Name :- Gaurav Sanjay Pohankar 47103

Rollno :- 40 FYB.FMg
Subject:- Foundation course (assignment 1)

Q.1 What are the causes for increasing farmers suicide?

Ans. Farmer suicides in India refers to the national catastrophe of farmers committing suicide
since the 1970s, due to their inability to repay loans mostly taken from private landlords and
banks.

The National Crime Records Bureau of India reported that a total of 296,438 Indian farmers had
committed suicide since 1995. Out of these, 60,750 farmer suicides were in the state of
Maharashtra since 1995 and the remaining in Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya
Pradesh, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh, all states with loose financial and entry regulations.

Earlier, governments had reported varying figures, from 5,650 farmer suicides in 2014 to the
highest number of farmer suicides in 2004 of 18,241. The farmer's suicide rate in India had
ranged between 1.4 and 1.8 per 100,000 total population, over a 10-year period through 2005,
however, the figures in 2017 and 2018 showed an average of more than 10 suicides daily or 5760
suicides per year. There are accusations of states manipulating the data on farmer suicides, hence
the real figures could be even higher.

India is an agrarian country with around 70% of its people depending directly or indirectly upon
agriculture. Agriculture had 15.4% share in economy of India in year 2017. Around 41.49% of
total labor are associated with agriculture in year 2020. Farmer suicides account for 11.2% of all
suicides in India. Activists and scholars have offered a number of conflicting reasons for farmer
suicides, such as anti farmer laws, high debt burdens, poor government policies, corruption in
subsidies, crop failure, mental health, personal issues and family problems.

Farmers' income rose by 30 per cent while their debt surged around 58 per cent between 2013
and 2019. As a result, farmers' debt as a percentage of their annual income shot up by 13
percentage points, according to latest data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation.

Q.2 Explain India as a multi-religious nation?

Ans. Religion in India is characterized by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. The
Indian subcontinent is the birthplace of four of the world's major religions: namely Hinduism,
Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Religious diversity and religious tolerance are established by
the law; the Constitution of India defines freedom of religion a fundamental right and holds India
to be a secular state.

According to the 2011 census, 79.8% of the population of India practices Hinduism, 14.2%
adheres to Islam, 2.3% adheres to Christianity, 1.7% adheres to Sikhism, 0.7% adheres to
Buddhism, and 0.4% adheres to Jainism. Zoroastrianism, Yungdrung Bon, the Baháʼí Faith,
Sanamahism, and Judaism also have a history in India, and each has at least several thousand
adherents in India.[citation needed]

India has given refuge to followers of persecuted religions across its history. In the post-classical
period, sanctuary was granted to Hebrew Jews who fled captivity in Babylonia, Aramaic
Christians who fled the Islamic invasion of Syria in the 7th century, and Persian Zoroastrians
who fled persecution in Persia in the 9th century following the Muslim conquest of Persia, as a
result, India has the largest population of people adhering to Zoroastrianism (i.e. Parsis or Iranis)
in the world. In the 20th to 21st centuries, sanctuary was granted to Russian, Persian and Afghan
Jews, Christians, Jains, Sikhs, Hindus, and Ahmadiyyas who fled persecution in Pakistan. When
the Dalai Lama fled Tibet and took refuge in India after it was invaded by China, many Tibetans
followed his example and continue to seek refuge in India.

Today, India is home to around 94% of the global population of Hindus. Most Hindu shrines and
temples are located in India, as are the birthplaces of most Hindu saints. Prayagraj hosts the
world's largest religious pilgrimage, Prayag Kumbh Mela, where Hindus from across the world
come together to bathe in the confluence of three sacred rivers of India: the Ganga, the Yamuna,
and the Saraswati. The Indian diaspora in the West has popularized many aspects of Hindu
philosophy such as yoga, meditation, Ayurvedic medicine, divination, karma, and reincarnation.
The influence of Indian religions has been significant all over the world. Several Hindu-based
organizations, such as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the Ramakrishna
Mission, the Brahma Kumaris, the Ananda Marga, and others have spread Hindu spiritual beliefs
and practices. The Indian subcontinent also contains the largest population of Muslims in the
world, with about one-third of all Muslims being from South Asia. By 2050, the Muslim
population of India is projected to grow to 311 million and surpass Indonesia to become the
world's largest Muslim population, although India will retain a Hindu majority (about 77%).
India is also the cradle of Ahmadiyya Islam. The shrines of some of the most famous saints of
Sufism, like Moinuddin Chishti and Nizamuddin Auliya, are found in India, and attract visitors
from all over the world.

Before the Mughal Empire and Delhi Sultanate, as much as 90% of the population may have
fallen under the Hindu umbrella,[failed verification][dubious – discuss] although demographic
information on pre-modern polities is scarce. The elites of those empires came from historically
Muslim ethnicities, and many sought to harmonize their personal religion with the Hinduism of
their subjects. Nevertheless, a backlash during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries reestablished
confessional boundaries and genealogical evidence suggests that many modern-day Muslims
have some Hindu ancestors.

Q.3 Define Caste. Explain the nature of caste system in India?

Ans. Castes are rigid social groups characterized by hereditary transmission of life style,
occupation and social status. The caste system in India has its origins in ancient India, and was
transformed by various ruling elites in medieval, early-modern, and modern India, especially the
Mughal Empire and the British Raj. The caste system consists of two different concepts, varna
and jati, which may be regarded as different levels of analysis.

The caste system as it exists today is thought to be the result of developments during the collapse
of the Mughal era and the rise of the British colonial government in India. The collapse of the
Mughal era saw the rise of powerful men who associated themselves with kings, priests and
ascetics, affirming the regal and martial form of the caste ideal, and it also reshaped many
apparently casteless social groups into differentiated caste communities. The British Raj
furthered this development, making rigid caste organisation a central mechanism of
administration. Between 1860 and 1920, the British formulated the caste system into their system
of governance, granting administrative jobs and senior appointments only to Christians and
people belonging to certain castes. Social unrest during the 1920s led to a change in this policy.
From then on, the colonial administration began a policy of positive discrimination by reserving
a certain percentage of government jobs for the lower castes. In 1948, negative discrimination on
the basis of caste was banned by law and further enshrined in the Indian constitution; however,
the system continues to be practiced in parts of India.
Caste-based differences have also been practised in other regions and religions in the Indian
subcontinent, like Nepalese Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. It has been
challenged by many reformist Hindu movements, Sikhism, Christianity, by present-day Indian
Buddhism. With Indian influence in Southeast Asia, the caste system is also practiced in places
such as Thailand, Cambodia and Bali.

India after achieving independence in 1947 enacted many affirmative action policies for the
upliftment of historically marginalized groups. These policies included reserving a quota of
places for these groups in higher education and government employment.

Q.4 Discuss the characteristics and problems of rural areas?

Ans. "The country" and "Rural" redirect here. For other uses, see Countryside (disambiguation),
Country (disambiguation), and Rural (disambiguation).

In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and
cities. The Health Resources and Services Administration of the United States Department of
Health and Human Services defines the word rural as encompassing "...all population, housing,
and territory not included within an urban area. Whatever is not urban is considered rural."
Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and
areas with forestry typically are described as rural. Different countries have varying definitions
of rural for statistical and administrative purposes.

Rural areas, because of their unique economic and social dynamics, and relationship to landbased
industry such as agriculture, forestry and resource extraction, the economics are very different
from cities and can be subject to boom and bust cycles and vulnerability to extreme weather or
natural disasters, such as droughts. These dynamics alongside larger economic forces
encouraging to urbanization have lead to significant demographic declines, called rural flight,
where economic incentives encourage younger populations to go to cities for education and
access to jobs leaving older, less educated and less wealthy populations in the rural areas. Slower
economic development results in poorer services like healthcare and education and rural
infrastructure. This cycle cycle of poverty in some rural areas, means that three quarters of the
global population in poverty live in rural areas according to the Food and Agricultural
Organization.
Some communities have successfully encouraged economic development in rural areas, with
some policies such as giving increased access to electricity or internet, proving very successful
on encouraging economic activities in rural areas. Historically development policies have
focused on larger extractive industries, such as mining and forestry. However, recent approaches
more focused on sustainable development are more aware of economic diversification in these
communities. The main objective of this research paper is to understand the approaches and
strategies that are necessary to bring about development of rural communities. In rural
communities, there are number of aspects that need to be developed. These include, education,
employment opportunities, agriculture and farming practices, administration and management,
infrastructure, civic amenities, health care and medical and environmental conditions. When
improvements would take place in these areas, then rural individuals would be able to secure
better livelihoods opportunities. Furthermore, when approaches and strategies are formulated by
the Government, organizations and other agencies, then it is vital to generate awareness among
rural individuals and help them in acquiring benefits of these measures and approaches in an
appropriate manner. The main areas that have been taken into account in this research paper
include, development objectives of rural areas, components of rural development policy,
approaches for rural development, strategies of rural development and other strategies promoting
rural development. Keywords: Approaches, Capabilities, Policies, Rural Development, Strategies
When one is researching upon the concept of rural development, then it is referred to the overall
development of rural communities. It is a multi-dimensional and a comprehensive concept,
which takes into consideration, number of aspects, these include, agriculture and allied activities,
village and cottage industries, farming practices, system of education, training centres, health
care and medical facilities, environmental conditions, housing accommodation, infrastructure,
technology, skills development opportunities for the individuals, administration and management
practices, employment opportunities and human resource development. When the individuals are
researching upon the aspects, which promote backwardness of rural communities, then it is vital
for them to take into consideration measures, policies and programs that would promote
development of all the above stated aspects. In rural communities, the individuals are
experiencing the problems of poverty, illiteracy and unemployment to a major extent. Therefore,
measures and policies also need to put emphasis upon alleviation of these problems.

The development of rural communities is the ultimate outcome of the transactions between
physical, technological, economic, socio-cultural and institutional factors. The approaches and
the strategies need to be designed to bring about improvements, primarily in the living conditions
of the individuals, belonging to deprived, marginalized and socio-economically backward
sections of the society. To promote the development of rural areas, it is necessary to represent an
intersection between agricultural, social, managerial, behavioural and engineering sciences.
When there are implementation of policies, practices, strategies and approaches aiming at rural
development, then the individuals need to generate awareness in terms of deficient areas and
challenges, which the rural individuals are experiencing. The organizations and agencies are
required to work in collaboration and integration with each other to achieve the desired goals and
objectives. Many developing countries have been working effectively towards development of
rural communities and have received significant outcomes.

Q.5 Discuss the nature of Bi-lingual policy and linguistic conflict in India.

Ans. "Anya Bhashakal Kevalam Dhatrimar, Marthyanu Mathavu Mathrubhasha Thaan" is a punch
stanza of the poem 'Ente Bhasha' by renowned poet Vallathol Narayana Menon from his
poetry collection 'Sahithya Manjari.'It translates as "All other languages are merely midwives,
for humans mother tongue is the biological mother." Language is a vital source of communication.
We all love our mother tongue more than other languages. Based on linguistic skills, people
have been categorized into Monolinguals and bilinguals, and multilingual. Especially for
business purposes, people used to study more than one language from ancient times. In addition
to that, at present, English is gaining priority all over the world. So, our education system is giving
much importance to English learning. In a country like India, where cultural and linguistic
diversity exists, communication is complex. Though there are many regional languages,
North India and South India's uniting strand is 'Hindi' and 'English.' But we need to learn
the native language when we reach a remote place. Here lies the essence of Multilingualism.
Lingual variety is one of the essential characteristics of our country. Recent research shows that
one's mother tongue influences his/her pronunciation skills and the accent of a second language.
For instance, let's consider the case of English itself. We can see the difference in English accents
in various parts of India. Though there are linguistic similarities, all Indian languages have
differed in their orthography as well as phonology. Some languages lack some features, while
others have additional features. Some languages may have lost some features during their
evolution, while others retained those. One such language is Malayalam. The alphabet scheme of
Malayalam contains letters of all Indian languages because of its connections with both Sanskrit
and Tamil. Neuroscientists discovered that regular utterance of Sanskrit expands the part of the
brain responsible for cognitive function, and this effect is known as the 'Sanskrit Effect.'
Malayalam has unique letters such as ഴ/ɻ/ written as 'Zha' from
Tamizh and the next one, ' '/t/ written as 'Tta.'ēzhu' in Malayalam means seven, it is modified as
ēdu in Telugu and ēḷu in Kannada. These letters are not present in major Indian languages such
as Hindi, and we can notice the effect in their English diction. Tamil uses hard nasalization
sounds different from the soft nasalization sounds of Malayalam. These specialties give
Malayalis phonological flexibility.

As we know, Bilingualism is the ability to use two languages correspondingly well. Here we
are going to focus on Bilingualism as it is the first stage of Multilingualism. There are four types
of Bilingualism (Ferraiuoli, 2014-2015): the first one is the 'early one' is when the second language
knowledge is acquired before the age of three, while the 'late one' consists of the systematic
learning of L2 in the school environment from six to seven years. The
'simultaneous bilingualism' occurs when learning L2 is concomitant to L1, and at last, there

is the 'consecutive bilingualism,' when the two languages are learning in different times and
contexts. Bilingualism would confer other non-linguistic advantages like social understanding.
For example, bilingual preschoolers seem to be more functional than monolinguals in
understanding others' perspectives, thoughts, desires, and intentions. Bilinguals would also
show some cognitive advantages. Particularly, bilinguals implement a little bit better than
monolinguals on tasks that involve switching between activities; they too would be fortunate
in certain aspects of memory, for example, simplifying information from one event to a later
occasion. Recent estimates show that there are about 7000 languages in the world. Learning
more languages is not only a personal advantage but also a resource for the future. Multilingual
people show that they can better deal with distractions and work in competitive and dynamic
environments, making them better workers. Indeed, many studies conducted on bilingual people
evidenced that the exercise of learning another language helps offset age-related declines in mental
dexterity, such as Alzheimer's. If not even avoided thanks to the 'plasticity' and the activity that
preserves the grey matter. Multilingual speakers are good listeners. Multilingualism improves
memory. Multilingual is not restricted to a single world-view but also has a better understanding
that other outlooks are possible. Indeed, this is always perceiving as one of the leading educational
advantages of language teaching" (Cook 2001); Moreover, thanks to this tremendous
metalinguistic ability, many multilingual children would learn to read earlier than
monolinguals because they would recognize the correspondence between letters of written
language and sounds of spoken language (Sorace, 2010). Multilingual, simultaneously insiders
and outsiders, can see their own culture from a new perspective not available to monoglots,
enabling the comparison, contrast, and understanding of cultural concepts. They can have a
more incredible experience of others, of either minority in their own countries or foreigners
who visit their countries, and, in the context of the global movement, of immigrants.

Q.6 What is Magna Carta?

Ans. Magna Carta Libertatum (Medieval Latin for "Great Charter of Freedoms"), commonly
called Magna Carta (also Magna Charta; "Great Charter"),[a] is a royal charter of rights agreed to
by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215.[b] First drafted by
Archbishop of Canterbury Stephen Langton to make peace between the unpopular king and a
group of rebel barons, it promised the protection of church rights, protection for the barons from
illegal imprisonment, access to swift justice, and limitations on feudal payments to the Crown, to
be implemented through a council of 25 barons. Neither side stood behind their commitments,
and the charter was annulled by Pope Innocent III, leading to the First Barons' War.
After John's death, the regency government of his young son, Henry III, reissued the document in
1216, stripped of some of its more radical content, in an unsuccessful bid to build political
support for their cause. At the end of the war in 1217, it formed part of the peace treaty agreed at
Lambeth, where the document acquired the name 'Magna Carta', to distinguish it from the
smaller Charter of the Forest which was issued at the same time. Short of funds, Henry reissued
the charter again in 1225 in exchange for a grant of new taxes. His son, Edward I, repeated the
exercise in 1297, this time confirming it as part of England's statute law. The charter became part
of English political life and was typically renewed by each monarch in turn, although as time
went by and the fledgling Parliament of England passed new laws, it lost some of its practical
significance.

At the end of the 16th century, there was an upsurge in interest in Magna Carta. Lawyers and
historians at the time believed that there was an ancient English constitution, going back to the
days of the Anglo-Saxons, that protected individual English freedoms. They argued that the
Norman invasion of 1066 had overthrown these rights, and that Magna Carta had been a popular
attempt to restore them, making the charter an essential foundation for the contemporary powers
of Parliament and legal principles such as habeas corpus. Although this historical account was
badly flawed, jurists such as Sir Edward Coke used Magna Carta extensively in the early 17th
century, arguing against the divine right of kings propounded by the Stuart monarchs. Both
James I and his son Charles I attempted to suppress the discussion of Magna Carta, until the
issue was curtailed by the English Civil War of the 1640s and the execution of Charles. The
political myth of Magna Carta and its protection of ancient personal liberties persisted after the
Glorious Revolution of 1688 until well into the 19th century. It influenced the early American
colonists in the Thirteen Colonies and the formation of the United States Constitution, which
became the supreme law of the land in the new republic of the United States.[c] Research by
Victorian historians showed that the original 1215 charter had concerned the medieval
relationship between the monarch and the barons, rather than the rights of ordinary people, but
the charter remained a powerful, iconic document, even after almost all of its content was
repealed from the statute books in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Magna Carta still forms an important symbol of liberty today, often cited by politicians and
campaigners, and is held in great respect by the British and American legal communities, Lord
Denning describing it as "the greatest constitutional document of all times—the foundation of the
freedom of the individual against the arbitrary authority of the despot".In the 21st century, four
exemplifications of the original 1215 charter remain in existence, two at the British Library, one
at Lincoln Castle and one at Salisbury Cathedral. There are also a handful of the subsequent
charters in public and private ownership, including copies of the 1297 charter in both the United
States and Australia. The original charters were written on parchment sheets using quill pens, in
heavily abbreviated medieval Latin, which was the convention for legal documents at that time.
Each was sealed with the royal great seal (made of beeswax and resin sealing wax): very few of
the seals have survived. Although scholars refer to the 63 numbered "clauses" of Magna Carta,
this is a modern system of numbering, introduced by Sir William Blackstone in 1759; the
original charter formed a single, long unbroken text. The four original 1215 charters were
displayed together at the British Library for one day, 3 February 2015, to mark the 800th
anniversary of Magna Carta. Magna Carta originated as an unsuccessful attempt to achieve peace
between royalist and rebel factions in 1215, as part of the events leading to the outbreak of the
First Barons' War. England was ruled by King John, the third of the Angevin kings. Although the
kingdom had a robust administrative system, the nature of government under the Angevin
monarchs was ill-defined and uncertain. John and his predecessors had ruled using the principle
of vis et voluntas, or "force and will", taking executive and sometimes arbitrary decisions, often
justified on the basis that a king was above the law. Many contemporary writers believed that
monarchs should rule in accordance with the custom and the law, with the counsel of the leading
members of the realm, but there was no model for what should happen if a king refused to do so.

John had lost most of his ancestral lands in France to King Philip II in 1204 and had struggled to
regain them for many years, raising extensive taxes on the barons to accumulate money to fight a
war which ended in expensive failure in 1214. Following the defeat of his allies at the Battle of
Bouvines, John had to sue for peace and pay compensation. John was already personally
unpopular with many of the barons, many of whom owed money to the Crown, and little trust
existed between the two sides. A triumph would have strengthened his position, but in the face of
his defeat, within a few months after his return from France, John found that rebel barons in the
north and east of England were organising resistance to his rule.

Q.7 What kind of problems arise for the society due to the old age.

Ans. A man’s life is normally divided into five stages namely: infancy, childhood, adolescence,
adulthood and old age. In each of these stages an individual’s finds himself in different situations
and faces different problems. Old age is viewed as an unavoidable, undesirable and problem

ridden phase of life. Problems of aging usually appear after the age of 65 years.

These problems may be divided under 5 heads:

(i) Physiological

(ii) Psychological
(iii) Social

(iv) Emotional

(v) Financial

1. Physiological Problems:

Old age is a period of physical decline. Even if one does not become sans eyes, sans teeth,
sans everything, right away, one does begin to slow down physically. The physical condition
depends partly upon hereditary constitution, the manner of living and environmental factors.
Vicissitudes of living, faulty diet, malnutrition, infectious, intoxications, gluttony, inadequate
rest, emotional stress, overwork, endocrine disorders and environmental conditions like heat

and cold are some of the common secondary causes of physical decline.

Due to the loss of teeth, the jaw becomes smaller and the skin sags. The cheeks become

pendulous with wrinkles and the eye lids become baggy with upper lids over hanging the
lower. The eyes seem dull and lustreless and they often have a watery look due to the poor
functioning of the tear glands. Loss of dentures affect speech and some even appear to lisp.

The skin becomes rough and looses its elasticity. Wrinkles are formed and the veins show
out prominently on the skin. Perspiration is less profuse and other skin pigmentation appears
as the age advances. The hair becomes thin and grey, nails become thick and tough. Tremors

of the hands, forearms, head and lower jaw are common. Bones harden in old age, become
brittle and are subject to fractures and breaks.

2. Psychological Problems:
Mental disorders are very much associated with old age. Older people are susceptible to

psychotic depressions. The two major psychotic disorders of older people are senile dementia
(associated with cerebral atrophy and degeneration) and psychosis with cerebral arterio
sclerosis (associated with either blocking or ruptures in the cerebral arteries). It has been
observed that these two disorders account for approximately 80% of the psychotic disorders
among older people in the civilized societies.

3. Emotional Problem:

Decline in mental ability makes them dependent. They no longer have trust in their own

ability or judgements but still they want to tighten their grip over the younger ones. They
want to get involved in all family matters and business issues. Due to generation gap the
youngsters do not pay attention to their suggestion and advice. Instead of developing a
sympathetic attitude towards the old, they start asserting their rights and power. This may

create a feeling of deprivation of their dignity and importance.

Loss of spouse during old age is another hazard. Death of a spouse creates a feeling of

loneliness and isolation. The negligence and indifferent attitude of the family members
towards the older people creates more emotional problems.

4. Social Problems:

Older people suffer social losses greatly with age. Their social life is narrowed down by loss
of work associated, death of relatives, friends and spouse and weak health which restricts
their participation in social activities. The home becomes the centre of their social life which

gets confined to the interpersonal relationship with the family members. Due to loss of most
of the social roles they once performed, they are likely to be lonely and isolated severe
chromic health problem enable them to become socially isolated which results in loneliness

and depression.

5. Financial Problem:

Retirement from service usually results in loss of income and the pensions that the elderly
receive are usually inadequate to meet the cost of living which is always on the rise. With the

reduced income they are reversed from the state of “Chief bread winner to a mere
dependent” though they spend their provident fund on marriages of children, acquiring new
property, education of children and family maintenance. The diagnosis and treatment of their
disease created more financial problem for old age.