for cities. The Center
also plans to institute awards to the best performing cities, reminiscent of the ‘Nirmal Gram
Puraskar’ awards for villages.

The award is based on the premise that improved public health and environmental standards are
the two outcomes that cities must seek to ensure for urban citizens. In doing so, governments in
states and urban areas will need to plan and implement holistic city-wide sanitation plans,
thereby put in place processes that help reach outputs pertaining to safe collection, and disposal
(including conveyance, treatment, and/or re-use without adverse impacts on the environment in
and around the cities). It may be noted that the awards will not recognize mere inputs, hardware
or expenditure incurred in urban sanitation but assess how these lead to achievements of
intermediate milestones toward the final result of 100 % safe disposal of wastes from the city on
a sustainable basis. Cities will need to raise the awareness of city stakeholders (households,
establishments, industries, municipal functionaries, media, etc.) since improved sanitation can
ensure improved public health and environmental outcomes only if considerable changes in
behaviour and practice take place across the spectrum of society.

CONSUMER AWARENESS-
A consumer is the user of an article. One usually buys the article in order to be able to use it. The
act of purchase confers on the buyer the right to expect a certain Standard of quality from the
product the product may belong to either category goods or services. The consumer might
consciously want value for their money yet not be able to judge quality. In such cases they may
be duped. If consumers are dissatisfied with the performance of an item after its purchase they
have every right dissatisfied with the performance of an item after its purchase they have every
right to seek redressal of their grievances. This they can do at suitable forums specially created
for the purpose called consumer organizations. They can even move the courts.

The protection of the purchaser’s interests is termed consumerism. This is practiced by the
government though legislation. Committed persons in society may from consumer organizations
for this purpose.

Suppose you buy a matchbox in which every other matchstick fails to light on striking. Then
your right to expect the matches to conform to standards is not met. Though it may appear an
insignificant matter it is not in the purchaser’s interests.

The government and voluntary agencies have to involve the general public in the consumer
movement. This they do by informing the people about the quality that they can expect when
they buy any item. These agencies also keep a close watch on the market for sub-standard goods
and services.

DEFINITION-

By definition consumerism is an organized movement of concerned citizen and the government

to enhance the right and powers of buyers in relation to sellers.

The Rights Of Buyers And Sellers-

Buyers and Sellers are empowered with rights that govern their transactions. Traditionally the
balance was tilted in the sellers’ favor. Now due to greater consumer awareness equal if not more
power and rights exist within the buyer’s reach. A few of the traditional right of both sellers and
buyers are enumerated here.

The Traditional Sellers Right-

1.) The right to introduce any product in any size and style provided it is not hazardous to
personal health or safety or if it is to introduce it with proper warnings and controls.

2.) The right to price the product at any level provided there is no discrimination among similar
classes of buyers.

3.) The right to spend any amount to promote the product provided it is not defined as unfair
competition.
4.) The right to formulate any product message provided it is not misleading or dishonest in
content or execution.
5.) The right to introduce any buying incentive schemes they wish.

The traditional buyers’ right includes:

1. The right not to buy a product that is offered for sale.

2. The right to expect the product to be safe.

3. The right to expect the product to be what it claims to be.

4. The right to be adequately informed about the more important aspects of the product.

5. The right to influence products and marketing practices in directions that will enhance the
quality life.

6. The right to be protected against questionable products.

Comparing these rights, many believe that the balance of power lies on the sellers’ side. It is true
that the buyer can refuse to buy any product. But it is generally felt that the buyer is really
without sufficient information, education and protection to make wise decisions in the face of
hard-sell strategies.

Each of these proposed rights leads to a series of specific proposals by consumerists. The right to
be informed includes such things as the right to know the true interest cost of a loan (truth in
lending) the true cost per standard unit of competing brands (unit pricing) the basic ingredients in
a product (ingredients labeling) the nutritional quality of foods (nutrition labeling) the freshness
of products (open dating) and the true benefits of a product (truth in advertising).

The proposals related to additional consumer protection include:

* The strengthening of the position of consumers in cases of business

* The demand for more safety to be designed into products.

*The issuing of greater powers to existing government agencies.

The proposals relating to quality of life considerations include:

❖ Regulating the ingredients that go into certain products and packaging

❖ Reducing the level of advertising and promotional “noise”

❖ Creating consumer representation on company boards to introduce consumer welfare

considerations in business decision making.

Developed countries now insist on producing environment friendly products and bio-
degradability of ingredients. There is a campaign against the excessive use of plastic bags since
they are not bio-degradable. Even in India phosphate free detergents which do not pollute water
have entered the market.

In the West

In western countries consumerism emerged after they reached a level of affluence which is
characteristic of post-industrial society. There was adequate production and distribution of
essential as well as luxury products. In these circumstances the objectives of consumer were:

1. To seek more information about the merits of competing products and devices and
2. To represent the collective views of consumers in order to influence producers.

As a result of the consumer movement in the West greater awareness prevailed regarding the
claims made by producers’ about their products.

Besides consumers closely examined alternative goods and services. They sought accurate
information and assurances about new and sophisticated products.

Ralph Nadar was a pioneering consumer activist in the United States of America. He disciplined
many American companies into obeying government regulations.

INDIA

The reasons for the origin of consumerism in India are quite different. They are:
1. The shortage of essential commodities and inflation during early 1973-74, which gave a fillip
of the consumer movement. The consumers were confronted with shortages adulteration and
black market prices.

2. The lack of high standards in technology and advertising which prevents a range of alternative
products and claims from flooding the market. It has largely been a sellers market one of
shortages and high prices although there are exceptions.

3. Possession of lesser disposable finances and time when compared to consumers in the West.

The thrust of the consumer Movement in India has been on availability purity and pricing of
essential articles. Since the majority of consumers in India precariously balance income with
expenditure it is important to safeguard their interests.

CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS--

From time to time specific legislations have been formulated to ensure that consumers get their
due rights. A few of these are enumerated here.

Different Laws for Consumer Protection

The following are some of the laws that deal with consumer protection and consumer rights:

1) Protection of Consumers under the Code of Civil Procedures.1908.

2) The Sale of Goods Act, 1930.
3) The Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marketing) Act, 1937.
4) The Drugs & Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
5) The prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.
6) The Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
7) The Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955.
8) The Trade and Merchandise Marks Act1958.
9) The Export (Quality Control & Inspection) Act 1963.
10) Protection of Consumers under the Code of Criminal Procedure.1973.
11) The Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act. 1974.
12) The Standards of Weights & Measures Act, 1976.
13) The Prevention of Black Marketing & Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities
Act, 1980.
14) The Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
15) The Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986.
16) The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
17) Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
All the laws mentionerd above except the last one are applicable only in specific areas. One law
that provides protection to consumers under several circumstances is the Consumer Protection
Act, 1986. Let us study it in more detail.

Consumer Protection Act, 1986

The Consumer Protection Act overrides most of the legislations promulgated earlier, as it
empowers the consumer under many different circumstances. It applies to all goods and services,
unless they have been specifically exempted by the Central Government from the purview of the
act. Consumer disputes(allegations), defect(fault, quality, quantity, potency…),
deficiency(imperfection, fault, inadequacy…), ‘District Forum’ means a ‘Consumer Disputes
Redressal Forum’

Consumer Rights

The act confers the following rights on the consumer:

a) Right to be protected against the marketing of goods hazardous to life and property.
b) Right to be informed about the quality quantity potency purity standard and price of goods in
order to be protected against unfair trade practices.
c) The right to be heard and to be assured that the consumers’ interests will receive due
consideration at appropriate forums.
d) The right to be assured wherever possible access ton a variety of goods at competitive prices.
e) The right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices or unscrupulous exploitation of
consumers.
f) The right to consumer education.

The term unfair trade practice broadly refers to

❖ any misleading advertisement or false representation

❖ bargain sales

❖ bait and switch sales

❖ Offer of gifts or prizes without eventually honoring the promises.

 ❖ Unfair practices such as supplying goods that do not conform to prescribed
standards.

❖ Hoarding or even the destruction of goods.

❖ Refusal to sell goods or make them available for sale.

❖ Conduct of promotional contests which are subject to certain exemptions.

The Consumer Protection Act is the most comprehensive law to handle consumer grievances. It
covers various facets of consumer right and procedures.

Advertisement is powerful means of to influence the choice of customers, especially in the

competition between products brands.

The Code of Self-Regulation in Advertising, formulated by the Advertising Standards Council of

India in December 1983 was established.

According to the council, the objective of the code is:

-- To ensure the truthfulness and honesty of representations and claims by advt. and to safeguard
against misleading advts.

-- To ensure that advertisers observe fairness in competition so that the consumers right to be
informed on choices available in the market place

-- To safeguard against indiscriminate use of advertising for promotion of products those are
hazardous to society.

To ensure that advertisements do not offend generally accepted standards of public decency.

Role of Consumer Organizations

Some voluntary and govt. agencies supervise the implementation of consumer rights. These
consumer organizations as they are called work in the areas of:

--1. Consumer Education

--2. Product Rating

--3. Liaison with the government and producers

1. Consumers are provided with information about various goods and services. This may be
regarding prices, quality, standard trade practices, etc.

2. To help consumers choose from a range of products and report their findings. In the UK
magazines – ‘Handyman Which’, ‘Money Which’, publish these findings exclusively.

The Consumer Guidance Society of India too brings out a journal on similar lines

3. The task of consumer org is to present the consumer’s case to the government and to
producers. The consumer right activists approach the government to sort out problems of
consumers regarding the process of smooth distribution of essential commodities, form of
therefore consumer in these matters.

When industry makes a reasonable profit and grows the process turns out to be favorable to the
consumer too. It is only a growing and profitable business that can undertake steps necessary to
meet the aspirations of its consumers. Factors like quality, production, distribution and
investment in R &D become secondary to survival for any unprofitable business. This cannot
benefit the customer in any way.

Consumer movements should take care not to become puppets at the hands of politically
motivated pressure groups which wish to embarrass industry or the ruling party. The inspiration
and agenda of consumer organizations must be consumers’ interests first and last furthermore
qualified personnel are required at the helm of any consumer movement, co-operation form
industry and the Government.

In the above activity you might have mentioned having watching a public service television
advertisement on health subjects from where you probably got you information, or heard
grandmother tell you of this remedy. So we have seen how important it is for us to be aware and
to have information at our fingertips. Let us see how a consumer benefited by keeping in touch
with the media.

The phenomenal increase in consumption of goods and services in urban centers’ has created a
demand for information about them, a demand which media can and must meet. They must
identify and fulfill the information needs of the public especially of the disadvantaged sections of
society. Media can nurture an informed view only when they equip their audience with the right
kind of information. An informed public opinion in itself could help resolve consumer woes.
Media exposure inculcates in consumers a sense of awareness about their rights. Also the role of
the media is emphatically brought out when aggrieved customers turn to media programmes and
columns to seek advice compensation and justice. Thus, the media are a platform for interaction
between consumers and producers.

The media need to provide tips on access quality pricing etc and be a reference point for accurate
information.

In their coverage of consumer issue the media can explore general trends in acquisition and also
its exhibition in society. They can initiate a dialogue on consumerism and even suggests practical
economic purchases.

Advertisers tend to make exaggerated claims just to promote their products. The media could
investigate these claims for their authenticity and then make the findings public. The media
could conduct consumer research surveys to investigate purchaser needs and opinions this could
be done in coordination with consumer organizations. Besides the media coverage of consumer
protection groups and consumer activists could enthuse the public enough to form local
consumer organizations for their own benefit.

Complementary to Consumer Organizations

The media should play a complementary role to consumer organizations in consumer education
comparative testing ranking and evaluation of consumer products and in maintaining a liaison
with both the government and producers.

Investigative Reporting for Consumer Problems

The media could be used for investigative reporting of perceived and unperceived consumer
problems. This could lead to consumer complaints in the media ultimately resulting in
investigation both buy the government and consumer groups. Let us illustrate this with an
example.

The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) in Malaysia came into being in 1969 as a result of
public dissatisfaction with the poor quality of products. The CAP is rated as one of the most
effective consumer org. in the Third World its staff visit villages regularly to disseminate vital
information among the rural poor. This helps to educate them about good and bad quality goods
and services.
The staff of CAP invite journalists to highlight the villagers problems when such an article is
published it prompts the municipal corporation to take action. Much of what is being done at the
CAP is reported faithfully in its monthly news-letter. It features down to earth issue such as
dangerous decorative lamps, adulterated curry powder, the scandal of sweetened condensed milk,
social security schemes cheating workers, Cliquinol- antidiarrhoea drugs causing nerve diseases
etc. All this goes to show that the pen is indeed mightier than the sword.
 SLUM DEVELOPMENT
A slum has been defined as a compact area of at least 300 populations or about 60-70 households
of poorly built congested tenements, in unhygienic environment usually with inadequate
infrastructure and lacking in proper sanitary and dunking water facilities from the 2001 census.
A slum is only based on the social, economic level of the population that lives in an area. The
lack of infrastructure is caused by the informal nature of settlement and no planning for the poor
by government officials.

Slums are a fall out of excessive urbanization. Housing people in the city has been a bottleneck
over the years. A slum is a district of a city or town which is usually inhabited by the very poor
or socially disadvantaged. Slums can be found in most large cities around the world. A person
who lives in a slum is unable to move away because of their economic status.
Slums are usually characterized by urban plight and by high rates of poverty and unemployment.
A slum is not based on the race, ethics or religion of the people in the area.

They tend to be breeding centers for many social problems such as crime, drug addiction,
alcoholism, and prostitution, high rates of mental illness, suicide and despair. The characteristics
of a slum include: crime, unemployment, suicide rate, low level education, low level income and
low quality housing.

In many poor countries they exhibit high rates of disease due to unsanitary conditions,
malnutrition and lack of basic health care.

Additionally, informal settlements often face the brunt of natural and manmade disasters such as
landslides as well as earthquakes and tropical storms.

Many slum dwellers employ themselves in the informal economy. This can include street
vending, drug dealing, domestic work and prostitution.

Recent years have seen a dramatic growth in the number of slums as urban populations have
increased in the Third World. In many countries the rural peasants have moved to large cities,
chasing low wage factory employment after having been deprived of pre colonial traditional
property rights that often vested in the community rather than the individual.

Many governments around the world have attempted to solve the problems of slums by clearing
away old dilapidated housing and replacing it with modern housing with much better sanitation.

Critics argue that slum clearances tend to ignore the social problems that cause slums and simply
redistribute poverty to less valuable real estate. Where communities have been moved out of
slum areas to newer housing, social cohesion may be lost.
HILL AREA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
This programme is exclusively implemented in the Special Village Panchayats situated in
Nilgiris District.
During the year 1999-2000, 12 works relating to roads, drains, water supply have been proposed
for Rs.27.00 lakhs and all the works have been completed.
SWARNA JAYANTI SAHARI ROZGAR YOJANA
This scheme has been introduced in Special Village Panchayats in 1998-99 for the first time. As
part of it urban wage employment scheme has been introduced in all Special Village Panchayats
to improve basic civic amenities. In 1999-2000 sum of Rs.31.63 Crores has been released to-
provide employment to those who are below poverty line in urban areas. 4271 basic amenities
works have been taken up of which 4184 have been completed and 87 works are in progress.
Under this scheme for self employment programme with loan assistance bank a sum of Rs.6.65
Crores has been released as a loan subsidy to all the Special Village Panchayats. Out of which a
sum of Rs.15.34 lakhs has been spent as a loan subsidy.
SHELTER UPGRADATION
The government in Municipal Administration and W supply Department in their order no. (D)
140. Dt.31.3.99 have sanctioned a sum of Rs. 2.46 Crores for the shelter up- gradation of the
beneficiaries identified, under below poverty line of which a beneficiary is eligible for 25% of
estimated cost with a ceiling limit of Rs.2500/-. So far a sum of Rs.65000/- has been released to
26 beneficiaries in Kanyakumari District.
BALIKA SAMMURTHI YOJANA
The government in Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department in their order No.
(R) 18. Dt.10.9.98 have ordered for the payment of Rs. 500/- to the women living in the below
poverty line. Who gave birth to female child on or after 1.10.98 for post natal Medical expenses
and for educational aid to the girl student would be provided. A sum of Rs.28.00 lakhs a! Out of
which a sum of Rs. 9.00 lakhs was released.
TEMPLE/PILGRIM CENTRES DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES:
Schemes have been taken up to improve basic amenities for the pilgrim/Tourist Centres where
people congregate in large numbers at a cost of Rs. 10.02 Crores have been allotted under
Devolution of funds 585 works have been completed. Expenditure incurred is Rs.6.27 crores
including General Funds of Special Village Panchayats.

CEMENT CONCRETING OF SMALL LANE:

After considering the bad conditions of Street and lanes in 603 Special Village Panchayats,
cement Concreting of small lanes is taken up and all the 2329 works taken up and completed
with a Government grant of Rs.15.00 Crores and along in the Special Village Panchayats
contribution. The total allotments =Rs.18.58 Crores. Total length of Cement Concrete Roads is
199.547 Km.
WEEKLY AND DAILY SHANDY DEVELOPMENT IN SPECIAL VILLAGE
PANCHAYATS:
After considering the bad conditions of Weekly and Daily Shandes in Special Village
Panchayats, to provide basic amenities in Weekly and Daily Shandes in 180 Special Village
Panchayats 277 works are taken up at cost of Rs.2.00 Crores. So far 268 works have been
completed as on 28.2.2000. The remaining works will be completed soon.
TREE PLANTING:
A target has been fixed during July1999 to all Special Village Panchayats to plant atleast 500
tree plants to be planted in every Special Village Panchayats. During this year (i.e.) 1999-2000,
approx 1.25 lakhs tree plats have been planted in Special Village Panchayats which includes fruit
bearing trees also. These plants are well maintained by the Special Village Panchayats.
PARKS:
Instructions have been issued to all Special Village Panchayats where sufficient place and water
resources available to provide Perks for utilization of Public of all age groups to have fresh air.
In Temple and Tourism Special Village Panchayats like Kanyakumari, Mamallapuram and
Tiruthani Parks have been provided for the use of public. In these Parks, some of the statues have
also been erected displaying the ancient Tamil life and history which are useful to know the
history of our Tamil culture.
FINANCE:
The major items in the budget of the Special Village Panchayats for the year 2000-2001
compared with earlier years in terms of revenue receipts, expenditure are provided regularly.
PRESENT POSITION:
Slums are a fall out of excessive urbanization. Housing people in the city has been a bottleneck
over the years.
• 25% to 50% of the urban population in India’s largest cities lives in makeshift (temporary)
shelters and slums.
‘Atleast 15% of nations families are deprived of houses. 60% of the houses have inadequate
lighting and air facilities.
• Government, industrialists, capitalists, entrepreneurs, developers, contractors and landlords
have been unable to keep pace with the housing needs of the poor and lower middle class.
• Millions of people are required to pay excessive rent, which is beyond their means.
* Profit oriented economy, private developers and colonizers find little profit in building houses
in the cities for the poor and the lower middle class people: instead they consider gainful in
meeting the needs of the rich and the upper middle class, thereby, resulting higher rents.
*Almost half of the population is either ill-housed or pay more than 20% of their income on rent.
*Almost 70% of Delhi’s population lives in sub-standard conditions.
The slum population of India is 42.6 million, as of 2001. This constitutes 15 per cent of the total
urban population of the country.
(Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation with 6.5 million slum dwellers has highest slum
population among all the followed by Delhi Municipal Corporation (1.9 million), Kolkata (1.5
million and Chennai (0.8 million).
SLUM DWELLERS FROM:

● Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation 6.5 million

● Delhi Municipal Corporation 9 million

● Kolkata 1.5 million

● Chennai—O.8 million

GOVERNMENT EFFORTS
In some states, the housing boards and the city development authorities have tried to solve the
city housing problems with active financial support from LIC, HUDCO, (Housing and Urban
Development Corporation Ltd.) and other agencies. However, the evil nexus of the engineers and
contractors / builders) has spoiled the efforts and they profit a lot from these initiatives.
Slums in Bangalore -A case study
A survey Conducted in 1992 revealed some eye-opening facts as given below
• Total of 464 slums with total population of 8.51lakh.
•Only 10% of the slum population has facilities for sewage and disposal.
• 55% of slum habitats live in Below Poverty Line with a monthly income of less than Rs.
1000/-.
• The average of marriage is 18.3 years, as compared to 20.3 years for urban areas of Karnataka
• Infant mortality rate is 77.8 per thousand, as corn pared to 42 per thousand
• Birth rate is 32.5 against 23.1 for urban Karnataka as a whole.
• Only 10% of children between the age of 1-2are immunized.
• Incidence of disease is high among children.
• On an average a slum household spends 5% of its income on medicine and treatment.
Solution & Communication Strategy
Short term-
• People living in the slums should be made aware of the ill-effects of unhygienic living and in
infected cases prescriptions should be given.
• Techniques’ of’ development support communication (DSC) should be applied to communicate
to the people living in the slums.
• The idea of relocating slums can he pressed upon.
• ‘slum developmental schemes should be implemented in letter and spirit.
• Low cost, innovative housing projects should be launched and implemented.
Long Term:
• Through media awareness should be created against the evils of mindless migration to urban
areas
• The planners/policy makers should be made to realize the importance of Populist Paradigm in
developing Countries.

NATIONAL SLUM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (NSDP)

National Slum Development Programme (NSDP) was introduced in the Eight Five Year Plan
during 1996-97 with the specific objective of providing basic amenities to slum dwellers in the
field of physical & social amenities, community infrastructure etc.. NSDP is a centrally
sponsored scheme meant for the improvement of slums: This scheme has been in implementation
in all Special Village Panchayats.
It is proposed to provide basic amenities such as drinking water supply, street light, road, drains,
culvert and toilets etc. by choosing one slum area in each Special Village Panchayats, for which
a sum of Rs.2. 9 lakhs has been allocated per Town Panchayat at a total cost of Rs.13.42 Crores.
Under this scheme 2686 works have been taken up, out of which 2579 works have been
completed up to the month of February 2000. Remaining works are in progress. National Slum
Development Programme (NSDP) was introduced in the Eight Five Year Plan during 1996-97
with the specific objective of providing basic amenities to slum dwellers in the field of physical
& social amenities, community infrastructure etc.. NSDP is a centrally sponsored scheme meant
for the improvement of slums:

The components of this scheme would include:

● Provision of physical amenities like water supply, storm water drains, community baths,
widening and paving of existing taxes, sewers, community latrines, street lights etc.
● Community infrastructure: Provision of community centers’ to be used for preschool
education, non formal education, adult education, recreational activities etc.
● Community primary health care centre buildings can be provided (It is proposed that
after creation of infrastructure facilities the concerned Municipalities will seek the
support of Registered Medical Practitioners/Government Doctors in the State/NGOs)
CBO/Philanthropic Associations to man these centers’.
● Social amenities like preschool education, non-formal education, adult education,
maternity, child health and primary health care including etc.
 ● The scheme will attempt to bring about convergence between schemes being
implemented by different line departments and may also provide missing links, if
required.
● Provision for shelter: The Scheme must have a component of shelter up-gradation or
construction of houses (incl. EWS) as may be regd. This is a necessity if genuine slum
improvement is to be done. Not less than 10% of the allocation to States under this
assistance shall be utilized for construction and up gradation of houses for the urban poor.
● States may work out state specific schemes for housing construction/up gradation under
this component subject to the provision that the scheme shall not be an entirely subsidy
based scheme but the funding shall contain a loan component as well, the state scheme
shall be first got sanctioned in a state level project committee which shall be set up for
this purpose by the state govt. concerned and which shall have one representative from
the department of UEPA, which is the nodal Department for this scheme in the GOI.

Yearly provision under this scheme shall be indicated by the Planning Commission at the
beginning of each financial year. Inter re allocation between states shall be made on the basis of
the slum populations of the states.

The scheme shall be implemented at the grass root level by the neighborhood committees and
community development societies.

The urban local body shall report progress under this scheme periodically to the
DUDA/SUDA. At the state level, the programme is regularly monitored by the Manipur Urban
Dev. Agency (MUDA) which issues necessary guidance as well as instructions to the ULBs.

CONSERVATION OF TRIBAL CULTURE&TRADITION

India’s social culture is a unique blend religious, cultures and racial groups. Historically, India
has been a hospitable land to numerous immigrants and invaders from distant parts of Asia and
Europe. The cultural patterns of these alien settlers have over past many centuries, been
interwoven with the native culture to produce India’s glorious past.
Culture reflects languages, the values, the tradition, and the meanings that are acquired from the
society. Culture is a very complex term since it includes knowledge, beliefs, art, moral, law,
customs, and any other capabilities and habit acquired by man as a member of society.
Culture provides basis for social change.
The tribal people have rich traditions, cultures and heritage with unique life styles and customs.
Till date, it is not being preserved. There is no authentic documentation of the traditional tribal
lives, history and cultural heritage in India. At present there is no centre of excellence or one stop
information centre which holistically deals with the tribal folklores, customs and traditions and
its application for promoting indigenous development.
As tribal lifestyle modernizes, there is potential threat for the long held traditions and tribal
identity to be lost in these changing times. The younger generations among the tribes are drifting
towards modernization and effort should be made to reinforce the tradition and cultural heritage
of the tribes. Traditional values should not be lost in the maddening rush of modernization.
At present, there is no common place or institutional facilities in towns and cities for get
together and conducting social and cultural events for the tribal people. As we step forward into
the first century, there is a need to preserve and promote these traditions before they are lost.
There are so many noble, cultural, social, and environmental and health practices among the
tribes. They have rich cultural traditions transmitted orally. For instance, the culture of
preserving forest in SARNA (Sacred Grove) is still in practice, which has greater environmental
value. Similarly, many herbal and traditional health practices have greater scientific relevance in
modern time.
Erosion of cultural heritage and tradition of tribal people is a big loss for the country and future
generation will be deprived of their heritage, artifacts, history and knowledge. We are now living
in the era of knowledge and research based economy and society. Preserving indigenous wisdom
and wealth of traditional knowledge is well recognized resource. There are many myths and
misconceptions about tribes among non-tribes due to lack of understanding of the tribal heritage.
Conservation of traditions and values of the tribes will promote greater understanding among
non-tribes.
Currently, tribal development is a key agenda for government, bilateral, multilateral and non-
governmental agencies. Culture centered approach to development is a new and emerging area of
interest and intervention. In the context of 11th Five Year Plan and new development practices
linking tribal development, a cultural and heritage centers will be of use to all the players and
actors interested in culture centric tribal development.
Culture-------------🡪Human Values----------🡪Human Behavior--------------🡪
🡨-----------Culture🡨---------------Human Values🡨---------Human Behavior🡨
(Certain new traits) (Reinforced or modified) (After interaction/with
Values)

VISION OF THE TRIBAL CULTURAL AND HERITAGE CENTRES:---

Promote the culture and rich heritage of tribal people for human enrichment/development of the
present and future generations. Mission of the tribal cultural and heritage centre is to use the
tribal culture and traditional knowledge and wisdom for improving the quality of life and finding
solutions to human problems. The Scheduled Tribe population accounts for 8.6% of the total
population in the country. The Constitution of India does not define Scheduled Tribes as such.
Article 366(25) refers to scheduled tribes as those communities who are scheduled in accordance
with Article 342 of the Constitution.
According to Article 342 of the Constitution, the Scheduled Tribes are the tribes or tribal
communities or part of or groups within these tribes and tribal communities which have been
declared as such by the President through a public notification. As per the 1991 Census, the
Scheduled Tribes account for 67.76 million representing 8.08 percent of the country’s
population. Scheduled Tribes are spread across the country mainly in forest and hilly regions.
The modern conservation approaches also advocate exclusion rather than integration. It is only
recently that forest management regimes have in their policy processes realized that integration
of tribal communities who depend primarily on the forest resource cannot but be integrated in
their designed management processes. It underlines that forests have the best chance to survive if
communities participate in its conservation and regeneration measures. Insecurity of tenure and
fear of eviction from these lands where they have lived and thrived for generations are perhaps
the biggest reasons why tribal communities feel emotionally as well as physically alienated from
forests and forest lands. This historical injustice needs correction before it is too late to save our
forests from becoming the abode of undesirable elements.

TRADITIONAL FACTORS OF CULTURAL CHANGE

Hinduization:
The tribal in India have been influenced by some traditions of the communities around them. The
major neighboring community in all the area has always been Hindu. As a result from the very
early period there has been several point of contact between the Hindu of one area and the tribal
of living within this area. The nature and the contact pattern of mutual participation and the
characterization of revitalization movement have been different in different part of India.
Our ethnographic record establishes that the contact varied from semi isolation to complete
assimilation. The numerous castes among the Hindu has emerged out of the tribal stratum, the
recent studies of the ethnographers specially of the tribals of Himalayan, western and middle
India has left the least doubt to establish that some of the tribals are hinduized to the extent that
they have been assimilated with the different caste at different Level.

Christianity: Christianity has been an important factor of cultural changes among the tribals since
the British rule. The first impact of propselytization in the tribal areas was felt by the Khasis of
Assam in1813. The Oraons of Jharkhand in 1850 and the Bhils of chattisgarh in 1880.
Impact of Urbanization and Industrialization on Tribal Culture
The modern process of urbanization and industrialization has literally brought revolutionary
change in some parts of tribal India. During last 60 years and specially during the plan periods,
the pace of mining and manufacturing industries as well as the exploitation of power And forest
resources have been greatly accelerated in the hilly and forested belt of tribal areas this release of
pull pressure during the last three decades (1941-71) in the hitherto neglected tribals belts get
reflected in the growth of the largest percentage of urban population in the states of Assam,
Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh. Along with the growth of urban population in the
predominantly tribal states, the number of town ad cities in the hill areas of middle India has also
been on the increase especially after the second global war, and the whole belt seems to be
spotted with numerous industrial powers —producing, mining manufacturing complexes.
The pattern of changes caused by various processes and factors may be looked at from several
angels. When one idealized the tradition Adivasi Culture he identifies the genius of the tribals’
style of life with simplicity, self reliance, cooperation distinctiveness optimism. When one can
notes that these values of tribal culture are being first replaced by complexity, heterogeneity
competition, industrialization, conflict, frustration, and one can feel ethically disturb and term
this pattern of changes negatively as ‘detribalization’.
There are many ways to conserve tribal culture & traditions.

(i) Allocate funds to better civic facilities

(ii) Provide better health facilities
(iii) Provide services to tribal elders.
(iv) Teaching tribal children about traditional culture.
(v) Provide recreation centers.
(vi) Provide monetary facilities to hold and practice their culture
(vii) Encourage tribal people to participate in different levels of cultural events. And
exhibit their talents.
(viii) Conservation attempts to understand and predict important trends in culture and
society.

Traditional society failed to imaginatively identify with the new role of changing and failing to
imagine themselves in a position of the better counterparts of developed nations. This happens
due to lack of exposure to mass media.

In India modernization has to take place along with the retention of tradition.
 WILDIIFE CONSERVATION & FOREST CONSERVATION (tribal
development)

The tribal population is found in almost all parts of the world. In India tribals are called
‘adivasis’ implying original inhabitants. However, under the constitution on India, people
belonging to various tribes have been specified as scheduled tribes”.
Different names: they are called differently in different parts of the globe as given below:
The USA—Red Indians,
Australia--- Aborigines
European countries—Gypsies
African & Asia –Tribals
Contribution: the history of India has been influenced by its tribal people from the Vedic to
British.
Victory of Ram—Banar Tribe
Victory of Rana Pratap in Haldighati—Bhil Tribe
Different types of tribes found in India ---Bhil, Naga, Khondas , Kolas, Santhals, Minas,
Mundas, Gonda.
Tribals and the forest
Tribal are notable for their adaptation to the physical environment; they have a symbiotic relation
with the natural setting. They used to worship forest which was their dwelling place. They
collected firewood, tendu leaves, oil seeds, gum, bamboo, grasses timber. In a way they were the
unofficial protectors of the forest and the wild life.
First National Policy of Forest
The first national policy of forest was formulated in 1894. It introduced state control over forest
in public interest. This resulted---
*In the curtailment of right and privilege of the tribals over the forest resources.
*Cleaning of forest without their degeneration though plantation program, among others.
From Masters to Subjects
New forest policy was adapted from time to time. However the tribal who considered themselves
masters of the forest became their subjects. They were placed under the control of the forest
department. The traditional right of the tribals was reduced to mere concessions on
Conservation of Forest.
The issue of Tribal Rights: As a nation we need to understand that hunger and shelter and thus
the livelihood of the Tribal people need not be left entirely on the forests, for that the aspirations
of modern day tribal are no different from others. Forests as a resource base should primarily be
managed as a repository of bio-diversity and a source of water. We have a bare minimum area
under forests to meet the needs of the society for water and agriculture stability for a big
population.
The solution of the problem lies in not only granting land rights but also having a concrete action
plan for development of forest, regions in order to reduce the dependency of people on forests.
The 23% landmass under the legal definition of forests should be made productive enough to
generate resources, goods and services for the people. Equally important is to identify areas from
the point of view of bio-diversity so that the rest be made productive through public-private
partnership. There is a great challenge as well as opportunity before the foresters, administrators
and political masters to ponder over the future management regimes of our forests. The forest-
tribal conflict should be turned into an opportunity to venture into this.
Almost all the poachers and timber mafias use local tribal youth to kill the wild animals and cut
down valuable trees and pay them a pittance for the job done and in the process plundering the
Forests wealth and the wildlife heritage of the country. The net result is shrinking forests and
increasing dependency on forests leading to a vicious circle. Had it not been for the Joint Forest
Management (JFM) program, the condition of the forests and the tribal would have been much
worse. The real solution of tribal problem is to have a planned vision for the all round
development of tribal villages through land based settlement process and honing up their skills of
indigenous knowledge, providing them better health and education facilities etc. The objective
should be to assimilate them in the mainstream society yet preserving their culture.
This is a tall order to achieve yet it is a doable proposition if determined efforts are made and all
resources are pooled up. This will require that the issue of tribal rights be settled once and for all
in a time bound manner. The cause of tribal rights suffered because the States included the
ineligible post 1980 encroachers in the lists. The present Act of 2006 has been proposed to
overcome this hindrance and grant the forest rights. However, not much thought has been given
to gauge the impact of the proposals on long term interests of the tribal and the country. A lasting
solution to overcome the piquant situation should be found and the impasse should end soon.
Exploitation of forest and wild life Jhum cultivation (shifting cultivation) causes deterioration
and loss of soil. It is a wasteful activity from ecology, forest and health points of view. The
problem needs serious attention. Forest village: there are about 5000 forest villages in the
country which have not received the benefits of development programmes. Their Inhabitants are
employed as forest labors by the forest department either directly or through the contractor at
rates which are much less than the wages.
They have not been rights over the forest lands which have been under their occupation for a
long time. They are generally denied fair price for minor forest produce.
Smuggling:
Being deprived of their traditional rights the tribals became partners in the loot of forests and
killing and smuggling of rare wild life. They acted as local agents of the smugglers making the
situation worse.
WILDIIFE CONSERVATION

The regulation of wild animals and plants in such a way as to provide the continuance and efforts
are aimed at preventing the depletion of present populations and ensuring the continued
existence of the habitats targeted species need to survive. Techniques involve establishment of
sanctuaries and controls on hunting use of land import of exotic species pollution and use of
pesticides.

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION PROGRAM

The Wildlife Conservation Programme aims to gain support and develop the skills and networks
of budding generations of young conservation professionals. This can be achieved by the virtue
of a comprehensive system of advice training and financial awards.

SOME WAYS TO CONSERVE WILDLIFE

Many zoos are helping conserve wildlife by managing captive breeding programmes. These are
programmes that help boost numbers of endangered animals and often these animals can then be
released back to the wild.

To conduct field research and to use scientific data to design, implement, evaluate and adapt site
based conservation strategies.

The Wildlife conservation organizations primarily focus on:

-Collaborate with local people on innovative solutions that improve their lives while protecting
wildlife.

-Help communities implement local conservation solutions.

-Undertake work others consider too difficult or too risky.

-Maximize the value of every dollar invested in conservation.

-One person with passion and a vision can make a profound difference.

Communication strategy
1. Pro-active Communication: Communication and bringing to the notice of the authority of the
village which are not getting the developmental work.
2. Remedial communication which exposes corruption negligence and nexus between contractors
and forest authorities.
3. Awareness on govt. programmes.- it is important to spread awareness on the different policies,
programme, and facilities among the tribal.
4. Overall Education: communication should be directed to make the tribals realize the benefit of
education.
5. Participatory, Decentralized, Democratic management of forest: - this needs to be stressed
6. Formation of Forest Protection committee.
7. Communication for Sustainable Development. — all possible communications should be
made to disseminate the ideas of sustainable development
 JOINT FOREST MANAGEMENT

Recent years have seen a number of changes in the management of forests. There is a major shift
towards a more decentralized and people oriented forestry. Responding to scarcities, villagers
have started organizing themselves to reverse degradation and restore productivity. The result
has been a renewal of degraded ecosystems. The destruction of natural forests for timber,
cropland, fuel wood, pasture, urbanization have had an impact on many poor rural families who
are dependent on forest resources for fuel, fodder, food, medicine, housing etc. The deterioration
of forests has accelerated soil erosion, sedimentation of rivers, increased flooding, and overtaxed
the land’s capacity to regenerate and sustain. It is now being recognized that local communities
need to be involved in establishing sustainable forest management systems. Governments are
opening a number of opportunities for sustainable forest management and biodiversity
conservation by decentralizing authority and responsibility for resource management in different
parts of the world.

In the Asia-Pacific, attention is to community-based forest management programs and the

devolution of management responsibilities on some forestry activities to local government units
in the

Philippines, land and forest allocation programs in China, Laos, Vietnam, transfer of use rights to
forest user groups in Nepal, Joint

Forest Management programs in India, and privatization of forest plantations in New Zealand.
Similar processes are underway in other parts of the world.

The various initiatives have led to greater access and control of forest resources by local people,
in turn resulting in improvement in forest protection and management and reducing pressure on
resources.
Substantial areas of degraded forests have been rehabilitated and new forests planted. Local
people have started supporting forest conservation where they have been able to reap financial
returns from benefit-sharing schemes

Joint Forest Management in India

In India Joint Forest Management (JFM) has emerged as an important intervention in

management of forest resources. In many parts of India, small village groups have started to
protect and reclaim degraded forestlands through collective action. The Joint Forest Management
Programme seeks to develop partnerships between local community institutions and state forest
departments for sustainable management and joint benefit sharing of public forest lands. The
primary objective of JFM is to ensure sustainable use of forests to meet local needs equitably
while ensuring environmental sustainability. The central premise is that local women and men
who are dependent on forests have the greatest stake in sustainable forest management.

The official ground for JFM was prepared by the National Forest Policy of 1988 which
envisaged people’s involvement, particularly of women, in meeting their basic forest related
needs and in managing their local resources. This was followed in 1990 by a circular from
Ministry of Environment and Forests providing guidelines for involvement of Village
Communities and Voluntary agencies in regeneration of degraded forests.

The National Forest Policy of 1988 and the JFM resolution of 1990 combined with state level
resolutions acknowledged the need to give greater rights and authority to community groups. The
policy envisages a process of joint management of forests by the state government and the local
people, who would share the responsibility for managing the resource and the benefits accruing
from this.

Under Joint Forest management (JFM) village communities are entrusted with the protection and
management of nearby forests.

These communities are required to organize forest protection committees, village forest
committees, village forest conservation and development societies. The guidelines provide for
rights to usufruct and non-wood forest products and percentage share of final harvest to
organized communities willing to help regenerate depleted forest and waste lands. Around 19
states have issued enabling orders for implementation of JFM.

A project has been drawn up by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to conserve degraded
forests. Known as the National Forest Programme- India (NFP), it evolves programmes in
accordance with the provisions of the National forest policy and integrates the proposed forestry
development programmes in the country within the framework of the five-year plans. The
Ministry has formulated a comprehensive plan for the next 20 years by integrating proposals of
the respective states. It is a comprehensive prospective work programme to bring 33 % area
under forest/tree cover in a phased manner within 2020 A.D. The scheme involves assisting the
states to set up forest protection forces as well as to assist the JFM cell and involve people in
eco-generation activities. The Centre has also stressed the need to reduce incidence in forest fires
and increase the forest base in India.

There are many cases of communities protecting natural forests either on their own initiative or
with the encouragement of forest department. Communities in many parts of rural India are
organizing into formal and informal groups for forest protection and management in states of
Orissa and Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. While
some are promoted by state forest departments, some are sponsored by local government or
NGO programmes eg.village (gram) panchayats, women’s organizations (mahila mandals) and
tree grower’s cooperatives. Forest protection organizations include Groups of Village Elders,
Village Forest Protection Committees, Village Councils’, Village Youth Clubs, in Orissa, Forest
Cooperative Societies in Kangra district of HP, Van Panchayats in UP hills, Forest Protection
Committees in West Bengal.

When villagers dependent of forests, have initiated forest protection on their own, the challenge
for forest departments is of facilitating the process which implies adapting the official JFM
frameworks to enable forest departments to participate in villager’s initiatives. For

JFM to represent participatory forest management emphasis on regenerating timber through

community protection needs to be shifted to developing sustainable alternatives for meeting
diverse forest produce needs of members of community institutions. Mechanisms need to be
evolved for meeting immediate essential needs of the most dependent members through
appropriate forest management interventions

Impact

There are indicators of the positive impact of JFM across the country. In many states forests
under JFM are regenerating. Remote sensing data are showing an improvement in quality and
area of forests.

Studies in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal have recorded
improvements in productivity and diversity of vegetation and increased income to members of
community institutions from non timber forest products. Experiences from West Bengal,
Haryana, Orissa, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir
and Tamil Nadu indicates that participatory forest management offers an important survival
strategy for threatened Indian forests. However, for JFM to be successful, an essential condition
is to convince people at the micro planning stage itself about the benefits likely to accrue to
them. The villagers around a particular forest block need to be consulted for their views and
consent.

Given in the following pages are glimpses of some initiatives taken in different states across the
country. While some are promoted by the Forest Department or by NGOs, some are
collaborative attempts between government and the rural population or rural population alone to
reverse degradation, restore productivity and conserve biodiversity and move towards
sustainable development.
 FOREST BASED COTTAGE INDUSTRIES
The small sector consists of small scale Industries, which are divided into three categories—
(A) Cottage Industries ---These are generally associated with agriculture and part-time, whole
time occupation in rural and semi-urban areas.
(B) Agro-based industries –These are based on the processing of agricultural produce or they
cater to the input needs of agriculturist. Rural agro-based industries are generally organized
either on a cottage or small scale industry. These can also be organized in large cities, semi-
urban areas.
(C) Small scale industry--- *Modern Small Scale manufacturing enterprises.
(‘Modern techniques to produce modern products’. Location & market located in large towns.
Involved in export. Advantage of economies scale) ---
*Intermediate group of small enterprises. (Use more or less traditional techniques to produce
more or less modern products. Machine production is substituted by labor intensive, non-
mechanized (capital saving) techniques. Raw material and finished market are around towns.)

We can distinguish between cottage industry and other types on the basis of their links with the
rest of the system. These links are of technical or input/ output, economic kind. Cottage
industries are generally not technically and economically connected with large scale sector.
Cottage industry involves utilization of locally available resources, human skills.

Forests have played a very significant role to sustain human life on earth from the very
beginning. Even today man depends on forest produce, especially wood and bamboo, for variety
of purposes. However with the increase in population and consequent increase in demand of
wood and resultant indiscriminate felling of trees, the forest cover diminished to a level that it
posed problem for saving the environment and the very existence of human being became
endangered.
This gave birth to the plantation forestry. In the last few decades, lot of plantations of short
rotation, fast grown exotic species as well as our own important and promising ones have been
done so that wood of these plantations could be used for different human needs and natural
forests are kept undisturbed and maintained for environmental protection and ecological balance.
Under social forestry, farm forestry, agro forestry as well as forest departments normal plantation
programmes, large number of trees of species like eucalyptus, babul, khair, chir, sissoo, teak, sal,
gamari, albizias, casuarina, khasi pine, deodar, poplar, semul, Acacia, auriculiformis, Acacia
mearnsii, fir, spruce, rubber wood, chandan, bamboo, etc. have been planted. According to an
estimate, cumulative area put under plantation by all agencies from 1951 to 1999 in more than 30
million hectare. The harvest from these plantations has now been started in a big way. It is
expected that if rate of plantation is maintained, the supply of timber from these plantation will
continue on sustained basis. The requirement of wood for different activities could thus be met
more and more from these plantations and dependence on natural forests will diminish so that
they are maintained for posterity (prosperity).
For a country like India where majority of population live in villages and due to lack of
employment in rural areas, there is continuous migration of rural poor to urban areas for search
of livelihood and thereby converting cities into slums. The key to sustained development lies in
the setting up or cottage industry in rural areas. The forest industry in the villages can be best
developed on forest produce — wood, bamboo, weeds, reeds and grasses.
Wood, being a renewable resource, is an ideal raw material for development of industry on
sustained basis. With the development of wood based industry in the rural sector, the farmers
growing trees can be assured of remunerative price for their produce at their door step itself,
instead of running to city markets and falling under the trap of middle men and commission
agents. This will ensure their continued interest in agro-forestry. This is necessary for keeping
alive the tempo of tree growing which is necessary for the very survival of humanity.
The types of cottage industry which can be developed in rural areas are furniture, door and
window, tool handles, agricultural implements, packing cases, carving, mat, basket making and
variety of handicraft of utility and decorative value made from wood, bamboo, reeds, weeds and
grasses. A few forest-based industries can be set up to create more avenues for income for the
villagers such industries are:
Plywood unit Pulp and paper Mill Project Bhutange and Khagra grasses available locally are
suitable for production of writing and printing grade paper, Hand Made Paper, Gums & Resins,
Cane, Collection and processing of herbal products AGARBATTI Cotton textile spinning mills,
ceramic glass and sugar factories etc.

Necessary research support to use plantation wood bamboo and other forest produce for above
industries has already been generated in the recent past. At Forest Research Institute-Dehra Dun,
Institute of Wood Science & Technology, Bangalore, Kerala- Forest Research Institute, Indian
Plywood Industries Research & Training Institute-Bangalore and other organizations involved in
wood research and development and utilization including several NGOs.
To quote a few examples, sawing and seasoning technique for Eucalyptus helped its use in
furniture, and ammoniacal copper arsenate treatment technique has enabled inclusion of
Eucalyptus as suitable species for door making in Indian Standard specification. Appropriate
processing techniques for rubber-wood and Acacia auriculiformis, Sissoo and gamari are well
known for producing good quality furniture in a big way especially for export in South India.
Ammonia fumigation technique developed at FRI - Dehradun can be of help to improve look and
color of furniture and other handicrafts made from dull looking plantation wood. Poplar splints
can be produced and supplied to match industry where big units are purchasing about half of
their requirement of splints from the open market.
The production of fruits and vegetables is increasing day by day thanks to agro-horticultural
researches. For packing the same for safe transport to city markets, lot of packing cases are
needed which can be produced in the village itself from wood of local plantation.
Acacias can sustain tool handle and agricultural implement industry needed in the village itself
by farmers and other artisans. Carving industry can sustain well on the basis of plantation wood.
A large number of utility and decorative items can be produced from bamboo and can even be
exported if proper quality is maintained as has been successfully done in China.
For use of round bamboo for development of lamp stand, flower vase etc., pretreatment
processes with urea and poly ethylene glycol can eliminate cracking and de-shaping and thus
help maintain quality. Bamboo and cane furniture are in great demand now a days. There are
numerous such examples where a profitable cottage industry can be run in the villages and
generate gainful employment opportunities in rural sector. Thus, plantation wood and bamboo
etc. based cottage and small scale industry can help masses for their sustainable growth.
ROLE--- Cottage industry plays a significant role in the Indian economy.
1. It needs less capital so it is found suitable to our country where capital is deficient.
2. Cottage industries are labor intensive and provide more employment opportunities.
Therefore, in less investment more employment is generated. In rural areas it will help to
solve the problem of seasonal employment. The problem of disguised unemployment will
also be solved to some extent, by removing surplus labor engaged in agriculture.
3. These industries are quick yielding in nature.
4. These industries will be useful in controlling inflation by providing essential commodities at
the shortest possible time.
5. Skill light: can be run with our own people with a little training.
6. Useful in utilizing the locally available materials.
7. Will reduce the possibility of migration of population from rural to urban areas.
8. Negligible or no pollution, thereby keeping the environment healthy.
9. Decentralization: these industries can be widely spread for achieving regional balance
development.